//------------------------------//
// This Day Will Be Perfect: Take Two 
// Story: The Queen of Hearts 
// by Pumpernickel Rye 
//------------------------------//


This Day Will Be Perfect: Take Two


Humble, old timey music played from the radio. “I say, dear brother,” said Flim from the radio, “isn’t it just a lovely day here in Equestria?”

“Quite so, old chap! Let us spend this day by-” Dramatic music suddenly played. “What’s this? That stallion is about to jump off that bridge! You, sir! What in the world are you doing!?”

“I can’t stand it!” the stallion sobbed. “I’m a total loser! I can’t score any mare because I’m so worthless! I’m going to end it all right here!”

“Not so fast, my fellow chump!” called Flam. “We actually can help with your problem!”

“How?!”

“By you simply coming down to Ponyville to partake in Flim and Flam’s Hearts and Hooves Love Fest!” answered Flim.

The dramatic music rose into something more upbeat. “Hearts and Hooves Love Fest? You mean the one event that is going to be run by Cherub, the famous matchmaking pony who is involved with Princess Luna?”

“Let’s us not forget the lovely Princess of Love herself, Cadance! They are bound to find you the pony of your dreams!” exclaimed Flam.

“Wow! Maybe there is a chance for me to find happiness after all!”

“Then come along, friend! Ponyville awaits!” spoke Flim.

The music dimmed to a silence and Flam spoke up again. “Are you a pony who just can’t seem to find the one? Do you lack any skills in creating that certain romance between you and another? Do you have a lot of money and like spending it? Do you already have a significant other, but want to find the perfect way to spend Hearts and Hooves Day? Maybe you’re the type of pony who wants to cut to the chase? If you said yes to any of these questions, then this event is for you!”

“Only on Hearts and Hooves Day will the greatest event of love take place in humble Ponyville!” said Flim. “An outdoor fair with food, games, live performances, merchandise, and all the romance you can handle! If you don’t come, you’re pretty much screaming to every pony around you that you hate your life and wish to grow old and die alone!”

“So why are you just sitting around listening to this commercial? Get off your flank, take a lot of money, and swing by Ponyville on Hearts and Hooves Day for the fair, which is brought to you by Flamflim Enterprises! FlamFlim Enterprises: Where There Are No Substitutes!”

“And No Refunds!”





Today was the big day for Chrysalis. After months of planning, Hearts and Hooves Day has now ultimately arrived. To her surprise, Flim and Flam had somehow quickly constructed a large fairground on the outskirts of Ponyville. There were many booths for games and food, stages for shows, a few small rides, and even a Tunnel of Love. The fair opened early morning and was flooded with an enormous amount of ponies less than an hour later. The day had barely begun and the area was filled with so much love, Chrysalis felt light-headed. She hoped Nymph had sent enough changelings to harvest it because she couldn’t stand the thought of letting it all go to waste. 

With many changelings coming and reading ponies to harvest their love, Chrysalis had spent a lot of time preparing to elude their detection. Changelings could read emotions of anything that wasn’t their own kind, which was something that always bewildered her. If they noticed the host of the event wasn’t producing any emotion, they could get suspicious and things could go badly. For almost a week, Chrysalis toiled on creating a spell to give off some artificial emotions through the method of magic. It took many nights that resulted in painful headaches, but she was successful. She had never created her own spell before and pulling it off made her feel prideful, despite seeming like such a simple spell. With her new spell, she enchanted her earrings to keep the changelings fooled by having them emanate her emotions.

Earlier that morning, Luna had arrived at her door and escorted her. Despite what loomed on the horizon, Chrysalis decided to enjoy herself today and let everything work out later. Upon arriving at the fair, she saw a fair amount of ponies already there who all cheered when they saw them arrive. Some of them even pleaded for her services. Chrysalis met every pony she could reach and shook their hooves, thanking them for their attendance and wishing them a good day.

Like she expected and hoped for, several ponies from varies media outlets were present and all of them were interested in seeing her and Luna. Chrysalis answered many questions about why she was doing this event, her thoughts on the changelings, and even her relationship with Luna (the last one she avoided as much as she could). Suddenly, Chrysalis was interrupted mid-interview when Flim pulled her over, telling her that she needed to get a move on. Chrysalis felt tempted to punch him for laying a hoof on her, but she repressed the urge. He took her behind a large stage in the center of the area to wait with her co-star.

Ponies crowded around the center stage as a spotlight lit up and focused on the podium. Suddenly, two stallions popped out from behind it. “Hello, everypony! I’m Flim!”

“And I’m Flam!”

“We are the Flimflam brothers!”

The only response they received was dead silence. Not even the crickets bothered chirping for them. “Err…and now,” started Flim, “we give you the Princess of Love, Cadance!” 

“And that other pony, Cherub!”

The ponies then burst into applause as they left the stage and Chrysalis and Cadance appeared, waving to the crowd while wearing dresses that were exactly the same in appearance. “Hello, everypony,” spoke Chrysalis. “Welcome to my Hearts and Hooves fair, where true love can be found for any pony.”

“We are very glad you all could come here on this day,” said Cadance. “Every pony deserves a chance at finding their soul mate and here you may able to do just that. Don’t be shy about meeting somepony. Just go out there and be confident! Even if this day doesn’t end with you finding the love of your life, we hope you at least enjoy this day and get to socialize with new acquaintances.”

“And if you already have a special somepony, then we hope that this day will be a very romantic one for you both. There are many fun activities the both of you can partake in, so just take it nice at easy. However, we are not spreading love only here. A significant portion of the bits made here today will be used to aid those less fortunate so they too can feel loved. We encourage you to spend money while you’re here, but don’t do it the point where you become a pony who benefits from our charity.” The crowd briefly chuckled. “So let’s not take up anymore of your time and get this day started!”

“Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!” said both mares as they each blew a kiss to the cheering crowd. They waved as they walked off the stage and met with Luna and Shining Armor.

“I gotta say this place already looks great, Cherub,” said Shining Armor as his wife jumped into his forelegs. “Everypony looks really excited.”

“Thank you. It’s mainly the work of the Flimflam brothers, but they used my ideas.” Chrysalis looked around and noticed something. “Where is Celestia?”

“She is currently in Canterlot doing official business,” answered Luna. “She said she’d come if she gets the chance but she may be a while.”

Chrysalis chuckled loudly. “I get it. Poor Celestia is too ashamed about not having a date and is currently finding comfort with cake. At least there’ll be more of her to love.”

The princess glared at her. “Cherub, quit making fun of my sister.”

“Oh, cake!” said the changeling in a voice that poorly imitated Celestia. “You are the only friend I can rely on! I need you inside me right now!”

Luna shook her head with a hoof on her own face. “Cadance gets a loving knight who is well-mannered and charming and I get you.”

Chrysalis nuzzled her. “And you wouldn’t trade me for anything in the world.”

Luna smiled while blushing. “True, but sometimes I could adjust you just a bit.”

“Oh, please. I’m perfect in every way.”

“What about me?”

“You’re perfect, too.” She looked at the other couple. “So what’s it going to be? Are we going to have a double date?”

“Oh Cherub, we’d love to, but we’re going to do a few things on our own if you don’t mind,” answered Cadance. 

“Of course. You two have fun.”

The rulers walked away and as soon as they were out of sight, Luna put a foreleg around her and pointed ahead. “Come, Cherub! Let us see everything your glorious holiday fair has to offer!”

“Sure. But nothing could possibly top being with you,” Chrysalis cooed.

“Especially when this event ends,” whispered Luna happily.

“Hmm?”

“Nothing. Let us go.” Chrysalis wrapped her tail around Luna’s ethereal tail and they walked together. The changeling couldn’t help but smile from feeling the tingling sensation she felt from Luna’s tail. Before they could get anywhere in their search for something to do, they ran into Pinkie and Fluttershy.

“Hello, girls” greeted Chrysalis happily. “Are you both ready for a fun day filled with love?”

The two mares turned to them and Pinkie rapidly nodded. “You bet! I already got so many great ideas of what I wanna do today with my Flutter-Butters, but I was waiting for Luna. I’m totally ready, princess!”

The alicorn chuckled. “Very well. Sit still.” Luna’s horn glowed and then Pinkie was covered in a bright light. After a few moments, the light faded and revealed a shocking change.

“P-Pinkie!?” gasped Chrysalis.

Pinkie extended her newly acquired wings. “Surprise!”

Chrysalis and Fluttershy looked at her in disbelief. As Fluttershy examined Pinkie’s wings, Chrysalis looked at her date. “Luna, why and how did you do that?”

“She said she wanted wings today for something very romantic. Don’t worry. It’s only lasts several hours. Going to go flying with Fluttershy, Pinkie?”

“Yup! I want to sit on the clouds with her and look at all the ponies below. Not only that, it’s time for me to really shake things up here!” She suddenly pulled out a bow and a quiver. “I’m going to be a cupid and spread love across all of Ponyville on Hearts and Hooves Day!”

“Uh, Pinkie? Are those real arrows?” asked Chrysalis with worry.

“No, they are my arrows of love!” She pulled out an arrow with a wooden heart carved on the end and loaded it on her bow. “Watch as I make love come true for this lucky pony!” Before they could stop her, she released it. The next thing they heard was the deafening shriek of a mare. “Uh-oh! Gotta go!” Pinkie grabbed Fluttershy and took flight, disappearing from the area in a matter of seconds.

Luna put a hoof on her face. “Oh, what have I done?”

Chrysalis patted her on the back. “I’m sure Fluttershy will keep an eye on her. Let’s just try to do something fun and not worry about her.”

“I suppose. So what shall we do first that doesn’t involve being an accessory to assault?”

The changeling shrugged while grinning. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I was so focused on setting everything up that I haven’t thought of what I was actually going to do today.”

Luna rubbed her chin and a few seconds later, she suddenly started hopping like Pinkie. “How about we go find some games to play? I am always a fan of fun!”

“I know you are. That’s why I love you,” Chrysalis spoke right before kissing her cheek. They walked together towards another section of the fairgrounds, arriving at an area with many booths that offered games with the chance of winning a prize. Chrysalis scanned the area as many ponies were playing. She wasn’t familiar with many of them, but she was willing to give them all a shot. “What game shall we play first?”

“Hmm.” Luna put her hoof over her eyes and looked into the distance. “How about what young Spike is playing?”

“Spike?” Chrysalis looked to where Luna was pointing and saw the young dragon playing something with Rarity standing next to him. “Might as well check it out and see how they’re doing.” 

They walked over to the couple and saw Spike throwing baseballs at some cans. All but one shot missed, but it didn’t budge them. “Aw, so close! Wanna try again?” taunted Flam.

Spike threw down bits onto the counter. “You bet I do!” he said angrily. 

Rarity looked worried, but became relieved when she saw Luna and Chrysalis. “Hello, you two. Could you perhaps talk Spike out of this?”

“What’s going on?” asked Chrysalis.

Rarity turned towards Spike, who threw a fit right before putting down more money. “Spikey wants to win me a prize, but he has spent so many bits on this stupid little game. He’s going to be broke before he wins!”

Seeing Flam run this game immediately raised Chrysalis’s suspicion. “Alright, I’ll handle this.” She approached the stand and got in the stallion’s face. “Flam, you better stop ripping off this kid right now. Also, I thought you were supposed to be with Hoity today.”

He gave her a sly grin, something that always made Chrysalis angry. “I am, but I need to ensure that everything here is running smoothly today. He’s with my brother and Carrot Top somewhere around here. And rip off? Whatever do you mean? This is a fair game,” he claimed innocently.

“Baloney!” shouted Spike as he slammed his fists down. “I totally hit those cans and they didn’t fall over! This game is rigged!”

“I assure you it is not.” Flam hit the button under the counter, turning off the powerful magnets set underneath the stacks of cans. He approached one stack and tapped it with his hoof, knocking it over. “See? You’re just a little wimpy dragon.”

Spike shot fire out of his nostrils and Chrysalis stepped forward. “Mind if I give it a go?”

“Pay up first.” While Chrysalis reached for some bits in her dress pocket, Flam hit the button to ensure Chrysalis looked foolish. She placed down the money and he collected it, giving her three baseballs in return. Chrysalis took one and stood on her hind legs. She pulled her foreleg back, took aim, and launched it. In the blink of an eye the ball flew, knocked all the cans into the air and made a hole in the back of the booth. The ball disappeared into the morning horizon. 

They all looked at the hole in amazement as Chrysalis chuckled. “Looks like I win.”

Flam tugged his collar, gulping. “I suppose you have.” He reached up and grabbed a large plush parasprite, handing it to her. “A big prize for such a big shot.”

“It’s for the kid.”

Flam handed to Spike and he happily took it. “Wow, thanks!” He then held it to Rarity. “For you, m’lady.”

She chuckled as she took it with her magic. “That is so sweet of you, Spike, but I don’t think I want it to carry it around all day.”

“Allow me to send it to your home,” offered the alicorn. With a flash, the prize disappeared. “Would you two like to join us as we partake in more fun?”

“Oh, of course!” answered Rarity. 

As the others left, Chrysalis turned towards Flam, holding a baseball up to him in a threatening manner. “If you keep trying to rip ponies off, my next target is going to be your face.” She slammed the ball onto the counter and made her leave as the stallion made sure the magnets remained off.

Chrysalis caught up with Rarity and Spike as Luna ran around the area like a child in a candy store. She eventually ran back to them, hardly able to contain herself. “This place must have every game ever made! I’m going to go and win them all!”

“Unless I win them,” teased the changeling.

Luna smiled smugly at her. “Is that a challenge, my sweet Cherub?”

“What’s a game without competition? With the four of us, I’m sure it will be interesting.”

“Very well. Whoever wins the most games shall be known as the Queen of Games!”

“What about me?” asked Spike.

“Or king,” Luna corrected as Chrysalis and Rarity chuckled. “I decree we play whack-a-diamond-dog first!”

“Oh, I can’t wait,” said Chrysalis while evilly rubbing her hooves together. She already had a fun idea of what to do after beating Luna. With her victories, she would make Luna her trusty steed and ride her for the rest of the day, displaying her absolute victory over the princess to everypony in town.





It was only because she was competing with Luna did Chrysalis not go on a violent rampage. Losing over forty games in a row without a single victory was not her ideal way of beginning Hearts and Hooves Day. However, seeing Luna jump around with joy while carrying many tickets and prizes made her feel warm. Spike and Rarity seemed content with just playing and being together, so Chrysalis supposed everything was fine with everypony else in good spirits. 

They took a short break so Luna could send all her prizes to her room in Canterlot and Chrysalis could only imagine anypony’s reaction to seeing a bunch of stuffed animals flooding the princess’s room. With the last prize gone, she looked at the others triumphantly. “Well then, we all obviously know who has won the title ‘The Queen of Games.’”

The changeling gave a defeated sigh. “I guess we do. So what now, your highness?”

“Your queen decrees that you buy her snacks!”

Chrysalis cocked her head. “Snacks? That’s what you wish for after kicking all our rears?”

“Yes, and you will all be paying for it! Just so you know, I have quite the appetite.” She held her hoof out. “Come on. Pony up. Your queen hungers.”

The three losers groaned slightly as they gave Luna some bits. As Spike reached into his bag, he made a horrifying discovery. He looked into his bag and dug around frantically. “Oh no, no, no!”

“Spike, what’s wrong?” asked Rarity.

“I’m out of money!”

“What!? Spike, I told you be careful with your bits with that silly little game! Also I told you didn’t have to pay for me every time! I have money, too.”

The dragon dropped the bag. “But…but there are so many things I want to do, but I don’t have any money left and it’s not even noon.”

Chrysalis could tell the poor kid looked ready to cry. Rather than let his special day with Rarity get ruined, Chrysalis reached into her pocket and pulled out a sack. “Here.” She took Spike’s bag and dumped an enormous amount of bits into it. “Spend it wisely this time.”

Spike looked into his loaded bag, gasping. “That’s a lot of bits, Cherub! It’s like over two-hundred!” 

“I make enough money already. Besides, think of it as a little bonus for all of your hard work.”

“And I thought I was supposed to be the Element of Generosity.” Rarity looked towards Luna as she received her tribute from the drake. “Do you mind if I come with you? I’m feeling a bit famished myself.”

“Very well. We shall split the winnings!”

“We’ll wait for you right here,” said Chrysalis as she sat at a table. “Just try not to go crazy, Luna.”

Luna nodded and left with Rarity following. Chrysalis and Spike watched them and could barely hear Rarity ask, “So fair food is usually low on calories, right?”	

When they were gone, Spike looked at the matchmaker. “Thanks for helping me again, Cherub.”

“What do you mean again?”

“You know, when you helped get Rarity to like me.”

“Oh.” Chrysalis leaned back on the table and looked towards the sunny sky. “My, that feels so long ago. I still can’t believe I made it work.”

“Me too. If it weren’t for you, I don’t think I could have ever gotten Rarity to like me.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “No, Spike. I only helped speed things up for the both of you. You would have won her heart eventually.”

He looked up at her in surprise. “Really?”

“Of course. You’re the only one I know who sweeps her off her feet and she can always rely on you. Knowing her, she would continue to have silly crushes and get disappointed in the end, but she would always have you.” She crossed her hind legs and smirked to herself. “Quite frankly, I actually thought you would have had a thing for Twilight when I first met you.”

Spike jumped. “No way! She’s kind of like my sister, if you haven’t noticed.”

Chrysalis smiled at his reaction. “I’m aware, but you two seem connected by the hip. Considering she was your only friend before coming here and you two practically spend every day together, I kind of figured she would have grown on you. Still, Twilight is pretty cute and I’m surprised you haven’t thought that before.”

Strangely, the dragon sweated while darting his eyes around. “W-we were just friends! Really! Nothing happened! I’m not hiding anything! Stop asking me stuff!”

Chrysalis loved catching others in a lie and looked at him eagerly. “Oh? Never looked at Twilight the same way you do with Rarity?”

“N-no!”

Chrysalis rubbed the top of his head, laughing mockingly. “You are a terrible liar. You had a crush on her before, didn’t you?”

He looked and made sure Rarity wasn’t coming. “Please don’t tell anypony.”

“I won’t. So tell me about it.”

He stared at the grass below him. “It feels so weird to think about now. She was the only pony that I really knew and I did think she was kind of cute sometimes, especially since she was the only girl I was friends with.” He suddenly chuckled. “I tried to get her to like me, but Twilight never really got the hint, you know? One time, I gave her a rose, but she thought I was giving it to her so she could study it.”

She suppressed the urge to break out in laughter. “That’s so Twilight.”

“Yeah. When she got older, she just became a bigger nerd and I just wasn’t feeling it for her anymore. I still like her as a friend and I feel bad she doesn’t have a date today.”

Chrysalis nodded. “She’s a great pony, so I’m sure she’ll find somepony someday. Most likely with my assistance, of course.”

Spike smirked. “Hey, if you do find her somepony, please don’t give her some giant nerd that will make Twilight even worse. Get her like an athlete or something.”

“I promise. Anyway, so how about you? Doing okay with not officially dating Rarity yet?”

“Yeah. It sucks I have to wait, but I understand why.”

“Don’t think about it too much. Everything will come together in the future.”

“I know.” They watched ponies pass by, who occasionally glanced at Chrysalis, until Spike quietly spoke up. “Hey, I got a question.”

“Alright. What is it?”

“Um…I’m just curious about something since I have to wait a long time.”

She looked at him and saw that he looked extremely embarrassed. “I don’t like where this is going, but let’s hear it.”

He looked around before motioning her closer. She leaned towards him and he whispered to her, “So…what’s sex like?” Chrysalis wore an emotionless expression as she stared at him with one eye twitching. “Too weird?”

“Spike, you will never ask me or anypony else that again.”

“G-got it.”

Rarity and Luna then appeared with the alicorn carrying many snacks. “We’re back!” announced the unicorn. “What were you two talking about?”

“Birds!” spat out Spike as he was startled.

“Bees!” answered Chrysalis at the same time as him.

The two mares looked at them strangely until Rarity stilled the silence. “Anyway, it’s been fun playing with you two, but I want to spend some quality time with Spike, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. I was thinking the same for Cherub and I,” said Luna.

“Thank you for all the fun. I really hope you two enjoy the rest of your day. Come on, Spikey.”

“Bye, Cherub and Luna,” said the dragon as he waved to them.

They waved goodbye to them and Chrysalis looked back at Luna, who was devouring several churros and giant pretzels. “I can tell you’re enjoying this day quite well.” The princess happily nodded while chewing her food. “Just remember the best part of this day for you is being with me, not stuffing your face.”

Luna swallowed. “Of course I know that, but how can I not enjoy my moment of glory?”

“Fine.” Eventually, Luna finished off all her prize food. “So Luna, what shall we do next? As the Queen of Games, you should get to choose.”

The alicorn clapped her hooves together. “Let’s get some lunch!”

Chrysalis’s jaw dropped. “Lunch!? After all that!?”

“That was merely an appetizer! I require much more food to be satisfied. Wait here and I shall bring us a delicious feast.”

Before she could protest, she could feel her stomach growl. Although there was a lot of love around, she still required physical food. “Well, I guess I could go for something as long as it isn’t the junk you just devoured.”

“Excellent. Wait right here.” Luna walked off with a skip in her step while Chrysalis eyed her rear, smiling to herself. She knew about the alicorn appetite, but it always took her by surprise how they could stuff themselves and yet retain their elegant frame. She could only imagine how much of a black hole they could become if one of them got pregnant.

After some time, Luna returned with a tray of food being carried by her magic. “So what did my loving Lulu bring us for lunch?”

She set the tray down. “Ta-da!”

Chrysalis looked down and then back up in complete confusion. “Hayburgers? You got us hayburgers?”

“Mhm! Let us dig in!” Luna grabbed one and proceeded to devour it.

The changeling crossed her forelegs and turned away. “I don’t get how a princess such as you could make herself eat that garbage.”

“It is not garbage! It is fit for Equestrian royalty.”

“Sure, you tell me that when you suddenly find yourself fat and-” Rather than let her continue, Luna shoved a hayburger into her mouth. The changeling wanted to spit it out, but when she tasted it, she lost all self-control and ate the burger given to her. Once she finished, she looked at Luna. “I guess one time wouldn’t hurt. So why burgers? Doesn’t strike me as princess food.”

“Exactly. You can only eat royal food so much before you desire something simpler.”

“I suppose.” The two of them ate in peace with their tails wrapped together under the table.

“I vill not!” Luna and Chrysalis turned their heads, finding two familiar ponies near them. 

“Come on, Photo,” insisted Fancy Pants. “Just one bite?”

The mare shook her head. “I vill not eat them today. I vill not eat them far away. I vill not eat them late. I vill not eat them on a date. I vill not eat them, Photo Finish I am. What kind of self-respected pony would resort themselves into eating dis filth?”

Fancy Pants sighed, but then his eyes became wide when he saw who was near. “What about Princess Luna and Cherub?”

“What!?” Photo Finish turned around and saw them. Gasping, she leapt from her seat and sat at their table. “Hello again, Cherub! It is been too long! Why do you not write to me? And Princess Luna, what an honor to finally meet you!”

“Photo, Fancy, glad could both of you could make it,” said Chrysalis as the stallion joined them. “Enjoying yourselves?”

“Quite so,” answered the stallion as he bit into his lunch. “You’ve done an excellent job putting this all together, Cherub.”

Luna leaned against the changeling. “She does have vision.”

“Maybe so, but dis day vill be nothing compared to what’s coming!”

“And what would that be?” asked Chrysalis with absolute curiosity.

Photo giggled uncontrollably before placing a hoof on the table, showing the golden bangle around her leg. “Ve’re getting married!”

Luna and Chrysalis gasped. “Congratulations!” exclaimed Chrysalis while shaking her hoof.

“Oh, thank you. He proposed to me last week and it was the happiest moment in my life.”

“Wait until our wedding,” said Fancy Pants. “Cherub, we would be so honored if you could come.”

Chrysalis leaned back with her forelegs behind her head. She did like the idea of going, but she suddenly felt an unsettling chill. “I don’t know. I don’t have a good history with weddings.”

“You must!” spoke Photo Finish. “It is only because of you that dis is happening! You made me give dis fool another chance and it has been the best decision I made. You and Luna must come, or else I vill tie you up and make you come.”

Chrysalis chuckled nervously, unsure if she was serious or not. “Well since you insist, I suppose I could come.”

“Excellent! I vill give you an invitation as soon as we pick a date. Perhaps someday in da summer. Of course, we would be so happy you could join us as well, Princess.”

“I would be delighted.”

“Good! Since you are such a good friend to Cherub, then you vill obviously allow us to use the chapel in da palace.”

“The chapel? I guess I-”

“You said yes! You can’t take it back now! Thank you so much, Princess Luna!” she shouted happily while shaking the hoof of the confused mare.

“Maybe she could wed you, too,” Chrysalis suggested with an amused smile.

“An even better idea! You vill do this, yes?”

Luna shot a look at Chrysalis, who whistled innocently, and sighed. “I guess I have to now.”

“Splendid! We vill send you a letter when we picked a date.” She stood up and dragged her fiancé by his hoof. “Come, Fancy! Let us spread da news! Ve’re getting married at Canterlot palace by Princess Luna!”

“Of course, dear,” he chuckled as he was dragged away. “It was nice to see you again, Cherub.”

Chrysalis waved to them as they left. “Likewise. I hope you two enjoy your day here,” she called.

Once they were gone, Luna resumed her feast. “I can’t wait for the wedding, even if a certain somepony seems to like putting me in certain position without my permission.” Chrysalis shrugged innocently while sipping her soda. “Still, it would be nice to attend one without anything going wrong.”

“I agree. With it being about the two of them, I can imagine it will be fantastic.”

“I hope so.” Luna rested her head on her hooves and sighed happily. “You know, I wonder what my next wedding will be like if I get married again.”

Chrysalis took Luna’s hoof and kissed it. “I’m sure it will be the greatest moment in our lives.” Luna blushed heavily and they smiled at each other. Slowly, they brought their lips together and met in a passionate kiss. As they kissed, Chrysalis saw out of the corner of her eye a red pegasus stallion staring at them with his mouth open. Chrysalis pulled away from Luna and shouted, “Do you mind!?” The pegasus jumped and ran out of sight as fast as he could. “Pervert.”

“I would agree, but you clearly didn’t see the green crystal hanging around his neck.”

“Huh?”

Luna let out a laugh. “Cherub, that was a changeling you chased away.”

Chrysalis gasped and quickly looked in the direction he went. “Was it?”

“Yes. He was just trying to feed from our love.”

“Oh, how silly of me.” Luna giggled at her and she shrugged in response. “You know, I can’t imagine what life will be like with changelings around.”

“Neither can I.”

“How much longer do you think until they live here?”

“Oh, I don’t think it will be that long,” Luna answered optimistically.

“What about Nymph? How is she doing?”

“She’s just fine. She’s just working herself to death in trying to get changelings citizenship. It’s been very difficult for her since Chrysalis appeared.”

Chrysalis suddenly felt incredibly concerned. “It has?”

Luna nodded, now carrying a more serious expression on her face. “A lot of ponies were rattled with her appearance, so the meetings were put on hold for a while as many believed Chrysalis would attack if they got together.”

Chrysalis gulped. She knew contacting Nymph or Cadance and Shining Armor was risky, but she didn’t realize the talks themselves might have been affected by her actions. “Oh. They’re at least going again, right?”

“It took some time, but yes. A lot of ponies have put the past behind them, so it shouldn’t be long until it finishes up. I predict the changelings will be in Equestria in the very near future.”

Chrysalis finished off her hayburger and wiped her mouth, suddenly gaining an idea. “I wonder if I should make Cupid’s Arrow as a sort of restaurant and charge changelings for love.”

Luna produced a look of disapproval. “Don’t you dare. We already had enough ponies who tried to put love on the market and sell it to changelings.”

“Fine.” They soon finished their lunch and Chrysalis tossed the remains into the trash. “So are we ready to go?”

“Not quite. It is time for desert.” She chuckled when she heard Chrysalis loudly groan. “Relax. It’s just one small thing for us to share.”

“Well, alright. What is it?” Luna pulled out a pastry. However, it was one of Chrysalis’s infamous jelly doughnuts. Luna took a small bite out of it and held it towards her. Smiling back at her, Chrysalis took a bite, swallowing it as quickly as she could. Luna took some of the jelly with her hoof and rubbed it against her cheek. Understanding the gesture, the changeling leaned forward and licked it clean, causing Luna to giggle. Luna took what remained of the treat and tore it in half, handing one piece to her. Chrysalis took it and ate it, trying not to look squeamish as she chewed. Once she finished, she looked at Luna quickly and secretly drained her for a while in order to get the taste out of her mouth.

“You must tell me what is your secret ingredient,” said Luna when she finished with her piece. “It is simply delicious.”

Chrysalis gulped. Planning to tell Luna her true identity was already bad enough. How in the world could she ever tell her she has been feeding her and ponies her own slime as food? “I don’t know. Isn’t there some fun in not knowing?”

Luna crossed her forelegs and smirked at her. “Is that your sales pitch for your jelly or for being in a relationship with you?”

Chrysalis visibly flinched. “I promise to tell you soon about both. So are we actually done yet?”

“Yes, we are.” Luna stood along with Chrysalis. “Where next?”

Chrysalis shrugged while looking around. “Not sure. Maybe we should check out that Tunnel of Love. It’s a bit cheesy, but hey, why not?” The couple walked together through the crowd of ponies, many of which tried waving or snapping pictures of them. Chrysalis always enjoyed the praise, but that didn’t come close to how she felt from being with Luna.

Before they could go any further, they saw two familiar ponies up ahead. “Come on, Fluttershy! Don’t be a party pooper! You can’t give up on something as important as this!”

Fluttershy had her head lowered as she dragged a hoof across the grass. “I know it’s important, but maybe we could do something else. Could we do something where we don’t worry about other ponies and just do something together?”

“We are doing something together and what could be better than helping ponies fall in love!? Today is the most important day to make their dreams come true!” Pinkie drew another arrow and before she could shoot, she heard Chrysalis clear her throat. The mare looked up at the changeling and became extremely excited. “Hi, Cherub! Are you having fun!?”

Chrysalis’s eyes fixed on her arsenal and then onto Fluttershy’s gloomy expression. “Pinkie, please tell me you haven’t been still shooting more ponies with arrows.”

“She hasn’t stopped since she got wings. It’s not really working, though,” said Fluttershy, followed by a sigh.

“But what about that one mare? She totally fell in love with that paramedic, so it is working!” Pinkie quickly took aim. “I think I just need to try some more! I can’t be a good cupid if I don’t try!”

“Pinkie,” spoke Chrysalis as she snatched the bow from her. “Look, I really appreciate you trying to spread love and joy to ponies here today, but you have already done so much of that in the past, so you shouldn’t worry about doing any more. Besides, I think you’re forgetting about the most important pony that deserves a somepony special today.”

“Who?” The changeling grabbed her head and turned it towards Fluttershy. Pinkie immediately realized what she was saying and became extremely distressed. “Oh no! I’ve been so busy spreading love, I am neglecting my poor Flutters! I’m the worst marefriend ever!” She fell onto the ground and bawled uncontrollably, causing many ponies to stare. “I ruined our Hearts and Hooves Day together!”

Fluttershy knelt down and held Pinkie against her chest. “It’s okay, Pinkie. We still have time to do things together.”

Pinkie sprung onto her hooves, immediately cleared up of tears. “You’re right! We got much catching up to do, but what should we do?”

“Um…could we sit somewhere? I’m a bit tired from running away a lot from angry ponies.”

Pinkie looked around and then looked upward, causing her to gasp happily. “I know! Let’s go sit on a cloud! I got these wings just so I could be with you, so let’s use them!”

“That sounds nice. Would you like to join us?” Fluttershy asked the other couple.

“We would like that. Cherub, shall I give you wings so you may join us?”

“I’d rather not spend the time trying to figure out how to fly and look silly in front of you all.” Chrysalis climbed onto the alicorn’s back. “Onward, my trusty steed.”

“If you insist,” said Luna with some amusement. She took off from the ground and Fluttershy and Pinkie followed. There were numerous clouds above the fairgrounds, where many pegasi were seated along with their date. Luna managed to find one available and rested on it with the other two ponies joining her. Down below they could see just how large the event was. “Hasn’t Cherub done a fine job?”

“It’s so lovely. Everypony looks so happy,” commented Fluttershy.

“I was honestly nervous this wouldn’t work out, but this is going much better than I hoped. Just remember this is only for one day, so you two better start having fun instead of harassing ponies.”

“But it was fun!” Everyone gave Pinkie a deadpan look. “Thanks for doing all this, Cherub. This is almost as great as when you helped get Fluttershy to like me!”

Chrysalis laughed as she laid her head against Luna. “Oh, I remember those days quite well. I still can’t believe you told everypony in town you were gay.”

“Well it was exciting news, so they had to know! I just wish I told Fluttershy so we could have dated much sooner.” She rubbed her nose against the pegasus’s.

“It’s okay, Pinkie. I wish I was just as open about it like you were so you didn’t have to go through all the trouble,” said Fluttershy.

“Aw, don’t feel bad about it. I love you the way you are. I love you so much, we’re gonna get engaged and then married someday!” Fluttershy smiled warmly with pink cheeks and rested her head against her. “And then in the future, we’re going to have a bunch of babies!”

“Uh…Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked while hiding her entire face behind her hair. “We’re both girls.”

The winged earth pony ruffled the top of Fluttershy’s head. “I know. That’s why we’ll have Cherub get us pregnant!”

“WHAT!?” Many ponies in the area looked towards the red unicorn and Luna felt her ears ring.

“Yep! With your magic, we’re going to have our own family in the future! Isn’t that great? It totally is!” Pinkie rolled onto her back and stared into the sky. “But wait, wouldn’t that also make you a mom? Will our babies have three moms? That’s so cool!”

Chrysalis pressed her head on the back of Luna’s neck, hiding her face in her mane. “Well that’s going to be interesting when it happens, won’t it, Cherub?” Luna chuckled as the changeling groaned loudly in response. “We might have to find you a teacher so you could learn how to impregnate somepony. Won’t that be fun?”

“Yay me…” Chrysalis lifted her head and looked down at Pinkie. “I’m all for creating love and making couples happy, but this is seriously out of my comfort zone.”

“Oh come on,” insisted Pinkie happily. “Besides, don’t you want to learn so you and Luna can have a bunch of babies in the future, too?”

Chrysalis and Luna’s faces felt as if they caught fire and Fluttershy held a hoof open her open mouth. “P-Pinkie Pie!” stammered the alicorn. “That is not an appropriate topic for public discussion!”

“Why not? Don’t you two want any? And not appropriate? It’s not like you two need to have sex to make a baby. Oh, speaking of that, have you two done it yet!?”

Luna quickly stood up. “It was nice catching up with you both, but now we must go somewhere and do a thing immediately!” Before either mare could respond, Luna teleported her and Chrysalis somewhere in the middle of the fair. Many ponies were caught by surprise by her sudden appearance and Chrysalis climbed off of her. “That was…what’s the word?”

“The most embarrassing moments of our lives?”

“That’s more than one word, Cherub.”

“I think it fits what just happened perfectly.”

“True. I think we should avoid young Pinkie for the rest of the day.”

“I guess that might be for the best. But hey, it could be worse. Pinkie is nowhere as bad as-”

“Ms. Cherub!”

The changeling immediately developed a look of scorn and violently shuddered. “Them.” They turned around. Luckily for her, it was only Apple Bloom, who was with Applejack, Big Mac, and Caramel. Chrysalis sighed to herself as she and Luna approached the stand. “Why hello, little Apple Bloom.” She took a quick look around. “Where’s Featherweight?”

“He went to go win me prizes and stuff!” She lifted her right foreleg, showing a variety of bracelets. “See? Ain’t they pretty?”

“They sure are,” complimented Luna, “but why are you and Applejack working today? Don’t tell me you both are more in love with your jobs than your coltfirends.”

Applejack gave an embarrassed laugh as Caramel smiled at her tauntingly. “Nah, nothin’ like that. Ah’m just here to give my brother some company while he works.” She nudged her coltfriend. “Besides, we don’t need to always do some fancy stuff to be happy together.”

Chrysalis leaned against Luna. “I like the way you think, Applejack.”

“So how about you? How’s your day with the very lovely Princess Luna?” As Caramel scanned his eyes across the alicorn, Applejack and Chrysalis got up in his face with fiery glares. 

“Just fine,” hissed the false unicorn. “Better hope your day stays the same way.” She pulled away from the nervous stallion and looked at Big Mac. “So you got a date today, big guy?”

“Nope.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Really? No mare for a guy like you?”

“Nope.”

She leaned over the counter towards him. “How about I find somepony for you? Somepony to…buck some apples?”

“Nope.” Despite Big Mac’s never changing expression, Chrysalis could sense that he was extremely embarrassed and would break if she kept pushing.

“A shame.” She then looked at the little filly as Big Mac wiped the sweat off his forehead. 

“And what about you, Apple Bloom? I’m pretty sure children your age shouldn’t be made to work on a holiday, if at all.”

“Ah wanna help ma family and maybe get ma cutie mark! And if that don’t work, Ah’mma try the other thing ma family’s good at besides sellin’ apples!”

“And what would that be, young one?” asked Luna.

“Wrastlin’!”

All the ponies and the changeling looked at her strangely. “Wrestling? Since when did any of you do that?” asked Chrysalis, receiving a shrug from the older siblings.

“Like a lot. It musta been a family secret since nopony ever told me about it.”

More confused looks were exchanged. “Apple Bloom, just what in the hay are you ramblin’ about?” asked Applejack.

“Ah’ve seen you wrestle a lot, Applejack! Ah never said nuttin cause ya always try to keep it secret in the barn.”

“Who does she wrestle with?” asked Chrysalis.

“Caramel!” Everyone’s jaws hit the ground and Caramel became tense when he felt Big Mac’s hoof grabbing the back of his head.

Chrysalis and Luna slowly looked at each other, both knowing that the other just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. “Y-you don’t say. Perhaps you should keep it a secret. It might be strange to other ponies if they somepony like Applejack taking part in such a…physical sport,” suggested Luna with a nervous grin.

“Ah guess. Ah mean who would believe somepony like Applejack and Big Mac liked to wrestle ponies? Everypony looks up to them!”

The group once again became shocked and Applejack grabbed the back of her brother’s head, who was sweating bullets. “Apple Bloom, who does he like wrestlin’?” her sister asked with incredible tension.

“Ms. Cherilee!”

Everypony gasped and Applejack’s grip tightened. “Yar teacher!?”

“Yep! Ah don’t why doesn’t come and say hi, though. She looks like she’s tryin’ to be sneaky. Ah guess teachers aren’t allow to wrestle since it’s violent and stuff.”

Chrysalis took Luna’s tail and started dragging her away. “It’s been nice seeing you all, but we absolutely need to go someplace far, far away. So long!”

“Bye!” waved Apple Bloom as they went away. 

Once they were out of sight, Applejack immediately shoved a few bits towards the filly. “Hey, Apple Bloom, why don’t ya fetch us some cotton candy? We’re just starvin’, aren’t we?” The stallions both rapidly nodded.

“Ya got it, sis!” Apple Bloom left the stand with the bag of bits in her mouth, happily humming to herself.

Once she was gone, Applejack looked at the stallions. “Okay, here’s the plan: We buy her a book that teaches her actual wrestlin’, buy a lock for the barn, and mention none of this to Granny. Deal?”

Big Mac and Caramel looked at each other and then at Applejack, both saying, “Yep.”

Luna and Chrysalis powerwalked for several minutes, neither of speaking a word the whole time. Eventually they came to a stop, found a bench to sit on, and stared into space, not noticing any pony who addressed them. “I don’t know about you,” Chrysalis said suddenly, “but I hope today doesn’t get as…interesting anymore.”

The princess fanned herself with her hoof. “I have to agree. I don’t think I want to hear any more about…that.” They continued staring in silence and Luna eventually scooted towards her to rest her head on the changeling’s shoulder. “We should do something to forget what we heard. So what was this tunnel of love you mentioned earlier?”

“Oh, it’s just a cute ride where you ride a swan shaped boat into a tunnel.”

“That sounds fun, but where’s the love?”

“I’m not really sure. Let’s go find out.” They both got up and as Luna skipped ahead, Chrysalis pulled out a compact mirror and some lipstick, chuckling to herself as she applied to some to her lips.





The line went rather quickly and the two hopped into the floating swan. Cherub had to grab onto the edge as Luna hopped on as the alicorn’s weight nearly tilted the boat for a moment. The current pushed them forward and they were carried into darkness. When they came to the light of the exit, Luna’s face was covered in red kiss marks, which was captured by the camera planted at the exit platform to catch those coming out. Chrysalis paid for the picture and she and Luna smiled at it, although Luna didn’t like how embarrassed she looked. For the next several hours, they went around the park buying trinkets, meeting ponies, and occasionally having their picture taken together all while Chrysalis tried to balance dealing with any ponies who wanted her help to find them the one.

Eventually, the sun went down and ponies crowded around Luna, watching her raise the moon. As simple as it looked, Chrysalis felt happy watching Luna do what she did best. Every time she raised the moon into the sky, she looked so peaceful and elegant. Once she finished, the couple resumed their walk together while Chrysalis looked up towards the sea of stars. “It’s so beautiful tonight.”

“Thank you, but it’s just a normal night like any other.”

“I know. Every one of your nights is beautiful.”

Luna pecked her on the cheek. “And every one of your compliments is sweet. So we still got a few hours left, so what do you want to do?”

Chrysalis tapped her chin. She didn’t feel like doing any more games and was in no way hungry. She felt clueless. She then realized she had not seen Twilight all day, making her worry that she was didn’t bother to come. “Honestly, I want to see how Twilight’s doing. I haven’t seen her around and I’m worried she didn’t show since she’s dateless.”

“I think Cadance said she would be with her and Shining Armor, so let’s go find them.” As they walked through the fair, they questioned any pony they came across about the whereabouts of the three ponies. Since many ponies recognized the rulers of the Crystal Empire, it didn’t take long to track them down. They soon found Cadance and Shining, who were speaking with a pony and a zebra.

“You’re Doctor Whooves!” exclaimed Shining Armor happily.

“And you’re Prince Shining Armor!” Time Turner replied.

Shining looked ready to explode from excitement. “Wow! I actually get to meet Doctor Whooves! This is easily the best thing that has ever happened to me!” 

“Ahem.”

He nervously looked at his angry wife. “S-second best. So I heard my sister got an autograph from you before and I was wondering if it wasn’t too much trouble that I could get one, too.”

“I suppose I could give another, especially to somepony as important as you. Got anything for me to sign?”

As the unicorn desperately searched his bag, Zecora tugged on her date. “Turner, we really need to go. If we wait any longer, we’ll miss the show.”

“Show? What show?” asked Chrysalis as she and Luna approached.

The group quickly looked at her and Luna. “My, my, if it isn’t our good friend Cherub. Haven’t seen you since Turner was in quite a rub,” greeted Zecora. “And Princess Luna, what a delight! We thank you for bringing us such a lovely night.”

“Hello again to you both,” spoke Luna. “I hope no strange incidents have been going on since last time we met. I’m in no mood for controlling riots or worrying sick about my heroic little Cherub.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes as she blushed.

Turner chuckled. “No, not at all. Everything has been quiet normal, which is a bit boring for me.”

“Be careful of what you wish for,” jested Luna. “So what is this show you were talking about? Cherub and I have done just about everything and we need to find something new to do.”

“Trixie’s show,” answered Cadance. “Twilight asked me and Shining to come and watch her. Do you want to come with us?”

“We would be delighted,” answered the changeling. Cadance nodded and the six headed towards where Trixie would perform. “So where has Twilight been? I haven’t seen her around at all.”

“She’s been with us for most of the time while we had fun,” answered the prince. “She’s been pretty happy here, except when Cadance tries to find her a date every five minutes.” Cadance shrugged at him while laughing.

“I bet years ago, you thought one day you could be with Cadance without having to babysit your little sister,” Chrysalis spoke with a grin.

Shining rolled his eyes as the other ponies chuckled. “She wasn’t a bother at all, but she had to leave since Trixie’s show is starting soon.”

“Oh right. I forgot she was assisting her. Any idea what sort of tricks she’s going to do?” asked Chrysalis.

“Not at all. I can’t wait to find out.”

Chrysalis nodded and then looked at the other couple. “So how have you two been? I’ve heard you got Zecora on your show now from a very knowledgeable source,” she said while glancing at the unicorn, who mumbled to himself.

“Oh, it’s been great,” answered Turner. “She’s been a huge hit since I’ve added her and ponies have been flocking to meet her whenever she visits town.” The zebra sighed as he patted her back. “Hey, I said I was sorry. They’ll leave you alone soon. Anyway, she is just great and I love learning everything about her. She promised me that she would teach me how to make potions later.”

Zecora leaned against him. “Always such an eager learner, which is one reason I love Turner. Our time together is always so grand and I also plan on taking him to my homeland.” 

“Your homeland? Maybe I should think about a vacation there in the future,” spoke Chrysalis. “So Turner, are you still going crazy over scheduling your life?”

“What? No, of course not. I’m totally not into that anymore.” They all looked at him. “Okay, maybe just a little bit. It’s good to have some organization over your life.”

Chrysalis loudly sighed. “Zecora, if he goes back to into being a time freak again, please hit him for me.”

“Cherub, how could you be so mean? He’s Doctor Whooves!” exclaimed Shining Armor.

“Shining, if you met him around the time I did, you would have already dumped your Doctor Whooves merchandise into the trash a long time ago.” The mares laughed out loud and the stallions hung their heads.

The six arrived at an open area with many tables that were set in front of a stage. Once they were seated, Chrysalis looked at Luna. “So would somepony like you even be entertained by magic tricks? I figured somepony like you would know all sorts of spells that are far more impressive.”

“Well ponies always do find creative things to do with magic, so we’ll just have to see what Trixie has to offer.”

Chrysalis nodded and then whispered to her, “You know, maybe later I could show you some of my own tricks.” Luna chuckled and leaned over to give her a kiss.

However, a pony popped his head between them. “Hi, Princess Luna!” The six ponies looked at the young colt who suddenly appeared. 

Luna gasped with surprise and saw how annoyed her marefriend looked from being denied a kiss, causing her to crack up. “Hello, Pip,” she greeted with a laugh. “It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Great! I’ve been looking all over for you so we could hang out, Princess!”

“I’m not surprised,” muttered Chrysalis. “So are you here just to say hi?”

“We’re here to see the magic show!” Sweetie Belle, his date, excitedly exclaimed as she caught up.

“Can we sit with you, Princess? Please?” Pip gave his best puppy eyes, causing everyone but Chrysalis’s heart to melt.

“Of course you can. You’re my friend and I would enjoy your company.”

The colt squealed happily and pulled up a chair, setting it right between Luna and Chrysalis. Chrysalis reached over to put her foreleg over the alicorn, but the distance between them was increased when Sweetie Belle pushed her farther so she could shove a seat right next to Pip. The changeling sighed in defeat and growled when she heard Zecora snickering at her.

Chrysalis looked at the children next to her, who were both talking nonstop to the princess. A week before Hearts and Hooves Day, Rarity and Applejack came to her and requested that she help the Crusaders find a date. She was reluctant at first as she didn’t really like helping children, especially those three, but they eventually convinced her. After some hard work, she and Pinkie came up with three colts for the fillies. Sweetie Belle got Pipsqueak, Apple Bloom had Feather Weight, and Scootaloo was with Rumble. However, Pipsqueak was the hardest to deal with as he, much to Chrysalis’s surprise, had a crush on Luna. Chrysalis tried to tell him that she was Luna’s lover, but he didn’t believe her. She later had Luna come over and tell him the truth, resulting in the poor child’s heart being broken. 

He seemed to be happy with Sweetie Belle, but she doubted he was going to let go of the alicorn so easily, so Chrysalis decided to scan her newest company. Sweetie Belle gave off quite a bit of love while talking to Pip, which she expected from the filly being with her first coltfriend. Pip, however, seemed to be just a bit more interested in Luna. Chrysalis sighed to herself, wondering if the two of them would last after this day. Maybe she should check on them in the future, but only if she didn’t find herself in a prison cell if something went wrong with her plan.

She took a look at the other ponies around her, finding the Elements each sitting at their own table with the exception of Twilight, who were here to support Trixie and Twilight. Pinkie saw her looking and excitedly waved at her, so Chrysalis waved back. Their attention was taken away from each other when the lights pointing towards the stage dimmed. “Ladies and gentlecolts!” Flim’s voice announced. “Please put your hooves together for the hero of Equestria, the Great and Powerful Trippy!”

“It’s Trixie!”

“Whatever.”

The audience clapped excitedly as the curtains parted, revealing the magician behind it. Once the ponies quieted down, she stepped forward. “Greetings, everypony! Tonight, Trixie shall dazzle you with magic you never even imagined was possible! You may remember Trixie’s tricks from when Trixie first came to Ponyville, but those were nothing compared to what Trixie has learned!” Her horn glowed and three large boxes with doors on the front appeared. “For this trick, Trixie shall need her lovely assistant!” She looked to her left and everypony looked as well, finding nothing. “Trixie said she will need her lovely assistant!” No pony appeared. “Twilight, get out here!”

Reluctantly, she appeared, wearing a skimpy light-blue dress, causing some stallions to whistle at her. “This is so embarrassing,” she whispered to herself. 

“W-what has Trixie done to my sister!?”

“Twilight looks pretty cute in that,” commented Chrysalis. The stallion looked at her furiously and she stuck her tongue out at him.

Twilight stood by Trixie while avoiding eye contact with the crowd. “Now, Trixie shall also require two volunteers for this very dangerous trick. Who among you is brave enough to come on up?”

“Oh, me! Me! Me! Me!” shouted Pinkie as she bolted onto the stage, causing Fluttershy to gasp.

“Excellent. Who else shall take part?” No pony said anything. “What’s wrong? Are you all too chicken for Trixie’s trick? Not one of you is pony enough to come on up here?”

“Fine, Ah’ll do it,” said Applejack as she stood up. She walked onto the stage and stood beside Pinkie and Twilight. “So what do Ah do?”

Trixie opened the door on each box. “Just step inside and be sure to stand upright.” The three ponies got into a box and stood as told. “And now, watch as Trixie slices them into pieces!”

“Wait, wh-” The doors closed, silencing Applejack. With her magic, Trixie summoned a giant magical chainsaw, which surprised the audience.

“Oh Celestia, please let them come out alive,” Chrysalis said under her breath. Shining and Cadance both looked completely terrified.

With her new toy, Trixie sliced the boxes twice horizontally, cutting them into three pieces. She then slid some covers between the cut areas. Once she finished, she lifted each of the nine pieces into the air, rotating them around her head. The audience awed in amazement and applauded her.

“Wow! Can you do that, Princess Luna?” asked Pip in amazement.

She slowly shook her head while focusing on the boxes. “I’m afraid not. Maybe with some practice, but that looks awfully dangerous.”

Eventually, Trixie set the boxes down and stacked them into three separate stacks. “And now, behold the amazing power of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” She opened the doors, causing everypony to gasp and Fluttershy to faint.

Twilight put a hoof on her head after stepping out. “This is the last time I help Trixie perform. So what happened? Did it work?” The entire audience remained speechless. “Hello? Can you even hear me?” She raised her hoof to wave at them, but she made a shocking discovery. “W-what the!? Why is my hoof pink!?”

“Here’s a better question.” Trixie went up to Twilight, turned her around, and raised her dress. “Why is your butt orange?”

Twilight turned around, noting that not only her back end was orange, but her tail was yellow and her cutie mark was three apples. Pinkie and Applejack looked over themselves and realized that their bodies had also undergone some changes. “Trixie, what in tarnation did ya do!?” shouted Applejack in shock as she saw her purple front half and pink rear.

“Trixie sliced you all apart and put you all together again! Are you not amazed?” 

The farmer hyperventilated as she realized what happened to her body. “This is too weird! This is too weird!”

“Relax. Step back inside and Trixie shall restore you.”

“Ya put me in this mess, so ya stay away from me!” shouted Applejack as she fled the stage, hopping awkwardly due to having Pinkie’s back legs.

Twilight was next to panic. “I-I-I need to go home and find some way to fix this!” She then bolted off stage and disappeared into the distance.

As Trixie called after her assistant, Pinkie bounced off the stage only to flop on her face. She got up and scurried off to who knows where. With her three volunteers gone, the magician chuckled nervously towards her audience. “Um...the Great and Powerful Trixie must pursue those ponies, so please enjoy this performance by the Trixettes!” With a flash of her horn, many Trixies appeared on the stages, do the can-can. “Get back here!” shouted the real one as she ran after the three. The crowd applauded loudly as they watched the illusions dance, throwing bits and flowers onto the stage.

“Wow, that was so cool!” shouted Sweetie Belle as she clapped. “I wanna be a magician like Trixie one day!”

The lights came on and the ponies began departing from the area. “Poor Twiley. I hope she’s okay,” said Shining as he looked towards the direction she ran off.

“She’ll be fine. I’m sure Trixie can fix it,” addressed Chrysalis, feeling just as concerned.

“I guess. What should we do now? The show kind of ended a little earlier than I thought.”

“I have an idea.” Turner pulled out a list, causing the other ponies to chuckle. “Yeah, Turner’s got a little schedule with him. Let’s just move on. Anyway, after Trixie’s show, Zecora and I planned on going dancing. There’s a nice little dance floor nearby and they’ve got some very talented musicians playing. You are all welcomed to join us.”

“Dancing? I think we shall!” said Luna as she put a foreleg around the changeling.

Zecora motioned a hoof up ahead. “It is just right this way. Follow us and dance the night away.”

They arrived at an open area with many ponies dancing together and musicians playing on the nearby stage. Chrysalis recognized them to be that group from Canterlot and felt at peace as the music flowed through her ears. In her moment of bliss, she did not realize the other two couples had stepped into the crowd, only to return to reality by Luna tapping her shoulder. The alicorn smiled and held her hoof to her. “Would you like to dance?”

Before Chrysalis could say anything, Pip took the princess’s hoof and dragged her to the dance area. “I would love to dance with you, Princess!”

As Pip took her away, Sweetie Belle appeared. “Hey! You’re supposed to be with me!” She ran into the crowd after them, leaving Chrysalis all by herself. The changeling sighed loudly and sat on the grass.

“Kids, am I right?”

Chrysalis looked to her left, finding Spitfire right next to her. “Well, well. If it isn’t the legendary Spitfire. Didn’t take you as the type to show up here at a lovey-dovey event.” Her joke then made her shudder when she remembered her life right before becoming Cherub.

“You’d be right, but I knew you were cool, so I decided to check this out. Besides, how could I not go when Tavi had a gig here today?”

Chrysalis looked back to the stage, staring at the cello player, who had her eyes closed as she played. “You know, I haven’t heard a thing about you two since the last time I saw you. Any luck with her?”

The pegasus chuckled. “Oh yeah. She showed up the academy about two weeks after we separated. Went out for drinks, talked, had her crash in my replace, and just that every now and then for about a month. Eventually, I went to one of her shows, she showed me her place, and we made our relation official via bedroom fun. Since then, we’ve been keeping a bit of a low profile since the media would harass us without end.”

Chrysalis growled as she looked at the crowd. “I know what that’s like.”

“Yeah, I heard about you and the princess from just about every news source in existence.” She slapped a hoof on her back. “You scored big time.” 

“Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without her. She completes me.” Chrysalis looked back towards Octavia, who saw the both of them and smiled. “She seems so different from the snobby pony I remember.”

“She’s lightened up a bit. I think having somepony else know her dirty little secret has been good for her. That, or maybe making thunder has loosened her up for today.”

“Thunder?”

Spitfire stared at her in surprised before she laughed loudly. “A pony with your career and you never heard about making thunder? That’s too funny.”

“Enlighten me.”

Spitfire motioned her closer so she could whisper. “It’s when a pegasus and another pony go inside a cloud and get dirty. It’s even more exciting if you do it with a lot of ponies down below.”

Chrysalis sighed and shook her head. “I should have guessed.”

Spitfire nudged her. “So what about you and Luna? Do anything like that since the last I saw you?”

“No,” she replied sternly.

“Hey, I won’t tell anypony.”

“Mind your own business.”

Spitfire shrugged as she looked back at the dancers. “If you insist.”

“I do. I also think you shouldn’t be broadcasting what you and Octavia do in private.”

“I know, but she always looks so cute when she’s mad.”

“Maybe so, but if you insist on constantly provoking her, you two won’t last. Kind of a shame that you can’t dance with her since she’s playing the music.”

The Wonderbolt waved a hoof. “Nah, I got it covered. There’s a nice little rave that’s going to be starting later and I’m going to bring her with me.”

Chrysalis chuckled as she looked at the musician. “Good luck. I bet she won’t even come within fifty feet of the dance floor because it’s so ‘primitive.’”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Five bits says you won’t get her to dance there,” she spoke with a grin.

“Five? You need to live on the edge like I do. Make it fifty bits.”

“Deal.”

Chrysalis and Spitfire shook on it as Luna reappeared. “Hello there, Spitfire. How has your day been?”

“It’s been great, Princess. Although, I think your marefriend here is feeling left out.”

Luna smiled widely at the embarrassed matchmaker. “Aw, is my wittle Chewub jealous of a little colt?”

“Stop it,” Chrysalis snapped as both mares sniggered at her.

“Don’t worry. He’s now with Sweetie Belle, which means you have me all to yourself.” Luna held her hoof out. “Come dance with me, my love.” Chrysalis took the hoof and was immediately yanked onto the dance floor as Spitfire waved goodbye. 

Outside the group of dancers sat Twilight, sighing to herself as she watched the many couples enjoy their evening with their special somepony. Suddenly, a bouquet of flowers was held up to her. “For Trixie’s next trick, she shall make this pretty unicorn smile!”

Twilight giggled as she took the flowers, but they quickly disappeared as they were only an illusion. “Well thanks for the gesture, at least.”

Trixie seated herself next to her. “It’s my way of apologizing for your episode of panic. I should have told you what I was doing, but I just wanted to impress you.”

Twilight kept looking over herself, relieved to have her body in one piece again. “You really did. I should be apologizing for running off and ruining your show.”

“Are you kidding? They loved it! I’m kind of glad I only got to show off one trick since I can use the other ones I planned for tonight for future shows.”

“I can’t wait. You’re going to knock them dead at your next one.”	

“Yeah…” Trixie rubbed the back of her head and sighed. “Twilight, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Please tell me you didn’t book more shows with me assisting,” she replied with a chuckle.

“You’re half right. You won’t be assisting me.”

Twilight’s laughing stopped and she looked at her with worry. “Wait, what do you mean?”

Trixie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Twilight, I’m leaving in two weeks.”

Twilight immediately sat up. “L-l-leaving!?”

“Yes. I’ve been sitting in Ponyville for so long and I think you’ve helped me enough. It’s time I packed my things, load up the wagon, and travel once again.” She could see the look of Twilight’s shocked expression and her lip quivering. “Are you okay?”

“I…I don’t know. It’s just weird you’re suddenly leaving.”

“I’ve been living with you for over three months. I wouldn’t call it sudden,” she joked lightly.

“That’s not what I meant. You’ve been around so long and it’s going to feel weird with you gone. We got to study together and talk about stuff after kicking Spike out of the room. We were like...like college roommates!”

“I know, but I will be sure to write you letters and…Twilight, are you crying?” Twilight shook her head while wiping her eyes. “I…I didn’t think you’d take it this hard.”

“Of course I would! One of my friends is leaving!”

Trixie got closer and they hugged. “Twilight, it’s hard for me too, but I want to do this. I want to go across Equestria and wow ponies just like I did here. I’ll miss you and everypony else so much, but I need to live my dreams.”

“I know. I guess I never really thought about you actually leaving."

Trixie pulled away and used her cloak to wipe Twilight’s eyes. “Look, let’s just enjoy the time we have now. There’s still plenty of time for us to have fun, so let’s think about now instead of later.”

Twilight sniffed and wiped her eyes again. “Alright. I’ll make a list tomorrow for all the stuff we could do until then.”

Trixie chuckled and nudged her. “That’s so you,” she joked, causing Twilight smile. “So how about we go dancing?”

“Dancing?” she asked, sound unsure.

“As friends,” Trixie clarified.

“Sure.” They stood up and Twilight took Trixie’s hoof as they joined the crowd.

For Chrysalis, dancing with a pony who was much larger than her was incredibly awkward for her since her problem was usually the exact opposite, but she managed. She looked deep into her eyes while using one hoof to hold Luna’s hoof while the other rested on Luna’s back. “My, you are such a good dancer even after a thousand years, Lulu.”

“Same to you. I didn’t know you even did any dancing.”

“What can I say? I love living the high life.” Chrysalis spun around Luna. “And what’s higher than being with the most wonderful princess ever?”

“Your words are just as sweet as ever.”

“So is my tongue.” Chrysalis held a kiss with Luna and even caused her to gasp by squeezing her rear. Once the kiss ended, they both laughed and pressed their foreheads together. “I love you so much, Luna.”

“I love you too, Cherub. You have turned out to be one of the greatest friends I have met and every moment I spend with you makes the day so wonderful.”

“And night.”

“That too.” Out of the corners of their eyes, they saw Fluttershy and Pinkie, who was restored to normal and no longer in possession of wings, dancing together. “Are you two having fun?”

They both nodded at her. “This is like the best day ever! I wish we could do this every day!” Pinkie cheered.

“If we did, this day wouldn’t be as special. Just remember that what makes today special isn’t all the games and food, but who you’re with.”

“I know. I just wish we got to hang out more today, Cherub.”

“Me too.” As they danced, Chrysalis and Pinkie glanced at each other. They made motions with their eyes and hooves and as if they could read each other’s minds until Chrysalis suddenly said, “Switch!”

Before Luna could react, she was suddenly spun around and when she looked at her dance partner, it wasn’t Chrysalis anymore, but instead Fluttershy. “What the!?”

“Aw, they look so cute together!” commented Pinkie, who was now dancing with Chrysalis.

Luna repeated shifted her gaze at Fluttershy and Chrysalis. “Cherub, what is the meaning of this!?”

“I’m just spicing things up,” she teased as Pinkie laughed. “Go ahead and have fun with her for a bit.”

Before either mare could protest, Chrysalis and Pinkie disappeared into the crowd. Luna and Fluttershy looked at each other, both blushing. “So…how are you?” asked Luna.

“Good…You?” 

“Good.” Both mares darted their eyes around. “So…how are you?”

Chrysalis and Pinkie danced together at the edge of the crowd. Chrysalis snatched Pinkie not only for some fun, but so they could speak in private. “So are you ready for tomorrow?” the changeling asked.

“I think so. I’m a little nervous, but I think it’ll be okay. What about you? Are you excited?”

“More like completely terrified,” she answered sadly.

“Don’t worry. Our friends will totally give you a chance. I mean how could anypony not believe you’re better after today?”

“Maybe. You know, just in case I don’t get a chance tomorrow, I just want to so thank you for everything you have done for me up to now.”

“And thank you for spreading so much love! You’re like the best matchmaker ever!”

“I couldn’t have done it without you. I can’t believe how long it took me to realize just how amazing you are.” She looked off in the distance and sighed. “It’s funny.”

“What is?”

“Well, maybe if things had gone just a little bit differently, you and I…you know what? It’s not important. I just want to say that you no pony could ever be as great as you and I’m so glad we met.”

“Aw, thanks.”

Nearby, Rainbow Dash, who was dancing with Soarin, noticed Pinkie and Chrysalis dancing together. “You know, I really wonder what’s this secret Pinkie and Cherub share.”

“You’ve said that like a hundred times already, and that’s just today,” said Soarin with a chuckle. “What’s the big deal about it anyway?”

“It’s just that it supposed to explain everything about who the heck she is,” she answered while still eyeing them.

“You sound a bit suspicious of her.”

Dash looked back at him. “Well doesn’t it sound so suspicious? I think she’s great and everything and she has been awesome with helping my friends and everypony else, but why does she not tell us after all these months? Seriously, who the heck is she to be so secretive?”

Soarin looked at Chrysalis and who she was dancing with. “Maybe she’s Pinkie’s mom.”

“Pfft, please. That sounds so dumb.”

“Oh yeah? Well look at their colors. They sort of have the same ones. And didn’t you say it was kind of weird how Pinkie seemed so different from her family, who are all rock farmers while she’s a hyper party pony?”

“Yeah, but Pinkie is…well she…” Dash took another look at them. Now that he mentioned it, they did have similar colors. It would also explain why Cherub, despite being so rude and unlikable, managed to tolerate Pinkie for so long. “Whoa…”

Chrysalis and Pinkie happily hummed to themselves as they danced, only to be interrupted by their dates. “Um…I know you two are having fun, but I want to dance with Pinkie again, if you don’t mind,” requested Fluttershy.

“Hmm, I don’t know. Pinkie is pretty cute.” Luna glared at her. “But no pony is cuter than Luna, so she’s all yours.” Chrysalis released her friend and she immediately jumped to Fluttershy. Once they left, she took Luna’s hooves and they continued from where they left off. “I think you really fit in here, Luna. Especially on Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“How’s that?”

“Just look around. All of these dancing ponies, this wonderful music, and the romantic atmosphere. There’s just one thing that really brings it all together.”

“Which is?”

“Your beautiful night.”

Luna smiled warmly. “You always love to compliment my night, don’t you?”

“How could I not? Night and love are very connected. Ponies watch the sun set and the moon rise, go out to town for dinner dates, and let’s not forget the one thing that tops it all off.” Chrysalis went up to her ear and whispered, “Sex.”

Luna’s face lit up and she closed her eyes as Chrysalis chuckled at her. “I see your point. I would love to hear more of you speak highly of my night, but for now, let us just dance together.” They slowed their dancing as Chrysalis rested her head against the alicorn’s shoulder. The touch of Luna’s body, the elegant music being played by the nearby ponies, and the scent of Luna’s perfume brought her complete happiness. She wished she could relive this moment over and over, being close with the mare she loved so much. “I love you, Cherub.”

“I love you too, Luna.” They brought their faces together and kissed passionately, remaining connected as they kept on dancing.





Chrysalis didn’t keep track of how long the two of them were there, but they eventually stopped and left, deciding to find anything else they could do together before the day ended with the few hours that remained. As they looked across the area, a shadow flew over them. They looked up and saw Celestia’s chariot flying overhead, preparing to land. “Finally. I was worried she would never show. Cherub, could you wait by that stage you and Cadance were on earlier?”

“Can’t I meet Celestia with you?”

“You will, just wait for me there, okay?”

“Alright.” Chrysalis walked towards the spot as Luna flew after her sister, wondering if her date was keeping her in the dark about something.

Twilight and the rest of her friends also noticed Celestia approaching and ran to where she landed. Luna was already there as Celestia stepped off the chariot. “Hi, Princess Celestia!” greeted Twilight. “We’re so glad you could make it.”

“Me too. I’m sorry I couldn’t arrive sooner, but I had extremely important business to do.”

“Like what?” Celestia stepped aside and everypony but Luna gasped.

Chrysalis stood by the stage, noticing the crowd of ponies flocking around Celestia as she approached and Luna suddenly flew to her. “Cherub, could you tell the ponies my sister has an announcement to make?”

“Luna, what’s going on? There something you’re not telling me?”

The alicorn chuckled. “You’ll see.”

“I guess I will.” Chrysalis got onto the stage and cleared her throat over the microphone, causing every pony in the area to look. “Everypony, as you are all aware of, Princess Celestia has arrived. However, she has an important announcement to make to you all, so please give her your complete attention.” Chrysalis walked off the stage to stand beside Luna. 

Celestia stepped in front of the podium and the crowd became silent. “Hello, my fellow ponies. I hope you all have enjoyed your day here so far.” The crowd responded with loud cheering. “I am glad. I’m sure many of you have been wondering where I’ve been while my sister has been spending her day here. What has been done today makes this day one that will be remembered for many years to come. On this day, Equestria has officially welcomed the changeling race into its borders!” The cheering returned, but there was also some murmuring.

“Wh…what?” mumbled Chrysalis in disbelief.	

The princess waited until the crowd became quiet. “I am fully aware that there are many of you who may feel unhappy or even scared by this news, but I beg of you to take a moment and lend your ears to their queen, Nymph.” Celestia stepped aside as Nymph herself appeared from the side, causing much louder murmuring.

Once she was in front of the crowd, the changeling queen cleared her throat. “Citizens of Equestria, after many months of hardships, my kind have been given a chance at a new future, where they can go out and live successful lives beyond the borders of the Changeling Kingdom! No longer will they worry about acquiring love to save themselves from starvation! I must say that I feel very excited with what the future will bring after tonight. Today can be easily considered to be one of the greatest days in the history of our species.

“For those of you who still do not feel safe about my kind, I assure you that we are nothing like how you remember us. Please remember that the invasion was not just part of some mad conquest of power by my sister. For just about all our existence, we have been forced to seek out an unusual substance that is critical for our survival: love. It is unknown how this came to be, but this need has shaped our entire species. Changelings were forced to learn how to deceit others and extract it in order to survive. This lifestyle was not adequate, I’m afraid. Our need for love was a crucial problem that always lingered over our heads.

“What Chrysalis tried to do was to bring this to a permanent end without regarding the consequences. Unfortunately, she convinced many changelings to think the same way, mainly because they were upset with how they had to live. What resulted was a horrible moment for both our kind. What was supposed to be a wonderful day for Equestria became one of misery with ponies running in terror, a bride traumatized, and worst of all, the loss of several changeling lives.

“Since then, my kind has been hoping for a second chance. Our existence was revealed to the world and many saw us monsters. My subjects were scared for their lives, wondering every day if Celestia or some other ruler would come with an army and bring an end to us. Thankfully, Celestia chose to be merciful and gave us the chance we so desperately desired.”

Chrysalis stared with an eye twitching. Out of all the days for her to do this, she chose this one. Who was going to hear about Chrysalis’s event and her charitable donations if the news was going to be about nothing but changelings? All this work, all this time, was wasted thanks to Nymph. Chrysalis walked to the stage and climbed up the stairs, slowly approaching Nymph while never taking her eyes off her. She could feel fire in her own eyes.

“Tomorrow, changelings will be applying for Equestrian citizenship and they will be living here along with you all. Many of you have been verbal of your concerns such as how will they feed themselves and our ability to shape shift, but I assure you that all of these issues have been addressed. When they come here, living among you while pursuing careers or going to schools, I plea to you to take the time to understand them. There is so much we can learn from each other and I hope that this will be the start of a new age in Equestria; One of trust, understanding, and friendship.”

Once she was close enough, Chrysalis raised her hoof high in the air and gently brought it down around the queen, keeping a steady breath. “I for one am willing to welcome her kind here. As a pony who wishes to spread love and joy, it would be wrong of me if I didn’t try to show any to the changelings. So please, a round of applause for Queen Nymph and the changelings!” Many ponies happily stomped on the grass and she and Nymph waved to them.

“Thank you very much, citizens of Equestria! I wish you all a happy Hearts and Hooves Day!” Nymph shouted as she waved to them. 

Chrysalis watched as she left the stage, only for the queen to be suddenly surrounded by many ponies flashing their cameras at her and asking her and Celestia questions. She turned the other way and got off the stage, finding Luna looking at her with an enormous grin. “You knew about this, didn’t you?”

“Pinkie is not the only one who can surprise others,” Luna replied happily.

Chrysalis forced a fake smile. “Well you certainly succeeded. How come you weren’t needed in Canterlot?”

“I already casted my vote and signed the document before coming here because I wanted to spend this day with my special somepony,” she answered as she put a wing around her.

“How thoughtful of you. I would have been crushed if I didn’t spend so much time with you today.”

Luna kissed her cheek. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to go catch up with Celestia and help her and Nymph get away from the crowd.”

Chrysalis nodded at her. “Go ahead, Luna. I will be around.”

“I won’t take too long, I promise.” Luna walked ahead and Chrysalis departed in another direction, having only a single destination in mind.

Chrysalis sat herself at an outdoor bar, requesting a glass of hard liquor. When she got her drink, she immediately took a gulp. She looked down at the remaining drops and sighed. Perhaps she shouldn’t feel so down. Sure, the news of her event would be greatly overshadowed by the announcement of the changelings coming, making it harder for ponies to keep track of her activities and to show the world that she had changed her ways, but she was just one changeling. Every other changeling out there had benefited from what happened, so she couldn’t help but smile. Besides, ponies would still hear about her activates since she was with Luna, so maybe not all hope was lost. Still, for all of this to happen so suddenly really pulled the table cloth from under the banquet for what she had in mind.

As she took another gulp of her second glass, someone sat next to her. “I’ll have what she’s having.” Chrysalis turned her head to see her sister smiling at her. “You know, I thought you of all ponies wouldn’t end up having alcohol being their date on this day.”

Chrysalis smirked at her. “Luna went to go see Celestia and I’m just waiting for her. What about you? Got a date tonight?”

Nymph took her drink and thanked the bartender. “I’m afraid not. I was too busy getting this done to consider it. I bet you are surprised to hear the news.”

“Very. You’ve done well, Queen Nymph.” Chrysalis raised her glass. “A toast to the changeling race.”

“And their beautiful queen.”

“Of course.” They tapped their glasses together and threw back their shots. “So how does it feel to make history?”

She clapped her hooves together. “It feels amazing, Cherub. I suddenly feel so free and relaxed. No longer will I will be burdened with making numerous trips to Canterlot and talking the ears off so many ponies. Even better, our hunger is sure to be a distant memory now. After a few drinks, maybe I’ll go dancing.”

“That sounds lovely. It’s a holiday and you’ve done so much, so go out there and have some fun. You deserve it.”

“I might as well tonight since Celestia only knows what tomorrow will bring.”

Chrysalis nodded and took another sip. “The news of changelings coming into Equestria is certainly going to stir things up.”

“Agreed, but if everything goes according to plan, I’m sure it will blow over much sooner.” She looked around to ensure no pony else could listen. “Has Luna told you why we were doing talks today?” 

“She’s been keeping it as a surprise for me. I’m guessing you wanted to have it done on the day that’s all about love.” 

“Oh yes, but it’s also the perfect day for me to reach full power.”

Chrysalis widened her eyes. “Full power?”

“With all the love here, I can easily reach my full strength and be prepared.”

“Prepared for what?”

“The real reason these we manage to get these negotiations passed: To lure Chrysalis out.”

Chrysalis sat up and turned her whole body towards her younger sibling. “All this to find Chrysalis?”

“Not entirely. Luna should have told you this before I came so you could keep an eye out because we thought Chrysalis could be lurking here. You see, the ponies have been worried that Chrysalis would carry out an attack ever since she wrote that letter and contacted me, so the negotiations took a bit of hiatus. I spent several weeks trying to figure out how to help bring their fears to rest and eventually, I had a brilliant idea. Many of us assumed Chrysalis would take part in Hearts and Hooves Day, possibly even here. However, we knew she wouldn’t possibly attack here today in such a crowded area with Luna, Discord, and the Elements around, but rather the next day when we all separated.”

“So that’s why you chose to today to push it. So what’s next? How does this help you find her?”

“If Chrysalis still desires to be queen again, then the news of this greatly jeopardizes her goal. Knowing her, she will no doubt wish to pursue vengeance on me. I will be staying here in Ponyville as it much less secure than Canterlot, tempting her to come after me. However, my guards will be replaced by Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor while Discord will watch over the Elements and you. She won’t see it coming.”

“Better hope she doesn’t,” Chrysalis said amusingly before taking another sip. “So what’s going to happen to Chrysalis? Imprisonment? Made into Celestia’s personal servant?”

“It will depend. Celestia and Luna promise to be merciful since she has already been dethroned and banished from her home, so there’s no need to do any more to her if she’s sorry. However, we‘re still debating how exactly to handle her if she is still the same.”

“I remember Cadance and Shining Armor said they wanted to do something nasty to her, so she better hope they’re just as merciful.”

Nymph smirked. “She should be worried about Luna since the girl feels so much more strongly about her.”

Chrysalis flinched, knowing that it was unfortunately true. “I find that to be strange since she wasn’t even there during the invasion, but Lulu does seem to have a bigger temper than Celestia.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s also because of the rumors why she’s felt this way for so long, but ponynapping her niece and invading are also good reasons why she’d hold a powerful grudge. I hope she has let it all go after so long.”

“Rumors?”

“You know, the ones about her and the invasion. Those nasty ones.”

Chrysalis gulped. “What are you talking about?”

Nymph turned towards her, surprised. “You haven’t heard about them? I’m sure all of Equestria was talking about it. I’m surprised Luna hasn’t brought it up with you.”

“Just tell me what you’re talking about.”

Nymph finished her drink and set the glass down. “As the days went by since Chrysalis invaded, ponies began to talk. They wondered not only how could someone sneak into Canterlot without anypony knowing, but also where Princess Luna was during the attack.” She then sighed. “Sadly, ponies began to blend these two questions together and came up with an awful rumor.”

The moment Chrysalis realized what she was implying, her entire body suddenly felt cold. “No…”

“Yes. They thought Luna was involved. They believed that Luna was not there to defend Canterlot because she allowed the invasion to happen. Since Luna had tried taking down Celestia before, they began assuming she had tried once again with additional help.”

Chrysalis slammed her hoof on the counter, causing several ponies to look. “That’s a load of bull! She wouldn’t do that!”

“I know she wouldn’t, but that didn’t stop them. They thought that Luna was behind the invasion as a way to claim Equestria for herself. This kind of thinking made sense to many ponies and it got out of control. Ponies gathered in front of Canterlot palace, demanding that Luna admitted her crime as well as step down. They even threw food at the poor girl.”

Chrysalis closed her eyes. “I…I never knew.”

“You must have been under a rock or something since everypony talked about this until I arrived. The rumor was only around for a few weeks before they started making nasty ones about me, but it was absolutely devastating for Luna. She had been trying so hard to win back the trust of her kind and Chrysalis almost undid it all in a day.”

Chrysalis slowly looked at the grass beneath her. She suddenly felt lightheaded and wished nothing more than to lie down. Knowing she was at the verge of a meltdown, Chrysalis magically removed the mood expressing enchantment from her earrings, not wanting to appear extremely upset in front of her sister. “S-she never said any of this to me.”

“Likely because it would be something she would want to forget. As the rumors died down, her sorrow turned into hatred for my sister. She’s seemed to have calmed down, but I don’t think she should be left alone with Chrysalis when we capture her.”

“Nymph…how badly does she hate Chrysalis?”

Nymph loudly sighed and rested her head on her hoof. “She told me she would rather die than be involved in any way with her. She said the thought of being friends with her was revolting enough to make her puke. Rather than give her a chance, she wanted to mash Chrysalis into paste before tossing what was left of her into a prison somewhere far away. She harbors great rage for her, but I’m sure enough time has passed for her to cool off.” Nymph noticed the unicorn slightly wobbling in her seat, staring at the ground. “Are you feeling all right?” Before she could touch her shoulder, Chrysalis suddenly puked onto the ground, startling Nymph as well as some other ponies. The queen looked over herself and was relieved to see she had escaped the sudden vomit. “Cherub, are you feeling okay? Should I get a doctor?”

Chrysalis slowly stood up while shaking her head. “I’ll be fine. It’s just the drinks. I just need to go lay down somewhere. Please don’t tell anypony about this. I don’t want them to worry.”

“Well if you think it’s nothing, then alright. Get well soon, Cherub.” The unicorn slowly walked away as the worried changeling watched.

Chrysalis could feel her face breaking out into cold sweat and her vision became blurred as she kept walking. All she wanted to do was get out and go somewhere far away. She picked up her pace and power walked, ignoring the ponies waving or saying hello to her. She eventually saw Pinkie with Fluttershy and approached them. “Pinkie.”

The two ponies looked at her. “Hi, Cherub!” Pinkie greeted happily. “What’s up? Are you excited about the changelings like we are!?” 

“I want you to know that I’m leaving for the rest of the night.”

Both mares produced looks of confusion. “Huh? But what about the fair? And the closing speech?” questioned the earth pony.

“Cadance can take over. Something has come up and I’m going to stay at Fluttershy’s house.”

“But why my house? Is something wrong, Cherub?” 

She shook her head. “I’ll explain when you two are done with today. I just need to go.”

“But...” Chrysalis didn’t stay to hear her finish and was already on her way.

“Is she okay?” asked Fluttershy with concern.

“I don’t know,” answered Pinkie. “My Pinkie sense is telling me something is very wrong.”

As she walked, Chrysalis could feel herself hyperventilating. The area was too crowded and everything was just too loud. Her head felt ready to crack and her stomach felt ready to empty itself again. She could see the edge of the fair in sight and was dying to get out of the public area. She step outside and suddenly felt a brief sense of relief, but that did nothing to stop the storm in her mind. Unable to hold back, Chrysalis sprinted.

She ran and ran, pushing her body beyond its limits. Eventually, she arrived at her destination. Chrysalis slowly walked up to the edge of the water and laid on the grass just outside the house, looking down at her reflection. The face that stared back at her was a lie and she hated it. Using this lie, she had gone too deep with her relation with Luna and she was now going to pay the consequences. Luna would never believe she loved her, especially after those rumors. Was even getting involved with her such a good idea? Was this all doomed from the start?

Chrysalis buried her face into her hooves as tears flowed down her face. Everything she had done was for nothing. Luna and Celestia would never give her a chance now since they would believe she was taking advantage of the princess. It was all over for her. She thought she found the perfect lover for her, one who was smart, cute, fun, and could even outlive her so she wouldn’t experience the painful loss. Luna was everything she desired in a mate and now she was going to lose her forever, right after potentially damaging her reputation once more. 

She heard the door of the house open and she looked up. Many of Fluttershy’s animals popped their heads out and stared at her. A variety of rabbits, birds, squirrels, and even a bear came out and surrounded her, each doing their best to comfort her. They held her hoof, stroked her mane, and some of the birds tried singing to lift her spirits. It did little to make her feel better, but she was still grateful.

Suddenly, all of the animals shrieked and bolted into the house, slamming the door in fright. They locked the bear out and he desperately banged on the door, dashing inside the moment they let him in. Once again, Chrysalis was alone, wondering why they reacted like that. She then had her answer when she heard loud buzzing and someone landing behind her.

“Cherub?” Chrysalis’s body became stiff and she wanted to hide inside with the other animals. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Nymph sit down next to her. “Cherub, are you crying?” Chrysalis said nothing and lowered her face into her hooves. She could feel her sister run a hoof along her back. “Cherub, what’s wrong?”

“I screwed up. I screwed up and Luna’s going to leave me.”

“What? Luna would never leave you.”

“She will. I should have been more careful, but now it’s too late. I'm just going to end up hurting her.”

“Cherub, I’m sure it’s not too late to fix whatever is wrong. There must be something you can do.”

She shook their head. “There isn’t.”

Nymph moved closed to her and held her hoof. “Come on. Let’s think of something we could do. Just tell me exactly what’s wrong and I will help you.”

“There’s nothing you can do for me.”

“There must be, otherwise Pinkie would have never asked me to talk to you.”

Chrysalis looked at her from the corner of her eye. “Pinkie sent you?”

“Yes. She knew something was wrong, but I don’t get why she would send me since you two appear to be much closer.”

“I think I do,” she muttered as she looked back down. She knew Pinkie meant well, but now was absolutely not the right time for them to meet. Why couldn’t she just come herself so they could talk? Heck, she wouldn’t care if Fluttershy had to find out about her since she was so kind, but no. Pinkie just had to send her sister, who Chrysalis couldn’t share anything with unless she planned on ending the day imprisoned.

“Well let’s talk about you and Luna. What’s going on?”

She slowly shook her head. “What’s the point? It’s going to just be a disaster no matter what I do. Just leave me alone.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do. Luna cannot possibly love me anymore. I know you wish to help, but mind your own business and go away. You have nothing to do with this.”

Much to her annoyance, Nymph remained where she was. “Cherub, that’s not true. I know about you two and she loves you so much. I’m sure whatever it is you are hiding won’t change that. You should just tell her and see how everything will-”

Chrysalis suddenly lifted her head, starting Nymph. “Stop pretending that you know me! You have no idea of what struggles I’ve been through and what burdens I carry! You don’t know what it’s like to lie to somepony you love with all your heart because you’re afraid! You can’t understand how painful it is to wonder to yourself every single day that if you told them the truth about something you have done, you could lose them forever! You couldn’t even begin to understand what I’m going through, so just take your advice and shove it!” She pressed her face into her hooves, not wanting to look at her anymore as more tears came out. She loved Nymph, but she could not stand her being around and poking into her business. She should just go into the house while locking her out and wait for Pinkie to come to give her real advice.

“Actually,” Nymph spoke suddenly, “I…do know what it’s like.”

Everything in Chrysalis’s mind came to a complete pause. She slowly turned her head towards the queen, eyes wide as dinner plates. “You…do?”

“Yes.”

Chrysalis sat up, staring at her without even blinking. “What did you do?”

Nymph bit her hoof and averted her eyes. “I’ve…never told anyone this before.”

“Nymph,” Chrysalis asked as calmly as she could, “what did you do?”

The queen closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can’t talk about it. Let’s just help you since you’re so upset about you and Luna.”

“But I’m your friend. You can tell me anything that is bothering you.”

“P-please. I’m here to help you.”

“Well maybe we could help each other. Why don’t you tell me exactly what you did?” Nymph didn’t say anything. “Come on. Remember how good it felt when you talked to me before? Let’s do it again and see if we can rid you of your woes. So tell me, what did you do?”

A tense silence fell between them. Finally, Nymph opened her mouth and said, “Chrys…Chrysalis should have originally been the queen. It was meant for her and I…took it for myself by convincing Mother to give the crown to me.” She wiped her eyes. “It was easily the stupidest I have ever done in my life. I betrayed my own sister and I suffered for it. So what about you? What’s going on with you and Luna?”

Chrysalis didn’t hear a single thing she said after hearing her confession. She looked into space as her front hooves dragged across the grass, digging up the soil. Her body quaked and she grinded her teeth together with intense force. No more tears came out of her eyes as her breathing rate escalated.

She was going to deal with Nymph once and for all.

“Nymph,” Chrysalis spoke calmly, “why don’t we go inside and talk about what you just told me?”

“I…I don’t know.”

She roughly placed a hoof on her back. “I insist. Your problem clearly takes priority over mine.”

Nymph was silent for several seconds before sighing. “I suppose we should. No pony will know about this?”

“Of course. We should go inside to keep away from unwanted witnesses.” The changelings got up and walked up the hill to the door. Chrysalis reached for the door and turned the handle, finding it to be locked. She banged on the door, but received no answer. “Open the door!” She growled when there was still only silence. “I will blow the bucking door down on the count of three! One!” She counted no further as she heard the lock click, so she opened it up and stepped inside.

She led Nymph to the couch and they both sat down. Before she could say anything, she noticed all of the animals in the house watching them. “Would you mind stepping outside for a moment? She and I need to talk for a while in private.” They all got up and stepped out the door, each one staring fearfully at the queen. With them gone, she looked back at her sister. 

“I don’t even know where to begin with this,” Nymph spoke sorrowfully as she looked at the carpet beneath her.

“Have you ever told anyone about this?”

“No. I couldn’t possibly let any of my subjects know what I had done.” Nymph lifted her head and looked around the room. “Is this where you live?”

“No, this is Fluttershy’s house. I came here to wait for Pinkie so I could talk to her about my own problem.” Nymph nodded and stared at the floor again. “I’ll go make some tea. I’m sure it will make me…us feel better.” Chrysalis stepped into the kitchen and found a teapot in one of the pantries. She filled with water and set it on the stove. As the water began to heat up, she looked all over the kitchen, opening and slamming cupboards and drawers. Eventually, she found exactly what she was looking for.

With the tea finally ready, she poured the drink into two cups. After setting them on a tray, she took what she found and poured some into Nymph’s drink, stirring the contents with a small spoon. She returned to the living room and set the tray on the table. “Thank you, Cherub.”

“It is no trouble at all.”

The queen took a sip from her cup. “Honey. How did you know that was my favorite?”

“Celestia mentioned it once and I just somehow remembered.” Chrysalis drank her entire cup, but it did little to settle her nerves. “So Queen Nymph secretly snatched the crown from her own sister. Who would believe it?”

“I am so ashamed. If Chrysalis were to ever find out, she would skin me alive.”

“Or worse. Far, far worse,” she snapped. “So you convinced your own mother to make you the queen instead of her? How? How did you do it?”

Nymph gulped down her tea and poured herself some more. “I did it many years before she fell ill. I went to her room one day to talk about some things. Eventually, I pushed the subject about making me the queen.”

“How did she react to that?”

Nymph sighed loudly. “How do you think she reacted? She was furious at me for suggesting such a thing, especially because of our family history.  She wanted me to drop the subject, but I pushed her. I told her Chrysalis may not have been the best choice to leave in charge of the kingdom. Don’t get me wrong, Chrysalis was a very smart changeling and has proved to be skilled at ruling the kingdom, but she had another problem. She sort of had a problem with wanting things to go her way and did it by any means she found necessary, which would greatly upset her subjects if she went too far.

“She didn’t want to hear any of that. Mother spent so much time and energy shaping Chrysalis into being the perfect heir. How could she possibly let that all go to waste? But in my stubbornness, I kept pushing. Chrysalis’s plans to invade Equestria weren’t that recent. She had been plotting it for a very long time, constantly drawing out plans in her spare time. Mother and I both knew an invasion could only cause so much to go wrong and she wanted to believe Chrysalis would understand that and drop the idea, but deep down we both knew she wouldn’t give up.

“Eventually, Mother began to realize my point and was extremely distraught. On one hoof, Chrysalis could still be made queen, but she would inevitably invade Equestria and endanger the changelings by exposing us. On the other hoof, I could be crowed and prevent this, but we both knew Chrysalis would…retaliate. Fortunately, Mother did not want history to repeat and made very sure the both of us loved each other with all our hearts as we grew up, so I should thank her for not having my blood spilled by Chrysalis.”

“But why? Why did you do it? Why did you betray your own sister?” Chrysalis kicked the table in front of her, causing the cups to rattle. “Why did you betray your own family!?”

Nymph leaned against the back of the couch with her forelegs crossed in front of her chest. “I did it because…I was jealous of her.”

Chrysalis stammered. “You were jealous of her?”

The queen sighed and deeply rubbed her temples with her hooves. “I’ve been jealous for her for a very long time. She’s always been the golden child in our family, which was true. She was the future queen, so she mattered more. I felt as long as she was there, it didn’t matter what I did in my life. Our friends and even our parents admired her more than me. All Mother would talk about was what a wonderful little queen she’d be and that I would just have to support her. She spent a lot time making Chrysalis into being like her while I often felt…neglected."

She leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “At first, I tried to accept this. So what if Chrysalis was held higher than I was? I still loved her and I lived comfortably. However, later in my life, I started to think of something. What was my destiny? What was I meant to do in my life? Chrysalis would be the leader of all changelings, so what was I? What would be my greatest accomplishments? What would I be remembered for? These thoughts plagued my mind for so long. Deep down, I knew I wanted to be the queen. I wanted to have all the glory and fame, not to be just that other princess. I knew it wasn’t fair to Chrysalis, but it wasn’t fair to me, either. After so much debating, I finally decided to take destiny into my own hooves.”

She took a sip of her tea and slammed her cup down, placing a hoof on her forehead. “I…should have acted smarter. What part of me thought this could have possibly ended well? I knew Chrysalis better than anyone, so why did I ever think it was such a good idea to do this to her? She would never just sit by and allow this to happen.”

“Maybe you were blinded by your own need for power,” Chrysalis countered aggressively.

“Maybe. Why couldn’t I just accept things the way they were? In the end, I got my crown, but I lost my sister and all respect for myself. Those years after Mother’s passing were the absolute worst in my life. I tried so hard to fix things, but she never believed a word I said mainly because they were lies. It made her so cold towards other changelings and Chrysalis couldn’t trust any changeling anymore. How could she after what I did? Why should she bother befriending them? After all, they would just use her like I did. Everyone kept telling me that I should forget about her since she was so cruel to me, but every time when I look at her, I just saw a victim of my greed and I deserved to suffer her vengeance. 

“Things will never be the same between us. I did something so rotten and look where I am now. I’m the queen and I’m more loved than ever while Chrysalis, who eventually took back what was rightfully hers, is now out there somewhere with no title or access to her own home, despised by everybody.” Nymph took her crown into her hooves, staring at it. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair! I don’t deserve any of this and yet here I am!” she shouted as she threw it against the wall. “Why does Chrysalis have to suffer? She never did anything wrong!”

“Nothing? I think you’re forgetting about a certain wedding invasion.”

“To help her people feed! Yes, it was horrible, but there was at least some noble intention behind it. As for me, it was for nothing but my own desire to feel important. They always say how horrible Chrysalis is, but I am no better. I am a disgrace to my family name for committing such treachery.” Nymph lied on her side and rested her head on a pillow as droplets fell from her eyes. “I can’t keep going like this. I need to find Chrysalis and keep her safe. Maybe one day, I can work up the courage to tell her the truth.” She looked at her. “Cherub? Do…do you think Chrysalis could somehow forgive me for what I have done?” Chrysalis stood up, not looking at her. “C-could she?”

“I need a moment to let this all sink in.” Chrysalis went up the stairs, leaving the distraught queen to languish in her own guilt. After stepping into the bathroom and closing the door, Chrysalis ran some cold water from the sink and washed her face. After a moment, she shut off the water and dried herself. She stared at her own reflection in the mirror, ready to destroy another one. The question now was how she was going to deal with her. She took a deep breath and decided to think everything over carefully before making a move. She had Nymph alone to herself in an isolated area and Pinkie and Fluttershy wouldn’t be coming back for a couple of hours.

Her mind was filled with so many ideas, but she took her time thinking over them. Eventually, after much debate, she made a decision. She sat against the edge of the bathtub as she heavily pondered what she was about to do. It was incredibly dangerous and could easily be the end of her, but she had made up her mind. She stepped out of the bathroom and descended the stairs, knowing there was no going back on what she was about to do. Nymph was standing by a window and looking out it while quietly sniffling, taking no notice of her return. 

Chrysalis seated herself on the couch. “Nymph.” The queen looked at her. “Sit with me. We need to talk.” Reluctantly, she her joined her. “I must say I am still shocked by what you told me. Everything you have confessed has completely changed everything I thought I knew about you. I cannot believe you of all changelings would ever do something so low.” Nymph shut her eyes and turned away. “However, I know how hard it was for you to admit everything, so I thank you for being honest with me. It also makes me feel better that you are truly remorseful of your actions.” 

“I’m sorry you had to find this out about me like this. I just wish I could tell Chrysalis. She has every right to know the truth, but how could I possibly tell her after all this time?”

“You already did.” Chrysalis’s horn glowed as a wave of green light flowed across her body, removing her disguise. Nymph’s heart stopped as looked at the face of her sister right in front of her.

“C-Chrysalis!? What…what…” Chrysalis quickly hugged her and rested her head on shoulder, causing Nymph to gasp.

“I’ve missed you.”

Nymph didn’t move a muscle as she looked down at her with wide eyes. “You’re…you’re not angry at me?” she asked in fear.

Chrysalis moved back to her spot on the couch. “No, I feel extremely angry about what you did. I actually feel like smashing things with my own hooves and screaming on the top of my lungs.” She then sighed deeply as Nymph flinched. “The thing is that I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to keep living a life where you and I are enemies. I can’t even begin to explain how I feel about what you’ve done, but I want this to end. We have both suffered enough and it is time for us to put everything behind us and be sisters again.” 

Nymph gasped and put a hoof over her mouth. “T-truly?”

“Truly. From my stay in Equestria, I learned something extremely important. I learned that revenge was just a path of self-destruction and pursuing it would have prevented me from opportunities I never imagined were possible for me. I was given forgiveness for my crimes and it felt…good. I want you to experience the same thing.”

“Who? Who forgave you?”

Chrysalis looked at the wall and saw one picture of Pinkie with Fluttershy, making her smile. “Somepony special. I will be sure you two meet very soon.”

“What about me? Do you forgive me?”

The outcast’s smile steadily disappeared and she slouched on the couch. “…No.”

“No!?”

Chrysalis turned to her side away from her. “Nymph, I’m sorry, but I cannot at this time.”

“But…but Chrysalis…”

“Let me ask you something. Do you forgive me? Do you forgive me for every rotten thing I’ve done to you? Do you completely forgive me for making it my goal to make your life a living nightmare?” Nymph tried to speak, but she then halted and turned her head away. “Now you understand. What I did, we did, cannot be simply brushed aside and forgotten. We have both put ourselves ahead of each other all for a bloody title and we walked all over each other.”

“But what about now? What do we do? We need to fix this!”

Chrysalis shook her head. “There’s not much we can do. This sort of thing requires time. I’m still recovering from the shock.”

“But there must be something!”

Chrysalis thought about it, wondering if what she could have her do, until she had an idea that would be very unpleasant. “There is one thing you could do for me.”

“I’ll do it!”

Chrysalis took a deep breath before looking at her with a serious expression on her face. “You will tell Celestia and Luna of what you have done.”

“What!? I-I can’t!”

“They both know almost everything about me, including the nastier details. It’s not exactly fair that you get to keep your name clean after what you did.”

“They’ll hate me!”

Chrysalis patted her on the shoulder, somewhat calming her down. “No, they won’t. I’ve known them for a long time and they are quite reasonable. They’ll be ticked, sure, but it will blow over eventually.”

Nymph bit her hoof, occasionally looking at her. Eventually, she sat up. “I’ll…I’ll do it.”

Chrysalis smiled at her. “Thank you. Now is there anything I could do for you?”

“I don’t know really know, Chrysalis.”

“Nothing? Even after everything I’ve made you endure?” The queen shook her head. That’s when Chrysalis had an idea and she stood up. “Come here.” Nymph stood up and got in front of her. “Hit me.”

The queen cocked her head. “What?”

The older sibling pointed at her own face. “Hit me as hard as you can.”

She gasped and took a step back. “I couldn’t!”

“Do it. I deserve it.” Nymph rapidly shook her head. “What? You can’t fight back? You’re just going to let me get away with what I did to you?” Nymph remained silent and Chrysalis scoffed. “How can you be a queen if you have no backbone? Even after all these mon-”

Expecting a mere slap, Chrysalis was silenced by a powerful punch that landed in the center of her face. Nymph packed enough force in her hoof to send Chrysalis flying out of the living room and into the kitchen. She slammed onto the wall, leaving cracks, fell onto the counter, and then onto the floor. As she lied there in a daze, Nymph bolted to her side. “Oh, Chrysalis! Please tell me you’re okay!”

The elder sister managed to get onto her hooves, chuckling. “That was impressive.”

“How can you joke about that!? I could have hurt you!”

“That would have been a good thing. Don’t worry about me. I’m okay.” Chrysalis walked towards the living room, slightly wobbling with every step.

“Chrysalis?” She stopped and looked at Nymph. “Should I even…feel good about hitting you?”

The former queen smirked. “I’d say so.” They returned to the living and sat back on the couch, staring at the wall in front of them. Chrysalis saw the crown on the floor and grabbed it with her magic. “I want you to know I’m really proud with what you did tonight,” she spoke as she held it to her.

“Thank you, but it honestly feels like a hollow victory. I still do not believe I have truly earned my right to rule.” Nymph took the crown and placed it on Chrysalis’s head. “You are the true heir to the throne, not me. It’s not right of me to live out your destiny after acquiring it wrongfully.”

Chrysalis took the crown off and looked at, suddenly remembering many moments from her time as the Changeling Queen. She then looked Nymph and placed the crown back on her. Before Nymph could speak, Chrysalis put a hoof over her mouth. “I’m touched, but the reality is you did earn it the second time you were crowned. I had my shot as queen and we know what happened. What happened to me was my own fault, so do not blame yourself for what has happened to me. I think either way, you would end up being queen after my failure. Besides, you have done a good job taking my place. The changelings look up to you and the ponies trust you.”

“Thank you, Chrysalis. It feels so good to hear that from you.” Chrysalis held out her hooves and they hugged as Chrysalis lied down on the couch. She gently stroked Nymph’s mane as the queen rested her head against her chest, both of them smiling.	

The front door then opened, heavily startling them. “Cherub?” Pinkie called. “Are you-” She gasped loudly when she saw Chrysalis and Nymph together and then she ran over to hug them both tightly. “Oh my gosh! You two are friends again!”

“Pinkie, not so tight!” Chrysalis yelled through clenched teeth.

She released them and bounced in place, almost reaching the ceiling. “But I’m so excited! We need to throw a party to celebrate! Don’t worry! I keep emergency party supplies here with Fluttershy, so let’s get started right now!”

“Pinkie,” spoke Nymph, “aren’t you the least bit surprised to see Chrysalis here?”

“No, I knew about her for months!” Pinkie skipped towards the stairs, but was magically grabbed by her tail and dragged to the changelings.

“Wait, months!? You knew all this time and-”

“Nymph,” Chrysalis interrupted, “don’t yell at her. I forced her into keeping my identity a secret. Besides, she was the pony who helped me see the errors of my ways.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Chrysalis crouched down and hugged her. “Pinkie is my best friend and I wouldn’t be like this were it not for her, so be sure to thank her.”

Nymph looked at Pinkie in shock and the pony grinned at her. “My goodness. I always thought of her to be strange, but never did I imagine she could do anything like this.”

“That makes two of us.”

“I mean, just by the way she acted I thought she had some sort of mental disorder, but who would have-”

“Okay, that’s enough about that.” Chrysalis released Pinkie. “Thank you for sending Nymph to me. It has certainly lifted the weight off both our shoulders.”

“I knew you were upset about the changelings being allowed in Equestria, so I thought you and Nymph needed to talk it out. So are you happy now about the changelings? Please tell me you are!”

Both changelings exchanged confused looks. “Pinkie, you thought I was upset about that? No, I was worried about something else.”

“Like what?”

Nymph loudly gasped. “Luna! You are Luna’s lover!?”

“That’s right. Luna was also a good friend of mine during my stay here and we fell for each other as time went on.”

Nymph shoved Chrysalis’s face into her chest, hugging her. “Oh goodness, you were upset by what I told you! Don’t worry, Chrysalis! I’ll help you convince her that you really love her!”

It took Chrysalis some effort to pry herself free and when she did, she stumbled backwards. “Thank you, but you better prepare yourself for what’s coming. Pinkie, round up Luna and the others and bring them here.”

“Others? Who exactly?” asked Nymph.

“The Elements, Celestia, Cadance, and Shining Armor. It’s time to stop this charade. I originally planned to reveal myself tomorrow, but this must be done now. I cannot continue lying to them, especially Luna. Bring them here and I will tell them the truth.”

Pinkie patted her back, somehow sensing her distress. “It’ll be okay, Chrysalis. Just tell them the truth and it’ll work out. We’ll back you up and won’t take no for an answer!”

Nymph stood by the door, staring at her sibling with a more authoritative look. “Chrysalis, you should know there’s already been a deal made about what will happen to you. You will be put into Celestia’s and Luna’s custody and you will cooperate with them. If you do not, things will not end pleasantly for you. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. They’re definitely going to be pi…ticked that you engaged in a romantic relationship with Luna without ever telling her who you are.” She paused and then looked at Chrysalis with fear. “Please tell me you two did not have sex.”

“Of course not. Kissing is as far as it got.”

Nymph sighed with relief. “Good. Anyway, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do much for you if they still choose to arrest you, but Pinkie and I will do our best to reason with them. Some form of punishment will occur, so be prepared.”

“I deserve what I get.”

Pinkie looked up at the queen. “But what about Luna? Will she still love Chrysalis?”

Nymph glanced away for a moment before looking at Chrysalis, who seemed just as uneasy. “I honestly cannot say with certainty. No doubt she will be shocked and may want nothing to do with you, but it will only be for a while. She will soon see you for who you are and if she chooses to forgive you, you two can be together.”

Chrysalis nodded. “Let’s hope. Anyway, enough talk. It’s time to for this lie to end.” The changelings and pony exited from the house and walked down to the bottom of the hill. “I will await here while you two bring the others. Bring no pony else or we will risk the news spreading to the public and the ponies may get out of control.”

“We will be swift. Pinkie, climb on.” Pinkie hopped onto Nymph’s back and she took flight. 

“Don’t worry,” Pinkie called to Chrysalis as she was carried away, “it’s totally going to be fine!”

Chrysalis smiled as she waved to her, grateful for her words of comfort. When they were gone, she went back inside. Her first priority was ice, grabbing a pack from Fluttershy’s fridge and resting it upon her punched face. She then took herself upstairs, finding comfort on Fluttershy’s bed. Learning about Nymph’s treachery was still hard for her to swallow, but she felt glad she could bring her poor sister some closure. Forgiveness was an odd thing to her. The circumstances basically gave her justification bring down cold vengeance onto her head, but taking this alternate path made her feel at peace. It would also help give a good impression to Luna and maybe she would believe her about her romantic feelings toward her.

With a relieving breath, she looked out the window and to the moon.

The moon had been looking back.

The sky had suddenly darkened and Chrysalis felt the room rattle. With a deafening bang, the bedroom windows were blown open, greeting Chrysalis with a roaring wind that blew her off the bed. Before she could get up, she was pulled by the tail and thrown across the room, crashing into the wall. She was then grabbed her by the tail again and thrown right out of the open window. Chrysalis crashed into the earth, rolling across the grass and colliding with a tree. She struggled to sit up right before a sickening crack came from above her. A hoof punched a spot on the tree just inches above her, snapping the entire trunk in two. She froze in place as her eyes slowly met with the attacker’s.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO CHERUB?!”

Chrysalis gasped for air, trying to speak. The alicorn of the night was down on her, eyes white with fire. Trying to look away, a loud hum from Luna’s horn forced Chrysalis head to turn back, nearly causing her head to twist clean off.

“WHERE…IS…CHERUB?!”

Chrysalis felt her body begin to sink. The grass beneath her became black and viscous. She could only emit a wail of pain and terror before she became submerged, completely engulfed in darkness.