"T-Twilight?" my voice came out strained, almost making me sound as if I was horrified. I suppose that wasn't very far from the truth. It was a miracle a sound came out of my mouth at all, to be honest. My brain was doing its best to process what I'd just witnessed, but it wasn't making any headway on that front.
She... wouldn't...
Twilight had blindsided Star, that much was easy enough for my mind to process. The violet unicorn hadn't tried to protect her brother. She hadn't tried to restrain Star. She'd launched a vicious blast that had torn into the lilac mare's back and sent her slamming into the wall. The scream of agony that escaped Star's devastated face made my skin crawl. Once her limp body fell to the ground I managed to squeak out a single pitiful noise. I managed to squeak out our friend's name.
She turned to face me, the imposter getting to his hooves right behind her and grinning all the while. Her horn was still shimmering with magenta energy as she stared at me with cold eyes.
"Do you wanna try something too, Sunset?" she kept her gaze locked on me, being watchful for another attack. The eyes that belonged to the mare I loved were brimming with so much loathing I nearly trembled. I could hardly believe it. All that repugnance... was aimed directly at me.
"Twilight, you..." I looked down at Star's lifeless body.
Star...
My horn erupted with mana as I stood to my hooves. My energy was so potent that Twilight was forced to shield her eyes from just how bright the spire on my forehead had become.
I can't let them win. I have to fight...
But...
"I don't want to fight you, Twilight," I said as calmly as I could in spite of the fact that I felt like I might start hyperventilating at any moment.
"It never seemed to be a problem for you before," she lowered her foreleg as well as her head, glaring daggers at me once her eyes had become acclimated to the new atmosphere.
"Twilight... I thought we were past this. I thought... I thought we were friends... We are... aren't we?" I had to try.
I still have to try.
"Please... don't do this."
I have to tell her.
"Twilight... I'm in l-"
"Awwww, Isn't that just special?" Twilight's brother moved to stand next to his sister, the same devilish smile as before on his face. "Are you gonna be honest and tell my sister you have feelings for her," he jerked his head towards Star, "too, Sunset?"
"Wha- how do you-" I wasn't able to form a coherent sentence. My mind was too busy searching for an answer to how he could even know that. I'd just realized that particular truth about myself yesterday.
Unless...
"You're a monster, just like that princess of yours!" I tensed up, preparing myself for the coming fight.
"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY BROTHER LIKE THAT!" Twilight bellowed, a red tinge coming to her eyes as well as her horn. Her sudden tonal shift made it sound like she might've just been possessed by a demon.
If I had to take them on at the same time I'd stand little to no chance, I was well aware of that. I glanced over my shoulder back at Queen Cantata.
I have to keep her safe at the very least.
I was completely stunned when she moved to stand next to me, a look of fierce determination on her face.
"I'll do what I can, Sunset," she took a combative stance as well, glowering at her soon to be son-in-law and my beloved. "If we can hold out until Sunburst and the Elements arrive we should be fine," she whispered.
"Right!" I nodded. We just had to stall for time, which was a much easier objective than winning outright against such insurmountable odds.
"Oh Mom..." Shining Armor chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't have you getting mixed up in all of this, too, now can I?" His horn glowed crimson, a far darker hue than it previously had been.
"Then give yourself up, changeling!" the queen demanded, her resolve not faltering one bit. "Turn yourself in this instant. Show us where you're hiding my daughter. If you choose to surrender right now, I swear on the crown, you will be shown clemency and be given safe passage back to the hive."
"Such a kind mother I have," Shining lazily draped a foreleg around Twilight's neck. "Don't you think so too, Twily?"
"Shiny, we-"
As soon as the tip of his horn touched hers she crumbled to the floor like a marionette whose strings had just been cut. It was as if he'd siphoned all the mana she'd just possessed directly into himself in an instant, causing her to go comatose.
"T-Twilight?" my heart shuddered at seeing her lose consciousness in such a horrifying way. I had to fight the urge to move to her side.
"What splendid emotions," Shining Armor licked his lips, his eyes closed as if he were savoring a delicious meal he'd just finished. When he opened his eyes again they'd changed, shifted color to an all too familiar shade of jade. "Honestly, I thought this would be a lot more difficult," he glanced over his shoulder at Star before turning his attention back to Twilight. "Apparently, their students are a bunch of fools," he scoffed. "This one in particular. It was so easy to bring her under my control. How utterly... disappointing."
"Who are you?" Queen Cantata narrowed her gaze on the faux stallion.
My brain was still trying to play catch up. Even if it was a changeling, why it would choose to give up the numbers advantage for no reason was beyond me. At the very least, I could still see the rise and fall of Twilight's chest. If I hadn't been able to, I might have completely lost it and done something stupid.
"Is that not obvious at this point?" he shook his head in disbelief, taking slow, deliberate steps towards us. "Perhaps you're a fool as well, Cantata."
As he took another step forward an explosion of green flames erupted around him, dissipating just as quickly as they'd come and revealing the face of the true monster we were facing.
"C-CHRYSALIS!?" the queen almost fell back onto her rump. "But you were... Shining Armor is the one who captured you... arrested you! H-HOW!? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!?"
The Princess of the Changelings was absolutely delighted by the queen's reaction to her appearance. The changeling cackled like a mad-mare not stopping as she continued towards us.
"Are there none who can see through my deceptions?" she sighed in contentment as soon as her fit of laughter had ended. "Am I truly so divine? What of you, Sunset Shimmer? What say you?"
I grit my teeth and fortified my defenses, thinking of nothing better to do as she looked down at me.
She looks the exact same... but...
The swagger she was carrying herself with along with the mana radiating from her might both be able to rival even those of my mentor's. She was still overly large, just as big as Celestia as well, but her aura was nothing like it had been down in the dungeon.
No, this is the real Chrysalis, not that poser I met before.
Which means...
"The Chrysalis in the dungeon was the fake," I stared into her snake-like eyes, knowing if my focus wavered for even a second she could probably put an end to me. She came to a stop right in front of me, an impressed grin crossing her lips. "At some point, you managed to replace Twilight's brother. After doing that, you made one of your changelings transform into you and then you, posing as Shining Armor, "arrested" that changeling and threw it into the dungeon."
"Sunset Shimmer," Chrysalis was practically glowing, the pleasure on her face making her look even more terrifying than ever before. She lifted a hoof to my face, cupping my cheek gently and looking down at me like Celestia had done countless times before. I was too scared to move, although I did manage to keep myself from trembling. "How I wish you would serve me."
"CHRYSALIS!" Queen Cantata lifted a shaking hoof but the rest of her body remained stationary. It was clear she was just as afraid as I was, but she was making an attempt to at least appear unshaken. The princess looked at her with utter boredom on her face. "Leave the girl out of this. You can't possibly be here for her. Your quarrel is with me and mine."
"Wrong again, Cantata," Chrysalis let me go before walking back over to Twilight's prone body. With a quick pulse of her mana she lifted the violet unicorn into the air with a green telekinesis spell.
"CHRYSALIS!?" the queen gasped.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, CHRYSALIS!?" I roared, leaping forward and charging my own energy. It didn't matter if I couldn't stop her. I had to try, even if it killed me.
The changeling didn't even acknowledge me, slowly floating Twilight over to Star and lying her body down carefully on the floor. In a flash of jade light, both Twilight and Star were encased in solid green spheres of magic.
"That's two of my precious little mares captured," she turned and looked at me, licking her lips just like before. "Only one is still left rebelling against my will," her horn began screeching with power. "I'll have to put an end to that."
"U-US!?" I took a panicked step backwards. "Why would you be after me and my friends!?"
"I wasn't... at least, not at first," the princess whirled around, a toothy grin back on her face. "But after Celestia and Luna decided to ruin everything, I was forced to change to a... contingency plan."
"What does that mean?" the queen asked from behind me.
"And why should I answer that, Cantata?" the princess' head tilted further than should've been possible. "Could it be you're trying to buy time?"
I managed to remain steadfast in spite of the fact that she'd deduced our plan. When I glanced back at the queen I noted she'd also managed to keep her cool as well.
Not bad, Your Highness.
"I wish to know, Princess. Nothing more," Queen Cantata replied calmly.
"Hmmmm," Chrysalis' head turned so far it made a loud cracking sound before returning to its normal position. "Very well. I've full control of the guard and it's not like anyone is on their way to save you..."
Keep thinking that, monster...
I couldn't prevent myself from grinning.
"I've made sure of that." the changeling's mad cackling caused my smile to evaporate instantly. "Awwww, girls... You didn't honestly believe I'd let Sunburst and the Elements do whatever they pleased, did you?"
"Y-you didn't..." I wobbled, dizziness almost causing me to fall over.
They're still coming... they have to be...
"Oh, I did!" she swept her mane back with a hoof. "My lovely general made sure those little annoyances wouldn't be helping anyone anytime soon." Another fit of cackling came from her gaping maw. "I believe you made his acquaintance before, Sunset. He was that dashing fellow trapped down in the dungeons. Quite a powerhouse, wouldn't you agree?"
I felt sick to my stomach.
"Sunburst..." I didn't know what else to say, didn't know how to counter what she was claiming. We were cornered and it was starting to feel like there was no way out for us.
What can we-
"I don't believe you," the queen stated confidently. "You underestimate Sunburst, Chrysalis. I would stake my empire on him against your general any day of the week."
"Oh REALLY!?" The princess lifted a brow, her smile gone. "Your claim may be put to the test here and now, Cantata," she stomped back over to us. "It matters little regardless. My aim is much higher than taking this insignificant little empire anyway," she stared down into my eyes getting right into my face. The sneer on hers was too much and as she got even closer to me I was forced down into a crouch. "I want it ALL!" she took an exaggerated bite right in my face.
I stood my ground... or was just far too scared to move, the realization of what she was saying shaking me to my core.
"You're going after the princesses!" I jumped backwards, my horn flaring up once again.
"As astute as ever," Chrysalis clopped her hooves together. "Had either, or both, of the Immortal Sisters made the decision to attend the wedding, I'd have been able to enact my original plan."
"And that is?" Queen Cantata asked.
"Their complete annihilation, of course," Chrysalis replied without a hint of doubt in her. The queen couldn't hold back her true feelings.
She laughed.
She laughed HARD.
She laughed so hard that I had to turn and check on her to make sure she was going to be able to catch her breath. To her credit, Chrysalis didn't seem bothered by this, the smile on her face appearing to become appreciative of the queen's episode.
"You can't..." Queen Cantata huffed in mouthfuls of breath, wiping the tears from her eyes with a hoof. "You can't be serious," she looked at the changeling with a smile on her face. "They're alicorns, Chrysalis."
"I am well aware." The princess' mood remained unchanged.
"They're immortal and all powerful," the pegasus' smile shifted to a look of confusion. "You can't stand against them. None can."
"Spoken like a true coward. My mother shared your sentiments," Chrysalis giggled.
"Despite our relationship, I know just how strong and wise Queen Sanagi is," Cantata narrowed her gaze on the changeling. "You should heed her wor-"
"Was," Chrysalis sat to her flank, her grin widening.
"W-what!?" the queen took a shaking step forward causing the smile on Chrysalis' face to multiply in size. "Chrysalis... what are you saying?"
As if she were a model on a runway the Changeling Princess placed a foreleg behind her head, posing as if she were the most beautiful entity in the world.
"I'd prefer it if you refer to me by my official title," she smiled, her expression becoming maniacal. "Queen Chrysalis."
"That can't..." Cantata was trembling. "You're not her equal! You've NEVER been her equal!"
"You may be right," Chrysalis glared angrily at the pegasus. "Let's just say, I had a bit of help." Her eyes turned crimson for just a moment, the discomforting sight causing both me and the pegasus to step away from the changeling.
"Y-you... YOU MONSTER!" Tears fell from Cantata's eyes.
Chrysalis cackled wildly, her horn pulsing. "Are you trying to sound like my mother as well?" Cantata clenched her teeth, narrowing her eyes at the changeling. "That's the exact same thing she said right after I killed my father in front of her."
"Y-you... you're lying," Cantata choked out. She was barely standing, her current state a mess. There was no vigor in her voice, just the desperation of a mare at the end of her rope. "Please, Chrysalis... please... tell me you're lying..."
I shuddered, staring at the Queen of the Changelings. She was shaking with ecstasy, her expression one of pure unadulterated pleasure.
"If you fools keep feeding me like this," she moved a hoof up and down her flank. "I may just start putting on weight."
"CHRYSALIS!" Queen Cantata screamed.
"ENOUGH!" the changeling's booming voice almost pushed me backward. She waved a hoof in front of herself a maroon tinge flashing on her horn before she looked down at me. "Unfortunately, she is correct," she pointed a hoof at Cantata. "But I've come to realize... there are other avenues I can take to harm the Sisters." Her malicious eyes locked on me as she licked her lips.
It all made sense. She was going to use the three of us against them.
"You'll never convince me to turn against them!" I empowered my horn with more energy.
"Convince?" she stood up, trudging right up to me. Her smile didn't falter for a second, her nose almost coming into contact with mine. "You're so very perceptive, Sunset, yet you seem to be under the false assumption that I need to convince you to join me." Her eyes began to burn with power, a vivid chartreuse flame igniting inside of them.
I couldn't move.
"What are you-" I became extremely dizzy, suddenly having trouble standing. I had to close my eyes so that the spinning of the room wouldn't cause me to collapse. "What's-"
If I so wished it you'd be begging me to let you lick my hooves, Sunset Shimmer!
Her voice thundered through my head, forcing me to my knees. The pain accompanying the volume was unbearable, my face contorting into pure agony.
Get... get out...
I pushed back. I grit my teeth and fought against the pain, fought against her with everything I had.
How... intriguing. Still you resist?
I forced myself to my hooves, my eyes still clenched tightly. I did my best to focus, concentrating on my breathing.
I said... GET OUT!
I opened my eyes to find the Queen of the Changelings looking completely stupefied.
"It's gonna take... a heck of a... lot more than... that to get me... Chrysalis," I got out through ragged breaths, my look of defiance sending the queen into a furious rage.
"Then I'll have to do more, won't I, Sunset Shimmer?" she lowered her head, the visage she now possessed sending chills up and down my spine.
"We won't... give up," I braced myself as best I could. "We'll defy you until... the very end, YOU MONSTER!"
She smiled, but it wasn't like all the times before. This time, I could feel the malevolence emanating from her. This time... her fangs looked so much sharper than ever before.
"We?" she breathed out through her teeth. "Perhaps you're not as perceptive as I thought, Sunset Shimmer."
My heart sank. With a racing drumming in my chest I turned to find an absolutely horrifying sight. She was still in that devastated state when she'd found out that her husband had been murdered. Queen Cantata... had been completely petrified.
I was alone.