The hive seemed almost deserted. Amanda and the ponies reckoned that all the changelings were outside, fighting the war with Johansson and his army. The distraction had worked. There were a few changelings left, but those were normal ones, which Twilight shot as silently as she could. They needed the element of surprise.
They moved through the gloomy hallways of Chrysalis’s palace. A few lamps hung on the black, changing wall, casting their green light upon them. Rarity and Twilight were still carrying Raspberry Trick. Once they had been inside the hive and away from the gas, they had stopped for a few minutes and tried to bring Trick back. But they didn’t have much time, and after he showed no sign of coming round, they moved on.
The changeling hive kept changing, but that didn’t matter. They knew where they wanted to go; up. Every time a hole opened with a hall sloping upwards behind it, Twilight and her friends took it. Following this simple plan, they went up higher and higher. The halls they encountered grew progressively smaller and narrower. They knew they were close.
Everypony mentally prepared herself for the fight. They knew that the time had almost come. If they failed, they had no doubt that Chrysalis was able to conquer this dimension. There would be no resistance from Americans or Russians in this state, so Chrysalis could take the time to breed a new, even larger army—maybe with stronger elite changelings. They were better adapted to this world, immune as they were to radiation. No, Twilight and her friends had no doubt that the changelings would destroy mankind, and emerge as the new dominant species on Ground Zero.
They rounded another corner, and encountered a staircase. It was very narrow, and went up for quite a while. At the top, there was a large set of double doors, made from hardened changeling spittle and with obsidian handles. Suddenly, the doors glowed green. They opened themselves slowly, creaking in their hinges.
The doors led to an enormous hall. It was circular, and had gigantic pillars all around. When the ponies looked up and squinted their eyes, they couldn’t even see the ceiling, just a black emptiness. To the right, the throne hall ended in a wide balcony. There, with her back towards them, overlooking Ground Zero, stood the queen of the changelings.
Everypony jumped up, as they heard a terrible scream coming from outside. Even though the death scream distorted his voice, Amanda knew who it was. “General Johansson!”
Slowly, Chrysalis turned around. She straightened and looked her visitors over while she licked her lips. “Well hello there, elements of harmony,” she said. Her voice was cold, calm, and collected, as if the battle was already won. “Please don’t blame your human friend. I knew who was coming for me the moment I felt the deaths of my guards.”
As the queen spoke, Rarity and Mayor Mare sidled away, laying down Raspberry Trick behind one of the pillars, and hopefully out of the fight. Even though they tried to keep their movements hidden, Chrysalis had spotted them with her sharp, slit-pupil eyes. “Aw, did you have a casualty? Well, you know what they say; wars have no winners.”
Twilight stepped forwards, her wings outstretched. “It’s over, Chrysalis. You have ravaged this world long enough. Your hoofprint of destruction ends now!”
“Ends?” Chrysalis threw her head back and laughed an icy laugh. “No, Princess Twilight, it may look like the end to you, but this is actually the beginning of the story. My heart fluttered when I felt your presence in my palace. You did well to bring the elements of harmony here, saving me the trouble of combing out this entire wasteland to find them all. Now, I can eradicate you right here, right now.”
Twilight shook her head. “No, Chrysalis, we will stop you. We have the power of the elements with us, and we’re not afraid to use them. Call back your troops and surrender, or you’ll feel just what this group of friends here can do.” Twilight knew she was bluffing; they were still one element short. Yet, against all odds, she hoped Chrysalis would be intimidated.
Of course, she was not. “I am not afraid, Twilight Sparkle. I have already won a battle today, and I am ready to make that two. The other army already surrendered.”
“General Johansson would never surrender!” Amanda yelled.
Chrysalis eyed the woman. She bared her teeth. “No, you’re right, he didn’t. I was just misinterpreting his screams for mercy and death when my changelings fed on him. He screamed like the puny human he was, before he fell like an empty eggshell to the ground.”
“No,” Amanda said, shouldering her weapon. “Johansson was the strongest soldier I have ever known. Don’t talk lies of him. He was brave.”
“Brave, you say?” Chrysalis said. “I call it foolish. Is it brave to rally hundreds of men, and send them to fight against an enemy they barely know? Is it brave to send all of those men to die, gasping for breath in a radioactive crater? Is it brave to fight a hopeless battle, and lose and then be surprised? I think not.”
Amanda tightened the grip on her gun, and felt tears coming up. “Johansson knew what he was doing. In the end, his mission was a success. Thanks to him, we came this far.”
“So, because Johansson died, you could come here and… die?” Chrysalis’s voice was dripping with mockery.
“You’re even worse than in the show!” Amanda yelled.
Unfolding her wings, Chrysalis said, “I know nothing of a ‘show.’ The only show will be the horror show I will put up, when you will be slaughtered like Johansson and his army.”
That was too much for Amanda. She couldn’t stand that merciless voice any longer. She took aim, and fired a burst of lead towards the changeling queen.
But Chrysalis was prepared for that. Because she had her wings unfurled, she had no trouble zipping up into the sky, and lingering there. “Foolish woman!” She gritted her teeth. Her horn glowed. She fired a magical energy bolt towards Amanda.
But Amanda was quicker than Chrysalis thought. Like the trained soldier she was, she rolled aside, until she was behind one of the thick pillars.
The second battle for Ground Zero had started. “Everyone! The elements! Quickly!” Twilight said.
“H-h-how do I do that?” Mayor Mare said.
Twilight already began. “Focus on your inner strength! Focus on your virtues!”
Everypony closed her eyes, calling upon the elements inside themselves. Mayor Mare followed their example, and could feel something too. Something reverberated in her body, like the strum from a harp. Something that she knew was always there, but never recognized. Even though she was an earth pony, she felt the magic surge through her body. It felt like a fast mountain stream, and then like powerful rapids. The magic filled her up and became a part of her, synchronizing with her soul. Mayor Mare became connected to the other mares’ minds. She was part of a whole now. She was a part of the magic of harmony.
The rest of Twilight’s friends did the same, as they had done before. Each of them reached deep into their soul, to bring out the magic. They all started to glow, illuminating the massive throne hall all by themselves.
Chrysalis shielded her eyes from the light. Briefly, the thought of fleeing shot through her mind. She had been so sure when she had quickly counted the mares, and saw that one was missing. But now, with the powerful magic shining in front of her, she wasn’t so sure anymore. But she knew about the power of the elements, and knew there was nowhere to run. She just stared at the mares.
They glowed and rose up into the air. Their appearances changed. Bright rainbow colors streamed through their manes and tails, making them look even more impressive and awe-inspiring. The glows became brighter and brighter. Twilight Sparkle knew now was the time. She felt the presence of her friends, her fellow elements, around her. The tip of her horn glowed with a fierce light, as she focused the magic.
But something was wrong. Twilight felt a gap in her magical powers. One of the elements was still missing, and the realization crashed into her mind and interrupted the flow of magic like a rock thrown into a still pond. The rainbow colors faded. The glow faded. And then the magic of the elements imploded through Twilight’s horn. With a thud, everypony fell to the floor.
“What happened?” Applejack said.
Queen Chrysalis saw what was wrong, and laughed. “I saw that one element is still missing. You will never have the power to best me!” She reared on her hind legs. “Now…” Her horn glowed a sickly green. Lightning sparked off of it. “You shall be…” She focused on the middle of the pony group. “DESTROYED!”
The blast struck like a hurricane. Everypony flew everywhere. Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and Mayor Mare crashed into one of the pillars, while Twilight Sparkle lay flat on the ground. When she tried to get up, she stared straight into the eyes of Chrysalis.
She was charging up a new shot. “Your fate is sealed, Twilight Sparkle.”
Amanda, who had taken cover behind the pillar she dove for, made a move. She stepped out of her cover, leveled her gun, and fired.
The burst of machine gun fire hit Chrysalis’s leg. She let out a screech, and recoiled from Twilight. Flapping her wings, she took to the sky. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
Twilight got up. “Oh no, you don’t!” She pumped her wings, and followed Chrysalis over the balcony and outside. She almost got an energy beam in the face, as Chrysalis had hidden herself against the wall. Yet she avoided it, and now the game was on.
Amanda ran towards the balcony. The fact the she couldn’t fly didn’t mean there was nothing she could do. While Chrysalis and Twilight skirmished in mid-air, she crouched down and tried to shoot Chrysalis with her weapon.
Meanwhile, the rest of the ponies got back to their senses. They shook the dust off their bruised and battered bodies. Immediately, they went to the balcony. But then they realized there was nothing they could do to help Twilight.
She flew through the air, dodging energy missiles from Chrysalis and firing back. They twirled around each other, trying their best to aim their magic. After a quick swoop, Chrysalis fired a beam, and so did Twilight. The beams met in mid-air, collided, and exploded in a fireball. Amanda kept aiming and shooting. When she noticed the ponies standing next to her, she said, “Go to Raspberry Trick! He needs your help!”
So they did. They ran back, and disappeared behind the pillar. There, Raspberry still lay, motionless. Applejack put a hoof on his chest. “He’s still breathing,” she said, as she felt his chest going up and down shallowly. “But not too well.” Then she turned him around, and felt his heart. “It’s so weak! I don’t know how long it will keep pumping.”
“And look at those marks!” Rarity exclaimed. Indeed, there were strange burn marks beside the wounds the acid had caused on his back. The same wounds could be seen in his neck. “Maybe that is from the ‘radiation,’ he warned us about. Do you remember?”
“Do you think laughter will help?” Pinkie suggested. “After all, laughter really is the best medicine.”
“I don’t think that will work, darling,” Rarity said sadly.
Mayor Mare bit her lip. She had felt so powerful with the magic of the elements inside of her. If only she could have used that magic to help Raspberry Trick… She perked up. An idea flashed into her mind. “Can’t we use a magical spell of so? Rarity, you know magic, right?”
But Rarity’s eyes were doubtful. “Well, yes, but I can’t do everything…”
“Yes,” Applejack said. “Didn’t you try and practice a poison removal spell after… well… after Fluttershy? I saw how you asked for every book on poison when you came to Twilight’s library one day.”
“Yes, yes I did.” Still, there was doubt in her voice. “But those books were all books on liquid poison, that gets into a pony’s body, and not gasses.”
Mayor Mare put a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “I think now is a good time to try, Rarity. I know you can do it.”
Shaking, Rarity nodded. She gathered up the words and phrases she had learned in her mind, turning them into magical incantations as a musician would turn sheet music into sounds. A blue light sparkled from her horn. Slowly, she brought it down towards Raspberry’s chest. That was where the poison was. Everypony held their breaths.
And all the while, Twilight and Chrysalis and Amanda fought. Chrysalis shot more green energy, but Twilight made a looping and avoided it. Then Twilight fired a bolt, but Chrysalis made a corkscrew around the blast. They seemed to be tied, equals in power. Yet, Twilight had Amanda.
Amanda knew she didn’t have many bullets left. She had to make them count. Trying to follow the queen’s swift aerial maneuvers was like hitting a fly in the dark. Her crosshairs turned from the left to the right and up and down.
Chrysalis was getting a bit tired, so she slowed down. “You cannot best me, Twilight Sparkle. Your attempt is—AH!”
Green blood dripped down a hole in Chrysalis’s side. Behind her gun, Amanda grinned.
Instantly, Chrysalis’s eyes were aimed at the woman. When Twilight fired another bolt and she flapped her wings to avoid it, she headed straight for Amanda, charging at her like a heat-seeking missile.
Amanda pressed the trigger to fire a burst of lead at the incoming queen, but her gun only clicked. She was out of ammo.
Chrysalis slammed into Amanda, trying to skewer her with her horn. But Amanda wasn’t wearing a normal ballistic vest. She was wearing a model of body armor that had a metal plate in it. Even though the horn encountered resistance, the impact still sent Amanda flying. She crashed into one of the black pillars in the throne hall, and disappeared from view with Queen Chrysalis.
Gasping, Twilight Sparkle swooped down and into the throne hall. She couldn’t see behind which pillar her enemy and her friends were, so she hesitated, wary as she was for an ambush. In the corner of her eye, she saw a blue flash, as the rest of her friends still tried to revive Raspberry Trick.
Rarity gritted her teeth as she let the magic flow. She channeled the healing spell and directed it towards Raspberry’s body. The glow sprang from her horn to the pony. He started glowing and sizzling. Everypony looked from Rarity to Trick, waiting for something to happen. At last, the glow disappeared.
“What happens now?” Applejack asked.
Rarity swallowed. “Well, now is the moment where he should wake up.”
“But… nothing is happening.”
With a cracked voice, Rarity said, “Then I fear we have lost ourselves a pony.” Even though she hadn’t initially liked Raspberry, Rarity still felt sorrow. In the end, he was still a pony, and in the end, she knew that she failed to save him too, just as she failed to save Fluttershy. She knew she had failed.
Applejack took off her hat. “Then let him rest in peace y’all.” She turned around and saw Twilight. Applejack couldn’t find Chrysalis with her hateful stare. “Let’s try to do what we can do; get some revenge.”
Twilight Sparkle didn’t hear a sound. She stopped in the middle of the throne hall. It was strange that she couldn’t hear neither Amanda nor Chrysalis. Surely they must be fighting, yet why weren’t there any sounds of battle? Twilight gasped, as a possible explanation shot to mind. Maybe she is…
Alive! Raspberry Trick coughed, and tried to get to his hooves. But then he fell down, and coughed some more.
“Yay! He’s alive!” Pinkie yelled. She jumped up and hugged Raspberry tightly.
Pinkie didn’t know it, but that embrace saved the stallion’s life. Raspberry let out a drawn-out wheeze, as his lungs became dented by Pinkie. A small cloud of green vapors escaped through his mouth and his nose, drifting to the ceiling. When Pinkie let go, Raspberry didn’t even need to cough.
“Oh, there you are,” Twilight said, when the figure of Amanda appeared from behind a column. She smiled, and walked towards Twilight.
“Where’s Chrysalis?” Twilight asked.
Amanda smiled. “Taken care of.”
As soon as Raspberry stopped wheezing and coughing, Pinkie Pie grabbed his gasmask and jammed it on his muzzle. “Wakey wakey, sleepy trigger.”
Raspberry was still dazed. His head felt as if he had a bad hangover. He felt like vomiting, and his stomach felt queasy. The first signs of radiation poisoning. When he thought the feeling of his legs returned, he stood up. He saw that he was in a strange environment. His eyes flashed around, taking in the scene. Immediately, he spotted Twilight Sparkle, as Amanda walked towards her. But something was off. He took a deep breath, and shouted, “Twilight! She doesn’t have a gun!”
Time slowed down. Twilight Sparkle looked at Amanda, who had almost reached her. Trick pumped his wings, charging towards the disguised Chrysalis. The queen of the changelings dispelled her disguise. Trick jumped. Chrysalis lowered her head, and stabbed with her glowing horn.
Right into Raspberry’s barrel.
Twilight recoiled from the scene. Before she knew what happened, Raspberry Trick was on the ground, clutching his stomach with his hooves, bleeding. Chrysalis too, looked at the stallion.
“No!” Twilight shouted.
Immediately, she reacted. Twilight looked at Chrysalis, charged her horn, and blasted.
The queen of the changelings flew backwards, and crash-landed into the pillar that bore her throne. Purple smoke came from her chest. She tried to stand up, fell down, and tried again. The electricity still flowed through her body. Her shoulders twitched. The pain was intense. Chrysalis had trouble standing up, let alone fight. Luckily, she had another trick up her sleeve. She staggered to the back of her throne, and searched for the hidden panel. She pressed it; the rift came into view.
Rarity, Mayor Mare, Applejack, and Pinkie galloped towards Twilight, who was bent over Raspberry, trying desperately to stop the blood with some of her spells. They paid no attention to Chrysalis.
That’s why they didn’t see what she did. Chrysalis charged her horn with magical energy, and sliced upwards, tearing the rift open.
The magical energy was released. The colors of Chrysalis’s palace and the colors of the ponies all blurred together. They swirled around each other. The hive disappeared, and Canterlot reappeared, as if someone changed the decor in a theater play. Nopony even noticed the change until they felt the rays of the sun upon their hides
They were in a tower of Canterlot Castle. A part of the roof was missing, destroyed in the battle between Chrysalis and the royal sisters. But the location didn’t matter. What mattered was Raspberry. Blood kept flowing out of his wound. It had gotten a green edge, and Twilight realized he had been injected with foul changeling magic. She tried desperately to channel some magic and dispel the changeling curse, while Rarity cast her poison removal spell. Yet, they knew that if the wound kept bleeding, it didn’t even matter if they could take away the poison and magic. Trick would die of hemorrhage.
Raspberry Trick tried to raise his head. He tried to say something, but his voice was lost in bloody gurgles.
“What’s the matter, Trick?” Applejack asked. “What do you wanna say?” She knew the words could very well be Trick’s last.
“Be… be… behind… you…”
Chrysalis stood upright, although her wound still smoked. “Foolish ponies! You briefly forgot that you are but few, and I am with many!” She raised her wings. “Come to me, my children. Come to me and help me destroy the elements of harmony!”
Instantly, a chorus of chittering wings resounded. The changeling-infested city of Canterlot seemed to hum. Changelings stopped what they were doing and answered their queen’s call. From every deserted street, out of every ravaged house, changelings came and flew over to the tower. In a matter of minutes, Twilight and her friends were surrounded by a mass of changelings. Yet, they didn’t care. They cared about Raspberry Trick.
The blood kept flowing. Trick’s breath came out in ragged huffs, spitting blood over the white marble of Canterlot Castle. He could hardly stay conscious. His eyes were as wide as could be, gazing at something only he could see. Black blotches appeared in his vision, as his eyesight began to fail. He felt as if his organs had rolled out of his belly, and he had to get up and gather them.
He saw his mother, the sweet, caring mare who was always ready to help him with whatever problem he had. His dad was there too, smiling and cheering as he watched his son shoot arrows with his bow. Raspberry Trick bit back an urge to cry. They would never know that he did remember them. They would never know that they could be a family again. They would never know that they could be a real family again, in which Raspberry Trick gave as much affection and love as he received. Instead, they would grieve over the loss of their son.
Although he couldn’t know that, Raspberry’s last thought was the same as Johansson’s.
At least I die fighting…
His muscles relaxed, as life left the dying stallion alone. Twilight and Rarity dispelled their magic. Raspberry Trick was no more.
Twilight unfolded her wing, brushed it against Trick’s face, and closed his eyes.
“Is… is Raspberry also going to play with Fluttershy now?” Pinkie asked, a bit hesitantly. Somehow, speaking didn’t feel like the right thing to do.
“Yes, Pinkie,” Twilight said, “he is.”
Pinkie sniffed. “I just hope they have a good time together…”
“Pathetic ponies,” Chrysalis called, as she towered above them. “You see now how far your love and compassion goes. This is why you are better off without it. We will feed, and you will miss nothing.”
Slowly, Twilight and her friends stood up, and looked in the faces of many hundreds of changelings. They stood around them in a circle, forming rank after rank. Chrysalis was at the front, biting back pain. “What do you have to say now, Twilight Sparkle? You are defeated. Your elements are incomplete.” Then she noticed the small tears that fell over Twilight’s face. “It is of no use to cry over the death of some random stallion. Come on! Show some dignity when I deliver the final strike.”
“Raspberry Trick was not just a random stallion,” Twilight said. Her voice gained a rough edge. It grew almost threatening, as if the death of Raspberry Trick awakened something in her. “Even though we got off at a bad start, he has helped us countless times. He met up with Zecora and gave us her location; he helped coordinating the assault on your hive; he fought for us, destroying your changelings; he made sure we wouldn’t suffocate, nearly sacrificing himself. And then…” Twilight swallowed hard. Now she did cry, but she didn’t care. “And then he did actually sacrifice himself. And that, Queen Chrysalis, is what love and compassion does. It makes you care about each other, cover each other and have each other’s backs. Raspberry Trick was not just a random stallion; he was somepony special.”
And that speech was all Mayor Mare needed. Something clicked inside her head. Some pieces of the puzzle fell into place. When she exchanged glances with Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie, she saw they realized it too.
Queen Chrysalis let out a terrifying laugh, as she was joined by the countless changelings. She clutched her burned stomach at such a ridiculous speech. When at last her laughter subsided, she decided she had waited long enough. It was time for the kill. “No matter how sweet your words are, princess of friendship, you are still incomplete, and you are still mine.” She did a step closer. “Now promise me not to scream as I suck the love out of you.”
“You shall not, Queen Chrysalis,” Rarity said, and stepped between her and Twilight.
“No way,” Pinkie said, and joined her.
Applejack and Mayor Mare joined as well. “You are wrong, Chrysalis, and Twilight is right,” Mayor Mare said. “Raspberry Trick was not some random stallion. He truly was somepony special.”
“Then why am I wrong?” Chrysalis said. She bent through her knees. Her fanged mouth was inches from Mayor Mare’s face.
Mayor Mare stood undaunted, erect, and proud. “You are wrong about the fact that we are one element short. In fact, we are all complete.”
The penny now dropped with Twilight Sparkle too. Her friends stepped aside as she stood in their middle. “Raspberry Trick is the element of loyalty…”
That was something Chrysalis didn’t expect. Her mind denied it. “What?! Impossible!”
“No, Chrysalis,” Twilight said. “I believe my friends are right. After everything he did for us, he has proven to always be loyal. He offered his guns to us when we met him for the second time, in Plaza City. He offered his guns like the soldier he was, and fought for a cause—our cause. He fought for our cause and he fought for us. Maybe he only thought that the mission mattered, but by sacrificing himself, he has proven that he knew we mattered. Not just as the elements of harmony, but as friends.”
Pinkie jumped up. “Yeah, even though I don’t think he will ever admit it, Triggerhoof is our friend. By the way, I liked him from the beginning.”
Chrysalis recoiled. Something in her mind told her Twilight Sparkle wasn’t bluffing. Maybe there was more to the stallion soldier than met the eye. “But he is dead now. He cannot help you to complete the elements. He can do nothing against me.”
“Let’s find out, shall we?” Rarity said, and already tuned in on the magic.
Twilight saw that, and realized what they wanted to do. But it didn’t work the first time; why would it work now? Nevertheless, against all common sense, Twilight helped. She reached for the magic of friendship, powering the elements of harmony, and centered herself as the focal point of the magic.
Shielding her eyes against the glow, Chrysalis did a step back, yet she kept denying. “No! There is nothing you mares can do! The element isn’t here! The element is still gone! The element is dead!”
Pinkie and Applejack took their positions and started to glow too. And so did Mayor Mare. She found the essence of kindness in her heart, and let it guide the magic in her body. When she first took her rightful place as one of the elements of harmony, she found the power of the magic astounding—and she still did. In fact, she reckoned the power was so astounding that she could use it in the way she was about to use it. She reached out a hoof to the body of Raspberry Trick.
“What do you think you are doing?!” Chrysalis shrieked. “You cannot help him anymore.”
Kindness reached out for loyalty. The magical flow, now visible as rainbow ribbons between the mares, flowed around Mayor Mare. She felt the magic wrap around her. She directed it towards her hoof, and centered it there like a powerful unicorn wizard. She bent down, and grabbed Raspberry’s limp hoof.
Chrysalis now became genuinely scared. “You are fools! Idiots! You are all insane! Nopony can resurrect the dead. There is no magic powerful enough in Equestria to do that!”
But if that were true, then why did Raspberry open his eyes? Mayor Mare let the magic flow through his body. Fluttershy, who was the element of kindness before her, left a legacy. Her ability to help injured animals and nurse them back to health was in her nature, and therefore, in her element. Mayor Mare smiled, as she felt Raspberry’s grip tighten. Slowly, he raised his head, and exchanged a glance with the element of kindness. He was actually smiling.
“No! This can’t be happening. It is impossible!”
Raspberry Trick looked up, and thought he saw an angel. He held Mayor Mare’s hoof tightly. He didn’t feel pain anymore. He felt powerful. When he looked at the hole in his chest, he saw that there was no hole. There wasn’t even any blood. The magic swirled around him, lifted him to his hooves. It was as if he woke up from a very dark dream. But in reality, he woke up from the dead, and proved, once and for all, that the magic of friendship and the elements of harmony were more powerful than anything else in Equestria.
“Yay! You go, Triggerhoof!” Pinkie squeaked.
He stood up, and then felt the magic lift him into the air. It swirled around him, became part of him. Something clicked into place. It was as if he discovered something inside himself that he had somehow always known. He had always known he was a good soldier, but the element of loyalty? No, he could never have guessed that.
Yet it was true. His chest lighted up, as the magic reached his heart. He hovered over to the rest of the elements, and took his place next to kindness. A glow pulsed from pony to pony, and one by one, the rainbow weaved itself in their manes and tails, making them look powerful and indestructible.
Suddenly, Pinkie yelled something. “Twilight! Your ear!”
Indeed, the magic healed Twilight’s wound as well. The bandage slipped off her head, revealing a pretty, healthy, purple ear, with no scars whatsoever. Of course, this was but a minor detail.
Chrysalis turned to fly away, to flee the scene. But her changelings stood before her. They were her children, and she couldn’t possibly abandon them. They still looked at her. Five hundred eyes watched their queen, their mother, and wondered how she was going to take care for them. She couldn’t. Slowly, Chrysalis turned around, and faced her fate head-on.
The rainbow colors shot into the air like a giant, multi-colored arrow. It went in an arch, and landed at Chrysalis. She tried to shield herself with her wings, but the power completely engulfed her. She closed her eyes. She knew that her life would end with a flash.
A halo of energy spread like a bubble when the arrow touched down. Then it exploded. Even though none of them were killed, the changelings all flew away as the energy bubble struck them, launching them miles away from Canterlot. Flabbergasted, they couldn’t react. They had no idea what was happening.
There came an end to the rainbow arrow. Slowly, the elements floated down, until their hooves touched the ground. They kept standing in a circle, as they looked down at Chrysalis.
When the terrible light was gone, Queen Chrysalis looked up and let out a gasp of horror. The ponies were huge. Each was as tall as the tallest spire in the castle. Chrysalis realized that they had somehow enlarged themselves, using the magic of the elements.
But the ponies hadn’t enlarged themselves; they had shrunk Chrysalis. She was about the size of a large beetle now, looking helplessly around.
Pinkie was the first to speak. “Don’t worry, everypony. I got this!” She reached back into her puffy, curled mane, and grabbed a jar filled with confetti. She screwed the lid off, flung the confetti around (she let nothing go to waste), and trapped Chrysalis in the jar. “There, done.”
Raspberry Trick still couldn’t believe what had just happened. He tried to remember how he entered the shadow world between life and death, but found that his head was empty. The only memories he could conjure up were happy ones. The happy memories drove back the fog of reality that always lingered in his mind. They drove back the horrors of years on Ground Zero. The radiation, the raiders, the reds, the battles, the wars, the constant fight for survival; those things all took second place in Trick’s mind. He was in Equestria now, where things were colorful and bright. The things that came first now were his family, who awaited their son’s return, and his friends, both the other ponies, and what remained of the Heat Seekers.
“Amanda! Johansson!”
Raspberry Trick looked around in the ruined tower. Amanda wasn’t there. He spotted a staircase, and rushed towards it.
“Raspberry, wait!” Twilight yelled after him, but it was in vain. She called for her friends to follow, and together the elements galloped after him.
Moving from hall to hall, Raspberry Trick tried to find his lost friends. He had no idea if they had been teleported into Equestria as well, or if they had been left behind. He saw how the others approached, but ignored them. Only when Twilight got a hold of his shoulders did he pause. “I have to find them! I have to!”
“We know,” Twilight said. “But let us search together. That will be more fruitful.”
So they did. They combed out the castle, but found no one but themselves. Raspberry Trick ended his search in the throne room, where the hidden door was still opened.
The Orb of Translocation still sat there, shimmering. Raspberry felt himself being pulled closer and closer to it. When he could almost touch the mysterious artifact, the other ponies returned.
“Is this the thing you used to get on to Ground Zero?” Trick asked.
Twilight nodded. “The Orb of Translocation sent us to you, and now I know why.”
Raspberry turned his gaze away from the Orb and looked at Twilight. “Why?”
“Because Princess Luna told me that the Orb of Translocation would send us either to a source of magic, or close to the connection between worlds. Chrysalis got sent into the crater, and built her palace around the connection, and we teleported to you, the element of loyalty. There is no magic more powerful than the magic of an element.”
“I understand, but… can I go back?”
Everypony’s eyes went wide. “Why in Equestria would you want to go back to that dreary, dangerous place?” Rarity said.
Raspberry Trick turned his head away and watched the orb again. “To find my friends and to return to my parents.”
Rarity nodded. She understood. “It’s just a shame. I’m sure you will like it here. You look so pretty now in this world.”
“Yes, and I feel better too—lighter somehow. I feel as if all the struggles have fallen off my shoulders.” But when Trick looked at his own reflection in the Orb, he got what Rarity meant. His scars were all gone. Not only the one he got from the changeling’s white-hot energy lance, but also the wounds on his back from the acid, and the burns he had gotten from advanced radiation poisoning.
“But, what about your duties here?” Applejack said. “You’re still one of the elements, after all. You have to help us liberate Equestria. Hay, Discord is still on the loose somewhere.”
Twilight turned to Applejack. “Yes, but we can’t force him to stay here. If he wants to go, he can go.”
Trick turned around, and looked at every pony in turn. “I hope abandoning you now won’t be a bad spot on my loyalty. But you have to know, I lost Equestria a long time ago. Ground Zero is my home. It has formed me into the pony I am, and I’m sure my virtues will prove very helpful.” He grinned, and rubbed his hooves together. “And, of course, there is still a whole army of changelings to kill. Without their leader, I’m sure it will be a merry slaughter.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. The others weren’t surprised. Trick was just Trick.
“Oooooooooooor,” Pinkie said, “you can grab your family and friends and live here! It will be easier for me, because then I won’t have to move all my party supplies for your big ‘welcome home reunion party.’”
Twilight stepped forward and stood next to the orb. She shook her head. “I think not. Princess Luna told me the Orb could probably be used five times. The day that we sneaked into the castle, Chrysalis revealed to us that she had sent spies to Earth. Then, we used the Orb to travel to Earth; that makes two. After that, Chrysalis jumped through, and ended up in the crater; that makes three. During our fight, Chrysalis tore the rift open, which is connected to the Orb; that makes four. Maybe the Orb can only be used one more time.” She stared deep into Trick’s eyes. “The decision you make will be a permanent one, Raspberry.”
“And don’t forget about Zecora, y’all,” Applejack said. “If we can’t use that there Orb anymore, then there’s no way we’re gonna get her back to Equestria.”
Twilight closed her eyes and sighed. “You’re right, Applejack.” She fumbled around in her saddlebag and brought out Trick’s GPS. “Zecora is still in there, and who knows how many more ponies are stuck. Maybe… maybe one of us should go with you.”
Rarity wrinkled her nose. “I think not, Twilight.”
When Twilight looked at all of her friends, she saw that none of them was very eager to follow Raspberry back to Ground Zero.
Raspberry Trick noticed their hesitation. “Elements, I could never ask for a follower. Your place is here, in Equestria, while my place is Ground Zero. But that doesn’t mean I won’t think of your friends. Hell, I will make it my mission to find them. Yes!” He stood straight, and raised his hoof in the air. “I swear it upon my name and rank, that I will accept this mission. I will look out for other ponies, protect them, keep them safe. I will not let those ponies die on Ground Zero.”
Everypony looked at Trick, and Trick looked at everypony. When at last the silence became unbearable, Twilight Sparkle slowly stepped forward, and handed back the GPS. “I trust you, Raspberry Trick. You are the element of loyalty. Of course you will be true to your word. Go if you want, and see if you can do something for the ponies there. I give the responsibility of that important task to you.”
Once again, Trick saluted. “I will not let you down, elements. The first thing I do is go back to Zecora’s hut in the woods. Perhaps I will make that my home base, because the forest will provide great cover. I will return, and make Ground Zero a safer place for everyone—except communists, of course.”
“That sounds like a goal worth fighting for,” Mayor Mare said.
Trick grinned once again. “Oh yes, there will be lots of fighting.”
“But… does that mean goodbye?” Pinkie said, her ears drooping down. “But you just got here—literally.”
For the first time, Raspberry Trick looked at Pinkie Pie without irritation, frustration, or damn-right anger in his gaze. “I’m sorry, Pinkie. It’s just the way it should be. You all would do well to forget about me and the hell you’ve been through on Ground Zero as soon as you can. Trust me, it will spare you many sleepless nights.”
With that good advice, he faced the Orb. He was just about to jump in, When Twilight stopped him. “Wait!”
“What is it?”
Twilight looked at the ground briefly, but then decided the direct way was best. “General Johansson, he is… he’s dead, Trick.”
Raspberry Trick closed his eyes for a moment. He tapped his forehead with his hoof, and jerked his helmet off his head. “Goddammit!” Then he looked up at Twilight, his gaze once again stark and grim. “Thank you for telling me anyway. I just hope he died fighting.”
“Trust me, Raspberry. That he did.” Twilight Sparkle stepped closer to the blood-red pony. “But before you go, I want to give you a gift. Please, lower your head.”
Slowly, Trick did as Twilight told him. He saw a flash of light, which reached his head first and then traveled all the way down, over his whole body, to the tip of his tail. He glowed a soft purple for a few moments, and then Twilight stepped back. “It is the same spell I used on my friends and I. It will protect you from radiation for a month. I reckon that should give you enough time to find a new suit.”
Raspberry knew what that meant; one month free of worries and fears. He stuck out a hoof. “That means a lot to me, Twilight Sparkle. It means more to me than you all realize.”
Twilight bumped his hoof, but then all of her other friends put their hooves on top of Trick’s as well.
“I admire your loyalty,” Rarity said.
“Darn fine work,” Applejack said.
Mayor Mare smiled at him. “Good luck on your quest, Raspberry Trick.”
Twilight shook his hoof once more. “Please, be safe.”
“Do you think you will be alright, without me planning your big party?” Pinkie said. “I can get you some party stuff if you wait a few days or so.”
Raspberry Trick chuckled, a rare sound. “Don’t worry, Pinkie. I will make sure to party hard.”
There was nothing more to say. As Raspberry Trick climbed the pedestal, he turned around and waved at the elements of harmony—his friends—one last time. He nodded towards Twilight. She concentrated, and shot a magical beam towards the Orb of Translocation to fire it up. It glowed a bright purple, and radiated light. Twilight’s friends saw how Raspberry Trick became transparent. The light shone right through him. Then, with a spark and a sizzle, Raspberry Trick returned to Ground Zero, his home.
When Twilight stopped casting her spell, a crack formed upon the Orb. Then another one. And another one. Cracks covered the whole Orb, and the thing fell apart. Before any of the shards touched the ground, however, they transformed into fine, silvery dust, and flew away on an unseen wind.
Princess Luna had been right.