> True Friendship
>  by corvusbray
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> True Friendship
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

TRUE FRIENDSHIP
Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Magic and the bearer of the Element of Magic. She is an alicorn of many gifts; she is stronger than the goddesses, Celestia and Luna combined. However even with all of this, she has trouble finding somepony to call her own. All who approach her are stuck up nobles, and the ponies who she is interested in flee from her. She is destined to be alone by the way things appear. 
All the Element bearers had settled in with a mare or stallion of their likes. Fluttershy joined with a gentle stallion who could match her mixed martial arts. Pinkie Pie eventually married a mare who, at times managed to put one of Pinkie’s parties to shame. Applejack paired  with a strong stallion capable to grow crops other than apples. Sweet Apple Acres grew so large, that they became Equestria’s number one crop supply. Rarity even found a stallion herself. Although not a noble. He was a homeless colt that had a maturity which rivaled that of Celestia or Luna. Rainbow Dash married one of the Wonderbolts, Rapidfire.
Earlier that year Luna had asked Celestia for the funding required for a massive project. Within the year, the castle in the Everfree was rebuilt, a path was cut through the forest that was for the most part, safe. Twilight now lives in that castle, with a much larger library than before. She spends her days studying, when she does not have visitors. So far, her most frequent visitor was Queen Chrysalis, of the Changeling hive.


Twilight trots downstairs. Her library door looms in front of her but she veers away from it. Not today, she says to herself. Heading into the kitchens, she sees the cooks making breakfast. 
“Princess Twilight,” one says, seeing her. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”
She grins and points to the dining room. “We have a special guest today so… I need a salad with the best dressing, some tofu bites, and crack open that forty year mead.” She turns and dashes out as she went up to her private dining to accommodate two diners comfortably. Looking around, she zaps the fire with magic making it roar gently, and changes the heavy curtains to a slightly transparent form, letting a little light in, but retaining the dark.
Turning around, she rushes out to the gardens and looks for one of the guards. She spends three minutes searching before one found her. “Princess Twilight?” the guard asks.
Twilight whirls around, rearing up and startling the guard. It was a pegasus mare, one of her shadows. “I’m so sorry Fire Heart, you startled me.”
Fire Heart just smiles. “Is Queen Chrysalis coming today?” she asks, her voice ever so innocent.
“No! I mean yes, well maybe…” Twilight trails off as Fire Heart giggles. Twilight’s face was burning up and she was itching to get back to work. 
Fire Heart notices that and decides to help. “Go on ahead with your preparations, I’ll receive her.” Twilight opened her mouth to speak and Fire Heart held up a hoof, “I know how you want it done.”
Twilight gives the guard a hug. “Thanks Fire Heart.” Letting go, she takes to the air and flies back into the castle, leaving behind a giggling guard.
“Oh that girl,” she says to know one in particular as she turns to head to the front gate.
Twilight comes back into the kitchen where the head cook instantly calls out, “The food is well under way, Princess Twilight.” Twilight smiles and nods before running through the halls, only lighting every other chandeliers.
She runs across the main hall as the double doors open. In walk five mares, the very mares that she could call her closest friends. “GIRLS!!!” She cries out, launching at them. She was hovering a half meter off the ground when she hit them. They laugh, and the six of them pile into a group hug. 
“It’s been almost a whole year Twilight, why didn’t you contact us?” Rarity asks, flinging her mane back. The others nod in agreement.
“Well, you see…” Twilight trailed off as she lands on her rump and knocks her hooves together, looking nervous.
“Studying too much Twi?” Rainbow Dash asks. She was wearing her uniform, meaning she had just come from work. Twilight shakes her head.
Fluttershy taps her chin pondering. Applejack grins and says, “You been working out haven’t ya’.”
“No,” Twilight says with a giggle. 
Rarity stepped forward and says, “Oh she obviously has taken an interest in fashion and has been designing.”
“NO! She has been party planning for her new best friend!” Pinkie Pie yells, “Oh she won’t replace us, will she?” Twilight gawks at her, and then shakes the wonder from her head. Just Pinkie being Pinkie, she tells herself.
She stands up, grinning as she notices a big smile on Fluttershy’s face. “Shy, what’s up?”
Fluttershy shakes her head and says, “Hey um, girls, can you help me round up the forest animals? We can visit Twilight tomorrow. She seems really busy, look at how nervous she is. She probably was planning a party for a government official.”
“That does make a little sense…” Rainbow Dash says, her voice trailing off. “Okay why not? I’m going to change first. Catch up with you all, smell ya later!” and she zips off out the door. 
Applejack shrugs and says, “Sounds reasonable. See you tomorrow, Twi.”
“Same here Twilight,” Rarity says as the two turn and trot out. 
Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy remain. “Thank-you guys for helping me there. We can hang out tomorrow.”
Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie smile. “Good luck,” they say in unison as they leave. She smiles, watching them go. Fluttershy isn’t so shy now…
She then proceeded to go about the rest of the preparations until an owl flies into her window with a message tube on its leg. She smiles eagerly and checks the tube.

She has arrived my Princess
~Fire Heart

She flies down to the front door and lands, folding her wings neatly by her side. She quickly runs a hoof down her main to hide any stray flocks and stands tall and proud and opens the door as she hears two figures approach. “Chrysalis!” Twilight cries out happily.
“Twilight, my good friend!” Chrysalis replies in a tone just as happy. The two rush forward and embrace each other, and she feels the familiar tug of magic as Chrysalis soaks up the friendship. “It’s been too long, Twi.” Chrysalis says with a bit of longing in her voice.
“Since your last meal?” Twilight replies with a deadpan.
“No!” she pauses, “Well that too, but I mean since we’ve seen each other.” Her face lights up at the fact they were once more, together.
“Very right you are Chrissy.” Fire Heart giggles and both of the monarchs glare at the shadow menacingly. She shrinks back into the shadows, where she belongs, and resumes her giggles. “Anyway, are you interested in any Equestrian food tonight? I got some new recipes I had the cooks prepare.”
Chrysalis smiles and lends a hoof saying, “Lead the way Twi.” Twilight’s face flushes but luckily the changeling had turned her back just in time. The two trot down the halls of her castle. It had a fair number of ponies present on a day to day basis, but she ordered the place vacant for the evening.
“So tell me Twi, why don’t you cook us food yourself?” Chrysalis asks suddenly.
“I uhh…” she trails off, scratching the back of her head nervously. “Remember in Canterlot, when you and the Princesses had to be rushed out as fire crews went in?” She asks the changeling.
“Oh how could I forget, the look on their faces will,” she pauses and gives a happy sigh, “forever be in my memory. Why do bring this up though?”
Twilight chuckles nervously, clapping her hooves together. “That was me trying to make you something Chrissy.” 
Chrysalis stares for a moment, mouth agape before falling back laughing. “That…”
“I know, it was pretty bad…” Twilight murmurs.
“No!” She leaps up and gives Twilight a friendly nudge. “That was priceless. So why not try to learn?”
Twilight snickers. “I already am trying,” they giggle and hoof bump. “Luna decreed that the guards are to keep me from the kitchen at all cost, because I am not to burn down the castle she had rebuilt for me,” she beams and resumes walking, Chrysalis abreast with her. “After she left him, the cook told me that I would learn to cook, or he’d die trying to teach me.”
“That’s awesome Twilight,” Chrysalis says in a bubbly voice. She stops sniffing the air. “Is that…” she begins, “YES IT IS!!!” she exclaims before bolting off for the door at the end of the hall, where her private dining was. Twilight can only giggle, watching the mare bolt away.
She catches up and opens the room to the queen who steps in and gasps in amazement. It was filled with the glow of the roaring fire, with the curtains now transparent so they let little rays stream into the room. The candles in the chandelier let off a warm, comforting glow and the food was laid out over the table. What caught Chrysalis’ eye was the mug full of mead.
“Is that…” Her voice trails off and turns to see Twilight standing in the doorway. She had a big smile on a face that was turning red fairly quickly. 
“I wanted tonight to be special, it was the day we became friends…” Twilight says trailing off. 
Chrysalis smiles and steps up to Twilight, and the size becomes apparent. “Twi?” she asks the alicorn.
“Yes?”
“Thank-you,” Chrysalis says softly, and she shuts the door with her green magic before kissing Twilight. She was so stunned that she didn't know what to do, even though this was exactly what she wanted. Feeling no restraint, Chrysalis goes farther, pulling her into and embrace, but what amazed Twilight, was the lack of the pull. She was ignoring the love and not feeding. She doesn't want me for the love, Twilight thought to herself, she wants to love me…