The Worst of All Possible Worlds

by TheTimeSword

World 4: Chapter 11

“How do I know you’re not a changeling!?” Sombra yelled over the storming winds that terrorized the sky. “You’re with Ember!” The Crystal Heart sat in his grasp, his back legs keeping him on the edge of the roof. Changelings had chased him up a three-story home where he threatened to drop the Heart. He knew it wouldn’t break—but the changelings surely didn’t. “Say something, prove to me you’re really her.”

“We went to the Castle of the Two Sisters together. We rested in Ponyville’s library where I told you some embarrassing things. I read your journal. Come on, Sombra, it’s me!” Sunset trotted forward, Ember at her side. “Ember is willing to help us. The changelings betrayed her.”

“Ember could have just tortured you for that information and then given this fake you points to mention to me!” countered Sombra.

“Okay.” Sunset scrubbed the bottom of her chin. “How about the fact that I am from another world where none of this has ever come close to happening? Where my friend, Princess Twilight, and the other Elements of Harmony protect the land from villains like me and you?”

Sombra grey eyes flashed impulsively just before he rushed to hug the fellow unicorn, the Crystal Heart sliding across the crystalline roof. “How’d you convince Ember to join you?” he whispered, his muzzle trapped in her hair.

“Apparently, she didn’t need magic to fight me.” Ember crossed her arms, a pouting shrug came with her words.

After the two separated, Sombra glanced up at the cerulean dragoness. “No, of course she wouldn’t. She’s taken a page from her mentor.”

“A mentor who believes in me enough to get the Crystal Heart back into place, regardless if the changelings take the city.” Sunset felt her nose starting to run, the cold was becoming more rampant as the blizzard started its invasion. “I know you want to keep the changelings from ruling the Crystal Empire—but you and I both know Canterlot is their main goal. The princesses are there, Tirek is too. He’ll defend the city for as long as he can, but that’s all he’ll do.”

“What would you expect us to do, Sunset?” Sombra asked, his brows pushed together.

“We have to save the changelings. Tirek will kick them out of Equestria. We need to convince both sides to lay down their quarrels and just live together,” Sunset answered.

Ember threw a finger at Sombra. “I already told her she was crazy. You’re her friend. Talk some sense into her.”

“Crazy? Oh, you poor, misguided child,” he said, his breath leaving a cold trail in the air. “Crazy is taking the Crystal Heart in an attempt to freeze the city with the changelings inside.” Taking the artifact, Sombra tucked it up under his foreleg pit. “Crazy is siding with changelings and burning orchards and cities.” He shook his head. “No. Sunset isn’t crazy. She’s something more; she’s inspiring.”

The dragoness grunted, making a gesture of a finger to her open mouth. “Is it too late to switch sides again?” she asked. “I think expulsion would be better than listening to this.”

“Come on. We don’t have time to waste. Let’s get the Crystal Heart back before the storms overtake the city,” Sunset commanded, leading the two back down the steps into the home that Sombra had broken into. Changelings sat upside down, unconscious and unaware, still throttled by the surprise attack. When they reached the bottom floor, they were forced to trample over the broken wooden door that Ember had bulled through.

“You’re quite a force to be reckoned with,” Sombra noted, examining the destruction as they leapt outside. “You aren’t planning on burning any more cities, are you? I really would prefer the Crystal Empire to remain intact.”

“Says the guy who wants to freeze the whole place,” Ember snottily replied as she ran ahead, bulldozing a group of unsuspecting changelings who neither noticed the trio nor were in the way.

“Ohh, I quite like her,” Sombra whispered to Sunset, a grin on his lips. It wasn’t long before they reached the Crystal Castle. The changelings were nowhere near the empty pedestal, which was good for both sides. Ember’s newfound optimism left her anger no outlet.

Sunset, with both hooves to her mouth, yelled to the dragoness, “Careful with them! They’ll be citizens soon!” As she watched the dragoness throw a changeling into a carrot juice stand, Sombra replaced the Crystal Heart. Pressing her chin to her shoulder, she watched as the glowing artifact spun in circles, pushing the blizzardy storms back with the power of love. “That won’t kick out the changelings, will it?”

“If we could get crystal ponies to share in one love to remove the threat, it might be a possibility,” answered Sombra, his eyes still focused on his reflection within the Heart.

“Sorry, we don’t have time for that. Even if we did—” She pointed to the changelings that appeared in the castle doorway huddling around a cocoon, their attempts at exiting the castle proved futile “—I don’t think they’d allow us to do so. Tirek wants us to head to Canterlot as soon as Ember and the Crystal Heart were taken care of, now’s the time to do so. I’d hate to leave the citizens to deal with the changelings, but Shining Armor has already been captured, we will too if we don’t leave.”

Sombra agreed with the statement, but his face turned sour. “Sombra, don’t worry. If we help the changelings integrate into Equestria, we’ll be protecting the Crystal Empire,” she cooed, hoping to soothe him. He really does care about this place, a passing thought.

“If we want to head to Canterlot, the trains are the only way. I can’t imagine we’ll find a conductor on the way, though.”

“It’s better than standing around, letting Ember burn off her excess energy.” Sunset glanced back at the dragoness who both literally and figuratively was knocking heads. “Come on,” she said to him before whistling to the dragoness.

The blizzard subsided its crawl into the empire, but the cold it brought had not yet vanished. Ember had an easier time flying above them, as did any changelings who crossed their path. Some noticed the three of them, but those who did quickly fell from the sky, Ember kept the stretch clear. It wasn’t as easy for Sunset and Sombra, the two having to walk along the slick, iced over crystal. Sunset didn’t much mind the slippery street, but she knew Sombra did. He glanced jadedly in every direction that the blizzard coated. Did he feel guilty? She wondered as they trotted if the stallion truly wanted to place the Crystal Heart back on the pedestal, but seeing his grimacing face left no doubt in her mind. She would miss him after she was gone. Would she tell Princess Twilight of him? It was a given that she’d tell the girls, she’d tell them everything. But what would the Princess of Friendship think of the reformed stallion’s interest in the girl from another world?

“Hey, Sunset.” Sunset glanced over to Sombra. He looked frantic, his eyes a twitching mess. “The trains just ahead—but look! The changelings!” She found what made him so anxious. Black masses swarmed the returning train, causing the passengers to flee in terror. The other train hadn't departed, however. Where its occupants went remained a mystery.

Though they were mostly preoccupied with the travelers, a few changelings broke away and straddled the wind toward Sunset and Sombra. It was not only Ember who had grown a thirst for carnage, the strapping dark stallion hurdled himself toward the group like a bowling ball. It was the first time Sunset noticed something unique about these changelings—they were weak. Against magic, they wouldn’t be a challenge, but magic-less, they should be wiping the floor with Sombra and me. A strike from his back legs and the changelings yelped like newborn kittens mewling for their mother’s milk.

Sunset wasted no time jumping onto the caboose of the train that had yet to depart, leaving the open gate for Sombra to hop on as well. Inside the car, the seats were barren. Not a trace of pony or changeling. She pushed forward, heading to the front of the train, and found that all the cars were tenantless. With no idea how to run a train, Sunset foresaw failure in getting to Canterlot if they didn’t find someone who did. At least, that’s what Sunset presumed at first. When she reached the conductor’s station, which was after the large cart that held coal—a surprising difference to her own Equestria’s trains—she found there were only a few switches and dials. Upon examination, she saw each were labeled well enough for the common pony to understand.

Of course, they didn’t make Sunset an expert. Even after she pushed the lever that turned the engine on and threw the stick forward, the locomotive failed to produce any motion. It appeared she was at an impasse.

The gridlock didn’t last long. Her eyes twirled around when she heard the hiss of a changeling, but the creature soon fled when fiery breath of the cerulean dragoness. The laps of flames skirted the cart of coal, turning the black, misshapen orbs into a vibrant orange. “Ember! Get Sombra! I’ll get the train started!” she commanded the dragoness.

As soon as Ember was gone, Sunset trudged around the conductor’s meager station, finding the closed panel that held the steam train’s engine. Opening it up, Sunset found the dead cinders of the past fire atop the years of ash. Quickly going to work, she shoveled the coal into the furnace with her bare hooves. She did not get to whine over her missing magic, which would have made the work a joke, as Ember brought Sombra to the front. “Changelings are on board, they’re right behind us. Shouldn’t we be moving?” Sombra impatiently asked.

Sunset gave a nod as she glanced around for something to light the furnace. “Just need a match or something. I’ve never had to drive one of these things,” she answered, taking a moment to wipe away the hair from her eyes.

“Oh, out of the way!” Ember pushed Sunset aside and took in a deep breath. Spouting flames into the furnace, the iron around the door started melting. Regardless of unnecessary damage to the train, it was set to run, and it did so. Grinding, screeching, and billowing, the locomotive spout its snort of life and began trudging the snow out of its way. Sunset hoped ice would not derail their only ticket to Canterlot, but pressing matters were elsewhere.

“While she’s got that, come on.” Sombra squeezed his way back past the coal cart, pressing into the closest passenger car. When Sunset stepped beside him, she could see the changelings through the glass of the porthole on the opposite end’s door. It reminded Sunset of a wave she had once stopped from entering a throne room. When the door slid open and the blue eyes hissed at Sunset, Sombra moved to tackle the foremost one. He moved so quick that she thought he teleported. Without his cape, his glasses, and his saddlebags, it was hard to tell the difference between him and a changeling. The only thing of color was that of his crimson horn, a beacon above the darkness, throttling back and forth.

Ember trailed in behind them, the train’s furnace at full blast. She didn’t say a word to Sunset as she entered, only the shrill sound of her war cry echoed against the metal walls of the car. Suplexing a changeling onto a bench, smashing it in half, Sunset felt the need to reiterate her earlier point. “Don’t hurt them too badly! We don’t want them to suffer any long-term injuries if we can help it.” But the voice of reason became overshadowed by the wailing winds that whipped the rushing train. She pushed forward to the door on the opposite end. Snow brushed the connectors of the train, but they quickly reached warmer weather. There were no more changelings heading their way, though a light poured through the passenger cars that worried Sunset. She continued to the caboose, her mind trying to unravel the vague, mysterious light. When she reached the second to last door, she could see the gate that had been left open was swinging wildly. It clacked against steel—but not the steel of the fence itself. No, it was hitting the cowcatcher of another train.

“They’re following us!” Sunset screamed, backpedaling. “They’re following us!” she yelled again, rushing to Sombra and Ember. “We need to go faster! Much faster!”

Ember gave a short, curt nod, releasing the changeling she held in a headlock. The dragoness rushed back to the front of the train. “Her boosting our speed isn’t going to do much once we slow down on our approach to Canterlot,” indicated the stallion. “Any ideas? We could always jump to their train and fight them one by one. I’ve always wanted to live one of those Daring Do books.”

Sunset shook her head and ran back to the conductor’s seat. Ember had already begun a torrent of flames into the furnace. “I know I just said we shouldn’t hurt them too badly, but derailing the train now versus being derailed in the heart of Canterlot—well, I know which I’d prefer to go with.”

“What are you suggesting we do?” Sombra asked.

She turned and pointed to the lock that connected the locomotive’s engine to the passenger cars. “We’ll be able to escape so long as we speed up. How’s it coming, Ember?” she yelled over the wind.

Ember’s cerulean face was black and grey from ash, but she gave a wide smile, displaying a contrast of white teeth. “I haven’t had this much fun since that time I cooked those dragon sneeze petals into a gem-chili for my father!”

“Riiight.” Sunset shook her head and glanced back at the latch. Reaching down, she lifted the lever, undid the brake, and pulled on the pin. She managed to get it three-fourths out before it became stuck, the gap between cars trapping it. Before she could enlist help, Sombra was at her side with both hooves opposite hers. She smiled at him and he smiled back. With a short countdown, the two unicorns lifted with all of their might.

The locomotive shook and screeched as the engine lost its load. Sunset and Sombra watched as the gap became longer and longer. As she feared, it didn't take much for a derailment to occur. The threatening train pushed their caboose off the tracks, but any more than that they could not see. “We’ve done it, it seems,” Sombra noted, his voice tenuous. He was waiting for something, just like Sunset. An explosion; a large echoing kaboom. Something.

When nothing happened, Sombra turned to Sunset and said, “Well, this was nothing like those Daring Do books. I’ll have to strike up a letter to the author and claim their writing as faulty.”

“Yes, I’m quite certain fictional works need to be one-hundred percent accurate, Sombra,” she mocked with a flex of her brows and a massive grin. “For now, at least, we’re safe from the changelings. Once we get to Canterlot—I’m not so sure we’ll have such a reprieve.”

He gave a nod, his body resting against the cart of unused coal. She sat beside him and they watched the dragoness keep the engine rolling. The night shifted into day the same way the snowy pine trees shifted into cream-colored stone structures. Ember eventually ran out of breath, her flames meager puffs of smoke. They managed to make it to Canterlot, but not before the fighting had started.

Click, click, boom.

The sound rattled the locomotive’s window. As Ember applied the brake and the screeching of metal on metal stopped, they could hear the city full of violence. In the air, it was easy to spot the black bodies of changelings soaring. On the ground, magic-less citizens ran in terror from the eaters of love. “They’re not even trying to fight back!” Ember growled as they stepped out from the train station. “Why are ponies so weak?”

“We wouldn’t be weak without our magic,” Sombra murmured, more to himself than the two girls.

Traipsing through the streets, the signs of battle were everywhere. Torn buildings, black scorch marks, and ponies trapped in green goo. Ember did a good job defending them as they made their way to the castle, but even Sunset could tell the dragoness grew weary. They needed to reach Tirek, and the centaur wasn’t making it difficult to find him.

Click, click, boom.

The air turned red and purple every time the Defender of Equestria released a blast of magic. All they had to do was follow it back to the source and they would discover their pot of gold. Of course, that meant the closer they got the more changelings they’d come across. But it wasn’t the drones or soldiers Sunset kept her eyes out for. Where would she be? Every nook and cranny they passed she half expected to see the changeling queen in the shadows.

Trotting up to the old part of Canterlot, Sombra remarked, “Has Tirek already been pushed back? Why is he still at the castle? He should be out there defending the citizens!”

“All his shots have been aimed into the air. There’s a reason for that,” Ember argued. Sunset hadn’t thought of that. A sudden fear took over, forcing her to gallop faster.

When they reached Canterlot Castle, they found the centaur to be alright—he’d grown to the size of a bus. Green goo covered an arm, but the rest of him remained free. “Sunset!” he exclaimed happily, but then stopped himself. “Are you really Sunset?” That was when Ember and Sombra came rushing up behind her and he knew it was truly her.

“Tirek!” Sunset yelled, trotting up to the big centaur. “I brought Ember with me. She’s going to help us with the changelings.”

Falling to his front knees, the centaur leaned down on the arm not covered in goo. “Help? As I’ve told you once before, Sunset. I can handle the changelings by myself. Right now, all I’m doing is waiting for Queen Chrysalis to appear while taking care of any changelings who dare come close to the castle.” He lifted his eyes to the sky. “They’ve mostly stayed away, which I felt was rather peculiar. They’re waiting for something.”

He then glanced down at the dragoness. “But it is good that you’ve switched sides, Princess Ember. How did Sunset convince you to join us?”

Ember crossed her arms. It was clear her temper started to rise. “It’s not that big a deal,” she said in a grumpy voice.

“Ember…” Sunset nagged.

The dragoness’s head shriveled into her neck like a turtle. “She told me you could help me… help me with my anger.” Like a firework, her body pointed up at Tirek, a nail poking the centaur’s beard. “And I only agreed to it because she said you were good at it! Got that buster? If you’re a bad teacher, I won’t hesitate to take you out! Just don’t think we’re gonna pick flowers or exchange necklaces or whatever friends of ponies do.”

A sudden smile shot up the wrinkly face of the centaur. “If I’m a bad teacher, I don’t think Sunset could have convinced you.” Ember pouted but was interrupted by a blast from a few changelings poking shots at the centaur. “Everyone, inside where it’s safe, please. Go find Celestia and Luna. I’ll be in if I can!”

Sunset didn’t like the idea of another meeting with Celestia, and she only wondered what the eldest alicorn would say to the dragon princess. “You burnt my city! I’ll feed you to the changelings!” was one possibility floating around in the back of Sunset’s brain as they trotted into the castle.

The princesses gathered in the throne room as they always did. Creeping in, Princess Luna saw them first, a shock and revolt expressed on her face.

“Sunset! Sombra!” Cadance roared a happy cheer, the second to see the three. Her happiness stopped at the sight of Ember, intrigue crossing her pink face. “Is it really you two?” she asked, though it was clear she knew the answer.

“It’s us, princess,” Sombra answered.

“We brought Princess Ember with us,” Sunset added. “She’s, uh, in the process of reforming.”

Ember held her arms close to her body, her chin tucked to her chest. “I’m sorry for—well, I’m sorry for a lot of different things.”

“This is quite a shock.” Princess Luna came forward, stepping beside the pink alicorn. “I would have expected Tirek to turn your senses around, yet it seems another had that task.” She bowed her head to the cerulean dragoness, giving a hidden wink and a smile to Sunset. When her pleasantries were said, she turned her head to the oldest alicorn. “What do you think of this, dear sister? A mighty feat, would you say?”

“Not particularly,” the white mare replied. “It is to be expected of from the apprentice of Lord Tirek. He wouldn’t take on an apprentice who he believed couldn’t handle turning someone over to a new leaf.”

Sunset was having a hard time telling whether it was a compliment or an insult. She looked to Ember to see if the dragoness held the same reaction, but Ember completely missed the backhanded praise. Instead, she stared dead ahead, past Cadance and the alicorn sisters. Sunset hadn’t noticed the white stallion, he remained in the back out of sight. Shining Armor?

“How did he get here?” Ember said, her brows furrowing into each other.

As the alicorns turned to the stallion, he gave a winded sigh. “This has just not been my revenge plan. Everything has been going wrong,” groaned the stallion, flicking his blue mane back.

Ember revolted in confusion. “The changelings captured him in the Crystal Empire. I saw them throw him into a cocoon with my own eyes!”

“That’s not possible. Shining Armor arrived by train just before the changelings attacked,” refuted Cadance, a tremble appearing in her voice. “Isn’t that right, darling? I begged you to come with me when Tirek opened the portal to Canterlot, but you said you’d stay behind until the Crystal Empire was safe.” Her eyes then darted to Sunset and Sombra. “Yet you two only just arrived…”

“You’re quite slow, darling…” the impatient voice of the stallion turned sour and feminine. A sudden shower of green flames burst around his white fur. His blue hooves turned black, his suave mane turned scraggly and unkempt. The white horn turned into a disfigured disaster that was the signature of a changeling. “My wonderful, glorious plan has been ruined down to the finest details. It almost makes a queen want to give up and go home. Almost.”

“Queen Chrysalis! How dare you take the form of my husband!” the pink alicorn cried, a blast of magic radiating from her horn. The changeling queen stopped it in its tracks with her own spout of magic, deflecting it into the ceiling. “Posing as me wasn’t enough for you!? What’s next? His mother, his father!?”

“Oh, quit your complaining. You’re not the one whose plan crumbled over several different sections, just to be ousted in the end. It’s enough to drive a girl mad!” The changeling queen dug her hooves into her eyes, pulling on the bottom lids. “At this point, I’m so exhausted trying to fill holes, I may as well just let the boat sink. After all the planning, the long nights, and stressful operations… Capturing Tirek was supposed to be the easiest part.”

Sunset wanted to feel for the stressed changeling queen. But she couldn’t. Unfortunately, that stress is due to planning her revenge. Not particularly a good first impression to the princesses if I’m going to coax them into letting the changelings join Equestria. “Cadance, go get Tirek. Luna and I will keep the changeling queen busy until he can drain her magic.” The sun princess stepped forward, a majestic scene for any Equestrian citizen.

“Oh really? You’re going to challenge me, again?” Queen Chrysalis mocked with a bout of laughter. “Remember what happened last time? It’d go even worse for you now. I’d hate to spoil the surprise, but I’m certainly stronger now.”

Before Cadance could rush from the throne room, the changeling queen pulled the mare back. “And since my plan has gone askew, I believe all of you are now my hostages. So long as Tirek doesn’t march in here unexpectedly, nothing will go wrong for you.”

As fate would have it, or by the changeling queen’s awful luck, Lord Tirek stomped his way through the throne room’s doors, almost knocking Ember, Sombra, and Sunset to the ground. “These changelings have barely any magic, I do not understand what they’re trying to accomplish—” he yelled as he entered, only pausing as his eyes met the queens.

“Is the universe out to get me or something? I just don’t understand,” the changeling queen remarked, her magical grip on Cadance tightened. “Can’t I get a break, just once? No. Of course not! How silly of me!” Her laughter went crazed, frightening the pink alicorn who was forced to stand next to her.

“I’ll break you,” Tirek growled. He dropped the changeling he had held in his meaty hand, slowly trotting toward the changeling queen. Sunset noticed the amount of green goo had increased. Not only was it on his left arm, it was on his back, chest, and a foreleg’s outer thigh. He wasn’t slowly trotting toward the queen, he was just slow.

“I’d be tempted to take you up on that offer—but I’m too stubborn for your own good.” Chrysalis shielded herself with Cadance, the alicorn’s features frozen in fear. “If things had gone differently, I wouldn’t have to resort to hostage taking and extreme countermeasures, but alas, taking you down a peg will be worth it in the long run.”

“Release her and I’ll go easy on you. Don’t and suffer the consequences. I can be very accurate with my magic,” replied the centaur. He popped his knuckles in an attempt to sound threatening—and to anyone else, Sunset was sure it would have worked.

But the changeling queen only laughed. It was clear she was losing her mind—or already had. “So can I, and I’ve prepared for this unwanted situation. Even with all the expert planning, I knew I couldn’t rely on foolish dragons. Pairing with them had been a mistake, it seems.”

“What’d I do!?” Ember threw up her arms, enraged that her name was now being dragged through the mud.

“Are you kidding!?” the queen yelled bitterly, pulling Cadance closer and tighter. “You were caught in the Badlands within a day! How pathetic can you be!? Then, you burnt my spy’s home here in Canterlot, and after putting up a hissy fit and heading north, you failed to keep Tirek busy while my soldiers captured him! Then you show up here, expose my disguise, and ruin everything! You incessant little whelp!”

Ember covered her mouth. “Well, I guess I did do all that. Huh.” She looked to Sunset and Sunset looked back, an awkward smile passed between the two.

“Even if he hadn’t left the Crystal Empire, my changelings were supposed to pull back after the fight and allow him to return to Canterlot while I mingled into my disguise. When the time was right, I’d have drained his love. It was the perfect plan! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect!” yelled the queen. “It’s not fair, it’s just not fair! I never get my way, I never win! What have I done to deserve such a poor fate? Well, I’m going to win this time. I’m going to, I tell you!”

With a cross of his arms, Tirek stood coolly. It was as if none of this conversation even mattered to him. “She’s gone mad it seems. Time for a timeout.” With a snap of his fingers, the changeling queen was put into a bubble. Cadance rushed away from the translucent sphere, breathing heavily as she sidled in beside the centaur.

“No!” The queen’s horn lit up and ripped the bubble in half. “I am not as weak as I was! You see, I planned for this! Many hours and many days, I planned for all of this! No sleep! Perfect! Every bit of love my changelings fed upon was given to me, making me stronger! Strong! I’ve got the power of twenty alicorns—there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”

As if a comedy bit, the centaur snapped his fingers again and the changeling queen was trapped within a bubble. “That explains why your changelings are so weak,” he mentioned, scratching his beard with a sort of nonchalant attitude.

“My kind is weak but a feast we will have on your little community of races!” the changeling queen yelled as she once again popped the bubble. But as soon as she hit the floor, Tirek snapped his fingers and she was trapped once more. “Would you stop that!?” she screamed, foaming at the mouth. She looked to be on the verge of tears—an odd sight from the evil queen.

“Not until you use up all of your magic, no. You may be powerful, but your limits are not nearly as well defined as mine. Once we’re finished here, I’ll transport you and your kind back to the border where you will be barred from these lands,” he replied in a calm voice.

Sunset understood what Sombra had meant. Tirek’s voice was cool and collected, the words he used were definite. This would happen, that would happen. There was no arguing with him. He was just right.

“Tirek.” Celestia stepped forward—perhaps the only pony who could argue with the centaur. “They were barred once and chose revenge. Barring them a second time would only lead to another eventual attack.”

Sunset rushed to Tirek’s opposite side. “She’s right, Tirek. We need to convince the changelings to settle in Equestria. They can be citizens, just like all the others you’ve brought in.”

“Citizens!?” the centaur and alicorn yelled at the same time.

“Ha ha ha!” screamed the queen from her bubble. “Perfectly planned! Perfectly planned!”

“Sunset—you cannot be thinking that these crimes can gain them entrance into our lands,” Tirek refuted. He remained focused on the changeling queen, a surprise attack would be impossible, but the rest of his body instinctually turned to Sunset.

“Are you going to kick out Ember?” she argued, knowing the answer would never be ‘yes’. “These changelings can change. They don’t have to be evil, and Chrysalis is starving them; weakening them, she’s basically turned them against her already. All for the sake of vengeance. Her retribution plan already failed—they’ll be looking for an out, and you can give them a chance for peace.”

The mocking laughter of the changeling queen struck through Sunset’s heartfelt attempt at harmony like a gong amongst wind chimes. “You’re forgetting that I’m all powerful! My changelings would never agree to an armistice while I rule, I won’t let them! And I’ll soon drain your love, Tirek, and your little pet unicorn too!” The bubble burst.

Tirek shook his head and snapped another bubble into place. “You’re right. The changelings won’t be able to do anything while you’re in the way. A sacrifice must be made.” The stallion planted his hooves wide, his hands on his sides. The magical ball between his horns began to form fast and hot, like a sphere of lava made from the depths of the core. “To deal with an absolute, I do not take lightly. But hosting the changelings in our land? That would be a wonderful and welcoming change.”

Sunset gasped, she knew what the centaur meant. Rushing between her new teacher and the changeling queen, Sunset yelled, “Wait! You can’t destroy her! She can change! I did! Ember did! You did!”

“I don’t care,” the centaur replied.

Celestia’s magnificent, multi-colored mane flowed in front of her as she walked around to stand in front of Sunset. “No. Though it pains me more than you know to say this: Sunset is right. We won’t be secure so long as Queen Chrysalis remains free. But destroying her—that’s not how we solve problems in Equestria. Not this Equestria.”

“And what would you have me do!? Lock her in a cell? In Tartarus!? I refuse!” He stomped his legs and smashed a fist against his chest, sending goo flying off his person.

“Yes! Destroy me and my revenge will be complete! Your pony friends will hate you!” the changeling queen beckoned, her laugh was lunacy. “Lock me away and drain my magic, I’ll lap up little puddles of love wherever I can and regrow my power! I’ll never stop! This will be your end regardless of what you choose! A brilliant plan, all unfolded by me!”

Sunset hung her head, desperately holding back her tongue. I’m not sure I can reason with her like I could Ember. She’s not in a right state of mind. And if Tirek threw her in Tartarus, who’s to say she wouldn’t just escape? She glanced up at her old mentor and new, their arguing overshadowed the cackling of the loopy queen. I can’t just stand idly by and let Tirek kick her or the changelings out. I won’t allow that. I won’t fail the changelings a second time.

But… Her words suddenly fell around her. I’m not a hero. It hurt to think that way. When Tirek told her that, she felt it strike a point that she herself felt was true. But he was wrong, just like he’s wrong about wanting to just be rid of Chrysalis. Sometimes, the teacher ignores what the student is saying, believing their own judgements to be right. Staring at the back of Celestia, the sounds of the two leaders shouting melted away. I know the teacher can be wrong. I know that better than anyone.

“Celestia,” Sunset called out. She chose not to speak to her new mentor, she wanted the one person who once put all her faith in Sunset. If I had stayed as her apprentice, I might have been the one she sent to Ponyville, she recalled an earlier thought. “I’d like to speak to you.”

The phrasing of Sunset’s words was so normal that it appeared out of place to the quarreling leaders. “Yes, what is it?” The alicorn turned to face Sunset, a clear expression of confusion and anger bled throughout parts of her face.

“Discord—did he ever escape in this world?”

“Discord? Why are you asking about him? Now is not the time for—”

“Humor me,” Sunset implored.

The alicorn leaned her head back, her neck outstretched. “No. He hasn’t.”

“He’s trapped in stone then. He was in my world too but escaped. When he was freed, he wreaked chaos and planted seeds of doubt all over the place. My friends, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, stopped him, put him back into stone.”

“Stone—a stone prison! Of course!” A happy smirk came to Celestia.

“But after he was defeated, you rethought on the draconequus. Your sister had returned from banishment and had been saved by the Elements, and you believed Discord could change as well.”

The look of confusion returned to the alicorn, but this time there was no shadow of anger. It was as if her expression was saying: “That’s a really smart idea, I came up with that?”

Sunset continued, “You had him released from stone and the bearers befriend him, turning him away from the villain path. You believed he could become a hero; become a defender of Equestria. Like Luna, like Tirek, like me. And he did.” I am leaving a lot of the story off, but she doesn’t need to know that. Wrapping up to her point, she said, “I beg you, Celestia. I know that kind, spirited teacher is somewhere still in there. I know you’re unhappy with the way things have been going. I can’t fix that—but believe me when I say, you’re a good teacher. Put Chrysalis in stone, then release her. See if she isn’t willing to change. If she isn’t, put her back in and try again later. Don’t give up on her like you gave up on me.”

“Gave up on you?” Celestia almost fell over, her legs wobbling beneath her large frame. “I didn’t—I wasn’t—is that how you’ve felt all this time? That I gave up on you? I felt the same—”

“Please, Celestia.”

Throwing her head into a wing, the white alicorn rubbed her feathers against her eyes, drying the tears that unexpectedly poured. Sunset was not crying. She felt the need to oh so badly, especially after pouring out the waterfall of emotion into her words, but she maintained herself. This is the only way, she reasoned. The only way.

“Sunset! Behind you!” The centaur threw himself forward, almost knocking over Celestia, but it came too late.

The sappy speech was a light in the darkness, drawing the crazed, hungry moth to the flame of adoration. The bubble popped and Chrysalis flung herself onto Sunset. Wrapping her disfigured forelegs around the unicorn, Sunset gave a yelp as her back legs dangled in the air. The changeling queen stood bipedal as she raised Sunset up. When their eyes met, Sunset saw the mouth of the changeling open wide. “Your speech looked absolutely delicious!” The sudden powerful grasp of the changeling’s vampiric power, it felt nothing like that of Tirek’s magic drain; it was worse.

Click.

Click.

Boom.

Falling to the ground and landing on her back, she let out a groan, the room was upside-down. Her eyes fluttered as she rolled to one side, her teacher’s hooves stood in front of her. But which teacher? It took her a moment to fully understand what was happening. When she looked up she saw the white beard looking down at her, or was it Celestia’s white face? That’s when she saw the grey stone.

Scrambling away, she pushed in between Celestia and Tirek, both standing side by side. Grey sand coated the floor. Her eyes followed the trail and realized it covered her as well. “Are you alright, Sunset?” Tirek asked, and she nodded in response. He let out a sigh of relief, though she knew it was not relief at all. “I was too slow to stop her—I used too much magic as well. An impulsive action at seeing you in harm’s way,” he said, it almost sounded like he was about to cry.

That’s when Sunset saw the stone wasn’t stone at all.

Her heart sunk.

Magic was the only thing keeping the statue together, but even so, the forelegs that held Sunset were gone. Every step she’d taken sent a tremor, moving the grey sand ever so slightly. “Is there anything you can do!?” she yelled—but as her voice escaped her, specs of sand rolled down from the changeling’s body.

“I… was never good at fixing things with magic,” Tirek admitted.

“B-but—” Sunset cried. I failed!

“But I was.” Celestia placed a hoof on Sunset’s shoulder. “I may have forgotten it long ago, relying on Tirek dimmed my self-worth. Having someone believe in me, that gives me the confidence to say, I can mend this creature.” Sunset and Tirek stepped back, a bit of sand escaping with every step. Celestia stood alone, extending her wings to her full glory. Her horn lit up in a blaze of yellow light, and all the sand fell to the ground. The sand coating Sunset sprung off her, twisting and turning into a tornado. Once the vortex held all the pieces, Celestia’s magic turned the sand into stone—though it did not look exactly like Chrysalis. Her body no longer deformed, her expression of anger now a smile, and her wings were spread wide like a beautiful butterfly. “I have done all I could.”

“She looks… different,” Luna said, stepping beside her sister.

Celestia agreed. “She’s a changeling—she can change into whatever she likes best once we release her. For now, she is something beautiful to look at. She’ll be an inspiration to those who witness her.”

“Celestia…” Tirek spoke the name as if he was unsure if he should be speaking it.

Sunset stared at the statue. It ended the same way it had during the Resistance timeline, the changeling queen trapped in stone. Yet, unlike at that time, Sunset did not feel like she failed. The changeling army would have to be told and brought into the fold, but Sunset did not feel like she failed. Was it a success? She didn’t even think of it that way.

It had been a long time since she felt so good.

I felt so stupid crying my eyes out to Tirek, she had told Sombra. Yet now, in front of everyone, she cried. She wasn’t a hero and she wasn’t a failure. A blank slate, just like how I felt after defeating the sirens. It was together with the girls and Twilight that we did it. Just like now, it was a group effort. There was no singing or dancing like during the Battle of the Bands, though Sunset wanted to burst with the song in her heart.

Seeing Cadance’s happy smile every time we met, talking about anger issues with Ember, getting everything out in the open with Celestia, learning all I could from Tirek, and being best friends with Sombra. It’s funny. You five basically are my Elements of Harmony. Laughter, kindness, honesty, generosity, and loyalty. If only Princess Twilight could see this now. As she stood staring at the five, Ember pushed herself between the centaur’s legs. “What are you crying about? Everybody’s bought into the whole friendship thing.” Grabbing at the dragoness, Sunset wrapped her in a hug. “H-hey! What are you doing?”

“It’s called a hug!” Tirek replied for Sunset. “It’s to show that she is truly happy.” He knelt down on both forelegs, his size diminishing enough to where he could wrap both the dragon and the unicorn in a hug.

“Hey! Let me go! This is too awkward!” Ember yelled, her blue cheeks turning red.

Comments

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Well this arc is about to wrap up. Saving final thoughts for the end of the arc.

[Wysteria]

Yay! I love how this turned out.

[Stainless Steel Fox]

Blagh! After being miss ultra-bitch-pants this entire time, Celestia has a sudden instant change of heart? What a cop out!

This entire arc was a confusing mess, and the resolution was no less bizarre.

[Csquared08]

[Ocean Waves]

The fuck is even going on?