Chapter 3-3: Battle! Put it all on the line!
The group reaches the front door and gazes up the sheer size of the door. "Gee with a door this size you'd think they'd be compensating for something." Sonic says.
"It may be big but it doesn't seem too heavy." Applejack says putting a hoof on it and it creaks open. The second the door was open Rage jolts up.
"What is it?" Twilight asks.
"I can sense some powerful Chaos energy inside…" Rage says "Be alert." He warns as they continue in.
Meanwhile in the throne room Chrysalis was observing the group through her spell and then look to another one she had showing what appeared to be another Rage! "Hmm it seems as though one pest has become aware that another pest is here…" she says before the other Rage looks back. He had taken notice as well. "If they meet up the results could prove either helpful or it could be a huge problem…" she thinks before looking at the corrupted XL. "What say you?"
"Let it play out and then let me step in if I need to." XL answers.
"Good idea." She smiles looking back to the group who had exited one of the staircases in the labyrinth of a fortress Chrysalis had built only to be met with beasts of Chaos based energy.
"What are those?" Sonic asks.
"I have no idea." Rage replies "But it doesn't matter."
"Right." Sonic says charging a spin dash. He releases it and bounces off of one beast before rebounding to Rage who kicks him into the other. This knocked both down and they fell through the floor. The group flinched a bit after they heard a few more crashes. Sonic then looks at Rage. "I thought you were going to grab me, not throw me into the other one!" he shouts.
"Chill we got them both didn't we?" Rage shrugs. But his look goes from relaxed to annoyed as more show up. "Great more of them." Rage sighs getting into a battle stance. However just before he could attack a bright spear of energy destroyed both of the monsters.
Then a figure who looked just like Rage walked up to them. "Uh…" Sunset looks at the two "Rage?"
"Yeah?" they both ask before looking at each other.
"What?" Twilight asks as the two Rages look at each other.
"I see." The other Rage says. "So you're another me."
"And you are me." Rage says looking at him "Let me guess. You came from the same world as Chrysalis?"
"Correct." The other Rage says. "I am going to guess you came from another universe where we never went to Equestria?"
"Yup." Rage nods. "Since we are both here why don't we work together?"
"My head hurts…" Rainbow Dash says.
"So let me get this straight…" Twilight says looking at the two. "You're Rage…" she says pointing at Rage.
"Yeah." Rage says.
"…and you're Rage…" She continues pointing to the other Rage.
"Yeah." The other Rage says.
"And you come from another version of Mobius. While he is the one who has been with us for three years." Twilight asks.
"Yup." Both of the Rages reply.
"Gee now my head hurts…" Twilight says rubbing her head "This makes literally no sense."
"It's not that hard to understand." Rage says. "Here for the sake of ease you guys call me Rage and call that Rage…" Rage pauses and thinks… "Ideas?"
"Call me red I guess." The other Rage answers.
"Okay call him Red." Rage confirms. "Now let's get going." He instructs as they continue down the hall.
"Ugh this is a problem…" Chrysalis sighs looking at XL. "You're up."
"As you wish my queen… dead or alive?" XL asks.
"Either or." Chrysalis answers with a smile.
"Within an inch of their life it is." XL smiles before vanishing in a puff of darkness.
Meanwhile, the whole team had made it to just about two floors under the top floor and Rarity falls down. "Ugh…this is too much who in their right mind would make a place this big?!" She wines.
"Chrysalis really doesn't have a 'right mind' to begin with." Red says with a sigh before a blast of dark energy hits him sending him back a few feet before he hits the ground hard.
"Agh!" he shouts when he lands.
"Red!" Sonic yells as they look to see XL walking down the hall with an evil smirk on his face.
"One down." He chuckles.
"Please even another version of me won't go down that easily." Rage says.
"Oh?" XL chuckles as the other Rage walks up his body fading slowly.
"That attack it's sending me back to Equestria…Rage you and the other will have to go on without me…just be careful." He says before he vanishes.
"Alright." Rage says forming a claw of light energy. "You're going down!" he screams before Fluttershy grabs him gently making him look at her. "Flutters?" he asks.
"Rage you can't kill him…that's XL…" she says looking at Rage with big eyes like you would see in a kid pouting for something.
"Alright." Rage says looking at XL who was already charging to attack. Quickly Sunset leaps in front and kicks him back. She then runs over and puts him in a hold. XL struggled against the female trying to break free.
"Now Rage!" she shouts. Without a second thought Rage runs up and points a finger at XL.
"Pointing?" XL chuckls "What are you going to do flick my head?" he laughs.
"From the light to the dark many are forgotten and many are lost to dark. The path one walks is not set but they control where it goes. But that path can be altered." Rage says "When that happens even friends cannot help. But when one is corrupted only the power of light can return them to normal." Rage finishes as a bright flash of light blinds everyone.
After it dies out XL slumped over and the energy that was once surrounding him was gone. "Fluttershy, Rainbow take him and the other people we found a few floors down and get out of here." Rage orders. "I am going to put an end to this."
"We are going with you Rage." Twilight says.
"What the rest of you do is your choice." Rage answers.
"No, we will go too."Fluttershy says "We all came this far together."
"Sorry Rage I am not going to leave you till this is all said and done." Rainbow Dash says.
The group forges on ahead and after climbing one last staircase they reach the large doors to Chrysalis' throne room. Rage looks at the others. Silently they all nod and Sonic spindashes the door open. Chrysalis turns around in surprise by the doors blowing open. "Who dares?!" She shouts looking at them in surprise. "How did you make it up here?!" she exclaims.
"Well you didn't have much for defense. Especially when most of the way there was two of me." Rage replies looking at Chrysalis "But enough on that we are here to end this right now."
"Hmph you are a fool Rage." Chrysalis laughs "You cannot defeat me!"
"You want to bet?" Rage asks getting into his battle stance. Chrysalis glows and fires a beam of energy at him but he puts a shield up and nullifies the attack. This made him realize how dangerous this was going to be. He had no option. Using some of his power he forms a barrier around his friends to keep them safe.
"Very noble of you." Chrysalis smiles "Protecting your friends…letting them observer your own downfall!" she laughs.
"Can it!" Rage shouts charging for her and catching her with the tip of his blade as she leaps back. "I didn't come here to let you guess an outcome. I came here to put a stop to you!"
"Oh please if the mighty Celestia in Equestria couldn't defeat me what makes you think you have a chance?" Chrysalis chuckles. Rage then suddenly hits her from the side with a kick making her crash into the wall of the room. Rage followed through and charged at her but she throws her hind legs out and hit Rage back. Rage recovered from the attack but Chrysalis was right on top of him and strikes him into the ground.
"Hmph this is your final warning you weak child. If you dare to continue then I promise you will have a bad time." Chrysalis says landing looking at Rage who was on the ground and slowly stood up. He coughed up some blood and wiped it from his mouth.
"You're strong." Rage says "I won't deny it but I am afraid that I cannot give up."
"Rage stop!" Twilight calls "You can't win so don't risk it."
"Even if it means we have to live like this that is okay! As long as we are together." Sunset says.
"You should listen to your friends…I promise no harm will come to any of you if you give up now." Chrysalis says. "You have my word."
"Shut up." Rage says glaring at Chrysalis as the Chaos Emeralds appear around him "I will not let you defeat me. I didn't come all of this way just to give up. If there is one thing you should know about the Chaotic family, it is that we don't give up. If we start something we see it through or we die trying." He says as the Emeralds glow.
With a bright flash Rage was transformed into his strongest form… His hair was on end from the energy around him. Small bolts of electric like lightning of all colors flashed around him as his hair flashed similar colors. He opened his eyes to show a menacing amber that glowed with determination.
Chrysalis finally opens her eyes and looks at Rage unfazed by what had happened. But what she didn't know was… that now Rage's power had increased beyond all forms of reasonable measurement. At least for their sake. "Your tricks will not help you Rage." Chrysalis says "I will still stop you!"
The two charged for the other and clashed. Rage was so fast however that he was able to hit Chrysalis back to the ground. The Changeling lands and fires beams of magic at Rage who darts from side to side to avoid them. "Hold still!" She shouts before finally landing a hit. Rage flinched before recovering and landing. The two then begin to attack each other exchanging blows and blocks at blinding speeds. Each attacked and blocked blow for blow.
This went on for a few minutes before Chrysalis lands a solid hit on Rage and hits him back. Rage lands on the ground and summons his sword as the Changeling forms a sword from some strange green energy. Shen then changes from her pony like shape into a female human. She had long black hair and deep green eyes. Her skin was pale and her body was rather fine toned. She smiles at Rage it was clear what she was trying but he wasn't falling for it as he lashed back at her and the two clashed blades.
Rage applied his strength as did Chrysalis. They were struggling to knock the other into a stagger. But Chrysalis wasn't trained to use a sword… this gave Rage the advantage or it should if Chrysalis wasn't so powerful. Rage then leaps back. Chrysalis slices to try and hit him as he did so but that was what he hoped she would do as he uses his sword to block the strike and kick her.
"You're keeping up well Rage." Chrysalis says amused. "I never thought a mere and simple human could ever stand up and hold their own against me."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Rage asks.
"It is you should be grateful to hear that. Except for those wretched ponies back in Equestria I have never had a battle that didn't end after a few minutes. But I am sidetracking." Chrysalis says as a black dome covers them. "There now we can talk in peace."
"Why do you want to talk in peace?" Rage asks.
"Because I have a proposition for you." Chrysalis says. "Why don't you work with me. I promise that you can lead the humans and I will keep them safe. You'd never have to play protector again. Please let us stop this senseless violence. All my people are looking for it a place to live in peace."
"Is that true?" Rage asks.
"Is that so bad?" Chrysalis "We have been outcast and hated. We never are accepted no matter where we go! But what do you know? You're just a human."
"Well you're wrong about that. I am human but I am much like that other Rage I come from a version of Mobius separate from his. But as much as I do sympathize with you I am afraid my Chaos Guardian duty require you to be defeated. I am sorry."
"Well if that is the case then I have no choice." Chrysalis says
"What is going on in there?" Sonic asks.
"I have no idea… I hope Rage is okay." Sunset says "He put this shield around us to keep us safe but what if he can't keep himself safe?"
"Don't worry Rage is going to be fine." Sonic says. "Besides he's the only one out of us who could even stand a chance right now. If I tried fighting I wouldn't do too well. I just can't balance as well in this body. But Rage moves like it's second nature to him."
Suddenly to their surprise the black barrier that was keeping them from seeing anything cracks and shatters to bits. The sight was a dreadful one. Chrysalis was on top of Rage… that was all they could see. "He isn't…" Fluttershy says softly.
"No…I-I hope not." Sonic says. Then a bloodcurdling scream of agony is heard as Chrysalis flails back. It was spastic and crazy but a glimpse of Rage's sword in her chest did show. Rage slowly stands up panting as Chrysalis looks at him.
"This can't be! I came all this way and some kid stopped me?! I will not accept this! You should be dead!" she screams pointing to a red wound on Rage's stomach. Rage grabbed it and smirks.
"Sorry…I missed that memo." Rage says before falling to the ground. When he hits the ground the shield protecting his friends vanished and they run over to him.
"Rage!" Sunset yells shaking him. There was no response. "Rage!"
"Ugh…" he says softly "That hurt…" he looks at the others and stands back up before using what little bit of Chaos Energy he had left to close the wound. "Are you guys okay?"
"Are we okay? What about you?" Rarity asks "You had a hole in your stomach a second ago!"
"Yeah…" Rage says limping over and taking his sword out of Chrysalis' corps. "And?"
"You should be dead!" Twilight shouts.
"I should be yes but I have been in enough battles to know how to keep that from killing me. That wasn't bad enough to kill me but…I am going to be out for a while because of it." He says grunting. "We should get home before this place vanishes."
"Come on." Sonic says as he and Sunset put one of Rage's arms over their shoulders to help drag him home. The group arrives at the exit to the large fortress where XL and all of the captive humans were waiting.
"You're late." XL jokes.
"Well Chrysalis put up quite a fight." Rage says painfully.
"Hush Rage we need to get you home." Sonic says. He and Sunset walk through the crowd who follows behind. Soon after they had all left the fortress vanished into thin air. Sonic and Sunset haul Rage to his home and then into his bed. They both look at him for a second before leaving and giving him a chance to sleep. After all of that he sure needed it. The only question now as… what would come next?