A Changeling Queen Under the Griffon's Crown

by DungeonMiner


26-No One Gets Paladins

Chapter 26

“Evil people are those who knew they're evil, but refused to do anything about it.”
―Jawe Querimit

<<<|Ω|>>>

The ponies were dumped unceremoniously before the obsidian throne. Spike’s mouth had been sealed closed by changeling goo, and the others were bound by their hooves.

The fake Ironclaw sat on his throne and looked down at them, the asymmetrical crown sitting slightly askew on his head. “So...here they are...the thorns in my side,” he said, before stepping down from the throne.

“Where’s the Pendragon?”

“He is in a pod, sedated, your majesty,” a changeling answered.

“Nearby?”

“Yes, your majesty,” it answered again.

“But not here?”

“No, your majesty.”

Ironclaw left off a slightly unhinged laugh. “Good! Good! I can watch him now, and he can’t hurt me.”

Shining had managed to stand, and spoke first. “Drop the act, changeling! We know you’re fake.”

“Act?” Ironclaw asked, blinking. “What act? I am in charge here. I have always been in charge!”

“As if!” Silver said standing next to Shining. “We know you’re fake! We’ve seen the real Ironclaw with our own eyes!”

Ironclaw laughed. “Fools! Fools all of you!” he sat himself back on the throne, cackling like a madpony. His laughs echoed in the room, lit only by two braziers next to the throne, before slowly dying down. “But I see I will have to prove it to you. So here, pay attention. Chrysalis. Chrysalis, come here.”

The changeling queen approached, walking up to the right side of the throne. “What do you need, your Majesty?”

Ironclaw turned to her, staring her directly in the eyes. “Kill yourself.”

Chrysalis’ eyes went wide for a moment, before she nodded. “Yes, your majesty,” she said. Sitting down, she then reached for her own head, in front of the wide, confused eyes of the ponies at the foot of the throne, and snapped her own neck.

As the body of the changeling dropped, Ironclaw laughed.

The ponies stared on, horrified, before green flame erupted along the queen’s skin, transforming her into a regular drone before their very eyes.

“I am in charge!” the fake Ironclaw roared. “I have been ruling this hive. I may not be Ironclaw, but I rule the Swarm, the Empire, and soon, Equestria! I will have my revenge!”

Flame erupted around the griffon as he began to change, his legs elongating to massive lengths filled with holes. A tall, lithe figure was slowly revealed as the green flames licked her body, revealing Chrysalis, the Iron crown sitting on her head. “I will rule everything!” she roared, breaking into insane laughter.

“Oh yeah?” Rainbow Dash asked. “‘Cause last I checked, we kicked your flank last time!”

“Oh really?” she asked, shoving her face into the pegasus’s snout. “Well last time, I’m afraid, I didn’t quite have the same amount of love to feed from.”

“Really?” Shining asked, unimpressed. “A hoofful of griffons are giving you more love than I could manage to give my wife?”

Chrysalis turned to him, and smiled. “A hoofful? A mere hoofful? Haven’t you been paying attention, my Beloved Shining?” she asked, her voice transforming to sound like Cadence’s for the last three words. “Haven’t you noticed the hundreds of griffons I have captured in pods? The young mothers that have been worrying and letting their love permeate in the air. Or what about the brave soldiers, that have been fretting over their sons and daughters? A hoofful, Shining? Try a city!

Shining’s eyes went wide.

She laughed again, cackling madly. “I have been feeding off the love of hundreds upon hundreds of souls! A love tempered by hatred and made strong by fear! I am stronger now than I or anyone else, pony or otherwise, has ever been!”

Her mad cackling came to a halt, and she suddenly hung her head, like a marionette making its final bow. Then she glanced up through her green mane, the wicked smile still hanging from her face. “But maybe, maybe you don’t believe me? Maybe a demonstration is in order? Yes...yes it is!” she said, before pointing at the rainbow-maned pegasus. “And you will be a perfect example, Bearer of Loyalty!”

The unicorns felt it first. An unprecedented amount of power that began to build, taken from the very base of the mountain all they way up to the top. Magical Essence flowed through the air as if the whole keep were a giant Leyline of power.

To compare it to a tidal wave would have been understatement.

To call it a tsunami would have been unfair.

In a word, it was ungodly.

The pegasi felt their feathers stand on end, and the earth ponies felt a tingle in their hooves, and yet more power flowed up into Chrysalis’ twisted horn.

“Now, Loyalty!” she bellowed, horn shining almost white with power. “Let us see how loyal you really are!”

A beam of white-green magick ripped forward, howling through the air as it came bearing down on the pegasus. The spell slammed into her, transforming the air around Dash into a vortex of green Magick.

“Rainbow!” Thunderlane cried.

The storm around her slowly died, revealing the cyan pegasus laying still on the floor, her bonds gone, but seemingly unharmed.

“Rainbow! Rainbow Dash, can you hear me?” Thunderlane asked, hobbling to her side.

She rolled over, blinking wildly. “I’m, I’m alright, Thunders,” she said, before her eyes drifted to her now free hooves. “In fact, I’m about to feel a lot better.”

With a smirk and a pounce, she leapt up into the air, eager to begin beating on the changeling queen.

“Sit,” Chrysalis ordered simply, and Rainbow went careening as her body fell to the ground, her flanks slamming into the ground.

“What the hay!?” she asked, before stretching her neck, almost as if she were trying to pull herself away.

“Now,” Chrysalis said, smiling, “Rainbow Dash, was it? Would you stand for me, please.”

She stood. “What are you doing to me?”

“And now would you kindly dance for me?” she asked.

The pegasus then began to move jerkily, like a puppet on strings trying to waltz. “What—Stop it! Let me go!” she cried, waving her head around to try and combat the moves of her body.

“And stop, right, there,” she said, her smiling growing larger.

Rainbow froze, and the changeling queen shoved her face into hers. “And now, my little pony, it’s time for your choice.” She stood tall, before her eyes scanned the small crowd. “Those are some very impressive claws you have there on you shoe, Rainbow Dash, would you get them out for me?”

With a flick of her forelegs, the claws on her horseshoes flicked out into the ready position.

“Very nice,” she said, before her eyes fell onto Thunderlane. “Now, why don’t you show me how well you can use them.”

“W-What?” Dash asked, eyes wide.

“On that one,” she said, pointing a hoof at Thunderlane.

Rainbow Dash moved in the blink of an eye, claws flashing as she came down on Thunderlane. “Thunderlane!” she cried, even as her own claws dug into his skin.

The mohawked flyer squirmed, barely dodging a potentially fatal blow as Rainbow Dash sliced down his side.

“I’m sorry!” she yelled, beginning her resistance anew.

She rushed him now, sending him sprawling as she charged into him. “Stop it! Stop it!” she yelled.

Her hoof pinned his throat, and she raised her claws up for a strike. “Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!” She yelled again, her eyes wet with tears as she stared down at Thunderlane.

“I’m sorry, Thunderlane, I’m sorry!”

“Now, hold on one second, Rainbow Dash,” Chrysalis said. “I said I was going to give you a choice after all. Now, you are either going to bow to me, willingly, or you are going to kill your friend. Your choice.”

Rainbow Dash looked down at Thunderlane, tears in her eyes.

Her country, or her friend.

“I...I…”

“Bow to me, pony. Bow or kill.”

She didn’t like to choose.

“I...I…”

“She’s not going to do either of those,” Twilight said stepping forward.

“And why not?” Chrysalis asked. “Have I not made it clear that her body is mine to control, Twilight Sparkle?” she spat the name. “Maybe I need to give you another demonstration so that you can really understand?”

“I understood you, your majesty,” she said, rolling her eyes at the moniker. “What you don’t understand is that hurting my friends is a very bad idea.”

The Queen’s smile dissipated. “Are you threatening me?”

Twilight smirked. “I don’t threaten. I promise.”

The changeling’s eyes narrowed. “Rainbow Dash, sit there and do not move.”

The cyan pegasus turned and sat, leaving Thunderlane to slowly pick himself up. “Are you alright?” he asked the pegasus.

“I’m sorry,” Rainbow muttered, tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“And what, exactly, are you promising, you pathetic little pony?” Chrysalis asked, facing Twilight.

“You are dead either way,” Twilight said. “The choice you get to make is short and quick or long and painful.”

“Big words from a prisoner,” the Queen noted.

“Says the one who forgets that we are not all here,” Twilight countered.

Chrysalis blinked. “What? The Pendragon? He is not an issue any longer.”

Twilight laughed. “Oh please. Alan will get out. He will get up here, he will find you, and once he hears that you’ve hurt his friends…” she paused, glaring up at the queen with a stare that could kill a small animal, “then only Faust herself could stop him.”

Chrysalis returned the glare, staring deep into Twilight’s eyes. “You have far too much faith in your husband,” she said before turning back to the cyan pegasus. “Rainbow Dash...”

Rainbow looked up, tears in her eyes.

“Bow, or k—”

“Alan…” Twilight said, speaking loud enough to cut the queen off. “Alan...Alan can you hear me?” she asked.

Chrysalis smiled and gave a short laugh. “What’s that? He can’t hear you? What a shame!”

“Alan, we’ve been captured. We’re up in the throne room, and...” she hesitated a second, “We need your help, Al...all of us.”

“Especially me, Alan. I should have told you this sooner, Alan...but...but I’m pregnant…” she said, before she cut the transmission.

The other mares looked at her with wide eyes. “What?!”

“You’re what?!” Rarity asked.

“Are you insane?!” Pinkie cried.

Chrysalis smirked, putting a hoof to her ear, cocking her head to the side. She waited a beat. “And yet, no Alan. As I said dear, you put far too much faith in—”

A dragon call echoed through the mountain.

A cry of anger and fury.

A roar of pain and suffering.

The room shook at the cry.

The tower shook.

The mountain shook.

Chrysalis turned back towards the door of the throne room. “What was that?” she asked.

Twilight smiled. “That, your highness, was the sound of the most dangerous, over-protective, ruthless, and loving stallion I know learning that his wife and unborn foal are in danger.” She smirked, before she began to move herself over to the side of the room, hobbling. “Good luck with that,” she said, before laying down on the side, inspecting her hooves.

The others all blinked, looking back and forth between the now lounging Twilight, and the incredibly tense Changeling.

“L-Lock all the doors!” Chrysalis cired. “Seal them shut! Nothing gets through, you hear me? Nothing!”

Twilight simply sighed. “Oh, it is far too late for that.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“I’m pregnant…”

Those two words echoed in Alan’s head like a church bell knoll over the plains.

She was pregnant.

She was in danger.

He was going to be a Dad.

She was in danger.

Why didn’t she say something?

She’s in danger! How many times do I have to repeat myself?!

She was in danger.

He had lost her for two months, and now her life was hanging in the balance.

“Alan, is there something wrong?” Markus asked. He didn’t hear the broadcast, he had never had a radio. “What is it?”

She...she had been dead to him for two months, and now she was alive again, but for how long?

As a hundred different thoughts ran through his head, bouncing back between overwhelming joy and black depression, a little voice spoke in the back of his mind.

“Are you just going to let her die, Pendragon?”

Die?

“Because she will if you don’t do something.”

She...I…

“Yes, she will die, and it will all be her fault.”

An image of Chrysalis flashed across his mind.

She...the Queen…

“She took your wife from you, you know. It was her magic that separated you two for so long. Two months for you, wasn’t it?”

I…

“She took her from you once, are you going to let her do it again?”

Alan’s eyes narrowed. “Never…” he whispered under his breath.

“Then you are going to have to do something about it.”

Trust me, I—

“It’s a shame you’d never make it in time. Not without help, anyway.”

What... he paused. A long second passed in his mind. What do you need?

“I need you to get angry.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Alan, is there something wrong?” Markus asked, as he watched the Pendragon stand stock still. He had frozen suddenly and without warning, and now merely stood there, facing away from him. “What is it?”

“Never…” The Pendragon whispered.

“Alan?”

And then, before his very eyes, the pony changed. His white fur began to darken, turning ash grey, his mane grew longer, before becoming smoke-like and ethereal. Black smoke rose off his body, and his voice turned into a hiss. “Never...touch...my wife!”

Markus backed up, trying to meld into the wall as a monster formed in front of him.

A changeling rounded the corner ahead of them. “The prisoners!” it cried, aloud, turning to scream down the hallway. “The prisoners are escaping!”

The changeling didn’t get a chance to say anything further. The monster slammed into the small insectoid, crossing a huge distance of seventy-five feet in mere seconds. His golden hooves, now attached to magick claws, gripped the changeling, and held him high above Alan’s head.

And then Alan said one word.

“Jotum.”

A dragon’s roar erupted from his throat, and filled the surrounding hallways with noise.

Markus had to cover his ears as the roar bore into stone, shaking the mountain as Pendragon cried.

As the roar ended, Alan dropped the lifeless body of the changeling, clear blood dripping out its ears.

He turned to look down the hall, where he spotted another three changelings standing, mouths hanging open.

And then, the monster charged them, turning to smoke as it leapt through the air.

Markus watched as more clear changeling blood splattered down at the end of the hallway, screams of terror echoing across the flagstones.

“Sweet Ancestors, what did I declare war against?” he asked, before slowly, hesitantly, following.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Chrysalis paced back and forth along the floor, sweat dripping down her head as changelings ran across the floor, giving her reports.

“The Western forces have not reported back, your Highness.”

“The Eastern forces have described some sort of smoke-creature approaching.”

“The three lower doors have been shut and sealed, your Highness, nothing is going to get through.”

Chrysalis said nothing, however, and just kept pacing.

The prisoners, meanwhile sat to the side of the room, all surrounding Twilight as the mares bombarded her with questions concerning her mental health.

“Twilight, Darling, are you out of your mind?” Rarity asked. “If you are pregnant, you should have stayed home.”

“Good gravy, girl! You’re just askin’ for it!” Applejack agreed.

“Sweet Sugary Goodness, Twilight! Really? Really?” Pinkie asked. “Ponies call me crazy, but really?”

Twilight simply ignored them and continued to casually inspect her hooves.

She had not said a word since she had sat down, and had not moved from her spot.

Shining sat next to her, trying to act as a buffer between Twilight and her friends. “You alright?” he asked her.

“We’ll all be fine,” she said simply.

“Are you sure?”

Twilight looked up at him from her spot on the floor and smirked. “Everytime I’ve doubted him, he’s made me regret it. When it comes to bets, I’m putting my money on my husband.”

Shining smirked back. “Well at least you believe in him.”

Twilight glanced up at him. “Don’t you?”

“It doesn’t matter if I do or not, you’re the one who is supposed to be his loving and supportive wife.”

Twilight smiled. “Touche.”

Chrysalis kept pacing, ignoring the prisoners off to the side, when the doors to the throne room slammed open.

The swarm of changelings, as well as the Queen and the prisoners all turned to see another, lone changeling run into the room before slamming the doors shut.

He slammed his back into the door, as though his small body could hold them closed. Tears formed in his eyes, as he stared into the throne room, before breaking down into sobs. “This One doesn’t want to die!”

Chrysalis blinked. “Drone, report! What is the meaning of this?”

“It-it’s broken through...broke through everything...it’s coming...coming right now...we’re going to die...We’re all going to die!”

The others stared at him for a long moment of silence.

And then the changeling began to laugh. A manic, hysterical laugh as his mind broke tears still streaming from his eyes. “We’re all going to die!”

The changeling kept laughing, filling the room with his crazed cackle.

The Queen took the slightest step backwards.

And then the doors bulged inward, a deep thum echoing in the suddenly silent hall.

The once-laughing changeling was silent for a moment before he began to sob again.

Chrysalis took another step back.

Thum.

The swarm all cringed in response, a wave of movement moving through them before they quickly leapt forward and went to work, vomiting up goo to seal the door shut.

Thum.

The lone changeling continued to sob, screaming that they were going to die.

Thum.

The door bulged again, and a massive crack sounded as a fissure broke in the door.

Black smoke leaked from the crack, and Chrysalis’ eyes went wide.

Thum.

Thum.

The Queen hid behind the obsidian throne.

Thum.

“It’s too late!” the lone changeling cried. “We’re going to die! It’s too late!”

Silence.

Deep, dark, silence.

The changelings on the door blinked, confused as the barrage suddenly stopped.

They looked between each other for a moment, before the doors slammed inward, wood cracking and snapping as they were blown off their hinges.

The air became filled with green dirt and sawdust as the changeling goo that held the door shut shattered around the splintering wood.

And then they saw him.

The thing that was once Alan stood, it’s neon green and red eyes boring into the room. It was tall, as tall as Celestia herself, even.

Its long duster billowed in the wind. Its hat sat high on its head, revealing its face and barred, fanged teeth.

But those eyes…

Those eyes were locked directly onto the throne, or, more specifically, the Queen hiding behind it.

“Attack!” the Queen yelled. “Attack now while it still has its form!”

The swarm lept up, some moving faster than others as they recovered faster.

“Burn them,” the voice in Alan’s head ordered.

“How?”

“Let me show you, Pendragon. Let your wrath burn them.”

Black flames erupted across the throne room, engulfing changelings whole and turning them to ash, instantly.

Undeterred, the remaining the swarm members launched themselves at the massive creature, eager to dog pile him.

His sharp horn, glowing red and black flashed again, and a hundred misshapen blades, all the color of blood, appeared like a wall in front of him. Crazily bent blades flew forward, slicing through carapaces as though they were made of butter, the hiss of acid eating away at them drowned out by the screams of the dying.

“You fools!” Chrysalis roared from behind the throne. “Magic! Use your magic!”

Bolts of green magick flew through the air, slamming into the monster as it slowly trekked down the red carpet of the throne room, who for the most part ignored the attacks.

“Faster!” Chrysalis screamed.

The Nightmare was almost glowing as beam after beam of energy draining mana slammed into him.

And then his steps began to falter.

“Get him! Get him, now!” The Queen cried.

They jumped him, drones latching onto his form as the monster tried to keep walking.

It was then that Nightmare gave them its full attention.

Jaws snapped. Magick hummed. Claws slashed.

The monster had transformed into a whirlwind of death, red claws and spikes covering his body as his magic formed its defenses. His jaws snapped down on a drone, splitting it in half. His claws sliced changelings like loaves of bread, the chitin hissing angrily as his corrosive mana ate away at their open wounds.

“Get him! Get him! Get him!” the Queen roared, trying to hide her shaking legs.

The Creature’s horn was glowing brightly, and yet another insectoid erupted into black flames.

However, it was not enough.

Changelings were taught to sacrifice everything for the hive. Their bodies, their lives, everything. If they were discovered in the field, they were trained to leave in the opposite direction of the hive, dooming themselves to wander until their death. This made them good at some very specific things. Namely, dog piling.

They threw themselves, ignoring the impending bodily damage, latching onto the monster with their fangs and digging into his smoky flesh.

Within seconds, the thing that was Alan was wearing a suit of drones.

In the space of a few more, he was up to his elbows in them.

Another moment passed, and he was surrounded up to his neck, his head still flailing about, snapping necks and biting changelings in half.

And then he was covered.

A mountain of changelings sat in the middle of the room, a single drone sitting at the top of the pile with a satisfied smile on his face.

Chrysalis slowly stepped from around the throne, eyes wide as she looked up at the mountain of drones.

The drone at the top smirked and gave the queen a smart little bow.

The corner of her mouth twitched up. “Ha...Haha! Hahahaha!” she laughed.

“Not even you! Not even you, Pendragon can handle the awesome power of—”

A black, five-fingered claw suddenly burst up from the top of the pile, and grabbed the smug changeling by the face.

Chrysalis had enough time to stare into the drone’s terrified eyes before his face suddenly exploded in a shower of clear blood as it was crushed.

Another claw burst out of the pile, crushing another changeling in its grip.

Volcanoes of blood erupted across the small mountain, showering the queen in clear viscera as she was treated to a front row seat.

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, something revealed itself.

Its skin was tar black, and it had strange protrusions running down the length of its arms and legs.

Chrysalis could only stare in horrified fascination as her drones were slaughtered a mere three feet from her.

A triplet of horns began to peak over the diminishing pile of changelings, and the red and green eyes of the Nightmare burned in the core of the mountain.

And then, as the last dead drone was tossed to the side, its torso crushed by the grip of a powerful hand, she saw it.

It...it was huge…

It stood half a pony taller than Celestia, including the horns, two coming off the side, curling like a ram’s while the third came straight out of the middle of his head, swooping back like a wave of bone.

Its chest was almost fascinating to look at, you could see its ribcage poking out of its chest, but it was not gaunt. It seemed well fed and strong. It was almost as if it had a second set of ribs on top of the first. In fact, now that she could see it properly, it seemed to have a whole second skeleton just under the skin. There was a Ulna, a Radius, and a Humerus along the arm, a Femur, Tibia, and Fibula along the legs. A spine with exaggerated vertebrae stuck out from its back, leaving large, almost draconic spines running down its length.

And then she realized something.

Something horrifying.

She had seen this figure before.

Only once, but she had.

It had not been as tall, nor did it have the spikes and horns, but it was the same figure.

It was human.

Its fingers and toes ended in long, dangerously sharp points.

Its head was a skull, with two burning eyes of neon green and red, billowing purple smoke.

Its voice rolled like thunder as it stared her down. “I am going to crush you like a bug.”

Chrysalis could only stare.

“Protect the Queen!” a cry went up from behind, and a new swarm of drones came running up the hallway.

The human-shaped demon looked directly into Chrysalis’ eyes before grinning, showing off row after row of shark-like teeth. “But first, some appetizers.”

The demon turned, his arms suddenly extending like rubber, its hand becoming massive.

The new swarm had perhaps a second to open their eyes wide in fear, before the two massive hands clapped together, smashing them together.

The hands and arms retracted, returning to a normal length.

The demon turned back to the queen, still smiling, and he wrung his hands together.

The changeling blood fell like water.

“By Celestia’s Sweet Sister…” Silver muttered from the sidelines.

The prisoners all stared, eyes wide at the display, staring at the creature of death, destruction and chaos before them.

All but Twilight, who continued to casually inspect her hooves.

“Now, where were we?” the monster asked, stepping forward.

Chrysalis took a step back, before her mind suddenly began to scream at her. “No! No! This is what we want! Look at all that power! We can turn that against him! We gathered enough power to take over Celestia’s mind, we can do this!”

Taking strength from her internal monologue, she stood on the dias of the throne and yelled down at the demon. “Do-do you know who I am?! I am Chrysalis! Queen of the Innumerable Swarm!” She began to pull the at the magick around up to her horn. “I am the Consumer! Not since the First has any Queen had the power I have! I have more power than you can dream of!” The power of her spell was almost gathered, it was almost ready. “I am unstoppable! I am all-powerful! I am—”

The demon blew at her.

A whirlwind blew past her, throwing her mane back as a hurricane wind assaulted her. The infernal smell, combined with the monster’s hot breath, made the wind reek of death, but…

But that wasn’t all it did...

She blinked.

It...it was gone…

All of it.

All that magic.

All that power.

Blown out like a birthday candle.

Just, gone.

The demon stepped forward again, its massive, shark-toothed grin splitting its face.

“St-stay back!” Chrysalis threatened as she began to backpedal, her confidence cracking with every step.

The demon kept getting closer.

“G-go away!” she cried, sounding not unlike a child afraid of the dark. She suddenly backed up into the throne, where she quickly found herself sitting down, staring up at the demon. “I...I…”

The creature’s two hands shot forward, its thumbs hooking into her mouth. The demon lifted her bodily off the throne. “Who are you, again?” he asked, taunting, his teeth gleaming and breath stinking of death and doom.

When the queen spoke again, her voice was weak and quiet. “I...I am Chrysalis, Qu-Queen of the S—”

“Queen of Pain and Suffering!” the demon corrected. “And now, your Highness, you are going to squeal for me!”

>>>(⏀)<<<

Chrysalis stood alone, sitting on her throne. Not the stone monstrosity she had been dealing with, her real, true throne, constructed from the changeling husk of her most loyal drones and changeling goo.

She was home.

Truly, she was queen.

A beam of light suddenly erupted, clothing a lone drone in yellow-white light.

“Drone, report,” she ordered.

The drone said nothing.

“Drone,” she commanded again, “report.”

Still nothing.

“Drone, I said—”

“You failed us.”

Chrysalis’ eyes went wide. “W-w-what?”

Those words.

Those three words…

Those words were everything to a queen.

They were a death sentence.

“I-I...you’d never get the support,” she said, staring at the drone.

Another light revealed a changeling to her left. “You failed us.”

Another light, this time to the right. “You failed us.”

Light burst all around her, slowly revealing her hive, the accusation becoming a chant in their mouths. “Failed us. Failed us. Failed us.”

“N-no!” she argued, shaking under the gaze of her subjects-turned-judges. “No! I didn’t fail! I-I just need a second chance! Just-just give me another chance!” Her pleas fell on deaf ears however, as the chant continued, and the drones got closer.

“Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us!”

“No! No! I can do better! I swear!” she said, curling into a tight ball on her seat. “Give me another chance! Give me another chance!”

The crowd got louder. “Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us!”

“I didn’t fail! I didn’t fail!”

And then they began to rip her to shreds.

>>>(⏀)<<<

Chrysalis sucked in a deep breath of air, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as the vision finished.

“Oh,” the demon groaned in pleasure. “That’s a nice surprise. I had no idea fear could taste so delicious.”

The Queen panted heavily as she stared at the demon.

“Do it again!” the voice in its head ordered.

“Yes...I think seconds are in order.”

And then, for the first time since the altercation started, Twilight stood up.

“Let’s go again.”

>>>(⏀)<<<

“Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us!”

Chrysalis screamed in pain as her wings were the first things to go. Yanked straight out of her back much like what a colt does to a fly.

That wasn’t nearly as bad as what they did to her horn though.

It only took a small glob of changeling goo to do it, but the resulting explosion took it off quite cleanly.

And that’s when the mangling really began.

There are no words to describe the pain she felt, as plate-by-plate, her exoskeleton was slowly, and roughly removed.

The following pain of having fangs and sharp hooks dig into her soft flesh was even worse.

“Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us!”

This was it.

This was how she was going to die.

>>>(⏀)<<<

“So delicious!” the demon cried, as the queen sobbed through her propped open mouth.

“Again.”

>>>(⏀)<<<

“Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us!”

The chanting kept going as the drones kept destroying her.

As she felt her own blood running freely over her damaged muscles, she could only take comfort in one thing.

She was going to die, and then it would be over.

“Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us!”

Her vision was darkening, finally, finally darkening.

Soon. So soon.

And then she heard a new sound.

Another chant, laying under the first, just barely audible for all the noise.

A new, sudden burst of excruciating pain bit into her leg.

Her eyes snapped open, and her gaze fell onto something she did not expect to see.

It was...it was an imp, digging into her flesh with claws that ripped into her soul.

The imp stared at her, and smiled. “Dance!” it cired. “Dance!”

>>>(⏀)<<<

She was sobbing loudly, crying and screaming as the Demon held her.

“Again.”

>>>(⏀)<<<

“Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Dance!”

The second chant was getting louder, breaking into the first.

It was being sung by a million imps as they dug into her again their claws biting into her very soul.

The pain was impossible.

She couldn’t take it.

“Failed us! Failed us! Dance! Failed us! Failed us! Failed us! Dance! Dance! Failed us!”

>>>(⏀)<<<

“Again!”

>>>(⏀)<<<

“Dance! Dance! Failed us! Dance!”

She was dying.

She was dying and being thrown into hell.

And it didn’t end.

The ripping never ends!

Everywhere! It was Everywhere!

As the pain from her drones faded and her life slipped from her, the pain in soul got sharper.

It...it just never ended.

“Dance! Dance! Dance!” the imps cried, before they ripped her exoskeleton from her again.

There was no end.

>>>(⏀)<<<

“Again!”

>>>(⏀)<<<

They ripped her husk from her, and she could feel it grow back.

They took her husk and set it up, creating a Chrysalis-shaped puppet. “Dance! Dance! Dance!” they cheered, and the macabre marionette began to prance.

The imps cheered again, watching with glee between claws and bites of her soulflesh.

It never stopped.

Never stopped.

Not even in death.

The puppet jumped on her, dancing on her body as she was being ripped apart.

Didn’t end.

Never stopped.

The imps laughed and chewed.

Didn’t stop.

Why won’t it end?

And all the while, the two massive red-and-green eyes watched on from the sky.

>>>(⏀)<<<

“Again!” the voice cried.

Chrysalis stopped sobbing, she just stared forward with tears in her dead eyes.

“Again! Again! Again!”

“That’s enough, Alan.”

The Demon spun, dropping his nearly-lifeless prey to bring its massive hand down on the creature that dare interrupt his feast.

Twilight stood still as the massive black hand came down on her withers and neck.

Her horn was glowly brightly, enveloping the hand in her aura, but her face was calm and quiet.

“It’s okay, Alan, you did your job. You can stop fighting,” she said in a calm, soothing voice.

Blood trickled out from underneath the large black hand.

The demon blinked, and his eyes slowly returned to their normal color. “Tw-Twilight?”

“It’s okay, Alan. The fight is over.”

“I…” he said, looking down at his hand.

The hand that had come so close to ripping out her throat.

“I...you...you’re hurt…” he said, noticing the small rivulets that were slowly running down her chest.

“I’m fine, Alan,” she said.

“I...I hurt you…” he said, pulling his hand away, and looking down to where the claws had dug into her flesh. “I…” he said, backing up, away from her. “Oh, sweet Celestia, what did I do?”

“Alan,” Twilight said, stepping towards him even as his form began to shrink, “I’m fine, really, it’s okay.”

“What...what was I doing? What was I thinking?” he asked, backing further and further away from her and becoming smaller and smaller as the Dark Magic bled out of his system.

“Alan. Alan, come here, it’s alright, I’m alright.”

He kept backing up, trying to make space between the two. “Never again...never again…”

“Alan,” twilight said, still following, “it’s okay, we’re okay.”

Alan tried to get away, but finally ran out of room as he backed up into the opposite wall. “I...I…” he muttered, the skeleton around him dissolving into smoke, revealing the equine figure beneath.

Twilight closed the distance between them and caught him in a hug. “I’m alright, Alan. It’s okay.”

“I...I hurt you, Twilight...I...I-I…” his hooves were shaking. “I’m...I’m a monster…”

“You’re not a monster, Alan. You’re a good stallion, and a good soldier.”

“A man does not hurt his own wife,” he said simply, refusing to return the hug.

Shining, Julius, and Pinkie slowly made their way forward while the rest sat still, Rainbow Dash still frozen and sitting at attention.

“Alan...Alan you just...you just made a mistake, Alan,” Twilight said, nuzzling into his chest.

“I…I…”

Shining stepped forward, and Twilight broke the embrace to look up at her brother. “You’re a pony, Alan,” he said simply. “Ponies are not the one who never fail. Ponies fall.” He held out his hoof to the Pendragon. “The truth is, though, we’re all just Paladins in the end.”

Alan looked up at his brother-in-law, and smiled. “You’re such a nerd, Shining,” he said, taking the other stallion’s hoof.

Twilight took the other, and together, they got him onto his hooves.

As Alan stood, he turned once more to his wife. “I’m sorry, Twilight.”

Twilight smiled back. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, Alan.”

Pinkie jumped him. “No frowny faces!” she cried, before hugging him. “You just saved all of us! You’re not allowed to frown!”

Julius shook his head as he came up. “How many times do I need to say I am so glad you went easy on me?”

Alan gave a faint smile, more for Pinkie’s sake than anything. “It was my pleasure.”

They led Alan back to the others. “Wow, Alan…” Soarin said, “that was...remind me not to get you mad.”

“Remind me not to get you mad,” Spike said.

“I’m...I’m sorry...everyone,” Alan said, only for Big Mac to lay a hoof on his withers.

“We’ve all been there, Al. We know how you feel.”

“Yeah,” Spike said, “we know what being a monster feels like.”

“We’ve all done things we regret, Al…” Applejack added.

“It’s not pretty to think about,” Pinkie agreed.

Twilight nuzzled him again. “We’re here for you, Alan, just like you are here for us.”

Alan gave a small smile. “Thanks, guys. All of you.”

“Group hug!” Pinkie yelled, before she grabbed everyone and squeezed.

“Urg!”

“Ack!”

“Ikk!”

“Pinkie!” Thunderlane called. “We need to breath!”

“Air! Air!”

As the pink mare squeezed her friends tighter, a sudden noise broke out over the room.

“Heh...heh heh…ha ha ha…”

Everyone turned their heads to look over at the nearly broken body of the Queen. “Haha! Hahahaha! Hahahahahaha! Hahahahahahaaa!”

------------------

And scene.

“Will you stop it with the cliffhangers?”

Sorry Pinkie, but we’re going through Emyn Muil. Nothing but cliffs and Elven rope.

“Nerd!”

I will take that moniker with pride, good sir!

“...What did I just walk in on?”

“Squiddy!”

“Ack! Pinkie! That’s my windpipe! I need that!”

“Sh...just hold your breath for me.”

Pinkie...let him breath.

“Oh, fine.”

So it looks like the whole gang’s back together, just in time for the story to reach it’s ending.

“Cool! And now we’re going to leave you until later!”

Not quite.

“Not quite?”

Got an Omake for you guys, and then we’ll go.

“Oh! Cool!”

In the meantime, leave us some comments, guys!

--------------------------------

Omake, Because I can:

Thum.

The lone changeling continued to sob, screaming that they were going to die.

Thum.

The door bulged again, and a massive crack sounded as a fissure broke in the door.

Black smoke leaked from the crack, and Chrysalis’ eyes went wide.

Thum.

Thum.

The Queen hid behind the obsidian throne.

Thum.

“It’s too late!” the lone changeling cried. “We’re going to die!”

Silence.

Deep, dark, silence.

Knock knock.

Chrysalis blinked.

The changelings blinked.

“Uh…” the Queen said. “Wh-who is it?”

The voice behind the door answered simply. “Oh, you know…”

The door suddenly exploded as hundreds of tiny silver mana bullets flew through the air, turning the door to splinters. Changelings fell left and right as the bullets ripped through their chitin with ease.

And then the world was still.

And then he walked through the open door.

A large red hat, a long, flowing red coat, white fangs, and a pair of small, round, red-tinted sunglasses met the Queen’s sight.

“...a real Bucking Vampire!”