Thread 49: Stories 31-49

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 >32
"Q"
'Reggie'

Before the doors of the Gun Club, the changeling sat, his stance speaking of a thousand conflicting thoughts in his head, all centered around a singular drastically important choice.

>Okay, have to play this juuuust right, otherwise I can kiss my cranium goodbye. Which if dragon boy gibs me will be easier than you'd think. 'Hi, I'm here because a voice in my head says I should be'...nope, not gonna work, 'Hi, I'm here to help, I don't want to but I will'...noooope, hmm-

'*chitter*'

>Ha! Okay, telling 77 I'm his father would buy me some time at least, we're taking that one into consideration. Well guess I should stop pussy-footing around...

His hoof went to the door handle...and jiggled it.

>...

Again....again.

>Oh they don't lock the dungeon but they lock the door to their club house!? What are they afraid 56 is going to get into the hoverbikes...actually yeah that's probably exactly the reason but now how am I supposed to get in here?

The changeling's eyes darted to and fro, trying to find a possible alternative means of getting into the locked room.

"*tink*"

>Hmm?

"*tink*!"

>Above, what could possibly be abo-

The changeling's question died as he spotted what the golem was talking about. He grinned.

>Hello air vent my old friend~
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Fluttershy
"???"
'???'
~~~

It would have been a sad sight, had anyone been around to see it. A lone yellow pony, sitting just at the very edge of Canterlot, mere feet from the hordes that stalked along the shield, her shoulders slumped and her hair cast down over her face.

>Where is he...

She had been sitting there since this all began, since the instant that shield had dropped, and she had not moved.

Nor had she stopped calling.

Her horn flickered ever so slightly now and again. He should have been able to hear this. He should have...

"FLUTTERSHY!"

The pink blur that crashed into her almost bowled her over, almost. But thankfully, her pink friend can apparently stop on a dime.

"OH THANK GOODNESS THANK GOODNESS THANK GOOODDDNESSSSS!... I was worried you were outside and then I was going to find you all infected and I was going to have a moment where I was like "FLUTTERSHY NO!" and then Dash was going to have to grab me and go "She's not our friend anymore!" cause she seems like the one to most likely do that and then I was going to have to shoot you and your head was going to explode and-"

'THERE YOU ARE!'

You'd think Pinkie would take this moment to breath.

You'd be wrong.

"DASH! Oh thank goodness! I was like "Wait if Fluttershy's okay then that means DASH is the one that got infected" so that meant I was going to have to shoot YOU in the head screaming "She's not Dash anymore!" cause that clichè never gets old and then-"

The blue pegasus just rolled her eyes, ignoring the ranting coming from the pink earth pony, and instead focused on the crushed shape of what was once a yellow former-pegasus.

'You okay?'

From the way her face all but caved in, no, no she was not.

>He promised he'd come and fix it if something like this happened again... he said, he wouldn't let this happen. He could just... just snap it all away, just fix it all with a flick of his fingers, but he's ignoring me, and he won't talk to me, and he won't help, and... and...

Her head dipped down once more.

>I just wanted this one to be easy. Just once, just once I want someone else to swoop in before it got too bad and fix it all, not a single problem to it. He has so much power... it's not fair...

"B-but, Fluttershy? Don't you have-"

Dash's harsh glare cut that off better than her words ever could.

>I just wish it was easy, just once. Just once he just comes in, snap, and it all goes away and we go back to normal.

'...What even is normal anymore?'

They both turned to her, surprised at the strange tone in her voice.

'What would we go back to doing? Me fixing a failing Wonderbolt organization? Pinkie trying to figure out how to turn her reputation around after what happened? You trying not to summon giant bunnies to consume us all? What even is normal...'

Pointedly, she gestured at the monsters.

'This? This is normal. Stuff goes wrong, we fix it. It's never easy, it's never safe, but we fix it. Every time, we find a way. No matter what. And we don't need some magic supergod to come in and do it for us. We can do it, Fluttershy, us. And if Discord wants to ignore you... fine. We can deal with that too. We can deal with anything. Okay? Necklaces or no, we're the Elements of Harmony, and we save the day. You aren't going to save anybody waiting for him. But you are going to save the day... with us.'

She didn't know if she agreed with those words, at least not all of them.

One thing Fluttershy did know, however, was that she was right on one thing. She wasn't saving anybody over here.

>Do you have a plan?

'Nope.'

"Encouraging!"

'...'

"...Well, it kind of is."

'You ready to go?'

She gave one last little flicker. One last call. One last moment waiting.

>I'm ready.

And she thought about it no more.

Somewhere, in space, a certain someone did not know whether to feel pride for his little Fluttershy's courage.

...Or despair that once more, for all his powers, he was useless.
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 "Arana"
>AJ

It hurt

Make it stop

The pink hurts

Make it stop

Spread

"Applejack!"

Spread

Make it stop

"APPLEJAAAAACK!"

Two eyes shot open, four pairs of legs scuttled back in panic, a mouth closed from it's choked screaming.

The spiderling was cowering back in a corner, staring trepidatiously at the Apple Princess

"Please stop screaming Miss Applejack, they never stop screaming, Mama never s-stopped screaming...unti-...she.."

No

Don't let her panic

Not now

>Arana

The strained voice cut through the spiderlings panic like a hammer through glass; loudly

>Listen...listen to me girl

"I-i-i am, please tell me you're okay?"

Don't lie, job to do, organise.

>No- don't CRY on me, girl!

Arana whimpered at the shout, but stayed her tears.

>Listen...ah...ah dunno how long ah can hold this...thing-

She looked down to see the "thing" was spasming and frothing where it rested, the residual effects of what that Pink thing had angered it, and in turn hurt her...

> -back, so ah...no...Twilight has gotta stop it.

"Bu-bu-but mama never-

>AH'M NOT MAMA-GAAH!

A spasm of pain shot through her, just as the yell crumpled Arana into an even tighter ball. The voices were returning, with a vengeance

Spread

"She couldn't, she couldn't, she couldn't..."

>Arana, listen to me!

Her woeful reverie broken, Applejack pressed onwards.

>Ah need you... ah'm counting on you fer this, alright?

"Y-yes?"

>Find Twilight, she's..the gal's probably in her lab... you know how t' get there.

"I think I kno-"

>Ya don't think, girl, you KNOW how to get there, got it?

She whimpered something to the affirmative.

"But they're...what if they-"

>Can ya hear them?

She could, outside the castle, still wailing, and Applejack heard it inside of her-

"Bu-"

>Yer a smart girl, iffin y'see one, you know how t' avoid it, scuttle all over th' walls, stay out of their reach...hide from 'em, you can do it.

"Okay...Okay I'll...I'll go, but I'm scared"

>Ah'm scared too, ah'm....ah've never been more scared in mah life...but you gotta do this...please

She couldn't let her see her crying, she had to send her off with confidence

>Now, when ya get there, you tell Twi'...

"...Tell Twilight what?"

Breathe, compose yourself, do it for her.

>Tell her...tell her ah've been infected an'...an' ah need help...an' ah'm barricaded in mah office iffin she...needs me.

"What if she isn't there?"

>She will be, where else could she be, girl? Ah promise you she'll be there.

The spiderling nodded furiosuly, assuring herself. Or at least trying to.

>An' tell Twi' that....ah need something t-....to talk to...everypony else.... so ah can help them an....

Horseshit, she couldn't have something like that avaliable, everypony else could've fallen to this, save maybe Celestia.

No point not trying though.

>..ya got all that?

"U-uh huh, I'll tell her, I will, then should I come bac-"

>No! No.... just stay as close to Twilight as you can until she says it's safe, promise me you will.

"I promise! I promise!

>Okay...okay then...

She slumped to the barricade of the door, and gingerly used what strength she had left to eek out an opening. The pink light had vanished. Leaving an evening glow to peak into the room.

The spiderling scuttled hesistantly to the door, giving one last look at Applejack

>Go on, ah believe in ya...you can do it...

Arana jerked forward a little, before stopping herself, turning her head away as tears filled her eyes, she burst out the door.

She had instinctively gone for a hug, but older, more wiser instincts had stopped the fragile Arana.

The door slammed shut with a resounding bang. And Applejack slumped to the floor, watching the growth writhe and inch it's way across her belly.

Spread

>No

Teeth clamped, eyes strained, mind span as Applejack willed the thing into brief submission, /something/ long untouched awakening to fuel her amateur magicks. After brief pain, the fungus rescinded to it's starting point.

>Don't jes' sit there. Job t' do

Looking around, she still easily found her quill and parchment.

>Gotta do something, warnings, orders of...containment....triage....won't let this...win...

She had fought so hard through legions of paperwork to fix Equestria

She wasn't going to let some Nightmare Night mushroom undo all she had.

She'd paperwork her way out of it.

That's what she always did, right?

It'd worked so well before.

Only way she knows how, isn't it? How two bit of her

Just keep working, everything will be fine, one day, if she just kept working

Applejack began to write.

>Dear...Princess...Celestia....

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 So.

It was experiencing a new sensation, it seemed.

She had known this thing within her for so long, she thought she almost understood it. She thought for a brief moment, she could predict it in it's simplicity. But it seemed that was wrong. It still yet, even after all of it's prying into her deepest thoughts, had more yet it did not understand.

Something was fighting.

It made no sense to the thing within her, she could tell. It worked by infecting the very cells of the body, transforming what was once the host's own body into it's own personal puppet.

But something, somehow, was stopping it's S͡͏p̕r͠͡e̶a͏̛d̡.

It had no idea what to do in this case, she realized. Never did she pause to wonder why she, in particular, was privy to this sensation. None other of its hosts reacted. None other of those it thought of as its limbs were moved.

In fact... none of them were thinking like she was, were they? None of them were granted this ability, to contemplate, to question.

Not that she did, of course. She had given up on this so long ago, the idea of fighting was but a memory.

Fighting, like whatever it was that brought that strange sensation to her dear parasite. The sensation of almost... confusion.

It searched her again, for answers. Sadly, this time, she had none to give. She didn't know how to fight back any better than-

*SCREEEE!*

Huh.

It seemed it had, at last, moved on to another for more answers.

She was still quite a ways out from Canterlot, but idly she wondered when she got there, just what she would find.

It didn't matter, she supposed.

It would let her see it all...
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 >Spike
"77"
'???'
~~~

Purpose.

The dragon walking down the hall had purpose, that much was clear. What kind of purpose, however, was one that he knew wasn't going to go over well with everybody. All the same, he knew he had to do it.

"No."

No matter how final that tone in the elder changelings voice was.

>You can't stop me, 77.

"You put that back right now."

He idly rubbed the large box in his claws, unmoved by the harshness.

>I just said you can't stop me.

"The hell I can't!"

His bone knife was already out, poised and ready.

>Come on, best case scenario, you fail to reach me in time.

"And just what is stopping me?"

In response, a black shape fell between the pair, a sickly green wad of goo sharpened into a crude 'knife' glistening in it's hooves.

'I'll hold you off.'

"...Seven."

'Seventy seven. Nice to see you again. Honestly, was hoping Spike was wrong and you'd see the bigger picture on this, I've been dying to work with you again.'

"You can't stop me."

'Actually? I can, but I wouldn't, because that would mean hurting you, and boy do I not want to do that right now. We need to be fighting fresh if we're going to work as a team.'

"If we are, then you being here means a lack of vacancy that needs to be filled, correct? Then there is no need to-"

'Actually, I'm standing in for the Commander. She's busy keeping the princess safe, which means her secondary duty become null. We're still one shy.'

His look grew dangerous.

"She is injured."

>They'll try to kill her all the same.

"Those are infected ponies."

>She'll understand.

"She could die."

>Yeah, which is why I'm arming her.

He ripped the paper off the box, revealing a shining, almost glowing rocket launcher underneath.

>It's not tabladoo, but it'll work.

'...Is that seriously it's name?'

>She says it funny.

"SHE SHOULD NOT FIGHT IN HER CONDITION!"

He roared, angrily stomping forward, forcing the infiltrator bug to snap into a defensive stance.

'Don't wear us out before the real fight.'

"I don't care! I am not losing another one of my friends because-"

>Too late.

The dragon sounded disappointed, saddened really, as he opened the door.

The door to the quite empty, mostly barren, hospital room. Nothing but a bunch of wrecked machines and torn blankets.

77 shoved the dragon aside, frantic.

"Where did she go!?"

>I told you...

His claws gripped so tightly it left scratch marks all along the paint of the gun.

>You can't stop her.

A wave of sadness hit 77 when he realized just how right the dragon was.

>You still with us?

There was a long silence that followed, broken only by the loud, defeated sigh that punctuated its end.

"Of course I am. I will defend my hive, my home, and all of my friends. If I can stop it, I will not lose one more."

>Good.

Flippantly, the dragon tossed the rocket launcher to the other changeling.

>You any good with rockets?

'My skills are subterfuge and hand to hand combat.'

>Well, we've got subterfuge right here, and we're all great at hand to hand, so you better start pulling your weight.

'...Fair enough.'

>If it makes you feel any better, when we find her, you can hand it off-

A rocket suddenly went off, blowing apart one of the walls.

>...

'...Hair trigger, I swear.'

>Right... well-

He spun Charity's barrel, almost feral as he cocked back the hammer.

>It's time to defend Equest-

BLAM!

"..."
'...'
>...H-hair trigger...

"Right..."
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 >18
"Random changelings"
[???]
{???}
~~~~

With a SLAM! the doors of the ballroom flung open, and an imposing, powerful figure trotted forth.

>Alright, all of you! Listen up, because... what the fuck!?

She was stunned, barely able to process what she was seeing before her eyes, barely able to comprehend the nature of just what had become of this room, nothing but a wide gape to match her wider eyes.

>...When did you guys get so much stuff!? That's... that's a lot of stuff! That's more stuff than I ever got! What the fuck!? This is bullshit... there's a pool table over there! I fucking love pool! Where was this shit when I was living here!? What, did she just wait for me to go and decide 'well, now everyone just gets a whole fuckload of stuff!' I've been robbed! Swindled! Bamboozled even! This is bullshit this stuff looks nice!

While she ranted, the changelings continued doing what they had been doing before she even entered the room.

Which was, of course, panic.

And the saddest part was? They didn't look any different than normal. The only exception was exactly what they were screaming.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIIIEEEEEEE!"

That, for example, was only slightly uncommon.

>Will you all calm down!

As one, they turned to her.

"OH THANK LOVE! PRINCESS CADENCE!"

"WE'RE SAVED! We can all get supercharged, become invincible, and just run like he-"

>Oh, damn it.

"...D-damn whaaaa-"

In a flash of green fire, the mare before them all changed.

"..."

"..."

"...Who the fuck?"

>18.

"Nooot... ringing a bell..."

>I haven't been gone that long!

"..."

>Have I?... No! I was here last, oh, wait, Zompony thing... huh.

"Did you dunk your Applejack wig in candy for some reason?"

>Oh, fuck... 18! Top infiltrator!

"That's Seventy Seven."

>What!? No it isn't! I'm way better at infiltrating than he is!

"You can't even convince us you're you."

>That's not what... you know what, doesn't matter! The Queen has given me very, very specific instructions, and if 42 wasn't currently joined to Cadence's hip she'd be giving them to you instead of me, but I'm literally the only one left, so shut up, sit down, and listen!

Reluctantly, they all did.

>Good! Now.. what you're all going to do issss...

She fumbled with the sheet of paper in her hooves, trying to unwrap it.

"You didn't even look at it before coming in-"

>SHUT UP!

"Yes ma'am."

>Your orders are... do not engage the monsters, since they spread via contact, and once you get infected you're fucked. Stay in this room!?

The room went silent, confused by the tone of her last sentence.

"Uh-"

>What kind of bullshit is that!? We can fly and shoot lasers, and she just wants you all to hang tight!? See, this shit is why Applejack's on her case all the damn time! Noooo, let's not defend Canterlot or anything! Let's just sit and hide in the damn room and never even ask if-

[Would the guards let them fight if they asked?]

18's head, along with every other head in the room, turned to the distinctly not-changeling sounding voice.

>...Stop it with the disguise.

[What?]

>Your disguise, turn it off.

[I uh, I'm not wearing a disguise.]

>Bullshit.

[You are very sweary today.]

>The fuck you know what I'm like.

[You never swore this much when you went to the princess meetings. I mean, aside from that one time you walked through the walls.]

>...Bullshit!

[Uh-]

>Why the fuck is a guard living here?!

[I'm not a guard anymore. And JJ asked Queen Chrysalis and she said I could.]

{Verified.}

>...

Wearily, she looked down to the paper. Then back up. Then down again. Back up. Down one more time, then finally settled on up.

>Oh, you're the guy I'm not supposed to kick out.

[...Huh?]

{What, he got, like, a special mention?}

[Why?]

She didn't answer him, just continuing on.

>Well, I mean, you were a guard, would they fight together?

[Hell no. Unless you mean 'use as meatshields.' Er, chitin shields. Sorry.]

{We still have meat in us.}

[Trying to be culturally sensitive here.]

>...Waaaaait a minute! I recognize you!

{Finally?}

[Glad you stopped dancing. But you had great moves.]

>HAH! You are the guy who... Cadence can never know.

[What?]

>NOTHING! Just... fine! Stay in here, apparently it's the Queen's orders.

"Even if the monsters attack?"

She looked down at the paper.

>Yes. It also says I'm supposed to stay here...

She scoffed, tossing the paper aside.

>Fuck that. Stay inside, apparently! Don't do anything too heroic!

"We won't."

"Noooo worries there."

How she managed to face-hoof and keep walking, they would never know.

As one, they all strangely turned to Actarius.

[...Uh...]

"Got any advice?"

[...Barricade the door?]

"YOU HEARD HIM!"

"RIP UP THE FLOOOOOORRR!"

"Should we party?"

They all paused, waiting.

[No, you should not do that, at least not till later.]

"FUCK! Come on! Let's get back to barricading."

They grumbled, but did so.

[...Why me?]

{In the land of the blind, the one eyed changeling is Queen.}

[That expression does not fit me at all for just... so many reasons. Somehow, chief of which is it is implying I'm in any way capable. Which I'm not. I'm dumb as hell.]

{Meh. 18's the smartest changeling I know, and she just walked off. Sometimes brains don't mean more than just being there.}

[Now, see, that one I understood.]

{Got a plan B? In case things go south?}

[...I can start making one right now.]

{H-hah. We're all gonna die.}

"ARRIBA!"

{[""""NOT! NOW!"""]}

"Awww...."
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 NC
>32
"Chrysalis"

>So why was I let out then?

"..."

>...

"..."

>Weeeelllll?

"I don't fucking know, I think there was a point where I was just like 'What's another variable I could put in my favor? Oh that, gonna do that!' and then I did it."

>...

"..."

>Meh, better than most of my ideas.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 NC
~~~

>Is... is that... is that Harshwhinny in a scuba suit?

"I got really in the zone, man."

>What are the elephants with bombs on them for?

"The wha- OH FUCK
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 >32
"Q"
'Reggie'

>Okay, left here, right there, aaaand...a grate! That's great!

'*chitter*'

>Hey, I'm half-out of it on the sudden love withdrawls and augmentations, ok? They can't all be zingers!

"*tink*"

>It's gotta be the right grate, I felt my body start to wither when I tried to go past it.

'*chitter*'

>Yes I have entertained the idea that the voice is just a prissy bitch, but then it sucked more food stuffs out of me so I stopped questioning her.

"*tink*"

>You bet your ass it's a good thing Chrysalis doesn't know that's a good way to control me.

'*chitter*'

>Oh bite me, now, let's see...just need to apply the correct amount of pressure to the grate and I'm in...nngh...nnnnnngh...here...no no no....heeeeere...damn it.

"*tink*?"

>No no, I got it. Hmm...you know it occurs to me, I should try and land right into one of the seats around the meeting table, then when they come it I can recline in it like a Con Mane villain.

'*chitter*'

>Well you tend to go a little warped in the head when you've been stuck in a dungeon cell for MONTHS. Now...just...gotta...puuuush...aha-aaaaaaahhhhhh!

THUD!

The changeling groans, having faceplanted onto the meeting table, crumpled end over end, wing twitching.

>Owwwww...

'*chitter*'

>Fuuuck...yooou...
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 >Guard
"Spitfire"
'Fleetfoot'
[LD]
~~~~
Bullets and screams can be heard everywhere around this outpost.
A panicked guard wearing a battle saddle fires aimlessly at 2 infected before running out of ammo.
>Shit shit shit!
A magic missile is fired and sends one infected flying. The guard opens his eyes wide.
>Huh?
Another magical shot is fired and sends the other infected flying. The first guard looks behind him and sees a unicorn guard sitting and silently rocking back and forth. He runs up to him.
>Who's in charge here?
He gives no answer.
>...Where's the air support?
He points to the pegasi flying overheard.

"I wonder if it's this chaotic everywhere."

'This has gotten fucked up beyond all recognition.'

"It's only going to get worse. We all have our duties to perform."

[That outpost is going to be overrun in a few minutes. Should we help them?]

"......We need to get to Canterlot, tell the princesses that Cloudsdale has fallen, and protect them at all cost...that is all."
Lightening Dust grits her teeth and avoids looking down.
The guard on the ground stares off at the Wonderbolts flying away as his position is eventually gets surrounded by all sides.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >29
"MM"
'Zecora'
~~~

>PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME ONE OF YOU HAVE A PLAN!

'I do, but we must hurry faster before they infect us with this grime! If we do not rush, I will not have enough time!'

"Time for what!?"

'You'll see, now flee!'

>I'm running out of lasers!

'WE WILL... uh...'

"...UH!?"

>WHY UH!?

'Uh...'

"STILL UH!"

>LESS UH, PLEASE!

'...We have gone very far. I uh... I do not know where we are.'

>"WHAT!?"

"HOW COULD YOU-"

'Well I'm sorry, I did not know I would face attack! I didn't mark every tree that lead to my shack!'

>We're going to you shack?

'Yes!'

>...THIS WAY!

"How do you-"

>It turns out, children are useful for many a thing!

"...AWESOME! We need to exploit this more!"

>Later! For now, let us flee!... This plan had better work.

'For all our sakes, all I can do is pray. If we fail... we will not see another day...'
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Twilight
"Chrysalis"
'???'
~~

"I do not like that look."

Purple lips pursed, teeth sinking into the flesh as she scanned over every inch of the most recent reading her scans had provided. Needless to say, they did not fill her with joy.

>It... it's replacing his cells at an insanely rapid rate. Not just growing on him, but it's actually taking his cells and turning them

"Interesting."

>Did you not know?

"How could I? It grew under chitin when it spread, and we weren't ones for heavy medical work back in the day."

She placed the x-ray sheet down upon the table, next to the stacks upon stacks of other notes she had taken, so far and wide it nearly fell off the table.

"That look just got worse."

An unsteady breath left her.

>I don't know if it's possible to remove this. It's so... ingrained in the hosts cells. It's indistinguishable from the body at this point. Perfectly functioning together... like they were always there.

"Calm yourself, you're no good to anyone like this. You can figure it out."

The words were meant to be comforting, she realized, but there was something else there...

>Is the shield still up?

The Queen frowned at the request, obviously annoyed, but nonetheless summoned her screens. Curiously, Twilight realized they were all angled so she couldn't get a good look.

"It is. And don't worry, there's Fluttershy with Dash and Pinkie over there, Rarity over doing... something with the armory, and even Applejack..."

She had paused, but not so much of a flicker of expression on her face.

>Is she alright?

"Hm? Oh, of course, she's back in her office, it seems."

Twilight's expression grew harsh, suspicious at the tone Chrysalis employed, the same one she used when she tried to sound relaxed. This, more than anything, worried her.

Her lavender horn sparked with power, but the light vanished as soon as it came.

>... you're right.

"You didn't trust me? I'm hurt."

>You realize that there's only one way you could have known this, right?

The Queen's eyes flickered for a second when she realized her mistake, but covered it up quickly enough.

"Time is of the essence, Twilight. Back to work."

>Right...

A little relieved, she did so.

With her back to the Queen, she could not see as slitted, narrowed eyes turned to one of the screens. In fact, she had not done as Twilight had implied, and placed a camera within her office. Too risky, she knew, to place it in an area that would be searched so often.

But, she also conceded, it was better that Twilight thought her spying on the orange mare, than finding out how she had really discovered this.

It was a good thing she had thought to turn off the sound, she realized. Doubly so that she was so apt at reading lips. For it was only with these skills she could see the shape darting back and forth in front of the hallway that held the door to the lab.

Or rather, usually held it.

'Come on come oooon! It was right here! Right here! I know I went the right way! I double checked, triple checked, infinity checked! It should be right here!'

Long limbs poked every inch of the wall, searching for an illusion to dispell, something to be rid of whatever was cloaking the door she was so sure was there.

But no, nothing but wall.

'Where is it!?'

Frantically, she turned down the hall.

'Mrs Twilight! Applejack's infected! You need to help! She's in her office!... Mrs Twilight!? Where are you!?'

She just went right back to running, back and forth, back and forth...

Oblivious to the eyes that watched her ever move.

Eyes above a frowning, thoughtful, but in no way upset face.

"...This is fine."

>What was that?

The screens were gone in an instant, and the Queen once more strode next to the princess as she continued her work.

"I said this is fine."

>What's fine?

"Absolutely nothing, I'm being sarcastic."

>Bad time for that.

She just scoffed, and once more they returned to their work. Both minds spinning...

Though, perhaps not in the same direction.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 NC
>Chrysalis
"SA"
'Arana'
~~~

>Holy crap, you're right! This is therapeutic!

"Damn it, Chrysalis! You were supposed to talk to her, not bounce her against the walls!"

'WHEEEEE!'

"...Nevermind."

>AHAHAHAHAHAH!

"WHEEEEEEEE!"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 He stood tall upon the top of the stage, looking out over all of the various near-uniform faces of the soldiers below. They stood in perfect file, lined up just like a toy soldiers in a game, unmoving, unblinking.

And failing spectacularly to hide the fact they were terrified.

He sighed, sharing one final look with Celestia before he stepped forwards, eyes trailing along every one of them as he took a deep breath. His voice as he spoke was booming, ensuring that each and every one of them heard his words.

"You're scared."

Instinctively, some of them immediately tried to deny it, to assure him they had no such feelings of fear, but it was pointless. He could see it, hell, he could feel it.

"And it's all my fault."

Confusion, it seemed, was a fantastic was to silence dissidence.

"You fear because of your training. My training. My failures."

Again, several tried to speak up, to deny his words and assure him he had been a great captain of the guard, but it was just as pointless as the denial of their fear.

"My failures meant that in times like this, you would fear, because you would not believe in yourselves. Never did I give you the training, the courage, to stand up and declare that no matter what faced your home at your doorstep, you would meet them and prove the might of Equestria. It was my failure to give to you this most basic of necessities that has lead us to this point."

He pointed straight up, right at the hoards tapping against his wife's shield.

"The danger is at your door, and all you do is pray that others may save the day. You fear, at this moment, because my training was so poor you do not believe you can stand against it. But that is my failure, it is not yours."

He stepped forwards once more, his voice impossibly increasing in volume still.

"You are the soldiers of Equestria! You hold in you the power, the drive, and the skills to handle this foe, and it is only my failure that prevents you from seeing this! I, not you, failed to utilize your potential, your raw need to look to those who threaten your homes, your families, and say to them "NO! You shall not take a single one, not as I still breath!" You are not useless, you are not decoration, you are soldiers! Some of the finest I every had the pride to work with. It is time the rest of Equestria knew that as well."

He began to pace atop the podium, head still held high.

"I was a failure back then, just as we have all failed to defend. Against Nightmare Moon, the changelings... we have failed in the past, you and I."

He stopped, pointing out aimlessly into the crowd.

"But we have grown! We have fought, lived, laughed, loved, and most of all we learned! We learned that a solider is not his armor, but the heart that beats beneath it! The armor we wear is not to protect our body, but to protect our hearts!"

He pointed backwards, towards the city.

"This! This is your heart! This is your life! You are Equestria's armor! You are that which protects what is most precious! Every one in this city is a part of this heart, and it does not beat without them! Protect your heart, I say! It is time to stand up with pride, no more shall you say you are for decoration! Find your power, and do not cast your fear aside, but defeat it! Defeat it as you will these things! Let all who have been, all who will come, know just what it means to be a solider! "

As one, they saluted, and proclaimed on high.

"SIR YES SIR!"

He smiled, honestly, truly.

"I do not know if I deserve this position I have taken, if I ever did deserve to stand here above you all. I do not know if it is for the better or worse that I return to you all."

He stamped down so hard, it broke the stone.

"But like you, I shall defeat that fear, that worry of failure! I am proud to stand with you, with all of you, and to show Equestria my power! To show that I shall forever defend my heart, to the very last breath! Grant me your courage, grant me your armor. Together, we stand. With you, all of you, I stand!"

They locked into step, eyes burning, muscles tense and ready for anything.

"This is the end for many things..."

His horn absolutely blazed with power.

"But it is not our end! When the sun sets this night, Canterlot will still stand! Are you with me!"

They cheered, a near deafening roar.

"I said, are you with me!?"

Though he never thought possible, louder still they grew.

"For Equestria!"

As one, they sang in unison.

"FOR EQUESTRIA!"

Proudly, Celestia walked beside him as they continued to chant, a wide smile upon her face.

"You weren't that bad."

He smiled sadly back at her, before turning to the crowd.

"Then today, we shall..."

His words died upon his lips when he spotted it out of the very corner of his eye.

Directly above him, they parted. Every single one of them parted away, leaving but a single spot on the shield bare and wide. In the center of it all, a tiny black and read shape hovered in the air, floating as if it were a specter, weightless.

"What is that..."

Far, far above of Canterlot, above the very tip top of the shield, it floated.

Or rather, she floated.

Dead, almost soulless eyes looked down, down to that which stood between it and its one desire, its soul purpose.

"You cannot..."

A voice like grating gravel, raspy and pained, rang out. How they could possibly hear it, none could know.

"You cannot..."

Her forelegs stretched out, as wide as they could go. From every direction, they turned to her, and began to shake.

"You cannot..."

The red spores broke free, floating over to her as if drawn by a magnet. They began to swirl, like a hurricane attached to her forelegs, pointing out into a deadly tip.

"You cannot...."

At last, they stopped.

And twin spirals of red, positively glowing with a strange power, remained.

"You cannot stop the Şpr҉͏́e̵͝a͟d."

With speed so fast they had no hope to follow, she struck down.

In an instant, the shield shattered away.

The ponies down below had only a moment to stare in disbelief at what had happened.

In the next, they descended.

The battle was on.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >NCOMAKE!
>SA
"Celestia"
'Guards'
~~

>...There goes my badass moment.

"I thought it was a nice speech."

>Yeah, I think I really resonated with-

'WE'RE ALL GONNA DIIEEEEEEEEEE!'

'AHHHHHH!'

'AH WUH MUH MAMAAAAAAA!'

'AHHHHUHUHUHUUUUUUU!'

>...

"...End of the world sex?"

>...Yes.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OMAKE!
>Arana
"???"
~~~

>It was right here! Totally right here! How could it disappear on me!? Unless.. what if it wasn't ever here at all? What if Mrs Twilight's lab was never really there!?.... What if there never was a Mrs Twilight?! WHAT IF THERE NEVER WAS A CASTLE!? WHAT IF I'M STILL IN MY-

~~~

>GAH!

She sat up in her cot, looking around in a dazed confusion at the rocks.

>...Awww. It was all a dream... Did I go into a coma for the partyland stuff or what?

"No, you're just dreaming now. Wake up!"

~~~~

>GAH!

She sat up in her bed, a very nice, very large bed, covered in silk blankets and adorned with massive pillows.

"Have a bad dream?"

She looked over to the other occupant in the bed, wiping the sweat from her brow.

>Weird dream! I mean, there was a castle, and a floating theme park, and zombies!

"Heh, sounds cool to me, I don't know what the problem is."

>The zombies were scary!

"If you say so... so, since you're up..."

She gave him a sultry little smile, and started sliding down the bed.

>You never get enough, do you Shiny?

The stallion just smiled, leaning back as she got ever lower, mouth opening wide.

"Nope, sure don't-"

*CRASH!*

>What the what-

*POW!*

She was rocketed out of the bed by a punch, straight up into the stratosphere.

{NOT EVEN IN YOUR DREAMS, SPIDER BREATH!}

"...Damn it, Cadence..."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NCOMAKE
>Twilight
"Chrysalis"
~~

>This isn't working!... That's it, we're going to plan M!

"GASP! Not plan M!"

>I have to!

"But Twilight, you'll never survive the surgeries! And what will your mother think!?"

>No time for that, SUIT ME UP!

~~~~

She stepped out among the zombies. Totally untouched, totally unmolested.

She walked right up to the decrepit form of 88, and the Cordyceps knew it's time had ended.

>...It's close to miiiiidnight, and something evils lurking in the daaark!

It gave one last howl.

And then gave into the dance.

>Cause this is Thriller!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
omake
>29
"MM'"
'Zecora'
~~~

>...You know, I wonder what else we could use the kids for.

"Really? You're asking this now?"

>Let's revisit the issue later.

~~~~LATER!~~~

>HA HA!

'I must admit, you cannot be beat. Good thing this casino has no way to prove you cheat.'

>SHUT UP AND CARRY MY MONEY!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>Pinkie
~~~

>OH NO! The cordies have entered the building, I repeat, the cordies have entered the building! Will Shining Armor be able to hold them off? What's 007 up to? Where has Diamond Tiara gone and just what is going on with Chrysalis!? She needs to be a team player-

>Wait a minute...

>It's the fiftieth thread!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvX_5ym_ajI

>WOOO! Time to look back while we look forward, get down and boogy out little tushies right off! Old meet new, all kinds of craziness getting up in here!

>Join us next time for our big bouncy bumper blowout! Next Time on Princess Applejack, Thread 50: Blowing all our loads!

>And of course, plenty of anniversary fanserivce!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________