Sunny Knight: a Pony's Tale

by TheothersideofSunny968

Salted Revenge, Fall of the hive!

(Mature content warning! Due to violent actions, I'm giving you, the reader, a fair warning that this could hater will be more violent the or envious chapters. But do enjoy the chapter.)

'It' was well hidden, having been rebuilt at the farthest southern point of Equestria. Far enough away that most ponies wouldn't look for it there. Even if they did, 'It' was well camouflaged to look too much like a tree covered mountain. After escaping their last castle, after being imprisoned there by Twilight Sparkle and her friends, 'she' and her followers had to relocate 'it' to a place where no pony would find it. Where 'she' could raise a new army. An army she planned to use to exact revenge on not only Twilight and her friends, but against the other princesses as well! 'She' will stop at nothing until she claims all of Equestria for her own.

Such a shame that 'she' will never get the chance. 'It' was about to fall. And 'HE' was going to be the one to do it...

Salted Carmel looked out over the valley where the changeling's new hive hid amongst the tree covered mountains. The surrounding area was uninhabited forests for miles and miles. Perfect for a changeling hive to hide in. Never even blinking, Salted kept his eyes locked on his target as several of Sombra's brainwashed guards, along with the prison's doctor, approached the mute inmate.

"Well Salted, it's finally come" Surgical Scalpel was sure to keep his distance from the behemoth of a pony. "Revenge is a dish best served cold. And you're one of the coldest ponie's I've ever met. Still, do keep in mind to leave us a few changelings of us to use. Creatures who can change their shape, appearance and even voice can be useful to Sombra."

Salted let out a deep and feral growl, as he kept looking at the hive. The home of the creatures that stole his life, making him into the monster he is today. He lost all concept as to what was real and was was not after that day. The only things he knew to be true were the changelings were to blame, and he was angry. All other memories were lost to him. Even his real name. 'Salted Carmel' was a name given to him when the royal guard found him attacking on the edge of Canterlot. Not a week after his attack was the wedding of Princess Cadence and Captain Shinning Armor scheduled. For whatever reason, Salted had warn out his use to the changelings and their Queen and only would serve as a distraction. And quite the distraction he was.

Royal guard after royal guard fell at the hooves of the earthpony like titan. Using his strength to overpower the pegusi guards, and his battle experience that seemed to be locked into muscle memory to evade the magic of the unicorns, Salted took on and defeated fifty two royal guards before the final reinforcements arrived. Princesses Celestia and Luna held such great magical strength to move the sun and moon, so even Equestria's strongest earth pony was no match for them.

With the royal guard's forces weakened, it was easy for Queen Chisalis to slip in, trade places with princess Cadence, and have her own troops ready and waiting for her signal to attack Canterlot. All the while Salted was hauled off to the Ironlock maximum security prison.

Unlucky for the changeling queen, Salted was now free and out for revenge.

One of the Sombra guards carried a boom box over to Salted Carmel and presented it to him. Salted broke eye contact from the hive for an instant to look from it to Surgical, knowing full well that the Sombra guards spoke even less then he did.

"Cynical said that this would make your whole 'chapter about taking down the changeling hive' much more epic" the doctor quoted as he pushed his glasses higher up his muzzle with his hoof. "You have a rather interesting friend. But if you would rather keep the element of surprise, we could always-"

Salted grabbed the boom box and began running down the hill side as fast as he could, his target in sight once more of his burning red eyes. A glimpse into the future. A hive set aflame.

Surgical yawned and sat back to enjoy the show. He looked over at the mindless Sombra soldiers and sighed, annoyed at their statue like presence. "Follow behind him, but don't get in his way. Pick up any changelings that we might be able to use. But remember, he wants their queen. We don't need her."

With a nod, the soldiers began marching after Salted, making sure to leave him with more then enough of a lead to do what he planned to do. Destroy the hive with his own bare hooves, then return the favor to Queen Chrysalis.

At the hive, a changeling stationed at one entrance, sent to sentry duty couldn't help but notice a small brown cloud raising up out of the forest's canopy. Looking trough a pair of binoculars, the sentry had hoped to find the source of the brown cloud. Was it a dust storm? Dirt devil? Fire? Stampeding animal?

As he tried to focus on the fast approaching brown cloud, the sentry's Superior officer approached him, and asked what he saw. Still unable to identify the cause of the brown cloud, he passed the binoculars off to his superior officer, hoping 'he' could recognize it. The hire ranking changeling gazed through the binoculars at the worst possible time. By the time the changeling had realized what was happening, it was too late for him or the sentry to move out of the way, and without warning, several trees that had been ripped up by their roots began falling into the changing hive like giant arrows!

Dozens upon dozens of changelings began to fly out of the hive, like a swarm of bees, to see what the commotion was as well as to ward off any possible attack. They didn't know just how in over their heads they were.

The first platoon was aiding the sentry group who had been injured in the attack just moments ago, while the second platoon was readying to go on the offensive. They would swarm out of the hive, seek out, and eliminate the threat to the hive and the Queen. Unfortunately for them, they didn't have to go far.

Breaking down a supporting wall to the hive with a bolder five times his size, a pony, a single pony entered the hive. A thick cloud of dust hid his finer details from the rest of the changelings. But those who had the unfortunate experience of dealing with 'that' specific pony in the past, began to tremble with terror and sent word to have the rest of the hive retreat. For they knew there would be no victory against this pony.

Standing there as the dust settled, with his burning red eyes glaring at all the changelings before him, Salted paused, Narrowed his eyes on all the soon-to-be victims before him, then gently set the boom box down and hit play. As soon as he did, he knew the song Cynical had picked for this battle. It was completely appropriate, and would truly embed his image in the minds of every lowly insect in this foul hive. It would be the anthem tribute of the day the hive fell and Salted exacted his revenge on their Queen.

(https://youtu.be/o1UBTA-pIDU)

As several brave changing lunged at Salted all at once, trained to using sheer numbers in lieu of individual strength. But Salted only needed to grab one for all to fall. Grabbing the head of the changeling on the far right of him with his bare hoof, the brown earth pony only swing his hoof in a horizontal motion, to have the now captive changeling crashing into the others. Hitting one after another after another like dominos, each time one changeling was hit by Salted Carmel using the one changeling as a weapon, was enough to knock the other changelings out cold.

While Salted was supposedly distracted,
Half a dozen more changeling had circled him in the air while the other half dozen were clung to the wall, ready for the second wave strike after their flying brothers. That was their plan anyway.

Before the air strike to attack, Salted unwrapped on of the chains shackled to his forelegs. With a quick flick of his front leg, the chain cut through the air and wrapped itself around the throat of a changeling. Pulling the still airborne changeling he had captured down with one powerful thrust, Salted quickly made the creature airborne again, using him as a weight on the chain as he knocked changeling after changeling out of the sky. Before all the first strike of flying changelings could fall, the second one mobilized, only to meet a similar fate. Before any of them could get close enough to Salted, the mute pony was sure to strike them down with his chain and changeling weight. More changelings entered the battle through various entrances of the castle, hoping to catch the assailant off guard. They, like their comrades, were not successful.

In a matter of moments, five platoons of armored changelings were taken down. Salted growled lightly as he released a held breath, not even feeling the least bit threatened by the insect like creatures. Picking up the boom box, Salted made his way deeper into the hive, knowing the loud music would draw the changelings to him like a moth to a flame.

A little down the hallway, Salted heard something familiar. Cries for help, but not in changeling voices. Curious, and feeling absolutely zero threats from the area, the behemoth made his way to the source of the crying. When he arrived, Salted found several dozen fillies and colts in individual cages carved into the changeling's hive wall.

"Mister, please! Help us!" An orange filly with a bright yellow mane cried out and reached out through her cage.

"I want my mommy!" A colt started to cry from his cage.

"Please help us!" A light blue filly wiped some tears away.

"The keys are over there, mister!" A little green colt with a blue mane pointed to the wall on the far side of the room.

Salted took one small glance over at the wall, saw the keys, then looked back at them. There was one thing that was odd. It was normal for changelings to kidnap and lock up ponies to feed off of after hypnotizing, Salted was sure that's what happened to him, but something in the far corner of the room was different. It was a larger cage made of glass with several small wholes in the glass. But the creature inside it was not a pony of any kind, but a changeling. A single changeling that was chained up in his cell. The creature had cracks in his armor as well as scars all across his face. It was obvious from the claw marks on the walls of his cell and the glass that he was much more aggressive then any other changeling Salted had come across. But what really caught the monster of a pony's attention were the changling's eyes.

His eyes were wild and vicious, like a feral jungle cat. Looking into the creature's eyes, Salted saw something he not only liked, but what he knew he could trust. This changeling wasn't part of the hive like the other changelings, he was a rogue. And that meant that Salted could trust him. Well, trust him as far as one wild animal could another.

Ignoring the cries and pleads of the foals in their cages, Salted walked over to the cage that held the rogue changeling, put one hoof on the glass to stabilize himself, then raised his other hoof with the chain now rewrapped around it, and slammed it as hard as he could on the glass. The first hit seemed to just rattle the whole room. The second hit actually cracked the glass. And by the third hit, Salted's strength broke the magically reinforced glass.

"Watch out mister!" One of the fillies called out.

"Yeah! He's a monster like them!" A colt tried to warn Salted.

"He's really nasty!" A different filly commented with her muzzle pressed to the edge of the cage.

But their words meant little to nothing to Salted. He had a plan and he wasn't going to let anything ruin it. Besides, Salted wasn't as foolish as they took him for.

"He'll attack you!" Another cried out in a last ditch attempt as she hit her hooves against her cage door.

But their cries and pleads were but raindrops or radio static to him. Salted grabbed the lock with his hoof and with one swift motion of his chain wrapped hoof, broke the iron lock.

The muscular earth pony was so focused on the chained up changeling prisoner, that he failed to pay attention to the slight sound of squeaking cage doors or the flittering sound of the imprisoned ponies' wings. It wasn't until the chains began to unwrap from the scared changeling that Salted even heard the hissing noise come from behind him.

Like a swarm of anger bees, the no longer caged colts and fillies began attacking Salted. Diving and jumping at him, with tooth and hooves bared. They began tearing out chunks of his fur and mane, and for a very, very short time, the little monsters thought they had the upperhoof on him.

They were wrong.

For no amount of damage done to the pony's physical body could douse the raging fire in his ever burning, hate filled spirit. Nothing would stop Salted Carmel until he had his revenge.

Spinning around like a spinning top of doom, Salted was able to fling the tiny colts and fillies off of him. Despite them attacking him violently, the beings before him still looked cute, innocent, and to a point, frightened. But they made one tactical error. They attacked him. That made them his enemy. And out of the many things you don't want to be, Salted's enemy was one of them.

Unwinding both of his chains from his hooves now, Salted let them fall to the floor with a loud clang. The shackles being the only thing connecting the pony to the chains made it appear that he had two dead tentacles attached to his hooves. The fillies and colts gave up their innocent and frightened looks to attack Salted once more, realizing there was no mercy in the pony's heart. With quick flicks of his wrists and a swing from each front leg, both chains flung out and quickly wrapped each of their ends around the necks of a young looking pony. The ponies struggled to free themselves from the chains as they fell to the floor, but before they could, they were quickly flung through the air again. Their targets, the other fillies and colts. Watching with wide eyes and no time to dodge, the other fillies and colts who weren't being used as weights on the ends of the chains were knocked out of the air or off the wall with a loud 'crunch' or 'thud' indicating something broke. In a matter of moments all the young looking ponies hit the ground, and in a flash of green light, reverted to their true forms. Changelings. The young ponies still wrapped at the end of Salted's chains found it hard to breath, and with one quick tug by Salted at the other end, forced them to revert to their natural state as they passed out.

Loosening the chain's grips on the now passed out changelings, Salted rewrapped the chains around his for legs. He kept his former restraints with him for more then just an intimidating look or a simple weapon. The chains themselves have a spell on them that nullifies anypony's magic who is restrained by them. Unicorns can't use their arcana magic, pegusi can't fly or manipulate the weather, and earth ponies can't use their strength or culinary related skills. Salted had been restrained by the chains for years, and they still continue to keep his true strength locked up. He would only let that go when he faced the Queen. 'She' was the only real target.

More chains hit the ground behind Salted as the previously imprisoned changeling with the scares landed on his hooves. It fluttered it's wings and stretched out it's legs before turning its attention back to Salted. The two stared each other down before the changeling broke eye contact by casually walking past Salted and heading out into the hallway.

Salted paused and waited, not fully knowing what it was doing. When the changeling realized Salted wasn't following him, it poked it's head back inside the room and said one word. "Queen."

Knowing exactly what it meant by that one word and the expression the changeling had on it's insect like muzzle, Salted nodded and began to follow. Changelings were lower then dirt to Salted, having been the drones of that wretched Queen Chrysalis, but this one seemed different. A look in it's eye told Salted that it craved something that he himself also loved need for. Revenge. Cold, bitter sweet, and long awaited Revenge...

Chrysalis was relaxing in her chamber, enjoying a rejuvenating bath in a pool of crystal clear water obtained from a near by spring, trying to clear her mind before she concocted her next big plan to rule Equestria. Unfortunately for her and her hive, any and all plans she would have come up with were about to be shattered to pieces.

Through the only doors leading in and out of her private chambers, the two sentries stationed out front were sent flying though the doors, landing against the far wall with a loud thud! Chrysalis could hardly believe her eyes as she stood up out of her bath and gazed down upon her fallen soldiers. Not only was their armor bent inwards and broken in several places, but their own exoskeletons had been beaten so much it began to crack in a number of places! The only thing that tore the Queen of the changeling's attention away from her savagely beaten guards was a low but very present growl. If there had been the simple sound of the water running or even if the Queen had been singing to herself, the low growl would still have been heard.

"YOU?!" The changeling queen hissed as she took a few steps closer to Salted who stood at the doorway, the scared changeling standing behind him, guarding the door. "I'm a little surprised that somepony as worthless as you actually found out hive, let alone-"

The Queen's rant was cut short, Salted was in no mood for her long and drawn out speeches. He immediately flung one of his chains at her, wrapping it around her throat, causing the insect like queen to nearly gag. Salted knew what she was doing. She was trying to buy time for her 'loyal subjects' to come to her aid.

But Salted had waited too long for this moment, and despite knowing he could easily take on her whole army, his real target was standing before him. It was pay back time!

Pulling with all his might, Salted flung Chrysalis off her hooves and soaring towards him! Thinking quickly, the changeling queen started to fly, planning a counter to his direct attack. Thinking it might throw him off a bit, Chrysalis wanted to get Salted airborne then strike him with one of her spells.

'I'll hypnotize him like I did back then...' the changeling queen thought as she flew closer and closer to the ceiling, feeling the increase in weight as she lifted the muscular earth pony up off the ground.

Unfortunately for her, rage had kicked in and Salted's warrior mind was kicked into over drive. He had a counter for everything she could throw at him. He had played out anything and everything Queen Chrysalis could possibly throw at him, while he was locked up. That way, his revenge would be secured. Releasing his second chain from around his less dominant hoof, Salted began swirling it around and around before striking out with it, wrapping it around the queen changeling's wings this time!

Unable to fly, both Chrysalis and Salted began falling down towards the ground! The changeling queen struggled to get free from the chains, but something was wrong. When she tried to use her magic, nothing happened. Under stress, magic was supposed to amplify in power by sacrificing control. But there was no power and no control. There was nothing!

'What is going on?! Why won't my magic work?!' The evil queen thought to herself as the ground grew closer and closer.

Before they hit the ground, Salted pulled himself closer to the Queen, wrapping the chains fully around the changeling queen now, preventing her from escaping. Bracing herself mentally for the inevitable impact, Chrysalis closed her eyes and waited for the wave of pain.

It hit her like a bolt of lightning, and like that, the world went black....

Chrysalis didn't know when she regained consciousness, only that when she awoke, the heavy smell of fire filled we nostrils. Raising her aching head, the changeling Queen looked around, horrified by what she saw.

All around her were her loyal subjects, the other changelings of the hive, all beaten to a pulp with bruises, broken wings, cracked exoskeletons, and missing fangs. Anger and outrage rather then sympathy and concern filled Chrysalis as she roared into the sky.

Another low growl caused the changeling queen to flicker her ear and fling her whole body 180 degrees, allowing her to come face to face with the pony responsible for taking out the entire changeling army! No pony else other then Salted Carmel.

The stallion just stood there, fiddling with his chains and shackles as his burning eyes locked with Queen Chrysalis's.

"How... HOW DARE YOU!!!" Chrysalis began to his as she lowered her now glowing green horn, aiming it right at Salted. Whatever was wrong with her magic before was gone now. Her power backed up by anger and fury was quickly coursing through her large and misshapen horn. "A STUPID PONY LIKE YOU?! TAKE ON ME AND MY ARMY?! I AM QUEEN CHRYSALIS! THE MOST POWERFUL CHANGELING! FUTURE RULER OF EQUESTRIA! I WILL NOT BE BEATEN BY SOME LOWLY CREATURE LIKE-"

The changeling queen was silenced once more, this time, by the sound of a lock clicking. Like a bronze bell of war, Salted's shackles hit the ground with a loud thud, signaling that play time was indeed over.

Chrysalis paused and took in everything she saw. The earth pony called Salted Carmel began to breath heavier and deeper, his eyes becoming bloodshot and more enraged then ever before. His whole body began to shake violently as a transformation began to take hold. Muscles began to double, then triple in size on his body as veins popped up like red tree roots. His mane began to grow in length, covering his now very broad back. With the last thing changing being his jaw structure, his lower jaw dropping down slightly, making the earth pony to appear more like some sort of wild ape creature rather then a pony at all, Salted's transformation was complete. All without explanation to the Queen.

It was true that Salted's chains that he wore had a magical charm on them that was used to restrict one's magical flow. Whether the individual was a pony or other magical creature, they would restrict any and all magical flow. Which meant that the whole time Salted was imprisoned, he was building up his muscle's own natural physical strength. For years he had spend getting his body to where it was before he was imprisoned and cut off from the earth pony's magically enhanced strength, endurance, and speed. Now that he has removed the magic restriction shackles and chains, the flood gates have poured open, taking Salted's power to a whole new level not known by pony kind. He had become a behemoth. A true titan. And one who was gunning for the queen of the changelings.

Chrysalis hesitated but for a moment before she took to the sky, still trying to put as much distance between her and her monstrous opponent so she could begin charging an attack. 'One good shot, that's all I need!'

But even with the tall ceiling of the hive, Chrysalis would never be able to fly out of Salted's reach. The monstrous pony grabbed one of his chained shackles, and with one mighty throw, launched it at Chrysalis faster then a meteor crashing down to Equestria! The force of the impact pushed the changeling queen's body several inches deep into the wall of her hive. Trying to bounce back from the attack, Chrysalis struggled to free her limbs. But she was too slow, and was soon met by Salted's newly transformed gigantic hoof! It knocked the wind out of her and stopped any and all magical force she began to build up! Hit after hit, punch after punch, the changeling queen sank deeper and deeper into the hive wall before her body unwillingly breaking through to the next room. Taking a breath while she could, Chrysalis reached up with one free hoof to try and crawl away. Her heart sank as she felt something grab her and began pulling her back into the other room where her assailant continued his savage beating. Salted shifted the chains around the broken and beaten changeling queen, preventing her from using magic, flying or teleporting away. Once the shackle was secured, locked in place around the queens neck, Salted took great pleasure in bringing her up to his face and staring her down one last time.

Despite her injured state, Chrysalis still mustered the strength to glare Salted down and snarl weakly at him before the monsterous pony flung the queen as hard as he could down to the ground. She hit the ground hard, but couldn't relax before Salted jumped from the wall and slammed down as hard as he could on top of her, causing the changeling queen to scream out in pain. Salted proceeded to lift her up by her back legs and began thrashing her body about, slamming her repeatedly down into the ground, again, and again and again, before flinging the changeling queen as hard as he could up into the air. For a brief second, the changeling queen was able to breath and open her eyes. But what she saw were her worst fears come to life. All the time while she was knocked out cold, ponies in black, spiked armor were caging up her loyal subjects and carting them away like wild animals. The changelings couldn't even fight back after what Salted did to them.

The brief moment ended as Salted reappeared beside the Changeling queen, and with one final blow, putting both his hooves together, struck the changeling queen as hard as she could, sending her hurdling towards the ground! Her body made a deep crater as she landed, having passed out from the impact while still in the air, Chrysalis felt no further pain. And wouldn't until she woke up from her forced slumber.

Landing on the ground, Salted's heavy breathing began to relax as he gazed at Chrysalis's broken body. Something he had been waiting years to see. Something he wished would finally bring him some closure and possibly restore his missing memories. To his dissatisfaction, nothing else came with the defeat of his most hated enemy. Well, other then the pleasure he felt from seeing her writhe like a worm under his hoof. That was it's own reward.

Stomping his hoof, Salted summoned one of Sombra's guards to his side. The guard who answered the call carried with him the other shackle and chain the earth pony didn't use on Chrysalis. Placing the charmed restraint back onto his dominant hoof, the monsterous earth pony cut off the magical flow to his body, and once again regained his less muscular but still large and intimidating form.

Leaving the room and Chrysalis behind, Salted was joined by the changeling with scars and Sombra's guards. As they left the hive, the unicorn guards began charging up their magic. And with one mighty blast from several points surrounding the hive, the unicorn guards blasted through the hive's support beams, burying Chrysalis in the hive's rubble.

And so the Shadow king had taken the Changeling Queen with a rogue rook. And in doing so, gained many, many more pawns.