vengeance at nightfall

by NightSugar pone

chapter 19

ascension, discussion, profit?

Angel paced in the main hall, a year had passed since the plan was set in motion, and she was trying to understand her sister's drive to stay in power.

“I just don't get it: what's so good about being in power to you? You never used to like talking about it so why do you like it now?”
Nightshade sat down and watched her sister doing laps in front of her.

“I never had the chance to truly move on before, but now I have a mate and a wealthy sufficient job with my family, I was just guessing that I could give it a chance,”
Angel stopped and walked up to her sister and stared down at her with angered confusion.

“but why? From the moment we began work on the plan you've been put in danger and forced to take lives, what happened to ‘screw the crown, I still have a life?’ you haven't even brought up anything that wasn't work-related.”
At this point, Angel was looking more annoyed with her sister and even more confused, and Nightshade began to worry,

“I just thought…that maybe Metamorph and I could raise Sapphire better if I stayed in my royal title, that and the possibility of having a foal and growing up together,”
Angel’s physical response made Nightshade confused; it looked as though all the energy she had flickered out of existence and she began to look more sad.

“oh ‘shade, you know as well as me that that can't happen,”
She walked over to her sister as Nightshade's expression became more sharp and challenging,
“Celestia never did it because of how old she would have gotten, and how hard it would be to mourn the death of a loved one so close to her. I don't want you to have to mourn for his death”
Angel put her hoof on her sister's shoulder but Nightshade shoved it off,

“I wouldn't expect you to understand, you've never been with a stallion long enough to fall in love with them, but fortunately for me I have.”
She stood up and stared up into her sister's glaring eyes
“mom knew the risks as well but she still loved our father until she couldn't any more”

“don't you dare bring our Father into this!”
Angel stomped her hoof hard, emphasising her point and rage
“he was a tyrant and he suffered for it!”

“he suffered trying to give us all a place to rule in darkness and night!”
Nightshade's eyes began to water
“and he died trying to give us a chance at true power, but you would have been okay knowing that he was gone wouldn't you?”
She pushed her sister aside and walked out of the room, holding back the tears as she forced herself not to look back. Once she was far enough away she slowed down her walk and leaned on a wall,sitting down and finally letting the tears roll over her cheeks. She breathed hard as the tears felt as though they were burning her face, it hurt to recall the loss of their father but it was the only thing that would stop her sister from continuing the fight, and it hurt more and more each time. The sound of hoof steps coming towards her made her force a powerful stance, and she quickly tried to wipe away the tears and fix herself up, until she noticed that it was Metamorph. And with each second she looked at him her tough act slowly began to fall apart, and she felt the tears building up in her eyes again and she fell back to the ground. Metamorph quickly galloped to her and began trying to comfort her, but her eyes were so filled with tears the only thing he thought to do was hold her close and let her get all the crying out of her system.

“what happened to make you like this, Night? You're almost never this emotional,”
He asked once it seemed like she was calm enough to speak, and she just leant her head on his chest as she stared at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with him.

“how long do changelings live for?”
She said with her voice sounding a little horse,

“I don't know, maybe 100 years, the oldest I know is 95, why?”
He gently ran a hoof over her back and she forced a smile that looked like it hurt.

“isn't it funny how long Alicorns can live for? Angel doesn't want me to get too attached to you because I'll outlive you like there isn't anything I can do about it,”
A small tear ran down her cheek and he sighed as he looked down at her, and knew what had gotten her so upset when she saw him.

“and you don't want to simply break it off, you want to stay with me?”
She nodded silently as her smile faded,

“and I'm helpless, I wish I could just make you an Alicorn like Celestia did for twilight, but I don't even think that's possible,”

“and as far as letting me go is concerned, I can't be let back into the hive if I already have a mate, and my mom already knows about us so I can't really do much either.”
Nightshade looked up at him and her blue eyes were a reddish pink around the edges of them, and he lifted a hoof to her cheek
“you are more than capable of handling loss, I know that from how you tried to live your father's wish. And I know you will be more than capable of handling my death as well,”
He smiled knowingly and Nightshade lifted a hoof to hold his, as another tear rolled down her cheek, and she reared up to hug him tightly.

“I love you,”
She said as another torrent of tears fell from her eyes, and he hugged her back

“I love you too, till death do us part,”
He said as a tear ran down his cheek as well, and he smiled at feeling the warmth of her love.