//------------------------------// // Resolve // Story: Atonement for a Wayward Dragoon // by Belligerent Bindlestiff //------------------------------// Resolve She was exactly how Kain had remembered her. Soft but strong features, entrancing blue eyes and silky blonde hair. Rosa put a hand to his face and Kain closed his eyes from the touch. Her hand moved down his shoulders and arms. Despite wearing armor, the dragoon could feel every caress. Then the white mage pulled him into an embrace. With Rosa this close, Kain was able to take in her scent, not inundated by perfume, but a mixture of flowers, medical supplies, and the white mage herself. “You needn’t suffer Kain.” Rosa said. She then locked lips with him. Kain moved his hands across her back and shoulders as he finally shared his love that he had harbored for so many years into that kiss. “Geez, you think whatever Cadence had to say, she’d have said it by now.” Rainbow Dash said as she and Rarity made their way upstairs. “I’m sure it’s nothing,” Rarity said. “We simply need to remind them to come downstairs. After all, it’s not as if the two of them are partaking in any sort of promiscuity.” Rainbow snorted a laugh. “Yeah, could you imagine?” “Come to me Kain.” A familiar voice sounded from the other side of the door. Both mares exchanged glances and then opened the door. On the other side, Kain was standing perfectly still, facing Cadence: the princesses’ mane was in the air as if she were underwater with a faint green magic that emanated from her horn. She opened her mouth, exposing fangs. Rainbow Dash wasted no time to charge in front of Cadence. “What the hay are you doing?!” “Hey Rainbow Dash, don’t you know it’s rude to barge in on somepony if they’re with somepony else in a room?” Pinkie Pie said while bouncing in with a cake on her back. “Wait, Kain’s up here with Cadence? What are they doing?” The pink mare then finally looked at what was happening. Cadence looked at the three mares while maintaining her spell on Kain. “You will not deny me this meal!” she said. “Yeah well, that was the purpose of the cake. “Pinkie Pie said. Cadence, then flared her magic, and revealed the chitenous skin that the mares recognized all too well. “Chrysalis” Rarity and Rainbow Dash said. “I simply cannot fathom why you would be doing this again.” Rarity continued. “This isn’t some power grab little pony. I came here with the intentions to destroy the one pony that has caused me so much grief.” Chrysalis said. “Twilight Sparkle.” The mares scowled at the changeling queen’s intentions. “However, I just couldn’t bear to back away from the opportunity to feed on such a delicious morsel.” Chrysalis said, shifting her gaze back at Kain. ”So much unrequited love in this one, it is the most exquisite and rare taste we can find. Imagine all of those romantic feelings, but not a single pony to share them with. Oh that flavor is beyond belief!” “Leave him alone this instant!” Rarity said as she charged the changeling queen much to everyone’s surprise. Chrysalis flared her magic at the unicorn and flung her at the wall, knocking her out. Rainbow dash charged at the changing a split second after Rarity’s failed gambit, however Rainbow was fast enough to deliver a blow to Chrysalis before she could respond. “That’s what you get for messing with my friends!” the pegasus said. A blast of dough blew across the room and collided with Chrysalis, pinning her to the wall. “Take that you meanie!” Pinkie yelled. “Twilight get up here!” “Oh it's too late for that.” Chrysalis said as the room’s entrance and windows glowed green. “She has her hooves full right now. You are mine to play with!” //// It was all Kain would have wanted it to be. Rosa’s soft lips on his and the both of them embracing. The white mage that he longed for so long was with him at last. Now one could tear them apart, not Golbez, not Cecil. “Stay away from him!” a brash voice called out. It had been so long since he’d heard that voice, but he was certain who it belonged to, yet no one else was in the room. Rosa led Kain towards the bed. “Come now, I think you’d be much more comfortable if we took this elsewhere.” The white mage said. //// With her magic being used to keep Kain entranced and Twilight form entering, Chrysalis was not as apt in avoiding Rainbow Dash’s assault. The pegasus was able to land a few good hits in while Pinkie Pie rushed over to Rarity. “You gotta wake up Rarity! Kain needs our help! The pink mare said as she fired her cannon at Chrysalis. Once again, the changeling was enveloped in dough. Rainbow Dash made a break for Kain in hopes of rousing him. “Hey Kain, what’s wrong with you?! We gotta stop Chrysalis!” she yelled just before the queen charged her. Rainbow dodged and the fight continued. //// Kain laid there in the bed with Rosa at his side, smiling at him. “I’m all yours now,-“ the white mage began to say. “Hey Kain, What’s wrong with you?!” a familiar voice said. The dragoon looked towards the entrance of the room and saw Edge standing there enraged. Of all the people to interrupt him at this moment it would be that lecherous ninja. “Do you really have the gall to interrupt us;” Rosa stuttered out. “Can’t you see that I’m busy?” //// “He’s mine,” Chrysalis said. “Can’t you see that I’m busy?” The changeling dodged yet another attack from the rainbow maned pegasus. Pinkie Pie looked on at the fight and then at Rarity. “Oh, I got to wake you up! Rainbow Dash needs our help!” Pinkie said. “Let’s see, pepper, sugar, spice, salt, season salts. Ah, smelling salts!” the party planner said as she rummaged through her mane. She then placed them near Rarity’s muzzle before she got back into the battle. Chrysalis was about to counter one of Rainbow Dash’s attacks by thrusting her horn at the pegasus, but her vision was suddenly filled with cake. Pinkie Pie had hurled the lump of confection she’d meant for the party and nailed Chrysalis in the face. She looked back at the dragoon. “What’s the matter with you Kain?! Come back to us!” //// If things weren’t’ already awkward in the bedroom with Edge intruding on an intimate moment, Kain was surprised by the man who was in there now. “What’s the matter with you Kain?!” a short and stocky engineer yelled to him. This time Rosa was so shocked, she couldn’t respond. //// Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash continued to assault Chrysalis. The changeling queen managed to grab Rainbow Dash in the middle of a charge using her magic; she then held her like a shield from one of Pinkie Pie’s cannon blasts. A sticky batch of dough plastered the pegasus to the wall. “Oops, sorry Rainbow Dash!” the pink mare said just before Chrysalis charged her. The party pony hopped over the enraged queen to try to help Rainbow Dash. “I’ll have you out in a jiffy!” Pinkie said. She then began to bite at the dough. Chrysalis, meanwhile, leveled her horn for a magical blast. “I’ve just about had my fun with you, this ends n-“ she said as she was then pelted by a copy of ‘Mareum Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary'. “Stop this, this instant!” Rarity yelled at the changeling queen while continuing to pelt her with more stray objects. Pinkie Pie quickly finished chewing Rainbow out other missed confectionary attack and joined Rainbow Dash in fighting Chrysalis. The unicorn looked over to where Kain was still standing. “Kain! You need to wake up!” Rarity yelled. “Snap out of it Kain!” Rainbow Dash added. Pinkie worked her way over to the statuesque Dragoon. “Wake up!” she said and then proceeded to slap him. //// If things weren’t already strange in his previously intimate moment, another voice called out. “Stop this, this instant!” Kain could have sworn Rosa was in bed with him, but her voice sounded as if she was in a far corner of the room. When he looked, there was another Rosa. The Rosa in bed with him grimaced at the sight of the other white mage. “Kain you need to wake up!” The new Rosa said. When Kain looked towards her, he saw that she now had curled purple hair. Edge, who’d now had rainbow colored hair on the top of his head spoke out, “Snap out of it Kain!” Then the weirdest sight occurred. With a poofy magenta beard, Cid approached him and yelled at him in a squeaky voice, “Wake up!” and the engineer proceeded to smack Kain upside the head. //// The dragoon snapped out of his stupor and looked around the room. His only words were a groggy, “Rosa?” He saw Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and a deranged looking pony he’d never seen before. Then, all of the recent events came pouring back into his mind and the totality of what had just happened came to him. Kain glared at Chrysalis. “You should not have done that.” Kain said darkly. He immediately twirled his spear from off his back and made a charge towards the changeling queen comparable to Rainbow Dash’s speed. Chrysalis might have been impaled if she hadn’t dodged at the last moment. Kain’s attack may have missed, but at the end of his charge, he swung out his weapon and connected the blow with his target. Chrysalis regained her balance and aligned herself along the side of the wall. The others joined up with Kain and readied themselves. Immediately they burst forth and attacked Chrysalis. Chrysalis was going to attempt to dodge until Rarity used her magic to knock the bookshelf onto the changeling. As the changeling attempted to recover, Rainbow Dash and Kain came in from the right and left respectively and both collided with her. The queen’s chitinous skin was able to reduce Kain’s spear to a glancing blow, but she felt the brute force of one of Rainbow Dash’s kicks to her side. Pinkie Pie then came up from behind and slammed a bucket on the changling’s head. Having already been hit by a dictionary, Chrysalis had about enough of the antics these ponies were throwing at her. She spun and grabbed Pinkie Pie before the mare could disappear from wherever it was she snuck out from, shook off the bucket and touched her horn to Pinkie’s head. Chrysalis then released her latest victim and left her standing completely still. “What’s that? More phenomomenons?! Please!” Pinkie Pie said drowsily. Rainbow Dash and Kain continued their opposing lateral attacks on Chrysalis. Meanwhile Rarity made her way over to the disturbingly static Pinkie. The pink mare continued rambling on about the selection of sweets she wanted to eat. “Now Pinkie Pie, you they’re not good for your figure.” Rarity said. Pinkie pie just continued making sounds as if she were eating mountains of the treats. During another pass at Chrysalis, the changeling managed to grab the pegasus and cast her hypnotic spell on Rainbow Dash. Kain didn’t notice until he had turned around to make another attack at Chrysalis when he saw Rainbow Dash being placed down by the changeling queen. Now he had to engage directly with Chrysalis. “Pinkie Pie you know I wouldn’t prefer to be so aggressive with my friends, but we need you right now so…” rarity said as she reluctantly raised a hoof and smacked Pinkie upside the head. “What what!? Awww, there weren’t any phenomnomenons?” Pinkie Pie asked disappointedly. “Priorities Pinkie.” Rarirty said, as she sped off to help Rainbow Dash. The unicorn weaved around Chrysalis and Kain’s duel, through much of the destroyed bedroom. “Rainbow Dash?” Pinkie asked her pegasus friend. “Mushrooms do sound good…” Rainbow Dash groggily said. “No! Can’t let it tempt me, I’m Rainbow Dash, pegasus and –“ the cyan mare woke up. “The fastest flyer in Equestria!” She then charged at Chrysalis, slamming into her back. The changeling queen somehow still overpowered her assailants and made a move towards Rarity. She then locked horns with the unicorn and put her under the same entrancing spell the others were previously placed into. Three ponies tried to converge on Rarity to free her, but Chrysalis was determined to ensure her spell would last this time. She tossed Rainbow Dash into Pinkie Pie as she made an attack. Then she leapt at Kain and attacked with a flurry of slashes with her horn and the dragoon was forced to go on the defensive. “Most ponies just move on after they learn that their feelings aren’t returned. But you, oh how each day your grief must have refined that love.” Chrysalis said, taunting Kain. “I think I’ll be sure to keep you alive and take you home with me.” A cannon blast sounded and a cyan cannonball collided with the changeling. “I got this Kain!” Rainbow Dash said as she began throwing whatever she could on top of Chrysalis. Kain ran over to Rarity, who was still in a daze. “I don’t need you all as friends.” She said weakly. “When I’m done, the nightmare will give me all the joy I need.” The dragoon wondered if this was what it was like on the other side, to see those you cared about being taken by the darkness. Kain didn’t hesitate; he didn’t need to see any more of what it was like from the outside. He’d lived it. “Rarity, wake up!” This isn’t who you are!” the dragoon said, shaking the unicorn. “You told me you wanted to help others Rarity.” Rarity blinked, looked around, and noticed she was being held by Kain. “Yes, I do remember all of that.” She said. “Thank you, Kain.” An audible hum was heard and the group noticed Chrysalis getting to her hooves. “Well then, it appears as if I won’t be staying here any longer, and with that-“ Chysalis said as she dove out of Twilight’s room. The group made their way to the balcony to see Chrysalis joined by two other changelings on the road that appeared that they’d been battered in battle as well. A quick glance below showed Twilight and Applejack standing their ground just outside the library. “This isn’t over Twilight Sparkle.” Chrysalis said, threatening the princess. “I will have my revenge. You were just lucky that I had my priorities set on somepony else.” The queen and her subordinates then buzzed their wings and flew off. [Once everyone reconvened, and Fluttershy was pried out of her hiding place, Twilight broached the conversation. “I can’t believe she did that again!” the alicorn said fuming, “I mean, what was she thinking using that same trick twice! Ugh, and the worst part was that it worked! I don’t get it though, if she was clearly after me, then why did she blow her cover when we weren’t even in the same room?” Rarity looked over towards Kain, noticing his apprehensive look. “Well, Chrysalis did say she wanted a snack, not the kind of snacks I was bringing.” Pinkie Pie said. “Nope, she was looking to munch down on Kain and all of his ‘unrequited love’ that Chrysalis kept going on about like it was the greatest dessert ever baked.” A look of shock then plaster itself over Pinkie’s face. “Wait! Does that mean you like somepony in this room?” Pinkie asked incredulously. “Have you been secretly in love with them since first coming to Equestria? Is she standing right here next to me?!” Pinkie asked. Pinkie quickly shifted being next to each of the mane six while asking, “Her?” at each one. Upon reaching Rarity, the unicorn blushed at the insinuation. “Um.” Kain said while clearing his throat. “It isn’t anyone in this room.” Rarity’s expression dampered at the statement. “There was something else that I’ve kept from all of you.” Kain said, regaining his composure. “And because I harbored feelings for the one I loved so strongly, it was used against me by Chrysalis.” “So you do have special somepony back home.” Rarity said a bit dissapointed. By this time, the other mares in the room were looking at both Rarity and Kain. “No, she is with someone else.” Kain said. “It was I who couldn’t move on. And that was why I’ve never told anyone about her. All that has happened to me was because of those feelings. My betrayal, my self exile, and perhaps even why I stand here with you today.” Kain let out a sigh and continued. “Even now, it seems that those feeling have put those I care about in danger. I’m sorry.” “So what now?” Rarity asked. “Are you simply going to leave us because of these feelings? You can’t keep running away from them just because you think you’ll be putting somepony in danger.” “That much is clear.” Kain said. “You need to face these feelings.” Rarity said. “I know that they’re the reason for your betrayal, but even you’ve acknowledged that there was no possibility of a romantic relationship Kain.” Twilight said. “But by saying it, you must be ready to move on.” “I’m done with letting those unreturned emotions rule me.” Kain said. “And you are right. I cannot let them push me away from others, but I also cannot forget them. Perhaps with time I can finally forget them. For now, let us do what we can, at this moment.” The remainder of the afternoon was spent cleaning up the library. As it turned out, ‘Cadence’s guards were also changelings and had given the mares downstairs quite the battle and it was only then that Twilight noted the aftermath and became frantic in attempting to make sure that the books were intact. She was surprisingly calmer about the destruction in her bedroom, save for the books that were thrown about. She did, however, scold Rarity for being the one that threw her favorite dictionary. //// When the real Cadence did arrive the following morning, Twilight subjected her to about a dozen scan spells to verify it was indeed the Princess of Love. Twilight and Kain even noted that she had two personal guardsponies, Biggs and Wedge, just as Chrysalis had brought with her. “I’m surprised at the level of detail Chryalis went to to try to get to me. She certainly did her homework.” Twilight said. “I’m sorry you had to go through that again.” Cadence said. “Well you know us! We manage!” Twilight replied. The afternoon’s events went off without any problems. Kain found it especially strange how uncanny Biggs and Wedge’s doppelgangers were. They’d played their parts the day previous right down to the loyalty to the captain and empire. The dragoon for the most part, didn’t interact with Cadence much due to his previous experiences with Chrysalis. He knew it was foolish to relate the two as one individual, but he did at least exchange formalities with the princess and discussed what transpired. Unlike Chrysalis, Cadence made no attempt to pry into the personal history of the dragoon. The only thing Cadence did was wish the Dragoon well before her departure. Before the day was done, Kain relayed a synopsis of the events that had occurred upstairs to Twilight, and the two of them then decided to send letters to the princesses. A letter had appeared the following day. It was an invitation for Twilight, her friends and Kain to visit Canterlot as congratulations for being able to thwart the imposters. Celestia and Luna even made it known that they were going to commend the bravery of the mares that took on Chrysalis directly, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. ~Belligerent Bindlestiff