“Why are you two so bent on reforming me?” Chrysalis asked in between taking bites of spaghetti and stealing bits of Shining Armor’s lasagna. It was harder to eat than she expected, getting sauce on her hooves and face and leaving her a bit undignified looking. Not that a queen had the potential to look undignified, of course, but if she wasn't one, she'd certainly look quite messy.
“It’s never going to happen,” she said. “You might as well give up. If I can help it, and I certainly can help it, I won’t be reforming, not ever.”
“If you say so, Chryssi,” Shining Armor chuckled. “You definitely weren’t a second away from reforming before the waiter came back to us.”
“I just like to tease,” she said defiantly. “Show you what could happen, and then stop so you can know what will never be.” With the words, she reached her fork over and stole another piece of her companion’s food.
“Sure, sweetie,” the stallion smiled. “Although it sure seems like you’ve taken a liking to Cadance and I. And my lasagna for that matter. You must have eaten a third of it.”
“Are you angry?” she asked. “I was under the impression that sharing was a part of this friendship business you ponies seem to love to chant about.”
“Haha, no, I’m not angry. Actually, it’s pretty adorable. I didn’t think you liked eating regular food as much as you did love.”
“Well as I was telling your wife, it shouldn’t be surprising that we need regular food to sustain ourselves as well.” She reached over and stole another piece of lasagna from him, chewing with a defiant smirk.
“Anyway, Cadance told me you had plenty of kids. In fact, she was telling me that every changeling in your old hive is a nymph of yours. What’s it like mothering so many foals?”
She gasped at that comment, almost choking on her food. “That– that is a private question, something no stallion can understand. I can’t believe you’d ask something like that.”
“Awww, you’re still gonna be shy. Cadance told me you were being shy when she asked that. She really wanted to know, too.”
“I… it’s a lot of work,” she blushed quietly. “Making sure they all know how to hunt and feed themselves, taking care of them until they’re ready.” She paused and turned away angrily. “Teaching them that ponies hate them and will scream at the sight of them.”
It made Shining Armor frown. She knew he was going to say something about how it was actually her and her foals fault, how the changelings should’ve known better. That’s what Starlight told her during their brief conversation before she told her hive from her.
“I’m sorry,” Shining Armor apologized. “That’s something we should’ve been better about. We’re getting better now, but we should’ve been willing to make friends with any creature, not just ponies.” He looked her in the eyes as he genuinely told her, “I’m sorry.”
“So what? This is the part where you only try to date me because you want to appease me and say you’re sorry for the way you treated my kind and I? Because forgive me if I think a gift basket seems more appropriate in that case.”
“Nope. I told you before, Cadance and I aren’t in the business of making ponies feel better by going on dates with them. We want to date you because we like you, not to try and ask for forgiveness. You’re right though that a gift basket would work better if that was the case. Maybe one full of lasagna with how much you like to steal mine.”
He gave her a charming smile as he finished, one she couldn’t be mad at. It was one that reminded her of when she was pretending to be Cadance, one he sent her way often. It was hypnotic somehow, and something she had to avoid seeing if she was going to be successful against the reformation that seemed closer and closer to happening.
Did she mind reforming? She didn’t know. It was still a scary thought to her.
“Anyway, what do you say to some desert while we keep talking after we finish? I’m certainly gonna still be hungry with how much of my food you’ve stolen.”
“Of course, I’d like dessert. It’s how a stallion treats a mare, am I correct? I expect to be treated like a queen at all times.”
“Oh, of course you do,” he said with a smile. “And you know what? Even if you weren’t a queen, I’d still treat you like one, because that’s what you deserve. You just radiate nothing but royalty and resplendence.”
“That’s absolutely correct, and I’m glad you see it, too.” At least he wasn’t blind.
The two ate in peace for a little while, Chrysalis occasionally stealing parts of his food as they did. She had to admit, she was extremely hungry, but it was for more than just lasagna and spaghetti. The love she ate off of him though was less like a flood like it was with Cadance. His came out more like a trickle, a steady, never ending stream that she could drink from, just like it did when she spent time with him before. It tasted just as sweet, too, like a pot of honey. While Cadance’s was more fluffy and hearty like meat and bread, his felt more thin and stringy… like the spaghetti she was eating. Not that it was any worse to her though. It tasted great just the same.
A few minutes later, they were being served a couple of plates of baklava, something Chrysalis found to be extremely tasty. As they ate, Shining Armor continued to engage her with questions, and difficult ones at that.
“Can you tell me why you’re so against friendship?” Shining Armor asked. “Honestly, I mean. I want to know what we can do to help.”
“Because all you ponies have turned it into a cult,” she responded quickly, seriously. “It’s a ridiculous cult that seeks to turn into a villain every creature who’s uncomfortable joining. ‘Oh, we can’t share our love unless you join our friendship’. Blech. No thank you.”
“Friendship isn’t a cult. It’s just–”
“Then why villainize any creature who doesn’t automatically praise it?” she pressed. “My hive was villainized for simply wanting some love to eat until they converted to that cult. How can that be anything but evil? Explain it to me.”
“Nopony cares that you eat love! We cared that you were taking the place of our friends! That’s what creatures are bothered by! If you just ask, I’m sure–”
“Believe me, we did, but every time, the response was, ‘let’s be friends’ and ‘join our friendship cult’. Whenever we refused, we were always turned away and left to starve. How can that possibly be anything but you wanting us to join your cult?”
“I… think you’re misunderstanding friendship, Chryssi,” Shining Armor said. “It’s not a cult. When somepony says, ‘I want to be your friend’, that’s them saying that they like you and want to get to know you better.”
“Well someponies don’t want to be known that closely,” she replied, pushing her mane with a hoof.
“And that’s okay, but friendship isn’t a cult,” he said. “It’s just… well, the best way to think about it is an agreement to be nice and kind and have fun with each other,” he explained.
“That seems awfully strange.”
“It can be if you think about it. But if it means anything, I would say we’re friends.”
“What?” she asked, completely flabbergasted. “How in the wide, wide world of Equestria could you possibly say that we’re friends?” she asked.
“I mean, we’re talking here now, aren’t we?” he smiled. “And we’re eating out at a restaurant like friends do, and are gonna go for a walk later. Plus, you’ve gotten to know my wife, and you got to know me the last time we were in the Crystal Empire. I can safely say we’re friends. Or, at least, you’re my friend.”
“Yes, well, I can’t say the same about you, not yet at least,” she responded defiantly. “Perhaps, perhaps we’re acquaintances at the very most. But don’t go pushing your luck on that either.”
“Of, of course not,” he laughed. “But I have to ask: what do you like to do for fun?”
She didn’t see why he cared, but went into detail about how she enjoyed listening to stories told by her guards and giving orders to her subjects. He explained that he liked playing a game called ‘croquet’ and telling stories. It wasn’t a coincidence that she knew. He was just trying to get into her head by saying that, but didn’t mention it.
She laughed and listened though as he started to tell stories to her, eating baklava as she did. Just like before, when she was infiltrating the Crystal Empire, he was quite the charmer, engaging her as they talked and keeping her entertained. Eventually, they were done with their desserts, but they kept on talking anyway, going on so long that everypony else had left and the wait staff had to inform them they were closing.
“I will admit, this has been better than I thought it would be,” she told him as they stood up from their spots at the table. “Thank you… I appreciate it.”
“Oh, you don’t need to thank me. Thank you for coming along! I love eating here, and so does Cadance. She and I both knew you would like it.”
“Yes, it was indeed tasty. But now, you must hand over the Crystal Empire to me,” she said seriously, getting down to business. “I gave my end, now I expect you to give your end.”
“Our date’s not over yet, silly! It’s only just beginning! We haven’t even gone for a walk under the stars or cuddled up in bed like we used to do! You can’t flake on me now!”
“There’s more?”
“Of course there’s more! If you think you’re getting away from me that easily, you’re mistaken. Now let’s get out of here and look at the stars.”