//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: The Reception // by sister_mike //------------------------------// Chapter 9 Twilight Sparkle "Sister, you are not yourself," Luna said. She took a step forward, but then retreated slightly, as Celestia's horn glowed menacingly. "Do you really want to duel again, Luna? After what I just did to you and the effort it took you to escape?" Celestia asked. Her voice was warped, and her eyes glowed a grotesque green. Her coat was a dark, smoky grey, and her beautiful colorful mane was faded. Her cutie mark looked oddly out of place on her dark body. When she grinned at Luna, her teeth looked sharp and jagged. A few feathers fell off of her wings. The sight brought tears to Twilight's eyes. We just have to save her, we just have to... Celestia, my mentor, my idol... "Celestia, wake up and see what she has done to you," Luna said, "Look around and see what she is doing to our beloved kingdom!" "Queen Chrysaliss has provided me with great power," Celestia said. Twilight winced as she hissed Chrysalis's name. "I've never felt better. You must join us, sister." "You really are possessed if you think Luna would ever join Chrysalis's side," Cadance snapped. Celestia slowly turned her head and tilted it to one side as she looked at Cadance. She smiled wickedly. "Dear Cadance, you are free as well? Chrysalis will not be pleased, but no matter. Once I defeat and ssubdue Luna once again, I will take you down, and you can begin your transsformation," Celestia said. "That's enough Celestia!" Luna shouted. She took a firm step forward, her horn glowing. Celestia cackled. "You think you can defeat all of uss? I've always been stronger than you sister, and I have ninety percent of the changeling army behind me. It's no usse! You will fall, and you will become one of us!" Celestia shouted. Celestia charged at Luna and Luna charged back. They met in the middle, their horns clashing together. "We need the Elements of Harmony, we need to change her back!" Inkie cried. "We need to find the others—now," Rarity said, as she turned to look at Twilight. Twilight bit her lower lip. Even if they did find the others, how were they going to use the Elements of Harmony? Her Element crown had broken. "Go!" Luna shouted, as though she had heard what Rarity said. She pushed against Celestia, but Celestia held her ground. "Come on girls," Twilight said. "I'm staying here; I need to help Luna fight," Cadance said. Twilight and the others tread carefully around the fighting alicorns. The changelings blocking the door hissed. Twilight had never seen a group so big. She took a step back. "T-there's way too many of them," she whispered, as the changelings began to march into the room. Blinkie began to rummage around in her bag, as the small group of ponies began to back into the room, the changelings coming closer. Twilight turned her head at the sound of a shriek behind her. She gasped. Celestia laughed, as Cadance slumped to the floor unconscious, her body smoking slightly. Luna shot a beam of magic at Celestia, but she dodged it effortlessly. Luna charged her, and once again the two princesses were locked at the horns. "Blinkie, we need a bomb, fast," Twilight said. "Why does she have to do everything? We all have bombs in our bags!" Inkie snapped. "This isn't the time to argue!" Pinkie shouted. Just then, an explosion went off. It went off outside of the room, in the centre of the changeling army. Changelings hissed and shrieked. Those that were in the main chamber already, turned around to help their fallen comrades. Pinkie threw a small bomb at their turned backs. "Get down!" she shouted. Twilight hugged the ground as the other bomb went off. There was the sound of a lot of commotion in the hall. Were those voices Twilight could hear? Applejack and Big Mac suddenly burst through the throng of changelings. Applejack kicked a changeling that tried to bite onto Big Mac. They kept the changelings at bay, as Fluttershy and a severely injured Rainbow Dash limped into the room. "Twilight! Rarity, Pinkie! You're all alright!" Fluttershy said, a smile on her face. Twilight and the others ran over. Pinkie Pie helped support Rainbow Dash on her other side. Rainbow Dash gave her a weak grin. "What happened!?" Pinkie asked. "I was transported to the roof, and a weathervane was through my wing," Rainbow Dash said. She winced. "You're in no condition to fight, Rainbow Dash," Rarity said. "I know; but we need to try the Elements of Harmony on Chrysalis again," Rainbow Dash said, gritting her teeth. "They won't work on Chrysalis," Twilight said, "but we could have used them to change Celestia back." "What do you mean 'could have used them'? We still have our necklaces," Applejack said, mid-kicking a changeling out of the way. "I know you do; but my crown was smashed by Shining Armour," Twilight said with a heavy sigh, "I don't know how we're going to use the Elements of Harmony, if I don't have mine." "We'll figure something out," Rarity said. There were shouts and shrieks coming from the hall. Twilight craned her neck to see what was going on. "What's happening out there?" she asked. "The pony army is here," Fluttershy said, a proud smile on her face, "We've got all of the royal guards and a few civilians fighting inside here, and the rest of the civilians surrounding the palace. We're going to win this!" Suddenly there was a loud shriek from behind them. They all turned their heads in time to see Celestia sneer in anger, her right shoulder smoking slightly. Looks like Luna managed a hit. "Come on; we need to at least try to use the Elements. You don't know for certain that it won't work Twi," Applejack said. "You're right. We need to—" A changeling came out of nowhere and knocked Twilight hard across the face. Changelings swarmed around them, kicking, biting and using their magic to fight. Twilight fought back, the whole thing becoming a blur of black bodies and scrapes and bruises. Fluttershy was fiercely putting up a fight to protect Rainbow Dash. She had backed her into a corner and Twilight had never seen her fight so viscously. Derpy came into the room and helped. Applejack and Big Mac fought side by side, each covering their backs. Pinkie helped her sisters launch bombs into the crowd of changelings. Despite all of the ammunition, the size of the changeling army didn't seem to be going down. Just then, Twilight was pinned to the ground. She struggled against the changeling, who grinned down at her, as it began to lower its horn to hers. It was going to scramble her magic. She was going to lose her magic! Her biggest nightmare was going to become a reality! "Help! Someone help me!" Twilight shouted. The changeling had already inhibited the use of her own magic. A warm, fuzzy feeling was beginning to envelope her. This was it. This was the end of her and her conscious mind. Suddenly, there was a big spike of magic. It blew the changeling off of her and knocked over a few more in the perimeter of the spell. Twilight felt dizzy, as the pony helped her up. Had one of the princesses helped her? That had been serious magic. When the room stopped spinning, Twilight couldn't believe her eyes. Trixie gave her an odd look. "What?" Trixie finally snapped. "Trixie.. how did you... how did you do that?" Twilight asked. "Trixie is great and powerful," she replied. "Thank you," Twilight said. "There is no need to thank; we are even now," Trixie said. Flam and Rarity walked over to Twilight and Trixie. "Flam! You're alive!" Twilight said. "Trixie saved me; they almost had me scrambled," he said. "Saving two ponies, Trixie? Isn't that above your limit?" Twilight asked. Trixie shot her a dirty look. "I got lost in the palace, ok? So I figured I'd be safer if I joined your little rebellion," she snapped. Twilight smiled. She then turned to make sure her other friends were ok. The changelings seemed to be falling back. She could see more of the ponies outside in the hall, slowly diminishing the changelings. "Come on girls; Applejack is right. We need to least give the Elements a try," Twilight said. "Trixie, Flam, you two stay here and fight. I'm going to close the door. Trixie, I'll need you to keep it shut with your magic." "An easy task," Trixie scoffed. Twilight magically shut the door and Trixie stood in front of it, her horn glowing. Flam stood by her side. They defeated what little changelings were still in the room. "Derpy, Inkie, can you two go check on Princess Cadance?" Twilight asked. They nodded and ran over to the fallen princess. "Big Mac, Blinkie, I want you two to stand at the door with Trixie and Flam. Fight off any changelings that try to get through. We're going to try and save Princess Celestia." Celestia and Luna fought on. Both of them had small injuries, but nothing serious. They seemed to be at a standstill. Twilight and the others made their way over to Luna, Pinkie and Fluttershy carrying Rainbow Dash. They stood behind Luna. "I'm not sure if it's going to work; but we're going to give it a try," Twilight said. Just as she said the last word, Celestia shot a powerful beam of magic and knocked Luna out of the way. She then turned angrily at the six ponies. "Come on girls!" Twilight shouted. They got in formation and Twilight closed her eyes. She tried to concentrate on summoning the Element of Magic, despite the fact that her crown was broken. She remembered the feeling of the magic surging through her, the incredible feeling of the fresh power running through her veins. She felt herself tingle all over, as though it was really happening. Twilight opened her eyes and saw she was floating. It was working. It was actually working. She turned her head and saw the others behind her floating as well, their magical auras surrounding them. They were doing it. They were using the Elements of Harmony! "No," Celestia whispered, "No! This cannot be!" Panic filled the princess's voice as she shouted. Twilight stared down at her beloved possessed mentor. "We're going to save you, Princess Celestia," Twilight said, her voice echoing. "No!" Celestia shouted. "Come on girls!" Twilight shouted again. They pulled their energy together and Twilight readied the beam of purifying magic aiming it at Celestia. But just as she fired it at the princess, Celestia jumped out of the way and dodged the beam. She then ran towards the broken window. "No!" Luna shouted, still struggling to stand from her sister's attack, "Do not let her escape!" But it was too late. Twilight and her friends floated back to the ground, as Celestia jumped out of the window, and flew away.