50. Ultimate Chrysalis
The changelings hit us like the tide, breaking over our lines like a massive wave. I realize quickly that with the numbers they're sending at us, who are all concentrated in this one small area just in front of the stairs leading to the wedding hall, I'd get quickly fucked up if I charged right in.
“Behind me!” Iron commands, standing behind his shield so that it covers almost all of him. All of the magic sent at him is either absorbed or directed off either side of the shield, leaving him unscathed. “Keep them away from my flank!”
Almost unconsciously, I take position beside him as he ordered. I don't know how to explain it, but it makes me feel reassured that we have somepony like him around. Blades stands on Iron's other side, a floating cloud of daggers surrounding him , spinning and stabbing viciously at the changelings without him even needing to move. The daggers explode with magic every time they land a hit, no matter how glancing.
The three of us form an unstoppable team. Iron shields all of us from magical damage, forcing any changelings that target us to attack us up close, which is where we excel. Leaving my rifle unused for now to save power, I react to any attackers with my fists and feet.
Luna easily handles herself on the right side of our army, her immense magical strength swirling around her like a whirlwind. Her eyes glow with pure white light, the manifestation of her magical overflow. Because of who she is, tons of changelings target her, seemingly holding no regard for their own lives nor the lives of their fellow changelings. It doesn't matter how many Luna annihilates. Morale doesn't seem to exist for these changelings, because even as Luna sends a fucking score of changelings hurtling away from her at a ridiculous speed, more descend upon her.
On the left side of our army, Pinkie is working together with the other guards. And by that, I mean they defend her from air assaults and melee attacks, while leaving a channel open for her to fire that dumb streamer cannon, or whatever it is she's using. I don't know if she's taking this seriously at all, especially since she's both giggling and apologizing to the changelings she hits. “Oops! Sorry, didn't mean to hit your head. Oh! That glass window looked expensive. Can you try to avoid the buildings please?” She keeps talking to the changelings as if expecting them to answer. Which is dumb, because I don't even think they're sentient, except for the Infiltrators.
The barrier suddenly flickers behind us, and a tremor runs through the ground I'm standing on at the same damn time. The barrier starts to fluctuate rapidly, as well as lower in brightness. With a grin, I realize what's happened. I slam my fist down on top of a changeling's head, knocking it into the ground, which cracks under the force. “Pylon two is down!” I announce, and the I notice an Infiltrator coming towards us in the guise of a roaring bear. “Incoming!”
“Not if I can help it!” Blades declares. With a grunt, he sends his daggers forward and forms them into a wall, the points facing towards the bear. The bear sees them and foolishly stampedes right into them. “And...that's game!”
The daggers explode with Blades' magic, rupturing the bear's body from the inside. The infiltrator reverts to its original form, thoroughly dead.
Despite our triumphs, it's clear that we won't be able to do this forever. Even with Iron's defense, the changelings always find a way to use their numbers to get around our defenses, hitting us with magic when we least expect it. My back and arms are starting to sting. I have no doubt there's burns on my back. There's already holes in my coat, which is really the least of my worries, but it means that I'm taking damage.
And where there's not a powerhouse like the four of us, we're taking casualties. The infiltrators, when not intercepted fast enough, wreak havoc in the forms of dragons, bears, birds, or other forms. The Wonderbolts are doing the best that they can to take down the changelings flying in from the mines, but there's only so many of them, and they can't be everywhere.
Suddenly, a powerful gale force wind passes through the square, coming from the alleyways in between the buildings on the left side. I hold up my arms in an attempt to brace myself, only to find that I don't need to. It doesn't seem to affect any of us. The changelings, however, are being thrown off course, if not completely hurled into the ground or buildings.
Just as I'm questioning what the fuck is going on, a cherry blossom floats past my vision, which tells me all I need to know. The second pylon team is here, which means...
A veritable swarm of cherry blossoms accompanies Commander Rose as she enters the battle, zooming out of an alley way. Her horn lights up, and a black orb appears in the middle of the changeling swarm. I recognize that move. That's the one she used to hold me in place so she could....and there's the hammer.
Rose's hammer knocks changelings flying, giving us enough time to reorient ourselves and reorganize our lines. Rarity and Applejack rush out of the alley behind Rose, each of them looking tired and ragged. Hell, even Rarity's styled mane is hanging loose. To make things worse, her snow white body is spotted with burns, meaning she's taken a lot of damage. She looks completely exhausted.
“Someone get that mare off the battlefield!” I yell, indicating Rarity. She can't fight like that...hell, she wasn't even that strong to begin with.
Thankfully, a guard meets her halfway, says a few calming words to her, and takes her to the back of the lines where the injured are being treated and defended.
As for Applejack, she looks as strong as ever, despite sporting several nasty looking bruises herself. She leaps into battle alongside Rose, her kicks dealing serious damage to any changeling unlucky enough to get hit by them.
We should be able to last a little bit longer, now that we have another magic powerhouse here. Yeah, I even start to notice a lower amount of changelings rushing me from the left side. Whew, that'll make things easier on...goddammit, if I get hit with one more stream of changeling magic, I'm going to fucking lose it. I whip out my rifle, transform it into a pistol, and let loose, spraying magical bullets into the midst of the enemy.
Just as I'm starting to worry about how Rainbow is doing, another tremor wracks the area, nearly knocking me off balance. The magical cancellation field stutters violently a few times, and then it completely dies, leaving the wedding hall free. Good, they did it. Which means that it's my turn.
“Iron, I'm leaving. Can you hold this area without me?” I warn him, blasting one more changeling and turning the other direction.
“I'll do what I must. Make sure that you do the same,” Iron responds sternly, standing as stalwart as his name before the oncoming changelings.
“We'll hold 'em for as long as we can,” Blades assures me, using several of his daggers to guard the spot I just vacated. “You git goin'. Good luck fighting that monster. Chances are yer gonna need it.”
“Don't I know it,” I murmur, and then I rush towards the wedding hall, soon joining up with Luna. “The field's down. You should be able to use your magic now.”
“Indeed. Hast thou steeled thyself?” Luna asks me grimly as we approach the tall staircase. “We felt her power. She is likely stronger than the both of us.”
“Fucking...dammit. I was rather hoping we could just stamp her out here,” I curse. More than that, I was hoping Luna and I could kill her before Celestia gets back. You know...so I can present Chrysalis's body to her on a silver platter and say like, hey, I killed her. Please don't incinerate me with your fucking solar flare powers. “Any chance that could still happen?”
“Do not depend on it. The idea is to distract her for as long as possible,” Luna chastises me. “It is best not to take unnecessary risks.”
“Risks or not, if we see a chance to kill her, shouldn't we take it?” I argue. “She's completely crazy. Sadistic, even.”
“Seth Rogers,” Luna says, looking at me sternly. “We...I want to defeat her as much as thou dost. She has harmed mine sister, but I will not kill her. I...have learned a long time ago that all revenge will do is cause pain. If not for myself...then for others.”
“Sheesh, you sound like your sister,” I say stubbornly, though I do feel chastised by her words. Chrysalis isn't like those other changelings. She's fully sentient, capable of thought and emotion. While I hate her more than anything else alive, I don't think I'd feel right killing her. Not to mention Luna seems to be speaking from experience.
Suddenly, I remember that conversation with Celestia. Luna, at one point, fought against her sister, and all of ponykind, in something these ponies call the War of Night and Day. If she's as torn up about it as Celestia still is...well fuck. She'd know more about revenge than I ever would.
“You're right. Let's do this then. We'll go in there, and give Chrysalis a fight she won't soon forget,” I state firmly, cracking my knuckles. Luna smiles slightly, but that expression doesn't last.
With a resounding crash, the doors to the wedding hall explode outwards, and a horde of changelings at least threescore strong scuttling from the entrance like the insects they resemble. And what's worse is that every single one of them are Infiltrators. “What the fuck...they aren't supposed to be there!” I gasp, readying myself for combat. “Shit, Luna!”
“We must deal with them quickly. If we do not confront Chrysalis soon, she will take notice of our efforts to free Celestia,” Luna asserts, looking somewhat worried. Which means Rainbow would most likely die. She's strong, but there's no way she can fight Chrysalis.
“I'm not going to let that happen,” I growl. I exchange a glance with Luna, who nods to show that she's ready. “Let's go!”
Luna and I power up at the same time, our auras surging up into the air and intertwining in a mixture of black and blue. Before the first Infiltrator even reaches the the foot of the staircase, we're amongst them. The two of us charge right into their lines, our auras surrounding us and making us seem like raging comets.
I shoulder rush my way into the Infiltrators, sending a great deal of them flying away by my momentum plus the magic surrounding me. It seems easy to duck underneath a hoof sent at me by one changeling, slam my fist into his underside, and then use his winded body as a shield to block several streams of magic sent my way by his allies.
Spinning around, I use the burnt body of the changeling I'm holding as a missile, hurling it up the stairs and into several more of them. This trips them up long enough for me to approach. A lightning fast array of punches knocks three of them out, alarming a fourth into transforming into a green dragon. It snaps its jaws at me...only for me to surprise it by jamming my hand right into its throat. When it tries to gouge me with its teeth, it finds that it can't, as I'm pouring magic into my arm as a defense. Seconds later, I fill its body with dark magic, courtesy of the pistol clenched in my hand.
An Infiltrator beside me turns into another of me once more, its fists glowing with green magic. I can sense it next to me, so I slam the back of my fist into its face hard without even looking. There's such force behind the attack that it goes hurtling down the stairs and gouges out a trench in the ground. It's difficult to explain, but it feels like there's an extra well of magical power located in my reservoir that I don't remember feeling before.
Next to me, Luna is wrecking as much as I am, if not more. She's not even stopping to hit them, plowing through them like a glowing blue stream-roller. Everything her aura touches just disappears, hurtling through the air like ninepins. I can hear her battle cry, a sentiment that I can't help but echo myself.
The enemy ranks just melt before us like snow before the spring sunlight, until at last we're standing at the top of the stairs, staring into the hallway that leads to the wedding hall. However, we are presented with one last obstacle.
There are two changelings standing side by side, glaring at us with glowing green eyes. They are even bigger than Infiltrators. I don't get to take in their details for very long before they both transform...into something I thought I'd never see again.
The changeling in front of Luna grows so large, it casts a shadow across the both of us. It has taken the form of a massive violet bear, except I can see right through it. Strange points of light shine on its body almost like stars, and there's an actual image of a star planted on the top of its head. If I had to guess...that's one of those monsters that takes power from the constellations. It must be an Ursa Major, then.
The one in front of me takes the form of something far more terrifying. Once again, I'm face to face with the Scorpios, the strange cross between a spider and a scorpion that I had trashed in the forest a long time ago.
Luna and I stand stalwart, neither of us wavering an inch as the monsters roar at us. We both hunch down at the same time, and then we're gone.
I appear on the other side of the Scorpios, having used a current to travel right through it. Luna has done something similar, appearing on the other side of the Ursa.
Seconds later, the two monsters explode violently behind us. I don't care how big they get, or what form they take. They're no match for us. Especially not a damn Scorpios. If the first thing couldn't beat me, what makes you think a pitiful imitation would be able to do?
Without a word, the two of us travel down the hallway. One thing I notice is how the scenery is changing. As we run down the hallway, black tendrils of an unknown substance cling to the walls, squelching in a disgusting manner. This same substance seems to cover the entirety of the hallway ahead, the stretch of blackness occasionally being interrupted by glowing green orbs that are stuck to the walls like slime.
It's like...Chrysalis is turning this place into something else. Maybe it's what she's used to back at her...what's the word...base? Hive? I don't fucking know.
It's deadly quiet. The only sound comes from my and Luna's breathing, as well as the ground squelching under our feet.
Just as we're about the enter the wedding hall, the black substance starts to curve toward the ceiling, forming an archaic looking arch. Almost as if we're standing in a hallway built in some kind of insectoid architecture.
I hesitate slightly before walking into the hall, unease sinking into my heart. Goddamn, I was a college student not two months ago. Why do I have to deal with something like this? Even now, after living in this fucked up world for this long, it still seems unreal, as if I'm living a dream. Even more so, when I remember that I'm in a battle with the fate of the country resting on its outcome.
Luna stops beside me, looking down at me with concern. I shake my head, forestalling her unformed questions. I'll be all right. Even though I know I may be walking into my death, I'm not that afraid. I was comfortable with the idea of my own death a while ago. But...there's something more than just my life hanging in the balance here. And I'm not talking about the country. I couldn't give a shit about this country. No, it's about the friend I've made here, and how much of my shit she's put up with. If I don't fight here, she's dead. And if there's anything that this whole mess has taught me, it's that I'd give up anything to make sure that doesn't happen.
I take a breath, and then the two of us walk into the hall. The entire place has been completely converted, forming a new hall made of an almost alien architecture, with spiraling chitinous pillars pockmarked with holes and those green orbs, an arched ceiling, and large dangling structures completely covered with glowing green lights. The windows that were once here are now completely covered except for a few holes, which are the only source of natural light in the whole room. Everything else is bathed in an eerie green glow from those orbs.
At the very top of the room, where the wedding ceremony had been taking place not too long ago, there's a sickly green construct shaped vaguely similar to a mushroom. Strands of green slime dangle from the edges of the cap down to its stem, where they form a glowing green ring around it.
On top of the strange construct is Chrysalis. She's resting on her side, watching us approach with an unreadable expression on her face. Her slitted eyes alight first on Luna, before traveling to me, where they linger for a long while.
“Do you like it?” Chrysalis finally asks in a demure voice, running one of her holed hooves along the edge of the weird mushroom thing she's lying on. When neither of us answer, she continues. “This is going to be my new hive. I thought you'd be pleased. It's the first time any living creature has laid eyes upon changeling architecture.”
“Thou art delusional, knave,” Luna answers, her eyes narrowing. “This is Canterlot, a place of culture and peace, not a place where thou can spread thy filth!”
Chrysalis turns her gaze upon Luna once more, looking amused. “Ah, Luna. The other princess. I suppose it would be called filth by the likes of you. What right do you have to call this beauty...” she responds, lifting her hoof to indicate the changes she's made to the room. “...filth? Aren't you being somewhat...biased? You can't understand us, so we are monsters to you.”
“Do not attempt to turn this into a battle of philosophy, creature,” Luna snarls, lifting her wings in preparation to attack. “I will not bandy words with the likes of thee!”
“Oh, but surely you can spare some time to speak with me. After all, this battle will soon be over,” Chrysalis returns with a small smile. I don't like the way she says that. It's like she's implying that we're going to lose. Though honestly, I say keep her talking. That counts as distracting her as well. “I am going to kill you, but I like to understand my victims before I feed. To know how they are, to know how they feel as I'm sucking the love from them, until they're left with nothing.”
“That's just fucking sick!” I snap, entering the conversation. “How can you live with yourself? After getting to know somepony that well, don't you feel something when you kill them?”
“Ah, now the human speaks. I was wondering if you forgot how,” Chrysalis teases me. I grit my teeth. Everything she says just grates on my nerves. “Of course I feel something. Satisfaction at the execution of a long hunt. Contentment at the sating of my ever present hunger. Theses are feelings that come with being a predator. Surely you understand, seeing as you're one yourself.”
“That's just fucking low. Sure, I'm a human. Sure, I eat other animals. In fact, I hate the necessity of it, but that's the way things are. I don't take enjoyment from it!” I shoot back. “And hell, if they could talk back, I'd never eat another again!”
“Mm, that's where we differ, I suppose,” Chrysalis says with a click of her forked tongue. “Why hate what is necessary? Just as you did, we have to feed the way we do. Why shouldn't we enjoy it? There's no point in being miserable over something you can't change.”
“This is pointless!” Luna interrupts, slamming the ground angrily. “Dost thou wish to keep thy throne, monster? We hope thou art prepared to defend thyself!”
“Aww, I was hoping to talk to my human guest a little longer,” Chrysalis complains with a mock whine, that soon dissolves into a chuckle. She shakes her head, looking somewhat sad. “Seth, I really wish you'd come with me. You are from the race that has paved the way for the technology that we hold now. Your kind possesses beauty like no other, and the wonders you've all come up with!”
“Shut up, Chrysalis,” I demand. Luna is looking at me oddly. I think she might be figuring it out. Goddammit, not now. Not at the eve of what's probably going to be the most dangerous fight of my life.
Chrysalis sighs. “Such a shame. To think that the last human will fall at my hooves, when we could have been so great. Think of it! The sheer power and status the two of us would hold! The Queen of the apex predators of our time, side by side with her King, the last of the ancients. It would truly be a sight to behold.”
“I said, shut up. It's never going to happen,” I say flatly. “You just want to use me for what I am. It's the same shit. Someone is always out to use me for whatever reason. You're no different. So cut that shit out, and get down here.”
Chrysalis remains silent, watching me with disappointment evident in her eyes. Without a word, she rights herself, her four insectoid wings springing open with a muted flap. She descends gracefully to the floor, the mushroom construct behind her collapsing in on itself and sinking into the floor. “Very well. You leave me no choice,” she finally says, determination stamped on her face. “Despite what you may think, this is something I have to do. I won't let you get in my way. Come.”
This is it. This is the fight that this whole battle has been building up to, and the one I've been dreading ever since I felt her power in this very hall, back when I saved Rainbow and the others.
“Let's go, Seth Rogers,” Luna says softly, hunching down and scuffing the ground with her hoof.
“Right,” I reply grimly. Then, Luna and I both tap into our magic at the same time, exploding with magical power. This time, neither of us hold back. Thin pinpricks of light, like stars, appear in Luna's aura, while mine sparks with green electricity.
Chrysalis puts her hoof down, and her emerald green flames surround her, soaring much higher than both of ours together. The tip of her aura scrapes against the ceiling, causing the black material there to hiss and bubble.
“Luna,” I say softly, unstrapping my coat and removing it. I toss it aside, revealing the black sleeveless shirt that I've been wearing ever since we left for Canterlot. I can feel Chrysalis power rushing over us, exerting a powerful pressure over the room. It doesn't seem like she's holding back much either, as she's stronger than she was back when I fought her last. “She's strong.”
“I know,” Luna responds. With that...the battle begins. The two of us shoot towards her at the same time, our feet and hooves leaving the ground as we take to the air.
Chrysalis hunches down and points her horn at us, firing bolts of green flame at us. There's hundreds of them, heading towards us like a volley of arrows. If I don't watch them carefully, I'm going to get hit. And these aren't slime beams; Chrysalis is fighting to kill this time.
I touch the ground, as I can't dodge as effectively in the air...something that Luna discovers when a bolt hits her in the chest. She emits a grunt, her momentum slowing, but it doesn't look like she's that hurt from it.
The bolts hurtle towards me relentlessly. I dip and weave through them better even I expected, not even getting hit by a single one. I get closer and closer, causing Chrysalis to target me and me alone.
To her shock, I reach her, my fist swinging wildly at her, coated in darkness. Chrysalis dodges by moving her neck to once side, and then retaliates with a swift hook from one of her hooves. Acting on instinct, I duck underneath it and react with a fierce uppercut that actually lands, ramming into her chin and forcing her head up. Chrysalis gasps in pain, her mane flying backwards.
My left fist swings from the right, catching her on the side of the neck, causing her to recoil. That's where my lead ends, because Chrysalis uses the momentum I've given her to twist on her front hooves and buck me hard in the chest.
There's so much more force behind her attack than mine, to the point where I'm propelled backwards. I even see the room rotate around me as I twist in midair. Somehow, I manage to land on my feet, next to a recovered Luna. “Quickly, before she recovers!” Luna demands. She gives me a quick gesture with hooves, to which I nod.
The both of us take to the air, splitting in two different directions to make it harder for Chrysalis to target both of us at the same time.
“You fight in vain!” Chrysalis hisses, her horn lighting up. Two emerald spikes form in the air just in front of us, and stab downwards at us. They are positioned in such a way that when Luna and I dodge, we're forced to fly closer together. With a gin, Chrysalis fires a thick beam of magic towards the both of us.
Thinking fast, I fly under Luna, so that we can split up once more and continue our double assault. Before Chrysalis can launch another spike assault, Luna and I reach her at the same time, fist and hoof ramming into either side of her. We keep flying past her, soaring up into the air behind her, hoping to catch her off guard with a simultaneous attack.
Luna and I turn around and fire beams of magic of our own at Chrysalis. Luna uses her horn, and I use my rifle in its standard form. Chrysalis appears to sense them coming, because she turns around and somehow manages to negate both attacks in a maelstrom of green flame with a wave of her horn. But you don't stand and gawk if your attack fails.
Chrysalis grunts as both Luna and I appear in front of her, flying towards her at top speed. I unleash a flurry of punches and kicks, while Luna strikes hard with her two front hooves over and over, pushing Chrysalis back with our momentum.
But neither of us can land a hit on her. Somehow, Chrysalis's two front hooves are moving so fast, she's blocking or dodging everything we throw at her. More than once, my fist collides with her hooves, or completely misses her. We have her on the defensive, though. If we keep this up, we'll have her up against a wall soon.
Just as Chrysalis's two back hooves reach the wall at the other end of the room, I attempt to push my luck and hit her with a left hook. To my shock, she leans her head back and then bares her teeth in a chilling hiss, right before biting down on my left arm.
“Fuck! Oh my god!” I yell, pain like you wouldn't believe emanating from that one spot on my arm. I focus my magic there to defend even as I attempt to withdraw my arm from her grip. But my efforts are in vain. Turning around, Chrysalis uses her grip on my to hurl me clear across the room and into a wall, releasing my arm in the process.
Shit, holy fuck. I hit the wall hard and bounce back. This is tough. Looking at my arm, I spot a nasty welt there where she bit me. Her two front teeth had cut the skin, leaving small bloody holes there, but the rest only cut the upper layers, because I'd been quick to defend myself with magic.
Luna exchanges blows with Chrysalis, her midnight blue aura clashing with Chrysalis's green flames with destructive consequences. The walls and floor around them crack and rupture. They appear evenly matched, but I know better. Chrysalis doesn't look alarmed at all, while Luna is gritting her teeth and fighting as hard as she can. Well, as long as she's underestimating us, we might be able to pull something off.
I form my pistol and fire several shots towards Chrysalis, hoping to hit her while she's occupied with Luna. Instead, Chrysalis manages to push away Luna with her two front hooves, and then block all of my bullets with a flaming green barrier, similar to the one she used on Pinkie...which means...shit.
I immediately toss myself out of the way, just in time to avoid the barrier surging at me. The barrier hits the wall and turns to slime, dripping down the wall disgustingly. That was too close. She could have killed me at her leisure if that had hit me.
Chrysalis contends with Luna again as the princess leaps into the air and then suddenly dashes at the changeling queen with an incredible speed. Chrysalis manages to block, but the force behind the attack shatters the ground beneath her, forming a crater. Luna repeats this same action over and over, zooming at Chrysalis from multiple directions. It doesn't seem to work. Each one is blocked or dodged, until finally Chrysalis gets fed up and hits Luna directly in the snout with a hoof, sending Luna skidding backwards.
It's my turn. I form a heavy machine gun and spit hundreds of rounds of magic per second at Chrysalis, hoping to break that defense of hers. I'm expecting her to use that barrier again, but instead Chrysalis rushes through the storm of bullets, weaving through them expertly before finally ramming headlong into my stomach.
I cough, my eyes widening in shock. Saliva flies from my mouth at the impact. Her head and body is right in my chest, knocking the air right out of my lungs and making me feel sick. She hits so hard...it's like fighting Celestia again. Chrysalis's horn slices my side painfully, cutting through the skin and forming a shallow cut.
Her hoof slams me into the ground, and its only thanks to magic that I don't lose any teeth when my face hits the floor. The black substance or whatever cushions it somewhat...but it's akin to how a knee guards would protect you from a speeding car. Which is to say...not much at all.
Luna saves me from further injury by rushing into Chrysalis's side, managing to take her off guard, lifting the queen clear off the ground and hurling her back the other direction. Luna shoots a beam of darkness after Chrysalis, which impacts her and causes a huge explosion that breaks part of the wall away, revealing the darkening streets below. Shit, I can't believe it's only just now late evening. It feels like its been much longer.
Chrysalis emerges from the wake of the magical explosion, hissing angrily. Parts of her mane are singed, but other than that, she looks mostly unharmed. Fuck, can nothing hurt this bitch? I refuse to believe that. Nobody is invincible.
Chrysalis yells wordless, rearing up in the air and kicking her two front hooves. Green light starts to shine from beneath Luna and me, and then we're both screaming in pain as emerald flames erupt from the ground and engulf us, scorching our bodies.
When the pain finally stops, I hit the ground, panting. Shit...even with my magical defenses, it felt like it didn't do much of anything. I'm covered in burns, on top of the ones I received during the battle.
Luna moves over to me, watching Chrysalis carefully. She extends a hoof to me. Thinking she's trying to help me up, I take it...only to feel her magic rushing into me. It hits me a second later, so I stream my magic to her as well.
My right arm erupts with midnight blue flames, while my left sparks with green electricity. With Luna's power in my body, I feel unstoppable.
Luna's aura turns black, but keeps the points of light, such that it looks less like the night sky, and more like the blackness of space.
I'm suddenly in Chrysalis's face, much to her surprise. I moved faster than I remember, which is probably because of Luna's magic. I barely dodge her initial strikes, and then I retaliate by knocking her up into the air with both palms.
I appear behind her in midair and snap her head to one side with a powerful palm strike, and then knock her right down to the ground again. Okay, I can feel Luna's power slipping, so I should use it now.
Luna's power erupts from my right arm in the form of a rushing blue wave that engulfs Chrysalis. Without waiting to see the results, I follow up with the power in my right arm, a bolt of green lightning striking the ground with the sound of thunder.
Chrysalis rises, only looking angrier. She orients her horn on me, but then she notices Luna just a few feet away from her, her horn glowing with green electricity and black magic. “What are you...” she begins, but then a massive beam, tipped with a glowing crescent moon of white light, surges from Luna's horn.
Chrysalis forms that barrier, taking the beam head on. Even with the barrier, the force pushes her back, her hooves gouging into the ground. Her eyes widen as the barrier shatters under the force of the beam, and then she screams in pain when she's hit.
The resulting explosion tears right through the ceiling, as well as breaks pillars and hanging structures, tossing the debris all over the place
“And that is why combination attacks are awesome,” I declare, panting heavily. I wipe the sweat from my brow and watch the cloud carefully, just in case Chrysalis launches a counterattack. Still, with a combination attack like that, she should be totally done for.
Or not. The dust and smoke dissipates to reveal a very pissed off Chrysalis. She adjusts her messed up mane with a hoof, and lets the weird saddle looking thing she always wears fall to the ground, as its been burnt beyond recognition. “You both are much stronger than I expected,” Chrysalis admits, looking between the both of us. “I was under the impression the both of you were nothing close to Celestia.”
“So you thought you could just brush us aside?” I demand, irritated. “Guess what that got you. A fucking moon beam to the face.”
“I may not be mine sister, but I possess more than enough power to stop thee,” Luna adds, flaring her aura higher, her eyes now glowing white. “Surrender now, and I may show thee some manner of mercy.”
Chrysalis looks incredulous for a moment, and then she bursts out into hysterical laughter. “Surrender? Me? To a pony? The notion is simply preposterous,” she says after she calms down. “Do you know who I am?”
“Yeah...you told me earlier,” I remind her. Luna just looks at me, because she only knows what we've told her.
“Allow me to tell you again. I am Chrysalis, and I have been queen of the changelings for over a thousand years,” Chrysalis declares, her mirthful expression disappearing, to be replaced by narrowed eyes and bared teeth. She lifts her hooves into the air, and then slams them down. “It's time for me to show you why!”
Upon contact, Chrysalis hooves shatter the ground, and tendrils of green magic snake up from around her hooves. Her already sizable aura suddenly erupts upwards in a pillar of green magic, spinning around her like a tornado. It surges through the ceiling, breaking even more of it, as it continues on its way into the sky. The ground starts to shake under her power, even as my eyes widen and my jaw slackens.
Holy fuck, I'm going to die here. We could hardly even touch her, even with a combination attack, and now she's powered herself up even farther? Why the hell was she even hiding this kind of power in the first place? This isn't fair! I can't fight something like this. It's like fighting Celestia all over again, except this time, I'm going to fucking die! Distract her? We'll be hard pressed even to live at this point.
“I'll make you regret not siding with me, Seth Rogers!” Chrysalis growls, spitting out my name like it's poison. “No one, not even a human, snubs me, the queen of all changelings!”
“Luna! Give me your hoof, right the fuck now!” I demand. Another combination attack is really the only hope that we have. Luna seems to agree, as she turns and gives her hoof. I reach out, my fingers stretching to grasp it.
“I don't think so,” Chrysalis snarls, and then just before I can grab Luna's hoof, she appears between us. Like, literally seems to appear out of thin air. She spins around, blades of green flame following her hooves as she rams a hoof into my cheek.
I hit the wall so fast, I don't even realize I'm moving until my back explodes with the pain from the impact. I don't even stop there. I go right through the wall, hurtling out into the night air, where our army is still fighting hard against the changelings.
Inside, not even a second after I was knocked away, Chrysalis spins and knocks Luna backwards with a double buck to her chest. This is the first time I've seem Luna knocked completely off of her hooves and tumble across the ground like a fucking ragdoll. “I can't beat Celestia, but I can most definitely defeat the both of you!” Chrysalis snaps, and then she opens her mouth and screeches in what I think is supposed to be a battle cry. “Come back! I'm not through with you yet!”
I return to the hall, hefting my rifle and splitting it into those two light machine guns. I immediately start running away from her, squeezing the trigger and firing a veritable torrent of magical bullets at her. Chrysalis easily catches up with me, running along side me even as I fire. The bullets don't seem to have any effect, even the ones that hit her. It looks like they're striking her side, but she's not exhibiting any signs of being hit.
“You made the wrong choice!” Chrysalis snaps, and then she plows me right over with a hoof to my chin. My back skids across the ground, my shirt tearing at the back, leaving it hanging on by nothing more than tatters. This is hopeless. I can't do anything to her, and here she is, just wrecking me like I'm nothing. My eyes widen when I see her right above me, her two front hooves slamming into my chest. “What can these ponies offer you that I can't? I could have been anything you wanted!”
“F...Fuck...” I cough, and then I blast her in the chest with my pistol. I don't know if it did anything or not, but it certainly had the force to knock her away. She's really hung up on the fact that I didn't join with her. Is it pride? Did she really want to possess me that badly? Is me being human that big of a deal to her...or is it... “No one's ever turned you down before, have they?”
“I have individuals all over the world, willing to serve me, because they know what I can do!” Chrysalis yells, forming several orbs of green magic and tossing them at me. Luna is behind her, back on her hooves and ready to get back into the fight. “Never have I been turned down for a blasted pony, always running around in their idyllic country, never realizing that there are others out there, suffering!”
What? Is this what Chrysalis meant, when she said that this whole thing is something she had to do? I weave through her orbs and rush up to her, resolving to fight for as long as I can. As hopeless at this is, I won't die lying down. I duck under her assault and kick her lower hooves, hoping to knock her off balance. It staggers her, but that's about it.
“Thou thinks that this land is idyllic?” Luna demands, joining the fight. Together, we exchange blows with Chrysalis. Nothing seems to hurt her, even when we hit her, and she's dealing these crushing blows to us whenever she gets the chance. “Thou thinks that this world has seen no conflict?”
I manage to get around Chrysalis's back hooves and to her side, where I unleash a flurry of punches, pouring magic into each one in the hopes that at least one will deal some real damage. She rears up on her hind legs, and then she spins around rapidly, blades of green magic forming in the air around her and colliding with the both of us.
My shirt is completely sliced through, as welts from the attack form on my chest. Tatters of fabric fall down my burnt chest, which is heaving with every breath. I've never felt pain like this in my entire life, nor do I have any way out of it. I can't leave, and I can't win. My every sense is telling me to flee for my life, but my heart is telling me to stay here, even if I have to die.
“Equestria is peaceful because we made it that way,” Luna groans, getting to her hooves once more. She looks to be out of breath as well, which isn't surprising. The two of us have been going all out since the beginning, but Chrysalis still manages to be above us somehow. “We hoped to create a world where all could live in peace!”
“Peace? What a joke! The world is filled with suffering!” Chrysalis scoffs, and she grabs Luna's head with a hoof and forces it into the ground. She lets go, turns around, and nails with me a searing beam of magic as I attempt to take her when she's not looking. “The changelings have never known peace, or happiness. I am always hungry...there's never enough love...just useless lust, which is as empty as an abyss!”
I get to my feet, nursing the burn on my chest. The words Chrysalis is saying...it sounds a lot like something I would say. Strangely enough, I agree with what she's saying. The ponies always have been naïve. Maybe, if I'd never come to this world, I would have become like her, where I would get so numb to everything, killing another would have seemed like nothing. That's a frightening thought.
“I'm here to take what I want!” Chrysalis snarls, defending against both Luna and I as we rush back into battle. This time I fight from a distance, using my rifle in its long ranged form to pick off shots at her. This one actually seems to do something when it strikes her flank, steam rising from the point of impact. Chrysalis fends off Luna with a skilled magical assault, before turning to glare at me. “No changeling shall go hungry again! I shall shatter this false utopian image and show you ponies what the world is really like!”
Chrysalis lands on the ground in front of me, creating a crater under her massive power. I think I understand what she's feeling...but that doesn't mean I'll let her get away with this.
“Fuck you and your changelings,” I growl, somehow managing to weave around her first attack. If I watch her closely, I think I can dodge. She has great power, but her speed should be manageable, if I concentrate. In this manner, I duck under her follow attack, and then move my head out of the way of her slashing horn. “Maybe you think your cause is righteous or whatever, but I don't give a fuck. All I know is that you're threatening something I care about...and that's what I'm fighting you for.”
“Don't you care about your loved ones? The ones you could have gotten back, if only you'd stayed by my side!?” Chrysalis demands, finally managing to get past my defense by sending pillars of green flame spiraling towards me from where her hooves touch the ground. I leap back and avoid most of them, but I can feel them singeing me even as they pass by me.
“Of course I do! But they're dead. They're always going to be dead. And I'm certainly not going to bring them back through the sacrifice my friend!” I grunt, retaliating with a darkness cloaked kick to her side. This time, I try to recreate the same feeling I get when I use my long ranged rifle, only in my leg. To my delight, my attack lands and knocks Chrysalis off her feet, towards Luna. “That's not what they would have wanted.”
“Sentimental nonsense!” Chrysalis screeches, but she's forced to focus on Luna, who seems to be using new techniques. For example, her horn glows white, and an arc of white light streaks out, curving around Chrysalis to form the shape of a crescent moon behind her. While this is happening, Chrysalis's hooves slam into a silvery barrier that's formed in front of Luna. With a cry, Luna brings the arc of white lack backwards, catching Chrysalis from behind and forcing her into Luna's barrier, which the princess uses as an explosive weapon.
I whip out my long ranged rifle and fire multiple shots at the point of the explosion, hoping to deal as much damage as I can before she recovers.
Chrysalis suddenly appears in the air high above us, her front hooves raised high into the air, where a green ball of flame starts to form, even as her horn glows brightly. “If I cannot make you understand, then I shall make you perish! Face the ultimate power!”
A ring of emerald explosions erupts, catching both Luna and I in the splash effect, burning the hell out of me even though I'm holding up my arms to guard. Smaller balls of flame stream from the massive one that Chrysalis is forming. Even though Luna and I dodge them as best we can, they effectively forestall any attempt to stop Chrysalis from charging up that attack of hers. Well, except for me.
While I'm running and dodging the small balls of flame that smash into the ground behind me with every step I take, I use my long ranged rifle to fire up at her. I manage to score a few hits, which causes Chrysalis to wince on each impact. So hyper concentrated magic like this one can actually damage her, even if not by much.
“On your knees!” Chrysalis shouts, and then she throws the massive ball of flame to the ground, not aiming for either one of us...except she doesn't need to.
The entire fucking wedding hall is fucking obliterated from the resulting blast, walls disintegrating and the ceiling crumbling. Green flame surges over my entire body, scalding and burning me to the point where I'm screaming myself hoarse. My eyes are screwed shut in an attempt to keep them from getting burned blind, but that's about all I can do. I use as much magic as is even possible to use at once to reduce the damage as much as I can, but it still feels like my skin is dying. I can hear Luna's cries of agony as well.
When the flame finally dissipates, I fall to my hands and knees. My skin is blackened and bruised. Hah...I've never been hurt like this before. It stings, but not as much as you'd think. So the end is near, I suppose. Another attack like that, and I'm finished. Oh god, I can't even feel my arms.
Luna is similarly effected, as she's hunched over, her body burnt and damaged as much as mine is. Heh, we can't win. “I guess...we tried as much as we could then...” I say with a weak chuckle, falling to the ground. I don't think I can fight anymore...or even stand. “She's just too strong.”
“No...can't...give up,” Luna groans, somehow keeping herself from falling. Chrysalis lands on the ground, looking up at the night sky with a smirk. She notices the fight between the First and Second Regiments and her changelings, and her smirk widens.
“You see, it was a foolish decision to turn against me. Nothing can stand against the queen of the changelings, save for Celestia, whom I've already dealt with,” Chrysalis gloats, walking slowly over to Luna first. “Shall I take care of you first, Luna?”
Much to my shock, Luna gets to her hooves and flares her magic, using some technique that draws Chrysalis the rest of the way to her. The added momentum, combined with a powerful two hoofed buck, seems to really hurt Chrysalis. I can practically see the air rush out of Chrysalis lungs, just before she's send flying backwards. “Seth Rogers! This is...not over yet. Stand up!” Luna orders me, even though I can see her legs shaking with the effort needed to support her own weight. “I do not know thy situation, nor will I question it for now. But there's something thou art fighting for, correct?”
“Yeah, there is...” I utter weakly. I try to move, but pain wracks my body when I even try. I fought as hard as I could, Rainbow. I'm sorry, but I'm going to be able to be there...
“Then stand up and fight for it! Thy friend is waiting for thee, just as my sister is waiting for me! Let us spare them the pain of loss, and bring to them instead the elation of victory!” Luna commands me. Something in her voice sparks a fresh wave of energy through me. She's right. Just as I felt pain from the loss of Amaryllis, Rainbow would feel the same pain if I were to fall here. And I almost died because of it. There's no way in hell I'll let her feel that way.
I rise to my feet slowly, unsteadily. It hurts like a bitch, but I push through the pain, my body protesting with every simple movement. A sharp pain in my chest lets me know I've broken at least one rib. “You're right, Luna. I...think I can still fight,” I say. Fuck, it even hurts to talk.
“Oh? Standing up again?” Chrysalis asks, amusement forming on her face. “That was impressive, Luna. But we both know that you can't fight anymore. Just give up, and I promise I'll end you swiftly.”
In contrary to her words, Luna and I both utilize our dwindling magic reserves to all dash at Chrysalis at once. The queen weaves around our attacks, knocking Luna away with her hoof like it's no trouble at all. But because she's overconfident now, she realizes too late that I have a triple barreled shotgun made of black crystal planted right up against her chest. “Boom, bitch,” I say, and then as her eyes widen, I pull the trigger.
Chrysalis cries out, reeling back from the explosion, blood trickling slightly from the wound. “You...curse you!” she growls, powering up once more. “Don't you realize how hopeless this is for you? Just give up and die!”
“We can do this, Luna,” I realize, looking at the dripping green fluid from the wound on Chrysalis's chest. “We can hurt her. One last push, for better or worse. Are you with me?”
“Yes, Seth,” Luna says, emitting my last name for the first time since she's met me. “You've more than proven yourself in this battle. Whatever thy role in causing this attack was, I shalt make sure mine sister knows that.”
“Thank you. Now then, let's do this!” I yell, using the last vestiges of my magical power to power up one last time. Every time I've ever powered up to full strength, I've always felt this mental barrier in my reservoir, keeping me from getting any stronger. Every time I train, that barrier pushes back ever so slightly, but this time, I can't afford to wait. I push against that barrier with all of my might, pulling out every drop of magical power.
“What do you beaten fools think you can do? I have won, and you're all just corpses waiting to die!” Chrysalis demands, her horn lighting up. She sweeps her head from one side of the area to another, and a massive curtain of green flames forms and shoots towards us.
I leap into the air, orienting myself until I'm horizontal. Behind me, I feel Luna's front two hooves rest upon the soles of my feet. With all of her might, Luna sends me hurtling forward into Chrysalis's magic. I yell out a wordless cry as I pass through the curtain of flame, which burns at my body, but I don't pay it any attention. My scream soon turns into one name. “CHRYSALIS!”
Chrysalis's grin turns into a dumbfounded surprise right before my fist barrels into her jaw with such force, that she's sent tumbling across the ground. I follow her with my flight, landing on the floor in front of her just as she's standing up again. I dodge her follow up attack and strike back, catching her in the neck. Somehow, I'm dodging everything she sends at me.
She headbutts me, but I quickly recover and swing a punch at her. Except this time, I concentrate the magic in my fists like I do when I fire that long range rifle. To my surprise, the magic cloaking my fist shoots forward in a fist-like projection. Even though Chrysalis manages to pull her head back and avoid my actual fist, the projection catches her in the face.
“Take it!” I yell, punching again and again, projections streaming from my fists like rockets, and there's nothing Chrysalis can do to defend against it. She's staggered again and again by each new punch, and I don't intend to let up any time soon. As my barrage of punches continues, I let out a cry that slowly rises in volume.
Finally, while Chrysalis is still off guard, I reach forward and grab her by the horn and then use it to throw her completely the other direction towards Luna.
Luna summons the rest of her remaining power and fires a massive beam of starry darkness from her horn, aimed right at Chrysalis's approaching form. The queen manages to skid to a stop and lift a barrier just in time to block it, but she's being pushed back...
...towards me. I drop my rifle and put both hands together, forming a crackling ball of darkness and green electricity. Imbuing that ball with all of my remaining energy, it rapidly expands in size. Once it's ready, I let all of it loose.
The ball forms into a beam the width of a fucking redwood tree, with rings of green electricity surrounding it. Chrysalis sees it even as she holds Luna's beam back, and for the first time, I see genuine fear in her eyes. She forms another barrier to block my beam, but in doing so, her first barrier loses power. “No! I am the queen! I can't lose!” Chrysalis cries out, and then both barriers shatter, so that Luna's and my beam converge together right on her form.
The resulting explosion dwarfs anything I've ever seen in my life, my darkness and Luna's starry magic shooting into the air like a rocket and intertwining in a maelstrom of black and blue. The magics twist around one another, forming a roiling vortex at the base of the explosion that tears up any remaining structure that may have been in the area around us.
“Shit...now I really can't fight anymore,” I say with a chuckle, falling to my knees. I'm completely drained of magic now, and looks like Luna is too. She looks at me with a smile, and then she nods, as if acknowledging my effort. Wow, this is weird. Luna, the one who's never trusted me, is now giving me a look like that. I guess actions really do mean more than words to her.
“Thou art magnificent, Seth...we shalt...” Luna begins, but then the sound of heavy breathing catches our attention.
The explosion dissipates to reveal a heavily damaged Chrysalis, her mane in tatters and her body burnt. Her legs are shaking, but she's still standing, her horn lighting up. Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me. She's still alive after that? But I gave that everything I had! Is she really invincible?
“You...” Chrysalis growls lowly, taking a shaky step towards us. “The both of you. You've injured me. I'm going to make you pay...I'm going to tear off your skin while you're still alive! I'll find your friends and...”
Just as she's powering up for another assault, the ground starts to shake. Not from her power either. Literally, the whole place is shaking, even the battle field where our soldiers are still fighting. Is this an actual earthquake? Because I don't see any source of...wait...
Chrysalis cuts off, noticing cracks spidering across the ground near her. “What is going on?” she questions, and then the ground fucking shatters in that area, and a pillar of golden light surges up into the air.
Hold on a minute...that magic...the way it seems to be crushing me...I know who that is. I look over at Luna as the pillar of light expands, a weak smile forming. This is it...we've won.
Celestia's blazing form slowly emerges from the hole in the ground, her body surrounded by an immense golden aura, similar to what she used against me on the mountain top that one day...and then she takes it a step further.
Chrysalis's eyes widen in fear, and she takes a few steps back. “No...no...impossible...you're supposed to be sealed up...” she stammers as Celestia walks towards her, her magic growing even larger and larger, swelling out from her body. Fuck, it feels like an ocean is streaming out of her body. The pillar of magic surges so far up into the air, it reaches way past the cloud layer.
Behind Celestia, I see Rainbow and Spitfire carrying Twilight up onto the ground as well. They all look at Celestia, and then they all share a high five, smiles forming on their faces.
“Chrysalis. You have harmed my subjects,” Celestia thunders, her magic getting even fucking stronger, to the point where Chrysalis falls on her knees, unable to stand under the sheer force that's being emanated from the god-like being before her. The magic gets so thick and strong, it covers the entire city in light, as if the day has come early. It also shrouds Celestia's form, such that all we can see is her shadowy silhouette in the pillar of magic, where her eyes are two points of white light. “Ponies have suffered and died because of you. Don't think you're getting out of this unscathed.”
Chrysalis can't even form a coherent sentence. Confronted with her worst enemy, her plans falling apart before her eyes, she's at her most vulnerable. She knew she couldn't fight Celestia to begin with, and now that she's been weakened significantly by Luna and I, the chances are her victory are slim to none. Celestia is showing her full power for the first time, making that display she'd shown me on the mountaintop look like a candle in comparison. It's more terrifying than anything I've ever seen...yet it is also comforting, knowing that all of that terrifying power is on our side.
Chrysalis's eyes water, and then tears start to roll down her cheeks when confronted with the inevitable truth. It's over. “I...” Chrysalis emits, falling to the ground. At last, she lowers her head. “I surrender. Do with me what you will.”
Ha...ha...those words...we won. I can hardly believe it. After all of that pain I just went through, we won.
We fucking won.
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the start of that final rush for him made me remember G Gundam and specifically this repeated quote: "This hand of mine glows with an awesome power, its burning grip tells me to defeat you. Take this, My love, my anger, and all of my sorrow"
This arc was awesome man keep up the good work I can't wait to see more of this
Don't get discouraged and keep on writing
Luna: I am going to that that as a compliment.
......did..... did he win? Hey...... Hey! Did he actually win? Or is she hiding something? Hey! Hello? Did he actually win!?!
I am...satisfied. The fight and defeat of Chryssy was vey believable. I await her judgement.
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Yes, the battle is over. I'm writing the follow up now. I should have it done by tomorrow.
This battle was awesome, you did an amazing job!
You should've used this song for that last part with Celestia.
Oh hell yeah, this is what Celestia should be like! And to think some people think she's harmless...
Really? What was the story?
Don't go on Equestria Daily. Quality is not actually represented on there. I've seen amazing fics and bad fics featured on Equestria Daily. The site seems somewhat random. I've seen greater writers than you get rejected.
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Yeah...I should have known before I decided. I guess I'm just desperately trying to avoid the niggling fear that's been bothering me ever since my views hit the 1000s: If I finish this story, I feel like it will just sink back into obscurity and never see the light of day again. There's nothing more terrifying than that.
So Equestria Daily was my go to method (dumb as I am) to keep that from happening. Now, my goal is to get featured on this site,
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http://www.fimfiction.net/story/213822/to-thaw-my-cold-heart
This one right here. Found it completely on a whim. Also...in response to that song you posted.
Seth: Celestia...why the fuck do you only have one wing?
Celestia: Eh, I thought it would fit the mood.
Seth: So, to be like some dumb villain, you hacked your own wing off!?
Celestia. You're just jealous because I wear it better.
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So, are you writing for glory? Or do you just want to be noticed, and not ignored? I'm assuming it's the latter.
The best you can do is keep cranking out quality stories. The more followers and views you get, the better. It stacks up. Then the next story you start will have a bigger head start, and then another. It works like that. Just keep writing.
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Certainly not for glory. No, what I want is to weave a story that will make others smile, even as I experience the wonder of bringing these characters to life. But if my story falls into obscurity, that will never happen.
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Well, just keep writing. That's all I can really say.
I like the chapter, though a lot of Chryssie's dialog seemed like she stole it from an anime or video game.
Does this Chryssie have a reason for an open invasion(rather than infiltration) other than being a psycho hose beast? And Seth is going to have to do so much community service after this.
Despite the badassery in the front line fighting I still think it'd have been cooler if it was like a XCOM enemy base attack mission with soldiers drawing attention or whatever. Then again there are so many changelings that it probably wouldn't have worked so it was probably for the best. Also, you get bonus points for not having Seth go into psyco mode and doing deus ex machina shiz.
That was fucking amazing
Holy shit the fight scenes in this chapter! God Damn! They were just fucking epic. Starting off we see Seth working with the leadership caste of the Pony military and kicking some serious ass. Blades and Iron may not have a huge amount of dialogue or screen time, but their badassery speaks volumes. Having them work in tandem to utilize their strengths and cover each other was brilliant. Pinkie had a fun cameo too. She may have been screwing around with her canon, but she was still fully in the thick of things blasting those bugs all over the place. Then as the final pylons fall down we have Seth and Luna annihilate a group of Infiltrators and even some sort of commander drones that take them form of monsters. After the savage beating Seth gave the real Scorpios, this one was dead in seconds, and frankly it got off lightly. The different magical attacks and the power levels radiating from Luna and Seth this chapter was just amazing to read. I could just picture every fight scene.
The confrontation with Chrysalis was one of the best fight scenes I have ever read. The tension, the desperation, the hatred, you can just feel the chapter drowning in it. Chrysalis starts off with some cheesy villain dialogue (happy you put this in. Very necessary for any decent villain and Chrysalis especially) and Luna appears to pick up a little more about how Seth may have been involved in the situation with the changlings. To be honest, while she wouldn't know his motivations for helping to fight, she is kind of oblivious about his role here. Oh well, be interesting to see her reaction when she has it explained to her next chapter. Anyway back onto the fight. Your structure of having them initially score some decent hits before getting fucking destroyed was awesome. This felt like a scene out of an anime like Dragon Ball Z or Gurren Lagen. All the flying and energy blasts and powers and combo attacks. Hot damn was this intense. Seth and Luna work really well as a team too. Watching each other's back the whole fight, reading each others moves and even their combo attacks. Whatever negative feelings they may have held with each other before this started, right now, in the thick of it, they worked together like lifelong friends. Come next chapter, I suspect they will both have a whole new respect for each other.
Chrysalis was just so awesome as well. Seeing her wailing on Seth and Luna with her powers and almost obliterating the whole rooms just to get a decent hit on them. In canon, Chrysalis (while brimming with potential) came across as an incompetent idiot with no strategy or even common sense (she just fucking stood there like an dickhead while Cadance and Shining blasted her ass out team rocket style). Here you have turned her into a deceptive, intelligent and deadly enemy with immense powers and actual skills. Seeing her crank her powers up to 11, with her energy taking the form of a flaming green tornado was just gave the impression of the most epic scene of just about the whole story. Then you trumped it with Luna and Seth's final attack!
After they got their asses handed to them and they're laying their scorched, blackened and broken, they still have the strength of will to get up for a final charge. Luna fighting for her sister and her country and Seth fighting for his friend. Luna is even acknowledges him as an equal and tells him that whatever actions of betrayal he may have committed, she will stand at his defence. That last fight, with Seth pushing himself further then ever before, as he gains the ability to create projection fists and a dark Kamehameha, I just sat their with my jaw dropped. This fight was just fucking amazing.
Then after the dust settles and Chrysalis is still standing, we have Celestia bust the fuck in ready to kick some ass. Instead of blasting off into the sunset, Chrysalis surrenders herself. I have no idea how this will play out now for her and her changlings, but this has to be the icing on the cake for all the changes to canon for this arc.
I cannot wait to see the next chapter and see Seth's fate (not to mention maybe get him a little medical attention
). Awesome work man, the best fight scene of the entire story hands down 
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GEE, I wonder who that could have been.
Congrats on getting featured, by the way.
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I appreciate it!
My own music reccomendations:
Street Battle: Fight As One by Downstait
Castle Interior: Tensions Rising from KH2
Chrysallis Battle: Id (Purpose) from Fire Emblem Awakening
Celestia: Solaris Phase 2 from Sonic 06
Awesome fight scene man! Wish I could've been there to back him up with my Air powers though...
5166422
Aw, you're not using the music I linked in? Carbon Maestro's Changeling Anthem is really cool. Not to mention I don't feel like that battle warrants Id(Purpose) just yet. After all, she's not the final villain in this story...and I already plan to use that song someplace else.
Get fucked Chrysalis
Next tIme on ponyball z....
Holy fuck-shit, all this fighting in Canterlot, and then the main fight with Luna was so epic, I can't even...
So awesome, dude.
You do not disappoint. Ave Luna Princeps!
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You won't believe but fighting arcs like this are literally the only thing I hate about this story. I always hated Dragonball, Naruto, Gurenn-Lagann and other such anime for how stupid they were. All these flying humans with lasers, super forms, mana flames the size of a planet just make me puke.
So yeah, so far love everything about this except the OP fighting scenes. Plus your Dota view that 4 heroes are more effective than 400 soldiers is nonsense, or it is at least to me. So yeah, I wish the battle scenes were more realistic instead of being so childish and filled with OP magic and epic hero characters. Maybe it looks cool to you, but to me it just looks dumb. Nothing personal, just expressing my view.
How can one dodge a machine gun volley while being on the ground and having on!y 2 directions to go? Also, why didn't Chrysalis just Pierce him with her horn? You keep saying ponies headbutt someone, but for unicorns they would have to use their MUZZLE unless you want to see that horn of theirs poke on the other side. And lastly, are you sure there is enough floor there to make it crack and form craters when either of OP sh*ts attacks? Seriously, this is getting worse and worse. I'm almost about to quit this thing just because how bad the battles are. No offense but the Dragonball/Naruto style you've chosen is complete and utter crap and only schoolboys can enjoy it.
I pray to gods this ends soon and will NEVER repeat. Even the most boring chapter before this OP battle was times better than this poor excuse of an action sequence. I hate OP things.
Oh, and now Chrysalis has a super form, why am I not surprised? This whole thing is so bad and predictable that it just kills all desire to read on. So childish and stupid, I just can't begin to describe how bad it is... Now all we have to do is wait till our heroes get defeated but keep on fighting afterwards somehow getting superpowers and actually managing to score a hit after they were mostly incapacitated and rendered near useless. Because that's a cliche all crappy anime always use.
Bucking really? REALLY? This fic deserves a crossover tag just for stealing these mechanics. Or maybe at least a warning somewhere so people who hate Dragonball could steer away from this. Hate this so much right now. You were bitching about magic being OP the whole time and now you go and do THIS. WTF dude?
I would have liked to see Seth suffer some more. He's the only thing I don't like about this story. Oh well.
6437905 that cold dude
I just realised that Seth is the Panty Anarchy of the team. But without the lust part.
Yeah, that would be a good idea, because she is probably rather miffed about him right now!
No one ever wins battle or war, they just survive until the next
This was written by somebody who watches a lot of shonen anime and it shows.
I don't like it that much. I don't dislike it either, but it's just... meh.
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so I'm not the only one who notices that?
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I have to wonder about the size of the area they are fighting in to sort such explosions and beam sizes, especially the last one Seth released, which was the size of a redwood. Are you aware of just how large those trees are? Other than that, no real complaints about the story this far
Whoo, that was epic!
Wooo Dragonballz flashback! Oooh now i'll have to watch some anime thanks to this chapter.