Chapter Five: Breaking The Grasp

Chrysalis sat at the shore of the lake, the clearing where the two ponies had set down to her back and the body of water sprawled out in front of her. The water stayed still for the most part, the small breeze floating through the air pushing the surface around gently. Chrysalis stared at her self in the water, the night sky stretching on through the reflection of the clear mirror flowing ever so lightly in the wind. A half moon rested in the middle of the mirror, the thousands of stars surrounding the moon only visible as the water calmed, but quickly disappeared when the wind decided to blow once more. The leaves on the trees rustled quietly as the cool air winded through them, a few loose leaves losing their grip on their home and floating away peacefully to the grass below. Crickets droned constantly in the distance, their chirping just barely reaching the changeling queen’s ears. Chrysalis continued to stare tiredly at her reflection, feeling herself doze off for a second, but quickly rub her eyes as she remembered that she had to stay awake. Augury still had not returned from his first task in Ponyville, the afternoon of the third day only a turn of the sun and moon away. He had only left the day before, a day and a half already gone with the mission still uncompleted to Chrysalis’s knowledge.

Chrysalis yawned quietly, forcing her eyes shut and opening them again slowly to look at the waves in the water. “I need to get some sleep.” Chrysalis said quietly to herself, limply reaching out to the water and resting her front hooves in the lake, setting her head down on her outstretched legs. “I think I can trust that Augury will return in the next day and a half with one of the ponies. If he didn’t go and blow his cover already, that is.” Chrysalis let out a small sigh and stood up onto her hooves, stretching and yawning once more. She turned her head to the clearing behind her, the large balloon that Salvation and Tranquility had landed in still sitting where it had been ever since they left it. Chrysalis turned herself around and slowly made her way off of the lake’s shore and onto the grass of the clearing. The changeling queen trotted across the large field, coming to a stop at the basket in the middle of the clearing. The balloon had deflated not long after Chrysalis had put Salvation and Tranquility in their cocoons, the balloon resting limp and flat at the side of the basket attached to it. Curious as to what they had brought along, Chrysalis put her front hooves on the edge of the basket and peered inside, the changeling still having yet to inspect the couple’s transport. Miscellaneous items sprawled themselves out over the large base of the basket, Chrysalis using her magic to lift them up and take a look at them.

“Tooth brush, water bottle, camera, map...” Chrysalis listed the items as she picked them up, casually tossing them into a single corner of the basket as she identified them. “...picnic basket, blankets, journals- wait, journals? For what?” Chrysalis levitated the two journals that were set by each other back in front of her, setting on down in the middle of the basket and opening the other. The first twenty pages of the journal floating in front of Chrysalis were filled out, the rest of the pages from then on still having yet to be written on.

“Day One.” Chrysalis read the journal out loud. “Tranquility and I have set off on a little ‘escape’ as we like to call it. Ponyville got a little overwhelming, so we’re taking a vacation for a while. We said bye to our friends and took off about mid-day yesterday. They know out schedule on where we’re going, so if we get lost, I’m sure that they’ll be able to find out where we are. We don’t know exactly where we’re going first, but I’m keeping this little log in case we want to come back to any of the places we visit. Tranquility is a little afraid of heights, so I’m going to have to make this first entry quick. She’ll be alright.” Chrysalis yawned once more and rubbed her eyes. With a small sigh and groan, Chrysalis flipped forward to the last page of the journal that was written on.

“Day Twenty. Tranquility spotted a nice clearing in a forest when we were heading to Trottingham. Should only be about a two hour flight in the balloon over there from Trottingham, maybe we’ll check it out. Anyways, we got a letter from Frost back in Ponyville. He said that our friends miss us and the fillies and colts back at the school want to see Tranquility again. He also said that the hospital has seen better days. It would seem that my leaving may have affected the hospital a little. Maybe we should head back to Ponyville soon, I don’t know. It’s night and Tranquility is asleep beside me, maybe I should get some sleep too. I heard the hotel has good breakfast.”

Chrysalis traced back in the page to a certain point, raising an eyebrow as her gaze crossed with the name written within the entry. “Frost? I wonder who this could be. Friend? Family? ...Foal? No, Augury doesn’t have any foals, does he? I doubt he would leave Ponyville without his foal. Whatever, I’ll find out when Augury gets back.” Chrysalis clapped the journal shut and tossed it into the basket next to the pile of other things Tranquility and Salvation had brought along. Chrysalis sighed and laid down next to the basket, resting her head on the grass. With one last yawn and a few slow blinks, the changeling queen drifted off into sleep.

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“Rise and shine, Chrys-y-poo!” A voice shouted in Chrysalis’s ear. The sleeping changeling’s eyes snapped open and her heart immediately pumped as fast as it could, Chrysalis gasping slightly and trying to stand up. Augury watched and laughed as the startled changeling tripped over herself and flung backwards into the basket of the large balloon behind her, various of the items within the basket flying out onto the clearing. Augury calmed his laughing and walked over to the basket, smiling widely as his eyes met with an obviously frustrated Chrysalis.

The changeling queen stared angrily at Augury. “Now what, may I ask, was that for?” Chrysalis growled.

“Revenge for when you kicked me. You said I couldn’t harm you, but you never said anything about self-inflicting harm. That was quite a show you put on there.” Augury said, tilting his head to the side partially.

“Well, do it again and you’ll find yourself with a broken wing and a branch shoved down your throat. What time is it, and why are you here? I don’t see a mare with you.”

“About mid day, second day of the mission. Not bad, huh? The teleportation spell saves a lot of time. Anyways, I set the mare down in the other clearing further into the forest. Now, what are we doing with her, exactly? I have an idea, but-”

“You’ll find out. Now help me out of this basket and we’ll get to it.”

“You’re the boss.” Augury’s horn glowed with a smooth dark blue aura and Chrysalis slowly lifted into the air, surrounded by the same aura on Augury’s horn. Expecting to be put down gently, Chrysalis put her hooves out straight under her, but found herself turning sideways and landing on the ground with a small thud. Chrysalis flashed Augury an angry look, Augury staring off into the mountains above the tree line in the distance with a smug smile on his face.

“You’re pushing it, Augury.” Chrysalis said flatly as she stood up on her hooves.

“What was that?” Augury asked, turning his head back to the changeling queen.

“Just show me where you put the pony that you brought back, okay?”

“This way, my liege.” Augury walked past Chrysalis and the changeling queen rolled her eyes, following Augury slowly as he walked to the forest.

“So, Augury. You don’t have any friends that you would mind telling me about in Ponyville, would you?” Chrysalis asked as she and Augury walked into the forest past the clearing.

Augury sniffled dryly. “None of any importance. Why would it matter to you?” Augury asked, keeping his glance out in front of him.

“I don’t think it would matter to me, but it might matter to you if Tranquility wants to stay the way she is.” Chrysalis sneered. Augury squinted slightly and came to a halt in the forest, turning around and staring at Chrysalis angrily. The changeling queen only exchanged the same glance with him, the two changelings standing in silence. Chrysalis raised her left eyebrow, tilting her head upwards as she waited for a reply from the changeling in front of her. The wind picked up slightly and the leaves on the trees shook loose, a few of the vibrant green leaves floating away from the branches they held onto.

Augury kept the same mask he wore as he opened his mouth to speak. “There may be one.”

“Their name would be?” Chrysalis asked, returning her head to its normal position.

The smaller changeling stayed quiet for a second, squinting his eyes a little further. “...Frost.”

A smile grew on Chrysalis’s face and she walked closer to Augury, leaning downward and placing a hoof on his cheek. Augury remained where he was, not moving as Chrysalis’s eyes came only a foot away from each other. “See, it doesn’t hurt to tell the truth, does it?”

Augury lifted his hoof to Chrysalis’s and slowly lowered it from his face, the smile on the changeling queen’s face dimming down to a smirk. “Don’t touch me.” Augury turned away from Chrysalis, his tail making a small ‘puff’ sound against Chrysalis’s face before he began to walk forward once more.

Chrysalis stood up straight and started to follow Augury again, her smile gone. “Is there a reason why you didn’t tell me in the first place?” Chrysalis asked.

“Is there a reason that you had to jam your nose into my travel journal?” Augury retorted.

“I can’t be curious? You were curious when you saw me, weren’t you? You wanted to know more, but look where that brought you to.”

“Do you want to know where curiosity will bring you if you don’t shut your bucking mouth?”

“Do you want to know where this will bring you if you continue?” Chrysalis asked. Augury stopped once more, Chrysalis halting where she was as well. The two changeling’s stood in silence another time, the wind brushing up slightly again. The air seemed to pulse between the two changelings this time, Augury’s breathing growing in intensity, but slowly dying back down to a calm pace.

“Let’s just get to the mare I brought back.” Augury said and he began to walk forward. Chrysalis watched Augury for a second before she started after him slowly, a sudden feeling of anger edging its way into her heart. The light of day made its way onto the two changelings as they arrived in the other clearing within the forest, Tranquility’s cocoon on the opposite side of the clearing Augury and Chrysalis walked out of. A pearl white mare laid on her side in the middle of the clearing, Chrysalis smiling with delight as she and Augury stopped with the mare at their hooves.

“Well done, Augury. I didn’t think you would have the heart to take a mare from her home.” Chrysalis said as she inspected Rarity. The white unicorn’s eyes were shut gently, the spell Augury had casted still fully in affect.

“It wasn’t too hard.” Augury said. “I just had to get her alone. She really liked fashion, though. I ended up modeling for her for two straight hours in the form of a mare. That... did get a little difficult not to burst out into a frustrated fit ten minutes in. But, she was kind enough to take me around Ponyville and introduce me to her friends since she thought I was new in town.”

“Then it’ll be easier for you to find them and take them. Which one is this?”

“Rarity. The Element of Generosity, I think.”

“Perfect. Here, stay here for a little while and make sure she doesn’t wake up.”

“Where are you going?”

“Just stay here.” Chrysalis turned from Augury and began to walk over to the edge of the clearing, Augury watching as she stopped by one of the trees and inspected it. Augury turned his head from Chrysalis to the mare laying on the ground in front of him. A dark blue glow radiated gently from underneath her eyelids, the mare deep into sleep with Augury’s spell. The changeling beside Rarity moved her mane out of her face, the white unicorn’s ear twitching as Augury’s hoof brushed up against it.

“You have to understand.” Augury said quietly. “I don’t want to do this. If it would only be me that was affected should I leave Chrysalis’s side, I would gladly stop all of this. But I’m not, and I’m not going to let anything happen to the mare I love. I’ll make sure that Sweetie Belle is safe, and I promised her that I would keep you out of harms way. That... doesn’t exactly mean that you’ll be a little different, though. You’re going to be okay... just not a pony any longer.”

“Augury! It’s ready. Bring her over here.” Chrysalis called out from the edge of the clearing. Augury shifted his glance to Chrysalis, a large cocoon, roughly the same size as Tranquility’s, hanging from the tree beside the changeling queen.

“That was quick.” Augury said out loud as he lifted Rarity onto his back.

“I’ve had practice with my last army.” Chrysalis replied as Augury walked over to her, Rarity resting on Augury’s back and wings.

“What am I doing with her, now?”

“Put her in the cocoon upside down. Make sure her back hooves are secure within the goo at the top.” Chrysalis pointed to the inner top of the cocoon. Augury sighed and levitated Rarity into the air, flipping her upside down and slowly placing her within the hollow green casket. The green goo at the top of the cocoon wrapped around Rarity’s back hooves slowly, Augury letting go of his hold on her. Rarity hung within her cocoon peacefully, her slumber undisturbed from any of her surroundings as Augury’s spell continued to work through her.

“Not what?” Augury asked.

“Now, you assimilate her.” The cocoon quickly sealed itself shut, the side that used to be open now blocked off by a new, transparent wall of the cocoon.

“Wait, you never said anything about me doing any of this. I thought you were going to do all of the ‘assimilation’ stuff. I was just going out and getting your targets, I never said I would turn the ponies myself! I don’t even know how to!” Augury quickly said, backing up slightly from the newly made cocoon.

“There’s been a change of plans. If you’re going to be a changeling, you’re going to have to learn how a changeling works. Creating an assimilated changeling will give you control of her once the transformation is complete, if you decide to, that is.”

“Then why didn’t you take control over me?”

“I have better things to do than operate a puppet. Besides, I was getting lonely. Anyways, hop to it.”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said, no.”

“One more time. My hearing is a little off today.”

“No! I agreed to taking ponies and giving them to you, not taking ponies and doing this to them! I can’t do this myself!”

Chrysalis growled frustratedly and began to walk towards the changeling in front of her, Augury beginning to back up slowly. “Now listen here, Augury. You refuse to do this and everything you have done so far is over. It may not be much, but you’ll die with you knowing that it was your fault you caused the death of two mares. I’ll give you one last chance. Go and assimilate her. You’ve also just gained the privilege of assimilating the other mares as well.” Chrysalis threatened. Augury and Chrysalis came to a stop in the middle of the clearing, each of them staring at each other with hatred.

Augury quickly glanced at Tranquility’s cocoon to the right and back to Chrysalis, the changeling queen still staring at him. “...Alright. Just don’t hurt them.”

Chrysalis’s mouth curved into a smile. “Then go do it.” Chrysalis said, motioning her head toward Rarity’s cocoon. Augury sighed and walked past Chrysalis, whipping his tail lightly as he past her. Chrysalis turned herself around and watched as Augury as he made his way over to the cocoon. Augury came to a stop in front of Rarity’s casket, staring with anger, yet sorrow into his reflection of the clear side of the cocoon. Closing his eyes, Augury leaned forward and pierced his horn slightly into the cocoon. Augury closed his eyes tighter and he clenched his teeth together as he heard a small sparkling noise come from within the cocoon, Rarity’s breathing becoming coarse and heavy. Augury opened his eyes again and leaned backwards, looking up from the ground and staring into the green casket in front of him. The inside of the cocoon flowed around with a dark blue haze, the gas that filled the casket puffing in and out from Rarity’s mouth. The white unicorn’s breathing slowly steadied and she hung within the cocoon peacefully, the transformation slowly taking over her every second.

Chrysalis walked to Augury’s side and stared into the cocoon, smiling at her associate's work. “That wasn’t so hard, was it now, Augury? All it takes is a little-” Chrysalis started to say as she lifted her hoof to put it around Augury, but found herself cut off. Augury quickly lifted his right hoof and smacked Chrysalis’s hoof away from him, the changeling queen’s eyes opening in shock. Chrysalis moved her hoof back to her chest and held it off the ground, a sense of sudden fear coming over her. Augury turned towards the changeling next to him and stared at her angrily, his eyes surrounded by a dark blue fiery aura and his teeth clenched together menacingly.

Augury’s voice retained a frightening effect, two other voices seeming to occupy his own as he spoke. “You don’t deserve to speak to me, fiend. If you don’t want your head beaten into the side of a burning stone with your own hooves, I suggest you don’t show yourself to me in the next twenty four hours.” Augury turned away from Chrysalis as quick as he could, the aura around his eyes making a small trail in the air following his eyes. Chrysalis watched as Augury walked across the clearing and into the forest, the glow from the aura around his eyes disappearing from Chrysalis’s sight. The changeling queen looked down at her hoof, a bit of blood dripping from Augury’s strike. Chrysalis put her hoof against her chest and turned her head to where Augury had wandered off in, a shocked and partially guilty expression on the queen’s face.

“The little monster I have created...” Chrysalis whispered to herself, tilting her head downwards. Next Chapter: [6] One On One Estimated time remaining: 8 Hours