Sunset Eclipsed

by EldritchNexus

The Battle of Fillydelphia, Part Two

Craw, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity entered the infirmary, where Applejack and Fluttershy were leaning over Rainbow Dash. Applejack was sniffling, and Fluttershy was on the verge of tears when she turned to see the people that entered the room. She recognized the man with Rarity and Pinkie.

"C-Craw, is that you?" Fluttershy asked.

"That's right, Shy." answered the young man. "How's Rainbow Dash?"

"I dunno." said Applejack, her voice shaking. "I'm so darn scared about Rainbow's condition, I haven't had the guts to leave her side to go out and ask about why she's like this."

Craw patted the blonde cowgirl on the shoulder, intending to comfort her.

"Why don't you and Fluttershy sit down for a while?" he offered, pointing at two empty chairs.

When all four of Rainbow Dash's friends were seated, Craw sat himself down on the bedside stool, and turned to face them.

"Craw, dear? What was that all about?" asked Rarity. "In the hall, I mean. Who was that soldier you were fighting with?"

"That was Ghost." answered Craw. "He's a corporal in the Chrysalis Syndicate. He's also one of the most despicable people I've ever met in my life, for reasons you couldn't even begin to understand."

"Yeah! That guy was a brute!" Pinkie Pie said in agreement. "I still can't believe he tried to hit me and Rarity with that...nightstick-thingie! So uncool!"

"Ghost did what?" Applejack raised her voice.

"And then he went and pointed a gun at Craw's head!" continued Pinkie Pie.

Fluttershy gasped, putting her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from crying out in surprise.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" asked the girl with the yellowish-white skin tone and pink hair.

"Not too much." said Craw, putting his hand on his neck. "But man, do I have the stiffest neck right now! I was getting sick of that psycho's attitude before, but this is really pushing it!"

"My word, not even Sunset Shimmer ever did anything that bad!" said Rarity, before adding under her breath. "Not counting the Fall Formal, that is."

"Why'd he attack you, anyway?" asked Fluttershy.

"Because he's scum." said Craw, bluntly.

"What happened between you two, though?" questioned Rarity.

"That...man...beat up Sunset Shimmer a few nights ago." growled Craw. "I only just found out a few minutes ago, and he never told me what he did to her. Naturally, I lost my temper, and chewed him out a bit. That's when he started attacking me."

The four girls gasped. Fluttershy's eyes widened.

"So, that fight reported on the news...?"

"Yes." said Craw, in disgust. "That was Ghost beating Sunset to a pulp."

"Why would he do something like that, though?" inquired Applejack. "Sunset may have been a jerk in the past, but she ain't like that now! Heck, was Ghost even in town when she...?"

Suddenly, she cut herself off. Apparently, she realized she was about to say too much.

"It's okay." said Craw. "I know all about the demon."

"You do?!" the girls gasped in unison.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and a Syndicate operative entered the room.

"Craw, the cap'n wants you and Ghost to discuss your li'l...mishap." he said. "They're already in Principal Celestia's office."

"Thanks, Lieutenant Sigma." said Craw, with a salute. "I'll be there right away."

Meanwhile in Fillydelphia, Sunset Shimmer and her companions were staring down the large Changeling, who had the mayor at his plated hooves.

"What do you want with me?" Sunset asked.

"Allow me to introduce myself." said the Changeling, with a gruff voice. "I am Synthe, General of the Changelings. Look at my body."

Sunset noticed that General Synthe was half-covered in bits of various substances. The torso of his body was banded with some kind of greenish, rubbery substance, and reinforced by rings of steel that were tightly linked and chained together. His face had several deep scars, and was half-obscured by a metallic mask-like covering.

"Not a pretty sight, is it?" he asked the amber unicorn. "Do you want to know why I am like this?"

"Not really." said Sunset, who was becoming nauseous at the sight of Synthe's body.

"Quiet, if you would please." he said, simply. "I have been waiting for you for some time. You see, my body is in dire need of restoration...or replacement, if necessary."

"Where do we figure into that?!" demanded the mayor, who was irritated by the fact that he was being held hostage over what seemed like a trivial manner.

"I don't know." said Synthe. "But this attack wasn't my idea. It was Lord Umbriel's. I didn't even want to be dragged into this mess, but I suppose it was necessary."

"Why?" asked Sunset.

"Well, how else was I going to get somepony like you in a position to help me in my condition, without drawing the Princesses' attention?"

"Well, you could've asked for help." said Sunset with an annoyed glare.

"I couldn't." said Synthe. "Not after what I've done."

"Listen, Synthe." said the unicorn. "Let the mayor go, and we can discuss your gripes in private."

"Very well, young one." said the Changeling. "The Mayor is free to go. But only if Sunset Shimmer remains with me, so that we can begin our negotiations. The rest of you: Wait outside."

"And could you call of that army of yours?" asked Trixie.

"No. I can't do that." said General Synthe. "That is Lord Umbriel's decision. I can, however, see to it that none of my soldiers attack this building while I am inside."

"Just do what he says, everypony." said Sunset, with an assuring tone in her voice. "I can handle anything this guy throws at me."

"We shall see about that." said Synthe, giving a friendly warning.

The militia-ponies escorted the mayor out of the office, while Lightning Dust and Trixie tried valiantly to stay at Sunset Shimmer's side. Eventually, they left when they realized their interference might disrupt whatever chance they might have to achieve a powerful ally. General Synthe trotted over to the window, and saw a hydra wrapping its many heads around a skyscraper, as it fought off a trio of pegasus guards. There was several flashes of multi-colored lights scattered throughout the cityscape, indicating the battle was spreading like wildfire throughout Fillydelphia.

"Just like the glory days." he muttered, smiling weakly.

"What glory days?" asked Sunset. "What happened to you, anyway? You look like a broken-down operating room."

"It's a long, complicated story." said the Changeling general, shaking his heavily disfigured head.

Suddenly, a slow hissing sound emerged from his head. Sunset noticed that not only was the Changeling's horn broken at the tip, but there was a black breathing-tube running through the underside of his jaw, and curved over his chin. The general bent his lips outward to suck on the tube's end hardily, and shuddered uncomfortably as he did this. Sunset Shimmer also took a look at his back, and saw that his insect-like wings were thoroughly cracked, broken, and covered in dark scabs. She felt herself becoming queasy from seeing this horrible array of disfigurements: Truly, this creature had suffered a fate worse than death.

The unicorn closed her eyes, and turned away, so that she didn't have to see the mutilated Changeling's body.

"General, I want to ask what made you like this..." she said. "But at the same time, I'm afraid to find out. So first, I would like to ask you what you were like before...whatever happened to you."

As the sounds of battle grew louder and louder in the distance, Synthe turned his head to face the unicorn.

"Very well." he said, and began to explain himself to her. "I was once a loyal servant of Queen Chrysalis, ruler of the Changelings. But I grew impatient with her failed efforts to feed our people, so I attempted to overthrow her. I nearly succeeded in doing so, too."

"But you failed, right?" asked Sunset.

"Obviously." nodded Synthe. "And what you see before you is the end result."

"Wow, this Queen Chrysalis sounds like one tough cookie."

Synthe sucked hard on the breathing-tube again.

"Oh, she had nothing to do with this." he retorted, once he finished inhaling the artificial air. "If she didn't summon that alien warrior to our world, I would've beaten her easily."

"An alien warrior?" repeated Sunset. "From what--"

"I won't speak any more about it, Sunset Shimmer!" snapped the Changeling. "The stress from the memories alone is driving me over the edge. I refuse to recount them to you!"

Meanwhile, the Night Guard was routing the Changelings in a war-torn district of the city. At their head was Captain Star Shield and Lieutenant Radiant Dawn. The two coordinated their subordinates in the area to surround and flank the Changelings. The pegasi dive-bombed the Changelings, the unicorns cast their own spells to stun them, and the earth ponies rammed into them with their strong bodies.

Suddenly, the larger creatures began to appear. However, the captain and his lieutenant were ready for them, since Sunset Shimmer told them what to expect Lord Umbriel to throw at them.

"Firefly! Sky Boom!" shouted Radiant Dawn. "Fly circles around that hydra!"

The two pegasi soared in opposite directions around the many-headed beast, confusing it. It tried to intercept the flight patterns of the two winged mares, but its heads collided with each other several times. In two minutes, most of the heads clumsily slumped to the ground, unconscious. The last uninjured head pursued Sky Boom, trailing its long neck around its body until it had tied itself up. With a simple nudge from Firefly, the creature slowly toppled over and fell onto an already ruined house.

"That's my girls!" cheered Radiant, clapping his front hooves at his two trainees.

"You've trained my guards well." said Star Shield, who witnessed this.

"Hey, I can't take all the credit." said Radiant. "My sister gave me the idea, after all."

"What do you mean?"

"Hydra heads tend to work independently from each other. It makes it hard for them to work as a team."

Suddenly, a vast dragon with bronze scales soared overhead, roaring loudly. Several guards and townsponies scattered in a panic.

"Now, it's time to see what this aging stallion can do." said Star Shield, crouching down.

He shot up into the starlit sky, and chased after the dragon. He zig-zagged and spiraled around the reptilian beast, and struck its neck several times. The dragon promptly breathed bluish-white fire in various directions to try and take down the pegasus, but it missed each time. Star Shield was able to mount the beast's head, and steered it away from the city and towards the outlying forest. He pressed down hard on its neck, causing it to fly downwards into the trees. He was able to dismount and hover over the forest just before the creature took a ferocious dive into the trees, and saw it make a loud, painful crash as it plowed through five trees.

"I'm...to old...for this." the pegasus captain panted heavily, turning his head to look back at Fillydelphia. "I wonder how Sunset Shimmer's doing."

Comments

[LosZetas]

Thanks for this wonderful story now I got something to read.