Equestria, Ponyville. Castel of Friendship.
Abigail POV
Apparently, my quick action and execution of the first changeling brought them to rethink their tactics a bit. They thought I was joking about the monster killing. Now seeing one of their colleges brutally executed in front of them put a shock to their view. Oh, how right I was going to prove that.
Two of the channelings snapped themselves out of their little shock and fluttered up into the air. They then proceeded to send magic bolts at me. Not thinking and more surprised they can do something like that with magic. One stop's dead as it impacts my helmet forcing me to lean back a bit while the other ricochet off her right shoulder piece. I could hear changelings sneered happily at their little attack, only for them to quickly stop as their duel attacks were barely left any marks on me.
'Good thing I decided to wear a helmet for this, or that would have hurt me a lot more then it would have looked,' I thought happily. The Onyx guard's helmet and armor variant had a little more interior padding than the averaged Gears does, made to withstand several shots from a Lancer before it crumbling. These guys shots felt like light sparring punches compare to getting shot by Hammerbursts heavy rounds. Looking up at the two that attacked, I tilted my head to the side getting a nice sounding pop, that even the furthest changeling down the hall could plainly hear, before giving them a dark chuckle. The shapeshifters didn't know it, but I was giving them a devilish grin under my helmet before speaking again.
"My turn," I said in a dark whisper.
The two flying changelings that attacked her didn't know what hit them when I leveled her Lancer at them. I mowed them down using nearly haft the mag of Lancer fire in a horizontal spray. They both gave a wet flop as the landed on the ground in front of the remaining four pony grubs.
Take shelter, take out the pony from behind cover!" One of the squeaky sounding changelings called out. I observed the four as they split evenly to each side of the hallway behind the crystal pillars a further ways back. Not taking any chances I fire off a few more shots at shapeshifters off before sliding next to the wall covering from the left side on the lobby. I then switched out her Lancer for the Longshot longshot out and sat it on the floor next to her thinking she might need them soon.
Starlights POV
Teleporting out with Trixie, my mind couldn't believe what I had just seen. Twilight and her friends not only have been taken by the Queen Chrysalis and her changelings. But the Princess Celesta and Luna too?! Oh, this is bad. And Abby she is still in there fighting, and I left her! What kind of friend am I for just leaving her there!
Trixie continued to hyperventilate beside me, "I cant take any of this, I'm just a performer! This is, this is, princess level stuff. And the changelings have all the princess! We're DOOM!" She threw her hooves and coward on the ground.
Thinking quickly on how to calm my friend I reached out with my foreleg to try to comfort Trixie. Before I could touch her, I hear the sound of a bunch of loud popping sounds coming from inside the castle. That brought both my and Trixies attention. Only one pony I knew who could be doing that. "It Abby, she still fighting inside.
"What is that popping sound?" Trixie asked.
"That must be her weapons. From what I know they shoot balls of metal at anything you point. I'm told there very deadly if used properly." I explained followed by a small explosion.
"Then it's a good thing I didn't try messing with them when I got the chance."
"Anyway," I said getting us back on track. "Chrysalis said they only took Luna and Celestia, and now Twilight and the others. But there still Cadence. All we need to do is get to the Crystal Empire before the changelings do and-"
"There won't be any help from the Crystal Empire." A lone voice said.
The sound of leaves rustling in the bushes revealed a lone changeling walking towards us. Trixie instantly freaks and starts screaming. I then felt something familiar about this changeling. Putting up a shield and a mute charm around Trixie, I stepped closer and saw that his wings were sparkling. "Thorax?"
"Yes."
Your wings look different."
Thorax flapped them a few times making them shine, "I guess they do."
I was a little interested at that before remembering what was going on. Adding more magic to my horn, I advance on him. "How do I know your not just some other changeling pretending to be Thorax?" I questioned him. He backed up a few steps before explaining himself.
"You there when Spike defended me to the ponies of the Crystal Empire. Princess Twilight said-" He began before shape-shifting into Princess Twilight "- As the Princess of Friendship, I should set an example for all of Equestria, but today it was Spike who taught me-"
"OK, ok, I believe you. You don't need the whole speech." I interrupted. Follow by a 'whoosh' of magic to reveal the changeling. I then walked over to the bubble I held Trixie in. "Trixie, this is Thorax. He's a 'reformed' changeling. He's on our side, understand?" I explained to the captive show mare. Getting nod that she understood, undoing her magic I released my friend from her glowing prison and land back on the ground. Thorax then walked up to Trixie as if to introduce himself formal manner.
"Hi, it's a pleasure to- "He started but stopped himself when it looked like he was doing more harm than good at the moment.
"If Starlight says you are on our side, I believe her, but maybe just stay over there, for now, ok?" She stated in a small pleading voice. He then, in turn, backed up to where he was now standing next to Starlight.
Remembering what Thorax said, I now needed questions answered and started proceeded to ask the changeling her questions. "What do you mean there's no help? Did the changelings get Cadence too?"
Thorax looked even more in distress now when he answered. " They took Cadence, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart! Sunburst sent me here to get Princess Twilight's help, but it sounds like its too late for that too." Thorax then moved up to her. "So what do we do?" He asked.
"Yeah Starlight are we going to do?" Trixie asked before butting into her friend's personal space. It was then a well-welcomed voice made itself known to the group.
"Well isn't that the question of the hour?"
Abigail POV
A few minutes earlier[i/]
Taking a glance around the corner only to jerk back as multiple shots of magic impacted the wall and floor, leaving behind scorch marks on the ground. I did get a decent look at where they all hiding at; two were stacked up on the ground while the other two were on top firing from a downward angle of the. 'So they are using numbers and their ability to fly to their advantage, but also don't want to end up like the first three. Good, didn't want this to be a boring fight.' I thought darkly.
Leveling my Lancer out, I fired at the pony grub that was flying to my right. After emptying a quarter of her mag, I earned my fourth kill from this world. Wanting to save the Lancer ammo I switched to the longshot and left the Lancer on my back. While doing this one changeling must have got desperate after seeing another one of its comrades got killed.
"We got to rush it! It's the only way!" It said before flying at the gear in full force. It's two remaining colleges tried to stop it but failed. I heard him clearly and brought up my Longshot; I was generally surprised at how close the changeling had come at her person, but that tactic works better as a team then by themselves. I fall three of them came at me. They might have had a chance. I didn't have time to switch back to Lancer or accurately aim my sniper rifle at a moving target, so I did the next best thing, I lunged forward. Closing the dissents, I thrust my Longshot forward like it was a lance in hope to push the pony grub back. What I got was much, 'much' better. The changeling's mouth was apparently open, and when I had thrust her weapon forward, it went down its maw and swallowed up a good eight inches of the Longshots barrel. The grub ponies momentum caused the rifle to slip from my magical grip and planted itself to the ground making the changeling swing upwards. Quickly stopped its motion, and with a look, I was now responsible for inevitably making this world's first changeling themed flagpole.
I suddenly decided it would be appropriate time gave a quick salute before firing off the anti-personnel cartridge. The result was just spectacular. The round obliterated its neck separating its head from its body, having been flung back to the other two changelings were at. While the head just flew the air as kept going and going till it settled itself on the light fixture that hung in the middle of the hallway above the two remaining changelings. The remaining changelings looked at me in horror before the got the idea to run down the hall to the multi-throne room was. "Quick! back to the map room, we have to contact the queen!" One of them shouted to the other.
"Oh no, you ain't going anyhere!" I shouted as I dropped swapped longshot for the Lancer before running after the two.
The two reach the doors to the multi- throne room of where I first came to this world; they had just closed them big doors shut, and the sound of the door lock clicked quickly echoed into place. Without wasting any time, I fished in one of my punches and took her one and only, frag grenade and planted it on the door. Falling back a bit she aimed at the Frag and fired off a few rounds at it. The result was a satisfying frag detonation. The blast destroyed the doors and killed one the changeling that was behind the door, having a layer of shrapnel embedded inside it like a pincushion. The other one was still alive and was on the table messing with a few black rocks. Firing off the remaining rounds of her Lancer taking the last changeling down. It fell to the floor with 'thump' and one of the black rocks it was holding fell with it.
Walking over to it, I saw it was still alive, barely. I floated my helmet off so the changeling could see my face. My green emerald eyes met its honeycomb blue. I watched as its breaths became shallower and shallower before it finally stopped.
With the enemy dealt with I picked up my helmet and left the trail of destruction that I started in my wake, picking up the sniper rifle I dropped. I reloaded it and put it back onto the magnetic clamp on my back. Walking back outside I made my way over to Trixie's trailer home I then realized that Starlight's comm piece was still on. Aberrantly I was oblivious everything Starlight, and Trixie had been saying to each other, and there was now forming a plan of action when a new voice when through her mike. A male voice by the sound of it.
"There's no help coming from the Crystal Empire." The new voice said in a sad tone.
Now
The three then spun around to look at me as she approached from behind them. "We gather who's left and we fight," I stated simply. Seeing me still alive brought them relief. If only for a moment before they got into a fighting stance. From left to right I then proceeded to answer what was on their minds from her left to right. "No I'm not a changeling, yes it's is me, and no I'm not going to kill you, Thorax. You left you com piece on Star, so I heard everything." I finished while taking off my helmet. She then looked at the 'friendly' changeling "Hello Thorax; I'm Sargent Abigail Terrell, a friend of Starlights. Sad to say we didn't get to meet under better circumstances. As for the seven changelings that were inside, they won't be a problem and won't get out in till the guards come by and pick them off the floor with the way I delt them with them." I said in a haft truth. That got the three of them to relax at her statement before Trixie continued.
"But who else can fight? There is nopony else, everypony with powerful magic is already gone." She said in a scared tone of voice.
"You know whenever ponies talk about powerful magic's they always leave me out. If I weren't so involved that I might decide to take it personally." Said an unknown voice.
Grabbing her Lancer and pointed at who was talking, looking up on top of Trixie's home to see a... I didn't even know where to describe it, 'thing?' That laid down knitting a white rabbit? It then turned to look down on us. "Well isn't this a combination of secondary characters." For some reason, I felt incredibly insulted by his remark.
"Who the fuck is this guy?" I asked my friend. Before Starlight could answer, the strange creature suddenly appear in front of her making me jump back in surprise. It's right 'paw?' held my right foreleg like an as if he was greeting her.
"Hello dear, I'm Discord, god of chaos. I absolutely love the way you took down those changelings. You, my good lady, are a breath of fresh chaos to these peaceful lands, and I do hope you stay around on this plane of existence for the remainder of your mortal stay." The name sounded familiar, but for some reason, I couldn't put my finger on it. He then turned to Starlight with a bored look.
"Speaking of changelings, where are Twilight and the girls?" He asked.
Starlight then proceeded to confront the strange being. "First, how do we really know you're really you?" Starlight questioned.
He then looked at her in with a board expiration then he snapped his 'claw?' Then weirdness took over, and it was like I was tripping on combat drugs, plus acid or something or another and haven't slept for several days to see some weird shit. Now I've seen some weird shit. Trixie's home turned into a big purple pumpkin; flowers were doing some sort of dance jig, the night sky above us was a different color, and I didn't want to know what they were standing on. Either way, I will now never question what state of mind her sanity is ever again because it's probably out to lunch. "Shall I continue?" He said in smugness.
'Oh shit!' I realized. I recognize this guy now; he is one of the bad guys I was told about that Twilight and her friends defeated.
"Chrysalis and the changelings are back. They pony-nap all of the most powerful ponies in Equestria. Celesta, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, Twilight and her friends we need to-" Starlight was interrupted by Discord when reality was warped back to normal when he got up close and personal to Starlight's face with an angry glare.
"They took Fluttershy?' he questioned in a threating voice to her.
"Yes," Star said quietly.
"Where?' it said in a dark malice voice that made the Gear felt a shiver crawl up her spine.
"The Changeling Kingdome. With you on our side you cou-" Starlight was cut off when all five of us appeared entirely somewhere else. Where it was nighttime before now looks like mid-morning. I still didn't know what to think anymore. 'Fucking magic.' Her helmet was also back on which confused me again, and the two other unicorns in my company were loaded with traveling bags. Trixie even had her magic hat and cape on too.
"Odd..." Said Discord, looking over the area that he brought us here before picking up a boulder over its head. "I was trying to take us right to Fluttershy, but there is no Fluttershy." He said as it's eye's literally popped out of its head 'literally' to search underneath it before dropping it. Trixie then lets out a small whine she looked on ahead of us.
"I think I have a pretty good of where she might be," She said as her voice rose to a near pitch. Looking over the small cliff nearby, then we all saw what Trixie was getting at.
In the distance stood a spire like a castle. The building just looked menacing and had a 'bad guy lives here' vibe. From top to bottom the place was covered in holes. To me, this looked like the least stable building I had ever see. If I didn't know any better, it looked like it was shot full arsenal of centaurs. If that's the place we have to go into then at least getting in might be easier then thought. Thorax, on the other hand, was voicing his thoughts about that place when he caught sight of it.
"I hope that I never had to see that place again, now what?" He asked as all eye's turned to Starlight and me hoping for an answer. Starlight looked like she was about to panic again while I just let out a 'sigh' of frustration. One Gear, two civvies, a defector and a self-proclaim God. Is supposed to storm the defectors former home to rescue not one, not two, but several princesses and a few other VIP's out from that place? Two words popped in mind about the situation.
"Well fuck."