“Chryssie, my favorite changeling... How you been?”
Silence.
He looked how he always did: Smug and arrogant.
Thoughts from that night flashed in her mind. The fear and helplessness tangled and melted into a feeling she was all too familiar with these days.
“Baylot High... It’s a nice school.” Regal was saying as he pressed her into the wall.
Chrysalis refused to flounder in front of him as a surge of anger ran through her body.
“What do you want?” She bit out.
“Just showing a little school spirit, ya know?” Regal’s eyes traveled her body, “I’ve missed you.”
“If you touch me...” She cringed when she felt his fingers graze her cheek as he traced down to her neck.
“You’ll what? Scream?” He laughed and whispered in her ear. “I recall you screaming the last time too...”
He had her flush against the wall, with his hand now wrapped possessively around her throat. To anybody else, it looked like a rough high-school couple sharing words.
“Fuck you...” Chrysalis seethed with a body held straight as steel. He smirked. “Why are you here?” She managed to get out without a vibrato in her voice.
“Your sister invited me... I guess you didn’t know we’ve been talking, huh?” The panicked surprise on her face said it all. “Cadence’s a real nice girl.” Regal shrugged playfully as he leaned in closer, “She lacks your fire tho... Maybe... I guess we’ll find out.”
With a sneer, she slammed her knee into his groin staring down at him with burning contempt as he sunk to the ground abandoning her throat to clutch at his own body. “You never fuckin’ learn do you.” Her voice trembled.
“You fuckin’ bitch!” Regal wheezed in obvious pain.
“I recall you saying that the last time too.” Chrysalis drew back and smashed her fist into his face, not even caring about the snap that she felt in her wrist or the pain that followed. “Don’t you ever put your hands on me again! If I see you so much as look at Cadence-!”
“Regal!” Speak of the devil. “Chrysalis! What the hell is wrong with you?” Her sister ran up looking every bit concerned.
“You’ve been talking to this asshole?” Chrysalis exclaimed heatedly ignoring the small crowd that was forming.
“I can talk to who I damn well please!” The diva shot back dropping to her knees to help the teen moaning on the ground.
Chrysalis tried to intercept her only to be shrugged away furiously. “You’re really going to mess around with the guy who-“ She stopped, unable to admit out loud what had happened.
Cadence had no reservations about airing family business. “The guy you fucked along with three of his friends?” There was a collective mix of gasps and murmurs. Chrysalis had never felt smaller. The look on people’s face made her flush with shame. “You don’t get to be the sanctimonious one, Chrysalis!” Cadence sneered. “Whatever happened between you and him gives you no right to dictate my life.”
“I’m your sister!” She responded heatedly, desperately.
“That didn’t stop you from sleeping with him when you knew I liked him!”
Her fist trembled as she felt poised to strike down the huffy diva she called family.
“How is it possible to be related to someone so fucking stupid!”
“I don’t know about as hard as it is to be related to someone so fuckin’ easy!”
She felt a strong hand encircle hers.
“Chrysalis... don’t...” She looked back to see Shining Armor staring on with a guarded expression. “Let’s go...” Her heart broke in her chest.
“You don’t have to stand up for her. She’s more than capable...” At the look on his face and the way he touched the other, something important dawned on Cadence. “If you leave with her...” Her voice shook as she registered the feelings between the two.
“I think you should see to your friend.”
He started to pull the other girl away, only for her to break free and land a quick kick to the ribs.
“Just get out of here!” Cadence screeched as she gestured for them to go. What the hell was going on? The dancer turned her attention to her writhing friend.
“Regal are you-“
“What did you say to her?!” Luna’s voice thundered across the foyer as she stalked forward shoving bodies out of the way.
“Luna?” Cadence looked at her cousin as if she were crazy. She had just helped Regal sit up when Luna lunged forward like a lioness. Luckily, two other girls wearing the same jersey managed to get their arms around her before she could strike.
“Luna... No! C’mon! We don’t have time for this!” The two struggled. “The game... we’re not supposed-“
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” She directed to the red-faced teen who was still breathing heavily, fiddling with himself.
“Fuck o-“
She managed to connect her foot to his chest and send him sprawling onto his back. ”Hey!” Cadence screamed, “What the hell! Stop it! He’s had enough!”
“Lulu... the game! C’mon!” The two girls were desperately trying to yank her back.
“Okay!” Luna yelled, ceasing her tirade. Still, she towered over the two on the ground giving them the nastiest glare she could manage.
“What the hell is going on?” Cadence had him sitting up once again.
“You’re lucky we’re family!” Luna seethed to the dancer. “Or I’d beat some sense into you.” She ripped her arms out of her teammates grasp and snarled at the boy before turning on her heel and storming off and away.
The other two players shared a look with each other. “Yea... see ya, Cadence,” they shrugged apologetically, turning to follow their team captain back to the court.
What the hell was going on? Cadence thought as she tended to the angry, hurt teen beside her. She’d watched Luna until she disappeared back into the gym. Then she turned to look in the direction Shining Armor had dragged her sister.
“What the fuck was that?” Shining Armor exploded once they were away from prying eyes in the parking lot.
“That combatives class is really paying off.” Chrysalis winced trying to save face.
“The way he was touching you...” Shining Armor had dropped her good wrist and was now taking his own hands wildly through his hair as he processed what he had just witnessed.
“I told you you’d give people the wrong idea about me.” Chrysalis was quiet as she leaned against a car cradling her wrist staring at his backside.
“Would it hurt you to be serious for a second?” Shining Armor spun around to talk to her. “What was Cadence talking about?” He frowned at the way she avoided his gaze. “Was it true?” He moved closer when she refused to answer. “Chryssie, was it true?!”
“Does it matter?!” She exploded, finally looking up at him.
The look on his face told her it did.
Looking away as she wiped at the saline droplets on her face. “Regal Royale is the scum of the universe! He deserved worse. And Cadence-” She winced again.
“Are you alright?” He sighed, reigning in his own emotions and moving to check on her physical ailments.
“No...” She spat brokenly through the tears. “I think I broke my wrist.”
Maybe now wasn’t the time for the third degree. “That was a pretty good punch...”
“You saw?” She sniffled looking utterly defeated.
“By the time I’d arrived you’d already taken care of the situation.” He assured as best he could.
Before she could stop herself, Chrysalis threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest crying like she hadn’t in a long time. At first the jock was shocked, but then he slowly wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin atop her head.
“It’s okay...” He breathed trying to ignore his own stuttering heart. “I’ve got you, no matter what. You’re safe with me... I promise.”
Chrysalis wished she could cocoon herself inside his warmth and never be bothered again.
Shining Armor wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he was content to let it be as he held his obviously distressed ‘friend.’ He mumbled words of comfort hoping she took what he said to heart. What is going on? His brain screamed. Something wasn’t right and he hated that he didn’t know what it was.
“You’re always standing up for me...” Chrysalis managed once she could speak again.
He squeezed her, not wanting to let her go.
She’d never felt so safe with someone that wasn’t tied to her by blood. At this point she was too drained to feel embarrassed or offer any explanation, so she didn’t.
“Sorry we’re missing the game.” She exhaled and reluctantly disentangled herself from him. “Luna’s pretty fucking amazing.”
“It seems to run in the family.” He smiled, despite the concern that begged to be explored. “Let’s go find the medic.” Shining Armor forced himself to say.
There’d be time for questions later.
After the game...
While the Comets had still defeated the Broncos, Luna had been grounded to the bench after she’d stormed off the court after Regal. Her behavior had been atrocious, she knew, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care.
She sat and stared out the bus window petulantly.
She had completely tuned her coach out as he chastised her about her attitude.
She’d never wanted to punch someone as hard as she wanted to punch Cadence.
How could she not see that this went beyond petty high-school bullshit?
Chrysalis looked as if she were about to have a breakdown on the spot. It was as if the love alicorn was being purposefully obtuse.
Before she could stop to consider her actions, Luna had whipped out her phone and sent a Facebook message to a fellow classmate.
“When did a dragon ever die from the poison of a snake?”