Twilight and the elements sprinted as fast as they could, letting their hooves carry them across the cobblestone roads of Canterlot. Yet, all was not quite right, as green comets of hellfire streaked through the air, smashing into the pavement, leaving dents in the road. The group of ponies dodged frantically, changelings impacting all around them, the sun glinting off of their black chitin, their insectoid faces filled with bloodlust.
Twilight and Pinkie Pie led the group, with Applejack close behind, the three of them bobbing and weaving erratically, trying to pave a safe path for the other three ponies lagging slightly behind. The group kept up like this for several seconds, a few changelings nearly hitting them as the sound of desperate hooves colliding with cobblestone filled the air, the explosions of green fire adding a deafening chorus to the mix.
Twilight came to a halt, as green fire slightly singed her mane, the recovering changeling in a small crater in front of her looking up at her with intent, before letting out a hissing snarl. She quickly brought down her front hooves, crushing the changeling's skull as a sickly green ooze gushed from its wound.
She almost felt sorry for it, but she knew what was at stake, so she let her emotions recede, before quickly galloping over the crater, with the rest of her frightened friends following suit. Every second it seemed, dozens of explosions were heard, great clouds of rubble and dust going up in the air, changelings smashing into Canterlot all around Twilight. She had a hard time not crying, seeing her childhood home go up in smoke like it was, and an even harder time continuing to run, the overwhelming numbers of the changelings really starting to sink in.
There weren't just dozens, there weren't even hundreds, there were thousands of them, all with a single goal; subjugate Canterlot, and kill anyone who gets in their way. Twilight knew she qualified as the latter, and was still fearful of what were to happen, should she fail. She had always hated failing, but now, something inside her snapped, something ... primal. It was almost as if she had taken on Rainbow Dashe's air of confidence in that moment, that delightfully chaotic moment, as she galloped up the ornate marble steps , changelings raining down on her.
She felt strong, she felt alive, she felt unstoppable. Even as she reached the top of the stairs, and witnessed the massive horde of changelings before her, she felt like she could take them. Pinkie Pie and Applejack joined Twilight just moments later, followed by Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. All five of the ponies who had just arrived stood, mouth agape, eyes bulging in disbelief at the monumental gathering of changelings, their beady blue eyes staring at them with malevolent intent.
Yet, Twilight just stood, there, here eyes hidden by her mane, looking down at the ground with a sly smirk on her face. She didn't exactly know what was happening to her, but she felt good, even as her blood boiled, rage welling up inside her, the gentle breeze tugging at her mane , caressing her coat, trying desperately to cool the inner flame that burned within her. Twilight just stood there, unknowingly counting down the seconds to when she would finally have an answer as to what had caused her such a sudden change of mind.
The sky darkened, stormy grey clouds shrouding the sun in darkness, as the army of changelings ripped their gaze from the vibrant ponies, staring in horror as the weather grew sinister. Lighting cracked in the clouds far above, as the mane 6 also shifted their eyes upwards, the ominously sudden weather starting to worry them, especially Fluttershy who attempted to shrink into her skin, folding in her wings and bowing her head down in fear.
Suddenly, a crack of crimson colored lightning shot out of the swirling vortex of clouds, the immensely powerful bolt streaking downwards instantly, wreathing the gawking crowd below in blood red, even as they looked on in a mix of fear and curiosity at the sky. Changelings were still smashing into the ground, undeterred by the change of weather, but the assembled army couldn't help but stare in shocked awe for a moment, before shaking themselves free, and returning their steely gaze to the ponies they were sent to stop.
Though the changelings had dismissed the storm, the ponies had not, Twilight in particular looking up with an odd sense of urgency. She was expecting something, and yet, she didn't know why. Perhaps it had something to do with the surge of emotions that shifted her disposition earlier. She stared, longingly, even as her friends inched backwards while the changelings clawed their way forwards, hungry for a battle. Twilight closed her eyes, even as a thunderous crack filled her ears, deafening her. She could feel dirt and dust against her fur, the unicorn smirking in triumph at the arrival of what she had been waiting for unknowingly.
Opening her eyes, Twilight couldn't help but let her mouth hang open slightly in awe of the gigantic, towering form before her.
It was kneeling, and yet it was still nearly nine feet tall, but it was built lean, with lithe muscle flowing into dark grey, nearly black, armored plates that coated parts of its body, almost as if it were part of it. It slender form was elegant, yet gave off an aura of power, and was imposing none the less. Cracks ran all throughout its body, culminating in a web of cracks in its chest, radiating a hellish red that was reminiscent of lava. Its "skin" was a slightly darker red than blood, and from its back sprouted giant wings, the skeleton of them made of the same, armor like chitin that coated the rest of the figure's body. The wings themselves were laced with the same hellish red that the cracks on the figure's body exuded, and they almost looked like veins in the tattered, blood red wings. Its pale, emaciated face lacked a nose, and glowing red eyes that let off translucent wisps of pure energy shattered the morale of the changelings.
It didn't move for a moment, instead leaning on the giant, multi-layered sword composed of elegantly vicious curving pieces of what Twilight could only assume was metal, in a kneeling position. An eery red glow permeated the center of the sword, growing brighter and brighter as the figure shifted slowly, standing up fully. It was now easily twelve feet tall, three times the size of any pony on four hooves. It was facing Twilight, gazing into her oversized eyes, sending a chill down her spine as the rest of her friends could feel the tension in the air as well. The figure spoke in an otherwordly, powerful tone.
" Hesitation, is death. Come, cut the courage from them with reckless abandon. Let the rage well up inside of you until you can't take it anymore, and then, let them see what was always within you. ", it spoke clearly, its voice both strangely inspiring, and absolutely dread invoking. It turned around, its heavy footsteps cracking the ground beneath it, as it addressed the changeling army fearlessly.
"Numbers, will not save you. Tactics, will not save you. Your 'gift' will not spare you. Nothing, can save you now."
Twilight was still frightened, but she suddenly felt her confidence return, allowing her to shakily speak, stammering out a sentence.
"W-Who a-are you? W-What are you? Why are y-you here?" she said, trying to sound as confident as she could, yet failing. The figure remained silent, letting its gaze strike utter terror into the changelings he continued to look at with a sinister glare. It spoke moments later, sending another chill throughout all that heard it.
"I am Aatrox. I am darkin, and I am as timeless as war. I have come to aid you, but I did not come to save you. No, you will save yourselves."
Twilight stood there, puzzled and scared, as Aatrox looked over his shoulder, his large, spiky headpiece making him look even taller, as his eyes burned a hole in Twilight's mental defenses. She didn't just feel afraid anymore, she was utterly terrified. Something about those eyes made her tremble uncontrollably, and even Rainbow Dash, the bravest of them all, quivered, trying to keep her composure.
Aatrox turned around slowly, and fully, planting his sword in the ground with a thunderous crack, and walking straight up to Twilight, his shadow veiling her in darkness. He quickly descended, kneeling down as much as he could, before speaking to her.
"Ah, the scholar, the mage, the element of magic itself. Your powers go far beyond what they have taught you. You are capable of so much more. Show them, show the world what you can do. Teach them, to fear you." , Aatrox spoke in an sinister and enticing tone, before extending one of his clawed hands, the giant gauntlet that adorned it melding into his skin as a part of him. His claws lit up with a ghastly red glow, flowing into his fingertips, as he gently tapped Twilight on the forehead, who's eyes shut, her face a mix of pain and pleasure, as her horn grew several inches, coursing with a magenta aura. Her legs became longer, more slender, as she grew a few inches in height, power coursing throughout her body.
Aatrox smiled approvingly, letting the change wreak its havoc on Twilight, as he turned to Pinkie Pie and Applejack, both of his hands lighting up with red energy. He spoke in the same, frightening, yet entrancing tone as before, rendering the ponies unable to move.
"War reveals all. War reveals what is within us. Let it reveal what is within you.", he said cryptically before swiftly tapping each of them on the forehead. Applejack's muscles swelled as she grew nearly a foot, her lean muscles becoming larger and more defined, with an emphasis on her back legs. Pinkie Pie's hair deflated instantly as her coat and mane lost some of its vibrance, her legs elongating and giving her a few extra inches of height, while her face devolved into a sadistic grin, her pupils shrinking several sizes.
He continued, shuffling over to where Rarity and Rainbow Dash stood, repeating the same cycle as he had with the other ponies, who continued to morph.
"I know what lurks in your heart," Aatrox said to Rainbow Dash, who stood stunned and paralyzed " so why not let it all out? Your competitive and athletic nature, has always defined you. Now let it save you." He tapped her on the forehead, the swirling red energy coursing through her body as she grew, her wings growing larger, as her features became more defined, her muscles bulking up and giving her the physique of a warrior princess.
"Surpass the frailty of your form, Rarity. Do not let your body hold you back. Pain is temporary, victory is forever." , Aatrox said, turning to face Rarity, before swiftly unleashing the change on her as well. She took on many of the same changes as Twilight had, with a longer, albeit shorter horn than Twilight, and more lithe legs and body. But something different happened to her, as she neared completion of her change. A crystalline growth reminiscent of diamonds and gemstones overtook her body, encasing her in a shimmering protective suit of resilient armor.
Finally, Aatrox approached Fluttershy who's eyes were wide with horror, as she witnessed her friends transform one by one. She inched backwards, fearful of what she might become.
" Fluttershy, do not be afraid. Let fear, become fury. Just submit, after all they will greet you as a hero for what you're about to do." , he spoke reassuringly, and then menacingly as he unleashed the inner fire within Fluttershy. Her wings extended, she grew larger, and her pupils vanished, leaving only her iris, which slowly expanded to fill up her entire eye with cyan, which glowed eerily. Abruptly, here eyes went completely blood red, giving off the same wisps of energy that Aatrox did. He smirked, pleased with his handiwork.
All the while, the amassed changelings had slowly regained their courage, their will to fight, and one by one, they had all returned their unblinking gaze to Aatrox, their eyes now full of fighting spirit, instead of fear. Even so, as Aatrox stood back up fully, plucking his sword out of the ground, and staring the changelings down, the army couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. Aatrox looked over his shoulder one final time, the powered up ponies ready to fight alongside him.
"Now we turn the tide!" , he declared triumphantly, his voice piercing the air as his sword was engulfed in a swirling mass of red and black energy. He lifted the sword high above his head, before grasping it in both hands, and swinging it downwards into the ground, smashing apart the cobblestone. Two streaks of dark energy crackled forth from his blade, surging forward directly into a changeling. The two bolts of energy intersected at the changeling, exploding in a brilliantly gory display, flesh and organ smattering the ground as the sickly green blood of the victim coated the other nearby changelings. The smell of seared flesh filled the air, as severed limbs and body parts skittered across the floor, smoke coming off of them.
Twilight stepped forward, standing beside Aatrox who eyed her with approval, as her elongated horn was engulfed by an incredibly vibrant aura of magenta. The swirling energy crackled and shot off in sparks from her horn, Twilight whirling her head around a few times before jerking it forwards and down, unleashing a salvo of arcane missiles. The pulses of colorful light blinded the changelings, despite their efforts to shield their eyes and scatter to avoid being hit. Dozens of streaks of energy impacted the ground and changelings, sending hundreds through the air from the impact, while others were straight up vaporized; no flesh, no exoskeleton, no blood, they simply disappeared in a violent puff of smoke in the intensity of the magical barrage.
Aatrox was pleased with the results of the mage, as he stepped forward, rearing up on his legs, before leaping high into the air, letting his wings carry him , before smashing back down into a crowd of dazed and demoralized changelings. The impact of his descent send numerous changelings tumbling, several sprawled out several feet away, while others were piled on top of each other, scrambling to get to their feet. Aatrox remained silent and somber, even as his blade surged with red energies, letting the blade come to life, bending and flowing with his swift and merciless strokes. First he impaled several changelings on the length of his blade, extending the living weapon forward, before retracting it, and kicking the dead foes off of his blade, their green blood coating the length of the blade.
What came next was perhaps the most disturbing of all. Aatrox's weapon sucked in the foul fluid, letting the blood soak into the center of the blade, the red aura of the weapon growing stronger the more blood it consumed. With each sword stroke, and each enemy he cut down, Aatrox moved with more purpose, his masterful cuts and stabs increasing in speed and ferocity.
The changelings scrambled to mount a response, letting loose bolts of green fire from their own horns, while others took to the skies, attempting to escape the impressive reach of Aatrox's demonic weapon. The bolts slammed into Aatrox, searing his flesh, and setting him alight, yet despite this, he took no heed of it, instead rending open another dozen changelings with ease, his blade relishing in the exquisite taste of their blood, before mending his wounds instantaneously, and extinguishing the fire.
As Aatrox cleaved through rank after rank of changeling, Rainbow Dash bolted high up into the sky, faster than she had done ever before. She raced upwards, not noticing the wind in her eyes as she rapidly gained altitude. After soaring upwards for a few seconds, she had decided she was high enough, being well above the cloud cover now. The sun shone on her light blue fur, which was starting to get a thin layer of frost all across it. She smirked, amazed at how fast she had cleared the cloud cover, and even more amazed at how powerful her wings were now.
She sets her sights directly below her, before inhaling deeply and racing downwards. Almost as soon as she had taken off, a cone of air formed around her, and within moments, a deafening explosion was heard throughout Canterlot. As Rainbow Dash zoomed down, a vibrant explosion of colors in the pattern of a rainbow streaked across the sky, overtaking the ominous storm clouds for a few brief moments before dissipating. Despite the rainboom having lasted only a few short seconds, the shockwave from it shook the entire city, and Rainbow's impact decimated the changeling horde. Soldier after soldier tumbled and flew through the air, the massive crater at Rainbow's feet only furthering her admiration for how awesome she was.
Several changelings who's wings had been crippled, struggled to claw their way out of the deep crater, meeting a swift death at the powerful hooves of Rainbow, who promptly dispatched them smashing their skulls in with ease, and spattering her fur with their sickly blood.
Twilight continued her immensely powerful barrage of magic, as Applejack charged forwards into the lines of the changelings. She knocked them aside like bowling pins, her rear legs bucking anything that had survived her charge. The force of her kicks caved in the chests of her victims as they were sent flying backwards into the rest of the army. She swatted aside half a dozen changelings with one fluid movement, the insectoids being sent tumbling onto their backs, several of them having died instantly from the crushing force of her blow. She reared up and bucked an armored changeling in it's face, crumpling the helmet he wore, and exploding its face into shower of slimy and gory pieces.
Applejack continued to showcase her immense strength, while Aatrox ripped apart the battle lines of the changelings. His blade moved with his arm as if it were a part of it, the mesmerizing motions of his weapon impaling and slashing apart any foe that it was brought to bear against. He stabbed a changeling in its chest, before ripping his blade out by dragging it through the upper half of the creature, its head and chest having been cut in twain. The poor insectoid fell over a second later after having stumbled around uneasily for a moment.
The battle raged on, as Rarity and Pinkie Pie entered the fray. Rarity's horn lit up with her usual aura of magic, but instead of projecting powerful blasts of energy like Twilight, her crystalline exoskeleton morphed, her hooves becoming elongated, bladed talons sheathed in a sparking field of arcane energy. She stood up on her hind legs, the exoskeleton shifting and rearranging itself to allow her more support and stability when walking. Even her horn, encased in the crystalline growth, extended to a deadly point.
Rarity walked forward confidently, as a dozen changelings rushed her on both sides. She extended her bladed talons, cutting them down midstride, decapitated heads rolling across the cobblestone streets, spewing blood from their stumps. The headless bodies crumpled to the floor, while Rarity proceeded forward calmly, expertly decapitating wave after wave of changeling. At one point, a salvo of green fire smashed into her crystalline armor, only to be partially reflected into the ground, while some of the fire hurtled back into the crowd of changelings, setting them alight. She continued her elegant dance of destruction, spinning her talons around gracefully, in a whirlwind of death, gutting, decapitating, and severing limbs from dozens of changelings at a time. She was a blur to the eye as she danced around their attacks, cutting them down with frightening precision, their blood coating her armor the more she killed. Eventually the changelings had to slosh through pools of sickly green blood as they fought, knowing that soon they would only add to the body count.
While Rarity executed with exact and precise strokes, Pinkie Pie erratically and skittishly bobbed and weaved in between the numerous changelings that continued to encircle her. Suddenly, she stopped in front of a changeling, her mane obscuring her eyes, shadows painted across her face. The changeling could see her manic grin, veiled in shadow. Pinkie slowly looked up, her eyes full of incomprehensible madness. The changeling stood paralyzed for a moment, staring into the abyss of insanity and non logic that was Pinkie's eyes. He remained frozen for several more moments ...
... before his head promptly exploded, accompanied by confetti. Pinkie grinned happily at the outcome, the shower of gore and blood appeasing her, as she tilted her head innocently, and moving onto the next changeling. She went on like this for several minutes, popping head after head of paralyzed changeling like an overfilled balloon, the gratifying shower of gore and confetti only fueling her insanity. Twilight looked sidelong at some of Pinkie's victims while she continued her assault, rolling her eyes. Even when she was empowered by an age old deity, she still made no sense at all.
Pinkie abruptly ended her murderous streak of head popping, making a cannon miraculously materialize before her. It looked just like her normal, harmless party cannon, but this version was anything but. As she yanked the mock fuse, the cannon fired, the normal confetti spewing forth from it , but instead of balloons, depth charges barreled out of the cannon. The impossibly large, spiked spheres of metal impaling themselves in multiple changelings at a time, fountains of green blood spouting from the doomed insectoids.
"Party time ..." was the last thing hundreds of changelings heard, as the depth charges detonated in an earth shaking explosion that left massive craters in the ground. Changeling limbs were thrown about, bloody and still twitching, ribbons of blood streaking through the air as Pinkie laughed sadistically, letting the shower of green blood rain down on her, relishing in the brutality of it all.
Aatrox was nearly done eviscerating an entire half of the whole changeling army set against him. His blade continued to hungrily lap up every last drop of blood, fueling his elegant, yet brutal campaign of carnage. As he cut through an entire line of charging changelings, their upper torsos detaching from their bodies swiftly, he swiveled his head to witness the true power of Fluttershy's 'stare'.
Her giant, red eyes rampaged through the minds of the dozens of changelings Fluttershy was staring down, her incredibly destructive gaze outright killing a few, while the remaining changelings quickly turned on each other with a primal savagery in their eyes. Fangs pierced flesh and chitin, while hooves battered heads to a bloody pulp, pools of foul blood drenching the writhing mass of viciously violent changelings as they continued to tear one another apart.
Fluttershy's eyes regained their pupils for a moment, as her eye color shifted back to her usual, soft cyan. She shook her head, stepping backwards, tears streaming from her eyes at the bloodshed she was causing. She grasped her head int pain, trying to expel the power Aatrox had "gifted" to her. She sobbed loudly, trying her best to fight it. Aatrox strode over to her, grasping her chin firmly in one hand, and forcing her to look him in the eye.
" Fight and be remembered, or die, and be forgotten. Die with fear in your heart, or win with blood on your hooves." , Aatrox said menacingly, his eyes burning intensely as Fluttershy's eyes turned red again, and her pupils disappeared. Aatrox smiled, before letting go of her, and charging back into the fray, sundering many more foes as he did so, letting their cries of agony drive him onwards.
Yet, even as Fluttershy resumed her corrupting of the minds of her enemies, deep inside her, a battle even greater than the one before her raged on. Two wolves, one of pure light, one of pure darkness, battled each other, one occasionally gaining the upper hand for a moment, only to be countered ferociously. As the wolves battled it out within Fluttershy, and the other elements, the changelings tore one another apart before her. Despite her return to murder mode, she couldn't hold back the tears, the streams of wetness matting her fur as they slid down her cheeks. She knew which wolf would eventually win; whichever one she chose to feed, and right now, the dark wolf was getting nice and fat, feeding on every mutilated corpse Fluttershy produced, as changelings ripped each other to bloody shreds like wild animals.
She knew her friends couldn't possibly be enjoying this. They were fighting just as hard as her, trying to overcome Aatrox's corrupting influence, prisoners in their own, twisted bodies that continued to carry out atrocities.
The fighting came to a swift halt moments, later, as Aatrox beheaded the final changeling, the horrified expression of the insectoid still plastered across its face that had been liberated from its body. Aatrox smiled, pleased with the bloodshed he had produced, and even a little proud of the carnage his equine allies had inflicted. But deep within every one of the ponies, their better judgement was crying out, begging for themselves to stops the brutality, to stop the violence and the destruction. Yet, they were all unable to, their senses, their minds, and their bodies overwhelmed by the corrupting energy Aatrox had imbued within each of them. They walked silently behind him, as he led them towards the blood spattered doors that housed the elements of harmony. Each and every one of the six ponies desperately wanted to stop, to halt themselves and stop the bloodshed, but they couldn't as Aatrox willed them forward, smashing open the massive doors with a powerful punch.
Inside, another army of changelings lay hidden, waiting to strike. They stared for a moment, in a mix of confusion and fear, blinking and rubbing their eyes to try and see if they were hallucinating. A moment was all Aatrox needed. Leaving behind the ponies on the ground, he leapt into the air , his wings letting him float in the air, as a massive torrent of black and red energy pulsed around him and his blade. His body radiated an intense red light, as his wings elongated and pulsed with the same dark energy. His blade extended to over three times its normal sizes, growing larger and more flexible. He waved it around over his head, the weapon bending and flowing almost like a whip, but remaining solid and firm.
"Witness truth! Break and fall!" Aatrox said in an ominous and intimidating voice. He surged downwards, smashing into the changeling horde, before swinging his blade once to the left, and once to the right, cutting down dozens of changelings at a time. Geysers of blood shot everywhere, coating the vaulted ceiling in their blood, while severed limbs flew everywhere, decapitated heads rolled and bounced along the blood stained floors of the inner chamber. Flesh was torn from within entire ranks of changelings at a time, while internal organs were tossed about to an fro. Chitinous exoskeletons crumpled and imploded as the impossible power of Aatrox's blade felled one after another changeling in rapid succession. His masterfully mesmerizing sword strokes flowed into each other, the living blade bending and swaying as it was whirled around and swung, an extension of Aatrox's arm almost, the flexible weapon wreaking chaos among the changelings. Blood sprayed everywhere as changelings scrambled about, trying to flee or mount a counterattack, but it was far too late for that, fear and terror gripping them, paralyzing them. Several changelings attempted to survive the massacre, fleeing from the scene.
"There will be no retreat." , Aatrox said emphatically, as he whirled his sword around, lopping off the heads of the cowardly changelings, their stumps gushing blood.
From within their own bodies, the ponies could only look on in horror and disgust at the brutally efficient, yet almost artistic carnage that unfolded before them. Prisoners within their own bodies, they could do nothing, even as their twisted physical appearances cackled and smiled in approval.
Within mere moments, hundreds of dead changelings lay scattered about the room, piles of bodies lying everywhere, while blood dripped from the ceiling, and mutilated piles of flesh were everywhere, having been torn from the bodies of the changelings. Twilight in particular felt like throwing up, witnessing such swift, and gory death.
Aatrox's glow dimmed, as his wings shrunk back to normal size, and he descended from where he was floating several feet above the ground. He did not smile this time though, only frown in disappointment. He was hoping for a challenge. Perhaps he'd find it yet, as he strode out of the chamber, disregarding the Elements of Harmony.
"You will not need such petty trinkets.", was his only response as the mane 6 followed him back out into the slaughter from whence they had only moments ago departed from. The inner minds of the ponies were still in shock and disbelief at the sheer number of adversaries Aatrox had dispatched in the blink of an eye. Rainbow Dash thought Aatrox to be especially fast, estimating that he had massacred the entire surprise force of changelings in a mere ten seconds. She would be impressed by his speed, were she not completely repulsed by the brutality of his fighting style. His movements were elegantly brutal, cruelly efficient, and utterly merciless.
Aatrox closed his eyes for a moment, growing tired of killing cannon fodder, he sought a worthy opponent by sensing the magical capabilities of those in the city. He scanned over the city for several moments before opening his eyes. He was sorely disappointed to find not a single worthy adversary. Growing weary of assisting the likes of such kind hearted and war reviling creatures, Aatrox resolved to put an end to the invasion swiftly. He could feel the ponies' inner selves rebelling against his transformation. It wouldn't be long before they would break free completely.
"Go, be free. Relish in the violence of war for the fleeting time that you have left in that form. Some fight for glory, or honor, or their very survival. It matters only that you fight. Be gone with you." , he spoke, snapping his fingers as the ponies dispersed in different directions, their minds held prisoner in the brutally efficient killing machines that had become their bodies.
He looked up at the sky, red lightning still crackling and booming overhead accompanied by deafening bursts of thunder. He pondered for a moment, whether or not he actually put an end to the battle, debating if it was the most beneficial choice to him. After a few moments of thought, he resolved to put an end to the conflict. After all, if Canterlot, and by extension, Equestria, survived the invasion, he would have many more battles to partake in if only he was patient.
Aatrox reared back, before jumping high into the air, a powerful shockwave shattering the ground beneath him, letting his wings hold him there while he scanned the area for the place he was searching for. Spying a large, ornate dome close by, and then confirming his suspicions by sensing the energy given off from the creatures inside, he hurtled downwards, as red lightning cracked overhead, wreathing his form in a demonic glow. Het barreled towards the dome, smashing through the ceiling of it and landing hard on the floor of the room within. The beautifully carved tiles exploded and shattered from his impact, his smoking form practically exuding dread.
He looked around the room, noticing that he was surrounded by a few changelings. Bored of massacring such hapless foes, Aatrox held his sword up high over his head, the center of the sword releasing a red pulse of energy that slammed into each of the changelings around him, blasting them violently backwards, as every last drop of blood was ripped from their body and absorbed by the sword. Aatrox lowered his sword, readying himself to speak, but was cut off.
"Who dare oppo-", the changeling queen attempted to sound imposing, turning around from her perch on the balcony at the other end of the room. She tried to look down, but her chin was caught against one of the blades of Aatrox's blade. He had thrown it, like a spear, straight at her throat. Aatrox walked forward, clapping mockingly, a smug glare plastered across his face.
Chrysalis fell to her knees, blood gushing from her throat and sullying the tiles beneath her. As Aatrox reached her, looking down at the dying queen, he cracked a smirk, and stopped clapping. He grasped his sword in one hand, and Chrysalis' chin in the other, forcing her to look into his eyes as he spoke.
"Long live the queen, the queen is dead." , he whispered to her, before butting his foot on her chest, and pushing her off his blade, letting her slink onto the floor, a glossy look in her eyes, blood pooling around her. He stepped on her oddly shaped horn, crushing it beneath his foot.
All across Canterlot, changelings ceased what they were doing, their limbs and eyes twitching violently for a moment, before they stood bolt upright, their synaptic receptors being redirected to another available changeling queen, whichever one was closest. The swarm of changelings, under the eery red glow of crackling lightning, took to the skies, retreating from Canterlot to seek out their new queen. Chrysalis' control over them had been destroyed, and even as Aatrox looked over the dead corpse of the queen, he couldn't help but feel a little disgusted. Chrysalis' intention was not to destroy Equestria through force, she simply wanted to subjugate them, use them like crops or cattle as a food source.
How unrefined and deluded. Aatrox shook his head in disapproval at the thought of putting an end to the glorious act of war, only to be replaced by a relative state of begrudging peace. He strode back into main room, the same one he crashed into through the domed ceiling moments before. Every few seconds, lightning crackled, lighting the room up in a ghastly glow of red, much to Aatrox's liking. He looked up, a single, green pod composed of a translucent green chitin that shifted and flowed as the creature within thrashed about. He rolled his eyes leaping upwards and cutting the pod down, as it landed unceremoniously with a thud on the floor below. Aatrox descended, slashing open the cocoon lengthwise, being careful not to maim the pony within.
With his work completed, Aatrox strode back down the aisle the led to the balcony, noticing a large, light pink alicorn standing in a pile of green goo. He hadn't noticed her before, nor had he noticed the large white unicorn stallion who was stumbling about, shaking his head, trying to clear his eyes of their green hue.
Aatrox thought about helping them for a moment, but decided to let them deal with their own petty squabbles. He cared not for their wellbeing, so long as one day, the children of Equestria would slake his blade's thirst. He breezed by the struggling alicorn, who's mouth was still agape as she struggled to break free.
Just as Aatrox reached the balcony, preparing to soar off, he heard a gentle, yet commanding voice call from behind him.
"Who are you? I'm inclined to thank you for your help, even if your methods are less than agreeable ... " , she said , as Aatrox looked over his shoulder to see a huge white alicorn, covered in green slime, staring quizzically at him.
"I'm sure your prized student can enlighten you on who I am. " , he laughed evilly to himself before returning his view to the sky.
"W-What do you-"
Just like that, the darkin was gone, a swift gust of air and dust the only thing that signaled his hasty departure
" ... mean ..." , Celestia finished, a bit worried now. She walked over to the balcony, looking up at the sky, the swirling vortex of clouds beginning to disperse, as the red lightning ceased, the last crack of thunder echoing ominously throughout Canterlot.
A piece of old, yellowed parchment, floated down gently from the sky. It looked like it had been torn out of a journal of some sort, the edges rough and dog eared. Celestia watched, puzzled, as it reached the floor right in front of her. She looked around, searching for an answer, observing Cadance and Shining Armor nuzzling eachother behind her, their horns sparking with magic. She smiled, before shifting her gaze to the corpse of Chrysalis beside her. She had scene many gruesome sights in her time leading Equestria, but this was different somehow. It was executed with a masterful, yet vicious precision she had never seen before.
She looked away, returning her eyes to the note, hesitantly levitating it closer to her face so she could read it. She winced at the words as she read them over and over.
"Peace, is the greatest lie of all ... "
