Chapter Text
Star Platinum had long detested the idea of "the magic of friendship." Because, to his (honestly well-placed) logic, hugs and kisses were not going to end evil from overtaking Equestria. So while Twilight Sparkle and her posse of (rather loud, according to Star) mares spread love to Equestria, him and the other Stardust Crusaders worked the backlines - as a sort of secret force that worked under Princess Celestia. Well... as much as he wanted to say that...
He couldn't deny that there was magic in the way that Emerald Splash's eyes would sparkle when Star listened along about his rants, that endless trivia and insatiable curiosity that could only be known as intellect. He had a quiet voice, which lay like a calm blanket on Star Platinum's ears, which had easily grown sore to the world around him. He never needed to play up his emotions around him. He never needed to fake... anything, as conversation with the calm unicorn would always come easy, as easily as he would be drawn to it. He didn't know what Emerald saw about him, to make him hold Star in as high regard as he did... But on those sleepless nights in the raging desert - he was happy to let the shorthaired stallion rest at his side. At times, they had sat so close that Star thought that Emerald might even melt into him. That Emerald, brushing against his side in greeting as he returned from the hospital with a new set of shades and a devout sense of self. Star Platinum never thought he's be one to fall in love, but... If it had to be anypony, he thought, I wouldn't mind it being him.
.....SHRING!!!
A vibrant pink light emits above Star as he ran along the open canyon, in search of the others. His heart sunk into his throat as he gazed up in front of him.
At the peak of an amber cliff... a green body with a curly red mane lay limp, lodged into the rocky surface, his head hung low as his eyes grew dull and lifeless.
"...EMERALD!!!"
He screams out, but the world won't listen even as his voice breaks and his lungs pour frantically in all the air they can hold. He was just an earth pony, after all - unlike Blood Moon... He didn't have any special powers or remarkable abilities. All he had was his strength and his will to fight. And he'd sooner watch hell freeze over than let Blood Moon get away with this. Blinded by his rage, he doesn't notice Emerald's last spell - a simple levitation of a small pocket watch into the hoof of his grandfather, Sunsprint.
And as his cutie mark forms on his flank, sending a burst of violently righteous energy straight to his core - he doesn't notice the pair of hooves and beating wings dragging Emerald into the darkness of a deep, damp cave.
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Emerald is caught off guard when he's lulled awake to the light of the moon in the midst of what appeared to be a dark, overarching hive. His voice is muffled as he struggles against the bonds of sild constricting all four legs and suspending him to the wall of the moonlit kingdom.
"Welcome, little prince." From the darkness of the entrance, an eerily soothing voice rings out, as an abnormally tall mare - or what looked like a mare - crawled herself out into view, and gracefully hovered down to loom over Emerald. A shiver ran down Emerald's spine as she looked him over. Her eyes - which appeared more like a reptile's than that of a pony - reminded him so much of Blood Moon, which made a sense of panic engulf him as he frantically charged his energy to coil into his horn. She snickers as she sees his attempt. "Now, now, little one. I'm afraid there's no use for that," She scoffs, her mouth unhinging as she used her serpentine fangs to sap what little energy Emerald had left. Her long tongue swiped over her mouth in satisfaction as she saw the unicorn's eyes grow dull, his breathing faint but recognizable in the yawning abyss.
"That's it, just breathe, little one. Just breathe... and forget all your troubles, down here in my kingdom..." She murmurs, as she began to crawl over his body in a calculated fashion, webbing and cocooning him in a shiny green casket. Once he was husked into the pupa, she stood back and admired her work. The queen, after all, had been in cohorts with Blood Moon during his quest to overtake Equestria - and knew well of the power that his opposition harnessed.
Like most things, she decided that she wanted it as her own. And so she took it by force - in turn, spinning away at any individuality that Emerald Splash once harnessed. It wasn't enough that he'd become a changeling, stars, no. Queen Chrysalis wanted to appoint him as a prince, to both retain that power... And to control it.