Thread 81: Stories 1-15

https://archive.moe/mlp/thread/23369224
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>Blueblood
"Haymaker"
'Pommel'
-Lucky-
~Coco~

>WHAT THE HELL DID YOU BARBARIANS DO!?

"Hey Blue."

>Don't hey Blue me! What in Auntie's Equestria happened down here!? There's wet paper and-and honey!?

'Not our fault, we're under attack.'

-And don't curse in front of the Private, she feels bad enough.-

~*whimper*~

>What's her problem?

~These hooves...have kiiiilled..~

>Oooookay, well, we're under attack you say?

'Yep.'

>By what?

"Origami Cordyceps."

>No really.

"'-~...~-'"

>...

Scribble scribble.

'Yes, scree! We get it!'

>Why is it so tiny!?

"We set up a paper shredder under the printer."

-We're considering letting the private keep one as a pet.-

~I'm a monster.~

"And we thought she got out of that invasion unscathed."

~This is summer camp all over again.~

>Should I like...get something or...

"No no, just have a seat with us."

-And if anyone in charge asks what happened, there was a hundred of them. And they were gryphons.-

>Can do.

~I am my father.~

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And now the exciting conclusion to the Copyceps invasion.

>Haymaker
"Pommel"

>Hey why don't we just unplug the printer?

"...oh yeah."

Yoink.

"Someone go grab like a glass tank or something we can throw the ones still alive in."

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Non-Canon
>Pinkie
"Maud"
~~~~
>Welcome to Late Night /pa/ with your host Pinkie Pie! It's during this time that content doesn't matter and I meet with a fan favorite! Now for our main guest...MY SISTER MAUD!!!

Maud gives a slight nod.
>So Sombra-anon has disappeared again. Thankfully Sombra still made an appearance! Any hopes you'll make your own appearance?

"Nope."

>Aw, don't worry...I sense somepony's prediction might come true~

"It's okay. I don't need spotlight to be happy."

>Really? Are you sure?

"Positive."

>Alright, this has been another great episode. Goodnight everypony!
Maud wakes up, wanders to a smashed crystal house, and silently puts some rubble in her saddlebags.
"..."
She picked up a piece and eats it. CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH
"...this is easier now."

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~~~~~~~

A torrent of ice and snow was blanketing the Empire, bringing a blessing in disguise. For neither pony nor Changeling had to watch what was essentially the slaughter of a Changeling Queen.

The broken, titanic form of Variolus was slumped halfway up against the Crystal Palace, tossed there by one of Chitania's more violent punches. Her body twitched every time one of the massive hooves of the other Queen slammed into her, breaking bone, rending flesh. The ground was soaked in black blood, the steaming fluid and entire lumps of shredded flesh melting the snow as steam rose off of it all.

Chitania's rage-induced strikes had slowed in speed and complexity once she noticed the other Queen didn't respond at all. By now she was merely slamming her hoof with her entire weight behind it into the facsimile of Variolus, venting her long-accumulated rage until she merely felt mildly irritated that she wasted her time coming here.

Down at the ground, 32 and 13, both children of those Queens watched in confusion and horror, their distance far enough to not get hit by the falling crystals and blood, but close enough to see the carnage in all its gruesome detail.

“Why... why isn't she moving?”

32 frowned, then shook his head.

“She isn't gone. I can still hear her, feel her, from this up close. But it is quiet. Like she has been subdued.”

“Then why is she still attacking her? It's so pointless!”

“They have a history together. A long, twisted one. Chitania will only stop once she is satisfied. You should know this.”

They both winced, but only 13 turned her gaze away, when Chitania sunk her fangs into Variolus left foreleg and started pulling. The muscles in Chitania's neck bulged, her head shuddering from the strain. The sound of breaking chitin, splitting flesh and popping bones rang out, followed by the splash of thick blood across the ground like a tidal wave when the limb separated from its original body.

A quick, sideways jerk of her head and Chitania spat out the offending limb before resuming slamming her hooves into the body of the dazed-looking other Queen.

“Damn... she has to stop before she kills them both.”

13 turned her incredulous gaze to 32, if only to avoid looking at what was playing out before her.

“What do you mean, both?”

32 turned his attention away from the one-sided fight, looking inquisitively at the other Ling. He seemed to search for something, his eyes flicking over her form.

“Maybe I should tell you, so you have every angle...? You see, there is more to this fight than just a grudge and your calling her. Not too long ago, while I was still minding the Embassy, I met a gorgeous mare who called herself 'Shimmer'...”

~~~~~~

“Sunset Shimmer.”

The other soul within the Gem -now little more than a flickering, orange flame- didn't immediately respond to having its name called. Silence had reigned supreme as their body was slowly broken apart. The Denial in Variolus' voice was clearly audible.

“Unbelievable... Simply unbelievable. It... it just can't be. I waited for decades, plotted the path of least resistance, found a venue into the world of the living I thought impossible, had the support of a pony who could actually bear my soul and made my all the way here... just to be destroyed at the brink of success? No, no, no, no. It can't be. All this time, for naught? This doesn't make sense. None of this does!”

The rattle of chains rung out once more across the endless, shadowy plane they both had retreated to. Anger began to build up in Variolus voice next.

“Why? Why, why, why, why, why! Why are you doing this NOW?! Of all the time you could have changed your mind, of when I could have dealt with you, you choose to be a roadblock NOW! Of all the meaningless, stupid, selfish things you could have done, you did this?! I gave you powers greater than any pony before, enabled you to performs feats magicians can only dream of, and this is HOW YOU THANK ME! YOU WORTHLESS WASTE OF FLESH! RELEASE ME! RELEASE ME AT ONCE OR I WILL DESTROY YOU!”

The rattling intensified. Variolus was tearing, shaking and twisting at the chains, trying to escape the binds that kept her mind locked away and her body thus unresponsive. But it was in vain. No matter how much she strained, struggled and flailed, the Crystal Heart and the power of Sunset Shimmer's life on the line kept her in place.

Silence reigned for what seemed an eternity, but merely lasted six seconds in the physical world. Out of better options. Variolus tried Bargaining.

“...haven't I upheld all of my promises? I restrained myself. I didn't kill anyone. I gave you access to hidden knowledge. I showed you how to grow into a Titan. Isn't that everything you wanted? Why are you doing this to us? We struggled together, hid together, plotted together and even laughed together. Haven't I shown you my cards openly? Let me finish what I started!”

No answer from the other one, and the slow feeling of Depression actually settled over Variolus. It was even audible in her voice.

“So this is the end for both of us... We die this pointless, brutal death at Chitania's hooves. I will be blamed for the destruction of the Empire, you as my enabler. She shall be celebrated as the hero who saved everyone, and we will be demonized as the devils and destroyers. Either we will spend the afterlife locked away in the Hivemind, or destroyed and drifting across the limbo of nonexistence... for nothing.”


The lights that were their separate life forces grew dimmer as they began to settle and relent. Nothing happened, nothing was said, nothing to be done.

Only when the hot, searing pain of losing a limb registered on both of them, they both shuddered. But it passed all too soon, and silence reigned once more. That is, until Variolus spoke up one more time, Acceptance in her voice.

“I see... It's fine, actually. This is how it is now. You chose your path, and you are willing to follow through with it. I will have to adapt.”

Once more, rattling of chains, but this time growing louder as Variolus drew nearer to Sunset. There was no real concept of space and distance, but the unicorn felt her as f she was leaning just over her shoulder.

“How about I reveal to you what my 'Plan' was? No strings, no half-truths or lies.”

That was the first time since their joint incarceration that Sunset didn't just respond with stoic silence. Curiosity sparked in her eyes. She didn't know what the ominous Plan was and had thought she'd never find out. But she wanted to now. Her thirst for knowledge was the one absolutely reliable trait of hers.

It made Variolus voice ring out in what could almost pass as manic glee.

“Well, my little pony, foremost was having the location of Chitania's daughter, yes? My son was out and about as one of the few survivors of my clash with the Titan, and he underwent some... troublesome times. So I tried setting him on the right course when he almost died.”

The ancient Queen trailed off for a moment, clearly lost in thought. But she was quick to pull herself out of it.

“Once I was sure I knew her location, I would attack wherever the last Hive under the rule of Aurelia's grub resided in together with her, followed by me issuing a challenge to Chitania and by making it seem like the Titan jumped to their defense, it would create the bond between these Queens. The stout Defender of all Queens, who had been lost when she went mad, returned to the fold as a valuable ally! A plus would have been if she was absolved from previous crimes in that country, but that's just far-fetched, no?”

Sunset began to feel irritation. That was it? That was the grand plan?

“Then, I would utterly annihilate Chitania. Here with us, we have a potent mixture of Changeling, Pony and Chaos Magic to do just that.”

Thus, irritation became confusion again.

“Chaos?

“The Shield that still surrounds us. It's not yours. It's not mine. I couldn't grasp where it had come from, but I didn't care either. Until I searched your memories. The only other being mighty enough to affect us unseen, wishing for us to do what we do and produce effects like making projectiles turn into flower bouquets? Not really many left of those, are there?”

Receiving no response, Variolus continued flippantly. To her, the involvement of the Trickster God did not matter as long as it did not hinder her. But Sunset? She memorized that little fact, if only to have something to think about before the end.

“As soon as Chitania would've been defeated, I would have left mental defenses wide open. Just before the deliberately slow, final strike. Oh, what a show. My hoof held high, about to crush the great Titan! I think I could've passed on peacefully just by experiencing that. Well, your summarily ruined that chance for me, didn't you?”

Sunset would've shaken her head, but in their current state, that was just as futile as asking a blind pony to lipread. So the Queen continued.

“It would have been a gamble, but I counted on the powerful bond between mother and daughter they share. You see, I've had spies among many other Hives. Spies that told me of Chitania's weakness, of her bonding with ponies. But also of how she continued to let her weakling daughter live despite her obvious inability to follow in her mother's giant hoofsteps.”

Variolus laughed the disembodied mad giggle of someone who was nearing the end of their rope.

“And then... at the apparent height of my power as the strongest Queeen? I would let Chitania's daughter, whom I just happen to know to possess superior mind control magic that rivals any Queens', control, banish or destroy me! Whatever it is, I would have accepted it, as long as she took me down right when everyone had their eyes upon me!”

The unicorn just had to ask, it was a small hole in the story that didn't add up.

“Why would she be that good at mindcontrol...?”

But Variolus gave no answer, just continuing in her rambling.

“Seeing her child's strength, after having believed her dead, Chitania and she would have gloriously reunited. A Princess, capable of destroying a foe even the Titan could not! As they bridge their differences, they become a truly unconquerable Queen and Princess who are master of both body and mind! Hah! Ahahahaha! It would have been PERFECT!”

Somehow, Celestia's former student had the distinct impression Variolus would have struck a silly pose as she finished her tale. But another question was nagging at her mind, so she tried again instead of providing a verbal barb.

“...all that, that planning, that trouble, just to unite them? Couldn't you just have told them, brought them together by talking to them? Why did you go to such lengths, jumped through so many ridiculous hoops, just to brought down at the end? It doesn't seem like something you would do.”

What answered wasn't a jovial, defeated or determined being. It was a growling, snarling beast, so close she swore she felt her breath on her neck.

“Because fuck Aurelia, and fuck her loinspawn Chrysalis. Fuck both of them!”

Sunset waited for Variolus to continue, to pick up steam and launch into a tirade or lengthy history lesson on her own kind. It would have been a welcome distraction from what was their impeding death. But nothing came forth.

Another eternity passed, and the pain increased. It was a constant, dull tingle all across Sunset's skin, making her realize her body must be starting to give out, undeath or not. She didn't open her senses, nor her eyes. She didn't want to hear or see her end coming.

But Variolus wasn't finished it seemed.

“You know... I repeatedly said you were more Changeling than Pony. And I meant that as the sincerest form of a compliment I am able and willing to make. You show admirable traits, at least from my none-so-humble perspective. You have potential, and the strength to destroy yourself just to stop me is astonishing. If you were my grub, I'd started liking you. And we both know what liking you would lead to, eventually.”

Sunset didn't. But it didn't matter. She didn't want to talk to Variolus any longer. She just wanted peace.

“How about we seal the deal?”

The curt answer was expected. But it was an answer no less, spoken in slightly angered dismissal.

“No. No more deals, no more trades, Variolus. We are done.”

“We are. And that is why I want you to do me one final favor.”

“I don't even know why you keep on trying. I have made my choice. Even if I wanted to free you, I couldn't. That is how Sacrificial Magic works.”

A derisive snort, then came the turnabout.

“Destroy me.”

That shook Sunset awake at last, her slow, dejected wait for the end upset by that demand.

“...what the hell are you on about?”

Variolus spoke in a clear, crisp voice. No gentle coaxing, no honeyed words, no appeasing to her ego.

“I want YOU to completely DESTROY me.”

Applejack's student barely mustered the strength to sigh.

“So you can return to the Hivemind? I don't think so.”

“ Tsk. No, you fool. There is no coming back from the destruction I speak of.”

“Aha. Aaaaand what kind would that happen to be?”

“Absorption. You consume me entirely. You take my knowledge, devour my soul and make me part of you. You will know what I know, experience what I experienced... yet remain yourself. See, it has become evident that I am woefully inadequate to enact my plans on my own anymore. But I can't expend the mental struggle to consume you without us both falling apart to Chitania's onslaught. One of us needs to go, and I have decided it will be me. By your hoof.”

“...you have gone mad if you think I will trust a single word of yours anymore.”

“There is no need for trust anymore either way. You will dominate and squash me, taking all I have. It is a skill I possess, an ability I will share as a final act of desperation. For the sake of my plan... for Chitana's future, for all Changelings; I am willing to let you utterly destroy me. To the point there will be nothing left to return to the Hivemind. Not that it matters. The alternative is dying with you. The basic outcome concerning my existence remains the same.”

Something about the whole situation, about how Variolus was once more trying to manipulate her, trying to make her do what SHE wanted caused Sunset Shimmer's spirit to flare, her flame burning bright and clear. Her voice sounded clear and loud, a manifestation of her resurging will.

“I can't. And I won't! This is another one of your traps, of your idiotic plans. You SHOVED ME BETWEEN CHRYSALIS AND YOU WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO IT! You were about to kill everyone around you just out of spite! I want to have no part of you! JUST. DIE. ALREADY.”

But Variolus wasn't moved by being verbally denied, sounding deadpan but decisive.

“If I fall, the plan would have been pointless.”

“It had been pointless from the beginning!”

“Consume me!

“NO! I WILL NOT! I WILL NOT BECOME MORE LIKE YOU!”

In response to the denial, Variolus' spirit slowly started losing power and brightness, as if in defeat, her voice a mere murmur.

“Is that your final answer, meatbag?”

“It is.”

But instead of being snuffed out, the tiny rust-red red flame of Variolus' mental strength surged and started burning brighter. Higher, higher, illuminating the vast expanse of nothingness around them, towering over the small yellow-red flame of Sunset Shimmer's.

“Then, to escape your bond, I must consume you, Sunset Shimmer.”

The whole time, they had been close, almost linked, both by the magic and their exchange. It was too late to back away, to defend or try to analyze what the Changeling Queen was about to unleash.

Sunset Shimmer's world became unbearable, searing pain as Variolus began cannibalizing her mind. Never before had the unicorn experienced such pure, thought-obliterating agony. She was beyond screaming, beyond trashing. Everything she knew from there on was pain.

But that pain surprisingly lessened, little by little. Her senses grew dull, her world becoming awash with darkness. Subconsciously, Sunset knew that she was fading away little by little. But the worst part was that she wasn't dying. No.

Variolus was making her part of herself.


Her sacrifice, her final stand, all for naught because of this unaccounted power of Queen Variolus. This had been her last bid to save her dignity and make something useful out of her pathetic, worthless life. And it was wasted on this...

Searing pain became became icy coldness. Sunset Shimmer slipped away, soon to be far beyond saving.

~~~~~

As Variolus and Sunset Shimmer joined into one, the Changeling's own spirit dominating and integrating the pony's into her own, she was mildly surprised at the one, dominating emotion she felt in that moment.

Sadness.

Most of it was caused by the memories of the mare, surfacing in her final moments for the Queen to view and relive. Few of them were truly happy, most of them of struggle or isolation.

“For what it is worth, I never planned for you to end like this.”

The ancient Queen had neared the core of Sunset Shimmer's being, the very foundation of her existence, readying to erase it to prevent a split of consciousness that might have resulted in a multiple personality disorder.

“Goodbye, Sunset Shimmer.”

But to her surprise, she already found a split soul awaiting her. And it lashed out with raking nails that disrupted her own mind.

“You would have made m-NRKH!”

What became Variolus undoing was that sh had completely overestimated how far Sunset would go for her own goals. Until the very end, she hadn't understood the heart of the pony she shared a body and mind with. For despite her sometimes callous, driven nature and past acts of cruelty, the unicorn could never truly bring herself to hurt another living being. Be it a dog she had captured as a potential hostage, ponies she leeched from or even Changelings she actually feared, she had never lost enough of her empathy to strike for keeps.

As Variolus' memories -containing ages of violence, brutality, murder and complete disregard for life- flooded Sunset Shimmer's psyche, it snapped into a million, screaming pieces. Under other circumstances, that would have been the end of it. A titanic beast with the shambled mind of a filly sobbing to itself in the remains of the Crystal Empire as the Queen slowly took over.

But there was another side to Sunset Shimmer. A dark, mad she-demon, willing to sacrifice, to kill and to destroy everything around itself for the sake of its own sick satisfaction. The shadowy remnants of the twisted Element of Magic surfaced, having slumbered within the false Bearer since she had dared force its power into herself. This corrupted self of Sunset Shimmer seized hold of everything around it as only the Element of Magic could.

And then it shrieked in voracious delight at the newfound powers it could possibly attain, shredding Variolus' soul like an overripe fruit. Wide-open as she was while feeding, the Changeling Queen didn't even have time to feel regret before she was wiped from this plane of existence by something vastly older and more powerful than her.

~~~~~

A long ago, there had been a Changeling Queen of pure blood who had outlived all of her age's fellow rulers.

>~AURELIA~, something whispered.

Direct descendant only four generations away from the one and only First Queen of Changelings, she had lived long enough to see their once world-changing powers and cunning minds dilute the further her species moved away from the Firstborn.

>~ROSEDUST~, the others''s memories helpfully provided.

Changelings suffered and thinned out as Hives split, vanished or died out. Knowledge as old as the times when Faust herself graced the world with her presence was forgotten, slandered and re-purposed into laughably inefficient new powers.

For the longest time, this Queen wandered, dissatisfied but unable to act. That was, until she gave birth to her child. Half pony, half Changeling, this princess of Changelings possessed a spark, an unique aura the Queen hadn't seen in ages. The Queen's descendant had a potential she had believed lost to her kind.

>~CHRYSALIS~, they whispered in unison.

And thus, the eldest Queen concocted a horrible, murderous plot that would change the fate of her entire kind.

False knowledge was handed out, the results of which exploded into the faces of its wielders, killing them. Alliances were formed, gossip was spread, strife ignited. The Queen inspired false confidence in her fellow Queens. And thus, Queens destroyed Queens. Queens destroyed themselves or were razed by the non-Changelings they stumbled upon.

It was in this time of renewal that another Queen was born from a mother that only knew brutality and viciousness. But unlike her mother, the Queen vowed to become the greatest of them all, the protector and servant to her own species who would lead them into unity.

>~CHITANIA~, she growled.

Queens survived, and the eldest Queen's plans were threatened. For the longest time, she watched and bode her time well by befriending this usurper. Until it came for the usurper to bring life into their dwindling numbers as well.

The Titan gave life to a mewling, weak little fledgling.

When, years later, the Usurper Queen began bonding with the ponies, the eldest Queen knew fear. It was time to strike before her child could be supplanted. She sent another ambitious Queen to seize the power as the Protector, promising support and a place in their ranks once all other Queens had been razed down.

The Betrayer agreed.

The Hives of the Usurper and Betrayer were consumed, the latter killed. The eldest Queen appeared, and locked the Ursurper into ice to forever sleep. And the Queens began dying once more, until none were left.

When nearly none remained, the Eldest Queen gave herself to her daughter. She did not struggle or fight, as tradition demanded. For she loved her child, the future greatest of them all, the one ruler over them all.

Betrayal suffered, even in death. But the Usurper and her child lived. All the Betrayer had to do... was wait.

>..........................

>............

>......

>...

>~dotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingdotherightthingDOTHERIGHTTHING!~

>~DO THE RIGHT THING.~

~~~~~

Everyone watching the clash of Titans knew that the end had come when Chitania, with the bored expression of someone just doing a chore, slammed her front hooves into the sides of Variolus' mangled head while pressing her hind hooves into her destroyed chest. The Titan began to rise as if trying to stand on her hind legs alone, stretching her body skywards while still holding onto the other Queen's head.

The sickening sound of breaking bones and splitting flesh began at the same time as the horrified outcries of those who knew what was at stake.

“AAAAAH!”
“No!”
“Merciful Faust...”
“WAIT!”
“...don't look.”
“Sunset!”
“Stop her!”

A ear-piercing SNAP rang out across the Empire, then there was only the howl of the wind and shocked silence.

The kind of shock that was very evident on Chitania's face as she looked into the face of the strange creature that had emerged from Variolus' torn, mangled body like it was a bodysuit. The carcass behind it was bubbling like boiling tar, melting into a puddle.

It had a flat face, a tiny nose, small lips, black eyes with sickly-green irises that seemed to glow on its own. Its limb were slimmer and longer than a Changeling or Pony, its ears pointed, its horns wicked and sharp before the slowly billowing mane of purest, obsidian black. But the most surprising features were a pair of leathery wings burning with Changelingfire and a pair of jet-black, clawed, five-fingered hands.

Hands that were pressed to Chitania's chest and had produced that snapping sound a moment ago, and beneath which a criss-crossing network of thick veins were spreading out across her rapidly graying chitin. The Titan didn't know how or why she began to feel weak, the very anger that powered her sapped from her. But it didn't matter a second later whether she could either way.

Only Chitania could see the rapidly closing, horrific wound the She-Demon had in her chest and the throbbing heart that formed there. And only she could see AND feel the sharp edge of the magically charged gem as it pierced her weakened chitin just a tiny bit.

“Fall.”

The voice of the demon was a snarl, viscous and hungry. It released everything it had. All of its remaining power, all the consumed Queen had given, all reserves the unicorn had and every last drop the Crystal Heart would give. All channeled through the Gem of Dreams, pressed to the Changeling Queen's chest by her hands.

A blinding, all-consuming white light shone, then burned far, forcing even the Princess of the Sun to shield her eyes lest she be blinded. And then came the ear-splitting noise.

>*VREE-THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!*

Nobody but the demon and the Queen saw how a brilliant beam of raw, focused magical energy was blasted point-blank into the structurally weakened chest of the flatfooted Changeling Queen, causing it first to melt, then shudder, and finally crack with the sound of a walnut the size of a house being split in half.

“GRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

The raw power behind the attack had accomplished what it was intended to do. The Gem couldn't contain this much destructive energy and exploded irreparably. The ensuing detonation tore Chitania's chest wide open and lifted her high into the air. When the force of the energy no longer could carry her, she fell towards the earth while the shaft of brilliant light shot into the sky, piercing and tearing a circular hole miles across into the snow clouds above. Bright and large as it was, the beam could even be seen from Equestria itself

The inhabitants and defenders of the Empire opened their eyes just in time to witness a perfectly clear, blue sky above the ruined capital, the form of the falling Queen and the spurt of green blood erupting from her chest outlined by the setting sun.

It was poetic in its brutality.

*BOOOOOOM*

Chitania's limp body slammed back onto the soil. The impact aline shook the ground, causing some of the surrounding buildings to crumble and both ponies as well as changelings to tumble to the floor as if struck by an earthquake.

*badump*

The gurgling, wheezing breath of Chitania was audible far and wide, sounding like the gigantic beast was slowly choking on her own blood. Terror was the most prominent feeling everyone felt as they realized that the near indestructible Titan Queen had been felled in a single strike by whatever it was that had replaced Variolus the Betrayer.

*badump*

The bipedal demon neared the felled Queen, walking on only two legs. No, more like dragging herself closer, clearly winded by its attack, but still smirking maniacally. When she reached her downed openent, she simply straddled the massive body before her with her own and raised her clawed hand, eyes set upon the pumping mass of green she knew to be the exposed heart of the Queen.

*badump*

“Mine.”

The reasons why magic was fired up, shields were cast, wings were flared and weapons sighted onto the attacker were as varied as the weaponry leveled at her. Some wanted to prevent murder, others feared for the Titan, yet again others simply knew that whatever the demoness intended could only make the situation worse.

But not a single shot, not a single spell or attack made it before a piercing shout halted them all.

“NO!”

No one stopped voluntarily, but they all stopped nonetheless, even the gigantic twisted form of Sunset Shimmer frozen in place. Something forcibly and irresistibly compelled them to.

“I FORBID IT!”

Despite the odds, despite the anger, and maybe just BECAUSE of the cause of this battle, a single, winded-looking, taller-than-average Changeling marched towards the two Titans, blazing, hot fury in her eyes.

“YOU CANNOT HAVE IT!”

Chitania couldn't see who had accomplished making her opponent stop, but she was grateful nonetheless. But unlike everyone else, who had been stilled by a voice they couldn't hear through the air but instead came from witin their very minds, she was frozen for different reasons.

“IT IS MINE!”

*BADUMP!*

That voice. Chitania recognized that voice. She hadn't heard it in ages, even if she longed to.

“MY QUEEN'S HEART ISN'T YOURS TO TAKE!”

The Titan's heartbeat sped up, the realization that she hadn't just been goaded to come here with empty threats dawning on her.

“IT IS MY BIRTHRIGHT ALONE!”

Thirteen now stood behind the towering forms of both demoness and Queen, the former starting to shudder and slowly turn her head, gazing at her with utter hatred. When they gazes met, the she-demon felt something invade her mind.

Thirteen knew what was before her, and was within. She knew where to look, what to grip and where to pull. What looked so easy to the outside was a struggle of powerful wills within minds that lasted long enough to make both combatants forget why they began fighting. But in the end, the princess of the Chitania Hive won.

None could stand her mind control, especially not a twisted but lone Element of Harmony.

“SLEEP! Fall into oblivion, you wretched creature!”

The demonic being opened its maw wide and voiced an unearthly shriek of rage and fear, its arms and spine twisting far, far, FAR back. Robbed of its main driving component, tt froze like a statue.

Moments later, it lost all color and turned into a literal statue of black ash, blown away by the whipping winds in an instant. Out of it fell a small, equine form with an amber coat and bi-colored, red and blonde hair.

For the short time span she was still unconscious, Sunset Shimmer felt her heart beat, and saw two figures, Queen and Princess, face one-another. And she knew. She now knew everything Variolus once did... and she knew she had done the right thing.

The ghost of a smile graced her lips at the sight. As her consciousness faded once again, only a single thought accompanied the young mare to her sleep.

Everyone had finally noticed her.

Her unconscious, but otherwise unharmed form fell onto Chitania, bounced off her side and soundlessly landed in a heap on the ground, kicking up snow that had softened the fall.

~~~~~

Neither Changeling Queen nor Princess had eyes for their defeated attacker. They only could see one-another from across the small distance that separated them. Truly SEE each other for the very first time in ages. Steam was rising from Chitania's split-open chest, the Titan'S love reserves slowly sealing the wound.

Long moments of complete silence passed during which neither said anything. Then, slowly, Thirteen turned to leave, a move that caused a lump to form in Chitania's throat.

“No...”

A wild, crazed look sparked in Chitania's eyes seeing the retreating back of her daughter, and she reached out, raising her voice.

“NO! You stop right there! I FORBID YOU TO LEAVE!”

But despite the voice causing crystals strewn about the ground to rattle, Thirteen didn't heed the command of her mother, slowly trudging back towards the castle where Chrysalis was supported by both Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, never looking back.

“I am... you can't defy... No, nonononononono! DON'T GO!”

Hearing the desperation in her mother's voice but not seeing it, 13 jerked once and slowed. Her eyes were wide at the impassioned, pleading tone of the eternally angry, unpleasable Titan. And she could see that even Chrysalis looked startled at first. Startled, then disgusted.

It was that dismissive, familiar look of disgust that caused the Changeling to slowly turn her head to look at her former Queen.

*ba-dump.... ba-dump*

“Please...”

The core of Chitania's power, the heart of the Titan Queen, beat steadily, the snow dissolving long before it touched it from the heat it emanated. But that wasn't what caused Thirteen to shiver.

“Don't leave me again.”

Tears as large as entire ponies were rolling down Chitania's face, her eyes focused solely on the Changeling before her. That one, Changeling, the most beautiful, precious, special Changeling in the whole wide world. A treasure she had believed lost. She no longer cared that she was showing weakness. She no longer cared what others thought or how she was seen -not that she ever did-. All that mattered was she was alive, her only daughter was healthy, alive.

And so very strong.

Her voice sounded shaky even to her own ears.

“Take it... Take it all. You were right. It is your birthright. And you have earned it. You have beaten that which I could not. It is yours to take. Just... I just beg you, don't disappear again.”

Thirteen was frozen in place, her shocked expression mirroring the ones of Chrysalis, Shining Armor, Cadance and Celestia. She felt herself move, not even fully intending to do so on her own.

Everyone watched her climb her mother's titanic chest with some difficulty. And they held their breaths as she wandered up to the gaping wound.

*badump, badump, badump*

Chitania's heart beast faster. She had lost. Utterly, completely lost to an an opponent who had baited her to let her guard down.

An opponent her successor had felled and utterly destroyed without even shifting into a Titan Form, without even breaking sweat. Her child had become what she had always dreamed of. The strongest of them all. Maybe even stronger than her.

But, as much as it hurt, for all those years of neglect and loss, it was time to pay her price. Her goals were of no consequence, as long as she could break her daughter free of the Chrysalis Hive by giving her the strength and means to be her own ruler.

Few understood what was happening. The means of which a Queen ascended were a secret none of them really knew. They only knew something big was about to happen. Perhaps the only one who fully understood the implications, Chrysalis, was torn between feeling enraged and thrilled.

But the strike never came. Chitania and Chrysalis both were confused when Thirteen stroked her hoof along the edge of the horrific wound. She had access to a heart none other could break through to. She could take it and break free of the shackles of being commanded like a drone.

But she didn't want to.

As pure, undiluted, sweet love only a child can feel for her mother began flowing from princess to Queen, Chitania completely lost grip of her eternal anger. Her massive form shrunk, and shrunk, and shrunk, until she was just as tall as she was expected to be, Thirteen standing above her.

The horrific wound was nothing more than red, flame-shaped scar that refused to heal.

When Chitania's hooves shot out, two shocked gasps could be heard. But instead of hitting her daughter for her weakness, Chitania grabbed and pressed her to her chest, starting to shake. Thirteen didn't know what to feel or how in response to that.

“Mot- Queen Chitania, you are crushing me.”

When the flow of love went both ways and Thirteen was filled with the intoxicatingly sweet love of her mother, she went limp, biting her lip. It was something she had only dared to rarely feel in the past.

But this time, it was amply given.

Chitania's voice was a shuddering whisper, private and meant for only her to hear.

“You can call me Mom, Mommy, Mother... whatever you want... I never, ever want to lose you again. You.... you are the only real accomplishment I have left. You are everything. ...just please... I implore you, stay with me. I missed you... so very much. I need you...”

A ghost of a smile graced Thirteen's lips. She turned her head t look at Chrysalis, her QUEEN and ruler.

Then, she turned back and rested her cheek onto her MOTHER's chest and listened to her heartbeat with her eyes closed. She had made her choice.

“I will.”

The rulers of the Empire, Equestria and the Hive neared, each had a different expression, different thoughts, different reasons for being there. Their focus was split between the motionless Sunset Shimmer and the Titan Queen and her child.

But all of them were able to witness the one time in history, the undefeated Queen of Titans started wailing, crying snot and tears all over herself and the comparatively small Changeling she was cradling to her scarred chest, looking as if she was trying to squeeze the life out of her.

“Mom, they can all see you...”

“WAAAAAAAA-HAAAA-HAAA-HAA-HAAA!”

Her cries and tears weren't of sadness, but of joy, and miles around, everyone could hear how the Titan broke down into a sobbing mess.

But none of them thought lesser of her for it.

Least of all the gently smiling Changeling cuddled to the chest of her mother, fortune smiling upon her for the first time in her birth.

~~~~~


CLOSING CREDITS
https://youtu.be/3OAh4UoysuI

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>???
"Chrysalis"
~~~~

From the snowy, icy wasteland, a single figure narrowed in on the city beyond. A single figure that walked with cold, unmoving determination. Step by step, leg by leg, the snow was parted as they approached the once great city.

Only when they realized they were in the city, and yet the snow remained, did the head of this strange figure slowly turn up, and a gasp rang out through the Empire's shattered walls.

What followed next, none of them had expected.

>Oh! Um... Are uh... w-we remodeling? Was... was that on the agenda? I'm sorry, I didn't get a chance to look at the agenda, I was going to but on the way I stubbed my toe, so I went to get some cheesecake to make it better and... you know how you start with cheesecake and then somehow it turns to- I'm rambling, sorry, so sorry, um... is the... is the puddle tar for pavement? Are we doing that? Cause I liked the shiny little- no not that Shiny, I'd never call him Shiny, though he seems like a nice guy who wouldn't care... not that I know him like that!... Oh wow, there is a lot of- shouldn't we have broken down just like a couple? Does this mean I get the day off, Miss Glitz? I don't want to seem lazy, but there's a hole in... well, I guess I can work anyway, it's just a hole, it's not that bad... oh, cool, you guys have armor! Neat! Uh... I didn't get any, sorry. I don't think it would look good on me anyway... yeah... oh hey! My house is okay! What do you know, not even a scratch on... you are all staring and I feel really bad.... neee.. s-stop staring p-please....neeehhh... neeehhhh! Sorry sorry sorry sorry gotta go sorry sorry sorry sorry!

SLAM!

Even outside, they could hear the noises of her shuffling under her bed and 'neh'ing.

"...who the fuck was that!?"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Spike
"DT"
'77'
[42]
~~~~
>Heheheh

'What's so funny?'

>I got myself a souvenir. Baoding balls.

'What are baoding balls?'

>They're metal balls with a little spring inside that makes it give a nice chime. You roll around in your claws. It's usually a griffon thing since...well they have claws.

[...so you finally got yourself some balls.]

>Not ordinary balls. They're steel balls...I've got balls of steel.
Snickers from everyone.

'I uh...see they're blue. Does it hurt when you hold them? Should I get a doctor for your blue balls?'

>I know how to handle my balls. In fact it feels good to roll them around my claws.
More snickers.

"Looks fun. Can I play with your balls?"

>Eh, I don't know. You look like you'd be rough...with my balls.

[Why don't you let me hold your balls? I can be gentle...with your balls.]

>I'm not sure if I should let anypony touch...my balls.

'Is it okay that you're letting the balls touch?'

>I'm okay with letting my balls touch. I'm a cool guy like that. I see all the ladies wants to touch my balls. I know they're very desirables balls. You can look, but you can't touch...my balls.
Everyone looks at each other trying to keep a straight face.

"...*snort*"

>"'[HAHAHAHAHAHA]'"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

~~~~~

There was a loud wheeze before it came.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?"

But that did nothing to squelch the volume.

Sunset's body had been completely sealed, every conceivable corner entrapped with binding magic as powerful as Celestia could make it, and she could make it really damn powerful.

On top of her, Shining Armor's very best ensealed her as well, a sphere as dense and strong as he could make it, and he could make it damn powerful indeed.

Sunset was, completely and utterly, sealed.

Alive, but sealed.

This did nothing to still the rage of the changeling Queen who struggled to so much as breath right now.

"Chrysalis, take it easy, you're not..."

The princess did not need to say it. Simply the fact the Queen was almost totally dependent on her, if not totally, was enough. Her burnout this time had been even more forceful than the last, the fact she had forced out the power instead of letting it bleed away doing more damage than previously intended. She had been weak before... but now she was downright haggard.

Not that this stopped her from trying her best to make it over to Sunset.

"NO! I have to know how this all happened! How the fuck did she resurrect Variolus!? Why fucking Variolus!? How did she do that, all of that!? How could she do that!? Can she still do that!? She punched a fucking hole in Chitania, in Chitania! A fucking hole! I can't do that! Fucking me! I have to know!"

A stern, golden enshrined hoof, stilled her, holding her back from advancing.

"And we shall, all of us. My magic will keep her stilled, Chrysalis, do not send yourself into a coma over this, and you will at this rate."

She wheezed again, just that slight touch burning her aching flesh before in horror Celestia pulled it away.

"I'd apologize, but that kind of proves my point."

In response Chrysalis said nothing.

Partly because she had very little to say.

Partly because she suddenly blacked out.

...It was mostly the latter thing.

"CHRYSALIS!"


He joined his wife at the changeling's side as the world left her, her head falling limp to the side as consciousness raced away from her at a speed she would never find.

"Chrysalis!? CHRYSALIS!"

He placed his head to her chest, and waited.

And waited.

...For the heartbeat that brought him relief.

"She's alive, just... damn."

They held her, both of them, trying to keep the cold from getting to her any worse than it already was.

"Any chance you've got enough power to throw up a shield?"

If Shining Armor wasn't so utterly drained of magic, he would have thrown a snowball at the guard. He really would have. He didn't care if it was childish, he was having a moment here.

"Taking that as a no... uh... sire? What... what are we supposed to do?"

So much for 'a moment'.

It was actually hard to do it. He didn't want to admit it, but it was hard to hand off Chrysalis to Celestia's waiting magic. He honestly didn't want to let her go.

But there was no time for sentimentality.

He and Cadence both had to rise, and be rulers once more.

"Are there any under the rubble?"

"Sir no sir! The changelings have been doing sweeps since the fighting stopped! They say they can't see any pockets of love in the rubble at present time, and those that were trapped have been excavated!"

Damn, he noticed, changelings were pretty fast... for a limited area full of rubble they could easily shoot with lasers.

Okay, not that fast.

"Good, then... are there any structures that can house those without homes?"

"Uh... seeing as how that's, well, everybody? Every single home has at least some structural damage, and we don't know if it's safe... that includes the hospitals, majesty... and the castle, Highness."

"Is there really no place?"

"Well... one structure only had some minor damage from a house, and it was built to hold every citizen..."

It churned their stomachs, both of them, to say this, but they knew they had to.

They both looked back, mouth going dry at the one place that still stood whole, the one place that had remained, for the most part, in tact, the one place that was sealed off from the elements and could be maintained.

The place that had been designed for all of the Empire, to be inside of.

...That could not possibly hold both that number, and the changelings who lived there.

"...Take..."

It hurt, it really did hurt, but he had to say it.

"Take all the wounded to the stadium, and start treating them there."

"What about the others?"

"...Take everyone in there at least until I can throw a shield back up."

"Majesty... repairs will take so long, and there's no..."

He knew. Unlike Canterlot, they couldn't just go outside a the city for a bit and wait for repairs, they couldn't just hop over to a nearby town. They were stranded out here.

They were all going to have to be in there, and they were going to be crammed to the brink in there, he knew.

But there was no other way.

"We'll have to deal with it. We've all faced trials before... this is just another one."

He nodded, still visibly unsure, and got to work spreading the word.

"Shiny... there's no way they'll fit with them in there."

"I know."

"Especially not with the tents."

"I know."

"... And a lot of them are weary because of..."

"...I know..."

They knew.

But they were going to have to deal with it later.

"...What are we going to do about her?"

Both eyes cut over to the pony, suspended in the air, still sealed from all the world.

"...Take her to our dungeon."

"Shining-"

"Princess Celestia!"

His words were curt, sharp. So very unlike any tone he had ever spoken to her with.

And it stabbed her like a knife.

"I understand you wish her brought back to your kingdom, but she came from there before she directly attacked my Empire. My subjects need to know that we, not you, are handling detaining her. We are going to lock her up, and as the assaulted Empire we shall decide what is to be done with her. As she is your citizen, we will confer with you... but we will not defer to you. This is a matter of the Crystal Empire, not Equestria. That said... we do not blame you, or your kingdom, for her actions."

She never wanted to hear him speak like that to her, not in a million years. She knew it hurt him, just as much as it hurt her, but he was right. He had to appear strong, in command, and that he and Cadence could handle this, not go running to her for help.

"...As you wish, Prince Armor. That said, if I may, I would like to take the Queen to Equestria. We are in far better a state to handle her wounds, and the situation is dire."

They shared a look, husband and wife, before he turned back to you, and gave a curt nod.

"Of course, thank you for assisting her."

"It is the least I can do... I will send aide as soon as I return."

"We thank you, Princess."

Alabaster wings spread wide. Sad eyes never left the enshrouded pony, even as she rose higher and higher into the sky, carrying the Queen all the way as she moved to the portal that would carry them beyond.

She could not stop, Chrysalis depended on her. But even so, she could not stop the tears of regret that fell from her eyes.

"...What are we to do with her?"

His wife's words pulled him away from the heartache, the pain, and towards the one she pointed to.

The Queen that remained.

The one who had, even after all this time, never once ceased hugging her daughter.

"Leave her to me. See to our subjects, Cadence, they need their princess now more than ever."

"Shining..."

She did not stop him as he trotted forwards, a dark look upon his face. He had business to attend to...

And he was going to settle it.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Discord
~~~~~~~

High above the Empire, surveying the destruction, was the Lord of Chaos itself.

>Disarray, turmoil of emotions, uncertainity, fear, sadness, happiness, anger and scars on the very ground itself. My, this dry run turned out a great success!

Discord chuckled heartily, twisting first into the shape of a sideways 8, then split into two and formed a 10.

>Well, well, well. What a delightful bout of madness and confusion. Eight out of Ten. And nobody died, what a surprise. I knew I couldn't count on that of course, but still.

For a moment, he hovered in place, pondering about plans. Then he just shrugged and discarded them again.

>How about we check on dear, beloved Flutterbutters next!

With a snap of his talons, he was gone.

And no one would know of his involvement, of that he was certain.

That didn't make him any less wrong in his assumption.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NC
>Discord

A single piece of paper fell from the heavens to smack Discord on the head.

>Hm? A correspondence from above?

Opening the crunpled ball, Discord finds a note.

"I'm very disappointed in you.
-F"

>...WELP.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Applejack
"Scientist"
'Dash'
[Twilight]
~~~~~~

"THIS IS BULLLSHIIIITT!"

>Quiet, you! We needed ta' hold ya' all and there ain't no other way of it! This thing don't come with coach!

'Yeah, and that's not how you say AWESOME!'

She didn't have a whole lot of words besides that to describe it.

For bobbing on the side of long strips of metal coating was cage after cage after cage, all lined up with scientists, monsters, creatures, things, robots, machines, automations, contraptions, scientists, thinkers, tinkerers and even an agent or two.

And riding at the front of that long 'train' as electricity arced all around was the Apple Princess herself, standing on the head of the centitrain with ropes lashed around it's pincers as it raced down the tracks at blinding speeds. Speeds on par with, if not faster than, a bullet train.

The princess looked on in sadness at the hunk of metal being dragged behind it. So much for all that work...

Applejack did not give a single fuck.

>Next stop, CRYSTALLLLL EMPIRE! YEEHAWW!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>Pinkie
"Fluttershy"
~~~~

>WOOOO! THIS IS AWESOME! Gimme a cheer, Fluttershy!

"yay!"

>Atta girl! HIT IT!

Where the speakers had come from, none knew, none would ever know.

All they knew... was the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VORaol22Yl8

>WE LIKE TO PARTY!

"Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun!"

How someone could whisper like that could be heard, none had any idea.

Nor did they care.

The Elements of Harmony were coming home!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CD
~~~

*POP!*

>Hello, hello dearest Fluttershy, I hope I am not too late for the pa-

"EEEEK!"

>...you are not Fluttershy.

"AND YOU ARE NOT MY HUSBAND! Why are you in my shower!"

He didn't respond. He just snapped his fingers again, and disappeared in a puff od fairy dust.

*POP*

>Dearest Fluttershy, I-

*gurgle*

>...this is wrong again. Where a I anyways, someone's stomach?

Outside, the Centitrain just barely repressed a burp.

Another snap of his talons, another displacement.

*POP*

"Why are you in my dinner!"

*POP*

"Aaaaaaah, it exploded out of my drink!"

*POP*

>...the desert? Really?

*POP*
*POP*
*POP*
*POP
*POP

Hours later, panting from exertion, Discord stood atop the frozen tip of a mountain. A far as he could see, there was only ice and snow.

He glanced up at the sky, seeing a familiar constellation of stars.

>Oh, hahaha, very funny. Well, I do believe this is karma, but can we cut the games now? I have places to be.

*POP*

That wasn't his talons this time. It was the sound of the ice beneath him breaking, creating an avalanche he just happened to tumble down the mountain within.

>CUUUUUURSE YOUUUUUuuuuuu...

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Pommel
"Haymaker"
'Lucky Strikes'
{???}
~~~~~

"This is a lot more boring than I expected."

>Yeah, kinda is.

'...So, what do you think is attacking the Empire?'

"Nobody was dead, so whatever it was is probably something getting curbstomped by Chrysalis."

>What!?

"What? I don't like her, but DAMN can she kick some ass."

'Applejack kicked her ass, though.'

"Well, yeah. But that's Applejack."

>Applejack did not kick her ass.

"I exposit that the strangling was because Applejack was tired, nothing else. She knows what's up."

>Seriously?

"Applejack is awesome."

'Look, whatever's attacking, we're just going to have to accept they can handle it.'

>...Feel like such a-

SHOOM!

{mmmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMEEEEEDDIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCCCCccccccccccccccc.......!}

>...
"..."
'...Uh... was that Chrysalis?'

"Either that or a garbage bag filled with old leaves."

>OH FUCK! Princess! I-

She appeared in front of him in a brilliant flash of light, gripping him tightly by the helmet as she drew him in nice and close.

{Get every available guard you do not need in front of this thing and you get them to the train station NOW, and get some workers skilled in railroad repair while you're at it! And the moment, the MOMENT you see her, you point Applejack in my direction because words are about to be said! Now get the guards, get some shovels and GET GOING!}

In another flash, she was gone.

"..."
'...So, uh-'

>I JUST STARTED YESTERDAYYYYYYYYYY!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

>SA
"Chitania"
'13'
~~~~~

There were a lot of things going through Shining Armor's mind right now.

A lot of very unpleasant, very angry things. This was odd for him, he normally didn't have angry things in there, but they were in there. They were very much in there.

It confused him, the more he thought about it. the more he looked at it and analyzed it and questioned it, it confused him. He should be happy. His Empire was saved, nobody died, nobody was crushed, nobody was nothing. He should be happy Chitania had arrived when she did and did what she did.

More than not understanding it when he had angry things in there, he didn't understand why they were still there. Worse than that... he couldn't make them go away. Even knowing there was a problem, even knowing there was something wrong with his line of thinking, there was a blight in there and he couldn't make it just go.

It worried him a bit. What did that mean? He didn't normally feel like this, not at all. He had put aside any anger for many who some might argue deserved it, so why did it still stay there?

...Should he ask Cadence?

Would she worry? Would she think there was something wrong with him? Would she think any differently of him?

She was used to him being so much stronger than this... would this change something?

>No.

He couldn't worry about that now. He couldn't worry her, or Twili, or Chrysalis, or Celestia or Eighteen or Forty Two or Sombra or Maney and ESPECIALLY he could not worry little Two with this, not now.

Two... thank goodness, thank so much goodness in this world... she had not been here.

He could not worry them, not now. They needed him to be strong, caring and tall right now, he could not worry them now.

He would deal with it later... but not right now.

He had to deal with this.

>Queen Chitania.

She did not move except the ever so slight shifting of her giant frame that still enclosed the changeling within.

>Chitania. I need to speak with...

He wanted to say, "I need to speak with you". More specifically, how this changed nothing, she still broke international laws and was now a fugitive, and that he suggested she get running, now.

But... he couldn't.

Seeing her like that, tears still in her eyes, her hair a mess, and that strange mark on her chest still red and angry, he couldn't.

He saw too much in there.

He saw too much of his little sister in strong white arms after she had worried she had failed a test, no matter how many times it proved pointless. He saw too much.

He still felt it, but he could not cease to see it.

>...I need to speak with the one who stopped Sunset, if you would. I realize you probably... have a lot to catch up on, but...

A single, red eye zeroed in on him, glaring, full of hatred and spite, and he felt the need to bring his magic to bear once more.

But soon, her limbs and sight softened just a bit, and a head could emerge from that grasp. And, soon with it, a changeling.

>I'm afraid we haven't been introduced, miss...

'A-actually... we have. I'm... I'm Thirteen. The one who's always... you know. Getting set on fire or whatever.'

>...Huh... love what you've done with your hair.

It was lame, but it was all he could come up with right now.

'Is she going to be okay?'

>Who, Chrysalis? Of course, she'll be spitting fire in no time. Probably going to end up giving you a medal or something.

She chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

'W-we don't do medals.'

>She might make an exception. You did a lot of good today.

'W-well, I mean... I just stopped her in her rage form, I couldn't have taken her in Titan form. That had to be...'

They probably didn't know what to make of it when he tensed up, just a bit, but he did his best to pass it off as an odd chill from the wind.

>Yes... though I'm guessing saving anybody wasn't really on your mind, was it?

"No."

The first words spoken, of course.

>Of course... well, all the same, I'm obviously appreciative, after that attack, I doubt we could have stopped her without... permanently ending her. You were brutal, but you managed to actually pull it off.

"Cut to the chase, pony. We both know you owe me nothing, since I was not requested and in the end it was her who stopped your attacker, not me. So... what now?"

He thought about that, really questioned it. The right thing to do would be, of course, keep fighting. Just because she had fought someone who was attacking him once made her no saint, and certainly didn't make up for all she had done. He had agreed to nothing, owed her nothing, had to deliver to her nothing. He could, at last, decide her fate.

'Mother, he's not going to... Shining Armor is one of the kindest ponies on the planet, he's not going to turn on you.'

"I've heard that many time before, child. He doesn't just have this to worry about. He must appear strong to the others, especially on me. He can't look weak. Isn't that right, pony?"

His bile started to bubble and he wanted to spout how little he cared about how 'weak' he looked, and that he could certainly show her differently if she wanted, but he managed to keep that same, stoic face.

'Mother... you need to stop this.'

"Tell me, already."

It was rare, Shining Armor handled the politics of the matter, his wife was way better than him at this.

But he could do it, on occasion.

>I certainly have no plans of attacking you, obviously. Really, that you think I even would in this state is pretty sad.

She grunted, a suspicious eye hanging over him.

How he wanted to punch her right in that damned eye.

But she was sort of right, he couldn't look like he was letting up on her, especially not now..

>Fine, since you're so suspicious of everything...

He turned away from her, looking directly to the smaller changeling that looked back to him, expectant.

>Thirteen, for your bravery and courage in saving the Empire against a terrible threat, I, speaking on behalf of the royal family of the Crystal Empire, will extend to you any one boon your heart desires in a show of profound thanks. Simply name it, and it's yours.

He begged, internally he begged for her to catch on, to take this out of his hooves before that stinging in his chest finally took over and he let out just how much he wanted to see her punched and punched and punched for ever DARING TO TOUCH-

'Well, Prince Shining Armor, I do not need a reward for the pony who has been an ally to my Queen and my kind for longer than any other and who welcomed me into your home, but since it would be rude to toss it away, I ask on behalf of... of my mother, Queen Chitania, to be released from the crimes on her head, and that she may go be free in Canterlot once more.'

Thank. Goodness.

>Accepted, fwoosh, confetti comes down, yay.

She laughed at his half hearted attempts as he flicked rubble into the air and made it rain like streamers, but he was at his limit personally. He gave little more than a curt nod to Chitania before he spoke only one last time.

>Watch yourself, Chitania. I've learned a lot about fighting Titans from this... and I never forgot what you did. Thirteen...thank you for your help. Now, if you don't mind, my people need me.

With that, he gave them one final nod, and spun on his heels, desperate to escape.

'I told you. Shining Armor... there's a reason she cares so much about him. He's special.'

"If you say so."

Escape from them...

And that same, burning need that told him to turn around.

There was something wrong with him, Shining Armor knew.

...he just didn't have time to deal with it.

>I've got work to do.

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[Internal Shiny dialogue.]

"I don't fucking like her."

"I know I shouldn't be this mad after all this time, I've moved past worst shit than this, but I really do not fucking like her."

"Can I tell anyone? Or are they just going to call me an asshole for still holding a grudge against her, but not her or her. Am I an asshole? Is this me being an asshole? I should stop, I'm probably being an asshole."

"...But FUCK her, seriously, fuck that bitch, goddamn I hate her stupid face."

"Fuck, I hate that bitch."

"No! Gonna move past it."

"...Fuck her."

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