True to her word, the next day Chrysalis gave school an honest effort.
She was dressed in a black sleeveless romper, with an oversized olive fatigued styled jacket, dark tights and black combat boots.
Cadence had stared at her with barely masked disdain. “Woe is me looks good on you.” She mocked that morning after loving her.
The older teen wanted to snap back but found there wasn’t much to say. She made a face at the smartly dressed teen with her burgundy pleated mini, form fitting shirt and thin bright blazer. Cadence would always be beautiful- that was just a fact of life.
Making it her business to arrive early, Chrysalis managed to find her first class fifteen minutes before the bell.
Looking over her schedule, she smiled when she realized there wasn’t a class listed that she wasn’t interested in:
Cultures and Civilizations
Home Ec (She made a face)
Botany
Drawing II
Lunch
Contemporary Lit
Weight Training
Maybe one. She was so lost in thought, she didn’t’ even notice when Fluffle Puff and Maud Pie took seats in front of her.
“She lives!” Maud greeted in her monotone voice. Fluffle flashed a wide grin.
Chrysalis smiled at the two.
As the class filled up with people, Chrysalis concentrated on her own feelings. When the teacher called her up to introduce herself, she found herself frozen on the spot.
It seemed everyone was curious to some extent about her. Some people were mildly interested while others were slightly put off. Look at her body! One of the boys jeered. Ewww! What a freak!
Her gaze narrowed, and the Halfling felt her whole demeanor change.
“My name is Chrysalis and I’m a junior from Canterlot Academy.”
“Anything else?” The teacher prompted with a smile.
“Nothing I feel comfortable sharing.” Was her smart reply. “Can I sit now?” She scowled.
“Uh... Yes! Please.”
“You really are a rude girl,” Maud observed casually once Chrysalis took a seat.
“Maybe I’m shy?”
“And maybe Fluffle is a riveting storyteller.”
Fluffle glared.
Chrysalis snorted as the trio tuned in for lessons.
***
“Can I catch a ride home after practice?” Twilight accompanied by Rarity fell into step with her brother on his way to Nutrition class.
“You know I have football practice today right?” Shining Armor stated as they made their way down a busy hall.
“Yeah! I have debate club today and afterwards me and Rainbow Dash are going over lyrics for a new song she’s been working on. We’re are going to kill this year at homecoming!” The bookworm enthused in a rare display of hyper-competitiveness. Part of the homecoming dance allowed for three of the school’s biggest bands to play in a bragging rights competition.
“Will Rainbow Dash want a ride too?” He asked amused by the expression on her face.
“Probably. Maybe we can give Cadence a ride too!” Twilight giggled as she continued on to her class. “Have fun in Nutrition!” The elder stood still with a frown, watching as she scampered off with her friend in tow.
Shining Armor walked into the classroom and shook his head as he took his seat.
Last night had been quite the experience.
The girl on the bridge wasn’t someone you’d see in a crowd. There was a regal quality to her, despite her cool attitude. Cat shaped eyes had shone an acidic green that matched the coloring of her ombre torso. From her sleek dark skin to her fanged grin- he wasn’t sure if she was a pony person.
He found her dark looks mesmerizing. Something he felt overwhelmed by for a person he met purely by chance and would probably never see again.
Chuckling to himself, he concluded that he didn’t have the time to wonder about some dark stranger in the night.
He looked up just in time to see Cadenza Mi Amore stroll into class with equal parts humility and confidence.
Her expression brightened once she noticed him. She sent him a brief wave and wink to which he smirked. Another girl immediately grabbed her attention motioning to her outfit and looking starstruck.
Even on her second day, she had heads turning and people gravitating towards her warm and bubbly personality as if she were always there.
Class started and the school quarterback focused on the day’s lesson.
***
Art class was supposed to Chrysalis’ most relaxed class of the day.
Keywords: Supposed to.
Her eyes widened considerably as her mind processed the familiar boy currently seated beside her.
He had said his name was Shining Armor.
Dressed in black jeans, a striped collared shirt, letterman jacket and boots, Chrysalis really didn’t know what to think except how could she be so stupid.
While it wasn’t a crime to walk around in her changeling form, it was illegal to assume a false identity. Even if that wasn’t her intention, she could only imagine what her mother would say given her recent streak of acting out.
Remembering her setting, she quickly diverted her attention to her backpack and pretended to rummage around for her sketch book. While her changeling form looked similar, there was no way he’d put two and two together. She even sounded different as her changeling self.
Maybe he wasn’t even the same boy.
‘Just relax...’ She breathed mentally.
“Hey, do you happen to have a graphite pencil I could borrow for the period?”
Chrysalis blinked and looked over her shoulder. He most certainly was the same boy. “What?”
“Do you have a spare pencil?” The teen asked again in the same polite tone.
She swallowed once she realized he truly didn’t recognize her. Regaining some of her confidence, she raised a brow and smirked. “Who shows up to an art class without a pencil?”
“Do I...?”
Or maybe he did. “Here ya go!” She quickly slapped a pencil down on the desk before turning to stare straight ahead. Shining Armor didn’t comment and instead thanked her for the pencil. “Don’t mention it.”
Half an hour into the lesson, he spoke to her again.
“Do you have Cultures and Civilizations first period?”
She glanced at him out the corner of her eye, “I do.”
“Oh, cool. I thought you looked familiar. I’m Shining Armor,” He grinned extending his hand for her to take.
“C-Chrysalis or Rude Girl, if you prefer.” She shook his hand quickly and released it, cringing. She hated people touching her now.
“Rude Girl,” he mused. “That sounds about right.”
She narrowed her eyes as she gave him her full attention.
That easy-going grin was still in place.
***
While the ‘Prancing’ Baylot Broncos weren’t quite on the technical level as the Canterlot Comets, Cadence was confident she could bring them up to speed. Her first couple days of school had been a complete success.
She stood in the school parking lot leaning against Shining Armor’s Sabre Turbo alongside Twilight and Rainbow Dash.
“Bro! We are so going to win Bragging Rights this year!” The rainbow maned girl cheered.
“While it’s not poetry, I agree that it’s definitely catchy as all get out!”
“You know what would make us stand out?” Rainbow Dash bounced around unable to contain her excitement. “A killer dance routine!” Both sets of eyes flew to the older girl casually browsing her Instagram.
“What?” Cadence droned aware of their stares as she swiped around on her phone.
“So you’ve heard about Bragging Rights, right?”
Looking up, she regarded her friends mirthfully. “It’s all you guys have been talking about today.”
“Well would you be willing to choreograph a routine for us?”
A genuine smile blossomed over the dancer’s face.
When Shining Armor and two of his teammates, Flash Sentry and Flash Magnus, happened upon the girls, the three were squealing and talking over the other excitedly.
“That’d be so cool!”
“And we can have the other two move like this and-“
“But I can’t do that!”
“Nonsense, you’ve got legs for days all you need is a little confidence!”
Twilight tried a spin and fumbled slightly at the end. “Crap!” She yelped as she fell over.
Expecting to hit the ground, she sighed with relief when she felt a warm body steadying her. “You girls are-“
“Twilight, I didn’t know you could dance,” Came the warm tone of Flash Sentry.
If Cadence and Rainbow Dash were lesser friends, they’d have keeled over on the spot at the other girl’s expression.
“Flash...” Twilight squeaked with comically wide eyes.
“Yep!” Flash Magnus chipped in playfully.
“Sentry?” Came out in a hoarse whisper.
Taking pity on their friend, the two girls immediately reached out and pulled her upright.
“You girls ready?” Shining Armor shook his head and unlocked his car.
“Yep!” Cadence grinned.
“Nice moves, Twilight. See ya later Armor!”
The two boys waved as they took their exit.
“Later guys!”
“Actually- Magnus could I bum a ride with you?” Rainbow Dash called after the older boy. “You live right down the street from my house.”
“Oh yea! C’mon!”
“I have to babysit Scootaloo tonight since my dad is working. Thanks, Cadence!” The rocker-tomboy hurried off after the tanned skin teen carrying his gear over the shoulder.
“Sly girl...” Cadence smirked with a grin. Being a prodigy in love magic made her privy to all sorts of things.
“Cadence, you coming?” Shining Armor asked as he leaned out the window, while starting the car.
She looked to see Twilight panting and muttering in the backseat with that look still on her face.
“Is she going to be okay?” She asked as she slid into the front seat.
Shining Armor shrugged, “I hope so...”
Once Twilight had calmed down, the ride home fell into a comfortable exchange of ribbing and laughing.
“See you guys, later!” Cadence had called after being dropped off.
Expecting to come home to her father fussing over work in the living room, she instead found her sister lounging around in pajamas working on some class assignment. With news playing in the background.
“Where’s Dad?” Cadence asked realizing that no one else was home.
“He went to spend time with Mom.” Chrysalis said never looking up from her computer.
“Oh...” She thought back to today’s ride to school. “I guess he did mention that.” Moving into the kitchen for leftovers, she balked when her sister’s voice continued.
“Dad said I’m in charge.”
“Whatever...” Cadence rolled her eyes pulling out a plate of pasta primavera.
“Whatever,” Chrysalis mocked petulantly. “Do you need a ride tomorrow?” She called out disinterestedly. “I know you’re an only child now.”
Cadence huffed as a wave of guilt settled down on her. “Look, about that-“
“I’m sure Shining Armor would be willing.” Chrysalis cut her off.
Cadence couldn’t help the warmth that spread through her body at the mention of his name. By the time she looked back up, Chrysalis had grabbed her laptop and was halfway up the stairs. “Goodnight.”
“No love?” Cadence called after her with a frown.
“You clearly don’t, so why bother!”
***
Justinian watched as his wife busied around their hotel room. “How’re things going at the embassy?” It was at the Canterlot-based embassy that the two met. Justinian was initially distrustful of Adelpha. He hadn’t had much experience with changeling people, but he knew the history between the Collective and Equestria was full of misdeeds.
“They’re working themselves out.” She took a seat at the vanity and began brushing the waves out of her hair.
“I’m tired of being a single dad...” Her husband joked.
Rose eyes locked with the lidded gaze in the mirror. “How’re the girls liking Bay City?”
“They seem to have adjusted well enough.” Justinian lazily watched her complete her nighttime routine. ”Chrysalis loves it though.”
“She would...” Her expression was thoughtful before it turned worried. “Has she talked to you?”
“No... But I feel like she wants to talk to you.”
“My poor baby...” She finished and placed the brush back down. Standing and placing a kiss on his forehead, she excused herself to go shower.
The news played quietly in the background.
“...this is Equestria Daily and tonight’s breaking story goes as follows: Another Pony person has fallen ill with a mysterious sickness that has affected at least a dozen others in the last six months. Las Pegasus resident Jupiter Cosmo had recently been married and was enjoying his honeymoon in sunny Mawaii when he fainted and slipped into a coma. His wife, Desiree Diamond was distraught after attempts to wake her husband failed...”
“Turn that off,” she groaned reappearing from the hotel bath wrapped in a terrier robe.
Justinian obliged. Watching her before disclosing what was really on his mind.
“I saw the phone bill.” Adelpha halted in her movements as she turned to regard her husband.
“I’m an ambassador.”
“And you’re also heir to an empire... What did she want?” Queen Cersei was a domineering woman and an even more reticent ruler.
“She wants to talk to Chryssie.”
“Adelpha...” He groaned. The few times he’d met Cersei, he’d never known what to make of her or the stringent relationship she had with her daughter.
“I know you don’t want to hear this, but Chryssie is different.”Adelpha rolled her eyes, before taking a seat on the bed. “She’s not like Cadence.”
“She’s our Daughter!” His daughter seemed to have enough problems, without lineage and monarchies being an issue.
“And she’s also displaying traits that pony people don’t want to understand.” Rose eyes narrowed as the Princess found herself raising her voice, annoyed by her husband’s insinuations. “I have fought hard for my people’s foothold in Equestria. And while changelings are constantly making strides, she shouldn’t have to feel like she’s less for being who she is!” She could feel his apology and calmed with a sigh. “My mother won’t be alive for forever. She wants to name her her successor.”
“I suppose the decision has already been made then.” Justinian’s frown made her soften even more.
“Of course not...” Adelpha crawled to her husband, and cradled his face. “’We’ are her parents. If we lived in the Badlands, it’d be different. But marrying an Alicorn made it so she gets to have the choice.” Justinian gave her a wry smile before standing to get undressed himself. “So much has changed since I first got here. I think it would do her some good to meet people more like herself.” She watched him toss aside his practical business clothes. “It’s just to talk.” She assured as her gaze swept over his body lecherously.
The older man smirked all too aware of her thoughts.
Even after twenty years of being together, the two were still in-love with each other. “Enough about the girls,” she drawled as she s lowly unbelted her robe. “Show your wife how much you missed her.”