Chrysalis paced back and forth in front of her prisoners; the four ponies and dragon were tied up at her hooves, completely powerless, having failed miserably at a rescue. "That simply has to be the worst 'rescue mission' attempt I have ever seen!" Chrysalis gloated, slightly blown away by exactly how useless they were. "Do you see now, ponies? You are nothing without your friends," she stopped in front of her other prisoners, constrained mentally, for emphasis, "And I have them right here! I have won!" she bent down low and looked them each in the face, "When will you stop trying?"
"Never!" immediately yelled Spike, who was still struggling in vain to release himself from his ropes.
"Spike...stop," Applejack instructed quietly, head lowered in shame.
Spike stopped struggling when he saw even Applejack had given up.
Chrysalis nodded in approval, "There, you see?" she walked over and replaced the gag in Spike's mouth-he wouldn't be able to burn through his ropes this time-and then stepped away, "Isn't it better to just give up?" She received no answer, but their silence was music to her ears. "And besides," Chrysalis added, looking over Twilight and Rainbow Dash, "What makes you think they would even want you to rescue them?"
"Of course they would!" Rarity immediately objected, "They're our friends! They want to be with us!"
Chrysalis smirked; she had just given her the perfect scenario. "Do they?" she asked curiously. Her horn glowed with a sickly green light and flashed, and a magical screen appeared in front of the imprisoned ponies, showing them a glimpse of the dream world their friends were living in. "Do they really?"
The ponies watched in rapt attention, shock filling their gaze as they watched Rainbow Dash and Twilight leaning against each other on the porch of the Library, the way only a couple would.
"You see now?" Chrysalis asked, "This is where they are. They're happy living in this dream that I've given them," she flashed her horn and the screen disappeared, "What makes you think they would want you to take that from them?"
Fluttershy began tearing up at the ethical dilemma. Pinkie Pie just stared blankly into space; for the first time in her life, she didn't know what she was feeling. Rarity looked away, holding back emotions. Applejack looked away too, but she spoke, "It's not real,"
Chrysalis smiled at their futile friendship, "It is to them," she pointed out innocently, her gaze filled with malice. She was finally exactly where she wanted to be; in the position where she had power over those pitiful ponies. Honestly, what were they thinking, charging into a full blown hive of well fed changelings without any idea of what to do? Pathetic, they all were. For the umpteenth time in her life, she wondered why these ponies valued friendship so highly, did they not see that friendship caused pain? Did they not see there was strength in loneliness?
I had friends once.
Chrysalis shook her head, dismissing those awful, un-changeling thoughts as they began to rear their ugly head once more. It was those ponies, it was as if they tainted the very air! But none of that mattered now; she had won.
"W-what will y-you do to us?" Asked the timid yellow one, Fluttershy. She was trembling as she spoke.
Chrysalis hadn't thought of that, she had simply been enjoying her power, but the question did need answering, so she turned to her hive who had been watching her gloat and asked loudly, "What do you think, children? What should we do with these ponies?"
The air was filled with the clicking language of the changelings as they all voiced their opinions at once. The ponies looked around at the blood-thirsty crowd in confused terror, having no idea what fate the angry crowd was proposing. However, Chrysalis, being able to understand their words, was actually quite disappointed in the lack of...imagination of her children. Not hearing any suggestion she liked, she waved her hoof for silence, "Alright, why don't we decide tomorrow. Tonight is a time for celebration!"
The changelings cheered and began muttering amongst themselves excitedly, floating ideas and potential activities. She would leave the details up to her children; Chrysalis had had her power fill for the night. And besides, there was a certain thing she wanted to attend to.
Twilight was in a chipper mood. Today marked six months since she had begun seeing Rainbow Dash, five since they openly announced it. Her friends hadn't reacted nastily, in fact they had reacted quite warmly. Rarity was pleased that the two of them had "finally gotten together," and Applejack had claimed to have seen the relationship coming from a mile away. Fluttershy was supportive as well, in her own, quiet way; bringing the couple dishes every now and then. Pinkie Pie was oblivious as always, and merely thought the two were even closer friends than they had been before.
Nevertheless, Twilight was happy. She had prepared a special date to mark the occasion; a movie night, just like their first. Now all that was left to do was wait for Rainbow Dash to come over. She had given Spike the day off; he had been doing significantly less work in the recent months, and he had no complaints about that.
Twilight walked in and out of her library, checking to make sure everything was in it's proper place, and that the place looked presentable. Of course, Rainbow wouldn't mind even if the place looked like a twister had been through it, but it was important to Twilight, Rainbow understood that.
Speaking of which, where was she? It wasn't like her to be late. She looked at the clock, which read 6:26. Twilight had told her to be there at 6. She was probably just running late. Probably.
Twilight was antsy. What could be keeping her? She tried to ignore it and wait patiently, but couldn't. She sprang up and headed for the door, swinging it open. She slammed it shut right after when she remembered she was wearing a suggestive saddle for Rainbow. She had bought it just today, for the special occasion. The two of them hadn't done anything...too suggestive, but Twilight had recently been feeling she was ready for that. And what better day than the six month anniversary?
She quickly shuffled herself out of the saddle, and for her moment her face burned when she realized she had been sitting here waiting for the past half hour all gussied up like a playpony. She gulped down her embarrassment-at least nopony had seen her in it-and went outside, determined to find Rainbow.
She passed by Rarity on the road into the town commons and asked her if she had seen Rainbow. Rarity told her she was at the spa.
The Spa? Really? what in Celestia's name was she doing at the Spa? She hated the place! Slowly growing suspicious, she headed for the Spa. A short trip later, she was outside the doors to the place, hoof poised to knock loudly. But she hesitated, and instead went around the building to the window on the side, peeking in.
There she was; Rainbow Dash was lying face down on a massage table, her back being kneaded by Aloe and Vera, the Spa Twins. The girls began speaking, and Twilight strained to hear through the window.
"I haven't seen you much around here, Rainbow," said Aloe. Or it might have been Vera. She could never tell those two apart.
"Today is special," Rainbow explained enthusiastically, "It's been six months since I started seeing Twilight!"
Twilight held in a gasp of surprise. She held her hoof against her mouth in awe. She remembers... Twilight hadn't spoken a word of it to Rainbow, and she remembered.
"Six months, huh?" Marveled Vera (or maybe it was Aloe) "Quite the accomplishment."
Rainbow shrugged, a satisfied smile painted on her face as the spa twins gently massaged her back.
Suddenly, Rainbow stiffened up. She rose her head up and looked back at the two, "Hey now, gettin' kinda personal down there."
The twins giggled. It was Aloe (or Vera) who explained, "Come on, Rainbow, you can't possibly not be bored with Twilight by now."
What?! Twilight thought.
"What?!" Rainbow objected.
Vera (or Aloe) suddenly stretched out her body across Rainbow's back, "Oh, hush, Dash," She instructed, "Twilight'll never know."
Twilight's mouth was agape in shock. How dare those, those, Those sluts! She immediately clamped a hoof over her mouth for even thinking such vulgar language.
Rainbow was clearly uncomfortable. She started trying to stand up, saying, "Uh, how about no..."
Aloe (or Vera) suddenly grabbed Rainbow's face and planted a kiss on her.
Twilight's jaw ground in anger. Rainbow reacted immediately, recoiling and throwing the sisters back, spitting and wiping at her mouth ,"Get offa me!" she said, dashing for the exit.
Twilight dove into the bushes to avoid being seen, and Rainbow threw the doors open, spun around, and slammed them shut again, leaning against them and panting from the sudden exertion. After she got her breath back, she stood up, dusted herself off, and said to nopony in particular, "I guess I'll finish getting ready at home." she threw a dirty look at the spa and flew off.
Twilight watched her fly away, and when she was out of sight, stood back up and looked through the window again. The Spa Twins were inside, looking at the door in feign interest. Vera (or Aloe) simply shrugged. "Pity," she observed, "Seems Rainbow isn't as fun as we thought,"
Aloe (or Vera) nodded in agreement, "Oh well," she said, sidling up to her sister. "We don't need her," she said with a smile on her face.
Twilight's eyes widened and her face unintentionally flushed when she saw what they did next. Clamping a hoof over her eyes to unsee, she used her magic to make the shower head on the mane washer snap off, sending water everywhere, causing the sisters to fall apart and panic. She then ran away, back home.
Twilight sat at home, trying to forget the scene she had just witnessed. She suddenly didn't feel quite like putting on the saddle she had ordered and tucked it away somewhere. Of course, she was mentally scarred, but there was something else on her mind. Those two, those, Those sluts! She allowed herself to use vulgar language again. They had 'put the moves' on Rainbow! Of course, she had pushed them away, but it was making Twilight think thoughts she didn't really want to. How did she know that Rainbow would choose Twilight every time?
She tried to push those thoughts away, but they just kept coming back. Not to mention the horrors she had seen the sisters do while they were alone. Twilight gave a shudder.
She heard a knock on the door. She didn't feel like getting up. "It's open!" she called.
Rainbow opened the door. She had styled her mane to look nice, and was even wearing a bow. Now Twilight felt bad that she hadn't put her saddle back on, but not bad enough that it cancelled out what she had seen.
"Hey, Twilight!" Rainbow greeted warmly. She didn't seem off-put in the slightest, but maybe she was just suppressing it.
"Hey, Dashie," Twilight greeted half-heartedly.
Rainbow saw her sitting on the couch, curled up in a ball, and worry filled her gaze, "Hey Twilight, you okay?" she asked, walking over and sitting next to her.
Twilight said nothing for a moment, thinking of an excuse, but finally settled on, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit distracted."
Rainbow didn't seem very reassured, but she went with it. "Well, stop being so down in the dumps!" she suggested obviously, "Tonight's a special occasion!"
"Why?" Twilight asked, having forgotten the date.
"It's been six months since we started dating!" Rainbow chuckled, "I thought that's why you set up this date!"
"Oh yeah," Twilight responded when she remembered, "That."
Now Rainbow was thoroughly worried, but she didn't press Twilight. Instead, she decided to fess up before Twilight found out the wrong way, "H-hey Twilight," she started awkwardly, "I, uh, I kinda went to the spa today, you know, to get ready for our date, and, uh...the twins, they kinda, uh, made a move on me."
Twilight just sighed. Now it was out in the open.
"I pushed them away, of course," Rainbow reassured, "I just thought I'd tell you so you didn't find out some other way."
Twilight closed her eyes, "I know. I saw you,"
"You did?" Rainbow asked, surprised.
Twilight nodded, "I was wondering what was taking you so long, so I went to look for you. Rarity told me you were at the spa, so I went and peeked through the windows," she confessed, "I saw the whole thing." She looked up at Rainbow with genuine love, "Thank you,"
Rainbow started chuckled, letting go of her nervous energy, "Well I guess it's good that I told you, then!"
Twilight managed a laugh or two, but then fell quiet.
Rainbow noticed she was still off, and concern filled her gaze, "Is there something else bothering you?" she asked.
Twilight sighed, "It's just that, I mean- I know you pushed them away this time, but..." she looked up at Rainbow with worry in her eyes, "What if somepony comes along with an eye for you, and...they're better than me?"
Rainbow let out a, "Aww," when she realized Twilight's problem. She wrapped her hooves around Twilight and said, "Come on, Twilight, don't be that way. Nopony's better than you,"
Twilight knew she should have felt better with that, but she was still worried. She pushed Rainbow away and said, "But how can you know that?"
Rainbow looked down at her in confusion, "Because I...I love you, Twilight,"
Twilight looked her in the eye, "Can you tell me that, if you had something, and somepony offered to give you something better, you wouldn't take it?"
Rainbow looked at her, brow arched, "Twilight, you can't ask me that!"
"But would you?" Twilight asked, turning her body towards Rainbow, "You wouldn't, would you?"
"Twilight, you can't think that way!" Rainbow insisted, "I love you, not any other pony,"
"But if somepony comes along that's better than me," Twilight insisted, "Why would you settle?"
Rainbow just looked at her, then shook her head, "Come on, Twilight, that's stupid."
Now Twilight felt insulted, "It's a valid argument!"
"No it's not!" Rainbow insisted, "I wouldn't choose anypony over you,"
Twilight just shook her head, "Maybe we're just not as perfect for each other as we thought."
Rainbow gasped. She said nothing for a moment, then, confrontationally, "What are you trying to say?"
Twilight looked at her, "I..."
Rainbow's eyes welled up, but she blinked them away, "Are you breaking up with me?" she demanded.
Twilight said nothing for a moment. But then, with a steely gaze, said, "Maybe I am."
She surprised herself as much as she surprised Rainbow. Rainbow just looked at her, "Well alright, then," she said finally, and got off of the couch, "Goodbye," she dismissed, and walked towards the door, not looking back as she left the library.
Twilight sat there for a minute, and then tears dripped down her face as she realized what she had done over petty jealousy. She curled up in a ball again, suppressing her sobs.
Outside of the library, Rainbow stormed down the path, but then her gait wavered and her knees buckled. She barely managed to catch herself and landed haphazardly on a nearby bench, clenching her jaws together and trying to hold back the tears running down her face.
Chrysalis stood outside of the shared dream of the two mares, watching their relationship dissolve. Quite frankly, she was surprised at how quickly the two had fallen apart. Throw a few slutty mares in any relationship and there was no saving it, it would seem. Shrugging indifferently, she moved the magical screen elsewhere. There was celebratory activities that needed tending to, otherwise her children would end up hurting themselves.
As she walked, she passed by the golden sphere still standing in the middle of the camp. She gingerly gave it a stroke or two, asking it, "What do you think, should we let those ponies go...or do something more fun?"
Obviously, the sphere didn't answer. But Chrysalis was very nearly sure of what it would say if it could talk, "They tried to take you from me," she reasoned with the mute sphere, "Surely they must be punished."
The sphere said nothing. Again.
Chrysalis sighed, "Like I told my colony, we'll decide tomorrow." She let go of the sphere and turned towards the four ponies and baby dragon tied up near the sphere, who had been fearfully watching her talk with her sphere. "Sleep tight," she wished innocently, adding a malicious smile for fun, "Don't let the changelings bite."
And with that, she left the ponies to their surely sleepless night.