Chrysalis remained under control long enough for the powerful emotion emanating from Spike to fade just enough for her to relax. It took a bit of time and some hasty apologies, but the pair had untangled their limbs. Chrysalis couldn't believe what she was seeing, Spike had grown. He didn't look like an adult, but he wasn't a child anymore. She couldn't help but let her eyes dance along his body, he wasn't especially attractive, but that didn't stop her. Spike shook her from this by breaking what, to him, must have been awkward silence.
“We better get moving, the suns starting to set.” Spike was looking into the distance, at the sun as it set over Everfree Forest, their destination.
“Yes, we should.” Chrysalis accepted, knowing they wasted enough time as it was. Due to Spike's size increase, he could no longer ride Chrysalis in flight, so they were forced to dash toward the forest.
“Oh, Desmodus, where did you go wrong?” The king wandered aloud as he glided above the trees. “You show them compassion and they take it as weakness. You make yourself something to be feared and they rebel. I simply cannot win!” He sighed in exhaustion as he peeked through the canopy of leaves.
It was then that he caught a familiar sensation, an emotion he hadn't had since long before he was sealed away. Love. He twisted his body in that direction and shot through the air like a bullet. He came to the edges of the forest, and there he saw them. A dragon and a changeling, a changeling he knew all too well. He felt almost giddy at the sight.
“Ah, my former queen! My, the years have been most unkind!” He bellowed the insult. This was going to be fun. Spike and Chrysalis skidded to a halt as the king landed before them. He was taller then both of them, but not by much. He wore a sick grin on his face, giving off the feeling he had planned to meet with them, or more accurately, her.
“So you're the sick bucker who started this mess.” Spike was in no mood for games, he felt a primal anger well inside him at the mere sight of the king he had heard so little about. He flashed his fangs and flexed his claws, he felt his instincts start to take over.
He didn't even wait for the come-back, he simply lunged at the changeling king, hoping to catch him by surprise. It worked, he felt his claws rake across the tough shell of his target and grinned in satisfaction. His small victory was short lived, however.
“My, my, aren't we eager.” The king cackled at the weak attempt, he had not scratch on his armored body. “I think I can work up a rebuttal.” His horn glowed sickly green and the dragon was lifted into the air. Spike cried out in pain as he felt his limbs being pulled in different directions.
This torture didn't last long, however, as the king was blown back by a blast of energy. It wasn't necessarily strong or painful, but the sheer force of it was enough to knock his concentration askew long enough to make him drop Spike.
“Ah, Chrysalis, dear, sweet Chrysalis. I had forgotten about you, not that much of a feat as you just blend in with the scenery.” The king seethed, readjusting himself, as was Spike.
“Desmodus, how did you even get out?” She interrogated, her horn aglow with what little power she had left. “That seal was supposed to last forever.”
“Forever couldn't keep me from you, my love.” He replied sarcastically. Spike had no idea what was going on, but he knew even with his current body he was powerless in front of the king. He was worried about this fight.
“As much fun as this has been, I simply must catch my dinner before it gets too far.” He flicked his head to the side slightly, his horn's glow increased in intensity. The magic surrounded both Spike and Chrysalis and they felt a sudden pressure on their body's, forcing them to the ground like gravity had increased tenfold. They both made sounds of distress as they were crushed under the sheer might of the king's power.
Spike was the first to crumble to the ground, on all fours first before his limbs buckled, falling flat on his front. His vision was beginning to blur, he could barely form a coherent thought through the haze of pain, and the only noise he could make was grunts of agony.
Chrysalis fell not too long after, though she held all her pain in, not making a single noise that she knew Desmodus wanted to hear. All seemed hopeless as her mind started to shut down and black out.
A sickening snap sounded out and the king made a shuddering sound of pleasure. Spike finally roared out in pain as something inside him broke, not mentally or figuratively, but physically. His head was such a muddled mess that he couldn't identify the source of new pain, and it quickly overwhelmed him.
Chrysalis passed out from the sheer amount of pain and force being applied, but Spike wasn't so lucky. His body crushed under the weight of the magic, his lungs filled with his own life-blood and soon he was drowning in it. He coughed and sputtered up spurts of the red liquid, but it was no use. He couldn't expel it from his system with it flowing freely in.
King Desmodus released the pressure, looking at the results. A mostly dead Chrysalis and a dead dragon. He couldn't suppress his laughter.
“It seems you're just as weak as before, love.” He approached her slowly, nudging her chin with a hoof. “I think I'll just leave you to die, you deserve to suffer.” He cackled madly as he took to wing.
Chrysalis groaned as her consciousness left her.
The king, renewing his pursuit, flew over the forest yet again, scanning it for signs of life. It wasn't long before he spotted it by a large stone gate in a small clearing. Pony and changeling alike all gathered around it. He grinned maliciously at the sight.
Due to quite a few complaints, many from Rarity, the rebel group had voted on a break.
“This gate thing doesn't feel right, guys.” Rainbow Dash flew around a bit, not one for sitting with her adrenaline pumping like it was. “I mean, you hear those noises its making?” She was getting kind of annoying if you asked Twilight Sparkle.
“So tell me, Culcidae. How do I know you?” She approached hap-haphazardly, earning a look from the changeling.
“Simple, I led the invasion of Canterlot.” He replied almost too casually for her taste. She gave him a dubious look. Twilight wasn't sure she felt comfortable now, she knew somewhere in the back of her mind that they were her enemies at one point, but now that it was on the table for everyone to see, well, let's just say it wasn't a very easy thing to talk about to the mare. Thankfully, she didn't need to worry about that much longer, as a bigger problem made itself known.
“My little changelings, why must you wound me so?” Desmodus swooped down, landing in the center of the masses, earning the cries of surprise and fear he desired. “Et tu, Captain?” He asked in mock hurt.
With their only pathway out blocked by the king, the rebels fled the only way they could.
Into the gates of Tartarus.