Chapters The following morning the girls all gathered by the statue in front of the school. Sunset and Rainbow Dash readied themselves to go through the portal to Equestria.
“Alright, I’ve written to Princess Twilight and she will take us directly to where Chrysalis is imprisoned when we arrive.” Sunset said. “We shouldn’t be too long, so you all can just wait here.”
“We’ll hold down the fort.” AppleJack said.
Sunset and Rainbow Dash then stepped through the portal. Upon emerging on the other side, Rainbow Dash felt dizzy. “I’m never getting used to that. Or being a pony. Or having wings.”
Princess Twilight greeted them immediately. “I’m glad that you came. From what I read, the situation in the human world is dire.”
“It is. And we believe that the only one who can give us answers is Chrysalis. Can you take us to her?” Sunset asked.
“Of course.” Princess Twilight then teleported the three of them to the field where Chrysalis, Terek, and Cozy Glow were imprisoned in stone.
“That’s Chrysalis? She’s a lot uglier than I imagined.” Rainbow Dash said.
Princess Twilight placed a magic suppression ring around Chrysalis’s horn. She then used her magic to free Chrysalis from her stone prison.
Chrysalis grabbed her head and shielded her eyes from the sun. “UGH, what happened? I feel absolutely stiff.” Chrysalis then saw Princess Twilight and became filled with rage.
“YOU!” Chrysalis shouted. She charged at Princess Twilight, but was forced to the ground and held there by Princess Twilight’s magic.
“We need to have a word with you Chrysalis.” Princess Twilight said.
“About what?!” Chrysalis said angrily.
“There is a creature roaming around the human world killing people.” Sunset said. “It kills by sucking out people's blood and organs. We believe that it is some sort of giant insect, and that it might have come from here in Equestria.”
Chrysalis’s eyes went wide. “Are you talking about Exo?”
“Who or what is Exo?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Chrysalis lowered her head. “Exo is…my son.”
That evening Trixie walked out the back door of a theater and into a back alley. She had just finished up doing one of her magic shows, but to dismay the crowd was very thin. It also didn’t help that the owner of the theater only paid Trixie a small percent of what she originally asked for.
“This is a disgrace!” Trixie said as she counted what little money she had made. “The great and powerful Trixie is worth far more than a handful of dollars.”
As Trixie began walking down the alley to her car, she heard a noise behind her. It sounded like a weird scratching noise. “Probably just a cat.” Trixie thought to herself.
As Trixie kept walking, the sound became louder and louder. She eventually reached into her purse and grabbed a can of mace. “Whoever is following me, stop! The great and powerful Trixie has mace!” Trixie hollered as she turned around.
There was nothing behind her but darkness. “Huh. It must have been Trixie’s imagination.” Trixie then heard a buzzing noise. She turned around and saw a pair of bright red eyes staring back at her.
Trixie tried to spray the red eyes with her mace, but they just rose up higher. A sharp proboscis then emerged and was forced straight down onto Trixie’s head, piercing her skull. Trixie’s eyes rolled into the back of her head as her brains were sucked out.
All of the girls stood outside of Twilight’s house while they waited for her to come out with the magic bomb. Rarity kept staring at Chrysalis.
“Why exactly is she still here? She’s already given us all the information we need on Exo.”
“Because we still need her help.” Sunset said. “Chrysalis is the only one who can track down Exo and tell us exactly where he is.”
“She’s right.” Chrysalis said with a smug look on her face. “I am the only one who can detect Exo’s pheromones in the air and track him down.”
Rainbow Dash was clearly upset. “Don’t get comfortable. Once we stop Exo, your butt is going right back to Equestria.”
Twilight finally emerged from her house. “Okay everyone, I’ve finished the magic bomb!” Twilight then showed it off to everyone. The magic bomb was a metallic sphere that was the size of a grapefruit. Twilight then pointed to a red button that was at the top of the bomb. “Simply push this button and the bomb will detonate in sixty seconds.”
Sunset then got a notification on her phone. She looked at it, then put her hand over her mouth.
“Sunset, what is it?” AppleJack asked.
Sunset looked up from her phone. “Another body has been found. It’s Trixie.”
Rainbow DRainbow Dash and Fluttershy walked hand in hand by the lake on the edge of Canterlot. The sun was getting low in the sky, but it was spring time so the couple knew that they had a few more hours left of sunshine.
Fireflies then appeared in the air, lighting up the dimming daylight with their bright glow. Rainbow Dash became irritated and started swatting them away.
“Don’t do that!” Fluttershy said as she let go of her girlfriend’s hand and let one of the fireflies land in her hands. “Fireflies are harmless.”
“You know I hate bugs.” Rainbow Dash said with a disgusted look on her face.
Fluttershy let the firefly that she had in her hands fly away. “But bugs are beautiful. Such as these fireflies, butterflies, and ladybugs.”
“Yeah, but there are plenty of nasty ones. Centipedes, cockroaches, ticks, stink bugs, mosquitoes, fire ants.”
Fluttershy could not help but giggle. “Yes, some bugs have a rough exterior. But on the inside they are harmless. A lot like you.”
Rainbow Dash Smirked. “You are just too sweet.” Rainbow Dash’s phone then began to buzz. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at it.
“Who is it?”
“I just got a text from my parents. They need me home for dinner, so I gotta run. Do you want to come with me?”
“No thanks. I’m right here. Besides, I want to watch the sunset.”
“Are you sure you’ll be alright? It’s going to be dark.”
“Don’t worry, we’re not that far from the road. And I’ll just text my parents to pick me up in a little while.”
“If you say so.” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy then kissed each other. “I’ll see you tomorrow for band practice okay.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow.” Fluttershy then waved at Rainbow Dash as she took off running. Fluttershy turned to look at the lake as the sun was beginning to set. She then heard rustling behind her.
“Did you forget something Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked as she turned around. When she did, her eyes became wide. She tried to make a sound, but what followed was only silence.
The next day Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all arrived at the lake to do some swimming. After playing around for a while, Scootaloo had an idea.
“Hey, how about we have a swimming race across the lake?”
“Why do you always have to be so competitive Scootaloo?” Applebloom asked.
“What? Are you two afraid that you’ll lose?”
Sweetie Belle then had an idea. “Let’s make this more interesting. Whoever comes in last has to buy ice cream.”
A smile came over Applebloom’s face. “Sounds good to me. Are you still in Scootaloo, or are you chicken?”
Scootaloo hated to be called chicken. “It’s a deal!” All three girls then lined up on the shore of the lake. “Ready, set, go!” The three friends then jumped in the water and began swimming as fast as they could.
Applebloom and Scootaloo were neck and neck for most of the race, with Sweetie Belle far behind. Scootaloo eventually surged ahead and made it to the other side of the lake first.
“Ha! I’m the best!” Scootaloo shouted as she stood up on shore. “It looks like you’re buying us ice cream Sweetie Belle.”
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom both walked up on the shore. “Yeah, yeah. You don’t have to brag about it.” Sweetie Belle said as she rolled her eyes.
Scootaloo continued her celebration by dancing backwards. “S.U.C.C.E.E.S! That is how-” Scootaloo then tripped and fell backwards.
“Scootaloo, are you alright?” Applebloom asked.
Scootaloo rose to her feet. “I’m fine. I just tripped over something.” Scootaloo then turned around and looked down to see what she tripped over. Once she saw it, she let out a blood curdling scream.
A few hours later Rainbow Dash arrived at the hospital. Fluttershy’s mom had called her and told her that something terrible had happened, and that she should come to the hospital immediately. Rainbow Dash looked around and found AppleJack and Big Mack cuddling Applebloom while Rarity held Sweetie Belle. Both of the little girls could not stop crying.
“What’s going on? What happened?” Rainbow Dash asked.
AppleJack looked up at Rainbow Dash. “We don’t know yet. We got a call from Fluttershy’s parents telling us to come to the hospital. When we arrived, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were crying hysterically.”
“Where’s Scootaloo?”
“She’s with her aunts.” Rarity said. “Apparently she’s in a severe state of shock. She won’t move or talk.”
“Do Applebloom and Sweetie Belle know what happened?”
AppleJack shook her head. “Everytime we ask them they try to talk, but then they break down screaming and crying.”
Rainbow Dash was starting to get frustrated. “Where is Fluttershy? Is she okay?”
Zephyr Breeze then walked into the room. His head was down, and when he looked up at Rainbow Dash his eyes were red and tears were streaming down his face.
Rainbow Dash grabbed Zephyr by the shoulders. “Zephyr, where is Fluttershy!?”
“Fluttershy-” Zephyr tried to continue to talk, but he became all choked up. “Fluttershy is dead!”
Rainbow Dash’s eyes went wide. She could not believe what she was hearing. “What!? How!? When!?”
“The police aren’t sure, but they believe that it happened sometime last night.”
Rainbow Dash suddenly felt sick to her stomach. The last time she saw Fluttershy, the love of her life, was just last night. A thousand thoughts went through her head. She should have stayed with her. She should have taken Fluttershy back to her home. She should have never left her alone.
“I want to see her.”
Zephyr shook his head. “Rainbow, you really shouldn’t see-”
Rainbow Dash grabbed Zephyr by the collar of his shirt. “Take me to see her NOW!” Rainbow Dash shouted in his face.
“Follow me.” Zephyr then led Rainbow Dash deeper into the hospital. They took an elevator down to the bottom floor where the morgue was. As they both walked further down the hall, Rainbow Dash could see Fluttershy’s parents standing outside the door to the morgue. They were crying and holding each other.
Zephyr approached his parents. “Mom, dad, Rainbow Dash would like to see Fluttershy. I know that only family are allowed to view the dead, but I think we should make an exception for her.”
Fluttershy’s mom looked at Rainbow Dash. She knew how close Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had known each other since childhood. Fluttershy’s mom simply nodded her head.
Rainbow Dash opened the door to the morgue and walked inside. In the center of the room was a metal table that held Fluttershy’s body which was covered by a white sheet.
Rainbow Dash approached the table. The mortician grabbed the sheet and gently pulled it away. What Rainbow Dash saw made her stop breathing.
Fluttershy’s body was unrecognizable. She was shriveled up like a mummy, with her face looking like it was in a permanent state of terror. Her eyes were popping out of their sockets, and her lips were curled back to expose her teeth.
Rainbow Dash bent over and threw up all over the floor. Once Rainbow Dash regained herself, she stood up and looked at the mortician. “What happened to her?!”
The mortician covered up Fluttershy’s body. “I have no idea. Apparently she was drained of all her blood and organs. There is a hole in her abdomen that appears to be where the damage was done.”
Rainbow Dash still couldn’t believe what she had just seen. It was like she was trapped in a never ending nightmare. Her girlfriend Fluttersy, the most beautiful girl that she had ever seen, had died an unimaginable death. What type of horrible person or thing could be responsible?
Rainbow Dash walked out of the morgue and stood in front of Fluttershy’s family. They all embraced in a group hug, grieving together over the loss of a daughter, a friend, and a lover.
Author's Note
I made a mistake. I put down completed when I meant to put down uncomplete. New chapters will be added daily.
Part 3
That night Lyra and Bon Bon held hands as they walked down the sidewalk by the edge of the forest. Lyra looked up at the night sky to see the full moon.
“The moon certainly is beautiful when it’s full.” Lyra said.
Bon Bon also looked up at the moon. “Yes it is.”
Lyra then turned and looked at her girlfriend with a smile. “But it will never be as beautiful as you.”
Bon Bon put her hand to her lips and giggled. “Oh, stop.”
Lyra then turned Bon Bon to face her and put her hands on Bon Bon’s hips. “You know, they say that a full moon can make people horny. And right now, I’m in the mood.”
“You will just have to wait until we get back to my place. It’s not like we can do it here.”
“That’s what the woods are for.” Lyra then began pulling Bon Bon towards the forest.
“But Lyra, what if someone catches us?”
Lyra chuckled. “It’s the middle of the night, and we will be in the dark woods. Trust me, nobody is going to catch us.”
Bon Bon playfully rolled her eyes. “Alright, if you say so.” The two lovers then made their way deep into the woods. They kept walking until they were sure that they were out of sight.
Lyra then spotted a tree that was in the moonlight. She walked Bon Bon over to the tree and eased her against it. Lyra and Bon Bon then began to make out.
Bon Bon tilted her head back as Lyra kissed her neck. Lyra then took off her top and unstrapped her bra, exposing her breasts to the cool night air.
Bon Bon fondled Lyra’s breasts, causing Lyra to moan with pleasure. Bon Bon and Lyra were about to take things further when a dark shadow blocked out the moon.
Suddenly, Something pulled Lyra away from Bon Bon. It forced Lyra onto the ground front first and held her down. Bon Bon was frozen with fear as she saw two glowing red eyes staring back at her.
The red eyes then lowered and Lyra felt something sharp pierce her back. She let out a scream of pain as she could feel the very life being sucked out of her body.
Bon Bon shivered non stop as she watched the grotesque scene unveil before her. Lyra’s body then began to lose its mass, shriveling up into dry, wrinkled skin and bones. “Help…me…” were the final words that Lyra said with her weak last breath.
Bon Bon let out a terrified scream. She then found the will to move her body and started running as fast as she could. Bon Bon ran through the woods as fast as she could, but she could hear a buzzing noise from behind and it was getting closer and closer.
Bon Bon finally made it out of the woods and ran into the street. She waved down a passing car. The driver rolled down the window on the passenger side of the car. “What’s wrong?” He asked.
“PLEASE HELP ME!” Bon Bon screamed. Before Bon Bon could get another word out, two large raptorial legs reached out and grabbed her. Bon Bon was then dragged screaming into the darkness.
Rainbow Dash and all of her friends and family gathered together for Fluttershy’s funeral. Everyone wore black, and the casket was closed for obvious reasons. Rainbow Dash and her parents stood beside Fluttershy’s family as mourners walked up to them.
“I am so sorry for your loss Rainbow Dash. Please accept my sympathy.” Derpy said.
Rainbow Dash hugged Derpy. “Thank you Derpy. You’re a very good friend.”
Scootaloo’s aunts, Holiday and Lofty, then walked up to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s family. “You have our condolences during this tragic time.” Holiday said.
“How is Scootaloo doing?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“She is still in shock.” Lofty replied. “She is eating and sleeping, but most of the time she just stares at the wall with a blank expression on her face.”
Rainbow Dash hugged both Holiday and Lofty. She couldn’t imagine what Sootaloo was going through. She looked up to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash as big sisters. To be so young and finding Someone you care about suffer a horrible death is something that no child should have to go through.
During the service, everyone in attendance was either quiet or crying. Pinkie Pie, who was usually jovial, sat with her head down. Her poofy hair was flat, and a stream of tears flowed down her face.
After the service Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, AppleJack, Rarity, and Sunset all gathered together. AppleJack hugged Rarity as she cried onto her shoulder.
“Who or what could have done such a thing?” Sunset asked. “Did the police find anything at the crime scene?”
“I checked, and the police couldn’t find anything.” Rainbow Dash said.
“There is no way something like that could have been done with human hands.” Twilight said.
Everyone looked at Twilight. “What do you mean?” Asked AppleJack.
“Well, right now it’s just a theory. But whatever killed Fluttershy may be inhuman.”
At that moment, Flash Sentry came running up to the group. “Hey! Did you hear the news?”
Sunset looked at Flash. “What news?”
Flash held up his phone. “Two more bodies have been found in the woods, and they died the same way as Fluttershy.”
All of the girls' eyes went wide. “Have the bodies been identified?” Twilight asked.
Flash was reluctant to say the names of the victims. “Yes. It’s Lyra and Bon Bon.”
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. “WHAT!?” Sunset, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Twilight all shouted at once.
“But I thought all of the Changelings were your children?” Princess Twilight asked.
Chrysalis let out a sigh. “Exo is different. He was designed to be the ultimate changeling. Through selective breeding he was born to have zero imperfections. After he hatched, Exo was bombarded with both light and dark magic. As soon as he became immune to one spell, I would attack him with another spell until he became immune to that one as well.”
Everypony was in shock. “You tortured your own son?” Sunset asked.
“You’re horrible.” Rainbow Dash said with a disgusted look on her face.
“I wasn’t torturing him! I was making him perfect! Completely indestructible. Soon Exo grew up, and he was larger and stronger than any other changeling that had come before him.”
“Something tells me there was a problem.” Princess Twilight said.
“Exo did not turn out as perfect as I had planned. He lacked the ability to change. And instead of feeding off of love, he fed on other living creatures.”
“So how did Exo end up in the human world?” Sunset asked.
“I knew that there was no way to control him. The answer came when several rifts appeared in the sky one day that appeared to lead to another world.”
Both Rainbow Dash and Sunset looked at each other with surprised faces. “The friendship games!”
“I used what magic I had to push Exo through one of the rifts. He was no longer in Equestria, so he was no longer a problem.”
Rainbow Dash got right in Chrysalis’s face. “It’s because of you that three innocent people are dead, including the girl I love! You’re the real monster!”
“Chrysalis, is there any way that Exo can be defeated?” Princess Twilight asked.
“There might be, but under one condition. I want to be pardoned. To not be locked away in a stone prison and to be allowed to roam around freely in Equestria.”
Princess Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset all gathered together in a huddle. “I don’t think we have a choice.” Princess Twilight said. “We may have to give Chrysalis what she wants.”
Rainbow Dash became enraged. “What?! You have to be joking!”
“Princess Twilight is right.” Sunset said. “Chrysalis may be the only one who can help us defeat Exo.”
“What if she betrays us?”
A slight smile came over Princess Twilight’s face. “Leave that to me.” Princess Twilight then walked back over to Chrysalis. “Alright Chrysalis, you will be granted a pardon. But there will be one condition of our own.”
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. “And what is that?”
“You will be stripped of your magic. You will have no power whatsoever.”
“What?! No way! I refuse!”
“Well then, I’ll just have to imprison you in stone again.” Princess Twilight began to light up her horn.
Chrysalis gritted her teeth. “Fine! I agree.”
Princess Twilight then lifted the spell that was holding Chrysalis to the ground. She then blasted Chrysalis with a ray of golden light. “There, now you are completely harmless.”
“Hmgh.” Chrysalis groaned with a look of anger.
“Okay, we’d better hurry back to the human world before things get worse.” Rainbow Dash said.
Back at Canterlot high, the rest of the girls waited patiently by the portal in the statue.
“When are they going to be back? It feels like we’ve been waiting forever!” Rarity complained.
AppleJack looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “It’s only been an hour, shug.”
Sunset and Rainbow Dash then emerged from the portal in their human forms. Chrysalis followed right behind them. In her human form, Chrysalis had pitch black skin with green eyes and long green hair that was messy and tangled. She wore knee high green boots, a green skirt, and a black tank top.
“Who is that?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“This is Chrysalis.” Sunset explained. “She is the former queen of the changelings. Apparently one of her brood named Exo is responsible for what’s going on, and she’s the only one who knows how to stop him.”
Chrysalis put her hands on her hips and looked around. “So this is the human world huh? I must say, I’m not very impressed.”
“You’re not here on a sightseeing tour!” Rainbow Dash said angrily as she pointed at Chrysalis. “You’re here to help us stop this abomination that you have created.”
Everyone then noticed Cheerilee stumbling towards them. She was covered in sweat, with her arms wrapped around her stomach.
“Miss Cheerilee, are you alright?” Rarity asked.
“I…don’t…feel…good.” Cheerilee said with a weak voice. A loud gurgling sound could then be heard coming from her gut. Cheerilee then fell to her knees and let out a very loud belch. All of a sudden, a massive grub crawled out of her mouth and Cheerilee fell over dead.
Pinkie Pie and Rarity both screamed as the giant grub began crawling towards them at a rapid pace. AppleJack charged up to the grub and stomped on it with all of might, killing it and spraying its inner fluids all over.
Chrysalis was shocked. “Why did you do that!?” She shouted as she had her arms outstretched. “It was just a baby grub!”
Rainbow Dash punched Chrysalis right in the face and knocked her to the ground. “That grub just killed another one of our friends!”
“Chrysalis, is Exo responsible for this?” Twilight asked. “Does he have the ability to lay eggs in other living creatures?”
Chrysalis rose to her feet and wiped her face. “Yes. Exo has the ability to plant eggs in hosts. I bred him to do that should I ever be incapacitated and unable to lay eggs myself.”
“Why didn’t you say that before?!” Sunset yelled.
“You didn’t ask.” Chrysalis replied bluntly.
Sunset sighed in frustration. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. AppleJack and I will stay here and report everything to the police. The rest of you head over to Twilight’s place and find out more about Exo.”
“Roger that.” Rainbow Dash said. She then grabbed Chrysalis by the arm and dragged her away as Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Twilight followed.
“Do you really think Chrysalis can be of any help?” AppleJack asked.
Sunset took out her phone and began to call the police. “I hope so. This nightmare has to come to an end.”
After arriving at Twilight’s house, the girls sat Chrysalis down and began questioning her about Exo.
“Alright, is there anything that you can tell us about Exo that you haven’t told us yet?” Twilight asked.
Chrysalis crossed her legs and put her hand to her chin as she began thinking. “Well, Exo feeds at night because his eyes are very sensitive to bright light. He also needs to feed daily. He’s probably already gone through all the wildlife in the area, which would explain why he’s using humans as a food supply.”
“Does Exo have any weaknesses?” Asked Pinkie Pie.
“Aside from sensitivity to bright light, he does not. I bred Exo to be immune to both light and dark magic. His exoskeleton is also nearly indestructible.”
Twilight began thinking, then had an idea. “What about his insides?”
“What about them?” Chrysalis asked with a puzzled look on her face.
“Are Exo’s insides also indestructible?”
“No, he has a regular set of changeling organs. Why do you ask?”
A smile came over Twilight’s face. “I think I know how we can stop Exo.”
Sunset and AppleJack soon arrived at Twilight’s place.
“Were you able to handle the police?” Rarity asked.
“Yeah. We had to lie and tell them that we found Cheerilee’s body already like that in the parking lot. But I doubt that they would have believed us if we told them the truth about a giant grub crawling out of her mouth.” AppleJack said.
“Did you find out anything more about Exo?” Sunset asked.
Twilight turned to face Sunset. “Yes I have. Chrysalis has informed us that even though Exo is nearly indestructible on the outside, he is still vulnerable on the inside. If we can somehow expose his insides to enough light magic, we may be able to destroy him.”
Sunset crossed her arms. “And how are we supposed to get light magic inside of him? I doubt Exo will just let us shove it down his throat.”
Twilight blushed and scratched the back of her head. “Yeah, about that. In order to get the magic inside of Exo we’ll have to go through…the back door.”
“You mean through his anus?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Well, yeah.”
“That is disgusting!” Rarity shouted.
“It’s the only way to reach his insides.” Twilight said.
“But how are we going to get Exo to stay still long enough for us to pony up and zap light magic up his butt?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“We won’t have to pony up. I can make a bomb filled with concentrated light magic. All we have to do is set a timer, get it inside of Exo, and detonate it.”
Sunset thought for a moment. “This plan can work. All we need to do is distract Exo long enough for someone to insert the bomb.”
I’ll insert the bomb.” Rainbow Dash said. “That monster has taken away not only my best friend, but the love of my life. This is personal.”
“Okay, now all we need to do is locate Exo.” Twilight turned to face Chrysalis. “Where is the most likely place that we can find?”
“Exo sleeps underground during the day. He also likes to remain cool while he slumbers. Your best chance would be a cave or rock quarry.”
Pinkie Pie suddenly jumped to her feat. “The cave system that’s just outside of camp Everfree! That has to be the place where Exo is hiding!”
Sunset nodded her head. “Alright, we have our plan. How long will it take you to make that magic bomb Twilight?”
“It should take only a day.” Twilight replied.
“Good. Now let’s just hope that no more people are killed until then.”
Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and clenched both of her hands into fists. “That’s it! This horrendous nightmare has to stop! Today we stop at nothing to destroy Exo before any more people are killed!”
Everyone nodded in agreement. They all got inside of their RV and drove towards Everefree forest.
Once they arrived they got out of the RV and walked straight into the Everfree woods. Every once in a while Chrysalis would stop and sniff the air for Exo’s pheromones so that the girls knew where to go. They all walked deep into the woods until Chrysalis stopped at the entrance to a large cave.
“He’s in there.” Chrysalis said.
“Are you sure?” Twilight asked.
Chrysalis looked at Twilight and Smirked. “Trust me, I know how to track down my own kind.”
Rainbow Dash walked to the front of the group. “Let’s finish this.” She then pulled out a flashlight and led the way into the cave.
As the girls moved deeper into the cave, the air became colder. The ground beneath their feet also became mushy.
“Why is there so much mud?” Rarity asked. “It hasn’t rained all week.”
Chrysalis looked over at her. “That isn’t mud. It’s insect waste.”
Rarity’s eyes went wide. “You mean I’m walking in Exo’s poop?!”
“Oh yeah.” Chrysalis said with a smile.
Rarity then bent over and instantly threw up. AppleJack rubbed her back.
After walking for what felt like hours, a loud buzzing sound echoed throughout the cave. A pair of bright red eyes then appeared in the dark.
Rainbow Dash shined her flashlight towards the eyes. What the light brought out of the darkness was an image of pure horror. A monstrous amalgamation of different insects fused into one. What could be made out was the upper half of a mantis, the midsection of a cockroach, and the bottom half of a beetle.
Rainbow Dash shined her flashlight into Exo’s eyes. This made him give out a loud screech of pain and up further into the cave.
“How are we supposed to get behind Exo to insert the bomb without the flashlight?” Rainbow Dash asked. “We can’t exactly do this in the dark!”
“I have an idea!” Twilight said. “Rainbow Dash, give the flashlight to Chrysalis.”
“What?!” Both Chrysalis and Rainbow Dash shouted in unison.
“Chrysalis can hold the flashlight and distract Exo so that you can get behind him and insert the bomb.” Twilight explained.
“Why do I have to distract Exo?” Chrysalis asked.
“Because you’re the one who created him. It’s time for you to help fix the damage that Exo has caused.” Twilight said firmly.
Rainbow Dash gave the Flashlight to Chrysalis, who then waved the light back and forth across the cave. This seemed to hypnotize Exo, as he reached up and clawed at it.
Rainbow Dash saw her opening when she noticed that there was a crawl space underneath Exo as he was reaching up for the light. She grabbed the magic bomb and crawled down on her gut through a foot of Exo’s waste to get to the other side.
Exo could sense that something was wrong. He turned his head to see Rainbow Dash crawling out from behind him. Exo raised one of his raptorial legs to strike her down.
At that moment a spark went off in Chrysalis’s head. She didn't know why, but for some reason she felt like she had to do something. Chrysalis then shouted out Exo’s name. “Exo, stop!”
Exo turned his head to look at the small creature calling out his name. He had not heard his name being spoken in many moons. Exo looked down at the creature that had said his name. The voice seemed somehow familiar.
Chrysalis looked up at Exo. “Exo, it’s me Chrysalis. I am your mother. I am your queen.”
Exo cocked his head to the side. The name Chrysalis was familiar.
“Exo, I know that I have hurt you. I wanted you to be the best, to be the ultimate changeling. But in the end I hurt you, and then I abandoned you.” Chrysalis then reached up her arms to Exo. “Forgive me.”
Exo lowered his head, and Chrysalis wrapped her arms around it. Exo let out a low humming noise. Chrysalis smiled. Exo then rose back up, still looking at Chrysalis. Exo then swung both of his raptorial claws at Chrysalis, slicing off her head and mid-section. The three parts of her body went flying through the cave, spraying the walls with blood.
The girls all screamed. Except for Rainbow Dash, she had seen enough death.
“This is for you, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash pressed the red button on the magic bomb and shoved it right up Exo’s anus. Exo let out a loud screech of pain as Rainbow Dash did a baseball slide underneath him to get back with the others. “Quick, run!”
The girls all ran as fast as they could back towards the opening of the cave while Exo was in hot pursuit. The magic bomb then detonated. Exo let out a deafening screech as a bright light pierced through his eyes, mouth, and abdomen. Exo then briefly imploded before exploding.
The cave shook violently from the explosion. All of the girls were able to make it out just seconds before the cave collapsed. They all stopped to catch their breaths.
“Is everyone alright?” Sunset asked.
Rarity, AppleJack, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash all nodded their heads.
“What happened back there?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Why did Chrysalis sacrifice herself like that?”
“It could have been a number of things.” Sunset said. “Maybe it was guilt over the fact that out of all the changelings in her brood, Exo suffered the most and she felt remorse for that.”
“Whatever it was, it did give Rainbow Dash enough time to plant the bomb.” AppleJack said.
“And to finally end this nightmare.” Rarity added.
In the days that followed, Sunset wrote to Princess Twilight about Chrysalis’s death, and how she helped to destroy Exo. Princess Twilight replied that Chrysalis’s redemption and sacrifice would not be in vain, and that a stained glass window would be put up in Canterlot castle to remember her.
Rainbow Dash visited Fluttershy’s grave. She put down a bouquet of various flowers by her tombstone.
“We did it Fluttershy, we ended the horror that has been haunting this town.” Rainbow Dash said. “I still remember our final time together. The sight of your beautiful face in the light of the setting sun will be with me for the rest of my life. Scootaloo is recovering from her shock. She’s still not fully back to being her old self, but with the support of her aunts as well as Applebloom and Sweetie Belle she will make progress.”
Tears then began to flow down Rainbow Dash’s face as she smiled. “I will always love you, Fluttershy. You will always be in my heart. And now that the monstrosity that took you has been destroyed, I know that you can finally rest in peace.”
Meanwhile, deep in the Everfree forest a deer stumbled around aimlessly. A loud gurgling sound came from its gut. The deer fell over dead, after which a large grub crawled out of its mouth. The grub raised its head and let out a screech.