Mechaniquus

by DougtheLoremaster

Chapter 35: Image Snapshot-Part Three

Celestia looked over to Shining Armor.

“You were in on this too, Shining?”

Taking a deep breath, Shining Armor nodded solemnly, as he looked the Celestial Alicorn in the eyes.

“I was, Princess.”

His eyes darted to where Twilight sat.

“And Twily?”

She locked eyes with him.

“What is it, BBBFF?”

Shining looked down for a moment before smiling soberingly.

“I hope you’ll forgive me…for what you’re about to see.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide with surprise.

“What do you mean?”

Shining Armor didn’t reply, instead, he turned to gesture towards Discord.

“Can you broadcast my memories like you did yours?”

“Shining, what are you talking about?”

Twilight’s shout was heard throughout the room as Discord matched eyes with the stallion.

“Are you sure you want this?”

“Shining!”

Shining Armor swallowed hard before his gaze hardened in determination.

“I owe her that much. Do it.”

Discord shrugged and held up his gryphon claw; the resounding snap of his talons drowning out Twilight’s attempts to get her brother to answer her. In the corner of the room, Flurry Heart continued to watch the display with great interest as an image shimmered to life in front of the table, and the room fell silent once more.

Shining Armor materialized before the onlookers, dressed in full Celestation Armor, so named for the way Celestia’s own solar magic was forged into it; granting it protection from any magical assault. The armor itself was thick plating forged from a nearly impervious metal whose origins had been lost, but was discovered over 970 years prior and rumored to have been named after its mysterious discoverer; Lunarium.

The room in which he stood was constructed of wooden framing, though the walls and floors were stone chunks cobbled together in a pattern. A troubled look was written across his features as he watched the courtyard, filled with recruits training, through a one-way window. His mood was dark as he stood, lost in thought.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by the shout at the doorway.

“Captain, sir, that recruit you wanted to see has arrived.”

Shining sighed, and glancing at the spear by his hoof, took a deep breath.

“Send her in.”

As the mare calmly walked in, he watched her stop and snap to attention. Her hoof rose in a salute as she greeted her commanding officer.

“Sir, you requested to see me, Sir!”

He looked her over. A brown-furred hide, Unicorn with teal eyes. Her mane was a flowing auburn, same as her tail. Her cutiemark though unique; depicting a soldier’s insignia, was not particularly out of place. From her hooves to her mane, nothing was odd or out of the ordinary. Could he have been wrong?

Shining Armor gestured with his hoof.

“At ease, cadet.”

Instantly, her salute dropped and almost as if it was second nature, the mare stood in a casual manner; her hooves exactly directly beneath her shoulders and thighs, not a hint of slouching and maintaining direct eye contact. A picture of a perfect soldier’s disciple.

Shining Armor spoke, attempting to keep his suspicions out of his voice, for the time being.

“What is your name, cadet?”

“Chrysalis, sir.”

The mare’s voice was direct and swift. Shining detected no form of tremble of hesitation, he continued, picking up a sheet from his desk with his levitation magic. Reading it out loud, he could barely keep the intrigue out of his voice.

“Nothing but kind words from the instructors; no arguments, does what needs to be done. You’ve even managed to de-escalate confrontations on the spot. Quite impressive, Miss Chrysalis.”

“Thank you, sir. I do my best, for Princess and Country.”

Shining nodded, taking note of the motto of Equestria’s Royal Military. Perhaps this was just an eager recruit, maybe he really was wrong. If that was the case, fine. But he had to know for sure.

“You said your name is Chrysalis?”

“Sir, yes, Sir.”

“Chrysalis, your moxie is unprecedented. I wish half my recruits had your disciple. But there’s one problem.”

“Sir?”

Shining lay down the papers on his desk, using his magic to levitate the spear next to it, to point it directly at the mare.

“We have no recruits registered under the name of Chrysalis. Who are you, really?”

The mare sighed, and her horn glowed a bright green, her body slowly changing and contorting as she replied to Shining Armor.

“The elements of despair, cruelty, selfishness, betrayal, and false witness. I am the embodiment of Disharmony, itself-”

Rising to her full height, Chrysalis’s gossamer silken mane shone bright teal, as did her tail, her black exoskeleton fully revealed. The wings on her back resembled spun star spider silk webbing in appearance, and her eyes glowed a bright, envious green as she gave a flourishing bow with a hoof.

“I am the Queen of the Changelings, at your service.”

Though she made no further movements, Shining shouted.

“A Changeling. How dare you show yourself here!”

Chrysalis frowned momentarily, noticing the spear in front of her. She spoke, her voice one of disinterest.

“Tell me, Captain. Do you fear death?”

Shining Armor glared at her. The Royal soldiers of Celestia were trained to fear nothing. Just what did this creature think she was saying? Was she insinuating he should fear her?

“Of course not!”

Chrysalis smirked and using her magic, easily wrenched the spear from his grip before sending it crashing it through her throat; an audible crunching of her exoskeleton was heard as it penetrated her, before tearing out the back with a sickening crack.

Shining Armor stared horrified at her as she slowly pulled the spear out through the hole it had made. She spoke softly, in an almost lamentful tone.

“Neither do I.”

The spear clattered to the stone floor as the wounds in her exoskeleton slowly came together, filling in the gaping hole as though it had never happened.

Your move, Captain.”

Shining just stood there in disbelief, as Chrysalis calmly sat on her haunches, keeping perfect eye contact.

“And for the record, Captain, I didn’t lie, you know.”

She laughed; a mixture of wickedness, smugness and just a hint of an undertone of hope.

“My name really is Chrysalis.”

“Captain, we heard a commotion, is everything okay in there?”

Shining turned towards the doorway to see Princess Celestia standing there, looking concerned. Swiftly, he turned back to Chrysalis, only to see an unassuming mare sitting there where the Changeling Queen had been sitting, looking at him innocently.

This was his chance, all he had to do was tell the Celestial Princess and she would easily deal with the Changeling menace. Still, something was bothering him. This Chrysalis, this Queen Changeling, hadn’t made a single aggressive move. She hadn’t attacked him, she had even come across as patient; though her attitude would beg to differ. What if…What if he could trust her? Would hearing her out be so bad?

Shining glanced at Celestia.

“Yes, your majesty. I just knocked over my spear by accident while talking to this cadet.”

Seemingly noticing the mare for the first time, Princess Celestia looked her over for a moment before smiling brightly.

“Oh, you’re that cadet that has the Drill Sergeant in high spirits.”

Giving a humble bow, Chrysalis spoke with utmost respect in reply.

“For Princess and Country, your Majesty.”

Looking over at Shining, who was stunned by the display, Celestia nodded.

“We need more like her. Especially if we are to put an end to this thankless war.”

Suddenly a shout from behind Celestia was heard.

“Your Majesty! The Dragons have teamed up with the Yaks and Griffons, and are attacking the northern front! Our troops are being overwhelmed.”

Celestia’s eyes became as cold as ice, and nearly twice as hard.

“Rally the troops, Captain. We fight at dawn.”

With that she left in a small explosion of teleportation magic. Shining Armor turned to look at Chrysalis, who had conjured a medical satchel and was busy checking its contents.

“Can I trust you?”

Chrysalis looked up from her supplies and gave a sweet smile, saying simply.

“No.”

Before he could respond however, she placed a brown hoof under her chin thoughtfully; musing out loud.

“Then again, I probably wouldn’t trust me either.”

Again she turned her attention to her medical supplies, muttering to herself.

“Gonna need aloe for this one.”

Shining Armor just stared at her. Chrysalis had done nothing but be upfront with him, even if her attitude said otherwise. What kind of Embodiment of Disharmony would possibly tell the truth like that? What was it she wanted, what exactly was her plan?

He watched in silence for a moment as she conjured aloe leaves only to magically wring the sap from within, mix it with an unidentifiable compound and place the mixture in several tubes, before sliding them in her bag.

Time would tell.

Suddenly the scene before the watchers shifted. A large meadowed plain; a massive battlefield littered with the corpses of Ponies and Dragons. Fires burned out of control as Griffons rained hell from above, while Yaks engaged in hoof to hoof combat with a squad of Earthponies. The sky had become entirely obscured by blacked smoke, while all around screams of rage, panic and fear echoed from both sides.

Chrysalis in her mare form stood silently amidst the chaos scanning the landscape, her med pack on her back. Off to the side, Shining Armor issued commands, though keeping Chrysalis visible in the corner of his eyes.

“Alright, Alpha, take the right side, see if you can provide support against the Yaks. Bravo Company, you take out those griffons. Charlie- Chrysalis! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Chrysalis’s eyes had widened for a second, before she had taken off, like a batpony out of Tartarus, calling back as she did so.

“Sorry Captain, I told you not to trust me!”

With that she rushed off, racing towards a particularly loud explosion in the distance. Shining Armor swore at the top of his lungs.

“Damn it! All of you get to your positions. Now!”

With that, he raced after Chrysalis, blasting anything in his way. As a part of a Griffon fell to the earth, shorn in half,Shining galloped past. As the second part of the hapless foe slammed into the ground, spilling forth a pool of crimson, Shining paid it no mind.

“You are going to get yourself killed, you reckless mare!”

Finally he arrived at the spot where Chrysalis sat, quietly watching something. Shining Armor’s eyes grew as wide as dinner plates with shock. Princess Celestia stood on her hind hooves, gritting her teeth in fury; forehooves locked in the massive claws of the Dragonlord, Torch.

While dragonhide was notorious for being impervious to magic, none had ever seen this side of the Alicorn of the Sun. Her muscles rippled with raw sinew as she held her own; neither intimidated nor backing down from her foe. Her hooves dug into the earth as she strained against the sheer might of the Dragonlord.

Torch was massive, even as Dragons go; his strength was the stuff of nightmares. His claws were said to easily pierce solid diamonds, as easily as a knife cutting butter. Yet, the look on his face was anything but confident as he stood in a standoff with the Princess.

“Hello, Captain. Have a seat, it won’t be long.”

Shining stared at her in disbelief.

“What are you talking about? What do you kno-”

No sooner had the words left his mouth, Celestia’s hind hooves started to slide back as Torch exerted all his might. It was over in an instant, Celestia’s left hind hoof slipped out from under her and Torch seized the moment of weakness. With a sickening squelching sound, his claws came down; eviscerating the prone princess. Laying there, with her ribcage and innards fully exposed through the gouges left by the massive claws, Celestia didn’t notice.

Shining screamed in rage. The Princess, the immortal ruler of the sun, had fallen; Celestia was dead. Hearing the cry of outrage, Torch turned his attention to Shining Armor and Chrysalis, exhaling a boulder-melting plume of fire at the two.

Throwing up a magical shield for protection, Shining surrounded the two, however, Chrysalis had different plans. Racing through the protecting barrier of blue magic, Chrysalis boldly ran straight through the intense flames towards the fallen Princess.

Breathing hard from the insane amount of regeneration her pony form had undergone from the fire, Chrysalis arrived at Celestia’s side. She ran a hoof across the dead Alicorn, an expression of pure hatred on her face as she spoke to the corpse.

“I can’t begin to tell you how much I loathe you, Celestia. Even now, every fiber of my being is telling me to let you perish here, to be done with your sanctimonious ideals of peace and harmony.”

She paused as tears filled her eyes and began to steadily fall to the ground below.

“You’ve been nothing but a thorn in my side, and I should just leave you here, not my problem, right? I finally won. Right?”

Chrysalis sighed, the tears now cascading down her hate-filled face as she slowly powered up her magic.

“That may be what the Element of Disharmony wants. But that’s not what I want. That’s not what I, Queen Chrysalis, want.”

Shining Armor watched from behind his shield as Chrysalis's Unicorn horn glowed a bright acidic green with magic. Chrysalis’s face was nothing but contempt as a ball of glowing gold appeared above the downed Princess’s body. She spoke with malice, though her words told a different tale.

“You can’t fall here, Celestia; your sister’s brat still needs you. Miss Sparkle has already lost her mother, and I’ll be damned to Tartarus if she’ll lose you, too. Now, rise, and finish this fight. I call upon you, Princess Celestia!”

An explosion of magic issued forth from Chrysalis’s horn covering Celestia still form; slowly filling in the wounds as it crept over her body. Shining watched in utter shock as Celestia’s body healed completely, and the golden orb floated down into the Alicorn’s barrel.

Torch’s jaw dropped as Celestia’s eyes snapped open and she rose to her hooves, as though nothing had even happened. Once more, without a word, she locked her hooves in Torch’s claws and began straining like before; locking eyes with his own. But something was off.

Torch’s feet began to slide as he strained with all his strength, staring into Celestia’s normally amethyst eyes. Her eyes weren’t though, they had become pitch-black with barely pinpricks of light for pupils, unblinking and mocking his very being. Her mouth had turned into a cruel, cocky smile, sprouting fangs where her teeth should have been; sharpened and vicious.

That mane of the purity of the Aurora, stopped flowing gently, and instead began to crackle; the multi-hued mane seemingly catching fire. Bursting into an uncontrolled blaze, her mane and tail sizzling with burning intensity.

“What’s wrong, Dragonlord-”

Celestia threw back her head and cackled with malice, as the flames in her mane and tail began to criss-cross her body.

“Where is that Draconic bravado?”

Her flames grew more intense as she lifted up the 50-meter tall Dragon off the ground with her bare hooves. With a final shove, Celestia heaved the massive reptile to land in a stunned, prone position; sprawled out on his back, for all to see.

“Surely you aren’t struggling against this little pony?”

Celestia pulled her wings close to her body, the flames growing denser as she tensed her wing muscles. Her cackling turned into maniacal, shrieking laughter, as Chrysalis turned and ran towards Shining Armor yelling loudly.

“Get down! Now!”

Shining Armor was too stunned to move, not only was Celestia not dead and now she was seemingly stronger than before; on fire as well. He watched, paralyzed by shock, as Chrysalis ran full throttle towards him yelling frantically.

“Damn it, Captain, I said get down!”

A moment later Chrysalis tackled Shining to the ground, her horn glowing bright green as she lay on top of the prone stallion. Grumbling in frustration as she cast a spell, a layer of her magic surrounded them, just as Celestia unfurled her wings; a massive firestorm exploding out in every direction from the corrupted Alicorn.

The grassy meadow they had been in, was reduced to ashes by flames well over a hundred times that of molten lava; the ground splitting from the sheer heat. There was no time to scream; all caught in the blast were reduced to nothing. No bones, not even the Celestation Armor remained in sight.

Chrysalis pressed Shining Armor to her barrel, screaming in pain as the waves of solar flames started to break through the green shield she had put up. Shining suddenly grasped what was going on and he swiftly cast his own shield spell; one that was considered by many to be nigh indestructible. And still the storm of solar magic continued to explode across the now desolate plateau; boiling lava now emerging from beneath the cracking earth, spilling forth in a river of molten rock.

Giving a begrudgingly thankful smile, Chrysalis clutched Shining Armor tightly; making sure her exoskeleton, even in mare form, completely blocked the intense heat from reaching him. Together the two weathered the true, unbridled power of the Princess of the Sun. Rocks melted, all around them, and still they clung together beneath the magical shield as Ponies, Griffons, Yaks and even the lesser Dragons perished in the fiery nova.

Celestia stared at Torch, as he cowered behind his thick scaly arms, the Dragonlord desperately trying to shield his face from the flesh-melting heat; his scales blackened and seared. The inky black of her eyes slowly began receding, as though an inkwell was draining; slowly revealing the white corneas and amethyst irises of the Princess. She spoke in a haughty, cold voice.

“Remove yourself from this war, Torch.”

The flames all around the entire, now-lifeless, once-lush meadow, slowly pulled back like the waves of the ocean, back towards the princess; absorbing into her flesh on contact as she cackled coldly.

“Or next time-”

The eyes of the Princess had only a trace of inky blackness left, the flames of her mane and tail had begun to die down as the last of the fire on the battlefield flowed into her body. Her fangs had vanished and slowly she folded her wings; the colors of the Aurora resurfacing on her mane and tail as she spat with venom at the speechless Dragonlord.

“I won’t be as merciful.”

And with that, Princess Celestia was once again the pristine picture of regality; the light of mercy and kindness reappearing in her shining amethyst irises. She looked around at the devastation she had wrought, holding her head with her hoof in pain and confusion.

“Urgh my head, what happened?”

Celestia appeared dazed, as though she had just woken up from a horrible nightmare. Meanwhile Shining watched as Chrysalis raced to her side, feeding her a lie about how Shining Armor had watched her fall unconscious; unleashing a tremendous magic in her defense, his rage putting an end to the fight in one swift go.

Before he knew it, Celestia was awarding him with a medal of valor, with Chrysalis, Shining Armor, Torch, and Celestia being the only survivors of that bloody battle that Celestia could barely remember.

Shining glanced at Chrysalis as the medal was placed on him, and thought about how she had secretly convinced Torch to surrender. Her expression had never changed, but the Dragonlord’s face had been the pin-up of panic, twisted and forming a look of absolute terror, while he frantically begged Celestia to accept his surrender; after just five seconds of her whispers.

The scene faded, revealing Luna and Twilight, staring in disbelief at Celestia; the Alicorn’s eyes dilated in shock, rendered completely slack-jawed by what she had just witnessed. For once, the Princess of the Sun, considered the most perfect being in existence by nearly every being in Equestria, including her sister in secret, was at a loss for words.

At once, the silence was broken around the table, with loud commotions breaking out amongst the onlookers, while Celestia sat in broken, shocked silence. Celestia died? Is that really how the Dragonlands came to be? How could this be? Cadance, unlike the others, stayed oddly calm and quiet, while Luna slammed her hooves on the table, breaking a chunk off of it; which Starlight instinctually repaired immediately with her magic before anypony aside Twilight took notice. Twilight gave her a grateful smile, while Luna pointed and accusatory hoof at Discord, shouting in rage.

“This is blasphemy. You lie!”

Discord’s eyes narrowed, forcing the Alicorn to cower beneath his gaze. He spoke, but his voice wasn’t cordial or good-natured like usual. Instead, it was harsh, and for once extremely serious.

“I have changed nothing. What you have seen is Shining Armor’s own memories.”

Cadence, who had remained quiet, shouted above the din, causing the Crystal Castle they were in to tremble and quake.

“All of you, cease!”

The room fell silent, while Princess Cadance stood up and approached her husband, her voice soft and tender.

“Thank you honey, you’ve honored her memory. But I think you’ve shown enough. Let me take it from here.”

The Princess of Love watched Shining Armor take his seat after a gentle kiss on the cheek, before turning to Discord. She said just two words in the softest of tones, but the weight of those words were felt by all present. Cadance’s eyes burned in pain, with tears threatening to fall at any moment as she did so.

“My turn.”

Comments

[Cyana Flame]

ding dong the witch was, then alive again~