Vinyl

Concentrate...
I know.
Visualize the location in your mind's eye...
I know.
Imagine-
Applebloom...
Yes?
I've been teleporting for literally MONTHS now. I think I've managed to get the hang of it.
My apologies. As you were, then.

With a whoosh of air, Applebloom and I are standing in a small wooden hut.
"We did it!" Applebloom says.
"I know." I reply. "Wait here; I'm gonna get the rest."
I teleport back to the others and grab Tavi and Time Turner's shoulders, concentrating...
We're back in the hut. Applebloom jumps as we appear and I let go of my friends' shoulders, concentrating...
As I grab Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's shoulders, Luna stops me.
"Let me get a view of our destination, Vinyl." she says. "I can help."
"Luna," Celestia says. "You're in no condition to be teleporting around, especially along with others."
"Can I take a look at her?" Cadance says. "I've been reading up on healing spells. Just give me a minute or so and she'll have recovered enough to help."
I feel Luna's presence in my mind, examining my recent memories. After a few seconds, the presence leaves.
"Thank you."
"No problem." I say, concentrating...
Me, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo are at Zecora's hut.
"The girls aren't here." Octavia says. "They've gone out to look for Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy."
"Speaking of which..." I say, teleporting back to the tracks.
"Pinkie, Fluttershy, c'mere." I say. "If you were looking for someone in the Everfree Forest, where would you look?
They both think for a bit.
"I'd try the Hedge." Fluttershy says. "It's where I'd go if I were hiding out in the forest."
"Same here!" Pinkie says. "Why do you ask?"
"Your friends are off looking for you." I say, melting into a shadow.
"Hey! Where'd you go?" Pinkie says as my shadow joins with hers...
Visualize the Hedge.
Ooh! You're in my mind? Cool!
Yeah, It kinda is. Why does your mind taste like a pinata exploded?
I have no idea.
An image of an extremely large bush appears, and I examine it for a little while.
I disengage myself from Pinkie Pie and return to normal, grabbing her shoulder as well as Fluttershy's, concentrating...
"She's not here either." a voice says "Dang it, where is she?"
"Where's who?" Pinkie Pie says, jumping toward the source of the voice from out of the Hedge.
"GAH!" the voice yells. "Pinkie, where'd you come from?"
"Right over here." she says, pointing to the Hedge. "Fluttershy and I-"
"Fluttershy's with you?" the voice, who I now recognize as Twilight's, says. "Where? I don't see her."
I emerge from the Hedge, Fluttershy behind me.
"She's right here. Now, listen. You girls need to get back to Zecora's. I've already gathered Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, Scootaloo, Tavi, and Time Turner, so we should be able to make a-"
I'm cut off as Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack take off towards the house.
"Wow." I say. "What's gotten into them?"
"They've been really shaken up by this whole thing." Twilight says. "And to be honest, so have I. Are Zecora and Trixie back?"
"Yeah, as well as the princesses."
"Celestia and Luna?"
"Yeah. Well, Luna's probably going to be busy getting Cadance, Shining Armor, and the Crystal Guard there, but-"
A purple flash of light interrupts me as Twilight teleports away.
"Was it something I said?" I ask.
"Yes." Pinkie Pie says as I grab her shoulder and Fluttershy's, concentrating...
I appear in the hut just in time to be smacked in the back of the head by a door flying open with enough force to send me flying.
"Sweetie Belle!"
"Scootaloo!"
"Applebloom!"
I look up from the floor to see Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack all attempting to break the ribs of their sisters. From the look of things, they're succeeding. After a minute or so, they let go, and the Crusaders fall limply to the floor, gasping for air.
"Good... to see... you too..." Sweetie Belle rasps.
"Were we really gone that long?" Applebloom asks.
"Not now that I think about it." Rainbow Dash says.
"But considerin' all we've been through in the meantime..." Applejack adds.
"It seems like forever since we've last seen each other." Rarity finishes.
"What do you mean by 'been through'? Did something happen?" Sweetie Belle asks.
"Ya know, besides the whole changeling thing an' all." Applebloom adds.
"We'll tell you about it later." Rainbow Dash says, wiping her eyes.
"It must have been horrible if it made you cry." Scootaloo says.
"It was." Twilight says, standing next to Cadance and Shining Armor. "But there's time enough for that later. How'd you know we were in trouble?"
"Pinkie Pie!" Applebloom answers. "She came to Canterlot and told us everything! We came as soon as Luna recovered enough to travel, and then-"
"Recovered?" Twilight asks, eyes wide. "What happened?"
Everyone turns to Luna, and she sighs.
"You all have a right to know, so I will tell you..." She begins.

After she finishes, there is a long silence.
"I..." Twilight stammers. "I should have been there."
"There was nothing you could have done." Luna says, putting a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "It was almost too sudden for Vinyl and her friends to take care of it."
Why do people keep referring to the six of us as 'Vinyl and her friends'? It's not like I'm the leader... Am I?
I don't have a problem with you leading. I'm not one for the spotlight.
Nor am I.
We're okay with it.
I shrug.
I guess I am. Huh. Doesn't feel too different.
"What are we going to do about Ponyville?" Fluttershy asks. "It's not like we can just barge into town and demand they leave."
"Easy." Rainbow Dash says. "We go in there, beat 'em up, and make 'em leave!"
"B-But we're outnumbered."
"Not by much! At most, it'll be about seven to one! I'm sure we can take 'em, especially with Cadance and Shining Armor on our side. All they really need to do is do that love-blast thing again and boom! Bye-bye, changelings!"
"Actually, that's exactly the plan." Celestia says. "We are to attack Ponyville, take down Chrysalis and her minions, and then rescue its citizens."
"Its citizens?" Cadance asks. "How long have they been captured?"
"I was the first..." Twilight says. "So about six days now."
Shining Armor's face grows dark.
"We need to attack the Hive first." he says. "Before it's too late."
"What do you mean?" Twilight asks.
"We'll tell you on the way." Cadance replies, opening the door of the hut. "Right now, there's no time to waste!"
She and Shining Armor rush out the door, the rest of us following close behind.
They increase their lead on us until we can't see them any more through the undergrowth.
"Rainbow Dash," Celestia says. "Fly above the trees and give us an aerial view."
"Right!"
Rainbow Dash flies upwards, and son we hear her shouting from above.
"I can see 'em! They're running through the woods! Geez, they're fast..."
We continue running until Rainbow Dash lets out a concerned "Oh no!"
"What's wrong?" Celestia asks, panting.
"I can see a platoon of changelings approaching Cadance and Shining! I'm gonna fly in there and help out!"
"Be careful!"
"I will!"
A rainbow-colored blur zooms towards the forest, and as we continue running, Rainbow Dash's voice floats to us on the wind...
"Guys... You might wanna come see this."
As we approach Rainbow Dash, we come to a clearing, and are stopped in our tracks.
A pile of dead changelings sits on the ground, Cadance and Shining Armor standing over it. Shining Armor turns to us, sheathing one of two broadswords strapped to his waist.
"What happened here?" Celestia asks.
"An ambush." Cadance replies. "We managed to catch them unawares, and we took them out."
"Unawares?" Rainbow Dash asks incredulously. "They jumped out of the bushes at you!"
"Exactly." Cadance replies, grinning. "They had no idea what they were getting into."
I examine the bodies more closely, noting the small holes in the necks and chests of the changelings, all made, no doubt, with pinpoint accuracy.
"It looks like you made quick work of them." Celestia says. "Your efficiency is... almost brutal."
"There's no reason to hold back." Cadance says. "It's not like they deserve it."
"Sis, what's gotten into you?" Twilight asks. "You've never acted like this before."
Shining Armor shakes his head and walks away, eyes focused on some point in the distance.
"Look, Twilight." Cadance says. "Me and Shining did our homework on these things after Chrysalis kidnapped me. We learned a lot, and none of it was good. Shining took it... Differently than I did."
"What did you learn?"
"I'll explain as we run, but right now we need to save the townsfolk before it's too late."
"All right."
We take off running again, following Shining Armor through the undergrowth.
"We managed to find a rather comprehensive report on the changelings in the Crystal Library." Cadance says as we travel. "It described in detail everything about changeling culture; how they feed, how they fight, how they elect their queen, etc. But one bit of information we were shocked to discover: how new changelings are made."
"H-How?" Fluttershy asks.
"When a sentient creature - anything, not just a human, although humans work best - is drained of love constantly over the course of a week, they're left with nothing, not even their emotions. Then, the queen kills the person and, using some sort of twisted magic, brings them back to life as a changeling, subsisting off of the love of others."
"That's horrible!" several voices cry out.
"I won't sugarcoat it. It is brutal and cruel in every sense of the word." Cadance says, grimacing. "I've lost good soldiers - good men and women - to those, those... things." she sighs.
"Personally," she whispers. "Shining Armor and I are in disagreement about what should be done now that we know what we do."
"What do you mean? I ask.
"They need to be wiped out. They're too dangerous to be left alone."
Shining Armor slows and gives Cadance a sad look.
"That's no reason for genocide!" he says, exasperated. "As horrific as they might be, they're still sentient creatures! Would you kill all of them just because of how they propagate their species? Imagine what they must think of how humans-"
"Now's not the time for this." Celestia says, interrupting his tirade. "We need to focus on rescuing the-"
"There it is!" Trixie calls out, interrupting Celestia's interruption. "The Hive!"
We stop at the entrance to the Hive, a massive hole in the side of a hill.
"How are we gonna get in there?" I ask. "There have gotta be, like fifty guards around the place, and even if we take 'em out, they'll call for backup."
"What we need is a distraction." Twilight says. "Something that'll make them leave their pos-"
Suddenly, a huge boom echoes through the air, coming from Ponyville.
"Something like that!" Twilight says as the guards patrolling the Hive rush towards the town. "What even was that?"
"I have no idea." Cadance says. "But I'm glad it happened, whatever it was."
"We will stay and guard the entrance." Luna says as she and Celestia take up positions on either side of the tunnel's mouth. "You go ahead and free Ponyville. Meet us back here as soon as possible."
"Will do." I say, giving them a smile. "Let's go."

???

I stride the wall, overseeing the various barricades and fortifications lining the top.
It's been one year since that day.
I remember the flash of light, the blinding, driving force that propelled me and the rest of my kind back to the badlands.
We're finally regaining our dignity.
I step aside as two others rush by, arms full of wood for the wall.
We can win.
I look over the deserted town, at all the buildings lined up and fortified in case of attack.
Changelingkind's counterattack begins now!
Then it happens.
A blur of motion. A plume of smoke.
And then it hits the wall.
As the structure shakes, I see it. The thing that blasted through our defenses as if they weren't there.
How? H-How did they manage to ram a TRAIN into the wall!?

Twilight

"We're going around in circles!"
"No we're not! I know where we're going!"
"Sure..."
"Look. I've been here before. I think I'd know my way around."
"Okay, first of all: The only part of the Hive you've been in has been your cell. You teleported out, remember? Second: Maybe they changed the room the prisoners are kept in. Did you think of that? Maybe we're running around this hive only to find an empty room. And third: If we weren't running around in circles, how come this is the third time we've passed that mark on the wall I made when I first started arguing with you?"
I stop and turn to where Vinyl's pointing.
"Okay, fine. We're lost. What now?"
"Now," Vinyl says. "I do some recon."
Suddenly, three other Vinyls appear right next to her, drop their shades over their eyes, and run off.
"When one of them finds anything interesting, I'll know." The real Vinyl says.
Seeing her use her powers reminds me of something...
"Vinyl, carry me." I say.
"What?"
I concentrate, and leave my body, letting my consciousness float above the floor.
"-The crap?" Vinyl says, running forward to catch my body as it slumps to the floor. "What just happened? I knew I should have gone with Tavi, but no. We have to 'pair up Element-wise.' Figures I'd get stuck with the narcoleptic bookworm."
Jerk.
What the- Twilight?
Yes. It's me, the - as you quite eloquently put it, - 'narcoleptic bookworm'.
No offense, but... I didn't know you could hear me, y'know, what with the whole you being unconscious thing and all. How are you even talking to me like this? What'd you do?
I left my body.
You did WHAT? I knew you had magical talent, but... Wow. It took me an hour or so to even do it once, let alone master it like you've done.
Wait. You can leave your body too?
Yeah. Luna taught me and the others how to leave ourselves, as well as how to send messages and other stuff telepathically.
Vinyl slings my body over one shoulder and starts running down the hallway again, making small marks with her katana at every crossroads she comes to, skipping any passages already marked. I have to float pretty fast to keep up with her.
Really? Fascinating.
I guess it is. Oh, cool. I'm not the only one saddled with a stupid flavor.
Flavor? what?
It's weird. I would've expected your thoughts to taste like blueberries or maybe rasberries, but yours taste just like mine, except... Fizzier. Must be the magic.
Okay... Moving on. Can any of the others hear me?
Have you tried talking to them?
H-Hello? Are you out there? Can you hear me?
Twilight? How on earth?
Wait, that's Twilight? It sounded like Rarity for a second.
So you CAN hear me! This is incredible! I knew magic had amazing potential, but I'd never thought it could be used for this!
Since when did Twilight start talking with her mind? How long has this been a thing that happens? Does this have something to do with what happened to Rainbow Dash?
I certainly haven't heard her until now, and I always keep a mental ear out there for anything that might be going on.
Maybe the distance was too great before. Does telepathy have a 'range' it sticks to? That'll merit some experimentation.
It certainly will... Applebloom? That is you, right? Your thoughts taste like apples, and I know Applejack can't talk telepathically. Yet.
Something about the way you said that makes me nervous... Say, why did you even leave your body? Don't you know what happens if you leave for too long or leave your body unattended?
Well, no. I left to do some recon, just like you were doing. I can see a lot better like this than I could normally, and I can go through walls, so I thought I'd get a better view of the place. What does happen?
Well, if you completely leave your body, then another person can leave theirs and go into yours, and vice versa. I've actually switched bodies with Tavi before. It's really, REALLY weird. And sort of awkward.
I return to my body, slung across Vinyl's back. We stop, and she puts me down, giving the small group of Crystal Guard soldiers that'd been following us time to catch up.
Can you guys still hear me?
...ry faintly. You'll have to work on speaking up.
Good to know.
We continue running until Vinyl stops dead in her tracks.
"One of my clones found something." she says, a peculiar expression on her face.
"What'd she find?" I ask.
"I don't quite know. It killed her before I could get a good look at it."
That'd explain her expression. I wonder how it'd feel to feel yourself die...
It... isn't fun. The only other time one of my clones had died, I was unconscious. I feel... Cold. Really cold. Really REALLY cold. Really, REALLY cold and I think I'm panicking I need to calm down I need to sit somewhere oh gosh there isn't anywhere to sit and it's still cold and-
Vinyl, please try and calm down. Whatever it is, we can help you through it.
Okay. Calming down now. I am calm. I am calm...
There is a soft thud as Vinyl slumps to the ground, holding her head.
Better?
A bit. Thanks, Tavi.
No problem. I can only imagine how it must feel.
I-I can show you. I-If you want. It's cold. And... really horrible. And cold. Did I mention that it's cold? Becuase it's really, REALLY cold.
Vinyl, calm down. You're panicking again.
There is a long pause.
Right. Now... I can search my clones' collective memories, find out where she died, and teleport us there, but be warned; whoever killed my clone either had surprise on their side, or was just plain skilled. We might not be able to handle whatever's there.
If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to talk me out of this.
I'm not. I'm trying to talk myself out of it. I-I've already died once. I don't wanna do it again. It hurts. And it's cold.
We sit in silence for a while, Vinyl just sitting there, holding her head in her hands.
S-Sorry you guys had to see that, or... thought-see it or whatever. I kinda fell apart there.
It's okay, Vinyl. The important thing is to move on.
Vinyl stands up, shaking her head slowly.
I-I'm good. Let's do this.
She grins and adjusts her sunglasses, grabbing my shoulder...
And we're standing in a colossal circular room with a wide, shallow pit in the center.
Wow. Guys, you've gotta get over here right now. I'm sending you the directions as we think.
Soon, footsteps ring out from the entrance, and I hear the others gasp.
"I thought I knew what to expect when it came to them, but this... This is unlike anything I've ever seen." Shining Armor says.
The thing that first strikes me is the lines. The lines drawn across the pit, dividing the occupants into neat, even cells. Each line is clear and well-defined, and some are even marked with small stones. The next thing I notice are the things inside the lines.
Inside the pit, the Ponyvillians stand, glaring daggers at each other. Each villager is holding a makeshift weapon and brandishing it menacingly, as if daring any of the others to try and cross over into their territory. Occasionally, a voice will call out a random insult, and three other voices will reply with a worse one, and three more will reply to those, until the entire village is screaming obscenities at everything in general until everyone manages to quiet down. Then another insult will ring out from somewhere, and the whole process will start again.
"W-What's going on here?" I ask, leaning over the edge of the pit and looking down at the person below me.
"HEY!" Lyra shouts back, swinging a hammer at my head. "GET OUTTA MY TERRITORY, MISS HIGH-AND-MIGHTY!"
"Whoa." I say, taking a quick step back. "I-I'm not trying to invade your space. H-How'd you all get like this? Why aren't you being drained of your love?"
"OH, LIKE I SHOULD TALK TO YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU EVER DONE FOR ME BUT SHOW OFF YOUR FLASHY MAGIC AND PRANCE AROUND LIKE YOU OWN THE PLACE!?"
"Could you at least stop yelling?"
"WHY? AM I OFFENDING YOUR DELICATE CANTERLOT SENSIBILITIES?"
"Please, Lyra, stop. It's hurting my ears-"
"There's no sense reasoning with her." A voice says. I turn to see Bon Bon pointing an accusing finger at Lyra. "You'll never get her to admit that maybe, for ONCE IN HER LIFE, she can be wrong."
"OH, YOU'RE ONE TO TALK, MISS 'HUMANS-OBVIOUSLY-DON'T-EXIST'!"
"Oh, come on, Lyra! Before the Celebration, they DIDN'T exist! Now they do! Your crazy fantasies were just that: FANTASIES! Just because they came true doesn't mean you get to act like such an annoying, stuck-up, snotty KNOW-IT-ALL!"
"Oh yeah? Well I think you can take that attitude and shove it-"
"Well I think you both should shut your faces!" Vinyl calls out, stepping forward and leaning over the pit. "Otherwise, we might think twice about rescuing you."
"You're here to rescue me?" they both call, before turning to glare at each other. "I'm not going if she is. Well, same to you! Stop saying what I am! Stop it! SHUT UP!"
Lyra turns to Vinyl and glares at her as well.
"And don't even THINK about trying to come down and get me like earlier! Or d'you want another beating?"
Across the pit, another argument breaks out, and then another, and another, until everyone is just shouting random insults and profanities.
It's starting to come back to me now... How my clone died...
How?
I went down in there. They - everyone, not just Lyra and Bon Bon - tore me apart. Whatever's gotten into them, it's bad. Really bad.
Well, then how do we get them out of there? How are they even being drained of love? They aren't even in cocoons.
Haven't you noticed?
Noticed what?
Look at the backs of their necks and their ankles.
I look, and see them.
The tubes leading from their necks to inside their clothes, eventually leading from the bottom of their pant legs to holes in the floor.
That must be why they're sectioned off! If they left their territory, the tubes would disconnect, and they'd be free!
That must be why they're so territorial. These changelings are more cunning then I gave them credit for. This is truly ingenious, getting the prisoners to lock themselves up.
Clever as it may be, how are we going to get them free if they don't want them to leave?
Simple. We show them the truth.
What do you mean?
It'll take some work, but with everyone's help...
We all stand in silence - save the occasional shouting match from the pit - as Applebloom explains her plan, both in thought and out loud to the rest of the group, ommiting everything that doesn't concern them - no reason to make them nervous.
Okay. Everypony ready?
As I'll ever be.
Let's go.
Suddenly, we burst into motion. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo fly above the pit, occasionally dropping down into someone's territory before flying back up to avoid the angry villager's wrath. Meanwhile, Vinyl closes her eyes, and clones start appearing beside her. I count off the villagers to her as she does.
"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven..."
When I've counted all the villagers, Vinyl stops, and her and her clones dissolve into shadows and dart towards the villagers.
"Go!" Time Turner shouts, and we all close our eyes as Octavia creates a blinding flash of light. When it clears, the villagers stand in stunned silence, the last traces of Vinyl clones slipping into their shadows, reading their thoughts, their memories.
Ready, Twilight?
Yep. I've got the spell all worked out. Now all I need is a sigil ring...
I crouch and start drawing symbols on the ground in a circle around me with my finger, making sure every glyph is meticulously created. After making sure I got everything right, I get to my feet and brush my finger off on my pants.
Here goes nothing...
I pour my magic into the spell, and give everyone telepathy.
What's goin' on here?
Applejack? Is that you?
I-I don't understand! What's happening? You're not speaking, yet I can hear you!
Ooh! Are we talking with our minds? Cool!
Wait... None of my animals are nearby, so... Who are these ones? H-Hello? You can come out. I promise not to hurt you, little ones. It's oka-
It's us, Fluttershy.
Twilight!? You can talk like this? A-And the others? I-I... I'm so sorry. I didn't know...
Okay, everyone. Long story short: We can all talk and listen with our minds for as long as I can hold the spell up, which is about ten minutes. We have until then to give Ponyville a bad case of empathy. Ready?
Twilight, start making sense! A bad case of empathy? What are you talking about?
It's okay, Rainbow Dash. We've thought this through. Vinyl's gonna supply us with the memories of the villagers and then we're gonna make them all into friends again!
Why would you want to take away their memories?
I'm not... Just duplicating them... and giving you each a copy... And... Done!
Suddenly, images, sounds, smells, emotions, memories come rushing through our brains, burning themselves into our minds.
Here, we'll show you how it works.
Vinyl's shadow appears next to Bon Bon and turns into Vinyl herself. Bon Bon turns to swing her makeshift axe at Vinyl's head, but before she can, Vinyl places a hand on her head and closes her eyes.
Octavia jumps down and lands behind Lyra, placing a hand on her head before she can even turn around.
For a minute, all is silent. then...
"Bon Bon..."
"Lyra..."
"I'm sorry!" they both cry, then run across the pit, dodging the weapons of the others, until they meet in the middle and hug each other, tears flowing from their eyes.
Just show each pair the memories and emotions of the other. They'll come to understand on their own, and, well...
Octavia gestures to Lyra and Bon Bon's territories, and at the tubes lying on the ground, disconnected from their victims.
Ah get it! All we need ta do is make 'em understand the other's point a view!
The next few minutes are a blur of memories, emotions, and tearful reconciliations. Soon, all of Ponyville is back to normal, smiling and laughing as if nothing is wrong.
"Now all we need to do is take back Ponville." Vinyl says, grinning tiredly. "And with the town fighing alongside us, there's no way we can lose!"
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that." A voice says, dripping with cold menace.
We all turn to see a mob of changelings at the entrance to the room, with a familiar form standing in front of them...
"Chrysalis!"
"Well, well, well." the changeling queen says, a scowl on her face. "If it isn't Cadance and Shining Armor. I assume the reception was excellent? I'm afraid I wasn't able to make it, what with you two banishing me and all. And here you are again, ruining everything as per usual."
"We're here to stop you, Chrysalis." Shining Armor says. "Our love will get rid of you just like it did before."
"We'll see about that." Chrysalis says, her scowl deepening. "I've grown much, much more powerful during my brief exile. More powerful than you can even imagine!"
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that!" Vinyl yells, grinning and creating two clones of herself. "Cadance and Shining Armor aren't alone this time! And this time..."
Vinyl disappears and reappears behind Chrysalis, stabbing her through the back.
"...We're not gonna waste time monologuing."
Chrysalis drops to the floor, a surprised look on her face.
"Now to take out the rest of the changelings." Vinyl says triumphantly, wiping her blade on the body before replacing it in its sheath.
Suddenly, green fire envelops two of the changelings, and twin plumes of flame erupt from them, mixing together in the air and streaking towards Vinyl. She grins again, and is suddenly on the other side of the room. The fire stops mid-air and turns to aim at Vinyl again.
"Oh, so you're homing, eh?" she says, adjusting her shades. "Well, I've got more tricks than that up my sleeve."
As the fire zooms towards Vinyl, she grins and teleports once more, appearing in front of a changeling. The changeling swings his sword at her, but she cuts the blade in half with her own sword and punches the changeling in the face for good measure. Grinning once more, she grabs the changeling and throws it into the fiery blast right as it's about to hit her. The changeling takes the brunt of the damage, but the explosion is so powerful it sends Vinyl crashing into a wall. A green aura envelops a stalactite hanging above the stunned DJ, and the stone spike breaks free, falling and impaling Vinyl through the chest.
Nearby, there is a thud as the real Vinyl slumps to her knees, holding her head.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Geez! That... Was... SCARY! And cold. Really, REALLY cold.
Are you all right?
Of course I am! If I stop holding my head as if it's about to burst and remarking on how cold death feels, call for medical help!
You're okay, then. Just panicking. Calm down and you'll b-
Suddenly, a changeling standing next to Vinyl reveals its true form, growing taller and brandishing a scythe...
Chrysalis slashes at Vinyl with the scythe, gouging a long cut in her side...
And suddenly she is lying next to me, Time Turner bending over next to her, gasping for air.
"What just happened?" Rainbow Dash asks.
"St-... Stopped... Time..." Time Turner pants. "G-Got her... out of there..."
He collapses on the ground, and Cadance runs over to him and Vinyl, a light blue aura surrounding her hands.
Suddenly, a large ball of green fire, easily half the size of the room, streaks towards us.
"What am I, chopped liver!?" Chrysalis yells.
I nod to my brother, smile, and power up my necklace, my small forcefield being dwarfed by Shining Armor's larger, stronger shielding spell.
There is a loud shattering sound and a blinding flash of light as the fireball hits the shield.
"Ha!" Chrysalis yells. "I developed this attack specifically to break your forcefield! There's nothing you can do to-"
When the light fades, green flames are playing around the edges of my shield, my necklace glowing like a star as my magic keeps the flames at bay.
"I-Impossible! There's no way a simple shield spell could stop something like that!"
"That's the difference between us." I say, smiling. "Your powers are driven by hatred and anger. Mine come from within, from the heart, and from the spark that ignited that fateful day when I met my best friends. This time, Chrysalis, there will be no monologuing. No bursts of power. No flashy attacks. You've kidnapped these people and hurt my friends, and it ends now! Just because the Elements have changed doesn't mean we can't use them!"
My necklace flares brighter, and six portals open up, each one spitting out one of the old Elements in front of their bearer.
"Rainbow Dash, whose Loyalty burns as brightly as her spirit, represents the Element of Fire!
Rarity, whose Generosity shines as radiantly as a glittering crystal, represents the Element of Ice!
Fluttershy, whose Kindness glows even in times of darkness, represents the Element of Light!"
"Oh no, you don't!" Chrysalis yells, firing blast after blast at the forcefield, only to have the flames deflected by a mysterious force.
"Well, excuse me, princess," Scootaloo says, grinning. "but I'm not allowing any interruptions!"
With a cry of rage, the changeling queen rushes at the forcefield, only to be stopped in her tracks by a wall of rainbow-colored light.
"Nor am I." Octavia adds, frowning in concentration.
Chrysalis swings her scythe at the prismatic barrier, but ice forms around the weapon, turning it into a cumbersome block.
"Nobody touches my sister!" Sweetie Belle says, scowling at Chrysalis. "Not even you!"
"Applejack, whose Honesty is as strong as Equestria itself, represents the Element of Earth!
Pinkie Pie, whose Laughter brings hope to the direst of situations, represents the Element of Lightning!"
"No!" Chrysalis says, absolutely livid. "I will not be defeated again!"
Green flames envelop her scythe, consuming it and turning black as a starless night. The fire gathers into a ball and launches itself at the wall of light...
Only to be blocked by another wall, this one of solid stone.
"Ah'm sorry," Applebloom says, smiling deviously. "but Ah can't let ya do that."
"These Elements may be brought about by accident, and they may not be the ones we know, but they are still us! We still represent them just as much as we used to! And when these Elements combine, the Magic they create is enough to obliterate all Shadows in their path!"
I close my eyes, and focus on the power I can feel coursing through me, point it at Chrysalis...
And fire.