When the flames died down, Celestia wiped off the fatty grime that had gotten on her. She stood up, shook herself clean of whatever was left, then glared at the black spot on the floor that marked where her would-be assassin had been. “Princess of the Sun, Chrysalis. I am fireproof, you clearly are not. And good riddance to you.”
Philomena rawrked in agreement and flew down to perch on Celestia’s back.
“Good girl, Philomena. I think someone’s earned herself an extra portion of dragonfruit tonight.”
Happy caws answered her, before a sudden stop. Philomena grew anxious once more.
The palace echoed with laughter.
Celestia groaned and turned her head towards the door again. “Of course. That would have been too easy.”
In walked another Chrysalis, and another, and another.
Celestia took a step back towards her balcony and furrowed her brow. She tried to sense the magic in the air, but whatever it was, it didn’t make much logical sense. Even with her refined detection spells, she couldn’t tell the difference between these three decoys and the real thing. The presence of the Queen was everywhere, in fact, it felt thick in the air, presumably some manner of cloaking spell to create white noise. Regardless, the decoys were infused with Chrysalis’s essence, her identity. “That’s impossible. You can’t spare that kind of power for a decoy, the training that would take…”
“Don’t act the fool, Celestia, you know what I’ve been up to,” said the one in front, strolling towards her. “The pandas, the naga, Tirek, that wretched little bodyhopper Cozy Glow… it’s all led up to this. Soon the whole world will be remade as I want it, and there will be nothing but perfection: my perfection. Even a coward like you, using your pets to do your fighting, won’t be able to escape.”
“And you think killing me will allow you to move the Sun? You think there will be no one left to fight you?”
“Oh, I know exactly how to steal that power, don’t you worry.”
Celestia looked at the trio, trying to find some tell, some sort of hint to what kind of control this was. She snarled in rage. These decoys were next to perfect. Whatever they had been originally, there was no trace of it. “So this is what you’ve done to your Hive? This is how you treat your drones? This is what you were experimenting on them for? For pity’s sake, Chrysalis, these are your own people, your subjects. Have you no shame?!”
Two more Chrysalises came streaming in, one through a window and one stalking the ceiling as soon as she passed the door. These, too, were perfectly disguised copies.
The Chrysalises noticed Celestia’s confusion, and grinned at the prospect. One at the right, still by the door, tilted her head. “Why should I be ashamed of perfecting my own subjects? It’s no different from your little school for talented Unicorns, except maybe a little more inclusive. They are mine. I am simply improving my property. And while I will admit your little phoenix caught me by surprise, I happen to have it on good authority that even her flames will die out after a few bursts. Much like yours, in fact.”
Celestia nodded. “I see. So that’s your plan: a war of attrition. Your drones can’t drain ponies of their magic unless they are exhausted.”
“A little change in diet can do wonders for your health, I’m sure you’ll agree.” The one on the ceiling started. “There are more than enough of my drones in Canterlot to fight you. More are on the way, and growing stronger as we speak. Every pony who falls gives me more power, more skill, more talent. So, Celestia, Your Highness, will you make this easy, or do we have to do this the hard way?”
Celestia closed her eyes. With a shaking hoof, she reached for her crown, and tossed it aside.
“No need to be sad,” the Chrysalis up above said. “You never stood a chance in the first place. You could barely win against one of me, let alone five. I accept your surrender.”
Then Celestia stepped out of her golden horseshoes. First her left, then her right front hoof was bared. A little click and a kick, and her hind hooves were freed. Once she was done, she spread her wings.
The pin-point yellow beam of force against the one on the ceiling sent it plummeting down to the floor. Smouldering from its chest, its limbs shook for a moment, before stopping.
Celestia snorted at the band of Queens. Smoke began to billow from her nostrils. “I’ll take my chances with four, then.”
“You’ll pay for that,” said the one in front. A nod of the head, and two took their fallen sister’s place, coming through the windows again. “A surrender would have been painless.”
Six to one now. “You come into my lands, threaten my little ponies, and expect me to surrender? No, now the gloves are off. If you want my power, you can have it, one funeral pyre at a time.”
She sent a triple heat beam across the room, raking across the decoys on the ground and destroying most of the windows in the process.
No matter. They can be fixed.
And they were designed to break inwards, after all.
The six Queens went into a V-formation and tried to dive-bomb her with a barrage of arcane bolts.
“Philomena, stay close.” Celestia raised her horn and let loose a hurricane that picked up the bits of stone and glass, as well as unbalancing her airborne attackers. In the eye of the storm, she stood firm, while wind and rock and glass kept the usurpers at bay. She sidestepped the bolts easily, with her hurricane throwing off their aim. A quick pulse of power, and the wind blew the Queens straight into the walls of the Palace.
“Not so easy when you don’t have innocent bystanders to hide behind, is it?” Celestia taunted. She dropped the spell once she’d cleared the room. She’d bought herself some time, but she was still burning magic to do it.
“Depends on your perspective.” The decoys were already peeling themselves off of the stonework, “Are my drones really to blame for what they do? I’m sure the Geneighva Convention will something to say about you trying to crush and incinerate poor, helpless victims.”
Celestia scowled. These things really were perfect clones: they had the original’s vermin tenacity in them. Nothing short of incineration would work.
A green volley came from above, simple energy bolts that impacted harmlessly on a quickly cast shield. The ground forces took that opportunity to surround her, though, quicker than she could blink. They seemed to almost float over the ground, not even flapping their wings. It reminded her of a local museum curator she’d seen at some of the local Ren fairs.
“It’s no use, Celestia,” five voices said as one. “You can’t win.”
Wait. I killed the one with super speed. Do they all have it?
“Philomena, flame wave,” Celestia said.
The phoenix started flying circles around her master as Celestia’s horn ignited in tandem. Within moments, the air around her became hotter than the desert, the synchronised magic of a phoenix flame wave and an alicorn firestorm searing away any intruders.
Celestia kept her eyes shut throughout the attack.
I can’t let my guard down, in that case. They could have gotten me right then and there.
When she could see again, the five Chrysalises lay unconscious on the ground, wisps of smoke rising from their bodies.
“Bravo.” The remaining Queen clapped her hooves in applause. “You truly are a powerful pony Princess.”
Celestia hissed. It’s brava, you uncultured cockroach. At least learn some proper grammar for your gloating.
The ones she’d hit got back on their hooves.
How? How is she combining these powers into drones? Speed, magic, and resistances? They stood up to the tornado and the flame wave, so only a full blast at phoenix heat will destroy even one of her. I can’t make an area big enough at that level, and Philomena can’t do a controlled blast like that in rapid succession. I can’t hit them all at once, not with enough force, not if they’re spread out like this.
And even if I did, I wouldn’t be hitting her.
“The real you isn’t even here, is it?”
“No, Celestia, these are just my drones. My weak, imperfect drones,” the front one said, twirling around while the others followed suit and joined into a chorus of laughter. “Why so glum all of a sudden? You were talking such a big game moments ago. Well, go on, then. Do it. Strike me down.”
“Then do it again,” said one to the left.
“And again,” said the one to the right.
“And again, and again, and again.” the voices went by one by one.
“It doesn’t matter, you know,” Celestia said. “You can’t destroy me. Even with all your decoys, you don’t have the power.”
“Only one way to find out.”
Celestia braced herself. One Chrysalis ignited her horn in blue, one in yellow, one in green, one in white, one in red.
Why didn’t she do this first?
As soon as the thought materialised, the beam fired.
Celestia tried to teleport, but found herself yanked back in place by a counterspell. She’d lost count of how many were firing, and one drone in back grinned. With a flap of her wings, she dodged out of the way of the attack, only to realise it wasn’t aimed at her.
She hadn’t been fighting six to one, she realised, but six to two. And these changelings were loath to let her have any numbers advantage.
“Philomena, no!”
She had no time to think, and all those weekends sparring at the Academy finally paid off. She quickened her next spell. If the Chrysalises tried to counter her second teleport, they failed. Celestia popped into existence in front of her precious pet, just in time to take the attack directly on the chest.
Ice bit into her exposed coat, followed by fire. Acid tickled as it ran down her haunches, and lightning crackled through her muscles.
It wasn’t even meant to destroy her outright, she realised. It was meant to be a death by a thousand stings. Philomena would have perished, but Celestia would only suffer, and suffer she did. She cried out as the blast pushed her out of the throne room.
Blue sky filled her vision, her castle quickly shrinking in front of her. She was on her back, in mid-air, catapulted out of the balcony.
The last thing she saw was her phoenix flying away.
“Ph-Philomena… g-get R-Ro-”
A dull thud cut her off. The combined blast had overloaded her senses, and the impact numbed her so much she could only really register one thing at a time. Her eyes wouldn’t open. She couldn’t feel her body anymore. The smell of grass filled her nostrils, the taste of iron filled her mouth.
Her ears still worked, though, much to her surprise.
She heard a voice call out to her in her mind. A familiar voice, with only one request before she lost consciousness.
Let me out.
Bastion froze in shock. Chrysalis looked behind her again.
“You really don’t get it, do you, Bastion? I am the real Chrysalis. As for you two: you should have stayed in Canterlot, boys,” she taunted the new arrivals. “This is no place for pony children like you.”
With that, Bastion saw his chance to go invisible again. His wings revved up and he aimed a hoofful of goop shots at Chrysalis’s hooves. She looked down, surprised, but didn't move out of the way of his other attacks.
She was slower than he remembered, and he filed that fact away for future analysis.
Before she could react or he could ponder it further, he strafed around to join his friends, pelting her with prismatic orbs, testing her defences.
Fire only annoyed her, barely got her to blink. White broke her concentration as she tried to get out of the boy’s trap.
Lightning got her to wince, not when it hit her in the chest, but a head shot looked like it hurt her. Of course. “She’s weak to lightning! Go for the head!” he called out.
With a grunt, Chrysalis managed to yank herself free and shake off the green glue. “Oh please do. I want to see you try.”
Live Wire whipped his horn up and let loose a lightning bolt, but Chrysalis was already gone, dodging towards the park fountain.
She smirked. “Too slow, little boy.”
Live Wire and Bastion lowered their heads, ready for another spell. Doldrum walked ahead to stand in front of them. “I’ve already beaten one of you,” he said. “Give up now, please.”
“Oh, you don't need to tell me,” she replied. “Arrow Snaring Gloves, eh? I know how those work.” She tilted her head, squinting at Doldrum. “Yet you don’t seem to be wearing any. How odd.”
Doldrum looked back. “Guys, this is gonna be over really quick. I need you to-”
A loud “thump!” cut him off.
Bastion froze. She’d already closed the gap.
And Doldrum had already punched her in the gut.
“Now!” he shouted, jumping back.
The next few seconds were a blur of flame and light, as Live Wire unloaded a pillar of voltage as thick as her body. Chrysalis could barely move under the electric onslaught of the Unicorn, and Bastion made sure to clip her wings with orb spells any time she twitched. Eventually, the Queen collapsed.
Bastion reached up to feel his horn. It was a little warmer than he’d like, but he wasn’t anywhere near his limit yet. He was more concerned about his still empty stomach, actually. “You baited her into attacking you.”
Doldrum smiled sheepishly. “It’s a good trick, when it works. What’s going on here?”
“She almost got me,” he said. “She-she was at my house and I had to run and I ended up in the park, stupid, stupid.” He slapped himself. “There’s no cover here, and too much room for her to dodge.”
“Don’t beat yourself up over it,” Doldrum said. “We got her. She’s not breathing. How’s your heart?”
“I’m fine,” Live Wire said. “I could take out twenty of her if she’s that weak.”
An explosion sounded two blocks away.
“That’s the train station.” Bastion closed his eyes and winced. “Guess we’re not heading to Canterlot, then.”
“Ponyville’s under attack, too?” Live Wire asked.
Bastion nodded. “Canterlot?”
“We just got here from Bullet Time’s museum. She got him, and stole his super speed somehow,” Live Wire explained.
“But that’s impossible,” Doldrum said. “That one’s in Canterlot, this one here had super speed too. There can’t be two ponies with that, so where did this one get it? This is the same magic, she even got his tunnel vision.”
Smoke began to billow behind them, and the sound of buzzing wings approaching grew louder.
“Oh, no. How did you guys get here?”
“Medallion from the EEA, the big boss let us borrow it.” Live Wire showed off the trinket.
“Can you make a portal to get us back? I think we’re about to get swarmed.”
“No problem,” Doldrum replied. “I’ve been reading up.”
Chancellor Neighsay’s shield buckled under the barrage of blows from the Queen.
“You’re not going to last much longer,” she taunted.
“Sunburst, get ready,” he said. “Once the shield drops, I’ll-”
The sound of a portal opening behind the Queen cut him off.
A little changeling boy hopped through, followed by two colts who apparently did not understand simple instructions.
“Ah, Bastion, so glad you could join us,” Chrysalis hissed. “We were just about done with our grown-up talk here.”
Neighsay dropped his shield while she wasn’t looking. A set of ethereal chains appeared out of thin air, wrapping around her neck before tying her limbs together. “Not the distraction I was expecting, but it’ll do. Sunburst? Our dear guest is looking a little sick. Give her some natural light, would you? Boys, you’ll want to close your eyes.”
Sunburst closed his eyes and concentrated. A globe of orange fire appeared in the room.
“That won’t work; she’s fireproof,” the changeling colt called out.
“Fire resistant,” Sunburst corrected. “There’s a big difference.”
The ball expanded, and its heat intensified. The Chrysalis on the floor panicked, and tried to shoot a green flame at the stallions, but it was drawn into the miniature star and absorbed, burned away harmlessly.
Neighsay could barely see a squint from Sunburst under that glare, and there wasn’t even a final scream. The only sound that managed to surpass the hiss of that solar conjuration was a gasp for air.
The body turned to ash, then dust. With a little snort upward, Sunburst extinguished his orb.
“Good riddance,” Neighsay said. “No offence to you, young changeling. I don’t believe we’ve formally met.” He stepped forward and extended a hoof in greeting. “I am Chancellor Neighsay, the head of the Equestrian Education Committee, and you must be Bastion Pristin. I’ve heard good things about you from my colleagues. Interested in both magic and farming, I hear? Bit of beekeeping on the side?”
“Y-yes, sir. Pleased to meet you.” Bastion shook his head as he shook the hoof. “But you don’t understand. Chrysalis is attacking Ponyville.”
“Sad, but predictable. I’m sure the Royal Guard will scatter her forces now that she’s taken care of.”
“Umm, Mister Neighsay? She was in Ponyville,” Live Wire said, extending a hoof to return the medallion.
Neighsay kept his hoof out, and pushed the medallion back into Live Wire’s grasp. “She what?”
“We fought her,” Doldrum replied. “And… we’re pretty sure we kinda, sorta... killed her.”
“You mean you fought a drone disguised as her?” Sunburst asked.
The cackling echoed through the exhibit halls. There were no enemies in sight, but their voices came from everywhere. Or rather, there was one enemy who was everywhere at once.
“No, he means he fought me, just as you fought me,” Chrysalis said from above.
“Wonderful job, by the way, fantastic attack you finished me off with,” she said, coming from the right.
“Think you can do it again?” The Queen’s voice echoed through the room. “You’re going to have to.”
“They’re getting closer,” Neighsay said. “And they have us outnumbered.” He grunted under his breath. “They know our magic now. They’re trying to scout us, to see if we’re worth consuming, perhaps.”
“You’re worthy, alright, very worthy indeed. I think I’ll enjoy cooking ponies with your talent… Sunburst, was it? We’ll get to know each other very well soon. That was quite the experience.”
Neighsay gestured for the boys to come closer as he cast another bubble around them. “Silence bubble. Let’s not let her eavesdrop on us if we don’t need to. Any ideas?”
“The Hall of Steel,” Sunburst said, pointing to the far right. “It’s easy to guard, one way in and out.”
Neighsay shivered. “I can hold her off on my own, mostly. My powers are not well-known, she won’t know what to look for. But we're still outnumbered. Can your Star of Astoroth trick even the odds?”
“I’ve been practising my multi-tasking with Starlight, won’t be a problem. We can clear the place one floor at a time. Once I get the armour going, we can head up to the next exhibit and start taking the high ground.”
“Then that is where we’ll go. Live Wire, I need you to keep hold of my medallion a little longer.”
“But don’t you need it to defend yourself?” the colt asked.
“That artifact contains more than mere gate spells: it’s a key to the vaults at the Academy. We have some very sensitive equipment there we can’t afford to let fall into enemy hands. It’s also a teaching implement: if Chrysalis gets her greedy paws on it, we’ll risk losing precious knowledge. Besides, you boys still need to get to safety. All three of you now.”
“Mister Neighsay, sir, I don’t think you understand,” Bastion started.
“No? Then explain it to me, please.” They heard glass breaking, and hurried through the museum to get to an older-looking exhibit, modelled after the Unicorn courts of old. All around, there were banners of the ancient dynasties, and suits of armour lined up and arranged by age and region: pre-classical lancers, Eastern Unicorn samurai, halberdeers from the Northern Forests with matching antler helmets, not exactly a war machine but fine fighting material if provided with a bit of magic.
“There was another one of her in Ponyville,” Bastion said. “She used a spell my mom has, my Unicorn mom. And the one in the park had super speed.”
“I’ve noticed these drones have the ability to steal spells.” Neighsay stopped. “Wait. She had what?”
“She had super speed, too,” Doldrum said. “The same speed Bullet Time has.”
“You are certain of this?” Neighsay asked.
“Positive,” Doldrum replied. “It was the same power.”
“And the same weakness,” Live Wire added.
“That’s impossible,” Sunburst said. “Bullet Time must have been taken here. Even if a drone could steal magic, that’s just one drone who could have it. There can’t be more of them.”
“Unless she is broadcasting this stolen magic somehow, and sharing it throughout her army,” Neighsay suggested.
“The one in the park knew we came from Canterlot,” Live Wire said. “She knew you had a barrier up. So they’re communicating, and communicating pretty quick, too.”
Neighsay shuddered. “That would make organising efforts against them difficult. And in your experience, Bastion, this isn’t something they should be able to do? This isn’t some secret weapon you or your uncle may have been privy to?”
Bastion shook his head. “No, sir. Whatever this is, I don’t think these are drones. They don’t move like drones, they don’t feel like drones. Every single one of them is her. She’s weaker than I remember, though. I’ve already seen three of them die. They can’t change shape, and it’s like they have to think more slowly than before. Maybe they are communicating, and that slows them down. And I’m pretty sure the real Chrysalis can take more punishment than these things do. There’s something off about them, it’s a perfect copy, but not at full power yet, if that makes any sense.”
“This is… good information, young changeling. Thank you for it, and you should be commended for being able to notice under such stress.” Neighsay sighed and nodded. “Perhaps she is spreading her captured love energy too thin, or perhaps her drones are lacking in cognitive capabilities to manage so many powers at once, or whatever network she has isn’t fully functional for this large an army. That's some advantage, at least. However, if what you say is true, then every single Chrysalis we see is indeed as much a threat as the real Chrysalis, capable of using any number of stolen magical spells. This complicates matters.”
“What do we do now?” Live Wire asked. “We can help you defend, you have the medallion.”
“Very brave of you to suggest, but an inefficient strategy. Sunburst?”
“On it.” Sunburst went to the middle of the room and started muttering an incantation under his breath.
“It’s me she wants,” Bastion said. “And any powerful Unicorns she can drain. If we split up, then she has to decide where to focus her power.”
“Indeed. And if this new stealing spell of hers is as you say, then that means she’ll be dividing her attention as well,” Neighsay added.
Explosions sounded in the distance.
“Though I suspect her attention is already scattered.” Neighsay waved to Live Wire for him to come forward, and he tapped the medallion, before drawing an arcane sigil on it with his hoof. The gold shimmered a vague blue. “Tap this once you're ready and go quickly. This is the emergency portal: short distance and only open for a second. It's difficult to track, but not impossible, so you’ll need to keep moving. After you walk through this, the medallion will lock itself, so she won’t be able to detect it, even if she steals my powers. You’ll have to find a way to safety through Canterlot on your own.”
“I can make two of us invisible,” Bastion said.
“Good lad. Doldrum, how’s your armour proficiency?”
“Pretty good, I think?” the Pegasus replied.
“Can you handle a Kingslayer armour? A fully operational one?”
“I don’t know. Is there one I can use?”
Neighsay nodded and gestured to the amulet again, flicking through it like the pages of a menu. When he found what he wanted, the etheric form of an arm bracer appeared out of it. “We’ve not needed to use this one for a while, but it pays to be prepared. Hold out your arms, I’ll give you a custom fit.”
Doldrum did as he was asked, and Neighsay closed his eyes. The arm guards and matching leg padding appeared on the boy’s body, as snug as if they’d been made around his form. Dark blue cloth wrapped around him, before additional metal plates went around his chest, shoulders, and the bases of his wings. His head was covered with a traditional helmet of the Eastern Unicorns, one with a horn covering.
Doldrum held up one of the arm bracers, flexed his hoof, and nodded in appreciation when three claws burst out of the top. With another nod, the blades withdrew.
“That has all the functionality of the Kingslayer armours of the Pre-classical era. It is an old design,” Neighsay said. “Archaic, even, I’m afraid, but it’ll have to do.”
“That’s okay: I’m better at the old stuff. Thank you, sir.”
“Never let it be said installation wizards are weak.” Neighsay closed his eyes and held out his front hooves. From his horn, grey chains appeared and snaked around his limbs, before coating his belly and chest. He whipped them up and down, and a pair of spiked orbs appeared at the ends. Satisfied, he finished the wrapping around his arms. “You boys head out, and stay out of sight. We’ll clear out this building and get any ponies we can to safety. Once we can establish a base of operations, we can irritate her enough to force her to make a mistake.”
“Umm, sir?” Bastion asked. “About that, I think I might know one way you could fight her? But you’re not going to like it.”
“Say no more, I’ve pondered the same thing. Sunburst?”
“Satis, Dee!” Sunburst shouted, finishing the spell with a slam on the ground. Yellow energy pulsed through the floor, flowing into the armours decking the halls. Old iron equipment from ages past started to rattle, then squeak as the metal joints came to life.
“We’ll try our best,” Neighsay said. “And if we must resort to a more desperate strategy, well… at least you’ll know if it works. Now go, you’ve dallied here long enough.”
Without another word, they tapped the amulet, and went through the portal.
The procession of armours marched through the museum, axes, spears, and becs de corbin in hoof. War drums started playing on their own accord, and even the flag poles of the Unicorn bloodlines floated along, pointed tips at the ready.
“What was that about a desperate strategy?” Sunburst asked.
“He’s a smart boy, that changeling. He was pondering the same idea I was.”
“Is it a good idea?”
Neighsay sighed. “Let’s not think about crossing that bridge before we get to it.”