Chapter 3: Revenge is a dish served cold
“Are you sure about this?” Starswirl asked Scorpan while putting his hoof at his hand.
Scorpan gave his friend a reassuring smile and took his hoof. He nodded.
“Yes, I am. It´s been thousands of years since the last time I saw him. He deserves some time of my company.”
Scorpan, with the company of the pillars, Stygian and Punja; was travelling to Tartarus to visit Tirek for the first time in years. The group of ancient Equestrian figures were expressing to Scorpan their opinions about his idea.
“No offense Scorpan, but your brother is a psychopath.” Flash Magnus flew to Scorpan´s shoulder level. “It will be just a glance and he will take our magic.”
“I´ve already told you that I´m entering alone.” Scorpan replied. “I didn´t want you to accompany me so you could talk to him. I just needed some emotional support and reassurance in the journey. You´ll stay outside while I´m with him.”
“But I do want to enter!” Punja, who was sitting on the gargoyle´s shoulders, complained.
Scorpan raised his eyebrows and frowned.
“No, no. You stay outside. Tartarus is not a place for a little zebra like you.”
Punja shrugged.
“What´s the worst thing that could be in there? Encaged monsters? I´m sure they´re not as frightening as your brother.”
Rockhoof laughed.
“Quite the brave one, isn´t she? Careful Flash. You´ve got some competence!” Rockhoof nudged the pegasus soldier, who simply rolled his eyes and smiled.
Scorpan sighed and massaged his temples.
“I should have let you at Zecora´s.”
“Hey!” Punja put her hooves on Scorpan. “We are a family. And as such, we are together in times of agony. This is a pretty stressful situation. With me by your side, you´ll go through this with much more affirmation.”
Scorpan smiled warmly at his daughter.
“In case you can´t defend yourself, I have some comebacks for your brother on the shelf.” she nudged her father.
Father and daughter hugged each other. Meadowbrook sighed nostalgically.
“Family is a beautiful thing, isn´t it?”
“Indeed.” replied Mistmane. “In my opinion, there´s no form of love purer than the bond of a family.”
“Wow. It must be pretty hard to have your brother in prison. Your relationship must be hard.” Stygian said.
Scorpan sighed.
“It is, my friend. It is. I hoped that he would have thought the option of redeeming, but after hearing what he did to Equestria, all my hope was gone. Still, I´ll tell him that I still love him. It´s the only thing I can do.”
“Maybe there´s a chance.” Somnambula said. “I might not know your brother personally, but as long as there´s hope, anything is possible.”
Their conversation stopped once they were standing in front of Tartarus´ gates.
“This is it.” Scorpan said.
“The big moment.” Starswirl continued.
The key of Tartarus was hanging from Scorpan´s neck. He held it and approached the door.
“If you need anything, you can call us.” Starswirl told Scorpan.
Scorpan nodded. He introduced the key and opened the gates. Before entering he took a deep breath.
“Let´s go.” he muttered.
Finally, he and Punja entered. The pillars held the door so they could get out.
“Be careful!” said Starswirl.
Scorpan and Punja took a glance around. The environment seemed very strange. There was no single monster in a cage. Tartarus was too empty.
“That´s weird.” Scorpan said to Punja. “Last time I was here, which was many years ago, this was full of monsters. Now… It´s practically empty! Maybe Celestia and Luna let them free…”
“What makes you say that?” asked Punja.
“The cages are closed. It´s impossible to escape from a locked cage. Which leads to my next question, where´s Cerberus?”
“Who´s Cerberus?”
“A three headed dog. He´s the guardian of Tartarus.”
Punja´s eyes brightened.
“A three headed dooog! With him I must have a dialogue.”
“There´s no time for that, Punja! We´re here for my brother, remember?”
Punja looked at her surroundings.
“You said that your brother was a centaur, didn´t you?”
“Yes, why?”
“Because I don´t see a centaur anywhere!” Punja yelled out.
Scorpan gasped.
“Oh no.”
He flew to his brother´s cage. Punja held tight to him. When he arrived, he only saw two empty cages. The two of them bit their lips.
“No, no, NOO! This is not good! This can´t be good!” exclaimed Scorpan while putting his hands on his temples. “This is bad, like really bad!”
Scorpan´s breath accelerated. Punja tried to calm her father down.
“Daddy, daddy! We need you calm to defeat this baddie. You can´t warn anypony if you keep on hyperventilating.”
“What if he reached Canterlot? Ow… How many ponies have been victims of his actions?” Scorpan kept wondering.
Seeing that Scorpan didn´t take action, Punja decided to go and warn the pillars.
“I´ll go myself instead. I hope you don´t lose your head.”
Punja jumped from Scorpan´s shoulder and ran to the entrance.
“GUUYS! GUUYS!”
The pillars turned around.
“There´s no centaur!”
“WHAT?!” Starswirl asked.
“He´s not in the cage. No monster is in a cage!”
The rest of the pillars started murmurating. Rockhood widened his eyes.
“Wait a minute. There was also an encaged filly next to Tirek. Did you see her?” he asked.
Punja facehoofed.
“What part of no monster don´t you understand?”
“You´re right. I just said it because she was no monster, literally speaking. Although, metaphorically speaking she´s a monster…”
“Quit the chatting, Rockhoof!” exclaimed Flash Magnus. “Tirek could be anywhere. We must warn the princesses!”
“Right away!” exclaimed Stygian while elevating his hoof to his forehead. He took out a fountain pen and a paper. However, something prevented him from doing so. The earth started shaking. It couldn´t be an earthquake, for the earth shakes weren´t continuous. Some seconds passed until the earth shook again. Each time, they were stronger.
“Wha- What is it?” asked Punja, who was entering in a state of panic.
None of the adults she was with dared to answer. Fear had paralyzed them.
“What´s happening?!” she asked again, desperate for an answer.
“He´s coming!” Scorpan exclaimed, as he got out of Tartarus. He quickly grabbed Punja and put her in somewhere safe.
“Go and warn the princesses.”
“What?”
“Do as I say.”
“We made a promise to stay together.”
“Come on, Punja. You can´t stand a chance against him. He´s too big and powerful! Besides, everypony needs to know this immediately. If not by you, by whom then?”
“But I don´t know how to go to Canterlot.”
“Then go with Zecora. She´ll know what to do. Please, Punja.”
Punja took some time to answer.
“Ok.”
But just when Punja was about to leave, the earth started shaking more violently, making rocks and trees fall. One of those rocks fell on Scorpan´s tail.
“OW!”
Punja gasped.
“Dad!”
The little zebra didn´t doubt to try to move out the rock, despite its enormous size. Scorpan tried to lend a hand.
Meanwhile, the pillars and Stygian held on to the ground.
“Spread out, my friends!” Starswirl ordered the pillars and Stygian.
They nodded and prepared for battle. They saw how Tirek approached to them with a malicious smirk in his face. Despite being scared, they held their heads high, speacially Starswirl.
“Well, well. If it isn´t the pillars of Equestria back from Limbo!” Tirek chuckled. “We meet again Starswirl.” Tirek bent to talk to Stasrwirl face to face. “Are you still turning loved ones against each other?”
Starswirl maintained his posture despite Tirek´s teasing.
“And I finally get to know your friends.” he said while taking a quick glance of the pillars. “Also heard of them as well. Well, except for that one.” he pointed at Stygian, in whom he noticed a stronger impression than the rest. “Are you his little pupil? Well, don’t expect anything good from him. He´ll turn everypony against you.”
“He already has.” Stygian answered, his voice shaking a little and yet one could notice braveness as well. “But he´s not like that anymore. He has changed, and so can you. You don´t have to-”
Tirek grabbed Stygian. He tried to zap at his hand but his magic didn´t have an effect on Tirek, who laughed viciously at his fail.
“So you´re trying to give me friendship lessons, huh? Well, allow me to teach you what happens when a little pathetic pony like you tries to oppose me!”
Tirek opened his mouth, ready to absorb Stygian´s magic. Just when Tirek´s horn started to glow, Starswirl quickly zapped at Tirek´s face. This time Tirek noticed a slight pain on his body but it wasn´t unbearable. Nonetheless, it was enough to let Stygian go. Tirek fought against Starswirl. The centaur growled in frustration. Despite being so old, Starswirl was still powerful. But it didn´t take Tirek much time to better the wizard. Luckily, the other pillars helped him. Mistmane created a water dragon to distract him, Flash Magnus and Somnambula kicked him in their flight just like Meadowbrook did by jumping from the ground, and Rockhoof hit him with his shovel. Stygian also helped by zapping at the centaur with his rays of magic. Despite all their efforts, Tirek was still the stronger creature. None of their attacks damaged him deeply, and he was able to throw all of them against the ground. He laughed as he saw his enemies in great distress.
“This was as easy as pie. But I´ll recognize that you put up a good fight. Which makes a meal more satisfying.”
And just when he was about to absorb the pillars´ and Stygian´s magic, someone intervened.
“TIREEEK!”
Tirek gasped. He recognized that voice immediately. His blood boiled in fury. He clenched his fist.
“You…”
He turned around and after so many years, he saw his brother again. There he was, flying in a steady and kingly posture, like their father used to say, despite having his tail broken.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”
“I´m here to talk to you. I won´t fight you, no matter how much you try to aggravate me.”
Tirek scoffed.
“After what you did to me all those years ago, you think that you have the right to talk to me?!”
“Tirek. You´re my brother! Brothers tell everything to each other.”
“NO! Brothers always stand up for each other, no matter how bad the situation is. You didn´t do that for me when I needed you the most! You have no right to call me brother nor you deserve to be called one!”
For the first time in many years, Tirek was showing some vulnerability. His eyes were somewhat watery. Scorpan´s eyes were watery as well.
“Brother…”
“Do NOT call me that!”
Tirek threw a ray of magic against Scorpan. The gargoyle shoved it.
“Tirek, please listen to me!”
The centaur was too blinded by his anger to stop and listen. He kept on firing rays at Scorpan. Tirek noticed that the three unicorns tried to zap at him, despite being in pain and having few strengths. He took them with his magic and threw them against a tree.
“YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!” he told them.
Scorpan gasped.
“Guys!”
He flew to aid them. However, Tirek blocked his way and kept on trying to hit him. And yet, Scorpan made no move against his brother.
“You don´t have to do this!”
Scorpan shoved a ray that hit a tree.
“I get your frustration.”
“NO, YOU DON´T!”
“Maybe I don´t. But believe me.”
Scorpan shoved another strike.
“No matter what happened in the past, I´m still proud to say…”
Another avoided strike.
“I love-”
Scorpan didn´t have time to finish his sentence. Tirek had finally hit him. The garygoyle cried out in pain as he fell to the ground. The pillars and Stygian gasped in shock.
“Scorpan!” exclaimed Staswirl.
He was going to check on him but Tirek took him and his comrades before he could. They felt how the magic slipped away from their bodies. Once he was finished, he threw them to the ground. The centaur panted heavily. His fight with his brother left him drained of energy, despite having absorbed magic from powerful ponies. He saw a key holding in his brother´s neck: it was the key of the gates of Tartarus, which gave him an idea.
“I see that your love for wearing things in the neck hasn´t changed.” he said bitterly.
In the meantime, Punja was hidden in bushes. Even though her father told her to warn Zecora, she couldn´t leave him without making sure if he was ok. Unfortunately, he wasn´t. He had been knocked out by his own brother. She wasn´t sure if her father was alive, and the thing was that she couldn´t check his pulse. Tirek had locked her friends and her father in Tartarus. She felt lots of guilt. She didn´t listen to her father´s last order. That´s the only thing she could do. Instead she did nothing. She cried silently. Despite being soft, her sobs were deep and sorrowful.
“I´m so sorry. I should have done what you told me, but I was blinded by my worry.” she whispered.
She would have been crying for ages. Nonetheless, Punja knew that she had to go on. She still had the chance to fulfil her father´s last wish. She breathed in and out slowly, and once Tirek had left the place, she ran away to Zecora´s.
In the changeling kingdom, Thorax and his brother Pharynx were getting prepared for Twilight´s coronation.
“Which one do you think it fits best? Purple or red?” asked Thorax as he showed his brother the two bowties.
Pharynx observed the two bowties in detail.
“Hmm… I might not be an expert in fashion, but judging by our features, I think purple fits you best.”
“You´re saying that because you want the red bowtie, do you?”
“Yup.” Pharynx admitted a little embarrassed.
Thorax laughed.
“I asked because I like the two, but I don´t mind wearing purple.” he explained as the two changelings put on their bowties. “Although, you´re right. Purple fits me the best.”
He put his leg around Pharynx, which surprised him at first, but eventually he returned the hug and snuggled his brother.
“Let´s check how Twilight´s present is going, shall we?” Thorax suggested to his brother.
Pharynx nodded. The two brothers went to the castle´s courtyard. They saw various changelings working together on a sculpture. All of them were so focused that they didn´t notice their leader coming in. That was until a female changeling bumped against Thorax.
“Oh, Thorax!” the changeling entered in panic. “I´m so sorry, but the statue isn´t finished yet. We still need to work in the details.”
“It´s ok. You have until the evening and it´s still morning.” Thorax said to calm the changeling. “However, I want to see the advances.”
The changeling doubted. But she didn´t want to oppose their beloved ruler.
“Ow… Ok.”
She led them towards the statue, ordering the rest of the changelings to make way. When they cleared their way, the statue could be appreciated better. Thorax and Pharynx observed the statue in detail. It was a sculpture of princess Twilight Sparkle.
“Well… What do you think?”
“It´s… Gorgeous.” Thorax said in amazement.
The statue had her wings open, showing their loftiness. She had an expression of calm and wisdom, with closed eyes. But what Thorax liked the most was the originality. Normally, stone statues aren´t painted. But the changelings defied those rules, resulting in a very beautiful statue.
“Do you like it?” the changeling asked hopeful.
“Yes! It´s perfect! Princess Twilight is going to love it.”
“Oh… But it´s still not finished. And there´s lots of finishing touches…”
“I can help you with that!” Pharynx offered himself in an unusual cheerful manner.
He quickly covered his mouth. Thorax widened his eyes. Then, he smirked at his brother.
“Didn´t know you liked arts, Pharynx…” he teased.
Pharynx blushed and cleared his throat.
“No, I don´t! It´s just I´m good at perfecting little details, which could help to make the job faster.”
“Uh huh. Sure.”
Pharynx ignored his brother´s taunts and joined the rest of the changelings. Thorax stayed with the female changeling.
“You did an amazing job! Now I can see where Ocellus got her creativity from.” he nudged the changeling.
Ocellus´ mother was flattered.
“Oh, but it wasn´t just me. I had some help from the art club to paint the statue. The theatre club provided me an excellent model. The process was tiresome, so the cooking club provided me food and water. The swing club provided me music while working to make the job livelier. And lastly, my husband helped me with the children. In summary, each changeling has helped in their own way.”
“I´m so glad that the spirit of teamwork is so present in our kingdom.” Thorax commented.
Despite the good environment, the poor changelings didn´t know that a danger was approaching to them. The changeling guards saw a giant mole approaching. They didn´t doubt to attack. But their efforts were in vain. The menace had managed to defeat all of them. Their screams and magical rays alerted the rest of the changelings that something wasn´t right.
“What the.” Pharynx asked aloud.
Then, the mole jumped in front of all the changelings. The mole surrounded itself by green magic. It was then when the changelings knew who had come here. Fear consumed them when they saw that the mole was actually their feared ex- queen, Chrysalis.
“Chrysalis?” asked Thorax.
“Good morning, my dear subjects.”
Pharynx and the bravest changelings flew and landed in front of Chrysalis to protect Thorax. They ignited their horns ready to attack. Chrysalis stopped walking, somewhat surprised by the opposition she was met with.
“Is this the proper way to receive your queen?” she asked aggressively.
“You´re not our queen.” Pharynx said.
“Yeah! Thorax is our ruler!” a changeling said. “Not you!”
“Go away!” another changeling yelled.
Chrysalis had prepared for everything in her reconquest, but there was something she didn´t count on: her emotions. Losing her hive was the most humiliating and awful experience in her life. Her own kind had turned against her and she was forced to roam around alone for three years. Although she only saw the changelings as subjects to control, she did miss being with her kind. After so much time alone, she thought that she wouldn´t feel sadness when she confronted them again. But she was wrong. Their hostile attitude was kicking her as hard as the first time.
Thorax noticed Chrysalis´ emotions. That´s when he knew he had to talk.
“Chrysalis. Is taking back your kingdom all what you really want?” he flew toward her.
“ISN´T THAT OBVIOUS?!”
“Yes, it is. But I want to show you more options. If you had joined us since the beginning, you would have saved all the loneliness you must have felt. I know that deep down, you just want to be with us. And we welcome you! But in order to do that you have to change your ways. Otherwise, we´ll have no choice but to send you away again.”
With her magic, Chrysalis took Thorax by the neck and pulled him closer to her.
“Are you hearing yourself?! I´m not looking for your company! I´m looking for your obedience and servitude. I am your queen! That Starlight brainwashed all of you! SHE´S THE REASON WHY I LOST EVERYTHING!” Chrysalis panted in exhaustion, letting Thorax go.
Thorax coughed. The changelings went to comfort him.
“Are you alright bro?” Pharynx asked.
“Yes…” he whispered while breathing heavily.
All of them waited for Chrysalis´ response. Finally, Chrysalis elevated her head.
“But things can come back to what they used to be before.”
It was then when she took out an artefact they had never seen before. It was an old, rusty bell that shone.
“What is it?” asked Thorax.
“This?” Chrysalis chuckled. “This is my victory.”
Chrysalis fired at the bell. The bell rang and threw a yellow and black ray of magic that hit Ocellus´ mother. After being shot, she was not colourful anymore. She turned black and had blue eyes, just like all changelings were before. And just like before, the poor changeling was full of hunger.
Thorax looked in horror as Chrysalis laughed at him.
“This one is for robbing my place.” she said full of anger.
And this time, after Chrysalis hit it with her magic and rang, the bell fired against Thorax.
“Come on, students! I know you´ve been working for a long time, but this is the final sprint. You´re almost there!” Starlight cheered the students of the school of friendship.
As soon as Twilight´s coronation was announced, every student at the school of friendship wanted to do something special for their beloved princess. So, they suggested the idea of making murals. Starlight, Sunburst and Trixie agreed. They began working for the coronation´s murals many weeks prior. When the big day had just arrived, there was nervousness, excitement and exhaustion around all the school.
There were lots of groups working on murals. Naturally, one of those groups was formed by the young six. Their mural consisted on a picture of the tree of harmony and the bearers of all its elements, with Twilight standing out.
“Are you sure the tree was this colour?” Gallus asked Ocellus.
Ocellus sighed frustrated.
“Once again, the tree was crystal blue. With some shades of pink.”
“And yellow windows!” Silverstream added while holding a yellow marker pink.
“Don´t forget the window´s blue details!” Smolder added as she joined her hippogriff friend. She uncovered the marker pen and started to paint.
While the four friends were painting the tree, Yona and Sandbar painted Twilight and her friends.
“Sandbar. Princess Twilight´s purple streak here or here?” Yona pointed at the right and the left.
“At the right.” Sandbar replied.
“Ok.”
Yona and Sandbar went on painting.
“Rarity´s mane this purple or this purple?” Yona compared the two shades of purple they had while showing them to Sandbar.
“The darker one.”
“Thanks.”
Once again, they focused on their own parts.
“And Applejack´s?” Yona picked various shades of yellow.
Sandbar laughed.
“You really want to nail this mural, don´t you?”
Yona nodded.
“Yona wants this mural perfect. But.” Yona sighed sadly. “Yona´s memory not good.”
“It´s ok if you don´t get the colours perfect. If they´re close to the real colours, it´s enough.”
Yona smiled relieved at her friend.
“Hi guys! Do you need any help?” Apple Bloom asked as she, along with Scootaloo and Swetie Belle, approached them.
“Hey! Nice to see you.” Sandbar replied. What are you three doing here?”
“We´re helping to finish the murals.” Sweetie Belle answered.
“And if there´s a picture with Rainbow Dash, I´m here to make sure she´s portrayed right.” Scootaloo added. “Is she in your picture?”
Sandbar nodded. He pointed at Rainbow in the picture. Scootaloo examined it carefully.
“Hmm, let´s see…. Coat colour? Perfect. Her mane´s colours order? Also perfect. Awesome pose with her wings standing out? Check. Ok! It´s an awesome representation.”
“Now that you´re here to help, you could lend us a hoof on this.” Smolder suggested the CMC. “We still haven´t finished the tree.”
“With pleasure!” Apple Bloom stated.
“Oh oh! You´re doing the tree? I have some tips to make it look more crystal-like.” Sweetie Belle said excitedly.
Gallus rolled his eyes carefully.
“Whatever.” he answered with a smile.
Sweetie Belle jumped in joy. The three fillies took some marker pens and helped with the picture.
Meanwhile, Starlight was supervising all the groups, with the help of Trixie and Sunburst.
“Wow. Everypony´s doing a great job!”
Starlight smiled in pride.
“I know, right?”
“But they wouldn´t be this perfect if it wasn´t for the headmare.” Trixie added with a smirk, making Starlight blush.
“Oh, you.” Starlight nudged Trixie.
“Now we´re talking about these crafts, do you have a special present for Twilight?” Sunburst asked.
Starlight chuckled.
“Come to my office.”
Starlight explained her present to her friends.
“This is my and Spike´s present. He had this awesome idea of collecting her memories in a special book. And I was the one who asked all her friends which were their best moments together.” She showed the book to both Trixie and Sunburst.
“Wow..” Sunburst looked at the book with admiration.
“Oooh! I can´t wait to open it.”
Trixie tried to reach the book with her hoof, but Starlight hit her hoof before she did.
“Ouch!” Trixie shook her hoof. “What was that for?”
“It´s a surprise. I want all of us to watch it together.”
Trixie growled. Sunburst held on his laughter.
“All it needs is some wrapping and that´s it.” Starlight said while taking some gift wrap.
Suddenly, they heard a loud noise.
“Did you hear that?” Trixie asked a bit concerned.
“Yes.” Sunburst replied in a similar tone.
“Well, I´m sure it´s nothing bad.” Starlight said a bit nervous.
“HEADMARE STARLIGHT!” a student yelled out loud while opening the door.
Starlight dropped the gift wrap while giving out a yelp.
“What´s wrong?”
“It´s Cozy Glow, ma´am. She´s back!”
Starlight and Sunburst gasped in unison.
“WHAT?” Starlight asked in shock.
“Who?” asked Trixie, indifferent to the situation.
Without thinking it twice, Starlight teleported her friends and herself to the main hall. In there, some students were hugging each other, others were in a position ready to attack. Sandbar was the only one who was confronting Cozy directly, as she was holding his friends and the CMC with her magic.
“Headmare Starlight!” Silverstream exclaimed. “Oh, we´re so glad to see you here.”
“She wants to see you.” Ocellus informed to Starlight.
“The headmare is here.” Sandbar told Cozy. “Now, do your part and free my friends.”
Cozy thought to herself for a moment.
“Hmm… No. In fact, you´ll join them.”
She grabbed Sandbar with her magic and put him next to his friends. She laughed at him as Sandbar and his friends frowned at her.
“Cozy Glow! What are you doing here?” Starlight asked defensively. She gasped. “And how in Equestria did you become an alicorn?”
“Another alicorn, seriously?” Trixie said to Sunburst. She growled. “Why is everypony so obsessed with alicorns?!”
“SHUT UP YOU!” Cozy flew to Trixie. Then, she came back to Starlight. “As for you, I´m glad you asked. A magical artefact did this. But that´s not important right now.”
“What do you want?”
“I want the School of Frienship! And Twilight´s castle too.”
“What makes you think that we´re going to give it to you so easily?” Trixie asked back.
Cozy smirked. She threw a ray of magic towards a student, hurting him deeply and leaving him unconcious. Every creature in the room gasped in shock. Some students ran to check on him.
“If you don´t want more injured students, I suggest that you obey me right now.” Cozy threatened.
“You´re a monster!” Smolder exclaimed.
“Who in their sane mind does that?!” Gallus added.
Cozy laughed sweetly.
“Why, me of course.”
“What do we do, Starlight?” Sunburst desperately asked Starlight.
Starlight looked around her room. Every creature was begging her with their eyes to do something. Even though she was nervous, she was able to come up with a plan quickly.
“Ok. You may take the school and the castle.”
Every creature gasped.
“Thank you so much Starlight.” Cozy said teasingly, a smile of victory drawn in her face.
But the smile erased form her face when Starlight zapped her.
“Hey!”
“As long as you win a duel.”
Cozy smiled.
“Easy peasy.”
“Against the three of us.”
Cozy, Sunburst and Trixie widened their eyes.
“Wait a minute, that´s not fair! It´s three against one.”
“But you´re an alicorn.” Apple Bloom replicated.
“You´re pretty much at advantage, if you ask me.” Scootaloo added.
“Exactly.” Sweetie Belle agreed.
Cozy sighed frustrated.
“Ok, fine.”
She let go the young six and the cutie mark crusaders.
“I can´t believe I´m doing this.” Sunburst mumbled nervously. His ears dropped.
“If this doesn´t work, I don´t know what I´m going to do with you.” Trixie whispered angrily in Starlight´s ear.
Starlight rolled her eyes and prepared for battle.
“On the count to three.” she ordered. Sunburst and Trixie prepared as well. “One.”
“Two.” Sunburst counted.
“THREE!” Cozy ended the count before launching an attack against the three unicorns.
Starlight, Trixie and Sunburst ignited their horns and conjured up a ray of magic to protect themselves from Cozy´s. None of the rays advanced. The four of them struggled to keep them going. The two rays were equally strong. But luckily, the three unicorns´ ray was the one that made it way towards Cozy.
“Aah!” Cozy yelled as she fell to the ground.
The students cheered them once Cozy was in the ground.
“Mean pony loses!” Yona exclaimed. She raspberried at Cozy.
Starlight walked towards her, Trixie and Sunburst following behind.
“Now, go away.”
Cozy didn´t know what to do. She couldn´t have failed, she just couldn´t have. What was she going to tell Chrysalis and Tirek? Those three fools were more powerful than her. And she was an alicorn! What were they going to do to her? Were they going to leave her behind? She considered them her best friends, or perhaps even more. She didn´t want to lose them. Her running thoughts prevented her from acting.
“Didn´t you hear her?” Trixie asked. “Go away!” she demanded as she ignited her horn.
Cozy snapped out of her thoughts. She frowned.
“What are you going to do if I don´t leave, huh?”
“If you don´t leave by choice, we´ll make leave you by force.”
Sunburst and Trixie widened his eyes.
“Starlight…” Sunburst whispered.
Cozy smirked.
“You wouldn´t do that.” Cozy said after scoffing. “I´m just a child. What would Equestria think of you after attacking a child?” Cozy shrugged and smirked. “Maybe you haven´t changed your extreme methods after all.”
Those words hit Starlight strongly, which resulted in Starlight´s mind taken over by anger. She started firing at Cozy with no control. Cozy created force camps and shoved all her strikes. Accidentally, Starlight hit the walls. The students covered their heads to protect themselves and screamed in fear.
“Deep down, you´re still the Starlight who wished to control everypony. No matter the cost.” Cozy kept saying.
“She´s out of control.” Trixie said to Sunburst.
“We have to stop her.”
Trixie nodded in agreement. Sunburst teleported himself in front of Starlight.
“Starlight stop! She´s manipulating you!”
Starlight didn´t listen to him. She was still blinded by rage.
“Starlight. Starlight!”
No response. He ran around her to make himself listened.
“Starlight!”
Sadly, Starlight stopped when instead of hitting Cozy, she hit Sunburst. Her eyes filled with horror and sadness.
“SUNBURST!”
She picked him with her hooves. He was unconscious.
“Please, no, no. What have I done?” she asked to herself in tears.
Cozy laughed maniacally.
“Now, nothing can stop me!”
Trixie grabbed with her magic.
“Oh no. You´re not getting away with this. No sir.”
Cozy struggled to scape, but Trixie´s magic was stronger.
“Help!” she yelled.
And just at that moment, out of nowhere, Chrysalis showed up at the doors. Every creature gasped. Trixie´s jaw dropped, releasing Cozy in the process.
“Chrissy!” Cozy exclaimed while hugging Chrysalis. “I´m really really glad to see you!”
Chrysalis took Cozy with her magic.
“DON´T CALL ME THAT!” Chrysalis yelled at Cozy´s face.
“Geeze. What kind of welcoming is that?” Cozy asked annoyed. “After all I did for you. You took longer than expected. I did everything I could to make time for you to arrive. I almost died! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!”
“What did you expect?” Chrysalis replied back. “The changeling kingdom and the dragonlands weren´t that easy to conquer, you know?”
Ocellus gasped.
“The changeling kingdom? What have you done to my family?” she asked worried.
Chrysalis chuckled as she walked towards Ocellus.
“Nothing, my dear. Nothing will happen to them. As long as they obey my orders. And they will.” she explained as she held Ocellus´ chin.
“Get your filthy hooves off her!” Smolder demanded as she slapped Chrysalis´ hooves. “You also mentioned the dragonlands. What did you do to the dragons?!”
“The same thing I did to the changelings.”
Smolder growled.
Chrysalis walked away and approached Starlight. She grabbed her by the mane. Starlight yelped.
“Well, well, it seems I got you in a weak moment.” she chuckled menacingly. “A perfect time for revenge.” she looked back at Cozy. “Good job, child.”
Cozy smiled sweetly.
“It was nothing.”
Chrysalis opened her mouth and drained all the love she could from Starlight, who yelled in pain. Everypony watched in horror. Those who tried to help her, were held by Cozy. Once she was finished draining Starlight´s love, she cocooned her while laughing maniacally.
“Now, who´s next?”
Cozy started firing at students and Chrysalis drained their love. The hall filled with panic and students ran away. Trixie tried to make time for the students to put themselves safe.
“Every creature. To your chambers. Now! I´ll deal with this.” She ordered while fighting against Cozy and Chrysalis.
The students nodded and ran to their rooms. Unfortunately, some students didn´t make it. They ended up injured and cocooned. The cutie mark crusaders were one of those lucky students who arrived into the bedrooms´ corridor. They looked for the young six.
“Psst! Here.” Silverstream indicated them from a room.
The three fillies entered the room.
“What do we do? What do we do?” Sweetie Belle hyperventilated. Smolder lent her a paper bag.
“Two of the biggest enemies of Equestria in a team?” Gallus asked in shock. “What is going on?”
“What´s worse, there could be another villain in that team.” Ocellus suggested.
Sandbar gasped.
“You´re talking about Tirek, right?”
Ocellus nodded.
“Oh my. What if the Storm King is back too?” Silverstream panicked.
“That guy is completely dead, remember?” Smolder told her hippogriff friend. “Besides, if he was back, the sky would be grey, and there would be thunders and storms everywhere.”
Yona looked on the window and bit he
“Um… Maybe not storm and thunder, but snow yes?” she said.
The eight friends widened their eyes and looked at the window. Yona was right, it was snowing. The sky was full of grey clouds.
“Snow?” Scootaloo asked estranged.
“Why on earth it would be snowing in summer?” Apple Bloom asked to every creature.
Suddenly, Yona jumped scared while screaming and hid under the bed.
“What´s wrong Yona?” Sandbar asked.
“Yona saw a ghost!”
“A ghost?”
Sweetie Belle looked closer at the window.
“I´m afraid that´s no ghost. That´s a windigo!”
“WHAT?!” every creature asked in unison except Gallus and Smolder.
“A what now?” Smolder asked.
“I have no idea of what that is, but from their faces I can tell that it´s something bad.” Gallus stated to Smolder.
“A windigo, guys! Don´t you remember when we studied the story of Hearth´s Warming Eve?” Ocellus asked.
Smolder and Gallus looked at each other confused. Sandbar put his hoof on his forehead.
“Let me guess, you didn´t study for that, did you?”
The dragon and griffon smiled sheepishly. Ocellus sighed.
“The windigo is a creature that appeared before Equestria was founded. It was fuelled by the tribes´ hatred against each other. If the tribes hadn´t made amendments, Equestria would be covered by snow by now. These spirits freeze everything.”
“But if there are windigos.” Apple Bloom gasped. “That must mean that pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies are in conflict! How did that happen?”
“Maybe those two have something to do with this!” Sweetie Belle suggested.
“From the looks of it, I wouldn´t be surprised.” Sandbar agreed.
“But windigos defeated by love of three ponies.” Yona said. “Professors confronted too?”
“I don´t think so. Besides, the cutie mark crusaders are formed by members of the three tribes.” Apple Bloom refuted. “And we´re not against each other.”
“Then why is it still snowing?” Smolder asked frustrated.
“And what´s weirder, the tree didn´t warn us about this…” Sandbar thought to himself.
“You think there´s something wrong wit the tree?” Gallus tried to understand his friend.
Sandbar gulped. He nodded. Gallus put his claw on his temple.
“That´s definitely not good.”
“Um… guys.” Silverstream said from the door. “I don´t mean to interrupt, but they´re near.”
Gallus looked through the door.
“Great! What was left.” he said sarcastically and frustrated.
“Yona says to inform Twilight!”
“But how? None of us can go out without being noticed.” Sweetie Belle complained.
Smolder looked at Ocellus. Which gave her an idea.
“Actually, one of us could.”
Every creature looked at Ocellus. When the changeling realized what was in Smolder´s mind, she panicked slightly.
“Oh no.”
“Please, Ocellus.” Sandbar begged.
“You´re the only one who can go unnoticed!” Gallus added.
“You want me to go all alone? To Canterlot? I don´t even know how to go there!”
“But you know where the train station is, right?” Scootaloo asked.
Ocellus nodded.
“Well, something that helps me when I´m lost, is to follow the train rails to see where it leads me. Canterlot is in the north, so all you have to do is to follow the train rails to the north.”
“I.” Ocellus sighed. “I don´t know.”
“Come on, Ocellus. We trust you.” Smolder told her.
All her friends smiled at her. Despite the fact that she was still unsure of the idea, she proceeded. She transformed into a sparrow.
“Yona trusts Ocellus.” The yak told Ocellus.
The changeling, in the form of a sparrow, flew to the window.
“They´re coming!” Silverstream warned them.
Sandbar opened the window quickly.
“Go go go!”
Ocellus got out.
“What about you?” she asked from the outside.
“Just go! Don´t worry about us.” Apple Bloom told her.
“We´ll meet again, I promise.” Smolder put her claw on her chest, to emphasize that she was saying this from her heart.
Ocellus smiled and left her friends. Sandbar closed the window quickly before Chrysalis and Cozy opened the room´s door.
Meanwhile, Zecora was comforting Punja while making their way to Canterlot. They were following the train rails, heading to the north. A snowdrop fell on Zecora´s nose.
“It´s a good thing we brought a coat, otherwise we would be cold.” she said while looking at her cape.
Punja´s ears perked up. She was too focused on her grief to notice the snowdrops around her.
“It´s snowing!” she exclaimed surprise. “Snow comes in winter, not in summer.” she looked around her. “From what I´ve seen, I can deduce that the evil and heartless centaur has something to do with this.”
“It could be. Those villains are capable of doing everything.”
Their conversation was interrupted when a sparrow crashed against Punja´s cheek. The sparrow felt to the ground. Zecora gasped.
“Are you ok?” she asked Punja.
The little zebra spitted some feathers.
“I´m ok. I´m ok.” she repeated.
Punja looked down to see the sparrow.
“Oh, you poor little thing, let me see if you don´t have a broken wi-”
Punja yelled when she saw the sparrow transforming into something weird. She hid behind Zecora.
“What is that bug?” she asked Zecora. “Is she working for the centaur? Cause if she is.” Punja smacked her hoofs. “She´s one less creature to care for.”
“Do not sting, little bee.” Zecora put her leg in front of Punja. “The creature standing here is a changeling.”
“Is she good?”
“Yes, I am. Don´t be afraid.” Ocellus reassured Punja. “We used to have an evil queen but now we have a good and wise ruler who helped us to change for the better.”
Ocellus´ warm smile calmed Punja.
“You´re heading to Canterlot?” Ocellus asked.
“Yes. Explaining the reason why causes me stress.” Punja answered in a sad tone.
“From what I can see, Canterlot is also your destiny.” Zecora said.
“Yeah, you´ll see. A-”
“Ocellus!” a voice called from the distance.
Ocellus felt relief when she heard that voice. She saw a toucan flying to them.
“Thorax! Oh, I´m so glad to see you´re ok…”
Ocellus´ tone of joy dropped when she saw the toucan transform into the old form of changelings.
“From what I perceive in the mood, I don´t think that´s good.” Punja whispered in Zecora´s ear.
“Oh my, did Chrysalis do this to you?” asked a very worried Ocellus.
“How did you know?”
“She´s attacked the school too. Along Cozy Glow. They´re in a team.”
“About the members, could there be more? You know, like a centaur?” Punja asked.
“Is the centaur´s name Tirek?”
Punja nodded.
“Then, yes. We believe he´s also in this.”
“We´ll explain everything in the journey. To Canterlot we need to hurry.” Zecora said.
“You´re right.” Thorax transformed into a roc. “I´ll take you in my claws. It will be the fastest way.”
Ocellus, Punja and Zecora sat inside the roc´s claws.
“I don´t have good memories with this kind of bird, but I just need to remind myself that my fears are absurd.” Zecora told Ocellus and Punja.
Thorax spread out his wings and flew his way to Canterlot.
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This is way better than the episode itself! Revenge in a row, revenge on a kingdom and revenge on a school; this chapter is badass.
Who the heck is Punja?
10352146
Read Dianbel's story, Journey To the Past
Omg
I love the chapter
I look forward to the next one!
10351866
Thank you so much
10352615
I´m glad you liked it
Few things
1. How long can Gargoyles live since wasn’t Tirek in Taraturus for like 1000 years
2. I rly expected the Changelings to be under mind control for Chrysalis to control them but Thorax seems fine
3. Wait a new Alicorn gets defeated by a unicorn who did crystaling a unicorn that is basically a magician and a unicorn that could take cutie marks and change the past ok fair enough
10353353
Some of these are just headcannons of mine, since the series didn´t treat this:
1. I think gargoyles live the same as Celestia and Luna, whom I believe that they´re not inmortal but have a long life span.
2. It will be explained next chapter.
3. Even though Cozy is an alicorn, she doesn´t have enough experience and skill as the three of them, specially Starlight. Cozy´s powerful and has a good target, but she´s not able to confront many enemies at once. I think that´s something that comes with practice.
Hope to have clarified everything
10354653
Ok cool but how often do u upload chapters
10354864
)
Every Saturday or Sunday (my local time is different to the American´s, so I have no idea whether is Saturday or Sunday in America
10354870
Ok thx
10354879
You´re welcome
You know when you wrote Scorpan and Tirek fighting in chapter 3, I imagined it would be similar to Shifu and Tai Lung's fight from Kung Fu Panda kinda seems like it fits only this is between brothers what do you think?
10437256
Good comparison! Love that movie, by the way.
Thanks! Also when Scorpan tries to apologize to Tirek, I thought of Tirek holding him by the throat and angrily saying "You should've thought of that a Thousand Years ago!"
And Scorpan while choking from Tirek's grip says " Ack!...Please.. Tirek!...Don't do this Brother!
And Tirek says "As of now I'm an only child!" Before striking and it all goes white to the next scene. pretty cool huh?
10437853
Savage, but I would've respected it.
10351866
This is better and a way worse situation than the show