Past Actions
"You two know each other?" Starshine asked in confusion, as he looked from the nervous Sombra to the venomous Chrysalis, who sauntered down from her throne towards the dark pony who was doing his best not to run. The guards had barricaded the door behind the three, leaving the ponies alone with the queen.
"Oh yes, I know of Sombra, my little one," Chrysalis said with enough sweet venom in her voice to drop an Ursa, as she walked up to Sombra with a dangerous smile, placing a hoof under his chin that he swatted off quickly. "We have a...history, if you will. I must thank the two of you for bringing him to me. For that, I will make your deaths swift."
"Wait, what?" Trixie asked as Chrysalis walked back up to her throne and sat down, looking over the three with a smile. "Our deaths swift? By what right do you have to execute us?"
"For invading my kingdom of course," Chrysalis said with a smile as she used her magic to remove the shackles that had been placed on the three, except for the collar around Sombra's neck. "I thought that I sent out a decree saying that if anypony was to come into my kingdom, they would be killed on sight?" Chrysalis said with an innocent smile, which made Trixie's skin crawl. "I wonder why you didn't hear of it?"
"We did not enter your kingdom, changelings attacked us and brought us here," Trixie responded with a snarl, causing Chrysalis to raise an eyebrow in response. "In fact, we were trying to avoid your kingdom altogether in our travels." Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at that, not believing a word that the former tyrant had said. But she was curious as to where they were supposed to be heading.
"Then, may I ask what were you doing in my maze?" Chrysalis asked as she laid back in her throne. "Because the only way into my kingdom is through the maze or through the air, and we deal with the fliers just fine. And since the maze only leads into my kingdom, it is obvious that you are lying."
"I am not here for anything in your precious hive, my aim is for the temple that sits below it," Trixie replied, trying to keep the queen distracted as long as she could, while Trixie tried to get her magic working again. "There is an item in the temple that I need in order to achieve me goal."
"Trying to take over the world again?" Chrysalis asked with the verbal jab, but Trixie ignored it since she almost had her magic back. "Why should I let you into the ancient temple that none have returned from? Why not just kill you here?"
"Because if you don't...I'll do this!" Trixie yelled as she felt her magic return, firing a beam of azure energy at the queen. Chrysalis's eyes widened as the beam struck her dead on, throwing her from the throne and to the floor below. Trixie then spun around and barricaded the doors with one of the beams supporting the ceiling, locking out the changelings that were beating on the other side of the door. Trixie motioned for Sombra and Starshine to join her as she rushed over to the groaning Chrysalis, placing a hoof on her throat.
"Alright, Chrysalis, this is the new agreement," Trixie began as she pressed down a little harder. "You are going to take us to the temple and show us inside. And if you do a good job, I may not blast you into next week. What do you say?" All Chrysalis did was smile as a bolt of green lightning slammed into Trixie's back and threw her into the wall, while another Chrysalis stepped out from behind the throne with a smirk on her face.
"You did well my double," she said with a smile as Trixie got back up to her hooves, realizing that she had been tricked. Chrysalis shot the beam that was blocking the door out of the way, allowing the guards to storm the throne room, quickly taking Sombra and Starshine hostage. "So what will you do now, oh mighty Trixie?" Chrysalis asked with a smile. Trixie looked at the situation she was in and figured that she had two options. Surrender to Chrysalis and whatever torture she might think up, or...take them all down while trying to protect Starshine.
"I won't let you hurt him," Trixie said in a deadly tone, as her entire body began to glow azure, the power that radiated from her body shot beams of magic that piereced the thick stone walls of the castle. Chrysalis watched what Trixie was doing in horror as the unicorn began to float off of the ground, aiming all of that power towards the Queen of the Changelings.
'I have to do something and fast,' Chrysalis thought to herself as the castle began to shake from the power. "Wait a moment, let's not be hasty here. You said that you were here for something in my temple, yet I am the only one who can open it. Are you sure that you want to blast me apart?" Trixie's eyes narrowed, but the magic did seem to calm a bit, but Chrysalis still felt its destructive power.
"I can still wipe this castle off the map," Trixie threated in a dangerous tone, which was made even more threatening when one of the beams shot through a wall and brought it down. "You have twenty seconds to convince me why I shouldn't eradicate the castle." The guards looked to Chrysalis as she had to think faster than ever before, realizing now that Trixie may not show her the same mercy the Elements of Harmony would.
"Y-you need to get into the temple, but I am the only one who can open it," Chrysalis stammered. "I need to go with you if you wish to get inside. And you want inside, right?"
"Not getting in would indeed be a loss," Trixie agreed before she pointed her horn towards Chrysalis. "But it is something that I do not need...just like you." Chrysalis swallowed nervously and motioned for the guards to release Starshine, which they did so quickly.
"Thanks for caring," Sombra muttered to himself before the guard holding him slammed him face first into the stone floor. Upon seeing Starshine released, Trixie aimed the magic towards the queen and prepared to fire, that was until she heard some faint whispers coming from another room.
"Who's the pony trying to hurt Mommy?" one of the voices asked.
I don't know, but mommy looks nervous," another said. Trixie recognized them as children voices and realized that they were the children of the queen. With her heart now conflicted, Trixie decided not to blow away Chrysalis. Trixie stopped the magic and floated back down to the ground, a hard glare in her eyes.
"Very well, I will not wipe you off the face of Equis, but only if you listen to my instructions," Trixie said with a cold hate. "You will take me into the temple and show me what I seek. During that time, the guards will take care of Sombra and Starshine as if your life depended on their safety...which it does." Trixie's tone told Chrysalis all that she needed to know. She nodded to the guards to tell them to go along with what she said, before slightly bowing and motioning for Trixie to join her.
"Take care of Starshine," Trixie hissed to Sombra as she passed him, but in a quiet enough tone so that the guards couldn't hear. "If anything happens to you, Chrysalis will be the last of your worries."
"Fine, but whatever you do, don't trust Chrysalis. There is a reason the two of us hate each other so much."
"Are you concerned for my well being?" Trixie asked in mock interest.
"No. You're the only way I can get out of here alive," Sombra whispered back with a chuckle before the guards moved him and Starshine out of the throne room and down the hallway away from Trixie and Chrysalis. Trixie looked up at Chrysalis to see that she was glaring back at Sombra with hate in her eyes, and Trixie knew that the only reason she hadn't killed him yet was the threat Trixie had given her.
"So, where is the temple?" Trixie asked as the two walked down the halls, the changelings that occupied them stopping to stare at the unlikely pairing of Trixie and Chrysalis.
"There is a secret path in the center of the castle that only I or one of my kin can open," Chrysalis explained. "And as evil as you are, you do not seem like the type to threaten little ones into doing things for you. Of course, you do have that colt with you, so maybe I am wrong."
"Keep talking, Chrysalis," Trixie growled, causing the queen to back away from Trixie. "So, if your throne isn't the center of the palace, what is?"
"That would be the garden. Yes, we have a garden," Chrysalis said when Trixie gave her a look of disbelief. "Now then, about the temple. While I may be the only one who can open it, I cannot go in. If you are wondering why, it is because when Star-Swirl or whatever his name was created the place, he made it only accessible to the King or Queen of the Changelings that had the right to rule."
"Aren't you the ruler?"
"Yes, but in order to protect my hive, I had to ursurp my father from the throne and lock him away."
"Sounds like you have some family problems," Trixie said with a shrug.
"Oh, you have no idea. Here we are," Chrysalis said as she indicated the giant garden. They walked into it past a pair of doors. The garden was far different from what Trixie had been expecting. What were supposed to be green trees were instead black and dying, the bushes and flowers no better off. The pond in the center of the garden was filled with a green liquid instead of water, and it made Trixie nauseous just looking at it.
"Stand back, I need some space," Chrysalis said as she activated her magic, causing sickly green tendrils to lance from her horn into the ground, pulling away the dirt to reveal a large staircase that led down into darkness. Trixie looked down the stairs with a frown, not liking what she felt down there. "Also, I need to ask of you a favor. See, my great-great grandmother left an ancient tome down there, that I cannot get to, given my reason for being on the throne. So I was wondering if you could...?"
"I will consider it," Trixie said as she began to descend into the darkness, activating her horn so that the light at least let her see where she was walking. Chrysalis watched her descend, trying to keep her blood from boiling too much as the one she had quickly come to hate got farther and farther out of sight.
"Watch for her to come back up, if she survives," Chrysalis said to a pair of guards who had transformed from some of the plant life behind her. "If she comes back up, kill her without hesistation. She will be tired from the Temple of Death and will be no match for the two of you." The two saluted as Chrysalis walked by them, but then she stop and turned back to them with a snarl. "But if she does beat you, you had better hope that she kills you, because that will be a mercy considering what I will do to you." The two changelings said nothing as she walked back inside, but the two never took their eyes off the hole as they sat there.
/T\
"I knew that they would never keep their promise of hospitality, especially considering it's me they have captured," Sombra said with a smirk as he looked at the reinforced cell bars that were in front of him, doing his best to ignore the foal that wouldn't shut up behind him.
"Why are we in here?" Starshine asked as he pace back and forth, looking at the two massive changelings that stood outside their cell. "Trixie told Chrysalis to take care of us, not throw us back in prison. Why did she-?"
"Ugh, if it will shut you up, I'll tell you, Sombra growled as he rested his head against the bars, trying to think of a way out of their predicament. "Look, the changelings have a pretty spotty track record when it comes to keeping promises, especially when I'm the pony in question. If you were a regular colt that got stuck in the Changeling Empire, then you might get away without death. But since me and Trixie are with you, then you'll probably die as well."
"Why does Chrysalis hate you so much? What did you do to tick her off?" Starshine asked Sombra, who placed his head in his hooves with a sigh.
"Back when I wasn't in the pitiful state you see me in, I once forged an alliance with the Changeling Empire in order to try and take over all of Equestria," Sombra explained as he walked over to the mat on the ground and sat down, bringing up past memories. "My empire and the changelings grew close as a result, and naturally Chrysalis was attracted to me and my power. I liked her for...a different reason." Starshine sat down next to Sombra, eyes filled with curiosity about his story.
"Chrysalis, at that time, wasn't the immortal queen that my spell turned her into. But she did have something that I would kill for--and did kill to get...the Crystal Heart."
"What's the Crystal Heart?" Starshine asked him.
"It is the ultimate source of magic in all of Equestria, next to the Elements and my own power," Sombra said with a chuckle. "And it was at the time a power source that produced as much love as it did magic. And since the changelings feed off of love, I don't need to tell you why it was so important to them."
"And you took it?" Starshine asked in disbelief, shaking his head at Sombra. "You took away their source of food by manipulating the feelings of Chrysalis, essentially starving an entire race? Why would you do that?"
"Because I'm evil," Sombra said with a smirk as he placed both hooves behind his head. "Now, if you'll let me finish without any interruptions...So, yeah, me and Chrysalis had a thing and after a few years of wooing her, we eventually made an exchange to show how much we cared for each other. She gave me the Crystal Heart, and in return I made her immortal...now that I think about it, that probably wasn't my best move in the long term," he muttered with a shrug. Starshine looked at Sombra with disgust and shook his head, not believing that he had stood up for him in the temple.
"So then, you ran off the moment you got the heart?" Starshine asked, his curiosity forcing him to hear how the story ended.
"On the altar, no less," Sombra said with no emotion, looking at the ceiling with a sigh. Had the situation gotten to the point where he would have to use his last resort? "So yeah, I wouldn't really be surprised if Chrysalis was thinking up some insanely painful way to kill me off."
"Oh, you have no idea." Sombra and Starshine both looked out of the cell to see Chrysalis standing there, both of them able to feel the intense waves of hate that came off of her. "It has been a long time, Sweetheart. You don't look like you've aged a day."
"That's because I was trapped in ice for a thousand years or so," Sombra said with a shrug, trying not to show her how afraid he really was. "I would say the same to you, but you are immortal."
"No thanks to you," Chrysalis said with pure malice that made the guards move away from the cell as she approached it. "I gave everything to you Sombra, and you ripped my heart out just like you tore the Crystal Heart from our empire."
"Technically, you gave it to me," Sombra said with a smirk, before Chrysalis picked him up with her magic and slammed him into the cell bars, glaring into his face with tear filled eyes.
"Do you know what our empire was like when you abandoned us?" she asked with rage quaking in her voice. "We had openly declared war against the princesses, we were the bane of everypony in the land. You were supposed to help us, but instead you sided with the princesses and led your army against your WIFE!" Starshine looked nervously from Chrysalis to Sombra, wondering what the dark pony was going to say.
"I don't see a ring on this horn," Sombra said as he looked up at the small stump where his horn used to be. Chrysalis' fury broke through and she slammed Sombra into the opposite end of the cell, her eyes alone seemed to burn through the bars as she glared at him while he struggled to get back up.
"No...no I will not kill you now. You will not get out of your punishment so easily," she said in a cold, emotionless tone that scared Starshine far worse than her rage had. "If you believe in Faust, Sombra, then you better pray to her now. Because in a few hours, no force on or off Equis will be able to save you." She left the room as she said this, leaving the guards to look at Sombra with rage as well, but with hints of pity in their eyes.
"Dude, you messed up big," one of them said before they turned around and went back to guarding. Sombra shook his mane back out as he looked at where Chrysalis had left, tightening his lips as he did so. If he knew her, and he did, he knew that she wouldn't stop until she had carried out her threat.
'Which means it's time for me to get out of here,' Sombra thought to himself as he began to plan his escape, a small smile escaping from his lips as he sat in thought.
/T\
"This is definitely Star-Swirl's work, alright," Trixie said to herself as she looked up at the massive gates to the temple that lay in front of her, having little idea how to open them. It had taken her at least half an hour to reach to bottom of the stairs, at which point she had almost lost feeling in her legs. She decided then and there that stairs would be on her hate list, along with wheels and Sombra. 'I hope it is not like the last temple we visited. Without Sombra here to read the inscriptions, I may be in trouble. But first, let's see if I can find another way inside.' Trixie searched the area where Starshine had last found the writing, but there was no trace of there ever being something there. But upon closer inspection of the doors, she did find a few lines of an ancient language that she did know.
'This is ancient changeling,' she thought to herself as she read the words, able to loosely translate them to the point where she could figure out what they were saying.
'If you be of compassionate heart, you may enter. If you are the Ruler of the Changelings by fair choice, then you may enter. If you are one of the first, then you may enter. Other than that, be warned, for a impossible challenge will await you. Press the symbol on the door.
Trixie looked up at the massive stone doors where a six-sided gem had appeared in the center of it. Trixie bit her lip as she walked up to the symbol, knowing that she didn't qualify for any of those requirements, meaning that she would have to face a challenge that Star-Swirl had deemed impossible.
'It is alright Trixie, you face the impossible every other day,' Trixie said as she pressed her hoof to the gem, before being blasted back by a surge of energy that flooded the room. She picked herself up off the ground to see a massive creature rise out of the ground, a beast with the body of a lion, the head of a goat and the tail of a snake. "Great, a chimera. Of course, it's a beast of myth." Trixie prepared a number of spells that she wasn't certain would work as the beast roared and ran towards her. Trixie fired her first spell only to watch as the beast leapt over her and hit the ground with enough force to knock her off her hooves again. Trixie growled as she spun to face the beast, only to realize that it was on top of her. One of its massive paws knocked her to the ground before pinning her there, leaving her at the mercy of the beast.
'No, not like this,' she thought to herself, as the creature opened its maw that was filled with rows of razor sharp teeth. She closed her eyes as it went in for the killing blow...only to realize a moment later that the beast had stopped. She cracked open one eye and looked up to see that the creature was sniffing her, all the rage gone from its eyes, as a more friendly look appeared on its face. It removed its paw from Trixie's chest and allowed her up, giving her a creepy smile before it walked over to the door and placed one of its paws on it, opening it for Trixie.
"Um...thank you?" Trixie said to the chimera as it smiled at her and sat down outside of the door, motioning for her to go inside. "Well, I suppose whatever is in there can't be nearly as bad as what's out here," Trixie muttered to herself as she stood up and walked into the temple, giving the chimera at the entrance one last cautious look before heading inside. The beast watched her enter until she had completely vanished from view, before it turned its attention upwards, feeling the darkness and hate that was coming from above...as well as the dark magic that had been here a thousand years ago.
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Should say Star-Swirl's work. And isn't it Sombra who can read the inscriptions?
Anyhow, it looks like Sombra isn't going to be redeemed. After all, he wooed Chrysalis just to get the Crystal Heart, and abandoned her on the altar. And he doesn't regret it at all. I'm still hoping Chrysalis can be redeemed, on account of Even Evil Has Loved Ones, but her command to her guards to kill Trixie if she does manage to exit the temple makes that seem rather doubtful as well.
3878386 And he should be regretting this why? Discord didn't really regret any of his actions,hell even after being reformed he had no regrets for his past actions. Redemption is rarely an option for ponies like Sombra, reformation and the chance is about the only thing they can get at this point.
And his actions with changelings, are probably the least evil thing he has done. It's not like he has stolen the Crystal Heart.
You should give Chrysalis more of the chance to show a better side of her self. Because the world isn't just black and white you know.
What I am curious about, is the story behind Chrysalis ascension to the throne. She overthrew her father for presumably noble reasons. But if that were true then shouldn't she still be a rightful ruler? So long as there was a good reason to do that, and the changelings have actually accepted her as their queen. I don't think the door should have had a problem with her.
Nice chapter.
I really hope Trixie escapes and can convince Candance and Shining Armor of the truth of her story, giving the Changelings the Crystal Heart would probably go a long way towards making a lasting peace.
Given we now know she has kids, I still say Star Shine should befriend one.
3879450
Are we even reading the same chapter here? Because that's exactly what he confessed he did. He wooed her, then got her to give him the Crystal Heart, which allowed the Changelings to get as much love as they needed without needing to so much as leave the hive, in exchange for making her immortal! He then left her on the wedding altar! And he's probably going to make sure he escapes without Starshine! I really hope the chimera catches him!
And I am hoping that Starshine might befriend her children, and help Chrysalis change her ways.
3879546 You mean the same Trixie who is basically public enemy number one? Convince Cadance who requires the crystal heart to keep her empire safe and transfer love and tolerance to the rest of the world? The one who is being blown away like a leaf by the late autumn wind by any more or less decent villain? Give away the heart to public enemy number 2?
3880400 No. He confessed in using Chrysalis feelings to gain the crystal heart. And that's a totally different thing. Whats more, as you have already pointed out he would have had it anyway as Chrysalis gave it to him as a token of her love while in return he made her immortal. It was an obvious trade,even if Chrysalis expected Sombra to stay with the heart in her kingdom. What if even after marrying Chrysalis he would have still stayed in the Crystal Empire? The heart was his. There was no theft. Just a one love struck idiot (sorry Chrysalis) who got taken advantage off.
And considering Sombras other crimes, I can fully say that marital fraud is the least evil thing I have known Sombra do in cannon or fiction. Don't take me wrong. He's still a prick.
Don't think that leaving Starshine behind is much of the option for him. He's not an idiot and knows that on the off chance Trixie survives, she'll hunt him down. I think he would take Starshine with him but if the kid started weighting him down he would definitely leave him behind.
And how would Starshine befriending Chrysalis children help Chrysalis change her ways? It might mellow her out a bit I agree.Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if that actually happened. But would she really be a less ruthless queen?
3880823 But she only gave him the Crystal Heart because he manipulated her into giving it to him. And he openly confessed to making the Changelings constantly have to feed on the love of ponies For the Evulz.
As for Starshine befriending one of Chrysalis children, it would help her realize that ponies and Changelings can coexist peacefully. Besides, she's different from Sombra because she actually cares about her subjects.
3880888 Yes and no. He confessed in wooing her to get the heart. And considering she was attracted to his power, I doubt he even had to actually do anything. That is still not stealing by the way. He confessed that his evil, like we hadn't known that already. But he never confessed on forcing changeling to feed on other ponies. Lets keep changeling crimes to changelings. Sombra has enough of his own.
That could happen. But then she could realize that the only reason the children are friends is because they are children. But yeah, that at the moment seems to be the path the story is taking. At least if we were to believe that Chrysalis is not about to become the antagonist of the story.
Looking back at the chapter few chapters back. I would say not exactly. They do indeed both have different methods of ruling, possibly. But they are quite a like. Both are attracted to power, both are exceptionally cunning. Both are ruthless and are likely to stab you in the back. Sombra even mentioned that changelings cannot be trusted to keep their promises. Remember, we still don't know the story regarding Chrysalis father or seen any civilians. For all we know Chrysalis could be ruling with the iron fist over the population after she overthrew her father.
And lets not forget Sombra's dream. If we consider that it's part of the memory, then Sombra is not as cold hearted as you believe him to be.
So if the Crystal Heart originally belonged to the Changelings how is that going to affect the Crystal Empire?
3880888 That's how I want to see it turn out. If demons are going to be invading, having the changelings ready and willing to help would be a good thing. They're essentially flying artillery, so a very good thing to have. Plus, seeing Starshine and little changelings interact is cute and good for some feels.
Achievements earned:
Heartless (convince Chrysalis to help)
Animal Tamer (get past the Chimera)
7246264 possible "game over" scenes:
Chrysalis: You did well against my subjects, but I am on a whole other level...
Chrysalis: Such is the fate off ALL who oppose the Hive...
Chrysalis: ...to think that you would try and use trickery against ME