The group turned and headed for the Castle, around them the battle was coming to its end. Many ponies were still hiding, but a few had come out of buildings to look at the chaos and the Griffons who were rounding up the Changelings and chaining them together.
On the way, Twilight looked at a group of Griffons going door to door. “What are they doing?”
Doom glances over “Ah, they are compiling a list of all the Ponies, and other beings in the city. We don’t know how many Changelings were in the city before the shield went up. So, with a proper list of missing Ponies, we can start figuring out who was replaced or taken out of the city before my forces arrived.”
Twilight Sparkle looked at Doom. “You had this all planned, not just the battle but organizing the recovery? How could you be so prepared?”
“Starswirl is not the only one who studied Time Travel, Twilight. Unlike Starswirl’s method, I can go back longer than a minute and though I have come across self-correcting paradoxes, I have found methods to alter time. Yet, even I can’t plan all the ways time can change if altered, so I normally avoid it. Preventing Queen Chrysalis from having access to two, if not three Alicorns as a means to boost her own magical power was worth the risk.”
He stopped and held up his hand. “Wait, something is not right.”
“What is it, partner?” Asked Applejack looking for something wrong in a city that just suffered not one but two armies fighting in the streets.
“It’s the Castle, look at the windows, I can see that my Griffons are still fighting at the main entrance.” He looked back and said; “We need to hurry!”
Then Doom lifted in the air and flew over the city headed for the castle, leaving the others behind.
Rainbow Dash looked to Gilda “Is he always like that?”
“Oh, no. He’s having fun with this. You should have seen him when he stormed the Castle in Griffonstone. There are nights I still wake up in a sweat remembering that night.” Gilda replied, leaping into the flight herself.
“That’s the day he summoned all those Nightmare beasts and fought Celestia, right?” Twilight asked as she ran for the castle.
“The very same, Egghead. Believe me, he went soft on Celestia, the counselor was incinerated with one blast. Just ash and bones were left, he kept the skull as a trophy.”
“EEP!” Fluttershy stopped her flight, shivering at the thought. She wasn’t the only one afflicted however they all pulled through and returned to their chase after Doom.
At the castle grounds, Doctor Doom lands before the gathered Griffons. “What’s the situation?”
“My sovereign, the remaining Changelings retreated to the castle, they have sealed up all the windows and entrances with some green resin that’s very hard to break. The only way in now is the main entrance and they have gathered there.” A commanding griffon saluted and reported the situation.
Doom nodded “I see, are the shock batons aren’t effective anymore?”
“No sir, they are effective, but they drag every changeling we knock out back into the castle to revive. I hate to say this but we aren’t effective enough in close quarters, our battle strategy is hit and run attacks using mainly airstrikes. The files we have on changelings stated that they dwell in a massive hive of tight tunnels, add to that they climb on the walls and ceilings. For every one of our fighters we get in, they have three to counter.”
“Be at ease Commander it seems they have the natural advantage in close quarters. For now, keep them occupied, but don’t venture into the castle.” Doom then turns and sees the rest of the group arriving. “It seems the Changelings have sealed up the castle and are blocking this way in, so we'll go another way.”
Twilight catches her breath before asking “Wait, if the changelings sealed up the doors how would we get inside? That doesn’t make sense.”
Doom turns and starts walking along the outside of the building. “Doors? Twilight, Doom does not need doors.”
Within the castle, a loud echoing voice reverberated off the walls. “WHAT’S HAPPENING!” Chrysalis screamed at the cowardly changelings bowing before her. Just a few minutes ago she won, the changeling swarm was rounding up ponies, Celestia was bound up in a cocoon. She wasn’t winning, she won.
Then a patrol of Changelings, ones she sent to distract Princess Luna, came back reporting that strange silver airships have appeared high in the sky. She looked out the window just in time to see Griffons descending on the city.
“We don’t know my Queen. The Griffons are attacking with strange weapons that knock out any being they touch. Somehow they can see through our disguises.” The lead Changeling replied.
“Get the word out! We won’t lose to a bunch of birdbrains!” She stomped her hoof into the ground. The changelings scurry back, they see those same hooves crush those that displeased her.
In the back Cadance was worried, Twilight and her friends were out there. There was no other hope. She blinked, her eyes looking at Shining Armor. If she could get to him and use her magic to help him. Perhaps then everything wouldn’t be doomed after all.
As if these thoughts themselves summoned a monster from Tartarus, an armored fist punched its way through the wall. Then the wall collapsed fully and an armored being.
She heard the reports, she saw the spy photos, Cadence knew who this being was “Doom”.
Doom smirked behind the mask “Indeed Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. It’s Doctor Victor von Doom.”
A green blast of magic struck him in the chest. Doom glanced down then to Crystalis. “Foolish insect, you used too much of your magic reserves to take down Celestia. Gilda, Twilight, everyone else; take care of the other Changelings. Crystalis is mine.”
Gilda went into action yelling out the ancient griffon word for ice, creating an ice ball, and throwing them at the Changelings.
“How are you casting magic? I never heard of a griffon that could!” Twilight asks as she casts her own magic blasts at the changelings.
“I’m afraid griffon spell casting is rare, very rare. I’m the first in a thousand years to have my spell casting awakened. Turns out one of the signs of a Griffon could use magic is cloud walking. Think about it, we need to channel magic into our limbs to cloud walk and shape clouds. Few of us can cloud walk, it also explains why we don’t have weather-making abilities or cloud houses. Only a small handful of Griffons can manipulate clouds, I’m just one of the rare few.” Gilda replied as she held out her palm forming a white magical shield as the changelings retaliated.
Twilight thought about it “Pegasi and Earth Ponies don’t cast magic and they have similar abilities. Earth Ponies channel magic to farm and improve their strength, where Pegusi have the weather abilities.”
Doom smiled seeing the gears in Twilight’s head turn then he spoke up. “Think about it Twilight, your Library, a living tree, and a whole building? I bet that’s some Earth Pony magic in there. If they can do that, why can’t they cast spells and project magic like you Unicorns.”
“But...I've been studying magic for years! There is no record of non-unicorn magic casters!” Twilight stopped fighting as the thoughts ran wild in her mind.
“TWILIGHT! Stop Twilighting and focus!” Cadence yelled as she leaped into action casting a shield spell just as a Changeling rushed to tackle Twilight. Twilight blinked as the changeling slid down to the floor. “Right… battle first.”
Chrysalis stepped back as the armored figure of Doom approached her. She cast the very same spell she used on Celestia and it bounced off of the armor as if it was nothing. “HOW!”
“I have faced far greater threats than you. Unlike Celestia I’m prepared. That said Crystalis, I’m not here to fight you. I want to help you.” Doctor Doom stopped and offered his hand to Crystalis.
“WHAT! I knew it! You were working with them.” Twilight spun around her horn charging up to attack.
Gilda swoops in and blocks the shot. “Twilight we aren’t going to betray you. Trust me like you trust Applejack. Doctor Doom has the fate of not just Equestria, but the whole world in his mind.”
“Sugar Cube, Ah think we should trust him. If he wanted to do somethin’ crooked he could have waited for the Changeling's to take us down. He had no reason to have us make up if he was up to no good.” Applejack said as she moved up beside Twilight.
Twilight’s horn dims “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
Doom continued as if he didn’t hear a word Twilight said. “Crystalis, you are attacking the ponies because you need their love. What if you don’t need it anymore? I know you despise these ponies, even as a food source. Think of it, no more needing to gather love from them, no more hunger for their love. The Changelings will be free of the reliance of ponies.” Doom took a mere moment to look to his communicator system. One thought and the external speaker was cut off.
Doom then connects to a griffon’s communicator. “I got your message Captain, have your griffons bring the two prisoners.” Then he sends a message to the Dauntless “Hans, come down with Luna, and Starlight Glimmer.”
“I don’t need any help!” Chrysalis screamed and tried another blast of magic, this time however she slumped visibly drained.
Doom just let the blast hit him. “I've been monitoring your blasts, you’re losing power, face Queen Chrysalis, you are almost out of love. Perhaps a demonstration of what I offer is in need.” He turns to look at the entrance hole he made. “BRING THEM IN!”
A group of Griffons came in carrying two changelings. One had a neck fin of Deep Crimson, a very dark gray chitin, and Moderate blue-violet eyes. He was also sporting many signs of battle damage.
“I told you I wanted as minimal harm as possible!” Doom yelled seeing the condition of the changeling. Even in this anthro form, Doom had no trouble identifying Pharynx.
“I’m sorry your majesty. He was very difficult to apprehend” The responding Griffon replied with a salute.
Pharynx impressively produced a string of mumbles and grunts through the gag in his mouth. Even heavily tied up he was still trying to get free. The other changeling was harder to tell the difference from a normal changeling.
Even in this state, there were few features like dark arctic blue back chitin and eyes of vivid opal that did make him stand out from the regular changelings. Doom saw the fear in Thorax's behavior unlike the aggressively struggling Pharynx, Thorax was not struggling, instead, he was looking around. Though he wasn’t aggressive, Doom could see Thorax figuring out the room and thinking of options. Even if he was timid Thorax wasn’t dumb, Doom knew that this Changeling could rule a nation. Not with threats but with careful planning.
Crystalis yelled out “Let them be, they are nothing but ordinary drones!”
Doom turned his head “Really? You don’t seem to worry about the other drones' safety.” He turned to Twilight Sparkle. “Twilight Sparkle, tell me what is the difference between these two changelings and the other changelings in the room?”
Twilight tilted her head then made a quick scan of the changelings being bound by the recently arrived Griffons. “Um, their color. The others are more uniform in appearance.”
It was at that time Crystalis rushed at Doctor Doom. As she did she grabbed a chair to swing. Doon’s armor was designed to fight The Thing, it withstood blows from the Hulk, a mere chair splintered into chunks without him even flinching.
Gilda then yelled out “Crimson Bands of Cyttorak!” her hands moved into set motion and crimson ribbons of magic manifested then flew to Crystalis binding her into a red cocoon, only her head was free.
Rainbow Dash blinked then looked at Gilda “You could have done that the whole time?”
“Yeah, but Doom wanted to see what she was capable of.” Gilda smiled, glad she pulled off the spell. It wasn’t a Griffon spell, so few of those were found in the accent Dens, only a few notes survived the thousand years of decay. This was a spell Doom had taught her, a spell from the Marvel universe. Gilda knew the source of the pride she felt wasn’t that she cast the spell, it was the memories and the feeling of connection to him that feed her pride now.
Then his voice brought her back to the situation in hand. “Good, Twilight. The only other changeling that has different colors from the normal drone is Chrysalis, a royal Changeling. The evidence is clear, Twilight Sparkle I introduce you to Chrysalis sons, Prince Thorax and Prince Pharynx.”
Even Pharynx stopped in shock hearing the Doctor's statement. He then looked to his brother, seeing the shocked expression, finally, he looked to his Queen. For a moment their eyes met, he saw worry, doubt, and fear. Then his queen, his mother took on a determined face.
“They are just males! A hive needs female royals, again, they are not important.” Chrysalis hisses at Doom.
Dramatically Doom spun around “Then you should have no reason to worry when I do this!” Doom lifted his left hand, the one with the Infinity gauntlet on, and snapped his fingers.
Both Thorax and Pharynx lifted into the air and a sphere of the light hid their forms. “NO!!!!!!!!!!” Chrysalis yelled out in shock.
The shape of both Thorax and Pharynx reappeared as their forms landed standing upright, both were changed sporting the antler-like horns, however, Doom made a few improvements to the reformed Changelings. Both no longer had holes in their limbs, both were tall and healthy, unlike the cartoon both kept their original color patterns.
“Your sons are fine.” He turned to look at the two. “Thorax, do you feel any hunger? Do you feel empty of love? How about your Pharynx, any hunger left? Do you see that I can help the hive? You will no longer need to feed off of ponies, just accept my offer.”
As the two looked at themselves still shocked at the change and no longer feeling that agony of love hunger, Doom looked to Chrysalis. “Do you see what I offer you? Your plan was spawned out of desperation. True you could survive off the city population for a time, but the other cities will be on high alert from now on. They will be retaliation attacks for revenge, and hope of rescue of your prisoners. Let’s not forget the other nations now seeing Equestria as weak, they will attack to get the lush land and resources for themselves.”
“In other words Chrysalis, you doomed your race to a time of constant war. Eventually, the city supply of ponies would die off and you would be surrounded by hostile forces. However, I still offer my assistance. Just like your sons, I can free you from your need to feed off of Ponies. Your whole race will no longer suffer hunger, with my tech and assistance we can turn the hive into a garden paradise.”
Chrysalis looked to her two sons. “You are still you?”
Thorax nodded “I… I’m fine. No hunger at all, I feel good.”
“I feel powerful,” Pharynx said, then looked at Chrysalis “My Queen should I attack?”
A slow shake of Chrysalis head “No… son. We lost” then looked to Doom “But maybe it’s better this way. Very well Doom, I accept your offer.” She saw the look of her sons, but the truth was she felt defeated, nothing she tried had even phased the armored being before her.
With that Doom snapped his fingers again and every changeling in the world was reformed, including their Queen.
She stood there much like her sons; she had two antlers-like horns, however, her body was emerald green and she had two gem-like butterfly wings.
Rarity gasps “So beautiful.”
Doom turned to Twilight Sparkle. “Now Twilight, it is time to inform you that you were right. I had alternative reasons for being here. By right of the Sombra Accord signed by Celestia herself, I have the authority to charge her with crimes against the world. I came here to arrest Princess Celestia and Princess Luna for endangering the planet.”
All the ponies and even a few of the griffons gasped.
Chrysalis blinked surprised by the statement “Okay, I have to stay for this.”