Twilight Sparkle entered the store, closed the door behind her, and looked around. There were several sofas of various sizes carefully placed around the sales floor and the walls were lined with shelves. Twilight took a deep breath, taking in the musky scent of the establishment as she sauntered over to the counter and rang the bell.

I wonder why Spike keeps on insisting he come over here alone. It seems like a nice shop.

“Just a second, I’ll be right out!” A harsh, dual-toned voice said from the back of the shop. Twilight raised an eyebrow at that.

That’s strange, it almost sounds like—

As if on cue, Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings walked out, looking down and wearing a white shirt and a blue vest. “Welcome to Quills and Sofas, my name’s Chryssy! What can I help you with today?” With that, Chrysalis looked up, her eyes widening as they locked with Twilight Sparkle’s, who appeared equally as perplexed.

Twilight blinked. Chrysalis blinked as well. Twilight blinked again.

Twilight narrowed her gaze and charged her horn. “You have five seconds to tell me what you’re doing here, Chrysalis.”

“Can’t you tell?” Chrysalis asked while giggling nervously. “I work here!”

“A likely story,” Twilight said, her horn still trained on Chrysalis, “I’m going to need some proof before I take your word like—”

The bell rang on the door as Rarity walked in. “Hi Twilight, Hi Chryssy.”

“Hi, Rarity,” Chrysalis said as she smirked at Twilight, who powered down her horn. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“You knew?” Twilight said as she glared at Rarity, who was examining the selection of chaise lounges.

“Knew what?” Rarity said. “And yes, Chryssy, I’m going to need a stain resistant chaise lounge. My last one got stained with ice cream and it’s been a nightmare resting on it.”

“None of our products come off of the shelf stain-resistant, although we can treat whatever you purchase with a special polymer that’ll make anything that would stain the material slide right off,” Chrysalis said.

“Knew that Queen Chrysalis worked at Quills and Sofas!” Twilight said.

Rarity snorted. “Everypony knows Chryssy works here. Everyone who does their own shopping, at least.” She pressed a purple chaise lounge with her hoof. “Will the polymer affect the comfort level of the chaise lounge?”

Chrysalis shook her head. “We’ve gotten no complaints from customers who have taken the stain-resistant option.”

“That sounds lovely, Chryssy.”

Twilight shook her head. “How long has she been working here?”

“You know, you could ask me that,” Chrysalis said.

Rarity rested herself upon the chaise lounge. “Oh, a couple of years now,” she said, looking at Chrysalis. “Isn’t that right?”

Chrysalis nodded. “Sounds about right.”

“So, you mean to tell me,” Twilight said as she fell to her haunches, “that the Queen of the Changelings has been working at Quills and Sofas before I even moved here?”

Chrysalis and Rarity exchanged a glance, then looked back at Twilight.

“Yup,” they said simultaneously.

Twilight buried her face in her hoof. “I’m afraid to ask… but why do you even work here? Don’t you have, I don’t know, Queenly duties or something?”

Chrysalis snorted. “Please. The entire Changeling government is so drowned in bureaucracy that I’m little more than a figurehead. I’m surprised I got the invasion past the legislature. I mostly work here to kill time.”

Twilight stood up, marched towards the counter, and stared Chrysalis in the eyes. “And what about that? Why did you invade Canterlot?”

Chrysalis blushed a shade of champagne. “It was actually a bet between me and Luna.”

Twilight blinked. “The invasion… was a bet?”

“Don’t remind me—I lost a million bits over that,” Chrysalis said while glowering.

“Now if you’ll excuse me,” Rarity said as she pushed past Twilight, “some of us are here to make purchases.” Rarity smiled at Chrysalis. “I’ll be taking the purple chaise lounge that I was just resting on with the stain-resistant polymer.”

“A wonderful choice, if I do say so myself,” Chrysalis said. “Now how will you be paying for that?”

“With this,” Rarity said as she pulled a diamond out of one of her saddlebags and lobbed it onto the counter.

Chrysalis grasped the gemstone, a loupe, and carefully examined the diamond. She then rested both the diamond and the loupe on the counter. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have enough in the register to provide change for a diamond of this caliber.”

Rarity hummed, looked away, then looked back at Chrysalis. “Is there any way you can open up a credit account for me here?”

Chrysalis smiled and nodded. “Sure, I’ll get right on that.”

“Thank you, Chryssy. When should I expect my purchase to arrive at my place of residence?”

“Sometime next week.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Rarity said as she turned tail and headed towards the door.

Chrysalis waved at Rarity. “Pleasure doing business with you!”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Rarity said as she exited the shop.

Chrysalis’s smile turned into a frown as she glared back at Twilight. “Now I assume you didn’t just come in here to harangue me.”

Twilight stared at the door, at Chrysalis, then back at the door.

“Twilight?”

Twilight blinked a few more times, still taking in what just transpired.

“Twilight Sparkle!”

Twilight leapt in place. “What?”

Chrysalis groaned. “What would you like to purchase?”

“Oh, right,” Twilight said, “I came in here to… purchase something.” She turned towards the counter. “I’d like a quill, please.”

Chrysalis sucked in through her teeth. “I’m afraid I can’t help you with that.”

“Why not?” Twilight asked, a hint of agitation in her voice.

“We’re out of quills until Monday,” Chrysalis said, “but I can supply you with a sofa if you’re interested!”

Twilight looked down and shook her head. “No, that’s… quite alright,” she said as she headed towards the door, “I’ll just… come back next week.”

“See you next week, then!” Chrysalis said while waving.

“Yeah, sure. See you next week,” Twilight said as she exited the shop.