The night was young.
With Luna having just taken over from her sister after their evening meal, Celestia had begun to retire to her quarters, passing through the halls of Canterlot castle. With the Night Shift taking over from the Day, the castle had begun to quiet, with all the support staff leaving and only Luna’s diligent Night Guard in the castle.
She walked past a pair of guards who saluted her, she acknowledged them with a nod.
She pondered over the days events as she took a turn around a corner. Meetings with Nobles had taken up most of the day, and some pressing matters had been called up.
More reports of farmland drying up down south, a mine collapse near Los Pegasus leaving several dead, and the ever pressing matter of finalizing the land borders between Equestria and the newly formed Changeling Kingdom.
She sighed, shaking her head. No matter what she chose, there would be those who would oppose the decision.
She paused a moment, looking out the window to Canterlot below.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
There was something wrong here.
She narrowed her eyes. Turning to return the way she came, her eyes widened as she spotted a dark shape leaping out of the shadows at her. A simple jump to the side was enough to dodge the attack, Celestia spinning around to face her opponent.
“Attempting to simply assassinate me now? You've hit a new low, Chrysalis.”
“Shut up! Your not going to get the chance to counter this time!” The Changeling Queen growled, lighting her horn, what appeared to be a large knife in her grip.Green lightning arched off the walls, shooting towards Celestia.
It was a simple effort to throw up quick shields to block the attacks, but doing so meant she had to focus all her attention in front of her.
Something attacked her from behind, jumping on her and slashing a claw across her exposed backside.
Gritting her teeth in pain, she swung around and roundhouse kicked the offending Changeling so hard it flew through a window.
Another came in from above, dropping something heavy around her neck. She winced as it contracted around her, causing her to partly lose her breath. She felt her magic drain away, the Changelings backing away as their queen approached, smiling triumphantly.
“As easy as always, Celestia.” Chrysalis laughed. “This time, you have no hope. See that necklace around your neck? It's made from pieces of my throne. It blocks all of your magic, and I've placed a special, powerful enchantment on it so that you can never take it off! You're doomed!”
Celestia yanked on the necklace with her hooves, only confirming Chrysalis’s statement. “Hmm…”
“Hahaha! Revenge is mine!” Chrysalis and her soldiers that appeared out of the shadows behind her all laughed. “Now then…”
Weapon pointed, she changed Celestia, the sun princess doing a few good job of dodging the Changeling attacks, leaping and countering, knocking out a few of them.
But she couldn't fight them all off. Not alone. It only took a few minutes, and Celestia found her face pressed against the floor of the hall, Chrysalis standing above her, and being held down by two Changelings.
“Once again, Celestia, you have fallen to me. And this time, you won't be getting up.”
Celestia groaned from the floor. “I'm sorry teacher, but I'll have to go all out, just this once…”
“What did you say?” Chrysalis asked, raising the knife. “It's no matter anyway. Soon, you will be dead.”
Celestia spread her wings, and pushed away the Changelings holding her down, flipping around and slamming them into the floor.
“You are forgetting one very important thing about me, Chrysalis.” Celestia said as the Changeling soldiers moved to protect their queen.
“And what would that be?” The Changeling queen smirked, so sure of victory. Despite the sudden turnaround, she had her trapped, completely surrounded, and her magic suppressed. What could she possibly do?
“The simple fact that, all this time I've been holding back. I've kept my powers suppressed, for the sake of everypony around me, and allowed you to overpower me because I knew everything would fix itself in the end.” She narrowed her eyes. “...Or perhaps you didn't notice at all?”
“You're bluffing!” Chrysalis growled. “And even if your not, we're in the middle of a crowded city. You can't do anything.”
Celestia just smiled and pointed a hoof at her attacker. “Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru!”
Chrysalis paused, taking a moment to processes what she had said. “...What?”
And just like that, Celestia disappeared.
No flash of teleportation, no flicker of an illusion phasing out. She was simply there one moment and gone the next.
Chrysalis jumped back in surprise, but not in time to dodge the attack, turning just in time to see Celestia directly behind her.
“N-Nani?”
She skid down the tile hallway followed by the shouts of her guard, slamming into a stone wall before regaining her senses, activating her wings and flipping around to face Celestia. Except she wasn't there.
Celestia was above her, a hoof aimed right at her head. Chrysalis only had time to open her eyes in surprise.
“S-She's fast!”
When she hit the ground again, it wasn't tile. There had been no indication of teleportation, no sensation of passing through a portal.
They had been in Canterlot Castle and now, somehow, they were here. A barren, grey wasteland covered in dust.
“H-How?” Chrysalis stammered, dazed and bleeding from the attacks. She dragged her wounded body across the dirt and gravel ground, away from Celestia. “How are you able to do this? Your magic..!”
“I have studied the ways of magic and combat for over a thousand years!” Celestia’s voice boomed, tearing the necklace off her neck. “I am a god, immortal, unaging against the onslaught of time! I have more powers at my disposal than simple magic!”
There was a bright flash, an explosion that threw the Changeling into the air. Celestia, her mane now shining pure white and the sand below her hooves turned to glass as flames twirled around her legs. Now equipped with a golden helmet and a runed sword that glowed with magic, she held it defensively against her body.
“I have never feared for my life, especially not against a mortal such as yourself. And your just a lowly bug. All you've ever been is a little more than simple entertainment for me and training for my guard and my student. That is the simple and only reason I haven't destroyed you before this moment. I must admit, your adorable army of bugs surprised me on many occasions with just how far you managed to come, and in doing so, displayed weaknesses in my guard that I have since corrected. Now that your usefulness is up, I shall dispose of you quickly and efficiently so that a bigger, better, more prominent villain can step up and be slain.”
“Now then…” She raised her sword. “I would say this was nothing personal, and that I hope you wouldn't hold a grudge, but screw that. You hurt my family and myself, so now I shall deal with you swiftly and efficiently. Do you have any last words, Chrysalis, former Queen of the Changelings?”
“...Fuck.” Said Chrysalis.
“Okay let me get this straight.” Twilight questioned. “So, a few weeks ago, you found that Chrysalis and a small number of her remaining loyal Changelings were hiding out in the caverns below Canterlot.”
“Uh huh.” Celestia nodded, chewing loudly on a hoofful of popcorn.
“So, instead of capturing them, putting them on trial, and rightfully imprisoning them…” She looked up at the projection above them. “...You trapped Chrysalis in a eternal dream fight against you?”
“Well, no, not eternal.” Princess Luna spoke up, sipping from a soda as dream Chrysalis dodged out of the way as fire bolts rained from the sky. “She'll wake up in a few hours.”
On cue, the screen glowed shit as dream Celestia it her horn and the sky behind her erupted in flame, the large fireball shooting down towards the queen. She screamed, instantly vaporized by the blast as a mushroom cloud rose across the land.
The message “You Died” hovered ominously overheated as what they were watching went black.
“...Or she eventually rage quits from getting killed so much. Whichever happens first.”
“Okay, but… why?” Twilight asks, the image reforming as Chrysalis and Celestia reformed in the barren wasteland that was their battlefield.
“Because it's fun.” Celestia grabbed the bottle out of her sister's magic, taking a swig. “Wha- this is empty!” She tossed the can at her sister's head, it thunk-ing off her horn and rattling as it hit the floor.
“I was going to get a new one, but since you so ungratefully stole it, you shall be the one to get a new one.” Luna said, picking up the dropped can and moving it to the nearby trash can that was full of similar empty cans.
Celestia turned to Twilight. “You ever wish murder was legal?”
“Oh, sister.” Luna directed their attention back overhead. “It appears Chrysalis has begun to figure out how to beat your avatar.”
“Hmmm…” Celestia watched as Chrysalis landed a successful attack on her character, the heath bar dropping to just above half. “Active the next phase.”
Luna lit her horn.
The fictional sky began to darken, stormclouds swirling as lightning flashed. Nightmare Moon appeared, cackling evilly as shadows orbited above her head.
“Nice dramatic entrance Luna.”
“Thank you sister.”
“OH COME ON!” Chrysalis shouted as she was showed with exploding comets.
Author's Note
*unsheathes katana*
Can you feel the edge yet?
