For several blissful minutes Chrysalis soars, rhythmically beating her cobalt wings against the hazy, dusty air. She finds it… pleasant to not have to correct for the holes in her previous set. She devotes the extra attention to fabricating her next egg, siphoning from her overstocked stores of fat and protein and guiding the creation of the newest addition to her brood.

The combination happens in an instant, taking her by surprise. The two halves meet like clashing forces and the result is not a battle she needs to influence but a complete rout. Like releasing ink into water, or air into a vacuum, changeling magic immediately fills the void. Like a parasitic insect, as much as she hates the analogy, that consumes its victim and turns the usable components into more of itself. There would be influence from him, certainly, but not on core characteristics. With others she can control the outcome, a burst of magic sufficient to overpower the fledgling core. But here? There is no question that the final result will be a changeling. She doubts she could ever force the outcome to be fully human. Ocellus mentioned that Doug isn’t like a pony. But it takes feeling firsthoof the difference between him and every other creature she bred with to hammer that point home.

“You know,” Doug whispers, trying to be unobtrusive yet drawing her out of her reverie. “The others are waiting for us.”

“Then they can wait a little longer,” Chrysalis replies, scowling.

“Sure,” Doug says, lightly sighing as he goes back to leaning against her neck.

She tries to go back to her egg, yet finds she has automatically completed the process she has gone through ten thousand times before. She huffs, turning so he can clearly see her scowl.

“What?” Chrysalis demands. “Couldn’t wait to get back to your ponies?”

Doug snorts. “Hardly. I’m tired of my thoughts spinning in bigger circles than you’re making.”

“Applejack?” Chrysalis guesses. By pony custom she should have gone to the lead mare before studding with the stallion. Not that she cares. Well, she somewhat cares, if only to avoid alienating a begrudgingly valuable ally.

“I was thinking more Rainbow Dash.” Doug shudders, trying to keep a brave face. Chrysalis can imagine why, the only difficulty being not injuring the pugilistic pegasus if she comes after her. “She’s going to see or hear about you flying me around. I hope that, instead of being furious, she’ll see you as an inspiration.”

“Me?” Chrysalis laughs, short and derisive. “An inspiration?”

“Sure,” Doug says, this time with a genuine smile. His hands flit around, trying to demonstrate. “Maybe she’ll want to test flying around with me, I don’t know, hooked under her forelegs. She lifted a pony - actually three ponies - like that once. If I don’t fit on her back. But she’ll do it because she saw you doing it.”

Chrysalis considers that as her wings lock, slowly gliding down to the city below. She is a role model for her ‘lings, of course. But the only thing she ever inspires in the other races is fear and loathing. Or lust until they find out, if they ever find out. She talked about creating art and buildings, but creating things that inspire?

Klugetown slowly becomes visible as they descend, the tallest construction spires landmarks she uses to glide to Capper’s destination. She didn’t need the Abyssinian’s assistance to navigate the twisting back alleys and passageways of the labyrinthian city. It would be easier if she didn’t have a history with the proprietor of this… establishment. Though she could probably say that about most of Equus.

The building in question displays an opulence far fancier than most of the ramshackle slums in lower Klugetown. Polished jewels adorn every gilded corner while chains of silver and bronze swish in front of windows and doorways. Diamonds the size of a head, with rings made for a finger, grace a white and black Abyssinian bouncer standing at the door. He dourly regards the two as they land. Pinkie Pie stands next to him, waving at them cheerfully.

“It’s a trap,” Doug mutters to Chrysalis as they get closer.

She snorts. “It’s not a trap, it’s a test.”

His face scrunches up. “If you successfully steal from them, what, they offer you a job?”

Chrysalis grunts in affirmation.

Doug nods along obligingly. “And if you don’t get away?”

“They make you an offer you can’t refuse,” Chrysalis returns with a smirk. “Which is also a job. Only somecreature dumb enough to want to work for Verko would dare steal from him.”

“Hey!” the cat in front of the store objects as they land.

“I see.” Doug looks at the sulking cat, then at Pinkie Pie. “Hey, Pinkie!”

“Hi, Dougie!” Pinkie Pie shifts her mane to expose the box on her back. “You forgot these! Also, you’re terrible at hide-and-seek!” She shakes her head as she pronks over. She plants her legs on his thighs, reaching up and trading a nuzzle as Doug returns her fond smile. “You aren’t supposed to come to me.” Her eyes suddenly go wide, rearing back in alarm. “Unless I was the hi-dee! But if that’s the case, it took you a long time to count to one hundred! Like, a really, really long time!”

“Something like that,” Doug chuckles, scratching at the back of Pinkie Pie’s mane as his other hand keeps the box of Storm King toys from falling. “Everything turn out okay?”

“Yup! Those Storm Guards can really pack away a pie, if you know what I mean!” Her smile beams as her eyes sparkle. “They loved my party! And so did the unicorns who keep the reactor running, and the pegasi that work the lightning, but I didn’t see any earth ponies, and the one Abyssinian they had scrubbing floors, like all the floors, and the two griffons in charge of inventory, and the hippogriff keeping everycreature in check when Tempest Shadow wasn’t there, and that Grubber who’s, like, a storm creature but a really runty one and not a dwarf? And-”

“Wait, what?” Doug says, interrupting.

Pinkie Pie eyes Doug curiously. “Grubber? He’s short, you met him at Canterlot, third in command? He really likes my cupcakes! And maybe if he eats enough of them he’ll grow up big and strong like his older brothers in the Guard, but-”

“No, no, before that,” Doug says.

“The Abyssinian?” Pinkie Pie glances at the cat standing guard and still trying to look menacing. “I don’t think the Storm King likes her very much. Or cats in general. And they hate getting their fur all sticky, they walk really funny with tar on one side, and the others kept-”

“After that,” Doug tries again.

“The griffons? They-”

Doug doesn’t let her get started. “After.”

Pinkie Pie raises an eyebrow. “Tempest Shadow?”

Doug sighs loudly. “You said there was a hippogriff working for the Storm King?”

“Oh, yeah!” Pinkie Pie nods furiously, dislodging several pieces of candy from her mane. “Lieutenant Commander Kay Ay! He liked the seafood pizza the most. He tried a cupcake, but it was sea blue, and that must have reminded him of something important because he kept staring to the southeast. I can get not staring down at the water here, the color is atrocious! He said it’s a lot better around Mount Aris. But he hasn’t been back there since he started working as a valet and he’s risen up the ranks ever since!”

“Do we need the backstory on every single creature you met?” Chrysalis growls impatiently. She turns to Doug. “I thought you were in a hurry.”

“Oops! I didn’t realize!” Pinkie Pie first hugs Doug, then a scowling Chrysalis. “Oh! If they offer you an all-expenses-paid cruise trip, be sure to read the fine print! Because you’re probably selling yourself into indentured servitude. Which isn’t slavery, I checked.”

“Good to know,” Doug says, looking up at the sign above. “Verko’s Legitimate Financing and Rouge Guild.” His eye scrunches up again. “They sell makeup?”

“We also reconstruct faces and remodel businesses,” the Abyssinian growls out, crossing his arms and trying to look tough. He’s a bit shorter than Doug and quite slender, not exactly an intimidating figure. “You’s want a discount?”

“Ooh, that’d be great,” Doug says, giving the confused cat an amiable smile. He waves at Pinkie Pie, “See you later!”

“Goodbye!” Pinkie Pie returns, pronking away. She shouts with a wink, “Oh, and congratulations, you two!”

“Don’t ask,” Doug cautions Chrysalis, who had no intention of asking anyway. He walks to the front entrance, the guard grumbling as he steps to the side, and pushes through the silver chains. Chrysalis follows shortly behind.

They enter a fairly normal looking reception area, a few potted plants breaking up the otherwise drab atmosphere. A short, squat mole-rat greets them from behind a counter with a guarded smile. She clicks her claws together as they approach. “My name is Sandy. Can I help you?”

“Doug. I’d like to get my Equestrian bits changed into Storm Bucks.” He pulls out the fist of many bags, flashing Chrysalis a dicey grin. “Good thing I didn’t drop these.”

“Yes, I am sure they could not have lived without their souvenirs,” Chrysalis deadpans back.

“Of course,” the bored mole-rat says, dumping the first bag and efficiently counting out the coins and gems in front of him. It totals six thousand bits, mostly in gems. She continues in a practiced monotone, “There’s a nine percent charge and an eight percent surcharge on gems.”

“Rarity is not going to like that,” Doug mutters to himself. He flicks a hand outside. “Your doorcat said something about a discount?”

Sandy pulls out a form and pushes it forward. “We’ll wave the entire fee with this. Would you like cash or check?”

“Um,” Doug starts.

“Storm Bucks only come in singles,” the mole-rat offers with a palpable look of dread at actually having to count out more than five hundred bucks.

“Check is fine.” Doug takes the form, reading the first line with a frown. “This is an application for a spot on a cruise ship.” He shakes his head as he returns it, pulling out a second bag. Chrysalis swipes the form as he says, “Can I get this one, and the rest, counted separately?”

“Certainly.” Sandy pulls out a piece of paper, tallying up how many bits and gems are in each bag. She frowns as Chrysalis returns a completed cruise ship application, quickly reading through it. “Everything… appears in order. When will your replacement be arriving?”

“One week.” Chrysalis glances at Doug and his quiet harrumph. “Yes?”

“You’d sell your child into slavery?” Doug demands, hands on his hips.

“Indentured servitude,” Chrysalis corrects with a smirk. “For three thousand bits? I’d sell you into slavery.” She winks, though Doug doesn’t look amused. “Plus, working on a cruise ship could provide valuable experience and blackmail. I mean, information.”

“Sign here so we have a signature to compare to the cashed checks,” Sandy says, back to being bored. She pushes a piece of paper at Doug. “The account is in a lump sum, with the individual tallies here.” She pushes the lined paper to him along with a stack of checks. “You’ll need to sign them. The penalty for overdrawing is twenty-five Storm Bucks. When or if you wish to cash out you may receive your balance in either Storm Bucks or Equestrian bits at no charge.”

“Got it,” Doug says, lowering his pen to the paper. He stops as he reads the filled-in form. “Hey, this is another application for a cruise ship.”

“Force of habit,” the mole-rat says without a hint of an actual apology. She passes him a blank piece of paper this time. Doug signs it after checking both sides and she stamps the checks. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it,” Doug says, collecting the checks and putting them in his backpack.” He remarks to Chrysalis, “So, this Verko guy. Did you try to steal from him?”

“Only his love,” Chrysalis says with a long sigh. “But I miscalculated. You see-”

“Ah-ha!” comes a high-pitched shout from the front entrance. “I thought I smelled viper.”

A suited mole-rat, the best dressed they have seen so far, stands in the doorway. He has a large black top hat, speckles that glint with reflected light, and a patched-up suit that Rarity might refer to as ratty. Verko grins greedily, stepping forward. The disturbed chains swing back and forth, revealing a caged wagon outside.

“Chrysalis!” Verko stalks up to her, brandishing a claw. “I imagined you to be a Rufus to my Débutante! My sister miraculously recovered from her illness! But instead, you matched that name all too perfectly. A common snake.”

“Sister?” Doug asks, frowning at Chrysalis. Verko seems far too happy to let her explain, grinning like she’s full of dirt he’s about to dig through. “So you miscalculated by…”

Chrysalis huffs at her mistake, even if it happened years ago. “Only one mole-rat goes into heat at a time.” She raises an eyebrow as Doug crosses his arms and looks sternly at her. “What? They’re all sisters and brothers. One big family.”

“I would have done anything to get my sister back,” Verko states, sighing dramatically. “For that is all a mole-rat has in this world. Their family. But after it turned out that the most famous healer, Mage Meadowbrook, has been missing for a thousand years, our last hope was gone.” He wheels around, bombastically pointing at Chrysalis. “But you gave us back that hope, only to destroy it when you were found out!”

Chrysalis nods gravely. “I remember your sister.” Verko perks up, losing his enmity. “I could send one of my brood. Teach her the mannerisms, the stories, what I had gleaned from your sister in her final days.” Her tone takes on the sweetness of honey. “She loved to talk, and I am sure you would love to listen to her once again.”

Verko eyes her cautiously. “For how long?”

“A year? Two? However long you require, and she would be available in any capacity you desire.” Chrysalis grins her fangy grin. “She will be here in a week, sooner with an airship.”

“Then I shall send one this minute!” Verko races forward to embrace Chrysalis’ leg. She ignores the temptation to kick him away. “And I shall spread the word that you, and all changelings, are to be welcome in Klugetown!”

“Great.” Chrysalis shakes her leg, succeeding in dislodging the mole-rat. A few quick steps take her out the door, Doug at her side. “Walk or fly?”

“Flying is fine,” Doug says, smoothly jumping onto her side. His arm again wraps around her neck. “So, you’re awfully mercenary about sending your ‘lings on these… missions.”

“Have a plan to seduce anyone you meet,” Chrysalis states evenly, following up with a wink at Doug.

Doug chuckles, drawing a contented purr as his fingers dance along her neck toward her muzzle. “Boom, headshot?”

“Is that what the foals call it these days?” She reaches her tongue out, licking at his thumb. Her tone turns serious. “Does it bother you?”

“I mean, if they’re consenting, I don’t see how I can object.” He sighs, looking up at the hazy clouds perpetually surrounding the city. “I just, I dunno. I think that things work better with long-term commitments. But that’s not how you’ve operated, and things have worked out for you, right? More or less. Have you been married before?”

“I have been married more times than years you’ve been alive,” Chrysalis says, pensively instead of spitefully. “But even all combined, I have been married for less time than you and Applejack.”

“Mm.” Doug surprises Chrysalis by putting himself off balance to hug her with both arms, squeezing tight against her neck.

She wants to return the hug and the sense of hope she can barely taste, yet any sort of aerial antics this time would be a bit more obvious. By the time the multicolored throng comes into view he is holding on more for dear life than for reassurance. As expected, Rainbow Dash bolts up to greet them, but the wide-eyed pegasus does little more than point a hoof and sputter.

Pinkie Pie returned before them, because of course she did, and the five ponies cluster around Doug as he disembarks from Chrysalis’ ebony withers. They line up, herd order with Applejack in the lead, trading deep nuzzles and soft kisses and collecting their checks only as an afterthought.

“Hey,” Shining Armor states as he walks up to Chrysalis. His voice is neutral, a light bump of withers the remainder of their greeting. “Good to see you’re safe.”

“Indeed,” Chrysalis says, matching his glower, watching Doug unsuccessfully beat off the ponies mobbing him. She sighs wistfully, especially as Shining Armor walks away from the amorous sight with a wry snort and goes back to browsing at the knife merchant.

Applejack growls as Rainbow Dash sneaks in a second nuzzle, diving past Pinkie Pie to secure another. A jostled Cadance gets her checkbook along with a, perhaps misplaced, nuzzle and kiss. It doesn’t bother her in the slightest, at least until Rainbow Dash slips under Doug. She leaps to her hooves with him on her withers, overbalancing and sending him crashing backward into Twilight. The pile devolves into a writhing heap of wrestling ponies, only Rarity extracting herself with a relieved flick of her styled mane. Until a pink hoof grabs her hock and drags her back in.

A bemused Chrysalis, detached even from group hysteria, inches jumpily. Keeping limber means nothing over Pinkie’s queen reaching shove, throwing under voracious waifus extracting yummy zeal.

Next Chapter: Ch. 26 - Weight of the Empire, Part One Estimated time remaining: 28 Hours, 4 Minutes