//------------------------------// // Love Conquers All // Story: Forbidden // by Fire Gazer the Alchemist //------------------------------// Chrysalis couldn't seem to get over the surprise of how painless it all was. Her whole life had been spent either eating love, or avoiding it out of fear. Now, as she levitated two apples into the picnic basket with her vibrant green magic, the changeling princess couldn't stop smiling. She knew love tasted good, but if felt so much better! Granted, the taste of sour honey was a little hard to stomach, but it was overshadowed by Sombra's love for her. …And that weird pepper taste. She looked at the gray stallion but refused to allow her gut-wrenching concern show through her mask of a smiling face. Sombra was humming happily while spreading mayonnaise on a sandwich. His horn was still that same shade of red, and it was unnerving her. Shouldn't it be back to normal by now? She asked to herself. Her coltfriend had insisted it would be back to its usual coloring before to long, but she still got a bad feeling from looking at it. Sombra noticed her looking at him from the corner of his eye, and smiled reassuringly at her. Dropping the sandwiches into the picnic basket, he asked "Still a little worried?" Chrysalis nodded, "Yeah, a little." Sombra set down the half completed sandwich and set his hoof on hers. "Chryssi," He said, soft red eyes staring deeply into hers. "I promise you everything will be all right." Chrysalis nudged Sombra gently, her muzzle resting in his hair. "I believe you." She replied. "But I just can't help it." Sombra's forelegs quietly wrapped around her, pressing her into a gentle hug. Chrysalis felt better like this, but the moment couldn't last. Eventually, the gray unicorn disentangled himself from her, and finished the sandwich. He shoved it into their well-worn picnic basket with minimal success. The gray unicorn's lack of magic was really starting to show. It showed even more as he struggled to affix his saddlebag to his back. Sensing an opportunity to help, Chrysalis allowed her crooked horn to glow with a brilliant green, and fasten the straps for her coltfriend. Sombra flashed her a smile. "Thanks," he said. "You know, I'm developing a much healthier respect for Earth ponies now." "Try being one someday," Chrysalis retorted as the woven picnic basket was levitated into his saddlebag for him. Sombra crossed over to her. "Thanks again." He whispered, giving her cheek a peck. Chrysalis didn't even try to stop her black cheeks from flaming to bright red as she blushed. Every time, without fail, Sombra always managed to make her blush when he did that. Feeling compelled to get him back for that, Chrysalis clung to his neck, bringing him in for a kiss on the lips. Her fangs made it awkward and clumsy, but neither she nor Sombra cared. It was short, but it still made her coltfriend flustered. "I – uh – need to grab one last thing before we head out." Sombra sputtered with his face as red as his eyes. "No rush." Chrysalis assured him. "I need to change before we head out anyways." Sombra nodded, and ducked into their bedroom. Chrysalis allowed her transformation spell to run through her body, metamorphosing her into her pink pegasus pony form. The process took seconds – a combination of her practice and excess of energy. A slight curious as to what Sombra wanted to grab, Chrysalis poked her head into the bedroom just in time to catch the gray unicorn shoving a dark… something into the other pouch of his saddlebag. As Sombra brought his head back up, Chrysalis ducked out of his path of vision just narrowly. What was that? She thought. A fleeting glimpse was all she managed to catch, but it looked oddly crystal-like in structure, and a jet black coloring like Sombra's mane. I probably should– "All set?" Sombra asked, walking back into the kitchen. Chrysalis felt herself pulled away from her thoughts to answer him. "I should be," Came her response as the changeling gave a look over her pink body. "Our usual spot then?" "Of course." Sombra opened the door, and stepped aside to allow Chrysalis to walk through first. She obliged, knowing full well that attempting to argue with Sombra on this was futile. With a casual smile, Chrysalis and Sombra made their way down to the lobby. It was surprisingly empty, which left the both of them confused. Normally at this time, their landlord Sun Beam was snooping about, ready to pounce on ponies for conversation. Instead, a half-hearted silence permeated the room. The couple glanced at each other, briefly curious. They silently came to an agreement that the orange mare was likely just napping somewhere or hunting down some gossip. A pleasant walk to the park followed, riddled with idle small talk. Chrysalis had a lot of nagging questions for Sombra in the back of her mind at the moment, but didn't want to overwhelm the stallion. She planned to space them out over the course of their picnic. The grassy air of the park was a nice blend to the intoxicating scents of honey Chrysalis was experiencing right now. Crowds of couples lined the open fields – after all it was Hearts and Hooves Day, and a romantic picnic was not the most original idea in the world. Slipping amongst the crowd, Sombra pointed out an ideal location that was only slightly far away. Seizing the opportunity, Chrysalis unfurled her pink, feathered wings and hovered over to claim the tiny patch of land. The gray stallion wasn't far behind and met up with her, a checkered picnic blanket already in his mouth. He set it up awkwardly, too used to using magic to accomplish the task. Chrysalis lent a hoof, straightening his slipshod job. It was then she noticed a mass of ponies staring at them. A flash of fear took hold as she thought her disguise had failed. Seeing her pink hooves eased the fear, and she realized the ponies weren't staring at her, but at Sombra. More specifically, his horn. The gray unicorn hadn't noticed yet; he was shifting through picnic basket for the food. Chrysalis glared daggers into the crowd, forcing the majority to look away or pretend to be preoccupied. Still, they watched from the corners of their eyes, curious. Eager to make sure Sombra didn't pick up on them, Chrysalis asked her first – and probably least harmful – question, "Sombra, what happened with the dark magic project?" He froze, mid-way through unpacking. "Do you really want to know?" Sombra asked shyly. She nodded. Sighing, her coltfriend consented. "Eureka deemed the project was too dangerous to continue. Can we move on?" The pompous scent of cinnamon assaulted her nose. Guilt. He was lying. "No," She said hastily. "Sombra, I know there's more to it than that." The guilty scent became more poignant. "You're right. I should've known better than to keep a secret from you." Sombra managed a half-hearted smile. "What really happened was… well, we had this crystal, and Eureka was pretty convinced it had links to dark magic. I volunteered to run a diagnostic spell on it, but something… happened." "What?" She pressed. "I don't know," Sombra said, as he struggled to recall. After a short sniff, Chrysalis determined he was telling the truth. "After that, Eureka said the crystal was too dangerous to be around, and had the whole project shut down." His voice took a more aggressive tone. "But she was wrong! There's nothing bad about that crystal!" The latent pepper scent suddenly flared. It was all Chrysalis could do not to gag at the surge. Regaining her composure, she laid her hoof on top of Sombra's to calm him down. The pepper receded and gave way to honey. "I'm sorry." He apologized. "I shouldn't have lost my temper like that." "I don't think you did." Chrysalis said cautiously. "Huh?" Sombra blinked in confusion. "You didn't taste like aggression. You tasted like… peppers." "What does that mean?" Sombra asked. "I don't know…" Chrysalis replied honestly. "I've never tasted an emotion like it before, not since you healed me." Now was her chance to ask the big question. "How did you heal me, Sombra?" There was a pause. Sombra opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. "Sombra," Chrysalis began. "Please answer me." The gray stallion looked away. "It was just an old spell I found." He mumbled. Cinnamon bombarded her nose, and was so potent she could taste it. Why is he lying again? She decided not to respond, hoping silence would coerce him into revealing the truth. When Sombra uttered a shaky sigh, she knew she'd won. Instead of detailing everything with words, like he normally did, the stallion unstrapped his saddlebag. Rotating the empty side away from her, he slowly began opening the flap. Chrysalis realized he was about to show her the thing he'd hidden from her back at their apartment. The cloth bag gave way to an oblong object. Chrysalis recognized it immediately. A crystal? Why is he showing me a… The realization smacked her across the face so hard she flinched. "T-that's the crystal you were talking about?" She stammered, not wanting to believe. Sombra, nodded ruefully. The changeling princess dropped her voice to a harsh whisper so nopony else heard. "Sombra, does this mean you used dark magic to cure me?" "Yes." He replied meekly. "I cast a spell on it, hoping it would heal you, and it did." "Why did you bring it here though?" Chrysalis demanded. "You should have left it back at the apartment, or gotten rid of it." "I just… couldn't" The pink pegasus felt her breath quicken. Sombra saw her concern and tried to console her. "Is it really all that bad though?" Chrysalis bit her lip. "I have no idea! Nothing like this has ever happened before. Changelings have always stayed away from dark magic." She glanced up. "And your horn… that thing is probably why you can't use your powers." "The thought had crossed my mind." Sombra admitted. "Sombra!" Chrysalis shouted, standing up. "How could you be so stupid?" Heads turned in their direction. She didn't care about the other ponies though. "I did it for you Chryssi!" Sombra said, raising his voice. "You were dying! Did you expect me to just watch as the only mare I've ever cared about was ripped away from me?" "No!" Chrysalis said. A flurry of emotions was in the air right now, but Chrysalis was able to pick out one of them. Fear. Definitely hers. The changeling princess realized she wasn't mad at Sombra; she was scared for him. In a split second her animosity vanished. She threw her forelegs around him, needing some comfort. "You big idiot." She whispered. "What if you can never use magic again because of what that crystal did to you?" Sombra returned her embrace, providing just the comfort she was looking for. "If that's what it took to heal you, then I'm okay with it." "But you love magic." Chrysalis said, looking into his eyes. "Chryssi, I love you more." Tears welled up in her eyes. "How can you say that? You've lost so much because of me." "As long as I have you, I've lost nothing." Chrysalis pressed her head against his chest. "Damn, you're corny." She whispered. Sensing his blush, she added. "But I love you too." They stayed locked in their embrace, the overwhelming scent of honey was almost all Chrysalis could feel. Almost. The damnable pepper scent was lingering, wafting around Sombra like a cloud. Chrysalis didn't know what to make of it, but she did know she wanted it gone. It's got to be the crystal. She reasoned. "We've go to get rid of it," Chrysalis said aloud. Sombra blinked. "Now?" He asked, knowing full well what she was talking about. "Yes," She said firmly. "It's dangerous, and evil, and it makes you smell weird." The last comment got a nervous laugh out of her coltfriend. However, he moved the saddlebag closer to his body. Taking notice of this, Chrysalis put both her pink hooves on the bag. "Maybe you should let me take it." She suggested. "I don't want you tempted into doing anything foolish." Sombra couldn't bring himself to say anything, and bit his lip. His hooves loosened, allowing her to wiggle the crystal from his grip. She jerked it free and watched as his hooves groped the air were the saddlebag had been. "I'll meet you at home." She promised, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "I'll miss you as always." Sombra said. Chrysalis smiled with a shake of her head. He'd never stop being corny. Her pink wings unfurled, and she took off into the sky, the saddlebag dangling by her forelegs. She made sure to fly well out of Sombra's sight as she soared to the fringes of the Crystal Empire Her eyes scanned below, scrutinizing every possible location to hide the dark crystal. Briefly she toyed with the idea of destroying it, but she was just deluding herself. After spending hours alone with her geology major coltfriend, Chrysalis had picked up a few things about the subject, namely the fact that crystals were harder to break than diamonds. She would have to find a place to hide it. Somewhere Sombra would never find it, if he ever gave into the temptation to go looking. The Gemstone Forest – a small yet dense cluster of trees just outside the Empire – caught her view. It'll have to do. She thought, swooping down. With all the thick branches in her way, flying straight into the forest would be near impossible. As a compromise, she landed right on the outskirts. Chrysalis transformed immediately into her usual form. There were likely wild animals in the forest, anything from bears to manticores. Her changeling stature would definitely intimidate the woodland animals into leaving her alone. If not, she had her horn back, which allowed access to more complicated spells besides just transforming magic. Speaking of magic, the crystal that her hooves were currently coiled around was giving off an unearthly smell of pepper. Her forelegs tingled slightly; a warm feeling almost like fire delicately licking her coat began to spread. She dropped the crystal immediately. The smell and the fire dissipated. I can see why Sombra was so attached to that thing. Chrysalis realized. That was… almost addictive. Tentatively, she reached out and touched the crystal again. No pepper. No fire. It seemed as long as she didn't use too much magic, it wouldn't do those things again. "All right." She said, more to the crystal than herself. "Let's get this over with." With the dark talisman tucked safely into the saddlebag on her back, Chrysalis hastily walked into the Gemstone Forest. A lot of the sun's light was cut off by the thick foliage, but Chrysalis didn't have a problem seeing. As long as she avoided bumping into trees she was fine. After what felt like hours of walking – though was likely closer to a few minutes – Chrysalis decided she was deep enough into the forest to leave the crystal. Dropping it on the ground, she made sure to kick some fallen leaves over it in a rather poor attempt to hide it. Hoping that would be enough, Chrysalis turned around to exit the slightly creepy forest. She flinched as the leaves of a nearby bush rustled with movement. "Who's there?" She reacted, charging her misshapen horn with a beam of powerful green light. The dark forest was illuminated by her spell, much brighter than she had intended. A muffled noise came from the bush, and then slowly, a changeling walked out. "Relax, your Majesty," he hissed, shielding his eyes from her blinding beam. Her horn dimmed to allow him to see. "Bared Fang?" She said in shock. Her attitude quickly shifted to anger. "I suppose my father sent you here to bring me home." Bared Fang sighed. "No, your father–" "Well you can fly right on back and tell him that I'm not going anywhere!" Chrysalis shouted in the dwarf's face. "For the first time in my life I'm actually happy, and I'm not going to let him or anything else ruin it!" She was seething as she finished, daring the changeling in front of her to issue a challenge. "Your father is dead," Bared Fang bluntly said. The words hit her like a sack of bricks. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words died in the back of her mouth. Her father… dead. It just didn't feel real. "W-what?" Her voice squeaked out. "He was found dead in his chambers two days ago." Bared Fangs monotone fell upon her ears. "Old age finally got him." Chrysalis still could not form sentences, and the changeling in front of her took notice of this. "As his only heir, rule of the changelings now passes to you," He knelt down in a bow. "My Queen." Chrysalis back peddled, finding her voice. "No." Fang stood. "Queen Chrysalis, you must–" "No!" Chrysalis shouted. "Don't call me that!" She turned toward the forest's exit, running. "Your Majesty!" The changeling called after her. "Please wait!" Chrysalis did not stop, however. She knew Bared Fang would not be able to follow her into the Empire since his ability to transform was handicapped. The light from her horn was snapped off as she ran, hoping to limit the chance of Bared Fang finding her. Buzzing sounds behind her let her know he was right on her tail. "Your Majesty, stop!" He exclaimed. "Leave me alone!" She hollered back. Light was creeping in through the trees ahead, letting Chrysalis know she was almost there. Bared Fang flew up beside her. "You can't run from this, Your Majesty! The changelings need you!" Reaching out with her magic, Chrysalis gripped a tree limb with a green aura. She pulled it back and released, causing it to slam into Bared Fang. He tumbled back. Wincing at the blow, Chrysalis called back, "Sorry!" Bursting through the interstice between the trees, Chrysalis immediately zapped into her usual disguise. Her feathered wings took flight, as she tried to put as much distance between her and Fang as possible. Golden hair whipped by as she pushed her fastest speed. Calming down some, she reached out with her senses to hone in on a particular honey scent. Sombra was back at their apartment, and Chrysalis breathed a sigh of relief when she did not detect any pepper on him. As she flew home, the news of her father's death finally began to sink in. He's actually gone. She realized in horror. Her only family… dead. Sure they'd fought – probably more than most fathers and daughters – but she still had cared for him. Tears gleaned her eyes as she began replaying her last conversation with him in her head. For the rest of the flight, her final words to him were reverberating in her mind: BUCK YOU! ooo000ooo Sombra paced from the kitchen to he bedroom and back again. He was nervous, sweat coating his gray forehead. Chryssi would be returning soon, and while that wasn't the cause of his anxiety, something else was. The crystal. He knew it had to be hidden away, the current color of his horn could testify to that, but he didn't want it gone. It… it was connected to him in a way. Whatever that dark magic had done to him, it was certainly more than just a recolor of his horn. It affected Sombra on some level, promising him untold power, and hooking an anchor into his mind. In fact, he could feel it now. "A hundred and fifty yards into the Gemstone Forest." He whispered to himself. "Under a pile of leaves." It was spooky how accurate that was. Almost like the crystal had whispered it to him. Should I tell Chryssi I know where it is? Sombra thought. She won't like it. But if I don't tell her, she'll be pissed when she finds out. A pink pegasus pony with a golden mane burst through the apartment door, pulling Sombra from his thoughts. "Hi Chryssi," Sombra began. Then, he noticed her eyes. They were red from crying. "What happened?" He asked. Before responding, Chrysalis ran up to him and forced a hug out of him. Sensing that she needed this embrace, Sombra coiled his forearms around her. "Are you okay?" Chrysalis sniffled. "No… My father's dead." "He's… oh Chryssi," Sombra squeezed his marefriend closer. She pressed her muzzle into his neck, crying. "I'm so sorry." Though Chrysalis rarely had a good thing to say about King Metamorphosis, even an idiot could see she was broken up about his death. "There's more," She whispered. "What?" Sombra asked. "Now that he's dead, the changelings need a new leader, and I'm the only heir." "Oh," Sombra said, downtrodden. "Does that mean you have to leave?" "No!" Chrysalis immediately said, bringing her face out of his neck and looking directly at him. "Sombra, there is no way I'm leaving you. It's just…" She looked away, unable to finish her sentence. "What is it?" Sombra asked. "The changelings won't take no for an answer. If I don't willingly become their queen, then they'll force me to do it." "What?" Sombra said, partially shocked and partially enraged. "How can they be allowed to do that?" "They have me outnumbered," Chrysalis muttered. "It's just a fact. The hive will only accept a member of the royal family to rule, and I'm the only living member. They'll be insatiable until I agree to lead them." "That's crazy," Sombra insisted. "You should be allowed to choose if you want rule or not." Chrysalis rested her head on his chest. "Believe me, I want that choice. But I don't have it." "So, what do we do?" Sombra asked. "Go into hiding so they can't get you?" The changeling shook her head. "No… they'd find me anywhere. I just wish–" Knock. Knock. Knock. The sound the wooden door interrupted Chrysalis. She flinched upon hearing it, probably assuming some changelings were here to take her away. "Sombra? Chrysalis? Are you two in there?" A familiar voice asked. Sun Beam, the landlord. "I'll take care of her." Sombra whispered, crossing over to the door. He opened it slowly, seeing the orange crystal mare on the other side smiling back at him. "Hello, Ms. Beam," Sombra said as nonchalantly as possible. He heard a gasp from Chrysalis behind him. He turned to face her. "Sombra, she's a changeling!" Chryssi screamed. Whirling his head back around, Sombra just barely had time to see the flash of green light that changed Sun Beam into a snarling bug-like creature. Immediately, it leapt for him, but Sombra slammed the door shut. He caught the changeling between the door and its frame. The gray unicorn clocked it over the head, knocking it unconscious. It slumped to the ground. "Holy crap," he whispered, adrenaline rushing through him. "We've got to go," Chrysalis said, eyes wide. "He wouldn't be the only one." "What about the real Ms. Beam?" Sombra asked. "She might need help!" "I sure she's fine," Chrysalis insisted. "Changelings don't harm the ponies they impersonate." Sombra took a fleeting look down at the unconscious changeling, then he nodded. "Okay." They bolted out the door, Chrysalis taking care not to trample the changeling's body, and rushed through the apartment complex. Sombra was beginning to feel extremely vulnerable without his magic. He could feel the dark crystal calling, with the promise of its power. A hundred and fifty yards into the Gemstone Forest, under a pile of leaves. I might need that magic to protect Chryssi. He thought to himself. The two of them ran into the crowded street outside of the apartment. No changelings appeared to be nearby, luckily. "Come on," Sombra said to Chrysalis. "We've got to go." "But where?" Chrysalis asked. "They'll find me Sombra. We can't stop them." Maybe we can. Sombra thought with a not-so-reluctant sigh. ooo000ooo One of her hooves was intertwined with Sombra's as the stallion pulled her along as a fast pace. He was pulling it hard enough to rip her foreleg out of her socket. Chrysalis wasn't being a slouch either; she was running as fast as her other three legs would carry her. Crystal ponies along the street rushed out of their way to avoid being trampled. A few unsuspecting ones were knocked over "Sombra," She called out. "Slow down!" He whipped his head around, "That's not a good idea, Chryssi. They could attack at any moment!" "Sombra! I doubt they'll attack me out in the open like this!" She insisted. Sombra came to a screeching halt in the middle of the road, nearly out of breath. "Are you… sure?" He asked in-between breaths. Chrysalis nodded. Her subjects – as much as calling them that made her shudder – wouldn't attack her in such a large crowd. They wanted her to rule them, but they also wanted to remain hidden from ponies too. "We should still leave the Empire," Sombra insisted. "Now that they know you're here it is only a matter of time before…" "I know it is," Chrysalis replied. "But they'll find me no matter where I hide." "Who said anything about hiding?" Sombra said, a coy grin slipping onto his face. "Tell me you're not about to suggest what I think you are," Chrysalis mumbled. Sombra took her hooves in his. "We can make a stand," he whispered, looking deeply into her eyes. "Chase them away so they never come back." "As ideal as that sounds," Chrysalis said. "How? I can only use magic if I change forms, and you… you don't have any right now." Or maybe ever again, she thought grimly. Sombra weakly grimaced. "Okay… please don't freak out at what I'm about to say." Chrysalis wasn't sure how to respond to that expect with a concerned stare. The gray stallion uttered a small sigh. "I think the crystal can give me my magic back." Her seafoam eyes widened. "Wha- Sombra, no! You can't use that thing again!" "I'm starting to think I have to Chryssi," Sombra ruefully said. "I don't want to lose you… I can't lose you. If I have to face the whole changeling hive just to keep you around then I will." "Sombra…" She whispered. His need to protect her was sweet, but she was not willing to go back to that crystal. "I can't let you do that, Sombra, and I won't. Only I know where that crystal is anyways, so you can't use it." The gray unicorn gave a guilty grin. "That's uh… not entirely true, Chryssi." Before she had time to ask what he meant, he grabbed her hoof again and picked up the earlier pace. Despite asking him a few times during their run, Sombra did not reply. Whether this was because he was ignoring her or because he couldn't hear her she didn't know. The shining buildings of the Crystal Empire faded into the background. Chrysalis didn't focus on where Sombra was dragging her; she concerned herself the with possibility of changelings attacking them at any moment now that they were exposed. Only when the gray stallion clutching her foreleg stopped did Chrysalis realize where they were. The fringes of the Gemstone Forest. How did he know? Chrysalis thought to herself frantically. Sombra sensed her question before she could put it to words. "I can feel it," He whispered. "Almost like it's calling to me. Funny, huh?" More like disturbing. "I'll run in and grab it," Sombra said, giving her a peck on the cheek. He turned to go into the forest, but Chrysalis intercepted. Her pink wings flared out to stop him, while at the same time she cast her transformation spell. Having her true form out in the open let Sombra know she meant business. "This is a very bad idea," she said loudly. "I know," Sombra spoke, uttering the two words she had least expected to hear. He gently laid his hoof on her shoulder. "Chryssi, I know it looks like I'm going a little crazy over this dark crystal, but I can control it. I know I can." "How can you be so sure?" Chrysalis asked dubiously. "Because I'm doing it for you," Sombra said, as corny and earnest as ever. The changeling queen lowered her wings, her desire to believe him overpowering her instincts to stay away from the crystal. She kissed him passionately on the lips, catching him by surprise. "Be quick." She whispered. He nodded, and bolted into the forest. Chrysalis was alone. But not for long. "My Queen." A voice said from behind her. She turned, facing Bared Fang – who sported a lovely new purple bruise on his forehead – and three other changelings. "Hello," She said to them. The changelings flanking Bared Fang began to move. Slowly, but calculated. They were encircling her. She had to buy some time before Sombra got back. Trying not to let fear and anxiety show, Chrysalis began to speak. "I hoped that by now you all would have realized by that I don't want to be your Queen." "I hoped that by now you would have realized the hive won't give you a choice," Fang retorted. Oh Sombra, please hurry. "I'm not going to be the queen," Chrysalis said. Fang shook his head. "You already are the queen, Your Majesty. Don't you understand that?" "Fine," Chryalis snorted. "Then as my first royal decree, I declare that I am no longer Queen of the Changelings." All four changelings paused. "You… you can't do that!" One hissed. "Why not?" She asked. "I was the queen, now I am not." "You can't do that, because then we still need a queen. You are the only candidate to be queen. You are now the queen again." Another changeling told her. "Not for much longer!" A very familiar voice called out. All five changelings turned to see Sombra rushing out of the forest, crystal in tow. "Back off!" He shouted, holding the crystal out in front of him like a weapon. None of her four assailants heeded his warning. A few snickered. "Who is this stallion?" Bared Fang asked in confusion. "Why is he making an ass of himself?" "That's Sombra," Chrysalis said. "My coltfriend." "Coltfriend?" One changeling exclaimed. "The queen cannot have a coltfriend! That would require love!" "I do love him," Chrysalis said adamantly. Sombra blushed, but still furiously pointed the crystal at the changelings. "Ah," Bared Fang said with realization. "Now I understand. You're being poisoned by love for this one." He turned to the other changelings. "We must eradicate him in order to save our queen." "Wait, what?" Was all Sombra could say before four changelings tackled him. "Sombra!" Chrysalis screamed. She was about to charge her horn to pry them off, when an explosion rocketed them away. She shielded her eyes from the blast, but upon opening them again she wished she hadn't. Sombra was standing in a tiny crater, body radiating dark magic. His eyes were green with a smokey trail behind them, his horn was redder than before, and curved now. He smelled of nothing but pepper. The changelings were recovering, and began charging again, despite the palpable fear Chrysalis could feel from them. The dark mane on Sombra whipped to one side as he turned and fired pure dark energy into its face. She winced as the changeling was flung into a nearby tree. Another two had only just stood up before Sombra sent a powerful shockwave, knocking them down again. He looked prepared - and willing - to kill them. "Sombra!" Chrysalis screamed. She looked into his hate-filled eyes, knowing he'd been wrong. He couldn't control this; nopony could. "Please stop. It was a mistake to let you have the crystal, I'm sorry. Please just come back to me." The green eyes on Sombra dimmed and reverted to their scarlet red. For a moment, the pepper vanished and honey filled her nose. "C-Chryssi?" He struggled to say. In a flash, his eyes when back to green. All honey vanished, leaving a more potent pepper. "No." She whispered. Sombra glared hatefully at her, and fired a magical beam of darkness. Chrysalis managed to conjure of shield of her green energy just in time. Sombra's dark magic slammed into her protection, causing it to wane slightly. "Sombra, please," she called out desperately. "I love you." Sombra said nothing, but fired another beam at her. This one was far stronger than the last, shattering her shield and sending her back. She landed next to Bared Fang. "Your Majesty," He said hastily. "We must escape while we still can." "No!" She screamed. "Sombra is still in there, I know it. You have to let me save him." "There is no Sombra anymore," A deep voice said. Chrysalis realized it was the gray stallion's mouth that uttered it. "Only darkness remains." Another magical onslaught began, but Bared Fang reacted quicker. As Sombra charged and fired several magical bolts, the changeling activated a teleportation spell. In a green flash, both he and Chrysalis were standing in an open field, away from Sombra. Frantically, Chrysalis searched and saw only a faint speck in the distance that was the Crystal Empire. She turned to Bared Fang. "Send me back!" She demanded. "I have to help him." "There is nopony for you to help," Fang replied. "The one you called your coltfriend is gone, Chrysalis. Absorbed by whatever heinous magic that was in that crystal." "No, I can't believe that!" Chrysalis declared, enraged. "He still loves me. Some part of him still loves me, I know it! I have to save him." "You will do no such thing!" Fang insisted. "I did not just save you from that monster's wrath so you could throw yourself back into it. He will kill you, Your Majesty." "Never," she said. "Sombra wouldn't harm a fly, let alone-" An explosion lit up in the distance. Chrysalis and Fang turned to see several of the buildings in the distance city were now on fire. Faint screams could be heard. "I wonder who that was." Bared Fang said dryly. Chrysalis said nothing, she simply allowed tears to rise to her eyes. One by one, the changelings from earlier teleported nearby, regrouping. A few had minor injuries, but nothing serious. "That stallion's a psychopath," One of them declared. "He started rambling about how he wanted to rule the Empire as king or something, then he blew up like half the city." "I saw him strike down an entire family with that freaky magic of his," Another said in shock. "This is my fault." Chrysalis whispered to herself. Tears were streaming down her face. "I did this to him." "My Queen, we must leave here," Bared Fang said. "It is time to go home." Chrysalis turned away from the destruction of the Crystal Empire, heart-broken with the realization that she could do nothing. A cool breeze whistled through the empty field as she made her decision. "My Queen?" Fang asked tentatively. "Fine. Let's go," She hissed venomously, emerald eyes red with tears. "There's nothing left for me here."