//------------------------------// // Chapter SEVEN: Bage Discovers a Long Lost Truth. The Dust Settles and Chrysalis Arrives! // Story: Saiyan Of The Sun // by IndigoStorm27 //------------------------------// Bage Discovers a Long Lost Truth. The Dust Settles and Chrysalis Arrives! Canterlot lay in ruin as countless ponies, both noble and not, attempted to pick up the pieces of their destroyed homes. After Sunset's cataclysmic outburst a few days prior, she had been expressly forbidden from training, with Bage or otherwise. A new form of restraint had been created with the help of a Japonese ki master, with the sole purpose of suppressing ki energy, which Bage had tested. The restraint, once it was proven to function as intended, was forcibly placed onto Sunset to limit her power. Despite Celestia's attempts to prevent this, the nobility of Canterlot had spoken out in favor of it, and it was only thanks to his aid in stopping her that Bage didn't suffer the same punishment as Sunset. With the threat of invasion just around the corner, the damage done to Canterlot couldn't be fixed in time. Bage, on the other hand, was still in a sort of shock due to the events. Without Sunset to train with, he was at a bit of a loss on what to do with himself. The guards couldn't train, since Sunset had blown up the training area. Celestia was trying her best to do damage control, and Twilight wasn't one for conversation, let alone training. So he decided to occupy his time in another way; exploring the castle. He had never really taken the time to explore it before, so what better way to pass the time than to see what he could find? Truth be told, the castle was quite a bit bigger than he originally thought, but if he got lost he could always sense Celestia's ki. As he walked through the halls in the northern wing of the castle, he noticed a door that appeared to have been forgotten. It was decorated with a crescent moon motif and was a dark blue color. It was locked, naturally, but a quick yank of the lock and it came off in his hands. He pushed the door open and saw the stark contrast between the bright, warm colors of the rest of the castle, instead being decorated with blacks and blues. It was also cold, his breath forming clouds in front of him. The halls on this side were covered in cobwebs and dust, and the tapestries and artwork showed clear signs of neglect. "Woah, how long has this been here? Did Celestia just abandon this part of the castle?" He looked around, noting that most of the statues and suits of armor had been covered with dark blue sheets. As he walked through the dusty hall, he saw a large door at the end of the hall, again decorated with a crescent moon motif. This door hadn't been locked, but it was stiff and difficult to open. With some effort, he forced the door open and heard a crash on the other side, and stepped into the room. He saw a bookshelf had tipped over, clearly having been shoved in front of the entryway. This room was the most well-cared-for part of the castle, free of the dust and cobwebs that coated the rest of the halls. A large four-poster bed sat against the opposite wall, with a large ornate dresser that had several books and scrolls adorning it a few feet away. As he walked over to it, he noticed a large painting hung on the wall next to the door, depicting Celestia sitting next to another alicorn, with a blue coat and starry mane. On the mare's flank was a crescent moon cutie mark on an inky black splotch. "Who could that be? Did Celestia have a... sister?" "Yes." Bage nearly jumped through the roof at the voice behind him, turning to see Celestia sitting at the dresser, though she hadn't been there a second ago. "Where the hell did you come from?! Also, what?" Celestia didn't look up, continuing to study a scroll on the dresser. "Her name was Luna. We ruled side by side, over a millennia ago. We were close, or so I thought." Celestia muttered, placing the scroll down. "What happened? And why was this place locked and hidden?" Bage asked as Celestia rose from the floor. "Locked, yes. Hidden? Hardly. It is freely accessible to any of the staff, should they wish. They simply don't." Bage grew confused at that. "Wait, they don't? Why not? This place has clearly seen better days, and it looks like this room is cared for, at least." Bage gestured to the lack of dust, and Celestia gave a small chuckle. "You can thank me for that. I visit this room every day, clearing out the dust, making sure everything is cleaned up, and organized." She pointed at the bookshelf on the floor, and Bage flushed with embarrassment. "Oh, heh, sorry." Bage went to pick the shelf up, but Celestia simply lit her horn and picked it up in her magic, replacing it against the wall and putting the books back in order. "Think nothing of it, they have spells protecting them from damage. This entire room has preservation spells on it, to ensure that it stays pristine. They protect from the ravages of time and age. I... seem to be the only one that has set hoof in here since Luna did, nearly one thousand years ago. Until today, that is. Was it simply exploration that brought you here? Or curiosity?" Celestia asked. "Um, both I guess. I was bored, and decided to wander a bit." Celestia nodded, satisfied with the answer. "I thought as such. The spells I placed on this room alerted me to an intrusion. I had hoped that perhaps one of my staff had finally decided to look about the place, yet imagine my surprise when I found you here instead?" Bage looked at the painting again. "So, where is she now?" Celestia's smile faded, as she regarded the painting. "She... is away." Was all she said, falling silent. Bage blinked, not expecting her to just brush the question off. "Away? What do you mean? Does her 'being away' have anything to do with the pattern on the moon?" Celestia flinched, which was more than enough for him. "I figured. Look, I'm not an idiot, but I also know about losing family. So, tell me what happened to her. Tell me about Luna." Celestia sighed, her wings falling to the floor. "I... I can't. I want to, but..." "It hurts. She's not dead, I can gather that much. So, does she have anything to do with 'Nightmare Moon'?" Another flinch. "They're the same... aren't they? That's what happened. So Luna got, corrupted, and you had to deal with her." "Please, Bage, just stop. Yes, Nightmare Moon is what Luna... became. It is one of my greatest regrets and my deepest pain. I failed her, and lost her because of it." Bage could see tears rolling down Celestia's cheeks and knew he had prodded too far. "Sorry, I know it must be a touchy subject for you. But I can't help but be curious. I've never heard about Luna in any of the books in the library, and I only know about Nightmare Moon from a nightmare I had a while back." Celestia's head shot up, her eyes going wide. "Nightmare? When was this?" Bage looked over, scratching his head. "Oh, about a week after I got here, I think. Why?" "What was it about? Did she say anything to you? Anything at all?" "Yeah, she was asking me to help her when she returned. I told her to screw off, but after that she got pissy and I woke up. I just thought it was a normal nightmare at the time." Celestia let out a breath, her shoulders sagging. "I see. Apologies, I had hoped that after nearly a millennium she had perhaps let go of her anger, but clearly not. You should consider yourself lucky. She may be weak after such a long time, but she could still plant suggestions in your mind." "Suggestions? Like what?" Celestia didn't answer, instead teleporting the two to the hall, next to the first door. "Perhaps it would be best if you visited Sunset, I'm sure she could benefit from seeing a friend, considering the circumstances." With that Celestia vanished, presumably teleporting off to the throne room. "You know, I don't think she understands that Sunset tried to kill me first. Everyone else in Canterlot would've just been collateral," Bage muttered. -------------------------- The state of the hall outside Sunset's room was... tense to say the least. At least ten highly trained guards were posted outside her door, all of which had magic suppression devices on standby. As he walked around the corner, all of the guards immediately jumped to attention, pointing various weapons and ki blasts at him. "Woah! Stand down, I'm here to visit Sunset, on Celestia's orders." The guards all relaxed a bit, but he could see they were still tense. "Sorry Bage, it's just... you know... with everything that's happened lately it's like we can't trust anyone. You can go ahead in, but I doubt she'll want to talk." Lieutenant Spear Strike, the lead guard assigned to Sunset's guard detail, stepped aside from the door. "If she doesn't, it wouldn't be much different from how she acted leading up to trying to kill me." Bage waited as one of the guards unlocked the door, and let him in. As Bage walked in, he noticed Sunset doing push-ups, with her back to the door. The ki suppressor affixed to her head glowing with an ethereal energy, made him feel even worse about the situation. "Hey Sunset, how's it going?" Bage mentally slapped himself, 'How's it going?! Come on, Bage! Think before you speak!' Sunset didn't respond, just continuing to do her pushups. 'Ok, she didn't bite my head off, so that's good.' "Celestia sent you to talk to me, huh? Tch, figures. Why would she want to see me herself, after I tried to destroy everything? I'm surprised you're here, honestly. Then again you aren't the type to get scared off, so it makes sense." Sunset stood up, and when she turned to face him, the look on her face made him flinch. She looked, crushed. Like she was beaten down by the world and tossed in the garbage. "Yeah, I know. I look like shit, thanks to this stupid thing." She tapped the ki suppressor. Bage stood there trying to come up with something to say, but nothing came up. "I'm guessing you want an apology, like every other snooty stuck-up noble?" Bage snapped out of his trance and shook his head. "No, I'm... I just came to talk. But now that I'm here I just... feel horrible. You don't deserve this, you were just pissed off. Now you're getting treated like some high-security prisoner. If anything, I'm the one who should apologize." Sunset raised an eyebrow and snorted. "For what? Defending Canterlot? Or the whole shitshow that led up to it? Nice bruise by the way." Bage touched the purple splotch around his nose, wincing. "Yeah, that's not the worst thing I've dealt with, trust me. I once took a ki spear to the shoulder. It still hurts sometimes." Bage looked back at the door, noticing it was still open. "I think I can talk to a friend without you guys listening in! Could we have some privacy please?" The door quickly shut, and Bage turned back to Sunset. Bage lowered his voice, crouching down to look Sunset in the eyes. "Look, I have a plan to get you out of this, without even a slap on the wrist, and make you seem like a victim in all this. All you have to do is play along, you in?" Sunset gave him a look of uncertainty, and Bage rolled his eyes. "Just trust me. I don't care about the opinions of the nobles, and I know you sure as hell don't. So if we can get you off the hook, and spit in their faces, that seems like a damn good deal, right?" Sunset looked away, before chuckling. "I do like pissing the nobles off, what did you have in mind?" Sunset asked with a small smirk. Bage just grinned, before pointing his hand at a corner of the room and fired off a series of ki rings, before a series of hisses and chirps sounded from the dark. A changeling thumped to the floor, struggling against the rings. "Holy shit, how'd you-" "I sensed it the moment I walked in." Bage picked the changeling up off the floor, looking it in the eyes. "I know you can understand me, so listen up. I want you to take her form, exactly as she is right now. If you do, I'll make sure your queen survives her little invasion attempt. If you refuse, I'll break you in half. What's it going to be?" The changeling's eyes twitched before it slumped and nodded. Its form immediately changed to that of Sunset, and Bage pulled the ki restraint off of Sunset and placed it onto the changeling. "Good choice. Now, for part two. Sunset, hide. Sunling, take her place." Sunset ducked into her wardrobe and the changeling sat down where she had been. "Alright, now, let the show begin. GUARDS, WE HAVE A CHANGELING IMPOSTER!" The door slammed open, and the guards filed into the room. "This isn't Sunset, it's a changeling imposter!" Spear Strike fired a spell at the changeling, dispelling its disguise and knocking it out. The ki restraint fell to the floor, rolling to a stop at Strikes hoof. "If that was a changeling, then where's Sunset?" A guard asked, and a thump from the wardrobe answered him. The door slid open and Sunset fell out, unconscious. The guard rushed over to check on her, looking her over for injuries. "She looks fine, but she must've been in there a while. Does that mean the changeling is the one who tried to destroy Canterlot?!" Bage looked at the changeling and nodded. "Clearly, I mean why would Sunset try to blow up Canterlot? It was obviously a ploy by the changeling queen to try and take us all out. Sunset's innocent." Bage glared down at the changeling, sneering. "How'd you figure it out?" Bage shook his head at the question. "Easy, she didn't insult me when I walked in. Sunset always calls me some insult or another when she sees me, so I knew something was off. It's why I asked for some privacy. If the door was open, it would've tried to run when I found it out." "Incredible. If that's true, then Sunset would be cleared of all charges. We should get the princess to-" The sound of a teleport signified Celestia's arrival. "No need, I heard everything. I had my doubts about Sunset's actions, so I sent Bage to talk to her, knowing that if anyone could catch the changeling, it would be him. Well done, Bage." Bage blinked, wondering how Celestia figured out what he was doing so quickly. "Oh, yeah, no problem. I knew that the whole time." Bage rubbed the back of his neck, grinning. "Now, guards, leave us and take the changeling to a cell. I wish to speak to these two alone." The guards all filed out levitating the changeling out the door. Celestia shut the door with her magic and looked toward Bage. "So, care to explain?" "Explain what? I wasn't gonna let Sunset sit in here with that thing on her head, especially since I'm the reason she freaked out in the first place. And, there just happened to be a changeling in here, so I took advantage." Celestia gave a small smile and looked toward Sunset, who was doing her best to avoid eye contact. "Sunset, I hope you understand what Bage has done for you. If this venture goes well, you won't be seen as a villain by the nobility. You have a very good friend in Bage, something I hope you won't take for granted." Sunset did her best to look neutral, but Bage could see the corners of her mouth turn up. "Now, it's best if we help this little ruse carry some weight, so I will be altering Sunset's memory of the past week, to make it seem like she was being held captive. That way, any attempts to question her will gain answers that will seem truthful." Bage watched as Celestia lit her horn, touching it to Sunset's own. 'I wonder if this'll come back to bite me, considering Sunset won't have learned anything. But then again, being treated like a monster by all of Canterlot is probably punishment enough.' Just as Celestia finished her work, a raid siren began to sound, echoing through the halls of the castle. "A drill? Didn't we just have one a few days ago?" Bage walked out into the hall and looked out the window. His eyes went wide when he saw a massive black formation above the shield surrounding Canterlot, with several small detonations appearing on the outside. "Crap, I guess we're out of time. CELESTIA WE'VE GOT BUGS!" Celestia ran to the window, noticing the army hovering in the sky. "We have to start the evacuation. Bage, If the shield falls, it will be up to you and Sunset to protect Canterlot. Do not let the changelings interfere with the evacuation efforts!" Celestia took off down the hall, leaving Bage and a still woozy Sunset behind. "YOU SAY THAT LIKE WE'RE GONNA LOSE!" Bage called after her, before turning to Sunset. "I hope you're ready to fight, I'm not sure how long the shield will hold for." Sunset wobbled a bit, still out of sorts from the memory alteration. "Yeah, I can... fight... maybe." Bage grabbed her before she could collapse, and she fell unconscious. "Solo it is then. Let's hope I can manage by myself. It's just an army, no big deal." Bage jumped out the window and flew up to the shield, where the changeling army was giving its all to break through. "HELLO CHANGELINGS! So, I know you're here to invade, but if you all form a single file line I will be happy to kick your flanks in the order they arrive. After which I can send your queen running with her tail between her legs, sound good?!" The changelings all stared at him, before the massive swarm parted, revealing a larger, more regal-looking changeling. "Well, you must be the queen. Good day 'Your majesty', I'd tip my hat to you if I had one." Her Majesty didn't appreciate that, as she fired her own blast at the shield, causing it to crack before shattering, the shield slowly falling apart and dissolving. "Aw, what's wrong Queen? Did I touch a royal nerve?" The queen simply smirked, buzzing closer to him. "Hardly, I simply wished to speak without an obstacle in my way. You must be the saiyan that has caused me so much grief. It's a displeasure to meet you, dumbass." "Bage." "Dumbass. I am Queen Chrysalis, Ruler of the changelings, and I have come to take Canterlot and make it my new hive. After that, I shall claim the rest of Equestria. But first, to deal with my opposition." Chrysalis charged a blast and fired it at Bage, who just barely dodged. "As I'm sure you recall, my infiltrator told you that I would deal with you personally. However, I am afraid I must go against that, as a Queen should not sully herself with those who are beneath her. Instead, my personal warriors shall deal with you. Pharynx, Arista, break him and bring me the body." With that, Chrysalis disappeared back into the swarm, and two massive changelings took her place. "Well holy shit, you two didn't miss many meals growing up, did ya?" Bage asked, cracking his knuckles. The largest of the two came forward and took the form of a guard. "Watch your tongue, saiyan. We are the queen's most devoted warriors, and we will not take disrespect from the likes of you! I am Pharynx, Queen Chrysalis' most powerful warrior." Pharynx moved to the side as the other changeling, Arista, moved forward as well, this one taking the form of a pegasus mare. "Once we break you, the queen will make an example of you in front of all of Canterlot, to make sure none of these pathetic ponies try and stand up to her." Bage covered his mouth as he yawned, causing the two to sneer. "Yeah, yeah, could we get on with it? I'm not interested in your babbling." The two changelings sneered and rushed at Bage. "That's more like it." Bage caught a punch from Pharynx and dodged a kick from Arista before launching back, caught himself in midair, and launched a pair of blasts at them. Pharynx simply batted the blast aside, whereas Arista ducked under it. 'Ok, Pharynx is more of a brute force fighter, using his strength to tank attacks. Arista, on the other hand, is more calculated and tactical. An experienced fighter, I'll have to deal with them afterward. First, Pharynx.' Bage sped toward Pharynx, aiming a kick at his head, but Pharynx caught the kick and flung him toward the ground. Bage spun and kicked off the ground, launching back up into a punch to Pharynx's midsection. The changeling grimaced, kicking Bage away and firing a blast at him. "You can't win against me, I've been taught all of your techniques, and I've adapted my fighting style to counter them. The Queen will have your heaDRGH!" Bage cut him off with a kick to the mouth, before axe-kicking him to the ground. Bage zipped to the right as Arista came flying at him from behind, their left front log morphed into a blade. "Hey, no fair! I can't pull blades out of my body!" Arista turned and growled at him. "Stand still and you will!" Bage dodged and ducked as Arista viciously yet strategically swung the blade at him, aiming for his vital areas. He sensed Pharynx charging at him from behind, and dropped out of the sky and let him run right into Arista, sending the both of them down to the ground. They got into a brief argument in changeling speak, before launching at Bage again. 'They aren't gonna fall for that again, but maybe I can turn this around in my favor.' Arista swung their blade at his head, as Pharynx kicked at the same time. He ducked and Arista sliced into Pharynx's leg, making him roar in pain. "YOU STUPID GRUB! WATCH WHERE YOU SWING THAT THING, OR BY THE HIVE MOTHERS I'LL BREAK IT OFF AND SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT!" Pharynx roared, whilst Arista screamed back at him. "IF YOU'D JUST STAY OUT OF MY WAY, YOU WOULDN'T'VE GOTTEN HIT, YOU BRAINLESS NYMPH!" Bage took the opportunity to charge a Fury Lancer and threw it at Arista's back. Arista turned in time to take the attack right through the chest, sending a spray of green blood all over Pharynx. As Arista plummeted to the ground, Pharynx spat a glob of green goo after them, sneering, "Good riddance, you miserable failure. I'll deal with the saiyan on my own." Pharynx launched at Bage, throwing a punch. Bage met it with one of his own, exchanging blows with the large changeling. "As much as it pains me to admit, you're strength and power is impressive. If you were a changeling, you would have made a great warrior!" Pharynx swung around with a kick but hit air. "Same to you. You'd've made a great saiyan if you weren't a filthy bug." Bage laughed at the look of fury on Pharynx's face before he landed a punch to his jaw. "GRgh, and now you disappoint me. You return an admission of respect with a petty insult! It's no wonder your species is on the brink of extinction." Bage's smile fell. "How did you find out about that?" Pharynx snickered, wiping some blood from the corner of his mouth. "We've been gathering intel from all around Canterlot for years, saiyan! You just happened to be an unplanned variable in The Queen's grand scheme. When she saw you're immense power out in the Badlands, she just had to learn more about you. And what a valuable source of information you've been: Ki control, fighting techniques, even that 'Oozaru' form you used against the princess. We've been listening in on everything, even your little heart-to-heart with Sunset Shimmer. You've been a most valuable unknowing ally, since without you this invasion would've been another 15 years off, at least. Our success today is all thanks to you, saiyan." Bage remained stone-faced throughout Pharynx's little speech, remaining silent even as Pharynx laughed. "What's wrong, saiyan? Upset that this entire ordeal is because of you? Realizing that Canterlot, and Equestria as a whole, are doomed because of you?! Hahahaha, you truly are just a dumb monkKAHHG!" Bage landed a kick right to his face, sending him hurtling to the ground, before speeding behind him and dropkicked him into a wall. Bage held his hands out, charging his ki as Pharynx dug himself out of the wall. "OUTRAGE BARRAGE!" A rapid-fire rain of ki blasts rocketed towards Pharynx, who did his best to dodge. Yet, the number of blasts were increasing, and Pharynx was taking more and more hits. He heard a sound behind him, and turned to see Bage with his hands outstretched, a massive sphere of energy coalescing in his palms. "VEXATION CANNON!" Pharynx tried to catch the blast, but the sheer force pushed him upwards, into the sky above Canterlot. As he felt his hooves start to disintegrate, he smiled and accepted his fate. 'It was an honor to serve you, My Queen.' Pharynx sent his final message through the hivemind, as the blast consumed him, leaving no trace. ------------------------------------ Chrysalis screamed out with rage and grief as she felt Pharynx vanish from the hivemind, his final message making the pain all the more deep. Tears streamed down her face as she trembled with pure fury. "I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL MAKE HIS LAST MOMENTS PURE AGONY AS I IGNORE HIS CRIES FOR MERCY! HE'LL PAY FOR IT IN BLOOD!" Chrysalis shot off toward Arista's last location in search of Bage. ------------------------------------- Bage panted lightly as he watch the blast disappear into the distance. "Now for Her Royal Pestfulness, She should be here right... about... now." A burst of green fire landed right in front of him, sending up a massive cloud of dust. He could see the look of resentment and pure rage on her face. "So, have I touched a royal nerve now? Or am I still 'beneath you' your Majesty?" Bage smirked as he saw her practically vibrate with anger. "I'm going to gut you with my horn, AND MAKE THRONE DECORATIONS OUT OF YOUR SKELETAL SYSTEM, YOU WORTHLESS DETESTABLE APE!" Chrysalis roared as she charged him. Bage raced forward to meet her, smashing his arm against her foreleg, his other hand catching her opposite hoof as it went for his face. "Hear me, Bage, your efforts are for naught! My army will take Canterlot, and we shall feast on the bountiful love that these pathetic ponies hold. You're going to die knowing that you were powerless to stop us, watching as we capture every single pony in Canterlot as you breathe your last, wretched breath, bleeding out amongst the ruins of this desolate city!" She blasted him in the face with her horn before kicking him away, sending him through a wall into a destroyed home. "Perhaps when I finish with you, I'll treat myself to Celestia's student. I'm sure her love will be a delicious meal that will help me recuperate from our little scuffle. I might even take your form just to add more salt to the wound. How does that sound, Bage?!" Chrysalis blasted the wall apart but found nothing except rubble. Before she could turn around, a foot struck her in the cheek, launching her through the opposite wall. "Looking for someone? Looks like you were pretty picky with what you learned since you obviously neglected to learn how to sense ki." Bage tilted his head to the side to avoid a beam as Chrysalis launched herself at him. "DIE!" Chrysalis jabbed her horn at him, but he grabbed it. "Uh oh, I got your horn! You want to play a game?" Chrysalis just screeched. "OK, cool. It's called 'Changeling-go-round' Get ready." Bage started spinning around rapidly, lifting off the ground. "Hey, wait, let go! I'm going to be sick!" Chrysalis tried to pull her horn free, but the centripetal force was too much. Just as she was about to vomit, Bage let go and sent her flying. "Alright, now to think of a plan." Chrysalis crashed into the castle's front gate, with the sound of screeching wrenching metal deafening her. As she pulled herself free from the twisted remains of the gate, she could only think of one thing to say. "I'M GOING TO RIP YOU'RE STILL-BEATING HEART OUT AND USE IT TO ADORN MY CROWN! BAAAAAAAAAGE!" Her scream carried across Canterlot and caused a nearby building to collapse inward. Bage Power Level: 28000 Pharynx Power Level: 27500 Arista Power Level: 27000 Queen Chrysalis Power Level: 28100