Queen Chrysalis finally discovers the meaning of Friendship and Love
Queen Chrysalis is an aggressive and powerful leader, but even queens can develop feelings for others...
In this story Chrysalis finds a stallion who left Ponyville behind after years of abuse and torment, Although throwing insults and threats at first, A relationship starts to blossom and a fight for survival soon kicks in for the Changling Kingdom...
(Twilight Sparkle Tag added due to Chapter 4)
**Author's Notes**
First of all, This is actually a story I based on a Dream I had whilst sleeping. The story is rather gripping on myself as I put some elements of my real life feelings into it (The pain and sorrow of someone you thought loved you giving up on you)
Secondly, This is my first ever story, so I appreciate any and all comments on the story. Whether Positive or Negative.
Thirdly, This story isn't a clopfic, but I guess if you imagine hard enough you might get somewhere.
I've also set it to "Teen" as it has Swearing, Suggestive Sexual Themes and Violence.
It was a dark and cloudy day in Ponyville, which was something that the town didn't have very often. But something about this particular day was a little different — and Sam couldn't really figure out what. But what Sam didn't realise was that today would be the day when things changed for him.
Sam was a young colt with a dark grey coat, a black mane, a small slightly twisted horn upon his head and no special talent. Today was just like any other day for him: he would go to school as per usual, hide away from the bullies and troublemakers who always picked on him for being a blank flank, try to learn magic and almost always fail and then - after the bell rang - he would run home as fast as possible before anypony could see him. This was Sam's normal weekday — but today was different. Today was the day he decided to leave it all behind and run away. He had been planning his escape for a few weeks and now - with all of his worldly possessions hidden away in his backpack - he would leave Ponyville and never return.
As Sam walked into the classroom he noticed that Miss Cheerilee wasn't in. On closer inspection, he saw there was nopony around at all — as if they had all simply vanished. Sam was quick to take advantage of the situation and ran. He knew that nopony could stop him and even if they tried he would simply stop them with his magic. After all, he was getting better at some spells he had found in an old book entitled The Ancient Powers of Dark Magic: Volume One.
But it was at this point that his life would change forever, for as he ran out onto the playground he accidentally knocked down another pony. Hoping that they wouldn't cause any trouble he walked over to check if they were alright.
"I'm so sorry!" Sam gasped as the filly, a small green pegasus, got to her hooves. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," the filly replied. "No need to worry about it. You look like you're in a hurry, so please don't let me keep you busy."
"Oh right, yeah. I'm running away from this place since I really don't want to stay here anymore," Sam grumbled. "Anyway, I've got to go. Sorry again!" He started to run away, only to slow down when the filly started to follow him.
"I didn't really catch your name," she said sweetly. "My name is Crystal, what's yours?"
"Er.. Sam..." Sam mumbled. "It's nice to meet you, Crystal."
"Can I come with you?" Crystal pleaded. "A few bullies keep laughing and caling me names, it's... actually, wait, never mind." Crystal said, Shying away slightly
"Sure, why not?" Sam said with a smile. Crystal returned the gesture and the two continued running.
***
As Sam and Crystal ran towards the Everfree Forest, they heard a loud explosion from behind them. They stopped in their tracks and turned around to see ponies running in every direction. Very little could be heard from anypony as Sam closed his eyes for a few seconds.
"Please... No..."
Darkness was all he could see at this point, but when he opened his eyes he saw neither Ponyville nor any ponies running away. What he saw instead was himself — sitting on a hillside with Crystal, the two of them holding hooves.
"Lovely sky today, am I right?"
As Sam tried to figure out what was happening he turned to look at Crystal and noticed that she was taller, had larger wings and that her mane had grown.
"Wha.. What's going on?" Sam queried, before quickly bringing a hoof to his mouth. "Wait... why is my voice so deep?"
"Silly Sam," Crystal giggled. "Your voice has been like that for quite a while now!"
Sam, still unsure of what is happening, looked around and noticed that he was taller as well. His coat was thicker and his horn had grown.
"Ahh, teenage years," Crystal began. "Carefree moments on the weekends before school kicks in..."
"Wait, didn't we run away?" Sam blurted out. "A few moments ago, we were running away from Ponyville and then I heard screaming!"
"Screaming?" Crystal cocked her head at him. "I don't remember screaming. And besides, that was years ago. Are you daydreaming again? You have a habit of doing that, you know." She paused for a moment. "We were running away, but as we got to the forest you decided to stop... you suddenly decided that you didn't want to run away any more and that you wanted to stay. So we did, and there was the start of this beautiful relationship."
"R-relationship?" Sam said warily.
"Oh my," Crystal cooed. "It sounds like you've forgotten everything since that day we ran away!" She laughed again. "It's okay though, Sam, you just need to relax a little. It's nice and peaceful up here — the Pegasi don't fly here very often and the Earth ponies are normally miles away... I'm so glad you found this spot."
"Uhh.. no problem?" Sam shrugged and grinned weakly.
The two of them sat in silence for a moment, relishing the feeling of the warm sun against their coats. The sun hung lazily in the sky, and a cool breeze ruffled the feathers in Crystal's wings. She flexed them idly before clearing her throat.
"Sam..." she began. "I've been thinking."
"Yeah?" Sam's curiousity was piqued. "What about?"
"Us. I was thinking... well... Ahh, never mind," Crystal said, blushing profusely. "It was a silly question anyway."
"I don't mind at all," Sam laughed half-heartedly. "So go ahead and ask me!"
"Well..." Crystal's blush intensified. "Have you ever... kissed another pony?"
"Can't say that I have," Sam retorted, aware of what was happening. "Why?"
"Nothing... no reason..."
Sam blinked nervously a few times, unsure of what to say or do. He closed his eyes for a few seconds to block out the sun and think. But when he re-opened them, he found that he wasn't on the hillside anymore.
"What the fu—" He started before getting cut off.
"Hello?" a familiar voice spoke, accompanied by a green hoof being waved in Sam's face. "Are you there, Sam? You're daydreaming again, huh?"
Sam cast his gaze along the familiar hoof and saw Crystal standing there. "Oh hey, Crystal," he said warily. "Where are we? Why are we here?"
"We're in the Everfree Forest," Crystal pointed out. "At your favourite lake... don't you remember?"
"Oh... right," Sam replied focusing his attention on Crystal.
"I kinda wanted to talk to you about something," she said hesitantly, an awkward look on her face. "It's about us. I... I don't think it's working out between us, Sam."
Sam's jaw dropped and his eyes widened in horror, the look on his face showing that he was simply refusing to believe what was happening. First of all: Every time I close my eyes I wake up in what I think is the future, he thought. And now my marefriend is abandoning me?! Why are things going so terribly wrong for me?
"W-what?" Sam forcibly closed his eyes, hoping against hope that it was a joke.
"I'm sorry..." Crystal said softly. "But it's not you, it's me! Things just aren't going so well and I think we both need time to think things through... surely you understand, right?"
Sam shakily stands up. "This isn't happening," he whimpers. "I... I've gotta get out of here!" And with those words, he took off running.
"Sam, wait!" Crystal shouted after him. "Please!"
He ignored her and continued running, ignoring the sharp stings of branches striking his face. This isn't happening, he thought. I must have eaten a hallucinogenic flower or something, this just isn't true! He repeated this to himself quietly as he slowed to a trot, observing the dark grey clouds looming ominously overhead.
"Looks like it's going to rain," he muttered to himself. "I'd better find some shelter."
He wandered around for a while before, to his relief, he discovered a small cave. It didn't look like the cleanest place, but at least it was dry. After poking around the entrance, Sam finally decided to go inside.
"Stupid horn," he grumbled. "I can cast spells to rip flowers out of the ground and throw them miles away, I can cast spells to create light and even dark magic spells... yet I can't cast a simple Anti-Rain spell?! Stupid fucking magic."
As he delved deeper into the cave, he started to hear what sounded like a female voice. He froze on the spot and tried to make it out. This can't be good.
"H-hello?" he shouted at the quietest volume possible. It was so quiet, even Fluttershy would have had difficulty making it out.
"Hello!" he shouted at a louder volume. The cave went quiet, the only sounds being the dripping of water falling from cracks in the ceiling to the grimy floor below.
I'm not sure whether I should run away or keep going, Sam thought, choosing eventually to remain still.
"Well well well," a voice chirped from the shadows. "I didn't think that anypony would be sharing this cave with me, least of all you." Sam baulked at the sudden appearance of a pair of eyes which were watching him.
"Who... who are you?!" Sam demanded.
"Me?" the voice replied, as a green hoof reached out towards Sam. "You don't need to ask that... because you already know me, don't you?"
"C-crystal?" Sam stuttered.
"Yes," Crystal replied as she stepped forward. "'tis I, Crystal."
"What are you doing here?" Sam snarled. "You scared me half to death!"
"I'm here for the same reason you are, to avoid the rain..." Crystal trailed off, licking her lips. "Oh, my... I sense a great deal of anger and sadness within you, Sam."
"Anger and sadness?" Sam scoffed. "Of course I'm angry and sad, given the fact that you've just broken my heart!"
"Your light source is fading..." Crystal replied eagerly, her voice sounding different. "Looks like sh— I had an effect on you after all."
"Of... of course you did," Sam said pitfully. "I loved you...."
"Loved?" the voice didn't match Crystal's at all. "Or still love?"
"Are... are you alright?" Sam asked tentatively, sounding extremely worried.
"Of course I am," Crystal giggled. "But the real question is... are you?" She walked back into the shadows. A flash of magic engulfed her form, and soon her eyes had changed colours — from a sweet light blue to an evil and sickly dark green. "Don't be scared." Crystal continued in her newfound voice. "I don't intend to hurt you."
"What... What the fuck are you?!" Sam demanded.
"I am Chrysalis," Crystal replied. "Queen Chrysalis to be more specific." She stepped out of the shadows, and Sam gasped. Before him stood a tall black pony with sharp fangs, dark green eyes with elongated oval pupils, no cutie mark, holes in her wings and a dark green midsection. "As I said, I do not intend to hurt you." She soothed, though her voice sounded distorted. "I apologise for my sudden appearance, but I wasn't expecting visitors."
"What are you and what have you done with Crystal?!" Sam was enraged, and he began charging his horn with magic.
"I said I would not hurt you," Chrysalis snorted. "It's not very nice to attack somepony who isn't attacking you back."
"Where is she..." Sam yelled, preparing to strike. "Tell me, NOW!"
"I was simply disguised as her," Chrysalis shrugged. "It's just a trait I have."
"Lies!" Sam shouted, unleashing the charged bolt of magic he had prepared. The bolt streaked towards Chrysalis, who yawned and raised a shield which absorbed the energy and then died down.
"Ohh, I see that you are very skilled with the dark magic," Chrysalis grinned and placed a hoof to her chest. "But I meant it when I said I would not hurt you, so I will not retaliate."
"How... How did you know what spell I used?!" Sam enquired.
"I am very skilled with dark and ancient magic... all kinds of magic really. Here, watch," Chrysalis said before zapping Sam with a small white beam of light. The beam had no physical effect on him straight away, but after a few seconds he started emitting a very bright light from the tip of his horn. What the—?! I'm casting a light spell without even doing anything! The magic fizzled out after a few seconds, Chrysalis adopting a smug look.
"How did you—" Sam began.
"As I mentioned, I'm good with magic," Chrysalis interrupted. "Now, I am intrigued about this 'Crystal' whom you speak of. Tell me, who is she?"
"She's... just a friend," Sam said awkwardly.
"Just a friend?" Chrysalis scoffed. "You seemed to be very defensive of her, and your feelings are indecisive as well."
"She's just a friend," Sam repeated tersely.
"I can tell when a pony is lying," Chryalis replied with a small smirk. "And right now I can tell that you're spinning a big one. Honesty is the best policy, my friend, so please. Tell me."
"I don't know you!" Sam snapped. "You disguised yourself as Crystal and now you've got the nerve to question me? I think you'll find that this isn't exactly the best time or place to do such a thing."
"I understand I didn't exactly make a very good first impression," Chrysalis sighed. "But as I said earlier, I was not expecting visitors."
Sam looked around the dank and dismal cave. "You... you live here?" He said with some concern.
"What? No!" Chrysalis replied, somewhat offended. "This place is disgusting. I merely hone my skills with spells here away from everypony else. It's less distracting that way."
"Everypony else?" Sam cocked his head in confusion. "Like who?"
"The other Changelings," Chrysalis failed to stop a growl escaping. "They can cause problems for me at the best of times. Seriously, being a Queen isn't all that it's cracked up to be..."
"There's more of you?!" Sam said, a look of shock crossing his face.
"Thousands of us," Chrysalis nodded, before a look of surprise came over her. "Wait... you've never heard of a Changeling before?"
"No..." Sam admitted meekly.
"Oh, boy," Chrysalis moaned, bringing a forehoof to her face. "Come with me then, and I'll teach you."
"Go with you?!" Sam backed away slightly. "I don't know you, you disguise yourself for unknown reasons, and now you want me to join you on some adventure?!"
"I wouldn't exactly call it an adventure, Per say, I am simply showing you my throne," Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "The rain has stopped and if you choose not to come with me then I won't be offended. However if you go back to Ponyville and question everypony you see, asking them what a Changeling is then they will assume that you're one of us and either banish you to the moon or kill you."
"What's wrong with being a Changeling?" Sam checked. "And why would the Ponyville ponies kill me, hmm?"
"Didn't you just less than 5 minutes ago attack me for disguising myself as somepony you knew?" Chrysalis countered. "That's just a part of what we are. And they would kill you on sight."
"I don't exactly trust you," Sam said hesitantly. "But I will come with you this once. Be warned though, I will kill you if you make any sudden moves, got it?"
"Oh please," Chrysalis chuckled. "I could easily deflect anything you could throw at me." She paused for a moment. "But fine, If that's what'll make you comfortable, then let's go."
Sam closed his eyes to see if anything would happen. When nothing did he opened his eyes and addressed Chrysalis. "Fine by me, now how far away is this kingdom of yours?"
"It's... quite far," Chrysalis replied. "But if you hold on for just a moment, then I can cast a spell which will give you temporary wings." Before Sam could object he was immediately zapped again by Chrysalis and given small see-through wings with sharp edges. "There you go... now try not to cut anypony with them, will you?" Chrysalis laughed, pointing at Sam's new appendages.
"Let's just go," Sam flatly stated. "I'm getting bored of this cave." He blinked just for a second and everything went dark.
There was no light. There was no Crystal. There was no Chrysalis.
Sam awoke within what appeared to be a master bedroom. Scared, and generally confused, he decided to get up and view his surroundings. On a table next to the bed was a series of newspapers, with some articles circled. His curiosity getting the better of him, Sam picked up the newspaper and read it.
CHANGELING ATTACKS INCREASE
Today at the Royal Canterlot Gardens, in front of a crowd of thousands, Princess Celestia officially declared that a state of emergency was now in effect within Equestria. The Changelings, known for their ability to transform into the looks of anypony and feast on the love that other ponies have for them, recently launched an attack on the town of Ponyville which left many buildings destroyed and several lives devastated.
Princess Celestia was unavailable for an official comment, claiming that "it is too unsafe to trust anypony". But her sister, Princess Luna, was available and had only this statement to add:
"Citizens of Equestria, do not be frightened of the Changelings!" she proclaimed. "We will find each and every one of them and make sure that they are punished for their crimes against our fair country!"
While Princess Luna may not be afraid of the Changelings, it is safe to say that almost every other pony is. So take care, trust nopony and always be on the lookout for anything suspicious.
Whoa, Sam thought. Things have certainly gone downhill for Equestria.
The door to the bedroom clicked open, stopping Sam's train of thought. As he watched, Chrysalis walked in with a small smile on her face.
"Hello, Sammy," she cooed. "How are you feeling?"
"Sammy?" Sam replied, confused. "What the... where am I?"
"You're home!" Chrysalis exclaimed, her brow furrowing. "Don't you remember?"
"Re-remember what?"
"Oh, right..." Chrysalis said sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck. "You're more than likely a little confused at this whole situation."
"What do you mean by that?" Sam demanded.
"Well... what's the last thing that you can remember?"
"We.. we were in the cave," Sam clenched his teeth in concentration. "And you wanted me to visit your so called Kingdom. The next thing I know, I've woken up here."
"The cave?!" Chrysalis gasped. "Our first encounter? But, Sam, that was months ago!"
"Now what the hell do you mean by that?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "Explain it to me, Chrysalis."
"After we left the cave we flew back here... back home," Chrysalis said softly. "I explained to you what a Changeling is and what we do, you accepted who we were but requested to leave. After my final few words you left and I didn't see you for a few months, when you you came back and told me that Ponyville had abandoned you. You finished by saying that you wanted to live here... with me."
"I did?!" Sam queried, before raising his voice. "You must be lying, because I don't remember any of that!" shouted Sam
"Oh please, Sammy, let's not have this fight again," Chrysalis whined. She paused for a moment as a thought came to her. "I'll tell you what... you can leave if you wish. I won't stop you, nor will any of the Changelings. But think for a moment and make sure... are you genuinely sure that you want to leave?"
"I.. I.." Sam sighed. "Okay, okay, maybe I over-reacted a little." He jumped slightly at the sound of his stomach grumbling. "Whoa, that sounds pretty nasty... say, Chrysalis, is there anywhere I can get some food? I guess I can't think straight on an empty stomach."
"Sure," Chrysalis beamed, beginning to leave the room. "I'll even show you around again if you've forgotten what our place looks like."
"Our place?" questioned Sam as he got off the bed and followed her.
"Yes, my dear," she replied. "Our place."
Sam cautiously followed Chrysalis as she walked through the corridors explaining some of the rooms she had within this marvellous building of hers. They eventually came to a set of double doors, through which the smell of fresh cooking made Sam drool slightly.
"And last but not least, the kitchen," Chrysalis giggled as she saw Sam wiping his muzzle. "Wow, I guess you really are hungry. By all means feel free to help yourself to whatever you want, my dear."
"Thanks," Sam said, a puzzled look on his face. "But I have one small question... why do you keep calling me your dear?"
"Er... no reason," Chrysalis said, avoiding Sam's gaze. "I do it to everypony..." She spotted a Changeling wearing a chef's hat and an apron and waved a forehoof at them. "Hello my dear!" She shouted, to which the Changeling waved back with a confused expression. "See?"
"Hmm, okay," Sam didn't sound convinced. "Thank you for your help."
"That's no problem," Chrysalis nodded slightly and started to walk away. "Take all the time you want. If you need me then I'll be in the grounds training the Changelings."
"Wait, training?" Sam scratched his head. "Training them for what?"
"Oh, just basic magical training and what not," Chrysalis mumbled. "I've er... I've got to go! Bye!" And with those words she galloped down the corridor and out of sight. Sam blinked in wonder and shook his head.
There's something not right here, he thought. And I need to figure out what. His stomach grumbled, much louder than before. But I can't do it with nothing in my system, so I guess I'd better eat.
***
Some time later, Sam had finished eating and decided to search the castle for clues as to what was going on.
I can't ask any of the Changelings where her bedroom is, he thought, a look of anger on his face. They'll think I'm mad and tell Chrysalis. Now where the fuck is it?
An infuriatingly slow thirty minutes passed, during which time Sam had ventured into several random rooms, he found what looked like another master bedroom.
"Oh, man," he muttered. "This is so many shades of creepy, but I still need to know." He slowly opened the door and peeked inside to see if anypony was there. Much to his relief the room was empty, and so he entered the bedroom and started to look around. "There's gotta be something here!"
He looked for what felt like hours but failed to find anything of any major use. As evil and conspicuous as Chrysalis seems, she must be a nice pony. But then Sam opened a closet and found a small locked box nestled within.
"This looks suspicious," he said triumphantly. "And it's locked, so I'll need to think of a lock breaking spell." He racked his brains for a few seconds before he clopped his forehooves together in realisation. He charged his horn with magic and aimed it at the chest.
"All right," he licked his lips. "Here goes nothing..." A faint magical aura surrounded the box, followed by a faint clicking noise as the lock was detached. Sam let out a small cry of glee and peered inside.
Inside the box lay a collection of photos, a book of spells - which Sam thought to be familiar to him - and another newspaper cutting.
"They say that a picture is worth a thousand words," Sam chuckled. "So I think I'll look at them first." He took the photos in his aura and began to leaf through them.
The photos were simple and most depicted Chrysalis and himself travelling, having fun and generally enjoying themselves, but as Sam looked through them his suspicion only grows. I don't remember any of this, he thought. These are the kinds of things that anypony would remember, yet I don't...
He put the photos back in the box and removed the book. "Now why does this book look familiar?" he said as he flipped through the page. He stopped on a random page and started to read the description of the spell depicted on it. "Aha! This is the book where I learnt all my spells from!" He exclaimed. "I knew it! I dare to wonder what's in this cutting..."
Putting down the book he grabbed the newspaper cutting and read it.
QUEEN CHRYSALIS OVERRULED!
Queen Chrysalis, the leader of the Changling Army who has been known for her aggressive behaviour, has been officially overthrown by Princesses Celestia and Luna using the Elements of Harmony.
Chrysalis has since escaped but some ponies fear that one day she may return to attack and regain control of Equestria. And while this reporter doesn't believe that she'll return, the fear engulfing the cities and villages around Equestria suggests otherwise.
One thing is for sure, though. While Chrysalis roams free, nopony is safe.
She captured Canterlot?! Sam thought. That's definite proof that she's up to no good! She must be training her Changelings for another attack on Equestria... but how do I stop her?
The door creaked slightly, causing Sam to jump. "Who's there?" he shouted. "Come on, show yourself!"
"Now now, dear," Chrysalis replied as she pushed the door open and entered the room. "It's not very polite to look through a pony's things. After all, I haven't been looking through your stu—" she stopped abruptly when she saw the open box. "What have you seen in there?"
"Everything," Sam replied bluntly. "The photos, the book of spells, even the newspaper clipping! You never told me that you ruled Equestria!"
"That's because it's... hard to talk about," Chrysalis said as she looked away, her ears flattening against her head. "It's not exactly the kind of story you share with friends and family."
"You should have told me..." Sam stressed, a depressed tone to his voice.
"I didn't want to take the risk," Chrysalis mumbled.
"Risk?" Sam questioned. "What risk?"
"The risk... of losing you," Chrysalis said, a twinge of disappointment clearly audible.
"You could have lost me by lying to me," Sam offered a small smile. "I'm a forgiving pony, but you have to be honest with me."
Chrysalis' ears slowly returned to their normal positions as she nodded. "What do you want to know?" she asked.
"Everything, of course," Sam replied. "But start with the most important things first. Like Equestria, the Changlings... and me."
"Everything?" Chrysalis buzzed her wings and sat on her haunches. "Well, Equestria was always my main plan. You see, as a queen, I need to care for my subjects: they need shelter, food, and a place to call home. With Canterlot being the capital of Equestria, and the best place to live, I decided to invade with my army so that we could claim it for ourselves. We succeeded but at a cost — many of us died to the guards and royalty who defended to their last breath. For a while I used to believe that every changling that died had done so for the good of the rest of us, but after Celestia and Luna attacked with the Elements of Harmony we had to retreat." She paused for a moment, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "We fled as far as we could, found this small place and built up from there. Canterlot was a massive defeat for us and we barely escaped alive."
"Oh..." Sam cleared his throat. "I can see why it's not the type of story you like to share."
"As for us, The Changelings, we are who we are. We're like any other pony, except we have the ability to change our appearance to any other pony or create our own. This in itself scared other ponies and we started to get shunned out from the community. After everypony found out that we 'feast on love', for want of a better phrase, we were considered villains and chased out from our towns and villages. They needed a leader... they needed me."
More tears cascaded down Chrysalis' cheeks and onto the floor.
"I'm... I'm sorry," Sam said. "Forget I asked."
"No.. you deserve to know," Chrysalis sniffled. "And as for you... well..." She trailed off as she put her forehooves over her face. "Please, I need to go, I'm sorry."
"No," Sam said. "This is your room after all, so I'll leave." He put the items he took back into the box before locking it again. With a smile and a nod to Chrysalis he left the room, her choice of words echoed in his mind.
'Please, I need to go, I'm sorry.' He thought. I remember saying those same words to Crystal when she broke my heart. As Sam closed Chrysalis' bedroom door he could hear crying through the walls. Telling her story had obviously been hard, but she told me anyway. Either she's got guts or she cares for me a lot... perhaps she cares a bit too much.
He went back to his bedroom and lay on the bed, staring wistfully at the ceiling as thoughts flooded his mind.
"Either she's fooling me or... maybe she cares for me," he groaned. "I can't work it out. Could the pony who feasts upon love finally learn the true meaning of it?" He shook his head fiercely. "No, she's fucking fooling me. She can't love me, she's just a Changeling trying to fool me!" He chewed his lip in frustration. "Or is she...?"
Sam closed his eyes, hoping it was all a dream. When he opened them nothing had happened, it was still daytime outside and he was still lying there — and still feeling bad.
Have... have I developed feelings for Queen Chrysalis?
This was the last thought he had before he finally surrendered to the lull of sleep.
It was the middle of the day and Sam was lying on his bed reflecting on the heartfelt conversation he'd had with Chrysalis. But while he was reflecting, the Changelings were getting suspicious. Things had not been going well within the Changeling Kingdom, as food was getting scarce and the Changelings sent to gather food while disguised kept having difficulties with even the simplest of tasks.
Chrysalis had been hiding away since Sam's talk with her. No Changeling had seen her at all and they were all getting worried as to her whereabouts. Rumours began to spread around the kingdom: some said she died, some say she was imprisoned in stone like Discord had been and others even went to the trouble of saying that Sam had killed her. But most of the Changelings knew that she was still alive, yet something had happened which was causing her extended absence.
As for Sam, he found it increasingly difficult to walk around the kingdom. He was shunned by Changelings who either thought he had killed their Queen or simply despised him for not being one of them.
Everything was problematic within the kingdom, and only one pony could fix all of it.
Chrysalis, Sam thought. I need to find her and ask for her assistance since, despite being a Queen, she isn't helping much and I need to let her know that. Yet at the same time I need to protect the feelings she has for me and her Kingdom.
Sam walked into the castle, making his way through the various stairs and corridors before he finally reached Chrysalis's room. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. "Chrysalis?" he asked gently. "It's me, Sam. Are you in there?" Faint sobbing could be heard through the walls. "Please, Chrysalis, I need you to open the door. I... need to speak to you."
There was a small glow on the handle as the door unlocked and opened, allowing Sam to walk inside. After he entered, the door was closed and locked behind him. Chrysalis glared at him, tears running down her face. "What do you want?" she snapped.
"Assistance," Sam replied. "Your subjects are running out of food, they need you. And I... I need you as well..."
Chrysalis stopped crying. "What do you mean you need me?" she demanded.
"I... I need you..." Sam repeated. "My time with you and your Changelings has changed me, and I need you to continue with ruling them. And if you wanted, you could continue your life... with me." Sam was nervous and excited, scared and happy. He didn't want to be hurt yet he didn't want to hurt her.
Chrysalis got out of bed. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes," Sam mumbled, swallowing nervously. "Well, at least, I think I am."
"Oh, Sam!" Chrysalis squealed as she charged towards Sam, knocking him down and proceeding to squeeze him tightly. "You don't understand how happy I am right now!"
"Okay, okay," Sam gasped. "Please stop, Chrysalis, you're crushing me!"
"Oh... my apologies," Chrysalis giggled. "But thank you, Sam, seriously. I've been so worried about everything recently, but with you around there's no difficulties. No pain, no troubles... around you I feel comforted." She paused for a moment. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... I I -" her words were cut off by a knock at the door.
"Excuse me, your highness," said a frail male voice. "Are you in there?"
"Yes, now what do you want?" Chrysalis snapped. "I'm busy!"
"There's a problem in the town centre," the voice replied. "Others have been attacked and they are claiming that Canterlot are attacking everypony!"
"What?!" Chrysalis said, sounding worried. "I shall be down in a moment." She turned to Sam. "We... we should go."
"Oh, right..." Sam replied, sounding just as nervous. "Yeah, let's go."
They left the room and walked through the castle, out the front doors and straight to the source of the commotion. Outside the castle were several Changelings, all of whom have been grievously injured and some who looked as if they were ready to die on the spot.
"Hear me, my subjects!" Chrysalis bellowed. "What is the issue?"
Upon seeing the presence of the queen, all of the uninjured Changelings bowed in respect. One of them, a male, addressed Chrysalis. "We... we went to Ponyville to find food, and they attacked us," he whimpered. "Most of us were killed while attempting to flee and the rest, as you can see, were injured."
"How did they see past your disguises?" Chrysalis demanded, but with a hint of care and sensitivity in her voice.
"The purple one!" a female Changeling screeched, before coughing up blood. "She has a machine!"
"This purple one," Chrysalis said, sounding worried again. "Does she have a horn by any chance?"
"Yes," another male replied. "There were 6 of them: the purple Unicorn, a blue Pegasus, a pink Earth pony, a white Unicorn, a yellow Pegasus and an orange Earth pony!"
The injured Changelings used the last of their strength to transform into the ponies who attacked them, their transformations striking fear into Chrysalis' heart. For standing there before her were six mares whom she had heard of before.
Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack. Although Sam had never met them before, he could tell that Chrysalis was gravely worried by the doppelgängers in front of her. Sam wasn't sure if he was the only pony to notice this, but he assumed that he could due to the special bond which he shared with her.
"I see..." Chryalis trailed off for a moment. "I will deal with this. Now don't just stand there, everypony, get the injured to the hospital at once!" With Chrysalis being an aggressive ruler, she knew that she had to show anger and domination in front of her subjects, no matter how worried she was for their safety. "Come, Sam, we must make plans for this new threat..." she stated before walking back towards the castle.
"Er... sure," Sam replied hesitantly, before eventually running to catch up with her.
***
Sam and Chrysalis made their way back into the castle and into a large circular room with a map of Equestria in the middle. Chrysalis pored over it for a moment before addressing the guards stationed outside. "Nopony is to disturb us unless it's of the utmost importance, understand?!" she barked.
"Yes, your Majesty," both guards agreed in unison before turning away and starting their patrols. Chrysalis closed the door and sat down on one of the largest chairs. She didn't speak or move for a few seconds before Sam started talking.
"Er, Chrysalis?" he muttered.
"Oh, Sammy," Chrysalis cooed. "We've been in each others company for a long time now so please, call me Chrissy."
"Oh, okay," Sam smiled sheepishly. "Erm, Chrissy, who are those ponies the injured Changelings transformed into?"
"Those.. well those ponies are nothing special by themselves really, but I've heard rumours about how they are now being hailed as the Bearers of Elements of Harmony," Chrysalis replied, before catching a glimpse of Sam's confused face. "The Elements of Harmony were six supernatural artifacts thought to contain powers beyond Equestria's control. They were used to defend Equestria from evil on several occasions and have been defending Equestria ever since they were recovered." Chrysalis finished speaking as tears started to form around the base of her eyes.
"Elements of Harmony?" Sam questioned. "Supernatural artifacts? I... I don't understand, Chrissy, what do you mean?" He did not want to upset her any more, but he had to know.
"Well..." Chrysalis began. "I'm sure that you have heard the story of Discord, have you not?"
"I've heard he was an ancient ruler who brought chaos to Equestria," Sam nodded. "But he was beaten by Celestia and Luna."
"NEVER MENTION THEIR NAMES AGAIN!" Chrysalis shouted suddenly. Sam flinched, his ears flattening against his head, which caused Chrysalis to cough slightly and recompose her figure. "I'm... I'm sorry." She said. "It's just that I've had some previous issues with those two disgusting specks of dirt." She spat the last word angrily, slamming a forehoof into the desk.
"I apologise, Chrissy," Sam soothed, his ears slowly rising back up to their normal positions. "I didn't know."
"No, it's my fault," Chrysalis sighed. "I didn't mean to over-react, it's just... I've just been so stressed out lately." She covered her face with her forehooves. "I think being a queen is finally getting to me."
"It's OK, babe," Sam said reassuringly. "We'll think of something. In the meantime, how about I do this?" With those words, he pulled up a seat behind Chrysalis and started giving her a massage.
"Thanks," Chrysalis murmured. "But what can we do? Ponyville was a great source of food for us, and if that piece of sh— ouch!" The sudden surge of pain interrupted her, and she gave Sam a look of discontent.
"Tight muscle," Sam gave her an awkward smile. "My bad." He continued what he was doing, his motions more delicate than before.
"As I was saying," Chrysalis sighed contentedly. "If Twilight can make more of these machines then we'll starve, and I can't let that happen! We must defend ourselves, but at the same time we can't take too many risks because it's too dangerous!"
"I'm sure we'll think of something eventually," Sam replied. "It may take a bit of time but we will prevail, my dear." He smiled. "I'll talk to the injured, perhaps they can assist."
"Okay, but please be careful," Chrysalis warned. "Changelings may be creatures who feast upon the strongest feelings, But we have feelings ourselves and upsetting them wouldn't be very helpful to our cause."
"I promise I won't hurt them," Sam stated assuredly. "I'll head over there now and see how they are."
"Be back soon, please," Chrysalis pleaded. "I could do with another one of those massages."
With a kiss and a wave Sam left the meeting room and headed to the infirmary, taking a direct route and not stopping for any reason. After a few minutes of galloping he reached his destination, softly opening the door to reveal several injured Changelings lying in hospital beds. Deciding to talk to one of them and get some information, he trotted to the nearest one he could see. "Er... hello?" he said cautiously.
"Oh, hi," responded the Changeling, its voice identifying it as a female. "You're Sam, aren't you? I saw you earlier when we got back."
"Yeah, that's me," Sam smiled. "Anyway, how are you holding up?"
"The doctors and nurses magic has certainly helped physically," the Changeling lowered her head. "But the mental scars cannot heal as fast..."
"I'm.. I'm sorry," Sam stated nervously. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"It's all right, my friend," the Changeling replied. "But can I ask... what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be meeting the Queen?"
"Yes, I did," Sam said. "But I decided to come down here and check on everypony, and maybe even ask a few questions... if you feel up to it, that is?"
"The mental damage has already been done," the Changeling sighed. "So I guess I can. Please, ask away."
"Well, I first wanted to ask about this machine and what it does," Sam stated. "Perhaps I could find some way to stop it..."
"Hmm, It might not be as easy as it may seem, as I highly doubt any of us got a good look at it," the Changeling said despairingly. "From what I believe, this machine has some sort of radius detection. So if anything were to enter this radius, it would automatically alert the townsponies somehow. I'm sorry, but that's all I know."
"Every piece of information is helpful, thank you," Sam smiled. "I also wanted to ask you... what was the condition of Ponyville when you got there?"
"Excuse me?" the Changeling responded, confused. "That seems like an odd question to be asking."
"It's... sort of a personal thing," Sam quickly mentioned. Please don't catch on...
"Oh.. okay," the Changeling stated. "The town itself was pretty much normal. They were building a few more houses, doing some renovating, buying and selling at their market, playing in the sun and doing everything else you'd expect to find in a town such as Ponyville."
"Um, right," Sam said. "Thanks for your help." He turned around and started to walk away.
"Wait, was that all?" The Changeling was clearly confused and didn't quite know what to do.
"Er.., well," Sam paused for a moment. "Yeah, it is. Why do you ask?"
"When you came in you informed me that you wanted to ask a few questions," the Changeling replied. "Two small questions like those makes it seem like it might not have been worth talking to me."
"I don't intend to hurt anypony here," Sam said. "You've already been physically and mentally scarred, so to increase the damage wouldn't be very effective from my side, not to mention unfair on you."
"Are you sure you're alright?" the Changeling asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "You seem tense and stressed."
"Um, yes? I... I have to go now, thank you for your help!" Sam quickly stated before running out.
"Goodbye my friend!" the Changeling shouted after his retreating form. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you more!" Why he was running, the Changeling didn't know. Then again... maybe I don't want to know.
As for Sam, he just wanted to get out of there as quickly as he could. Thoughts rushed through his mind as he tore along the corridors: Ponyville, his 'friends', his family, this unforeseen attack — things were whizzing by too fast to understand, but he had an idea. An idea that perhaps could save the Changelings from extinction.
Sam ran back to the meeting room to talk to Chrysalis, as he needed her opinion on his idea. He ran through the castle and skidded to a halt outside her room. After a small knock on the door he walked into the darkness. "Chrissy? Are you here?" he asked.
"I'm over here, dear," Chrysalis replied, though only her eyes were visible.
"I have an idea, but it's incredibly risky," Sam said. "Can I turn a light on, please?"
"You do?" Chrysalis questioned as Sam turned the lights on, her face showing an expression of immediate joy to Sam's potential idea. "Have a seat and explain it to me please."
"Well..." Sam started as he sat down. "If this machine only detects Changelings, then what's to stop a non-Changeling from sabotaging it?"
Chrysalis' expression changed immediately to one of worry. "Are you suggesting what I believe you're suggesting?" she asked quietly. For a brief moment after these words left her lips, Sam thought he was able to read Chrysalis' mind. Is he sacrificing himself? She asked internally.
"I think so," Sam shrugged. "As a Changeling you or anypony else here would be unable to act. However, I'm not a Changeling, so I could potentially sabotage the machine."
"I... I thought so..." Chrysalis' face dropped and she appeared to be on the verge of crying.
"I know this sounds like a tough choice, but I am willing to do it," Sam said sternly. "For the Kingdom, for the Changelings, and most importantly — for us."
"I... I can't let you do that," Chrysalis said softly. "While I applaud your determination and loyalty, I do not want to lose you. These last few years between us have been special. I've experienced feelings I never thought possible, I've done things that nopony here would have believed. I love you and I can't risk losing you!" She started to cry. "I've always seen love as a delicacy, a meal fit for the gods, despite the fact it is part of a Changeling's basic diet. And now that I am experiencing it for myself, I feel as if I can no longer let it go. So please, I'm begging you, don't do this!"
"And I'm begging you to at least let me try," Sam replied. "I understand your pain and I thank you for your remarks, but I don't see any other choice just now. It's for us and for the good of the kingdom! I don't wish to see you suffer the pain of losing your royal status, I just want you to be happy."
"I'd rather be a peasant," Chrysalis spat. "A mere insignificant speck of dirt. I'd be anything - no matter how degrading or disgusting it is - as long as I had you."
"I feel this is something I can do, but I just need you to believe in me. I'm willing to do this for us and right now, it's our only chance!"
Chrysalis didn't know what to do or say. She was frightened for two reasons: her first being she didn't want to lose Sam. To have finally discovered the power of love she never wanted to lose it, yet she knew she had to trust him. For having a relationship where one doesn't trust the other is a dangerous path to walk.
Her second reason was her royal status. She had mentioned to Sam that when the Changelings had been overthrown from their previous home, they were broken. They needed a fearless leader to help them rise up and return to normality — they needed her.
This was a difficult choice for Chrysalis to make. While Sam was a stallion who could do whatever he wanted, she knew that he wouldn't go if it affected her too much. But she decided to make her choice.
I only hope this is the right choice... she thought. "Alright, Sam, if you have faith that you will succeed, then I will not oppose your decision to carry out this plan. However, I would appreciate it if you shared the details."
Sam nodded and began explaining his plan to her. As he talked she slowly started to feel easy again, the stress of the kingdom and the sudden exposure to a potentially life-threatening idea having taken its toll on her. But, deep down, she knew that he was willing to do this for the bond of love between them.
He was a noble spirit offering a sacrifice to secure their happiness.
As the sun set and darkness fell, all was quiet and peaceful throughout Equestria. Everywhere, that is, except for within the Changeling Kingdom...
"I'm afraid that's all we can assist you with," one of the grievously injured Changelings said. "I'm sorry we could not be of better use."
"It's alright, my friend," Sam stated. "With the information you have provided me I should be able to sneak in with as little resistance as possible."
Sam was talking with the other Changelings in the hospital about this unknown machine that a pony, whom the Changelings knew as 'Twilight Sparkle', had created. This machine somehow had the ability to detect Changelings in their disguises and alert all nearby ponies to their presence, and thus was causing issues with their feeding routine.
"I should go," Sam said nervously. "You guys need to rest and recover... and, if it's any consolation, I'm sorry about your friend."
"He was a good stallion," a female Changeling replied. "But if he knew what was going on just now, I'm sure he'd know that his death wasn't in vain. Please, make us proud." She finished, violently coughing up blood and other unknown internal bits and bobs.
"I shall try." Sam said determinedly, confident in his mission. The plans he had in place were perfect and would cause as little trouble as possible — however he wasn't worried for himself or the Changelings.
He was worried for Chrysalis.
Chrysalis didn't want Sam to risk his life sabotaging the machine, but she knew that if it continued to operate and Twilight was able to create more, or expand its effective radius, then all of the Changelings would die before the years end. And if Sam succeeded in his mission but was killed in action, then she would lose all hope and surrender herself to the evil within.
"Goodbye! Good Luck!" shouted a Changeling before he stopped moving. Unsure whether sleep deprivation had gotten to him or if he had died, Sam called a nurse over and then left the building.
Knowing what hardships lay ahead of him, he decided to plan what he was going to say to Chrysalis. Many words, quotes and phrases came to mind, but one word kept recurring... Goodbye. Sam had to speak to Chrysalis as this goodbye could be the last thing he ever said to her.
Deciding that he has to say this one small word to her, Sam started trekking towards the castle.
***
Sam walked up to the War Room in hopes that Chrysalis was there, however she wasn't in or around that area. Deciding that asking a guard might provide more assistance, Sam walked up to a pair.
"Excuse me," he asked. "Have you seen Chrysalis recently?"
Noticing Sam's presence the guards immediately reacted to his question with a tone of leadership. "Yes, sir!" one guard replied, firing off a snappy salute. "She's currently residing in her private quarters."
"Sir?" Sam responded. "Oh, it's okay, you don't need to call me that." While he liked being referred to as a higher ranking officer, he didn't want it to become a thing that everypony would do.
"My apologies, Sir," the other guard replied. "But we are under orders by the Queen to call you that."
"Oh," Sam said, beginning to back away slowly. "Okay then, thanks very much for the information, but I should be going."
"Yes, sir!" both guards shouted in unison.
Should have known she'd be there, Sam thought. There's not many other places she could be at this hour. He made his way up the stairs and through the corridors towards his destination, at which he arrived after a few minutes. Best make this quick, night doesn't last forever.
With a small knock on the door and a short "Hello?" Sam walked into the room and found Chrysalis fast asleep. "Aww, she's cute when she sleeps too," Sam whispered quietly. He walked over to sit next to her on the bed and held her hoof. "I promise, Chrissy, everything will be okay. I love you." Sam kissed Chrissy's forehead and started to move away but was interrupted when Chrysalis' hold on her on the forehead, just as Chrysalis' grip on his hoof tightened.
"I wish you didn't have to go," Chrysalis responded, slowly opening her eyes and sitting up.
"I'm sorry," Sam replied. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's okay, I was merely resting..." Chrysalis trailed off. "Please, Sam, promise me you'll leave if there's any signs of trouble. I don't want to lose you..." she pleaded.
"I promise, I will not take any risks." Sam stated.
"Thank you," Chrysalis mumbed, drawing closer to him. "I love you, Sammy."
"I love you too, Chrissy." Sam said while drawing closer to her.
After the two shared a kiss for what felt to each of them like an eternity, Sam pulled away and grabbed his backpack before leaving the room — leaving behind a very worried Chrysalis.
***
As Sam made his way through the forest and reached Ponyville, he noticed that security had been tightened. He slowly sneaked past the guards at the entrance, hiding behind a building to allow him to pull out a map given to him by Chrysalis. With the extra assistance from the injured changelings whom he had recently spoken to, he was eventually able to figure out a way to Twilight Sparkle's house.
"So that's where the bitch lives," he said to himself. "Time to destroy that machine and get out of here."
As Sam peered through the windows he saw a young dragon sleeping in a basket and a purple unicorn heading up the stairs. Before he had a chance to open the window, he heard a branch breaking behind him. Fearing for his life, he ducked immediately and rolled over — only to find that there was no-one there. Sam looked around nervously one last time before working his magic on the window. With a small click he unlocks it and sneaks in.
"No... Fuck your books, Twilight..." muttered the dragon in his sleep.
Weirdo... Sam thought. Anyway, where are the notes on the machine? They've gotta be around here somewhere!
Sam snuck around searching for some clues to this machine. He searched most of the bookcases, the floor, the tables and even near the dragons bed. Eventually he realised that they must be upstairs, as there were no visible stairs which led to any lower area. He headed upstairs and saw a door with light visible from underneath. Unsure whether or not the notes would be there, Sam decided to tread carefully.
"Mmm, that feels sooo good," said a stuttering voice from behind the door. The voice belonged to Twilight, and she was doing something that Sam really didn't want to hear.
Is she... by Celestia, What the fuck is with the ponies in this town?! Sam immediately thought. While attempting to divert his attention from Twilight's own adventure, he spotted some papers lying on the floor. They were in a pile placed near some sort of Chemistry set and Sam immediately assumed that they are notes for the machine.
Aha! Sam grinned triumphantly. That must be them! But... how do I get them? He peered under the bedroom door to see that Twilight had decided to change position and was no longer facing towards the door. That was lucky... perhaps a little bit of magic might move it over slowly? Sam nodded to himself, deciding that this was the best course of action, and used a levitation spell to lift the papers from the floor very subtly and quietly. He shimmied them towards the base of the door, making sure to check on Twilight — not that he wanted to, given what she was doing.
"Ohh, my! That's not what I was expecting, Spike, you naughty dragon!" Twilight muttered as she continued to work her own magic.
Dragon? Wait, that little thing downstairs? Fuck me, she's odd! Sam shook his head and continued to use his magic, eventually managing to slide the pages out from under the door. Wondering if they were in any way related to the machine, he decided to give them a quick read — and the first page was a letter to the Princess.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I have made preparations to expand on our latest idea. The "Changeling Detection Machine", or CDM for short, will automatically detect any Changeling in the nearby area. Not only that, it will also alert anypony nearby as well to the Changeling's presence.
While my idea is genius, it does have one major flaw. The CDM itself requires a lot of power, which some villages struggle to provide. Should the CDM overheat, then it will spontaneously combust. I'm working on a way to fix this now, but I don't want to destroy my only prototype.
I shall write to you again when the issue has been resolved.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.
Overheating, eh? Seems logical enough. Now, time to deal with it and get out of here. Sam thought as he started making his way out of the house. But then, to his dismay, he noticed Spike walking simply the stairs — and without thinking Sam made a move for the nearest wall and tried to blend in. He knew it was a stupid idea, but he felt it was better than just standing there.
Spike - oblivious to the pony on his fore-legs standing against the wall - simply walked past him and barged into Twilight's room.
"Twilight, you left the win— What the fuck, Twi?!" shouted a bewildered Spike.
"Spike?! What are... You should have knocked first!" Twilight screamed in response.
Sam took this opportunity to slide away unnoticed. While he would have given anything to see the look on Twilight's face as Spike walked in, he knew that he had a more important job at hoof — he had to destroy the CDM.
Sam followed the map he was given by Chrysalis and found the Town Centre. While he had lived here for so long, everything felt new to him. After leaving Ponyville and moving into the Changeling Kingdom he had left behind everything he knew and given up on this town.
And, by extension, he had given up on Equestria.
This is the area, he thought. But where does it draw the power from?
As Sam looked through the other bits of paper that he had stolen from Twilight, he heard a sound behind him. This time he chose not to move and simply pretended that he didn't hear it. Perhaps my mind is playing tricks on me? I'm not used to being under this much pressure.
Sam eventually found a piece of paper with drawings and small amounts of writing on it. Following what appeared to be diagrams, he opened up a small ventilation shaft and started to dismantle the machine. But deep down he knew that this wasn't enough, for if the machine was merely dismantled then Twilight could fix it and continue from where she left off.
He knew that he had to blow it up.
After removing the cooling jets from the machine, Sam decided to dig deeper in order to find some sort of power core that could power the entire machine. After following the diagram some more he eventually found a small crystal connected to the cooling systems. Taking an extremely dangerous risk, Sam yanked the crystal out — which started the overheating process.
Done, he thought, a smug grin appearing on his face. Now it's time to leave before it implodes.
He replaced the ventilation shaft, tucked the crystal into his backpack and started to leave when a mysterious figure in the shadows stopped him.
"Don't move," demanded a voice. "Or I'll kill you right now!" demanded the voice.
"If you plan to kill me," Sam yelled back, standing his ground, "then at least show your face, you coward!"
"Very well," the voice relented. "You deserve to know."
A pony emerged from the shadows — and it was somepony Sam already knew.
It was Twilight Sparkle.
"Care to explain what you are doing to my machine?" she snarled. "Do you not know that it protects Ponyville?!"
"I am aware, because I've read your notes," Sam replied. "And I can't let you continue. You will not prevent me from reaching my goal." He was prepared to fight, despite his promise to Chrysalis.
"Your goal is to sabotage the safety of Ponyville? Of Equestria? This machine marks the era of defence! And once I remove it's only flaw, it'll be unstoppable — and every Changeling will die... the pathetic disgusting creatures that they are." Twilight laughed maniacally.
"This machine will be destroyed," Sam stated firmly. "And you will not stop me."
"Then prepare to draw your final breath, you pathetic cretin," Twilight shouted. "For the ground you stand on shall be your tomb!" She charged her horn, firing a beam of intense magical energy from it.
As Twilight attacked, time felt as though time itself was slowing. Seconds became minutes, which then became years. His life was flashing before his eyes and his only instinct was to close them.
Everything was quiet and dark. Perhaps this is death, the end for our hero. He regretted not living his life to the fullest, not enjoying every second of every minute of every day. He missed Chrysalis and the Kingdom. And even though his life was horrible at first, he had finally found true love and he wasn't able to share any more time with her.
This is the end...
"Get... You... Die!..."
With almost no strength left in his body, Sam was unable to determine what was going on around him. He used the last of it to open his right eye slightly and see what was going on.
"I'll... Little bitch!"
His hearing was impaired from the blow he received, and he felt tired — as if he could go for a very long nap.
"Why do... you traitor!"
His vision was blurry, and he couldn't fully see what was going on in front of him, but what he saw shocked him.
Another pony had knocked Twilight to the ground and started attacking her relentlessly.
"You will... treachery... life!" With his hearing impaired, Sam was only able to make out parts of what Twilight was saying.
With a sharp blow to the head, she went quiet. The mysterious pony quickly checked Twilight's pulse and nodded, before they walked over to the machine and placed a hoof on it, immediately taking it off and slowly backing away.
As Sam's strength started to fade, he was reduced to mere blinks. And with each blink the mysterious pony got closer and closer. Whoever it was, they didn't want to be recognised — as they wore a skin-tight black suit with a small cut in the side.
As the pony checked Sam's pulse and placed the crystal he stole back into his backpack, Sam blacked out.
Perhaps this is it... Sam pondered. He couldn't breathe, move or speak. Whatever spell Twilight had used on him was strong, and might have even done the job of killing him. A million thoughts passed through his mind: he thought of his mission, he thought of the Changelings — and he thought of Chrysalis.
Was I successful? Was the machine destroyed? Did I go out like a hero, in a blaze of glory? Sam was unable to answer these questions. All he wanted right now was to be with Chrysalis.
"Thank you, Sam," a voice said. "I owe you a great deal of gratitude."
It was Chrysalis' voice, and Sam thought it was beautiful. It's a shame I'm never going to be able to hear it again.
"Are you sure you don't want me to know?" Chrysalis spoke again. "I do not wish to share your identity with anyone else, but he deserves to know."
Sam was unsure what was going on. How am I hearing Chrissy's voice?
"I have no issue with your kind," another voice, unknown to Sam, replied. "In fact, you have helped me with an issue that I have been unable to resolve for a few years now. So it's the least I can do." Although unable to identify the owner of the voice, Sam knew it belonged to a mare.
Am I dead? Did Twilight botch the spell? Or did the pony who saved me stop her in the nick of time?
***
"Ugh..." Sam mumbled. "Where... where am I?"
"He's awake!" Chrysalis' squealed gleefully. "Oh, thank me for that!"
"What... what happened?" Sam asked, wincing from a sharp pain.
"Rest for now, my precious," Chrysalis soothed, holding his hoof. "We can talk when you're feeling better."
"Is she still here?" Sam pondered.
"Do you mean me?" the unknown mare replied.
"Yes," Sam started, violently coughing up blood. "I just wanted to ask... why did you save me?"
"While the Changelings may have weird feeding rituals, they have assisted me in things I have been otherwise unable to do," the voice stated. "Er... no offence intended, Chrysalis."
"Thank you... I owe you my life." Sam found himself unable to say anymore. His body was slowly surrendering to sleep and his mind was considering surrendering as well. He increased his grip on Chrysalis' hoof and decided to give up.
"No," Chrysalis corrected. "We owe you."
Sam felt his grip release as he succumbed to the power of Sleep.
His mission was complete and he was alive, albeit barely, and he had just secured some more time with Chrysalis. Apart from being grievously wounded, he felt that things were finally going his way.
But how long would this feeling last? If the mysterious pony only knocked Twilight out, how long would it be before she managed to fix the machine, if it even still existed?
Time is a force you don't want to meddle with, and Sam was walking a fine line...
