Darkened Sky glided along the edge of the fabled Everfree Forest, his black and purple body passing just inches above the treetops. With the powerful thermals coming off the trees, the large stallion's three-jointed bat wings caught the air, necessitating only a flap every once in a while to keep himself airborn. A slight breeze ruffled his black mane, making the solitary ice-blue stripe shimmer in the afternoon sun. His tail stayed the same as usual, the hard crystalline structure splitting into three differently coloured spikes halfway down its length. It was his fourth pass of the day. The monsters of the dark forest were growing bolder every day. With under a week until the Summer Sun Celebration, Ponyville had received an influx of tourists, which meant more monsters trying to get a nice meal.

It doesn't help that all four Princesses are going to be here for a three day summit afterwards. Along with countless other royalty that want to get on the Princesses good side. At least I convinced my dear Twilight not to let any of them bunk in our guest room. "Bah, why did they chose to have a summit here of all places? We don't even have a building big enough to fit all sixty guests," Darkened Sky muttered.

"Who said they needed a building? The summit is being held near my house, just south of the Whitetail Woods," the cyan mare flying beside him commented. "When I asked Twilight why it was being held there, she treated me to one of her egg-headed rants, something about magical luck-lines and jam powered mirrors."

Darkened Sky snorted at her last phrase. "Rainbow Dash, are you sure you heard right? She didn't say ley-lines and gem powered mirrors? If she actually said what you think she did, we should warn the mayor immediately. Twilight might be having a mental breakdown. The last thing we need is her casting the Want It Need It spell on Celestia and Luna during the summit."

Rainbow Dash burst out laughing and nearly crashed into one of the taller trees. "Good one, Sky. Hey, you just gave me the perfect idea for a prank! I'm gonna ask Twilight to explain why the summit is near my house again. Every time she says anything about ley-lines or gem powered mirrors, I'll pretend she actually said luck-lines or jam powered mirrors. She's going to get so mad, but by Spitfire, it'll definitely be worth it."

Trying desperately not to burst out laughing, Darkened Sky angled towards a nearby clearing. Upon landing, he lost the war against his vocal chords. After rolling around in the grass and laughing with Rainbow Dash for a few minutes, he quieted down enough to talk. "Dash, that would be mean— very funny, but mean. If I'm with her when you pull that prank, I won't help you. On a completely unrelated note, I'm going to the spa tomorrow morning before heading straight to your place for my wing work."

Rainbow Dash thought about the last line for a bit. "Got it, I won't prank her when you're around. And I'll make sure to keep a First Aid around this time." Shifting slightly, she looked at Darkened Sky left foreleg. "Sky, why do you have an extra bracelet on? I've only ever seen you with 2. The way you explained how they work, you only need two, right?"

"You're right, I only need two of them. One allows me to chose how sensitive my ears are to noise, so I can comfortably live in an urban setting. I really don't need to know everything that happens in my neighbours' houses, and I enjoy going to DJ Pon3's shows without melting my brain. The other acts as a sort of sunglasses, since I can't naturally see in bright lux—uh light. It automatically senses the amount of light about to go in my eyes and filters it according to how bright I want it to be."

Rainbow Dash scratched her head for a few seconds. "Oh! I remember them now! Where do you get them? The "sight" one could be useful in my pranks."

"I'm afraid you can't buy them anywhere. They have to be made by Regina—I mean Princess Luna, and she only gives them to Bat ponies, so we can interact more easily with everypony else."

"That's too bad, me and Pinkie could have really used them. Before we get off-topic, what's the third bracelet for?"

Darkened Sky took off the bracelet and placed it on the grass in between them. "This one is for a very special friend of mine. You won't belive the amount of trouble I went through to get it. Breaking into the Canterlot archives would have been easier."

Rainbow Dash chuckled and looked up from the bracelet. "From what Twilight said, it's pretty easy to get into. Where exactly did you get it from?"

"I got it from Luna, off the record and all. I couldn't risk Twilight finding about it."

"Why would you want to hide it from...Unless, the bracelet's for Twilight?! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh, you're proposing to her! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Where are you going to ask her? The library? No, that new restaurant? Not cool enough, she's a princess. Town Hall? The concert hall? Oh, I know, The Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, that's the perfect place! How soon's the wedding? Who's your best pony? Can I perform—no wait, can the Wonderbolts perform? Can I perform with the Wond -"

Rainbow Dash's excited chattering were cut off by Darkened Sky's hoof in her mouth. "Rainbow Dash, this isn't her pugna armillam—sorry, I cant seem to speak English properly today—her engagement bracelet. It's not for Twilight, it's for an old friend who's dropping by in a bit. Now, before I tell you anything else I will need your word as the Element of Loyalty, that nothing said or seen in this clearing will ever be spoken of in public. It's very important that you don't talk to anypony about what happens next. I really need you to trust me. Nothing bad will happen to us or any of our friend. You cannot leave this clearing before I explain everything."

Rainbow Dash reached up and removed the hoof from her mouth. "Why does your hoof taste like icy-mint gum? On second thought, don't tell me. I still have nightmares from when I asked Pinkie Pie why her mane tasted like cotton candy. I trust you with my life, you've saved it enough times. Nothing that happens in this clearing will leave my mouth."

Darkened Sky looked around quickly. "Pinkie Promise?"

"Of course! I Pinkie Promise. Even if Queen Chrysalis were to walk in and hug you, nobody would ever know. Your secrets are safe with me." She looked at Darkened Sky for the first time since removing his hoof from her mouth. "Um, Sky? Why are you staring at me? You might want to close your mouth before something flies in."

"Funny that you should mention Chrysalis," he said slowly, looking at the forest behind his friend.

"You think I'm gonna fall for the oldest trick in the book? Ha, I thought you knew me better, I'm the queen of pranks. Now what did you want to tell me? "

"Darkened Sky doesn't play by the books, that's why he almost always wins, dear Rainbow Dash. " The unmistakable two-toned voice flowed out of the forest behind Rainbow Dash. "Darkened Sky, it's been been too long since I saw you last. We must try and get together more than once every couple weeks. I trust Twilight Sparkle and the rest of your friends are doing well?"

Rainbow Dash shuddered, ears falling back at the unnatural buzzing aproching from the rear. She slowly turned around, wings flared. "Sky! Get Twilight and the others. I'll fight her until you get back!"

Darkened Sky stepped forward and put a foreleg in front of Rainbow Dash. "She isn't going to attack us. She came here to help me."

"Why would she help you? She's evil! Or don't you remember how she tried to invade Canterlot? How could you even think of trusting her?" Taking a breath, she glared at Chrysalis.

Chrysalis walked up to where Rainbow Dash and Darkened Sky stood, and circled them. She flicked Darkened Sky's muzzle with her tail and laid down. "Sky, I think you should explain what happened. I get really emotional about it."

Darkened Sky nodded and turned to his friend. "Dash, you're going to have to trust me—Chrysalis is not the monster you think she is. She made a mistake, but she was't the only one in the wrong. Please sit down and hear us out."

"I don't think so. She can brainwash ponies, how do I know she's not controlling you?" She took a few steps back, and opened her wings.

"Please, Dash, trust me. If at anytime Chrysalis or I even look like we are threatening you, you can go get the others. Just give me the chance to explain some things."

"I don't know, I really should go get them."

Seeing that She was about to why away, Darkened Sky pulled out his last card. "You Pinkie Promised."

"Fine, I'll hear you out. But if she does anything suspicious, she's gonna get a hoof sandwich." Rainbow Dash sat down, glaring at her old enemy.

Chrysalis looked up to the rainbow maned mare. "Thank you, Dash. To start off, I am old, almost as old as the Royal Pony Sisters. When the princesses were young, Starswirl the Bearded created a spell to turn love into magic. He showed Celestia how it worked, and she asked to try it. Starswirl agreed and began the necessary preparations. As she cast her mentor's spell, her magic overpowered the spell's built in power limiter. The unguided magic flooded the spell with enough power to raise the sun. The massive amout of power caused the spell to misfired, creating me, a being who feeds on love and needed the sun to survive. Luna and several guards arrived at the wreaked laboratory moments later, finding Celestia sobbing over the gravely injured unicorn and myself unconscious nearby."

Rainbow Dash laughed harshly. "Do you really think I will you roll over for you, just because you told me a story? You're pathetic, it's no wonder we beat you at the wedding. You're just a washed up bug, desperate for attention. So what if you can shape-shift, Twilight has a spell that undoes it." Chrysalis shrank back from the insults and covered her head with her foreleg.

Darkened Sky put a hoof on her back. "Are you all right, Chrysalis? We can stop if you need a few minutes."

"No, I'm fine. You can take it from here, she needs to know."

"All right, but let me know as soon as you need me to stop. Where was I? Oh yes, Luna rushed both Starswirl and Chrysalis to the castle's hospital. Over the next few days, Starswirl slowly started losing his mind. He had installed a spell in the laboratory to divert any magical backlashes into himself. Celestia did not take the news very well. She blamed the young Chrysalis for the entire fiasco and attacked her. That's why Chrysalis always looks so beat up, Celestia tried to vaporise her. It's very lucky that Changelings require the sun's power to live, and can survive exposure to extreme amounts of it. From that day on, Celestia hated Chrysalis. It got so bad that Luna had to send her away to be safe.

"Over the next few thousand years, Chrysalis found a mate and became a Queen. She had millions of children, and the Changelings freely roamed the planet as accepted members of communities everywhere. That all changed after Sil—Luna's banishment. The changelings, along with bat- and night- Ponies had been supporting Luna during the war against her sister. Celestia declared the Changelings to be evil and proclaimed they were to be captured or driven away. Many of Celestia's supporters took it upon themselves to rid the world of all who bowed to Luna. The only country to offer asylum to Luna's followers was the Nightlands, the one place on Equuis where the sun never rises."

Rainbow Dash looked at Darkened Sky, eyes wide with disbelief. "How could you accuse Celestia of all that! She's, like, the nicest pony in the world. And i've never heard of a place where the sun rise!"

Chrysalis raised her head off the ground and looked at Rainbow Dash, tears streaming down her face. "Celestia has had a very hard life. Her parents died when she and Luna were very young. Her mentor went insane and died in her arms. Her first lover was going through a difficult time when she hit him during an argument. He ran off into the woods and got possessed by a dark soul. She attempts at reasoning with him failed and he had to be imprisoned. There are hundreds of other incidents that affected her mind. I'm surprised she did't lose her sanity sooner. Even before the war that resulted in Luna getting banished, Celestia was not in her right mind." She laid her head back down and gazed blankly at the trees to her left.

Darkened Sky cast a worried glance at Chrysalis. "The Nightlands is a very special place, made by an ancient creature. It was given to Luna as a place for her followers to live, free from the sun. Unfortunately for the changelings, they needed the sun to live.

"The borders were guarded vigilantly by the surrounding countries, they drove any changelings trying to get some sun back into the Nightlands. Only a thousand changelings remaind by the time Chrysalis came to Equestria with her daughter and a few guards. She tried to petition Celestia for permission to have an area just outside the Nightlands where her subjects could feed on sunlight. Celestia refused and attacked the group, killing Chrysalis's daughter and most of her guards. She escaped with her surviving warriors and her daughter's body. She began planning her invasion of Canterlot two days later."

Rainbow Dash looked between her friend and her former enemy a few times. "Um, Chrysalis? How many changelings are still alive? And are they still stuck in the Nightlands?"

Chrysalis didn't reply for a few minutes. Finally she looked up, sorrow in her dull, green eyes. "There are 63 of my children still alive. They are hiding throughout Equestria. Luna and I have almost finalized my terms of surrender. We are working on getting the other two Princesses on signing it."

"Terms of surrender? What does that mean? What will happen to you?"

"If both Cadance and Celestia sign it, I will be banished to the Nightlands Prison Caves for 700 years. But my children will be pardoned and reintegrated into Equestria and surrounding lands." Chrysalis wiped fresh tears from her eyes. "After my banishment ends, I will be allowed to go where ever I want."

Rainbow Dash jumped up, her face purple with anger. "Why so long? You were just trying to save your children! The entire reason you had to take such desperate measures was what Celestia did!" Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she turned to Darkened Sky. "I believe both of you, Chrysalis wasn't entirely at fault. It's so strange to imagine Celestia doing anything wrong, but I think I belive you, Chrysalis."

Darkened Sky looked at the ground, ears back. "Celestia will answer for her wrong doings, eventually. Unless you have any more questions, I need to get going. Twilight is expecting me for supper." He picked up the purple bracelet and gave it Chrysalis. "Here is the anti-magic and illusion bracelet you needed. It's really great to see you again. I will meet you for supper tomorrow, as per our plan?"

Chrysalis took the bracelet and put it on. Dark purple magic flowed up her foreleg to her barrel, then over the rest of her body. The cloud of magic shrunk down until it was looked like an average sized unicorn. Slowly, the magic dissipated, leaving a green furred mare with a multicoloured mane in Chrysalis's place. "Thanks, Sky, for getting me this anti-magic and illusion charm. Now I don't have to worry about Twilight's changeling detection spell. I'll see you tomorrow. Rainbow Dash, thank you for hearing me out. It really means a lot that you care what happens to me, not many ponies do. Goodbye, I hope our next meeting is happier." Chrysalis turned and walked back into the forest.

Author's Note

I will try and have regular updates, about once every day for then next week, then going down to once or twice a week.

Big thanks to my editor PegasusMesa, and my pre-readers, ShadowBlades.