//------------------------------// // React and Act // Story: Chrysalis's First Sleepover // by Chaospaladin //------------------------------// Chrysalis hadn’t felt this awkward since she was exposed during the Canterlot invasion. The air was suffocating as everypony sat at the table, barely uttering a word. Chrysalis took her seat to Twilight’s left, who held a strained smile in a vain attempt to pretend she hadn’t noticed the charged atmosphere. Starlight, taking Twilight’s right, offered a few words and questions to try and distill the awkwardness, with no success. Everypony was either talking among themselves in small whispers or squirming in their seats. Even Pinkie was glancing around worriedly at her friends. To the ponies, this was simply a case of uncomfortable tension. But to Chrysalis, who fed on and sensed emotion on a much higher level, it was insufferable. That itch she felt when placed in uncomfortable situations had been raging at her since she found herself stuck in this castle with Twilight’s friends. Chrysalis had a dozen ways to stir the pot and make things more ‘interesting’, but one important detail stopped her: Twilight. Despite Twilight looking only marginally crazy on the outside, Chrysalis was able to sense the crushing aura of disappointment pulsing from her. Unlike that royal meeting last month where Twilight was excited and eager, she was noticeably desperate to make this work. It was agonizing to see her in this state, and one way or another, Chrysalis knew she would have to do something to fix it. Perhaps, she considered, some light conversation would help lighten the mood. “Did you know there is a mare in this room that is gay?” All but one pony stared at Chrysalis in shock. Twilight, meanwhile, was too busy dropping her forehead on the edge of the table. “Really, Chrysalis?” Twilight exasperated. “Going straight for the throat on this one? No warm-up or warning?” Chrysalis tossed Twilight a skeptical glance. “Was that an admission of guilt, Twilight?” “NO IT’S NOT AN ADMISSION OF GUILT!” Twilight’s head shot up, her eyes boring holes in the smirking queen’s forehead. “Why are you even bringing up something like that, anyway?” Chrysalis shrugged. “Just thought it was interesting. I know who it is, but I was curious if any of you did.” "I, that is, w-why are we even talking about this? So what if there’s a pony here who is into mares?” Despite herself, Twilight found herself pondering the question, as did the other ponies in the room. Simultaneously, all slowly began looking at a certain cerulean pegasus who, upon realizing the unspoken accusation, glared at her friends. “Why the heck are you all looking at me like that? Do you seriously think I’m into mares?” Rainbow snapped. Her face burned red from anger and embarrassment. The other mares shifted uncomfortably as they averted their guilty gazes. “Well, I’m not! Seriously, what makes you all think that I was into mares the first place?” “To be fair, Sugarcube,” Applejack spoke hesitantly, “ya kinda have that, er, vibe.” “Vibe? What vibe?!” Rarity, who sat next to Rainbow, placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Darling, what Applejack is trying to say is that the way you carry yourself sometimes, it lends itself to a sort of stereotype that fits a, ahem... fillyfooler.” “Hold up! You mean this whole time you all judged me just because of the way I act and look? What the hay?!” “U-um,” Fluttershy shrunk into her seat and used her pink bang as a shield. "T-t-there was also that time you had too much cider in Las Pegasus, and when you came to my hotel room while I was asleep, you—” Rainbow slammed her hoof on the table. She was flushing red hot, now. “That was different!” Twilight perked up, her morbid curiosity getting the better of her. “I don’t think I’ve heard this story before. What happened?” “Nothing happened! Besides, if we’re talking about two mares going at it, shouldn’t we be talking about the elephant in the room?” Rainbow jerked her hoof at Chrysalis and Twilight. “If anypony here is into mares, it’s gotta be Twilight.” “W-WHAT?!” Twilight choked. Applejack, after looking at them for a beat, nodded. “That’s a good point. You two were friskier than two jack rabbits in heat.” “Yeah! Chrysalis was going all ‘Om nom nom’ and Twilight was like ‘my mind’s telling me no, but my body’s telling me yes’! Gotta say, it was pretty hot!” said Pinkie, grinning ear to ear. “You shouldn’t show such i-intense displays of affection in public like that,” Fluttershy advised meekly, “I’m sure if you asked, we would’ve given you two some privacy to—” “Wait a minute! It’s not like that at all!” Chrysalis pouted as she looked at Twilight. “It’s not?” “Hush, you!” Twilight growled. “Look, Chrysalis only gets like that when she’s hungry and wants to eat. It’s not as, um, provocative as it looks.” “Of course, Twilight doesn’t mind me being playful while I’m eating her.” “C-Chrysalis! For the love of— phrasing, dang it!” Twilight stammered, her crimson muzzle matching the other ponies in the room. Starlight, sensing her mentor’s plight, sought to jump in and change the subject before Chrysalis got even more out of hoof. When Chrysalis felt pressured, there was no telling how far she would go to share her discomfort. “That reminds me: Chrysalis, this is your first sleepover, isn’t it?” “WHAT?!” Pinkie gasped as her hoof slammed on the table. “This is your first sleepover?!” Chrysalis hesitated. The pink mare looked ready to explode. Whether out of eagerness, shock, or rage, it was difficult to tell in the volatile keg of emotions that was Pinkie Pie. Suddenly she found herself regretting her decision to spark a change of pace. “Um, well, yes?” “Omigosh, we have to do something, everypony! Wait a minute, I get to finally throw Chryssi a party! I FINALLY GET TO THROW HER A PARTY!” Pinkie bounced in her seat with energy that made Chrysalis dizzy. She was sure if she tried to feed on Pinkie now, she would get diabetes. The outburst dispelled the suppressed atmosphere. For the moment, everypony seemed a little more alert and excited for the sleepover and forgotten the thought-provoking secret Chrysalis dropped on them. She caught Twilight releasing a sigh of relief, pulling a small smile from her. “So wait; changelings don’t have sleepovers? What about birthday parties or holidays?” Rainbow asked. “Depends on how you look at it,” Chrysalis replied. "Because ponies are typically at the height of jubilation during a holiday, we tend to celebrate with them while they are distracted. It’s not to say we don’t have our own kind of fun. We have games, downtimes, even dates just like a pony.” At the last part, Rarity perked up. “That does beg the question; what is dating like for changelings? Are they allowed to have genuine relationships with ponies? Does the concept of romance apply to changelings as it does to ponies?” Chrysalis chuckled. Leave it to romance to be the icebreaker for Rarity. “Any ‘genuine’ relationships must be approved by me, as I must ensure their potential mate poses no risk or complications to the Hive. As for the concept of romance and dating, we do share some courtship similarities with ponies. However, the core difference lies in what we seek in potential mates. After all, we can mate with any species, so any taste or preferences we have will rarely involve anything physical.” “I reckon that makes some sense. And considerin’ y’all can look like anything ya want, physical attraction would be mighty questionable.” “Good catch, Applejack. When I say we focus on what’s on the inside, I truly mean that. No matter what you look like, if your heart is genuine and in the right place, that tends to be enough for most.” “My, how fascinating! I can only imagine romantic tales told from a changeling perspective!” Rarity’s eyes gleamed with intrigue. “Forgive me for prying, but I simply must know; what sort of preference would a queen such as yourself, have?” Chrysalis stopped to ponder the question. She lost count of how many years she stopped worrying about such things and had focused on her own objectives. In the end, what she wanted was the same desire all of her changelings wanted. “Should there be a strong mate who catches my eye, my primary concern is if they ‘get me’. Chemistry, if you will.” Rainbow tilted her head in confusion. “I get the ‘get me’ part, but dunno what you mean about chemistry. Do you take a pill or something for that?” “Pill? Oh, no, no, I don’t mean that kind of chemistry. Although, that does remind me of a certain project I’ve been dying to get Twilight to work with me on for awhile.” Twilight flushed angrily at the recollection. “For the last time, I refuse to work on any ‘growth hormone’ experiments!” “Growth hormone experiments? Wasn’t that the same project Prince Blueblood commissioned a few weeks ago?” Starlight asked. “The one and the same,” Twilight grimaced. “It seemed like a safe enough project at the start. But the moment I learned how he wanted to use it for certain activities that I will not mention at this table, I refused to take part in it.” Chrysalis quirked her eyebrow at Twilight. “You mean sex?” The other mares in the room turned deep crimson as they put two and two together. “Oh no you don’t, Chrysalis! We’re NOT going there!” Twilight growled. “Hold up! Twilight was making sex pills?” Rainbow asked, bewildered. “I didn’t know you had such a wild side, you dirty mare!” “N-no, I had no intention of doing it! I swear I had no idea what they were meant to be used for!” “That is...I-I didn’t realize you were into that kind of thing, Twi. Nothing to be ashamed of, though I prefer a more natural means of spicing up the night life.” Applejack said. Twilight rubbed her temples as she groaned. “We’re not going to have this conversation!” “I think it’s a rather healthy conversation to talk about. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Twilight. After all, sex is very natural and healthy. It’s okay if you have urges you wish to explore.” Fluttershy spoke with a surprising amount of calm and wisdom. Twilight was rendered speechless, as were the other ponies in attendance. Fluttershy was shockingly calm about the subject matter. “I couldn’t agree more, Fluttershy!” Chrysalis grinned cheekily. “I think we should do an analytical perspective on Twilight’s fetishes to get a better understanding of our dear friend...and the rather risque pictures of Celestia cleverly hidden in her room.” “Huh. I thought I was the only one who knew where they were hidden.” Starlight wondered to herself aloud. “MOVING ON!” Twilight slammed her hooves on the table, brought to the brink of embarrassment and frustration. “Why don’t we ignore all of that nonsense and get right to the games?” Though Chrysalis wanted to mess with Twilight further, the talk of games peaked her curiosity. “Games? What games?” Pinkie beamed. “We have all kinds of games! We were about to play one of my favorites before we caught you and Twilight getting it on!” Twilight released an exasperated groan, which was promptly ignored. “It’s called React and Act. Do you want to play? It’s really easy, and should be perfect for a changeling!” Perfect for a changeling, you say? Chrysalis mused. Her curiosity was piqued. How could a game crafted for ponies be perfect for a changeling? “I suppose I could humor you ponies and take part in this ‘React and Act’ game. How do you play?” The grin that spread on Pinkie’s muzzle gave Chrysalis the impression she signed up for something she was about to regret. “Rather than be boring and just talk about it, let’s get started and help you learn along the way!” Times like these, Chrysalis began questioning her choices in life. The game started off harmlessly enough. Everypony was given a sheet a paper and pen to write an event. Once the papers were collected and placed in a top hat conjured up by Pinkie Pie, the group was split into two teams. This was the first sign to Chrysalis that she was going to have a bad time. Chrysalis had been placed on the same team as Applejack, Rainbow and Rarity. They openly detested the set up as much as Chrysalis did. unfortunately for them, Twilight refused to let them change teammates. Once the teams were picked, everypony picked an event at random from the top hat. Thus came the second sign Chrysalis was going to have a bad time when she read what her event was: ‘The scariest thing you’ve ever seen in your life is about to hug you.’ What kind of game is this?! Chrysalis paled. Since the rules were only being explained as they played along, Chrysalis had little to no idea what this message actually meant. As the ponies looked at their events, a mixture of horrified gasp, laughter, and whimpering ensued. Chrysalis briefly wondered if it was too late to back out. Once everypony was in position, Pinkie started the game off for her team. “Alright, now that we drew the lots, our team should start first so Chrysalis can see how it goes! Is everypony ready?” A mixture of grunts and affirmations echoed from both teams. Not sure what to expect, Chrysalis waited with bated breath. For the final preparations, Pinkie took out a wind-up clock and placed it on the nearby table after setting the timer. “Don’t forget, you only have thirty seconds for you event. And if you see an event that you created, you can’t give away the answer, so no cheating and give it all you got! Alright team, let’s do this! Counting off in three...two...one...aaaaaaand GO!” And that’s when Chrysalis’s true horror came to life before her eyes. “HOT! HOT! HOT! IT BURNS! FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA, SOMEPONY HELP!” Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs as she sprinted in a frenzied panic, rolling all over the floor while patting herself. “OH NO, I GOTTA HURRY! RUN!” Pinkie flailed about and yelled as she hurriedly packed a suitcase and began sprinting in a wide circle around the town. Chrysalis had no idea how she kept the oversized luggage in her mane, nor where that piece of toast hanging out of her mouth came from. Combined with Twilight panicking all over the place, chairs and objects were knocked over from the ensuing chaos. “O-oh, me? You want to talk to me? W-why I...um...that’s great! Oh my, um, this is such an honor!” Starlight went from calm and composed to a stuttering, mumbling fool who could barely get a sentence out. She rubbed her neck nervously and flushed as she continued chatting it up with an imaginary pony. Just when Chrysalis thought sanity was beginning to slip from Twilight’s team, it was Fluttershy who stole the show. “You want a piece of me? You think you can handle little ol’ Fluttershy? Well guess what, bub? Ain’t nopony gonna mess with me and get away with it!” Fluttershy bounced on her back hooves while throwing out punches shadowboxing style. The feral snarl, combined with the fire burning Fluttershy’s eyes, made even Chrysalis feel dread. “If somepony messes with me, give them a stomping spree! When things get rough, you gotta get tough! NOW SIT DOWN AND EAT YOUR CARROTS, YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING, FREELOADING RABBIT!” To the ponies in Chrysalis’s team, this was a hilarious mess and they were in tears from laughing so hard. But Chrysalis could not believe this was simply part of a game. It looked like some barbaric and horrifying ritual used to unlock some unknown layer of Tartarus mortal eyes dared not to look upon. DING! Instantly, the madness ceased. The dramatic ponies stopped to take a breath and regroup. Twilight and Starlight were giggling to themselves while Fluttershy attempted to disappear behind her mane. Pinkie grinned madly at the other team. “Alright, now you all have to guess what we were doing!” “Are you kidding me?!” Chrysalis cried. “I can’t even guess the kind of substance one would have to overdose on to cause such madness, let alone have a clue what you all were doing!” “That’s the whole point, Chrysalis. Did you already forget about the events we wrote on paper? Tch, I knew having her play was going to be a lame idea.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. Chrysalis said nothing, but shot her a look that warned the pegasus was treading on thin ice. Rarity cleared her throat, noting the rising irritation and confusion from Chrysalis. “They’re simply acting, Chrysalis. Whatever event they drew from the hat, they have to pretend to be experiencing that situation and stay in character for the full duration. Part of the fun is watching them act silly.” “Eyup,” Applejack nodded, “and it’s our job to figure out what they were actin’ out. Whoever gets the highest score, wins. It’s a mighty simple concept, and it can get downright ridiculous.” “I...see.” Now it was beginning to make sense what the whole point of the game was; acting and trying to guess what event they were acting. No wonder Pinkie figured changelings would find it easy. “So, an example would be that Twilight was screaming and rolling around like she was on fire? At least, that’s what it looked like.” “Yep. Actually, you guessed it right, so your team gets a point.” Twilight answered as she walked over to hoof her note to Chrysalis. The note read ‘You’ve been set on fire’. “I think I can guess what event Pinkie Pie had.” Rarity mused. “It had something to do with running late by chance? Like, a meeting or important event?” “Yup!” Pinkie hopped over to Rarity and handed the note that read ‘You’re late for the most important event of your life’. Rainbow hummed thoughtfully to herself. “The other two are pretty tough. Whatever Fluttershy had, it was definitely a ‘something got you angry’ kind of event. I’m gonna say...Fluttershy had an event that read something like ‘a friend did something horrible that made you upset’.” “U-um, sorry Rainbow, that’s not close enough to get a point. Here is what it said.” Fluttershy gave Rainbow the note. Chrysalis peeked at the note and read aloud. “Your greatest rival challenges you to a fight?” Chrysalis blinked as she glanced at Fluttershy. She nodded shyly. “How in the world did that involve your rabbit?” “U-um, we have a complicated relationship,” she muttered quietly. “Guess it’s up to me to figure out Starlight, huh?” Applejack paused, rubbing her chin as she narrowed her eyes at Starlight. “Hmm...she’s actin’ mighty shy, like some big shot was talkin’ her up. I take it some special somepony ya liked started chattin’ it up with ya?” “Yep, you nailed it right on the head!” Starlight beamed and handed the note that read ‘Your biggest idol asked to hang out with you’ to Applejack. “Alright, that concludes round one! Looks like Team Chryssi got three points! Great job girls!” Pinkie cheered. “Now it’s your turn to act!” Chrysalis stiffened. As much as she enjoyed goofing around in her own special way, humiliating herself in front of these ponies, especially Twilight, was not something she was looking forward to. Perhaps if she transformed to look like a pony… “By the way, you can’t transform for this, Chrysalis. YOU have to be the one who is acting.” Twilight pointed out. Curse you, Twilight! Chrysalis grimaced. It was clear on Twilight’s grinning face she was enjoying her torment in the face of utterly embarrassing herself. One way or another, Chrysalis was going to make Twilight pay for this. “Chrysalis, are you alright?” Rarity gently prodded the stunned queen who jumped at the unexpected contact. “You seem rather troubled.” Get a hold of yourself! Once they begin to pity you, it is all over! You are a predator, not prey! Chrysalis  shook off the creeping trepidation and flashed Rarity a confident smirk. “Troubled? Hardly. Changelings are masters of deception and acting, after all. Surely I can play my part so convincingly, they would be lost in awe.” “You talk the talk, Chrysalis,” Twilight tossed a coy smirk, “but can you actually walk the walk?” Chrysalis blinked. Twilight seemed surprisingly competitive about this game. Was she still sore about losing the identity game at the door earlier, or was she simply trying to bolster Chrysalis’s confidence? Either way, Chrysalis was not going to let that challenge slip by. “Surely you jest, Twilight. Need I remind you of the magnificent talents I’ve displayed time and time again? I can surely beat this challenge, and our team will crush yours!” “I’ll believe it when I see it. Show me what you got, Chryssi.” “You asked for it, Sparky.” “Oh, did we start already?” Pinkie piped up. “Oh, oh, this must be ‘your lover is talking dirty to you’! Did I get it right?” Twilight flushed and facehoofed while Chrysalis froze. After a moment’s pause, followed by giggling from the other mares, Chrysalis forced a smile. “Very good guess!” “Just get on with it already!” Twilight bellowed. As Chrysalis’s team prepared to act their events, Chrysalis stole a look at each of their events and had to keep herself from giggling. Now that she understood the main idea of the game, watching these ponies act out ridiculous events was rather humorous. But still, it was a game that required a winner, and Chrysalis had a dire need to rub her victory in Twilight’s face. After making a mental checklist of the rules, an idea suddenly came to her. “Team, I require a moment of your time,” Chrysalis whispered to them. The ponies gave Chrysalis an odd glance before closing the distance. “What’s up?” Rainbow whispered back. “I have an idea on how to beat Twilight’s team, but I will require your cooperation.” Applejack raised a skeptical eyebrow. “This isn’t exactly much of a strategy game. Just us goofin’ off and having a good laugh. Besides, Twilight is usually too good at this game and will likely see through any tricks we try to pull.” “Heh. How little you fathom the power and flexibility of an effective strategy. But alas, I shall enlighten you three on something interesting, just this once. I shall teach you the power of changeling strategies by showing you one of our most powerful techniques…” From here, Chrysalis gave a quick overview of the idea that came to mind. The three mares were skeptical at first, but eventually found themselves nodding and catching onto a secret brilliance of the plan. “Are you girls actually scheming?” Twilight asked, having observed them huddled together. “Scheming, you say?” Chrysalis laughed as her team broke from the huddle, all of them wearing sneaky grins. “Of course we are!” “Must you be so blatant about it?” Twilight deadpanned. Never had she meant somepony who was so proud of being sinister. “Well, are you four ready? We don’t have all night.” “We most certainly are ready to blow your minds with our grandiose acting!” Chrysalis swept her hoof in dramatic fashion. “Let us commence this game and show you ponies how the real players play!” “Alright, the timer is set for thirty seconds!” Pinkie sounded off, grinning ear to ear. “Counting off in three...two...one...aaaaaaand GO!” Immediately, Chrysalis’s plan went into motion: she didn’t move. Sitting on her haunches, Chrysalis was stone still as she stared wide-eyed at an upward angle, her ears pinned back and jaw ajar. It was a clear indication of being stricken with fear while adding an unsettling element of not even blinking or flinching. Twilight’s team couldn’t help but gawk in confusion, especially when this bizarre effect was greatly enhanced by the three awkwardly blushing mares around her. “My, my, aren’t you a naughty mare. I didn’t realize you had such a way with words.” Rarity fluttered her eyelashes in a sultry fashion as she nuzzled up against Applejack, who gulped and shrank back from the flirty fashionista. “I-I-I didn’t realize you felt that way about me. Aw shucks, I ain’t good wit this touchy-feely stuff.” Sweat rolled down her cheek as her eyes never left Rarity, who was making circles around the farmer while rubbing against Applejack’s coat. Rainbow Dash flailed her forelegs in a panic as she wailed. “Could you seriously stop? Like, right now? Ponies are watching and-agh! This is just the worst! Somepony kill me!” Twilight watched on as the oddly synchronized mares not only stayed in character, but seemed to actually interact with each other without explicitly hinting at it. As the seconds ticked by, Twilight’s teammates were both baffled and nearly rolling with laughter at the antics of Team Chrysalis. Twilight, however, kept her focus on Chrysalis. She knew the queen to be incredibly cunning, so it was rather uncharacteristic for her to be simply stuck in place, terror stricken. Was she hit with stage fright? Was Chrysalis even capable of it? Perhaps this was acting out an event the entire time? The moment the timer hit fifteen seconds, the second phase of Chrysalis’s plan went into action. Chrysalis released a loud hiss, drawing the attention of Twilight’s team to herself as she sparked her horn and teleported behind Twilight. Before Twilight could act or question her actions, Chrysalis locked her forelegs around her and held her towards Twilight’s teammates like a hostage. “N-now, now, let’s talk about this!” Chrysalis’s voice quivered as she began scrambling back with Twilight in tow. “You don’t want me! Take Twilight instead! Have you seen this coat? It’s so colorful and fluffy! It’s perfect nuzzle material! I’ll prove it!” Chrysalis began roughly nuzzling her cheek against Twilight, who seized up and turned several shades of crimson. “You see? She likes it and...hey, this is quite nice, actually!” “C-C-Chrysalis! Cut it out!” Twilight stammered. It didn’t help that her own teammates were brought to tears with laughter watching her. Even Chrysalis’s team, who were still in character while the antics were going on, struggled to continue acting as their cheeks puffed up from their attempts of desperately restraining their laughter. “You can just tell she’s enjoying it! Feel the heat burning off her! It’s like a fuzzy furnace you can just cuddle up to nuzzle all day long. Hay, if you don’t want her, I’ll be more than happy to keep the fuzzy muzzle nuzzles to myself! You can’t get more huggable than this!” The nuzzle roughhousing lasted throughout the remaining fifteen seconds. Once the timer ended, it instantly ended the nuzzle-spree and acting. The laughter, however, was still going strong. “Oh my gosh! That was priceless!” Rainbow clutched her stomach as she rolled on her back in uproarious laughter. “Truly a brilliant performance if I do say so myself!” Chrysalis grinned as she mussed up Twilight’s mane. Twilight, in turn, crossed her forelegs and pouted as she glared at Chrysalis. “Aww, and you look so cute when you’re all pouty. You all should really try nuzzling her coat. It’s softer than it looks!” “Oh, pick me! Pick me! I wanna nuzzle Twilight!” Pinkie chimed in as she raised a hoof high in the air. Starlight snorted, failing to contain her laughter. “I-I suppose a little nuzzle wouldn’t hurt.” “GRAAAAH!” Twilight yelled as she angrily swatted at the giggling changeling queen. “Would you knock it off already?! Let’s just get this game over with!” “Oh yeah! Now we have to figure out what events Chryssi’s team was trying to act out! I was so distracted by Chrysalis’s...pffft...acting, that I’d almost forgotten!” Pinkie chuckled. “Almost forgotten...that’s it!” Twilight gasped, then shot an accusatory glare at Chrysalis. “This was all part of your plan! You purposefully waited until our focus was solely on Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow so we wouldn’t have the time to guess what event you were acting!” Chrysalis cackled. “And you all fell for it! Now there is no way you all can guess what it is!” “I know what it is!” Pinkie giggled. “I totally recognize it because I wrote it! But I can’t say anything since I’m the creator of the event. But still, that was absolutely perfect, Chrysalis! I knew you would be great!” “...Hehehe...HAHAHAHA!” To everypony’s surprise, this time it was Twilight who cackled madly. “Unfortunately for you, Chrysalis, I already figured out the event you were acting out!” Chrysalis’s smirk fell. “You’re just bluffing, Sparky.” “Afraid not, Chrysalis. You may have tricked me at the door, but you can't outsmart me this time. I knew you were up to something, so I made sure to mentally note every possibility that matched your expressions, movements, and words. It’s clear from the first half that you’re acting out something that is scaring you. And when you used me to barter for your own survival—something you and I are going to have a friendship lesson about at a later date—you focused primarily on nuzzling—” “That you were totally enjoying!” “Hush, Applejack,” Twilight said without missing a beat. “Anyway, between those aspects of your acting, I can deduce that something frightened you and wanted to do something that involved cuddling. Therefore, I conclude that—” “NEEEERRRRRD!” “Shut up, Rainbow!” Twilight paused to glare at the snickering pegasus. She was about to continue when her eyes count onto Rarity, whose lips trembled and eyes watered. “What is it, Rarity?” “You, erm, have something on your cheek.” “My cheek?” Twilight rubbed at her cheeks with her hooves, but found nothing. “What’s on my cheek?” “Nothing much. Just a bad case of...the fuzzy muzzle nuzzles!” Rarity suddenly burst into a fit of giggles, along with Applejack and Rainbow. “Anyway!” Twilight exclaimed heatedly, unable to keep her flustered complexion in check. “The point I’m trying to make is that Chrysalis’s event has to be she’s being chased by something scary that wants to cuddle or hug her!” Silence. Chrysalis merely stared at Twilight, who in turn gave an impatient stare. “Well, Chrysalis? Am I right? I have to be right! It can’t be anything else!” More silence. Twilight growled. Was this another game? What was Chrysalis playing at? “Well? Don’t just stand there, say something.” Suddenly, without the slightest warning, Chrysalis quickly leaned forward and licked Twilight’s muzzle. The room fell silent as Fluttershy, Pinkie and Starlight’s jaws dropped in shock. Twilight went stiff as a board, speechless and gaping at the widely grinning queen. “Congratulations. You got me.” Chrysalis grabbed Twilight’s limp hoof and dropped the event note in her hoof. Then she leaned into Twilight’s ears and whispered so quietly Twilight had to focus her frazzled mind to hear it. “I win again, Twilight.” “W-what?” Twilight was left breathless as Chrysalis stepped back and sauntered over to her own team. “Well, ponies?” Chrysalis gave a bored look at the stupefied mares across the room. “Go on. You still have three guesses to go.” An uncomfortable silence stretched over the next minute. Fluttershy, Starlight, and Pinkie blinked and tossed each other questioning stares. “Um...do any of you remember what Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow were acting?” Starlight asked. “Not a thing!” Pinkie answered. “I-I was so distracted by what Chrysalis was doing I completely forgot. I’m sorry.” Fluttershy said. She then turned to Twilight, who was still left in a daze after getting her muzzle licked by Chrysalis. “Um, Twilight? Do you remember what Rainbow and the others were acting?” “Huh? Wha?” Twilight shook her head, ridding herself of the stunned state she was left in. “Wait, you girls don’t remember?” “How could we when we just watched you get licked by Chrysalis?!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Urk!” Twilight flushed as her eyes darted among the members of Chrysalis’s team. She couldn’t remember anything they were doing. She had been too busy focused on…”AH!” As if on cue, Chrysalis’s insidious smirk matched those of her fellow conspirators. “Game, set and match.” Chrysalis raised her hoof towards her teammates, who hoofbumped her in unison. Twilight was stunned again, but for a completely different reason. “Chrysalis used misdirection!” “It was super effective!” Pinkie exclaimed. “...By the way, what’s misdirection?” “It’s a deception tactic you use when you want to distract somepony by shifting their attention to something else. She kept us focused on her when it counted so we would completely forget what the other ponies were doing.” “And it worked like a charm! Like taking candy from a filly!” Rainbow boasted. “I wasn’t sure at first, but that was mighty brilliant of ya, Chrysalis!” Applejack grinned. “I’m afraid we also used a bit of misdirection when we were interrupting Twilight’s explanation to make her more frustrated and stuck on the idea of revealing Chrysalis’s event. It’s a shame our own act was forgotten, as it was a marvelous and unique combination of our events.” Rarity said. Chrysalis stepped forward, bearing a toothy grin at Twilight. “And the icing on the cake was the last thing you would have ever expected; a kiss from Yours Truly. It’s the oldest trick in the book my children use to create their own bit of misdirection.” PInkie hummed thoughtfully to herself as she rubbed her chin. “Huh. So all I have to do is lick somepony’s face to use misdirection?” “Don’t get any ideas, Pinkie.” Twilight shot her friend a deadpan stare, who smiled back all-too innocently. Her attention back on Chrysalis, she released a heavy sigh. “Fine, you win this game...cheaters.” Chrysalis’s team whooped, reveling in their victory over Twilight’s team. Despite feeling irritated at losing to Chrysalis’s cheap tricks again, Twilight noticed how Rarity, Rainbow and Applejack no longer seemed nervous around Chrysalis, and vice versa. They were smiling, laughing, and joking with each other like a team that just won a major Buckball game. Perhaps, Twilight reasoned, she could let it go this time if it meant her friends could bond with Chrysalis. Looking over at Starlight, the unicorn winked at Twilight, noting that she too noticed the positive change of group dynamic. “Outside a certain elements of surprise, that was actually pretty fun!” Twilight smiled. “Oh really?” Chrysalis wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Or are you just talking about when I licked you?” “H-HUSH!” Twilight shrieked, her face completely flushed. “I’m not hearing a no~” “NO, AND I SAID HUSH!” “Perhaps we should just move onto the next game?” Starlight offered. “And I know just the one!” Pinkie proclaimed. Everypony turned to the earth pony, who brandished a wide grin. “How about we play…”