Author's Note

This one is one of the unique chapters in this story. Since this time its not taking place in Chrysalis's POV, but instead it focuses on Twilight instead!

She's taking baby steps

Needed Space

Twilight and Spike were both eating haycakes together, while Chrysalis and Starlight, both with tired expressions, ate their meal while staring at each other with narrow gazes, as if daring the other to turn away.

"So, how did the both of you sleep?" Spike asked, with a nervous laugh at the end.

"Oh, it was swell." Starlight replied, still not taking her eyes off Chrysalis. "Until somecreature decided to make loud bug noises at night. Very loud bug noises."

"You glued me to my nest!" Chrysalis defended herself. "I had to annoy you somehow."

Starlight switched her narrowed gaze onto Twilight, giving her the death stare.

Twilight nervously sweated. "Erm, well, look at that!" She showed her empty plate. "I can't believe that I ate them all! I must be so hungry today! I shall... erm... get more food since I am still very hungry."

She trotted to the kitchen, and waved her tail at Spike, which he knew what it meant and followed her inside. They left behind a tired and angry duo, who still kept staring at each other.

Twilight peeked behind the wall to stare at the two. "Spike, did I do a bad thing?"

"What do you mean?" Spike asked.

"Well, I think Starlight hates me now since I put her and Chrysalis in the same room. And being hated by Starlight is not something I want to feel. Again."

Spike nodded, knowing what she meant. "Even so, its probably not as bad as last time. And besides, she doesn't hate you, Twilight. She was probably just tired and probably stayed up all night listening to Chrysalis's shenanigans."

"I guess." Twilight simply shrugged. "But the point is that, maybe I made a mistake."

"What mistake? Reforming Chrysalis?"

"No, we are still doing that." Twilight rolled her eyes, as if annoyed that Spike suggested that. "The mistake of putting them in the same room. Now Starlight won't forgive me because I am doing this to her."

"I mean..." Spike looked at the side nervously. "That is kinda of messed up for you to do that. Since she did take away her hive and made her followers turn against her. So its no surprise that Chrysalis is doing this to her."

"I know." Twilight sighed.

"And for that matter," Spike continued. "why did you put Chrysalis and Starlight in the same room in the first place? And don't give me the 'because they need to rekindle' excuse. I know thats not the entire reason."

"You're sharp." Twilight grinned a little bit. She sighed once more. "I guess it was an act of revenge."

"Revenge?" Spike was taken aback. "On Starlight? What did she do to you? You still haven't forgiven her for her dark past? Or the time that she didn't come to the dinner for Trixie? OR the time that she brainwashed your friends?"

It was Twilight's turn to be taken aback. "What? No! It was not on Starlight, but rather on Chrysalis instead."

"Why?" He asked.

"Spike, you were there when Chrysalis did her crimes. Firstly, she was disguised as my foalsitter, and fooled you, our friends, and my brother! And she almost destroyed Canterlot! Then the months go by and decided to capture the rest of us and make us sleepy prisoners in her own hive! Thankfully, Starlight arrived from the Sunset Festival early and rescued us all with the others." She stopped to look at Chrysalis again.

"I guess that makes sense." Spike said with a little hesitation. "But you forgave Starlight easily, yet her actions were almost as bad as hers."

Twilight nodded. "Fair point, but the difference between the two is that Starlight was misguided. After Sunburst got his cutie mark and left her behind, Starlight immediately assumed that cutie marks were a key to ruining a friendship. Plus she didn't know what she was doing and was blinded by rage. As for Chrysalis, she knew exactly what she was doing, and shown no signs of wanting to change. And she is happy when it comes to ruining lives. Do you kind of see the picture?"

After thinking about it, Spike shrugged. "Good points, but even so," Spike placed a claw on her shoulder. "You shouldn't have dragged Starlight along in this."

"I know." Twilight sighed. "I know."

Moments later, Twilight and Spike finally arrived from the kitchen with more haycakes, although Twilight didn't feel hungry anymore.

"What took you so long?" Starlight asked the two. Twilight was relived that most of Starlight's hostility went away.

"Me and Spike have been talking." Twilight addressed the two.

"About me? Are you finally going to let me go?" Chrysalis flapped her transparent bug wings.

"No." Twilight sternly said. "But rather, something else."

"That is?" Chrysalis and Starlight both said, their gazes now fixed on her.

"I've been thinking, and Spike was here to guide and help me out. Starlight," Twilight looked at the mare.

"Yes?"

Twilight sighed. "You and Chrysalis will not be roommates anymore."

At the moment she said those words, Chrysalis slammed her hooves at the table excitedly. "Yes! Thank you, Twilight!" she screamed in utter glee, which was a thing Twilight would never thought she would hear.

But Starlight didn't seem to share the same excitement. "What changed your mind?"

"I just felt like that I put you in a unfair position." She explained. "And I should've have forced you guys to be roommates. I just want to say. I'm sorry."

They both looked at her with stunned faces, with Chrysalis being the biggest.

"Wait. You are apologizing... to me? Wow! I never thought I would hear that in a long time."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it." Twilight silenced her with her hoof. "And you will be doing a similar thing tomorrow."

The happiness in Chrysalis died away. "What do you mean by that?" she snarled threateningly.

But Twilight was unnerved. "You'll find out tomorrow!" she said to the changeling, then she turned to Starlight. "You can grab all of your belongings and you can move into one of the guest bedrooms that are located near my room."

"Will do." Starlight's horn glowed.

"But!" Twilight said quickly before Starlight was about to teleport. "I really do want you guys to get over your hatred with each other. While you won't be roommates anymore, I still expect you guys to clear up the smoke."

Starlight and Chrysalis both looked at each other, with not angry expressions this time, but with bored looks.

"Ok." They both said at the same time.

"But that will come in a long while." Chrysalis still snarled at Starlight. "I still don't forgive you for taking away my hive."

But she just shrugged. "You're not exactly an angel yourself."

Leaving the two alone, Twilight walked away as she washed the plate with water.

Spike appeared right behind her with his plate.

"I'm proud of you Twilight." He said.

She was shocked. "Why?"

"Because you averted the problem before it gotten worse." Spike explained. "If you didn't, then one of them would hurt each other if they push their buttons a little too much.

"I doubt Starlight would hurt Chrysalis." Twilight reassured him, although there was a tiny hint of doubt.

"Well, hopefully when they are not forced to be roomies, then one day they will get somewhat close and not fight anymore." Spike got up on a stool and washed his plate next to Twilight.

"Yeah." Twilight grinned. "Me too."