//------------------------------//
// Chapter II- Friends 
// Story: The Chrysalis Chronicles 
// by Twiloaf 
//------------------------------//

	I woke up for once without a Changeling guard prodding me about something that he thought was "the most horrible thing that could ever happen to our kingdom." It felt quite nice, actually, but it took me a moment to realize where I was. Sometimes it feels weird to suddenly be away from home.
I sat up, and smelled something. Pancakes. I was shocked that I actually recognized the smell. I walked downstairs, and Shining Light was in the kitchen.
"Good morning, sleepy head. I'm surprised you woke up. It's already 10:00." She turned around, still flipping the pancakes with her magic.
"Good morning, Shining. When did you say those friends of yours were coming over?" I looked at the clock. Time goes really fast in this area of Equestria.
"They're coming at 10:30. We're having a brunch. Why don't you go get ready, you don't want to make a bad impression. I called Crystal already, and she said she could come next Sunday or Monday. She said she'll have to check with her mom." I was puzzled. Who was Crystal? And why was she so busy that she couldn't come on a Saturday? I asked myself. I decided to just ask a couple questions to develop more on that information.
"Who's 'Crystal'?" I asked. Shining Light put her hoof up to her head.
"I keep forgetting. You're new. Her full name is Crystal Cutter, and she's the newest Princess of the Crystal Empire." My mouth dropped open. Oh no. I thought.
"And who's her mother?" I asked her.
"Princess Cadence." I just stood there for a moment. "Everything alright, Chryssi?" I shook my head, realizing I had spaced out.
I bet she's heard all about me. Her mom probably told her bedtime stories about me. She's going to lock me up in jail the moment she sees me. I realized I was thinking the absolute worst of her. She could be the nicest mare on the planet and I was thinking these dirty thoughts about her.
"I'll be excited to meet her. Well, I should probably go get ready now, so, see you in thirty minutes." I rushed upstairs.






I walked downstairs, and one of her friends was already here. She was a white Pegasus with blue hair and navy-blue eyes. Her hair was brushed on one side of her head, and it looked nothing like Shining's.
"Hey, how are you?" The white Pegasus approached me, and held out her hoof. "I'm Cloudflyer." I put out my hoof and shook hers.
"I'm good. My name's Chryssi."
"Nice to meet you. I think my friend Cherry Bomb should be here soon. That pony's always late because of some prank she's pulling."
There was a pounding on the door.
"Lemme in! Lemme in! Lemme in!" There was another voice outside, shouting at the pony who was desperate to get in. Shining Light just opened the door with her magic, and laughed as a cream colored pony fell down.
"Cherry Bomb, you don't have to make such a fuss about things like that. Just because they catch you in action doesn't mean they're going to turn you in to the cops or something. The worst they'll do is probably make you apologize."
"Hi, you must be Cherry Bomb. I'm Chryssi." The pony looked at me funny, and slowly reached her hoof out to shake mine.
"Hi... Chryssi. I'm Cherry Bomb. But just call me CB if ya want." She smiled a little, then sat down and we ate.






We finished eating, and Cherry Bomb had warmed up to me, but something seemed to be bothering her. She kept glancing at me, and looking away when I met her gaze.
"Hey, uh... Chryssi, can I talk to you upstairs?" Cherry bomb asked.
"Sure." I walked upstairs before her, her deep red mane bouncing as we jotted up the stairs.
"Chryssi, have you heard of the 'Canterlot Wedding Incident'?" I gulped.
"Y-yes..." I stuttered, afraid to hear what she was going to say next.
"You know the pony, Queen Chrysalis who tried to take over?"
"Yes..." I started adverting her stare.
"You look a lot like her. Don't 'cha think?"
I just stopped, trying to process what was happening.
"Is there any way you might be Chrysalis?"
"Okay, look, Cherry Bomb. I know you think that I'm going to "eat your soul" or something stupid like that, but really I'm not. I'm just trying to start over, and this was the first place I came." She stared at me, her green eyes growing wide as she realized that I had just admitted that I was Chrysalis. "You can not tell another living soul that I'm Chrysalis, or I'm going to be thrown in the slammer the second they find out. Got it?"
She nodded, but it wasn't a normal nod. It was a nod of fear.
"I'm not going to hurt you." She stared at me like I had just whammed her in the face with a baseball bat.
"W-w-what?" She struggled to talk.
"I'm not going to hurt you." She gulped, and it took her awhile to calm down.
"Friends?" I asked after she had seemed to have taken in everything. "But only if you'll keep my secret."
She nodded, this time out of her own will.
"Friends." I helped her up, and she brushed herself off. We went back downstairs, and this time, brunch wasn't so awkward.