“Shining, do you have a second to talk?”

Shining looked up from his desk to see his wife standing in the doorway of his Canterlot office, looking nervous.

“Of course honey, what about.”

“Not here,” said Cadance, before gesturing for him to follow her.

Looking confused, but know he could trust his wife, Shining followed her out into the hall, and then suddenly found himself teleported to what looked to be a secluded workshop, one he had never seen before. “Cadance, what is going on, is something wrong?”

“…Shining, have your duties as a guard ever pitted you against someone you loved…and more importantly, have you ever had to do something that may put you against Princess Celestia?”

“Wha…Cady what is going on, are you in some sort of trouble with Celestia?”

“Not yet,” said Cadance, “but very soon I may be.”

“…Cadance whatever it is we’ll be able to figure it out,” said Shining, “you just need to tell me whats going on?”

“It’s not that simple Shining.”

“How is it not that simple?” said Shining.

“Because Celestia has been using soul magic to break the cycle of death and rebirth!” cried Cadance.

Shining looked at her with a look of horror, “wha…”

“…The mare who came to visit us wasn’t really Twilight,” said Cadance, “at least not where her soul is concerned. She is actually a being who shares Twilight’s name called Twilight Everfree Sparkle, a three thousand year old soul art practitioner who used one of the most forbidden arts to become a soul thief, which I know you know about due to your guard training.”

Shining gave a shaking nod, and that was when Cadance saw that his horn had a subtle glow to it, which once she concentrated on it she could tell was a truth spell, which she realized she was under the effects of.

Shining noticed that she had seen his subtle casting, and so he ended it, which immediately caused her to regain full control of her faculties, and she gasped in horror, “I…I wasn’t supposed to tell you any of that.”

“I know,” said Shining, “but you were scaring me, and I was fully willing to take responsibility if what I was worried about turned out to be false…but this was more then I expected to discover.”

“I can imagine,” said Cadance, and then she began filling him in on everything she knew.

When she was done, she saw that he was deep in thought, before finally he looked her in the eyes and spoke. “Can you take me to where Twily is?”

“I…I don’t know,” said Cadance, “but I can try.”

Placing a hoof on Shining’s chest, Cadance closed her eyes, before concentrating on the magic necessary for this attempt.

Once she was ready, she opened herself up to the great web of love, something that always filled her with a deep sense of trepidation, for even though she was its guardian, she felt that she was in no way responsible enough to care for such a thing.

Soon she found what she was looking for, the familial cord which bound Shining to Twilight, and using that, she projected both her and Shining’s minds to where that soul was located, opening her eyes to see that she was once again in the place that Luna had taken her to.

“Shining!” cried a voice, both Cadance and Shining turning to see Twilight running up to them, before jumping and wrapping the stallion up in a hug, which caused a aura of light to briefly surround them, causing Shining to shiver before he pulled back in shock.

“Wha…what was that?”

“If I had to guess,” started Cadance as she moved up to them both, “I would say its your souls re-strengthening the bond you share as siblings, though honestly that is a shot in the dark of a guess, after all I’m not that well versed in soul magic.”

“Few are,” said Twilight as she gazed at them both, “but for now, it is good to see you both, though I have to ask, how did you get here?”

“I kinda took a shot in the dark really,” said Cadance, “for I kinda just figured that if Luna could connect to souls through the dreaming, maybe I could do the same through the web, so I used Shining’s love for you as a sister to find where you were, for he wanted to see you after…well after I blabbed everything. And before you ask any questions in regards to loyalties, I decided to throw in my lot with you all, for as much as I love my mother…I cant let what she is doing continue.”

“…That is good to hear Cadance,” said Twilight “now if you don’t mind, I would like to talk with Shining alone for a moment, meanwhile if you have any ideas regarding our plan, you can talk to Fuji, who is the sort of leader of this place.”

“I would like that,” said Cadance, “now go catch up.”

Twilight and Shining nodded, heading off and disappearing into the place while Cadance began looking around, and realized that she had no idea what this Fuji Twilight was talking about looked like.

“I can help you find her if you would like,” said a voice, Cadance looking behind her to see Umbranox standing there looking at her.

“Mo…sorry I mean…”

“It is ok,” said Umbranox, “this is probably hard for both of us I expect, especially…me.”

Cadance could not help but raise a questioning eyebrow at that comment, which caused Umbranox look hesitant for a moment, and then she nodded with her head to follower her, before beginning to elaborate as they walked.

“I know you probably did not know this, but this place is tied deeply to the one who trapped us here, and it allows us to look in on her from time to time. I mainly used that ability to try and find weakness in her defenses, but after you were born, I started to simply watch her whenever she was raising you…mainly because like my body…I felt in some way that you were stolen from me to.”

“So you saw me as your daughter to?” asked Cadance.

Umbranox nodded, “Yes I did, which is why I reacted the way I did when I saw you here earlier, for being confronted with all that I felt had been stolen from me, it caused me to lash out, and that was not fair to you.”

“It’s ok,” said Cadance with a smile, “and if I may be honest, what you have said does explain something I always wondered about.”

Getting a curious look, Cadance continued. “Once I started coming into my gifts as the Alicorn of Love, I could sense all this love radiating from my mom towards me, but some of it felt off, like it wasn’t really coming from her, more like through her. Now that you have told me this, I realize that all that love must have been coming from you.”

That brought a smile to Umbranox’s face, “I should have known you would be able to sense it, now come, Fuji should be around here somewhere.”

*

Getting off the train at Canterlot station, Faust and Chrysalis looked around, before beginning to head down the road as Faust got a bead on where the next person they wanted to find was, and then making a comment as they walked. “I am surprised this city is not warped beyond recognition due to his presence, has something happened to the old man?”

“I hear he went soft after becoming friends with one of your element bearers,” said Chrysalis, “Kindness if I recall.”

“Hm,” said Faust, “I would have assumed laughter would be the one to tame Discord, still though, it is good to know he is raining things in.”

They eventually reached what looked to be the place he was residing in, Faust knocking on the door and then standing beside her mate to wait.

When the door opened, they saw Discord on the other side, who took one look at Faust and then gasped in horror, before slamming the door in their faces.

“Well I see he still remembers you,” said Chrysalis with a smirk, before following Faust as the mare simply pushed her way through the door.

Once inside they found Discord running about the pans labyrinth that was the interior of his house, seemingly looking for a place to hide.

“Discord you can stop trying to run, I’m not here to kill you, if I were I would have broken your statue after you got turned to stone by my daughters all those years ago.”

“Frankely my dear I trust you as much as I do the Smooze to keep a clean house.”

“How is he doing by the way?” asked Chrysalis.

“Oh he is good,” said Discord, “still gets nightmares about the witches from time to time but otherwise he is fine.”

“That is good to hear,” said Chrysalis, “I’ll have to visit him someday soon.”

“He would like that,” said Discord, before looking back at Faust and speaking. “Now, why are you here?”

“You know why I am here,” said Faust with a smirk, before sitting down and waiting for Discord to speak.

He looked confused for a moment, and then his eyes widened as he spoke. “So, you found out what Everfree’s been doing.”

“I have,” said Faust, “and I plan to help in stopping her, and I decided to see if you would help me out with that.”

Discord smirked, before turning away to go look for something, “Sorry old friend, but she already beat you here, and I gave her my answer, I’ll not be interfering in what she has chosen to do.”

“Even if your inaction causes harm to Kindness?”

Discord came to such an abrupt halt it was almost as if he hit a wall, and then he turned it indeed looked like he had smacked face first into reality, though after a moment he restored himself, and then leaned down at Faust before speaking. “How is this one harming Fluttershy?”

Faust smiled, “Fluttershy’s soul mate is trapped with the pocket realm created by Everfree’s botched casting of the spell, and while there is a plan in motion to help free her and the other souls, it is what comes after that we need your help with, for Everfree will need to be dealt with.”

Discord remained silent for a long moment, and then sighed, “I am sorry Faust, but my answer is the same, I will not interfere in this, so you will have to look somewhere else for aid.”

“I see,” said Faust, before standing and then gesturing to her mate to follow, “then till next we see each other Discord, I bid thee farewell.”

“Farewell,” said Discord, and then the two mares left the house, before heading back towards the train station, for they had one more stop to make before they waited for the domino's to start falling.

*

Luna looked up as she felt someone teleport in behind her, and upon turning she saw what looked to be Zecora, though she had undergone a great change.

“Zecora, what has happened to you?”

The Zebra smiled, “I have once again embraced my immortality, though that is mainly because you mother came by, and revealed to me some troubling things.”

That got a surprised look from Luna, before suddenly her face fell as she spoke. “Let me guess, Chrysalis was also beside her.”

When Zecora nodded, Luna sighed, “So that bug wasn’t lying about knowing where mother was, that just provides so many headaches. However I can worry about that later, I assume that you are here concerning my mate Twilight?”

“Yes I am,” said Zecora, before looking a bit befuddled and then chuckling.

“What is so funny,” asked Luna.

“Just laughing over how weird it is to not speak in rhyme anymore,” said Zecora, “I will admit I grew quite used to it, though upon seeing your mother I realized my days as a shaman were over.”

“I see,” said Luna, “well to be honest, I don’t know what aid you could provide, for much of the plan is already moving forward, and the soul mates of the various element bearers will be leaving their prison to reform their bonds.”

“So I can assume you have already insured that the element bearers will be open to reforming the bonds they shared with their soul mates?”

Luna gave her a skeptical look, prompting her to speak further. “I know your plan is to have them copulate to quickly reform their bonds and make them iron clad, but in order for that to work their souls have to be open to such a quick process, and due to how long many of them have been without their soul mates, such a process would usually take time.”

Luna sighed in defeat at that, which caused Zecora to chuckle, and upon getting a quizzical look, she spoke. “No need to worry, I have a way of insuring their souls are open to such things, just a quick warning though, while it will only have a mild effect on the Element Bearers and their respective mates, expect next years Ponyville population census to show a increase in expecting mothers.”

Luna gave her a sour look, “Is there no other way?”

“Well if Cadance was more versed in soul magic she could probably pull this off better then I could, but seeing as how she is not the spell I have is our only option.”

“…And suddenly I realize you are that fertility goddess everyone at the ascendants meetings always ranted about and was happy was gone.”

Now Zecora looked sour, “Just for that I am attending the next meeting and population booming every culture whose ascendant reacts poorly to me.”

Now Luna looked worried, but decided to save worrying about it for later. “I see, well anyways, how long will it take to prepare?”

“About an hour,” said Zecora, “after all I am a bit rusty.”

“I see,” said Luna, “then I will let everyone know we are a go, so good luck I guess.”

Zecora smiled at that, before teleporting away, and then Luna teleported back to her room, getting ready and then casting her mind into the dreaming, for she had her own preparations to make.

She just hopped they won.

Author's Note

Next chapter will be the last in the Gathering Foes chapters, and then we will be entering some familiar territory for those who read the original iteration of The Princess Consort.

Till then guys, feel free to post any questions or comments, for while I don't always respond, I love hearing from you guys.