Final Approach
“Breeze, if this thing doesn't fall apart, it’ll be a miracle!” Flit shouted from below decks as he ran the engines.
“Don’t worry Flit, she’s old, but she’ll hold together, won’t you girl?” Violet said taking the steering wheel.
“Um... can this thing go any faster? Treble asked, watching as a trio of guards pursued them.
“Breezy, go help Flit with the engines,” Violet ordered.
“Alright, I’ll see if I can’t squeeze a little more out of her,” Breeze said, hurrying below decks.
The five of them had found the old Lunar guard airship, and subsequently stolen it from where it had been moored as a museum piece, and now they were fleeing from the royal guard.
“Are you sure that this was the only way? Cotton Candy asked.
“Breezy said that there wasn’t a faster way there, and that we needed to hurry,” Violet said, steering the airship northwards, around the mountain. “Speaking of which, how are you doing with that engine?”
“It’s a little old, but it’s starting to hum now,” Breeze replied over the noise of the engine.
“So how do you know how to drive this thing? Candy asked.
“It’s just like a ship on the sea. The wheel is the same and everything. The only difference is the throttle controls the speed, not a sail,” Violet replied, pushing the throttle as far as it could go.
This elicited a cough from the engines as they were pushed after so long at rest.
“Violet! Are you trying to kill us?” Flit’s annoyed voice said over the crystal communicator system.
“Sorry Flit, but unless you want to get caught, we need all the power we can get,” Violet responded.
“The only way we could get more power now is to get out and push!” Breeze shouted.
“Um... Treble, can you go down below decks and toss out everything that we don’t need?” Violet asked, racking her brain how to coax enough speed out of the old airship to escape their pursuers.
“What do we need?” Treble asked.
“Keep the ammo for the cannon, but everything else can go,” Violet replied, looking back at the pegasi that were slowly gaining ground on them.
“Alright,” Treble said as he and Candy went down to start removing items from the airship.
They tossed some old barrels, all the mattresses, and everything that wasn’t bolted down of the side of the airship, sending each item spiraling down to the forest below.
“That’s everything!” Treble called after he and Candy lifted an old chest overboard.
Violet tapped on the air speed meter and saw it go up a couple notches.
“Can’t we get anymore?” she cried.
“I think I have an idea,” Breeze said.
Down in the engine room, he and Flit were monitoring the engines making sure that they didn’t overheat, or worse, break.
“Flit, can you use your magic to give it a little boost?” he asked his friend.
“I can try, but I don’t know if the engines can take it,” Flit said, getting ready to add magic power to the mechanisms inside the engine.
“Just so long as it doesn’t blow the engines,” Violet said.
Flit’s horn glowed green and the engines started to rumble as they were forced to work even harder.
“Keep that up, we’re getting more power,” Violet called over the roar of the engines.
As the magically boosted engines struggled, the airship began to pull away from it’s pursuers, and soon they turned back to Canterlot.
“Alright Flit, that’s enough, I think we lost em,” Violet shouted into the communicator.
Flit let the magic go, and fell to the floor, exhausted from the effort.
“Violet cut the engines, they’re going to overheat!” Breeze yelled as he went over to help his friend.
Violet pulled back on the throttle until the engines were just above idling.
“Are you alright? Breeze asked, helping Flit to his hooves.
“Yeah, but I won’t be doing that again anytime soon,” he said.
“You won’t need to, they turned back,” Violet said, “So you can take a break for a while.”
Flit and Breeze turned to leave the now oppressively hot engine room.
--
“Once we get close to the outskirts of the Crystal Empire, we’ll have to split up,” Celestia said, addressing the small force of elite fighters in front of her.
“The more we spread out, the less likely it will be that we can be taken down in one attack,” Luna said.
“So it’s going to be individuals or teams of two, otherwise, it will be harder to move freely through the city,” Sombra added, showing the group a layout of their target.
“Remember, taking out key targets and dividing their force is the main objective for all of you, while we deal with Darkstar,” Celestia finished.
“Keep them busy and take out VIP’s, got it,” Soulless said.
“What ponies do you have in mind when you say ‘key targets’?” Chaotic asked.
“My son has summoned a number of shades who posses more free will, and are very strong,” Luna replied.
“Like who?” Red asked.
“Those of you who fought at Van Hoover might remember a few of them. One is Dark Flame, he is fully armored, and very strong. If you encounter him, stay out of melee range if possible. Dhanthas is another survivor from that battle. He’s one of the most dangerous shades at Darkstar’s disposal,” Luna said.
“Most dangerous? He wasn’t much of a challenge last time,” Soulless scoffed.
“Neither of you were fighting at your full strength then,” Celestia said. “This time, he will be much tougher.”
“Will I be going in with Dasher and Solid?” Lightning Shaker asked.
“I’m sorry, but Violet Runner and Solid Gear have an important role in manning the airship with Quicksilver,” Celestia said.
“Red, you and Chaotic will be going in by yourselves, so be careful,” Luna said.
“Prepare yourselves, this will be a hard battle,” Celestia said.
“The fate of Equestria depends on us,” Luna finished.
--
Chrysalis couldn’t keep flying forever, she just didn’t have the strenght, but she was determined to get as far away from that monster as possible.
Just when she felt that her wings would give out, she saw an airship, drifting lazily along through the sky.
She flew towards it, not caring who might be aboard, and landed on the deck, exhausted.
“Hey, what was that?” a voice sounded from inside the airship.
“Do you think it’s one of the guards?” another voice asked.
“I don’t know. It shouldn’t be, we’re far enough from Canterlot that they shouldn’t have followed us,” a third said.
“I’ll go check it out,” another voice decided.
“I’ll go with you,” the third voice, obviously the one in charge said.
To her, it sounded like she had just landed on a ship that was stolen by some kind of pirates. Not an ideal place for an exhausted changeling queen who is on the run.
She saw a white unicorn stallion and a pale yellow pegasus stallion exit the cabin of the ship and look towards her.
“Flit!” the pegasus called below deck urgently.
A few moments later a changeling appeared beside the two of them.
Chrysalis just lay there watching them as they cautiously approached her.
“It’s definitely Chrysalis,” Flit said.
They all got on their guard at the mention of her name.
“Do you think she came for the Elements?” the peagsus asked his friend, letting a blade slide out of a leather bracer he wore.
“I don’t think so Breeze, she looks to be in pretty bad shape,” Flit said.
“What should we do?” the unicorn asked.
“I think we should throw her overboard...” Flit said.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Chrysalis said, trying to stand.
All three of them took a step backwards as she came to her full height.
As it appeared like they would attack her, two more ponies came out of the cabin; a purple earth pony mare with an eyepatch and a bandana that corralled her seafoam green mane, and a pink unicorn mare with a magenta mane with pale pink highlights.
“Ooh, who’s this?” the purple mare asked happily.
“Violet, you don’t know who this is?” Flit questioned.
“Who?” the mare asked back.
“This is Chrysalis, she tried to take over Canterlot over two hundred years ago,” Breeze explained.
“That’s Queen Chrysalis,” the agitated queen stated.
“Ooh, a queen. Nice to meet you your majesty!” she said with a quick bow.
This caught Chrysalis completely off guard.
“Um, t-thank you,” Chrysalis stuttered.
Who are these strange ponies. She wondered.
“What are you doing here?” Flit growled.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” Chrysalis snorted.
“Please, will you tell us what you’re doing here?” Violet pleaded.
“If you must know, I am trying to get as far away from Darkstar as possible,” she sighed.
“But I thought you were serving him,” Breeze said.
“Well, I’ve seen him for the monster he is, and want no part of what he’s doing,” Chrysalis said.
“Then you’re going to help the good guys now? Yay!” Violet cheered, giving Chrysalis a hug that almost knocked her over.
“I never said, ngh, I would help you,” Chrysalis said, struggling to get out of the hug.
“Aww,” Violet moaned letting her go.
“But, I will be willing to thwart Darkstar,” she said steadying herself against the side of the airship.
“How can we be sure that you’re not leading us into a trap?” Flit questioned.
“If you do not wish for my help, then fine, I will just leave,” Chrysalis shot back.
“Flit, she could actually help us,” Breeze said.
“You can’t be serious!” Flit protested.
“She doesn’t seem that bad,” the pink mare said, finally adding to the conversation.
“If Candy thinks she’s alright, I guess I do too,” the unicorn stallion said.
“Not you too Treble?” Flit questioned.
“Why are you being such a grump Flit?” Violet asked.
“She took half of my brothers and sisters and turned against us! How can you all not be skeptical?” he questioned.
“Flit, don’t you know? The best way to defeat an enemy, is to make them your friend,” Violet said.
“But...” he protested.
“You have most certainly learned well Flit, you shouldn’t trust your enemy,” Chrysalis began.
The others turned to her in surprise.
“But, she’s right, the best way to defeat your enemy, is to make them your friend. I’ve seen it with my own eyes how effective that strategy can be,” Chrysalis finished.
Violet broke out in a big smile and gave Chrysalis another hug.
“I knew you were nice,” she said as she let Chrysalis go from the hug.
“So what are you doing here?” Chrysalis asked the group.
Breeze exchanged looks with a couple of the others.
“It’s alright, we can tell her,” Violet said.
“Alright. We’re headed to the Crystal Empire to find the other Elements of Harmony,” Breeze said.
Chrysalis gave out a laugh.
“You five are going to the Crystal Empire? You won’t even make it into the city,” she scoffed.
“Normally, no we wouldn’t be able to even get close without being captured. But, with Celestia and the others creating a distraction, we can slip in,” Breeze explained.
“Hmph, that doesn’t sound like Celestia’s style,” Chrysalis commented.
“It wasn’t her plan,” Breeze said.
“Oh? Was it Twilight then?” Chrysalis questioned.
Breeze shook his head.
“Luna?” Chrysalis pried, now interested in who could make such a plan if not Celestia or her student.
“No, Luna didn’t even come back until after the plan was made,” Breeze replied.
“Then who?” Chrysalis asked.
“I think you might know this name, Mixer,” Breeze said.
Chrysalis was speechless.
“Did you say, Mixer?” she finally asked.
“Yes, but now he’s gone,” Breeze replied.
“Of course he’s gone, he’s been dead for almost two hundred years,” she said.
“No, he was alive... at least, he wasn’t dead,” Breeze said. “He kept himself alive somehow by putting his soul inside a crystal.”
Crysalis let out a snort, “That sounds just like him, to find some way to outsmart even death.”
“Why are you so mad?” Violet asked.
“Because, he betrayed me!” she snapped.
“I know what you’re talking about, and that wasn’t his fault,” Breeze said.
“And how would you know what happened two hundred years ago?” she challenged.
“Because, he wrote about his life, and he regretted what happened to you,” Breeze explained.
“What do you mean?” Chrysalis questioned.
“He didn’t want you to be turned to stone along with Discord, things just worked out that way,” Breeze said.
“Then why didn’t he release me? If he felt so badly about it, why did he leave me there to rot?” she growled.
“Because, only the Elements could reverse it, and Celestia wouldn’t allow it,” Breeze answered.
“So if Celestia had just let her out, then this whole thing could have been prevented?” Candy asked.
“It looks that way...” Breeze trailed off.
“But that’s all in the past right?” Violet asked, looking pleadingly towards Chrysalis.
“It may be in the past, but that does not mean it doesn’t still matter,” the changeling queen snorted.
“But you’ll still help us right?” Violet begged.
Chrysalis let out a heavy sigh, “Fine.”
“Oh thank you!” Violet said, latching onto her in another hug.
“I can’t help you if you collapse my lungs,” she gasped.
“Sorry...” Violet apologized, letting Chrysalis out of her vice like hug.
Chrysalis sucked in a breath. “Please don’t do that again.”
“If you’re going to help us, I guess we should properly introduce ourselves,” Breeze said. “I’m Divergent Breeze.”
“I’m Violet!” the purple mare chimed in happily.
“I’m Treble Pitch, and this is Cotton Candy,” the white unicorn stated.
“And you already know Flit,” Breeze added, concluding the introductions.
“Exactly how are you going to help us?” Flit questioned.
“I know every position where shades are stationed, and I know where the least guarded entrances are,” Chrysalis replied. “Oh, and I can prevent the changelings from interfering.”
“That’ll be one less thing we’ll have to worry about,” Treble said.
“What about the Elements?” Breeze questioned.
“I know of only one, and he is currently with Applejack, Chrysalis said. “If you were thinking of rescuing him, you won’t. As soon as Darkstar senses something wrong, he will choke the life out of him.”
“Well, let’s hope that he won’t notice when he’s fighting the princesses,” Candy said.
“Uh, Breeze?” Treble quired.
“What?”
“Where is she going to stay? We kind of threw off all the beds...” he trailed off.
“Oh... um...” the pegasus racked his brain.
--
Char was chilled to the bone.
She had been walking in the direction that Mixer had pushed her for almost an hour, and she couldn’t go much farther.
Suddenly, she felt the cold begin to lessen, and the snow beneath her hooves start to get shallower, until her hooves started to feel solid ground.
After a minute or so of walking, she felt grass begin to break through the snow, and the warmth of the sun begin to shine on her cold damp fur.
Char paused and shook some of the snow off of herself before taking a moment to take in some of the surrounding sounds and smells.
She could faintly smell flowers of various varieties not too far away, and she could barely pick up some chatter from a pair of ponies when the wind blew the right way.
This must be the Crystal Empire. She thought to herself.
Char began to slowly make her way towards the chatter until she could begin making out the words.
“... is everything ready?” one voice said.
Char could tell that the pony was worried about something, but she decided that it was best to stay hidden, so she hunkered down in some of the longer grass to listen.
“Almost. The foals’ things are all packed,” a second voice said, this one a mare.
“We need to hurry. There’s no telling when those things will come back.”
“I know, I know, but I want to make sure we have everything.”
“Radiant, I know you’re looking out for the foals, but we have to go now.”
The mare, Radiant let out a sigh, “You’re right, we have to go now. I’ll get the foals.”
“I’ll watch out for anymore of those things.”
Char listened as the mare’s hoofsteps receded into a building, soon to return with an additional two sets of smaller hooves.
“But daddy, why do we have to go now?” one of the foals whined.
“Yeah, I don’t wanna leave home” the second added.
“Boys, I know you don’t want to leave, but we can’t stay here.” their father said sternly.
Both foals let out groans.
“Listen to your father,” Radiant snapped. “We have to leave now, before those things come back for us.
Char heard the sounds of them coming towards her, so she tried to press herself to the ground, hoping to stay concealed.
“Huh?” the father said out loud, seeing Char’s mohawk poking up out of the grass.
“Is it one of those things?” Radiant asked, holding her foals close.
“Stay here, I’ll check it out.”
Char tried to flatten herself further as she heard him approaching. She remembered Mixer’s word and did not want to be discovered.
The stallion crept toward her, now able to see some of her light grey fur through the tall grass.
“Please, don’t hurt me,” Char said reflexively as he stood over her.
“Who are you?” he asked cautiously.
“My name is Char, and I’m trying to find somewhere safe.
“Well, you came to the wrong place. The Crystal Empire isn’t safe for anypony anymore. Not since the changelings and these shadowy things showed up.”
Char’s stomach growled . She hadn’t eaten in almost two days, but her fear and the cold had numbed her to the worst of it.
“Please, I just came out of the cold, and I need something to eat and somewhere to stay,” Char pleaded, now in a sitting position.
The stallion was silent for a moment.
“You can stay at our farm, but we can’t stay to give you any food,” he said.
“Could you... show me the way?” Char asked reluctantly.
“Show you? It’s right over there,” he said, gesturing to the small house not too far off.
“I... I can’t see...” Char said uncomfortably.
“Oh...” the stallion said flatly.
Char remained silent.
The stallion looked from his family back to Char.
“I can take you to the door, but that’s it.”
“Thank you,” Char said, letting out the breath she was holding.
Char stood up and walked beside the stallion to the door.
“There. I hope you can look after yourself.”
“Thank you,” Char said. “And I hope that you get out safely.”
“T-thanks...” the stallion said with bewilderment.
Char opened the door, and heard his hooves swiftly make their way back to where his family was waiting.
Char hoped that they would be alright in the cold, but her stomach forced her thoughts towards finding something to eat.
After going through the kitchen and finding a few things that didn’t require cooking, Char found a couch to lay on.
It was a relief to not be cold, hungry, and afraid for the first time in two days, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was in the midst of danger.
--
Applejack, Frost, and the rest of the posse picked their way past the bodies and debris left by the golem in the palace.
Despite the somewhat short, and one minded rampage, there was still severe damage to some parts of the palace, including the missing section of wall that Apple Bloom was now looking out over.
“Golly, that thing sure did a lot of damage,” she said, pulling her head back from the gap and shuffling away from the edge.
“I’m just glad we weren’t in it’s way like them,” Frost said, looking at a pair of changelings that looked like they had been used to knock out a wall, which they probably had.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac added, pushing aside a chunk of crystal out of the way.
“Ah wonder what happened to it?” AJ asked, going through a broken doorway.
“Are you sure you want to find out?” Braeburn asked, following her through the doorway.
The posse continued to make their way through the eerily silent palace until they got to the broken doors to the throne room.
They weren’t expecting the scene that greeted them.
In the middle of the throne room was the twisted remains of the golem, small parts scattered about the floor.
Standing over the wreckage was a changeling Queen, but it wasn’t Chrysalis. And sitting on the throne, was Darkstar, looking more content than ever.
That look made Applejack shiver.
“Ah, my only successes have come. Excellent timing,” Darkstar said, rising from his throne.
“What?” Braeburn asked.
“You are the only ones to not fail me. All the others have been disposed of,” Darkstar said, walking passed the twisted golem.
“What do you mean ‘disposed’?” Applejack questioned.
“Destroyed in your friends case, banished in the case of Chrysalis, and then replaced,” he said, reaching the posse.
“Destroyed?” Apple Bloom questioned.
“Yes, Mixer was quite savage, he annihilated all of them without remorse. But now, he is dead, and I have made sure of it,” the dark alicorn said, bringing forward the shattered remains of a the crystal that had been inside the golem.
“Mixer?” they asked in unison, all except Frost.
“Yes, he cheated death by putting his soul into a crystal, but I destroyed him.”
Darkstar turned and walked towards the balcony.
“Not even the princesses can stop me now.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.026 seconds
Total duration
1,036 users online
2,508,192 hits today, 2,814,898 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
>Cover art is just colored in mane six. lolnope.
3239135 That has to be the most random comment on here
3239135 did you seriously down vote me for that?
3239145 No.
3239147 Did you down vote me though? Because there wasn't one before...
not that I have a problem if you down vote it, but if you did, I'd like to know why, constructive criticism and all that.
3239151 Nah, dude, wasn't me.
3239176 Okay.
3239145
i.imgur.com/mdNzQSw.png
:^)
3239189 Mystery solved. Reason?
3239196
:^)
3239198 ?
3239198
>>Horse semen collection insemination
3239202 That caught my eye too...
3239204
i.imgur.com/adZwYAS.png
Now to guess which one is the real one.
3239221 The down vote one... because your steam was loaded more, and you can't un-vote. Also, did you downvote the Mixer Chronicles too?
Edit: Wait, what?!
3239230
I can neither confirm nor deny either of your theories.
3239241 Timestamp on first : 9:55
timestamp on second: 10:02
What?!
3239246
:^)
3239249
3239252
:^)
3239257
3239263 I'll give you a hint: :^)
3239265 It's really no big deal, I'm just confused now.
3239263
The answer is in my toolbar.
3239280 Oh photoshop, how you never cease to confound me
3239289
:^)
3239290 So, trolling?
3239295
:^)
3239304
Well, it's nice to know this fic isn't actually dead. Yet. moar updates for this fic. Is good.
3239389 It's also almost done. And also needs an editor. Gonna try to have the next chapter done by monday. (also likely to be the last chapter)
And when I do something, it's never truly dead, it's just sleeping.
3239394Well, that's nice to hear. Have a Holy Hand Grenade.
3239399 What?
3239400 The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch. Pull thy pin, count to three, and throw thy Holy Hand Grenade at thy target or enemy.
3239422 Does it work on trolls?
3239423 Are we speaking of the ones that dwell under bridges, or the faggots of the Interwebs?
3239426 the later
3239429 Ah, well you see, the Holy Hand Grenade only works on physical things, not the Interwebs. However, if you threw it at the actual person trolling, then that would obliterate thee.
3239441 Alrighty then
3239442 So you accept thy Grenade?
3239447 I humbly accept thy gift
3239449 *pulls thy pin, counts to three, and throws it at you* Here you go!
3239456
Ah! *explosion of holy wrath*
3239459 I am the Black Knight! Now, stand up, you have but a flesh wound.
3239464
Silly Black Knight, holy only effects demons and the undead. 
3239469 D'oh!
3239472
3239479 Thundercats, HOOOOOOOOOOO!
3239483 Snarf snarf
3239486 We burn together, forever, waiting for the One....