Did The Spray Get Here Yet?

by Dr Atlas

First published

Starlight prepares for Chrysalis's return while Twilight tries her best to tell her she's being a little too paranoid about it. It doesn't go so well...

Ever since Chrysalis swore vengeance on Starlight, the mare has been making preparations for the day she'd strike.

Twilight is just as concerned, but more for Starlight than an attack from Chrysalis.

Any Day Now...

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“Starlight, it’s been three days...THREE. DAYS! Come out of your room already!”

Twilight tapped her hoof impatiently as she continued sitting in front of Starlight’s bedroom door, waiting for it to open, but just like the other three rounds of knocking, she knew this wouldn’t be easy.

“Last warning.” She uttered as she took hold of the door handle. “Either you come out or I come in!” With silence being her only answer, Twilight twisted the knob and walked inside.

The second she stepped in, she felt her back legs tie up and go in the air, she looked up to see she fell for an old fashioned rope trap, where she then groaned and hung her arms down. “Really Starlight, you’re resorting to cliche tra-” She stopped talking once she saw Starlight in front of her. Who had a bat at the ready.

“What’s your name!” Starlight yelled out, ready to swing.

Since she had went through this whole song and dance before. Twilight crossed her front legs and said, “I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“W-Where are you from!” Starlight asked, shaking.

“I’m from Canterlot, where I then moved to Ponyville.”

“What other house did you-”

“I lived in a treehouse which was destroyed by Lord Tirek, I have a brother named Shining Armor, a sister-in-law named Cadance, who’s full name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, the both of them currently living in the Crystal kingdom, and I have friends named Spike, Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity…” Twilight then pointed at Starlight. “And Starlight Glimmer. There. Is that enough?” After several seconds of silence, Starlight slowly put down the bat, but kept her eyes narrowed.

“H-How can I know it’s you!?” Starlight yelled, her eyes inches away from Twilight's.

With a deadpan glare, Twilight had the answer. “Well, besides passing your so called ‘test’, you also had some sort of code phrase for you to say to me.”

Starlight backed up. “But isn’t it past your bedtime?” She asked, hoping for a correct answer.

“You mean Spike’s bedtime. Which is at nine thirty.” Twilight said, hoping she would let her go after that.

Starlight tossed the bat behind her, but she still wasn’t convinced. “No...tha-that’s not enough, what if you ponynapped Twilight and forced her to tell you the code and all the answers?”

“You really think she’d do that?” Twilight asked. “I mean, it’s been only a few days since she flew off, I’m pretty sure she’d wait a year or so to come up with another plan and not just randomly take a pony, you really think she would pull something like that?”

Starlight nodded, making Twilight facehoof. “You don’t understand, Twilight, if that’s really you. I need to be one hundred and ten percent sure it’s YOU and not...her.”

Twilight was starting to get a headache at this point, not only from being upside down, but also from her students behavior. “Starlight, if you’re so worried if it’s really me, then just cast the spell on me.”

Starlight gasped. “That’s exactly what that monster would want me to do!” She went eye to eye with Twilight again. “Now I know you’re not Twilight.”

Twilight tried processing that logic, but ended up shaking it away. “Starlight, how late did you stay up last night?”

Having a feeling only Twilight would care about that, Starlight stepped back and lit up her horn. “I got an average of forty five minutes of sleep. With every ten minutes checking every inch of my room for any indication of that so called ‘queen.’”

Now Twilight could understand her actions. “Last I checked, the average sleep is seven to ten hours. You need more.”

“But I have to do this! That monster is going to get me if I don’t-”

“Starlight, even if she managed to get in your room and get you, you know that me and my friends would risk anything to get you back! Just like you did, and I know Chrysalis can’t even understand that, because she doesn’t know a thing about friendship!” Twilight was hoping that small speech would be enough to snap her out of this. “Do you trust me now?”

Starlight was hesitant, but ended up closing her eyes and flaring up her horn brighter before shooting a beam of light at Twilight. Once she finished, she opened one of her eyes, still seeing a purple alicorn in front of her, making her breath a sigh of relief. “Okay, good...it worked.”

“So, can you get me down now or am I going to have to do it?” Twilight asked.

Starlight looked away and blushed as she undid the knots with her magic, making Twilight fall head first on the floor. Twilight rubbed her head while Starlight continued looking away. “I-I’m sorry Twilight but I-”

“-Need to know it’s me.” Twilight finished, hearing the excuse before. “Starlight, this is getting out of hoof. First it was trapping me in a force field, which I got out of, then it was a trap door, which I, again, got out of, and now it’s ropes?” Twilight held up said rope.

Starlight shrugged innocently. “Well, look on the bright side, Twilight, at least I didn't use sna-”

Twilight grabbed Starlight by the shoulders and pulled her closer. “Starlight, if you ever use snakes to prove it’s me again...”

Starlight did the same. “I don’t want to see her again, Twilight!” She yelled, shaking her. “You, me, and everyone else saw the death stare she gave me! She want’s my head on a spit, my body torn apart, by tail ripped off, my eyes gouged out, and the blood sucked out of my-”

Twilight managed to shove a hoof in her mouth before she could continue. “Okay, first of all, eww. Second of all, that’s not for kids, and third of all…” She let go of her and threw her front leg to the boarded up window. “It’s only been three days and it’s only the afternoon. Almost everyone is at lunch right now, which is what I’m hoping both of us can do.”

Starlight gasped. “And risk the safety of my room!? She’s bound to come in here while I’m gone and take the form of any of my things.”

Twilight blinked. “What?”

Starlight nodded furiously. “I’ve read up on what changelings can do, they can disguise as just about anything.” Her eyes started traveling the room. “She could be in this room at this very moment.”

“After you’ve had it on lock down for this long, you really think she’d be in here?”

Starlight didn’t seem to understand. “What do you mean, this isn’t even close to being on lockdown.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Not on lockdow- STARLIGHT! We have locks on all our doors, yours needs work by the way, we have the front door filled to the brim with different types of locks, and you still have that bubble shield up.”

“A shield that still let’s ponies and creatures inside!” Starlight pointed out, her head hurting and her horn fizzling for a second. “This thing isn’t easy, ya know.”

Twilight had the obvious solution to her problem. “Then put it down and rest, that’s the only way to-”

“-Let Chrysalis get in this castle!” Starlight pointed out. “If I turn this shield off for a only a second, she could get in.”

Twilight had an idea. “Okay then, let's do that, take the shield away and let’s see if someone will come in.”

A strand of hair went out of place for Starlight. “A-Are you insane!?”

“We can handle this, Starlight. You’re not alone if she ever attacks this place, do you understand?” Starlight was hesitant again, but knew she was right. That, even if she got in, they could both take her, so, she lit up her horn and took away the shield, her teeth clenched and her eyes darting the room. Twilight did the same, thought not as terrified. “See, nothing. She’s not-”

*KNOCK KNOCK*

Starlight screamed at the top of her lungs and hid behind Twilight, her horn instantly putting up a shield around the two of them. “W-W-Who’s out there!?” Starlight yelled.

“Wow, Starlight, didn’t know your voice could go that high…”

Twilight could recognize the voice anywhere. “Spike?” Twilight said, Starlight holding onto her.

“D-Don’t fall for it, it’s a trick!”

Twilight was starting to think the mare was going insane. “Starlight, it’s Spike, not only that, but Chrysalis would definitely not announce herself, don’t you think.”

“But she would think you would think that! Then she’d think that you’d think that she’d think that you might think that, so she would think that you thought she’d think you thought-” Starlight stopped talking once she realized Spike was already inside, a wooden crate behind him. “H-How did-”

Spike pointed at Twilight, who shut the door and leaned against it. “She let me in while you kept ranting.” He pointed behind him. “Your package came in, by the way.”

Starlight’s eyes widened. “I-It did!” She lit up her horn and brought the crate right up to her hooves, smiling. “Finally! Now I’ll know I’ll be safe.”

“Safe?” Twilight asked, walking closer. “Why, what’s inside that…” Twilight then noticed who the package was for. “Wait...why is that under my name?”

Dreading the day she would explain this, Starlight chuckled nervously and said, “Um, Twilight, don’t be too mad, but I kinda...sorta, maybe, just a little bit-”

“Ordered twenty crates of stuff.” Spike answered, Twilight’s jaw dropping. “Yeah, that’s the expression I had when she told me.”

With her jaw still dropped, Twilight looked at Spike. “S-Spike! Why didn’t you tell me anything about this.”

Spike pointed at Starlight. “Cause Starlight wanted it to be a surprise for when all twenty crates came in.”

Twilight had to ask. “Twenty crates of what?”

Starlight chuckled rather creepily as she took hold of the crate. “Oh, you’ll soon see, soon everypony will see.”

Twilight ignored the strange tone of voice and continued. “I’m not made of bits, Starlight. You can’t just buy things behind my back like this!”

“But you are a princess, I’m sure you got tons of money stored away, and you’ll thank once I show you what I got.”

This was getting too much for Twilight to handle. “Okay, Starlight. This is crossing the line, this is where being paranoid is-”

“I am not being paranoid, I’m just making sure everything is ready in case she comes back.” She started tugging on the crate while Twilight watched.

“Starlight, Chrysalis isn’t coming back, you’re just being paranoid.”

Starlight started gritting her teeth. “You sound just like my mom. She’s always saying I’m paranoid about something! ‘The mail mare’s not spying on you, Starlight.’” Starlight mocked. “‘You’re just being paranoid.’” Twilight was about to speak up, but the mare continued. “‘Owl’s can’t read your mind, Starlight. You’re just being paranoid; There isn’t someone typing a stupid story about you and making references, Starlight. You’re just being paranoid!” She finally managed to open the crate, taking a deep breath and rummaging through it. “Bet she wouldn’t call me paranoid when finds out I saved Equestria from a changeling take over, now would she?”

“Starlight-”

“WOULD SHE!?”

Twilight would’ve continued, but she stopped once she took a look what was inside the crate. “I-Isn't that…”

With a smile on her face, Starlight held up two spray cans and said, “This, dear Twilight, is every changeling’s natural enemy, something that can repel and lethally take out a bug from a few yards away. It’s perfect!”

Twilight held up the spray bottle, where it said in bold letters. “‘Raid’...really?”

Starlight nodded, holding up many more with her magic. “This stuff is sure to keep any bug out!”

Twilight had to repeat herself. “Really, Starlight? Bug spray? Don’t you think that’s kinda...you know, offensive to changelings. They’re not bugs.”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’m gonna use a fly swatter against her.” She shivered. “Now that’s a story that should never have happened.”

Spike tilted his head. “What?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Twilight said. “Just...just...UGH!” She put both her hooves to her head, getting too overwhelmed with all of this. “Starlight, how long are you going to act like this? That you’ll constantly be on the lookout for her, that you’ll stay in your room and prepare for something that will never happen?”

Starlight didn’t seem to be paying attention, she was merely spraying the walls and corners of the room with the spray while wearing a surgical face mask. “You’ll thank me when Chrysalis tries to come in here.” She turned to her, her face as serious as ever. “You’ll thank me."

In the end, Twilight gave up and stood on all fours. “Fine, be like that. Keep being paranoid and stay in here! Just try not to poison yourself from the fumes, okay?”

Starlight pointed at the mask. “That’s what this is for. Now are you going to help me prepare or just get yourself ponynapped again?” Twilight narrowed her eyes and took hold of Spike with her magic, setting him on his back and turning to the door, shutting in behind her and leaving Starlight to herself. Starlight would’ve been shocked, but was too busy spraying the walls. “She’ll thank me…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight continued walking through the halls while Spike stayed on her back, a little confused by the exchange. “Wow, Twilight, didn’t think you’d go that way.”

Twilight craned her head to him. “What do you mean?”

Spike shrugged. “I just thought you would...I dunno, say some kind words or try to help her out or-”

Twilight turned ahead and kept going, getting closer to the library doors. “She’ll learn, Spike. She just needs time. Time to learn that all of this is pointless, useless, and ineffective.”

“Ineffective?” Spike repeated. “What do you mean by that? Are you saying someone could still get in?”

Twilight stopped walking and looked back at Spike, putting her hoof on the library door. “What I mean is that even though she’s made all these preparations, a changeling like Chrysalis could still get in.”

“How would you know?”

Twilight swung open the door. “Because I know her more than anypony.” She said as she walked inside, Spike taking a few seconds to realize what she meant. He would’ve instantly climbed off her and run away, but Twilight already had a green aura around him, making him scream and try to run, only managing to do that in place.

Twilight rolled her eyes and wrapped her front leg around his mouth and another around his stomach, pulling him close. “Will you calm down. Her hearing a scream is the last thing that needs to happen right now.”

Spike managed to bring his arms up and pull her front leg off his mouth. “Y-You’re not Twilight!?”

Twilight’s now green eyes closed halfway. “Wow, Sparkle, your lizard friend here is smarter than he looks.”

“Chrysalis, I told you to work on that attitude.” Twilight turned around, still having Spike in her grip. Spike’s eyes widened as he saw who was laying in the middle of the library floor.

“Twa-Twilight?” Spike said, finally pulling away from the grip and running up to her.

Twilight shut the book and sat up. “So, how’s she doing?”

The other purple mare slowly closed the door and sighed before turning to her. “She’s as paranoid as you said.”

Twilight flopped her ears. “Still?” Her double nodded, making her frown. “She didn’t even notice the tell you had?”

The fake mare adjusted her hair, revealing a small hole in her left ear. “I even made it bigger during our little exchange, either she’s blind, or she’s just too easy.” She looked over to Spike. “Even your lizard couldn’t figure it out, and my horn was glowing green when I picked him up.”

Spike put one claw up. “Okay, one: I didn’t notice, and two.” Spike took hold of Twilight. “What the heck’s going on here!?” He pointed at the green eyed Sparkle. “W-Why are you over there and here?”

Twilight chuckled and wrapped a wing around him. “Calm down, Spike, and listen. I know this sounds a little odd, but do you know how you made a friend with a changeling?” Twilight raised her hoof to her double. “Well, I’ve done the same.”

The fake Twilight sat down. “I’d call you more of an...acquaintance. Both of us having a common goal, but not really...friends.” She shivered as if it were the most disgusting word she could say.

Spike took hold of Twilight’s wing and held it as a shield. “So, an enemy mine?”

The Twilight next to him nodded. “In a way, but I still think it’s more of she’s helping us without much gain for her.”

The doppelganger had to agree with that. “I just want the mare to stop being such a paranoid fool so we can talk things out. Granted, I did know she might prepare in some way, but not of this magnitude.”

Spike still wasn’t buying this. “How do we know we can trust her, Twilight?”

Twilight patted his head. “It’s fine, Spike, she knows what she did and she’s making up for it.”

“By doing what? Taking your place?”

Fake Twilight cleared her throat. “More like assisting in a manner that I’m sure both of us can’t do on our own. ‘Enemy mine’ as you put it?”

“So, she’s helping us out?” Spike asked Twilight, who nodded with a smile. Hearing this gave Spike some confidence as he let go of her wing. “How long has she been here”

“Exactly one day after we returned home.” Twilight turned to her double. “You really did make the right choice, Chry-” Twilight was interrupted by the mare bursting into green flames, Twilight and Spike having to shield their eyes for a few seconds until they saw a tall, slender, fanged, hole filled, former queen changeling standing right where Twilight’s double was. “-salis…” Twilight finished.

The former queen adjusted her hair. “I didn’t have very many options here, Twilight. It was either trek out into the cold and find some dark power, possibly from a horn, go and disguise in a town and live the rest of my days as some rock salesmare, or come to you and...um...and…”

“And say…” Twilight motioned her hoof to get her to finish that sentence like last time.

“To say I’m shrry…”

“So say what?” Spike said, having a round idea what she did.

“To say that I’m sohrreh…”

“To what?” Both Spike and Twilight said.

Chrysalis took a deep breath. “To...apologizeformyactions.” She spouted out before looking away, hating to go through this again.

Twilight laughed. “You really need to work on that, Chrysalis.”

Chrysalis looked back at her. “And your student needs to work on things as well.” She put her hooves together. “Now, Twilight, I mean this in the least offencive way possible: your student is an idiot if she can’t figure me out and work on this problem.”

Twilight crossed her hooves, still feeling offended. “She just needs more time.”

“More time?” Chrysalis said. “It only took me a whole day to figure out how wrong I was to do what I did. I mean, reject love after seeing how much power it’s done, not only once, but twice to me and my children.” She shook her head. “I’m just surprised you are far more understanding than her, or the other ponies...”

Twilight smiled. “I’m just glad you’re not evil any mo-”

“Excuse me!” Chrysalis ran up to her. “I was not evil!” Twilight waited for her to rewind that sentence in her head. “Alright, perhaps I was just a tad bit, but I had a good reason for it.”

Spike narrowed his eyes. “Taking over the world is a pretty horrible reason, Chrysalis.”

“I just wanted love for me and my subjects!” Chrysalis yelled, Twilight being thankful that this room was soundproof. “Is that too much to ask?”

Spike had to point it out. “But you didn’t really ‘ask’ you just...you know, ponynapped.”

“But my mother told me that’s the only way to make ponies listen to you, and her mother before that, and her mother before that, and her other mother, same with her father, and her sisters, and her-”

“I get it.” Twilight said, knowing she could go on forever. “You have a rather...strange way to have ponies understand you.” She cleared her throat, trying to find a better way to word that. “Maybe you should’ve just done what Thorax did and-”

“And make myself look weak in front of all of you!?” Chrysalis barked.

Despite being taken aback by her harsh words, Twilight continued. “Not weak, just...understanding.”

Chrysalis still couldn’t understand. “You mean understanding how much of a coward I would be to my past generations, to be the black sheep of the family web as a queen who surrendered her entire race to a bunch of ponies.”

Spike scratched his head. “You’re making it sound like it’s a bad thing to be friends with ponies.”

“That’s because my parents said it is!”

Twilight and Spike looked at each other, both seeing where this was going. “And were your parents always right.” Twilight asked.

“That’s what they told me. That in order to keep honor and pride to the hive, we need to drain all in our path to survive. That’s what dad said before he sucked the love out of the first pony in front of me.”

Now Twilight was equally concerned for both her student and Chrysalis. “Don’t you think that’s a little, you now, dark…”

Chrysalis shrugged. “I was only ten, so It was a little traumatic, but I got over it after a bit of sobbing and feeding off my first pony.”

“And, uh, how was that?” Spike asked.

“Probably just as bad, seeing as how both of us were crying while father laughed.” She sighed happily, a small smile on her face. “life was pretty hard back then.”

Twilight was still trying to comprehend the fact that her parents forced her to do that. “Were all your rulers like that?”

Chrysalis nodded proudly. “Each one of them. They ruled with an iron thorax, Twilight.”

“They ruled with Thorax?” Spike found that impossible.

Twilight decided to clarify. “No, thorax...as in the body part.”

“Isn’t that the butt of the bug?” Spike asked.

Chrysalis’s face went deadpan. “Suuure...the flank. No where close to the chest” She cleared her throat. “Anyways, back to Starlight’s problem...”

“What other problems does she have?” Twilight asked, not seeing any other ones. “She’s just a little terrified that a former queen is chasing-”

“That’s a trigger, Twilight.” Chrysalis said, a slight twitch in her eye. “Don’t say that...don’t address me as a…'queen' anymore...” She ended darkly.

Realize that brought back some even more bad memories, Twilight quickly changed the subject. “J-Just what other problems does she need to work on, Chrysalis?”

Chrysalis tapped her chin, thinking of many. “I think she needs more magic practice on changelings, she’s really bad at it.”

Twilight cocked her head. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, for one, I kept my disguise even though she casted the spell that makes my change back; her so called ‘changeling shield’ doesn’t work; and that spray she ordered is, not only extremely ineffective, but also kinda racist now that I think about it. I’m really surprised she’s still living here after everything she’s doing.”

Twilight rubbed her front leg, hearing the slight tone of anger in her voice. “Listen, Chrysalis, I’m really thankful that you’re helping me, but you really need to-”

“Practice my attitude…” Chrysalis said, rolling her eyes. “Tell you what, Twilight, once Starlight starts acting normal again and figures out that only a mad mare would reject her offer and that all villains, like me, can learn about how wrong they were and ask for some form of forgiveness, then I’ll try fixing my attitude toward everypony.”

“Why didn’t you just do it back then?” Spike asked, the question plaguing his mind. “It would’ve made it much easier, you know."

Chrysalis put a hoof over her eyes, hating to explain this. “I have three reasons.” She held up her hoof. “One: I don’t want to look weak and helpless in front of a bunch of ponies and children.” She held up her other hoof. “Two: The mare did so much damage to me that I’m pretty sure even you would be angry enough to reject her proposal at that time.” She put her hooves down and walked up to the both of them, Spike taking hold of Twilight’s wing again. “And three: I’d rather die...than look...” She lit up her horn and ignited in green fire until she turned into something that made both Spike’s and Twilight’s eyes go wide. “LIKE THIS!”

Twilight looked over the fully colored Chrysalis and tried her best to smile. “W-Well, uh, I-I think you look great. Right Spike?”

Spike tried his hardest not to laugh. “Uh...y-yeah! you look...nice?”

All it took was a stone cold glare to wipe the smiles off their faces. “Um...why not just change into something you like?” Twilight suggested.

Chrysalis changed back to her normal, black, jagged-horned, hole filled form. “If I did that, then I’d have a constant headache from keeping it up. Not only that, but if I were to really change into something pure, I would prefer a more natural look, something nice and fine and clear...and white.

Twilight had a rough idea what she was talking about. “So, kinda like a moth?”

The past queen shrugged. “Something like that, a bug changing into a moth sounds better than something that looks like they got shot with froot loops.” Chrysalis shivered away the thought and turned around. “Anyways, I think I’ve talked enough, we should give it a couple weeks for her to calm down, then call me.” She held her head high and put on a disguise. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a store to go back to.”

“How is that mattress shop going, anyway?” Twilight said.

Chrysalis looked back at her. “It puts love on the table, and it is much less stress inducing than being a ruler.”

“You run a mattress store?” Spike said. “What’s it like?”

Chrysalis started walking to the door. “That’s for another story, one that’s probably lost in the far reaches of time.”

Hearing this made Spike think of something that he should’ve told Starlight from the start. “Hey, speaking of other times, wasn’t there some secret way to keep changelings away?”

Chrysalis raised an eye, surprised to hear this. “How do you know that? And that’s quite ironic since you just talked like they did.”

Twilight was confused while Spike had an idea as to who she was talking about. “Who?” Twilight said.

Spike stood in front of her. “Don’t you remember? When we were with Zecora in that one timeline? She had that salve stuff that forced changelings out of their disguises, right?”

Chrysalis nodded. “It wouldn’t be the first time a zebra threw that salve at us.” She turned away again. “Those heard running, stripped animals and bite my hole filled-”

“So, the salve really works?” Twilight said, not wanting Chrysalis to finish that sentence.

Chrysalis nodded. “Oh, it works all right. I wouldn’t be anywhere close to this castle if she hung those from the walls.”

Twilight had almost completely forgot about that, mostly due to the fact that she didn’t want to remember anything about those timelines. “But she didn’t read anything about that stuff, and she read a lot of books about changelings.”

“That’s because we changelings have managed to keep that a secret to ponies, if everyone knew about a weakness those cursed zebras made...well, I wouldn’t be here, I’ll say that.”

Twilight still had questions. “How did you keep it a secret, did you rip pages or take away the ingredients?”

Chrysalis turned around again, her hoof on the library door. “That is a question I don’t have time answering, because it is way past my lunch break and there’s mattresses to sell.” She swung it open, ready to work again.

But Twilight had one more thing to say. “Wait, Chrysalis. One more thing.” The former queen stopped, but kept her face forward. “I just wanted to say...Thank you...for doing this. I think everypony will really appreciate it when they find out you helped.”

Normally, Chrysalis would’ve made a snarky remark, but even that statement was enough to put a small smile on her face, which she quickly dismissed before turning back to them. “Just get your student under control, it’s rather embarrassing.” With that, she shut the door, leaving Spike and Twilight in the room to themselves.

“So, she’s not evil anymore?” Spike asked.

Twilight scuffed the floor. “Evil is a strong word, Spike. I’d use...a little less angry, She’ll learn the magic of friendship soon enough.”

“You really think so?”

Twilight nodded and started walking to the doors. “I’m sure of it, she’s done a great job so far, and she hasn’t even cause any harm to-”

*SMACK*

Twilight stopped talking the second the library door made contact with her face, making her head wobble before she fell to the floor. Spike gasped and tried to get her up, but she was out cold. “Before I go, would you be interested in a...new...mattress?” Chrysalis looked down, seeing a sleeping Twilight and a worried Spike. “Sparkle?”

Spike crossed his arms. “Well, so much for no harm.” He looked up at Chrysalis. “Look what you did, you knocked her out in cold blood!”

Chrysalis glared at him. “My blood is not that cold, and it was an accident. If I did it on purpose, I would’ve done the same to you.” Knowing she would have to fix this, she lit up her horn and brought the now knocked out Twilight to eye level, undisguised in the process. “Hmmm...she’s still breathing, thankfully. Wouldn’t want a repeat with that stupid king.”

“Who?”

Chrysalis shook away the memory and turned to the hall, putting Twilight on her back. “Look, let's just get her to a room, it’s bad enough I’m carrying her like this.”

Spike followed close behind as they started walking. “Did you have to be so hard on the door?”

“I’m not used to doors, little dragon, especially weak ones like this.” She craned her head to Twilight, seeing that she didn’t do too much damage. “Is she really this easy to knock out?”

Spike shrugged. “Well, she got hit with an anvil and a piano once, I think that might’ve cause her to be a little less resistant to any hits on her head...come to think of it, that might explain why she was so easy to ponynap.”

Chrysalis blinked. “An anvil and a piano?” She looked away, wondering how that mare was still alive after that. Spike leapt on her back to get a better look at Twilight, making Chrysalis almost trip. “Will you get off. I’m not a carriage.”

Spike smiled and laid his back on her neck. “Hey, this is just another step in being a friend, helping out baby dragons.”

“A baby, eh?” Chrysalis smirked as she turned her head around and bit the scruff of Spike’s neck, now carrying him like she would with her hatchlings.

“Hey!” Spike tried to get out of the grip, but her teeth were too strong, luckily his scales were tough enough to take it.

Chrysalis couldn’t hold her smile. “What?” She mumbled. “This is how I carry my children, and a child like you is no different, correct?”

Spike ended up crossing his arms and pouting. “When Twilight finds out about this…”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “What? She’ll tell Starlight on me? Because that mare is never coming out of-”

"Spike!

Chrysalis froze and looked down the hall, seeing something that made her eyes go wide, same with Spike’s. “Uh oh…”

“Spike, I’ve been calling for you, where are the rest of the...t-the...the…” Starlight let go of box of empty cans of Raid, a couple more in her magical grip. The pupils in her eyes were the size of pinpricks when she saw what was in front of her, which looked like a pony and dragon napping from none other than her worst enemy. Starlight dropped the empty cans of Raid, almost too afraid to say it. “Ch-Chr...Chry...Chry...sa...CHRYSALIS!?”

Chrysalis continued staring, looking at Starlight, then at the unconscious Twilight, then at Spike, who was doing the same, hopping Chrysalis would say something. In the end, She turned to Starlight and said something that she knew wouldn’t help this situation get any better.

“Um...This isn’t what it...looks like?”