//------------------------------// // 26: Wake Up Call // Story: Death of a Queen // by Arkane12 //------------------------------// “Are we there, yet?” “I’m sorry, Twilight. I don’t remember it being this long of a trek. We can turn back if you’re getting tired.” Twilight and Chrysalis had been walking through the forest for nearly an hour. Her hooves were sore. Regardless, she soldiered on, renewed by every bit of giddiness emanating from her fiancée. “I’m not tired,” she emphasized. “I’m just excited. You can’t tell me that you have some big surprise for me then make me wait this long. It’s not fair.” “I’m sure it will be worth it,” Chrysalis promised. Twilight examined her surroundings. The Everfree Forest had lost much of its infamy over the years, but that didn’t make the monolithic trees and rustling foliage any less unnerving. For any normal pony, that is. To Twilight, the Everfree elicited more nostalgia than horror. The greenery on the path’s left edge fell away, exposing a lake that stretched into the background. Twilight watched their reflections in the crystal-clear water. She frowned, noticing Chrysalis’ blurry doppelganger. The edges of the image rippled on the still, glassy surface. “What do you think, Twilight?” Chrysalis' voice derailed her train of thought. She glanced up at the changeling, then back down to the reflections. Both were picture-perfect. “I think I shouldn’t try any more of Pinkie’s special recipes,” Twilight admitted. “That’s not what I meant. I was talking about us.” “Us?” “Us.” “I mean, what about us?” Chrysalis deflated. “Are you having second thoughts?” “Of course not. I said yes, didn’t I?” “I know you did. I also know you, Twilight. I didn’t mean to pressure you into saying yes if you didn’t want to.” “Chrysalis, I do. I swear. My head’s just spinning with everything going on at once. It’s excited panic, not panic panic.” “That almost made sense.” “Stick around, I usually almost make sense.” Twilight sped up to be by Chrysalis’ side. She caressed the changeling with her wing. “I think I will stick around for a bit. You’ve convinced me.” Chrysalis laughed, but soon turned somber again. “You know this is crazy, right?” “What’s crazy?” “Marrying a changeling queen. I mean, I know the fine ponies in Ponyville have finally come around to it, but what about the rest of Equestria? I’m not exactly the most popular option for a royal bride.” “If anyone has a problem with it, you tell them to take it up with me. I’ll set the record straight for them. I mean, you’re the one who saved Princess Celestia.” “I didn’t save her.” Twilight furrowed her brow. “You didn’t?” “We saved her.” The purple princess rolled her eyes, giving Chrysalis a playful shove. “You had me worried there for a second. I thought I might have actually knocked something loose during last night’s show.” “I’m being serious though, Twilight. I don’t know if we’ll have an easy life together.” “Chrysalis, are you implying that I’ve lived an easy life up until now? I’ve been thrown through mountains, attacked by monsters, been the cause – or victim – of several magical plagues, and even battled ancient primordial evils. Please tell me which part of that list was the easy part.” “You’ve made your point,” Chrysalis relented. “Besides. I don’t care if it’s easy. I care that it’s with you, Chrysalis.” Twilight nuzzled her neck affectionately. Chrysalis blushed. “I’m happy to be with you too, Twilight.” The last leg of their journey passed in a comfortable silence. Neither of them needed words any longer. The trees faded gradually, giving way to a lush green field. Beneath the blanket of dusk, Chrysalis stopped in a clearing toward the center of the plain. She buckled to the ground, kicking up a puff of dust as she landed. “We’re here,” She announced, rolling onto her back. “Where exactly is here?” Before receiving her answer, Twilight joined her love, flopping into the dust at her side. “You’ll see. We have to wait for it to get dark, first.” “More waiting? Are you trying to torture me?” “Distance makes the heart grow fonder,” Chrysalis sneered. “What?” “Did I use that saying right?” The changeling shook her head. “Nevermind. I meant that the longer you wait, the sweeter the surprise will be.” “I guess you have a point. Still, I’ll remember this whenever I have a surprise for you,” Twilight threatened. Chrysalis chuckled. “When you’re as old as I am, Twilight, waiting a day or two doesn’t mean much.” Chrysalis made a motion to brush something from her shoulder. “And how old is that?” “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She teased. “What’s it like, Chrysalis?” “Being old?” “Being immortal.” Chrysalis wavered. “It’s lonely. After a few centuries, you just start to feel numb.” “How long were you alone?” “A long time, Twilight. A very long time. But don’t you worry. No matter what happens, I’ll still be here for you, you know.” “I know you will. Thank you.” “Now enough of this dreary talk. This is supposed to be a joyful night. The show’s finally starting.” Chrysalis pointed toward the sky, now veiled beneath a new moon. Against the black backdrop, a blinding light arced across the sky. Followed closely by a second and third. Before long, countless lights filled the sky as stars streaked by, trailing a line of fire in their wake. “It’s beautiful,” Twilight whispered, the glowing trails reflected in her unblinking eyes. “I thought a beautiful mare deserved a beautiful sight.” “I love it.” “I told you it would be worth it.” The two lay beneath the stars, watching the heavens ignite with passionate light. As the sun finally vanished completely beneath the horizon, the sky exploded with lights from every corner of the spectrum. Twilight couldn’t even think of names for some of the more exotic flares. The peaceful silence shattered as a dark vortex opened in the field, drawing their attention from the picturesque evening. A hellish scream echoed through the empty air. In a flash of pink light, Twilight appeared on her hooves, wings flared and horn glowing. Chrysalis scrambled up behind her. “Is this part of the show, Chrysalis?” Twilight demanded. “It's not supposed to be.” Shapes swirled in the abyss, taking mocking forms of creatures Twilight had only seen in nightmares. She readied her magic as the portal swelled, spitting forth a hideous beast from its depths. A baby dragon smashed into the earth, bouncing slightly on his scales. “Spike?” Twilight screeched. “Ow,” the dragon muttered, rubbing his chin with a claw. “Careful, Twilight.” Chrysalis stepped in front, shielding Twilight with an outstretched leg. “It could just be a monster fooling you with a disguise. Don’t let your guard down.” “Right.” Twilight nodded. The portal rippled, another shadow spilling out in the form of Starlight Glimmer. “So, this is the unspeakable terror awaiting us, huh?” Starlight glanced around, unimpressed. Tall grass hardly registered as nightmare fuel. “I mean. I guess someone could find this scary.” Thorax yawned as he stepped out into the field. “Ow,” Spike groaned. He lay face-down in the dirt, massaging his face. “We told you not to run,” Starlight said, adopting Twilight’s lecturing tone. She yanked Spike to his feet with a spell. “We need to find Twilight,” Spike ordered, his voice muffled slightly. “For what purpose, Creatures?” The trio turned toward the voice. Chrysalis stood only a few feet away, standing guard for an angry-looking purple alicorn. “Hey, we found them both. That was easier than I expected,” Thorax mused. “They don’t exactly look happy to see us,” Starlight noted, backing away slowly. “Queen Chrysalis, Princess Twilight, are you alright?” Thorax called, waving. “Who are you? What do you want with us?” Twilight snapped. “Easy, Twilight. Shining Armor sent us in to rescue you,” Starlight explained. “What happened to Shining Armor? Explain yourselves,” Twilight demanded. “Calm down, Twilight. Don’t you remember what happened? The two of you were caught in some sort of explosion. Whatever it was, it released some sort of monster into the castle. Shining’s been holding the line, but we need to hurry. Come on.” “I’m not going anywhere with you until I know what you are.” “What we are?” Thorax fumbled. “We’re the rescue party. I haven’t been gone that long, Twilight. Are you telling me you’ve already forgotten your favorite student?” “Starlight’s back in Ponyville at Trixie’s show. Try again.” Chrysalis fired a beam of green energy at Spike’s feet, carving a line in the mud. “What? No. I’m Starlight.” “Starlight,” Thorax interrupted, “something’s wrong here.” “No kidding.” “That’s not Chrysalis.” “No, her being that upset is how she usually is around me,” Starlight joked. “That’s not what I mean. Look at her horn.” Starlight did as she was told. “It’s not broken,” she realized. “Exactly.” “Alright. What’s the plan, Thorax?” “I was really hoping you had one.” A harsh wind blew through the night, turning the field into a sea of waving greenery. Neither side dared to move. “If we don’t have anything else, we could always try force,” Thorax suggested. “No. We’re not hurting Twilight. Let me try,” Spike begged. “She thinks you’re an imposter, Spike. She’ll hurt you,” Starlight explained. “I have to try.” Slicking back his scales, Spike stepped forward, erasing the line in the dirt with his claw. Immediately, a burst of energy tore through the night, crashing against a light blue barrier only inches from the dragon. “I said stay back,” Chrysalis warned. “Change of plans. Thorax, keep the fake off us, okay?” “Got it.” “Spike, you’re with me,” Starlight ordered. “I won’t hurt Twilight.” “I’m not asking you to. Just follow my lead.” “You’ve been warned,” Twilight shouted, gathering energy for another attack. “We’re not here to fight, Twilight.” “I don’t believe you.” “Alright. Just remember that you asked for this, Twilight. Thorax, now.” On cue, Thorax bounded forward, weaving between Chrysalis’ bolts. Wreathing himself in a green blaze, he rushed forward, his wings howling angrily as he tore through the night. He slammed into his fake queen, unleashing a blast of power as he tackled her down into the mud. “Chrysalis?” Twilight gasped. She turned, readying a strike to knock Thorax away. Seizing the opportunity, Starlight spranginto action, dashing toward her instructor. Spike vanished in blue haze, reappearing at Twilight’s exposed flank. “Grab her, Spike,” Starlight commanded, throwing up a shield to protect Thorax. Reluctantly, Spike threw himself at Twilight, latching onto her mane. “Twilight, please. We don’t want to hurt you,” Spike pleaded. Twilight vanished, reappearing farther back. Starlight was waiting. Before the princess’ teleportation could recharge, Starlight unleashed a hail of energy. Reflexively, Twilight conjured her magic, blocking the mystic rain. “Messing with the element of magic is a bad idea,” Twilight warned, her horn blazing with purple fury. Rearing back on her hind legs, a vortex of energy swirled around her head. With a shout of frustration, Twilight unleashed a blinding beam of magic. Starlight blinked to the side, still close enough to singe a few furs. She skidded to a stop, galloping perpendicularly as Twilight swept her beam across the field, tearing chunks of rock from the ground. “Twilight, stop this.” Spike clambered up Twilight’s side, lunging for her horn. In a desperate play, Twilight bucked, sending her magic careening into the sky. Her hoof connected with Spike’s chest, sending him back down into the dirt. “That hurt, Twilight,” Spike whined. “You’re not Spike.” “I am, though. Twilight? Please, you have to believe me. I came here to rescue you.” Spike advanced slowly, his hands raised in surrender. Each step he took sent Twilight back one. “Spike, stop. She’s not thinking straight.” Starlight sped forward, hoping to reach Spike before he could get hurt. “No. You’re lying. You’re not Spike.” “Twilight . . . “ Spike pressed onward, on the verge of tears. His surrendering arms moved outward, begging for her embrace. “You’re . . . not . . . Spike.” Twilight trembled. Torn between what she should do and what she wanted to do, she panicked, unleashing a torrent of energy from her body in the form of a burning shockwave. “Spike!” Starlight cried. Before Spike could react, the magic slammed into his body, tearing him from the ground and sending him soaring through the air. He landed hard, rolling a few feet before finally stopping, face-down in the dirt. “Spike?” Starlight rocketed to his side, kneeling over the wounded dragon, shielding him from further harm. His breathing was pained. A scorched line trailed across his chest where his scales had been torn away. At Starlight’s touch, the dragon curled inward. “Alright, Twilight. If that’s how it has to be,” Starlight growled. She turned toward the princess, her magic blazing. But Twilight didn’t notice. She fell to her knees, unable to draw her focus from the dragon. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes. She held a hoof over her mouth. “Spike?” Starlight sighed, extinguishing her power. “He didn’t want to hurt you.” Starlight lifted Spike from the mud, lowering him onto her back. He clung to her mane with muddy claws, still curled into a ball. A morose Starlight marched forward, reaching out for Twilight as she went. The princess didn’t bother to stop her. Starlight took Twilight’s head firmly between her hooves, forcing her to look away from the ailing Spike. “He’s alright, Twilight. But if you really want to help him, you have to listen to me. We’re not your enemies.” “Okay,” Twilight sobbed, still dazed. “Focus on me. I’m real. Spike is real. Thorax is real. We’re the only ones who are real.” “But Chrysalis—” “That isn’t Chrysalis. Not really. She’s just a product of this world. She’s a product of this twisted world.” “No . . . I . . . we were . . . I can’t . . .” An idea flickered in Starlight’s mind. “Twilight, how did you heal Celestia?” The question wrenched her from her downward spiral. “What?” “How did you heal Celestia?” “I . . . me and Chrysalis . . . we . . . we . . .” In a moment of clarity, Twilight’s reality shattered.