//------------------------------// // The Final Battle // Story: Beauty Lies Within // by MiraculousDragonMaster //------------------------------// Beauty Lies Within Chapter 23 The Final Battle Discord had everyone teleported to where he and Fluttershy were. Everyone was glad to see that all of the girls had been awaken. “What were you thinking?” Discord began reprimanding the girls. “Eating a poisoned apple? That’s a new low, even for Chrissy.” “She came to us in one of her phony disguises.” Applejack began to explain to him and the other guys. “I had a feeling that there was something rotten about her, but she said that she would poison you guys.” “She gave those apples as a way for us to fight her.” Pinkie finished the story. “But we realized too late that she tricked us.” Rainbow had a glare on her face. “No one tricks me and gets away with it.” She growled. “Where is that giant black maggot?” “A maggot?” A very familiar voice hissed. Everyone turned around and saw the changeling queen herself. Her eyes were turned up like flames. “I must admit, that’s a new one for me.” The boys pulled the girls closer to them, glaring fireballs at Chrysalis. She looked at the scene and laughed. “Really, girls?” She asked the Mane 6. “You’re relying on your knights in shining armor to save you?” “No, Chrysalis.” Twilight said as she and her friends moved away from their loved one’s grip and stood in front. “They’ve already done their part. Now we need to do ours.” “No matter what you might do to us, we will always come right back to face you.” Applejack added. Chrysalis growled. “I’m really going to enjoy you six screaming in pain.” She said. Her hand was enveloped in green magic and she shot a beam at the girls, who all quickly dodged it. Twilight then fired her own magenta magic beam at the queen, who blocked it. Rainbow Dash flew up past her while landing one punch to her face, and then another as she zipped back down to the ground with a confident smirk. It was quickly erased as she dodged another green magic blast. Applejack threw some apples from a nearby tree towards her. “That’s for givin’ me an apple from my family’s farm to try and kill me!” She shouted. Chrysalis fired a beam at the cowgirl, who jumped out of the way. “That was just an added bonus.” She said with a smirk. Pinkie fired her party cannon at the changeling queen, covering her with bits of confetti and colorful streamers. “Time to get this party underway!” She exclaimed. Rarity and Fluttershy were mostly dodging all of the magic beams that Chrysalis was firing at them, though the prim fashionista was actually getting dirty as she fired her own blasts of blue magic at the queen. Finally, the queen just about had it. “Enough!” She yelled. “I’ll have you pathetic girls out of my way once and for all!” She whistled sharply, and a large squadron of changelings appeared behind her. The Mane 6 glared at how the odds have changed. Chrysalis laughed victoriously. “Not so feisty anymore, fairest in the land?” She asked with a smirk. “I’m not going to get used to us being called that.” Rainbow said. “You and me both.” Applejack added. “Why not?” Spike asked her as he and the other guys came beside each girl. “It’s not your fault that all of you are uniquely beautiful.” Each of the guys took their girl’s hand. “And that Queen Bug is jealous of you six.” Flash added. “Well, we’re not going to let you girls have all the fun kicking some changeling butt.” Soarin’ said with a confident grin. “After all, the more the merrier.” Cheese said. “I’ll be willing to fight along to make sure that you ladies are safe once and for all.” Fancy Pants added in. The girls all smiled fondly at the guys. But Chrysalis rolled her eyes and gagged. “All that mush you’re spouting out is disgusting.” She said. “Attack!” She ordered to her changelings. Discord made a paintball gun appear in his hands, and he shot blobs of dark blue paint at everyone that wasn’t a changeling. “What the hay?” Applejack asked, rubbing her shoulder, feeling the paint. “So we know who’s who.” Discord explained with a shrug. “Good point.” Twilight said as everyone prepared themselves. The small swarm of changelings began attacking the group of twelve. The ones who can use magic fired blasts of magenta, blue and pale yellow magic. Discord released attacks of flying pies and turned some of the changelings into flies, where he then summoned two flyswatters to try and swat them. “That will teach you not to bug the Lord of Chaos.” He said. The pegasi people were flying around, landing kicks and punches to the changelings that were swooping down from above. Fluttershy however, was bravely leading them towards the more capable fighters as a diversion. Then the others would give them what for. On the ground, Applejack was juggling some apples. “Hey, Spike!” She called up to him. “Light ‘em up!” One by one, she quickly tossed an apple over to the dragon boy. Spike caught each one and set it on fire and then swung each flaming apple with his tail. “Whoo!” He cheered. Pinkie was still firing her party cannon at the changelings, while if some got too close, Cheese would knock them away with a giant hammer. “Anyone still up for a game of Whack-a-Pest?” He asked. When a changeling hissed at him, he bonked it on the head, making it see a few stars before losing consciousness. “Nice going, Cheesy!” Pinkie cheered for him. Then she fired another blast of confetti at another changeling. “This party is a blast!” Chrysalis growled fiercely at how this was turning. She will not be defeated again. “No, no, no!” She shouted, and fired a pulse of green magic that rippled through the air, knocking everyone but her changelings down. “Enough is enough!” She shouted. Some of the changelings brought the weakened girls over to their queen, while the rest of them guarded the guys. Chrysalis lowered herself down to where she was hovering above the Mane 6. “At last, I’ll have you six out of my way for good, and I’ll be the fairest in the land!” She then released a powerful beam at them, and they were too weak to try and move out of the way. “NO!!” The guys screamed, and with a miraculous recovery, the guys fought their way over to the girls and shielded them from the blast. A flash of white light then appeared. Chrysalis began cackling. “Twice the reward for me, then.” She laughed. But when the light faded, she stopped laughing. “What?!” She shouted. The group of twelve were encased in a golden bubble of magic, unharmed. Everyone inside the bubble looked around in surprise. “What the?” Applejack exclaimed in surprise. “Where did this forcefield come from?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I don’t know.” Soarin’ told her. “All I was thinking about was saving you.” “As was I.” Fancy said, looking down at Rarity in his arms. Flash then began thinking as the other guys said the same thing. If they were all focused on just saving the girls they love, then that meant- Suddenly, he remembered something from three years ago. The way that Shining Armor and Princess Cadence defeated Chrysalis the first time. He looked over at Twilight, and he could tell that she was thinking the same thing as she held his hand lovingly. “Discord, can you take us to the Tree of Harmony?” She asked. “Why?” The Lord of Chaos asked. Suddenly, Chrysalis fired another beam at the forcefield, making it shatter into pieces. She was about to fire a third one when Discord decided not to question Twilight this time. He snapped his fingers and everyone vanished in a flash of white light. Chrysalis snarled fiercely. “No!” She yelled. “Well, at least I know where they’re heading.” She said.  “To the Everfree Forest, now!” She commanded. Then she and her changelings flew off at lightning speed. Immediately, the group of twelve found themselves at the Tree of Harmony. The large crystal tree shone beautifully in the moonlight, and the Elements of Harmony sparkled in their own colors. “Why are we here, Twilight?” Rarity asked her. Twilight didn’t answer her, and her hand was enveloped in raspberry magic. She fired a beam at her Element in the center of the tree. Her magenta star-shaped Element of Magic began glowing brightly as streams of rainbow-colored light flowed towards the other Elements. Then the tree released the six Elements from their holding places. The five Elements that represented Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity and Loyalty turned into the familiar golden necklaces with the Elements smaller and in the middle. They then latched themselves around their Chosens’ necks. The Element of Magic transformed into a familiar golden crown and gently placed itself on Twilight’s head. “Why do we need the Elements for?” Fluttershy asked Twilight, touching the pink butterfly gem that represented her Element on her neck. “The last couple of times Chrysalis was defeated, we didn’t use them.” “But we can try them this time.” Twilight said, turning to face her friends. “Our friendship is strong, and it has proven time and time again that it is a very powerful magic. But like you said, Fluttershy, the first time we defeated Chrysalis, we didn’t use them. Instead, she was defeated by a magic that is just as powerful.” “That was love.” Rarity said. All of the girls then quickly realized what Twilight was getting at. “Exactly.” Twilight said. “Love defeated her once. It can certainly do it again. And this time, we have an extra boost. We all started as friends, and as time went by, it grew stronger in ways we can’t exactly describe.” Each girl looked over at the one she loves and smiled at him. They returned the smiles as they took their hand. “You feel like saving Equestria?” Rainbow Dash asked Soarin’. “You know it.” He said with a smirk. Just then, Chrysalis appeared with her changeling squadron. “Enough of this!” She shouted. “I want no more interferences!” Everyone glared at the Changeling Queen. “For once, you’re right, Chrysalis.” Twilight said. “It is time that we end this.” Each girl’s Element began glowing brightly. They then took hold of their loved one’s hand and faced them. Pinkie Pie was the first one to place her lips on her lover’s own. Cheese had his eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly relaxed into the kiss. Blue pulses of magic came from Pinkie’s necklace, and a pink glow began surrounding them around as they were lifted up into the air. One by one, the girls each brought their loved ones in a passionate kiss. Purple, orange, pink, red and magenta pulses of magic came from the Elements, and the couples were soon enveloped in pink light as they joined Pinkie and Cheese up in the air until they were positioned in the shape of a heart. Chrysalis’ eyes widened when she was hit by a sense of deja vu at the scene before her. “No. No. Not again!” She glanced around at the other changelings, who were glancing at each other, and then back at the loving scene above. They felt the love flowing between each couple grow stronger. They then had pink pulses of light emitting from their own hearts. Chrysalis’ eyes widened further. “No!” At last, all of the pink pulses of lights coming from the changelings joined up with the rainbow colored light up where the couples are. They all joined together into one big rainbow beam surrounded by rose colored light, and it quickly fired down at the Changeling Queen. “NO!!!!” She screamed as everything went white.