Cosmos was a boisterous and charismatic man.
Luna was almost a spitting image of her old man. Dark and charming, the Equestrian ruler was one of the most popular monarchs to grace the throne in years.
One would have to be to be the leader of the free world of Equestria.
The two halfling teens had always reserved a healthy amount of awe for their kin, but whenever he interacted with his brother, the crown melted away and he was simply their beloved uncle.
It’d been too long since the brothers greeted each other in a setting unrelated to their titles and statuses.
"Justin!" The older of the two greeted genially.
"Cosmo!" The brothers hugged and the sight tugged at Chrysalis’ heart strings just a bit. She eyed her sister almost longingly before ultimately focusing her attention back on her father and uncle.
The two girls shuffled along greeting their uncle politely.
Despite being related by blood, it was hard not to associate the man with his title sometimes
The Equestrian ruler studied his nieces closely but ultimately just ushered the trio inside and drug his brother off once Luna had come down and accosted her cousins.
“Chryssie, are you sure you won’t come with us tonight?” Luna asked as she stood in the doorway of Celestia’s old room.
Chrysalis smiled grimly and shook her head. “I… “
Luna watched as her cousin struggled with her thoughts before crossing the threshold and coming to take a seat beside her. “What is it?”
“I’ve decided I-”
“Lulu! Let’s go!” Cadence appeared excitedly. “I wanna go to the mall before tonight.”
“Cadence!” Chrysalis shot to her feet. “I need to speak with you!”
“I don’t want to hear it. Luna you coming or not?”
Luna shot the younger girl a dirty look. “Manners, Cadence, have you heard of them?”
Cadence scoffed. “Fine. What do you want?”
“Luna…” Chrysalis pressed meaningfully.
Her cousin’s eyes widened almost comically. “Yea… Yea… I’m going to go talk to my dad about us using the car,” she reached out and squeezed Chrysalis’ hand.
Chrysalis had never been much of a restless person when nervous, but now as she sat across from her scowling sister, she couldn’t help but squirm in her seat.
Despite not seeing the good doctor she could hear her encouraging her to speak her mind.
With a deep breath, she acknowledged her sister and tried not to fidget.
“I realize things have been strained between us and all I’m asking is that you hear me out.”
“And what would I possibly need to hear from you?”
“The truth… about what you saw that night. And afterward, if you still want to hate me…” The possibility that her sister wouldn’t believe her broke her heart, but she had to be strong.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Because holding onto this is killing me from the inside and I’m tired of pretending that it doesn’t.”
“How do I know you aren’t lying…” Cadence shook her head trying to wrap her head around her sister’s words. “That you aren’t trying at damage control?”
“Even you can’t be ignorant to the changes that have happened to us over these last months. And damage control is irrelevant… the damage is pretty done I’d say.”
“You’re right,” Cadence snarked with a snort. “But please do tell, months after the fact.”
Her anger spiked as she defended herself. “You really think that lowly of me? I detest Regal! Always have! How could you for a second think that I’d magically want anything to do with him after years of not liking him!” Despite her stubborn reluctance, the younger one seemed to be considering her words. Her sister had always been stubborn with her judgment of others.
“As for why now… I thought that I could protect you and that with enough time and distance I could convince myself that it didn’t matter.” Chrysalis breathed deeply as she reined in her anger and dropped her gaze. “ I was wrong. I can’t forget that it happened, I can’t pretend or even shout it away- it’s just too much. I love you, Cadence. I need you.” She steeled herself and looked up to meet her sister’s gaze. “I don’t want to do this without you.” It was the closest she could allow herself to beg.
The diva was oddly silent. “What if I don’t want to? You’ve done a pretty good job of doing this all on your own.”
The words hurt, but Chrysalis pushed forward, “I haven’t. And while I’m sure I could manage, I don’t want to, it wouldn’t be the same.”
“What about Shining Armor?”
“What about him?” She blushed.
“You obviously have very strong feelings for him.”
“He saved my life.”
Cadence rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest, “A good fuck isn’t something I’d call life-”
“I would’ve drowned in the harbor if not for him.” Her bright eyes burned holes through the person in front of her. “Shining Armor risked his life to save me. You don’t get any say about anything that involves him and myself. If he decides he wants nothing to do with me then that will be dictated by him, not you or anyone else.”
Cadence’s expression shifted as she processed what her sister was saying.
“What are you talking about? And what does the harbor have to do with any of this?”
Chrysalis wished she could say this is how it all went down.
That the story poured out of her and she fell into her sister’s arms greedily drowning in her love as apologies and declarations flitted between the two. But that’s not at all what happened.
What happened was way worse and led to an even bigger fallout between the two.
After her therapy session, Chrysalis had hung out with her dad for a bit before going downtown and hitting up her old spots. She hadn’t really expected to run into anyone as everyone she knew would be going to the party.
Downtown was just as she remembered with its fairy tale looks. Royal Germane Architecture with its charming steeples and pastel coloring made this part of Canterlot as quaint as a story book. Everything felt so romantic and cozy. She wished Shining Armor were here so she could show him around. Maybe when he started visiting colleges she could plan to be in town the same day he’d tour the campus here.
“Well I’ll be damned…” At the sound of her old classmate Chrysalis froze and mentally winced. ”I had a friend who looked just like you before she abandoned everyone she knew…” The person continued pointedly.
Steeling herself for what she assumed would be a confrontation she sort of deserved, Chrysalis turned around with both a greeting and an apology on the tip of her tongue.
The other teen looked just as she remembered her.
Mistral Wind was a Canterlot school mate who was of average height with a thin and toned build from years of dancing with light violet skin and dusky eyes. Her thick curly plum colored hair fell attractively to her shoulders framing her face.
“I think you must be lost…”
“I know where I am,” she muttered with a flush to her cheeks.
“Are you sure? This is Downtown Canterlot… Not Bay City.”
“I know…” Chrysalis groaned like a petulant child.
“Bay City Must be nice since you seemingly forgot everyone here.” Mistral snarked, enjoying the other girl’s discomfort and embarrassment. The two had been pretty good friends back when the halfling attended school here but since the move,
Chrysalis had ceased any contact with anyone that wasn’t family.
She cringed guiltily, “About that…”
“Save it. Unless this apology starts with food at the Haymaician stand, I’m not interested.” Mistral’s face softened to a wry smile.
Chrysalis felt a weight lifted from her shoulders as her old friend seemingly accepted her back with no questions asked.
“You-”
Mistral hadn’t pretended to understand, but she also didn’t begrudge the girl either. A lot of talk had gone around the school with Chrysalis at its center. If even a fraction of it was true, she honestly couldn’t blame her, saying as much.
The walk to the stand felt strained to the halfling until Mistral took pity on the speechless girl and began to chatter about the school and what had happened in the other’s absence. Throwing good natured barbs at the taller girl, she managed to dispel the uneasiness and embarrassment by treating her the same as she always had.
Once they made it to the restaurant, they fawned over the menu, placed orders and took seats. Before long things almost felt like they’d only missed the other over a holiday vacation.
“Is Bay city really that nice?”
“It’s beautiful! And big!”
“Do you think you'll be back here during winter break?”
“My family is going on vacation to visit my mother's side.”
Mistral perked up as she snagged a plantain to Chrysalis’ amusement.
“Where to?”
“The Badlands.”
“That sounds exciting!”
“Does it really?” Chrysalis deadpanned.
“It does! Equestria is nice, but who doesn't want to leave the mainland and see somewhere new? I can't wait to move to Prance.”
“Prance?”
“Yes! I got accepted into a program there. And my dad is flying with me this summer to see the country before I make the move!”
Chrysalis hummed thoughtfully. Mistral had always been adventurous with a desire to be worldly.
The other girl wriggled her eyes and leaned forward. “I’m excited, but I’m also anxious. Prance is pretty far.” The two chatted a bit about what they both knew of the country and parts they’d like to visit. Soon the conversation came back to Chrysalis’ plans and her anxiousness about her mother’s homeland.
“Maybe you'll meet a cute changeling boy!” Mistral shimmied playfully and grabbed another plantain, to which Chrysalis just pushed over the side to the other to her old friend’s delight.
“I already have a boyfriend.”
Mistral smirked. “Boys are everywhere though.”
“But they wouldn't compare to this boy. He's very important to me.” Her face said it all.
“I'm glad. He must be very formidable for you to be so solemn about him.”
“He is. He stood up for me when everyone else assumed the worst.”
The conversation took a serious turn.
“There were rumors…” Mistral began gently. “After you left. Awful rumors. And while it sickened me to hear about them, I never considered that you would act that way… It just sounded so out of character… But then other rumors began circulating and I knew something bad must’ve happened to you.” Chrysalis’ silence was all the confirmation the other needed. There was a shine to her eyes and a quiver to her jaw that spoke of barely controlled restraint.
Mistral frowned, saddened by the absolute knowledge that whatever had happened had been so unbearable that it made her friend run away from everything she knew. “I don't know what happened,” she continued after swallowing, “and I shut down anyone who had the gall to talk about it around me but I never believed anything Regal and his friends said about it.”
Chrysalis was touched to find that the other girl meant it. It truly blew her mind sometimes how her sister lacked the ability to critically think about all that happened that night. It was as if Cadence had forgotten who she was and how long they’d known each other and yet here was Mistral, a friend, who she actually did hurt by ghosting, telling her all the things she wished her sister would. The situation stung.
Mistral continued as if reading her mind. “I will say I never thought I'd see the day that you and your sister wouldn’t be friends.” The last two weeks at her old school had been tortuously tumultuous.
“Sometimes it's hard to believe how much things have changed since summer.”
“At least you aren't going to his stupid party.”
“Party? Whose?”
Mistral gave her a look. “Regal.”
“Regal’s having a party?”
Mistrial rolled her eyes and nodded. “You Remember Ardent? It’s at his house.”
And before the other girl could say anything else, Chrysalis was out her seat and out the door, food and drink left behind.