//------------------------------// // This is the part where we leave you // Story: So...What do I do Now? // by Dr Atlas //------------------------------// “So...Uh...Are you two...well, done?” Sombra cleared his throat while Chrysalis looked down and blushed. “Uh…” Sombra started. “Yeah, I...Uh, I think we...sorted things out.” Chrysalis nodded. “Y-yes, um...I think that...uh...we were able to, come to an agreement, right Sombra?” She raised an eye in a seductive manner that cause the king to blush. “Yes! We...o-our agreement is to...not...fight...anymore.” Sombra then leaned on her and whispered. “Unless that’s something the queen would enjoy~” “What’d you say?” Twilight asked. Still trying to process just what happened minutes ago. Sombra backed away and cleared his throat again. “I said me and the queen won’t fight. Yep, no hate toward each other.” He smiled, as did the queen. Twilight was starting to get suspicious. “No offence guys, but, how do you know ones not controlling the other?” Sombra tilted his head. “What do you mean?” “What I mean is that you both have hypnotic magic, how do you know you’re not being controlled by-” Chrysalis waived her hooves. “Wait, wait, wait. You think one of us can control the other though hypnosis?” Twilight nodded awkwardly. “Well, Sombra can control a whole empire.” “And Chrysalis can control a simple minded stallion.” Shining grumbled. Cadance noticed and leaned on him. “I’m sure only the most powerful of magic could control you, Shining.” She reassured him. Chrysalis chuckled. “Actually, his mind is very easy to-” “Back to the question.” Twilight interrupted. “Sombra, what makes you think you’re in control with her? And Chrysalis, are you sure he’s not controlling you right now?” “You think one of us can overpower the other?” Sombra asked. Twilight nodded, causing the king and queen to look at each other for a few seconds before chuckling. “Really?” Sombra said. “I doubt she could take my eyes on.” He glanced over at her, his eyes starting to turn greener than before. Chrysalis sighed. “If he wanted to control me, he’d have to get past my eyes first.” She smiled and stared into Sombra’s eyes, her own eyes started turning green as well. Twilight looked back and forth at the rulers, their eyes locked in a trance that she couldn’t understand. “Um, are you guys doing that right now?” “Doing what?” Both the king and queen asked. Their eyes now looking at Twilight. “You know what I’m...ugh.” Twilight groaned and shook her head. “Forget it, can we just get back to making peace.” “Making peace?” Chrysalis stepped forward. “You still want us to make peace?” Twilight’s ear flicked. “Um, yeah, you guys stopped fighting and-” Sombra stood closer to Twilight. “So just because me and her stopped fighting; you think we’ll not do it to you?” Twilight tapped her hoof. “Well, you’re not as strong as before, and you two are out numbered.” Sombra and Chrysalis looked at each other and back at Twilight. “O-outnumberheheherd Pffffff...HAAHAHAHAHAAAA!” Both of them went into a state of laughter, with Chrysalis holding her stomach and Sombra rolling on his back. “She- She thinks we’ll just….jah...just make peace like thaahahahhat!?” Sombra pounded the ground and continued laughing. “I-I don’t even think...sh...she knows what...whaahahahhaa!” Chrysalis covered her face with her hair and tried to stop laughing, but it was too much for her. As for Twilight, and everyone else, they couldn’t understand what was so funny. “Um, why are you-” Sombra stood up and took deep breaths. “Whahaell, for starters, I can still control the crystals and the slaves with a flick of a hoof.” He stared off into space once he realized what he said. “Hey. I said slaves normally.” Chrysalis wiped a tear from her eye and sighed. “Not only that, but I’m sure with the love I have from Sombra, and with my children ready to fight, I think you...uh…” She counted everypony in front of her. “Eight ponies can’t defeat us.” Twilight and her friends couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Cadance stood up. “You two are still trying to be evil?” “Trying?” Sombra scoffed. Twilight stepped back, unsure as to how to handle the situation. “I thought you guys didn’t want to take over eques-” “We don’t,” Chrysalis said. “We just want to rule just a small portion, enough for me and the children to live by.” “And the crystal empire is the perfect choice; it should be easy to rule,” Sombra leaned on his queen. “With a queen by my side.” Chrysalis smiled and rolled her eyes. “Yes, together, we can handle it. So,” Chrysalis glared at Twilight. “Either you leave now, or we will take this place...by force…” She ended with a look so evil it made Twilight shiver. “Oh yeah! You and what army?” Pinkie yelled before getting punched in the arm by Applejack. “She has an army Pinkie.” “Actually, Uh, queen Chrysalis?” Chrysalis and Sombra turned around to see a group of changelings in front of the crowd of ponies and drones. “What is it child?” Chrysalis asked. “You are prepared to fight if they chose not to-” “Um, queen, me and...well, all of us, t-the ponies included,” The changeling rubbed his hooves together. “kinda...talked here and there about things and, we decided that...well…” “Well what?” Chrysalis stood over her subject. “Are you going against my orders child?” “Yes and no.” Another changeling spoke up. “We are, in fact, thinking about staying here, but not in a way you would, well…like.” “What do you mean?” Sombra said menacingly. “What they mean is that they want to help us.” A crystal pony stepped in front of the cowering changelings. “Bug or not they are actually very friendly.” “Friendly?” Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “These drones don’t even know the definition, they are trained to be-” “Normal.” One changeling said. “And we’re not drones Chrysie, we can think and comprehend things, like what happened over at Canterlot.” “Yeah,” Another changeling stepped forward. “I’m pretty sure some of us wanted to, at the very least, talk to someone before we went in.” The bug glanced over at the crystal ponies. “These ponies seem to understand that we just want a place to stay instead of a dark, damp, cave.” “Well,” Sombra sneered. “I doubt they will once I control their-” “Sorry, king Sombra,” Another changeling from the crowd said. “but, I’m afraid we...can’t let you do that.” Chrysalis was starting to think this was some sick joke her children were pulling on her. “C-changelings! Children, I am your queen, and you must obey your ruler.” “And they want a new ruler!” A crystal pony yelled. “Y-yeah, a-and so do they.” A changeling exclaimed. Sounds of agreement were heard from the crowd, and Sombra and Chrysalis were having a tough time understanding what was going on. “Y-your revolting against me?” The ponies nodded while the changelings scratched their necks and looked down. “Don’t think of it as revolting, queen, think of it as, not following your orders and doing things the way we want to do.” Sombra stomped his hooves on the ground. “That is the very definition of revolting!” “Actually,” A crystal pony in glasses stepped up. “Revolting means that-” “I DON’T CARE!” Chrysalis yelled. “All I care about is having me, Sombra, and my subjects rule this kingdom!” “Okay chrysalis; one, it’s an empire, and two; I think it’s about time we just...forget about the whole ‘taking over’ thing and just...live in it.” The changelings shrugged and agreed with the statement. “Live in it?” Chrysalis had never heard of such a thing. “W-what do you think we’ll do, we are going to live in it, we will rule over-” Twilight stepped in between both the king and queen. “I think I understand what’s going on here.” “Oh really?” Sombra said. “Enlighten me, because last time I remember, I was on the verge of destroying you, and I can do it agai-” “To tell you the truth, Sombra. You did have us in your hooves, but you started figuring out that, maybe it’s not what you really wanted.” Twilight turned to Chrysalis. “Same with you, you also wanted to take over, but what happens when you do? I doubt the ponies will love what you do to them, and I don’t think making them mine for crystals will boost their chances of living longer. ” Twilight scuffed the ground while Sombra and Chrysalis started realizing their plans had failed from the start. “That’s what I don’t really get about villains, they want to take over, and sure it’s fun for a while, but what happens after. You two might have each other, but you might break up again, and you already heard from your children, Chrysalis, they don’t like what you’re putting them through.” “Nope!” A changeling yelled with popcorn in his mouth. “Nahwt at awl!” He swallowed and whispered to a nearby pony, “This is the best part, where the hero asks the ‘and then what’ question.” “What?” The pony whispered back, only for the changeling to shove another hoof full of popcorn into his mouth. “The point is,” Twilight continued. “If you guys want live in a place you think is great, then just...join us.” “Join you?” Sombra took that as an insult. “W-why would we want to-” “Well, for one thing, you have eight ponies, one being an alicorn, and a large crowd of others who are against your actions.” Twilight pointed at the crowd. Each one of them nodding. “As much as I hate to say it,” One changeling said. “The element bearer has a point, can’t we just live with the see-through ponies without being mean to them, I’m sure we can work things out.” “The changelings did say they feed off love;” one pony pointed at the crystal heart. “can’t they just use the crystal heart as a food source?” Chrysalis rubbed her head, all of this started becoming too much for her to handle. First her children betrayed her, and now her entire plan has failed. “The whole point of coming here was to get the crystal anyway.” “But did we really have to take it by force?” One of her subjects questioned. “Yes we...we...uh...well, if we just...I only...they...huh…” Chrysalis scratched her head. Letting that question sink in. “And what were you gonna do once you got the heart Sombra?” Twilight asked. Sombra started acting like he was when he was a cloud, with absolutely no voice in him and unable to utter any sentence. “I...was gonna...smash- no...that’d be bad for all of us.” “My kind especially.” Chrysalis said. “I didn’t even know you and your kind would interrupt me in trying to take over.” “Exactly, interrupt you trying, and as you can see, you failed at it.” “W-well so did you!” Twilight came in between them again. “Can we please not fight again, I’d rather not see the end result. I’m sure the others would agree.” The king and queen blushed while the others remembered how they ‘talked it out’ “Well, Chrysie…” Sombra looked up at her. “Sombra…” They gazed into one another for a while, knowing there was nothing they could do, it was just the two of them, wanting to take over, and even if they did, it would lead down a road to nowhere. “So, what do you two have to say for yourselves?” Twilight crossed her hooves, waiting for a response. Sombra grumbled and Chrysalis sighed. “You can’t be serious.” “Come on…” Twilight motioned them to say it. “I’m...we’re...sshmery…” Sombra grumbled, not even daring to say the words. Twilight smiled. “W-what? I couldn’t hear you?” “Sombra said we’re...srrehy…” Chrysalis covered her face with her hair, not wanting to see the embarasment she was being put through “You’re what?” Twilight was starting to enjoy this. She never thought she’d get her enemies to say these two words in her life. Sombra groaned and Chrysalis face-hoofed. “We’re sorry.” They said as fake as possible. “Like you mean it.” Cadance laughed. “Don’t push your luck, princess.” Chrysalis said through her grinding teeth. Twilight shrugged. “Well, I guess that’s the best we can get out of them.” The unicorn then felt the force of a brick wall tackling her into the ground. Seconds later, she realized it was an oversized changeling. “Does this mean we can live here now?” He asked happily. “What Twig said.” Another changeling ran up to Cadance. “Can we stay here, I know we kinda...ruined a wedding, but we can make it up to ya by helping the shiny ponies.” “Yeah, princess.” A crystal pony yelled. “These guys could help out a lot.” Cadance looked at Shining, “They can help out, Shining.” Chrysalis crossed her hooves. “Help suck the life outta you ingrates…” “What was that?” Twilight stood back up and faced Chrysalis. “Nothing!” Chrysalis yelled. “C-can we just...I don’t know…” Chrysalis shook her head, not knowing how to go about this situation. “You guys can stay here.” Twilight suggested. “I am not staying here without watching over everything with an iron hoof.” Sombra growled. “I’d rather live in a cave!” “You can stay at our other home.” The over-sized changeling said. “It’s a cave, and it should be very roomy if it’s just the two of you.” Chrysalis glared at her child. “You want me to leave too?” “Not leave, just, not be around us.” Sombra was on the verge of pulling his hair out. “That’s the exact def- You know what, fine. We’ll go!” Sombra started walking away. “You can’t be serious, Sombra.” Chrysalis walked alongside him. “You’re just gonna walk away.” “You two can stay here.” Twilight repeated. “And do what?” Sombra yelled. “Just laze about and watch a prince and princess rule over a kingdom I once had, sorry mare, but I’d rather not see my once prized empire be ruled over those two.” He pointed at Shining and Cadance. “So, go on, take it, and I sincerely hope you make the best of it.” He ended mockingly. “Sombree.” Chrysalis reached out for him, only for him to swat her hoof away. “Don’t call me that! I-I’m not…” Sombra held in his words, knowing it would only make the situation worse. “Sorry. A-are you coming?” Chrysalis rubbed her hoof and looked back at Twilight. “I-I guess, I was really hoping it wouldn’t end like this…I thought it would end with something...I don't know." “We can sing a song.” A changeling said before getting smacked upside the head by his brother. “Twig,” The changeling said. “that is the stupidest-” “Hmmm.” Chrysalis scratched hers chin and smiled. Sombra dropped his jaw. “You can’t be serious.” Chrysalis shrugged. “It’s better than walking out of here quietly.” Sombra sighed, knowing how this goes. “Fine, but you’re the one doing it.” Chrysalis chuckled and cleared her throat. Wanting to make this moment last, after all, this is the last they’ll hear about her and Sombra for a long time, so she might as well make the most of it. Twilight facehoofed, knowing this could only end in disaster. “Here we go…” “Well, here I am again It’s always such a pleasure remember how you tried to destroyed me twice.” “But we didn’t really-” “Oh how we laughed and laughed except I’m not really laughing under these circumstances I’m being shockingly nice!” Chrysalis flew into the air and continued. “You want your kingdom, take it. That is what I'll believe~” “It’s not a kingdom though.” “I used to want to rule but, now I only want to leave~” She landed next to Shining and wrapped a hoof around him. “He’s a lot like you, maybe not quite as stupid,” Shining growled and pushed her arm away. “What’s that supposed to-” Chrysalis ran over to Sombra and leaned on him. “But now little Sombree lives with me too” “Little?” Sombra said. “And what do you mean by t-” “One day they woke me up, so I could rule forever, it’s such a shame the same will also happen to you~” Cadance tilted her head. “How is that a shame.” “You’ve got your long sad life left! That is what I'll believe~ I’ll let you get right to it now I only want to leave” “You call that a verse?” Sombra asked while Chrysalis was staring off into the distance. “I can make better-” Chrysalis turned around, smacking Sombra in the process, and turned to Twilight. “Goodbye my only friend, Oh, did you think I meant you that would be funny, if it weren't so sad.” Twilight raised an eye. “What in Celestia’s name are you talking abo-” Chrysalis pointed at the crystal heart. “Well, that has been replaced. I don’t need anything now when I forget you maybe I’ll never stop feeling so glad!” "What's that suppose to-" “Go fix some new disaster~ That is what I’ll believe~ I’ll let you get right to it not I only want to leave~” Chrysalis flared up her horn, surrounding both her and Sombra in a ring of green fire. “Now we only want to leave~” They both started sinking into the ground. Sombra was startled at first, but he didn’t mind, he had dealt this this type of magic before, so he just sat up and lazily waved at everyone. “This is so stupid…” “Now I only want to leeeeeeeave!” And just like that, the song ended, and all that was left were scorch marks from the ring and a crowd of ponies and changelings, all of them looking at one another, wonder what they should do now. “Well, that was...unpleasant…” Twilight said. “I liked it.” A changeling yelled, only to get smacked by a brother. Twilight looked up at the crowd, the mixture of ponies and changelings were unsettling, even for her. So, with nothing else to think of, and with this situation being more awkward than ever, she turned to her friends and said. “Let’s get out of here.”