//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Marefriend // Story: Relationships are Evil // by TheTimeSword //------------------------------// The first thing she could feel was the silk sheets that surrounded her, comforting her as she slept. A gentle moan left her throat as she sat up, opening her eyes to the darkness that shrouded the bedroom. After cleaning the gunk out of her eyes and giving a loud yawn, she eventually snapped back to the memory of Queen Chrysalis. Her dark form replacing the white fur that had been Rarity. Twilight quickly pulled herself out of the bed, lighting the room with her magic. Starlight and the others had to be informed of the changeling’s arrival, and of her willingness to participate in the bet. The door to her bedroom creaked as she opened it, the hall was barely lit by the castle’s glow. She ventured forth, creeping quietly to Starlight’s room. As she opened the door, she could hear laughter echoing from below the staircase. Where are you, Starlight, she thought to herself after peering inside the room, revealing it to be void of her pupil. There was no other option than to investigate the laughter. She made a note not to trust anypony she came in contact with, as they could be Chrysalis in disguise. If Chrysalis was here then certainly some of the other changelings were as well. As she walked down the stairs, she could hear voices chattering on like gossiping mares at the spa. The foyer was lit up by the light from an offshoot chamber. It was a room Twilight used to meet with special guests and short visits with friends. She stared down from the railing, listening carefully to whoever was speaking. Only two voices, she thought. It was unclear what they were talking about but she could tell one of them was Chrysalis herself. The shrill, feminine laughter sent a shiver down Twilight’s spine. She crept closer to the room where she stealthily caught her first glimpse of the changeling queen, but to her surprise, the queen was untransformed. “So you controlled an entire village by removing their cutie marks? You must have some powerful magic,” Chrysalis commended. She then levitated her teacup to take a quick sip before placing it back down on the table. “Well, it’s certainly insignificant compared to the ability to transfer love into magical power,” Starlight replied. Chrysalis let out a throaty laugh. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” “I hope so. I’m sure Twilight will be happy to hear you’ve joined in reforming, mostly for the ability to learn more about your species. Not much is known, other than you eat love,” Starlight mentioned. “Eat is rather figurative, it’s more like absorb. We need it to survive.” Starlight lifted up a quill, quickly jotting down the information. “Is it like Tirek, who drains magic? Or like a bug that sucks out the energy?” she asked. “Are you comparing us to bugs!?” Chrysalis shouted, clearly angered by the very comparison, but still calm enough to levitate her tea without spillage. With a nervous smile, Starlight replied, “Yes, I did.” She set the quill down next to the paper. “Is that offensive?” “Yes,” shouted the queen, “I’ve been insulted by that word, my kin have been insulted by that word. Ponies have used it as an insult since the first contact we ever made. A bug is something small, crushable beneath your hooves. Changelings are not bugs. We are far more powerful!” Starlight lifted the quill back up. “I’ll make a note of it to ensure Twilight and the others don’t use it or compare you to them. Though, I can’t prevent the other candidates from using it. I would suggest you not let them see that it, ahem, bugs you, so to speak.” Surprised by Starlight’s cooperation, Chrysalis replied, “Th… Thank you. It’s nice to see somepony so understanding and refined.” “Well, you can thank Twilight for that. The lessons she’s been teaching me about friendship are some of the same you and the others will be receiving,” she boasted with an embarrassed smile. “Friendship lessons?” Chrysalis asked. “It’s going to be challenging, but I can’t imagine it’s the worst thing in the world.” Starlight had poured more tea into her cup, allowing it to cool on the wooden end table that sat next to her. She then rolled up the parchment that sat in front of her. Staring down at the rolled paper, she confided, “I know for a fact that it’s difficult to trust a pony who you had thought ruined your life. It was for me. The world I had once sought after would have been a world that was awful for me and everypony else.” “And you think if I had it my way, the world would be just as horrid?” “Just from what you’ve told me tonight… Maybe, maybe not. It could be bad for you, it could be bad for your kind, it could be bad for ponies,” Starlight replied. Chrysalis placed down her teacup. “Or it could be bad for all of the above, I get it. What’s so great about the way it is now, under princess rule? With friends? You yourself are new to this, so you must have some fresh perspective compared to these clods.” “I went from no friends to six really great friends who have helped me a lot. I’ve still got to work on becoming better, but they’ve given me more help and kindness than anything I could ever repay. If I ever run into a problem that I can’t solve myself, I can turn to them,” she mused. “So, friends help solve problems. Interesting. I usually just get my minions to solve it.” Twilight could feel her heart in her throat, the feeling of pride was rushing over her like waves on a beach. Starlight had been the greatest apprentice she had ever had, even if she was the only one she’s ever had. “Now I know how Celestia must have felt every time I did well,” she whispered to herself, a tear in her eye. “Eavesdropping is rather rude for a friend, don’t you think?” a voice asked from behind. The abrupt question startled the alicorn, causing her to scream and unhinge from the wall she crept against. Starlight and Chrysalis lifted up out of their seats, only to see Twilight fall into the open doorway. Sombra walked forward into the light, standing above the snooping princess. “Honey, I’m home,” he jokingly said. “Oh good, she’s awake. Hello to you as well, Sombra.” Starlight walked over to the two of them as Twilight regained her composure. “How are you feeling?” she asked. “A little dizzy,” Twilight replied, “but mostly embarrassed.” “Well, you should be. Spying on someone else’s conversation?” Chrysalis wandered over to the ponies, Twilight noted how much taller she was than the three of them. “That sounds like something I would do,” she continued, cackling with her operatic accent. “After that stunt you pulled earlier, I think I have the right to be wary.” Twilight puffed her chest, still annoyed by the use of her friend’s appearance. Starlight giggled, quickly replying, “Yes, Chrysalis told me what happened. I’ve already informed her of the details to the bet, and she’s promised to be cautious with her shapeshifting.” She then looked to Sombra. “Oh, right. Sombra, meet Queen Chrysalis. She will be another contender against you and Tirek. I guess you’ll have to step up your game tenfold,” she explained, giving the unicorn a wink. With a polite smile, Sombra extended his hoof to the changeling queen. “It’s a pleasure to… meet you,” he said. “Charmed,” she replied, shaking their hooves together. A grin wickedly parting from her face as she turned back to Starlight. “Am I also meeting Tirek?” “He hasn’t returned?” asked Sombra. “He had gotten stopped by Pinkie Pie hours ago, something about a cupcake eating contest. I was certain he still would have made it back before I had.” “We’ll wait up a little while longer to see if he shows up, you can meet Discord tomorrow. Sombra, could you escort Twilight back up to her bed?” Twilight was surprised by Starlight’s words. “I-I’m fine! I already slept the day away. You’re acting as if I’m so old mare.” Placing his hoof onto her back, he noted, “Isn’t tomorrow Tirek’s day with you? You’ll need your sleep if you wish to handle that crazed centaur.” “Not to mention, you’ll have to be up bright and early to help figure out who will be watching Chrysalis,” Starlight added, nudging her head toward the queen. “Alright!” Twilight shouted. “C’mon Sombra.” She huffed and puffed as she stomped towards the stairs, Sombra readily marching up with her. “Goodnight!” Starlight yelled as she and Chrysalis returned to their seats. Twilight mumbled to herself incoherently, partly due to the dizziness and stress, but mostly from her frustration. As the two climbed the steps of the staircase, Sombra could barely contain his laughter as he listened to her vexation. By the time they reached the top, the muttering had stopped. “Are you alright?” he asked. With an audible groan, she responded, “Sorry. I’m not really feeling like myself. The stress of you three… err, four, well… It’s getting to me.” “I can understand that. Isn’t that why you split us up to be handled by your friends?” he inquired. “Yeah. That’s bought me time to study and plan the reformation process, along with preparing myself mentally for the prospect of dating any of you. Now with Chrysalis, it’s thrown a proverbial wrench into my plans. I now have to account for four instead of three.” “I do not envy you. I’d say I’d like to make it easier on you, but I want to win just as much as the others,” he replied. "Though, if it makes you feel any better, reforming is far from easy on us." She gave a slight chuckle. “Thanks, I guess.” The two reached the top floor and Twilight’s bedroom door. She opened and walked in, the dark unicorn following behind. A quick flick of a spell onto a candle’s wick lit up the room with a dim light. She levitated the blanket on her bed, pulling it neatly against the corners. When she eventually realized Sombra was still in the room, she turned and asked, “What?” “Oh, I didn’t know you were finished speaking with me,” he replied. With a half-smile across her face, she said, “I suppose it doesn’t have to be, but I don’t want to keep you if you’re ready for bed.” Sombra raised an eyebrow, staring deep into the alicorn’s tired eyes. “Well, you certainly look like you are. The stress must really be getting to you.” She hoisted herself up onto the bed, pulling the covers against her. “If you want to stay and chat, I won’t mind. Though you are right, I may fall asleep. I hope you don’t think of me as rude.” “What would you like to talk about?” he asked, while he walked around to the other side of the bed. Twilight rested her head against a pillow, smiling as she closed her eyes. “Tomorrow you’ll be a guest speaker at the Ponyville Schoolhouse, in front of a bunch of foals who may fear or idolize you depending on how it goes. Are you nervous?” she questioned, beginning to feel movement on the bed. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I don’t mind the young ones, as long as they don’t nip at my limbs,” he replied. To Twilight, she could sense he was closer just from the pitch of his voice. She opened an eye to peer where he was, only to see him lying next to her underneath the covers. “W-What are you d-doing!?” she shouted, springing forward from the bed. He rested on his side with a hoof against his face, staring back at her. “What? Did you expect me to stand above you while we talked? That’d be a little eerie, don’t you think?” “Yes, but, you aren’t supposed to be in my bed!” she replied, pulling the covers over herself. “What’s wrong? It’s not like we’re doing anything unscrupulous - unless that’s what you’re afraid of wanting.” A grin stretched across his face, emphasizing his jawline. Twilight stared at him, a slight blush washing against her cheeks as he stared back. “Nope. Not dealing with this.” She then lifted Sombra out of the bed with her magic, levitating him out the door. “Goodnight, Sombra,” she yelled as the door slammed shut. As he stood back on his hooves, he looked around the hall, making sure he wasn’t to be heard as he said, “Goodnight, Twilight Sparkle.” Sombra then crossed the hall and entered his lightless bedroom, eager to get a night’s rest. He removed his cape, laying it atop a plush chair in the corner of the room, he then lifted the covers on the bed and climbed in. Sombra placed his head against the pillow, feeling the soft chill against his fur. Just as he closed his eyes, a slip of the knob echoed in the room. He lifted his head to see who had entered unannounced, quickly illuminating the room with his horn. “Sorry, I should have knocked,” Twilight said softly as she closed the door. “Changed your mind?” he jestingly asked. She wandered over to the side of the bed. “I couldn’t resist,” she replied, climbing underneath the sheets. “Maybe we should do something else, instead of just talking,” Sombra said, attempting to push how far she would be willing to go. Twilight pressed herself up onto Sombra, pushing her head out from under the covers and staring at him with lustful eyes. She began to rub their chests together, before whispering, “I think I’m way ahead of you on that.” He quickly wrapped his forelegs around her body, a smug grin from ear to ear. “I take it my charm has been working. And here I thought I wouldn’t live to see the day,” he said, nipping at the underside of her neck. “Well,” she whispered, leaning in close to his ear. “Without me, you wouldn’t have been alive at all.” Sombra immediately knew what that meant. He attempted to push her, pulling away from the fake alicorn. His eyes met her glowing, green pupils and the wicked grin on her face shifted with the flames as she undisguised. “You little worm,” he murmured. “What’s the matter? I thought you wanted me to be here. Or is it that you truly wished I was the real Twilight? Are you entranced with her, interested in the purple pony?” she asked, still sitting atop him, preventing his movements. “This is the week I’ll be able to spend some time with her alone. I don’t need you screwing it up for me,” he scolded, trying to wiggle his lower half out from underneath her. “Who cares? Our goal isn’t to win anyways,” she said as she pressed her muzzle against his. “Once we win their trust we’ll destroy them, and we can rule Equestria together. King and queen. Wouldn’t you rather have a queen than a princess?” “They’re resistant and smart. I’ve already made some mistakes with them,” he said, turning his head away from the changeling. She began running a hoof down his chest, slowly towards his waist. “Perhaps you need to release your pent up stress. I’m certain it’s been hard for you, living here with such a beautiful mare.” “Enough!” he roared, pushing her completely off of his body, towards the foot of the bed. “I have to do well tomorrow, and for that, I need my sleep. If I get thrown out of here, then your plan may as well be ruined. I will be king of Equestria!” Chrysalis let out a groan of displeasure, rising up and stepping off the silken bed. “Fine, fine. You win, you big foal.” He pulled up the covers to his neck, watching her as she wandered to the door. A flash of green fire blinded his eyes for a moment. When he looked back, he could see the shade of a purple alicorn. Green eyes still stared at him from the darkness. “Once we destroy these little ponies, I’ll make sure to reward you with this form, since you seem to enjoy the princess look,” she teased, using Twilight’s voice. With an annoyed tone, he replied, “Whatever.” He then covered his face with a pillow. “Goodnight, my king.”