//------------------------------// // Twilights Return and Chrysalis' Sacrifice // Story: Kung-Fu Equestria 2 // by Lady Umbra //------------------------------// Fire flickered before Rainbow Dash's eyelids, irritating her eyes awake. She found herself and her friends bound together - chains wrapping them back to back while they sat on the deck of a boat. Tai Lung and Urtica sat nearby, bound together as well. Chrysalis and Sombra stood before them, the former holding the torch before Rainbow Dash's eyes. Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at the dark king, even as she felt Pinkamena's death glare like an icy glacier at her side. Yet, somehow, Sombra found it in himself to smile smugly at them. "Such sad, angry faces," Sombra mused mockingly. "But now is a time only for joy. You all..." Sombra briefly paused, glancing to Rainbow Dash's left. Dash felt Fluttershy shiver, and turned, wincing as she saw the bloodied bandages she had managed to wrap around her friend's eyes. "Sorry, most of you all," Sombra corrected with a grin. "Will get to see something 'beautiful.'" He indicated himself. "My takeover." Rainbow Dash wanted to bury her fist in his face. But her limbs were too tightly bound. She settled for spitting at him. Chrysalis nearly shoved the torch into Dash's face, but Sombra stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, the other wiping the spit from his face. "It doesn't matter," he assured the changeling queen, turning to Dash with a sneer. "Once we reach the harbor - in front of all the world - you and your precious Kung-Fu will die!" Rainbow Dash's glower deepened as he turned away with a laugh. Not even the somber tone he took to himself could ease her rage. "And then Equestria will know to bow to me," he said wistfully, before turning to Chrysalis. "Set sail!" Chrysalis' horn glowed, and as the ships lurged forward, the chains tightened, hoisting the masters off the ground and into the air. Save for Tai and Urtica. They sat below the King, two cannons aimed at them as Urtica gripped Tai's hand. The son of Luna's eyes flickered open. "Urtica...?" he asked. "Mother told me to take your love," she whispered, not looking at him. "I tried to give it back when she was distracted, but... she found me out." She looked up at him with sad eyes. "I'm sorry, Tai." Tai said nothing, merely pulling her into a hug, before looking up at the other masters, chained before them. Being held up as trophies as Sombra's fleet passed through the canals of the Empire. Rainbow Dash felt her rage fade into despair as she saw the crystal ponies watching them. Shaking their heads in denial. Several weeping outright at the sight of their heroes defeated. The sight churned some life into Rarity. Fitfully, she struggled against her bindings. "Urgh," she moaned. "This can't be the end!" She turned to the others. "Come on now, someone think of something!" "She's right," Pinkamena noted. "Twilight may be dead but she would want us to remain strong. Hardcore. You understood... didn't you, Dash?" Rainbow didn't answer. The mere mention of Twilight sent a stab of agony through her heart. Worse than Sombra's sword or Chrysalis' fangs. She failed to save Twilight. She failed to save Fluttershy... 'Luna was right to prefer Tai over me,' Rainbow Dash thought bitterly. 'I'm not the hero everyone thinks I am.' As the fleet came across a bridge, Chrysalis turned to King Sombra. "Um... my King?" Chrysalis asked. "There's a bridge..." He silenced her with a wave of his hand. "Nothing stands in my way," he growled. Chrysalis nodded, and flared her hive mind. The ship in front aimed it's cannon. The ponies on the bridge scattered, but not nearly fast enough. With a burst of light and a boom like thunder, the bridge was smashed to bits, the slower ponies tumbling with screams into the water below. Rainbow Dash's eyes grew wide with horror, while Pinkamena snarled in rage. "You disgusting, cowardly..." Pinkamena snarled, thrashing in her bindings. But as she thrashed, Rainbow Dash's eyes crept up... and widened in awe. "Pinkamena," Rainbow Dash whispered. "What?!" Pinkamena snarled. "Look!" They weren't the only ones. Sombra saw, and his eyes widened in horror. The changelings saw it, and in their stunned silence, the boats slowed to a crawl. The crystal ponies saw it, and their eyes brightened with hope. Through the dust and smoke of the bridge, everyone saw a figure. Garbed in an Asian rice hat and a brown torn cloak that blew in the breeze, the others at first didn't understand. But then purple eyes flashed from the shadows under the hat. An equally purple aura lit up around her. And a collective gasp rose up from the entire Empire. "T-Twilight?!" Rainbow whispered. "What?!" Rarity whispered, craning her head. "I can't see!" "Well, neither can I..." Fluttershy replied. "She's alive!" Pinkie whispered, her mane billowing back up. "SHE'S ALIVE!" She cackled in glee. "OH-HO, YOU'RE GONNA GET IT NOW, SOMBRA! HA-HA!" Sombra was too beside himself with rage to even notice Pinkie's return to form. "How many times do I have to kill the same stinking pony!" Sombra screamed. Twilight's entire body lit up in purple, like she was charging up into some kind of super form. She spoke, and her voice magically echoed across the water, causing the entire fleet to shake. "Sombra!" she boomed. "Years ago, it was foretold that a warrior of day and night would defeat you! That day is today!" She paused. "Or... tonight, I guess..." The ponies deflated, while a few of the changelings chuckled half-heartedly. But Twilight quickly shook it off. "E-Either way," she continued. "Prepare yourself for a hot serving of justice! Your reign of tyrrany ends here!" She threw aside her cloak with one hand, the other yanking her hat off. Purple magic churned around it, turning it into a razor blade. And with narrowed eyes, Twilight threw it at the chains holding the Five. Chrysalis fired a spell of her own that knocked the hat away. Twilight deflated. "Seriously?" she asked. Chrysalis shrugged. "You're my enemy. What'd you expect?" Sombra stared at the two of them, his dark face turning red. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" he demanded, causing Chrysalis to whirl on him. "Waiting for a written invitation?!" "I got plenty of those," Pinkie noted, causing Sombra to boil with rage. "Gag that pink menace," he growled. "And kill that purple nuisance!" Jumping to his command, the changelings started to aim the cannons at the purple mare. "Okay," Twilight sighed, flaring her horn. "Plan B." She teleported. The changelings looked around, wondering where she had gone, before Twilight gave a whistle. The changelings spun to find her on one side of the river. They started pushing the cannons towards her, but she vanished with another flash of light. They paused again. "Ugh, come on," Twilight moaned, allowing them to spot her on the other side of the river. She flared her horn again, but her magic sparked and she winced, clutching the injuries she thought Zecora had healed. "Okay-okay," Twilight growled as the cannons almost locked on her. "Plan C!" She jumped right onto the nearest boat. As the cannons tried to follow her, the changelings freaked out. "WAIT-DON'T-SHOOT!" They wailed. "DON'T SHOOT!" Chrysalis agreed. "Crossfire!" Sombra stared in disbelief at Chrysalis' care, but the changelings listened, and Twilight rapidly closed in on her friends as the changelings panicked. "For the love of..." Sombra drew his sword, trying to quell the shaking in his arm. "FORGET THE CANNONS! ATTACK HER, YOU WORTHLESS BUGS!" Flinching at Sombra's voice, the changelings abandoned their cannons and charged. With the swarm about to dive upon her, Twilight fired one final spell that knocked an axe from a changeling's hand. Too late, they didn't see Rarity's magic influence the axe. Not too much, due to her bindings. But just enough for it to smash into the chains binding the white master and her friends. With a burst of sparks, the Furious Five were freed. Launching next to Twilight, Pinkie slammed the nearest changeling and ripped him in half, Pinkamena rearing her head. "BACK OFF!" she boomed, causing the changelings to stagger backward in fear. With the changelings placated by Pinkamena, Rainbow was able to hug Twilight, relief bringing tears to her eyes. "Twilight," Rainbow whispered. "You're okay." Before Twilight could reply, Pinkie tackled into her, her own eyes flooded with tears. "Please don't ever do that again," Pinkie cried tightening her grip which threatened to snap her spine "Sorry," Twilight squeaked, prying the pink mare from her body. Unfortuately, Pinkamena's rage couldn't placate the changelings for long. And they slowly started to bear down on the group as they assumed combat stances. "So what's the plan, Twilight?" Rarity asked. "Step one: Free the Five," Twilight shot off. "Step Two: Free Tai Lung and Urtica. Step Three: Stop Sombra from reaching the harbor. Step Four..." "Yeah, problem?" Rainbow Dash noted, pointing out Tai and Urtica struggling before Sombra. Twilight deflated. "Oh," she muttered. "Well, looks like Step Two and Three will have to be interchangeable." Pinkie giggled. "I can work with that," she replied, whipping her party cannon out of her mane. And together, the four launched to combat the swarm... only to once again face the brutal reality of numbers. Though the five were faster, stronger, and rejuvenated by the hope of Twilight's return, the changelings still out-numbered them ten to one. However, as they kept looking to Sombra, they saw Tai and Urtica struggling. Sombra followed their gaze, and an evil, desperate smile crept onto his face. "The hostages," he barked. "Kill the hostages." Chrysalis winced as she knew what she had to do to her daughter, but flared her horn obediently. However, Tai had been struggling with the chains ever since he was woken up. And with the changelings distracted by Twilight, he was able to break free. As the son of Luna and the daughter of Chrysalis lunged into the air, several of the changelings immediately pushed them back from Sombra and Chrysalis. However, Chrysalis' hive mind flared with concern for Urtica, and the changelings paused in their attack, allowing Tai and Urtica to blast their way from the swarm and begin a fight of their own. The advantage Urtica took gave Twilight an idea, and she caught a changeling of her own, throwing him into the others. Sure enough, the changelings once again resisted attacking their brother. Twilight turned to Rarity. "Puppet of Grace!" Twilight ordered. Getting the idea, Rarity flared her own horn, and the two started snatching hostages from the changeling ranks, forcing the changelings to fight their own kind just as much as them. They started to make some progress with the technique, but not enough. And though Tai and Urtica had the advantage in both skill and the changelings being hesitant to attack their own, they were still boxed in. They needed the others soon. "Come on!" Twilight yelled. "They need our help!" Before the others could respond... "YEEEAAAHH!!!" All heads turned as a wave of changelings were trampled or knocked off the boat by a familiar hulking white pegasus. "Master Bulk Biceps!" Twilight cheered, just as Flash Sentry shot out of the air, smashing one changeling and kicking two more away. "A-And Master Flash Sentry!" "Vengence is served," Flash Sentry said with a grin. "What are you...?" Twilight strarted to ask. "Your friends are very persuasive," Flash said, indicating behind them... just as an entire boat flew through the air. Sombra screamed as it barely missed his own ship. Rainbow Dash began to laugh. "Applejack, you magnificent mare!" she declared. The entire Furious Five let out a cheer as Applejack and Luna lunged into the fray. With two devastating kicks, Applejack sent two groups of changelings sprawling, while Luna zipped from flying changeling to flying changeling, knocking them into the water before landing on the deck with the masters. "Master Luna! Applejack!" Twilight whispered. "Good to have you guys back," Rainbow Dash said, gripping Applejack's arm. "Good to be back, sugarcube," the southern mare said. "Now, where's Sombra?" "And Tai," Luna said, just before spotting him holding his own with Urtica. "Mother!" Tai called, kicking a changeling away. "Don't worry about me! Focus on stopping Sombra from reaching the harbor!" Luna grimaced, the mother in her wanting to blast her way right to her son. But his words rang true in her mind, and she turned to the others. "He's right," she declared. "Use their boats to block the way. Quickly now." The others nodded. "Hey, big guy," Rainbow noted to Bulk. "Think you can get two of these boats to cross sails? "OH, YEAH!" Bulk agreed, lunging and smashing two of the boats together, as Rainbow and Fluttershy rose into the air, Flash Sentry right behind them. "Rare!" Applejack said, offering her hand to the white unicorn. "Of course, darling," Rarity said, taking her hand. Together, they ran to the front of the boat. With a combined kick, they nearly flipped the boat, causing it to wedge into the gap between them and the harbor. As the front fell against the final bridge, Rarity and Applejack stepped off gracefully. "The most grace I've ever seen from you, Applejack" Rarity commented. "Don't expect it alot," Applejack replied with a grin. "I never do," Rarity admitted with a laugh. With the way blocked and Bulk holding the boats together, Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry and Fluttershy extended their wings. "Wings..." Fluttershy growled. "Of..." Rainbow Dash added. "JUSTICE!" all three boomed as their wings clapped, creating a massive gust of wind that launched both boats into the arcway, jamming it up further. Sombra gaped in utter horror as boat after boat rammed into each other, and the entire canal was clogged. The Children of Chrysalis jumped from their boats and tried to purse the masters. But then the masters lunged to meet them. As the boats lit on fire, the masters were outlined in golden and red light. And as they fell as one upon the changelings, Sombra began to pale as Twilight glared him down, a confident smile on her face, and magic flaring in her hands. The perfect warrior of day and night. They began to cut through the disorganized and scared changelings. At the same time, Tai and Urtica started to make headway, with the changelings unsure whether to focus on them or the rapidly approaching masters. "Why aren't we firing?" Sombra demanded. "Their taking out our cannons," Chrysalis insisted. "And they keep getting in too close for us to risk spells." "To Tartarus with the risk," Sombra snapped, indicating the cannon. "Fire at them! Now!" Chrysalis' eyes widened. She turned to her children, who were right in the line of fire even as the masters tore them down. "But... my children..." Chrysalis whimpered. "It'll kill them!" "I said fire!" Sombra bellowed, panic making his voice crack. "Fire before I kill you like I killed your husband!" Sombra froze, realizing what he just said. Chrysalis turned back to him, her face slack-jawed in shock, slowly turning to rage. "What did you say?" she hissed. "I-I..." Sombra stammered, looking up as Twilight and even Tai began to get closer. Chrysalis, in the meantime, was getting right in his face, her fangs ready to bury into his neck. "You?! You're the one who killed Wild Spark?!" Chrysalis boomed, her face contorting into rage as all connected. "That's how you were able to show up so fast to help me avenge him. That's how..." Her horn burst with light. "YOU BASTARD!" Her rage transferred through the hive mind. The changelings ceased their attack on the masters, turning with them to Sombra. Sombra paled as an entire army began to bear down on him. Thinking fast, he pulled his sword and stabbed it into Chrysalis' gut. "MOTHER!!!" not just Urtica, but every changeling screamed as their mother collapsed. Sombra threw her form in front of the cannon, just as a swarm of changelings lunged onto her, trying to protect their queen and mother with their lives. Before the masters could take advantage and lunge over the pile onto Sombra, the dark king lit the fuse with a spark from his cannon, and the entire army vanished in a burst of light. Twilight's eyes fluttered open. The air stunk of gunpowder, and everything was cold and hurt. Something was pressing on her back, and something else was digging into her chest. Blinking the darkness from her vision, Twilight found herself floating on a piece of driftwood in the waters outside the harbor. As her body slowly circled, she saw Sombra's head ship, and the remnants of his fleet floating out into the harbor. Changelings - dead or dying - littered the waters between Twilight and Sombra, but dispsersed around the changelings were also her friends. She saw Luna, holding onto Tai Lung as he paddled his way from changeling to changeling. She saw Flash and Bulk, hanging onto each other as their eyes glazed over with flashbacks to Big Mac's death. She saw Fluttershy, shivering as Pinkie pulled her to Applejack and Rarity. Briefly, Twilight's eyes searched for Rainbow Dash, before a moan echoed from above her. Looking up, Twilight gasped as she found Rainbow Dash on top of her, her blackened arms still gripping Twilight like she'd never let go. "R-Rainbow...?" Twilight croaked. "I... didn't save you last time," Rainbow Dash whispered. "C-Couldn't fail again..." Her head bowed. "I'm sorry..." Twilight touched her arm softly, gazing out over the carnage. As Twilight watched Tai, she saw him eventually reach a pair of changelings. Urtica and Chrysalis. "Urtica..." Tai whispered, floating to her side. Urtica shook her head, her grip on her mother like rock. "We need to heal her," Urtica insisted, her magic sparking in a feeble attempt to try a healing spell. But when Chrysalis gazed up at her, the light in her eyes was flickering. And Tai could tell it was too late. "Sombra pierced my hearts," Chrysalis noted with a hollow laugh. "Ironic. He's the reason they're broken." "Mother..." Urtica whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "You... tried to save everyone. I can't just let you die like this!" "It's the price I pay," Chrysalis admitted. "For the choices I've made." She touched her head softly to Urtica's. "You're a better changeling than I, my daughter. You deserve to live." When Urtica still refused to let her go, Chrysalis turned desperately to Tai. "Please," she begged. "Get her out of here." Urtica, Tai and even Luna froze. Never in the time since Wild Spark's death had Chrysalis ever said 'please.' Least of all to a non-changeling. Exchanging a look, Tai pulled Urtica to his side, and Urtica reluctantly left her mother, as they swam away. Chrysalis just smiled as she closed her eyes. 'In everyway,' Chrysalis whispered to Urtica through the hive mind. 'You are just like your father. I'm so proud of you Urtica.' And with that final message, Chrysalis lay her head down and went still, drifting away into a memory: Many years ago, under the guise of a group of unicorns, Chrysalis and a handful of her changeling siblings entered a village. "Hello?" Chrysalis called. "We need help. We're just travelers in need of lodging!" Despite her pleading, the ponies slammed their doors and drew their welcome mats. The whole thing reminded Chrysalis of her mother Arachna. Her biting words still rang in Chrysalis' ear: "You all were disappointments. Get out of my sight and never return." Looks like even non-changelings agreed with her. Until, just as the sun lowered beyond the horizon, they found... him. A gray unicorn stallion, with beautiful eyes that sparkled like fireworks, peeking out from the top of an inn. "You need a place to rest?" the stallion asked. "I got plenty of space if you need it tonight." "Thank you, kind sir," Chrysalis said bowing to the stallion before ushering her siblings inside. The unicorn quickly met them on the ground floor, indicating the various rooms they could bunk in. "There's plenty of guest bedrooms," he said. "Makes sense - it's an inn, after all - and if it's still too crowded, I got some couches and sleeping bags in the lobby." "Not to worry, kind sir," Chrysalis replied. "My siblings are used to bunking together." Almost on cue, two changelings tumbled out of one room, which promptly slammed shut with a pouty, "MY ROOM!" coming from outside. The stallion grinned at Chrysalis, who rubbed the bridge of her nose with a sigh. "Children," she mused. "Am I right?" "I wouldn't know, but no harm," the stallion replied, before tilting his head at her guise's thin appearance. "Any chance you had dinner yet?" "I wouldn't want to intrude..." Chrysalis tried to say, but he waved her concerns off. "Consider it payment for allowing you to rest for the night," he replied. Chrysalis blinked in shock, but smiled at his kindness. "You make it very hard to say no," she noted, following the stallion into the dinning area. There, she watched in curiosity as he worked, his horn flashing and sending knives, pots and pans practically dancing in the air. Sparks flew wildly as the cooking utensils did what she could only describe as a tango, with him conducting with flashes from his horn, waves of his hand, and a constant sparkle in those incredible eyes. Eventually, the stallion did a spin, and a bowl flew away from the cook-and-dance number, settling before Chrysalis with a pair of chopsticks following shortly after. "Oh!" Chrysalis gasped, gazing at what almost looked like some kind of wormy grain combined with... Meat? Was this meat? She was confused. Didn't ponies eat hay and vegetables? "What... is this?" she asked. "Ramen," he replied with a grin. "My dad used to travel, discovering different flavors for our restaurant." He indicated a small booth off to the right and away from the guest rooms. Chrysalis peered into his bowl, seeing the vegetables she was sure he would eat. "But... mine's different?" she noted. "Well, I figured you'd prefer something with meat rather than what we ponies eat." The stallion summoned a cup of sake and took a sip, his eyes sparkling before becoming more serious. "Am I wrong... Changeling?" Chrysalis' heart hammered with fear. "H-How...?" He tapped his sparkling eyes. "Gift of sight," he replied. "It's why I'm the best cook in this village. Or, at least in this inn." He chuckled as he began to eat. "But don't worry. As long as you don't stop me from cooking, I don't care what race you are." Chrysalis looked up at the lodging where her family was. "So..." she whispered. "You're... not going to hurt me or my siblings?" "Oh, Celestia, no," he said. "They haven't hurt me. Why should I hurt them?" He sighed. "You ever heard of the golden rule? 'Treat others how you want to be treated?'" Chrysalis nodded. "Well, some ponies seem to focus on the silver rule; 'treat others the way they treat you.'" He sighed. "Problem is, they assume another species will treat them one way when they haven't even gotten a chance to do anything yet. I say relax. See what happens before you jump to conclusions." Chrysalis still remained tense. Something the stallion picked up on, as he leaned back and tried to look relaxed. "So... what's your name?" he asked. "I felt really weird just calling you 'changeling' back there." Chrysalis looked down with a blush. "It's Chrysalis." "No last name?" She shook her head. "Changelings don't really get last names. Most of the time, it's just what helps the Queen remember her more prominent drones and servants." She shook her head and took the chopsticks, before she noticed the pony extending his hand. "Well, I'm Wild Spark," he introduced. "And it's nice to meet you, Chrysalis." Hesitantly, Chrysalis took his hand, and watched at he shook it. A new spark came into his eyes. "So... sorry if this is impolite," he mentioned. "But... if you want, you can shed your disguise. Same for your family." He shrugged. "I bet you look nicer." Chrysalis laughed. "I'm not sure about that," she noted. Yet, she couldn't trace any lies in his voice. And, honestly, he was nice to be around. She didn't see any reason why not. Emerald flames enveloped her and her true changeling form was revealed. Wild gazed at her with his jaw slack. His eyes wide and sparkling. "I know-I know," Chrysalis said, turning to her bowl. "I'm hidious." "What? No!" he stammered. "It's just... you look different than I expected. More... pony-ish." Chrysalis huffed. "I take after my father," she replied, poking at her food. "That's what mother said, anyway. He was a pony, so..." She didn't get much more into it. Her mother's lectures about embracing her changeling side over her pony side began to ring in her ears again. How she was weak to think of feelings, and how she would never measure up to a changeling born from a dragon or a griffon. But before they could overwhelm her... "Doesn't matter," Wild Spark said, almost in defiance of Arachna's words. "You are you." Chrysalis looked up at Wild Spark in shock. Tiliting her head as he ate, as if he had just made a comment about the weather instead of defying every cruel word her mother had said. She took a bite of the ramen. It was tastier than any love she had ever harvested. "You're quite a peculiar stallion, aren't you?" Chrysalis noted with a smile. He shrugged. "I did just let changelings into my home," he replied with a laugh. As Chrysalis smiled at the memory of his laugh, the other memories they spent together opened up before her. How she felt the need to feed less and less the more she was around him. The way he turned cooking into dancing. The time she had danced with him... only to get them both drenched in soup. His incredible eyes, always bedazzling her with the lights and sparkles that would reflect in his irises. And his kindness and open-mindedness. The memories of their marriage flashed before her: he didn't even blink at her proposal. Their first of many nights together, when she held him in her arms, and knew she never wanted to hold anyone but him. And the first of many children. One of them Urtica. Smiling and laughing in a way that Chrysalis had long forgotten she was capable of. Unfortunately, her positivity had been gone for a reason. And all too soon, Chrysalis' memories brought her to that reason. An angry mob. Chanting and calling for blood outside. Wild Spark's eyes smoldering with protective rage as he held the door shut. "Take our children out of here," he told her. "I got these close-minded foals." "But they know about us," she insisted. "They'll see you as a traitor." "Come on," he insisted, his eyes flashing with confidence. "It won't be that bad." Despite Chrysalis wanting to believe him... It was. It was so painful and horrible that Chrysalis shuddered to think of it. After getting Urtica and the others away, she had returned to find their home burned. He was laying in the ashes at the center, his body blue and purple from bruises. One of his wonderful sparkling eyes had been ruptured from the beating, and the other was only barely able to gaze out at her from under his swollen eyelids. "Wild," she whimpered, cradling him. "My love... no..." "Chrysalis..." he whispered. But even as he clutched at her collar, her grip tightened, and fury began to boil up from her grief. "They will pay for this," she hissed. "I promise... me and the children... we'll..." "No!" he rasped, clutching her head and pulling her close. Chrysalis felt someone approaching, but just before she could pull away, she heard him whisper one last thing. "Don't... let our children... be the monsters... they think... you are." Chrysalis stared down at him in confusion, before a gasp drew her gaze. Another unicorn stood before her. Dark fur, and a red horn. "What happened?" a young Sombra gasped. His staged shock surprisingly convincing, considering what Chrysalis knew now. But back then, she was too confused and dazed by grief to really tell. Chrysalis looked down at Wild Spark... but the sparks had left his eye. He lay dead in her arms. "They took him..." she whimpered, clutching his body as magic glowed angrily around her. "They took my husband..." "My poor changeling," Sombra croned, resting his hand on her head. "Who could be so horrible to do something so cruel?" "You," Chrysalis seethed. "Your pathetic, evil race!" She nearly lunged up and attacked, but Sombra caught her with a restraining spell. "Do not think you can take advantage of my pity," he warned. "I do not deserve your ire." He gazed out at where the mob had once stood. "The ponies are the ones that did this to you." He turned back to them. "If it wasn't for them, he would still be alive." Chrysalis hissed and backed away, gazing sadly down at her husband. "How do I...?" she whispered, unsure of what to do. "Join me," Sombra proposed, holding out his hand. "Join me, and see him avenged." Grief and rage propelled Chrysalis to take his hand. And in doing so... she ignored the last words Wild Spark ever said to her. "I'm sorry, my dear Wild Spark," Chrysalis whispered as she returned to the brutal reality her memories had led her to. "I failed you, and our family..." Her head lifted up, and she saw Twilight staring at her in pity. She lifted a hand up and pointed. "Stop him... Celestial Warrior," she whispered. Twilight looked to who she was pointing to. Sombra. Grinning down at her, his eyes intently urging for her to succumb to her wounds. Twilight's eyes narrowed, and she nudged herself out from under Rainbow Dash, pushing the cyan mare after Tai. "Twi..light" Rainbow whispered reaching towards the unicorn as Twilight swam to the front of Sombra's fleet. Sombra smirked as Twilight managed to find a larger pile of driftwood, and stand atop it, glaring at him with defiance in her eyes. She may have been burned. She may have been bruised. And she may have been beaten. But she was far from broken.