The Curse Of Chrysalis

Chapter 10

Cory and Kris charged at each other shouting, both ready to deliver a punch. Their fists collided with such force it created a powerful shockwave. Both were using magic to enhance their speed and strength. They were still a moment before delivering a blinding flurry of punches at each other managing to counter each other. From there, they seperated and started clashing around the area and in mid air with such speed it was like a rapid fire of mini sonic booms going off. It stopped as they then clashed their hands pushing against one another, a fierce energy coming off the both of them.

They broke the clash and started another round of punching. This time Cory landed a punch on Kris’s gut making him grunt, but Kris quickly recovered and landed a punch on his face. They traded blow after blow before both laned a hard punch on each other’s faces and sent them flying backwards from each other. They skidded and managed to keep themselves from falling over on their backs before looking at each other panting. “Not...bad...didn’t think...we could...get this intense.” Kris panted.

Cory panted with a grin. “Yeah, but…..it’s about….to get more so.” He raised a fist that glowed with a silver aura, no flames this time before smashing it into the ground. “REKKOHA!!”

Suddenly, beams of magic launched from the ground in random spots, one of them being right under Kris.

“Ah crap!” Kris quickly rolled to the side and began running about jumping and dodging as best he could. “Crap crap crap!”

Cory then ran at Kris just as the beams were ending and swung a leg out in a strong kick, a wave of magic being shot off like a blade at the other human.

Kris crossed his arms and quickly tried to create a barrier to block it. He succeeded, if barely, but it still knocked him back in mid air. He flipped and skidded back before clenching a fist. “Take THIS!” He then thrusted it out making a giant flaming fist fly at Cory.

Cory saw the fist coming and grinned before clenching his own fist. “Time for a shout out to an old childhood favorite.” His fist glowed before he punched. “FIST OF THE BEAST KING!!” A flaming lion head shot out, roaring like it’s animal counterpart before crashing into the flaming fist, the two causing an explosion that sent a shock wave that the barrier the changelings made barely held back.

“Heh, not bad.” Kris commented. “Try this on for size!” Both his fists started to glow white with rays of energy coming off them.

Cory smirked as he held his hands to his sides while orbs formed in them.

“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?” Chrysalis’s voice cried out.

Kris and Cory nearly lost their balance and canceled their attacks before looking to see Chrysalis flying in just outside the barrier. “My queen!” They both called and bowed.

“Just what is going on here? Why are you two fighting?” Chrysalis asked.

“We were merely sparing your majesty.” Kris said.

“It has been some time since we had faced each other and we wanted to see just how we stacked against one another.” Cory added.

“By beating each other up?” Chrysalis said. “What were to happen if you got carried away and REALLY injured each other?” Chrysalis asked. “This is most unacceptable.”

Cory looked at Chrysalis. “Kris is skilled in healing magic and we both have a protective shield keeping the more intense injuries down to mere bruising. We may enjoy a good fight, but we aren’t foolish enough to injure one another that would prevent us from fulfilling our duties.”

“I cannot just sit by and watch the ones I….I mean...those that serve me beat each other senseless!” Chrysalis stated.

“My queen, I promise we are taking the necessary precautions. We’ll be fine.” Kris said.

“Also, this is serving as teaching material for the soldiers here. They see just what they can do if they follow through with their training. This is also following our duties.” Cory noted.

“I will not tolerate you two fighting with each other. Is that clear?” Chrysalis said firmly.

Cory and Kris bowed their heads. “As you wish, your majesty.” They said together.

The changelings awed in disappointment that the fight was called off. Many of the betting Changelings grumbled a bit, with one changeling grinning widely. Seemed this one betted on a draw or the match being called off.

Chrysalis sighed in relief. “I don’t know what I’d do if they got hurt.” She said more to herself softly. “Ahem. Now, everyone, get back to work!” She ordered.

They all bowed and buzzed off after the barrier dropped.

“Well, so much for our match.” Kris shrugged.

Cory patted his back. “We’ll get another chance.”

“Not if Chrysalis has any say in it.” Kris replied.

Cory winked at him. “Don’t worry, I’m thinking of a plan for that. If all goes well, then we’ll be able to have our rematch.”

“I want a word with you both back in the throne room.” Chrysalis said approaching them. “Now.” She then said firmly before flying back to her throne room.

Cory looked at Kris. “Well, you heard her. Let’s move.” He said before they headed off for the throne room.

After arriving, the two knelt at the throne before them. “Your highness.” They both said.

“I’m going to make this perfectly clear. I don’t care for the reasons, I forbid you two from fighting with one another. Regardless of whatever precautions you take, something could go wrong and you could end up hurting one another. On top of that, you were disrupting the hive’s activities and could have done some damage to it as well.” Chrysalis stated. It wasn’t really true and she was just trying to make up excuses to berate them. “I cannot allow my summoned warriors to hurt each other. Is this understood? You two are too important to me….to the hive.” She cut herself off.

“Very well, as you wish my queen.” Cory said, bowing.

“As you wish.” Kris replied, bowing as well.

Chrysalis sighed again. “What am I going to do with you two? Just go back to whatever you were doing BEFORE you started your little spar.”

“Yes my queen.” Kris replied before he and Cory left the room. “Did you catch that slip? She said we’re important to her.”

Cory nodded. “Yeah, and if I’m not mistaken, I’m pretty sure I heard her almost admit she felt something for us back in the training ground. She stopped at ‘I’ before switching to ‘the hive’.”

“We are totally winning over the queen of the changelings.” Kris said with a grin.

Cory sighed. “Now comes the hard part.”

“What might that be?” Kris asked curiously.

Cory looked at Kris. “Getting her to open up to us to tell us the truth of the crystal. We already have a damn good idea, but she doesn’t know that.”

“Oh, yeah. That is going to be tricky. So the question is how do we do that?”

Cory sighed. “I wish I knew. If anything, you have more experience than me at this. Ask me to convince someone to my way of thinking, I’ll work their mind to start dancing to my tune. Ask me how to get someone to tell their secrets out of trust? Out of my field.”

Kris held his hands behind his head as he hummed in thought. “Hmm….well, with a tough nut like her, I can’t help but think maybe we should just come out and say we know a little about what’s going on. I think she trusts us enough so far. So maybe she’ll open up more.”

“Might wanna rethink part of that. How would we exactly explain to her that we know? WITHOUT her feeling betrayed?” Cory asked, eyebrow raised.

“Hmmm…….THE MURAL!” Kris exclaimed. “We can just say we stumbled across that mural...which honestly we did, and saw what was on it, and from there pieced together what we think is going on.”

Cory facepalmed. “Can’t believe I forgot about that.” He smiled at Kris. “In that case, I think I might have a plan to get her to talk to us.”

Kris smiled back. “Do tell.”

Cory smirked. “Listen carefully….”

A few hours later, Cory and Kris entered the throne room to speak with Chrysalis. They knelt before her. “Your majesty, forgive our intrusion, but we must speak with you. It’s urgent.” Cory said with his head bowed.

“Very well, what is it?” Chrysalis replied.

Cory raised his head. “While relaxing in our room for the time, we….found something. A passage to what looks like an older part of the hive. We wish for you to come with us to confirm this find.”

“An old part of the hive? *Sigh* Very well.” She got up and hovered down to their level. “Lead the way.”

Cory and Kris nodded and stood before leading the way. They returned to their room and let Chrysalis inside before closing the door. There, in plain sight, was the tunnel that led down. “Watch your step my queen, it’s rather dark.” Cory said before having a ball of flame appear before leading the way down, Chrysalis right behind him and Kris at the rear.

Chrysalis simply followed the two as they went down.

“It was really by accident we found this place.” Kris said. “I was simply leaning on that wall when it gave way and here we are.”

“There seems to be a room at the end and some kind of mural. We aren’t sure what to make of it, but we believed you would be able to tell us.” Cory added before they came to the end of the stairs. Then, Cory had the flame orb float up and grow brighter, showing the mural in all its glory.

Chrysalis’s eyes widened at first, but then looked away.

“Do you….know what it…” Kris started before Chrysalis cut him off.

“Don’t play dumb with me. I know you two are smart.” Chrysalis stated with her back to them. “Don’t act like you don’t know what this means.”

Cory was silent for a moment before sighing. “All we were able to figure out was that you were cursed. We don’t know much more than that, but we can guess some of the blanks. But we have to ask.” Cory said before looking at her. “How can we help you break the curse?”

Chrysalis was silent a moment before responding. “You can’t.” With that, she started toward the way back up.

Kris quickly grabbed her hand. “My queen….Chrysalis...please. Let us help. We want to help you and the hive. This place has become a wonderful home for us. You may not believe me when I say this, but I swear it’s true with all my heart. Me and Cory love you.”

Chrysalis was silent again for a while. She then turned to them and spoke, with Kris releasing her hand. “I never always looked this hideous.” She started. “I was once a beautiful and elegant alicorn. I was vain, yes. And I did rule a bit...harshly I suppose. I seemed to care more about my looks though than my subjects despite them being so loyal to me. I can’t help but feel they were only like that because they found me beautiful and just wanted to be around me. Then….one day...a unicorn came asking for a place to stay temporarily, offering a unique crystal. He was so ugly though, I turned him away without a second thought. That is when he revealed his true self. It was that smart alecky unicorn Starswirl the bearded. He cast a curse upon me and my subjects turning us into what we are now. Beings incapable of really loving and having to feed off love from others. On top of that, he said I had to learn to love if I were to ever hope to break the curse and be loved in return. But I saw love as pointless back then. Even now I feel love is fake, a farce.”

Cory frowned at this before gently taking her hand. “I must be honest. I never once thought you were ugly, and I’m sure Kris is of the same mind. I meant it when I called you beautiful. I honestly never thought I would feel love for another outside of family and Kris. But meeting you and getting to know you, even if only a little, I felt my heart soar. Touching you is like a drug to me, our moment together was almost like that of a dream, one I wasn’t willing to wake from. My love for you, Chrysalis, is as real as the beat of my heart and the heat in my flesh.” His eyes, his ice ocean blue eyes, held so much conviction and love, SO MUCH love. It reminded Chrysalis how Shining would look at her when he thought she was Cadence, and yet, that seemed to crumble compared to this monolith of affection. Kris was giving off the same emotion and amount of love for Chrysalis.

Chrysalis stared for the longest time at the two. She eventually looked away. “I’m sorry. I wish I could say the same, but I’ve never known love, nor do I know how to. How can you possibly harbor such feelings for me when I don’t know how to show the same to you?” A tear started to form in her eye. “It doesn’t matter anyway. This curse will be the death of me. I was in such a rush to conquer Equestria because I wanted to secure a future for my subjects. By the end of this year...my life will end.”

Cory’s eyes widened in shock before they narrowed. “We won’t allow it. We’ll be the secured source of love for your subjects. And we’ll ensure you live to see it.”

“The two of you alone can’t possibly secure the hive’s future forever.” Chrysalis said. “You are capable of giving off a lot of love to sustain us, but you can’t keep it up forever. So please….just…..focus on why you were brought here...for my sake and my subjects.”

“But Chrysalis…”

“PLEASE!” Chrysalis exclaimed cutting Kris off. “Just….do as I ordered.”

Cory however wasn’t finished and pulled her in close before he kissed her deeply, holding her tightly.

Chrysalis’s eyes widened from this and started to get teary. She didn’t fight back though or try to push Cory away. She just closed her eyes and let it happen. She felt his tongue enter her mouth before it danced with her own. Cory held the back of her neck with his right hand while the other held the small of her back, pressing deeper into the kiss.

“Man, he always seems to get to take the initiative.” Kris said to himself.

Chrysalis clenched her fists and started to tremble, trying to fight back the emotions.

Cory didn’t stop the kiss, even when his lungs demanded air. He used a spell to allow his lungs to handle the lack of air for a while. He needed all the time he could get. His tongue dominated her mouth, feeling all around it and all her teeth as well. His hand on her neck moved through her mane, his fingers combing through it while his other hand rubbed up and down her back.

Chrysalis’s eyes snapped open and she pushed Cory away. “STOP IT! Don’t...make this harder than it has to be! Don’t you get it! I...CAN’T...love!”

“Yes you can.” Kris replied. “You care about your subjects don’t you? You care about us. You’ve been so concerned about everything else you never realized you can love. You probably just think not loving would make things easier. You never thought someone would come along that would love you. But two someones have come and expressed nothing but love for you.”

Cory stared at her. “You say not to make this harder than it has to be. It’s too late for that. We love you too much. If you die, what do you think will happen to your subjects….to us? Do you really think we’d be able to recover from that? We need you, we love you, more than our own lives.”

Chrysalis was silent with her head lowered, her mane covering her eyes as tears were streaming. “What am I supposed to do then? Tell me.”

Cory went back to her and took her hands after drying her tears. “You have time. You said it yourself. You have around a year. You can learn to be open about your love, and we will help you.” He was silent for a moment. “Let’s make a deal. You hold off invading Equestria for now and let us help you learn to express your love while we keep our duties the same overall. And…..if you still can’t before a month away from the deadline…..we’ll personally lead the charge to take over Equestria.”

“Let us do this for you. Please.” Kris begged.

Chrysalis thought for a moment. She let out a sigh. “It seems I don’t have much of a choice.”

“You do have a choice. But you already know what you want.” Cory said.

“I’ll...do it your way then...for now.” Chrysalis said.

Cory smiled widely at her. “You won’t regret it. I swear it.”

“We will save you and your subjects will keep their beloved queen.” Kris said. “So try to cheer up some.”

A small smile actually crept onto her face. “I suppose that is something.”

“That’s the spirit.” Kris said, giving a smile.

Cory nodded, still smiling. “We’ll do everything we can. You’re already halfway there, twice over thanks to us. The curse is practically waiting to be broken.”

“Now, the first most important thing to learn about love is dating.” Kris started.

“What is….dating?” Chrysalis asked, raising a brow.

“Oh brother.” Cory said with a roll of his eyes.