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Chapter 19
Foolish Desperation
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Celestia looked up at the group before her.
“It is done,” she said solemnly.
The Changeling Queen tried to get up, but fell back over.
“Chrysalis, I want you to see something.”
“Uuuuhhhh...”
“Cadance and Shining Armor, you may lower the barrier. She’s no longer a threat.”
The barrier came down, and Chrysalis now had a clear view of the eight ponies in front of her.
“I hope you remember Cadance and Shining Armor,” said Celestia. “They’ve demonstrated in the past that they can literally send you flying. In addition, standing before you are the wielders of the Elements of Harmony. They, too, are capable of easily defeating you.”
“Also,” she continued, “my sister Luna is right outside the castle, searching the grounds for your troops. She is as powerful as I am.”
The Changeling Queen groaned. Did Celestia really need to tell her all this?
“My point, Chrysalis,” said the princess, “is that you stand no chance of ever invading Canterlot. We’ve gotten you beat four times over. I hope you understand this, so that you will never try to attack us again.”
Huh? Chrysalis figured Celestia would just kill her. The changeling had made peace with the idea and everything.
“You are hereby banished from Equestria,” declared the princess. “You have 48 hours to leave the country.”
She leaned in close. “And if I ever catch you around here again, I will not be so kind.”
Chrysalis nodded, using what little strength she had.
“Good.” Celestia cast a healing spell on her defeated enemy, giving the changeling just enough strength to stand.
“Now the exit is on the—”
At that moment, the Doctor burst in. “Princess Celestia! Derpy’s gone missing!”
“AHA!” Seizing the opportunity, Chrysalis charged across the room and snagged Time Turner. “You’re mine!”
“—oh horsefeathers.”
That was all the princess could say.
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*(poomf)*
Luna had been discussing things with President Zeldo, but upon hearing a faint poomf she stopped mid-sentence.
“I believe Celestia has just returned,” she said.
Zeldo and Galdo looked at each other.
“I’ll be back in a bit,” continued Luna. “Stay here in the meantime. If anything comes up, Woona can protect you.”
Luna opened the door and began to walk down the hallway.
“Oh, and one more thing,” the princess added. “Don’t tell anyone the truth about Woona. You can say you’ve run into ‘Nightmare Moon’, but stop at that.”
“Not even Princess Celestia?” asked Zeldo.
“Especially not Celestia.”
But... why?
“Because Woona being a secret from her is crucial to the plan,” answered Luna. “After all, there’s only one thing scarier than an angry Celestia.”
An angry Nightmare Moon?
“Nope.”
“Then... what?”
Luna smiled. “You’ll see.” She closed the door behind her and walked down the hall.
Galdo reached over and grabbed another clawful of popcorn.
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“Let go of me!”
“Oh ho ho I don’t think so!”
Chrysalis had latched onto Time Turner, who was struggling to get free.
“You’re mine now!” said Chrysalis. “And you’re going to take me back to Cadance and Shining Armor’s wedding!”
The eight-pony army glared at her, ready to fight.
(Yeah, Chrysalis probably shouldn’t have mentioned that wedding. Now everypony’s pissed!)
Celestia walked past them, a fire in her eyes.
“I gave you a chance, Chrysalis.” Her horn began to glow. “I’m afraid I cannot give you another.”
“Don’t be so hasty!” responded the Changeling Queen. “You wouldn’t want to hurt the poor Doctor, now would you?”
Time Turner decided he’d had enough. “Let me go this instant,” he demanded.
“Or you’ll what?” the changeling snorted.
“Or I’ll kill us both.”
Chrysalis blinked. Then she regained her composure. “What kind of bluff is that?”
“Oh I’m not bluffing Chryssie,” responded the Doctor. “You wanna take a trip through time? How about I show you the end of the world.”
“Hah!” said the changeling, her voice devoid of confidence. “L-like you can really do that.”
“Believe me, I can.”
Chrysalis was seriously starting to worry now.
“Well either way, I doubt you’d just give up your own life so quickly.” She was trying to reassure herself more than anything else.
“After what you’ve done, I just might.” The Doctor didn’t sound like he was bluffing. “Now let me go or you’ll find out the answer the hard way.”
“That’s enough!” cut in Celestia. She didn’t know if Time Turner was serious or not, but didn’t want to risk it.
Chrysalis smiled at this turn of events. “So I suppose we can make a deal then, Celesita?”
“Not in this world or the next,” responded the princess. “The time has come for you to face what you deserve.”
“B-but the Doctor!” said Chrysalis desperately. “If you attack me, you’ll hurt him too!”
Chrysalis would have threatened to injure the Doctor herself, but she didn’t have the strength to do so. Celestia’s healing spell had been precisely measured to just give Chrysalis enough strength to walk—she’d managed to dart across the room and snag Time Turner only from a spurt of adrenaline (or whatever the Changeling equivalent is). All she could do now was maintain her death grip on him.
“I’m afraid that’s a non-issue in this case,” replied Celestia, somewhat cryptically.
The princess turned around to face Twilight and her friends. “Prepare to use the Elements of Harmony!”
The six ponies were happy to oblige. Their necklaces began to glow, and Twilight felt the power of the Elements coarsing through her.
She closed her eyes, the magical energy within her increasing boundlessly.
Her wings, those pesky, useless wings, sprang to life. They fanned out and flapped involuntarily, lifting Twilight into the air.
It’s time, Chrysalis, to pay for all you’ve done.
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“Cadance! Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”
“What are you doing?”
“Cadance, it’s me, Twilight!”
“Uh-huh.”
...
“Are you disagreeing with me?”
“I guess I am—d’ah”
“Oh dear, are you getting another one of your headaches?”
...
“I’m not gonna stand next to her, and neither should you!”
“I don’t know why she’s acting like this.”
“Maybe we should just ignore her.”
“You have to listen to me!”
...
“Plans? What plans?”
“The plans I have for your brother, of course.”
*twitch*
...
“Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves...”
“...and do a little shake.”
“You remember me!”
“Of course I do.”
...
“This day was going to be perfect
The type of day of which I’ve dreamed since I was small.
But instead of having cake, with all my friends to celebrate
My wedding bells, they may not ring for me at all.”
...
“I fear that I may lose him to one who wants to use him,
not care for, love and cherish him each day.
For I oh-so love the groom
All my thoughts he does consume
Oh Shining Armor, I'll be there very soon.”
...
“He may not be my husband, but he is under my total control now. And I’m sorry to say, unable to perform his duties as captain of the royal guard!”
*twitch*
...
*ZAP*
*FALL*
*CLINK*
*twitch*
“Princess Celestia!”
“The Elements of Harmony. You must get to them, and use their power to defeat the queen!”
How oddly appropriate.
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Although her eyes were closed, Twilight was somewhat aware of her surroundings—she knew Chrysalis was right in front of her, and her friends were on either side. And through the fog of her flashback-induced altered state of consciousness, she heard Celestia’s voice, clear as a bell.
“Twilight Sparkle, kill.”
Twilight’s eyes slammed open. Chrysalis was exactly where the unicorn’s mind had placed her, clinging desperately to Time Turner and trying to use him as an equine shield.
Said shield would be of no use.
Twilight released her attack—a rainbow-colored arc that flew straight at her target.
At the last moment, Chrysalis released Time Turner and made a last-ditch attempt to flee.
“OH NO YOU DON’T!” shouted the Doctor. He chased after Chrysalis and rammed her, knocking her off her feet.
The attack swerved, homing in on its target’s new location. It passed through Time Turner and hit Chrysalis dead-on.
“Sunshine sunshine, ladybugs awake!”
This is for you, Cadance.
“Twily!”
This is for you, brother.
“I can protect my subjects... from you.”
This is for you, Celestia.
“Pbthbbtthth!”
This is for you, Derpy.
“OH NO YOU DON’T!”
And this is for you, Doctor. Thank you for being so brave.
And then it was over. The attack ceased. Twilight’s wings stopped their autonomous flapping, and she half-glided, half-fell clumsily to the ground. When the smoke cleared, she saw that Time Turner was dazed but unharmed. Chrysalis, on the other hand, was not so lucky.
She had been turned to stone.
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