The Russians did provide food that was edible and quite tasty. Chrysalis and Scott were introduced to a fish soup called uhka. It had potatoes, onions, and parsley and was seasoned with just salt and pepper. With it were dumplings called pelmeni filled with seasoned pork. Tea was served with their meal. Chrysalis thought it was delicious. They ate in silence, with Scott ignoring Chrysalis despite her attempts to get him to teach her how to use utensils. Her smile faded and her mood grayed as melancholy hovered over the man. He went to his room after clearing his dishes from the table and setting them on the kitchen counter. The sound of the door slamming shut left Chrysalis quizzical.

What was wrong with him?

Far from being stupid, Chrysalis decided to do something. The dark woman would have to touch her mind to his. This would mean using her magic for the first time and using it on a mind unfamiliar to her. Clearing the table, she retired to her own bedroom. She waited until she was sure he was asleep. Mental defenses were lower when the individual was at rest. Calming her own thoughts, she sat on the bed, and focused within herself. Her magic flowed within and she could shape it as she pleased. Her problem was sending it beyond her being. However, she remembered Scott was her conduit and pushed her magic and her mind to him.

It was simple once her mind made contact with his. Not too much! Easy does it! It opened, giving way before her gentle power. Harming him would serve no purpose and Chrysalis knew she might need Scott whole. What she found was a spirit on the brink of collapse, held together by stubborn pride. It was surprising to discover the ape was prideful. He hid it well beneath multiple layers. There, she found his sense of duty. It was strong. His sense of commitment was weak, she felt. His mind was older, as he was approaching his early middle years. This left it more difficult to mold and shape him as she saw fit. This might have been one of the reasons Cadence had chosen him.

What mind she found was in tatters. She had expected Scott be be on the brink of a mental collapse. Perhaps there would be some self loathing or maybe some simmering hatred. She was not at all shocked to find the ape to be at a loss, to feel betrayed. Oh, the anger was there and there was focus for it. Good. Very good. She could work with that!

What was unexpected was him sensing her presence. Scott recoiled as though it was a bad dream, his mental defenses closing upon her like a bear trap. Chrysalis tried to take control, but his defenses created a backlash. Jerking back into a state of consciousness, she was gasping and had a throbbing headache. Fingers touched her temples as she winced. Human minds were dangerous!

Grunting, Chrysalis decided to give up on trying to sort out Scott. Her mood had soured and she hoped he dreamed of camels tromping over his testicles. She swam through her own dark thoughts, leaving the man to drown in his own self pity.

It was strange. As she snuggled into her blankets, Chrysalis could have sworn she heard Scott’s voice in her head.

I love you.

Her ring throbbed and her sleep was troubled. Damn Equestrians and their damnable magic. Had it been combined with Earth magic? Baba Yaga had made these rings, or so Chrysalis was led to believe. Tugging at her ring, Chrysalis hissed, dreading a terrible dread. Mental backlash was riding the waves of her own magic, she realized as she ground her teeth. I will have words with this creature, she determined, flaring her eyes wide. The lingering connection between her and Scott was severed, leaving Chrysalis fighting the urge to cry out. The pain! Tartarus the bucking pain!

Never before had her mind felt an attack like this! Even if it was Scott instinctively protecting himself, it was pain the likes of which Chrysalis had not felt in an age. She made a loud gasp and tears rolled down her cheeks. Curling up into a ball, a single word dominated her thoughts.

How?

Her dreams were troubled, her sleep fitful.

Some time later, she awoke to a dull emptiness in her heart. A headache pinged her brain without mercy and her mouth was dry. Placing a hand over her chest, Chrysalis breathed in slowly, fighting the whimper wanting to come out. The sensation of helplessness clawed from without. Rolling onto her back, Chrysalis took a moment to try and collect herself. It was difficult. Compelled to get up, she slid out of bed and touched her fingers to her temple. Her balance felt off and she swayed. Barefooted, she left her room, her steps silent. A hand along the wall helped guide her.

Already knowing the source, she went to it. Eyes adjusted to the gloom. She had always felt more comfortable seeing in the darkness. Her balance felt off. There were no lights on, save for the glow of the television. What time was it? There were no windows in the compound. How many eyes were upon her?

There was a smell in the room. It was faint at first, Chrysalis knew who it was. Scott was sprawled out in a sitting position at one end of the couch, one bare foot on the coffee table. A bottle was in his hand. Chrysalis had no idea there was a store of alcohol. Scott had found it, that much was obvious. The bottle was half empty and the ape was watching something on the television. The sound was turned down as bright colors splashed and danced across the screen.

Her blood ran cold when she saw what it was he was watching.

The colors were too vivid, the proportions were all wrong. Chrysalis placed her fingers over her mouth and tried to hide a gasp of shock. Scott heard her, noted her presence with a frown, and took a pull from his bottle.

“They have Netflix here,” he slurred. “Wa-wanted to watch the fu-fucking pones-s-s. I wanna see wha-a-at went wr-wrong.” Tears were falling. “All the fucking lies. Wanna watch the lies with me?” The struggle to form coherent sentences was evident. “You don’t love me. Why should you love me? I don’t love me. Fucking ponies. Fucking Cadence. Fuck you.”

The throbbing in her head grew. Chrysalis watched as the ape fumbled with the remote.

“Let’s start at the beginning,” he said with a dead smile, “I’m two e-epis-s-sodes in. Season one. Just watched the bulls-s-hit that was Luna’s ‘reformation’.” It was difficult to make air quotes while holding a bottle and a remote in both hands, but Scott was game to try.

Chrysalis was in disbelief. The human was far worse than she thought. “What is wrong with you?” She knew the answer.

Scott took another mouthful of booze. “Drink with me, you loveless bitch. S-sit with me a-a-and drink with me! A man sh-should never drink alone. Unless he’s G-george Thorogood. Then it’s with nobody else. When he d-drinks alone, he pref-f-fers to be by hims-s-self. Ha!”

Flabbergasted, Chrysalis moved around the couch and blocked the ape’s view of the outrage making a mockery of her world. She held a hand out. “Give me the bottle.”

He cradled the bottle. It sloshed and some splashed out. “Get your own! This is the most unders-s-standing Russian I’ve met! I call her Olga Vodka. She lets me have my way with her and she doesn’t talk back!”

A retort formed on her lips, but it was interrupted by the television behind her. Music started playing. Chrysalis turned and gave the screen an incredulous stare. What followed left her speechless.

For several agonizing seconds the humanized changeling did a very good impression of a landed fish. “What?” Chrysalis wore a horrified and confused expression. “What did I just watch? What is this?” She spun and jabbed a finger at the offending source, staring at Scott as if he was some guru of wisdom.

“It’s a mindfuck,” he told her, his words failing to walk a straight line. “The greatest mindfuck of the generation. Maybe in history. Fuck. I don’t know. Want that drink?” The bottle was offered. His chin trembled. “I know you d-don’t l-love me. You’re not real. None of this is real. You’re a bughorse cartoon pony villain that’s o-one dimensional and with n-n-no character depth. Amazing tits, though. You have a nice ass. Did you know you have a nice ass?” He giggled, his head rolling from side to side on the back of the couch. “You fucking unreal bitch. I want to fuck an ima-imagine-imaginary bug horse. Fuck me.” His eyes froze in place, then locked onto hers. “No, don’t drunk me. I’m fuck.” Eyes closed, Scott took another swig of his bottle.

Chrysalis felt her headache grow. She did not need this.

“Bug pony horse waifuuuu~” he sang, then chortled, amused with himself, “Drink with meeeee~” The amusement changed into a choking sob.

She could not help herself. Giving in, she swiped the bottle, glaring down at the drunken ape before taking a deep pull herself. Then, she turned and stared at the television screen before sinking into the middle of the couch next to Scott. Not a stranger to alcohol, Chrysalis found this particular brand strong and it had been seeped in some sort of fruit. It was only after she had taken a drink that she wondered how her body would be affected. Never one to let good booze go to waste, the fallen queen only wished she had better company to share it with.

With glazed eyes, Scott watched the screen, his expression neutral. His hands were limp on his lap. It was as though he was in the process of becoming one with the couch, or the couch becoming one with him. It was very Zen. Chrysalis chose to ignore him until he reached for the bottle. His feeble efforts were brushed aside as she watched the horror unfold on the television screen. The cheerful ponies, their inane adventures, their trite little problems…

Propaganda.

She watched. Unable to stop herself, she watched. Unwilling to believe what she was seeing, Chrysalis watched. It was like an endless stream of insults directed towards her in the most personal of manners.

Propaganda!

This was human entertainment? This was how Celestia planned to win over this world? Through inane entertainment? Was she appeasing a great mob? No, Celestia would have more than just this to win over human trust. What did she want out of this? The game she played was always the long game. If there were short term advantages, they would in time show themselves. Or so the humanized changeling hoped.

Chrysalis looked down and realized the bottle was empty. She needed more. “Where did you get this?” she asked Scott, shoving the bottle in his face.

“Cabinet above the fridge,” he mumbled. “Watching the fucking ponies. Don’t be r-rude. F-f-fucking rude.” How was he staying awake? “Have my babies. Have all of-f-f my b-b-babies. I’d be a good daddy. Why can’t I be a daddy?” He became sad, pouting as he stared into Chrysalis’ eyes. “I love you, bug pony horse waifu. You’re not real, none of this is real. It’s all r-r-relative.”

The sudden surge of emotions, their mix of highs and lows, blues and reds, colors of all substance assailed the humanized changeling. Unable to help herself and not sure as to why, Chrysalis flung her arms around the drunk man and gave him a deep and passionate kiss. She hated herself for giving in to the pull of his impaired emotional state, so she broke away with a snarl and stared down at the man grinning up at her. Her senses were abuzz. Feeding off a drunk felt so wrong, but felt so right!

A hand groped and found a breast. “Boobies!”

And there went any semblance of a good mood!

She slapped him across the cheek and stormed to the kitchenette for another bottle. Furious with herself, she tore a cabinet door off its hinges and found a sizable stash of alcohol of an impressive variety waiting to be sampled. Selecting one, she didn’t even bother to look at the label. Colorful pastel ponies pronked and pranced in her line of sight. She guzzled the bottle, feeling the burn go down her throat. It was a wonderful sort of burn, threatening to melt her esophagus on its way to her belly. The effects would be slow to hit at first, but Chrysalis knew what was coming. Or she thought she did. Tossing the emptied bottle aside, she fetched two more, her attention for the moment lingering on the red-headed ape.

He was hopeless.

“Drunken idiot,” she harrumphed, resuming her seat on the couch with a graceless plop. Shoving one of the bottles into his hands, Chrysalis snarled, “Don’t touch me like that ever again!”

Hugging the bottle to himself, he nodded, “Yes, Bug Pony Horse Waifu.”

“And don’t call me that!”

Scott pouted. “But I love you!”

“That’s the magic, you fool,” she sighed as she unscrewed her drink. A quick sniff discovered a strong hint of cinnamon. “You don’t love me. You have been compelled to love me, you drunken, sodden monkey!” Not that I mind the raw emotional love you’re giving off!

Weight pressed into her side. A head rested on her shoulder. “Let’s watch the lies. Let’s drink and watch the lies together. We can get fucked up.” A hand began to roam over her thigh. Chrysalis sighed, removing it with a pinch of her fingers. She would not have minded if it weren’t for the fact she was having a lot of trouble trying to make heads or tails of the intelligence-reducing filth that passed as entertainment on this world. None of it had impressed her to this point. With a shove, Scott was pushed away. He was so relaxed it was easy to move him. Falling into the corner of the couch, his eyes went to the television. There he stayed, wearing a drunken grin. “You’re so fuckable, but you’re not real.”

The ape made unhappy simian noises. Drunken, unhappy simian noises. Chrysalis watched in annoyed fascination as the human passed out before her eyes, his emotional state undeniable in its misery. Cadence had given her a broken love toy. Why?

The answer was obvious, but still…

Why?

She drank from her bottle, considered having a glass with ice. She noted the advantages of having fingers and opposable thumbs, marvelling at how easy it was to manipulate objects with physical grasping. Maybe they would be useful for strangling…

She looked at Scott, her urge to do violence upon his body making her feel ill. Chrysalis fought it, closing her eyes and trying to imagine her fingers around his neck, squeezing and squeezing. Her ring began to pulse. This is wrong. No! Her head began to pound, the pain intensifying the more she tried to think of murdering the monkey sitting next to her. It became blinding pain, but she fought it, more and more! I will have my freedom! I will not—

She screamed, not of pain, but frustration. Balled fists pressed against her temples as she curled into herself on the couch. Her ears rang and her mind was swimming through burning acid. The pain blinded her. It remained, this pain, until all thoughts of doing harm to the monkey next to her faded away. She was stubborn, only giving in when the tears began to fall. Chrysalis hated this. She hated being on this world. She hated not having her children around her. She hated not being able to hear them.

What else did the alicorns take away from her?

Arms wrapped around her. At first she resisted, shaking her head. “S’okay. The show gets better with each season.” Chrysalis was patted on the head. She felt herself guided down until she was resting on a lap. Blurry eyes stared at the cartoon characters galavanting across the screen.

This was terrible.

This was awful.

She couldn’t even commit mariticide. Such an ancient and time honored practice she enjoyed in the past was denied. Chrysalis sighed and, unable to avert her gaze, watched with a twitching eye as ponies explored the magic of friendship together by going on adventures. A disturbing thought came to her, even as a pink pony posing as an entire polka band led a bunch of parasprites out of a half devoured town.

Since when did I consider this monkey my husband? Another numb thought followed. Parasprites never looked that adorable.

It was the wet and cold that awoke her. Opened eyes revealed the room was lit only by the screen of the television. What time was it? Who was snoring? Lifting her head, she found she had been using Scott’s lap as a pillow. One of his arms was draped over her shoulder. Pushing it off, she sat up, tugging at the robes that had ridden up her legs. A glance told her Scott’s head was leaning back, his mouth partially open. His booze was still cradled like a baby in one arm.

I really need to learn how to wear human clothing, she mused to herself. Something felt off. “Why am I wet?” Looking around, she found the bottle she had last night had at some point tipped, dumping its contents all over herself. The front of her robe was a soggy mess.

There was a knock at the door. It opened and a figure entered. “Why is it so dark in here?” Starlight Glimmer’s voice wondered aloud. The lights came on, showing the young woman with her hand on the light switch and staring at Chrysalis hovering over Scott’s thighs. “What are you wa—oh. Oh!”

Chrysalis turned her head towards the humanized unicorn, still fighting to push the last of sleep from her consciousness. With a yawn, she grunted, “What?” Rising to her feet, she plucked at her wet robe and sniffed at it. Surprise, surprise! It stank of alcohol! Woo-hoo! “I need to get cleaned up. Starlight Glimmer, I’ll need you to show me how human clothing works. My skin is not thick enough to retain warmth.”

“Did you two—”

“Huh?” Yawning, it took a moment for the words to click. Chrysalis bristled. “No!”

“While watching—”

“I said no! I’m sadistic, not masochistic!”

Starlight struggled to conceal a smile. “Well, that’s honest enough, I suppose. Have you figured out the shower yet? There should be some shampoo and soap.” She paused, unable to help herself. “Are you sure you two didn’t make your marriage official?”

“Your magic won’t protect you forever,” Chrysalis muttered under her breath.

“I’m sorry?”

“You’ll have to show me how to work the levers,” she said a bit louder. Tilting her head towards her slumbering monkey, she added, “Let him sleep. He had a bit of a breakdown last night. Er, what time is it?”

Starlight fished out a small, flat and rectangular device with a screen. Holding it in one hand, she touched its smooth screen with a finger. “It’s just past noon.” It was slipped back into her back pocket. She was wearing blue jeans and a form fitting black turtleneck. Black shoes adorned her feet. A ponytail kept her two toned hair out of the way. “We had an issue with our security system, so I was asked to come check on you guys. I have some news!”

Chrysalis plucked at her robe. “Can I get cleaned first before you start yammering like a special needs foal?”

Starlight crossed her arms over her chest. “There is no need to be insulting like that. I’m here to make sure you get acclimated to this world and prepare you for what’s to come.”

Without bothering to check to see if Scott was awake, Chrysalis began to peel the robe off as she moved towards her room. Her personal shower awaited. Now unclothed, she sauntered into her room. Starlight was behind her.

“I’m going to have a word with Captain Petrov about the amount of hard liquor you two are allowed to have. I thought the Princess made it clear there was to be no alcohol while you two were in isolation,” Starlight held the robe up in one hand while wearing a look of disgust.

“How is you being in here helping with the isolation?” Chrysalis asked as she fiddled with the knobs in the shower. “Blast! Which knob is the hot water?”

“Left,” supplied the younger woman. She dropped the robe into a convenient clothes hamper by the door. “The right knob is the cold water. We’re lucky we have our own water heater here. Some cities go without hot water during the summer for a lot of Russians because of maintenance on the city water pipes. Some of my Russian friends say it’s just an excuse by the government hanging on to some of the old ways, before the former government collapsed. It’s all over Russia, and I’m not about to get into an argument in regards to their history. Most of the concern is about how hard the winters are on the pipes.”

Chrysalis adjusted the knobs with one hand while her other felt the water. She kept this up while Starlight spoke before she stepped into the shower. Turning her head up into the falling water, she stood there and let it cascade all over. “Sounds chaotic,” she commented. Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to hear the humanized unicorn’s thoughts on the apes. “Which one is the shampoo? I can’t read this gibberish. Is it this?” She held up a bottle chosen at random.

“That’s body wash. Use the blue bottle with the red cap.” Starlight pointed from where she stood in the doorway. “There is a grooming kit for you somewhere. Would you like me to find it? I have no idea where they put things while they were preparing for you.”

Frowning at those words, Chrysalis put a generous amount of shampoo in her hair. Working up a lather, she called out, “Go ahead.” Visions of doing a great deal of violence to Twilight Sparkle’s student brought a smile to her face. Patience!

As the dark woman worked on her locks, Starlight found what she was looking for in a basket by the sink. A hair dryer hung on the wall next to where…

“Where’s your mirror?” she asked.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Your mirror!” Starlight stepped into the shower. Chrysalis had both hands in her hair with suds dripping everywhere. “You had a mirror on the wall. What happened to it?”

Chrysalis went back to her hair. “Oh. That. I threw it. It’s probably on the other side of the room.” An arm made a vague wave from the shower. Steam was making a slow invasion of the bedroom. “You still have magic. Feel free to fix it if you like.” Her voice made a haunting echo off the tiles in the shower room.

“Maybe later. Look. That news I have for you? Do you want to hear it?”

“Yes. So long as it is not a waste of my time.”

“We were waiting for Baba Yaga to appear. Russia has a lot of very large and very imposing forests. She appears in them at random. We’ve got agents in the field monitoring for any disturbances in the ley lines. Once we can confirm she has rejoined this dimension, we’ll be able to move in and put you in a position to make contact.”

Chrysalis rinsed out the shampoo from her hair. “So, you already have an idea as to how she moves around?” There was a luffa hanging from a hook by the shower head. She picked it up, examining it. Taking up the body wash, she put a healthy dollop onto it and began washing herself. “These rings are hers, aren’t they? This Baba Yaga? She made them?” She showed Starlight her ring while giving the young woman a shameless full frontal view.

“Yes.”

“And you have no idea how they can be removed?”

“No, none at all,” came the reply. “But I came this morning because I have news. Baba Yaga’s hut has been spotted. I need you and Scott ready to leave within the hour. Captain Petrov will be here to go over last minute details and make sure the two of you are dressed properly and have the right supplies. You will have an escort, but there will be a point where you and your husband will have to go it alone. There is an agreement only one mortal may approach the hut. It’s a safety issue.”

Chrysalis frowned. “I don’t like the sound of this. Sounds to me like a trap.”

“There is a good chance Baba Yaga will want to test you. As the rings were gifted to you, she’ll expect her investment in time and magic to be worth the effort. If you pass, you’ll be taught magic. If you fail, well,” Starlight trailed off, unable to look Chrysalis in the eye.

“And if I fail?” the dark woman prompted with a smirk.

“Then the witch will eat you and Mr. Bronson.”

“Because she’s evil, I wager.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Of course she is. Do be a good girl and fix my mirror, would you please, Starlight Glimmer? A queen must look her best when showing her dominance.” Her voice hummed as she bathed herself, looking forward to meeting this Baba Yaga. Chrysalis would once again wield magic and begin her own plans.

Author's Notes:

We're finally getting somewhere!

A little bit of a jump forward, then Chrysalis meets the fabled Baba Yaga!

Yes, yes, I'm sure everyone's asking themselves the same question:

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Next Chapter: The Witch in the Forest