//------------------------------// // CHAPTER 6: Combat Tour Canterlot - Part III // Story: One Pony Death Punch // by Sol Nemesis //------------------------------// Flash burst through the doors of the Mountain Chill carrying a wheezing Octavia on his back. Rocky followed closely barely deflecting another arrow with his now recovered staff. Once they were all through the threshold Rocky kicked the doors shut just in time for more bolts to lodge itself where he stood. Flash set Octavia down gently on a long table and began to treat the wound. "Not good." Flash says under his breath, careful so as not to let Octavia hear the panic in his voice. The bolt had pierced one of her lungs, a second had dug into her left hind leg. Only rapid movement from Rocky had stopped the third shot from hitting home. Kill shot The window blew in behind him, Flash turned and flared his wings ready to fight for his life but instead saw a bloodied changeling, unconscious but still alive if barely, an enraged Rocky standing on top of it. "How is she?" He asked, sounding furious. Octavia's shallow breaths was all Rocky needed to hear, but heeded to hear it from Flash. "Not good at all. If we don't repair the damage to her lung soon. She'll die." Flash said quietly. "THAT WONT HAPPEN." Flash Sentry, to his credit, did not flinch at the sudden outburst of his companion. Several more arrows flew through windows shattering more glass. Rocky Road took one, long, deep breath and brought order back to his emotions. Suddenly Flash felt a crossbow and a bolt quiver thrust upon his hooves. "He had these." Rocky pointed at the changeling. "I assume you know how to use it?" Flash nodded in grim resolve. "Please buy me time." Rocky said walking past Flash and towards Octavia. "But what are you going to do?" Flash asked, already knotting a bolt into the crossbow. Rocky didn't answer and took Octavia into his hooves and marched to the back room on his hind legs. Flash had no choice but to trust his friend as another bolt came whistling through the window and nearly lodging itself into his head. Flash took his post by the windows and expertly hefted his weapon. He waited for a lull in whistling crossbow bolts, turned the corner and peaked through shattered glass. He saw the silhouette of a changeling on a neighboring rooftop. The changeling saw him too and sent another bolt flying at him. Flash dodged, popped up behind another window, found his target, took aim and fired. ==== Octavia's eyes were wide with panic but she focused them on the orange stallion as he lay her on the ground. "Rock..." She began but sputtered out blood causing the rest of what she wanted to say to die in her throat. "Shh." he said in a reassuring tone. "It's okay. I'm here to save you." He could feel her pain. The despair and panic in ponies who knew they were dying. It was a terrible thing to feel much less witness with your own eyes. It was something he was beginning to grow all too familiar with. "But first I have to apologize. I am a master of the Resonance Gate. I am supposed to know every threat before they strike. I am supposed to be the eyes and ears of earth pony kind." Rocky was tearing up, despite his efforts to remain strong. Octavia's eyes were darkening as she gave several more feeble attempts at a full breath. Not for one second did she take her eyes off Rocky Road, pleading with him for her life. Or so it felt that way to Rocky. "I don't care how long it's been, mistakes like these are unacceptable. You will not die because of me." He placed a hoof gently on Octavia's barrel. "This is my punishment." The air around them started to glow. To Rocky It was obvious what he should do, but he was hyping himself up to do it. accessing the fifth gate was no trivial matter. "We must sacrifice ourselves for the innocent. Behold the fifth gate. Gate of Blood." Rocky thanked the heavens above that Octavia was knocked out by this point as both ponies were encased in an eerie red glow. It took Rocky all his years of discipline not to scream in pain. When it cleared, Octavia was asleep and breathing normally. The arrow in her side had fallen away, but the arrow in her flank remained. Rocky was sweating doubled over and coughed his own blood onto the floor. The red fluid mixing with Octavia's own. Rocky knew he had reached his limit but there was still so much to do. He had to regain his focus and tap into the ninth gate before he passed out and died. "My work is not yet finished, Behold the ninth gate. Gate of Infinity." Power surged into him from the planet. Dust rose. Cutlery and bits of food levitated off the ground as the amount of magic that was being siphoned from the earth, flowed through the floor and into Rocky Road. Like a breached damn the torrents of magic that flowed through the earth threatened to consume him and make him a statue...again. Thankfully, Rocky had known what to do, having experienced the petrification once before. It was overwhelming at first, but Rocky was able to stem the flow of magic from the gate. His hooves left scorch marks on the floor and his mane began to spark and smoke. Then at once everything stopped. Everything fell to the ground with a crash with the exception of Octavia who still lay on the ground. He had done it. He properly broke his connection just before it threatened to consume him. After one final coughing fit he straightened and stood on his hind legs leaning on his staff to stabilize himself. Flash Sentry came bursting in, crossbow at the ready. "Rock! Are you...okay?" Flash immediately knew something was wrong. The density of magic in the air practically slapped him in the face. "I'm fine. She's fine." Rocky stated matter-of-factly. Ignoring the fact that his voice sounded...more ethereal...He kept his back turned. Flash approached and inspected Octavia. Sure enough she was sleeping peacefully. No trace of the mortal wound. "Woah. Are you secretly a unicorn healer or something?" Rocky didn't know how to explain what he did to a pony unfamiliar with the dangerous art of the fifth gate so he kept his mouth shut. Octavia's wound was still fresh inside him and his one good lung was working overtime to support his life force. Not the first time he used this trick, but he sure as hay hoped it would be the last. Without the magic contained in the earth he would surely be dead. This wasn't permanent, it only bought time for his earth pony healing to patch up the worst of the wound. Would he survive? Maybe. What mattered was that Octavia was going to be okay. Rocky noticed Flash had gotten unusually quiet and he had a sneaking suspicion as to why. "Dude. Your eyes." "I know. Did you get all the changelings?" Flash shook his head. "No. I'm an excellent shot but... these bolts weren't made to pierce chitin." Flash explained, but soured at the fact that it felt like an excuse. He thought about all the paralyzed ponies they had hidden in the back rooms. What would become of them? What of their own fates? Flash began to shake in anger and fear. "Flash Sentry." Rocky exclaimed placing a hoof on the Royal Guard trainee to steady him. Rocky could hear his own voice echoing faintly now. "You're not giving up are you?" Flash shook his head firmly. "Hex no." Rocky nodded. "That's the spirit." The back door crashed inwards and several changelings armed with crossbows, shields and spears came barging in carrying the same markings as the bug captain Octavia had faced previously. This was it. The changeling elite. Their warrior class. Rocky turned to face them and all the changelings froze Only the glowing white light of Equestrian magic greeted them. "Tally Ho." Rocky quipped before he blinked forward with un-pony like speed. His hoof connected with the lead changeling's shield causing it to buckle, the changeling carrying it bore the brunt of the force and was blasted back, clear through the wall of the Mountain Chill. The changeling next to him blocked a blinding spinning kick with his armored hoof only to cry out in pain when the armor, his chitin and the bone beneath were pulverized. A follow up kick connected with the Changeling's Jaw and sent him spinning onto several crates of fresh fruit. The last changeling backed away and took a defensive stance before being shot in the flank by Flash Sentry and then subsequently smashed over the head with a folding chair. The rest of the changelings saw the state of their comrades and retreated from the room in panicked haste. So much for the changeling elite. "Woo Hoo! Take that ya poor excuse for insects! You're no match the Equestrian Royal Guard!" Boasted Flash Sentry waving his spent crossbow and hoisting his metal folding chair into the air. "Can't believe I was worried for a second." "It's not over." Rocky stated. Flash and him made eye contact. The light in Rocky's eyes were gone and he had a worried expression on his face. That's when they heard her. "My, my. What is this now? A Valiant last stand? How adorable." The voice seemed to come from every direction at once. Flash and Rocky were both on their hind legs and stood back to back empty crossbow and staff at the ready. "I suggest you drop your weapons and exit the building . BEFORE I BURN THIS CITY BLOCK TO THE GROUND." "Do as she says." Rocky said quietly. Flash gulped and followed Rocky Road out of the building. What they saw made their jaws drop. The sky was swarming with changelings. Hundreds, if not thousands, encircled the building in a maelstrom of buzzing wings. In the epicenter stood a tall majestic changeling. Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings.