A Journey Unthought Of: Revival of Chaos

by Hustlin Tom

Chapter 64 - The Battle of Canterlot Part 8

Falena flew low along the outskirts of the upper terrace to avoid the detection of the pegasi or other observant ponies in the area. She had seen all of the past half hour’s events unfold but could hardly believe any one of them. Discord had shattered the Elements, become powerless in the presence of Princess Cadence, and retreated to the middle terrace seemingly to cause havoc a safe distance away from her influence to increase his power. She could feel his clutches in the Hivemind’s consciousness, somehow restricted only to those drones he had physically touched: he had managed to give them individuality even as he enslaved them to his will. She just managed to dodge a stray bolt of magic that had been launched into the sky when she saw a pale blue light begin to quickly rise from the upper terrace and then arc back down toward the middle terrace.

“That must be her,” she declared with determination, and she spoke with her mind across their psychic link, Princess, can you hear me?

Falena! Thank the stars you’re still alive, Princess Cadence thought back to her, If you have any control over your Hive you need to leave immediately. I’m going to face Discord, and if you and the other Changelings are still here when he is defeated we’ll all be forced back to square one.

Believe me when I say I don’t want any further harm to come to either side, but we can’t leave now. Even if Discord is removed from the situation his magic could continue, and some of my Hive has been infected by him. Besides, Changelings created this mess, and I think we should clean it up!

Then I suppose we will succeed or fail together, the Princess thought as she finally spotted her ultimate opponent below, still locked in battle with Nightmare Moon, Whatever happens after this, I will remember what you’ve done for Equestria. I won’t forget the good you’ve accomplished.

Thank you, Cadence, Falena thought, her sincere appreciation for the Princess’ word crossing through their psychic connection, which she then closed again. Tugging on the Hivemind’s consciousness with her own, she signaled for the drones to approach Discord’s position with extreme caution. Instead of receiving the usual affirmation from the drones she had been expecting, the response was more one of apologetic refusal: her orders, while appreciated, weren’t necessary. “Oh no,” she breathed.

She was being overruled.

The Queen had to be nearby.

“I really am beginning to tire of our little game,” Discord said with a very minute but perceptible level of annoyance in his voice as he caused blood red lightning to spew from his taloned hand. The energy forked through the air striking Nightmare Moon in the chest. The attack forced her to the ground with a roar of pain, but she seemed to brush off the attack as she teleported out of his sight.

“Why can’t you just die,” she yelled as she attempted to strike him in the back as she appeared behind him.

Discord’s body contorted like taffy around her stabs and slashes, “We’re both made of sterner stuff then these mortals; you know that. You said as much when you tried to defeat your sister a millennium ago. Your inability to beat me is just a fact of nature, because no matter how much you try to destroy, remove, or contain me you can’t stop entropy.”

“Yet magic doesn’t have to end: it can go on forever.”

Discord’s lion paw stretched in length and wrapped around the dark alicorn’s neck, causing her magic and consequently her sword to waver and shimmer as he lifted her up.

“Everything bows to me in the end,” he grimaced evilly while watching his opponent futily swing her blade down on his arm, only to have it pass through intangibly, “You, your sister, and your precious Elements of Harmony.”

“Have you forgotten,” Nightmare Moon croaked through the draconequus’ grip, “that you are Chaos itself?”

Discord’s tale flicked about sporadically as he brought his free hand to his chin in mock moment of thought, “No, I can’t say the idea escaped me at any point, what with me declaring it all the time.”

“Chaos breaks down everything, including itself,” she declared as she smirked back at him, “Look back at every time you’ve been beaten. You could have broken the Elements ages ago, turned back time to change events to your liking, even wiped out anyone who could oppose you, but you can’t! Because in your moment of victory you would have lost: order would become chaos, and chaos order. You’d be a dictator without equal, but with no one to challenge you your rule would continue forever.”

“And how would that be so bad for me?” Discord asked as he continued to hold her up by the throat, “I’d be ruler of everything; changing anything I want when I want and how I want!”

“Except then your chaos would become the new norm, the new ‘order’. The truth is you can’t afford to be in charge for long, or else you become your own antithesis, so on a subconscious level you want to be beaten, and you doom yourself to failure every time.”

“Shut up,” Discord whispered as he began to squeeze harder.

“You are a contradiction, true, but a pathetic one at best,” she wheezed as her regenerative energies kicked in to expand her crushed windpipe, “doomed to either fail and be the jester for all of eternity, or to be the king of everything you hate.” With one last chuckle she sneered at the draconequus, “I don’t know whether to be disgusted with you for aspiring for so much and never being able to achieve it, or to pity you for even trying.”

Discord flung Nightmare Moon to the cobbled street hard, and with ferocity no one had ever seen he caused spikes to erupt from the ground to impale her all across her body. “DO NOT PITY ME!” he roared to the physically shocked alicorn. He ripped a slab of rock out of the street, gave it its own set of spikes, and slammed them down on top of the areas on her body that hadn't already been pierced, “You may think you’re a god, but there’s only room enough for one in this universe, and it certainly isn’t you!”

An emerald green arc of energy flew through the air and wrapped around Discord’s neck and yanked backward hard. Caught off balance, the Lord of Chaos strained to stay upright. His head revolved backward on his neck like an owl, and he saw that the one who bound him was none other than Queen Chrysalis.

“You,” he growled angrily as he reached for the whip around his neck and broke it with a flexing of his grip.

“I don’t care if you think you’re a god,” she seethed as she created an ethereal chain sword and began to aggressively swing it next to her, “you’re mine.”

Growling furiously he snapped his fingers and the Queen’s body began to transmute into glass from the hooves up. When the silica reached her knees, though, it abruptly stopped and then began to diminish and fade.

“You can’t out-change a Changeling,” the Queen quipped as she swung her chain sword through the air from ten feet away, only to have its segments extend to accommodate to her target’s distance and wrap around his neck. With a hiss she pulled him face first into the ground and flew over to slam his head repeatedly into the dirt. “Isn't it tasty?” she said with a mad chuckle, “Eat it up! Isn't that what snakes do?”

She is coming, the Conductor’s voice rang through Nightmare Moon’s mind. Stirring from her body’s physical shock, she fully processed what that message meant. Celestia’s almost there, he intoned again, You must get Twilight Sparkle. She is the key to fully restoring your sister.

Slowly craning her neck around, the dark alicorn looked at the slammed together serrated blocks that kept her in place. Closing her mouth and eyes tight, she began to levitate the top part of her prison off of herself, hollowly screaming in pain as she did. Her silvery life force leaked out of the holes in her body, sealing up the wounds from which the spikes had been removed. She began to have trouble lifting the dislodged block already above herself, and it slowly began to sink back towards her.

“Aunt Luna!”

Lifting her head to look in the direction of the upper terrace, Nightmare Moon saw Princess Cadence gliding in towards her. She felt the spiked block above her lifted up out of her control and saw it tossed to the side in a field of her niece’s unmistakably blue magic.

“Just hold on,” the alicorn of love tried to say calmly as she slowly began to lift her free of the spikes she was still pinned to, “Everything’s going to be alright.”

Nightmare Moon yelled into her own mouth again until she was completely pulled free of the spike tips. Even as she was gently laid down, her wounds had already begun to seal up, leaving no trace that she had ever been injured at all. “Get Twilight Sparkle,” she declared shakily as she rested on her side for a few moments, “We need the Elements here to finish him off.”

Princess Cadence was about to explain why that couldn't be done, but the voice who had helped her before spoke again, Do what she says: I have already spoken to her.

“But-“

Have a little faith, the voice replied, and then it was gone.

“Go!” Nightmare Moon yelled as her strength returned to her, and she picked herself up from off the ground to look in Discord’s direction, “What’s the worst he can do? Tickle me for a few more minutes?”

The ragtag group of the remaining Equestrian soldiers, RSD troopers, and Wonderbolts watched as their Princess flew back towards the upper terrace, while a literal titanomachy took place in front of them.

“General,” a private cautiously spoke up, quickly getting Blitz Hammer’s and Lieutenant Swiftfeet’s attention, “what are our orders?”

“To keep our flanks exactly where they are right now,” he replied calmly as he stared at the three beings battling in front of him, “We’re supposed to be brave, not suicidal. We’re staying out of this like the good little mortals we are.”

As the General finished his thought, a soft but deep boom in the West caught the attention of everypony observing.

A small bright point of light twinkled in the West.

“What is it?” one soldier asked.

“It almost looks like a star,” another replied in confusion.

Cloudchaser alighted to the other commanders’ position as they watched it, “It’s coming right for us.”

The three ponies could only just pick out the details of the fast approaching object. Then it gave a deep bellow. Equine in shape, Lieutenant Swiftfeet thought at first it was some sort of pegasus wreathed in fire, but that quickly changed when he saw the horn on its head. He had to partially close his eyes as he continued to look at it; the fires making up its mane and tail were so bright.

With a roar the alicorn crashed into the middle terrace, her impact scattering glowing cobble stones everywhere. The small patches of grass that had not been taken below with the rest of Canterlot’s citizens began to wither and dry up as she rose up. Her sclera were as black as the darkest night sky, but her pupils burned like twin suns as she looked around the battlefield. Even from the safe distance that they were, each of the soldiers could easily feel the heat radiating of the incandescent equine.

“By all the stars in the sky,” the General whispered in a mixture of awe and horror.

The Lieutenant nodded and said in an almost reverent whisper, “Sol Invicta.”

Nightmare Moon quickly turned toward the upper terrace: there was no sign of Cadence’s or Twilight Sparkle’s arrival. Turning back towards her sister, she saw that the burning mare was staring straight at her.

“Celestia,” she started as she tried to reach out to her, “…Tia, whatever this dark curse is that’s made you this way, you need to fight it!”

Discord gave a sharp laugh as he tossed the Changeling Queen off of himself, “I’m afraid she can’t hear you from in there: nothing is crossing her mind but ‘Burn baby, burn!”

“Impossible,” Queen Chrysalis hoarsely whispered as she hovered midair. Without warning she began to shake uncontrollably and giggle to herself.

As Sol Invicta’s gaze turned to the mad insect, a vision of the past entered her mind.

Green, blazing light quickly traveling up her own stream of magic.

Those green, reptilian eyes and sharp fangs.

The creeping coldness as she slipped into oblivion.

She had tried to put her out.

The burning alicorn exuded a great wave of heat, causing all the foliage within a thirty feet of her to instantly char and turn to ash. With an unholy shriek Sol Invicta jumped and tackled the Changeling Queen, her very touch causing the insectoid monarch to cry out in pain as her exoskeleton began to warp and bubble. Transforming into black ooze the Queen tried to slip away, but her particles were so full of energy from the heat around her that she was beginning to visibly evaporate. Growling at her opponent’s retreat, Sol Invicta opened her mouth wide and a gout of flame chased after her. Sliding in underneath a nearby pile of rubble to reconstitute herself, the Changeling Queen began to incorporate it into her outer plating in order to shield herself from the extreme heat. Fire-like ether spouted out of Sol Invicta’s horn, and the pile of marble and stone her enemy was resting under violently exploded outward in all directions. Only half-prepared, Queen Chrysalis frantically lashed out at the burning alicorn with her chainsword. As the tip of the blade lashed around Sol Invicta’s neck it began to melt, and steaming emerald colored ether fell to the street like molten slag.

“This is impossible,” the Queen whimpered as she reached a whole new level of desperation, and began to look for a crack to slip into to escape. Seeing none, she darted off into the sky.

With another angry yell, Sol Invicta easily belched another stream of fire. The burning trail lanced through the sky, wrapped around the escaping insect, and bound her wings with burning cords. With a frightened prolonged scream, the Queen was brought back to the earth.

Several Changelings who had been watching their sovereign wage battle could no longer stand by and watch her be harmed anymore, and they swarmed around her. The burning alicorn watched impassively as they circled around her and waited. Before any of the Changelings could commence some sort of attack, they heard and felt the crackling and snapping of the membranes in their wings, and before they knew what to do they fell out of the sky.

“My children,” Queen Chrysalis whispered in sorrow as she watched them sink to the ground, and their pain echoed into her mind.

Sol Invicta turned her penetrating gaze down on the Changeling. With a rasping cough, she cleared her throat, and what looked like magma dripped from her mouth.

“Every…thing…burns,” she struggled to vocalize.

Bubbling energy spewed from her horn, and a flaming sword entered into existence.

“You...took…my life,” she spoke louder, and the point of her fiery blade turned towards her opponent’s chest.

Queen Chrysalis sobbed softly in fear, hatred, and grief. With her pleading eyes she tried to pry any sense of mercy from Sol Invicta. All that stared back at her were two burning points of light in a dark void. There was no grace or mercy to be found there: only an unstoppable fire. No matter how much she was to stare into those eyes, they would not fade or blink, since there is no outstaring the sun.

“NOW…I TAKE…YOURS!” she roared, and she brought the blade up.

“Princess?”

Sol Invicta halted her blade’s path into her enemy’s heart. Slowly she turned her head to a lavender unicorn and two alicorns.

The unicorn had spoken to her, but more importantly she knew her.

Studies with a young filly.

So many scrolls she had sent.

Friendship.

Friendship is magic.

“Tw…” she struggled with the name, “Tw…Twilight?”

“Princess,” her most faithful student whispered through the tears growing on her cheeks, “Please don’t.”

The burning mare’s fiery mane and tail began to shrink, and the points of light in her eyes began to grow wider.

“I,” she tried to speak as she glanced back down at the Queen of the Changelings, still sobbing at her hooves, “What was I…”

The time has come, the Conductor intoned in her mind, for this conflict of races to end there is only one solution: eliminate the Queen.

The mare continued to look down at her opponent as she breathed in and out heavily.

You must do this, the voice insisted, the moment is almost past. Kill the Queen now!

Looking down, still caught halfway in her madness at Discord’s hands, Princess Celestia said one simple word: “No. No. Nonononononono.” Finally, as just enough of her madness left her that she could feel grief and shame, she screamed, “NO!”

A flash blinded the area, but as everyone watched, a trail of light flew up into the sky and disappeared. Sobbing, confused, and still out of her mind, Princess Celestia flew out of the planet’s atmosphere and turned into a singular point of light. She sped up, going faster and faster. Aithon, the red planet, appeared in her vision, but as she accelerated it began to change color: orange, to yellow, to green. As it turned blue in color she passed it completely. Another enormous planet she didn't recognize passed by in the blink of an eye. Another with a gigantic ring surrounding it barely even entered her vision before she flew past it in silence.

No, stop, the Conductor tried to calmly urge her, but its voice began to show signs of panic, Please you need to stop! Wait! Stop!

She ignored the voice, which made it cry out even more, You have to stop or everything is doomed! For the love of the stars, stop! Stop!

Comments

[Alan Smithee]

"You won't like me when I'm angry"

[Hustlin Tom]

4824383
I'm hoping it didn't feel rushed, but I wanted to show that when the gloves come off Celestia can be a very frightening opponent.

If you're curious, here's the music I used for inspiration when writing for 'Sol Invicta'.

[Luckyfanisaac]

unfold but could hardly believe a one of them.