“Starlight!” Chrysalis grinned enthusiastically as Starlight walked in. “Imagine seeing you here.”
Starlight, upon seeing Chrysalis, immediately got a sour look on her face. “In the kitchen?”
Chrysalis leaned nonchalantly on a counter. “Yes, well, I just figured you would be out gallivanting with your friends or something.”
“Nope,” Starlight said dryly, “just getting lunch.” She grabbed an apple and started mindlessly munching on it.
“Uh-huh. Well, how is my favorite…” She had to stop and think for a moment. “My favorite Starlight doing today?”
Starlight looked like she was about ready to throw something. “What do you want, Chrysalis?”
Chrysalis scoffed. “Why must I want something to be in our own kitchen?”
“Because you don’t eat.”
“Oh, never mind the details,” Chrysalis said, waving dismissively. “Maybe I just wanted to get to know you better.”
“So you’re bored?” Starlight asked.
“Extremely,” Chrysalis sighed. “Ponyville is dreadful without Twilight.”
Ponyville was without Twilight because she had, just that morning, left for Canterlot on royal duties. It wasn’t expected to be a long trip, but it was one where she would see Shining Armor and Cadence, and despite it having been multiple weeks since Celestia’s advice, they still hadn’t shared the news. So, rather than have a very awkward family reunion, Chrysalis had elected to stay behind.
“Why is that my problem?” Starlight asked.
“Well, whose else would it be?”
“Maybe if you ever bothered to actually go into town you’d have a friend,” Starlight said with a roll of her eyes.
“I have friends,” Chrysalis argued. “Rarity and Pinkie Pie are very kind to me.”
“Pinkie doesn’t count,” Starlight told her, “so besides her you’ve made one friend, and you’ve been dating the literal princess of friendship for, what, like two months now?”
“Well it’s not like any of these ponies would be very eager to be my friend,” Chrysalis said. “I did invade Equestria, after all.”
“I started a cult,” Starlight said, “and they all like me well enough. I’m sure they wouldn’t even hesitate to give Twilight’s girlfriend a second chance.”
“You started a cult?”
Starlight groaned and magically flung an apple core at Chrysalis, who dodged it smoothly. Then she started to walk away. “Just go make a friend,” she called over her shoulder. “It’ll make Twilight happy.”
Chrysalis sighed after she was out of earshot. “Well that was just unfair. I can’t say no to that.”
Chrysalis knocked hard on the little cottage door and then stood back, doing her best to prepare herself. Some deep breaths, a rigid stance, anything she could think of to steel herself for what was to come.
It was a bit of a long wait, and at least once Chrysalis thought she saw somepony behind the curtains in the window, but eventually the door creaked slowly open.
Fluttershy smiled when she saw who her visitor was. “Oh, Chrysalis! How lovely to see you,” she said, her voice light and cheery. “Can I help you with something?”
Chrysalis stared down at her for a moment before speaking up. “I’m bored.”
“Oh.” Fluttershy’s expression went blank, and there was a long, silent pause as the two just looked into the other’s eyes.
“Starlight said I should go see a friend,” Chrysalis explained.
“I see.”
Another excruciating, awkward pause.
“So I came to visit you,” Chrysalis finished.
“Oh!” Fluttershy jumped back a little in shock. “M-Me? But why, don’t you have friends who are, um… Closer?”
“Rarity was busy.”
“...And?”
“And you’re next on the list,” Chrysalis told her.
“Oh.” Fluttershy looked around awkwardly, as though another pony might be standing beside her. “Oh, I didn’t realize you thought so highly of me.”
“It’s not a very long list.”
“Ohhhh.” Fluttershy nodded as she finally understood, then gave Chrysalis a warm smile. “Well, I suppose I have some free time. What is it you’d like to do?”
“Me?” Chrysalis winced. “I was expecting you to have something for me to do.”
“Well, I don’t know that you’d be interested in what I like to do,” Fluttershy told her. “I doubt you like tea very much. How do you normally spend your free time?”
“With Twilight.”
“Okay…” Fluttershy thought for a moment. “Well, what about before Twilight?”
“Scheming.”
“I don’t think I would enjoy that very much…” Fluttershy frowned and looked up at Chrysalis sympathetically. “Don’t you have any hobbies at all?”
“Not really.” Chrysalis shrugged. “Even when I plan dates, I mostly just pick things I want to see Twilight doing.”
“Oh, my… Well, that settles it.” Fluttershy stepped outside and shut the door behind her. “Chrysalis, I’m going to help you find a hobby.”
The rest of the day was spent in a whirlwind of activity around Ponyville. Fluttershy would get an idea in her head, woodworking or painting or what have you, and drag Chrysalis halfway across town to have her try it. Pinkie’s house for baking, the spa for relaxing, Rainbow Dash’s home for all manner of different sports. They missed a few potential things at Sweet Apple Acres, as Applejack still wasn’t fond of having Chrysalis around her family, but just about every other inch of Ponyville was scoured.
“I don’t mind the molding,” Chrysalis mused later on as she carefully shaped a clay pot that was spinning in front of her, “I just wish these seats were more accommodating for creatures of my stature.”
“Couldn’t you turn into something smaller?” Fluttershy asked. She was having difficulties with her own pot, and clay was splattered all over her fur, but she didn’t seem to mind.
Chrysalis stopped working and turned to Fluttershy. “I get that question so much,” she said, “and nopony ever understands why I won’t. Surely you can see how demeaning it would be to have to change who I am just to participate in something?”
Fluttershy thought for a moment. “I guess that would start to hurt after a while. I’m sorry if I was being insensitive.”
Chrysalis waved it off and went back to her sculpting. “You didn’t know.”
“No,” Fluttershy agreed, “but I should have thought it through some more before assuming you hadn’t considered the option.”
“You’re too kind,” Chrysalis said bluntly. “I gave you an out. Insisting on taking the blame like that is going to get you hurt someday.”
“Oh, I know,” Fluttershy said. “My kindness has gotten my hurt before, and I have no doubt it’ll get me hurt again. It will always be worth it, though.”
“Taking the blame just now didn’t do anything, though,” Chrysalis argued. “It didn’t make me feel any better. You could be hurting yourself for things that have no benefit.”
Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin to think, inadvertently covering herself with yet more clay. “You’re not wrong,” she decided. “I’m not the greatest at seeing when an act of kindness is too much, but that’s why I have friends like you!” She glanced over and grinned at Chrysalis.
Chrysalis met her eyes and smiled back. Then she reached out and wiped the clay off of Fluttershy’s chin. “I always have enjoyed looking out for those I cared for.”
“Ugh.” Twilight groaned in exhaustion as she stepped out into the dark Canterlot streets. “That took way too long. I can’t wait to get back to—”
“Twily, wait up!” Twilight looked up to see Shining Armor walking her way, and she grinned at him. “Glad I caught you before you left,” he said as he drew close. “We haven’t caught up in a while.”
“Yeah,” Twilight scratched the back of her neck nervously, “it’s just been kinda dry, you know? Not much to talk about.”
“Is that why you seem so bubbly?”
“Bubbly?” Twilight pursed her lips. “I’m not bubbly.”
Shining Armor chuckled. “Sure you are. Something’s got you all worked up. It’s almost like you hooked up with somepony.”
Twilight let out a loud, awkward laugh. “Don’t be silly! I’m as single as ever. Just, you know, enjoying my time alone.”
Shining Armor gasped. “You did hook up with somepony! Oh, how exciting! Who is it? Wait, don’t tell me. I want it to be a surprise. You have to bring them to visit me and Cadence.”
Twilight started slowly backpedaling away. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! Why wouldn’t I be single anymore? Gotta give all my time to those books, right? Ha ha, you’re so funny. How is Cadence, anyway?”
Shining Armor wrapped a leg around Twilight so she couldn’t get away. “You can’t fool your big brother. I know a budding love when I see one. I also know your schedule, so I know you’re completely free until next month, and you can bet your boots that if you don’t visit us by then, we’ll be visiting you.”
Twilight gave another awkward laugh as her smile faltered and melted into a look of fear.