Displacement Shock

I take a deep breath and open the door, Twilight following close behind. Walking straight, not having daylight to contrast, I can now see that it’s packed with ponies in here. As I look around, someone jumps up and flips the lights on. The sudden change in lighting makes me jump initially.

“SURPRISE!!!” everyone says with noisemakers in the background.

My heart is racing after the light came on, but the excitement and love kick in again, which means I could calm down. “Whew, thanks everyone. That’s a fun start. Twilight, did you have a hoof in this?” I ask with a smile on my face, to which she nods.

“Happy birthday, Aita.”

I take a good look at the ponies in the room. Two of them stick out, and one of them is Chrysalis. Is the other one… Queen Areola?

“Areola?!? I thought you lived exclusively in the dream realm!”

“I did… until today. It was an accident.”

“...so I really did pull you into my room?!? How?!?”

Twilight pulls me under her wing again. “Maybe you might be interested in a science lesson or two to figure it out.”

“Accident or not though, Aita…” Chrysalis starts, approaching and locking eyes with me. She doesn’t even have any negativity in her, yet I start crouching. Maybe it’s her posture that’s making me do it. “You will have to be more careful where you put your electronic devices from now on. Am I clear about that?”

I swallow hard. “...yes. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Twilight taps my right wing, so I quickly turn my head to her. “Aita, relax. It’s just Queen Chrysalis. She’s not even disappointed.”

“I know, Twilight. I don’t even know how I could be doing this without any-”

“Are you okay, Aita?” Areola interrupts, floating me past Chrysalis over to her. “Is my old student too stern on you? Honestly Chrysalis, would you be so hard on him if you experienced that for yourself?”

“W-why wouldn’t I? And besides, you have limits too, right?”

“Only around the adults… have you seriously forgotten why human Spitfire was arrested?”

I start getting angered when Areola mentions Superintendent Spitfire. Oh well. Some things never change.

I soar between Areola and Chrysalis and push them away from each other.

“Queens! Cut it out!” Areola and Chrysalis look utterly shocked by what I’m doing. “I can listen to you two discuss the parental guidance of a changeling family, but bringing up my abusers is where I draw the line!” I start choking up at what I think of next, but it’s got to be done. “I gotta leave…”

I walk away from Areola and Chrysalis and go upstairs, who are even more shocked now than when I initially cut them off. The rest of the crowd is also shocked at this short feud. When I enter the Cakes’ master bedroom, I lie and break down near the door.

After what feels like hours, I hear two ponies and a dragon come upstairs. I feel Twilight’s left wing drape across my back.

“You okay, Aita?” she asks.

“Of course not! I had to w-walk out on m-my own party!”

Starlight begins petting my head. “We understand that.”

“And it’s okay, Aita,” Spike finishes. “You did the right thing.”

“I… I did?” I look at Twilight, who nods.

“Yeah… if you stayed like you wanted to, that royal tension would’ve made things worse for everypony. I know you feel hurt having to do that, but there are times you have to speak up and do something.” I hug Twilight after hearing her comforting words. “I’m proud of you for standing up to Chrysalis and Areola… it was the only way they’d stop and think about what they were doing.”

“Now we know why we were all called by the map to Sugar Cube Corner,” Starlight adds. “to help Chrysalis and Areola understand just what happens when they’re at odds with each other.”

When Twilight, Spike and Starlight go up to comfort Aita, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and I watch as Applejack and Rarity are the first to come forward to confront Chrysalis and Areola.

“Areola…” says Rarity. “How do you think Twilight feels for upsetting Aita like that, for mentioning those who’ve deeply wronged him? You are aware of how sensitive he is to that kind of subject, right?”

Applejack points to Chrysalis. “And Chrysalis, how do you think Starlight feels for not considerin’ the fact that Aita is a child? He was only tryin’ to have a good time… on his birthday for cryin’ out loud!”

Rainbow Dash sits down and turns her head to the side. “Not cool, girls!”

“What royal party poopers…” Pinkie Pie tosses her forehooves up and flops forward on her stomach.

Suddenly, one of the crowdsponies on the other side of the room comes toward Chrysalis and Areola from behind: an amber unicorn with a sunset color scheme for her mane, tail and cutie mark. “They’re more than that, Pinkie Pie.” Chrysalis and Areola turn around to face her. “They are fools.”

“Who’s that?” I ask.

“That’s Sunset Shimmer! Now-” Fluttershy shushes me as Sunset Shimmer keeps inching toward them.

“Chrysalis, I’m especially disappointed after you and your teacher lost sight of why we were here in the first place. This was supposed to be a special day for not just a juvenile changeling, but someone important to every single one of us, including you two. Your petty argument just evaporated all the respect I had for you. Aita’s too good of a friend of mine to let you live that down.”

And so, Sunset Shimmer walks out of Sugar Cube Corner. Looking at Chrysalis and Areola now, they turn around with welled-up cheeks.

I sigh. “Surely after those ponies confronted your behavior, you’ll understand what happened.”

“What do you two have to say for yourselves?” Fluttershy sternly asks. “Chrysalis?!? Areola?!?”

Chrysalis takes a deep breath. “We’re sorry, everypony… Areola and I should have left our quarrel in private. There’s no excuse to bring it out here for all to see, including Aita. I only hope you all can forgive our shortsightedness, especially Aita with my intrusiveness and Areola’s insensitivity. Sunset Shimmer was right; this was supposed to be Aita’s special day. I’ll go up and check on him. Areola, I advise you follow suit.”

Areola follows Chrysalis as she goes upstairs.

Soon after, the room is silent, with Fluttershy of all ponies to break the silence.

“Do you think they learned their lesson?”

“It sure sounded like it,” Rainbow Dash answers. “That was an even better apology than Starlight’s.”