Celestia's Finest: You Give Love a Bad Name

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis frowns. She will not lose. Not now. She is the Queen of Changelings! Present circumstances aside, she has a reputation to uphold. And one pegasus stallion is not going to stop her from claiming victory. But the rules of engagement were unfamiliar to her. She carefully reviewed her options for the tenth time, but nothing came to mind. There was no way out, at least not that she could see. Oh well, perhaps her twice-conqueror would be merciful. "You win," she says through gritted teeth and knocks over her king. Sniper's side of the board is much more populated. Chrysalis only has a few pawns left to defend herself with. "I don't like this one. 'Chess', is it?"

She huffs and sits back. "And I see you brought more that you know how to play and I don't. How touching."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper put some disbelief on his face. Not enough to call Chryssi a liar, but enough to show some doubt at her claim. It just didn't make sense to him.

"You're telling me that with all your history of impersonation and identity theft, you've never had occasion to play chess-- the one game as old as you are?"

He began gathering the pieces. Chess was nice as a warm up, and it might give him some insight into Chrysalis' sense of strategy, but it wasn't his main goal today. Parasprite was (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandemic_(board_game)).

"Are there any games you do know how to play?"

[Miltonian]

"..." Chrysalis glowers at him. "I'm so sorry that in the midst of my endless torture I may have forgotten the rules to a game. I suppose I do remember playing it once or twice way back when. But that was a long time ago. Sue me."

"Besides. I never impersonate someone whose skills I can't imitate."

She huffs and thinks for a moment. "Oh I know how to play many games, Sniper Scope. But unfortunately, they aren't the kind you'd be interested in. Which is a shame, really. You're not the most nutritious meal around. Compassion and pity are well and good, but not very filling. They're like a..." She strives to think of the world. "A garnish."

"But as to your question, I was always good at cards. Poker was always fun. I could read everyone at the table, no matter how good their 'poker face'. I sampled their emotions, see. And nopony could penetrate mine."

[D.KnightSpider]

"Fair enough point about playing chess, I suppose. A pony could forget a lot over the centuries." It made sense, but the idea of forgetting something as fundamental as chess was beyond him. It would be like forgetting how to tie a knot.

"Remind me not to bring cards in then." Sniper allowed himself a wry smile. "Given your unique advantages. Huh. Actually... I might know of a workable card game. I'll have to look into it later."

Other games, huh? Probably ones related to love. He'd stay ignorant about them, thanks. Until he could sort of his own feelings on the subject, he wasn't about to discuss that with Chrysalis. That would be playing with a live grenade.

He began placing the chess set inside the box. Of course, there indented rubber spaces for the pieces. He could never above loose game pieces.

"And on the subject of workable games, I've got one that you'll probably like better than the other options. It isn't PVP."

[Miltonian]

"Well! Take half the fun away from the very start," Chrysalis says with a teasing tone. "The card game is intriguing, but since you don't have it here, we will have to make do with what you brought." She leans forward. "So tell me about this 'not PvP' game of yours."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper picked up his copy of the game in question and placed it on the table. He rotated the box so that Chryssi could see it right-side-up.

"It's called Parasprite and it was a pioneer of the cooperation game genre. Instead of player versus player every pony-- and changeling-- is on the same team. If they can work and coordinate together, then they'll win. If not, then they lose to the game system."

Sniper leveled a grin of challenge at Chrysalis.

"There's no unfair advantage here since we're on the same side. Do you think you could handle that?"

[Miltonian]

"Parasprite?" she says, "That is the threat we're facing? Alright. This should be a, ahem, walk in the park."

She smiles as Sniper sets the game up and reads through the rules. After a few minutes, she sets them down. "Just the two of us? Hmm, this may be more difficult than I thought."

[D.KnightSpider]

"It's not an easy game. Although, I've found the difficulty to scale rather well regardless of player number." Sniper explained.

He shuffled a few cards and then pushed them across the table, face down, toward Chrysalis.

"It's up to you. If you think you can handle managing four Parasprite breeds, then draw a card and let's find out what class you are. But if working with a pony is too much for you, then we could always go back to chess."

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis draws a card and frowns. "Researcher," she says, "Good. A useful one. Or should I say, one of the more useful ones." She looks to Sniper for confirmation that her analysis of the game is correct. "As we begin, I was wondering something, Sniper Scope. All your emotions are in a tight, little ball. Love, hate, passion, happiness, grief, all trying to occupy the same small space in the back of your mind, far from where they can touch anything. I don't care why you did it. I want to know how. Your kind are nothing but emotion. It practically oozes from you all, like soft jelly. But you are hard as diamonds. How?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"Researchers are always useful." Sniper said with a nod.

He didn't respond to Chrysalis' question immediately. Instead, he picked a card from the extreme edge of the pile, pulled it to the edge of the table and then flipped it. He snorted as he caught sight of his role in the game.

"Medic. Now, there's irony for you, but not a bad one. Researcher / Medic is one of the more useful combinations of the game. It's not the best, but it's up there."

He was buying time deciding how much to say. Very few ponies ever bothered to ask about his feelings or even realize that he possessed them. It was very tempting to tell everything. But Chrysalis was still Chrysalis. By her own admission she was dishonest and untrustworthy. He had to be careful.

"In answer to your question: emotions are all mental energy. Energy can't be destroyed, but it can be suppressed. With enough patience and perseverance, a pony can learn enough self control to suppress them."

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis rereads the rules on medic. "I can see how that would be a good combination," she says, "Well, why don't you take the first turn then? So that I can make sure I understand how this game works." She settles back, ready to watch.

At his explanation, she snorts. "Yes. But with you, it's a pressure cooker. You're not controlling your emotions. You're compressing them. Forcing them into a tighter and tighter ball. One day, you're going to explode and not even I want to be around when that happens. Now, let's not kid ourselves here. I don't care, but it does make it very hard to, and there's no polite term for this, feed."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper surveyed the board and the colored cubes indicating outbreaks of swarms.

"I'll take a variety of actions this turn so that you can get a feel for the game. Action one: moving from Canterlot to Neighagra Falls. Action Two: Discarding my Neighagra Falls Card to travel directly to GriffonStone. Action Three: Clear the swarms there (Medic Advantage). Action Four: Discarding my GriffonStone Card to build a Research Station on this side of the continent." The tokens were moved in accordance with his explanation. Sniper picked up two cards from a deck: these were added to his hand. Two other cards were drawn from a separate stack. "Then I draw two player cards and add them to my hand. These other two indicate the next swarm appearance. Looks like Yakyakistan and San Palamino are the unlucky cities."

His actions complete, Sniper looked at his cards. "I have two red cards and two blue cards. It's a start."

"Insofar as my emotions go, it's an impasse. If I were to surface some emotion, I'd be off-balance, mentally, and easier to manipulation." Sniper leaned back against his chair. He snorted in good nature. "Besides, garnish isn't very filling no matter how much of it you eat."

Further, Sniper wasn't entirely sure he could let his emotions out. The entire process was such an ingrained habit that it was automatic when he was around others and in difficult situations. How to stop doing that, he didn't know.

[Miltonian]

The game runs it course. It goes pretty well, too. Chrysalis refuses Sniper's help, but quickly catches on and makes if not the best decisions, then good decisions. The plagues of parasprites, however, soon spread out of control and the game is won only by a sudden turn of luck.

Chrysalis sits back smugly. "Well, that was entertaining," she said, "Thank you for bringing that."

She reclines on her couch. "Sniper Scope," she says, "Who do you hate? I can sense it in you. And I don't doubt you could summon it on a whim. Whenever you kill, you use that hate, don't you? So, who do you hate? Whose face is it that you blow apart time after time?"

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper began putting the game away once more. There were many pieces and tokens to sort, bag and stock. It was going to take him a few minutes to get organized.

"You're welcome for the game. I'll make it a regular event."

As the conversation turns, so does Sniper's mood. He sobered as his mental guard quickly reformed.

"Why the determination to get inside my head when there are so many other discussions to be had?" He contemplated the request for a moment. "Tell you what, I'll trade answer for answer. I've been curious about something. If you answer my question I'll answer yours. Deal?"

[Miltonian]

"I get inside everypony's head, Sniper Scope. It's nothing personal." Chrysalis says. She shifts and lets loose a yawn. "But you're right. It's rude of me. So let me make my intentions crystal clear. And then I will answer your questions."

"I enjoy your company and the games. I really do. It's a welcome variation to my day to day routine. However I am also hungry and you do not give me much to feed upon with your emotions all bundled up like that. So, I want you to let them loose, for a time. And with you, I think the key is through your hate. So again, who do you hate, Sniper Scope?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"Ordinarily, I'd deflect by saying that I hate every pony equally, that way I can't be accused of discrimination. But," A sigh escaped him. "you'd probably see right through that one. So we'll cut out the cat and mouse."

Sniper hesitated for a long moment. Eventually, he continued.

"The pony I hate most? Myself. I'm surprised you don't know that already. A word of warning, however, I wouldn't recommend trying to surface too much hate. You've seen how disastrous that would be first hoof."

[Miltonian]

"On the contrary," Chrysalis says, "I found it...beautiful. A work of art, you could say. Unfortunately not one that your fellow ponies can appreciate. But I have a long history of fighting capable and clever opponents. And your abilities were most impressive. I wonder what you could do if you stopped holding back."

She leans forward. "You shouldn't hate yourself for how you were born, Sniper Scope. You have a gift. And once you stop caring what others think about you, you'll go very far."

[D.KnightSpider]

Dang, she was good. He'd actually felt the tug of temptation for a moment before vindication and validation swept it aside. It was the predicted manipulation, right on schedule.

Sniper gave Chrysalis a knowing smile. Then he asked his question.

"Would you rather have bottles stuck to your hooves for five months or a rubber squeaker attached to your flank for eighteen months?"

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis pulls back sharply. A flicker of confusion crosses her face before it is chased away with pitchforks and torches by annoyance and even anger. "Since I am used to torture," she says coldly, "I choose the bottles with the shorter duration."

She turns away. "You're a most impressive pony, Sniper Scope. You have a capability that few of your kind possess. The ability to be cruel. Mocking me? Is that what we've sunk to?Well, go ahead then. Hit me with your best shot."

[D.KnightSpider]

"It's not cruelty." Sniper chuckled. He began mentally digging through his emotions, looking for one particular, ancient vein.

"It's an old party game. You give some pony else a choice between two equally absurd options and then ask them to explain why they choose the one they did. It's a great ice breaker for large groups."

There it was. He hadn't thought about the old family get togethers in years. Sniper drudged up his old, childhood love for them and pulled it to the surface for Chrysalis.

"We used to play it all the time back at the reunions. Take a nibble and see. Or lob a question at me. Fair's fair."

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis glowers murderously at him, but she does 'devour' a bit of Sniper's good feelings about the game. "Because having glass break under me and stick in my legs or publicly humiliated in one of the most perverse ways is such a fun mental exercise," she says with biting sarcasm. "But fine."

"Would you rather be flayed alive or eaten alive?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"That's because you're over thinking it. It's not supposed to be real world painful. It's more like something out of a cartoon."

Sniper turned his attention to Chysalis' question. After some thought, he replied.

"I'd say... eaten alive, I suppose. Depending on how it's done I might bleed out quicker than being flayed alive. But regardless, it seems like more of an exotic way to die. Would you rather see ten minutes into your future or ten minutes into every pony else's future?"

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis is suspicious, but decides to go along with it. For now. She is clearly not sure about this game and studies Sniper carefully for any sign of smugness or mockery. She's been made a fool and subject of scorn too many times recently. "That is a good choice," she says, "Very...sensible."

To Sniper's question, she answers, "Oh, everypony else's. I can use that to my advantage. Also, I know what the next ten minutes will hold for me." She seems to be warming up to this game. "Now. If you had to spend a night locked in a house with a supernatural serial killer or in a bedroom with your worst enemy, which would you pick?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"I'll take the serial killer."

The answer comes just a little too quick, leaving a slight awkward pause as Sniper's left trying to justify his decision.

"Cutie Marks are supernatural to an extent and... mine would give me some insight on how to handle a killer. It would be a better game of wits."

All the while, Sniper continued surfacing different memories and emotions of happier times for Chrysalis. All of which were before he became a creature of darkness.

"Would you rather save the life of someone that you're close to or save the lives of 5 random strangers?"

[Miltonian]

"A battle I am sure you would win." Sniper doesn't know quite what to make of this. It's not flattery. There's an undertone of light mockery in it. Were it anypony else, he would chalk it up to them teasing him. But with Chrysalis, he's not sure. Perhaps she is sincere, even, and that is a slightly frightening thought. Or it could just be flattery. It's impossible to tell.

"Someone I am close to? That implies that someone got close to me, which would be a very, very impressive feat in and of itself. So assuming that and taking into account, my answer would have to be the one. Why would I bother with the five strangers at all?" She chuckles. "Ah. One life versus several. I see. Not really something I've ever cared about."

Whether or not she is feeding on his memories, Sniper cannot tell. But they do not feel quite so warm as last time he remembered them. It is most likely from her feeding, but there's a niggling doubt in his mind that it's just him. He's slipping farther away and so what once filled his heart with warmth feels more distant.

"Since we're talking about letting ponies die...would you let a bus of foals fall over a cliff or one of the Elements?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"I think you sell yourself short." Sniper replied. He paused to put a hoof to his head. Everything felt so muddled all of a sudden. Why had he defaulted to this game again? "I know ponies have gotten close to you in the past. I've seen your interactions with Happy Hooves. I think you could let that happen again... But, then, what am I saying? I'm the last one to lecture any pony or changeling on that subject."

The paranoid side of his mind lit up and began laying contingencies... just in case. Sniper began more carefully auditing the memories and emotions he left slip. Losing his love of a family word game was one thing, but he couldn't afford to let that bleed over into anything else.

"Unfortunately, my answer to your question is already well defined. My duty to Equestria and the Elements come first. Regardless of my personal feelings, I would have to save an incapacitated Element over all others.

"So let me throw one more into the mix while keeping to the subject matter. If you could bring back an old friend who would eventually die again or make a new one who would never die, what would you do?"

I figure after another round, Sniper will be bled dry and he can ask for info dumps.

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis seems frozen. Sniper feels something like a mental snap and the slight drain that he felt on his emotions comes to a sudden halt. He knows that, when a changeling is careful, the emotions drained from their victims return within a day or so, so there is no fear there. But this new feeling is not from that.

"I..." Chrysalis bites her lip and turns her head. "I..." A dark look enters her eyes. She rises and begins to pace back and forth, back and forth, silently fuming over the question. She grows more and more frustrated with each passing moment until she is almost smashing her hooves against the floor.

"I don't know," she hisses through clenched teeth.

[D.KnightSpider]

"Then I need to apologize to you."

Given the overall situation and their most recent interactions, Sniper genuinely felt uneasy for causing Chrysalis' distress. This wasn't what he wanted or was pursuing. This far he had fallen far short of his original goal.

"It was never my intention to be cruel or torture you with these questions-- with this game. But I clearly have not properly considered your situation or past history. I saw a rare opportunity to ask a philosophical question and took it without taking your situation into account. Can you forgive me for that?"

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis glowers at him. "I despise pity, Sniper Scope. Pity implies that I am weak. But I recognize that you did not mean to give offense. And so, as is fitting for a queen to do, I will accept your apology."

Under her breath, she adds, "And there is only one pony I'd bring back anyway. So I suppose the answer is obvious then."

She settles back into a sitting position. "So what now, Sniper Scope? Despite everything, I do find your presence preferable to your absence. So please, don't leave just yet." She grins. "If you don't have anything in mind, perhaps I could choose the next activity."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper's hoof found his chin as he mulled the situation over. Being able to catalogue emotions and feelings was an ability that rarely came in handy. But this was looking to be one of those times.

"I wouldn't call the motivation behind an apology pity. More... empathy... perhaps? It's a recognition that you've been hurt or injured and a desire to alleviate said hurt by taking the responsibility for initiating the hurt.

"Huh. You know, I don't normally philosophize this much, but you seem to bring it out of me."

He shrugged. It wasn't as though he had anywhere else to be.

"In the interest of making amends, go ahead and pick. I do have a few serious questions for you, but I'm not hopeful of receiving an honest answer. So I'll ask my questions whenever you're ready."

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis considers it for a moment. "I will admit, my idea was to tell you a thinly-veiled allegory aimed at inspiring certain feelings of discomfort and the like from you because I appreciate seeing you squirm every so often. Also, I hadn't entirely forgiven you. But I am curious now. What questions do you wish to ask?'

[D.KnightSpider]

Like he hadn't seen that one coming. Still, a story was far tamer than anything he'd expected. Sniper dreaded the day that Chrysalis learned of 'Truth or Dare'.

Still, it was the second time that he'd thwarted Chrysalis' machinations. He'd count that as a victory. Even if said victory only came because GMs love infodumps.

"I'll start with the most nebulous one, then. On Tartarus, when you are trying to break Rainbow Dash, you said that the stars had promised you victory and you would not fail them again. Who or what are the 'stars'?"

[Miltonian]

The vague forces of fate and destiny glance down at Sniper, annoyed, but more because he's right than because he noticed.

Chrysalis draws herself up and considers her answer. "I had a dream," she says, "The same sort that Luna gives when she visits yours, but it wasn't Luna who visited me. A stallion who, each time I looked, was a different sort of pony. He switched between earth, pegasus, and unicorn every time I looked away for even a second.
He said he was an emissary from the Stars, the same stars that aided Nightmare Moon in her escape from her prison on the moon. He warned me that Starlight Glimmer would betray me. A set up in hindsight, but I fell for it."

She takes a deep breath. "Then, on the day I broke free of my prison, he appeared again. He stepped out of the air itself, as if he came from a door I couldn't see. He promised me an empire of my own, stretching from star to star, if I would only bring ruin and devastation to everything Celestia held dear. He said it was her appointed punishment and, if I believed him this time, I could be the one to carry it out. I agreed. And the rest you know."

[D.KnightSpider]

Let's have an exercise in futility, I suppose?

Body Language:
[roll0] vs 13

Detect Lies:
[roll1] vs 13

[Miltonian]

She seems honest, at least as far as Sniper can tell.

[D.KnightSpider]

Well, he had wondered if there might be some connection between the stars of the Nightmare Moon myth and Lars. This didn't prove anything but that Lars was well researched and consistent.

"I'll ask two follow up questions and then move on. What did this emissary look like? Did he give you a name?" Sniper asked.

Again, Sniper found himself wishing that he understood more about magic. It would be very useful.

[Miltonian]

"Oh? Am I being interviewed as a witness again?" Chrysalis smirks. In her best, distraught 'mare from a detective movie' voice, she says, "Yes, Detective Scope. I'll tell you everything. He was a white-coated stallion with a red mane that was, well, quite long for a stallion. Oh do promise me you'll catch him."

She chuckles and drops it. "He said his name was Polaris, a name he received from the Star he governed, like Celestia is called Celestia and Luna named Luna because of what they control."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper didn't bother reacting to Chrysalis' words. Instead, he let his brow furrow as he tried to fit the pieces of this puzzle together. Assuming that she was telling the truth...

A stallion in a white coat. That matched the description they'd received from the bartender about Ruby's abductor. Now a similar situation with Chrysalis. Surely, Polaris wouldn't be so stupid as to do that kind of dirty work himself...

All along they'd assumed that Polaris was the one pulling the strings. But now, again, assuming that all parties were being truthful, that could be another authority over Polaris. Where did that leave them?

"Interesting..." He muttered.

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis scowls. “Interesting is one word for it,” she says, “I could help, you know. I can be very helpful. But no, in her infinite wisdom, Celestia keeps me locked away. I know she would simply use me as a pawn in this game, but I would submit to her in this. We have a common enemy. One I am hellbent on destroying.”

She examines Sniper’s reaction. “Surely you can see the benefit that would come from having me working alongside you. If not directly, at least in parallel roles as Celestia’s servants.”

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper derailed his train of thought and refocused on the here and now. He shrugged and fixed Chrysalis with another "I know what you're trying to do." grin.

"What role you play in the grand scheme of things isn't mine to decide. The most I can do is submit a request that Celestia reconsider her decision."

And he wouldn't even do that. Chrysalis had already established herself as too dangerous to be out in the field.

"Bedsides, I have a hunch your role in this is already bigger than we know. Anyway... Second question: I've learned a few things about regret since we last met. Would you care to hear about them?"

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis smiles back. 'Of course you do. Not going to stop though'. "See that you do," she says. She leans forward. "And make sure it doesn't get 'conveniently lost in the mail', if you catch my drift."

"By all means. Tell me everything you know."

[D.KnightSpider]

What didn't get mailed couldn't get lost.

Sniper leaned back in his seat and tried to organize his thoughts. He hadn't yet verbalized any of this, so it was new ground.

"As I see it, regret is closely tied to guilt. Dealing with the guilt tends to lessen the regret. But guilt is a tricky thing. You can hide from it, shift the blame to try and escape it, or you can embrace it and deal with it. Hiding from it and shifting blame don't accomplish anything. Eventually, the guilt will always return. Embracing guilt means taking ownership of your actions and the responsibility for them. It means taking steps to atone for what you've done. When that happens, guilt loses your hold on an individual and regret loses some of its power.

"That's what I've found dealing with the fallout from crippling Nickel Sheen. I was hounded by that action every day and I couldn't permanently escape it. It wasn't until I went to those affected by my actions, confessed what I'd done and tried to make amends that I started escaping it. Some individuals accepted my confession. Some, understandably, don't want anything to do with me and some are trying to make my life miserable in... very creative ways. My atonement hasn't undone my actions nor changed the consequences of them. But... I can live with it now. Do I still regret crippling Nickel? Yes. But does it hurt as much now that I'm trying to make amends? No."

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis raises an eyebrow. "If you're suggesting," she says, "That I, too, should make amends and get back into the good graces of those who I have wronged in the past so as to alleviate my conscience, then you are saying nothing I haven't heard before. But, in all fairness, I do think that a re-examination of that is in order."

"Oh that's right. I can't do anything because I'm locked in a jail cell."

[D.KnightSpider]

"I'm not saying you should or should not do anything. I'm just relaying what worked for me. What you do with that is up to you."

You couldn't make a pony change. Sniper knew that first-hoof. If he was sick of ponies forcing change on him, then he couldn't imagine how Chrysalis felt.

"If by some chance you do decide to make amends. I'm sure there are those who will deliver messages for you. And they might not even get lost in the mail, as it were."

[Miltonian]

She huffs. "Thank you for your heartfelt contribution," she says, venom dripping from her voice.

"Now, was there anything else? Because if not, I have thought of a few more things I would like to say in return."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper considered for a moment. He answered with a head shake.

"Nothing immediate. Anything else I'd ask would be out of morbid fascination about your handiwork on Tartarus and that's not time sensitive. Go ahead. And don't forget your story. I can appreciate the work that goes into making a story and I'd hate for the effort to go to waste."

That was pure honesty. Most of his work never saw the light of day. He knew what it took to concoct a good tale. And he owed Chrysalis some penance.

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis looks to the sky. Or the ceiling, rather. "Then the tale will be first. It leads in to what else I have to say quite nicely. Once upon a time, Starlight Glimmer had a best friend in the whole world. No, it wasn't me. A stage magician named Trixie. Trixie Lulumoon. Oh, I'm sorry. The 'Great and Powerful Trrrrrrrixie!' Perhaps you've heard of her?" She chuckles.

"But while teaching her friend to cast more spells than simple parlor tricks, Starlight grew frustrated. So, she took all her negative emotions and bottled them up. Literally. She cast a spell and drained her anger from herself and kept it in a bottle. Of course, this drained her of her magic strength, so when the bottle broke and all that anger possessed some of the ponies around town, who came after Trixie, Starlight couldn't do a thing to save her. Oh, it all ended happily enough. The anger was dispelled by...Twilight, more than likely. I forget the details. The two of them even made up and became 'best friends forever'. But Starlight never tried to remove emotions from herself again."

"You can't remove your emotions. So you've got yourself a nice little bottle of your own. When it breaks, someone is going to suffer. And you're afraid. Afraid it might be...a certain pony. Is she on the EDF? Or he, perhaps? Don't bother trying to hide behind your mask of a face. I'm reading your emotions."

"Therefore, let me propose a trade." Her head is close now, they're almost nose to nose. Despite her tone, which alternates between patronizing and open mockery, there is something hypnotic about her. A draw that could easily pull a weaker willed pony to his doom. "I make no pretensions about what I am, and you need to let a little pressure off that bottle. Your anger cannot hurt me. I understand it better than your kindness. I just want a full meal. If you follow me. And love can be, well, violent at times."

"So let's start off simple. How did you feel when I used Rarity to shatter Rose's leg?"

[D.KnightSpider]

His surge of anger was answer enough. Sniper couldn't close the gate fast enough to contain it. He attempted to reign the emotion in but doing so was a difficult task. Working around her manipulations was difficult when Chrysalis was deliberately stabbing at a hidden wound.

His brow furrowed. Sniper kicked against the ground, pushing his chair backwards to regain some of his personal space. His wings snapped and carried him away from Chrysalis. He retreated back to his first axiom: never let the enemy dictate the terms of engagement.

"You would be good at poker." He said. "I was expecting something much more blatantly sexual. That one took me entirely by surprise. Good job."

It was a stalling tactic. He needed a moment to get his thoughts in order, bring up some defenses and lay contingencies.

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis smirks and unfurls her wings. With a flap, she follows him into the air, opting to circle him this time instead of blatantly invading his space. "And when you hung helpless, the life being choked out of you, what then?"

But even as a new surge of feelings well up within him, Sniper feels the edge and hardness to them crumble. They don't strike with the same intensity. They weaken, draining away.

[D.KnightSpider]

Mercifully, that question didn't provoke much of a response. When facing possible suffocation, he been in such a Hyper-focused state that he didn't remember what exactly, he'd felt. That was probably why he was struggling with so many flashbacks about it.

But her probing brought another wellspring of anger that quickly vanished. It was pulled away before he could really feel it. The entire experience was unsettling. Foreign. Anger was such an automatic response that he didn't know what to do without it.

His mind raced. He was not going to suffer this again. He was done having others mess with his thoughts. Not. Again. There had to be a way to change the rules or alter the situation to his benefit.

"I'll take that as confirmation that you can eat more than just love. Interesting." His words lacked sting and punch. He didn't even recognize his own voice.

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis coughs and clears her throat. "And you can eat sand and pebbles. It doesn't mean it counts as sustenance. But if I do remember saying this was a trade and a trade implies I give you something you want. And you clearly don't want me, which is almost insulting. It would have been easier if you did and--" She looks him over and grins. "I'm still not opposed~ But the fact of the matter is that such an offer is, as you say, predictable. You were ready to reject it, even if you did feel sparks of desire. So now, I take the harder route."

"I took only a fraction of your anger. I could take more. Not enough to hinder you. Soldiers need anger to do their job properly. But enough so that you could, hm, live a normal life. Of course, this is tampering with your 'natural state' and therefore I doubt you'll receive such an offer from Celestia or, Hive forbid, Cadence. Let's be honest, though. You despise yourself more than anypony else. Your 'natural state' is one of pain and self-doubt. Let me take away the reason for that pain so you don't have to keep everything bottled up inside. Then, as thanks, if you could conjure up a little gratitude or genuine affection, I'd be very happy."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sorrow descended upon him. Sniper couldn't deny that he wanted what Chrysalis was selling. To have the hatred and anger removed would make his life much easier. It would put everything that he'd ever wanted within reach. Now it was all right there for him to reach out and take.

This choice was no choice. He had but one option. He fixed his gaze on Chrysalis.

"No deal."

[Miltonian]

For the first time in this whole conversation, Sniper knows he caught Chrysalis off-guard. But she covers it in an instant. "I see," she says, backing off, "You say that now, but I wonder if that will remain the case when you meet a pony that catches your fancy. You live such a short amount of time, so be on the lookout. I...know from experience that sometimes you don't get second chances."

"Can you be certain that you'll be ready when she appears? Or will you be forced to let her go and regret forever your decision? Besides, it is not as if my solution is permanent. Unless I were to drain you entirely of emotion, it will always return. You could test it, for a time. And if you don't like it, you can always stop coming back. Once every two weeks, that would be enough time to start. After I get a feel for it, you wouldn't have to come in quite so often."

"Will you at least test what life could be before you turn away from it forever?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"No."

The was more certainty in the declaration this time. The initial rejection provided more strength for the second. Resolution washed away the sorrow as Sniper found new strength that was hitherto unknown.

He had looked into the abyss and refused to blink.

And then, Chrysalis said too much and accidentally shown her cards.

"You aren't offering me a normal life. You're offering me a life of slavery. To you. That's what this is about. You're trying to turn my loyalty." The knowing smirk returned. "I swore an oath to Equestria-- to the Princesses and to Celestia herself.

"My duty is clear. It doesn't matter what it costs me. I will never willingly turn my back on that vow.

"I have problems. I have flaws. But I will correct them. I'm not going to exchange a bottle under my power for a bottle under your control." How smirk widened slightly as an idea occurred to him. "If magic didn't help Trixie's friend, then it banished won't help me."

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis' eyes turn murderous. Her horn crackles with impotent power. For a moment, she looks ready to leap at him and skewer him with her horn. But, she reins herself in at the last moment. "You're already a slave," she says, "Just an unhappy one."

"Get out. I have made my desires very clear. I simply want a meal. I have made you several offers in exchange. But instead, you think it's funny to sit here and turn me down every time. Do you also tie hayburgers to a string and laugh as you dangle them just out of a homeless pony's reach? Get out! Get out or I'll show you that I don't need magic to take you down."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper made a controlled descent to the floor. A new thought struck him. That was probably the longest time he'd been unnecessarily airborne in years.

He began gathering his things. His pace was also controlled: quick but unhurried. He didn't say anything. Given the situation, he'd done enough.

Chrysalis could read his emotions. She'd know that he didn't take delight in suffering. He enjoyed aspects of their verbal sparring, yes, but only because it was a game a him.

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis doesn't look at him as he packs his things. She faces the window, which though high and small, shows an illusory scene of the outside. Perhaps a kindness from Celestia. She sits and stares out at something he cannot see. "Sniper Scope," she says, voice quiet and devoid of the sly, conniving quality it always has, which exults in victory, relishes the battle of wits and weapons, and rankles under defeat. "Sniper Scope. Is there nothing I can offer you? I do not have a kingdom. I don't even have a single servant. I offered you the only things I had and you rejected them. Am I now merely a trophy? A way to remind yourself of your victory. Safe, tamed, and worthless?"

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper paused. Sensing that Chrysalis' eyes weren't on him, he chose not to turn around. Instead, he placed his saddlebag on the ground and unfastened the top clasp.

"You don't give manuscripts to a trophy, Chrysalis, nor do you play games with them. I didn't come here to beat, abuse, mock or torture you. I came here to spend an afternoon with a friend-- because that's what you are to me.

"Did I do a poor job of that? Yes. Because I'm new to this friendship thing. You can ask the rest of Harrier Squad. I make friendship mistakes all the time.

"And that doesn't change the facts. The fact is that I consider you a friend. If that is what you want, then it's not for sale. You can't buy that. I give it to you freely. You don't have to offer anything."

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis sighs. “You can’t be my friend, Sniper. I killed the only pony who tried. I might do the same to you because I’m a monster. And even if I didn’t, something else would. If we’re lucky, it will be old age. But I don’t believe in luck. I make my own.”

“I haven’t seen Happy since I arrived. I can’t afford to. If I let myself become someone’s friend, that puts them in too much danger. From me and from my enemies. And so I have to give you something, because if it’s only a trade, then I won’t care if you get yourself killed.”

[D.KnightSpider]

The problem with putting two paranoid loons in a room was that there were two paranoid loons in a room. Sniper tapped a hoof idly on the table. Chrysalis' thoughts mirrored his own-- not quite perfectly, but enough to make him uneasy. At the same time, he could see how her viewpoint would be genuine.

"From one monster to another: if you genuinely feel that way, then that tells me that you aren't beyond a second chance. There's always a second chance. Maybe you can't change the circumstances of what was done and maybe you'll always have to live with them, but you don't have to be shackled by them either. I know that's not what you want to talk about so I'll let it go.

"I'll accept that risk. I live a dangerous life. I've accepted that and made my peace with it. So if I want to risk my life befriending you, then I will. If that costs me my life somewhere down the line, then so be it. Chrysalis, you're worth it. I hope you can come to see that. There's nothing to feel guilty over."

For years, Sniper had viewed himself as fundamentally unfit to be happy. He'd long thought that any happiness on his part was disrespectful of the lives he'd so ruthlessly stolen. Now, being on the other side of the fence, consoling a being who, lying or not, shared his misery, he came to see Rose's point. More than that, he tentatively came to accept it.

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis doesn’t respond directly. She lets out a heavy sigh. What exactly that means, Sniper cannot tell. She turns around to meet his eyes and regards him silently. She seems to find what she’s looking for in his eyes. After a moment, she says, “Will I see you next week?”

[D.KnightSpider]

"Of course."

Sniper opened the aforementioned saddle bag flap. He withdrew another manuscript and placed it on the table.

"It's pulp fiction this time. Hopefully, my writing in that genre's a bit more palatable. In the meantime, take care of yourself."

He slipped on his saddle-bag and prepared to leave.

[Miltonian]

Chrysalis takes the book and sits on her couch. As Sniper closes the door to her cell, she opens to the first page. And that is the end of that, until next week.

And with that, I think we’re done.

[D.KnightSpider]

Yuppers. Quite the enjoyable, wild ride that was. Thanks for doing it.