//------------------------------//
// A Blooming Love 
// Story: A Rise to Rule, and A Heart to Conquer 
// by dorgaorpha 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 2


A Blossoming Love

In the streets of Equestria two young girls ran and laughed together as they played with one another. One a with wings and a horn, and the other with just a horn, hiding her changeling wings. 
“Come on Chryssy! This way!” Cadence called out as she ran ahead of her, Chrysalis giggling and following her with a smile. 
“Wait up Cadence!” the young Chrysalis called as she ran behind her. Soon the two of them came up to a lone tree not far from the city. It was getting a little late now and fireflies had began to fly around the tree, illuminating it as Cadence lead Chrysallis towards the tree, sitting down next to it with her.
“This is said to be a special tree Auntie Celestia planted when she was a filly herself” Cadence said with a smile to her new found friend.
“Auntie…Celestia?” Chrysallis asked not knowing who she was.
“Oh! She’s the Princess who rules Equestria!” Cadence said with a smile.
“C-Cadence! You’re royalty?!” the changeling asked, not realizing she had played with royalty the entire day.
“Yeah! Well…sort of, we’re distant family, but she still treats me like a niece!” she said with a bright smile. “But don’t worry, you’re my friend so you don’t have to call me Princess or anything” the young princess assured her. 
“A-All right then” she said with a smile. “So…do you come here a lot Cadence?” the changeling asked and Cadence nodded. 
“Yup! It’s the place I like coming too when I want to be alone” she said looking to the tree. “This place just makes me feel so...at peace.”
“So if this is your special secret place, why’d you bring me?” Chrysalis asked, tilting her head once more.
“Because I like you!” Chrysalis blushed when Cadence said this. “There’s just something about you that’s so…different than all my other friends, a good kind of different!” the young girl said happily as she grabbed Chrysalis’s hands.
“Chrysalis! Let’s promise that no matter what we will always be friends!” Chrysalis looked down to her hands being held, then back up to Cadence, nodding with a smile.
“O-Ok! I promise that I will always be friends with Cadence!” she said happily.
“And I promise to always be friends with Chrysalis!” Cadence replied, then she looked up, noticing it was a bit too late. “Wah! Chrysalis I have to go! My mom is going to kill me for being so late home!” she said getting up and began to run off. Though she stopped and turned around, waving to the changeling. “Bye Chrysalis!” she said with a smile.
“B-Bye Cadence!” she replied before watching her leave. Butterflies began to flutter in her stomach, thinking of the wonderful day she had with Cadence, wishing it never had to end. “Well, better not keep Ariadne waiting” she said to herself as she got up and began to walk home.


“Mommy! Daddy! I’m home!” Cadence called out as she ran back into her house with a smile.
“Cadence! You’re late! You had me worried sick!” Valentine scolded Cadence who looked down.
“I-I’m sorry…I was having fun with a new friend…” the young princess sniffled.
“Oh? Who’s you’re new friend?” her father Saint Patrick inquired as he came to the door. 
“Her name is Chrissy! She’s new to Canterlot and is really super cool!” Cadence said with a smile.
“Well next time please remember to come home on time sweetie!” Valentine reminded her. “Now go wash up and get ready for bed!” and with that Cadence was off to prepare for bed.


“Ariadne?” Chrysalis called as she walked into the house she and her servant lived in.
“My lady! You’ve been out so late I thought something happened to you!” Ariadne exasperated.
“I’m fine really! I just…met a new friend today. Her name is Cadence, and is a really nice pony!” she said with a smile. 
“A pony? My lady you must be careful around ponies! They aren’t exactly…accepting of us nowadays” she warned her.
“No Cadence doesn’t mind I’m a changeling! She’s really fun!” she said with a smile trying to prove her wrong.
“And how long will she continue to be nice to you?” a male voice rang out from within the halls, and out walked a rather tall changeling, who bowed to Chrysalis.
“Oh! My Lady, this Atticus Atlas! He is going to be your teacher for the time your away from home” Ariadne said with a smile.
“Forgive me Lady Chrysalis, but I suggest that you end this little friendship when you can” Atticus told the young Chrysalis.
“Wh-Why?” she asked looking up to him.
“Eventually she will betray you when she finds out you are a changeling, and I’d rather not have you broken as such for when you are ready to reacquire the throne for yourself” he answered flatly.
“But she already knows I’m a changeling! She even really likes me!” Chrysalis retorted to which he shook his head. 
“It is something you will appreciate later in life, right now you appear to be too young to understand” he said to her shaking his head. “Anyways tonight we will start your studies, but it will be a short session. After all a queen must be prepared to rule in order for her to be the rightful heir to the throne” he said leading her to the small study. Chrysalis just grumbled as she walked with him, thinking of nothing but wishing to see Cadence once more.


The next day had arrived and Cadence was already waiting for Chrysalis, pacing back and forth as she waited for her new friend to arrive. “We didn’t even say if we would meet up again today! I really hope she comes back here today…” Cadence looked around hoping to find the changeling.
“Cadence!” a familiar voice called out, causing Cadence to turn and see he friend.
“Chrissy! You’re here!” the multi-haired girl said hugging her friend.
“Of course I’m here! I wouldn’t wanna miss spending a day with you!” Chrysalis said with a smile as she walked with Cadence. “So what are we going to do today?” the young changeling asked.
“Well I wanted to bring you to my house!” Cadence said with a smile. “Oh! But please look like a regular pony! For some reason my dad might not like that you’re a changeling” Cadence warned her friend.
“Well that’s easy to take care of” Chrysalis said with a smile, changing her shape as talked with her friend. Cadence then smiled and turned to lead her friend to her home.


“Mother! Father! I’m home!” Cadence called out as she entered the house with Chrysalis.
“Cadence! You’re home early!” her mother’s voice rang out a she walked out of the kitchen. “Oh? And who is your new friend?” Valentine asked.
“Mother this is Chrissy!” Cadence smiled introducing her friend.
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am” Chrysalis said with a smile to her mother.
“Ah so you’re the Chrissy we’ve been hearing about” Saint Patrick said as he walked into the room as well.
“Y-Yessir. Pleased to meet you as well” Chrysalis felt slightly intimidated by the man due to his size and already knowing that he wasn’t fond of changelings.
“Well you have such good manners Chrissy! Oh! I’m Valentine and this is Saint Patrick” the mother introduced the both of them.
“Thank you ma’am” Chrysalis said with a nervous smile.
“Come on Chrissy! Let’s go to my room!” Cadence grabbed her hand and took off towards the stair case. Soon the two were upstairs and once inside the room, Chrysalis smiled and let her disguise fade.
“It’s a little more relaxing when you can be in your normal form” Chrysalis said with a smile.
“Mom and dad usually don’t come up here so we can play all we want!” the young princess said with a smile. Chrysalis nodded and looked at the room finally, amazed by it’s size and all the things there were such as a trampoline, what looked to be a swing, and a jungle gym.
“You really are royalty” Chrysalis said looking around the room. Her and her bother back home never had anything this fancy, even if they were the children of the rulers. 
“Mom and dad just like to make sure I’m able to entertain friends whenever they come over, so they got all this for me!” Cadence said with a smile. “Now come on! Let’s play!” Cadence one more grabbed Chrysalis’s hand, running off towards the jungle gym with her.


A few hours had passed as Saint Patrick was sitting in a chair reading, and his wife was preparing dinner. 
“Patrick could you be a dear and fetch the girls for dinner?” Valentine asked her husband. He only gave an ‘Mhm’ as an answer and walked right up the stairs. He could still hear the giggling of the two girls as they played.
“Girls it’s dinner time” he said opening the door. Obviously the two hadn’t heard him since they were still bouncing on the trampoline, and Chrysalis was still in her changeling form.
“WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS?!” Saint Patrick boomed out, causing Chrysalis and Cadence to look at him in fear. “YOU GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!” the man said walking over and grabbed Chrysalis by the horn yanking her out of the room. 
“O-OW! H-HEY L-LET GO!” Chrysalis began to tear up from the pain of having her horn yanked.
“DADDY STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Cadence screamed out as she ran after her father. Valentine heard the screaming and ran to find her husband coming down the stairs, yanking the changeling child along to the front door. Once he was at the front door, he pulled it open and tossed Chrysalis down onto the street. 
“YOU STAY OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU LITTLE FREAK!” he yelled before slamming the door behind himself. Then he turned to his daughter. “DON’T YOU EVER PLAY WITH A CHANGELING EVER AGAIN!” Cadence shrunk back and fear, not daring back talk her father.
“Y-Yes daddy…” she sniffled as she looked out the window. What she saw broke her heart. Chrysalis lay there crying, before she got up and ran away.


After Luna’s night had arrived Cadence had prepared herself for bed, though was anywhere near tired. So when she saw all the lights were out in her house, she opened her window and snuck out of her room, spreading her wings and taking off into the night sky. “Please be there…” Cadence thought as she flew towards her secret spot, thinking and hoping Chrysalis might be there. And when she looked down, there was her friend, huddled by the tree crying.
“Chrissy!” Cadence called out as she flew down to the tree, causing Chrysalis to look up to her friend. “Chrissy I’m so sorry!” Cadence said hugging her friend. Chrysalis just hugged her back and sniffled a little.
“I-It’s ok…i-it just hurt a little” she assured her.
“I-I didn’t think daddy would act like that! I-I’m so sorry that happened!” Cadence began to cry as she held her friend.
“H-Hey now it’s ok please don’t cry” Chrysalis said pushing her friend back a bit, seeing her crying. 
“B-But…daddy hurt you…and I don’t know why” the young princess sniffled as she looked to her friend, tears streaming down her face.
“I…I don’t know either…but you still like me…right?” Chrysalis asked as she looked to her friend.
“O-of course! You’re my friend! I’d never hate you!” Cadence said with a smile. 
“Good! But I don’t think I can see you much anymore…” Chrysalis said sadly.
“No we can! Let’s just meet here!” Cadence grabbed Chrysalis’s hand. “Every night I’ll sneak out to come here! Just come and meet me and we can still be together and be friends!” Cadence wiped some of her tears as she sniffled. Chrysalis could never say no to her new friend and nodded with a blush. 
“All right, but we both have to promise to meet here every night and wait for the other!” Chrysalis said with a smile.
“I-I will! I promise to meet here and wait for Chrysalis every night!” Cadence said happily.
“And I promise to wait here every night to meet Cadence” the young changeling replied with a smile. Though, before we talk or play, I think we should both head home” Chrysalis said with a smile.
“O-ok…You promise to be here tomorrow?” Cadence asked.
“I promise!” Crhsyalis replied with a smile, before taking off into the sky with her own changeling wings.


Several years had passed now, and every night Cadence would meet with Chrysalis in their secret place. Cadence was now fourteen and Chrysalis was now sixteen. Their relationship had grown so much over the years and the two of them were even more then friends. Though, neither had said their true feelings to the other quite yet.


In the house where Chrysalis had called home, she and her instructor Atticus Atlas had been sparring with magic.
“Good! You have learned much your majesty! You will need this skill I you wish to retake the throne in Noraak Thu’m!” Attacus told her as he dodged and parried her attacks, missing by a hairs width.
“Of course when I have an instructor such as yourself, I don’t think any changeling in power can take me!” Chrysalis said with a smirk as she dodged one of his attacks.
“Though of course you can’t be too high and mighty!” he said sweeping her legs out from under her. Chrysalis used this momentum and pushed herself back up with her wings, planting her shoulder into his gut. Atticus fell backwards and looked up to find a hand glowing with magic in his face.
“I’m not thinking high and mighty when I know I have the skill” she said with a smirk before letting the magic die out. She then smiled and offered her hand to him to help him up. He took it graciously as she helped him up.
“Indeed you do have it, don’t you think Actias?” Chrysalis’s eyes grew wide as she heard the name, hearing footsteps walk into the room. She turned to look at them, and a hooded man walked in, pulling his hood off, revealing he was indeed her father.
“FATHER!” she cried out, running to him and hugging him. “I thought you had died!” Actias chuckled as he hugged his daughter.
“I am sorry my daughter, I could not come after you that night since those men would have chased you down and killed you. I did not want to let any of them harm you” he said letting her go and began to walk towards Atticus.
“But…what of mother?” Chrysalis asked, seeing her father sigh.
“She…did not make it…” he responded.
“I…see…” Chrysalis took this well since she had honestly expected to hear both her father and mother were dead.
“Then…why were you gone all this time? Why did you not come for me?” Chrysalis asked him.
“Because I had to be sure a revolution would happen” he responded. “For the past several years I have been rallying the people who wish to have our family restored. I also had to be sure Atticus was able to train you without interruption” he said looking to the instructor.
“Which thanks to you, she learned everything that was needed” the instructor replied with a smile. 
“So…you’ve been protecting me this entire time?” Chrysalis asked her father.
“Indeed I have my child” he said with a smile. “But now sadly I cannot protect you anymore here” he said taking a more serious tone. “Chrysalis, you must leave now to Noraak Thu’m. The people are ready to revolt against the current regime, and you must be the new ruler!” Actias said to his daughter, causing her to go wide eyed with shock.
“I-I cannot rule! I have been gone for years! Our people think I am dead!” Chrysalis protested.
“Chrysalis! What is the purpose of a ruler?!” Atticus questioned her.
“To serve her people!” she answered without hesitation.
“What do we do if the way things are do not prove fruitful for the people?!” he questioned again. 
“Then we bring change to them!” she answered again.
“And what should we do if we are the only ones who can help the people of Noraak Thu’m?” Actias asked his daughter. 
“Then we should save them…” she answered him. Over the years Chrysalis had learned how to rule even if she was not in her country. Yes she was prepared now, but she still wasn’t expecting to leave to take over so soon! Especially at so young!
“Then we must go to them Chrysalis! You are to be the light for our people!” he told her. Chrysalis then nodded, understanding it was her duty and hers alone to save her people, and become the new Queen.
“I understand…can we leave tomorrow though?” Chrysalis asked her father.
“Of course, say your goodbyes today if you have met anyone here in the land of Equestria” he said knowing his daughter more than likely refused to listen to that part of Atticus’s instruction.
“Thank you father” she said before bowing, and taking her leave.
“You didn’t expect her to listen to you when you said she couldn’t talk with the ponies did you?” Actias said to Atticus.
“Of course not…I wanted her to rebel against that rule, and every night she did” he said with a smile.


Later that night the fourteen year old Cadence was sitting in front of the tree, waiting for Chrysalis to come once more. 
“I’m going to do it tonight! I’m going to tell her how I feel!” she told herself as she prepared to share her feelings with Chrysalis. “I don’t care if father hates me! I will love her!” she told herself, and soon heard the sound of someone walking towards her. She turned around happily to see Chrysalis. “Chrissy!” she called out with a smiled and hugged her friend.
“Cadence…” she responded with a smile a she hugged her closely. 
“Chrissy I have something to tell you!”
“Cadence I need you tell you something”
They both said this at the same time, blushing at each other.
“You go first Cadence” the changeling said with a smile.
“Ok um…Chrysalis? I um…wanted to tell you this for a while…but I could never get the courage too…” she said with a blush, causing Chrysalis to blush as well. “You see…you already know my special talent is love correct?” Chrysalis nodded. “W-Well…It effects my magic and even controls it sometimes…like whenever I think of the person I love” she said with a smile as she looked up to the changeling. 
“Wh-What do you mean?” Chrysalis asked.
“Well…let me show you” she said with a smile. “Take a look at this spell…” she said leaning down towards a flower bud. She then cast a spell and is opened up, showing it’s life. “This is with my normal magic…but…whenever I think of someone I love…” she then went to another bud, casting her magic, the flowered grew twice it’s normal size with many vibrant colors.
“It effects my magic so much more so…and it’s my love taking over really” she said with a smile looking up to Chrysalis who was blushing furiously. “A-And Chrysalis…the one who causes this love…is you” she said with a smile. “You cause my magic to become so much stronger and your love fuels it” she said moving towards Chrysalis. “Chrysalis…I love you”
The Changeling blushed brightly as she looked to her friend. Everything inside of her told her to tell her she loved her too, but she knew she had to leave her. She couldn’t love her properly while fighting a revolution!
“Cadence…I…love you too…but…there’s something I have to tell you…” Chrysalis told her. “I…have to leave.”
“Wh-What?” Cadence asked.
“Cadence…I am the next in line for the throne in Noraak Thu’m…I’ve told you this before” this killed her, tearing Cadence’s heart apart like this. “I’ve been called to go and lead a revolution…and…I have to leave…” 
“B-But you can’t!” Cadence begged. “You can’t leave! I-I love you!” 
“I-I know I love you too but I must…”
“N-No you don’t! Y-You could let someone else take over!”
“I can’t do that Cadence. My people need me, and I have to fight for them.”
“B-But you might die!” Cadence was bawling as she clung to Chrysalis. “Please…don’t go…please…” Chrysalis was on the verge of tears. She didn’t want to do this to her, but she needed to leave. 
“Then let’s make a promise!” she said grabbing Cadence’s hand. Chrysalis pulled off her necklace, putting it around Cadence’s neck. “My mother gave this to me when I was younger, and I’m giving it to you as a promise!” Cadence touched the necklace and looked up to Chrysalis.
“I promise not to die! And to return to you Cadence for however long it takes me to end this revolution! On my love for you!” she swore to her. Cadence sniffled as she looked up and smiled.
“A-And I promise to wait for you…to be here when you return as the Queen of Noraak Thu’m” she said with a smile. “Remember…you promised” she said to her with a smile.
“I won’t forget…” Chrysalis said looking down to Cadence. The two were staring into each other’s eyes as she enjoyed the closeness. SO much so Chrysalis wanted to close the gap and kiss Cadence, but…that would tie her even more to her. “Goodbye…Cadence…” she whispered as she slowly let go, feeling her heart tear as she stood up and face away from Cadence.
“Good bye…Chrysalis…” the young Princess responded. Both had tears streaming down their faces as Chrysalis left. Neither knew how long they wouldn’t see the other, but both held onto the promise they made, wanting to see the other once more.