Bookends Part 4: Or Day Of Atonement

by Stormbringer

CHAPTER NINE: Final Confrontation

“Get in there!” said a guard as they shoved Twilight and Pinkie into a large, well lit room. The door slammed shut.

“Now what,” said Twilight.

“We wait,” said Pinkie. “The queen will come to us.”

“Brilliant plan,” said Twilight sounding cross. “as long as they don’t execute us first.”

Several minutes later, other ponies were ushered in the room as well.

“Twilight! Pinkie!” shouted the other ponies who rushed and embraced the newcomers.
Twilight and Pinkie wanted to hug and kiss their mate, but they were unsure if this might be another trick.

“What’s wrong,” asked Cheerilee, then it hit her. “Twilight, Pinkie, you can’t trust that we are the real ponies.”

“Us neither,” said Pinkie.
The group hugged deeply and started to cry.

There was the noise of the chamber door opening. They all looked.

The queen of the Changelings entered the chamber which Twilight and the others were being held.

As she entered, she saw the final captives, the hated pony and the idiotic pink mare. It made her smile to know Twilight was helpless for the moment. The negative energy of this place was blanking out the magic from the three Unicorns for now. They’d find a way to deal with the negating properties given time, but Chrysalis didn’t plan on giving them that time.

Chrysalis was thrilled, her plans were coming to fruition. She had in her possession five of the six ponies she’d wanted for so long. In spite of missing the yellow Pegasus, they’d captured two other ponies with them. One was reported to be Twilight’s wife and the other was the wife of that idiotic pink pony.

She’d found out, from the intelligence which had been gathered, Twilight and the rainbow one had foals. It was too bad the foals weren’t with them. The attempt to capture them in Canterlot had failed but to be in the heart of Canterlot castle with only an operative or two would have been sure to fail, but it was worth the try. Even the small detachment that was sent, they were not able to corner them.

But it would’ve been most pleasing to watch the torment as she’d drain them in front of their mothers.

‘But with the two wives, it’d be two more for Twilight to watch die in front of her.’ Thought Chrysalis, I’ll get the foals later.’

Then the queen reached out and felt the life forces before her as if tasting the victims before the actual deed. One felt familiar yet odd plus there was an extra one inside the blue Pegasus. (Apparently, the embryo in Trixie wasn’t developed enough for the queen to detect at this distance.)

‘A little filly foal,’ thought the queen evilly. ‘So the rainbow one is with foal, how precious! This should tear up some hearts to know the little filly will soon become a lifeless lump of flesh. Perhaps I should let the mother live long enough to suffer the despair of a stillborn birth.’

“Welcome Twilight and welcome to the rest of you ponies.” Said the queen. “I’ve waited a long time for this.”

Chrysalis walked to Twilight and put her hoof under Twilight’s chin to force her to look into her eyes. Chrysalis was slightly disappointed when she saw defiance and not the fear she was expecting.

No matter. She jerked her hoof away, certain her shoe caused some pain.

“I know you like knowledge Twilight. So I want to let you know something about Changelings you might not know. As a Royal Changeling, I’m like your Alicorns. Immortal and more powerful than the common Changeling. In fact not only can I absorb love, I can absorb the very life force from a pony.

Delicious, don’t you think?”

There was a look on the faces of the ponies gathered, they glanced at Pinkie who looked the floor. The queen read it as fear, but it wasn’t fear but realization of something which was said days ago.

“And I’m so glad you brought me a little hors d'oeuvre,” said the queen, turning her gaze to Rainbow Apple. “You won’t mind if I drain the life out of the little filly you’re carrying inside you?”

Rainbow felt fear, anger, helplessness and rage. Here was a situation a mother had no way to defend her unborn child. The news it was a filly would’ve been exciting, but now it looked like she’d lose her daughter before she ever got the chance to hold her.

“No Chrysalis,” cried Rainbow, starting to feel ill at the thought of what the monster was threatening. “Anything but that!”

“Anything but that!” mocked the queen. “That’d really hurt you, wouldn’t it? ALL THE MORE REASON TO DO IT!

You’ll feel the pain I experienced when I lost my child to you Mono-Ponies. Then, when I’m done, I’ll find your other child, and yours as well Twilight. They’ll be drained dead in front of you, and then you’ll be made to watch as my minions tear their precious little bodies to shreds!”

The queen looked at Rainbow, she grinned the most demonic of grins, then her eyes glowed green, as did her horn.

“My baby!” Rainbow cried in despair. Tears poured from her eyes, as her knees started to buckle.

But the queen got a confused look on her face.

“How’s this possible?” demanded the queen, “how can I not reach it?”
There was a silence, she looked around her. Then it struck her that the odd feeling life force was from the pink one. And she was looking back at her with the most intense look.

“It’s because I’m not allowing it,” said Pinkie.

“And how can you stop me?” ranted Chrysalis, “I’ll have my child avenged!”

“You’ll do no such thing,” said Pinkie. “Because you’ve not lost a child...

Mother.”

There was a collective gasp from not only Pinkie’s companions but the Changelings as well.

Then there was the now familiar green flash. And there stood Phantasm being restrained by the Changeling guard. The guard didn’t know what to do.

For the first time, Pinkie’s companions noticed the eyes of the other Changelings were a blank blue whereas Phantasm and Chrysalis’ were more normal and green. They noticed she was slightly taller and the ‘holes’ in Phantasm’s legs and wings were much smaller than all the other Changelings, as if her living in the love of Trixie was making her body whole.

“And you’ll not lay a hoof on a princess,” said Phantasm to the guard.
The guard released her, not knowing what else to do.

“P- Princess?” said Trixie. Not believing that she was married to a princess.

“Yes My Love,” said Phantasm to Trixie. “And I’m sorry I’ve held this back from you, from all of you ponies.”

“Phantasm my daughter, is it really you?” said the queen, quite in shock.
Chrysalis held out her forelegs, beckoning Phantasm to come to her.
“Come here my child,” said the queen, “return to your people and your place by my side.”

“I’m with my people,” said Phantasm, “I’m with my friends. And my place is by the side of my wife.

My place is with them.”

This pronouncement hit the queen like a ton of horseshoes, how could this be? Here was something she’d not let herself consider. Her child was alive and was right here in front of her.
But she wanted nothing to do with her birthright, she wanted nothing to do with her people, she was even rejecting her own mother! She was acting like a traitor.
Plus she’d actually fought with the Mono-Ponies against the Hive. It made her a double traitor.
The queen was shocked and then enraged. She saw all her Changelings looking at her as if waiting to see what her next move would be. Chrysalis knew she must act or be seen as weak. If she was to retain iron control of her subjects, even her own daughter couldn’t be excused.

Twilight was still hated, but she wasn’t the focus of the queen’s anger now. That all had just changed. The one who took her daughter away must receive the greatest vengeance, even if that pony was her daughter.

“THEN YOU’LL SUFFER THE FATE OF A TRAITOR!” screamed the queen. “EVERYPONY YOU CARE ABOUT WILL BE KILLED IN FRONT OF YOU! THEN AS YOU’RE SLOWLY KILLED, YOU’LL REALIZE TOO LATE WHAT IT IS YOU’VE GIVEN UP.
RESTRAIN HER!”

The guard once again grabbed Phantasm. The queen’s eyes and horn glowed brighter than anypony could remember. It was more powerful than Phantasm could counter.

The queen’s power was great, but her malevolence was even stronger.
A green glow surrounded Phantasm’s companions. They started to cry out as they felt the power of the queen overtake them. They could fight it, but they realized they couldn’t for very long.

Phantasm knew what must be done, her own safety counted for nothing.

“THINK OF WHAT SHE’LL DO TO YOUR CHILDREN; YOUR FAMILIES; YOUR FRIENDS!” yelled Phantasm, “YOU MUST HATE HER AS YOU’VE NEVER HATED BEFORE!”

They all remembered from when they first found out Pinkie was a Changeling, how hate had the opposite effect on Changelings than did love.
The ponies concentrated and found in Phantasm’s words reasons to hate. It poured out of them and was amplified along the path Chrysalis had set up to remove their life force. They forced in their minds, visions of their foals dying in agony, as well as their friends and their loved ones. And the queen was standing there laughing! They then had thoughts of tearing the queen to pieces with their bare hooves!

Without warning, the queen felt as if a brick wall was slammed against her. At the same time, ponies felt the influence of Chrysalis stop. They then noticed all the Changelings start to collapse around them.

ALL the Changelings.

Trixie, now unrestrained, ran and grabbed Phantasm, she wept hard.

“Stop!” screamed Trixie, “we’re killing Pinkie!”
Trixie was also worried what effect this would have on her half Changeling embryo. She was trying to do as much Changeling shielding as she could remember Phantasm had taught her.

Phantasm called out;
“Don’t stop, or you’ll lose all! I’m not worth it!”

Phantasm went limp. Once again this noble pony was willing to give up all for other ponies.

The ponies heads cleared, the hate couldn’t be kept up in their hearts. It wasn’t in their nature.

“No Darling, no!” screamed Trixie, “you can’t leave me! You’re all the world to me! I’ll not be able to live without you!”

The friends gathered around Trixie and Phantasm. They were all crying. Around them, not a single Changeling was moving, not even the queen.
Trixie couldn’t tell if her love was even breathing.

“What can we do Twilight?” asked Trixie holding the limp form of Phantasm in her forelegs, “what can we do?”