Never before had the night been so lonely. The emptiness of silence, lingering over the world just as the luminous moon shined down from above. And the stars… one had never seen something so beautiful… only to feel nothing upon gazing up at them.
The mare had stopped for but a moment, her deep, emerald green eyes to the sky. Turning back to the mountain side, she kept climbing. Thankfully the dragons never traveled this far south of the mountain, being as she was near the southern coast. Seeing a unicorn pony this far from Equestria would certainly raise some questions, but no one ever came to these mountains… at least, that’s what she hoped.
Her black fur rustled under the breath of the wind, as did her brilliant, green mane which flowed on occasion. The higher she went, the more the wind seemed to want to greet her. Her eyes scanned the mountainside as she climbed higher, to be perfectly sure she was alone. The land around the stone mountains was lush green, rolling on for miles without the slightest hint of civilization. Although she was relieved to not find anyone, she found it strange how a place like this could be where he had run away.
She saw him every moment of every day… whether it was the moon or sun which shined overhead, his shadow followed her everywhere. She saw him under the trees, high up in the air, walking by her side, and within each of her dreams.
Over and over she saw him fall into the infinite black of that chasm. If she truly did have a heart, its pieces lied scattered in her chest… beyond all hope of repair. A part of her repeated over and over that she would forget him, but she knew she never would.
The pony slowed to a halt, her head lowered as she closed her eyes. The red of his eyes looked back at her through the darkness, glowing like embers against a winter night.
“If this is love…” she said quietly to herself, shaking her head. “Then I do not want it.” She opened her eyes and looked back up at the sky. “…why won’t it just go away?”
She did not understand. This was the emotion she drained from her victims? This was what her kind survived on? Never before had she questioned what it meant to be a changeling. She knew it was cruel, but it was what needed to be done. But feeling it now… creatures that feed off of this… must be evil.
She felt the weight of his gaze upon her and closed her eyes again. “You are gone!” She shouted. “Why can’t you just leave me be!?”
She waited for a reply, as if he was truly there. She turned her head and slowly opened her eyes… nothing. She was alone, like she had been when she lost her kingdom and her subjects… only now it was different. After everything that had happened, being without him now… she was left broken.
It was pitiful… pathetic. Her? Engulfed in this… this sorrow? Her very spirit split to its core by the loss of one, single being? If her old self would have seen her like this…
All returned to silence. She looked down at her hooves and paused, a sort of haze clearing from her mind.
She wasn’t her old self anymore. She could never be that queen again, not after everything that had happened, and everything she had felt. The truth, what she thought would be crushing, had quite the opposite effect on her.
Having been suppressing the very thought of him, the unicorn took a deep breath, no longer struggling to hold up this veil against his memory. She sat down, allowing herself a respite from her climb, and to remember everything they spoke of that night.
It was only an hour or so before dusk, and Canterlot was busier than ever, it seemed. From her vantage point, Chrysalis could see everypony down below making sure everything was ready for the Grand Galloping Gala. It was humorous to see them preparing, knowing what was to come that night.
Knowing she had to depart soon and take up her disguised form, Chrysalis was only the slightest bit on edge. Sombra had already made his way into the castle and was no doubt ready to distract Princess Celestia… so all Chrysalis had to do was make sure she did her part.
“Nervous?” A voice behind her asked.
“Hardly,” Chrysalis scoffed. “I am the Changeling Queen, as if something as simple as this could unnerve me.”
The black dragon chuckled to himself as he walked to her side, joining her in gazing down upon the ponies. “But of course, my queen.”
The two of them stood there watching in silence for a number of moments. Chrysalis hesitated, but then turned and walked back away from the edge, leaving the dragon there to watch by himself. She stopped, pausing for another few moments before turning back to him.
“Stormclaw?” She asked.
He looked back at her, brow raised. “Hmm?”
The combination of his gaze and the subject on her mind made her composure crumble and she looked away. “N-nothing… never mind.”
Intrigued, the dragon smirked and turned, walking over to her. Having found a soft spot a few nights before, Stormclaw lifted his claws onto a spot at the base of her upper back, making her quiver. “You were saying?”
She took in a half-breath, glancing back at him. “I-It can wait for another time…” She moved to go back to the ledge. “I should really get down there and-”
The black dragon, knowing all too well now how best to convince her to do what he wanted, took a step behind her and massaged the upper part of her back with his claws. Chrysalis let out a sharp breath, her shoulders arching under his grasp. He then whispered, “We still have some time… is something wrong?”
Chrysalis sighed, and then shook her head. “It is difficult to understand why you put so much faith in me.”
Stormclaw paused at hearing that, put the pause only lasted a mere moment before he walked to her side. “You believe I should go on with the mentality that you will betray me?”
She looked over at him, smiling only slightly. “It is in my nature, you know.”
The black dragon chuckled, shaking his head. “I know you, I’ll be just fine.” He cocked his head back, smirking. “Besides… what would you do without me?”
Chrysalis allowed herself that moment to let out a light laugh, but then it faded, as did her smile. She let out a breath and lowered her head. “You don’t know me as well as you think.”
“Of course I do,” He replied, trying to draw her gaze back to him. “You want the crown, and I can give it to you. You want revenge, which I can also give. It really isn’t-”
“I want you.” She said softly, silencing the dragon. “And you say you want me… but you hardly know a thing about me. I just… don’t understand how you can choose to trust so much in me and ask for nothing in return.”
Taking a moment to weigh his options, Stormclaw glanced over at Canterlot. There was time still until the gala began, but their timing and concentration had to be flawless. Looking back at her, however, he saw that this was a vital moment in keeping the queen’s loyalty.
He had the time.
Stepping in front of her, he slowly lifted his claw to her chin, their eyes meeting in a gentle, quiet moment. “When this is over, you shall rule over all Equestria. You will be my queen, and I shall do whatever you ask of me because I believe you are the future of this land… and… because my heart belongs to you.”
“Stormclaw… I…” She began to say.
“When you are queen, you could have me imprisoned or banished and I would be powerless to stop it,” He said softly. “But you could also have me there by your side. During the day, when your enemies stand against you… and during the night, to satisfy your hunger for love.”
Chrysalis was left speechless, her eyes wide and cheeks red. Stormclaw moved his claw from her chin to the side of her face, gently stroking it.
“You feel it, I know you do.” He whispered to her. “As for not knowing you…” He said, tilting his head. “We still have many years to come to truly learn more about one another. But no matter who you say you are… you already know.”
Leaning down to her, Stormclaw kissed Chrysalis softly. She had been stunned already by the power of his words, and now she felt almost as if she had become paralyzed. She closed her eyes and kissed him back.
It lasted a few moments, the two of them standing there, together. When the dragon pulled away, he smiled at her softly.
To say Chrysalis was blushing would be a massive understatement. He didn’t even need to finish what he was saying and she already knew. It had become more and more apparent since their first moment in his cave those few nights ago, but now… it was clear.
Hearing thunder, she opened her eyes. The moon’s light became blocked by dark storm clouds that rolled in from the west. Lightning stabbed at the sky in the distance as the storm drew closer, the air becoming dense with the promise of rain.
Looking back to the mountain, the disguised mare resumed her climb. She knew it would be so much easier to change back and fly up to the top, but this climb was more than just about reaching the summit. For nearly her entire life she saw the world only for what benefits she could reap from it, and what she could take from others… she could no longer live this way.
Yes, she didn’t want anyone to see who she really was, but this was so much more. This was the beginning of her true purpose. Her entire life before added to nothing, seeing as her entire kingdom chose another over her, and even after discovering someone she thought she couldn’t live without… he was gone, and she was still here.
She never considered what life would be like as a pony, being among others who gave their love willingly instead of by force or manipulation. Starlight and Thorax were right, and although she would never admit it… she too wished she could live that way. When offered to stay in Equestria, she may have been steady on the outside, but inside, the mare was trembling. Princess Celestia was willing to forgive her despite everything she had done, and she could even feel the compassion of the others around her willing to forgive as well. Perhaps she did want to become one of them…
“Hah,” She said to herself. “Ponies and their forgiveness.”
It did get her thinking about the princess, however. Despite their past tribulations, she had never hated Celestia. She was just protecting her subjects, as any good ruler should. By those standards… Celestia was a far greater ruler than she could ever be, the mare thought.
Then there was Twilight, the clever little unicorn turned princess who was the only one who saw through her plot to take over Canterlot during the Royal Wedding. Another good leader, would make a great ruler. Despite having thwarted her plans, the mare couldn’t come to think ill of her either. In those final moments in the castle, Twilight was the one whom she could feel the most emotion coming from, the young princess seemed to have a knack for making friends… perhaps that was what she wanted, what they all wanted.
The more she thought about them, the more the lonely mare realized just how wrong she had been about them. Having to feed off of love paints a very dull picture of the world and her prey, but having been given love freely was as if that picture became more colorful and clear. What would have happened if she had stayed? Would Twilight had asked her to come to that tiny town south of Canterlot?
What was it called again… Ponyville? Or maybe Celestia would have insisted she stay with her in the castle… perhaps, perhaps not.
Then she came to wonder which she would have preferred, having never thought of it before flooded her mind with curiosity. Such a strange thing; to go from envying the ponies’ love to wishing she had a normal life like theirs. Entertaining these thoughts were awkward to say the least, and almost embarrassing despite there being no one around to see it.
The first raindrop fell onto her nose and she stopped suddenly, blinking a few times before looking up at the sky. Several others followed and soon there was a light haze of rain. She considered finding shelter, but it wasn’t so bad. The storm air and warm rain actually felt rather refreshing, which was a pick-up from everything that had happened.
Continuing on up the slope, the light rain grew into quite the deluge. No matter which direction her thoughts traveled in, however, they always found their way back to him. He was the key that led her down this path, he alone had derailed her from the pursuit of power to being more like the ponies she once despised.
No longer suppressed, her memories of him came flooding back.
Silence had filled the small cave for some time now, the fire having burnt down to mere embers. Chrysalis was not cold, however.
Stormclaw lay beside her, the heat from his body proving more than sufficient in staving off the cold. Her head rested on the upper, right side of his chest, one hoof reached around his underbelly as his claw rested around her shoulder.
It had been a great night, but the thought of tomorrow weighed heavily on the changeling’s mind. The pieces were scattered, but they were there, all she needed to do was put it all together; Stormclaw’s true plan that he tried so expertly to hide from her.
“Are you comfortable?” He asked her, glancing down her way. She met his gaze with a blushing smile, nodding. “Then you should rest; we have a big day tomorrow.”
Chrysalis paused, knowing this would likely be one of her last chances to ask. She sat up a bit, looking down at him as he looked to her in curiosity. “I want to ask you something… but I don’t want to upset you.”
The dragon tilted his head. “Upset me?” he chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about that, ask away.”
Turning her entire body around as she leaned over top of him, she too tilted her head slightly. “Will you tell me a bit about yourself?”
The question lingered in the air for a moment, then she continued. “…why does Celestia call you Arkane?”
She could tell he wasn’t expecting such a question, as his expression was impossible to hide. He glanced down for a moment, but then nodded slightly, looking back up at her. “I suppose you have a right to know.”
She rubbed his scales softly with her hoof. “If it’s too personal-”
“No.” He interrupted her gently, using his claw to feel her side. “It’s alright… you want to know me more, I understand.”
He didn’t bother getting up, seeing as his changeling friend was so comfortable where she was. She could tell he was taking a moment to figure out where to begin, so she waited patiently. In all the time they had known one another, not once had Stormclaw ever mentioned anything about his past, even though Chrysalis could tell he was in pain because of it.
“There’s a bay just north-east of Mount Magmoor,” Stormclaw began. “It’s a popular place, a lot of dragons go there to hang out on the beach. That was where I hatched.” Chrysalis listened intently, watching him with her bright, green eyes. “My mother had a cave just off shore, where we lived for about a year.” He took a breath.“She named me Arkane.”
The small space of silence convinced Chrysalis to ask. “And your father?”
Stormclaw paused, only to shake his head. “He left my mother before I hatched.” He took a moment, looking up at the ceiling of the cave. “My mother, she… she was different; she didn’t act like other dragons… I always figured that’s why my father left.”
“What do you mean?” She asked softly.
The moment passed in the blink of an eye, the black dragon’s look of vulnerability at the mention of his mother on his own breath.
Before Chrysalis could respond, he continued.
“She was beautiful, that much can’t be debated,” He said with a small smile, which soon vanished. “Probably the only thing that attracted my father in the first place… but she was always so gentle, so caring, and looked so fragile you would think she was made of glass.” He shook his head. “As you can imagine, this quickly made her a mark for weakness among the other dragons.”
Chrysalis was surprised when she heard it. “Your mother… was kind?”
“Too kind for her own good.” Stormclaw replied. “Even after we went south, her personality made life challenging for us everywhere we went in the Dragon Lands. Every dragon, everywhere… they all acted like she wasn’t even one of them.” Chrysalis didn’t even need to ask. “I hated them all for it… every foul gaze, every insult, every moment of every day she spent in their shadow made me so…”
He stopped and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Chrysalis was left speechless while the black dragon confided in her his story. The more she thought about it, however, the more she came to see that this couldn’t be what shaped him into who he was, it had to have been something more. With this in mind, she remained silent and listened.
“She told me she loved me every night,” He resumed, his eyes still closed. “I remember feeling so confused… dragons never, well… they don’t do that. Even though I hated them all, I understood that it was our nature, for even I felt it at times… but never towards her.” He opened his eyes, looking back up at Chrysalis. “I never said a word, I only ever nodded or pretended I was already asleep. It was so strange… feeling such resentment for my kind, and yet not being able to tell my own mother that I loved her.”
Kept captivated by this floodgate of information, Chrysalis felt her heartstrings plucked by his past already. She hadn’t had the easiest of upbringings herself, but this… this was beyond her, and she knew there had to be more.
Stormclaw’s expression broadened, giving the indication that his background setup was over. “I was still very young when the Dragon Lord came, I think was five or six, I honestly don’t remember anymore.”
“You mean Torch?” Chrysalis asked. “Ember’s father?”
He nodded. “He came alone the first time, asking my mother a few questions mostly about herself and where she was from.” He stopped, shaking his head. “The second time he came, it was with a pony princess from the Equestria, across the sea.”
“A princess…?” Chrysalis asked herself, her eyes growing wide. “…Celestia?”
It took him a few moments, but he nodded. “It was the first time I ever saw a pony, but what surprised me most wasn’t that she came, it was how much she and my mother seemed so similar. I remembered my mother telling me about ponies, but it wasn’t until that visit that I remember seeing how much she acted like them.”
Chrysalis’ mind was in a completely different mode of attention now. “Well… why did Celestia come with Torch to see your mother?”
The look in his eyes told the changeling queen that this was when everything officially started to shape who he was today. “She came with an offer, to take me with her back to Equestria and be raised with ponies instead of dragons.”
The words echoed in Chrysalis’ ears, every part of her now invested in this story. “To take you… to Equestria? But why? Why would the princess ask of such a thing?”
“It had become apparent to Torch that I possessed some kind of magic, and that my mother and I resembled ponies’ behaviors more than our own kind.” He explained, his gaze sharpening. “But he would only allow me to be taken, not my mother; he said he felt strange enough allowing one dragon under his rule to live among ponies.” He shook his head. “I was asked to wait in a different room of the cave for them to talk but… but I couldn’t help but sneak in to listen to them… I thought for sure my mother would send them away, bear some kind of resemblance to our kind to protect me from them…”
Chrysalis felt her mouth open slightly as she thought she realized what he meant. “She didn’t let them take you… did she?”
Stormclaw’s gaze became soft once again. “She didn’t say anything… I know better now, but back then… when I saw her not reply… I thought she was going to let them take me.”
“…what did you do?” She asked him.
“What any foolish child does when faced with such a thought,” He replied, his voice distant, as if he was watching it unfold. “I ran away.
Right past all three of them, crying out how much I hated them as I went.”
Chrysalis felt she understood why Torch and Celestia came to bring him to Equestria, it was something she had wondered about for a while now, being as Stormclaw could use magic. She pushed aside that information for now to focus on him.
The dragon looked down again, giving a light shrug and momentary tilt of his head. “I didn’t last long. Between being hungry and being beaten on by the other dragons, I missed her too much to stay away for longer than a few days.” He sniffed at the air, unable to lift his gaze to meet the changeling’s. “It was storming when I came back. Walking back into my cave, I found the princess and Dragon Lord waiting for me, but…”
Trailing off, Chrysalis suddenly felt an enormous amount of grief swelling up inside of the black dragon, enough to make her nearly shiver. Those seconds of silence fell like the ends of minor piano notes.
“When I came back…” He said, his voice clearly forced to be broad in order to hide any vulnerability in it. “…she was gone.”
Chrysalis didn’t understand at first, but as the long moments fell, she understood. “You don’t mean…?”
Stormclaw himself didn’t even know what he was doing, he had never told anyone this before, and only the two others that were in that cave ever knew about it. He was filled with both anger and sorrow, a violent mixture of suffering showing in the colors of his eyes.
“Celestia told me…” He said slowly. “That watching me run away from her broke my mother’s heart… and… and her will to live.” He squinted, shaking his head. “All of my memories… everything I had done…” Finally, he looked back up at Chrysalis. “So much… pain.”
Lowering her head down to the base of his neck, Chrysalis held him tight. The dragon hesitated, but then lifted his claws up and over her, holding her as well.
“I ran away again, only this time I didn’t stop until I was far away from Torch and all the rest of the dragons.” He continued while holding the changeling queen. “To the very south of the Dragon Lands, all the way to the coast, where there stood mountains that none ever ventured to. I climbed to the highest peak, found a cave, and spent the next few years sulking away from the rest of the world.”
Chrysalis listened intently, eyes open while resting on top of him. She didn’t need to say a word; now that he had started, the dragon knew he had to explain everything.
“It was there, in that cave, that I realized I could no longer be who I was before.” He said softly. “Everything I cared about was gone… and I had to find a new purpose.” He glanced down at Chrysalis, stroking her gently. “I blamed Torch at first… and so I tried to inspire an uprising against him, but I didn’t stand a chance. He banished me from the Dragon Lands and forever branded me the name, Stormclaw.”
“Where did you go?” Chrysalis asked him quietly.
Stormclaw took in a deep breath. “Celestia came and brought me to Equestria, where she intended to raise me.”
Chrysalis looked up at him. “You didn’t resist?”
He shook his head. “Not at first, no. Being around her again reminded me of my mother… and so, for a time, I had hope I could be Arkane again.” He paused, lifting his chin slightly. “She tried teaching me how to control the magic I possessed… but the more I learned, the more power I discovered I had, the more distant I felt from her. Very soon I felt as if I didn’t belong with the ponies either… I was reminded of the grief I felt before… and that hope died. Again, I ran, only now I ran to the setting sun, far out to the west where I had learned no ponies lived.”
Like waking from a dream, Stormclaw was reminded of what he must do and what had to happen. For a few moments, he remained silent, ensuring now that he would never again become that vulnerable.
“It was there I found the answer.” His voice became clearer, and Chrysalis could feel the change deep inside him as the tender moments were now gone. “Deep down in the dark of an ancient place... my purpose became clear. I had been born with this power for a reason. I would end not only my suffering, but all others’ as well.” Their eyes then met. “Soon after, I met you. Once you are queen again, you’ll help me, won’t you?”
It was just as the pony princesses had said in Canterlot. They were right; he wasn’t doing this to put a crown on her head, he was after something else. And yet still, she felt his love empowering her, keeping her from hunger, and so there was a chance. She had to be the key to stopping this, whatever it was that would happen tomorrow. Even if it meant never being a queen again… she didn’t care, because she wanted him more than a crown.
With a warm smile, Chrysalis curled up closer to him. “Of course I will.”
Stormclaw smiled and pulled her to his side, using his wing to cover the both of them. Feeling him holding her this way made Chrysalis feel like everything was going to work out in the end. Tomorrow would come, she would face whatever demons there were left to keep them apart, and they would leave it all behind to be together.
The mare had stopped some time ago, having reached the peak of the mountain. It was rather flat at the top; the rainwater cascaded off the sides, leaving the rock smooth. It hadn’t taken her long to find a single, solitary cave, one which had an entrance facing the west.
Finally escaping the rain, the unicorn stepped inside, her fur drenched along with her mane and tail. Detailed claw markings covered certain parts of the walls, and the floor had become smooth like the rock outside the cave.
This was where he came. This was where he was when he understood that he could no longer be who he was before. This was where Arkane ended and Stormclaw began.
Despite being soaked from the downpour, Chrysalis could feel the tears rolling down her face. Her teeth clenched tight, and her eyes swelled. Taking a sharp breath, she collapsed to the floor, finally allowing the floodgates to open and all the emotions to flow.
“I’m so sorry…” She said quietly to herself. “A lifetime of taking and finally when saving someone becomes the one thing I need...” She looked up the wall, seeing a claw imprint. She closed her eyes tight, slowly pressing her head to the floor. It took another few seconds for her to hear that the rain outside had stopped.
Lifting her head, eyes still wet from the tears, she looked to the cave entrance. She made her way back outside, looking up and around at the darkness. Her gaze soon guided her to the area just over top of the cave entrance, and she slowly climbed up on top of it, now at the absolute highest point of the stone mountains.
The darkness on the horizon lifted, giving way to an array of crimson colors and textures. Chrysalis watched as the sun pierced the shadows around it, peaking up over the ocean as its light shined down upon the land.
She paused, and then turned her head to look to the east. She knew, somewhere far away, Celestia was using her magic to raise the sun and end this long, stormy night. For the first time in a while now, the thought of another besides Stormclaw brought a small smile to her face.
Returning her gaze back to the rising sun, Chrysalis sat down onto the stone. A gentle breeze slightly lifted her mane, the rainwater still dripping from it. Her fur, already becoming dry, waved peacefully in the calm wake.
“I suppose I’ll just have to live for the both of us…” She whispered, her deep, emerald eyes caught in the glow of the sunrise. For a brief moment, she glanced down at herself, only to soon return her gaze back up to the beauty on the horizon. “I am your legacy now.”