//------------------------------// // Chatper 10: Defeat the Queen! // Story: My Final Pony Fantasy // by Vimtrust5 //------------------------------// Finding themselves back outside the Mirage Tower, our heroes trekked back through the desert and boarded the airship ready to make their next move. They were to revisit Lukahn and the Circle of Sages and consult them. Crescent Lake The town was just as beautiful as ever, but there was no to re-admire the scenery. Our heroes went straight back to the Circle of Sages. "Warriors of Light!" said Lukahn as they approached. "Our pony friends! You have done well! Thanks to you, the Crystals have been restored!" "But there are a few more challenges you must undertake," another sage added. "We know," said Rainbow Dash. "Beat the Changeling Queen and whoever's responsible for sending those Four here, right?" "Exactly," one of the other sages agreed. "It is that entity responsible for this time loop." "Time loop?" said Applejack. "Are you saying this has happened before?" asked Setro. "And it's going to continue until the mastermind is defeated?" "I'm afraid so, young ones. It all began 2000 years ago. Someone from our present has gone back in time and sent the Four Fiends here." "Then that means..." Twilight said before pausing. "Yes," said Lukahn. "You must travel 2000 years into the past and confront the master of the Four Fiends." Our heroes sat in the circle, all at once attempting to make sense of what they had been told. Go back in time and stop the Four Fiends from entering this time period. By going back in time and altering the past, Setro thought, we could undo everything that has happened so far. But doing so would mean... He glanced towards the ponies who were thinking the same thing. None of them were willing to admit it, but the fact was that everything our heroes went through together would be erased. Nevertheless, the entity who sent the Four Fiends to disrupt the peace was one enemy that was not to be trifled with; if left alone, it will once again attempt to send the Four and plunge the world into chaos. "We'll do it," said Setro and Twilight in unison. They looked at each other and chuckled. Soon the others joined in. Lukahn bowed. "You have our gratitude, young ones." "No need to thank us, Lukahn," Setro replied. "In several ways, we're all working together to bring peace and light back to this world." "Aw yeah!" said Rainbow Dash. "Off to the Temple of Fiends!" "Not yet, Rainbow." "What?! Why?!" Setro held out the metal he obtained from the Flying Fortress. "There's someone that needs this." "And who would that be?" asked Applejack. Twilight knew the answer right away. "I agree. Let's head back to Mount Duergar." "Where the dwarves live?" said Rainbow. "Correct." Before leaving, Setro spoke up. "Lukahn. You and your fellow sages have aided us greatly in our quest, for without your wisom and knowledge, we would never have learned the true purpose of the Crystals, nor our purpose." "We are honored, O Warriors of Light." *music fades out* And with that, the team left Crescent Lake, hopped aboard the airship once more and set off to create an all-new powerful sword. Mount Duergar "It's been a while since we've been here," said Twilight. "It sure has," answered Setro. The group went to the blacksmith and gave him the metal from the Flying Fortress. "Ah! This is it!" he said excitedly. "This is the Adamantite I've been lookin' for!" "How long do you suppose it would take to forge the new weapon?" asked Zauver. "Oh, about twenty minutes or so. Come back when it's ready." "Thank you," said Setro. In the twenty minutes that passed, the party sat outside, waiting for the project to be completed; some of them--Teol and Fluttershy--nodded off. Finally, they woke up and went back into the smithy. "Welcome back, my friends!" "Is it done?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Indeed, it is!" the blacksmith said excitedly, presenting his masterwork. "Behold! Excalibur!!" "We thank you, kind blacksmith," said Setro. The good knight grabbed the sword by the hilt and raised it in the air for all to see. With a new weapon in hand, our heroes felt it was time to return to Cornelia and learn the truth about Queen Jayne. Cornelia When they returned to the city, all the inhabitants stood still and gave our heroes a blank stare. Regardless, they pressed onward to the castle and found the guards drawing their weapons on them! The King, the Chancellor and Queen Jayne soon appeared, the former two with the same blank stare as the citizens while the queen smiled wickedly. "You!" said Setro recognizing the same impostor. "Guards!" she commanded. "Seize them!" The brainwashed guards did so and pointed their spears at the group. "Place them under arrest!" "On what charges?" Twilight demanded. "Kidnapping the queen!" "You liar!" Flora accused. "Too bad you can't prove that, not with everyone under my control." Chrysalis looked over to the guards. "Lock them up." Our heroes were then dragged into the dungeon where they were greeted by familiar friendly faces. "Light Warriors! Ponies!" said Princess Sarah. "Princess Sarah! Queen Jayne!" "What happened here?!" asked Setro. "About three days after you left, this monster appeared and cast us into the dungeon where we now stand." "She was the one who planted that impostor chancellor, wasn't she?" "Yes," Rarity immediately answered. "She was." "And if we don't stop her here and now, she might escape this world and wreak havoc in Equestria," Twilight added. Just then, Chrysalis appeared and shed her disguise, frightening Sarah. Unlocking the cell door, she walked over to them and began to sing. This day has been just perfect. The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small. *stop music at 0:14* "Perfect?" Setro interrupted. "How so?" "Simple. With all of you as my prisoners, I will have you executed at dawn. And no one can stop me this time!" "That's not going to happen!" he proclaimed, drawing his sword. Surprised, Chrysalis gritted her teeth. "I thought those imbeciles confiscated your weapons!" "Heh," Applejack chuckled. "Ya said 'take 'em to the dungeon,' didn't ya? They did. But ah guess you didn't tell 'em to take away everything." The Changeling Queen snorted and stood in her own battle stance. "Very well, heroes," she growled. "You may have bested the Four Fiends, but it won't be the same with me." She glared at Twilight. "Your big brother and foalsitter can't help you now, Twilight! Let's end this, here and now!" "You've got that right, Chrysalis!" said Twilight. Knowing that Chrysalis can dispel her magic at any moment, Flora decided to take a different approach: attack the queen directly. "Ha!" she mocked. "Don't make me laugh!" Her arrogance was short-lived as the white wizard's staff struck the right side of her face, leaving the evil creature growling. Zauver rushed and delivered a swift blow with his hammer, right on Chrysalis' jaw. Applejack followed up with a swift kick on the left side of the queen's face. Chrysalis then used her wings to hover and charge at the ponies but was stopped by Teol's Blizzaga spell. Pinkie then grabbed Twilight and like before when they fought the changeling army at Canterlot, used her purple friend as a gatling gun which successfully brought Chrysalis back on solid ground. Now furious, the Changeling Queen fired a green beam from her horn at the party knocking them into the wall. "Ah, the royal family's love for each other is quite powerful indeed. Powerful enough to defeat the Warriors of Light!" The humans struggled to stand up. Knowing that Chrysalis fed off the love the royal family had for each other and their subjects, they knew from the start she was their most dangerous opponent yet. But this did not deter them, for if they didn't stop the Changeling Queen, victory would be hers and they would be unable to prevent the time loop. "It's..." Setro panted. "...not over, yet..." "That's right..." Rainbow Dash grunted. "We're not done... yet!" "You're still trying to win?" "Watch me!" said the blue pegasus charging the queen and striking her in the abdomen. She was caught unexpectedly by Twilight and Fluttershy who tossed her onto the walls. Rarity used her magic to levitate the wicked Chrysalis on ground once more, followed by Setro slashing her wings with Excalibur. The Changeling Queen was left panting and gasping for air as she glared at her enemies. *music fades out* "This... can't be...!" Chrysalis exclaimed. The rainbow-colored ponies began to glow a bright light. "IT CAN'T!!!" "It is, Chrysalis," said Twilight. "It's time to send you back to our world. Far away from Equestria!" The evil being narrowed her eyes at the Equestrians, especially the purple alicorn as she and her friends fired a magical wave sending her and her subjects back to the Changeling Kingdom. "Don't think this will be the last time we meet, Twilight Sparkle! You and all your pony friends will bow to me! I will have my revenge!!" With that, Chrysalis and her band of changelings were gone, and the spell over the king and his people was broken. After Flora cast Healaga on everyone, she and the rest of the group exited the dungeon with the queen and her daughter and found everyone in the castle in a state of confusion. "Your Highnesses!" said the guard. "My queen! Sarah!" said the King. "What in the world happened?" "Queen Chrysalis, the villain we've been chasing happened," said Twilight. "Yeah!" Rainbow Dash added. "She impersonated Queen Jayne, threw her and the princess into the dungeon and brainwashed all of you to make you do her bidding." "My god! Where is that vile creature?" "She has already been defeated, Your Majesty," said Setro. "Our pony friends banished her and the changelings back to their own domain." The King slowly but surely formed a smile across his face; he and the others knelt before the heroes. "Once again, you have done a great service to the Kingdom of Cornelia. Not only have you rescued my daughter and queen, but you have also saved our people from those wicked beings." "'Twas the least we could do," said Rarity. "As modest as always," said the King. "Now with Queen Chrysalis gone for good, what will you do now, my little pony friends?" "That's obvious," Twilight answered. "We're going with the Light Warriors to save the world." The royal family was confused. Queen Jayne said, "How come?" "Because they're our friends. And friends should always help one another." "I see," said the King. "Very well. By the way..." "Yes, Your Majesty?" asked Fluttershy. "Why have your appearances changed?" "Oh, about that..." said Pinkie Pie. She and the others explained everything that happened. Everyone present was in awe. "So you've restored all the Crystals, but you intend to return to that temple?" "Yes, Your Majesty," said Teol. "Someone from our time went back 2000 years in the past, and sent the Four Fiends here." "And we intend to stop them," Flora proclaimed. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" said Zauver. The others agreed. *music stops* As our heroes left Cornelia, they took one final look at the city where they met and began their adventure. It was truly a city of dreams as one resident said. But now the time had come for the Warriors of Light to meet their destiny; they and the Equestrians marched towards the one place they never expected to return... *music stops* The Temple of Fiends Back inside the very ruins where the journey began, our heroes went inside the central chamber, but not before Zauver unlocked the other rooms and found a Werebuster, a Golden Needle, and a Rune Blade. The Crystals the Light Warriors carried began to resonate, catching the attention of the bats surrounding them. And to the group's surprise, one of the winged beings spoke and in a familiar tongue. "Ah, that light!" it said. The ponies took a quick step back in shock. "Did that thing just... speak? And in Lufenian?" asked Rarity. Fluttershy trotted forward alongside Teol and communicated with the bat. "Was that you who talked just now?" the yellow pegasus asked. "That is correct, little pony." "We are the five Sky Warriors sent to prevent the Four Fiends." "What happened to you?" "Chaos..." "Chaos? Don't tell me Discord's behind this?!" said Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy scolded and whispered. "You know that Discord's good now, right?" "Relax, Flutters," Rainbow whispered back. "It was just a joke." The yellow pegasus rolled her eyes and shook her head. "'Discord?'" the Lufenian questioned. "No, my friend. We have yet to encounter such a being with that name. 'Chaos' is the name of the entity that corrupted the four elements, creating the Four Fiends who drained the light from the Crystals." "Why are our Crystals glowing?" asked Setro. "Hoist them in the air and use it to destroy that Black Crystal in the center of this room. Once you do, you will be able to travel back in time, 2000 years ago. The true enemy awaits." Chaos... The true enemy... Twilight thought. The party thanked the transformed Sky Warriors and gathered around the Black Crystal. "Well then," said Setro. "Shall we?" They raised their crystals which gathered all their strength and surrounded the spherical object, shattering it to pieces and opening the path to the final battle. Our heroes took one last look the world behind them and stepped onto the portal. *music stops* Meanwhile, in Equestria... Everypony gathered around the Crystal Heart, wandering when the girls would return. Princess Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, and Spike had a look of worry on their faces. At the moment, the voice from earlier began to speak through the Crystal Heart. "Ah, it appears that their quest is nearing its conclusion," it said. "It's you again!" said Spike angrily. "Where are our friends?!" "As I said before, Spike, their journey is almost over." "How do you know of this?" asked Celestia. "Because their final enemy, the source of that world's misery, lies in that world's past." "The past?!" Cadence said. "They're going back in time?!" "That is correct, Princess Cadence. They will return here immediately once their business is finished." "That's great!" Spike said excitedly. "However, there are some downsides to this." "What would that be?" asked Luna. "For one: should they succeed in vanquishing their final foe... I will cease to exist." *music stops* The voice's last statement left everyone in shock. Shining Armor spoke up. "But if you fade from existence, how will Twily and her friends come back here?" "There is only one possibility... One that I know for sure would be most likely to occur."