//------------------------------// // Peanut Butter by Europa // Story: Tainted Love: A Twysalis Prompt Tag Collab // by Foals Errand //------------------------------// by Europa Twilight took a deep breath, taking the comb to her mane again. With that done, she gave her tail a final straightening, then took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. "I can do this." Butterflies flitted around her stomach, and why wouldn't they? This wasn't just her first date with her workerfriend, this was her first date with anybody period. She trotted out of the Harmony Palace and, making sure her feathers were well aligned again, found Chrysalis. The queen was leaning against a rock, inspecting the hole in a foreleg and magically picking out dirt from it. She looked up when Twilight approached and stood, approaching her. "Hello," she said stiffly. "You look... nice, Twilight." "You too, Chrysalis." Of all the things they figured out to make peace between our species, they had to set me up with a date with her didn't they? She wasn't lying though. Chrysalis looked really nice. While the holes and carapace were still somewhat offputting, her general body was very close to that of a pony, and so Twilight could certainly, certainly see the appeal in her form. "Should we go then?" A cold pit dropped into Twilight's stomach. Right. Chrysalis had insisted that their first date be in the hive. Celestia had fussed over her and placed all sorts of protective wards over her like a mother hen, and Twilight couldn't blame her. She sighed. "Fine." Chrysalis stepped near her and, after a moment of hesitation, draped a foreleg over her. The chitin was cold and hard on her coat, like glass. Were changelings warm blooded at all? Then Twilight flinched when flickering, scorching green fire erupted in a perfect circle around them. She gulped when she and Chrysalis began to sink beneath the ground, eldritch magic rose up before her eyes and overtook her vision. There was a lurch... Immediately, her vision was overtaken by darkness, the only light shining from Chrysalis's eyes. Twilight lit up her horn, casting grasping, reaching shadows all along the tunnel she was in. Twilight grimaced, the stony scent of the air already cloying in her nostrils. "Alright, we're here. Um, lead the way?" "Yes, please, follow me." Then Chrysalis started through the winding tunnels of her hive, and Twilight followed after her. They passed hundreds of changelings, each of which bowed to their queen and gave Twilight a mixture of looks; hopeful, angry, apprehensive, and most disturbing of all, hungry. They made their way through the hive to one of the few restaurants that offered solid food. Solid food was produced and eaten in the changeling hive, apparently, just for the taste, so Chrysalis was bringing her to a sandwich shop. It was a circular-ish carving into the rusty stone of the Badlands, with tables and such in it. A number of changelings were already in, setting Twilight's nerves on edge even as they bowed to Chrysalis. Twilight followed Chrysalis to a 'window' behind which stood two changelings, a worker and a drone. Chrysalis took her order, but Twilight wasn't listening. When it was her turn, she stepped up and cast her horn's light on the inscriptions above. Then she frowned at the sharp-angled symbols. "Um, I can't read Hemipid," Twilight said sheepishly. Chrysalis came back and smiled at her in what was probably supposed to be a reassuring manner, but was ruined by her giant fangs. "Should I order for you?" Twilight considered that. "Sure, I trust you." Trust had to be given to be returned. The monarch nodded and turned to the two changelings, then spouted out a string of Hemipid chitters, clicks, and churs. A few minutes later, both changelings passed out what must've been sandwiches, wrapped up in something that looked like green seaweed but probably wasn't. Probably. After Chrysalis paid for their food and some glasses of water with a few ambers - amber chunks shaped into a shape reminiscent of the queen's natural crown - they both gripped their meals with their magic and Twilight led the both of them to an unoccupied table. Chrysalis's sandwich was some unholy conglomerate of tomatos, pickles, cheese, and bacon. Twilight, meanwhile... had a simple toasted peanut butter sandwich. Just as well. She started eating, and so did Chrysalis. A tense, awkward silence stretched between the pony and the changeling like a canyon. "So..." Chrysalis said. "How has your day been?" "It's been nice," Twilight said. "A grad student sent me a request for access to my infrared thaumometer, they want to see if the planet's leyline nodes have any relation to what lands are fertile and which are not." "Well, there are a series of highly tangled leylines beneath the Badlands," Chrysalis said. "They likely interfere with each other and the leaking magical energy inhibits plant growth." "I was thinking that too, but apparently he wants to actually put it to the test. I'm excited to see the results." "Hmm. Have you heard about the diamond dog alpha pack's latest invention? I hear they're constructing some sort of machine to calculate on its own." "Really?" "Mmhmm. My infiltrators say that even at early prototype stages, it can in theory compute five hundred multiplication problems every second for hours on end and never make a single mistake." Twilight's jaw dropped. "That's... incredible!" She had used a similar device to try and test the Pinkie Sense, but that sort of power? "Of course, displays are something else." "Huh." Twilight ate more of her peanut butter sandwich. "Still, it'll be interesting to see. Oh, did you see the latest magical theorem from... " They two of them soon began to talk eagerly about magical discoveries, eating their meals as they did. Very soon, the darkness and oppressive air pressure of the changeling hive went unnoticed by Twilight, and the fact that her conversation partner was the wicked Queen of all changelings became an inconsequential fact. Before too long they finished up their meal and Chrysalis had escorted her out of the restaurant. "I had a really great time today, Chrysalis." "So did I, Twilight," she said with a surprisingly gentle grin. "So... how about I come meet you in the castle, same time next week, and you can decide where to go?" "I'd like that. Um... sorry, I'm still sort of new to the whole dating thing. Do I just leave, or do we hug first, or - " Chrysalis leaned down and swept her into a kiss. Twilight's eyes widened comically as the changeling's long, forked tongue invaded her mouth and moved over her own, the surprisingly sensitive muscle responding favorably, as were her sensitive lips. After a few long seconds Chrysalis pulled back and grinned. "I'll see you next week, Twi." "Y-Yeah," she panted, stumbling into a half-conscious teleport home. She flopped down on her bed, giddy with excitement. "Next week," she whispered. It couldn't come soon enough.