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// 8 - Self-Reflection 
// Story: Best Served Cold 
// by David Silver 
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Starlight had succumbed to fatigue and was quietly snoring on the floor. Saffron smiled down at her, not as a caring friend, but a malicious predator, or so she assured herself. Starlight looked so vulnerable, tired, and... Saffron shook her head free of the nagging thoughts and stalked away, leaving Starlight behind.

Once she had some distance and a few turns between them, she let out a sigh as she expanded into her proper self in a fan of flames. "Oh, look at me," she spoke to no one. "I just want to be a good little pony." She sat down with an angry huff and pulled out a glowing rock. "It's past time I checked in."

Her magnificent horn glowed with power as she waved a hoof over the stone that began to glow in dark sympathy. A bubble of green magic appeared over it, displaying a cave, a different cave. "Report," she commanded, but there was no reply.

Chrysalis frowned, tapping the stone, not that the action could do much on its own. "Report!"

An alien face suddenly filled the viewport, bright cyans and red clashing terribly as it peered through it at her.

Chrysalis reared back in surprise, but that went quickly. It was one of her corrupted children! "You, report!"

The colorful changeling tilted his head at her. "What if I don't want to?" he asked, as if that question was ever a valid one for a changeling to ask of their queen.

Chrysalis clenched her jaws with building fury. "Where are the loyal changelings that should be there?"

The colorful one lifted his shoulders. "Maybe they got tired of waiting for you. Thorax is nicer anyway. Did you know we're allowed to visit pony towns now?"

She hissed, a low and rolling noise from deep within her. "Isn't that... lovely?"

"They're really nice!" assured the corrupt changeling. "And we're not hungry anymore. You really should try it. It's not nearly as hard as it looks. All you have to do is--"

Chrysalis put her hoof over the viewport. "Not interested."

The corrupt changeling peeked around the hoof. "Just love someone, instead of hoping they love you. It's simple!"

With an angry kick, the sending stone was sent to bounce off a wall so hard it split in half. The image faded. Her children were gone, all converted to Thorax's side. She was queen of... nothing. She sank down, defeated, furious.

"Chrysalis?"

She bounced up with such force that she could come down facing a wide-eyed Starlight.

"I..." She started to offer a hoof, but it hesitated and came back. "I messed this up, again..."

"You have taken everything from me," boomed Chrysalis, approaching Starlight with a furious expression, her tongue running over her lips. "It is time. Prepare to be revenged so hard your parents will feel it."

Starlight smiled awkwardly at Chrysalis. "Diamonds really do look best against the dark."

Chrysalis staggered to a stop, stunned. Her eyes dropped to where her, very real, bracelet dangled on her leg, glittering against her carapace. She hadn't been found out by any luck on Starlight's part. It was entirely her own fault. She had messed up, again.

"And now you intend to 'reform' me?" She rose up to her full height, towering over Starlight easily.

Starlight tilted her head a little. "If that's a fancy way of saying I'm... ready to try being friends, again, sure." She smiled awkwardly. "Do you... actually like kites, or were you just making that up?"

Chrysalis snorted with disgust. "A waste of time."

Starlight huffed, but the awkward smile remained. "I had a feeling. So... what do you like to do? I mean, besides rule over masses of changelings."

Chrysalis' horn glowed an angry green, but the magic beam that shot out of it was turned aside by Starlight in a quick shielding spell, shattering spikes of stone, but no pony bones. "At my full power, that would have removed something important."

Starlight nodded slowly. "So, you like magic? I love magic..."

Chrysalis stomped a hoof, the sound of it echoing in the cave along with the sound of a spike falling elsewhere, shattering on the ground. "I will not be your validation tool! You aren't as good as Twilight."

"Nope." Starlight circled around Chrysalis a little. "Never will be. I'm just Starlight. You're... Chrysalis. Nice to meet you. You got me good." When Chrysalis raised a brow, she continued, "All of this, your revenge. You really got me. I was a broke mare."

Chrysalis smiled at that. "Of course, as if I would fail at such a thing. Your friends have turned against you, shown their true colors. They were all too eager to cast you out." Her smile faded abruptly into her usual scowl. "How long did you know?"

Starlight nervously laughed, shuffling on her hooves. "I feel... incredibly stupid right about now, but... I didn't know?"

Chrysalis raised a brow at her enemy. "Are you lying?"

"Nope." Starlight shrugged. "Well... whatever. We've both been sent to caves now, one of us twice. You want at least one faithful subject?"

Chrysalis' ears shot up. "What are you implying?!"

Starlight offered a hoof. "I may not have holes, but I promise to listen, and support you, like a good subject, or, you know, friend, but who likes that icky word anyway? I'm not asking you to go all colorful or whatever. You do you."

With a great roar of fire, Chrysalis tripled in size, barely fitting in the cave. She brought down a mighty hoof just short of Starlight's nose. "I could crush you where you stand!"

"You could, but why would you do that to your subject?" Starlight smiled hopefully, her tail giving a little wag. "Now, I suggest we go and get you some proper clothing."

Chrysalis deflated with all the noise of flatulence, a balloon whose air was released. "Clothing?"

Starlight rolled a hoof. "Well, I know who you are, but nopony else does, so let's get your pony form looking more like you you, instead of that fake socialite you. That isn't you. You don't need to fake it."

"You're not even joking, are you?" Chrysalis shook her head slowly. "You are beyond mad."

"Certifiably nuts," agreed Starlight. "Let's go, my queen." She moved to trot right around Chrysalis, moving for the exit.

Chrysalis became Saffron, flames rushing even as she raced around to get in front of Starlight. "Stop! No! What do you think you're doing?"

"Submitting?" offered Starlight with a raised brow. "Is this not what you want?"

"I... Yes?"

"Then you win." Starlight nodded lightly. "You beat me, I'm giving up." She kept her tone even and soft, even smiling a little at her would-be friend and current tormentor.

Chrysalis waved a hoof angrily, the jewels jangling from the motion. "And how long until you get revenge on me in kind?"

"Nope." Starlight shook her head. "I deserved that. No revenge. Let's go to Rarities, make your outsides look a bit closer to your insides." She smiled a little. "Besides, I think you're right."

"About what?" demanded Chrysalis, her mane frizzing and right ear twitching.

"You cut an imposing form, all black and dangerous." Starlight rolled a hoof slowly. "It suits you."

A blush crept onto Chrysalis' cheeks without asking or desire. "You're lying."

"Am not." She made a shooing gesture with her hooves, sitting up on her haunches. "Go on, turn back."

With a blast of heat, Chrysalis was back, her long tongue lolling and her fangs displayed, making a fierce look at her would-be prey.

Starlight did not look scared. "It really is a good look for you. I couldn't pull it off." She ran a hoof through her mane. "I'm a soft pony, and that's my thing. You're, well, you, and that isn't a bad thing."

"It's a terrible thing!" argued Chrysalis. "I mean, it should be, for you, or anyone else."

Starlight moved to walk around Chrysalis at a normal pace. "I'm not afraid of my queen, long may she reign."

Chrysalis turned with Starlight as she went around. "Who said I'm your queen?"

"Would you prefer you not be?" Starlight quirked an ear up at Chrysalis. "Come on. Let's get some nice things, my treat."

Chrysalis was without words. She followed after Starlight, becoming a pony as they approached the exit of the cave. Together, they emerged into the light.

"Now I have you!" cried Trixie. Fireworks exploded in a brilliant display even as she grabbed for Starlight and pulled her to safety, or tried to.

Starlight grabbed Trixie in kind and threw all three of them clear of the pyrotechnic display in a great heave of magic. The cave collapsed, rocks sliding down into the mouth and sealing it in a Great and Powerful demonstration of a lack of fireworks safety protocols.

Saffron peered at the rockslide that could have crushed her, then at the two ponies, one of whom was responsible. "What in Equestria possessed you to do that?"

Trixie sat up, rubbing behind her head with a hoof. "Trixie was defending her friend from an evil shapeshifter?"

Starlight put a hoof around Saffron. "This evil shapeshifter is my friend, and I expect you, Trixie, to understand what it's like to be known for doing bad things."

Trixie blanched, putting her hooves on her own chest. "Me?! She was still in the middle of doing bad things! You do not get to tell Trixie she is being bad for calling someone bad while they are doing bad things!"

Saffron raised a brow at Trixie. "What's the worst thing you've ever done?"

Trixie made a little wave as if brushing the matter side. "Oh, nothing big... I just took over Ponyville, threw out Twilight, and enslaved the ponies here." A little giggle escaped her. "Shoulda seen the look on Twilight's face." She cleared her throat. "I mean, I was a very bad pony and I won't do that again."

Starlight shrugged as she tossed her head in a flick towards Trixie. "I collect bad girls. It's a hobby, I guess. And I love them so very much."

Trixie threw a leg over Starlight, squeezing her. "What are f... wait, are you already forgiving her?" She pointed accusingly at Saffron. "She just ruined your week!"

Saffron gestured at Trixie. "Loathe as I am to agree with her, she has a point."

Starlight shook her head. "Don't care. I messed up before. I brought this on myself. If I can be forgiven, I'd be a real back end if I didn't offer the same. Saffron, want to hang out? I want nothing more than that. If you get bored, you can go. I'm not holding you here. I'm not reforming you."

Trixie released Starlight, moving over to Saffron's side. "Don't listen to her," she whispered. "She reforms me every day, or tries. Trixie is good at resisting. As if she wants to be a goody good pony. She prefers having fun."

Saffron snorted softly. "Blue pony, you have no idea who you're sitting next to."

"A changeling?" offered Trixie in a guess. "I'm pretty confident on that."

"We'll go with that." Saffron shook her head slowly. "So, what do 'bad ponies' do for fun?"

Trixie smiled brightly. "Well, it's different for each naughty mare. Trixie loves her magic." She pointed over to Starlight. "She's good at teaching it. I learned how to teleport things from her."

"You teleported Twilight's magic map!" blurted out Starlight in a huff. "You had me searching all of Ponyville for that blasted thing..."

Saffron chuckled darkly. "That does sound... amusing."

Trixie threw an arm over Saffron's withers. "Well, if you are joining our little social circle, then be welcomed by the Great and Powerful Trixie! Even if she still thinks you were the fastest convert to date. Do you two have past history I don't know about?"

Starlight snorted softly. "We'll go with that," she echoed from Saffron's past words. "Come on. It's time we left that cave behind."