Back at Ponyville, Spike was walking around the town with his father in tow. It was a slow process, but the stallion seemed to be getting acclimated to the time period he found himself in. Once the duo were at the town square, Spike took a seat on the edge of the fountain so the two could rest.
“So, are you getting hungry yet, Dad?” Spike questioned, letting one of his claws dip into the water.
“You keep asking me that, I’m not starving you know,” Star replied, sitting down next to him.
“Can you blame me for wanting to share all the great places to eat here in town?” Spike shot back with a grin. "You've never even had a hayburger before! You can't live in modern times without eating at least a few."
“Hmm…” Star paused, putting a hand to his chin. “I do want to fit in with this time. I suppose one quick bite won’t hurt. And these hayburgers, you can eat them on the go, correct?”
"Yeah, that's the whole point of them."
“Bully!” the older stallion exclaimed, a wide grin on his face. “This time period never ceases to amaze. Perhaps we should also see one of those,” he frowned, searching for the word. “Moo-vees was it?”
"Movies, Dad," Spike corrected. "But sure, if you want. I think the Power Ponies movie is still at Screen Plays."
"I'm sure anything we see shall hold my interest," the stallion mused, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Afterall, I'll have you there with me."
It was strange, having Star Dust around. Night Light would always be his father, the one who poured his heart and soul into a raising a dragon. Of course, he was elated to have his biological father, it was just....hard to make heads or tails of his feelings.
Part of him pictured meeting his biological father would be like reconnecting and having an instant understanding. Instead, Star Dust was a bit like a stranger, slowly learning about Spike every day. It didn't help that the drake had to take a guiding role in the relationship.
"Hey, Spike." Thorax's voice tickled his ears, drawing Spike from his introspection. "Are you free this afternoon?"
"Hey Thorax," Spike greeted, waving to his friend. "I was actually spending the day with my dad. You can join us if you want."
“Oh!” Thorax shifted his gaze to Star Dust, wings furiously buzzing on his back. “Oh no, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t want to impose on your bonding time.”
Spike waved a claw, chuckling at the changeling's antics. "It's not a big deal." Keeping his smile up, he turned to his father. "What about you, Dad, would you mind if my friend joined us?"
“Of course not!” Star smiled, eyeing the changeling up and down. “I would love to meet another of your friends.”
"See?" Spike said, lightly punching Thorax in the arm. "You're not imposing. Come on, Dad and I were just about to get some hayburgers."
"Well..." The changeling drawled, uncertainty etched into his features. "If you're sure."
“Great!” Spike started walking, leading the others down the street. “I know where the best burgers are in town.”
Thorax followed behind rather stiffly, shooting glances at Spike and Star Dust. He gulped, trying to calm his nerves.
"How's your job been going, Thorax?" Spike asked, walking backwards to address his friend. "Have things slowed down after putting in those teleporter pads?"
“Oh uh, yeah...” Thorax nodded slowly. “The queen got me an internship at the mayor's office. I help her manage the town. Um... a little.. I-it’s not that big of a deal.”
"Are you kidding? That sounds awesome!" Spike encouraged. "What have you been up to there?"
Thorax shifted uncomfortably, buzzing his wings. “Well um... mostly learning how to do paperwork. The mayor’s so talented, running this place. Dealing with all the weird stuff that happens.”
"Yeah, there were weird things going on before all Dai-Shocker and the Rider monsters showed up," Spike explained, moving his claws while he talked. "Like that time Snips and Snails led a cranky Ursa Minor into town."
“I’m sorry, but were they mad?” Star Dust asked, staring at Spike in shock.
"They're colts and not exactly the brightest crayons in the box," the drake offered, chuckling. "Trixie had them convinced she could take it on. But, it was just stage talk. Twi ended up saving the day.”
"I don't think I'd know what to do after something like that," Thorax said, shuddering. "Mayor Mare makes it look so easy. I’m not cut out to be a leader like her."
Spike scoffed, socking Thorax in the arm. “You always put yourself down. You’d be a great leader, Thorax.”
Thorax smiled weakly, rubbing his arm. “I appreciate that.”
The rest of their walk was spent in a comfortable silence until they reached the restaurant. Spike ordered him and his father matching burgers and Thorax squeaked out an order for himself. They sat by the entrance, content to just chat amongst themselves.
Spike gave a silent thanks to Thorax, his friend’s presence taking his mind off of his thoughts regarding his relationship with his father. He looked over to the stallion who was currently mystified by the simple meal.
“You hold it in both hands and then take a bit,” Spike instructed, followed by a demonstration. “See?”
“I understand that,” Star Dust said, carefully unwrapping the burger. “But I was just examining the platter and wrapping. Such colorful materials used for what is a simple meal. Truly, these are different times than what I knew.”
Thorax chuckled. “Y-you sound like me when I first came to Ponyville.”
Star's smile turned melancholic, glancing down at his burger. "I suppose that's what centuries of my mind not being my own will do. I've become an outsider amongst my fellow ponies."
Reaching over gingerly, Spike touched Star on the arm. “Ya, well, you're out now, no one's gonna take you away again. Got it?”
"You're right," Star agreed, ruffling the spines atop his son's head. "I'd fight the hordes of Tartarus itself to keep being in your life."
Tossing a fry into his mouth, Spike ignored the slight irritation at the act. “If you don’t mind talking about it... Where did Posiedon come from anyway?”
Putting down his burger, Star steepled his fingers. "I knew you'd ask me that eventually, which is why I've thought on it. The belt and medals were of my own design, not your grandfather's. It is my belief that these early efforts were… corrupted by my inexperience, possessed by something I had inadvertently tapped into."
“Why did you make them?” Spike questioned.
"Your grandfather had told me an unforeseen side effect of his original belt and medals, immunity to aging," Star explained, toying with the straw in his soda. "I wanted to use them so I could take as long as I needed to find your egg. After what happened with Kalameet, he refused to let me use them. So, I was forced to make my own."
Spike frowned, looking down at his plate. “That wasn’t a very smart thing to do, Dad.”
"What would you have done were you in my place?" Star said softly. "You were out there and I had no idea what might find you."
Spike didn’t have an answer for that. Instead, he went back to his meal. He didn’t have it in him to argue the point. Tartarus, he might just have done the same thing if their positions were swapped. He was glad they weren’t.
His mind drifted to the dragon migration, the very thing that led him to being OOO's. He had been willing to cross the nation to find what he wanted. If Wyatt hadn't made the journey shorter with his Rider powers, what would he have put himself through?
“Are you okay?” Thorax asked quietly. “You’re giving off some... mixed vibes.”
"Oh, just thinking," Spike said, tucking into his burger. "Like how my dad and I might be more similar than I realized."
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Yeah, I guess it is,” Spike agreed, a soft smile crossing his features. “You got pretty good insight for such a nervous guy, Thorax.”
“I’m still a changeling, emotions are our bread and butter,” he replied, puffing up a little. “Uh… literally in one case.”
“It must be like a buffet for you everyday.” Spike tilted in his seat looking around Thorax’s side. “Bet that’s why your wings are all sparkly now.”
“Only if there are creatures in love around,” Thorax said, attempting to hide his wings. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake are a really good source though. Their love is just so… cozy tasting.”
Star Dust laughed. “Ah, that’s true love right there. I can only imagine how Peridot and I’s love would have tasted like.”
"With how some of the dragonesses I talked to during the migration described her, I'm gonna guess spicy," Spike joked, poking his father. "And with how long you were a sea dog, yours would be salty."
The trio enjoyed the rest of their meal in peace. The last chance they would have for some time.
Chrysalis stared at a map of the lands surrounding Ponyville. She and the mayor were discussing the logistics of taking on more changeling citizens. Given the amount of free space and the proximity to the capital, it seemed like an obvious choice.
“-nderstand that changelings can produce their own building material,” Mayor Mare said, glancing up from the map. “That should make things much easier.”
"I can have some of my subjects make a mock up for you," Chrysalis stated, debating where to put the buildings. "That way we can gauge how it might look with the rest of the town as well as the reactions to them."
Mayor Mare smiled, a grateful, tired smile. “That would be very helpful, Your Majesty.” Pushing her glasses back into place, a question flowed past her lips. “I understand this might be classified but, is there any word from the princesses about those anti-monster weapons?”
"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to say," the changeling queen remarked, shaking her head. "You'd have to ask Celestia if you have the clearance for that."
“I wish.” Mayor Mare looked all the more tired, looking at the map again. “I’m just a mayor. I don’t have any say in what goes on up in Canterlot.”
Chrysalis nodded in sympathy. "I understand, but you're not technically one of my citizens so I can't grant you top secret clearance.”
“Speaking of, how has Thorax been performing? Has he taken well to his internship?”
Mare's smile returned, the tired glint in her eyes waning slightly. "He's been a great help around here. He's never once complained about the paperwork and he's even offered great ideas for upcoming events."
Nodding her head, Chrysalis gestured for her to continue. “Has he handled the pressure well? Made good leadership decisions?”
"It's been over a week since I had to pull him out of the supply closet after a nervous breakdown," the mayor answered, waving her hand. "So I'd call that an improvement."
“I suppose that is an approvement...” Chrysalis clicked her tongue. Thorax had a long way to go, but this was promising. “Still, thank you for agreeing to take him on.”
"Are you kidding? I was more than happy to take on an extra set of hands," the mayor said with a grateful smile. "Especially a set of hands that seems to care about the job. The bureaucracy of Ponyville is just as insane as some of the things that happen here.”
"Paperwork after monster attacks?" Chrysalis deadpanned.
The mayor just smiled. “Ponyville is full of very eccentric ponies, Your Majesty. And a lot of them just so happen to work at City Hall.”
"Eccentric is just another way to say fun," the changeling retorted, grinning. “But we’re off topic. This empty lot might work.” Reaching out, she indicated the spot. “It’s near the outskirts, so it shouldn’t cause too much of an uproar.”
"I like it," Mare agreed, looking over the map. "And it'll be a simple matter to connect it to the rest of Ponyville." She pointed to the stretch of land between the lot and Ponyville. "We can have your changelings and my citizens work together on the pathways. It should help foster community."
It was a beautiful thing, community. After the past few months, the word had taken on a new meaning for the changeling race. A few more and that would be the only meaning. No more starving, no more lies, no more hiding.
Everything was out in the open, something that was normally a foreign concept to changelings. All she needed was for this cohabitation to go well and she would be the most accomplished queen of the hive.
She would see it through, ensuring no changeling would ever huddle, starved and scared in the dark. So that no leader ever had to bear such a heavy crown.
The two continued their planning, moving on to things like who would be in charge of the construction projects. Their plan involved the two groups forming a joint committee in order to facilitate better communication between both species. Chrysalis even suggested creating an underground bunker in the event of emergencies.
By noon, Chrysalis was walking out of city hall feeling rather satisfied with herself. With a smile she headed for the spa, feeling a bit of a need to be pampered.
The halls of the Rich manor were big and empty. A stark opposite of the warm closeness of the library. Sombra didn’t know what he suffered more, homesickness or the absence of his parents. His cousin and uncle were great company, as was Star Dust, but it just wasn’t the same.
His only solace was that they were only going to bring someone back to Equestria. He told himself that their only delay was likely just how long the trip was. Wandering the Rich manor, he looked for his cousin so the two could find something to do.
“Di?” Sombra called, peeking into one of the many rooms along this particular hallway. “Are you in here?” There was nothing there except for a large fireplace, a few couches and chairs and a line of bookshelves. It was one of the sitting rooms that his uncle had told him about.
Stepping inside, he closed the door slowly. It smelled like the library, dust and musty parchment. The familiar scents comforted him and he walked over to the shelves to find something to read. He settled on Pone Quixote, a book his mother had told him about and sounded interesting. Lighting a candle to read by, he found a seat and tried to settle in.
Before he forgot, he made sure the door to the sitting room was open just in case his cousin or uncle came by looking for him. With that done, he started on the novel, doing his best to take his mind off his homesickness.
After a while of being absorbed by Pone’s warped view of chivalry, a new feeling came clawing at the edges of his mind. His ear flopped, almost like a whisper was tickling his ear that was just beyond the range of his hearing. Putting his book down, he tried to find the source of the
Disturbance.
“Hello?” he called out, his ears swivelling to and fro.
”Want… mine,” a choppy voice that seemed to be coming from his own head groaned out.
“W-who’s there?!?” he called out, gazing around in a panic.
"Want… mine!" the voice repeated more urgently.
Gripped by icy terror, Sombra burst out of the room in near blind panic. “Uncle Rich!!” he screamed, running down the hallway.
A few moments later, his uncle burst down a stairwell, his tie askew. "Sombra, what's wrong?!" The stallion rushed towards his nephew, pulling him into a shielding embrace.
“Something's after me!” Sombra held onto his uncle, ears pinned back. “I-I heard it talking to me.”
Examining the hall, Rich couldn't find anything out of sort. However, he knew better than to just dismiss a strange happening in Ponyville. "You said you heard it, was it speaking out loud?" Carefully, he started moving down the hall where he had last seen his daughter. If there was something in his house, he wanted the children as far away from it as possible.
“Um... I don’t know...” Sombra admitted, looking at the floor.
"Tell me if you hear it again," Rich advised, picking up his pace again. "If I don't hear it, we'll have our answer."
Sombra nodded, keeping hold of his uncle. He stayed close behind him, trying to stay brave. He kept his ears on a swivel, listening for any trace of the voice.
"...Coming…" the voice rasped, seeming louder than before. "...Coming…you…"
“I-I hear it!” Sombra jumped, his eyes frantically searching the hall.
Rich clutched the colt tighter, stroking his mane. “Shh, I didn’t hear anything, Sombra. Whatever this thing is, it isn’t here. Still, we should find your uncle Spike and let him know about this. I have a feeling we need a Rider.”
Rich quickly found his daughter, barely explaining the situation to her before rushing the two foals out the door and began looking for Spike.
Turning his head towards the north, Sombra shivered. A sense of foreboding fell over him, as if to smother him. He whimpered, clutching onto Rich’s arm all the more tightly. Sombra didn’t know what the warnings were about, but he knew they weren’t to be taken lightly. It would be from the north. And it would be there soon.
As they walked through the town, Sombra could feel the voice grow louder and louder. He didn’t know how long he had before it reached him, but he desperately wanted to keep it away from him.
“Uncle Rich... I’m scared,” he admitted in a small voice.
“It’s okay to be scared, Sombra,” his uncle assured him, scanning the town for the familiar drake. “It’s not letting fear prevent us from acting that’s important. Even your parents get scared sometimes.”
Screams could be heard in the distance, and the crowd started to move away from the source of the disturbance. Metallic hooffalls punctuated the screaming, aided by the occasional feral growl.
Sombra had to hold his ears, the voice in his head practically screaming at him. He didn't even feel it as Filthy Rich hauled him up and carried him to avoid being trampled by the crowd. It wasn’t even a voice anymore, having devolved into sneering and snarling. The sounds drowned out his own thoughts, leaving him no protection against the mental onslaught.
There was a loud crash close by them, Filthy turning despite his better judgement warning him against the impulse. There he found the G1 armor, moving erratically and with an unnatural stiffness, stomping through the splintered remains of a market stall.
Still bearing battle damage, much of the damage sported black crystals. The entire left forearm was made of the same black crystal, each finger ending in wicked claws. Its stumbling gait transitioned into a confident walk as the distance between it and Sombra diminished.
“Diamond, get ahead of us and try to find a Rider,” Filthy said, pushing his daughter ahead of him. An inkling of an idea was forming about the nature of the voice Sombra was claiming to hear. “You’ll be faster with me carrying Sombra.”
“I can’t just leave you!” Diamond argued, turning around. “I’m not leaving my family to a monster!”
“Diamond, the best thing to do is make sure that a Rider gets here as soon as possible. It’s my job to protect you, not the other way around.” Rich gave his daughter a stern look, silently pleading with her to heed his warning.
“I-I’ll be back!” Diamond assured before running towards the library.
Rich breathed a small sigh of relief, running with the flow of the crowd to get Sombra away from the possessed armor. He glanced down at the colt in his arms, pain etched onto his muzzle and growing worse the closer the armor got to him.
The armor ripped a bench from the ground, hurling it at Rich’s legs. A piece of debris flew off and stabbed the stallion in the ankle, causing him to give a quick cry of pain and stumble a bit. Despite the pain he forced himself to keep moving, albeit slower than before.
“It’s okay, Sombra, everything will be okay,” he whispered harshly, holding the colt close to his chest.
Sombra didn’t respond, the harsh sounds in his head cutting him off from the rest of the world. He could barely feel his body being moved.
A shot cracked the sky, catching G-1 in the shoulder. “You shan't have that foal, monster.” Dropping dramatically from a rooftop, Trixie landed between it and them. “The Great and Powerful Trixie shall see to that!”
For once, Rich was glad to see Trixie, forcing himself to keep walking and look over his shoulder at her. “Thank you! I have an idea what that thing might be.”
Trixie just smiled, activating her belt. “Trixie needs no thanks, only the thrill of the hunt.” Once her armor formed around her, she casually walked up to the rampaging G-1 and opened fire. “Come on, thrill Trixie!”
The possessed armor responded by swinging his crystal arm, bringing it down towards Trixie's head. Sidestepping, she pressed the barrel of her gun to one of the cracks sealed by crystal and pulled the trigger in a blur of continuous motion.
"Is that the best you can muster?" Trixie taunted, disengaging to avoid a punch to the gut. "You're hardly more than a wild beast."
Like a coiled viper, G-1’s crystal arm struck forward, latching onto Trixie’s helmet. Forcing her to her knees, black energy danced across its artificial skin and onto Trixie.
She screamed, writhing in pain and firing blindly at the arm in hopes of it releasing her. A pressure built in her mind, blotting out her thoughts. Unprepared for the mental assault, Trixie’s body went limp. She collapsed, twitching but otherwise unresponsive.
Silence fell like a blanket, G-1 standing like a statue above the prone mare. Seconds marched on before Trixie rose again. Her body jerked slightly, her movements bearing a degree of incoordination.
Rich paled, daring to look back to see what had befell Trixie. He forced himself to move faster, his whole leg throbbing in pain.
G-1 began to move again, each step having more purpose than the last. Trixie followed behind, pulled like a dog behind its master.
Rich ducked into an alley, knocking over trash cans, crates and various bits of old furniture ponies had left out to be thrown out in a vain hope of slowing the duo down. He knew it wouldn't accomplish much, but if he could buy himself even a second, that might make the difference between a Rider arriving and what was sure to be his demise. He burst out into the next street, his injured leg feeling like it could buckle and collapse at any moment.
Not far behind him, he heard the pair crash through the alley. He knew he couldn't make it much farther. He looked down at the colt in his arms, an idea crossing his mind. "Sombra, if you can hear me, you need to make yourself run." Swinging his arms, he tossed the colt towards a spot where he wouldn't be trampled.
Sombra landed in a heap, the impact jolting him to awareness. Pushing himself up, he rubbed his temples in an attempt to counter his building headache. He heard a primal roar, turning to see his uncle making a stand against G-1 and IXA.
"Uncle Rich!" Pushing himself to his hooves, Sombra took a few steps forward.
“They’re after you, Sombra, you have to get away!” Rich boomed, not taking his eyes off G-1. “I’ll do what I can!”
"No! They'll hurt you!" Sombra shook his head, feeling the sting of tears.
“I’m okay with that, that’s what family does for each other,” Rich replied, bracing himself on his good leg as G-1 neared his arms’ reach. Sucking in a deep breath, he let loose a gout of flames at the armor, their color a vibrant yellow.
G-1 drew an arm back, striking Rich in the chest with an open palm. Flames danced along its metal skin, black crystals glittering with dazzling light.
The stallion flew backward, his back and head slamming into a nearby wall. For a moment, he thought he had forgotten how to breathe, but the searing pain that greeted his lungs a moment later dispelled that worry. His eyes locked on the crystal arm, a desperate gambit pulled at him. Lunging at the armor, he gripped the arm and attempted to take a chunk out of it like any dragon would a common gem.
The taste revolted him. It was like biting into oil. He reminded himself he wasn't biting the crystal for flavor and spit out bits of it as he went. His idea was short lived as a fist drove itself into his stomach and he crumpled to the ground in a gasping heap.
G-1 stared down impassively, raising a hoof over Rich's head.
Sombra hyperventilated, rooted in place by fear. Images flashed through his mind, the faces of his parents at the forefront. Suddenly, his fists clenched at his sides. He couldn't do nothing, and he certainly couldn't run away. Not when his family was in danger. Reaching deep inside himself, he poured all the magic he could muster into his horn and fired it at G-1.
The blast lanced through G-1’s shoulder, streaking up into the sky. G-1 stepped back, shifting focus to Sombra. Its injury sizzled and popped, more black crystal sprouting to seal it.
Sombra set his jaw, his voice threatening to falter. "That's right, jerk! Look at me! I'm not scared of you!" Setting his jaw, he tried to call the magic once more, aiming at G-1’s helmet. He fired, boring a small hole in the forehead of the helmet. Again, black crystal crackled and repaired the damage. Continuing his struggle, the armor slowly marched onward as black crystal rose up from wherever Sombra hit it.
“Not bad, kid.” Spike put a hand on Sombra’s shoulder, stepping in front of him. “But I got it from here. Help your uncle up and make a break for it.”
Sombra didn’t need to be told twice, giving the armor a wide berth while going to Rich’s side. Straining, he helped the stallion to his knees and watched his younger uncle square up against the possessed armor and Trixie.
Spike made the first move, leaping up high and kicking G-1 in the chest and knocking him into Trixie. “Didn’t we already get rid of you, junk heap?”
The armor offered no answer, only righting itself to throw a straight punch to Spike's chest. Its metal fist connected with Spike’s shoulder, followed by a swipe from its claw. Unfolding his own claws, Spike blocked the swipe and kicked the armor in the knee. Keeping up the momentum, he brought his leg up and kneed the armor in the stomach.
G-1 grabbed Spike’s leg, pulling Spike off his foot. “ You will not stop me,]/i]” it spoke, its voice twisted into a snarl. “What is mine will be mine again.”
Spike wrenched his leg free, sweeping the armor’s legs out from under it. “Sorry, not in the business of letting evil things get what they want.”
Trixie raised her arm, firing off a series of scattered shots at Spike. Each shot was a little more accurate than the last, several of them scoring across his armor.
Spike grunted, removing two of his medals. “Ya know, I’m not a fan of being outnumbered.” Grabbing his other two green medals, he attempted to slot them in.
Striking like a viper, G-1 slapped the medals out of Spike’s hand. “You will serve me, as will the rest of this sniveling village.” Spurned on by its growing hungry, G-1 latched its hand onto Spike’s helmet, digging its claws in.
Spike thought quickly, cancelling his transformation and breathing a gout of flame onto the armor. Bringing a fist up, he punched the armor to get it to release its grip.
G-1 tightened its grasp, sharp crystalline talons piercing Spike’s scales. “You will submit dragon, bend to my will.” Black magic surged into Spike, crackling along his body.
With one last act of defiance, Spike’s eyes landed on Sombra who was slowly leading Rich away from the scene. Removing his belt and medal case, he tossed them towards the colt. “Sombra, catch!” he croaked out, purple smoke pouring from his eyes and his body went limp.
Sombra scrambled, nearly faceplanting to catch the objects. Fear swelled in his chest again, its ice cold tendrils spreading through his body. He forced himself to move, knowing his uncle had trusted him to protect the driver and medals.
A wriggling doubt wormed into Sombra's mind. Whatever had infected G-1 was able to control others, even Kamen Riders. There was only one Rider left in Ponyville, would she be able to stop it? Pushing those thoughts down, he kept moving forward, taking the driver and his uncle with him.
Sombra’s mind raced with possibilities. Could there be a way to hide from the armor. He tossed that aside, the voice it had in his head made that seem like an impossibility. Who else could he turn to that wouldn’t be brainwashed?
He had to stop and collect himself. Turning to his mother’s teachings for guidance, he tried to think logically. If the brainwashing was a type of magic he hadn’t seen before, maybe turning to someone with a knowledge beyond conventional magic would help? It struck him, remembering the installation of the teleporter pad. Moving faster, he had a goal in mind.
Could he even use the teleporter? He vaguely remembered his mother saying the changelings had made it. He couldn't think like that, he was low on options and needed to keep moving.
Ducking into an alley, he mapped out the quickest route to the pad. When all of this was over he'd have to thank the CMC. Their constant quests around town helped him know it better than the layout of his own room.
A pair of hands grabbed him, spinning him around. “Sombra, are you alright?! Where’s Spike?!”
Sombra lit his horn on reflex, only to calm down when he saw Thorax's face. "The creepy armor used magic on him and now he's brainwashed!" Sombra blurted out, holding up the belt. "He threw this to me so he couldn't use it on people!"
The lithe changeling stared at him for a moment, his glittering wings buzz frantically. “Oh no! Oh no! That’s very bad!” Looking between the belt and Sombra, Thorax grabbed hold of Sombra’s arm. “We have to get to the queen.”
"The armor's after me," Sombra explained, motioning for Thorax to help him lead Rich along. "It keeps saying that it wants what's theirs."
“Yeah well... it can’t have you,” Thorax replied, guiding them down the alley. “We just have to reach the queen.”
Sombra nodded, suddenly recalling a comment Spike had made. "Have you talked to her through that hivemind thing?"
“Oh um...” Thorax blushed, closing his eyes. “I-I’ll do that now.” Thorax was silent for a few moments, but his shifting body language suggested he was having a conversation.
Before he could even open his eyes there was a flash of green fire and Chrysalis was standing before them, a slice of cucumber falling from one of her eyes.
Taking Thorax's hand, she gave him a serious look. "Are you okay, Thorax? Have you had any contact with that thing?"
“No, I’m okay,” Thorax assured. “But, we have to get Sombra and his uncle out of here.”
"Of course," the queen said, hefting the injured stallion over her shoulder. "Take my hands you two, I can get us to the pad."
“You might want to take a deep breath,” Thorax advised, looking at Sombra. “Changeling teleporting doesn’t always agree with ponies.”
Sombra took the advice, closing his eyes and sucking in a deep breath. Then, a flash of green danced along his eyelids and his body felt like he was being stretched through a taffee puller. Another flash of green and Sombra was on his knees, trying not to lose his lunch.
Now he knew how his dad felt whenever he was teleported. In the back of his mind, he could feel G-1 changing directions to follow him. “I-it’s still coming...” he muttered, pushing himself back up.
"I'm sure, but we can get you far away," Chrysalis assured him, helping him to his hooves. "Thorax, you're going with these two, make sure the stallion gets medical attention."
“But what about you, your Majesty?” Thorax questioned, buzzing his wings. “I can’t just leave you on your own!”
"You can and you will," she scolded, nudging him onto the pad. "The GoH will be here soon, along with the rest of Ponyville’s changelings.”
It had to be the G-1 armor. The ‘theft’ had left a sour taste in her mouth, hearing how effortlessly it had just walked out of the facility. Of course, she hadn’t expected it to come for Sombra. But then, hindsight was a bitch, wasn’t it?
"But my queen!" Thorax started, tears welling up in his eyes. "That thing can brainwash people! Think about what that might mean with the hivemind if it got a hold of you!"
Chrysalis frowned, glancing down at Thorax. “Do you really have so little faith in your queen? That she can’t hold her own against an abomination? You wound me, Thorax.”
Sputtering, Thorax's wings buzzed against his back as if they threatened to fly off and abandon him in his embarrassment. "N-no my queen! Of course I believe in you. I-I just don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you. The queen is the heart of the hive afterall."
Her frown morphed into a comforting smile. “I’ll be fine, Thorax. Now stop worrying about me, I’m the queen. That’s my job.”
Stifling a response, Thorax nodded slowly and helped Chrysalis ease Rich onto the pad. There was a flash of light and the trio were forced off the pad by a surge of new arrivals. Among Them was G-2, his armor fresh from a tuneup.
Chrysalis twitched, easily pushing Spearhead off. “You picked the worst time to come through, you realize that right?” she hissed, letting a small amount of venom drip into her words. “The absolute worst.”
“Sorry, we were only responding to the distress call as quickly as we could,” Spearhead relented, rubbing the side of his head. “But the pad’s free now if you need it.”
Several shots rang out, followed immediately by the splintering of the pad crystal. “You won’t be leaving,” G-1 spoke from its spot next to Trixie. “Now, give it to me, like the good slaves you are.”
Chrysalis swore under her breath, pulling out her scimitar with a flash of green fire. “Looks like teleporting is out. Hope your fighting is better than your timing, G-2.”
Spearhead grunted, eyeing G-1 nervously. “Are we sure we want to destroy it? I thought we were trying to repair the damn thing?”
“That’s gone out the window now that it’s being used to mind control citizens,” Chrysalis snapped, approaching G-1. “Don’t hold back or you’ll wind up like those two.”
At least, she thought it had been two. Several more Ponyville citizens stumbled into view, their eyes sputtering green flames. Trixie and Spike stood besides G-1, their bodies moving naturally. Each step strengthened G-1’s control, tightening his grip on his puppets.
Chrysalis swore again, turning to her newly arrived changelings. “Put those citizens into cocoons, we need to clear the way to fight G-1. And don’t get shot.”
The changelings shouted in affirmation, buzzing out towards the horde of brainwashed townsponies and swarming them. From the air, they spat out the cocoon material, creating a hail of the glittering green gel that fell down towards their hooves.
Spike and Trixie retaliated, peppering the sky with pistol shots and gouts of flame. G-1 ignored them, continuing its march towards Sombra.
Spearhead jumped in front of G-1, the rotors on his gauntlets rotating at blinding speeds. The sound of metal clashing and grinding filled the air and the possessed armor was forced back a step.
G-1 braced itself, pushing back against Spearhead. “Yes, I remember you. The only one without real power. I must thank you for this armor, its stronger than it appears.”
"Our labcoats do good work," Spearhead commented, following up with an uppercut. "Let me show you why this is the upgrade " He swore as G-1 leaned its head back just out of reach. He kept up his assault, forcing his opponent to stay on the defensive.
“I will enjoy mass producing it.” G-1 caught Spearhead’s fist, driving his own into the stallion's gut.
Spearhead moved his body with the blow, lessening its impact. His wings tried to flap, pegasus instincts fighting to take over. “Just shut up and fight, flankhole.”
G-1 obliged, swinging its crystal arm down on Spearhead's helmet. “Perhaps this time, I will grace you with my will, instead of just your armor.” Grasping Spearhead’s helmet, purple energy lit up its crystal arm.
Spearhead brought up his arms, the gauntlets rotating and grinding against the crystal. “I’m not going to be your meat puppet, you Faust damned ghost!” Roaring in defiance, he punched the crystal to create a spiderweb of cracks in its surface.
G-1 snarled, backhanding Spearhead. “How dare you, feathered scum!? Know your place!” Black crystals erupted at Spear's hooves, stabbing up in sharp points.
Spear jumped back, narrowly avoiding losing his hooves. Turning back to the changelings, he saw one with a case. "Hey, let me use the prototype weapon!"
The changeling tossed the case, and Spear quickly caught it. With some quick movements, he opened it and assembled the weapon within. It was based off something Wyatt had described as guns. From what he had heard, an intern had tested it only to wind up breaking his arms. Brandishing the weapon, he braced it on his shoulder like he had been told to in the recent drills and pulled the trigger. A boom echoed out across the town and a hail of magically condensed metal balls flew towards G-1.
G-1 stumbled, dents peppering its torso. “I grow tired of you, filth.” Raising its crystal arm, it retalited with a blast of black magic. It solidified on contact, encasing Spearhead in a crystal pillar.
Chrysalis's eyes widened, her mind running with possibilities. Turning to her changelings she called out, "Some of you distract the armor! But don't let him touch you!" Charging her horn, she shoulder checked G-1, knocking it away from Spearhead.
Whirling around, she let her changelings try to immobilize G-1 while she hacked away at the crystal pillar. “Come on you muscle bound featherbrain, help me out here!”
“How pathetic.” Even as changeling resin coated its body, it broke apart into crystal dust. “You could have the world, and yet here you are: kowtowing to these mongrels. It will be a mercy, to break your neck.”
Chrysalis didn’t rise to the taunt. There was a time where she felt she was owed the world. A time she was at her most desperate and hungry where plans of dominating ponies had danced through the edge of conscious thought. But the angels of her better nature and rational thought won out. If she had gone through with such a plan, then eventually, she would’ve drained all ponies of their love and she would be back right where she had started.
Spike sucked in a breath, wreathing Chrysalis’s back in flames. Chrysalis cried out in pain, falling forward and bracing herself on the pillar. Turning to the drake, she lit her horn. “Thorax probably won’t forgive me for this one, but I’m sorry Spike.” Lifting the drake in her magic, she rammed him headfirst into the pillar. She was thankful for his scales, a blow like that would’ve caused permanent damage to any other creature.
She dropped Spike’s limp form at her hooves, taking a moment to steady herself. This was getting nowhere. Dealing with brainwashed citizens only gave G-1 time to make more of them. Turning her head towards the armor in question, she bared her fangs.
Lighting her horn, she charged her weapon with as much magical energy as she could put into
it. With that accomplished, she ran at G-1 and slashed at its neck. Her blade was met with black crystal, creating an ear piercing shriek. Chrysalis smirked, the nature of her spell revealing itself. A flash of light came from where blade met crystal and the two were caught in an explosive burst of magic. When the magic cleared, Chrysalis was down on one knee, green blood leaking from cracks in her chitin.
G-1 laid prostrate, most of the crystal having been stripped from its body. The ponies it had been puppeting collapsed to the ground, their dark strings cut.
Chrysalis let out a dry chuckle at the sight, turning to her changelings. “Dismantle that thing, it might not be completely taken care of yet.” Talking was a struggle, but she managed to get the words out before her head started to spin and the world blurred.
Spike pushed himself up to his knees, wobbling for a moment. With a vacant look, he leaped onto Chrysalis, restraining the weakened queen. Chrysalis groaned, feeling the weight on her back suddenly take her to the ground. She tried to light her horn and lift whoever was on her.
“A wasted effort.” G-1 rose to its hooves, staggering towards her. “All of that struggling, and for what? For a runt who should not exist.” Looming above her, it raised its crystal arm, which had shattered into a long, serrated blade.
It was in that moment that Sombra knew what had possessed the armor. No, he had known long before that, he had just not wanted it to be true.
Shoving Spike off of the prostate queen, G-1 plunged the blade into Chrysalis’s back. Chrysalis cried out, her limbs tightening up. She slumped against the ground, green ichor spreading from under her.
“Restrain him,” G-1 ordered, pointing his dripping blood at Sombra.
Sombra stood his ground, watching his uncle stalk ever closer to him. He remembered one piece of advice his father gave him when faced with someone bigger and stronger than him. Charging, he reared his fist back and punched his uncle between the legs, offering a hushed apology as he did.
Spike shrugged off the pain, grabbing Sombra and holding him securely. He turned the colt to face G-1, staring off into space. Sombra glared at the armor, before his gaze softened.
"I know you're me," Sombra said. "The dark part of me."
“No, I am me,” G-1 corrected, glaring back at him. “You are something that should not exist, an empty vessel that thinks it's a pony.”
"I am a pony," Sombra countered. An idea finally struck him. It was clear that he was mentally connected to the force possessing the armor and it had been pushing at him. It was time to see if he could push back. "Let me show you." Closing his eyes, he thought of all his moments with his family, directing it towards his other self.
G-1 snarled, its mechanical body tensing. “Lie to yourself as much as you wish, vessel. It will all be wiped away once we are but one.”
"No, you're wrong," Sombra said, opening his eyes. "You're the one who's lying. You're scared, scared that you'll stop existing. So you want me broken so you can keep going."
Grabbing Sombra’s chin, G-1 helds its broken arm up. It glowed with black magic, the broken crystal regrowing. “We shall be one once more, and this world will bow before us. As is our right.”
With a gurgled groan, Chrysalis pushed herself onto her elbows. “Thorax... where are you?”
Thorax ran over at hearing his name, his hands flailing in an attempt to put pressure on her wound. "My queen, don't talk. We need to get you a doctor!"
“Sh...” Putting a weak finger to his lips, she smiled. “There isn’t time. I need you to help me with... one last spell...”
"M-my queen, why are you asking for my help? I'm awful at magic. Maybe the worst in the hive."
Chrysalis shock her head. “I don’t need your magic. I need... your love. All of it. Everything you’ve collected in Ponyville.”
Thorax nodded, closing his eyes and dredging up every bit of love he'd collected. With a bit of effort, he started passing it along to his queen. The flow turned into a torrent, burning through his stores of emotion. He didn’t even realize it when he lifted off the ground.
Chrysalis smiled, her faith having been rewarded. Her vision was fading, but she could still clearly see Thorax and the changes he was undergoing. “Follow Thorax’s example!” she bellowed to the other changelings. “I need all of it! Every ounce you have!”
The changelings paused what they were doing, siphoning their love to the queen. Just like Thorax, they lifted off the ground, their forms obscured by a white cocoon.
Channeling the deluge of love into her horn, Chrysalis took aim at G-1’s back. “It’s yours now, Thorax. The queen is dead...” Unleashing the spell, the last of her life slipped away. “Long live the king...”
G-1 screamed as the spell slammed into him. It shrieked in agony, as the overwhelming positive energy stripped away its form. Its crystal vaporized, revealing the full damage the suit had taken.
Sombra put a hand on the armor, watching smoke rise from it. "You don't have to be scared. You're me, and I'm you; that means you're not going to die." Through their connection, Sombra opened his mind and invited his counterpart to stay.
He stumbled as whatever was in G-1 poured into him, blinding and deafening him from the world. Standing in front of was an older version of himself. After a moment, his doppelganger's form shrank until they were at eye level.
“Am I really that bad?” Sombra questioned, looking at his double.
"We are meant to be a ruler, not a common schoolfoal," the doppelganger argued, his form transparent.
Sombra shrugged. “Ya well, screw what we’re supposed to be. I like my life the way it is.”
The doppelganger chuckled, approaching Sombra. “Perhaps you are more than an empty vessel. A sentence like that would’ve never occurred to the old us.”
“Yeah well, the ‘old us’ is gone. It’s just me and you.”
“I suppose I can’t argue,” the doppelganger said, holding his hand out, “I lost this fight.”
Sombra took his hand, squeezing it. “It’s okay. You aren’t alone.”
The doppelganger didn’t say anything else, seeming to simply fade from existence.
When the world returned, Sombra found himself laying on his back staring up at the sky. The sound of sobbing reached his ears, further pulling him out of his funk. “Spike?” he asked, sitting up.
His ears flattened against his head, seeing why there was so much sobbing. The changelings were gathered around their former queen, hanging their heads in mourning. Thorax cradled Chrysalis’s head, his antlered head shaking as he wailed. Somehow, he managed to look at his fellow changelings, stifling his sobs for a moment.
“Let’s take her to the morgue. She needs to be prepared for a proper send off.”
Rising to his hooves, Sombra took stock of the area. The brainwashed citizens were coming to, looking disoriented. Spike was hunched over, groaning in pain. The G-1 armor itself rested on the ground, bearing the scars of the day. Sombra was whole, he felt it. But, was it worth the cost?