The Path of Absolution - Punishment

by Morningstar1337

xxxi - Romulus vs Remus

Twilight and her friends were shocked to see The Cutie Mark Crusaders here. The mares saw that they had the same items they had as statues and the more icy changes. Apple Bloom also wore Applejack and Pinkie Pie’s Elements. Sweetie Belle had Rarity and Twilight’s Elements. Scootaloo had Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s Elements.

The mares looked back at the windigo as the Crusaders trotted forward from the other side of the large chamber. Rainbow Dash said, “What did you do to them?!”

“I’ve merely let them know the truth,” the windigo said. “That you’d ostracised your sisters.”

Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash looked at the fillies, horrified by the icy wings, horn, and legguards.

Twilight said, “Who are you? Why are you doing this?”

“This again?” the windigo said. “If you must know...”

Other windigos emerged around the talking one as he uttered these words, “I am Legion, for we are many. Enjoy your bonding time.”

The windigos left the chamber, leaving Twilight’s friends and the Crusaders alone.

The Crusaders were now directly in front of Twilight’s group. The mares didn’t know what to do.

Applejack was the first to speak. She approached Apple Bloom. “Apple Bloom, tell me what--”

Apple Bloom just took her sword and attempted to slash Applejack. Twilight intervened with a violet force-field. The barrier vanished.

“What the hay?” Rainbow Dash said. The mares saw something in the Crusaders’ eyes, something more subtle than the eyes of Chrysalis’ brainwashed bridesmaids.

“You’re the worst sister ever,” Apple Bloom said.

“How could you betrayed your sisters like that?” Sweetie Belle said.

“Guess you learned by example huh?” Scootaloo said.

“What are you talking about?” Rarity said. “Don’t you recognize us?”

“Enough.” Apple Bloom pointed her crimson sword at the mares. “It’s time you realize how awful you are as sisters and as ponies.” She readied her sword again and attempted to slash Applejack.

Scootaloo likewise, took flight with her wings of ice and attempted to cut Rainbow Dash with her viridian scythe.

Sweetie Belle cast a spell with her ebony scales and icy azure horn. The chamber was separated into thirds by ice walls. She then attempted to freeze Rarity and Twilight.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie went out to the gardens and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew out. They didn’t want to hurt their sisters. Apple Bloom chased the earth ponies while Scootaloo pursued the pegasi.

---

Cadence followed Chrysalis and Shining Armor outside Canterlot, where the windigos had frozen part of the city, and changelings had covered another part in green cocoons.

Cadence cast a spell and a pink beam hit Chrysalis. The changeling queen stopped. She said, “Spunky, but still futile.”

Cadence fumed. She fired another beam of energy and levitated the loose items and ice around them. She flung them towards Chrysalis.

Chrysalis quickly changed form as she charged. Her form became a white stallion with a blue mane and a shield cutie mark. She transformed into Shining Armor.

Cadence hesitated. She knew that it wasn’t the real Shining Armor, but she struggled with her emotions.

Chrysalis slammed into Cadence. She said, “You’re pathetic, you know that. The long lost Crystal Princess. And you have no kingdom, no people, and not even a husband to rule with. You’re nothing.”

Cadence struggled to stand up. She saw blood coming from her wounds.

She looked at Shining Armor. She then glared at the changeling queen now in his form.

Chrysalis said, “There’s nothing you can do now. With or without me, Canterlot will fall, and the rest of Equestria will soon follow.”

Cadence finally stood up. She said, “I can still do this.” She flew up to the air and to the real Shining Armor. A pink light emerged from her horn and Chrysalis’s spell over him was broken.

“Ugh,” Shining Armor said. “What happened?” He looked at the changeling queen, still in his form.

Chrysalis began to revert to her true form. “So, you managed to free Shining Armor? It’s too late for that. He has little to no energy left and his love for you has already given me more strength than Celestia!”

She continued her battle with Cadence.

---

In Canterlot’s gardens, Applejack and Pinkie Pie tried to get away from Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom, however, galloped faster on the air then the two mares did on the ground. She descended in front of Applejack and Pinkie Pie.

“Apple Bloom,” Applejack said. ‘This isn’t you! You’re being controlled.”

“I’m in perfect control,” Apple Bloom said. “I am nothing like you!” She began to attack the mares with her sword.

“Sugarcube, please,” Applejack said. “Don’t you remember your own sister?”

“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie said. ‘Don’t you remember the fun you had with Applejack?”

But Apple Bloom just continued her attacks. Beams of ice emerged from the sword and froze the nearby area.

Applejack said, “Apple Bloom, please fight this!”

Apple Bloom hesitated for a moment, but said. “No! I would never be someone so heartless, let alone a sister of one who was!” She started getting a headache.

Applejack noticed the headache and said, “You can do this Apple Bloom, please fight it!”

Applejack’s Element of Honesty began glowing. Apple Bloom saw vague images.

“Look, I’m sorry. What I did to you wrong, and I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did. Please, come back!”

Applejack took a long look at the orange mare. “Applejac--” She fainted from the struggle. The red sword vanished.

Applejack took a look at her sister. She lifted Apple Bloom’s body as she and Pinkie picked up their elements. Applejack placed her sister on her back.

“Let’s go,” Applejack said.

She and Pinkie Pie went back to the chamber to regroup with her friends.

---

Back in the chamber, Sweetie Belle was still fighting Twilight and Rarity. Sweetie Belle fired a barrage of ice beams. The area around them got cooler and cooler.

“Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said. “I know you aren’t like this.”

“How would you know?” Sweetie Belle said. She started getting headaches.

Twilight used her teleportation spell to dodge the ice beams.

Rarity said, “I know, because I am your sister Sweetie Belle. Let me help you.”

Twilight said, “She’s right. You’re better than this!”

The magic from the spells caused the ice to collapse. Several chunks of ice fell on the unicorns.

Twilight and Rarity dodged some of the falling ice, but Sweetie Belle hadn’t noticed the ice was falling.

Rarity saw that a chunk of ice was about to fall on Sweetie Belle.

Rarity galloped as fast as she could and knocked Sweetie Belle out of the way. The large chunk of ice fell on her instead.

Sweetie Belle saw Rarity in pain. The ice had wounded her. Rarity’s element began to glow as Sweetie Belle saw vague images.

"Rarity, but...” Sweetie Belle fainted. The black scales vanished.

Twilight managed to lift the ice and tended to Rarity's wound. She saw blood coming from Rarity’s leg. Rarity saw Sweetie Belle unconscious.

Rarity lifted Sweetie Belle on her back and her and Twilight’s elements to their necks. By that time the ice had collapsed and an exit was unveiled.

Twilight and Rarity trotted outside. Rarity was careful not hurt herself further, or to hurt her unconscious sister.

---

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took to the skies, hesitant to fight Scootaloo.

Scootaloo chased after them with her viridian scythe. “You can’t escape me!” She took the scythe and swung it. The force of the attack formed a wave of ice and snow.

Rainbow Dash saw the ice wave was headed towards Fluttershy and intercepted it. She charged at the mass of ice at breakneck speed and destroyed it.

Scootaloo caught up to the mares and said, “There you are!”

“What the hay happened to you, Scootaloo?!” Rainbow Dash said.

“What happened is that I now know how cruel ponies like you are,” Scootaloo said.

The storm above them was rife with hail and ice. Rainbow Dash said, “If this is about those storm-clouds, I’m--”

“Shut it!” Scootaloo slashed at Rainbow Dash with her scythe. She dodged the attack.

Fluttershy said, “What happened to her?”

“She been brainwashed,” Rainbow Dash said. She avoided more of Scootaloo’s attacks.

“What are you,” Scootaloo asked, “scared?” She attempted to swing her scythe again.

Rainbow Dash hesitated. She had to snap Scootaloo out of it, but she didn’t know what to do.

Scootaloo then turned to Fluttershy. She was about to swing, but Rainbow Dash grabbed the scythe with her hooves and stopped the attack.

“Yes,” Rainbow Dash said. ‘I’m scared that you let those windigos up there mess with you like that. You’re tougher than that, and you’re better than this. Fight it!”

Rainbow Dash’s Element of Loyalty began to glow. Scootaloo said, “Fight what?” She felt something familiar about the rainbow-maned pegasus, and began having a headache.

“Scootaloo, I’m not gonna quit on you,” Rainbow Dash said. “Now now, not ever. Don’t let them take control of you.”

Scootaloo took a long look at the pegasus. “I’m sorr--” She fainted and fell. Her scythe vanished and the elements she took fell off her neck.

Rainbow Dash flew after Scootaloo and managed to catch her. Fluttershy caught the necklaces as they fell and handed Rainbow Dash hers.

The two pegasi took the unconscious Scootaloo and flew to find their friends.

---

The 6 mares regrouped in front of the castle. Fluttershy noticed that Rarity was wounded. They set the unconscious Crusaders down gently and looked to the sky and city. they saw the citizens of Canterlot either cocooned or frozen.

“We have to end this, and fast,” Applejack said.

Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked back towards the unconscious fillies. Regret poured over their faces over the events that led to this moment.

They knew they had to stop Legion and the windigos, as well as Chrysalis and the Changelings, but at the same time they knew that they couldn’t just leave the Crusaders alone like this.

They saw Spike was heading towards them. He said, “Guys you have to hurry, Cadence is fighting Chrysalis alone and Celestia is fighting that pony we saw in the forest.”

They remembered seeing that shadowy figure. They knew that she was the one who cured and foal-napped the Crusaders.

Twilight said, “Spike, can you make sure that they are safe?” Twilight pointed to the unconscious fillies.

“On it,” Spike said.

“But what do we do?” Pinkie Pie said.

Twilight and the others then saw Cadence and Shining Armor fighting Chrysalis.

“They need our help!” Twilight said. She hoped that Celestia could handle her new opponent.

The group went to aid Cadence and Shining Armor.

Comments

[DaveMan1000]

"I am Legion, for we are many."

Been watching Ghost Rider by any chance?

[Morningstar1337]

2735768 No, this is a more direct Biblical reference for symbolism purposes and because I just don't want to refer to him as "adviser" anymore.

[DaveMan1000]

2736211
Ah, right.