The night draped like a curtain over the sky, stars shining faintly in the sky through light overcast. If there were a moon that night, it would fill the valley with a familiar glow. However, she didn't show, and the valley was shrouded in a dreary darkness.
Through the suffocating darkness, a mare walked with an urgency she hadn't before. Her cloak billowed behind her. Of course, the darkness of the night and her coat would've hidden her against the eyes of the curious, but she pulled her cloak closer to her with magic. Heaven forbid that she saw herself like this.
The towering red rock around her stood as a silhouette against the sky, forming a natural prison around the desert it enclosed. The cool summer air whispered around her as she walked, the only noise beside her thumping heartbeat.
A rough rock structure loomed before her, an overhang then blocking off the rest of the night sky. She concentrated, feeling the free flowing energy build as she lit her horn, illuminating the area around her.
Abruptly, creatures sprung from the shadows, circling about her. They were black and skeletal, holes scattered about their bodies. They bore their fans and hissed simultaneously.
"What is a pony doing here?" One asked with a scratchy voice.
"I have an appointment," the mare responded, flicking her eyes between all of them. If they posed enough of a problem she could blast them away. But changelings were hive minds, and very close knit. She would be outnumbered in seconds. She also figured that her host would not be pleased at a sudden brawl.
One of the other changelings sniffed the air. "Interesting..." it mused. "You're a pony... but I'm not smelling any love..." It narrowed is eyes. "But hate. Lots of hate."
Another scoffed. "Who are you, pony?"
The mare scowled. "'Tis none of your business."
"You are on our land," another spat. "Whatever you are doing is our business."
"Silence!" A voice erupted from in front of them. A tall changeling stood on top of a flight of stairs, glaring with red eyes at the commotion. "I will handle this myself."
On a dime, the group around the mare bowed. "Of course, Queen Chrysalis." And just like that, the group dissipated, leaving both the mare and the queen to themselves.
Chrysalis heaved a sigh. "My apologies," she said. "They're not accustomed to visitors."
"I see," the mare grunted.
Chrysalis paced forward. "Even though, one may wonder why you are here, Princess Luna."
"I needed to see you," Luna said. "Things are far worse than I feared."
"Of course." Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. "Your coat has gotten darker. Have you dyed it?"
Luna shook her head. "It has happened gradually."
Chrysalis frowned. "Interesting." She gestured behind her. "Come. We have much to discuss."
Without further hesitation, they walked through the hive. The walls gleamed with small gemstones as they walked past, creating spots of light all around the hall. The hive itself smelled damp and moldy, the interior felt clammy and cold.
The hallway opened to a grand expanse, with paths branching off to the left and right. In front of them was a throne out of the rock. It was ragged and brittle, but it was a throne of a queen nonetheless.
Chrysalis took the left hallway, and it curved upward, slight stairs carved into the rock below them. At the top of this pathway, a sheet of stone different from the surrounding area leaned against the exit. Chrysalis lit her horn, and instead of rolling the rock out of the way, it dissipated into dust.
Luna raised an eyebrow, and Chrysalis smiled. "You must know I love my theatrics," she said, and then took a step into the room beyond. "Come."
Luna followed shortly after, and the room opened in front of her. It hardly matched the rest of the hive at all; the rock was the same but the furnishing was a lot more modern. A bed sat to their left, a green, transparent curtain hanging around it, with nightstands at either side. A dresser was against the opposite wall, fashioned out of mahogany, alongside a desk with a shattered mirror. All of the furnishings were very Canterlotian, with scrolling at every corner, and intricate legs on each thing.
Chrysalis sat on her bed. "Come now, don't be shy. Take off your cloak as well, dear, it isn't too cold in here."
Luna hesitated. If she removed her cloak, she'd have to face herself as she was. But was that a bad thing? It was only because of her sister's arrogance that she was this way... why not accept it? Luna unfastened the cloak from about her, letting it fall to the ground.
She spotted her reflection in the mirror, and she was aghast. Her coat wasn't only just dark, but a pitch black. Her horn protruded longer from the crown of her head than she'd remembered it ever being. Her teeth were no longer flat, instead pointed.
What had she become?
Chrysalis stared at her, jaw agape. "By brightness, Luna. Whatever happened?"
Luna sulked. "This is what I've come to you for."
Chrysalis closed her mouth, smirking. "Ah, so your inner darkness has finally appeared. It is very... delicious."
Luna's heart beat faster. "You said that this would happen, didn't you?"
Chrysalis laughed. "Why, of course. When you embrace your inner darkness, you become your true self. I wasn't aware this would happen to ponies, but it seems like it does."
"How am I supposed to hide this from Celestia?" Luna asked.
Chrysalis cocked her head. "Well, you don't. Not unless you bring the light back into your heart." She frowned. "But the light is not worth the struggle to maintain. After all, those who have that light are full of themselves."
Luna shook her head. "I'm not ready for this, Chrysalis. Not yet. I need your help."
Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. "Why do you come to me? You lived thousands of years longer than I have. Surely you have knowledge of how to fake an appearance."
Luna hesitated. Of course she did. She studied along with her sister under Star Swirl the Bearded. She had practiced and practiced magic before she had been coronated as princess.
Chrysalis gave a sly smile. "Oh... so that isn't the reason why you're here, isn't it?"
Luna's jaw fell agape. "W-we... I-I don't..."
Chrysalis giggled. "Don't worry, dear. I've had many a lover come to me in distress. Except they've all been male before." She patted the bed next to her. "Come, sit."
Luna felt the world spinning. She couldn't be attracted to this mare! They feasted off of love, they laid to waste many civilizations. But yet as she stood there, she felt heat crawl to her cheeks, her heart fluttered, and despite all of this she started to relax.
Luna exhaled, walking over to the bed. She sat next to Chrysalis.
Chrysalis leaned in closer, and Luna felt overwhelmed by her presence. "I will give you some of my magic," she said in a hushed tone. "I can make you appear to be your normal self until you decide to shed that skin. However, I will not give it to you for free."
Luna nodded. "What can w— I give to you?" Luna turned her head toward Chrysalis, and hers was only inches away.
Chrysalis gave her a sly smile. "Lie with me."
Luna's heart skipped a beat. Part of her conscience protested. The part that was still the little filly hiding behind her sister. But the other part and her body said otherwise. Her face inched closer to Chrysalis's without her realizing it. She felt the heat of her breath, the surprising softness of her body...
Their lips met, and all at once, the little filly inside of her was snuffed out.
The vision closed shortly afterward. Twilight Sparkle blinked in disbelief. "P-princess," she said, trying to wrap her head around what she just saw. "Why did you show me this?"
Princess Celestia looked down at her former student. "As much as I am surprised to hear it, Luna loves Chrysalis. It turns out she constantly visited her behind my back to find solace that I couldn't provide."
Twilight stayed silent, awestruck.
Princess Celestia continued. "If she resists any further, then we will have to take action... whether it's banishing her to Tartarus, or taking her life..." She knit her eyebrows. "Do you see my dilemma, Twilight? We must convert Chrysalis at all costs. I don't want to risk losing my sister ever again."