Please don't kill me . 2 reasons why you'd want to: this chapter being late... and what I make Chrysalis do.
• Chapter Thirty-two: First Gathering •
…
Weakness overflowed, as if a misty puff of despair was wafting around the fragile alicorn, who peered weakly into the distance, her purple eyes glazed, and clouded.
"I am fed up of this!" Luna shouted from the cage facing her sister.
"Well that is not my problem!" Celestia snapped back, her eyes narrowed. "Get a better attention span, will you?"
"You seriously don't seem to care that Cadance is slowly fading away before your eyes, do you?" Luna retorted. "I bet if you were in her horseshoes, you'd be making a bigger deal over it."
Celestia gave an offended gasp. "False! I'd be using the last of my strength too ensure that you and Cadance would be alright!"
"Ha, of course, being all powerful and great. And what if I was in her horseshoes? I bet you'd be pleased to get rid of your younger sister, who just isn't perfect enough to be related to the amazing Celestia. I am whom you are embarrassed over!"
"Lies!" Celestia snarled. "Untrue, mistaken and recreant! I would never do or think such thing!"
"Well-" Luna was about to give her witty comeback, when Cadance interrupted.
"Shh... Chrysalis is coming!"
The three looked up and peered as the Changeling Queen approached the trio.
"Ah, isn't it lovely seeing you all again- it's been a while since I last visited. I must say... just- did I catch you two inseparable siblings... arguing just then? Well, well, well- never argue when a changeling is around- arguing is one of the opposites of love you know- and we changelings prefer love over hatred." Chrysalis smirked, looking docile and ominous at the same time.
"Yeah, some beautiful love you have shown towards us over the past ten years," Luna remarked, earning a giggle from Celestia.
Chrysalis rolled her eyes, before peering at the centre prison, in which Cadance was accommodated to. Chrysalis gently stepped forward, reaching her hoof through the cage, tucking it under the alicorn's chin, bringing the hanging head up to face her. "Looks like your youth has died."
Cadance squeaked, but didn't have the strength to shudder away. All she could do was fearfully look into the piercing green eyes.
"And yet, your determination remains..." Chrysalis's mind went elsewhere, before she snapped back to reality. She swished her hoof from under Cadance's neck, causing the light pink alicorn to drop to the ground with a thud. Chrysalis peered into the distance as she trotted away from the three cells. "That's what I hate about you ponies. You're always so determined- it makes me sick."
"Again, hate is some really strong love your giving us," Luna snickered.
"Shut up!" Chrysalis spun around, glaring at the alicorn. "You'll be the first to die once I get bored."
"No more moon for you then," Luna smiled. "No more darkness and what you call... fear."
"I said, shut up!"
"No."
"Why you little..." Chrysalis went silent, before taking a deep breathe, trying to extinguish her anger.
Luna, feeling she had gotten away with this argument, blew a sneaky raspberry at Chrysalis.
"I have had it!" Chrysalis roared, twisting around, and angling her horn straight at Luna's dungeon. A green aura surrounded the horn, before shooting forwards, towards the former Night Princess. Luna jumped to the side, but she was not quick enough, as the green ball of magic slammed onto her side.
"Luna! No!" Celestia lunged forward, and pressed herself against the bars, flailing her hooves as she tried to reach across to her sister's opposing prison.
Dark grey smoke filled the cage, before it finally began to die down, and Luna could be seen laying on the ground. Blood was running from one side of her face, all the way down to her back legs. Luna's blue-green eyes flickered open with pain as she slowly opened her mouth, to speak her rasped words. "How did... thou have so much... power..?" Luna coughed slightly before closing her eyes.
Celestia turned to Chrysalis, rage boiling in her eyes. "How dare you! She is my sister!"
Chrysalis menaced forward, so her nose was a few inches from the former princess of the day's. "I had a sister too, and she got slaughtered by a bunch of your pony citizens! Be happy that I didn't kill your's!"
Celestia wasn't sure how to reply, as she just turned back to Luna, watching as her sister rolled over hurtfully. The burns would sting, and would throb for the next few days. As long as the wounds didn't get infected, Luna would most likely recover. "There, there..." Celestia cooed. her main incentive was to help her younger sibling now.
Chrysalis peered at the two dungeons, before she quickly turned tail and fled, confusion buzzing through her mind. "I didn't even know that I had that much power..." The Changeling Queen panted, as she continued to dash back to her castle. "Imagine what I could do with all of it? It would be perfect for my next plan to rid my life of Snow Flutter..." She halted to a stop, now in front of her mirror in her room, where she admired her appearance. She summoned a comb to brush her mane, as a grin began to creep across her face. "And this plan..." She stopped brushing her mane, as she levitated the brush to a new chamber. She began mixing a brew of chemicals. Once her mixture was ready, she dipped the comb into the acids, allowing the toxins to seep into the diamond encrusted brush's bristles. "Is going to succeed."
…
Apple Bloom shifted from side to side, watching the barn doors pleadingly... praying they would open, or a swish of magic would appear to reveal the two drugged foals. She peered at the hay, longingly wishing it would lift up and turn into the golden resource, in which would be her ticket to free her from this dungeon- not that it wasn't her environment. The shed kind of reminded her of her home- kind of, not well and truly. Apple Bloom pricked her ears, as she listened to some sudden thuds outside. She heard the sound of... well if glistening was a sound, then that'd be what it would sound like. Apple Bloom ecstatically got up onto her hooves, peering at an old clock up on the walls, reading 9:30 pm. She hopped down from the haystack she had been resting on, as she finally eyed the two silhouettes of the foals who had arrived last time, both covered in a blanket of wispy golden magic.
"Ya two are later than ya were last time! Ah almost thought that ah was screwed, and that ah was gonna get taken away! What took ya two so long?" Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes, as the two foals plonked down to the ground, getting up onto their legs, wobbling slightly.
"You're not our only customer!" The stubby one grunted, before turning to the orange colt. "Also, someone got their hooves tangled in a knot."
"It's not my fault that the spider scared me so much that I got coiled into the rope! You were the one who put the rope there in the first place!" The long-limbed colt muttered, before turning to the yellow filly with the red mane. "Now with every assistance we give, comes a price. Now pay up!"
Apple Bloom uncomfortably shuffled on her hooves, glancing to the side. "Well..."
"Well? Do you have something or not?" The short, stubby green-blue-grey colt squeaked, tilting his head.
"Would this do?" Apple Bloom reached behind her ear, undoing the bow from her head, and laying it on the floor.
The two foals trotted up to it, glancing down at the bright red headpiece, before nodding. "Very well."
Apple Bloom sighed in relief, as the two foals gathered all the hay together, and began to wind it through the spinning wheel, which would turn it into the bedazzling golden substance. "I hope this is my last night staying in this place," Apple Bloom muttered, as she jumped back up onto her haystack. Curling into a little ball, she closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
…
The pony dropped the saucepan which he had been using as a bucket to throw water onto the toaster. Besides being electrocuted twice by the spazzing toaster, and having his tail lit on fire, he was all right. The sloppy residue of the fire splattered over the floor, and the drenched wet and burnt-to-the-core toast was no more than a puddle of black sludge. The pony let out a sigh of relief, wiping some sweat from his brow. "That is the last time I am ever going to light a fire." He hesitated for a second, before remembering how the fire started in the first place. "Oh no... Sweetie Belle!"
Wailing, he lunged through the house, in a massive gallop, before he smashed through the front door. Pounding across the front yard, he found himself nearing the end of the garden, but he kept pushing himself as he ran as if his life was at stake. "Sweetie Belle! Sweetie Belle!" He could sense the end of his property nearing, but he ignored the tingling instincts, as he continued to run as fast as he could.
3...
He was nearing the end of the garden, his eyes wide with fear and pain.
2...
His will was fighting against him, begging him to skid to a halt and turn around, but all this will did was make him run faster.
1...
The thought of Sweetie Belle lingered in his mind, making tears form in his eyes- he was losing his one and only treasure.
0..!
The pony felt a barrier suddenly slam against his face, as his whole body smacked into the shield. He felt as if he were a fly being swatted against a wall. The outside world closed in on him, butting him backwards angrily, refusing to let him trot passed. A few seconds ticked passed, just him pressed against an invisible sheet of glass which was teasingly preventing his freedom.
Eventually, the pony slowly peeled himself off of the barrier, a large bruise stretching down his face because of the force in which he had banged against the dome.
Sobbing, he peered away, before his eyes rested on a speck of white across the clearing. Light suddenly overwhelmed him, as glee struck him harder than any weapon. Pouncing forwards, he shot faster than light, as he sprung onto the bewitching filly, pinning her to the ground, and refusing to let her go. "Sweetie Belle! Sweetie Belle! Sweetie Belle!"
The unicorn with the purple and pink curly mane peered at him in shock, her green eyes etched with fear. She didn't say a word, as alarm spread across her face, and all of her instincts told her to freeze- and play dead. She just couldn't close her mint green eyes.
The pony would never forget the look she was giving him. It was the way in which he had feared that any living soul would give him as soon as they lay eyes on him. It was as if the filly was seeing into his soul right now, and was realising the monster he truly was.
Sweetie Belle was scared of him.
The pony opened his mouth, before closing it again, as he peered to the side, his ears drooping before they pressed to the sides of his head. I am an outcast, and Sweetie Belle knows it. She has been pretending this whole time. The pony slowly released her grip on her, and he stepped to the side. At this moment, he possessed more injuries on the inside than the outside, despite physically being smacked against a wall, electrocuted and lit aflame. His aching eyes glistened, and he pitifully battled to take another step away from the filly who was an pure angel through his eyes. He could tell through her eyes, and through his eyes that he was a devil. He didn't deserve to know a pony as heavenly as her.
"Wait," Sweetie Belle gushed, raising he hoof to stop him.
The pony didn't turn around, he just lowered even more to look less threatening whilst his back was turned. "I am sorry."
Sweetie Belle got up onto her hooves tilting her head. "For what?"
"For keeping you locked here. You are not an animal. And this is not a cage-"
"-but it could be." Sweetie Belle smiled softly.
The pony turned around, glaring at the filly. "Why are you smiling? That's not a good thing!"
Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "Be naïve. Be innocent. Stay young, come back to childhood, and be a foal just like we both used to be..."
The pony was truly confused, before suddenly, their surroundings peeled down like wallpaper, being replaced by a blinding white light emitting from Sweetie Belle's horn. He gasped, attempting to back away, but backed into what seemed like bars. He peered around, and realised that the two of them were in a massive cage. He turned to Sweetie Belle in shock, as she danced around the bars, and skipped from side to side, the stunning beam still glued to her pretty little face.
"Weeeee! I am queen of the world, and you are my loyal servant!" Sweetie Belle peered at the sky, beams of light unbelievably raying down, cascading Sweetie Belle in a shower of twinkling magic, before she appeared wearing a golden crown perched on her head. It was all powered by her imagination.
"What are you talking about?" He suddenly found himself seeing visions as Sweetie Belle as the four year old he used to know her as. She was still the same- no matter how older she got.
"I am Queen Sweetie Belle." She hopped forward, so she was facing him. "I heard you got changed from a servant to a king."
"Since when?"
"Just now!"
"What- I..." Before the pony could react, Sweetie Belle grabbed his hooves, and began to twirl around, dancing from side to side with him. The dance was simple- nothing special nor fancy. It was the kind of dance a bunch of best friends would share to a popular and upbeat pop song.
"This cage is life. Right now we are locked in the centre of it," Sweetie Belle explained as they continued to dance, a beam lighting her face. "Do you want to find out what is outside of this cage?"
"What? No..!" The pony hesitated before pouncing backwards, pressing himself against the side of the cage. So much was happening that he could barely keep up. "If this is the centre of life, then I want to stay here."
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, before skipping to the side. "Okey dokey."
"Well can't you see that this is life?
We have been here for millenniums.
Nor birth nor death can start a strife.
Locked away and immune...
Sometimes it's good to leave.
To be free from these worlds and know the good and bad.
It will hurt, it will bring pain.
No deny, from joyful to sad.
But adventure is good, imagination.
Being locked from childhood is all I know.
Don't you want to discover?
Than grow old fast yet slow."
The pony hesitated, before trotting towards her. "But... but... I don't want you to leave me..."
Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "You can still escape- I am sure. I can escape this cage- I mean, look at the bars. It would be easy!" Sweetie Belle trotted up to the bars, before squeezing through, to stand outside of the prison they were in. "Can't you come too?"
The pony hesitated, before trotting forwards, trying to scuffle through the bars, but could not get more than halfway through. Sweetie Belle stood a distance away, tilting her head, as he tried to squeeze out after her.
"Sweetie Belle! Don't leave me!" The pony grasped his hoof forwards, but Sweetie Belle was just out of reach. "Sweetie Belle!"
The filly sadly trotted into the cage again. "I am here... I am here."
The pony squeezed back through the bars, before peering around the cage. "I want to go..."
"And you think I don't?" Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "I want to leave too! But you have to believe in yourself."
"I can't!"
"You can!"
"No- I can't."
Sweetie Belle gritted her teeth. "You need inspiration."
"Perhaps," the pony mumbled, before slouching down, watching as the whole scenery faded away again, to bring the two back to the real world.
"You can't even escape from that cage..." Sweetie Belle sadly lowered her head. "I am sorry."
The pony cocked his head, before turning to the barrier in which he couldn't go through. "You really want to go, don't you?"
Sweetie Belle sadly nodded. "I want to take you with me too- but I can't... I may have overreacted earlier. I am sorry- I really thought I was going to leave, but then I thought it through, and decided to stay a teensy bit longer. Hey... it seems like that fire really didn't get along with you." She gave a helpless cheesy smile.
He grimly nodded. "Yep. Isn't life great."
"It's unfair." Sweetie Belle hesitated. "But it has meaning. That's probably why it decided to send me to you. It wants me to do something here, I just don't know what."
"Be truthful." The pony lowered his head. "What do your instincts tell you to do?"
The white pony winced slightly. "Truthfully? They... tell me to leave."
Hesitating, the pony stepped forwards, lifting her chin up. "Then leave."
Gasping, Sweetie Belle's eyes widened. "What? But what about you?"
"I don't know... but I want you to come back- let's say you leave for..."
"A day," Sweetie Belle offered.
"I was going to say a week..." The pony bit his lip.
"A day- I just want to see my friends, and make sure they are alright, and I will be back lickety-split." Sweetie Belle peered at him. "I promise."
He slowly nodded, peering at the scenery on the outside, tears layering his eyes. "I will miss you for every second."
Sweetie Belle could feel tears lining her eyes as well. "I will too..."
"Just as you have been missing your friends."
"You know me well," Sweetie Belle closed her eyes, before nodding. "Farewell. Stay good. I will be back."
"Goodbye. Travel safely." He watched as the unicorn nodded, and stepped backwards, before turning again and trotting through the barrier into the outside world. Unable to fight against his self urges, he dashed forwards, and hoofed at the barrier, watching as the filly began to disappear into the scenery.
She turned around, looking at him, and giving a solemn nod, before disappearing from sight completely.
He felt tears streaming from his eyes, as he watched the last seconds of her departure. His voice was choked as he spluttered the name which he thought about every day, every minute, every second. "Sweetie Belle..."
…
"This is so exciting! Yippee! It's time to go and gather! It's time to go and gather!" Snow Flutter bounced up and down, as she followed the six dwarves trotting through the undergrowth.
"Even I wasn't that excited on my first gather," Cheese Sandwich gaped. "I have been beaten with my own knots of craziness! This is torture!"
"That just made no sense," Big Macintosh turned to the orange stallion.
"It doesn't have to! Not when a world of despair and agony is slowly etching towards me!" Cheese Sandwich swallowed. "Anything to distract me... anything... ohh, every second word of that last sentence and this sentence is in italics!"
"Alright then..." Flash Sentry slowly nodded, flying up ahead.
Snow Flutter peered down at a little snail slowly sliding past. "Can you believe it?" The snail gave a slow smile, as it continued to move.
"Okay, as much as we know you are excited, can you keep it down a notch? You will warn the citizens that we are coming before we even get there," Shining Armour turned to the pegasi, giving a grim expression.
"Oh... right!" Snow Flutter squealed, before quieting down, and skipping 'quietly' instead of bouncing.
A few more minutes passed, as the gang of seven trotted through the undergrowth, before they all halted to a stop at a large patch of bushes.
"This is the borderline of the town. As soon as we step passed these bushes, we'll be on the village's territory, and we will have to invade as quickly as possible- we want this transition to be smooth." Shining Armour kept his voice low, as he peered through the leaves of the bushes.
"Considering this is your first gather, there most likely will be a few bumps. As long as you follow our leads, and mimic everything you have learnt in training, you should do okay," Fancypants pointed, turning to the others. "Everypony ready?"
After an exchange of nods, Soarin reached his hoof out into the middle of the huddled group. "Hooves in."
Instantly, the other six mirrored his motion, and let out a small chant. "3, 2, 1, gatherers! Go!"
Leaping forwards, they broke through the bushes, and landed in the town, frightening some passing civilians.
"No! It's those wretched dwarves!" Townsponies sprinted across the area, running towards their homes to try and protect whatever valuables they had.
Snow Flutter leapt along with her friends, using her wings to propel herself forwards and increase her speed. She spotted a cart up ahead, and she leapt into the air, landing on top of the vehicle and toppling it over. Vegetables poured out of the cart, which were grabbed by Cheese Sandwich, who was aiding the lower patrol. Giving her teammate a nod, Snow Flutter zipped forwards again, causing some passing ponies to jump out of her way, as she prepared to snatch a few more crops.
Ponies from around stared at the yellow and pink blur.
"What... is that a normal pony helping those scavengers?"
"It can't be! They most likely would have kidnapped her and forced her into doing this..."
"I don't know, she looks pretty happy."
Snow Flutter turned around to see if any one of her friends needed help. Spotting Big Macintosh trying to push a wheelbarrow out of the way, Snow Flutter rushed to his side, lifting it up from the front, so the wheels would have more balance to roll.
"Welcome," Snow Flutter called, before whipping away, as she prepared to find anything interesting she'd want to take. "Ouch!" A small pebble slammed against her wing, causing one of the feathers to bend. Screeching, Snow Flutter lost her balance as she went pummelling through the air, landing on a haystack. She gasped, peering about to see some of the pedestrians throwing rocks at her and her fellow dwarves. The yellow pegasi exchanged her shock for guilt. She had learnt this- the dwarves had taught her how to deal with situations like this, but she had forgotten. Sighing, Snow Flutter got out of the haystack, spitting out wads of straw as she galloped forwards, her wings pressed against her sides, and the feathers folded over for extra protection.
"You all right?" Soarin appeared, flying above her and ducking down as a pebble went flying at his face.
"Yeah, just frazzled. What do I do now?" Snow Flutter continued to swoop forwards, whilst listening to the more experienced gatherer.
"Flash Sentry and I might need your help on air defence. Remember to keep alert for any angry civilians, and if you are told to do anything, do so."
Snow Flutter squinted her teal eyes. "What do you mean by being told to do things?"
"Well, Shining Armour has shouted a few commands to you, but you have completely ignored them. If we are to finish our-"
"-sentences!" Cheese Sandwich butted in, turning to Soarin. "I will finish your sentence, Flash Sentry needs you right now with carrying the load!"
Saluting, Soarin flew away. Cheese Sandwich ran alongside Snow Flutter, speaking words in between breathes. "Anyway, Soarin was about to say job. If we are to finish our job, we must keep alert, and follow directions from our superiors- ps, that is ponies higher ranks than us, and FYI, I am a superior of you!" Cheese Sandwich leapt over a barrel, before turning to the yellow pegasi. Clearing his voice, the loopy orange stallion spoke. "There is a cart northeast, about ten steps in where you will be in two seconds! Get it..! Two! There's your cue!"
As Cheese Sandwich went ranting on how 'two' and 'cue' rhymed, Snow Flutter skidded in the direction of northeast. She leapt five steps forward, counting the massive leaps as two steps, before she came in contact with the small cart. Grabbing ahold of a string wrapped around it with her teeth, she tossed the tiny cart onto her back, and curved her wings over to protect it. Snow Flutter's eyes darted from side to side, before she charged towards Fancypants, who was levitating a few valuables into the air with his magic. From the air, Shining Armour would take them, carry another few metres, before throwing them into a pile, in which Big Macintosh was tending too.
"Take this please," Snow Flutter arched her back, catapulting the cart into the air, in which Fancypants caught with his magic.
Ducking as a stone skimmed her head, Snow Flutter dashed towards Shining Armour. "Is there anything I can do?"
Shining Armour thought for a moment, as he continued to levitate objects into a pile. "Check the stalls at the borderlines of the town- you might find some interesting objects."
Nodding, Snow Flutter dashed out of sight, and skipped along the side of the stalls, eyeing the objects being sold. Snow Flutter giggled slightly, as she noticed all the signs against the stalls said closed, and the heads of some of the hiding ponies were peeping above the counters. None of the objects sold seemed valuable enough- Snow Flutter reached the last stall, and didn't give it a second glance, before she heard the sound of a voice from inside it.
"Why hello young madam. Could I interest you in any combs?"
Snow Flutter spun around, to face a bright yellow, elderly mare at the stand, wearing a small pink scarf around her neck. Her eyes were bright green, and her mane was a very pale yellowish-cream.
A few cats sat on the counter, glancing at Snow Flutter wearily, and meowing at their owner.
"Ugh... no thanks." Snow Flutter was about to turn around, when the elderly pony spoke again.
"Oh, what was that, dearie?" One of the cats let out a long meow. "Oh quiet please darls. Golden Delicious will feed you later." The elderly mare with the croaky voice gave a husky laugh. "Ah, them felines. Anyway, I have lots of combs, perfect for your long, gorgeous mane! Would you like one?"
Snow Flutter turned to the side uncomfortably. "No thanks..."
"What was that, little one? My hearing is very poor..." Golden Delicious took a comb with her hoof, setting it on the counter. "Want a comb? One bit each."
"I said-" Snow Flutter was cut off, by a cat purring and rubbing it's head on her cheek. Sighing, Snow Flutter nuzzled the cat, placing a bit on the counter, and taking the golden, diamond encrusted comb, knowing that it would waste time if she stayed any longer. "There, goodbye!"
Golden Delicious watched as Snow Flutter scampered away. Rolling her eyes, Golden Delicious, despite being an earth pony, and all of her cats sprouted wings from their backs, and took off into the sky, away from the town.
"That was far too easy," Chrysalis muttered, as her changeling form began to emerge from her disguise.
"I knew I could trick her! I could tell that she liked cats!" A changeling guard appeared from one of the cats, grinning. "Ugh, but now I smell like pony."
Chrysalis gave an annoyed sigh, as she continued to fly towards her home, a sense of victory dwindling through her mind.