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// A Fickle Heart 
// Story: A Changeling's Heart is a Fickle Thing 
// by Bareback Writer 
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The land of Equestria was one of peace. True, like any kingdom, it had its share of problems. Dark creatures came many times to try and take over. But it persevered through it all. No evil could penetrate its walls of safety. But its gates were always open to those who sought out peace as well.
High on the mountain one night, in the castle of Canterlot, a celebration was occurring. The halls were filled with the sounds of revelry and gaiety. The ballroom and terrace were beautifully decorated with banners and flags of various colors. The music, though slow, was brilliantly played by Equestria's finest musicians. Ponies from everywhere had attended.  Some were a little tipsier than others, but they did well to hide it, especially with their new…'guests'.
This party, planned by the finest planners with the help of one Pinkamena Diane Pie, was a rather special party. It was meant to celebrate the signing of a treaty between Equestria and the kingdom of Morphany, home of the changelings. It signified the end of an old grudge and the beginning of a new bright future filled with hope and harmony, or at least that was the plan.
Before the treaty signing, both ponies and changelings protested against it; for both had been enemies for a long time. Changelings saw the ponies as a source of food, and the ponies saw the changelings as vile monsters. It was difficult for either side to accept the other, even in a political sense. Even at the party, both species kept to themselves. Every changeling that was there was required to remain in their true form, a rule enforced by their queen. Any violent act against the opposite species was prohibited. Any violators were detained and harshly punished by their own monarch. It was a rather sad sight to see, especially to said changeling queen, Chrysalis.
As she stared down from the temporary throne that sat next to Celestia's and Luna's, she couldn't help but feel a great pain in her chest. She was sure that she would shed a tear but refused due to pride. It was difficult enough swallowing her own pride. But to watch the pride of her people dwindle as they were forced to interact with their former food supply was worse.
"Why couldn't this be easy?" she sighed, her harlequin eyes staring at the wide space separating the two species. "Is it too much to ask for some acceptance?" She realized the answer faster then she asked the question, and silently facehoofed herself. With tensions in the air getting too thick for her, she swiftly rose from her seat and strolled out to the terrace, only to be met with an even larger gap between the ponies and changelings. She sighed again and made her way towards the palace gardens in hopes to find some peace of mind. 
As she walked, she came upon two ponies gossiping. When they saw her they immediately stopped and slowly began to move away, fear plastered on their faces. Once sure they were far enough away, they once again began to gossip, leaving the slightly irritated queen behind them.
She arrived at the gardens, at last, taking a moment to calm her own nerves and reflect on the past. The choice to make peace with the ponies was a tough choice all its own. For so long they had been at odds with each other, the attempted takeover at the wedding some years ago cementing their grudge against each other, if not reinforcing it. But as time had pass and more of her subjects died from starvation, something had to be done. Taking the risk of possible incarceration and/or death, Chrysalis, alone and in her true form, turned to the two equine princesses for help. At first, she was sure Celestia would say no and 'politely' ask her to leave if even allowed the chance to. Yet to her surprise, it was the princess of the night Luna who spoke first. "Your request shall be granted Queen Chrysalis, under certain conditions of course." Chrysalis simply stared at the princess in awe. She was not the only one. Everypony present and possibly within earshot was silent, including Celestia. The princess of the sun looked at her sister in confusion and protest. But she was silenced by a mere stare from her younger sibling, which seemed to convey some sort of message unheard by all but the two sisters. 
After that day, the papers were drawn up and the rest was history. But the events of that day still confused Chrysalis. "Why did the moon princess accept my request so easily? How could she do that? What's more, why did Celestia agree? I was sure that after what I did to her and her niece, she would have banished me to the furthest place possible." These questions ran through her mind endlessly keeping her awake at night.
Suddenly she felt a hoof on her hind leg. "Gotcha!" said a voice. Turning with her horn aglow, ready to defend herself, she came face to face with...a young colt. His mane was a dark brown and his coat was white, or so she thought. Upon further examination, she saw that it was actually white with brown spots. He was a pinto pony, a rather rare breed even in Equestria. He was clothed in a blue coat that was rather extravagant for somepony so young. His cutie mark was that of black swirling clouds with a white star in the middle. "Oh, sorry ma'am! Thought you were Lulu," he said in a thin, but still noticeable cockney accent. 
Chrysalis stared in confusion at the young colt in front of her, taking a moment before speaking. "And I suppose that this 'Lulu' is a changeling?" she asked him.
"Well, …she can change the way she looks. Last time we played hide and seek she was a statue." He smiled.
"Do I look like a statue?"
"No, you look like a changeling."
Chrysalis was taken aback by the blatant comment. "Correct. To be more accurate, I am the queen of the changelings."
"YOU’RE THE QUEEN?!" the young colt gasped.
The queen gave a small toothy grin. "Afraid?"
"Surprised actually."
"What?" she stared. She was the queen of the 'monsters' that many ponyfolk were afraid of. Yet this colt was simply surprised like he just found out that his least favorite food was actually very tasty. Maybe she was losing her touch. "Might I ask what you are surprised about?"
"The way you look. You’re a lot prettier than I expected." He said in a deadpan tone. He could tell she was a little flustered judging by the slight harlequin-coloured blush visible on her dark cheeks. "Sorry, that was probably a bit much. You see it's just that I was always told as a foal that changelings were ugly creatures, their queen the ugliest of all." Chrysalis cringed in irritation. "That's why they always change forms, so they can feel handsome and pretty."
"Do I look ugly?" she asked, expected either a 'yes' out of spite or a 'no' out of fear.
"Well you're certainly not Ms Equestria, but you're not ugly either."
Chrysalis was silent for a moment, then laughed silently. "What a strange little colt?" she thought. Was he so naïve as to not fear her? Or was this a rare colt that was brave enough to face her? Most likely the former rather than the latter she thought. Yet he amused her in a way.
"Well, thank you. It is rare for me to meet a pony who seems so well mannered. May I ask your name?"
"Pipsqueak, but I prefer Pip your majesty."
She tittered. "I appreciate your respect, first time I've seen a pony do that, but I don't think it's necessary. Queen Chrysalis will suffice." Pip gave his blushed face a nod, much to her own amusement."Well Mister Pip, might I ask why such a young colt like yourself is out here?"
He gave a slight snicker. "I told you before, I'm playing with a friend."
"Ah yes, this 'Lulu' you spoke of. May I ask what she looks like? Perhaps I could help you find her."
Pip shook his little head. "Nah, I can find her. I have a keen eye for seeing things that are out of sorts. It's how I got my cutie mark," he said, showing his flank as if to confirm its existence. "Besides, Lulu would think I was cheating getting help from a master of disguises like you."
Chrysalis smiled. Though it seemed obvious that he was flattering her, the queen couldn't help but feel proud of her abilities. "Well if you insist, but if you change your mind you know who to look for. Now you better go before your marefriend gets away."
Pip blushed and stumbled where he stood. "Sh-She's not my ma-marefriend." He protested before running off into the gardens.
Chrysalis lightly laughed. "He really is amusing. Wouldn't you agree…'Lulu'?" she asked looking into a particularly dark part of the garden close to her. "It's a shame he didn't let me help him, he was so close too. For a colt who claims he has a 'keen eye for seeing things that are out of sorts,' it seems he missed you. Or perhaps you're just being more sly and sneaky because I'm here."
From out of the darkness the figure of Princess Luna stepped forth. "It seems Pip was right. It would be most unfair to have you help him." She trotted to the changeling queen's side. "How were you able to see us? We were sure that even you would be unaware of our presence."
"Hmm~ it seems you underestimated the abilities of a 'master of disguises' like myself." She laughed lightly at her own small joke. "I could just sense you, nothing more. Good try though. So what brings you out to the gardens? Besides the fact that you're playing a game with a handsome colt."
Luna scoffed with a ‘humph’, "We could ask you the same thing."
Chrysalis’ mood changed, "Have you seen the ballroom? It's as if two different parties are occurring at the same time."
"We are well aware of it. Give it time, you may be surprised to find that these types of conflicts resolve themselves."
Chrysalis wasn't convinced. "You sound confident. You better be right, for both our sakes."
"Let us hope." Luna smiled.
Time seemed to pass between the two matriarchs who overlooked the empty gardens. Then clearing her throat, Chrysalis asked, "So…What is your relationship with this young colt?"
Luna looked at Chrysalis with genuine surprise. "H-He is but a valuable friend, nothing more," she said, her face flushed red with embarrassment. "What would that mean to you?"
Chrysalis stifled a laugh. "They're quite alike." After a moment, she replied, "Oh nothing. I just find it strange that a mare like yourself and a young stallion like him can play a game like hide and seek, all by yourself, away from other ponies, and still, call each other 'friends'."
"What are you implying? Our relationship is platonic at best."
Chrysalis smiled, her fangs slightly showing. "Oh, I see. So if by chance I become interested in him, and he becomes interested in me, you wouldn't have any…'personal' objections?"
Luna reared back in anger, "W-What do you mean 'become interested in him'?"
"Oh, I'm sure you know what I mean. As you probably heard, he finds me rather good-looking," Chrysalis teased.
"We heard no such thing. He simply does not think of you as ugly." Luna retorted.
"True, but that was before he even got to know me. You know what they say, beauty is only coat deep." Luna looked down. "So would you have any objections?"
A light blush spread Luna's cheeks. "H-He is too young for such a relationship. He is barely of age, nay he is still off by at least a year," Luna huffed.
"So you DO have some objections." Chrysalis grinned.
"We ask that you change the subject," Luna 'asked', a blush still decorating her cheeks. Though she claimed that she held no romantic feelings for Pipsqueak, it was clear to everypony, including herself, that it was a lie. Because of her position, she believed herself to be held to a higher standard. Despite this though, she nonetheless felt deep passion for him, wishing to knight him, if only to have the chance to love him.
"Alright, alright." Chrysalis tittered. A thought then struck her. "Okay Princess Luna, answer me this. Why were so willing to help me? Surely you cannot expect me to believe you did it 'just to be nice'."
Luna's blush began to fade to a dim shade of light blue. For a moment she was silent, contemplating on how to answer. Chrysalis was rather surprised at the mare's sudden silence, which only served to further her own desire for an explanation. Was the answer really that complicated?
Finally, Luna replied with a simple sentence. "Because of him." She said, looking out into the gardens. Following her gaze, Chrysalis saw that the mare was looking at the young colt from earlier Pip. It took a moment for the changeling queen to process the meaning of the moon princess' answer.
"You're kidding right?" Chrysalis gawked. "You mean to tell me that the whole reason you decided to trust me and help me was because he what? Told you to?" Luna's silence was her answer. "What exactly did he do?"
Luna's shifted her hoof around in a circle on the stone ground in silence. "He became my friend." Chrysalis was obviously confused, so Luna continued. "After I returned from being Nightmare Moon, I decided to reintroduce myself to my subjects. I even decide to visit them on the holiday called, 'Nightmare Night', believing I was being misrepresented in my current appearance. But when I came, they only feared me. I almost gave up when HE thanked me for scaring him," She said pointing towards Pip. "It was then that we learned what this 'Nightmare Night' was meant for."
Chrysalis interrupted, "What does this have to do with you helping the changelings?"
Luna huffed, "I was just getting to that. You see after that night I began to grow fond of young Pipsqueak. I learned his likes and dislikes; about his normal life. I cannot explain my reasons for doing so, but none the less I did. One day he asked me what I thought of our darker half Nightmare Moon."
"What did you say?"
"I obviously thought that she was a curse I had brought upon myself in my fit of  bitterness and anger." she took a pause before continuing, "But…"
"He didn't think that?" Chrysalis raised an eyebrow.
"No. He instead thought of her as my way of 'crying for attention'."
"Why? I have heard of Nightmare Moon before and only thought she was good as an ally against you and your sister…no offense."
"None taken. However, young Pipsqueak thought she was more than that. He spoke of her as if she was a hero, saying that if it was not for her, my pain would have only grown worse. My sister would not have even realized the pain we were in. That no pony would. That she was a necessary evil that was needed for my sister and me to grow closer."
"Did you believe him?" Chrysalis asked, interested in the story
"I do not know. I have always thought we knew what good and evil was. But since that day, my understanding of their concepts has been in question. What was Good? What was Bad? It was not till after you invaded that I believe I understood."
"What do you mean?"
"After I learned of your invasion and defeat, I once again found myself talking to young Pipsqueak about it."
"And what did he say?" Chrysalis asked, a little anxious for the answer.
"That he felt sorry for your failure." Chrysalis stared wide-eyed at the moon princess. This time it was Luna who tittered. "I had the same expression. I was compelled to ask why. His answer seemed rather simple…yet sweet." Luna smiled as Chrysalis' look begged for her to continue. "He explained that while he was glad that you were defeated and he would not grow up in a kingdom ruled by changelings, he felt bad that you lost your chance to help your people. To him, you were simply doing what any ruler would do. You tried to help your subjects."
Chrysalis scoffed, though she felt a burning on her cheeks. "What proof of does he have for that?"
"None. But what he said rang true to me." Chrysalis looked at Luna with a raised eyebrow. "We were once considered a monster among our subjects. Compared to our transgressions, you are a saint. Your people must care for you even after your failure to take over."
Chrysalis pondered on that sentence. 'Care' seemed like a strong word, but as she remembered all the protests that had happened when she announced to them her plan for help, most protested out of fear. Scared that she would be captured, or worse. Was what she did during that wedding really for her people? In a way, it seemed so. Though she could have sent any of her drones to do the dirty work, she went instead, placing herself in the most danger alone within the protective bubble that was placed around the castle. Was that not proof enough?
As she pondered a thought struck her suddenly. "Princess, am I right to think that you helped me and my subjects because you believe in what that colt…I mean, what Pipsqueak said?"
"Perhaps. It is a good way of seeing it."
"Then can you answer something for me? What exactly is his talent? His cutie mark seemed rather baffling."
Luna laughed. "He told you himself, he sees things that are out of sorts. Though it may be more accurate to say he sees things no other pony, or creature for that matter, sees or refuse to see. He sees the goodness and evil in a creature." 
"That doesn’t quite explain his cutie mark."
"It is something called the eye of the storm. A nautical term referring to the safest place in a storm. Though I suppose in this case, it represents the truth he sees. No matter how dark or deep one tries to hide their light, he sees it; and somehow, someway he brings it out."
Chrysalis looked out over the gardens, wondering about the young colt. "What kind of pony is he? To be able to see the light in darkness. What are his likes and dislikes?" She then paused a moment. Did that thought really run through her head? The burning on her cheeks began to intensify. "What is this burning?" Chrysalis questioned internally. The Answer was as obvious as it was absurd. "A-Am I…falling for him?"
"Are you okay? Your face is, quite literally, green." Luna asked sincerely. Had she had a mirror, Chrysalis would have seen that the moon princess was telling the truth. Her whole face was lit with a harlequin blush.
"I-I'm fine." She replied holding a hoof to her chest. To her surprise, she found her heart pounding. "W-What is this?! I cannot be in love! Not this fast at least. Could it be…the fabled 'true love'?" She shook her head. "Come now, pull yourself together Chrissy." Falling in love was already a crazy notion for a changeling, but the idea of experiencing 'true love' was absolutely absurd…or was it?
For as long as she could remember, Chrysalis had always kept to herself. Her parents taught her from birth that they were above the drones they ruled over; that she was a different breed, a purebred. As such she only mingled with her subjects when the time called for it, giving little to no attention to them. But after her parents' death, something began to change. At first, she kept up her usual appearances. But as time went on, she began to feel a sense of anxiety. The fact that her parents were now gone and she was now the de facto leader of her changeling drones, it filled her with dread. Despite this, however, she persevered. The fate of the changelings as a whole now rested on her. Nonetheless,  she felt a deep desire for a companion, someone who could help share and carry the burden she alone held, much like her parents before her. But none of the 'candidates', who were merely more advanced and evolved drones, seemed to her liking. They were submissive to her, calling her their queen and being 'ever loyal to her'. It sickened her to no end. None of them had the backbone to stand-up, look up at her, and see themselves as her possible equal. To them, she was the sole ruler of the changelings and only that.
But now, just barely a few minutes prior, a young colt had looked at her, with eyes a shining brown, and saw merely a changeling. He had no idea who she was. Even when he found out, he still regarded her differently. He clearly showed her the usual respect she deserved, but he still treated her with kindness. A kindness she had never seen before. A kindness that was warm and comforting. A kindness she saw once before, from her parents. Soft and gentle, filled with respect for the other, like they were not king and queen, but husband and wife; and she, not a princess, but their daughter. It filled her with a feeling she had never felt before, and yet so familiar. A feeling she once longed for. Suddenly, she felt something warm on her face. Putting a hoof to her face, she felt something wet. As she pulled it back, she found it shining with a clear liquid. Was she...crying?
Luna looked at the monarch before her in surprise and concern. "Are you feeling well?"
Chrysalis broke out of her trance. "Huh? Oh yes, I'm fine. Just something in my eye." she said, trying to hide her growing blush.
However, Luna was not convinced. Though she had been absent from her kingdom for millennia, she was wise enough to know a troubled face when she saw one. "Chrysalis," she spoke softly, barely loud enough in hopes of getting the queen's attention. Once sure she had it she continued, "Seeing as we are to be allies and in a sense 'friends', I am here if you are in need of an ear to listen to your troubles." Luna tried to be comforting, applying her knowledge of friendship, the knowledge she gained from the princess of friendship Twilight Sparkle and her friends to the situation.
The queen, feeling that the princess's words were genuine, allowed herself a moment of vulnerability. "For as long as I have been alive, my duty has been to my subjects and the care of my kind. I have done so with great success, having very little else go wrong outside my invasion of Canterlot." Her lips curled ever so slightly into a smile.
"Then whatever is the matter?" Luna wore a look of concern.
Chrysalis took a breath, "As you can guess, such responsibilities can be taxing; especially when the burden is held by me alone." The queen steeled herself, "So a loss in such a manner caused great distress on my already stressed mind. For as long as I could remember, never have I grown so close to victory and loss before. True I may have been bested a time or two, but never on such a grand scale."
Luna looked at Chrysalis with soft eyes. "So you are sad because you were defeated?"
The queen gave a wry smile. "Yes…and no. While I find myself saddened by my current failings, it is not the main reason for my sadness. Rather, it is a strange feeling inside me. When I was young, my father and mother were my world. All that I had experienced in life was thanks to them. They showed me great things and taught me how to rule the changeling empire. Yet when we were at home, I felt alien to them. They would shower each other with sweet words and laughter. It confused me. They, being creatures who feed off of emotions, could show them to each other and not be tempted to feed on one another's love. Why did it seem so easy for them when so many would have devoured each other rather than hug them?”
Luna pondered for a moment before answering. “If I were to guess, it may be that they themselves were in love.” Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at the princess. “Strange as it may sound Chrysalis, it is a possibility. As you said, changelings seem more inclined to feed on emotions rather than nurture them. So if it was not love that influenced your parents, what other force could it be?” she asked.
For a time, Chrysalis was silent. Luna’s theory held merit, yet it also seemed unimaginable. Changelings in love? Was it possible? What could a changeling benefit from being in love and NOT feasting on their partner? These questions swarmed in the queen’s mind, but one was more present than any of them. “If my parents could be in love...if any changeling could fall in love...could I?” A blush spread across her face as a feeling of both fear and excitement overcame her. She felt as if she was teetering between all that she knew and was comfortable with and the call of something new on the horizon. “If...perhaps it was love,” she paused. “Could it be possible for me to have something like that...that feeling...with another?”
Luna was again silent for a moment. Never had she thought herself to be such situation. To be relied on not by one of her subjects or somepony she was close to, but rather by one who was once the enemy of her land. Taking a little time to compose her answer, she replied. “If your parents were able to do so, I do not see why you cannot. Though I can tell you from experience that being in love with somepony is not easy.”
“I’m guessing you’re talking about being there for one another and all that.” Chrysalis groaned.
“What is wrong with that?”
“I don’t see why you would feel obligated to go so far for another. As queen, I can understand taking care of your subjects. However, why would you do it for another if they are not your responsibility?”
Luna chuckled. “One does not need a reason to be there for another. They simply are. More so when you are in love.” Chrysalis stood silently waiting for Luna to continue. “Queen Chrysalis, had it ever occurred to you that perhaps you would help your subjects, not out of responsibility or duty, but rather out of choice?” 
Chrysalis turned her head to the side, confused at the question. “I don’t understand.”
Luna smiled. “What I mean is, perhaps you do not do something like fall in love because you’re queen. You do not stand by your loved one because you are required to. You do not stay up with them because you need to. You do it because you want to. When you are in love, you feel like something as simple as kissing is not a duty or a chore, but rather a delightful highlight of your day. You hug each other, you love each other, and you cherish each other because doing so comes as naturally as air. That, at least from my point of view, is what love is.”
Chrysalis looked on in deep thought. "So you do such trivial things because you just want to?" Surely love, something celebrated in such a grand style by ponies, would have the proverbial strings attached. “You make it sound so simple. But suppose you are forced to choose between yourself and your loved one.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Luna asked in confusion.
“Exactly as I said it. If you were forced to choose between the one you loved and yourself in a situation where one of you must die, do you choose to go on living with the guilt of losing the one you love?” Chrysalis looked Luna in the eye. “Or do you force your loved one to live with that same guilt?”
Luna looked away in slow silence. Chrysalis’s question was indeed one that required more than a moment. Chrysalis stared at the princess with a look that was and was not looking for an answer. Finally, Luna looked up. “I do not know.”
“You don’t know?” Chrysalis looked sullen. “Surely somepony like yourself has experienced love before. I would think that such a question would have an easy answer.”
“Actually, believe it or not, that is the best answer to your question,” Luna argued. Chrysalis stared at the princess again in confusion. “While it may not be the definitive answer you were looking for, it is the most honest answer you may have. Princess Cadence once said something similar to the young drake Spike. She explained that love is not as simple as putting your special somepony before yourself physically; but also doing so emotionally as well. Blindly sacrificing yourself for the sake of your beloved does not guarantee their happiness. One must think about how their actions will affect those close to them including their beloved.”
Chrysalis pondered on Luna’s explanation. Considering it originally came from the princess of love, it would be foolish of her to ignore it, at least in its entirety. You must sacrifice yourself yet not sacrifice yourself? a confusing contradiction. Yet, in its own way, it made sense. Chrysalis, despite being a culinary expert on love, seemed rather new to its other meaning. For years she had only seen love as food. Now she was having trouble understanding its true meaning. But...why? She thought to herself, It makes no sense. Chrysalis bowed her head in confusion.
Luna looked at Chrysalis. It was sad to see a royal stumped over such a thing as love. Before she was banished, ponies didn’t always marry for love. In fact, before Cadence had become a royal, those who got married did so for the benefits that the union came with, be it wealth, fame, or the simple belief of carrying on the name of the family. But now the concepts of social relations, both platonic and romantic, had changed. Even Luna often learned new things from society, mostly from Twilight and her friends. 
However, there were a few times that she understood something better if it had come from her friend Pipsqueak. That was not to say that Pip was knowledgeable on the subject as he was much younger and unaware of the workings of the world around him. But his point of view tended to offer an alternate, if not more simplistic, reasonings to otherwise complicated situations. She remembered her first meeting with him to be as such. He along with his friends, screamed in fear at the sight of her when she came to Ponyville to show she was not a figure of fear anymore. Twilight did her best to comfort her, but Luna became evermore irritated at her treatment. However, Pip still asked her to come and scare them, because being scared was fun. Luna was surprised at this, but she was more than happy to oblige.
Suddenly, A thought struck Luna. In her remembrance of meeting Pip, she saw a solution to Chrysalis’ dilemma. “Perhaps you should ask young Pip what he thinks about love.”
Chrysalis’ head shot up with a jolt. “W-What!?” Her mouth was agape with bewilderment. “A-Are you suggesting that I ask a young colt, a colt whom you yourself said is too young to date, about my love life? What could he possibly offer?”
Luna smiled. “You do not have to delve too deep into details. If anything he could at least offer a point of view that may help you”.
Chrysalis lifted her hoof to retort but found that she could not form the words to go along with the gesture. Perhaps the moon princess was right. Maybe, just maybe, he could offer some small piece of advice. At worst, he could be just as clueless as she was. But how to approach such a question without giving too much away. She sat down and put her hoof to her chin.
Luna watched as Chrysalis toiled over her suggestion. She was indeed trying to help, but that was not to say that couldn’t enjoy watching her struggle. She was so wrapped up in the scene before her that she almost didn’t notice an all too familiar tug on her ethereal tail.
“Lookie what I found,” Pip chuckled, “Two royals.” Pip’s voice had turned both mares’ heads. “What’re you doing out in the open Luna? You’re supposed to be hidden.” Luna smiled, half out of Pip’s joke, and half out of Chrysalis’ reaction. While she was calm at Pip’s surprise, the changeling queen almost fell over herself, as if a mighty wind had suddenly picked up. Pip trotted over to her and looked down over her. “Um...You okay your highness?”
Chrysalis quickly clambered up, composing herself. “Yes,” she quickly replied, “I’m fine. I assume you’ve won your game?”
Pip smiled, “Yup. Through Luna’s usually harder to find.”
“True Pip. Or perhaps you are getting better at seeking,” Luna tittered. 
Pip looked away blushing. “Guess that’s true. Or maybe Queen Chrysalis distracted you,” Pip smiled toward the ruler in question, Which almost toppled her a second time.
Chrysalis similarly looked away in a blush. “W-Well I told you I could help,” She said playing the happy accident as a planned action, sadly not fooling anypony. After a time the queen managed to speak, “Well since you finished with your game, what will you be doing Pip?” 
Pip gave some thought and smiling said, “Probably return to the party and try to talk to some changeling. If I’m able to talk to their queen, I should be able to talk to them.” 
Chrysalis gave a dejected and almost silent, “Ah” and began to walk away.
Luna gave a smile at Chrysalis’ attempt. “Actually Pip, I have a request for you.” 
Pip looked at the princess with a dutiful gaze, ready for anything, “What’d you like me to do Princess?”
“Would you mind being Queen Chrysalis’s escort this evening, I’m afraid she will be a little lonely without some company and I have some matters with my sister to discuss,” Luna said, both perking the queen’s attention and poking fun at her as well.
Chrysalis, at the sound of this, half expected Pip to question the request. But just as before, without a moment's hesitation Pip saluted Luna and quickly trotted over to Chrysalis’ side. “It would be a great honour to be your escort for the night Queen Chrysalis,” Pip announced with a bow, bewildering the queen. 
Chrysalis, by some means or another, found herself smiling humbly at her young escort. “Indeed young Pip. It shall be an honour for both of us.” With that, the two made their way back to the main hall, smiling and talking into the night.