//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: Fight and Flight // Story: Ill Winds // by ClanCrusher //------------------------------// “Princess, is something wrong?” Celestia slowly turned her head back toward the guard captain, her voice having trailed off in mid-sentence. “Stalwart, I need you to evacuate the staff and soldiers immediately.” Stalwart hesitated for a moment, but a stern look from the Solar Princess cut off his protests. “At once, your highness.” He bowed briefly before turning and galloping from the room. The other assembled guards quickly followed, splitting off to fulfill their pre-arranged duties, all except one. “Princess, with respect, isn't it our duty to lay down our lives for you if need be?” Despite the brave face he was putting on, Celestia could hear the tremor in the young pegasus' voice. Celestia smiled at the recruit and gently shook her head. “Not today, Bright Wing. Right now, I need you to make sure that all of Canterlot's citizens stay safe and that everypony gets far away from the castle.” Bright nodded quickly before taking off after the others, leaving the Princess of the Sun alone in the throne room. Flexing her magic, Celestia began to tidy up the large chamber; rolling up the tapestries, stacking and filing away the papers that had been left behind by her scribes, and hiding away the expensive carpet. By the time the first blast of magical force struck the large wooden doors, the room was completely bare, save for the two thrones. Before the second one hit, Celestia grabbed the handles and opened the doors. “A simple knock would have sufficed, Aurum. I had been looking forward to meet the real you for some time now.” From the entryway, four changeling queens looked back at her. Queen Aurum was at the front, flanked by Crimson and Azure, with Violet near the back. All four were brimming with power as they filed into the throne room. “How long have you known?” “Oh, I always suspected,” said Celestia with a shake of her head. “Though I had hoped Violet would relay my intentions back to you.” “You weave half-truths and flagrant lies with a skill that any changeling would envy,” retorted Aurum. “Queen Violet told me plenty.” Celestia sighed. “I have only ever been honest with you, Aurum. And I am quite honest when I say that I pity those who serve you. How many did you sacrifice to obtain the power you now wield?” A brief look of discomfort passed over the faces of three queens, but Aurum's expression remained neutral. “All of them knew they were serving a greater cause. We will rebuild, and this time there won't be any obstacles in our way.” Turning her attention from the zealous queen, Celestia caught Azure's eye. “It pains me to see you discarding your second chance like this. I presume that Starlight Glimmer assisted you in subverting my Mark?” Azure opened her mouth to respond, but Aurum interrupted. “The time for negotiations is over, Celestia. Submit to us or be broken.” The four elders’ horns began to glow, their energy filling the room. Celestia rose, horn glowing, her golden light outshining all of them. Along her body, gold plates began to spread from her hooves, covering her figure until only her mouth and eyes were visible. “If violence is the path you wish to tread, then so be it. I will show you the full fury of the sun!” --- My eyes opened as I dropped a few centimeters to the ground, landing unsteadily on a rich blue carpet. The room was dark, forcing me to squint as I searched for Luna, spotting her a moment before she pulled open one of the room's curtains to let the light in. “The wards on Queen Aurum’s chamber have been broken,” Luna said calmly as I stumbled to her side. “The castle staff and guards have been evacuated.” “And Celestia?” I asked worriedly. Luna shook her head. “We know not.” A popping sound heralded the arrival of Chrysalis, who landed on the floor in a manner only slightly more gracefully than mine. “Nnhh...did we just pass through a shield? I thought that was impossible!” “This room is special,” said Luna, moving to her door and quickly dispelling the magical lock. “It exists partially within the realm of dreams and isn't quite as bound by the laws of physical space.” Chrysalis opened her mouth, but paused, as she seemed unsure of what to ask. “I'll explain later,” I assured her. With a loud click, the door opened and the three of us ran out into the castle proper. The damage was immediately apparent. Caved-in walls, scorch marks, and a magical saturation in the air that made every one of my senses tingle. Celestia's overwhelming power dominated the mixture, but the four changeling elders all had a very noticeable presence. What worried me most of all was the absence of active spellwork. The fight was already over. “No bodies. Looks like the staff got out in time,” observed Chrysalis, using thought to communicate to save her breath. Taking a corner atop a flight of stairs, I nearly ran into Luna. The sight in front of me made a bit of bile rise in my throat. “Spoke too soon...” In front of us, Queen Violet lay lifeless. Her purple mane was scorched and burnt, the left side of her body practically melted from Celestia's magic. She had clearly been flung some distance, and the residual magic energy put the time of her death a little less than an hour ago. I quickly turned away from the sight. “Looks like somepony stopped holding back,” murmured Chrysalis. Luna said nothing, quickly turning from the body and galloping towards the throne room, practically leaving us in the dust and only slowing once she reached the collapsed entryway. Her horn flared and her blue aura enveloped the pile of debris, casually flinging it aside with enough force to make brand new holes in the nearby walls, and finally revealing the outcome of the battle. My heart sank. Celestia was down, and on either side of her stood Azure and Crimson, horns glowing as they concentrated their power on the alicorn between them. Suddenly, everything slipped into focus. They had never intended to kill Celestia, they were trying to control her. Luna quickly made up her mind. A shiver passed through my body moments before a terrific stream of energy sped toward Azure, the temperature in the room seeming to drop as it traveled. Just when I'd begun to hope she'd caught the queens distracted, though, Crimson opened her eyes and a powerful shield sprang into place, deflecting the attack. Celestia slowly stirred and opened her eyes. The distinct golden glow around her irises was impossible to miss. We were too late. Turning to each of us, the white alicorn slowly flexed her wings, her ethereal mane starting to flow once more. When she spoke, I could hear Celestia's voice, but there was another behind it, giving it that same tonal duality Chrysalis' own voice held. “Stand down, all of you,” she ordered. “I have no intention of killing anyone, but the power of the sun is now mine, and I will not hesitate to use it.” The threat sent a chill down my spine. Had she already achieved that level of control? Using the sun as a weapon went against everything Celestia stood for, but with three changeling elders controlling her mind... “My sister's star will not budge an inch so long as We remain,” retorted Luna. “Or didst thou forget We too can command the heavens?” My head snapped toward a hole in the ceiling, watching the bright star waver in the air slightly. A strained look passed over Celestia's face as magical power filled the room, but the sun refused to budge. “Hmph. Thou cannot possibly hope to learn in an hour what my sister has spent a lifetime perfecting,” taunted Luna. Aurum's voice came back just as calm and collected as before. “Then we shall make the time.” Large white wings unfurled, and with a mighty flap, Celestia took to the air, heading towards one of the giant holes in the wall. “She's running!” I shouted. “We think not!” The light in the room dimmed significantly as Luna unleashed her magic, but Azure was ready, jumping in the way and meeting her magic head-on with a torrent of her own. Crimson added her power to the mix, the two combined managing to push Luna back. Chrysalis swiftly joined Luna's corner, though, adding to the maelstrom building in the center, the four seemingly at a stalemate. My first instinct was to help. Maybe with my power we could push them back...but this was just a distraction. All that mattered to them was the white alicorn unsteadily flying away from the fight, heading to a place outside the castle's wards where she could teleport away. I lit up my horn, casting a flurry of spells as I pursued the fleeing alicorn. Violet flames spread across my body as I tapped into my knowledge of changeling magic, wings forming at my sides. I had barely formulated a plan as I leapt into the air after her, but no matter what, I had to stop Queen Aurum from escaping. Behind me, I could hear the conflux of magic detonate, signaling the beginning of a desperate fight, but I forced myself to ignore it and trust that Luna and Chrysalis could deal with the other queens. --- Luna's first instinct was to chase after her sister. The haze from the magical detonation was dissipating and she could see the white and gold outline of her retreating form with Twilight in pursuit, but Azure stood in her way. She knew she could out-fly Azure, but that would leave her ally facing down two elders alone, and if there was to be anything salvaged from this mess afterward, Chrysalis would be needed just as much as Celestia. She had to hope that Twilight could stall her. All of those thoughts flew through her mind in less than a second. The second after, her shield came up, deflecting one of Azure's powerful strikes. She spread her wings, and with a leap, she flew to the elder's side, pushing her back with a blast of her own. In her peripheral vision, Luna could see Chrysalis flying away through one of the broken windows, drawing her fight away from the escalating conflict. Good. One less thing to worry about. “Elder Azure, We offer you one final chance to surrender.” Luna's Royal Canterlot Voice rang through the throne room. “Even now, after all you've done, our sister would not wish for you to die needlessly.” “And then what? Take another mark next to the first? Rot in one of your dungeons? Live on your charity for the rest of my life? I would sooner die!” Luna's expression remained stoic. “So be it, then.” She closed her eyes for a brief moment. When they opened again, her slitted pupils were glowing softly. “If thou art so desperate to doom thy race, then fight!” Sky blue magic clashed against midnight blue, the alicorn bringing her full power to bear, only to find the changeling elder holding her ground and keeping her hooves firmly planted as she pushed back. Luna concealed her surprise, ceasing her offensive and taking off into the air as a wall behind her was obliterated. Azure’s follow-up was quick, forcing Luna to twist to avoid a lethal beam of energy. Righting herself, Luna countered, but was met with a sturdy shield. “Surprised to find someone who can match your power?” taunted Azure. Luna chuckled as she landed. “Hardly. It takes us back to a time when our sister was more willing to spar.” Her shield was up in time for the next magical strike, but it quickly cracked and strained beneath the pressure. However, the instant it shattered, all that remained was a dark blue mist. Azure scoffed at the technique. “Do you think we learned nothing from your sister? We studied her memories of you first!” The queen's horn glowed and the air rapidly grew hot and humid. The mist seemed to waver and condense in the air before snapping back and reforming into the Lunar Princess, visible trails of sweat running down her sides. “Celestia had counters for all of your little tricks,” boasted Azure. “They were practically at the forefront of her mind. I guess she never fully trusted your miraculous 'recovery'.” Luna winced as another projectile streaked by her, singing her armor and nearly clipping her wing. To the elder’s shock, Luna began to chuckle, her eyes glowing brighter and her fangs becoming more pronounced. Slowly, the light in the room began to bend around her aura of darkness, and soon her chuckle erupted into maniacal laughter. When she spoke again, it was backed with the full power of her Royal Canterlot Voice. “Celestia was right to stay vigilant. Come, little elder, show us thy strength!” Luna's next volley met Azure's halfway, and the detonation shook the very foundations of the castle. --- Chrysalis winced as Crimson struck her shield, the red queen wasting no time in battering her defenses after the initial magical surge. Her barrier cracked, but held. “Do you regret sparing my life?” taunted the elder. “If you'd killed me back in Azure's hive, you might have lived past today!” The younger queen answered first with a spell of her own, taking to the air and drawing their fight away from Luna and Azure. “I'd just be fighting your replacement, then. Queen Aurum clearly considered you expendable if she left you behind to die.” Crimson's retaliation was quick and precise, but Chrysalis was ready, dropping out of the air as the window shattered behind her. “If my sacrifice ensures the survival of our race, then I will gladly be a sacrifice!” “We've sacrificed plenty already,” shouted Chrysalis, flying through the now-empty window frame and into the castle gardens. “Our entire race has!” Staying in the air made dodging easier but shielding unfeasible, and each shot that Crimson sent her way held enough power to put her down permanently. In the corner of her eye, she could see Celestia and Twilight, the former seemingly stalled by the latter. She didn't dare try to open their link, though, for fear of distracting her. She needed a plan. Crimson was more powerful than her by a wide margin, and most of her kin were dozens of miles away. Even if she could draw upon them, taking any more energy than she had already would likely kill them, just like Crimson had done with her own hive. Another bolt streaked by her, leaving a deep scar in the palace grounds. That had been too close. She needed to move faster if she was going to keep dodging, and maybe if she did enough of that, she could wear the other queen down. Chrysalis hit the ground running and galloped into the hedge maze, transforming into a smaller, sleeker pony with a familiar build ideal for flying. Stretching out her senses, Chrysalis quickly found the consciousness she was looking for speeding towards Canterlot. “Rainbow, I could use a flying lesson right now.” --- It wasn't until I was fifty meters from the castle that I realized how insane I was. Why was I chasing Celestia? Shouldn't Luna be fighting the sun-blessed alicorn? Could I even fight while flying and maintaining these spells? Well, that last question was going to get an answer very soon. My first spell was aimed at her wing, as trying to get through her magical armor would have taken more power than I had available. My aim was shaky, but Aurum hadn’t noticed me yet, and the queen’s voice cried out as her flight was suddenly interrupted. She turned, and I had a moment to see her golden eyes before she returned fire. Immediately, I folded my wings and dived, barely managing to get out of the way in time. Even so, I could feel the intense heat as the golden energy passed, my fur becoming uncomfortably warm as it hit the ground far below, erupting in an explosion of light that rivaled the sun. I could feel my body trembling. If I'd been a second slower... “Consider that your final warning, Twilight. It would be a shame to snuff out such a brilliant mind.” I forced my fear to the back of my mind, giving my answer to the queen with another shot aimed at her wings. I couldn't afford to hesitate and I absolutely could not let her get past the teleportation wards. Even if I couldn't beat her, I needed to stall her long enough for Luna to arrive. My attack was met midway with a golden wave, devouring my violent energy and forcing me to bank awkwardly to avoid it. I didn’t need to feel the heat or hear the detonation below us to know that a direct hit would likely kill me. I couldn't keep relying on her mediocre aim. Reaching out with my mind, I quickly zeroed in on a certain pegasus. “Rainbow! I need help flying!” “Seriously? You too? I swear, I'm gonna whip both of you into shape once we get through this!” “What? How-” “No! No talking! This is already hard enough with one of you, just let me see through your eyes!” As our mental link jolted into place, I quickly realized her dilemma. Chrysalis was fleeing from Crimson on pegasus wings while taking guidance from Rainbow who was already managing her own supersonic flight towards Canterlot. Focusing, I tried to repress all of my thoughts except for those related to flying and stopping Celestia. I could feel Rainbow's presence clearly now, and her thoughts flowed in, awakening instincts I hadn't been aware of. My wings snapped open, and with a firm push against the air, I rapidly began to close the distance to Celestia. “Keep your eye on the horn, wait for the light, bank slightly to the left...now turn!” My body followed the movements as Rainbow showed them, my world briefly turning upside-down as I rolled and dipped, dodging the blast completely and putting me in the perfect position for a counterattack. My first shot struck her belly where the armor had been damaged, the force briefly making her drop before she caught the air again, just in time to take another strike on her chest. By the time I had loosed my third spell, though, a bright golden shield had surrounded her, easily absorbing my magic. Already, I could see her injuries healing and the burn marks from my magic fading, leaving Celestia's coat as immaculate as it had ever been. Her shield was nigh impenetrable. Aurum may not have had Celestia's combat experience, but she certainly had her power. “Stay mobile, Twi,” encouraged Rainbow, guiding me into an orbit around Aurum's shield. “She can't effectively move or attack unless she drops it first.” And the longer she delayed, the more likely that backup would arrive in time. Still, from the way she was posed with her eyes closed, it didn't look like she was preparing to attack. “She's searching Celestia’s memories!” I realized suddenly. “Dive!” My wings folded and my body pitched forward, right as the shield faded. The air around me began to heat up, and then the sky itself caught fire. Vaguely, in one panicked corner of my mind, I recognized the spell as a 'Sunburst'. A widespread swath of destruction that ignited the oxygen in the air and supercharged the resulting firestorm. Every cloud in the sky was vaporized while Rainbow twisted my body in ways I didn't think were possible to avoid the myriad of rays still being thrown from Celestia's horn. “Fires closing in!” Desperately, I looked for a solution. A standard shield wasn't going to be enough. I was close to the ground, running out of places to fly when I spied one of the garden fountains. With a half-formed plan in my mind, I raced toward the water, collecting as much as I could with my telekinesis. “Don't get your wings wet!” I had just enough time to wrap a water-augmented shield around myself before the conflagration hit. The water I’d gathered flash-boiled and evaporated. The stone fountain melted and soon my shield was the only thing left protecting me from being incinerated. My barrier held, but I could still feel the heat singing me through my fur. Finally, the firestorm passed. I was still alive. “Come on egghead, get back up there! She's flying away!” I could feel my body trembling as I willed my wings to work. My fear must have been obvious, because Rainbow's next thought was less panicked and far more reassuring. “Come on, Twi, just follow my instincts and her magic won't touch you.” A surge of Rainbow's reassurance and self-confidence came with the encouragement, two things that I was desperately lacking. Tapping into her emotions, I spread my wings and chased after Celestia, quickly gaining on her once more. --- Azure was proving to be a resilient opponent. It was clear she'd extensively examined every thought that Celestia had on her, preparing for this inevitable confrontation, and it was definitely paying off. None of her stronger spells were working. Azure had not only pulled out counters for her Mistform, but her Night Terrors and Absolute Darkness spells as well. Her power was great enough to match any brute force tactic that Luna could employ, and even overwhelm most of her shields. A few burns and cuts had even scarred her armor where she hadn't been fast enough to dodge. And yet, Luna couldn't help but grin, her feeling of exhilaration only growing. “Cease holding back,” she challenged, deflecting Azure’s energy off to the side and into a collapsed wall. “Or have thy followers perished for naught?” With a snarl, Azure retaliated with a penetrating bolt, piercing her shield and leaving a deep gash in her armor and a shallow cut beneath. “Delaying you is enough. In time, Aurum will take full control of Celestia's mind, and then no one will dare challenge us!” Luna chuckled. “Clearly thou hast not infiltrated the other countries so thoroughly.” A fusillade of midnight-blue beams splashed against Azure's shield before the Shieldbreaker she’d slipped into the salvo shattered it, forcing the queen to step quickly to avoid the follow-up. “Celestia squanders her power. We will use it!” The queen's magic radiated outward, cooling the throne room, frost quickly forming on the remaining surfaces and walls. Her power surged further and ice began to form in the air, sharpening into lethal spikes before being flung towards Luna. Physical barriers rose up to meet them, broken stone from the walls and ceiling encasing the princess and shattering the icicles. “Perhaps thou should have gazed deeper into our sister's memories beyond the times we fought. Thou might have learned what truly makes a ruler worthy of love and admiration.” The stones around her broke apart and rocketed outward, only to be caught in Azure’s glowing field. “I've heard enough self-righteous preaching from your sister to last a lifetime. Once you're out of the way, our race will flourish!” Luna sighed, barely even flinching as several more beams struck her barrier. “I'm sorry, sister, I never did have your patience for fools.” The next blast met an opaque blue shield, the bubble surrounding the alicorn completely. Before Azure's next strike could hit, Luna dropped it herself, dashing towards the queen with her horn blazing. Still in the middle of her attack, the queen rapidly tried to adjust as Luna charged. Just as it seemed like the two were about to connect, though, Luna stumbled, her beam going wide as a hole in the broken floor tripped her up. Her wings spread, trying to stop her fall, but Azure was too fast, lancing an outstretched wing and drawing a cry from the princess. Azure didn't stop to appreciate her luck, immediately throwing everything she had at the downed alicorn. A hastily erected shield buckled and shattered under the barrage, and one powerful beam struck her barrel, Luna's eyes going wide as the magic bore through her armor and then her body, blood spilling from the open wound. Her hooves scrambled on the ground, trying to find purchase as her shaking body rose, but Azure was relentless, throwing one missile after another, striking her repeatedly until one finally pierced her neck. Luna's mouth opened in a silent cry, and then her body collapsed. Panting from the exertion, Azure looked at the fallen princess as if daring her to get up again, but seconds passed and Luna remained motionless in an expanding pool of blood. A small chuckle escaped the queen's mouth, and then a laugh. “Was that it? Is that all the strength your bravado and preaching was worth? Your sister managed to put up a better fight than you!” Walking carefully around the destroyed floor, Azure approached the body. “It's a shame, really. We would have loved to control you, too, but since Celestia can raise the moon as well as the sun...” She flicked out her forehoof, kicking at the princess...only for her hoof to pass through. Eyes wide, Azure tried to bring up a shield, but the spell came too quickly, striking her flank and leaving behind a stinging sensation. “Truly fascinating,” Luna's corpse murmured as it opened its eyes, the blood vanishing along with her wounds. “Able to counter my most potent spells, but unable to see through a simple illusion. Twilight was most accurate in her assessment of your abilities.” Furious, Azure scanned the throne room, ignoring the illusion even as it continued to speak. “Thou were an enjoyable opponent, but We have allies to help and a sister to rescue.” Azure fired at random, searching for the princess, but only found stone and wood. “I'm not finished with you!” “On the contrary, this fight has concluded. Starlight's seal was a complex piece of work, but not impossible to undo.” Azure's head whipped around. The seal Starlight had put on her flank surrounding Celestia's sun was still there, but it felt different. “You're bluffing,” she accused. “Only Celestia can activate this mark!” “Oh, were you thinking I was going to demand your surrender? My deepest apologies. Unlike my sister, I don't believe in third chances.” In a flash of blue, the illusion vanished and the real Luna appeared in the air. “I shall at least grant you a quick end.” With a snarl, the queen gathered up all the power she could, but it was too late. Her chitin caught fire, her mane ignited, and even her magic seemed to burn. Her mouth opened, but there wasn't even time to scream before the flames consumed her. --- Chrysalis turned sharply, her body skimming the wall of the maze as another hedge was vaporized behind her. “Do you have a plan besides just flying and dodging? She ain't getting tired!” “Her energy isn't infinite,” insisted Chrysalis. “Pretty sure you're gonna run outta maze, first!” Chrysalis was inclined to agree. Despite the ridiculous amount of power Crimson was throwing around, she didn't seem to be tiring, and over a third of the hedge maze had been leveled. Rainbow's guidance was proving invaluable with keeping ahead of the elder, but trying to find an opportunity to counterattack was much more difficult, even more so with Dash's mental attention divided. “Oh buck! Shield! Shield!” Chrysalis didn't waste time asking for clarification. Instead, the queen-turned-pegasus traced Rainbow's alarm and delved into her connection with Twilight, cursing when she saw what was happening. “Find some water!” “Where?” “I don't know, use the vapor in the air or something!” Chrysalis entertained that idea for all of a second before deciding on something more solid, namely one of the maze's stone walls. Landing hard, Chrysalis blasted the wall, grabbing several chunks of rock and forming them into a crude enclosure before reinforcing it with a shield. It didn't take long for Crimson to catch up. “Finally stopped running? Maybe now you can-gah!” Chrysalis would have laughed if she hadn't been so focused on her shield. The rocks around her began to heat up and liquify, her barrier straining as she drew on what power she safely could. Dimly, she could hear hear Crimson's cries above the firestorm before they were drowned out by the roar of the flames. Chrysalis’ hooves began to burn as the ground heated up beneath her, the small enclosure becoming unbearably hot...and then it had passed, the air rapidly cooling as the molten remains of her rock fort sloughed off. The castle grounds looked like a wildfire had swept through. The hedge maze was burned to the ground, along with most of the gardens. The stone walls in the maze had been reduced to rubble and slag, and an entire side of Canterlot Castle was blackened from where the Sunburst had struck. Several yards away, Queen Crimson was still standing, though visibly burned and panting heavily, her head turned down to the ground. Never one to let an opportunity slide, Chrysalis jeered at her. “What's the matter, Red? Take a bit of friendly fire? It's almost as if Queen Aurum doesn't really care about you.” The elder's head jerked up, her anger quickly reigniting. “My name...is Queen Crimson...and I will gladly burn if I catch you in the flames!” Even battered by the Sunburst, Crimson was still able to wield absurd amounts of power. With nothing to hide behind, Chrysalis was forced to dodge, each near-miss marking her with another burn. It was only thanks to Rainbow's guidance that she avoided a more direct hit. “Dammit, she's not letting up! Just how much power did she take?” “The elders likely had a thousand changelings between them, and possibly the support of other lesser queens,” Chrysalis replied grimly. Chrysalis knew she was going to lose. Her newly grown wings were starting to ache from the strain of rapid, sustained use, and eventually one of those blasts were going to find its mark. Either that or Aurum would use another Sunburst and likely kill both of them. Rainbow picked up on her thoughts. “I'm almost there! Just keep dodging and-” Her voice was cut off suddenly as a light red transparent dome formed around the two changelings, stopping Chrysalis' retreat. The ensuing crimson torrent was enormous, carrying with it all of the elder's pent-up rage. With nowhere to dodge and no time to break the shield, Chrysalis raised a shield of her own, gasping with effort as she tried to hold back the tsunami of power. “No more running! Fight back! You'll never win by just dodging and shielding!” The green shield cracked, but Chrysalis held on, her form shifting back to its original shape. The force strained her body and pushed her back, making her legs buckle, but to the Crimson Queen's surprise, Chrysalis looked up and grinned. “I don't need to.” Chrysalis savored the look on the elder's face as she finally took notice of the alicorn that had been approaching from behind. Less than a horn’s width, a bolt of midnight blue magic pierced the shield and streaked toward Crimson, striking her center of mass and traveling straight through her body. Shocked, the elder stumbled and collapsed, a hoof idly moving to try and cover the open wound. “It's amazing what you can accomplish when you leave your allies alive, isn't it?” gloated Chrysalis, her tone slightly mocking. “If I were in your place, I’d make another plea for forgiveness. Maybe you could worm your way into a third chance and a mark on your flank.” Crimson swallowed, her eyes going dim. Chrysalis’ voice softened, a hint of genuine concern creeping in. “Surrender, Crimson. Don't throw your life away. Aurum has sentenced enough of our kin to death already.” The Red Queen looked up, and for a moment her emotional barriers dropped. Anguish, guilt, agony...all of the emotions she'd been suppressing beneath her rage came to the forefront of her mind, led by an overwhelming sense of depression. With a growl, her horn lit once again, the elder lurching to her feet. Her sudden aggression made Chrysalis stumble back in surprise, but Crimson didn't get far. A second bolt of magic struck home, and this time the elder stayed down. The remaining changeling queen barely acknowledged the Lunar Princess as she landed beside her. “She wanted to die,” said Chrysalis, her voice cracking. “She was in agony the entire time...and I didn't see it.” “Her hive was sacrificed for Queen Aurum's gamble for power,” replied Luna. “It would have been a wonder if she hadn't been affected in some way.” Chrysalis could only nod. Even after everything she’d done, all she could think of now was how pointless her death seemed. “Come,” urged Luna. “Let us cut the puppet mistress' strings before she can do further harm.” “Right...I'll-” FLASH! The sky lit up with a blinding light, burning the eyes of both the princess and the queen. “No! Twilight!” Rainbow's voice pierced her thoughts moments before a thunderous boom shook her bones. When the spots in her eyes finally cleared, Chrysalis could just make out a purple form falling from the sky, limp and motionless.