Last night’s game turned out to be a decisive victory for the Baylot Broncos.
Shining Armor had worried at first as the first quarter started out shakily enough. After that, the team had adjusted and the rival team didn’t stand a chance. With one game away from homecoming, the school quarterback really felt his school had a strong chance at beating Canterlot Academy. The Comets were good, but this year the Broncos just seemed to be getting better.
Parking his sabre turbo and rummaging around for his bag and wallet, he looked to his sister who seemed to be lost in her own world.
“We’re here, Twilight.”
The younger girl blinked. “Oh, right.”
“Is everything, alright?” Shining Armor asked concerned.
“Yea... it’s just... I met Princess Celestia last night.”
The elder Sparkled rose a brow in surprise. “You met an Alicorn?” Twilight nodded. “At our highschool football game?” Another nod. He whistled. “That definitely explains that starstruck look on your face.” Bay City was no Canterlot.
“I mean... She was everything everyone says about her. She’s smart, funny, beautiful and destined for greatness...” Twilight counted off on her fingers before falling back against her seat. “I mean we really hit it off... but it’s a lot to take in. She even gave me her phone number.”
“Then why so down?” He asked genuinely confused as to why her reaction went beyond that of a fan girl. “Sounds like you made a friend.”
She looked to him as she nervously chewed her lip. “It’s really not my place to say...”
“What’s not your place to say?”
She deflated before her expression switched to something sly. “That you’re such a dweeb for that sickening display of PDA at last night’s game.”
Shining Armor’s hand went to scratch the back of his head as his mind flashed back to the incident at hand.
After the game winning touchdown, most of the staff and teams on the sideline stormed the field. Including the dance team. Cadence had leaped into his arms with a blinding smile before leaving him with a searing celebration kiss that left everything feeling too tight.
“She kissed me!” He defended lamely.
“And I suppose she spun herself around and forced you to initiate the second kiss? It gave me a toothache it was so sweet.”
“I was swept up in the moment. You saw that halftime show they put on, right?” His expression turned goofy.
The Prancing Baylot Broncos had put on quite the inspiring dance number. Shining Armor knew for a fact that he was now the envy of the whole school. Cadence’s moves especially had been phenomenal.
The cheerleaders were still furious.
Twilight blanched, “Question- how did you?”
“Get out!” He groaned as he found himself remembering the soft curves of her body and the taste of full lips against his own.
Twilight snickered, before making her grand escape. “Later, Big Brother!”
Hurrying into the school, she breathed a sigh of relief as she made her way to the school gym to mess around with some choreography for the band’s upcoming performance.
Last night at the game she’d met an Equestrian Princess. And not just any Princess, but her newest best friend’s cousin. To say she was still reeling from meeting one of the smartest and most beloved pony person’s on the continent was an understatement.
And that wasn’t all.
Cadence and Chrysalis were sisters. Cadence was related to an Equestrian Princess. That made Cadence part of the royal family. She and her sister were Alicorns and somehow no one at school knew.
Not even her brother, Cadence’s ‘boyfriend’. The pressure of this new knowledge was stressful, but she’d promised to let Cadence spill her own secrets.
Pushing into the gym, she put on her headphones and shrugged out of her jacket, trading her booties for sneakers. She started off doing her regular warmup when she felt an unnerving shiver run down her spine. She specifically came to school a bit earlier to make sure no one saw her make a fool of herself.
Looking around, and finding the gym empty, Twilight shrugged and allowed herself to fall victim to the magic of her band’s music.
Ten minutes later, this mystery person made themselves known.
“Oh!” She’d spun and bumped into an upperclassmen she’d vaguely noticed around school. “I didn’t notice anyone was here!”
Curly Wilder was a tall, lanky boy with Kelly green skin and dull blue eyes. His hair was a moppy mess of dark curls while he’d yet to grow into his nose and ears. The look on his face made her take a few steps back.
How long had he been standing there, she wondered, removing her headphones.
“Don’t let me stop you,” Curly grinned.
With a nervous shudder, Twilight grabbed her bag and stood awkwardly. “Uh, yea it’s okay. I’ve gotta get ready for class anyway.” She stuffed her mp3 player in her bag and began to put on her jacket after grabbing her shoes. “I’m just going to go n-“
“Why the rush? Please continue. I was enjoying the show.”
He walked with her as she hurriedly moved to the gym entrance.
“I have to go now. Sorry!”
“No need to apologize, Twilight.” The boy quickly slid in front of her and used his arm to block her path at the door.
She didn’t like the way his gaze ran up and down her body.
“Can you at least do the spin thing again? You have really nice legs.”
“Will you please move?”
He ignored her timid request. “I’ve seen you practicing by yourself. You’re really good. Would you be interested in giving a private show?” He reached for the bottom of her skirt.
“Please leave me alone,” Twilight whimpered, jumping back as she smacked down his hand.
“I never noticed how sexy you were until I started watching you dance.”
“My friends are expecting me.”
“You’re really fuckin’ hot… I always thought you were a teacher’s pet, but now I’m starting to wonder if it’s an act. You sure don’t shake your ass like one.”
“Hello…” Chrysalis seemed to appear out of nowhere, looking to enter the gym. Dressed in athletic leggings and a tank top, her teal hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, while she had a gym bag casually swung over her shoulder. “What’s this?” She drawled playfully.
“Just talking to a friend.” Curly straightened as he dropped his arm.
“Doesn’t seem friendly, not with all this nervous energy in the air.” She tilted her head as she addressed Twilight. “You okay?”
“Actually, Curly was just leaving.”
“Twilight… I-”
“You’re leaving right? I think she said you were leaving.”
“Listen-“
Before he could finish his statement Chrysalis had used the bladed side of her open hand and struck him in the throat hard enough to make his head snap back as his breath caught violently.
If Twilight wasn’t already wound tight she’d had cried out. The way the boy clutched his throat and dropped to his knees with a bugged out expression made her eyes bulge.
“You listen!” Chrysalis’ cool veneer shattered as she struck mercilessly. Reaching out she wrenched Twilight forward by the wrist. “Fuckin’ creep!” She yelled over her shoulder as she drug a wide eyed freshman behind her.
Once they were safely around the corner, Chrysalis tried to reign in her emotions as she regarded the trembling girl.
“Did you kill him?”
Chrysalis balked. “What? Fuck him! Are you okay?”
“I-“
“You obviously need to learn how to take care of yourself! The way you stood there blubbering as the guy pressed into you was sickening.” Twilight felt a mix of gratitude and resentment for the other girl in front of her. “Grow a backbone and stand up for yourself!” Chrysalis thundered shaking. “He could’ve hurt you! Really hurt you and then where would you be?! Screaming at some poor simpleton in the hallway for something she didn’t ask for.”
“I didn’t know…” Twilight managed as she tried to stave away the tears gathering in her eyes.
“I know…” Chrysalis exhaled roughly as she took her hands through her hair. “Look! Just be careful!” With that she angrily strode back around the corner to check up on the wheezing mess of teen she’d left down the hall.
When Twilight heard a stomp and another yelp, she immediately made herself scarce.
When the school custodian came across the older girl hissing as she dissected the boy with well-placed kicks, he hadn’t known how to respond honestly. So it was no surprise to the Halfling that she found herself in the principal’s office with an irate administrator trying to scare her with threats of expulsion and harsh suspensions.
She almost laughed at the expression on the poor woman’s face when she asked what hospital she could send a get well card to.
All of that bravado melted however when an incensed Adelpha Regina strode into the office with all the regality of her status.
The principal felt vindicated as she watched the foolhardy teen tense in response to her mother.
“I need a moment alone with my daughter.”
“This is my-“
“It wasn’t a question,” the changeling princess’ hot gaze cut through any protest as the principal cleared her throat and stated she needed to grab some paperwork from the secretary.
Once the door closed Adelpha turned and stared down at her daughter with a coolly controlled look.
“Fighting?”
“Is that what they told you?” Chrysalis’ face was twisted in something like pride. “It wasn’t much of a fight to be honest.” The spark of anger in her Mother’s eyes made it hard to maintain eye contact.
“Chrysalis… You hurt that boy. And not just physically. You know you’re not allowed to use magic like that!”
Magic users were heavily policed in Equestria. While magic was not uncommon its uses fell into very specific categories. The laws only changed when Equestria began to open their borders to other magical people.
The way Chrysalis had delved into that boy’s thoughts was most certainly a crime by Equestrian standards, even if it was a faint suggestion that kept others safe.
“Maybe he deserved it.” She folded her arms across her chest defiantly.
“We didn’t enroll you in that class so you could beat up on other people!” Her mother spoke of her combatives training. “Do you have any idea how this makes us look? How much trouble you could be in?!”
“Us?” Chrysalis balked. “You mean you!”
“I mean changelings!”
“No one knows I’m a changeling at this school! No one knows anything about me! All you care about are your stupid relations! You don’t care about me at all! Why would you when you have Cadence as the perfect daughter!” Adelpha’s mouth dropped. “She looks the way you always wanted to and fits in with these imbecile pony people you seem to love so much!”
“That’s enough!”
“Is it?!”
At the anger projected, the older ling looked taken aback. “Is that how you feel?” Her tone was soft.
“Isn’t that why you’re sending me away? To punish me for not fitting into your perfect pony person family?
Adelpha couldn’t believe the words coming from her daughter’s mouth.
“Chryssie… Please talk to me… This… What’s wrong?” She couldn’t ignore this level of aggravation and felt it was time to address her daughter’s unruly behavior.
“I can’t hear myself think and I’m sick of not being in control over my own feelings. That boy was a disgusting person but I’m the monster here?! If it were Cadence you wouldn’t treat her this way! That boy had it coming for what he tried to do.”
“What did he try to do? Did he hurt you?” Adelpha felt her blood boil at the thought of someone hurting her child.
“It wasn’t me he tried, but I can guarantee he won’t try it again.”
“Chrysalis are you-“
“It was some freshman girl.”
She frowned at the expression on her daughter’s face.
“He was afraid of me.” There was a glint in her eyes that didn’t sit right with her mother. “He was right to be. They think they’re so much better than us, and really they’re not.”
Adelpha could hear her own mother’s voice warning her. ‘If you’re not careful dear, your daughter just may realize what you can’t about Equestrians. Chrysalis may be more changeling than you’re prepared to deal with.’
“Chryssie…” She could only imagine what that must have felt to her confused and maturing child.
Chrysalis felt unsure as her mother’s love and remorse flooded her.
“I’ve been a terrible mother.” Adelpha reached out and tucked a teal lock of hair behind her daughter’s ear. “I’m taking you to see Dr. Clayhoof. She can help you with controlling your senses so you won’t feel so overwhelmed. ”
“Mom…?” The teen blinked not sure how to handle this change in intensity.
“I forget how much more like me you are and aren’t.” Adelpha’s smile was gentle. “I’ve been this way my entire life. You not so much. I love both of my daughter’s equally. Cadence was easier to deal with cause I knew what I was doing the second time around. I realize that you’re going through some things... But I’m here for you, and I love you. You can always come to me. You’re a strong girl and I’m proud of the way you’ve been meeting these challenges head on.” She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
The younger changeling’s face broke out into a tiny smile, “Does this mean-“
“Oh you’re still grounded, but for the record, I’m glad you helped that girl.”
When the principal was on her way back she’d hoped both mother and daughter had calmed down. She wasn’t, however, expecting them to greet her in obvious solidarity.