"...We've been trying this for almost an hour, it's of no use. Pack him in a cocoon — he'll be easier to drain this way."

"But I feel! I feel I'm close!"

"Cocoon him. It is an order."

"Y-yes, sir. Right away!"

Sirius finally regained consciousness. He was experiencing a nasty headache and dizziness. He opened his eyes only to see a blur of colors. However, something stood out from that blur — a black pony-sized spot with a green tint to it.

The former human blinked a couple of times. He needed to recollect the events. His head hurt a lot, but he somehow knew he needed to remember something. As the headache grew, he strained to remember. He and Iclyn were walking down the hallway, she asked him something, and then they went to another place. He stood to guard, and then everything was blank.

Finally, the blur cleared. Before himself, he saw a strange creature. It looked like a pony in some ways, but was completely different in others. The creature was black, there was a barely visible green shine to its insect-like carapace, its eyes were solid sky-blue. It also had insect-like wings and a jagged horn, and its legs were covered in holes.

Suddenly, Sirius felt something warm and comfortable around his hind legs. He looked down and saw a green goo of some sort wrapping around his legs.

He suddenly realized — they took Iclyn! What would they do to her? Kill... or worse? Rape, torture, it was all possible. He wouldn't be alive if they wanted to kill him. He made a conclusion that whatever was going to happen to him and Iclyn would be worse than death.

Rage boiled inside of Sirius. He wouldn't let it happen! His friend was in danger, and he would save her! He must do it!

He lit his horn and wrapped his magic around changeling's neck and lifted him up in the air. Sirius' head almost exploded in pain, but his rage and anger brought it down to bearable levels.

"Release. Me." he said to the creature, looking it straight in the eyes. In them, he saw fear and submission. The changeling was easy to break.

"I will!" he wheezed out, and then Sirius set him down on the ground harshy, still keeping a loosened grip around his neck.

The changeling quickly removed all of the sticky goo, and soon Sirius was standing on all his legs freely. Without hesitation, he bashed the changeling's head against the wall, knocking him out instantly.

Sirius growled angrily. If they did anything to his friend... He would kill them all. He would not hesitate or doubt, he would not stop until they paid for their action with blood.

He touched the back of his head. It was sticky, but not from the goo. It was his own half-dried blood. He understood he was knocked out with something heavy. Maybe his brain was damaged in the process, but he cared little about it.

Pulsating pain went through his head. He hissed in pain, but didn't drop to the ground. He needed to find a weapon, and then find Iclyn. He set his goal and refused to deviate from it. His own pain was nothing compared to what his friend could possibly be experiencing right at that moment.

He found the exit from the room, only to walk into another. There, he saw another changeling. He was near a table, on which Sirius' weapons lied. Fortunately, he was facing the other direction and didn't notice the colt.

"Hm, what can this be?" the changeling muttered, levitating the revolver.

Sirius noticed that he was dressed in some sort of armor. However, he could tell his neck was exposed. The former human silently walked up behind the changeling, and then swiftly levitated the longsword to his neck.

"Where is the filly that was with me?" he growled into the changeling's ear.

"I won't tell you anything, pony!" he hissed back.

"You will." Sirius said, pressing the blade harder, just enough to draw blood. Soon, the red appeared on the blade.

"You don't have the guts to do it." the changeling taunted.

Sirius growled, and then used the other sword, the greatsword, by ramming it through one of the holes in the legs of the changeling, eliciting a loud cry of pain as Sirius tore through carapace, sensitive skin, and flesh. The former human supported his foe, not letting him fall.

"A-argh! She's in the wedding hall!" the changeling quickly replied.

The former human let him fall to the ground. Sirius retrieved his weapons and put them where they belonged, leaving only the longsword out. It wasn't time to use the revolver yet.

"I hope she's drained of her love essence!" the changeling retorted from the ground.

So, changelings raped her? With a loud yell of hatred, Sirius stabbed the changeling through the head. He pulled back, and then stabbed and stabbed again, making sure the changeling would never get up. His head turned into a mix of broken bones, blood, brains, and eyes. It looked like a horrible gruel of tissue served in the bowl made from the changeling's own helmet. It brought satisfaction to Sirius. He spat on the horrid mix in disgust.

They raped her... Tears of fear and pain streamed down Sirius' face. He wasn't able to save her before she was violated. She became broken, would she be able to heal? Would she allow him to be close? He was a failure once again.

Nothing could stop him from killing these changelings. They deserved it. They must die for what they did. He would kill them without hesitation. These beings didn't deserve to live.

Sirius gripped the sword hilt tightly. It was going to get bloody very soon. Drums pounded inside his head as adrenaline coursed through his veins. He would ensure they died before he did.

He bursted through a door and appeared inside a hallway. There, a couple of guards were covered in green goo, preventing them from moving. Many changelings were around, and all of them turned to Sirius. Most of them were unarmed, but a few carried sabres, as well as the weapons from the guards.

Sirius swiftly swung his sword at the closest changeling, biting into its neck and drawing much blood that immediately started streaming down the blade. With a growl, Sirius retracted his weapon and turned to other changelings. Some of them escaped by flying away, but others stayed to fight. Without stopping, Sirius dashed to the first one and thrusted his sword into its body, piercing the heart. As the changeling started falling to the ground, Sirius was already battling another. His hits were blocked by a sabre, but soon the former human overpowered his opponent and sliced off its leg, and then finished it by stabbing through the head.

More changelings fled, only two remained. They tried to attack Sirius simultaneously, but he easily blocked their hits and successfully landed his own. The rage and intense hatred fueled him and he didn't even notice small cuts appearing on his body. He was still slightly weak and his head was aching, but he couldn't allow himself to stop.

Soon, there were no living changelings in the hallway. Sirius breathed heavily. His blade was covered in blood, and some of it was splattered across his body.

He went to the guards and freed them swiftly. They looked at him in fear and shock. Sirius murdered at least five changelings all by himself. The guards saw anger, brutal rage, and searing hatred.

Sirius didn't stop and headed to the hall where the wedding took place. He must find the source of this invasion, he must find Iclyn, and he must kill the changelings. They violated her, and he couldn't allow them to live. Sirius knew rape, knew how it affects, and knew the consequences. He must not allow Iclyn to suffer through it. Maybe it wasn't late yet? He hoped so.

He dashed through the hallway, changelings fled as he galloped. He growled in anger, wishing he could kill them before they got away. However, there were more important things to do. Find Iclyn.

Soon, he came to big double doors. They were closed, and two changelings in armor stood there, each having a halberd they picked up from unconscious guards nearby. The guards were in green cocoons, which were attached to the walls.

Sirius knew that halberds have a long reach. He unsheathed the greatsword while sheathing his longsword. He needed as much reach as possible.

Using the wings, one of the changelings dashed forward, lunging the halberd. Sirius parried the hit and swung the greatsword, successfully biting into the wooden pole. He retracted the weapon, and then swung again at the same spot. The changeling had no time to react as his weapon was broken in half. Its balance gone, the halberd could no longer be used effectively. Sirius quickly stabbed his opponent in the neck, and then retracted his weapon again.

He almost didn't notice the second changeling who swung his own halberd. Sirius almost managed to dodge, but his hind leg was cut. He groaned in pain, and then swung his greatsword at his opponent. He crushed through the defense and hit the helmet, stunning the changeling. With another swift swing, the changeling's life ended.

Sirius hissed as he felt warm blood running down his hind leg. No matter, it was just a wound. He was still alive, he could save Iclyn from danger.

He looked at the first changeling. He hadn't died yet, clutching at his throat, trying to stop the blood. Sirius finished the changeling off by thrusting his sword through the eye, killing him instantly.

He sighed shakily, adrenaline still in his body. It was close, very close. He needed to control his emotions, otherwise he would die. If he wasn't so blinded by his rage, he would've not been hurt.

He walked to the doors, limping and leaving drops of blood along the way. His mind was focused on getting to Iclyn. Nothing else mattered.

He opened the doors, and immediately saw Iclyn sitting by a window. He limped to her as fast as he could, hissing from pain in his injured leg. The filly turned to him, and her eyes widened. Her friend was covered in blood and was noticeably limping.

"Sirius!" she stood up and dashed to him. "I... I thought they took you!"

"Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?" Sirius asked her, placing a hoof on her shoulder. He breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down.

"Besides taking me here, no." the filly sighed. Then, she saw the wound on his leg. "Sirius... your leg!"

"I will be fine." he said. He was happy his friend was alive and unharmed. He sighed in relief silently. He didn't fail, he managed to get there before anything was done to the one he cared about.

"Oh, what a lovely exchange!" an unfamiliar female voice spoke. Sirius turned swiftly and faced a changeling who was the size of Celestia, maybe even taller. She had a long, jagged horn, serpentine green eyes, aqua mane and tail, dark-gray carapace and insect-like wings. Her legs were full of holes just like other changelings', and there were sharp fangs peeking out of her mouth. There was also a small crown atop her head. The former human immediately figured out she was the ruler of those weird creatures he had slain on his way.

Sirius immediately took defensive position in front of Iclyn and raised his blade.

"My... You two would surely give us enough love to sustain for months!" the changeling queen spoke. "Now, I see you want to fight me. I am, if you don't know, Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen! And you will bow down to me just like any other pony in Equestria!" she taunted him.

Sirius didn't lower his weapon. He realized that Chrysalis was behind this invasion, and he intended to stop her before she had a chance to hurt Iclyn. He didn't know what 'love' the queen was talking about, but he was sure it would involve rape. He would be used for breeding, and Iclyn would be as well. He wouldn't, he couldn't allow it to happen. He would rather die than allow his only friend to be hurt. If it was his last battle, so be it.

He looked around to see if anything else could be of use. There were six ponies, one of them that lavender unicorn mare he remembered seeing some time ago. Also, there was the groom and the bride. The latter looked battered and bruised. Was she violated during this as well? Sirius found his anger grow again.

"So brave... And also quite foolish, little pony!" she continued to taunt him. "I have defeated Celestia! Look over there, and you will see this 'mighty ruler'. She is nothing!"

Sirius looked to the right and saw Celestia. She looked battered, her horn was scorched, and her regalia was gone. She looked at Sirius with surprise, as well as shock. Did he make his way there through changelings by... killing them? He was covered in blood, his blade was also painted red. She looked him in the eyes and saw rage and hatred. It wasn't directed at her, however. It was directed at the changelings.

"Do you see now? There is no one more powerful than me!" Chrysalis proclaimed, a triumphant expression on her face as she looked down at Sirius. To her, he was just another little pony. Granted, she knew something about him, including his victory at the tournament. But did he stand a chance against her? However, she was surprised when he continued to refuse to lower the weapon or move. "I see... We shall play, then." the queen levitated a longsword to herself. She found it by a body of an unconscious royal guard. "If you are ready to die, so be it." she showed her sharp teeth and hissed at the colt.

Sirius revealed his own impressive set of fangs, and growled lowly, primal urge of violence waking up inside him. He was going to murder Chrysalis. She would not touch Iclyn, him or anyone else.

He must protect what little he had.

The changeling queen started walking slowly towards him, a challenging grin on her face. She kept the sword low, pointing it at the ground. She was confident in her victory. She had already conquered Canterlot and Equestrian throne. Dealing with exactly one pony wouldn't be a big issue.

https://youtu.be/fuOGAUx8eOI

Sirius started limping towards his opponent, struggling to move and hissing from pain from time to time.

"Look at you! You are barely standing!" Chrysalis laughed, making fun of the injured colt. "And you still h—"

Her words were cut off as Sirius lunged forward, propelling himself by magic. He attempted a thrust, but the changeling queen dodged to the side. She swung her sword at him, but he easily deflected her blow and then tried to hit her. His swing was blocked.

Sirius understood that her skill was below his, but he was injured and the loss of blood, as well as the headache and the overall pain made it harder to concentrate and focus. He was weakened, he wasn't sure he would be able to keep up with his opponent in the long run.

The former human swung the greatsword, trying to get Chrysalis. She blocked his hit, and then tried to land her own. Sirius parried the hit, and then attacked her in a series of hits. His aggression proved to be hard for her to defend against. She had to focus on the defense entirely.

Chrysalis discharged a blast of magic, throwing Sirius away. He landed across the hall and slid on the floor, leaving a wide blood mark.

"You are nothing compared to me!" the queen gloated, watching as he struggled to get up. His wound was disturbed, opening slightly, letting more blood fall on the floor.

Sirius grunted, getting up and gripping his sword. He must fight, he couldn't lose. He wished he had the Alicorn Amulet, but he didn't have it. It was too late. However, he mustn't lose his will to fight. He fought for the one he deeply cared about, maybe even more than he could admit.

He would let himself die if not for her. He couldn't let her suffer because of him. He promised himself he wouldn't let nice people suffer because of him. If needed, he would carry the promise to his grave, be it final or not.

Finally, he got up and pointed his sword at his opponent. He glared at her, baring his fangs. Then, he moved towards her, more limp in his slow steps. He was still determined to fight and win, his physical pain didn't matter. He didn't want Chrysalis to win.

Soon, he clashed swords with her again, investing all his power and might in swings and thrusts while parrying her swings and trying to get to her. He managed to leave a cut on her side, but it only angered her more. He was weakening quickly as less and less blood remained in his body. His vision became slightly blurry as he felt a need to lie down and rest. The pain became numb, almost calling him to sleep it away.

He swung and swung, breathing heavily, focused entirely on the duel. He must win, he knew he had to. No compromises and no surrender. He must defend the one he cared about. He repeated it in his head, and it drove him forward, giving him strength. He needed to make sure Iclyn survived and lived. At that moment, she needed him. Then, he would need her.

As he fought, the thoughts about his friend made him continue the duel and not give up. He valued the friendship too much to die without saving his friend.

He realized that it might be more than friendship that drove him. He had no time to think about it in detail. He had a duel to win.

Suddenly, Chrysalis released a powerful magical explosion, sending Sirius flying across the hall once again. He hit the wall hard and fell, his sword dropping by him, his pouch opening and the item inside dropping to the ground near him.

He was completely destroyed. A couple of ribs were surely broken as he felt sharp pain going through his chest as he breathed. Both right legs were bent in unnatural ways, his hind leg more so, broken in at least three places. He couldn't get up, he couldn't move without feeling acute pain. He was defeated.

"It's time we end this game." Chrysalis spoke, looking at her opponent in triumph. She threw the sword his way, barely missing him. "It seems luck is on your side and you will be able to witness my victory!"

Sirius finally opened his eyes. His vision was unusually sharp. From his position, he could see the changeling queen and the ponies. Iclyn was looking at him with teary eyes, and others bore looks of sadness and disbelief.

He lost.

He refused to give up and tried to stand up. Without half of his legs working, he fell to the ground again and hissed in pain. There was no way he could continue the fight.

However, he noticed something. Slick, silvery, L-shaped thing with a rubber handle. His eyes widened — it was his chance! Using the remains of his magic, he grasped at his revolver and lifted it up.

"What is this? You think throwing a piece of metal at me will make any difference?" Chrysalis cackled. "Oh my... This should be embarrassing for you."

Sirius aimed at her head, his magic shaking as the last of his strength was being poured into the movement. He looked down the sights, taking his time to aim. He couldn't let his opponent live. He must ensure she wouldn't be able to do anything to his friend.

He cocked the hammer. He must make sure nothing could go wrong. Not this time.

He pulled the trigger.

*BLAM!*

Everything went silent for a couple of moments as everyone's ears rang like small bells.

"Ha! Did you think you could scare me with a loud 'bang'?" Chrysalis taunted Sirius. Everyone else was looking at her and him in shock. The changeling queen noticed it. "What are you all looking at?!"

Suddenly, she felt something warm stream down her head. Her eyes widened as she realized it was her blood. She turned her head down at a small piece of glass on the floor. In the reflection, she saw herself. However, a very important thing was missing — her horn.

She dropped to the ground, losing consciousness.

Sirius let out a sigh as he lied in the pool of his own blood. He did it. He won. It was time to sleep. He finally let the warm and welcoming void engulf him completely and send him to the land of peace.

Author's Notes:

I hope you liked the music I made. Some of you might've been already familiar with my music, and this is a new piece. I wondered what Chrysalis' boss theme would sound like, and I created this — a cover of This Day Aria. I imagine the boss theme to be triumphant and yet somewhat dark, also focusing more on Chrysalis moments in the original song. Also, a rhythm was added that I think fits quite nicely. I also decided to add some of the original singing because I thought it would add a nice touch to the composition. What do you think?

The picture I drew for the music represents what negative things drive forward both Chrysalis and Sirius, making them do vile deeds they consider good. The words by her side might be hard to read (youtube messed up, not me), so they are: Domination, Power, Ego, Mania. The two of them have something rather simple — a conflict. It is as simple as the font used for the word itself. The motivations and emotions of the two beings are wastly different and have different origin as well. I would also like to hear what you have to say about the picture.

Now, what do you think about Sirius' fate? How did the battle affect him?

What about Chrysalis, what will her fate be? Since the outcome of the invasion is different (changelings would likely scatter without her iron hoof), how would it affect the changelings and their queen? More importantly, how will she act? Losing a very important part of the body, especially a horn, could potentially damage someone on physical and mental levels.

You must've noticed that Sirius revealed his modern weapon. How well would it be received? Now, a quite big amount of ponies knows about it, after all.

P.S. Writing deep in the night again (3:18 am when I posted the chapter) just for you, dear readers. I was excited to finally present this moment I had in my head for a long time.