The Reception

by sister_mike

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Twilight Sparkle

"That's no ponyquin, no dummy that's absorbing the energy; it's Princess Celestia," Twilight said.

"What!?" Pinkie Pie said.

"Twilight, are you serious?" Applejack asked.

"How do you know?" Rarity whispered.

Twilight stared down at the princess. Her eyes were wide open, the pupils dilated so large that her purple irises were hard to see. A twisted, large grin was stuck on her face. Her shiny white coat was darker, almost black; the colors from her mane were faded.

Twilight walked around the princess for a better inspection.

"See?" Twilight said. As if on cue, as she pointed to the princess's cutie mark, a flash of lightning struck, illuminating the room. It had grown dark outside, the night sky taking over. Another moonless night; Princess Luna was still missing.

Her friends gathered closer to look at the cutie mark. Sure enough, it was a picture of the sun, identical to the one that Princess Celestia had.

"What's going on? Why is she absorbing all the energy?" Fluttershy asked.

"I-I have no idea," Twilight whispered. She walked back to the front of Celestia and stared her in the face. "Princess Celestia? Can you hear me?"

Celestia didn't move.

"What do you think we should do? Do you think we should try n' move her?" Applejack asked.

"We have to get her out of here, the energy is changing her," Rarity said.

"Princess Celestia! Wake up, can you hear me?" Twilight said. She put her two front hooves on the princess's shoulders and shook her. Nothing.

Twilight looked around the room. The green cocoons illuminated the space. No changelings had come in after them. Another flash of lightning struck. Twilight thought she saw something move in the corner of her eye, but when she turned, nothing was there.

"We need to get out of here; we need to get Princess Celestia out of here. We need to find Princess Luna—she'll know what to do," Twilight said.

"How are we going to get her out?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight bit her lower lip, panic slowly seeping in. The slow stream of energy continued to waft into Celestia's horn. What if when they moved her and cut her off from the energy, something bad happened? Like she evaporated, or woke up in an angry rage—or even died?

"I don't know," Twilight said.

"What about the energy source? What if something happens when we move her?" Rarity asked.

"Maybe we should try to find Princess Luna first?" Fluttershy whispered.

Twilight looked at her friends. They were all waiting for her to make a decision. She didn't know what to do, and they were all counting on her. She put her hooves on the princess's shoulders again.

"Princess Celestia, please! If you can hear me, send us a sign! Please, wake up!" Twilight cried.

Maniacal laughter filled the air. It came from all corners, every direction. Twilight backed away from the princess, her head spinning, trying to locate the source. Lightning flashed again, and Chrysalis dropped from the ceiling, having hidden amongst the pods.

"It'ss uselesss," she said, "Princesss Celestia won't wake until I tell her to do so—and she is almossst ready."

"What have you done to her?" Twilight asked. Her friends joined her by her side.

Queen Chrysalis cackled, lightning flashing behind her. Something stirred behind Twilight and the others—changelings were coming in, blocking the door.

"Why are you using all of this energy on Princess Celestia? I thought you conquered Equestria to feed your changeling subjects," Twilight said.

"Yess, that was only one part of our plan. There are so many poniesss acrosss Equesstria, and so much energy, that we are burssting at the seams with it! Little by little, over the passst few monthss, I have been feeding the energy into Princess Celestia. The energy issn't the same energy that we changelings feed on. The energy she is receiving has been tainted by dark magic. She is transsforming! Sssoon she will be a changeling, a changeling queen like me, and she will be completely under my control! She will rule along besside me, and as we expand our territory, I will govern the different realms using my alicorn puppets, and will take over the whole world!"

Lightning flashed and thunder roared as Chrysalis cackled again. The changelings kept walking closer and closer, circling around the ponies.

"Alicorn puppets... plural?" Twilight said.

"Oh Twilight, you don't misssss a beat!" Chrysalis said, "If you weren't the leader of the Elementsss, I may have just ssspared you!"

"What do you mean puppets plural!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"She... she plans to do the same to Luna, don't you Chrysalis? Except your dark magic doesn't work on Luna as it does on Celestia, because Luna still has dark magic in her and it counteracts yours! That's why you've awoken Discord! Since he was the one who planted the seed of darkness in Luna, you're hoping he'll know how to get rid of it so you can turn her into a puppet too!" Twilight said.

Her head was spinning as it all came together. Fury raged through her. She glanced back at Celestia again. Princess Celestia, her idol, her peaceful leader—now, nothing more than a blackened puppet.

"You really are the smartessst pony in the land," Chrysalis said, a wicked grin on her face.

"Except your plan isn't working as you had hoped, because Discord doesn't know how to change Luna back. That's why you two were arguing," Twilight said, more aloud to herself than to Chrysalis, as she put the puzzle pieces together.

"So," Chrysalis spat, "that little dragon did contact you. And you warned the griffins. No matter; once Celestia is in my control, which she will be done her transformation very soon, I will send her and my army to Griffordia and we will take them by storm anywaysss!"

"No," Twilight said, standing tall, "we won't let you do that. We have the Elements of Harmony, and we're here to stop you!"

Chrysalis laughed. The changelings around them snickered as well.

"You can try all you want, my little poniesss, but we are too powerful now, thankss to all of your energy. We are unstoppable, and not even your little Elements can defeat uss," she said.

"Come on girls! Don't listen to her; we can—and we will—defeat them," Twilight shouted. She whipped out her Element crown and stood in position, the others taking out their Elements and standing behind her.

Twilight closed her eyes and felt the power of the Elements take over. She rose off the ground and could feel the positive energy flowing around them. A surge of energy powered through her and she knew that the Elements were charged, that their positive rainbow magic was ready. Twilight opened her eyes, and together, with her friends, she thrust the energy towards Chrysalis.

Chrysalis laughed. She shot a green beam of power out of her horn and it hit the force of the Elements. Twilight pushed harder, summoning all of her energy. They had to defeat her. They just had to. But Chrysalis's beam pushed back, harder and harder, and soon it was overcoming that of the Elements.

Twilight could feel sweat rolling down her face. She was panicking. They were losing. The Elements were failing.

"No," she whispered.

And then it happened. Chrysalis's beam pushed the Elements aside and hit Twilight and her friends hard, full on force. They flew across the room, hitting the wall and floor. The changelings around them snickered as Chrysalis laughed triumphantly.

The Elements had failed.

Twilight staggered up. Rainbow Dash helped up Fluttershy, and Applejack helped up Rarity. Pinkie gave Twilight the most serious look she had ever seen on the pink pony's face. They had lost. They had failed Equestria.

"I tried to warn you; you and your pathetic Elementsss are no match for me! I'm going to tear you and your friendsss apart, going to torture you like I did your brother. You should have just stayed in your cocoon Twilight Sssparkle, and gone back to sssleep when you had the chance. Now it'sss too late," Chrysalis said. She slowly began to walk towards them, cornering her and the others, as the changelings walked behind her. "You cannot sssave Equesstria."

"They can't—but I can."

Chrysalis whipped her head behind her. Lightning flashed and a silhouette stood in front of the window, now opened. Twilight craned her neck to look over Chrysalis and the changelings.

"Princess Luna!" Twilight cried. A surge of hope ran through her. Luna was ok. She was her normal self. Equestria had a chance.

"How did you essscape!" Chrysalis spat with anger.

"You got cocky Chrysalis, that's how," Luna said, stepping towards her, "and now you're going to suffer for what you've done to my subjects and to my sister, and to our kingdom."

Chrysalis hissed in anger. She charged towards Luna. Luna moved to the side and shot a beam of energy at Chrysalis. It hit her, but did little damage. Chrysalis shot back, and encountered the same result. It was almost as though the two of them had special force fields up and neithers power could hurt the other.

"It'sss no usse fighting Luna, and you know it. Our powersss are uselesss againsst each other," Chrysalis said.

"Doesn't matter; I will take you down and I will save my kingdom," Luna said confidently.

"Ha, you and who? These six? In cassse you failed to notice, I have all of the ponies imprisoned," Chrysalis said.

"I have an army outside, encircling the castle. Seemed you forgot about those stationed on my moon base, my guardians. While you took care of Celestia's, you, again, neglected your thinking when it came to me. And I have awoken many citizens, mostly those from Ponyville, and they are on their way to help fight," Luna said.

Chrysalis charged at Luna again. Their horns met and the two of them battled against each other physically. Twilight made a move forward to help, but a changeling hissed at her threateningly. There were too many of them for her and her friends to try and make a move.

Luna overpowered Chrysalis. She pushed her aside and Chrysalis fell across the floor. Twilight couldn't help but smile a little, and Pinkie did a small jump for joy. Somehow, the room had grown darker.

"You're right Chrysalis, our magic doesn't work against one another. Guess it just means I'll have to dispose of you the old fashioned way," Luna said darkly, walking towards Chrysalis. Lightning flashed. The outline of another pony appeared behind Luna, sneaking up behind her. Luna towered above Chrysalis, about to fatally attack her.

Twilight glanced again at the figure behind Luna. She then looked around the room and gasped.

"Princess Luna, no! Look out behind you!" Twilight shouted.

Lightning flashed. Luna turned just in time. Princess Celestia missed her and stumbled towards the side. Chrysalis seized the advantaged and kicked Luna to the ground. Celestia stood beside Chrysalis obediently. The room had grown darker, because the energy had stopped flowing into Celestia.

"No," Luna whispered. "Celestia, no... it cannot be."

"Oh but it iss," Chrysalis said smugly. She glanced over adoringly at Celestia. Celestia stood slightly behind Chrysalis, her eyes staring forward in a haze. "She is completely under my control now."

Luna stood, staring in shock at her sister. A pained look crossed her face, one that Twilight couldn't help but replicate.

"Sister... I have failed you," Luna whispered. She took a step towards Celestia. Celestia hissed. Chrysalis laughed. Celestia took a menacing step towards Luna. Luna took a step back, uncertain.

"You can do it Princess Luna! You can save her!" Twilight shouted. Chrysalis whipped her head towards the mane 6, almost as though she had forgotten they were there. She narrowed her eyes at them.

"Time for you six to disappear," she said darkly.

Chrysalis stepped towards them. Lightning flashed.

The last thing Twilight Sparkle saw was Celestia lock her horn in battle with Luna, the changelings surrounding the princesses, and Chrysalis's menacing bright green eyes.

Comments

[sister_mike]

Part 3!

[Akantia]

Oh this is so exciting so far. I can't wait to read more!

[Extinction]

WHEEEEEEEEEEWEEEEWWWWW!!!!!!

[Sage Probo]

Hoorey for part threy

[Sunset_Shimmer83]

ohnoooooooooo

[Sunset_Shimmer83]

wait where is Blinkie? wasn't she with Princess Luna in Ponyville? i hope the others are okay

[sister_mike]

1572865

She's probably with the army outside of the castle. Don't worry, we'll see her

[mbpony 512]

First off, nice start to the third act of the storyline as it seems that Chrysalis was BUSY for this plan.

Man, this plan truly took the heroes by surprised indeed. I can't even think of what will happen next in this tale of yours....

Will Sweetie Belle be freed in this storyline of yours and how will she take the news of the death of... ?

Please do keep up the good work upon such an exciting storyline.

[Richardson]

Twilight, you idiot. Forget Chrysalis, you should have fired the elements towards Celestia.

[sister_mike]

1574641

[Natzo]

How long is this final part going to be? About the same as 2?

[sister_mike]

1575423

It's probably going to be the shortest out of the 3. Maybe longer chapters than part 2, but not as many chapters. I'm not 100% sure yet.

[Sunset_Shimmer83]

1573572 I was just thinking that it would be kinda cool if Spike comes up with a plan that involves him getting greedy and wanting Twilight and his friends to all be safe, causing him to grow into a giant dragon and destroying queen crysalis

[Sage Probo]

1577025

Nah, as seen, he can't control himself in his "greed form", hence he would take the ponies, but then anything else in reach to hoard it. But i think too, Spike should show up with a plan. And i still wonder:

If the changelings feed upon POSITIVE energy, and Celestia is FULL of it, how in the creators name is Chrysalis able to "control" her? Wouldn't that simply just power Celestia up instead of brainwash her?

[sister_mike]

1577392

She said the energy she fed into Celestia was tainted by dark magic. She most likely had a spell on Celestia, that when the energy entered her, it turned into negative energy or something.

[Alondro]

*eye-twitches* Ok, that was all i could take...