Diamonds Shine In Darkness
The bright light of the Moon dimmed as it began to set and the Sun's own bright light began to break through the gem towers and glass like the building of the Crystal Empire as the country awoke to giant golden bells of the unknown lord that rang from the far west of the country. The bells belonged to an old dark blue castle-like cathedral that had been on the outskirts of the Crystal Empire since times of old. None knew why this was placed there or why the powerful magic of the Crystal Heart dared never come near its steps.
The bells upon it would always ring in the morning and evenings and though nopony knew of this cathedral’s origins, they did know that if one were to listen close enough to the bells they would hear a very old story. An ancient legend that was said to happen upon its steps.
One lone red stallion with neon green eyes knew the legend all too well as he walked up the steps and through the doors as he began to remember the story as if he was right there…….
******
Rain began to pour over the burning city that laid in ruins from a recent war giving it the feel of opposites colliding as the fires from the ground fought against the water from the sky. Screams echoed through the city as ponies ran in terror and bodies fell left and right.
However, none were as heart-wrenching as the screams happening in a dark junk covered alleyway as life was being brought forth. A once beautiful mare now blackish and covered in holes was giving all her strength as she could to push. It was excruciating and there was blood everywhere. She was not ready for this just as much as none of her changeling allies around her were ready, but it was very clear that this foal was not going to wait until they left the burning city, it was coming now.
“Give it another push my queen,” a changeling beside her head urged her as he wiped her head of sweat.
“Wait, I can see the head,” another one spoke. “Almost there.”
The queen gave one final scream as she pushed. And finally, after five hours of sitting on the cold wet road of the alley in agonizing pain, the foal was born. The changelings cut the cord and cleaned the foal up while the queen took a deep sigh of relief.
However as they were cleaning him, one of the changelings jumped back and hissed in shock. “What is this? He looks…. Wrong?”
This angered their queen as she used what little magic she had left to pull the foal toward her arms. “Don’t insult my son.” She wrapped her arms around the foal and caressed it.
The changeling that had insulted her foal rose back up, “But he is not a changeling.”
Her eyes widened at this as she looked down to her foal. His red diamond like fur covered flesh was that of a changeling yet his horn and wings were that of an alicorn. “He is like his father. And he will be just as strong as his father.”
“Strong!” One of the other changelings argued. “King Emerald Teal is a monster. Look what he did to this city.”
The queen rose up and looked sternly toward the hateful changeling as she wrapped her foal in a cloth. “You changelings understand nothing. He was once good and just.” She turned toward the exit to leave. However, the light of a lightning strike in the distance stopped her as she now saw somepony standing at the end of the alleyway.
“Actually I think they understand very Queen Chrysalis?” A tall orange stallion in silver and red striped armor and insect-like helmet walked toward them.
“Redsting, did my former beloved send you?” she growled as she tightened her grip in defense of her foal.
“No, I came down the pathway because I smelled blood. I didn’t expect to also smell afterbirth.” He took a big whiff into his nostrils. “Such a strangely unique smell.” He walked closer as Queen Chrysalis walked back. “I wonder how long you have been hiding the news of him from his father.”
“Ever since you turned my former beloved into your puppet.” She backed away even more as her changelings walked over between them.
“Really? It was his choice to bring the umbrums to extinction, it was his choice to hunt down every dark alicorn and murder them and it was his choice to toss you aside like a piece of trash. All I did was give him the push.” Redsting smiled wickedly as he held up his hand. Suddenly the faint images of strange strings slowly appear around his arm as his flesh began to tremble.
“Yes, with those cursed strings.”
“Oh, so you can see them.” His eyes widen slightly as the strings vanished. “You know it's very rare for a lower life form like you to see these. Though even if you were able to see them while you were still an alicorn, then I still wouldn’t be concerned.” He took a stance and got ready, “In the end, my plans have worked flawlessly..... up until now.”
“Enough!” she roared as her rage gave her just enough magic to blast him and let her take to the sky. The blast hit him head on and knocked him into the building at the end of the alleyway. As her changelings stayed behind Queen Chrysalis flew her foal as far as possible from there.
The changelings walked over the body of Redsting as it stood motionless in the rubble. They thought they had won, however quickly his flesh began to pulse and soon rip open as a large black, red and orange centipede-like creature sprang forth and bit down on the nearest changeling.
The changeling's neck splattered blood outward as he weakly twisted in agony. Redsting lifted him high in the air and swung him about before throwing him to the ground.
The changeling hit the ground with a hard thud. His strewn body leaving the other changelings only gasping in terror. Redsting licked the blood on his mandibles and looked down toward the sight of their fear. Wishing to twist every moment of it he rushed down and tore through the changeling's stomach splattering blood everywhere.
The remaining changelings trembled as the blood that was now covering them was quickly soaking into their clothes. Meanwhile, Redsting began munching on the changeling he had just ripped open as it weakly reached to its terrified allies.
Once Redsting was done he turned his attention to the other two as they tried to struggle free from their fears and concentrate some magic forth. He gave little concern to this as he swung his tail at them at high speed.
Both changelings stopped their attack as their eyes widened and blood poured from their mouths as their bodies were chopped in half by that single swing. Redsting looked over the remains as they squirmed around. He would have feasted upon them too, but there was a queen that needed to be captured.
******
Queen Chrysalis flew further away. She knew from the sound of her changelings' silence they had lost and she was next. To make things worse with her wounds and weakening life she had to find somewhere to land as she was running out of magic fast. She looked around for a place to hide her foal and maybe herself.
She weakly landed or should be said nearly crashed in another alleyway. She hissed in pain as she arose and checked to see if her foal was okay. She sighed with relief to see that it was fine. After a moment she looked around to the alley around her. There were fires all around and bodies shredded and strewed across the ground. She couldn’t choose here, but she feared that she wouldn’t have enough strength for another flight.
She looked to the exit and saw groups of bloodied ponies that were trying to find a way out of this hellish place. She had to find someplace to hide and that seemed like her best choice for now. She took a deep breath and ran into the crowd, hoping it would hide her and her foal.
The crowd was thick but many of the wounded ponies were too distracted from their own wounds to even notice her. She was glad that she didn’t need to shapeshift. However, she was also sad for the ones around her. They had suffered so much under her former lover’s rule. He used to rule through love and kindness, now he only ruled through rage and wrath.
Walking down this unknown path with them was truly just as painful as anything else. Though she blamed Redsting’s mind control for all of this, none of this wouldn’t have happened if she had stayed by her lover side in his time of need.
Suddenly she heard a commotion coming from the front of the crowd. She looked ahead of the crowd of ponies and saw crystal pony soldiers marching towards the wounded ponies with weapons ready as they tried to leave.
She was in even greater danger now. She knew she was not ready for a battle. She had to get away and now. She turned and looked around as she pushed against the crowd as they rushed forward for one final fight.
She pushed ponies aside left and right and she made her way out of the crowd, shielding her foal the entire time. Soon she got out of the crowd and ran down another alley.
She held her eyes closed as she heard the new screams of pain as the crowd of ponies were slaughtered. It was truly horrifying.
Suddenly her eyes rushed opened as she fell to the ground. Her foal slipped from her arms and skated across the wet ground. Luckily the cloth that covered the infant gave at least some protection.
Queen Chrysalis looked to her foal weakly. She didn't know what hit her but she had to get to her foal. She lifted her arms to push at the ground, only for her arms to keep slipping out from under her. This made no sense that is until she finally looked at what had fallen on her.
Her jaw fell agape as she saw a massive piece of metal. It seemed a beam from a nearby building had fallen upon her legs. She was in so much shock that she didn't even feel the beam crushing her. It was like the pain didn't exist. Yet the blood pouring from her wounds was very real.
She turned as best as she could and reach over to the beam. She pushed with all her might until she knocked the beam off her legs. She fell back as she heard the beam hit the solid ground.
She rolled completely around and looked to the sky as the rain poured around her. Memories flashed through her head as she trembled, holding the tears back as best as she could.
Soon she heard bells coming from the direction of her foal. She looked toward him and spotted an old dark blue castle-like cathedral just beyond him. Hope filled her eyes and she slowly got up. She fell slightly almost forgetting the damage the beam probably did to her legs. But she fought through the pain and rose up. She walked weakly to her foal and picked him up and into her arms. She lifted the cloth off and looked at her foal with hope yet also sadness as she held him tightly. She needed to get him to safety and now. she covered him back up and took a deep breath.
She looked toward the cathedral and weakly walked to it. Her steps grew weaker with each step as her whole body was saying enough. But she pushed on as she made her way up the steps to the door, hoping to find sanctuary in this place. She banged on the door over and over, “Please I need help now!” she called out.
Minutes passed like eons and there was no answer at all. She hit the door harder as she screamed louder, hoping somepony was there if anypony at all was still alive in the city. Fear was growing within her that there was nopony there at all.
Finally reaching the edge of her breaking point, she charged up magic in her horn. But it kept fizzling out, she was too weak to even focus magic properly anymore. She kept trying. Soon the foal began to sense her growing fear and began to cry aloud.
She looked to her foal and tried her best to soothe him. But nothing was working. The foal was just as afraid as she was and time was running out. She knew Redsting would soon find them.
However, all that changed when the door cracked open. Queen Chrysalis’s heart jumped for joy as the door slowly opened. “Oh thank goodnes--” but her voice dropped and her heart instantly sank as she saw what was on the other side.
The door opened to reveal a light turquoise light alicorn stallion with golden eyes and a flowing emerald mane standing taller than her in blood stained silver armor with teal lines.
“Emerald Teal,” her heart sank even more as she spoke the name of her once beloved. She stopped her words for a moment as she looked at him with shock and wonder. She feared for the worst but also hoped for the best.
“Hello my love,” he spoke with soft and kindness in his voice as he raised his hand up to a tear that was falling from her face. As he wiped away the tear, a small smile of hope crept onto her face. For one brief moment, it felt like everything leading up to this was but a twisted nightmare and that her lover had not become a monster.
“What are you doing here--” Instantly she was stopped as blood poured from her mouth as she began to fall. She looked down in horror as time slowed around her. He had stabbed her in the stomach with his sword.
As she fell to the ground, King Emerald Teal caught his son in his arms. “Tell me, have you thought of a name for my son--” He stopped as he removed the cloth that had been covering the foal. “A monster….. My son is a….. monster?”
Chrysalis looked up to him with anger but also sorrow. She still loved him, even if he was now just a puppet to Redsting. She raised her arm up to Emerald Teal as tears filled her face. “Please, don’t hate him. He is of our life. Please at least love him. He is the only thing that shines in this darkness that is left of our love.”
Emerald Teal looked away from the foal and with cold empty eyes to her as his former lover bled out on the ground. “Shines in this darkness. Only diamonds shine in darkness. So perfect and flawless that is what he shall be.” He leaned down and brushed his former beloved’s mane. “His name shall be Blood Diamond.”
Chrysalis trembled as she heard those words. For another brief moment, it felt like the Emerald Teal that she once loved was still there, buried deep under all the madness that had consumed him.
However, that hope was quickly smashed as she heard Redsting’s voice in the background as he walked toward them and returned to his pony form. “I’m sure that will be a lovely name for the second heir of the Crystal Empire.”
Emerald Teal rose back up and walked around Chrysalis as she struggled to reach him. He walked almost never seeing her pleas. He kept walking as Redsting followed behind him.
The bells began to stop ringing as the Moon rose up ahead of them, shining its light through them and over the land as night time arrived and the flames and rain stopped. Chrysalis looked to them as they were getting further and further away. “Please…. Please….. Blood Diamond be better than your father.” Blood poured from her mouth once more as she spoken. She reached outward with the last of her strength. “Don’t become a slave to his madness. Be a better king than he was.”
******
The lone red stallion reached the deep part of the cathedral as the story stopped flowing through his head. He arrived at a door on the bottom floor of the cathedral. The door seemed very strange. It didn’t fit the style or design of the cathedral at all, in fact, it looked like the wall around it had been ripped out the make this room even exist. He took a deep breath as he looked at the door, remembering his mother's words to him.
“Be a better king than he was.” He looked down and smiled. “Don’t worry mother. We will be better than those monsters you abandon us with.” He placed his hand over the bag he had with him. He pulled off the bag and placed it on the ground. He reached up with his other hand and pressed a button beside the door as he grabbed something out of the bag.
The door opened to a cleaning room. He stepped inside as the door behind him closed. The pressure of the room began to change as magic filled every part of him. The magic then began removing all forms of bacteria and viruses from him before the next door opened. He took another deep breath as he felt the magic leaving him and stepped into the next room.
The final room was big and yet almost completely empty. At the end of the room sat a seemingly empty floating throne facing an unlit fireplace. The room was completely silent to everything, even his own breath couldn't be heard.
The red stallion looked in slight disappointment to see the throne was empty. He closed his eyes and clenched his fist. However, he instantly loosed his grip as he heard a voice. "I'm right here, Blood Diamond."
Blood Diamond opened his eyes as light from the now lit fireplace filled the room. He trembled in slight joy as he saw another stallion now sitting on the throne. This stallion was pink with a face mask over the upper part of his face, in a fancy clean suit and tie. The throne was turned one side so Blood Diamond could see him, yet his face was still turned towards the fireplace as he sipped on a wine glass of strong nector and watched the fires of the fireplace dance back and forth. “Have you found it yet?” the stallion spoke with cool and calmness as he moved the wine glass to one side.
“Yes, we have, Hollow Prince.” Blood Diamond showed what was in the bag, an alicorn’s skull.
“Good,” Hollow Prince smiled, “Now our final plans shall begin.” He held his wine glass up to the flames. “The Moon will shatter, the Sun will melt and the equine godly royals that cursed us shall burn.” On that final word, he threw the nectar into the flames as the high alcohol count made it grow higher as if it was praising to the claim that both of them made.
******
Author's Note
This was dedicated to my followers but I made to where even newcomers can enjoy this. I hope you all enjoyed every bit of it. I'm sorry I wasn't able to find a proofreader in time for the posting of this, but hopefully, I managed to catch every mistake.
I have always loved giving and this was truly fun to write. Hopeful I will do this again. If I do it will probably be around Christmas.
I was actually quite surprised my followers chose Blood Diamond. I wonder what they will choose next time. Though next time I'm thinking of doing something slightly different.
Don't forget to give a favorite and especially a like and comment as that help the most.
I also commission an artist to bring a scene in this story to life. Here is the link. MarieDRose is so awesome, go give her some love.
