Rainbow dash was helpless. The city had fallen, she and her friends had failed, and now Chrysalis's plan has succeeded. What would happen to her and everypony else would be no mystery, being nothing more than a love battery for the Changeling army.
Sitting on her flank, around her the rest of her friends sat. AJ had not come quietly, receiving more than a couple bruises for her efforts. Fluttershy was tending to her, inspecting each bruise while AJ grumbled. Rarity held onto her knees, a shaken look on her face. Pinkie sat nearby, a frown on her face and her hair drooping. Twilight just stared at Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor. Cadenza's hooves hat been stuck to the ground in wax, while Shining was caught in a daze.
Around them stood several Changelings, all armed with swords and standing watch over her and the rest.
On the balcony, Chrysalis looked over the city below, as changelings terrorized ponies in the streets. She chuckled to herself, before a changeling flew up to her from below.
"Speak." She commanded, still looking over the city.
"My Queen, two guards were seen making their way to the throne room." The changeling spoke,
"Let them come. They'll fall just as easy as the rest."
"They're not alone my Queen. Another is with them. It has taken out several of our patrols on its way to here."
Rainbow's ears twitched. Another pony was coming to help them?
"What is it? A Griffon? Minator? They'll all fall the same."
The changeling paused for a moment, its hands tightening, "We don't know my Queen. It wears strange armor, unlike anything we've seen. It moves fast, able to jump high and run across walls."
Chrysalis turned, raising an eyebrow, "When will it be here? I will personally deal with it."
The conversation was interrupted as the doors flew open.
LOCATION: CANTERLOT CITY
TIME: 1328 HOURS
OBJECTIVE: ASSIST SGT STEEL HOOF AND PVT INDIGO ZAP IN RESCUE OF PRINCESS; BREACH THRONE ROOM
"Lets do it."
Together, three kicked the large door, making it lurch and fly open. Inside the changeling guards, along with several ponies, looked in shock. Before anyone had a chance to react, Autumn quickly noticed the princess above in a large vessel. She aimed her arm up and zipped to roof with a grapple, switching out her Wingman for her knife and slashing a cocoon that hung there. Next, as she fell from the ceiling, she hurled a Shock grenade at the group of changeling soldiers.
The device exploded on impact, sending a wave of electricity over the soldiers, making them scream and pain and drop to the floor. Using her RE-45, she sprayed a hail of bullets, killing most of them. Landing on the floor, she caught the falling princess above, laying her down.
In front of her, a large changeling, what she assumed to the leader, stood mouth agape. Drawing her Wingman, she aimed both pistols at the creature.
"I was just looking for a princess. Do you have any idea why one was hanging from the ceiling?" She remarked, stepping closer to the large bug.
Behind her, Indigo Zap sprinted to the 6 girls, while Steel Hoof checked on the dead changeling soldiers, poking them with his spear.
"Who are you?" Chrysalis snarled out, stealing a glance at the fallen changelings.
"The one they called to exterminate some bugs." Autumn smirked, "And it looks like I've found the queen."
"You dare challenge me! Please!" Chrysalis roared before glaring at the Pilot, "I'll make sure they'll have to send another one."
"Lets get to it, shall we?" Autumn said, holstering her pistols and bringing her fists up.
"You're doomed!" Readying her horn, she rapidly fire a beam of light, which Autumn promptly dodged, rocketing to the right. In the blink of an eye, Autumn jumped into the air, and brought her foot down on the Queen.
Bringing her arms up, Chrysalis caught the attack before it reached her skull, but the force broke her left wrist in a sickening crunch.
"AAUHH" Chrysalis screamed in pain, bring the broken carapace to her chest as Autumn stepped back.
"Had enough?"
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Chrysalis rapidly fired off shots at Autumn, forcing her to quickly jump and roll from the attacks. The other ponies dove to cover within the room, the 6 and Steel getting behind one of the pews and Indigo next to a pillar.
While this was happening, Twilight rose to her hooves and dashed to Cadence, melting the wax around her hooves.
"Go to him. Hurry!" She called, before jumping to the floor to avoid one of the Changeling Queen's wild attacks. Cadence ran to Shining, pressing her horn against his.
"That all you got?" Autumn called out, diving above a beam before rolling onto the ground.
"STAND STILL YOU PEST!"
"Pretty sure-" Ducking a beam, she continued, "-You're the pest here!"
Chrysalis roared in anger, and stopped her wild firing. Her horn glowed as a sickly green hue surrounded Autumn. Torn from her feet, Autumn was flung to Chrysalis's feet. Rolling to her back, the queen brought her boot down just in time to be caught by Autumn. Charging another quick shot, she shot Autumn chest plate, leaving a large burn and knocking the wind out from the pilot.
"You cheated." Autumn rasped out, still holding the foot from crushing her.
"Time to end this." Chrysalis put all her might into the next blast, her horn becoming enveloped in a large ball of green light.
"You're missing something." Autumn pointed, drawing Chrysalis's attention to the Alicorn and Unicorn. Their horns became surrounded by a pink orb, that began to expand.
"NO!" Cancelling her spell, Chrysalis could only brace herself as the orb exploded out, flinging her and the changelings below from the city. The burst traveled right through the ponies and Autumn, who laid on for a few seconds more.
Standing to her feet slowly, Autumn knocked on her armor plate, still hot from the strike. Looking out from the balcony, she remarked.
"Good riddance, you overgrown bug."
Around her, the ponies looked in confusion. Slowly, Celestia got up, looking at the newcomer with surprise. She opened her mouth a couple times, and just as she was about to speak, was interrupted.
"THAT. WAS. AWESOME!"