//------------------------------// // Chapter 21: Friendship Lesson of DOOM // Story: DOOM of Griffonstone! // by ShadowStar_IMHP //------------------------------// “Celestia!” Twilight rushed over to where Celestia fell. Her crown laid to the side and her horn was burnt. Twilight knelt down and lifted her mentor’s head.  “The Elements of Harmony, you must get to them and use their power to stop them.” Celestia then passed out in Twilight’s arms.  Standing up she looks at her friends. “You heard her girls let’s go.” “Right” the other bearers spoke then the group took off running out of the door. Rarity hiking her skirt up with her hands.  Behind them the monster that defeated Celestia laughed. “You never escape! Mah ha ha ha.” The voice of Crystalis echoed off the grand hall.  Once outside they saw the swarm striking the barrier. “We got to hurry!” Twilight yelled just as the shield collapsed.  The swarm descended on them with such force one cracked the ground beneath it. Rainbow Dash cracks her knuckles. “Alright girls, looks like we have to do this the hard way!”    “Right ya are RD!” Applejack chimed in punching a Changeling in the jaw. “RAINBOW LOOK OUT!” A voice from above called, Rainbow turns to see a changeling was behind her. Just to see a magical blast hit it right in the face.  “Thanks, Twilight!” Rainbow says as she spins kicking another changeling. Twilight blinks and looks over “That wasn’t me Rainbow.” “If it’s wasn’t you then who?”  A seventh figure draped down dressed in red Tatzlwurm armor, and some kind of strange pair of glasses. “Gilda? What are you doing here?” Gilda smiles and looks back “Saving your tail.” She cast another spell and sends a blast of freezing air at some of the changelings.  “But…” Rainbow blinks not sure why her former friend was now fighting with them. “Look, I know we had a fight. I explain everything after we save your stupid city.” A sad look came to Gilda’s face “We had a fight, but friends make up, right? Can we still be friends?” “Um... Yeah, first fight, then talk.” Rainbow turns just to face another Gilda, who punches her in the muzzle. The Fake griffon was then punched by AppleJack. “How do we da real us from these copycats?” “I have that taken care of Applejack” The booming voice of Doctor Doom answered her as the armored figure landed in the center of the combatants. “Duck!” “Get down!” Gilda yelled as she yanked Rainbow Down. Just as Doom released an electrical attack at the gathering Changelings.  “Good. That would give us some time to hand out the scanners.” Doom added seeing the changelings were now knocked out with the electrical discharge. Twilight Sparkle turns and looks at Doom. “You! What are you doing here?” “I believe the term is Saving the day.” “You took the sun and moon from Celestia and Luna, causing the weather to go out of control! Not to mention causing a disaster when you teleported Celestia to the middle of the city during a fight!” Twilight’s nostrils failed as she looked angrily at the first creature that defeated her mentor. “Oh don’t get your panties in a bunch Twilight. Your Precious Celestia almost blasted a whole group of Griffons with that attack. What did you lose? Four? It would have hit 20 of us.” Gilda added her own thoughts as she handed Rainbow Dash a pair of glasses. The lenses were carved gem lenses with smaller gems set in the frames. “Put these on Rainbow.” “Don’t do it Rainbow, it’s probably a brainwashing device!” Twilight calls out. “Twilight, focus on one threat to your kingdom at once. I can take over your minds with a snap, I don’t need some silly device. The Scanners let you see the magical energy of the changelings no matter what disguise they have on. You can tell who or what a changeling is by the green aurora. Now stop choose Twilight Sparkle, save your nation, or fight me for your mentor’s bruised ego.” Twilight looked down then stuck her hand out “Fine but we aren’t finished with this, but for the good of Equestria I give it up for now. We need to get to the vault!” “Really, the idea of having valuable and powerful items, in a location separate from the castle was not very bright” Doom commented as he headed to the location of the vault. He lifted his arm and used a low-powered concussion blast to knock out a fake Rainbow Dash. Gilda knew her role, Doom explained it very well. It was surprising that such powerful tools like the Elements of Harmony were kept far away from the Bearers. What more the ponies seemed to not even be aware of how powerful they were. Taking a breath she spoke out “So what we getting from this Vault place? Some kind of weapon.” “We getting the Elements of Harmony duh.” Rainbow chipped in as she flips kicked a Gilda copied Changeling.  Gilda sighed did Rainbow always had this snarky attitude? Then she remembered their past, yup snarky and egotistical. Doom stopped walking and turned “We are retrieving the Elements of Harmony? It’s idiotic to not have the Elements with the Bearers, for emergencies just like this.” Twilight spun and yelled at Doom “Celestia had a good reason!” Gilda flinched, she still remembered seeing Doom’s anger. Was she about to see the death of Twilight Sparkle? What she heard was almost as frighting, Doctor Doom’s laughter. “Twilight… oh poor, poor Twilight. Your leader is a fool, and I can prove it with one question.” “Oh, what question is that?” “How did you get the Elements of Magic?”  Twilight blinked her mind replaying the events. “When the five elements are present a spark would cause the sixth to be revealed.”  “Yes, but Nightmare moon destroyed the five didn’t she.” Doom dramatically spun around pointing to the other bearers. “You said so yourself Twilight, the Elements are right here! Applejack, represents the spirit of Honesty, Fluttershy is kindness, Pinkie Pie is laughter, Rarity is Generosity, Rainbow Dash represents Loyalty” with another turn he points at Twilight, “And you are Magic. So tell me again why are we heading to the Vault, to get the trinkets? Just like the Element of Magic appeared when you felt the spark, so too would the magic of Harmony allow you to summon those gems whenever you need them.” He then lowered his arm “But your Friendship been damaged hasn’t it? When you warned Celestia about the fake Cadence she dismissed you.” Then he turned to look at the bearers, “your friends still haven’t apologized for not listening either.” He looked at Applejack, “You were so driven to prove your Sweet Apple Acres apple dishes are worthy of royalty all you thought about were the bits you could bring home. When Twilight needed you to trust her, as she trusted you on the cliff, you failed.”  “Fluttershy, your timid nature, and fear of showing aggressiveness caused you to follow the others and if you felt doubt you remained silent and didn’t support your friend. Sometimes not speaking up is crueler than saying something someone might not like.”  Gilda watched on, Doom had planned this she looked around and noticed that the majority of Changelings were now out cold. Griffon teams with magic-resistant armor, scanners, and shock batons were easily taking out the foes. Changelings were by nature infiltrators, they operated mostly by stealth and shock. Against a force that had means of rendering the shape-changing magic useless, the Changelings were being quickly overwhelmed. “Rarity, the idea of having one of your dresses on the bride was too tempting, you forgot that a wedding takes a month or more to plan, nevermind a wedding of a Royal Princess. That dress would have been ordered months if not a year ahead of time. You abandoned your friend for pride and desire to rise in Canterlot society.” He then looked at Pinkie Pie “Pinkie Pie, you should have known as well that something was wrong. How many parties have you planned? How many times have you calculated the best means to make every pony happy?” Pinkie Pie’s hair went flat and hung down straight as her head lowered, all the bearers were now showing signs of similar shame and sadness. Gilda looked to Rainbow Dash. It was her turn, Doom told her what to say. “Rainbow, the bearer of Loyalty. You heard Twilight and you ignored her, but she’s not the only friend you ignored. The day I came to Ponyville, I came to beg for your help. Every time I got you alone, Pinkie Pie showed up.” She looked over to Pinke Pie, “I’m sorry Pinkie Pie, I made you jealous but I really was desperate. So desperate and frustrated…” Gilda then looked to Fluttershy “I couldn’t keep my cool and yelled at you Fluttershy, I’m very sorry for that.” “Um… it’s alright…” Fluttershy fiddled with her mane. Rainbow Dash looked at Gilda “You, were seeking my help? Griffins never ask for help.” Gilda looked back, “Yeah, I was losing my home. I couldn’t pay the mortgage and I pawned my mother’s Equestrian Games medal, just to make due. I used my last coin to get to Ponyville I didn’t even have the funds to buy an apple.” Doom then spoke up again “Well, seems there more than one friendship lesson to be learned today. The first step is to apologize, then we head back to the castle. If you all look around, my Griffins have taken down the majority of the swarm.” “Twi… I feel like ah been drag through the pigpen. Ya ever forgive me?” AppleJack took her stepson hat off and held it to her chest.  “You aren’t the only one Applejack. Twilight if becoming famous means losing you as a friend, to heck with being popular.” Rarity added her own apology.  Pinkie Pie didn’t say a word instead she rashed Foreward crying tackling twilight in a hug. “I… I’m… so… SOOOORRRRYYY!”  Soon the other mane 6 join in the hug crying as Twilight forgave them all. Then Rainbow Dash took a step back and looked at Gilda. “I guess I overdid it with those pranks huh. Gilda, I didn’t know you needed my help back then. We still pal?” Gilda wiped her face free of tears. “If you tell anyone I was crying I punch you out got it.” Rainbow Smiles “Sure, but I think this time we can accept that crying is cool.” “Yeah, Yeah, sure. Now let’s get to that castle, we still have the Queen bug to swat.”    High above in the Dauntless Hans looked down at the city. “I do believe phase one is complete.” “Oh does that mean the real fun part begins?” With a sigh, Hans turns to see Discord smiling dressed in a baseball jersey with Doom’s stylized D on the front, a green foam hand with the words Team Doom is #1 printed on it.  “DISCORD! Thank Harmony you are here get me out of this!” Luna being behind the Dracquaniqis couldn’t see the sports fan items. That was until Discord turned with a wide smile. “Help you out? Just when is this story getting to the grand climax?” He rose up and slid his lion-claw finger under her chin. “Who do you think talked me into becoming friends with the bearers instead of causing chaos?” “No…” “Oh yes, dear Luna. Doctor Doom has been using Friendship against you Alicorns! He right now making friends with Twilight and company. Really how he doing it is pure Magic! Ah, get it Friendship is Magic.” Discord flys back laughing as he goes. “What wonderful chaos, and all in a way that makes you all warm and fussy inside.”   “It’s true Princess Luna, Victor von Doom is saving Equestria and the world.” Hans looks to Luna, “It’s not the Changelings who he’s saving the world from. It’s your Sister, she been manipulating everything behind the shadows for generations. Do you think it just chances all six bearers were in the same town at the same time to stop Nightmare Moon?” “But yet she didn’t plan for my escape, nor this Changeling Invasion. See Luna, she was so focused on saving you, she lost sight of being a ruler.” Discord smiled and snapped his fingers the Element of Magic with crown appeared in his paw. “Do you see it? A crown. Twilight is fated to rule Equestria, Harmony itself declared her the next ruler. For her to rule, Celestia and you have to step down.” Luna’s head fell, it was there right in front of her face. Twilight’s crown, twilight the time between Day and Night, the cutie mark a perfect representation of the Element of Magic, It was true Twilight Sparkle was fated to rule Equestria.