Insurgence

by Rose Quill

Fallen

I stared in shock as the Changeling Queen walked back and forth.

"I'll even give you a head start," Chrysalis purred, her wings buzzing in glee. "How long do you want, ten seconds? Thirty?"

Sunset and Twilight stepped before me, wings spread. "We won't let you touch her," Twilight warned.

"Oh, how precious," Chrysalis cooed. "The little pony princesses want to protect their wayward friend. But there's something you seem not to understand." Her horn began to glow with a green flame. "I'm much more powerful than the last time we crossed paths."

A strangled cry of agony came from behind me, and I turned to see Sorla crumpled on the ground, curling into a ball as a ring of runes began to appear around her horn, floating in the air slightly above the ones circling the base of her horn. Her blinded eyes were swiveling around as she retched.

Sunset fired a blast of magic at the mad queen, but it was absorbed into the flame, giving it a slight red flicker. Sorla cried out again as a similar mantic shot from Twilight was absorbed, the two Alicorns taking flight.

"What's happening to her?" Sour Sweet asked as I backed up to the crying mare.

"Chrysalis bound her mana into her own, somehow," I said as I tried to place a null magic shield around her. "The two types don't mesh well, and whenever Chrysalis draws on magic, she's using Sorla's first. She's draining her life essence for more power."

Explosions echoed behind me as a rapier lowered, a cerulean aura around its grip. "So we don't use magic t'stop her, then," Azure gritted. "We do it the old-fashioned way."

Chrysalis landed, throwing up a shield to reflect a spell back at Sunset, the red bolt flying back and knocking the Alicorn to the ground in a daze.

"Poor little pony, laying on the ground," the Changeling began singing. "Poor little pony, lost her crown."

Twilight rocketed down towards her, throwing her wings out to stall her flight. "You're outnumbered, Chrysalis," she said. "Stand down."

Chrysalis tilted her head in confusion. "How?" she asked with a wolfish grin. She gestured at the rest of us, and for the first time I realized that everyone but myself, Azure, Gleam, and Sour Sweet were bathed in the green werelight of the Changeling's magic. "If they could break free of my enchantment, they would have by now. So I'm afraid it's just you between Starlight Glimmer and I." Her horn began to surge, ripping another cry of anguish from Sorla's throat, sweat beginning to break out along her body.

The Changeling was about to fire when she was bowled over by a rush from Gleam Star. The massive stallion snorted, his nostrils flaring as he placed himself between the creature threatening one of the Princesses he was sworn to protect.

"You'll have to take me down to get to her," he growled as he scraped a hoof along the ground for traction.

"As you wish," Chrysalis said, grabbing the guard in a telekinetic grip and lifting him up before slamming him back down.

I watched, as in slow motion as he hit, his head going in a direction that necks weren't supposed to bend. I doubt I'll ever forget the sound it made.

"Gleam!" Azure shouted, rushing to her husband as we all stood numbly. She nuzzled him, trying to get a response, but his eyes gazed lifelessly to the sky. The Unicorn stood, tears in her eyes as she turned to the mad queen. Time resumed it's forward pace as she screamed in rage and charged the Changeling, only to have a blast of magic rip a hole through her neck, causing her to collapse onto Gleam. She struggled a little and managed to lay her head on his neck before the light in her eyes went out as well.

I stared in disbelief as Chrysalis as she looked at the two ponies as though they were merely napping in the middle of the park. She opened her mouth to speak when a bright lance of color strick her and threw her off balance. I followed it back to see the Shadowbolts suddenly freed from their stasis, Indigo and Lemon hovering in the air above their friends. They had looks of anger on their faces as they planted their hooves firmly on the ground.

And slowly, I saw ghostly images of their cutie marks begin to form in front of them, settling down against their chest as though on chains.

Or golden collars.

The Elements that hung from Twilight and Sunset's necks began to echo the glow as well as the hazy shapes took form, solid and heavy.

"What is this?" Chrysalis shrieked as she regained her footing.

Sunny Flare's horn lit with an angry glow as she stepped forward. "Get away from them," she gritted.

The Changeling queen turned and fired her magic at them with a roar of rage. I teleported over and threw up a shield just in time to block the attack, hoping I could hold it off. As the attack began to press on my wall of magic, I felt a weight settle against my neck, but I didn't take the time to look as the earth began to tremble again, fissures opening in the ground. I looked behind me and shouted.

"Grab somepony and go!"

The Shadowbolts each grabbed one of the paralyzed ponies and rushed off. I saw Twilight grab Sunset and Sorla in her aura before winging away. I concentrated and managed to slip a spell past the shield and encased Chrysalis in the same cube of magic I had once trapped Twilight in.

The last thing I saw before turning and racing away were the bodies of Gleam and Azure slipping into the crevasse that formed in the ground next to them.

And anger began to burn in my soul.

Comments

[Fangren]

😲 You...you killed Azure and Gleam...

[Wolfkin]

No "redemption" this time. Kill the bitch!

[MySisterBroughtMeHere]

Gleam? ... Azure? .... GRRRRRRRRRAGH!!! No second chances, no letting the villain get away, no mercy!

[Bookish Dracon]

this

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damned bitch dies one way or the other

[Vic Fontaine]

Azure and Gleam??

For Luna's sake, Sunny and Twi: Kill that mofo!!!