Ascension
The forest seemed so strange to her. So alien. Shadows shifted and reached for her with each step, perfectly reflecting the shadows clawing for her in her own mind. The gnarled and twisted trees looked as though they were conspiring to draw her deeper into the woods before they grabbed her and spirited her away. By far the most terrifying part of the dark woods through which she trod was the absence of the light she had come to associate with the faces of two particular mares. The absence of their loving energy was a gaping void in her heart, not to mention her belly. It struck her as odd that she had ever called such a place home. That she had ever lived without the love Vinyl and Octavia shared with her.
Her hooves squelched through the undergrowth with each step as she contemplated her options. The same three options that she had been presented with when she first arrived in Ponyville. She could go back to the swarm, hunt on her own, or lay down and give up. Again, none of her options were very appealing but this time the reasons for her distaste were very much changed.
She sojourned on regardless, committed to her decision to keep moving until she either discovered a solution or was unable to carry on. Walking seemed the better option than flying. Her destination wasn't a function of distance, so it hardly mattered how fast she moved.
Wubsy's ears perked.
That whisper... What was it?
She strained to filter out the ambient sounds of the forest around her and key in on the sound that had caught her attention. Nothing came through--no hint of the noise that had set off the alarms in her subconscious.
There! There it was again! It was so distinct she was surprised she had had any difficulty hearing it at all. It was a sound that used to inspire hunger in her. It used to drive her. The sounds of screaming. Of running. Of insect wings whipping the air in a thousand-strong chorus.
They're hunting, she realized.
Wubsy stood rooted in place. The swarm is attacking Ponyville. The ponies that tried to kill me are getting what they deserved. Her mind of course went to the ponies that had helped her. That had been kind to her. She toyed with the idea of helping those select few escape. But no; to do such a thing would be putting her own life on the line. The odds of success were minuscule.
One more body isn't going to do anypony any good.
Her instincts buzzed clearly in her head: it was her survival weighed against that of a town of executioners. Even Vinyl, Octavia and their friends didn't tip the balance. They were collateral losses. Just like I was when the swarm abandoned me, she thought bitterly. It's unfortunate, but that's the way the world works.
Wubsy turned her back on the town, walking out deeper into the forest and her fate, thoughts whizzing around her head. They tried to kill me. I have no responsibility to them after what they did to me. I'm totally justified in walking away and saving my own skin.
Wubsy slowed and finally stopped, once more looking back toward the town she had called home for these past few months. But if all that is true, then why do I feel so guilty?
---
Octavia ran full-tilt through the streets of the town. She chanced a glance behind her. Two changelings literally snapping at her tail. She poured on all the speed she had in reserve, her heart thudding in her chest as she made every attempt to outdistance them. A third changeling appeared in front of her, cutting off her path. She muttered an oath under her breath as she was forced to quickly change direction, darting into a nearby alley with the hoofbeats of three changelings now directly behind her.
I hope you know what you're doing, Vinyl, she thought, kicking back to interrupt a particularly vicious snap from the jaws of one of her pursuers.
A wave of bright blue light swept through the alley from a building to the side. The blast caught all three changelings, throwing them up against the wall opposite and dazing them in the process.
Octavia skittered to a halt, leaning up against the alley wall trying to catch her breath as Vinyl and Big Macintosh, the latter with a coil of rope around his neck, emerged from the doorway.
“Did'ja see that, Tavi?!” Vinyl crowed proudly as she looked over the changelings crumpled on the ground. “I got them all in one shot! And they didn't even get you this time.”
“That's great... Vinyl...” Octavia huffed and wheezed. “But remind me again... why I have to be... the bait?”
“Because I have to be here to knock them out while Mac ties them up and lugs them inside. Speaking of which, get to work, butch.”
“Eeyup,” Mac replied with a lighthearted salute and then unwound his rope, using it to restrain the changelings.
Octavia pouted. “All I'm saying is that the two of you get to wait in the shadows safe and sound while I go out there and play the part of appetizer for a swarm of hungry predators. It hardly seems fair.”
Vinyl threw a hoof over Octavia's shoulder and spoke in a low conspiratorial whisper. “Hey, c'mon Tavi. Don't be like that. We're all a part of this little scheme. Listen, I could tell you that Mac is where he is because of his muscle and I'm where I am because of my magic and that just left you to play the stooge but that wouldn't be true.” Vinyl looked around the small alleyway, as if to make sure nopony was listening. “I'll tell you the truth, Tavi, but this can't get back to Big Mac.”
Octavia leaned in, listening intently to Vinyl's confession. “What is it? What didn't you tell me?”
“I chose all our roles very carefully based on our skills,” Vinyl whispered, her voice dropping lower and lower as she continued. “Mac is obviously the strongest and I'm the only one with magic, but you have something neither of us have that makes you perfectly suited for this mission.”
Octavia leaned in closer, having to strain to hear Vinyl at this point. “What? What is it?”
Vinyl's voice was barely audible at this point. “The reason you're acting as bait -- and it would break Mac's heart if he found out -- is because ... you're more alluring than he is.” Vinyl lunged forward, planting a sloppy wet kiss on Octavia's lips.
Octavia pulled away from the kiss. “Vinyl, can't you ever be serious?!” She realized her mistake too late, hearing her voice echo through the alley and over the town. Her ears flattened against her skull, as if trying to muffle the growing sounds of insectoid wings in the cramped alleyway. A group of changelings appeared over the edges of the roofs on either side of them, crawling slowly down the wall toward the three ponies below.
“Run for it!” Vinyl barked and all three ponies bolted for the end of the alley, desperate to escape the approaching changelings.
“Get to the apartment!” Vinyl yelled. “I have an idea!”
The three ponies turned and rushed through the streets of Ponyville, the snarling and snapping of their pursuers serving as excellent motivation not to slow down. They bobbed and weaved through back alleys, making every attempt to slow down the changelings on their tail.
“Split up!” Vinyl shouted. “Everypony go separate ways, see if we can confuse them! We'll meet up at the apartment!”
Octavia and Mac nodded and peeled off, each rushing down a different alley with a group of changelings in tow.
Vinyl lowered her head and rushed headlong through the streets, looping and diving and doubling back. Every trick she could think of to try and shake those changelings who were still doggedly chasing her down. She pulled into a tight left-hand turn into the marketplace and immediately leaped to one side, dodging the market stall she knew was hiding there just out of sight from the corner.
Her pursuers, on the other hoof, had no such knowledge and whipped around the corner at full velocity to slam face-first into the stall. Vinyl chuckled as she heard the crash and gave a quick glimpse back to confirm she had just incapacitated three of the five changelings that had been chasing her.
Halfway across the market she was relieved to be joined once more by Octavia who, she noticed, had managed to rid herself of all but one changeling. “Where's Mac?” Vinyl called to her marefriend.
“I don't know, but I thought I heard him yell. They might have gotten him!”
Vinyl nodded solemnly and added an extra burst of speed which Octavia matched. The two moved in tandem, heading straight for the apartment. Vinyl slammed the security door the moment they passed through and the two musicians dashed up the stairs, stopping breathlessly outside their apartment.
“The door is locked!” Octavia screamed in panic, shuffling through her saddlebag. “Where's the key, where's the key!?”
A pounding sound from downstairs confirmed her fear. The changelings were ramming themselves against the door in an effort to gain entry. Octavia rifled furiously through her bag, getting more and more desperate to find her keys.
“Buck it!” Vinyl shouted. She whipped her head and with a surge of blue light from her horn the wooden door exploded inward in a shower of splinters. A loud metallic bang from downstairs told them the changelings had finally managed to break in there as well. Vinyl and Octavia dashed through the door moments before the changelings swarmed up the stairs and into the entry hall, now joined by several more of the insect-like ponies who had come to investigate the loud banging. The changelings surged like a chittering, clacking wave into the open door, scrabbling to reach the ponies. A split second later they rushed out twice as fast, borne out the door and through the hallway wall by a wave of thunderous bass.
“Woo!” Vinyl cried triumphantly as she emerged from the door, her ears ringing from the explosion of sound. “Did'ja see that, Tavi? Man, I should put some wheels on that setup! It was like a bucking bass cannon or something!”
Her crowing was cut short when a familiar figure rushed up the stairs. “Vinyl! Octavia! I need your help!” Twilight shouted. “Get inside and I'll explain!”
All three of them moved into the bedroom and barred the door. Twilight gave a breathless sigh and in a swirl of green fire was replaced by a black chitinous form. Octavia moved on instinct, grabbing a nearby lamp and smashing it over the changeling's head with a startled scream.
Vinyl leaped over to Octavia, grabbing her hoof before the frightened cellist could strike another blow. “Tavi! Chill! That's Wubsy!”
“How do you know?!” Octavia shouted hysterically. “They all look the same!”
Vinyl knelt down beside the dazed changeling who was rubbing the bump on her head. “You just start to get a feeling for these things, Tavi. I'm not exactly sure how, but I know in my heart that this is the changeling that spent all those months in our home. This is my little Wubsy.”
Wubsy shook her head to clear the stars from her vision and reached up, hugging Vinyl close. The DJ returned the hug, tears dripping from her cheeks and onto Wubsy's carapace. “I thought I'd never see you again. I was so worried.” She sniffed, wiping tears out of her eyes with her hoof. “Gah. Look at me getting all mushy.”
They shared the hug for a minute before Wubsy pulled away, once again becoming Twilight so she could speak. “Guys, we have to get out of here. We need to find Twilight and her friends and get out of town.”
Vinyl and Octavia looked at her in disbelief. “We can't go, Wubsy,” Vinyl said. “This town is in danger. This is our home. Those ponies out there are our family and friends. We can't just abandon them. We have to fight.”
“Fight?” Wubsy scoffed. “You want to fight? Fight to save the ponies who just yesterday were ready to execute me for being a changeling?”
Vinyl sighed, her voice heavy with sadness. “Wubsy, I know your impression of the rest of the town isn't very good right now. But these are my friends. I know them. I don't know what's going on, but the crowd we saw last night wasn't the ponies I know. Please, Wubsy. Give them a chance.”
“Why should I?” the changeling bit back, a snarl crossing Twilight's face. “What kind of assurance do I have that as soon as this is over they aren't going to go straight back to wanting me dead? Why should I give them the chance to hurt me again?!”
Vinyl felt like she had been slapped. Hearing Twilight's voice, and Wubsy's by proxy, filled with such rage and venom cut her deep in her soul. Here was a creature she had shown nothing but kindness and love, a being she had nurtured and defended, that now stood there ready to abandon Ponyville to its fate. Vinyl took a deep breath, steadying herself. “Because you wouldn't be here if somepony hadn't given you the same chance.”
Wubsy flinched at the implication. “That's different. I didn't know what I was doing.”
“Neither do they,” Vinyl explained calmly--pleadingly. “They had no idea what you were. They thought you were one of those things. How could they have possibly known you were different?”
“They could have asked me!” Wubsy screamed. “They could have listened to you! They could have done anything other than immediately trying to kill me!”
“They made a mistake,” Vinyl said, maintaining the calm quiet tone she had adopted. “They aren't perfect. They jumped to conclusions and almost destroyed something precious without realizing it. Please, Wubsy. They don't deserve a second chance but ... please. Give them one? Don't become like them.”
Wubsy growled and turned toward the door. “I'm rescuing the ponies who gave me a chance. After that, I'm leaving. Anypony who wants to go with me is welcome. Anypony who wants to stay and die, that's their choice.” With that, she let her disguise drop, signaling in no uncertain terms that the conversation was over and her mind made up.
Vinyl and Octavia followed Wubsy through town. Apparently, the sight of the two of them being escorted by a changeling was enough to ensure they weren't attacked. It was surreal to the two ponies. They walked through the town in peace, the eye of the storm as destruction and chaos swirled around them: changelings buzzing and darting around, chasing down the few ponies who hadn't already been subdued. Ponies screaming and crying. Vinyl fought the urge to leap to their defense. Right now, the important thing was to free the Elements.
They approached the library undisturbed. The three of them started for the door when Wubsy froze. “What's wrong?” Octavia asked.
Wubsy raised a hoof to her ear. Vinyl and Octavia listened carefully and suddenly realized what was wrong. “They stopped,” Vinyl said. “The buzzing. It's all stopped.” A quick look around confirmed their worst fears. All the changelings around the library were sitting silently staring. Watching.
Waiting.
“What's going on? If they know we're not supposed to be here, why haven't they attacked?” Vinyl asked, nervously pawing the ground.
A haughty voice came from the library door as it swung open. “Because I've told them not to.” The changeling queen, Chrysalis, emerged from the doorway, eying the small group with an expression somewhere between hunger and amusement. She marched straight up to the trio and looked casually at Wubsy, who glared at her in turn. “So this is the little stray that I've been sensing. How pathetic. I suppose you've come to beg me to accept you back into my swarm?” She gestured with her hoof toward the other two. “And look. You've even brought gifts. How very thoughtful.”
Wubsy snarled at the queen, moving into a protective stance in front of her friends.
“No?” Chrysalis asked, faking a pout. “How sad. That means I'll have to kill you. Unfortunately, I'm a little busy conquering this mud hole right now. Besides, I promised the honor to an old friend of hers.” She grinned maliciously as Lyra emerged from the library, a vicious smile on her face and the telltale green glow of mind control magic in her eyes. “Guard the library, Lyra. The changeling and her little puppets are trying to destroy the Elements. And look, she has your darling Octavia in her thrall as well. Don't harm the ponies--but kill the changeling.”
Lyra nodded numbly. Her voice was distant as though she was distracted. “Yes, Princess. I won't let that monster harm the Elements. I’ll free Octavia. The changeling will die.”
Chrysalis giggled. “She's such a good pawn. Her hatred for changelings was so powerful that when I offered her a chance to kill you, her mind opened up to me like a flower. Ironic, really. All that hatred and rage towards changelings made her vulnerable to me.” She patted the mint-green unicorn on the head. “Put that hatred to good use, my little mind-slave.” And with that, her wings buzzed and she flew off towards town hall, chuckling to herself.
Octavia stepped forward, her eyebrows knit in concern. “Lyra, listen to me. I’m safe. You don’t have to--”
Lyra ignored her pleas and launched herself at Wubsy, bellowing an infuriated shriek. Wubsy managed to sidestep her rush and brought her hind hooves up, bucking back and feeling the satisfying impact of her hooves making contact with the unicorn's jaw.
Lyra dropped, spitting blood on the ground as she scrambled back onto her hooves, her jaw at an awkward angle, battered but intact. Octavia and Vinyl shouted urgently from the sidelines, trying to pull Lyra back. But their pleading fell on deaf ears. She lunged again, unable to notice or simply undeterred by the pain. Her hoof swung wide. But she wasn't a hunter--she didn't have the reflexes of a predator, or a fighter's instinct. Wubsy ducked the blow, watching as Lyra spun, having over-committed to the attack. The lyrist seemed to be moving in slow motion as Wubsy brought her left forehoof around and slammed it into her ribs.
Lyra crumpled on the ground, whimpering and writhing. Then she slowly started to stand again. Wubsy decided it was past time she ended this. She delivered a vicious kick to Lyra's face, causing the pony to cringe and scream in pain. Wubsy reared back, ready to bring her front hooves down on the pony's face and trample it into the ground. Her anger and fury making her see red as she prepared to deliver justice and end the life of the one who had tried to end hers.
“Wubsy!” Vinyl screamed.
She stopped.
Her front hooves in the air, she froze before diving for the fatal blow. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Vinyl and Octavia, huddled together and trembling in fear. They were... afraid of her. Of what she might do. Why were they so concerned with the pony that had made their lives so difficult?
Wubsy came down, her hooves striking the dirt on either side of Lyra's head and causing the unicorn to flinch. Wubsy stared at Lyra's bruised and swollen face. She stared into her eyes, searching--questing. She had to know.
She saw the bitter rage that drove Lyra's hatred of her. She saw the need to redeem herself. But deeper than that, hidden in the depths of her eyes, she found something she recognized. Love. Lyra loved this town. She loved the ponies in it. And if it cost her her life, she would give it gladly to protect the ones she loved.
Lyra was right, Wubsy thought bitterly, stepping over her and walking toward the library. I really am a monster. Here I am wanting to be forgiven for what my mother made me do and I’m ready to kill Lyra for the same reason...
Her recriminations were cut short however by the sudden buzzing of a thousand wings. The changelings that had been watching the encounter were closing in, apparently ready to finish the job should Lyra fail. And, Wubsy instinctively knew, to devour the three ponies once she was dead.
The swarm took wing, diving for the fresh meal presented to them. Wubsy looked around desperately, searching for some way out of the desperate situation she was in. Trying to find some way to stop the torrent of changelings intent on consuming her friends.
No. I won't let it happen, Wubsy thought to herself. I won't let them hurt Vinyl or Octavia... or Lyra. The thought of defending Lyra caused a surge in her heart. A swell of love pouring into her from an unknown source, a surge of compassion and strength she couldn't understand the origin of.
Then realization struck.
It was coming from inside her. Seeing Lyra's love for Ponyville had caused her to realize how alike they were. How they would give anything to defend their loved ones. For the first time, Wubsy found she loved the little town and that love swelled inside her, giving her strength. She lunged, putting herself in the path of the swarming attackers and with a voice that had never been heard in the history of Equestria, a voice of her own, shouted “NO!”
Blazing white light erupted from her horn, blinding the oncoming changelings as it washed over them. When the light finally faded, Wubsy was standing over Lyra protectively as the swarm buzzed away in panicked disarray.
Lyra shifted, looking up at Wubsy in disbelief. “You... You saved me?”
“Yes I did,” said Wubsy, her new voice small and weak with the atrophy of a lifetime of disuse.
“But why?” Lyra asked, the green glow in her eyes slowly fading.
“I don't know really. You've made my life hell. At every turn you've made things difficult for me and my loved ones but...” Wubsy looked out over the town, watching the swarm retreat. “But I'm not one of them... I'm a protector, not a killer. And there's good in your heart. Good that deserves protecting.” She looked back down at Lyra, a small unsure smile on her face. “I guess what I'm saying is I love you. And I'm not going to let them hurt the ponies I love.”
The green glow in Lyra's eyes disappeared and she shook her head. “You really do want to help us, don't you?” Lyra bit her lower lip and furrowed her brows, looking away. “Okay, listen. I'm still not totally convinced this isn't all some changeling trick. But we're out of options. I guess...” She extended her hoof towards Wubsy cautiously. “I guess for now we can call a truce until I know for sure, alright?”
Wubsy smiled and shook the offered hoof. At this sign of their reconciliation, Vinyl and Octavia rushed over to join them. “Bucking hell!” Vinyl shouted excitedly. “You can talk! Like for real now, instead of borrowing somepony else's voice. How did that happen?”
Wubsy shrugged. “I'm not sure. I guess I just kinda ... grew up. Let go of the things that were holding me back.”
Vinyl beamed. “I'll say you did! You blasted an entire swarm out of the sky! You've gotta be one seriously heavy hitter!”
“No, not really,” Wubsy said, shaking her head. “I just startled them and they ran off. If they had kept coming I wouldn't have been able to hold them all off. If we're going to save the town we're going to need the Elements to help.”
It was Octavia's turn to smile. “Then you do want to help us save the town?”
“Of course. This is my home.” Wubsy said happily. “Besides, I think I have a plan.”
---
Chrysalis stood triumphantly in the town square, just outside of town hall. Her changelings swarmed around her and the mayor knelt before her, thoroughly cowed. “Have you considered my offer, Mayor?” Chrysalis gloated. “Turn the town over to me and its inhabitants survive. They'll be very well taken care of. They'll be fed, given lodgings, everything cattle need.”
The mayor raised her head to look at the changeling queen, her eyes glowing a sickly green. “If you promise not to harm them, the town is yours,” she whispered distantly.
“Excellent,” she growled, the thrill of victory flowing through her. “Then with a new mayor, we hardly need the old one, do we?” Her horn glowed a bright poisonous shade of emerald that the mayor seemed not to notice. The wizened gray mare maintained her kneeling posture as Chrysalis leveled her horn and let loose with the bolt of lethal magic. The bolt struck true, kicking up a massive plume of dust as Chrysalis laughed. The town was hers. Nopony could stand in her way now.
Chrysalis stared into the dust cloud, waiting to see the limp corpse of the mayor. But as the dust settled she was astonished to see not one silhouette standing in the square but two. Her eyes bulged in disbelief as she realized there was a changeling standing between her and her target, a shimmering blue barrier emanating from her horn.
“Hello Mother,” Wubsy spat, her voice quivering in rage. “I think it's time we had a little chat.”
Chrysalis snarled and gathered her power once more, this time pulling in enough strength to shatter the pathetic shield and leave both ponies in a smoking crater. But before she could shape and release her spell, a flash of panic rushed through her mind. Her focus wavered and the energy she had gathered dissipated harmlessly as she was forced to turn her attention to the new threat. The report was clear: the Elements of Harmony were battling the swarm elsewhere. And what's more, they were winning.
“A little distracted, Mother?” Wubsy smirked. “Now you're in a tough spot. You can focus on beating me and let your attack force dwindle to nothing. That would leave you pretty helpless when the Elements finally decide to come for you. You'd be weak. Helpless. Even if you ran they could follow you.
“Or you could focus on them. You could direct the swarm and force the Elements into retreat through sheer numbers, and that would open you up to attack. You wouldn't be able to stay focused on the battle at hoof, and I would kill you.”
Chrysalis barked with laughter. “You? Kill me? I'm the changeling queen! Even with a fraction of my attention I could slaughter you. What makes you think you could come close to stopping me?”
Wubsy crouched into a low attack posture, her horn beginning to glow a bright radiant blue. “You still don't understand, Mother. That was your downfall at Canterlot and it will be your end here. You don't understand what love is. Let me put it in terms you can understand: there are thousands of ponies here and I've been living amongst them undetected. I've been feeding from thousands just for myself while you've had to share what scraps you have left from Canterlot between an entire swarm.” The blue glow intensified, becoming too bright to look at. “I know you've felt my strength growing. It scared you. That's why you're here. You came to make sure I didn't become a threat to your power.
“Well you're too late, Mother. I am a threat to you. I give you one last chance. Withdraw your forces and leave. Never let me hear word of you in Equestria ever again, because I will find you--and I'll only become more and more powerful in the meantime. If you ever get an inkling in your head to attack Equestria again, I want you to remember this.”
A massive wave of magical force pulsed from the small changeling, causing Chrysalis to step back, as much as in shock as to keep her balance.
“IT. IS. PROTECTED!” Wubsy bellowed, her voice amplified far beyond what her diminutive throat should be able to produce.
“You're bluffing,” Chrysalis stammered, fear welling up within her. “You must be. There's no way you could have that kind of power.”
“It's possible,” Wubsy agreed, magical energy still flowing from her. “But I know you, Mother. You're a coward, not a gambler. This town isn't worth the risk to you. Much better to flee and find a new place to feed. You won't risk your own life and we know it. So if you think I'm bluffing, please--feel free to try me.”
For several long seconds the two changelings stared at each other. An eternity seemed to stretch between them. But finally, Chrysalis looked away. The sky blackened as thousands upon thousands of changelings took flight, streaming into the sky in mass retreat. “Fine. I'll let you have your little town. But mark my words, little one. This isn't over. I will find a way to make myself stronger than you and I will return to repay you for this humiliation.”
“I'll be waiting,” Wubsy growled. And with that the hive swarmed away.
The moment they were out of sight, the power thrumming through the air around Wubsy dropped and she collapsed on the ground, panting with exhaustion. Vinyl, Octavia and Lyra emerged from the shadows where they had been hiding, feeding Wubsy their love to power her theatric display.
“You did great, Wubs!” Vinyl shouted enthusiastically. “Really showed her who was boss. We're just lucky she didn't think to turn the swarm on you.”
“It wasn't luck,” Wubsy wheezed, rising to her hooves as Lyra and Octavia steadied her. “She was scared. Thought if she attacked me I'd kill her. Couldn't risk it.”
Lyra looked rather impressed. “Either way, that was a hell of a thing. I think you even managed to... Hey, are you okay? You look a lit--”
Whatever Lyra was saying was cut off as the world span and darkened. Wubsy's world went black. Cold oblivion embraced her.
---
Octavia stood, clad in a black dress. She made her way to the podium and addressed the ponies gathered there. “Thank you all for coming. As you all know, we're here to honor a true Equestrian hero. Wubsy the changeling showed great courage and loyalty to Ponyville and Equestria, facing down the most impossible odds to save us all. Without her, I can safely say this town would have been overrun.” Octavia turned, gesturing behind her where a framed portrait of a smiling changeling, wreathed with flowers, was resting on a large ornate casket. “And so it is with the greatest of gratitude that we remember her courageous sacrifice and with the heaviest of hearts that we honor her memory.”
Vinyl couldn’t take it any more. She leaped from her seat and rushed to the casket, tears streaming down her face. “No, it’s not true!” she cried hysterically. “It’s not! She’s still alive, I know it!” The unicorn wrenched open the lid of the casket, grabbing Wubsy and embracing her lifeless corpse. “I know it’s not true! Come on, Wubsy! You can’t be dead after everything we did to keep you safe!”
Big Macintosh stepped up behind Vinyl and gently tried to pull her away.
“No!” Vinyl shrieked, thrashing and struggling to break his strong grasp as he pried her off Wubsy’s body and began to pull her away. “No, stop it! Let me go! I have to see her! I need to wake her up! Wubsy! Wake up, Wubsy! WAKE UP!”
---
“Wubsy. Wubsy, wake up. Come on Kiddo, you’ve been out for days. It’s time to get up.”
Wubsy blinked her eyes open, greeted by the sight of a pair of familiar purple sunglasses perched on the face of a grinning white unicorn. “Hey, there she is,” Vinyl said softly, pure joy in her voice.
“I’m not dead?” Wubsy asked, her own voice still unfamiliar to her.
“Not yet,” humphed a pony Wubsy hadn’t noticed. A white unicorn mare with a red cross cutiemark. “But it was touch and go there for a while. When they brought you in here you barely had enough energy to keep your heart beating. Your friends have been here around the clock for you.” Nurse Redheart walked over to the bed, checking various monitors. “Of course once I realized your vitals got stronger whenever they were around I had to throw the standard visiting hours out the window and upgrade them from guests to treatment.”
“So what do you say, Nurse?” Lyra asked from where she was sitting in the corner with Octavia. “Can she go?”
Redheart frowned at one of the monitors but nodded her head. “Yes, I suppose so. Just keep an eye on her. If she seems weak, I want her back here instantly.”
“Go?” Wubsy asked, not understanding what was going on. “Go where? Vinyl, what aren't you telling me?”
Vinyl gave a wide smile that was mirrored by Octavia and Lyra behind her. “There's a big reception going on for you right now,” Vinyl explained. “Everypony is celebrating you saving the town. There's talk that Celestia is presenting you some kind of award. Plus, Pinkie is throwing a big 'Wubsy Saved Ponyville' party afterwards. Can't be late to your own awards ceremony, can you?”
Octavia chuckled. “How could she be late? The entire ceremony has been waiting for her to wake up.”
Wubsy beamed and threw off the hospital linens, leaving them in a crumpled mess on the floor. She leaped out of bed, feeling lighter than pegasus down and grinned at all her friends. “No, we couldn't have that. Let's go!”
They were heading out the door when Lyra cleared her throat. “Hey guys? Could I get a moment alone with Wubsy? I need to say something.”
Vinyl and Octavia looked at each other knowingly and accompanied Redheart out of the room, leaving Lyra and Wubsy in private.
“Hey... So... Turns out I was right,” Lyra started uncomfortably. “You really did try to kill me.”
Wubsy lifted her eyebrows skeptically. “Excuse me?”
Lyra blushed and drooped her head. “In front of the library. You had me on the ropes and you were about to squash me like a bu... uh... Like a cider apple. Thing is, I deserved it. I was a real mule. No offense.” This last part she directed toward the door where a mule orderly was pushing a laundry cart past.
“None taken,” the orderly assured her, bustling along down the hall.
Lyra took a deep breath. “The point is, you could have killed me right there--but you didn't. You gave me a chance. And I guess... Well I guess I owe you the same. I'm sorry for what I did to you and I hope you can forgive me.” Lyra extended her hoof to Wubsy, a timid little tremble running through her.
Wubsy seized Lyra's hoof and pumped it enthusiastically. “Hey, we all make mistakes. You were protecting the ponies you love That's definitely something I understand. Just remember to look before you leap next time.”
“Thanks Wubsy,” Lyra grinned. “You're a good pony. Changeling. Whatever. Not sure what to call you anymore, guess it's not really important. What matters is .. you're good. I just wish I had realized that sooner. Oh! There is one other thing I wanted to tell you. I tried to let you know before you passed out.” Lyra pointed her hoof past Wubsy's head, pointing at her flank. “Nice cutiemark.”
Lyra left the room with a smirk as Wubsy turned to look at her own flank. True enough, gleaming there on her rump was the image of a bright red shield in the shape of a heart. “I'm a protector,” she whispered to the empty room, instinctively knowing the meaning of the symbol. “I fight to protect what I love... That's what I'm meant to do.”
She straightened up and took a deep breath, filling with pride. Then with a large smile, she set out to start her life with her friends by her side.
“Citizens of Ponyville!” Celestia's voice boomed over the crowed from the top of the town hall steps. “Thank you all for coming. As you all know, we're here to honor a true Equestrian hero: Wubsy the changeling has showed great courage and loyalty to Ponyville and Equestria, facing down the most impossible odds to save us all. Without her, I can safely say this town would have been overrun.”
Wubsy stood to the side with Octavia, Vinyl and Lyra. She was completely astonished. The entire town had come to witness the ceremony, and Celestia herself was presiding over the celebration. It was surreal--dreamlike, almost. Wubsy discreetly bit her tongue to make sure that wasn't still unconscious. She had been thrown from being hated and feared to being a celebrated hero so fast her head was still spinning. As she had made her way down the carpet surrounded by throngs of ponies, she heard shouts of praise and encouragement. Ponies telling her what a good job she had done and how much they appreciated her help. Having ponies happy to see her instead of angry and fearful ... it was a new experience for her. To be honest, it frightened her, though she wasn't entirely sure why.
“And so, it is with the utmost gratitude that we recognize her bravery, and great personal joy that I am able to to be here to offer my thanks,” Celestia continued, beaming over the assembled masses. “However, Wubsy was not the only pony here to act admirably, so I do hope you'll forgive me for saving the mare of the hour for last.” The solar regent turned and addressed Vinyl. “Vinyl Scratch. You took in somepony who was hurt and alone. You looked past her exterior and nurtured her potential, guiding her as she tried to find her place in the world. I present to you the Wayfarer Medal, for your courage in facing the unknown.” Celestia levitated the medal from an ornate wooden box and Vinyl bowed as the medal was slipped over her neck.
The princess moved along the line, coming to Octavia. “Octavia Philharmonica,” Celestia said, earning a snigger from Vinyl. “You were able to move past yourself to help a pony in need. You supported Vinyl in her endeavors and learned the value of trust. You guided Vinyl and Wubsy, and ensured their safety. I present you with the Navigator Medal for your leadership and grace.” Octavia also bowed and accepted her medal.
Celestia turned and approached Lyra, whose ears went flat as she stammered, “I don't deserve any award, Princess. I persecuted an innocent pony due to my own prejudices.”
Celestia smiled. “Lyra, you fought to protect your loved ones. You stuck to your convictions and remained faithful despite the cost. And yet when confronted with the error of your ways you chose to change and grow instead of stubbornly refusing to let go. And in the end, you were able to love even your enemy and put aside your differences. For that I award you the Ambassador Medal.”
Lyra was gobsmacked. She stood for several seconds with her mouth hanging open in shock before she remembered herself, and bowed to accept her medal.
Finally Celestia reached Wubsy. “Wubsy. Your exploits hardly need enumerating but I will make an effort to do so. You turned away from your upbringing and changed who you were for the better. You moved past your birth and learned to be your own pony. You learned the importance of forgiveness and in the process reminded us all of its importance as well. And in the end you faced your past and conquered it to save this land. For you I present the Heart of Equestria, one of the highest honors I am able to award, for your selflessness in defense of this land and her ponies.”
Wubsy bowed and accepted her medal and the crowd exploded into thunderous applause for the ponies on stage. Celestia turned toward the crowd and smiled, extending a wing and lowering it in a gesture for silence. “While I appreciate the outpouring of support from you all, I am not finished quite yet. There are a couple more issues that need to be addressed. In light of recent events and the valorous behavior of Wubsy the changeling, I have a few decrees I would like to announce.
“It is true that Wubsy was involved in the attack on Canterlot castle; she was part of the invasion force and as such is culpable for the actions carried out that day.” Celestia turned and smiled at Wubsy. “However after further investigation into the matter it is my firm belief that she had no control over her actions and was coerced into participating. For this reason and because of her service to Equestria since the attack I decree that the changeling known as Wubsy has completed her reformation and made restitution as is appropriate. I therefore grant her full royal pardon.”
There was another round of thunderous applause as well as whistling and cheering from the crowd. Again, Celestia signaled for silence.
“Thank you,” she continued. “As ruler of Equestria, it is my duty to better Equestria in whatever way I can. I take this duty very seriously and I am constantly seeking ways to improve our nation and make it the best nation it can possibly be. It is my conviction that Equestria is better for having Wubsy in it. So my second decree this day is that the changeling Wubsy is hereby offered Equestrian citizenship with all the rights and permissions that includes.” She smiled before adding, “May she never go hungry again.”
Total silence settled over the assembled ponies for several seconds. Then Celestia giggled. “Oh right. I'm finished now.” The cheering which followed could be heard for miles.
---
Vinyl, Octavia and Wubsy all stumbled into the apartment, passing the large hole in the hallway wall that was currently coveredby a few old blankets nailed to the wall until it could be properly repaired. There had indeed been a party afterward, thrown by Pinkie Pie to everypony's complete lack of surprise. As a direct result of this, all three ponies were very tired and very sloshed. They all headed for the bedroom, crawling into bed and getting comfortable under the covers, Wubsy in the middle and Vinyl and Octavia embracing her from each side.
“Goodnight Wubs,” Vinyl yawned. “Hope you had a good time.”
Octavia shifted, kissing Wubsy on the forehead. “We're both very proud of you, Wubsy. Get some rest, okay? You earned it.”
Wubsy smiled and laid back in bed, cuddled up against the mares who had made her who she was. She couldn't sleep. She was too excited. After all, tomorrow was the day her life would begin.
-The End-
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A very fitting finale to a nicely engaging story. It's been quite a ride, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.
Tia said 'duty'.
Saw a blue forcefield, then later on read about a shield cutiemark. In my mind, for just a moment, I heard "Nyx? Is that you?"
Has Wubsey been watching doctor who? cause that is reminding me of episode 1 series 5.
Fitting end for an epic adventure in the same place!
I'd wish to see a sequel.
Excellent work, dear Author!
img.pandawhale.com/36243-slow-clap-citizen-kane-orson-w-JFoV.gif
Brilliant end to a brilliant story! i was kinda hoping for a Climatic fight between Wubsy and Chrysalis, but being a complete badass is also acceptable!
Not how I would of wanted it, honestly I was kinda thinking that this would kinda go the way of legion n ME3 Wubsy would 'rejoin' with the swarm and her memories and experiences would be dispperssed causing them to undergo a personalit shift but meh still happy
2589457
Haaa. The refrences...
2589309 Not that kind of 'duty'.
Was a little put off by the 'funeral', but other than that, it seemed fair enough.
Wait, she is talking about the character that spearheaded the attack on Canterlot and faced Celestia head on right? And Chrysalis backs down without some much as a fight?
That on top of the deus ex machina where Wubsy gets a boost to her power at the last second.
Also if you want to paint Wubsie as the hero and Chrysalis as a 2-D villain, you shouldn't use phrasing like:
It makes her look self-serving compare to earlier when she's willing to fight to protect the ponies that almost killed her the day before.
What is this...I don't even.....
This entire section should be removed as it adds nothing to the story at all. It doesn't even add suspense or actual credence that Wubsy is even dead because a paragraph later we see she's just fine in the hospital making this section utterly pointless outside of padding the length. It tries to work itself in a dream segway but doesn't do so very gracefully.
Then we get the Changeling getting a cutie-mark, something no other changeling has ever been seen with. That along with Wubsy's sudden characterization, the ability to speak, and subsequent power up.... all in the same chapter!
Then almost instantly we have Celestia rewarding Wubsie in front of a bunch of ponies....a mere day or two after a changeling attack.
I really shouldn't have to point out why this is a bad idea. The worst part is she is completely absolved of all crimes during the attack on Canterlot, is declared reformed, and granted full citizenship ALL IN ONE GO!
Also Lyra, the pony that was so consumed by hate that she became the driving force for the invasion gets awarded the Ambassadot medal. Just.....what!?
......Wow. Really? this one special changeling gets special treatment along with a constant supply of food but the rest get to go and starve?
I was ready to hunt you down and make you change this. I'm glad to see I don't have to.
And thankfully I don't need to have a..............'chat' with Lyra....
I'll admit, I'm not really fond of this ending here. ah well.
2590823 Afraid I have to agree with you, this was a great story but the ending chapter suffers from a sudden need to wrap everything up and make everything awesome for Wubsy. I would have preferred a much more subdued win in which Wubsy is "merely" accepted. She felt like a different character in a different story, all yelling and superheroic and stuff, and then afterward the ponies do a hard 180 and practically deify her.
Ah well. The path leading here was great, I loved most of the story. Just a stumble at the finish line.
The word you are looking for here is dissipated.
2590823
It's a statement of the reason Chrysalis has no chance of winning. An entire town's love from several weeks in Wubsy, versus Chrysalis's share of what's left from the invasion after it was divided up amongst the entire swarm.
That amounts to Wubsy being 5000x stronger than Chrysalis at this point.
So, essentially, Celestia has just declared that all the rank-and-file changelings are eligible for amnesty given that they "reform and make restitution". That could have interesting consequences.
That was awesome, I was about to be really saddened if she actually died.
Well... it's over... and WHAT a finish!
Wubsy pulled off a 'You Shall Not Pass' AND bluffed her way through it! Very nice! mwahaha!
Well done, Shukumei. Well done indeed!
... so, what's next?
DOCTOR WHO!!! HELL YA!!!!
I literally flew into pure joy when that reference came up thank you for that
Very enjoyable.
I'm glad to finally be able to read the ending/resolution here.
On a side note, I found a couple of things to possibly edit -
A white unicorn mare with a red cross cutiemark. Nurse Redheart is an earth pony, and I think that's who you're referring to.
Wubsy seized Lyra's hoof and pumped it enthusiastically. “Hey, we all make mistakes. You were protecting the ponies you love That's definitely something I understand. (missing period)
“And so, it is with the utmost gratitude that we recognize her bravery, and great personal joy that I am able to to be here to offer my thanks,” Celestia continued...
I wonder if changelings can get fat off of excessive love?
Fine tale! A good read.
2589457
Same here, except the first episode to come to my mind was The Christmas Invasion.
2589416
Well, there certainly are some similarities... perhaps Past Sins had an influence?
2594596 Well she is referred to by name in the same paragraph...
But yeah she has been shown to be an earth pony in the two episodes I remember her in.
Still a very satisfactory ending in the long run!!!
Really. Lyra gets a medal, after being the insufferable antagonist for 90% of the story. Okay then.
Wonderful
May even be the best way to say "I was an ass" without actually saying it in a rude word.
“IT. IS. PROTECTED!” Wubsy bellowed, her voice amplified far beyond what her diminutive throat should be able to produce.
Is that a Dr. Who reference?
1. Sequel?
2. WHAT'S WITH THE MULES?!
.... i was prepared to kick your flank when i read that it was all but a dream that Wubsy died... then the ceremony came and i nearly cried....
Shlda made her die. I woulda actually cried.
2589309 *snicker* doody
"Wayfarer Medal", "Navigator Medal", and "Ambassador Medal"? I don't know why but these medals seem like they'd be Mass Effect references. Eh.. They're most likely not.
And having been caught out of position, Octavia realized it was time to take matters into her own hooves.
Not Ponyville, but epic nonetheless.
2605711
Keeping in the MLP tradition that most of the time, everypony wins.
Wubsy!!!! I love it! I cried so hard ;_;
2874564
grace and elegance
eh, i loved wubsy as a pet, with sapience to match but this is eh
The "IT. IS. PROTECTED!" Part reminded me of this scene from Doctor Who
http://youtu.be/cw_A-05KFL4
I was trying to not cry... then i had to keep myself from happily making a lot of noise... if things went my way, my phone would very much be broken on the floor of the bus i was on and i would not have been able to finish this story. I'm so glad i didnt break my phone... T_T
2749199 Ooookay SO Wayfarer is a mass effect fanfiction and navigator and ambassador are from the games.
I really liked this story but I feel Wubsy should have said "Thanks for the medal, and as my first act as a citizen, I'd all those that demanded my execution to be put on trial for conspiracy to commit murder."
I also feel Twilight should have been all "I'm glad everything is back to normal, Celestia, but you and me? Professionally? We're done. Now GET OUT OF MY TREEHOUSE."
4720222 My headcannon is that Chrysalis was actually Celestia.
The characterization of the scenes focusing around Wubsy, Vinyl, Octavia, and combinations thereof is very satisfying to read but the "conflict" is generally boringly unoriginal and, in the case of scenes like Rarity's moral about-face and Chrysalis's completely unexpected arrival, simply doesn't work.
Rarity's behaviour completely breaks the suspension of disbelief (the reader's ability to see her as a character who "must have a reason for how she's acting" rather than a stream of words) and Chrysalis being "behind it all" is such a case of including a villain where one is unnecessary that it feels like reading a bittersweet story about a cancer patient, only for Darth Vader to come in from nowhere in the last act and reveal that he's causing the cancer with the force and then get defeated in a lightsabre duel, thus curing the cancer.
It's like using a sledgehammer (Chrysalis was behind it all) to kill a fly (we haven't seen quite enough of the ponies' thoughts and feelings to justify their "thinly-veiled allegory for a police state" behaviour)... when there wasn't even any indication that we were keeping a sledgehammer up here in the kitchen.
I'm not quite good enough to list them all out as hyperlinked trope names, but it feels like, after Wubsy was discovered, the story just descended into a continuous sequence of clichés rather than actions actually taken by real characters.
It was a hard decision, given my enjoyment of the earlier chapters, but I have to give this a downvote.
If you ever feel like rewriting this, my advice is to focus on a less martial narrative conflict. Your strengths seem to lie more in the interpersonal interaction and less in the big heroes-and-villains storywriting.
(I'd suggest making it a "Wubsy finds a place to belong" story where you keep everything up to the "Octavia overcomes jealousy" part, rework the "Lyra's misunderstood obsession" theme so it doesn't depend on CLEaR existing, and then mix in some other subplots like "Wubsy gets outed and now has to earn the town's acceptance" to flesh it out into a complete "finds a place to belong" story.)
2605711
Well, I wouldn't call her unreasonable. She was actually doing the right thing most of the time. Good changelings are extremely rare - you may feel different because you see them in every fanfic, but remember, each of those fanfics is a world of its own. each of those good changelings might be, in the context of its story, the only one of its species.
For a second i thought she was dead i almost cried in the middle of horticulture
but then i was like
awwww cute ending
3882784
I thought of the exact same thing! *whoovian brohoof*
except when I searched it, I was led to this video instead of the one you linked and tried to embed
Why does there seem to be two different endings?