Feared Love Requited: Chapter 02/A Spot of Tea
Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash flew over a hill, approaching the rest of Friendship's supporters. The hum of a hundred wings followed in their wake, followed by a hundred Changelings flying through the air. The Ponies decended to join their friends. Queen Chrysalis quickly tried to follow them when Discord appeared, mere inches from her face. Before she could react she had been pulled in for a powerful hug. Before she could respond he had disappeared once again, reappearing nearby with a large, round table. He held a teapot in his right hand, and asked her, "Tea?"
"Just say yes." Twilight added.
"Of course, Princess!" Queen Chrysalis replied, and moved to the table as if her life depended upon it... as if her only hope of avoiding extinction depended upon it. The six Ponies moved up to the table, each taking their seat. "What... brings... you here... Discord?.." Queen Chrysalis nervously asked.
"Oh, you know," Discord quickly replied, "friendship is magic, and whatnot. And for insurance."
"I never expected you to be taking the Ponies' side." Queen Chrysalis added.
"I honestly didn't see it coming, either..." Discord non-chalantly replied. He then teleported Fluttershy into his arms for a powerful hug. She smiled before being teleported back to her seat. "Fluttershy is quite pursuasive. Also, I never thought I would see a Changeling Queen beaten and in chains."
"Discord!" Twilight Sparkle admonished.
Queen Chysalis wanted to say something to this, but was so entirely afraid of misspeaking.
"Oh, say it." Discord added. "If you want them to be your friends, you have to trust them, and they have to trust you. Holding in your thoughts... your seething desire... will not help anyone."
"Then?," Queen Chrysalis asked, looking at the Princess for approval, "then... what Discord says is true..." she pleadingly said to her Mistress.
"It wasn't us who beat you." Applejack added.
"Yeah." Rainbow Dash quickly said.
"We really didn't mean to..." Rarity added, "but you did... kind of... threaten our survival... or all of Equestria. Sugar?"
Queen Chrysalis looked at Twilight for a moment, and then Discord, thinking over what he had said. She turned to Rarity, "Yes..."
A sky blue glow appeared around a few sugar cubes, "One or two?" she asked.
"Um... two..." Queen Chrysalis said, and the cubes floated over into her tea. A teaspoon followed soon after, stirring it, tapping dry, before laying down on the saucer. "Princess..." she nervously, barely uttered.
"Yes?" Twilight Sparkle asked.
"Are we... fr... friends?" Chrysalis asked.
Twilight at first sighed, looking down at the table before looking back up at her, "We could be..."
"Oh, come on." Discord joyfully bellowed accross the table, "She wouldn't be the first enemy you've befriended." He then teleported next to Twilight with his arm around her, face inches from hers, looking in her eyes. "Aren't we bestees?" Twilight sighed for a moment, before moving her head to the side, rubbing her neck against Discord's. Discord then teleported back to his seat, embracing Fluttershy and Applejack who sat beside him. "Bestees!"
"Isn't he sweet?" Fluttershy asked.
"Not... the words... I would have chosen..." Applejack stated. "He has proven he's a true friend... for better or worse..."
"Indeed." Rarity added, punctuating it with a sip of her tea.
"And the wonderful thing about being a cherished friend," Discord added, "is I can bathe in all of the love I could ever want, just by visiting them." He teleported off to the side, reappearing in a bathtub filled with pink water, with hearts falling down upon him. This caused Pinkie Pie to laugh out loud. Quickly she was teleported into the bathtub, with Discord's arm around her. "I told you that the Element of Laughter was a favourite of mine." Quickly the two teleported back to the table, doing their best to keep their snickering to a minimum.
"And?.." Chrysalis quietly asked, "where is... the little.. Dragonling?.."
"Oh," Applejack replied, "someone has to protect Ponyville while we are away."
"Our little Spikey-Wikey is growing up." Rarity said with a brilliant smile.
"He... just seems... little..." Queen Chrysalis replied. When the others all started to look at her, she could barely continue, but looking at Discord she believed she should. "When we were... invading... uh... Spike fought as well as any of you."
"That's what I'm afraid of..." Twilight added, "Before too long... he might not need me anymore..."
"Mistress?" Chyrsalis asked.
"Yes?" Twilight Sparkle replied, a little off-put by the majestic title... but it was something she was growing used to.
"What... do we have to do... to earn your love?.."
Twilight put her teacup onto the saucer, "Help us."
"Help you, Mistress?" Chrysalis asked.
"With everything." Applejack added.
"The plan, dear," Rarity stated, "is that by helping people, they will become grateful, affectionate, passionate."
"Twenty-percent more awesome." Rainbow Dash added. "I'm sure you could help me with my flying."
"Flying?" Queen Chrysalis asked.
"And around the farm." Applejack added.
"And with the bunny census!" Fluttershy nearly shouted.
"Bunnies? I'm sorry..." Chrysalis said, "Terribly sorry, Mistress, but how does... counting?," she asked, looking at Fluttershy who nodded, "bunnies?," she continued to the Princess, "help with..."
"Oh, come on." Discord gruffly stated, "Are you saying you still haven't figured it out? They want to be friendly. Cuddly. Loving. Ponyish."
"Like you mastered that." Applejack replied. In response Discord and Applejack disappeared. He appeared immediately behind her seat, with her in his arms, "If you wanted to cuddle, you just had to say so."
Applejack sighed, but gently rubbed her neck against his. "Can you put me back now, dearie?"
"Of course!" Discord replied. The two disappeared, only to reappear in their seats a moment later. He turned to Queen Chrysalis, "Trust me, it will be more than worth the effort. Ponies are surprisingly cuddly."
"We... do not... cuddle..." Queen Chrysalis stated.
Discord and Queen Chrysalis disappeared, and all of the Ponies collectively sighed. They reppeared with Discord cuddling her. He then move his muzzle inches from hers, looking her in the eyes, "Fun, no?"
"I... don't know what to say..." Queen Chrysalis stated.
"If you want him to let you go, then say so."
"Then that is what I want." Queen Chrysalis said, still inches from his face.
"Oh, poof." Discord stated, and the two disappeared, reappearing in their seats. "She'll come around eventually."
"That was... unexpected..." Queen Chrysalis added.
"You get used to it." Twilight Sparkle said to her.
"Why don't we..." Discord said to the group, and moved to snap his fingers.
"Discord!" Twilight shouted.
"Yes?" he asked, paused mid-movement.
"Are you going to make it rain?" Twilight asked.
"Chocolate milk." Discord replied.
"Can you at least give us an umbrella, first?"
"Oh." Discord stated, "Yes." He snapped his fingers and a large parasol appeared in the centre of the table, covering it and it's occupants. Cotton candy clouds appeared with chocolate milk immediately raining from them. Pinkie Pie jumped out to drink as much as possible. "You can still have fun," Discord said to Queen Chrysalis, "but just remember to think of your friends first."
"Friends?" Chrysalis asked.
"You still have trouble with that Ponyish concept?" Discord asked.
"Just think of others, Sugar." Applejack stated. "And it's amazing how quickly you can get used to chocolate milk rain."
"Indead." Rarity added.
"It does put a crimp on my flying..." Rainbow Dash said to the group. "Totally not awesome."
Discord snapped his fingers and Rainbow Dash dropped to the size of a Breezy.
"What's the deal?" the tiny Rainbow Dash squeaked, and Twilight Sparkle sighed.
"It's so you can fly around without have to get covered in chocolate milk." She paused for a moment as she looked at Discord, before looking outside the umbrella at the Changelings, getting covered in chocolate milk. Twilight glared at Discord.
"Sorry." he smiled, and snapped his finger, creating a colossal tent for the Changelings.
"And?!" Twilight asked, and Discord snapped his fingers once again, removing all of the chocolate milk from the Changelings. "I'm sorry." Twilight said to Queen Chrysalis.
"For... what?.. Mistress?" Queen Chrysalis asked.
"For the welfare of the Changelings," Twilight added, "and Discord is sorry too, isn't he?"
"I do apologize." Discord added, "I can get wonderfully carried away."
As Chryalis paused, she could feel the energy as it flowed into her, and through her all of her Changelings. She could feel how true Twilight's apology was, and it shook her to her core.