Desperate Devotion

Chapters

A Surprise Meeting
Ground Rules
Things Start Sinking In
Getting Comfortable
They're Doomed
Interlude
Calm Before The Storm
The Storm
Epilogue: Aftershocks

A Surprise Meeting

The cracking of twigs and crunching of leaves filled the air of the Everfree Forest. The air was hot, still and humid, insects buzzing all around. The sun abandoned these depths long ago, leaving only a weak trickle of light falling through the canopy above. The only places that weren’t dense with trees were the spots where powerful forces had razed the land, horrific creatures or devastating weather or other, more unspeakable things. These clearings held the only respite in the forest, but oftentimes, they also held the worst dangers of all.

It was in one of these clearings, or at least something like one, that the three ponies found themselves after following the directions given to them. Had it been empty, this mile wide stretch of land may well have been one of the most peaceful places in the Everfree, bright and sunny and filled with peaceful creatures. Instead it was nearly pitch dark, prompting a spark of magic to light things up, and there were only a few meters around the perimeter that were actually accessible.

In truth, this place was only a clearing in the sense that it didn’t have trees. What it did have, however, was a tree. A single tower of bark and leaves, stretching higher than the eyes can comprehend and wide enough to fill what was likely the largest clearing in the forest. The vast mass of intertwining branches above kept the sun at bay, allowing the trunk to serve as host to all manner of life that dwells in the dark. Long strips of glowing moss wound their way around, illuminating holes bored by birds and nests hung from branches. Here and there some creature had even dug caverns into the trunk, big enough for a bear yet high enough for a hawk. No doubt there were probably even stranger homes up near the treetop.

“Hoo-wee!” Applejack took her hat off to gaze up at the colossal structure. “Ain’t that a sight. Like somepony went and cored a mountain.”

Twilight Sparkle’s mouth was gaping. “Wow. How can we not see this from Ponyville?”

“This place is just weird like that,” Pinkie Pie told her with a shrug. “I say we just don’t worry about it.”

“I dunno, I’m still worried about plenty,” Applejack replied. “Remind me again why we’re even doin this?”

“I wouldn’t be much of a princess if I didn’t at least try,” Twilight said.

“Alright,” Applejack said, “but I still think it’s a bad idea.”

“Noted,” Twilight told her. “Again.”

“Why do you think she wanted to meet here?” Pinkie asked, still enraptured by the tree.

“Good place to hide a trap?” Applejack suggested, prompting an eye roll from Twilight.

Pinkie didn’t seem to hear her. “Maybe she just thinks it’s pretty.”

“My, it is so refreshing to see that at least one of you still believes me capable of positive emotion.”

Applejack and Twilight wheeled around to face the voice coming from the forest behind them. Pinkie did the same, but at a far more lazy pace.

A shadowy figure stepped out from the cover of the trees, letting the soft glow from Twilight’s horn wash over her. The purple light did little to lighten her dark features, and it completely failed to mask the radiant green that gleamed from her eyes and seemed almost to wrap around her in a sickly aura. The towering changeling gave a formal bow as she joined the clandestine meeting.

“How nice of you to join us, Chrysalis,” Twilight said dryly.

“Queen Chrysalis, my dear,” she corrected. “Surely a princess should strive to be formal with another nation’s queen.”

“Former queen,” Twilight corrected back, eliciting a low growl from Chrysalis that she quickly stifled.

“So,” Pinkie spoke up, interrupting their squabbling, “were you just, like, hiding in the woods waiting for a good time for a dramatic entrance?”

Chrysalis glared at her. “Let’s get this meeting underway, yes? You haven’t attacked me, so I assume you’ve decided to hear me out?”

“We’ll see,” Twilight said. “Attacking is still on the table.”

Chrysalis laughed haughtily. “Oh, Twilight.” With a flash of her horn, she teleported to the other side of the ponies to stand against the tree. “You really are no good at threats.”

“I don’t have to be.” Twilight walked up to stand face to face with Chrysalis. “Just tell me what you want.”

Chrysalis laughed again. “Well, dear, that’s the best part! I’ve come to ask you out on a date.”

Twilight and Applejack both recoiled, while Pinkie cooed in interest and bounced up to join the conversation. “Ooh, fun! See Twilight, I told you this was a good idea.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes. “What’s your play here, Chrysalis?”

“Is it really so shocking for me to want somepony to be with?” Chrysalis asked. The question was met with suspicious glares. “You’re right, I suppose it is. Well, that’s the true genius of this new plan. Telling you is part of it.”

“Are you gonna start makin sense any time soon?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah,” Twilight agreed, “I’m really not following.”

Chrysalis sighed. “Yes, well, I was explaining it. As you may have expected, I am hoping to rule Equestria.” She started to pace back and forth as she monologued, gesturing grandly. “I am not, however, naive. I know that you would stop me. So.” She stopped in front of Twilight and leaned forward so their faces were inches apart. “We’re going to fall in love. Then your love will overpower your good nature, and you’ll join me in ruling over this land!” She backed away and stood proudly, an evil grin on her face.

There was a beat of silence before Applejack spoke up. “So, we attack her now, right?”

“Yeah,” Twilight agreed.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Chrysalis said, putting a hoof up to stall them. “Twilight, think about this. You’re the princess of friendship! Think about if my plan fails. Why, we could fall in love only for me to be the one won over by her heart. Surely you can’t pass up this chance to redeem your greatest foe? I know that it's a risk I'm willing to take.”

There was a much longer silence this time before Applejack spoke up. “So… Are we gonna attack her?”

Twilight sighed. “I don’t know, Applejack. I think it might work.”

“Of course it’ll work,” Pinkie told her. “Twilight, you’ll never turn evil. It’s a free redemption!”

Chrysalis chuckled and patted Pinkie’s head. “I think I like you. You’ll make a lovely in-law.” She paused and thought for a moment. “You two are sisters, right?”

Twilight groaned. “At least learn who we all are.”

Without warning, Twilight horn flashed and the world around the group vanished. The darkness and dread of the Everfree Forest was replaced with the bubbly sunshine of Ponyville as Twilight teleported the group back home. Lazy clouds drifted past the town center they found themselves in, filtering the harsh afternoon sun into a pleasant glow.

In the distance, screams could be heard as ponies who recognized the changeling queen ran for their lives.

Twilight looked at her stunned companions, including a dazed Chrysalis, and gave a sly laugh. “Well, here we are. I hope you have a good date planned.” She lowered her voice to a faux whisper. “I have kind of high standards.”

“Wh- now?” Chrysalis took a nervous step back.

“Yes, now,” Twilight said adamantly. “I need to see that you actually mean this.”

Applejack sighed. “Well, ain't no stoppin her now that she's got the idea in her head,” she said. “I guess me and Pinkie oughta go tell the town that Chrysalis is visiting and there’s no need to worry. Have fun with your… Thing.”

“Bye-bye!” Pinkie called out as Applejack dragged her away.

Chrysalis was still stunned, and Twilight got a devious grin. “Just you and me now,” she said. “Have you thought of something to do yet?”

Chrysalis huffed and stood straight up. “Of course I have a date planned out. It’s only a first date, after all. We’ll simply go to a restaurant. Now, if you would… Lead us to your favorite place to eat.”

Twilight laughed and started to walk down a street. “Uh-huh. Let’s go enact this evil plan of yours then.”

The two of them walked side by side through Ponyville, turning heads and sending onlookers running. Twilight smiled sheepishly at the other ponies, trying in vain to convince them that everything was alright, but very few ponies were left outside by the time they reached their destination.

Twilight had brought Chrysalis to a humble little diner at the edge of town. It was small and didn’t serve much, but Twilight knew the owners and they always seemed happy to give her a quiet place to take a break. Most importantly, though, they had outdoor seating. Ponyville was, of course, equipped to serve ponies at least as large as Celestia, but it was a bit of a process. Rather than force awkward last minute preparations on somepony, Twilight waved to the owners through the window and directed Chrysalis to take a seat.

Chrysalis looked down her nose at the tiny table. “This is it? You have nothing more… Grand?”

“This is it,” Twilight told her. “The chairs are a bit small, but Ponyville has remarkably soft ground.” She put a hoof to her mouth and chuckled.

Chrysalis scoffed. “I’m a queen! I will not sit on the ground like a… Like…”

“Like a pony?” Twilight offered before rolling her eyes. “Here,” she said, pushing aside her own chair. Then she sat on the ground herself. Her head barely made it over the edge of the table, so she leaned her chin on it. “Does this make you feel better?”

Chrysalis eyed her. “Not particularly. But…” She let out a heavy sigh and sat down opposite Twilight. “I suppose that after lowering myself enough to ask you out, I’ve no pride left to swallow.”

“I’m sure it’ll grow back,” Twilight said with a grin.

The front door to the diner opened as a stout blue stallion came out to greet them, levitating a notepad beside himself. “It’s, um, lovely to see you, Princess,” He said to Twilight. “I’m afraid I’m not acquainted with your… Guest.”

“I am Queen Chrysalis,” she told him with her head held high. A mischievous look flashed in her eyes, and she reached over to pat Twilight’s head playfully. “Twily and I are forging an everlasting bond.”

Twilight glared at her. “Former queen,” she corrected.

Chrysalis sighed. “How about we compromise and say future queen? Oh, I do like the sound of that.”

Chrysalis laughed as the waiter looked awkwardly between the two. “Well, um, I hope your date goes well,” he said. “What can I get you?”

“Ah.” Chrysalis hummed in thought. “Right. I don’t actually need to eat, so I’ll pass.”

“Nonsense,” Twilight said. “You can’t take a date out to eat and then not eat. Bring us a milkshake to share, that’s always romantic.”

Chrysalis looked slightly horrified, but the stallion nodded and wrote down the order. “Got it, Princess,” he said. “Be back in a jiffy.”

The stallion left to fill their order. As the door clicked shut, Twilight let out a long held breath before staring daggers at Chrysalis. “Do not call me Twily.”

Chrysalis pouted. “Why ever not? It’s such a cute nickname.”

“You know why,” Twilight said angrily. “The banter is one thing, but if you think I’m just going to forget what you did to my brother and Cadence, you’re out of your mind.”

“Fine,” Chrysalis whined. “No nicknames then.”

Twilight sighed and put her head in her hooves. “Chrysalis, what exactly are you hoping to accomplish here? You can’t just annoy me into loving you.”

“Well, it’s only the first date,” Chrysalis replied. “I can’t expect you to see how glorious I am right away. Can’t I have some fun while I wait?”

“That’s not how dating works!”

“What, am I just supposed to pretend I’m some average, boring changeling?” Chrysalis asked.

“That’s not- I-” Twilight growled in frustration. “You’re supposed to try. These feelings don’t just happen out of nowhere, they take work.” She pointed sharply at Chrysalis. “You have to actually be interested in me, not just how you can use me.”

“I’m interested in you,” Chrysalis objected. “I said we would rule together.”

“Some future me you have in your head isn’t me, though. Can you name even one thing you like about me?”

"Of course I can." Chrysalis thought for a moment. “Well… I suppose I admire your strength.”

Twilight leaned back and crossed her legs in front of her chest. “Elaborate.”

“I don’t know,” Chrysalis said defensively. “You’re just the first pony who’s thought they’re my equal and been able to back it up. Listen, I don’t exactly see you falling head over hooves in attraction to me.”

“No, but I’m at least trying. I can imagine finding things I like in you.” She gestured vaguely at Chrysalis. “You still look at me like I’m dirt.”

“I do not. I-” Chrysalis stammered to a stop as the waiter that neither of them had noticed put a drink on the table between them.

“Uhhh,” the waiter muttered, “this one’s on the house, Princess. Just, um, try to enjoy the rest of your night.”

He awkwardly scurried back inside, leaving the couple staring at the milkshake in a stunned silence. A cold wind blew past them, billowing their manes and sending a chill down their spines.

After a minute, Twilight sighed and leaned hard on the table. “Okay, look. The plain fact is that we don’t like each other. This isn’t going to work unless that changes, and it won’t change if we’re both antagonizing each other at every opportunity. Like I said, banter if fine, but… Chrysalis, I’m not evil. There’s a limit, and you’re going to have to find it.”

Chrysalis was silent for a long moment, her eyes locked onto Twilight. She found herself staring at the pony’s mane as it was flowing in the breeze, the rhythmic waves seemingly in tune with her thoughts, until she finally spoke up. "I suppose I was being a touch... Flippant. As you said, this will take work. We'll both have to be mindful of that going forward."

Twilight’s head sagged in relief. “Thank you,” she breathed out. Then she looked back up and forced a smile. “So. How about that milkshake?”

Chrysalis leaned back nervously. “You were serious about that?”

“Of course.” Twilight leaned forward and drank from one of the straws. “At least try it.”

Chrysalis groaned and leaned down to take a drink. Her face contorted as she did, first with disgust, then relaxing back to something neutral, before returning to disgust as she fought to swallow it.

“I’m assuming you didn’t like it?” Twilight asked.

“It was…” She thought for a moment to find the words. “Better than most pony food I’ve eaten. Not that that's a high bar.” She made a show of sticking her tongue out and trying to scrape the taste off.

Twilight let out a soft giggle and grabbed the glass, pulling it closer. “I figured you’d hate it,” she said. “You don’t have to have any more. I just wanted to see if you’d try it, and I am pleased to say that you impressed me.”

Chrysalis huffed and leaned on the table as Twilight sipped more. “Are you going to test me often, princess?”

"Hmm." Twilight thought as she drank her dessert. "I suppose that is what I did, isn’t it? I’m sorry. I’ll try not to make a habit of it.”

Chrysalis gave her a puzzled look. “Sorry? I’m your arch nemesis, some tests are to be expected.”

Twilight shook her head. “Not if we’re dating. I need to learn to trust you, at least a bit.”

Chrysalis watched her in silent thought as Twilight finished off the milkshake. She slurped loudly as she sucked up the last little bits, and when she sat back again she brought a dollop of whipped cream with her, stuck to her nose. Absentmindedly, Chrysalis reached forward and wiped it off.

Twilight was stunned for a moment. “That was… Intimate.”

“Was it?” Chrysalis looked at her questioningly. “You ponies find the strangest things to be meaningful.”

“No, really, it is,” Twilight insisted. “Here, watch.” She levitated a bit of whipped cream up out of the glass and dropped it on Chrysalis’ nose, making the changeling recoil in shock. Then Twilight leaned forward, and… couldn’t quite reach Chrysalis. She wound up having to climb halfway up onto the table before she could reach her date’s nose, picking up the dessert with a quick flick and licking it off her hoof before settling back down at her seat.

Chrysalis was wide-eyed, and Twilight thought she could almost see a hint of red in her cheeks. “Ah. I see.” A cloud blotted out the sun as she coughed awkwardly. “Oh, look at that, it’s dark,” she said suddenly. “I suppose we must bring this date to a close.”

Twilight laughed and grinned. “You’re not escaping that easily,” she told Chrysalis. “Not when we finally started having fun. Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”

“What are you—” Chrysalis was cut off by a flash of Twilight’s horn as she teleported them away. The world around vanished, replaced by a vast darkness. The whistling wind was gone, and now the sound of a distant waterfall filled the air.

Slowly, Chrysalis’ eyes adjusted to the dark, and she took in where they were. They were sitting on a cliff overlooking a vast cave, easily the size of Ponyville. On the far end, water streamed from the wall and into a river that ran past the crags and stalagmites on the cave floor. It should have been pitch dark, but the massive crystals lodged into the walls of the cave reflected a light that seemed to emanate from below the water, giving the world a flickering glow.

Twilight scooted herself closer to Chrysalis. “Like it?” she whispered.

“I—” Chrysalis stared out over the abyss, gazing in wonder, until her eyes stopped to rest on Twilight’s expectant grin. “Yes, Twilight. I do like it.”

Twilight giggled and clapped her hooves together. “I’ve wanted to bring a date here for ages. It’s just incredible, isn’t it?” She looked out wistfully over the landscape. “From up here, it hardly looks real. It’s even better if you’ve been up close. Like, see that stalagmite over there?” She pointed to a little spire of rock near a bend in the river. “It’s bigger than Rarity’s house.”

Chrysalis looked at it in silence for a moment. “Twilight,” she said eventually, “I have no idea how big Rarity’s house is.”

Twilight laughed. “Right. Well, it’s big, is the point.” Casually, Twilight wrapped a leg around one of Chrysalis’. “It really puts into perspective how small we are, and how big Equestria is.”

“You know,” Chrysalis said, “if we ruled Equestria together, you’d be able to see all the places like this in Equestria.”

Twilight sighed. “See, I don’t believe that. You know why? Because you’ve been here before.”

“What?” Chrysalis looked at Twilight. “I have not.”

Twilight nodded. “You have. We’re below Canterlot. Those caves down on the ground are where you dumped me and Cadence.”

Chrysalis looked in wonderment at the caves. “You must be mistaken.”

“I know I’m not. I didn’t think you would recognize it. You got so caught up in the idea of ruling Equestria, you never stopped to look at the place you wanted to rule.”

“I suppose I didn’t,” Chrysalis said. She looked down at Twilight, watching the little pony as she gazed out into the cave.

“You know,” Twilight said without turning her head, “I think this is the part where we’re supposed to kiss.”

“Wh— It—” Chrysalis stammered.

Twilight turned to her and grinned. “Kidding.” She got closer to Chrysalis and leaned up against her. “Maybe next time.”

“Maybe,” Chrysalis agreed, and they fell into a comfortable quiet, just watching the beauty together.

Ground Rules

“I don’t think—”

“I know.”

“But she’s—”

“I know.”

“She’s just gonna—”

“I know!” Twilight groaned and put her head in her hooves.

Twilight was, at this point, nearing the end of a very long and exhausting conversation. She sat alongside Applejack and Pinkie Pie at the largest table in Sugarcube Corner as they awaited their fourth guest. The bakery always tended to be the place to host Princess Celestia during her visits, so it was a natural choice of venue. Not an easy choice, as Twilight put up quite a fuss about treating somepony else like Celestia, but it was a natural one.

Their guest was, as expected, running late, and tensions had begun to rise while they waited. It had gotten to the point where Pinkie was anxiously bouncing her leg under the table, hoping for anything to end the argument she was stuck in the middle of.

“You aint listenin to me!” Applejack slapped her hat down onto the table in frustration. “She’s using you! Surely you can see that there’s no way she would actually let herself fall for you.”

“You weren’t there,” Twilight said. “You have no way of knowing if she seemed invested or not.”

“Your brother thought she was invested,” Applejack told her, “and look where that landed him.”

“My brother was under a spell! Do you really think I’m so impulsive that I wouldn’t take precautions for things like that?”

“Honestly? Yeah, I kinda do,” Applejack said. “You jumped into this without consulting any of us! You can’t just assume none of us would have any issues with it.”

“I do not need your permission to get a girlfriend!” Twilight stamped a hoof on the table for emphasis.

“No, but you’re smart enough that you should consider getting our input before jumpin into league with the queen of evil!”

“Really, Applejack,” Twilight said, “I’ve thought of every single thing that could go wrong already. I know the risks.”

“That ain’t how it looks from where I’m sittin,” Applejack argued. “It looks to me like somepony is ignoring her common sense cuz she got caught up in the idea of datin some bug woman she thinks is pretty.”

Twilight recoiled in shock. “I- Wh-” she shook her head and growled in frustration. “I am not the kind of pony to let my judgement get clouded just because I am actually capable of setting aside my preconceptions.”

“Now you listen he—”

“Girls!” Pinkie stuck a hoof in each of their mouths and sighed. When it seemed like they were going to be quiet, she slowly leaned back again. “Thank you. If you two wanna lob insults at each other, go do it somewhere else, cuz I will not have that meanness in my party palace!”

Applejack leaned back and put her hat back on before crossing her legs in front of her chest and grumbling under her breath. Twilight, meanwhile, just sighed and laid her head on the table. “I’m sorry, Pinkie,” she said.

Pinkie rolled her eyes and puffed a strand of hair out of her face. “Don’t say sorry to me. I’m not the one tearing my friendship apart over Chrysalis.”

“Yeah…” Twilight thought for a moment before pushing herself up off the table. “Sorry, Applejack. I really am listening to you, I promise.”

Applejack grumbled something again and turned her head away, but a kick from Pinkie prompted her to speak up. “Yeah, alright. I’m sorry. I just… I’m worried for ya.”

“I know you are,” Twilight told her, “and I’m glad you care about me enough to bring it up. I need to do this, though. Can you please try to just trust that I’m listening to you even if I don’t take action?”

Applejack hummed in thought. “Yeah,” she finally said, “I figure I can do that much.”

“Hooray!” Pinkie pulled both of them into an uncomfortable hug. “Friendship saved.”

Twilight laughed and pulled herself out of the vice grip. “Pinkie, our friendship wasn’t going to end over one argument.”

Pinkie let go of Applejack and plopped back into her seat. Before she could say anything more, the bell over the door rang, announcing the arrival of their final guest.

“I will never understand your strange fascination with doors,” Chrysalis said as she made her way over to the group. “Ah, but you do have excellent taste in seating.” With a wicked grin, she made herself comfortable in Celestia’s seat and let out a sigh of comfort. “I could get used to this.”

“Nice of you to finally join us,” Twilight said sarcastically.

Chrysalis waved her hoof dismissively. “Oh, what’s an hour or so between friends?”

“Do you not realize who you’re datin?” Applejack asked her.

“Oh, is it official?” Chrysalis smiled excitedly. “Thank you so much for the excellent news, um…” She narrowed her eyes at Applejack. “Rarity, right?” Applejack growled and glared at her.

“It’s not official if you keep acting like this,” Twilight told her. “Do you not remember anything we talked about last time?”

“Yes, yes, I have to be ‘friendly.’” Chrysalis leaned her head back and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Really, Princess, can’t you just give me some sort of list of rules to follow?”

Twilight grinned. “That’s exactly why we’re here today,” she said, eliciting a skeptical look from Chrysalis. “We need to set some ground rules.”

“Really?” Chrysalis leaned forward and rested her chin on her hooves. “Wow, Twilight, what a thrilling second date you’ve planned. Why, you even brought backup.”

“We’re ‘mediators,’” Pinkie told her with a grin.

“Right,” Chrysalis groaned.

“Listen,” Twilight told her, “we both know this thing isn’t going to be easy. We’ll both be out of our comfort zones, and we need to know how far out we’re both willing to go.” A hint of mischief crept into her voice. “Of course, there is always the backup plan.”

“Which is?” Chrysalis asked.

“Well, I’m just the princess of friendship,” Twilight explained. “We could always go get help from the one who specializes in love.”

Chrysalis cringed at the thought of having to turn to Cadence for help. “Fine. The rules, then. My first one is that I’m not eating any pony food.”

“That’s something you can just say no to,” Twilight said. “I mean things more along the lines of ‘we have to be honest and not trick each other into doing things.’ So, no getting me to help some evil scheme without realizing it.”

“You realize that means that you can’t trick me into doing good things, right?” Chrysalis asked.

“Of course,” Twilight said. “You’re not a prisoner. We’re in this as equals.”

Chrysalis eyed Twilight for a moment as she thought. She narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, examining her, and Twilight smirked and mirrored the movement, leaning forward until their noses almost touched.

“Gah!” Applejack looked away and covered her eyes. “I do not wanna see you two kiss.”

“Ooh, I do!” Pinkie added.

Twilight and Chrysalis both shot back into their seats, a small blush forming on Twilight’s cheeks. “We weren’t going to!” Twilight said. “We were just…” She turned to Chrysalis. “What were you doing?”

“I just don’t know what to make of you,” Chrysalis explained. “I was thinking.”

“Real funny way of thinkin,” Applejack grumbled as she pulled her hat down to cover her red face.

Chrysalis grinned wickedly and turned to Applejack. “You know, if this works we are going to kiss eventually.”

Applejack buried her face in her hat. “I don’t wanna know about it!”

“I do!” Pinkie repeated. “Geez, AJ, since when are you such a prude?”

“Since our friend hooked up with a lady straight outta my nightmares!” Applejack gestured vaguely at Chrysalis, then caught her eye and winced. “Uh, no offense.”

Chrysalis chuckled. “Oh, none taken. I’m flattered that you have nightmares about me. Have I kissed Twilight in those?” Applejack’s face went red as she glared at Chrysalis.

“We’re getting off track,” Twilight asserted, trying to get everypony’s attention back. “Nopony’s kissing anypony.”

“I can’t make that promise,” Pinkie said.

“Focus! We only have one thing so far, at this rate we’re going to be here all night.”

“Well, how about this,” Chrysalis said. “As fun as it’s been to tease Applejack here, I can’t say I’m a fan of these surprise visits from your friends. I almost feel like I’m being interrogated.”

“So, make sure we mention if we’re planning to bring somepony along?” Twilight nodded. “That works.”

“I think we should go back to the kissing,” Pinkie said.

“Pinkie,” Twilight chided.

“No, listen!” Pinkie stuck out a hoof to get her to wait. “We were joking around, but you two don’t actually know what the other is expecting in the future, right? What if one of you is never gonna wanna kiss? That’s important to know!”

“I guess you’re right…” Twilight hesitated awkwardly. “Um, Chrysalis? What are your thoughts?”

“It’s hard to say,” Chrysalis replied. “I feel no repulsion at the thought, and… I didn’t dislike your shows of intimacy on our first date.” Twilight couldn’t help but smile at hearing that.

There was a thump as Applejack’s head hit the table, buried as deeply as possible into her hat. “Please,” came her muffled voice, “I can’t handle hearin any details.”

Twilight chuckled. “Well, it sounds like neither of us have any qualms at the moment. Let me know if that changes.”

“Anything else?” Chrysalis asked.

“Nothing off the top of my head,” Twilight said. “Really, a lot of this meeting was just to establish that we can set these boundaries. I don’t want you to feel trapped or like you can’t speak up.”

“I see…” Chrysalis gave Twilight a puzzled look. “Why are you going to such great lengths to make me comfortable?”

Twilight pursed her lips in thought. “I guess I’m just worried,” she finally decided. “I mean, we both came into this with ulterior motives. That doesn’t feel very… Healthy.”

“Well, it’s not like we can actually act on those motives,” Chrysalis said. “You certainly won’t turn to darkness until you’re well and truly in love with me.”

“Sure,” Twilight agreed, “but we’ll still be spending every date trying to find ways to tempt each other or show how good our side is.”

“Sounds to me like you need to forget about your motives,” Applejack offered.

“Oh, no,” Twilight said. “No memory spells. That is a terrible idea.”

“I’m not going to let any of you tamper with my state of mind,” Chrysalis added.

“What about a vacation?” Pinkie asked. All the others turned to look at her curiously. “You know, like… A break? If you’re not doing the stuff in the first place, you can’t really tempt each other with it, right?”

“I can’t just stop being a princess,” Twilight said.

“Pfft.” Pinkie waved her hoof. “As if Chrysalis is gonna get redeemed cuz she saw you signing autographs. Nah, I mean take a break from, like, being good. Just be a normal princess who doesn’t protect the world from impending doom.”

“But Equestria needs—”

Pinkie cut Twilight off. “We can handle it. I mean, Chrysalis will have to take a break too. Both sides will be down one.”

“I can’t exactly get much work done around here anyway,” Chrysalis admitted. “I would be willing to try.”

“I don’t like this,” Applejack said, "but it does sound like it would help."

Twilight put a hoof to her chin and thought for a moment before nodding decisively. “Alright. I’ll stop being good, and Chrysalis will stop being evil. At least until we’re in love. So… Until we’re married?” She stuck a hoof out towards Chrysalis to seal the deal.

“That works for me.” Chrysalis clapped her own hoof against Twilight’s. Just as she did, Twilight’s horn flashed with a light that then drifted down to surround their hooves. Then the light bent and warped, molding itself into two matching ornate bracelets that tightened around their legs.

Chrysalis pulled her hoof away and stared at the bracelet. “Care to explain, Princess?”

“Promise spell,” Twilight said proudly. “If either of us breaks our end of the deal, both bracelets will shatter. That way, there’s no hiding it.”

“Do you not trust me?” Chrysalis put on her best mock-hurt voice.

“Hey, I’m wearing it too,” Twilight told her. “I don’t trust either of us.”

Chrysalis laughed. “Fair enough. Are there stakes for this promise?”

“If one of us breaks it,” Twilight decided, “then it’s on to Plan B. We go to see Cadence.”

Chrysalis grimaced. “Perhaps I should have asked that before making the deal.”

“Too late now,” Twilight said, and she flashed Chrysalis a toothy grin. “So, anything else? From anypony?” None of them spoke up, so Twilight hopped out of her seat. “Alright, meeting adjourned. Chrissy, you’re on for our next date. Pick me up tomorrow evening.”

Before Chrysalis could respond, Twilight gave her a playful nuzzle, then lit up her horn and disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

“Well, really,” Chrysalis said after a moment, “that was rude. What kind of pony just disappears in the middle of a conversation for the sake of theatrics?”

Author's Note

There seemed to be a consensus that this story could be continued, and I don't disagree, so here we go. I'm not sure how long it'll be. Long Enough. I think it'll be a fun ride.

Things Start Sinking In

Chrysalis coughed awkwardly as she stood outside Twilight’s castle. It was a brisk fall afternoon, just windy enough to be comfortably cool. Ponies walking by watched her suspiciously and gave her a wide berth. At one point she shot one a contemptuous glare and they took off running, much to her amusement.

After what seemed like an endless wait, the door finally opened as Twilight stepped outside. She was dressed up, wearing a light scarf with tall boots, and she had a toothy grin on her face.

“Wow,” Twilight said, “you’re actually on time.”

“Yes, I thought I’d give it a try,” Chrysalis replied. “I can’t say I care for the waiting.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting you so soon, so I kind of had to scramble to get ready.” Twilight turned to the side and posed for Chrysalis. “Like it?”

Chrysalis looked her over carefully, taking in the little cyan scarf and sturdy boots that rose nearly to her knees. Together they gave Twilight a much more confident look than she normally had. Then she noticed a quaint little hairpin situated right before Twilight’s ear, adorned with a little green beetle that accentuated her mane nicely. The mane itself was flowing nicely in the breeze, waving in just the right way to draw the eyes back to Twilight’s cheery smile.

Chrysalis realized she had been looking for too long. “Well,” she said, “I can’t say I understand fashion much, but I suppose the colors are pleasant enough.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “We need to work on your flirting. You don’t need to know fashion to tell me I’m cute.”

“I don’t find things cute,” Chrysalis told her. She paused for a moment. “I am tempted, though.”

“I’ll take it.” Twilight chuckled and skipped down to the street. “Let’s go, I want to see what you’ve got planned. You do have a plan this time, right?

Chrysalis began to lead her through Ponyville. “I do, actually. Hopefully an impressive one.”

“It better be,” Twilight told her.

"You seem awfully excited," Chrysalis remarked as they began their walk.

Twilight thought about that. "I guess I am," she decided. "Weird. Who would've thought I'd be excited for a date with you?"

"Gee, thanks."

"Well, we're enemies!" Twilight said. "I don't exactly take time out of my day to think about how my biggest foes would be as a partner."

"Really?" Chrysalis asked. "Not a single daydream?"

"What, like you spent all your time ogling ponies?"

"I'm always on the lookout for potential underlings," Chrysalis said, "and I've always known you were too strong to ever be an underling."

"Wow." Twilight looked up at Chrysalis in shock. "That's a big compliment."

"I guess I'm not so bad at flirting after all." Chrysalis shot her a devilish grin.

The afternoon was just turning to evening around them. Ponyville seemed to glow with warmth, radiating it out and into the jovial ponies bounding through the streets. The sight of Chrysalis still agitated them, of course, but seeing Twilight, so casual and so close, put them somewhat at ease. One pony even made a move to come talk to them, but a sidelong glance from Chrysalis was enough to make him reconsider.

“I wasn’t aware we were supposed to dress up,” Chrysalis said as they walked.

“Oh, no, you’re fine,” Twilight said. “This is for me. It’s fun! You should try it.”

Chrysalis scowled at the idea. “I don’t see the appeal.”

“Aw, c’mon,” Twilight teased, “you have to be willing to try new things. I’ll take you to Rarity’s on my next date. If anypony can get you to have fun with fashion, it’s her.”

“Rarity,” Chrysalis thought aloud. “She’s the one with the nice mane, correct?”

“I mean, I guess,” Twilight said. “I don’t know what you think looks nice. Other than me, of course. At least, I hope I’m on the list.”

“Yes,” Chrysalis said, “I have you scribbled into the margins. You’ve just barely managed to outrank rocks.”

“Hey, I’ve seen some pretty cute rocks. Do I outrank Rarity?”

“No,” Chrysalis said bluntly.

Twilight laughed. “Fair enough. I bet the boots pushed me up a bit, though.” She grinned at Chrysalis.

“Well,” Chrysalis responded, “rocks can’t wear boots.”

Twilight chuckled and nuzzled up against Chrysalis. She was so busy being affectionate, in fact, that she didn’t even notice as Chrysalis led her out of Ponyville and towards the Everfree Forest.

“As much as I enjoy an afternoon hike,” Twilight grunted as she yanked her leg free from a tangle of vines, “I’m starting to wonder if you actually have a destination in mind.”

The two had been walking for an hour or so through the Everfree Forest, following winding trails that were barely discernible past the wild underbrush. Twilight’s scarf had a new hole in one end, handed out by one particularly generous branch, and her boots had a shallow layer of mud caking them. Chrysalis, on the other hand, looked like she had barely taken a step through the treacherous terrain.

“Oh, Twilight. You really must have faith in me.”

Dramatically, Chrysalis stepped forward and pushed aside a bushy tree branch to reveal a wide open clearing. It was easily a mile wide, and not a single living thing occupied it. No animals, no trees, not even grass dared to grow here. It was a vast sea of loose, sandy dirt, the mass of brown only broken by a towering gray spire on the far side of the clearing.

“Woah.” Twilight pushed through the foliage and into the clearing, leaving deep hoofprints in the soft ground. Chrysalis followed closely along as she walked slowly towards the center. “What is it?”

“That’s a good question,” Chrysalis told her. “I got a report from a scout a few days ago saying something powerful was meant to be here, and I thought I’d bring you along.”

“Hey!” Twilight wheeled around and stared daggers at her. “No scheming, remember? I’m not helping you dig up some magical artifact.”

Chrysalis held up her hoof to show Twilight the glowing bracelet. “No schemes. I don’t even know what’s here.”

Twilight raised a skeptical eyebrow, then a moment later sighed and relaxed. “Yeah, okay. The whole point of the bracelet is to get out minds off that stuff, so… I guess I’ll trust you.”

Twilight turned back and started walking forward again. As she got closer to the center, her hooves slowly began to sink more and more into the ground, barely perceptible at first but undeniable before long.

“So,” Chrysalis said as she followed along, “what do you think?”

“Well, it’s certainly not like anything I’ve ever seen before.” There was a quiet pop as Twilight pulled a boot free from a particularly deep stride. “It’s not mud, but it’s not quite sand either. It could be that it’s being made by whatever we came here to find.”

“As captivating as your scientific ramblings are,” Chrysalis said, “I was more interested in what you thought of my date.”

“Well it’s a bit early to be asking that.” Twilight stumbled as the ground beneath one foot gave out and sank a few inches, but she was able to right herself fairly easily. “However, I do enjoy a nice, casual deathtrap.”

“Well, who doesn’t?” Chrysalis laughed. Then she sighed contentedly. "You know, I'm actually having fun."

"Right?" Twilight grunted as she put more and more effort into walking. "Honestly, I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to do this kind of thing if I wasn't off saving the world, but I think I'd enjoy just exploring with you."

"Well, my scouts aren't up to much since our deal," Chrysalis said. "I'll try to find another for next time."

Twilight nearly flew into the air as she yanked a hoof out from the dirt. She was only tethered by the other three legs, still buried deep below. “How reliable is this scout of yours?”

“Completely,” Chrysalis said. “Although I will note that they did not say this place was safe.”

“I gathered that,” Twilight grumbled as she fought to pull herself free from the earthen trap. “We’re past the center now and it’s still getting deeper.”

Chrysalis was still having little trouble, her long slender legs sliding easily through the muck. “Can’t you fly?”

“Well, yes, but this is—” Twilight struggled to lift a leg that was buried in past the boot, and after a moment her leg flew up as the boot slipped off. She sighed and wiped sweat off her forehead. “This is a valuable experience.” She looked down to retrieve her lost shoe, but it was already gone, swallowed by the depths below them. “Aww, I liked these boots.”

They were mere feet from the obelisk now. It was massive, wide enough to hide Celestia and tall enough to pierce the clouds. Intricate details were carved all along its surface, from top to bottom, and no two spots were the same, yet they all served to draw a viewer’s eye down, down to the muck, down to where the spire was slowly sinking into the ground.

Twilight felt her stomach hit the ground below her. She’d given up on stepping out and over, now just pushing her way through with all her might. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and took in the monument before her.

“Incredible,” she said. “Although it looks like we’re too late. From the look of things, whatever powerful thing was here is far deeper than we are.”

Chrysalis hummed in thought. “I don’t suppose you enjoy diving?”

“What?” Twilight tried to look back at her in surprise, but she couldn’t turn enough to do so, so she just huffed in her general direction. “First off, no, I don’t enjoy diving. More importantly, though, letting myself get sucked down there is a horrible idea!”

Chrysalis chuckled and moved forward to meet Twilight’s eyes. “To be frank, it doesn’t look like you’re in a situation that gives you much choice.”

“Wh—” Twilight looked down and groaned in frustration. The ground level was already halfway up her chest and showing no signs of slowing. She tried to wiggle herself free, but it was no use. She was completely stuck. She was so distracted by the spire she hadn't even noticed when her wings hit the ground, so now they were trapped too.

“Do you need some help, Princess?”

“Clearly!” Twilight shot her a malicious look.

Chrysalis dug one leg under Twilight and, in one swift motion, pulled her up out of the ground. She was a mess, her entire body caked in dirt, her mane and tail matted and stuck to her. Her wings were so weighed down with grime it would take a week of washing for them to be of any use again. She was down to a single boot, and her scarf would never be the same color again.

Twilight started sinking again the moment Chrysalis set her down. She scrambled to try to stay above ground, but the frantic stamping just made her sink faster. “Uh, Chrysalis, I don’t really think I’m going to make it back to the forest at this rate.”

“Well, aren’t you lucky you have me then,” Chrysalis teased as she held out a hoof for Twilight. She helped Twilight climb up onto her back and, when everything seemed settled, stretched out her wings.

“Wait,” Twilight said, “you’re going to fly?”

“Well, I can’t very well make it out with the weight of two ponies.” Before Twilight could protest further, Chrysalis shot into the sky. Twilight was barely able to hold on in time, and struggled to find a comfortable position to sit in.

When she was finally situated, Twilight looked past Chrysalis and stared in amazement. She had never flown this fast before, and especially not over the Everfree. The wind whipped around her as Chrysalis darted to and fro, dodging hostile clouds and towering trees. Above them, stars were starting to twinkle into view, and every so often they would duck under a cloud and come back only for Twilight to spot a new constellation in the sky.

Chrysalis made a show of it, skimming perilously close to the canopy below, doing rolls through dense layers of cloud cover, and it made Twilight’s heart race.

Twilight sighed as they crossed the border back into Ponyville, partially from her nerves calming, but also from disappointment at having the night come to a close. She found herself clinging tightly to Chrysalis even as they slowed to a stop in front of the castle.

Chrysalis coughed after she had been still for a moment. “Um, Twilight? I didn’t think you were that afraid.”

“Huh?” Twilight jolted to attention. “Oh, uh, heh. Sorry, just…” She wrapped her legs around Chrysalis. “You’re softer than I thought you’d be.”

“Don’t expect this to become a thing,” Chrysalis warned. “I’ll only do this if you’re in mortal danger.”

Twilight made a show of yawning and laid her head down. “That’s okay,” she said. “I’m good at getting into mortal danger.”

Chrysalis sighed and decided to just walk into the castle if Twilight wasn’t going to get off of her. Her heavy steps echoed throughout the large, empty halls, giving the whole place a somber atmosphere.

“Today was fun,” Twilight said dreamily, “even if I almost died.”

“I’m glad it didn’t disappoint. I didn’t think it would, you don’t seem like the type of pony who’s able to contain her curiosity.”

Twilight giggled. “You’re so bad at flirting.”

“Mm-hm,” Chrysalis hummed as she turned a corner into another identical hallway. “Twilight,” she said, “as fun as it is to wander aimlessly around your home, I don’t actually know where anything is in here.”

“I bet it’s easier to navigate than your house,” Twilight said. “Hey, where is your house, anyway?”

“Twilight, I’m a fugitive. I don’t get to have a house.”

“Aww.” Twilight gave her a tight squeeze. “Wanna stay here?”

Chrysalis stopped in her tracks. “With you?”

“Well, not in the same room of course,” Twilight explained. “Have you seen how big this place is? It gets lonely, even with Spike and Starlight both living here.”

Chrysalis grimaced. “Starlight…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Twilight said. “Look, I’m not kicking my friend out just because you have a grudge.”

With a sigh, Chrysalis started walking again. “I guess it was inevitable. I might as well get it over with.”

“Yay!” Twilight clapped excitedly. “Trust me, it’ll be fine, and you can do whatever you want with your own room! There’s plenty of space to make it your own.”

“Hmm…” Chrysalis walked in silence for a minute before responding. “Thank you, Twilight.”

“Of course, Chrissy.”

“So, are you going to tell me where to go, or are you just going to ride on my back until I collapse from exhaustion?”

“I don't know yet. Give me a few minutes to decide.”

Getting Comfortable

“Twilight!”

The book Twilight was reading flew out of her hooves as she jumped in shock at the angry voice outside her door. It was soon followed by an incessant knocking, a sound that Twilight knew meant she was probably in for an unpleasant morning.

Outside the door, Starlight Glimmer was fuming. “I know you’re awake in there, Twilight, you’re always up before me.”

Twilight groaned and stretched before lazily slipping off her bed. She made a show of yawning as she opened the door. “Morning, Starlight,” she said casually.

Starlight tapped a hoof on the floor impatiently. “Twilight.” She paused for emphasis. “Would you mind explaining why I walked into our kitchen to find Chrysalis?”

“Ohhhh.” Twilight laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of her neck. “Yeah, that. I may have, um, told her she could live here?”

Starlight’s jaw dropped. “Twilight, she’ll kill me!”

“Oh, don’t be dramatic,” Twilight said. “She promised she wouldn’t.”

“Oh, she promised, did she?” Starlight rolled her eyes and started angrily pacing up and down the hall. “She’s evil, Twilight! She can lie! I mean, what were you even doing talking to her in the first place?”

“Yeah, about that.” Twilight crossed her hooves nervously as a hint of red found her cheeks. “We were… On a date.”

Starlight stopped and stared at Twilight. “You what!?”

In the kitchen, Chrysalis laughed to herself as she heard Starlight yelling.

Twilight was having trouble meeting Starlight’s steely gaze. “Really, I did my homework on this. It’ll work out. We made a deal, as long as we’re together, she won’t do anything evil.”

“And what does she get out of this?”

“A girlfriend?” Twilight flinched as her comment brought her a glare from Starlight. “Well…” She stuck her hoof out to show Starlight the bracelet. “I may have said I wouldn’t do anything good either.”

There was a loud slap as Starlight’s hoof met her forehead. “Great. Awesome plan, Twilight. What did Celestia have to say about all this?”

Twilight sucked air in through her teeth, and her eyes went wide. “Oh no. I got so caught up in it all I forgot about Celestia. Oh, no no no, this is bad. She’ll- she’ll… Well, I don’t know what she’ll do, there’s not really a precedent for this, but it won’t be good.”

“Well.” Starlight turned and started walking down the hall. “Good luck with that.” She was gone before Twilight could think of anything else to say.

A few minutes of blind panicking later, Twilight finally pulled herself together enough to think. “Okay, calm down, Twilight,” she told herself. “This is fine, you know the plan will work, you just have to convince Celestia of that. Yeah.” She laughed nervously. “Easy.”

After a few more deep breaths, she felt centered enough to start walking. She spent the walk calming herself and getting back to normal, and by the time she reached the kitchen the only sign of her distress was the frazzled mane that she completely forgot to brush.

There she found Chrysalis, her mouth in a scowl as she scraped the remains of… Something into the trash. At one point it was probably food, but now it was closer to ash.

When Chrysalis saw Twilight approaching, she shot her a toothy grin. Twilight gave her the benefit of the doubt that it was probably friendly, but her razor sharp teeth and wicked, glowing eyes always made her smiles just seem somewhat sinister.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You don’t eat. Were you… Cooking me breakfast?”

Chrysalis scoffed and dropped the pan in the sink. “Please, I would never lower myself to that level. I just wanted to see the look on Starlight’s face, and oh, it was worth it.”

“Ah, well, thanks for the headache,” Twilight said. She levitated an apple out of a fruit bowl to eat and sat at their huge dining room table. “So, how much of that did you hear?”

“Not nearly as much as I would have liked,” Chrysalis said as she took a seat opposite Twilight, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hooves. “I’d love to hear all the juicy details.”

“There’s not much to tell,” Twilight told her. “She’s worried you’ll kill her—”

“Reasonable,” Chrysalis commented.

“—And she made me worried that Celestia is going to kill me.”

“You didn’t think of that before?” Chrysalis asked.

“I was caught up in the dating!”

Chrysalis laughed. “I am captivating, aren’t I?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well,” Chrysalis continued, “good luck with that. I can’t imagine I’d be much help in swaying her.”

“I just wanna get my mind off it for now,” Twilight said. “Do you think you’re up for Rarity’s today?”

“You were serious about that?”

“Yup.” Twilight hopped up and started to walk away. “Come on, even if you don’t like it, at least she’s pretty, right?”

It was a nice cool day in Ponyville, an overcast sky protecting the town from the midday sun. Winds blew through the street in gusts, random bursts that threatened to steal away any loosely held items. There was no rain in the forecast, so the streets were bustling with cheerful ponies enjoying the break from the summer heat, and while many still avoided eye contact with Chrysalis, most had grown tired of fleeing every time the couple walked by.

“You’re not getting dressed up this time?” Chrysalis asked as they walked to Rarity’s boutique.

“Oh, you never get dressed up to go to Rarity’s house,” Twilight said. “You’ll just leave wearing something different anyway, so it’s really not worth the effort.”

“I see.”

The two walked in silence for a bit. Every so often one would sneak a glance at the other, then look away just as quickly, but it wasn’t long before they caught each other’s gazes and Twilight started to blush.

Chrysalis got a wicked grin on her face. “Princess,” she said coyly, “are you nervous? Could it be you’ve already fallen for me?”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Twilight told her. She managed to sound nonchalant, but the blush wouldn’t leave her cheeks. “It’s just taking me a bit to get used to dating again.”

“Troubles with love?” Chrysalis teased. “But you’re supposed to be a friendship expert!”

“I’ve just been busy. In case you forgot, I spend a lot of time stopping things like changeling invasions.”

“Well, shouldn’t a princess be able to multitask?” Chrysalis asked. “I mean, look at Cadence, she got married and kidnapped in the same week!”

Twilight glared at her. “The line, Chrysalis. She’s my family, you can’t just make jokes about hurting her.”

Chrysalis opened her mouth to say something back, but then caught herself and decided against it. “I suppose you’re right,” she said instead. “I’ll have to mend things with her eventually, best not to make that any harder.”

“That’s not why it’s bad, but whatever.” Twilight sighed and looked away.

Chrysalis looked down at her and frowned. She was silent for a long moment, thinking to herself, but eventually she spoke up again. “I won’t do it again, Twilight.”

Twilight looked back over and locked eyes with Chrysalis, taking in her rigid, nearly emotionless expression, and smiled. “Thank you, Chrysalis.”

They spent the rest of the walk in silence, but it was a comfortable quiet.

Eventually, with an awkward cough, Twilight stopped them. “Well, this is it.” She gestured broadly at the bright, showy building they had just arrived at. “Carousel Boutique. Rarity’s home.”

“Huh,” Chrysalis remarked. “That really was a big stalagmite.”

Twilight laughed and beckoned Chrysalis along. “Uh, do you think maybe you should, like… Stand out of view until I explain things to her?”

“I’ll not be hidden away like some secret shame,” Chrysalis told her indignantly.

“Alright,” Twilight said with a shrug, “well I have no idea how she’s going to react. Be ready to duck in case she throws something at you.”

With that, Twilight knocked on the door and stood back to wait.

They didn’t have to wait long. It was almost like Rarity had been waiting at the door for them, and she greeted them with a huge, unflinching grin. “Twilight, Chrysalis, how wonderful to see you! Do come in, I just made tea.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at Chrysalis, who shrugged in response, so the two decided to just go inside.

The inside of the boutique had clearly been prepared in advance. All of Rarity’s favorite designs were set up on mannequins around the store, including several made for incredibly tall ponies. The tea had already been poured and served at a small table near the stage that dominated the center of the room. The table itself was low to the ground, set up so that they could sit on the floor around it, and Rarity was on a pillow beside it waving the two along.

Rarity smiled politely as they approached. “This really is a wonderful surprise.”

Twilight and Chrysalis exchanged glances again before sitting down, Twilight across from Rarity and Chrysalis between them.

“Was it really,” Twilight said dryly.

Rarity laughed. “Well, I suppose it isn’t that surprising, but I really wasn’t expecting you so soon! I had this whole plan to have Pinkie give you a hat and then spill something on the hat and then- Oh, never mind all that.” She chuckled to herself and sipped her tea.

“How did you know?” Twilight asked her. Chrysalis was busy eyeing her tea suspiciously.

“Twilight,” Rarity told her, “I love you, but you have abysmal taste in confidants. Really, you share a secret like this with the element of honesty and Pinkie Pie?”

“She has a point,” Chrysalis said.

“Okay.” Twilight groaned and leaned her head back. “Maybe you do.”

“Of course I do,” Rarity said proudly. “We’re getting off topic, though. Chrysalis, I’m Rarity. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. “You do realize we’ve met before, right?”

“Water under the bridge, dear,” Rarity assured her. “This is a new beginning. At least, so long as Twilight trusts you. Unless that changes, you can consider us friends.”

Chrysalis looked over at Twilight. “Is this some sort of trap?”

“How should I know?” Twilight responded.

Rarity laughed haughtily. “Nothing like that. I’m just aware of how difficult new relationships can be, especially ones like this, and with the welcome I imagine you’re receiving from other ponies I thought I should try to balance it out somewhat.”

“Well thank you, Rarity,” Chrysalis said. She tried to give a polite smile of her own, but as always it became strangely wicked. “At least some ponies know how to treat royalty.”

“Ex-royalty,” Twilight corrected.

“Future royalty,” Chrysalis said.

“Well, I see you’ve got the squabbling down,” Rarity said, “but how are you two doing with the other parts of having a relationship?”

“It can’t just be squabbling?” Chrysalis asked.

“I do enjoy squabbling,” Twilight agreed.

“Very funny,” Rarity said. “You can’t very well expect me not to worry about how you two are getting along. I certainly hope you don’t believe you can make this work without liking each other.”

“What, you mean, like…” Twilight trailed off.

Rarity scoffed. “How direct must I be? Twilight, do you or do you not find Chrysalis attractive?”

Twilight’s face flushed red immediately. Chrysalis chuckled and leaned forward inquisitively. “Oh, do tell, Princess,” she said. “I’m very interested in hearing this.”

“Well, I-I don’t know!” Twilight said nervously. “We’ve been fighting for years, it’s hard to just look past all that.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Not to be crass, but you’re lying to yourself. I know you well enough to see that. Just look at her and think about how you feel.”

Twilight looked at Chrysalis and really took her in. Her elegant, dominating stature that was always brimming with power. The confidence she carried herself with, the kind of confidence that made Twilight want to be confident too. Not to mention her sharp, beautiful features, the way her mane stuck out in your vision, and her eyes could draw you in and—

Twilight swallowed hard and realized how hot her face felt. “Oh.” She turned back to Rarity and smiled awkwardly. “Um…”

Rarity chuckled. “Well, that would be a yes. Now,” she looked pointedly at Chrysalis, “what about you?”

Chrysalis looked at her in shock. “You can’t be serious.”

“Deadly serious, I’m afraid.” Rarity shook her head. “A one-sided attraction would be even worse than none at all. I can’t have you taking advantage of Twilight, now.”

“I think I’ve been as clear as possible that I have no intention of that,” Chrysalis said indignantly.

“Come on, Chrissy.” Twilight was still flushed red, but now she had her own devilish grin. “I answered. Are you going to let me show you up?”

Chrysalis groaned. “Of course I’m attracted to you,” she admitted. “You’re the most powerful pony in Equestria and you spend your days getting dressed up in silly little scarves. It utterly baffles me, but I do still have a heart. I can find things cute.”

Twilight’s eyes were wide in shock, but she had a huge smile on her face. “You liked the scarf?”

Rarity clapped her hooves excitedly. “Oh, how wonderful. Twilight, you absolutely must tell me about your first kiss when it happens, I demand it. I can’t miss any of this.”

“I’m not here as entertainment,” Chrysalis said.

“No, but she is.” Rarity pointed at Twilight. “That is why you came over today, correct?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “We came because I thought you might be able to find a way Chrysalis can enjoy fashion.”

“And you didn’t think about what that method may be?” Rarity tsked disapprovingly. “Twilight, look at her. She has holes in her legs. If she was going to wear clothes she would already be doing it.”

“I like the holes,” Chrysalis said. “I think they make me look hardy and experienced.”

“Oh, they very much do, darling,” Rarity told her. “I just adore them, I simply meant that they’re the sort of feature that would make others self conscious.”

“So you don’t think she’ll be able to enjoy fashion?” Twilight asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“Let me finish,” Rarity said. “Just because she won’t enjoy fashion on herself doesn’t mean she won’t enjoy fashion on you.”

Twilight leaned back in shock. “Really?”

“Hmm,” Chrysalis thought. “Well I did like those boots.”

“So did I,” Twilight said dryly.

“It’s worth a try, is it not?” Rarity grinned expectantly at the couple.

Chrysalis looked over at Twilight, and she relented. “I guess,” Twilight said. “I mean I do like trying on new stuff.”

“Excellent!” Rarity horn lit up as she propped open a nearby door. “Twilight, I have a dress already set out backstage for you. I didn’t know what Chrysalis might like, so I just made something you would enjoy to start with. While you get ready, we’ll talk out here so I can get a feel for her tastes.”

Twilight shrugged and headed off backstage, closing the door behind her. It was small and dark, but as one would expect, Rarity kept it immaculate. It had none of the wood or concrete most backstages have, instead decked out in pearlescent white tiling and accented with a subtle topaz brown. One wall was dominated by a massive mirror, while the rest were lined with racks of dresses and boxes of materials. In the center of the room was a rack holding a single dress, waiting for Twilight.

Twilight slipped the garment on easily and looked herself over in the mirror. It was simple, a long, flowing dark blue gown with a simple white pattern, but it made her smile when she saw herself in it. “Wow,” she said to nobody, “it’s incredible.”

Then she started laughing. “She’s going to hate it.”

She spent a minute posing in front of the mirror before finally deciding it was time to head out. She stepped confidently onto the stage to find that Rarity had lowered the main lights in favor of the stage lighting, making this into a much more real fashion show. Through the spotlights she could just make out Chrysalis, lounging in the dark with a smile on her face, and the attention made her blush more than she had expected.

Still, she pushed on and walked out. Twilight was far from a professional, but being friends with Rarity more or less guarantees you’ll know how to walk a catwalk, and she put all her knowledge to use. At the end of the stage she stopped and posed as elegantly as she could, and Rarity turned on a mechanism that made the floor under her rotate, giving the crowd a full view.

Chrysalis was silent for a minute before saying anything. “I hate it,” was what she finally spoke up with.

Twilight instantly lost all composure. She snorted as she laughed unexpectedly, and nearly toppled over when she fell from her pose onto the spinning stage, but she managed to steady herself despite the minor giggle fit she was in.

“Yes, I expected as much,” Rarity said. “As did Twilight, from the look of things.” She raised her voice to talk to Twilight. “How did you enjoy it though, dear?”

Twilight caught her breath and stood up straight, still spinning in place. “Oh, I love it Rarity. I wish I had had this for my coronation.”

“Aw, why thank you! That means so much to hear,” Rarity said. Her voice was brimming with pride. “Okay, Twilight, on rack 3 there’s a beige overcoat, why don’t you try that next? It’s a tad heavy for this time of year, but we’re just feeling things out.”

“Can do,” Twilight said. She wobbled a bit as she stepped off the dais, but was able to make it back to the wardrobe without incident.

It wasn’t hard to find the coat Rarity meant. She had one of the best organizational systems in Ponyville, and everything was always exactly where she said it would be. Twilight felt a tinge of disappointment taking off the dress, but it passed quickly enough as she looked herself over in the coat.

It was, in fact, far too heavy for this time of year, and Twilight found herself very thankful that Rarity kept her home cold. It was just a simple, sleek coat that left quite a bit to the imagination, as it covered most of her body. Twilight was eyeing it suspiciously.

“I kinda hope she hates this one too,” she said as she walked back out.

Twilight didn’t dally long on the runway, wanting to move as little as possible under the sweltering heat of the spotlights, and so before long she was back in front of Chrysalis and Rarity, spinning and posing.

“Hm.” Chrysalis had to take some time to think. “Well the color is better,” she eventually said, “but I don’t know. It seems like there’s more coat than Twilight.”

“Oh, thank Celestia,” Twilight mumbled under her breath.

“Okay, okay,” Rarity murmured as she thought. “Yes, I think I know what to do, but it’s not something I normally stock. Twilight, meet me backstage. Chrysalis, make yourself at home while you wait.”

Twilight wasted no time in getting off the stage and into the cool darkness. Rarity walked in just as she was tearing the coat off to escape the heat.

“Well, I said it was heavy,” Rarity told her. She levitated a dress off a nearby rack and took it over to a sewing table.

“Yeah, thanks,” Twilight said. “So what are you putting on me next?”

“Oh, don’t worry, I think you’ll both love this,” Rarity said. “I just need to do some quick adjustments because I don’t generally make outfits with a distressed look.”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, “because you hate them.”

“I do not hate the design,” Rarity corrected, “I just despise its use. Wear and tear can be a sign of many things, but none of those things can be replicated with a needle and thread.” Frantic snipping filled the air as she took a pair of scissors to the dress.

“And you’re using it differently?”

“Well,” Rarity said, “I wouldn’t exactly call this distressed. No more than, say, a mesh top. It’s just more pronounced.” With that, she turned around and floated the dress over to Twilight. “There! I admit it’s not my most inspired work, but I am on a very tight deadline, and it’s more of a proof of concept.”

Twilight took the dress and started putting it on, and Rarity quietly slipped away as she did. As the door clicked shut, Twilight walked up to the mirror and took a look at herself.

The dress was short and tight, clinging to her just enough that it was still comfortable. It might have reached the floor before, but Rarity had hacked away so much of it that now it hardly reached Twilight’s knees. At the neck the dress was pitch black, and as it dropped it gradually transitioned into a vibrant, radioactive green. That green part was, at first glance, in tatters, but looking more made it obvious that the many holes and tears were placed very deliberately. They stopped rising around her flank, where on one side a hole let most of her cutie mark shine through.

Twilight grinned as she looked herself over. “Well, there’s certainly no doubt who it was based on,” she said aloud. She loved it. It was bold and showy, but still just as simple as she would want. A single concept executed masterfully.

Twilight realized she’d been looking at herself in the mirror for far longer than is socially acceptable. She cringed and scampered to the stage, barely slowing in time to walk out calmly.

She had every intention of taking her time, though. Her head was high as she basked in the limelight, and she spent more time stopped and posing than she did walking down the stage. Eventually, though, she reached the rotating altar and stepped onto it, posing proudly and confidently.

“I didn’t even say I liked it yet,” came Chrysalis’ voice from the darkness.

Twilight laughed. “Please. I do know you a little.”

“Yes, but at least let me tell you you look good before you start acting like I did.”

“Then tell me.”

“You’re stunning,” Chrysalis said, completely without hesitation.

Twilight barely managed to keep her composure through her beet red cheeks and uncontrollable grin, but she pushed through it by striking an even more prideful pose. “I am, aren’t I?”

Rarity chuckled to herself. “I think you’re rubbing off on her, Chrysalis.”

“A little confidence never hurt anyone,” Chrysalis replied.

“Have you finished ogling her?” Rarity asked. “She’s probably getting tired.”

“Must I be? We could just leave her up there until we have to go.”

“I can hear you,” Twilight said.

“And yet you’re still posing,” Chrysalis said.

Twilight rolled her eyes and hopped off the stage. Then the dizziness hit her and she wobbled before tripping over herself and crashing to the ground.

“Ow,” she groaned.

The lights came back on as Chrysalis walked over and levitated Twilight back up onto her hooves. “I’m not carrying you back if you hurt yourself,” she said.

“Uh-huh.” Twilight groaned again as she stretched out her sore leg. “I’ll remember that next time you want me to carry you.” Then she laughed at herself, and that got Chrysalis to laugh too.

“My,” Rarity said as she walked up, “I hope that didn’t rip a hole in the dress.”

“I hate to break it to you,” Twilight said, “but I’m pretty sure there are a few holes.”

Rarity scoffed. “Well, shoot. I certainly can’t sell it now. You’ll just have to keep it.”

Twilight laughed. “If you insist.”

“You’re not going to charge her?” Chrysalis asked.

“Please, what kind of friend would I be if I charged her for a gift?” Rarity smiled at the two of them. “Consider it a token of my confidence in your relationship.”

“Aww, thank you Rarity.” Twilight pulled Rarity into a tight hug. “You’re the best.”

“Yes, yes, I know,” Rarity said. “Now, we’ve made somewhat of a mess and I really must clean up, so off you go.”

With that, Rarity ushered them out the door before either could object. “Love you, Twilight, It was lovely meeting you Chrysalis,” she called out as she shut them out.

Twilight looked at Chrysalis and grinned. “Wanna go home? Rarity’s given me a lot of dresses over the years that I could show you.”

Chrysalis smiled back, her fangs glinting in the sunlight. “Perhaps a meal first? You must be excited to show off your new dress.”

“You know what,” Twilight said, “I think I am.”

With that, the couple went off to enjoy the rest of their date.

“You know, I’ve been thinking,” Twilight said as the two started walking down the road. “I’m not sure if Equestria can even have a queen. You might have to become a princess.”

They paused as they reached the door into the castle. Twilight hummed contentedly and nuzzled up against Chrysalis. “Today was fun.”

Chrysalis leaned into Twilight’s affection. “It was,” she agreed. “It was almost like we’re a normal couple.”

Twilight chuckled. “We’ll never be a normal couple.”

“Good.” Chrysalis gave Twilight a quick hug, much to her surprise, and then walked inside before she could react.

Twilight followed, and was about to say something when a burst of green flame down the hall caught her attention. “Spike?”

Spike popped his head out nervously around the corner. “Oh, hey Twilight! H-Hey, Chrysalis…”

“Spike, she’s not gonna eat you,” Twilight said.

“I don’t even eat ponies,” Chrysalis added, “just their love, and Twilight here has me on a pretty strict diet.”

“Uh, yeah…” Cautiously, Spike stepped out and crept his way up to greet them.

“So what’s with the fire?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, that? Starlight told me she had something urgent to send to Celestia.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide. “What did she have you send?”

“I dunno, I didn’t read it.” Spike shrugged. “It was just a letter.”

Twilight looked like she was about to run for her life. “You don’t think she could have been that mad, do you?”

“Well,” Chrysalis said, “you did start dating a supervillain who she’s reasonably convinced wants her dead, and then let that supervillain live in the same castle as her.”

“I—” Twilight shrank in on herself. “Ah. Oh no.”

They're Doomed

“We’re doomed.”

Twilight was pacing back and forth in the castle’s entrance hall, muttering under her breath and looking especially frazzled. Nearby, Chrysalis sat against the wall, watching her curiously and every so often glaring across the hall at Starlight.

“We’re not doomed,” Chrysalis said.

“We are so doomed,” Twilight repeated. “We’re gonna be banished. She’s gonna lock you up in Tartarus and then take away my crown and my wings and put me there too because I’m compromised.”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “I don’t think she even can take your wings away.”

“You don’t know that!” Twilight shouted, pointing a frantic hoof at Starlight. “She’s Celestia, she could do anything. She could take my horn and my cutie mark and my- my… My tail!”

“Well that would just be cruel,” Chrysalis said. “I like your tail.”

“Me too!” Twilight hugged her tail close and groaned. “How could I let this happen? She gave us a week, how did we waste a whole week and not think of anything!”

“Well, if I recall,” Starlight said, “you spent the first day at Pinkie’s evil vacation party, the second day you went to a movie, on day three I think you just cuddled in the library-”

“Not helping!” Twilight snapped. “Come on, brain, work with me here. We need to… Um… Oh!” She wheeled around and pointed at Chrysalis. “Turn into a pony! We can pretend it was all just a misunderstanding.”

“Wonderful idea,” Chrysalis said, and in a flash of green light she vanished. In her place sat a smug purple alicorn. “How’s this?”

Across the room, Starlight snickered before quickly stifling it with a cough.

“Augh!” Twilight threw back her head in frustration and collapsed on the floor. “We’re doomed.”

“Well, I didn’t think my impression was that bad,” Chrysalis said as she transformed back into herself. “Twilight,” she said, “there’s nothing we can do. You just have to accept that.”

“But that sucks!” Twilight put her head in her hooves. “I hate not being able to—”

She was cut off by the sound of the castle’s doors being pushed open. Instantly Twilight shot to her hooves, standing as straight as possible and smiling as wide as she could make herself. As light filtered in through the doors, it glinted off the polished crystal floors, then off the polished golden armor of the ponies pushing the doors open. The brilliance of it all was nearly blinding.

Then a massive, regal shadow blocked out the light. She stood there a moment, unflinching, before finally walking forward and coming into view. Twilight struggled to keep her teeth from chattering as she watched Celestia’s stern face coming ever closer. The light from the doors, still being held open, seemed to follow her inside, and when she stopped, just close enough that Twilight had to crane her neck to meet her eyes, the light stopped too, as if it was only willing to illuminate her.

Celestia stared emotionlessly down at Twilight.

Twilight swallowed hard. “Um, w-welcome to my castle, Princess Celestalis. I mean Celestia! Ha ha ha, what a funny mistake, it was almost like I called you… Oh, but I would never do that of course, that would just be ridiculous, and even I’m not that ridiculous, I mean, unless you think I am, in which case—”

A firm nudge on her shoulder caught Twilight’s attention, and she looked to her side to see Chrysalis, looking down at her with her usual steely gaze.

“You’re rambling,” Chrysalis said. Then she looked up and locked eyes with Celestia, putting on a wicked smirk. “It’s been a while.”

Celestia stared at her for a bit. She narrowed her eyes, taking her in, and took a deep, contemplative breath. Then, much to the surprise of everyone in the room, she smiled. A soft smile, very polite, but still a smile, and with it she stuck a hoof out. “Welcome to Equestria, Chrysalis. It’s good to finally meet you under peaceful circumstances.”

Twilight, and Starlight behind her, were both staring in awe. Chrysalis, meanwhile, pondered Celestia’s hoof for a moment before reaching out her own and shaking it. “I suppose it is.”

“I hope you’ve found Ponyville to be inviting so far,” Celestia told her.

“Oh, it’s just scrumptious,” Chrysalis replied. “I could simply eat this place up.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Celestia said. “You must be very taken with Twilight to be so distracted from your usual pursuits.”

Chrysalis laughed. “Well, she is quite the distraction.”

“Now.” Celestia nodded and turned to Twilight, smiling kindly at her. “Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Y-Yes?” Twilight murmured.

“You really should know by now that I trust you to make your own decisions,” Celestia said. “However, next time, I would appreciate a heads up about a notorious supervillain moving into town, yes?”

Twilight nodded nervously. “S-So you’re not angry? I’m not banished? You’re not gonna take my tail?”

Celestia chuckled. “Oh, heavens no. I only came to meet my favorite student’s new girlfriend.”

Twilight sighed and slumped down onto the ground, the weight of the world falling off her shoulders. “Oh, thank goodness… But,” she looked up at Celestia, “if you’re not angry, then why the- the…”

“Theatrics,” Chrysalis finished.

Celestia laughed quietly to herself, covering her mouth with a hoof. “Oh, I just wanted to see how you would react. What’s the point of being princess if I can’t have some fun with it?”

Chrysalis chuckled. Then she looked down at Twilight, still sitting on the floor, and offered her a hoof to help her up. “Come on, Twilight,” she said, “let’s go somewhere more comfortable.”

A minute later they were in the dining room, spread out around the massive crystal table, Celestia across from the couple and Starlight between them, leaning on the table with a sour look on her face.

“So,” Celestia began once they were all comfortable, “Twilight, how have you been? I’m always grateful for an excuse to catch up.”

“Oh, I’ve been good,” Twilight said. “You know, with the uh, vacation and all. It’s more relaxing than I expected.”

“Vacation?” Celestia asked.

“Oh.” Twilight winced. “Right, we haven’t told you. Well, don’t worry, I’m still doing all my princess duties. I’ve just, um… Taken a break from being a good guy?”

“I wasn’t aware that was something that allowed breaks,” Celestia said.

Twilight laughed nervously. “Yeah, me neither, but you know how it is. Things are weird.”

“For the record,” Chrysalis said, “I’m on break too. She didn’t just randomly decide to give up on heroics.”

“I see.” Celestia pondered that for a moment. “Well, if it works, it works. Besides,” she grinned, “if worst comes to worst, we could always have Chrysalis fill in for you. After all, she isn’t on break from heroics.”

Starlight scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

“Well, I may consider it,” Chrysalis said. “Although I would expect Twilight to fill in for me in return.”

“What a delightful change of pace that would be,” Celestia said. “We’ll have to keep the idea in mind. How else have things been, though? Chrysalis, have you had any luck making friends other than Twilight?”

Chrysalis looked almost disgusted. “Is that something I’m expected to do?”

“Chrysalis,” Twilight said, “I’m the Princess of Friendship. You can’t date me without getting friends.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “If you say so. I mean, your friends have been… Fine. The ones that don’t hate me, at least.”

Twilight smiled at Celestia. “We’re working on it.”

“Hmm…” Celestia tapped her hooves together contemplatively.

“Something to say, Celestia?” Chrysalis asked.

Celestia nodded. “I’m not going to beat around the bush. Chrysalis, I trust Twilight completely, but I need to know how much I can trust you.”

“Sure,” Chrysalis said. “Good luck with that.”

“Well you could help her,” Twilight suggested.

“Indeed,” Celestia agreed. “Chrysalis, I’d like this to be simple, so tell me; what is your plan here? I know this must be some manner of scheme.”

“Of course it is,” Chrysalis said. “Twilight and I are going to fall in love, and then nature will take its course and either she’ll ‘redeem’ me or I will tempt her into becoming evil and helping me overthrow you. Either way, I get to rule Equestria.”

“I despise how reasonable that sounds,” Starlight groaned.

Celestia turned to Twilight. “How certain are you that she’s being genuine with this plan?”

“One hundred percent,” Twilight assured her.

“Then I’ve no doubt you’re correct,” Celestia said. “However…” She put a hoof to her chin and thought for a moment. “I am still somewhat worried.”

“It doesn’t sound like you have no doubt, then,” Chrysalis said.

“If you would allow me to finish,” Celestia continued, “I am worried that Chrysalis may not be prepared for this.”

“Of course I’m prepared,” Chrysalis argued. “I have plans in place for every possible outcome here. I spent months making sure every single one of my underlings was willing to follow me in the event I was redeemed, and they are all very aware of how cross I’ll be if they act up while I’m here.”

“Not like that,” Celestia said. “Chrysalis, my fears lie in not knowing how you view love at this point. Last we met, you saw love as merely a source of food. If your understanding of it hasn’t grown enough since then, well… I don’t want Twilight to get hurt.”

“Why do none of you ponies believe I have no intention of harming Twilight?” Chrysalis grumbled.

“She doesn’t mean it like that,” Twilight said. “She’s worried that, even if we both try our best, things will end badly.”

“That’s a risk in any relationship,” Chrysalis said. “Don’t you think that’s a little overprotective, Celestia? Twilight is not so weak as to crumble at the loss of a single relationship.” Twilight blushed a little and smiled at the unexpected compliment.

Celestia sighed. “You’re right, of course. You aren’t an average couple, though. Surely you can understand my desire for some assurance?”

“Well, I can’t exactly prove that I understand love,” Chrysalis said.

Twilight lit up with an idea. “Sure you can!” Without warning, her horn flashed and the entire group was warped outside, landing in the middle of Ponyville’s bustling town square. “Just point out a random couple you think is in love and explain to Celestia why you feel that way.”

Chrysalis cocked her head. “Twilight, changelings can sense love. Being able to point it out means nothing.”

“Oh.” Twilight looked around nervously. “Um, uhh… Oh!” She shot over to Starlight and put a hoof around her. “Friendship is a kind of love! Make up with Starlight, that’ll prove it!”

“...No.” Chrysalis glared at Starlight, and she glared right back.

Twilight groaned and teleported them all back so she could drop her head on the table dramatically. “We’re doomed.”

“It’s just not something provable,” Chrysalis said. “I don’t know what to say, Celestia. Watch us for a while or give me a test or something, but I can’t just conjure proof.”

“A test?” Celestia thought for a moment. “Okay. A few questions, then. In your own words, what is it that makes Cadence and Shining Armor love each other so strongly?”

“How the heck should I know?” Chrysalis asked. “I didn’t research them, I put one in a cave and the other under a spell. Maybe they bonded over their hatred of caves and spells.” She looked over and saw Twilight frowning. “Okay, sorry. I really don’t know, though.”

“Okay…” Celestia tapped a hoof on the table. “Well, what makes anypony fall in love?”

“I don’t know if that’s really quantifiable,” Chrysalis answered. “Common interests? Good personalities? Cute hats?” She shrugged.

“Well,” Celestia said, “how about this. Do you love Twilight?”

Chrysalis looked over at Twilight, whose blush had only worsened, and thought the question over. “Probably not?” was the answer she eventually gave. Twilight looked up at her with a look that was less shocked and more just curious. “I mean, it’s just so soon. We’re having fun, but you don’t fall in love just because you cuddled in a library. We haven’t even kissed yet.”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “She didn’t need to know that,” she whispered angrily.

“Well, she probably could have assumed as much anyway,” Chrysalis said. “Anyway, I don’t know. I can’t sense my own love. It’s not like there’s a light in my head that switches on if I fall in love. It’s not really a fair question.”

Suddenly, Celestia rose to her hooves. “I think I’ve made my decision.”

Chrysalis groaned and stood up to meet her eyes. “Come on, Celestia! This is totally unreasonable! You say you trust Twilight, but then you come in here and grill me with questions that don’t even have answers so that, what, you have an excuse to make her break up with me?”

Twilight stood up next to her. “Chrysalis, it’s okay, really.”

“Yes, Twilight, it is okay,” Chrysalis agreed, “because I don’t care about getting the blessing of some judgemental ruler. There is only one pony whose opinion carries enough weight to make me give this up, and she is far too smart to let anypony else manipulate her into changing that opinion.”

“Chrysalis…” Twilight was staring up at her in awe. Down at the table, Starlight was frozen in shock.

Celestia was more shocked than any of them. Hey eyes were wide, and her mouth fell open. Then she caught herself and coughed as she regained her composure. “I was just going to say you seemed fine.”

“Oh.” Tension flowed out of Chrysalis as she relaxed. “Well… It was still unreasonable.”

“Perhaps it was,” Celestia admitted. “I’ll consider your words carefully. In the meantime, I believe my free time has run short.” She walked to the doorway, then paused and turned back. “I wish you two the best. Oh, and Twilight, remember to talk to your brother before somepony else does.”

They all gave awkward goodbyes as Celestia left, her heavy hoofsteps ringing through the halls all the way back outside.

It was only after the castle was completely silent that Twilight finally let out a long held breath and slumped back into her chair. “Well that was… Something.”

“It certainly was,” Chrysalis agreed. She reached out and rubbed Twilight’s back for a moment before returning to her own seat. Then she turned to Starlight, who was still shellshocked. “Did you have fun?”

“Wh- no,” she said as she snapped back to normal. “That was abysmal, I can’t believe she trusted you so easily!”

“Frankly, neither can I,” Chrysalis said. “I was expecting this to be the end of our little experiment.”

“Please,” Twilight said. She sounded utterly exhausted, but she smiled through it. “As if we would’ve let her stop us.”

Chrysalis grinned. “There she is. I was almost starting to think you might have turned back into a meek little student.”

“You’re not getting off that easy,” Twilight told her. Then she reached out and laid her hoof comfortably over Chrysalis’.

“Blech.” Starlight got up and started walking away. “I was going to commend you for standing up to Celestia, but now I think I need to go take a bath.” She turned back and flashed the couple a grin as she reached the door. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“You know,” Twilight said once they were alone, “the day’s not quite over. We could go finish that book.”

“You do realize I had absolutely no interest in learning the history of pegasus cloud forming techniques, right?”

“Oh, hush, you.” Twilight got up and gave her a playful boop on the nose. “Just come hold me while I read.”

Interlude

“Starlight!” Chrysalis grinned enthusiastically as Starlight walked in. “Imagine seeing you here.”

Starlight, upon seeing Chrysalis, immediately got a sour look on her face. “In the kitchen?”

Chrysalis leaned nonchalantly on a counter. “Yes, well, I just figured you would be out gallivanting with your friends or something.”

“Nope,” Starlight said dryly, “just getting lunch.” She grabbed an apple and started mindlessly munching on it.

“Uh-huh. Well, how is my favorite…” She had to stop and think for a moment. “My favorite Starlight doing today?”

Starlight looked like she was about ready to throw something. “What do you want, Chrysalis?”

Chrysalis scoffed. “Why must I want something to be in our own kitchen?”

“Because you don’t eat.”

“Oh, never mind the details,” Chrysalis said, waving dismissively. “Maybe I just wanted to get to know you better.”

“So you’re bored?” Starlight asked.

“Extremely,” Chrysalis sighed. “Ponyville is dreadful without Twilight.”

Ponyville was without Twilight because she had, just that morning, left for Canterlot on royal duties. It wasn’t expected to be a long trip, but it was one where she would see Shining Armor and Cadence, and despite it having been multiple weeks since Celestia’s advice, they still hadn’t shared the news. So, rather than have a very awkward family reunion, Chrysalis had elected to stay behind.

“Why is that my problem?” Starlight asked.

“Well, whose else would it be?”

“Maybe if you ever bothered to actually go into town you’d have a friend,” Starlight said with a roll of her eyes.

“I have friends,” Chrysalis argued. “Rarity and Pinkie Pie are very kind to me.”

“Pinkie doesn’t count,” Starlight told her, “so besides her you’ve made one friend, and you’ve been dating the literal princess of friendship for, what, like two months now?”

“Well it’s not like any of these ponies would be very eager to be my friend,” Chrysalis said. “I did invade Equestria, after all.”

“I started a cult,” Starlight said, “and they all like me well enough. I’m sure they wouldn’t even hesitate to give Twilight’s girlfriend a second chance.”

“You started a cult?”

Starlight groaned and magically flung an apple core at Chrysalis, who dodged it smoothly. Then she started to walk away. “Just go make a friend,” she called over her shoulder. “It’ll make Twilight happy.”

Chrysalis sighed after she was out of earshot. “Well that was just unfair. I can’t say no to that.”

Chrysalis knocked hard on the little cottage door and then stood back, doing her best to prepare herself. Some deep breaths, a rigid stance, anything she could think of to steel herself for what was to come.

It was a bit of a long wait, and at least once Chrysalis thought she saw somepony behind the curtains in the window, but eventually the door creaked slowly open.

Fluttershy smiled when she saw who her visitor was. “Oh, Chrysalis! How lovely to see you,” she said, her voice light and cheery. “Can I help you with something?”

Chrysalis stared down at her for a moment before speaking up. “I’m bored.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy’s expression went blank, and there was a long, silent pause as the two just looked into the other’s eyes.

“Starlight said I should go see a friend,” Chrysalis explained.

“I see.”

Another excruciating, awkward pause.

“So I came to visit you,” Chrysalis finished.

“Oh!” Fluttershy jumped back a little in shock. “M-Me? But why, don’t you have friends who are, um… Closer?”

“Rarity was busy.”

“...And?”

“And you’re next on the list,” Chrysalis told her.

“Oh.” Fluttershy looked around awkwardly, as though another pony might be standing beside her. “Oh, I didn’t realize you thought so highly of me.”

“It’s not a very long list.”

“Ohhhh.” Fluttershy nodded as she finally understood, then gave Chrysalis a warm smile. “Well, I suppose I have some free time. What is it you’d like to do?”

“Me?” Chrysalis winced. “I was expecting you to have something for me to do.”

“Well, I don’t know that you’d be interested in what I like to do,” Fluttershy told her. “I doubt you like tea very much. How do you normally spend your free time?”

“With Twilight.”

“Okay…” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “Well, what about before Twilight?”

“Scheming.”

“I don’t think I would enjoy that very much…” Fluttershy frowned and looked up at Chrysalis sympathetically. “Don’t you have any hobbies at all?”

“Not really.” Chrysalis shrugged. “Even when I plan dates, I mostly just pick things I want to see Twilight doing.”

“Oh, my… Well, that settles it.” Fluttershy stepped outside and shut the door behind her. “Chrysalis, I’m going to help you find a hobby.”

The rest of the day was spent in a whirlwind of activity around Ponyville. Fluttershy would get an idea in her head, woodworking or painting or what have you, and drag Chrysalis halfway across town to have her try it. Pinkie’s house for baking, the spa for relaxing, Rainbow Dash’s home for all manner of different sports. They missed a few potential things at Sweet Apple Acres, as Applejack still wasn’t fond of having Chrysalis around her family, but just about every other inch of Ponyville was scoured.

“I don’t mind the molding,” Chrysalis mused later on as she carefully shaped a clay pot that was spinning in front of her, “I just wish these seats were more accommodating for creatures of my stature.”

“Couldn’t you turn into something smaller?” Fluttershy asked. She was having difficulties with her own pot, and clay was splattered all over her fur, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Chrysalis stopped working and turned to Fluttershy. “I get that question so much,” she said, “and nopony ever understands why I won’t. Surely you can see how demeaning it would be to have to change who I am just to participate in something?”

Fluttershy thought for a moment. “I guess that would start to hurt after a while. I’m sorry if I was being insensitive.”

Chrysalis waved it off and went back to her sculpting. “You didn’t know.”

“No,” Fluttershy agreed, “but I should have thought it through some more before assuming you hadn’t considered the option.”

“You’re too kind,” Chrysalis said bluntly. “I gave you an out. Insisting on taking the blame like that is going to get you hurt someday.”

“Oh, I know,” Fluttershy said. “My kindness has gotten my hurt before, and I have no doubt it’ll get me hurt again. It will always be worth it, though.”

“Taking the blame just now didn’t do anything, though,” Chrysalis argued. “It didn’t make me feel any better. You could be hurting yourself for things that have no benefit.”

Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin to think, inadvertently covering herself with yet more clay. “You’re not wrong,” she decided. “I’m not the greatest at seeing when an act of kindness is too much, but that’s why I have friends like you!” She glanced over and grinned at Chrysalis.

Chrysalis met her eyes and smiled back. Then she reached out and wiped the clay off of Fluttershy’s chin. “I always have enjoyed looking out for those I cared for.”

“Ugh.” Twilight groaned in exhaustion as she stepped out into the dark Canterlot streets. “That took way too long. I can’t wait to get back to—”

“Twily, wait up!” Twilight looked up to see Shining Armor walking her way, and she grinned at him. “Glad I caught you before you left,” he said as he drew close. “We haven’t caught up in a while.”

“Yeah,” Twilight scratched the back of her neck nervously, “it’s just been kinda dry, you know? Not much to talk about.”

“Is that why you seem so bubbly?”

“Bubbly?” Twilight pursed her lips. “I’m not bubbly.”

Shining Armor chuckled. “Sure you are. Something’s got you all worked up. It’s almost like you hooked up with somepony.”

Twilight let out a loud, awkward laugh. “Don’t be silly! I’m as single as ever. Just, you know, enjoying my time alone.”

Shining Armor gasped. “You did hook up with somepony! Oh, how exciting! Who is it? Wait, don’t tell me. I want it to be a surprise. You have to bring them to visit me and Cadence.”

Twilight started slowly backpedaling away. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! Why wouldn’t I be single anymore? Gotta give all my time to those books, right? Ha ha, you’re so funny. How is Cadence, anyway?”

Shining Armor wrapped a leg around Twilight so she couldn’t get away. “You can’t fool your big brother. I know a budding love when I see one. I also know your schedule, so I know you’re completely free until next month, and you can bet your boots that if you don’t visit us by then, we’ll be visiting you.”

Twilight gave another awkward laugh as her smile faltered and melted into a look of fear.

Calm Before The Storm

“You know, you could help me,” Twilight chided as she scurried around her room.

It was early morning on the day of their trip to the Crystal Empire, and things were already off to a rough start. Twilight had already spent the better part of an hour scrambling around the castle, making absolutely certain nothing was being missed.

Chrysalis, meanwhile, had spent the better part of an hour lounging in Twilight’s bed.

“We’re not even staying the night,” Chrysalis said. “We don’t need to pack.”

“But what about, um… Um,” Twilight bit her lip nervously, “Sunglasses! We can’t go to the Crystal Empire without sunglasses. Everything is crystal, it would blind us!”

“Do you even own sunglasses?”

“Oh no.” Twilight shrank in on herself. “Do you think there’s any stores open this early that sell sunglasses?”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Twilight, you’re magic! If I can’t kill you, I think you can handle some sunlight.”

“Okay, okay, yeah. Um…” Twilight rapidly tapped her hoof on the ground. “Do we have the tickets?”

“Yes, and they already know we have tickets so even if we lose them, they’ll let us on.”

“What about sweaters?”

“It’s summer, Twilight.”

“But it could be windy! We should at least take, um… Gloves?”

“You have hooves.”

“Right.” Twilight laughed nervously. “Of course.”

“Twilight.” Chrysalis used her magic to pull Twilight closer and meet her eyes. “It’s going to be fine. You know them. Is your brother even capable of being mad at you?”

Twilight sighed and looked down at the floor. “You’re right. I’m worried over nothing.”

Chrysalis reached out and gently stroked Twilight’s cheek. “Everything is fine. Let’s go. We don’t want to be late.”

The sun was just barely rising as they walked through the empty streets to the train station. A brisk wind followed them the whole way, blowing their manes around haphazardly and making the couple look even more frazzled and unkempt than they already were.

When they finally made it to the station, they found Applejack waiting for them. "So y'all are really doing this on your own?" she asked as they walked up.

"We've been hiding this from them for so long," Twilight said. "We owe it to them to face them ourselves."

"Where are the rest of you?" Chrysalis asked.

"At this time of morning?" Applejack chuckled to herself. "Probably sleeping. You're lucky even I came, frankly. Farm work woulda been the perfect excuse to avoid Chrysalis."

"Thank you for giving her a chance," Twilight said.

"Yeah, whatever," Applejack replied. "Ain't no point in dodging one of my friends just cuz she disagreed with me on somethin."

"We're going to have to hash things out eventually, you know," Chrysalis said.

"You've got enough hashin on your schedule," Applejack replied. "Which, might I just say, still makes no sense to me. Why are y'all gettin up at the crack of dawn for this?"

"I don't want Shining Armor freaking out in a train station," Twilight said. "So we said we'd be there this afternoon. I figured if we get there early enough, he won't be there yet."

"Awful lotta work to clean up this mess," Applejack said.

"Hey, I would have been happy to be yelled at in public," Chrysalis said. "It's not my fault."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. Get outta here before you get left behind." She walked past them and started to leave, then as an afterthought looked back and called out "you're gonna be fine!"

It was a welcome relief when they made it out of the cold and into the cozy private cabin Chrysalis had insisted they get.

There wasn’t much to the cabin, despite being the best one the train had available, but it did at least have a seat large enough that Chrysalis was able to resume her lounging. It also, as Twilight discovered, had just barely enough space to facilitate frantic, anxious pacing, and that was what she was doing when the train lurched into motion.

“Are you going to be doing that the whole way?” Chrysalis asked.

“Probably,” Twilight told her.

Chrysalis sighed. “Really, you just have to put it out of your mind. Come on,” she shifted around to make some empty space beside her and patted it invitingly, “just relax with me.”

“How am I supposed to relax?” Twilight scratched mindlessly at one of her legs. “This could be it, this could end this whole thing, all these months of getting to know each other and growing closer and starting to— To…” She trailed off.

“What could possibly happen that would just immediately break all of this up?” Chrysalis asked.

“Well, she could kill you,” Twilight said.

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. Thinking things like that only serves to work you up more.”

“Well I can’t stop thinking them,” Twilight said. “It’s all that’s there, I can’t even think of what else I would think about, it’s all just—”

Without warning, Twilight was enveloped in a glowing green aura. An invisible force pulled her, spun her around, and brought her face to face with a smirking Chrysalis. Then Chrysalis took hold of Twilight’s chin, more gently than she ever could have imagined, lifted her face, and planted her lips on Twilight’s.

At first, Twilight’s eyes went wide as her mind turned to static. Then slowly everything came back into focus, Chrysalis, her glowing horn, her stunning eyes. Her lips, still attached to Twilight’s.

Instinctively, Twilight closed her eyes and leaned in, desperate to drain the moment of every extra second of bliss it could give.

Then it ended, far, far too soon. Chrysalis pulled away, dragging her hoof agonizingly over Twilight’s chin as she did. Twilight tried to lean into that touch, to follow her hoof, but then that was over too, and Twilight had nothing left to do but open her eyes and rejoin the rest of the world.

There were a few beautifully quiet moments, Twilight staring slack-jawed and Chrysalis with a smug grin, before Twilight’s thoughts finally caught up to her and she stumbled backwards.

“Wh- You- I- We-” Twilight couldn’t get any words out.

Chrysalis chuckled. Her fangs glinted in the morning light as she did, shining out brilliantly. “Oh, dear,” she mused, “I seem to have broken the princess.”

“Y-Y-You kissed me,” Twilight finally managed to choke out.

“Oh, did I?” Chrysalis leaned forward tantalizingly. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“I just… I didn't think that you…”

“Didn’t think I was interested?” Chrysalis shook her head. “Maybe I really am bad at flirting. I thought I was being obvious.”

Twilight fell backwards and sat on the floor. “But… Why now?”

“Like I said,” Chrysalis said, “you needed something different to think about.” She patted the seat again. “So, are you ready to come sit with me now?”

It took Twilight a bit to respond. Her mind was still moving at a snail’s pace, all her thoughts bogged down by the sensations she was still replaying in her mind, but she got there eventually. She let out a heavy, contented sigh, then smiled brightly at Chrysalis and nodded.

Twilight would probably have skipped over to Chrysalis if there was more room in the cabin, but she settled for just hopping energetically into her waiting hooves. She pressed herself up against Chrysalis, wanting to be as close as she possibly could, and Chrysalis held her tightly to her chest.

They cuddled in silence for a long while. There was no need for words, they were both content with just the sound of the other’s breathing, their smell, their touch. At least for a while, neither of them needed anything they didn’t already have.

A while later, while Chrysalis was gently stroking Twilight’s mane, she decided to break the quiet. “So, Princess, I take it you enjoyed the kiss?”

Twilight laughed. “Fishing for compliments is beneath you, Chrysalis.”

“I’m genuinely curious!” Chrysalis insisted. “We only get one first kiss, I’d like to know if it was satisfying.”

Twilight smiled and sighed. “Of course it was. Although I do kind of wish I could have been the one to catch you off guard like that.”

“Well, there’s always the second kiss.”

Talking fell to silence once more, and then silence fell to sleep.

Some time later, the peaceful couple was woken up by the sounding of a horn and the screeching of brakes as their train pulled into the station in the Crystal Empire.

The Storm

Everything seemed to slow down as the train came to a stop.

There was a heavy clunk as the brakes clicked on.

The train lurched.

Metallic screeching filled the cabin.

The horn sounded.

Another lurch.

And everything stopped. The world outside stopped moving, the horn stopped blaring, the brakes stopped squealing, and just for a moment, Chrysalis and Twilight’s hearts stopped beating.

There was no turning back now. The Crystal Empire awaited.

Twilight was the first to drag herself off the comfortable seat, groaning and griping the entire way. “I really don’t wanna do this.”

Chrysalis pulled herself up after that and nudged Twilight towards the door. “We have to.”

Twilight let out another pained groan. “I know.”

They stepped out into the midday sun, but it was even colder than it had been in Ponyville. There was no wind, thankfully, but the air was frigid and sharp, and Twilight couldn’t help but shiver as her first lungful of air burned inside her.

Chrysalis, meanwhile, was completely unfazed by the harsh weather, and when Twilight shivered she moved close to share her warmth. It made Twilight smile, but knowing where she was, and who she was here to see, stopped her from getting any closer.

Ponies stared and whispered as the couple walked through the streets. There was no panic, no fleeing, but the sight of Princess Twilight with Chrysalis, whether they recognized her or not, was sure to always turn heads.

“You know,” Twilight mused as they cantered along, “I come here all the time, and it never ceases to amaze me how the crystal ponies seem to relish the cold. It’s almost like they don’t even feel it.”

Chrysalis gave her a puzzled look. “What in the world is a crystal pony?”

Twilight chuckled. “Geez, Chrissy, I thought you were supposed to be old and experienced. What, in all those years you never crossed paths with Sombra? Or came this far north? Or, like, read a book?”

Chrysalis scoffed. “Why would I ever go anywhere near that pompous little boy? I had better uses of my time than dealing with some problem that I knew full well would deal with itself eventually.”

“Well,” Twilight told her, “the crystal ponies were the ponies suffering under his rule. Now they’re back, and Cadence leads them.”

“Convenient word choice there,” Chrysalis commented, “considering both have sat upon the same throne.”

Twilight was about to respond, but a cough from nearby caught her attention. She looked away from Chrysalis to find two guards, clad in crystal armor, standing firmly in front of the doors leading into the castle.

“Oh, we’re here!” Twilight tried her best to grin nonchalantly at the guards, but it just came off as awkward. “How are you two? I’m just, um, here to see my brother!”

The guards whispered back and forth for a moment. Twilight and Chrysalis went through a whole slew of concerned looks in the time it took for them to reach a consensus, but eventually they stood up straight and the guard who had coughed put on the most official voice he could muster.

“Princess Twilight,” he said, “seeing as we are only door guards and are nowhere near trained for this, we are electing to trust you, but I’d like to make clear that our trust does not reflect the entire castle guard.”

With that, the two guards stepped to either side of the door, clanking as they moved in the heavy armor. “I hope you’re able to enjoy your visit,” the other guard said.

Twilight chuckled nervously and motioned for Chrysalis to follow her inside. “Thank you two,” she said as she passed, “I’ll put in a good word for you with my brother.”

“Please don’t,” the first guard said. Then the doors shut with a heavy slam, closing Twilight and Chrysalis into the castle.

“Ominous,” Chrysalis commented.

“Hush,” Twilight said. “Let’s just find one of them and get this over with.”

“I believe,” Chrysalis told her, “one of them has just found us.”

Twilight gulped when she saw what she meant. Clacking loudly as he walked through the huge, empty crystal halls, Shining Armor had just turned the corner. He was fully dressed in his royal guard regalia, albeit somewhat awkwardly, and a particularly ornery piece of cloth had his full attention as he was walking. It wasn’t until he’d closed half the distance when he looked up and his jaw dropped.

Shining Armor’s face went through a full gamut of reactions in a split second as he took in the scene. First the shock, then the anger, then realization, followed by yet more anger.

“Chrysalis!” His furious shout echoed dreadfully through the castle. “Get away from her!” His eyes flashed with an unquenched fury as his horn lit up, and a moment later he was charging forward.

Twilight stumbled forward and put up a quaking hoof. “Shiny, wait!”

Shining Armor and Twilight made eye contact, and it was like a light was switched off inside him. His horn dimmed, his eyes softened, and his hooves screeched as he skidded to a stop on the polished floors.

He was only feet away when he finally stopped, and he couldn’t take his eyes off Twilight. His wide eyes, moist with the promise of tears, were brimming with all manner of emotions, and Twilight could feel it all.

Then he set his jaw, shook his head, and lit his horn back up. “Prove that you’re Twilight,” he demanded.

Chrysalis almost spoke up, but she caught herself and continued to watch the two of them in silence.

“Look.” Twilight held out the leg that still had the glowing band around it. “You know this spell, Shiny.” Then she pointed to the matching band that Chrysalis was wearing. “Brainwashed ponies don’t make promises, and brainwashers definitely don’t keep promises.”

Shining Armor looked back and forth between them, staring at the bands, then their faces, then back at the bands. Slowly, all the anger drained from his face, only to be replaced by a dull, aching sadness. Finally, he fell back and sat on the floor, completely defeated.

“Twilight…” He was staring up at her from where he sat with a scarring frown. “What did you do?”

Twilight’s ears pulled back in shame as she frowned and took a step away. “I- I just… I mean—” She couldn’t get any thoughts out.

“Twilight, please,” Shining Armor begged, “tell me this isn’t what it looks like.”

“I’m sorry, Shiny,” Twilight squeaked, her voice barely reaching her lips.

“You said you were bringing a new girlfriend,” Shining armor said. “So you’re dating her?” His voice was dripping with vitriol as he glared at Chrysalis.

“I just thought..” Twilight looked away from him and closed her eyes. “I don’t know.”

“Twilight.” Chrysalis put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder to steady her. “Have faith in yourself. You’ve done nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Really?” Shining Armor snapped at Chrysalis. “Because from where I’m sitting, it sure looks like she did.”

“How it looks to you has no bearing on the matter,” Chrysalis told him.

“No bearing?” Shining Armor swiped a hoof through the air dramatically. “I’m the one who’s been betrayed here, I think I have some say in it.”

“No.” Twilight sniffed her tears away and stepped forward, looking hard at Shining Armor. “No, Shiny, you don’t get to decide what I should be ashamed about. Disagree with me, disown me, whatever, but I will not be ashamed for being happy.”

“How can you be happy with her after what she did to Cadence?” Shining Armor was struggling to hold back his own tears.

“Because I gave her a second chance,” Twilight said. “That’s what I do. You think nopony was ever against it before? Pinkie didn’t talk to me for a week after I took in Starlight! I did it anyway, because I knew I was making her life better, and then she went and made a whole bunch of other ponies’ lives better. It just happened to be that the life Chrysalis made better was mine. I won’t let you tear all of that down just because you think that, because it’s your hurt, she’s different.”

“I-” Shining Armor sighed and looked down at the ground. “I want you to be happy, Twily. I just don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive her.”

“I don’t expect forgiveness,” Chrysalis told him. “I’m only here because I want Twilight’s decision to be respected.”

Twilight leaned down next to her brother. “You don’t have to like her, Shiny,” she told him, “but I’ll still like her either way. You’re going to have to come to terms with that, because you can’t change it.”

Shining Armor nodded, still not meeting Twilight’s eyes. “You’re right,” he said, “I can’t control you. I’ll… I’ll do my best to keep things good between us.”

“So will I,” Twilight told him.

Twilight stood back up and held out a hoof for Shining Armor, who took it and stood up as well. Then, much to his shock, Twilight gave him a hug, and a second later he hugged her back.

“For what it’s worth,” Chrysalis said after they were done, “I am sorry for any strain I may have put on your relationship with Cadence.”

Shining Armor narrowed his eyes at her. “And for… Brainwashing me?”

Chrysalis thought for a moment. “...No. I can’t apologize for something I don’t regret.”

“Chrysalis,” Twilight chided. Shining Armor scowled at her.

“What?” Chrysalis shrugged. “I realize it wasn’t good, but I still believe that, for my goals at the time, it was a sound decision.”

“Okay, time to leave,” Twilight said. She wrapped her magic around Chrysalis and started to tug her down the hallway. “We’re only halfway done.”

“She’s in the throne room,” Shining Armor told them as they left. “I wouldn’t expect her to be as calm as me, though.”

The halls were empty as they walked through the castle. It wasn’t just that the castle wasn’t busy. It was like the castle had been evacuated. There was no clicking from distant hooves, no quiet murmurs from the rooms they passed by. It was just the two of them, their deafening hoofsteps, and the eerie silence between them.

As they approached the door to the throne room, Chrysalis put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder to stop her. “Are you ready for this?”

“No,” Twilight told her, “but I’m never going to be.”

“Do we have a plan?”

“I have no idea what she’s going to say,” Twilight said. “I think we should walk in at the same time so that she sees us together, but the plan ends there.”

“If you need to take a step back, just tap me on the shoulder and I’ll take over the talking,” Chrysalis said.

“Thank you, Chrissy.”

There was nothing else to do. They both stepped up behind one of the large, heavy doors, and Twilight wrapped them in her magic. They opened agonizingly slowly, inch by inch, but the first thing they revealed was the daunting throne, and with it—

A bolt of magic scorched the floor by their hooves before the doors were even open.

With a final push, Twilight flung open the doors and the couple stepped inside. There they saw her. Standing tall on the raised platform that held her throne, her horn lit brilliantly, her wings outstretched in a show of dominance, her mane billowing as if the force of her magic was washing over it, Princess Cadence glared at them.

Her voice was cold and quiet when she spoke. “I was really, really hoping you two weren’t going to walk through that door together.”

“Expecting me?” Chrysalis asked.

Cadence responded with another blast of magic that collided with a wall of green flames. “Do you think I don’t have guards? Or that I wouldn’t make absolutely certain they all knew the face of the woman who nearly took everything from me?”

“Cadence, please,” Twilight pleaded, “it isn’t what it looks like.”

There was another volley of magic, and another spout of flames.

“It’s exactly what it looks like!” Cadence snapped.

“I’m not in any danger,” Twilight said. “She isn’t doing anything wrong.”

“What, do you think I’m blind?” Cadence stomped a hoof on the ground. “I know this is real. I’m the Envoy of Love in Equestria, I’m perfectly capable of seeing when one of my best friends is falling in love. Why would that make it better?”

Twilight took a step back in shock. Chrysalis stepped in front of her to keep her safe. “C-Cadence, please,” Twilight begged. “Just hear us out!”

“I know what you’ll say!” Cadence fired another bolt at Chrysalis. “I don’t care. You can do whatever you want at home, but you do not bring that woman into my castle and expect her to leave unscathed.”

Tears were streaming down Twilight’s face now. “Cadence, no! Please, don’t do this.”

“I’m sorry, Twilight.” A brilliant spark started to grow in Cadence’s horn. “I hope you’re okay with dating a statue.”

Cadence reared back as her horn became almost unbearably bright. Then she slammed back onto the ground, aimed her horn at Chrysalis, and let loose.

There was a deafening boom as a massive beam flew across the room. The colors flowing through it seemed jagged with the speed they were going, a rainbow of force headed their way.

Chrysalis crouched defensively. There was no way she could block that, so her only option would be to dodge out of the way, but she hesitated. She glanced back over her shoulder, to what the beam would hit if she moved, to—

Nothing.

In that instant after Cadence fired, Twilight started moving. She ran at full speed forward, charging her magic up as she did, and skidded to a stop in a defensive position in front of Chrysalis. Then she blasted back, fighting back Cadence’s magic with her own.

A shower of sparks were raining over Twilight as she strained to fight back. She clenched her eyes tight as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Then, with a final, monumental shove, she put all her might behind the spell and screamed out in despair.

“I will not let you hurt her!”

Cadence’s blast was eviscerated. The lance of purple light flew over her head, just barely missing her, and she and Twilight both crumpled to the floor in exhaustion.

Chrysalis leaned down and put a tender hoof on Twilight’s side. Then her attention turned to Cadence, and her eyes narrowed into a nasty glare. She stood up, tall and proud, and used her own magic to levitate Twilight up onto her back. Twilight latched onto her immediately, burying her face to hide her tears.

Chrysalis looked down her nose at Cadence. “I hope you’re happy, Princess.”

Cadence was panting hard, but she pushed herself shakily to her hooves and glared back at Chrysalis. Her voice fell to almost a whisper. “Leave my castle.”

Chrysalis didn’t say anything else. She just turned around, carried Twilight out into the hall, and shut the doors quietly behind her.

Shining Armor caught up to them as they were walking to the exit. “That bad, huh?” he asked.

Twilight sniffed, but she couldn’t bring herself to look at her brother.

Chrysalis stopped and turned to look down at Shining Armor. She stared at him, searching for something to say, some quip or scolding remark, but eventually she settled on just turning and walking away in silence.

Shining Armor walked with them. “Listen,” he said, “I’ll talk to her. I can’t promise it’ll be quick, but she and Twilight will be back on good terms someday. I’ll make sure of it.”

Chrysalis still said nothing to him.

He scratched behind an ear awkwardly. “Be good to her,” he said after a moment, “okay? Twilight wouldn’t do this for just anypony.”

“That’s the thing,” Chrysalis said. She still didn’t look at him. “I think that she would.”

Then they were outside, back to the icy cold. The chill biting into them felt infinitely more hostile than it had earlier that day.

“You may want to check on those two,” Chrysalis said, gesturing at the door guards as they passed by. “I may have been a touch too rough with them, but they didn’t leave me much choice.” Then, without waiting for any sort of response or goodbye, she walked away.

Chrysalis carried Twilight back to the train station and set her gently on a bench before sitting down herself and gently rubbing Twilight’s back.

“Are you alright?” Chrysalis asked after a minute.

Twilight pried her eyes open and looked up at Chrysalis, at her face, sharp and malicious, yet still somehow soft and caring. “Not really,” she said.

“Your brother was right,” Chrysalis told her. “They’ll forgive you.”

Twilight sniffed and frowned. “I’m not going to apologize.”

“They’ll forgive you anyway,” Chrysalis said.

“I guess…” Twilight reached out to place her hoof on one of Chrysalis’. “Thank you for everything you said in there.”

“I only said what I felt I had to.”

Twilight looked at her with a weak smile. “You really care about me, huh?”

“Of course I do. You’re the only princess in this nation I respect.”

Twilight chuckled quietly. “You don’t even know Luna.”

Chrysalis stroked Twilight’s mane. “I’m sorry it had to go this way.”

Twilight shook her head. “It had to happen regardless. I’m just glad that it’s—”

She was cut off by the sudden sound of glass shattering. They both looked around frantically, searching for the source, before realizing that they knew what it was.

With a frown, Twilight raised up her leg and looked it over, and there was nothing to see. No cuts, no scrapes, and most notably, no glowing band of magic.

“But why…” Twilight rubbed her leg where the sign of their promise should have been.

Suddenly, Chrysalis started to laugh. “Oh, wow.” Twilight gave her a puzzled look. “I really never imagined it would be you who broke the promise.”

“Me?” Twilight asked. “I don’t understand, how did I—“ Her eyes went wide as the realization struck her.

“You saved my life, Twilight,” Chrysalis said.

“Oh…” Twilight was still staring at her leg. “I’m… Sorry?”

The sudden apology made Chrysalis start laughing again, and then Twilight was laughing with her. Her eyes were still damp, and the laughing drew out a few more tears, but Twilight was smiling, and Chrysalis was smiling back.

A few minutes later, Twilight sighed and leaned heavily against Chrysalis. “I guess this means our vacation is over,” she said. “That’s kind of a shame.”

Chrysalis squeezed Twilight tight. “Well, it doesn’t have to be.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“Well, we’re the only ones who know the promise was broken. We could just make another one.”

“I don’t know,” Twilight said. “I would feel bad if I kept making excuses to not be a good guy.”

“Then don’t,” Chrysalis said. “I’m not going to stop you. Equestria’s full of heroes now, though. They don’t need you for everything, and if you have an excuse to not do the small stuff, you can use that time to help on a larger scale as a princess.”

“Hmm…” Twilight thought hard about it. “It does sound kind of nice… What would we promise, though?”

“I have an idea,” Chrysalis said. She held her hoof out and looked into Twilight’s eyes. “I can promise to never stop loving you.”

Twilight lit up with a grin and put her own hoof on top of Chrysalis’. “I think I can promise that too.”

Both their horns lit up, and they kissed as they cast the spell. As their lips locked together, so did their magic, making a brilliant stream of twisting and swirling green and purple light that wrapped around their legs. Then there was a flash of light, and they pulled away from each other to see their intricate new bands. Chrysalis had a bright, neon purple one, while Twilight’s was a glowing green.

Twilight practically pounced on Chrysalis, pulling her into a tight hug. Chrysalis laughed and squeezed her back, and then they kissed once again.

Later, on the train home, a thought hit Twilight. “You know,” she said, “I’m not actually sure if this promise spell is reversible. We might have these for a while.”

“That’s alright,” Chrysalis told her. “I don’t mind ponies knowing that you’re mine.”

“Please. Everypony knows I’m in charge. I am the Princess, after all.”

Epilogue: Aftershocks

So, time went on, and Twilight and Chrysalis fell into a new normal. Twilight found that she quite liked stepping away to focus on the bigger picture. So long as she could trust her friends with the smaller things, which she always knew she could, she was comfortable diving into her work as a princess and doing all she could to make Equestria a better place.

Chrysalis had more trouble finding her place, but she spent the time searching for it by Twilight’s side, encouraging her in her own ways. With her guidance, Twilight always felt confident in herself. Eventually Chrysalis branched out, made friends, and truly became more to the ponies of Ponyville than just Twilight’s girlfriend.

Their lives had their ups and downs, as all lives do, but one thing never changed. They were happy together.

“Where are you taking me?” Twilight asked. She was blindfolded, riding on Chrysalis’ back, and had been for some time. Long enough for the sun to start setting, she thought, because the air around them was getting cool and damp.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Chrysalis told her. “It is a surprise.”

“Couldn’t you have just, like, teleported us?”

“Well, I could have,” Chrysalis said, “but where’s the fun in that? What, would you like to spend less time together?”

Twilight hit Chrysalis playfully. “I just want to spend more time actually seeing you.”

“Well, that’s understandable.” Chrysalis laughed. “I am quite glorious. Anyway, we’re here.”

As Chrysalis set Twilight on the ground and lifted off the blindfold, Twilight realized that it wasn’t sunset after all. Rather, the air was cool and damp because they had gone into a cave. A familiar, massive cave, with gems in the walls and a river flowing through it. They were on the clifftop Twilight had brought them to on their first date. Beside them Chrysalis had set up a picnic, and beckoned Twilight to join her as she sat down.

“Okay, I know we didn’t walk that far,” Twilight said as she took a seat.

“I admit, I may have transported us some of the distance with magic.” Chrysalis grinned. “I assumed that several days of walking would have been a bit much.”

“A bit,” Twilight agreed. She looked out over the scenery and sighed. “It’s just like it was back then.”

“It’s a wonder more ponies don’t come down here,” Chrysalis said.

“I don’t think Equestria has many spelunkers.”

“Their loss.”

Hungry from the trip, Twilight cracked into their picnic. They quieted down as they ate, gazing out and just enjoying each other’s company. They both knew they didn’t have to talk to enjoy the time spent together. Being together was enough.

They did talk a bit. About their friends, Twilight’s work, all sorts of mundane things. All the little thoughts that came to them, they shared with each other. Then they would banter and laugh and sigh and kiss. They sat together after the food was gone, soaking in each other’s warmth in the comfortably cool air.

“I hope you approve of my choice of date,” Chrysalis said at one point.

Twilight laughed. “It’s perfect. There’s not a single thing that could make it better.”

“Well,” Chrysalis said, “I can think of one thing.”

“And that is?”

Chrysalis looked into Twilight’s eyes, gazing in a blissful silence for a few moments before speaking. “Twilight… I think I’d like to marry you.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide and her cheeks went red. “Oh, I can’t believe I didn’t see that coming,” she muttered under her breath. “I-I mean,” she said nervously, “I… Yeah.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Normally the castle in Canterlot was a bustling place. Whether it be ponies waiting to meet Celestia or tourists from the edges of Equestria, ponies usually packed the halls. Today, though, as Twilight and Chrysalis made their way to the throne room, they hardly even saw any guards. There wasn’t anything off with the guards they did run across, they were perfectly cordial and pleasant, but they were few and far between. For some reason, the day just felt off.

“Does today feel off to you?” Twilight asked Chrysalis idly.

“I suppose,” Chrysalis replied. “I feel as though that’s bound to happen on any day you get a surprise summons from Celestia, though.”

“I mean, yeah,” Twilight agreed. They paused outside the massive doors leading into the throne room for a moment before going in. “Today feels extra off, though.”

“It’s probably just nerves,” Chrysalis said. “You know how you get with Celestia.”

“Or maybe Pinkie Sense is contagious.”

Twilight shrugged and pushed open the heavy doors. Muffled voices leaked out for just a moment, but the creaking of the wood made the room fall silent.

Twilight and Chrysalis both froze in the doorway. As expected, Celestia was here to greet them, but she wasn’t alone. Standing near her, equally as dumbfounded, were Shining Armor and Princess Cadence.

Cadence couldn’t keep herself from sneering at Chrysalis. “What is she doing here?”

“I’m simply answering a summons from our dear princess,” Chrysalis said snidely as she walked inside. Twilight followed soon after, and the doors crashed shut with a thunderous bang.

“Ladies, please be civil,” Celestia said. “I’ve brought you all together for a very important conversation.”

“Aw geez,” Twilight muttered under her breath, “here we go.” Across the room, Shining Armor was showing similar apprehension.

Cadence, meanwhile, was still glaring at Chrysalis, who was looking down her nose back at her.

Celestia coughed to regain their attention. “I won’t mince words. As I’m sure you have all expected for some time, I am looking to… Retire. As such, I am in need of a successor.”

Cadence growled. “You can’t seriously be considering handing off the crown to that snake.”

Chrysalis fumed. “I am nothing of the sort! Trust me, you’ve seen nothing of the kind of snake I can be.”

“Enough,” Celestia demanded. “This is why we are here. The crown is to go to Twilight. Not Chrysalis. It can’t do so, however, when it would bring such severe unrest.”

“Then don’t do it,” Cadence said. “Keep the crown until—”

“I’m tired, Cadence,” Celestia said. “I’m too old to let my life be put on hold because of a feud.”

“A feud?” Cadence gawked at her. “I’m the only one here not falling over myself to bow down to a supervillain, and it’s a feud?”

“I am not a villain!” Chrysalis said. “I’ve been here for years, you can’t just… Augh!” She growled and stomped a hoof in frustration.

“Chrysalis, it’s alright,” Twilight said, but Chrysalis didn’t seem to hear her.

“It isn’t fair!” Chrysalis continued. “You’re supposed to be a princess, but you treat me worse than Sombra would. Why am I the one who—”

“Chrysalis!” Twilight shouted. Chrysalis clamped her mouth shut and stared at her. “That’s enough,” Twilight told her. “I understand your frustration, but you’re just throwing more fuel on the fire.”

“Seriously, Twilight?” Cadence asked. “Her frustration? I don’t care if she’s frustrated that she doesn’t get to rule Equestria!”

“Yes, Cadence, I am serious,” Twilight said. “Chrysalis has been by my side for so long, through so much, and that entire time she’s had to deal with knowing that her mere existence could cause a full on secession. Or worse! With how you’ve treated her, she can’t know what you might be capable of. That is why she’s frustrated!”

“I-” Cadence’s voice caught in her throat. “Twilight, I would never do anything that drastic, you know that. It’s preposterous!”

“We barely even speak to each other anymore,” Twilight said. “You could have changed.”

“I want to talk to you more,” Cadence said, “it’s just hard because…”

“Because I spend so much time with my wife?” Twilight asked.

“That’s not what I meant,” Cadence said.

Deciding she was done with standing by, Celestia stepped forward. “I think that’s a good start,” she said. “The shouting seems to have stopped, at least. Now, can we talk and come up with a plan we’re all satisfied in?”

Twilight could feel tears welling up as she gazed out over the cheering crowds below her. Surrounded by her closest friends, and her dearest family, the crown on her head had never felt lighter.

The scene on the balcony was crowded. Celestia stood front and center, with Luna by her side, both dressed in their royal regalia. In the back stood Twilight friends, all wearing matching dresses, as well as Twilight’s family. Even standing in the widest part of the balcony, the lot of them hardly fit on the balcony.

Then was Twilight, in the center taking up entirely too much room in her long, puffy black and blue dress. Rarity had toiled over it for weeks, and it showed. It was made meticulously down to the very stitching to make Twilight exude radiance, flowing over her like a sea of stars.

Beside Twilight stood Chrysalis who, as always, had not dressed up.

As Celestia spoke to the masses, Cadence walked up beside Twilight and Chrysalis. “I’m proud of you, Twilight,” she said softly. “And, um… Congratulations, Chrysalis.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said with a sniff.

“Thank you, Princess,” Chrysalis said.

Celestia’s speech started to wrap up, and Twilight wiped her eyes nervously and took several deep breaths. “I didn’t expect this to be so nerve-wracking.”

“Don’t worry,” Chrysalis told her, “at least you’re cute when you’re nervous.”

Twilight chuckled. “You could at least pretend to sympathize.”

“No I couldn’t,” Chrysalis said. “I have no doubts about how well you’ll do.”

Then, Celestia stepped away, and beckoned Twilight up as applause roared out. It was more ponies in one place than Twilight had ever seen before, and she suddenly found herself grateful that this was happening on a balcony. At least that way, she was far enough away that they probably couldn’t see her eye twitch nervously.

Eventually, the crowd settled down enough for Twilight to clear her throat and begin her speech. “Thank you, everypony. This really is more than I ever could have expected. This is the happiest- Well, no, it’s probably about the fourth happiest day of my life.”

“Fifth!” Pinkie shouted from behind her.

“Today is the fifth happiest day of my life,” Twilight continued, “and I am so glad to share it with all of Equestria. I’m not very good at acceptance speeches, but… Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

There was another roar of applause, and Twilight smiled politely as she waited for it to calm.

“I’m sure you’re all wondering what this means for Equestria,” Twilight said when she could speak over the crowd. “My hope is that, for the citizens of Equestria, nothing much will change. I don’t have the experience of Celestia and Luna, but there’s something else I have. Something I’ve always had. The friends who got me here today. They’ve helped me all my life, and they’ll continue to help me in this, either in an official capacity or, since not all accepted the positions, simply as friends. With their aid, I’m confident I can keep Equestria a wonderful, peaceful place.”

During the next wave of applause, Twilight looked behind her and waved Chrysalis up. Chrysalis hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded and walked up to join Twilight.

“Finally,” Twilight said, “my wife Chrysalis. The love of my life. My friends and I all trust her completely, and as many of you know, she has long sought after a position at the head of Equestria. Well… That dream is not happening today.”

“I am not naive,” Twilight went on. “I know that public opinion of Chrysalis has not changed drastically in the past few years, and it would be irresponsible to put somepony that you all do not trust in such a high position. At the same time, I want very much to make her happy. In pursuit of this, she will be getting a position amongst us. A new position.”

“Think of her as a figurehead,” Twilight explained. “She’ll be out there, with you all, getting to know you. Attending town halls, visiting schools, answering questions. A position with little actual power, yet still serving an important role for Equestria. Also, on her insistence, this new position will be known as…” Twilight coughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck. “Chrysalis will hold the title of Queen. Despite being far lower in stature than the Princesses. Please, just go with it.”

There was a long pause, but slowly another round of applause built up. It was quite a bit less raucous, but Chrysalis grinned and bowed for them anyway.

Twilight gave a few parting remarks, then waved and left the stage to a final roar of applause. As soon as she was out of view, she let out a massive breath and started panting.

“You did wonderfully out there, dear,” Rarity told her.

“Mm-hm,” Twilight mumbled. “Um, Rarity, can you help me get this dress off before I throw up on it?”

“Well that was fun,” Twilight said as she and Chrysalis walked out into the night. They were in Ponyville, having just attended Pinkie Pie’s monthly reunion party, and the stars above shone brightly down on them. “I suppose we should go back to Canterlot, now.”

“I think Canterlot can survive one night without us,” Chrysalis said. She grabbed Twilight with her magic and lifted her up onto her back, then started walking slowly. “Let’s go to your old castle.”

Twilight yawned and clung to Chrysalis. “Sounds good to me.”

“It was fun,” Chrysalis said. “I’m glad we came.”

“Told ya.”

“I hardly needed convincing,” Chrysalis argued.

“Yeah, but I still told you,” Twilight said.

“Fair enough.” Chrysalis chuckled. “Right again, Princess.”

Twilight nuzzled into Chrysalis’ neck, then stopped and smiled when her eyes caught on the glowing bracelet around her leg. “Thank you, Chrysalis.”

“What for?”

“For everything,” Twilight said. “For being with me.”

“Well you made it pretty easy,” Chrysalis told her.

Twilight lifted her leg to show Chrysalis the bracelet. “Do you remember what we promised with these?”

“To love each other,” Chrysalis said. “Or something to that effect.”

Twilight laughed. “That was dumb. We’re never gonna get these things off.”

“Twilight, we both know you’re perfectly capable of dispelling—”

“Shhh,” Twilight interrupted. “Don’t be silly. We’re stuck.”

“Of course,” Chrysalis said.

Twilight squeezed Chrysalis tight. “Hey Chrissy?”

“Yes?”

“Let’s have a kid.”

Chrysalis stopped in her tracks. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said.

“Is that even possible?” Chrysalis asked.

“Sure.” Twilight shrugged. “It might take a bit, but I can whip something up. I am the most powerful magic user in Equestria.”

“Well, work on that first,” Chrysalis said, “and we’ll decide when it’s done.”

“That’s probably smart,” Twilight agreed. “You think you might want to, though?”

“Twilight, right at this second, there’s nothing I would love more.”

“Oh, grow a spine, Thorax.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes and leaned heavily on the arm of her throne. Twilight sat beside her, listening to the changeling rulers with equal parts interest and apprehension.

“We’re, um, invertebrates,” Thorax replied.

“Hence the growing,” Chrysalis said. “The changelings need to know they can count on you, and until I’m convinced they can, I’m not signing off on any sort of major treatises.”

“You’re always welcome to come see for yourself,” Thorax told her. “The changelings really respect how you’ve changed without, you know… Changing.”

“Perhaps it is about time,” Chrysalis said. “I’ll have to visit eventually.”

“Um, if you don’t mind my prying,” Thorax said, “why the sudden interest in the hive? You always seemed content with just having ambassadors in the past.”

“There are countless reasons for why my interests may change,” Chrysalis said.

Twilight chuckled. “We’re thinking about children.” She smirked when she saw Chrysalis flinch at the unexpected forwardness. “We’ll want them to be acquainted with changeling culture, and that means visiting the hive.”

“Oh, how exciting!” Thorax said with a grin. “Of course, I’ll be sure to set everything up when the time comes. We’re truly honored. Have you thought of names?”

“Well, I have,” Chrysalis said, “but Twilight shot down all my ideas.”

“I’m not letting you name our child Monarch.”

“I gave alternatives!” Chrysalis argued. “Brilliant Monarch sounds like a perfectly acceptable pony name to me.”

Twilight sighed. “We’re working on it, Thorax.”

“I quite like Monarch, actually,” Thorax said. “Let me know if you need any help, though. We’ve kept a record of all changeling names for some time now, it may give you some inspiration.”

“Riveting,” Chrysalis said dryly. “The changeling empire is truly flourishing.”

And so their lives continued. A lifetime of memories, of kisses and fights, of friends and of family. Their family did, indeed, get bigger, and they did not, in fact, name their child Monarch. Twilight was a beloved ruler, and eventually Chrysalis was beloved as well. They grew old together, retired together, saw all of Equestria together.

And they never did get those bracelets off.

Author's Note

There we have it. Hopefully this is satisfying. Thank you all for reading, and for the incredible response! This story took off in a way I never expected.

If you're itching for more, and didn't already see, I did start a followup to this story. It's not a direct sequel so much as it's a continuation of the world set up here, exploring the lives of the other ponies. Twilight and Chrysalis do show up though!

You can find that story here!