The Black Heart · 9:11pm March 26th
This blog post will act as a development diary for the story of 'The Black Heart'.
If you haven't read the story first, I suggest doing so before continuing, since this entry will be full of spoilers.
I don't know exactly when the idea for the story of 'The Black Heart' was fertilized, whether before my entry into FIMFiction or after. But I do remember how it started.
This occurred in the middle of a discussion in which my argumentative position was that the reforming metamorphosis of the Changelings was an unnecessary argument on the part of the cartoon, from a narrative point of view; Thorax himself was reliable proof of this. For a few episodes he was able to live controlling his hunger by feeding on the positive emotions of those around him.
It was at that point that it occurred to me to create a story based on this premise, with Chrysalis as the protagonist.
In the spirit of MLP:FIM, My goal and intention would be to tell a story in which the objective would be to 'reform' Chrysalis, without altering her personality or making her go through the Changeling metamorphosis, through interesting and meaningful interactions with multiple members of the cast of MLP:FIM. Criticize some aspects of the cartoon and its fan base and fill some of the plot holes that exist around the Changelings and Chrysalis.
One of the difficulties I wanted to face in presenting this story is the fact that what the cartoon gave us to work with would make the task of reforming Chrysalis impossible; As a character introduced as a villain, the Queen of the Changelings has few redeemable characteristics, and her actions lacked logic; she came to be described by someone who was hired to write it as: "Chrysalis is beyond villain- she's a monster." Consequently, I realized that to reform Chrysalis without altering her persona, I would have to come up with new elements that would not only expand Chrysalis' image, but would also function as a reason and give logic to her actions.
With that goal and objective set, I next move on to conceptualizing the interactions with the mane six.
In quick shots, I came up with succinct ideas of how these interactions would occur.
With Twilight: discuss respect for identity over a chess match.
With Fluttershy: helping the shy pegasus take care of her animals.
With Rainbow Dash: Have the Queen have a race against the speedster.
With Rarity: serve as a model for the design of a dress.
With Applejack: Have the Queen spend a day working in the apple orchard.
With Pinkie: a reformation party for Chrysalis.
I will note that the order in which they ended was not the order in which they were conceived, but once these ideas gained cohesion, I began to come up with justifications for the order of participation and subsequently expand them.
Once these six ideas were carved in stone, I realized that Pinkie's party would be relatively small (if not miserable) and that if I limited myself to having Chrysalis interact with just the mane six, I would not be able to present all the sufficient and necessary elements to justify the reform of Chrysalis. It was then that I realized that Pinkie's party would need 'more guests'.
Princesses Celestia and Luna were obvious choices, as were Thorax and Pharynx, and Starlight Glimmer was a must have. Spike's involvement was something that occurred to me until the end (of this stage of development) and almost didn't make the cut, but the stars aligned and inspiration struck, allowing the baby dragon to join the co-stars of this story.
The ideas for these interactions were as follows:
With Celestia: At a tea party, Chrysalis explains to Celestía the history of the Changelings, why they chose not to come to light sooner and the how and why of the invasion.
With Luna: Luna appears with Chrysalis in her dreams, saving her from a nightmare. Luna explains the nature of dreams, the elements of harmony and finally about the difficulties of saying "no more!" to negative feelings and how difficult it is to take the right path.
With Thorax and Pharynx: Chrysalis is invited to her old hive and, expecting one thing, she receives with depressing disbelief how well things are going with the reformed Changelings. Her ending it with a hooffight with Pharynx.
With Starlight: a pleasant conversation in the middle of a kite flight between a reformed villain who tells her that she understands her to a villain in the process of reform.
With Spike: Spike overhears Chrysalis giving an evil monologue, so the dragon runs to Twilight. In the end it is revealed that Chrysalis was talking to the Changelogs.
The beginning and the end of this story were in fact the last elements I conceptualized. This can be seen reflected in the length of the first three chapters and how it seems that the plot moves at high speed in them.
In order to kick off Chrysalis's interactions with the established characters, I needed to create a plot that would put Chrysalis in direct contact with at least Twilight, but at the same time bring her back again for the finale, and serve as the definitive proof that Chrysalis, of her own free will, has turned a new leaf, left her villainy behind and accepted the magic of friendship, without it seeming that it was hammer it into her.
And that's how the idea of a Macguffin was born, an object that was the personification of everything Chrysalis wants and desires as a villain, and how, by the end of this story, Chrysalis has to separate herself from it to achieve true reformation (and that this was by his own decision).
The concept of a mysterious island that appears out of nowhere is a reference to my other stories, but Saint Ashtray's name and the hexagonal black gem on his turban are references to a character of the same name who belongs to the writings of a friend. The name 'The Black Heart' for the titular gem of this story is 100% my own.
There's not much to say about the first three chapters.
My goal with the first chapter was to set the stage and present the plot of the story, and in that respect, I think I did a good job.
My goal with the second chapter was to establish some narrative concepts, Chrysalis' night vision, the resins that the Changelings can produce, more than anything to plant the seeds that Chrysalis is hiding something, introduce the rest of the cast, explain why they were not with Twilight and small details about the attitude they will have in the future.
The objective of the third chapter was to introduce the reader to some of the 'rules of the game', and to expand a little more on the attitude that the mane six (and Spike) would demonstrate in their respective chapters.
Twilight was meant to be the first to interact with Chrysalis, because she is who I believe is the one who should approach Chrysalis and make the offer of peace and friendship.
As I already said, the idea was that her interaction was limited to that, in the middle of a chess match, the conflict would be that Chrysalis is reluctant to part with the title of Queen from her, explaining to Twilight why she is so attached to it. But then I realized that, now that the story was coming together, I couldn't start the chapter directly in the middle of the game; I needed to present a correct transition to this. It was there that the awakening and breakfast scene was born, which served me wonderfully both to joke about the lack of guards in Friendship Castle, to excuse the absence of Spike and Starlight for this chapter, to allow Chrysalis to explain how the Changeling hunger works and even absorb the discussion about Chrysalis's attachment to the title of Queen, as I realized that there was no way this discussion could realistically occur until the chess game scene.
One other thing I had to consider is that I had to come up with a way for Twilight and the rest of the members to feed Chrysalis with love throughout the story; I already had more or less an idea of how I was going to do this, but doing some research to strengthen my understanding, I came across an article about the multiple types of loves that exist, and since then I had a shortcut in my browser to that article that turned out to be a godsend for me, allowing me to name the types of loves that the ponies could/would offer Chrysalis to feed on. Twilight with the Stoge and Mania she has for her books, allowing me to transition to the library scene and subsequently to the chess game, with a little more foreshadowing with the title of the book Chrysalis had written.
The purpose of the chess game changed to have new purposes, to expose some changeling social aspects and how Chrysalis was molded around them, and also to symbolize the fall of Chrysalis and foreshadow a little more of what is to come in future chapters.
The final scene was always intended to be a letter from Twilight to Celestia, but with the evolutionary changes that the chapter received throughout its development, this letter and its purpose were also modified. From being a letter of "Today I learned about the importance of respecting the identity of individuals" to something much more substantial and that in turn served as a way to present an excuse to prevent Chrysalis from having the same discussion about her title as Queen with all the other members of the cast.
Here I will mention that up until this point I had the idea that each chapter of this story would be between 1000 and 2000 words, so it was a pleasant and interesting surprise to see that with this first chapter of interaction it had reached the unexpected amount over 4000 words.
My goal with this chapter was to lay the foundation for certain future elements and tie in others. Example of the first, present how Chrysalis feeds on emotions, the concept that she is an ancient creature, that at this point she is not in her best mental state, continue expanding on the Changeling resins, inform the reader that Twilight and Celestia will be in contact and communicating about the island and their intentions to find 'The Black Heart', and arrange things so that the discussion about the title of Queen of Chrysalis does not happen with each new member of the cast.
The chapter with Fluttershy was, believe it or not, both one of the most difficult to write, and one of the most significant. The first thing was because I realized that what I had written in the outline would no longer be enough and it was necessary to come up with more material to present, especially for the end of the chapter, which I had not fully planned. The second, because it is in this chapter where many concepts are born that became significant and recurring throughout the story, meaning: the transition from one chapter to the next, with the character from the previous chapter taking Chrysalis to her meeting with her co-starring character for this chapter; Also the recurring joke where through the narrator we see Chrysalis' thoughts and opinions regarding pony architecture.
It is also here where I began to drop multiple jokes and references, both to small details of the cartoon, to make this writing more believable and relatable, and to other cartoons and literary works, both classic and other fanfics that I have read in fimfiction.
The reason why Fluttershy is the second character to spend time with Chrysalis is because I think Twilight would plan it that way, under the pretext of beginning Chrysalis's reformation with someone who wouldn't upset or challenge Chrysalis's patience and could easily show the Queen Changeling the basic concepts of a calm and peaceful life. Something similar to the tutorial level in video games.
Honestly, within the story, I don't know how the order of who got to spend time with Chrysalis could have been given; Twilight probably talked to the girls about this, with Pinkie Pie demanding for obvious reasons that she be the last to meet Chrysalis.
As to why I write Discord off... I'm going to be honest. I find that writing a character like him is something I don't want to deal with, and I just didn't want his presence hanging over my story, ready to derail it; and that's why I wrote it out of my story.
The scene of Chrysalis helping Fluttershy with her animals has its foreshadowing, which resonates more strongly in the Applejack and Celestia chapter, speaking particularly of how Chrysalis reacts to the chickens' fear.
As I said, I originally had no idea how to expand this chapter beyond the scene of Chrysalis helping Fluttershy with her animals and how to transition to the last scene, where Fluttershy will give the lesson speech to the Changeling Queen. But then I realized that I had unintentionally been writing Chrysalis as a predator, a wild animal, and that by nature it cannot befriend its prey, and then I remembered that Harry the Bear would be a great way to challenge that perception of Chrysalis (apart from the fact that the meeting with Harry would work wonderfully to transition to the final scene of this story) and for the first time made her feel that she was wrong and that maybe if it were possible for a predator and prey to live in harmony.
The scene with Harry could be considered an evolution of a scene where one of the animals that appeared in Fluttershy's backyard was a vulture, and it turned out that Chrysalis knew it, mentioning that the two of them had shared a meal in the past. ; but I decided not to continue with this idea, considering that it did not contribute anything useful to advance the story.
My goal with this chapter more than anything was to present the concept that Chrysalis has certain beliefs and experiences with ponies, which have shaped her way of thinking and, through her encounter with Fluttershy and to make her doubt those notions. And get Discord out of my story.
The Rainbow Dash chapter was a fairly easy one to write, since with this one I actually had it planned from beginning to end.
Why Rainbow was third to deal with Chrysalis is because, out of necessity and convenience, it had to happen before Applejack, which meant that the third place was in competition with Rarity, but I concluded that Fluttershy would probably choose to take Chrysalis to Rainbow Dash over Rarity.
If there is something to say about the development of this chapter that I have not mentioned in the author's notes, it is that Chrysalis' thoughts, at the beginning of the story, about Rainbow Dash's attitude and pegasus in general, foreshadow the end of the story, when she tells her experience with the Wonderbotls.
I always knew I wanted the race scene at the Pegasusdrome, but it wasn't until I read about "The Beaufort Scale" that I knew exactly how to present it. With this one here there are already two occasions in which doing research helped me greatly with the development of this story.
Except for the cutie mark, Fast Flame's costume is the one Chrysalis took on in the episode 'The summer sun setback', nicknamed by the community as 'Vanguard Cover'.
My goal with this chapter was to further expand what was presented in the previous chapters, this time directly, confirming to the reader that Chrysalis is an ancient creature, and explaining what could have led Chrysalis to have such a negative opinion of the ponies, making mention of his not-so-pleasant experience with the Wonderbolts of the past. Also establish the background of what becomes the plot of the bet between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Slightly establish that Chrysalis can feed on lust.
Why Rarity followed Rainbow Dash is because I had already planned for this to be another good experience for Chrysalis, and Chrysalis' emotional downfall would begin with the end of Applejack's chapter, therefore, the meeting with Rarity had to happen before Applejack's.
Doing a little research for this chapter, I discovered that a 3D map of Rarity's house exists online: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/carousel-boutique-interior-af8a74b0b0c94790aad4c5cc55761480
I didn't get much out of this, but it was an interesting discovery.
As with the previous chapter, there is not much to say about the development of this one; As I said in the author notes of that chapter: I was able to present everything I wanted to present in the best way I could.
I tried to come up with a dress for Chrysalis, but I just don't have the fashion flair, so I ended up using the design of senwyn1: https://www.deviantart.com/senwyn1/art/Queen-Chrysalis-Gala-Dress-336781097
I'm a little surprised that no one mentioned to me that they suspected that the dress Rarity was working on was going to be one made specifically for Chrysalis, I really think I gave enough direct hints for everyone to come to that conclusion.
Originally the restaurant scene was going to take place after the Spa scene, but then I realized that it made more sense to end the story in the Spa than in the restaurant, plus I also realized that going out to feed the Chrysalis to a restaurant would be a perfect excuse to transition from the Carousel Boutique to the outside.
The scene in the restaurant originally lacked mention of Pandion and the carnivorous food available and how this, incredible and unexpected by Chrysalis, was thanks to Twilight. Also, the script for the couple's scene was going to be that Rarity is the one who would gossip about the couple to Chrysalis and Chrysalis would reveal to Rarity that one of them doesn't love the other, instead of Chrysalis bursting out laughing and causing the scene that ended up happening in that chapter.
My goal with this chapter was to further challenge Chrysalis's preconceived notions about pony society, to establish that these notions are ancient and therefore obsolete in the modern world. Expand a little more the background of what becomes the plot of the bet between Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Also sowing the seeds of the argument that Changelings don't like the cold. Directly tie/clarify that Chrysalis can feed on lust, represented as the Love known as Eros.
For the first half of the chapter with Applejack, there is nothing to say about its development, it went perfectly in every detail.
One of the things I wanted to do with this chapter was to confront Applejack's infamous tribalism of not allowing the use of magic to harvest her apples, give it some backstory and a reasonable and sensible explanation, and in that aspect I think I did it pretty well. And a nice bonus here was taking the opportunity to plant the seeds of Chrysalis' disdain for the ponies' tribalistic behavior.
But it's in the second half where things change dramatically. In the original sketch, I have written that Applejack invited Chrysalis to her house, but there was no participation from the rest of the family, therefore there was no scene of Chrysalis in the living room being spied on by Apple Bloom while she was checking the photo album, There was no dining room scene; heck, the market scene didn't even exist!!!
In the outline I have written that Applejack and Chrysalis begin to talk apparently out of nowhere about family, and in that aspect yes, it was planned to bring up Applejack's parents and use the comics story for the origin of Chrysalis and the Changelings; As I revealed in the author notes of that chapter, I just love that origin.
But what happened next is that Chrysalis reveals that she was born as an adult, without parents but with the responsibility of being one for her Changelings, she then start to feel pity coming from Applejack, and not liking being pitied, Chrysalis leaves the house, only for seconds later to occur the final scene that did end up appearing almost word for word in the published chapter.
The Apple Blossom joke is two-tiered, the obvious being that Chrysalis didn't bother to hear Applejack's younger sister's name correctly, and two, a reference to the fact that in some promotional materials, Apple Bloom is referred to as Apple. Blossom.
The dining room scene, when Granny talks to Big Mac, serves to make it clear that the Apple family has an axe, a tool that was extremely relevant for a future chapter.
The market scene is, without a doubt, the largest and most important added material that was not part of the original outline because of everything it allowed me to present and explain: how I think changeling senses work, establishing the concept of Changelings fighting with the Maulwurf, a fact that would be important for the next chapter, to present the concept that hatred towards changelings is not innate in ponies, that even though this is a story of reformation, there will be those who will never be able to forgive Chrysalis for the crimes she committed, establishing the concept of molt in changelings, presenting Chrysalis as sensitive to being called 'Monster', a better reason to be able to transition to the final scene, etc. AND THE MOST SURPRISING THING ABOUT THIS? This was the last scene I wrote for this chapter.
I was having trouble trying to come up with a coherent way to transition from the dining room scene to the final scene, but nothing occurred to me for a long time, to the point that instead of stopping, I jumped into writing the final scene, as it ended up appearing in the published chapter, only needing minor edits to properly link it to the events that occurred in the market scene, once it occurred to me.
If you asked me, I don't think I'd be able to decide which of the chapters is my favorite of all, but based on the market scene alone, the Applejack chapter would be a very strong contender for that title.
An argument that I wanted to present but in the end I could not integrate was the one in which I intended to explain why Applejack reacted so emotionally when Chrysalis referred to her as 'Jack', where I would reveal that this was due to the fact that the only ponies who referred to Applejack that way were her parents and no one else. In the end it remained a mystery that did not got an obvious answer.
My goal with this chapter was to establish more pieces about Chrysalis's past, to challenge more of her preconceived notions, while simultaneously establishing that these did not come out of nowhere, to foreshadow even more about Chrysalis's past, specifically her as the ruler of the changelings, and their relationship with the ponies. Make it clear that, even though this is a story of reformation, Chrysalis' villainous actions will not be easily forgotten or forgiven by everyone. And finally, reveal the bet between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, explaining the Pegasus's attitude in the previous two chapters, even if it doesn't make sense at the moment.
The chapter dedicated to the Return to the Hive was equally the easiest and the most difficult to write, due to how little the cartoon explores Changeling culture.
So, on the one hand, I had the freedom to write what I wanted, on the other, I had no basis on which to write what I wanted. So I had to think hard about what elements would comprise a society like that of the reformed Changelings and that this was in turn a social evolution to the way of life that the Changelings had prior to the reform.
In order to respond to this challenge, I investigate how, throughout history, society tends to change after a revolution or a significant social change. I chose not to go into too much detail, but I think I did a good job of expressing what Changeling society would be like after Chrysalis' reign during the early years of Thorax's reign, with an emphasis that the arts that existed during Chrysalis' rule still exist in Thorax's government, just more energetic and expressive now that they no longer have to be bellicose and are no longer starving.
The scene in the theater, with the musical, was grafted into the story the moment I first heard the song "Our love is the most beautiful in the world," sung by Estela Núñez. The moment I heard it I knew for a fact that something like that would be something the Changelings would sing.
My goal with this chapter was to present Chrysalis in a better light, as the best leader she could be for her Changelings. Also present a generational conflict, where the old generations of Changelings remember all the problems they faced as a species and how it was Chrysalis who pushed them to move forward, while the new generations of Changelings only knew the decadent state of the hive without being aware that this is the best possible state they could have given their circumstances, not because of Chrysalis but thanks to her, also presenting the idea that the Changelings did not betray Chrysalis, they simply saw an opportunity to a better future and they took it, hoping that Chrysalis would make this decision with them. Continue to develop the argument that Changelings don't like the cold. Establish a bit of continuity with what will be seen in Chrysalis's interactions with Spike and with Starlight in their respective episodes. And also establish why Pinkie will be the last to interact with Chrysalis.
Originally the Spike chapter was going to be like an OVA, a chapter that takes place out of continuity, while at the same time it could be considered canon. But immediately upon finishing writing the previous chapter, the pieces simply fell together in such a way that they allowed me to graft it into the story as a true chapter.
And continuing with that same premise, I originally envisioned the episode with Spike as a joke episode, and to a certain extent it still is. If one analyzes it deeply, all the elements of this chapter work to lead to the great punch line of 'Ha, ha, ha! Chrysalis is crazy and talks to inanimate objects.' While at the same time it is a great and emotional story that at the same time seeks to establish, continue and conclude multiple narrative elements that have been presented throughout this story.
Beyond that, there isn't much to say, this chapter was quite faithful to its original concept.
The first scene, which served to excuse Spike's paranoid and fearful behavior, is just a reference to Stephen King's "The Shining" novel, the Friday the 13th film series, and the old horror comics that were so prevalent during the golden age of comics.
It is in this story where the argument raised in Applejack's chapter, about chopping firewood, is continued and concluded. Spike's story with Chrysalis that was presented in the third chapter concludes.
It follows up the narrative that Twilight and Celestia continue to exchange correspondence regarding the Island and 'The Black Heart', and lays the foundation for what would be one of the great revelations at the end of this story.
I'll also mention that in this chapter I practically spoiled that other big reveal at the end of this story when I had Spike accuse Chrysalis of having 'The Black Heart'; I assume that more than one person caught that detail, but even today I am surprised that no one noticed it.
My goal with this chapter was simply to establish in a hilarious way the presence of the logs that were the 'Mean six' and the Changelogs.
Celestia's chapter is another whose development was easy and fluid. Everything I wanted to do with it I did.
My goal with this chapter was to answer everything that I considered to be a plot hole in the Changeling canon and especially all the nonsense that existed in the wedding episodes, and anything that I couldn't, throw under the rug that Chrysalis had stopped thinking straight due to her hubris and an overdose of love. Conclude the plot thread regarding how Changelings do not like the cold.
The chapter with Luna is another one that I am very proud of because of how it ended up coming out.
During the dream sequence, the costume Chrysalis is wearing is that of Shutter Bug/Crackle Cosette.
The reformed version that I describe is the one that can be seen in the 'Hay No' comic by Underpable. https://www.deviantart.com/underpable/art/Hay-No-655803554
My goal with this chapter was to explain why Luna never tracked down Chrysalis using the power of dreams. Present my argument about how the Elements of Harmony affected (or rather DID NOT AFFECT) Luna. Present the idea that there is something Chrysalis can want, something good, better, above tyrannical conquest.
The chapter with Starlight Glimmer
My opinion on this particular chapter is complicated. I always knew that this would be the shortest because I was predisposed that it would only be composed of the scene of the two of them on the hill flying the kite; and in that aspect I think I did what I did quite well.
And even if I'm satisfied with what this chapter ended up being, I realize that in this particular case, my worst enemy was me for having imposed on myself that foolish thought that this story had to be short and that I shouldn't deviate from the original plan.
Lesson learned. It is good to set limits, but never let yourself be limited by them.
Again, somewhat surprised that no one noted that the kite Chrysalis designed is a replica of 'The Black Heart'. Chrysalis literally has 'The Black Heart' hanging from his hoof. A symbolism that I would have liked someone to have noticed (but at the same time NO, because that would have spoiled the big reveal at the end of the story).
There was something in this story that I wanted to put in, but in the end I chose not to. At the end of the chapter I was going to describe how, from a distant bush, Pinkie Pie had been spying on Chrysalis, saying something along the lines of 'The party can now begin.' Obviously I didn't put it in since it would spoil the surprise that would occur in the next chapter that the party Pinkie has been working on was for Chrysalis, no matter how flimsy I think that revelation would be. Funnily enough, I expected someone to mention this in the Thorax chapter, but since no one did, maybe it actually came as a surprise to most readers.
The Pinkie Pie chapter was another one that turned out just as I had planned from the beginning, with a few last minute additions.
One of the evidences present regarding the fact that not everyone present at the party was invited from the beginning can be seen in the fact that Spike did not give Chrysalis a gift; After deciding whether he would share a chapter with the Changeling Queen, I just couldn't come up with an idea of what he could give Chrysalis for her party.
Another pair of guests who originally weren't going to give Chrysalis anything were going to be Celestia and Luna. Just like with Spike, for the longest time, I couldn't imagine what these two could give Chrysalis, to the point that the scene in which they were talking to Chrysalis, both apologizing for not bringing a gift, would give rise to the comment "knowing that you two will keep your mouths shut would have been gift enough" and what followed in that scene. Then I remembered the episode of Sparkle's Seven, in which it is revealed that the Sisters had a chest full of fragments of Chrysalis' throne, and I thought that would be an excellent gift from them to the Queen.
Originally there were going to be 3 Ponies who didn't have/would have a gift-giving scene with Chrysalis: Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity. Why this? In Fluttershy's case because I didn't feel it was necessary. With Applejack because her scene, shared with Rainbow Dash, had already occurred, and it seemed to me that it would be awkward to make her have two scenes with Chrysalis. What changed with Rarity? The fact that I imagined Rarity would actually make a scene, a spectacle, of delivering her gift. Plus, it would allow me to give the CMC something to do beyond simply being there to present that reference to that off-page adventure they had with the Queen.
My goal with this chapter was to finish tying up all the loose ends that I had presented throughout this story... well, excepting those that only and by necessity could/had to be resolved for the epilogue.
The END or EPILOGUE was so the last thing to be conceived, that in the file where I wrote the vignettes of all the chapters of this story, the only thing I have written for the final chapter is just 'THE END', and in the draft file specific for the Epilogue, I still have called 'The Black Heart' as 'maggufin'.
Not much more to say. Once I came up with the idea for the ending, what ended up being seen in the published epilogue is what occurred to me.
There was a series of events that occurred in the middle of the chapter, where I showed more elements of the Island and even an explanation of sorts, which was intended to explain why the island disappeared at the end of the story, but once I read it, I realized that it distracted a lot from the important aspect of the story: Chrysalis. So I chose to simply eliminate all that and leave the how and why of the island's disappearance open to the reader's imagination. Knowing that is not important, not now, not for this story. The role that the Island and 'The Black Heart' played was what was important; and once their task was fulfilled, they were destined to disappear and that is what they did.
One of the things that bothers me the most about villain reformation stories is that in the vast majority of them the good guys tend to hammer the concept of "Reformation" or "Friendship" onto the bad guy, and, personally, by the end of it, I feel that the bad guy's change of perspective was forced: "You embrace Friendship or else...". It doesn't feel natural; Instead of beating the bad guy with a stick, they literally beat him with words.
And I'm not saying this is bad, far from it, it's not. What I'm saying is that there's an overabundance of that.
The other thing that I think exists in abundance (and I repeat: I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing) is how immediate and easygoing the transition from bad guy to good guy is, once they make it see the light. Ok, yes, it's easy to say that what the good guys offer is good, if not better than what a life of remaining a bad guy offers (even if the bad guy already has success in hand), and even to say that being a good guy is logically the best; and that is where the crux of my argument lies. Wants and wishes, especially bad guys wants and wishes, do not tend to be logical, and therefore cannot be weighed realistically.
What I mean by this is that, in these reform stories, there is usually a lack, a deficit of internal struggle on the part of the bad guys when the good guys tell them that they can be good guys and enjoy all the benefits that being a good guy entails... but in exchange the bad guys have to give up their wants and wishes to which they have dedicated a large part of their lives, whatever they sacrifice to be one step away from taking control of the world (or whatever they wanted or wishes for), will be for nothing, will lose value, will lose meaning... and that, at the end of the day, is or should be, a difficult pill to swallow and digest.
And that's why I think a bad guy has to have an internal strugle before they officially become a good guy, because before they become good guys they have to admit they were wrong and agree to part ways, leaving behind a big part of their live, all in order to start a new one.
My goal with this chapter was to tie up the plot threads that had been left loose and conclude the story.
Writing this story was a long and arduous journey. I am aware that regardles of how happy and satisfied I ended up with my work, it has room to have been better. I will never forget the lessons I learned throughout the development of this story and I will seek to put them into practice in any future story I write.
And finally, I want to thank my readers, your support was invaluable.
