Blizzard Underwood could not have been happier in the moment he was in. He’d made a new friend, and a beautiful filly at that. Ever since Pinkie Pie had taught him how to make friends the first time he came to Ponyville, he’d amassed friends all around town, but what had just happened between him and Hollow was... different, somehow. The way they had trotted up to each other in the cascading rain, their eyes locking as they met, and the world seeming to fade away around them as they did, it was something that he thought only happened in the romance novels he read. His smile didn’t fade one bit the whole time they trotted on the way to his house, and he looked back a couple of times at Hollow to see her give a gentle smile back. Once they had finally come upon his front yard, standing in front of the black metal of the gate and fence that bordered it, he spoke again. It felt as though the walk home had been longer than usual.
“Well, here it is, my humble abode. I know it’s not much, but it’s still home, and it’s a nice one at that.” He pushed the gate open with a hoof, and the two trotted up the near-black smooth stone path and the ebony wood steps to the porch, where they stopped as Blizz reached into his vest pocket. After taking his keys out from it, he unlocked the door and allowed Hollow inside before him, like a true gentlecolt would. Before he trotted inside, he chanced a look around at the neighbourhood for a few seconds, taking a deep breath and sighing happily.
He then trotted inside, closing the door behind him, unsure whether or not to lock it, for he did not want to solicit the wrong idea. He trotted over and lit the lantern next to the couch before setting his keys down next to his toaster in the kitchen. He noticed that the toaster would need to be filled again, for its water supply was low, and if it ran out he wouldn’t be able to make toast for his Egg In A Baskets that he loved so much. Really, after all, what’s an Egg In A Basket when the bread’s not toasted? ...It’s just a worse tasting Egg In A Basket is what it is. He turned around to see Hollow lying on the couch, the coat and fedora she had been wearing both on the coffee table in front of her. Blizz’s mind began to wander as he stared at her.
She must really be exhausted. I wonder how she even got to Ponyville. Did she come by train, or by hoof? If she trotted here, it’s no wonder she’s tired, even if she is an earth pony, especially if the place she trotted from was rather far, like Canterlot, or Appleoosa. How long had she been trotting since her last rest? Did she even rest at all on the way here? He shook his head, freeing his mind of the constant flow of questions he kept asking himself. He smiled as he rolled his eyes at how silly he was being, and trotted over to the couch. Hollow looked up at him, her eyelids half open, and a yawn escaped her muzzle.
She’s really cute when she’s tired, at least. Especially when she yawns. Blizz cleared his throat. “You do know I’m not letting you sleep on the couch, right?”
Hollow rubbed an eye with a hoof, groaning sleepily. “But I’m extremely tired, and I can’t just sleep on the floor, it’s not comfortable enough!” Her eyes opened wide and her lips puckered out to form a pout that would sway even Detective Strahm, Blizz’s childhood hero, and one of the toughest Detectives in the history of the profession.
“Oh, c’mon, I’m not mean! I know you’re tired, and that’s why you will be sleeping in my bed while I sleep out here on the couch, just as it should be.” He chuckled as he took her hoof in his, and helped her off of the couch. He led her down the hallway and into his room, where he helped her into bed and covered her up to allow her as much comfort as possible. He trotted over to his desk and grabbed his typewriter, the embossed silver lettering on its side bearing the name “Stephano” shimmering lightly in the light of Luna’s moon from his bedroom window as he did so.
Just as Blizz was trotting out of the room, Hollow spoke once again, her voice that of a gentle whisper, comparable to a pleasant late night breeze. “Thank you, Blizz.”
Blizz turned to look at her after she said it, and her alluring green eyes trapped his gaze, locking his eyes on hers. Time seemed to stand still in that moment, and Blizz felt his heartbeat hasten. Her eyes had an entrancing effect upon him, as if they were hypnotically drawing him in.
A dryness scratched at his throat as he swallowed, struggling to force the words out. “N-no problem, Hollow. ...You’re welcome to stay here whenever …and however long you like.” He finally blinked, and upon doing so, shook his head, keeping his eyes shut. “G-good night.” He trotted out of the room, closing the door behind him as he did so.
After he did, he sighed with relief in the darkness of the hallway, taking a few deep breaths. His body felt as if he had just galloped around Ponyville, and he couldn’t understand why. He trotted down the hallway and into his living room quietly as he possibly could, not wanting to prevent Hollow from falling asleep. He set his typewriter down on his coat and moved his fedora aside. He took out the page he had typed on early that morning, leaving a blank one in it’s place. He raised his hooves to get ready to type, but just as he did, he realised his mind wasn’t going to allow him to anything of the sort. As he stared at the blank page, into the pure emptiness of it’s whiteness, his mind could only think about Hollow, and how she had made him feel as he left the room. He had a deep feeling, not just in his heart, but in his mind as well, that gazing into Hollow’s eyes reminded him of something very similar, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what it was. That feeling, I swear I feel as though I have felt it before, but I know for a fact I never have... Or maybe I have felt it before, and I just cannot remember when and where I did, and with whom...
He rummaged through his mind as best he could, filing through the different memories he had, as if he was filing cases he had worked on in a file cabinet. At one point, however, he felt a mental rift, an anomaly that shouldn’t be there. He delved towards it, striving to remember, trying to figure out what was in the rift, but no matter what, as his mind tried to close in on the rift, and access the memories within, it became harder and harder to just try. It was as if a brick wall had been built around that section of his memory banks. It had to be there for a reason, but why? He tried to force his way inside, and access the information behind the metaphorical wall. He tried to take down the wall, brick by mental brick, but just as he began to feel as though he had only removed one brick, one single piece of metal blockage, tears streamed down his face, and a great feeling of melancholy began to wash over him. What could the memories behind the wall be? Why do they cause me to cry, and feel so much despair? What could have happened that was so horrible and traumatic to me that it cause my mind to block it off from the rest of my consciousness? Why can’t I remember it?
Upon reaching that question within his mind, he snapped out of his trance, and came back to reality. As he did, he was breathing heavily, and his head pounded with pain, much like what would happen if he were to come out of a coma. He looked at his big clockwork clock he kept on the wall, and noticed something that shocked him. He had been sitting on the couch, infiltrating his mind for the past twenty minutes. He couldn’t believe he had been doing it for that long. He felt even worse than he had before he started, and was able to shut his eyes after using a bit of force, They felt as dry as the desert of Saddle Arabia. He leant over and blew out the lantern he had lit upon coming home. As he lied his head down on the couch pillow, he felt like he hadn’t slept for days. He slowly closed his eyes, letting relaxation and peace blanket him as he did so. He had one last thought before he fell asleep, and his body began to rest, but that last thought would stick with him as he slept that night, for it was the only thing his mind could think about. If whatever I can not remember brings me such extreme feelings of misery and depression, then I don’t think I want to even remember it at all...
&&&
As the morning light of Celestia’s sun seeped into the windows of the home of Blizzard Underwood, and slowly began to creep over his shut eyelids, all in the house was peacefully still, the bliss of silence blanketing every room. The only thing that would dare interrupt such a calm moment would be something unknowing of the gift of silence, such as an inanimate object. And so, the clock upon the wall in Blizz’s living room began to chime, breaking the silence, and noting the hour as the first hour of dawn. The combination of the blinding light of Celestia’s sun, and the ringing in his ears from the clock forcefully summoned Blizz from his slumber, opening his eyes only to close them tightly again in blinding pain. A sneeze escaped his muzzle, a reaction from the sun blinding him, and he groaned quietly.
“Come on, Celestia, why do you have to wake up so early every morning?” He slowly sat up, rubbing an eye with a hoof as he did. After a stifled post-sleep yawn, he viewed his surroundings, the events of the past night replaying life a short film within his mind. He hopped off the couch, his hooves resounding on the ebony wood floorboards, and after stretching his hooves, back, and wings, shook his head to eliminate all the tiredness he still had in his body.
He quietly trotted down the hallway and to his bedroom door, which he promptly opened as gently as possible. He peeked his head in, and came upon the vision of Hollow, lying peacefully in his bed. She was still in a deep and quiet slumber despite the fracas that the clock had just made a moment before. Blizz smiled at the sight, admiring how elegant she looked, even whilst she slept. He softly closed the door, keeping as quiet as possible so as to allow Hollow to sleep. He trotted down the hallway once again, heading out into the kitchen, so he could begin his day. He still didn’t know why, but all he could think about was Hollow, just like the night before. It was as if his mind couldn’t get enough of her. Hollow Heart... Such a beautiful name... One befitting of a noble of some kind. I wonder if she had been a noble wherever she came from... It would explain the elegance and grace of her every movement, the air with which she holds herself, and the beauty which she beholds.
He retrieved a cup from a cupboard, and after filling it with water from the tap, emptied the water into the toaster’s reserve. He opened the window behind the toaster, preparing for the steam that came off of the appliance as it did its magic. He extracted two slices of bread from a loaf in his pantry, set them inside the toaster, and pushed down the slider that began its cooking process. Steam began to flow from the exhaust pipe and out the window, just as it always did when he used it. He admired the wonders of the engineering that went into the toaster as he watched the steam engine heat up and begin to cook his toast. With a smile, he turned from the machine, and trotted out into the front room. Once there, he trotted over to the three book cases he had, the titles ranging from Daring Do and the Griffon’s Goblet, and Potter the Pony and Clever Clover’s Stone, to Ruler of the Bracelet: The Brotherhood of the Bracelet, the last of which he took out to read. He sat on the couch and opened the book, relaxing as he waited for his food to finish heating up. However, his food wasn’t really what he was waiting for, and even he knew it. He was waiting for Hollow to get up. He couldn’t explain it, or find a reason why. The only thing he did know, was that he could not get enough of her.
&&&
Not until six hours later did Chrysalis, still disguised as Hollow, awake. Her coma-like sleep was disrupted by the sound of wood being knocked upon by hooves, and she scowled at the fact that she had been roused before her full sleep cycle was finished. She needed more sleep than normal, due to the length at which she had trotted without sleep from Appleoosa. As her senses came back to her, she began to hear muffled and hushed voices from behind the wall and down the hall. Curiosity rose inside her. Who could those voices be coming from? As far as she could tell, there were two other voices besides that of Blizz’s, who seemed to sound surprised, and perhaps... reluctant about something. Hmm... Are there ponies inquiring about me? Bah, it is most likely nothing, the fool does not have any recollection of me, and therefore has no reason to betray me. As far as he knows, I am just a poor pony who wandered into town and has no friends. The worst thing it could possibly be is a couple friends of his, wondering just exactly why they have to be quiet.
She chuckled darkly to herself as she pulled the blankets off of her slowly, stretching her disguised limbs, feeling much better than she had the night before, especially with the kindness that Blizz had given her, along with the small amount of love she had been able to extract by putting on her charms for him, and entrancing him with her eyes. That knave is playing right into my hooves. The changeling gaze I had cast upon him last night meant more than he most likely thought it did. It was a magical presence, one that implanted thoughts of love into his head, and made him begin to love me. The spell I cast upon him with my eyes was one of longing, and lust. I wouldn’t doubt that he’s probably thought about me non-stop all day because of it. She descended from the bed and onto the wooden floor, landing softly, so as not to alert Blizz and whomever he was with to her awakeness. She quietly sauntered over to the mirror that leaned against the wall, the cold dark black metal frame of flowers and angelic ponies adorning it unaffected by the light of the sun that was cast upon it, as if the metal was made specifically for that purpose. She gazed upon herself, or rather, her false self, in the fine reflective glass of mirror, and patted down sections of her fake mane, morphing sections if she had to, until it was in perfect order. She began to trot towards the door, only to find it open for her, instead of having to open it herself.
The pony responsible for the opening of the door, Blizz, stood within the doorway. He gasped upon locking eyes with her, and swallowed hard just afterwards. He stood there for a good ten seconds, breathing deeply, before he was finally able to summon words from the vocal cords in his throat, the whole time Hollow giving him a kind and warm smile.
“Er... Th... There’s a couple ponies I’d like you to meet, and who would like to meet you. I was just coming in to wake you up. ...Me and my friends didn’t wake you with our talking, did we? Or what about their knocking? I tried to tell them to stay quiet. Well, I only had to tell one of them to stay quiet, but you know what I mean...”
“No, ‘tis perfectly fine, I slept for a longer time than acceptable anyways, and I needed to be woken up. Now then, show me to them, if you please,” Hollow said, lying through her teeth. She was still slightly peeved that she had been so rudely awoken, but the small amount of love emanating from Blizz was giving her enough pleasure to help her keep calm.
Blizz sighed with relief to find that Hollow was not visibly angry. He swallowed again before he spoke, feeling as though his throat was dry. “Right...” He turned and trotted out of the bedroom, and down the hall. As they came into the living room, the sight of two ponies became clear, a light gray one wearing a regal looking dress and top hat with glasses, and a pale light grayish gold one wearing a casual dress and decorative protective covering upon her wings. Hollow recognised the both of them, and it took all she had to not growl upon seeing them. They were Rarity, the noble and generous lady, and Fluttershy, the kind and timid. Two of the ponies that opposed her at Canterlot when she had tried to take over. Rarity smiled and stood proudly, used to meeting new ponies, but Fluttershy however seemed to try to hide behind Rarity, her shyness getting the best of her as it always did. Hollow and Blizz stopped in front of them, and Blizz cleared his throat as best he could, swallowing once again. “Rarity, Fluttershy, this is Hollow, Hollow, these are my friends Rarity and Fluttershy.”
Hollow smiled gently at the two ponies before her. “Hello, my name is Hollow, Hollow Heart. It is so very nice to meet you, Rarity and Fluttershy.” After she finished her sentence, she bowed before them, like a true lady. She could not have been any more convincing.
Rarity bowed before Hollow as well before speaking, happy to see somepony else who enjoyed proper etiquette as much as she did. “And it is very nice to meet you too, Hollow Heart. Just as Blizzard told you, my name is Rarity. I am the local tailor of this town. Perhaps you have heard of me? I have made dresses for ponies such as Hoity Toity and Sapphire Shores before.”
Hollow pretended to be taken aback. “Why, I have heard of you before! Your designs are simply magnificent, Miss Rarity. The way you sew your dresses is absolutely divine.” Rarity’s eyes lit up upon hearing Hollow say that, and Hollow knew she had Rarity in the bag, hook, line, and sinker.
“Why Hollow Heart, you flatter me! You simply must come by my shop here in town sometime. I would be more than happy to make you a fine dress that would perfectly show everypony just how ravishing you are! It would be my pleasure, and my honour,” Rarity said, placing a hoof upon her chest in pride.
Hollow smiled politely and bowed her head slightly in a respectful way, to show she was grateful for the offer Rarity had just made her. “Thank you very much, Miss Rarity. I’d be more than happy to stop by your shop sometime and get a dress made for me. I’d love to see you in action as you do your magic.”
“Oh, please, Hollow Heart, stop it! The amount of praise you are giving me is just too much! I am not worthy of such a grand amount of praise! ...But no, really, you can praise me all you like, I quite enjoy it,” Rarity said with a gleeful smile. She gestured a hoof over to the couch in the middle of the living room, and Hollow nodded her head, agreeing to the invitation to sit down that Rarity had presented to her.
As Rarity and Hollow trotted over and sat upon the couch, discussing all sorts of different things, and getting to know each other, Blizz trotted up to Fluttershy, who was standing a little bit taller since Hollow had trotted away from her. “Heya, Shy, how’ve you been since last night? I remember you left the party early because you didn’t want to get stuck in the rain, and because the loud music that was playing bothered you.”
A dainty little smile spread across Fluttershy’s lips as her back and neck straightened, and she stood at normal height. She was finally comfortable again since one of her friends was talking to her. “Oh, I’ve been just fine, Blizzard, thank you for asking. But, I didn’t leave the party for just those reasons, I also left the party because I wanted to be home to be able to put all of the animals I take care of to bed. I couldn’t just leave them unattended all night.”
Blizz smiled knowingly as he heard Fluttershy’s explanation. “Ah, it’s fine, Shy. No need to worry about it. There’s been times where I’ve had to leave a party because of prior engagements, as well, so I can completely understand where you’re coming from in that regard.” He gestured his head back and to the right, towards the kitchen. “C’mon, let’s talk more in the kitchen. I’ll grab us both a glass of water while we’re at it, too, ‘cause I’m feeling parched.”
He turned around and led Fluttershy into the kitchen, where the scent of Egg In A Baskets could still be caught upon the nose. Fluttershy took a seat at the small circular dining table, whilst Blizz grabbed two glass cups and filled them full of cold water from the tap. After filling them both, he brought them over to the table on his wings, sliding Fluttershy’s in front of her, whilst sliding his over in front of the seat he wanted to take. He sat down and took a sip from his glass while Fluttershy did the same, and then finally spoke again.
“So, what do you think of Hollow, Shy? Isn’t she just the most beautiful filly you’ve ever seen?”
Fluttershy didn’t really know how to respond to the question, because Hollow was the last thing on her mind at that moment. “I... I guess she is, yeah...” Her response had come out almost as a whisper, just as soft-spoken as ever. “I mean, she is really pretty and all, and Rarity seems to like her, but...” Fluttershy stopped there, she didn’t want to say anything that would anger Blizz.
Blizz, however, could tell that Fluttershy had stopped before she was about to say something. Three years of Detective work taught him to be able to read into ponies speaking patterns, and also the expressions on their faces. Unluckily for her, the expression on Fluttershy’s face at that moment showed that she had something to hide. “Fluttershy, you don’t have to keep things to yourself. I’m your friend, you can trust me. Now, I may disagree with something you may say, but in the end, it’s your opinion, and it’s not my place to change it. Even so, however, you’re my friend, and your opinion matters to me, whether I like it or not, so please, tell me what’s on your mind.”
Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, but then sighed in resolve. She knew that Blizz meant what he said, and that she didn’t have to worry about him getting mad at her. “Well, it’s about Hollow. I’m not sure if she’s really a nice girl or not. Sure, her words and her voice may sound kind, but her eyes... When I looked into her eyes, all I could see was darkness, and... and hate.” Fluttershy looked away from Blizz as she spoke, feeling bad for disapproving of Blizz’s liking for Hollow.
Blizz was surprised at what Fluttershy had said, and could hardly believe it. Whenever he had looked into Hollow’s eyes, all he saw was kindness, caring, and... and something else he couldn’t put his hoof on, but he knew that it wasn’t bad. If anything, the feeling he had gotten was better than any he had felt in his entire life, he just didn’t know what it was called. “I... I don’t know what to say, Shy. I’m just confused. I mean, I don’t see either of those things when I look in her eyes. When I look in her eyes, I get a feeling of... of...” He was trying his hardest to figure out what the feeling was, but no matter how hard he tried, he didn’t know what it was called, or what to call it. “What is that feeling called, where... where you feel your heart beating faster, and you have trouble breathing normally. And... and it feels as though butterflies are in your stomach?”
It was Fluttershy’s turn to be surprised at something somepony said. She absolutely couldn’t believe that Blizz didn’t know what it was called when somepony loved another. She wondered for a moment if that meant that Blizz had never fallen in love with anypony before, but she decided not to ask that. “Blizz, that feeling... That feeling is called Love. It’s when you like a pony so much that you can’t help but think about them all the time, or want to be with them all the time. That’s what you’re trying to say, right? That you feel love for Hollow?”
A smile appeared on Blizz’s face. “Oh my gosh, I’m so stupid! I can’t believe I couldn’t tell that it was love!” He blushed, and leaned his head down and forward. “Er... Yes, I... I think I love Hollow.” He was happy to finally say it aloud. He felt as though he wanted to shout it from the roof of his house, but at the same time, he felt as though he wanted to keep it secret, and keep it safe. “Wow, that’s... That’s amazing. In all of those romance novels that I’ve read, I’ve read about love so many times, it’s not even funny. ...And yet, I couldn’t tell that I was in love myself.” He grabbed one of Fluttershy’s hooves between both of his own, causing her to blush. “Thank you, Fluttershy, thank you!” He felt so happy, he just couldn’t contain it.
Fluttershy was taken aback, and gave Blizz a nervous smile as she nodded her head. She slipped her hoof out from between Blizz’s, and sighed with relief before she spoke again, with a kind smile. “No problem, Blizz, I’m happy I could help. Now, I know you may love her, but please, remember what I said, and be cautious. I don’t want one of my friends to get hurt. That would be just awful!”
Fluttershy meant what she said, and Blizz could tell. He smiled, happy to know that no matter what, his friends will always look out for him. “Again, thanks, Shy. You have no idea just how much what you’ve done and said means to me, so I’ll keep that in mind.” He took another sip from his drink, and just as he did, the clock in the living room rang, telling everypony within the house that it was three o'clock. Just after it finished, the sound of hooves upon the wooden floor of the house could be heard coming towards the kitchen, and Rarity trotted in, Hollow behind her.
Rarity quietly and politely cleared her throat before she spoke, announcing her presence in the room, and Blizz and Fluttershy turned to look at her. “Sorry to have to leave so soon Blizzard, but Fluttershy and I simply cannot be late for our spa appointment. Aloe and Lotus would be disappointed if I didn’t show up today, because I always get a treatment there on this day of the week, and I am their favourite customer.”
Blizz gently hopped out of his seat with a content smile. “Ah, no problem Rarity, Fluttershy and I had just finished talking anyways.” He helped Fluttershy out of her seat, and after emptying the two glasses he had poured in the sink and leaving them on the counter for cleaning, the four trotted out into the living room and to the door, which Blizz opened for Rarity and Fluttershy, who both left with a kind goodbye to him and Hollow. “See you two around!” Blizz said with a wave of his hoof, just before closing the door softly.
He turned from the door with his eyes closed as he adjusted his tie. “Those two are really nice ponies, don’t ya think, Hollow?” With the utterance of her name, Blizz opened his eyes to see Hollow lying upon the couch. Blizz gulped as he looked at her. The position she was in, in which she lie spread out upon the couch, was intently alluring, but what was more importantly alluring as well, was her eyes, which seemed to glow once again with a virulent green that hypnotized him, just as they had the night before.
He couldn’t look anywhere else but her eyes, the spell they were casting on him was tainting, it stained his mind with an paramount and sovereign feeling of absolute rapturous passion that blanketed his mind and all of his thoughts, entirely wrapping them within. She was everything to him in that moment, and his body was under her ultimate authority. His hooves began to move on their own accord, lifting themselves one by one, trotting ever closer and closer to Hollow, who was waiting for him as they did so. He stopped in front of her, his head bent down as his eyes were still locked with hers. He felt his neck motion forward and downward, and as it did so, his muzzle became closer to Hollow’s, and a blush spread across his cheeks. Then, in one nimble act, Hollow’s lips locked with his, and his eyes opened wide, whilst hers closed. He felt her silken tongue brush against his lips, and he couldn’t take it anymore, his heart was fit to burst as his lips parted to allow Hollow entry into his mouth, and as did hers. Their tongues began to glide against each other, and wrap themselves around one another, like snakes, her tongue more so than his.
It was the final stroke, Hollow had finally won him over perfectly and wholly. He had been corrupted, ruined, by her kiss, for it was the kiss of a changeling, which is much akin to venom of the highest potency, or poison of the highest caliber. Once their lips finally parted, a small string of saliva dangled between them, which Hollow licked up. Hollow gestured to the space in front of her that was left on the couch. Without needing instruction, Blizz did exactly what she wanted him to, to the letter. He snuggled up next to her upon the couch, and she wrapped her hooves around him, one under his wing and around his chest, and one around his neck, holding him close to her. She kissed him on the cheek, and his eyes began to close slowly, sleep coming to him much easier than it normally did, as he breathed slowly and calmly, until he was finally unconscious between the hooves of the filly he had fallen in love with.
Just as he did so, a wicked and sinister smile spread across the disguised lips of Chrysalis, for she had just gotten the most insidious idea for a plan within her mind, one that would allow her to take complete revenge upon the fool she was holding betwixt her hooves. One that would put every single one of his limits to the test, and make him face every wrong that he had committed against her on that fateful day when she had learned to hate his race. By the end of it, he would be driven mad, completely and utterly insane, and in his hysteria, he would take his own life. It would be a flawless and supreme form of revenge, and Chrysalis was surprised she hadn’t thought of it sooner than that moment. She looked down at Blizz, who was still breathing softly, his body tranquil, and his mind comfortably numb and mellow. She would wait until night spread throughout the land, and once it did, lead Blizz away from the town and all of its inhabitants, and deep into the Everfree Forest.
The forest that will become his eternal resting place...
&&&
Throughout the history of Equestria, ponies have been faced with consequences for the actions they’ve made. They’ve been frozen absolutely solid for hating each other, they’ve been locked up for committing such crimes as treason, theft, or murder. They’ve been imprisoned, or banished, to domains where they couldn’t hurt anypony, and some had even been turned to stone. But with all of the punishment that had been dealt throughout time immemorial, some crimes are never given punishment for. Crimes against the heart being just one kind of them. The only time that the committees of crimes such as those were punished for them, was when somepony knew about them, and in a queer sort of vigilante justice, punished them for the crimes they had committed against whomever, be it the vigilante themselves, or somepony else that the vigilante cared about.
Blizz did not remember it, but he had committed those very same crimes long ago, when he had lived in Trottingham. Chrysalis, however, remembered everything. Every single exact detail about the crimes. She remembered the rejection, the fear, and the hate. All of them. And the fact that he was unpunished for them, it made her outright furious. She knew that the only possible way for him to be punished for the crimes he had committed against her, the only way for him to face consequences for his actions, would be if she made him face the consequences. And so, it was with that, that Chrysalis had devised her plan. As night descended across the land, she waited patiently. The immense amount of patience she beheld whilst waiting for night was nearly infinite, for she knew the time for justice was drawing near, and it was in that fact that she found resolve and patience. As night finally arrived, and the light of dusk was no longer upon the horizon, the time of action had finally arrived. And Chrysalis would not waste any second of it for all the world.
Blizz awoke with a start, gasping for breath as he did so. He felt as though his lungs had been crushed just a moment before he awoke it was hard to breathe. He concluded that his body seemed to be numb. He couldn’t move anything, except for his eyes, which were open wide. He realised he was still on his couch, and found peace in that fact, but he could not feel Hollow behind him anymore. Instead, all he felt was the chill of the emptiness of the space she had left behind him. He could barely see anything as his eyes wandered, his vision trying to adjust to the darkness all around him within the house. It was then, however, that he came upon a disturbing sight: his front door was open, however slightly. He normally wasn’t a pony to give into paranoia easily, but at that moment, he was extremely susceptible to the normally facile perception. After a moment or two, feeling slowly began to come back to his body, and with feeling, came slow and careful movement.
He slid off of the couch, placing his hooves on the floor as silently as possible. He quietly moved over to the door, looking around with caution as he did. He cracked the door open a tad further, just enough to stick his head out through the opening. As he looked around outside, he spied nopony within his vision. Nopony but one. A most familiar silhouette sat between the gate to his front yard, and in that instant, he knew that the reason for the door being open was her. It was Hollow, staring at him through the cloudless moonlight, a hoof out, as if inviting him to come out to her. He was standing in his doorway by that time, the door open fully. He had a feeling that she wanted to take him somewhere. Somewhere they would be all night. He trotted back inside quickly, and set the contents of his vest pockets upon the coffee table, not wanting to accidentally lose any of them, before trotting back to the doorway. As he looked back out upon the sight of Hollow, he saw her standing, ready to begin trotting to wherever she wanted to trot. Blizz turned the lock on the door as he trotted outside.
As he began to trot down the path from his home to the road, Hollow began to trot as well, beginning to lead him to where she wanted to go. As he followed her, Blizz couldn’t help but wonder where she was taking him. He remained silent, not wanting to ruin the moment, but in his head, he kept asking questions that would not receive answers.
We seem to be trotting further within the dark side of town, closer to the forest... Could that be where she’s taking me? Somewhere within the forest? What could be in the forest that she wants to show me? It there a specific place in the forest that is special to her? ...I guess I’ll just have to trust her. She most likely knows what she is doing if she is daring to trot within the Everfree... Blizz decided to quit asking himself questions, and to just simply let things happen as they happened.
After a trek that seemed to forever, the buildings around them began to fade as they trotted away from them. They were trotting through a grassy field, the Everfree Forest drawing nearer and nearer as they moved along. After a few minutes, they had finally reached the forest line, where the forest started, and the field ended. However, they had come upon an entrance to the forest Blizz had not seen or heard of before. They trotted inside, and before long, they were surrounded by trees from every direction, and darkness shrouded the places between them. Blizz could barely keep an easy track of the direction he was going, and the only ways he was able to keep following Hollow were the short glimpses he caught of her from openings in the forest ceiling that let in a very small amount of light, and the sounds of leaves and sticks crunching and snapping under her hooves as she made her way through the trees. Blizz tried his best to stay on the path that Hollow was laying out before him, and keep as close to her as possible in the darkness, but no matter how hard he tried, he felt as though he was only moving slower and slower, as Hollow began to move further away from him with each trot he made. Even in a full on gallop, pushing his limbs to the limit, he could not seem to catch up to her. It was as if the distance between them only grew, and never shrank.
Eventually, he had lost sight of Hollow, and could not even hear the sounds of sticks and leaves beneath her hooves. He stopped right where he was, in the middle of the forest, stuck with no idea where to go. Hollow hadn’t led him on a straight path, so it wasn’t as if he could simply just turn around, or just keep trotting forward. It was in that moment that he began to feel lost, abandoned by the world, and completely on his own with no help whatsoever.
He swallowed hard, clearing his throat. “Hello?” He spoke out. “Hollow, where are you? Which way did you go?” He was afraid to shout, and draw attention to himself from the creatures of the forest. He stood in near silence, the only sounds he could hear being those of the forest, such as the falling of leaves, or the caw of a bird. Then, all was still, and the indomitable quiet flooded over everything, presiding as the ultimate authority within the forest at that moment. In an instant, however, in the bleakness of the forest, the silence was broken, as a low, deep, dark growl seemed to rumble from a short distance behind him. What he presumed to be the paw falls of a large creature then followed, sounding as if they were coming in his direction.
His body quaked with fear, and he began to wander once more to see if he could find Hollow, and hopefully escape whatever was behind him. The sounds, however only got closer, and the only thing he could do was trot faster, trotting faster and faster until he was once again in a gallop. He began to perceive a light up ahead of him, a cry of salvation, one to lead him to safety and harmony. Just as he was half of the distance he had been to it when he had first noticed it, however, a loud roar erupted from behind him, causing him to jump from fright, trip from losing his balance, and fall to the ground. As he flipped around to face what was chasing him, he found... nothing. Nothing was behind him, even though he could have swore that the roar had come from only a few feet away. He was shocked, more than just astounded by the fact that he had been running from nothing, noises that had probably been part of his imagination, created from the fear and paranoia that the forest seemed to awaken within him. He searched through the darkness of the forest, and happened upon a fleeting glimpse of Hollow, the silken hair of her tail vanishing behind a tree.
It was then that Blizz had been presented with a choice. He turned and looked back at the exit to the forest, the safe and calming light coming from it calling to him, telling him that if he stayed upon the path towards it, he would find salvation, and harmony. He then looked back into the forest, catching a glimpse of Hollow once again, seeing her face in the light of the moon for only a second before she disappeared once more. He was presented with a choice: Trust his faith, and follow the path out, or falter from the path set before him, submit to the temptations of his heart, and try to follow Hollow through the darkness of the forest. As he stood there, his heart pounding, and his mind torn on the decision, his body made the choice for him. He began to trot back into the forest. It was true, Hollow’s kiss had ruined him. It had made him a slave to her every whim, and he was doing exactly what she wanted him to.
As he trotted away from the entrance to salvation, the trees seemed to weep around him, weeping for his loss. His loss of innocence, peace, and harmony. They wept for him as he was lured away from the gilded gate of the exit, and led into a deadly, forbidden dance.
“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” -Dante Alighieri