The Impossible Choice

by FireMaster

Chapter 31: Swarm

~ April 22nd, 1020 ME ~

‘3:30am‘

Far above the Canterlot cityscape, a white alicorn was doing her best to carry the weight of her ponies on her shoulders. Thankfully she knew how many ponies were supporting that weight. Abruptly, Celestia put a hoof out and the entire force of chariots being pulled by Pegasi stopped, forming arch's angled toward the approaching enemy. The Chariots were filled with unicorns well practiced with their magic. The wing beats of everypony hovering blended together into a cacophony of whipping sounds like a forest blowing wildly in the wind. A few hundred yards away and closing in was the segment of changeling drones led by Chrysalis. Celestia kept her eyes fixed on the approaching formation, counting the seconds as they got closer.

3...

2...

1...

"NOW!" Celestia's voice carried across the sky. Blue, green, and white spells unleashed from the team of unicorns.

Without so much as a single verbal command from Chrysalis, half of the group she led dived down, while the other half flared their wings and angled upwards. She was among those moving upwards. With no interest in getting sandwiched in an aerial assault Celestia directed her unit to descend to an attitude just above the rooftops. The changelings would be unable to get lower without landing. All the while the unicorns did their best to maintain the attack. A green shield formed in front of the first row of changelings which were continuing to descend, although due to how fast Celestia's forces repositioned the nearest changelings were still coming from above.

"Step back!" Celestia ordered, as she prepared space to charge up a ray of light. The hot blast of magic that followed ripped through the shield and vaporized a few unlucky changelings caught in the line of fire. With the shield down, the royal guards looked to quickly be gaining the upper hand. Changelings were getting shot out of the sky left and right, although they were outnumbered 2 to 1 and this wasn't even Chrysalis' entire army. It almost seemed to be going too well. As soon as the changelings got within fifty feet of the chariots, they all simultaneously underwent a transformation. No longer was a wave of changelings flying down, instead two rows of Pegasi looking much like the royal guards were about to make the battle a close quarter one, spears and swords ready. Everypony was briefly caught off guard by the fact they would have to face ponies that looked just like themselves.

The enemy front lines had practically been a pony shield, a thought that disgusted Celestia. She had little time to dwell on it, however. Mere moments later, swooping down to fly opposite her was... herself. Chrysalis had taken on the shape of an Alicorn, marshmallow white fur, purple eyes, a multicolored ethereal mane, and a set of royal armor to complete the look. Anypony to witness the face off as a bystander was in for a sight. If not for the slightly varying weapons it would have looked like the royal guards had turned on themselves. While some ponies were overwhelmed because of their indecision on who to fight, most recovered quickly enough to defend and prevent total catastrophe. Even though Discord was reformed, and on their side, he would have loved the chaos, yet he remained absent from the battle.

---

The special forces team that set out with the plan to confront Sombra was a hodge podge group of skilled ponies from all over Equestria. Dust was among the team, but he wasn't its leader. That job fell on Commander Storm. The ten members in the squad were all wearing black cloaks and moving stealthily through the Canterlot streets towards the sound of Sombra's crystal spikes erupting from the ground. For most of them the darkness was hardly a problem because the group contained several thestrals, changelings working for Equestria, and members of the lunar guard accustomed to the dark work environment.

By the time they were getting close, Sombra was in the process of redecorating the sun memorial in the east side of town with a dark touch. They crept to the edge of the building line encircling the open plaza with the memorial in the center. Sombra was talking to himself as they slowly tried to get closer.

"Oh Celestia, how I miss the times where you supported me as the king of the Crystal Empire. You saw my potential as a ruler. You acknowledged me. Then you just had to go and ruin it all after I lost the pony closest to me! You don't deserve a statue! And you still have the nerve to belittle me even further by not coming here yourself but sending your pathetic little ponies instead!

Nice of you to join me!" Sombra could partially feel emotions and the presence of ponies nearby thanks to his dark magic, similar but not the same as how changeling empaths could feel them.

So much for the surprise, Storm thought. He didn't budge from where he stood and neither did any of his 9 counterparts. It wasn't time yet.

"If you value your lives, you should at least give me the honor of seeing your faces before I blow up this entire plaza." Sombra didn't hesitate to threaten them, and Storm was smart enough to know that these were not false threats either. Having prepared a very dense cloud beforehand, Storm stepped onto the cloud and began to dance on its surface. He could feel the static start to build up in his portable cumulonimbus. If it wasn't time yet then he would signal everypony and make it time. Arch's of lightning began to course over his wings slightly lighting up the alleyway he stood in, bringing Sombra's attention towards the blue glow.

Sombra was about to continue monologuing when Storm quickly shot into the sky with his cloud and trampled upon it like he was trying to hit a pow in Mario. A bolt of lightning raced from its surface and impacted Sombra reaggravating the burns on his body and causing him to unleash a scream of pain and anger as he formed another crystal in front of him to act as a lightning rod. The signal was given and all of the other ponies lying in wait around the plaza came out of hiding to take advantage of the momentum. So far things had gone according to plan, if not better. The electrocution would keep Sombra from taking on his shadow form.

Sombra released his green snakes to create an offense that could act as a defense. He was still doing his best to recover from the shock. Meanwhile, Dust, and the other infiltrators had already formed a plan to counter this ability. Their shape began to shift. Turning into small dragons, they unleashed fire upon the snakes closest to them vaporizing the magical constructs. They were also already positioned on all four sides, while the thestrals were hovering above. Sombra was completely surrounded.

"You've bested me...

...Is what you want me to say except you're now exposed." Sombra, having lived for so long, had a vast magic supply compared to the average pony or changeling. With little to prevent him from doing so, Sombra teleported onto the nearby statue shaped like Celestia holding the sun. Immediately after teleporting he sent an endless volley of small black crystals at the gathered-up ponies and dragon-changelings. The crystals were shaped like daggers. The one unicorn present (a member of the lunar guard) put up a shield. She managed to deflect a high percentage of the shards, but cracks began to form in her defense, and she couldn't hold them back any longer. Just before the gathered ponies got impaled, the changeling-dragons put themselves in front. Dust grimaced as he did his best to hold onto his changeling disguise, but even with scales it was becoming too much. Sombra went from a beaten foe to an overwhelming force. What could they do?

---

Blazing Waters felt like he had been given the best seat to watch a bad horror movie. With little to offer to the cause, he stayed at the castle feeling helpless after The Elements of Harmony had left. Spike would have made for good company in normal circumstances, but with the battle beginning to unfold he felt like the castle balcony only served to rub it in that he didn't belong. This hadn't been a foreign feeling back in Oregon, but feelings of slight loneliness only exacerbated feelings of helplessness. He had too good of a vantage point for all the strategies, and all the carnage visible in the glowing streetlights. While he had been slightly involved in planning and preparations, watching it now just made it feel like they didn't do enough.

What had he been thinking? Discord was probably lying about the fact that he could help save Equestria, and he had been played as the fool. The last thing he wanted to do was stay somewhere where he would have to watch all his new friends get beat up. Getting killed in battle didn't seem like a better alternative either. So, when Blazing saw some of the changelings from the streets backing up Nightshades forces closer to the castle, he wasn't about to be a sitting duck. "Come on Spike, this is not the best place for us."

"Where can we go?"

"Somewhere... Productive."

"Ok?"

"Well, I don't know! Where does Twilight usually go to find answers... Alright Spike we're going to the library!”

"Don't go crazy on me. Twilight might be dying out there and you think it's a good time to be reading books?!"

"Think about it... What in Equestria can help save Equestria? Well, if I knew the answer to that question, I wouldn't have to look in a book."

"But that doesn't make any sense! The elements of harmony have always helped save Equestria but you're not from Equestria and we know that you are the game changer."

"Fine, new question. What in Equestria can help me save Equestria?"

"Wait... Wouldn't that still be the elements of harmony? If that were the case than what are we still doing at the castle and how would that work when the elements themselves are used by the element bearers?"

"I haven't got that far yet... that's why I need a book."

---

"Found it!" Spike said, pulling out The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide stored under the "E" section and brought the book over to Blazing. "Twilight updated this book after the whole Nightmare Moon incident." Blazing quickly opened the first page and began scanning to find anything that could be helpful.

There are six Elements of Harmony: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Magic. The Elements of Harmony, also linked to the Tree of Harmony, are only given their power when 6 embodiments of these aspects of harmony come together. Their friendship will be the magic that can restore harmony to Equestria. The Elements of Harmony have the power to restore things to how they once were as well as overcome things that try to stand in the way of harmony. If the users aren't recognized by the elements as good representatives of the aspects of friendship, the spell will fail. In the end, Harmony decides what happens when the Elements are used. The Tree of Harmony, now the Castle of Harmony also has the unique ability to solve friendship problems by...

Blazing stopped reading for a second trying to determine if any of these facts would serve a purpose. "Spike, what does it mean that the Elements can restore things to how they once were?"

"That's like how Luna was completely separated from the Nightmare, or the fact that if a pony that's not outside of harmony were hit by The Elements of Harmony they would be unaffected.

"What would happen if I were hit by the elements?" Blazing put his hand in his pocket and turned the ring over in his fingers while he was asking the question.

"I'm... um... not really sure actually." Spike said apologetically.

Blazing had an idea coming to mind that he both loved and hated. An idea with much uncertainty surrounding it. So much for following logic, he thought. He wasn't about to sit around and do nothing. "Well, if the worst case is nothing, then there's only one way to find out."

Comments

[Fun1901]

Harmony power up here we go what are chances he become alicorn in process.

[Luckyfanisaac]

He had too good of a vantage point for all the strategies,

Alright Spike we're going to the library!“(——