//------------------------------// // xxix - Helios' Blade // Story: The Path of Absolution - Punishment // by Morningstar1337 //------------------------------// In Canterlot’s castle, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash were about to engage Chrysalis in battle. Celestia was horrified. She realized that Chrysalis had infiltrated Canterlot to allow her army to feast on the ponies' love. Celestia flew between the combatants and faced the changeling queen. Everyone was shocked. “Your battle is with me!” she said. “But Princess,” Twilight said. “Very well, I’ve wanted to face off with the ‘God-Princess of Ponykind,’” Chrysalis snarked. “Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia said. “You and your friends have to go! Find the Elements of Harmony. I’ll handle Chrysalis.” Twilight Sparkle realized that both the changelings and the windigos were invading Canterlot. She and her group left the hall. By that point, some of the guests began evacuating, but others stayed behind to watch the ensuing fight, including Lyra, Bon-Bon, and Silver Spoon. Cadence, meanwhile, approached Shining Armor. Tears of sorrow and rage rolled down her cheeks upon seeing her husband-to-be like this, brainwashed and immobile, under Chrysalis’ command. Chrysalis had a look of worry on her face, but she was unwilling to let her opponent exploit that. “So, you really think that the likes of you can defeat me?” Chrysalis boasted. She charged at Celestia. “Now that you foolishly revealed yourself,” Celestia said, charging at Chrysalis and locking horns, “I can protect my subjects...” She backed up and flew in the air. Her horn began to glow a sunny yellow “...From you!” She finished, firing a beam of yellow light at Chrysalis, who countered with her own spell. Green light shot out of Chrysalis’ horn and intercepted Celestia’s attack. Celestia and Chrysalis were locked in a tug-of-war with their attacks. Celestia realized that she was getting overpowered and dodged out of the way. Chrysalis’ beam hit the ceiling and left a large hole in it. Chrysalis had a look of pleasant surprise on her face. She cackled triumphantly and looked at Cadence. “Shining Armor’s love for you had made me more powerful than Celestia!” Cadence saw Celestia fire another yellow beam at Chrysalis. The attack hit the queen and she turned around. “Don’t think you’ve won yet,” Celestia said. She used her magic to heal her wounds and created a blade of light. She took the sword’s handle with her teeth. Cadence looked at the changeling queen with contempt. She charged at Chrysalis. In the skies outside the castle, Diamond Dust, her adviser, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were trotting over the city. Diamond Dust and her adviser saw Twilight and her group heading outside the castle. “Well this is interesting,” the adviser said. He looked to Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. “You three, with me.” and back to Diamond Dust. “You know what to do.” The adviser, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo went eastward. Diamond Dust went to the castle. She felt the same feeling she felt before the invasion started. Gale Force and his team of pegasi were ready to help defend the city. They flew at the windigos, their barriers more than ready to help them in their fight. Gale said to Thunderlane, “You ready for your first battle, rookie?” “First battle,” Thunderlane said. “You forgot the train already?” He charged at some incoming windigos. “No,” Cloudchaser said. “You spent it looking for me and flying away from them.” Flitter giggled a bit before flying at a swarm of changelings. Thunderlane snarked, “Very funny.” Star Song flew at another changeling. She knocked it out with her hoof. Another swarm of changelings went at the group. Gale was shocked at who they were disguised as. The swarm looked like Over Cast. Flitter, Cloudchaser, and Star Song were furious that the changelings had the gall to disguise themselves as their fallen friend. Cloudchaser flew at the swarm, and her fire barrier roasted the enemies and sent them running. Gale Force was still shocked by this. He looked at the sky and saw a pony walking on air. He knew he saw that pony before and flew after it. “Gale!” Cloudchaser said. “What are you doing?” “I’m gonna avenge Over Cast,” Gale said. “That’s what!” He flew away from their team and left them to fend for themselves. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack were galloping towards the chamber where the Elements of Harmony were stored. Along the way, they saw the changelings disguised as themselves. The group was baffled. Twilight said, “They’re changelings, remember?” The Twilight lookalikes repeated Twilight’s sentence. “Well, that’s just great,” Rainbow Dash snarked. “Come on y’all,” Applejack said. “We have to get to the Elements.” The group entered the fray to get to the chamber. Twilight Sparkle used her magic to knock out her doppelgangers. She fired purple beams at them until they reverted to their true forms. Rainbow Dash flew to the sky as multiple Dashes and Fluttershys chased her. She made a sharp turn causing her pursuers to crash into each other. Rarity charged at the changelings and kicked and chopped them until the swarm was defeated. They reverted to their true forms instantly. “Ruffians,” she said. Pinkie Pie however, just stood back as a changeling just cycled through her disguises. “Ooh, do me! Do me!” Pinkie requested. The changeling, disguised as Fluttershy rolled her eyes and changed to Pinkie Pie. She smiled after the transformation. Pinkie examined her doppelganger and said, “Meh, I’ve seen better.” She grabbed Twilight Sparkle and the two mares blasted the changeling. The changeling grew dizzy from the blast and cycled through her forms before fainting. Twilight and Pinkie then blasted the other changelings with purple beams of magic. Fluttershy was trying to hide from the changelings. She saw a group disguised as herself heading her way. The changelings approached Fluttershy as she tried to act like them. The real Fluttershy pointed right. The changelings moved towards the direction Fluttershy pointed and left. Fluttershy sighed before she was confronted by four Rainbow Dashes. She whimpered in fear before seeing that one of them winked at her and kicked the other three out. Dash said, “Not very smart, are they?” And helped her friend get up. Twilight and Pinkie found Applejack and Rarity among the doppelgangers. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew to the group. “Everypony here?” Twilight said. The other mares nodded. Twilight checked to see if the others were changelings, and the group continued to fight their way through the swarm. Twilight cast more spells as her horn fired more purple beams. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack used their hooves to beat the changelings out of their way. Rarity also used her magic to levitate the flying changelings and knock them out. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy defended the group from the rear, with Pinkie using her party cannon. Eventually the group defeated the swarm. They were a little bit tired from the attack. They went inside the chamber where the Elements of Harmony were kept, only to find that there were frozen changelings inside. “So, you finally made it huh?” They heard a voice echo through the ice. A windigo appeared in front of them. He said, “Welcome, my friends to the beginning of the end.”