Beat It

by Spirit Guide


Discovery on Mane Street

"Alright, is everypony ready?"

"I sure am."

"Me too."

"Me three."

Dusty nodded. Gryph and Apple Bloom had already climbed the tall building shadowing the combat, but had left the four of them with several tasks.

"Okay," he said, looking at their supplies: several spotlights, a couple of cables and a bag of herbs. Apple Bloom had already taken what she needed from that last item and the megaphone was in her's and Gryph's possession. "All we have to do now is hook up these floodlights around the Square, plug 'em in and direct them. Couldn't be simpler."

Tombstone rubbed his hooves together. "B'seder, where do they have to go?"

"Gryph told us exactly where," Sweetie Belle reminded. She pointed to the building across the street. "On that rooftop, way... over... there..." It was then that they realized they had a problem.

'How do we get our stuff all the way over there?" Scootaloo groaned.

"Can't you fly?" asked Dusty.

The orange pegasus filly sighed. "No. My wings aren't strong enough and I've tried before. I just can't fly that far, if at all." She looked close to tears.

"Don't be sad, Scoots," Tombstone said warmly, wrapping a hoof around her. "Nopony is perfect. We just have to keep moving."

Tears started flowing down Scootaloo's cheeks. "But a pegasus that can't fly?" she sobbed. "That's just not right, Tombstone!" She shoved her face into his chest, her tears thoroughly soaking his coat. The brony gently stroked her mane, humming to Scootaloo in an attempt to calm her down. Sweetie Belle and Dustykatt stood side by side, the sad touching scene affecting them so that they too shed a tear.

Tombstone lifted Scootaloo and held her in front of his face, his grayish-brown eyes staring into her purple ones. "Listen to me now, Scootaloo. You and your friends have completed many feats and faced many challenges. Sometimes you felt like giving up and turning back, but you didn't. We bronies go through the same things. We face problems in life and we try to solve them. If we get knocked down, we get up and keep trying. There have always been ponies who make it their job to cause us trouble and strife, but together we can overcome any hardships. As long as you have your friends with you, there is nothing you cannot do."

Scootaloo sniffed, then smiled. She wrapped the Earth brony in yet another hug. "Thanks for everything, Tombstone."

"Your welcome."

Sweetie Belle walked slowly over to her friends. "I'm happy for you guys too, but what are we going to do about our mission?"

"What we need," mused Dusty, "is another pegasus.

"And it wouldn't hurt to have another pony who knows how to work these things," added Scootaloo, nudging the floodlights with her hoof.

"Maybe we can be of service."

The four friends turned to see who spoke. Standing at the edge of the roof was a white pegasus stallion in the armor of the Canterlot Royal Guard, and beside him was a brown Earth colt with a helicopter beanie, lazily sipping a box of apple juice.

"Button Mash!" squealed Sweetie Belle, running over to hug her friend. "How've you been? What'cha been doing"

"I'm fine, Sweetie Belle," he admitted, trying to pry the filly's hooves off his neck. "Playing games, drinking shakes. It's really not the same without you."

"Aww, thanks."

But it was Scootaloo who's shock was most apparent. She stared at the white pegasus, who slowly walked over to her until he was standing right in front of her. He bent his head down and took off his helmet. Scootaloo couldn't contain herself any longer.

"DAD!"

For the second time in five minutes, Scootaloo committed a mushy act of fondness towards another pony, this time family. She hugged her father fiercely, ignoring the fact that he was wearing armor and just tried to enjoy his touch again. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too."

Dusty held out his hoof for the pegasus. "Dustykatt Rhoades, the manliest brony in the world."

Scootaloo's father took Dusty's hoof and shook it. "Blizzard Storm, Royal Guard."

"Nice to meet you," said Tombstone, shaking Blizzard's hoof.

"What are you doing here?" Scootaloo asked.

Blizzard put a hoof on Button's shoulder. "I was in Ponyville earlier, looking for you, only to find most of the town deserted. After asking around, I managed to find out that a lot of Ponyville's residents, and quite a few ponies from all over Equestria, had left for the city. I thought you and your friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, would want to see what was going on so I came. On the way I ran into Button here, on the run from his mother for skipping school-"

"It was a day off!" Button groaned.

"-and decided that adult supervision was necessary, so I brought him along. And now I find you, on a roof with a pile of equipment and a couple of friends. Care to tell me what's going on?"

Button's excitement grew. "Yeah, tell me too!"

With Dusty's help, Scootaloo explained their plan to her father and Button Mash. After she had finished, Blizzard nodded and said, "You've got a point there. I was recently released from service, but I don't recall being told about all these attacks."

"Maybe because the Princesses didn't think it was important because it's not true what everypony's thinking!" Sweetie yelled, everything coming together. "That's why we have to show everpony what's really been going on."

"But to do that," explained Tombstone, "we need to hook up half of these spotlights on the other side of the street."

"I can help you with that." Blizzard bent down and picked up a number of lights, along with a hoofful of cables. "You comin' Button?" he called to the colt. "I'm gonna need somepony with electrical experience to help me."

"You got it, Mr. Storm sir!" Button leapt onto the pegasus' armored back.

"I'm coming too, dad!" cried Scootaloo, climbing up beside Button. "I know where we're supposed to set up the lights and also, I want to be with you." She hugged her father's neck, gaining looks of d'aaw from her friends behind her.

Blizzard smiled round the cables. "Alright, hang on tight!" He launched himself into the air, his load of lighting instruments and little ponies not slowing his flight in the least. He carefully dodged the tussling pegasi that flew through the air after each other and, once they made it to the other side, he waved to Sweetie Belle and the bronies, signaling their being ready.

"Okay, Tombstone, Dusty," Sweetie announced, "let's get to work. Everypony is counting on us."

"Too bad they don't realize they need it," muttered Tombstone, dragging several cable over to the outlet on the roof.

*

The fighting was getting intense, yet still nopony had succeeded in inflicting so much as a bruise. They'd recognize each others moves and attacks, would dodge out of the way and then counter-attack. This is uncanny, Twilight moaned to her self. I've been throwing everything I've got at them and I haven't hit once! Or that or my attacks just slide off of them. Why can't I hit any bronies? She looked at the general chaos around her. Rainbow Dash was starting up a tornado with a few Wonderbolts, trying to suck in some pegasi bronies but their whirlwind deteriorated when Pony 1 Kenobi, General Mumble and D. Notive flew through the top and busted the cyclone from within. Applejack had gotten into a hoof-wrestle over a closed trashcan with Pen Stroke. Fluttershy's animal friends had come to help her, with Angel leading the attack against Omnipony and A Blu Skittle, but couldn't get within reach of the two bronies, who blew them backwards with a few whips of their wings. Rarity and Trixie had collaborated and were flinging everything around them - garbage bins, loose paving stones, fellow ponies - at Sethisto and Mage, who spent their magic reinforcing the magical shield surrounding them. Pinkie and Cheese were firing their Party Cannon at every brony they saw, confetti draping over their wings and getting stuck in their manes, but the two party ponies attacks were widely ignored. Twilight rolled out of the way as two ponies crashed into the road, leaving a five-foot crater where the alicorn had been standing. From her new position she could see all the fighting and the sight was awful. What's going on here? she wondered helplessly. How did we end up like this? Why did they start destroying Equestria? We used to get along so well so what reason would they have to take on a destructive purpose? Twilight watched the horrible, heart-breaking battle of friends fighting friends, finally realizing it was wrong.

No. It can't be the bronies who are behind this. Their hearts are pure and their purpose is good. They have believed in us since their world learned about Equestria's existence and they were the first and only to come here and befriend us. But if that's the truth, then who DID launch all those attacks? Twilight scanned the battlefield, hoping to find a clue, a hint, anything to prove the bronies innocence. All she found were fighting friends. Who's behind this?! They must be a bunch of heartless beasts to pull a stunt like this. Thank Celestia nopony got hurt yet. She looked up at the full moon, its shining white surface reflecting brightly upon the battle.

"Please," she whispered, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Somepony. Anypony. Help us."

"STOP!"

The voice echoed from the tall building and across the city, reverberating in the ears of the fighters. Every single pony and brony stopped in mid-attack, pegasi hovering in various battle-stances, unicorns levitating an assortment of ammo, Earth ponies holding their adversaries in a number of ways. Twilight looked up to the roof of the building, surprised to find floodlights illuminating the top, and managed to make out two sparkling figures. At first she thought they were Crystal ponies, but she found these ponies solid rather then transparent and couldn't see the moon through them. After a little more squinting up, she managed to recognize the smaller of the two.

"Apple Bloom?"

Yes, it was Apple Bloom. The filly stood at the edge of the roof, dressed in a black sequined jacket and hat. Beside her was a grey pegasus stallion with the same kind of outfit, but in black.

Rina-chan craned her neck to see better, stumbled and toppled over next to Twilight. The Princess of Friendship was quick to help her up. "Is that Black Gryphon up there?" Rina asked in a faraway voice.

Way up high, above the ponies and the herd, Gryph grinned. Their plan was working. It was a good idea to wear our jackets. Now we're even more noticeable in the spotlights. Apple Bloom handed him the megaphone. "Go fer it, Gryph."

"Thanks AB," he said. He flicked the settings and faced the crowd far below. "Alright everypony, listen up!" he called down to them, his voice magnified several times. "We've been friends for years, sharing in each others pleasures and comforting one another in times of grief. Together, we have faced many a crisis and come out smiling. We had friendship. But then something happened, something wrong, and now you're all fighting! What has come over you all?"

He had meant it as a rhetorical question, but quite a few ponies below found it as an opening. "I'm good with friendship, but not when they go around causing trouble!" Rainbow Dash hollered up.

"Excuse me!" bellowed Jaxblade, a large muscly pegasus brony. "You bucking messed up that art exhibition we set up!"

"We didn't do that!" yelled Applejack.

"Well, same here!" Orchestral Design shouted.

"There we go," Gryph pointed out. "You yourselves are finding out the truth, just by talking about it."

Everypony was in shock. Now that they thought about it, there really was no denying the fact that their friends couldn't have committed all those horrible acts after everything they've been through. Some of them had even started hugging. But something was still bothering Rainbow. "But if we didn't destroy everything, then who did?"

"Ah'm glad you asked, Rainbow!" came Apple Bloom's voice, leaning on Gryph so she could reach the megaphone. She reached into the pocket of her jacket, pulling out a small drawstring bag. Gryph jumped onto the low wall ringing the roof and held out a leg, which Apple Bloom grasped hard. With the megaphone in his hoof and the filly in tow, the brony musician descended.

"Careful, bro!" yelled Baasik.

"Don't let go, sis!" urged Applejack.

Once he had reached the middle floor of the building, Gryph began to hover above the pony crowd, flying circles in the air. "I'm sure you all remember the attack on Canterlot." Murmurs of agreement floated up. "The changelings came and threatened, not only to ruin the wedding of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, but to control the ponies of Equestria and feed off of their love and emotions. It's the changelings who have been sabotaging all our events and monuments."

One look at the ponies below made Gryph begin to regret some of the things he'd said. Now it was fear that spread among the crowd. The minute they learned what was behind all their problems, they realized just how much trouble they were in. For every pony and brony knew that changelings could shape-shift, thus hiding its true form behind that of another, a pony you would trust with your life actually being an insect-like creature with a taste for affection. "How can we find the changelings if they disguise themselves as one of us?" Galaxyart asked.

"Ah'll show ya," Apple Bloom promised. "You're all gonna see who's behind it all, but first: who the hay is that over there?"

Everypony turned heads to look at where Apple Bloom was pointing. What they found was Commander Firebrand, the leader of FOB Equestria... Or, to be more precise, two Commander Firebrands, each one with the exact same coat color and wearing the same black leather jacket.

"What the-" the left Firebrand spluttered. "Who're you?"

"Who am I?" inquired the right Firebrand. "The real question is, who are you?"

Confusion spread through the ponies and bronies. Now they had a real head-scratcher on their hooves: which was the real Commander Firebrand and which was the changeling? Some of the ponies backed away from the brony and his doppelganger, not knowing which was which and too afraid to try anything to avoid hurting the real one. Saberspark flew over to Apple Bloom, still hanging from Gryph's leg, and asked "What do we do now, guys?"

"This," Apple Bloom replied simply. She loosened the string around her bag and spilled some of the contents. A small cloud of bright-green, sparkling dust floated out of the bag and drifted down towards the crowd. All they could do was stare in wonder as the powder descended upon the two twin bronies. One Firebrand smiled as the soft dust collected on his horn and shoulders, but the other one seemed nervous and jittery. Finally, he leapt away in an attempt to escape, but was quickly stopped by Psy Guy and Silver Quill.

"Hold it right there, buggo!" ordered the hippogryph. "You're staying right here."

"GRAAAAAARGH!" the Firebrand duplicate hissed, then put a hoof over his mouth.

"Gotcha."

The two bronies released him and everypony watched in amazement as the unicorn transformed before their eyes. His moderate red coat melted into a hard black carapace, his mane and tail becoming webbed and dark. Holes appeared in the creature's legs and its horn bent forwards, while its angry eyes filled with a light blue color and insect wings and fangs appeared.

The changeling snarled at the crowd surrounding it and was about to take off when it got dog piled by numerous ponies and bronies. By the time they had gotten up, the changeling was wrapped thoroughly in chains. It hissed, buzzed and bucked, trying to escape its bonds, but couldn't shake of the chains.

"That's one down," Gryph announced. "Have a look around, see if you missed yourself somewhere." All of them, ponies and bronies alike, began searching for possible doppelgangers. High above the crowd, positioned on opposite buildings, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Button Mash, Dustykatt, Tombstone and Blizzard Storm swept their spotlights over the crowd, focusing their light on suspects until their mirrored counterparts was discovered. Several were spotted, and were pinned down until the GryphBloom copter swung around and dusted them with Apple Bloom's powder blend and reverted back to their true forms. Once all the duplicates had been found and captured, a pile of chained changelings sat in the middle of the Square.

Everypony cheered, old friends running to find each other with a hug and an apology. Twilight and Rina stood side-by-side, watching their friends 'kiss and make-up'. "I'm sorry for everything, Rina," Twilight apologized, her head hanging down. "I forgot everything I had learned in my studies of friendship and made a hasty decision that endangered us all."

Rina wrapped a hoof around the Princess. "Don't blame yourself, Twilight. We too forgot all we'd learned from you and your friends. We, the most loving people in our world, returned to our old ways because of a low trick pulled by a couple of bugs. We owe you an apology as much as you do us."

Twilight hugged the pegasister, tears falling down her face. "Thank you, Rina. You're such a great friend."

"You too Twilight," she said, hugging her back. Rina looked out on their friends, watching the ponies and bronies mingle as they once did, happy and carefree. From the building opposite the now-empty DJ stand (Vinyl and Glaze had gone to dance with the other musicians), the peaceful community members flooded the already-full streets. Two dragons rushed towards them.

"Spike!"

"Twilight!"

"Rina!"

"Dave!"

The four friends came together in a group hug, each one happy to be together, the threat abolished. "I'm so glad you guys are okay," said Twilight.

"We were hoping the same thing," Spike replied. "What with you all going to fight each other just like that."

Dave nodded. "We knew something was amiss, but we never would have imagined it would be the changelings. After all, Shining Armor and Cadance had blasted them out of Equestria right before their wedding."

"There's just one thing that's still bothering me," Rina confessed. "Why would the changelings try to destroy our friendship? And how did they get back here?"

"I believe I can answer that."

Twilight and her friends turned around, looking for the speaker. Standing right behind them was a tall, white alicorn. Her royal regalia glinted in the moonlight and her multicolored mane floated in a non-existent breeze. There was no denying who it was.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight cried happily, running over to her old mentor.

"Princess Twilight, my faithfuls student." Celestia bent down and nuzzled the smaller alicorn. "I'm so glad you and your friends have discovered the truth. Even though at first you came to make an impulsive and rather reckless choice, you and your friends managed to come out no more than a couple of bruises."

"Um, your highness?"

Celestia turned towards the pegasister. "Yes, Rina?"

"I was just curious about, you know, if it's not too much trouble..." She seemed to be having a hard time finding words to express herself. "Getting back to my questions, you said you knew what the changelings were up to."

That's right! remembered Twilight. She did say she knows something. Maybe she can tell us how this all happened.

The Princess of the Sun looked down at the four curious, hopeful faces, eager to learn the truth behind the conflict they had accidentally brought upon themselves. She took a deep breath and said, "'Alright, I shall tell you. But first, I have to say one thing."

Twilight was concerned. "What?"

"Goodbye."

"TWILIGHT, MOVE!"

Everything happened so fast, Twilight could barely register it. Celestia's horn glowed with a brilliant green aura and shot a beam of magic at her. She was so frightened and confused she couldn't move. Thankfully, Rina-chan jumped and pushed her, Dave and Spike out of the way, the beam blasting a smoking crater in the road. When Twilight looked back, she saw Gryph diving towards Celestia, Apple Bloom holding her bag from the bottom. Celestia shot numerous magical lasers at them, but the brony managed to evade every one. When they were right above her, Apple Bloom emptied the entire contents of her bag over Celestia's head, showering the alicorn in green powder.

"Whoa, did you guys see that?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Let's get some light on it!" said Tombstone.

The two spotlights were focused on Celestia, or what was Celestia. Rings of green fire surrounded the white pony, a column of flame shooting towards the sky and engulfing her. Through the fire, everypony could see the transformation. White feathers shredded off, revealing clear, pitted wings. Her legs and horn lengthened, also becoming full of holes. Her mane shortened, the colors fading into a dark cerulean. On top of all that, the creature also shot up five extra feet, now towering over every pony in the city.

Twilight shuddered at the sight of the tall, black creature, but memories began flooding back, along with a name. "Queen Chrysalis."

The changeling queen laughed evilly, the sound echoing across the streets, filling the ponies and the bronies with fear. "Right you are, Princess Twilight Sparkle. We have returned. And this time, you're fate is sealed."