The Deal of Darkness
Humiliated, completely humiliated. It was how Fire Punch, son of the Commander Lightning Bolt, right hoof of the great Captain White Light, felt after having been expelled after trying to gain what should be his: the role of Captain of the Royal Guard and the princess who should have led him directly to royalty.
But he was not just humiliated. He was completely enraged. It was not just anger, it was rage, hatred, spite... All kinds of bad emotions were stirring him in his stomach with a huge hype that he could not bear. Despite his hatred spread to all the ponies that had spoiled his life, there was one pony in particular who he concentrated most of that fire that was corroding him from inside : Shining Armor.
That stinking unicorn had taken away from him everything and anything: his dream, his ambitions, his family... everything. Because of him, he was expelled from the Royal Guard. Because of him, his father turned him his back. He was the cause of all the evil that had happened to him and it only fueled his desire to destroy him, making him suffer a lot during the whole process.
After he abandoned his home and all his life he had built, Fire Punch wandered through Equestria without having defined direction. There were times when he didn’t even know where he was. He didn’t know if he was in north or in south, on the coast or on inland, on a desert or on a populated area. It was then, when he again regained consciousness the way he was, he found himself no longer in Equestria.
He was now in a place completely devoid of visible forms of life. Any plants that were there were dry or dead and any animal that had lived in that area was now reduced to bones or dust. The wind that was blowing was glacier and the sky was covered by dark and heavy clouds, giving to that place the idea that the sun had never shone, which seemed to be the reason for no life there. The soil was hard and black stone. It seemed to be basalt, but, however, there was no volcanoes to explain such a thing, but Fire Punch realized the soil was made of black sandstone made by black sand consolidation.
When looking around, Fire Punch realized where he was. He have heard about that place. It was the stain of the harmonious world where Equestria was. It was the birthplace of all evil that infected that world. It was the place of the worst nightmares of all ponies and where many lost their lives just putting their hooves on the area. He was in the Desolate Zone, the homeland of Changelings and their queen.
Upon realizing where he was, Fire Punch decided to turn around to leave the place where he had entered, but then he realized he was in the middle of nowhere and there were no clues to indicate him the way.
He heard footsteps and then he saw rows of Changelings surrounding them. Fire Punch took the fighting stance, although he knew that fighting them and winning was a mere impossibility. However, he wouldn’t allow them to kill him without a fight.
"Look what we have here" one of the Changelings said to the others. "Fresh food. It been that long that we hadn’t a big and zzane pony azz a meal."
"He really hazz good aspect" another said. "Can you feel the emotionzz he exudezz?"
"You're right" a third Changeling said. "He hazz a lot of anger and hatred within him. It’s not exactly our favorite kind of emotionzz, but at leazzt it izz to satiate our hunger."
"If you want to crimp these fangs of yours on me, you will have to fight first" Fire Punch answered them.
The first Changeling, which should be the leader, laughed and then said to him:
"You’re really naive. You really think you can fight all of us. Get him!"
And then the Changelings launched against Fire Punch, trying to subdue him. The young pegasus tried to resist, but he only managed to hold them for a little over two minutes. The Changelings managed to subdue him and then one was prepared to sink his fangs on him, when the leader stopped him, grabbing him in his webbed mane and moving away his head.
“Don’t bite him, your imbecile!” he ordered. “Remember who hazz the right to take the firzzt bite."
He freed him and then told to everyone:
"Let'zz take thizz pony to our Queen. She will be delighted with our gift."
And then the two Changelings grabbed the defeated Fire Punch and then they began to fly all together, led by the leader, heading to the darkest and gloomy part of the Desolate Zone. Fire Punch could see they were approaching the only mountain that was nearby. It was a huge mountain with the darkest aspect that could exist. At its base, there was an entrance to the cave where the Changelings entered, carrying him with them. They toured the cave and then entered into a huge chamber.
That should be the Changelings’ nest. It looked like a beehive, but with a much darker aspect. The walls had holes that seemed to be filled by a green goo, where he could see silhouettes that seemed to be Changelings, but smaller. That Changelings should be in a development state as what happened with the insect larvae. At the base, there were smaller chambers with iron bars where there were weakened and exhausted ponies. They should be ponies abducted by Changelings in order to be their food. However, almost the entire area of the chamber was a large and deep pit to underground levels where in the middle was an island connected to the banks of the moat by a bridge. In the middle of the island, there was a throne of rough stone where Chrysalis, the Queen of Changelings, was sitting.
The leader of the Changelings group and those who took Fire Punch landed, with them shooting the pegasus to the front of the queen.
"But what have we here?" Chrysalis asked, rising from her throne.
"We found him wandering in the Desolate Zone, Your Majezzty" the leader of the group of Changelings replied, bowing, along with his colleagues. "Dezzpite hizz emotionzz are not to our liking, they are fresh and much better than what we have now. We think you should be the firzzt to have the opportunity to zzerve."
"You thought well" Chrysalis answered, lifting Fire Punch’s chin and making him look at her. "There's been so long since we had no fresh food."
"Well, that’s can be seen" Fire Punch replied. "After all, you live like sewer rats."
That Fire Punch’s comment made many of Changelings be angry and they were flying around, buzzing in an angry and threatening way. However, Chrysalis merely laugh and said:
"You call us sewer rats, but we only live in that way because of you, ponies, who thing are superior just because your nature doesn’t involve feeding off emotions of others. It’s because of the ponies like you that I no longer have the energy to reproduce more Changelings and I have my current ones killing each other for a little bit of love that it’s not enough to keep them fed for one hour."
"I don’t have the fault of you don’t be able to walk among us without throw yourselves to the first pony you see only to suck his love."
"In a few seconds, we will not have to listen that arrogant and annoying little voice of yours, because you'll be too weak even to speak" Chrysalis replied.
She lifted her head and then her horn began to glow with her aura, ready to feed on Fire Punch and he prepared to accept his fate in being a source of food for Changelings.
Then a voice said, echoing throughout the chamber:
"Stop, Chrysalis."
It was a calm voice, however powerful and capable of freezing death who hears it. Chrysalis ceased her magical aura and turned, looking up.
"Master" she said, kneeling down, then the other changelings, who landed in the existing grown, also kneeled down.
Fire Punch looked in the air and then he saw a darkness curling and becoming increasingly dense. It was then that it appeared a bipedal creature that wore a dark red armor type jacket from shoulder to knees, bare arms and a face covered by the junction of the collar with a conical hat, revealing only a pair of red eyes. In his hand, he carried double-blade spear. His whole aspect conveyed fear, sadness and cold. He came down slowly and landed.
"What brings you here, master?" Chrysalis asked, rising.
"I was attracted by a heart full of hatred and resentment" he replied.
The creature moved forward and then stopped in front of Fire Punch and said:
"Looks like you've passed for much, wasn’t it? You lost everything you had and now you don’t have nothing but hatred for those who ruined your life."
"And who are you to assume that?" Fire Punch asked sharply.
"Moderate the tone, boy" Chrysalis ordered. "You don’t have the slightest idea who you're talking with."
The creature with dark red armor raised his hand and Chrysalis stopped. Then he turned to Fire Punch and told him:
"I’m the Lord of Chaos. I rule all the darkness and disharmony, all evil and disorder. It means that, compared to me, you're nothing but a mere bacterium with wings."
Fire Punch remained silent, merely looking at the Chaos Lord. He knelt to stay at the same level as the pegasus and told him:
"I understand you. I know what you're going through. You always lived in your father’s shadow. You used to listen other ponies saying how he was amazing and a great Royal Guard, good enough to be the right hoof of the even more amazing Captain White Light. You tried to release yourself from that shadow and everypony punished you for that."
"How do you know all that?" Fire Punch asked.
"I told you. I understand you. I have a brother who is adored by all for being pure light. During my life, I have always been the shadow created by that light, intended only to make it shine more. I have the same desire as you. Release myself. And I think we can help each other."
"How?"
"I'll help you having your revenge against those who made you suffer and you’ll help me spread my darkness to extinguish the light that exists in this world" the Lord of Chaos explained. "Think about it as an opportunity to reborn as a powerful and feared being to all your enemies. If you help me, you'll have everything you want."
Fire Punch thought those words. He knew it was a deal with the devil and that would seal his fate by accepting it. However, when he saw in his mind Shining Armor and Cadance’s faces, happy together, an immense anger took hold of his heart, further increasing his desire for revenge. He looked at the Lord of Chaos in the eyes that stared at him in a piercing and engaging way and then said:
"I accept."
"Good boy" the Lord of Chaos said. "You made the right decision."
The Lord of Chaos stood up and lifted his spear. At the tip of the blade raised, the Lord of Chaos amassed a lot of darkness that was swirling around it, he then pointed to Fire Punch and the darkness came out of the tip to swirl around the pegasus, covering him completely. It went on for half a minute and then the darkness began to fade, being absorbed by Fire Punch’s new body.
He had become into a Changeling with his mane and tail, despite with the same length, equal to Changelings’, his wings turned into insect wings and a long, twisted horn, equal to Chrysalis, emerged in his forehead. Covering his torso, he had a greenish armor. Fire Punch looked at his body, completely speechless.
"From this moment, you will be Dark Hole" the Lord of Chaos said. "You'll be the King of Changelings."
Fire Punch, on hearing this, smiled. Dark Hole, King of Changelings? He liked. However, there was someone who wasn’t very happy with that nomination.
"But, Master, what about me?" Chrysalis asked. "I’m the Queen of Changelings."
"And you will continue to be" he replied, turning to Chrysalis. "After all, you are essential to the continuation of your species. However, in military terms, you will share the post of leader with Dark Hole. Each of you will get half the Changeling army."
Chrysalis glared at Dark Hole and he just gave her a cocky smile.
"I hope the two of you are able to raise your species and spread my darkness" the Lord of Chaos said, rising in the air. "I wish good luck to both of you."
And then he disappeared.
The two rulers of Changelings exchanged glances, but with Chrysalis doing more glares. Tired of all that, she said to him:
"Just know that I will tolerate you for respect to our master."
"Of course, as you wish" Dark Hole replied, still smiling. "Since we can coexist without killing each other, it’s fine to me. Now, what do you say we go on feed us? I'm starving."
"First rule about being a Changeling: control hunger. We should go unnoticed, so we won’t be persecuted and massacred."
"Of course. I will follow your... advice about being a Changeling."
"I'm no teacher" Chrysalis replied. "If you want to know how to be one of us ask to other. I have more to do."
And having said this, she took off and hurried away, followed by a few changelings to fledging.
Dark Hole took flight and went meet better the nest. He then found a piece of glass hanging serving probably as a mirror and then he saw his own image. It wasn’t probably the best of the visual, but he was now a Changeling and he could change form at will. He then concentrated and then it was covered by a green fire and return to his old form. He concentrated again and then it turned into Shining Armor.
"This is truly amazing" Dark Hole said with Shining’s voice. "I can even change me. With this power and the Changeling army, I will finally avenge me from you, Shining Armor. I will reduce you to dust."
And having said this, he punched the piece of glass, breaking it.