//------------------------------// // Twenty Four - Conduct // Story: The Infestation of Canterlot High School // by Bonster //------------------------------// Twenty Four - Conduct “—And that’s where the vision ended,” Sunset concluded. The faces that stared back at her were peppered with fear. “Chrysalis blocked Zecora’s scrying after that. I could still look at some places, but there wasn’t anything else too major.” Pinkie, for once, wasn’t smiling. “So… what do we do?” “We act,” Chrysalis said. “Right?” Sunset nodded. “We can’t risk anything happening to the elements. We just need to make sure we account for an extra enemy.” Luna swore under her breath as a thorn bit into her hand. She was immediately shushed by Chrysalis. Crouched low to the ground, Celestia reached forward and brushed away a group of ferns. The expanse of the Everfree stretched out behind them, and Ponyville stood humbly a good distance in front of them, across the field that separated it from the forest. Changeling silk clung to the buildings like honey, glittering in the sunlight, and patrols of changelings made their way slowly along the town’s perimeter. “We’re going to need a team to take on the sirens. Any volunteers?” “Hold on.” Luna closed her eyes. After a minute, she said, “The Moon says Celestia and I are immune to mind control. ‘Cause if the wrong person had control of our powers it could throw off the entire structure of the universe, or something like that. I stopped listening halfway through.” Sunset nodded in understanding. “Alright. Who else?” Sweetie Drops raised her hand. “Chrysalis and I should go.” Celestia’s brow furrowed. “Wait.” “What?” Luna asked. Chrysalis sighed. “Why?” Bon Bon rolled her eyes. “Since splitting the Rainbooms up is an objectively bad choice, it’s our only real option.” “Are you sure?” Rarity asked, her eyes flicking between the agents and the principals. “I’m sure they’ll be able to act maturely and be adults,” Sweetie said pointedly. “Right?” “Of course,” three voices chorused uneasily. As Celestia moved the ferns back into place, Chrysalis held out her palm and looked at Luna expectantly. Luna raised an eyebrow, and Chrysalis’s gaze intensified. “What?” Luna whispered. “The potion, you idiot!” “There’s no need to be rude about it,” Celestia said. Sweetie glanced at her watch, huffed, and nabbed the potion from Luna’s pocket. She took a quick sip, wretched slightly, and passed the vial on. “You’re going to need to sneak through Ponyville unnoticed,” Sunset said. “Which, now that I think about it, might not be very easy.” “With stealth, I believe I can assist,” Zecora said, offering a beaker with a hazy pink liquid inside. “One sip of this elixir, and you shall be as invisible as mist.” “Well this is unsettling.” Celestia opened and closed her eyelids, and nothing changed—her vision was still crystal-clear. “I think I’m gonna be sick,” Luna complained. “Will you two shut up?!” “We’re wasting time,” Sweetie’s voice whispered from in front of them. “Let’s go. Stay together.” “How?” Celestia asked. “Just try not to get us killed, alright?” Chrysalis said. “Oh, stuff it.” “Shh, they’ll hear you.” “Sorry,” the three women uttered in unison. After a minute of walking, they reached Ponyville’s perimeter. “Everybody hold hands,” Bon Bon whispered. Chrysalis made a noise somewhere between a scoff and a choke. “What? Why?” “So we don’t lose each other,” Celestia said. “It’s a good plan.” Even though she was invisible, Chrysalis just knew Luna was smirking. “What? Never held someone’s hand before, Chrysalis?” “I—no, it’s—” Someone’s fingers found hers, and they interlaced. Chrysalis shuddered. Luna started laughing. “Aw, come on, it’s just hand holding!” “Hey!” a voice called out. Luna snapped her mouth shut so hard it was a miracle she didn’t break her teeth. “Who’s there?” Suddenly, Bon Bon was pulling them down the streets of the village. Changelings were loitering about; some were inspecting the silken chrysalises, some were chatting, some were just wandering around somewhat aimlessly; but they didn’t prove to be much of an issue. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. About two-thirds of the way to the opposite edge of the town, they had encountered one changeling carrying a crate of oranges, for some unknown reason. Sweetie Drops had carefully skirted around said changeling, but had failed to take into account the height of the adults behind her—Chrysalis’s head had smacked loudly into a shop sign advertising quills and sofas. The changeling must’ve been really quite startled, for he jumped and twisted sideways in the air, sending his oranges tumbling across the ground. Celestia had managed to trip on them, pulling the rest of the group down with her, and eliciting a shrill shriek from Luna. Fortunately, Sweetie Drops, in all her quick thinking, had loosed a flashbang on the changeling as he’d approached. While he was stunned, she had yelled at the others to get up, and from there they had legged it all the way to the outskirts of Ponyville. “You’ll need to make your way to the train station,” Sunset explained. “It’s still running, but the changelings are using it to transport resources. I’m pretty sure it’s actually more bargaining between Queen Chrysalis and the sirens; they’ve really got her in a bind. Anyway, get on a train to Canterlot. It’s about a three hour trip, so sit tight.” When they reached the station, a train was already there. A few changelings were interspersed along its length, levitating loads of gemstones into the cars. Sweetie Drops, as usual, spoke first. “Quick, let’s board before they set off.” “Wait.” Chrysalis held her arm firm as Bon Bon tried to move away, reining the girl in. “We don’t know if it’s going to Canterlot.” A moment of pause. “Why don’t we ask?” Luna suggested. “Are you crazy?” Celestia hissed. “No, no, trust me. Stay right here.” Chrysalis growled. “Luna…” Luna made her way to just behind one of the gem-hefting changelings and channeled her best changeling impression. “Excuse me, but is this train headed for Canterlot?” The changeling made an irritated buzz and talked without turning from his work. “Of course. Didn’t you get the ping?” He torqued his neck to look at Luna. Or, try to look at Luna. “Queen Chrysalis said to—” He stopped dead in his tracks, whipping his head from side to side. “Hello?” He sighed. “I think I’ve been shovelin’ rubies for too long…” Celestia felt something bump into her. “Luna?” “This is our train.” “That was stupid,” Chrysalis pointed out. “It worked,” Luna returned. “You’re both right,” Bon Bon said. “Can we go now?” They muttered their assent, and ten seconds later, the four of them were clambering over the side of the car. Celestia had to bite her tongue to keep from swearing when she landed in the gems—to say that she had traveled in better conditions would be like saying that Abacus Cinch could be a bit disagreeable at times. Luna was not so gracious in covering up her discomfort, and let out the most aggressive and profane string of whispering Celestia had ever heard. (Only because Luna usually wasn’t whispering, but still.) Chrysalis and Sweetie Drops followed shortly after, landing deftly in the pile of rocks, and making Celestia and Luna envious of their foresight. “Settle in,” Bon Bon said, leaning back against the side of the car. “Well, as much as you can.” Luna grumbled something about picking gem shards out of her butt, but nobody could hear over the train’s whistle; a second later, the ground lurched, and they were off. Sunset continued her briefing. “Now, all of our efforts up to this point have made a substantial impact. Based on my divinations, Chrysalis didn’t have much of an army left even before the sirens stole the ones in Canterlot; you should be up against roughly a hundred changelings max.” “You know, just saying, that still sounds like a bit more than four,” Luna said. “The siren’s spell isn’t a complete mind control when they use it en masse like this; the changelings should be in a dumb stupor. And since the sirens aren’t expecting to be attacked, I doubt they risked allowing the changelings to use their magic, so it should actually be a pretty easy fight.” She pointed at Bon Bon and Chrysalis. “Especially for you two. You should focus on dealing with the changelings while Celestia and Luna use their freaky god powers to fight the sirens.” The agents nodded, although Chrysalis gave Luna a nasty sideways glance. Sunset went on. “When you arrive in Canterlot, start by thinning their ranks. That should draw out the Dazzlings, and that’s when the real fight will begin.” The four of them stepped out onto the streets of Canterlot. Changelings milled about, but they were definitely out of it; they were standing still or batting at butterflies or walking into walls, and all of them had a glassy look in their eyes. Sweetie’s watch beeped. “Potion’s about to run out,” she whispered. “Get ready.” She drew her blade, and Chrysalis her gun, as their bodies slowly materialized. The changelings stopped what they were doing, stared at the humans, hissed, and charged. “Wait, so what are we doing?” Rainbow asked. Sunset hardened her gaze. “Well, first, training like crazy. You’re going to need to be combat ready for this.” Rainbow flexed her wings and looked to the sky as she and her friends waited in some bushes on the edge of the clearing that the Castle of the Two Sisters sat on. “I’m starting to think she’s not coming.” “We’re going to wait within view of the castle, and when Chrysalis arrives, we’ll ambush her.” Lyra raised her hand. “So, is there anything for me and Mom Sparkle to do? ‘Cause, I mean, I wouldn’t help in a fight, but I don’t want to just sit back and do nothing.” Sunset bit her lip. “There is… something for you to do. But it’s dangerous. It’s okay if you’re not up for it.” “No.” Velvet straightened and looked Sunset in the eye. “If my daughter’s going to be out there fighting, then I will be, too.” Twilight reached over and squeezed her mother’s hand, smiling reassuringly. “Oh, Lyra, be safe!” Bon Bon exclaimed, throwing herself onto Lyra. Everybody collectively averted their eyes and tried to ignore the moans. The door to the quill shop broke easily under Lyra’s kick. She and Velvet burst into the establishment; Velvet started gathering quills into her arms, muttering about why ponies didn’t just invent pens, while Lyra walked over to a window, threw a chair through it, and screamed. Velvet nearly fell over. “What are you doing?” “It’s faster this way.” “It’s not a very convincing act, though.” Lyra shrugged. “Meh. I doubt they’ll see through it.” “But you could just—Aah!” Velvet leapt back as a laser hurtled past her head. “Run!” They broke into a mad dash towards the edge of Ponyville and the cover of the Everfree. “Let’s split up!” Lyra shouted, only a mild amount of satirical bad acting in her voice. She thought it an incredible show of restraint. Velvet spared her a glance as she ran. “Good idea! Meet me back at the Castle of the Two Sisters!” They forked out in different directions, diving for the brush. The changelings’ laser barrage pounded against the shield spells Sunset had given them as they ran, but they didn’t follow them into the forest. Lyra paused against a tree to catch her breath. “Whoo! Mission accomplished.” The rumbling growl behind her made her victory short lived, however. “We need you to lead Chrysalis to us,” Sunset said, and Lyra opened one eye from where she lay disheveled on the floor. At least she was paying attention. “Pretend to be doing something in Ponyville, and get the changelings to follow you. Then say something about returning here loudly enough for them to hear you, and lose them. “Come straight back, though. We’ll already be in our places, and you’ll want to be out of the way when the fighting begins.” “I’m starting to think they’re not coming.” As soon as the words left Rainbow’s mouth, Chrysalis and the last remaining dregs of her army appeared on the horizon, angling for the castle. “HEEEEEELP!” The Rainbooms swiveled towards the shout. Lyra burst from the forest’s edge, scrambling away from a pack of manticores that were hot on her tail. “Oh my.” Rarity put a hoof to her muzzle. “That’s not good.”