Crystal Empire
At around the same time in the early morning that the attack on Thorax's hive began, an even larger changeling force marched and flew through the snow toward the beautiful Crystal Empire. In front of this large army was none other than the evil bug queen herself, Chrysalis. Around her neck, she wore a necklace with a large, chunky stone on it. This stone was the last piece of her old throne which nullified any non-changeling magic. She soon had her army stop before the Crystal Empire's force field.
"My loyal subjects," She began addressing her army.
"At this time, your brothers and sisters are attacking the humans, Thorax and his traitors at our old hive. However, I realized that killing or taking Thorax would never save our species. In order to save our species, we must feed. The Crystal Empire is full of love!" She pointed her hoof at the large, elegant city.
"With the help of our stone, we will breach it's force field and take the city! Once we're in, you may all feed! However, I would like the Princesses and anypony in their castle brought to me! I will make her pay for what she did to me all those years ago!" the queen ordered. She hated Cadance very much since she stole her primary food source, the handsome Captain Shining Armor, a few years ago. His love aura was the sweetest she had ever tasted, and it made her even more powerful than Princess Celestia! Also, if the rumors are true, her daughter would also have a delicious aura....
"Now is our time, my children! CHARGE!!!!!!!!" The changeling army cheered and charged toward the city. Everything went as Chrysalis planned: the stone enabled the changelings to breach the shield and catch the crystal ponies totally off guard. Soon, the streets were filled with the screams of frightened ponies, and the royal guards who tried to put up a fight were either killed or captured and fed on.
Inside the Crystal castle
Princess Cadance was fast asleep in her royal bedroom with her child, Flurry Heart, in her crib closeby. However, she was awakened when she heard the screams coming from outside. She immediately got up and looked upon her kingdom, which was burning in several places with ponies running desperately for their lives from the changelings. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Cadance immediately opened up. Outside was an orange and white unicorn, Sunburst, along with four crystal guards.
"Your Highness! We are under attack! We need to get you and the baby to safety!" Sunburst yelled.
"I can see that Sunburst! This is worse than the assault at my wedding!" She responded as she gently picked up Flurry Heart in her magic and joined the escort toward the area under the castle where they would be safe. The group immediately began running down the halls towards the stairs. As they ran down the stairs, changelings began to flood the stairway, and the Crystal guards began fighting them off with their spears. Much to their dismay, they found that their unicorn magic was now useless.
"Run princess! We'll cover your retreat!" one guard yelled as he and his fellow guards desperately tried to hold off the incoming hungry changelings. Soon, Sunburst, Cadance, and Flurry went deep underground to the very deepest part of the castle, where King Sombra made a panic room long ago. They soon shut themselves in and locked the door.
"We gotta keep quiet if we want the changelings to not notice us," Sunburst warned the princess.
"Understood Sunburst, I hope help comes soon," Cadance responded. Suddenly, they heard the buzzing of changeling wings coming from outside.
"Where is she? Come on! We saw her just before those guards delayed us!" one of the voices from outside said.
"I don't know! At least those guards were delicious though!" another voice said, and they both began laughing. Sunburst and Cadance tried to keep calm despite the tenseness of the situation. Unfortunately for them, Flurry Heart began to wake up from her sleep, and when she wakes up, she can get fussy.
"Flurry! Sweetie! Mommy is here! Can you please keep it down?" Cadance tried to calm the foal princess. However, the infant soon began whining very audibly.
"Flurry! Please! We need you to be quiet right ----" She was cut off when two changelings broke down the doors to reveal the three ponies in the room. Cadance was about to scream when more changelings from the stairway swarmed them.
Outside of the castle
The changelings had successfully conquered the Crystal Empire and had taken it's leaders hostage. In the castle courtyard, numerous crystal nobles sat glued to the ground by changeling slime. Queen Chrysalis looked out at the empire laughing.
"Finally! Finally! With the Crystal Empire under my control, we can rebuild our kingdom and ensure that it will last a thousand years!"
"Your Highness!" A changeling officer called out from behind her. Chrysalis turned around to see the guard and the changelings under his command bringing out Cadance and Sunburst in chains while Flurry Heart was carried in a cocoon.
"Muahahahahahaha!! Excellent! You have done well, my children! This is most certainly the greatest day in changeling history!!" Chrysalis yelled out, audibly proud of her army. Nearby, the crystal noble ponies looked on and gasped in shock that their princess had been captured by these ugly insects.
"You won't get away with this! Once my husband and his troops get here he'll---" Cadance was yelling defiantly at Chrysalis when she was cut off by the queen.
"That's what you think, my dear princess. MY FORMER husband-to-be is currently *ahem* 'busy' elsewhere. It's such a shame that he thought we were attacking my old hive rather than this place!" A tearful look of hopelessness filled Cadance's and the other ponies' faces when they heard this.
"Restrain her properly" Chrysalis ordered her troops. They immediately used their slime to bind Cadance spread-eagle to the ground, which was very uncomfortable for ponies.
"I must admit that you did a very excellent job running this land. I have never seen such a beautiful place in my life. I thought that Canterlot looked appetizing, but your empire definitely, hehe, 'takes the cake!'" Chrysalis told Cadance as she trotted over on top of her in a very dominant position.
"And now, it is time for me to repay you for what you did to me all those years ago, Princess. You stole the love that I had so rightfully claimed at that wedding, and I'm going to take that back right now." Chrysalis sat on top of Cadance and opened her mouth, hissing and bearing fangs. The crystal ponies nearby began crying, shouting, and closing their eyes, awaiting the inevitable as Chrysalis' open mouth approached Cadance's chest. Sunburst was cursing the changelings, trying to break away and save the princess while Flurry Heart began crying in her cocoon, aware of what was about to happen. It was all over....
Just as Chrysalis was about to suck the love out of Cadance however, gunshots began to ring out nearby.
Outskirts of the Crystal Empire, a few minutes earlier
On a hill overlooking the empire, a magical energy field began to appear. Out of that field came Starlight, Shining Armor, ten royal guards, and the Lunar Nightwatch. Upon seeing the empire being ransacked before their very eyes, the ponies were crushed.
"Sunburst! No!!" Starlight began to cry.
"We're too late!" Shining Armor sat down, still trying to contemplate the extent of the invasion. The royal guards were also looking on in shock at the city, from which screams and hisses could be heard. Suddenly, Shining Armor felt a human hand on his shoulder.
"Don't give up yet. Chrysalis has to be in that city. We can still stop her," Ramirez told him.
"But how? There's only seventeen of us, she has an army! She also used that magic stone, so we can't use our magic! It's all lost!" Shining replied.
"If we let Chrysalis win here, she will eventually regain strength and invade Equestria, and no one will be able to stop her!" McLaughn told the captain. Upon hearing these words, Starlight regained her composure and joined in
"Yeah! I didn't need magic to beat Chrysalis the first time! If the rest of Equestria is at risk, we must take her down!" Starlight interjected, being motivated by the humans. This seemed to get Shining and the other guardsponies motivated again.
"You're right! Even if we can't save the Empire, we must get Chrysalis! For Equestria!" Shining yelled, with his guards cheering behind him.
"Chrysalis must be stopped, no matter the cost!" Ramirez said as he charged along with his men and the ponies towards the ongoing battle.
After passing through the crystal heart's force field, the humans and ponies kept charging toward the city. There were changelings feeding on the crystal ponies' love auras and chasing down other crystal ponies when they heard the running boots and hooves of the small team approaching. The humans immediately began to open fire on some changelings while Starlight and Shining Armor and his guards began fighting off the changelings that were feeding on the crystal ponies. Upon seeing the humans, some changelings began to run or fly away. Others began shooting magic beams at them. Fortunately, these changelings were no changeling guards, and they couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.
The humans kept charging and shooting up changelings as they ran deeper and deeper into the empire. Starlight and Shining's troops kept fighting off changelings with their hooves and spears while trying to keep up with the humans. Soon, the team got to the large Spike statue, which was one block away from the royal courtyard. The humans began shooting down the changelings who were watching over the nobles of the Crystal Empire. When the Crystal ponies saw this, they began cheering.
"Whatever those things are, they are amazing!" one crystal pony yelled out as she saw how effectively the humans were gunning down the changelings. Soon, the group made it to the royal courtyard, where Chrysalis was straddling Cadance. She immediately turned around to see the small group of humans.
"YOU!!!!!!" She yelled angrily.
"This world isn't big enough for both humans and bugs! In the end, one shall stand, one shall fall!" Ramirez told her.
"Why do you waste your time on these pitiful ponies?!" Chrysalis yelled.
"That's a question you should ask yourself Chrysalis!" McLaughn yelled back at her.
"NO! I'LL CRUSH YOU ALL WITH MY BARE HOOVES!" Chrysalis immediately charged with her magic shield at the humans, who opened fire on her. As before, the darts bounced harmlessly off of her forcefield as she rammed the team. Most of the guys fell down while she rammed Ramirez against a wall. She hissed and was about to suck up his aura when McLaughn yelled at her.
"HEY COCKROACH!"
This new name infuriated Chrysalis, and she turned around to see McLaughn fire his smg at her. Chrysalis barely managed to raise her force field at the darts and deflect them. Suddenly, Parker jumped on her from behind and held on to her neck.
"TAKE YOUR STINKIN' PAWS OFF ME YOU DAMN DIRTY APE!" She yelled as she tried to buck Parker off of her. Being from Texas, he simply rode her like a rodeo horse. Soon, she let out a magical shockwave from her horn, blasting Parker off of her back. At this time, Smith tried to get a headshot on her, but the magical shockwave knocked him off target.
"Dammit!"
Summers also charged at Chrysalis from the side and pushed her over. As he leveled his shotgun at her, she used a flashbang spell that blinded everybody, herself included. She bucked Summers away and formed up her magical force field. Everything suddenly went quiet. Chrysalis got up and tried to find the humans. As the flashbang effect faded from her vision, she heard a strange noise. She turned around to see a large rocket propelled projectile smash against her force field, exploding on impact and shattering the field to bits. She was blown back by the force of the explosion. She looked at whatever destroyed her defensive shield and saw Ramirez holding the Thunderblast over his shoulder, with another rocket loaded and ready while his troops had their weapons pointed at her.
Chrysalis was no longer in any condition to fight. The explosion also sent shrapnel from both the rocket and the force field into her. She was exhausted and could barely conjure up any more magic. She looked toward her changelings, only to find them beaten up and tied up by Starlight, Shining, and the other guards.
"YOU TOO?!" She yelled in anger. Ever since Chrysalis was kicked out of the hive, the only pony she hated more than Cadance was Starlight Glimmer. Using the last bit of strength within her, Chrysalis suddenly fired a powerful magical blast at Starlight, which hit home and left a large cut in the unicorn's chest while emitting a painful cracking sound.
"GLIM GLAM!" Parker yelled as he and McLaughn ran over to help the unicorn. Shining's team medic also trotted over to check on Starlight. Her breathing was heavy and did not sound right.
"The wound is not deep, but it is possible that she could get infected by unpure changeling magic. She also seems to have broken ribs. If we don't act fast, she could die." the medic pony said after looking her over. He then prepared a special shot from a medical kit for her. Tears began to form in Parker's eyes when he heard the diagnosis. He drew his Cycloneshock and aimed at Chrysalis.
"YOU KILLED GLIM GLAM!!!" He yelled as he was about to pull the trigger, only to be interrupted by the buzzing of hundreds of changelings surrounding the team. Chrysalis began laughing.
"Don't you fools see? It doesn't matter if you beat me or not! I have already won! You lost! My children are now stronger than ever!" She began laughing and coughing while her army stared down the team. However, these changelings soon began shaking in fear and flew down to the ground to raise their hooves in the air.
"What?" Ramirez said. The group was confused on what was happening.
"Look!" Summers yelled as he pointed to a hill on the edge of the empire.
On that hill was Thorax and his army of allied changelings, including a lot of new ones from the prisoners they reformed. There was also a large royal guard force with them. They soon swept into the city and began rounding up the loyalist changelings, who tried to flee or just sat there in surrender.
"Thorax you beautiful angel!" Ramirez exclaimed as he hugged the changeling king, who awkwardly accepted it. Nearby, Shining Armor cut his family loose.
"Shining! You came! You saved us all!" Cadance said as she held the baby and kissed Shining Armor.
"I'm so glad you're ok Cadance! If it weren't for these humans, we might never have been able to stop Chrysalis!" He pointed towards Ramirez, Smith, and Summers, who were keeping guard over Chrysalis. Nearby, however, Cadance noticed the anti-magic stone, still active.
"Thorax?" She called out.
"Yes?" He replied as he trotted over.
"Can you help us get our magic back?" She said pointing to the stone.
"Gladly," He shot a magic beam at the stone, disintegrating it and allowing the unicorns in the empire to use their magic again. Cadance then heard crying coming from nearby and saw Parker being comforted by McLaughn as they watched the royal guard medic try to fix Starlight. Sunburst, who was freed by Shining's other guards, also ran over to see Starlight.
"Oh no! Is she gonna be ok?!" He asked the guard medic.
"I don't know. I'm gonna give it my best shot though!" the medic replied. Cadance trotted over to take a look. She cast a spell on Starlight to see if any of Chrysalis' unpure magic was inside of her.
"Unwrap the bandage," She ordered the medic. Starlight's large cut was tightly bound by a bandage that wrapped around her chest.
"But your highness, if I do that she could bleed to death!" the medic retorted.
"I will be quick, soldier, just unwrap the bandage please." Cadance replied. The medic complied, and upon seeing the large tear on Starlight, Cadance used some magic from her horn to drain a green aura from the opening. She then hurled this aura far off into the sky.
"There. I just removed the residual changeling magic from her," Cadance told the medic. Parker overheard this and rushed over.
"Will she survive?!" He asked the medic and the Princess.
"Her chances of living are definitely much higher without that stuff inside of her," Cadance assured him. She then got a huge hug from the human and from Sunburst.
"Thank you so much!" they told her in unison. Parker then turned around and saw the rest of the team guarding Chrysalis.
"Well, what are we gonna do with her?!" he asked, reaching for his revolver, only to have Ramirez stop him.
"We'll leave that to the Royal sisters to decide! Shining, can you give us a lift to Canterlot?" Ramirez asked the captain nearby. During this time, Chrysalis was still scowling at everything going on around her.
"Gladly," he replied, sending some of his guards to look for a train. At this point, many of the crystal ponies were now freed and receiving medical attention while the remnants of Chrysalis' army were being hauled away by Thorax's troops.
"Men, ponies, I think that we can safely say that the pony-changeling war is over!" Ramirez told everyone, from whom a loud cheer rose. Some guards came and whispered in Shining's ear.
"The troops were able to find a train at the Crystal Empire station for you guys. They also went and got an anti-magic net for Chrysalis to be contained in." Shining said as he had his guards throw the net over Chrysalis, who began to spew some colorful language at them.
"Thank you Captain. We'll make sure she stays out of trouble," Ramirez told the pony while he and his men went to board the train with Chrysalis, some guards, and the unconscious Starlight Glimmer.