//------------------------------// // Red Hearts, Blue Moon // Story: The Queen of Hearts // by Pumpernickel Rye //------------------------------// Red Hearts, Blue Moon “Cherub?” Chrysalis looked to her right and saw Luna standing there. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Are you all right?” The red unicorn sighed. “I’m sorry for disappearing. I just sort of freaked out when I saw Queen Nymph.” “I see. I take it you still feel just as strongly about changelings?” “No, it's not that. I just wasn't expecting her at all.” She looked back to the window to stare toward the night sky and Luna stood next to her. “Do you think the ponies will ever accept them?” “Of course they will. It will just be some time before we can make this work. I’m still withholding my vote until certain issues are taken care of, otherwise things could get ugly.” Luna put a hoof around Chrysalis, not noticing that the changeling was blushing. “Everything will be fine. Right now, we should enjoy this glorious holiday together. I hope you’re still in the mood for some wine.” “I am.” “Good. Follow me.” The blue alicorn lead her through the palace to where her family was waiting while Chrysalis thought of how some alcohol would help her deal with the stress. Being around Cadance and Shining Armor was one thing along with figuring out how to express her feelings to Luna, but seeing her sister’s despair made her feel worse, even though their conversation together ended on a good note. They arrived at one of the upper balconies where the other ponies were seated at a small table and Celestia had made a barrier around them to prevent snow from falling on them as well as keep them warm. “I see you found your friend,” Celestia said in a friendly voice. “I’m sorry for leaving so suddenly,” Chrysalis said with some embarrassment. “Don't be. Have a seat.” Chrysalis seated herself between Luna and Shining Armor as Celestia poured her a glass of wine. “And Cherub, you don’t need to be so nervous around Queen Nymph. She is very friendly, just like the rest of the changelings.” “I’ll remember that next time.” Chrysalis wanted to change the subject, so she decided to speak with the royal couple and know them better as it would help ease tensions for when she would finally reveal herself. “So how are things at the Crystal Empire?” Cadance spoke while her husband drank. “Everything is great. The crystal ponies are out exploring Equestria to see how much the world has changed in a thousand years.” “They should bring Luna, seeing how they’re kind of in the same boat,” the changeling suggested while making a glance towards the mentioned pony. “Maybe they should. We’re currently receiving more tourists than the other Equestrian cities combined.” “Not surprising, considering how beautiful I heard the city is and the fact it is mostly preserved from how it was a thousand years ago.” “You should come and visit sometime, Cherub,” said the stallion. “We’d love to give you a tour.” “That sounds lovely.” Chrysalis sipped her drink. “But I have heard rumors it was still dangerous there up north.” “What do you mean?" asked Celestia. “They say that one unicorn who enslaved them roams around the outskirts of the empire. What’s his name again? The old ruler?” Shining put his glass down. “Sombra? He still lurks in the snowy mountains up north, possibly waiting for a pony to get too close, but he's not a problem. We’re safe with the Crystal Heart, but we still need to remain vigilant. You don’t need to be afraid of him since he’s not who I’m worried about.” “Who then?” asked the changeling. “That horrible Chrysalis,” answered his wife. “We still have no idea where she is or what she’s planning. I fear of what she will have in store for us the next time we see her and I have trouble sleeping because of it.” “Do you really think she’ll try something after this long?” asked Celestia. “She impersonated my wife and tried to enslave everypony," Shining Armor reminded with a hint of fury in his voice. "That fiend is without a doubt planning her revenge for us thwarting her invasion.” Chrysalis finished off her glass and poured herself another. “Well we know she only invaded for her people, who were all starving by the way. Who can honestly say she’s still evil?” Shining leaned towards her. “Here’s a shock for you: Nymph was originally the queen until Chrysalis forced her to give it up. I bet she took amusement when she treated her sister like dirt.” No pony noticed her hoof shaking as Chrysalis held the glass, no longer able to look him in the eyes. “Maybe she’s changed.” The prince scoffed. “I doubt that very much, seeing how unloving she was towards any of us.” “Well the other changelings were like that, too. I don’t see what makes her so different,” she argued. “It’s because she felt absolutely no remorse for any of her actions. It was her who convinced the neutral kingdom to attack us when they simply could have asked for our love. She turned a peaceful nation into a violent one as a mean to her own ends.” Chrysalis flinched. “Point taken.” Cadance put a foreleg around Shining and rested her head on his shoulder. “Who knows what she could have done to my husband the entire time she was here. She could have done anything and I dread the thought every day.” The false unicorn threw back her glass and wiped her lips. “I think she was only interested in his love and that’s it,” she answered hastily. “She doesn’t seem like the type to take things that far.” The truth was one night during her time disguised as Cadance, she brainwashed him to kiss her beautiful bug butt and make him say how much hotter she was than any of the alicorns. It was the only thing that happened between her and the prince, but this was something Chrysalis decided to take to her grave. “I hope you’re right. No pony or changeling feels safe as long as she is out there. I keep having a bad feeling that she has some plan to ruin the negotiations,” spoke the prince. “But why would she ever do that?” asked Celestia. “The changelings have been promised unlimited access to our country, which would only be a good thing with their current situation.” “True, but it just seems like her. Nymph wants peace and Chrysalis wants power. She’s heartless,” spoke Luna with anger, causing the changeling to reach for the bottle. “I don’t want to believe she is, but if we find her, I will take some precautions before letting Nymph see her. Knowing Chrysalis, she would want to get back at her sister for casting her out,” spoke Celestia. “That is probably wise,” said Luna. “We cannot afford to make any mistakes with her. Doing so could be very costly to us.” “I agree. Shining and I have also thought over for a long time of what we want to do with her.” Chrysalis poured another round with her shaky hooves. “W-what…*hic*…did you decide?” Shining Armor chuckled. “You don’t want to know. What I will say is that we feel it is very fitting for everything she had put us all through.” “Cadance, Shining Armor,” said Celestia with worry, “I know you are both upset from what she did and I am too, but will tormenting her resolve anything?” “I think it will help her realize the errors of her ways when she gets a taste of what she put us through,” answered the blue alicorn in a harsh tone. “But we don’t want her to suffer,” said Celestia. “Hurting her will only ensure that she will remain the way she is now. We cannot make her hate us more than she does now.” “And you think just being nice will change anything? I’m sorry, but she has to be the cruelest creature I have ever met, and I know about Sombra,” countered Cadance. “I think they should get together,” Shining Armor jested. “Maybe Sombra will learn his lesson after being stuck with her. It’s much more believable than saying Chrysalis has a soul.” “Oh, what do you all know!?” They all looked at the red unicorn. “Cherub?” asked Cadance with surprise. Chrysalis was slightly wobbling and her speech was slurred. “You think Chrysalish ish sho terrible when all she wanted to do was help her peoples.” “But she tried to conquer Equestria and enslave us!” argued Celestia. “Well what else what she shupposed to do? What would you do if she shuddenly came out of nowhere and was all like ‘Hi, Princhess Chelestia! Do you mind if my people come and eat some feelings?’” “I would have helped them then like I am now,” she answered, causing a laugh from the drunkard. Cadance cleared her throat. “Cherub, you’re forgetting all the horrible things she did. I know they were in a difficult position, but that doesn’t justify what she did.” Chrysalis stuck a hoof on her face. “Well if your sho shmart, then why don’t you tell ush what you’d do if you were her. Go on, Princhess Candycane, tell ush your brilliant solution where you grow up all your life thinking ponies would despise your kind.” Cadance bit her lip. “I…don’t know.” “Exactly. You all think she’s shcum, but none of you have come up with a better idea. And can you really blame her? Changelingsh have lived underground for their entire livesh, so they don’t know anything about ponies. And don’t forget, all the other changelingsh liked her idea, so why she getting all the blame? Why aren’t you going around and punishing them?” “She forced them into it. She jailed all those who protested against her. She was a ruthless tyrant,” answered Cadance. “Well she probably didn’t know what else to do. You know, Cadance, for a Princhess of Love, you are not very loving towards Chrysalish.” “I have no reason to. She ponynapped me, stole my husband, and attacked us. I had night terrors about her for months, Cherub. I can’t feel safe until she is located and dealt with. If I find her, I will have her locked up so she can see exactly what she put me through.” The stallion held his wife’s hooves. “She’s right. I don’t like the fact that she’s out there. We have to do it for our own safety.” “Well how do you know if she’s shorry for what she did? How do you know she hates hershelf for doing the invasion? No pony has sheen her in months and if she was and you just jail her, would you really be any better than her? You just want her to suffer, don’t you?” She chuckled as she drank from her glass. “So much for you ponies preaching that friendship shtuff.” The ponies fell silent while Cadance and Shining Armor had uncomfortable looks on their faces. “Look,” he began, “we can worry about her if we find her. Until then, she’s a criminal.” “Cherub,” said Luna, “I know you have reasons to defend her, but I can tell she’s terrible just from what I’ve heard from Nymph and some of the other changelings. There’s more to her than just her invasion. She is awful and that’s that.” Chrysalis slammed her hooves on the table and stood up, surprising them. “Oh yeah!? Let me tell you something, Princess Looney! I’m really…really…” She yawned and began losing balancing. “…really shleepy…” Chrysalis then collapsed onto the table and was out cold. The four ponies sat in silence with the exception of Chrysalis’s loud snoring. “Shining, would you be a dear and put her in the guest room?” requested Celestia. “At once.” He lifted her onto his back and went into the palace. Luna sighed and put her face into her hooves once he was gone. “I’m so sorry you had to see that. I didn’t think she would get drunk.” “It’s all right. I guess our wine was too much for her,” Celestia joked. “I’ve seen a lot of strange things with drunken ponies, but I've never seen one play attorney,” Cadance said followed by a laugh. “And I’ve never seen a sober pony stand up for Chrysalis,” added Luna. “She’s going to be for a real surprise in the morning.” The three alicorns laughed loudly as they drank their wine. Chrysalis was awakened by a blinding light and the immense pain in her head. When she realized that the light was coming from the window, she closed the curtains magically. She flopped onto the bed and looked at her hoof, relieved that her illusion withheld. As she tried to fall back asleep to avoid the pain, she saw something on the nightstand next to her. It was a bottle with her name written on it and somepony wrote to her to drink it, so she popped off the cork and chugged it down. After a few minutes, she could feel her hangover fading. She lied on the bed, trying to recollect what had happened last night. She remembered they talked about her and she was afraid she let something slip. Had that been the case, she would have been in a jail cell rather than a bedroom. She figured she should get up and see the others to ask what happened, but then she heard knocking from the door. “Cherub, are you awake?” To her surprise, it was Luna. “Yeah. You can come in,” she replied, somewhat timid. The door opened and the alicorn walked in, carrying a large tray filled with various breakfast foods with her magic. “You really like to sleep in late, don’t you?" Luna teased. "Everypony is out and about while you sit here on this bed. Today is a nice day, you lazy pony. Have you at least taken your medicine?” “Yes and thank you. I feel a lot better. Probably the best Hearth’s Warming Day gift I’ve ever gotten,” she joked. Luna sat the tray down on the changeling’s lap and she saw that it held waffles, grapefruit, a scone, and a cup of coffee. “Is this all for me?” “Of course. Happy Hearth’s Warming Day, Cherub!” “You too, Luna.” Luna hopped onto the bed while Chrysalis took the fruit and bit into it. “So…what the heck happened last night?” “You got drunk,” Luna answered while laughing. “I figured that happened. I hope you all found my drunken state entertaining.” “It was certainly unexpected, especially with everything you said about Chrysalis.” The false unicorn froze right after biting into the fruit. She slowly retracted and asked, “Say what?” “You were sticking up for her, strangely enough, and you actually had a good point about her.” “I did? I never expected that.” “We don’t know what Chrysalis has been up to since she has been banished and it may be possible she has bettered herself during all this time. I always did take delight in the thought of punishing her, but now I feel horrible for having such thoughts. Besides, I think Nymph would not be too happy if we took pleasure in hurting her. Still, there might still have to be some form of punishment, but we will be very reasonable with her.” “I see.” Chrysalis couldn’t imagine what kind of changeling she was when she was intoxicated, capable of somehow putting up a strong argument for her real self, but she had no interest in bringing her out again anytime soon. At the moment, she felt extremely anxious. Defending her real self should have definitely set off some red flags with the other ponies. She needed to do something to ensure they didn’t catch her by somehow throwing off suspicion. Fortunately, she did have an excuse to provide them. “Maybe I said that because what Nymph told me,” she spoke as she cut her waffles. Luna quickly looked at her. “You actually spoke with her? How come you didn’t tell me?” “I was going to, but I’m afraid the wine got to me first.” Chrysalis took a bite of her waffles. “I just feel so bad for her, you know?” “I do too, but let’s not worry about her today. Today is a day to relax and be happy.” “I agree,” spoke Chrysalis as she slouched on the bed. She was relieved that no pony caught on to what she said and felt even happier that Luna was sitting right next to her. As she ate, she occasionally scanned her eyes across Luna’s body. Once she finished her waffles, she picked up the scone and before she put it in her mouth, something caught her eye. She turned to see Luna staring intensely at her treat. Whenever she moved her hoof, Luna’s eyes would follow and she occasionally licked her lips. Chrysalis chuckled as she broke the scone in half, holding one half in front of the alicorn’s face. Luna leaned forward and ate the scone out of her hoof. Chrysalis laughed at the sight of Luna happily eating her treat. “You’re such a greedy princess.” Luna shrugged innocently as Chrysalis ate her own half. Chrysalis swallowed it and picked up her mug. “So what are we doing today?” “Not much. We’re mainly going to stay inside and enjoy ourselves. Shining and Cadance are leaving later today, so we’re going to make the most of our time together. They and Celestia are in the dining hall now, so we should get up and see them. I’m sure they are curious to see how you are doing.” Once Chrysalis finished her breakfast, they left the room and entered the dining hall, where there was a long table with Celestia, Cadance, and Shining seated around it and each of them had coffee in front of them. “Good morning, Cherub,” Celestia said in a kind voice. Chrysalis sat down, looking ashamed. “I am so, so sorry about last night. I don’t know why I let myself go like that and please forgive me for whatever I said.” “We thought it was rather entertaining,” spoke Cadance. “So how are you feeling?” asked Shining Armor. “A lot better thanks to Luna. She was even sweet enough to give me breakfast in bed.” She kissed Luna’s cheek, causing them both to blush. Chrysalis could feel her chest become light from looking at Luna’s blushing face. She always did think she made the cutest expressions. “What a great way to start the holidays,” she joked, bringing out a chuckle from the others. “Speaking of which, Happy Hearth’s Warming Day, everypony.” Chrysalis spent over an hour in the dining hall, making pleasant conversation with the ponies. She still felt slightly uncomfortable being with them, especially after the night before, but this was a start. However, she could have sworn that the pink alicorn was constantly giving quick glances at her, causing her some worry. Once they finished, Luna lead Chrysalis to the hallway. “Cherub, I want to show you something outside, so could you get dressed and meet me in the back?” “Sure thing, Luna.” Chrysalis walked away towards her bedroom, unaware that she was being followed. She returned to the room where she had awoken earlier and started throwing on her snow clothes. As she dressed herself, somepony knocked on her door. She went over and opened it, finding Princess Cadance smiling at her. “Hi, Cherub. Do you mind if I come in?” “Not at all,” she lied. As she entered, Chrysalis couldn’t help but notice how cheery she was, which only made her worry. The princess looked around the room while happily humming to herself. “So did you need something, Princess?” “No, not really,” she answered in a teasing voice. She continued looking around, almost taking no notice in her. “Although,” she said suddenly, “I thought maybe I could help you.” “With what?” The alicorn giggled. “Your little crush.” Chrysalis’s body froze. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way she could possibly know about that. She only told Pinkie about it and the pony didn’t have the opportunity to blab to the princess. Did she say something else while drunk off her flank? Was that why Luna gave her breakfast in bed? But maybe Cadance was just joking around, so she would just play along and hope for the best. “Crush?” she asked, playing dumb. Cadance faced her with a huge grin. “On Aunt Luna!” The changeling’s eyes went wide. “I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Cadance just giggled at her. “You can’t fool me. I’m the Princess of Love. I can sense your feelings for her and I am so surprised. I knew you liked her, but I didn’t realize you were in love with her.” Of course she could detect her love. How could Chrysalis not have thought of that earlier? She turned her body away from her. “S-so what if I do feel that way about her? It’s not any of your business.” “I think it’s adorable. Are you going to go tell her?” Chrysalis sat on the bed and stared at the floor. “I want to, but I highly doubt she likes me in that way.” Cadance sat next to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Oh, so you’re worried that she might not love you back and you fear this could even affect your relation with her.” The false unicorn sighed. “Pretty much.” “Well I think you should go for it!” She quickly turned her head towards her. “What?” “Just let her know how you feel! She likes you a lot and I’m sure she will be flattered that you feel this way about her. Take my word for it, it’s worth a shot.” Chrysalis debated on what she should do. She loved Luna, but she was more than certain that she did not feel the same way. It was either confess her feelings and hope that their friendship withheld or not take any risk and just keep it to herself. But if she did the latter, Luna may end up finding somepony else. If there was even the smallest chance of Luna loving her, she would take it. “I do want to tell her, but I’m not sure how to do it. Any ideas?” “You’re asking me? I thought you did this for a living.” The changeling blushed. “Yes, but I would like your input as well. I would really appreciate any help you could give me.” Cadance thought for a moment. “Well, I think you should tell her today.” She was willing to take any advice except that. “T-today!? So soon!?” “Well it is Hearth’s Warming Day and I know you had feelings for her last night, so why not tell her during the holiday when you realized your love for her?” The princess put her hooves on her cheeks and kicked her legs. “It would be so romantic!” Chrysalis bit her lip. It was funny how it always seemed so easy to help many of her customers and yet she was having difficulty now, but she felt that Cadance’s suggestion would be worth doing. “I guess you have a point, but how should I do this?” Cadance got a hold of herself and cleared her throat. “What you should do is tell her in a special way.” “Special?” “Of course! You can’t simply just say you love her. You have to wow her. Make it something memorable. I bet if you do well enough, she might want to try out being with a mare.” Cadance bounced her eyebrows at her. Chrysalis couldn’t help but laugh from the way she was looking at her. “I like the way you think, Cadance. But…what if she doesn’t love me?” “I know rejection can be hard, but it’s better than keeping it all locked up. And even if she doesn’t feel that way, she wouldn’t want to stop being your friend. You’re too important to her to let go. There is absolutely no reason for you to not admit your love for her.” Chrysalis smiled, feeling incredibly confident. “You’re right. I’m going to tell her.” Cadance clapped her hooves together. “That’s great! And I have the perfect way for you to do it!” “I’m all ears.” “You’ve noticed how the castle’s been decorated, right?” “Kind of hard not to notice.” “So all you need to do is be alone with her and bring her under some mistletoe.” “So I just kiss her?” “Yep! Not just a simple kiss, but a really passionate one! Go for gold!” “I really like your idea, but it kind of seems out of the blue.” “You just have to go for it. Sweep her off her hooves and I guarantee she will be yours.” “I’ll see what I can do.” It was certainly odd to her that Cadance, a pony she kidnapped and tormented, would be helping her like this. She knew the princess would not be thrilled when she learned of her true identity, but at least this moment of them bonding would ease the pain later on. Once Chrysalis and Cadance were fully dressed, they went out into the garden. “That’s strange,” spoke Chrysalis as she scanned the area. “What is?” “Luna said to meet her here, but I don’t-” A snowball flew into her face. “Got her!” shouted Luna triumphantly. Chrysalis cleaned her face of the snow. “You’re going to pay for that!” She magically scooped up snow and tossed it towards her. Luna ducked behind her snow fort as it flew over in her head. When she popped back out, Celestia was with her. “You dare assault my sister? You must be punished!” Celestia brought out multiple snowballs and unleashed a bombardment onto the two mares. Cadance and Chrysalis ran as they tried to avoid the snowballs. “Cadance! Cherub! Over here!” Shining Armor was signaling them from his own fort and they immediately jumped in and hid against the wall as Celestia’s assault pounded against it. “That wasn’t fair, Luna!” Chrysalis called out. “You surprised me!” “The element of surprise is a part of war!” Luna called back. “I’m going to get you for this!” “Just try!” the princess taunted. Chrysalis created a pile of snowballs and began magically hurling them at the princesses. She managed to strike the tip of Celestia’s horn, interrupting her offense, and Cadance and Shining provided cover fire as she aimed for the blue alicorn. Celestia and Luna ducked down behind the wall. “Sister, they are overwhelming us!” said the blue alicorn. “Not to worry. I have it handled.” With her magic, Celestia lifted a large patch of snow. She brought it onto of the fort’s wall, magically creating a larger barrier. There were small holes in the wall where the sisters could look outside with. “Now it’s back to business!” She and Luna started throwing more snow at the three. Chrysalis grunted as she kept getting hit and could not cause her own damage. “Shining Armor, can’t you do something like that?” “I’ll try.” While Cadance and Chrysalis continued the offense, Shining proceeded to slowly fortify their defenses. However, Celestia and Luna anticipated this and focused on him. After several hits, his concentration broke, causing some of the wall to collapse onto them. “A valiant effort,” commented Luna, “but it will take more than that to defeat the Princesses of Equestria!” Chrysalis and the couple popped their heads out of the snow. “So much for that idea,” said Shining Armor. “What do we do now?” asked his wife. “We can’t hit them with that wall up and it’s too fortified to knock over. It’s hopeless.” “No it’s not!” shouted Chrysalis. “You keep them distracted while I think.” Chrysalis refused to admit defeat. She defeated Celestia once, so she could do it again. They would need a massive attack in order to beat the alicorns as a normal offense would be pointless. They could try hitting them from overhead, but they could easily dodge any snowballs coming down. That’s when she gained an idea. “You two, I’ve got a plan.” While the couple went into hiding, Celestia and Luna took the moment to make more ammo. “Oh, this is so much fun!” said Luna gleefully. “I agree. It’s a shame Twilight and her friends couldn’t be here. I would have loved their company.” “I know, but at least we have Cadance, Shining, and Cherub!” “That’s true. I just hope Cherub has good sportmareship when we beat them.” Luna giggled. “She’s going to be so sour and I will just mock her every time.” Luna looked through the hole and noticed that their wall was slightly larger and there was a little hole to the side, where a pair of eyes was looking through. “Are you ready to surrender? It will go much easier if you do.” Chrysalis and Cadance shot up. “Never!” They threw more snowballs, which mostly hit the wall. “There you are, Cherub. I was beginning to miss you,” said Luna as she unleashed a counter attack. “How sweet. I was beginning to miss your pretty face as well.” With a precise strike, she got one through a hole and struck Luna in the face. “Oof! You won’t get a hit like that again!” “Shining, can you hurry up?” asked Chrysalis as she kept throwing. The stallion was kneeling while focusing his gaze through the cover made for him. “Just a few more seconds.” All of a sudden, many snowballs covered in a golden aura flew into the air and Chrysalis and Cadance were stunned by the sight. “Give up. You cannot possibly defeat the Princess of the Sun!” “Well luckily for us, there’s an eclipse coming!” Shining Armor shouted. “What?” A shadow was cast over Celestia. When the sisters looked up, they both gasped loudly. Shining Armor was carrying a massive pile of snow in a bubble that floated over their heads. “Now!” ordered the former queen. The magical bubble disappeared and the sisters screamed and held each other. Their cries were muffled as the gigantic snowball crushed their base and covered them with snow. Chrysalis and her companions looked and admired their work. “We did it!” Cadance went to her husband and kissed him on the cheek. “Nicely done, Shining.” “Thanks. I’m just glad I don’t work here anymore, or else I think Celestia would have just fired me.” They cracked up, but then they noticed the mound of snow moving. Celestia and Luna poked their heads out and slowly tried to free themselves as Chrysalis stood on top of the pile. “Looks like I have won the war!” “O-o-okay, I-I admit y-y-you’re p-p-pretty good,” said Celestia through chattering teeth. “I-I-I-I t-told you w-we should h-h-have had h-her on our team,” commented Luna. Cadance, Shining, and Chrysalis helped them out and brushed the snow off of them. Celestia went to Luna and wrapped her hoof around her. “I just thought my little Lulu would have been enough.” “No hard feelings, right?” asked Chrysalis. The white alicorn shook her head. “None at all, but don’t go bragging about what you’ve done today.” The changeling grinned. “It’ll be our little secret.” Luna was still heavily shivering. “Can we go inside now? I’m freezing to death because of all the snow in my clothes.” “I think I could use a nice hot bath about now,” said Celestia as she walked inside. “I suggest you do the same, Luna. Come by my room later and I will have some hot cocoa ready.” “Sounds good,” said the younger sibling. “See you all in a bit.” “See you,” said Chrysalis. Before she took another step, she saw Cadance pointing a hoof towards Luna. She had an idea of what she was telling her to do and was very surprised. “Hold on, Luna.” The princess turned around as Chrysalis walked up to her. “Would you mind if I joined you? I wasn’t able to bathe last night and I would love to see what sort of bath royalty like yourself has.” She giggled. “I’m just spoiling you, aren’t I?” Chrysalis shrugged innocently. “Very well. Come along.” They walked together as the other three ponies went in the other direction while Cadance looked back at them, smiling. “I can’t wait to tell Pinkie about how the mighty Cherub defeated Luna and Celestia!” Chrysalis stated loudly. Luna stuck a hoof in her chest. “You only accomplished that because you had Shining Armor on your team.” Chrysalis waved a hoof. “Details, details. I really wish you told me about your little game instead of playing dirty.” “I guess I deserve my defeat because of that. Next time, you and I should go against the Elements of Harmony. It’ll be six against two, but I know we can do it!” Chrysalis gave a hearty laugh. “Sounds good to me. You were pretty good back there, Luna.” “Thank you. Celestia has taught me a lot since my return. She has been playing with her friends every year during my banishment.” “So you’re saying we’ve beaten an alicorn with over a thousand years of experience?” Luna giggled. “I’m sure her ego has taken a beating, but she’ll be fine. I guess I really should have had you on our side.” The false unicorn leaned against her. “Yes, you should have. I really enjoy being with you, Lulu,” she cooed. Luna gasped while furiously blushing. “Only Celestia is allowed to call me that!” The changeling pouted. “Aw, I think it’s a cute name. I think everypony should call you Princess Lulu from now on.” “No!” “Oh, you’re no fun.” “And when are you ever fun, Cherub?” She smirked. “Point taken.” Chrysalis kept replaying her victory over her head. Despite trying to better herself, she couldn’t help but feel good about taking down Celestia once again. She just hoped she wouldn’t be bitter enough about it to not give Chrysalis a chance when she finally revealed herself. However, she was more worried about how the other alicorn would react to her. “Hey, Luna?” she asked shyly. “Hmm?” “I just wanted to say thanks again for letting me stay with you. I deeply appreciate it.” “It is no trouble. You are my friend.” “Yeah, but you have really helped me out in so many ways and I’m very grateful for it.” She took a deep breath and gave a hug. “I know I don’t always act affectionate to other ponies, but I feel comfortable doing so around you. You really are my best friend.” She prayed that Pinkie’s Pinkie sense would not let her know that she just said that out loud. The alicorn hugged her back. “I love this sweet side of yours, Cherub. And what do we have here?” “What?” The Night Princess pointed above her, showing the peculiar plant hanging above them. “It seems somepony has left some mistletoe here.” Luna gave a devious grin. “You know what that means.” Chrysalis knew exactly what it meant from what Pinkie had told her. She was told to just give a hoofshake to anypony she came across, but Cadance had a much better idea. She returned Luna’s grin. “Oh, Luna, are you saying you want to kiss me?” The princess was shocked by her remark and blushed. “I-I-I wasn’t being serious!” Her response stung the changeling. However, she had an idea of how to steal a kiss from her. “Now that I think about it, when was the last time you actually romantically kissed somepony?” Luna blushed even harder. “Not since…my banishment.” “So for over a thousand years.” The alicorn nodded shamefully. “Now this simply will not do. You wouldn’t want a wonderful relationship to end because you cannot kiss properly, do you?” She shook her head. “What should I do? I don’t want to look foolish during your holiday event and lose my special somepony by not being able to kiss right!” Chrysalis tapped her chin, pretending to think things over. “Perhaps I could teach you.” “Really? You would?” Luna asked, completely oblivious of what was coming. “I would do anything for you, Luna. How about we do our first lesson right now and see what you remember?” “Alright.” Luna did not see the sly smile her friend was producing. “So what should I do for my first lesson, Cherub?” “All you need to do is give in,” she whispered seductively. “Wha-” Without giving it a second thought, Chrysalis closed her eyes and rushed forward, planting her lips onto Luna’s. Luna’s eyes were wide and she didn’t move at all while Chrysalis was absolutely enjoying herself as she slipped in her tongue and touched Luna’s. After several seconds, she slowly pulled away from her. Her entire body felt as hot as the sun and Luna’s face was the same color as hers. “That…was not what I was expecting for a first less lesson.” “Well how did you think I would teach you to kiss properly?” Chrysalis teased before laughing. “Oh how I wish you could see the look on your face right now!” Luna immediately turned around. “W-we should get going.” She quickly trotted away and Chrysalis managed to catch up with her. What Chrysalis did was probably very stupid, but she felt good about it. She was very certain that Luna did not feel the same way about her as all she could sense was confusion and surprise, but at least she got some of it out of her system. She couldn’t stop thinking about Luna’s face after being smooched by a mare and fought against the urge to giggle. Her shocked look along with her blushing was completely adorable and she wished she had a picture in order to treasure the moment. While she waited for Luna to get over what happened, she thought more about how she was going to confess to her. She looked over at the alicorn, who turned her head away, and she began to worry that she might have pushed things just a little too far. “Luna?” Luna was slightly startled. “Yes?” “I apologize for what happened. I shouldn’t have done something that would make you uncomfortable.” “Oh. Okay, Cherub.” Chrysalis did not like the brief answer she received. She wondered if Luna was mad at her for messing with her like that or simply felt awkward around her. She was now worried that she might have to wait until another day before admitting her feelings. They arrived at Luna’s bedroom and Luna opened the door for her. “The bathroom is right over there, Cherub. Feel free to wash up.” “Alright.” Chrysalis undressed herself of her snow clothes and threw them onto the floor while Luna did the same. Chrysalis opened the door and the first thing that caught her surprise was the design. The walls, floor, and ceiling were decorated with dark blue tile and each tile contained many shining stars. She felt like that she was standing in Luna’s night sky. The next thing that had caught her eye was the size of the princess’s bathtub as it was large enough to hold many fully grown ponies. On the sides inside were ledges that allowed its occupants to sit while becoming much deeper in the middle. “Impressed?” Chrysalis looked behind her and saw Luna enter. “Very. You really got some good taste.” The alicorn walked past her. “Thank you. Let me just get the bath started. I’m freezing from our fun earlier and I am dying to get warm.” “I am too, but how long is it going to take to fill this massive thing?” “Let me check.” Instead of the usual faucets or handles, there were only buttons on the edge of it. Luna pushed one and before they knew it, the tub was instantly filled with hot water that magically appeared. “About that long.” The Moon Princess never ceased to amaze Chrysalis. “Where can I get one of these?” Luna laughed. “Might be a little out of your price range.” She stepped inside and let out a gasp as the water touched her skin. She turned around and motioned a hoof towards her. “Come on in, Cherub. The water’s great.” Chrysalis got in and her mind went numb for a moment as the soothing water surrounded her. Once she regained her senses, she sat next to Luna. “This is just nice.” “It is.” Luna submerged herself for a moment and then came out with her hair down. Chrysalis stared at her, thinking about how amazing she looked with her hair wet. Luna brought out a shampoo bottle and poured some of its contents onto her hooves. She began rinsing her mane and then noticed the way Chrysalis was looking at her. “Yes, Cherub?” “I didn’t realize you could wash that crazy mane of yours.” “I can. It’s just like regular hair, but a little more magical.” Chrysalis nodded before dunking her head underwater and resurfacing, hoping Luna would notice her the same way with her mane wet. She lied against the edge and looked up at the ceiling. She absolutely adored the atmosphere of Luna’s bathing area. The whole room was dimly lit by the stars on the walls and it really did feel like she was out at night. All that was needed was the usual nocturnal ambiance to complete the mood. She then started fantasizing about the two of them making their own ambience under the starry sky. “Do you want to help?” asked Luna. The false unicorn snapped out of her fantasy. “Help with what?” “Wash my hair?” “What?” “Come on, it’ll be fun. I have little trouble doing this myself since I have so much of it.” Chrysalis nodded and Luna lowered herself into the water to allow her to reach the top of her head. The former queen placed her hooves on her and moved it through her mane, reminiscing about when she did this sort of thing with Nymph. The feel of her mane was certainly interesting as it had the feeling of normal hair, but it kept moving and contained some magical tingling. “I want your hair.” Luna giggled. “I’m afraid I can’t help you with that. I think your mane is fine just the way it is.” “Thanks.” She continued to run her hooves through the princess’s mane and Luna wasn’t kidding when she said there was a lot of it. She was surprised Luna never had to get servants to help her like Nymph sometimes did. After several minutes, she finished. “I think I got it all.” Luna dove under water and returned with the shampoo gone from her hair. “No you didn’t.” “Huh?” The alicorn turned around. “You still have to do my tail.” Chrysalis stared at her behind, which was larger than her own and she felt very tempted to feel it. “Seriously?” “Yes, I am serious. Your princess commands it,” she teased. Chrysalis smirked and began rinsing it. “Just try not to touch my butt.” That caused the red unicorn to grin. “You mean like this?” She gave the alicorn’s flank a good smack, resulting in Luna gasping loudly. “C-C-Cherub!” Chrysalis chuckled loudly. “Sorry, I’ll get to your tail.” Luna was blushing furiously and breathing loudly. Once she calmed down, a grin formed on her lips. “Did you enjoy feeling my royal rump?” “I have to admit I kind of did. You have a lovely butt.” “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” As the changeling continued to rinse her friend, Luna asked, “Cherub?” “Yes?” “Could you…give me another lesson?” Chrysalis was brought to a complete stop. “Beg your pardon?” The alicorn gulped. “Another kissing lesson. I still need to learn how to kiss and I suppose sooner is better than later.” As much of a good thing this was for her, Chrysalis found it peculiar she was asking. Before she could speak, the answer came to her. She paused, taking a moment to let it sink in, bringing her bliss. She then smiled at the alicorn. “Of course, Luna,” she replied playfully. The princess looked away from her. “Do you…think this is weird of me?” Chrysalis leaned towards her and nuzzled her cheek, causing both of them to blush. “Luna, you don’t ever need to feel uncomfortable around me.” She put her hooves on her shoulders and they touched foreheads. “We can do whatever makes you feel good.” She then passionately kissed Luna’s cheek, causing her to release a gasp. “C-Cherub…” she said in a whisper. “You know, I wasn’t lying when I said I’ve always thought you were the most beautiful pony I’ve ever laid eyes on.” She could feel Luna’s heart beating with fast and powerful rhythm. She leaned towards her ear again. “Be honest, have you been thinking about me often?” Luna slowly nodded her head. “Do you think about when I tried to kiss you?” Luna gave her the same response. “I love an honest pony. You should deserve a reward for telling me the truth. Perhaps we can have a little fun?” “Cherub…I…” Chrysalis put a hoof on her lips, shushing her. “Don’t speak, Luna. It’s only you and me here, so just do what feels good.” Luna blushed even deeper and she nodded. Chrysalis seated herself on Luna’s lap, wrapping her hind legs around her. They looked into each other’s eyes before slowly moving their faces forward and making contact with their lips. Chrysalis held Luna in a hug and ran her hoof across her back. She did most of the work while the alicorn shyly moved her tongue in her friend’s mouth, being gentle. After a while, Luna slowly ran a hoof across Chrysalis’s thigh and her kissing became stronger. Chrysalis soon got off her lap. She reached down into the water and grabbed the alicorn’s hind leg, massaging her hoof. Luna leaned against the edge of the bath and arched her head back, emanating a soft moan. All of a sudden, Chrysalis put the tip of Luna’s hoof in her mouth, causing Luna to gasp and look at her with surprise. Chrysalis wore a teasing expressing as she kissed and licked the hoof, causing Luna to moan louder than before. When she finished, Chrysalis gave it one last smooch before releasing it, allowing it to drop back into the water. She sat on the edge out of the bath and scooted towards Luna, sticking her hind leg in front of her. The pony looked at her and Chrysalis nodded. Slowly, Luna took her leg and looked at her hoof. After several seconds, she put the hoof in her mouth, causing Chrysalis to giggle. She then proceeded to pleasure the changeling in the same way she had done for her, but at a slower pace. Chrysalis lied on her back, moaning as she ran her hooves across her own belly, where she was most sensitive. Soon, Luna finished with her hoof and got on top of her. Picking up on what she was doing, she ran her tongue across her stomach, creating an audible gasp from Chrysalis. After a few strokes of her tongue, Luna crawled up and kissed her neck tenderly. As Chrysalis let Luna continue, she saw one of her wings hanging near her face, so she grabbed it and nibbled the tip. Luna moaned happily and lifted her head, watching Chrysalis please her. She brought her wing closer and found a spot for her to kiss while Chrysalis played with the tip. Eventually, Luna moved her wing away and they got back into the bath with Chrysalis sitting on her lap and Luna wrapping her with her wings, giving them a warm embrace. They looked at each other, smiling. Chrysalis pressed her lips against Luna’s and then shifted her weight back, causing them to tilt into the water. Luna’s horn glowed as she casted a spell to allow them to breathe underwater before they were submerged. Chrysalis closed her eyes and pushed her tongue deep into the alicorn’s mouth and played with hers while her hooves stroked the princess’s back, feeling every inch of her flawless coat as they remained suspended in the water. Luna suddenly gave the changeling’s flank a good squeeze and Chrysalis let out a loud moan before returning the favor with both her hooves. After several minutes of kissing and groping, they went to the surface. They swam to the edge of the bath, breathing heavily. Once they sat against the edge, they both placed a hoof around each other and Chrysalis laid her head against Luna’s body. “That was…amazing,” said Luna, still panting. Chrysalis rubbed her face against her chest. “It was.” Luna kissed the top of her head. “Cherub…I think I need to explain myself.” She looked up at the bigger pony. “I’m listening,” she said teasingly. Luna was now blushing again and even breathing loudly. “Well…the thing is…I don’t know how to exactly say it…” Chrysalis got on her lap and rubbed her nose against hers. “Just let out, you silly pony.” “Cherub…I…I think I…I love you…” She giggled. “Oh my, it feels so good to say that out loud.” “I love you too, Luna.” They both smiled and gave each other another kiss. “I’m surprised you actually feel this way about me. How long have you been keeping this from me?” She got off the alicorn and sat next to her, leaning against her. “I kind of figured it out yesterday, to be honest. It came as a total surprise at first, but everything made sense later. You?” “I’m…I’m not sure. I think a while. Maybe a couple of weeks. I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on and it was a little hard to figure out, but I knew being with you made me so happy. Sometimes, I couldn’t help but think of us as being more than friends and it just made me feel good.” She licked the changeling’s lips and Chrysalis giggled. “Cherub, I want you to tell me why you love me.” “I always did admire you, Luna. You are more than just a royal princess. You are a sweet, caring pony who only wants to make others happy. I know I’ve been a royal pain in your flank, but that never stopped you from helping me. I can’t imagine where I would be right now if it weren’t for you. You have changed my life. And then yesterday, I just suddenly realized how much you meant to me and I couldn’t help but think about you. I love you so much.” She rested her head on the alicorn’s shoulder. “Now it’s your turn. Tell me why I’m so great.” Luna chuckled and reached a foreleg around her. “Ever since your change in personality, I’ve been even fonder of having you around and I started falling for the mare you have become. I recently just played with the idea of us being together, believing you probably don’t feel that way and that we probably would never get together like that. But when I kept seeing you, I felt so…comfortable. I wanted to do things with you that I would never have done with any other mare. I wanted to feel your body against mine. I wanted you to…kiss me.” Chrysalis couldn’t believe Luna felt this way for a while without her knowing. She assumed that several factors were involved as to why she missed this. One of them was the fact they usually met in Ponyville, which had quite a bit of love lingering around, so she wouldn’t have noticed Luna’s feelings unless she actively scanned her. While outside Ponyville, Luna must have only felt affectionate towards her a few times and either Chrysalis was not focused enough to notice or that the alicorn was not too sure of her own feelings, leaving it to be covered by other emotions. “Is that why you did it last week?” “Yes. And then when you kissed me under the mistletoe, it took me some time before I realized that I was attracted to you and I wanted you to be my special somepony.” She looked down at Chrysalis. “Cherub, would you like to be my marefriend and escort me on your Hearts and Hooves fair as my date?” Chrysalis took her hoof and kissed it. “I would be so honored, Lulu. You make me so happy and I want to be with you.” Luna hugged her tightly. “Me too. And just so you know, I want us to take this slow. I’ve never done anything like this with a mare.” “I understand.” They held each other as they stared at the ceiling, which perfectly resembled the night sky. With Luna looking away, Chrysalis opened her mouth and began feeding. Much to her disbelief, the love she tasted was the sweetest tasting love she had experienced in her life. Was it because it was meant for her? Or was it because she was feeding from an alicorn? Whatever the case, she began to feed faster. It was so delicious and filling to the changeling. She didn’t care if she became fat and bloated, she just want more of Luna’s love inside her belly. Eventually, she managed to stop herself, realizing that she couldn’t risk Luna showing any symptoms of being drained. She leaned against her lover and looked back up the ceiling. “Want to go tell your family?” Luna looked down at her. “I do. They must be wondering why we’re taking so long and I think they’re going to be in for a pleasant surprise.” They both stood up and got out of the bath. “And Cherub?” Before the matchmaker could respond, a loud, wet smack filled the room, followed by an excited gasp. After drying themselves off, they decided to go public with their new discovery. When they left Luna’s room, they had their tails wrapped together, signifying their love. As they headed to the other princess’s chambers, many ponies at the castle were completely surprised by what they were seeing, with heads turning and whispers arising. Chrysalis liked how everypony was looking and couldn’t wait for all of Equestria to know of their love so she could rub it in all their faces. They approached the large golden doors of the Sun Alicorn’s room and Luna and Chrysalis tried to contain their giggles as they thought of how Celestia, Cadance, and Shining would react to the news. Once they controlled themselves, Luna knocked on the door. “Tia, it’s Luna. May I come in?” she asked innocently. “Of course.” They opened the door and stepped inside. The three ponies were resting by the fire place and their eyes were pointed at the source of their warmth. Cadance then suddenly raised her head up and looked at the doorway. Chrysalis had a feeling that she could sense what was going on, but she didn’t say anything. “You both took your time,” addressed the older sister. “Did one of you get stuck in the tub or something?” Luna giggled. “Something like that.” She and Chrysalis sat between Celestia and Cadance and took their drinks. “This is really good, Tia.” “I’m glad you like it. I made it myself.” Once Luna put her cup down, Chrysalis made her move. “Luna, you have a little something there.” Luna looked at her lip. “I think my sister may have put in a little too much whipped cream again. She always did have a craving for it.” “Here, let me get that.” Chrysalis scooted over to her and licked it off her mouth. Shining Armor’s and Celestia’s jaws dropped while Cadance was giddy. Once she was clean, Luna got closer to Chrysalis and then tongued her. The other three ponies just stared as they kissed with two of them having difficulty believing what they saw was real. After a few seconds, they pulled away and resumed drinking, acting as if nothing happened. “Goodness,” teased Luna, “is there something bothering you all?” Celestia shook her head to regain focus. “I knew you were close with Cherub, but I didn’t think you were that close.” Luna smirked. “Neither did we.” “I take it you’re over your marriage now, Cherub?” asked Shining Armor, still surprised. “I am. All I can do is move on with my life and try to find somepony new.” Chrysalis placed her hoof on Luna’s. “And I have finally found her.” They then shared a kiss. Celestia smiled at the sight. “Congratulations to both of you. I knew you two were always very caring towards one another and I know you will find absolute happiness with each other.” She then took a sip of her hot chocolate. Chrysalis gave her a grin. “We certainly did in the tub.” The white alicorn spat out her drink. She wiped off her mouth and looked at them in shock. “You two…certainly move quickly,” she commented as her cheeks turned into a deep shade of crimson. “That’s what makes it sexy,” purred the changeling. Luna laughed from the look on Celestia’s face. “Relax, sister. We have not done such a thing. We’ve only kissed along with a few other fun things.” “And I think we will have to thank Princess Cadance for that wonderful moment,” added Chrysalis. The sisters and Shining turned their attention onto the pink alicorn. “Aren’t you going to tell us how you confessed to her?” asked Cadance excitedly. “You knew about this?” asked Celestia in disbelief. “Of course I did! Poor Cherub was so embarrassed about her crush and I had to give her a little advice and motivation. I’m glad everything worked out so well before we left.” “Remind me to reward you for this,” said Luna happily. “You two have my blessing. I can sense passionate love from you both and know you will both make a great couple,” complimented Cadance. Chrysalis nodded at her. “Thank you, Princess Cadance. That means so much from you.” “So when did you both realize you had feelings for each other?” asked the stallion. “You want the explicit details?” the changeling asked dirtily. Shining Armor blushed furiously. “Well…err…” Cadance elbowed him, causing him to grunt. “Just start from last night.” After listening to both stories, the royal couple was ready to return to the Crystal Empire so they could visit Shining Armor’s family. They had all of their bags packed and put onto their carriage and were saying their goodbyes before taking off. “Bye, Aunt Luna and Aunt Celestia! I’ll miss you both!” The alicorns formed a group hug. “We’ll miss you too,” said Celestia. “Be sure to take care of yourself and say hi to Twilight and Spike for me.” “I will!” Shining Armor approached them. “It was nice seeing you again, princesses.” The blue alicorn nodded. “It was. I can’t wait until your next visit.” “Me too.” Celestia leaned in and whispered, “Next time, your butt is mine.” The stallion gulped, causing the mares to laugh. Cadance then looked at Chrysalis. “And Cherub, I’m so glad we met!” “Me too,” she admitted. She actually felt a little sad that she was leaving as they were getting along, but she was glad she helped her win Luna’s heart. “Thank you for everything, Cadance. You are a real friend.” “It was my pleasure. Promise me you’ll be the best pony you can be for her.” “I will. Goodbye, Cadance. Have a safe trip.” “Bye, everypony!” she waved as she headed towards the carriage. Her husband opened the door. “After you,” he said as he let her in and then followed her. The carriage door closed and the guards pulled it off the ground. Luna, Celestia, and Chrysalis kept waving until the carriage was out of sight and then Chrysalis sighed. “I’m really going to miss them.” “We will as well,” said Celestia. “It just doesn’t feel the same whenever they leave, but I’m glad I will always have my precious Lulu here.” She looked at Luna and Chrysalis. “So I assume you two wish to be by yourselves for the rest of the day?” “Of course we do. I simply want to be with my special somepony and explore this relationship.” Luna nuzzled Chrysalis and then noticed the frown on her sister’s face. “I guess I will just be all by myself,” she said before sighing. “Oh, don’t be like that, Tia. We’ll just be together until dinner and then we’ll spend some quality time together for the rest of the day.” “Okay, Luna. I will find something to do until then, so go ahead and enjoy your day together.” Chrysalis leaned against her marefriend. “We certainly will. Besides, I think I can see her as my prize for winning our snowball fight, so she’s all mine. Sorry, Celly.” The princess frowned angrily at her and she returned a teasing grin. “But what shall we do for several hours?” Luna asked while looking at her lover. Chrysalis hopped onto her back. “I think I’ve got a great idea,” she said in a provocative tone. “How about we go back to your room, kiss for a while, and then get on the bed and…” Chrysalis saw the glare Celestia was giving her and then the alicorn slowly dragged the tip of her hoof across the front of her own throat. “…Cuddle?” the changeling finished weakly. “A grand idea! Let us go at once!” Luna took flight and flew into the palace, leaving the older alicorn alone. “I’m so happy you found somepony who loves you, Lulu,” Celestia said to herself as she walked back inside with a smile on her face. “And Cherub, if you don’t treat her right, I will rip your bucking head off.” Within the carriage of the Crystal Empire’s rulers, Cadance snuggled against her husband while he put a foreleg around her. “Am I good or what?” she asked. He chuckled. “Okay, I admit I’m impressed. You really did it.” “And you thought I couldn’t,” she said while poking his chest. “I shouldn’t have doubted you.” They kissed each other on the lips. “But seriously, how did you end up deciding to put the two of them together? I didn’t see it at all.” “Well remember when Luna called on the crystal ball last week to ask me to find her and Cherub a special somepony?” “Yeah, and I remember Luna asking me to leave the room.” “Well we were having some girl talk. So after Luna gave me an idea of what kind of pony she wanted, I asked her what Cherub would like and even about her in general. When I heard about how much close friends they were, I got a little suspicious, so I asked everything I could about them. I found out not only have they shared a bed multiple times, but they kissed! Luna said it was just a kiss between friends, but I had a hunch because Celestia mentioned that she and Luna were together a lot. I wrote Pinkie a letter telling her to tell me everything about Cherub for a secret reason and I even asked if she knew if Cherub liked mares at all. And to my surprise, she did! That’s when I decided that they were perfect for each other and I had to do something about it.” “Why didn’t you mention all of this before?” “Because I wanted to rub it in your face by proving you wrong and keeping you in the dark would make sure you took up the bet, which I won, by the way.” “I guess I deserve losing for doubting you,” he said with a smile. “But how did you actually make it happen?” “Luna was the easy part. The day before we met Cherub, I asked her about Cherub and I sensed a little bit of affection coming from her when we talked. She had romantic feelings for her, but she didn’t even realize it, so I decided to have Cherub help her. While we were helping Spitfire, I kept mentioning to Cherub about how much good friends they were and how Luna has affected her life. And then, all of a sudden, I felt her spark.” “Of love?” Cadance happily nodded. “It felt so pure, Shiny. Her love for Luna is sweet and beautiful. However, she seemed to have tried to block her true feelings, but with a little magic, I gave her the push she needed. When she arrived at the train station, I felt her strong love for my auntie. So before our snowball fight today, I confronted her about her feelings and gave her the advice she needed. The rest was all her.” He kissed her cheek. “Cadance, you are magnificent.” “Thank you. I’m just so happy for Luna. She deserves somepony special and now she has one! And it’s all thanks to me! I have a feeling this is going to be the best Hearts and Hooves yet!” Pinkie sprinted through the snow-covered road of Ponyville. She found out that Chrysalis just returned to Ponyville and was very anxious to see her, wanting to see how her holiday went as well as talk about her own. She had so much fun with her family at their rock farm, but she was mad that she didn’t catch Santa Hooves. That pony was just too sneaky for her and hopefully next year she would finally prove he was real. She hoped that Chrysalis at least had a good time with Luna as that had been on her mind almost nonstop during her stay, praying that everything went well. When she reached Cupid’s Arrow, she could hear music playing inside. She unlocked the door with her key and poked her head in. “Hello?” “Hello, Pinkie!” Cherub’s voice called. “Are you alone?” Pinkie entered the building and locked the door. “Yep. It’s safe to come out.” Chrysalis entered the main room from the kitchen without her disguise. “It’s so great to see you again! How was your family? Did you have fun? I want to hear all about it!” While Chrysalis was friendly to her before, Pinkie was a little frightened by how overfriendly she was. “It was fun. I didn’t get to Santa Hooves though.” “Oh well. There’s always next year. But I’m so glad you’re here right now. I have so much to tell you!” She ran over and gave Pinkie a tight hug. Pinkie pulled away and screamed. “Oh no! My changeling friend has been replaced by another changeling!” Chrysalis just laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous! Just sit down and relax.” Pinkie seated herself next to her. “I just want to thank you for talking me into staying with Luna. It truly made the holidays worth celebrating.” “No problem! Did you tell her how you feel yet!?” Her cheeks flushed green. “Actually, I did.” Pinkie made a very long gasp while kicking her legs frantically. “You did!? What did she say!?” Chrysalis got up and walked to her office, returning with a picture frame. When she held it in front of Pinkie, the pony’s jaw dropped. It was a cute picture of Luna, but what stuck out was a blue kiss mark on the corner of the picture. All of a sudden, Pinkie shrieked with joy and hugged her. “I can’t believe it! Congratulations, Chrysalis!” Chrysalis picked her up with her front hooves and spun around in the air as her wings carried her. “Thank you, Pinkie! I just feel so amazing!” They both laughed as they danced, feeling incredible joy as they moved to the music that was playing. “So did you tell her who you are yet?” The record screeched to a halt and Chrysalis stopped spinning as well as dropped her friend onto the floor. She slowly got down and lied on the couch, placing a hoof on forehead. “I have not.” Pinkie got up from the floor and rubbed her head. “Oh. When are you gonna?” “Probably after Hearts and Hooves Day.” The pony jumped onto the other end. “That’s a really long time to not tell her who you are.” “I need all the time I can get to make her understand that I am a different changeling.” “But Chrysalis, she’s in love with you! I think you need to tell her now! If you don’t, she might think you were using her to make yourself stronger!” She groaned while putting a pillow over her face. “If I tell her now, she will want to immediately break up with me and it will be difficult to win back her trust.” “But she might do the same thing if you tell her later,” the party mare countered. “You need to write her a letter and tell her the truth! She might be really mad if you wait.” Chrysalis rolled onto her side, resting her head on a hoof. “I know she might, but I will use our time together to convince her as much as possible that I truly love her and that I’m not using her as a power source. I need to show her that I have turned a new leaf, or else she will never give me another chance.” Pinkie looked at her worriedly. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” She took a deep breath. “Yes, I am very sure.” Pinkie sighed and placed a hoof on Chrysalis’s leg. “Okay, but I promise I will help you when you do tell her.” “Thanks, Pinkie. I owe you.” Pinkie hopped off the couch. “So do you want to go sledding?” The changeling sat up and stretched herself. “I actually do. I’ve missed you for a while.” “Great! I know the best hill in town.” “I can believe that. Let’s go.” They left Cupid’s Arrow and trotted together as Pinkie dragged the sled behind her. “Hey, Chrysalis, I was wondering if I could work during the Hearts and Hooves fair.” “Pinkie, that’s sweet of you to offer, but I want you to enjoy it with Fluttershy.” “Well I can do both! I can both date Fluttershy and tell ponies their fortunes! I bet I could find somepony their soul mate!” Chrysalis stared at her with a raised eyebrow. “Fortune telling? I didn’t know you did something like that.” “I sure do. I become Madame Pinkie, master of fortune telling and fortune cookies! I wear this cool costume, look into my crystal ball, and then-” Chrysalis stopped dead in her tracks and grabbed Pinkie by her tail. “Wait a minute. You have a crystal ball!?” “Yep! It belonged to my great granny, who was a super amazing fortune teller.” Chrysalis stared blankly at her and then slowly walked ahead. “What?” “With a crystal ball, I could…talk to Nymph.” Pinkie gasped loudly and ran in front of her. “What!? You can!?” She crouched down while sticking a hoof in Pinkie’s mouth. “Quiet down and yes, I can.” “But why does it have to be a crystal ball?” Pinkie asked when Chrysalis removed her hoof. “Remember why I said I couldn’t use the mirror to talk to her?” “Because mirrors are ordinary pieces of glass that require a lot of magical tuning to make them do anything and having a large source of your magic showing while communicating with someone else would leave you exposed and easily traceable?” “I’m surprised you remember, but yes. Crystal balls, however, have some magical properties and can act as magical amplifiers, so I won’t need to use as much to contact someone far away. It’s also susceptible to enchantment, so I can use some spells to cover my tracks.” “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s talk to her now!” Pinkie sprinted, but she was stopped when Chrysalis put a hoof on the sled Pinkie was dragging, causing her to fall back. “As much as I’d like to,” she fell onto her haunches, “I…I don’t know what to say to her.” Pinkie touched her shoulder. “We should go sledding later. Let’s go back to Cupid’s Arrow and talk about this, okay?” At first, the changeling did nothing, so Pinkie got behind her and tried to push her, only to end up failing as Chrysalis was much heavier than she appeared. After much struggling, Pinkie was relieved to see her stand up and walk towards Cupid’s Arrow. When they returned, Pinkie led her to the kitchen and the pony began to prepare warm tea for the both of them while Chrysalis sat in her chair. When she finished, Pinkie placed both cups on the table and sat down. “Chrysalis, I really think you need to talk to her. She’s been wondering about you for so long and I think she’ll be really happy to know you’re okay. Just tell her you’re sorry for everything. She’ll forgive you.” Chrysalis stared into her reflection in her tea. “I don’t think it’ll be that easy. I…I actually saw her in Canterlot and she said a lot of negative things about me.” She slowly held up the cup and took several sips. “Her last memory of me was me leaving to the surface right after telling her I had no sister. She will be smart and think my apology is some sort of trick. It wouldn’t be unreasonable as I’ve thought about doing something like that before.” “I know it’s hard, but I think it’s a good idea. If you tell her you’re sorry now rather than later, then maybe it’ll be easier to convince her it’s true later. You just have to be nice to her and show her how much you’ve changed. And even if she doesn’t believe you, you should still let her know that you’re safe.” Chrysalis rubbed her temples. Even in her disguise she could barely stand speaking with Nymph, so how was she supposed to do it as herself? She wondered what in the world would Nymph think if she saw her horrible sister all of a sudden apologizing to her. Despite doubting this idea, she remembered how worried she was about her and knew it was time to put her younger sister’s fears to rest. “Alright, I’ll do it. I’m not going to like this, but I have to do this.” Pinkie clapped her hooves together. “That’s great, Chrysalis. When do you want to call her?” “I suppose I should do it soon, but if I’m going to do this, there’s something else I need to do.” “What?” Chrysalis drank the rest of her tea and set the cup on the table. “Something I should have done a long time ago.” The Crystal Empire’s rulers sat in their throne room with Twilight and Spike sitting at their sides. For most of the day, they had been dealing with ponies coming to them with some sort of proposal to the rulers or even some sort of issue they needed to have resolved. It was often tedious work, but the prince and princess were glad to do it for their people with Twilight offering her own advice on certain issues while Spike spoiled himself on gemstones. After sending another pony on her way, Shining Armor slouched on his throne. “Sometimes I miss being a guard.” “Oh, it’s not so bad. At least ponies are far more reasonable here than at Canterlot,” said Cadance. “I guess that’s a plus.” “You’re doing just fine, BBBFF. You’re a real prince.” “Thanks for your help, Twiley. I just wish a certain dragon would try to be more like you.” Spike shrugged and threw another gem into his mouth. “I’m just making sure the crystals here are still good quality. They’ve been great so far, but I need to be extra sure.” As the ponies laughed, a guard came up to Cadance and held out a stack of envelopes, which she took. “Let’s see, bill, bill, bill, oh!” she exclaimed as she held up an envelope. “We got a letter addressed to us.” “From who?” asked her husband. She looked it over. “Odd. There isn’t a return address. The guards already checked it, so it should be okay to open.” The alicorn tore it open and pulled out the letter. “Dear Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, I am honestly pleased to hear your love for each other still remains strong and that the both of you own a kingdom. Perhaps one day we can meet and you both can find it in your heart to forgive me for my mistakes.” She looked at her family, who all exchanged confused looks. “I wish I could make it all up to you for what I have done, but currently that is impossible for me. Please also let Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle see this message as I also feel remorse for what I have put them through. Wishing you the best of health…” Cadance’s eyes became large and her lips trembled. Everypony in the room stared at her. “Honey? Who is it from?” Shining asked nervously. Cadance gulped and slowly looked up at him. “Chrysalis.” Everypony in the room gasped while Spike hid behind the throne. “What!? Guards, trace this letter now!” One guard took the torn envelope and the rest ran out of the room as Shining went to his wife and hugged her. “Are you alright?” Cadance took steady breaths while fanning herself. “I’m fine. I’m just very surprised.” Twilight took the letter off the floor and examined it with her magic. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s clean. There’s nothing to worry about.” Shining took the letter and read it. “This has to be a trick. She’s clearly trying to get our guard down.” The younger unicorn went behind the throne in attempt to grab Spike. “I think so, too. This has to be part of some evil plan. There’s no way she’d be sorry all of a sudden.” “But what if she is?” questioned Cadance. “It seems like a risky thing to do to simply attempt to have us believe her. I think she of all people would know that we would find it difficult to believe something like this.” The stallion tossed the letter aside. “I don’t know, but we need to be alert. I don’t want her hurting anymore ponies.” Twilight managed to grab Spike and held him as he tried to get away. “Shining, I’m…I’m really scared. Who knows what she’s going to do. She could be anywhere looking like anypony and we won’t know it until it’s too late.” Shining Armor got off his throne and knelt down, hugging Twilight and their adopted brother and Cadance joined in. “Everything’s going to be okay, Twiley. I promise.” Within two days, news of Chrysalis’s letter swept across Equestria like wildfire and its citizens did not take it well. The security of the Crystal Palace and Canterlot were at their maximum while most cities reverted back to being similar to the times shortly after the invasion had taken place. Even the citizens of the Changeling Kingdom were on edge from the news as everyone assumed it was really a death threat to the royal couple. Their queen had made good progress with the peace talks and they feared that Chrysalis would do something to threaten that or even harm somepony. Media outlets from all over Equestria and the Changeling Kingdom sent journalists to the palace in Bugartha, trying to get a word with the queen as they wanted to know what she was going to do about finding Chrysalis as they believed that the fugitive’s sister knew her best. Nymph told them she was speaking with the Equestrian Princesses about the matter and eventually had all of them removed from the palace when they refused to leave her alone. She dismissed herself early from her duties as the stress was getting to her and could not focus. She tried to get her mind off the matter, but it was impossible with her palace being filled with whispers about Chrysalis and even her friends constantly telling her that the letter was part of an evil scheme. Nymph lied in her bed, staring at the ceiling in the dark room. Sleep was impossible for her with everything plaguing her mind. She should have been happy to learn that Chrysalis was safe and that she sent an apology letter, but she was manipulative. She could only imagine what she was plotting and prayed that she would come to her senses before it was too late. She turned towards her clock and saw it was approaching midnight. “What is it going to take to get some sleep? Maybe I should have Luna teach me a sleep spell or something.” “Some herbal tea may do you some good. Always works for me.” The changeling nodded. “Good idea. Tea might be good for…” She shot straight up and flew out of her bed. Nymph’s eyes darted around the room as she took a defensive stance from behind the bed. “C-Chrysalis!? Is that you!?” The door to her bedroom was thrown open as four armored changelings flew in front of the queen in a defensive formation. “Are you all right, your highness?” asked a guard. “Where is she? Where’s Chrysalis!?” asked another as she looked all over the room. “The crystal ball,” a voice answered. They looked at Nymph’s desk, where her orb sat on its pedestal. In the ball was an image of Chrysalis looking right at them. Fear and anxiety grew within Nymph as she approached her, but her guards got in front of her and surrounded it. “You know you are not welcome here,” spoke Hornet. “And what do you plan on doing about that?” she taunted. He hissed at her but then the queen took the orb with her magic. “All of you leave at once. I wish to speak to her alone.” “But my queen, she’s dangerous!” protested the fourth changeling. “I am fully aware of that. Please wait by the door and make sure no one comes in or knows about this until I come out.” Reluctantly, her guards saluted her and exited the room, closing the door behind them. Nymph then turned her attention towards her sister. She was unable to tell where exactly she was as it appeared she was under a blanket on a bed. She had waited for so long to hear from Chrysalis, but she was never sure how their meeting would go. However, she knew not to let the older sibling get the better of her. She took in a deep breath, ready to stand tall like Celestia and Luna had taught her. “So it is true. You’re back.” “I haven’t really gone anywhere. I’ve been in hiding.” Nymph seated herself on her chair and held the orb with her magic, hiding that she was trying to pinpoint Chrysalis’s location. “So where are you? I’d like to come see you after all this time.” “Sorry, but I can’t do that. I know of your deal with Celestia and I must say that I’m hurt.” “I think you should understand why I agreed. It doesn’t help you caused the rulers of the Crystal Empire as well as both our nations a big scare.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes, chuckling. “All I did was write them an apology. You can’t blame me if they took it the wrong way.” The queen groaned from her mocking tone and that she couldn’t get a trace on her. “What do you want, Chrysalis?” “I just want to talk with my little sister. How is the kingdom?” “Better than when you were in charge. My people are quite happy.” Chrysalis gave a faint growl. “I see. How was your holiday?” “Fine. I had a nice little gathering in the garden with all of the royals. I can’t imagine how yours went with you being banished.” Much to her surprise, Chrysalis was smiling and if she didn’t know any better, it looked like she was blushing. “It was actually really great.” She couldn’t help but feel curious. “Really? How so?” “I was with friends.” “You mean ponies you take advantage of by pretending to be their friend,” she argued. The statement caused the older sister to recoil slightly. “N-no…” “Oh, so they know who you are and accepted you?” Chrysalis said nothing while averting her eyes. “That’s what I thought. You may think you’re clever, Chrysalis, but-” “I’m sorry.” Nymph fell silent, her mind drawing a blank. “What?” Chrysalis rested her head on the mattress. “I called you to say that I’m sorry. For everything.” The queen gasped and put a hoof to her mouth. Could it be possible? Was the letter she sent actually the truth? Her gut was telling her it was a trick, but she wanted to hear more from her. “T-truly?” “Yes. Nymph. I am so sorry for how I treated you. It was stupid and rotten of me and I should’ve just been your sister instead of a monster. I…I think about what I did sometimes and I just want to cry. I actually did cry once, thinking about you. I miss you, Nymph. I miss you so much.” The younger sister could feel her heart melting. Chrysalis was actually remorseful of what she had done to her. She still felt uneasy, but Nymph began to tear up and she pressed her hoof on the crystal ball. “Chrysie…” The elder sister was also crying and touched her ball with a hoof. “I want you to know that I have given up on my plans for revenge. I know that I have done so much wrong and these ponies didn’t deserve anything I have wrought against them and neither did our people. I screwed up so hard and I am so sorry.” Nymph picked up the crystal ball. “It’s okay, Chrysalis. Just come home. We will be merciful and it will help the people calm down. The princesses want to give you a chance to redeem yourself.” To her surprise, Chrysalis shook her head. “I can’t, Nymph. I still have things I need to do. It will be a while before we can meet face to face.” Nymph sighed loudly as she expected something like that from her. “Are you at least doing all right? I haven’t heard from you in so long and I was worried sick.” “I’m doing very well.” “I’m glad. So you have actually made friends in Equestria?” “Yes. They’re all good friends who I care about, but they don’t know who I am. It would drive them away if they found out.” “Are you going to tell them?” Chrysalis sighed deeply. “I will someday. It might be a little harder to now though.” “Why’s that?” Once again, she could see her sister blushing. “Well, a few months ago, I sort of…” “Yes?” “Fell in love.” Nymph dropped the ball and it rolled under her desk. “Nymph?” “O-oh, sorry. I just wasn’t expecting anything like that.” She bent down to retrieve it and set it back on the pedestal. “Chrysalis, I must say that I never thought you would ever have feelings for a pony.” “It came to me as a surprise as well, but we’re very happy together.” Nymph wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. If anything she was saying was true, then it was good Chrysalis fell in love with a pony as it keep her from trying to take over Equestria. However, she felt sorry for the poor soul who was unknowingly dating Equestria’s most wanted. “So who is it? I want to know them.” “I cannot give his name. Let’s just say he’s somepony who I met early during my banishment and he has really won me over. We’ve been dating for a while and I want to spend my life with him.” “As in marry him?” Chrysalis turned her head, blushing more. “Perhaps have a few little Chrysalises running around?” The older changeling put her hooves over her mouth and giggled like a little hatchling. “This is just so unbelievable.” “I know it is. I wish I could tell you more about him and what has happened with me, but I’m afraid I must be going now, so goodnight, Nymph. Take care of yourself.” She shot straight up in her chair. “What!? N-no! You can’t just leave! There’s so much I need to say to you!” “You can tell me all of it when I return. I will be safe, so don’t worry about me. Goodbye, Nymph.” Chrysalis’s image began to fade from the orb. “Wait! Don’t go, Chrysalis!” It was too late. Nymph channeled her magic and concentrated as she searched for her. Despite her efforts, she could not pick up a trace of her magic. Clearly her sister was making sure she was not found by anyone until she was ready. Knowing she wasn’t going to get anywhere, she got up and headed to the door. Upon opening it, she saw her four guards staring at her. “Tell every guard currently on duty that we are on red alert. Everything is fine, but I just want to make sure nothing happens. I will explain what we talked about with the council tomorrow.” They saluted her and flew off in different directions as the queen reentered her bedroom and threw herself on the bed. She was depressed that Chrysalis once again disappeared, but it was great relief for her to confirm that she was safe. Nymph closed her eyes and smiled. Chrysalis said she was not after revenge and was sorry for how she treated her. Although she knew to be wary of any lies her sister might tell, her words were as sweet as honey to her. However, whether or not she was being truthful didn’t change the fact there was an already troubling problem. Chrysalis had become romantically involved with a pony, fooling him into believing she was some sort of sweet, normal mare. She felt nothing but absolute pity for the unfortunate soul who is dating her sister. She could only hope Chrysalis was ready to experience potential heartbreak. There was also what Chrysalis said about having things to do. What in the world could she be trying to do before turning herself in? Nymph pulled the covers over her body. “Don’t do anything stupid, Chrysie,” she whispered in the darkness, falling asleep minutes later.