//------------------------------// // Taken // Story: Broken Armor // by TheUnknownPerson //------------------------------// "And you're sure that it isn't Princess Celestia, Twi'?" "I'm sure, Shining. I have two letters from Princess Celestia, one where she explicitly says she's in Canterlot." Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor trotted towards the Throne Room. "I trust you. I'll get where she's staying from Cadance and then we'll go confront her." Shining turned towards Twilight, giving her a smile. Twilight grinned back. Thump Shining backed away, bumping into somepony. He looked up, seeing Princess Celestia. "Oh, apologies, princess. I wasn't looking where I was going." Shining bowed. Princess Celestia responded with a fatigued grin. "It's perfectly fine. If you'll excuse me, I'm very tired." Princess Celestia stepped pass the two, trotting down the hall. "Wait- princess, would you mind if I asked you a question?" Twilight turned to her. Princess Celestia glanced back, accompanied with an impatient sigh. "Of course not. Please be quick." "What is a noble's duty to The citizens?" The passphrase... please answer... Shining hoped. Princess Celestia glanced away, then back to the pair. "Er... my apologies, Twilight. But I really must go I'll see you tomorrow." Princess Celestia turned back, swiftly trotting down the hall. Shining and Twilight glanced to each other. "That means-" "-she isn't Princess Celestia." Twilight finished for Shining. "We need to tell Cadance as soon as we can. We'll need some soldiers too." "I'll tell Cadance, you go get the soldiers. We'll meet you at Princess C- the changeling's room." "Okay. See you there. Be careful." Shining said, turning and beginning to trot down the hall. "You too," Twilight turned away. "Oh, and I'm sorry for accusing you of stealing my notebook. There really were more changelings around here." She chuckled. Shining turned back to her. "Don't worry about it Twi'. They were trying to turn us against each other. Would've happened to anypony." Shining nodded with a grin. Twilight smiled before she turned, trotting down the hall. Shining went in the opposite direction. --- "Stop, crystal ponies!" "Go, go, go!" "I'm galloping as fast as I can, Lance!" There's so many of them! At least half a dozen changelings behind us! "Look out!" We slowed to a stop, a barred wall in our way. She turned back to the changelings, sitting Blooming down. I beat against the wall. There's way too many of them for us to fight. It didn't budge. Horseapples, we're trapped! "Blooming, I need you to go find a place to hide. We'll come get you after this is over." Lance whispered as she knelt down to Blooming. "B... but what about you two?" Blooming asked. The changelings began to box us into the corner. "Don't worry about us. If we don't come get you, run. Don't you dare go back for us." "But-" "Blooming, just go! We can handle this!" I ordered. They kept getting closer and closer. Blooming nodded and scurried away into a dark cell. The changelings grew closer and closer. We backed away, getting near the corner. Eventually, Lance and I bumped into each other. "You really think we can do this? I can barely gallop on my broken hoof. How the hay're we going to fight off them, six to two?" "We'll figure it out, Rocky. Stay close." "There's going to be more. Even if we somehow manage to beat them, there'll be more." "I said we'll figure out. Now shut the hay up and get ready." The changeling's had us boxed in when they stopped. A wicked smile spread across their faces. Lance stepped forward. "Grab them!" A changeling rushed at me. I slung my splint at the changeling when it got into my range. The wooden part collided with his head. It fell back, away from me. Agh- horseapples! It hurts! Two more changeling rushed at me. One from the left, and the other from the right. Buck, buck, buck! I slung my hoof. It hit the one on the left, but the changeling to the right ducked under it, rushed me. He slammed me against the wall. Horseapples! Gotta think of something quick! Oh-- I pulled the wooden board out of the splint, smacking the changeling over the back. It let me down. I hit it over the head one more time, causing it to fall. My hoof trembled, and I fell with the changeling. The changeling I had hit previously rushed me, jumping on me. It clawed at me, trying to bite me. I used the board to keep it's muzzle away from me. Lance rushed to me, grabbing the changeling and throwing it away. Another was galloping towards her. I pushed myself up, rushing behind her and smacking it across the head. The board broke in half. Three changeling rushed at me at once. The one in the middle was a bit further ahead from the other two. Once the changeling got close enough, I moved out of it's path, grabbed it by the mane, and slung it into the changeling to the right. The changeling to the left, seeing what I had done to his buddies, rushed over to me and punched me in the face. Another punch landed on my ribs, causing me to drop the wooden board. I punched the changeling in the stomach, and then it in the jaw. The changeling became visibly disoriented, so, using the moment, I grabbed the wooden board and hit it across the head, breaking it over his head. Whew... okay, three left. "Rocky, l-look out!" Blooming called as I felt myself being tackled to the ground. A changeling was laying on me, holding me down. Two other changeling came over and knocked away the wooden board. I'd struggle against the changeling's grip, but even for my strength, the changeling had an iron grip. "Your hoof is broken? This'll be fun." The changeling stomped on my broken hoof, sending another bolt of pain through the nerves in my hoof and into my brain. I feel the bone grind against my flesh... horseapples! I wailed in pain as changeling lifted his hoof and stomped on mine again. The other began to do the same to my left hind-hoof. "Rocky!" Lance rushed over to the changeling stomping on my hoof and tackled him, causing the changeling that was stomping my hind-hoof to rush away from me. The changeling holding me down looked away for a moment to see where their friends had went. I took the chance to pull my hoof out of it's grip and punched it in the jaw, successfully getting it off of me. He's at my mercy now "L-Lance... it was terrible!" "Please Rocky! She's just a filly!" "It feels like there's a million daggers stabbing into my horn and head... end it... please... please..." No more! I'm tired of them hurting my friends! "Rocky..." They've hurt me and my friends! They'll stop! I won't let them hurt another pony! "Rocky... it's over." They're- "Rocky!" Lance pulled me away from the changeling. Her face was bruised and was had a few small cuts. "Chill! He's dead!" Lance said. Whoa-- blood. Is it mine? I backed away, my torso and fore-hooves covered in blood. There was a changeling beneath me, unrecognizable. Lance gagged. "Dear Celestia... even for a changeling, that was overkill." She covered her mouth. "What the hay happened? He was out in the first shot." "I don't know. Something came over me- I have no idea." D... did I really do that? "L-let's get out of here." I collapsed as I tried to stand. "Lance, you're going to have to help me. I-I can't stand." "Let's just hurry up and try to find the way outta here." Lance grabbed my left fore-hoof and pulled me up, throwing my hoof over her neck. "Blooming, you can come out now. It's safe." Lance called out. After a moment, she came out of a cell at the left side, where I had beaten the changeling. She noticed it and got a sickened look on her face. "W-what happened?" Blooming's eyes widened as she saw the blood covering my fore-hooves and the floor. "Are they dead?" Lance looked away from her. "Come on, Blooming. We've got to go." "But--" "Now." Blooming glanced up to her, before turning towards the ground, frightened. "Okay..." --- Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadance trotted down the hallway to "Princess Celestia's" room. "I can't believe we were so foolish. I should've know to ask the passphrase before even thinking about letting her in the kingdom." "She's a changeling. Would've happened to anypony. Besides, at least we caught it early, before it had the chance to do any real damage." "I suppose you're right, Twilight. However, there's something that still puzzles me." "What?" "Why did it let all those supplies get through? The speech too?" "It must have used it to make herself look like the princess herself. Only thing I can think of." "It's a possibility... we could ask her about it once we confront her." "Yes, we could." "Here we are. Now, we just need to wait on Shining." Cadance stopped at a large door differing from any of them in the hallway. leaning standing a few feet away from it. The door was noticeable a few inches higher than the rest, it had the Crystal Empire's insignia(a pink crystal heart encased inside of a snowflake, protecting it from harm). "Excellent..." Twilight looked over at Cadance. "Did you hear that?" Twilight whispered, making sure not to alarm the changeling. Cadance nodded. "Now, after you have disposed of them, you are to meet my servants outside. They'll take you to your reward." The changeling said with a distorted yet feminine voice. The inflections in it's voice, the familiar condescending tone, all setting off alarms in Twilight's mind. That's Queen Chrysalis! If we could capture her, we could get the counter-spell for Shining! "Yes, your highness..." This voice was masculine. It wasn't distorted like the last one. "Now, leave. You've done well... for a crystal pony..." Cadance took hold of Twilight's right fore-hoof. She lead her down the hall "Just act like we were passing by. He won't notice." Cadance said as began to trot down the hallway. Twilight nodded and followed behind. "Thank you, your highness." The guard said as he stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him before walking out of the hallway. He had the same uniform as a normal guard from Canterlot. Was that a changeling? Or a normal guard? Is he brainwashed? Does he think that's the normal Princess Celestia? --- We've been lucky enough not to encounter another changeling after the fight. Lance pushed open the exit to the cell block like place. The stairwell is directly in front of us, covered in the soft snow. Snow fell heavily upon us. All we need to do is walk up the stairs, let Lance take us back down over the wall, and hope that we don't encounter another changeling. "Blooming. Rocky, hang on. I'm going to hover over the wall." Oh horseapples-- not this again. "Okay, Lance. Let's just hurry up and get outta here before more changelings come." I'd say, wanting to get out of here as quickly as possible. "I'll try. Rocky, hold on to Blooming, I'll hold onto you." Lance said. Blooming stared at us, almost frightened to come to me. "C'mon Blooming. We have to go." Lance ordered. Blooming slowly trotted over to me, allowing me to pick her up. I sat her on my back. She grasp my coat firmly. "Okay, it might take me a minute or two to get up there. You two aren't exactly featherweights." "Just please hurry." I clung tightly to her neck with my left fore-hoof. "You're really still afraid? After what the hay just happened?" Lance said flapped her wings, causing her to ascend a few hoofs in the air. "Shut it. I'll tell Blooming about what happened when we were in the cell!" "What?" "Nothing." Lance blushed. She hovered over the wall, and began to descend. A few minutes pass by, and Lance had managed to hover up nearly half the wall. "I haven't seen any changelings yet." I traced across the top of the wall, looking for changelings. "Good. It'll take me a couple more minutes to get over the rest of this wall, so keep on the lookout." "All right." Another couple of minutes pass by, and we're a couple of hoofs over the wall. There's still no sign of- "There's two on the lookout over there." I said, pointing my free hoof at them. Both of them had on black armor and a spear. "Okay. Let's try to get pass them without being noticed." Lance said quietly. "Let's just get this done quickly and quietly." I said quietly, trying not to alarm the changelings. "Agreed." We'd pass over the first part of the wall, then the second. "Okay, now just hover down and we'll use the snowstorm as cover." "I know what I'm doing." Lance said quietly as she began to slowly glide down. She made sure to stay close to the wall, almost pushing me into it. That's it, Lance... stay under them... We reached the halfway mark down the hall. The changelings hadn't noticed us yet. As we glided farther and farther away from the changelings, the snow made it more difficult to see them. Hopefully that means that they can't see us either. "Okay... I think we're good." I said. Lance began to speed up her descent. "W-we're safe?" "Yeah, Blooming. We're safe..." Lance said as she floated above the ground. I sat Blooming down first, then Lance landed. "Okay... that went better than I expected." Lance said as she shook the snow off of her wings. She wince abruptly, grabbing her shoulder. "What?" "Ah- horseapples. Knew it went too well." She extended her right fore-hoof to me. The palm was covered in blood. "Wound must have opened up again." "Let's get moving. We'll bandage that up once we're far enough away. Here-" I pulled the blanket off my neck and trotted to Lance "This won't do much, but at least we won't freeze over from the snow." I said as I unraveled the blanket and draped it over Lance and I. "Okay, Blooming. Come over here and we'll get going, all right?" Blooming remained silent. She trotted over to us quietly and got between us. --- Shining trotted down the hallway with a group made up of four crystal guards. They had been informed of the situation and had their spears ready. Cadance and Twilight was standing at the end of the hallway, awaiting his arrival. They both began to trot towards him. "Shining, we know who's in there. It's- " "Wait, before we do anything, what is a noble's duty to it's citizens? Sorry, but I need to be sure." Shining asked. Cadance and Twilight nodded. "A noble's duty is to it's citizens is to protect them and lead them, to give them guidance, and to nurture them regardless of the situation." Cadance said. Shining nodded. "Twilight, what is a noble's duty to a fellow noble?" "A noble's duty to another noble is to represent what their kingdom is, to be wary of deceit and betrayal, and to be generous in times of need." "Okay... now, we may start. What was it that you were about to say?" "Queen Chrysalis is the one impersonating Princess Celestia." "What?! I thought we had more time." "I know." "Shining, if we could capture her..." "I know, Twilight. We could get the counter-spell. I need two of you to come with us and two of you to stay out here." Shining said as he pointed over at the guards. "Yes, your highness." One of the guards said as he stepped forward. Another guard stepped beside him. "Okay... we'll go in. Cadance, Twilight, you two can come if you like, but I don't think it'd be very safe..." Shining said. He had let Cadance get hurt before, and he wasn't about to let either of them get hurt. "I'm going with you, Shining. We're not defenseless, you know." Twilight said as she stepped forward. "I know that, Twilight... I'm just trying to look out for you. Both of you." "I'm going too." Cadance said as she stepped beside Shining. Shining sighed, knowingly being bested. However, he couldn't help but smile in pride to see how brave they were(especially Twilight). "All right. We go in on three." Shining said as he stood in front of the door The two guards were standing at each side of the door, waiting for the order. "One..." "Two..." "Three." The guard to the right turned the doorknob and the other on the left used his shoulder to burst through the door. Shining, Cadance, and Twilight stepped inside. Twilight looked around the room quickly; there was a large bed with a crystal bookshelf to the left of it, a large, square, white rug in the middle, and a window that Queen Chrysalis was looking out of. "What is the meaning of this?!" Queen Chrysalis stood, angry. "Princess, we have reason to believe that you aren't who you say you are." "That's ridiculous, Cadance." She chuckled. They didn't break their stern silence. Queen Chrysalis scoffed. "I would've expected better from all of you." "Fine then, princess. But first, I need to ask you a question..." "Fine. But after that, leave. Please." "What is a noble's duty?" "Why must you ask me that question?" "You should know why, Princess Celestia." Shining took a step forwards. Queen Chrysalis glanced downwards with a small grin on her face. "My, my- aren't you clever. Making a secret phrase." Queen Chrysalis looked up to them. Her eye color changed from purple to green. The guards, seeing the change, cautiously trotted up to her and pointed their spears at each side of her neck. "You're brave to come back here after all you've done." Queen Chrysalis let out a small chuckle and transformed back into her normal form. "How has your horn been feeling?" "That's not the point-- Queen Chrysalis, you are under arrest." "Has it been hurting badly? You're still unable to make magic, yes?" Shining stared at her, angry. "Then it is working perfectly." "How do we reverse the spell?" Twilight stepped forward. "Simple. You can't. But he can." "Elaborate." She said. Queen Chrysalis scoffed. "I thought you were supposed to be smart. I'll never tell unless you call off the guards." Queen Chrysalis said. The guard to the left looked over at Shining. He nodded. The guards sheathed their spears and stepped away. "A wise choice." "Now, what is it that could help him?" "He needs to come with me." "Not happening. Why should I trust you?" Queen Chrysalis smiled, almost joyful. "Fine. I tried the easy way first, but I guess that isn't very fitting for a pony like you. Now it is time for the changeling way." Queen Chrysalis tip of her horn emitted a green light. The guards drew their staffs and pointed it at her neck once more. Shining's horn emitted the same green light. He suddenly began to feel nauseous and confused as his horn began to burn painfully. Shining squeezed his eyes shut and collapsed onto the ground. Something strange began to rise in Shining's head. Something vicious. Something evil. Something that was consuming him. The real him. "What are you doing to him?!" Cadance leaned over Shining, rubbing his shoulder. Queen Chrysalis only responded with a wicked smile. Twilight watched on in horror as her brother writhed in pain. I need to fight! Shining tried to fight the magic, but only made the pain worse. "Stop!" Twilight snapped away from her brother, aiming to Queen Chrysalis as she prepared a magical bolt of her own. Queen Chrysalis kept her grin, unafraid. "Do it. Go ahead." Queen Chrysalis took a step towards Twilight. She extended her neck out to her, making it an easy target, "Go for my neck, why don't you. You'll never find the counterspell on your own. You would have to sit by and watch as your brother transformed into a changeling, painfully and slowly. And you'd be the one who caused it." Twilight sighed, seeing she had been bested. She allowed the magic to die. "Wise choice." Queen Chrysalis turned towards Shining. "Ah, seems he has joined us." Shining began to rise. "Are you all right?!" Cadance helped Shining up. "Guards, leave us." "But, your highness-" "Now." Shining interrupted. The guards reluctantly bowed and left the room, shutting the door behind them. "Why did you-" Shining turned to Cadance. He planted a quick kiss on her lips before leaning to her right ear. "I'm... I'm sorry. I love you, but I have no choice." "What're you--" Shining's horn glowed with green magic, in contrast to his rose magic. Cadance backed away. "Shining? What are you do--" He aimed to Cadance's chest, firing a magical bolt. She flew back, hitting the bookshelf. She slumped over, laying on her face as the bookshelf fell over atop of her. "Shining, what are you doing?!" Twilight rushed over to the bookcase, trying to lift it up off of her. "Why?! Come help me!" Shining trotted over to her. He pulled her away, wrapping his hooves around her and pulling her into a hug. "I love you, Twilight. And I hope you'll forgive me one day." Shining fired another bolt at Twilight. Twilight crossed her hooves over her chest, trying to block it, but because of the sheer force of it, she was knocked into the wall where the bookshelf was formerly standing. Her head bobbed, trying to fight unconsciousness. "Shining--" She pushed herself up, latching her fore-hooves into the coat of Shining's chest. "Please..." Her voice waned as she stood on unsteady hooves. "Finish her, Shining. We cannot have any Alicorn interrupting this." Shining sighed, trotting up to her. "Please, stay down. I don't want to h-hurt you more than I need to" He whispered, pointing his horn back to her chest. Shining closed his eyes, firing another weak bolt to her. It landed directly onto her chest, knocking her back into the wall. Chunks of wood stuck out from Twilight's coat, and flung into Shining's. "Good. Pick up your spouse and we shall leave this place." "Yes, your... your highness." Shining magically pushed the bookshelf to side to block the door and trotted over to Cadance. Different books littered her body. Shining carefully picked up the books and sat them aside. Her mane draped over her face and her chest was scorched. Shining carefully wiped her mane away, revealing her now bruised face. What have I done... "Hurry, Shining. You don't want to waste your queen's time, now do you?" "Of course not, your highness." Shining he magically picked up Cadance and put her on his back. "Prince Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, Princess Twilight Sparkle, please open the door! I've served my queen. "Good. Blast a hole in the wall and we'll meet my subjects outside of the Crystal Empire, at the border. You aren't able to disguise yourself yet, so you'll need to be careful not to be seen." "Of course, Queen Chrysalis." Shining trotted pass Queen Chrysalis and punched hole in the window. He blasted the rest of the glass out of the window with a magical bolt and jumped out, landing in the soft snow that cushioned his fall. Queen Chrysalis hopped down as well. She was now disguised as a crystal mare with a red mane and a black coat. "You'd best be there, Shining Armor. For your kingdom's sake." Queen Chrysalis said as she trotted away from Shining, towards the village. "Yes, Queen Chrysalis." Shining trotted in the opposite direction, away from Queen Chrysalis. --- Five Hours Later "Your highness-" "Princess Twilight, may I ask some questions?" "Are you okay-" "Please, please-- everypony leave!" Twilight spoke above the ponies crowding outside her bedroom door. She forced the door shut, sliding down as the guard and village crystal ponies alike chattered behind the door. Her mane was messy, her fore-hooves and chest had been bandaged, and tears stained her cheeks. "Twilight!" Spike jumped up, rushed to her side. "What happened?!" She looked down to Spike, pulling him close. "Th-they're gone, Spike. She took them." "Who?" "Shining... Q-Queen Chrysalis was the changeling. She cast s-some spell on him, and he struck Cadance and I with d... dark magic." Spike's eyes widened, before he hugged her. "My hooves were sc-scorched from trying to block it, and I have cuts on my back from the power of it. When I woke up, the crystal guard were shaking me awake and Cadance, Shining, and Queen Chrysalis were gone." "We... w-we can still help Shining, right?" "I'm not sure, Spike. How're w-we going to find him in a snowstorm like this?" She glanced downwards. I have to find him, but how the hay're we going to find him? "We both could l-look for him." "We're just a pony and a dragon against an army of changeling! What the hay can we do?!" She proclaimed, causing Spike to back away, his ears dropping to his head. Twilight sighed. "I-I'm sorry. I just-- it's so much... too much for a pony and a dragon to do alone..." Twilight stared downwards, to the wooden floorboards. She sat there for a moment, before her face brightened. "I know what to do." Twilight stood. She trotted to the table, opening her saddlebag and pulling out her notebook. Thank goodness she didn't take this. Her horn emitted her raspberry magic, flipping to a clear page in her notebook. She pulled out her quill, quickly writing. "What're you planning?" Spike asked. Twilight kept writing, seemingly unable to hear him. He climbed up onto the chair across from her, then onto the table. "Is that to... Rarity?" "Mmhm." "But I thought you wanted to handle this on your own, without them?" "Originally, yes, but there's no way I can fight Queen Chrysalis and her army alone." She ripped out the page of her notebook, reading over it for a moment before she rolled it up, handing it to Spike. "I need my friends by my side for this. I need the Elements of Harmony." ---