My Little Pony 1. Chapter 1

**My Daughter Chrysalis**

**Chapter 1: Into Equestria!**

What is man? Are we fragile gods subject to the whims of chance? Do we make our own destinies or are they laid out before us like a winding road disappearing into a thick fog? Is a man as cruel as he is kind? Does he love as much as he hates? Does he hold his fellow humans in contempt or respect them as his equals? Does it matter if other humans are better or worse? Does it matter if I think of them as better or worse? Why did I walk away from my world, my race? Why did I turn my back on my family, the faces I knew well, their quirks, their personalities? Why did I turn my back on a world who never did anything directly to me as a whole? It was an imperfect world to be sure, but people as a whole tend to be kind to each other - at least in finding a route of tolerance, to be sure - and would rather socialize with a stranger than be alone.

Yet we are as violent a race as we are a loving race. We wage war, we kill, and always for reasons not really making all that much sense. Oh, for certain there have been times when war was justified. However the lessons of the past have been often written by the victor, so at what point is the truth obscured by propaganda? This is part of the nature of humans; to deceive and deflect. Those who discover their enemy was not all that competent after the dust settles find ways to glorify their actions against that same enemy. We want to feel important, we want to be heroes.

Being a father is reason enough for heroism. Daddies chase the monsters out from under the bed. Daddies roar at the monster in the closet to go away. Daddies make their little girls feel safe and secure.

I had a human daughter once. Fate deemed she be taken from me before I could know her. Where does a father turn when his love is shattered? In my case, it came in the form of a changeling. Specifically Chrysalis, future Queen of the Changelings. I don't blame humanity for the state I allowed myself to fall. I blame my own weaknesses and my own failure as a son to my mother and father. I became so involved in my little world, shrinking it further and further that I forgot what it was to be human. I simply shut myself out of the world, living a meager existence, my daughter living with her mother. The shape-shifter who came into my life on a stormy summer night through an unpredicted bout of attitude from Mother Nature. Green lightning flashed, and there she was.

That was thirteen years ago. She grew into a lovely filly on the cusp of marehood. God, that sounds ridiculously sappy, doesn't it? She became my daughter in every sense of the word, especially after I learned my real daughter died in a plane crash. Her body was never found, but her mother survived, along with half of the passengers.

I've come to accept the loss, but there's always going to be a place in my heart where Crystal will always live. Right now, I've got my other daughter I'm chasing into a world of rainbows and wishes and skipping through the damn tulips. Or maybe its just a place where you're high all the time and everything's a hazy waltz through a burning weed field.

I'll let you know when I get there.

Yay me.

While Luna pulled me through whatever the hell portal or wormhole or God knows what to call it, I could not help but think weird things about a place that by all means shouldn't exist at all save for in the minds of those with a colorful set of pastels in their imagination. This shouldn't be happening, none of this should be real. [i]My Little Dashie[/i] is just a fan fiction written by someone who happened to be a fan of a cartoon show that hasn't been renewed in over a decade. I've turned my back on a real world with real problems where everything is practical and logical for a place where dragons eat gems and ponies have technology levels spanning across three centuries and power them with magic, of all things.

I'm an idiot, I know. I never claimed to be intelligent. Chrysalis is the smart one in the family. I'm just the lucky son of a bitch whom Discord cheated the odds for a winning lottery ticket for the sole purpose of...well...

Hell if I'll ever know his motives. Discord's an insane bastard. To this point, I like him, but at the time am scared shitless of his godlike ability. He's friggin' Q from Star Trek, for crying out loud - in animated form! I think he's just in it for fun and doesn't want to hurt anyone, but I don't know. Something about him suggests to me he's got other ideas churning between those ears. I just don't know what. Those alarm bells went off in my head the last time I saw him, now that I think about it.

How long have we been walking through this portal? Or is it a wormhole? Or is it some cosmic being's colon? I have no idea. Luna just warned me to keep my hand on her shoulder. Fluttershy - a yellow pegasus with pink hair - tagged along as a living decoy in case I proved to be less than trustworthy (I would learn later it was Luna's idea to use her as a distraction while she gauged me).

For some reason, I decided to pack a couple extra sets of clothing, stuffing them in an overnight bag as well as a few personal items.

[i]Thought the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman...[/i]

Well, I glance at Luna who plods ahead with seemingly not a care in the world, throwing a reassuring smile at me as my hand grips on her mane, not quite. I don't think Morgan Freeman would have the power of the a god, but he sure does a fine job acting like one. If God were to ever show up on earth, I'd be pretty content to see Mr. Freeman's face representing.

The man's a good actor. Shut up.

Anyways, Fluttershy is sitting on Luna's back, mostly due to the thing about maintaining contact with Luna's body for the travel (How did Celestia do it with six mares and later the addition of Chrysalis? Something to ponder!).

Is Luna a god, erm - goddess? I try to speak, but no sound comes from my mouth. I can't see anything except for Luna and Fluttershy. There's nothing but darkness all around the three of us, even though Luna's tip of her horn glows with a soft white light. Not even a bit of wind exists in this place to tell us if we're going in a particular direction. I simply have to put blind faith in the alicorn as she makes headway. I tense a bit, wary and a bit scared of the unknown. Her eye flickers back to me and smiles through her gaze, reassuring me while at the same time maintaining a serious poise and demeanor. She's all business and not one to open up freely to someone she's just met.

Namely me. I've earned enough trust to garner passage to Equestria, but I've got a long way to go before she'll trust me completely, if ever. I get the feeling I'm going on a time trial of sorts before I'm offered something more permanent. That's what it feels like to me at this point. I could be wrong, but at this point in time, worrying about things I have no control over isn't going to do me any good. Besides, I'm already committed at this point.

I wonder if I'll ever go back to Earth again. I wouldn't want to put it behind me permanently. I haven't given up on humanity, but I think I do need to set myself straight. Maybe staying on another world for a bit will help set my head straight in regards to Crystal. I want to make sure Chrysalis is settled and happy, in the meantime. We're connected mentally, if you can believe that. It's some sort of hive mind, or something. I credit it with the plain fact we never had a major argument in the thirteen years we lived together. She imprinted on me and we bonded. I was regarded as, well, her queen. Or do changelings have kings? It was never explained fully. The point is, she regards me as not only her father, but her ultimate authority figure, so any disagreements we might have almost always fairly civil.

It still didn't prevent her from developing a bit of an independent streak nor did it do anything to keep her from following in my footsteps of being a smartass. Changeling see, changeling do. Changeling mimic. Changeling talk to daddy in daddy's voice. It's creepy, yet pretty cool...and a bit disturbing the first time with the ever-so-popular proclamation of "gee, I sound like that?" whenever someone hears their own voice thrown back at them for the first time.

I didn't realize it, but I suddenly became aware I had been muttering a steady string of curse words under my soundless breath. I couldn't hear my own words, but I could feel them as I mumbled. My eyes must have been saucers as those lovely four letter words and their friends streamed from my lips, taking little bits of my fears with them as I vented. I was a kid again, going through a haunted house of mirrors, terrified and waiting for the Boogey Man to jump out of a secret hiding place and gobble me up.

How's that for a thirty-seven-year-old war veteran?

Yay me.

Luna soothes me somehow. I can only assume it's magic or whatever, but it's like a warm security blanket as if she knows I'm not comfortable.

Hello, my name is Michael Spriggs and I've rediscovered claustrophobia.

Hi, Mike! Supportive applause and I'm still walking and not freaking out. There's something to be said about having imaginary support group meetings in your own head.

Luna just rolled her eye at me.

Is she reading my mind?

I think I see a pinprick of light far ahead of us. We're walking down in that direction. It seems like it's been forever since we started walking. I think a thousand universes spawned and died while we walked. Or are we floating? Nothing feels solid under my booted feet, yet they plant firmly on something with each step. Am I walking on dark matter?

It takes an eternity, but we make it to the light until it's bright enough for Luna to douse her horn. I'm starting to feel a breeze and I smell...fresh air? Lilacs? I'm taking my first breaths of a new world, a different land, a whole other reality!

It smells like Equestria.

I feel an eagerness in my step, an extra spring in my joints. This sense of renewed vigor is very much like, well, a horse running for the stables. I know I'm almost home, if you can believe that. Well, to be fair, I'm just happy this unpleasant part of the journey is almost done and I just want to get out of whatever this tunnel thing is I've been spending forever in. So it's not so much home as it is my current destination. Calling it home is far too arrogant on my part, I realize. I'll just be a guest. I need to remind myself that. This isn't some fantasy where I get to live happily ever after. Every movement I make, every word I'll say will be scrutinized. I'll be under a microscope, poked at and prodded.

Chrysalis, I hope you realize what your daddy is going through in order to make sure you're happy in your new old world. Rather, what I might go through. It's too early to tell, but it doesn't take much of my imagination to conjure up images of me on a slab of metal with all sorts of probes and machines and other oddball things my twisted mind can think of me being attached to for study.

The light grows brighter and brighter as we approach it. Soon, I can make out blue skies and fluffy clouds making their way lazily by. The skyline reveals the outline of a castle nestled delicately, it seems into the face of a mountain. A city sprawls around it upon the slopes, the spires and walls of the castle. As my eyes adjust to the brightness, the details they pick up become more defined. With the last few steps, I feel grass beneath my feet.

I can also faintly sense my daughter. I'm beginning to grow an idiotic grin. She's sensing me as well. It fades as I start to connect to a sense of despair and it's not directed at anyone in particular. Its a distress stemming from our disconnection. I try my best to soothe her, but the distance between us is far, very far. For the both of us, it's like a faint tick in the back of our minds. We've tried to test the distance we can go in our summer long trips around America. I'm guessing she's five or six miles away. The connection is very faint, so that's medium long range for us. The range is limited to roughly twenty miles and it's like listening to a faint echo in your brain.

Suddenly, Equestria is all around me as we stand at the top of a gentle hill. The air is warm, comfortable. The breeze I felt in the tunnel is more of a welcoming caress. Oddly enough, the bag I've been toting doesn't feel like it has any weight. As I pass over some invisible threshold and come fully into this new world, the weight returns. I picture my daughter must be bouncing around like a kid finding out she's going to Disneyland for the first time.

One of the first sensations I'll note is I feel lighter, as if the gravity slightly less than normal than Earth's gravity. Weird. I ask Luna about it, and find she's been reading my face.

"The difference is slight," she notes with a nod, regarding me with a knowing smile. It's not quite as warm a smile as her sister might have offered me, but it's genuine. It's her nature to be reserved, but she is perceptive as if she's approving my mental reconnection.

Luna is the classic example of redemption. I suspect Celestia is trying to get her younger sister more involved with what's going on around her a morsel at a time. The Princess of the Night currently has a little triumphant smile on her lips, quite proud of herself.

"Thanks for guiding me through whatever that was," I say to her, grateful. "That was kinda spooky."

She raises her head proudly, her starry mane an odd contrast to the midday sun. "Think nothing of it. In time, perhaps you will be able to return the favor for the good of Equestria in the future. For the moment, I simply bid you welcome to my home."

I don't think she can help but speak formally, though the warmth in her voice overcomes the stiffness in her demeanor. It's going to take centuries for her to adjust to normal, but she's endearing with what qualities she has. She's the prime definition of the stoic defender, a lady knight of the night, her might for right.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself there.

"Return the favor?" I ask curiously. "How so?"

Again she smiles at me, this time with an apology attached to it. "I may be ahead of myself in that regard. Celestia will explain that bit at a time of her choosing, as she is far better in those matters than I."

I'm about to protest when she raises a hoof at me, waving it a little. "Stay your queries, Mr. Spriggs! I am not prepared to answer them as properly as I would like. My sister and I must allow you to acquaint yourself with our nation and of course reconnect you with your daughter. We implore your patience." Her voice begs understanding, but her eyes show a bit of iron.

"All right," I agree with a sigh and a smile.

Fluttershy speaks up with her quiet voice. I had almost forgotten she was with us. Having hopped off Luna's back she bashfully asks, "May I go, princess? I mean, if you don't need me for anything else...if that's all right with you."

"Thank you, friend Fluttershy." Luna's face was hidden by her mane as she addressed the shy yellow mare fondly. "Please give my regards to your adorable little animal friends."

"I will." Fluttershy offers me a farewell, "It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Spriggs. You seem like a nice man. I hope everything works out for you."

I smile. "Thank you, young lady. Have a safe trip home."

She nods and flies away (just a few feet off the ground) in a direction away from the castle. I notice beyond her and at the bottom of the hill we're on are a couple of smaller rolling hills partially concealing a dirt road. The road itself winds lazily towards a little hamlet a couple of miles away. The large hill I'm standing on certainly affords a lovely panoramic view of the surrounding country. Orchards and farms spread out in the valley in a very humble tribute to prosperity. It reminds me of the Yellowstone caldera, where the mountains form the rim and a large forest spreads out to the south and west of me, beyond the little village Fluttershy is currently heading for. Canterlot castle is true north of where Luna and I are standing. Fully able to make out the details, it really does look like something out of a Disney movie. There's just now way such delicate towers reaching majestically skyward should be able to maintain their grace. The sun gleams off the white stone. I assume its some sort of quartz or perhaps even marble, along with other bright colors upon the rooftops. Nestled around the castle and its pristine walls and huddling into the side of the snow capped mountain is the city of Canterlot, reminding me of something from the Industrial Revolution, without the soot and smoke, a mix of European construction. It's as if the architects wandered about the Old World from my planet and cobbled together a very picturesque scene one can only dream of.

"Oh my God," I breathe, gaping as if I'm seeing civilization for the first time.

Luna interrupts my intake of visual beauty. "It is not much," she sniffs, "but I call it home." Her giggling is at my expense. I don't mind.

She tilts her head skyward, expectantly as if waiting for something. I shift my back uncomfortably on my shoulder. "What are we waiting for?"

"A chariot for you, Mr. Spriggs."

"Call me Mike, Princess Luna."

"Not until know you a bit better, Mr. Spriggs. I'll call you by your first name when you have earned my trust. My dear sister is more open to folk as unique as you, but I prefer to act with more discretion and suspicion until my own unease with the unknown are settled."

Ouch. I guess she really didn't take that little jaunt into my dreams and memories with anything more or less than professional. She's a cool customer. "I can respect that."

She nods coolly and indicates an approaching spot in the sky drawing nearer. It seems to be coming from the castle. "Ah, there it is. Please stand firmly in the center of the chariot and grip the hand rails. We usually use this particular model of chariot you will be riding in for dignitaries from the minotaur or diamond dog nations."

Out of curiosity, I peer behind me to look at the portal I had just stepped through a few minutes ago. There's nothing there but broken stones of what must have been some floor of a long forgotten ruin from ages past. Two broken pillars, the left one roughly three or four feet high and the right just a tad taller than me are all that remain of what I think was some sort of grand columns. They're so old and faded, it's difficult to make out what they might have once been.

"Why was the portal out here?" My question has a hesitation halfway through it as I gape and gawk at the nothing that's now there. "What happened to it?"

"It closed because I commanded it to do so."

"Oh." I guess that makes sense.

"It was also out here in case something unwelcome decided to come through it."

"From my world?"

"That and there are things in between worlds that always seek a way into realms they do not belong." Her tone suggests the topic is something she takes very seriously. "There is a battalion on standby to observe what comes in and out of the portals here. Such places are scattered throughout Equestria, relics from her Golden Age." Luna paws at the ground with a hoof with a stern expression. "Most are useless and few unicorns have the ability to maintain one for overly long periods. Such magic is forbidden unless the need is great."

The next question from my mouth was probably more bitter than I intended. "Was taking my daughter from me such a need?"

"I would have been content to leave her with you and in your world," she admits softly. "I can understand the sense of isolation it must have left you with when she was gone. But, such a memory is not good for the constitution! Think instead of the happy reunion you two will surely share within the hour!"

It's not a bad consolation prize to look forward to. I tell her just that and she smiles at my words.

"Excellent!" The mare turns to me fully, expression grave. "Now, kindly remember you are a guest here at the whim of myself and my sister. You will be confined to a wing of the palace until we can determine public reaction to your presence and if such a thing would even be feasible. It is my opinion you will be frightening at first to most ponies," she speaks, stepping towards me, her head bobbing for emphasis as she is clearly trying very hard to explain this as clearly and plainly as possible. "How would you wager the attitudes of the mares who were with my sister upon that day when they first came a-calling upon your doorstep?"

I pondered her question by rubbing my chin. "Well, they didn't say much and did a lot of staring at me. I think I intimidated them."

"Indeed you did. Remarkably, Fluttershy was the least affected and volunteered to come with me once Discord's plan was discovered and explained from his very mouth. To her, you are like a manticore."

I blink. "Okay." Sure. Whatever. I've just be equated to a monster.

I'm sure Bigfoot is out there sipping on a cup of tea, reading this and saying, "Quite." Snooty nod added for emphasis.

The chariot arrives, pulling to a stop. The two bat winged stallions pulling it have dark coats beneath their dark gray armor. Each one sports an ornate helmet with nose and cheek guards trimmed with polished steel. Both of them are powerfully muscled, heavy in the chest in shoulders especially. They bow to Luna with reverence, maintaining a military bearing.

"Mr. Spriggs, your chariot awaits." The princess gives me a slight toss of her muzzle, suggesting in my eyes I should get on quickly.

"Is it safe to ride on?"

"Usually," she smirks at me and is the first to board. "Come. There is much to tell you while we ride. Not all is as you see in what we provide for your world to know."

Wait? Provide? I follow her and climb on the back of the chariot at Luna's side. My bag is shoved to the front and against the inner wall at my feet. "What do you mean by that?"

The chariot lifts off and I don't know how this is managed. Magic, I guess. I stare at everything; my ride, the two bat ponies pulling it, the princess bemused by my wonderment of what's going on. As she looks on, she explains, "We've known of your world for a long time. As a matter in fact, our time lines are converging and have been doing so for the past thousand years. As the centuries have come to pass, our worlds have unexpectedly converged, exchanging ideas without knowing it and even having famous ponies here a lot like famous humans from your world."

I stare at her, blinking like a dumb mute.

She's not paying attention to me, as her monologue comes with her looking upon her land with a distant stare as if recollecting old memories. "Where do you think the human grasp of algebra comes from?"

My answer is more of a guess, "Uh, the Middle East?"

"No. Starswirl the Bearded first came across it some fourteen centuries ago. His notes ended up being transferred through one of his experimental spells. Dimensional jumping, in the broadest of terms. Your scholars from that region found it and their curiosity and desire to learn did the rest." Luna chuckles. "He was trying out the magic my sister uses these days for sending and receiving letters through flame."

"So you've known about Earth?"

"Yes. You can't come to our world because your race has lost its touch with its magic."

Huh? "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I mean. Did I say something amiss?"

The princess laughs, seeing my confusion as I'm clearly not believing her. "I don't expect you to believe me. The last human sorcerer in your history was a man by the name of Merlin."

"The one from King Arthur?" I ask incredulously, mindful to maintain my grip on the chariot's rail.

She nods. "The very same."

"That's crazy!"

"Only because you only believe magic does not exist." She leans towards me slightly, arching a brow with an aside, "which begs me to ponder what you thought of Chrysalis and her learning of her magic, hmm?" Her eyes twinkle with merriment.

Okay, she got me on that. I get the feeling Luna and I are going to be butting heads a lot and I can't tell if that's going to be fun or a major pain in the ass. I think I should try and get her to like me first. So, for the remainder of the trip to the castle, I listen to her intently as she tells me the do's and don'ts expected of me during my stay, as well as a few more tidbits of Equestrian history and culture. I try to pick the proper time to present a question, which is frequently I might add, as some of the Equestrian customs require some clarification. For the most part, it strikes me as not really being all that different from the culture I grew up in.

Still, being a biped in a world dominated with quadrupeds already presents all sorts of interesting challenges, I can tell.

After fifteen minutes in the air, the chariot (the flying chariot) begins to loop lazily on approach to what appears a rather large and long courtyard within the walls of the castle itself. The building we're heading towards reminds me a little of the opulent palaces in Europe (Versailles comes to mind), but with its own distinct flair. Below me teems Canterlot, her streets teeming with the populace. Bright colors and banners and flags dangle everywhere, creating an almost festive atmosphere. There are ponies everywhere. Some are even dressed in assorted odd styles. Some are simple, others ornate. I'm too high up to clearly make out details. It's certainly colorful to look at. A few eyes drift up, see the chariot. They see one of their princesses and not the hairless ape gaping down at them. Luna waves politely and smiles at those who call out to her gleefully. Her reputation has improved since returning to her place on the throne she shared with her sister, I'm thinking.

"What's the occasion?" I ask Luna curiously, throwing a hand at the bright giddiness presented by the city.

"Prince Blueblood is finally getting married," is her reply. Am I hearing relief in her voice? "My sister insisted a week of celebrating before the ceremony. He'll be wed this Sunday. I was not going to object and the family was carefully selected to deal with his...personality." Is there a faint wickedness in her smile?

"Political marriage?" I ask curiously.

"Oh, by the moon no!" she laughs. "He impregnated the daughter of the ambassador of one of the independent pony states. He was rather adamant in regards to the incident. The mare's father was quite furious with him. I suspect the mare in question did this deliberately, but I do not go into the dreams of my subjects without just cause."

"So it's a shotgun wedding?" The corner of my mouth twitches.

She pauses as she gives me an odd stare. "Shotgun wedding?"

I supply the answer helpfully, "It's a form of marriage from my nation's nineteenth century where parents often forced couples to marry as it was considered taboo for a woman to have a baby out of wedlock. The suspected father to be was often held at gunpoint at the alter by the father of his bride-to-be and forced to make the girl in question a respectable woman."

"Oh my." Luna puts a hoof to her mouth and starts giggling after picturing it in her mind's eye. "Oh my! Yes, it is an arrangement not unlike what you just described. Is that still a common practice in your modern times?"

"Not anymore."

"Pity."

I scrunch my brows as I recall something Luna said. "Wait, you selected the family this Blueblood was marrying into?"

Her eyes widen briefly. "Oh. Did I say that? It is not to be discussed further."

"You brought it up -" I suddenly have a hoof in my mouth.

"Not. To. Be. Discussed. Further." Her eyes warn me through her smile. Okay, this is one complex lady I'm dealing with. I nod. The hoof falls away.

I think the two pegasus are trying hard not to laugh.

The corner of her lips quirk upwards. "Besides," she adds in royal repose, "my sister will kill me if she is not allowed to tell you herself the gory details. In private, of course." A dangerous glance flickers towards her two bat winged guards. They clear their throats and concentrate on flying the chariot.

During the whole time, the connection to my Chryssie has grown stronger and stronger the closer I came to her. I put it in the back of my mind where it buzzed ceaselessly, as if the severed threads were reconnecting. As I've mentioned before, we can't speak to each other's minds, but we can feel each other's emotions. I look ahead and see a familiar large mare with the multicolored mane like a sunrise through a prism, with her golden crown and halter. Celestia bears tolerant humor towards a figure practically bouncing impatiently next to her. There are few ponies in front of what I assume must be the palace, and one of them is shifting restlessly from one hoof to the other next to a third member of the greeting party, Twilight Sparkle. She's a charcoal gray mare with a long and straight teal mane and emerald green eyes, roughly Twilight's size. It doesn't take much of an imagination to tell who she is.

Luna steps off first, offering a throaty chuckle upon seeing Chrysalis in a form I've never seen her before. It makes sense, considering this is a land of ponies and whatnot. I'm right behind her and as she goes to greet her elder sister, the little dark mare - shorter than the Chryssie I know - approaches me, her lower lip quibbling as she's on the verge of tears.

"Daddy, is that you?" My daughter, I know it's her, stumbles forward awkwardly after a nudge from a sympathetic (and tearing) Twilight Sparkle. Chrysalis is already crying, her lower lip quibbling, caught somewhere between joy and relief as if a personal nightmare had just come to an end.

I'm reminded of a father coming home from war as I drop my bag. Two long strides and I fall to my knees, wrapping my arms around my daughter's neck. My own emotions erupt and suddenly I'm crying. Her hooves wrap around me and the embrace is tight, a sobbing changeling and human combination feeling right. After a long, warm moment of a family embrace I had yearned for, I pulled her back.

"Let me have a look at you!" I tug playfully at one of her ears, caressing a cheek. "Why aren't you in your normal form?" My question is soft, not fully comprehending.

Her face changes from joy to resigned sadness. "They scream and run when they see what I really look like, daddy."

I look at Celestia, who nods unhappily. "I'm afraid I can't command my ponies to not be afraid of changelings. Some memories linger painfully and are not easily set in the past. The fear and anger are justified, but I assure you I am working on a solution to promote a positive relationship between ponies and changelings." Her wings shuffle uncomfortably against her sides. "Let us get you settled, Mr. Spriggs. I should think you and your daughter would like to be alone for a while. Your quarters will be next to hers. I would escort you there myself, but the duties of the crown require my presence elsewhere. I bid you welcome to Equestria and hope your stay here is enlightening."

"It is good to see you smiling, Chrysalis," Luna offers gently.

With that, the two royal sisters offered pleasant farewells, leaving me standing with my daughter, the both of us turning our attentions to the third and youngest alicorn of the group. The purple mare pulls Celestia aside and the two share a quick hushed conversation. The white alicorn chuckles and gives her student a quick nuzzle, and departs with her awaiting sister.

I notice she's eyeing me nervously, clearly not comfortable around me without Celestia. I find my eyes wandering around, specifically to the guards dotting the courtyard. They're all staring at me. None of them are overly friendly, but neither are they blatantly hostile.

"Do I scare you?" I ask plainly, offering an apologetic smile.

She shakes her head. "Oh, no, it's not that Mr. Spriggs!" Twilight insists. "I'm far too curious about you to be afraid."

"Oh, so you're hiding something else," I suppose, shifting the strap on my shoulder. "Hell of a welcome here, Miss -" her name falters on my tongue. Chryssie stares at me like I just blasphemed against the church.

"Oh! My name's Twilight Sparkle!" she tells me in a rush, flushing a little. I already knew her name, but thought breaking the ice with simple introductions might put her a bit more at ease with...well, whatever was bothering her.

"Michaels Spriggs," I announce deprecatingly. "How are you and Chryssie getting along?"

"Daddy!" she hissed at me while bumping me with her flank.

"Oh, just fine!" Twilight beams. "It's nice to meet you on a less stressful level. Last time was pretty -"

"- Heart wrenching?" I offer to finish for her.

"- fascinating," she finishes her own sentence, "but yes, I wasn't comfortable when we went to your world. I mean, I was! It was the first time I'd ever been to your world to meet a human face-to-face. I don't know how long you're going to be with us. The Princess really doesn't know herself. We just want you to enjoy yourself while you're visiting."

I quirk an eyebrow at her. "You mentioned it was the first time you went to my world to meet another human. You've been to Earth before?"

Her mouth hangs open slightly, eyes growing round as she stares back. A wide smile - too wide, if you ask me - stretches across her pretty little face as I think I see a nervous twitch in her eye. "Why, whatever do you mean?" she asks. Abruptly she spins on a back hoof, adjusting her wings with a nervous titter. "Let's see you to your room, Mr. Spriggs!"

"Call me Mike."

"Let's see you to your room, Mr. Spriggs! This way!" She trots off hurriedly, hanging her head a little bit as I think I hear her muttering to herself. I follow after her, my own thoughts swirling.

"Daddy?" Chryssie falls in step at my side. "I love having you back and everything and I've got so much to tell you, but please promise me one thing while you're here?"

"Hmm?" I ruffle her mane affectionately. "What's that, pumpkin?"

"Please don't embarrass me!" she pleads in a whisper.

"No promises. God made daddies to embarrass their daughters. I thought you knew that."

She giggles, her expression much like Twilight's was just moments ago.

So, I'm in Equestria, following the swishing tail of an alicorn muttering to herself into the gaping maw of an ornate palace with my shape-shifting daughter with no idea what lays in store for me. I'm already suspicious of the obvious.

I think the ponies are planning to make themselves known to Earth.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**The Guard, the Chef, and the Sorceress**

My room is a spacious little den, large enough to feel like a small house, yet small enough to be considered cozy in my eye. I've got a fireplace in the middle of the far wall as you enter the room, bed to the right, bathroom to the left. The furnishings are sparse, functional, solid, and look expensive, so much so I am afraid of sitting in them. The color scheme seems to favor an off white and pale yellow along the walls, with the ceiling a fresco of the night sky blending into the day. In the middle of the night is a dark blue outline of an alicorn, the day side sporting a similar profile of a white alicorn facing the dark one. The style reminds me a bit of the art work on ancient Greek pottery, the swirling curls in the clouds soft and inviting behind the alicorns. The sun radiates the colors of the day while the moon seems to reflect her opposite shyly. They compliment each other, I think as I spend time lingering over the brush strokes and finer details.

I'm not too keen on the white and gold as it seems to make the room a bit too bright, but hey, it's not my palace. It's not like I'll be spending my life here.

Large rugs are strewn about the hardwood floor, most of them of more subdued colors, thick and feeling just right under my bare feet. I find I like walking around barefoot when I'm in my room. It feels a shame to cover them up when the rugs feel this soft! There's an odd lounge-looking piece of furniture in front of the fireplace, mostly a collection of pillows around a small frame designed I'm guessing for reclining or curling up on, its low back facing away from the fireplace. It took me a while to realize it was meant for a pony to lay on and face a cheerful fire. A low table kind of what you would expect in a Japanese house is in front of it, not too far different from a coffee table, but with two levels. Again, after moments of pondering its purpose, I come to realize its some sort of desk. It seems to be made of solid oak, the craftsmanship superb and detailed with reliefs of unicorns carved into the stubby thick legs.

The lounge thing is really comfortable to flop onto. Sprawling on it makes me feel like a kid again, waiting for mom to yell at me to get my feet off it.

The bed is huge. I understand it was meant for a pony to stretch out on, but this is ridiculously huge! Its a four post bed with a canopy holding mosquito netting, or some material that leads me to believe it is. I'll admit it seems...girly. I'm a manly man, dammit!

_Men, men, men, manly men, men..._

I'm not helping myself here. That show hasn't been on in years.

_Winning!_

Shut up, me.

Back to the bed. Ignore my rambling idiot self. I'm trying to describe my temporary living quarters while my mind is still trying to wrap itself around the simple fact I'm now in a pastel world with talking ponies, filled with magic, and with my adopted changeling daughter just across the hall from me. There's absolutely nothing wrong with any of this. It's all perfectly normal! Yes, perfect!

Yay me.

As I was saying, the bed is huge. Despite the four posts, it actually has a bit of an oval shape to it. I don't know why it is or the madness behind the creator who though such an odd bed would be neat, but the middle of the bed has a slight depression to it, allowing whoever lies in it to get the sensation of sinking into what I find to be a very comfortable goose down mattress. I took the time to ask the house mare. What was her name? It escapes me at the moment, but she strikes me as the pleasant older lady with a warm smile for guests but a flinty glare for her maids when they don't do their work to her liking. The sheets are made of cotton (not silk?) and the comforters are warm clouds to get lost into.

There are a few bookshelves and a few paintings here and there on the wall. Most of it are scenes depicting nature; mountains, forests, rivers. Bob Ross must have spent a few weeks in Canterlot. Given his personality from his shows recorded decades ago, I would not be at all surprised if I found out he actually had.

The bathroom is also large, meant for equines. The toilet is not too much different from what I'm used to, but it's a little wider and set a bit lower to the floor. There's a iron wrought tub, taps for hot and cold water and even a shower head. I prefer showers.

Oh, I almost forgot the balcony! I have a small one, large enough for a chair and a small round table for me to watch the sunrise with a cup of coffee. I'm roughly five or six stories off the ground and the view is to die for...not that I plan on jumping any time soon. The face of the wall outside has a curvature to it, I notice almost like the roundness of some vast tree trunk. It feels to me like my balcony is but an opening to the tree; leading to a squirrel's nest.

Don't ask me where I'm getting these descriptions. I'm in a fantasy world that shouldn't exist, but does. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the little convenience of being able to speak Equestrian like it's English. Or is it the other way around? Why the hell are human languages spot on with pony languages? That's too weird. It can't be a coincidence.

It's human nature to be curious. Don't tell me you haven't wondered about it either. Remind me to ask somebody about it. And no, I won't degrade myself to using words like 'everypony' and 'anypony'.

Dammit.

At least Chrysalis chirps, using her vocal chords and her wings. That's about the only language I can't even begin to understand unless my thoughts are touching hers. Even then, it's not so much words as it is vague images I can't describe. I've mentioned before it's not telepathy we share, but an emotional bond. After thirteen years, it still feels like a foreign language unto itself, but I muddle through it well enough for it to feel like some sort of sign language.

She's having her magic lessons right now. I'm pondering lunch, bored out of my skull as my first full day draws a close to the morning and swings towards the afternoon. I've been pretty much left to acclimate myself to Canterlot, keeping mostly to myself while I figure out what I want to do. Breakfast was buttered toast, a small fruit salad with roasted pecans, and coffee. Lots and lots of lovely coffee. Chryssie is going to be gone most of the day. I refuse to let her neglect her studies, no matter how much she pouts.

"You don't love me anymore!" she had teased with huge round watery eyes, giving one of her infamous raspberries before trotting off towards where ever she goes to hurl spells. From what's she's indicated, Twilight is the only one willing to teach her as the overall stance towards changelings by ponies can easily be summed up as justifiably suspicious. I felt a pang of guilt as she tried to mask her anxiety from me.

She's scared of the ponies because of what she's heard about her own actions she has no recollection of. In the conversation we had yesterday, she told me everything she could remember in the month she's been here. Oh, the princesses were nice to her, but they were wary. They did not completely trust my daughter. She could sense their fears. This explained her pony form, the black unicorn with the teal mane. She had even adopted a cutie mark depicting the masks of tragedy and comedy, like you see associated with theater.

I think it suits her perfectly. Chrysalis is a natural actress, adopting a body shape like Luna's. I understand this is considered the 'fashion model' look some mares have (not that there's anything wrong with the normal shapes). I remember wincing as she trotted down the hallway to her class, her hips swishing and having the effect of every male stallion in the area noticing the movement of her flanks and tail and instantly locking on and staring.

I nearly went on a killing spree, but reminded myself I was a guest in a foreign land.

Instead, my ire fell on a nearby stallion - one of the staff, I assume - and growled as a good concerned father, "Something about my daughter's butt you like?"

He stammered, blushing furiously and apologized before finding something important to do in the opposite direction my daughter was heading. Other ponies stared at me as I had spoken a bit louder than intended, Chrysalis having stopped dead in her tracks and hurling a startled and wide-eyed look in my direction. Flushing through her dark coat and casting a withering glare at me, she opened her mouth to speak, let it hang open, then shook her head before turning and resuming her trot down the hall.

At least she wasn't swinging her hips all over the place this time.

I could feel her embarrassment. I heard someone snickering. It died when I found a maid trying very hard to conceal a smile. She winks at me before going about her business.

As she's delving into the world's histories and all that other stuff (getting an education she can actually use is always a bonus), I decide to head down the hall some hours later with the intention of getting a little exploration under my belt. As I walk, there's this odd prickling sensation just behind my forehead. I've never felt anything like it and I look around instinctively. Nothing seems out of the ordinary; there are ponies doing their jobs in the palace and there's the guard assigned to follow me and keep me out of trouble. He's a unicorn, wears armor of polished steel and bronze trim, fitted to his chest and shoulders, around his neck and barrel. Upon his head is an open-faced helm where his long rectangular snout pokes through. His coat is chestnut and his mane is a dark blonde. I think his name is Steel Jaw, but I can't be sure. He rarely says anything and stares at me like a hawk. His cutie mark (who decided in their history to call their birthrights cutie marks?) is what looks like an ice cube on fire.

I was informed I could go anywhere I pleased in the palace and the ponies have been, for the most part polite towards me.

"Hey Steel?" He looks at me like I'm about to whip out a machete and start hacking like a maniac. "Where's a guy gotta go to get food around here?" At least he wasn't staring at my daughter's rear earlier. He's definitely got what I would call a predatory look to him and it stays on me. Always on me.

Creepy.

Impassively he answers, "Take the next left, follow it down to the end of the adjacent hall and look for the spiral staircase to your left. It goes down half a story before opening into the side of the main kitchen. The staff use it all the time." Steel Jaw uses his right hoof to point and wave out directions while speaking.

I point in the direction he described. The hall has a high arching ceiling with little square carvings decorating every inch of it in pearly white, the main entrance into this particular wing. The ornate interior bears hand carved reliefs, the hall decorated with vases and busts of what I assume are famous ponies. The floor is polished marble gleaming in the reflection of the sun streaming in through the tall windows.

My guard follows me, his hoofsteps clip-clopping ominously like some stalker, echoing down the empty hall. As I approach my destination, I can see the opening just as my guard informed me. I wonder if he'd be more than happy to gore me with that horn of his if he felt inclined. Just as I approach the top of the staircase, a mare nearly barrels into me as she rushes up them. I had heard her coming, but for some reason didn't register in my head as I was in the middle of turning to ask another question to my babysitter.

Nearly? Nah. Her skittering hooves catch my attention and I spin around, my eyes probably wide in surprise, her green ones just so as we lock. I zig when I should have zagged and suddenly there's a tangle of mane, legs, tail, and flailing arms as we fall to the floor in a heap. There's hair in my mouth and I'm sputtering, my eyes obscured as I seem to have taken the brunt of the impact falling down (it's not the fall that hurts, but the sudden stop), my lungs suddenly vacated of air. I'm gasping and gaping like a landed fish, my body and limbs frozen in place as my brain screams at my lungs to start sucking air. My lungs are currently giving my brains the middle finger. Both middle fingers. Oh, yeah the back of my head also said hello to the floor with enthusiasm.

Yay me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" a feminine voice calls out weakly. She squeals a bit as she struggles to right herself and disentangle herself from me. Is that a French accent I hear?

I try to say something but my lungs are still flipping off my brain. The best I can manage is a pitiful moan-wheeze thing no human being should be able to make. My head is throbbing painfully and I'm rubbing it, hissing as I fight to focus my eyes. Those pale violet gray eyes are peering down at me, surrounded by a concerned pale face imbedded within a wavy and thick rose pink and white mane.

"Oh, sweet Celestia, what is he?" The question is not directed at me as her eyes raise up from me. I feel support on my shoulders and back as she helps me sit up.

"Human. I'm making sure he stays out of trouble."

"Is he some sort of pale monkey for the princess? I didn't know she liked exotic pets." She's now petting me like I'm a dog.

"Seriously?" I manage with a squawk.

"No, he isn't," growls Steel Jaw with about as much emotional support as a house cat. "He's a guest. An ugly one, but a guest none the less."

"A talking monkey!" she cries, taking a step or two from me. "Is it dangerous?" She's still not addressing me. "Wait. Did you say guest?"

"Yes. As a matter in fact, I'm sure you just insulted him." And he doesn't seem to mind pointing that out, sounding almost amused.

Her eyes go wide, her pupils pinpricks as she looks at me like I've just grown a second head right in front of her.

I'm still struggling to breathe, but I manage to spit out, "It's fine. Are you all right, miss?" I get a good look at her. She looks like your typical mare, nothing spectacular about her, maybe pretty if she wouldn't stare at me like that. One of her eyes twitches as she tries to hide her horrified expression. I really can't tell how old she is, but younger than me, I would guess. She's also a unicorn and wearing a plain gray dress concealing her cutie mark. There's got to be a more gender neutral name for them.

"I-I-I'm fine," she stammers, trying to smile through her fear. To Steel Jaw, she asks, "Is he dangerous?"

"Seems harmless enough," admits my grumpy companion. I don't think he likes me. "He's got free run of the palace, save for the usual places nopony else is allowed. He was on his way to the kitchen for a bite to eat."

"Oh," she says, relaxing a bit more, "I need to be on my way. Miss Fare is expecting me and I mustn't be late." The mare apologizes again, her eyes still a bit wild as she skirts around me and continues doing what she was doing before barreling into me. The sound of her hooves remind me of a fast walk on the verge of breaking out into a dead run.

"Who was that?" I ask as I find my legs and stand up. Steel Jaw reluctantly offers me a han- er, hoof.

"Some serving girl. New, I think." He shrugs, looking me over. "You don't seem broken."

"I'm fine."

"Good. I really don't want to explain to the princess why you were broken by a mare. Still wanting something to eat?" His expression suggests bland indifference.

I'm prompted to ask, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Married. Why?"

Shaking my head, I let it go. "Nevermind."

We head down the stairs, my head still throbbing after the run-in with the help. The ponies down there are mostly unicorns, with a couple of earth ponies here and there. It's a busy staff, already preparing for dinner even as lunch is being served. Is it really that late in the morning already? Its a bustling kitchen, filled with those smells of fresh bread, spices, and other aromas to go with the din of twenty bodies going about their individual tasks. There's laughter in the chatter while the voice of the head chef calls out for someone to bring something. He's not hard to make out as he's constantly peering over the shoulders of his charges as they prepare ingredients for the day's meals. There are even children scampering around the legs of the adults, screaming as they play some sort of game like tag. It is a lively room, with a few complaints and grumbles thrown in just seemingly for the sake of a poor attempt at breaking the pleasant mood. There are tables arranged neatly, piled with food and bowls and plates. Vegetables are stacked neatly at each station, each pony assigned to their area working with swift ease. This kitchen is a well-oiled machine. There are brick ovens on both ends of the kitchen and a line of sinks on the far wall. The sound of running water and clinking dishes are faint in the background.

Then I get noticed. All life comes to a screeching halt, accented by the crash of a plate or two to the floor. Twenty pairs of eyes are eventually staring at me. Most are curious, others seem to be wondering if I'm there to start eating ponies whole.

"Um, hi," I say, waving at the room. I feel like hiding somewhere now. "Maybe I should come back later when people aren't scared of me."

I hear a throat clear and the pony who had been going from station to station directs my attention. "Princess Celestia said there was an unusual guest in the palace. Please! Come in, come in! Let nopony say Chef Nom Delish was rude to a guest." He was also a unicorn, his brown coat concealed beneath a white chef's apron. His lighter brown mane was cropped short. "Back to work! I will not tolerate empty bellies because ponies would rather gawk than work!"

Nom Delish was a very weird name. He beamed jovially and I noted he was a bit on the hefty side. The kitchen resumed its work, though a bit more hushed with my presence shadowing the mood. I felt like a trespasser. The head chef seemed not to give a damn I was the only creature not on four legs. Definitely the sort of guy who could make friends with anyone, it seemed.

As if to echo my thoughts, he said as he came up to me, "So glad for the opportunity to meet a new face. Welcome to my kitchen!" He offered his hoof.

I shook it and introduced himself as somehow he managed to grip my hand and shake vigorously.

"How hungry are you?" he asks with a knowing smile.

"Just a sandwich, if that's okay." I'm not a demanding guy. Maybe weirded out there are ponies everywhere but hey, I raised a changeling. I'm not really that bugged out...

Bad pun. My apologies.

"Of course! What of your friend?"

Steel Jaw grunts, "On duty."

"Bah! If you're hungry, you're in the right place. Always something for those who can't eat at regular times. Always something good for the belly. I don't let anypony leave my kitchen hungry. The princesses understand." Nom Delish maintains his grin as he motions for me to follow. I notice his flank bearing a plate over a crossed knife and fork. Steel Jaw falls in step behind me. I can swear he's growling in my wake.

As the kitchen staff slowly returns to normalcy (the kids were ushered out, I notice) I find myself staring down at a lovely cucumber sandwich made with the deft skill of a young pegasus mare with a dull red coat and a white mane.

Nom squints at me, pursing his lips. "You're an omnivore, aren't you?"

I nod with the sandwich halfway from the plate to my mouth.

"We do serve guests meat, if that's a part of their diet," he reassures me as if he knows what I'm thinking. "We get griffons and minotaurs visiting on occasion in the guest wing; dignitaries and royalty from other nations. Why, we even have a few ponies here with a taste for bacon, myself included!"

"Really? I thought you guys were plant eaters." I take a bite and munch as he starts laughing good naturedly. It's a damn good sandwich. I heft it at the pegasus and grin through my chewing, careful not to show my teeth. She giggles.

Steel Jaw is not amused, grunting his displeasure. I think that's his permanent state of being.

"Oh, no!" he hoots, stomping a hoof as he and the pegasus share wide grins. "All the ponies here under my kitchen love food of all sorts! There are no squeamish souls around my stoves."

I arch my eyebrows in surprise. I've still got a mouthful of sandwich and I don't want to talk.

"I can have a menu sent to your room so you can see what my kitchen has to offer. If there's something special you want made, my staff can cook it." He beams at me with unfettered pride, winking. "You're not the only carnivore here, so don't feel left out."

Before the next bite I pipe in with a nod, "I'd appreciate that. So tell me, do the princesses really raise the sun and the moon or is it symbolic?"

There's a moment of silence as three sets of pony eyes stare at me. "What do you think?" ventures Nom curiously.

Steel Jaw rolls his eyes. "Idiot," he mutters, thinking my little round ears can't pick up his voice.

I'm really starting to think he doesn't like me. I ignore him and reply to Nom Delish, "I don't know. It's my second day here," I say with a shrug.

His ears flicker as he thinks for a moment. "Head for the Diamond Wing of the palace. The first floor has several rooms dedicated to the old legends and myths. A lot of Equestrian history is on display there for the general public."

My babysitter rolls his eyes. I think I hear him mutter something about foals, but I'm not sure. "I'd rather do it without the grump here," I mention, throwing a thumb Steel Jaw before taking another big bite. After a few chews and watching the flat stare he throws at me, I add, "He hasn't exactly been Mr. Friendly."

"I don't want to foalsit a hairless ape," he growls, glaring at me with cold eyes. "He's supposedly the father of that...thing Princess Sparkle is stuck with day after day."

I finish the sandwich, engaging in a staring contest with a talking armored horse with a horn who probably has a hundred pounds on me. Chef Nom Delish blinks, conveying shock on his features at the rude guard. Wondering if I should actually throttle Steel Jaw, I pause as I consider his name, weighing the chances I would have against a talking horse in armor.

"Care to run that by me again?" I ask with obviously fake cheer. Turning to face him, I spread my feet apart and fold my arms over my chest.

"You heard me. You and that..._mare_ shouldn't be here."

Neither of us has raised our voices and I'm not about to start a fight in a kitchen. Only an idiot starts a fight in a kitchen. "Thanks for the sandwich," I say to the pegasus. She's nervously watching the conversation. She smiles at the compliment. To the head chef, I thank him for his kindness, spin on a heel and head back the way I came as quietly as possible.

I'm glad I don't have Chryssie's short temper.

Mine is far more...complicated.

I was once certified by the United States Army as insane. I served three years in the Army. I was shot twice in the same battle and got shrapnel in the left shoulder. I killed in self defense, I killed firing shots in ambushes, having been on both ends. I've seen guys die. I even shot a kid once who was trying to kill me with an assault rifle. I know how ugly war is, I've felt first hand what it can do to a man's mind. It's been years, before Chrysalis became a part of my life. I can think about it now a bit more clearly and with a more level head. The memories are still painful. Remembering the road I took to get where I am now mentally is still painful, especially when my live in girlfriend took my infant daughter and went to the arms of an old flame because she wasn't happy I could not find a job that paid enough money for the lifestyle she wanted. She sabotaged my mother's thinking of me by somehow getting her hands on classified documents in regards to my mental condition and sending them to her. It turned my mom against me when I was finally able to be coherent enough to try and fight for my kid. During that time, I was a alcoholic. I drank heavily. My depression reduced me to a shell of the confident, cocky son of a bitch that once thought he was invincible. I used to be the sort of guy you'd want watching your back in a barroom brawl. Drinking with buddies while in the Army and getting into trouble with them had been a pastime. Then I became a dad, the father of a little baby girl. I only got to see her a total of three months of her life.

It was the second worst time of my life. I could never find the cowardice enough to do the one thing constantly on my mind back then. In the depths of those years, a twisted sort of miracle happened. Namely Chrysalis.

I'm working my way up the stairs, thinking of the shape-shifter I devoted most of my adult life to raising, only to have Princess Celestia come and take her from me. I was allowed to come for reasons I was beginning to doubt to be completely of my own machinations. Obviously Discord had something to do with it, but what about Celestia? I haven't had a chance to meet with her in private, so I really can't get the questions swirling in my head answered. In the meantime, I have a cold rage boiling up within me. I haven't felt this angry in a very long time. Maybe it's the stress of going to another world. Maybe it's because I'm figuring out Steel Jaw to be a complete ass worthy of a beatdown.

Dropping subtle hints in regards to the opinion of a certain changeling who happens to be the apple of my eye should be grounds for the initiation of hostilities. I can hear the stallion behind me, silent save for his hoofsteps.

Without looking back, I say loudly enough for him to hear me, "I can understand you not wanting to follow the talking monkey around. I really can."

He says nothing. I come to the top of the stairs, flexing my fingers in and out of loose fists. I'm still thinking of decking him, already knowing I'll break my knuckles on his helmet. Having not decided fully if that's what I want to do, common sense struggles with my sense of crying out against the absurdity of the decision I made yesterday to come to this place. My mind is rebelling and I'm running out of reasoning to combat it.

In the meantime, my head's throbbing and it's not a headache. It's as though I'm sensing something shift, for lack of a better term. It's been nagging me all morning, heck even since yesterday when I first started walking through the halls.

"You don't belong here in this world," snaps Steel Jaw flatly, his eyes throwing icy daggers at me. "She shouldn't be here!"

I turn to face him, my face in his, shoulders rolled forward as I have to leaned forward and bend at the waist to come down to his eye level. His head only comes to the middle of my chest, his horn poised at the base of my throat. I go down to his level. "Just what in the hell is your problem?"

He sneers at me, "There's a new queen. She will not be happy when she finds out about Celestia's little secret she's hiding here."

I'm completely confused by his statement. "What?" I blurt.

"Chrysalis is supposed to be dead, human. Dead!" he's raising his voice at me. We lock into unforgiving stares for a moment, measuring each other.

I pull away from him, staring, unblinking. Confused.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I'm practically shouting, exasperated. "Are you threatening my daughter?"

He catches himself, mouth slightly open before deflating his chest. "No," he says, taking a few breaths and looking away. "I am not. I'm only speaking the truth. By coming here, her life is in danger."

My eyes narrow. I'm still confused, I still want to punch a horse. He knows it and doesn't seemed at all bothered by the hostile look in my eyes. "Explain yourself."

We're both speaking in hushed voices, still maintaining some semblance of civility. We both know it can go south at any moment. I start to realize he's looking for a fight. Maybe to get rid of me, maybe to have me sent back home. Jesus, this was not what I was expecting coming here. Stupid, naive little me thinking I could just waltz into some new world and fit right in.

No, I wasn't really expecting that. It would have been nice to think such a fantasy existed, where someone could go into a new place and be welcomed, to be a part of something peaceful, soul soothing. All I ever wanted was peace within myself. By accepting the invitation, I had hoped everything would be made all right. I damned my naive thinking, having trapped myself in the belief this place was a children's show.

It was clearly not. This place was completely different. For one thing, it felt all too real. Everything was flesh and blood and earth and solid. I could see it, touch it, experience everything Equestria had set before me in the short time I had been here. Equestria was nothing the show depicted itself to be. It began to dawn on me what it could only possibly be.

Propoganda.

"Why?" I ask, a loaded question summed up in one word.

Steel Jaw snorts. "Because they deem it necessary."

"Who deems it necessary?"

"The princesses. The only reason I know what I know is because the Lady of the Moon selected me from her personal guard to watch you and protect you."

"Lady of the Moon?"

"Princess Luna," he sighs in exasperation. "Mind you learn of this realm, human and who is in charge. She is not as forgiving as the Sun, but she was asked by her sister to provide you an escort while you learn where you may and may not go."

"And you hate it."

"I am no foalsitter," he snaps.

Okay, so it's not me he's mad at. He's mad at his boss. It still doesn't explain his attitude towards my daughter. I tell him so.

"She's a changeling," he says as if that's all I need to know.

"So?"

"You don't get it, do you?" he yells, his voice rising. A sneer begins to form. "That...that..._thing_ is that bitch queen Chrysalis! I've seen her true form! She hides it at the command of my two Mistresses, but I know! I've _seen_!" Steel Jaw spat. "I don't know the sorcery behind her youthful appearance, but that is the same monster who invaded us."

This was one of the first stark differences I felt from what my daughter grew up watching and what was reality. It was painfully obvious what we knew on Earth was seriously watered down. That lightbulb flickered in my dim mind like a blinding flash. Cursing my stupidity, I tear away from the steely stare of the stallion. Even so, I level a finger at him.

"You don't talk about my daughter like that."

"What are you two arguing about?" asks a feminine voice off to my right. I look and find the same mare I had crashed into earlier staring between us, her head tilted cutely to one side while wearing a worried frown. "There's a changeling in the palace? Since when?"

Steel Jaw catches himself and sets his lips to an unhappy straight line as he turns is ire into a harsh glare at her direction. "This is of no concern to a maid! On your way!"

"I'm not a maid," she replies impudently, offering a smile. "But even a maid can see you are being unkind to a guest of the princesses. Perhaps I should go and tell them Equestrian hospitality is only extended to those who have hooves?"

How can she say that in such a kind tone?

Steel Jaw tries to match her with his own disdain, but her gentleness breaks his steel. "Who are you to correct me?" he demands uncertainly.

She ignores his question, pressing, "You know mention of that word has been expressly forbidden beneath this roof. The name is also forbidden, yet you speak it. The House of the Sun and the Moon and their word is absolute. Why have you broken the decree? Are you not oath-bound to follow the words of the Sisters?"

To me she shifts her focus, Steel Jaw seemingly forgotten as he's sputtering in her wake. "It has come to my attention who you are, gentle ape creature. I wish to apologize for my earlier reaction as I was not expecting to run into you."

She's a little taller than the other mares I've seen around the palace, her withers almost reaching my hip. Her frame doesn't match the roundness of the other mares, reminding more of my girl's shape. There is still a tinge of fear in her eyes. "It's all right," I say, calming down from butting heads with the idiot in armor. I block him out of my mind and focus on the friendly face. I introduce myself.

"I am Fleur de Lis," she says with a demure smile. "I have been asked by Princess Celestia to act as your guide while you acclimate yourself to Canterlot."

Okay, so she's named after a flower. I think. It sounds pretty. She's definitely nicer than the present company I'm keeping. She's also scared to death talking to me. How do I know? Her knees are knocking together. But she's very brave and facing me, a creature she probably thinks is some sort of monster.

"I am to escort him," complains Steel Jaw.

"You are a clumsy oaf with no manners!" she shot back at him. "You place your own selfish desires before the will of our princesses! We all know what happened in the past, but that is where it should remain. You are not the only one to have lost someone dear."

He starts to protest, but she stamps a delicate hoof down firmly.

"No! You are a fool allowing your emotions to cloud your judgement. This is not the way of your training. Begone with your tainted self and seek out the forgiveness of the Lady of the Moon to whom you pledged yourself!"

My babysitter stares at her in rage before letting out an exasperated whinny and departing with powerful stomps of his hooves upon the polished stone floor. I get the feeling it isn't over between the two of us. Not by a long shot.

"So tell me," Fleur asks after dismissing the guard from her thoughts, "where was it you wished to go?"

I pause about three breaths as I try to remember where it was Nom Delish had suggested. "Um, something called the Diamond Room, I think? There's more to Equestria than I thought."

"Indeed," she answers, pondering my words, "you mean the Diamond Wing. It is a good place to start if you wish to see our version of what we in Equestria consider the truth."

I noted wryly, "That's an odd way to put it."

"It's what we know, but not necessarily correct. Come, we can chat while we walk. The palace is large and it will take us some minutes to get to our destination." She leads on, tossing her head slightly to fix a corner of her eye on me. "Follow me and I shall tell you of your beautiful guide so long as you tell me a bit of yourself, yes?"

"Fair enough, " I agree, already finding her company more enjoyable that with Mr. Grumpy. "What would you like to know?"

"Are you truly the one who raised her?"

"Yeah. I still don't get the name she goes by in here. Midnight Emerald?"

Chryssie spent the evening last night explaining the name she had to go by, telling me she could feel them staring at her despite the form she was told to take. Given how similar to her natural form it is, I'm not really shocked. However, it was insisted ponies get used to her dark form. Surprising I shouldn't mention it until now. Pushing the thoughts ponies do not forget past sins cast upon them is difficult, but it had always been there, lurking like a stranger you can't quite see in the shadows. I don't know squat about this place.

So far, Friendship is Magic has been a whitewashed watered down thing. Oh, its beautiful to look at, but the society is far more complex than simple lessons to learn at the end of the show.

"Give them time," Fleur assures me as I'm now along side her as we go at a leisurely pace. "Midnight Emerald is a lovely name for her. She has a temper and angers easily, no doubt due to stress of being so far from home. She takes a form like her true form because there will come a time when our species must coexist for the sake of a peaceful existence. She is remarkable, intelligent, and full of potential."

"So why did you tell off Steel?"

She makes a sour face. "He is not the sort you should have guiding you. His wounds from the past haunt him. He is a good soldier and a loyal son of Equestria, but he, like so many others he fears the unknown. He fears the monsters under the bed and in the closet. It is understandable. The passage of time has not been long enough to heal for some."

I grunt, nodding, "I know how that feels."

We continue walking, warming up to each other to the point where she's at least not suffering from a bad case of rubbery knees. She asks a few questions about my world and of myself. Some I answer easily, others I deflect. Fleur probes, I parry and find I am very poor at it. She knows and shifts the subject when she feels her questions hit a little too close to home.

She is what I would guess in their world to be a sorceress. I barely remember her from the show, but I'm beginning to sense all the characters have some sort of significance in Equestria, their importance as of yet elusive to my tiny brain. From what I understand, my lovely guide is over a couple of hundred years old and currently has one of nobles as her favorite, whatever that means. His name is Fancy Pants.

I'm not going to get into that. The name choices are weird and I understand not a damn thing about it.

"You are a warrior, then?" she asks when I touch a bit on my army days.

"Was," I counter with a smile, "after getting enough scars, I decided I didn't want to do it anymore and became a father." I pull up my left sleeve and let her get a glimpse of my scar on my shoulder. "War sucks and leaves little reminders for those lucky enough to survive it."

She looks away from it as we turn through a pair of doors. The halls are gone and we're now passing through rooms of various sizes. Ponies are everywhere, cleaning and dusting. They chat in hushed tones and become fearful when they see me.

"Don't show your teeth," Fleur reminds me gently. "You have predatory teeth. They'll think you intend to eat them." Her giggle leads me to wonder if I should take her seriously or not.

"So, what do you do around here?" I ask.

Fleur smiles. "I serve as confidant to Princess Celestia, having come from Prance years ago originally as an ambassador. In time, she and I became friends and I have since served as an opinion for her ears should she request it. In the meantime, I continue to work in the capacity as an ambassador, though a replacement has been in place for some time. There is no pressing need for me to return home and I find Equestria suits my heart perfectly. Here, I have access to some of the richest tomes of knowledge while I continue to perfect my meager skills at magic. I am being modest when I tell you I am one of the most powerful magic users in the kingdom. I even teach your daughter when Twilight Sparkle has other things she needs to attend to. I try not to step over her hooves and her attention to detail is perfect for Midnight Emerald."

I nod, finding a lot of impossible in what she says with my logical mind. It argues with what I've seen in Chrysalis. "I'm willing to keep an open mind. From what I understand, this is a place where impossible is possible and dreams do come true."

She appraises me. "I expected more resistance, my new friend."

"Chry - Midnight Emerald," I remind her.

"Of course," she giggles, "I am aware. For all those years, do you think Lord Discord to be the only one who kept eyes upon you and your charge?"

I shrug, change the topic. "So why such a plain dress?"

"A mare is not defined by the finery she wears, but in the manner in which she carries herself," she answers easily as we enter a very large room. I notice it is darker than the others, the curtains having been drawn closed. Fleur de Lis presses into it, turning her body to one side slightly as her horn glows with a pale pinkish hue. "Ah, we are here!"

The curtains assume the same odd glow as her horn. It's very much like when Chrysalis uses her magic. So they have their own personal magic aura, or something. Cool. The curtains slide open and the room is bathed in sunlight blinding. Around me is a room filled with odd artifacts and weapons, baubles I can't begin to name and other odds and ends arranged neatly, each with a small plaque bearing words. They are arranged neatly, orderly, perhaps chronologically. There are great paintings upon the wall, some depicting unicorns, others with pegasi, and still others with regular ponies. Some are battle scenes, others dark and forbidding. Yet others are full of life and joy. The room stretches a great distance, the walls gilded with gold. The ceiling is a vast mural of light and dark, two familiar forms circling around each other; one the Moon, the other the Sun. In between them light and dark blend perfectly and in balance, an eternal dance between night and day. There is a great hearth, swept clean so as no soot mars the stone within. Before the hearth are a pair of low set lounges, akin to the one in my room. A table is nestled between them. But there is one obvious thing in the room drawing my attention to her like a magnet.

Standing before me is Princess Celestia herself.

"Thank you, Fleur," she says to the mare next to me, "you saved him from enduring more of the guard's misplaced anger."

"It was nothing," defers my new friend with a wink at me. "He's a most pleasant conversation, despite his rough personality. I find him refreshing and not so stuffy."

Why am I blushing? Celestia chuckles, turning her attention to me. "I apologize for not meeting you last night. I thought you would enjoy spending time with your daughter, rather than be in a possibly uncomfortable position of putting up with strangers for dinner. I certainly apologize for Luna's choice of an escort, but I imagine there is a purpose to this. She does not act in ways one would deem conventional and I suspect the lesson was as much for him as it was for you." She tilts her head towards me, her gaze steady, eyes ancient and powerful.

It's like staring into a bright abyss, those magenta pools owlish and calculating. It's one thing to be told a being is over a thousand years old. It's a whole different animal when you can see it in her eyes and feel it emanating from her presence.

I shiver.

"I shall take my leave," announced Fleur with a polite curtsey to Celestia, then myself. "Be gentle with him. He is very much a child in a new world." Mischief dances in her eyes as she trots off.

The Princess of the Sun laughs after her friend, "No promises!" To me she holds up a hoof and gestures to a pile of cushions. "Please have a seat. There is much you might wish to know and I shall be more than happy to get you started with the basics. My sister is overwatching the court at the moment and I have an hour or two to spare."

I sit down, a bit numb just feeling the presence of Celestia. "Why do I feel you without touching you? You weren't like this at my home a month ago." I'm shivering as it feels as though her very existence should break me to pieces. I don't even know how I'm able to talk.

"This is my realm," she says to me as she lays down across from where I sit cross legged. "My home. You feel my power because I wish you to understand more, perhaps than what you have been led to believe from an example we provided to your world. You suspect we know of your world and have done so for some time."

I nod mutely, awed by her.

The females here seem to be really, really strong.

"This is very true. We have been aware of your Earth for a very long time. I assume Luna gave you a taste with her words while you were in flight from the portal to our home?" A servant comes in bearing a silver tray with a teapot and a pair of teacups with saucers. Celestia's aura dims until it fades to nothing as she waits patiently for the tea to be served. I find a cup hovering to my hands, glowing with her magical grasp.

"Thanks," I say as I take the cup.

"Sugar? Cream?"

I decline politely.

The tray is left on a small table nearby.

My introduction to Equestria's history and magic begins with watching Celestia quietly enjoy a cup of tea, encouraging me to do the same with a smile.

I hate tea.

Yay me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Let's Talk About Daddy**

This is what I've been able to wrap my head around so far in regards to How Things Work Around Here: Magic, magic, and more magic. Magic is apparently in everything, everywhere, and saturating my body even as I speak. It started absorbing itself into my pores the moment I set foot on this planet. Everything seems to have some sort of origin tied to magic and whatever this weird glue is making the impossible things possible is getting into me and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

Keep in mind, I'm paraphrasing everything Celestia told me. I didn't even mind the fact she spoke to me like I was five. There was just a lot of crap to take in and the princess adjusted how she spoke to me based off my reactions. She's very good at reading body language. Staring and blinking incomprehensibly is a dead giveaway. At least she didn't have to resort to baby talk. Apparently, Equestria is located somewhere in a dimension nestled between dreams and reality. Celestia even suggested so far it might be possible for me down the road to acquire some sort of magical ability, though she had no idea what it might manifest itself to become. It might not even happen.

Magic, it seems all starts with a thought for the sentient creatures on Gaea. Allow me to get into the details in regards to Equestria and her inhabitants. Here's the notes given to me:

_The majority of her population consists - as stated earlier - of ponies. Specifically, there are three tribes; the Pegasus Tribe, the Unicorn Tribe, and the Earth Tribe. Each tribe has unique talents suited for the tasks they excel at._

_ Firstly, there are the winged pegasi, equines of the skies who shape the weather through the magic inherited in manipulating the skies and providing the correct weather for the seasons. It is their job to ensure just the right amount of rain falls upon the land. It is the pegasi who make sure each day is scheduled for its allotted amount of sunshine or cloud cover, depending on the meticulate and complicated schedule planned ahead in seven year cycles. If a particular summer day is too hot, they set aside a certain amount of rainfall aided by thick clouds to cool the skies. They bring in a breeze to blow away the humidity. Equestria is never too humid nor too dry. Nor are the winters too harsh, though there have been instances where blizzards have gotten away from the usually watchful pegasi. Usually this is due to the weather system backing up and needing to be 'aired out', requiring a full purging of a very complex and intricate system still considered to be in a state of development centuries after its first crude implimentation._

_ Secondly, there are the horned unicorns, ponies who excell at magic and provide for the realm the magic and enchantments needed to keep things running smoothly. Thousands of years ago, their grasp on magic was vast and an art unto itself. Before the first war, unicorns were indeed powerful sorcerers and magicians, capable of wondrous deeds. These days, they are but a far cry of their former glory, with most of the old magic forgotten. Most scholars are unicorns and many of those who peruse the old tomes seek the old magics. They provide the means of power in creating wonderous machines to allow for other ponies to enjoy creature comforts, always inventing, always trying out new things even as they seek out the past. All unicorns have a level of telekinisis, allowing them to levitate objects of various sizes, depending upon the will and magic pool of the individual. Through their skill, many of the discovery in alchemy and metallurgy and other sciences have led to the creation of towering cities of steel and concrete in the newest settlements and cities (like Manehatten). Though this has never been exclusive to unicorns, but most major discoveries in magic and science can be attributed to a unicorn. Most doctors, for example, are unicorns._

_ Thirdly, there are the earth ponies. Gifted with neither wings nor horn, they are still gifted with magic for coaxing the most from nature, be it through mining or farming or other means of working the land. It is mostly through the efforts of these most common of ponies there is food for every pony and a heavy export of grains and fruits and vegetables to other nations. More than a few rulers owe their thanks to the farmers of Equestria during times of famine and hardship. Earth ponies are usually hard at work, building houses and tilling the land and helping establish new communities along the borders of Equestria. Even as the population expanded and new towns sprouted up along the furthest reaches of Equestria's borders along the vast wilderness. Out there, far from the protection of controlled weather and the long arm of the nation's rulers, it is the earth ponies and their rugged toughness taming the wilds and making homes for others to settle within. By all means are they far from the least of the three tribes._

_ All though most records were lost in the century with which the spirit known as Discord was first defeated, the power of King Sombra was quelled, and perhaps most tragically, the rise and fall of Nightmare Moon, it can be certain the greatest constant of Equestria has been in the form of Princess Celestia, the Lady of the Sun. Her true age is unknown to all save herself and no one has dared to pose the question. As much a mother to her subjects as she is a monarch, she ruled what was supposed to be a diarchy for a thousand years alone and without the most important pony in her life. Without complaint she ruled, offering her wisdom as she more or less allowed her subjects to rule themselves, allowing them to progress and grow so long as they obeyed the laws and did all things good and just. She openly loved her subjects and in turn, they responded with adoration._

_ For a thousand years, she gladly raised the sun each morning, only to sadly set it each evening and bring forth the moon from beneath the horizon, facing the stark reminder of a sorrowful battle. Yet she still did it with love. It was her actions so long ago that split the fabled Elements of Harmony into six pieces, forever severing Celestia from them. A thousand years passed and Nightmare Moon became lost in legend, a truth turned to myth._

_ The tale is well known, has been documented in more recent times of the return of Nightmare Moon and the revelation she was in fact the younger sister of Princess Celestia. Equestria, after so many centuries, was presented with the second half of the diarchy in the form of Luna, the Lady of the Moon. The Harmonies had their keepers in the form of six mares, two representatives each of the pony tribes and had vanquished the evil thing that had made Princess Luna into Nightmare Moon._

That was copied from one of the more recent textbooks, not unlike what a kid going to middle school might find. After reading it - at Celestia's prompting - I figured to ask if the heavenly bodies dictated her powers or if it was the other way around. I poured over the book after listening to Celestia (bless her heart) explain to me the general overview on how things work with magic. I'm pretty much sure I've got a good idea I have no damned clue. At all.

No, I'm not a very smart guy. Rather, it takes me some time to figure things out. It might be a little on the slow side, but eventually technical stuff (I think magic falls into the realm of techno jargon) sinks in. So far, my introduction to Equestria and her magic has been confined to the three tribes as well as the examples of all three combined.

Namely alicorns like Princess Celestia. They are powerful. Duh. When you can walk into a room and feel the sun in the example of one alabaster being with wings and a horn and she _knows_ she's hot...

That did not come out as I intended.

I just face palmed myself. This is going to take some getting used to and the bad jokes have got to stop!

As I was saying, it's as though she is the living embodiment of the sun. Her immortality is tied to the star. She's linked to it and it supplies her magic. Her duty in 'raising' the sun is as much philosophical as it is a means of invigorating her, though the means behind which she came to be seems to be as much a mystery to herself as anything else. Celestia does remember her parents and her cutie mark appeared when she first tried to raise the sun some centuries ago (she refuses to say how many). Needless to say, she has an enormous pool of magic to draw upon, mostly due to her link to the sun and her years of study and practice in magic has honed her mind into a wellspring of skill unmatched (or so she tells me). Luna is only slightly less powerful than her sister, but she has a bit of a disparity of having spent a goodly amount of her time physically merged with the moon for a thousand years.

How the hell does someone get sent _into_ the moon for ten centuries? Honestly, Luna spent so much time as part of the moon with no food, no water, and nobody to talk to. I wanted to ask how the ordeal affected her on a mental level (if all this was true). Even if Chrysalis solidified my own belief in magic, imagining any living being confined with no contact with another living thing for a thousand years is still incomprehensible.

So does that mean they are spirits as much as creatures of the flesh? Are they magical manifestations given physical form?

Apparently the answer is all of the above. I don't know how or why my brain came to this conclusion, but the reason behind Celestia and Luna's markings on their flanks is what ties them to the two objects rotating in the sky. Once they developed their singular talent, it became a part of who they are. Only alicorns can have that sort of ability from what I was told as they represent the pinnacle of pony power. They're so rare there are only four in all of existence, though Celestia thinks there might be a few more out there in the world, hinting only a small portion of the world is known.

Naturally the conversation after the first hour steered towards changelings and how love (and other emotions) empower them. Where rest can recharge a unicorn's natural magic reserves, a changeling requires feeding upon emotions to recharge their own pool. Also, emotions from feeding can heal wounds. That was a lesson for another day. Remind me to ask Chryssie about it. I sure hope she's got a decent grasp of her own species by now.

You know, I think I read that somewhere on the internet some years ago.

I queried Celestia about that. Imagine my surprise when she told me she's spent years using human minds to work out her own theories on changelings, using their brains and repositories for her own storage of hypothosis and thoughts. A lot of it she admits freely as conjecture and speculation, but she's also more than content to let them think it's their own ideas. It keeps her thoughts and ideas out of the hands of potential enemies on her world while supplying creative humans with a means to vent out their creative juices. At least until she was able to get a hold of a few changelings for a better understanding of them. The little buggers are elusive and damn nigh impossible to catch. She also used this impossible little trick with the help of her sister to slowly indoctrinate humanity with the idea ponies were not only real, but pushing for an eventual contact.

It's one hell of a Jedi mind trick. I still don't believe it. You can't make subliminal suggestions on humans who live in another dimension.

Can you?

"I'll tell you more as we come to know each other," she assures me, finishing her tea. "I'd like to get your take on a few things as I've never really had somepony to talk to in regards to your history. I've been watching your race for a very long time, ever since Starswirl spent time on your world as a human."

"Merlin?" I guess.

She smiles. "Did Luna tell you about him?"

"A little."

Celestia nods, pouring herself more tea. She notices my empty cup. "More?" she offers graciously. Before I can say no, my cup is brimming with steaming hot liquid.

I don't know why I don't like tea. I prefer coffee. Politely I smile. Inwardly I sigh.

"You're not a fan of tea, are you?" she asks, assuming a wounded air.

Oh, crap. I just hurt her feelings. I stammer like an idiot, trying to squirm my way out of the hole I unceremoniously dug myself.

"This is the finest tea in my personal stock," she says, her lower lip quivering, eyes moistening. Her ears have flattened out behind her, that lovely mystical mane of tri-colored etherial beauty deflating a bit as her teacup hovers in front of her, drawing to her chest almost in a protective fashion. "I only share it with those I would hope to consider a friend."

Oh. My. _God_.

A pathetic sound gurgles from somewhere from my throat in some semblance of a pathetic excuse for an apology.

Michael Andrew Spriggs, congratulations! You've just made an ass of yourself by committing an extreme diplomatic faux pas. Look at the princess cry! You made her cry, you insensitive son of a bi -

"Gotcha!" she giggles at me suddenly.

I stare at her, not knowing if I should laugh or yell or just sit there like a slack-jawed dumb mute. Option number three seems to drown the other two out.

_ Meanwhile...Somewhere I'm not..._

Chrysalis fidgeted, staring hat her notes while chewing on the end of her pencil. On occasion she would look at the back of Twilight's head as her instructor explained in painful detail how casting a spell wasn't just a matter of thinking of something and doing it. She had read about this portion of magic application in each of the dozen books the purple mare had provided for her to read for the past week. Seated on her haunches at a desk in a conference room near the palace library, the changeling was not uncomfortable as she was curled up on a lounge, the desk angled in front of her while a cup of water rested on a level portion of her work station to her left. Of course it made perfect sense to get the sequence of correct thoughts and process in line before unleashing a spell! Magic required thought and concentration and in proper order of alignment and especially for the most complex of spells.

She had been levitating things with her mind since she was a filly, she reminded herself as Twilight droned into the mental acuity required to handle multiple details at the same time. Hearing her mentor say something interesting, her pencil popped from between her fangs and began scribbling while the shape-shifter shifted a strand of her silky hair into her mouth, chewing out of lack of mental stimulation. As she did that, she levitated a book to her right and referenced the chapter Twilight had memorized and was practically repeating verbatim.

Chrysalis absolutely adored Twilight Sparkle. Ever since she had seen her first episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, she was determined to become every bit as good a mistress of magic as the lavender lady. Twilight was tapping her chalkboard for emphasis with her chalk as she warned her student of how important safety was when preparing to use magic. From her perspective, she understood the reason Twilight had a checklist for the checklist to make sure she didn't forget to make the checklist (the changeling admitted to herself she made that up, but Twilight was very detail oriented to the point of obsession). When class was not in session, it was fun to learn new things! When sitting at the desk and being required to retain information and listen to instruction, it was flat out _boring_.

Strange how that worked out. It was just the way Dad described his days in school.

It was as if her teacher decided to turn on boring mode when it was school time. Chrysalis understood the reason for her instruction as she certainly did not want to be responsible for unnecessary destruction. The darker magic was off limits to her, anyways. Of all the teachers who would eventually teach her the really cool stuff, Luna had informed her when Twilight Sparkle felt she was ready, Chrysalis would soon get a taste of the fun stuff!

The thought elicited a sigh of resignation as the young changeling dutifully scribbled more notes and referenced her book for good measure. Though five or six years younger than Twilight, Chrysalis felt like a mental baby when it came to knowledge. The lavender alicorn was a walking talking library.

Smirking to herself, she shifted in her seat as Twilight finished her lecture, assuming a triumphant air as if she had just figured out the origins of all magic. In fact, the lesson for the day had been about the separation of earth, wind, fire, and water when using transfiguration spells.

Chrysalis consulted her notes, her pencil a flurry of scribbling activity. Without thinking, she had created several paper airplanes to amuse herself while her friend had been lecturing. Twilight turned to see a silent dogfight between half a dozen paper gliders chasing each other over the changeling's head. Multitasking came easily to a creature who would one day be responsible for the lives of thousands, so having six individual objects acting as though they had minds of their own came easily to her.

"Am I boring you?" she asked in a small voice. "I thought my lessons were important to you." Her faint smile betrays her amusement. She knows her student is preoccupied.

"Oh, but they are!" Chrysalis felt a bit shame-faced, her ears going flat as she assumed an equally hurt expression, but more for guilt. "I'm just trying to apply the suggestions you gave me and keeping my mind active," she replied sullenly, drawing a circle on her desk with a hoof. Her tail swished in shame. "You're not boring. The lessons are. They're important, but they're also boring."

Twilight tilted her head to one side, the gears in her head turning, clicking quickly as she filed her student's response away for future reference. "Fair enough. I know you're smart enough to follow what I'm saying to this point and you've come a long way since we first sat down three weeks ago. Your grasp and understanding is good. Maybe I'm not challenging you enough, Emerald."

Oh, Chrysalis hated being in her unicorn disguise. There was little difference between that form and her normal one. Still, it was fun creating a persona and a background for Midnight Emerald. She rather liked the name and her appearance was unique enough so she could maintain her own identity. Understanding the reason behind the requirement took a whole day of sitting with Celestia (she was terrified of her and especially Luna) and Twilight Sparkle (she almost wore the purple mare like a security blanket while in the room with Celestia). She clutched her little plush Twilight Sparkle unicorn plushie the whole time as a double bit of security.

A recent memory flared to mind.

_ It was the most terrifying day of her life. Less than three days removed from her daddy's presence, Chrysalis had never felt so alone in her whole life. The reason why her meeting took all day was simply the fact she was a miserable wreck, crying frequently for no apparent reason. Crying for daddy in front of Celestia and Twilight was, looking back also one of the most embarrassing days she could remember. Feeling the sudden brush of soft wings enclosing around her body and drawing her to a welcoming bosom was unexpected as the Princess of the Sun drew her in and cooed like a mother to her foal._

_ Chrysalis wondered about her real mother for the first time._

_ "Do I have one?" she remembered asking Celestia one day. "A mother, I mean?"_

_ It had been a week since coming to Equestria when she asked the day half of the diarchy as they sat down for tea. Celestia wanted to have a weekly progress report with the changeling so she could see for herself how Chrysalis was adjusting to her new life. They were out in the garden, safe from prying eyes and allowing the shape-shifter to assume her normal figure. It was a typical mid afternoon day with summer fading and the first touches of autumn beginning to grace the leaves in the trees._

_ "I should imagine so," Celestia said after a moment. "Your race are quite secretive. Perhaps even more so after your former did what she did." The princess was very careful not to implicate the young Chrysalis at fault for the invasion long ago._

_ Chrysalis winced, but nodded. She was aware and painfully so._

"Are you all right?" Twilight asked her suddenly, her face right in front of hers. "You spaced out on me there, Chrysalis."

The changeling shook herself to the present, blushing furiously. "It's nothing," she muttered, her ears drooping. "I'm just thinking about how much the Princess scares me."

The mare sighed and plopped down next to the student who once tried to take her brother and now looked up to her as a heroine. "You've been out of it all day. You want to spend time with your dad, don't you?" A gentle and understanding hoof settles on Chrysalis' shoulder.

A little smile creased her features as she turned her head towards the only pony in Equestria she regarded as a friend. Twilight Sparkle was the only one willing to accept Chrysalis as a friend, having overcome her own lingering thoughts from the invasion. Celestia had urged her to consider reaching a hoof out to Chrysalis. The mare was so alone in the world where she was born. She needed love if she was going to grow.

The other five Bearers for the most part were not yet comfortable with Chrysalis, though Fluttershy seemed willing to give her a chance. They didn't hate the shape-shifter, but they still had no reason to trust her. Chrysalis was, well...Chrysalis. Naturally Rainbow Dash was the most openly hostile towards the changeling, growling and yelling and waving a hoof under her bewildered target's chin. Applejack had to restrain her friend and was a bit more diplomatic by simply saying to Chrysalis she was going to have to earn the trust of ponies.

She put on her bravest face that day, saying nothing and looking at each speaker as they addressed her. "I'm never going to fit in around here," she whispered to Twilight, tears forming in her eyes. "Was I that terrible? Was I that bad a pony?" A sniffling of her nose and pitiful expression prompted the alicorn to wrap her hooves around the changeling and give her a reassuring hug.

There was a knock. Fleur de Lis entered as the door squeaked open. She noted the two mares sharing a comforting hug and gave anther huff. "Lady Emerald, I thought we agreed you would think positive thoughts, yes?" She slowly walked, her eyes training on the six oddly folded pieces of paper chasing each other in the air. "What is this?"

Chrysalis followed the mare's eyes up and giggled despite herself. "Paper airplanes. Daddy taught me how to make them."

"Ah, Monsieur Spriggs is a most unusual creature. I had the pleasure of making his acquaintance before he started a fight with one of the Night Guard."

Twilight smiled at her friend. She and Fleur weren't close, but they knew each other enough to decide a casual friendship was worth investing in. Fleur wasn't a flashy sorceress, but she was a very efficient one, almost as meticulate as the alicorn. Almost. The white mare came around the desk opposite from Twilight as she settled at the student's shoulder. Absently she gave Chrysalis a peck on the cheek, greeting her informally as if she were in Prance. Her main focus was on the young changeling's notes, eagerly pouring over what was written down.

"Excellent organization. Much better, yes? You have learned much under Lady Twilight's detailed instruction." A wry smile was thrown at the alicorn, who returned with a sheepish one of her own.

"I can't help it," she defended herself. "My student has a complex mind and she needs to be challenged."

Fleur focused on the silent Chrysalis, who was sniffling still, but wore a little smile growing slowly over her frown. "You met Daddy?" she asked Fleur.

"Indeed! These humans, they are very tall. Not minotaur tall, but easily intimidating. I think I shall be his guide while he is here." Fleur nodded to her audience of two. "Are all human males as skinny as this one?" she asked Chrysalis.

"Daddy's always been thin," replied the changeling. "He jogs every other day."

Twilight perked up in interest, her horn flaring as a quill and parchment appeared in front of her. Maybe Chrysalis was going to offer more tidbits of human society. Even if it was something as casual as staying in shape, she wanted to add to her steadily growing stack of notes in regards to one human named Michael Spriggs. She was starting to put together a profile of the human as his adopted daughter let out bits and pieces of his personality. From what she gathered, he was a private man, quiet for the most part, but adaptable to his environment. He preferred solitude and shunned cities and kept most of his past to himself. The human did not mind talking about his childhood and offered a little about his military career. There was about a four year gap in his life he preferred not to talk about. Chrysalis knew, but she refused to tell anypony, knowing how painful that particular collection of memories were to him. Still, she was able at this point able to get at least some idea of this human's demeanor.

She had no idea what to make of him at this point. There wasn't enough information to make a safe analysis of his psychological profile. Twilight jotted down a couple of notes before dismissing the sheet to where the others were stacked in her personal study. Spike would spot it arrive and straighten it properly. He was a great number one assistant, after all!

"His visa is good for two years," she commented out loud. "Plenty of time to ask him questions and get his opinions." Twilight was musing to herself, but also to the two mares in the room. "Maybe this will be a great way to see how humans interact with other species!"

"Two years?" Chrysalis blinked. "Daddy is staying for two years?"

"Well, I don't know," the alicorn said, thinking about it as she spoke. She glanced at Fleur. "From what Princess Celestia told me, he's just here to make sure Chrysalis -"

"Lady Midnight Emerald," the white mare corrected with with a delicate smile.

"- gets established and comfortable. As for if he wants to stay past that, it's really going to be up to him. He might want to go home after that and be with his own kind. From what I understand, humans are social creatures, but without the herd mentality prevalent among ponies in general." Twilight kept forgetting to use Chrysalis' pony name in the palace. It was probably the worst kept secret, but the staff and guards were trustworthy for the most part to not run into the city and return with a crowd loaded down with torches and pitchforks. The changeling was not exactly popular. Fleur de Lis reminded her while beaming mischief. Nopony cared in the palace. Celestia and Luna were usually on the spot with selecting tolerant staff who would deal with all sorts of sentient beings. Ponies like Steel Jaw were exceptions.

"I hope he stays," Chryaslis muttered, her paper airplanes suddenly dropping as she eased off her magic, her horn's glow dying out. "I hate it here. I don't belong."

"No, no, no!" cried Fleur sympathetically, adding her own hoof to the young changeling's shoulder. "You do belong. Twilight is your friend, yes? I should like to be your friend if you would let me. You're a charming, beautiful girl with a terrible temper," she added the last part as a tease to pull a smile from the sad mare.

Twilight grinned, nodding. "Give it time. Maybe your dad will be able to help you make that transition from living on his world to living on your world. I'd like it if you would just talk to me."

"Where's Daddy now?" she asked, sniffling as she blinked at Twilight. "With Celestia?"

Fleur nodded, maintaining her warm smile. "He is currently having late morning tea with her in the Diamond Wing. I believe the display room, to be specific. She's had your father watched all morning, despite Luna's guard selected to escort him. It proved to be a most fortunate thing as I arrived in time to stop a fight. Monsieur Spriggs is quite the hothead, no?"

"He's protective of me," Chrysalis mumbled with a slight blush. Her head tilted down as she stared at her desk. A smile formed. "I wondered why I felt him getting upset at something."

"What is he sensing now?" Twilight resummoned her quill and paper.

Chrysalis cocked her head slightly to one side as she mentally felt for her father's emotions. "Confusion. Baffled confusion," she mused aloud. "Just like when I tried to explain how my magic works to him. It's adorable."

Twilight threw a questioning look at Fleur. The white mare shrugged. "Perhaps she is trying to explain to him how our world works."

"Hmm," the alicorn tapped her chin with a hoof. "I guess that would make sense, considering his world doesn't have the benefit of magic. His society's idea of magic is its technological development and its application. Magic is a fairy tale to humans, so when one is thrust into a world that basically runs on magic, I think I can get the idea of how it can be confusion."

"How so?" asked Fleur curiously.

"Well," Chrysalis cut in apologetically. Twilight smiled at her and nodded for the shape-shifter to continue, "I've seen how advanced human technology can be. They can do things through mass production that makes the best factories and mills in Equestria look like a turtle with no legs. There is a massive telecommunications network around the world and people can talk to each other in seconds from opposite sides of the planet. Humans don't have any natural or magical ability to fly, but they discovered a way to make machines that can carry them into the clouds. They've ridden on the creations of their minds into doing things they would have thought impossible a thousand years ago, five hundred years, ago, a hundred, and even twenty. Humans are constantly trying to invent new things to do everything better. Imagine if you will if either one of you were to placed in a world where magic is the driving force of society and not technology. Ponies seem to have a haphazard grasp on machines and engines, but it's all adapted to work through magic. I mean, you guys still are trying to take human inventions you've taken from Earth and ponify them for easier use. I still can't figure out how some things look like they're still made for humans."

"Visual appeal," grunted Twilight, herself unsure as to exactly why that was. Maybe she should start looking into that particular phenomenon?

Chrysalis found herself laughing as she could already see the idea forming in her mentor's mind. "Humans have used their minds to overcome their physical limitations. Their ability to create and think is what has made them the dominant species of their planet."

"I know, I know," said the alicorn. "I could devote a few centuries to them and still keep finding something new to expore."

"Shall we continue talking about Monsieur Spriggs over lunch?" Fleur de Lis suggested. "I am famished and would love to discuss more on the subject of this mare's adoptive father." She indicated Chrysalis with a gentle squeeze, then retracted her hoof as she awaited an answer to her invitation.

"Talk about Daddy?" queried Chrysalis. The idea of gossiping about her dad was oddly appealing.

Fleur's muzzle was in her ear. "I want to know every little secret about him."

"Fleur!" Twilight cried out before starting to giggle.

"Oh, not that way, Lady Twilight!" said the white sorceress, waving a dismissive hoof. "Princess Celestia has asked - as I have already told you- me to be Monsieur Sprigg's guide during his visit here. The more I know about him, the more useful I can be. I also wish to avoid any _faux pas_ with him. Misunderstandings to most troublesome to deal with and a waste of time. _Oui_?" Chrysalis was absolutely mesmerized by her Prench accent.

"Lunch sounds good," agreed Twilight as her stomach preceded her vocal assent. She blushed, placing a hoof to her stomach.

Chrysalis felt much better with the light-hearted banter. "I'd like that," she said, turning her head to both mares on either side of her and grinning.

"Come, _fille_," Fleur stood elegantly, sighing pleasantly, "Chef Nom Delish, such a silly name he has, no? He shall fill our petite tummies with his delicious food!"

Chrysalis grinned, shaking her head at the irony of the statement. For a mare who hung around a stallion by the name of Fancy Pants, who was she to talk? Still, tongue-in-cheek names seemed to be the norm for Equestrians, even if they translated oddly in other languages.

"Can we invite my dad to eat with us?" she ventured cautiously.

Twilight nodded. "I don't see why not. I can ask someone to check and see if the Princess and your father wouldn't mind joining us for lunch."

"What's the deal with Nom Delish's name?" Chrysalis asked Fleur curiously.

"It has a different meaning in my country of origin."

"What is it?"

Fleur laughed as the three mares started for the door. "Do you really wish to know, my _fille_?"

"You've got me curious now, Miss Fleur."

Laughing quietly, the mare opened the door with her magic, holding it open for her young companion and her alicorn friend. "If you say the words, it almost sounds as if Nom Delish is not very delicious."

The three mares laughed merrily on their way down the hallway.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

**Naked Lunch**

I'm never going to understand a thing about magic. Oh, sure, I've been exposed to Chrysalis lifting things with her mind; utensils, plates, rocks, her toys, pencil, paper, books...the list goes on and on. That's telekinesis. Child's play for unicorns and other creatures who can tap into magic. It's always fascinated me how I can tell she's manipulating things when they glow green, reacting to her focus the crooked horn. As she grew older, she became more adept at using her telekinesis, but that was the extent of her magic other than her changeling ability to shape-shift and mimic voices. I've never seen her throw a fireball. I've never seen her conjure up an illusion or make multiple copies of herself. Never once in her experimentation with this oddball power of hers was she able to do anything more than levitate objects. If she wanted to, I know she could probably pick up half the things in the house back in earth if she wanted to. She can pick up a car. Hell, I remember thinking the garage was haunted the first time I went in there to see how her progress was coming in regards to rebuilding grandpa's Mustang. Parts were floating everywhere as she was pouring over the manual as she tried to figure out what went where. It was like she was the sun and they were all her satellites, circling around her slowly and in order of importance.

Now I'm in a world where every third member of the pony population is a unicorn (I'm guessing at the dispersion of that particular tribe) and therefore capable of some form of magic, their specialization varying depending on their talent. It's confusing. I don't get it. I see it, but I don't understand it. Magic baffles, confuses, astounds, and scares the living hell out of me.

Think about it: Celestia if she wanted to could simply obliterate my internal organs with a thought. All I would have to do is, oh, maybe punch her in the face. Somehow I don't think she'd actually do that, her being an all-powerful being and all. Kindness and love seem to be presented in person exactly as depicted in her little propoganda coup. The princess claims she's not a goddess, but I know people on Earth who would worship the ground she walks on. It all goes back to the simple observation in the short time I've spent with her is she wants to be loved and respected just like anybody else. In her long lifespan, she's come to her own conclusion it is far more rewarding earning the love and trust of others than to force obedience. That's all well and good, but I've come to one resounding conclusion in accepting her invitation to come to Equestria. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love seeing my daughter again.

This place scares the living hell out of me. Unfettered, seeming undisciplined use of magic as if it was free electricity from a boundless source. Unicorns would easily conquer a third world nation without breaking a sweat. Or maybe it's just my scarred overworked imagination? I've got hyphenated horrors lurking up there as it is. Against advanced nations, I suspect they would have a rough time of it, mostly due to the advanced technological edge. However, if they wanted to, a creature like Celestia could easily conquer most of Africa or even South America.

There. I said it. Equestria is a scary place. I'd rather be running around the dusty hell hole that's Afghanistan rather than deal with talking horses who can use a power best left to the confines of badly written fantasy novels.

And I mean that in the nicest way.

So imagine if you will how I'm feeling as I sit at a table next to Chryssie, the party I'm with consisting of an addition to my daughter a unicorn and a pair of alicorns. All three could, if they so chose light me on fire with a thought and a flair of color from their elegantly curved horns. Any of these ladies I'm dining with could, at a whim turn me into a frog, put me in a block of ice, or just make my hair fall out if they felt keen to do. Needless to say, the revelation Celestia provided for me really didn't do anything to make me feel comfortable around living, breathing, sentient weapons.

Yay me.

Lady Fleur de Lis is regarding me with interest as she delicately munches on her salad. It reminds me of a Caesar salad with clovers. I must be the new panda in the zoo to her. Admittedly, I'm not behaving the most rational way to the revelation brought to light through the gentle persuasion of a certain Princess of the Sun. I think the unicorn is reading my eyes with her own large orbs, never staring and never lingering longer than becoming uncomfortable. I think she is currently taking me apart bit by bit in her mind's eye, scrutinizing every atom of my being in the most polite and unobtrusive way possible.

It's creepy.

Twilight Sparkle, the youngest alicorn in the world and possibly capable of being a magical badass like Celestia is also looking at me, smiling as we engage in exchanging questions about our worlds. She's very smart, reminding me of Chryssie (who's throwing in helpful phrasings and proddings in our conversation) while trying very hard to contain her excitement in discovering new things. I'm the first human she's ever seen, having just recently become aware of Princess Celestia's study of Earth and Humanity.

Celestia remembers the Battle of Hastings. She watched the whole thing through that magical portal. She remembers a battle from over a thousand years ago! A winged horse with a horn flew overhead and watched the battle from its staging to the end. Apparently she had been looking for Starswirl as he was still conducting 'field research' on humans and he had invited her to watch humanity actively practice its culture of war upon each other. The way she recounted it, it might have happened just a week ago. The sadness in her eyes.

I will never forget it.

Right after she recounted from her seemingly bottomless and seemingly photographic memory, a little mare in a simple white and blue dress of the palace staff had approached Celestia, offering her apologies and whispering into the bent ear of her patient and kind princess. There was a thanks and the servant was dismissed with a smile. Celestia told me we were cordially invited to have lunch with Twilight Sparkle, Fleur de Lis, and of course my daughter Midnight Emerald. I'll admit that name sounds pretty cool. Much better than Nom Delish.

Much, much better.

So, here we are, chatting up a storm with pleasant and warm conversation, me fielding a crap ton of questions while the mares all listen intently and in turn. Twilight dominates the questions and she's not too intrusive. We're actually dining in a room normally set aside for the kitchen staff. The atmosphere is pleasant, warm, and cozy. Nom pops in frequently, flourishing his next dish in bowls, on platters, mostly fruits and vegetables and nuts. The bread is sweet and warm, the butter rich and thick. I dive into the bread with gusto, paying attention to the purple alicorn as she fiddles between what looks like a sandwich with a variety of flower petals in it. The bread is wrapped in lettuce to keep the contents from falling out.

Once we're served, Nom joins us after an insistent prompting from Celestia.

Yay! Another male to hold off female speak!

I'm sorry. That was a bit sexist. Forgive me. I'm outnumbered. I'm being pressed. There's not hope for escape. I may be hiding my panic, but it's mashing the button with the consistency of a schizophrenic.

I wonder why strange females make me feel uncomfortable when they try to get to know me? Maybe a certain ex comes to mind. She was...cruel in the end. Inhumanely cruel, I should think.

No, I mustn't think of her. Bad thoughts when I think of her. Bad memories. The worse loss of my life inevitably follows.

Obviously my mind has never been exactly stable.

"- would you consider it?" Twilight's voice breaks my train of thought. I twitch visibly, staring at her but not seeing her until I come to.

"Huh? What?"

"I think you broke his brain," Chryssie murmurs with a giggle. She's maintained her unicorn disguise at the request of Princess Celestia. Changelings make ponies scream in terror, for some reason.

I snap my head to her. "Shush, you," I croak. Turning to the deliverer of the question I only partially heard, I ask, "Could you repeat the question?" I offer an apologetic smile. What is wrong with me? The throbbing in my head isn't painful, but it's so distracting! Before I shift my attention from my daughter to the lady with the question, I see her expression show concern. I manage to force the weird sensation from my head, almost the same way I push my daughter's projected emotions from my mind. I place shaking fingers to my temple, the tips touching my skin below my hairline.

Fleur and Celestia exchange glances, Twilight soon copying them. There's concern painting their features, the lavender alicorn taking the initiative to get up from her seat and trot over to me. "Tell me what you're feeling right now," she says intently. "This is very important, Mr. Spriggs."

"Head's throbbing," I grunt apologetically, "it doesn't hurt, but it's very distracting, kind of like some sort of alarm bell."

A hoof finds its way to my forehead. Twilight holds it there for a moment, frowning. "No fever," she muses to herself, almost as if I've now become her lab rat and she's just taking notes. "Let me try something."

I pull back from her, gently taking her hoof and pulling it away. "Try what?" Her horn is glowing already. "Turn me into a newt?"

"You'll get better," promises Chrysalis innocently. I give her an annoyed look before returning my attention to Twilight.

The reference is completely lost on the others who stare blankly, offering confused but polite smiles. "No," Twilight insists, "nothing like that. I just want to check your head. Do I have your permission? It's perfectly painless and only slightly intrusive."

I flinch away from her further. "What do you mean by 'slightly intrusive'?" I don't like anyone probing into my head, be it a shrink, a doctor, or a purple pony princess packing power.

Celestia offers her soothing voice, "She only wishes to see if there is some sort of magical influence upon you. It is perfectly harmless and will not hurt you in any way. Please, Mr. Spriggs. Let her help you." It's like listening to mom and I'm six again.

Yay me.

I stubbornly take a bite of buttered bread and glare at Chrysalis as she's not even bothering hiding her revelry at my expense. Yeah, she's having a gigglefest at my expense. Such a lovely, supportive child!

"Perhaps the human feels he must become a foal and resist, _non_?" Fleur suggests before taking a delicate sip of her tea. Her eyes dance with amusement, again at my expense. Everyone is laughing at me. "Such a simple thing! Anypony in all of Equestria could never find better hooves to be in, _mon ami_."

"Daddy," Chryssie coos, sliding over to my side and leaning into me, "please don't be a dork and just do what the mare tells you." _Et tu_, Chrysalis? She nuzzles me, ever the concerned daughter and fully aware of my distaste for mental kooks fiddling with the mush of my mind. I can feel her worry. I sigh.

"All right."

"I'll go see how the staff's doing," mumbles Nom Delish, rising and apologizing with a nervous smile on his face. He excuses himself and trots off, mumbling something about preferring the kitchen to be on fire. Celestia smiles at him. The poor guy probably was completely out of his element and really not wanting to see the mares probe the strange human he'd just met earlier that morning.

Celestia has been mostly silent, simply sitting there, watching as she nibbles from her plate. She's been enjoying the same sort of salad everyone else has been munching on. Other than a reassuring whisper to the chef as he passed her, she has been letting Twilight run the show, her eyes unreadable despite the small smile on her muzzle. Its almost as if she knows what is going on, but prefers staying neutral in this matter. This leads me to believe she does not see what is going on in my head as dangerous. After the brief discussion we had about an hour ago, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea she is very much immortal and possesses a sort of strength capable of impossible things, like opening portals into different worlds.

As my attention is drawn to her, she gives me a slow wink. "My student knows what she's doing," is all she says. Her salad garners her attention and she takes another bite from a levitating fork. "She has my complete confidence.

"I hate this," I mutter with a sigh. "All right. Do whatever you're going to do. Everyone at the table seems to want me a mindless zombie."

Twilight reassures me, "I will do no such thing. I'm just looking for something." Her horn again flares up while Chrysalis leans into my ear.

"Braaaaaaains," she draws out in a throaty whisper.

"Shut up," I tell her mildly, only to earn a giggle as a reply.

Twilight fights the urge to laugh, setting herself firmly as her horn looms closer and closer to my forehead until the glowing tip touches my skin. A really weird sensation flows from it and into my head, swimming around, doing the backstroke or whatever. The throbbing in my head pops back up despite my efforts to think it down. My thinking is too weak and the sensation seems to move towards the alicorn's horn. Time becomes relative and everything pauses.

"Interesting," is all she says. "I'm just trying to link with it. Some sort of detection, I should think. But there's something else, too. I can't quite put my hoof on it. It feels familiar," she drones with her running commentary, excited and almost bubbling. "Midnight?"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind taking notes? I need to concentrate on your dad for a second."

"Not at all!"

Mind you, at this point, I can't see anything and my body won't move. Twilight must sense my growing unease and offers gently, "It's just to keep you from moving suddenly. Please trust me. There's nothing happening that's going to hurt you, Mr. Spriggs."

I just want to have a normal lunch! My stomach has forgotten the sandwich already.

"Hmm," Twilight observes, our eyes locked into each other. "Hmm!"

"Mmrph?" I respond, quirking an eyebrow.

"Don't do that," she fights a smile, "I'm trying to see something."

"What do you see?" Her eyes glitter a bit. They're actually quite pretty. Almost as pretty as my daughter's. You can't really beat harlequin eyes. They're that awesome.

She seems happy to explain what she's doing. "Well, Mr. Spriggs, what I am doing is using a detection spell to figure out if what's in your head is magically inclined. So far, I'm sensing traces of it, but nothing substantial. It's almost as if its been there for a long time."

"How's that?"

She shakes me off, maintaining contact. "Hey Number One Student, you writing this down?"

"Yep." I can hear scribbling next to me.

"To answer your question, Mr. Spriggs, not all magic is in your face and obvious. In your case, this has been with you since - and I am just hypothesizing at this point - you first bonded with Midnight Emerald. I think your link with your adopted daughter has created a sort of additional mind almost at a hive level, though nowhere near as intense."

I had been drilled to say my daughter's pseudo name in public for the safety of the public. The word Chrysalis is spoken in the same way as the Black Plague from the Middle Ages back on Earth. Quaint, isn't it?

"What does that mean?" I ask, more curious than nervous.

"I can't be sure, but you can feel her emotions, right?"

"Yeah, pretty much as long as we're within a certain range."

"Hmm," she says again. It was cute the first time. Now it's just silly to hear. "Midnight, your father has developed a sort of hidden sense. I think it's developed from the years you two have established and grown your mental bond. Its more psychological than magical, but it has absolutely fascinating possibilities!"

I can hear the catch in my daughter's voice, "Wait, are you saying I made my dad a mind reader?"

"Keep taking those notes!" Twilight tells her firmly. "This is amazing! And to answer your question; I don't know yet."

"Well," I can hear Celestia chime in amusement, "it would appear my prediction happened a bit earlier than I had believed. But she's right, Midnight. It's too soon to tell. This is a first in a very long time."

"Do you think he can develop it, whatever it might be?" asks Fleur de Lis with interest.

"You're not reading my mind, are you?" I ask the alicorn probing me. I'm becoming fidgety and nervous and I'm still hungry. "I'm fine, really! I can't read minds, only my kid's emotions. I don't want any special magical thingy!"

She ignores my protests; rather she just grunts them off cutely. "If you're feeling something, what are your sensations you're experiencing? Dizziness? Flashing lights? Some strange urge to eat strange foods? Are you feeling the urge to burn anything or anything specific? Is anything coming to mind this very moment? Chrysalis, keep writing those notes!"

I wish I could see if the mares are making funny faces at me. "I don't know what it is other than it's making me feel wierd!"

"All right," the lavender alicorn goes on. "It appears to be confined in the frontal lobe, between the eyes and just above the brow line. It feels like its centered about an inch past the subject's skull. Possibly impassive." She blinks, stares into my eyes. "Can you control it?"

"Somewhat," I admit, "I can push it aside like I can push aside my daughter's thoughts. It's harder to do it that way, but I can do it to some degree." I blink at her, a word she mentioned bugging me for some reason. "Subject?"

"Just a term," she offers offhandedly. Her magic, or whatever she's doing continues to poke around in my head. It feels like a tickle worm. I really don't know what else to call it. "How often are you getting your pinging sensations?"

"How'd you know it was a pinging sensation?"

"I can feel it right now."

"Oh."

"So, how often do you get them and how many times since you've arrived in Equestria have you felt it?" Her question is professional. I can hear pen on paper. Chryssie's taking this seriously as well. Somewhere in the background, Fleur and Celestia are having a conversation. It sounds like an interesting one.

"Three, I think. Maybe four?" I try to shrug. My body fails me. "Are you holding me still with magic?"

"Mmhm."

I cross my eyes at her. She notices, blinks, backs away, shaking her head.

"Hey!" she complains, "I wasn't finished!"

I find I can move. "I don't like being restrained, Miss Sparkle," I growl irritably. "They had to restrain me in the hospital and you don't forget being strapped to your own bed because they think you're nuts."

She immediately flushes shameful crimson. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Withdrawing further, she is suddenly staring at her plate. "I didn't know."

I reach over and pat her on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, kid. I don't take it personally. There's a lot about me you don't know and I'm not about to talk about. It's personal. Because you didn't know, I'm not mad about it. Okay?" It sounded reasonable to me. I point at her plate. "Hey, look! Food!"

She grins, the flash of disappointment gone as she sees I'm not mad at her. Cute kid. She'll probably make some stallion a lucky guy one day.

"To know me is to find out I'm nuts," I add, taking up my lunch again.

"I can confirm that," Chrysalis sighs.

Celestia interrupts the oddball conversation with a chuckle. "So, what have you discovered, Twilight?"

She levitates the notes in front of her from my daughter, pouring over them quickly. It's only one page. Nodding with some satisfaction, she turns to her ruler. "I'm not going to jump to conclusions, but it feels something along the field of empathetic manifestations, perhaps at a low level. I'll need further study to be sure, but that's my preliminary findings. Not enough for a confirmation." The young princess turns her attention to her food at the prompting of Celestia.

"Interesting," murmurs Fleur, eyeing me as a cat might eye a mouse with no legs. I really don't know what to make of it. "Are you well, Monsieur Spriggs?" she asks.

"It was never painful, just annoying," I reply as I eyeball my soup. Yeah, the sandwich from earlier has long been forgotten by my stomach. Greedy little bastard. I reach over and scoot my bowl in front of me, discovering my soup spoon and wielding it like I'm mugging my meal. I feel a little woozy. I just said what I feel. "I am a bit woozy."

"That's probably because you just had your mind probed," Chrysalis supplies helpfully. "Had a class on just that subject last week. Had a lot to do with proper procedures and what to do in order to keep the pony of interest from being harmed by it. It's a very delicate process and few ponies can do without scrambling the brain."

I stare at her, spoonful of soup poised at my lips. "Say what?"

"Now that's not very nice, dear," Celestia chides firmly, though she is amused. To me she says, "You are probably aware you're having slightly odd thoughts since arriving here. Perhaps since this morning. Growing a bit."

I eat the spoonful of soup. "What do you mean?" I ask curiously.

"The magic is seeping into you, as I told you earlier. Your body is adjusting to it, so it's going to affect your mind a little bit."

"Are you saying I'm high?"

"No." She still wears that same gentle smile of understanding. "It's perfectly harmless and perfectly normal. I haven't said anything until now as I did not want you worrying about it as it is not harmful to you in any way, shape, or form. I'll still have you monitored for the next few days until the symptoms fade as your body adjusts."

"Until my little head thing?" I venture warily.

"Perfectly normal, my new friend," Fleur de Lis assures me, stressing friend as a means of quelling my rising fear. "I am to make sure you adjust to the atmosphere. Steel Jaw, I think would not have been so inclined to be tender in a delicate transition."

Fearing the unknown is so much fun! "Oh, God this place is going to drive me insane," I sigh in resignation. At least I try to put a sense of humor behind it. It's rewarded with a table of chuckles. I dive into my soup before it gets too cold. Maybe the statement wasn't really that funny.

The mares let me eat and the chatter between them is mostly to due with daily life and how everyone is doing. Chrysalis tells me a little about how her studies are going before fielding some questions to her schooling from Celestia; how is she doing, is she happy? Twilight then engages with me some questions about Earth, bringing up a few subjects I'm vaguely aware of and asking my own opinion. At least she's not taking notes. Nom Delish arrives with grilled salmon for me. None of the mares seem particularly disturbed I'm eating meat and I find myself enjoying wonderful flavors. Its served with freshly squeezed lemon mixed with melted butter and herbs.

At some point halfway through this casual lunch, a mare dressed like a servant came in and quietly handed a note to Princess Celestia. The monarch thanked the girl and read the note before nodding to herself and conjuring up a quill pen and paper. The pen, surrounded by that weird aura scribbles purposefully with delicate strokes, suggesting she takes enormous pride in her penmareship.

Penmareship? Ugh, that's terrible. The word, not her writing. I don't even know what her script looks like.

She finishes her letter, scrutinizes it for a moment, nods, then rolls it up. Somehow a bit of red ribbon appears around the middle along with a golden seal. Satisfied, she levitates it to the girl who curtsies and scampers off as the chef starts bringing in dessert.

"Mind if I ask what that was about?" I ask out of curiosity.

"Daddy!" Chrysalis nudges me. "Rude!" All aboard the embarrassment train! Next stop: Chryssie not talking to me for a week!

"It's quite all right," Celestia says to her. "Mr. Spriggs, that was just a matter involving my nephew Prince Blueblood. They're wedding arrangements and some details needed to be brought to my attention."

"I heard he got some mare pregnant."

Twilight Sparkle starts making strangled sounds, for some reason. Chrysalis is doing the same thing. Dad does not have very good social etiquette.

If Celestia was annoyed by my statement or my rudeness, she doesn't show it. Forgiveness for the talking pale monkey! "Well, unfortunately he finally did something he has to answer for and he's not taking it very well. I rather like the father of the mare in question and the trade between his nation and Equestria is beneficial for both our countries. In order to keep relations good for both parties, the prince must stand up for his actions and answer for them. It's an embarrassment, but nothing unreasonable to deal with." Her tone suggests I drop the subject. Obviously it's a delicate one. I comply.

"So what's the real reason you brought me to Equestria?" I ask as a slice of vanilla cake with colorful frosting is set before me. Nom grins at me.

"You'll like it," he says. The cake or the reason I'm here? I wonder.

"I'd rather have this conversation with my sister present," the princess says to me. "Tonight at dinner, I will explain everything to you. I'm sure you'll find it interesting. Please be patient until then. In the meantime, the rest of the day is yours to explore the castle with Lady Fleur de Lis."

I'm into my first bite of cake. Fluffy goodness! My mouth melts in a pool of sweet indulgence. "All right," I concede without reluctance. "The cake is good," I say to Nom, pointing at my dessert as if I've just struck gold.

"Yes," she beams, forking from her own plate. "It always is. By the way, did Luna tell you about..?" she left the sentence hanging.

"Yeah, she did."

She nibbled at her bit of cake on her fork. "She never did care for him."

"_C'est la vie_," comments Fleur, waving her fork with a smirk.

And here I thought it was a delicate subject. Maybe I read the suggestion wrong? It's hard to tell. I can't understand females. Especially my daughter. That might explain why we get along so well. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Why am I feeling light headed and giddy?

"So how are you liking Equestria so far, Mr. Spriggs?" asks Twilight.

"So far, not bad if you discount the stares after half a day," I deadpan with a smile.

She can't help but laugh. "Sorry, you are a bit different."

"Yeah, I know. I will say I love how clean the air smells. It's like I'm wandering around in a civilized national park."

"That's an odd term," notes Twilight, flicking her ears. Trying to figure out if I've just insulted or complimented her country.

"Hey dad!"

I look at Chrysalis. "Yes, pumpkin?"

"Want to see something cool?"

"I see you every day, kiddo. How much coolness can a father take?"

The table laughs as she blushes. "No, something almost as cool as me." She bats my arm with one of her hooves playfully. "Magic!"

This gets the interest from all the other mares at the table. We're almost done eating, so why not some entertainment? Maybe a visual demonstration of something other than floating silverware will settle the nerves I've suddenly developed in regards to magic in Equestria.

"All right. Is it safe?" I ask.

"...Maybe," she teases.

"Well, then, be my guest!" I reply expansively, leaning back into my chair and stretching my legs. "Just don't blow up stuff. Bad form to blow up other people's things."

"She doesn't know dark magic," Twilight assures me. "It's too early in her training to consider if she's ready for it." She's leaving out a part of her statement. "Nothing is going to explode, I hope."

Chrysalis deadpans, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"She's been working on her shield," Twilight goes on for everyone's benefit.

"Shield?"

"Like on Star Trek, Daddy," Chryssie tells me helpfully.

I get a mental image. _Fire at Will! Will is dead! And there was great rejoicing!_ Why am I having these thoughts? I'm normally not so goofy about this. I think it's the air in Equestria. Was there something in the atmosphere? Didn't Celestia tell me something about magic earlier this morning? My thoughts dwell on her words as my eyes focus on Chrysalis. She's slid from her chair and is standing at the table. The salt shaker rises up from the surface, coated with her aura while her horn crackles soundlessly.

Odd thing is, the sensation in my head is rising again. I follow my instincts and look at the ceiling, frowning. Remembering Chrysalis, I snap my attention back to her. So far, she's just got the salt shaker hovering over the center of the table. Her face contorts in concentration, her lips moving over her fangs, eyes narrowing slightly. With a low grunt, her horn flares quickly like a rapid pulse. The salt shaker is encompassed by a swirling green ball. I can see through it and the salt shaker at its center. Its roughly the size of a softball. Chrysalis lets out an explosive gasp and smiles as she admires her handiwork.

No, I am not going to say 'hoofiwork'. You say it. No, go on. I'll wait. Say it! See what I mean? It sounds stupid, therefore I am not going to use that pun! Pony puns are silly.

Where was I?

"Touch it," my daughter insists, her harlequin eyes aglow with pride.

I point at the globe. "That?"

"Yes!"

"Will I lose a finger if I touch it?"

Fluer stifles a giggle. "No, it is quite harmless. It is but a _petite_ magical shield. _Il n'y a rien à craindre_."

I glare at her, wondering if she just made fun of me at my expense. She simply gestures at the floating salt shaker. Why do I suddenly feel as though the fate of the world depends on me touching a floating semi-transparent ball of green?

"Don't be a baby, daddy." Chrysalis is wearing a smug grin.

I give her a look that would make the moon hide behind the sun. "All right, I'll touch it. But if I suddenly find myself missing a finger, no ice cream for a month."

More giggling. The offenders shan't be named.

Without fanfare, I simply reach out with the idea of grabbing the floating ball fully. I trust my daughter, having played the game with her many times before over the years. We just happen to have a different audience to play to. Of course, back then she was in the form of her favorite breed of dog and we had been visiting national parks of the United States. Those were great times, even if we did have our little arguments every now and then. I simply don't talk about them because they're the same issues any parent would have with their child while still falling under the category of 'normal'. As if raising a shape-shifting changeling can even be remotely considered as normal. As I'm thinking this, I'm grasping the ball. It feels like I've got my palm and fingers pressed against glass. It tingles at the touch. The ball remains stubbornly where my daughter holds it.

"Try squeezing it," suggests Twilight.

I shrug, do so. There's a slight give, but it throws back my effort as a wrestler might shrug off an opponent half his size. It feels bouncy as it rejects my attempt to squeeze. I look at my daughter, then the Fleur, shifting to Twilight, over to Celestia before going back to the green shield. So fair, I'm seeing pony faces enjoying the show. I'm completely fascinated by the ball, like a cat with a ball of yarn. I want to play with it! Now I'm on my feet, the eyes on me forgotten as I focus on this ball. That ball is coming down!

"Wise guy, eh?" I put on my best Curly (from the Three Stooges, for the uneducated) face, hands on my hips as I stare it down.

The ball does not flinch from my dangerous stare. It seems to reflect my daughter's amusement, pulsing for a moment as she titters behind a hoof.

"How long can you hold that up?" I ask her suddenly.

"The longest I've been able to go so far is six hours," she says proudly, "while taking notes and levitating objects and listening to Twilight's lessons."

"Is that good?"

"It's very impressive," Celestia replies over the rim of her teacup.

"That's pretty cool, pumpkin." I reach over and ruffle her mane. "Hey, Princess. May I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Where is my daughter getting her love? I mean, the way I've come to understand over the years is her need to feed off of emotions. She's fed off me since the beginning, so how has she been kept fed the past month? That's been bugging me." My smile fades as I become serious. The giddiness lingers. It still feels so wierd. I might mention it.

"How well do you understand the changeling's need to feed off of emotions?" she asks me after a moment to gather her thoughts.

I ponder her question, glancing at the child I had raised who was not of my blood, but was nestled securely in my heart. She feeding off me now. I can feel it. She knows I can feel it as the years have attuned us to each other to the point where serious arguments are had with emotions and not words. The hours where we would not speak to each other, but reason first through how we feel before one of us realizes how it went wrong and the first apology was offered. So far as I know, she's apologized more often to me than I have to her. It's never a perfect relationship, but then again, there is no such thing. As we grew our link to each other, I came to know early in her life she was feeding on me. There were days I would feel lethargic, but in time, my mind and body adjusted to her and she learned as she grew older to moderate her feedings.

She's never used her fangs on me. I wonder if she uses them for a more direct, vampiric effort. She does feed on blood like a vampire, her victims the raccoons and opossums and even a deer at one point. No, I don't want to talk about that. Maybe another time.

"I know it can leave me feeling weak if she's really hungry," I say, smiling at her. It's never been an issue between us. I know she needs to survive. "Emotions help her grow and regular food is only half of what she needs."

Chrysalis looks at me, her face impassive. I accepted who she was a long time ago and tried to teach her to respect others. There were times I thought I was a terrible father, other times I thought I was the greatest dad and the reason for the emblazoned coffee mug I left back at the house.

"I would like for her to find a nice stallion she can love and would return that love equally. I think that's what she really needs." I don't know why I said that, but suddenly my precious daughter develops a coughing fit while croaking at me. "No rush on the grandkids. I'm too young to be a grandfather. Now, how about answering my question?"

The whole room screeched to a halt. Dead silence. Even the crickets packed up and left, but remembered at the last minute to leave a tip.

"We still know so little," Celestia says, regarding me thoughtfully. "Right now, you are the premiere authority on changelings. What information we have in regards to them is patched at best. There is an ambassador, but he shows up infrequently and always sends word before hand to arrange secret meetings. The Empire does not yet know of Chrysalis' return to Equestria, which means they do not know she is now far younger than what she once was."

I look at my daughter, quirking an eyebrow. "Empire?" She shrugs, mouthing at me the word 'grandkids' in the form of a question. Her eyes widen and I'm suddenly awash with her overwhelming concern for me.

"Princess?" Twilight chirps worriedly, drawing my attention to her. "I think Mr. Spriggs isn't feeling well at all."

Yep. Room spinning. Hey, look! The ceiling! There's funny glowing in front of my eyes and I'm on a firm cushion. I'm floating, spinning, and I start to feel very much afraid. I lose my mind, search for it frantically with a body that's suspended in midair. I start screaming as a wave of my own fear bursts from the spot in my head Twilight had probed just moments ago. That giddiness I felt changed so abruptly on me that now it's a waking terror. I can't see anything but strange images, my dreams manifesting before me, the horrors especially greeting me from a past I've spent years trying to forget. The screaming goes on and on. I can't hear anything other than my own voice as the horrors won't go away.

I feel hooves going around my shoulders, the side of my face into dark fur. I'm weeping like a child, begging for the dead faces in front of me to go away, for that kid accusing me, pointing at me with a bloody hole where his chest had once been. My nightmare stares at me, his small eyes burning with hellfires. I can't stop screaming and crying and flailing at the apparition. I hear my daughter soothing into my ear, her voice gentle through her own fear for me. I can feel her love as she hugs me close.

Why won't it go away?

Please, God why won't it go away?

The last thing I remember before I'm forced into a warm darkness is the voice of my child, trying to fend off my demons she cannot see.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Angry Princesses are Detrimental to Your Health**

To say Princess Celestia was outraged would have been an understatement. Though her visage remained a pillar of calm, deep within she seethed at the indignity her guest had undergone. She watched as he fell from the table, seeing invisible horrors as a spell had been cast upon him from a source she had yet to identify. In the moment of confusion, it took a few seconds while Michael screamed on the ground for her to realize what had happened.

It was magic poisoning compounded by a separate mental probe from a source who had not taken the proper precautions. It also came from somepony with a very strong affinity in magic and bearing no small skill in the arts. The stealth in which it struck led her to believe this attack was deliberate and fully intended to make its target suffer. Indeed, Michael Spriggs suffered, the horrors of his memory pulled before him, imagined and very much real.

Chrysalis held her father, his head pressed against her chest as she hovered over him, holding him to her protectively and rocking back and forth. Her face traced tears through her confusion, her mane drooping about her and her adoptive father like the branches of a willow tree as she spoke to him gently, trying to be brave for him.

"Fleur, if you would be so kind as to shield his mind," she said crisply, standing as her wings flared. It was the only outside indication of her irritation.

"But of course," her friend replied and went to the human. To Chrysalis she said, "Do not cry, little one. I shall save the day, _non_?" Fleur's voice was soothing in an attempt to calm the wide-eyed changeling. Chrysalis nodded in mute thanks as the unicorn sank to the ground with her. Her horn flared gently as she focused on the human.

Celestia turned her attention to Twilight. "Come with me, my faithful student. We need to visit somepony and have a talk to him." With a toss of her etherial mane of morning colors, she assumed a commanding trot from the room, her body language clearly showing she was not happy. Not at all.

"Yes, Princess," Twilight mumbled in her wake. Celestia had told her since her ascension to stop using the title as she herself was now a princess, but it was rare indeed when Celestia raised her battle flags! With almost fearful awe, the younger alicorn almost felt sorry for the poor sorcerer who had cast the spell. She had caught on to the tipping point of the human's throes of agony just after her mentor did. Her curiosity took a back seat to her concern, but Michael was in good hooves. Fleur de Lis was one of the most powerful unicorns in all of Equestria and more than competent in her magic.

"What happened?" a startled guard asked as Celestia stormed past him. She ignored him, leaving the baffled pegasus to assume a cringe through his bearing as the growing thunderstorm rolled passed him.

Twilight grabbed his attention. "Get the doctor. Magic seizure in the kitchen dining room. The victim is the human, an honored guest. Go!"

"Yes, Highness!" blurted the guard, wheeling and taking wing.

Twilight gave chase after the white storm.

"Outrageous!" Celestia could be heard sputtering, her golden shod hooves slamming to the floor in each step with growing ire. "The indecency! After I accepted their offer for negotiations, the fool does this!"

"Who, Celestia?" Twilight called out from behind, still trying to hurry to keep up.

Celestia seemed not to notice or hear the query. "She sends an envoy, he becomes ambassador and he violates one of my laws? He dares? _She dares?_ I think not!" The fuming princess was completely out of character, but it began to dawn on her protoge why she was acting so infuriated. "All my work and effort shall not be for naught. _It shall not be for naught!_"

"What work?" pleaded her student, flaring her wings. "Celestia, please! I don't understand!"

She followed the angry alicorn up a flight of stairs and turned towards the wing of the palace where the ambassadors from around the world spent the majority of their day. Here, they spoke to each others affairs of respective states, discussing trades, the weather, or perhaps shadier deals under the table. It was difficult to say, but not hard to presume. Astonished faces erupted from ponies who saw and tried to greet the day half of the diarchy. Her hooves were no longer resounding off stone menacingly as they now fell upon magnificent carpeting. The glaciers in her magenta eyes broke pleasant greetings as ponies noted the normally smiling and loving and pleasant alicorn was cleary and certainly not feeling such goodwill at the moment.

A few prayers were offered for the soul of the one who disrupted the princess' inner peace, though not in favor of said soul. Ponies who angered their beloved princess to this degree certainly deserved what was coming. A few even dared to follow at a safe distance, but the guards quickly stepped in to prevent such foolishness. An unspoken command had a small contingent of guards falling in behind Celestia as any angry monarch required an escort as there was probably going to be some form of cleaning up required in the aftermath. Nervous eyes followed the back of the monarch's head as they wondered if there would be blood.

The hall stretched a goodly distance, but the lengths were devoured by the long strides of the majestic and proud form of Princess Celestia. At the far end of the hall was a recently opened room for the convenience of a particular guest of Equestria and representative of a nation one could not find on any map. Two unicorn guards were posted outside the double doors leading at the far end and they saw the approaching front of Hurricane Celestia.

Oh, Celestia could have simply teleported, saving the time and effort. She could have simply used her magic, to place herself before the offender and simply vent her anger upon said offender. Said offender would then probably wish he was dead or worse. It was either that or face the power of a ruler who drew her strength from the fiery ball in the sky. As angry as she was, Celestia deliberately walked to her destination, giving herself a chance to sort through everything and not resort to obliterating the violator into tiny bits and pieces on the spot. Despite her rather calm and collected appearance, Celestia despite her centuries of wisdom and experience hated being surprised. She hated being caught off guard. Celestia had never been able to handle being caught off guard. This was one of the many reasons the changeling invasion had nearly gone off splendidly for Chrysalis those scant few years ago.

"Gentlecolts," she rumbled with bare civility to the pair of guards on either side of the door, "stand aside."

They complied readily, pulling the doors wide open for her. They were clearly sweating beneath their helmets.

She was calmer now, but far from the mood she should be in. Twilight dared to come along side her as the princess stood before the open doors leading into a smaller part of the wing given to the newest ambassador and his staff. Startled eyes fell upon her, repeating the pattern the past ten minutes from other ponies who had seen the glowering white alicorn. Solid blue eyes from several dark forms went round at the unexpected presence. Gossamer wings previously buzzing now froze and more than a few jaws hung open, revealing sharp little fangs. Some levitated paperwork, others had been discussing no doubt very important matters concerning love. One had been asleep until the doors flew open. Now the sleepy eyes blearily tried to focus on what was at first thought to be Lady Death come to take him to the Great Hive in the Sky.

Each and every occupant in this section of the wing was a changeling.

"Where is Ambassador Anzealous?" she demanded in commanding tone. "I shall speak with him." Celestia admittedly was harsh in speaking, the volume a notch or four above what would have been acceptable. Given the circumstances and the possible ramifications of the violations, she threw caution to the wind and decided to put a very firm hoof down. If it happened to crush a neck, so be it. "NOW!"

Using the Royal Canterlot Voice for one word did wonders. Changelings feeling the brunt of the blast were physically moved from where they stood several feet. The mares - the only ones sporting manes - had their expensively styled hair blown askew and assumed disheveled appearances in the aftermath of experiencing the Voice. Wide eyes locked on the alicorn, mostly in terror.

A small male trotted to her, braving the ire of the alicorn and clearing his throat professionally. "This way, Highness," he said politely. This changeling seemed unusually happy to see one of the rulers of Equestria.

Twilight followed, a sheepish and apologetic smile to the changelings quaking in fear. Secretly, she also found herself gleeful at seeing their discomfort. They had been here for less than a year and were not even aware of Chrysalis yet. She found them to be arrogant, viewing ponies as nothing more than something to to feed upon. A few were respectful, but changelings as a whole seemed to favor a sense of being a master race of sorts. It did little to dissuade the already xenophobic feelings ponies had towards strange looking creatures. Griffons, minotaurs, and donkeys were common sights, but anything beyond that was liable to start a panic, be it a single changeling or a tall human.

The single door Celestia was led to was closed. Of course it would be. The changeling leading the princess came to it at the end of this hallway and knocked politely. "Ambassador? Princess Celestia requires a moment of your time." There was a long silence. "Ambassador Anzealous?" There was the sound of muffled scrambling on the other side of the door.

Gently Celestia shoved the changeling aside with the tact of a pregnant hippopotamus. Instead of using her magic, she simply raised a forehoof and slammed it against the door. It splintered away from the blow, showering the front half of the room beyond with bits and pieces of oak. At the far end of the room was a desk. Behind the desk cringed a pitiful form within the shadows for a moment before darting into hiding. Celestia went inside, throwing a warning look at the changeling she had moved.

"Stay here, Twilight," she said in a slightly softer tone.

The office of the Ambassador of the Changeling Empire was very large with high ceilings decorated with wooden carvings and painted in a style three hundred years forgotten. The floor bore plush carpeting in swirling patterns of blue and white to imitate the waves of a body of water. Numerous bookshelves lined the walls neatly and were filled with a confusion of organized chaos; scrolls, books, baubles, and other objects strewn here in there in a haphazard way. It was as though if there was space on the shelf, an object inevitably filled it. The desk was covered in a mountain of paperwork of all sorts from family to job, political to rhetorical.

Ambassador Anzealous was currently trying to hide under the desk. Celestia sighed, expecting no less from him and began to cast her magic to seal the room from prying eyes and ears. As an afterthought, she soundproofed the magic barrier so she and the changeling ambassador could have a nice and cozy little chat. Nevermind the wing was already masked behind several dozen spells and wards to prevent prying eyes from peering in or ears could not hear what happened within these walls. This was a secret place where negotiations between the Empire and Equestria had been in full swing for several months. The very desk upon which preliminary agreements had been signed was now serving as a makeshift bomb shelter. She then lifted the desk itself with her magic and levitated it in the air. Beneath it and curled into what appeared to be a fetal position was a very frightened and very wide-eyed changeling with his notched little ears pressed tightly against his skull.

"Before I consider expelling you and your ilk from my country," Celestia began almost conversationally, "would you mind please telling me what it was you were hoping to accomplish?"

Reluctantly, the changeling looked up at her. Anzealous was a fat changeling. There was no other way to describe him. He was also large in stature when compared to other changelings, but his was of the less impressive variety. The changeling had a puffy face and snubby muzzled. Arrogance was permanently stamped on his features along with the pompous air he normally exuded when not being stared down by an irate alicorn. Though it seemed odd, he wore a black suit for business, complete with silk red vest and gold pocket watch. Currently he was using a top hat to hide behind.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he huffed, shrinking away from her.

Celestia narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Don't be coy with me. I can sense your magic in the air. You cast a mind probe on a being not prepared for it. Your imprint was all over his mind. Have you any idea what you have done?" Her voice rose as she barged forward until she was towering over him like a falcon over a mouse.

"I-I-I sensed a link unknown to me," he stammered awkwardly, the folds beneath his chitin quivering. "There's the strange changeling you won't allow me to see and now this new, oddly off link I simply had to sense. It's not a changeling."

"Did it not occur to you to ask?" she demanded. "Did it not occur to you Equestria is entitled to her secrets for her own safety? Did it not occur to you the ripples you just made could shatter a peaceful future I am striving to make for not only my ponies, but for all intelligent beings involved? Are you so invested in your stupidity you would risk all for the sake of a simple question I would have been more than happy to answer?"

He stared at her. The terrified ambassador was good at staring. He was simply too scared to do anything else other than stare and answer her questions without wetting himself.

"Your little office here is one such secret, lest I remind you," she said. "I don't have to imagine the reaction my subjects would have upon discovering there are changelings negotiating peace with us through the truce agreed upon seven months ago. Or need I remind you the faith I decided against my better judgement to give your empress a chance to set things right?"

"No, your Highness," he admitted sullenly. "I meant no offense."

"Of course you didn't," she sighed, her anger starting to fade. "I do question the wisdom of your empress in choosing you to act as the bearer of peace between our peoples."

The fat changeling winced. "It was a new mind, a void with no magic. I had to see for myself."

Celestia fixed him sternly. "You gave him magic poisoning, Anzealous."

"Impossibe!" he spat in shock. "Why, such a thing only happens if the victim in question has no -"

"- magic within them. The sudden flood of energies overloads the mind inducing hallucinations or bringing forth an eruption of magic bursts," Celestia finished for him. "Yes, I know. There is now an intelligent creature suffering greatly because you pushed too hard into his mind. You went into an unprotected mind, devoid of magic and tore into it without thinking. So eager were you in discovering what this mind was, you quite possibly shattered it, Anzealous."

"I had no idea," he said miserably.

"Worse of all, you tried to be sneaky about it. Oh, the trespass you have done is severe, ambassador. Your crime is grave, yet your immunity unfortunately places you above the laws of this land. You have no idea how dearly I wish to make you stand before the daughter of the victim and allow you the chance to explain yourself to her." Celestia's visage remained carved from stone, neither smiling nor frowning, but her displeasure was felt and known without a doubt.

"You hide secrets from us," he began, trying to give reason to his actions.

She stamped a hoof on the floor. The stone beneath the carpet cracked audibly through the cushion. "YOU CHANGELINGS HAVE BEEN A DELIBERATE SECRET FOR CENTURIES! HOW DARE YOU ASSUME I AM NOT ALLOWED MY OWN SECRETS! MY REASONS ARE FOR THE SAFETY AND WELL BEING OF MY CHILDREN, MY SUBJECTS, MY PONIES AND ALL THOSE WHO LOOK UPON MY SISTER AND ME FOR PROTECTION AND SECURITY! HOW _DARE_ YOU?!"

Her voice had bodily lifted the poor ambassador, hurling him between the two great paned windows of his office and spread-eagle against the wall on his back and staring at the alicorn. Her magic ward kept the glass from shattering and cushioned the changeling from getting smashed into a smear.

"You are most fortunate it is not my sister standing here in my place," she went on, striding forward, tossing the leather chair aside as it was on its side and pressed against the wall beneath Anzealous. It crashed into a shelf, bringing it down. It had been centuries since any soul had shattered her peaceful and serene nature. "If Luna were here instead of me, you would most certainly be experiencing a world of pain the likes of which would leave you begging for death ten times over.

"We are not weak monarchs intimidated by little monsters who hide in shadows. Your arrogance in regards to the other races is nothing compared to the simple fact the world sees your kind as nothing more than parasites. You are most fortunate indeed I wish to see a peaceful path of coexistence between Equestria and the Empire or I would certainly have eradicated your kind from this world. But I would not be who I am now if I pursued that course of action. I would not be the hypocrite of what I preach. I will tolerate changelings. I will tolerate you. But this is your last warning, ambassador. Be sure to let other changelings in your charge know and practice the rules I have placed for your own good and safety.

"Until the fate of the one you attacked can be discerned, consider yourself under house arrest pending the outcome. Do I make myself clear?"

Ambassador Anzealous nodded weakly. "Of course," he croaked.

She eased him to the floor, even taking a moment to magically brush off bits of wood from his chitin and carapace. A tweak here and a tweak there, his was unruffled and made presentable under her gentle care. Soon his suit was settled neatly about him as clean as the day he had first put it on. Celestia smiled at him. "I'm so glad I decided to walk here," she mused, setting back and looking the fat changeling over. As a final touched, she lifted his hat with her magic and placed it back into his hooves. He grasped it nervously, staring at it shame-faced.

He dared to ask, "Why is that?" Anzealous felt he knew the answer.

Celestia smiled coldly. "I wanted to gather my thoughts first. I thought about the ages that have passed in which I have maintained my calm through times of trouble and hardship. I remembered when I first met you seven months ago. I was pleased to discover your Empress desired a peaceful resolution between our races. I welcomed you with open hooves even against the advice of my advisers. My dear, sister wanted to gather the army and hunt every last one of you down like dogs. I saw it as a waste of lives and resources. I agreed with the idea there could be peace between changelings and ponies. But this deliberate assault upon one I guaranteed safe conduct to is a terrible violation of the peace process. How shall I explain this to my counsil, ambassador?"

Wide solid blue eyes trembled.

"But, I certainly don't want to try and explain to your Empress why her ambassador had to be obliterated. Not that she would particularly mind, since I already know she is quite put out with you still."

Anzealous winced. "I shall have to tell her of this incident," he said.

"As do I. Let us both be honest in what we say to her." She smiled down at him, still put out with the ambassador, but no longer swimming in the urge to make him a bloody smear on the carpet. She had an image to uphold, after all. A thought came to mind, one she should discuss with Luna first. She needed her younger sister's thoughts on this. "I shall bid you good day, Ambassador Anzealous."

"As I you, Princess," he replied with little sincerity.

With a whisk of her horn, everything broken and scattered lifted into the air, drawn by magic to their separated pieces. It was barely an effort for the alicorn to repair what she had broken, doing as she had been taught since she was a filly to set right what she had done wrong. Fixing furniture was barely a half a thought for her and soon the room was as if a cleaning crew had assaulted with extreme prejudice. The last two items were the massive desk and its companion chair. Ambassador Anzealous waddled out of the way so she could place them where they were before. Some how the stacks of papers seemed unmoved from their spots, but the mounds swayed dangerously.

"I am having my mages cast sealing wards around your wings," she said when the desk was settled to the ground. "You and your staff will be severely limited in the magic you can use and you are all confined to this wing until further notice. If you wish to send communications to home, you will not be hindered, but you will be required to have one of my court mages with you to send the correspondence. Otherwise, normal delivery methods will not be blocked. Any requests for deviations beyond these rules must be submitted to the captain of the watch. Do I make myself absolutely clear? You are my guest here, but you will not run roughshod in my home."

"Crystal clear," replied the shaking ambassador. "Again, you have my sincerest apologies." He adjusted his tie and straightened his vest, swallowing nervously.

"I am not the one to whom an apology is owed. A daughter just watched her father go into a seizure right before her eyes because of your indiscretion," she said, deciding to use more diplomatic terms.

"Of course. I would be more than happy to convey my sympathies and profound regret for my actions." Anzealous had regained some of his composure, but seemed unsure now.

"Perhaps you will get the chance," she suggested as she turned to leave. Then, she paused, narrowing her eyes in speculation. Celestia glanced at the changeling. "What did you see in his mind?" This game was old hat to her.

"Nothing of value," insisted the ambassador all too quickly. The game was not quite so easy for him, it would seem.

"What did you see?" she demanded, her voice cold enough to freeze the sun. "You seriously didn't think I would come in here and throw a tantrum, did you?"

He stared at her, sensing she was actually getting serious. Everything else before had been an act, hadn't it? No, that was all too real. She had composed herself and regained control over herself. That had been a genuinely angry alicorn just a few moments ago who had also fixed what she had broken. Now she was bringing her full compliment of persuasive skills to bear upon the poor unwitting ambassador.

She flared her wings before him, standing tall and majestic as she spun upon him, her body erupting with a white aura. "Do not presume to toy with me, changeling. I have seen the rise and fall of many kingdoms. Those who called me their enemy have crumbled to dust before my hooves. I guard those whom I take under my wing fiercely, passionately, and without second thought. If you think you may use what you have learned against me or against others, you are sorely mistaken, ambassador. Your Empress may be powerful, but she is not here. I am here. I stand before you. I am the sun given life. Tell me, immunity be damned."

Her magic suddenly grabbed the ambassador forcibly, lifting him off the ground as he gave out a startled squeak. Eyes bulged in their sockets, the solid blue orbs focusing on the stern and determined glare from the alicorn. "You can't do this!" he squealed in terror. This was not the kind and benevolent ruler he had been sent to keep an eye on! His had fell from his grip, rolling a short distance on the floor in a wide circle.

Before him stood a goddess, her will easily overcoming his. The centuries of life behind her had created within Celestia a mind unlike any other in all the world. It was a vast ocean, spreading as far as the eye can see and as deep as the greatest void. The maelstrom of magic within her was stilled with but a thought, easily molded and manipulated from familiarity and knowledge. For a brief moment, Anzealous had a taste of what was within her mind and he truly knew fear beyond the influence of any changeling queen or even his beloved Empress. In this touch, he could feel himself fall into her relentless gaze. The eye of her storm was her calm heart and love for her subjects.

Then her mind entered his, invading with care as she gently made sure to intrude with care. She was taking the state of his mind into her hooves and she was not about to shred it. Celestia was not at all pleased with the changeling ambassador, but she was not about to stoop to his level and destroy him for such a clumsy mistake. She had never been about cruelty. Justice, most certainly, but wanton acts of barbarism for the sake of revenge were not in her repertoire. If Michael was to be permanently damaged from this changeling's mind probe, then would she go about seeking the appropriate justice. For now, she wanted answers. He had taken without permission and now she was going to retrieve that which was taken should she find it.

Anzealous discovered he was absolutely helpless before her. She would see what he had seen and know he was aware of who this strange creature was. The changeling had lingered long into the mind of this strange talking ape, having slowly ingrained himself into the complex mind. It felt fragile to him at first, when he had discovered this mind in his magical meditation. It was the mind of someone who left themselves open, a black hole in a world of colorful magic prisms. Curious, Anzealous sought out and found within this darkness a curious and confused mind trying to mask the fear it held from the world. It was like seeing a newborn with an adult's body. The inquisitive ambassador poked in and was soon to discover a name not heard of for four years: Chrysalis.

Withdrawing quickly, the ambassador was in shock. She was supposed to be dead, yet this stranger not only knew her, but thought of her fondly and in a way no changeling fully understood. Here a food source knowingly and willingly was giving a changeling himself. There was no struggle, no regret, no hesitation. She needed and he gave freely. He was linked to her. The link was the sort reserved for royals. What was a talking monkey doing with such a link? It seemed it had been in place for a very long time; perhaps even years!

A message had quickly been sent home telling of his preliminary findings and requesting what he should do. A reply was quickly given for him to continue his observations and to learn more if possible. The name Chrysalis had sent ripples upwards through the hierarchy until the Empress herself learned of it. Her reaction was unexpected.

Celestia frowned. This was not what she wanted. Not at all. She continued to probe around the changeling's mind, mindful to ignore snippets of no bearing to what she sought. The changeling ambassador had found Michael's darker memories on his third incursion inside. His greed for knowledge was beginning to show as he began to ignore the safeguards for his victim, but mindful to protect himself. His only focus was the discovery of a new creature and even more importantly; the world he had come from.

"So, you were deliberate in your carelessness," she said flatly.

"Please!" he blubbered. "My duty to my empress!"

"My duty to those under my protection," she countered.

It was going to be a decidedly bad day for Ambassador Anzealous.

* * *

As Celestia went forth to correct bad behavior, another drama unfolded as Chrysalis cradled her moaning father in her hooves. He was weeping like a child, rocking back and forth as she tried to reassure him. Fleur de Lis was there, using her magic to shield his brain and to let his mind settle. She used her considerable knowledge to ease the restlessness, but found the complex difference in the human's mind difficult to work around. The imbalance was slowly correcting itself, but she was not sure if it was going to be quick enough to prevent permanent damage, if there was any. Certainly emotional scars were already in place, but what would this episode do? She could feel through her own barrier and did so, delicately touching here and there the places within the man's mind, whispering the whole time to him and smiling reassuringly to his weeping daughter.

"Will he be all right?" Chrysalis asked as she stared at the white unicorn through the strands of her straight hair.

"Too early to tell, _fille_," replied the sorceress, "but I think I was able to ease his mind and give him a chance to rest. I am no doctor, but I know magic well enough to know how delicate a condition he is right now. Please be patient, _oui_?"

In less than a minute or two, guards leading a harried doctor arrived.

He was a thin unicorn and aged, professional as he surveyed the scene. Observing the human, he sighed and muttered through his grizzled muzzle, "It would appear I have an unusual patient." The doctor had a pale brown coat and a dark brown peppered mane. His cutie mark was hidden beneath his white field duster. By all appearances, it appeared he had been interrupted in the middle of a lecture and dragged here. He was as his plea for larger donations from the nobles had to be put on hold due to a medical emergency. The guard had been very insistent.

"What's a magic seizure?" Chrysalis asked through her tears. She was reluctant to release her grip on her father as the doctor knelt and began to examine the fallen human.

"One moment child," he said pleasantly. "Lady Fleur, if you would be so kind as to release the containment spell. I can take it from here."

"But of course," she purred. Fleur di Lis smiled at put a comforting hoof around Chrysalis' shoulders.

"Thank you," the doctor said as his horn assumed control of this most unusual patient. "Now, to answer your question, young lady a magical seizure is what happens when a mind is overloaded with energy from an outside source attempting to get in. This is usually an occurrence at the magic schools and their students with the experiments."

"What species is this creatures?" he asked as his hoof turned Michael's head this way and that. "Lovely bone structure. Very ape-like if I say so myself. I know some primatologists who would love a crack at studying this fellow."

"That's my adoptive father," growled Chrysalis dangerously. Fleur had to restrain her.

"_Non, mon petite fille_," she whispered, "he means no harm. Let him do his work upon Monsieur Spriggs."

Unbothered, the doctor shrugged and bent over his patient until his horn touched Michael's forehead. "What I'm doing is stabilizing his mind so it doesn't deteriorate any further. It will take mind specialists to try and set him right." As he spoke a stretcher was brought in by a pair of guards. Still maintaining his aura from his horn to the human's head, the doctor growled, "Easy with him, boys. I've never dealt with one of these creatures and I'm not about to fiddle with his condition as it is."

Chrysalis rose and followed with Fleur guiding her with encouraging whispers and motherly nuzzles. Nom Delish simply sat in a corner and wrung his hooves with worry.

"Is he going to be all right?" he asked Fleur as she and the young changeling drew past him.

"I'm certain he will be," she assured him with a lovely smile. "Princess Celestia has the finest physicians of both magical and physical skill knowledge. He is in good hooves. Do not worry." _Perhaps a vet may be needed as well as scholars versed in human anatomy, if possible._

"Who would want to hurt my dad?" Chrysalis wailed suddenly. "I don't understand why anyone would hurt him."

Fleur knew the changeling was the reason, but maintained her peace. She found she liked Chrysalis. This incarnation of the dreaded queen was kind and thoughtful, if very rough around the edges. She had a temper, but did not lash out blindly. The changeling was intelligent and insightful for her age. Fleur saw a younger version of herself in the pseudo pony, though was quick to stop the comparisons at the attitudes. Her own fillyhood had been a long time ago. Though her own age could be measured in tens of years - even past three hundred winters, Fleur still remembered what it was like to be on the threshold between a child and adult. Those were the confusing years, the fun years, and some of the most memorable years. For Chrysalis, Fleur did not know what it was like for the changeling. Not so much different, she wanted to believe. Speaking to Twilight Sparkle suggested Chrysalis was very much a normal girl, save for a few differences.

Still, no mare ever had a father quite like this human, Michael Spriggs. Such an odd name, too! Fleur hoped he would recover. Magic seizures could either be no more damaging than a hangover, yet she had heard of unicorns going insane when attempting spells they don't mentally prepare for. This was an unusual and most violent case. It was even rarer for a seizure to be caused by a second party. In the distant past, magic seizures were used as a form of torture. The unpleasant memories were quickly dashed from her mind. The land of her birth had still used such methods up until the end of the last century, thanks to the efforts of Celestia and Fleur.

That was another life, another time. Fleur de Lis had once been something she regretted. Her dreams reminded her sometimes of what her path had been, before she met Celestia on a diplomatic mission requested by her king.

"I do not know, but I suspect the Princess knows. You shall have your answers, _Émeraude de Minuit_." The sorceress had to steer Chrysalis physically as the distracted changeling stared at her, then blushed when she realized her guide had just prevented her from walking headfirst into the wall. They turned the corner and continued to trail the stretcher. It was being levitated by the doctor now. Fleur noted with some amusement it was too short for the stretched out man upon it. His feet were threatening to drag along the floor.

There was nothing funny of this whole matter. Fleur de Lis was the sort of mare who tried to see the brighter side of things, the little bits of humor life place along the path. Sad things had their place, of course. The sorceress had seen plenty of that. She rather wear a smile than a frown. Her mother had always taught her to smile. Fleur remembered her mother well and honored her memory by keeping her smile for others to see. She was grateful she was not as enthusiastic as one earth pony by the name of Pinkie Pie. Fleur was convinced the pink pony was borderline insane, having met her just once before at the Galloping Gala years ago.

Shaking the memory from her mind, she focused on Chrysalis - Midnight Emerald. The young changeling oozed fear for her father's well-being and understandably so. "It's not fair!" she cried angrily as hot tears fell down her chitinous face. "Whoever did this to him had better hope I never meet them." Her eyes began to flare as she replaced her fear with a swelling rage.

"_Non, non,_" chided Fleur gently to the changeling, again nuzzling Chrysalis. "You let Princess Celestia handle this. She is as angry as you, _mon fille_. You can be sure to know she will find out who is responsible. For now you must stay with your _papa_ and be the first face he sees when he awakens. He should like that, I think. Besides, did you not see the cloud over Celestia's face! Oh-ho, how I would not like to be the one to stare into her eyes at this moment!"

Chrysalis calmed visibly, nodding as the reasonable unicorn managed to reach her. "Thank you for being so nice to me," she whispered with a weak smile.

Her eyes settled on her father's still form. He seemed much calmer now and she could see his chest rising and falling. His head was still encased in the magic of the dutiful doctor. A pegasus nurse joined, fell in step opposite the stretcher and immediately began taking notes as the physician began to list Michael's symptoms. He followed that up with possible treatments and told her to go ahead and make the arrangements for immediate admission for his patient.

"He is a good _papa_ to you, _oui_?" Fleur asked.

"The best."

The nurse wrote down last minute instructions and asked a few questions of her own professionally, offering her own suggestions. The doctor agreed to them for the most part and dismissed her with a curt nod, bending once again over his patient and checking his heart with a stethoscope.

"Then it is my pleasure to make sure you are there for him with a smile. We shall be friends, I think." The unicorn tossed her mane and leaned in towards Chrysalis. "We should be friends. You have only Lady Twilight Sparkle for the moment. Allow me to help you double the number of friends you have and offer myself as one. I would be honored!"

Chrysalis stared at her, the little smile growing shyly across her features. "I'd like that. I'd like that very much." She could feel the genuine sentiments from the beautiful mare and knew the offer to be pure. It was not a lie nor could she sense deception.

A dark parody of one of her favorite movies ever popped unbidden into her head:

_"Hello. My name is Chrysalis Spriggs. You killed my father. Prepare to die."_

It was one of the first movies she remembered watching in her first days with Michael, before she came to regard him as her daddy. She shook the thought and was soon outside where a carriage awaited her father for transport to the nearest hospital. The castle had good medical facilities, but nothing for what was ailing the human. Specialized equipment was going to be needed. Naturally she was going to ride with her daddy. He had never had anything worse than a cold for as long as she could remember. She was not about to leave his side now.

The doctor went in first, hopping up before turning and guiding the human-laiden stretcher into the covered four wheeled carriage. It was large, Chrysalis noted, almost as large as the ambulances she had seen on Earth. Four pegasus were required to pull it through the air. There was a levitation enchantment on the carriage itself. Two medical technicians swarmed over the stretcher as it floated in, taking Michael's vitals and listening to the doctor as he rattled off essentially a carbon copy explanation of what he told the nurse. As he did so, he gestured for Chrysalis to hop up. Fleur stopped short of following her.

"I cannot go with you, _Émeraude de Minuit_," she said sadly. An apologetic smile creased her lovely features as Chrysalis gave her a stunned expression. "I am not of the family and therefore cannot go. Besides, there is no more room even for one such as I."

"But -" Chrysalis was interrupted by a shake of the unicorn's head.

"Do not worry," the sorceress chirped happily, "I shall meet you at the hospital. We will simply be parting for but a few minutes. Be a _brave fille_ and hold your father's hoof. He would like for his _fille petite_ to be brave, _oui_?"

The door closed, leaving Chrysalis the image of a beaming white mare winking at her from beneath her wavy light pink mane.

* * *

Celestia had left the changeling ambassador's offices as quickly as she had entered. Twilight Sparkle trailed behind her along with a small army of guards still trying to figure out what had their princess in such a glowering mood earlier. She was less incensed now, but bore a no-nonsense air about her as she weaved her way through the palace, once again on hooves as she collected her thoughts for a second meeting she knew had to happen. Princess Celestia was not looking forward to it. She insisted on Twilight coming with her, viewing this as an excellent opportunity to show her protoge more of what it meant to rule. Politics was her personal animal and few in the world could hope to match her mastery. Normally she had her own army of appointed ponies who dealt with foreign affairs, serving in the various capacities as advisors and ambassadors. However, there were moments when she had to take a personal hoof in matters best kept within the confines of secrecy.

Speaking to the Changeling Empress was one such thing.

Ambassador Anzealous no doubt had already contacted Her Imperial Majesty and relayed his side of the story. More than likely he had leveled accusations of verbal and physical abuse, perceived threats, and other spins on the truth Celestia was sure had more than enough twists to it. Though not really looking forward to speaking the creature who claimed dominion over all changeling queens and their hives (and by definition of changeling society, the world itself). The only reason there was grudging respect offered from the powerful Mother of All Forms to the diarchy of Equestria was in no small part in thanks to the powers of the Sun and the Moon.

As of yet, there was no name to be associated with the Empress other than her titles. She was a shadowy creature, dark and mysterious. By now, she knew Chrysalis was no longer a name to be counted among the dead. Celestia had hoped to use the remade changeling as a wild card in her favor in case the negotiations had broken down. To have a changeling queen under her watchful eyes might have offset a possible failure of a painstaking process of finding numerous middle grounds with the mysterious Changeling Empire. It was still shaky grounds. The discovery of a budding changeling queen in her home might rile the changelings up and destroy all the work the past few months had leave the foundations to peace in shambles.

"Seal the room when we go in," she informed her student quietly. It was the first she had spoken in nearly ten minutes while thinking. Twilight nodded mutely, understanding this was not the time to ask questions, but to simply do.

Breaking off in pairs, the guards returned to their duties once they realized Celestia wasn't going to destroy anything. More than a few audible sighs of relief could be heard as they went their separate ways. The last two took up positions outside the quarters of the Sun Princess and quietly closed the door behind Twilight's tail as she slipped in behind her teacher.

For the next five minutes, both mares set about to secure the room so nothing could penetrate the security and privacy needed for what was no doubt going to be a very delicate situation. Luna joined them after receiving a mental summons from Celestia and sealed the balcony with her magic and added her own dark power. Celestia's private chambers became both the safest room in the world and the most dangerous. In one of the corners sat a small covered table, given to her by Ambassador Anzealous five months ago at the command of his Empress. It was a very old artifact predating the earliest recorded histories of modern ponies.

"Sister," Luna greeted finally once the wards were in place. "Twilight." She nodded to each as her equal as well as beloved sister and dearest friend. "Are we to call upon the Ancient Mother?"

"Unfortunately," Celestia grunted as she telekinetically drew the artifact needed from its corner. It floated towards the center of the room, the silk cover falling away as it came between the three alicorns and settled upon the floor with three soft thuds from its stand. Ancient Mother was a word the Moon Princess had come across in a very old tome now nestled somewhere in her quarters.

"What do you want me to do?" Twilight asked hesitantly.

Celestia gave her a wan smile. "Do nothing. Simply watch, listen, and learn. If she speaks to you, don't ramble and for pity's sake don't stray off topic," she said, offering a quick nuzzle. It took a moment for her to remember her sputtering rage and contempt for the Empress. She may not have directly ordered the ambassador to mind rape the human, but neither was she the sort who would no shy away from such methods. Information by methods of questionable morals meant nothing to the dark figure Celestia found herself preparing to speak with.

"She is not one for humor," Luna said darkly. "She is very old, older than even my venerable sister." She shot a playful glare at Celestia.

"Venerable?" protested the white alicorn mildly. "Old?"

Twilight giggled despite the butterflies in her stomach. If Celestia and Luna were both taking this meeting seriously to the point they had to force each other to relax, then who exactly was this empress? She focused her attention to the artifact and noted its delicate design with curious interest.

It was for all sakes and appearances constructed like a gyroscope but with a glittering cut gem of shifting colors floating at its center. It was set upon a delicate stand wrought of twisted iron and fine skill. Without prompting, it began to spin within itself, the metal whirring as it cut through the air, spinning faster and faster. The gem began to rotate, giving off a myriad of colors as a tiny white light flared to life at its center, the edges of the spinning metal catching it as a low whine slid upwards to a high pitch until all three alicorns pressed their ears to their skulls and winced. Then the gyros were spinning so fast they were beyond making sound and began to catch the light cast by the gem. A rainbow of colors blended together, forming a white ball upon the stand crackling with magical energy. A cone of green and blue alternating light sprang up from the center of the gem above the gyroscope, then spreading out until a shaft of light formed and hummed.

Twilight took a step back nervously, yet stared in abject curiosity, her heart pounding at the thrill of watching this strange object emit magic completely unknown to her. How she wished she could study this! She dared not reach out and touch it. Her hesitation ended and she found herself moving forward, staring into the ball before shifting her gaze upward as the main glow of the light slowly traveled up the shaft towards its center.

"Do not touch, Twilight!" Celestia called to her sharply.

The rising band of light stopped halfway up the shaft and held there, bathing the alicorns in a brilliant flash of light, pulsing once, twice, thrice. It held a soft glow, less painful to look upon, yet still Twilight found herself flinching from it despite her scientific curiosity in wanting to know how it worked and what made it work. This was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen!

"This will be my first time greeting this empress," noted Luna to Twilight. "Do not be afraid, dear friend. I will stand with you as you have always stood for me."

Twilight offered the dark alicorn a grateful nod, blowing through her lips pent up breath as she realized she had been holding it.

"Celestia..."

The voice echoed through the room, a dreadful whisper all could hear.

"Celestia, thou hast mine daughter..."

The light in the shaft shifted, darkened, began to take form.

"Where for dost thou have she whom is dead in mine heart?"

The shadowy form undulated like a serpent ready to strike, the details of the features difficult to make out as they were shrouded in darkness. The only thing discernible were a pair of dimly glowing eyes, reminiscent of Chrysalis. They were glowing storm-swept pools of ancient knowledge, sweeping slowly over each alicorn, taking them in with no emotion. Starting with Celestia, they turned to the right, falling upon Luna, flicking up and down before moving on to Twilight. She flinched under the gaze and those eyes seemed to flare. Amusement? Annoyance? It was difficult to say. Finally they returned to Celestia and the alicorn stood firm and nodded as if greeting an equal.

"Greetings and salutations, Mother of the Changelings," Celestia called out as she stood regally. "No doubt your ambassador has made you aware of the situation in my home."

"Verily," intoned the Empress, "I am wroth with thee, Celestia for thou didst not offer mine child unto mine bosom upon discovering her life had not been reft from her. Dost thou claim the youngest of mine brood for thine own? Thou wouldst take from me mine blood? How is it thou haste obtained command over life and death? Speak unto me the truth!" The very room shook in the wake of her anger. Twilight and Luna exchanged glances, the former not so sure about weathering this sort of storm.

"'Twas the spirt of discord who sent your daughter Chrysalis back in time and into another world," called out Celestia. "Ambassador Anzealous obtained this information you are now aware of by means uncouth and without honor. I will not claim what I did was either right nor wrong, but that I had my subjects to take into consideration. I wished to ensure the meaning behind the strange doings of Discord was not without strings attached."

The Empress narrowed her eyes. "I am familiar with this spirit. Where away is the scoundrel? Bring him forth so I may bestow upon him punishment!"

Celestia sighed. "That I cannot do."

"Why?" demanded the shadow flatly. Before she would allow time for a response, the Empress growled, "Wait! I know he fears the consequences. What world did he send my child? What manner of trickery is this memory of a pale ape raising my daughter?"

"He is a human," offered Celestia. "Even now he suffers from the most improper invasion of your servant upon his mind."

A short barking laugh spat from the shadowy changeling in the pillar of light. "What care I for the life of such a pitiful creature? I know of his race. I know of their history. Small wonder the spirit of discord should seek refuge upon that world."

"I hope to bridge our two worlds and advocate peace. Soon will come the time when beings with the knowledge will be able to traverse freely between this world and the next. The separated sisters are joining once again after thousands of years." Celestia's mane and tail exuded calm as they flowed gently in the glow of the Empress. "Neither side can afford a war based on misunderstandings."

"Indeed," agreed the shadow. "Two demands I have for thee. Two things thou must provide me to assure the steps towards a lasting peace can be made."

Luna and Twilight mouthed a question and answer to each other back and forth. One quirked an eyebrow while the other scrunched her brows thoughtfully.

Celestia gave them a quick warning glare. To the Empress she asked, "What's the first one?"

"Return unto me mine child, Chrysalis!" cried out the shadow in a mother's anguish. "Return unto my bosom mine child I feared lost!"

The princess expected this. This would be hard on the changeling. "And the second?"

Those eyes settled upon her, becoming emotionless and boring into the magenta orbs of the alabaster alicorn. The next words flowing from the pillar of light stunned and shocked her to the very core of her being.

"Thou must give unto me the human known as Michael Spriggs to answer for crimes he has committed against mine Empire. Thou hast three days to answer if thou seekest war or desire peace." There was smugness in that terrible voice. The pillar of light wavered and slowly began to fade.

"Wait!" cried out Twilight. "That's not fair!"

She was suddenly met with enlarged eyes boring down upon her, as if the Empress swelled closer towards her until she loomed like a terrible nightmare. "I ask thee, child if thou hast ever had a child wrested from thy mind upon the wings of death, to mourn a passing, only to discover the beloved child again walking among the living? Knowest thou mine anguish? Mine pain? Mine loss? Return unto me that which is mine and give unto me the one who dared to claim what is rightfully mine as his! I shall meet this human and lay upon him mine own eyes and pass judgement upon him."

Twilight Sparkle was at a loss and suddenly found herself staring at her hooves, her ears flattened as she was thoroughly deflated.

"Three days, Celestia. Until then, I await thy answer. Fare thee well."


End file.
