Equestria Noir Case 25 "Endgame"

by Jacoboby1

Chapter 1 "Escape from Canterlot"

I looked defiantly back into Lunard’s cold blue eyes as he glared at me. I felt like my entire soul was being searched by those eyes. I saw nothing but cold scorn and hatred from him. Why did he despise me so? Had one of my ancestors wronged him in some way?

It didn’t matter now as I stood with my other elements before him. He just declared he wanted to kill me. My life had been threatened before, but never had an Alicorn wanted to personally kill me.

He took a step towards me but Celestia stepped in front of him. “You will keep your hooves away from my subject!”

“Oh, have you taken a pet, Celestia?” Lunard said, his tone resembling that of a father chastising a child. “You know we cannot take in strays.”

“You will not harm any of my subjects,” Celestia said. She then grabbed her dress in her magic and ripped it off. Before my very eyes golden armor began to form on Celestia. It replaced her coronation dress and covered almost her entire body, leaving only her head exposed. She glared at her father “Your fight is with me, Father, let's keep it that way.”

“Stand aside, Celestia,” Lunard commanded, brandishing his blade. “I do not wish to harm you. My quarrel is with the tainted one.”

“You will not touch him,” she declared.

“Maybe not, but the ground might…” he replied coldly.

Suddenly I was wrapped in an aura of blue magic. I struggled as I was lifted into the air like paper. I was thrown against the window, the crowd gasped as I braced myself. I crashed through the window, and fell quickly down to earth…

I watched the guard’s sword from before fall down ahead of me. This guy really wanted to kill me. I looked around, and saw a banner sticking out of the castle walls. I grabbed it in my teeth and hung there. I heard a large commotion from above but focused mainly on hanging onto the banner.

Was this it? Was I going to die here? Just what did he want with me!

I heard a rip, and saw with wide eyed horror that a tear had formed in the banner. My weight was causing the fabric to break. I tried to grab hold with my hooves somehow but eventually it gave way. I plummeted towards the ground screaming as I fell.

“PRIVATE!!!!!” I heard a voice call from above. I looked up and Twilight was diving towards me, her new wings spread to their full length. I, never realized how great she looked with wings until now.

But wait, did Twilight know how to fly?

“Twi,” I yelled, “close your wings and then spread them when you grab hold of me! Keep yourself as small as possible!”

“Since when did you know how to fly?” Twilight asked, following my instructions.

“My mom taught flight school!” I said, looking back at the ground. “Less talking, more saving Private!”

She made herself more aerodynamic and dived faster towards me. She held out her hooves and grabbed me around the chest just as I was about to hit the ground. She then spread her wings and caught the updraft, sending us flying upward.

I held onto Twilight for dear life as we flew. She looked at me and said, “I’m not going to lose you again, Private”. She the flapped her wings as we flew back up to where I was thrown out.

Suddenly Twilight’s wings began flapping faster. She suddenly looked very tired. “Didn’t think that flying, would be, so hard…” she panted.

Just as Twilight’s wings were about to give way she was caught by Rainbow. I was soon grabbed by Luna from behind. Rainbow looked at Twilight and said, “Alright, after this, flight training.”

“Agreed,” Twilight said with a tired nod. “Where’s Lunard?”

“My sister and Voidera are challenging him at the moment,” Luna explained, holding me. “We do not have much time. We need to get to the Elements right now. If father gets his hooves on them all hope is lost.”

“He can use the Elements of Harmony?” I asked, fear in my voice.

“Pray that we do not find out,” Luna replied, she spread her wings and flew up back to where I fell out. Twilight and I hopped off our respective fliers and saw the commotion going on in the room. Most of the crowd had left, and if they hadn’t already they were trying to run out as quick as they could.

Celestia was wielding an ivory and gold lined spear that was clashing with Lunard’s blade. Once again I marveled at the skill that Celestia held as she twirled and stabbed the spear at the former king. Lunard, however, was holding his own, swinging that giant sword like it was made of foam.

Celestia blocked an attack and looked at us. “Luna! Take the Elements and get out of here!” she cried frantically.

“But Sister,” Luna cried.

“That’s an order, Luna!” Voidera called, coming at Lunard from behind with his black and red lined sword. Lunard expertly blocked Voidera’s blade with his armored hoof and swung it around, almost hitting Celestia before she ducked.

Luna looked at us and commanded, “Come on!”

I was about to follow, but I looked back at the portal that Lunard came through. Before my very eyes changelings started pouring out from it. Only, they weren’t the same as the last time I'd seen a swarm. As opposed to green being a prominent color on them, these Changelings had blue linings on their black chitin and their eyes seemed to glow with an unearthly malice.

Rainbow groaned. “Not those things again!”

A changeling landed in front of me and I gave him a swift buck to the face. “Come on let’s get out of here!” I cried.

We ran out of the room, the crowd having left already. Luna led us through the halls as the guards engaged the changelings outside. I heard the sounds of gunfire, magic, and clashing blades as we ran through the halls.

We galloped inside the hall of stained glass that I'd only been to a few times before. I looked up at the stained glass windows depicting every major accomplishment we elements had done so far. Several of the windows were broken, however, as a result of the small swarm of Changelings in front of us.

They bared their fangs at my friends and I. Crouching down into a battle stance, I prepared to fight them off. One leapt at us, but landed face first against a barrier that suddenly appeared around us. I turned around and saw Shining Armor, still clad in his red formal uniform, galloping up to us. Cadence was by his side. “I’m glad you’re all okay!” the Princess of Love cried.

“No time for pleasantries, dear niece,” Luna replied, looking at Cadence. “You must get reinforcements from the Crystal Empire, now!”

“Why can’t she and her husband just use that mega love spell again?” AJ asked, as the Changelings started pounding on Shining’s barrier.

“We tried,” Cadence answered sadly, “but, they don’t seem to be feeding on love, watch!” Her horn glowed a pale blue and a tiny heart came from it. The heart passed through the barrier and went towards a changeling. It eyed the heart for a minute, nibbled on it with it’s teeth then... spat it out.

“When we tried using the magic from before it didn’t work,” Shining explained. “I think Lunard’s changed them somehow. .”

“We will handle them,” Luna said, looking at the couple. “You two must return to the Crystal Empire and bring back reinforcements. I will use a spell to send you both there.”

“What about you, Aunt Luna?” Cadence asked.

Luna gave her niece a look and said, “I will follow my sister’s wishes.” She then brought Cadence and Shining Armor’s horns to touch her own.

Twilight looked at her brother for a minute and said, “Stay safe BBBFF.”

“You too, LSBFF,” Shining replied smiling at her fondly.

Soon the couple vanished, and with it Shining’s barrier that had held back the small group of changelings. I turned and fired Blackbird into the shoulder of one before it got too close.

“Luna, get the door!” I yelled.

Luna nodded and flew over the swarm as they charged at us. All seven of us elements clashed with the changelings. I saw Applejack putting her bucking skills to good use. She turned around and bucked a pair of Changelings out a nearby window.

Rainbow slammed her hoof into a Changeling as another tried to ambush her from behind. The changeling soon saw the error of his ways, in the form of a swift kick to the face, provided by Rarity.

Twilight and I stood back to back as we were surrounded by the black creatures. She looked at them and observed, “They aren’t transforming like before, something’s wrong with them.”

“Less study, more bashing!” I said, shooting a Changeling in the wing before it could get to Twilight.

Twilight looked at a pair of changelings charging at her. She concentrated her magic and the pair were captured in her telekinesis. She smiled and exclaimed, “Wow, it’s never been this easy before!” She then threw the changelings into a trio that were about to get at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy was about to be hit by another Changeling, before the ever terrifying power of the Stare was unleashed on him. The Changeling blinked after a bit, and found he was staring into the barrel of Pinkie’s party cannon. The Pink party pony smirked and said, “Bye bye.” She then fired the cannon and sent the bug flying.

Luna managed to get to the door and unlock it with her horn. The door opened to reveal all six elements of Harmony. I noticed mine wasn’t among them. Then again, it had a habit of appearing on it’s own.

Aj and Rainbow knocked together the heads of the remaining two Changelings. “Jus' when ya think we’re done with bugs,” Aj said, shaking her head.

Twilight walked to an unconscious Changeling and ran her horn over it. “How odd,” she muttered.

“What’s up, Twilight?” Rainbow asked as Luna put the Elements in a chest.

“This doesn’t make sense, they were altered somehow,” Twilight replied, looked at us. “Something has changed them. They can’t transform, and they don’t feed on love. Who would change them like this, and why?”

“Maybe they remembered the last time they invaded Canterlot,” I suggested.

“Even if that's true, being able to transform would still be affective,” Rarity pointed out.

“Let us not dwell on this too long, my subjects,” Luna said, hoofing Twilight the chest containing the Elements. “Take these and leave this place.”

“Now hold on there, Princess,” AJ interjected. “We can’t just abandon Canterlot.”

“My sister and Voidera have fought father before,” Luna said firmly. “They will be able to stop him, but we cannot risk him getting his hooves on the Elements.”

“I’m still wondering how he got the Changelings on his side,” Twilight said, putting a hoof to her chin.

“A small price to pay for revenge,” an evil voice answered from behind me.

We all turned to see Chrysalis standing there. She had the same blue markings as her Changelings, and was adorned in the same blue armor that I'd seen one or two of her swarm wearing. She grinned evilly at us and said, “Long time no see, ponies.”

Rainbow smacked her hooves together menacingly. “Just what did you do to your changelings?” she demanded to know.

“I did nothing. It was all my Master's doing,” she replied, laughing. “He has granted my people untold power. We are no longer weakened by the emotion of Love. We now feed on a far more delectable emotion, fear…”

“That’s why Cadence’s spell didn't work,” Twilight interjected.

“Quite perceptive, lapdog. Now, there is more than enough fear to overpower your pathetic race. Once Lunard has defeated your Princess he will allow us Changelings to rule here. Now that he has granted us this power, we no longer need to transform. Our true forms are more than enough to inspire fear,” Chrysalis bragged.

“You’re sick!” I yelled. “We’ll never let you rule! I know exactly what your little alternation will result in! Nothing more than a stagnant race that refuses to let love in!”

“You are speaking to your future queen, pony,” she said with a smirk. “You should show some respect.”

“I’d never bow down to you!” I yelled. “Now you got seven elements of Harmony to deal with!” My friends gathered around me, all except for Luna.

“Do you not wish to join, Princess of Wasted Space?” Chrysalis mocked. I was going to squash this bug!

“Private, get to Ponyville with the others,” Luna commanded. She walked in front of us, and I felt her slip something into my trench coat pocket. I looked up at her as she strode forward. Her horn glowed and a blue lined scythe appeared out of nowhere. She held it along her back and said, “I will stall her, and we will meet up later.”

“Luna, n-“ Before I could finish my sentence, Luna’s horn glowed and everything turned to black.
___________________________________________________________
Perspective: Voidera

I clashed blades with Lunard, my magic wavering only for a millisecond as we did. It was becoming harder and harder to maintain control. My blade, Elucidator, was no match for Lunard’s Moonsunder. I knew it was only a matter of time before it broke and I had to rely on… other methods.

He gave me a long look and said “You’ve grown, Voidera. I remember when you could barely lift anything with your magic. Now look at you, once again betraying the stallion that took you in and raised you.”

“Shut up!” I said, raising my blade to swing at him. He dodged and swung his blade, hitting me across my dragon wing, I roared in pain and opened my mouth wide, firing a jet of flame at him. This caused him to leap back.

Tia came to my side, her armor was dented in some areas and her wing looked injured, but she was still holding her spear decently. She looked at Lunard and said, “Stop this, father! Voidera and I have no wish to fight you!”

“As naïve as you were fifteen hundred years ago, my precious sunshine,” Lunard said, using Tia’s filly hood name. I would’ve laughed at the use on any other day. But right now, I know he was just mocking the mare I loved. “I watched your kingdom, it is a joke compared to the Alicorn age. Fifteen hundred years and your people have yet even to discover alchemy.”

“For good reason!” I growled “You know the dangers that can come from introducing that power to the wrong ponies.”

“So, you exchange it for dark magic?” Lunard said, looking at Tia.

She just maintained her glare.

“Don’t think me a fool, my daughter,” Lunard said. “I know exactly what is inside Private’s element. It is tainted with the power of darkness, inherent in his line. You should’ve taken my advice and drowned the whole lot of them when you had the chance.”

“I refused to murder innocent children because you failed to listen to Faust!” Celestia said, brandishing her spear.

“It was her fault our race died!” Lunard cried, madness in his eyes. “The Faust you speak of was a liar, nothing more than a cheap prophet who sought to weaken our proud race. Now, you let the mongrels run free on this world. I cannot allow that any longer, my daughter.”

I braced myself as he charged towards us…
__________________________________________________________
Perspective: Luna

I swung my scythe down on Chrysalis, ready to slice this foul beast in half. Her horn glowed a sickly blue and she summoned a cruel looking black dagger and blocked my blade. I glared at her and cried, “You dare strike twice in my home!”

“Your home?” Chrysalis grinned “Here I thought Celestia was going to someday charge you rent.”

“I will not let you touch Private or the others!” I yelled, bringing the scythe up again and knocking her with the butt end of it. Her guards tried to interfere but one blast of my magic sent them flying. I grunted at the effort. I already used so much sending the others to safety.

I glared at Chrysalis as she held the dagger in her magic. “Oh, so that’s what this is all about? You’ve grown soft for the detective,” she sneered.

“Be silent!” I said, swinging the scythe, this time I managed to cut the foul being across the cheek. Green blood flowed from her cheek and she screeched in pain.

She grinned at me and asked, “You never told your sister what you were doing during the invasion were you? I’m surprised nopony made the connection.”

“What do you want from me?” I yelled at her.

“To admit, that the reason you left your sister was because the wedding day was Nocturne’s birthday by pure coincidence,” she said, a grin on her face.

Nocturne, my love from a thousand years ago, who Private resembles.

“That’s why you weren’t there. Because you spent the whole day hiding in that tower wondering if your precious love chose immorality. You couldn’t stand to be at that wedding because of the one you never had.”

“Silence!”

“Dear Luna, it seems to be fate that so many would leave you,” she said with a cruel smile. “I’ll make sure to give your dear Private’s corpse, special treatment once Lunard is through with him.”

“You will not touch him!” I said, my eyes glowing with fury.

“So, you do care for him. You can’t be with your precious Nocturne anymore, so you settle for the next best thing.”

That’s it! I leapt at her, my scythe striking at her dagger, slicing it in half. Her eyes went wide. I then poured my magic into my scythe, causing it to glow with a blue light and swung it at her. The sword beam hit a bunch of Changelings that threw themselves in the path of their queen.

She laughed. “You are skilled Luna, I will admit that much. But you are hindered by love, just as I was. You know you can’t win, my armies will continue to protect me no matter how many times to try to slay me.”

I huffed, running a hoof through my mane as I felt for the first time in a long while, strands starting to form in my mane. I’ve used too much power, in my weakened state I could revert at any point. Damn Nightmare, why did you have to use so much?

I only had to buy Private enough time to get the others out of here. So long as Chrysalis was focused on me, she wouldn’t hurt Private. My friend, be safe, while I try my best to stop her…

Nocturne, would’ve wanted that.
___________________________________________________________
Perspective: Private Eye

I let out a breath as the teleportation spell caused us to appear in a dark room. I shook my head to get the dizziness out of my head. Luna teleported us away? But where are we?

I looked over and saw the others coming too. Rainbow shook her head. “I hate Teleporting, it feels like my head just got beaten over with a baseball bat.”

“Where are we, Sugercube?” Aj asked. “Ah can’t rightly see anything.”

“Hold on, guys,” Twilight’s voice said, I saw her horn glow and suddenly a sphere of light came into being. Twilight threw it into the air and the entire area was illuminated. Before our eyes, was an Airship…

It wasn’t a large vessel, but it looked big enough to carry all of us. It’s hull was made of wood and lined with violet markings. It’s balloon was colored violet as well, hanging above it. I noticed a set of cannons were mounted on the port and starboard side.

Pinkie smiled wide and cheered, “Aww, sweet! An Airship!”

“I remember this vessel,” Rarity said. “I hit a bottle of champagne against it on its maiden voyage. It’s the S.S. Highwind, designed as the premiere in Airship technology.” She then looked at the cannons “So, I guess the rumors were true she got drafted as a military vessel.”

“Aww, yeah!” Rainbow said smiling. “We could use this to give us an edge!”

“One problem,” I pointed out. “Does anypony here know how to fly an Airship?”

A silence answered my question. Twilight spoke up, “Um, I read a lot about Airship piloting during my studies on the Cloud Kingdoms.”

“I guess it’s what we’ll have to go on,” AJ said with a sigh.

“Alright, everypony aboard” Twilight said.

We climbed the stairs up to the bridge. Pinkie immediately dove down below deck and cried, “Look at all these party cannons!”

“Pinkie, those aren’t party canons!” Fluttershy said, chasing after her. I’m thinking she wants to stay down there during the flight. It’s probably best.

“Alright,” Twilight said, removing her ruined dress and tossing it aside. “Rainbow you get up on top. Aj, you go downstairs and help Pinkie with the engines. Rarity, you stay by the balloon and make sure no leaks come up. Private and I will take the helm.”

I walked up to the steering wheel of the ship. For some reason it felt, right, to be at the helm. I wonder, who among my ancestors was an airship pilot?

Everypony went to their positions. Twilight stood beside me to act as navigator. She looked at me and said, “Private, about earlier...”

“It’s okay, Twilight,” I said dismissively. “Save it for when we get out of here.”

“If we don’t make it out of this…” She planted a kiss on my cheek.

I smiled dumbly and heard small laughs from the rest of the crew. Rarity smiled. “Darlings, even when we face certain peril you are sweet to each other.”

Twilight and I blushed. I knew I had less of a chance to marry her after the stunt I pulled. But, right now I had to focus on the battle at hoof. I wasn’t going to let Lunard get away with this.

Nopony ruins my marefriend’s coronation on my watch.

“Any words you wanna say, captain?” Twilight asked.

I smiled and said, “Well, there are a set of words, known to inspire great power in many ponies”

Twilight’s magic hit the switch and the doors before me began to open.

“Words, that can inspire any crew to accomplish anything”

“And what words are they?”

I grinned as the sky was open before us. “ALLONS-Y!!!”

With that, the ships thrusters were activated and we launched into the battle outside.