//------------------------------// // Silver's Last Stand (Edited 2014-09-08 03:24 EST) // Story: CMC Changeling Protectors // by contodaslasganas //------------------------------// Fear. Such a powerful emotion. At times, it can glue somepony’s hooves to the ground; at others, it can empower valiant acts of self-sacrifice or even expel that additional strength hidden within a pony’s soul. The outcome was still uncertain, but one fact was clear. Fear had filled the air: cold, intoxicating fright. And the changeling scout could feel it – almost taste it – while gazing upon the four crusaders. The four ponies stared at the black menace, taking care not to move too abruptly lest the beast before them lunge forward without warning. The changeling took his time, walking ever so slowly towards the foals, a predator eyeing its freshly-caught prize. The colt quickly noticed a small, glowing ball forming at the tip of its horn. “Everypony, quickly, RUN!” Apple Bloom understood and quickly zipped away. She hid under a table on the opposite side of the clubhouse while Scootaloo took her scooter and jumped out the window. Silver attempted to make it to the far closet, hoping that Scootaloo would return with help, maybe even with that unicorn by the name of Twilight. No sooner had the colt reached the closet, though, he noticed the changeling was still looking in the same direction. NO, SWEETIE BELLE! The unicorn filly had stayed frozen in her spot. The fright made her joints clench and her whole body tremble, and yet it also kept her affixed to the line of fire. Is… Is this the end? Sweetie Belle’s brain thought, the only organ she still had control over. So many things I haven’t said, haven’t done. Will I never get my cutie mark? Will I never grow old with the colt of my dr— The changeling fired a set of four green magical ropes directly at Sweetie Belle. So slowly. Time itself refused to give her any solace, feeling the need to drag out her last moments. And everything came back to her: all those times she spent with her parents on their crazy adventures, those days she spent burning juice in her sister’s boutique… Until her mind reached the most recent events, but one thing stood out, one thing made her heart skip a beat… Whenever the image focused on Silver. Perhaps… What could have been? I guess I will never know. She closed her eyes. However, Silver had his eyes wide open in horror… And he sought to do something. I HAVE TO SAVE HER! I DON’T CARE WHAT IT TAKES, I WILL SAVE HER, EVEN IF IT COSTS ME MY LIFE! In that split second— knowing he would never reach Sweetie Belle in time in that form— he performed that one action, cast that single spell he could use, the incantation he had promised to himself so many years ago never to use again. For you, Sweetie Belle, I will break this promise! I WILL PROTECT YOU! His speed increased ten-fold, his mane and horn losing all color, leaving only a lusterless black in its place. Using as much power as he could muster, he cleared his mind and thought of only one phrase. … Shield Sweetie Belle. … Fear’s paralytic hold began to weaken as the white-coated filly realized she was not dead yet. Sweetie Belle looked up and noticed a green semi-transparent shield that had been erected around her, stopping the ropes in their tracks. But how… It couldn’t have been Twilight. Her magic is purple. Sweetie Belle then turned to her left and spotted another changeling, quite a bit smaller than the beast that had attacked her. Before she panicked, though, she noticed the small creature's silver mane, glowing and shimmering like a warm fire. Suddenly, the realization struck her. “Silver, is that you?” “Yes, it’s me,” the changeling responded, a bit out of breath. “Quickly, now, I can’t hold this barrier up for long. Go. I noticed there’s a trapdoor right behind me. Grab Apple Bloom and leave, and see if you can find help.” “But what about you? You’re coming with us, aren’t you?” “It’s me they want. If I follow you, you won’t be safe. I have to stay. Please, go, quickly! My power is fading!” “No, I’m not leaving you! You’ve done so much for us, for me. I just…” No regrets. She was going to say it no matter what. “I-I really like you, Silver! I’ve never felt this way about anypony, and I don’t want to lose you! Please, come with me!” Sweetie's eyes had started watering, a single tear sliding down her muzzle, a sight that almost broke Silver’s heart. Not thinking twice, he quickly wrapped her hooves around her and began to whisper softly into her ear. “You know, ever since I met you, I’ve always wanted to tell you how beautiful you are. I like you too, Sweetie Belle, very much. Somehow, you just managed to capture my heart that first day. Now, I'm asking you to trust me on this. Don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll be fine, and later we can hang out together on the grass, looking up at the sky without a care in the world, just the two of us. Does that sound alright? Hmm?” Sweetie Belle wiped her eyes with one hoof, responding with a single nod and hugging him ever so closely, time slowing to a crawl as they truly let their affection show for the first time: a moment of complete calm, understanding, and unbounded joy… A moment tainted with sadness as their current situation took hold again. “Don’t worry, Sweetie, I’ll be okay. Go help Apple Bloom.” She reluctantly let go and galloped rapidly towards the frightened earth pony as Silver moved the barrier to protect them from the other changeling, who had decided to send beam after beam of magical energy towards the shield. Apple Bloom went down the trapdoor first, Sweetie following right after. When the white unicorn was half-way down, though, she quickly climbed back up and approached Silver, giving him a small peck on the cheek. Somehow he was able to blush right through his chitinous skin. “Please be safe. I’m going to get help.” With that, the unicorn filly went through the trapdoor and disappeared. Feeling his power weakening by the second, Silver stopped funneling magic into the barrier. I have to stay alive… for Sweetie Belle. The changeling suddenly lunged towards the colt, who easily sidestepped and ran behind it. Silver charged a small beam of magic and aimed it at the enemy, the attack striking its hind legs and causing it to howl. Ok, so now he won’t be able to move around as m– Silver hadn’t noticed that this changeling had a clubbed tail, a detail that would have proved useful before he was struck by the massive object and propelled in front of the changeling’s head. As the beast was about to strike with its fangs, Silver quickly shot a beam at his assailant’s face, making the creature screech in pain. With one last beam, Silver sent the changeling flying into the wall. Great, that shot took a lot of my energy. Hopefully he’ll learn his less– EEEEEEEEK! No, Sweetie Belle! Silver galloped over to the trapdoor, ready to exit and check up on the filly, when all of a sudden he was knocked back by another changeling, one who was much stronger and fiercer than the previous one. The colt quickly rose to his hooves and came face to face with… his father? “Father, it’s me! Quickly, we have to get out of here! I can free you from the hive!” His clamor fell on deaf ears, though, as his “father” shot a large magical beam at the foal. Silver was barely able to put up a shield in time. The impact of the two magical forces threw the colt across the floor, landing with a loud thump on the wall behind. Completely unfazed, the foal recovered and walked closer to his attacker. I have to get through to him. “Father, it’s me, don’t you remember? We used to race out on the training grounds! You taught me how to use my magic! Please remember!” The changeling slowly approached Silver, though this time the colt’s words seemed to have struck a chord in the creature. Silver’s father started to shake his head, as if attempting to clear out his mind and make sense of the scene that lay before him. “Come on, Father, you can fight it! Don’t you remember my mom? Don’t you remember Bright Song? You used to tell me about her sweet, beautiful voice, how she could entrance you, calm you down with her soothing words. Do you remember that?” Just like Sweetie Belle… The colt’s father placed his hooves on his head, writhing in agony as if attempting to rip something off his mind. The display soon stopped as the large changeling’s horn charged up another beam of magic, letting loose that definitive strike… Father… …on the changeling that was only a hoof’s length away from the colt, stopping it in its tracks and sending it crashing to the opposite wall. “I… “I'm so sorry, son. Can you ever forgive me?” “Father!” The colt rapidly scurried over to his father, hugging him with all his might before letting go a second later. “Quickly, I found a way to change you into a pony! You can disconnect completely from the Hive Mind!” “Thank you, son, but right now I want you to go through that trapdoor and run, quickly. Since you changed back into a changeling, the Hive knows you’re here. You have to change back into your pony form. I will stay here and fend them off.” “No, Father! Come with me! We can end this if we just use that potion and the spell! I don’t want to lose you again!” “Don’t worry about me, son, I’ll be f–” Silver’s father was soon knocked back by a beam of green magic, three other changelings appearing in front of the father-son duo. “Ughhh…” “Father!” The colt’s father quickly rose up and set up his strongest shield, blocking the changeling’s attacks, but it was visible that his powers were weakening. “They must know that I turned on them. Quickly, run! Change back to your pony form and run! I can’t h–” The barrier suddenly broke, shattered into millions of fragments as three beams of magic struck the colt’s father squarely on his chest. “NO, FATHER!!!” Silver ran over to the injured changeling, attempting to heal him, his eyes beginning to water, but his father simply replied sorrowfully: “It’s no use, my son. Save your energy and run. I’m… I’m s–” COUGH, COUGH, COUGH Green fluid started leaking from the changeling’s mouth, impeding his ability to speak well. “I’m s-s-sorry I c-c-couldn’t g-give you a b-better life, s-s-son.” With that, the body ceased to move, the last breath of life extinguished in such a short time. … “Father! Please wake up!” No response. “Father, please! You have to get up!” Still no response. … “FATHER!!!!!” Silver’s emotions overwhelmed him, that pit in his stomach growing ever deeper, and suddenly his body started glowing green. The other changelings, which had been slowly approaching since the attack, stopped abruptly in confusion. “You killed him!” The glow began to brighten exponentially, starting to resemble a green flame as it grew. “You killed my father… NOW YOU WILL PAY!!!!” Silver charged his horn with an incredible amount of energy, shooting spears filled with everlasting hatred at the enemy. The changelings futilely attempted to dodge them, finding themselves skewered time and time again by the deathly shower. One of the beasts was smart enough to set up a shield around himself, but the sheer force of Silver’s attack was too much, shattering the barrier in an instant. The changelings quickly scampered off, various spears still protruding out of their bodies. However, Silver— in all his emotional outrage— hadn’t noticed the presence of anoter changeling on the roof of the clubhouse. The colt suddenly found himself in a bind— literally. The magical rope was slowly tightening, sucking away his magic and his life force as Silver tried to break the spell. No, I have to break free! But alas, it was to no avail, and after what seemed to him like a couple hours, the colt lay completely still, his life slowly draining away, only a couple thoughts left in his mind. Father… … Sweetie Belle… I’m sorry.