//------------------------------// // Untold Stories: 1 // Story: Fool's Gold // by Cardinal Dan Productions //------------------------------// ***All Hail The Queen*** Nothing could stop the flow of time, and the aging of Pyrite. When she finally grew up, natural changeling instincts kicked in, and she came to become the queen she was always meant to be. Saying goodbye to her family, she left the Crystal Empire and ventured into the Frozen North, but she wasn’t alone. Other changelings followed her, those who once followed Chrysalis. Pyrite settled in the old queen’s former hive, the very system of caves she had been held prisoner in some eighteen years earlier. Then began the building of her own hive, her own empire. As her follower base grew and her subjects gathered around her throne, Pyrite began to have changeling foals of her own, taking numerous mates to satisfy her queenly urges and expand the population of her domain. Unlike her predecessor, she ruled with kindness and compassion, loving her subjects unconditionally like her own mother loved her. Pyrite loved them all, and they loved her in return, feeding off of the mutual bond they all shared. *** A changeling approached the grande throne, trotting but keeping his head low and humbled in the presence of his queen. “Yo-Your highness...” From atop her throne, Pyrite cocked her head to the side and smiled kindly at him. “Yes, Mayfly? Lift your head and speak.” The changeling guards at the base of the throne stood down and allowed him to pass. Mayfly climbed a few steps, but didn’t rise any higher out of respect. Keeping his eyes on Queen Pyrite, he gestured behind him and opened his mouth to speak. “You have some visitors, my queen. They’ve come from the Crystal Empire, and... and they have...” His voice faultered and trailed away before he could complete his thought. Pyrite’s smile faded and a puzzled look replaced it. “What is it, Mayfly? Who is it?” Before the changeling could answer her, Pyrite’s eyes shifted past him and landed in the entrance to the throne room. Standing at the mouth of the cave were three figures. Two of them appeared to be ponies clad in armor, and the third was tall, dark, and bound by chains. Clearly, they were guards from the Crystal Empire, and Pyrite beamed at the sight of them. “Never mind that, Mayfly... Leave us alone, please. I’d like to talk with these ‘visitors’ alone.” By her command, the throne room was emptied within moments, leaving Pyrite alone with the pony guards. As she approached the ponies, towering over them, they removed their helmets to reveal familiar faces. “Aunt Gemini and Azalea... To what do I owe this pleasure?” Gem grinned at the queen and hit her armored flank against Azalea’s. “You don’t owe us anything, Pyrite, but we were in the neighborhood looking for lost artifacts to bring back to the empire when we found her...” Their smiles vanished as they revealed the tall figure in chains. To Pyrite’s astonishment, it was the former queen, Chrysalis herself. With her wings bound and mouth gagged, the black-hearted changeling turned her gaze away from Pyrite’s with shame. Chrysalis looked horrifying, almost skeletal in appearance. Likely on her own for so long and without any love or subjects to lead, it was no wonder how she had gotten into such a malnourished condition. Pyrite figured the chains weren’t even necessary considering Chrysalis was unable to run, fly, or do anything else to escape. Azalea looked back and forth between the two queens, past and present. “We all know Chrysalis has been the source of our troubles for as long as we can remember, but Gemini and I thought you might like to be the one to decide her fate, since she was the one who ordered your death so long ago.” Pyrite nodded her head, keeping her eyes on those of former queen. “You’re right, Aunt Azalea... It was so long ago.” Her gaze shifted to the irons that bound Chrysalis in place. “Would... Would you two remove the chains and step outside for a few moments?” Gemini and Azalea exchanged worried looks. “Are you sure about that, Pyrite?” The changeling queen nodded her head and offered the Royal Guards a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine, Aunt Gemini. Just take the chains off.” After a brief moment of hesitation, they did as Pyrite commanded and released Chrysalis. As they turned to leave the throne room, Azalea stopped and looked back. “We’ll be right outside, should you need us. You need only call.” Pyrite nodded and waved them away. Now, she stood alone in their throne room with Chrysalis. Free from the chains, the former queen stretched legs and fluttered her wings. Silence filled the void between them. Pyrite hadn’t even seen Chrysalis before, making this first meeting all the more surprised. Amethyst would always be her real mother, but standing before her was the changeling queen that actually ‘made’ her. Pyrite felt like she had to say something, anything at all. Asserting her dominance, she towered over the starved changeling and looked down at her. “I see you never metomorphisized like the rest of us.” Chrysalis looked up at her with a harsh glare in her eyes. “Why should I?” Pyrite took a nervous step back, and her ears folded down. However bad Chrysalis looked, her voice sounded a thousand times worse. It was dry and cracked, like a desert with not water or life. Chrysalis sounded like she was dying, if not already dead. Pyrite cleared her throat and swallowed her initial shock. “You... You’re a changeling, aren’t you? We all changed.” Chrysalis’ frown turned into a vicious sneer, and she cackled painfully before falling into a fit of coughs. “I’m a changeling... I’m still queen... You were supposed to die...” Pyrite glared at her. “I didn’t, clearly, and you’re not queen anymore. These changelings are my children, and they follow me. Whoever used to follow you out of fear now follow me out of love.” Again, Chrysalis let out a dry and pained laugh. “Fear kept them in line...” Pyrite beared her teeth. “Fear made them hate you!” Chrysalis seemed to be taken aback by Pyrite’s snap. “Don’t you get it? Fear drove away everypony that was even remotely close to you. You’re destined to die alone, starved of any love and affection!” She was fuming now. “They want me to decide your fate... They probably expect me to kill you, and I’m tempted to, even if it’s just to put your pitiful ass out of its misery!” Chrysalis didn’t blink. She stared at Pyrite with eyes wide with fear. Pyrite, with her eyes narrowed, took several deep breaths and a step forward, closing the distance between them. “That’s not what I’m going to do, though...” Then, she extended her hoof, stretching it towards Chrysalis. “Wh-What is this?” The new queen’s glare softened, and her ears perked up. “An offering...” She took another deep breath, keeping her hoof extended towards Chrysalis. “This is what my mother would want, to extend an offering of friendship, like she did with Aunt Gemini and Uncle Emerald.” Then, she cracked a weak smile. “Why have enemies when you can have friends?” Chrysalis looked at the outstretched hoof, then at Pyrite, then back at the hoof. She licked her lips as though somepony we’re giving her a delicious meal. “Somepony once offered me their hoof... After Throax betrayed me and took my hive. I didn’t accept her hoof then...” To Pyrite’s surprise, tears began to build in Chryalis’ eyes. “... and now, I can’t help regretting what I did to her, refusing to take her hoof...” Pyrite held her hoof forward. “You still can, Chrysalis... Take my hoof here and now. Join my hive and you’ll never go hungry again.” The old queen looked hesitant, but she also inched forward ever so slightly, like she wanted desperately to accept. “I... I don’t deserve this... I don’t deserve anything from you, let alone forgiveness...” Pyrite shook her head. “That’s just it, Chrysalis. No pony deserves anything. It’s up to you to give and accept what little kindness there is and make the world all the better for it. I didn’t deserve to survive and become the new queen, but my mother found and raised me anyway.” She put her hoof forward a little farther. “Now, I’m giving you that same chance.” Chrysalis sniffled and closed her eyes, blinking out her tears. Then, she nodded her head slowly, raising a weak and frail hoof to meet Pyrite’s. As their hooves connected, Pyrite brough Chrysakis into an embrace, throwing her legs around the former queen. “I’ve forgiven you, Chrysalis... It’s time you forgave yourself and let go of the past...” Inside Pyrite’s hooves, the dark changeling began to glow. She brightened until it was as though the sun itself was inside the throne room. When the light subsided and Pyrite could see again, she saw the Chrysakis had metamophasised. Like Pyrite, she boasted a variety of blended colors and great antler-like horns protruded from her mane. She was still incredibly thin, but Chrysalis took several steps back to observe and awe at her new form. “I... I don’t believe it...” Pyrite beamed at her. “You better believe it. Welcome to the hive, Chrysalis... You’re home now. Let’s meet the others.” ***The End***