//------------------------------// // Chrysalis Rises // Story: A Demon In Ponyville // by Terciel1249 //------------------------------// A Demon in Ponyville Ch. 10: Chrysalis Rises Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to MLP or any of its related products. All other character are mine and no you can’t have them. Matthew proceeded down the stairs into the library proper, calling out “Twilight? Are you there?” “Twilight’s out!” Spike shouted from the kitchen. Entering the kitchen proper, Matthew was greeted with the most beautiful sight ever. Free food. A plate of scrambled eggs, hay and apple juice sat ready to be consumed across from the little purple dragon. To Matthew’s surprise the dragon appeared to be eating gems. Why? Because Equestria said so, that’s why. Taking a seat, Matthew delved into his breakfast without reservation. Halfway through the meal, Twilight and her friends burst into the library towing three small fillies behind them. Twilight looked annoyed for some reason, but seeing Matthew awake brought some calm to the growing storm. Rushing into the kitchen, Twilight asked, “Matthew! Could you look after the Cutie Mark Crusaders while my friends and I go to Canterlot?” “Cutie what now?” Matthew asked, his brain only firing on two cylinder at the moment. Twilight groaned, “Can you just look after these three while I’m gone?” Twilight waved a hoof at the three adorable and tired fillies standing next to her friends. Sweetie Bell yawned widely, Daw, that’s just cute. “Sure,” Matthew responded, returning to his breakfast. His head felt better, but his body still needed sustenance. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Twilight gushed in happiness, wrapping both legs around the stallion’s chest. Awe yeah, chick magnet right here! Matthew grinned like an idiot, Twilight turning back to her friends. Before leaving, Applejack decided to talk to Matthew, “Here ya go partner.” The cowpony tossed a sack of gold coins in front of Matthew’s plate. Matthew looked at the sack inquisitively, “What are these for?” “Yur pay silly,” Applejack responded. The mare rolled her eyes when Matthew gave her a blank stare. “Remember, I told ya I’d pay for you working on my farm?” “Don’t be insulted, I forgot lots of things. I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast.” “Yur eating breakfast right now.” Matthew looked down at his plate of eggs and hay, “Oh yeah.” Reaching for the bag, Matthew removed a single bit. The gold coin reflecting in the bright morning light, “So what do I do with this?” Applejack snorted, This guy’s got a thick skull. “Whatever ya want. It’s yur money.” “So I can spend these on anything I want?” “As long as you have enough.” “But these are mine? I don’t have to use them for anything else?” Matthew stressed. “Yes,” Applejack rolled her eyes. “That’s what a paycheck if for. Duh.” Matthew looked at the coin for several seconds, taking in the implications of Applejack’s words. “I’ve never had a paycheck before,” he muttered to himself. “Then what did they pay you with when you were fighting demons?” Applejack asked, Matthew not helping with her own hangover. The pounding in her head seemed to be growing worse. Lucky me. “They didn’t.” Surprised, Applejack was going to respond, but was interrupted by a very annoyed Twilight. “Applejack, we’ve got to go! The train’s going to leave in twenty minutes!” Applejack nodded, saying goodbye to her sister and telling her not to do anything crazy. Also to follow whatever Matthew said, “He’s gonna be the boss of you three fillies until we get back.” “Okay,” the CMC groaned. With that, the six mare burst from the library towards the train station. Matthew eyed the three fillies, all of them looking at him with huge eyes. Okay Matthew, you can’t ruin these kids like the last bunch. You must resist the urge to be a jerk. Must not rub a-holeness onto these innocent children. Resist Matthew! Resist! Matthew asked, “What do you three want to do?” Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo and Applebloom thought deeply, Matthew almost feeling the heat from their small brains. “Could you help us get our cutie marks?” Sweetie Bell asked, almost melting Matthew’s face with her smile. It burns us! It burns us! Matthew answered, turning away from Sweetie Bell’s bright purple eyes, “Sure, I’ll help you girls.” What can possibly go wrong? “Yeah!” the three girls cheered. Matthew turned to Spike. The dragon was staring at Matthew with pity, You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into. “We can try getting our cutie mark in pottery,” Sweetie Bell offered. That’s sounds boring. Scootaloo shot down that idea, “PLEASE! That’s a lame idea. How about an awesome cutie mark? Like airship bungie jumping!” Ah yeah! That sounds awesome! Applebloom interjected, “How about we try something that won’t kill us? How about crocodile wrestling? That’d be a cool cutie mark.” How is that any less dangerous? “We could try explosive ordinance disposal. There’s a retired Royal Guard that use to do that when he was still in the service,” Sweetie Bell said. Um… what? “Oh!” Scootaloo jumped up, her wings holding her in the air for several seconds. “How about dragon riders? We could get cutie marks for taming our own dragons!” I’m starting to get scared. “We could try necromancy again. We were so close to bringing back Applejack’s dead sapling. A pony shouldn’t be that difficult,” Applebloom stated, scratching her chin. I just don’t know what to say to that. “There’s always that cutie mark in pyrotechnics?” Scootaloo said, eyes fixed on the glowing sun outside the window. The three fillies turned to Matthew, seeing his look of shock. “Are you okay Matthew?” Applebloom asked. “There’s something really wrong with you children. Really,” Matthew responded, his brown eyes full of confused horror. “What do you have in mind for a cutie mark?” Scootaloo asked. “How about I take you girls to get some candy and we never speak of this again?” Matthew asked. Good, distract them with sugary treats. “Yes!” The three congratulated themselves, shaking hooves. Matthew’s eyebrow twitched, I think I just got outsmarted by a bunch of little kids. Matthew turned to Spike, “What about you?” Spike smiled, “Sure.” Jumping off his chair, Spike commented, “When we get back we can watch some TV.” “Wait, ponies have TV?” “Yeah brony,” Spike chuckled. Moving towards the bookshelf, Spike procured from it a single remote control. With the press of a button, a sixty-inch plasma wide screen TV rose from the floor in front of a bookshelf. Matthew’s eyes wide with surprise. Spike explained, “Discord wanted to give something to everypony after he was reformed. With some help from a few companies, Discord introduced television to all of Equestria. So far there are forty channels.” That mad bastard, Matthew thought. These innocent ponies do not know the evil Discord has unleashed. The CMC led the way, Matthew and Spike following closely. 0 0 0 Twilight sat patiently on the Friendship Express. To Twilight’s surprise, her friends were non-talkative on the ride to Canterlot. Twilight assumed everypony was just tired. Rarity rubbed her eyes, finally breaking the silence, “Why on earth would Princess Celestia ask us to leave so early in the morning?” Twilight shrugged, “I don’t know. Princess Celestia didn’t mention what this meeting is about.” Applejack shrugged, “Ah guess we’ll find out soon enough. Ah just hope Applebloom isn’t driving Matthew crazy.” All the mares giggled. Miles away, Matthew sat to the side of the CMC while lounging against the soft sitting cushion. Yeah, Spongebob Squarepants! The best show eva! Spike even joined in on the fun, munching on a bright blue sapphire. The CMC were enjoying lollypops nearly the size of their heads. Rainbow Dash said, “I’m sure he can handle it. He took on a hydra for pete’s sake, I’m sure three fillies wouldn’t be too much of a hoof-full. They’ll be fine.” Rarity shivered. Matthew’s voice echoing in her head, Hey kids! Let’s play a game. It’s called Russian roulette. First pony to die losses! Rarity turned to Fluttershy, the yellow Pegasus mirroring her worried looks.”You thought of the same thing didn’t you?” “I’m sure it was nothing,” Rainbow Dash brushed off the uneasy feeling permeating the air. Twilight sighed in contentment. The remainder of the train ride was uneventful. The Mane Six made their through the streets of Canterlot, passing through the gilded gates to the castle. Moving through the halls, Shining Armor and Cadence joined the group in front of the throne room doors. “Do you two know what this is about?” Twilight asked. Shining Armor and Cadence shook their heads. “No Twilight. Princess Celestia hasn’t told us anything.” Disturbed, everypony entered the throne room. Celestia stood in front of her throne, her mane blowing in an unknown soft breeze. “Welcome back my little ponies,” Celestia greeted the group. Bowing in respect, everypony waited patiently for the princess to say something. Anytime now. Princess Celestia stood silently in front of the expecting ponies. Cadence approached Celestia, poking her shoulder with a shaking hoof, “Auntie, are you okay?” From behind Celestia, a green streak of energy plowed into Cadence. Cadence flying into Shining Armor, the white unicorn was barely able to stop his wife’s hurdle with his forelegs. Everypony gasped in horror, Chrysalis appearing from behind Celestia’s golden throne, “Oh it is so good to see all of you again.” Twilight’s eyes filled with horror. From the doorway, hundreds of black bodies flooded into the throne room. The eight ponies had no chance. The changelings ruthlessly swarmed them, pinning each and every one to the ground. Rainbow Dash yelled, a field of green magic pressing her into the hard marble floor, “Chrysalis! Why are you here?” Chrysalis chuckled, “I thought you ponies would know me better. I’m here to take over Canterlot. What else would I be her for? Fashion?” “Well,” Rarity commented, “You could use a little color with that hair.” “Silence!” Shining Armor fought against his bonds, “Just you wait bug! Princess Luna will stop you if we can’t.” “Oh,” Chrysalis smiled, sending a very cold feeling through everypony in the room. “I don’t think the Princess of the Moon will be of any help to you.” Princess Luna snored loudly in her bed of deep velvet covers. Drool pooled under the dignified princess’s muzzle. Luna dreamed a dream unlike any dream before. But due to its nature, the author cannot in good taste describe the sheer awesome of Princess Luna’s dream. A dream so amazing that it would blow your mind. Twilight gritted her teeth, I may know one pony. Chrysalis watched in amusement at Twilight’s reddening face. Twilight tried to perform magic she had never tried before. Hello! Hello! Matthew’s head spun around the room, trying to locate Twilight’s screaming voice. “Did any of you hear that?” “No,” Spike and the CMC answered, giving Matthew very worried looks. Matthew! We need your help! Matthew held his hooves to his ears, “NO voices in my head! I will not help you spill the blood of children!” “What?” three fillies screamed in horror. What! No! Canterlot is under attack by changelings! The girls and I are trapped in the throne room. We need your help! Matthew raised an eyebrow, “Twilight, what about the guards I saw at the castle? I’m sure they can handle it.” … … … Seriously? “Fine,” Turning to the ponies and dragon, Mathew said, “Canterlot’s under attack and Twilight’s in trouble. I’ll be back.” Heading towards the door, Matthew said over his shoulder, “Spike, you’re in charge.” Sweetie Bell, Scottaloo and Applebloom turned to Spike. After the door slammed shut, Matthew could not help but hear the library filling with loud laughter. First things first, where’s Canterlot? Matthew wracked his brains. Matthew’s brown eyes explored the mountainside, until he found the tall white marble walls built in the side of the mountain. That was easy. Matthew burst into the air, his wings flapping madly. Don’t worry Twilight. Matthew’s coming to save the day! And maybe get little something in return… Oh yeah! 0 0 0 “Why did you call Matthew out of all ponies?” Applejack snapped at Twilight from inside a clear green cocoon. Surrounding the two thrones of the goddesses, the eight ponies were being held captive by slimy green cocoons. Chrysalis lounged in Celestia throne, the Sun Goddess standing stock still next to her. Chrysalis sighed, “Celestia how do you stand sitting on this uncomfortable throne? I guess you need that extra cushion in your flank to enjoy it.” Twilight muttered to Applejack, “Sorry! I panicked! Matthew wasn’t my first choice. He was my second.” “Who the hay was the first one?” Shining Armor asked. “Big Mac.” “What did Big Mac say?” Fluttershy asked. From the orchard of apple trees, Big Mac’s shrill screams filled the air. “No voices in my head! There will be no Sweet Apple Massacre! GO AWAY!” “Harsh,” Rainbow Dash hissed. General Thrall burst into the throne room, bowing low when he reached Chrysalis. “General Thrall, how goes the invasion?” “Very good, my Queen,” Thrall answered. “A few guards remain are locked in combat with our forces, but they will soon be dealt with. “Excellent,” Chrysalis smiled. Rainbow Dash, having enough of Chrysalis, shouted, “Enjoy the victory your victory while you can bug! Cause when Matthew gets here, he’s gonna kick your flank into next week!” “Oh really?” Chrysalis chastised. “Yeah!” “Yeah?” “Yeah!” “Yeah?” “Yes,” Rainbow Dash spat. “He took on a hydra without a problem. What makes you think you’re gonna have a chance?” Chrysalis scratched her chin, much to the ponies’ annoyance, “Because I planned for this so called Matthew.” Jumping to her feet, Queen Chrysalis moved towards the window, “Tell me, what can one pony do against an army of over a thousand changelings?” BOOM! Chrysalis’s eyes widened, the sky over Canterlot set ablaze with black energy. “Um, that,” Rainbow Dash respended. 0 0 0 Matthew peared down on Canterlot, I wish I had a can of Raid right now. Ponies raced along the streets, trying to avoid the black insects chasing them. A loud buzzing filled the air, accompanying the screams of the ponies. So those are changelings. Dark shadows covered Matthew’s right arm, his left encased in crystal. Raising his right hoof, Matthew fired at a large cluster of changelings flying above the white washed buildings. That’ll liven things up! The horror struck changelings failed miserably to scatter. Matthew rushed towards the flying bugs, his hoof held ready to punch something. The changelings were agile. Their thin membranes were able to fly circles around Matthew’s frontal assault. Matthew’s hoof struck forward, the infuriating bugs dodging his attacks. Matthew kicked and punched the air, only catching one or two changelings for every ten strikes. Note to self, must learn how to punch things while flying. After a changeling managed to corkscrew around Matthew’s right hoof, Matthew finally lost it. “I’m gonna blow all of you freaking bugs to kingdom come!” Slamming his hooves together, a shockwave of blue energy blasted through the sky. Changelings fell from the sky, onto the streets and roofs of Canterlot. The citizens of Canterlot screamed, the unconscious bugs crashing all around them. It’s raining changelings. Hallelujah! It’s raining changelings. Amen. Amen! Matthew plowed into the hard stone streets, smacking his chin on the ground. Not to self, must work on landing. There was no time to waste. The changelings were still loose on the general populace. Pulling himself up, Matthew’s attention was drawn on the entire squadron of changeling rushing towards him. Their warped horns alight with green magic. Matthew jumped into the air, but was jerked back into the ground. Green energy held Matthew’s hind hooves in place Chrysalis’s voice rang in the changeling’s heads, “All available changelings, destroy the gold alicorn!” Hundreds of changelings took to the air, flooding towards Matthew. Matthew smashed his hooves into the ground, to try and separate himself from the magic. No such luck. The hundred or so changelings were able to hold Matthew in place. Matthew’s head shot to the sky, thousands if not tens of thousands of life sources filled the heavens. All of their horns were pointed directly at him. Ah, nutsack. The world around Matthew exploded in green fire. All of the changelings fired in unison. From the windows of the throne room, General Thrall and Chrysalis watched their army rain green firry death on Matthew. “So much for your hero,” Chrysalis smiled, her fangs contorting a usually happy emotion into one of nightmare. The Queen turned away from the window, returning her attention back to the ponies at hand. Thrall continued to stare at the battle, something felt wrong here. Using his magic, Thrall enhanced his vision to see the street Matthew once stood. The changelings halted their fire, smoke filling the air. The changelings waited with bated breath. No one moved. Dark grey smoke swirled before the army. The smoke cleared, leaving the changelings gasping in surprise. Thrall’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Ok, that hurt.” Burning hair filled Matthew’s nostrils, his mane and coat smoldering. Leaving Matthew almost completely covered in black soot. What scared the changeling more was the look on Matthew’s face. The changeling’s black exoskeletons paled at the scowl they were receiving. In a flurry of movement, Matthew took advantage of the changelings’ weakened bonds and burst through them. The changelings only saw Matthew’s hooves before he made contact with their faces, repeatedly mind you. Changelings scattered in every direction. Some spraying volleys of green magic onto the buildings hoping to hit Matthew, catching fellow changelings in the crossfire. Matthew’s smashed his hoof into a large changeling, even bigger than he was. Grabbing its horn, Matthew threw his opponent into an unfortunate group of changelings foolish enough to rush him. Matthew’s ears picked up a disheartening sound. Two young children screamed for help, their parents tried to cover them as best they could. One a boy and the other a girl screamed from between their parents legs. The changeling not fleeing from Matthew continued to collect ponies, to later siphon their love. Thrall could not believe this was happening, the stallion in his vision appeared out of thin air to deliver viscous attacks on his men. Then he’d disappear before reappearing elsewhere. Just who is this pony? Then the stallion stopped, his brown pupils contracting into pinpricks. Matthew ran towards the source of the screams. Skidding around the corner of a building, the family being set upon came into Matthew’s sights. They four ponies cowering in the corner of an alleyway. Matthew’s hooves thundered against the cobblestone streets, he had several blocks to cover in a hurry. Above him, several changelings prepared to stop him. Green balls of magic cut through the walls of a three story building, causing the structure to collapse into the streets. Matthew, due to his idiocy, did not pay attention to giant falling wall of doom ahead of him. His eyes were fixed on the ponies needing his help. The structure smashed into Matthew’s head. Thrall could not explain what happened next. Matthew pushed through the marble stone like it was barely there. All Matthew’s energies where focused on getting to those children and nothing would stop him. Thrall gasped. The building split around Matthew’s head, parting like the Red Sea split for Moses. Heavy stone, wood, and glass collided against the ground around Matthew’s hooves. A spiky haired shadow fell across the family of ponies and changelings. The changelings felt a cold shiver run down their spines. When they turned around, Matthew grabbed the closest one on the right by the horn. Using the horn as a handle, Matthew smacked the other two changelings with their companion. Coming to a store near you, the Changeling Club. Bash your enemies with your enemies! It fun for the whole family Caution: use Changeling Club as directed and only to destroy your enemies. Wrongful use of the Changeling Club can result in injury, loss of limb and erectile dysfunction. Please consult your nearest vet if any of these issues present themselves. Remember, it’s a Changeling Club. Chrysalis looked away from the captured ponies, finding Thrall’s jaws wide open. “What is it General?” “Raise the barrier to the castle,” Thrall whispered. “Why?” Chrysalis felt a stab of fear hit her, “Because we don’t want to mess with that pony.” “That’s not a good reason.” “Mother-bucker walked through a goddamn building to save some children. WALKED THROUGH IT!” Thrall snapped. Taken aback, Chystal ignited her horn in bright green energy. “Oh you have got to be kidding me!” Matthew yelled, looking towards the castle to find a clear green bubble encase the entire building. With changeling in hoof, bloody and bruised, Matthew rushed to the castle. Matthew’s hooves scrapped against the ground, coming to a sudden stop in front of the translucent energy. Hmmm. What to do? Matthew gave the barrier an experimental prod. The barrier zapped him in response. Taking a step back, Matthew racked his brain. Looking down at the changeling in his hoof, an evil smile crept over Matthew’s muzzle. “AW!” Chrysalis’s ears twitched in annoyance, “What the devil is that sound?” Her answer came in the form of one of her changelings smashing through the glass window, leaving a trail debris as his collided with the floor. Thrall rushed to the down changeling, ensuring they were still breathing. “I have no idea what I was trying to accomplish with that,” Matthew scratched his chin. His attention shifted to a glittering unicorn guard running franticly around the barrier. “Oi, you there! Guard!” The guard stopped in front of Matthew, panting heavily. He was slightly shorter than Matthew, his light brown fur almost completely covered by the gold armor. The guard’s light green eyes filled with hope at the sight of Matthew, “Yes, sir?” “What’s your name soldier?” “Private Trench Digger, sir!” Trying not to laugh, Matthew asked, “Do you know anything about this barrier?” “The barrier repels everything but changeling sir. I’ve scanned it with my magic…” Trent grumbled the next part, his cheeks flushing red with anger and self hatred. “What was that?” “I can’t figure out how to lower the barrier or how to get through it! It’s too powerful for me to do anything,” Trench felt ashamed of himself. A Royal Guard was not supposed to be this helpless. “Don’t worry about that because I just thought of a plan!” Matthew said forcibly. Somewhere in Equestria, a pony shivered in fear. Matthew had a plan. “What is it sir?” “First, don’t call me sir. That makes me feel old,” Matthew corrected him. “Second, my plan is…” Wait for dramatic pause. “I’m going to punch this barrier really hard.” Trent’s jaw dropped, “You can’t be serious.” The look of determination on Matthew’s face told him otherwise. “You’re plan is to punch the magical barrier?” Trent asked flabbergasted. “NO! I’m going to punch it really hard!” Trent felt all the hope leave his body, We are so screwed. Matthew rolled his eyes at Trent’s gawking expression, “Step aside small fry and watch a real man work!” Flying into the air, Matthew climbed high into the sky. Flying above the clouds, Matthew looked down on the green dome. Now was the time for a prep talk. Now’s the time. I’m going to show these changelings a chapter from the greatest human strategist ever known to man. A man who single handedly face hundreds of enemies at once. A man who will forever be known in the history of the world as “LLLLLLEEEEEERRRROYYYYY!” “Where is that coming from?” Chrysalis looked around the throne room for the source of the reverberating shout. “JJJJJJJJJJJJJJEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNKKKKKKKIIIIINNNNNSSSSSSSSSS!” Chrysalis cried out in pain, her barrier cracking down the sides. Thrall rushed to his queen. A single dark shape smashed through the barrier, leaving an explosion of dark energy in his wake. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Shining Armor, Cadence, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack cried out in joy. Matthew flying through the thick roof of the throne room, sending wood and gold shingles clattering onto the polished tile to land face first. Matthew jumped to his hooves. Scanning the room for any danger, Matthew held his hoof ready to punch. Now I need to find Twilight and beat the ever loving crap out of whoever ruined my day. Oh look there’s Twilight! I’m better at this than I thought. Matthew smiled at the trapped ponies, “Don’t worry folks, I’ll save you.” “Do you really think so?” Chrysalis hissed, standing to her full height. General Thrall stood next to his queen. Matthew’s body tensed with Chrysalis standing so close to the hostages. He readied himself for a fight, worried that Chrysalis may turn on the ponies next to her. Chrysalis said in a humorous voice, “Well-well-well, I didn’t expect you to break through my barrier Mr. Matthew.” “Well, I didn’t expect to see you here today uhhhh… You!” Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, “You don’t even know who I am, do you?” “No, mind filling me in?” Matthew tried to keep his voice nice, but some part of him felt the overwhelming urge to punch Chrysalis right in her smug face. “I am Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings! Fourth Queen from the house of Scarabs, founder of the second greatest changeling hive in the entire world. I am the Mother to the Changelings and soon, future ruler of all Equestria,” Chrysalis called to the heavens with a raised hoof. Chrysalis waited patiently to hear any reaction from Matthew. When none came, Chrysalis turned her gaze from the roof to Matthew. Chrysalis’s face turned scarlet red, Matthew wasn’t provideing her with looks of awe or fear like she imagined. Instead, Matthew’s expression was that of a bored pony. His eyes were halfway closed and he looked like he didn’t care about anything Chrysalis had to say. “Sorry, I wasn’t listening. What were you talking about?” Chrysalis felt the veins under the forehead bulge in anger. Matthew asked, unaware of the danger brewing, “Why are you invading Canterlot?” “I am here to take over Canterlot, so that my changelings and I can take their love,” Chrysalis said, spitting out the words with venom. “Why do you need love?” “Because changelings eat love,” Twilight answered. Chrysalis shot the pony a very dirty look. “Do you need love to survive?” Matthew scratched his head in confusion. “Yes,” Chrysalis hissed. “Then why don’t you trade with ponies for their love?” “What?” “I mean,” Matthew began, “If you need something to survive how about you try to trade instead of taking over an entire nation? Build an economy based on trade. Trade goods for the love you eat. If you do this, you can begin to create some good standing with other nations. These nations can become allies. When you create allies, these other nations will be able to send aid to you if you run into any hardships or need help.” I can’t believe I’m being lectured by the same pony who smashed through my barrier. Chrysalis responded, “That isn’t possible. All nations fear the changelings!” “Have you tried playing nice with other nations?” “Um… No,” Chrysalis said, a blush deepening the dark color of her cheeks. “So how can you just willingly take over an entire nation, instead of trying to create diplomatic ties that could be of benefit to you and your changelings?” Twilight rubbed a hoof to her head. Matthew was trying to argue diplomacy with the Queen of the Changelings. This will not end well. “It’s not that simple,” Chrysalis snapped. “Of course it is. For starters, stop being such a bitch.” “D-d-did you just call her Majesty Chrysalis a-?” Thrall asked in a hushed voice. “Sure did,” Matthew grinned. What? It’s true. She’s being a grad ‘A’ b-i-o-t-c-h. Chrysalis’s horn burned bright, almost blinding everypony with its light. “YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!” Chrysalis shrieked, throwing her most powerful spell towards Matthew. Matthew exploded in green light. Every window shattered, the shockwave sending shards of glass out into the open air. Chrysalis cackled madly, victory filling her head. Chrysalis’s mad laugh caught in her throat, a loud yawn snapping her back into reality. From the smoke, Matthew sat in the center of the destroyed floor with only his fur singed. Matthew turned his brown eyes to Chrysalis, “I have a question.” “What?” Chrysalis asked, unsure of what was going to happen. “What’s that thing on your face?” “What thing-“ “MY FIST!” Matthew threw his right hoof into Chrysalis’s muzzle. Chrysalis flew into the wall of marble. The marble cracked under the force of Matthew’s fist. “Chrys-” Thrall began, but a quick smack from Matthew sent the changeling general out one of the shattered windows and into the far off distance. Matthew turned to Celestia, the alicorn frozen in place. Disturb, Matthew moved to the Princess. Matthew tried to get Celestia to move, by poking her several times with his hoof. Matthew said when Celestia failed to respond, “Twilight, I think something wrong with Celestia.” “No kidding,” Twilight snapped. “How about you stop poking the Princess and get us out of these cocoons?!” “Sure,” Matthew turned to the group. Chrysalis shouted, her horn glowing. “Not just yet, hero!” Twilight and the rest of the group where covered in green light. Matthew launched forward, his hooves scrapping across the empty floor. That’s cheating! “Celestia, did you see where the girls went?” Matthew turned to the still frozen Princess. Right. Closing his eyes, Matthew stretched his sensed to the limits. Matthew’s head spun, the hundreds of life sources blinding him. Matthew bit his lower lip, the overflow of information hurting his head like a jackhammer. Where are they? A hint of violet caught Matthew’s attention. It was faint. Like the smell of stale perfume still lingering in an empty room. Matthew followed faded light, leading deeper into the mountain Canterlot stood atop. There they were. Inside the mountain, Matthew felt the faint glimmer of eight ponies he recognized. Matthew opened his eyes, They’re in the middle of the mountain. I just hope Celestia has castle insurance. Lifting his right hoof, Matthew readied himself for a long dig. 0 0 0 Inside the crystal caverns, Chrysalis rubbed her cheek, That’s smart! Chrysalis’s horn glowed, revealing the cocoons carrying the Mane 6, Shining Armor and Cadence surrounding her. Chrysalis sniffed the air, the spores filled the air with the bitter sent of moss. Applejack snapped, “What do ya plan to do now?” “Oh, I’m going to use you seven as hostages,” Chrysalis said. “And how do you plan to do that?” Shining Armor snapped. “The Royal Guards will be down her looking for you.” “No pony can enter these mines. Or else fall prey to the spores my changeling released all throughout these caves. I will release my demands to Celestia as soon as my magic wears off,” Chrysalis offered, feeling good that something will go right today. A low rumbling shook the cavern, Chrysalis groaning, “What now?!” The rumbling increased in intensity, cracking large crystal structures surrounding the group. Chrysalis summoned a barrier, pieces of crystal bouncing harmlessly off the green energy to protect her and her hostages. Matthew burst through the roof of the dark mines. Surprised at the sudden loss of rocks to support his hooves, Matthew’s wings extended to slow his extent. “ACHOO!” Matthew sneezed, while in freefall. This smells like my Grandmother’s attic. Matthew’s brown eyes squinted, trying to see anything in the pitch blackness. When nothing present itself, Matthew fell back on his other worldly senses. Matthew slowly moved toward Twilight’s energy. Now let’s go save- OW! Matthew cursed, his head colliding with a thick rock. Chrysalis, and the ponies turned to the voice reverberating throughout the extensive cave system. Everypony winced, the sound of a skull smacking into various hard surfaces. Twilight asked, “Do you think Matthew knows he can ignite his horn to create light?” “I don’t think so, darling,” Rarity said, unnerved at the repeated bashing of Matthew’s head. He probably needs all the brain cells he has left. Matthew saw them, a green light shining on eight cocoons. Getting kinda woozy. Matthew shook his head in a vain attempt to clear it. A cloud pressed itself against Matthew’s conscious. With a strong flap of his wings, Matthew descended. Chrysalis held the barrier, Matthew landing directly in front of the orb. “It’s over Chrysalis!” A jab from his right arm, Chrysalis’s magic shattered into a thousand pieces. Chrysalis did not appear to be frightened of the pony in front of him. What’s going on? Matthew stumbled forward, his vision blurring. “Feeling a little down are we?” Chrysalis felt quiet elated right now. Matthew, it seems, was not invincible. Matthew jumped back. The ground he was standing giving way. Reality itself shattered in front of him, leaving Matthew to float in a swirling vortex of colors. Did I take a hit of acid? This is trippy. Twilight shouted at the stallion. “What are you doing?” Matthew didn’t even register her, his brown eyes unfocused. Matthew waved a hoof in front of his face, the appendage moving in a blur of orange and gold colors. Dude my hooves. They look like hooves! Matthew couldn’t help but feel warm inside, a light buzzing in his head. He felt no concern for the world. As if all his problems were blocked by this fuzziness inside him. Chrysalis turned to Twilight, “He can’t hear you know. Matthew is now under the influence of Lichen Spores.” Chrysalis spoke into Matthew’s mind, “Matthew.” Matthew jerked to the side, a pale visage appearing before him. The pale pony’s head offered Matthew a kind smile with her pale green eyes, her voice was welcoming, “Matthew.” Matthew remained silent, unsure of what the heck is going on. “You are so tired,” the pale pony said. She approached him, tall with a pair of pure white wings. This pony reminded him of an angel, thin but very dignified. Matthew could not think. Part of him wanted to stay in this warm place. The pale pony wrapped her arms around him, embracing him, comforting him. Shining Armor screamed at the motionless Matthew, “Matthew wake up! You’ve got to snap out of it!” Chrysalis looked into Matthew’s mind, her face turning from confident to pale shocked. T-this can’t be real. So much blood! So much loss. How do you live with yourself? Matthew felt her against his body, whispering to him, “You are so strong, Matthew. You have lost so much. You’re pain resonates in your very soul Please, let me take the pain away.” Matthew wanted to say yes. He wanted to give in. To have this angelic pony take away his memories, but he could not. Deep inside his mind that reptilian part rebelled against this idea. There was nothing that could take away his pain. It made him who he is today. “No,” Matthew whispered. The pain was a part of him now. Chrysalis pulled herself from Matthew’s memories, her teeth grinding. Shining Armor and the rest of the ponies cheered, Matthew trying to push the pale specter away with his hooves. The pale pony did not take rejection well. Her shrieking yells filled Matthew’s ears with splitting pain. The swirling colors dissipated, becoming a deep red. The once angelic pony burst into dark matter. The angelic wings crackled and elongated before separating into dozens of sharp points. Can we go back to the cuddling? The wind swirled around Matthew, howling in his ears. The dark pony raised her sharp tendrils, pointing them at Matthew. Chrysalis called to the small number of changelings standing by. In case if the invasion failed. Thirty changelings jumped from the tiny crevices between the rock formations. “Hold him down!” The changelings shot green goop from their horns. The sticky substance covered Matthew, his reflexes unable to avoid any of them. In Matthew’s mind, he saw the dark tendrils wrap around him. Matthew struggled against the green goo, the substance holding onto him tightly. “You will join us!” The dark pony screamed into Matthew’s face. “AH!” Matthew screamed. Something was crawling in his brain. Thousands of tiny black spiders spilled from the dark pony’s mouth onto Matthew. Matthew forced his eyes tightly shut. He’s struggle intensified, fighting against his bonds. The spiders forced their way into Matthew’s screaming muzzle, nose, ears, and in between his eyelids. They were everywhere, a mass off moving legs crawling all over Matthew. They dug into his skin, Matthew gagging at the thousands of tiny legs crawling under his skin. “Give in!” Twilight and the pony watched Matthew writhe. Changeling continuing to coat Matthew in this sticky stuff. “No! I won’t ever give in!” “But you will,” Chrysalis pressured Matthew more. Matthew’s yells intensified, Chrysalis forcing Matthew’s skin to burn. She was in control of his senses and she will punish him for his decadence. The dark pony whispered in his ears, “We can take away your pain.” Matthew’s eyes rolled back into his head. A thousands of insect crawled into his skull, slowly eating away at his brain. “You don’t need to suffer anymore. We can end all this pain.” “I was made by pain and struggle! No one takes away my pain! Pain makes me the best!” Matthew screamed defiantly. Fluttershy covered her head and ears, unable to witness the blood seeping from both of Mathew’s nostrils and his horrendous cries. All through the cavers, Matthew’s screams echoed. Reverberating in on themselves, intensifying his pained calls. “All you need to do is surrender to us. Together, you can become the strongest being in the entire world. We can make you above pain and suffering. All you have to do is surrender,” Chrysalis said through the dark pony. She intensified her torture. To Matthew his fur burst into flames, consuming his flesh. Matthew chocked, his nostrils filling with the smell of burn hair and flesh. “You don’t have the strength to fight us. Just give in.” Chrysalis and the rest of the changelings felt a cold spear slice into their heats. Laughter replacing Matthew’s screams. Twilight could not help but look at Matthew with a horrified expression. Matthew’s eyes turned to Chrysalis, whether he saw her or not no pony knew. The whites of his eyes were replaced with deep red, his brown iris mixing with the black of his pupils. To Chrysalis, she saw a black hole surrounded by crimson red blood. “Tell me,” Matthew’s words cold, “Do you think this is the extent of my power?” Everypony and changeling were left speechless. No one could predict what happened next. Matthew called upon his deepest reserves of power. He would not be beaten today. The changeling sludge was tore away from his body with explosive force. The changelings where unprepared when the shockwave hit, sending them flying deeper into the darkness of the caves. Chrysalis barely held her own, her horn summoning a barrier. Matthew saw the shadow pony blasted into a thousand pieces of floating smoke. “Now I'll finish this!” Matthew slammed his hooves together, putting all his powers into his limbs. The citizens of Canterlot felt the ground tremble underneath their hooves. Everypony screamed, torrents of blue fire bursting from every crack inside the mountain Canterlot. Canterlot was surrounded by columns of twisting fire. Celestia shook her head, Chrysalis’s mind control wearing off. When she came too, she found a giant hole in her throne room and a column of blue fire shooting up into the heavens. “Did I miss something?” Twilight, Shining Armor and the rest of the girls screamed, their cocoons smashing into the wall of the cave. The tough green membrane took the brunt of Matthew’s attack, leaving the girls and Shining to be deafened by the rushing torrent. All they could see was the blinding blaze of blue and white fire. Then there was only darkness. Silence filled the cavern. Twilight fumbled in the darkness with her hoof, finding the cocoon no longer holding her. “T-twily?” Shining Armor asked, his voice shaking. “I’m here, give me a second.” Twilight’s horn slowly ignited, shining lavender light on the blackness. Shining Armor followed Twilight’s example before assisting Cadence to her hooves. Rainbow Dash jumped to her hooves, moving to help Applejack up. “Thanks, sugarcube” Pinkie Pie gently lifted Fluttershy’s hooves away from her face. Pinkie was having difficulty budging the yellow Pegasus from her tight ball. “It’s alright Flutters. You can open your eyes now.” “I mean really! I’ve got green goop and dirt all over my coat,” Rarity groaned dusting herself off. Twilight ignored her, shining her light on the surrounding area. Chrysalis’s pained groan caught the ponies by surprise. Every pony tensed, ready to attack Chrysalis wherever she was. Twilight searched the area, coming across the slumped form of Chrysalis. Her dark exoskeleton was covered in bruises and cuts. Her green blood dripped from a nasty cut across her head, between her lips and nostrils. Her hind leg was twisted completely around. Twilight approached the Changeling Queen. Chrysalis’s eyes were closed, showing no sign of movement even when Twilight gently prodded her with her horn. Twilight turned away from Chrysalis, sure that the changeling was out of commission. Moving forward into the darkness, Twilight heard Rainbow Dash asked, “Where’s Matthew?” Twilight stumbled when she found Matthew. Matthew lay motionless on the ground, blood pooling from his mouth and onto the rocky floor. Twilight rushed to him, the stallion’s eyes were closed. His body convulsed, coughing the blood developing in his lungs into the air. Twilight quickly scanned Matthew for any injuries. Twilight yelled to the rest of the group, “Girls we need to move quick! He’s lungs are filling up with blood!”