Chop and Change: Exfil
ATLAS STRONGEST TOURNAMENT
~BICO
PART 8: CHOP AND CHANGE
ACT III: EXFIL
Twilight felt her muscles burning and her lungs constricting as she and her friend and colleague, Princess Luna, raced toward the surface with Wavedancer slithering along behind them. While she had gained the added stamina of the earth pony tribe when she had become an alicorn, her lifestyle was still quite sedentary with only bursts of activity to interrupt it. She glanced enviously at the larger alicorn who seemed to be taking the miles of top-speed galloping through twisting tunnels in stride. Hearing Wavedancer gasping for breath right along with her gave her some sense of camaraderie and eased her sense of inadequacy.
"We are almost there," Luna said, interrupting Twilight's thoughts. "I can sense the dark power of the changelings directly above us." Her horn flared a cobalt blue, and a dark ball formed in front of them. The ball shot into the ceiling, and it buckled and warped. The ball broke through to the surface, pulling chunks of earth and crystal after it. Luna jumped from the darkness, Twilight and Wavedancer following closely behind her.
On the battlefield, the last of the cocoons was being hoisted up as Pinkie crouched protectively over Scales. A ring of changelings surrounded them, but seemed more interested in keeping them contained as opposed to attacking them.
"Scales!" Wavedancer called, and she shot through the crowd of changelings, knocking several into the air as she did. She came to Pinkie and Scales' side and leaned over her friend, who was covered in soot and obviously unconscious. "Scales, wake up! Are you okay?" She prodded Scales with her hoof, but got no response. "Hey, listen!" she shouted more forcefully, and gave Scales a hard slap across the cheek.
"Bu-wuh?" Scales exclaimed, shooting straight up into a sitting position. She bumped snouts with Wavedancer, causing both to recoil in surprise. Clutching her snout, Scales admonished her friend. "Really, now, Wavy, you could try being a little more gentle." She doubled over as a violent cough shook her body. "Ugh," she wheezed. "That smoke really did a number on me."
Wavedancer rolled her eyes. "Really, you'd think a creature that breathes fire could handle a little smoke inhalation."
"Well, pardon my race for being biologically confusing," Scales said with pout. "I guess I'm useless to you, now."
"Nonsense," Wavedancer said, smirking at her friend. "If that's all that's wrong..." she grabbed Scales' cheeks with her hooves and pulled her close.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Scales squeaked.
Wavedancer responded by pressing her lips firmly to Scales', locking them tightly together. A faint glow shone through the skin of their mouths as Wavedancer exhaled and the glow moved to Scales' chest as it expanded. Wavedancer released her friend after only a moment, breathing deeply.
"Whoa-ho," Chrysalis said. "That looked delicious. I hope somechangeling left a little for me."
Scales took a deep, clear breath, and announced quite loudly: "That wasn't what it looked like. It was just hippocampus magic!"
One of the changelings burped. "I dunno, that tasted about as good as it looked."
"Yeah," said another. "And filling, too."
A third changeling, who was inexplicably garbed in a top hat and monocle, inhaled deeply through her nostrils and gave a pleasant smile. "A delightful blend of philia and agápe, with just a splash of éros to give it a little kick."
Steam blew out of Scales' nostrils as she snorted with derision. "Alright, I think I'm ready to pound these plebeians." She rose to her feet and clawed the ground threateningly.
"That won't be necessary," Twilight interjected. Her horn flared to life, and encased several of the changelings in a magical bubble. "You're going to tell me right now: where's Spike? Where's my brother? Where are my friends?"
The changelings, stricken with fear upon seeing an alicorn literally bursting into flames with rage, concurrently pointed their hooves up at the ship suspended in the air by their sistren. Twilight unceremoniously tossed them to the side, and fixed her attention on the boat. Her magical aura quickly enveloped the hull, and with a grunt of exertion, she began to pull it toward her.
"Hey!" Princess Aurelia shouted from her position on the cocoon that was still being hauled up to the boat. "We're workin', here. Argent, take care of that, will you?"
"On it," Argent said from his position on the bow. His horn flashed silver and his Silver Bullet spell launched itself at Twilight.
"Back off, pretty boy!" Twilight snarled, summoning a vortex of wind which guided the projectile around her body and right back toward the ship.
A rosy shield formed around the boat, intercepting the blast. The changeling Shining Armor gave Argent a smug grin. "Nice job, buddy."
"Nice job, yourself," Argent said in return. "I still don't see you stopping that mare from pulling us down." His horn crackled with power as he charged another spell. "Now, if you don't mind...?"
Shining snorted and lowered his shield.
"Silver Barrage!" Argent called. A storm of Silver Bullet spells erupted from him, converging on Twilight. The projectiles exploded, engulfing Twilight in a cloud of smoke and fire. "Heh, I guess that'll... fix..." He looked around and noticed that the magenta aura had yet to abate and they were still being drawn inexorably downward. "W-wait a sec..."
The smoke cleared to reveal Twilight encased in a blue aura. Luna stood at her side, scowling at Argent. "You forgot about me, Captain?"
Argent snarled. "I wish..."
The bow of the ship was now close enough that Twilight could reach up and place her hoof on it. She pressed the bow all the way to the ground and put a second hoof on it. "You're going to wish you'd never been hatched if you don't release my friends. Now!"
Argent's ears flopped impotently. "Uh... Shiny? Could use that shield of yours, now."
"Somehow, I don't think that would help," Shining Armor's copy said, but nonetheless summoned his force field.
"Why are you only putting it around yourself?" Argent demanded, scrambling to put Shining Armor between himself and Twilight.
In a flash of green and black, Chrysalis appeared before Twilight. "Alright, that's enough of that." Dark magic flowed out of her gnarled horn and washed over the bow. It turned black and translucent, and Twilight's hooves dropped right through it. "First, you can take your hooves off my ship," she said. She hit Twilight next with a direct burst of magic, engulfing her in a green flame which caused her to be sink into the earth. "Second, you can get out of my muzzle."
Luna jumped onto the boat before Chrysalis, stopping her spell when Twilight was halfway submerged, and crossed horns with her. "I can assure you, Your Majesty, you shall not get me out of your muzzle so easily!"
"Shining," Aurelia called. "Anti-spell field around Twilight, now!"
Shining Armor's copy concentrated, his horn flaring with power. Twilight recovered from the shock quickly, and began to attempt a teleport, but just as she released the spell, Shining's field sprang up around her. "Got her!"
Meanwhile, Chrysalis growled and struggled with Luna before tumbling with her off the bow. Sparks flew from between their horns, but at first neither could gain ground on the other. However, green magic surged out of Chrysalis, overwhelming Luna and engulfing her. The flames sank into the earth and Luna was gone. "I may not be as strong as your sister without Shining Armor's love, but I'm still a match for you, my dear princess."
A cold blast of magic hit Chrysalis from behind, encasing her legs in ice. "On the contrary, Your Majesty," Luna said as a sparkling cloud coalesced into her physical form. "Your power is great, but I was not a bearer of the Element of Magic by mistake."
Chrysalis snorted. "The Element of..."
"Aww, what's the matter?"
She cowered before the twisted beast that had come to Ponyville. She looked around her, and saw nothing but shouting and sobbing. Everything was falling about around her. Everything was chaos. "What did you do to my friends?"
"Moi?" Discord asked. "Nothing at all. Just had a little chat. Anyway, why call them your friends? What have they ever done for you but take you from your hive? Sit idle while I had fun with your real Ponyville friends? Toola-Roola, Cheerilee, StarSong, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle... even a couple of the former wielders of that power you now have, Rainbow Dash and... heh... 'Pinkie Pie.'" He gave her a sharp-toothed grin. "Of course, I would never harm them. Not really. I'm just playing. Why, a few weeks ago I turned them all into these newborn cuties that you would just... ooh! Actually, they're a little creepy, but it tested so well with the focus group."
"N-no... they're still my friends," she sobbed. "Arke helped me smile again... and Luna stood up for me when nopony else believed I could do it..."
"Oh?" Discord asked sliding up to her and tickling her chin. "And where is Lulu, now? She's obviously not as loyal as you thought. Believe me, I should know..." He chuckled. "What? Did you think friendship and love would save the day? What a lovely but absolutely ridiculous sentiment."
The pit of her stomach grew cold and she removed the golden harness that held an exquisitely cut green gem. A tear spattered on one of the facets. "You're right... they're not my friends... and I'm no Element of Magic..."
Chrysalis laughed. "You did such a good job as the Element of Loyalty, didn't you, Nightmare Moon? Element of Magic? Please. The Elements obviously aren't that picky."
Luna scowled. "You will pay for your insolence!" She shot another blast of magic at Chrysalis once again.
Chrysalis burst into emerald fire and attacked Luna, who dissolved into a starry nebula. The two immaterial beings swirled around each other furiously. Chrysalis' incorporeal form began to overpower Luna's, and she drove her into the ground, surrounding her. She kept Luna pinned as the airship rose toward the ceiling of the shield.
Luna gathered herself into a tiny ball within Chrysalis' grasp and then flexed outward with all her might. She burst from Chrysalis, sending her wisp-like body flying in all directions. Luna reformed herself and collapsed to the ground, exhausted from the struggle.
Chrysalis converged back on the deck of her airship. "Aurelia, it's time for us to get out of here. We have the last of the cocoons?"
"Yes, Mom," Aurelia said with a grin. She tugged on the cord with the last cocoon. "This was the last one." She patted it. The boat rocked, sending the cocoon over the side. "What was...?"
Scales swooped down to catch the cocoon below, and gave the changeling princess a salute as she flew away.
"That dragon!" Aurelia snarled. "She really is trouble."
Chrysalis grunted and lit her horn. "No matter. It wasn't one of your targets anyway, was it? Just that earth pony who tried to replace Applejack, yes?" A hole opened in the top of the shield and the airship began to ascend through it.
On the ground, Twilight increased her struggles. After a few minutes of rocking her body back and forth she had managed to free her wings, and she was now attempting to push herself up. Her front right leg pulled free of the ground, and she put a hoof on the surface. She was then able to lift her other front leg out and then pulled the rest of her body out. "I'm not... done, yet," she gasped as she stumbled out of the range of the anti-magic field and her horn flared again. "I'm going to turn you all into pottery!" Magic exploded from her horn.
"Really, now!" Chrysalis said with a roll of her eyes. "Can't that filly ever let things be?" She countered with her own magical blast of energy, and the two connected. They pushed upon each other, but Twilight's beam was steadily gaining ground—or sky, as the case was.
Aurelia landed beside her mother and inhaled deeply. "She's got quite the fighting spirit, right now." She grinned and her eyes began to glow brightly. Her body shifted into the form of a small alicorn with a light mulberry coat and deep sapphire mane with violet and rose-colored streaks. "It's very filling." Her aura glowed a brilliant raspberry and she joined her own magic with her mother's, pushing back on Twilight's aura.
Twilight began to strain, stray sparks emitting from her horn as she was now attempting to push back not just a magical force on par with Luna, but one that was equal to her own. Her beam was being pushed back, and quickly. She screamed as she felt the rival beams about to overtake her.
A cobalt aura joined at her side, and a new surge of magic stopped Chrysalis and Aurelia's beam cold. They couldn't push the beam back any further however, and they found themselves in a deadlock. The huge amounts of magic sloughing off of the combined attacks began to effect the surroundings. Some of the changelings were struck, turning them into potted plants and oranges. The ground shook and the shield surrounding the arena cracked and shattered. The ponies in the stadium seats began to levitate, held aloft by the raw magic.
"Twilight," Luna shouted. "This is... this is dangerous. The collateral damage..."
"I'm not going to let them take Spike," Twilight insisted. "I can do this." Her magical aura began to swirl like a drill. Luna's aura was shaped right along with Twilight's, intertwining and slowly drilling through the twin beams. "Yes... we're even in raw power, but if I can out-think them..."
In the airship, Aurelia began to focus her own magic. "I can do this," she said. "I just have to out—"
"Stop, Aurelia," Chrysalis said. "Even if we maintain a stalemate, this will only result in the changelings we have hauling this vessel being casualties, and we will fall from the sky." She looked back to Shining Armor and shouted at him. "On my mark, set up your shield around the ship. Mark!"
Chrysalis and Aurelia let their attacks drop, and Luna and Twilight's began to barrel toward them. Shining's shield came up, and the queen and her daughter began to pour their power into his spell, bolstering the shield spell.
The magic drill collided with the shield, and cracks began to appear instantly. Without a word being said, Argent and Rarity's copies began to pump his magic into the spell as well, and a moment later Lulamoon's pink aura reluctantly joined. The cracking slowed, but the drill was still boring through.
"The power transfer just isn't efficient enough," Aurelia complained.
"If I may lend my expertise," Snowflake Benchpress offered. "I have studied pegasus flight auras quite extensively, and it would be simple, I think, to convert the auras of myself and my fellow pegasi... and, I believe, even longma, into a form of magic of use to our dear Shining."
"Do it!" Chrysalis growled.
"Yyyyeaaaahhhhh!" Snowflake roared, and he bid the flying types to begin beating their wings, at which point he began to gather the auras into his own and then transfer it to Shining.
"I can do that, too, I think," Applejack's copy said. She began to draw in and transfer Big Mac, Tom, and her own earth auras.
The cracks stopped and the airship continued withdrawing.
"No, I can't let them get away!" Twilight said. Then don't. A voice in her head seemed to say. What? Don't allow them to get away. Let yourself go, and the stars will aid you. Twilight felt as if her body were floating, and the strain she had been feeling from her magic usage disappeared. Instead, it was as if some warm presence, not unlike that of Princess Celestia's, was filling her up to bursting.
The magic drill bulged at its origin as a sudden surge traveled down its length. It met the shield, and it cracked like an egg, while the drill continued on its path to the ship. Luna's cobalt aura quickly started to pull away from the drill toward the right, and because it was wrapped so intricately with Twilight's magic, it dragged the entirety of the drill along with it, barely missing the boat, though it carved a swath through the changelings on that side, transforming them into various inanimate objects.
Chrysalis barely had time to register the panic she had felt when the shield had broken before it was over, leaving her only with the thought, The magic coming from that filly at the end was more powerful even than Princess Celestia... She shook her head and flew off the deck of the listing ship, taking up one of the now-empty harnesses. "Everychangeling is going to need to pull her own weight if we want to get back to the tower."
On the ground, Twilight's eyes were blank and glowing with raw power. Her mane whipped in the wind, flickering from normal hair to an ethereal nebula that looked like the horizon at twilight. Her horn was still bursting with magical power.
"Twilight!" Luna cried. "Thou must control thyself. Do not let her take over... not like this!" Her midnight aura surrounded her and she wrapped her wings around her friend. "Please... thou shalt do something thou wilt regret. I promise thee, forsooth, Spike and thy friends shall be fine."
Slowly, Twilight's magic dissipated and her mane and eyes returned to normal. "P-Princess Luna...? What...?"
"Farewell, Twilight Sparkle," Came Chrysalis' booming voice. Her green aura was spreading around her ship. "For now, anyway. When I've turned your little assistant into a creature of the Darkness, then I welcome you to come seek your revenge. It will be a delicious irony to see you destroyed by your own family." As her magical aura completely surrounded the ship, it disappeared from sight, leaving the stadium quiet.
"Spike... oh, no..." Twilight whispered. "Why... why?" She turned to Luna. "Why didn't you let me stop them?"
"Twilight," Luna said sternly. "Your magic was out of control. Who knows what would have happened to your friends if you had hit that ship?" She released Twilight, who slumped to the ground in defeat. "Come, let us tend to our wounded."
"Sure," Twilight said flatly.
"Attend quickly, Twilight," Luna said. "We must be after the changelings before they get too far."
Twilight's ears perked. "What? But how can we find them, now? They're invisible!"
Luna laughed lightly. "The situation may seem bleak, and it's true that not everything went according to plan... however, I was not completely unprepared. I still have an operative in place. That pony will let us know exactly where they are when they land, and we shall stop them before any harm can befall Spike."
Twilight's eyes hardened. "Alright. Time to move our hooves."
To be continued...
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images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120320232553/glee/images/thumb/9/90/Neutral-feel-like-a-sir-clean-l.png/621px-Neutral-feel-like-a-sir-clean-l.png
2764011 Thank you. You're right, it is Chinese.
2761031 Oh, that would be too easy.
2774070 Don't feel too bad. Your reaction was exactly what I wanted there.
Eheheh, I love the classy!changeling.
I am really starting to hate Chrysallis more and more.