There was silence in the throne room as Starnight finished his sentence. The sheer amount of disbelief on Dark's face was apparent to all. He hesitated for a few seconds, then lowered his head and took a few, uncertain steps forward.
“Starnight…dude,” he said. “There is no way that the Changeling Kingdom is Tartarus...we would have seen the Queen of Dreams or Tirek.” His tail swished nervously from side to side as Chrysalis kept her cool under the accusations.
There was a clear hint of annoyance in Starnight’s next words to his best friend. “Okay, you want proof? How about you look out that window behind you?” He glared at Chrysalis. “I knew you couldn't be trusted.”
Chrysalis glared right back. “I haven't done anything wrong Starnight. The Changeling Kingdom is a dry land both above and below ground. However to accuse us of being Tatarus...” She never even bothered to finish that sentence.
It was at that time that General came with the plans he stole from the Queen's central chamber “Then what do you make of this?” He dropped the plan titled “Operation Q.O.D., Operation False Alliance, may I go on?”
Dark finally snapped. “I can't believe you two. Are you really so focused on being mindless, hateful morons that you are willing to come up
with the most ridiculous lie I’ve ever heard trying to make Chrysalis look bad?” His gaze burned its way furiously over to Starnight. “I thought you would know better than that.”
The General’s pupils dilated angrily. “How dare you talk to me like that! I am the head of the Celestia guard. You are just some LT and I am still a superior officer!
Dark advanced menacingly towards him. “That doesn't mean you can't be wrong.” He snorted. “I'm gonna prove to the both of you how stupid this is”
While they were occupied, Fluttershy had actually sneaked past Chrysalis to avoid the fighting and had managed to manoeuvre herself right next to the infamous window that Starnight had told Dark about. What she saw made her jaw drop, and she turned to Dark, calling to him and stopping him in his tracks. “Maybe you should apologize to General and Starnight.”
Dark looked at her in confusion “What are you talking about Fluttershy? Don't tell me you believe this nonsense too!”
“Yeah, it's just nonsense!” Fang exclaimed, glancing at Dark, rapidly trying diffuse the situation before it spiralled out of control. Chrysalis sighed with relief as Dark lowered his gaze after glaring suspiciously at the Fang. She gave him a grateful smile, one that the love struck changeling greatly appreciated.
Dark, however started to think about the situation and than paused. “I have to see this for myself.” He than started to walk past Fang. “I have to find out if I'm wrong, because right now...the way you're acting...and what Fluttershy just said...”
“It's not that” Fang said rapidly again “Why don't we just go back and talking about Changeling Culture?” He said, trying in vain prevent dark from exposing the ticking time bomb that was about to explode.
Chrysalis sighed. “If you want some form of answer, I can explain the plans already. I said point-blank at the meeting that there were some revenge plans drawn up that I scrapped. Those plans are old; I simply haven't thrown them out yet because I needed a back up plan in case your precious Princesses are too stubborn to make any sort of Alliance with me”
Fluttershy's eyes narrowed; her next words were clearly defensive. “Twilight isn't like that your majesty. You’d be surprised what she’s had to deal with in her lifetime” She looked over at Dark, who was getting closer. “Dark…you don't want to see what's out there.” She was trying to disperse the situation just as much as Fang now, the latter having a great expression of appreciation on his face.
However, the stubborn thestral ignored Fluttershy as he walked past her and looked right out the window. He realised how much of a mistake that was not even a second later.
Above them, guarding two bottomless pits with cages, was Cerberus. He shivered as he saw the Queen of Dreams laying asleep just as they left her before. Fear filled his every orifice as he realised how close he had been to death the last time he fought her...seeing her this close to him, even in her sleeping form was enough for him to feel fear rock him to his core.
As Dark stared on, a stunned Fang went to damage control, “I can explain this.” He shot a nervous glance towards the shocked thestral before swallowing in terror. “Well,” he began. “We had to keep this secret I...I...I...”
Seeing he was failing, Chrysalis walked over to Dark. “We had to keep this secret because we knew that if we told you this...the chances of us getting an alliance would be slim to none.” General and Starnight nodded in disgusted agreement with the Changeling Queen's word. “Yes, our land is Tartarus. We live just a few blocks away from the worst of the worst. Would you be so happy to admit that fact towards creatures you do want a genuine alliance with?”
Dark looked towards Chrysalis in rage; his fear was quickly ebbing away. However Fluttershy ran boldly in front of him, facing Chrysalis. “What else?” she asked.
Dark stared at her in silent disbelief; this was so uncharacteristic of the shy mare he’d met earlier. “What else have you been lying to us about?” Fluttershy asked again.
Chrysalis looked at her and than sighed “I only dropped my revenge plans about a week ago…"
Dark’s eyes widened. “You mean you still had a revenge plan this whole time!?”
Chrysalis looked down as she begrudgingly nodded, sat down with Fang in the corner as a clearly angry Dark approached with Starnight and
General. She winced ready for whatever punishment when Fluttershy dashed in front of them once again and yelled:
“WAIT!” Silence greeted her as she sighed; where was all this coming from? She then turned to Chrysalis.
“Let her finish first…” she said softly. Chrysalis nodded gratefully before continuing.
“I had a plan worked out...operation False Alliance. It was simply going to be me and Fang begging for an alliance when we were really planning to free Tirek and let him loose again. When the Equestrians looked to us for assistance, we would than join up with Tirek and destroy Equestria.” Fang stood in front of Chrysalis as she confessed, ready to defend her from three trained Equestrian guards and one Fluttershy. Chrysalis paused.“Than…I had a talk with Fang” Fang paused at that as he didn't think the talk they had had earlier meant much...it was so brief:
“I'm so proud to be serving under you Queen Chrysalis,” Fang had said.
“Why?” she had replied She was rather demanding of her citizens.
Fang had smiled and said “It takes a great leader to swallow their pride and do what's best for their people.”
Chrysalis sighed “I at first ignored his words but...the more I thought about it...the more that Fang's words rang true. I had a plan for selfish vengeance because of my own damaged ego...when...” She looked down truthfully as Dark's special talent came into play once more, he knew what even General and Starnight couldn't deny anymore. “Instead I should have thought of my people...I thought that you wouldn't need to know if you didn't have to”
For a few moments, there was silence…then the General sighed. “I can tell by your voice you're not full of it...but I'm keeping my eye on you from now on” Starnight nodded in agreement than looked at Dark.
Dark walked towards the Changeling Queen and did what he had done for Princess Luna before: He wiped a stray tear that was in her eye and smiled gently. “It's okay...just...don't lie to us again.”
Chrysalis turned slightly red as she nodded saying “Er yes…yes of course.”
He turned around and smiled, happy to be returning to his room after such a long day. Eventually the room emptied as it was only Chrysalis and Fang.
Fang looked at Chrysalis's eyes as she said “He was so...nice to me.” There was something different in her voice…something softer. Was it…love? Was she falling in love with Dark?
Fang narrowed his eyes and a green monster began to rise in his soul.“Yeah…he was.”