• Published 11th Mar 2017
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Pokémon Eclipse - moviemaster8510



Two teenaged siblings, having moved to the Alola region from Kalos, set off to complete the famous Island Trials, only for wormholes to appear across the region once again, this time summoning creatures from a mystical world calling themselves ponies

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Chapter 73 – Ride to Canterlot

The Canterlot-bound train rolled peacefully alongside the mountains as it began to climb upwards. With the soft breeze running against the train and blowing comfortably into Boyle’s plumage, it was almost as if there was no trouble ahead to think of. Inside the first boxcar, Dexio sat atop one of the crates, his leg comfortably wrapped over the other as his sleepy head bobbed up and down with each slight bounce and tilt in the car, which only served to rock him further into slumber.

Just then, he heard a set of hard feet hit the ground, which woke him up immediately and brought him to taking a Poké Ball from his belt, which he threw to the floor beside him. “Alakazam!”

Just as his Pokémon formed from the energy of its ball, a voice began shouting to him through the ceiling. “Don’t attack me, you moron! It’s me!”

Dexio and Alakazam were eased enough to calm their tensed muscles, but still felt uneasy about who they heard on the other side. “Ember? What are you doing here?”

“You guys got tipped off! The changeling queen knows you’re coming!”

“What?”

“What do you think I am, a parrot?!”

“Hey!” Boyle shouted from the engine.

“Sorry.” She then looked back at the floor of the roof. “But yeah, you guys need to get ready, or they’re going to flank you like no other!”

“I, uh… thanks!” Dexio ran to the door leading to the next car up.

Ember flew to the passenger car against the wind and landed just as hard at the front of it, stomping her feet down the length of the roof. “Hey, wakey wakey! Get ready for a battle, everyone!”

Inside, everyone began to stir awake, only to be alerted into full consciousness upon Dexio entering the back of the car with his Alakazam. Skystar scrambled off of Sam and Capper as she backed up down the aisle, frightened by the sudden commotion she was just woken up to.

“Ahhh…” Alice straightened her glasses. “What’s going on?”

Ember kicked the front door in, and if anyone inside had still been half-asleep, they weren’t any longer. “How many times do I have to keep telling you guys?! Your train. Is under. Attack. Get ready. NOW!”

“A changeling told their queen we were on our way,” Dexio explained, suddenly looking suspiciously at Ember. “Of course, one reason you’re telling us this is–”

Alakazam crossed his spoons together, covering Ember in a magenta glow that froze her instantly. After only a second, it relinquished its hold and let her catch herself, panting out of shock.

“Did…” Ember’s rage began to build. “Did you seriously just–”

“I had to be sure,” he curtly explained, “but now I am. I’m sorry for doing that, but we can no longer be too careful.”

Ember settled down, understanding his reasoning. “Fair enough. Look, you guys are going to be reaching Canterlot soon, and if you’re not ready for them, the changelings are going to blow this train to smithereens along with all of you!”

“Right then.” Sam grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder before taking a Poké Ball from his belt. “Who’s joining me on the roof again?”

“Count me in!” Celaeno drew her new swords eagerly, Mullet and Squabble just barely dodging them.

“Alright, anyone who’s joining me, follow me.” Sam walked to the back door, Dexio and Alakazam quickly teleporting away to give him room to reach the door.

Going outside, Sam let his Aegislash out from its ball and allowed it to wrap one of its cloth arms around his. Then with a throw up of his arm, Aegislash slung itself and Sam up between the gaps of both cars, Sam landing with his feet on either one, Dexio and Alakazam already standing on the center of the boxcar’s roof. As Alice exited the car next, her spear in hand, Aegislash uncoiled its arm from Sam’s and handed it its shield to him. Sam then grabbed Aegislash by the end of its cloth arm while it reached down with its free arm, Alice grabbing it immediately. Lifting itself up, Aegislash pulled Alice up onto the roof through the gaps. With Celaeno coming out the door next, Alice backed away to give her space to come in too.

Repeating the same process, Sam and Aegislash brought Celaeno atop the train to join her other human and Pokémon friends. They all then watched as Ember, Somnambula, Flash Magnus, and Skystar leapt out over the drop to the left from the front of the first car, letting the stream of air passing around the train’s engine along with its momentum to carry them up on their wings to the cars further down. Flash Magnus and Ember took the rear boxcar while Somnambula and Skystar took the next one down. With Dexio already standing on the first boxcar, Alice hopped over to the other side to join him, leaving Sam and Celaeno to take the top of the passenger car.

The rest of the Equestrians walked out of the back of the passenger car and into the boxcars. Sam and the others atop the train could only keep their eyes forward, watching out for any low tunnels, bridges, or changelings that could come at them from nearly any angle. Aegislash returned to Sam’s arm, prompting Celaeno to brandish her swords and Alice to ready her own weapon.

At the same time, she took a Poké Ball off her belt with her free hand and held it to her left. “Alright, Raichu, it’s on!”

Raichu appeared from its ball and squeaked unprepared as it suddenly found itself having to fly alongside the train, but once it got its footing and its speed down, Raichu looked incredibly glad to be out. Dexio also seemed to get an idea, returning Alakazam into its ball and sending another out. The ball opened up, the energy from it forming into his own Raichu, who like Alice’s, was shocked by the train passing over it before it flew alongside him.

Alice forced a smile back at him. “You couldn’t have chosen a different Pokémon from me?”

“Trust me on this,” Dexio assured her. “Raichu, Light Screen!”

With a squeeze of the muscles in its body, a fountain of translucent luminescence began to expand out from around it and form around the train and its inhabitants, shaping itself until it formed a wall that curved around each end of the train and rose at least ten feet up before curving around and forming a ceiling. As the train passed through a tunnel, the humans, Pokémon, and Equestrians atop it ducked as the barrier lowered itself to squeeze inside. Upon exiting, the barrier rose back to its original height, also beginning to become more transparent before it turned completely invisible.

Alice nodded at what Dexio had done, understanding his strategy completely. As the train rounded the turn around another mountain, those on the train got down low again to keep from sliding off. Upon looking up, they spotted the western edge of Canterlot further away and above. Sam and Alice frowned with determination. If they could notice the new changeling stronghold, chances are they would notice them too.

Cocoon looked through a spyglass, her eye drawn to the headlight at the front of the train. She spotted Sam, Alice, Dexio, and their Pokémon atop the cars with the other Equestrians, and though their features were less definable by the distance her sights still had, she could already sense the alien threat they posed to her.

“Those must be what Capillary warned me of.” Handing the spyglass to one of her armored commanders, she turned to face him. “Send out the first wave. Ensure they do not come any closer.”

“Yes, my queen!” it replied with a salute. It then flew out over the balcony’s edge, the changelings perched along the outer edge of the city turning to face him. “First wave! Ready!”

At once, the front line of changelings stood with half of their front hooves hovering over the tall drop.

Then, the commander dipped down over the edge and dove straight down. “And fly!”

With a shrill hissing shout, the front line of changelings dove down, pulling up and spreading out upon reaching the same level as where they would expect to meet the train. With their black bodies and black armor disguised by the nighttime darkness, no one on the train would be able to see them coming.

Inside the darkness of the middle boxcar, Capper stared out at the small gap between the wall and the door that gave him, Mullet, Mistmane, and Squabble only a sparse amount of light. “Not one to complain, but this was a lot less scary when we all hid inside of a cake.”

Mullet and Squabble chuckled at the fond memory, sharing the cat’s sentiments. Inside the rear car, Fizzlepop, Grubber, Mage Meadowbrook, and Spittle stood patiently and still, awaiting the very moment that they would be able to attack. In the front boxcar, Starswirl, Stygian, and Rockhoof also anticipated the oncoming onslaught with stoic reserve.

Atop their boxcar, Alice looked out along the yonder, the otherwise silent air filling her with unease. “Hey, Raichu, fire a Thunderbolt out over there!”

Her Pokémon turned and faced the open side where there appeared to be nothing. Charging its cheeks and sending the sparks down to its arms, it threw them up into the sky before they came back down as a stronger bolt, striking the ground far below. With the crack of light that resulted, those atop the train were stunned stiff to see the changeling soldiers only a few hundred yards away. Though the lightning had managed to strike a couple of them, far more came directly at them, and it would only be a few moments before they arrived.

“Shit!” Dexio gasped. “Starswirl! Now!”

On his command, Starswirl lowered the doors of the boxcars down before tearing them off their hinges. Rockhoof readied his trusty shovel while Stygian charged his horn, backing up to the right side of the car. Capper, his bow in his paw and a large horn filled with arrows strapped around his back, pulled one arrow out and quickly took aim, Mistmane shooting a small hot spark in preparation to provide her ally with ignition. Finally, Fizzlepop and Spittle stood at the edge of their exit, ready to hold back any changelings that would dare come to them.

Only a hundred yards and at most a couple of seconds away, the changelings refused to let up.

“NOW!” Starswirl bellowed.

Mistmane lit Capper’s first arrow as Starswirl flung all three boxcar doors at the changelings, already knocking many of them back hard and sending them plummeting to the ground. Capper shot his arrow straight and true at his boxcar’s door, the head hitting the center and exploding, breaking the door apart and sending dozens of pieces of debris flying out into more changelings that were fortunate to have avoided the first attack.

Aegislash blocked Sam from a few stray pieces that flew at his and Celaeno’s car, where they bounced harmlessly of its shield. “Nice one, Capper.”

Several changelings began to come in from above and dive down toward their car. Flashing green, their bodies then began to morph into the Equestrians atop the cars, ready to land and confuse their opponents.

Alice chuckled, the transformed soldiers’ unpleasant surprise about to come to light. “Knock yourselves out.”

Two Celaeno-turned changelings fell through Dexio’s Raichu’s Light Screen, virtually shaving their disguises off as they awkwardly landed on their back hooves, quickly realizing that they had transformed back into their original changeling selves once again.

“Aegislash, Sacred Sword!” On Sam’s call, Aegislash’s sword glowed blue before they both swung the blade hard at the closest changeling to it.

The changeling was shot off the train as if it were blasted out of a canon, the other approaching soldiers barely dodging it as it zipped past. Celaeno swung at the other changeling with both her swords, only for it to summersault underneath her slashes and bite down on its discarded spear, rolling over to face her in a duel, keeping its eyes on Sam and Aegislash as well. Sam ran at the changeling first, only for it to pull its spear back and force Aegislash to deflect it with its shield. With his vision now blocked, the changeling swept the back of the spear into the back of Sam’s legs, about to trip him onto his back. Aegislash helped keep him up long enough to follow through with his flip and land back on his feet.

Celaeno came at the changeling with her left sword, which was deflected by the side of the changling’s weapon. With her other sword, Celaeno swung down and sliced the head of the spear clean off, leaving the soldier with a useless staff. Celaeno kicked the changeling upside the chest with her crystal peg leg, sending it back to Sam for Aegislash to knock off the side. The two nodded over their teamwork before two more changelings, who didn’t even bother transforming, came down with their spears in their mouths. Sam and Celaeno wound their arms back, ready for the next batch.

A Skystar-turned changeling and two Somnambula-turned changelings landed on the center boxcar, their disabled magic causing them to drop the spears that they had brought with. They were all too distracted by the forced removal of their disguises to notice their weapons sliding off and falling into the ravine, which only served to amuse Skystar and Somnambula greatly. Skystar leapt at the nearest one, grabbing it by its tail and spinning herself around to swing it into the next-closest soldier, knocking both out.

Somnambula jerked her head to right to avoid the last one’s jab with its spear. With another attempt to gore her, Somnambula moved her head to the left before putting her right arm over the staff with her left back hoof pressed against it further down. With a push of her leg and a pull of her arm, Somnambula leapt up and flung the changeling into the rock wall, throwing it well behind the train with injuries that it could no longer fight on.

“Oooh!” Skystar giggled. “That was buh-rutal!”

As four more changelings landed on either side of them, Skystar and Somnambula backed away to get a better visual.

“I never imagined you as the sadist!” Somnambula kept her eyes only on the two changelings in front of her.

“I’ll be anything I need to be to save my home!” she replied, a rare serious inflection in her voice.

“Fine with me!” The two charged at their targets at once.

Ember shouted out as she lunged where an Ember-turned changeling and a Flash Magnus-turned changeling would land. Before the now-re-transformed changeling could even get its hooves onto the ground, Ember jabbed the tip of her staff into its body, sending it flying back to Flash Magnus to swing his shield into to throw it off the edge.

The other changeling had just noticed what had happened to its disguise before Flash Magnus slammed the edge of his shield down onto its head, knocking it out cold. Scooping the end of her staff under its body, Ember flung it off to join its fallen comrade just as three more changelings with her and Flash Magnus’s likeness descended down, soon to suffer the same fate.

The changelings that flew alongside the train fired their magical beams at the train cars, only for each one to dissipate the moment it hit Dexio’s Raichu’s barrier. Those that tried attacking the Equestrians inside the boxcars only had the narrow openings to go through. Those that made it in were promptly swatted out by Rockhoof’s shovel, blasted out by Starswirl, Stygian, Mistmane and Fizzlepop’s magic, or beaten to a pulp and thrown out by either Mullet, Spittle, Squabble, and Mage Meadowbrook.

Along with Capper’s arrows exploding in the air, each one felling at least two changelings, Alice and Dexio’s Raichu’s shot Thunderbolt after Psychic attack out at the changelings that came close to their car, leaving the ones that tried to enter inside below to be dealt with by Starswirl, Stygian, and Rockhoof. Alice and Dexio could only look over as Sam and Celaeno, Skystar and Somnambula, and Ember and Flash Magnus all defeated the depowered changelings infiltrating the cars on top with relative ease.

Alice sighed ruefully. “Jeez, I kind of feel bad for just standing here.”

“Don’t be!” Dexio shouted back. “If we keep this up, we’ll make it to Canterlot with hardly a scratch on us!”

“Yeah, that’s cool and all, but… I really wanted to use my new staff!”

“You’ll have plenty of opportunity when we get there! Just keep your guard up in case you have to use it anytime before!”

“Roger! Raichu, another Thunderbolt, now!”

Her Pokémon let out another stream of lightning from its arms, striking a changeling and bouncing it off into another.

In Canterlot, Cocoon’s lip quivered as she watched her changeling forces be repelled back like they were a bunch of rookie cadets. “Unbelievable! No wonder my forces in Ponyville fell so easily!”

“What should we do next?” another of her commanders asked her.

Folding her spyglass back in, she tossed it to the ground, her body trembling with rage. “Send the second and the third waves out immediately! Engage them with full force!”

“But my queen, those are our remaining aerial forces!”

“Then ensure that they stop that train from reaching the city! And I said immediately!!”

The commander was taken aback by her sudden burst in volume, but with the clock ticking and the train coming in ever nearer, he withheld his objections. “Yes, my queen.” Without further delay he flew out to face the two remaining lines of changelings waiting to head out. “Second and third waves! Ready!”

The changelings shared a glance with each other before the second line approached the edge of the city, ready to depart on the commander’s word.

“And fly!” With the commander flying down, the second line of changeling soldiers all dove down with him. With a few seconds between them, the third line stepped forward before leaping forward to join the rest.

Cocoon looked out more comfortably as her legion scattered out, forming a large black cloud that rapidly floated toward the train.

With the humans, Pokémon, and Equestrians still making great progress against Cocoon’s first wave, the changelings began to retreat altogether, merely floating beside the cars and watching their enemies’ movements. Those atop the train were finally given a moment to breathe, watching with smiling faces as the changelings continued to keep their distance.

“Is that the best you’ve got?!” Flash Magnus shouted at them before erupting into a short, victorious whoop of a laugh.

The first wave’s commander parted through to the front, a spear held in its magic grasp. Throwing it forward, it flew fast and straight before striking the outer side of the roof of Ember and Flash Magnus’s car.

“Hey, you missed, you dumb insect!” Ember called out.

Dexio, however, was already beginning to realize what the commander was about realize. “No, he hit exactly where he needed to.”

With a smirk, the changeling glanced left and right to any soldiers near it. “Soldiers! Prepare to ram!”

Alice and Dexio began to seize up as a dozen of the changelings standing by formed a tight formation around their leader, appearing like a large black honeycomb.

“Raichu!” Dexio shouted. “Psychic!”

“Soldiers!” Several more changelings began to fly at Dexio and Alice’s car in a similar formation just as his Raichu began to channel its energy to attack.

The first formation flew as hard as they could as Raichu’s Psychic energy began to push them back. The commander’s formation then began to rocket out, all of the horns of each changeling inside glowing to form a single, nearly solid green shield spell.

Capper quickly drew another lit arrow and fired, striking their shield along the side. To his horror, the blast and the flames did nothing to stop their charge as they prepared to push through the first formation.

“Dexio, leave the others to me!” Dexio followed Alice’s instruction and sent the first formation up and away, allowing her to see the commander’s formation headed right at her. “Raichu, you use Psychic now!”

Raichu began to charge its body up as the changeling formation grew near, reaching a speed that Raichu’s nervous scowl told itself that it could not stop. With an anguished shout, Raichu covered Alice and Dexio in its aura and threw its trainer to Sam and Celaeno and Dexio over to Skystar and Somnambula. Alice could only sit herself up fast enough to see her Raichu as well as Dexio’s get slammed by the changeling formation and thrown into the rock wall, blasting bits of it out into the sides of the cars.

“Raichu!” they both screamed.

With the center of the train tipping in as a result, Boyle threw the acceleration to force it back onto the tracks, leaving barely enough time for Ember and Flash Magnus to retrieve them from the walls they were embedded in. Alice and Dexio managed to return their Raichus back into their balls before giving Ember and Flash Magnus a thankful nod.

The changeling formation had already broken up and returned to the ranks of the remains of the first wave. At that moment, a buzzing could be heard in the distance. The changelings looked back and grinned as the sky behind them was blotted out by the appearance of the second and third waves. Everyone on the train stood fearfully as the cloud of changeling soldiers approaching them grew louder and more deafening.

“Oh…” Alice felt the grip on her spear weaken. “Shit!”

“Changelings!” the second commander shouted as his massive legion prepared themselves. “Attack!”

From the train, the humans and Equestrians saw as the black cloud turned green, the bright glow spreading around it with the charge of each changelings horn. Then came the flashes as each beam was launched out at the train.

Stepping onto the edge of the upper corner of the second boxcar, Dexio noticed as Starswirl’s magic began to charge up on his horn to his right. “Save your energy! The Light Screen should still protect us!”

“And what of the ones that miss us from above?” Starswirl shouted back.

“Leave those to me!” He then detached a ball from his belt and gently lobbed it behind him. “Metagross, protect the top!

Dexio’s metal disk Pokémon appeared from his ball and floated above his head, reaching its four arms out to the side as a magenta aura formed atop its flat head. The aura quickly raced out to form a second roof above the train just as the first changeling’s beams struck.

Everyone atop a car or inside one instinctively shielded themselves from the oncoming blasts, only to be met with loud warping sounds as each beam pelted the Light Screen like sideward rain before disappearing from existence. With the beams that struck above the train, they dislodged and exploded the rock from the cliff walls that were blasted out over the drop or fell down. Those atop the train looked up in amazement as Metagross’s shield caught the pieces of rock that would otherwise land on top of them.

Celaeno smirked as she put a fist to her waist, also watching the rocks gather safely above them. “Sheesh, what can’t you humans do?”

A few stray beams struck the cliff below the tracks, though they barely did anything to compromise the structure keeping the train up. With the second and third waves of changelings gathering together with the remains of the first wave, they awaited for the remainder of their beams to finish striking. Once they did, they were all horrified to see no difference in their efforts save for the new Pokémon and the rocks it caught.

Alice reached for her belt and threw it out at the changelings before her. “Noivern, get them with Hurricane!”

Alice’s black wyvern emerged outside of the Light Screen, the appearance of which delighted Ember incredibly. “Whoa, you’ve been holding that out on us this whole time?”

Throwing both wings back as far as its joints could allow, it threw them forward to create a massive whirlwind that blew into the changeling horde and began to whip them about in a twister, its gales pulling more helpless soldiers in as they bounced off each other inside.

Looking up at the rocks, Sam chuckled at the idea he got, pulling off a Poké Ball of his own and tossing it upward. “Archen, use Ancient Power in the direction of the Hurricane attack!”

Upon his ball opening up, Archen flew out of the energy it formed from and rose directly above Noivern. With a throw up of its wings, each single stone atop Metagross’s barrier rose up to its level, nearly every wing of each changeling in the front of the cloud shutting down in fear of what was about to come. Archen then flapped its wings forward, shooting the rocks out as they converged where Noivern’s tornado was still blowing.

Once the rocks entered inside the twister, they were slingshotted in multiple directions, pounding into the changelings still trapped inside while fragging dozens of them around it. Starswirl and Fizzlepop charged their horns and formed two flat barriers against each others that covered the train inside the Light Screen, blocking any rocks that made their way back into them.

Once the pings and tings of the rocks hitting her barrier died down, Fizzlepop stopped her spell along with her mentor. “Hey Sam! How’s about a strategy that doesn’t involve killing us?!”

With the need for the extra roof no longer needed Metagross floated out beside its trainer, ready to do some good itself. “Alright, Metagross,” Dexio said, “ready for the greatest Meteor Mash of your life?”

With a metallic roar, it tucked its legs in and began to glow with bright, cosmic energy.

“Alright then. Attack!”

Metagross shot out into the center of the swarm as Noivern’s Hurricane petered out, striking many soliders as it flew through without any sign of stopping. With its comet tail spreading out behind it, Dexio took great pride in the gaping hole left inside the swarm once Metagross had flown out through the back.

Both changeling commanders bared their teeth in anger as their soldiers fell limply to the ground below like a rainstorm. The train began to near an inward curve that adjusted out into a long stretch of straight, upward track which ended with an outward curve at the top of the hill. The second changeling commander noticed this, beaming at the idea it had concocted.

“Soldiers! Prepare an attack!” A couple dozen armed changelings flew above, beneath, and beside it.

With the commander’s horn glowing, the other changelings charged their magic as well, tracking its head to aim right where the straight track began.

Grubber poked his head out from the doorway of his boxcar, confused by what he was seeing. “What are those bug-brains aiming at?”

Flash Magnus traced a line between the changelings and the part of the wall they were aiming at, the front of the train about to reach it at any moment. His eyes narrowed in fear as he realized exactly what they were planning. Without any verbal command, the changelings launched their beams that converged into a single giant orb, striking the cliff wall right before the engine’s front could crash into it.

Large slabs of rock were blown out and pushed onto the tracks, the cowcatcher ramming into them and shattering it. Boyle reached for the acceleration lever to slow the train down, the sudden stop throwing him forward, making him hit his head on the front wall and push the acceleration to full throttle. With the little consciousness he was already losing, Boyle reached for the lever as his falling body pulled his hand back, sending him crumpling against the back wall. The train pushed the slabs aside and continued to speed up with no one to stop it.

As the train continued going faster, the forces began to pull the surfaces of the roofs and floors of the cars out from under the feet of Sam, Alice, Dexio, and the Equestrians. Noivern and Archen both landed on the unoccupied first boxcar, digging their claws into the roofs to hold on. Forced to their hands and knees, Sam and Alice looked forward with the turn that was still far ahead, but coming now much sooner than later. The changelings, already noticing what they’ve done, looked to each other proudly before continuing to focus on how their foes would respond.

Sam forced himself to his feet, leaning in against the wind stream running around the train and trying to push forward, alarming Alice and Celaeno. “Sam! What are you–!”

Sam only kept his eyes forward at the engine. “I gotta’ slow this train or else we’re going over–”

“Yo!” Celaeno shouted. “Watch out!”

As Sam turned to face the changeling horde, he barely registered as six magic-tethered spears were chucked out to whiz before him and head into the cliff wall. Aegislash quickly unspooled its cloth arm from Sam’s arm and slid into the enarme of its shield right as the spears struck the wall and created an explosion of rock, blasting debris into Aegislash hard enough to push it back and smack Sam in the face, knocking him off balance and throwing him off the side of the car. A rock also collided into Aegislash’s hilt, disorienting it as it clattered atop the roof.

Alice screamed as she crawled over to the edge of the car, Sam holding onto it for dear life as the speed of the train threatened to pull him off. Celaeno pulled Aegislash toward the center of the roof as Alice struggled to reach for her brother while also keeping her balance on the roof. Dexio looked out over the valley, searching for his Metagross among the cloud of changelings.

“Sam!” Starswirl began to charge his horn. “I’ve got–”

Two unarmed changelings crashed into Rockhoof and Starswirl, throwing them against the other side of the boxcar hard enough to knock the wind out of them, the latter hitting his head and collapsing onto the floor.

Stygian rushed to his unconscious friend as Rockhoof got back up and swung his shovel into both changelings. “No, Starswirl! Someone, help!”

On the second boxcar, Skystar threw herself forward as she tried to outfly the train to reach Sam and Alice, only for a second half-dozen-spear attack to blast into the wall and shoot rocks into her head and wings, throwing her off into the long drop down.

“Skystar!” Somnambula reached out for her, only for her body to be caught by a magenta aura being controlled by Metagross, who rose up into view of the changelings and those on the train.

As Metagross carried the knocked-out Skystar to Somnambula and Dexio, Flash Magnus and Ember watched as the broken-up changeling formation collectively held two more spear clusters up, knowing that neither could hope to help Sam nor Alice without getting seriously hurt like Skystar.

Dexio saw this too, knowing that he could at least end half of their remaining attacks. “Metagross, Zen Headbutt!”

Spinning around, Metagross charged at one of the gathered set of spears. With it successfully shattering them to splinters, Capper aimed a bomb arrow at the last bunch as well as he could despite the constant acceleration, letting it loose and blowing the weapons up upon the arrow making contact. Capper breathed a sigh of relief, only to notice six more changelings forming another spear cluster. Capper drew another arrow and knocked it against the drawstring, but the moment he aimed, they launched the spears to hit the spot between the coal tender and the passenger car. Alice managed to get her hand around Sam’s as she pulled up with all her might.

“You’re good,” she assured him. “I’ve got y–”

The spear struck the wall exactly where the changelings wanted to hit it, the blast of rock slamming into the right side of the car, shattering the windows, breaking the walls, and swinging it out over the edge of the cliff. With Sam’s chest against the edge, he was pushed off and began to pull his sister with her, only for Aegislash to reach for her free hand and pull her back hard enough to lose her grip on Sam, who flew back until he began to fall down to the valley’s bottom, reaching out for his friends as shock robbed him of the ability to scream.

“SAM!” Alice and Celaeno shrieked, Aegislash also crying out for his falling friend.

Flash Magnus and Somnambula flew down from their boxcars to dive down after him, Archen also shrieking out as it dove itself into its most aerodynamic form possible. With their eyes trained on Sam, who remained in freefall, they could not pay attention to the four changelings that checked into them with their shields, knocking them out of their path. Archen squinted as he refocused itself on the soldiers now blocking its path. With a spin, it lashed at all four with its claws, separating them and continuing to dive down for its trainer.

Dexio watched fearfully as Flash Magnus and Somnambula recovered and continued their dive, knowing that they’d never make it now. “Metagross, after them!”

His Pokémon dove down, propelling itself with all its telekinetic might. Archen began to gain on Sam as a smaller swarm of changelings began to gain on it. Refusing to let up, Archen suddenly noticed a bright light forming at the tip of its nose and quickly spreading back until it covered its entire body. Along with the surprised changelings and Somnambula and Flash Magnus right behind, everyone save for the humans could only imagine what was happening to Archen as its body’s features were replaced by a bubbling-green aura.

“What’s it doing?” Mullet exclaimed.

“It’s…” Alice knew exactly what was happening, as well as the chances of her brother’s survival beginning to rise because of it. “Come on, Archen. Come on, Archen!!”

Sam, seeing his Pokémon begin to evolve before his eyes, was instantly calmed as its body transformed before him. As its neck grew longer and meatier, its head stayed the same size, but smoothed out into a more snake-like form. Its body grew almost three times its size as its tail stretched out behind it, the single feather on its tail branching off into a palm-shape. Finally, the fur and feathers behind its ankles fluffed out as well, and with its transformation complete, its body became a bright white before the light shattered off of it, revealing its new form.

“Arch…” Sam glanced out to the side; the ground was coming any moment. “Archeops, hurry!”

Archeops’s green-and-red head nearly reached Sam’s chest, and with its body swinging in as fast as it could, it grabbed him by the shoulders and held its longer wings out to parachute themselves to a slower speed, its clawed-fingers splayed out as it struggled to keep Sam in its grasp. Sam grunted loudly as the momentum of the fall added to the weight of his body on his shoulders, the grass and trees coming in hot.

With two powerful beats of its wings, Archeops began to pull Sam back up, flying back up to the tracks as fast as Sam’s weight could allow. Somnambula and Flash Magnus gasped at the sight, only to be interrupted by Metagross grunting at them. It increased its speeds and went down to help Sam and Archeops. With Sam saved, both pegasi swooped back up to rejoin their friends on the train, their backs to the cliff to allow them to see the changelings as they tried to attack in front of them and above, managing to dodge and avoid their attacks.

With the turn coming up in just a few moments, those inside the boxcars or atop of them could not celebrate Sam’s Pokémon’s evolution, only able to watch as Metagross came underneath Sam and pushed him upwards, Archeop’s able to let go and fly back up just as quickly. With Metagross’s upward force keeping Sam pressed against it, it raced past the train’s cars above it and worked its way to the engine.

With it approaching, Metagross slowed itself and allowed Sam to stand up on it, his hands already reaching out for the handrails to the engine’s side entrance. Upon getting close enough, Sam hopped in and widened his stance with his back left heel against the back wall and the tips of his toes on his right foot against the front.

“Metagross!” Sam shouted. “Push the train in and keep it from tipping.” As Metagross and Archeops returned to the others, Sam shot back behind him to face his other friends. “Everyone else, stay away from the doors and hold the hell on!”

Sam threw the accelerator lever down and pulled the hand brakes, throwing the train forward at the immediate deceleration. The train began to round the bend, already beginning to lean uncomfortably to the left. The turn refused to end, and with the speeds still too high, the train only continued to veer out and over the edge. Alice and Celaeno held on to the right edge of the roof as they felt the wheels leave the tracks as Dexio hugged Skystar with one hand as he held to the roof with the other. As she stirred awake, the sudden sensation she found herself in shocked her into letting out an avian screech of terror.

With Ember crouching down and holding onto the edge of the roof like a large skateboard, the Equestrians inside the boxcars put their feet and hooves against the left walls they were pushed into, Rockhoof and Stygian working to keep Starswirl from crashing. On Sam’s command, Metagross pushed against the side of the engine, but looked nervously at the cars behind it that would certainly tip without its help. Just then, Somnambula and Flash Magnus jammed their full force against the first and third boxcars, screaming out as they fought the weight of the cars threatening to tip off into oblivion.

“Come on, Flash Magnus!” Somnambula cried out. “We can do this!”

With their wings flapping harder than they thought could be imaginable, the two ponies and the metal Pokémon sufficiently held the train up long enough as it began to reach the end of the curve. Starswirl began to come to just as he peered out of the doorway, seeing the changelings charge another magical attack to finish their foes off once and for all. With them each launching a green beam from their horns, Starswirl charged his own horn and disappeared in a brilliant flash of light, stunning Stygian and Rockhoof.

He then reappeared outside of the Light Screen near his boxcar, standing on a disk of his own aura. With the beams coming in, he let out a shout as the aura on his horn shot out a pillar of light directly above him before it broke off into hundreds of tiny bolts that intercepted each of the changelings’ blasts, not a single one passing him or reaching the train or the cliff behind him.

With the track straightening out once more, the combined efforts of Metagross, Somnambula, and Flash Magnus threw the train back onto the tracks, Sam immediately taking the brakes off and pulling the accelerator back up in the very middle position. Boyle began to get up, rubbing the front of his head as he gurgled.

“What just happened?” he mumbled.

“Sorry,” Sam forced out, “but you fell asleep at the wheel. Metagross!”

Prepared for him, Sam leapt back on Metagross’s head and it carried him back to the first car where Alice, Aegislash, and Celaeno eagerly awaited him. Upon landing, the three hugged him tightly, ecstatic that he was okay. Archeops then joined in, putting its wings around Celaeno and Alice’s backs. With their current danger averted, the four of them could finally feel happy for its evolution. The others began to stand back to their feet as well, Somnambula and Flash Magnus rejoining their allies on their respective boxcars. With his defense fruitful, Starswirl teleported back into his boxcar with Stygian and Rockhoof, who caught him as he breathed heavily, his hoof over his chest.

“Are you okay, Starswirl?” Stygian asked.

“We’re all okay,” he panted, “thus am I.”

With the train taking another inward turn toward Canterlot’s direction, Fizzlepop smiled as she saw Starswirl within his car, deeply thankful for her master’s skills. The commander changelings could not believe what they were witnessing. Despite their massive increase in numbers, the humans, Pokemon, and Equestrians continued to hold them off without any significant losses. The second commander then faced out further down the track, seeing a tunnel coming up. With no more track to see, it knew that once the train got inside there, it would let out just outside of Canterlot’s border. Their final chance to stop them had come.

Charging its horn and facing the tracks and cliff just outside the tunnel’s entrance.many of the changelings began to do the same. They then launched a mass blast of magic at both the tracks and the cliffs above it. The first attack struck the tracks, blasting a nearly fifty-foot gap between one end and the other leading to the tunnel. The second hit the cliff, loosening the wall and triggering a rockslide as large and as wide as the space between the broken rails. The humans and Equestrian’s seized their breaths in their throats, unable to believe the changelings would go this far.

Dexio was already prepared to do his part. “Metagross, hold the rocks up for us!”

As Metagross flew out at the falling stones about to engulf the train’s path to the capital, Starswirl stepped out to the edge of the boxcar exit and looked back to the two cars behind his.

“Fizzlepop!” he shouted. “Mistmane! Help me fly this train!”

Hearing the command, Mistmane and Fizzlepop stepped out onto the edge as well. Charging their horns, each wheel and axel on the train began to light up with their individual auras, keeping them held there as they prepared to lift up together.

“While they’re distracted!” the first commander shouted. “Charge!”

The changelings raced out at the train, each set of eyes trained on a particular rider aboard. Alice stepped forward, knowing that the three unicorns could not afford a distraction. With her hand clenched, she prepared to make Noivern’s second and last battle attack.

“Noivern!” She threw her arm out to point in every direction she saw a changeling. “Attack with Boomburst!”

“Archeops!” Sam screamed. “Join in with Ancient Power!”

Both Pokémon left the safety of the boxcar roof and the Light Screen as they flew side by side to make their attack. With air visibly filling up inside Noivern’s ears, Archeops threw its wings up to pull several stones from the side of the cliff. With a push of its head, Noivern sent out a mass spanning sonic boom that crashed into the front half of the changeling forces as if it were a tsunami. Archeops threw its wings forward, sending out its stones to hit and incapacitate only a dozen or so changelings.

With the changelings hit by the Boomburst falling into the valley unconsciously, including both commanders, the back half charged their horns and fired them before the Pokémon could escape. Noivern and Archeops, knowing they wouldn’t avoid it, put their wings out and took each magical blast as it threw them back toward the train. Having taken more than enough hits in just a few seconds, the two Pokémon began to tumble backwards before Sam and Alice returned them into their Poké Balls, the remaining beams harmlessly hitting the Light Screen and disappearing.

Only a few more seconds until the train would reach the broken rails. Sam looked to the city of Canterlot, for a moment appreciating the ingenuity it must have taken to perch a city on such a treacherous spot. A short flight there is all it would take.

“Everyone!” Dexio began to shout, nearing the edge of his boxcar. “Get back inside the train! Hurry!”

Celaeno slipped in between the passenger car and the first boxcar before entering into the latter to join Rockhoof and Stygian. Skystar, Somnambula, Ember, and Flash Magnus all swooped into their boxcars, careful not to disturb Mistmane or Fizzlepop. As Alice prepared to head to the gap between the first two cars, Sam grabbed her wrist, keeping her by his side.

“Sam,” she hissed, “what are you–”

He then showed her his Z-Ring, the Key Stone Dexio had put in resting on the top right above the back of the wrist. “How’s about we take some of these bastards out before the train gets to Canterlot?”

Alice looked to her own Z-Ring, seeing her own Key Stone in the same place. Immediately, temptation began to overcome her.

“Guys!” The two turned to Dexio, who was still standing at the edge of his boxcar. “There’s no more time! Get in!”

“You go on ahead!” Alice called, holding her Z-Ring up to him. “We’re going to try out our new abilities!”

After a short, reflective stare, he nodded in approval before swinging off the edge of the roof to be caught and pulled in by Capper and Squabble. The remaining changeling forces flew forward for one last assault, Sam and Alice looking to each other once more before pulling out a Poké Ball from their belts and tossing them out beside them on opposite sides.

“Let’s do this, Absol!”

“Go, Gyarados!”

Both of their Pokémon appeared beside them as they formed from the balls’ energy, Gyarados sticking out due to its length. Ember, looking past Fizzlepop’s head, still couldn’t help but marvel over its size and lustrous red scales. A silver necklace with a grey-and-blue marble in its pendant was now wrapped around Absol’s neck and over its chest while a large black band holding a yellow marble with a red and blue swirl in its center was clasped onto the center prong of its trident-shaped horn. With no time left to lose, Sam and Alice placed their fingers upon their Key Stones, activating them and filling them with light.

“Respond to my heart, Key Stone!” With their combined chants, DNA-shaped strands of aura began to wiggle out from their Z-Rings. “Beyond Evolution! Mega Evolve!”

The wisps of light shot out from the gems in their devices as they each connected to the Mega Stone in Absol and Gyarados’s jewelery. At once, their bodies flared up and transformed into a similarly-colored aura, the brightness of both Pokémons’ bodies forcing the changelings to stop their attack.

Gyarados’s chest expanded out until it was nearly twice as big as its head. Along with several thick spines, two massive fins fanned out on both side of its back as the center horn where its Mega Stone was latched to grew out and up. Absol’s horn grew wider and wavier as the bangs to the left of its head began to drape entirely over the eye. After small tufts of fur sprouted behind the paws of Sam’s creature, it then unfurled a magnificent set of wings that Skystar and Celaeno couldn’t help but sigh in wonder over.

Both Pokémon were then covered in a brighter light that broke off of their bodies, revealing their Mega Evolved forms to the now-frightened changeling forces. As the train began to make the final inward curve toward the broken tracks, Sam reached for his Aegislash, who wrapped its cloth arm around his.

“Mega Absol!” Sam declared. “Let’s fly!”

“You too, Mega Gyarados!” Alice ran out with a whooping laugh as her Pokémon dipped down to let her hop out and mount its back.

Sam slipped his legs over Mega Absol and put its weight on its back. With a kick of its front legs, Mega Absol ran off the edge and soared out at the changelings on its new wings, Mega Gyarados flying right beside them with the magnet plates still attached to its underbelly.

Meanwhile the train began to reach the gap, Starswirl waiting for the opportune moment. “Mistmane, Fizzlepop, now!”

With a strain in their voices, the three unicorns lifted the train up at once, sending it over the broken rails and centering it on the untouched track directly ahead. Metagross continued holding up its psychic shield to let the rocks slide directly over the train and into the valley. With tighter grunts, Starswirl and the other two unicorns eased the wheels of the train back onto the tracks upon reaching the other side where it chugged into the tunnel to no longer be touched by the changelings’ aerial forces. With the train and its occupants safe, Metagross disabled its shield and flew into the tunnel after it, ready to guard from behind if he needed to.

Dexio looked to the back of the train, unable to shake off the uneasiness of Sam and Alice not being there. “Good luck.”

“Alright, Mega Absol!” Sam shouted with a forward point. “Attack them with Psycho Cut!”

“Mega Gyarados!” Alice commanded. “Use Brutal Swing!”

Mega Absol parted ways with Mega Gyarados as it charged its horn before swinging its head, several magenta bows of energy getting flung out and hitting the changelings near it. Alice held her hands against Mega Gyarados’s fin membranes as it spun around clockwise, swinging its tail into many changelings and swatting them away in an instant.

The changelings had had enough, spinning around to fly back to Canterlot. “Retreat! Retreat!”

From the balcony of the Canterlot palace, Cocoon shivered with wrathful fear as her remaining aerial forces were chased back by Sam, Alice, and their Pokémon with the train carrying the rest about to reach the city. Another changeling commander flew in from within the city, its queen unable to focus on its arrival.

“My queen!” She slowly turned her head to face the commander, who remained stoic in the face of her madness. “They’re soon to infiltrate the city! How do you wish us to proceed?”

Just then, three soot-covered changelings emerged from the castle. “My queen! The Storm King’s statue… it’s been completed!”

Cocoon breathed out, calmly accepting the situation and what she’d have to do next. “Keep them away from the palace as long as possible. That’s all I can expect at this point!”

As Cocoon galloped into the castle where the other changelings emerged, the commander forlornly watched her leave him to this apparently hopeless situation. With a saddened breath, he turned back toward the city.

“You three,” he said to them, “seek shelter. You needn’t involve yourself in this battle!”

Without another word, the commander flew off to rally its other soldiers for their last stand. With the roars of Mega Gyarados and Mega Absol ringing out in the distance, the three changelings galloped back inside the palace from whence they came.

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