//------------------------------//
// And Carry a Big Torch (12) 
// Story: Super Pony Roomies 
// by TheManehattanite 
//------------------------------//


44


“This is taking forever,” Chrysalis sighed. 

Her underlings flapped their fans faster and shakily poured more wine. The queen sat, bored but as regal as a sphinx, on Black Bolt’s throne, idly flicking the Hyper Helm’s holograms on and off with her magic. 

“We could interrogate Maximus?” Pharynx suggested from where he crouched upside down on the ceiling. “Make him tell us how to step on the gas?” 

“You just want to beat something up,” Chrysalis muttered irritably. Her field surrounded her lieutenant suddenly, yanking him down to eye level. “And you’d have it by now, if you were hunting down those pests! You wouldn’t shut up about avenging your brother!”

“Squads…all over…city!” Pharynx wheezed. 

Chrysalis released him to drop to the floor, feigning indifference. In reality she kept forgetting just how powerful her magic was now, powered by a love strong enough to grind coal to diamond. “Well more changelings on the trail means you’ll find them faster,” she huffed. 

“Wouldn’t mind another crack at the spider,” Pharynx muttered. 

Chrysalis silenced the murmurs this started with a cold glance at some nearby minions. “Very well, but you’ll do it in disguise.” 

She stood sharply as her lieutenant began to protest. “Firstly, you will do it because your queen commands it! Secondly, it is a miracle our ruse has kept these Unknowns in place for as long as it has. I’m not taking any chances until Canterlot is well within my sights.”

She strode to the window, smirking down at the abandoned, checkmark pocked streets of Attilan. “Besides, you’ll have your fun soon enough, Pharynx.”

“Revenge for my brother,” the changeling snarled, his fin going rigid. 

“Yes, yes, dear old…him.” Chrysalis rolled her reflection’s eyes and admired its wings. "But even on the run, our quarry’s field is only so big. Crystal is one of these fools’ most recognised figures, and three little ponies are going to stand out even if the spider abandons that jester outfit. One of them is bright purple for goodness sake, how hard could she be to⁠—”

Every screen in the room and on the buildings outside flickered to life. A hum of readying public address systems sliced across radios. 

“—find…” Chrysalis blinked. 

“Attilan!” Johnnycake Storm’s blue eyed beaming face filled every screen with static laced chocolate brown and beach blonde handsomeness. “It’s been too long! Yeah, it’s your old pal the High Flying Horseshoe Torch, and no, your screens are fine, I’m just even more handsome than when you last saw me. Quick update: that footage is false, apart from how scruffy my old buddy Spider-Pony’s tail is! I love you too much to lie, Attilan. That’s how seriously I take this relationship.” 

“Get to the point,” someone off screen muttered, punching him in the foreleg with a red and blue hoof. 

“Where is that coming from?!” Chrysalis demanded. She spun furiously, staring her present subjects, who had absolutely no idea how to work an Attilanian coffee machine, much less conceptualise a broadcast hack and how to trace it. 

“Too Long Didn’t Read,” Johnny’s giant faces continued, “this lockdown is a sham, you’re being invaded to invade Equestria, and it’s all thanks to this lovely lady!” 

“Oh, that little…” Chrysalis snarled as photos of her un-morphed duel with the Torch began to fill every billboard in Attilan. 

“You’re looking at Queen Chrysalis, numero uno changeling and the third most depressing Princess Celestia wannabe to ever live. She enjoys conquering foreign lands, insurance fraud, maniacal laughter, and long walks on the beach. And don’t let the fangs fool ya, fellas, she’s got a sweet tooth!” 

Chrysalis clamped a mortified hoof over her mouth as the images cut to a still of how wide her mouth had opened to fire that ichor net. They would choose a frame where her left eye was twitching from the recoil! 

“She’s also due some serious payback, but don’t take my word for it! My lovely assistants, Princesses Crystal and Twilight Sparkle (and ol’ Web-Head because I felt sorry for him), are gonna demonstrate just how deep she’s wormed her way into your lives. Enjoy!”

He loomed in every Unknown’s vision for a second as he fiddled with whatever he was recording with, turning it down a random Attilan alleyway. 

“Hello and welcome to The Guards Are All Fake!” Spider-Pony saluted, flanked by an oddly terrified Twilight and Crystal. “Today’s prizes include the sweet taste of liberty and a lifetime’s supply of stain remover! And you at home don’t need to feel left out, all you need to do is take to the streets, walk up to the nearest goon in armour and do like so!”

He lashed his tail, signalling the quivering princesses to follow him as he bolted down the alley. Johnny’s feed went dark, replaced by security camera footage as the trio leapt over some plaza railings to ambush a passing guard squadron. 

“BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!” Spidey bellowed, waving his hooves as he pranced and flipped all around them. 

“Spider!” screeched the captain, crashing backwards into his men as his disguise dissolved. The cry was picked up by another squad running around the corner, one still disguised guard leaping into an exposed changeling’s forelegs. 

“Avenue of Harmony,” Spidey snarled, hopping up to glare into a camera, “you can’t miss it.”

His hooves thrust up so violently every changeling except the glaring Chrysalis flinched. Her head twisted sharply to take in a giant web, a downward arrow in the centre, springing into existence down a ribbon of towers to her right. 

“Assuming you think you can go another round,” Spidey sneered into the lens, “and don’t send Black Bolt or your little attack dog.”  

He threw himself backwards off his perch, firing webs into the camera fast enough only for changeling eyes to track. 

“Dog?!” Pharynx sputtered. 

He hesitated as lights began to flash in different tower windows. The murmurs of the horde died down to listen. Yes, there was something out there. Like different strands of wind, clawing at the back of their necks. Angry shouting. The sounds of a mob. 

More lights began to flare up and down the streets. A checkpoint in the corner of the window shuddered under multi-coloured radiance before some Unknowns large enough to be visible from this high up rammed into it, disintegrating it into collapsing scaffolding and shattering safety lights. 

The skies began to fill with packs of flying changelings, not swooping down on helpless prey but desperately trying to weave between buildings to avoid ad-hoc air squads of furious flying Unknowns. Those that could lobbed power beams after their invaders. 

Chrysalis rounded on her minions. “Well?” 

Apart from a few warriors like Pharynx limbering up there wasn’t so much as a twitching wing. It was like being back in the nursery. 

“Get out there! We don’t need to win, we just need to hold these fools in place until we reach Canterlot!” 

“B-but,” one changeling stammered, trembling, “there’s a spider…”

“Yes!” Chrysalis stomped forward, sending even Pharynx and his cohorts scuttling backwards and halfway up the walls. “But it is out there and I am in here!” 

“I can take ‘im!” Pharynx snapped, hovering off the floor to try and regain order. “C’mon, I’ve protected the hive from way bigger! And we didn’t even have Black Bolt then!” 

“Oh, yes,” Chrysalis beamed suddenly, catching them all so off guard it was like she'd simultaneously slapped them. She instinctively shifted her vocal cords’ bio-thaumic aura to that of Medusa’s. “My ultimate solution. ♫Oh, darling!♫” 

Her eyes glowed green, magic mingling with her voice, slitting a portal in mid-air. The King of the Unknowns wobbled out of it from sealed off lower floors, which the changelings had taken over with ichor and kicked in walls. Gorgon, Lockjaw and Maximus dangled semi-conscious in cocoons, along with palace staff that had asked too many questions. 

“Yes,” Chrysalis cooed with her stolen voice, “I know you’re not feeling well, but just this one last thing and you can lie down.” She smirked. “And all of Attilan with you. But I just need you to pop over to the Avenue of Harmony and tie those last few loose ends up, around a mountain for preference!” 

Black Bolt turned to the cityscape, Krackle building around his body. “No, wait,” Chrysalis realised, “not the window, not my view, AGH!” 

She flinched as the Unknown crashed through it, then blinked as he took a sharp left, leaving a crackling trail of power to rub it in. “What?! You’re going the wrong way! What are you doing?!” 

“We don’t need him!” Pharynx insisted, making her flinch as he sprang past her into the air. He spun, pumping a hoof and yelling over the buzzing of his wings. “Who’s with me?!” 

His fellow warriors joined in, jeering and hooting, the rest following them rather than risk being left alone with their queen, who’s fangs were lengthening so she could grind her teeth. 

“What?!” she snapped to the almost totally vacant throne room. 

Her shadow flickered under her hooves from suddenly changing light. 

Running on centuries of experience and primal instinct, Chrysalis flung herself to the side, avoiding a combined beam of magic, fire, and lightning. The impact wave as it struck the floor still knocked her out of the air, sending her crashing into the floor just as it caved in from the sheer power. 


***


Chrysalis flailed and choked on dust, blinking from the shock of her landing. 

“Wh-wh’agh?!” she hacked. The breath was driven out of her lungs as a purple field enveloped her, crushing her forelegs into her chest and her neck into her torso. 

“Misdirection,” Twilight Sparkle snarled, hovering above her. She lashed her horn, hurling Chrysalis across the room, dropping her field in time for the queen to take an ice bat to the face and crash into a council meeting table. 

“Avenue of Harmony’s on the west side,” Crystal grunted, letting her bat dissolve back into water molecules. 

“I’m back too, by the way,” the Horseshoe Torch said cheerfully, flying three circles around a boggling Chrysalis’ resting place as he lazily carved a concentrated heat beam into the floor. 

“Ul--” Chrysalis choked, letting out some final hacking. “Ultracrepidarian! Ultracrepidarian!” 

“Gesundheit.” Johnny winked. “Just swung by to give you the good news! Crystal and Twilight’ll take it from here, especially since you so helpfully showed us where you’re keeping everyknown. Hey, pick me up some hoof cream while your down there?”

“Down…?” 

Chrysalis scrabbled to her hooves as the Torch clapped his. She looked down at the glowing smear around the table, and then she was falling again as it dropped through the floor. Her outraged scream was silenced by a satisfying metallic slam.

Johnny let the mask slip, looking at Crystal with concern through his flames. “You got this?” 

She smirked. “You’ve got your job, we’ve got ours.” 

Johnny gave her a quick salute as her rocketed up through the hole in the ceiling, but he knew no matter how fast he flew he’d still be weighed down by the anxiety he was leaving behind in that room. Leaving Crystal behind with that monster.


***

Below, Chrysalis stabbed a clenched, green glowing hoof through the remains of the table on top of her, pulling herself to her hooves. She’d crashed down into the offices her swarm had turned into a makeshift hive but not even webs of ichor and crawl spaces could make her feel better. 

Beating those upstarts to death with one of these slabs, that would--  

Twilight, surrounded by a force field, smacked down on top of Chrysalis, driving the changeling back into the rubble and bouncing into the air. She flared her wings, angling her field so it ricocheted off a beam, diving back for another strike. 

The trick lasted for two more shots before Chrysalis swiped her glowing horn, a slash of cerulean energy knocking Twilight’s fourth attempt off course. Another burst of magic and she was behind the Element, furiously spiking her field hard into the marble floor. 

Twilight choked down a cry of pain, scrabbling away as her field flickered out. Chrysalis’ horn gored the floor where she’d been, throwing up sparks. 

“You. Chipped. My. Fang.” 

Twilight blinked at the slight lisp in the queen’s voice and the shock that, yeah, she actually had at some point. 

She got over it at the same instant Chrysalis lunged, teleporting behind the changeling. She ducked a furious green and cerulean blast of magic, teleporting away again, trying to find an opening without getting fried by Chrysalis’ next volley. 

“That’s right!” Chrysalis shrieked, blowing apart an exposed beam, just to show she could, as her horn discharged over and over and over. “Run from my power! Run to your little friends! Bring them all! As many as you like! I’ll drain them one by one in front of you!” 

“At least I’ve got friends!” Twilight shot back. Literally, forcing Chrysalis to leave herself exposed, then levitating one of those beam fragments into her opponent’s side. It wasn’t knocking out that other fang, but it was so darn satisfying. 

“Where?!” Chrysalis spat.

She blinked and spun at a slithering sound, yelping as a green blur shot across the floor under her, slapping her forelegs, which suddenly couldn’t find any traction. She slipped and crashed to the floor, pawing helplessly for balance or purchase. 

“Not the most pleasant of my powers,” Trident admitted, flipping off his back and using his foreleg fins to slow himself to a stop by a smirking Twilight, “but exuding that little compound should prevent you from crawling out of reach!” 

“And you shan’t be using your favourite wing to compensate!” Karnack declared, tumbling expertly out of the shadows. 

Chrysalis tried to snap at him, even with only one fang, but hissed with animalistic panic as his hooves jabbed up and down her shoulders with near bullet speed. Her right wing crumpled uselessly as the Unknown cartwheeled to Twilight’s other side. 

“And this…” wheezed a voice behind the downed changeling. 

Chrysalis scrabbled to turn just in time to take one of a sopping wet Gorgon’s hooves to the face, sent pinwheeling through the air. 

“Is just the beginning!” the massive Unknown grunted. 

Chrysalis managed to slow her fall with her remaining wing, just enough to land hard and slip face first into the floor again. Barking with fury, a half-recovered Lockjaw bounded across the room, instantly on her. Twilight and the three Unknowns weren’t far behind him. 


45


“C-c-can we go now…?” the faux Crystal asked. 

“Yeah, sure, beat it,” Spider-Pony decided, flicking his tail roughly in the direction of the pub they’d been loitering outside when Twilight snagged them. The grateful but still terrified changelings dropped Twilight and Crystal’s appearances and bolted. 

“Try not to suck so much!” Spidey called after them. He wasn’t sure they heard him over the sound of civil rebellion. 

Well, wait, no, the idea was to get Attilan back to the status quo, which they seemed okay with, so was it really a riot if the authority the Unknowns were beating up wasn’t their own? Did shapeshifting insects really count as an authority? He wasn’t sure the UN recognised…wherever they came from. 

He shook his head to clear it as he jumped three times across a street to perch halfway up a wall and take stock. He’d kept the…urges or whatever clamped down the whole time, but being around even just two changelings still made him want to…he wasn’t sure. 

Pull rebar out through concrete. Hurl loaded wagons over, maybe even through, a building. Gallop from Manehattan to Neigh Jersey. Cover Blue Mountain Forest in webs. 

Show off his powers. Just to prove he could. 

It was like a steroid version of his Spider-Sense, though only Chrysalis had ever kicked it into overdrive like that. That jerk with the red fin and purple wings was also the first time it’d felt…satisfying somehow. 

A few months ago, in a pain killer induced fugue, he’d admitted to the other Elements that he did, occasionally, eat flies. He’d never do it in front of anypony of course, but, well, even when his fridge had been set for at least a week, it’d still been nice just to…maybe check out the local cobwebs and. Well. 

Twilight had never pressed him about it, but the scientist (wizard, whatever) in her probably thought along the same lines as he did. Maybe changelings were some kind of instinctual branch of that spliced in urge. Like perhaps he was following his nature, even though it wasn’t natural. Like perhaps he didn’t just want to beat changelings, but to stand over them, lean down and…

A brick lobbed at a ducking guard broke a window on the floor beneath him. 

Yeah, an active riot is probably not the best place to be thinking about this. Not that I really wanna. Two forms of dodging for the price of one! 

He looked around, uncertain if he should help, or even needed to. All the Unknowns pouring out of these doors and alleyways had powers, or at least combat training. The changelings hadn’t been expecting this and were scattering more than actually fighting back. 

He webbed up a few of their escape routes on principle, and flipped his way across the architecture until he found what he was looking for: a rune decorated Unknown manhole. 

“Wrong turn at Antlerquerque!” he cheerfully explained to a confused Unknown beating up a groggy changeling. Two web-lines to the sides, a deft yank, and he was dropping through the hole before the cover slammed back into place, scurrying along the ceiling of another Attilan maintenance tunnel. 

Follow the yellow conduits, Triton had told him. This phase of the plan required Black Bolt to be heading in the wrong direction twice, Karnak counting on a mix of his cousin’s stupor and Chrysalis’ unfamiliarity with Attilan's layout. Presumably if the king course corrected it’d be towards the arrow Peter had left behind, giving him time to meet up with Johnny.

From then on, the plan wasn’t to beat Black Bolt but to outrun him and, most importantly, keep him from making his way back to Chrysalis.  

Hot potato, with a half-alien super pony who could power all of Las Pegasus for a few decades and a potato head. Sounds simple enough. 


***

He reached the district’s upper power junction and took a ladder back to the streets, emerging in Attilan’s Old City and scaring the beejezus out of some changelings fleeing a mob. He saluted with the manhole like a hat. ”’Scue me folks, you wouldn’t happen to know the way to Carnineigh Hall?”

“War criminal,” said an approaching light and warmth behind him. 

“Flame Brain! Lacking in good taste and quality fake passports, too, I note!”

“Hey, they said they couldn’t accept Derby Bugle headlines,” the Torch smirked as he flew by, the Web-Slinger swinging after him as they raced to their next distraction point. “This is what happens when you’re your own press agent.”

“You are talking to me about this? You?” 

“Well, the dude we’re fighting can’t talk, so.”

“Is what we’re doing really fighting?” 

“Point,” Johnny agreed, looking between some passing towers as a silver streak rocketed towards the east side’s web arrow. “If we make this a street-fight he’ll steamroll us without even noticing.”

“And remind me again why we don’t just all grab Lockjaw, make a quick trip to Canterlot, and hang out in Hawhiney for a few days while Princess Celestia takes care of this?” 

“Trying to win back the best princess ever over here!” 

“…you haven’t talked to her yet?”

Johnny looked despondently at him through the flames and waved down at the streets, full of furious Unknowns and rabbiting changelings. 

Spidey shrugged mid-swing. “Still.“

“Hey, last time we saved Attilan I got a date out of it. You’ve gotta admit it’s a hay of a conversation starter.”

Yeah, an old one. And she’s looking for new options. “Good luck, man.” 

“Thanks. When you and Twilight’ve patched things up, wanna double date somewhere?” Johnny grinned. “Between the four of us we could get into a whole new kind of trouble, assuming we don’t found a new super team on the way! Still got a lifetime pass to Whinneyland somewhere in Sue’s attic.” 

“Appreciate the support but…” Peter went silent as they arced over another street. “Kinda assuming she’ll still--”

“Who’s assuming? Hang on, this looks like a good spot.” Johnny braked over an abandoned lot full of wrecked checkpoints and launched a flaming arrow construct into the air. The web arrow over the Avenue of Harmony disintegrated in silver Kirby Krackle. 

“Do we have a plan if he catches us?” Spidey asked, leaping rooftops after the Torch as they headed towards another district. 

“You trust Twilight to shut this down like I do Crystal?” Johnny asked over his shoulder. 

“Totally!” 

“Then start actually doing it.”

Peter blinked Spider-Pony’s lenses, almost missing his next web-line. 

“That’s plan A,” the Torch said, diving under a bridge to startle a pack of changelings hiding on the underside. “Plan B is to keep evading Black Bolt like you evade difficult topics. Y’know, Twilight, politics, your thing with those fruit pies, daddy issues with ol’ Falttop, the Spider-Kart existing at all…”

“I wish Fin Fang Foom had sat on you.” Spidey twisted in mid-air, weaving another web arrow under the bridge behind him as his tail fired off his next line. “Seriously, Attilan’s only so big. Just because Black Bolt's brain-fried enough to fall for this doesn’t mean he won’t catch on.” 

“So we whip up a new prank to keep him away from Chrysalis, which is the whole point,” the Torch countered. “Seriously, cake and medals in Canterlot before sunset, tops.”

“That’s the other thing.” Spidey landed on a roof to point at the horizon. Johnny followed his gaze, past the towers of Attilan to mountain peaks coming into view. “We’re somewhere in the Misty Mountains! Attilan might be taking it slow but we are getting closer to a populated part of Equestria. Also, pretty sure Black Bolt’s gaining on us.” 

“Or is he?” Johnny smirked, wound up a fireball and curveballed it over a few blocks to erupt into a new arrow over one of several spiky towers. 


***

They’d managed two new arrows each before the shaking started, all of Attilan rocking. 

Golden light flared at the edges of the colony’s base, clouds twisting into nothing in its wake. Snow tumbled from mountain peaks in the distance…and seemed to float, with more than a few rocks. Below them Unknowns and changeling’s hesitated mid-brawl. 

Spidey squinted, clinging extra hard to a high-tech gargoyle. “Did Lockjaw and Gorgon sneeze at the same time or something?” 

Johnny’s collar chirruped urgently. He stabbed it to activate his mic. “Sue?!”

“…that’s interesting.”

“Crystal! How’s bug sitting going?” 

“Dunno, everything’s shaking! How’s Black Bolt?”

“Don’t think he even noticed. Sounds like you got comms working though! ETA on backup? Playing tag with your brother-in-law’s fun and all, but we’d take the coast guard at this point.”

“Yeah, the FF’s on the way, but we’re not out of the woods yet. Those quakes are the Hyper Helm’s tractor beams! Maximus stuck something into it for Chrysalis, and the only thing I can override is comms.” 

Spidey and the Torch flinched at grinding thunder. Over the rim of Attilan a mountain top was finally coming apart. Rock, snow and grass sprayed so high it covered the edges of the city in a depressing Hearth’s Warming diorama.

“Any idea where we’re going?” Spidey asked. “’Cause the Crystal Empire is looking awfully close. Hay, this thing could mess up enough rivers to flood half of Northern Equestira!”

“Canterlot,” Johnny and Crystal said in perfect sync. The Unknown was reading the holo-map. The Torch just knew Chrysalis that well. 

“Maximus locked anyknown out, but he supped the tractor beams up to be almost as crazy as he is! It’s why we’re running so slow, so we should have time to take out at least one of their power plants. He’s, uh, engaged all their defences, so you should know them when you see them.” 

The Torch indicated with his head. Spidey followed to take in a series of golden glowing structures here and there, the same colour as the beams frothing at the edges of the city. A spray of snow and even some trees joined it, hurling a bolder far enough into the city to dash itself to pieces against one plant’s golden force field. 

Spidey gave the Torch a deadpan look but nodded. 

“Didn’t old bowl cut pull this before?” The Torch squinted. “How’d we get in then?”

“That’s the thing,” Crystal winced over the link, “you were about to try going nova when Black Bolt stepped in.” 

Johnny quirked a brow as Spidey put his head in a hoof. Although he wasn’t exactly wild about breaking out his biggest move either. 

Even if it worked his Nova Flame could reach temperatures close to a small sun, and the only times he’d unleashed it in Manehattan was either in mid-air and well out of civilian airspace, or with Sue containing as much of the damage as she could in a force field. 

Black Bolt might be addled enough to be steered into one of their targets, but there was no way he was going to miss one of the world’s most charismatic explosions on his doorstep. The plants weren’t that tall either, so there was the extra pressure of keeping the Nova confined to a neighbourhood. In the middle of an ongoing riot.

One single civilian casualty, even a changeling, and Johnny would never forgive himself. 

Oh, and then there was the totally cool fact that his powers would need at least an hour to recharge. With no guarantee the Nova would knock Black Bolt out. He’d seen Galactaurus step on the guy once and it only gave him a case of orbiting tweety birds, a really, really big fire wasn’t even going to give him a sunburn. 

“I’m trying to reach the Empire but there’s so much static,” Crystal snarled. “Hope it means they’ve spotted us and evacuated, but…”

“We’re on it,” the Torch declared, shooting towards the closest power plant. 

“Oh, are we?” Spidey snarked, swinging after him. “Well, on the plus side, the streets look like your room on laundry day, so we don’t have to worry about anypony walking in on us.”

“It’s anyknown.” Johnny glared at his own (still debonair) distorted flaming reflection in the golden field. “And that was one time, let it go.” 

“Takin’ it to my grave, partner,” Spidey shot back, weaving one more arrow between buildings. “Unless you’ve got a plan in that collar?”

“Time it so I hit Bolt Brain and this shield at once.” 

“Very zen!” Spidey boggled. “In a suicidal way! You wanna tick off Shy-Hulk too, go for a hat trick?!” 

Johnny flexed, his flames burning brighter. “You wanna be standing here when Black Bolt catches up to us?” 

A silver star flashed on the horizon. 

“Clocks ticking.”

“Oh sweet, so either you flash fry me, or he turns me into Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Confetti for Chrysalis’ coronation parade when I jump in to try and save your tail!”

“Think of it as a display of Great Power,” the Torch smirked. 

“Shut up.” 

Searing heat poured off the Torch, rippling the thickening air. Nearby light strips blew out suddenly as every metal railing and support beam protested with creaking, hissing, and pinging. 

Johnny’s epidermis climbed from an agonising, furious red to churning, molten black, just in time to contrast with a blinding white corona slowly clawing its way through his flame aura. He gritted his teeth as blood orange cracks knifed their way over the protective shell, doubling over as he lifted an extra foot into the air. 

Black char spread across the ground under him like ice, forcing Spider-Pony to spring backwards. He was shocked as his friend thrust out a hoof, hanging onto just enough white-knuckle control to push him even further away with a thermal burst. It was still searing and the air was thickening to concrete. 

“Johnny!” Peter called, clinging onto a passing wall.

“Crystal,” Johnny growled calmly from somewhere inside the inferno, “dunno—Hngh! Dunno…if you can still hear this. Just. Just in—Agh! Just in case…I love you.” 

“Johnny!” Peter yelled again. Debris and broken glass hurtled back into the storefronts it had come from, borne on the Nova Flame’s gathering wind. 

“Get outta here already!” a pair of golden eyes, venting blood red flame, and a manically grinning magazine cover smile hissed at him from the incandescence. “Twilight’s. Gonna. Kiiillll meeeee anythin’ happens to ya!” 

“Because Black Bolt’s soooo much better!” Peter snapped back. “If you can’t take him what am I supposed to do, breathe on him?!”

A beat. Clouds were evaporating in the sky above them.  

“…you’re a genius,” Johnny said.  

“What?!”

The crowning sun that was Tropical Johnnycake Storm snapped up to glare at the descending Black Bolt. Spider-Sense lanced through Peter’s bones, snatching control of his body and urging it into a thirty-story leap, weaving a useless web-shield en-route to being anywhere but there.

Precious seconds from Black Bolt’s impact, which could still spread every molten fragment of him the length of Attilan and over its sides, Johnny:

Shot forward. 

Flipped over the reaching Unknown. 

And opened his mouth to pour the entire, roaring, pumping, seething, unstoppable glory of his Nova Flame out of it in a concentrated beam.

His jaw went near blackout numb almost instantly. Black Bolt took the solar fist right between his shoulder blades, slamming face first into the power plant's field. Webs of light shot across it for an eyeblink, before the entire thing contracted. The building inside exploded the same instant it collapsed, molten cracks punching their way up and down the streets. 


***

Johnny tumbled bonelessly to the ground, watching through a haze with some satisfaction as two other plants he could see from here flickered and dropped their fields, their windows going dark. 

Attilan must have stopped shaking because he couldn’t trust that fading, booming non-sound in his ears, but he was too out of it to even tremble. He coughed on the mix of ozone laced smoke from the wreckage and fresh air rushing back into the sweltering street. 

His collar felt limp around his neck, its circuitry most likely burned out. Even Reed’s unstable molecule fabric could only do so much. That was okay. Crystal probably had Chrysalis iced to the floor by now. He’d catch her at the victory ball, once his legs could work. 

Some still burning rubble shifted. 

Johnny rolled his eyes as Black Bolt rose slowly out of the wreckage of the power plant, the silver bolts of his costume now almost invisible under ash. “Yeah, you think you have the upper hoof now,” he wheezed, “but oh man, when I get my fine motor control back I am going to poke you so much, you have no idea.” 

Black Bolt wobbled through the air towards his target, his eyes glowing venomous green. Johnny coughed some smoke at him just for something to do. 

A roaring Spider-Pony swung through the roiling smoke, crashing both hind legs into Black Bolt’s head, grabbing his forehead rune and hurling him down the street in seconds. Johnny blinked as Peter lunged to meet the dazed Unknown as he stopped in mid-air, lowering to the street as the wall-crawler filled the air with so many punches and kicks it almost looked like there were three Spider-Ponies in one place. 

Spidey’s last kick was so powerful it snapped Black Bolt’s chin up and sent him flying away from the Unknown. He rolled as he landed, panting, lenses narrowed. 

Black Bolt blinked and wrinkled his nose. There was a sound like a finger poking through the membrane of the universe, and a wave of Kirby Krackle sent both super ponies flying.

“What was that?!” Spidey demanded once the ringing in his ears had modulated enough for him to hear himself. 

Black Bolt, still mesmerised, rubbed some sparks out of his nose and began to drift towards them. 

“Congratulations,” Johnny winced, “I think you made him sneeze.”  


46


“Stay down!” Twilight snapped. 

Chrysalis scrambled to her hooves to hiss at her. She was leaving herself wide open, but Twilight was too stunned to take advantage. The goal was absolutely to hit the changeling as hard as they could, wearing her down if not actually beating her. But Twilight hadn’t expected…anything like this. 

Lockjaw had savaged Chrysalis’ wings, she was now missing parts of her mane in addition to a fang, she’d actually bitten her own legs to try and pull Triton’s secretions off, and her black carapace had been torn open in places from blows and blasts. Twilight could see some kind of cerulean and lavender…gel?...in those gashes. Whatever it was, it wasn’t skin, even if it didn’t flow like liquid. 

She was staring into the worst part, the ragged, gaping burn mark that had been half of Chrysalis’ face. More gel underneath. The queen’s hateful, feline eye was suspended in it. 

Twilight blinked as Karnack used her shoulder to launch himself over her and into a kick. Chrysalis batted him aside, but it had been a set up for Gorgon to land his own attack, sending her flying. Triton leapt to headbutt her in the side, then landed on her as she hit the floor, driving the fins on his left foreleg into one of her gashes. Chrysalis shrieked in fury. 

“Focus, Princess,” Karnack grunted as Twilight helped him up. 

Twilight nodded numbly. She needed to be in the moment. The plan counted on giving Chrysalis no opening, using every shot to set her up for another one. Hammering her until she dropped. Giving her no time or room to use her boosted magic, taking away every physical advantage she had. 

But sun and moon, the sounds coming of out of Chrysalis…

Chrysalis gritted her teeth at Triton’s latest stab, then twisted her neck with a quick, sickening sound to bite his leg. The Unknown cried out in pain, then grunted as she headbutted him, catching his chest with her horn. Miraculously his scales were too thick for her to penetrate, but he still hurtled into a girder.

Twilight threw up a shield to absorb Chrysalis’ blind barrage of magic bolts, gritting her teeth from the impact. Black Bolt and Medusa’s love made Chrysalis’ blasts strong enough to blow out an entire wall already, and Twilight’s head was ringing from trying to take on that much magic. 

Lockjaw bounded forward, but a wad of ichor suddenly bound his forelegs together and he crashed to the floor. Chrysalis teleported out of the way of a bellowing Gorgon’s stomp, crouched ferally halfway up a wall, disconcertingly like Peter. 

“Fools!” she slurred through the remains of her jaw. She glowed with green magic, sealing her wounds and re-growing appendages with butcher sounds. “You think this will stop me?! You’ll be dust before I…”

She trailed off, her pupils shrinking. 

Twilight telekinetically hammered the middle of the beam, throwing the changeling off and into one of Gorgon’s blows. Chrysalis rolled across the floor and snarled as he charged her. Her entire body erupted with green and cerulean lighting, and Gorgon howled as it met his swinging hoof.  

Twilight teleported behind her but Chrysalis was still fast enough to spin and meet her. Force from their simultaneous magical beams drove both of them apart, sending Chrysalis smashing through pods and debris. Twilight’s hooves felt like they were being scraped off but she managed to flare her wings, slowing just before she was driven into the remaining wall. 

This was useless, wasn’t it? Even pulling from her Alicorn-increased magical reserves. Chrysalis could just channel more and more stolen love into her own beam, mow Twilight down before ever running out, not even needing to outlast the younger mage. And she’d caught onto the plan…

Triton sliced frictionlessly across the floor, knocking Chrysalis off her hooves and just managing to be out of range before Twilight’s blast hammered into the changeling. Twilight blinked with the shock of released pressure as a purple amber slammed Chrysalis into a wall, bursting pods and raining ichor. Gorgon and Karnak were already racing forward but there was a flash of green and the shadow inside the amber was gone. 

“She knows!” Twilight coughed as Triton helped her up. “She knows we--”

A cry from the gaping hole in the ceiling. Crystal tumbled through, just managing to throw up a cloud to catch herself. She tumbled onto her back, firing razor sharp icicles from one hoof and good old fashioned lightning from the other.  

Twilight and the rest of her family began to gallop towards her but a green flash blinded them. Twilight squinted to see a furious Chrysalis clinging to the ceiling, smoking and with some shards of ice buried in her carapace. She threw herself back, still knocked off her hooves as the queen launched herself down hard enough to punch a crater in the marble floor.  

“Know what?!” Chrysalis howled, spinning to the Unknowns. 

Crystal managed to tag her with a blast of lightning but she’d already been glowing with power, thrusting her wings forward. Twilight winced at a piercing shriek as they spat green and cerulean sound waves, flooring the Unknowns. 

“Know…what?!” Chrysalis panted, clamping her regrown fangs together to stop her twitching. “That you had…had your little friend up there, calling…calling for help while you tried to distract me?!” 

Twilight built up power for a concussive burst spell but the wind was knocked out of her as Chrysalis spun, spitting ichor with the force of a beanbag round. An alien tugging forced Twilight to turn her head as she scrabbled to get back up in spite of it. She stared in horror at her right wing, caked against a beam by the gunk.

“Or that you’re trying to burn me out?!” Chrysalis sneered. She blocked Twilight’s desperate magic bolt with a field, glancing furiously over her shoulder as Crystal tried a fireball from behind. “Make me use up all that delicious love?! Clever!”

She telekinetically hauled Karnack in front of her. Crystal gasped and lowered her hooves. “I expect it was this one, mmm?! Let me show you what I think of clever!”

Crystal yelled furiously, devastated as she drove Karnack face first into the floor. He didn’t move. 

“Who’s next, Princess?!” Chrysalis kicked him aside, advancing on her like a stalking wildcat. “The big one? Hmm?! Might take me a while. Little Johnnycake?” 

She leered, hissing at the way Crystal stiffened. “Yes, thought that was what that was. Or how about…” 

Crystal’s eyes met Twilight’s just before a blast of ichor glued her forehooves to the floor. 

“Your new friend!” Chrysalis announced, freezing Twilight in place with the look of delighted, childish sadism on her face. Twilight’s desperate list of duelling spells was drowned out by the buzzing of those wings as the queen of the changelings lunged for her.

Attilan rocked suddenly, lights flickering. Chrysalis froze in mid-air, blinking as her predator and survival instincts collided. Twilight noticed the cocoon next to her and acted on pure instinct, reaching out with her telekinesis.  

Four cables burst out of the ichor. Chrysalis yelped as they wrapped around her, twisting her upside down and around as she was slammed into it. She stared at the unconscious Maximus’ dazed face, grinning at her with only one of his too large eyes half open. 

That was it. 

Chrysalis snarled, eyes pure green. There was a burst between Twilight and Crystal, and suddenly Spider-Pony and a smoking Johnnycake were grunting in surprise as they hit the floor. Black Bolt didn’t even blink as he hovered above them. Spidey’s head whipped between Twilight and Crystal, but he probably wouldn’t have managed his lunge for Chrysalis even if that hadn’t cost him precious seconds. 

Chrysalis threw back her head and let out an enraged, almost un-sapient screech. Green and cerulean lightning raced out of her, up and out of every strand of ichor, filling the chamber with lightning.


47


Twilight must have blacked out for a second, because the world was whistling on and off all around her. She’d come clear of the beam at some point? She couldn’t feel her wing or any of her legs. She was on the floor? 

Peter was sprawled, smoking, inches from her. Her neck was a red hot line and her head was swimming, but she managed to turn it enough to register everyone was down. Black Bolt had been struck too, Chrysalis’ lighting still dancing around him, unnoticed. 

A stretching sound made Twilight realise the only reason any of them were still alive was that Chrysalis was still pulling herself free of Maximus’ cocoon. The queen hit the floor with a complete lack of dignity, ichor mixing with more of that gel. She rose, snarling as she rapid healed herself, her still closing face whipping this way and that as she searched for…Johnny, trying to get to his hooves. 

Chrysalis stomped past him to tower over Crystal, swatting at her ear. Twilight reached for strength she didn’t have to stand but turned as she heard Peter groan under the mask. His lenses twitched as he blinked. 

“Wake! Up!” Chrysalis snapped. Her chest and shoulders heaved as Crystal stirred. “Good.” 

She began looking around the room for something else. 

Peter rolled off his back onto his front, and began to haul himself inch by inch towards Twilight. She reached for him, not trying to stop him, just…just to have…something. 

Chrysalis thrust a hoof into a wad of ichor around a bent beam, pulling out a long shard of shrapnel. Johnny actually chuckled drunkenly as he realised what she was doing. Chrysalis used her telekinesis to roughly flip him onto his back, fully aware he was too exhausted to move. She kept her eyes locked on Crystal as she walked towards him, levitating her new dagger. 

Meaning she was paying no attention when Twilight clasped Peter’s hoof. 

Twilight pulled Peter up by his shoulders into an embrace. And suddenly knew that they both understood something. 


***

“There’s something there,” Chrysalis said with furious calm. “Still there. Tenacious. Like the two of you. Enough time and care, it would have made a banquet. Perhaps even enough to march on a thousand Canterlots. It’s a shame to waste it.” 

She rammed a hoof down on Johnny’s 4 logo hard enough to crack it, pinning him as she raised the shard in her hoof. Her eyes had never left Crystal’s. 

“But after today, well, I just hate you enough to make you watch.”

Johnny smiled helplessly at Crystal. It was, strangely, the only thing he could do. He wanted to tell her it was going to be okay, but, y’know. Vocal cords were muscles and all of his were…away right now. 

The world went purple. Mixed with lots and lots of shades of pink. He could swear he heard a rising choir somewhere. 

“What…?” Chrysalis blinked. She turned and covered her eyes. Johnny shut one of his own, not sure it was entirely of his own volition. 

You’d have to know you were looking for it, but he’d swear that was Twilight and Peter in the middle of that warm…whatever this was, light pouring out of them. Huh, looking at it was making him feel better. Healing him? The room even seemed to be rebuilding itself, or at least it's rubble was moving around. Ichor flapped and sheared from the walls, peeling itself into non-existence. 

Chrysalis looked up in shock as the shard shook itself out of her grasp. She tried to do something but the radiance had her somehow, paralysing her as it lifted her off the floor. Johnny put a restored hoof to his chest as he was released, blinking. 

Something wet dropped between Chrysalis and Black Bolt. Johnny scrambled to his hooves from surprise, backing up slightly. At first he’d assumed a pod had fallen loose, but it seemed to have just popped into existence…or been summoned. 

The light swirled around it like strands, almost carefully unwrapping it. One of them was wafting between his legs and he followed it back to Spidey and Twilight, both now back on their hooves as well. Though they were still…hugging? 

“No!” Chrysalis snapped, drawing Johnny’s attention back to the cocoon. 

“Medusa!” Crystal gasped in delight, as her sister rose hazily out of the melting mass. Black Bolt blinked and turned his head towards her. 

“…Blackgar?” Medusa murmured, blinking. She yawned. “Oh, my! What time is it? Have you been trying to build a den again?!” 

“No!” Chrysalis struggled to move. She clamped her jaws shut, convulsing, heaving, but still managing to gag the mantra out. “NonononononononnnNNGHHH--”

The love seemed to have been trying to escape via her mouth.  Maybe changeling teeth were magic enough to keep it at bay. Johnny was too busy shielding his eyes from the light to really think about it. Because, well, that meant the love had to try to escape through other means.


***

When it was quiet enough for him to risk opening his eyes the chamber still needed a serious patch up job, but was at least free of ichor and strangely illuminated, a little too dishwasher commercial from the amount of magic in the air. 

Black Bolt and Medusa were in each other’s embrace, and when the king opened his eyes to smile at his queen they were tired but clear. 

Crystal winked at Johnny from between her three cousins, all of whom seemed surprised to still be alive. He smirked, turning to see Twilight and Peter, still in full costume, finally breaking their embrace. He’d place all of Fantastic Inc.’s quarterly budget on Peter wearing the same smile as Twilight under the mask. 

He noticed Maximus in one corner, cuddling a chunk of debris like a teddy bear. Then realised what he’d assumed to be a lot of very burnt debris was Chrysalis. It was her twitching jaws and silently screaming eyes that gave her away.

“What’s going on?” Medusa blinked. “The last thing I remember there was this cloying maid and…”

“Well that solves that mystery,” Johnny smirked, indicating the remains of Chrysalis with his head. “She grabbed you during the summit, piggybacked to Attilan, snuck her swarm in, we saved the day, y’know, the ush. But it’s cool, no charge, you're friends of the family.”

“She…?” Medusa looked from Black Bolt then whirled on Chrysalis, her hair twisting into barbs. “You…dare?!” 

Chrysalis stared at her with unseeing eyes. 

“Medusa,” Crystal said gently, stepping between them. “C’mon. She’s useless. And you’re queen.” 

“I could do it if you like,” Gorgon rumbled, stomping forward. 

“No,” Medusa sighed, smiling. She leaned into a hug with Crystal, gently wrapping her hair around her little sister. “I’d only enjoy it if I did it myself.” Crystal punched her shoulder, making her chuckle. “And I’m in too good a mood.” 

“Your funeral!” 

Johnny’s head snapped up at the familiar voice, but the black blur was already slamming off Gorgon’s chest to ricochet off him. He felt Peter catch him and blinked as Pharynx rolled, draping the prone Chrysalis over his shoulders. One of her eyes was twitching. 

Black Bolt rose into the air, reaching for the changelings as Lockjaw snarled, but Pharynx threw his head back and let out of piercing, primal sound that made them all clap their hooves over their ears. 

They just managed to catch sight of him hauling his queen into the air with him, and by the time the group reached the surface the sky was full of buzzing as the whole swarm retreated, vanishing into the clouds. 


48

“It…would seem we owe you a debt, Princess Twilight,” Medusa sighed, surveying the wrecked streets of her kingdom. Black Bolt touched her shoulder, looking concerned, but she nodded at him. He took to the air, using his telekinesis to start picking up rubble. Some nearby Unknowns cheered at the sight. 

“It was a group effort,” Twilight said in a mellow voice. She and Spidey were close by each other but making sure not to hold hooves or something. Crystal gave Johnny a knowing look and he winked at her. 

“Still, the entire point of this exchange was to forge new connections,” Medusa smiled. “And I assume we still have a week to show you our gratitude.” 

“Don’t let her fool you,” Johnny quipped, “the Unknowns throw some wild parties!” 

“I had her first,” Crystal retorted. She turned to her sister. “And what about Johnny and Spidey here? We’re gonna leave them out in the cold?”

“Just passing through,” the Web-Slinger said and shrugged, hopping onto an undamaged streetlight. “Although could we bum a ride back to Manehattan?” 

“You’re leaving?” Twilight asked. 

“I…” Spidey shuffled awkwardly on his perch and cleared his throat. “Well, we weren’t invited, Princess, and you’ve got diplomatic…stuff to be doing. Don’t need somepony sticking to your hooves.” 

“We could use any and all help tending to the city,” Medusa cut in, curiously raising an eyebrow at how hard Crystal was trying to keep some laughter under control, “but we remember our friends.” 

She smiled as she looked between all three Equestrians. “Each of you has proven that we may consider your home a friend to ours.” 

“You’re not boring, I’ll give you that,” Gorgon chuckled hefting Maximus like a chunk of rubble. The mad Unknown grunted and began to stir, but Karnak gently pressed one of his pressure points and he went back to sleep. 

“Oh, I’ll sweep up, totally,“ Spidey agreed. “I mean who else’ll do it, Johnny?”

“Says the guy who leaves cobweb everywhere,” the Torch shot back. 

“But yeah, there’s somepony back home I have to talk to. Apologise mostly. She’s got her own responsibilities and I…I need to let her know I’m sorry for making them more difficult.”

“Do you trust her?” Twilight asked. 

“Cross my heart and hope to fly.” 

“Then she’ll understand,” Twilight smiled. 

She cleared her throat, trying not to blush. “Um, in the spirit of cooperation I’d be happy to help you as well, Queen Medusa. I’ve got a degree in telekinetics from Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and I’m not a bad organiser if I say so myself!”

“We are more than happy to take you up on the offer, Princess Twilight,” Medusa said, draping a companionable lock of hair around the young Alicorn’s shoulders. They began to walk towards a damaged building, followed by Crystal and Johnny. 

Twilight looked back in time to see Spidey nod to her before he leapt to a new wall, following Trident off to their own clean up.


***

“I seem to recall your brother oversees Equestrian security?” Medusa asked, multiple tendrils reaching out sort debris into groups. “For obvious reasons it would be best if we were to collaborate in that regard. Not that this reflects on him, but Chrysalis could have gone after anyone at that summit.” 

“I understand, your highness,” Twilight agreed, helping her lift some rubble with her telekinesis. “It’s a shame my coltfriend isn’t here.” She smiled to herself. “He works at Damage Control. Don’t we all.” 

“Catch you later!” Crystal winked, patting her shoulders from a cloud. “I’ve got flooding and power grid duty with Trident, but I still owe you a tour.” 

“You can pay me back in Ponyville,” Twilight smirked back before turning nervously to Medusa. “Um, assuming that would be alright…?”

“Oh, I encourage it,” Medusa said idly. She smirked even though her back was to her stunned sister. “If you are the one to organise it, Princess. I think you’ll be a good influence.”

Crystal stopped fist pumping in time to pretend to admire her hoof before her sister turned around, but couldn’t keep a smile off her face. She and Twilight waved to each other as she rose into the sky. 

“Lemme know if that roommate of mine’s still being a blockhead,” Johnny said as he winked, flaming on, “I have it on good authority the Thing knows where he lives.” 

“Shouldn’t you both be careful then?” Twilight retorted, smirking. 

“Oh Princess, Princess, Princess,” the Torch grinned, “you’re showing so much potential!” 

Twilight shook her head and laughed as her new friend shot into the sky after Crystal. 


49

“Hey, wait up!” Johnny called cheerfully, pulling alongside her. 

“Yeah?” Crystal braked, hovering her cloud over a roof. “What’s the matter, stray hair out of place?” 

Johnny chuckled to buy time. “Yeah, uh, probably should be a couple after today.” 

“And it’s only noon,” Crystal smiled. “But y’know…I don’t regret that much of it.” 

“Cool,” Johnny smiled back. He bit his lip. “Crystal, can we…for real?”

“You know you can.” She put her hoof on his shoulder, or as much of it as she could with that thin protective field. “Twilight said you should be doing okay. Y’know,” she clarified at his look, “whatever it was Chrysalis did to you. But it’s okay if you’re not! I’d need a sec.” 

“Oh, that!” Johnny waved a hoof, sending up dismissive sparks. “Eh, that’s just the business.” 

“Well, at least I know you’re not a changeling,” Crystal smirked. “Okay, okay, for real, what is it? You taking off too? Because that offer to come hang out’s still good! You and Twilight seem to be getting along!”

“Yeah,” Johnny blinked, “it’s just…I…“ 

He flamed off, dropping to the roof. 

“Y’know, it just now hit me, I still don’t know how to say this. Or I do, just, I dunno if it’s enough.” 

“Say what?” Crystal asked. 

Their eyes locked. 

A beat. 

Another beat.

Johnny shut his eyes, leaned forward, and kissed her.  


50

They didn’t get married, that would have meant a lot of politics and been kinda sitcomy. Black Bolt and Medusa weren’t too sure about it, but Crystal’s happiness meant everything to them, and they eventually had their own little heirs to take her place. Spidey bought a tux and joked about how it was for if they ever changed their minds. The Thing cried when they made the announcement, the ol’ softy. 

They weren’t sure what they’d do at first, but they had the power of the elements with two times fire at their disposal, so they thought of something. Treasure hunting. Hooves for Hire. Damage Control for a while. But Johnny couldn’t keep them going on derby prize money forever, so Crystal just asked Princess Celestia for a spot in her cabinet or whatever. She was delighted to oblige, especially since she got the king and queen of superheroes as her new top agents. 

After Reed finally cured all diseases and figured out how to sort out the atmosphere, well, he and Sue were pretty old by now and they needed somepony to see what was out there. Life on the super shuttle was pretty cramped, but they had each other so that was a plus. They helped the Shi’ar kick the Skrulls and the Kree’s tails once and for all, and that was only the start of their universal legend. Guardians of the what now? Exactly. 

Or at least that was how it was supposed to go. 


51

But she wasn’t kissing back. 

Johnny’s eyes blinked open and he pulled back, resulting in this weird popping sound that neither of them would ever live down. 

He looked down and realised what else had throw it off. Crystal hadn’t been shoving him off or anything, but her hoof had thrown itself against his chest. Instinctively. 

“Sorry!” they said in sync. 

They stared at each other, and Johnny could see all the questions in her eyes. She wasn’t sure why she’d done it either, but she did know it was something she’d had to do. Not just because he’d caught her off guard either. 

A beat. 

Another beat. 

“This isn’t gonna work, is it?” Johnny smiled ruefully. 

“Sorry,” Crystal replied with the same smile. 

“No, it…” Johnny thought about it and surprised himself. “It’s okay.” 

“I just…” 

Crystal looked out to the horizon. Johnny followed her. Attilan was slowing even more, coming to a halt within range of the Crystal Empire. From this high up, past its spires, you could see endless white, and the ribbon of the railway line, twisting towards distant hills, lush and green. 

“I need options,” Crystal sighed. “I need new. I need to find out what I need. What I want.”

“And I want you to be happy,” Johnny assured. “So.” 

“I’m not saying never.” Crystal took his hoof. “But…look, don’t wait for me, okay? Not because I won’t ever come back. I don’t know that I won’t yet. But just because we’re not an option doesn’t mean we don’t still have those. I wanna see what Equestria and the rest of the world have to offer, and I couldn’t do that knowing you were sitting at home feeling all--”

“Sit at home?” Johnny smirked. He flamed on, rising above her. “Have we met?” 

“Johnny…”

“Crystal,” Johnny said gently. “I get it. It’s cool. Besides, my ride’s here.” 

Crystal followed his nod to see the Fantasti-Chariot, trailed by Princess Cadence and Princess Luna, circling for a landing. Black Bolt raised a hoof, welcoming them. 

“Uh.” Crystal shuffled a hoof. “I know this is a lot to ask after…that, but would it be okay if I crashed on your couch sometime?”

“Of course!” Johnny blinked, chiding himself for the overenthusiasm. “And couch, pfft, we’ll guilt Pete into giving up his room, it’ll be so easy it won’t even be any fun, don’t worry about it.” 

“The Baxter Barn just might be a little much, y’know?” Crystal smiled. “And I wouldn’t wanna get in Twilight’s way in Ponyville.” 

“Hey, if you’re worried about being the awkward one, don’t worry, Peter follows her like a little puppy all the time, and pays about as much attention to where he’s stepping. In fact, that’s good advice, no matter where you are in Equestria just remember you’re not Peter Trotter. That’s gotten me out of some pretty dark corners.” 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Crystal chuckled. “I mean, we could use space, but I don’t want us to stop talking.”

“Better than you have tried to shut me up.” The Torch winked. 

“That a challenge?” Crystal smirked. 

She formed her cloud and reached out, surprising him with a cheek kiss that threw up sparks. Her field still protected her lips, and it was entirely platonic (with a hint of something neither of them could do anything about right now) but still. He couldn’t remember if she’d ever done that before. 

“Take care of yourself, Johnny,” his first true love said softly. 

“Yeah,” Johnny managed through the nonplussed numbness, “you too.” 

“Cooie!” 

They simultaneously turned, flinched, and blanched. 

“Hello there!” 

It was Cadence, coming towards them, waving her hoof more than her wings. She had that smile and swinging behind her, lenses narrowed in sadistic glee was Spidey, the little traitor. 

“Hi, Princess,” Johnny called, waving back, “this is my good friend Just, and I am Leaving!” 

He jetted off, ignoring Cadence’s protests, revelling in Crystal’s laughter, and burning through Peter’s web-line. 

“See ya street side, Flame Brain!” his roommate called, effortlessly catching himself on a turret. 

“Not if I see you first, Web-Head!” the Horseshoe Torch called over his shoulder. 

He did a few loop-de-loops and formed a decoy by the Tower of Wisdom to throw Cadence off his scent, then headed for the plaza to join in Twilight’s probable debriefing with Luna and the fam. 

Okay, as predictable as Attilan usually was (the twist this time being Maximus wasn’t just behind everything! Riveting.) today had not gone how he’d been expecting. And that was because he hadn’t thought about what Crystal would want, not really. 

Was it enough that he still loved her, probably always would? Yeah, but he understood now. 

Not today. And he shouldn’t wait either. If they found each other again, they’d find each other. 

And besides, it was strangely liberating. 

Because he had another option. 


To be Continued