Twilight’s POV
Twilight and her “friends” were overwhelmed. To say that sentence is an understatement, that’s an understatement. After having fought changelings until past exhausted, they found the Hall of the Elements swarming with changelings. Having pushed themselves, they were in no condition to fight longer and were forced to surrender.
After being captured, the Mane 6 were brought back to the now ruined Throne Room, where Queen Chrysalis was looking over Canterlot with a smug look. “Soon. soon it will all be mine to feast upon. Their is no one left to stop me. HAHAHAHAHHA” She chuckled a bit. “How does it feel to fail? To lose it all? Let it sink into your very bones!”
“I doesn’t matter if we lost now,” Twilight spoke with exhausted confidence. “So long as there is at least one free pony, you have yet to win!”
“Unless you have a pony that I have no idea about, you have still lost!” The queen was still confident she had won. “HAHAHAHAHHAH!!!!!!!”
Suddenly, without any warning, one of the windows shattered. The Queen stopped her laughter long enough to create a barrier to prevent glass shards from harming her. A quiet thud was then heard. As it turned out, the reasoning behind the glass breaking was a crossbow bolt flying through it and punching clean through a changeling’s head.
“What!? Agh!” She clutched her head as that voice in the hive mind cut off jarring her for a second. “Show yourself!”
POV Shift
“This one is not entirely sure it is wise for you see us,” Qa’taro spoke loudly through the window while remaining hidden. “We are so hideous that the mere sight of our flesh would cause you to die of immediate loss of your very soul.”
“Even if you don’t, we could kill you in the blink of an eye.” Torrin said loudly and forcefully. “So be careful what you wish for.” The Mane 6 quietly gasped, recognizing his voice.
“Are you sure you want to test us?” Torrin continued. “It could get ugly.”
“We are most unnatural,” Qa’taro added on. “With the body of a tiger and the head of a…”
“A raptor. So don’t mess with us!” Torrin finished Qa’taro’s statement.
“That actually sounds cute,” Fluttershy quietly said.
“Who asked your opinion!?” Qa’taro shouted, pretending to act annoyed, while secretly agreeing with her.
“Release the ponies or we will attack. This is your ONLY WARNING!” Torrin said in his commander voice.
“What kind of attack? Hugs and cuddles? OH NO!” Chrysalis mocked.
“The deadly kind you bug creep!” Torrin replied back.
“Lacerations!” Qa’taro listed.
“Brain damage!” Torrin said.
“Incineration!” Qa’taro added.
“Caved ribs!” Torrin said.
“And-” Qa’taro began, but was interrupted by a voice behind the two.
“Miscalculation?” A changeling said, exposing Qa’taro.
“Torrin,” Qa’taro whispered. “If this one could list two words to describe our situation, they would be SCREW IT!!!” He then pulled his axe off of his back, knocked the changeling out of the air with it’s blunt end, and vaulted into the Throne room and charged the queen...only to get blasted by a magic beam.
“Really? A frontal attack? What an idiot.” She said. Suddenly, to her surprise, she starts to float. “What the heck!? Where is this coming from!?” She spots some sort of weird ball of energy forcing her into the air.
A figure then drops his cloak and in a flash of blue seems to fly at her. “Looks like that did the trick. Do you wish to see the face of the one that is to beat you?” He takes of his helmet and shows her his face. Her face as she takes in his face is one of shock.
“Odd argonian face, this one admits,” Qa’taro commented while standing after his flight.
“Oh, I am no argonian, whatever that is. I am a Turian.” As soon as Torrin said his races name the Queen’s shock seems to grow even more.
Qa’taro took notice of the Queen’s shock and asked, “Why is Queen Chaurus so shocked?”
“That is not possible! The origin of our kind! Your telling me you are the origin!?” She exclaimed in fear.
“Wait a second our races are related!? You have got to be kidding me.” Torrin sighed.
“Seems too much like a joke. It would be like comparing khajiit to Falmer.” Qa’taro facepalmed.
“It’s reaching a bit but possible that they evolved to take in a new source of food.” Torrin admitted. “Why would she be afraid of me then?”
The Queen quickly hid her fear and snapped. “I’m not afraid, I am angry! The Prophecy will not come to pass! You won’t take my throne!” She managed to pull herself out of the gravity field and charged Torrin with her horn glowing.
“Why would I ever want your throne? Sleep now, your rage is not needed.” Before she could land her attack, he glowed blue once more and the Queen seems to be stuck in place as if in stasis. “Your rage is misplaced.”
“What did you do?” Princess Cadence asked, as Qa’taro was cutting herself and several other ponies free.
“Stuck her in a biotic stasis. I'll be honest though the magic she tried to use might have affected the ability I used.” Torrin admitted.
“You mean that you did something to stop her, but her attempt to use magic cause it to kill her?” Twilight asked. “I tried scanning her after you did that thing, and there’s no pulse or bodily function.”
“It could just mean that she is in a state of shut down until it wears off. We must not jump to conclusions just yet Twilight.” Torrin said. He then starts to clutch his head as if he was in pain.
“Torrin!” Qa’taro and the Mane 6 shouted in concern. Torrin began to fall, but Qa’taro managed to catch him while the 6 gathered around.
“I went a bit nuts with my biotics. So I have to pay the price. I’m glad it’s only pain at least.” Torrin grunted. “I will recover.”
“It is good it is only that much, but we might have a bigger problem,” Qa’taro said while glancing at Princess Celestia as she was cleaning the changeling goo off of herself. After she finished such, her attention turned to the two with a glare.
“Sorry we had to kill a changeling. We had no choice.” Torrin said.
“Everycreature-” She began but…
“Just say “everyone.” It’s easier on ears and makes you sound less like a racist bigot,” Qa’taro interrupted, causing Twilight to hold her breath and started becoming a deeper shade of purple out of fear.
With a sigh, Celestia simply continued. “Everyone has a choice. And you both chose to take a life.”
“You must see that even had we chosen to spare them, someone else could have died from that, someone that didn’t deserve to die. Don’t say we had a choice when we followed our morals and hearts.” Torrin fired back.
“The insects were looking at those mares like vampires looked at prey. Had we not acted, those six would have ended up dead, or made into their thralls,” Qa’taro said. “Believe me, khajiit knows from experience. Very few who have killer intent can be reasoned with, if at all.”
“You're not the one to judge that!” Celestia declared.
“Once more you see only the black and white not the grey. Did you not hear we only took the lives of those about to kill as well? Had we gone for non lethal moves, ponies would be dead. It's not our morals that are at fault here little princess. It's yours for saying we did wrong when all we did was protect even if we killed it was never in anger.” Torrin spat back. “Hate us if you will, but don’t you DARE say you would trade one life for six.”
Celestia was about to retort, but before a word left angry mouth, the Throne Room doors were blasted down by the sound of someone shouting, “Enough!” After which, Luna strode into the room with a glare towards Celestia.
“Heh, to wield the power of the Thu’um without need of the Dragon Tongue,” Qa’taro whispered to Torrin.
“Sounds like she gots a set of massive pipes on her, thats for sure.” Torrin whispered back.
“I’m honestly surprised that of the two of us, it is you, the Elder Sister (need I remind you), that acts foalish enough that I, the Younger Sister, have to try to “beat” some sense into you!” Luna scolded, causing Celestia to recoil and start backpedaling in a combination of shock, fear, and a bit of embarrassment. “You know they are right, but you always wanted things your way. You were the one who wanted day and night to be equal in length, but you never thought how much that would have impacted the world. I object and next thing you know, 1000 year time out where I was able to be corrupted into the Nightmare you insisted I was!”
“Uh, Miss Celestia did do one thing right. When one has to take a life, it should always be called into question.” Torrin interjected. “So that everyone knows it wasn’t done with malicious intent.”
“While I agree with that, her questioning that seems somewhat out of character for what I remember before my “time out.” Luna then began to mockingly mimic Celestia. “Oh, I’m Lady Tia and I’m going to go forth in my 24-karat gold armor and slay creatures that are as sapient as we ponies and did nothing wrong, because Adventure Time!”
“So not only did she overreact to us having to kill to save lives, but she has done the same!?” Torrin exclaimed. “You hypocrite!”
“That was over 1000 years ago,” Celestia tried to protest, but Luna kept going.
“And let’s not forget the “debate” we had last month,” she said. “It should be ‘someone,’ not ‘somepony.’ ‘Modern,’ not ‘Equish.’ And similar non-racist words over pro-racist words.”
“As it should be in any society where more than one race lives.” Torrin nodded in agreement.
“Luna,” Celestia growled.
“What? Gonna threaten me with “time out” much like how you threatened me with it in said debate?” Luna taunted. “Go ahead, I’m sure your student will think your foalish desires are worth banishing your sister again for who knows how long. Am I correct, Twilight?”
“ENOUGH!!!! This has got to stop. Anger will only keep this going.” Torrin sighed.
“Agreed. You both sound like children, squabbling over a sweet roll,” Qa’taro said.
“I...you...Are you telling me, that the whole “Nightmare Moon” story and history was, in actuality, a SIBLING DISAGREEMENT!!!” Twilight bellowed in anger at Celestia.
Trying to brush off the revelation towards her student, Celestia tried to say something calmly. “Now, Twilight-”
“Don’t ‘Now, Twilight’ me!” she spouted back, causing another recoil of fear, shock, and embarrassment
“On the way here they had time to tell me all you have done. You knew they were the keys to harmony, yet never even taught them how to defend themselves? To be honest by all rights i should have you thrown in the dungeons.” Torrin exclaimed. “I however hold no power on this planet. No it's up to your sister how much your deserve.”
“I am the Elder Sister!” Celestia bellowed. “She cannot-” Her complaining was stopped by an axe handle to the snoz, courtesy of Qa’taro.”
“Worse than Thalmor complaining about Talos,” He calmly said.
“While I said I had no power here. Technically you hold the same amount of power over me. I am what is known as a spectre, a agent of my government above the law. While I will normally follow the law here, if their is great need to break it I will break it without a second thought.” Torrin explained. “So under that power, Luna is now to give out your punishment.”
“And with said power, I decree that your punishment will be as follows...someone write this down,” Luna said. Qa’taro pulled out a blank parchment and a small stick of charcoal. “Item 1: The “head” ruler of Equestria [Celestia] is being relegated to the “lesser” ruler position. Item 2: The now “lesser” ruler [Celestia] is no longer allowed to eat cake of any form, except on her birthday (if she even remembers when that is). Item 3: With the exception of basic levitation and the routine of raising and lowering the sun, no use of magic will be used by the lesser ruler [Celestia].”
“If I may at least advise you luna. In case her life comes in danger, you need a exception.” Torrin pointed out.
“Add what your companion said in the exception portion of Item 3,” she instructed Qa’taro.
“Plus while not me adding something to your list I would like to set up some training for what amounts to a army among these people. They are spirits awful!” Torrin said. “Even a fresh from boot could beat anyone in your guard with a little time.”
“Hey!” Shining shouted from his position next to Cadence. “I’ll have you know that I was at the top of my class and nopony within the the Guard could ever defeat me in a fair fight.”
“That just means you were the best of the worst. Not much to brag about.” Torrin commented.
“Add to the fact that the Guard were overpowered by non-ponies and the fights were more than likely unfair, really makes you look like a twig in comparison to the “leaves” you work with,” Qa’taro added.
“You have to practice in both fair and unfair conditions to really be able to be called the best.” Torrin pointed out.
“I...Why...You…” Shining growled before begining to charge at Torrin. Qa’taro quickly stepped in and gave him a sharp kick, before grabbing around his midsection and slammed him on the ground hard. He then grabbed his back legs, bend over backwards and slammed him on his ribs. After that, Shining could only stay in his last position and girlishly squeal in pain.
“See? You can’t expect everyone to fight fair.” Torrin said.
“Serves you right for actually thinking I didn’t know the mare who...babysat me?” Twilight asked, looking to Torrin and Qa’taro for confirmation on her speaking. Qa’taro nodded.
“Overblown ego, moments of thinking he is always right, ready to jump to conclusions,” Cadence listed. “Yep, that’s the dork I fell in love with.” She then turned to Luna. “Let’s postpone the wedding for a week or two. I need to have some choice words and...some fun with my fiance.” She snagged the pained captain in her magic and drug him out of the room.
“Well that’s a riot!” Torrin chuckled a bit.
“I think we all need to take time to rest and recover from the whole situation,” Luna said. “Everyone but you three-” she pointed her hoof at Qa’taro, Torrin, and Twilight “-go and rest. I need to speak with them...privately. With that, the gathered ponies left the throne room and Luna led the trio out a different way.