Chrysalis hated Aria Blaze. Utterly! Completely! Obsessively! She hated her with a passion that would make ice cubes burst in flames and set fire to an industrial freezer. Since day one, the siren had made it her goal to ruin any semblance of normality Chrysalis might have in this shell of a world. And there wasn't a thing anyone could do about it! Magic was so inefficient here that it took weeks for the former queen to gather enough of it to change her hair, let alone anything more substantial. From there things only got worse. A single basic appearance meant a limited supply of prey, which meant less food, and in turn less changeling magic for her to use. Because of Aria, Chrysalis had ended up trapped in a vicious circle without any hope of escape.
"I'll tear your hooves off, Aria!" Chrysalis kicked the bathroom door in. The few girls gathered there quickly grabbed their make up and rushed outside. Chrysalis didn't even bother to snarl. Placing both hands on the sink, she started at her reflection in the mirror.
Why did I have to be a girl? A stupid teenage girl! Had she been her majestic self she wouldn't have to scrounge for brainless jocks or smelly geeks for a few meager morsels of love-covered sighs. She had no army, no allies, no powers, just a wretched human body with breasts flatter than a laminated sheet of paper. Even the witch Aria had more shapely forms!
"Just one decent meal," Chrysalis sighed. Her finger slid up the mirror making a loud screeching sound. If only I had enough magic. For several seconds she gazed at her image, her lips briefly curving into a viciously sweet smile before twisting in anger again. "And you had to ruin it!" she shouted.
Reaching under her blouse, she grabbed a rolled up sock strategically placed in her bra. If she had money she would buy real bra pads not suffer this pathetic and incredibly uncomfortable alternative.
"I hope you never restore your voice!" Chrysalis threw the sock on the floor, then reached to get the other one. She had spent days finding clothes that would create the perfect look with a semblance of a bust, and Aria had messed up everything in a single second.
"Are those socks in your bra?" Aria had asked deliberately loud in the middle of the schoolyard. The disappointment coming from the football team had almost caused Chrysalis to choke. There was no way she could feed after that. Not in a thousand years! By now the entire school probably knew, making the likelihood of her finding something to eat grimmer than ever. At most, she would have to rely on second hand sympathy.
The second sock flew at the mirror, then bounced off, made an arc above Chrysalis’ head and went straight into the toilet. A loud plopping sound told the changeling that the worst had happened. Great. She closed her eyes, barely keeping herself from smashing the sink to pieces. My best pair. Now I'll have to borrow money again.
The bathroom door swung open.
* * *
Aria loved Chrysalis. Hopelessly. Even since the changeling had appeared in this world, she had brought with her enough hate to feed an entire army. A single minute had been enough to restore Aria's singing voice for hours, and that was just the start. The siren had never felt so alive before. There was no way she would let such a catch slip through her fingers. Not for anything or anyone. Adagio might grumble all she wanted, Sonata could spend every night trying to get her to reconsider, Aria had already decided.
Walking down the corridor, the siren smirked at the students glancing at her. It didn't take magic to tell what they were thinking. Most had been openly hostile the day she had returned to school. That had made Aria uneasy. Without her voice and Adagio and Sonata by her side, she was as vulnerable as a cat in a veterinary clinic. Chrysalis had changed all that in an instant. Her spite and hatred had been fermenting for centuries, even millennia; so sweet, so sinfully delicious that Aria had almost fainted out of sheer pleasure. Even better, the changeling seemed to be a constant source of delectable delight. The only thing Aria had to do was be as nasty as possible to her—something the siren excelled at.
"To hate you—" Aria sang as she slid her fingers along the wall "—is to love you. As beautiful as new." Her voice was clear and vibrant with enough sweetness and magic to make heads turn. A geek dropped her books, beside her a jock dropped his jaw, only to have it halfway closed by a mesmerized cheerleader. Lovely being the center of attention again.
"I'll take a chance on a beautiful changeling," Aria span around, earning some applause.
This was so perfect. Minutes ago she had yelled at Chrysalis, asking if the changeling had put socks in her bra... right in front of the entire football team. Chrysalis had turned pink, red, deep magenta, then erupted in an explosion of unadulterated hatred. It was so intoxicating that Aria's mouth had instantly filled with saliva.
Scrumptious. The siren followed the trail of hatred, as if she were slurping down a tasty strand of spaghetti.
"The toilet?" She smirked. "Why not?" She brushed her fingers through her hair, then pushed the door open.
* * *
"Witch!" Chrysalis shouted as Aria entered. "I'll claw your eyes out!" Without thinking she rushed straight at the siren. Enraged and half-starved, the changeling had lost what little self control she had remaining. I'm going to tear your stupid twin tails off, and when you beg me for mercy, I'll laugh in your f—
"Angel." Aria smiled, opening her arms.
The wave of love hit Chrysalis like a brick wall. The changeling hesitated. One more step and her killer intent had gone. I won't let you tempt me! Chrysalis cried in desperation. The sweet smell of love was everywhere, making her entire body tingle as if the tips of a thousand feathers were brushing against her skin.
"I will... not..." The changeling queen's resistance broke. Powerless, she gorged on the succulent love that surrounded her—Aria's love. The remaining inertia let her body float through the air right into the siren's warm embrace. Chrysalis despised herself for it, she despised Aria twice as much. Why does it feel so good? The sensation of magic filling me, making me whole again... I can't stand you, witch! She wrapped her arms round the siren, helplessly.
"I love it when you hate me," Aria whispered in her ear and squeezed tighter.
"I hate it when you love me," Chrysalis sniffed, then relaxed her head on the siren's shoulder.