Chapter 8:End of the Innocence
“It seems I have to concentrate more….” Heynriik said holding a horseshoe and aiming to the steel post of a “Point ‘n’ shot” game in the last day of the Great Summer Fair, a traditional fair on Canterlot that appears every year on summer’s last week.
“Heynriik, you don’t have to…” Chrysalis was shushed by his left hand before she could say anything.
“Silence! I said that I’ll get that big manticore plushie for you and I swear that it will be yours even if need to pay for other 20 rounds!” Chrysalis removed his hand and shook her head in disbelief while letting out a giggle.
“Ok, but if you keep failing, I think you won’t have enough bits to buy us some cotton candy as you promised!” Heynriik looked back at her and winked an eye.
“Don’t worry, this time I shall not fail!” the human kid glared at the steel post, getting ready for his shot.
He sighed anxiously and bit his lower lip, his right hand swing once, twice, and at the third he throw the horseshoe before closing his eyes unconsciously.
*PLONCK*
After hearing that, he opened one eye slowly and then the other, a wide smile appeared on his face joined with shine on his eyes.
“YYYYEESSSSS!!!” He jumped punching the air, after spend almost all the bits that Celestia gave him, Heynriik make the horseshoe fall on the post.
“Well, it was time…” Chrysalis shrugged glaring at Heynriik, who was still euphoric for his victory.
After a while, Heynriik stopped and recovered some breath before talking to the fair booth’s owner.
“Good shot little prince!, there’s no many ponies that have enough guts to choose that one, as you saw, it’s the most difficult I’ve got!” said the orange coated pony that was in charge of that booth.
“And now….which one you want?” the owner pointed to the shelf behind him, there was a lot of plushies of all kinds, small, big, with the form of dragons, hydra, minotaur and other creatures.
“I want the big manticore one!” Heynriik said pointing the manticore plushie, it was the biggest of the entire booth and was in the highest point of the shelf; the owner nodded as he caught the plushie to give it to Heynriik.
Heynriik nuzzled a bit the plushie, it was very fluffy and smooth, he looked to Chrysalis that was looking at him seriously.
“What? I told you that i was going to get this plushie, and I did it!” Heynriik quipped, the young mare rolled her eyes and grabbed the plushie with her hooves to leave it on the ground, then she got closer to him until her face was very close to his, Heynriik looked innocently at her while Chrysalis was grinning.
“You really took your time to get that manticore….” Chrysalis said in a sweet tone.
“Well….you wanted it also…. It was worth it, right?” Heynriik looked at the big manticore plushie and then to Chrysalis, he let
out a shrug accompanied with a happy expression on his face.
“Indeed, Riki…” Chrysalis moved slowly her lips to meet with Heynriik ones and kiss him for a couple of seconds, she leaned back her head and smiled showing her growing fangs, Heynriik blushed making his face look like a tomato.
“It was worth it” Heynriik moved his head trying to hide his blush and scratched his hair, Chrysalis giggled and kissed him again but this time on the cheek, he turned his head to see Chrysalis and smiled, then he seemed to realize something, Heynriik put his right hand on one of the pockets of his pants to take a look at his budget, he downed his head and shook his head, Chrysalis looked the budget too and sighed sadly.
“There’s only five bits left…” Chrysalis said to Heynriik cheerless.
“We haven’t enough to buy two cotton candy…” Heynriik put his badget back on the pocket, he moved his hand over Chrysalis neck and stroked her mane, making her sigh happily, he stopped and move in front of her.
“But, we have enough to get one and share it!” Heynriik said extending his arms as showing a joyful smile.
“Oh, r- really? I mean, I don’t want you to spend the few bits that you have left in a-“ Heynriik put two fingers on the changeling’s mouth to shut her up, then he grabbed her two front hooves to make her stand on her hind ones and look at him at the same eye level.
“Chrysalis, I don’t know how much time we have until you return to the Changeling Kingdom, so before that happens I want you to enjoy your last days on Canterlot, I want you to forget all the bad things that the ponies here had say to you, I want you to remember all this time that we are spending together, I want you to feel…..loved” Heynriik lowered her hooves so she could stand in her four hooves again, then he did something rare to someone born on the royalty.
He bowed, lowering one leg and the other leg touching the ground.
“Will you, Miss Princess Chrysalis of the changelings, my date for this afternoon and love of my life, accept the offer of this poor adopted human prince for a shared cotton candy?” Chrysalis put a hoof on her mouth and widened her emerald eyes; she closed her eyes nodding in excitement.
“I will, Sir Heynriik” Chrysalis offered her hoof to him, but Heynriik tilted his head unknowing what she wanted, the young mare growled and moved away some hair that was covering her face.
“Aren’t you going to kiss my hoof like a gentlecolt do when is with a mare?”
“What? Oh! Okay…” Heynriik touched her hoof and kissed it, Chrysalis tried to hide the blush on her dark cheeks turning her head.
“Now….shall we go?” Heynriik said while releasing her hoof, the changeling mare paid attention to him again and nodded fast in agreement, the human smiled while grabbing the big manticore plushie.
After buying the cotton candy, they decided to get out of the fair and rest somewhere, while walking Heynriik looked that most of the ponies around them where giving cold looks to him and Chrysalis as well, some frowned, others where muttering, glancing or just looked angry.
“Heynriik wh- what’s wrong with ev- everypony? Why all looking us li- like that?” Chrysalis got closer to Heynriik, with her body touching his, the young changeling’s wings started to buzz nervously, Heynriik noticed that she was getting more and more nervous, he could even fell how Chrysalis’s heartbeat speed increased, he comforted her placing a hand on her carapace and rubbed it slowly, making the mare let a sigh out as turning her head to smile at him.
“Don’t worry, I’m with you, I won’t let anypony hurt you” These words relaxed Chrysalis’s nerves as her heartbeats got slower until they reached the normal rate; she stared at him with a kind smile and shine on her eyes.
“I….i don’t know what would happened to me if you didn’t appear in my life, Heynriik…” The human smiled at her and kissed her muzzle gently, making the changeling show some pink blush on her cheeks.
Both had forgotten all the unpleasant looks that the ponies on the fair where doing, they felt warm, happy and safe with each other, having a holiday that they may never forget.
Heynriik saw that they passed the last fair’s booths and were heading to the Harmony Park, they had been walking a plenty of time, and carrying the cotton candy as the manticore plushie at the same time was annoying him, so he thought that a rest while eating the sweetness of that cotton candy could be a good idea.
“Hey Chrysalis, why don’t we sit under that tree?” Heynriik pointed to one of the many trees of the Harmony Park.
“Yes please, I’m a bit tired” Chrysalis nodded and took a look at the cotton candy that was holding Heynriik in the hand, her eyes where stuck at the pink sweet’s bouncing not looking away at any second, some saliva was starting to fall over her mouth.
“Looks delicious, right?” The changeling hear that coming from Heynriik’s mouth, he chuckled a bit making Chrysalis lift an eyebrow expecting him to show what was so funny.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Your mouth, Chrysalis” She had no idea what he tried to say, Heynriik pointed her mouth with a hand, she touched her muzzle and finally knew what was going, Chrysalis was spreading a lot of saliva from her mouth, she couldn’t wait any more to taste the so good looking sweet.
“Ups…em…sorry” Chrysalis bit her inferior lip and turned her head away trying to hide the blush created by such embarrassing thing.
“hahahaha Oh! You can’t imagine how cute you loo when you do that, Chrissy!” Heynriik said trying to hold his own laugh, Chrysalis gasped and looked at him offended, she hissed showing her sharp teeth to him, Heynriik stopped laughing and gave her an apologizing look.
“YOU KNOW THAT I REALLY HATE THAT NICKNAME, HEYNRIIK, IF YOU…IF YOU SAY IT….AGAIN…” Chrysalis was breathing heavily, her face was red of rage, she lifted a hoof to do something rare, punch him for don’t respect such a simple thing like not saying that, but she didn’t want that to happen, no, she would never hurt him, her heart was telling her that she would regret it if she does it, she downed her hoof and tried to relax.
“Chrysalis i….i’m sorry, I really am, but…..bah nevermind, I don’t have excuse for this…” Heynriik looked down to his black and stylish shoes that Celestia ordered to make just for him and for this date, perfectly fitting on his feet, he felt very sad for lie her, for breaking his promise.
Then he saw a black holed hoof touching his chest, he looked forward and saw Chrysalis smiling with a bit of sadness on her face.
“What if we just sit there at once…..and we start with the cotton candy?” Heynriik just nodded without saying anything, both moved to sit under the tree, Heynriik was showing a small smile on his face and don’t looking away of Chrysalis.
Human and Changeling were sitting aside a tree, looking at the light blue sky, with no many ponies around them to molest, there wasn’t nothing that could distract them, it was just them, the dry wind of the summer, and silence, sweet and peaceful silence.
Heynriik leaved the manticore plushie at his side and grabbed a piece of cotton candy with his hand, but instead of eat it, he looked at Chrysalis that was waiting expectantly to taste it, she lets out her tongue to slid it through her lips, Heynriik smiled and moved his hand with the little piece of cotton candy in front of Chrysalis muzzle.
“Take it” Heynriik said to her, she smiled and grabbed the sweet with her hooves to eat it, first Chrysalis did a small bite to test if it tasted so good as Heynriik said, she find it delicious and sticky, even more delicious than she could imagine, then she opened her mouth to eat the whole piece and chew strongly, Heynriik laughed at Chrysalis reaction aswell her mouth being all covered by the pink sweet.
“EETS AMAYSEENG! I HAVEN’T EETED SUMTHIN SO DELICIOUS EEN MA LIF, HEYNRIIK!” Chrysalis said at the same time she was eating the cotton candy, making her talk in a funny accent caused by the sweet, Heynriik grabbed another piece and eat it, he noticed the stickiness and sugary taste of the cotton candy.
“Yep, itz troo dat itz tasteez good” Heynriik said while trying to get the sweet fall down to his stomach.
After eating every part of the cotton candy, Heynriik and Chrysalis where lying on the grass looking at the sky, still with the silence as only one with them.
“Thanks Heynriik to buy that cotton candy, in the Changeling Kingdom there aren’t such delicious things like that” Suddenly on the human’s head popped some curiosity, he moved his head to the right to see Chrysalis and asked.
“Chrysalis…..how is the Changeling Kingdom?” Hearing that made the mare lift her head up and look to Heynriik surprised.
“You don’t know how it is? Celestia didn’t teach you anything about my race?” Heynriik shook his head and lifted his head too to be at the same level as Chrysalis.
“Not very much, only the basic like that you can shape shift in the aspect of other ponies, feed in love, your anatomy, the thousands of attacks your race did along all the history to Equestria, The Griffin Kingdom, the Zebra Tribes....but nothing about your kingdom” Chrysalis snorted and got closer to Heynriik until her face was just a few inches of his face.
“Heynriik….do you really want to know how really the changelings are?” Chrysalis asked in a sadly voice.
“Of course I want! in this time we were together I’ve told you everything about me, my friends, my life…but I don’t know how was your life before you came here, you never told me anything about your family or the life you got there” Chrysalis downed her head and sighed, then she sit in front of Heynriik, put a hoof on her chest and breathed slowly.
“Your right, I think after all we did together, I owe you at less being honest…”
“Okay, then……how looks like the Changeling Kingdom?”
“First, I don’t think it really deserves to have the title of “Kingdom”, because it’s only a city no more bigly than Canterlot, built over a mountain in the middle of the badlands”
“Wait, only a city? Then why it’s called “Kingdom”?” Heynriik asked, not believing that.
“Centuries ago, it was a real kingdom, with a lot of villages and cities, a unstoppable army that always succeeded in getting love, from the attacks that you said, to feed the population”
“Something must had happen to make all that don’t exist anymore” Heynriik said, Chrysalis nodded and continued.
“Due all the attacks and invasions that the Changeling army did, every territory around us started to grow a strong hate and rejection towards my people, they decided that it was over, that they won’t allow changelings damaging their homes anymore, then, ponies, griffins, zebras, diamond dogs, minotaurs….everyone that the changelings had suffered my people’s wrath, that had been cocooned to suck out their love, joined forces to return their pain to the changelings, only leaving a few of us and the capital, the only remaining city we have today” Heynriik noticed that Chrysalis were talking in a weak voice, like she didn’t want to talk about this.
“You don’t seem very proud to tell your people’s history” Chrysalis looked at him, at his green beautiful eyes, which feels like she’s watching his soul.
“Heynriik do you….do you think that I can become evil one day? That when I’ve became Queen in the future I’ll…..hurt other ponies, making them be scared and without any kind of hope, at the sight of an endless changeling army destroying their homes, taking the foals, mares and stallions into cocoons to feed on their love…” Chrysalis couldn’t hold it much more; she started to cry hardly, creating a waterfall of sadness on her face, she put both hooves to cover his face and avoid Heynriik saw her in this way.
“Chr- Chrysalis please, don’t cry, you’re not….you’ll never” Heynriik tried to calm her, but was worthless; the tears keep dropping down from her eyes.
“No, I’m not a monster….changelings aren’t monsters….we can…we should…” Chrysalis noticed something wrapping her; she opened her eyes and saw Heynriik hugging her strongly.
“You’re not a monster, Chrysalis…..monsters aren’t beautiful” Hearing that made Chrysalis eyes wide like never before, she moved her hooves to hug Heynriik and put her head over his shoulder, the tears were starting to go away slowly.
“You…you think I’m beautiful?” She asked in a weak tone.
“If you weren’t, my heart wouldn’t beat for you” Heynriik said whispering on her ear, Chrysalis released him from the hug and wiped her tears with a hoof, she stared at Heynriik who looked at her with a kind smile, a smile that melted her heart.
“Heynriik…i…you…” Chrysalis felt out of words, she couldn’t believe how important is Heynriik for her right now, all that happened between them, the moment when they met, their friendship evolved in romance, the kindness, the understanding, the love, everything that he did for her, not caring the fact that she was different to the rest of the world…..
…..but he was different too.
“Heynriik….words cannot express how important you are for me…” Heynriik chuckled and moved his face forward touching his nose with Chrysalis muzzle.
“If words don’t work……then you could show your gratitude in other way” He said giving a certain look with lidded eyes.
“Oh really? How?” Said Chrysalis lidding her eyes too, following his game.
“Well… a kiss could be a good idea” The changeling mare didn’t doubt any second and jumped to Heynriik making both collapse on the grass, then she kissed passionately claiming her human’s lips, Heynriik tried to fight back but Chrysalis was using all her strength in the kiss, finally she stopped and drew back her lips from Heynriik.
“Wow….that was….very good…” Heynriik said panting, trying to recover his breath.
“Glad you had enjoyed” Chrysalis winked at him and got up on her four hooves again.
“Humm….can I ask you something again?” Heynriik said, still recovering from the changeling’s passion attack.
“Yes, what it is?”
“How do changelings exactly….”feed” on love? It’s like eating normal food?” Chrysalis chuckled and then fall to the ground rolling her body and laughing hard.
“Hey! What’s so funny!?” Heynriik yelled at the same time he blushed, he knew that he just asked what it seemed a very silly thing for Chrysalis; she stopped laughing and got up again.
“Oh please! No! Of course no! We don’t “eat” love literally, it works differently”
“Then, if you don’t really “eat” love, how do you get love?” Chrysalis cleared her throat and said.
“We changelings can get love in three ways, the first one it’s through the cocoons, the cocoons absorb the love of anyone that is inside of it, when it had absorbed enough love, whoever is inside the cocoon it’s freed and the cocoon ends in the Changeling castle, where is a room with a large aerial, the cocoon is connected to the aerial and then it spreads the love to all the kingdom” Heynriik looked a bit disgusted at the image in his mind of a pony locked in a cocoon.
“That’s how we did it anciently, when an army of changelings attacked anyplace, they cocooned all who can be feed and after a while they released them and returned to our kingdom with the cocoons full of love”
“And the other ones?” Said Heynriik, not very convinced to keep hearing those things much longer.
“The second one is easier, love is a feeling, not a material thing, our bodies are spreading love all the time, but we can’t see it, so a changeling can be aside of a body that can love and feed on it, without he or she knows it” Heynriik lifted an eyebrow not sure what she wanted to mean.
“I don’t think I understand it….” Chrysalis giggled at that and followed his explanation.
“It’s not that difficult Heynriik!, it’s like…..breath, we are breathing all the time, but we don’t do it for our own, it’s our body that does it automatically, I can feed of love, but I can’t control it, when I’m near anypony that feels love, my body feeds on it without I need to do anything”
“So, if a changeling it’s with a pony, the changeling’s body feeds on love without doing anything? That’s what you’re trying to say?” Chrysalis nodded, Heynriik started to think and suddenly he looked at Chrysalis angry.
“Did you….feed on my love, Chrysalis?” The mare widened her eyes and hided his face with her long blue hair.
“I’m sorry but….as I said I can’t control it, I can’t choose who I want to feed and who not, it just….happens” Heynriik keep staring with angry eyes at her, but he realized what he was doing, if Chrysalis was right then he couldn’t blame her, if she can’t evade to feed on his love, even if she wanted, he cannot make her feel guilty, Heynriik gave a apologized look.
“I shouldn’t react like this, sorry Chrysalis, i….i can’t blame you, also I didn’t know it until you said it and I didn’t felt strange or hurt every time we’re together” Chrysalis looked at him and smiled, she put a hoof on his chest and rubbed it gently.
“It’s okay, Heynriik, I know that is very easy to you misunderstand these “feed on love” thing”
“Well, then…..what’s the last one?” Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at that question; she looked strangely to Heynriik who shrugged.
“You said that changelings could feed on love in three ways, you have already told me two, so only there’s one left” Chrysalis put a hoof under her chin and thought, she opened her mouth but said nothing, there was something that she had just remembered.
Chrysalis downed her head and blushed, she blushed like never before, then her body shake lightly, Heynriik was starting to concern so he moved her head up to see her face.
“What’s wrong? Why are you acting like that?” Chrysalis took off the humans hands and looked away.
“I….i can’t tell you that, Heynriik” The human moved to see Chrysalis face again, he hated when she tried to evade his attention.
“Why? It’s really that bad?” Chrysalis turned slowly her head to him and nodded; she shook her head and sighed.
“That way to…..feed on love is very…..you….you need to be older if you want to know it…” Heynriik sighed and looked at her with a smile.
“If you think it’s not okay to tell me now, I understand” Chrysalis rubbed his cheek gently and then kissed it, letting Heynriik escape a blush.
“Can you…..tell me one last thing, unless you want t-“ The changeling mare silenced him with a hoof on his mouth and nodded, Heynriik moved away her black holey hoof and laid with the tree’s body just a few inches from his head, Chrysalis followed him letting her body fall on the green silky grass of the Harmony park beside his beloved.
“Ask away” Chrysalis said in a sweet tone.
“How is your life in the Changeling Kingdom? I guess you lived like…..well like the princess you are” Chrysalis looked at her belly with sad half lidded eyes before she answers; she looked to Heynriik with an unexpressive face and answered.
“It isn’t easy….at least since some years ago when I started to learn about my people’s history and traditions” Heynriik placed a hand on her hoof. Chrysalis noticed this and felt her hearth beating faster.
“When I started to know everything that changelings have done in their history, hurting and rejecting the rest of races in the world, being no better than love stealing monsters, I started to ask myself, why don’t we change this? What makes us to be so hateful towards to anypony that isn’t a changeling? It’s that difficult to live in peace with everypony?, I wanted to know why, I wanted to believe that there was a way to be in peace with the rest, to work together, but not only that, I also dreamed on crossing the Changeling Kingdom limits to go to Equestria, to the Griffin Kingdom, I wanted to see the world beyond the badlands.” Chrysalis gulped at the time that her mouth began to shake while letting out some panting.
“I wish I knew what came next…”
“Why? What happened after that?” Heynriik asked surprised to hear how her life was until then.
“When I started to act like this, every changeling on the castle and the city changed, the guards gave me angry looks and hissings when I passed them, the rest of changelings of my age told me bad things and refused to play with me, the servants never wanted to looked me at the eyes and even my mother, the Queen herself, wasn’t the same”
“Was she….bad with you? Did she agree with the way you thought?” Chrysalis was silent for a while, until she talked again.
“…..No, she hates me, she hates me very much” Heynriik wide his mouth in awe.
“What?! I mean….really!? How could she hate you? She may look things differently but, you’re her daughter and also the kindest mare I’ve ever known!” The human kid said getting up fast on his feet.
“THERE IS THE PROBLEM!” Chrysalis yelled at him. Heynriik just shut his mouth; she got up and stared at him.
“She wants me…to be evil, cruel; she wants me to be in some future a powerful and strong Queen that will lead the changelings to a new era of conquests and dominion over the rest of nations of Equis”
“But…you don’t want that to happen, right?” Heynriik said in a calmly voice. Chrysalis closed her eyes slowly; she keeps silent until Heynriik shakes a bit her body with his hands.
“You’ll never do something like that, right?” The human asked again but the changeling mare was still without saying any word.
“Chrysalis! C’mon, say something! You’ll never be ev-“ Chrysalis put a hoof on Heynriik’s mouth to shut him up quickly. She released the hoof and budge her head forward.
“Heynriik, sometimes we have no other choice than forget everything that we believed or want to….still alive” Heynriik looked confused. He never expected somepony like Chrysalis to say something like that.
“Because at the end of the day, you realize that….sometimes we have to do things that we may think are “bad” for you…..but good for the ones you love” Heynriik looked at her amazed for the wise words she just said…..but he felt scared too….for what can happen to her….
….in the future.
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Celestia was enjoying the beautiful sight of Canterlot at the afternoon, she was sit in a big cushion, taking cup of tea on a fancy white table with some trimming made of gold.
She lifts the cup with her magic and takes a sip, the cup downs back slowly to the table. Celestia was tired, worried, and sad, she had a mix of feelings inside her and no one was good.
Her magenta eyes centers in a piece of paper with a broken stamp and a text, she knew it was going to be sent this day for a matter that was locked on her ancient mind since certain adoptive son of hers met a princess from an exotic race in these sunny days of summer.
The sun mare used her magic to take a last look at the letter. It was a letter from somepony that she unfortunately is bound to make a deal.
Dear Princess Celestia.
Today, as we accorded is the last day that my daughter Chrysalis will stay on Canterlot. If you remember in the last letter I’d sent you, I asked you to end the odd relationship that your strange adoptive son Heynriik haves with my weak daughter Chrysalis, of course for the good of our deal and our respective Kingdoms.
But I heard that you refused to do it; you are letting my daughter love somepony that can corrupt her and make her worse than she is right now. Why? Do you really think it’s good to see them kissing, hugging and playing together? Do you think I like seeing the future leader of my race in a daughter that believes in such stupid things like tolerance, love to feel instead to feed and peace? NO! The only reason I sent her to Canterlot was to make her open her innocent eyes! To make her have the enough strength and rage to be a real queen! To see your ponies how really are toward us!
And….it seems that it worked…..
The last letter she sent me talked not only about the useless time she spent with your human son, but also that the citizens of Canterlot were being even worse than in her firsts days. Because as you may know, now the ponies of Canterlot are starting to give bad looks and insults to your beloved son, so now she’s a hated changeling with a hated bipedal creature.
But don’t worry; like you didn’t end it, I’ll end their love THAT NEVER HAD TO BE APPEARED! Before you set the sun on the horizon. I’ll be waiting with my chariot and some guards outside of Canterlot, near of the river, so we can keep this deal secret as we promised. Also I hope you make something to your Heynriik so he don’t disturb us.
Have a pleasant day
Amanthis, the Changeling Queen.
Celestia wanted to burn the letter and forget what she was going to do. She knew that if Heynriik and Chrysalis find the real reason of why the mare was sent to Canterlot, their hearths would break apart for discovering that the time they spend together, all their love wasn’t more than an experiment which Amanthis wanted to fail since the beginning.
“Why….why they can’t be together? Why is Amanthis so obsessed in the fact that Chrysalis and Heynriik being in love is bad?” Celestia sighed and downed her head, looking at her white hooves with gold shoes. A memory started to fly on her head, it was the painful and tragic memory of her sister Luna, being sent by her with the power of the Elements of Harmony to the moon.
“I failed to Luna….and now I’m going to lose the love that Heynriik had gave me in all his life just for a political deal that I thought was going to go well, but it’s going to end in nothing…” Celestia got up and moved to the balcony. She looked down and saw four familiar figures, a pink alicorn, a white unicorn colt, a bipedal creature with blue and dark clothes and a dark mare with twisted horn, insect wings and holey hooves.
Celestia heard them talking, laughing, being happy….and she was going to see all that happiness being destroyed. She turned to the table and sit again to take a last sip to the cup of tea.
“I just wanted to feel what was having a family….again”
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“HAHAAHAHA! Oh my! How did Cadance convince you to go shopping?” Heynriik asked trying not to die in laughter.
“Well, I promised him that I’ll buy some corndogs after we’ve finished, he’s very easy to convince” Cadance giggled and glared to Shining Armor. He snorted wishing to forget that situation for a long time.
“You know that corndogs can’t heal the pain on my back, after carrying to the castle all that amount of bags full of clothes and expensive shoes, right Cadance?” Shining did a sharp yell of pain and rubbed his back.
“Oh don’t such a whining filly Shiny!, it was just two bags with a dress and a pair of crystal shoes!, if you want to be part of the guard someday you may have to start do some exercise and eat less corndogs” Cadance poked twice with her hoof to Shining’s belly making him blush.
“Princesses don’t like to be saved by lazy knights” Cadance said looking at him with half lidded eyes, Shining downed his head and sighed.
“Okay, I’ll promise I eat less corndogs, but only if you take Twily to fly that new comet that I bought for her birthday, I was going to do it until a pink and sweet alicorn tricked me to go shopping with her instead” Shining Armor grinned to Cadance who shook her head and kissed the white colt on the snout.
“Then we have a deal, my lazy knight” Cadance moved slowly her head towards Shining’s, the unicorn did the same, but
before both mouths began to kiss, certain voice yelled from a few meters of them.
“HEY, YOU COUPLE! CHRYSALIS HAS RETURN WITH THE SHAKES! BUT IF YOU PREFER TO SHOW US AN AMATEUR CLASS ROMANTIC SCENE, WE DON’T MIND BECAUSE WE ARE STARTING WITH THE SHAKES RIGHT NOW!” Heynriik sat on the grass and cleared his throat taking some of his lemon shake, he felt how his brain froze, and then the tasty juice downed to his stomach making a light sigh of delight.
“You didn’t need to yell, Heynriik….” Chrysalis said before slurping her shake.
“Yeah, I know, but I only wanted to make clear that if they don’t drink their shakes, then we’ll do” Chrysalis giggled followed by Heynriik, Cadance and Shining Armor reached the place they were and gave them serious looks.
“So, you two were going to start without us?” asked Cadance lifting an eyebrow.
“Well, if I had an extra shake, I won’t complain right?” Heynriik said in a jokey tone.
“Sadly that’s not going to happen, Riki” Shining Armor grinned at him, he sat and slurped his chocolate shake, the unicorn tingled his body when he felt his brain getting colder and rubbed his own head with the hooves, Cadance shook her head sighing, she placed a side Shining and tasted her strawberry shake.
“He always does that” Cadance said looking at Chrysalis with an amused tone, the changeling tried to hide her laugh but she couldn’t hold it much more.
After all shakes where empty, the four youngsters laid on the grass feeling tired even if they haven’t did anything, the clouds on the sky moved slowly at the same time that the warm of the sunlight fall down to their bodies.
“Chrysalis, when will you return to your home?” Cadance asked turning her head to see the changeling princess.
“Huh? Well, I don’t know, Celestia neither my mother told me when I’ll return to the Changeling Kingdom” Chrysalis downed her eyebrows looking to nowhere in particular; she looked around seeing every part of the royal gardens, the trees and plants, Heynriik sleeping with his head touching Volcano’s body, she stared to Volcano who was sleeping too while his red and orange mane was being hit by the weak wind, Chrysalis giggled when Volcano swayed his tail unconsciously molesting
Heynriik who grabbed the tail and used like blanket to cover his body.
“So cute….” said Cadance seeing that moment too.
“I don’t know you girls, but I’ll never understand how Heynriik could saw anything good on him” Cadance and Chrysalis stared to Shining Armor with a steady look.
“Really Shining? You still look at him like a monster?” Cadance shook her head not believing that he keeps thinking on the horse like something evil.
“He’s very far from the monster that attacked us in the forest, Volcano had changed a lot, he’s now very loyal to Heynriik and I’m sure there’s no reason to fear him now” Shining felt a bit stupid now, he looked to Volcano, a bigger version of an earth pony with red eyes, as a mane and tail that looks like fire, it’s the kind of creature that he can fear, at least if he was running savagely outside, and not sleeping peacefully with a friend at his side.
“Come on, don’t you think it’s a pretty cute image?” Chrysalis said smiling and looking at them with shine on her eyes.
“Well…maybe” Shining shrugged and fall back to the ground slowly to look at the sky again.
“So Chrysalis, did you like Canterlot? Because I heard that some ponies didn’t were very kind with you…” Cadance asked with guilt for the things that she heard about Canterlot’s colts and citizens did to the innocent changeling princess, things not typical from a hospitable place as Equestria.
“It was very hard at the beginning, it’s true, but when I met Heynriik…..everything changed” Chrysalis sighed happily and looked at his still sleeping love.
“We started to go together, to be friends, I always searched for him when i felt lonely or bored” The changeling’s body began to shake as some tears where falling from her emerald eyes.
“He always is there to help me, to cheer me when I’m sad, looking at me as I wasn’t different, like if he ever cared that I was from a species as mine, he…..gave me the love that I never had on my home” Cadance and Shining got closer to her, they looked sad but with a smile.
“Chrysalis, have you ever…..had friends?” Shining Armor said with a calm voice.
“I…….no, I ever had, all the changelings……hated me” Chrysalis downed her head and started to cry, them she felt love,
lots of love running through her body, she looked up and saw Cadance and Shining Armor, both hugging her strongly surrounding her neck with their hooves.
“Heynriik is not the only one that loves you….” Shining said wiping his pride liquid from his eyes.
“We are your friends Chrysalis, we always will be your friends” Cadance released her slowly; Chrysalis wiped out her tears and smiled like never before.
“Th- thank you…..you don’t know how much this means for me” Chrysalis never have felt this kind of affection before, Shining Armor and Cadance where the only ones apart of Heynriik and Princess Celestia that treated her well and never told a bad word about her.
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Meanwhile, Heynriik yawned and opened his eyes, he blinked lazily and stretched his body, and then he patted Volcano to wake up as well.
“C’mon buddy, you have slept enough” The human looked to Chrysalis who was talking with Cadance and Shining Armor, he felt happy for her, for having friends, for enjoying a life that he wished she had on her home.
In the corner of his eye, he noticed two figures; Heynriik turned his head and saw two royal guards, two white Pegasus, heading to Chrysalis, Cadance and Shining Armor.
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“Excuse us, but we have to talk with Princess Chrysalis for an important issue….in private” said one of the guards.
“Why? What’s wrong?” asked worried Cadance.
“Nothing bad, but it’s needed that you two leave us alone, please” Cadance was going to speak again but Shining Armor stopped her, he shook his head to the alicorn who nodded.
“Okay, we’re leaving now” Shining and Cadance passed the guards, and then Cadance looked to Shining with a frown.
“What’s happening? Did you have any idea what want those guards from Chrysalis” Shining glared at her and sighed.
“No, but it’s better that we don’t stay in the middle, it could be dangerous” Cadance turned her head back and then looked at Shining again.
“Shouldn’t we tell Heynriik to….”
“Don’t worry, he won’t let the….”guards” do something bad to Chrysalis”
Cadance and Shining Armor crossed the white wood doors and leaved the royal garden.
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“What the hay it’s happening?” Heynriik asked to himself, hiding behind a tree with Volcano aside, he saw Cadance and Shining Armor leaving the guards alone with Chrysalis.
The guards were silent for a moment, Chrysalis looked both not sure what to say, then Heynriik heard her voice but he couldn’t listen exactly what she was saying.
One of the guards replied, Chrysalis gasped and seemed nervous, something wasn’t right.
“These guards are…..strange” Heynriik put a hand under her chin, he didn’t remember the faces of that guards, it’s true that they can look identical but years living in the castle had teach him to differentiate them.
The next thing Heynriik saw was shocking, big green flames appeared out of nowhere and covered the guards, when the flames disappeared and they showed their true form.
They were changelings, like Chrysalis, they occulted their true form changing to the shape of two Pegasus with royal guard’s armor.
Unlike Chrysalis, these changelings had all blue crystalline eyes, short grey tail and wear a helmet on their heads, one of the changelings got closer to Chrysalis and yelled loudly, but Chrysalis replied yelling too.
Then the changeling closer to Chrysalis gestured the other, both lighted their horns and pointed to Chrysalis, Heynriik felt the anger grow on his veins, he wanted to stop them, but he was human, he can’t do magic like a unicorn, he can’t fly like a pegasus and his arms weren’t strong to fight with them.
But he had somepony, enough strong to crush them so hard, that they’ll see the stars….
…..unless that he wasn’t exactly a pony.
“Volcano” The big black horse looked to the human, Heynriik grinned at him, he had an idea, his hand pointed to the changelings and said.
“Go for them” Instantly, Volcano trotted with all his strength heading to the changelings. They even had time to react when the wild creature knocked them out being hit by his body, Heynriik smiled after seeing the changelings colliding with the castle walls and falling unconscious on the ground.
Heynriik ran fast to Chrysalis who saw him and smiled widely. He hugged her and kissed her lips passionately, then the changeling released him and looked sad to her love.
“It’s over, Heynriik” The human had no idea what those words meaned. He looked to the changeling guards and then to Chrysalis again.
“What? What do you mean?” Chrysalis put a hoof on his chest and rubbed it slowly, she wanted to feel Heynriik’s warm for a last time.
“Those changelings were guards sent by my mother, she’s here for me, she wants to reunite with me outside of Canterlot to send me back to the Changeling Kingdom” Heynriik moved his arms to don’t let Chrysalis go back and pulled her into a hug.
Chrysalis just cried, she cried more tears than ever before, these were the best days on her entire life, all thanks to Heynriik, who helped her when she needed the most, who loved her no matter what she looked like, and the person who had changed her life forever.
“I’m going to miss you…” Heynriik widened his eyes and walked backwards, he stared for a while to Chrysalis until his mouth spoke.
“We can’t…..see each other again? Are we going to……be separated forever?” Chrysalis blinked slowly thinking in her words.
“My mother is not going to let me escape from the Changeling Kingdom, and I don’t think she’ll let you be with me…” Heynriik closed his eyes and started drawing in his mind all the time they spent together, all the things that he did with her and other ones that he wished to do with Chrysalis on the future……but that one’s weren’t going to happen.
Unless he rebels to accept the truth.
“No…” Heynriik said in a cold tone.
“What?” Chrysalis was confused for hearing that “no”.
“No….i’m not going to let you return to that damned place, you deserve better…..more better”
“But Heynriik! If I don’t go with my mother right now, she could get really angry and blame your mother!” Heynriik walked fast to Chrysalis and stared at her with water on his eyes, he didn’t wanted to lose Chrysalis, his love, like this.
The human grabbed the changeling princess from the hooves and whistled to Volcano, the horse moved to the couple and stopped in front of them.
“Get on Volcano” Chrysalis looked at Heynriik with sadness and begged to not do whatever he was going to do.
“Heynriik plea-“
“Get on Volcano!, we’re leaving” Heynriik said in a breaking sad voice.
“Where are we going?” Asks Chrysalis using her wings to reach the horse body and placing herself to be comfortable.
“I want to show you something…..before you leave” Heynriik crawled the horse and sit before Chrysalis.
“Grab to me, it will be a popping ride” Heynriik cached the string and shook it to make Volcano run.
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Amanthis was beginning to feel nervous, half hour ago she had sent two of her guards to bring Chrysalis to her. But either they or Chrysalis were there and the changeling monarch was starting to suspect.
“Celestia….if you have something to do with this…..” Her teeth creaked and her blue orbs looked at the sky waiting for the reason of her suffering in this waiting.
Then a white figure showed up joined by other two flying at her side, it was Celestia accompanied by two guards.
The white alicorn and her guards landed In front of Amanthis, both stared with cold eyes for a moment until the changeling queen spoke.
“Why she’s not here?” Celestia raised an eyebrow, her expression changed from steadiness to confusion.
“You mean your daughter? I searched for her all around the castle, but I didn’t find her” Amanthis gasped in surprise. She stamped furiously a hoof on the ground.
“How it is possible!? What have you done!? I sent two of my guards to find her but they didn’t return!”
“Why did you send your guards? I thought you were going to trust me at least this time, Amanthis!” Celestia replied moving forward until her face was in front of Amanthis.
“Because for how this “deal” had gone, I cannot trust you, I’ve told you to separate your human son form my daughter, but you didn’t care to listen!”
“Didn’t you care for Chrysalis happiness? Do you know how much can hurt them being separated?” Amanthis snorted at Celestia, making the sun mare close her eyes for a second.
“I care for her future, as well the future of my subjects! In about ten years we’ll start to starve, and I want to rule my children a strong and powerful queen, not an idealist and weakling in love with hairless monkey!” Celestia moved back slowly not looking away of her changeling alter ego.
“You….you are a monster….” Amanthis laughed hardly making Celestia began to lose her patience.
“Oh! Even the Goddess of the Sun can’t hide her true self! As your puny ponies you are just a mask trying to trick your own mind” Celestia downed her head and sighed, Amanthis cleared her throat and spoke.
“Your son…..Heynriik, I’m sure he’s the one who keeps my daughter!” Celestia widened her eyes and stared at the changeling queen.
“He won’t ever do something like that!” Celestia yelled with red eyes.
“Oh are you sure Celestia? Can you prove that Heynriik didn’t KIDNAPPED MY DAUGHTER!?” Amanthis said nearly roaring, Celestia stared at her not knowing what to do.
“We have a deal, and for the good of your subjects, it’s better that you don’t break it” Amanthis looked back at her black decorated chariot and then to Celestia again, she grinned maliciously at the alicorn who was still tense.
“If Chrysalis isn’t here in an hour, tomorrow my army will cocoon everypony alive, understood princess?” Celestia turned her head back to the royal guards. Both put one hoof on their foreheads awaiting orders, but Celestia lifted a hoof to them and shook her head.
“I’ll find them, you two stay here” The guards looked each other confused but nodded at their princess. Celestia spreads her wings and fly to the sky to meet with Heynriik and Chrysalis.
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Heynriik and Chrysalis where at the top of the mountain that holds Canterlot, looking at the large green lands beyond of Equestria’s capital.
The human placed a hand over the mare’s shoulder, she lets her head fall to stay on his chest. They spoke nearly nothing since Volcano brought them there.
Chrysalis closed her eyes and moved her ear to listen her beloved’s heartbeat, they were fast and she knew why.
This was going the last time that they could be together in a long time, no one of them knows when they’ll see each other again. But both don’t want to wait very long, to don’t make their love be forgotten at the pass of the years.
“Such a beautiful view….” Heynriik said quietly.
“Yes….” Chrysalis replied moving her head away of Heynriik’s chest.
A sound coming from behind them made the couple got up and look back. They saw a white alicorn with a ethereal rainbow mane and gold jewelry.
Celestia looked at Heynriik and then to Chrysalis, her face showed sadness and guilty. She gestured to Chrysalis to get closer; the changeling mare looked to Heynriik and kissed him in the lips while stroking his cheek.
Chrysalis released her lips and hugged Heynriik for a last time; the young human surrounded her neck with his hands and whispered to her ear.
“Please…..don’t forget me…..i love you”
“I’ll never forget you Heynriik…..thanks for……...everything” Chrysalis got off of Heynriik and walked to Celestia, she nodded to the alicorn who nodded silently too, then Celestia looked at Heynriik, he was letting out an entire waterfall of tears from his eyes, eyes that suddenly changed his iris green to red after a blink.
Celestia turned and said something to Chrysalis that Heynriik couldn’t hear, the alicorn and the changeling got lost flying on the sky leaving a very angry human kid alone with his horse.
Heynriik felt something strong and hot running through his veins, a force that feeds of his anger and rage. Unrecognizable images and sounds appeared on his mind, his muscles began to tense and his breath was becoming harder.
Finally, something from inside of his body made him say some words with a strong voice.
“You’ll pay for this, mortal!” Heynriik frowned first but then he shook his head and relaxed, he looked at his hands with fear and unknowing what had just happened.
He sighed and thought that he was just tired; then he looked to his horse laying on the ground and walked to him.
“Volcano, let’s go back home”
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“Well, well, you really made it, princess” Amanthis grinned to Celestia who looked down shamed.
“I think it’s time to leave, I’m sure my daughter had….learned a lot in the time she spent in Canterlot, right little one?” The changeling queen put one of her holey hoofs on Chrysalis chin to make her stare at the eyes.
“Yes, mother” Chrysalis said in a weak voice.
“Fine, then we should go back to our home, your people waits for you, daughter” Amanthis and Chrysalis headed to the chariot guarded by two changeling guards. The queen stopped and turned her head to Celestia.
“I think your son deserves an explanation to this” The changeling queen grinned showing her sharp teeth, Celestia stared angrily to her quiet. Amanthis got on the chariot with Chrysalis in it already, then she ordered her guards to take them back to their kingdom.
“I’m a failure of mother….” Celestia said to herself while watching the chariot disappearing on the distance.
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Heynriik was lying on his bed looking the roof of his bedroom, trying to forget what had just happened, what he ever wanted to happen, but that was impossible to stop.
About a month ago, he felt a bit lonely for being the only one of his species, the only known human, living surrounded by ponies.
Then she appeared, a creature with black coat, green carapace on her back, insect like wings, hooves full of holes, blue silk hair and tail, and her eyes, beautiful emerald eyes….
….. eyes that he may never see again.
Everypony saw Chrysalis like a monster, something to fear and reject, but Heynriik didn’t saw her like that, for him she was
just a living thing like anypony else that deserved to be loved.
“Why mom? Why…..” Heynriik wanted a reason of how this could happen, he wanted to know what she was hiding about Chrysalis staying on Canterlot, he got off his bed and opened his bedroom’s door.
Silver Shield was beside the door as always, watching for anypony or threat that could enter Heynriik’s bedroom, he saw the doors being open and the young human prince appeared, the grey guard gasped at the sudden show of Heynriik.
“Sir, there’s something wrong?” Heynriik instead replying he just glared at Silver and said.
“I just want answers….from my mother”
“If you want to find Princess Celestia, I think she’s on the throne room right n-“ Heynriik started to run leaving Silver Shield alone, the grey unicorn sighed and followed him.
“This is not going to end well….”
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“YOU LIED TO ME!” Heynriik shouted angrily to Celestia who tried to calm her son’s mood.
“Heynriik, I know that using Chrysalis was a horrible idea, but it had to be done for the good of Equestria!” Celestia got closer carefully to Heynriik; Silver Shield was holding him to evade the young human make the situation get worse.
“Please sir, relax! Fighting with your mother won’t change anything!” Silver felt an elbow hitting his nose, but that wasn’t enough to make Heynriik free.
“THEN WHY YOU HAD LET ME LOVE HER!? WHY YOU DIDN’T TOLD ME EVERYTHING FROM THE BEGINNING?! AT LEAST I WOULDN’T BE SAD FOR KNOWING THAT I’LL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN!” Heynriik fought harder to be free from Silver Shield’s lock.
“I couldn’t! it would be very dangerous if somepony else knew about that” Heynriik began to fight with less force until he fall to the ground leaning on his arms, sweating and panting.
Celestia looked to Silver Shield and waved a hoof to leave them alone, Silver Shield bowed and left the throne room.
Heynriik got up slowly like if his body weighted more than before, he stared at Celestia silent, not saying anything, letting his frown talk for him.
“Heynriik, I’m sorry” The human grinned in a form that made Celestia feel fear.
“Sorry…..you’re…..sorry” Heynriik walked slowly to Celestia, breathing heavily.
“You took away of me…..the only mare I could love…”
“You’re always trying to make me be a charming noble prince…..when I hate royalty” Celestia was quiet; she didn’t have idea of how to react.
“You’d never told me anything about my true race……” Heynriik felt the same force that before appearing on his body again, his muscles were tensing.
“You don’t let me go out of Canterlot…..” His heartbeats growth.
“You were always hiding the true of me, fearing how humans can be, and fearing that I can become something that you ever wanted…..” The blood of his veins and arteries became hotter.
“You were saying during all my life that you wanted me to be happy, to enjoy the good life I had, to have friends so I can learn “the magic of friendship”” Suddenly, Heynriik’s eyes became red like fire; the human heard a deep voice on his mind.
“Your destiny…..” He covered his ears for the pain that was on his head.
“Your destiny…” Heynriik felt that his body was changing strangely; his muscles, bones and organs were moving on their own, all his anatomy were transforming, the skin was becoming dark and scaly, his teeth turned sharp and big, there was claws where the hands and feet should be, as a large tail with a sharp tip appeared from the lower part of his back.
“By the sun….” That was all that Celestia could say while seeing her son falling on the ground supporting with his big scary claws, his height were growing much, he was now far more taller than Celestia.
“AAAAAAAAAAUUUGHHHG” Heynriik roared strongly, two horns pointing back grew from the top of his head, all his brown hair was gone, as the mouth was bigger and spreading bad smelling saliva.
The transforming human keep growing until his head were close to the roof, but now he wasn’t human, he was a monster, a live representation of destruction and death, a creature that Celestia was looking up with tears on her magenta eyes.
“Heynriik…..no….it can’t be you…” But it was him, not in his human body, instead this time he was….
…..a dragon
“This is your destiny….” The voice sounded for a last time, Heynriik looked down to Celestia and a pair of big wings showed up on his back.
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“Huh…..hum…..wh- where i….am….” Heynriik opened his eyes lazily, something smooth was under his body, he moved with the little strength his body had after waking up and saw that was on his bed.
“What? How did I end up here?” He remembered that was discussing with Celestia on the throne room and then he felt something strange on his body, his body changed until.....
“I see you’re awake, dear” Heynriik turned his head with still half opened eyes and some headache to see Celestia sitting on the floor, looking at him with a warm smile. The human saw that she wasn’t wearing her typical jewelry and also her body was with some wounds, cuts and bandages on her wings as on the right front hoof.
“What….what happened to you?” Heynriik asked worried, Celestia chuckled but she ended coughing.
“Don’t….worry for me…I’m okay, Riki” The human got up of the bed and looked at the horrible status that was his adoptive
mother.
“Did something….bad happened?” Celestia shook her head, she tried to get up but her right front hoof couldn’t resist and she yelled in pain, the sun mare was going to fall but Heynriik grabbed her from the shoulder to help her keep in balance.
“I didn’t know that you were so strong, Riki….” Celestia said in a weak tone, Heynriik helped her to stand on her four hooves and looked sadly at her.
Celestia ignored Heynriik's concern, she was still smiling and trying to hide whatever had happened, then a strange noise from a nearby window made curiosity increase in Heynriik, he passed Celestia who tried to stop him but another cough catched her.
Heynriik separated the curtains from the center and his eyes widened as his mouth opened in awe at the sight of most buildings of Canterlot destroyed or severally damaged, there was a lot of guards running and flying through all the city like if they were searching something. The citizens of Canterlot were picking up the things that could be saved from their ruined homes or setting aside the debris.
“What….what….happened?” On Heynriik’s mind some images and terrible sounds appeared, when his mind was clear again, he felt a big feeling of guilty on his heart; he feared that all that destruction, that pain and the miserable look of Celestia was his fault.
“I…I did it right? I did something bad, I know….” Heynriik covered his tears with the hands; Celestia approached to him and hugged her son.
“No….you didn’t make all this madness…..you’ll never do something like this….” Celestia rubbed his back with a hoof and looked at Canterlot’s damaged streets.
“You are not…..a monster”
Meanwhile, far away in some place on the north….
A human was sitting in the middle of a wide room made of stone with some torches lighting it, sculpted rocks with words from a rare language surrounded him, and a wall of ice in front of him with a great creature inside it. The human was meditating, relaxing his thoughts, letting a fierce power run on his body.
He wears a large black coat with a light armor made of a hard black metal that protects his torso and shoulders, letting free his legs with fur made pants and a pair of boots. On his head there was a helmet with the shape of a dragon’s head, colored red with some oxidized parts, and a broken horn.
The dragon head shaped helmet had space were the eyes and the mouth were, so he could see and talk freely. Also on his back, inside a sheath was a large spear made of ice except for a part of the handle made of steel.
The human felt suddenly nervous, unquiet, something that was far away made him stand up and breathe hardly, he noticed something powerful, very powerful. He looked to the wall of ice and walked to it slowly; he stared at the creature inside and frowned.
“He’s awake” The human saw the frozen creature opening its eyes lazily.
“Then it had started….a new age starts today in Jorgard, Viran” The human nodded and turned his back to the frozen but alive creature, he walked away leaving the room.
“It’s time to pay back my debt, Kirif” Viran pulled away his ice spear and settled his helmet.
“Today starts the Age of the Dragon….”
THE END
For now……