148- Surt: Who Burns The World
We marched into Canterlot's central plaza fifteen abreast. The army spread out in line formations and faced the enemy, shields already up around us.
The enemy was indeed waiting for us. The Palace’s defenses had finally fallen silent, letting the Fourth Hive amass in full. No less than seven thousand changelings stood in formation, swarmed through the air, or poured into the castle through breached entrances. It was the largest single concentration of changeling soldiers ever, as none of the three Swarms that took part in the initial invasion had ever gathered in their entirety at one spot. Changelings were always spread out, never trying to stand up against an enemy in pitched combat. Our way of fighting was infiltration, sowing chaos, and disabling the command structure from within.
Yet here we all were, what was probably around a third of the changeling species, ready to fight each other in full-scale warfare. About ten thousand changelings faced each other in the square, with the ponies making up more than half of our side's bulk.
The rest of our kind would be scattered throughout the city, inside the Palace, still inside the Crystal Caverns, maintaining a skeleton crew back in the hive spire, or evacuating to Manehattan.
With the Red Right Hoof, the defected changelings and rare Praetorians, Canterlot's defense force, and the Canterlot Reactionaries, our side just about matched the Fourth Hive's in number.
According to Pharynx, the bulk of the Fourth Hive was originally supposed to hit the perimeter wall and take down the defenders there, but my interference necessitated a change in plans.
I paced back and forth in front of my command squad. Shining Armor conferred with my reunited Lieutenants and defected officers on a battle plan. Even if half of the loyalists defected, there would still be a bloody enough battle to be put in the history books.
Using a binocular spell, we had seen our counterparts across the empty plaza, past the overturned stalls and carts.
There was Commander Scorpion, leader of all the Praetorians. Last I had seen him, I had thrown him across the Palace's armory. He seemed to be the most argumentative of the commanders, but without a way to hear, we could only guess as to what their plans were.
Generals Amphid and Labrum were there, rounding off the triumvirate that controlled the Swarm. They were Generals loyal to me, and given how much they pointed in my direction, I was the subject of their arguments.
"Deciding whether or not you're brainwashed," Pharynx had explained, though I had guessed as much. "And me too, since I'm standing by your side."
There were a few more faces I recognized: Captain Obturator, the Royal physician I had put in charge of the Legion dedicated to harvesting love, Captain Nicro of the Underhive Scarabs, who had most assuredly led the way through the Underhive, and Captain Tetragnath of Panar's Hammer, the siege experts. Their loyalties would be scattered at best.
"We're as ready as we can be," Shining Armor declared. "I'd rather fight now than wait for reinforcements. We need to save the Princesses and the rest of the ponies inside. And changelings."
"Yes, Captain Katydid and a few others are still in there, too," I remarked. "Well then, let's not keep them waiting. Pharynx, are you going to help me try to convince them?"
Pharynx grunted, "You've foolishly given me plenty of opportunities to backstab you already, you really trust me to try to talk them down when I'm not entirely convinced myself?"
".... Yep."
He blinked in surprise, "I, uh…. Fine. I'll say something. But it'll be the truth, and no propaganda or nothing."
Shining glanced at Pharynx, "Phasma, are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Have faith, Shiny," Cadence said. "I think it's a good idea, too. Let the changelings hear from their, uh, Legate was it? Their Legate. If we don’t let him speak, won’t that just make us look worse?"
“Fine, whatever, just do it quickly,” Shining threw his hooves up. “It’s a risk, but this is war.”
“He who dares,” I nodded. “Alright Pharynx, let’s go address the Legions.”
I started to walk towards the loyalist forces, stopping about a third of the way to them. Pharynx stopped by my side, giving me one last unsure glance. The drones were all focused on me; it was hard to miss me after all, with my shiny green armor and war hammer that was taller than me still.
I chose to amplify my voice instead of using the Weave to speak. If Chrysalis somehow didn’t know we were out here, an almost zero chance, then I’d prefer to keep it that way.
“Changelings of the Hive Eternal!”
My voice echoed across the plaza like a clap of thunder, demanding attention,
“I am King Phasmatodea of the Fifth Hive! I am the Pontiff of the Hive Eternal! Hear me now! The War for the Sun was fought so that we may banish hunger from our lives, for once and for all. Praetorian Thorax has found an end to the hunger that has plagued us since time immemorial; the way forward is cooperation, not war!
“The Masquerade Protocol kept us safe for thousands of years, but it also shackled us. We have been struggling. We have been suffering. In the dark, changelings have toiled and sacrificed and died. We have all decreed that no longer shall that be so. That is why we fought for the sun. Unshackled by the Protocol, salvation reveals itself. Cooperation with the Equestrians is not only possible, but it is the only way forward!
“No one has to die today. No one has to bravely lay down their lives in the ultimate service to the Hive Eternal. The end to our hunger is real, and it is achievable by everyone here. Praetorian Thorax has uncovered something that was never known to our species. Hear me now, and commit my words to memory! Love for an undisguised changeling is a thousand times more potent than love stolen! Should the worst come to pass, or should it not, never forget this knowledge, this gift from Panarthropo herself! We can never again obtain wisdom so pure and priceless.
“I ask you all to stand beside me. Step forth, out from the dark, and into the sun. Our demons must be fought, but we do not have to fight alone. Trust me, as you always have, and I will not fail you.”
I motioned for Pharynx to speak. He did not speak at first, merely giving me an unsure look. Then, he spoke.
"Soldiers. You know who I am, so I'm not going to waste words. Nothing in life is certain. We take risks. We trust others. The Hive would have been long dead if we didn't trust each other. We trust, and we fight for the things most important to us: family, friends, and duty. We live each day, not knowing if it'll be our last. We… ah, to hell with it.
"King Phamsa says my brother found a way to get love freely from the ponies. I believe him. Trusting him is a risk, I know, but we've been taking bigger and bigger risks since we left the Badlands. What's one more? He's got to be doing something right, after all. He was supposed to be dead, but he's here now, with the ponies completely supporting him. And he's got more Adamantium, because of course he does. When we fought, and believe me we did, I didn't last twenty seconds. You don't get that strong from starving in a dungeon. He's got love, and he's got more than we can imagine.
"So you can either fight for Queen Chrysalis, who managed to capture a few thousand ponies in exchange for the most sacred laws that bound us and kept our people alive for thousands of years, or you can take a risk, and side with King Phasma, who, in one year, has accomplished more than any previous royal. Combined. You declared him a Saint for a reason. Do you still believe in that reason?"
I dropped the spell. The changelings across the way began arguing. Commander Scorpion's voice carried over the bickering, but he was too far away to hear.
"Thanks," I said quietly, keeping my eyes forward.
Pharynx grunted, "Hpmh. Just give me my brother back and we'll call it even… Are you really not mad that I killed Praetorian Oestridae?"
"You did your duty, and you thought Thorax was dead. That I killed him. If I thought that, too…" I sighed as I let that train of thought slip away.
"This is our day."
I stiffened as a chill went all the way up my spine. Someone was speaking through the Weave, and it was no mystery who that was.
"Are we going to lose everything we have fought for, everything we have sacrificed for, simply because a twisted puppet offers some honeyed words?"
Queen Chrysalis of the Fourth Hive strode out onto a balcony that overlooked her Legions. Absent-mindedly, I realized that it was the balcony I stood on when Celestia introduced me to her kingdom after the Gala.
"Prince Phasma is dead. His body may yet draw breath, but he has been under the influence of the Burning Sun for months. How many of you lost friends to that alicorn? How many of you watched your comrades burn alive in a hellfire too hot to even see? Do you really think the Burning Sun didn't sink her hooks deep into Saint Phasma?"
She was too far away to see in much detail. I felt my heart rate spike as she spoke, her voice triggering memories of Ascension rituals and death.
"Legions of the Hive Eternal. There stands your Prince, broken and damned. They made him into a puppet, turned him into a mockery of us all, and now they use him to turn us against one another. You should not be moved by his lies, you should be angry that they broke him and gave him Princess Celestia's voice! I order you, I beg you, to save my son. Bring him to me, and cast down the ponies pulling the strings! This day is ours, you just have to take it!"
"Say something!" Pharynx hissed.
I tried to say something. Anything. My mouth opened and closed like a fish. My mind flashed with images of my right foreleg being ripped off, of being thrown across the ash covered throne room, of my nightmares of Ascension.
"Too late now," Pharynx snorted. "Now you gotta get to safety…. Prince Phasma?"
Chrysalis was looking at me. She shook her head, and then turned to head back into the Palace, not even bothering to stick around to watch the fight, let alone join in.
"Prince, Saint, King, whatever you want to call yourself, you better get back into the moment!"
I looked down at Pharynx. He was pressing against my chest plate with a hoof.
"Wha…?" I mumbled.
Pharynx glared, "Get back to your fanclub now. You had your chance to counter her speech, but that's gone. Move it!"
I slowly turned around and walked back to the officers. Pharynx followed at my side.
"What the hell was that? You froze up like a larva at the sight of love!"
"I… it was her. Chrysalis… I was reminded of my brothers and sisters, the torture I endured, and what's going to happen if I lose here. I sent away the First Fang thinking that if I die, they'll take over. But I'm not going to die, aren't I? It'll be so much worse…"
'I wish Luna was here. She'd say something smart and caring. She…. is in danger. Everyone is. Damn it, Phasma, snap out of it! This is no time to be having a PTSD episode!'
I stopped before both my officers and Shining's and listened to their plan. Well, half listened.
'The moment things hit too close to home, I freak out and need someone to ground me. I plan and scheme behind people's backs and try to do my absolute best for my people, even risking my own safety. All I really want to do is eat pastries, cookies, and love and sit around, doing nothing but getting fat. Gods above, am I really just a male Celestia?'
'Uh oh, people are looking at me now.'
I recalled the details of the plan they outlined from the half of my brain paying attention. Basically, they wanted to watch for signs of a lack of cohesion, and at the critical moment, start the advance. The pressure of us moving towards the lines will force action, causing chaos in the Fourth Hive Legions. We will push through the chaos like a wedge, aiming for one of the entrances. The fact that there was no fighting outside the castle's interior was greatly concerning, so getting troops inside the walls was our first priority. If possible, we will take down the enemy commanders along the way.
Our casualties: minimum.
Fourth Hive casualties: high.
It would take too long to find another way in, too long to wait for a consensus to be reached within the Legions, and too long to try to convince the Generals and Captains of the Legions to surrender.
In order to save Luna, Celestia, and Katydid, changelings would have to die.
"I'll lead the advance," I decided. "With me at the very front, they might think twice about just opening fire upon us. It'll maximize their hesitancy and divide them even further."
"That's very risky," Cadence remarked.
Shining cringed, "It’s also going to result in ponies– in changelings getting killed.”
“We don’t have time for anything else,” I said.
"Do you really think we can beat the Fourth Hive?" Sergeant Search asked.
“I don’t think that’s really in question,” Private Dew said. “It’s more a matter of how many will die today.”
Corporal Bray gazed across the plaza, “I just wish they’d see reason. Why are they still fighting for their doomed kingdom?”
"The Fourth Hive is dead," I declared, waving a hoof at our own army. "We're proof of that. This is a fight between fear and hope. A clash between those fueled by the fear of the worst outcome, and those motivated by a hope for a future brighter than ever before. I hoped for a peaceful resolution, but it's becoming increasingly clear that that's an impossibility."
'If I was a drone, what side would I pick? Knowing how paranoid I am, it would honestly be the fear side. The Fourth Hive hasn't exactly encouraged free thinking nor rebellion, but maybe my efforts to unionize the drones using the Lodges will be enough to break that dogmatic hold on them.'
We didn't have to wait long. The plan was to wait just until before the boiling point, and then move in, but things went to shit far quicker than we anticipated.
The battle that would eventually become known as the Canterlot Massacre started when Commander Scorpion murdered General Amphid. All things considered, I was glad he picked killing Amphid over killing Labrum. Labrum was the better of the two Generals.
The General fell to his knees, blood gushing from his neck, and all hell broke loose.
The Praetorians, the Infiltrators, the hardcore loyalists, and the moderates who were undecided but leaning towards Chrysalis’s side started fighting the separatists. All in all, about two thirds defected in support of me, their declared Saint.
But a third was all that was needed to make the fight into a chaotic mess. Friendly fire between the two sides, a lack of clear distinction between the two, and all-around panic turned the political arguments into brawls, which escalated into a full scale battle.
With no choice but to attack, I ordered the charge.
The soldiers formed a pointed wedge behind me, with the Red Right Hoof and converted drones on the exterior. The plan was for the R.R.H. and Fourth Hive drones to stay and put an end to the battle, while the ponies followed me inside. That way, the changelings could use their knowledge of telling each other apart to discern between friend or foe, while the ponies had free rein to subdue any non-R.R.H. changeling we came across inside the Palace.
I saw the drones at the forefront of the lines panicking as we galloped across the plaza, tossing aside the debris like a tsunami. Some galloped out to meet our charge. Many panicked and pushed against their comrades to get out of our way, and many wisely took to the air to avoid the stampede.
All of this only created more chaos. Cohesion broke down. Orders were lost, forgotten, misheard, or unheard. The infighting grew and spread across the lines.
Then, impact.
The cacophony of yelling mixed with the sound of spells being thrown, and the increasingly loud buzzing of insect wings as more and more changelings took to the skies. The ones that remained on the ground, in our path, were the ones determined to stop us.
With large, dramatic sweeps of God-Splitter, I took down drone after drone, literally flinging them out of our path in some cases. My armor flashed its green shield constantly in response to the hail of spells being thrown at me. The changelings and ponies behind me either kept shields up to protect each other, or were using spells of their own to clear out a path. Many flying changelings opened fire upon me and my soldiers, but they were constantly being countered by other flying lings and spellcasters on the ground.
Our advance slowed as we slogged through the ranks. Changelings facing away from us, fighting other lings were simply added to our ranks as we pushed. Our front lines, three lings deep, were stunning changelings by the dozens. Past our front line, teams worked constantly to make sure everyone on the ground was secured– or in the case of downed ponies and Red Right Hoof soldiers, were seen if they could be brought back to fighting shape.
But inevitably, there was death. The internal fighting among the Legions had led to lethal spells being used in many instances, and the unarmored changelings fell. Tending to the wounded was another duty given to the follow-up forces behind the wedge cutting through the army.
Yelling, screaming, electronic cracks, sizzling fire, hoofsteps on cobblestone, and general chaos filled the air.
It wasn’t a battle. There were no tactics; no flanking, no amassing in locations, no fighting for strategic locations, no suppressive fire or concentrated fire. There was little in the way of identifying friend or foe. There were no banners flying proudly above neatly formed lines, no slow advancing formations and skirmishes to test capabilities and determination. There were no instruments belting out marching tunes or rallying calls. Of course, unlike human warfare, there were no gunshots, relatively less explosions, and somewhat less death. The only thing the clash had in common with a battle was that people were dying, and they were dying.
Blood was spilled across the cobblestones, revealed in the wake of our push. More and more ponies and changelings became bogged down trying to help the wounded. The armor that the Red Right Hoof and Royal Guards had was doing wonders in mitigating lethal injuries, but there were plenty of small ones.
Sections of our front lines had to be messily rotated out as fighting strength slowly sapped over time.
Shields were shattered. Metal armor was bent and scorched. Bones were broken. Chitin was cracked, splintered, shattered, and even ripped off.
Around me, a small clearing opened up as changelings escaped God-Splitter’s arcs. Frequently, I had to unleash barrages of stun bolts to dissuade determined loyalists, or quickly seal the wounds of particularly bleeding changelings writhing on the ground. But I had to save my strength and get to the castle as quickly as possible. Often, I left the changelings dying on the ground alone, hoping that they could be saved later.
Quick Search, Bray Call, and Warm Dew followed in my hoofsteps, helping clear away flanking maneuvers, give callouts, and hit fallen foes with stun bolts. Or a swift kick to the head, in Warm Dew’s and Quick Search’s case. Mostly though, the two non-unicorns were using improvised blunt weapons to cudgeon changelings that didn’t know when to quit. A little brain trauma didn’t hurt anybody.
Praetorians wormed their way through the melee to fight me like sharks tasting blood in the water. They tested me in groups of three, five, seven, and more. They combined spell attacks to catch me off guard. They kept me distracted and constantly tried to flank me. They kept coming, and I kept putting them down.
One changeling stabbed at me with a serrated blade made of stone. I effortlessly deflected the attack, and brought up a shield to preemptively put a stop to his follow-up. The changeling switched tactics, diving for me like Pharynx did during his fight. Quick Search intercepted the changeling, bucking the changeling away. I cringed when I saw the drone’s foreleg bend in all the wrong directions, but moved on.
The battle was far from over, and the Praetorians and their loyal minions kept hounding me.
A concussive wave to knock several off their hooves dealt with one small charge. A wave of sub-zero wind froze the sweat and blood covering the bodies of another charge, slowing them down and sending them to their knees. Then, God-Splitter finished them off. Most survived their suicidal battles with me, though how many of those would still be alive by the day’s end was another story.
I stepped over a changeling drone who was desperately grasping at their crushed windpipe, trying to gasp for air. I was unable to help him; three more Praetorians were firing off a flame spell that burned green. Bray blinded them with a spray of conjured water that turned to steam when it clashed against the green flames. Through the vapor, I charged the Praetorians.
Then came a group of twelve Praetorians, protecting each other with shields and firing from gaps in the layered magical bubbles. As I readied God-Splitter to simply smash through their pitiful defenses, the lines behind me broke. With a furious yell, R.R.H. and Royal Guards surged forth, almost overtaking me in their frenzy.
I glanced up and realized that the Palace’s main entrance was right before us. For half a second, I recalled the extravagant amount of flowers, ribbons, banners, decorations, guards, and gemstones that had adorned the grand entrance no more than two weeks ago. The Gala had come and gone, and now changelings swarmed the Palace’s walls.
The sight of our goal being so close was what had spurred the Canterlot Confederacy soldier behind me into a charge. The twelve Praetorians ahead were the last of the loyalists between us and the Palace.
“For Equestria!” Sergeant Quick Search yelled from my right.
“For the Hive Eternal!” A changeling I now recognized as Froghopper, the scout leader, yelled from my left.
“Attack!” I needlessly bellowed, sweeping God-Splitter forth in a dramatic fashion.
My hooves lifted from the ground as my wings carried me aloft. Holding God-Splitter in front, I narrowed my profile behind the hammer, flying straight ahead in a Superman-like pose. The Praetorians’ spells sputtered and shook God-Splitter, but I held it steady.
I saw them dive to the side in the last second before the hammer would have slammed into them. They dropped the shields closest to me, not wanting to risk me simply slightly adjusting my heading and popping their shields, taking them out of the fight thanks to the debilitating pain of a failed spell.
I did not disappoint; with a side blow, I smashed into a leaping Praetorian as I spun around before landing. My boots dragged furrows into the stone steps of the Palace’s entrance, and I followed my attack with a lash of fire, which I had learned in one of my many combat practice sessions.
I swirled the end of the whip around the horn of one of the Praetorians holding up the shield barrier that had reformed behind me. She screamed in pain as the chitin began to melt. I yanked downwards, sending her face first into the stone steps, and her shield fizzled away.
Then, through the gap I had created and kept open, the reinforcements arrived.
The ponies and changelings flowed like a rushing tide through the gap, surrounding and attacking the Praetorians who struggled to readjust to their lines being broken. Ponies ran forward, charging up the steps to the Palace’s broken-open doors. Then, they fell, the gap widening until the last of the defenders in front of the steps fell. Ponies continued to charge forward as the changelings stopped and pressed outwards along the sides of our advance.
With a triumphant cheer, Captain Shining Armor stopped, reared back on his hind legs and turned around.
“To the Palace! We end this war today, ponies!”
He dropped back onto all fours and joined his soldiers, galloping up the steps and into the Palace. Princess Cadence followed shortly after, giving one single nod to me. I started to join them, but a grunt of pain made me reflexively look to its origin.
General Labrum was sitting up against one of the walls next to the doors. She was hunched over, bleeding heavily, but her eyes were on me.
“Yer Highness,” she gasped. “Good to see you’re alive. I was worried you were dead.”
I motioned to some drones nearby to tend to her, and they complied, setting a suitcase half-full of medical supplies next to the fallen general and beginning to dress her wounds.
“General Labrum, I could say the same. What happened, and where’s that bastard Scorpion?”
She smiled, “Amphid let his guard down, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise when Scorp went for him first. He tried to take me down, but I’m no easy pickings. He went inside, I couldn’t stop him. Ugh, go. Go, My Prince, and finish this.”
“I plan to,” I smiled back. “Don’t die. I’ll need all the changelings I can get for the war to come.”
Her brows furrowed as she stared at me in confusion, but I was already turning away. Leaving behind the roar and chaos of the battle, I bounded up the steps in search of the missing Commander.
‘Tracheotomy.’
I paused briefly.
‘That’s what would have saved that changeling’s life.’
I shook my head to clear the thought, and entered the Palace.
As it turned out, Commander Scorpion did not make it far. I found him in the front foyer of the castle, where my rebellion had initially been ambushed. He was making his last stand against the ponies flooding the room, trying to stop them all. The Commander stood behind a line of Praetorians, making me wonder just where they had gotten so many of the damned helmeted bastards.
‘No matter, they’ll fall just the same.’
The ponies had made decent progress through the defenders, but they lacked the sheer power that I had. Cadence and Shining were working in tandem to push forward through the middle of the room. Shining’s shield spell, which I knew from experience was a tough nut to crack, took the brunt of the attacks sent their way while Cadence periodically put up shields whose lifespan was measured in seconds. Her shields took the occasional barrage or up-charged spell that would normally put Shining’s shield in danger.
“Don’t worry Phasma, we’ll be right behind you,” Bray Call said, adjusting her helmet.
“Unless it gets too dangerous,” Dew smiled.
Sergeant Search was looking around the foyer, taking stock of the battle.
“Right then,” I said, nodding to the three ponies that followed me like lost dogs, “let’s not keep the Praetorians waiting.”
Not wanting to be left out of the battle, I quickly advanced up to the front lines, keeping low to the ground to avoid being spotted for as long as possible. Shouldering past the ponies marching behind the Captain and Princess, I got close enough to hold a conversation despite the noise of the battle.
“Phasma!” Cadence called out. “Could you do the thing where you smash into them like a bowling ball again?! It worked really well last time!”
“As much fun as this is,” grunted Shining, “I would also appreciate the help. Your whole ‘overwhelming power’ thing works well against…. all of us.”
I gave God-Splitter a small spin, “Don’t fix what isn’t broken, aye?”
“The oceans’ floors are littered with the bones of fools who shot for the stars and missed.”
I froze, staring at God-Splitter. I almost dropped the enormous thing out of shock, but I kept my grip on it.
“That’s… very reassuring,” I mumbled.
‘Procho’s voice, once again through God-Splitter! But why? How? Why now?!’
Commander Scorpion was not having a good day. In fact, it was fair to say that he was having the worst day of his life, even considering the day he failed to take down the rogue Prince and protect his Queen.
No, this day was far worse than the first invasion of Canterlot for one simple reason; it was happening again. There was no excuse of being blindsided. There was no hope of redemption. There was no chance of getting a do-over. This second invasion was an all-in gamble; even the nymphs were brought from the hive structure to the Crystal Caves in preparation for taking over the city. Simply put, if today was a loss, there wouldn’t be enough lings to fend off an Equestrian army, even without their magic.
Commander Scorpion was failing once again. This time, he would be reporting his failure not to Queen Chrysalis, the rightful ruler of the Hive– and not those idiotic upstarts that picture themselves as kings and queens– but instead, he would be reporting directly to Panarthropo herself.
“Pressure left flank!” He ordered.
“Suppressing!” Praetorian Mag called out, sweeping a flame spell across the left half of the room.
“Green team, hit ‘em again!”
Green team was already prepping a concentrated beam to pop the pony’s bubble, but Scorpion’s order let the shield team covering Green team know that they were up to bat.
“Contact!” One of the shielders yelled.
“No shit–” Scorpion began to yell back, but his frustration fell away like he was just thrown off a cliff.
The sudden sinking feeling was due to the reason why there was a need to call out contact despite being knee-deep in a firefight already; Prince Phasma ‘The Comet’ had come to play. The giant royal in green armor flew right out of the pony’s hammered flank, flying over the flames licking at his boots, and was gunning straight for Green team’s position.
The changelings had seen Prince Phasma lead the charge, and watched helplessly as he waded straight through all attempts to take him down, and later delay him. The armor was without a doubt made of Adamantium; the way he took countless spells without so much as breaking pace made even Scorpion hesitant to fight him.
Without a doubt, he was still Panarthropo’s chosen Champion on Equus. The fact that the ponies had brainwashed him and somehow equipped him with twice as much Adamantium as he left the Badlands with was… catastrophic. Anything more descriptive for the demigod of war did not do him justice.
Scorpion shuddered involuntarily at the idea of the prince actually getting years of training to fight. Coupled with God-Splitter and that brand new armor, he would probably be able to take on all the alicorns and royals at the same time.
But such a hypothetical would have to wait for the end of the war, should Scorpion even be alive to witness it. And that was looking like a decreasingly likely possibility. The Prince had just burst forward from the enemy lines, and was barreling right towards Green team. Three ponies trailed behind him, doggedly pushing through the flames using a shield to keep the fire at bay.
The Praetorians holding up the shield dropped it, expecting the infamous Adamantium hammer to accompany Prince Phasma’s solo charge against them. The fact that he was covered in the green colored metal facilitated this assumption.
But it was an incorrect assumption.
Directly opposite of Prince Phasma, across the entire pony formation, God-Splitter burst forth from their ranks, thrown towards the right flank. Galloping right behind the hammer was Captain Shining Armor of the Royal Guards, as well as Princess Cadence. God-Splitter cut through the left flank instantly, forcing changelings to throw themselves out of its path.
Suddenly, both flanks were now compromised. Scorpion didn’t have any reinforcements to send to either flank. There were no other established fallback points– there simply wasn’t enough time to come up with any effective ones.
“For the Hive Eternal!” Scorpion bellowed, and charged the Prince.
If he was going to die, he was going to try to take the Fourth Hive’s biggest threat down with him. Queen Chrysalis could take care of the ponies blindfolded.
He started off with a burst of air sharpened to an edge. The crescent-shaped projectile sliced through the air, whistling as it arced towards Prince Phasma. The Prince raised a hoof and simply batted the spell away, his shield pulsing into existence around him.
‘Maybe I can hurt the puppet enough to disable his blasted defenses. If I can accomplish that, I’ll die proud.’
Scorpion kept on the move, darting in and out of the Prince's range. He stayed as close as possible for as long as possible, negating the Prince's hammer. It was an obvious strategy, but a difficult one to pull off for very long.
While dodging spells and swings, Scorpion tested the Adamantium armor. Elemental spells broke against it harmlessly. Pure energy spells, such as a focused will laser, seemed to put quite a lot of pressure on the shield, but failed to break it. There had to be a weakness, there just had to.
Not even twenty seconds into the fight, the pony Captain joined in the duel. Scorpion had to practically hug the Prince to avoid many of the Captain's blasts, and he constantly worked to keep the Prince in between him and the unicorn.
Scorpion was beginning to run ragged; surviving against two opponents all alone was quickly taking its toll on him. The Praetorians had all but collapsed, with the last stragglers doing what they could to keep the rest of the Equestrian and traitor army at bay for as long as possible.
Running out of ideas, Scorpion's last gambit was an energy spell. Unlike focused will, which was directed magical energy, he chose a spell that shot a large, thick bolt of pure lightning. Putting as much of his love reserves as possible behind the spell, Commander Scorpion got as close as he could to the Prince, pressed his horn against the armor protecting the royals right flank, and let go of the spell.
Blinking away white light, Scorpion realized that he was on the ground. And also halfway across the room. Prince Phasma was in a similar situation, blinking away stars at the end of a groove cut right through the marble floor.
The Adamantium armor was smoking, and a large black scorch mark was present on the Prince's right hind leg and armor.
'What… I … did it? Wait, which was it? My proximity or the electricity? Which was his weakness?!'
Gasping and struggling around, Scorpion failed to get up to his hooves. Too much of him hurt. He had no energy left. There was nothing to do except pass on a message.
He scanned the room. The ponies were reorganizing themselves, with the Captain and Princess heading for Prince Phasma directly, with three more ponies right on their heels.
'There!'
By one of the side corridors' entrances stood a changeling, watching the battle with a stunned look. Scorpion recognized the ling as an Infiltrator seconded to the Praetorians for the invasion.
"El-" Scorpion broke off into an ugly-sounding cough, spitting some blood out. "Electricity! And being close! Go, tell the Queen!" He coughed again and began to feel that something was horribly wrong in his chest.
The drone looked around, then settled his gaze on Scorpion.
"Go, Tarsus! Deliver the message!"
"T-Tarsus?" Prince Phasma gasped. "No! Someone, anyone, stop that drone!"
Captain Shining Armor changed his course. Instead of rushing to the Prince. He veered off and bounded towards the messenger.
Scorpion laughed. It was a painful, bloody experience.
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Emblem Heroes.
In Norse mythology, Surtr (/ˈsɜːrtər/; Old Norse: [ˈsurtz̠]; "black"[1] "the swarthy one",[2] Surtur in modern Icelandic), also written Surt in English,[3] is a jötunn. Surtr is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. In both sources, Surtr is foretold as being a major figure during the events of Ragnarök; carrying his bright sword, he will go to battle against the Æsir, he will battle the major god Freyr, and afterward the flames that he brings forth will engulf the Earth.
In a book from the Prose Edda additional information is given about Surtr, including that he is stationed guarding the frontier of the fiery realm Múspell, that he will lead "Múspell's sons" to Ragnarök, and that he will defeat Freyr. Surtr has been the subject of place names and artistic depictions, and scholars have proposed theories regarding elements of Surtr's descriptions and his potential origins.
Oh no a weakness on the edge
That's a heavy chapter, I Love it. Now I wait for the scene where power of friendship and overwhelming magical missile barrage make Chrysalis fall of her throne
Tarsus, damn traitor…
All of this could have been avoided if that damn lunatic Chrysalis didn't burry her last two braincells somewhere in badlands.
I really hope she suffers at the end. She doesn't deserve anything less.
the irony on chrisalis claiming phas is brainwashed is almost enough to make my neck break from rolling my eyes. Also why am i suddenly suspisios of how Adamantium is made?
Someone remind me who Tarsus is
11182954
He's the one who told Chrysalis about Phasma's rebellion during the invasion of Canterlot.
11182954
A member of the "First Fang," they first met in the Infiltrator class during the start of the story. However, Tarsus was the only one to actually be accepted into the Infiltrator program, and went off to study as an apprentice while the rest of the gang hung around the hive and started plotting against Chrysalis.
When the coup against Chrysalis was about to kick off, its existence was revealed to Tarsus, who immediately went to Chrysalis to warn her. That triggered the ambush that killed Praetorian Weevil and eventually Oestridae, another member of the First Fang.
Should it not be "drone after drone"?
tarsus again
what an epic battle
Oh fuck. He's going to indirectly kill someone again. Place your bets folks, who's going to bite it this time?
11182934
How do you keep beating people to the comment section
move
Literally a bloody hell... Have their creators mercy on them all...
Exception Chrysalis, fuck that bitch...
11182973
Considering Shining is the one chasing after him I would say there is a chance the Wedding gets called off.
Tarsus is about to have a very, very bad day.
11182995
Luck
Tarsus?! You fucking Judas! Phasma, get that son of a bitch!
11182949
As much as I'd be on board for her suffering, I'd feel it would be better if she were finished off with barely a glance in her direction.
"Send the message" that he cares so little for her that dealing with her isn't even worth the time or energy. Perhaps stomp her skull in halfway through her monologue.
11182973
Well, Shining's the one going after him, so either Shining's going to bite it, or he gets to be the awesome Captain of the Guard with a big damn hero moment for a change.
Justice is long overdue, Tarsus. Suffer not the traitor to live!
c.tenor.com/0engAwwUVF4AAAAC/more-kylo-ren.gif
11182949
I hope King phasma leaves her alive, not even giving her the time of day to kill her, as he moves on to the "real" threat
I can think of No Greater insult to a proud changeling Royal then to be knocked down with such overwhelming Force, so much so that she will never rise again, and to be cast aside and ignored
11181976
If her own son, in great health, finding the solution to her species starvation problem is not enough then she may be too stubborn
11181204
That's right! K.K.K. Slider did not address this, did he? Chrysalis can just take God-splitter away from him.
Someone get that bug, no matter what, GET THAT BUG!!!
You know I for quite some time suspected that Total War series gave you some assistance in speeches, but then this:
Made me laugh and feel so much nostalgia)
THE DAY IS OUUUURRRRS!
Lol completely forgot about Tarsussy
I am quivering with anticipation! What's gonna happen next!?
Hey KK? With all this mention of chaos and y'know, havoc, this wouldn't lead to a certain lord of chaos escape of his statue confines would it? I mean that was how he got out in the first place so maybe a war is enough to get him out?
Isn't that supposed to be "being"?
11183114
In chapter 53 Chrysalis couldn't use God Splitter after Phasma ran away.
There was no reason given, but my personal opinion is the hammer didn't like its owners mother anymore.
11183128
Tarmogus, if you will.
I can imagine Phasma entering a War Form for this. Quoting from A Penny For Your Thought...
11183313
Huh... I read that as it was too stuck to be moved at that time. The way you read it makes it sound like the hammer is sentient
Son of a bitch!
Princess Procho isn't gone, she's inside God-Splitter!
In nearly every event Phasma hears her God-Splitter is mentioned being nearby. When he does his final fling of the hammer at Chrysalis the hammer glows purple (Procho's colour) and then Chrysalis can't handle the hammer anymore.
And now God Splitter itself is quoting her.
You better not have some bullshit reason to take celestia, luna, shining armor, and cadance out of the fight. I bet you had chrysalis melt her throne down to make some sort of bullshit magic restraining device. Please dont. Just have the fight be quick and have celestia and luna be elsewhere. Maybe they find each other and go down to the caves to find chrysalis only to find the nymphs or something. Please! The whole damsels in distress is absurdly overdone.
Awesome chapter!
11183245
Why did I read this in Discord's voice?
11183245
Not in this story, he didn't.
11183422
Oh I meant more like chaos letting him escape in the cannon show but I see what you mean. Thanks for the reply but I didn't see you dismiss the idea of Discord escaping
Tarsus needs to get GOT, the traitor
11182958
Thank you.
Funny seeing Sauron in changeling form.
Really? Superman? That's not the guy flying around with a hammer... I know what you were going for and it's possible that Phasma left earth before the MCU, so Thor wouldn't be in the forefront of his mind but it still feels like the wrong superhero to compare him to.
Still love the story. It got me on edge with wondering what happened to Luna and how Phasma will react once he learns about whatever happened to her.
11182949
Chrysalis is a typical narcissistic tyrant: her real motivation is clinging on to power at any cost. She would probably let her entire hive die with her than admit she might be wrong.
11183667
I'd say you can ditch the 'probably' there. Just look at what happened in the show when her hive found an objectively better way to live (no near-permanent starvation, no more need to kidnap other species, complete self-sustainability that outclasses even the Fifth Hive's new methods) she outright rejected the new way simply because it wasn't her way, a way where she and only she held absolute power.
Ah, the Traitor appears. I wonder what part he will play in the events to come; the old role or a new one.
Only with time will we see.
-------
11183397
If true, what Irony it is.
How mind-breaking would it be for Chrysalis, whom has been trying to resurrect her favored daughter, to find out that Procho has been helping Phasma...
-and not her.
well this is war, and war is just a matter of who has the best weapons and the most people.