//------------------------------// // chapter 9 // Story: A mother's choice and consequences // by Punsz //------------------------------// "Chirp!" I looked where the hammer retreated and saw the pink alicorn in pink plated armor standing in a fighting stance. Next stood the princess of the night she was in a dark blue tinted armor her twin blades materializing. Standing behind them were the elements of harmony. "Surrender now Blueblood!" The blue princess shouted. Stepping back the young prince looked back sweat dripping from his head. He regained his posture stomping his hoof on the ground causing the dead changelings to get into a fighting stance. "Ha surrender I have an immortal army who will do as I say!" With that he commanded his undead army to attack. As swarms of the dead changeling rushed at the small group of ponies . The eight ponies readied themselves. "NOW!" The princess of the moon shouted. The walls of the cave started to crumble as two more entrances were created. The first group of undead changelings were crushed by the fall rocks while the others stood back staying away from the falling rocks. As the dust and dirt in the air faded the two new entrances revealed rows and rows of pony guardsmen all equipped with spears and swords. In front of them stood the sun goddess wearing her golden armor with a symbol of the sun imprinted in her chest. She materialized a golden scepter; it's tip was the shape of the sun. "Prince Blueblood your are hereby under arrest for the attempt of taking the throne and for tampering with the dead." "Never!" The two sides charges against each other Blueblood ordering his undead and Celestia commanding her guardsmen. As the two groups clashed the princesses and the elements of harmony made their way towards me. “Are you alright?” Twilight asked. I surrounded by the elements of harmony. “We’re sorry that we took so long we need to make a plan, but you just rushed in and we couldn’t stop you.” I saw the pink alicorn smash away two more changelings running to my side. “How did you even find me?” I asked. “You should thank little Chirp here.” The pink alicorn placed her in front of me. “Chirp!” She ran to my leg pulling it into a hug. “With your love for her she used it to guide us a path to you.” I looked down at the small changeling noticing that she was crying. “So being able to find a path to you Twilight brought the elements of harmony and aunt Tia brought the royal guard.” I looked up at the elements of harmony. “Why are you here?” They all looked at me with shameful faces. “Sugar cube we’re sorry for what we did early.” The orange cow pony said. “Yeah we just didn’t know what to do one day you were the enemy and then the next day you’re begging for help.” The cyan Pegasus stated. “Twilight told us what happen and we’re sorry if we would’ve helped then perhaps a life could’ve been saved.” They looked down to the ground unable to look me in the face. The yellow Pegasus came up in front of me. “I know you probably hate us or...or even despise us for what we did, but we came to help now I’m just very sorry.” Tears filled her eyes as she looked at me. I literally didn’t how to respond I felt angry towards them and yet at the same time I felt grateful. I stared at the yellow Pegasus seeing her eyes filled with tears. I placed a hoof on her shoulder looking back at her. “I forgive...” I was interrupted by a sharp pain on my shoulder. I looked behind me to see one of the undead changelings driving his sharp claw into my shoulder. Twilight quickly blasted away the dead changeling with her magic. As he was blasted away the claw retracted quickly as my blood poured out of my shoulder my hoof fell limp. Chirp looked in horror as the blood trickled down my hoof. “Chirp?” She looked up at me. “I am alright child.” The yellow Pegasus quickly wrapped a protective cloth around my hoof trying to stop the bleeding. All around me there were clashes of the undead and guardsmen. unable to kill what is already dead the pony guardsmen fell one by one. as the number dwindled it looks as if the undead changelings weren’t even effect by the battle. The two alicorn sisters stood back to back. “Sister these undead our warriors can’t be stop.” The blue princess said slashing one of the undead changeling cutting off his arm. “Yes indeed, but still we can’t let a single one out.” I ran up to the two limping as I made my way towards them. “I have an idea, but you and everyone else needs to leave this place now.” The elements followed by the princess cadence ran next to me catching their breath. “What are you planning?” Celestia asked. “Just leave now we don’t have much time!” Celestia signaled her guardsmen to retreat out of the cave. Everypony else made their way out of the cave Twilight waited for me with Chirp. With one strong blast of my own magic I pushed the advancing horde of undead changelings by me more time. “Hurry!” Twilight yelled signaling her hoof towards the exit. I ran up to the two stopping in front of them. “I am not coming.” The lavender unicorn gave me a confused look. “What do you mean you aren't coming.” I walked up next to her meeting the face of my child. She looked at me nervously as if sensing what I was about to do. I nuzzled her nose with my mine and pulled her into a strong firm hug. “My child I am so sorry that I couldn't give you the life you deserve, but I will always love you please do not make the mistakes I have made ...I love you.” Chirp gave out a small chirp snuggling up to me; I step releasing myself from her grasp. I see the undead changelings regaining the posture and started their way towards us. I looked at the lavender unicorn. “I never thought I would be saying this to you, but thank you for all you've done I wish I could repay you but.” Twilight gave me a small but warm hug; we released each other with me signaling her to run with Chirp. “Now go...NOW!” She started to make her way out of the cave I look back at the undead army approaching me leading the group was the now dead Goliath. “MOTHER!” I heard Chirp scream it would be the last time I would hear her voice. A single tear fell from my eye as I readied myself. Casting a spell that covered my whole body my body began to change. My shell began to harden and my eyes became clear white on my hooves grew talons. My jaws grew out pincers and I became five times my original size. “RAWR!” I began to smash the supports of the cave destroying each one. The undead changelings started to swarm on me but it was no use one support after another fell into rubble the large chunks of rocks fell from the ceiling undead changelings were crushed as I neared the final support only one obstacle stood in my way. A creature similar looking to me stood in front of me. As I prepared to charge forward I heard a voice in my head. “Chrysalis...” The creature in front of me began to shrink down into his original size allowing me to smash the last cave support. The cave began to collapse all around crushing everything in it I began to shrink down to my regular size and shape. I fell to the group laying on my side as the cave around me collapsed; across from me I saw Goliath’s lifeless body. I slowly made my way to him reaching out one of my hooves to grab his. As I grasped his hoof I could've sworn I saw him looking back at me not with his dead lifeless eyes but with the same I eyes I would wake up with before his death, before all this. They were the same eyes that showed me love and warmth. "I love you." The whole room collapsed around me.