The Chrysalling

by Fateful Pony

Party Crasher

The train pulled into the station and sounded a tooting noise. A small chime over a nearby intercom came into play, and shortly after a mare's voice began speaking. “All passengers, this destination is the Crystal Empire. The next destination will be Appleloosa. Thank you for choosing the Equestrian Transport Services. Have a nice day.”

Everypony exited the cart. Optix, with her shining new MK 47 Rifle strapped around her chest, and looking more like a mercenary, sighed in wonder. “This place is shinier than I remember.”

“I never even been here before.” Derpibra said. “I’m surprised at how clean this place is.”

Rarity gasped. “You’re surprised? The wonderful Crystal Ponies keep everything spic and span around the clock darling! They exercise no shortage of cleanliness, most certainly!”

“You seem pretty pent up.”

“Indeed, we all are! We have not been here for some time, and on our return, we are allowed a chance to see the royal baby! How magnificent!”

He regarded her excitement with a smile, and as soon as he turned to his front, he spotted a white unicorn stallion who looked rather fatigued.

Derpibra nudged his head in the stallion's direction. “Hey Twilight, look at that guy over there. Is he alright?”

“That’s my older brother, Shining Armor.”

“Oh, the guy that had his name on the invitation?”

“Yes.”

He walked up to the stumbling stallion. “Hey big guy. You alright?”

“Huh…?” Shining stammered. “H-hey… you’re with, Twilight huh…? Hey sis…”

Twilight held him in place, fearing he would stumble over. “Hey Shining. Are you doing okay? You look terrible.”

“Just… being a father is tough…” He began to snore audibly.

“Wow, he must really have been on the field for too long.” Optix said.

“No kidding.” Gaffold said. “Oi, wake yourself up.” He poked him in the chest.

Shining snorted. “Huh!? Oh, sorry.”

Derpibra shook him erratically to keep him awake. “Can you tell us where to see the baby?”

“Castle… top floor… royal bedroom…” He drifted off to sleep again.

“Well, at least we know where to go.” Derpibra said. “Twi? What do we do with him?”

“We can’t let him stay out here, or else he might get himself hurt. We might have to carry him.”

“Since he can’t carry himself?” Optix remarked. “Guess I’ll be takin’ him, since none of you lightweights can.” She propped him up then tossed him over her back. Without letting a breath loose, she said, “Alright, let’s go.”

“Wait, lightweights!?” Derpibra said.

The party trotted into the room where Princess Celestia and Luna stood, waiting. Cadence was also in the room, but she seemed only marginally more energy ridden than Shining Armor was.

“You're kidding right?” Derpibra said as he breathed in, a grin forming from ear to ear. “I get to meet all of Equestria’s princesses!? This is awesome!”

Celestia and Luna chuckled.

He kneeled before them. “Oh my goodness, I’ve waited for this day, oh yes I have! I’m totally a fan colt of both you! You too Cadence, and Twilight!”

“I see you met a new friend,” Celestia said through another cackle. “Twilight. Is this the Derpibra stallion you were so inclined to send me so many letters about?”

She nodded. “Yes, Princess. He’s… well, different than most. But he has quite the arsenal of abilities you wouldn’t find in any normal pegasus.”

“The fact that he looks like a zebra is interesting enough.” Luna replied. “I see he’s… quite a fan.”

“I have! Ever since my early days as a colt! I still have a plushie of you Celestia!” He retracted a dated plushie of Celestia. “I still have it, even after all of these years!”

“I’ve never met such a… erm, ‘dedicated’ stallion. I’m flattered by your support.”

His eyes gleamed at her with sparkles.

“Shall we begin the Crystalling then?”

“Do we not have to discover the race and gender of the baby first, my fair sister?”

“Ah, yes of course. I’ve almost forgotten, what with the sidetracking.”

“I’ll do the honors!” Derpibra announced as he dashed over to the fidgety pink baby. It played with his spiky mane and giggled cutely. “Aww, aren't you just the cutest puffball ever!” He loosened the wrap from around her and watched in awe as her horn was revealed, as well as her seemingly oversized wings. “Wow! Her wings are bigger than mines when I was just a kid! And she’s an alicorn… I’m jealous!”

“She’s a what!?” Everyone stumbled over each other to see for themselves, and their jaws dropped.

“What’s the big deal? She’s just an alicorn right?”

“Alicorns have never been seen born in Equestria. She may be the first one.” Celestia explained. “What an interesting and rare sight.”

“You mean, you nor your sister… or Cadence were born like this?”

“We were all unicorns once.”

“Now my theories are forfeit. Oh well! Hey, can we do the Crystalling now-” His ears perked as the baby began to sniffle, readying a sneeze. “Aw, she looks so cute-”

When she sneezed, a torrent of magic slammed him through a door, quite harshly so. He shouted from the other room, “That baby is overpowered!” His voice faded as he rolled down the staircase below. Applejack chased after him, and minutes later, they crawled through the hole in the door, and he spat out some stone and wood chips. “And I got owned by a baby… great…”

Applejack sweeped the rubble from his mane. “You okay, sugarcube?”

“I only fell down two flights of stairs…”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get ya fixed up.”

Celestia took a look back at the newborn. “We should get her magic situated before we begin the Crystalling. We will be ready in about an hour, due to other preparations that must be made.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. That should give Starlight some time to complete her friendship lesson in the meantime. Hopefully she doesn’t miss out.”

“She won’t. Well now, shall we be off?”

An hour has passed, and everyone seemed to be ready for the event. Derpibra was done with his warm up training, Starlight was reunited with her old friend, Sun Burst- everything was set. The only thing left was the Crystalling.

Sun Burst took the stage and announced, “Welcome everypony to the royal Crystalling! I, with the honor of being here with the four different princesses of Equestria, and the baby of Cadence and her Shining Armor, would like to welcome our newest member of Her empire! Please, give us all of your love energy, so that we may bring the Crystal Heart back to full strength!”

All of the attendants bowed, and began to fill the ground with blue magic. Once the process was complete, Sun Burst retrieved the finest blue crystal shard from a case Rarity presented to him, and it soon charged with the magic of love from the empire.

But, a tall, hooded figure swiped the shard and flew into the air, promptly absorbing the magnificent energy of the empire. Once finished, the cloaked hood came off, and revealed a black mare with a crude horn and holed hooves. “It’s time…”

“Hey!” Derpibra shouted. “What did you do!?”

“I’ll make you heroic zealots pay for my defeats!”

“Chrysalis…!” Celestia called out. “What have you done?”

“I absorbed the very essence of the Empire. Hahahaha! It’s all mines now!”

(She may be even more powerful than Twilight now…) Celestia thought. “Whatever do you hope to accomplish?”

“I will attack Equestria… at its heart.”

“No!”

Before Celestia could retaliate, Chrysalis disappeared. “She’s headed for the heart! Follow her!”

Teleporting to the room where the heart sat, Chrysalis held the baby in her Levitation spell, and shot a magical bolt at the heart, shattering it.

Celestia and the group weren't too far behind, but too late they were.

“Oh snap! There goes the heart!” Optix shouted.

“Give me my baby back!” Cried Cadence.

“Oh, I’ve gotten too far to stop now… maybe I should test my power on my little pigs?”

Cadence charged directly for her, and launched a destructive beam, but to no effect. Chrysalis knocked her away into a wall, causing her to scream in pain before falling silent.

“Cadence!” Shining Armor trotted to her frantically and tried to shake her awake, but to no avail. “Cadence…? Cadence!” He attempted to assault Chrysalis, but Twilight held him back.

“Shining! Stop! She’s too strong!”

“I need to save our baby!”

“I said stop!”

“This has gone on for too long!” Derpibra shouted. “We were supposed to have a good day today… but now you ruined it!” He let out a devastating battle cry as he transformed into a Super Saiyan. “I’ll put an end to this… quickly.”

“Hmph. Celestia, destroy this imbecile.” She shot black magic at Celestia, causing her eyes to glow green as her body tremored. She screamed from the sudden migraine. Her coat turned gray, her eyes a green afterglow, and a hostile look aimed at Derpibra.

“What have you done to my sister!?” Luna exclaimed.

Chrysalis responded by sending a beam from her horn, casting Luna out of a nearby window, crashing on the stage below.

“C’mon! We have to hold back the clouds before the North Winter covers the Empire!” Twilight said. “Gaffold, stay with Derpibra!”

“Understood.”

“Luna!” Derpibra shouted below, but the blue alicorn said nothing in response. “You witch… I’ll kill you!” Before he could reach her, Celestia, influenced by Chrysalis’ magic, kicked him from the same window.

“You will perish…” Celestia said.

“What's gotten into you!?” He looked to his left and spotted Gaffold at his side. He transformed as well.

The tag team took on Celestia together, but she was far too formidable even for two fighters. She fought them both in a clash, throwing multiple kicks and punches in rapid succession at each other. She then engulfed herself in an overwhelming aura and blew them backwards.

Derpibra struggled for air. “Gah! Geez…”

“She’s corrupted by the witch’s magic.” Gaffold said. “The only way we can get her out of the spell is by giving her a good pair of fisticuffs mate.”

“But I don’t want to hurt her. She’s my role model!”

Celestia vanished from sight, and reappeared in front of him. She landed a deafening blow to his stomach, causing him to revert his form and cough blood. She then did a sledgehammer attack over his head, sending him plummeting towards the ground.

“Derpibra!” Gaffold exclaimed. “You fiend! Princess or not, you will be stopped!” He held his claws in a circular stance, forming a blue ball of energy. Once fully charged, he shouted, “Kamehameha!” A beam sailed after Celestia, in the hopes of hitting her with devastating force. Once the beam hit, the area was covered in smoke. “Seems she finally went down.” As the cloud cleared, he winced.

“Was that all? I can’t believe I protect such weaklings… why are you even my subjects?”

“...! This is not like you, not at all!”

She dashed forward at blinding speeds and gave a swift but deadly kick. He recovered, but was soon assaulted by a salvo of black magic blasts. He attempted to dodge them, but was unsuccessful. She then began to devastate him with physical attacks, rapidly landing combos of hundreds of hits. Launching a beam at point-blank range, she put him out of commission.

“Now, finish them off!” Chrysalis cheered. “Show them that they will no longer take advantage of your kindness!”

Celestia dropped down to Derpibra, who laid shivering in pain and fear. Readying a green energy in her horn, she was ready to execute him. But she seemed hesitant.

Derpibra looked up, and spotted the window she previously knocked him through. He saw something- a white object with a familiar shape falling from it- his plushie of Celestia. It landed next to him. He then focused on the white executor, who was ready to dispose of him. Tears ran down his bloodied cheeks, as he never expected to be threatened for death from his role model. “I never thought you’d-”

“S-silence!”

“Finish him damn it!” Chrysalis shouted angrily.

Derpibra reached out to her, and his hoof grazed her chest. Noticing his plushie beside him, he reached for it, grabbed it, then presented it to her with a tremoring hoof. “You… are… my most favorite… princess…” He fell silent, and the plushie rolled over to the white alicorn.

Celestia dispelled her magic, and stared at the plushie. “...What have I done…?” She grasped her stuffed replica and clenched it tightly. Tears filled her eyes. “No… I... I… I’m so sorry…!”

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you annihilating him!?”

“You made me hurt my subjects... I vowed since the first day I’ve become a princess that I would never harm anyone... “ The clouds surrounding the Empire were being pushed back. The sun beamed its light down with much more intensity than usual. “You can harm me all you like, but my subjects will not suffer because of it!” Her mane turned to fire, and her iris’ turned orange. “Now, I will deal with you accordingly.” She crouched down to Derpibra, and placed the plushie in his hooves. “Hold to this, I fear I may burn it.” Getting up, she faced Chrysalis in a torrent of flame.

“Why are the clouds disappearing? This isn't how it's supposed to work…!”

“Now tell me…” Celestia began. “Why… why are you doing this?”

“The defeats, the humiliation! You ponies have caused me much pain! Oh how I will enjoy bathing in your tears once I force you unto the same fate I’ve suffered!”

“And you do not think that perhaps it would just happen again?”

“No! I have a superior magic, I am flawless! My power is impeccable!”

“Everything is flawed, even I. But how big those flaws are, and how you let it affect you, all determines the outcome.”

“Enough with your foolish philosophy! The fight between two royalties starts now!” She vanished, and reappeared behind Celestia, kicking her into the air, then attempted a flurry of hits in her direction, but Celestia dodged them almost effortlessly.

While the two were battling with all their resolve, Derpibra’s eyes were cracking open. He felt the enormous magics zipping around in the air, occasionally colliding. “C-Celestia…?” He muttered as he, with his slightly battered duster coat and hat, stood rather feebly. “Her power… she’s free of the spell…!”

Chrysalis was shot back by a fireball, and chuckled, rather devilishly so. “I will not fable here… your strength increased exponentially. However, your efforts are futile.”

“Your foolish bluffing has no effect on me!”

“It’s no bluff Princess. You have never exerted so much power before- I know from experience. You aren’t used to this change, are you?”

She merely scowled at Chrysalis.

“Your power is fading quickly. For now, your resistance remains strong… hmph, how amusing. A princess, falling to her own inability.”

The two clashed again, as lightning bolts surged every time a punch was landed.

Derpibra observed in awe as the opponents fought to no end. (She might have a point. I don't know if Celestia ever transformed like this before, but what I do know is that her power is fading little by little…)

Before long, Celestia’s defenses became easier to shatter, her movement speed paled in comparison, and her attack strength seemed to be lessening. No matter how hard her attempts were made, she began to miss hits, and fail dodges.

“What’s wrong? Losing your grip on the situation?” Chrysalis taunted.

“N-no!” She fought with every drop of resolve she had left, but before long her solar powers faded to a bleak nothingness. She was augmented no more.

Chrysalis, seeing this as an opportunity, sweeped Celestia’s hoof, sending her into a spin, then smashed her into the ground next to Derpibra. “Oh! I see the gray zebra is still alive!”

“...! Oh no.” He looked below his hooves to see Celestia gasping as she cried.

“I thought I was strong enough… I’m sorry I hurt you… please forgive me…”

“No...! Celestia…!” He exclaimed. Taking off his hat, he transformed, this time with more power. “This is gonna be the second time my friends were defeated because I wasn't strong enough…! If only I can defend you all on my own!”

The baby, from the tower, began to cry. Her sorrow could be heard for miles.

Through the midst of her tears, Derpibra began to remember himself as a child- a baby. He reminisced the days when he was helpless, when he would fall over due to his eyes, always needing his parents’ help. This memory, he applied to the baby. He thought of how he could not protect Cadence, Shining Armor, or his role model. What of Gaffold and his other friends?

“It is all up to you now…” Celestia said. “Don’t let your limits hold you… just… let it go.” Celestia said weakly.

The excessive crying of the baby assaulted Derpibra’s mind. How could he let evil get to a newborn? “I can do it… on my own… I have to…!” His mane raised in response to a charge. “I feel it slipping…!”

In a prolonged flash of lightning, his power surged beyond astronomical levels. He screamed as his body transformed into something stronger, nimbler, and reactive.

“What in blazes…!?” Chrysalis shielded her eyes from the light.

Across the Empire, the Mane Six felt the energy as if it were adjacent to them.

“What is that?” Twilight asked.

Rarity fell back from the quakes. “I do not know darling! Hopefully everything is alright!”

As Derpibra took a normal stance, his mane was far spikier than before. His body, engulfed in a enhanced golden aura, and his physique enlarged.

“W-what!? What is this?”

“This is me as an Ascended Super Saiyan, but you can just call me Super Derpibra.”