The War of the Mark

by Wise Cracker

The Queen's Gambit

Chancellor Neighsay’s day had started as most did: with a good breakfast of various oats and fruits, as prescribed by the Equestrian Surgeon General, and a host of appointments and meetings with varying degrees of formality. His early morning schedule had been cleared beyond that, and as such he was available for a quick talk, in theory.

In practice, unfortunately, his ten o’ clock was replaced by needing to check up on one of his associates, who had apparently been neglecting their duties.

The Museum of Natural and Magical History was open to the public today, so there was no real need for anypony to be at the reception beyond mere ceremony. Still, as the Chancellor led his company into the building, he wondered why there wasn’t anyone there to greet them. He had the authority to let himself in, of course, and paid close attention to anything out of the ordinary, on the off chance the curator had had an accident with his magic again. The museum curator was a bit of an eccentric, but even by Bullet Time’s standards, Neighsay thought the skid marks on the floor here and there were a bit much.

The ponies he was with didn’t pay it any heed. Two colts walked ahead, leaving the pair of stallions to talk.

The blue Pegasus, Doldrum, had come to Neighsay’s attention a few times, usually in relation to some disciplinary measure that hung over the boy after yet another display of unnecessary (and, as was always claimed, entirely unprovoked) violence. The colt’s musculature was highly defined for his age, something Neighsay attributed to an obvious talent in absorbing positive words and imagery, a perfect skill for a wizard, mostly wasted on a Pegasus unless they decided to take up the craft of artifact magic. With some input from the EEA, that’s exactly what the colt had done, and done well, by all accounts. All it had really required was a few nudges in the right direction, and young Doldrum was now quite accomplished in his craft, by any standard. While Neighsay still felt that this case should have stayed at the lower levels of authority, he felt some pride knowing the Equestrian education system, with Neighsay as its head, allowed such fine specimens to develop.

He had no hand in developing in the other one, though. A coffee-brown Unicorn colt with a white mane and tail, Live Wire already had the clear cut of a Royal Guard. He, likewise, usually only came to Neighsay’s attention when all other avenues had been exhausted. Where Doldrum’s problem was mostly behavioral, though, Live Wire’s was decidedly more power-related, electric power to be exact. The boy had a talent for the element of electricity, which wasn’t too unusual in and of itself, but Live Wire’s raw power far surpassed the average lightning caster his age, rare though that type was. Whether it was due to talent or some emotional imbalance amplifying his castings, the colt frequently electrocuted those around him.

That is to say, before Fight Camp.

Neighsay had a hunch about his companion’s intentions, but decided against voicing any objections. “I never pegged you for a babysitter, Sunburst.”

“Well, camp counsellor is working out fine enough, I figured I might as well. Besides, I promised, and the boys have been getting better, I thought you’d want to see.”

Neighsay nodded as Doldrum pointed his snout at an Eastern Unicorn painting. Live Wire stood close by, almost bumping into him.

No sparks, no fire hazard, and yet Live Wire didn’t look as tired as he usually did when he kept his lightning down. Doldrum, likewise, seemed much more attentive than Neighsay could remember, even compared to the last time he’d evaluated the boy. Most of the time that boy kept his wings clenched shut against his body, and his ears twitching this way and that with anxiety. None of that was happening now: the wings were out and relaxed, ears pricked only when spoken to, all good signs of proper developmental progress at that age. Clearly the advanced practice was sitting well with him.

“Indeed. Live Wire hasn’t shocked anything yet in his excitement. Last time I saw him, he couldn’t go five minutes without crackling. Doldrum is looking fine, too. You’re doing good work, clearly. But, as to your friend Starlight’s suggestion?”

Sunburst winced. “What do you think? Technically, it is under your authority.”

“You’ve already begun work on the infrastructure?”

“Starlight started building the village a while ago, yes. Completely legally, she got the land for a good price.”

“That region, I’m sure she did. Still, it’s close to a good skiing spot, and there should be a sizable crystal node there. I distinctly recall hearing a geology student report on it. I think her name was Mud.”

“Oh? What did she do? Or what did ponies say about her?”

“Nothing, I mean literally, her name was ‘Mud.’ Can’t recall her last name, though. In any event, you still haven’t told me what you’re planning to do exactly, anyway.”

Neighsay passed by a painting of the Battle for the Pearl. It was askew by about three degrees. He nudged it back in place with his magic. He squinted, and sniffed the air. The scent of burning lingered here, but not the same kind as in the reception hall. This aroma had more of a bitter after-scent, like scorched rubber. The skid marks on the floor were more pronounced here. Looking up, Neighsay noticed little streaks on the walls and ceiling, as well.

What has Bullet Time been up to this time? New acceleration spell, perhaps? Why would he need to hit his brakes so hard?

“That’s just it: we’re not a hundred percent sure of what’s allowed, and we’d rather get everything in place when we know it’ll all get used.” Sunburst snapped him out of that train of thought.

“I suppose I can’t fault you for that. Will you be offering a daily regimen of lectures?”

“We were thinking of more of a workshop kind of thing, for special cases. And maybe get some specific niche wizards involved to help publish some books. Besides that, mostly a spa, some sort of counselling system.”

Neighsay rubbed his goatee as he contemplated the matter. “Yes, I think that can be arranged, we had a project like that a while back in Rainbow Falls. Never quite got off the ground, though.”

“Did the EEA shut it down?”

Neighsay’s ears twitched. He noted that Sunburst asked specifically if the EEA shut it down. Not whether the EEA had to shut it down, or whether the EEA merely wanted to shut it down, just whether the EEA shut it down. “Eventually, yes,” he replied. “It floundered about too much, never accomplished much of anything, no results to speak of. So, what do you expect to get from this… project?”

“Aside from maybe getting a place where the, umm, less accepted Unicorns can hone their craft, well… results like that.” Sunburst waved to Doldrum and Live Wire. “Just a year ago, both of those boys were considered lost causes.”

“Not by me,” Neighsay said with a glare. “No pony is a lost cause. The failure of a teacher, any teacher, is unacceptable.”

Sunburst wisely decided not to press the matter, as his own career in magical academia was well-known to Neighsay.

“Point being, there’s a lot of knowledge that’s at risk of being lost, or unused, because no one’s bothering to preserve it. Pony knowledge, the really old and powerful stuff. When’s the last time you saw a proper master restorator, or any speed mage who’s got more than one trick?”

“The current curator of the museum ticks both those boxes,” Neighsay noted. “But he seems to be missing.”

“Is that why you wanted to meet here? To help look for him?”

“If you don’t mind me multitasking. He missed a meeting today, one of my underlings reported. Perhaps he wore himself out on a large project, or he overslept and over-compensated with a speed spell. Five floors of exhibitions, and this many nooks and crannies to have a bad landing in, I’d rather have a second set of eyes to help find him. The reason may be magical in nature, after all, and that’s something you are more adept in than I am. The children, I could have done without. But you were saying? The master problem?”

“Masters of some arts are in short supply, you have to admit,” Sunburst explained. “Master pyromancers are a dime a dozen in the Royal Guard, but try finding a master-level leaf mage these days, where would you even look? Or how about chaos mages? How many are in Equestria now?”

“Still too many for my taste. Cross-eyed navel-gazing insurrectionists, the lot of them.” Neighsay gagged, nudging another exhibit that had gone crooked. There were more marks on the walls and ceiling here, but these weren’t all skid marks. Some of them looked like scratches, almost. “But that’s beside the point. I assume then that your Fight Camp colleague is also participating in this endeavour?”

Sunburst shrugged. Neighsay’s hunch had proven correct. “It’s right up his alley, and he needed a new place to stay.”

“He always does. Still, I can’t deny his obvious skills.” Neighsay shuddered. “I’ll see about getting the paperwork in order, there’s a special stature for organisations like what you describe. The clerks have a term for it, something Neighponese, because of course the Neighponese would have a word for it. I’m quite sure I know where to find the reports of that Rainbow Falls project, too, you might learn a thing or two from that.”

“Why did it close?”

“I told you: no results. Where do you expect to find enough candidates to participate?”

“Alherda,” Sunburst said bluntly. “I heard the Unicorn foals are filling up the hospital wards. You know, again.”

Neighsay stopped. “Ah. Yes, that answer is… acceptable. We’ve certainly tried to amend that situation, to no avail.”

They entered a great hall, the ‘Ancient Oceans’ exhibit, where a whale skeleton hung from the ceiling. The boys were standing in awe, looking up at the thing.

Neighsay looked left and right. “Still no sign of Bullet Time.” Once more, he sniffed the air.

Strange. No scent at all here.

“Boys?” Neighsay said. “Stay close. Something is amiss here.”

Doldrum’s back hide shivered, and he backed up towards the adults. “Umm, Mister Neighsay, sir? What’s all that on the ceiling?”

Up above, they all saw the marks on the walls. Skid marks, a sure sign of Bullet Time’s movements, but mixed in with other signs, clearer this time: burn marks, scratches, hoofprints.

Live Wire nodded towards a further exhibit. “Umm, there’s a pretty big crack in the floor there, sir.”

Neighsay’s blood froze.

“Can we go now, please?” Doldrum asked, getting closer to the stallions. “I don’t like this. Something’s wrong.”

Good instincts. “Not before I know what’s happened. If Bullet Time was attacked, he may still be here. A stallion of his level doesn’t go down easily.”

There was a ringing in the air, almost. Neighsay barely heard it, Sunburst and Live Wire didn’t seem to notice, but Doldrum outright winced. It wasn’t a physical sound, though, more akin to a wave of energy in the air, something being broadcast.

Bullet Time.

Neighsay recognised the speed spell immediately as the figure charged at them. The blur came from behind the sea creatures exhibit, lunging past a Mosasaur skeleton and brushing aside a model of a jellyfish.

The spell that created the blur involved something most restoration mages knew: manipulation of time perception. By allowing the mind to perceive time as going slower, reaction speed increased, and so doing removed a barrier towards the second part of the spell, which was physical speed enhancement. Neighsay had mastered the former, and so he was quick enough to realise he was being attacked. He had not, however, mastered the latter, so there wasn’t much he could do other than reach up for his amulet and prepare a retaliatory spell, assuming he survived the impact.

With his slowed time perception, he could take in details of the blur. It moved precisely as Bullet Time did during his sparring sessions, the same feline mannerisms to the gait and the little vibration of the ears in time with the breath. This thing was not Bullet Time, though, but a black form with green trailing from its head.

Chrysalis? She doesn’t have super speed, does she? Where would she even learn it? The preliminary training alone would be far beyond her means, not to mention her lack of intelligence.

Neighsay’s body seemed frozen to him. The thing floated slowly towards him, fangs bared. His vision cleared, his right front hoof moved up.

Too slow. How do I survive the impact? Frost Shield? No, too long to cast. Wind Wall? She’s too close for that.

It’s going to have to be a force-field from the amulet, anything else will just fizzle or miss at this speed.

Chrysalis came into focus. She was almost on him.

I’m not going to get a chance. I’ll have to hold her, hope Sunburst can land a hit.

Chrysalis made a face as if she was about to vomit. Something hit her dead in the stomach and sent her flying into a cabinet of nautilus fossils to their left.

Neighsay shook his head. “What just happened?”

“It’s Chrysalis,” Doldrum replied.

“I know that, but… I didn’t even see you move.”

“Ow… clearly not the pony I should have gone for. No matter.” Chrysalis got up, wobbly on her hooves. “That was a fine interception, little boy. It’s been a while since I went up against anyone wearing Arrow Snaring Gloves.”

She screamed. Light washed over her, blue crackles of energy sending spasms through her joints. For ten whole seconds, Live Wire kept up a barrage of electrical energy.

When it passed, she held her head low, and panted for air. “G-gah… you little...”

“Bugzapper?” Live Wire taunted, snorting and pawing at the ground with his hooves, head down to brandish his horn. “Yeah, that’s right. And there’s plenty more where that came from.”

“That was Bullet Time’s spell you just used,” Neighsay said to Chrysalis, making sure to stand between and slightly in front of the boys. “What have you done with him? Speak now.”

Chrysalis idly wiped her frazzled hair out of her face. “Oh, the museum pony? He got here nice and early, gave me plenty of time to… experiment. And then he gave me the gift of time. Like so.”

Neighsay was ready for her this time. His mind had already shifted to be able to track her movements, and casting a shield spell to withstand her barrage of blows was easy enough. She darted around the bubble covering all four of them, brushing past and stomping on the barrier every chance she got. She flitted from ceiling to wall to bubble like a moth, too quick to track or even brace for impact.

He saw it, clear as day: she was copying the motions Bullet Time had made. All the skid marks on the wall and the ceiling, she practically used them as guidelines.

She’s stealing powers, cutie marks, probably. If she can do that… Neighsay grunted. “Boys, you need to get out of here.”

“You’re kidding, right? Doldrum just saved you,” Live Wire said. “And I mean, she stood up to the Ten Seconds of Agony, sure, but maybe the Froggenstone Special will do it?”

“That is precisely why you need to leave. She’s stolen Bullet Time’s magic, she’s using his skills, and if she can do that to him, then she can do it to other ponies, as well. She didn’t dodge you, either of you. We don’t want her to upgrade if we can help it.”

Sunburst nodded. “Bullet Time would have dodged that spell, easily. So she’s not stealing all the power, just enough.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Chrysalis snarled, landing after another swipe. “I am growing stronger, stealing more magic by the second.”

Neighsay gave Live Wire his medallion, before tapping it along the edges. “Take this, it will take you to Ponyville. Keep the medallion safe, and yourselves.”

“But-”

“We are the adults here, we will fight her, and you will do as I say!” Neighsay snapped.

“He’s right, boys,” Sunburst added. “We can’t shield you forever.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes back in her head, then cackled. “No, you can’t.”

Neighsay gasped when he saw Chrysalis summon yellow energy into her hooftips. “Amber?”

She brought it down, and the barrier cracked.

Neighsay let out a grunt, rubbing his horn. “Amber Shard’s shieldbreaker. So she got to her, too.” Neighsay tapped the amulet, and a portal opened inside the fractured shield. “Get to Ponyville, the Elements of Harmony can finish her off if we can’t. You’ll get a medal when you’re done.”

Live Wire needed no further encouragement. He hopped through, and Doldrum followed.

Neighsay sighed in relief once the portal closed. The boys were through, and the two stallions faced Chrysalis alone.

She slammed the shield again, to no effect. “What? Why isn’t it working?”

“That spell has a two minute cooldown,” Sunburst said.

“Please don’t refer to mental refractory periods as a ‘cooldown,’ Sunburst, it is most unbecoming. And not nearly serious enough, given the situation. Still,” Neighsay said, “that does bring to mind an interesting point.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Chrysalis taunted from beyond the barrier. “You just gave away your strongest weapon. Your powers will be mine, and those boys will pay for their insolence.”

“You’re the insolent one here, changeling,” Neighsay said. “I won’t be needing any help against you. As for the boys, it’s a poor sort of teacher that can’t protect their students.”

---

It had been a late night for Bastion, following a trip to Rainbow Falls Animal Park. The train tracks towards Ponyville were currently being checked and fixed, so he and his moms had only gotten home after nightfall. That alone would have been reason enough to enjoy his soft bed a little longer than usual, but the Animal Park itself had certainly contributed, too. The site was too big to see in one day, but Bastion was sure he could do it with enough planning.

That is, eventually. On his first visit he’d flitted from one exhibit to the next, taking in all the natural splendour that didn’t exist near his old Hive. His mind still reeled, and part of him wanted to sleep in until noon. Eventually, he had to get up and get some breakfast. He heard his Unicorn mom at the front door and hopped out of bed, yawning as he shed his pyjamas. He checked his alarm clock: ten in the morning, a lot later than usual, but it was a school holiday, no one was going to say he couldn’t. Bon Bon was setting the table, Bastion came down from his room just as Lyra came in with the croissants.

“Good morning, mom.”

“Good morning, sweetie,” Bon Bon said.

“Good morning. Who wants croissants?”

Lyra set the bag on the table, and Bastion stuck his nose in just enough to get a whiff. His ears flicked, and he turned to Lyra. “They’re a little smooshed. Did Pinkie Pie bump into you again?”

Lyra nodded. “Yup. You know how she is. They’re still good, though, right?”

Bon Bon took one out of the bag before Bastion could and raised an eyebrow. “I’ll be the judge of that, honey. What did Pinkie Pie want this time? Still excited about Spike’s birthday party next week?”

“You know it,” Lyra replied, grabbing a croissant of her own. “She’s got plans.”

Bastion felt a tapping on his hooves under the table. Bon Bon nodded to him. “Bastion, would you mind getting some chocolate sprinkles?”

He hopped out of his seat and went into the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?” Lyra asked.

“Is Pinkie Pie really going to go through with Spike’s birthday party? Next week?”

“I think so, why?”

“Because his birthday isn’t for another three months,” Bon Bon replied coldly. “And after what happened last time, everyone in Ponyville agreed he should have a small celebration for it.” She reached for a kitchen knife. “So either Pinkie Pie has completely lost her marbles, or…”

Bastion came back with the sprinkles held in his magic. “Mom? What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing, sweetie,” Lyra said. “You don’t have to worry. You had a big day yesterday. Why don’t you take another little nap, huh?” Her horn glowed, and music started to play from it.

Bastion blinked as the magic sunk into his head. “W-wha… why…” His body felt heavy, wings drooping of their own accord. “Stop.”

He heard the sound of metal meeting wood, and he tried to focus. There was a rumbling on the floor, and as he clenched his eyes shut, he forced the numbing magic out.

A loud bang brought him back to full awareness. His Unicorn mom was pressed against the far wall. His Earth pony mom was standing on her hind hooves, pointing a crossbow at the green mare.

Bon Bon pressed a lever to load the next arrow. “You’re not the real Lyra. What did you do to her?”

The fake Lyra, meanwhile, was reeling from the impact. Little bits of molten metal were embedded in her head, though the wounds were quickly sealing up, dropping the fragments to the floor. “You little… What was that, a magma bolt? Where were you hiding that? Where did you even get that?”

Bon Bon smirked. “Mark 4 Volcano Arrow with metal shrapnel, that’s right. You’d be surprised what you can get at the Trader’s Fair for some home-made chocolate truffles.”

Lyra peeled herself off the wall and groaned. “Why would anyone trust you with a child? You go right for the face? Not even a warning shot?”

Bastion got behind his mom, and Bon Bon raised her crossbow again, hoof on the trigger. “Your head’s still attached. That was a warning shot. Now what did you do with my wife? How do you know that spell?”

“Little experiment of mine,” Lyra said with an evil grin. “It worked, too, well, partly. It would have worked. But if you wanna do it the hard way, that’s fine, too.”

“I could stun it,” Bastion said. “We can take it to Twilight for extraction, it’s just a drone. It can’t help it.”

Lyra let her head hang. She chuckled, then cackled. The sound filled the room, then it echoed through the house, through the town, it seemed to come from the whole world.

“Oh, no, my sweet, sweet little boy. I’m no mere drone,” Lyra said.

Bastion’s ears fell flat against his head. “No. It can’t be.”

“Suit yourself. Bastion, go.” Bon Bon took aim and fired. Arrow after arrow went into the fake Unicorn: lightning-tipped, smoke-tipped, frost arrow, at least five different ones by Bastion’s count, but still it didn’t do any lasting damage.

Slowly, as Bon Bon unloaded shot after shot, the green fur of the Unicorn faded and burned. It didn’t look like normal shapeshifting, more like some sort of spell that burned away like paper. Bastion went back into the kitchen, retreating past the stove and past the counter. He eyed one tile, then the fake Lyra.

“I am Chrysalis, Queen of Changelings,” said the Queen as she rose to her full height, forced to crouch in the low pony home. “Your little arrows can’t hurt me: my plated hide is as strong as the armour of a naga tank.”

“I know,” Bon Bon said. “I read your file.”

Bastion ducked when he saw her hit a switch in the kitchen. A trapdoor opened behind her, and a spring threw up what looked like a backpack connected to some tubing and a nozzle. Bon Bon worked her shoulders through the straps and tightened the apparatus in one smooth motion, before lowering a pair of goggles over her face.

“Okay, Your Highness, you’ve got one more chance to back out of my house and tell me where Lyra is.”

Chrysalis chuckled. “Is that supposed to scare me? That’s no weapon; that’s a baker’s spray can. What do you think you’re going to do with that? Glaze me?”

Bastion saw his mom let out a feral grin. “If you insist.”

Heat erupted from the nozzle. Red and orange washed over the boy’s vision, even through his closed eyelids. Even from behind, he could feel the burning all over. Bon Bon stepped closer and screwed the tip of the weapon closer to make a more concentrated flame, pushing the Queen through charred walls. Any screams were muffled by the whine of the makeshift flamethrower.

Once Bon Bon was satisfied the Queen was finished, she snorted. “That’ll teach you to barge into my house and threaten my son.”

When it was over, Bastion poked his head out from behind the stove. The living room had been destroyed. The front door and most of the wall around it had been reduced to crumbling ash.

Breakfast was probably mixed in between whatever was left of the chairs and table.

Bastion chuckled, albeit nervously. “You got her. You really got her. H-how? Why do you even have a flamethrower like that?”

“Now you know why I warned you about that switch: it’s got dangerous hardware under there.” Bon Bon patted the thin barrel. “Not a lot of bakers can make Midnight Castle charcoal biscuits, or dragonfruit pyrolysis pies. You need serious kit for that sort of recipe. This baby’s got phoenix down mixed in with the fuel, burns about as hot as the real bird.”

Bastion nodded. “Chrysalis was too big for the house. She couldn’t dodge indoors.”

Bon Bon smiled in response. “And with this thing, that close, you can afford to miss by a little. Are you okay, Bastion? Your ears aren’t ringing? No blurry vision? She didn’t get a spell off?”

He shook his head. “No, she didn’t manage to do anything. I could have blocked that lullaby spell, you know.”

“I know.” Bon Bon stared at the hole in the wall, pensive. “That was Lyra’s, wasn’t it? She copied it somehow?”

“Or she stole it. I’m fine, though, you stopped her before that lullaby spell got me. Are you sure she’s dead?”

Bon Bon cranked on a lever on her side to pump up some extra fuel and took aim. “Let’s make sure, huh?”

As they approached, Bastion saw what remained of the changeling queen. The body was a mass of charred remains, little more than ash in the vague shape of a corpse. Still, little bits of hide and the hard horn remained intact. She’d clearly taken the brunt of that assault, no ducking or dodging there.

“This is too easy,” Bon Bon said, keeping the barrel pointed at the thing. “It’s a decoy, has to be.”

“No,” Bastion replied. “That can’t be: drones don’t get magic like this, that was too advanced. Drones can’t steal magic like mom’s lullaby spell, and that was mom’s, I know it was. There’s no way that was a drone. Besides, if she wanted to get me, she’d probably do it herself, too.”

“Well, then we’re all set, aren’t we? We just have to call the Royal Guard, get them to clean up, find Lyra, and we can get on with our lives. No more worrying about her, huh?”

Bastion looked around. Now that they were out in the streets, he started to notice the silence. Berry Punch from across the street, Mister Goose Down from next door, the Chopping Block family, no one was out. The whole street was abandoned.

“Mom? You just burned a hole through our house.”

“We can get it fixed, no problem.” She patted him on the back.

“I don’t mean that, mom. You did all that damage, but look.” He gestured around. “There’s no one in the streets. Not a single pony.”

A hissing sound started to fill the air. Bon Bon kept her weapon aimed at the charred corpse as she retreated back into the house with her son.

Green smoke began to rise from near Sugarcube Corner.

“Okay, so she brought reinforcements,” Bon Bon said. “That’s no problem. The drones won’t do that much without their Queen, right? If they can’t think for themselves.”

“Not exactly,” Bastion said. “They can adapt, but they can’t think.”

“It’s not a problem,” Bon Bon repeated.

The light seemed to be pulled away from the sky, into one place. A rainbow formed near the library, and they could hear the sounds of sparkling magic being brought to bear.

“See? They’re already firing the Elements of Harmony. Nothing to worry about.” Bon Bon smiled.

He felt it, though. She was shaking.

“Mom? If Chrysalis is dead, what are they firing the Elements at?”

The rainbow died down, and silence fell over Ponyville once more.

Then came the laughter. A sadistic, evil cackling broke the silence. The Queen’s voice was everywhere. “Flee, ponies! Flee for your lives! The Queen has come to take you all!”

“That’s impossible,” Bastion said. “That sounded like five of her, at least.”

“Making a lot of decoys, then,” Bon Bon said.

“No, mom, you don’t understand. Decoys can’t do this kind of thing. This is her, this is really her.”

More bangs came their way, the rattling of battle, of panicked ponies trying to put up a fight. The rainbow near the library fired again, and again, and again. “They’re firing the Elements of Harmony. And the battle’s still going. She has to be using drones, but she can’t be, so that has to be her. But there can’t be more of her.” Bastion’s body shook. “I-I… s-she can’t be...”

Bon Bon put a hoof on his shoulder and leaned down, looking him in the eyes. “Bastion, listen to me. It doesn’t matter what she’s doing: she came after you. That means you need to get to safety. You know what to do, right?”

He gulped, then nodded. “Get to the grown-ups. Let them fight.”

The rainbow near the library was subsumed by a green glow.

Bon Bon stood up and looked on at the glow. In the distance, ponies were shouting: Weather Patrol, whatever Royal Guard presence was active in Ponyville. “Whatever she’s doing, she’s got Ponyville covered. Don’t head to the library, get to Canterlot.”

Again, he nodded. “Get the Royal Guard, get to the Palace. She’ll never get me there. What about you?”

“If she’s got this many decoys, or clones, or whatever she’s got, I’m gonna need every shot I can get. And I’d slow you down. I can kill whatever she’s using with this stuff, you just need to make sure you’re not caught. Go, get to the train station, head to Canterlot, hide. Don’t worry about me. You just be a good boy and be safe, alright?”

“Alright.” He kissed her on the cheek, cast a cloaking spell to go invisible, and dashed off, jaw clenched while she went back inside for more ammunition from her special order pantry.

He cleared the first street corner easily enough, with no sign of any enemies or even any pony in the streets. The second corner, he felt eyes on him. He felt the cold shadow before he heard the voice. “Cloaking spell, Bastion? Really? You’ve been busy while you were away.” The shadow of the Queen up above kept him in the dark. “But so have I. I wonder, did you know your mother had a sonar spell? It’s not perfect, but then neither is your cloak, is it?”

He tried to pick up his speed, but quickly thought the better of it. One green energy shot from Chrysalis impacted on his right, a second one nearly nailed him on his left flank. The dirt roads of Ponyville turned on him: all the dust from the explosions tried to cling to him through his cloak. He’d been warned about that, and he had a counter-measure built into the spell, but it still revealed him for long enough.

Bastion took another turn right and dashed ahead.

Right into Ponyville Park.

He could have slapped himself.

Stupid, stupid.

He quickly tried to think of some way out: the gazebo thirty paces away, the pond on his ten o’ clock, the fountain, nothing useful popped up.

He was stuck in an open field, with a superior enemy in front him. If he retreated, he’d be going back into Ponyville, where presumably more enemies lay in wait. He stopped, and the shadow went past him. Only now did he see her clearly: Queen Chrysalis. She stayed up high so he had to crane his neck to keep looking at her.

Why would she tell her drones to turn into decoys? What is-

It finally hit him.

That wasn’t regular shapeshifting. She didn’t turn into my mom the normal way, it burned away piece by piece. That was a disguise spell.

Maybe they can’t change shape the normal way anymore?

“Well?” She taunted him. “What’s it going to be?”

There was only one viable strategy left. He dropped his cloak and quickly whipped his horn back, letting loose a fiery green bolt that Chrysalis easily floated out of the way from.

“Pathetic,” she said as the fireworks exploded behind her. “You’ve been with ponies so long you can’t even aim straight.”

“I can still fight you,” he said. “I won’t let you take anything from me again.”

“Silly boy.” She hovered downward until she touched the ground, lightly, slowly. “You were mine from the beginning. Everything you have is already mine by right.”

He dug at the ground, horn lowered for a charge. “You’re not going to win, no matter how many decoys you use.”

She grinned. “You really have no idea what’s happening, do you?”

“What?”

“I’m not using decoys, Bastion. This is the real me. And I’ve got you, at long last. I win.”

He closed his eyes, thinking.

What do I do? If I fly away, she’ll catch me.

If I change shape, she’ll blast me.

I can’t fight her on open ground like this, not alone.

He gritted his teeth.

“Well?” Chrysalis asked. “What’ll it be? I could put you to sleep, you know. You don’t have to be awake for what comes next. It wouldn’t hurt at all, I promise.” She took a step towards him. “It’s not your fault your uncle crossed me, I don’t have any reason to take that out on you. Just come with me, quietly, and everything will be okay.”

Do I try to trick her? Do I follow her?

He shook, his horn blazing at the ready.

I need more time to think. There’s gotta be something I can do. But if I fire another signal, who knows what’ll show up.

Please. Somepony, help.

I can’t do this alone.

Bastion’s eyes shot open as arcane energy swirled behind the Queen. A vortex formed, then a tunnel, and from the tunnel a blue Pegasus and a brown Unicorn colt hopped out.

Chrysalis looked back, confused.

The Unicorn looked just as confused as she did.

“Wait, didn’t we just get away from you?”

“Really, boys, you have the worst luck today,” the Queen chuckled.

“You’re in Canterlot, too?” Bastion asked, growling. “More decoys.”

The Pegasus braced himself. “Bullet Time’s been taken! Sunburst is fighting Chrysalis with Chancellor Neighsay right now.”

“And they’re losing, I might add,” Chrysalis taunted, facing Bastion again. “That little barrier they’ve got won’t hold forever.”

Bastion’s ears flattened against his head. “Oh, no.”

She chuckled. “Oh yes. Finally starting to dawn on you, boy? I’m sure you’re itching to get some payback against me. Well, here I am, but you’ll have to get through a lot of me to make anything count.”

He hissed. “Where’s the real Chrysalis?!”

---

Princess Celestia stood in one of her meeting rooms, looking at the stained glass windows. Her guards, one Unicorn and a Pegasus, stood nearby, flanking the now unoccupied throne while her pet phoenix, Philomena, flitted about the ceiling.

Morning meetings had been brief, with a few no-shows of the Canterlot higher echelons, probably a seasonal flu going around. She relished quiet times like this, and took full advantage of the opportunity to train her phoenix. Philomena needed a refresher course every fifty years or so, after all, or the silly girl became quite unmanageable.

“Philomena, swoop,” Celestia commanded.

Right on cue, the fiery bird took a graceful dive and pulled up. A textbook swoop, perfected over centuries.

“Good girl. Philomena, sing.”

Philomena took a perch up above and started squawking out a noise that Celestia presumed was an attractive call to a phoenix, but the alicorn had enough of a mortal’s hearing to lack any appreciation for it.

“That’s enough, good girl, good girl,” she quickly said, silencing the old bird.

Looking up, Celestia noticed Philomena looked more agitated than usual, always looking around left and right, nervously preening herself, dropping embers on the stone floor of the hall.

I wonder… is today the day?

On a whim, Celestia turned and went out to her balcony. A shiver ran up her spine. With a minor cantrip, she focused her vision enough to see the wisps of green smoke rising from Ponyville.

Seems so.

“Guards,” she said, back turned to them, “I’ve just had a terrible thought: I may have left the Royal Chicken Coop unattended for too long. Would you be so kind as to inspect the door, and make sure everything is in order? And while you are there, give my prized hen some exercise?”

“Your Highness?” asked the Unicorn.

“You heard me,” she replied. “The royal hennery requires great care, it’ll take both of you to attend to it. Let dear old Roxy spread her wings today. I will be timing you.”

Without any further objection or remarks, the Pegasus guard flew off while the Unicorn teleported away.

Celestia closed her eyes, and focused on her hearing next.

Deathly silence reigned in the halls, for a time. Then, hoofbeats, slow and steady, approaching with purpose. Celestia went to the middle of the hall, standing on the carpet, to greet the visitor that came through the doors.

“So, Chrysalis,” she said,”to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Celestia,” Chrysalis cooed as she waltzed in. “Not going to throw any guards my way today? Or did you run out of tasty in-laws?”

Celestia curled her nostrils. “Don’t think I have any lying around today, no. I noticed you’ve already attacked Ponyville.”

Chrysalis gasped. “Oh, no, no, no, you saw already?” She huffed in annoyance. “And here I was hoping to surprise you with my new forces.”

“It doesn’t matter what you’ve done to enhance your drones,” Celestia replied. “My little ponies have fought off worse.”

Much to Celestia’s confusion, Chrysalis smiled at that. “Oh, so the surprise isn’t completely ruined, then. Good. I wanted us to have our little chat nice and civil.”

“That’s why you’re here? For a chat?”

Chrysalis lowered her head and aimed her horn, glancing at the table behind the white mare. “Chat, assassination, transfer of power, whatever you want to call it.”

Celestia sighed. “Very well, then. If you intend to fight me, come.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to surrender? The fight didn’t go so well for you last time,” Chrysalis remarked.

“Things are different now,” Celestia replied, stepping closer to her foe.

“You look just as weak as you did before.”

“Perhaps. But look around.”

Chrysalis looked left at the balcony, then right at the windows, then up.

Celestia smirked. “No civilians this time. No need for me to hold back. Have at thee!”

The yellow beam of magic struck the changeling dead in the chest, driving her back.

“Dirty pull, old mare. I like it.”

Whipping her head back, Chrysalis unleashed a rainbow of beams from her curved horn. They slithered and writhed in the air like snakes, before homing in on their target.

Celestia flapped her wings to retreat, ducking and weaving in between the barrage.

What is she doing?

That’s a standard Royal Guard Scorching Ray, with the little tendrils at the base. Then there’s the Ray of Frost, which isn’t making any of the usual cracking sounds. And that last one was an Arcane Volley, but bright red.

She’s targeting the Academy, then, and the EEA. All those spells belong to the drill instructors.

Of course. Today is family day, she must have infiltrated them this morning.

And now we know why she wanted to steal magic, obviously. Presumably she wants mine, as well, to move the Sun once I am gone.

She set her hooves on the ground, and fired another beam right as Chrysalis did the same.

The beams made contact, and soon the two royals were in a deadlock.

Why wait, though? Why not attempt to drain me now? Tirek had that power, surely she has it as well?

Chrysalis growled and upped the power in her beam. Celestia wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

There must be a limit of some sort, or a rule she cannot break.

Chrysalis broke the stalemate and flew back, before launching another volley of blue arcane bolts. Celestia raised up a shield, recognising the spell again.

This is all wrong. None of my Royal Guards would be that clumsy with their magic. She hasn’t stolen their memories, their training, their discipline.

She’s not using any of the advanced techniques, either.

And yet here she is, with stolen spells.

“New tricks, changeling? You must be mad if you think you can defeat me with standard Academy spells.”

She blinked, and Chrysalis was gone. Something swiped the hooves from under her, and a pressure drove her head and neck to the ground, her body quickly following. She was pinned, forced to look up at the Queen.

Super speed.

She has super speed now, too? How? Even the most powerful wizards can’t master those without training or… special talent.

Is that what she’s stealing?

“G-gg...” Celestia squirmed and struggled, trying to bat away at the arm keeping her in place. Chrysalis loomed over her, pressing the sharp curve of that appendage into her neck like a blade.

No use. I can’t push her away from this angle.

Chrysalis let out low, guttural growl. “And now, at long last, it’s time to sever the head of state from the body of politics.”

Celestia groaned, stopping her squirming and instead just pushing at the appendage to relieve some pressure. “S-spare me.”

“Oh, yes, beg.” Chrysalis bared her teeth. “Beg for your life, Celestia. I want to savour this moment.”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “S-spare me the theatrics, you insipid wench.”

“What?”

She afforded herself a snort. “Sever the head of state from the body of politics? Honestly, you’re the fifth cretin this century to say that to me, it’s getting stale. How long have you been sitting on that, I wonder? Did you stay up all night thinking how good it would feel to say it out loud?”

Chrysalis squeezed. “Don’t… test me.”

Despite the forced gulp, Celestia grinned. “Please. You do not frighten me. You’re nothing but a petulant little child. Look at you: you have my head pinned to the ground, you have the advantage, and yet you can’t stop yourself from making snide remarks. You’re still desperately hoping to get a reaction, to plea for my attention, my validation. You don’t deserve either. You are nothing to me.”

Chrysalis growled and pressed harder. “Pity. Are you sure you want those to be the words on your tombstone?”

Celestia winced as the pressure increased, the sensation of a blade forming on her neck. “I suppose, if you insist, for p-protocol’s sake I have to s-say… ”

“Weelll?” Chrysalis leaned in, keeping a firm grip on the alicorn’s neck. She pressed all her weight into it, making sure Celestia couldn’t move an inch.

Perfect.

“Philomena! Incinerate!”

Author's Note:

For those few people still wondering why I disable comments: partly because I don't want that last line spoiled for everyone. I've been sitting on that for years, I like it, I want it to be a surprise.

Not much else to say about this one. The head and body line came from The Invisibles, and aside from that most of it is self-explanatory. All the remarks on difficulty writing and editing of the previous two stories mostly apply here, too. Some pieces were easier to write than others, but the editing process was a drag. I'm hoping I caught everything, but it's still only hope at this point.