//------------------------------//
// Date of Deceit 
// Story: The Queen of Hearts 
// by Pumpernickel Rye 
//------------------------------//


Date of Deceit


“Now Luna, I need you to think very carefully of your choice. A wrong choice could ruin everything before you even begin.”

Luna bit her lip as her eyes shifted left and right, examining both of her options. “This is too much! I need more time to think!”

The Sun Princess shook her head. “There isn’t any time left. You have to choose now.”

Luna could feel her heart racing as she thought hard of what was the best choice. Both options seemed to be the right choice, but she had no way of knowing. They could both be wrong for all she knew. After some very careful consideration, she made her decision. “I choose…purple!”

Celestia placed the blue dress down on the bed and gave the purple dress to Luna. “I think that is a good choice. Something of a different color from your coat should really make you stand out.”

Luna went behind a dressing screen and began putting it on. “It looks lovely, but I just hope Cherub likes this.”

“Knowing her, I think she might be more interested in getting you to take it off,” Celestia teased.

Luna rolled her eyes. “It’s been over a thousand years since I have been on a date and my first one with a mare. I actually feel very nervous.”

Her sister chuckled. “You? A mighty alicorn afraid of a simple date?”

“I haven’t done anything like this in so long and I haven’t even researched dating in this modern era. I just want to impress her.”

“And you will. With everything planned, I’m sure this night will be unforgettable for the both of you, so relax and have a good time. It’ll be just like whenever you two are together, only with a bit more romance.”

Luna moved the screen aside, showing her in the long, dark purple dress that showed the various phases of the moon around the edge of the skirt. It was rather simple in design for alicorn attire, but Celestia felt it would be more than enough for tonight. “How does it look?” she asked with a nervous blush.

“You look so cute, Lulu. I can tell now that purple was a good idea.”

Luna sat at her mirror to brush her hair. “Have you spoken with Cadance yet?”

“Yes and she has everything prepared for you two. I’m sure you and Cherub will find it to your liking.”

“Such a sweet girl for helping her old aunt.”

“She loves you, Luna. You shouldn’t be so nervous about asking her for help.”

“I know. It will be nice to spend some time with her and Shining while we’re there.”

Celestia retrieved a small box and placed it in front of her sister. “And I should also let you know that Nymph is dying for the details of what you two do tonight.”

Luna opened the box, containing sapphire earrings, and began putting them on. “Why am I not surprised?” 

“Because she is nosey for gossip and has been obsessing over you two since your relationship had been announced to the media.” 

Luna giggled. “So very true. At least it’ll keep her distracted from worrying about Chrysalis.” When she finished, she let out a sigh. “I wonder where that changeling is right now.”

Celestia shrugged and rested her head on a hoof. “That is the million bit question. I’m quite surprised she has not tried anything against my student and her friends after all this time.”

“She must be planning something big, but that wouldn’t explain why she would send a letter or even mention that she was involved with somepony.”

“There are a million possible reasons for why she hasn’t carried out her revenge. I hope she has used her time wisely to think over what she has done and better herself. However, no matter how sorry she is, it is going to be living Tartarus for us all when she shows up.”

Luna got off her seat and flopped on her bed, thinking about all of the ponies and even changelings demanding that they shove Chrysalis into some deep, dark hole. “Even I still have yet to get everypony past the whole Nightmare Moon incident. I’m afraid she is going to find it much harder to achieve forgiveness than I have since her invasion is still fresh on everypony’s mind.”

“That is if she is in fact sorry for what she did.”

Luna nodded. “We can only pray. She will face many trials to earn the trust of both our kingdoms.”

“I’m sure no matter what, Nymph will force us into accepting her.” Celestia smiled as Luna chuckled from her remark. “But what about you? Can you find it in your heart to forgive the evil queen?”

Luna developed an irritated scowl and crossed her forelegs as she looked at the ceiling. “It all depends on her. Even so, it will be difficult for me to do so for obvious reasons.”

Celestia moved to the edge of the bed, placing a hoof on Luna’s shoulder. “It’s in the past, Lulu. You never have to worry about that again. Now let’s stop worrying about such things and think about your date. We wouldn’t want your niece’s lessons to go to waste, do we?”

Luna smiled. “Of course not. Tonight is going to be a time of joy, not misery. I shouldn’t ruin the mood by worrying so much. I’m sure Cherub is relaxed and taking her time, so I should do the same.”





Chrysalis slammed her hooves down on the table. “How many more things are on your stupid list!? This is taking forever!”

Twilight huffed in annoyance while examining her scroll. “There’s still your make-up, your hair, and your dress.”

Chrysalis snatched the list from her and looked it over. “Luna’s going to be here any minute! Why are we so behind on everything!?”

“We’re almost done and you have almost an hour, so just relax,” Dash snapped in frustration.

Chrysalis whirled around and looked directly at her. “Have you ever been out on a date with an alicorn?”

“No, but there’s no reason to act like a jerk!” shouted Trixie, only to quickly dodge a magical bolt shot straight at her.

Chrysalis was very high strung about the situation. Right after the incident with Time Turner, Luna worked up the courage to ask her out on a romantic date to help her take her mind off of things, which she accepted. It had been over a week since then as Luna was suddenly busy with ponies rushing to her and Celestia, worried about another outbreak of Whooves Syndrome. However, Chrysalis was the type of changeling who wanted things exactly how she wanted them. She had done so while posing as Cadance, but now she was more aggressive than before. This was going to be a romantic date with a pony she actually had feelings for, which was something she had not done in a very long time. They had been sitting at one of the many tables at the speed dating section of her home with her yelling her head off almost the entire time as they helped prepare her for the night. She swore if anypony ruined this night for her, she would snap their neck. “When is Rarity going to be here? She’s three minutes late!”

“She’ll be here before Luna comes, so please just shut up and chill out,” pleaded Applejack.

Before Chrysalis could shout some more, Pinkie appeared and held her hoof. “Now, now, Cherub. Luna wouldn’t like it if you were all angry and stuff on your date. We don’t want you to be like the old Cherub, remember? Just relax and everything will be totally okay. You have to trust us.”

Much to everypony’s surprise, the changeling relaxed. “You’re right. There’s no point in getting upset over some little things. I’m so sorry for snapping at you all. You’re all doing your best and I’m just being a pain in the flank.”

Applejack chuckled. “It’s fine. We know ya just want to impress Luna.”

“Fluttershy,” she called, causing the pony’s head to poke out from behind the couch. “I’m so sorry for yelling. It’s okay to come out.”

The pegasus slowly came out. “O-oh, I-I hope so.”

When she fully came into view, they noticed Spike clinging to her leg. “Spike, how long have you been hiding there?” asked Twilight. 

“As long as she has.” He let her go and remained on the spot. “No offense, but I feel safer over here."

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to yell anymore,” Chrysalis promised. “Why don’t you come on over here and help?”

He quickly took a step back. “N-no thanks.”

“Come on, scaredy drake,” taunted Rainbow Dash. “Even Fluttershy’s over here. You’re not actually scared of Cherub, are you?”

“N-no way! I’m not scared of her!” he argued while taking another step away.

“He totally is,” mocked Trixie. “So much for being Rarity’s brave knight.”

He could feel his cheeks burn as the ponies laughed at him. “O-oh yeah!? I’ll show you!” He marched over and stood right in front of Chrysalis. “There. I am totally not-” Chrysalis bent down and scooped him up, causing him to break into panic. “Help! She’s got me! Celestia, where are you!?”

“As I thought,” Chrysalis taunted as she dropped him on the floor.

He stood by Twilight and crossed his arms. “This is the last time I’m ever helping you,” he muttered as Chrysalis laughed at him.

Chrysalis was interrupted when the front door of Cupid’s Arrow opened and Rarity walked in with a large, flat box on her back. “Hello, Cherub! I have your dress right here!” she called with delight.

Chrysalis shot up excitedly. “About time you arrived. Did you make it in the way I wanted?”

The unicorn walked up to her and held out the box. She opened it a tiny bit and Chrysalis looked inside, smiling widely afterward. “Of course. I promise you that Luna will absolutely love it! Now let’s go upstairs and give it a try. Fluttershy, can you come lend a hoof? We also have to do her hair real quick.”

The yellow pony gulped and trudged as slowly as she could towards them. “S-sure.”

Chrysalis took the box and made her way into the bedroom with the two ponies following. While she was getting dressed, the other ponies and dragon talked. “This is so exciting! I can’t imagine what it will be like for her to go on a date with Princess Luna!” said Trixie.

“I must admit, this is totally surprising. I never saw them as the kind to actually love each other,” spoke Spike, “especially with how scary she was a few minutes ago.”

“Maybe if it goes well enough, there will be a second royal wedding in the future!” exclaimed Pinkie, causing all of the ponies to giggle.

“That would be pretty awesome,” said Dash. “Hopefully nothing goes wrong this time.”

“Yeah. I think we all had enough excitement with the last one, but I really doubt the changelings will want to try something like that again,” said Twilight.

“And think about it, Twilight. Ya and Cherub are goin’ to be related! Ain’t that somethin’?”

Pinkie laughed. “That would be so funny because…” She fell silent, realizing she could not tell them what she was thinking. It was amusing to her that Chrysalis would end up being related to her when she had failed doing so before.

“Because what, Pinkie?” asked the unicorn.

The pink pony thought desperately. “Because…you would be related to two ponies who work with love and yet you don’t have any!”

All of the ponies but Twilight laughed hard. “Wow, thanks,” she grumbled.

“You know we can easily fix that,” cooed the magician as she brought her face close to Twilight’s. “Haven’t you heard the news? I’m quite a big deal right now. I could show quite a few of my private tricks.”

Before Twilight could voice her protest, they heard the door upstairs open. They all quickly gathered at the bottom, waiting for the lucky mare to descend. Rarity and Fluttershy appeared first. “I give you,” Rarity pointed up the stairs, “Cherub!” 

They all gasped when Chrysalis came into view. Her dress was a mix of red and pink stripes with little hearts around the sides. She wore ruby red shoes on her hooves, her hair was tied up into the shape of a bun on the back of her head, and her lips were coated with lipstick. No pony said a word while she descended to the bottom as they were in awe. “How do I look?” she asked shyly.

“Cherub, you look amazing!” exclaimed Twilight.

“Seriously, I think even Luna’s gonna be jealous by how beautiful you are,” complemented Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie happily yelled, “If I wasn’t a lesbian already, I would totally become one right now!”

Everypony laughed with her. “That’s certainly an interesting compliment, Pinkie,” said Chrysalis with great amusement.

“Any idea what Luna has planned for the both of you?” Rarity asked curiously. “I bet it is absolutely romantic since she is royalty.”

Chrysalis sat at one of her couches and they gathered around her. “She hasn’t said a single thing. It must be a really big surprise for her to keep silent about it for this long.”

“You sure I can’t come along? I can do a great show while you two have dinner,” pleaded Trixie. “You’ve seen how amazing I am!”

The changeling grinned tauntingly at her. “Why certainly, Trixie. I’m sure we’ll go somewhere that has plenty of curtains you can set on fire.”

Everypony laughed while Trixie blushed. “Oh come on! That was just a simple mistake!”

“I suppose. I guess it’s common of a pony to set off fireworks inside of a building,” she reminded in a somewhat harsh tone.

She crossed her forelegs and turned her head away. “Don’t blame me, blame the audience.”

“At any rate, I’m sure whatever Luna has planned will be great. She has access to the most wonderful places in Equestria and I am more than confident she will not disappoint. Then again, this is her first date in a thousand years, so she might be a bit nervous about pleasing me.”

“Are you nervous?” asked Fluttershy.

Chrysalis leaned against the couch and placed her hooves on the table. “I admit I’m getting cold hooves. I’ve never actually been out with a pony like her before and I pray she will not be critical on me. I really never thought about what her standards are as royalty since we get along so well.”

“You’ll be fine. She loves you for you,” said Twilight.

“I know. I just wish you all were sitting nearby, keeping an eye on things and helping me do things right like I have done for some of you in the past.” She sat up. “Girls and Spike, I just want to say that I am so glad to have met you all. I know you all thought I was an insufferable, moody pony during the first few weeks after I arrived here in Ponyville, but I’m glad we all became friends.”

“You should be thankin’ Pinkie for all that,” noted Applejack as she pointed at the other earth pony.

“I know I should. She is the reason I came to know any of you and Luna as well as I do now.” She pulled in the pink mare for a hug and nuzzled her lovingly. “We’ve spent so much time together that I kind of consider her to be like a daughter to me.” Pinkie giggled as all the ponies simultaneously said “Aw.”

“Hey, Cherub, you ever going to tell us about your secret past yet? We’re just dying to know what’s your deal,” stated the blue pegasus.

“In good time, Rainbow Dash. I would prefer having everything attended to before I do so. I must make sure it all goes according to plan.”

“Can you at least give us a hint of what it is?”

She shook her head with a smile. “I cannot.”

“Ah don’t mean to invade yar privacy, but why are ya so secretive about it in the first place? Ah thought ya just came here after almost getting married.”

“That is true, but I’m afraid there is a lot more to me than you know. What I told you about me is merely the tip of the iceberg.”

“Are you like a secret agent on a top secret mission?” asked Spike with awe.

She chuckled at him. “I’m afraid it’s not that exciting. Your imagination is almost as big as Pinkie’s.”

“Witness protection?” guessed Rarity.

Chrysalis grinned at her. “After your time working for me, I’m sure you could tell that ponies need protection from me.”

The seamstress chuckled. “Very true.”

“Are you some sort of criminal in hiding?” asked Trixie.

While Pinkie became nervous, Chrysalis remained very calm. “Good guess, but if that was true, I wouldn’t be trying to get published on magazines. I know you’re all very curious, but I beg you all to be patient. For now, let us wait for Luna to arrive.”

“Until then, let’s sing the Winter Wrap-up song!” exclaimed Pinkie.

Dash loudly groaned. “Pinkie, we did that like five times four days ago. You know, when Winter Wrap-up actually happened?”

“Well that doesn’t mean we can't sing it again! Are you ready, everypony!?” Pinkie took a deep breath, but Fluttershy reached over and closed her mouth.

“Uh…aren’t we supposed to do that thing we all said we’d do?” 

Everyone but Chrysalis gasped. “How could we forget about something so important!?” exclaimed Rarity.

“What are you talking about?” She watched as they huddled together in a circle, whispering amoungst each other. After a while, they all faced her, with Pinkie standing in front of all of them.

“Cherub, we’ve been doing a lot talking about you and we just want you to know that we all love you so much as a friend. Even though you were pretty mean at first and still are sometimes, we’ll always be here to support you. We know your past was really rough and you still worry about making up for it, but we want you to know that your future is looking pretty bright! No matter how bad it looks, just remember that you have a lot of friends who love you! We’re so grateful with how you help us find love and even got us a job, so we decided to give you something!” Pinkie pulled out a small box and held it to Chrysalis.

The changeling took it and opened it. Upon seeing its contents, she gasped and put a hoof to her mouth. Inside were two earrings, which were rubies in the shape of little hearts. They were each attached to a golden chain and had “C + L” written on the side of each heart. “Oh, I adore it!”

“Put them on. I want to see how it looks,” said Twilight.

She quickly put them on and brought a small mirror to see how she looked. “They’re so lovely.” She lifted her head and looked over the group. “Thank you all so much for your gift. It…it really touches me.”

“It wasn’t too much trouble. Rarity knows many excellent crafts ponies,” said Trixie.

“I’ll always treasure these earrings. Maybe I should consider getting Luna a gift just as nice for our next date.”’

As the ponies spoke in agreement, Pinkie cleared her throat. “Cherub, may I have a quick word with you in the office?” 

Chrysalis nodded and stood up. “Sure. Excuse us.” They entered the back room and Chrysalis closed the door. “What’s on your mind, Pinkie?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot and, well…” Pinkie frowned and looked away.

Chrysalis detected the powerful anxiety she was carrying and knelt in front of her. “What, Pinkie? What’s wrong?” 

The pony slowly looked at her. “I think you should tell Luna who you are tonight,” she said in a timid whisper.

Everything in the room became completely still. The only thing that Chrysalis could hear was her own breathing and her heart beating with enough force to burst out of her chest. “Pinkie,” she said as calmly as she could, “we’re sticking with the plan, remember? We won’t tell her until later.”

“But why should we wait? She’s totally in love with you! You should tell her after your date instead of fooling her like this. It’s not right at all!”

Chrysalis’s eye twitched as she roughly stroked Pinkie’s mane. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but I’ve got it covered. It’s perfectly fine.”

“No, it’s not! If you really love her, then don’t keep lying to her! You have to-”

“Pinkie!” The pony jumped back and could see the incredibly unfriendly look Chrysalis was giving her. They stared at each other for several seconds before Chrysalis’s expression softened. “I’m sorry for snapping, but I really don’t want to think about that tonight. I want this date to be one about love and happiness, not sorrow.”

Pinkie sighed. “Alright. We’ll wait for after Hearts and Hooves like we said. I’m sorry I made you upset.”

“It’s fine. I know you’re looking out for me.” She lightly nudged Pinkie. “Cheer up. It will all work out in the end. Let’s go back out before our friends get worried.” They returned to the main room and sat down. “It is going to be a while before Luna arrives, so does anypony have something fun in mind that doesn’t involve singing?”

“I do!” answered Trixie. “For the next few moments, I shall show you all Trixie’s amazing skill and mastery through a game of…charades!”





They all played charades with Trixie, who was much more skilled than they gave her credit for, for nearly an hour. Eventually, they heard a noise outside that surprised them. All of the ponies and Spike hid in the back room as Chrysalis waited in the main room. She could feel her heart beating intensely as she saw a figure approaching her door. Her doorbell went off and she knew it was time. She went to the door and opened it, finding Luna standing there in all her glory. “Wow,” Chrysalis said in amazement as she looked at her. “You are absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you. You look great yourself.” They both gave each other a quick peck on the lips. “So are you ready to go?” 

“I am. What are we going to do tonight?”

“You’ll see.” Luna walked over to the carriage and opened the door for her.

“You are such a lady.” Chrysalis stepped inside and Luna went in after. Once the door was closed, the pegasi that were pulling lifted into the air. 

The others exited from Cupid’s Arrow and watched as the carriage disappear into the orange sky. “I hope they have fun,” said Rarity.

Twilight nodded at her friend. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. Why don’t we do something fun for ourselves tonight to celebrate?” 

As the group spoke in agreement with each other, Pinkie suddenly panicked. “Oh no! I completely forgot!”

All of her friends immediately looked at her. “What!? What did you forget!?” asked an extremely panicked Twilight. “I thought we checked off everything on the list!”

Pinkie pulled something out that greatly shocked all of them except Spike. “I forgot to give her the safety balloon!”

Twilight grabbed it and quickly hid it, hoping no ponies passing by saw. “Pinkie, she doesn’t need that! And that’s not a balloon!” 





Chrysalis looked out the window and saw that they were incredibly high up in the sky. Overwhelming fear began to take hold as she gained an incredible phobia of heights from being thrown out from Canterlot and almost dying from the landing. She had her hooves wrapped around Luna’s foreleg and she slowly tightened her grip. Luna took notice of what Chrysalis was doing and looked at her. “Is everything alright?”

“I’ve just never been so high up before and I’m a little scared.”

Luna placed one of her hooves on hers. “You are perfectly safe with me.”

Chrysalis laid her head on Luna. “I know. So how come we couldn’t have just teleported to our destination? It really would have saved us a lot of time.”

“It is much too far for me. Besides, isn’t it fun to just be in a private little room together for some time instead of just cutting to the chase?”

“I would agree if I wasn’t so high above the ground.”

“Just relax and enjoy the ride. I do it all the time and nothing bad has ever happened.” Chrysalis laid her head on her lap and Luna ran her hoof through her mane. “So how have you been, Cherub?”

“Fine. The whole Whooves Syndrome incident is starting to become a distant memory for me and things have pretty much returned to normal. I must thank you again for taking me out. It is awfully sweet of you.”

“Anything for you, my little cupid.” She lowered herself and pressed her lips against Chrysalis’s. They remained connected and when the changeling started to get active with her tongue, Luna pulled away. “Awfully eager, aren’t you?”

“How can I not be when I’m alone with you, Lulu? You are the most beautiful mare I have ever laid eyes on and you know how to make me smile.”

“Well I hope you can restrain yourself. It will be a while before we get there and I don’t want us to do too much too soon.”

Chrysalis suddenly let out a yawn. “Then I suppose I should get some rest. I have simply tired myself out worrying about tonight and could use a nap.”

“Here.” Luna lied herself down on the seat and pulled Chrysalis on top of her. The former queen rested her head on Luna’s chest and the alicorn wrapped her wings around her. “Are you comfortable?”

“Mmm, very. You make a nice bed. You’re comfy, your wings keep me warm, and I’m sure your big, soft butt would make a nice pillow.”

The princess laughed. “Please don’t remind me how immature you can be. Just get some rest before our date.” Chrysalis nodded and closed her eyes, falling asleep within a few minutes.





Eventually, the carriage began to descend and the changeling woke up. She got up from Luna and sat back on her side. “I’m glad you’re awake, Cherub. We’re almost there.”

Chrysalis stretched herself while yawning. “Already?”

“Why don’t you look outside? I’m sure you will be surprised.”

Chrysalis turned toward the curtain and pulled it aside. The next thing she saw blew her mind. They were now in a beautiful city, where some of the ponies were actually glowing and there was a large palace in the center that appeared to have been made from crystal. “W-what is this place?”

“This, Cherub, is the Crystal Empire.”

The false unicorn was enthralled with the sight. She had always wanted to go see this place for herself, but never did for some reason. Maybe it was because Cadance and Shining Armor ruled there and being around either of them sometimes generated stress for her. Once the carriage landed, one of Luna’s night guards opened the door for them. When she stepped outside, Chrysalis looked at her surroundings, feeling breathless. Many buildings were made of crystal and although night was approaching, the city shined brightly. “I cannot believe a city more beautiful than Canterlot exists.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Luna spoke as she stood beside her. “I thought this would be the perfect place for our first date.”

“So what are we going to do here?”

“I will show you some of the town and then we will meet up with Cadance and Shining to have dinner at their palace. After that, we can figure out where to go from there. It will be a nice date where we can relax and take it easy.”

“Lead the way.” Chrysalis and Luna walked together through the streets of the empire. While Chrysalis took fascination of her surroundings, many ponies took notice of them, all of them gasping, waving, and even taking photos. “I see the citizens here recognize us.”

“What do you mean us?” Luna joked.

“Okay fine, they recognize you.” She couldn’t believe how a crystal pony’s body shined like an actual crystal. She wondered if she could somehow acquire a similar appearance through a spell to add on to her own beauty. “So have the crystal ponies really been gone for a thousand years?”

“Hard to imagine, right? It’s one thing for a single pony, but for a whole empire? I was amazed Sombra had that kind of power for a unicorn.”

“Hasn’t anypony done something about him by now?” she asked as she remembered Shining mentioning he was still around somewhere in the mountains up north. The last thing she needed was an evil king crashing their date.

“We’ve tried to apprehend him several times, but he just disappears, which is easy since he is just a massive shadow. He’s as elusive as Chrysalis.”

“But nowhere as sexy,” the changeling added playfully.

Luna looked at her with a perplexed look. “Anyway, with the Crystal Heart filled with love, he won’t be able to lay a hoof on anypony here, so he shouldn’t be too much of a problem as long as ponies don’t wonder too far from home.”

Chrysalis figured the massive amount of love she was feeling was from the Crystal Heart itself. “Can we go see the Crystal Heart?” 

“Sure we can. It’s right under the palace.” Luna and Chrysalis went to the center of the city, where the palace stood. Floating underneath it was the heart itself, radiating brightly as it floated in place. Chrysalis was stunned by the incredible amount of love emanating from the object, unknowingly licking her lips. She figured that security around it would become intense once the changelings were allowed in Equestria in order to prevent a feeding frenzy as she herself could feel her restraint breaking. “It’s absolutely beautiful.”

“It truly is. Can you believe that it gets all of its power from love?”

“I can, actually. Love is a wonderful emotion that can motivate a pony into doing unpredictable things.”

“And you have done a wonderful job spreading it through Ponyville. You should be proud of your accomplishments.”

“I know I should. I’m the best there is.” Now that she gave it some thought, she wondered if matchmaking was something she would keep doing after she revealed the truth. She would probably still be a princess of the Changeling Kingdom, but more than likely the council would keep her on a short leash to ensure she didn’t do any more damage. Without much of a political career, she would stick with her current job, despite not needing to earn a living if she was with Luna. She would do it because it was something she loved doing. Not only that, but it would help keep her people full and satisfied.

“You know, you’ve never told me how you got your cutie mark.” 	

Chrysalis snapped out of her thinking and looked at Luna nervously. “I haven’t? We’ve known each other for so long and I haven’t thought about it.”

“Why don’t you tell me all about it? I would love to hear it.”

Chrysalis quickly looked back at the Crystal Heart. “I know you would, but perhaps another time. It is very personal.”

Luna sighed in defeat. “If you say so. Looks like another secret for your massive pile.”

One side of Chrysalis’s face cringed. “Everypony has secrets, I just happen to have more than most.”

“What else is new?” Luna looked at a nearby clock tower. “It’s about time we met up with Cadance and Shining for dinner, so it’s good we came here.”

“Free dinner in a palace of an empire that disappeared for a thousand years and is mostly made from crystal? You are just spoiling me.”

The alicorn giggled. “But Cherub, how could I possibly do that when you already were spoiled?”

Chrysalis chuckled and nuzzled against her. “Well you got me there.”

They approached the entrance of the crystal palace and the guards opened the doors for them as they recognized Luna. As they entered, they found Cadance and Shining Armor  waiting for them. “Welcome to the Crystal Empire,” greeted Shining Armor. “I hope you both have been having fun so far.”

“Oh, you two look so great!” exclaimed his wife excitedly.

“Thank you, Cadance. The girls spent so much time helping me get ready and Rarity even made my dress.”

The Princess of Love circled around her, examining her dress with great admiration. “I love the design! It would fit me so perfectly. Cherub, I don’t mean to be unoriginal, but could I perhaps get one made that looks exactly like that? I think we would look great together on Hearts and Hooves!”

“Of course you can, Cadance. I’m sure it will look cute on you.”

The prince and princess led them into the dining hall and they seated themselves at a large table. Shining and Cadance were seated together on one side while Chrysalis and Luna were on the other. Several servants came in and set the food on the table. For their meal there was warm bread, vegetable soup, garden salad, and pasta covered with various sauces. Cadance brought out a wine bottle and poured some into everyone’s glass. Once she finished, she raised her own. “A toast to my aunt’s first date in a thousand years!”

Luna blushed as they toasted their glasses. “Please don’t remind me how long it has been since I’ve dated.”

Chrysalis decided to have some fun. “Then we won’t talk about that. Hey, Luna, when was the last time you had sex?” Luna froze dead on the spot and the couple across from her was just as surprised while the changeling giggled from all of their reactions. She removed her shoe from one of her hind legs and rubbed her hoof up and down Luna’s leg as she leaned near her. “Well? Let’s hear it,” she whispered.

Luna snapped out of her state of shock and proceeded to eat her food. “C-Cherub, I think you should be trying this food. Cadance and Shining Armor did invite us here for dinner, after all.” The changeling smiled and decided to do what Luna wanted. Across the table, she could see the expressions of the Crystal Empire’s rulers. While Shining Armor still looked surprised, Cadance looked excited as she ate, probably hoping that Luna and Chrysalis would end this date with a bang.

Once she calmed herself. Cadance asked, “So what exactly happened in Ponyville? Everypony in Equestria was going ballistic over the news of some mystery disease that was going to end the world as we know it.”

“It was the craziest thing,” said Chrysalis. “A pony named Time Turner drank some weird potion and it gave him these crazy powers that would make Discord jealous. I thought it was the end for sure.”

“How did he even get a thing like that?” asked Shining, concerned. “I didn’t think it was possible to make such a thing.”

Luna shrugged. “The poor thing doesn’t remember, which is strange. He could have gotten it in the mail for all I know. We investigated Zecora, but we found no evidence against her. I personally do not think she was involved.”

“They’ve been saying some teenage pegasus mare was there the day before he got sick, so I bet she had something to do with it,” Chrysalis said, thankful that she thought ahead with that plot.

“It is very possible. It was indeed a very bizarre incident,” spoke Luna. “Thankfully, we were able to put it to an end before things got out of control.”

“I just hope Turner hasn’t gone back to his own ways,” commented Chrysalis as she stabbed her fork into her meal.

Cadance looked at the former queen. “And from what I’ve heard from Twilight, you were very heroic, Cherub.”

Chrysalis felt herself blush, suddenly remembering the stunt she pulled. “She told you that? It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“It was a big deal,” spoke Cadance. “You risked your life to protect her and we are so thankful. We’re actually glad Luna wanted to bring you here as we wanted to repay you for being so heroic.”

“It is amazing how much you have changed from when we first met,” Luna commented.

Chrysalis took a sip of her wine and nodded. “Very true. Normally I would’ve stayed behind, but she as well as the rest of them has really grown on me. I was so scared when I saw Turner try to attack her that I acted without thinking.”

“I was worried you got hurt,” said Luna in a somewhat serious voice while rubbing a hoof against Chrysalis’s side.

“Better me than her.” Chrysalis paused as she was in disbelief of what she was about to say out loud. “I would die for Twilight.”

“How very noble of you to say that.”

Detecting a small spark of envy, Chrysalis laid her head against Luna. “Don’t worry. I’d do the same for you, Luna, and you as well, Cadance.”

“What about me?” asked the stallion.

“Meh.”

They all shared a friendly laugh. “So how’s your Hearts and Hooves fair going?” asked Cadance.

“It’s pretty much ready at this point. I got food, entertainment, security, and all the other things figured out, so now I just have to wait for the big day. I guarantee it will be one holiday for the history books.”

Cadance smiled. “It sounds like it’s going to be great. I just wish Celestia would reconsider going with a date. She shouldn’t be all by herself.”

“I think it’s a good thing she’s going alone,” commented Chrysalis before sipping her soup.

“And why is that?” asked Luna with a hint of suspicion.

“I am going to use her to start a bid.”

Everypony looked at her in confusion. “A bid? For what?” questioned her date.

Chrysalis happily clapped her hooves together. “A bid to see how much money ponies are willing to spend to make Celestia their date for a day!”

The night alicorn sighed and shook her head. “You are a child.”

“What? I would do it not only for charity, but as a little experiment to see how popular she is.”

“Cherub, don’t you dare label my sister as an object that ponies can buy. I would not want to embarrass her like you do to me sometimes.”

“Me? Embarrass you? Why, whatever do you mean?”

Luna rolled her eyes with a smile. “Promise me you will not put up this ridiculous auction.”

“Fine, I promise. As for getting her a date, I can try to find one last minute if she reconsiders. And if all else fails, I could always be her date.”

“But you’re my date!” complained Luna, obviously offended by her comment.

“Can’t I have both?” Chrysalis asked innocently. The answer she received was an elbow jabbed into her side by Luna, causing her some pain. “So does this mean I shouldn’t expect to have a royal threesome with you two?” The princess jabbed her once again, using much more force this time, and knocked the wind out of Chrysalis. The changeling rubbed her sore side, thankful that she had a tough carapace underneath her illusion. Otherwise, she would have had some of her ribs broken.

“Keep it up and you will be walking home,” Luna scolded. 

“Okay, I’m sorry, it was a bad joke.” Of course, she could never tell Luna that it wasn’t completely a joke. “Let’s talk about something else. Anything you two want to share?”

“I do,” spoke the prince. “Time Turner wrote an episode based on what happened to him in Ponyville and it was a huge hit. I think it broke some records.”

“He did?” Chrysalis asked with confusion. “What could he have possibly written?”

“Oh, it was great,” said Shining Armor with excitement. “So Doctor Whooves goes to this weird planet and he ends up catching this weird disease from eating some berries, but this weird alien pony he befriend that rhymes everything she says decides to help him get better. She takes him to where the cure is, but it is guarded by an army of ninja wizards. So they get around them, cure him, and right before he leaves, the alien pony admits she is drawn to him and wishes to go on adventures with him. I can’t wait to see the next episode with her tagging along.”

Chrysalis’s head was tilted as she stared at him. “I thought Twilight was supposed to be the biggest nerd in your family.”

The stallion blushed and sunk into his chair as Cadance hugged him. “My Shiny may be a big nerd, but he’s also a sweet and lovable hunk. I love him so much and wouldn’t trade him for anything in the world.”

“I see. At least you two are happy together and accept each other for who you are.” Chrysalis then imagined what her life would have been like had she ended up marrying him, predicting many nights filled with them playing Oubliettes and Ogres.





“To Luna and Cherub!” spoke Celestia as she raised her mug.

“To Luna and Cherub!” spoke the other ponies as they banged their mugs together right before drinking their hot chocolate inside Doughnut Joe’s shop. 

Celestia placed her mug down and grabbed a powdered doughnut from the pile in the middle of the table. “It was so nice to help my dearest sister with her first date in so long. How was helping Cherub?” Much to her surprise, everypony but Pinkie groaned. “That bad?”

“Man oh man, you haven’t seen scary until you see what she was like worrying over a date,” spoke Dash as she reached towards the large plate of doughnuts. “I don’t know about you, but I think she’s a bit nuts.”

“She seemed normal to me,” argued Rarity.

Spike clung to her. “She was totally super crazy before you came. I hope this date goes okay. I wanna live.”

“With Cadance helping, I am confident everything will be perfectly fine,” spoke Nymph from the crystal ball that sat at the center of the table. “How could she not find joy in the Crystal Empire? It sounds like an absolutely romantic place.”

“It could have been better if she brought Trixie with her for a grand performance.”

Dash looked at the unicorn across from her. Rather than her magician getup, Trixie wore a medal around her neck and two sashes around her body, trying to score autographs during their night out. One sash read, “Hero of Equestria", while the other said, “Best Pony". “Seriously, Trixie, why are you talking like that again?”

“Talking like what?”

“In third person,” answered Twilight.

“Trixie can talk however she wants. There’s no law against it.” She bit into a jelly doughnut. “Anyway, Trixie is sure that Luna will make Cherub very happy, but if it doesn’t go well, Trixie has prepared an emergency bunker in the basement at Twilight’s to escape her wrath.”

“Ah think we should just send her Pinkie if things don’t go well,” suggested Applejack. “After all, she does always manage to make Cherub happy.”

“No kidding. How do you even do that, Pinkie?” asked Rainbow. “One minute she’s ready to rip our heads off and then all of a sudden she’s super friendly. What’s your secret?”

“It’s because I’m her best friend!” Pinkie answered as she poured a massive amount of hot fudge over a pile of doughnuts.

“And because you know something about her that we don’t,” added Rarity.

“That too!”

“Could you tell us what that is?” asked Fluttershy.

“Nope! I made a promise!” Pinkie then slammed her face onto the table, devouring every chocolate-covered doughnut on her plate within seconds. When she lifted her head, her entire face was covered in fudge and frosting. “We’re going to need more doughnuts over here!” she shouted to Doughnut Joe. 

Rarity made a face of disgust and shielded her eyes with her hooves. “Pinkie, where are your manners!? Go clean yourself this instant!”

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie got up from her seat and hopped towards the restroom.

When Pinkie went inside the restroom, Dash leaned towards the others. “Okay, I really wanna know what the deal with Cherub is. I mean why is she so secretive about everything?”

“That is a very good question, but she said she would tell us soon,” said Celestia. “We just need to be patient and wait for her to feel ready.”

“Well I think I already know who she is.”

Everyone looked at her curiously. “Really? Who?” asked Nymph. 

Dash motioned them all closer and then whispered, “A secret agent.”

Everypony looked at her in total surprise until Trixie started laughing. “Are you joking? That’s the stupidest thing Trixie’s ever heard in her life!”

Dash stood up and planted her front hooves on the table. “Oh yeah? It totally makes sense! She’s all secretive about herself, she gets to make profiles about a bunch of ponies, and she has connections to the princesses. It totally makes sense!”

“Oh please. Trixie has a far better explanation of who she is.”

“Oh yeah? What?”

“She’s a space alien!”

Dash sat back down while rolling her eyes. “Get real! There’s no such thing as aliens!”

“Oh yeah? She acts so weird and somehow knows which ponies are good enough for each other. I mean how else would she be so good at it without some sort of alien technology?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think Trixie may be on to something,” spoke Twilight. “Remember when she first came to Ponyville? She acted weird a lot and seemed to have trouble acting like a normal pony. Her being an alien would make sense after thinking about what she was like.”

“Twilight, this isn’t one of your books,” said Rarity. “Besides, her being a secret agent who risks her life to save the world and falls in love with Princess Luna is far more romantic. I would hate it if she was some sort of gross creature instead of the beautiful Cherub we all know.”

“No way,” argued Spike. “She’s totally an alien. That explains why she’s so scary and why she always has the window blinds closed. I bet when she closes Cupid’s Arrow, she turns into her true form and makes contact with her home planet! They could be plotting an invasion right now!”

“I-I-I really hope she’s not an alien,” spoke Fluttershy while poking out from under the table. “That would be really, really scary if aliens existed. I’d feel a lot better if she was a secret agent. I don’t think aliens even exist.”

“They do too!” protested Applejack. “Ah know some farmers that got crazy crop circles and no pony has been able to explain it. Once Ah invited Cherub to have dinner with my family and the whole time she was there, Winona growled and barked at her the whole time and she never does that! If Cherub is anythin’, she’s gotta be one of them space folk. Twi ain’t kidding about Cherub actin’ all weird.”

“I’m with her,” spoke Nymph. “If she really was an agent, then Celestia and Luna would know about it. Besides, it would explain why Pinkie is so drawn to her. She’s an alien!”

“That’s so stupid!” yelled Dash. “She’s an agent and you know it!”

“You’re stupid!” shouted Trixie. “She’s clearly from outer space!”

“Secret agent!” shouted half the group.

“Space alien!” shouted the other half.

“Ahem!” Everyone looked at Celestia. “I can’t believe you would all fight over something so outrageous when you have no proof of either theory. It is ridiculous and childish.” They looked away from her, embarrassed. “Besides, it’s possible she could be a secret agent space alien.” The others murmured with each other in agreement. “Whatever she may be, I think we will accept her for who she is since we are all her friends.”

“Not to mention how she helped some of us find our special somepony,” commented Spike as he leaned against Rarity.

Pinkie returned from the restroom and sat at the table. “I’m back! What are you all talking about?”

“About how Cherub helped you and your friends find love,” answered Nymph.

“She’s totally great at it! If it weren’t for her, I don’t think I’d ever be with Fluttershy!” Pinkie hugged her tightly. “I’m so happy that I think we should make-out right now!” 

“N-n-n-not in front of everypony!” whispered Fluttershy in shock.

“I can’t wait to get older,” grumbled Spike as he slumped in his seat.

“You know, Spike,” said Nymph suddenly, “it must be so very nice to be around so many beautiful girls. You’re living every guy’s dream.”

“Yeah, but there’s only one girl for me and she is the best there is.” He took Rarity’s hoof and kissed it, causing her to blush.

“And I am very glad to see you two together. It is simply sweet to see the both of you together. I am just curious, though. Who was your second choice?”

“Huh?”

“Your second choice if things didn’t work out with Rarity. Surely you have thought about it since you always hang out with your other friends, who are all older mares,” said Nymph. “Perhaps somepony other than Rarity caught your eye?”

He gulped and quickly looked away and the ponies looked at him with great anticipation. “M-maybe.”

All of the girls grinned at him. “So who were you going to go for after Rarity?” asked Twilight. “I can’t imagine you liking anypony else after all the time you spent obsessing over her.”

Spike blushed as his breathing rate increased, trying to force himself to form his answer. “A-Applejack.”

The farmer was next to blush as everypony else gasped. “Aw shucks, Spike. Ya really know how to flatter a girl. Ah didn’t even think Ah was even your type.”

“What can I say? Not only are you attractive, but you’re all brave and stuff. I kind of look up to you as my hero.”

“Anypony after her?” asked Nymph curiously.

Spike closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Well…there was Fluttershy since she’s really nice and cute.” The pegasus gasped and hid her face behind her hair as Pinkie giggled in response. “Then after her, it was Tw…P-Pinkie! And then Rainbow Dash.”

Celestia chuckled and rubbed the top of his head. “Goodness, Spike, I didn’t-”

“Hold on a minute!” interrupted Dash loudly as she slammed her hooves on the table. “Why am I dead last!?” She leaned over and stuck her face in front of Spike’s. “You trying to say something about me? Well, tough guy?”

The dragon immediately hid behind Rarity. “I’m not! No offense, but you’re a little extreme for me, Dash. I think I would die if I did any stuff you like doing with you.”

“Fair enough. You’re too wimpy for me anyway,” teased Dash as she got back down.

“What about the crusaders?” asked Twilight. “Ever thought of dating one of them since they’re closer to your age?”

Spike quickly shook his head and even shuddered. “Not in this lifetime. Until they get their cutie marks, they’re going to be nothing but trouble.” 

“Well if ya had to pick one, who would ya choose?”

“I think Sweetie Belle,” Spike answered with a shrug.

“Because she’s Rarity’s sister?” asked Trixie with a grin.

He sighed. “Yeah…”

“How about this?” asked Twilight. “If you got older and were still single, would you rather date Celestia or Luna?”

The dragon rubbed his chin. “Celestia. I like Luna too, but I’ve known Celestia longer.”

The princess kissed his cheek. “Good choice.”

He smiled as well as blushed, but immediately snapped out of it when he saw the harsh look Rarity gave him. “Well how about this for you girls? Would you rather date Discord or King Sombra?”

“Neither,” they all said with a laugh.

“Sombra.” Everyone immediately looked at Rarity. “What? He’s a king.”

“I got one!” said Rainbow. “Spike, would you rather date Nightmare Moon or Chrysalis?”

Spike munched into an éclair with gem shards sprinkled on top. “Ugh, just give me Nightmare Moon any day of the week.”

“You wouldn’t miss the sun?” Celestia jested. 

“It’s better than being with Chrysalis, who would just eat all my love. I also want to mention how gross looking and butt ugly she is with those holes, her fangs, and those really big eyes. I’d rather jump off a cliff than kiss that bat-faced, bug-eyed, booger-nose, baloney-brained beetle-butt. She has to be the most unattractive person I have ever seen in my life.” Spike lifted up his mug to drink some hot chocolate and when he set it down, he could see Nymph giving him a look as if she was ready to send him to an early grave through the crystal ball. “What?”

“You really think all that about Chrysalis?” she asked coldly.

“Yeah. Thinking about her makes me want to puke.”

She leaned in closer. “And you are aware Chrysalis and I are very similar in appearance, right?”

“Well yeah, but…” The dragon fell dead quiet as he realized what he had implied, causing him to grow a look of horror on his face.

“Spike, do you think I’m…ugly?” she asked as her eyes glowed brightly.

Spike could feel himself quaking on the spot. “N-no! I don’t think that! You’re totally beautiful, Nymph! Right, girls?” When he looked around the table, he saw that he was the only one there. “G-girls?”

“Spike,” the queen seethed hatefully, “admit it. You think I’m repulsive.”

“I do not! I think you’re good looking! Honest!”

“And yet you are disgusted by my sister, who looks similar to me. How do you explain that?”

Spike had never been so afraid in his life. His hands were trembling, his teeth were chattering, his bladder was filling, and his spine was tingling. If he didn’t come up with something soon, Twilight was going to need a new assistant. “W-well, you see, it’s because…because…she’s evil! And, like, when a mare acts all mean, that’s unattractive because personality is everything. That’s why you look great while she doesn’t while looking kind of the same. Y-you know?”

The drake held his breath and his eyes met Nymph’s, waiting for her to answer. She continued her harsh stare, only to suddenly return to her cheery self in an instant. “Oh, you are absolutely right! Being mean really does wonders to a person’s appearance. I’m so glad you see more than what’s on the outside.”

All of the ponies returned from hiding under the table and sighed with relief. “It’s why he’s my Spikey-Wikey,” complemented Rarity.

“And now Spike-Wikey needs to take a tinkle-winkle.” Spike ran off to the restroom as all the mares laughed.

“I hope I didn’t scare him too much,” said Nymph.

“I think we should ask if he finds you or Cherub scarier,” suggested Pinkie, causing the others to laugh.

“Speaking of Cherub, I hope everything is going well with her and Luna,” spoke Celestia as she leaned against her seat and stared at the ceiling. “Then again, I really hope it doesn’t go too well.”

“Scared of finding love stains in the carriage?” teased Trixie.

Celestia blushed. “I’m only afraid of that because I don’t know that much about Cherub. I don’t want Luna to get hurt if they go too far.” She then produced a deep sigh and stared at the ceiling in the doughnut shop, not noticing Spike returning and swiping some of her doughnuts.





Cadance opened the door for them. “And this is where Shiny and I sleep. Isn’t it cute?” 

Luna and Chrysalis stepped into the room with the large double bed. To the side was a balcony, overlooking the empire the couple ruled. Chrysalis went over to it and looked down below. “Such a lovely view. I can’t believe ponies as young as you two rule over all this.”

“It was strange to suddenly inherit an entire empire shortly after getting married, but we’ve been doing a good job so far,” said Shining Armor. 

“You mean I have been doing a good job. You weren’t raised to be a ruler,” Cadance teased joyfully.

Her husband chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. At least I’m good with things involving the military.”

“That reminds me. Luna, could you perhaps take a quick look at something? I’ve been mulling over it for over a week and I’d like a second opinion.”

Luna nodded at her niece. “Of course. Cherub, you stay here with Shining Armor and we’ll be back shortly.”

“You better. We’re still on our date.” Luna blew her a kiss and left the room with Cadance, leaving Chrysalis alone with the stallion. She walked around the room and her eyes fell upon something on the nightstand. Much to her surprise, it was the apology letter she had written to them in a picture frame. She picked it up, staring at it in disbelief. “So this is the letter Chrysalis sent you?”

“The very same,” he replied bluntly.

“Does this mean you want to give her a chance?”

“It means that Cadance does,” Shining Armor answered bitterly.

Chrysalis set it down and looked at him. “So what about you?”

“I...I’d feel better if she didn’t come back at all.” Shining Armor sat on the bed and stared at the floor in front of him.

“I take it this means you’re not willing to forgive her yet.”

He shook his head. “Cadance and Celestia keep telling me that maybe she is sorry, but they need to wake up and remember what she has done. Chrysalis is a cruel, unloving thing that takes pleasure in making everyone suffer. I don’t care how sorry she is. She is not coming anywhere near here. I am not making any more mistakes.”

“Mistakes?”

The stallion slouched even more and the changeling could feel him emanating massive amounts of sorrow. “I was so stubborn and stupid that I couldn’t even figure out my own fiancée was an imposter. She acted nowhere near like the mare I loved and I was too stupid to notice.”

“Shining, do not blame yourself. She had everypony fooled. Besides, she had you under her spell, so there was no way you could have known about her.”

“And? That doesn’t excuse the fact I turned against my own sister. My Cadance was trapped somewhere and I couldn’t save her. I’m a pathetic excuse for a knight.”

“No, that’s not true at all. She loves you and you’re a great husband. You have to believe me when I say you are not at fault in any way. Chrysalis was a horrible changeling who used her magic to alter your sense of judgment. You weren’t you when she was around. You also saved your city when you created that barrier to throw them out, so try to let it go. Your nightmare with Chrysalis is over.”

“Yeah…”

Strangely, the unicorn seemed to be even more distressed. It was clear to Chrysalis that Shining Armor had something locked away deep down inside of him. “Was there something else?” Shining turned his head away and Chrysalis sat down next to him, holding his hoof. “You know you can talk to me. I’m your friend.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Do I have to get Cadance?” He huffed loudly. “Just talk to me. I promise I won’t tell anypony else. You can trust me.”

Chrysalis waited as Shining remained silent. She couldn’t begin to imagine what he was thinking and felt very worried. Eventually, he sighed. “I… don’t know if it’s true, but I keep having this feeling that…that…”

“What?”

“That she…took advantage of me.”

Chrysalis’s entire body immediately became tense. “Shining, I really, really don’t think that happened.”

“How do you know? You weren’t there during the wedding. I can barely remember what happened when we were alone together. I keep getting these images in my mind over and over of her…you know.” 

“Well I think you should talk to somepony. You really need to get these fantasies out of your head.”

He sighed deeply. “I’ve tried, but I can’t. Especially now.”

“What do you mean?”

Shining finally looked at her. “Have you ever wondered why she laid low for so long before now?”

“Because she was in hiding?”

“That, and she was waiting.”

The changeling gulped, fearful of what else could possibly be going through his mind. “Waiting for what?”

He immediately cringed. “To give birth.”

Chrysalis’s jaw hit the floor. “What?”

“I mean, that makes sense, right? If anypony saw she had a baby, she would be easier to find. And even worse, we’d all know who the father is. It’s the perfect cover, Cherub. We’re looking for a single mare, not a mother.”

Chrysalis could feel her stomach churn from listening to him. As much as she hated to admit it, Shining Armor was being very logical. She did go as far as try to marry him while posing as his lover, so it would have made sense for ponies to think she went that far since they remember how evil she was. There was also how her having a child would have made her much more difficult to find and it had been long enough since the wedding for her to have a child if she had in fact became pregnant from the stallion. It was a good theory to some extent, but she could not let him be burdened with such horrible thoughts. “That’s…quite an awful thing to think about, but we don’t know if that’s true.”

“Then what? Why did she choose to reveal herself after so long? Why else would she send us the letter and not Celestia or Twilight? She has something up her sleeve and I think it’s a little bundle.” He stood up, walked to the picture frame of him and his wife, picked it up, and looked at it. “I keep having this dream where I wake up in the middle of the night by the sound of an infant’s cry. I get out of bed and I go to calm the baby, but when I bend down to pick him up, I see that it’s a changeling baby. I back away with surprise and then I bump into somepony. When I turn around, there’s Chrysalis standing right there. She smiles at me and asks me to comfort our son. I wake up every time in a cold sweat and it’s sometimes difficult for me to get any sleep.”

“Have you talked to Luna about it? Dreams are her specialty and I’m sure she can help.”

“I’m too ashamed to have her find out I’ve been having such dreams. I haven’t even told Cadance about this.” Tears began to fall from his eyes as he looked at the picture. “She…she’s thinking about having a kid, Cherub. We’ve got such a wonderful life already and she loves children, so she wants to take the next step, but I keep telling her I’m not ready. I can’t ever tell her what may have happened between Chrysalis and I or even what may have happened from that. I can’t be a good father or husband if I cheated on my true love with a monster. How would she feel if I had a child with someone else before her? My Cadance deserves so much-”

“Shining, shut up.”

He snapped out of it and stared at her. “Huh?”

She stood up, snatched the picture, and looked dead into his eyes. “This is completely ridiculous. I strongly don’t think Chrysalis tricked you into having sex with her. She didn’t care for ponies at all and I think screwing you wasn’t one of her priorities.”

“But she needed my love to become powerful.”

“Changelings don’t take love from your penis,” she stated crossly. “Look, I assume Chrysalis would be more focused on her invasion instead of messing around with a guy of a species she could not stand. You need to pony up, stop getting these crazy ideas, and move on before you snap. We don’t know why Chrysalis chose to send you and Cadance the letter or why she’s been in hiding for so long, but I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that it has nothing to do with what you’re thinking, so stop worrying and enjoy your life with your beautiful wife.”

After a sigh, he grew a very small smile. “I’ll try. I’m not going to get anywhere if I keep driving myself crazy with these thoughts when I don’t even know they’re true. Just one more thing, Cherub.”

“What?”

“Let’s say I’m right and she shows up with a child? What should I do, Cherub? Could…could Cadance ever forgive me?”

Chrysalis prayed with all of her being that Luna did not have any thoughts like this about her. “Yes, Shining Armor. She loves you more than anything in the world. Now if such a thing were to happen, I want you to take care of the baby. The child is completely innocent of what happened and needs a family to love and raise them. If you do not care for the child, I will come for you. As for Chrysalis, if she really did such a thing with you, punish her as you see fit.”

“Alright. Thanks for listening, Cherub. You’re such a good friend. It’s no wonder Twiley looks up to you.”

Just then, Cadance and Luna returned. “We’re back. Did we miss anything?” asked Cadance happily.

Shining Armor gulped. “Er…”

“Only that Shining Armor is the biggest nerd in all of Equestria,” interrupted Chrysalis. “If I hear any more about Doctor Whooves, I’m jumping off the balcony.”

“Well then you’ll be happy to know we’re going to go out and see more of the city,” said Luna with a chuckle. “Come along. There is so much I wish to show you.”

The three ponies and changeling walked back to the entrance of the Crystal Palace. “Thank you both so much for dinner,” said Chrysalis. “We appreciate you both for having us over.”

“It was nice seeing you both. So what are you two going to do now?” asked Shining Armor.

“We’re just going to wonder through the city and head back after a while,” Luna answered. “It’s her first visit here and I just want to show her around some more.”

“Well I hope you two have fun. You’re more than welcome to stay the night,” Cadance offered.

“Thanks, but we’ll probably head home tonight,” spoke Chrysalis.

“Okay. Have a nice night!” Cadance and Shining waved goodbye as the other couple left to the streets. Once they were out of sight, the crystal princess turned towards her husband. “Come on! We still have work to do.” The Crystal Princess trotted up the stairs while humming happily to herself. Shining, on the other hoof, sighed and followed her, knowing exactly what she had in mind. 





Luna’s tour extended for over an hour and most of it was filled with ponies staring at them in wonder and even trying to snap photos. Chrysalis made sure to stop by the flower shop to pick up seeds for some crystal flowers since with spring just starting up, she needed to be sure to plant some flowers in front of Cupid’s Arrow to give it some life. She hoped that her months of exile didn’t leave her rusty in the gardening field as it would be a great way to take up her time and deal with her stress. 

Luna then wanted to take them to the outskirts so they could see the whole city in the night. As they passed by an alley, some stallions took notice of them. “Check it out, it’s Cherub and Princess Luna!” a brown unicorn with an orange mane called.

One of his friends, a blue unicorn with a brown mane, whistled. “Check out Cherub over there. She’s looking real fine.” Chrysalis grew a satisfied smile.

“Yeah, it’s a real shame the evil Nightmare Moon had to take her,” spoke the red pegasus hatefully. “Poor Cherub is stuck with a monster like her.”

Both mares whirled around. “Excuse me!?” exclaimed Luna.

“You heard me,” taunted the pegasus. “We don’t care what everypony says, you’ll always be Nightmare Moon. What good have you done since you came back from the moon?”

Chrysalis blew smoke from her nostrils. “You ungrateful s-”

“Don’t,” said Luna. “Let’s just go.” She walked away and Chrysalis reluctantly followed. 

Chrysalis could feel her eye twitch as she heard the stallions behind laugh. “Are you really not going to do something about them? Let’s throw them in a dungeon or something!”

“They have the right to speak their opinions, so I can’t actually do anything. Besides, I don’t want to cause any trouble. It will just make things worse.” Chrysalis wanted to object, but she kept a tight lip as she had a much better idea.

They eventually reached a park and Chrysalis offered that they sat down at a bench for a moment. “Are you feeling okay, Luna? You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“I’d be lying if I said those ponies earlier didn’t bother me with what they said,” she replied gloomily. “I know there are still some ponies who dislike me, but their words are still very hurtful.”

Chrysalis gave her a hug. “Don’t be sad, Luna. You’ll always have me. Let’s try to forget about this and just focus on our date, okay?” Luna silently nodded. Chrysalis knew she was still very upset about them insulting her and did not want their night together to end with her feeling so down. “Why don’t you tell me about your night sky?”

“My sky? What would you like to know?”

“Well, you have so many constellations up there and I’d love to hear the stories behind them.” She looked up at the stars and pointed. “What about that one there? I remember Twilight mentioning it once, but I didn’t pay attention.” 

The princess looked towards where she was pointing and then let out a laugh. “That is the Broken Legged Knight constellation.”

“Seriously? Why would a knight with an injury be made into a constellation?”

“My sister actually made it since the incident occurred while I was gone. The story behind it is simply fascinating, but it is also quite long.”

Chrysalis rubbed the bottom of Luna’s chin. “Well, why don’t you tell me the full story? I want to hear everything about it,” she cooed as her horn faintly glowed. "Just keep talking about it and don't stop until you finish the entire thing."

Luna leaned against the bench and looked at the constellation. “If you insist. Several hundred years ago, a great dragon terrorized southern Equestria, taking as many riches he could get his claws on. One day, a brave earth pony knight named Joust had enough of his misdeeds and decided to take action.” As Luna continued to talk, Chrysalis got up and slowly crept away.

Back in the alley, the three stallions shared a laugh while drinking beer. “Man, I still can’t believe we got to talk like that to Luna,” the blue unicorn gloated.

“Yeah. I don’t get why she gets a free pass for trying to make it eternal night. Politics sucks,” complained the pegasus.

The third stallion tapped on his friends and pointed. “Look, Cherub’s coming here alone!”

They all became excited and stood up to greet her. “Well, well, came here for a good time?” asked the pegasus.

Chrysalis chuckled. “Yes, I am here for a very good time.”

“So Joust found the cave where the dragon was staying and entered. Behind a massive pile of riches was the beast himself, staring evilly at him. Getting right to the point, Joust unleashed a battle cry and charged him. Now, he may have been one of the bravest knights around, but he certainly was not one of the most skilled. He tripped over a golden scepter the dragon left lying around and fell, breaking his leg. Poor Joust cried out in pain and threatened to sue the dragon for his pain and suffering.”

“Oh Celestia, somepony help us!”

“How is this mare so strong!?”

“I can’t feel my legs!”

“Come on, boys! Don’t you like it rough!? I can go all night!” 

“So after two months of court, the judge ruled in favor of Joust, who received a healthy amount of the dragon’s wealth for compensation and even the scepter he tripped on as a crutch. As for the dragon, he decided to stop raiding towns since he didn’t want any more reckless knights charging into his cave and injuring themselves. Joust was then remembered as a hero for being the first pony to successfully sue a dragon and his heroics were so well received, Celestia made this constellation in his honor. Don’t you find that simply fascinating?” Luna asked as she turned towards her date.

Chrysalis smiled back at her. “I most certainly do. I would love to hear about more constellations, but I think we need to get going while the night is young.” Luna stood up and walked onward with Chrysalis beside her. She was glad she chose to have a red dress made as it made it easy to hide the spots of blood and with the additional memory wipe, it was the perfect crime.





Chrysalis and Luna walked up a small, grassy hill and lied on the ground. In front of them they could see almost the entire city, which was lit up and the light reflected off the crystal structures. Chrysalis leaned against her as they looked up at the empire. “I’ve always loved the nightlife.”

Luna rested her head on top of Chrysalis. “I’m glad you do. It still surprises very much how differently ponies view my night after all the time I was away.”

“It is truly a shame the ponies from back then did not appreciate this wonderful sight.”

Luna sighed, thinking about the ponies from earlier. “A huge shame. Once I was sent to the moon, Celestia devoted herself in holding night festivals to help ponies appreciate my work and even made astronomy a required class in her school. She did so much to ensure that history did not repeat during my return. And now, the night is filled with so much more activity then before. It’s just a shame ponies forgot I was even real and were shocked to see me appear out of nowhere.”

“Yeah, but at least plenty of ponies respect you now. Let us not forget that you’ve actually managed to find a sweet pony who loves you with all her heart.” She placed a hoof on Luna’s. “You know, I’ve actually had a huge interest in you long before we met, even before I knew you were real.”

Luna lifted her head and looked at her. “What do you mean?”

Chrysalis rolled onto her back to look at the stars and Luna joined her. “One thing I loved to read as a child was myths and fairytales, sometimes wondering if they were true. The one story I always took a fascination in was yours, Luna.”

“The tale of Nightmare Moon.”

“The very same. It was one thing to believe that Celestia had a sister, but another to think that there was a pony on the moon for so long, all alone. I felt so bad for you being there by yourself and wished I could have given you company.”

Luna turned her head to her and kissed her cheek. “Never thought you would end falling in love with me, did you?”

“Not once, but I’m enjoying it very much to be in love with such a beautiful mare.” She brought her foreleg around the alicorn and brought her in closer. “Speaking of beauty, I have strongly admired your stars all my life and I will admit something to you, but please do not laugh or share it with anypony.”

“My lips are sealed.”

She cleared her throat. “I came from a rather poor and simple family,” Chrysalis lied. “Never went to school and got an education, just learned stuff from my parents.” This, however, was true to some extent as changelings were pretty behind in scientific knowledge before Chrysalis began her mass scavenging, which made this story a little more embarrassing for her. “The point is that for a long time, I didn’t know what stars really were. I thought that they were gems so beautiful, that you put them in the sky to keep ponies from taking them. I had dreamed of bringing one home, making it the most precious treasure in my family, besides myself.”

Luna giggled at her comment. “How is that embarrassing?”

“I’m getting there. So one night, I went to go relax outside and enjoy the night sky, which is something I sometimes like doing. As I lied on the grass, a shooting star suddenly came by,” she said as she reached out a hoof and moved it across their field of vision. “The moment it caught my eye, I just felt adrenaline rush through me and I immediately pursued it without a second thought. I left my home without telling anypony where I was going or what I was doing. I thought it was my one chance to acquire a star and I wasn’t going to let anything stop me. I just ran in the direction I saw it go for days, barely sleeping during my travels.”

“Days!?”

“Yeah. Four days was how long I spent trying to find your star. As time passed, I felt doubt grow within me, making me more desperate in finding it.” She sighed and rubbed her face with her hoof. “When I could no longer push myself, I admitted defeat and returned home. The journey back was a dreadful one as not only was I crushed that I failed, but I knew my family was going out of their mind and I had nothing to bring them. And when I returned, my parents were absolutely furious with me.”

“Did they ground you?”

She rested a foreleg over her eyes, groaning. “I was locked down at home while they sent doctors to me to make sure I hadn’t gone insane. I still kick myself mentally whenever I think of back then, knowing it was stupid to leave home for so long without saying anything and for believing I could catch a star.”

Luna giggled loudly while wrapping a wing around her and kissing her lips. “I am flattered you would go through so much just to get one of my stars. You really sound like an adventurous and imaginative filly to do all that.”

“Yeah…now comes the embarrassing part.”

“And what could that possibly be?”

“I was twenty when I did this.”

Luna was dumbfounded. “You ran away from home to chase a star that you thought was a gem as an adult!?”

Chrysalis turned her back towards her as she could feel her face heat up. “Yes…” At first, there was only silence, but it was ended by the pony’s sniggering. “D-d-don’t you dare laugh at me!” Despite her protests, Luna’s laughter eventually broke out in full and Chrysalis pressed a hoof on her own face. “Why did I even bother to tell you?”

The alicorn hugged her from behind. “I think it’s really cute of you to be so imaginative at such an age and to love my night so much.”

“I suppose. However, I am very surprised by my story’s new ending.”

“Hmm?”

“After my attempted search, I had given up my dream, crushed with the belief that it would never come true.” She turned herself and faced Luna, showing her flushed cheeks as well as her smile. “But many years later, the most beautiful star of all came down from the heavens and I had not realized it for so long. But now, I have found it and I will cherish her forever.” As Chrysalis stroked her cheek, Luna blushed deeply and then, all of a sudden, started crying. “Luna? W-what’s wrong? Was it something I said?”

“Cherub,” Luna sniffled, “that was one of the most beautiful things anypony has ever said to me.” She nuzzled against her. “It has been so hard for me ever since I became Nightmare Moon. It was so many months before anypony could talk to me without feeling so nervous. Only Celestia made me feel so happy and loved, but now, there’s you too.” She pressed her face against Chrysalis’s chest. “You make me feel so special, Cherub.”

Chrysalis wrapped her legs around Luna as the alicorn got on top of her. “It’s because I love you so much, Luna. Nopony has ever done anything as wonderful as this for me or even made my heart beat the way you do. No matter who you are, I will always love you, Lulu. I wish I could spend every moment of every day with you so that I could feel like I’m living in paradise. I want to be in your embrace and have my body against yours.” She whispered into her ear, “I want to be yours, Luna.”

Luna kissed her lips, holding that position for several seconds. “You are a true artist with words, Cherub,” she said softly. “I too wish to spend more time with you. I feel so in love with you.” Suddenly, she blushed heavily. “Maybe one night, you and I could go out and make beautiful love under the stars we cherish so much.”

Chrysalis kissed her. “It’s a promise.” She pulled Luna closer to her as they continued to tongue and roll around on the grass, laughing in joy.

“Oh, such a wonderful sight always makes me smile.”

Shining Armor pulled away from his telescope and looked at his wife. “I’m glad that they’re having a nice time, but I really think we should just leave them be. I certainly do not want to keep watching if they suddenly decide to go all the way.”

Cadance giggled as she continued to watch Chrysalis and Luna kiss. “I know, but I just want to make sure Auntie Luna has a nice time after being gone for so long. This is date is so important to her and I would hate for anything to go wrong.”

“You know, I remember you getting very upset with Celestia when she did the same thing with us. I guess this sort of habit runs in the royal family,” teased the stallion.

Cadance pulled away and looked at him. “W-well she was treating me like a child!”

“And what about now?”

The alicorn blushed and looked at her hooves. “I just want to make sure Luna’s happy.”

He put a hoof around her and pulled her close. “And she is. Cherub is taking good care of her, although I still wonder where she wandered off to that one time. Besides, I know you’re also doing this because you helped them get together in the first place.” Shining Armor put a hoof under her chin to lift her head. “They’re doing just fine, so why don’t we just stop invading their privacy?”

“Alright.” Cadance sighed, but then smiled. “Speaking of us, I also remember what we did when we got Celestia to stop spying.” It took a moment for the stallion to get what she was imply and when he did, he grinned at her and lowered himself. The alicorn climbed onto his back and he carried her into the bedroom, closing the door behind him with his magic.





Finally, Luna and Chrysalis were ready to retire for the evening and returned to where the carriage was parked. The guards began hooking themselves to the front while one opened the door for them. “Welcome back, Princess Luna. How was your evening?”

“Wonderful. Take us to Ponyville so I may return Cherub home.”

“At once.” 

When Chrysalis climbed in, a voice asked, “Excuse me?” They looked and saw a yellow crystal mare standing there. “P-Princess Luna?”

“Yes?”

“I-I know you’re on a date, but…could I get an autograph?” She timidly held up a picture of the princess and a quill with ink at the tip.

Luna smiled and approached her. “Why, certainly.” As Luna dealt with the mare, Chrysalis crossed her forelegs and leaned back, creating a strange, crumpling sound. She sat up and felt around her body, feeling something strange in one of her pockets. She reached inside and pulled out a folded note, wondering how long it had been there without her noticing. Upon opening it, she saw it contained two words.

TELL HER!

Chrysalis gasped and quickly looked at the door, seeing Luna saying goodbye to the mare. Right before Luna turned around, Chrysalis quickly crumpled it up and shoved the note into her mouth. Luna stepped inside and closed the door, causing the carriage to move forward and eventually take flight. “So how did you like your first time at the Crystal Empire, Cherub?”

Chrysalis swallowed, cringing as the rough corners brushed against her throat. “It was really great, Luna. You really know how to sweep a mare off her hooves.”

“I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it. I’ve been planning this for some time and I am glad it worked out the way I wanted it to.”

“It certainly helped me get my mind of what happened.”

“Would you like to thank me?” she asked seductively.

“I would, but I need to figure out how to beat your little surprise. I’m going to hate myself if I can’t find a way to beat a date at the Crystal Empire.” 

Luna laughed as she lied against Chrysalis. “Don’t worry too much about it. Anything you do will always make me happy because you will be there with me.”

Chrysalis smiled, but then dropped it. She couldn’t make herself forget about the note she found. She knew it was better to keep it a secret for now, but how far was she going to take it? Chrysalis could feel a pit growing in her stomach as she made a decision since the night had gone so well. “Luna…I need to tell you something.”

The princess looked up at her. “What is it, Cherub?”

Chrysalis looked away, taking rapid breaths. “Something I probably should have told you long ago.”

“Cherub, I can actually feel your heartbeat and I can tell you’re stressed. What’s going on?” she asked nervously.

The changeling’s lip quivered. “Just…promise you’ll understand.”

“I promise, Cherub.”

Chrysalis slowly looked at her, seeing the curious eyes of her lover staring back at her. “The thing is…for the longest time…I never told you…the truth is…I…” She swallowed and closed her eyes. “I knew I was bisexual long before meeting you.”

Luna let out a gasp. “What? Truly?”

Chrysalis cringed as she slowly nodded. “Y-yeah.”

Luna let out a laugh and hugged her. “You really should have told me before so I wouldn’t have felt so weird around you back then, you silly pony!”

“Wouldn’t you have felt weird if you knew?” she countered.

“Maybe.” Luna pulled away. “So how come you never told me?”

Chrysalis turned her head to the window. “My parents were rather old fashioned and had a field day when they caught me with another girl. They tried to ‘fix’ me as they believed it was improper behavior for somepony like me, but I held my ground. Eventually they just let me be me, but their reaction to finding out is why I don’t go blabbing about it.”

“I see. Don’t worry. I’m not mad you kept this from me. I still love you for you.” Luna snuggled against her. “It’s going to be a while before we get back, so how we do something to take up the time?”

Chrysalis rested against the wall of the carriage with Luna on top of her. “You’re always full of good ideas, you know that?” Luna giggled and pressed her lips against hers. While the alicorn was absolutely enjoying herself, Chrysalis felt mental anguish for being a coward and knew she made an awful mistake.





The citizens of Ponyville were fast asleep when Luna’s carriage descended from the sky. The pegasi guards landed in front of Cupid’s Arrow and brought themselves to a stop. One of the guards opened up the door and Luna stepped out while helping her date get out. “Here you are, Cherub.”

Chrysalis hugged her lover. “Thank you so much. I really had a wonderful time, Luna. Heck, I feel even more motivated to make Hearts and Hooves the most unforgettable day in your life.”

The alicorn kissed her on the lips. “I’m already excited. Have a good night, Cherub. I will see you soon.”

“You too, Lulu.” As Luna entered her carriage, Chrysalis suddenly said, “Luna?”

“Yes?”

Chrysalis cleared her throat, trying to sound a little more serious. “I just want you to know that you don’t need to worry about my secret life. I promise you everything will be fine,” she said with a pained smile.

Luna smiled and nodded at her. “Okay. I trust you, Cherub.”

“I love you, Luna. I love you so much.”

Luna smiled and blew her a kiss. “I love you, too. My heart only belongs to you, Cherub, and no one else.” She then closed the door, signaling her guards to take off, and flew into the dark sky.

Chrysalis remained glued to the sky even after Luna was out of sight. Finally, she went inside Cupid’s Arrow. As she approached the stairs, she magically retrieved a container of ice cream and a spoon from the kitchen. When she got into her bedroom, she closed the door and placed the items on the nightstand. She removed her dress and hung it in the closet and then approached the mirror to remove her earrings, placing them in a box. Once she was fully naked, she closed the curtains and looked into her reflection as a particular sentence kept echoing in her mind.

Staring back at her was a red unicorn who possessed a high amount of beauty with her gorgeous mane, her shapely figure, her perfect smile, and everything else that made her so delightful. Her voice was angelic and she was respected for not only her looks, but for her intelligence and talent. She was truly a wonderful pony who was loved by many.

Chrysalis threw her hoof forward, smashing the image of Cherub.

She took a moment before she made herself pull back, only to strike it again. She then brought her other hoof out and struck the mirror with it. Chrysalis stared intently at what was left of her reflection as she increased in her pace, reducing the pieces of glass into smaller sizes. She cried in fury as she pounded with thunderous force, ignoring the fiery pain of her cuts. With every strike, more glass fell onto the dresser and more drops of green liquid fell from her hooves. Eventually, almost nothing remained of the mirror but a pile of tiny shards.

Chrysalis took loud, deep breathes when she came to a stop, her eyes never leaving her target despite obliterating it. Finally, she looked down at the mess of glass and blood on the dresser in front of her. She briefly looked over her wounds before picking up a large chunk of glass, holding it delicately in her hooves. She looked down at it and changed her appearance, reflecting an image of Luna in the glass. She struggled to make herself smile as the image became blotted with drops of tears.

“My heart belongs only to you, Chrysalis, and no one else.”