Chapter 1: The return. Edited version.
The sun bathed the Crystal empire in its beautiful rays as it slowly began to set over the horizon and the day came to its end.
The moon peeked up from over the horizon, slowly beginning the long climb across the sky to reach the stars and once more bring a bit of light into the night.
The setting sun met with its sibling, the rising moon.
They reached out for each other, and together they brought the magical hour of twilight upon the world once more.
The hour of twilight with its unmatched beauty, is often considered by many mortals to be the time when miracles descend upon the world. For most, it is a marvelous sight to behold, for such beauty can’t be anything less than a gift from the gods themselves.
And to others it’s just an indication that the night is on the rise, and perhaps they are right. Not everyone needs to believes the same things and that is what makes the world such a marvelous place to be.
But the hour of twilight brings more than just joy. It brings the shadows from their lairs, and once they are outside, they fester. Quickly they grow in power as they cover the lands, but such is their duty.
Still there are many that fear the shadows, and often they are willing to do anything to keep them at bay, but just as many loves what the night brings to the world. And as the hour grows late, the blessings of the night slowly devours everything in sight.
The mighty Crystal empire that sparkles in the day is defenseless against the night which consumes all light.
* * *
King Shining Armor was enjoying the sunset whilst sitting inside the castle nursery. He had it built in order to tend to his daughter’s needs.
He was sitting in an old rocking chair, slowly rocking himself back and forth as he gazed into the setting sun. In his forehooves lay his infant daughter, Crystal. She had tried to stay awake so she could experience the hour of twilight with her father.
But the soft rocking motion of the chair in combination with the gentle beatings of her father’s heart had managed to lull her to sleep.
She lay on her side curled up like a ball against her father's body. She was sucking on her hoof and snuggling against her dad’s strong chest.
Two months has passed since Crystal became a part of Shining’s life, and ever since his mind has been at war with itself.
He turned his head and gazed into the large mirror across the room. He saw what seemed to be a happy father gently cradled his infant daughter. Crystal had brought him so much happiness over the past few months, but there was always this nagging feeling deep inside his mind that told him not to trust her actions.
He looked down at the sleeping child in his hooves. As a smile crept upon his lips, he gently nuzzled her chest and kissed her forehead. “When I look at you… I see an innocent child with laughter in her heart and the sweetest of eyes. And yet my heart refuses to accept it.” Even though his words were soft, they still managed to wake the sleeping child.
Crystal stretched out her tiny body and let out the kind of adorable squeaky yawn that only very young children are capable of. She burrowed her face in her father’s chest and slowly raised her head so she could see his face.
She reached out with her tiny hooves and hugged her Father’s snout. “Daddy!” The sound of her soft voice brought a tear of joy to Shining’s eye.
He sat her down on his lap and bopped her nose, and Crystal giggle with delight. “Well look who’s awake. Did you sleep well, my little angel?”
Crystal’s tiny eyes began to glow a wicked green color. “Oh I sleep very well! Hahahaha!” Her wicked laughter echoed through the nursery and her once soft voice changed into one that Shining had wished that he would never hear ever again
Suddenly Crystal’s entire body began to glow, and sickly green flames consumed her.
Her body began to grow bigger and heavier. Shining tried to push her away, but the sudden increase in weight caught him by surprise and he was not strong enough.The sudden weight gain also caused the old rocking chair to crumble. Shining now lay on his back against the hard floor, and within seconds, the once adorable child had been replaced by a burning black mess that quickly grew in size. It lay on top of Shining and used its hooves to pin him down. As the flames slowly disappeared, they revealed the one creature Shining hated more than anything.
Queen Chrysalis, the ruler of the changeling swarm that not to long ago tried to conquer the capital city of Canterlot. The beast that had tricked him and forever cursed him with the inability to ever be able to conceive an offspring of his own.
Shining’s eyes were filled with hatred and his voice grew dark. “You! I’ll kill you for this!” he growled
The dark queen’s eyes began to glow a wicked green color. Slimey black tentacles shot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around Shinings limbs, torso and, neck. Chrysalis stood up and the black tentacles hoisted Shining into the air. He tried to break free, but the tentacles were too strong, even for him.
Chrysalis walked up to him and slowly caressed his chest with her black hoof. “So strong and yet so incredibly weak. I never thought this was going to work in the first place, but judging by the current situation I guess it did. Hahahaha!” Green flames consumed her hoof and transformed it into a paw fitted with razor sharp claws. Once more she caressed his chest, this time drawing a small amount of blood.
“Argh!” Shining grunted in pain. The wound was not very deep, but it felt like he was getting cut by a sword made out of ice.
“Oh, poor baby! Does it hurt? Hahaha! Don’t worry, the poison is only meant to numb you for the upcoming event. I want you to experience the full visual process of slowly transforming into one of my mindless changeling warriors. Normally the pain would knock the infected unconscious, but I want to give you the V.I.P treatment.” Chrysalis let out a menacing giggle.
Shining was not going to let her turn him into a changeling without a fight. He needed to stall for time. “I’ll tell you what, missy. If you leave right now and never come back I’ll let you run.”
“Hahahahaha! And what are you going to do if I refuse this generous offer of yours?” she said sarcastically.
`Great! She took the bait!` Shining thought. “Simple. I’m going forcefully bind your soul to a beautiful gemstone that matches your… special personality,” Shining said with a smile.
Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. “So your plan is to make me immortal?”
Shining chose his words carefully. He wanted to annoy her, make her mad. Perhaps she would make a mistake. “Children should allow their elders to finish before they open their impatient mouths!”
“Grrr,” Chrysalis gritted her teeth in annoyance; she did not like the way Shining was acting. She wanted him to tremble and beg her for mercy.
“Now where were? Oh, yeah! Once your body is immortal I’ll tear your exoskeleton from your body piece by piece until all your soft flesh is revealed.
Then I’ll cut all your tendons, rip you limb from limb and then I’ll leave you to die, but you won't die. So I’ll just let the the soulstone heal your wounds, and then the cycle continues until I get bored or die of old age,” Shining said, his voice cutting through the air like the sharpest blade.
Chrysalis blinked her eyes a couple of times. She was not sure how to react. The actions he described were dark, even for her and she would never even dream of doing such a thing. She stuck her tongue out in disgust. “That is revolting! I only want to drain the emotions of all living ponies and leaving them as nothing but lifeless husks until I turn them all into changelings! You sicken me!” She turned around and gazed out the window.
`I can’t believe she bought that. That was the biggest pile of bullshit I could think of. I don’t even know how soul binding and soulgems work.´
Shining took advantage the Queen’s moment of disgust and began channeling a spell. A spell that would charge his body with raw arcane force. An old spell used to recharge magical power sources.
How it came to be discovered that it could be used as a means to push someone's strength, stamina, reflexes, pain resistance and overall physical performance to far beyond their natural limitation have since long been drowned in the everflowing river that is time.
It was never intended to be used on living creatures, but there are things that can push a pony so deep into the pits of desperation that he is willing to try anything. No one can remember when this alternative use of the spell was discovered and oddly enough there are no records of it. But for hundreds of years it has been taught to high ranked soldiers within the royal guard.
The longer you allow yourself to charge the stronger you get. But the stronger you get, the greater the aftermath you suffer.
Shining knew that his chance of survival once the spell came to an end would be minimal, but if, he in that window of time was able to rid Chrysalis from the world in the process, then It would all be worth it.
Shining could feel his muscles slowly expanding, solidifying, becoming hard as steel, and he loved every second of it. He tugged at one of the tentacles and just as he had hoped, it began to rip. `Great, I’ll be able to break free from these easily. But I need to keep charging-- I won't get a second chance at this. I-´
Shining’s train of thought got interrupted by a sudden pain and the sound of his throat getting pierced. Chrysalis had sunk her fangs into him, and the changeling corruption quickly began to spread inside his body.
Chrysalis released her fangs and took a few steps back. She licked her lips. “Mmm, yummy. I had forgotten just how tasty the blood of ponies is. I hope you will enjoy your last few moments of free will, Because soon you will be part of the collective consciousness of my swarm. Hahaha!”
“Argh!” The pain caused by the corruption was worse than he could imagine, but despite the pain Shining never stopped charging his body with arcane force.
The transformation was rapid. Only mere seconds had passed, but Shining could feel how his body begun to change.
His spine broke free from its hinges and forced itself through the skin on his back. Once the spine was outside his body the intervertebral discs within it began to turn black and they started producing a black liquid that slowly skittered over his body.
The liquid began to shape itself into strands that looked like nerve threads. Once they were identical to the real ones inside Shining’s body they slowly dug themselves into his skin and connected with his natural ones.
Once the black threads connected with the ones inside his body they began to harden, and the black changeling exoskeleton began to grow.
Chrysalis watched with delight as her soon-to-be servant squirmed in pain. Seeing him suffer brought her great joy, but something was bothering her. The poison she administered earlier should have left him immune to the pain.
But she shrugged it off as nothing. Perhaps Shining was immune to the poison all together; she did not really care. She just wanted to enjoy the show.
In the process Shining’s mane lost all its color, leaving it white as snow. His once beautiful hooves were being replaced by black ones that were filled with holes.
It wouldn't take much longer for the corruption to claim him completely, and he knew that.
It was now or never. “Chrysalis do you know how hard your exoskeleton is?”
“That’s an odd question, considering the position you are currently in, but I’m game. Sadly I have no idea-- it has never been cracked and I it never will!”
Shining began to laugh. “Hahahaha!” His laughter went through several changes. It had started out as a happy laugh, but it gradually took a darker tone until it reached the kind of insane laughter a homicidal maniac would let out moments before killing a helpless victim.
“Oh great, his mind shattered.” Chrysalis said in a disappointed tone. With a sigh she turned her back to him. A smirk formed on her lips. “Oh well. I still have Cadence to play with.”
Shining saw his chance and took it. He focused his mind one last time and released all the magic in one big flash, thus allowing the raw arcane force to consume his body.
His eyes began to glow with a color similar to that of someone suffering a magical surge. Every blood vessel in his body began to glow with a bright blue light, and his white mane took on the likeness of an everflowing electrical current.
He broke free from the tentacles. Once he was on the ground, he charged towards Chrysalis and slammed his forehooves into the side of her body.
Chrysalis flew across the room and with a loud crash, she split the changing table in half, slamming hard into the castle wall.
Without a moments hesitation, Shining charged towards her and began to punch her upper body with his black hooves.
Nothing was going to stop him from killing her. He turned his back at her and kicked her as hard as he could with his back hooves. The force of the kick combined with already damaged wall caused it to shatter, and Chrysalis went sailing through the air.
Chrysalis spread her wings and hovered safely in the air. She was breathing heavily, her natural armor filled with cracks with green blood oozing out from them.
She was about to open her mouth and say something, but Shining was not even going to give her a second to recover. He leaped out the hole on the wall and wrapped all his hooves around her body.
“Are you insane! I can’t fly with your hooves pressing against my wings!” Chrysalis roared.
“I figured,” Shining said with a smirk.
“So you are willing to sacrifice yourself in order to kill me?!”
“Shut up and die!” Shining roared. He began squeezing her body as hard as he could.
Chrysalis screamed in pain as he broke not only her exoskeleton, but her bones as well. It had been centuries since she had actually suffered any kind of damage, so she was unable to comprehend this pain.
They fell to the ground with a loud crash and upon landing they were engulfed by a cloud of dust. Shining began pounding at her body as soon they landed. His hooves were covered with her green blood, but he refused to stop until he was 100% sure that she was dead. The smoke made it impossible to see anything, but perhaps that was for the better.
Chrysalis was coughing up blood every time one of Shining’s punches connected. Despite all the blood in her mouth she managed to yell “Stop it! And much to her surprise Shining stopped.
He sat on top of her, his hooves in the air ready to slam down on her face once more, but something was preventing him from doing it. He tried to move his hooves, but no matter what they would not obey him.
The smoke cleared after a few moments. Chrysalis had her eyes closed and she was having hard time breathing. She opened her eyes and once she laid eyes on Shining, a wicked grin formed on her face. “Get off me,” She said in a calm manner.
Every cell in Shining’s body told him to ignore her, but without realising it he had gotten off her body and was now standing by the edge of the hole.
Chrysalis slowly rose to her hooves, climbed out from inside the hole, and confidently walked up to Shining. “I hereby grant you permission to speak.”
Shining felt something loosen in the back of his head. “What the hell is going on?!”
“Isn’t it obvious, my dear Shining?” Chrysalis spat some blood on the ground and used her magic to tear off a piece from a nearby crystal. She then brought it to Shining’s face.
Shining looked into the crystal and to his horror, the creature looking back at him was not a white unicorn, but a simple black changeling with a white mane. “No...this cannot be. NOOO-”
And with a simple command Shining’s scream came to a halt. “Silence.”
Shining was devastated; he had been so close to getting his revenge. And now his own will was someone else’s property. `This cannot be, he thought.
Chrysalis smiled with renowned confidence. “Well this is a rather fun turn of events. Don’t you think?”
Shining had not been granted permission to speak, so he stayed quiet.
“Hahahaha! Kneel before me.”
`I would rather die!´ Shining thought, but he had no other choice, so he still did as he was told and kneeled so deep that his horn touched the ground.
“Hahahahah! I give you permission to speak.”
Shining felt how his tongue tongue loosened, but he had nothing to say to her, so he just stared at the ground in silence.
Chrysalis leaned forward and whispered into his ear, “Who is your queen?”
Shining refused to say it. He slammed his jaws closed and pressed down as hard as he could. he wouldn’t say it, no matter what!
“I said, who is your queen!”
Shining could feel something pounding in the back of his head and whatever it was, it was hurting him. But he refused to answer, and the pounding in his head intensified.
“Are you deaf? Who is your queen?!” Chrysalis roared.
Blood began to drip from shining’s mouth, and behind clenched teeth he muttered, “Go to hell!” The pounding in his head grew in power tenfold, ...but he was not going to say it.
Chrysalis was angry; how could a simple drone ignore her orders? She raised her hoof and whacked it across Shining’s face as hard as she could.
The impact caused Shining to fall to the ground, but he quickly got up again, and once he stood on his hooves he realised something. `The pounding is gone!´ He saw a small glimmer of hope. Was he free from her control? Perhaps the pain in his mind was so overpowering that it had consumed his ability to feel pain , but he had to test it. He began to whistle. `I’m free!´
“I command you to stop whistling!” Chrysalis screamed.
He had been given a second chance and he was not going to spoil it, so he stopped whistling.
“I command you to bow before your Queen.”
Shining walked up to her and bowed deeply.
Chrysalis and put a hoof on his head. “Good. I grant you permission to speak. Now I command you to tell me who your Queen is.”
“I serve only one Queen.”
“And who is that?” Chrysalis said with a confident smirk.
Green flames consumed Shining’s front hooves and a pair of razor sharp claws replaced them. “My wife Cadence!” Shining swung his claws at the black queen’s hoof and severed it from her foreleg.
Chrysalis lost her balance and fell to the ground. “AHHHH!” She roared in pain.
Shining mounted her stomach, sank his claws into her chest, and tore it open to reveal her disgusting green heart.
Shining raised one of his claws into the air. “THIS IS THE END!” he screamed,
“NOOOO!” Chrysalis screamed, but her scream came to a sudden halt and she said, “Assuming direct control.” in, a rumbling dark voice that did not belong to her.
Suddenly a long red tentacle emerged from her mouth. It grabbed Shining by his waist and threw him into the air. He landed several meters away from her.
Shining quickly climbed to his hooves. “What the hell was that?! No matter; I have to end this before my time is up!” He ran full speed towards Chrysalis who was now standing up, and her eyes shined a deep red.
“RAGH!” Shining roared as he charged towards her.
“Halt,” Chrysalis said.
The pounding in Shining’s head returned a thousandfold and his entire body froze instantly due to the pain. “How is this possible?” he croaked.
Chrysalis’ whole body began to change.
She grew to twice her size. All her wounds healed. Her exoskeleton grew thicker and several sharp edges sprouted from all over her body. Her horn grew longer and thicker. All her teeth grew longer and sharper. Three sets of wings grew out of her back giving her a total of eight wings. Her two eyes merged into a single big one. And last but not least four long armored tentacles grew from her back perfectly placed between her wings.
Her mere aura caused a shiver to go through Shining’s whole body. “What….the...hell,” He said, his voice trembling with fear.
One of the long tentacles on Chrysalis’s back slammed into the ground, digging itself beneath Shining. They shot out from the ground, and penetrated his entire body.
“GRAHHH!” Shining screamed in pain. His throat filled with blood, and he began to vomit.
The tentacle wrapped tightly around his body, crushing several of his ribs. He was slowly hoisted over to Chrysalis’s face.
Shining could barely form words due to the combination of pain and vomiting.
“Wh- w- ar- y-?” he managed to croak out.
The big red eye stared at him with an unblinking stare. “Broken. Disposing,” Chrysalis said.
Her entire head cracked open to reveal a giant mouth filled with several lines of razor sharp teeth. A long slimy tongue grabbed a hold of Shining and pulled him inside. “Recycling!” All the separate lines of teeth began to spin and Shining’s body was quickly grinded into mush.
* * *
“AHHHH!” Shining screamed. He shot out from beneath the covers of his bed and ran to the door leading to the nursery.
“Shining what’s wrong?!” Cadence yelled as he opened the door and disappeared from her line of vision. She quickly got out of bed and followed him. She feared the worst.
Shining’s heart was racing, he was sweating bullets and his entire body was shivering. He ran up to the white crib that held his daughter and looked into it. He saw Crystal rolling around, tears were flowing down her cheeks and she whimpered in fear.
Shining took a few deep breaths to calm himself down enough to pick her up. He cradled her in his hooves. “Crystal, wake up, sweetie. You are having a nightmare.” He kissed her forehead.
Crystal opened her eyes, quickly hugging her dad’s neck as hard as she could for comfort and cried on his shoulder. Crystal whimpered like a frightened puppy. “Daddy!” She said between tears.
Shining gently pulled her from his neck and nuzzled her. Once she calmed down a little, he whispered into her ear. “It’s okay, daddy is here. Daddy is here. Did you have bad dream?”
Crystal grabbed his muzzle and gave a weak nod as answer.
Cadence walked into the room and saw Shining comforting their upset daughter. She walked over to them and was just about to say something when Shining cut her off.
“Just a nightmare. I can handle this. Go back to bed; I’ll be there shortly.”
Cadence wanted to say something, but she also did not want to interrupt them, so she turned around and walked back to their bedroom.
Wiping away Crystal’s tears, Shining grabbed her by the neck of her pajamas and sat down with her in the rocking chair. He slowly rocked back and forth, constantly nuzzling his daughter.
A few minutes passed and Crystal had calmed down. “Are you feeling better now?” Shining asked in a fatherly tone.
Crystal looked up at her dad. “Daddy I’m wet,” She said weakly.
“Well let’s take care of that then,” He said with a smile.
Shining picked her up and walked over to the changing table. He unbuttoned the white pajamas that she was wearing.
He laid his daughter onto her back. He opened one of the many drawers and pulled out a white pacifier which he carefully inserted into her mouth.
Now that Crystal was occupied he open the tapes on her used diaper, tied it into a ball and tossed it in the nearby trashcan.
He grabbed a wet tissue and proceeded to wipe her clean. He got out a fresh diaper, some baby powder and lotion. He rubbed her down with the lotion, powdered her bottom and taped the fresh diaper in place.
His horn lit up, and with his magic he opened a nearby drawer. He magically grabbed a dark green full body pajamas decorated with cute little red hearts all over it and placed it on the side of the changing table.
Crystal noticed the pajamas and began smiling happily behind the pacifier. Those pajamas were her favorites; she loved the color green, and it was the one her dad had gotten for her.
Shining dressed his daugher and bopped her nose. “There we go. Snug as a bug.”
Crystal bopped his nose with her tiny hooves and giggled happily. “I wuv you daddy!”
“I love you too, my little monster!”
Crystal’s eyes widened and she raised her hooves into the air, sticking her tongue out. “Rawr!”
Shining laughed at her antics. “Now, even the cutest little monster need their sleep.” He grabbed her in a magic field and made sure to hover her close to his face so she would not get scared.
She tilted her head adorably to the side and asked. “Can I sweep with mommy and you?”
Shining brought her closer to his face and with a smile he said: “Of course you can.”
“Yay!”
Within minutes the two of them joined Cadence in the bed. Crystal laid sandwiched in the hooves of her loving mom and dad. She curled up onto a ball and quickly fell asleep.
Cadence looked at Shining, whose eyes were glued onto Crystal. “Did everything go well?” she whispered.
“Yes, it’s all good,” Shining whispered in response.
“Did you have a nightmare as well?”
“Let’s talk about that in the morning.” Shining leaned over and kissed his wife. “Goodnight, my love.”
“Goodnight, darling.”
The night continued peacefully, and it did not take long for the morning sun to vanquish the horrible night.
* * *
A lone changeling stood atop a mountain not far from the borders leading to the Crystal empire. It looked at the massive castle in the distance and hissed loudly. The changelings’ eyes lit up. “Assuming direct control.”