32 - Glory, Part 6 of 6
Scootaloo was on top of the world. Report after report kept coming in about crumbling changeling positions in the city. The EUP forces had eliminated the timberwolves from Canterlot and taken twenty changelings prisoner. Casualties had been fairly light at only twelve percent dead and almost twice as many wounded.
"Not a bad day's work," Charging Lance observed.
Scootaloo grinned, "Not bad at all."
The two of them were positioned on top of one of the tall towers that remained. The battle was effectively over, but there was much more work to do. In their planning of the mission, Flittergear had suggested that they deepen and widen the causeways to make a similar crossing more difficult. Once the defenses were shored up, the rebuilding could begin in earnest.
"Hey," Sparklefly's voice hailed from above as she came in for a landing.
"Your team did a fine job," Charging Lance said. “You had the castle secured far faster than we expected.”
“Yeah they did,” Sparklefly said with a grin. "Is everything as good as it looks?"
"You bet it is," Scootaloo said. "We've got the city. We won!“
“We will have to hold it.”
"Not to mention rebuild," Charging Lance added.
A scout flew up to them, "Sirs! Prince Shining Armor has arrived and is requesting the presence of the Taskforce in the throne room. That is all."
The scout flew away without awaiting a response.
"The prince is here?" Scootaloo was surprised by the alacrity of his arrival.
"So it would seem," Charging Lance said. "We'd best not keep him waiting. I'll find the others. Why don't you two go on ahead."
"Right!" Scootaloo agreed.
She and Sparklefly quickly found the stairs and made their way through the streets of the newly retaken capital city of Equestria. There were soldiers everywhere, which made the city feel alive, but in an eerie kind of way. Scootaloo always had remembered Canterlot as a bright and beautiful place. The militaristic atmosphere wasn't very becoming.
“What shape is the castle in?” Scootaloo asked.
“It’s a bit worse for the wear, but nothing that can’t be fixed,” she replied. “I’d have thought they’d have used it for a stronghold, but it was hardly even occupied.”
It was only a few city blocks from where they had been to the castle. It was still quite a sight, even burned as the lower levels now were. It dwarfed most of the other structures in the city and was made entirely of stone. The great doors had been shattered when they had lost the city, and they still hung open, half off their hinges. The pair made their way unimpeded past guards and soldiers at every turn, up several flights of stairs and down several corridors before reaching the throne room. They were permitted entry.
The atmosphere inside was as positive as in the rest of the city. Prince Shining Armor stood near the great thrones, with two ever-vigilant guards keeping watch. There were a number of officials milling about. Scootaloo was surprised that the palace was as undamaged as it was. Perhaps the changelings had intended a use for it after the war.
Sparklefly and Scootaloo strode down the long room, past the massive stained glass windows on either side that told the history of Equestria. The guards stopped the pair at the bottom of the steps; Digger was on duty.
"You look tired," she said to him.
Digger smiled, “That figures; long day, but it's good to be home."
The prince nodded at the pair of newcomers and addressed the others, “Please give us the room. I need to speak with my Taskforce.”
He looked at them expectantly.
“The others are on their way,” Sparklefly volunteered.
He seemed satisfied with the response and sat silently as the throne-room was cleared. The ornate, oversized doors were shut as the last of the group exited.
“I have to say,” the prince began, “I am quite pleased with...” he stopped short.
"What are you doing?" Digger yelled.
The other guard dropped into a defensive stance, spear poised to strike.
Scootaloo took a half step backward and turned to Sparklefly, who was glowing green with magical energy. Before she had time to process what she was seeing, the one guard leapt onto her and a blast of green changeling magic shot straight through him and impacted into the stairs, peppering everyone with debris. A second blast erupted just as Digger leapt in the way. The magic was absorbed by his body, and then exploded outward, vaporizing him instantly. The shockwave hit Scootaloo along with a shower of debris from the split stone staircase. She was thrown backwards, hitting the wall and falling to the ground.
Scootaloo struggled to stand and unlock her crossbow. Her mind was racing to understand what was happening. It wasn’t Sparklefly; she had been replaced by a changeling.
Prince Shining Armor thundered down the stairs toward the enemy, only to meet another powerful blast of magic that enveloped him. The female assailant laughed, and that was when Scootaloo recognized Chrysalis, the changeling queen.
The throne-room doors flew open, and Chrysalis spun on her hooves and unleashed more lethal magic, crying out in a hateful fury and cutting the guards down where they stood.
Scootaloo finally succeeded in loading her crossbow and raised it to fire. The enemy matriarch was turning toward her with murderous intent in her eyes. As the pair unleashed their hostilities, a flash of red magical light blinded Scootaloo. Her arrow clattered off of the shield and fell to the floor. The incoming magic was absorbed by the barrier.
Scootaloo was trapped. Despair was about to grip her at the murder of the prince when the air cleared, revealing that another red magical shield had protected him. It dissipated, and anger flashed across his face. His eyes glowed red with magic as he returned fire. The changeling queen darted to the side, and shattered stone sprayed through the air.
"You've grown stronger since we last met," Chrysalis hissed at him as she unleashed frost magic.
The prince teleported to the other side of the room and glowered, “You'll be lucky if I decide not to kill you.”
It seemed so strange to hear him say that. Scootaloo had never seen him so enraged in her life.
Chrysalis vaulted into the air as the prince blasted away with a barrage of concussion energy, which caused small explosions everywhere it struck.
"Oh, and I thought it was going to be a happy marriage," the changeling queen taunted him from above. "Till death do us part and all that."
The princes eyes flashed red with magic, "You first!”
The air ionized as he teleported, appearing above her and kicking hard. She ducked and he caught her body instead of her face. She spun as she fell, letting out a force wave and throwing him to the wall. Shining Armor telekinetically controlled a tapestry that came from behind and began wrapping her up in it as he hit the ground. It wound tighter and tighter, squeezing the air from her lungs. Scootaloo heard a scream, and then green fire incinerated the drapery. A wave of heat flooded the room. If Scootaloo could just get out...
The prince leapt aside as Luna’s throne was hurled at him, and he fired magical darts at Chrysalis in return. The queen began spewing fire throughout the room, leaving no place for the prince to run. He let out a shout, and a blast of red magic sent a flurry of snow on a strong wind that consumed the fire. It was so violent that the queen was thrown against the stairs. Steam filled the room.
Chrysalis leapt up and unleashed raw energy. The prince returned fire and their beams of power locked together with a violent electrical hissing. The queen growled with rage as she poured everything she had into the attack. The prince let out a battle-cry so frighting that it stole the warmth from Scootaloo’s blood. The energy between combatants exploded outward, throwing the changeling queen back as all of the stained glass windows shattered. Even through the shield, Scootaloo could feel the electricity in the air.
The prince stood his ground, unmoved by the explosion, but his royal robes were shredded by the blast, revealing an ornamental talisman around the prince’s neck. It was an onyx triangle or shield with a red inset stone and the form of an alicorn above the shield. There were red jewels set in the wings, and it bore red eyes. It looked familiar.
On the other side of the room, Scootaloo saw something she didn’t expect. The changeling queen scrambled back onto her hooves, her eyes wide and her breaths fast. Chrysalis was afraid. She scrambled to one of the windows and took flight in an attempt to escape.
"No!" Shining Armor roared, his magic aura gripping her tail and stopping her in mid air. "I didn't say you could leave!" his voice boomed like thunder.
He pulled her back into the throne room and slammed her into the floor. She was dazed, and the glow of magic was in her eyes. Debris struck the prince. He turned back to face her, telekinetically tossing her like a rag doll. Scootaloo lost count of how many times he threw her against the walls before he slammed her into the floor again. He let out a savage cry and jumped on top of the queen, striking her repeatedly with his bare hooves before gripping tightly around her throat, choking the life from her. The queen’s defenses were growing more feeble by the second.
The barrier that protected Scootaloo flickered and then failed. She already felt stiff from being thrown against the wall. She charged toward the pair, locked in combat that was about to become a death struggle. She had only one option.
"Don't do it!" she yelled.
Shining Armor flinched as if he heard her, but he didn't stop. A blind rage consumed his visage. Scootaloo had seen it many times; it was blood-lust, an expression of lethal intent.
"Don't kill her!" the mare pleaded desperately, her voice cracking. She had to think of some way to convince him, "We need her alive to end the war! Dead, she's a martyr!"
The prince flinched again, and slowly relaxed his shoulders, the red magical light leaving him for the moment. The defeated queen slumped to the floor. She was still breathing. Guards began arriving through the windows and opened doors. Each of them stood with a stunned expression, as if not sure what to do.
The other members of the Taskforce arrived, each with shock on their faces. Scootaloo could hear sounds of fighting from the hallway, but whatever action was happening there was quickly growing quiet.
"Report," Shining Armor demanded.
"Sir," one of the guards spoke, "A changeling contingent had infiltrated our attack force, and they are assaulting the palace. The situation is under control. We came to make sure you were safe.“
The prince stood above his defeated nemesis and glowed red with magic once again, but instead of a destructive spell, it engulfed Queen Chrysalis for a few moments and then faded away, only the only glow remaining on her horn.
"Her magic has been suppressed. Take her to the dungeon, keep her secure," the prince said through heaving breaths. Turning to Scootaloo, the prince spoke with an icy chill in his voice, "You dare to give me a command?"
His eyes flashed red, and fear filled the mare, “Oops... I... um... I didn't choose my words well. You told us that you wanted her alive. I was afraid that you might kill her in the heat of the moment.”
He stared at her, but then turned and walked away without another word. Scootaloo’s heart was pounding, and she felt somewhat numb all over. It didn't exactly go as planned, but they had captured Queen Chrysalis. She’d expected to feel far more satisfied at this moment than she did. Instead, there was one overwhelmingly disturbing thought consuming Scootaloo as she sat in the rubble that had been the throne room. Where was Sparklefly?
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Showdown in the throne room. Why do I get the feeling this is not the Final Boss?
8489427
Is it because there are still unresolved plot points? I know for sure that Scootaloo's cutie mark and Cloud Blazer's dreams have not yet played out. Plus too, they have the Queen captured, but that doesn't mean she'll order her minions to stand down. Not only that, but doesn't any great evil villain have at least one nasty plan up their sleeve if things go wrong?
On a side-note, I tried to end the story originally back in chapter 9 or so, but it just didn't feel right, so I kept writing.
Bum bum bum
I did not see that coming
Definitely the Alicorn amulet
Batman if you don't kill the Joker he will just escape again
8745994
1) Yes!!! Gotcha!!!
2) Yeah... 🍪
3) You raise a valid point, it is a risk to be certain.
I guess Chrysalis tried to bait them into a trap only for it to backfire on her. I see Shining Armor's glowing red eyes from several arcs back finally played out with the Alicorn Amulet. If Cadance doesn't get home soon enough, it'll be Flurry Heart who'll have to disarm him of it, or maybe Trixie if she ever shows up in this story.
Also, all that time, I was expecting Shining Armor to fall in battle, thinking to myself, "This will be about time that you need to start getting your Cutie Mark, Scoots". I suppose there's still time for her to get it after being surrounded by a hundred thousand timberwolves and ten thousand changelings
8782311
She did indeed, but she didn't know about the Alicorn Amulet's whereabouts. Not that they were using it for a trump card, but more on that later. That's an interesting thought to have either Trixie or Flurry Heart involved with getting him to take it off. I'm afraid poor Trixie doesn't show up... which I am sad about now. I think I've gone too far to add her in without it feeling forced.
You want her surrounded? I think I can make that happen...
8782439
The Great and Powerful Trixie can fit right in with her powers!