An Ally of Blight

Chapters

Villains, meet blight.
Reaching the Orphan
Aid from Ailment
A Tale from the Dead
Sinister Findings
Knowing your Inner Pain

Villains, meet blight.

"Yes, until that SOW STARLIGHT GLIMMER FREED THEM, CORRUPTED MY SUBJECTS AND STOLE MY HIVE!!!!" Chrysalis hissed.

"But the ponies still have their weaknesses. I used that on Discord, and tricked him into capturing those ponies that he calls 'friends'," Tirek stated.

"Hm, Discord really was a powerful enemy, until he let friendship corrupt him," Chrysalis gagged.

Tirek grinned, "But you really should've seen Twilight's little face when I had her friends trapped in bubbles all around me," Then Tirek started making scared faces of Twilight.

Cozy and Chrysalis laughed at the impression. However, none of them knew that there was a very dark and ailing presence coming towards them.

"Twilight as always so stressed out all time when things look bad," Cozy Glow said.

"When I impersonated as Twilight's foalsitter, I thought was going to implode!" Then all of them laughed at the statement.

"I wish I could've seen Twilight's face when I literally almost wiped out all the magic in Equestria," Cozy Glow said happily.

"Well, all the magic in Equestria seems a little excessive, don't you think?" Tirek asked bluntly.

"Eh, I think big. Besides, it would've been worth if I could see Twilight and her friends bow down to me afterwards," Cozy said with an evil grin.

"It would indeed. What villain in this world wouldn't love to see those ponies realize that they had lost everything when they meet their doom?"

"Another who wants them banished and destroyed," Said a voice.

Tirek then had a confused look and looked around, seeing nothing. "Did you two say something?" He asked Cozy and Chrysalis.

"No?" Said Cozy.

"I didn't say anything at all," Said Chrysalis.

"A queen who is in pain, should not be in pain at all."

"I am not in pain, who said I was in pain!?" Chrysalis barked. Tirek and Cozy exchanged confused glances at the changeling.

"What are you talking about? None of us are in pain either," Tirek responded.

"Your plan to erase all magic was quite devious."

"Okay, thank you for the comment, but did either of you guys hear that?" Cozy asked the two.

"Hear what?" Chrysalis asked.

"You mean besides the fact that I heard a voice in my head? No, I haven't," Tirek responded.

"Actually, I heard that voice, too," Chrysalis said. Then the two had shocked expressions and then got into battle stance. "SHOW YOURSELF, INTERLOPER!!" Chrysalis barked.

Then, a rustling came from the bushes in front of Cozy Glow. "Who's there!" Tirek demanded. The rustling got rowdier.

"M-My good friend T-Tirek is gonna b-last you if you d-don't go away!" Cozy said scarcely. Then out of the bushes came...

"A... rabbit?" Cozy Glow said in confusion.

Tirek and Chrysalis looked at each other, and then Cozy Glow. Then, they burst out in vile laughter, pointing finger and hoof at the pegasus filly.

"Stop laughing at me!" Cozy Glow demanded irritably, but the two continued to laugh their heads off. "STOP IT!!!" She screamed furiously.

Suddenly, these crystals came up and trapped their hooves, wings, legs, horn, and wrapped around the centaur's neck.

These crystals were garnet-red with very dark images of the cosmos, teeming with ruby-red stars and charcoal-grey galaxies. They let off this onyxian-black mist with cotton-white embers and shadow-grey flares of dust and ash burning off. They were cracked and spewed this tar-like liquid from them, and various parts of these crystals were covered in various amounts of this alien mold.

The mold was crimson red with cotton white fuzz and variously-sized jet black spores.

The trio gasped and they tried to free themselves.

Chrysalis tried charging her horn, but it sparked and sputtered out in an instant. "I-I can't use my magic!"

Tirek tried to form an orb with his magic, but nothing appeared. "Neither can I!"

Cozy tried to stretch her wings, but the crystal were very tight on their grip. "I can't stretch my wings! I can't fly!"

When Chrysalis continued struggling, she suddenly felt like she was getting... weaker. "These crystals... are... draining... my... energy..." Then she collapsed to the ground.

Tirek started feeling the same way. "That's not... good," He said before he passed out.

"Oh no..." Cozy Glow said. Then, she suddenly felt herself getting weary and cold, even with her coat on. "H-How c-c-c-an I g-g-get c-cold?" She said before she fainted as well. Before the 3, a figure came out of the bushes with the same crystals in his claws, except fur and blood was donned on them.

2 Hours Later...

Cozy Glow groggily and sickeningly opened her eyes, seeing that everything had gone blurry. She groaned and tried to get up, but she collapsed to the ground again. She felt so weak and felt as if a fever had come over her. She was shivering, but she was sweating as well.

"S-So... c-c-cold..." She moaned.

The figure turned to her and walked over. He lifted the filly's head up onto a small rock.

Cozy Glow blinked a few times before she regained her full vision. When she looked around, she Chrysalis' and Tirek's heads on rocks as well as hers.

"T-T-Tirek? C-C-C-Chrysalis?" She said to the two. the two moaned and groaned weakly.

"W-What... happened?" Chrysalis asked.

"I... I don't... know," Tirek answered weakly.

"Me," Said the same voice the trio heard earlier. They all turned their gazes to a creature that they had never set eyes on before in their entire lives.

He had a head similar to Spike’s. He had two large carnotaurus horns above his eye orbits, and four long tusks on his cheeks. He had blood-red markings in the shape of uncontrollable fire around his eye orbits with sprinkled, shadow-grey markings.

He had four demonic horns on the back corners of its head with crevices similar to Chrysalis’ horn, but were variously broken by the same crystals that trapped the trio, and they grew ever so wildly from the broken parts of his horns.

He had crimson-red ear fins with two stems and a tattered sail. He had 3 rows of spines on his head, down to a 1/3 of his tail, and they were shaped like variously-sized teeth with crevices between each spine like any other dragon, but they curved forwards instead of backwards, and they all lay between the horns on the back corners of his head. However, various spines on his head are missing and replaced with crystal spines instead.

His snout was a little longer than Spike’s, covered in an alien slime that starts out as a rotting, currant-red mold with salty-white spores of these parasitic fluids and infections, and ended with a majority coverage of these animations of space filled with currant-red stars and ash-grey galaxies. He had variously-sized, venomous teeth animated by the ooze and this iron-grey sand with flickering slits of a very evil and eerie maroon-red light, and they were all exposed to the open.

His lip line reached barely 1/3 of an inch near the end of his eye orbits, and he had two horns on his snout, between and above his nostrils.

He also had two scars on his right eye and his eyebrow, and the mold reached about 1/4 at the base of his neck and only the ooze and infectious spores covered his cheeks, and his cheeks and back of his head had variously-sized protofeathers.

His scales were onyxian-black. His neck was roughly two times longer than a filly’s neck, but it was not slender, and it had the infectious, salty-white spores in the front and on the sides.

His torso was also twice as long as a baby dragon standing on all fours, indicating that it was assumingly part salamander, and his tail was roughly 3 inches longer than Celestia’s.

His neck, underbelly, and a ways behind his legs were all blood-red, but he had armor plates on his chest and underbelly, armor plates between his legs, and chest, and they were garnet-red, with two rows of anchor-grey spikes on each plate.

From the base of his head to 2/3 of his tail, are more garnet-red scale plates, but they reached down the sides of his neck and down the sides of his torso and tail, creviced between the spines, and the anchor-grey spikes were on the sides, but there was just enough room for his shoulders and thighs to move around, and there were 8, massive, tree branch-like spines from his shoulder blades near the base of his long torso, and there was more of those crystals that replaced various portions of his anchor-grey spikes.

He also had armor plates on his upper arms and thighs, and there were anchor-grey spikes as well, and there were large, single spikes on his four elbows and heels of his feet. His entire forelimbs and feet were covered in the mold and long protofeathers, but his claws, toes, and a third of his forelimbs were covered in the same ooze and sand, his index claws and middle claws were longer than his pinkie claws, but his thumb claws were lethally as long, and interestingly, unlike velociraptors who have two sports-toe claws, this creature had four, but they were also animated by the same ooze and sand, and above his soles were four more claws, giving this creature’s feet the appearances of misshaped hands.

However, the forelimbs of this creature were also wreaking with variously-sized crystal shards on the outside of his arms and above the claws on his soles.

The full ending of his tail was covered in the ooze and sand, but with protofeathers as well, and the limbs that connected the sails of his wings were replaced with wildly-grown crystals.

He had massive, blood-red broad-wings with onyxian-black tips and ridges, from behind his shoulders all the way down to the end of his tail, the ending tail fins ended in a skydevilish tail-spade design. However, the wings were completely destroyed and have very little amounts of fingers for the sails, and a third of the sails on his tail were completely tattered and destroyed as well, but the wings ended with clawing tips of the sandy ooze, and between each crystal limb were lines of it as well.

The tree branch-like spines were black and charred, covered in blood-red mold, spores and the ooze and sand, but there was also ooze sand from his chest to the waist line, spreading across his back at the trunks of his spines, and the tips replaced with the ooze and sand as well.

He was as tall as Thorax and seemed to be thousands of years old.

The trio looked at the creature weakly. They were to tired to scowl if not glare, and they saw the creature feeding on Chrysalis' Ophiotaurus meal.

"T-That... was mine," She said weakly.

"Yes, but changelings do not go unstable alone," The figure responded. His voice was comparable to an 18 year-old teenager, but it carried no emotion. He sounded dead and lifeless, had a deliberated speech, and his voice reverberated very strongly. However, his mouth didn't move once.

"How are talking? Your lips didn't even sway," Tirek pointed out.

"H-He... p-p-probably is a... m-mind-talker," Cozy Glow shivered.

"The pegasus is correct," The figure said, "You should know, Chrysalis. You have done it before."

"Controlling a victim is different from telepathic speech," Chrysalis stated. She tried to get up, but then she fell limp. She exhaled, "What did you do to us?"

"You are all ill and under grave fever... For now." Then, the creature turned to the trio, not looking at them though. His eyes were ash-grey with outward rims of an onyxian-black color, and they had no light in them either.

The trio looked at those eyes and saw that they had no pupils and no irises either, similar to a changeling's, but dead and emotionless. His expression was completely neutral and blank.

They also saw that he wasn't looking at any of them.

"He's... blind," Says Chrysalis.

"Indeed, but one learns to accept it."

"Then... how are you looking at us then?" Asked Tirek.

"Eyes that see only darkness and black, but the light and darkness of another's pure or vile heart."

"You m-mean you... c-c-can t-tell who is-s-s... g-good or b-b-bad?" Asked Cozy Glow as she shivered.

"Yes. The friends and caretakers are spared, the taskmasters serve. But the abusers die, and become my fuel for sustainability."

"You mean... you need fuel to not lash out, as well?" Asked Chrysalis.

"You should know. But my curse is far more dire than yours." Then the creature pulled out a small mug and filled it with herbal tea, colored sapphire-blue and golden-yellow. He walked over to Cozy on his hind legs, and presented the mug to her. "Drink."

Cozy could see soft steam and the colors of the liquid. "W-W-What is i-i-i-it?"

"Your medicine."

Cozy Glow grimaced a little at the liquid, but it was as flexible as water, and it was warm. She slowly and weakly raised a hoof to grab it. But by cruelty's bargain, the creature retracted it from her.

"For later."

Cozy simply shuddered with a weak breath. "W-Why?" She whimpered weakly.

"I know that none of you can be trusted, but I would at least give some hope that we can reach an accord with each other."

"An... accord?" Asked Chrysalis.

"You all seemed to be creating one after your failures to climb the peak. I want my fair share of this villainous bond."

The trio only looked at each groggily, feeling to tired to even be cranky about being feverishly sick and ail. This creature may have put fevers and fatigue on them, but it does seem rather useful for someone like him. Not to mention that he could also pull off the same crystal nullifying spell that Sombra used to put on Shining Armor's horn once. But what really gets their attention, is that this creature somehow knows that they are in pain - not physically, but emotionally and mentally. If he knows about their pain, could he also possibly relate to them? If they were going to find out, they simply had no choice but to accede his wishes.

Chrysalis sighed, "All right, creature... thing. You have our attention."

"Where do you want to start?" Asked Tirek.

"I have sensed that Chrysalis was to do an impression of this Twilight Sparkle who seems more pathetically stressed than one should be," The figure responded, looking over at Chrysalis heart.

"I would, but I don't think I can do that if I'm sick," Chrysalis pointed out.

"You are the strongest of your kingdom, Queen Chrysalis. I would suspect to recognize how much your pride means to you."

Chrysalis groaned, "If you didn't sound dead, that would've sounded like an insult."

The creature simply cocked his head in affirmation, and his inner eyelids blinked.

The inner eyelids were dark sandy-red with very jagged and toothy ridges. However, the creature had two pairs that closed in a slanted V manner.

Then, the creature tapped his right toe, giving Chrysalis a small whiff of restored ability.

Once Chrysalis felt her changeling ability return, she transformed into Twilight Sparkle. "Oh, I'm such a pathetic, soggy little
princess. I even made a very detailed list in the ways that I'm an absolute failure," She pretended sob.

Cozy and Tirek only chuckled due to sickness, but the creature himself would've smiled at the impression. This caught the trio's attention.

"I thought you would've laughed at that," Chrysalis said.

"No emotions... No joy... No love." The creature seemed to do his homework with changelings, even if he really didn't have any emotions.

Chrysalis was a little taken back. "Oh... noted."

"You know, working with you two, at least, may not be the worst thing in this world," Said Tirek, referring to Cozy Glow and Chrysalis.

"Perhaps... As long as it means the total destruction of our enemies," Said Chrysalis.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Said Cozy Glow with a weak smile. Then she looked at the blank hybrid. "N-No offence, but..."

"We haven't really met properly," Tirek finishes.

The creature simply blinked, "All in good time. Would her gracious and deceptive majesty care to continue her impression?"

Chrysalis turned into Twilight again and started make sad and soggy faces again. Cozy and Tirek laughed softly if not hard.

Author's Note

Hey everyone! I hope you liked the first chapter of this story. Let me know what you think about, please friendly/FimFic family comments, and I will be sure to wrote more!

Reaching the Orphan

Soon the trio was full of laughs, and the creature made them feel much better with the blue and gold liquid he showed to Cozy earlier.

"I had no idea you turned Shining Armor into a mindless zombie!" Cozy Glow laughed.

"Of course! But who would've thought that banishing Starlight without magic to Tartarus would've been as glorious as just ending her?" Chrysalis guffawed.

"Remember when I betrayed Discord and stole his magic? All because he thought that we were actually working together!" Tirek chortled. Cozy and Chrysalis laughed along with him.

The creature simply stared at the trio's hearts on the ground, laughing away at their own villainous jokes. Then, he exposed his left palm and made a ruby-red ring with very demonic and dark-souled runes appear in front of the trio, and he started to turn it clockwise.

The trio suddenly started to go into a fast forward trance, and then they stopped when the creature saw them stop laughing and wiping their tears of joy from their eyes. Then they returned to their normal.

"I think we've had enough jokes for now. Let's address the elephant in the room," Chrysalis said as she referred to the creature.

Cozy quickly looked around. "An elephant!? Where!?"

Chrysalis slapped her forehead. "There isn't a literal elephant here, and this is a forest!"

Cozy Looked at Chrysalis confused. "Huh?" Chrysalis grew irritated, but then the creature raised his palm and advised her to not speak out of turn.

"It is the expression in which a couple or many associates talk about the subject that is important at hoof or hand," The creature explained.

Chrysalis sighed, "Thank you."

"Oh... Okay, so let's hear about you," Cozy said to the creature.

The creature was silent for moment. "Before we move onto me, let us discuss... personal
affairs."

"Personal affairs?" Cozy Glow asked.

"Villainy often originates from pain or an embodiment created out of evil,"

"Oh, like that's going to be pleasant," Chrysalis scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Perfect, Ms. Chrysalis. Begin,"

Chrysalis' jaw dropped. "Are you serious!?" But to her chagrin, the creature simply nodded. That just made her more irritated. "I will do no such thing!" She said as she crossed her forelegs and looked away. Then the creature presented a vial of this pink liquid that gave off a bright pink mist. She looked at and found it curious. "What is that?"

"The love from your meal, I vialed out the rest before I devoured him," The creature responded.

Chrysalis was astonished and was about to grab the vial, but the creature pulled it back. She was annoyed as she was irritated with what he trying to do. "For someone who has no emotions, you certainly show your levels of cruelty."

"One cannot be cruel without a motivator," The creature vexed.

Chrysalis simply groaned and took the vial with her magic, opened it, and drank a small portion. She suddenly felt very empowered and... satisfied. "My goodness! This vial of love is even stronger then just taking it from that monster. Did you add it with other creatures?"

"I have my ways with different species," The creature responded. "Now... your story?"

Chrysalis sighed, "Right, right. Where to begin... Of course. I was created by a carnivorous plant that fed an literally nothing but bugs and bones."

"Wow, rough start, huh?" Cozy said.

Chrysalis chuckled, "It wasn't all that bad, I was a sinister foe to all of ponykind before I invaded Canterlot, and together we brought cities to their knees. But then one day, that sunny sun-raiser Celestia defeated my after blasting holes in my legs!" She hexed as she showed her forelegs to the group.

"So... You weren't always born with those?" Asked Tirek.

"Of course not! I use to be whole."

"A grand motivator for villainy. Tirek, what pain motivates your villainy?" The creature asked.

"Well, my father, King Vorak, always thought very little of me. He would never let me outside of the castle, and never think of magic or ponies. And he always liked Scorpan best, who is my gargoyle brother," Tirek humphed.

"Daddy issues, I get you," Cozy Glow said understandingly.

"And what of your motivation of pain, Cozy Glow?" The creature said as he turned to the pegasus filly.

Cozy looked away with an immediate somber glance. "I..."

"Oh, don't tell me, 'My parents left me at the orphanage, and I cry myself to sleep at night thinking that they never wanted me in the first place," Tirek mocked in the filly's voice.

"Shut up!" Cozy yelled irritably, "And I do not cry myself to sleep!"

"Of course you do. We can hear you crying about in your sleep. The least you could do is suck it up and just accept that your parents did abandon you," Chrysalis said.

"I don't accept it, and I won't accept it," Cozy said, "But if you guys were left alone your whole lives, I'm pretty sure you would wail yourselves to sleep with your little stuffed animals," Cozy said with a taunting smirk.

"Only if they live a lie with themselves," The creature says to the filly.

Cozy looked at the creature confused. "What are you talking about?" A sparkle of malevolence and cruelty secretly flashed in the creature's dead, grim, heartbound eyes.

(Play the icon as you read the creature slandering Cozy Glow)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt0Q4DvFp0o

"You believe that you do not show empathy or remorse for your crimes, you believe that friendship is power, and that you could have it at your mercy. But in truth, your actions, personality, and intentions are a lie. You do not snore, but you do weep and cuddle with your closest possession, trying in desperation to fight against the pain your heart suffers, yet... you discover that nothing can help your pain if you do not repent for your sins. You believe that you would never show remorse or guilt for the crimes you commit, but you do indeed mourn for your actions, trying ever so desperately to hide all of your shame inside the soggy and anxious coating of your heart..."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about..." Cozy says in her defense.

"And there are your deceptions. Without magic or any other unique attributes, you use your wits and cunning to achieve victory over those you want to conquer, your cutie mark is the symbol of deception and devious strategy in word play, and the power of mind to play others into your hoof like the pawns of chess. But you could never fool those who see your devious symbolism the way I do. You think your self a mastermind over all who would take your 'sweet and innocent' as a sincere fact, but you could not fool those who have watched you grow and submit to the arts of evil. But you grieve so truly, it hurts you so much to weep into your hooves as you rethink your actions, and you truly want to run to the Princess of Friendship and plead for her mercy, forgiveness, and her compassion. Yet you fear that she will never see you the same way she used to ever again."

Cozy Glow didn't understand what was going, especially inside her. On one hoof, this creature sounded like he was trying to get to her through his own arts of deception. But on the other hoof, it actually seemed like this creature was actually understanding her, as if he knew where all of this pain inside of her was coming.

But she didn't want to feel the other hoof. Being remorseful and true was just a trick to throw her off guard.

"Okay, you need to stop, I see what's going on here. You think you know me because you think you went through the same thing. I'm done with ponies and centaurs and dragons trying to trick me with their own words and actions," Cozy hissed.

"I do not speak to you in general, I speak to your heart," The creature explained.

"You have a talent for seeing deceptions by others done to you before they reveal them, just like when you could see when the Cutie Mark Crusaders tried to distract you from what was important to you. But your heart knew they were trying to protect their friends and family from harm, and your heart admired them for that. But your outer greed blinded you from seeing what their intentions for others were. Deep down, you know what I am saying is true, but your outer thinking says otherwise."

"I said stop," Cozy ordered.

"You are in no position to demand anypony of your goals, and it is a shame that you do not listen to your spiritual heart that pleads for you to stop everything.

You simply try to command others because of what those houseparents always did to you those nights, didn't they?"

Cozy froze in place once the creature said that specific sentence. The creature simply blinked.

"Ahhh... so it is true...

You were broken those nights the houseparents took command of you. You became enraged and unstably dangerous to the other orphans, and you wished that you did not become a threat to the other orphans. I can understand trying to control your rage and instability. You have always questioned whether you were good enough for your parents, if they ever loved you, or if they something more than they could ever want you. You even wonder if you had parents at all, and that is why you tell yourself that you did have parents, yet you fear that you were created out of nothing. You cry in the night when you dream of parents that abandoned you for something of far less value. You draw pictures of what you would want your parents to be like or who you think they should be, depending on who you think would be qualified to have mother and fatherly traits and attributes of love and nourishment. You always cuddle with your favorite millipede you found during your stay in Grogar's homebase as you try hopelessly to think of proud and loving parents. You say you are 'cute and lovable', but those houseparents took the real you... from you, and you thought you could never have those personalities again.

All your life after that orphanage, you've been furious, hurt, and strategically deceptive... because of your own lies," The creature finished.

Cozy was as embarrassed as she was furiously, yet depressingly confused. How in Celestia's name could this creature know her origin, yet feel exactly where she's coming from? This creature couldn't possibly know everything about her past life, yet everything that he said was true, and he... understood her. But how could he understand her? They don't even know each other! Yet this creature spoke to her very troubled and aching spiritual heart, and somehow, this creature talking to "her" was... pleasing. Her density was softening, but she was still a little stubborn.

"N-No, no. I don't care how much you know about me. Y-You don't know what I'm going through," She says almost uncertainly.

The creature simply blinked. Suddenly after a few moments, a swirling mist of dark red and black appeared in front of the three. Then, the scenes with Cozy Glow and Everhoof's snow came on.

[Cozy flew over Rusty Bucket with a devious smile, but then wind picked up and blew her into a snow pile. Next, she tried climbing up on the edge of the mountain, but the snow collapsed and she fell in. Then when Rusty Bucket's staff hit the snow above his doorway, the snow above Cozy glow fell on her, and she opened her eyes in bewilderment.]

Once seen, Chrysalis and Tirek laughed. Cozy shot them a dreadful glare. "Stop laughing! It's not funny!" She yelled.

"Let us see that again," Says the creature as he taps a toe on the ground. Then the scenes of Cozy and the snow replayed. Chrysalis and Tirek laughed harder.

"Stop laughing! Stop it" Cozy shouted louder.

"And let us not forget..." Then the scene of a giant boulder of snow came rolling down the mountain, and then took Cozy Glow with it as she screamed her way down the mountain.

Chrysalis and Tirek laughed hysterically.

"STOP LAUGHING AT MEEEE!!!!" Cozy screamed. Then, a large blanket of snow fell on her from the tree and covered her whole. Cozy shot up with a furious glare, but then a couple chunks of mushy snow fell on her head with a soggy 'sploosh'. Cozy gave a very sad and hurt look as she felt embarrassed and humiliated.

Chrysalis and Tirek simply laughed at her humiliation, and the little was in the verge of tears. The creature however, rose up from his haunches and walked up to Cozy, clearing the mushy snow off of her head and pulling her out of the snow.

Chrysalis and Tirek stopped laughing as they saw the creature pull Cozy out of the snow.

"Wait, you feel... sorry for her?" Chrysalis asked in disbelief.

"If you three are to work together, not in the way Grogar asked of you, then you are to show empathy to those who hide their pain," The creature responded.

Chrysalis gagged, "Showing empathy is like showing love for another."

"And you should know. You showed love and empathy to your swarm, and I would expect you to do the same for your fellow allies," The creature vexed.

Chrysalis scoffed, "They were my children, until Starlight corrupted them!"

"Until your quest for love-power corrupted your spirit."

"I-!" Chrysalis was about to rage out, but then she was confused by what the creature meant. "What?"

"Unfortunately, you misunderstood how love can power you. The way you acquire is by stealing it from others, but it only satisfies you for two days time, and it can only empower you so far. However, to share, which you have despised your whole life, could empower you much more and sustain you for all eternity, even if your spirit passes on to the next life," The creature explained.

Chrysalis scoffed, "Love hasn't corrupted me. It is the only thing that satisfies me."

"Shortly, but not forever,"

"Exactly, my hunger can never be satisfied!"

"Because you misunderstood how it works,"

"I have not!"

"I would like you to test that theory."

Chrysalis shot the creature a death glare. "What?"

"I do not challenge you to a battle to prove me wrong, I challenge you to test your own theory of love-power to prove me wrong. When you find the next victim, you can feed your spirit with their love, your way. If your spirit hungers after days with nothing for your spirit to feed on, then you will know that I am right." Then the creature set Cozy by the stump as he somehow put the little filly to sleep. "You two should also sleep, you all have a mountain to scale tomorrow,"

"I'm not sure if you've ever heard of this saying, but evil never sleeps," Tirek stated.

"No, but even evil needs time to replenish." Then the creature rose up and started to walk off. "If you do feel the urge to want my assistance, just call out to me."

"Noted," Says Tirek, lying in his chair with his arms behind his hand.

Chrysalis was about to say something as she turned to the creature, but he was already gone. She sighed and then decided to lie down.

"What did he mean by love-power corrupting my spirit? Is that really why I've been starving for all these years...? No! That cannot be true! He's trying to poison me with those words! (Sigh) I just need to get some sleep," Chrysalis thought in her head.

Author's Note

Here's the second chapter, I hope you enjoyed reading it! 🙂

Aid from Ailment

After climbing all the way to the peak, the villainous trio came upon a magic sphere to keep anyone and anypony out from reaching Grogar's Bewitching Bell.

"It's no use, this shield is supposed to keep everypony and everyone else out," Says Tirek.

"Well, can you try to absorb it? It is a magical shield," Cozy Glow suggested.

"Yes, but I can absorb magic from living things, anything else that's placed by somepony is not considered living in this world," Tirek stated, then the trio began to think. When Cozy Glow looked at Chrysalis, that's when an idea hit her.

"Like... her?" Tirek looked at Chrysalis in realization.

"Hmm..." Tirek said.

Chrysalis looked at the two in shock, then she gritted her teeth. "Betrayal!" She shouted as she prepared to attack.

"No, no, no. Not betrayal, teamwork," Cozy reassured the queen.

"How is taking my magic apart of teamwork?" Chrysalis asked in a suspicious manner.

"If you allow Tirek to absorb all of your energy and magic, then maybe he might be strong enough to break through the field," Cozy explained.

Tirek looked at his muscles with glory and pride.

"And then what?" Chrysalis asked.

"Then... he gives it back," Cozy provided. Tirek was taken aback and looks at the pegasus filly in confusion.

"I do?" He asked.

"Mm-hm."

"How do I know you won't just take my magic, grab the bell, and then leave me to freeze on this mountain?" Chrysalis asked suspiciously.

"Well, that weird creature guy said that for those in pain, we have to show them empathy. So if he says that you have to show it for us, I'm pretty sure that means we have to show it for you, too," Cozy stated.

Chrysalis simply sighed in disgust, "Fine, but only if Tirek swears not to do it anymore at Grogar's lair," She said, eyeing Tirek.

"As I said, I have done nothing of the sort!" Tirek tried to defend himself.

"Tirek?" Cozy said with an arched brow. Tirek simply sighed.

"Fine, but only if she doesn't talk to her log every 5 minutes," Tirek said with a smirk.

"How dare you-!"

"Chrysalis, we don't have time. We need to get the bell, or who knows what Grogar's gonna do to us? We'll make it at 15 minutes, okay?" Cozy said quickly with a persuasive smile.

Chrysalis sighed and stood up straight. "Do it." Then, Tirek started to absorb Chrysalis' magic and started to turn into his third form, the changeling could feel herself getting weaker by the second. Once finished, the changeling queen collapsed onto the ground with broken eyes.

"So. Much. POWER!!!" Tirek roared in greatness. He turned to the should after a smooch on his muscles. "WELCOME BACK, BABY!!!" Then, he shot a mighty beam at the force field, but only a small portion of it opened. "It's not big enough for me!" He said straining.

"Not for you, but it is for me," Cozy said before she went through the hole. "Keep it open, or I'll be trapped in here with the bell forever!" She called back before entering the cave.

Chrysalis lifted her head weakly. "Would that really be so terrible to do?" She asked Tirek, who simply laughed at the question.

"Can't... hold it... much... longer!" He called through the hole. He could feel himself losing it. "HURRY!!!" He shouted.

"Just a little bit-!" But Cozy was cut off when Tirek lost his grip, and the hole closed off. Cozy fell to the ground and looked up to see that the hole had closed before she was able to escape.

"NOO!!!" Tirek roared, then he punched the side of the mountain. "We were so close!"

"We... we failed," Chrysalis said weakly.

"I... I'm trapped..." Cozy said. She saw that she had the bell, but she and it were now trapped inside the field.

"W-What do we do?" Chrysalis asked.

"Grogar said that we have to work together, so we can't just go back without the filly," Tirek stated.

"And we can't go back without the bell!" Cozy called through the field.

Chrysalis was thinking, until she thought of one thing...

"Well, there is one thing we could do... but I need my magic back to do it," She said weakly. Tirek turned to her and sighed.

"Make it quick," He said, opening his mouth and pouring the magic back at Chrysalis' horn, and then he returned to his second form. When she felt her strength come back, she walked up to the field and looked down at Cozy Glow.

"This will only take a moment," She said. Then she turned around and stood over the edge of the cliff of the mountain. She amplified her voice with her magic, inhaled deeply, and then she shouted...

"CREATURE!! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, WE NEED YOUR AID!!!" Then she looked out for the creature they met earlier. After a few minutes of waiting, there was no one to be seen. She growled furiously, "And to think that he would've been a great ally to the team!" Then she turned around... and yelped.

"You want to test my power, child?" The creature's voice sounded more demonic on the last word.

Normally Chrysalis wouldn't be afraid of any creature, maybe Grogar perhaps, but considering what this creature can do, she would make him the only second exception. "Nope," She quickly said.

Then the creature turned to the force field. "Move," He said to the centaur. Tirek moved away and let the creature come to the field. "You may feel very feverish,"

"W-What does that mean?" Cozy asked.

For an answer, the creature exposed his palm and placed it on the force field. The trio noticed that the creature didn't flinch at its touch, because it wasn't burning. Instead, the shield itself started to deteriorate and collapse.

Cozy suddenly felt very queasy and sick. "I... I don't feel..." Then she collapsed to the ground, and her body began to break out in Leprosy and Melanoma. "Too... (shudder)... g-good," She whimpered weakly.

Chrysalis and Tirek saw the diseases escalating. "What's... happening her?" Chrysalis asked, almost worriedly.

"Just a few more seconds," The creature responded without strain.

Cozy Glow, started feeling like her life was slipping away from her corpse. She still shivered and shuddered in her purple coat.

And then, when Death's door had almost opened to the filly, the corruption stopped. Then a portion large enough for the creature shattered like real glass. He walked in and grabbed the filly, taking her out of the field. He then made a syringe with this golden yellow liquid with glowing white swirls appear in front of him. He took it and pronged it into the filly's neck.

Then, the diseases started to vanish by the hours. Cozy Glow weakly opened her eyes with soft blinks. She looked up at the group, and then she smiled softly at the creature. Then she coughed a little and said, "T-Thanks..."

The creature simply nodded, and Cozy closed her eyes, feeling fatigue come over her. Then, the creature looked at the two elder creatures. "Best to move on," He said as he started down the mountain with the filly in a magical grip. Then the other two villains followed.

A Tale from the Dead

The trio and the creature were almost at the border of the mountain, walking silently without a word to each other. However, the trio have wanting something from the creature that they gave to him...

"So... We haven't heard where you come from, Mr... Creature," Cozy Glow said to the infectious beast.

"Yes, we've all told you our stories, and now I think it's your turn," Said Tirek.

"You know that we're all in pain, so now it's your turn to tell us what your motivation of pain is," Says Chrysalis.

"Of course, of course. Where shall I start?" The creature said.

"How about where you turned into something that sounds dead?" Said Tirek.

"Are you certain of that choice? This is not a tale for the faint of emotions," The creature stated.

"I'm fairly certain we can handle any story that comes our way," Chrysalis said with a smirk.

"If this relative to the tune you were singing, I might cry again..." Cozy said sweetly.

The creature simply stared into darkness, whistling the same tune as he began to observe on the tragedy of his life...

1,122 Years Ago...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P24fsThGWSg

Somewhere in the chamber of Luna's Dreamscape Castle, a young dragon was sitting at a corner with his head on his knees and his arms wrapped around his legs, softly weeping in a time of grief and pain.

This dragon had a head similar to Spike's. His ears were shaped like a vampire-bat pony's, he had two medium horns under larger ones that had three smaller ones in it and a smaller horn on the front of his nostrils, and the bottom of his jaws were jam-purple. His eyes were shaped like Chrysalis', except they were a deep magenta color.

He had fur on his chest and stomach, back, lower legs, forelimbs, and and covering a third portion of the end of his tail. Also at the end of his tail was a 3 fingered claw, and the toes on his feet were shaped like 3-fingered hooves. The scales of his stomach were jam-purple and had rounded W-shaped grooves. His wings were a deep slate-blue with deep cobalt-blue feathers at the bottom. The shape of his spines were similar to Spike's, but they all curved backwards.

His primary scales were a deep denim-blue, his thick fur was brunette-brown, and his horns were hickory-brown.

The dragon was softly weeping in a corner about his treatment from his corrupted Night Mother, Nightmare Moon. And of course, by cruelty's fate, the Mare in the Moon came to him.

The dragon softly turned to her, when suddenly... Everything went black after a sudden blur and a puddle of blood.

...

Nightmare Moon carried a large sack that was dripping with fresh blood across the halls towards the Graveyard.

...

Once she took the sack to the graveyard, she placed it by a dead tree with an evil grin.

"Enjoy the darkness," She gawked, then she laughed sinisterly and walked away.

...

After 2 hours had passed, the bag was old and rough and attracted flies because of a very powerful stench from it. Then, these black, skeletal demon hands with ruby-red crystals came out of the ground with this black and red portal underneath the sack, and pulled it in. Then the portal vanished.

...

A small dragon body was placed into a hybridization chamber, and a strange scientist was experimenting on him. The scientist had a humanoid body, but he had a draconic face, forelimbs, lower legs, and a tail. He wore a very tattered and smeared lab coat and a pair of glasses. His scales were black and he had ruby-red eyes with very slit pupils. He also had 3 rows of large blood-red spines on his back.

He inserted a vial with this black liquid inside of an incubator. Then he pressed a pad button, and the liquid entered the chamber. Then, the dragon inside started to change in appearance. His scales started to turn onyxian-black, his fur began to deteriorate, and his horns and tail began to mold into something new.

"Beginning Mutation," Said the computer.

The scientist looked at the dragon with hoping eyes. "Come on, Midnight Scalewyrm... Come on," He said quietly. The dragon's new form was almost finished...

But then, tragedy struck when the dragon simply burst into the crystal's the creature would eat.

"Mutation Failure."

The scientist sighed in disappointment.

"Try again, professor," Said a voice over the com of the room. The scientist simply nodded and went to work on improving...

...

The scientist entered another vial into the incubator.

"Beginning Mutation."

The dragon started forming again, but then the heart monitor gave out a long beep.

"ERROR - Brain Deterioration," The computer blurted.

The scientist looked over at the computer and saw that it showed the dragon's brain deteriorating rapidly and turning into dead tissue and rotten holes. He sighed again.

"Mutation Failure."

Next, the dragon started bulging, and the bubbles popped with living tapeworms coming out of him.

"Mutation Failure."

Then, various parts of the dragon started detaching and falling limp on the ground.

"Mutation Failure."

Then, the dragon turned to crystal and shattered.

"Mutation Failure."

Then, a vital organ would simply burst or deteriorate.

"Mutation Failure."

Finally, the dragon would keep bursting into crystals.

"Mutation Failure."

Every time he was remade, the dragon would go through these bizarre events, and the scientist would grow much more despair.

...

The scientist was looking over blueprints and schematics of the hybrid he was trying to create, wondering where he always went wrong. He looked over at a container of the crystal and simply gazed. then, something caught his eyes below the crystal label. He looked below and the label said, "2 minutes old". The scientist gasped, "That's it!" Then he turned a small knob that would change the age of the crystal.

As the crystal aged, it started turning up with the alien mold, it started cracking, and the tarry substance started leaking out. Then the scientist stopped when he paused the knob at 7,351 centuries old. Then he took the container with the crystal to the lab.

Next, he burst into a mining depot under the lab. "I need a shard of Xorzite, immediately!" He said to the miners. One miner quickly grabbed a shard of this strange element and threw it to the scientist.

It was made of a very dark asteroid material with speckles of shadow-grey dust and visible portions of this garnet-red crystal inside.

...

The scientist placed the corruptive crystal and the shard of this Xorzite into a larger incubator, along with a vial of the tarry substance, and a vial with this much blacker liquid with eerie shadow-grey light in the shape of tapeworms, and they both pulsed around like living worms in a salt bath. Once the scientist pushed the pad, the process began to start.

"Beginning Mutation," The computer said. The scientist looked to see that the body was starting to form well. Then, the crystals started growing out of the specified parts of the body: head, arms, legs, back, tail, and horns.

"ERROR - Amygdala Deterioration, Hypothalamus Deterioration, Wing Finger Deterioration," The computer blurted. The scientist felt dread, but then he shook his head and went over to the computer, and started typing in the command to keep going. "Are you sure you want to proceed?"

"Is the heart sustainable?"

"Yes."

"Then proceed," The scientist said as he pushed the affirmation icon.

"Very well."

The scientist looked at the chamber and saw the creature twitch its fingers. "Come on, my hybrid... just a little longer," The scientist said softly.

Then the computer beeped a happy tune. "Mutation... Successful. Now extracting hybrid profile..."

The scientist sighed in relief and great joy. After all those years 1,113 years of failures and hard work, his project for his master... was complete.

"Project name: Tantronus UR-H VI. Designed personally by Professor Hibrogandroc and Emperor Valunight, this creature has the intelligence of many comparable animals and creatures, also given the adaptions of enhanced strength, speed, agility, and flexibility," The computer said.

The scientist looked at the creature known as the Tantronus for short, and saw that it was slowly getting up on all 6. The creature itself gave a very demonic, vibratory bark at its surroundings. Then it saw the heart of the scientist as averagely white. He stood up in his hind legs, arched his back, and then slammed on the floor and gave a most powerfully demonic and vibratory roar at the one who made him.

"He's alive!" He exclaimed as he laughed with joy and pride, "HE'S ALIVE!!!" He shouted with profound bliss. "I shall call him... Nighdrak." Then the scientist known as Professor Hibrogandroc, laughed sinisterly as the creature rose up again and roared at the sky if he could see it.

The creature was made, and thus... his life had taken the toll...

...

Present Day...

Then the creature known as Nighdrak, the Tantronus UR-H VI hybrid, finally whistled out the end of the tune. Cozy Glow was simply in tears from the tune, Chrysalis simply gave an empathetic look, and Tirek was simply astonished by how much this hybrid had gone through.

"Not everypony or everyone is simply born with a happy life, but they always learn to talk it over... unlike us," Says the hybrid.

"I'm... sorry to hear that. Don't read in to anything when I say sorry," Says Chrysalis. Nighdrak simply nodded at the statement.

"So your motivation of pain is Nightmare Moon?" Asks Tirek.

"Not the moon ghoul in general, but also the one who listened to her lies."

"Ahh... So Princess Luna started all of this with you?" Asked Chrysalis.

"Yes, and for her crimes, I shall find a weapon to purge her and her beloved 'Children of the Night'," The creature said, black silvery saliva dripping from his guys, his head and arms twitching a little.

The trio looked at each other and nodded.

"Cozy Glow wiped away the tears in her eyes and looked at the creature with so much empathy. She flew out of Tirek’s grasp and over at Nighdrak.

Nighdrak extended his arms, and Cozy Glow landed in them.

“D-Don’t worry, Nighdrak. We’ll help get revenge on Luna. And we promise that we won’t do anything mean to also. Right guys?”

“Of course,” Says Chrysalis.

“Obviously,” Says Tirek.

“Thank you,” Nighdrak says almost happily.

Then the quartet was silent for a moment. The villain trio looked at each other and nodded.

"Nighdrak?” Chrysalis asked.

Nighdrak turned his gaze to Chrysalis’ heart.

“ We were wondering, if it’s not too much of a concern to you… Perhaps you would like to join us at Grogar's Lair? It's not exactly home as it is here, but at least it doesn't get very cold inside," Said Chrysalis.

“Yeah, I can show you whe- Tree,” Cozy Said quickly.

Nighdrak heeded the filly’s warning and walked around the trunk that he almost tripped over.

“I can show you where my room is if you’d like. It’s a little small, but I think we can make a little more space,” Cozy offered.

“Although, there isn’t really anything alive that you can feed on,” Tirek pointed.

“But I can make cupcakes,” Cozy remarked.

Nighdrak started thinking on the offer. Being part dragon, it was dangerously cold on this mountain, but he did have the ability to store up more body fat to keep out the cold. And being up on this mountain was rather a little lonely, so he wouldn’t mind a little company. However, he took the word ‘cupcakes’ into account, which meant that he would have to make his own moldy and rotten food. However, that didn’t seem to bother him.

"Very well, I accept the offer," Says the creature.

The trio simply smile at the hybrid's exception.

Sinister Findings

The trio had returned to Grogar's lair.

"You failed to retrieve the Bell!?" Grogar's voice echoed outside.

Inside...

The trio all bowed before the ancient goat. "W-We're so sorry, almighty Grogar," Cozy whimpered.

"But we did work together as you asked," Tirek said with dread.

"I suppose we just aren't as powerful as you," Says Chrysalis worriedly.

"AAARGH!!!!" Grogar shouted in anger and shot a beam of darkness at a wall, creating a massive tunnel in it. The trio were intimidated. "Obviously! But at least you finally came to an agreement and worked together," Grogar said in frustration and a small amount of relief that the trio no longer fought against each other. Just as Grogar was about to leave though, he turned to the group with a suspiciously narrow-eyed look. "While you were there, was there anything out of the ordinary that you encountered?"

"Not necessarily, but we did bring somepony, or someone, who thinks they would be a great ally for our Legion of Doom," Says Chrysalis. The trio moved aside and revealed the hybrid, Nighdrak.

Grogar had a shocked expression.

"So... what do you think?" Asks Cozy Glow. Grogar furrowed his eyes at the 3.

"Do you know... what he is?" Grogar questioned.

"Should we?" Asked Cozy glow.

"He said he was a hybrid of some sort," Says Tirek.

"He is not a hybrid of this realm. He shouldn't be here," Grogar said.

"But why? He'd make a really great addition to the team!" Cozy said in Nighdrak's defense.

"This creature is too dangerous to keep around. His powers are far more superior than all of ours combined with Twilight Sparkle and her friends' powers together. Even if you did succeed in retrieving the bell, not even that could stop this creature from losing control of himself."

"Your master is right. Without fuel, I can become unstable," Nighdrak stated.

"And you can be as vile and cruel as you are insidious and cunningly strategic in that condition," Grogar states. "And that is why I cannot have you here at all. So, take your leave and never return, and don't blight anything as you exit." Then Grogar turns around and starts walking away.

"We're sorry, Grogar, but... we can't let him go," Says Cozy Glow. Grogar turns to the trio in irritation.

"That creature is a danger to this world, along with every other he encounters. I will not allow him a sanctuary in my lair," Grogar snapped.

"But we can't just let him go! He's really powerful, and he could help us!" Cozy defended.

"His power doesn't work like ours! True, you all understand that he works with the powers of an infectious magic, but it's not magic at all!"

"What do you mean it's not magic at all?" Asks Chrysalis.

Grogar simply huffed and then sighed in annoyance, "Since the beginning of the first being who learned about magic, there was another who learned of another source of something far more powerful. However, that power never worked the same as any other corruption. That power was called 'devoid'. Devoid is a different kind of power that resembles major similarities of magic, but it doesn't carry the same properties as any other kind of magic. What it touches, it will either corrupt or devour the population in a matter of seconds," Grogar said, extending a hoof at Nighdrak. "This creature is the worst of all those who use devoid to either defend themselves or harm others. He uses his power to either turn his victims into his fuel, turn them into his personal ghouls, or even... manipulate them to treat him as family," Grogar explained.

"That is only if I am threatened or placed under harmful contact," The hybrid stated.

"I do not care, I will not have you in my lair. Leave," Grogar says in irritation. Nighdrak simply stares at Grogar's dark heart. Then Cozy Glow comes in front of the undead hybrid.

"We're not letting him leave," Cozy said defensively. Chrysalis also came in front of Nighdrak with a charged horn, Tirek stood behind him with a glare.

Grogar was angry with these 3, but he knew that he needed them to help him take over Equestria. He looked for any glimpses of dark enchantment, and he found nothing. He also knew that if he attacked any of the 3, the hybrid would retaliate in a slaughterous manner.

Grogar simply snorted and in annoyance, "Fine, he may stay."

The trio smiled at Grogar's affirmation, and at Nighdrak.

"But I warn you, if he becomes even the slightest of uncontrollably hostile... his presence will be all of our undoing," Grogar says as he turns and goes into the cave.

"Do not worry yourself, Mr. Grogar, I can be very accountable for this alliance," Says the hybrid.

"And that will be our downfall from you," Grogar whispers under his breathe.

Cozy Glow sighs in relief for Nighdrak. "Come on Nighdrak! I'll show you where my room is!" She offers.

"Wonderful." Nighdrak follows Cozy Glow to her chambers. Chrysalis and Tirek simply smile at each other, and then over by a stalagmite... where they hid Grogar's Bell!

With Cozy and Nighdrak...

"So, you don't talk to the pony or any other creature in general, because you know those... embodiments, won't listen to you?" The filly asked the hybrid. Nighdrak seemed to give her a special book on pronunciations.

Nighdrak simply nodded, feeding on the moldy and fluid-leaking crystal.

"And, you can tell how somepony is feeling, even though you can't 'see' them?"

"Indeed," Nighdrak answered.

"Wow... so, you actually know where we're all coming from?" Cozy asked in astonishment.

"I can only do my best," Nighdrak answered honestly.

Cozy chuckled, "Well, you definitely got me a lot. I never would've thought that there'd actually be anypony or anyone who could understand me. It's almost like having... a brother," Cozy said with honesty.

"Now now, Cozy, let us not rush into any relationships just yet. Grogar claims for us to work together as team, not as a family," Nighdrak did his best to make that remark sound polite, but when you don't have emotions, it's very difficult to let people know what you want your words to sound like.

Cozy could tell he was struggling with tone moderation, and she giggled a little. "Don't worry, I know how you meant that to sound. But you know what it's like to be abandoned and not have a family- I mean, I don't know what it's like to die a thousand times, but at least there's somepony in the world who knows me... unlike Princess Celestia..."

What Cozy didn't realize while she was talking, is that the word 'Celestia' caused a sparkle of darkness in the hybrid's eyes. Nighdrak looked up with slightly widened eyes and an insidious smile.

"So yeah, now Tirek and I have a score to settle with that sunny-sunshine princess Celestia for sending us into... Tartarus?" Cozy noticed the look on Nighdrak's face, and she was a little creeped out. "Uh... Nighdrak?" She asked. She walked up to him and flew just as high for him to her heart move. "Nighdrak?" She said in a sing-songy tone. Nighdrak instantly turned his eyes up to Cozy's, she flinched at the sudden movement. "O-Okay, you're kinda scaring me," She said a little concerningly.

"Celestia...?" Nighdrak's voice got very demonic and deep. Cozy got more scared and slowly backed away. "Did you say... Celestia...?"

"Y-Yes?" Cozy was anxious now, not sure what was going with Nighdrak. "A-Are you... o-okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine... in fact... I think I'm feeling... ravenous for princess flesh," Nighdrak seemed to have more demonic emotion in his voice now, the sensation of deviousness coming in his throat.

"Uh... O-Okay...?"

"Celestia... Now that sounds... like fun." Nighdrak started chuckling, then it started turning to laughter.

Cozy didn't know what to do, but she hesitantly laughed with Nighdrak.

Nighdrak laughed insidiously, his eyes glowing with pure darkness and villainy.

Author's Note

Alright, that's the final chapter and the end of the story! I hope you all enjoyed, please be sure to leave some friendly/FimFic Family comments, and I hope you guys look forward to more! 😊

Knowing your Inner Pain

Tirek, Chrysalis, and the creature with Cozy Glow softly and quietly snoring in his arms, were walking through the forest.

"I told you she snores," Tirek whispered to Chrysalis.

"At least she's a quiet snorer," Chrysalis said softly.

"You should both be relieved that she is alive, or Grogar would have ended you both for letting her die by my claw," The creature says.

"What, are you expecting a thank you?" Chrysalis asked in annoyance.

"No, just your reliefs."

"We are," Said Tirek.

"Yes, of course," Says Chrysalis.

The creature simply nodded and they continued walking. It was silent for a few minutes, until the two heard the creature whistling a specific tune.

3 Minutes Later...

Once the creature was done whistling, the changeling and centaur could hear the pegasus filly softly weeping in her sleep as gentle streams of tears slid down her face.

"Is she... crying?" Chrysalis asked in disbelief.

"You would have if you were just as young as this pegasus is," The creature said to the changeling.

Chrysalis scoffed, "Why?"

"It is my own lament that only orphan creatures would understand through heart. I would expect you to know since you are alone now."

"What?" Chrysalis asked confusedly.

The creature simply levitated Cozy Glow to Tirek. "You can take yourself and the filly ahead. I think the Queen and I might be having a talk," He said to the centaur.

Tirek simply sighed, "Fine, but don't fall behind," He said as he started galloping ahead.

Chrysalis and the creature looked at each other. The creature's eyes did look dead and blank in the inside, but Chrysalis was otherwise suspicious. This creature seemed like he was trying to get into her head, and she would not have it.

Chrysalis walked in front of the creature, and he simply stopped before the ooze on his torso touched her hoof, which was safe for her. The changeling queen gave the creature a vexed glare.

"Alright, newt. I'm tired of you playing mind games on me, and I know what you're trying to do," Chrysalis irked the creature.

The creature didn't even arch an eyebrow. "Do you?"

"Cut the act, you're trying to get into my head and turn me soft, but it's not going to happen. I won't let anypony or anyone such as you, tell me what I don't know about friendship," Chrysalis irked again.

"Do you know?"

"Of course I do! The Magic of Friendship is like a disease, and it infects those around you. You're just as blind as my hive, and I will not let it get me. So don't even try to put on the act of trying to make me change," The queen hissed.

"I'm not talking to you," The creature simply said.

Chrysalis only arched an eyebrow. "You can see my heart, but you're not talking me directly?"

"No, I am talking to your spirit."

"How do you know what my spirit wants?" Chrysalis tested.

All the creature did, was slowly lift up his left lip corner, generating a smirk.

"You don't have emotions, what are trying to smirk about?" The changeling asked demandingly.

"Your spirit has blinded you," The creature responded.

Chrysalis looked at the creature in disbelief. "What are you saying?" Then the creature slowly lifted his right lip corner, generating a smile. Chrysalis thought this was going to be a load of insults to piss her off...

But the creature was right, he wasn't talking to her, and these words were not insults at all.

"Your corrupted spirit has stolen your home and your swarm. Starlight offered you friendship, but you feared that she would have tricked you and taken you down to the depths of Tartarus and locked you away. You have cried and wept as you have believed that you have been disgraced and unloved by your subjects. You act vile, cunning, and malicious, but you can never stop the thought of how you could've lead your swarm... no, raised [i/] your swarm when the unicorn offered her friendship to you, but you threw that chance away and fell under Grogar's hoof to be a slave..."

Chrysalis shot a death glare at the creature, but she thought him accursed as he was blind. "Stop..." She threatened with a hiss.

"Why? To cease your spirit from listening to its pain? It is your spirit's lust for love-power that has separated you from your kingdom, and it was that which has turned the unicorn's offer away, not yourself. You could have reformed, but you thought that love only means to hug everypony, throw out flowers to them, and say very sappy words to your neighbors. Your corruption has blinded you to the bone, and it has unbalanced you from what you wanted your children and yourself to be..." The creature continued.

Chrysalis was just about ready to lash out at the creature, but at the same time, she felt as if this creature was actually talking to her spirit. The creature talking to her spirit was making her eyes water warm tears from fury and lynch, but sorrow, gloom, and grief.

"Stop lying to... me!" She barked through a gasp.

"It is not a lie, your spirit just refuses to accept it. You even thought of Celestia as a sister from a time, but the plant has cursed you with its devious appetite for flesh and bone. You thought your swarm and yourself accursed for that. You thought Celestia would have been a wonderful and loving sister, but your spirit's greed and darkness took hold and made you think of her anything but. When you struck down Celestia at the wedding, you wanted to cry, but your spirit thought it was exhilarating, and you took pride in her downfall."

"When you assumed that Thorax 'betrayed' your Hive, you knew that you wanted to be happy for him and take the chance to learn the ways he learned, instead your spirit grew hateful and despised the very thought, and that made you hate the idea. When your changelings attacked the Crystal Empire when Flurry Heart was around, you wanted your feral children to not harm your only true son, but your spirit would have him killed instead of spared because of its greed and lust for love-power. When you, Tirek, and Cozy Glow finally managed to work together, you seemed like a sweet little family, you even felt that way yourself, but the darkness and greed only wanted the task to be done and never see them again- which I daresay that you know that you would have deeply regretted."

"Your spirit is corrupt because of the greed for love-power that it has become accustomed to... And you don't even even know it."

"STOP!! JUST S-STOP IT!! STOP T-TALKING... Sto-Stop it... s-s-stop..." Chrysalis was going to literally slaughter this creature, but this creature also seemed to understand her... somehow. She would have torn the creature's brain out and shove it down his esophagus, but it was useless as this creature could really get to her and really speak to her in a way that no one ever thought of before. She thought this creature resembled the Element of Kindness, but he spoke to her more directly, without hesitation, and he knew how to really speak to somepony or someone in pain. Chrysalis didn't even care to see herself sobbing and bawling into her holey legs, not even in front of a creature that was talking to her very soul.

"I am... not corrupt... I am not... corrupt," Chrysalis whimpered to herself.

"It is not you... You only think it is," The creature said, standing before of the broken changeling queen.

Chrysalis shook her head, "N-No, I don't... I-I don't... I... d-don't..." Chrysalis could not see how to come back at the creature.

"You do... You just do not know it yet," The creature said as he knelt in front of the changeling, softly stroking her mane. Chrysalis gasped at the creature's touch.

"W-What are you- What are you doing?" She asked perplexed and shocked.

"Has there been nopony to stroke you when you weep for your crimes, reassuring that you will still have a chance to repent for them and forgive yourself?" The creature asked.

If Chrysalis could read the creature, she would've made it out that he was trying to make that sentence sound politely, but sincere. Somehow she felt... pleased. For some reason she actually liked the creature stroking her mane, but of course she could not soak up his love because he had no emotions for anyone or anything, even if he was trying to show them.

"N-No..." Chrysalis admitted.

"I did not think you did," Then the creature got up and offered a claw. Chrysalis was is confused as she was still trying to pull herself together.

"W-What?" She asked.

"Just a simple hand to help you up," The creature answered.

Chrysalis hesitated as she looked at the claw and then back at the creature. She lifted her hoof and slowly moved it towards the creature's claw. However, the creature retracted it.

"Before you take the action you choose in your mind, test yourself on this: Is he offering a hand for redemption, or is he just going help me up and we can continue the rest of the way?" The creature said.

Chrysalis realized that the creature had a point. Starlight offered redemption, and she thought that Starlight was going to betray her and lock her away in the depths of Tartarus, but this creature was impossible to read. Chrysalis looked away and retracted her hoof a little.

"There is no rush, but I do believe your allies are waiting impatiently," The creature remarked.

Chrysalis looked at the creature in the eyes again, and then... she placed her hoof in his claw. The creature helped her up and the two continued to walk after the others.

Author's Note

Here's the fifth chapter! I hope you all enjoyed! 🙂