Tartarus Hath Frozen Over

Silence hung over Ponyville like the thick fog of an early morning. Like the rest of Ponyville, Zembani was sleeping soundly in his bed. Yet his slumber wouldn’t last as a small panicked application of pressure could be felt against his scaly shoulder. The sporadic motion caused Zembani to leap to his feet. The startled dragon stood on his bed, blanket precariously hanging off his left flank by his tail spines.

Startled, Zembani quickly spotting Chelsie sprawled on the floor. Overcome with relief, Zembani rushed from the bed to scoop Chelsie up in a hug. Regardless of Chelsie’s current feelings, she eagerly pushed them aside to reciprocate his embrace. However, her shelved concerns mercilessly wrecked the moment. Zembani felt a pair of hooves press gently against his chest.

Zembani’s heart nearly stopped when he saw Chelsie’s terrified expression. “I… I.. I’ve lost contact with the hive; why can’t I contact any changeling!?” Chelsie uttered in fright. Zembani turned his head, unable to stare into her teary wide eyes. He took a slow breath before stating that her disrupted communication was his fault. Chelsie’s jaw dropped in disbelief, tears started to stream from her eyes.

Chelsie could feel her spirit crumble, Zembani’s confession had demolished her usual calm and rational mentality. Try as he might to calm her down, her wings flared from their resting place. Stripped of any semblance of her former self, her baser instincts kicked in. Chelsie took flight and bolted toward the door, however, the door didn‘t yield as she slammed into it.

Quick to recover, she darted to the window, determined to escape. Zembani leaped toward her, hoping to catch her in his outstretched claws. Unfortunately, she proved to be faster as the stands of her tail slipped through his extended talons. With the shattering of glass, Chelsie zipped into the early morning air. Once outside, she directed her magic to gather within her horn.

However, at the crux of initializing her teleport spell, Chelsie found herself hesitant. With the absence of the hive mind, doubts began to cloud her mind like a torrential storm. Horrible thoughts like the death of Chrysalis or the annihilation of her home. Chelsie was so absorbed in her worry and doubt that she didn’t hear Zembani’s approach.

Like a foal that experienced its first nightmare, Chelsie found herself paralyzed with fear. Her wings froze up as a result but before she could plummet downward Zembani caught her. The sudden jolt of her back colliding against Zembani’s chest and his scaly arms around her barrel brought her back to reality.

Her first reaction was to hug him for saving her from falling. Which instantly degraded into kicking, hissing, and struggling against his grip. Although Zembani knew that she didn’t have a chance in freeing herself, he landed all the same. Once they were on the ground, he carefully rotated her to face him. Zembani smiled at her even as she returned the gesture with a snarl.

He pulled her into a hug and didn’t loosen his embrace, she pounded her hooves against his back in anger. They remained that way for quite a while. Zembani remained silent and allowed her to vent her frustration. Chelsie screeched and shouted as loud as she could to the sky above. Around the eighteen minute mark, Zembani noticed that Chelsie calmed down and laid limply against him.

“How could you do this to me, I thought we were friends,” Chelsie sobbed in a defeated tone. Her voice was so sad and broken that he could feel a lump starting to form in his throat. With an audible gulp, he replied in a steady voice, “your friendship is the reason why I did what I had to do, there was no other choice.” Only quiet sobs could be heard from the otherwise still changeling.

Unable to bear her mournful sobs, Zembani continued to talk, “I should have taken you back to the hive.” However I couldn’t do it, you were hurt and needed medical attention.” “It was my bleeding heart that led to your severed connection to the hive.” Zembani silently cursed himself for not being more detached. Silence once again permeated the area as neither of them felt like speaking.

Tears were beginning to fill Zembani‘s eyes at Chelsie‘s unwillingness to speak. His innards felt as if they were being forced through a grinder. He expected her to be ranting and raving about how he had betrayed her. How he’d destroyed their friendship or accuse him of turning against her and the changelings. Instead, her head drooped against his neck while her hooves dangling over his shoulders.

Zembani closed his eyes attempting to hold back his tears. Chelsie was no longer crying but compared to the deathly silence, he found it difficult to decide if he preferred her sniffles. “What do you mean you had no choice,” Chelsie whispered in a hoarse voice. Zembani’s eyes bulged open, allowing his tears to spill down his cheeks.

He gently pulled her away to stare her in the face as he spoke. Despite how she felt at the moment, Chelsie gasped at the sight of Zembani’s tear-stained face. In all the time she had known him, she had never even seen Zembani get misty eyed. Yet here he sat with a grim expression and tears streaming from his eyes. Such a sight left her both speechless and bewildered.

“While you were unconscious, Celestia arrived and threatened to kill you.” “I blocked her path and refused to yield to her demands.” “In the end, she offered the inhibitor ring or perish alongside you.” “Well, you can guess which choice I went with,” Zembani finished. Chelsie instinctively raised her hoof to her horn, sure enough, there sat a ring at the base of it.

She began to poke and prod at it, the ring felt as if it was merely sitting on her head. As she fiddled with it Zembani spoke up, “Celestia said that so long as you wear that ring you may remain here in Ponyville.” “However If you so wish to you could remove the ring and return to the hive.” Upon hearing this she stopped messing with the ring as her eyes lit up.

She laid her forehooves on top of his arms as she spoke. “Are you saying that I could remove this inhibitor ring anytime I want to?” “She should have known that I’d take it off the first chance I got.” “I’m pretty sure she knew that as well, I think this is her way of showing mercy for saving Fluttershy.” Zembani’s next words interrupted Chelsie from removing the ring from her horn.

“I would appreciate it if you stayed with me Chelsie but it is solely up to you.” He sat her down on the ground and anxiously awaited her response. Chelsie stared at him, the choice was clear in her mind. Remove the cursed ring from her horn and return in disguise. Yet curiosity got the better of her as she stared at Zembani’s mixed expression of hope and sadness.

“Why do you want me to remain in this condition, its as if somepony had shattered my very world.” “All that remains is the blank and painful shards to remind me of what had be taken,” Chelsie finished in a somber tone. Zembani let out a ragged breath before giving his reason for her to stay. “Your right, I don’t know how you feel but what I do now is that ring would allow you to conserve energy from constantly being in disguise and remain here.”

“If you remove it and then get captured, it would only lead to your death,” Zembani said with a small crackle in his voice. Once again doubt wormed its way into her mind. Although self-doubt still frightened and caused her to second guess herself. This time it seemed more manageable than before as if the answer to this conundrum presented itself to her. Chelsie slowly lowered her hooves as she replied, “Alright but I’m going to need your help.”

Zembani‘s face lit up, comforted by the fact he wouldn‘t have to stay in Ponyville alone. The two of them smiled at each other, “you know that I’d always help you,“ Zembani happily said. “Well I guess we should get back to the castle before they send out the search party,” Chelsie chuckled. “Your probably right although I wouldn’t mind doing this again,” Zembani commented.

“Do what, chase me through the sky in a panic?” Chelsie joked. “Well minus the panic but I was referring to this,” Zembani spoke as he pointed to the east. Following his gesture, Chelsie soon saw what he had meant. At the edge of the horizon was the fledgling glow of the rising sun.

She had seen the sunrise numerous times before both on her own accord and through the memories of other changelings. Yet despite all that, Chelsie couldn’t help being awestruck perhaps it was due to having the experience unclouded by another’s thoughts. She gave a sideways glance to Zembani, who stared onward as he basked in the warm golden light.

Grinning a little wider, Chelsie wondered if her awe wasn't the direct result of witnessing the sunrise with Zembani. They sat a few inches apart, silently appreciating the rising sun. Unfortunately, Zembani followed by Chelsie, opened their wings and reluctantly left the hill they sat on. As they headed back to Twilight’s Castle, each of them wondered how Twilight would react to the broken window.