Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto


Axcept

"Everything has a price."
Chrysalis watched from her position, sitting at a table outside a restaurant and sipping on a drink, disguised as a pegasus. She looked with fascination, and a little nervousness, as Stellaria stood in the middle of the road and stared straight at the castle in front of her.
She was waiting. Standing still and waiting, a confident smile on her face, while ponies walked around her without paying any attention to her. She'd been there for a couple of minutes already, and she knew she wouldn't have to wait much longer.
Suddenly, the castle's doors opened. Chrysalis tensed in her seat, holding her glass a little tighter. Her eyes followed Twilight Sparkle as she walked out of her castle and down the road towards Stellaria, then beside her and past her, without ever glancing towards the other alicorn.
Stellaria just stood there, smiling, while Twilight walked away. Then she turned towards Chrysalis and began to head towards her, still keeping the same smile on her face. She sat at the same table, and fetched herself a slice of bread from the basket in the middle of it. And she just sat there, eating her bread and staring at Chrysalis, still smiling.
The disguised changeling curved her lips in what couldn't properly be described as a smile or a frown. It was an awkward arching, the front part of her mouth slightly open as if she was about to speak but holding herself back. She was, in essence, refusing to accommodate the other's smugness, but she had no arguments to fall back on.
Stellaria swallowed her bread. "Well, Chrissy? Are you convinced now?"
Chrysalis grit her teeth. "Yes," she hissed out quickly, then she moved her glass to her lips to drink some more. The pear juice was nice, at least.
"That's a good girl," Stellaria said, patting the changeling-turned-pegasus' head. "Looks like this time I won't have to choke you until you pass out for refusing to listen to your owner." She took another slice of bread in her magic.
Chrysalis tensed up for a moment at those words, then she set her glass down on the table. "You should be careful with how you treat those around you. They always might turn on you."
Stellaria laughed at that. A dry, ugly sound with no joy in it. "The altar you're preaching from does you no favours, Chrissy. You speak to me of trust and betrayal, after all that's happened to you?"
"You've said it yourself that my failures were the result of my mistakes. Perhaps you should learn from them."
"I could," Stellaria answered. "And I have. The thing is that I don't care. Not when it's with the one who left me to die. Not when you don't have any chance to defeat me." She leaned back in her chair. "The only creatures who might be a threat to me would turn you back to stone on sight, and never believe you. You're only alive right now because I allow it. Part of why is that you could still be useful. Most of it is the amusement I get out of torturing you. You should be thankful that you're so entertaining when you suffer."
"I should have burned you when you were still a log."
"Careful, Chrissy. You're giving me ideas."