It was a quiet walk through the snow back to the Crystal Empire. Neither Chrysalis nor Shining Armor said anything, the only sounds being the crunch of snow under their hooves and the very occasional gust of wind. The stars were still just as bright, and the two of them stopped at a bench just outside of the Crystal Empire to sit.
“I had a friend in the Royal Guard who loved the stars,” Shining Armor started. “He used to go out every night and look up and imagine what it would be like to work for Princess Luna in her royal court before she turned into Nightmare Moon. He talked about it all the time.”
“Okay…?” Chrysalis tilted her head as she listened to the story. This had come out of nowhere.
“He read stories about Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon when he was a foal, and was one of the few ponies who actively rooted for her to come back. We all thought it was just an old mare’s tale, but still, he talked a lot about how he wished it was real so he could meet her in real life. He didn’t want eternal night or anything like that, but he did want her knowledge on the stars. He was enthusiastic about it.
“Well, as you know, one day, she really did come back. It was during the Summer Sun Celebration several years ago. I wasn’t there to see it personally, but from what I heard, he was there to protect Princess Celestia from anyone who might show up during the holiday. Well, of all ponies, the pony he wished for the most, Nightmare Moon, appeared.”
“Where are you going with this?” she asked as they sat, shivering from the cold. The stallion saw this and moved in closer to her so she could have some of his body heat. He wrapped his hooves around her and leaned into her, a move that caused her to sigh.
“Sorry. I know it’s cold out here,” he apologized. “Anyway, to continue, he was sent there to protect Princess Celestia from any attackers, and Nightmare Moon was indeed an attacker. He was conflicted on what to do, but in the end, he decided to go up to her and talk to her. The rest of his squadron told him that he shouldn’t do it, that he should just do as he was told and attack, or at least stay back if he didn’t want to, but he didn’t listen.”
“And what?” Chrysalis asked, extremely annoyed and certain she knew where this was going. “He was right and she was reformed by him just talking to her and appealing to her? Is that where you’re going with this?”
Shining Armor sighed, and let go of her again. He stared down at his hooves for a long moment before meeting her eyes. “When he went up to talk to her, she slapped him out of the air and into a wall with a wing and broke his back. He hasn’t been able to fly right since, and had to retire from the guard early because of it. Princess Luna did apologize and gift him lots of money when she learned about it after my sister and her friends helped out, but still. His life hasn’t been quite the same in the years since then.”
“Oh.” That wasn’t what she was expecting to hear. She thought this would somehow tie back into how he was doing the right thing trying to push this friendship religion on her.
“What does this mean though?” she asked. “What exactly are you getting at?”
“What I’m saying is this: Being stuck in your ways when people try to ask you to change can’t be good for you, and almost certainly won’t end well.”
“Are you threatening me?” she asked, not angrily, only raising a curious eyebrow. “That’s certainly an interesting way to try and get me to convert to your friendship cult.”
“No, it’s not a threat, Chryssi. I’m saying I don’t want to see you alienate the people around you and then starve to death or go insane from lack of love. I'm saying listen to us when we tell you we know what's best for you. That's all.”
Her face went red and she turned away. That wouldn’t happen to her, no way… would it? She was hungry all the time, especially for love, but that was just the way things were meant to be. Being hungry told her that she needed to hunt for love. How would she know otherwise?
Sure, the changelings of her former hive seemed happier now with no hunger, but that wasn’t going to last long. Surely someday soon they’d come running back to her, asking her for her expertise and wanting help in changing back. It was going to happen. Their happiness was just a sham. No changeling was ever happy.
The changeling queen shivered again, and the prince pressed into her even more, rubbing his coat against her skin. “You can be happy and share love. You don’t have to be so cold and hard all the time. I know there’s a warmth inside of you, because I’ve seen it before. And Cadance is the Princess of Love, so she knows, too.”
“I’m not going to join your cult,” she replied, turning away angrily. “Stop asking me to, because it won’t happen.”
“Okay. I’m sorry,” the stallion apologized sadly. “Do you wanna head back now? I can tell that you're cold and want to get back into some heat. Plus, Cadance and I have that surprise for you, too.”
“Yes, let's shall, if only to get this date over with.”
The two stepped back into the snow, making their way back to the warmth of the Empire and quickly back to the castle.
“Do I have to spend the night with you, too, or is this date over?” the bug asked, only a little annoyed. She would’ve been more annoyed if it was somepony else. These two should’ve considered themselves lucky to be such nice company.
“Of course you have to spend the night with me, silly,” Shining Armor smiled kindly. “You spent the night with Cadance. It’s only fair. Besides, I bet you’re just as nice and cute as I remembered when we last slept together.”
Her face went bright red at those words. “Can you not phrase it like that? We shared a bed together. Not whatever sexual thing you’re thinking.”
“You know what I mean. Now come on. We have a surprise.”
They stepped into the castle to see Cadance rocking Flurry Heart to sleep in her hooves. The alicorn princess looked up and smiled, gently setting the foal down before moving up to greet the bug.
“Hey, Chryssi sweetie,” she said happily, hugging the changeling tightly before looking into her eyes. “Wow, you’re just as pretty as the first time I saw you. How do you keep up your appearance so well?”
“And you’re just as annoyingly upbeat as you’ve always been,” she replied flatly, although couldn’t help the little smirk that formed at the assertion that she was pretty. “Now please show me the surprise you said you had so I can be on my way.”
“Of course! But first, you need to close your eyes so Cadance and I can lead you there.”
“And leave myself open to an attack?” she scoffed. “Do you take me for a fool? Because I assure you, I’m not. I can see your plan from a mile away.”
“Well I guess you’re just gonna have to trust that we won’t do that then, cutie,” Cadance told her, a happy tone in her voice and a smile still on her face. “I promise you’ll like the surprise.”
“Mmmm… fine, but know that if you betray me, you’ll feel the full fury of my wrath, I assure you that.”
She was led up the stairs to the bedroom, her eyes fully closed, when she was suddenly tackled from the side. A trap! One she knew was coming, and yet took her by surprise anyway! She should’ve known better than to let her guard down, even for an instant. This was what their friendship plot amounted to: forced conversion through violence.
She struggled to push Cadance and Shining Armor off as they settled on top of her, wrapping their hooves around her in their attempts to subdue her. She didn’t give up though, wiggling her arms and legs and trying to move them. She certainly didn’t feed on the love they gave off as they snuggled her. No way would she ever. It was clearly a diversionary tactic to throw her off.
She certainly didn’t enjoy it as she settled into the weight on top of her. She would never.
“You do understand this constitutes an act of war between nations, correct?” she asserted, trying to look and sound angry as the stallion laid his head on her chest and Cadance nuzzled her muzzle into her neck. “The Crystal Empire and the Changeling Empire are officially at war now because of this attack on me.”
“Oh, shush now, Chryssi,” Cadance said with a smile as she took a moment to look her in the eye. “You just be a good bug and lay there and enjoy feasting on our love.”
“And besides, I thought you were going to take over the Crystal Empire once these dates were done,” Shining Armor chimed in. “How can there be a war if you’re going to be the ruler?”
“You know what I mean!” She picked up a pillow and threw it at his head before crossing her hooves. “You’re just trying to provoke me.”
“You’re absolutely adorable when you’re pouty about being happy,” Shining Armor replied. “You’re a cutie pie.”
“Well you’re both just annoying, and I’m still not interested, even as nice as this whole… experience has been.”
It was more than nice. It was downright wonderful. It was nice that they were being nice and giving her love to feast on in spite of her abrasiveness. Genuine love, too, at that. It tasted even sweeter somehow knowing that it was affection for her. It almost made her want to change.
She didn’t though. She would not be changing, not ever, and that was final. Maybe she could settle into their embrace though, and enjoy the weight of two ponies who wanted to feed her affection on top of her. That might not have been the worst thing in the world.