Take My Heart

Opal walked these halls daily. After she retired from involvement in the war she resided here in Canterlot. The other Equine bases were not as much of a safe haven. The other bases and territories were under constant attack. The yaks were once allies to the Equine Empire. They were wiped out of existence back when Tamera was leading the changelings. She wiped them out with her changeling power. All the yaks were killed to make an example to the equines. Tamera had disappeared soon after this. The hoof pointing made it really impossible to get anything handled. Tamera’s disappearance was the biggest turning point in the war. She was the original leader of the changelings, she did so well when it came to leading the bugs. Once Chrysalis came to power more changelings were dying at the cost of her ruthlessness. Opal shook her head as she looked at herself in the mirror. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn’t know that she was about to lose her grip on the position she was in. Luna had made the decision to have the guards gather everyone and put a guising stone around their neck. The guising stone was made of a mineral that made changelings guise falter. She would be torn from her room in aggressive manors. That’s what she was going to have happen to her. There was an aggressive knock on her door. When she went to answer it she was ripped out of her room by three guards.

“Hey let me go~!” opal yelled out. “Do you know who I am?” She yelled out in confusion.

“Sorry but everypony is being guised to see if they are a changeling in disguise. We have caught wind of an attack being sent our way. We can’t risk having anypony being a changeling inside the walls of Canterlot.

“I’m no Changeling you know me~!” She hollered as she was thrown into a large crowed of ponies.  She looked forward to see a pony being touched with ab right blue stone. She saw this one was a changeling. Immediately the guards beheaded him in front of the crowed. The changeling was then thrown into a pile of other dead changelings. She shook her head upon seeing the Equine desperation. Luna and Celestia stood by watching this happen. Opal felt anger begin to fill her stomach.  Luna had decided to do this with little to no mercy. Opal and her locked eyes for a moment, Luna gasped as a guard grabbed Opal and put her on her knees. Opal knew what was going to happen if that stone touched her.

“I know her~!” Luna said as the guard slowly moved the stone away from Opal. “I know she’s no guise.” Luna said as she walked closer to Opal. “Get her back up on her hooves and send her back to her business. You should have known better guards than to send her here.” Luna said in a very angered tone. Opal had a look of relief on her face. The guard nodded in apology as he reached out to help opal up. Time felt like it slowed down, The gusing stone fell from the pouch it was held in. The stone fell right next to Opal. Her eyes widened when it bounced up and tapped her on the stomach.  Upon touching opal her visual appearance flickered. The guard whom had dropped the stone dropped is sword in shock. The sky quickly lit up as some sort of explosive hit the magical shield covering Canterlot.

“Changeling trebuchets, Explosive rounds…. T-to your battle stations t-to your battle stations~!” Apple jack yelled as she rushed in the crowed from the wall she had been scouting on. All attention was drawn away from Opal. All except for Lunas, she was in shock from seeing Opals visual appearance flicker. That meant she was a changeling in disguise. Opal shook her head and started to run away from the situation as yet another explosion hit the shield. The shield became visible every time it was hit. The explosion made a shockwave that shook the ground below it. Several vases fell of a shelf nearby. They clashed to the ground as the explosion lit up the dark night. Twilight Sparkle ran by Opal and ignored her. She was headed for battle stations. If the Changeling army broke through that shield it would be one hell of a blood bath. Opal thought this place was safe. She thought it was the best way to evade the war. That was until the war had just found its way right at her doorstep. That was when Opal noticed the Changelings had brought their brute companions the minitors. That meant that they had also brought their pets.  She knew that the queens would be riding their pets into battle. The biggest and fiercest of dragons were their pets. Not all dragons had sided with Changelings, only few had. The equines had their fair share of dragons as well. Rainbow dash was head of the dragon fleet she owned and cared for a dragon by the name of Draco. Draco was a big lighting wielding dragon. With the colors of black and yellow coating his scales.

“Come on Draco~!” Rainbowdash hollered waking him up. “we have a battle to fight~!” She said before getting on his saddle. The difference between changelings owned Dragons was that they abused their dragons to get them to fight. Chrysalis had actually converted her dragon to be the only one of its kind. A dragon with Changeling abilities, this beast was one hundred percent loyal to her ever will. Draco and rainbow had encountered this beast in the past and had never managed to kill it. “Don’t you let me down, you’re a good boy.” Rainbow said as Draco spread his wings Lighting started to crash in the sky as he activated his abilities with a mighty roar. His tail had an axe like tip on it. He was now the biggest of males but he sure was fast and agile. He got down on all fours and took flight to be one of many whom would exit the shields of Canterlot to fight against the changelings. Rainbow braced herself for the rain that was going on outside the shield. Upon exiting the shield they were met with rain beating down on them. Lighting flashed and collided with Draco’s massive horns. The lighting made his horns glow. The power transitioned to his mouth and he aimed it below. The ground looked like an ocean of black from the number of changelings below. The lighting shot from his mouth and plowed into one of the trebuchets that had been firing at the shield. The wooden structure caught flame and the shockwave of the lighting sent its operator flying. Rainbow Dash readied her spear as the sky was also cluttered with Changeling scum. The equine unleashed its whole fleet of dragon. A dragon with crystalline structures growing on it was being flown by Spitfire herself. She was second in command when it came to the dragons. This crystal Dragon once belonged to Princess Cadence. It’s heart ached over her death from many years ago. Dragons never forget about the past their memory bigger than an elephants.  Terra was her name and she lay next to the dying princess in her last hours. All that anger she would use against the changelings tonight. To protect Canterlot from the Black Death known as Changelings, She would use every ounce of her power to aid the equines to victory in this nightfall battle. Terra was and earth element dragon. She could form masses of earth and carry it to drop it upon her enemies. Being of the crystal empire she was blessed with sombra like abilities to form crystal structures. Draco ducked and dodged in flight to avoid being bitten up by the changelings in flight.

“Rainbow dash watch out~!” Spitfire said as she flew next to her. Rarity whom was ridding the well-made tail saddle of Terra Shot an arrow with her compound bow into the skull of a changeling going to tackle Rainbow off her dragon.

“Dammit Rari you scare the shit out of me when you use that thing.” Rainbow chuckled at her skill with the weapon.

“Don’t get snappy, pay attention. Draco won’t know what to do without you~!” Rarity said as she shot another arrow into a changelings head. She was skilled if she could hit so precisely will on a moving target shooting at moving targets. Her skill derived from her precise attitude to be perfect in the arts. She considered the arrow an art. Lighting struck down onto Draco’s horns again. The lighting traveled to his mouth in arks this time. The lighting balled up and then shot forward into a group of changelings. Their body parts blew apart upon impact of the ball lighting. Terra swooped down and landed on a trebuchet blasting crystal matter all over its gears. Her tail swiping side to side keeping other Changelings away from it, Rarity was shooting many arrows at the Enemy while Terra was grounded clogging the trebuchet with crystals making it inoperable. Terra spread her wings once again and quickly took flight. She had several spears in her back leg. Rarity saw this and had to take action. Her horn started to glow as she levitated some fabric to help cover the wound. She first had to remove the spears. Her magic wasn’t strong enough so she had to go down there and physically do it herself. She used a rope to tie herself to the tail in case she fell. She started to walk her way up the tail toward the dragon’s waist. Draco did a barrel roll above her and grabbed her. His talons holding her tightly, Draco quickly turn end sideways to place her on the leg of Tera. Rarity hung onto one of the spears as she looked down to see the ground. A trebuchet started firing in the dragon’s direction. The flaming ball missed the dragon but nearly grazed Rarity by the leg. Rairty began pulling the spears out, Terra immediately showed distress as the procedure began. Rarity knew she was facing death every second she was on this leg.

On the ground things were just as hard. Twilight was outside the wall with a huge group of warriors. They were keeping the Changelings away from the wall. The more the wall was attacked the weaker it got. Twilight was already covered in the black blood of Changelings.  She and her stallions and mares fighting right on the ground, No large winged serpents to help them. Except one serpent was there to help, Full grown spike was there fighting back. He was the size back when he was greedy and nearly confessed his love to Rarity. His massive jaws snapping the life out of many Changelings, he was getting angry with the spears bouncing off his snout armor. Twilight was climbing up to ride her brother like figure. Spike was fighting hard when. Evergreen the changeling dragon landed in front of him. Riding Evergreen was Chrysalis herself.  Evergreen was much bigger than spike when it came to height. Spike was much more muscular.  Spike let out a roar in Evergreens direction, she was a dragon spike had no respect for. So much loyalty towards a life sucking Changeling, both dragons reared back on their hind legs before the rushed forward clashing.  Spike and his brute strength knocked Evergreen to the ground. Nearly knocking Chrysalis off, Evergreen roared in pain as her horns started to glow green. Her tail transforming its tip into a new weapon, her tail now had a scythe like tip as she stood back up.

“Charge spike charge~!” twilight chanted as Spike let another roar.

“Stay away from my Friends~!” He said as he tried side swiping Evergreen with his tail. Only to have her tail stab his to pin it to the ground, Spike roared in pain as her forcefully pulled his tail away from her. Cutting it deeply, spike stumbled back hitting the shield which flashed upon his impact. Evergreens horns started to glow upon Chrysalis’s command. Evergreen shot a beam of green from her mouth. Her breath was not the most powerful. It was enough to hurt spike though. Spike grew angry and in return reared back as his mouth and eye lit up. He opened his maw unleashing a barrage of flame at Evergreen. The men fighting below cheered for spike who was bravely trying to take on Evergreen. She had no soul almost in her eyes. Nothing but anger seemed to consume those eyes. Evergreen spread her torn wings that looked like the roots of a tree. The dripped with black liquid as the changeling part of her was strong in her appearance. She flew up and away, she would be back, she had winged dragons to deal with first. Spike stood triumphantly at the front gate as he let out a large roar of victory.

Rarity finally finished patching up Tera when Evergreen arrived. Rarity screamed upon seeing the glowing green eyes. The rope tied to the tail was getting lose because of the rain. Evergreen saw the rope and quickly flew by cutting it. Rarity was quickly losing her grip. The element of loyalty looked over at Terra to see Evergreen was nowhere to be seen. Rainbow saw as Rarity had lost her grip. Her bow went flying as she started to plummet tot eh ground. Rainbow had not let her loyalty die. She unstrapped her belt holding her to Dracos saddle. Rain batted down on Rainbow as she dived off the dragon. She flapped her wings ferociously as the rain and lighting was everywhere around her. Rainbow looked over to see Evergreen flying below going to open her mouth and swallow her friend whole. Rainbow felt tears swell in her eyes as she lost all hearing. Her body broke the barrier and a sonic Rainboom exploded behind her. She shot forward reaching for her friend. She wrapped her arms around Rarity. She slammed full force against the hard head of Evergreen. The force caused her and the dragon to fall to the ground. Rairity remained unharmed. As For Rainbow she was unconscious. Evergreens spiked tail hovering over her heart ready to stab her. Rarity yelled out as the tail slammed down upon Rainbow dash. Draco was too late by the time he slammed down on Evergreen. His forced slammed the Changeling queen off her dragon. Was Rainbow alright? Was she going to be ok. Those were the thoughts running through Dracos’s mind.  Evergreen tried to stand up only to have a lighting strike plow her back down. Draco was using the will of lighting to full extent. Chrysalis was crawling in the mud as she was attempting to get up. She looked up to see an arrow being pointed point blank at her face. Rarity was pointing her weapon at her face. Chrysalis didn’t seem scared of Rarity at all. She could feel her weakness. Chrysalis slowly stood up with the Arrow still pointed at her.

“Go ahead, shoot me. Take your revenge.” Chrysalis said “do it, your friend is dead. Don’t you want to avenge her?” she chuckled as Ambrosia landed behind Rarity. She placed a hoof on Rarity and her eyes turned black as Ambros started sucking the life out of her. She stopped when Rarity was inches from death. Rarity fell to the ground unconscious and nearly dead. Evergreen had knocked Draco clean out. Next to him laid his dead owner. Chrysalis got back on the saddle of Evergreen and flew into the sky.

Opal was running the streets of Canterlot as anarchy was ravaging them. The trebuchets were still firing explosive rounds at the shield and overtime they hit the shockwaves were getting stronger. Opal could hardly hear from all the explosions that were going off. The storm outside was muffled and quite from the shield blocking out a majority of the noise. Worry struck her when she felt a raindrop fall and hit her nose. The shield was clearly weak now if a raindrop had gotten through. The equines needed to fight harder if they were going to prevent changelings swarming into Canterlot. A large cracking sound was heard as a crack shot across the top of the shield. Opal shook her head as she felt the worry begin to fill her.  She knew very well what would happen if the Changelings broke through the shield. Nothing would survive. There was only one more defense the city had. If they used it.. everypony left outside the shield would be lost and would not be able to get back in. Celestia was about to flip the switch. She had to get enough hope for it to work though. Without hope nothing would save this city from demise. The crystal Heart was spinning like it should. Celestia’s eyes gazing at it with regret with what she was about to do. The hope in the city was at its highest so if this was ever going to work it was going to work now.

“you’re going to have to forgive me for this.” Celestia said as she looked at Luna. I’m going to set the heart to full lockdown.” She had eyes full of tears upon stating the procedure. Luna shook her head.

“You can’t do that thousands of our army is still out there. You’re going to get them killed~!” Luna said as she looked Celestia dead in the eyes.

“If I don’t do it then everypony will die. I can’t risk this being the end of this war. We didn’t come this far to lose.”

“celestia this battle isn’t over they haven’t broken through.” Luna said trying to plead for her not to do it.

“Do you want to take responsibility for what happens when they do?” Celestia said as she shook her head. “they are more powerful than us, I see no other way.”

“celestia you’re going to make a huge problem if you do this.” Luna cried out as she pleaded more.

“I have no choice.” Celestia said as she stopped the Heart from rotating. The shield covering the city thickened and now let nothing in or out. Locking out equines to be fed to the Changeling.. This was step one of lockdown. Chrysalis had seen this before and let out a retreat signal. “I will not let this city fall.” Celestia said as she spun the heart in reverse causing it to send a blast wave of energy out for miles pushing all unwanted presences away. But what of her own kind?