The last solstice


AUTHOR'S NOTE: I usually keep this section at the end of the chapter, where it belongs, but this time I believe it is necessary to have it right at the beginning. It's been a long time, since I worked on this story and those who read it, might have thought it was finished or I abandoned it. Nope, it was just on hiatus. It's funny actually. I experience writer's block with my other fanfic, but yesterday, I got into the mood for some Celestia again, so I resurrected this story, because it still needs a chapter or two to finish properly. All right, now that we got this out of the way, let's do a quick recap on what happened here before, just to make it easier to continue the story.

Last time, Celestia came back from her exile which lasted over a decade. Twilight and Cadence sustained severe injuries during a massive, violent changeling attack on the Canterlot Castle and Luna was captured by Chrysalis. Since they had nopony to turn to, the Royal Guard asks for Celestia's help to save the kingdom once again. She's reluctant at first, but eventually joins the battle. With her lead, the defenders succeed at repelling the changeling attack and Celestia's princesshood is reinstated. However, the conflict escalates, since the changelings still occupy downtown and our beloved solar alicorn receives a message from Chrysalis, where she asks Celestia to meet her for the purpose of negotiations, to decide what will happen to Canterlot and threatens her to drain Luna's energy, if she doesn't comply.

So let's pick up the lost thread and read on. I hope you'll still be able to enjoy it. :)


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Chapter 34: Showdown at the Four Doors Café.


One could literary cut the tension in the air as the two arch enemies stared each other down. In one corner, there was the Princess of the Sun, the alicorn who once again took the heavy weight of the crown, the mare who fell from the heavenly altitudes into the dark depths of despair. The mare who came back from her exile after a decade to seek redemption and aid her kingdom in the time of need.

At the other side, there was the Queen of the Changelings, the grim incarnation of deceit, the dark, twisted mare with an infinite appetite. She was always hungry, nothing could satisfy her and she set her sight on the heart of Equestria.

Café Quattroporte was one of the most elegant, luxurious cafés in the capital, where the high society often got together and had their long lasting conversations about the economy, politics, modern art and other sophisticated topics. The building that housed the meeting of two opposing forces had been functioning as a café for more than 500 years, thus, it proudly wore the title of the oldest catering trade unit in Canterlot. Its founder was a pony from overseas and “quattroporte” meant “four-doors” on his language. The café stayed loyal to its name, since it had four large, two winged doors each facing to a direction of the four winds. It was capable of housing more than 150 guests and was famous for its wide range of exotic, high quality coffee, imported from every corner of the globe. It was a very stylish choice to hold the negotiations in such a luxurious premise indeed.

Celestia and Chrysalis were sitting in front of each other in the lavishly decorated café. Only a round, wooden table was between them. The smell of steaming coffee filled the spacious cubical room, while the two adversaries locked their eyes onto each other. They did not care about their surroundings; the countless changelings that were occupying the nearby tables. Several patrols marched through the street outside with a loud rumble; the buildings reverberated the metallic clank of their armors.

The Queen of the Changelings and the Princess of the Sun pierced their eyes into each others; they were fighting in a silent duel, while the dull sunlight shone through the large window, onto their statuesque figures. The shadows elongated as the time passed by, but nothing moved. Even the feral beasts of darkness were watching the events in silence; keeping their weapons near their hooves.

A discrete smirk formed in the corners of Chrysalis' lips as she suddenly broke monotone quietness. She slowly picked up her cup of coffee with her magic and sent down the blazing liquid on her throat at once.

“I say” Chrysalis clicked her tongue in satisfaction and leaned back, like if it was merely a casual chat with an old friend. “what an excellent taste! You should drink your coffee, before it gets cold.”

“Enough!” Celestia exclaimed, furrowing a brow. “What have you done with Luna?”

“Aww... always straight to the point.” Chrysalis quipped. “I thought we could have a nice little chat, before we get down to business, but whatever. As for your sister, she's fine. For the moment.”

“Where is she?! I want to see her!”

“Ha ha!” Chrysalis chuckled scornfully. “You've changed a lot since the last time I saw you, Celestia! You were always so calm and collected back in the day. But I guess it wore off. You're not so majestic anymore with those scars on your face, are you? Your precious little subjects always looked up to you, but now they are scared of you, am I right? I believe we finally have something in common.”

“Stop it! Just tell me what do you want!”

“Oh, nothing really.” Chrysalis said dispassionately, staring at the back of her hoof. “Just your unconditional surrender and the city of Canterlot.”

“You know your irrational demands cannot be met. ” Celestia replied coldly.

“Am I being irrational?” Chrysalis countered, still in a casual fashion. “Oh, sorry, I didn't notice. Let's do a quick research then, shall we?”

The solar Princess narrowed her eyes, but remained silent, as Chrysalis continued.

“Your beloved sister is my prisoner, my army have the Castle surrounded, you are clearly outnumbered and Twilight and Cadence are unable to preform their duties, since they are lying unconsciously in the chambers for informal meetings, on the third floor, if I'm not mistaken. “the Queen grinned cruelly. “So why am I being irrational again?”

“You are well informed, Chrysalis. But you don't know everything.”

“Oh and I presume the almighty recluse Monster of the Sun will be kind enough to enlighten me then.”

Celestia's wings fluttered a little by the mere mention of the word she hated the most, since her magnificent beauty was fractured. But the more time she spent outside her Tower, the more her long forgotten skills resurfaced from the depths of her being, where she buried them. Yes, her sanity was stable once again; her shield was not. Celestia could always hide her emotions behind an alabaster mask and this ability has not faded away even after a decade, but the walls of the stronghold of her soul were still weak and crumbly, no matter how much power she truly held.

Chrysalis on the other hoof was too an expert of emotions, almost as gifted as Cadence, the Princess of Love herself. The Changeling Queen could easily pinpoint the tiny holes in Celestia's armor and intended to utilize this knowledge, by attacking her weak spots. She used the moment of Celestia's hesitation to deliver another blow.

“Why so quiet, Celestia?” she scoffed with an arrogant smile. “I have to admit I was truly surprised the ponies were foolish enough to put you in charge. They must be very desperate if they trusted you. Don't get me wrong, it is really nice to lay eyes upon your radiant beauty again, haha... but what do they expect from an alicorn who can't even use magic anymore?!”

The Queen's words stung like the bites of a thousand fire ants and Celestia unwillingly bit on her upper lip. She's right... the Princess thought. What can I do to stop the darkness? I'm nothing! I have no power over anything anymore!

That was the recluse speaking. That was the mare who were haunted by the demons of her past. Then another voice emerged form her mind. A strong, determined voice. A voice of an instinct she hasn't heard for many years. She looked into the sparkling green eyes of her enemy and saw the victorious flame in them.

Chrysalis read from her expressions and felt she had already won the battle. But as she gazed back at Celestia, the confident smile evaporated from her face. She could literary see the resolution manifest itself right in front of her. Celestia's violet eyes turned scathing, leaving the Queen perplexed and surprised. She was expecting a fragile spirit which would be easy to crush and then she could finally claim the capital of Equestria. She indeed vanquished all of her opponents. There was only one alicorn in the way of her ultimate triumph. The one she thought she'll have the least trouble with: Celestia.

The outside observer would not have been able to comprehend the events. The arch enemies merely sat in front of each other, without saying a word for several minutes. But to two beings with highly acute senses and the experience of centuries; it was much more than that. It was the confrontation of the minds. Most of the the battle took place on an invisible plane, a telepathic level, where no words were necessary. Both Celestia and Chrysalis tried to generate negative emotions in one another, for they knew such feelings would lead to a negative aura, which would influence the decisions they'll make in the future. Little did Chrysalis know, that the fate of the entire world was depending on Celestia's decisions. The only question was, who will get under the other's skin first.

“Why can't peacefully coexist?” Celestia eventually spoke.

“Why don't I drain all of your energy right here, right now?” Chrysalis retorted.

“Are you sure you want to consume all that darkness?” Celestia replied somberly.

“It's funny how the alicorn who controls the Sun, speaks of darkness. Oh wait! You don't do that anymore, do you? You don't control anything, not even your own life!”

“Let go of my sister!” Celestia demanded, ignoring Chrysalis' remarks altogether.

“And why would I do that?”

“Because if you let her go, you can do whatever you want to me instead.”

“Ha ha ha ha!” Chrysalis guffawed. “What would I do with you? Just look at yourself! A Princess who turned her back on her kingdom and let her precious little sister do a job she clearly couldn't handle! No, no, no, no, no. She stays with us, until my demands are met!”

“You will never get Canterlot!” Celestia shouted vigorously. “Stop this insanity at once!

“You're in no position to make demands! I call the shots here! It seems to me you have no choice, 'Princess'. Give me what I want and all of you ponies can go free, I give you my word. That's the only way to leave the city alive! ”Chrysalis stated with rage peppering her voice.

“My fundamental problem is still this: I have no other guarantee that my subjects will be spared, than your word. And a word of a mare who gains power through deceit is not convincing at all.” Celestia stated softly, but her voice was as cold as the glaciers of the North.

This reaction left Chrysalis' jaw hanging. She didn't expect such resistance from her broken nemesis. Her plan to blackmail Celestia with her sister failed and that aroused the Queen's anger. But she wasn't the mare who gives up so easily and still had a few trick up her sleeve.

“Perhaps a little motivation will help you decide.” she said loudly and clapped her hooves together twice.

The eastern doors opened and six changelings marched into the café, dragging a chained pony with them. Celestia recoiled in shock, because the identity of the prisoner was obvious.

“Luna!” the solar goddess gasped.

Luna was unable to respond; she was gagged. The beasts treated her like an animal, smacking her several times to move faster, which was difficult because of the chains.

“Did I manage to get your attention now?” Chrysalis taunted with a wide, devilish grin. “Oh she fought so courageously to buy more time for the citizens of Canterlot to reach the Castle! I admire such bravery, even in the enemy. But, as you can see Celestia, she didn't achieve much, except sending many great warriors to their doom.”

While the Queen was monologuing, Luna locked her eyes on her sister. She was helpless, the ring on her horn disrupted her magic and even her wings were tied; the silky feathers were pressing against her barrel. She was struggling in her bonds, while the armored changeling guards surrounded her tightly. But her teal eyes were reflecting strength and determination even in such a dire situation.

Chrysalis puffed out her chest, observing Celestia's reactions and a superior grin slowly expanded on her face. She stood up from the table and walked up to her prisoner with confident steps. A dark knife lifted off from one of the neighboring tables, encased by her emerald magical aura and she levitated the weapon closer to Luna.

“Surrender or I'll fillet your sister mercilessly.” she growled, holding the blade close to Luna's neck.

Celestia was unable to decide her next move, hesitation and confusion was clearly visible in her expression and body language. She felt the pressure building up to unbearable levels, slowly crushing her spirit to pieces. Her thoughts were surging; many possibilities ran through her brain in a mere second.

Then her face turned emotionless again, like if she couldn't maintain the illusion of calmness at all times. But she said nothing, just sat there, lost in thought. This lack of reaction infuriated Chrysalis; she took it as a sign of unwillingness.

“Still not feeling motivated?! Well, I have an even better idea!” she exclaimed and dropped the knife.

The small weapon fell on the wooden floor with a muffled bang, sliding away a few feet, then came to a rest. Chrysalis approached Luna, while the guards held the moon goddess firmly, so she couldn't move away. The Queen's jaw opened irrationally wide; defying the law of physics and anatomy, reaching down to the bottom of her chest, while a noise similar to rushing water was audible. Her eyes were glowing green and her jagged horn charged up with magic.

Celestia has not witnessed such a thing before, thus reacted too late, when she realized what Chrysalis was doing. The changelings around her abruptly sprung into action and held her down, pinning her to the ground. She feverishly tried to break free, but more and more beasts were piling upon her so she could not intervene.

Transparent, sky blue tendrils emerged from Luna's body and mane, twisting and turning in the air, floating towards the mouth of the Changeling Queen who consumed them all. A ghoulish scream of anguish escaped Luna's chest as she was squirming in her shackles to move away.

“I'll drain every last drop of your energy!” Chrysalis rattled to Luna. "Then Tia is next!"

“No! Stop!!! LEAVE HER ALONE!” Celestia cried desperately.

“Oh, don't you see, Celestia?” Chrysalis replied, still swallowing Luna's aura. “She still has so much love for you! And it tastes very good! I will consume it all, until she's just an empty vessel and there's not a single thing in the world you can do to stop me, ha ha ha ha ha!”

With those words, she grabbed Luna's neck and help her up in the air. The Moon goddess was too weak to resist any further. She just hung there, in the grasp of Chrysalis, like a rug doll, all her energy was fading away, as the emotional leech kept sucking it out of her being.

Suddenly, Chrysalis turned away from Luna, perking up the ear. The flow of magic was disrupted as she lost focus on her task. There was a commotion on the streets, changelings were marching on the main road, all to one direction. A powerful explosion shook the ground and a few windows shattered by the shockwave. Chrysalis blinked in confusion and looked around, but saw nothing suspicious.

However, this moment gave Celestia a chance. While the dark beasts were still forcing her to the floor, she spotted the knife the Queen dropped before. It wasn't far. She struggled, like a worm in the bird's claws and managed to free one of her legs. She reached out to the ebony weapon, stretching her muscles as hard as she could. Then it all went down in seconds.

“Queen!” Celestia called out, using the temporal distraction to her advantage.

Chrysalis instinctively turned her head to the voice's direction and saw a dark blade slicing through the air, aiming for her head. She jumped away immediately, and the knife flew right by her ear, missing it by only an inch.

“Hah!” Chrysalis snorted. “Nice try, Celestia! But you're nothing without your magic!”

An electric discharge was audible from behind and when Chrysalis turned around, she understood what was this all about. Celestia wasn't aiming at her head. She merely did what the sun goddess expected her to do.

Her eyes traveled upwards; realizing she was still holding Luna in her grasp, but completely forgot about it. The blade struck middle of the black ring on Luna's horn. Chrysalis jaw dropped in shock, because it was a highly accurate throw. The magic disruptor broke in half, its pieces fell on the floor along with the knife.

“UNHAND ME, INSECT!” Luna yelled on the Royal Canterlot Voice.

Without the device that kept her magical aura separated from her body, she regained some of her strength in no time. Her horn flashed and a cyan beam of magic struck Chrysalis in the face and flung her into the air. She crashed against the wall and fell on her rump. Luna's wings flared, breaking free from their bonds; her shackles could not resist the powerful magic she unleashed either. She swung her hoof to smite the changelings with full wrath.

Meanwhile, Celestia seized the opportunity to get rid of her captors as well. Her hind legs found their footing and she raised her hip with a rapid move. The beasts on top of her wasn't prepared for that and fell off. Panic overwhelmed the changelings as the two Princesses started to decimate them.

Chrysalis regained consciousness and shook her head. She opened her eyes and saw the control slipping out of her hooves. The royal sisters were so in tune and so skilled in combat, that her changelings were no match for them. It even got worse, when a cobalt stallion busted the doors open, marching in with two dozen of royal guards. Chrysalis' mind was sharp and she quickly connected the dots. The tables have turned. She was all alone in the café, surrounded by her enemies.

“We have cleared the streets, my Princess. “the royal blue earth pony said to Celestia.” But we don't have much time. The diversion we set off won't keep the changelings away for too long. We have to go, now!”

“Excellent work, Mirage.” Celestia replied with a warm, passionate smile. “Just a moment.”

She turned to Luna and hugged her.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, I'll live.” Luna affirmed, returning the sisterly hug.

“You...” Chrysalis hissed, glaring at Celestia. “You manipulated me!”

“You didn't honestly believe I'd just walk into your welcoming arms without a plan, did you?” the sun goddess asked back calmly. “Although I do admit, I had to improvise with the knife. It was undoubtedly helpful. Otherwise I'd had to risk using my magic.”

“You were prepared to do that? For me?” Luna gasped in disbelief, gazing at her sister.

“To be honest, I wasn't...”

“Princesses, please!” Mirage interjected. “We can talk about this later! Just grab the Queen and get out of here, before the changelings swarm this place!”

“You're right.” Luna nodded. “I'll handle this myself.” She towered over Chrysalis menacingly.
“Yes, your army is large, Chrysalis. But without their Queen, they are nothing.”

“You will never take me alive!” Chrysalis shouted, foaming with rage.

But before she could do anything, the bulky stallions of the Royal Guard grabbed her, placing a magic disruptor collar on her neck. She struggled to escape, but to no avail. The guards dragged her out of the café, while she was kicking violently, trying to stab her captors with her horn. Then she pulled out something from under the thick shell on her chest. It was a small phial, containing a glowing, neon green liquid. Last resort... The thought passed through her brain.

“We're not done, Celestia!” Chrysalis rattled and smashed the phial against the pavement.

A thick cloud of stifling green smoke pestered the street; stinging the eye and burning the skin. Everypony was coughing vehemently, even the Princesses. When the blinding smog cleared up after a few minutes, Chrysalis was nowhere to be found.