Chapter 14: What it Means to Be Loved

Chrysalis pushed her way into the bar. She drew several stares as she walked in, for a girl with such an impressive appearance would never go unnoticed. Her vibrant hair was curled and fell about her shoulders while also covering one eye. Her tail was braided, and her dark skin was smooth and full. Rarity had done a good job, she had to admit. But even with that, she couldn't force away the aching in her heart.

Tyr had forgotten about her.

Not that she could truly blame him, however. He was in love with Luna. A beautiful Princess of the Night. While Chrysalis had nothing. She was queen of nothing. Tyr had spent all of the day with her, and all Chrysalis had gotten was a good morning hug.

Well, she had gotten the opportunity to cuddle with him.

She shook her head as she sat at the bar. "Can I have a glass of water, please?" She asked as sweetly as she could. The bartender simply nodded and got a glass. He filled it with water and set it in front of her. "Thank you."

She sat for a moment, sipping at her water. It was one of the few things she could ingest and not have it upset her stomach. Well, besides another fluid of a bodily kind. She sighed. Of course she could only think of sex at a time like this. There was a hole in her heart—and her stomach—that needed to be filled. She hadn't had a craving like this for a while, ever since she started living with Tyr. The man had been good to her, she thought. He never refused her any affection if she asked, and never seemed surprised when she tried her hardest to be close to him. He had truly… cared? If he had cared, then why hadn't he come to get her?

You idiot, he probably had gone by Rarity's after his date to get you. And you left.

Oh well, she thought with a sigh, he probably just went home to sleep with Luna anyway.

Sex does sound nice right about now. Would probably fill up her stomach more than the emotions swirling around—hello, there was some lust. Directed at her. She glanced around to find a trio of young men watching her from across the bar. Smiling seductively, she swished her tail back and forth to attract attention to her rear end. She could feel their desire for her rise, and her smile grew. Seems she hasn't lost her charm. She turned back to the bar as one of them approached. He slid into the seat beside her. "Yo, bartender, whisky."

As the bartender whipped up the man's drink, Chrysalis turned slightly to look at him. "Strong drink," She said, batting her eyes at him.

"Strong man," he replied smoothly. "What's your name?"

"Chrissy," Chrysalis said, just as easily. "Yours?"

"Ben. Nice to meet you, Chrissy. Judging by that tail of yours, you're Equestrian, right?"

"Yes I am. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. Any girl that likes to have fun is alright with me."

"And your friends? I'd feel really bad about leaving them out of it."

Ben blinked. He glanced back at his two friends. "…wow. You really must like to have fun."

"Let's just say it's been a while since I've really… cut loose." Honestly! It has almost been a couple months since she last snagged a guy. Well, at least she hadn't lost her charm, although Ben and his friends being drunk probably helped. She glanced around. "Unless you plan to have fun in this bar…"

Ben smiled knowingly. "We got a place."

-x-

The 'place' that Ben had in mind was a hotel. He had introduced his friends as Jerome and Tony, and they had been pretty excited when Ben told them she wanted to hang with all three of them.

Poor boys. Probably not every day a catch like Chrysalis falls into their lap.

They had spent a large portion of the walk over talking about their college life, how pretty they thought she was, et cetera, et cetera. She had tuned out for the most part, only answering with mild disinterest and yes's and no's. They were in the elevator when Tony finally asked the question she had been dreading.

"So, Chrissy," He said, touching her shoulder. "Why were you all alone in that bar?"

Chrysalis frowned. "I was… waiting for someone."

"A guy?"

"…Yeah. He never showed."

"What a waste! He left a pretty girl like you waiting!"

"Can't believe someone would stand you up," Jerome agreed.

The sympathies were hollow and made Chrysalis's stomach heart. Or was that her heart? She hadn't technically gotten stood up. Tyr had promised to come get her after his date with Luna. She had been the one to leave and not tell him. "He went out with another girl," Chrysalis said quietly.

"What!?"

"That bastard!"

"How could he?"

It made her feel a little better, hearing the guys she was with stick up for her. But it also made her feel bad. Tyr wasn't hers, not by a long shot. His only obligation was to watch over her and feed her. In fact, she probably had hurt him by running off.

But at the same time, what if he was happy?

The dark thought came to her as the boys led her into their hotel room. It was actually pretty nice, and they offered her the use of the bathroom. Could Tyr really have enjoyed keeping her around? Maybe he had only tolerated her out of the kindness of his heart. She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower, hoping the warm water would wash away the thoughts stuck to her. Unfortunately, they wouldn't go away that easily.

Tyr had been her friend.

Or, as close to a friend as Chrysalis had ever had. She hadn't had many friends, being the Queen of a collective consciousness and all. But Tyr had at least said he was her friend… But he hadn't come back to get her.

Tyr had left her behind to go with his actual lover.

Was that all she wanted? To be his lover? She leaned against the wall, water running down her chest. Did she want Tyr for herself? No, she just wanted his affection, his care, his…

Friendship.

She shook her head, frowning a little bit as water got into her hair. She turned the water off, dried off, and put her clothes back on. There was no point in mulling over it now. Tyr belonged to Luna, not her, and she was nothing more than a Changeling. An emotion eater. A lifetime of draining men with sex suited her just fine. "I'm ready boys," She heard herself purr as she left the bathroom. The three boys stood at attention as she came out. She giggled softly and sat on the bed beside Jerome. "So… who's going first?"

Now that started an argument. Chrysalis was content to watch them for a bit before she intervened. "Oh come now boys, calm down. I believe I can handle all three of you."

They stared at her in shock for a short minute before almost pouncing on her. Hands, mouths and… other appendages rub her all over, one pair of lips pressing to hers while a pair of hands squeezed at her average sized bust. "Ooh, not too rough…"

Her blouse was quickly stripped off, as was her skirt. Probably shouldn't have bothered putting them back on, huh? "Chrissy, baby, you're so hot," Ben moaned in her ear as he caressed her inner thigh. They were all undressing suddenly, and before she could say anything, her underwear was gone as well. She tried to encourage them, get them to do more but the only thing that came to mind was Tyr. His smiling face as he told her good morning or that pleasant feeling in her heart whenever he stroked her hair or patted her head. The feeling of… comfort whenever he was with him and Sherry and Luna. How they made her feel welcome. What she was doing right now suddenly made her sick to her stomach.

She couldn't do this. It would hurt him. Hell, it was going to hurt her.

"No," she mumbled weakly, grabbing Jerome's hair as he moved his head down between her legs. He took it as invitation to continue and dived in, although his technique was clumsy and all Chrysalis felt was irritation. She channeled that frustration into her voice. "No!" She shouted, pushing them off. The three of them looked at her in confusion as she sat up.

"Something wrong, baby?" Tony asked. She hated that. Hated when men figured sex suddenly made the woman their 'baby'.

"First off, my name is Chrissy, not 'baby'. Second of all, I can't do this."

"Can't do what?" Ben looked confused. "Was it hurting you? Did it not feel good?"

"…No, it didn't." she stood up, starting to collect her clothes. "Sorry guys, but I really just can't do this."

"Can't do this?" Tony looked angry. "We go through all of this and suddenly you can't do it? The hell is that!?"

"I have to agree with my friend here," Ben said, standing up. "You promised us a fun time, and we're going to have one—whether you have fun or not."

She heard the threat in his voice, and it paralyzed her. She backed up against the wall as they advanced on her, like wolves to fresh meat. In a normal circumstance, she probably would have easily fled. But she was without magic, and her wings were still not working. She was trapped, and was about to be raped. "No…!"

Not that it was completely rape, but it was still just as unwanted. Ben grabbed her and tossed her on the bed. She tried to regain her feet, but Tony and Jerome pinned her. As she struggled and screamed no, Ben positioned himself between her legs. "I'll try not to make it hurt too much," Ben said, an evil grin on his face. Chrysalis felt tears fall from her eyes and she tried to at least be somewhat prepared for the violation she was about to feel.

"You've got about ten seconds to let her go before I make it hurt a lot," A voice growled. Chrysalis dared to look up.

"Tyr…?" She murmured incredulously. He had found her? But how…?

"Who the hell is this guy?" Tony demanded, as he and the other guys scrambled to put on clothes..

"A person very involved with her well-being," Tyr said, eyes narrowing. "Get off of her right now."

"So this is the guy who stood you up, huh?" Jerome said, standing. He could barely look Tyr eye to eye. "And now he comes rushing back to rescue his girl."

Tyr glared at him, sparing a singular glance at Chrysalis. She shrunk back, as his eyes held only disappointment for her and fury at her would be partners. "Yeah, that's right. Chrys belongs to me. And if you hurt her I will end you."

"Big words," Tony said, releasing Chrysalis. "You're outnumbered here, buddy."

Tyr grinned savagely. "…Hasn't stopped be before."

The four men faced off, Tyr all on his own. Chrysalis curled up even smaller, hoping that he wouldn't get hurt. "Get him!"

It started with a yell, and suddenly the three young men rushed him. She ducked under the blankets so she wouldn't have to watch. Tyr had come to her rescue, and he was about to be hurt protecting her. She couldn't bear to watch. She could hear the grunts, the roars of pain, and the whimpers of men being tossed into walls and tables. Each thud was accompanied by a curse. After a couple of minutes, the door opened; there were footsteps, and then silence. Was it over?

"You can come out of there any time, you know." Tyr's voice told her.

She slowly peeked out. The room was destroyed, bottles and glasses shattered, cracks in the wall the… blood. She looked over at Tyr. He was bruised, and had a cut or two on his arm, but other than that looked no more worse for wear. "…Are they gone?"

"Yeah," He said with a nod. "All gone."

They sat there in silence, Chrysalis wishing she had some kind of clothing on while Tyr just fell into an unreadable silence. They stayed that way for a long time. It was too much for her to handle right now. "…Are you mad at me?"

"Hell yes I am." He sighed. "I told you I was going to come back for you."

"I… I thought you would forget…"

"Have you that little faith in me? I promised you, and I meant it. I was going to come back."

The hurt in his voice was tangible to the Changeling girl, and she felt her own heart ache again. "…I… I thought maybe you'd be happier not worrying about me…"

"How could I be happy when one of my friends ran away and no one knew where she went?" He frowned. "Chrys. I need you to stop belittling yourself."

Chrys. Her nickname that he said with such fondness and concern. She nearly melted from that alone. "But… I'm a monster."

Tyr smiled and touched her face with one gentle hand. "I don't see it. I see a beautiful girl that managed to snag three guys all by herself."

She chuckled softly, leaning into his touch. "…I don't need them."

"Hm?"

"All I need is you. Just your affection, your friendship is more than enough to sustain me. I know that now."

Tyr's gaze suddenly hardened. "It took you that long to figure it out?"

She was taken aback by the severity in his eyes. "I… Tyr?"

Tyr walked a few steps away from her. "I was worried about you. You ran away without telling anyone, on top of seducing three guys."

The sight of his back turned to her made Chrysalis tear up. "…Tyr…?"

"Maybe I shouldn't have bothered. I mean, according to what Celestia and Cadance told me, sex would keep you alive." Tyr shrugged, not turning around. "So if this is how you want to live…"

"No!" Chrys ran to him, grabbing wildly at him. She managed to grab his arm and clung tightly to it. "Please, Tyr, I can't live like that! After meeting you, becoming your friend… Please, don't walk away!" She was wildly crying now. She must have looked pitiful then, sobbing and clinging to him like she was, but she didn't care. It wasn't like she was a Queen or anything. All she cared about right at this moment was not letting the first and only friend she had ever had leave her.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"I need you! Even when I was with those men you were all I could think about…but not in that way! I just want…"

Tyr turned and pulled her into his arms. "Sorry Chrys, saying all that must have hurt, didn't it? I'm so sorry."

"Huh…?"

Tyr held her out at arm's length, gently rubbing the tears from her face. "I won't stop being your friend, Chrys. I just wanted to know if I'm yours. And with what you just said, it seems to be the case." He smiled. "Can you forgive me?"

Chrys sniffed. "If you can forgive me."

"Deal."

"Um… may I get dressed now?"

"Ah, right!" Tyr let her go. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Chrys said, moving to get her clothes. Her wrists hurt where those man had grabbed her, once she was fully dressed, she turned to find Tyr waiting at the door. He was smiling. "…What is it?"

"Just happy you're not planning on just running off anymore."

Chrys smiled. "Right… Just don't leave me alone with Pinkie Pie, alright?"

"Sure."

-x-

"It's quiet," Chrys murmured as they reentered Tyr's home. It was quite early in the morning, and both of them were exhausted.

"Luna and Sherry are more than likely asleep," Tyr said, yawning a bit. "Go ahead and head off to bed."

"Okay… Um… Tyr? May I do something?"

He frowned and turned to her. She was looking down at her hands, clasped in front of her. Whatever she wanted to say, it was taking a lot of effort just to say it. "What is it?"

"Will you… Will you let me Bind to you?"

"Bind…? What is that?"

"It is something a Changeling does when they find someone they wish to belong to. Only Queens ever do it, and it means they have chosen one person to… feed them. It requires both parties to agree to it totally, otherwise…"

"Otherwise?"

"The Changeling who initiated the Binding dies."

Tyr's eyes widened slightly. Chrys was willing to risk her life if it meant she could stay beside him? That's nothing he could take lightly. "You… really want to do something like that with me?"

"Yes! I mean… I trust you. Explicitly. And I already know that even if we do not do this, I will never be able to live without you being some part of my life." She blushed. "And I do intend for you to be a big part of my life."

"What does this mean if I do this?"

"It means… for all intents and purposes, you will own me. My life will be tied inexplicably to yours."

"…You really want to do this?"

Chrys smiled sadly. "I'm the last of my race. What was left of us after the war with Equestria were too weak to survive the Merge. Without a Bond, I will die alone. And that is the most terrifying thing any Changeling would have to endure. Even if I am nothing to you, I wish for you to be everything to me."

"What would you have to do?"

"I need to put a bit of my own DNA into you. Ever seen a vampire movie? It's like that."

Tyr unconsciously rubbed the side of his neck. "…Alright then. I accept. But on one condition."

Chrys moved over to him, gently pushing him into a seated position on the couch. She moved to straddle him, pushing her hair out of his face. "Yes?"

"From now on, you tell me whatever you are feeling, whenever,"

"Believe me," She murmured, moving her mouth towards his neck. She bared her fangs. "…I won't have much of a choice."

-x-

Tyr woke up as usual to the soft tickle of Luna's hair on his nose. "Morning beautiful," He murmured into her hair. After Chrys had bitten him last night and mixed their DNA, he had felt extremely tired, and went off to bed without any impetus. Wonder how Chrys was feeling.

"G-Good morning, beloved," Luna said, squirming slightly in his embrace. "Um… you're quite affectionate this morning…"

"Hm?"

"I thought you'd come home and go right to s-sleep, but it seems you were a bit more… awake than I thought."

"What do you mean?" He moved a bit, eliciting a surprised moan from his princess. Where on earth had that come from? "Um… Luna? Are you okay?"

"Y-you haven't noticed?"

"Noticed…?" As Tyr moved about again to get comfortable, he could feel Luna's skin warming up. She was panting slightly, and her hands were twisted into the bed sheets. It hit him just as Luna let out another sweet moan. He realized what was up just as she spoke again.

"You're inside me!" She groaned, her voice carrying a mixture of longing and pleading. "And have been all night! I didn't get to sleep much…"

Tyr grinned. It was a good morning.

[Oh dear]

"What's wrong, Chrys?" Sherry asked, seeing the Changeling suddenly blush and squeeze her legs together. The two of them were sitting at the kitchen table having breakfast when Chrys had suddenly had her… reaction.

"Oh, it's nothing serious," Chrys said with a nervous chuckle. [Quite active this morning, aren't you, Master]

The thought came back hurried and confused. [Chrys? How am I able to hear you]

[Our newly formed Bond. I can talk to you through our minds, and we can share our emotions] She thought with a small smile. [On top of that… I can feel pleasure and pain through you as well]

[…I see]

[Finish up quickly, will you, my Master? Sherry and I would love to have breakfast with you and Luna]

[Ugh! Right, right]

"Um…?" Sherry noticed the smile on Chrys's face but decided it would be better to leave the subject alone. About twenty minutes later, Tyr and Luna came downstairs, the latter with a slightly apparent blush. "Hey Dad, hey Luna."

"Hello sweetie." Tyr patted her head as he passed to make himself and Luna breakfast.

"Nothing for me?" Chrys asked, smiling.

"Haven't you already eaten?" He deadpanned. She giggled. Sherry glanced between her father and her new friend, a confused look on her face. Something was going on, and the young girl was left out of the loop.

"At least Tia has not asked for my presence this day," Luna said with a sigh, sitting down beside Sherry.

"After the shooting, I doubt Ace and the others are too keen on her making a public appearance," Tyr said. He whipped up a quick breakfast of toast, eggs and some fruit for himself, Sherry, and Luna, then sat down to eat. "Honestly, Celestia might need some more guards."

"I would agree, although my sister may not."

"Seeing as Humans are the ones trying to kill her, I doubt she'd hire them to protect her," Chrys said with a sigh. She glanced over at Tyr. "Are you sure this house is safe?"

"I believe so. The people trying to kill Celestia weren't from around here."

"You did get all of them, I hope…"

"Same here."

They fell silent for a long minute. After waiting for what seemed like some time, Luna sighed. "…I know what you did, Chrys."

Sherry looked up from her food, confused. "Huh?"

Chrys was indignant. "He agreed to it."

"I am not surprised. However, you could have warned me! He attacked me in my sleep!"

"Oh?" Chrys said with a sly smile on her face. "I did not think it would lower his inhibitions… I guess that's why I felt so full getting up this morning."

"You…!"

As the two girls bickered back and forth, Sherry looked over at her father, who was quietly eating. "Dad, what are they talking about?"

Tyr bit into a slice of apple with particular gusto. "…I'll tell you when you're older."

-x-