Episode 16: A Canterlot Wedding Part 2
Episode 16: A Canterlot Wedding Part 2
Somewhere deep beneath Canterlot Castle…
Twilight found herself in a dark place and immediately emitted a glow from her horn to better take in her surroundings. She appeared to have been sent to some crystalline cavern deep underneath the city. "W-where am I?" she whimpered to herself.
As she began slowly walking down the caverns, she called out, "Hello? Is anypony there?"
There was no answer in the darkness save for the echo of her own voice. Then it hit her like a ton of bricks; she was alone. Nobody had believed her when she had called out Princess Cadance's evil nature. And she had been right all along! But everyone abandoned her, thinking her a liar and falling for Cadance's charade. Her friends, her mentor…even her brother. She couldn't imagine her life without any of them. She had believed that they would be there for her whenever she needed it, that they would never turn their backs on her.
They had lied.
They had betrayed her.
Nopony would save her now. She was alone.
Alone.
Alone.
Twilight's hooves quivered as she felt her eyes grow wet with tears.
Alone.
Alone!
Twilight collapsed on her hooves and began to sob, the empty tunnels echoing her agonized cries as she curled up into a fetal position. Terrible thoughts whirled around her head, spitting cruel, hurtful words into her ears.
Forsaken, betrayed.
"N-no!" Twilight wailed, her hysterical sobbing intensifying.
Abandoned, despised.
Twilight squeezed her eyes shut and rocked herself back and forth on the ground.
A L O N E.
Twilight's sobs slowly degraded into quiet blubbering as her body went limp. And she lay there. Unmoving, unseeing. Her faith shattered, the bonds she shared destroyed. With nothing left to keep her going, she simply gave up. She would lay there until the alicorn of death came for her withered soul, leaving behind the empty, shriveled corpse of a lost, forgotten pony.
"Twilight? Twilight, can you hear me?"
Twilight's eyes snapped open at the sudden voice, one she recognized immediately. No other person possessed that forever-condescending drawl.
"V-Vaati?" she called out, lifting her head up and looking around. "Where are you?!"
In answer, something suddenly swooped into Twilight's field of vision, causing her to recoil in surprise before she realized what the thing was; one of Vaati's Eye Sentries. The little miniature winged eyeball squeaked in greeting, its eye glowing bright red for some reason. "Thank the Goddesses you're alright," Vaati's voice spoke. "I must say, you look like crap."
Twilight then realized that Vaati was still inside the castle, and was speaking to her through his sentry, which was apparently why the eye was glowing. "H-how did you know I was down here?" Twilight asked. "I-I thought you abandoned me…just…like the others did."
Vaati's response was momentarily delayed by the utterly heartbroken tone in her voice. "Me? Abandon you? Certainly not. I only left with them because I knew that Cadance would try to get rid of you once you were alone. I watched her send you down here from the doorway and sent this sentry after you while her back was turned. It seems we were right after all."
Twilight hung her head. "Yeah…we were, and…and my friends still didn't believe me. They thought I was a jealous liar. Oh Celestia, they must hate me now!"
But before Twilight could renew her sobbing, Vaati sternly interrupted her. "Listen to me, Twilight. Listen very closely. Whether or not your friends and family have disowned you is not important right now. What is important is that you find your way out of those caverns and get back to the castle as soon as possible. They may not want anything to do with you right now, but that does not change the fact that all of them are in danger right now. Do you understand?"
Twilight gulped. "I…but, what about you?"
"I'll be handling things on my end. Don't worry about me. Whatever Cadance has planned for Canterlot, I'll have something in place that will certainly said plans on themselves."
Despite Vaati's rather sinister chuckle, Twilight couldn't help but smile a bit. Despite everything that had happened, she still had one friend left she could count on. "Vaati…" she spoke softly.
"Mmm?" Vaati responded.
"…Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm glad you're still there for me."
"…Heh, you did the same for me so many times in the past. It's high time I repaid the favor. Now you focus on getting out of those caverns. My Eye Sentry will keep me informed of your progress. Take care of yourself down there, alright?"
Twilight nodded her head. "I will. You take care of yourself too, Vaati."
With that, the Sentry's eye ceased glowing and returned to its normal white color as it began circling just over Twilight's head, keeping pace with her as she ventured down the dark tunnels with only the light from her horn to guide her. The light was still poor, though, and Twilight did not see the wall until she bumped into its reflective surface. Shaking her head, she looked at the crystalline wall before her. "What is this place?"
She suddenly jumped back in fright as an unwelcome visage appeared on all the reflective surfaces around the cavern; Princess Cadance, grinning cruelly. "The caves beneath Canterlot!" she explained gleefully. "Once home to crazy unicorns who wanted to claim the gemstones that could be found inside! And now…your prison!" The deranged alicorn laughed as Twilight shook with fear, the Eye Sentry burying itself in her mane to protect itself. "How pathetic! You're down here all alone, with no one to hear you, no one to help you! Most ponies, Celestia herself included, have forgotten that these caverns even exist! Which is why they're the ideal place to put those who try to interfere with my plans!"
Cadance cackled evilly at her own brilliance. Hoping that she could get her to pull the stereotypical villain monologue, Twilight asked, "Plans? What plans?"
"The plans I have for your brother, of course! And all of Equestria as well! Once my army reaches Canterlot, nothing will stop us from taking over your land!"
"Don't you dare do anything to hurt my brother, you…you…you monster!"
"The only way you'll stop me is if you catch me!" Cadance retorted in a sing-song voice.
Twilight's horn glowed more intensely as she fired an energy beam at the crystal wall where Cadance's face grinned smugly down at her, shattering it instantly. With that, Cadance's visage vanished…only to appear again directly behind her, laughing again. "Over here!"
Twilight fired again, the beam ricocheting off the reflective walls before hitting the ground. Cadance's face appeared all over the place, cackling as Twilight became more and more riled with each shot, until finally she blasted a hole in one of the walls. As the dust settled, she then saw Cadance herself standing on the other side, looking surprised.
All other thoughts promptly vanished from Twilight's eyes as she pounced on Cadance, ignoring her protests. "W-wait, p-please! Don't hurt me!" she cried, shuddering beneath Twilight's iron grip before she realized who it was that was pinning her down. "Twilight! It's me! You have to believe me! I've been imprisoned like you! The Cadance who brought you down here was an impostor!"
Twilight glared hatefully at the princess. "Likely story!"
The Eye Sentry flitted over Twilight's head, its pupil glowing, indicating it was ready to shoot an intense laser beam the moment Cadance tried anything funny. Cadance managed to get up and began awkwardly doing a dance. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake," she wearily sang, desperately hoping Twilight would believe her now. "Clap your hooves…"
"…and do a little shake!" Twilight finished along with her, her eyes widening in realization as Cadance smiled. "You…you remember me!"
Twilight ecstatically hugged Cadance, the real Cadance, and laughed in exhilaration. "Of course I do!" Cadance replied, rubbing Twilight's back affectionately. "How could I forget the filly I loved to sit for the most?"
Suddenly the Sentry went rigid as its eye glowed red again. "What's this now?" Vaati's voice demanded. "What is going on here?!"
Cadance pulled back in shock. "Ah! What is that?" she cried, pointing at the Eye Sentry.
"It's okay," Twilight assured her. "That's just an Eye Sentry. The one talking through it is my friend Vaati!"
Cadance blinked in surprise. "Vaati? As in the Wind Mage Vaati?"
"Oh good, at least someone recognizes me," Vaati mused. "But, Twilight, tell me what in Majora's name that shrew is doing down here, and why you're hugging her like she's suddenly your best friend!"
"Shrew?!" Cadance repeated indignantly.
"Wait, it's okay!" Twilight said. "He doesn't know yet. Vaati, this is Princess Cadance. The real Cadance. The one back in the castle is a fake."
"Well, how about that? She was replaced by a shapeshifter. I was right the whole time, heh. I'm good."
"That's not all, either," Twilight explained. "The fake Cadance apparently has an army approaching Canterlot as we speak! She plans to conquer all of Equestria!"
"Ha! Not if my monsters have anything to say about it! Though this does help things quite a bit on my end. Now I can convince Princess Celestia to ready her guards for an imminent attack. All I have to do is get her to talk to you."
"I know what my imposter really is," Cadance interrupted. "She's a Changeling. They're a race of pony-like insects that feed on love by impersonating a loved one. Her real name is Queen Chrysalis, and she's the leader of their hive. The Canterlot Guards won't be enough to stop her army; they're outnumbered at least ten to one!"
"I can assure you, Cadenza, my monsters can more than make up for the numbers discrepancy with sheer power and skill."
"Uh, please, call me Cadance."
"Alright then, Cadance. You and Twilight get to the surface as quickly as possible, while I beat some sense into Celestia's head and transfer my forces over to the city. I might get Discord to come too; the more the merrier, I say. Take care."
The sentry's eye stopped glowing, indicating that Vaati had broken contact once more. "Come on," Cadance ordered. "I think I know a way out. Follow me. We have to stop that wedding!"
"It'll be my genuine pleasure, Cadance!" Twilight answered with a grin.
XXXXXX
Vaati didn't bother even knocking as he strode into the room Celestia was getting herself ready in. The princess in question glanced at his reflection in the mirror of her vanity cabinet. "Yes, Vaati?"
"Celestia, we need to talk. NOW."
Celestia's brow furrowed at Vaati's harsh tone, turning around to face the irate sorcerer. "Is there a problem?"
"Oh yes, quite a few," Vaati responded coldly. "Not least of which is that you abandoned Twilight like a sack of bucking garbage when she told you about Cadenza's evil nature. The only thing stopping me from slapping you senseless is that we have more urgent news to speak of."
"Vaati, don't speak to…" Celestia began irritably.
"Celestia…shut your goddessdamned mouth and listen to me. You had the gall to dismiss Twilight before, but you will NOT dismiss me."
Celestia, taken aback by Vaati's dead serious tone, clamped her mouth shut and let the Wind Mage continue.
"The bride currently dollying herself up for this sham of a wedding is a fake. An impostor. The real Princess Cadance has been imprisoned alongside Twilight in a set of catacombs deep inside Canterlot Mountain. And before you try to refute me, yes, I do in fact have irrefutable proof."
Vaati snapped his fingers, summoning another Eye Sentry. "Link with your compatriot in the mines."
The creature squeaked in acknowledgement before its eye began to glow blood-red. "Twilight, Cadance, can you hear me?" Vaati asked, glancing side at Celestia, who observed with a concerned expression.
"Yeah, we can hear you, Vaati," Cadance replied from the other end. "What's going on?"
"I have Princess Celestia in the room with me right now. Care to explain the situation to her so she'll actually listen to reason?"
"Princess?! Princess, it's me, Twilight!" Twilight's voice interrupted. "I was right! I told you!"
Celestia felt her heart constrict as she finally understood the mistake she had made. "Oh…dear Mother Faust," she spoke with anguish. "Twilight, I-I'm sorry I doubted you. I was a fool. Can you forgive me?"
"…Princess, listen. We can exchange apologies later, but right now, stopping that imposter from marrying my brother is the most important. She's a Changeling Queen by the name of Chrysalis, and as we speak, the rest of her hive is approaching Canterlot. Chrysalis has been brainwashing my brother so he can't perform his spell, so that her forces can break down what's left of the shield when they arrive."
"If that's the case, then we need to confront her and tell the guards to prepare for battle," Celestia stated.
"Aunt Celestia, the Canterlot Guard won't be enough to stop them," Cadance answered. "We're talking about a force of thousands. The Guards'll be outnumbered ten times over."
"Which is why I'm going to discreetly order my forces to transport over here while my shield is still active. My Wizzrobes' magic can easily sync with mine so they can pass through without incident. I don't plan to keep my barrier active much longer anyways. I want these Changelings to come. I want them to realize why it was a bad idea to ever set foot in this land. I suggest you evacuate the civilians in a discreet manner as well, Princess. When the Changelings break through, things are going to get ugly, fast."
"Um…Vaati, before you go…" Twilight requested hesitantly. "Will you…will you tell…"
"Yes, I'll tell your friends about how terrible they were for doubting you and that they owe you an apology so big that nothing short of kissing your hooves will be sufficient," Vaati interrupted.
"Um…thanks, I guess?"
"Just get back to the castle so we can expose this she-devil, already! Vaati out."
The sentry's eye ceased glowing right before it disappeared. "Proceed with the wedding as planned, while your guards evacuate the civilians. Hopefully Cadance and Twilight will arrive in time to crash it. If you need me, I'll be organizing the city's defenses."
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Canterlot Castle, Cadance's room…
The false Cadance was feeling absolutely ecstatic. The wedding would happen in less than an hour, and the rest of her hive was quickly closing in on Canterlot. Shining's barrier had all but disappeared, leaving only Vaati's secondary barrier in place, which wouldn't hold for much longer either. She was extra lucky today; for some reason, the weirdly-shaped wizard-thing had ceased replenishing his own barrier.
The impostor grinned as a song came to her head, an aria dedicated to her big day.
"This day is going to be perfect,
The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small!
Everypony will gather 'round,
Say I look lovely in my gown,
What they don't know is that I have fooled them all!"
XXXXXX
Unbeknownst to her, Cadance had a similar tune going through her head as she, Twilight, and the Eye Sentry raced through the winding tunnels.
"This day was going to be perfect,
The kind of day of which I dreamed since I was small.
But instead of having cake
With all my friends to celebrate
My wedding bell, they may not ring for me at all…"
XXXXXX
"I could care less about the dress,
I won't partake in any cake,
Vows? I'll be lying when I say,
That through any kind of weather
I'll want us to be together,
The truth is, I don't care for him at all!
No I do not love the groom,
In my heart there is no room!
But I still want him to be all miiiiiine!"
XXXXXX
"I must escape before it's too late,
Find a way to save the day,
Hope? I'll be lying if I say,
I don't fear that I may lose him
To one who wants to use him,
Not care for, love, and cherish him each daaaay!
For I oh-so love the groom,
All my thoughts he does consume,
Oh, Shining Armor,
I'll be there very soon!"
XXXXXX
The wedding…
"Finally the moment has arrived,
For me to be one lucky bride!"
XXXXXX
"Oh the wedding we won't make,
He'll end up marrying a fake!
Shining Armor will be…"
XXXXXX
"Mine, all mine! Ahahahahahaha!"
XXXXXX
"Mares and gentlecolts!" Celestia declared. "Today we are gathered to celebrate the marriage between Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Captain Shining Armor!"
She watched as the false bride began to make her way towards the altar, her expression smug. Now that she knew this Cadance was an impostor, she couldn't begin to fathom how she hadn't seen it before. Cadance never sneered like that. Despite her thoughts, she continued with the ceremony as Vaati had instructed, trusting in the sorcerer's instructions. This was her chance to repent for giving Twilight the cold shoulder, and she would not disappoint her faithful student again.
XXXXXX
The streets of Canterlot…
As the majority of Celestia's Day Guards ushered the protesting civilians into the safety of a network of tunnels directly underneath the street, Vaati watched as his barrier pulsated momentarily before his chief Wizzrobe appeared before him, an entourage of Darknuts and Moblins at his side. "Reporting for duty as ordered, sir!" Nigellas greeted with a salute. "So who do we get to cook to a nice crispy black complexion today?"
"Patience," Vaati admonished. "Our enemies have not arrived yet. What about the others?"
"They should be right behind me, boss," Nigellas answered.
Indeed, seconds afterward, two more Wizzrobes warped in, with more monsters accompanying them as well. As the minutes ticked by, the entirety of his palace defense forces warped into the streets of Canterlot, taking in their surroundings with curiosity and excitement. "So this is Canterlot, sir?" Nigellas inquired, tilting the rim of his wizard hat slightly upwards as he took in the sight. "Ho boy, Hyrule Castle can't even hope to hold up a candle to this place!"
"What's the situation, milord?" Maulgrim, dressed in full armor with his trusty sword and shield in hand, spoke up as he approached. "What are our orders?"
"A large force of shapeshifting insectoid ponies, possibly thousands strong, is making its way to Canterlot as we speak," Vaati explained to all his gathered forces. "They're called Changelings, and they're the ones who made the threat against Canterlot. Their queen is in the castle as we speak, and does not yet know we are onto her! So when her soldiers arrive and break through this barrier, tear the little pests apart!"
A great cheer rose up amongst his monsters as Vaati began issuing orders. The monsters were to hide in the alleyways and anywhere they couldn't be seen overhead, and once the Changelings made landfall and engaged the Canterlot soldiers, the trap would be sprung on them. Satisfied with how the preparations had turned out, Vaati teleported back over to the castle, just outside the door where the ceremony was taking place. Just as the vows finished exchanging, Vaati heard the rapid clopping of hooves and turned around with a wicked smirk. "Well, took you two long enough. Now let's crash this wedding, shall we?"
XXXXXX
"Princess Cadance and Shining Armor," Celestia announced, smiling brightly even as dread burned within her, "I am happy to pronounce you…"
"STOP!"
Celestia barely managed to hold back a smile as Twilight barged into the room, causing everypony present to murmur in surprise and confusion. The rest of the Mane Six wore a mix of expressions including confusion, disappointment, and concern. The irate bride growled and stomped her hoof. "Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother?!" she demanded before catching herself and bursting into a fit of crocodile tears. "I-I mean, why does she have to ruin my special day?"
"Because it's not your special day! It's mine!"
Everypony gasped as another Cadance entered the room, looking much scruffier than her doppelganger. Standing next to her was Vaati, his arms folded and a triumphant grin on his face. His grin widened as he took in the shock of the false bride as she realized she had been caught. The looks on everypony else's face was a bonus too. "The jig is up, Cadenza!" Vaati cried, pointing at the impostor. "Or perhaps now would be the appropriate time to call you by your true name…Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings!"
"W-what?!" the impostor stuttered. "But how did you escape my bridesmaids?!"
"With my wedding bouquet, of course," Cadance explained coyly. "Never use brainwashed bridesmaids to hold a bride hostage."
"Hmph, clever," the impostor congratulated. "But you're still too late!"
"A-Ah don't understand!" Applejack exclaimed in confusion. "What's going on?!"
"That faker up there, Applejack, is a Changeling," Vaati explained. "A shapeshifting insectoid pony that feeds off love energy by impersonating someone you love. It was quite ingenious, I must admit. It would have been better if she actually acted like the one she was impersonating. What an incompetent boob."
Vaati allowed himself a short chuckle of amusement. "Now, Chrysalis, if you'd be so kind as to ditch your disguise, since it's no longer of any use…"
The impostor gritted her teeth as a ring of green flames emerged around her, obscuring her form as it shifted into a taller, much more slender build. As the transformation completed, the queen of the changelings laughed madly. "Very good, little ones!" she spoke. "I should have expected the hairless monkey would be clever enough to expose me! As queen of the Changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects!"
Vaati took a moment to observe Chrysalis's body; a black, chitinous carapace; long, slender legs with holes in the hooves; long, teal mane and tail; large, reptilian green eyes; and a long, jagged horn. "Equestria has more love than any other place I've encountered!" Chrysalis proclaimed, stepping forward to confront Cadance. "My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!"
"I'd like to see them try," Vaati interrupted. "The shield is still up. You may have prevented the good captain from strengthening his own, but mine is still active."
Chrysalis chuckled. "Not for long, it won't be." She fluttered over to Shining's side, the dashing groom's eyes glowing a faint green and his expression blank. "Ever since I took your place, Cadance, I've been feeding off of Shining Armor's love for you. It has already made me stronger than I've ever been before. And as for your shield, my minions are already chipping away at it!"
Vaati quickly glanced out the window, and was met by the sight of thousands of changelings pounding on his force field with their bodies. She was right; it wouldn't hold for much longer.
Good. Vaati wasn't feeling very patient right now.
Chrysalis rubbed Shining's chin with mock affection. "He may not be my husband, but he is under my total control, and I'm sorry to say, unable to perform his duties as Captain of the Royal Guard!"
"Which is why I'm taking responsibility for his duties for the time being," Vaati declared. "Until this blows over, I'm the Royal Captain now."
Chrysalis laughed at this. "Oh, please! You won't be able to do anything once my changeling army breaks through your barrier! First we'll take Canterlot, and then ALL of Equestria!"
"Not today, you won't," Celestia finally spoke up, drawing the changeling leader's attention. She affixed the bug-pony with a dark glare. "You may have rendered Shining Armor unable to perform his spell, but now that you have been forced to reveal your true self, I can protect my subjects…from you!"
As Celestia took to the air, Vaati groaned, "Hey, not fair! I want a go at her!"
Ignoring him, Celestia unleashed a beam of pure sun energy from her horn, while Chrysalis responded with a green energy beam of her own. Celestia began to overpower the queen, Chrysalis beginning to panic. "No! NO!" she shouted, putting all her energy into her assault.
To everyone's shock, Chrysalis's beam abruptly overpowered Celestia's own, and as Celestia's mouth dropped open in shock, an explosion rang out. In seconds, Celestia's body skidded across the floor, her horn scarred black. The crowd gasped in disbelief; Princess Celestia, defeated!
"Princess Celestia!" Twilight cried, running over to the fallen alicorn's side, her friends joining her.
"Well, certainly wasn't expecting that," Vaati mumbled to himself. But then he grinned. All that means is that this insect might actually be a worthwhile challenge, he finished in his head. Excellent.
Even Chrysalis was astounded by her victory. "Ha! Shining Armor's love for you was even stronger than I thought! Consuming him has made me even more powerful than Celestia!"
"The Elements of Harmony…" Celestia weakly groaned. "You must get to them…and use their power to defeat the queen!"
"We can't rely on the Elements," Vaati declared without turning towards the Mane Six.
"Huh? Whatever for?!" Rarity asked, appalled.
Finally Vaati turned, his eyes ablaze with anger and his tone sharp and sarcastic. "Oh, let's see! Maybe it's because of YOU?! Maybe it's because the whole lot of you abandoned Twilight when she needed you most, thinking she was a jealous liar when every word she spoke was the truth?! I saw her when I sent my Eye Sentry down there to watch over her while she made her way back here, and she was a complete wreck. You completely shattered her faith in all of you! You might as well have defecated on the Elements themselves, because now that you weakened your bond of friendship with the one who holds all of you together, they are completely and totally worthless! No, we're going to get through this through the sweat of our brows, the strength of our backs, and the blood of our enemies!"
Chrysalis could not stop herself from reflexively cringing from the nasty, almost demonic tone Vaati was using as he faced her again. "You may think your newfound power can overcome Celestia, but we have yet to see whether it can conquer me, Vaati the Wind Mage!"
As Vaati monologued, Twilight's friends guiltily began to apologize to her. "Ah'm so sorry, sugarcube," Applejack whimpered. "Ah feel like an ass for hurtin' you like that."
"We were so heartless and insensitive!" Rarity cried, on the verge of tears of shame, the others nodding in silent agreement. "Can you ever forgive us?!"
Twilight looked away, uncertain. "…Yeah, I can," she answered. Her friends began to smile. "…But not yet. Not after what you put me through. I'm sorry, but…you guys really hurt me. I thought you had abandoned me. I thought you hated me. I can't just get over that right away."
Vaati glanced over his shoulder. "Everybody get out of here now! Take shelter wherever you can! The Changeling Queen is mine! Twilight, get Celestia and your friends out of here! Scootaloo, you and your friends go with Twilight!"
"But Dad, I want to-!" Scootaloo started.
"To fight? I don't think so! Now get going!"
"What about me?!" Cadance yelled as everypony began hastily clearing out.
"Try to get your dashing groom to stop drooling all over his suit, I don't care! Just don't get in the way!"
Chrysalis grinned. "Are you challenging me to a fight, then? After I just defeated the Princess of the Sun herself?!"
"I couldn't care less about what I just saw," Vaati snapped, his form beginning to change. "Because I did better."
Chrysalis's mouth hung open in shock and awe as the great winged eye took shape before her, dwarfing her several times over. "I defeated Discord, the so-called god of chaos! Do you really think you or your pathetic minions frighten me, insect?!"
Suddenly Vaati heard a resounding crack like glass shattering and saw his shield collapse. Hordes of changelings began converging on the city. The siege had begun. Seeing this, Chrysalis's confidence returned. "An impressive form, 'Vaati'. But my army outnumbers Canterlot's defense forces ten times over! Do you really think they stand a chance?!"
To her surprise, Vaati unleashed a deep-throated, guttural laugh in response. "Not at all. But as you'll soon find, it's not the Canterlot Royal Army you should be worried about; it's MY army."
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Hundreds upon hundreds of changeling drones smashed into the streets like a shower of green meteorites, leaving small craters in the cobblestone where they landed. As one got up and prepared to face the enemy, it found itself overshadowed by a truly massive armored figure. It stood on two legs and dwarfed the queen herself in size. "Greetings," it spoke with a savage grin underneath its ponderous helm just before the Darknut crushed the changeling into a puddle of mush with one swing of its huge mace.
The hordes of changelings reacted with surprise as hundreds of strange, almost entirely-bipedal creatures emerged from alleyways and from within buildings, most carrying large weapons that a normal pony would find impossible to carry. At their head was a green-robed individual with a wide-brimmed hat, fire magic condensing in one hand and ice magic forming in the other.
Silence reigned for several moments as the Canterlot guards rallied around the monsters and contributed to the tense staredown between the defenders and the changeling army. Nigellas was the epitome of cool and collected in the face of danger, calmly staring down the multitudes of enemies laid out before them. Until he hunched forward and screamed as loud as he could, "LET'S HAVE AT 'EEEEEEM!"
A raucous din rose up as the monsters bellowed in elation, eager for battle, and charged, spears leveled, swords raised, waves of magical energy raging before them. They were a visage of hell's wrath incarnate, wave upon wave of grotesque beings surging forward like a rolling wave, fire and ice magic heralding their arrival. In that dark moment, the changelings felt true fear.
And then the two armies collided to the sound of ringing steel, magical discharges, swords crunching into carapace, and the screams of terrified and dying changelings.
The first wave of changelings was annihilated within seconds, succumbing to the fierce flames of the Pyromancer Wizzrobes, and any remaining crushed underfoot by the unstoppable charge. Larger, stronger drones protected by an extra layer of chitin led the next wave as they rallied against the oncoming monsters of Hyrule, and battle was joined.
Even the warrior drones proved inferior to the hulking Darknuts, their armor splintering instantly with each swing of a mace or sword, or each bash with a shield. Moblins and ponies provided a wall of spears that kept pushing forward despite the vast numbers of their foe. Wizzrobes and unicorns fired powerful blasts of magic into the air, preventing many changelings from flying over them and attacking from the rear. Those that did found themselves staring down the barrels of Bokoblin crossbows shortly before their lives were ended.
Many changelings backed off and tried to fight at a distance, shooting magic beams at the relentless tide of monsters. Darknuts raised their shields and blocked, Wizzrobes erected magical barriers around themselves, and the Moblins just took them in the chest and kept right on fighting, barely even feeling any pain. Miniblins swarmed about, picking off any survivors of the initial stampede hoping to stab anyone in the back. The wounded and dying were shown no mercy whatsoever, speared and gutted remorselessly by the madly cackling imps. Changelings that had originally been assigned to other areas realized how badly this was going and immediately abandoned their targets to fly to their besieged brethren's aid. Flame, ice, wind, rock, sword, and spear cut down changeling after changeling, the cries of the bug-ponies almost entirely drowned out by the feral cries of the rampaging monsters.
In short, Chrysalis's army was getting slaughtered.
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Chrysalis leaned out the window and watched in horror as the battle, if it could even be called that, raged below in the city streets. She could feel her subjects' fear, she could hear their terrified, anguished death-cries, and it brought tears to her eyes. "This…this wasn't supposed to happen," she whispered to herself.
"That would be because I played you for a fool, Chrysalis," Vaati replied from behind, still in demon form.
Chrysalis whirled around and glared hatefully at him. "What?!" she roared.
"Since the moment I met you, I was suspicious of you. And you removed all doubt from my mind when I watched you send Twilight to the catacombs below the castle. Using a little creation of mine, I was able to maintain contact with her, and after she revealed your plan which you were gracious enough to supply her with to me, I took steps to turn your little invasion plan on its head. My army of monsters has been awaiting your hive's attack since this morning. You were out-gambitted, my dear Queen. And soon, you won't have a hive left to rule over!"
Chrysalis ground her teeth and shook with rage. "You…you played me…How…dare you! For the love of my hive…I'LL KILL YOU, WIND MAGE!"
Vaati emitted the most evil laugh he had pulled off in a good long time as the wind began to whip around his ponderous form, raising him into the air. "Give me your best shot! Dealing with you will be little more than a matter of pest control, you miserable bug!"
Magic gathered in Chrysalis's horn as Vaati's horns crackled with electricity. "DIE!" Chrysalis screamed, unleashing the full extent of her magic, while Vaati countered with a powerful magical thunderbolt.
The fight was on.
XXXXXX
Elsewhere in the castle, Twilight and Rarity kept a weakened Celestia aloft with their combined magic while Spike and the rest of the Mane Six ran beside them. "T-Twilight, please put me down," Celestia begged. "I'll be fine."
"No, Princess!" Twilight countered. "We have to get you somewhere safe!"
"Ah! Whoa there, we got company!" Applejack cried, skidding to a stop, causing the others to as well.
Right in their path was a large host of changelings, chittering sinisterly as they advanced on the group of ponies. "Now what do we do?" Rarity cried desperately.
Before anyone could answer, a bright flash of light appeared between Twilight's friends and the startled changelings. Twilight's jaw dropped when she realized who it was.
"Discord?!"
Discord didn't respond to Twilight's voice, instead summoning a batch of pies, which he then hurtled into the swarm of changelings, hitting all of them right in the face.
At which point the pies all exploded, expulsing confetti and streamers with concussive force. The end result left the entire swarm of changelings injured and unconscious. With the threat taken care of, Discord turned towards Twilight's group and smirked. "Oh, hello! Didn't see you there! My word, Celestia, you look like you've seen better days!"
"I have," Celestia replied with an unamused frown.
Discord chuckled. "Well, anyways, a little birdie told me that the cheese-legs brigade was stirring up trouble in Canterlot, so I decided to pay a little visit and observe all the chaos!"
Upon noticing everypony's frowns, he amended, "Aaaand of course, help you guys out too!"
"Actually, there is a way you can help," Twilight said. "Take Princess Celestia somewhere safe and protect her. We gotta help out with the fight somehow!"
Discord dismissively waved his eagle talon. "Oh, don't worry about ol' Licorice Hair! His monsters? They're beating the changelings senseless! The big guy himself?"
Suddenly an explosion blew open a huge hole in the wall, from which the great winged eye and the changeling queen emerged, locked in a deadly dance of magic, horn, and claws.
"Right here, actually," Discord finished nonchalantly.
"Scatter!" Twilight yelled to her friends. "Discord, get the Princess out of here!"
"Yes, of course," Discord replied with an over-dramatic roll of his eyes and a mock bow. "As you command, Your Highness."
With a snap of his fingers, Discord and Celestia both vanished. With that out of the way, she scrambled out of the danger zone alongside her friends, watching with bated breath as Vaati and Chrysalis savagely dueled. "Should we help him?" Rainbow Dash whispered to Twilight.
Twilight shook her head. "Vaati's the best hope we have right now. We'd just get in the way."
"Well we gotta at least dosomethin'!" Applejack pressed. "We can't just stand here while there's a huge battle goin' on around town!"
Rainbow smashed her hooves together. "Yeah! I say we go down there and kick some flank with Vaati's monsters!"
Twilight nodded. "Fluttershy, I know you don't want to get caught up in this. Take the fillies and go find shelter wherever you can. We'll go help out with the street battle, okay?"
"O-okay," Fluttershy whimpered. "B-be safe."
"B-but Applejack!" Applebloom whined.
"Shh, it's okay, sugarcube," Applejack assured her sister, hugging her tightly. "Ah'll be fine, okay? Ah'll come back, Ah promise."
"B-be careful out there, sis!" Sweetie Belle whimpered.
"You know I will, Sweetie," Rarity replied, hugging her sister as well.
"I know you'll kick flank out there, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cried. "Make sure you come back, okay?!"
Rainbow chuckled as she gave her biggest fan an affectionate noogie. "Of course I will, squirt!"
As Fluttershy and the Crusaders began looking for a safe place to hide, Twilight transported herself and her friends into the heat of the battle and took in their surroundings. Clouds of dust were stirred up everywhere, obscuring the fight. Silhouettes of hulking monsters swatting away changelings like so many annoying flies could be seen everywhere. A Moblin behind them grabbed the changeling biting into its shoulder by the head and promptly popped it like a wet sack with its great strength, showering green blood and brain matter all over itself. The monster grinned as it tossed aside the limp corpse and charged right back into the fight. The ground was littered with mangled corpses, almost all of them changelings. The changeling onslaught finally claimed a victim, a combined beam of magic from three warrior drones incinerating an Ice Wizzrobe while it was distracted by an oncoming drone.
Twilight cringed at the gruesome reality of battle but quickly shook it off. "Alright, let's do this!" she yelled. "FOR EQUESTRIA!"
XXXXXX
Chrysalis barely managed to avoid being gored by Vaati's huge claws as they slashed at her. She flitted out of arm's reach and charged another energy beam. Vaati's horns charged up electrical energy before colliding against her beam once more, illuminating the ruined hall in dazzling displays of green and white light. Miniature bolts of lightning ricocheted off the contact zone and sparked all around the area, leaving scorch marks in the walls.
Without warning, Vaati's beam ceased as the Wind Sorcerer dissipated in a cloud of black smoke. Alarm bells went off in her head, instinctively ushering her to move. Just as she started flapping her gossamer wings, the floor beneath her erupted with dark energy, sending her hurtling through the ceiling onto the next floor. As Chrysalis struggled to her hooves, Vaati rose from the hole she had made, a ring of stone eyes rapidly spinning around him. His arms had turned back into wings, as the erratic spinning would have been hampered by their presence.
"I hope you weren't thinking of leaving, Chrysalis," Vaati cruelly jeered. "The fun has just begun!"
Chrysalis panted from the exertion, her mind whirling with panicked thoughts. I defeated Celestia! I brought her down with a fraction of my new magic, and yet it's taking all of it just to keep him at bay! Surely this creature can't be more powerful than the Princesses…can he?
She was brought out of her thoughts as the stone eyes stopped spinning and vertically circled the demon eye like a halo, the eyes all staring at Chrysalis. "Dance, little puppet!" Vaati laughed. "Dance to the pull of my strings!"
The stone eyes suddenly spat a torrent of lasers at Chrysalis's feet, causing her to cry out in alarm as she tried to avoid them. She realized that he was now toying with her, toying with her! It would have made her blood boil were it not already pulsing with fear. "Is this all you have to offer me, pest?!" Vaati roared. "And after all that energy you sucked right out of Mister Goody Four-Shoes? What good has it done you, worm?! WHAT GOOD HAS IT DONE YOU?!"
Chrysalis bellowed with rage, condensing all the power she could muster into a flurry of venom-green energy balls. Vaati's stone eyes broke away from orbit and intercepted each of them, getting destroyed in the process. Four remained, and Vaati chuckled menacingly. "My turn."
Suddenly the eyes became cloaked in dark magic and shot at Chrysalis. The queen attempted to dodge, but it did no good. Each projectile exploded on contact with the wall, the blast radii knocking Chrysalis senseless. Entangled in the rubble, Chrysalis weakly tried to rally herself, but then realized the awful truth; her magic, all of it, was spent. She had used it all up defending herself from this insane demon spawned from the depths of Tartarus, and the fiend looked like he still had plenty to spare! Her carapace was cracked in several places, allowing blood to freely ooze from them. It hurt to even breathe, let alone move.
And then Vaati was upon her, his eye ablaze with malicious intent. His middle left wing reformed into an arm and seized the broken changeling queen in his mighty talons. As Chrysalis looked into that eldritch eye, she knew in her heart, that it was over. It was all over.
"W-wait! Wait, p-please!" she stammered weakly, raising a hoof. "I-I surrender…No more…no more…"
Vaati scoffed. "Feh. You're pathetic, vermin. And here I was, hoping you'd provide a decent challenge for a change. Again I am disappointed. As for mercy, well…I'm afraid I have none to spare for…"
"Vaati, wait!" a voice suddenly cried.
Vaati bristled indignantly at the interruption. "Is somebody ALWAYS going to interrupt me whenever I try to kill someone dangerous?!" The sorcerer glanced to his right to see Princess Cadance and Shining Armor approaching. Shining no longer had the blank expression, but was still rubbing his head due to the lingering migraine. "I suppose you're going to tell me to spare her, right?" Vaati growled irritably.
Cadance's face was laced with sorrow. "Vaati, hasn't there been enough senseless bloodshed already?" she asked. "The changelings stopped being a threat twenty minutes ago. They're now trying to hide throughout the city because they're too loyal to Chrysalis to just outright flee. Your monsters are hunting them down like animals. I-I can't let it go on anymore. Please call off your troops. The battle's over."
"If I kill her, then they will be leaderless," Vaati replied. "Then they can never be a threat again. And why are you even defending her? She locked you up in a forgotten cavern, impersonated you at your own wedding, brainwashed your fiancé, tried to trick Twilight into murdering you in a rage, and then tried to attack Canterlot! What reason could you possibly have for keeping me from crushing her like the bug she is and ending it for good?"
"It's called compassion," Cadance answered sternly. "You're wrong if you think the both of us aren't furious at her for what she tried to do…but she was doing it for her subjects. She was trying to do what she thought was best for her people…even if she went about it completely wrong."
"Personally, I'd love nothing more than to throw her in the dungeon and have her put on trial for war crimes," Shining spoke up. "But I agree with Cadance, genocide is never the answer. The changelings are beaten. Maybe we can take advantage of that and secure a non-aggression pact with them or something. Just…put her down, Vaati, and call off your soldiers. Please."
Vaati groaned in resignation as he unceremoniously dropped Chrysalis to the floor, knowing that ignoring them would have only caused more trouble than it was worth. "You loony bleeding-hearts," he grumbled before linking his mind with Nigellas. Nigellas.
BURN, YA LITTLE PARASITE, BU-oh, yes, what is it, boss?
Call off all our soldiers.
…Wh…what?
Call them off. The changeling queen has surrendered. Party's over.
…Well, crud.
Casualties, Nigellas?
Eh, negligible, sire. A few of them pony guards got fried during the fighting, and we lost one or two of our own, but other than that, these changelings didn't put up much of a good fight.
Feh. Neither did their queen. Round up the survivors and bring them to the castle…ALIVE.
Got it, sir. You know I know better than to exploit loopholes.
Of course you do. Vaati out.
XXXXXX
Several hours later…
Twilight and her friends silently walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle, many sections damaged or outright destroyed during the all-out brawl between Vaati and Chrysalis. No words were exchanged; the horror of what they had seen on the battlefield clung to their minds as they approached the hospital wing, which thankfully had been spared. Inside the room was a single occupant; the changeling queen herself.
She was covered in bandages and had several tubes injected into her body, linking her to a heart monitor. As Twilight observed Chrysalis, she found that she could not feel any sense of satisfaction at how everything had turned out. They had won; Equestria was saved. But her friendships had been damaged, much of the castle was in ruins, and she had personally borne witness to the gruesome slaughter of hundreds of changelings, and took part in it as well.
As if sensing that she was being watched, Chrysalis slowly opened one eye and stared at Twilight. "What do you want?" Chrysalis tried to hiss, but came out as a weak whimper.
Twilight just stared back for several tense minutes. "You know…I wish I could hate you, for everything you put me through…what you put all of us through…but, in the end…you suffered the most. I don't forgive you. I probably never will…but I'll never hate you. Hate only brings pain."
Twilight left without another word, her friends following after in order to make an attempt to salvage their friendship. Celestia, her horn still somewhat charred, came into Chrysalis's room an hour later and sat in the chair in the corner. Neither one said anything, unwilling to be the first to start any sort of conversation. But a question burned in the back of the changeling's mind, one she couldn't let go unanswered, no matter how badly she wanted not to care.
"Why?"
Celestia quirked an eyebrow, as if asking her to clarify.
"Why did they spare me? Why are you sparing me?"
Celestia smiled. "For the same reason you chose to invade us. Equestria is full of love, just as you said. That's why I can find it in my heart to forgive you. Others may not share that sentiment, but I think you suffered more than you should have."
"I don't need your pity!" Chrysalis snapped.
"Pity is the only reason you and the last remaining members of your hive are still alive, Chrysalis."
Chrysalis cringed inwardly at the harsh truth of Celestia's words. "So why have you come, then? To gloat about how you vanquished the wicked changelings, and in a show of your unfathomable compassion, shall save us from extinction?"
"You realize, of course, that this could have all been avoided if you had opened negotiations with me instead of invading, right? We ponies give love freely. But now, after what you pulled, an unpopular stigma will follow your kind for generations to come."
"That stigma already existed, Celestia," Chrysalis countered. "We changelings are regarded as monsters by all members of Equestrian society. I had no reason to assume you wouldn't banish us the moment we set foot in your city. I had to feed my people by any means necessary."
"I'm still willing to start diplomatic talks with you, you know. I know you want what's best for your people, but they won't benefit if you cling to your pride."
"…Fine. Not like I'm in any position to resist, really."
"Now, I have just one question before we begin."
Chrysalis sighed. "Yes?"
"Did you have anything to do with my sister's disappearance?"
Chrysalis blinked in surprise. "No, actually. I never even saw her leave, and my hive was still hundreds of miles away."
Celestia looked crestfallen by Chrysalis's response, but put it behind her as she summoned a pen and quill. "Shall we get started then?"
XXXXXX
The next several hours were spent working out a non-aggression pact between Equestria and Chrysalis's hive. Changelings could travel to Equestria and gather love for the hive as long as they didn't obtain it by force. Chrysalis herself was not allowed to enter Equestria for a period of two years, and would be sent away with the few hundred changelings still remaining of her hive back to their own territory in the Badlands.
Just as Celestia finished up with Chrysalis, who immediately fell asleep, a guard rushed up to her. "Your Majesty!" he cried. "Princess Luna has returned!"
Celestia's eyes widened. "She has?! Where is she?!"
"She's in your bedchamber, waiting for you, Your Highness."
XXXXXX
The moment Celestia laid eyes on her sister, she let out a sob she didn't even realize she had been holding back and hugged Luna tight. "Oh Luna, I missed you! What happened to you?! I was so worried, and then all these awful things happened at the wedding, and…oh, don't scare me like that again!"
"Did I miss something, sister?" Luna hesitantly asked. "Because I have a story to tell myself."
"Oh…um," Celestia stammered as she released Luna. "Please, you go first, Lulu."
And so Luna recounted her tale of chasing after the demon hound, trying to stop it from eating its way through the protective barrier, and finally battling it in the Everfree Forest and narrowly escaping the fire that ensued. The story, and the monster's description, left Celestia with a dark, worried feeling.
XXXXXX
Somewhere in the Frozen North…
From within his makeshift lair in the mountains, the royally-clothed dark unicorn grinned cruelly, flashing his unnaturally-sharp teeth. "Yes…the time is near at hand," he spoke aloud. "I can almost see it…The Crystal Empire will return any day now, and when it does, it will be mine once more."
King Sombra chuckled as a dark presence loomed behind him. "You are not seriously thinking of attempting to reclaim the city on your own, are you?" it hissed. "A foolhardy plan."
Sombra whirled around and glared at his mysterious benefactor. "Do you doubt my power, Demon King?!" Sombra growled angrily.
The dark one shifted in a way that suggested it was shaking whatever passed for its head in its current form. "If we had any doubts about your power, Sombra, we would not have bothered to even approach you and free you from your icy prison. But our enemies are not to be underestimated. That is why we are placing a few of our own units under your command."
The demon reached out with one black claw and tore open the portal it used to come to Equestria. "Come forth, beasts of darkness," the dark force intoned. "Come and serve the will of your king!"
Sombra watched cautiously as six lupine shapes loped forth from within, stretching out their large wings and spear-like tails as they padded over to the demon king. Sombra raised an eyebrow. "What manner of beasts are these?"
The demon idly scratched one of the hellhounds behind its ears as it answered, "These are Hounds of Majora. They serve as shock troops in the royal Dark World army. They can match skilled pegasi in aerial maneuverability, can breathe fire, and can impale enemies with their tails. But their greatest asset will serve you well. They can eat force fields."
Sombra's eyes widened. "You jest."
"Gwo hoh. We never were one for humor. They can drain any shield they encounter, so long as it is not constantly replenished at a faster rate than they can consume. Take good care of them; these are the only troops you will command until the hour of Lord Majora's return is near at hand."
Sombra watched as his benefactor left through the portal without another word, closing it behind it. Watching these so-called "Hounds of Majora" closely, the Crystal Tyrant resumed his place at the mouth of the cave, staring into the omnipresent blizzard, waiting for his empire to return to him. The Hounds lined up beside him, three on either side of him, and joined him in his silent vigil.
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Demon King!!!!
It's Demise!
Sweet pwning
Do not end this story until the pinkie pie season three episode then you can end at anytime
Hm. Who knows what shall occur next i this cycle o- oh wait. You basicly told us the next event already....well, some hounds get some nomming in at least.
-We will not be remembered by our names, but by the marks we leave upon the world
....Is vaati technically god-tier?
3434345 wut.
3434712 meh. I'd think that, since 4 swords and spirit tracks are in completely different sections of the timeline, that's probably not it.
(but , if true, good guess XD)
Damnit I should have known.
I'm going out on a limb and saying Majora is trying to make an enterance.
After all Majora's Mask is on the Minish Cap and Four Swords part of the timeline.
3434677
I can assure you, it is NOT Demise.
3434712
Nope.
3434683
Vaati stayed inside the Palace the whole time and would not come out again until at least a week afterwards. There you have it.
3434748 But it says Demon King!
3434709 He's final boss tier.
I know it can't happen for a while, but I really want Link to end up in Equestria, assume Vaati is still evil, and attempt to "save" the country from him. It would be hilarious.
Hijacked by Ganon...
For some odd reason... I see "Demon King" and think of this...
Image
Or otherwise this image
Woo-hoo! This chapter had me grinning like a dumbass all the way through. It's been a long time since I've had so much fun with a FimFic. Thank you good sir!
Called it and it wasn't disappointing... but now we move on to Sombra.
I do hope Link ends up in Equestria at some point.
3434915 Um, I'm not the author, LordSiravant is. But I agree that this is an incredibly enjoyable story.
Yay, competence! Yay, finding out who the bad guy is! Not yay, Celestia having to apologise for something she shouldn't have done!
All in all, super.
That. Was. AWESOME!!! The action was intense and well-paced. I loved how Vaati absolutely humiliated Chrysalis with his gambit (it does serve her right). That's what a final boss-tiered character should do.
3434938 I for one, hope not. For i've grown to like Vaati a ton, and i dare not imagine how things will go when Link does and the ponies suddenly turn against Vaati himself, because Link acts the silent hero again and stuff, would make me sad...
3434748 Anyway, on to the matter at hand...LordSiravant, good sir. You never stop amazing me, this was simply splendid, magnificent, fantastic, excellent, godlike.
Probabbly my most favourite one yet! Though, did you prepare these two chapters together at once or something? I recall that your chapters do take a while to be written.
I LOVED THE SLAUGHTER OF THE CHANGELINGS. Or to put it in better words...
I have a feeling I shouldn't be as proud of having thoughts like Vaati as I do.
(Wait, you have a dog that eats force fields?)
I have never laughed so hard in my whole life…
… And I have never felt such awesome… well, except for when I was watching Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann…
OH, COME ON! I wanted Vaati to at least get ONE kill in! Seriously, his kill count is lower than Goku's during Z! And Goku only killed TWO PEOPLE! His minions have a higher kill count than he does! It's just ridiculous! Just tell me that he WILL get to kill an enemy from this world later… at least Sombra?
Yes finally! Someone killed that nasty bugs!! yaaay
Why do ponies have to be so against total slaughter? I would have loved that because Vaati really needs a good kill.
So much epicness! Yet another success for Lord Siravant.
3435034
Why would they?
Alright, that was cool.
One question. Why is Sombra suddenly...not rabid?
Lol. You know... I can't wait for a "Magic Duel" chapter... because in-canon, it was Twilight whom Trixie blamed... in this, she is instead terrified of Vaati... That promises to be good.
Yes, V, yes somepony will. They won't ever let you kill or have your bloodthirsty fun.
3434758
So? This villain isn't recognized as a demon king in canon, but my story tells canon to go take a dump on itself, so...yeah.
3435560
With the demon king releasing him early from his prison and restoring his form, Sombra has had ample time to recover his sanity.
3434884
...Well I can assure you it ain't related to Zalgo.
Also, Siravant, I just now realized the obvious.
We've only seen two of Vaati's three forms in this fic, three of five counting his social form and his pre-Mage Cap form.
Vaati Reborn.
Vaati's Wrath.
... We've yet to see the in-between, "Vaati Transfigured", in which only light -or arrows- may pierce his defenses while he's free to spread crystals of darkness around his boss room.
WELL I'VE GOT A T-REX, AND IT EATS FORCE-FIELD GENERATING DOGS! Please tell me someone gets that.
... Is it terrible of me that when I got to the slaughterfest of the changelings I had a manic smile on my face?
Anyways, really loved the chapter and nice to see that Discord didn't sit this one out. I take it we'll be seeing more of Chrysalis, or at least the changelings in general, at some point in the future?
Run in with a changeling in Ponyville on their love gathering perhaps? Love the direction you're taking this so good luck with the rest of the story, I'll be waiting. 
Complaining time:
Awww man, another mercy? Bah! Vaati does not approve.
I know that you probably get this a lot but I'm still saying it. A Link appearance would be nice. Maybe in the final battle against Major as he and Vaati join forces.
I know it'll never happen, but it irks me that you planned this in your charter to never do it. I enjoy the fic no doubt, but it would be nice if there was something to add a little more conflict than there currently is. It's your fic, do what you like, I'm not going to tell you how to write it; and nobody else will. I am perfectly content with this fic and how it is.
Again: I think bringing in Link at some point would cause some tension, which is what I like seeing in a fic like this.
3436341
...Um... I think... One of the Toy Stories? Saw something similar in Toy Story...
3436866
Okay, I'm going to say this one more time, and I want you to pay close attention, because I am not answering this question again, no matter who asks. Yes, Link will eventually appear. Yes, there will be tension between him and Vaati when they meet up. Yes, he will be an important character when he appears. And yes, he will join forces with Vaati against the demon armies. BUT NOT IN THIS OR THE NEXT SEASON. Link will not appear until Season 3.
3434879
3434824 Sooo........God-tier +5?
3435798
Well of course is isn't!
...But I have my suspicions
3437787 nope, infinty+1 tier boss
here's a description of an infinity+1 sword static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/InfinitySword3_7763.jpg
now... imagine what an inf+1 BOSS is like
Sounds like me when someone interrupts me during Warriors Orochi 3
A part of me thinks of Waking Nightmares with these unexpected allies gathering for something big in the works
3437353 Yeah, that's it.
1604098 nice name and pic XD
(i love Doctor Whooves and Derpy Hooves and Octavia, and Vinyl....*keeps talking for 20 minutes...*)
Okay, I have a question... mainly it's because I was under the impression that Majora was canonically female? Basically the Dark Goddess who was Demise's mother, or something like that.
OMG. THAT WAS EPIC.
3439949
In this continuity, Majora is technically genderless, but is also male-oriented.
3438154
//puts on sunglasses
What if I told you this series was partially inspired by Waking Nightmares?
3441652
Alright then, thanks for clearing that bit up.
3441652
Vaatis forces completely destroyed the changelings, and Vaati almost killed an overly powered Chrysalis awesome
3444871 well, yeah, but it just takes me a while to kill one.
PLUS i missed one of the hidden skills so i don't have all of them to my advantage...