Rotting Away

There was a brief moment of silence before the Hive clashed with the swarm of Risen. Twilight watched from the rear, beside Queen Chrysalis, who was smirking over at the her haughtily.

"I knew you would see things our way, Princess. We will decide on the location of my new Hive after the battle is won." The Changeling ruler stared back to the battle, just as the two forces clashed.

Twilight was forced to admit, the Changelings were highly efficient. They tore through wings and spines, sending the Risen careening down to the ground below. Twilight watched as ponies, long dead and fueled by dark magic, died again in droves.

"It seems we are the solution to all your problems, Princess..." Chrysalis grinned, looking to Twilight once more. She lost her grin, seeing the blank expression on Twilight's face. Looking back to the fight, she pretended like that expression didn't worry her. The fight was going well, but the Risen was numerous. She only had a few hundred left from her original Hive, the only survivors of the hard times that met them over the past few years. Chrysalis was growing desperate. She needed this place in Equestria, or her Hive would perish...

Twilight had noticed this; she wasn't anypony's foal. The Hive was a fraction of the size it used to be and the Changelings all looked weak and malnourished. Despite this, they fought savagely, filled with a ferocity and power that ponies sorely lacked. However, as useful as they were, Twilight knew that Chrysalis and her Changelings would continue to find ways to leech her for more and more, until Equestria would fall under the Changelings, rather than the Risen.

The Princess looked up to the sun, blocked by clouds. She thought about her mentor, her teacher, her friend. What would Celestia have her do? Slowly, she gave her head a shake and stared back to the combat. Celestia wouldn't have worked with the Changelings from the start. This was her decision and she couldn't look to Celestia for guidance on this. There was, however, one pony she could take advice from.

***

Rainbow Dash drifted down, landing among the scared and confused Pegasi with a slight wince of pain. She went around, whispering assurances and promises of safety, trying to ignore the dull ache that still filled her entire body. When Spitefire joined her, Rainbow offered her a smile. "We'll stay here. Surprise had to have a stock of food, if she was living here."

"I wouldn't be shocked..." Spitfire looked around the room, frowning. "This is a big facility. I'm sure they had rooms where ponies could go and eat. We don't have many mouths to feed, so I'm sure we can last until help comes." She looked back to Rainbow, giving a slight smile. "Can we talk, in private?"

Rainbow looked at a nearby Pegasus, who was staring at her with wide, shocked eyes. She was among several ponies who simply hadn't spoken, or reacted in any way, ever since the attack. According to the others, they simply... broke. They ate, walked and breathed, but nopony was really sure if they were still all there. It was a sight that wrenched at Rainbow's heart. Looking over to Spitfire, she nods. "Of course..."

The two walk apart from the others, keeping them in sight but getting enough distance so they couldn't be overheard. "You know, there's no guarantee help will come..." Spitfire said quietly, looking straight into Rainbow's eyes. "We need a plan, in case nopony comes to save us... And my idea isn't that complicated... You and I will lure away the zombies while everypony else makes a run for it. I think we can outrun them, but the other fliers..." Spitfire meant the ponies that would need to be guided, the ones who were mentally damaged.

"That wouldn't work, I don't think. They'd might just go back, once they saw an easier meal. They're stupid, but like, animal stupid, if you get what I mean... They'll know when an easier meal is nearby." Rainbow chewed her lip, thinking. "I'm sure Twilight will send help, once I don't come back. She'd at least try to find out if I'm alive..."

"And if the Princess falls?" Spitfire asked, looking defeated.

Rainbow snapped her head up, glaring at Spitfire. "Don't say that. Don't you ever say that."

Spitfire took a step back, eyes a little wide. "Whoa, sorry... I just..." She sighed, shaking her head. "I want to be prepared for the worst, Rainbow. We don't have any guarantees that we'll get out of this alive." Spitfire looked down, standing in silence. Just as Rainbow Dash was about to say something, Spitfire looked back up. "And that's also why I want to say this now. Everything I said up there, I meant. I like you, Rainbow. I like you a lot."

Rainbow flushed, rubbing the back of her head. "Well, I like you a lot too..."

"No, I mean... Ugh! Look, I'm not real big on emotional stuff, okay? I like you more than you think. I don't want to die, not saying something. You've done all these awesome things, from saving Equestria, to saving me. I'm used to being everypony's idol, but there was one Pegasus I always idolized. You." Spitfire poked Rainbow in the chest. Rainbow Dash was speechless, her mouth hanging open. "What I'm gettin' at is, if we die here, I don't want to die with any regrets. I won't let myself go, wishing I'd done something. So..." Spitfire stepped forward, putting the other ponies to Rainbow's back, taking either side of the other mare's face in a hoof and forcing her into a kiss.

Rainbow was practically catatonic. She didn't so much return the kiss as she tried to not drool. Spitfire leaned back, chuckling when she saw Rainbow's face. "You okay, rookie?"

Rainbow nodded, closing her mouth finally.

"Good... Then lets focus on trying to keep alive. I'd rather not get eaten, right after getting the guts to do that." Spitefire trotted around Rainbow, who just kept staring at the space Spitefire had just been for several seconds. She grinned and let out a loud cheer, Spitfire smiling from not far away.

***

Twilight watched as the Changelings tore through Cloudsdale, rooting the Risen out from wherever they had wandered, bringing them down with violent, vicious actions. Ponies stood little chance in direct conflict with the Hive; Chrysalis trained all her Drones in basic combat, turning them into a devastating swarm of violence. Add in the abilities of a Hivemind and the Drones become even more dangerous, playing off one-another in ways common allies couldn't.

No, Twilight couldn't let this get a foothold in Equestria.

Chrysalis turned, smirking to Twilight. "It seems all is going as planned, Princess. Not much longer and you'll be ready to pull your friend's corpse from whatever hole she fell in. Maybe if you're lucky, we can get to her before she turns." The Changeling Queen laughed, throwing her head back with malicious glee. She was loving every second of this; just another fact that made Twilight grit her teeth in anticipation. Chrysalis turned to her, grinning her fanged grin.

"What? Am I making you mad, Princess? Perhaps you'll need to learn to deal with me; we will be allies, after all."

"No, I was just thinking about something." Twilight kept her expression neutral as she turned to stare back out into the battle before her.

"Oh? And what holds your attention, then?" Chrysalis asked, perhaps a little more curious than she needed to be.

Twilight was silent for a second, her eyes darting from Changeling to Changeling. She marked the location of every one she could see, keeping them all piled in her mind. "Something a pony told me very recently. 'Magic is what the magician makes of it,' is what he told me. What do you make of that phrase, Chrysalis?"

Chrysalis looked confused, but looked back out to her Hive. "Well, I-"

A flash of purple light cut her off. Several spheres, glowing with radiant purple light, shot up into the air above Cloudsdale. All at once, each sphere began raining smaller, condensed balls of the same light, which sought out and struck every Changeling in sight. On contact, the Changelings barely had time to scream before their bodies disintegrated, being reduced to a fine powder, blowing away in the breeze.

Chrysalis stood, dumbfounded for half a second, before rounding on Twilight in rage. "You! We had a-" She cut off, eyes wide.

The Princess stared back at her, eyes narrowed and face set into a grim expression. "You think we had a deal, Chrysalis? I think we had a one-sided arrangement that you tried to force me into. I don't like being tricked and I don't appreciate being forced to choose between my friend and my Kingdom. I'm neither good, nor evil, Chrysalis. I'm not some paragon of light, like Celestia is. I'm not an emissary of the night, as Nightmare Moon was. I'm something in between. I am the twilight, resting between light and dark; and I have no more need for you."

Chrysalis shook with impotent rage, staring at the energy gathered on Twilight's horn. "So, you'll just kill me then?"

"Why would I?" Twilight smirked and let the energy drain from her horn. "Your Hive is gone. You're all alone now. You're about as threatening as a gnat." Twilight turned in the air, flicking her tail at Chrysalis. "I give you the greatest gift I can, Chrysalis; your life."

The Changeling Queen snapped, screaming in defiance and lunging at Twilight in a flurry of wings, fangs and magic.

Twilight disdainfully placed a barrier up, keeping the volatile Queen at bay. "Attacking me when I turn my back, right after I spare you?" Twilight sighed, turning to look at the Changeling Queen, her face less grim and more calculating. "I suppose you leaving was too much to expect..." The Princess looked Chrysalis square in the eyes. "I didn't want to do what I did, but you left me without a choice. Your Hive could have proved useful in the future as pawns. I give you one final chance, Chrysalis. Leave, and don't ever come back."

"You killed my Drones! My children!" Chrysalis snarled in a fury Twilight hadn't expected; she'd never thought Chrysalis would care this much for her Hive. It was a minor setback in her plans, but not one that couldn't be easily rectified. She'd done what she had to do; for Equestria. And she would continue to do what she had to do.

"Very well..."

***

When ponies came to Spitfire and Rainbow, reporting the sounds of screams outside, the duo prepared for the worst. If this was a failed rescue party, then the numbers of their enemies would be bolstered even further, making escape even less likely. However, the screams were reported to have a strange quality to them. Curiosity won out and Spitfire decided to investigate.

"You know this is stupid, right?" Rainbow Dash scolded, raising an eyebrow at her. "You'll get yourself killed. I'm going with you."

"One of us needs to stay here and keep order. And if something does happen to me, and you're out there, who will keep them safe?" Spitfire motioned with her head towards the ponies below.

Rainbow started to reply, but Spitfire leaned over, giving her cheek a kiss. She wasn't quite ready for anything more than that, while other ponies were watching. "I'll be fine, I promise. None of the Risen can keep up with me. I mean, I'm just about as fast as you." Spitfire gave her wings a flap. "Besides, you're still injured. They'll smell your blood and swarm all over you. I'm not having that."

Rainbow couldn't argue with those points. Huffing, she looked away. "Just be careful, alright?"

"I will." Spitfire moved closer, hugging Dash close. "I'll be right back." After a moment sharing in the silent affection, Spitfire flew down the halls of the factory, making her way to one of the many exits they had barricaded.

***

Outside was eerily quiet. No Risen pounded on the walls, though Spitfire could see a few, idly drifting about not far away. However, there were less than ten in sight; earlier she hadn't been able to count beyond fifty, with them swarming over one-another. Something had changed; this was their chance. Just as she was about to go back inside, a loud explosion drew not only her attention, but the attention of the remaining Risen.

A nearby structure erupted into a blaze of green fire as another blast struck it, exploding with a deafening blast. Spitfire recognized the magic instantly; that unique green flame was a trademark of Changeling magic, something she and the other Wonderbolts had been trained to pick out. Cursing, she flew straight up to get a better view of the situation.

Purple energy blazed through the sky, mixing with the flares and blasts of green fire. Spitfire was awed by the sheer potential of magic being thrown around here. However, the victor was already clear; the Changeling stood no chance.

Chrysalis heaved, firing another blast to ward off Twilight's magic. The Unicorn's ascension had made her far more powerful than Chrysalis had imagined. She dodged another blast ,her wings growing heavy and her body growing weary. Meanwhile, Twilight looked mostly unscathed, focused and not at all tired.

The Changeling Queen turned, darting away to gain some distance, before turning and firing a beam of magical energy at the Princess. Twilight batted the magic away effortlessly, her eyes glowing like twin pools of magical power. Chrysalis, for the first time in a very long time, felt terror. She was going to die here, with her Hive.

She refuted this. She denied it. She turned, ready to flee.

A blast of magic took her in the foreleg, severing it at the joint. She screamed, thick green blood oozing from the stump of her limb. Pain doubled her over and she began to fall, curled into herself, overcome with agony. The fall seemed to drag on forever, the pain flaring through her entire body, wracking her with sobs of agony. She lifted her head in time to see the ground fast approaching. Spreading her wings, she forced herself to fly; to break away from this destructive fall.

Magic caught her before she struck, holding her just inches from the ground.

Almost carefully, she was turned around to face the Princess, flying above her.

Twilight looked down at her with a blank stare, shaking her head. "I told you to leave, Chrysalis."

"I will! I'll do what you said. Just let me go." Chrysalis pleaded, knowing it was a lie. She would be back. She would kill Twilight for what she did today.

Twilight thought it over, staring down at the helpless Changeling. Something cold and cruel bubbled up in Twilight's chest. The slow changes that had been creeping through her mind drew around her like a blanket, smothering who she once was. She found herself not feeling anything towards the Changeling Queen. No remorse. No guilt. No desire for mercy. She weighed her value in the grand scheme and found it sorely lacking.

Without a word, she flicked her head. Chrysalis' neck twisted savagely and with intense force. The sound made Twilight imagine ice, snapping on a lake. She dropped the corpse the last few inches to the ground and let the coldness wash over her. She would need to be the protector Equestria needed, and that meant abandoning her equinity. She would do things that nopony else could bring themselves to do. She would kill, as needed, and bring this world back to order.

Or she would destroy it all trying.

Spitfire watched from not far away, fear gripping her. The Princess had just killed the Queen of the Changelings! While she was offering to leave! Begging for mercy! She swallowed down a bit of bile and fear, spreading her wings and doing a swift turn, flying back towards the weather factory. She needed to warn the others.

***

Spitfire rushed into the room, shocked to see the Princess already there, surrounded by the still-active Pegasus, Rainbow included. Spitfire found herself hating magic in all it's forms.

"There you are, Spitfire! Twilight came herself! Isn't that awesome?" Rainbow trotted over, grinning. "Told ya we'd be saved."

"Yeah..." Spitfire trailed out, not taking her eyes from the Princess. "Dash, we need to talk."

"Well, we're getting ready to leave for the Crystal Empire. Twilight said she'd take us all most of the way with magic, no problem, but we'd need to-"

"Rainbow, listen to me." Spitfire cut Dash off, stealing her attention. "I just saw the Princess kill the Queen of the Changelings in cold blood."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Uh... Aren't Changelings our enemies, Spitfire?"

"She was injured and begging for mercy. Twilight just... killed her." Spitfire shivered. The act had been so cold. Nothing like the Twilight she had seen all too often in the past.

"Well, would you have trusted her to stay away, Spitfire?" Rainbow asked, tilting her head. "Twilight made a tough call. Don't worry so much."

Spitfire bit her lip, staring at the Princess as she smiled at the ponies gathering around her. Now, she seemed so benevolent. Was she, though? Or was she hiding something?

"Fine. Lets go, before more of those Risen freaks decide to come back and chew out faces off."