TWILIGHT VS. CARAPACE

TWILIGHT ALTERNATED BETWEEN GALLOPING AND FLYING AS SHE MADE HER way to the palace tower. Along the way, she dodged the Changelings that were in the streets, even blasting a few with her magic. Some Changelings snapped at her – only managing to pull off some feathers from her wings – while some gave chase, only to give up after a few blocks.

Her mind was racing – had the princesses been hurt? If so, how badly? Were they still alive? Had Carapace spared them for now? What kind of torture was he inflicting upon them? If he had business with Twilight, why didn't he just seek her out instead of attacking Canterlot, the city Twilight used to call home?

The palace came into view. She looked up at the royal suite, where the princesses were sure to be.

Finally. Hold on, you guys. I'm coming.

Something hit her on the side, knocking her down, sending her tumbling. She caught glimpses of a black creature, flashes of dull gray teeth. She managed to right herself, to climb back onto her hooves, and she saw her attacker.

It was a Changeling alright, a male by the look of it. He was tall, slightly taller than Twilight, with a curved horn sticking out of his forehead. His skin – Changelings had no fur – was black as coal, with patches and holes in his legs, exposing muscle and sinew. His wings were translucent and insect-like, and his eyes were a sick green color. He had his mouth open, his teeth bared, in a deep, throaty growl.

"Are you Prince Carapace?" she asked.

The Changeling chuckled. "I am not the princcce," he replied in his snakelike voice. "I am one of hisss generalsss. My name isss Arachnae."

"Get out of my way, Arachnae," Twilight said. "If you don't I won't hesitate to – "

"What, kill me?" He laughed. "You would not do that."

"What makes you think I won't?"

"Becaussse, your busssinesss isss not with me. It isss my princcce who ssseeksss an audienccce with you, Your Majesssty."

Twilight huffed; she hated her regal titles. But she had other concerns right now.

"I'm guessing your prince is in the royal suite with the princesses."

"Correct."

Twilight flared her wings and started flapping. "Then get the heck out of my way!" She flew up to the top of the tower, to the window that led to the royal suite. "Celestia! Luna! Cadance!"

The three pony princesses were stuck to the floor by their hooves, glued to the spot by some green adhesive substance; the same substance covered their wings and their horns, keeping them from flying away or using their magic.

"Twilight, you've got to get out of here," Celestia said. "The Changelings – "

"I'm not going anywhere until I free you guys," Twilight told her as her horn started glowing. "Just give me a minute."

"I think not, Princccesss."

"Huh?"

Twilight felt herself being lifted off the floor. Before she could react, she was thrown against the wall.

Pain racked her body. She collapsed to the floor in a heap, her side hurting. The force of the blow had knocked the wind out of her; she took a few seconds to try and catch her breath.

And then she saw who had thrown her. Another Changeling, this one taller than Arachnae.

"I'm guessing you're Prince Carapace," she said.

"And you are Princccesss Twilight Sssparkle," Carapace said. He cocked his head to one side. "I will admit, I had not expected you to be ssso beautiful. But alasss, our time together isss fated to be short. Murderer of my sssissster."

Twilight picked herself up off the floor. "What in the hoof are you talking about? I didn't murder anyone's sister."

"No? What about our queen? What about Chrysssalisss?"

"You're her brother? I pity you, then." Carapace's face started twisting in anger. "I had no choice. It was either her or Cadance. And besides, I'm not the only one who contributed in her death, you know? Why aren't you looking for Goku and Vegeta? They helped."

"Your human alliesss are no longer in thisss world. Even I know that much. Ssso my revenge shall be directed towardsss you. Besssidesss, it isss becaussse of you that my people sssuffer. It isss becaussse of you that our livesss have become thisss….Thisss hell."

"Spare me. If anyone's a murderer around here, it's your sister. She trapped Cadance in the tunnels beneath Canterlot, tried to steal away my brother's soul, foalnapped the Cutie Mark Crusaders, nearly killed me and my friends, almost killed Cadance….Face it, Prince, your sister was a murderous bitch."

"SSSILENCCCE! I WILL NOT HAVE YOU SSSPEAK ABOUT MY SSSISSSTER IN SSSUCH A MANNER, YOU INSSSOLENT FOAL!"

His horn began to glow with a sick green aura. Twilight focused on her own magic, channeling it through her horn.

Before she could cast her spell, she felt her throat tightening. It was getting harder for her to breathe. Every time she tried to breathe, her throat got tighter.

She realized that Carapace was using his magic to choke her.

"My sssissster'sss death wasss quick, but painful," Carapace hissed as he stepped closer to Twilight. He pressed his muzzle against hers. "I will make sure that your death isss ssslow, and painful, and I will relish every moment. And then, before I kill you, I will allow you the pleasure of watching the three princccesssesss you hold dear perish asss I rip out their liversss. And then, asss you grieve, I will rip out your throat and wash down the tassste of your flesh with your blood. It will be a sssatisssfying end, don't you think ssso?"

Twilight couldn't respond; she couldn't breathe; she couldn't focus her spells – Carapace's hold had completely cut off her air supply. Her vision was starting to darken.

Carapace released his hold, finally allowing her to breathe. She took several deep breaths, coughing between them.

"Or, perhapsss I should wait to sssee if your friendsss arrive. I am sure they would want to sssee your final momentsss in life."

"You leave my friends out of this, you bastard," Twilight hissed.

Carapace kept talking, ignoring Twilight. "I wonder how they will react when they sssee your mangled corpssse. Will they weep? Will fear take hold of them?"

Twilight charged at him, slammed into him. They went tumbling, rolling along the floor. Twilight slapped at him with her front hooves; Carapace snapped at her with his teeth. They were too close to effectively use their magic, and as such, their blasts went wide, hitting the roof and the walls.

The rolled away from each other and climbed up onto their hooves. They circled. Twilight snorted; Carapace hissed. Neither said anything as they stared at each other. Twilight's eyes were filled with rage; Carapace's with hate.

Twilight was breathing heavily – she knew she was at a disadvantage. She had run through most of Canterlot, avoiding Changelings and leaping over the slaughtered corpses of the Royal Guards; she had been brutally attacked and choked by Carapace. Carapace, on the other hoof, was in perfect condition, having spent the past few hours safe in the tower, awaiting her arrival and plotting his revenge.

"Why do you insssissst on fighting when you know that you have lossst?"

"Because unlike you, I have a good reason to fight," Twilight panted.

"Jussst like you had a good reassson to kill Chrysssalisss?"

"She was going to kill Cadance! What was I supposed to do, just sit on my rump and watch?"

"She wasss doing what she had to do."

"And so was I!"

"You are a murderer, Twilight Sssparkle."

"Oh, you're one to talk! How many ponies did you kill when you and those hum –" She stopped herself. For a moment, she forgot that only one of the people with Carapace was a human – Sango's younger brother. The rest, as Inuyasha and his friends had said, were demons. "How many ponies did you kill when you and those demons attacked Canterlot?"

"If it isss any consssolation, we only attacked the guardsss – at Jurorenmaru'sss requessst, of courssse."

"It's not a consolation. You almost killed my brother!" She fired a blast of magic at Carapace.

Carapace leaped out of the way, his insect-like wings beating, allowing him to hover safely above the floor. Twilight's attack went beneath him and hit the wall, blowing a hole through it. If he had been a second later, there wouldn't be anything left of him.

Two can play at thisss game. He fired his own blast of magic at Twilight, this one hitting its mark and sending her flying back against the wall. She landed in a heap, right next to Kanna, who had been standing still as a board, watching the whole ordeal with her blank, unblinking eyes.

Even for Carapace, that girl was creepy.

Twilight tried to stand up, but the pain in her body made it difficult to move. She glanced over at Kanna.

"Why are you here? You should leave."

Carapace couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, you naïve fool, do you not know that Kanna isss one of the demonsss? Or did you honestly believe that all demonsss had essscaped from Tartarusss when Cccerberusss left hisss possst?"

About two years ago, Cerberus had abandoned his post as the guardian of Tartarus. When he did, he allowed some dangerous creatures to escape, such as a Bug Bear that had easily been disposed of, but most dangerous of all was Tirek – a centaur who came dangerously close to destroying all of Equestria.

Twilight shook her head; she shouldn't be thinking about that sort of thing. Not right now.

Right now, she had to focus on Carapace.

She had to focus on finding a way to free Celestia, Luna, and Cadance.

She had to focus on staying alive.