All for You

Chapters

Chapter 2: I Don't Care for Him at All
Chapter 3: Two Hearts Becoming One
Chapter 4: Mine, All Mine
Chapter 5: We Shared Our Dreams
Chapter 6: The Wedding I Won't Make
Chapter 7: I Fear that I May Lose
Chapter 8: We Never Had a Single Fight
Chapter 9: And Do a Little Shake
Chapter 10: All My Thoughts She Does Consume
Chapter 11: The Perfect Day
Epilogue: Making Room for Us
Chapter 1: A Bond Undone

Chapter 2: I Don't Care for Him at All

“I don’t suppose there’s any of that bouquet left, is there?” Minuette asked. She wasn’t certain how long the three of them had been trapped in these caves, but she was cold and hungry, so it had definitely been much too long already.

“Moondancer ate them all,” replied Lyra bitterly.

“They were just so yummy!” wailed Moondancer. The word ‘yummy’ echoed around the tunnels, getting more and more eerie with each repetition, causing Minuette to shiver.

They sat quietly for a while with only the warm light of Lyra’s horn to see by.

“You two seemed pretty eager to catch the bouquet,” Minuette said, in an attempt to break the silence.

Lyra’s face broke into a wide open smile. “Well, I’ve been seeing Bonbon for a few years now. Probably time that I made an honest mare out of her. What about you then, Minuette?" Lyra said, while sidling up to her friend. "Anypony catch your eye?”

Minuette sighed. “I’m still looking for that perfect stallion. I think I’d settle for just reasonable the way some of my dates have gone recently. I love Ponyville, but it’s not exactly swimming in bachelors.”

“What about Big Macintosh?” suggested Moondancer

Both Minuette and Lyra started giggling. “I didn’t know that you were into that,” Minuette said teasingly.

Moondancer looked at the other two with a completely lost expression on her face. “Into what?”

“Never mind,” said Minuette, while still chuckling. “What about you, Moondancer?”

“I don’t think she’s into relationships,” said Lyra, giving Moondancer a sidelong glance. “That’d involve actually getting the stallion’s names.”

“Hey!” Moondancer said, stomping a hoof on the rocky floor. The sharp ‘clop’ on the ground rang out a few more times and then faded. “Are you saying that Moondancer is some kind of harlot?”

“No,” Lyra said, then grinned. “Harlots are usually choosier.”

“I’ll—”

“Easy, girls,” Minuette said soothingly. “Just because we don’t how we got down here, and so have no idea how to get out, doesn’t mean we should take it out on each other.”

“I so got to that bouquet first, y’know,” said Lyra, giving Moondancer a flat look.

“Did not.”

“Did too!”

“Did—”

“Just stop, please,” Minuette said, as the echoes of the foalish argument continued throughout the caves. She got in between and pushed the two of them apart. “Look, I don’t remember much of whatever happened to us, but I’m sure that was Twilight Sparkle from Ponyville back there with the real Princess Cadance. She’ll come get us eventually.”

“Come get us eventually, come get us eventually, come get us eventually...”

“Um,” Moondancer said quietly. “Moondancer does not think that one was an echo.”

Lyra’s horn glowed brighter yellow to give the three some more light. As the darkness retreated back across the cavern, hundreds of green flashes stared back at them.

“Come get us eventually,” said another Minuette in the exact same tattered bridesmaid dress, as she stalked forwards.

Moondancer screamed, and the caves answered with a horrible racket, filled with hisses, growls, and a chittering that sent fur standing straight up all over the three mare's bodies.

“Stay back!” Lyra warned. She picked up a few loose rocks with her magic and floated them around her in a hopefully menacing manner.

Four more Lyra’s joined the Moondancer, and all replied, “Stay back!” Minuette was certain they were repeating Lyra’s tone of voice exactly, but she was sure it sounded more mocking coming from them.

“For what it’s worth it's been an honour being a bridesmaid with you two,” said Minuette ruefully, "even if we didn't quite make it to the actual wedding."

“Same,” Lyra agreed, and Moondancer gave a quick little nod, as they prepared themselves for the inevitable end.

An unguised changeling charged forward, spun in front of the three mares, and started hissing and growling harshly. One of the now-many Minuettes growled back a sharp retort and soon the rest were all joining in.

“I think they’re arguing about what to do with us,” whispered Lyra, to the other two as they huddled down close together.

“I think they’re arguing about what to do with us,” agreed one of the Lyras, while the other changelings continued their unintelligible debate.

“Excuse me,” said Minuette, standing up. “Can any of you understand us?”

The unguised changeling in front of them turned and nodded once.

“Can you let us know what’s happening, please?” asked Minuette.

“Please Minuette,” said Moondancer, clutching at one of Minuette’s hooves. “Don’t upset them!”

The changeling shook its head, then tilted it to the side for a moment. Without warning it let out a high-pitched screech that caused the three mares to hold their forehooves tight against their ears.

Several moments passed, and then a smaller changeling pushed his way out of the arguing throng. It looked much the same as the others that weren’t currently posing as ponies, but Minuette thought that he was older than the others. Maybe the black chitin was just that bit less shiny.

“Can you talk to us?” asked Lyra.

The changeling smiled and its horn began to glow green. “Foolish little morsels, believe me I can hear you well enough.” The voice was a deep basso, and Minuette was sure she’d heard a crackling fire behind it.

“Well Moondancer doesn’t see any need for that kind of attitude,” Moondancer said sharply, her earlier fear overridden by sheer force of petulance.

“Ah, it's no worries, mates!” the changeling replied, with his horn still glowing. In yet another different voice, it added sombrely, “Reckon it might be rain again tonight. I feel it in my old horns.”

“That was Thestralian!” Lyra exclaimed. “I’d know that accent anywhere. I’m not sure on the other one though.”

“I think it might have been a minotaur,” Minuette said uncertainly, and the changeling nodded. “I didn’t think I’d ever heard of one of their mares, or whatever they call their females anyway, ever leaving that island of theirs before.”

“Oh, you get all sorts out here in the badlands,” answered the changeling jovially, causing Lyra to gasp in a sudden shock of recognition. “There’s mercenaries from as far abroad as Tailea, colonists heading to New Tartaurus, bored griffons looking for a fight, diamond dogs of course, changeling hives which you do not want to go anywhere near, all sorts of wandering monsters, and things that some of my learned colleagues back in Canterlot still prefer to dismiss as bedtime stories, rather than admitting the plain and simple fact that they’re terrifyingly real.”

“That’s Dr. Risky Passage, I’m certain of it” whispered Lyra. “He taught geography back at the school.”

Minuette frowned. “I’d heard he never came back from his last expedition.” She swallowed hard. “Guess we know why now.”

“Never mind that!” Moondancer said loudly, causing some of the closer disguised ponies to hiss at her sharply. “Are you going to do anything to us?”

“The tide is changeable, and ever treacherous,” the changeling replied gruffly. There had been no doubt in Minuette’s mind that there’d been a seagull’s cry in the background during that sentence. It was less that the changeling was actually speaking, she realised, but repeating relevant sentences it had somehow heard in the past.

“I think that’s a maybe,” said Minuette, her voice starting to shake slightly.

The changeling started to speak again in a female voice that this time they all recognised, as it would haunt them for the rest of their days, given how it had ripped their minds apart the previous night. “You, you and you, go out into the city and tell every changeling to stop what they're doing. You two, do the same for any in the palace itself. Absolutely nopony is to be harmed or fed upon from this moment on, understand? You will gather the hive and wait for my command in the caves beneath the mountain.”

“We’re safe!” said Moondancer laughing, while clapping her forehooves excitedly on the cave floor. “Hear that? She’s got them all to stop attacking.”

“Oh,” said Lyra, her heart sinking. “I think I might see the problem...”

“We’re not in the palace, or the city, we’re under it,” said Minuette, completing the thought. “Guess some of them think there’s some room for debate. Especially as that fake Cadance isn’t here to say otherwise.”

“But, but she said...” said Moondancer, sounding like she was about to cry.

“And we ain’t half parched,” The changeling said in a Trottingham accent. The cacophony of hissing and growling got even louder, as more and more eyes glowed out of the darkness.

~~~

Princess Cadance gathered herself up and stood proudly before Celestia. “I saved Canterlot,” she answered. Chrysalis, who was still behind her, nodded vigorously to back her up.

Celestia stalked past Cadance and Chrysalis. She turned her head to look back at them, and said, “And her invading army of changelings is where?”

“I sent them down into the old gem caves below Canterlot where I had been keeping my love,” said Chrysalis, her voice shaking a little under Celestia’s steady gaze.

“I see,” she said, keeping her face entirely without expression. Celestia finally stopped by Shining Armour and her most favourite student. “Would you like to explain exactly how you accomplished such a feat, and why your betrothed is currently unable to even look at you?”

Cadance glanced back at Chrysalis and bit her lower lip. “May we talk in private about that, if that’s at all possible?” she ventured hesitantly.

Celestia looked at her for a while, and the entire room seemed to be holding its breath before she spoke again. “Yes, that would be acceptable.”

“I’d like to stay with my—” Chrysalis started to say before Celestia cut her off.

“You are going straight to the dungeons to await my judgement,” Celestia stated, “or you will see what happens now that I have learnt not to underestimate you.”

“No, she’s not.”

“Cadance, what do you think you are you doing?” Twilight said loudly, no longer able to contain her shock at how her former foalsitter was talking to her beloved mentor.

“Enough, Twilight Sparkle!” Celestia did not raise her voice at all, but everypony present felt the rebuke, and Chrysalis cringed back.

“As a princess of Equestria,” said Cadance levelly. “I have placed Queen Chrysalis under my protection.”

The room fell deadly silent for several moments.

“As is your right,” Celestia replied, after what seemed like centuries had passed. “Though given her actions, I’m sure you would agree, that it would be sensible for everypony concerned if she was confined until order can be fully restored. Would your room here at the palace be acceptable?”

“That... That would be fine, Princess,” replied Cadance, her eyes darting.

“As I still seem to be missing my royal guards, Rainbow Dash, Applejack,” Celestia said. “Please would you be so kind as to escort Queen Chrysalis to Princess Cadance’s quarters. I’m sure that she knows the way given she has been enjoying their accommodation so recently.”

“Will do, Princess,” said Rainbow Dash promptly. “You can count on us.” She threw off a quick snappy salute before flying over to poke Chrysalis sharply with a hoof to get her moving.

“C’mon, Varmint,” said Applejack, moving to flank Chrysalis’ other side. “No funny stuff, alright?”

Chrysalis gazed longingly for a moment at Cadance, and then submitted quietly to being led out of the throne room.

“Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia. “Please can you take my captain elsewhere and begin to investigate what has been done to him to find a cure.”

“But, Princess!” Twilight said. “I’m your faithful student, not a doctor.”

“I know, Twilight,” Celestia replied, leaning down next to her. “But this is magical in nature and I have every faith that you’ll find out the answer.”

“I won’t let you down, Princess!” Twilight said eagerly, at the prospect of the new challenge, and being able to help out Shining Armour at the same time. Not giving her brother time to protest, she lifted his entire body in a purple field, and trotted purposely out with Shining Armour in tow.

“I believe we also have things to attend to,” said Rarity, giving Fluttershy a significant look.

“Um, oh yes, Rarity,” replied Fluttershy. “We need to go do the...” she trailed off.

Rarity jumped in. “Oh, it’s totally just a minor fashion emergency that’s cropped up that needs to be addressed. Still I do also need my dear friend Fluttershy’s knowledge of haute couture to resolve it.”

“Yes, um, that thing, right,” Fluttershy said, barely above the level of a squeak, before she was rapidly hurried out of the room by Rarity.

Once the door had stopped swinging, Spike sighed and looked down at the floor. “Aww, now I’m never going to get to throw a bachelor party. I’d already written to the Stag embassy in Canterlot to ask if one of them wouldn’t mind attending and everything.”

“Spike, I don’t think—” Celestia started to say.

Pinkie wrapped a friendly forehoof around Spike’s shoulders. “Oh, Spikey-wikey! The bachelor party might be off, but just you wait till I explain how to pull off the perfect hen do! It is going to be the most superest-duperest-bestest excuse to get the drinks in ever.”

Spike was pretty much dragged out in Pinkie’s unstoppable orbit, as she explained they were going to need special hats, streamers, balloons, shots, ironic badges, games, and a number of things that Spike was most definitely going to need to repress at a later date.

“I’m going to have to ask Chrysalis what my first hen do was like,” said Cadance thoughtfully. “Seeing as I was trapped down in the caves at the time, and that wasn’t one of the things I got to witness. Lyra said there was even going to be a Wonderbolt there, or it might just have been she was going to get a stallion in a Wonderbolt costume, I’m not sure.”

“I am sure she’ll enjoy that very much,” Celestia said, keeping her voice conversational. “Now, would you like to explain yourself?”

Cadance jumped slightly as she remembered exactly again why it was just now her and Celestia in the royal throne room of Canterlot. “There wasn’t any other way,” Cadance said softly, her ears flattening against her head. “What would you have had me do? Embrace him and just hope that everything fixed itself miraculously by some kind of unseen before magic?”

“Please, Cadance,” Celestia said, moving to stand beside the smaller princess. “Just explain what you did.”

“I...” Cadance swallowed. “I used my spell to make Chrysalis love me so that she’d stop trying to hurt everypony.”

“I thought your spell only worked in rekindling love that was already there?”

“Normally yes,” Cadance replied slowly. “But I took the love that had existed between myself and Shining Armour and forced it onto her. I didn’t know what else to do, but I love her now, and I did that to her.” She let out a broken sob. “How could have I done that to her?”

Celestia wrapped a wing around the other alicorn until Cadance had stopped shaking. “And what about Shining Armour?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know,” Cadance said, and sniffed. “I thought it would just sacrifice our love, and now he’s looking at me like I’m some kind of vile monster.” She sank down to lay on the floor without a sound. “Which I guess is appropriate now, isn’t it?”

“Cadance, I’m sure we can fix this,” Celestia said kindly. “We’ll find a way to get this reversed and you can still have the perfect wedding that you’ve always dreamed off. As soon as Luna returns we should easily be able to deal with Chrysa—”

“No!” Cadance yelled, jumping to her hooves. “You will not touch her!”

“Cadance,” replied Celestia, completely unaffected by the experience of having an angry alicorn in her face due to having prior experience. “It’s the spell you’ve cast. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“I do,” Cadance said, flaring out her wings. “Please, Princess! Just give me a chance to make this work.”

“And what about Shining Armour?” Celestia said, now somewhat more coldly. “Have you entirely forgotten all about him now?”

“After what I’ve done to him?” said Cadance, walking away from Celestia. “He deserves somepony better than me.” She turned and looked back. “Breaking one heart was bad enough. I may be a monster now for what I’ve done, but I refuse to allow it to happen all over again.”

“I see,” Celestia said, sitting down on her throne. “You know you can talk about this anytime with myself if you want. Whatever decision you make regarding Chrysalis, as long as it does not threaten any pony in Equestria, and that includes yourself, I will support it.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Cadance said, bowing her head.

Celestia’s face was impassive. “You really don’t know what they’re truly like, do you? Then very few do now in this age, I suppose. I suggest you ask Chrysalis about where the changelings actually came from. She might even tell you the truth.”

“Why would that matter?”

“You might not want to ever touch her again when you do.”

Cadance stared at Celestia with wide open eyes. She’d never heard the princess sounding so disgusted—well, she’d never heard her be disgusted at all, she realised—so she had no idea what could cause such a reaction.

Unable to stop herself, she blurted out, “Can’t you just tell me?”

Celestia actually laughed. “Oh, I don’t think I could do it justice. Too much of a grudge and one held for much too long, I’ll easily admit it. Chrysalis wasn’t even a glimmer of a hatchling back then, so I really shouldn’t hold it against her personally for the sins of those who came before her.” For a moment an uncharacteristic look of pure hatred marred the sun princess’s features. “Still, I’d prefer to give even Discord a chance to redeem himself, over one of the changeling progeny that resulted from their arrogance. They hurt my little ponies by their inaction and that is the one thing I can never, ever forgive.”

“Their arrogance? Who are you talking about?” Cadance asked, completely confused by how Celestia was acting, and more than a little terrified.

Celestia smiled. “Not anypony important. Not anymore. Anyway, I’m sure Chrysalis would just love to tell you all about it.”

“I’ll... I’ll think about it,” Cadance said, before swiftly fleeing the room, leaving Celestia alone.

Chapter 3: Two Hearts Becoming One

Chrysalis walked through the corridors of the royal palace of Canterlot, with all the dignified grace that she could muster. She was a queen, and while today wasn't going quite as perfectly as she had planned, she was still not going to let any of these ponies see her as at all undignified. Of course that would be a lot easier without these two ‘guards’—one trotting, one flying—that were constantly bickering behind her. Chrysalis sighed, over being inflicted with such petty burdens, and continued to walk on towards her love's quarters. There she would patiently wait for Cadance's return. This day could yet be perfect after all, Chrysalis thought, as she imagined what might happen when they were reunited.

"I still say Princess Celestia should have just blasted her again," groused Rainbow Dash, and broke apart Chrysalis’ fantasies like an inconveniently timed rain shower. The pegasus was flying along, with her forehooves crossed tightly across her front.

"Woah there, nelly," said Applejack. "Ya know the Princess don't like to do things like that, least not unless she really has to."

Chrysalis turned a corner into a long hallway decorated with statues, and her two minders followed closely behind her.

"Then things might have been a darn sight easier if she did," Applejack pondered out loud. "Don't rightly know what Cadance is thinking makin’ nice with this varmint after what she tried to pull."

"You've got that one right," Rainbow Dash agreed. "Gotta say, Cadance did look pretty nuts when she turned up at the wedding, and that was even before she hit the big bug with the spell whammy," Dash said, while making circular motions by the side of her head with one of her forehooves.

Chrysalis let out a little growl, as she walked ahead of the two ponies. How dare they talk about Cadance like that... she inwardly raged.

"Hey, quiet down, changeling," Dash said, "I've got my eyes on you." She gestured with a hoof, moving it from close to her face, and towards Chrysalis to emphasise her point.

"And what exactly would you do if I did do something?" Chrysalis muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Dash said, flying up along side her.

Chrysalis turned her head to look at her witheringly. "Oh, nothing."

"Yeah, that's right, you're nothing!" Dash yelled, sticking her muzzle right in Chrysalis’ face.

"C'mon, Dash," Applejack called out, "Let her be."

"Hey!" Dash snorted. "Now, unless everypony has forgotten she did just invade, hurt Princess Celestia, and was going to marry Twilight's brother too! Pinkie might think it's funny for some reason, but I don't see there's any call to be nice to her. ‘Cause if she had won, I really don't think she'd have been planning to be all that nice back herself." She turned and said sharply to Chrysalis, "That sound about right?"

"No, probably not," Chrysalis admitted lightly, as she pushed open the double doors leading to the guest accommodation wing of the palace.

"Just ‘cause she was plannin' to be mighty uncivil to us, that don't mean we should sink on down to her level," Applejack said, her tone chiding.

"And I still think we should go get the Elements and make a nice new statue for the garden," Dash said, and huffed.

The unlikely trio walked on in silence for a while. As they went along, they came across scattered groups of ponies: palace maids trying to clean up the ichor that had got absolutely everywhere, clerks galloping around while weighed down with piles of scrolls, the odd royal guard about that was trying to calm things down, and several nobles still in various states of utter panic. All of them fell silent and turned to watch as the group passed them by.

"Uh, I don't suppose," Applejack said slowly, "yer could turn into that Gleaming Shield mare again till we get there? Jus' was thinking it might make ponies worry less, y'know?"

Chrysalis chuckled.

"Hay, yer didn't do something to all of us back there, did ya?' Applejack said suspiciously, her face turning somewhat red.

"Dash, you don't mind if I call you Dash, do you?" Chrysalis asked, with utmost politeness. The only response she got back was a scowl. "I'll take that as a yes then, Dash," she said, stressing the word mockingly. "What do you think?"

Rainbow Dash sighed, then shook her head. "Nah, I don't think you did anything back there. Got no idea why everypony was going all googly-eyed, but I've been around Twilight Sparkle long enough to know that no horn glowy means no spell casty."

"Ya didn't find her..." Applejack trailed off, and then coughed.

"Find her what?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well,” said Applejack, her forehead creasing under the brim of her hat. “How do ya think you’d have reacted if she’d turned into that Soarin’ fella, right after he’d had a really sweaty workout?”

“I’ve met Soarin’ remember,” Dash replied, brushing a hoof through her mane. “Nice stallion, but not quite got the full number of colours in his rainbow, if you know what I mean. So I dunno, been a bit confused by what she was playing at, I guess?”

“Okay, okay,” Applejack said, waving her forehooves. “What if she’d turned into Spitfire and gave ya a look like this.”

Applejack gave Dash what she thought was a sultry come-hither stare. Now ignored by the other two mares for the moment, Chrysalis leaned herself up against a nearby wall to save herself from collapsing with a serious attack of the repressed giggles.

“Really not sure where you’re going with this, AJ?” Dash said, her face giving away nothing.

“Daring Do?” Applejack said, sweat visibly pouring down her face.

“Ahh...” Rainbow Dash searched around for the right diplomatic tone. “I’m not sure how to break this to you, but she’s fictional. Not real, y’know?”

“So, Chrysalis!” Applejack said brightly, in a desperate attempt to change the subject. “Why come to Canterlot then? There ain’t enough to go round where ever ya normally come from?”

Chrysalis turned back, and rolled her eyes. “No, there obviously wasn’t.”

A side door on the corridor opened, and two scribes in dusty robes walked through it. The two elderly stallions took one look at Chrysalis, screamed, and then fled back from where they’d come from, with an impressive turn of speed considering both their age and attire.

“Well, you being around is going to make this stuffy palace a bit more lively, Chrysi’,” Dash said, grinning as she saw Chrysalis wince. “I’ll give you that for something.”

Seeing Applejack was still staring at her, Chrysalis snapped, “You have yet another question?”

The earth pony mare shrugged. “Still wonderin’ why ya went to all the trouble, that’s all.”

Chrysalis sighed. “I can guess from your flank that you’re probably some kind of farmer, isn’t that right?”

“That’s right,” Applejack replied, tipping her hat in acknowledgement.

“And I suppose you then have a place that you go to get the apples that you, and the ones you love, rely on?”

“Aye,” Applejack said, her voice brimming with pride. “Sweet Apple Acres. It’s been in mah family for generations now.”

“And what would you do if you lost it?”

“Ah...” Applejack trailed off, as she remembered just how close she’d come to exactly that situation thanks to the Flim Flam brothers. “Ah have no idea,” she admitted.

“Now imagine there’s another apple farm owned by those who have never been friendly with you and your kin in the past,” Chrysalis said, advancing on the earth pony, until she was looking right down at her. “Your family is starving, and you know that if you ask they won’t let you have the,” she paused, and licked her lips, “the ‘apples’ that your family rely on you to provide.”

“Ah reckon ah would ask them to be neighbourly,” Applejack said, scratching at her head.

“But they hate and fear you, Applejack,” Chrysalis pressed. “They don’t understand that you only want what’s best for your family. Wouldn’t you be tempted to just take your fair share, regardless of the risks?”

Applejack was silent for a while. Rainbow Dash was amusing herself doing flips in the air, in the close confines of the corridor, as the other two walked on.

“I might, yeah,” Applejack admitted quietly, looking at Chrysalis in a somewhat different light. “Wouldn’t be somethin’ I’d feel good about though, but the Apple clan would hav’ to come first if it came right down to it.”

Chrysalis favoured her with a smile and nodded. “I apologise for throwing away your hors d'oeuvres by the way, Applejack. If it is any consolation, I wouldn’t have been able to taste them.”

Applejack laughed. “I appreciate that, yer Queenship. Still jus’ you wait, I reckon I’ll find somethin’ nice for you to eat sometime. I bet ya.”

A few minutes later they arrived at the door leading to Cadance’s room. One of the royal guard stood outside. He was standing completely lock-still at attention, without a single flicker of an emotion on his face. Chrysalis tilted her head slightly in acknowledgement to him as she passed, and closed the door behind her.

Rainbow Dash sized the royal guard up. “Heh, y’know I’ve got all kinds of new faces that I’ve been practising. Just been waiting for a worthy challenge.”

Applejack grabbed Dash’s tail in her mouth and pulled her away. “C’mon, Dash,” she said, tugging her along. “Leave him be, and let’s go get some food.”

The royal guard stood stiffly at attention, right up until the two mares had turned the corner out of sight. He glanced once towards the closed door, and then quickly set off down the corridor in the opposite direction.

~~~

“Twilight Sparkle, will you please put me down!”

“Oh sorry, Shiny,” Twilight said, with a giggle. She slowly lowered the field that contained her big brother, and then released it.

Shining Armour picked himself up and rubbed his head. “I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss, Little Sis. I’m feeling fine.”

“You were supposed to be getting married today!” Twilight said loudly, rounding on her older brother.

Shining Armour put up a hoof defensively. “I know, I know! And you saved me, so I don’t know why you’re acting like this is a bad thing, Twily.”

“Cadance has done something to you,” Twilight insisted, “and I am going to figure it out.”

“C’mon then,” Shining Armour said, “we can talk in my office. Equestria knows it’s probably going to be packed soon anyway, with my colts looking for somepony to sort out this almighty mess.”

Shining Armour’s office was not much more than a chair, a desk, and a window looking out over the training grounds for the royal guard. The room was well placed to be lit wonderfully by the current light of the early afternoon sun. There was also a picture frame, which Shining Armour grabbed with his magic, and then placed it face down on the desk the moment he entered the room.

“Aww, Big Brother,” Twilight said, with a grin as she looked around. “You’ve not got Angry Pants anymore?”

“What, that old raggedy thing? No, absolutely not,” he protested, and then caved immediately under his younger sister’s gaze. “Okay, he’s totally in one of my desk draws.”

Twilight chuckled. “Right, so let’s work this out then.”

“Why not?” Shining Armour said, as he sat down at his desk. “It’s not like I’m going anywhere for the time being. Don’t want to run into that changeling—or that thing, whatever it was—again any time soon.”

Twilight Sparkle’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.

“Twily!” Shining said loudly, seeing his sister’s sudden change in expression

“Not going anywhere...” she whispered.

“What is it?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Twilight said hurriedly. “I’ve just really got to go and take care of something. You just stay here, and try and remember what happened with Cadance, okay?” she asked, making soothing motions with her forehooves.

“I’m feeling fine, remember?” Shining Armour said, a bit shortly. “As I said, somepony’s going to have to organise getting the palace back on its hooves and that’s still my job, no matter what happened.”

“I’ll be back soon,” Twilight promised, and disappeared in a flash of magic.

She reappeared again in the corridor outside. Twilight wasn’t sure how long she had, but the sooner she could make sure that Lyra, Minuette and Moondancer were safe, the happier she’d be. She was so focused on the thought of the three mares trapped in the caves, with the entire changeling army for company, that she almost trotted straight into one of her brother’s royal guard. Twilight briefly wondered why the guard had been standing right in the middle of the corridor, motionless and without expression, as if he had been waiting for somepony in particular.

~~~

Minuette could barely hear herself think, as the underground cavern rang with the remorseless sound of changeling chittering.

"Well, at least they're still talking about what to do for now..." she said, loud enough to be heard by the two other mares over the din.

“You two run,” Lyra said firmly. “I’ll keep them off.”

“Run where?” Minuette said despairingly. Every tunnel out that she could see, well all the ones she could make out in this gloom, was heaving with changeling bodies.

Moondancer stood up and brushed herself off. “Um, so Moondancer wonders what do they feed off anyway?”

“Zis is but a matter of love, Ma Cherie!” the changeling speaker answered, sounding not unlike an immigrant from the overseas land of Fancy. Minuette wasn't sure if he was still by them to help them out, or if he was just hoping to be well placed to beat the eventual rush.

“That matches what I remember hearing,” said Lyra, while nodding. “They feed off love. Don’t ask me exactly how though.”

Moondancer’s eyes widened.

“Oh no,” Minuette said quickly, seeing her friend’s expression. “I’m sure it doesn’t work like—”

“Right!” said Moondancer, stepping towards the changeling speaker. “You can turn into anypony you’ve seen right?” she asked speculatively.

The changeling speaker nodded.

“Moondancer does not suppose that you know of Prince Blueblood?” Moondancer said, with a grin spreading wider and wider.

“Oh, Moondancer...” Lyra said, burying her face into her hooves.

The speaker grinned, and said, “What are you common disgusting creatures doing in my quarters! Yuck, yuck, yuck! You’re getting your dirty, horrible ichor in my beautiful mane! AUNTIE, SAVE ME!” The speaker finished off with a deeply undignified scream, mixed with more than a few pathetic whimpers.

Minuette sniggered, and then felt really guilty about it. Well, somewhat guilty, she considered, as she remembered several stories she’d heard about that stallion in the past.

“Don’t you understand?” Moondancer said, her voice raising in excitement as her face glowed bright, “Moondancer will be able to be with Prince Blueblood, but without actually being with Prince Blueblood! Moondancer will be living every Equestrian mare’s dream!”

Lyra gave her a look.

Moondancer shrugged and laughed airily. “Okay, the straight ones anyway,” she conceded.

Minuette was about to try and talk her out of it, along with a side order of how she was sure it really, really didn’t work like that, and also how she totally didn’t have any fantasies about Blueblood whatsoever, when the floor started shaking. One of the other Lyras lost her footing and fell flat on her side. Soon small rocks were falling from the stony ceiling and changelings were hugging on to each other for dear life.

Several changelings came tumbling out of one of the darker tunnels, followed by the sound of sharp cracking, as solid rock was pushed aside with ease.

From the cavernous depths came a deafening call that struck mortal terror into the changelings, and sent the three ponies diving for cover, as the whole cavern shook from the sheer volume of the voice.

“WHO DARES DISTURB OUR SLUMBER, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT TIME DOST THOU CALL THIS?!”

Minuette was one of the first beings in the cavern to get up after the audible assault. "Princess Luna?" she said, her voice shaking with barely repressed hope.

"Princess Luna?!" one of the other Minuettes repeated, though her anguished growl at the end made it sound a whole lot more distressed.

The alicorn of the night stood at the mouth of the tunnel, her celestial mane glowing out of the darkness. Luna's normal raiment was nowhere to be seen, and she stood completely unadorned. Even without her usual royal accoutrements she commanded attention with ease. The effect was for a moment let down, as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes on the back of one of her forelegs, leaving streaks on the normally pristine navy-blue fur.

"The sun doth still hang much too high in the sky," Luna moaned, at a far more civilised level of volume. She shook her head hard, trying without much success to clear some of her grogginess away.

Unable to stop herself, Minuette shouted out, "What are you doing here, Princess?"

"Canterlot has grown much too raucous since we knew it," Luna said, and let out a truly deafening yawn. "It is quieter down here, usually." She glared around the cavern, causing several changelings to flinch backwards. "And anyway, we now find sleeping confined within the living rock itself comforting."

"That's pretty messed up," Moondancer said quietly. "After the whole banished-to-the-moon thing and all."

"Is kinda cute though," Lyra said, and a massive grin beamed across her face.

Luna blushed a bit, and shook her head again in a further attempt to get her wits fully collected. "Sh-Shut... Thou shalt be silent!" she said, clearly embarrassed as the blush grew brighter. "Now will somepony explain why changelings are crawling all over my caves?"

Three separate hooves pointed at the changeling speaker. He gulped nervously.

Luna pinned the speaker to the rocky floor with her piercing gaze. She let out a succession of clicks, growls and hisses. The speaker's eyes widened, and answered with a short undulating growl of his own.

"You can speak changeling?" Minuette said, trotting over to stand by the princess's side.

Luna turned to look down at her. "You can not?" she said, her tone showing her surprise. "In ages past it was considered most chivalrous, to be able to address an enemy in their own tongue, before burying your war-glaive in their skull."

"Still, enough of that." She looked back at the changeling speaker, where a large number of his transformed kin were massing up behind him. Now that they had recovered from their initial shock, none of them looked at all happy. The Lyras were looking particularly odd with the uncharacteristically angry scowls that they were sporting. If Luna noticed the increased hostility, she did not seem to take any notice of it. "We now shall take great pleasure in asking a few questions," she said, as a low chittering hum from a hundred separate throats answered her.

~~~

Chrysalis leapt off the bed she’d been having a rest on, as Cadance entered looking thoroughly shaken. She rushed over to comfort her, but then slowed to a stop.

"So..." Chrysalis started to say, not quite looking right in Cadance’s direction.

Cadance looked back, with what she was sure were the same worries and concerns mirrored on her own face.

"The room still meets your liking?" said Cadance eventually, taking refuge in everyday platitudes.

"It's fine, thank you.” Chrysalis said, with a genuine smile. “So much better now though for your presence," she added, looking at Cadance from underneath half-lidded eyes.

Not wanting to quite face the changeling yet, Cadance gazed out the window with its beautiful view of the mountain. She knew what she wanted, Cadance was sure of it. She wanted to pour out her heart to this being that had trapped, tormented and worst of all violated the love that she had known. She wanted to loudly shout out her guilt of what she had done and beg Chrysalis’ forgiveness. She even just wanted to hold the changeling tight to her and never, ever let her go... Yet she also knew that she could do none of those things. If Chrysalis knew what had been done to her, and against her will, that surely would undo what Cadance had actually managed to accomplish at such cost today. What was worse was that fact paled now to the idea that she just didn’t want to see Chrysalis hurt by her realising what Cadance had done to her.

As the thoughts rolled around her mind, a moment of realisation managed to make itself heard above the chaos. "Oh," she said, putting a hoof to her lips.

"What?" Chrysalis said, looking up with concern.

"Those bridesmaids of mine that you took over," she said slowly and non-judgementally. "They're still down there with all of those changelings of yours. Are they going to be okay?"

Chrysalis blinked a few times, as her line of thought was forcibly shifted from gazing adoringly at Cadance. "Of course, My Love," she finally replied. "I told them not to hurt any ponies and they wouldn't consider going against my command."

"If you're sure," Cadance said uncertainly.

"Absolutely," Chrysalis said, flicking her mane. "Anyway, if anything was wrong my swarm lord would let me know about it immediately, as is his sworn duty."

“This swarm lord, that was the changeling that freed Princess Celestia?” Cadance asked. “Is he—” she paused, as she didn’t particularly want to make this comparison. “Is he your equivalent to Shining Armour?”

Seeing Chrysalis’ expression, she quickly added, “Not as your lover! I just wondered... if he fulfilled the same role as a captain of Celestia’s royal guard.”

“I suppose there are some parallels, yes,” she answered thoughtfully. “He has served me faithfully for several years now since his promotion from the ranks of the common drones. I command him and he commands the hive.”

“And you and him are not...” Cadance said, leaving the worrying thought hanging. She was feeling bad enough as it was, without having to deal with the added guilt of breaking up another couple.

“No,” said Chrysalis sharply, and shook her head at the very thought of it. “My mother took her own swarm lord as her consort, but I always dreamed that one day I would take a pony to be all mine.”

Cadance raised an eyebrow. She suddenly realised that she barely knew anything of the changelings. She doubted any pony really did. Well, apart from Celestia of course, she thought with a little inward shudder. Cadance knew she was going to have to find out, but that could surely wait for now. Still, Celestia’s words rang repeatedly through her mind. You might not want to ever touch her again when you do.

“So when do I get to meet her?” Cadance asked, trying to put on an easy smile. “Your mother, I mean,” she added.

Chrysalis’ face fell. “That’s not going to happen.”

“I understand,” Cadance said, inwardly bucking herself for trying to lighten the mood. “I imagine it would be far too dangerous.”

“That’s not it,” Chrysalis said, pacing away. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought her up. It is something,” she turned back, and Cadance was sure she saw some long buried anguish there. “I do not want to talk about it. Not yet.”

“Shall I request some food to be brought up for us?” Cadance said, hoping that would give her some more time to deliberate what to do.

“Cadance, are you sure you wouldn’t like me to be some other pony?” Chrysalis begged. “I could be any mare that you wanted.”

“Chrysalis,” Cadance said, as she approached the changeling queen.

“I could be Twilight Sparkle,” she said, a flash of green energy washed over her revealing the unicorn librarian. “You were close, I believe,” she said in her new voice. Chrysalis turned and gave Cadance a hopeful little shake with her rear end.

“Oh Chrysalis, no,” Cadance said.

“If it’s the mare thing,” the fake Twilight said, looking worried. “I find being a stallion deeply uncomfortable, but for you, Cadance—”

“No, it’s really not the mare thing,” Cadance said, shaking her head. That had actually been true, she realised with a certain amount of surprise, as she wondered for a moment just how deeply the changes her spell had caused went.

“I could even be...” Twilight’s horn glowed green and within a moment Princess Celestia towered in her place.

Cadance couldn’t help herself, as she let out a little shriek, and skittered backwards. Before she could blink, the white alicorn was gone, and Chrysalis was back looking thoroughly distraught.

Chrysalis gazed at the floor. “I am sorry. I should not have done that.”

“It’s not your fault,” Cadance said, shaking herself to get her self-control back. “After her defeat by you, being confined to that cocoon, and then getting out to find...” Cadance stopped herself before she let out something she knew she’d swiftly regret. “To find out what had happened,” she said lamely. “Well I’ve never seen that side of her before and it was a little scary,” Cadance confessed, shuffling a forehoof.

“I won’t let her hurt you,” Chrysalis said firmly, looking for a moment much more like the queen that had brought Canterlot to its knees.

“I’m sure she has her reasons though,” Cadance said loyally.

“Still, I just want you to be happy with me,” Chrysalis said, as she rubbed her hind legs together self-consciously.

“But I am!” Cadance’s mouth blurted out without direct input from her brain.

“I don’t know how you can look at me though; I know to a pony’s eyes, that I’m hideous,” Chrysalis moaned. “And my wings are all tattered,” she said disappointedly, turning to look at them as she gave them a quick flutter.

“Chrysalis,” Cadance said, stepping closer until they were almost touching. “Your wings are beautiful.”

“Cadance?” Chrysalis whispered.

“And so are you,” she said, leaning in and kissing her. For a while there were no doubts or worries. There was just her and Chrysalis, and that was all that mattered.

Their lips parted and they looked into each other's eyes for several moments. Cadance’s mind screamed at her that this was not truly real, no matter how good—no, worse—how right it had felt. It could not be real, no matter how much a very big part of her wished it to be so. She’d expected Chrysalis to feel hard against her, and there were parts of her coated in tough chitin, but so much of her had been soft and so very much felt like another pony against her. It reminded her of Shining Armour, and she let out a little choke.

“Cadance,” Chrysalis said hesitantly. “Was that not... good?”

“It was,” Cadance said, looking for the right word, “absolutely indescribable,” she finished with a blissful smile. “But I can’t do this.”

Chrysalis looked utterly crushed. “I can feel you though,” she said pitifully. “I can feel your love for me.”

“No,” Cadance said, shaking her head sadly as she came to a decision. No matter the consequences, she could not keep this facade up in the face of the changeling’s adoration for her. “I just can’t lie to you anymore, Chrysalis. I made you love me.”

The changeling queen looked at her for a moment with a totally unreadable alien expression, and then threw her head back and laughed. “I know that, Cadance!” She grinned wickedly. “In fact, I think that just makes me love you even more.”

“But!” Cadance protested. “It’s just my magic forcing us to feel like this.”

Chrysalis leaned in close and nuzzled her lightly. “Your domain is as much love, as the other princesses have the sun and stars I believe, isn’t that right? And I am one, after all, that feeds off love. Surely out of any other two beings in Equestria and beyond, there is absolutely none that could judge whether this is real better than the two of us.”

Cadance felt Chrysalis’ lips against her again and let herself sink into the kiss.

When they parted she was breathing hard. “It does feel real, so very real, but I... I’ve hurt you!” she protested, almost on the verge of tears.

Chrysalis smiled and looked deep into Cadance’s eyes. “I've won, don't you understand that yet?” she asked kindly, in an echo of what she had said several hours ago.

“Chrysalis?” Cadance gasped, her wings flaring in shock.

“Not perhaps the perfect day that I had planned, I admit,” Chrysalis said, walking close by Cadance and playfully flicking her nose with her tail. “But to settle for some unicorn stallion when I can have an alicorn princess to be all mine? You have willingly given me both your love and your protection, and with that I have secured a future for my hive.”

“I have?” Cadance said slowly, still somewhat stunned by the idea.

“We can discuss such minor details later,” Chrysalis said, circling around on the alicorn. “Much later,” she purred.

“I want...” Cadance murmured, as what she felt and what she thought still warred. Her heart was beating faster, though she wasn’t sure whether that was from mounting panic, fear, or even desire. Chrysalis lightly nibbled on her ear, and Cadance sighed happily, as she knew at this moment exactly who she wanted.

She allowed herself to be gently pushed down onto the bed, with her wings spread out beneath her, and for now at least, her doubts could wait.

Chapter 4: Mine, All Mine

The rock pick came down, and a small chip was struck out of the boulder. Trixie glared at the large stone with all the hatred she could summon for the inanimate object of her frustration. She’d been working in the field all day with the sun beating down relentlessly, and it had long since reached the point where it was getting to her. Sweat was pouring off her entire body, and she felt like she was about to drop. An earth pony would have had this bloody boulder in two pieces hours ago, she was sure of it. Trixie on the other hoof had barely knocked a few pebbles out of it so far. Trixie lifted the pick again with her magic, and swung it through the air with all the mental strength that she could still muster. The pick bounced off the obstinate chunk of granite with a disappointing *plink* noise.

Trixie gritted her teeth, and wiped off some of the sweat that had been dripping into her eyes. When she’d first arrived at the rock farm to work for Mr Pie, she had taken great pleasure imagining Twilight Sparkle’s face on every boulder, and while that admittedly had helped, it hadn’t left Trixie feeling good about herself. So she’d buried the hate and resentment, as deep down within herself as she could, and had covered it under hard work and graft. Ignatius Pie had been a great help too since she’d arrived at his farm. Thankfully he’d had some experience of cutie mark insanity syndrome—thanks to experience with his daughters apparently—and when he’d caught Trixie performing magic tricks to a couple of sacks, his old wagon and a water-butt, he had recognised the signs. There had been talks, tough ones, but he’d taken the time to help her through it, which was more than Trixie could have hoped for from her employer.

Now she got herself through the gruelling work by daydreaming of the day that her magic would be strong enough for her to be truly worthy of the title of Great and Powerful. Trixie had decided to take the attitude that magic was, in some ways, just another thing that could be exercised like anything else about her body, so swinging this pick everyday should build it up nicely. There weren’t going to be any short-cuts to real power. Maybe there could be some cheat available for a pony with serious money to her name, but Trixie was only getting a few bits at the end of each week along with room and board. Then some day when she was strong enough, it’d all be worth it, and she’d return to Ponyville... And she wasn’t entirely sure what she hoped would happen then. Maybe Twilight might be impressed that she’d inspired Trixie to such heights? That would be pretty nice actually, Trixie thought, and realised that she was smiling.

This boulder was still mocking her with its annoying solidness though. Trixie could feel the anger in her, bubbling to the surface to smash it to powder, for daring to defy the great and powerful Trixie. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. That was not her and she was going to think about this clearly. She breathed in and out a few times as she considered the problem. Trixie knew she couldn’t blast the rock with magic, as that would destroy the precious crystals forming within, which was why she had the pick. Anyway, after a full day of hard—if not very effective—labour, she barely had enough strength left in her horn to carry it anymore. The sun was beginning to dip towards the horizon, causing Trixie to let out a wry chuckle. Great, now the sun is mocking me too.

Forcing herself to think, she noticed that she had put a few more cracks in the boulder than she’d originally thought. Maybe, just maybe, if she hit it just right... She picked up the rock pick again, gave it an entirely unnecessary flashy twirl in the air—just to satisfy her inner show mare—and brought it down with the rest of her strength exactly where the pattern of fractures met.

*CRACK*

Two perfect halves split open, revealing a bounty of gems that glittered beautifully in the dying light of the day. Trixie fell backwards onto the turf with a happy grin on her face. Sooner or later, she was going to have to muster the strength to carry the gems back to the farmhouse, but for now, she had truly earned this sunset.

Trixie had barely been lying down for all of two seconds, when a loud shout brought reality back again.

“Trix’!”

She sighed, and rolled up onto her weary hooves. Leaving the gems for now, Trixie trudged back towards the farm-house. She was brought up short by the sight of a small golden chariot that formed a highly incongruent image with the humble house of the Pie family.

“Mr. Pie?” Trixie said hesitantly.

“Come in, Trix’,” Ignatius said gruffly. “Come on in. I’ve got the kettle on and there are two ponies here who would like a word with you.”

Trixie very reluctantly entered the living room with all the speed of a crippled snail. Anypony wanting a word with her had no chance of being in any way good news, and especially not ones turning up in that kind of chariot.

She gasped at the sight of two royal guards, in full golden armour, who were standing stiffly at attention. One was managing to maintain that state while also sipping on a cup of tea held daintily in her wings.

The other one said, “You are Trixie Lulamoon?”

“Would it help if I said no?” Trixie asked weakly, not meeting the guard’s gaze. There was something that was tickling her at the back of her mind, but she was so tired at the moment that she just couldn’t place it.

“Trix’!” Ignatius said sternly. “You be polite to our guests when you’re under my roof.”

Trixie managed to jump slightly despite her hooves feeling like lead. “Sorry, Mr. Pie,” she said.

“If this is about the Ursa—”

The royal guard took pity on the clearly suffering mare and cut her off. “You’re not in trouble, Miss Lulamoon. Your presence has been requested at the palace on a matter of great importance.”

Trixie stood stunned for a moment. “Really?” she said, unable to totally keep the excitement out of her voice.

“See, Trix’,” Ignatius said. “I just bet this is the big break that you’ve been waiting for.”

“Um, it must be important,” the other guard interjected hesitantly. “We’ve only just had a changeling invasion, and yet we’ve been sent to retrieve you.”

“Changelings?” Trixie said, still too stunned to process thoughts coherently.

“Yes, changelings,” the guard replied patiently, as the two of them manoeuvred Trixie out of the house and onto the chariot.

“Oh,” Trixie said intelligently. “What’s a changeling?”

“Never mind that,” the other guard said firmly, as her partner attached herself to the chariot. “Now, we’re just going to need you to wear this before we take off.” A silky looking white sack was held in the guard’s blue magic, and floated in front of Trixie’s face.

“Wait, what?” Trixie said, as the sack came down and plunged her into darkness.

~~~

The changeling speaker set himself low, and bared his fangs into a snarl. Luna matched it with a no less impressive snarl of her own, for being a pony entirely lacking in fangs.

<”We do not want to hurt you,”> he said, in the mix of growls, hisses, and clicks that made up the changeling language.

Luna laughed lightly. <”We do not think, perchance, that you would like to see what would happen if you tried, honoured Hive-Speaker.”>

<”Your skill with our speech is most impressive, M’Lady,” the speaker replied, bowing his head respectfully. <”Still, if you offer us violence we will meet it in kind.”

<”Hopefully that will not be required,”> Luna said, bowing her head in turn. <”What are your intentions towards these three ponies?”>

<”We were...”> The changeling paused and looked around at his kin. <”Debating that.”>

One of the Minuettes let out an urgent hiss and growled in a sotto fashion into the speaker’s ear. He let loose a low rasping chuckle.

<”Forgive me, M’Lady,”> the speaker said, and shook his head. <”This foolish nymphling thinks that you really are the Princess Luna that her mother used to frighten her to sleep with when she was small.”>

<“There is another Princess Luna then?”> she asked, raising an eyebrow.

The speaker grinned again. <”She was a great scourge of our race, they say, in olden times. They even say that she was the size of a full grown hydra, caused earthquakes as her hooves struck the ground, and painted herself in changeling blood. I am sure that such a lovely young pony as yourself is merely named after her?”> His head tilted to one side for a moment. <”I am surprised actually. I’d heard that her name was disgraced after she was banished to the moon or something.”>

Luna let forth a low growl that had nothing to do with speaking in changeling.

“Princess, what is happening?” Minuette asked quietly.

“They are not aware of who we are,” Luna said in a flat, level tone. “We are going to educate them. Get down.”

The three mares huddled down on the floor, as Luna lifted herself into the air with a single beat of her wings. A nimbus of energy played around her head like a crown.

<”We are Princess Luna.”> she stated, her every word humming with barely suppressed power. <”We saw the birth of your misbegotten race. We have slain your warriors and crushed hives beneath our hooves at the behest of our beloved sister. We were the nightmare that followed you into the waking day, and we have not had a chance to paint ourselves in a very long time.”>

The speaker had started to shake. The Minuette that had tried to warn him, had fainted dead away, and had reverted back into the form of a drone. Lyra’s jaw fell open, as the voice sounded far too familiar to the one that she remembered from a particular summer sun celebration. A voice that she’d been trying very hard to forget.

<“Now we ask again,”> Luna said, and every changeling in the cavern cowered at the sound of her voice. <”What were your intentions towards these three ponies?”>

The speaker was shaking far too hard to give anything like a coherent answer. There was a steadily widening circle around him, as the other changelings backed away as much as was physically possible.

Luna landed, her hooves not making a sound, as she lightly came back down to rest on the cavern floor. <”You may speak.”>

<”We weren’t going to touch them, I assure you!”> he said, his growls coming so fast it sounded like a rapid staccato to Minuette. <”Our queen left clear instructions that no pony would be harmed!”>

The princess of the night smiled kindly. <”That is acceptable to our ears, as long as that is understood by every changeling present.”> She looked around at the cavern, and all the changelings nodded vigorously. <”Now, did your queen leave any other orders?”>

<”Only that we were to remain here until further notice, P-Princess Luna.”>

<”That is also acceptable, Speaker.”> Luna said, nodding respectfully. <”I will seek an audience with your queen to ensure you are not kept waiting here too long.”>

<”Thank you, M’Lady,”> the changeling replied, and nodded back.

“What do you think they’re saying?” Lyra said.

“Who knows,” Minuette said. “They could be saying anything, growling away like that.” She was holding onto Moondancer, who was still trembling after Princess Luna’s display of power.

Luna and the speaker exchanged a few more growls and hisses, and then Luna turned to face the three mares.

“Come along,” Luna commanded. “The way out is this way.”

“They’re letting us go?” Lyra asked.

Luna smiled and glanced back at the changelings attempting to mind their own business on their side of the cavern. “Yes, they most certainly are.”

She turned back, and said, “Oh, Moondancer?”

Moondancer pushed Lyra away, turned her muzzle up at her, and then stood proudly before the alicorn. “Yes Princess Luna, what do you require of me?”

“The speaker wanted to let you know that it doesn’t normally work like that; still he’s more than ready to give it a try if you are willing,” Luna said. “We are not entirely sure what that means, but we are sure that you could explain it to us.”

“Uhh...” Moondancer attempted to say something, but had apparently lost the power of speech.

“That is a no then?”

“Uhh...”

Lyra sidled up and gently moved Moondancer out the way, while struggling to keep a grin off her face. “She’s just overawed by your presence, Princess.”

“Yes... overawed,” Moondancer mumbled, while taking one last longing look at the changeling speaker before turning away.

Some time later, the four ponies emerged from a tunnel mouth halfway up the mountain that Canterlot was built up against. Luna had stopped to raise the moon while they had still been underground and night had now set.

Minuette noticed that Luna was gazing up at the city. “Princess, are you okay?”

“We are merely surprised that Canterlot looks to be mostly intact, our subject,” Luna said, glancing down at the unicorn. “Given that changelings have invaded, and knowing my beloved sister, we honestly expected the entire city to be on fire.”

~~~

Cadance looked at the head resting on the pillow beside her. Just this morning she’d have screamed and fled the room entirely. Now she just wanted to give it another kiss. What a difference a day makes, she thought, with a smile—that she just couldn’t work out how to make go away—on her face.

“Well, I’ve never done anything like that before,” Cadance mumbled to herself, not quite realising she was voicing her thoughts out loud.

“Nor me,” Chrysalis said, stretching out on the bed languorously. “The taking of love, it’s not usually that... physical.”

Cadance squeaked in embarrassment, and then smiled. “I’ve been with stallions before, and then there was Shining Armour of course for the last year or so, but that was different,” she said. “Not bad, at all! Just different.”

“Was it good?” Chrysalis asked.

“Perfect,” Cadance answered, with total honesty clear upon her face. “Absolutely perfect.”

“I feel like I could personally feed every single changeling in the badlands,” Chrysalis said, her voice full of absolute wonder. “I’m not glowing, or something, am I?” she asked, actually sounding a little worried.

“Well, kinda,” Cadance said, and giggled. Seeing Chrysalis’ expression, she added, “But only in the post what-we-just-did sense, anyway. You’re not actually luminescing.”

Chrysalis smiled back bashfully. “Almost surprised that I’m not floating a couple of inches above the bed the way I feel right now.”

Cadance looked away, and stared up at the mirror mounted above them on the four-poster bed. It was a terribly tacky thing, it really was. She didn’t know who’d had this bedroom before her, but Cadance could make some guesses based on their proclivities. What she couldn’t deny though, was what it reflected back filled her heart with joy. They did look very good together; even the doubts still quietly nagging away at her couldn’t argue with that.

“Y’know,” Chrysalis said, cozying up closer to her princess. “I’m pretty convinced now that you do want me as I am.” She laughed. “Very thoroughly convinced in every possible way. Still, I am a shape-shifter, and it does seem a waste to not use it every so often.”

“Chrysalis,” Cadance said, staring into the changeling queen’s eyes. “I can’t think of anypony I want more than you.”

Cadance found herself looking into her own face. “And I can’t think of anypony more beautiful,” the other Cadance said, and winked at her. “This time, I could be the princess hidden away in the gem caves completely at the mercy of the wicked changeling queen.”

The covers were flung across the room, as the real Cadance’s wings stood proudly on her back.

This is too weird, she couldn’t help thinking. Cadance also couldn’t help but thinking that she actually quite liked that idea of Chrysalis’ and she’d had honestly no clue that she could look that seductive. Some of the reactions that Shining Armour used to have suddenly made a whole lot more sense. It’s bad enough that I’m with a changeling, but now I’m becoming interested in a copy of myself? Just what kind of pony am I turning into?

Cadance leaned in and kissed the mirror image of herself. “If this is wrong, then I really don’t think that I want to be right.”

“You do appear to have a talent for it,” Chrysalis said with a wide grin, after shifting back into her regular changeling self.

“Chrysalis,” Cadance said, suddenly thoughtful.

“Yes?”

“What did you mean when you said I’d secured a future for your hive?” Cadance asked. “You’re not planning to turn me into some kind of broodmare, pumping out thousands of drones, are you?” she added, a smile playing across her face.

“No!” Chrysalis said, her eyes widening. “I’m not sure it’s even possible for us to...”

“The hive, Chrysalis,” Cadance said, pressing up close.

Chrysalis looked uncertain for a moment, and then shrugged, causing the sheets under her to bunch up. “After what we did, I’m sure I can tell you. Once we’re married it’ll be just as much your hive as mine.”

“You want to marry me?” Cadance said before she could stop herself. A very large part of her was swooning blissfully at the prospect, another was feeling like it could sonic rainboom on demand, but another part was freaking out as loud as it possibly could.

“Of course!” Chrysalis said, stealing a kiss from the surprised alicorn’s lips

“Well, the palace is still very much prepared for a wedding to take place, I suppose.” Cadance heard her voice say, apparently operating on automatic, while the rest of her was otherwise occupied.

“That settles it,” Chrysalis said enthusiastically. “We’ve just got to persuade Celestia to officiate once more, and then you’ll be all mine.”

Cadance waved her fore-hooves in a ‘slow-down’ manner. “Chrysalis, I do want to marry you.”

Chrysalis’ face fell. “I think I can hear a ‘but’ coming up...” she said unhappily.

“No, it’s not like that,” Cadance insisted. “I just want to know more about you before we make it official. Like, to pick a major example, what you meant about your hive.”

Chrysalis was silent for a moment. “I suppose I can tell you, Cadance. Especially after what you’ve done. You might look like a pony, but I know your heart is changeling.”

Cadance’s face went blank, as she attempted to process that compliment. Well, she was pretty sure it was a compliment. Then my heart does belong to a changeling now, doesn’t it, she thought to herself.

“My hive...” Chrysalis started to say, clearly struggling with the words. “My entire hive is what you’ve seen. Barely several hundred or so changelings in total, after we were driven out of the badlands.”

“Driven out, by who?” Cadance asked, as she inwardly wondered what exactly was a normal size for a hive then.

“What else?” Chrysalis said cynically. “Another changeling hive of course.”

“You fight amongst yourselves?”

“Not often, but yes,” Chrysalis admitted. “Queen Nychus decided that she wanted our territory, and took it.” She went on entirely without emotion. “Killed my mother, and her swarm lord. I was barely older than a mere nymph at the time. Far too young to become a queen normally, but given we were running for our lives at the time, I didn’t have a whole lot of options.”

Seeing Cadance’s expression, she laughed bitterly. “C’mon, do you really think that any changeling would try something so risky as this if they didn’t have absolutely any other choice?”

Cadance couldn’t help herself, and asked the first question that came to mind. “So, how old are you now then?”

Chrysalis shrugged again. “I hadn’t fully matured when we lost our original hive. Far too many years spent wandering the badlands aimlessly looking for some scrap of land that wasn’t claimed by another hive. Add a few more planning this, so late twenties, I guess?” Chrysalis smiled. “I suppose you being an alicorn, you must be in your early thousands. You don’t look it, by the way.”

Cadance smiled back. “I was born a pegasus, the alicorn thing happened later, and I’m about the same age as you, if you must know.” Her expression grew more serious. “You really lost both of your parents?” she asked.

“Yes,” Chrysalis said, and then gasped as Cadance hugged her tightly.

“I’m an orphan too,” Cadance said quietly. “I never even knew mine...”

“Oh.”

They lay together like that for a while, just sharing the comfort of their bodies against each other.

“So, if there’s so few of you left, then what are you going to do?” Cadance asked.

“I honestly hadn’t thought that far ahead,” Chrysalis confessed. “The way I’m feeling right now, I probably could keep my entire hive fed without them having to drain love from ponies themselves. Still they can’t stay in that cave forever.”

“We will work it out,” Cadance said softly, “Together.”

~~~

“Excuse me,” Twilight said, and stepped past the royal guard. The royal guard moved to block her.

Twilight stared at the completely inexpressive face for a moment, and then quickly skittered back when she saw his eyes flash green.

Her horn reflexively crackled with energy. “I suggest you get out of my way, changeling.”

The fake royal guard shook his head and stood his ground.

“I don’t want to blast you, but...” Twilight said, letting the other option hang in the air.

He shrugged nonchalantly.

Twilight let loose a large breath that she’d been holding. “Okay, what do you want?”

The changeling growled and pointed a forehoof directly at her.

“You want me?”

A nod.

“Why?”

He rolled his eyes, as if what he wanted was self-evident.

“I’m not planning to let anything drain my love today,” Twilight stated dangerously, pawing at the stone floor.

The changeling shook his head, and then sighed deeply.

“You don’t want to feed off me?” Twilight asked.

He chuckled lightly, and then shrugged again. Twilight got the impression that while he certainly wouldn’t say no to the idea, that wasn’t what he was here for right now.

“So, you do want something else, and from me specifically rather than any otherpony?”

He rested his head in his forehooves, apparently inwardly calling out for the strength to deal with this.

“Hang on,” Twilight said, suddenly smiling in recollection. “It’s been years since I’ve got a chance to use this one. Last time was when Princess Celestia insisted I spend an afternoon trying to endure the daughter to the Fen Clan ambassador, and she didn’t speak a word of Equestrian.” She glanced up at the ceiling. “Not that really improved her company, or the smell.” Twilight was silent for a moment, and then admitted, “Then again, I wasn’t all that sociable either back then.”

She closed her eyes, as she pieced together the components for spell number twelve: Fishy’s Ubiquitous Understander.

<”Hello,”> she snarled experimentally.

<”Your accent is atrocious,”> the changeling said. <”Still, it proves your command of magic is as impressive as I’ve heard.”>

Twilight’s brow furrowed, as she tried to focus the spell to sync up with her thoughts correctly. She was sure he’d just said: ‘Your commanding is magical, impress upon the atrocious proof is heard,’ which she was sure couldn’t be right.

<”Could you repeat that? More slowly please,”> she said, struggling to get her tongue to make the popping sound in the right places.

He did as requested, and Twilight nodded as she was pretty sure that she’d got it that time.

<”So, what do you want from me?”> Twilight asked, when she was sure that she would be able to understand the answer.

The disguised changeling sighed. <”What do you think, Twilight Sparkle? I can’t imagine that you’re any happier about the current events than I am.”>

<”You’re the one that freed Princess Celestia!”> Twilight said, her voice raising. <”The swarm lord or something, right?”>

The swarm lord nodded again. <”That is my title, yes.”>

<”What do you think I can do about this then?”>

<”If your magic is as strong as I’ve heard,”> the changeling replied, <”Then you shouldn’t have any problems casting the same spell that your princess did.”>

Her eyes widened. <”You want me to reverse what Cadance did,”> she stated.

<”Yes, don’t you?”> the changeling said, stepping closer to her.

<”Of course!”> Twilight quickly hissed back. <”I don’t think I can cast that spell she did,”> she said, glancing downwards and shuffled her hooves. <”I’ve not had the best of luck trying out love magic.”>

<”Can I at least count on your help doing what you can to free my queen from this spell?”> he pressed. <”And your princess at the same time, of course.”>

The unicorn was lost in thought for a moment. <”I don’t know...”> Twilight growled slowly. <”Wouldn’t that just lead to you attacking us all over again?”>

<”I imagine our queen would choose to flee if she did not have the love of the captain or the princess to draw on,”> the changeling swarm lord replied. <”That is a risk you’d have to take though to free your princess, I suppose.”>

<“I don’t know.”> Twilight stared down the corridor past the changeling. She knew that even now Chrysalis could be doing monstrous things to Cadance out of some misguided idea of inflicted love. Then again, she really didn’t want a horde of changelings rampaging around Canterlot again.

<”You need some time to think about it, I understand.”>

<”Yes, yes I think I do,”> Twilight agreed. <”How will I know which of the guards are you if I want to talk again?”>

<”I did have an idea about that, actually,”> he said. <”We could form a mental connection, a hive of our own, if you will.”>

Twilight visibly flinched. <”And that would involve what?”>

<”Touch horns with me,”> he said, moving his head closer to Twilight’s. The magic disguising him faded around the white horn, revealing a black jagged one in its place.

She grimaced. <”You’re not just going to do me what Chrysalis did to my brother?”>

<”To the mighty Twilight Sparkle?”> The swarm lord grinned. <”I doubt I could, even if I wanted to.”>

Twilight blushed slightly at the compliment. <“And this would just allow us to communicate?”>

The changeling nodded, the torch-light ominously glinting on his horn.

“Okay,” she said in regular Equestrian, and moved the horn to touch his.

She stopped when they were just inches apart. “You swear on your loyalty to your queen that I will not be harmed?”

The changeling nodded once more, and Twilight touched her horn to his.

For a moment Twilight felt that she did not exist in a single body anymore, but two. She was sure she could feel the heavy golden armour on her back, could see herself and also the changeling superimposed over the top of each other, as her vision blurred.

‘Twilight Sparkle,’ she thought—no, a voice in her head that sounded exactly like her own—thought. ‘We are going to make this right.’

Chapter 5: We Shared Our Dreams

“Cadance, stop!” Princess Celestia cried out. “You don’t want to do this.” Four golden manacles held her down, an iron ring placed upon her horn had locked her magic away, and her wings had been bound tightly against her sides with black leather straps.

“Oh, Celly,” Cadance replied, and licked her lips slowly. “Celly, Celly, Celly. I so very much do. Anyway, that’s not my name anymore, remember?”

Celestia glanced at the changeling queen, who was lounging around Cadance’s hooves, and looking up at her with rapt adoration. “I don’t know what she’s done to you—”

“My beloved?” Cadance laughed, long and hard, and tinged with an utter madness that set Celestia’s stomach quivering with fear. “She had nothing to do with it. I chose this. Me!”

“Cadance!” Celestia begged impotently, constrained as she currently was.

“Not another word!” she roared, as lightning danced upon her wickedly sharp pink horn. “There can only be one princess in Equestria, and it will be me, Nightmare Siren Song!”

The mare that had been Princess Cadance had not chosen the more warlike garb of Nightmare Moon. Instead she had chosen a far more provocative look than Celestia would have expected. It defied labels, being an anarchy of leather straps, gems, fishnet and feathers. The combined effect was enough for any fashion designer to gouge their eyes out rather than to look at it, and for any denizen of a certain area in Flankfurt to shake their head at the obvious try-too-hard. The makeup and styling of her mane was somehow even worse, while the pretty pink ribbons were just confusing her.

"Twilight Sparkle will stop you," Celestia promised, her eyes still gleaming with defiance.

Siren Song arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really?" She chuckled lightly. "Perhaps not."

At an unseen signal multi-coloured lights shone down on a massive stage, which had somehow escaped Celestia's notice up to that point, in her former throneroom. On the stage Twilight and her friends danced to the raucous music that seemed to have been playing all this time, and all of them stared at Siren Song with absolute smitten worship. Another spotlight shone down revealing Nightmare Moon massaging her rump on the statue of Discord's stone claws. For some reason somepony had seen fit to put a t-shirt on the statue displaying the caption 'Team Sombra'.

Nightmare Moon stepped forward, and as she did so the corruption was left behind revealing the unadorned form of the princess of the night.

She glanced up at the stage and shook her head. "C'mon ‘Tia, you must have known that this was a dream. I know for a fact that Twilight can't dance anywhere near that well."

Celestia's eyes widened with sudden realisation, and she rose to her hooves. The chains that had been holding her down offered no more resistance than a notion. "Luna! You promised that you wouldn't do this anymore."

Luna smiled back kindly. "You know that I cannot ignore the call of a dreamer truly in need of help. Anyway, I was walking along the Canterlot mountainside with three bridesmaids when you called out to me for help, whether you realised it or not."

Celestia composed herself, and as she began to wake, the dreamscape started to fade away entirely.

Luna waved a hoof and it froze right back in place. "Wait," she said. "Perhaps you might want to talk about this?" Luna asked, giving the figure of Siren Song a significant look. “I promise not to even mention the word ‘repressed’ this time, however much it might be clearly justified.”

The Nightmare’s garb was beginning to blur entirely, as Celestia's conscious mind had returned, and the dream logic had faded. Under her gaze the gaudy costume and garish makeup had entirely melted away, leaving the form of Princess Cadance behind. There was however an unmistakable look of fear that had been left in Cadance's eyes.

"Alright," Celestia said, and nodded her head. "I'll play your game, Sister."

"So, changelings then?" Luna asked.

"Yes," Celestia stated flatly. "Changelings."

Luna politely waited for her sister to continue.

"One of their queens had ensnared my captain of the royal guard," Celestia eventually started to explain. "She not only managed to foalnap Princess Cadance under my notice, but then when Twilight Sparkle exposed her, she actually managed to beat me with magic fueled by the love that she had stolen."

Luna's real body, still scaling the mountain paths with the three other mares tailing behind her, breathed out sharply.

"Princess Cadance decided to use her own magic to make Queen Chrysalis fall in love with her," Celestia said, looking down at the changeling queen, still wrapped around Cadance's hooves. "She was forced to do this, while I was trapped and helpless in a cocoon." The last word was hissed out, and Celestia's face scrunched up at the taste of something so bitter.

"Oh, Sister..." Luna blanched at the tone in Celestia's voice. "I can't imagine what that would have been like for you. How is Cadance dealing with this changeling queen being besotted with her?" Luna said cautiously. She could still see the fear that was frozen into Cadance's face.

"It's not just the changeling," Celestia replied. "Cadance is just as much in love with Chrysalis. She even went as far as to place her under her own royal protection when I was going to throw the changeling into the dungeon.”

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed.”

Luna wrinkled her nose, as she thought about this. "Well, that's obviously not ideal, but given this Chrysalis did stand her army down, it does seem that what Princess Cadance did at least worked?"

"It's just wonderful," Celestia said, and given that she was currently asleep, allowed her dream self to roll her eyes. "There's hundreds of changelings beneath my city, Shining Armour is traumatised at the very sight of his bride-to-be, and that Chrysalis is probably wrapping Cadance right around her crooked horn right this moment." Celestia stamped her hoof, and then glanced down at the offending limb as if it had acted of its own volition. "Dammit, Luna. You know what they're like."

Luna was also staring down at her sister's hoof and then looked up. "A very long time ago, perhaps," she said, appearing to be lost in thought for the moment.

"Well, maybe we should arrange a delightful soiree for you and Chrysalis to get acquainted and discuss the hot new fashions sweeping the badlands."

"Sarcasm, Sister?" Luna said, giving her a look. "That's not like you at all."

Celestia sighed. "I am sorry. That was uncalled for."

"It's all right, 'Tia," Luna said, with an airy wave of one of her wings. "She did invade our city. It's more than understandable that you're not in the best of moods."

"Thank you," Celestia replied gratefully, and nodded her head once. "Mind letting me wake up now?"

"Of course," Luna said, as she was already starting to fade away into the blackness.

~~~

'How are you feeling, Twilight?' thought the swarm lord through their new mental connection.

A wave of nausea came back down through the link that caused his own vision to blur. 'That good then?'

'I’m still sitting in that corridor waiting for my vision to stop doubling,' Twilight thought back groggily. 'It really would help if you stopped moving, y'know'

'I've been summoned,' he thought back.

'That's a no then I take it?'

'Indeed,' the changeling thought back, as he opened the door leading to his queen's new quarters.

Twilight's eyes widened at the sight of her old foalsitter cuddling tightly up against Chrysalis on top of the bed covers. Chrysalis reluctantly extricated herself from Cadance's embrace, and clambered over the bed and onto the floor, until she was standing before her swarm lord.

"You may reveal yourself if it would make you more comfortable, my Swarm Lord," Chrysalis said gently.

The swarm lord very slightly raised a chitinous eyebrow, and glanced past her to Cadance, who was still lying in the bed. "Is that entirely wise, my Queen?"

"Of course it is," Chrysalis said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "There will be no secrets held from my love."

Twilight could feel the reluctance from where she was still propped up against the wall. The swarm lord did as he was bid and stood revealed in the ornate armour that denoted his status.

"So, what did you require my presence for?" he asked. "Unless you perhaps wished to just show me off?"

Chrysalis missed, or just chose to ignore, the rebuke. "Cadance, can you help me with this, please?"

Twilight closed her eyes to avoid seeing what came next, but as the swarm lord kept looking steadily ahead, she didn't have much of a choice about it. Cadance and Chrysalis kissed, slowly but passionately, as their lips locked together. It kept on long enough that Twilight was beginning to feel a little flushed herself, or maybe she could just go ahead and die of embarrassment. One of the two, anyway.

When they'd finally finished, an intense pink light was wreathing around Chrysalis' horn. With some visible effort, Chrysalis pulled herself away from Cadance.

"Take this freely given love, My Swarm Lord," Chrysalis instructed. "You will take it to the rest of the hive in the gem caves below Canterlot and share it with them."

"Of course," he replied. “It shall be as you command,” he said, while pointedly looking more at Princess Cadance.

‘You see,’ flashed as an angry thought through Twilight’s head. Twilight wasn’t sure that she did, but the idea that his queen could possibly be under the dominion of another was enough to make their mental connection feel like a raging torrent of emotion.

Meanwhile the changeling waited patiently, staying so completely still, he might as well have been a statue. Seeing no sign at all of the inner turmoil boiling inside, Chrysalis bent down, and touched her horn to his.

Twilight's mind exploded as the two horns touched. Several moments later she found herself on her back, and staring up at the tiled ceiling.

"Wow..." Twilight said out loud to herself.

'Are you alright there, Twilight?' the changeling thought. 'Lost you there for a moment.'

'That was certainly interesting,' Twilight thought back. 'I've got butterflies in my stomach, my head is spinning, and I'm pretty certain I could fly right now. Current complete lack of wings regardless.'

'Ah, love.' Twilight could feel the changeling’s amusement through the link, and she couldn't help but feel it too.

She giggled out loud, still feeling like she was galloping full-tilt on Princess Celestia's sunshine.

'Is there anything else I can call you, by the way?' Twilight thought. 'It seems awkward to keep thinking of you as the swarm lord.'

Twilight could feel the puzzlement before she heard the changeling speak in her head. 'But that is my title?'

'Don't you have a name as well?'

'Not like ponies do,' he admitted. 'Still, as I am now part of you, then how about Dusk?'

Twilight started for a moment at that phrasing, and then shrugged it off as she was sure he was just talking about the mental link. "Y'know, that does sound pretty good to me, Dusk."

~~~

“He seems nice,” Cadance said pleasantly.

“He does his duty,” Chrysalis replied. “More than that honestly. He was the drone that helped me out of the hive when we were attacked. He’s probably the sole reason I survived that day’s events.”

Chrysalis waited for a response, but Cadance didn’t say anything back as she looked out at the night sky.

“Cadance?” Chrysalis asked, putting a chitinous hoof on her lover’s shoulder.

Cadance turned to look at her. “Sorry, I was just thinking about what Princess Celestia told me. I know there was my spell, but I still think I understand why you did what you did even without it, and now I find out your swarm lord is clearly worried about you.”

“He forgets his place at times,” Chrysalis said dismissively.

Cadance’s lower lip started to tremble slightly. “And yet I can’t get what she said out of my head. Princess Celestia said that when I knew where you and your race came from, I’d never want to touch you again. Yet I can’t imagine anything you can tell me that’d ever make me stop loving you.”

“Ah, I think I can guess...” Chrysalis said.

“Chrysalis?”

“You probably don’t want to know,” Chrysalis said, and shook her head sadly. “I don’t even know how much of what I know is actually true anyway.”

“I’m sure it can’t be that bad.”

“Are you sure you want to know?” Chrysalis asked. “It happened a very, very long time ago.”

Cadance cuddled up closer to the changeling, and looked deep into her eyes. “Please.”

Chrysalis sighed, and rested her head against Cadance’s. “Okay, okay, but I want to do something for you at the same time.”

“What?”

“I’m going to give you a massage,” Chrysalis said. “You’ve been through a very tough experience, and as I don’t think hearing this is going to help in the slightest, so I’m going to do what I can to help.”

“You know how to give massages?” Cadance said, raising an eyebrow.

Chrysalis placed a dutiful hoof on her chest. “I assure you that I’ve made a very thorough study of alicorn pony anatomy.”

Cadance studied her new lover’s expression for any trace of a leer, but upon not finding one, she sighed. “It can’t be worse than what I’d imagine than if you don’t tell me.”

“Right, well, how are you on ancient pony history?” Chrysalis asked, as Cadance followed her over to the sturdy dining table. “Specifically the great famine leading to the merging of the three tribes?”

“Not great,” Cadance confessed, as she laid herself down. “I know enough that the story we tell every Hearth’s Warming Eve has been embellished a lot along with being cleaned up in the retelling. What they used to call Chancellor Puddinghead wasn’t nearly as appropriate for the foals, I know that.”

“Who?” Chrysalis asked, and then flicked her bug-like wings dismissively. “Never mind,” she said, as she clambered on top of the table. “Anyway, this takes place a generation later onwards from the unification of the earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorn nations...”

~~~

Back in those days, the ponies that had survived the famines and the Windigo incursions from the howling north had been reduced to so few numbers that they all lived within a single valley. There were a few small scattered settlements and none of them were much bigger than one of your villages today.

All around them the remnants of the three nations were besieged by the hostile creatures surrounding the valley. Dragons, assorted monsters, and other creatures of malign intelligence turned their attention to these interlopers and plotted their downfall. However, not all of the ponies' neighbours of that time were actively hostile. In some way what they represented was something much worse: a salvation that would never be fulfilled due to something as petty as a simple lack of interest.

They were the missing fourth tribe of ponies. Of course there are also the bat-like fifth tribe who would become known as the Thestralians, but as they would not emerge from their caves until after the coming of the Nightmare Moon, they’re not relevant to this particular story. Anyway, due to their butterfly-like wings they had taking the fanciful name of the flutter ponies.

~~~

Cadance was unable to help herself as an uncontrollable giggle escaped her lips. “Flutter ponies?” she said, a wide grin forming on her face. “I remember being read to about them when I was just a foal. Next you’ll be telling me they met some grundles, or maybe even a zoat.”

“Do you mind?” Chrysalis said, as she worked a hoof a bit harder than was necessary into a muscle cluster. “My mother told me this story, and while I’m not sure how much of it might have been lost as it was passed down from each changeling queen to her daughter over so many generations, on the existence of the flutter ponies she was absolutely certain.”

“There’s a spell for that I’m sure,” Cadance said, moving a hoof to rub it against her chin slowly. “I suppose there could have been a lost tribe of unicorns that were powerful enough for them all to be able to cast the spell to give them butterfly wings.”

“Possibly, yes,” Chrysalis conceded. “Right, so the flutter ponies...”

~~~

When the ponies of the valley tried to establish relations, they were shunned by the arrogant flutter ponies, who preferred the company of monstrous bee creatures that guarded their borders of the land they called Paradise. The flutter ponies had a queen called Rosedust who refused even to acknowledge the existence of anything, pony or otherwise, that lived without butterfly wings on their backs.

Without allies to be found the numbers of the ponies in the unified tribes dropped even further as they were lost to the depredations of those that sought their annihilation, corruption or enslavement. When their ultimate defeat seemed inevitable, a new queen came to power.

She was Queen Majesty, and she was almost certainly the most magical unicorn that has ever lived. It’s possible Majesty was in command of even greater ability with unicorn magic than that possessed by the two alicorn sisters that live on to this day. Such was her power that she was able to create an enchanted mirror that could create fully grown ponies. These were not some fanciful illusion, or half-witted simulacrum, but true living ponies with their own cutie marks forming as they stepped through the mirror and into reality.

~~~

“That’s impossible!” Cadance protested, as she squirmed somewhat under Chrysalis’ tender ministrations. “Anyway, I used to foalsit for Twilight Sparkle, and she especially loved the stories about the more famous and infamous magical unicorns of history like the Dread Mare from the Discordian Age, the otherworldly Fey Trade, and the father of organized unicorn magic that was Star Swirl the Bearded, and none of them could do anything remotely like that. I’ve never even heard of this Queen Majesty.”

“It was a very long time ago, remember.” Chysalis said patiently. “How many ponies can you name off the top of your head anyway prior to the coming of Discord anyway?”

“Well, there’s the ones from the first Hearth’s Warming Eve, and...” Cadance’s brow creased as she tried to think. The heady smell of incense drifting about her wasn’t particularly helping with that. “Then there’s Star Swirl obviously... Okay, I get your point,” she said dreamily. “Where’s that lovely incense coming from anyway?”

“Maaa-gic,” Chrysalis drawled slowly, with some amusement, before continuing with her tale.

~~~

Under Queen Majesty’s protection, and with their numbers swelled by those born from the mirror, the ponies of the valley began to experience a new age of prosperity. Majesty was not satisfied though with a mere steadying of the situation; her ambitions were far grander than that. While she was powerful, she was also prideful, and while she was clever, she was also ruthless, even perhaps what ponies today would call cruel to those that would dare intrude into her dominion.

Most of all, she had grown to despise the queen of the flutter ponies. Majesty was sure that with their powers combined, the ponies would never have to fear anything ever again, but still the land of Paradise remained closed to her and those that she ruled. It is possible she could have forced the issue with her magic, but with the valley constantly beset as it was, even a unicorn as powerful as her was simply forced to prioritise.

Had the situation continued, things might have turned out differently. Queen Majesty had more than enough power to keep her lands safe, and great heroes arose to do her bidding whose names have now been lost to history. The enemies of the ponies were multitude, and some possessed great malicious cunning, but sooner or later Queen Majesty and her agents would surely have prevailed against them all.

Then came the smothering ooze. Never has there been such a blight on the land as this abomination against the very concept of life. I do not know of where it came from, and it is possible that when it was born it was barely the size of a puddle, but when it reached Paradise the smothering ooze stretched across the horizon. Everything it touched was consumed and so it grew. At Paradise though it was halted. The flutter ponies’ command of magic was such that they held it at bay with ease and so their lands were safe. The valley, on the other hoof, had no such protection...

Queen Majesty might have been able to accomplish something similar, but she was away at the time running down a malignant lava spirit with some of her heroes, and so the valley was utterly defenseless under the onslaught of the smothering ooze. Three whole villages were consumed, and still it inexorably advanced. In the end it was the miraculous work of two foals, who tapped into unknown magics not seen since the time of the first hearth’s warming eve, to not only push back the ooze, but banish it entirely.

When Majesty returned to find what had become of her kingdom her rage was such that it cracked the very bedrock of the earth itself. She did not know if the flutter ponies' actions had been due to malice, apathy, or even if they had just not thought of her ponies at all, but she frankly did not care either way. She tore apart the defences of Paradise until she stood over the beaten body of Rosedust.

Then she gave her judgement. As you preferred the company of insects to those like you, then like the begotten insects you shall be. As you shunned our pleas, you shall not even be able to speak. And as you cared not for the suffering of others, only the love of ponies will stave off the suffering of what you have wrought here.

~~~

“She cursed them?” Cadance asked, turning her head so she could look up at her lover. “I thought curses were something out of stories, and not something that a pony could actually do.”

Chrysalis made an elaborate show of inspecting her entire body. “Apparently so.” Then she shrugged. “I don’t know if it was a curse, or just a particularly powerful transformation spell, but I can’t argue with the results. Way I heard it from my mother was that the change into what we are now took several tortuous centuries.”

“So what happened to Queen Majesty afterwards?”

“I don’t know,” Chrysalis said back frankly. “My mother said that there were several different theories that have been passed down the ages. Some say that she used her own life to fuel the spell and in the process killed herself. One queen claimed she found evidence Majesty fell under the influence of disharmony, and the story of her fall and eventual defeat was so dark that history itself has conspired to keep it hidden. Others say she simply saw out the years of the rest of her natural life. Drained perhaps, but never less than a queen. The version that I prefered was that, unable to stay where she felt she had failed so badly, she left our reality behind entirely and found a whole new world. One where an old friend had long been waiting for her.”

Cadance’s brow furrowed as she thought about the story. “That’s not good, of course, of the flutter ponies standing aside when others are suffering, but I’m still not sure why Princess Celestia reacted the way she did. Even if I do assume that those two sisters were her and Luna when they were young.”

“Well, the story doesn’t entirely end there,” Chrysalis admitted. “Those first few centuries were hard for the new changeling race. We don’t die from starvation like a pony would deprived of sustenance. Instead we suffer until we find reprieve. It is not a constant ache either that one could grow used to; it is a varying suffering that ranges from a dull pang, to pain that would drive you utterly insane completely without warning. The new changelings fled to the wastes and badlands and hid themselves away from the world. When Discord arose, I hear all he bothered to do to us, was to appear in one of the hives and kill himself laughing for a while before returning to torment the other races.”

She smiled. “Then things started to get better. Changeling queens began to arise with the cunning and strength to lead and found that they were not so limited as the drones. Hives moved closer and closer to pony lands. They learned how to finally satisfy the hunger, and then the queens made a terrible mistake.”

Chrysalis stopped her massage for a moment. “Ever hear tell of a unicorn king called Sombra?”

“No... I can’t say that I have,” Cadance admitted. “I must admit I’ve never really read up about the deposed unicorn lineage. Then that it ultimately resulted in that idiot Blueblood might have something to do with it.”

“Oh, he wasn’t truly a king—least not as far as I know—he took over a city of earth ponies in the far north. He did terrible things to them, as he enslaved the entire frozen lands that would become the Crystal Empire.”

“What’s that got to do with the changelings though?”

“He approached our queens,” Chrysalis explained. “Offered some of his slaves in exchange for certain services that seemed harmless enough. Like fools they accepted, much too eager to get their hooves on an easy source of love rather than thinking the consequences through.”

“Ah,” Cadance said, “I think I can see where this is going.” She then squeaked as Chrysalis' entire body weight rested on her back. She idly wondered where Chrysalis was going with this.

Chrysalis nodded. “Indeed. The royal sisters came for him and broke his power. Somehow he managed to take his entire kingdom with him when they destroyed him forever. Then they discovered where some of the slaves had gone to and they turned their attention toward the changeling race.”

“He took his entire kingdom with him?” she managed to say. Chrysalis had secreted some oily ichor all over herself and was now sliding herself on top of her. Cadance was sure normally that she’d be freaked about this as Chrysalis slowly rubbed her entire body back and forth, but something that felt this good couldn’t be too wrong. Her pink fur was quickly becoming matted, her tail was twitching uncontrollably, the slippery secretions were getting absolutely everywhere, and yet Cadance really couldn’t bring herself to care.

“All disappeared apparently,” Chrysalis said, as she rubbed her body sensually against the alicorn underneath her. “Being robbed of their victory like that, I can only imagine contributed to what happened next. Princess Celestia unleashed the Nightmare Moon and an army that marched out from Equestria. It took centuries for the changeling race to recover from that campaign.”

Cadance was struggling for conscious thought from how good she was feeling anyway, and that particular revelation had sent the rest of her mind tumbling over the idea that Celestia would order such a thing.

It was only after they’d had a very pleasant shower together, that she said, “Thank you for telling me, Chrysalis. And for the massage too, I needed that.”

“Oh,” said Chrysalis, with the expression of having just remembered something. “By the way, I don’t know this for certain either, as there weren’t exactly many changelings left around to confirm it. I believe the timing is right for it though.”

“What is it?”

“When Princess Luna returned home after her campaign,” Chrysalis said, watching Cadance carefully. “That was when her resentment finally boiled over enough, that it caused her to become Nightmare Moon for real, and then promptly tried to bring about eternal night before being banished.”

Cadance felt her jaw drop open at that last titbit. No wonder Celestia disliked the changelings if she held them at least partially responsible for causing the rift between herself and her sister that led to a thousand years of the mare-in-the-moon. And she had just offered Chrysalis and her hive protection...

She was going to need to speak to Princess Celestia as soon as possible, but there was another pony that she really did have to see first.

~~~

Trixie had been lulled off to sleep by the gentle motion of the chariot ride, and when she woke up feeling all the better for it, she had been sat upright on a chair. The room was dark, apart from a single candle that was burning on the table. On the other side of the table sat two cloaked figures. With only one source of light, the room was dark enough that she couldn’t even make out the fur colour of the two ponies with the way they were completely shrouded in shadows underneath their hoods.

“You have been summoned, Trixie Lulamoon,” the one on the left intoned somberly. Trixie could tell the pony was a mare, but the clearly assumed voice she was putting on meant that Trixie couldn’t tell if it was somepony she recognised.

“What do you want from me?” she asked cautiously, her eyes flicking from one figure back to the other.

A newspaper was tossed onto the table. A black and white photo of Shining Armour dominated the front page with the caption alongside in bold loudly proclaiming ‘PRINCESS TO WED CAPTAIN OF HER HEART?! Details of which one on pages 3-9, 11-16, and 19 along with special commemorative pullout inside!’

“If you wanted me to perform at the wedding,” said Trixie, glancing over the page, “then there’s certainly easier ways of going about it.”

“We want him as a mare.”

Trixie was glad she’d got some sleep on the chariot, as she wasn’t sure how she’d have processed that one otherwise.

“Not for Shining Armour to become a mare himself, but we do require a spell cast on a willing target to transform that pony to look like him as a mare,” the figure continued. “It doesn’t need to be permanent, and it would indeed be preferable if it could be removed.”

“Uh huh,” she said noncommittally. “So, why’d you come to Trixie for this?”

“Because you do not appear to have any trace of moral character whatsoever,” said the hooded figure who had done all the talking so far. “Safe to say, we will pay you a great deal of bits to accomplish this.”

“Uh huh,” Trixie said again, as her horn glowed. “I think that’s quite enough of that.” She seized the back of both hoods with her magic and yanked.

“You!” she said sharply as Rarity blinked in the candle light. “You’re one of those rude hecklers that I showed up back in Ponyville. You were pretending to be a guard back at the rock farm! Is this some kind of elaborate revenge scheme on Trixie?” She turned to Fluttershy who was doing a not half-bad attempt at hiding under the lock of her mane. “And you’re...” There was a long silence before Trixie coughed lightly as she realised she was staring. “Sorry, Trixie has no idea who you are.”

“Fluttershy,” she answered, in a voice that was barely above a squeak.

“You were the other guard,” Trixie said, in a significantly less accusatory tone. “I suppose Trixie should thank you for the restful flight.”

“Oh, it was nothing,” Fluttershy said, blushing slightly at the praise. “Pulling hot air balloons is so much harder.”

“So, if this isn’t a revenge scheme,” Trixie asked, her tone still deeply sceptical on that concept, “then why in the wide world of Equestria do you want me to magic up a mare for you?”

Fluttershy and Rarity turned to look at each other. “It’s kind of... complicated,” Fluttershy admitted.

~~~

Earlier in the day, as Gleaming Shield slowly strutted towards Cadance, Rarity was distracted from her intense inspection by a familiar voice whispering her name in her ear. Managing to tear her eyes away she saw that it was Fluttershy that had distracted her.

“Rarity,” Fluttershy repeated under her breath, and gave her a pleading look.

She followed her friend over to a quieter corner of the throne room. “What is it, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked quietly.

“I had an idea,” Fluttershy said, an adorable pink blush forming on her cheeks. “It's a bit... naughty," she added in an even quieter whisper that Rarity had to strain herself to hear.

“Well, we are still technically bridesmaids I suppose, even if the wedding looks like it might be off,” Rarity said, a wide grin forming on her face. “I think it’s expected to get up to a certain amount of naughtiness.”

“Okay!” she said quickly. “Well, don’t you think that Shining Armour looks so good like that?”

“Fluttershy!” Rarity said, a bit louder than she’d meant to. She looked around, but the transformed Gleaming Shield was still commanding every other ponies' attention in the room. “Not only is that a bit on the fast side, but I didn’t think you liked stallions... that way?”

“I don’t,” Fluttershy said, with a little giggle. “I thought we could do something about that,” she added, casting a significant look towards where Cadance and Gleaming Shield were nuzzling. “Not to Shining Armour himself after what he’s just been through, but if changelings can turn into other ponies, then there’s got to be some way to do it by magic. I know it’s somewhat wrong; I’ve just never felt like this towards another mare before. Rarity, I want her. At least for a while.”

Rarity was struggling for breath after that last comment, but managed to weakly say, “I do know what you mean.”

Fluttershy smiled in a way that Rarity hadn’t seen on her since Discord had been around. “Well, y’know how Rainbow Dash and Applejack have their competitions to see who's better; maybe we could have a little iron pony contest of our own.”

Rarity marefully struggled not to choke noisily. “Are you sure it was a good idea keeping in contact with that monster—” Seeing Fluttershy’s flash of annoyance she swiftly corrected herself. “Sorry, that minotaur Iron Will.”

“I’m not acting too like new Fluttershy, am I?” she asked nervously. “He’s helping me out free of charge with my assertiveness until I’m entirely satisfied, but it’s so hard finding the correct middle ground between old Fluttershy and new.”

“No,” Rarity said, “You just surprised me is all. Are you really sure you’re alright? This does seem like it’s moving awfully fast?”

Fluttershy’s lower lip started to quiver. “I’m fine really! It’s just what happened back there, in that hall. I just feel like I want to scream, but that would be much too loud and would disturb other ponies... Please, Rarity. I need this.”

Rarity had been trying very hard not to think of that moment when those double doors had swung open revealing that unstoppable horde. When they’d charged forward... The feeling of helplessness was turning out to be a very hard one to shake off, so she could more than understand what Fluttershy was feeling right now.

“It’s okay, I’ll help you out if you really want to do this.”

“I did see the way you were looking at her too, Rarity,” she said softly. “I don’t want you to be unhappy due to never getting a chance at her yourself.”

“Oh no no no!” Rarity insisted, waving her forehooves in front of her. “I honestly do prefer stallions, really.”

Fluttershy smiled. “I do pay some attention, Rarity. I haven’t seen you look at a stallion that way since the awful business at the Gala.”

“Well...” Rarity said, her resolve crumbling.

“And how many times have you been upstairs at the spa now anyway?” Fluttershy asked slyly under hooded eyes.

Rarity flushed scarlet. “You win. A contest it will be,” she said meekly. ”So, how are we going to do this?”

~~~

After hearing a somewhat edited version, Trixie said, “So, let me get this right, you were so attracted to a changeling pretending to be this stallion as a mare, that you decided that after making somepony into him as a her to have a competition to try and win her affections, but you need Trixie to sort that out for you?”

“I suppose it does sound silly when you put it like that,” Rarity said lightly. “Still, we’re prepared to offer you a thousand bits if you can pull it off.”

Trixie sat up a lot straighter in her seat. It certainly wasn’t any great sum of funds, but it would be more than enough for her to get a new caravan built, and she’d finally be able to go back on tour again. Sure, her reputation might be utterly shot as the Great and Powerful Trixie, as the Mysterious Lulamoon perhaps... She’d have to get a new cape and maybe a fancy mask, it could well work now that she thought about it.

“It’s tempting,” Trixie said, shifting slightly. “And while of course I do possess great magical powers.” She pressed on; ignoring the doubtful looks she was getting. “That level of magic just might be beyond me.”

“We know,” Fluttershy said kindly.

“So, why bring me here then?” Trixie asked.

“You might be a fake,” Rarity said, ignoring the intense red that was flamed up on Trixie’s cheeks. “I’m sure you still know more about magic than I do, and I’m sure we can get you into the Star Swirl the Bearded wing of the royal archives which should take care of the rest.”

“The Star Swirl the Bearded wing...” Trixie breathed.

“Our friend Pinkie Pie told us all about it,” Rarity said. “Apparently it’s really not as hard as you’d think to get in.”

If Trixie had possessed a pair of wings in that moment she would have currently been bumping her head against the ceiling. She shook her head, as she tried to think about this properly, and not be distracted by thoughts of the spells contained in those books that could catapult her dead career into the stratosphere.

She gave the two mares a look. “Hope you don’t mind Trixie asking, but neither of you have actually dated within your gender before, right?”

Fluttershy ran her hooves around the lock of her mane and looked downwards.

Rarity shook her head. “Is that really relevant?”

“No,” Trixie said, and then grinned. “Just explains a lot.”

Seeing Rarity grimace at that was suitable payback for that fake comment and the jibe against her moral character. As if a rude heckler was any better after all. Then again, she pondered to herself. She’d heard a few stallions complain that all the mares were into mares these days. Given the gender numbers disparity it wasn’t too surprising that option, along with polyamory, was supposedly so popular in Equestria really. Then, being on the road as long as Trixie had she’d never found another suitable mare that shared her inclinations that wasn’t already in a committed relationship. lt had just been typical, she’d reckoned, that when she’d started working at the rock farm, that Mr Pie’s three daughters had all long since flown the nest.

Here, however, were two very much unattached mares. Fluttershy was frankly model levels of gorgeousness, and Rarity was certainly not unattractive either, and at least one of them was going to still be single however this ended up. Trixie still wasn’t keen on a pony that would be so needlessly rude to somepony just trying to make a living, but winning her affections would be a pretty nice way of proving that she was wrong.

For some reason the image of Twilight Sparkle came to mind along with a bunch of conflicting emotions, but Trixie shook them off. Just because some ponies from Ponyville were here in Canterlot, it certainly didn’t mean that Twilight would be, and she probably wouldn’t have been interested in a mare like Trixie anyway. She’d be a fool to let an opportunity like this pass her by for some unattainable daydream. Maybe Mr. Pie was right, and this really was the big break that she’d been waiting for. A pony like Fluttershy was more than worthy of the effort, and along with a relaunch of her career thanks to the bits. Now, Trixie very much liked the sound of that.

“I really should ask,” Trixie said reluctantly. “But wouldn’t it be easier to just ask this queen to loan you a changeling for this?”

All the warmth in the room promptly disappeared as both the mares sitting opposite to her stiffened in place. Trixie found that she could no longer meet Fluttershy’s eyes as they blazed with sudden rage.

“Okay, okay, bad idea apparently,” Trixie said, somewhat flustered. “So, who were you thinking for the transformation?”

Rarity and Fluttershy visibly relaxed as they shared another look. “We hadn’t quite worked that part out yet,” Rarity admitted.

“We were possibly thinking about hiring...” Fluttershy squeaked quietly, and then managed to just about get out the words, “an escort.”

“I could cast it on myself,” Trixie blurted out before she realised what she was doing.

Rarity’s face scrunched up. “I’m not sure—”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said quickly, cutting her off.

“Fluttershy, I’m really not sure about this,” Rarity said hesitantly.

“Rarity,” Fluttershy said, giving her friend a pleading look. “I know her time in Ponyville didn’t go too well...”

Rarity let out a cynical laugh, but let her continue.

“But she does seem willing, and I think that we should give her a chance.”

Rarity groaned, and then shook her head with the clear expression of somepony who knows that she’s going to regret what she says next. “So, Trixie. Will you do it?”

Trixie smiled to herself. Hang the mask idea, if she was transformed into another mare, then her former reputation wouldn’t matter one jot. Then at the height of her fame, she could reveal that it had been the Great and Powerful Trixie all this time, and that really would show them all! For once things could just be coming up Trixie. It had certainly taken long enough for it to come round.

“You ladies have got yourselves a deal,” Trixie said. “After all, was there really ever any doubt?” she added cockily.

Author's Note

I’ve never actually seen any of g1, so I hope you’ll won’t mind my bit of meta in constructing some backstory for the changelings based on what I’ve picked up by the curious process of fandom osmosis. You may have a better idea of how it went back down back then, but given the length of time that has passed, Chrysalis as she admits has about as accurate a picture of the real stories as I do.

Chapter 6: The Wedding I Won't Make

Shining Armour had been staring at the reports for a while now, yet they were refusing to make sense when he actually tried to read them. Then nothing made much sense at the moment to him. As far as he was concerned everything could be explained. A changeling queen had gotten into his head and made him believe that he was in love with her enough for them to be married. Then his little sister had exposed the changeling, and saved him just in time at the altar.

While that might have been humiliating for another stallion, he’d long made peace with the fact that his little Twily was a veritable heroine of Equestria, and frankly he couldn’t be more proud. She might not be as active as some of the more official agents of the crown, but that meant that Twilight got to live a relatively normal life. Honestly, he wasn’t sure how she’d cope with the isolation that came with the job—like that Daring Do up in the Great North Eastern Valley to pick an example—especially now that she’d made some friends other than just her big brother. He grinned to himself. Sooner or later Twilight would get the clearance to find out that her favourite fictional character was actually a totally real living breathing mare, and if he was really lucky, then he’d be the one to get to break it to her.

What didn’t make sense was that Twilight had insisted that something was still wrong. Princess Celestia had acted if something was terribly wrong too, and she was the princess, so she had to be right that indeed something was amiss. He'd never known Princess Celestia to be wrong, and that meant that the problem really did lie with himself. Shining could only think that it was something to do with that disturbing Cadance creature from the throne room that he had started to think of as the Other. He wasn’t entirely sure how the changelings worked, but from what he’d been able to gather, this Other had wormed her way into his life about a year back at the behest of the queen who had then been the one that had stepped in for the actual wedding. Around a year ago was when he’d worked out that he was starting to miss memories which must have been removed when the spell had been broken.

He’d been assigned back then to a security detail which must have been a setup by the Other, as that was the last thing he remembered of his regular duties for a full month. He was missing most of the nights too around that time... He shuddered at the implications of that. He remembered afterwards that he’d been interviewed by journalists for doing something that he couldn’t place the details of. It could be a good idea actually, now that he thought about it, to track down the newspaper archives to help fill in the gaps that he was missing. It was just a shame that he’d never been able to keep a diary going longer than a month, as that would have answered all his questions.

Then he’d received the promotion to captain of the royal guard after Ol’ Stone Horn finally retired, and with it came back his memories of a lot of the year, well, at least of the times when he was on duty. Which must have meant that the Other had probably been posing as some member of the Canterlot nobility rather than one of his fellow guards. He was missing huge swathes of his off time though, which he assumed was because that was when that thing could get to him.

The more he thought about the Other the sicker he was feeling. The idea that he’d taken that thing into his hooves knotted his insides up something fierce. He’d seen things in his time. Everypony in the palace guard had. He knew some of the Canterlot nobility joked about the princesses’ private collection of pretty, kept in only the most flattering armour, but he’d seen combat against things that would freeze their pampered cutiemarks right off the side of their flanks. And yet none of the threats to Equestria, be it the clutching tentacles of a seapony abomination, or the bloody spittle of a frenzied griffon raider, none of them had come even close to the sheer intensity of emotion that the Other inspired in him.

There was a tentative knock the door. Several of the other royal guard had already been in and out of his office since Twilight had been around earlier. Things had been such a blur that he couldn’t quite recall the commands that he’d given to them, then they were a great bunch of ponies. They’d get things back in order fine without him.

“Come in,” Shining Armour said, straightening himself upward on his chair. It wasn’t as if they’d go away forever, even if he might want them to, he reckoned ruefully to himself.

Twilight Sparkle entered the room, and Shining Armour brightened up immediately. Then he frowned as he saw the state his sister was in. She was looking straight through him, and her mane was looking decidedly on the frazzled side.

“You okay, ‘sis?” he asked, inwardly hoping that this wasn’t going to be as bad as the time she’d forgotten to return a book to the Canterlot library. If that foalsitter hadn’t been around—whose name he couldn’t recall for some reason—he still didn’t know how they’d have talked Twilight down.

“Me?” Twilight said, suddenly startled. “I’m fine! Fine, fine, fine, uh, how are you?”

“Totally,” Shining replied. “I don’t suppose that you’re here to drop the whole notion that there’s something wrong with me thing are you?” he asked, a note of hope entering his voice.

“No.”

Shining Armour sighed. “It was worth a try.”

“So!” Twilight said brightly. “Have you realised what happened yet?”

“Well, I’m pretty certain what happened,” he replied, absentmindedly fiddling with some of the papers on his desk. “That you and the princess seem convinced I should be marrying that Cadance thing doesn’t make sense in the slightest.”

“Shining,” Twilight said, giving her brother a sideways look. “That thing is your fiance.”

“But she’s a fake!” Shining insisted.

“The changeling Chrysalis was the fake,” Twilight explained patiently. “She replaced Cadance, but you really had fallen in love with her.”

“That can’t be right,” Shining said, clutching his head with hooves. “Twilight, the very thought of her touching me... It’s terror, disgust, and shame all rolled into one.”

The two siblings stared at each other awkwardly, while not quite managing to meet the other one’s eyes.

Twilight head snapped up, and she appeared to be listening to an internal conversation that only she could hear, and then shrugged her shoulders at what ever the outcome of that talk had been.

“Shining,” Twilight said. “How do you feel about that changeling queen?”

His brow furrowed. “I’m not particularly keen on anyone that invades Equestria to start off with,” he said, as a small smile formed on his face. “But, other than that I feel nothing about her.”

Twilight’s eyebrow raised for some reason at that, and her expression twisted in worry.

“Of course!” she suddenly blurted out. “It’s so simple!”

Shining Armour concern was beginning to properly spike now, as his sister’s head tilted to one side, and appearing to be listening to nopony again.

“When Cadance used her spell to transfer your love to Chrysalis, at the same it caused other things that you were feeling to transfer too.”

“But, Twilight,” Shining said, trying hard to keep the frustration out of his voice. “I’ve never felt like that about anypony or anything before.”

“Consciously, no,” Twilight said, smiling as she was in full flow of explanation. “Subconsciously on the other hoof though. Some part of you must have always known that something wasn’t quite right with your fiance and that part would have had no release as it twisted within, and that’s what you're feeling for Cadance now that fear and disgust has a target.” Her left ear twitched a few times. “Apparently, it’s quite common for all kinds of odd psychological disorders to crop up when changelings spend too long feeding off a single host while that host remains active in Equestrian society. That’s why they prefer to use cocoons, plus then many changelings can feed off the forced fantasy of love all at once.”

“So, let me get this right,” Shining said, placing both his forehooves flat in front of him. “The reason I can’t even look at the pony I was supposed to be marrying is that all the repressed emotions I had while a changeling took her place are now all directed at that original pony.”

“That’s about right,” she said, and nodded.

Shining Armour rested his head on his desk. “That’s all kinds of messed up,” he said flatly. “So, I’m stuck like this?”

“Possibly—” Twilight was interrupted by another knock at the door.

“Would you mind if we came in?” said a familiar voice, that Shining Armour visibly winced at. “Please?”

“Hang on,” Shining called out, and started rummaging around in his desk drawers.

“You know that you don’t have to see them now if you don’t want to?” Twilight said.

“Going to have to sooner or later,” Shining said, as he tied a dirty rag around his head to completely hide his eyes. The rag was so spotted with armour polish that he’d quite forgotten what colour the cloth had originally been. “Course, that doesn’t mean I actually have to see-see her.”

“How dare you keep a princess waiting!” clearly came the very sharp voice of Chrysalis through the door. This was followed up by some loud shushing.

“Come in then,” Shining said, with almost negative amounts of enthusiasm. “If you really have to.”

Cadance pushed the door open, and entered the room, casting a quick annoyed glare at Chrysalis who dutifully followed behind her.

“So how are thing going with you two lovebirds then?” Shining asked brightly, with a fixed grin on his face.

“It’s going fine, thank you,” Cadance replied. “The odd minor misunderstanding aside,” she added, flicking her tail lightly in front of Chrysalis’ nose.

Twilight had been watching her brother carefully, and aside from the visible twitching of his ears at Cadance’s words, not actually looking at the alicorn was apparently enough to spare Shining from most of the effects he’d suffered before.

“I’m sure that’s the same for any couple,” Shining said, in the same conversational tones as if he was discovering the weather. “Not that I remember my last courtship anymore, but I guess that’s usually how things work out.”

“Oh, Shining,” Cadance said softly.

Shining Armour’s forehoof slapped down on his desk with a loud crack. “Bit late for concern now, isn’t it?”

“No, I guess not,” Cadance replied, her previously concerned tone disappearing entirely.

“Cadance,” Twilight said warningly, and then jumped slightly as Chrysalis hissed at her.

The changeling queen raised herself to her full height, and towered imposingly over Twilight. “You will not interfere,” she snarled. “Not again.”

“Why don’t you two wait outside?” Cadance suggested, not taking her eyes off her former fiance.

“But...” Chrysalis began to protest, but Cadance silenced her with a look.

“Go on, Twilight,” Shining said, seeing his sister’s look of concern he added, “I’ll be okay.”

The two formers lovers waited until the awkward sight of Twilight and Chrysalis trying to go through one doorway without getting anywhere near each other finally ceased as the door closed behind them.

“So, my sister’s right that you really are a pony and not some diabolical changeling agent?” Shining asked.

“What?” Cadance said, her ears flattened against her head. “Of course I’m a pony. Why would you even think such a thing?”

“Shame,” Shining replied. “Think it might have made things easier.”

“Don’t you even remember me from when I used to foalsit for your sister?”

Shining Armour closed his eyes behind his rag for a short while. “No, apparently not, though I’ll admit not being able to actually see you right now isn’t helping much.”

“You know many alicorns other than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna then?” Cadance asked, raising an eyebrow. “Specifically, pink ones?”

“Do you actually want something from me?” Shining said. “I assume that you’re in my office for a reason, and you’re not just here to scoop out some more of my memories.”

“I didn’t think it would do that,” Cadance said quietly.

“So, what did you think it was going to do then?” Shining Armour’s own voice was growing in volume by the moment.

“You weren’t exactly in the state of mind where I could ask your opinion at the time,” Cadance shot back. “Chrysalis had you wrapped around her horn entirely, Princess Celestia was in a cocoon, Princess Luna was nowhere to be found, and your sister and her friends had been defeated. So, I did what I had to.”

“What did you do?” Shining asked, without any of the heat that had just been in his words.

“I took our love for each other and gave it to Chrysalis,” Cadance said. “It was the only thing I could think of to save Equestria. I gave her a reason not to.” She paused, and her eyes hardened. “I’d do it again too. In a heartbeat. I never wanted to hurt you though,” Cadance added. “I thought that we just wouldn’t feel anything for each other.”

“Oh, apparently it’s something to do with my repressed emotions while that changeling was controlling me,” Shining said airily. “Quite common reaction apparently.”

Cadance just looked at him.

“Okay, okay, Twilight worked it out somehow,” Shining said, “I hope she’s alright. She’s been acting a bit weird.”

“Not as bad as that time when she forgot to return that library book?” Cadance asked quickly, her eyes darting.

“No where near that bad, thank Celestia,” Shining said.

“Phew.” Cadance breathed out. “I... just wanted to let you know that I never meant to hurt you.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Shining replied, not particularly enthusiastically, and then sighed. “I think I understand why you had to do whatever you did.” A dark look passed over his face. “I still want you and that changeling out of Canterlot as soon as possible. Nothing personal.”

“Oh really?”

“Well, I can’t exactly do my job of protecting the city like this, can I?” he said, gesturing to the rag over his eyes.

“I suppose not,” Cadance said. “It’s funny, y’know...” she trailed off.

“I’m sure it’s hilarious,” Shining said, and bared his teeth in an expression that had nothing to do with a smile.

“Not like that,” she snapped. “I really thought I might feel something. Talking to you again, I mean,” she said, thoughtfully. “Intellectually I still feel terrible about what I chose to do, and I remember what we had, but I look at you now, and there’s just nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

“Not enough holes in my legs for you anymore?” Shining asked sarcastically, but he was also studying the alicorn carefully after finally removing the rag from his face. Repressing the urge to cower and flee, now that he knew that reaction was a lie, he could see from the look of her eyes that she was clearly trying to make herself feel something that after the spell just didn’t exist.

“Apparently not,” Cadance replied, spinning on her hooves. She threw a single glance backwards. “Goodbye, Shining Armour.” She then stepped through the door and closed it behind her.

“Goodbye, Cadance,” Shining whispered to the empty room.

~~~

Trixie was slowly coming to the conclusion that this wasn’t going to work. Getting into the Star Swirl the Bearded wing had been just as easy as Rarity had promised. Trixie was pretty sure that had more to do with all the guards being more concerned with cleaning up the mess following this whole changeling invasion thing rather than the unicorn’s admittedly not inconsiderable wiles. She’d found the shelves dedicated to transmogrification and had started looking through some of the books pretty much at random hoping to get lucky.

She hadn’t found anything in the slightest bit useful so far. Most of the spells that she’d read so far were well outside of her abilities to the point where she could only make an educated guess at what they would do. The others were barely even cantrips to turn an apple into an orange temporarily or vise versa. She could be here for months researching and not succeed in finding the spell that she needed. Worse, it was entirely possible that she wouldn’t even recognise the spell when she did finally read it.

Trixie glanced over at the librarian again who was still clearly making a point of not paying her any attention whatsoever. She sighed inwardly. Trixie never liked asking anypony for help if she could possibly avoid it, but compared to this impossible research project, suddenly the prospect seemed all shiny and new.

She slowly approached the librarian’s desk. The other mare had her head stuck in a book, clearly making the point that she wasn’t going to be acknowledging Trixie’s presence anytime soon.

“Ahem,” Trixie said pointedly.

Not a single hair in the librarian’s garish yellow and red mane so much as shifted in place.

“A-hem,” Trixie tried again.

The mare behind the desk sighed and lowered her book. She gave Trixie a choice ‘you are so insignificant in my eyes that there are dust particles that I’d rather have a conversation with than you’ look. Trixie suspected that this librarian practiced in the mirror every morning.

“Yes?” The room was kept decidedly chilly for the preservation and care of the various magical, and of course incredibly old, books in this particular wing. The temperature in the librarian's voice was colder.

“Hi!” Trixie said, in an exaggeratedly friendly manner. “I was hoping that you could help me out.”

The librarian looked down her nose at Trixie for several moments. “Do tell?” she said eventually.

“I was looking for a book on transformation,” Trixie said, not showing any sign that she was ruffled in the slightest by the librarian’s rude manner.

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance that you’ve checked the shelves dedicated to transformation?” the librarian asked, and arched a well-plucked eyebrow. “They are quite extensive, as befits the calibre of this collection.”

“Of course!” Trixie said back, with more than equal haughtiness. “I was hoping that you could help me track down the specific tome that I need.”

The librarian rolled her eyes. “You’re not going to leave me alone until I help you, right?”

“Indeed not,” Trixie replied with a cocky smile.

“Go on then,” she said, and put the book that she’d been reading down. “If I’m lucky you’ll blow yourself up trying the spell anyway.”

“Trixie is looking to work a great and powerful feat of magic that will surely cause her to become the most magnificent...” Seeing that she was already wearing the librarian's patience thin, Trixie decided to get on with it. “I need a spell to turn a mare into what a stallion would look like as a mare,” Trixie explained, hoping it sounded less insane out loud then it did in her head. “Can you help me?”

“Trixie, do you know anything about unicorn magic, whatsoever?” the librarian asked witheringly.

“Of-Of course!”

The librarian sighed. “Look, it might be fairly straightforward to transform lesser creatures from one thing to another, but transforming a pony, or another of the sentient races, in even a minor manner, is on a whole other level. That’s why even, say, growing new facial hair is considered pretty advanced magic. No, I don’t know how changelings pull it off, but that’s how the rules of magic work for the rest of us.”

“Trixie didn’t know that,” she said quietly.

“Clearly,” the librarian snapped. “However, that’s not to say what you’re trying is impossible. You simply have to cheat.”

“Trixie’s not sure if she could be a part of something underhooved,” she just about managed to say with a straight face.

“Not like that,” the librarian said, waving a hoof. “No unicorn alive today, not even me, has the power to keep that kind of transformation going for even a second. The highest level of unicorn mages could maintain the subject’s new look for up to several minutes, but no unicorn has attained that mastery in over six hundred years. An enchantment spell on an item that can constantly renew the magic is another matter entirely.” Her horn glowed light green and a row of books floated out from out of the stacks. The librarian inspected a few titles, as they passed in front of her on their way around the room, before picking a particular tome out and sending the rest back to their original places.

Trixie whistled quietly at the display of magical finesse.

“Even a unicorn of your clearly palty talents should be able to follow this.” The librarian tucked a bookmark in the relevant section and pushed the book across her desk towards Trixie.

“Thanks,” Trixie said, took the book, and turned to leave.

“Wait,” the librarian said. “You said your name was Trixie?”

“Yes,” Trixie said. “Perhaps you’ve heard of me?” she asked hopefully, before wondering if it was likely that even if she had Trixie doubted it’d actually be anything good.

“No.”

Trixie’s ears flattened, and then breathed out a slight sigh of relief that she hoped that the librarian wouldn’t notice.

“Ever thought of a career as minion, Trixie?” the librarian asked over her two steepled forehooves.

“Uh...”

The librarian leaned forward. “Clear chip on your flank, not much in the way of magical talent, yet willing to learn,” she said, her voice dropping. “I could use a mare like you to keep me on my hooves when I take my rightful place as ruler of all Equestria.”

Trixie stared back at the librarian. This was not going quite as she’d expected. “Who are you again?”

“Sunset Shimmer,” she replied, and flicked her mane.

“So, let me get this right,” Trixie said slowly. “You’re looking to take over Equestria and you’re currently working in the largest collection of the most advanced magic possibly anywhere.” She paused. “What’s taking you so long?”

The mare apparently known as Sunset Shimmer sighed. “Think about it,” she said. “Who do you think is the one pony in Equestria to have read every single one of the volumes in here?”

“Princess Celestia,” Trixie replied, not needing to have to guess.

“Of course she has,” Sunset replied, her face twisting. “After the third spell to snuff out her damned immortal life fizzled on me, well, I realized I’d need to be a bit more... creative.” She chuckled, a little ruefully Trixie thought. “I used to be her personal student, you know. She tired of me soon enough, and stuck me down here where she could keep an eye on me. I’m sure it’s some kind of private joke of hers that she decided to insist on my services here of all places.”

Trixie’s eyes widened. “I doubt I’d be suitable, but If you’re desperate for minions then there’s two colts in Ponyville that I could give you the names of,” she suggested, while trying to keep the amusement out of her voice. Trixie was sure that there was more to Sunset’s story between her and Celestia, but she’d been useful, so didn’t see the harm in humouring her.

“Probably too young for what I have in mind,” Sunset mused. “Still, if you don’t fancy the chance of power beyond your wildest dreams then that’s really no hair out of my tail.”

“Hey, Trixie didn’t say no,” she said quickly, clutching the book a little closer as she wrestled with the temptation laid out before her. “It just seems like a bit of a long shot, and I do have other commitments at the moment.”

“Tell you what, if I think of a scheme that could use you then I’ll let you know,” Sunset said, and turned back to her book. “See you around, Trixie,” she added, not bothering to look up again.

Trixie thought about saying something more, but then decided against it. Anyway, trying to overthrow Equestria was way out of her league, she reckoned. All that she'd ever truly wanted was to be recognised as a truly great and powerful unicorn, and she didn't need a mare like Sunset Shimmer for that, not with the right book now in her possession. She left the Star Swirl the Bearded wing at a canter. Time to head back to Fluttershy and Rarity, and then with a bit of magic she'd get everything that she'd always dreamed of.

~~~

Dusk knew he’d arrived at the right part of the cavern system when the ground started to squish under his hooves. He grinned with all his fangs as the hive all gathered together came into sight. It’d been only a day or so, but that had more than enough time spent with ponies for him. Dusk had decided that Twilight at least wasn’t all bad, and he had definitely got used to the name she’d bestowed upon him, but it was better to be amongst his own kind, and they’d clearly been busy.

Rapidly grown bio-luminescent fungus spread a weak corpse-light throughout the cavern that reflected eerily off the gems dotting the stony walls and the changeling’s chitinous black bodies. Ichor had been spread all over the floors and was raising up to the ceiling. It was almost beginning to look a bit like their old hive back in the badlands before their banishment, and Dusk smiled inwardly at that pleasant thought of a better time.

A changeling still wearing the guise of a mint-green unicorn stalked over to him. The fixed far-too-wide grin and dangerous glint in her eyes put Dusk on guard and he stiffened in place. A number of other changelings, some as ponies, others as drones, gathered up behind her. Dusk was suddenly relieved he was wearing armour, even if he was sure that it wasn’t like he could be in trouble amongst his own kind.

<”Swarm Lord,”> the Lyra hissed, in the chittering language of their race. <”Just the ‘ling that I had hoped to see.”>

<”Drone, what exactly is the meaning of this?”> he asked.

The Lyra looked around at the gathered swarm behind her and turned back with her grin widening even further till her pony features were impossibly contorted. <”We’re leaving, ‘Swarm Lord’.”> the Lyra drawled out his title like it was a drip of spittle hanging off her lips. <”We thought that you should know so that you and your precious queen don’t bother coming to look for us.”>

<”The queen—”> Dusk started to say.

<”The queen has failed!”> the Lyra yelled, drawing the attention of every changeling in the hive that wasn’t already in her entourage. <”On top of that the Nightmare Moon is in the city, right now! The hive is not safe until we have proper leadership again.”>

Dusk searched around for some kind of support; not quite able to believe what he was actually hearing here. <”Speaker!”> he said, spotting the elder changeling. <”You will talk some sense into this nymphling.”>

The speaker shrugged apologetically. <”I and others may not have thought it wise to antagonise the pony kind, as three mares would certainly not have survived feeding so many all at once.”> he said, carefully keeping his voice neutral. <”A very good thing too as the drone is also very much correct in that the night alicorn has paid us a visit. Still, our ways are quite clear and I cannot disagree. The queen failed, and so her orders now mean nothing.”>

<”But Queen Chrysalis—”>

<”Has failed in her plan of conquest,”> the Speaker said sharply. <”You know what must be done as much as any ‘ling amongst us. A new queen must be chosen, so that the hive may thrive once more.”>

Dusk could only laugh in response. <”Queen Chrysalis has had no progeny yet, and so there are no successors,”> he said, as if he was addressing a batch of still wet nymphlings fresh out of their mother’s sacs. <”Now, I understand that this has been frustrating, but please do me a favour and talk some actual sense.”>

A male drone stepped forward to stand beside the Lyra. <”There is another way of course.”>

<”You’ve got to be joking,”> Dusk said, his eyes widening. <”No ‘ling has tried that in the history of our hive. Other hives have tried it and only out of desperation, but it usually kills the pony in the attempt, and even if it doesn’t it tends to drive them utterly insane, sooner or later.”>

<”Yes, yes,”> the Lyra purred, nodding to the drone next to her. <”All we need is a pony mare, and there’s plenty of those in Canterlot to go around.”> She chuckled nastily. <”Perhaps, we can start with that unicorn that disrupted the plans of the failure. Teach her to stick her horn into changeling business.”>

<”No, you’re not going to touch her!”> Dusk tried to keep his mouth shut, but it just slipped out, and now all the other changelings around were staring at him.

‘Dusk, are you okay?’ came a voice in her mind. ‘I heard you shouting.’

‘It’s nothing, Twilight,’ he thought back as quick as could, while slowly inching away from the drones in front of him without realizing he was doing so. Dusk stopped in his tracks, and could feel Twilight’s concern down the mental link. He was sure that she could feel him lying, but if he concentrated he might just be able to stop her realizing what was going on.

‘If you’re sure...’ a thought came back that he could just taste the disbelief on. The mutinous drone was talking again though, and Dusk focused his attention back to the cavern.

<”This Twilight Sparkle has caught your eye then?”> the Lyra said, her ever present grin plastered nastily on her face. <”Surely, you would be willing to give up even such a pretty morsel. Sacrifices must be made for the good of the hive after all.”>

Disturbing, and a few somewhat confusing, visions flooded his mind of Twilight transformed into a changeling queen. Dusk pushed them deep down to the back of his mind, before the actual Twilight got a look at them, and got entirely the wrong idea. He fought the urge to back away again and stood his ground. <”Look, this isn’t necessary,”> he said, pitching his voice louder to reach every changeling present. <”Queen Chrysalis has provided me with enough love to feed the entire hive at once!”>

<”Oh, really?”> the Lyra said lightly. <”Perhaps we were all just not paying attention and missed all those cocoons, stuffed to the brim with pony goodness, that you were dragging behind you.”>

Ignoring the clear contempt, Dusk focused on the energy that had been threatening to burst free ever since his queen had gifted it to him. Pink light burst free from his horn into billowing cloud that spread throughout the entire cavern until every changeling present was hidden from sight.

As the light of the freely given love faded, and the changelings present had thoroughly gorged themselves, he called out, <“You see! Queen Chrysalis has provided for us, like she always has.”>

Instead of admitting that she was wrong, or prostrating herself in gratitude at such generosity, the Lyra snarled. <”That was not the magic of Queen Chrysalis! I’ve tasted this magic before, in the throne room earlier.”>

<”But it was our queen,”> Dusk protested weakly, not entirely believing it himself.

<”This Princess Cadance really has taken her completely, hasn’t she?”> the Lyra said, and rubbed her hoof against her chin. <”Perhaps, we do not need to look for a new queen after all...”>

<”She did make Queen Chrysalis fall in love with her,”> Dusk tried to explain.

<”You hear that?”> the Lyra shouted. <”Princess Cadance took our old queen easier than a drone might take the love of a pony colt in the first flush of stallionhood! I say that she shall be our new queen!”>

A changeling still in the guise of pink pony from the fight that had taken place on the previous day bounced over. She at least tried to bounce, as even magically transformed changeling knees aren’t built at all for that movement, so it was more of an awkward hop. <“A new queen?”> she said excitedly. <”This calls for a...”> The drone poked her tongue out and crossed her eyes as she thought about it. <”A social gathering! Um... with balloons!”> She finished triumphantly.

The Lyra looked at her, and then away again, as if the other changeling hadn’t actually spoken. <”Princess Cadance will lead us where Chrysalis failed!”> she called out to every changeling present.

<”Will she accept us?”> a voice called out from the now milling crowd.

The Lyra reared up onto her backhooves, and a bright green flame burst upwards from her horn to the stony roof above. <”Of course she will!”> she called out. <”The new queen shall lead us to victory where Chrysalis failed!”>

Dusk could only look on in horror, as the call was taken up all throughout the cavern.

<“Queen Cadance!”> the gathered changelings roared. <“Queen Cadance! QUEEN CADANCE!”>

Chapter 7: I Fear that I May Lose

Chrysalis idly wondered to herself, on the off chance that it might just be possible, that if she glared at Twilight Sparkle long enough that the infuriating unicorn would pop out of existence altogether. After Twilight’s experience in the caves she knew that the unicorn wasn’t going to be in a forgiving mood in the slightest, and would be looking to do anything possible to wreck Chrysalis’ success all over again. It wasn’t as if she could even threaten her, let alone do anything more permanent, as Cadance would then be upset. That was a thought that Chrysalis could no longer stand to even consider. Then Cadance would probably be upset too if Twilight just disappeared. Chrysalis sighed. Being in love was hard.

Of course thinking about Cadance right now wasn’t exactly pleasant either. Hidden behind that closed door, her love was currently talking to Shining Armour. The stallion that Chrysalis had used to try and take over Equestria, the stallion that would now have been married to Chrysalis in name only and would probably have been stuffed in a cocoon and already forgotten. Worse was that he was the stallion, that right up until there had been no other option, had been the love of Cadance’s life. A voice at the back of her head was whispering that they had already made up and were right now discussing how to break it to her. Chrysalis decided that little voice of doubt could sod right off to Tartaurus for all she cared. She trusted Cadance; admittedly the love had been forced on her in the first place, but she knew in her heart of hearts that just made her love Cadance all the more.

There was another little niggle that was asking to be thought about loudly now that she had some time to breathe at last. She’d had Shining Armour’s love in the way that Cadance now had hers, yet she hadn’t touched him, not even once despite plenty of opportunity, and even after him directly asking her to on one night. Of course the spell that her love had worked had affected them both equally, while Shining’s devotion had been entirely one sided and purely been a means to an end. Even so Chrysalis couldn’t help but be drawn to consider that she’d never once produced any hatchlings like a queen should to ensure the line of succession. Her swarm lord had always reminded her of her responsibilities, yet she’d always made excuses due to their lack of a proper hive and being constantly on the move. Chrysalis knew that had just been her way of getting out of it, which she’d always put down due to a total lack of interest in what would have physically been required.

Had she always preferred the company of her own gender and never realised it before Cadance had forcibly opened her eyes? It was certainly possible, Chrysalis considered. It was not something changelings ever really thought about given what matings that took place were under the strict control of the hive broodmother to ensure the stable growth of the hive. The idea of two female, or indeed, two male drones being intimate was really not an idea that had ever really occurred to them. It probably happened on occasion, Chrysalis now reckoned, as she could definitely testify that changelings could get a whole lot of enjoyment out of sex without the purposes of breeding. Still, the idea of engaging in such acts for love was not something that they ever did due to relationships just not existing period in changeling hives. The ponies on the other hoof did have a word for two females being in a relationship—quite a few of them actually—and apparently it was quite a popular option, given that mares outnumbered stallions three to one.

A sudden fancy took her. as she pondered the idea, and she ran her eyes down Twilight’s body in an attempt to try to provoke some kind of a reaction. Instead of any flush of excitement, like what she felt any time that she looked at Cadance, all she saw was Twilight bursting into the wedding ceremony, and Chrysalis lapsed back into glaring daggers at her again.

Actually she realised that there was something else bothering her about Twilight that she couldn’t quite place. There was a familiar smell of magic about her. A coarse sensation against her horn rather than one that tickled against her nose. If she didn’t know that it was impossible, Chrysalis might have guessed that Twilight had been involved in a great working of changeling magic.

<”Stop glaring at me,”> Twilight said flatly in Chrysalis’ own language.

Chrysalis couldn’t help herself, and tottered back a few steps in absolute shock. <”You... what... HOW?!”> she said intelligently.

Twilight smirked at her. “It’s not too hard,” she said, switching back to Equestrian.

Combined with the messed up mane and confident gleam in her eyes, Chrysalis was stunned to realise that she was actually finding herself intimidated. “You’re... You’re not going to break us up,” she stammered. Chrysalis inwardly raged at herself. She was a queen of the changelings with a heritage tracing back to the great change, and here she was acting fearful to a young slip of a pony. There was just something in Twilight’s eyes that Chrysalis couldn’t help but glance away from.

“We’ll see,” Twilight said simply, and then fell back into silence.

Her words stabbed Chrysalis right in the gut, and she found herself lost for words. There was something that ponies did in situations like this, aside from threats and violence, and she wracked her mind to think of it. Finally it came to her. “Please, don’t,” she said softly, the word unfamiliar on her lips. “I’m not hurting her. I could never do that now.”

Twilight’s eyes flashed, and she pawed at the carpet. “You’ve ruined everything, and now you dare tell me that you’re not hurting her as if that makes everything okay? What about Shining Armour, what about Princess Celestia, what about everypony in Canterlot, what about them, Chrysalis?”

Chrysalis seethed with barely repressed rage, yet knew that there was nothing she could do that she’d be able to live with later, or at least have a reasonable chance of explaining to Cadance. “I don’t care about them,” Chrysalis replied with a snarl. “Only my love.”

“She was Shining Armour’s love first,” Twilight stated, “before you came along.”

“I know that,” Chrysalis replied, “right up until she chose me instead.” A fierce pointy grin crossed her face.

“You—” Whatever Twilight had been going to say was interrupted by Cadance’s arrival into the corridor from Shining Armour’s office. “Cadance,” she said in brief acknowledgement, and then Twilight Sparkle quickly ducked into the room that the alicorn had just left.

Cadance stalked past Chrysalis without a word, and Chrysalis scurried to follow her.

“Is everything alright?” Chrysalis asked cautiously, after Cadance hadn’t said anything for several minutes.

Cadance finally came to a stop and hung her head letting her mane hang past her face. She looked up and managed a smile at Chrysalis’ clear concern. “I’m...” she paused, and then continued. “Okay, I’m not fine, but I’m glad that you’re here with me. I really am.”

“What happened?” Chrysalis said, leaning in to give her lover a quick reassuring nuzzle.

Cadance shook her head. “Nothing, there’s just nothing,” she said. “Other than that I wounded him terribly. It was necessary of course, but I still did that to him, and it’s not anything that can really be apologised for.”

“I never did anything with him when he was under my control,” Chrysalis said. “I just thought you should know.”

“That’s something, I suppose,” Cadance said, her tone still low.

Chrysalis swallowed hard to see Cadance like this. “You know...” she said slowly and reluctantly. “If you cancelled the spell, I might still...” Chrysalis just about managed to keep talking although it was like lifting heavy lead weights trying to get the words out. “Maybe it could work out,” she finished weakly. Her entire body screamed that she hated the idea with everything that she had, but she could still force herself to submit to the agreement that was surely coming. Maybe she could be learn to be happy to share her new, still-unfamiliar love, maybe...

“No!” Cadance snapped, and took Chrysalis’ face between her two forehooves so she could look her right in the eyes. “You are mine now,” she said, her voice ringing with emotion. “Just as I am yours. There is no spell now to cancel, no time for second guesses or might have beens, only love.” She paused. “Our love.”

Chrysalis’ eyes glistened. She couldn’t help herself and threw herself into a hug with the alicorn that had captured her heart so totally.

“He deserves somepony better than me anyway,” Cadance said into Chrysalis’ ear. Chrysalis was about to retort loudly that wasn’t true in the slightest, when Cadance pulled out of the hug to look her in the eyes again. “After all, I’m now a monster,” she said, and flashed a wry grin. “So are you,” she added, and leaned in to kiss Chrysalis lightly on the lips.

“Cadance, I...” Chrysalis said, almost completely lost for words when she got her breath back.

“And now we’re going to make it official,” Cadance said, and smiled warmly.

Chrysalis now realised where they’d been heading before. Right in the direction of the royal throne-room. “You mean you really want to ask her now?” Chrysalis asked, not bothering to hide the excitement in her voice.

Cadance started to trot down the corridor, her tail swishing behind her, as she put an extra bounce into her step. She glanced back. “What do you think?”

Chrysalis hurried to catch up with Cadance. She wasn’t sure what she’d done to deserve Cadance, but clearly it’d been something very special.

Some time later, as they were entering the main section of the palace, they ran right into Applejack and Rainbow Dash rounding a corner.

“Ah, there ya two are!” Applejack exclaimed and grinned. “We’ve been lookin’ for you all over.”

“‘Sup, dweebs.” Rainbow Dash was looking a lot more cheerful than she had been, though that was probably due to the large bottle of premium cider that she was currently becoming very close friends with.

“Hello, Applejack,” Chrysalis said, and then smirked. “And Dash.”

“Ya know I said I was goin’ to get ya some food to eat?” said Applejack. “Well, it’s taken all night and most of this mornin’ but I think we’re ready.”

“It’s true,” Rainbow Dash said, a slight slur in her voice. “It’s been more boring than modelling dresses for Rarity...” She flushed. “Not that I ever actually do that.”

“You really didn’t have to—” Chrysalis started to say, but Cadance jumped into the conversation.

“Thank you so much,” Cadance said, smiling widely. “We’d love to accept.”

“It’s going to be great, yer queenship,” Applejack said. “We’ve got a selection of the best Apple family recipes going back generations which have so much love poured into them over the years that they should fill you up right proper. If that doesn’t work we’ve got some of the best pony grub from inside and out of Equestria from places like Trottingham, Stalliongrad and Prance. Then if they don’t meet your tastes then there’s a chef here that does the best griffon chow all over he reckons. He’s cooked up a marinated duck that smells so good that even my mouth was watering.”

“But the princess?” Chrysalis said weakly.

Cadance patted her lover on the shoulder. “Think about it,” she said. “When we go to Princess Celestia just think how much better it will sound if we can tell her that we’ve just come from a feast with you getting along perfectly with her subjects.”

“I suppose,” Chrysalis said. “I still don’t think it’s going to work.” Her words were ignored, and she let herself be dragged off towards the royal dining halls.

~~~

“My love, we will always be together,” Twilight Sparkle said as she nuzzled up against him. The purple unicorn was a distant memory. Now she stood taller than any changeling queen or pony princess. Her black chitinous hide shone, seemingly without the need of an actual light source, while her jewel-like insect wings sparkled more beautifully than any stained glass window in the history of pony kind. The neat manecut that she had used to wear was now a flowing gloriously long cascade of blues and purples so deep that he felt like he could drown forever in them.

And, of course, it wasn’t the real Twilight Sparkle.

Dusk knew this was a forced fantasy to make him feel love, and in reality he was trapped inside a cocoon, while that idiot drone was wrecking everything. It wasn’t as if any changeling could feed on the love that the cocoon was supposed to be provoking in him. If changelings could feed on other ‘lings love then they’d never have left their hives again. However, here he was stuck very much out of the way, and that rankled.

He tried to will his forelimbs sharply upwards to tear the heavy mucous and ichor confining him apart, but all that accomplished was wrapping them softly around the Twilight changeling queen’s long neck and holding her close. Dusk was purposely not examining why it was Twilight, and in this form, as he suspected he wouldn’t like the answers very much. It was probably just that drone messing with him after his outburst. Yes, that had to be it.

All he had to do was concentrate. Sure, no pony that he’d ever seen once in the confines of a changeling cocoon had got out again without outside help, but he was no pony. He had been named swarm lord of Hive Chrysalis. It was just turning out to be really difficult to actually keep his wits together with Twilight nibbling on his ear with her new pointy fangs.

Twilight pulled away and looked him in the eyes. “Is this a dream?”

Dusk inwardly groaned. His mind might be being twisted under outside influence to fuel this fantasy, but he thought that he’d be able to come up with better dialogue than that.

“If I say yes,” he said, his tone completely resigned, “is there any chance that you’ll let me wake up?”

Twilight’s hooves started sensually running down his body creating sensations that almost made him forget this was a forced fantasy of love. Twilight’s eyes remained locked on his. She almost looked... concerned.

“Dusk,” she said slowly. “Can you hear me?”

The question came like a splash of cold water right between the eyes.

“I’ve been trying to reach you for ages,” Twilight said, while her body continued to do everything it could to drown out her actual words. “I’d ask why you’re seeing me as a changeling, and doing well, this.” She blushed.

Dusk hadn’t been aware that changelings could blush, but apparently in this fantasy actual physiology had long since gone out the window.

“But I reckon that’s not too important right now,” Twilight finished.

“One of the drones has persuaded the others that this is a bad enough failure to invoke one of our laws,” Dusk began to explain. “We are not kind in regard to failure in our queens. There are reasons for that, but in other circumstances, well, it would normally be my place to give judgement and lead the drones to rip the errant queen apart.”

“But you wanted to save her?” Twilight asked, as the rest of her continued its attempts to distract him from her actual words.

Dusk sighed. “Yes, yes I did,” he said. “I thought that the hive could yet recover from this setback, and that no queen could have possibly predicted this course of events. However unwise the invasion might have been in the first place. I’d even argue that this is enough of a victory given how much love Cadance can provide us, as much as I personally dislike it seeing my queen so bewitched.”

“I take it that the drones think differently,” she said.

He squirmed under the tender ministrations of the fantasy, and tried to concentrate enough to reply. “They’re panicking. Something has them spooked enough to ignore the natural order of the hive,” he explained. “That’s all we changelings really want is order when it gets down to it. The queen rules, the swarm lord commands, the speaker advises, the broodmother ensures stability, and the drones obey. A hive, just enough love and that’s what we need to keep us content,” Dusk said. “The more that gets disrupted then the more dangerous we get. Even too much love, like in times past, can leave the hive unbalanced.”

“Do you want me to come get you out?” Twilight asked.

“Absolutely not!” Dusk said quickly. “There’s still hundreds of drones down here, and one mare walking into these tunnels now would be exactly what they need to change their minds into ignoring that drone’s idea to have Cadance be our new queen.”

Twilight gasped at that idea, and then frowned. Dusk could feel the expression forming on Twilight’s real face, the fantasy on the other hoof kept up that same infuriating blissful smile. “But, surely she could just tell them to live in harmony with us?”

Dusk grimaced. “I don’t think that drone will be happy with that,” he said, “and then things get really messy.”

“What do you want me to do then?” Twilight asked.

Dusk could feel her concern and worry at the idea of leaving him. “Warn your princess and my queen. No matter what happens now, they’ll try to kill Queen Chrysalis if they can, and will certainly not give Cadance a choice.”

“Can’t they just go back to one of the other hives rather than bothering with all this?” Twilight said, the frustration clear in her voice. “I’m sure I’ve read that there’s supposed to be other queens out there.”

“No chance,” Dusk replied. “We are of Hive Chrysalis, a lineage going back to the great change. There are only four other true queens left that go that far back. Queen Nychus is utterly psychotic, Queen Thorndust is far too clever by half, and the other two disappeared over the great waves to the west a millennia ago. None of them would accept another hive’s changelings as their own, and the only other alternative are the lesser hives. Those with half-mad queens, where they have converted themselves a hive ruler from pony stock, and those with hybrid queens who owe their lineage to such broken progenitors. Only the most truly desperate would be willing to accept being apart of a hive like that.”

“I don’t understand it, Twilight,” he said, his voice thick with worry. “They’re breaking with the natural order of the hive. It’s possible that they’re going to start acting even more oddly yet.”

There was a sudden rush of magical energy, the fantasy images washed away, and Dusk found himself peering through the murky green mucous of his cocoon. “”What was that?!” he asked. His horn felt like it had just taken a direct hit from a lightning bolt.

‘You actually felt that?’ came the familiar voice of Twilight in his mind, rather than translated through the cocoon. ‘It must be our link... Never mind that for now, there was a strange surge of magic near me somewhere in the palace. I’m going to check it out.’

Dusk could feel Twilight’s mind racing through the complex calculations to perform a teleport, and then she was gone.

“Now, where were we?” the changeling queen Twilight purred, as the fantasy snapped back into place.

~~~

The drone still in the guise of the pink pony with balloons on her flank hopped along behind the other two. She’d had to change back into a drone to fly up the mountain and for the first time in her life, she’d found the whole experience deeply uncomfortable in comparison to wearing another form. Not like this one, this was far better, then she was still itching terribly on both of her sides, and one of her ears kept flopping about of its own volition every so often. She wasn’t entirely sure why she’d come along anyway, now that she thought about it, and certainly hadn’t got permission to do so, but for some reason it’d just seemed like a fun thing to do at the time when the other drone had been making her plans with the speaker.

The drone that had called for a new queen had also changed back into the mint-green mare that had been in the cavern with the other two ponies before the scary Nightmare Moon had come to take them away. She had also insisted on being called Firebrand when they’d snuck into the abandoned tower, which was pretty weird, the drone considered to herself. The speaker was still calling himself speaker, then that was kind of like a name anyway, she supposed. He’d turned into a very pretty looking white stallion with a long flowing mane, and kept looking around as they trotted along.

Maybe I should have a name too? the drone thought. ’Do me! Do me!’ That pony had said to her, and it had been ringing in her ears ever since. Maybe that could work. She couldn’t just call herself Do Me, as that sounded like she was part of the family Me, or Do, or maybe not, pony naming conventions were ever so confusing. Dome would make her sound like she should have be part of a building, and Do’me was something out of a bad fantasy novel. Then she grinned as she came across the perfect option. Doomie, now that would be her name.

Firebrand and the speaker were talking, but Doomie wasn’t paying them much attention.

<“So, you really can’t talk to her to explain?”> Firebrand was asking in the changeling language.

<”I’ve been all over Equestria and beyond,”> the speaker replied sardonically, <”and yet oddly enough I’ve never heard any of the ponies say ‘Excuse me, but how would you like to be our queen?’. Funny how that’s never come up.”>

Firebrand growled. <”We’ll just stick her into a cocoon then and talk to her that way.”> she said. <”It’s not like Chrysalis would be willing to translate even if we did want to ask her.”>

They cantered along, looking for all the world like a stallion and two mares about their normal business throughout the palace. They did give any of the royal guard they saw a very wide berth just in case.

<”Do you have any clue where we’re going?”> the speaker asked, after they’d been into what Doomie reckoned was the third identical corridor.

Firebrand sniffed loudly, her pony nose flaring. <”Love, can’t you smell it?”> she replied wickedly. <”This way.”>

They came to a great dining hall. There was a large number of ponies here around the former queen, but Cadance was sitting off to one side further down the table that extended down the entire length of the room.

<”Perfect,”> Firebrand said, a malicious light dancing in her eyes. <”Speaker, wait until I am in position to announce us. Drone...”>

<“Doomie!”> she said in reply brightly.

<”Maybe later,”> Firebrand said absent mindedly, still gazing intently towards where Cadance was sitting.

<“No, silly! Doomie with an ‘i’ and an ‘e’,”> she explained.

She sighed. <”Doomie,”> Firebrand started to say, and then shrugged. “

Doomie wasn’t listening anymore, as her attention was entirely elsewhere, and hopped forwards to the most beautiful sight that she’d ever seen.

~~~

“Don’t worry, this is going to work out perfectly,” Trixie said in the most reassuring tone that she could manage. They were so close, and it was hardly the time for the other two to start getting cold hooves.

Even with Sunset Shimmer pointing out the correct section of the book, actually pulling off the spell had still been hard going. First they had needed an item to cast the spell onto, and from what Trixie had been able to discern it just needed to encircle the body. There had been some disagreements of whether it should be say a girdle, a snazzy belt, or even a corset. They’d settled eventually on a simple silken sash that Rarity had been able to whip up in short order from her stash of supplies.

Trixie had been forced to admit that without the other unicorn she wouldn’t have had a chance to pull the spell off. Rarity had some experience with very minor enchantments to resist dirt and wear and the like, and when Trixie’s own magical reserves had proved insufficient, had demonstrated an impressive amount of power that the fashionista had been hiding up to that point. She didn’t have anything like Trixie’s skill, knowledge, intelligence, or looks, but Trixie was still thankful that Rarity was content to be a mere fashion designer, or there’d be a serious other candidate for the most great and powerful pony around.

In the end it had been than more than even the combined forces of Trixie’s and Rarity’s horns could handle between them, until she’d had the idea of spreading the unenchanted sash across Fluttershy’s wings first. Pegasi wings were how their innate magic was used to fly, and it had turned out to be the perfect catalyst to allow Trixie and Rarity to complete the enchantment. The sash now glowed with an eerie pale-blue inner light, that seemed to get much brighter when she caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye. Trixie couldn’t help but feel proud for pulling off such a spell, even if it had been accomplished with quite a bit of help.

All they needed to do now was get Shining Armour to wear the sash for the spell to pick up the required body, then Trixie would wear it—definitely after they’d left to avoid confusing him, she considered—and her new far more promising life would begin.

They’d talked to a few guards, and Shining Armour had been seen retiring to his quarters, so this was definitely not the time for second thoughts.

“What are we going to tell him though?" Fluttershy was saying anxiously.

“We don’t need to tell him anything,” Trixie insisted for the fourth time already. “We just pop in, say hello, ask him to try the sash on, leave, and then everything is going to be magical.”

“I don’t know...” Rarity said, rubbing at her illustriously styled mane.

“It’ll be fine,” Trixie said, putting on her most confident and cocky smile, which was really saying something. “Just be polite, and we’ll be in and out in minutes.”

When they came to the right door, Trixie knocked, and then not hearing anything, knocked a few more more times to no answer.

“Um... Perhaps he’s somewhere else?” Fluttershy said. “Maybe we could come back tomorrow, or maybe the day after.”

“Wait,” Rarity said, her ears pricking up. “I hear something, and look here, the door is slightly ajar.”

She pushed past Trixie and into the room. Shining Armour was sprawled across the bed in a not particularly dignified fashion, and was snoring loudly. A couple of empty bottles were on the bedside table.

“Bear Hugger’s best whiskey,” Rarity noted with a desultory sniff. “Somepony’s had a very hard day, looks like.”

“Didn’t you say his fiance was shacking up with a changeling?” Trixie said. “That’s more than enough to drive anypony to drink.”

“What are you waiting for?” Fluttershy asked nervously from the doorway.

“Aren’t we going to ask him first?” Trixie said, eyeing the unconscious stallion.

Rarity’s brow furrowed for a moment. “Well, you did say that it wouldn’t do anything to him,” she said. “Isn’t that right, Trixie?”

“Well, yes,” Trixie said, suddenly feeling a lot less confident than she had been. The tome had been written in High Equestrian, and while she was sure that she’d gotten the gist there was a chance she just might have missed something. Twilight Sparkle would have been sure, so would Sunset Shimmer, she thought.

She shrugged her doubts away and taking the sash in her magic, wrapped it around Shining Armour.

Nothing happened.

“See, Trixie told you there was nothing to worry about—”

She was interrupted by the sound not unlike the hum made by a busy beehive, but so, so much louder. The eerie light that had been within the sash expanded outwards until the entire room glowed bright, washing out all the colours, and leaving the three mares blinking. Fluttershy squeaked and disappeared behind the doorway. Rarity looked like she was trying to say something, but no sounds came out.

A second later, the humming, and the light was gone, and so was the stallion.

Unable to think of anything intelligent to say, Trixie said, “Huh, you know what, but I can see what you meant.” She could only stare at the now recumbent sight of Gleaming Shield, wearing an entirely normal looking sash, and snoozing away seemingly without a care in the world.

“Trixie!” Rarity screamed, the moment she got her wits back. “What in the holy name of Celestia’s rear end have you done?!”

“I... I don’t know—”

Whatever she had been going to say, and Trixie wasn’t too sure what that had going to be herself, was interrupted by popping sound and a sudden gust of wind, as if all the air in the room now had to get out the way due to the presence of another body.

And there was Twilight Sparkle staring around the room, clearly not quite able to quite believe what her eyes were feeding back to her.

Trixie was the first to react, wishing she still had her cape to swirl dramatically, she leaped up onto the bed, and stood over the transformed mare. “Behold, Twilight Sparkle!” she proclaimed. “Trixie has cast the most mightiest magic that you will ever see in your puny life. Using powers thought lost to all of pony kind, the most great and powerful Trixie has transformed this humble stallion into a mare!” she said, grinning her face off as the moment thoroughly rushed to her head “It’ll take more than disposing of a baby ursa for you to top that!”

Rarity was gawping, with her mouth hanging open, and over at the doorway Fluttershy was pretty much sporting the exact same reaction. The newly transformed Gleaming Shield kept on snoring, admittedly in much more delicate manner than before.

“Trixie,” Twilight said, her face entirely flat.

“Yes, Twilight?” Trixie asked, brimming with excitement at the sure adulation that would soon be coming for her display of astounding magical skill, even if it hadn’t been quite what she’d been aiming for at the time.

“That mare is my brother.”

Trixie’s jaw dropped, as her entire world came crashing down all over again. A thousand secret fantasies, nursed in her time at the rock farm, boiled away in the heat of Twilight Sparkle’s expression. She tried to think of some excuse, to explain that it had been an accident, and that it certainly hadn’t been her idea anyway, but she knew it wouldn’t help. It never did.

“Oh, ponyfeathers,” she swore quietly.

Chapter 8: We Never Had a Single Fight

The light of the late morning sun washed over the room of the captain of the Canterlot royal guard and bathed it in a picturesque glow. The light shone in from the window and played over the collection of well sharpened spears, several empty bottles, and onto the tousled navy mane of the still snoozing Shining Armour. The tranquil scene was somewhat spoiled unfortunately by him being woken up to the unmistakable noise of a mare yelling her head off.

In his sleep dazed state he considered it pretty rude for anypony to be making such a noise in a guy’s own room, and cuddled up to one of his pillows. He knew he probably should get up and tell whoever it was exactly to put a sock in it, but for some reason he was feeling so fantastic that staying in place with his eyes closed was a far more attractive option than moving himself in any form or fashion. He had a vague notion that he’d drank himself to sleep last night and so feeling so good could only be a Celestia-sent miracle. On that basis moving would probably in some way be going against his duty as captain of the royal guard. Comforted by that unassailable logic and that his princess' honour had been satisfied he let out a happy sigh, and with all the skill of a pony formerly used to barracks sleeping up to twenty stallions at a time, successfully tuned the shouting out entirely.

Meanwhile his body was doing the usual automatic subconscious checks that every body does to make sure that nothing had fallen off overnight and when it got to his crotch region it raised a big red flag with bells on. A hoof moved downwards by itself driven by some subconscious order, patted inquisitively, discovered that what should be there was in fact very much not there, and Shining Armour’s eyes shot right open and quickly flashed towards his nether regions. Well, that’s certainly new...

Ignoring the temptation to do a full reconnaissance into unfamiliar territory, Shining instead raised his head from the pillow and looked around. The source of all the noise was his sister being cross at a blue unicorn that he didn’t recognise. There were also two more of his sister’s friends that he did know who both looked like they were hoping for the ground to swallow them up and anytime now would be good, and that was when he noticed himself in his bedside mirror.

The mare’s reflected eyes were as big as saucers staring back at him. As a test he raised a forehoof and the mare in the mirror raised the same hoof. Now, Shining Armour had always been convinced that dad had been a very lucky stallion to be with his mum, and that his sister was as cute as the proverbial button. Whatever had flipped his gender however—which certainly had something to do with that unknown mare along with the silky sash that he now noticed he was wearing—had resulted in a mare that could make pegasi fly into walls just by trotting by. Oh, by the flaming gates of Tartaurus... he realised that there was definitely a reaction going on around the new unfamiliar body parts back there, while he was finding it very hard to look away, and rubbed his hind legs together. Combined with the flush on his cheeks it really hadn’t helped given that the sheer sight of the mare looking back at him in the mirror could have caused riots on any crowded street that he could care to name. Okay... step one is going to be not looking in the mirror anymore. Mirror bad, mirror very, very bad. This turned out to be a very big ask, but he, or possibly now she, eventually managed it.

Still lying on the bed Shining Armour turned his attention to the sight of his sister still going completely and utterly ballistic.

"—Was this some kind of sick revenge attempt, Trixie?!" Twilight was so incensed that she was practically spitting.

The mare that was apparently called Trixie was frozen in place near his bed, and looked like she was close to tears. She seemed to be ignoring Twilight, but Shining could see that her face was all twisted up in bitter self-recrimination.

Shining recognised the other two mares in the room as Rarity and Fluttershy from when they'd arrived at the palace with his sister. Rarity was nervously chewing on hoof in the corner. Her eyes were anguished, and she clearly wanted to get involved, the other unicorn just appeared to be having serious problems doing so.

The other one Fluttershy, who was cowering at the doorway was saying something, but it was so quiet that Shining couldn't make it out.

"I’ve been disbelieved by my closest friends and mentor, I’ve been imprisoned, escaped, had a changeling invasion thwarted at the cost of my brother’s marriage, I have a changeling actually in my head, and now on top of that we have the great and powerful Trixie around too to make some more mischief," Twilight snarled, putting mocking emphasis on the former magician's titles. "Is this really how you get your kicks? I've met diamond dogs I could stand to be around more than you."

Shining Armour's new mouth hung upon. He was too stunned by the tirade to interrupt and he could only hope that his sister wasn't now going through what he had with that damned queen.

"It was my idea," Fluttershy said again, now loud enough for Shining Armour to hear at last, but not apparently loud enough to knock Twilight out of her flow.

"To think that..." Twilight trailed off, as she finally noticed the two streams of water now clearly pouring down Trixie's face. "Why are you crying?" she asked, somewhat stunned. "You've got back at me at last for showing you up. Isn't this exactly what you wanted?"

"IT WAS MY IDEA!" Fluttershy yelled. It had been loud enough that Shining Armour wouldn't have been surprised if they'd have heard her all the way back in Ponyville.

"Err... what?" Twilight asked, entirely befuddled, as she glanced back between Trixie's silent sobbing and Fluttershy breathing heavily.

"It was my idea too, by the way," Rarity said, from where she'd been lurking in the corner.

Shining Armour couldn't help it. With all that had happened a light girlish giggle escaped his, or probably as was now the case, her lips. These quickly escalated into full body shaking guffaws as the other ponies in the room all turned to look at her.

"Shiny!" Twilight gasped. She rushed over to the bed, and looked her over with concern gleaming in her eyes.

"I'm fine," Shining said, and then attempted to get a look at her own lips, as she most definitely did not recognise the low husky voice that was coming out of them. "I do think you should be listening to your friends though."

Trixie rubbed her eyes on the back of a foreleg. "Look, it's fine! All we need to do is take the sash off and no harm done," she said a little weakly. A light blue aura pulled at the sash around Shining, but it couldn't seem to find any kind of purchase. Trixie let out a little 'huh' sound, and hooked her forehooves under the fabric and pulled. The sash didn't so much as move one iota.

"Trixie," Twilight said warningly, the earlier annoyance very much making a come back into her tone.

"Trixie does admit that there may be some glitches," she said, staring in clear horror at the sash. "Still, just because I don't know what actually went wrong doesn't mean that the casting wasn't sound in theory."

"Maybe it was down to me," Rarity said, having upgraded from chewing on her lip to her mane. "I couldn't understand anything in that tome you found."

"Um, neither of you would have tried it though if I hadn't of thought of the idea." Fluttershy added.

Twilight let out a shriek of pure frustration. "I officially do not have time for this. Yes, I do know that time is a factor! No, you don’t need to tell me that! Changelings could be coming after Princess Cadance any moment."

Shining Armour's ears perked up at that right off. "You mean there's a present security threat and you're wasting time here?" She rolled off the bed in one easy motion and levitated a spear over from a rack in the wall. She was pleased that at least that area seemed completely unaffected in length or power. "Lets go then," she said, and headed for the door.

There was a flash of magical energy and Twilight appeared in front of her in the doorway. "No, stay here," she snapped. "I don't know what side effects that sash might have had on you other than the obvious.” Twilight shook her head. “Shouldn’t be too difficult to get off and reverse the effects given a bit of study."

Shining Armour opened her mouth to suggest that perhaps a quick apology to this Trixie mare might be in order and to ask what exactly Twilight had meant about having a changeling in her head, but it was already too late. There was another flash of magic and Twilight was gone, leaving an awkward silence in her wake.

~~~

Cadance had been sitting off by herself to give herself the best possible view of her love Chrysalis being fussed around by Applejack and a small army of chefs and serving mares that she’d corralled into help. Watching Chrysalis attempt to be faultlessly polite while having random delicacy after random delicacy shoved towards her mouth was just so adorable that Cadance couldn’t help but giggle.

“This here’s a stickup!” yelled a voice, thick with an Appleloosian drawl. “Nopony move and nopony’ll get hurt.”

Before she had time to react to that a terribly strong mint-green limb wrapped around Cadance’s neck and pulled her backwards off her chair.

Applejack dropped the pie plate that she’d been holding that fell onto the floor with a ringing sound that echoed around the room. Everypony in the room jumped to their hooves, and Chrysalis was already stalking forward with murder in her eyes.

<”That goes for you too, Chrysalis”> a voice snarled loudly right by Cadance’s ear, as the echoing pie plate finally lay still. An intense heat burned near her cheek and she could see green flames licking to the side of her vision. <”I’d hate to have to mar this pretty face so terribly.”>

Chrysalis halted in her tracks with a look of absolute and total rage contorting her features. Applejack stood by her side, Rainbow Dash was already in the air, and most of the staff were spreading out around them suddenly sporting a truly intimidating collection of cleavers and other miscellaneous kitchen utensils.

To Cadance’s amazement she’d understood the changeling words perfectly. Which she could only put down to a side effect of the magic she’d cast to bring her and Chrysalis together along with the merging of energies on multiple occasions that she'd taken part of since. The unfamiliar sounds came easily to her, and she asked, <”What do you want with me?”>

<”You speak changeling?!”> exclaimed the voice. <”Oh, that is a relief! Only thing I’d been able to think of so far to get round that was to stick you in a cocoon and talk to you that way.”>

”If you just wanted to talk to me you hardly had to go to this much trouble,” Cadance said, switching back to Equestrian knowing that the changeling would understand her anyway.

The changeling laughed, and tightened a grip a bit causing Cadance to choke. <”I’m Firebrand, the fop over there is the speaker, and Doomie...”> She looked around until she finally spotted the other changeling standing entranced at the sight of a massive multi-story cake decorated with so much frosting that it was dripping. <”Never mind about Doomie,”> Firebrand said, and groaned. <“Anyway, you’re going to be the new queen of the hive.”> she said matter of factly.

<”You WHAT?!”> Chrysalis screamed, so incensed that she slipped into her native tongue. Some of the kitchen staff flinched back nervously at the sight of the changeling queen so enraged.

“What if I say no?” Cadance said, ignoring her love for now in the hope she could talk her way out of this. The flame against her face really was getting far too scorchingly hot already.

<”We’ll begin the process to turn you into a real changeling queen,”> Firebrand replied. <”Assuming you survive, and not go too mad, then you say yes anyway.”>

Cadance’s face blanched at that prospect. “What if I say yes and tell you to live in harmony with the ponies? Especially given that between myself and Chrysalis we can generate more than enough love to keep you all fed permanently.”

<”We stick you in a cocoon till we change your mind for you,”> Firebrand hissed. <”A changeling queen knows that ponies are nothing but prey. Unless they are controlled, then they will hurt us, and soon you’ll know that as well as I. Canterlot will be our hive, Equestria will be our playground, and we will never have to be afraid again, pony.”>

“I understand,” Cadance said brightly. Then she twisted snakelike in Firebrand’s grip, and ended up with their faces so close that their muzzles were almost touching. The fire burned even hotter at the surprise motion and Cadance could feel her fur start to singe but she paid it no mind. “You may not be aware,” she said, leaning in closer to the surprised drone. <“But I already have the heart of a changeling.”> She finished her declaration in the changeling's own tongue, and then kissed her.

There was an audible gasp around the room, and from no one louder than from Chrysalis herself, as Cadance kissed the changeling with everything that she had. Her eyes opened and a neon pink light blazed within, as her horn glowed far brighter than the changeling's flame ever had and a halo of hearts danced around Cadance and Firebrand. Then there was another ring of vibrant hearts, and another, and another until the pair were almost hidden from sight by the rapidly spinning rings of unleashed magical power of the alicorn of love. Then as the rings spread outwards revealing the two once more. Firebrand’s lips, that were still locked with Cadance's own, had started to burn. The pink flame did nothing to Cadance, but as it spread across the drone’s body the lime-green guise caught alight to reveal the black chitin beneath. The instrument cutie mark of a lyre was the last part of her to disappear under a pink fire so bright and intense that it was difficult to behold.

Cadance finally pulled away and let the changeling drop. A puff of pink smoke wheezed out between her fangs when Firebrand hit the floor. Cadance stepped to one side, not bothering to look down at the body at her hooves. Her right cheek was now decorated with a black scorch mark in stark contrast to the rest of her.

The speaker and Doomie could only stare. They were apparently too frightened out of their hides to even think about fleeing.

Rainbow Dash was the first pony to get her wits back, and asked, “Did you kill her?

“Probably not,” Cadance said, with a shrug. She was stunned with herself how little she seemed to care. It had been in self defence, but she had just used her magic to inflict harm on another. She wasn't even sure she regretted her actions back in the throne room anymore. Maybe Chrysalis really was right and she did have a heart of a changeling after all.

As Chrysalis hugged against her in a wordless gesture of comfort, Cadance realised that while it was perhaps an unconventional form of power that she had forced into the drone with such devastating result, it very much was power though, and she felt her lips curl upwards into a grin. Cadance might be a princess, but with no kingdom of her own that had only ever been in name early. Even the occasional lessons in statecraft had stopped after Celestia had her sister back and the diarchy was firmly entrenched in place. All that was left was pettiness against the serving staff, and while that might keep her adopted brother happy, Cadance had never played those kind of games. This though, she decided, this was very much a power she could enjoy using. After all she had so very much enjoyed the taste of it.

~~~

“If you’ll excuse me,” Shining Armour said, and nodded to the three remaining mares gathered in her room.

“But Twilight said you should stay here?” Rarity asked.

“I don’t take orders from my little sister oddly enough,” Shining Armour said, and flashed an effortless smile so dazzling it left Rarity thoroughly weak at the knees. “Anyway, if there really is trouble I have to go to do my duty regardless of what shape I’m in.”

“I’m sure Twilight can deal with it,” Trixie said, and let out a little sniff. Fluttershy moved from where she’d been standing to put a comforting hoof around the magician’s shoulder, and Trixie leaned softly into the other mare’s mane.

“Probably,” Shining Armour agreed. “Still I should check, and then if it turns out it’s nothing I’m heading straight to the barracks to give my guards a briefing that they’re not ever going to forget,” she said, with her eyes dancing. “I might even have time to wind up my counterpart in the night guard before Twilight finds a way to reverse this. That moustached stuck up ponce really does deserve what's coming to him,” Shining added wickedly, and fluttered her new eyelashes. “After all, after what I’ve been through. I think I’m justified in having a bit of fun. Don’t you?

“Uh,” Rarity said intelligently, not sure at all how to respond to that. “Aren’t you curious why you’re currently a mare?” she asked, trying to recover her wits somewhat.

“Magical mishap I presume” she said, on her way out. “Serve as long as I have in Celestia's guard and it's all pretty old hat. Least I'm shaped like a pony this time..."

There was a collective raising of eyebrows.

"It's like we say in the royal guard: If all your fur falls out then we can fix that, if you turn into a potted plant then we can fix that too, and if you happen to grow a tentacle or three, well we can fix that too..." She let a wicked snicker. "Eventually."

“Tentacles?” Fluttershy squeaked nervously

“Anyway, you all seem suitably sorry,” Shining said, in an attempt to get things back on track. “It really doesn't matter what your motives had been as far as I'm concerned while the princesses may be in danger. Anyway duty calls,” Shining added, before bumping the door shut on her way out with a swing of her rear.

"Well," Rarity harrumphed. "That certainly was a thing that happened."

Trixie was still looking at the now closed door, and then sighed. "I do see why you did all that though."

"Yeah," Fluttershy said quietly, and the three mares fell into an introspective silence.

~~~

When Firebrand woke up she was greeted by the sight of Chrysalis staring down at her with eyes aflame with rage.

<"Chrysalis."> The changeling coughed and another wisp of pink smoke escaped her charred lips.

"Queen Chrysalis," she snarled back.

Firebrand grinned weakly back, and said, <"Not anymore.">

"You... YOU!'' Chrysalis screeched, and raised a forehoof high, seemingly to squash the meddlesome changeling forever.

Cadance put a steadying hoof on her lover's shoulder. "Please, just breathe before you do anything rash."

Chrysalis' raised hoof trembled in the air, and then she brought it against her chest, and breathed out loudly. "Just what were you thinking?" she finally said, her previous rage absent from her voice. "It is not the place of a drone to rise above her station to make the decisions of a swarm lord."

Firebrand coughed again. Now Cadance looked at her properly, the drone had picked up a few after effects from the massive overdose of love she had forced into her. Lyra's instrument cutiemark had seemingly been burned into the changeling's flanks with the strings aflame in pink.

<"The swarm lord would never have moved against you. We all knew that after he saved you as a nymphling,"> Firebrand explained wearily. <"You stopped being a queen as soon as she set her pretty eyes on you,"> she said, glancing at Cadance. <"Her strength has made you weak.">

"You... You... IDIOT!" Chrysalis yelled, her previous anger returning with a vengeance. "Don't you understand that thanks to her we'd have never gone hungry again?"

<"That's not how things should be,"> Firebrand stated simply. <"We are changelings. A changeling queen rules, she does not submit her will to another. We are not given love by ponies. We take it from them. That is the order of things, and without that, there's is only discord."> She shivered. <"And the inevitable wrath of the Nightmare Moon. Have you forgotten what her and her armies did to our kind, and will surely do again? The ponies must be controlled. Order protects the hive. I know this, and so did what I must. You apparently have forgotten."> Firebrand sighed, the exertion of talking so much after her experience was clearly affecting her. <"You were weak, foolish, and when we have a queen worthy of the title I can only hope for your sake that when that happens you are nowhere to be found.">

Chrysalis opened her mouth to say something, and left it hanging open for a while. Then she breathed out long and hard again.

"I will talk to the hive," she said. "I will make them understand that is not how things have to be."

"They will not listen," she said, with an odd pink glint playing about her eyes. "Not to a pony."

Chrysalis snorted, spun on her hooves, and stalked off to give anything present a very large piece of her current mind.

Cadance stayed standing over the fallen drone. "I would be your queen, if you could just learn to compromise," she said softly. "Things can be better if you could only give them a chance."

Firebrand laughed, a harsh choking sound coming up through her battered lungs. "That was a good kiss," she said, then her eyes rolled upwards in her head, and she slumped back into unconsciousness.

Several of the chefs and serving staff cantered over. "We'll watch over it 'till the guard shows up," said one of the bakers, still floating a very hefty rolling pin in a telekinetic grip.

Cadance thanked them all, and wandered over to where the third changeling was standing by a huge decorated cake and looking totally lost.

<"Hello, your highn... uh, princess pony miss sir,"> Doomie said, and looked like she was about to bolt.

"It's okay, really," Cadance said reassuringly. "You don't have to be scared."

<"Not scared,"> Doomie squeaked out, clearly shaking like a leaf.

"I just want to talk," Cadance said. "And hopefully to understand. Why won't that drone listen to me or Chrysalis?"

<"The hive has to have a queen, there has to be order, and there wasn't,"> Doomie said, her words coming in one long unbroken nervous string that Cadance had to concentrate hard on to understand. <"Chrysalis told us to invade and we did, then she is not queen due to being defeated, though she still says otherwise. Tells us not to feed on ponies, but three mares are just waiting for us in the caves where she told us to go anyway. Lots of arguments between those still wanting to obey former queen, those that not want to provoke ponies further and those who just want to feed. We always want to feed, but it not good for hive to argue. There should be order, cohesion, but we have no queen, no swarm lord, and speaker and broodmother not willing to command only suggest as is proper.">

Cadance was still trying to get used to the growls and clicks coming from what looked like normally a very cheerful looking pink earth pony mare, but so far she was sure she was getting the gist of what the changeling was saying.

<"Then Nightmare Moon comes from out of the caves and that we really did not see coming. She's angry too and takes the ponies away,"> Doomie continued to explain. <"Now everyling is scared as well which just makes things even worse. Chrysalis had no hatchlings so we can't even look to a 'ling that could at least one day be true queen. Then one drone,"> Doomie said, pointing a trembling pink hoof at Firebrand. <"She say 'we are changelings, we have laws, there will be order in the hive once more'. Everyling listens as it is just what they want to hear. She says swarm lord is not doing what needs to be done, but she knows, and we all listened. That's pretty much it,"> Doomie finished, and let loose a high-pitched giggle.

"So they really won't accept Chrysalis as queen anymore?" Cadance asked.

<"Don’t know,"> Doomie admitted. <"I really should be at least having a go at attacking her, what with her being pronounced as a former queen by the hive. Do you think she'd mind too much if I just assaulted her with this cake?"> she asked.

<"I do not think that would be a good idea at all, Doomie."> The speaker had joined them, still in the guise of Prince Blueblood, and was shaking his head.

Cadance glanced at him and felt a slight shudder go through her. "Do you mind? I might be able to understand you, but my brother by adoption chittering at me is still far too disturbing."

<"Of course, princess."> One surge of green light across his body later and an older looking changeling stood in front of her. He bowed his head respectfully.

<"Would you mind if I made a polite request?"> the speaker asked.

Cadance was taken back, but her sense of decorum managed to quickly re-establish itself. "Of course," she said. "Do you wish me to be your queen still?"

<"No,"> the speaker replied flatly. <"I would respectfully ask that you and Chrysalis have nothing more to do with the hive.">

Doomie let out a little gasp. <"But, but..."> she stammered. <"We wouldn't ever be hungry!"> She licked a dollop of frosting of her face, as the once proudly standing cake slowly collapsed behind her. <"Err."> Her borrowed pink pony visage flushed slightly. <"Cake is really totally scrumptious, but it's just not the same as love.">

<"Thank you for your input, Doomie,"> the speaker said in a series of strained snarls.

"It does seem a reasonable point to me."

The speaker sighed. <"Please do not take offence, but your way of providing love is not an acceptable answer to our hunger.">

<"But why?"> Doomie asked plaintively, her lower lip quivering.

<"You have to understand changelings are not given love freely. We take it,"> the speaker explained. <"I have travelled enough to understand that the ponies we prey upon suffer as they are fed upon.">

Doomie's jaw fell open. <"You mean that when they're—">

The speaker who had been eyeing Cadance's rapidly darkening expression cut her off. <"What I am saying,"> he put in firmly. <"Is that freely given love rather than taking it, and especially love of such purity may be harmful to us."> He rubbed a chitinous hoof against his chin. <"To make matter worse I do not even know how much this has to do instead with the breakdown of the hive's natural order. Firebrand had already well stepped over how I'd expect a drone to act before the lord returned with your offering."> He grimaced at that last word.

"So Doomie here may not be acting entirely normally," Cadance said. She glanced at Doomie who had her tongue stuck out and her eyes were crossed. From her muttering the drone was trying to come with an impromptu song for the situation and was apparently having problems with some of the rhymes. "But that doesn't mean that the love that myself and Chrysalis shared is at fault."

The speaker shook his head. <"A drone taking a name or trying actual food is odd, but not all that concerning. While we may look like insects to you ponies and prefer everyling to know their proper place, we are still individual enough that behaviours outside the norm can and have occurred,"> he patiently explained. <"This though...">

"What?"

<"Our former queen was far too angry to notice, none of the others would understand the significance, but perhaps you might be able to grasp it."> The speaker stared at her intently. <"What was the last thing that Firebrand said before you talked to her.">

Cadance's head tilted to one side, and then glanced at where Firebrand was still lying in place. "She called her a pony." A eyebrow raised slightly. "Wait, she said it in Equestrian."

<"Indeed,"> the speaker replied gravely. <"I do not know how much you are aware about our kind, but that is something that a changeling drone should never ever be able to do. I am only an accomplished mimic, the queens are very much a special exception, and young Firebrand is certainly not a queen. By the Majesty, It is simply not possible and frankly that terrifies me.">

Cadance was just considering that when there was a sharp pop in the air followed by an almighty crash as Twilight Sparkle landed amongst the plates strewn around the large dining table that dominated the room.

Hauling herself up, and stopping only to wipe some cake from out of her face, Twilight yelled, "Princess Cadance, changelings are coming after you!" Then she paused to actually look around and noted the smoking recumbent form of the changeling drone on the floor. She also noted that Cadance looked to be completely unmolested aside from a black mark on her cheek and was looking just as surprised as the other changeling that she was standing right next to and had apparently been in conversation with.

“Oh,” she said self-consciously.

Chrysalis raised a hoof politely to get Twilight’s attention.

“What?” Twilight snapped, her right eye starting to seriously twitch.

“I’m curious,” Chrysalis asked, giving the unicorn a steady look. “May I ask how you happened to find that out?”

"I—"

"And you were speaking changeling to me earlier," Chrysalis said, and raised an eye ridge, "which is interesting."

Rainbow Dash moved through the air to glare at her friend. "You can speak changeling, 'Twilight'? If that is even your real name!"

Twilight vanished and reappeared by Applejack who couldn't help but canter a few steps to the side at the sudden appearance. "Look, I am not on trial here!"

"Of course not, Twi'," Applejack said, glancing to her side. "But you do have to admit that you're behaving a mite... oddly."

"I am not behaving oddly!" Twilight protested loudly. "No I... look just because you think that this isn't helpful..." she trailed off. "Yes, I know that I'm wasting time here. Anyway, it's not like you're full of bright ideas."

Applejack raised an arch eyebrow as she got the impression that whatever pony Twilight was talking to it wasn't one that was present in the room. She moved around Twilight slowly to face her trying with her every movement to look as calm and unthreatening as possible. "Now, Twilight," she said, keeping her voice level. "Ah now you've had a hard couple of days..."

Twilight's head snapped up to stare at her friend and let loose a sharp bark of cynical laughter. "You could say that!"

"You know that we're all really very sorry that we didn't listen when you were sayin' all that stuff about how the princess wasn't who she said she was."

"Err, yeah," Rainbow Dash said, flying over to join Applejack. "That was totally un-awesome of us. Our bad totally."

"Thing is," Applejack said matter of factly. "You're currently acting crazier than a hen-house fulla cockatrices and we're worried about you."

"I..." Twilight looked like she was about to protest loudly, and then her shoulders slumped and her ears drooped. "I'm not crazy," she said quietly.

"But you can suddenly speak changeling," Rainbow Dash pointed out, as she flew over to get right in her friend's face. "And you've got to admit that you're acting out of the ordinary when everything has been sorted out already."

Twilight's eyes bulged. "You do realize that there's a changeling queen standing right over there!", she shouted incredulously. She summoned a beam of light shining accusingly down on Chrysalis who just stood there with a hoof against her chest and a 'who, me?' innocent expression on her face.

"Well, yeah!" Dash responded and nodded her head. "It's just like what we did back then with Nightmare Moon, isn't it?"

Twilight could only stare with her mouth hanging open. The light spell promptly fizzled out into a short shower of sparks.

"It's just where we used the power of harmony Cadance happened to use her freaky romance powers," Dash explained matter of factly. "Seems straight forward to me so it must be even more obvious to you with all your egghead book smarts. Anyway, you were the one going on that Princess Luna was totally different after she was cured so I don't know why you being so unreasonable now."

Cadance thought about correcting the pegasus, or at least complaining about the use of 'freaky', but decided that she seemed to have things well in hoof without her intervention.

Chrysalis meanwhile was repressing a shudder at being compared to the bane of her race. On the other hoof from what she could work out from the argument that apparently that meant that all was forgiven and Chrysalis was certainly not going to complain about that.

"Buh," Twilight said, as she had to blink repeatedly to get her brain repaired after it had been shattered by Dash's attempts at logical discourse. "It's not exactly the same," she said unsteadily.

"It kinda is," Dash said crossing her forehooves across her chest. She then gave Twilight a knowing look. "Hey, you're not acting all screwy 'cause you didn't think of doing something like that back then?" She stuck a tongue out. "I'll never get what ponies see in this hoof-touchy squishy romantic stuff."

Twilight's brain that had just recovered from putting itself back together threatened to break altogether at that particular remark.

"Er, sugarcube," Applejack said, the concern on her face as clear as day. "Not sure that is helping all that much right now."

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I'm just saying is all."

Applejack rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Then I've never seen her show all that much interest in stallions," she pondered out loud while giving Twilight a speculative look.

"THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!" Twilight screamed in a passable attempt at the royal canterlot voice.

"Twilight, sister, please," said Shining Armour, who had pushed her way in to the dining room without any changeling or pony noticing. "You've really got to just calm down and not fly off like this all the time."

"I..." Twilight started to say, her chest heaving from losing it so completely. "I suppose you're right. Sorry, everypony," she said, and hung her head to stare at the devastation that she had wrought to the dining table.

Cadance didn’t turn to look at the new, but oddly familiar, feminine voice. Instead she buried her face in both her hooves, and groaned out, “You have got to be kidding me...”

~~~

“I suppose I’ll be going then," Trixie said, while rubbing her face with one of her hooves to clear away the last of the tears. "Don’t feel you need to give me any of the bits...”

“Oh no, no, no!” Rarity exclaimed. “That may not have gone quite as planned, but there’s no reason why you should have to go back to that dreary rock farm empty hooved!”

“But that was a disaster, a cock up, a failure," she sniffed. "A Trixie if you will," she added bitterly, her ears flat against her head.

"I didn't think it went all that badly," Fluttershy said softly. "I got to finally meet you after all."

"Yes, Trixie," Rarity said matter-of-factly. "The spell may not have gone quite as planned and Twilight wasn't too happy, but I'm sure she'll get over its there was no harm done. Anyway," she said, putting a light teasing tone into her voice. "It's not like she had all that great an opinion of you anyway after that Ursa minor incident." Seeing Trixie looking utterly crestfallen her voice trailed off. "Oh."

"It's stupid. Trixie knows that."

"But you only met her once," Rarity said, as she examined the other mare's face carefully.

"Once was enough," Trixie said, and sighed wistfully.

"Um... what's going on?" Fluttershy asked, her face blank.

"I think our magician here was carrying a torch," Rarity said, and let a little smile touch her lips.

"But couldn't she use her horn for that?" Fluttershy asked, before comprehension dawned. "Oh."

"She's just so incredible," Trixie said. "She's beautiful, she has power that really is great, and she certainly isn't a hack like me. I really thought... I really thought that if I came back and showed her that I could be truly powerful too I just might have a chance of winning her over."

Rarity and Fluttershy both kept carefully neutral expressions.

"If it helps," Rarity said. "I've never really seen her pay much attention to mares, or stallions either now I think about it."

"I know it's silly," Trixie admitted, and hung her head. "I know it's just an infatuation brought on by a stressful encounter, but I really did think we were meant to be together."

"Surely we..." Rarity began to say, as her eyes brightened with the idea of getting to play matchmaker.

Trixie held up a hoof. "Don't bother," she said quietly. "You saw her back there as well as I did. Twilight hates me."

"Twilight could never hate anypony," Fluttershy insisted firmly.

"It's not exactly something that can be cleared up with a quick apology, is it?"

"Tell you what, darling," Rarity said, moving to stand on the other unicorn's flank. "We've both cleared our commitments for the next couple of days anyway for the wedding, so why don't you stay on in Canterlot as our guest?"

"Trixie doesn't want to be any trouble..."

"Oh please say yes," Fluttershy insisted from her other side. "I didn't get a chance to meet you at all when you were in Ponyville last time."

"And I'm sure that if you just happened to run into Twilight again you could apologize to her," Rarity said, pressing from another until Trixie was beginning to feel like the proverbial daisy in the sandwich.

"Okay, I'll stay," she said grudgingly, to the warm smiles from the other mares. "I don't know why I even try though. You know that rock farm I was on? The farmer there had three daughters and all of them had flown the coop before Trixie got a chance to even lay her eyes on them."

"Um," Fluttershy said, who currently had a better head for numbers than Rarity. "We do know one of his daughters and I'm sure she mentioned four sisters though I could be mistaken."

Trixie led out a barely inaudible grumble. "That's not a mare, that's a heartless stone golem which happens to have hooves..."

Fluttershy's expression slowly turned into something a little more devious. "Y'know..."

"What is it, Fluttershy?" Trixie asked.

"I've got an idea for something that would cheer you up, would be really naughty, and it doesn't involve magically transforming a pony's gender," she said, low enough that Trixie and Rarity had to strain to hear her.

"That's a relief," Rarity said, as she watched her friend blush and make a good attempt at hiding behind her long mane. "What is it?"

"Well, we are in the captain of the palace guard's bedroom," Fluttershy said, while still blushing near enough to rival a supernova.

"That's true," Trixie said, "But I'm really not sure I follow."

"And his bed is right here," she moved over, and stroked the covers softly for emphasis.

"Uh." "Ah." "Wha'?" Rarity and Trixie said together as they attempted to follow the pegasus' logic. They exchanged looks with each other, then at the bed, then at Fluttershy, and then back to the bed again.

"And you did say you were willing to act as an escort, Trixie," Fluttershy said lightly, her voice gaining confidence as her wings flared to attention.

Trixie gulped, as she wondered where the meek pegasus had gone and been replaced by this brazen seductress with the most piercing eyes that she'd ever seen. She also wondered why exactly the room had suddenly got so incredibly warm all of a sudden.

"Fl-Fluttershy," Rarity just about managed to get out. "That's not exactly lady-like at all to proposition a pony just like that." Her chiding tone might have been more effective if she wasn't currently fanning herself desperately as visions danced around her head.

The seductress disappeared and the somewhat nervous looking pegasus made a swift return. "Oh, was that too much?" she asked, hiding as much as possible under her mane.

Trixie was having some problems with the combination of mouth movements that was involved in creating understandable speech, but eventually managed to say, "Maybe a little much, yes."

"I'm sorry," Fluttershy said, her eyes flicking between the other two mares. "It's just that after everything that's happened I thought it might help."

"I know," Rarity said softly. "It's just not the done thing."

Trixie's eyes flashed. "You know what," she said, and threw her mane back dramatically. "I am willing to give it a go. Who needs an unrequited crush when there's a pony who might actually like me right here." A worried expression passed over her face. "Just on the caveat no bits exchange hooves over this. Trixie is not that sort of mare."

Rarity coughed repeatedly. "So, I'll be going then," she said, as she slowly back-pedalled on her hooves towards the door.

"Please don't go," Fluttershy said, fixing Rarity in place with just a glance.

"Fluttershy, I can't," Rarity insisted, and ran a hoof through her mane. "We've been friends for so long it just seems wrong for it to happen all of a sudden like this."

Fluttershy's gaze did not waver. "It doesn't have to mean anything," she said, moving to stand by Trixie. "It can if you want it to though."

"But," Rarity protested. "I really, really shouldn't," she said, though her voice betrayed that she very much wanted to do the contrary, as a thousand shared moments reared up from her memory.

"That sounds like a challenge to me," Trixie said, some of the old show-mare confidence returning to her voice. "After all, anything you can do I can do better."

Rarity face twisted in anger, which then turned into open-mouthed slack-jawed amazement as Trixie seized Fluttershy's face between her hooves into a light sensual kiss. An attempted showy kiss that she very swiftly lost all semblance of control over as to Rarity's mounting awe Fluttershy demonstrated herself to be an enthusiastic, passionate, and a very quick learner.

When she was done Trixie was dazed, on her back and staring at the ceiling. "Beat that!" she called out, in between gasping for oxygen and pumped a hoof upward in triumph. Fluttershy just looked thoroughly smug.

"Oh, it is on!" Rarity said, with a squeal of pure delight, and just as Trixie was getting back up again, hit her with a flying snuggle and tackled her back down again to no protests whatsoever.

~~~

Sometime later after Shining Armour had protested repeatedly that her current state of mare-hood was not some kind of desperate ploy, and some of the royal guard had been found to lead away the three changelings to be placed in the palace dungeons for now, Chrysalis and Cadance found themselves outside of the throne room.

"Are you sure that you still want to do this now?" Chrysalis asked, shuffling her hooves nervously.

"More than anything," Cadance she said, pressing her flank lightly up against Chrysalis’ own.

Cadance nodded to the two guards stationed at the side of the two great doors and then pushed outwards with her magic. The doors swung open revealing the throne room of the Canterlot palace and with it the two princesses who ruled the entire land of Equestria. Princess Celestia sat serenely on her throne and her face did not move once as Cadance and Chrysalis slowly began to approach. Luna was also present and kept the same fixed expression as her sister not giving any clue to whatever thoughts as the mismatched pair stood before her and Celestia.

“Princess Cadance,” Celestia replied, and let a slight smile touch her lips. “I trust you are not feeling too badly off after your unfortunate encounter earlier?”

“It was nothing,” Cadance said. “Just a drone too desperate to cling onto the old way of doing things.”

“I see."

“I’m sure it won’t happen again,” Chrysalis said hurriedly.

Celestia stared down from her throne for several moments causing the former queen to visibly flinch away. “Hopefully not,” she agreed. “Should you not have a nurse look at that?”

Cadance raised a hoof to cover up the black mark that now decorated her cheek. “It’s nothing,“ she said quickly.

“If you are sure,” she said, studying the pair of them carefully. “Now, what may we do for you two?”

Cadance took a deep breath. “I would like you to do us the honour of joining myself and Chrysalis in marriage.”

“Really!?”

Cadance’s eyes flicked sidewise to where Luna had blurted out her question. “Yes, I understand this may seem to be an unseemly fast courtship, but myself and Chrysalis’ minds are truly made up that this is what we want.” Chrysalis nodded her head firmly in agreement.

“I suppose Canterlot is still very much geared up for a royal wedding,” Celestia said, keeping her voice entirely clear of implication or accusation.

“Indeed.” Chrysalis said, and coughed.

“I know you could have just found another officiant if all you wanted was to be married,” Celestia said. “So I do appreciate that you have chosen to come to me anyway. I am willing to perform the ceremony as I would have done for yourself and Shining Armour.”

Cadance’s eyes lit up as her lips parted into a massive grin. Chrysalis let out a little gasp and swayed slightly in place. Luna’s expression remained fixed in place as she watch the pair carefully from her place beside the throne.

“Oh thank you, thank you!” Cadance said, and looking like she was about to start hopping around the throne room in sheer glee.

Celestia held up an imperious forehoof. “I do have a price however to agree to this joining and will need it from you, Chrysalis.”

Chrysalis gulped. “What is it? I’ll do anything you ask.”

“That is good,” Celestia replied, “for it is a very large thing I know that I am asking for. I have been informed that you are no longer considered the queen of your hive?”

Chrysalis let out a little chuckle that had nothing to do with humour. “This has been... difficult for them. They were confused and very much in a panic after what happened. I'm sure you know how subjects can get.” She glanced sideways at Cadance and smiled. ”I’m sure that together we’ll be able to set them straight.”

“If you truly want to marry yourself to Princess Cadance then you will do no such thing.”

Chrysalis blinked a few times. “What?” she asked weakly.

“That is my price, Chrysalis,” Celestia stated, her tone brooking absolutely no argument. “You will renounce all claim to the hive that has followed you into Canterlot.”

“You... you can’t do this,” Chrysalis muttered, and shook her head repeatedly.

“We wish to offer the drones Equestrian citizenship,” Luna interjected. “And perhaps we can start repairing some of the rash actions on either side that have been taken in the past.”

“But if they are to accept myself and Luna as their rulers,” Celestia said. “We cannot have any confusion about their loyalties.” Her voice softened. “Chrysalis, you will be the princess consort if you marry Cadance. You cannot take on that role and also remain a queen.”

Chrysalis said something so quietly that none of the princesses present could make it out.

“Chrysalis?” Cadance asked, turning to her lover.

“No,” Chrysalis said quietly, her eyes locked to the carpet underneath her hooves. “No!” she snarled, as her eyes snapped upwards to lock with Celestia’s. “I AM the hive. You will not take them from me. You can not!”

“Please reconsider,” Luna said, as she stood up to her full height. “We have a chance here to put a great deal of wrongs behind us.” She fixed the changeling with her eyes. “Both yours and our own. However justified they may have seemed to be at the time.”

“No!” Chrysalis almost let loose a full-blown howl. “Would you ask me to chop of my wings, maybe put out my eyes for good measure?” she asked, her eyes flicking from each of the princesses in turn.

“Chrysalis,” Cadance said softly, as she rested a hoof on the changeling’s shoulder. “Surely our love is more important.”

Chrysalis’ mouth opened and closed slowly as her eyes grew wide. She spun on her hooves and galloped from the throne room without a word.

“I’m sorry,” Cadance said quickly, and charged out the room hot on the hooves of the fleeing changeling.

As she burst through the open doors Cadance noticed that the two guards were tacitly not looking in the direction of further down the corridor where Chrysalis was slumped up against a wall with clear streaks of tears running down her face.

“Chrysalis?” Cadance asked cautiously.

"I'm sorry," Chrysalis said, her eyes seemingly locked onto Cadance's hooves. "I've messed everything up, haven't I?"

"Not at all," Cadance replied. She placed a hoof under Chrysalis' chin and gently lifted her face up until she could look into her eyes, "Nothing is perfect, not even Princess Celestia, and nothing is so worthless as to be undeserving of being able to love, and be loved back in return."

Chrysalis' eyes glistened. "But I can't give up the hive. I am their queen. It is all that I am." She leaned back and glanced away. "I do want to marry you. It's nearly all I can think about, but I have a responsibility that is in my very bones."

Cadance looked at her love as various thoughts flashed through her head. She knew there was nothing stopping her taking Chrysalis away from Canterlot. It was not as if Celestia was the only officiant around. They could go to Las Pegasus and get it done for the price of several dozen bits and get half of those back in gambling chips. But what would happen afterwards? The speaker might have raised concerns, but Cadance couldn't see the harm in the changelings becoming a bit more pony like. She realised that she just didn't want to deal with them hanging around. It was Chrysalis that she wanted, and not a hive to look after with her. More importantly she wanted there to be no debate about whether Chrysalis was truly and forever hers, and that without doubt meant it had to be Princess Celestia.

"I'll take the hive back to the badlands," Chrysalis was saying. "You don't have to worry about us ever again, though I'll always think of you in those cold lonely nights." She sniffed miserably. "Maybe you can even get back together with Shining Armour now that she's so much more pretty than me..."

There was another option though, wasn't there? Cadance thought, as she ignored her lover wallowing in self-pity. She remembered the taste of the drone's lips as she had burned against hers. They had been so very sweet, and that had been less due to any physical reaction, but one of how she had exercised her will to bring about such results. The changelings had wanted her to be a queen, not a princess, and Cadance knew exactly how a queen would handle this. She had already gained Chrysalis as her lover, had she not. What harm could there be in forcing the issue? It was not as if she'd be able to say no. Cadance knew that when she had been a dirty, starving and pathetic prisoner back in those wretched caves just days ago that thought would have rightly appalled her. That Cadance had just loved some stallion and needed another to even begin to try and fight for that love. Now though, she had the love of the changeling that had kept her prisoner and that she loved in return. She certainly did not need Twilight Sparkle or anypony else for her to fight for what was hers.

"Chrysalis," Cadance said, her voice silken. "You love me." It was not a question.

The changeling's eyes widened. "O-of course, my love."

"And I love you."

Chrysalis shivered, her gossamer wings fluttered against her side causing a low nervous buzz. "But..."

"If you love me then surely shouldn't we be married," Cadance said lightly. Again, it was not a question.

"I want to, of course I do!" Chrysalis said, her voice rising. "But the hive!"

Cadance leaned in close until their lips were almost touching. "You love me and so we should be married. What else could possibly compare to that?" All Chrysalis could see were Cadance's violet eyes. So deep that she could lose herself forever in them, as a pink fire burned tightly in a circle around her throat.

"Nothing," Chrysalis said slowly, as she drowned in the ocean that was her lover's gaze. She tried to pull back, to shake her head, to do anything, but she would have had a better chance of moving the sun and moon at once than looking away now. Several thousand years of breeding and duty to form the nature that was the changeling queen could not be so easily denied, and without conscious will her horn wreathed in crackling power forming to a deadly point to drive back this threat to the order of the hive.

Cadance leaned in and captured Chrysalis' lips with her own and the crackling magic on the changeling's horn was snuffed out in an instant.

When Cadance finally released her, Chrysalis swayed to the side unsteadily as if the kiss had been the only thing holding her upright. "I should apologize to the princesses so that we can be married as soon as possible," Chrysalis said, her voice thick and a little slurred.

"That would be wonderful."

Something seemed to clear from Chrysalis' eyes. "You made me?" she hesitantly asked. "Again?"

Cadance smiled. "Of course." For something like a second the alicorn looked briefly unsure. "Is that okay with you?

Chrysalis stopped in her place, and then smiled back. "Of course not," she said, and then after a pause, bowed her head low. "My Queen."

Chapter 9: And Do a Little Shake

As Shining Armour proceeded through the hallways of the palace a satisfied smile crossed his lips. It had only been a few days, but it had seemed like everything was finally back to normal in the mountain city of Canterlot. All of the royal guards were back on duty, present and correct to keep a watchful eye at every intersection, and there wasn't even a trace of the sticky ichor that had served as decoration along with all the wedding bunting.

He did have to admit it wasn't exactly the same as it could have been. His dreams last night had been filled with a sense of a loss that he would never get something indefinable back again. He'd also began to start remembering flashes of his lost year. A smile, a shared laugh, the warmth of another pressed against him... He shook his head. What was done had been done and he was utterly resolved to make the best out of things.

Anyway, none of that mattered at all compared to the concern that he felt for the pony trudging sullenly beside him. Since the incident in the dining room Twilight Sparkle had been withdrawn and lost in her own thoughts even more than was usual for her.

"Are you sure that you don't want to talk about it?" he asked.

At hearing no response his horn glowed, causing the sash refashioned into a jaunty bandanna around his neck to shimmer. "How about to your B.S.B.F.F?" she asked.

"Shiny!" Twilight protested, spinning to face her. "I really don't think that you should be doing that."

"Why not?" Gleaming grinned, as her horn glowed again. "Just cause I can be the cute one now," Shining said, and waggled his eyebrows in an attempt to at least cheer his sister up.

"Please, I'm sure with a bit more study I can remove it entirely," Twilight said. Her tone was tired and Shining could see dark rings under her sister's eyes. "I just need more time to think."

"About that changeling in your head," Shining asked sharply.

"I..." Twilight hesitated. "I told you I was stressed and I didn't know what I was saying."

Shining decided not to push, and moved to a different angle. "I hope that you're going to apologize to that Trixie when you see her."

"Shining, she turned you into a mare!"

His horn glowed in reply, and then Gleaming grinned back at her. "Yeah, and?"

Twilight buried her face in her hooves. "You're going to go blind or something..."

"Nah," Gleaming replied, and tossed her mane in a reasonable imitation of a born model.

"Your armour doesn't even fit properly when you do that," Twilight pointed out a little petulantly. "You look like you should be twirling around a pole at Tail Twisters."

"Oh?" he said, back as a stallion and raising an eyebrow. "And what does my little secluded sister know about a disreputable Canterlot dive like that, hmm?"

Twilight stared at the marbled floor under her hooves and mumbled something about never going to one of Moondancer's parties again. She lifted her head and looked away from her brother. "I shouldn't have even tried to do anything with that sash with the state I'm in."

"Aw, don't say that," his form shifted again, until she was giving her sister an affectionate nuzzle. "When getting to tweak the beard of my opposite number, Captain Wraith, and discovering the aftermath of the most adorable threesome that had taken place in my own bed for some reason, are still not the best thing that happened to me yesterday..." She grinned with deep personal satisfaction. "Well, I certainly have no complaints let's put it that way."

Twilight's eyes widened at the threesome comment, but from the way she shook her head apparently she really didn't want to know more. Shining thought about going onto explain the tactical advantages like with that nutso unicorn sorceress up in the mountains a couple of months back when he had to call in Spitfire of the Wonderbolts to lead a squad to deal with her rather than being able to deal with the situation himself, but he didn't think that Twilight was in the mood to hear about that right now.

"I don't even see why I need to go to this anyway," Twilight complained. "I could be in bed right now," she added, the fatigue clear in every word.

"C'mon, Twiley," Gleaming said. "Princess Cadance specifically requested your attendance."

"Because that's just who I want to see right now," Twilight muttered.

When they arrived at Celestia's throne room several of the others were already there waiting for them. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were catching up with Spike who had something of a thousand yard stare of a dragon who has seen too much too young. Doomie and Pinkie were happily nattering away like they had known each other their entire life. This was apparently not hindered by Pinkie not knowing how to speak a word of changeling. The speaker was also present, back in his Blueblood guise, and was standing well clear of all the ponies in the room while trying not to meet Moondancer's gaze. Her along with Lyra and Minuette were standing amongst a host of the more important dignitaries that had been scheduled to attend the wedding.

My wedding, not the wedding, Shining thought as he corrected himself. No matter how much he went over that it still didn't seem any more real to him.

Turning back to the crowd Shining spotted the real Prince Blueblood who was staring at the speaker with just about as much undisguised yearning as Moondancer was.

Princess Celestia was on her throne with Princess Luna looking just as regal on her right in all of their splendour and absolute authority. Off to her left Princess Cadance and Chrysalis waited patiently as more and more guests filed in to hear the reason that they had been summoned for. Shining had to admit he was kind of interested to find out himself, and wondered idly if it might have had something to do with that attack yesterday. It had been determined that the changelings identified as Doomie and the speaker had not done anything other than following along, but the other one was currently languishing in chains in the palace dungeon.

"You two!"

Shining's head whipped around to see Fluttershy bearing down on Applejack and Rainbow Dash through the air while behind her Trixie and Rarity were struggling to keep up not having the benefit of wings.

"How could you?" Fluttershy asked angrily. when she landed in front of her two friends. "How could you?"

"Err, how could we what, sugarcube?" Applejack said, tipping her ever-present hat back in the face of her friend's unexpected wrath.

"How could you be so mean, so heartless to a poor, struggling, sexy, hardworking magician who just wanted to put on a show?" Fluttershy yelled, pointing a wing in the direction of Trixie. "Shame on you two for heckling. I thought that you were better ponies than that."

"...Sexy?" Applejack said, her tone stunned.

"Hang on a minute!" Dash yelled back. "We may have objected to her boasting—"

"Performance," Trixie interjected weakly, as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Whatever," Dash said, shrugging the comment off. "Rarity started all that y'know." She pointed an accusing hoof at Rarity who had just caught up. "You tell her, Applejack."

"...Sexy?" Applejack said again. The word appeared to be preying on her mind.

"Rarity apologised," Fluttershy said, with a little sniff.

"Is there any chance we can do this later, darlings?" Rarity asked, her head looking around wildly about the attention they were beginning to draw. "This really doesn't seem to be the appropriate venue for this discussion."

"Not until they apologize," Fluttershy insisted, taking back to the air again and crossing her forehooves in front of her.

"I really don't mind if they apologize or not," Trixie said, not able to take her eyes of Princess Celestia who seemed to be staring at her intently.

"I do," Fluttershy said firmly.

"Why'd you apologize to that loser anyway, Rares?" Rainbow asked, as she turned to her friend and completely missing that Rarity was gritting her teeth in annoyance. "She turned your mane green for pony's sake."

"I had just torn down part of her stage," Rarity replied flatly, with the tone of a mare who had gone over this more than once already. "Anyway, regardless of what she may have done we were being frightfully boorish. If we did not appreciate her show we should simply have trotted away and not acted like common louts."

"I really don't see that they need to apologize," Trixie said, after finally tearing her eyes away from Celestia.

"Yeah!"

Trixie glared at Dash for the interjection, and continued, "They heckled my show, I showed them up like I would any two-bits drunk." Ignoring Dash's mutters that it took her at least ten, she said, "The crowd's mocking laughter was all the apology that I needed."

"Trixie," Fluttershy said disapprovingly.

"Sorry, 'Shy," she said, and backed off to stand by Rarity looking somewhat crestfallen that she had risen to the bait so quickly once more. Rarity patted her shoulder lightly and Trixie flashed her a quick thankful smile.

"Still don't want to apologize," Dash said, more than a little foalishly. "That Ursa nearly flattened the town." Dash continued ignoring the strangled intake of breath from Trixie. "Applejack doesn't want to either."

Applejack was still mouthing a word slowly and was not about to confirm that either way.

"Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said. "If you won't apologize to Trixie." She paused, and stepped back and took Trixie's hoof with hers. "Will you at least apologize to my marefriend?"

Dash's jaw dropped.

"Well, one of my marefriends anyway," Fluttershy said, with a little giggle, and glanced back at Rarity.

"Marefriends?!" Applejack yelled.

“Yes,” Fluttershy said, and practically beamed with happiness.

As Applejack completely lost all grip on reality, and the last of the guests had filed into the hall, Princess Celestia turned to Cadance. "Are we ready to proceed now?"

"Not quite yet," Cadance replied, keeping an eye on the large open double-doorway.

A few minutes later a figure flanked by several others appeared. It was Firebrand, revealed to all as a changeling drone and in chains. She was flanked by several members of the royal guard which got a raised eyebrow from Gleaming as that order had certainly not come from her.

The crowd parted allowing the prisoner to be brought before the princesses. Firebrand kept her head high and ignored several angry jibes from the crowd along with a few confused whispers about why a changeling might have a cutiemark.

When the procession had halted there was a silence that nopony seemed willing to break.

"Good," Cadance said, with a little grin. "Release her."

Celestia turned her head slowly and not one of the crowd picked up on even the slightest note of surprise in her speech. "Princess Cadance?"

Cadance kept that same little grin. "When I placed Chrysalis under my protection that extended to her hive and so Firebrand is under my protection."

"What if I don't want her protection?" Firebrand answered back hotly, as the guards undid her bindings. The accent was rough, but it was still good enough Equestrian for Chrysalis' eyes to boggle and look at the drone as if she'd sprouted a second head.

"Well, Princess Celestia," said Cadance. "What would happen then?"

Celestia shot her back a look, and then mused out loud, "Well, attempted abduction and assault of a princess are serious crimes. You are currently not an Equestrian citizen, and so do not have a place in our legal system, meaning that I am unable to refer you to our courts.

"You are not a member of a race that we have diplomatic relations with," said Celestia, as she towered over the changeling in judgement from her throne. "So exile to your home nation followed by the usual sternly worded letter is alas not an option. Both the minotaur and griffon nations are usually sympathetic to asylum requests though you really should have made the request first before you took any action."

The minotaur and griffon ambassador who were both present exchanged glances unsure if that had been a slight against or a compliment towards their respective people's.

She paused, and flicked her eyes to Cadance who was still smiling triumphantly. "I'm afraid it would have to be Tartaurus."

Firebrand gasped, and there were a few scattered cheers from the crowd at seeing justice being done. "How long?" she asked quietly.

"I would certainly be inclined to show mercy so no more than three years at the most," Celestia said, and favoured Firebrand with a kindly smile. "I assure you that while the guards there are firm, they are also fair, and the various abominations, horrors and immortal despots that have threatened my little ponies over the millennia are all safely contained."

"...I think I'll take Princess Cadance's protection," Firebrand said weakly.

"I thought that you might," Cadance said, so pleased that she purred. "Come," she said, and clapped a hoof on the floor. "We shall discuss your future in my service later."

After Firebrand wearing a sick expression on her face had dutifully moved to stand behind Cadance, there were several muttered murmurs from the crowd that they couldn't quite believe that they'd been summoned just for this. Celestia let out a little huff which only her sister noted that she did not appreciate at all being in used in such games.

"Now that has been resolved we can move onto why you have all been called here today," Celestia said, in a clear regal voice that silenced the room. "It is my duty to announce that there will be a royal wedding held here in Canterlot after all."

Shining's ears perked up at the choice of words and then he groaned. He had guessed this might be the reason, but it was so fast for them that he hadn't believed it could be true. There were a few hushed comments from the crowd and more than a few ponies were looking at Luna speculatively.

"Tomorrow I will be joining Princess Cadance in matrimony with the changeling Chrysalis who has graciously renounced her own crown to become part of Equestria."

Princess Celestia would have got less of a reaction if she had suddenly announced that she did in fact, despite all evidence to the contrary, not like tea. Several nobles all started yelling at once. All of them listing a catalogue of sins attributed to the changeling race namely that they had just invaded for crying out loud. Amidst the general panic and hubbub there were darker whispers too that the changeling queen had corrupted the youngest and clearly naïve princess and was merely continuing her invasion under a different guise.

The sole exception to the general mood was Pinkie who was hopping in place with the grin of one who knows that there will soon be a party incoming.

Shining let his spear spin lazily in the air at his side concerned that if they had a riot on their hooves he might soon have to put it to use.

"Please do not be alarmed, my ponies." Princess Celestia had not raised her voice. She did not have to do so to bring the room to heel. "Believe me, I share many of your concerns, but I am convinced that this is the right step forward for us to begin to repair the rifts that have existed between our two races for far too long. I will also be offering Equestrian citizenship to every changeling of the former hive Chrysalis that now lurk in the caves beneath our beloved city.”

This did not get a reaction. Shining could only surmise that had been due to every pony being too stunned by that concept to complain loudly about it.

"Even to this day relations with the griffon kingdom are tenuous at best."

The griffon ambassador buried his beak in his claws and visibly wondered what exactly that he'd done to deserve this posting.

"And yet there are now enough griffons who dwell within our own borders and happily coexist with us that entire teams of them have competed in the last three Equestrian games," Celestia said. "Living in harmony works, my little ponies. It has worked with the griffons, it has worked with the donkeys, it is slowly working with both the buffalo and the minotaurs and I hope that this is the day that we can begin to see that it will work with the changelings too."

This got a smattering of hooves clapping on the floor.

"Chrysalis has given up every tie and bond to stand before you all with Princess Cadance today and the very least that we can do is to accept her for what she is."

That got even more applause which steadily built to a genuine crescendo.

Chrysalis stepped forward and respectfully bowed her head to Celestia. She then turned to where Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity were standing. "I know that I tricked the five of you the last time for which I am sorry, but would you please do me the honour of being my bridesmaids once more."

"Of course, your former queenyness!" Pinkie said joyfully. "Also can I just say I totally called it, by the way."

"I get to design the dresses still, right?" Rarity asked, her eyes aflame with the fires of creativity.

"I thought that Chrysalis would wear my dress, and I could simply wear my royal accoutrements?" Cadance suggested. "It is very short notice."

"Oh no no no!" Rarity insisted. "Such a crime for such an occasion can absolutely not be permitted. I'll have them both done by this evening." She smiled warmly. "Anyway, I know where I can get my hooves on two assistants in a hurry."

"If Rarity doesn't mind," Fluttershy said, "then I don't mind."

"You've not done anythin' that I've seen to make it seem like you're not on the level since the princess turned your head round," said Applejack. "So I don't think it'd be neighbourly to say no after that."

"Oh, I dont know..." Dash said non-committally, and stretched.

Chrysalis looked her in the eyes and lowered her voice. "Please, it really would mean a lot to me."

"I suppose I could," Dash said, then she grinned. "It wouldn't be right if Canterlot didn't get to witness the awesomeness that is my sonic rainboom after all this."

Chrysalis looked over to Cadance and smiled widely. "Hey, you were right," she said. "This sincerity thing really does work!"

"Later, my love," Cadance said, as her eyes met the ceiling. "We'll discuss this later."

After most of the guests had been dismissed, Pinkie bounced over to Cadance and Chrysalis. "So, lets talk hen parties!"

"Parties?" asked Cadance.

"Of course!" Pinkie replied. "You’re both brides aren't you?"

"That's true, I guess," said Cadance.

Chrysalis raised a hoof. "Excuse me, but what is a hen party?"

"That was what we were supposed to be having when you lured us down into the caves," Minuette explained sweetly.

"Oh," Chrysalis said, and glanced at the three ponies. "Uh, I’m sorry about that."

"Moondancer should hope so—" She grimaced as a poke from Lyra's hoof caught her in the ribs. "Moondancer graciously accepts your apology and hopes that you have learned the error of your ways."

"Because I am the foremost party planner I am completely ready to handled both your requirements," Pinkie announced. "I'll be running Chrysalis' as I'm going to be a bridesmaid for her anyway, and my number one party planning apprentice will be planning the princess’." She placed a proud forehoof around Spike's shoulders.

"She's been drilling me about it for days," Spike said, with a bit of an exaggerated groan.

Cadance eyed the young dragon carefully, and then glanced back at Pinkie. "If you're certain that he can handle it..."

"Absolutely certain," Pinkie said, in a deadly serious tone. "I never joke about parties!" Her grim visage cracked into a happy giggle. "He'll be fine. Trust me."

"Okay," Cadance replied, not exactly sounding entirely convinced.

"Righto!" Pinkie said, her tone shifted to add a bit more professionalism. "I find it's best to keep things reasonably small and it does save on the property damage and need for bail money before the wedding."

Cadance raised both eyebrows.

"I figure we're going with the set of bridesmaids each," said Pinkie Pie, pulling out and unravelling a lengthy scroll from somewhere. "So along with myself, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Dashie will be at Chrysalis' and Lyra, Minuette and Moondancer will be at yours."

"Firebrand will also be one of my bridesmaids," Cadance said promptly.

"I will?" said a startled voice from behind her.

Cadance spun round and fixed Firebrand in place with her gaze. "In a really pretty mauve dress as well."

Rarity choked slightly. "I... I can do that. Three new dresses and a hen party to attend by tomorrow, and having to do one of them in mauve... I can totally do that."

Chrysalis looked thoughtful. "I may not be a queen anymore, but it would be..." She paused to gather her words. "It would be nice I think to be accompanied by one other changeling to the altar."

A pink hoof shot into the air and visibly quivered with excitement. <"Ooh ooh! Pick me, me, me, me!"> called out Doomie, as she hopped up and down. <"Please, please pick me!">

"Drone," Chrysalis said, in a surprisingly gentle tone. "You are the only other female changeling present that is not already spoken for."

<"I am?!"> Doomie said, her head whipping around to confirm that she had apparently just won by virtue of default. <"Yay!">

Cadance stepped forward and inspected the pink pony replica of Pinkie Pie. "Doomie," she said. "That is the name that you chose, right?

<"Err, yes,"> Doomie replied, and stopped hopping up and down now that she realised that she was the centre of attention which happened to include the dreaded Nightmare Moon. <"Is it okay?">

"It's a wonderful name," Cadance said, smiling down at the changeling drone. "May I try something?"

As Doomie nodded Chrysalis cleared her throat. "If you keep kissing other changelings then I'm going to start getting a complex." She had tried to keep her tone light and jovial, but she couldn’t keep the worry entirely out of her expression.

"I need you to change back, Doomie," Cadance asked, seemingly not having heard Chrysalis' comment.

Doomie looked unsure. <"I... I'm not sure I want to,"> she said hesitantly. She couldn't meet Cadance's eyes and glanced downwards. <"I prefer it like this,"> she said, rubbing a pink forehoof against her other one.

<"You'll be able to change back,"> Cadance promised, having switched to the changeling tongue to reassure the drone. <"Firebrand,”> she said, her voice ringing with authority.

The other drone sighed at the command, but shifted back to the mint-green unicorn guise that she had used before. Shining noted though that she had retained the pink flaming lyre that been burned into the drone's chitinous flanks.

"That will never stop being weird," Lyra noted quietly to herself.

Doomie looked at Firebrand and shook herself as she let her form go. Chrysalis looked away as Cadance leaned down and kissed the drone's forehead. Her horn caught light as she started to channel the magic through herself and into Doomie. A bead of sweat run down Cadance's marred cheek and then another as pink tendrils of pure energy wrapped around the pair. Cadance pulled back and let the magic fade.

Doomie collapsed to the floor. With obvious effort she looked up to Cadance from where she fell, and said, "Th-Thank you." Her eyes rolled back in her skull and she slumped into unconsciousness with three new pink balloons decorating her black flanks.

Cadance swayed in place and let out a long breath. "That," she wheezed, before making a visible effort to collect herself. "That is a lot harder without the proper motivation."

"Anytime," Firebrand muttered under her breath. She glanced up nervously, but no one was paying her any attention.

There was a high-pitched giggle tinged with hysteria. Every pony and changeling turned as one to where the speaker was pointing a shaking chitinous hoof at Princess Cadance.

<"You can not!"> the speaker yelled. His eyes were wide and the pupils had shrunk down to manic pinpricks. He was also slowly backing towards the open balcony. <"Just what are you?"> he asked, as his voice rose in utter disbelief.

<"Speaker,"> Chrysalis said, as she slowly walked forward. <"I appreciate this is disconcerting, but change for the better often—">

Luna repeated her words quietly for the other ponies that were present.

<"Stop talking!"> the speaker screamed, and green spittle flew from his fangs. <"Your lips move, but it is her words that come out!">

Shining Armour seized his spear tighter, and signalled to the other royal guards present to start flanking the possibly dangerous changeling. Princess Celestia raised a hoof, caught his eyes and the message was clear. Stand down, and see if the changelings can deal with this by themselves.

"Speaker," Firebrand called out. "It's odd I’ll give you that talking like this, but I really am still a changeling."

<"Pony words!"> the speaker howled. <"Pony lies!"> He backed into the lip of the balcony and jumped with a little start. <"We shall not speak. We shall not speak!">

Cadance stretched languorously and clicked the bones in both her wings. <"Join us,"> she said, with hooded eyes. <"You'll feel so much better...">

The speaker's eyes threatened to bug out of his skull entirely and opened his mouth to scream. The changelings and the alicorns winced, the rest heard nothing, but did feel their teeth tingle. <"I will not be changed by the likes of you!"> he yelled, as frayed gossamer wings burst from his carapace. He turned and launched himself from the balcony and took off in roughly the direction of the badlands as fast as his wings could carry him.

"Cadance," Celestia said, her tone clearly disapproving.

"Sorry," said Cadance. She was smirking. "Was it something I said?"

"I could still catch him easily, y'know," Rainbow Dash offered, and flexed her wings.

"Please, leave him," said Chrysalis, still staring at the rapidly shrinking black dot in the blue sky. "Something like this should not be forced on any 'ling if they do not want it," she added more quietly.

"Mind me askin' why he freaked out like that?" asked Applejack, turning to Chrysalis. "He was acting like the princess was some kinda horror.... Err, no offence meant."

"None taken," replied Cadance smoothly.

Chrysalis eyed her lover warily. "There are certain things that define us as changelings," she said slowly. "Things set by magic by how we came to be as a race." She paused, and glanced at Princess Celestia. "It is too long a tale to explain here, but being able to communicate with ponies is one of them. The idea that anything is not only strong enough to break one of those rules not just as a one-off, but demonstrated they can do it repeatedly... Well, it’s a lot to process I admit," she concluded lamely.

"But you can speak it?" Trixie blurted out.

Chrysalis shrugged. "I’m a queen." She caught herself and grimaced. "Sorry, was a queen. We are an exception no changeling has ever been truly able to figure out."

Luna glanced at Celestia, but her sister’s face remained an impassive mask.

Pinkie made a futile attempt at smoothing down her uncontrollable mane with a hoof to appear more professional. "Soooo," she said, not quite as sounding as cheerful as she had been before. "Anypony else that you'd like on your guest lists."

Gleaming thought about speaking up given that she had what was known as an opportunity that comes around once in a life time. Then she grinned ruefully. Nopony needed that kind of potential awkwardness.

"Would it be okay for Trixie to come along?" asked Rarity to Chrysalis.

"Are you the one that turned Shining Armour into a mare?" Chrysalis asked. She was fighting to keep an amused smile off her face.

"Uh...technically," Trixie said, her body shifting in place as she glanced between the princesses and Gleaming Shield who was twirling her spear nonchalantly.

"Then I don't see a problem with that," Chrysalis said.

"How about you Princess?" Pinkie said, as she turned to Cadance.

Luna slowly raised a hoof and Celestia groaned under her breath.

"Princess Luna?" Cadance asked, her eyes widening.

"If we would be permitted to attend," Luna said, a little hesitantly. "We have heard many tales of the fabled ''hen party' and would like to experience one for ourselves."

"It would be an honour to have you along," Cadance replied graciously, and bowed her head.

Celestia let out a genuine sigh and wth deliberate motions started to divest herself of her raiment starting with her crown. "I will attend Chrysalis', if that is acceptable?" she announced.

"Uh, I’m sorry what was that question again?" Chrysalis asked, after pursing her lips a couple of times.

"I can hardly have it said that only one half of the happy couple received royal recognition can I?" Celestia said lightly.

"Can you?" Chrysalis asked, her tone still clearly stunned.

"Apparently not," Celestia replied sweetly. "Perhaps it will give us a chance to...." She swallowed as if she tasted something unpleasant. "A chance to bond."

Chrysalis made several choking noises. "That will be nice," she said weakly.

"Anypony else?" Pinkie asked, after making a few more notes on her scroll.

"I don't know," Cadance said, suddenly unsure. "I had hoped to ask Twilight Sparkle, but she does not appear to be present."

Shining Armour glanced to the total absence at his side where his sister should be. "She was here," he said. "I’m sorry, but I did not see when she left." Shining frowned deeply. "I think it might have been while Princess Celestia was making her announcement."

~~~

Twilight Sparkle galloped down the narrow twisting rocky path her mind utterly aflame. As she clattered down on loose shale and teleported straight through boulders, and the mountain dropped near vertically to her side, some more rational part of herself pointed out that this wasn't exact sensible or safe behaviour. Twilight pointed out to herself that if her more rational side wasn't interested in helping then it could very well shut up.

Why couldn't they just see? That was the question that was repeating over and over in her head. She'd been right when she had exposed Chrysalis and what happened? Her friends had abandoned her and worst of all Princess Celestia had been disappointed with her... Twilight knew that as long as she lived that she'd be hearing those words over and over again in her head, and to make it so much worse, it had been for being right.

This though was very very wrong. That changeling queen was getting everything that she wanted and nopony seemed to care. She'd broken up her Shiney's marriage and she'd actually hurt Princess Celestia! The very thought of that moment when her mentor had fallen made her mane burn.

Still if nopony was going to listen Twilight knew she was fully capable of taking matters into her own hooves. It was just a case of having the will to do so. Instead of teleporting through the next boulder, she let loose a single blast of her horn, and she galloped headlong through the exploding spray of dust and tiny shards.

She couldn't even confer with Dusk anymore. He'd been in the cocoon so long now that it was more than enough for even a changeling to lose grasp on what was real. Admittedly some of what she was getting through the still existent mental link was quite flattering, but the rage burning within her was keeping her from considering what that meant.

Chrysalis had no right, no right at all! She had invaded her home which in some small way Twilight still considered the palace to be. The changeling was just another monster and Twilight knew how to deal with monsters. She may not have the elements of harmony, but as that inconvenient idiot Trixie had learned Twilight had power and she was going to make this right.

She came to the tunnel entrance that she remembered from Dusk's arrival here yesterday and started to move more cautiously. Soon enough the rocky surface under her hooves turned sticky and cloying.

Twilight could hear the rustle of hundreds of chitinous hides out there in the dark. She raised her head proudly and stepped out into the cavern.

The eyes of every changeling all turned to her. Twilight had a distinct impression that she had been expected.

In the clicks and snarls of their race, she announced to every changeling listening, <"We have a wedding to crash.">

~~~

Chrysalis stared at the drink in front her. It was blue. Many things were blue, but not like this, this was a blue that certainly had never occurred in nature and probably should just not be. It had been poured out of a bottle with a bleeding polar bear on it which might also have some significance. She tapped the glass with a chitinous hoof and listened to the *tink* with interest and went back to staring at it some more in an attempt to discern its secrets.

Ponies, it turned out, had a thing called alcohol and alcohol was amazing. It was also somewhat scary how it affected a changeling's mood, vision, memory and sense of equilibrium. Speaking of memory she was having a hard enough time recalling everything that had happened since Pinkie had dragged her and the rest out of the palace and into the Canterlot night.

She was sure that they'd started off at some kind of performance. Chrysalis had even been persuaded to dance to the strangely compelling pounding music, but it had been so packed with ponies and a few members of the other races that she and everything else could pretty much only sway in place. Then they'd gone to an establishment with lots of poles and mares spinning round them while not wearing very much at all. There were also other simalar clubs with stallions or both genders apparently, but this had been the one that Pinkie had reccomended given whose hen party it was for.

That had certainly been an experience, Chrysalis recalled with a heated blush. It had also given her the final and comprehensive conclusion about where her interests lay, and that it was not just Princess Cadance that could move her after all. Unfortunately they had been politely asked to leave as Princess Celestia, who had just been sitting in place with an expression of keen interest and a ridiculously long party hat to cover her horn, had apparently been disturbing both the dancers and patrons with her presence.

Chrysalis remembered the cream coloured unicorn built to almost alicorn-like proportions who had worn a harness to support the very large fake wings, and the stylised suns that had been taped to her very shapely flanks. She'd even made a passable attempt at dying her tail though Chrysalis was reasonably sure that the real Celestia had never worn tight straps around hers to lift it so provocatively. Reasonably sure anyway. The mare had come strutting out onto the stage and then faltered entirely at the sight of Princess Celestia sitting front and centre with a pleasant interested smile and a stack of bits perched on the stage in front of her. That mare's expression as she'd turned her raised tail and fled was definitely going to stick with her for a while.

After that it was a bit of a blur, and then there had been another club which she thought had been called Tail Twisters or something, with the largest stallion Chrysalis had ever seen standing outside. Maybe it had actually been a bear now that she thought about it, or maybe he had just had a bear for a cutie mark, the place had definitely been called Hot Flanks though. There they had been asked to leave a lot less politely, but then after what Pinkie and Doomie had done with the copious amounts of whipped cream the place had in storage for some reason that had also been probably reasonable in retrospect. She didn't think that the bear had needed to roar quite so loudly even if Princess Celestia had threatened to banish him to the ssshun-hic. Chrysalis wasn't too sure where that was but the princess had been slurring pretty badly by then.

There was another black void in her memory which might have involved a fountain, then there had definitely been a train which had seemed like a good idea at the time... Chrysalis' eyes widened as she was pretty sure they'd left both Celestia and Doomie snoozing back there. Hopefully they'd wake up before they ended up in Stalliongrad or somewhere even more remote. She really didn't want to be the one to get blamed for losing them if the sun didn't come up tomorrow...

They'd got off in Flankfurt... No, Fillydelphia, wait no it... uh, it definitely started with 'F' and had ended up in another club that was a lot more quiet compared to the others. Well, admittedly Fluttershy was currently on the stage lustily belting out that while she was in fact a six course meal, everypony else was burned toast. Ponies, as Chrysalis had considered several times over the last couple of days, and repeatedly over the course of this night, were a very odd lot. She was very much learning to like them, and the singing was really quite enjoyable.

Trixie, who Chrysalis had found to be very pleasant company over the course of the evening, was in one of the plush booths with a blissfully happy grin in place as she watched her marefriend blast out that she did in fact have tricks in her wings. That Rarity's face was pressed into her side and was drooling over her blue coat did not appear to bother her at all.

Chrysalis watched the two Pinkies approach her table with yet another round of drinks. She was puzzled why there was two Pinkies before remembering that one of her drones liked that form and then she realized that Doomie wasn't in fact here and got even more confused. She made a concentrated effort and the two Pinkie Pies resolved themselves into a single mare.

"Why the frowny face, Chrysilicious?" Pinkie asked, after sitting down at the table across from her.

Chrysalis' forehead wrinkled, and she fiddled with the pink feather boa wrapped around her neck. Was she frowning? She tried to inspect herself in the blue drink but that was inconclusive. "I don't know," she admitted. "I think I must be doing this ''having fun' thing wrong."

"Ah," Pinkie said sagely. "That's okay you've just reached the stage of the evening when you get all introspective. Happens to every bride-to-be."

She nodded, and then had to make an effort to stop as anything involving her sense of balance was not a good idea right now. "How do I make it stop?" she asked plaintively. "My stomach and head have gone all twisty."

Pinkie grinned and put on a fake beard that she'd just happened to have handy. "So," she said in a strange thick accent. "You will be tellink me about your mother."

To Chrysalis' great surprise she told Pinkie Pie everything. From being a young princess in what was surely the greatest hive of changelings ever and the day she'd get to have a pony of her very own, to the attack that robbed her of her nymphling innocence long with her mother's life. She even told her about the years wandering the wilderness afterwards. When she had to grow up and learn to lead with no 'ling who would be willing to tell her differently.

When Chrysalis finished talking half of the tablecloth was covered by Pinkie's notes. Chrysalis couldn't make out a lot of it what with them being upside down to her, but did manage to make out 'clear abandonment issues', 'struggling with loss of maternal influence', ''pressure to overcome' and a number of more abstract workings including several depictions of balloons, all of her friend's cutiemarks joined up by random seeming lines, a lovingly rendered stallion's rear end and schematics for something that looked scarily weapon-like.

"I don't think I feel any better," Chrysalis said apologetically.

Pinkie pulled the beard off. "Ah perhaps the problem iz not beink..." She giggled, and dropped the accent. "Perhaps it's not yourself that you are concerned about?"

"Pinkie," Chrysalis said. She looked at her forehooves that were for some reason trembling. "What do ponies in a relationship do when they have a disagreement?"

"Well..." Pinkie drew out the word as she thought about it. "The Cakes usually just try to talk it out and only occasionally do they get all shouty. Course after that they usually get all kissy and ask me to be someplace else."

"Oh," Chrysalis said quietly. "I don't think I know how this should work out at all." She took a shot of her drink that burned all the way down. "When I was with Shining Armour anytime he did anything that I didn't like I just made him change his mind, but that wasn't a relationship. I was just using him..." She swallowed hard. "And that was wrong I think."

"Yep," Pinkie agreed, and nodded her head vigorously. Chrysalis really had no idea how she did that without being sick, but no matter how much the party pony had imbibed she remained just as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

"The thing is," she said, not at all sure that she wanted to complete this thought. "Cadance did that to me. Not back at the first wedding, but again yesterday. I do love her, but I think that might have been wrong too."

Pinkie dropped her usual happy-go-lucky grin and looked at the changeling with clear concern in her shining eyes. "Why?" was all that she said.

Chrysalis explained the price that the princesses had asked of her and how she been unable to just go along with it. "Don't get me wrong," she said, and shrugged her shoulders. "You saw how well it worked out today in getting all the ponies to accept the hive, but..." Chrysalis let out a little choke, and didn't feel much like continuing at all.

"Uh huh," Pinkie said, and she tilted her head to one side. "What did Princess Cadance do afterwards?"

"What?"

"Y'know," Pinkie said brightly. "Did she throw her head back and cackle, did she say the love would in fact last forever, did she do a dance that you thought could be an evil one in retrospect?"

"No," Chrysalis said slowly, then blinked a few times. "She asked me if I was okay with her doing that to me."

"Well, that was silly if you weren't," Pinkie said, patting one of Chrysalis’' forehooves with one of her own.

"I thought I was," Chrysalis admitted. "I thought that was how all this worked. Do you think I should talk to her?"

"Of course!" Pinkie said. "Talking things out always makes things better you'll see, and then you can go back to making kissy faces."

Chrysalis sat there for a while, and then her expression darkened. "But what if she does it to me again?" Her voice cracked and she let out an anguished sob. "What if what she did made her just like me and it’s all my fault!" she wailed.

Pinkie smiled reassuringly. "Then you come tell auntie Pinkie all about it, I’ll gather up the elements and we blast her into stone, or good again, or whatever." She grinned widely, and leaned forward. "I'm really not at all sure how they work," she whispered stage loudly in a conspiratorial fashion.

Chrysalis blinked. "I’m not sure that I’d like that," she said.

"I’m sure we could work something else out then."

"Still..." Chrysalis felt moisture dripping from her eyes. "You'd really be willing to do that for something like me?"

"Of course!" Pinkie said, as if Chrysalis had said something blatantly obvious. "That’s what you do for your friends."

"We're friends?"

"Absolutely-positively!"

"Thankyou," Chrysalis said, with a small shudder before managing a smile. "You’re a good pony, Pinkie Pie."

~~~

"Moondancer has a plan," Moondancer declared solemnly. "We are going to kill Pinkie Pie."

Minuette let out a long-suffering sigh.

"It's not that bad," Lyra said, though her usual grin was somewhat fixed in place.

"With knives," Moondancer added. "Really big knives."

"We did rather hope that there would be stallions with unshorn fetlocks," Luna said quietly.

"Can I take this off yet?" Firebrand asked. The this in question was a malformed hen costume stitched together from various mismatched bits of felt and was about twice as large as the changeling that it currently contained.

The five of them watched Cadance obviously making a prat out herself while blindfolded and trying to line up the tail with the crude Chrysalis drawing on the wall while Spike clapped excitedly. Upon finding out what her hen party would entail Cadance had swiftly embraced her inner foalsitter and was loving every minute of it.

Eventually the tail was pinned to the wall in a reasonably good attempt at accuracy. Cadance pulled the blindfold off and let out a whoop of victory while pumping a hoof in the air.

The rest clapped with varying degrees of feigned enthusiasm.

"Huzzah," Luna said, apparently grimly determined not to kill another party.

"Bet she's has had some practice at that," Moondancer said in a sotto voice darkly as she eyed the pinned tail which admittedly was a bit lower than it perhaps should have been.

"C'mon, there's a youngster present," Minuette pointed out, also in sotto voice. "Even if he is a dragon. Anyway, this is par for the course for a Pinkie party. Remember that one that griffon wrecked? I bet her lot are having it just as bad."

"That's true," pointed out Lyra. "Plus this hardly could be worse than the first one with the unplanned trip to the scenic gem caves of Canterlot."

"Moondancer does suppose the cake was good," she conceded reluctantly.

"I do not think I will ever understand ponies," Firebrand muttered.

"We know exactly what you mean," Luna agreed, but she was smiling when she did so.

"Okay!" Spike announced. "Now who is up for some board games?" He paused, looking lost for a moment in his shiny new tux. "You ponies are all having a good time, right?"

All five of them could see Cadance towering up from behind Spike wearing an expression that suggested that a wrong answer would have very unpleasant consequences from the bride-to-be indeed.

"We're having a great time!" came the dutiful reply in collective unison.

Cadance clapped her forehooves together and let out a genuinely happy giggle. "Tomorrow is going to be just perfect, I know it!"

Chapter 10: All My Thoughts She Does Consume

The once shining crystalline cavern contained hundreds of changelings, and all of them were staring at Twilight Sparkle.

<"Well?"> she shouted out. <"Don't you all want another chance at Canterlot?">

The changelings continued to stare back at her. There was barely a flutter of transparent wings or the rustle of chitin to be heard.

<"All I want is the chance to put things back to how they were."> Twilight stood her ground. She refused to be intimidated no matter how disconcerting all this silent attention was. <"I can help you get what you all want!">

'Liar.'

Twilight visibly flinched as the thought landed in her head. There should only be one other thinking in her mind, and not only was he currently delirious, he wasn't female either. The voice sounded far too familiar to Twilight Sparkle as her eyes went wide and her ears flattened against her head.

The overwhelming silence was broken by the sound of approaching hooves on stone. A cream unicorn appeared from out of darkness, and the gathered drones stepped aside to let her pass.

'Hello Twilight Sparkle,' thoughtthe changeling at her. 'Be a good daughter, and have a kiss ready for your...' She paused, and flashed her a wide smile filled with warmth, but also with far too many razor-sharp fangs. 'Broodmother.'

"H-How?" asked Twilight, backing up several steps away from the changeling impersonating her own mother, right down to her three star cutie mark to the purple and white mane.

‘I'm sure that it's more than simple enough for you to understand, my daughter,’ came the silken words directly into her mind.

"You're not my mother!" snapped Twilight. “Change to somepony else. Anypony else!”

‘But you are my daughter,’whispered the changeling's thoughts. ‘Now that you are of the hive, Twilight Sparkle. As are the rest of my sons and daughters whether they are from one of my own spawnings or not.’

She could feel her tail twitching behind her. "Dusk lied to me," Twilight said, in a far too high-pitched panicky tone for her own liking.

‘He did not. I merely know his mind and through his I see something of yours,’ the broodmother thought in a perfect imitation of Twilight Velvet’s voice. ‘I could hardly perform my role in caring for the wellbeing of the hive if I could not. Can your own mother really not do the same?’

Twilight was about to protest, but then she remembered the real Twilight Velvet's near psychic abilities in determining when the cookie jar had been accessed without permission and shrugged instead.

“But why take the form of my real mother?” Twilight asked despairingly.

The broodmother ran a hoof through her mane and stretched out her back. <“It seemed appropriate,”> she said playfully, swapping to the changeling tongue.

Now Twilight’s initial shock had worn off she noticed that the broodmother hadn’t exactly imitated Twilight Velvet exactly, but her as a mare in her prime not much older than herself. Her natural curiosity got the better of her fear and anger, and she asked, "You can really hear the thoughts of every changeling at once?"

<“Of course not,”> she said, her eyes dancing. <“That would be awfully loud to put up with all the time.”>

“Did Dusk know that?” Twilight asked, struggling to process this new information.

“It probably never crossed his mind. Both the swarm lords that I have known have never paid much attention to my role in the hive .” The broodmother sighed, and made a vague gesture to her right. “Okay, see that drone over there.”

Twilight turned to look, but with the sheer mass of drones she had no idea which one the broodmother was talking about. She was sure that they could probably tell each other apart, but unfortunately most of the changelings looked pretty much the same to her. “Uh, which one?”

The broodmother rolled her eyes. “Drone, if you’d be so kind.”

One of the drones in the indistinguishable crowd nodded, and turned into a pony that Twilight couldn’t place immediately. After racking her mind, Twilight realised that she had taken the form of a mare who had recently moved from the mayor’s office in Ponyville to work in the royal palace of Canterlot. She looked almost entirely different without her glasses. The imitation Raven nodded once, and flashed her a quick friendly smile.

<“The drone is currently thinking that she hopes that you will be reasonable,” the broodmother said. <”She also thinks that you’re very brave to come down here all alone where anything could happen if you were suitably distracted,”>

The drone’s borrowed eyes flicked from side to side, and her entire body started to tremble.

<”She’s now thinking that she’s also never really considered that I can look into her thoughts anytime that I want,”> the broodmother explained, as the Raven-drone began to visibly sweat. <”Oh dear, now she’s trying really hard not to think that I’m a disturbing freak, as I might not permit her to participate when the next time of breeding comes. She’s now moved on to panicking over the fact that she’ll never have the chance to have a brood of nymphlings of her own, that her own mother was right about everything, and wishing that she’d never even left the badlands with the rest of the hive.”> The broodmother turned back to Twilight. <”Honestly, I really don’t mind.”>

“This is so very, very wrong,” Twilight muttered to herself, as the Raven-drone visibly relaxed.

<"Now, why don't you let us know why you're really here,"> the broodmother said, and more than loud enough for everything in the cavern to hear her.

Twilight hesitated. and then set her jaw firmly. "I need your help."

<"And why would you think that we'd be interested in doing something like that?">

Twilight swallowed as she glanced at the scores of changeling all around her, and all of them were observing her with interest. "I'm pretty certain that I can undo what Princess Cadance did to your queen."

<"Former queen"> the broodmother corrected sharply. Somehow she'd got her clicks and snarls to hit the exact tone that Twilight Velvet had used to reprimand her daughter as a filly, and Twilight had to repress a shudder at the disturbing familiarity.

"I can do it," Twilight insisted.

<"But what's in it for us?"> the broodmother pressed.

"You were winning until she did that, remember?" Twilight said. “You had Canterlot entirely under your hooves.”

<"That is true,"> she conceded. <"Still, the ponies are prepared now, and we have no queen to lead us..."> The broodmother gave Twilight a speculative once over. <"Or do we?">

Twilight took a step back and started channelling energy into her horn in preparation for a quick escape. "No."

<"Now, there's no need for that kind of behaviour,"> the broodmother chided. <"Haven't you ever wanted a pair of wings to go with that horn of yours?">

"Not from you," Twilight stated firmly, shifting in place as something wet moved around her hooves.

<"Are you sure?"> the broodmother asked. <”All I’m asking is that you consider it. What’s the harm in that?">

Twilight shook her head. Partially to convey her disagreement, and partially due to the sticky slime that was dripping from above onto her mane and down her back. "No, just no."

<"We need a queen,"> the broodmother stated. <"So, who do you offer us?">

Twilight swallowed hard. Her back legs twitched as if something was slowly winding its way up them. "Princess Cadance," she said quietly, feeling her guts twist into knots inside her. "I'll do everything I can to stop you, but with her disoriented after the spell this is the best chance that you're going to get." She tried to reassure herself that even they did take her former foalsitter all of Equestria would move to get her back, but it didn't help. Twilight knew that she'd crossed a line even considering it. There just wasn't any other way to put things right, and she absolutely had to put things right.

<"There, was that really so hard?">

"I will stop you," Twilight promised, though her voice was shaky and not currently likely to convince anyone. Her head was swimming, and the facsimile of her mother seemed blurry and indistinct before her eyes.

<"That's nice, dear."> the broodmother said, as her horn began to glow with a pale green light.

~~~

Chrysalis burst into the room that had once been hers. Cadance was sitting in front of the mirror, and was putting on some final touches to her appearance. The scorch mark that had been left on her by Firebrand's magic had been transformed into a stylised black flame that now decorated her cheek.

She spun at the sudden entrance and her eyes widened. "Chrysalis!" she said, and then looked the changeling over. "No offence, my love," she said sweetly. "But you look terrible."

Chrysalis pulled off the battered pink boa and flung it to the side. "Please, I..." She paused, and then lowered her head. "We need to talk."

Cadance let out a small laugh. "Can't it wait until after we're married?"

"No."

Cadance stood up away from the mirror and frowned. "Whatever could be the matter?" she asked, her eyes widening as she realized just how upset her lover clearly was. "It's not the other changelings again, is it?"

"It's not the other changelings," Chrysalis said, still unable or unwilling to meet Cadance's eyes. "It's about us."

"You're leaving me?" Cadance spluttered. "You can't do that. You just can't."

"No," Chrysalis said quickly. "It's about what you did to me."

"You were the one that invaded us," Cadance said firmly. Her jaw was a tight line. "I did what I had to."

Chrysalis waved a hoof through the air in a sweeping motion. "Not that. When you stopped acting like a princess and started acting like a queen."

There was a deathly period of silence and the air crackled with tension.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Cadance's tone was clipped and practically dripped with regal authority.

Chrysalis flinched as if her lover's tone was a whip that had caught her full in the face, but she raised her head to meet Cadance's eyes. "You forced me to change my mind," she said, keeping her tone level and free of accusation. "Just like a changeling queen would do."

Cadance laughed harshly. "And you have a problem with that?"

"Please, Cadance," Chrysalis said softly. "Just listen to me."

Cadance was struck by the changeling's tone and made a visible effort to control herself. "But... but, I thought you were okay with it," she said, her tone was pleading and desperate. "You said so yourself."

"I thought I was," Chrysalis admitted. "But I don't want to be your pet, and I certainly don't want to be your drone. I just want to be yours, Cadance."

"I..." Cadance's wings were shaking.

"But, I also want you to be all mine."

Cadance looked away from Chrysalis to stare at her reflection in the mirror.

After several minutes of horrible silence, Chrysalis asked, "Cadance?"

Cadance lightly touched a hoof to the flame decorating her cheek and pursed her lips. "I..." She trailed off, and then turned to Chrysalis to face her properly. "I'm sorry. You must hate me," she said flatly, and a tear trickled down the side of her face. "I'm a monster."

"No!" Chrysalis yelled, the fire of the would be conqueror returning to her voice. She wrapped her forehooves around Cadance to hold her close. "I love you. No matter what you've done."

"Only because I made you," Cadance whispered, with a sniff.

"Not anymore," Chrysalis insisted. "You're smart, caring, you exercise power over others like you were born to it, and you are absolutely heart-stoppingly beautiful." She felt Cadance lean into the hug, and continued. "If you had not done what you did I'd never have fallen in love with you for real and that makes me the luckiest changeling that has ever been."

Cadance suddenly pulled away. She glanced at the mirror and the black flame displayed there. "I don't think I can stop," she said quietly. "I'm not even sure that I want to."

"I don't want you to stop," Chrysalis insisted, snuggling back up a little closer. "I love you, and all that I ask is that you love me in return."

"But, I don't understand," Cadance asked, her voice shaking. "I asked whether you were okay with it, and you said yes. Why would you feel that you had to lie to me?"

"I'm so sorry for not telling you straight away, but I just didn't realise that it felt wrong," Chrysalis said. "It took last night to realise how much it was hurting that you were now doing to me what I had done to Shining Armour."

"Oh, Chrysalis!" Cadance cried, and buried her face into the changeling's shoulder. “I can’t believe I ever thought would be okay to do to you,” she said, with her voice somewhat muffled. "It was just that being the monster that had captured the heart of the changeling queen was so much easier than realising that I chose to do everything that I did, and that I really did like it too."

She held the sobbing alicorn there until the flow of tears began to slow.

Cadance looked up and pulled a forehoof across her watery eyes. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" she asked.

"Being you is enough," Chrysalis replied, and placed a quick kiss on the other mare's horn.

"I won't ever use my magic on you again," Cadance said seriously, and rested a hoof lightly on Chrysalis' chest

Chrysalis' form shifted around her until another Cadance was holding her close. "I'm still going to use mine so I'm sure there might be the odd occasion when I really don't mind," the mirror Cadance said huskily, and shifted herself against her.

"Okay, okay," the genuine Cadance said, as she gazed at her double under hooded eyelids. "But I will always ask permission first."

"That works for me," Chrysalis replied, and smiled back.

"So, what now?

"Well," Chrysalis ventured. "According to what Pinkie was saying in regard to the schedule of talks like this then we should be making kissy faces by now," she explained seriously.

"I have heard that Pinkie Pie is a very smart mare," agreed Cadance in an equally serious tone. "A certified genius in fact."

They managed to hold the sombre expressions for all of two seconds before collapsing into a fit of giggles.

After that had turned into a very enthusiastic and copious amounts of kissing, Chrysalis very reluctantly pulled herself away. In between gasping for breath, she managed to say, "I really should go. Rarity was yelling something about absolutely having to do a proper fitting when I left her behind at the station."

"Go, go," agreed Cadance, who was also breathing heavily. "There's barely just over an hour until we're both supposed to be walking down the aisle."

Chrysalis' eyes widened. "Oh by Majesty's pointy horn," she swore loudly. Moments later she had galloped from the room leaving an upturned ponyquin in her wake.

Cadance watched her go, and unable to help herself, went back to staring at the mare that she was not sure that she recognised any more in the mirror.

~~~

Twilight threw open the two heavy double doors with about as much magical force as she had once used to lift an ursa minor. The resulting crash was loud enough to shatter several of the stained glass windows, and send some of the more panicky ponies present into uncontrollable screaming fits. Dusk followed her into the room and quickly scanned around for anypony that might get in their way.

An immense earth pony guard leapt at her in a flying tackle. Apparently that kind of entrance was going to garner such a response even if you were the princess' favourite student. Dusk met him in mid-air and they were soon wrestling in a frenzy of muscle, chitin and hooves. Twilight stepped past them lightly.

"No!" Chrysalis screeched. "Not again!" The former queen stood by Cadance and Celestia, wearing a simple bridal veil, along with a stunned expression of utter disbelief that such a thing could happen to the same changeling twice.

Princess Celestia stepped forward, probably to ask what the meaning of this was, but she never got the chance.

From every window in the hall, formerly broken by Twilight's entrance or otherwise, a flood of black changeling bodies poured into the room. Within a matter of seconds Celestia and Luna had been buried under the sheer numbers that the swarm of drones could bring to bear. They wouldn't be able to hold them for long, and already battered drones were being sent flying in all directions, but Twilight didn't need very long at all to do what she came for.

She sought out her targets. Chrysalis was still shaking her head in utter disbelief and tearing her veil to pieces. Cadance was by her side and was saying something that Twilight for some reason couldn't make out. Not that it would matter for long. She scanned about for her brother and conveniently he was charging right down the aisle. What a wonderful brother to make this so easy. She didn't just want to do this; she needed to do this. It was not like anypony was going to get hurt. The love was just going to be moved back around to the proper places. If anything if that changeling had any decency she’d actually thank Twilight when she was done for setting her free.

Twilight gave life to the spell that she had been holding in preparation and a torrential surge of energy sought out Cadance's, that changeling's and her own brother's horns. She'd had to adapt Cadance's spell somewhat as otherwise she might have ended up desperately in love with her own brother, and that would just be way too creepy. Unable to help herself she let out a dark laugh of sheer satisfaction. This is so easy! She should have done this days ago and saved everypony the trouble of having to make nice to that monster.

And that was when she witnessed exactly what she was doing to Chrysalis.

She was flopping around and writhing like a bug caught under a magnifying glass. The odd misshapen holes in her legs—that had been slowly sealing over the last couple of days, Twilight realised—had returned with a vengeance and were getting larger and larger. No longer were they were confined to legs, and were now pulling themselves open all over her body. The sound of flesh and chitin ripping open was truly terrible, but it was nothing compared to Chrysalis' anguished screams as the love was torn away from her.

In abject horror at what she had wrought Twilight tried to stop the spell, but it had gone too far, and she'd would have more luck trying to move the sun and moon at once than stopping now. She wanted to scream that this wasn't what she wanted, but caught in the grip of her spell, all she could do was watch.

Everything else after that came to her as a series of static snapshots that burned into her mind. Princess Cadance being dragged away in floods of silent tears by several changeling drones. The look of horror in each one of her friend's faces. The terrible expressions of imminent wrath on the princesses as they pulled themselves free of the mass of bodies. Those in the crowd calling out in fear as they were crushed in the saddened stampede to flee. Her brother wordlessly calling her name.

And above it all the sound of the former changeling queen's broken screams.

~~~

Twilight woke up with a start as the cocoon fell to pieces around her. The changeling immediately held her close in a comforting motherly hug, softly stroking her mane until she had stopped hyperventilating quite so badly.

"W-Would that really have happened?" Twilight eventually managed to ask.

The broodmother shrugged. <"Possibly,"> she replied non-committally. <"Losing that much love all at once I can't imagine would be at all healthy. Then again Chrysalis might have been completely fine. I've got no idea really.">

"So—"

<"Why trap you in a cocoon and put you through that?"> asked the broodmother to complete the thought. <"Diplomacy.">

"Diplomacy?!" Twilight yelled, her voice breaking with the strain.

<"Indeed,"> the changeling agreed. <"Your Princess informed Chrysalis that she willing to offer our hive a place in Equestria.">

"She did?" Twilight said, feeling decidedly sick to her stomach. She knew intellectually that none of what she had just been through had been real, and only a forced mental illusion from the changeling cocoon, but even as a worst case scenario it had profoundly unsettled her.

<"Indeed,"> the broodmother agreed, with a warm, friendly smile. <"After I relayed the offer to the hive once I knew of it, most of us collectively agreed that this is the best course of action to take to guarantee a better future. Would you like to call me Velvet by the way? It might help you to calm down. ">

Twilight's brow furrowed. "Uh huh, Velvet," she said. "And you stuck me in a cocoon, why?" There was no heat in her voice. She was far too shaken to be angry at the mental violation for now. With a pained realisation she knew that she was far more disturbed that she could have inadvertently inflicted such a horrific fate on anything in the name of making amends.

<"I'm sure such a fine young clever mare like yourself can work that out.">

She considered her words carefully as she fought down the memory of those screams. "Now you've got something that you really want you couldn't have any more disruption," Twilight said slowly. "If you'd have hurt me or turned me into a new changeling queen Princess Celestia would never have forgiven you and I don't like to think what she might have been capable of doing then." She closed her eyes to banish the sudden vision of a Canterlot in flames and littered with far too many piles of ash.

<"Those who don't learn from history,"> intoned Velvet, who was still holding her reassuringly in a motherly embrace, and then she smirked. <"Well, I'm sure you know the rest.">

"Given I wasn't in any mood to be dissuaded," Twilight said, placing her forehooves lightly against the changeling's chest. "If I hadn't got any help from the hive I might well have tried the spell anyway at the wedding..."

<"Which could well have traumatized you if you had hurt Chrysalis or worse, which would have left the princesses looking for something to blame, and on past form they’d have certainly taken it out on the hive,"> noted Velvet. <"We're even going to have a queen again! Sure, we all will call Celestia the Princess like you ponies do, but every changeling will know what we really mean.">

Twilight sighed. "Fine, I do see the logic," she admitted. "Still, it wasn't exactly nice—"

<"Changeling, remember?"> Velvet pointed out. <"Being 'nice' is not something that we're really known for. We'll have a go at learning to fit in, but it's not going to happen overnight.">

Twilight pushed the broodmother away from her, and breaking the hug. <"I suppose not,"> she said. <"Couldn't you have done something to stop all this before? Just speaking up in support of Dusk would have helped.">

<"Why would I have wanted to do that?"> Velvet asked. Her expression was alien on her far too familiar face. <"Firebrand's plan might well have worked, and that would also have been acceptable. It didn't, and so the hive adjusts.">

Velvet laughed when she saw Twilight's expression. <"It was for the greater good,"> she explained.

"And by the greater good you mean what's good for the hive, right?"

<"Of course,"> Velvet said, baring her fangs into a smile full of pride. <"I'm so glad that you understand. Dusk was right to trust you."> She gave Twilight a serious look. <"So, what will you do now?">

Twilight sat silently in thought, and then looked up to stare at the changeling. "She hurt my brother."

<"She did,"> agreed Velvet pleasantly.

"I don't think I can forgive that," Twilight said. "Not easily. I don’t think I can forgive you either for putting me through that, even if I can understand why you thought you were helping."

<"We're not asking you to,"> Velvet said, her eyes gleaming in the low light. <"So, what are you going to do?">

Twilight Sparkle stood up and looked all around the cavern and at all the changelings that were still observing her. "You can start by showing me where Dusk is."

~~~

"I so wish that Twilight was here for this," Fluttershy said, and sighed heavily. She watched Chrysalis slowly pacing up the aisle with her face covered with a veil, and made a few quick gestures to instruct her bird choir to come to the crescendo. She winced slightly as the blue warbler hit a somewhat discordant note, before breathing out in relief that nopony had seemed to notice. "Doesn't she look absolutely radiant?"

Trixie leaned over and lightly nibbled on her ear causing her to giggle, and squeal out, "H-Hey!"

"She's got nothing on you," Trixie said confidently. "Or Rarity of course." She paused to study the other pony standing beside her that had so unexpectedly won her heart. "You've known her far longer than I have. When do you think she'll stop twitching?"

"Um... She'll be fine I'm sure," Fluttershy said, also looking towards the mare that she had never thought she'd get so close to, but had always secretly hoped. Rarity was gazing off into space with the fixed unhinged grin of a fashion designer who, on top of creating several masterpieces in less than a day with no notice, had then somehow managed to pull off a full bridal fitting in the space of twenty minutes with a brain-splitting hangover. "She'll be fine," Fluttershy repeated, possibly more to reassure herself than Trixie.

Trixie adjusted her new floppy hat, decorated with several belts and stars, and stroked her flowing purple dress that was edged with black fishnet that Rarity had thrown together in seemingly no time at all. She had been so happy with the outfit that she’d engaged in a bout of hoof-kissing out of sheer gratitude on her new unicorn marefriend that hadn’t got at all weird or uncomfortable. “Hey, are you okay?” she said, wrapping a forehoof around Rarity’s neck.

Rarity jumped slightly, and then shook her head. “Sorry,” she said quietly, as Celestia started to address all the gathered ponies in the hall for the wedding. “Think I’m still running on nothing but the last dregs of adrenalin after getting through all that.”

“Well, this should be nice and peaceful,” Trixie said, also managing to keep her voice down. “Trixie has performed at several weddings in her time, and has never seen anything more exciting than a tipsy guest knocking over the cake.”

That was when the closed doors to the royal hall slammed open revealing two figures standing at the entrance. Trixie’s jaw dropped. “Okay, so I might have been mistaken about that...”

Chapter 11: The Perfect Day

Twilight threw open the heavy double doors with enough force to make it dramatic, but not quite enough to send anypony into a sudden panic.

"No!" Chrysalis screeched. "Not again!" The former queen stood by Cadance and Celestia, wearing an elaborate dress of soft pinks and whites, along with a stunned expression of utter disbelief that such a thing could happen to the same changeling twice.

Twilight had to pause for a moment to take advantage of the stunned silence that she had caused by her sudden arrival to admire Chrysalis' bridal outfit. Given the short notice it must have been one hay of a rush job for Rarity, but the fashionista had absolutely excelled herself. There had to be some magic in the dress given how it transformed Chrysalis' harsh angular form into something far softer, and even gave an impression of vulnerability. While suitably pale for bridal attire, Rarity had apparently permitted herself some fun with more vibrant details amongst the pinks and whites which very much reminded Twilight of her former foalsitter’s mane.

Cadance's outfit was just as impressive. It wasn't quite a suit, and it wasn't quite a dress, yet it suited the princess perfectly. The predominant black was offset by sea greens and dark reds while the cut of the fitting had clearly been inspired to provoke comparisons to the sharper more aggressive changeling form.

Her friends were all in their dresses from the first attempt at the wedding ceremony. Rarity had even somehow found the time to create an appropriate outfit for Trixie along with a new floppy hat. The only thing out of place was that there were two Lyra's, and that one of them was wearing a mauve dress so hideous that even Twilight with her regrettable lack of fashion knowledge thought that it was the most impressive eyesore that she had ever seen. It was almost an achievement in how offensive it was.

Celestia stepped past the two brides-to-be, and asked, "Twilight, what is the meaning of this?"

"I'm sorry I'm late, everypony," Twilight called out, while smiling widely. "I just had to make sure that the other guests got their invitation."

Rather than a bedraggled looking Cadance this time another Twilight Sparkle stood in the doorway. This Twilight however had been born a stallion, and was wearing the polished ornate armour of a changeling swarm lord. Dusk bowed deeply in respect to the hall and moved to stand sentry by the open door.

Velvet followed next. She quickly spotted the real Twilight Velvet in the crowd and gave her a friendly wave. Twilight Velvet spluttered in disbelief, and then nudged her husband in the ribs when she noticed him drooling. As more and more changelings—some in the guises of ponies, while others as drones in plain sight—filed into the hall to stand along the walls, Chrysalis raised a hoof to her mouth to stifle a sob.

"I don't know why you would ever do such a thing for me, but thank you, Twilight Sparkle," Chrysalis said, her voice heavy with barely repressed emotion. "Thank you."

"You should thank your former hive's broodmother," Twilight said, gesturing to Velvet who managed to pull off an impressively fluid curtsey. "She..." Twilight paused, and considered how to best word having a nightmare forced into your head in the name of inter-species relations. "She talked me round to seeing that given the alternatives it is far better to let things go rather than allowing them to fester."

"The broodmother?" Chrysalis asked, and raising an eye ridge. "But she just deals with the breeding, and lecturing me constantly to finally get round to having a princess of my own."

"And you did," Velvet called out. "Well done!"

Chrysalis glanced at Cadance, and then laughed. "I suppose so," she said. "Then I thank you too."

"Then there truly is a first time for everything," Velvet replied cheerfully.

"As I was saying," Celestia announced loudly, after the new guests had finished taking their places. "Mares and gentlecolts, drones, swarm lord, broodmother, and our other honoured guests, we are gathered here to witness the joining together in marriage of Princess Cadance and the changeling Chrysalis."

There was a smattering of cheers for the crowd, followed by an impressive burst of fireworks across the ceiling of the great hall, which doubled the cheers and applause. Trixie allowed herself a small satisfied smile.

"While their love is perhaps unconventional to some," Celestia said, continuing her speech. "And the way of their meeting and the following courtship even more so, there is no denying that the love they share is very much real. The strength of their commitment formed so strongly in such a short time is clear to all." She turned to Spike who was close by in attendance. "May I have the rings please."

"Wait," Spike said, searching his tux frantically. "Was I supposed to have those?"

"Generally the dragon, or pony as the case may be, in charge of the festivities looks after them for the wedding," she kindly explained, her voice full of infinite patience. "Pinkie Pie, do you have them?"

Pinkie made an elaborate show of checking every inch of her bouncy body. "Nuh huh," she said. "Then this dress doesn't actually come with any pocketses," Pinkie confessed in a put on squeaky voice.

"Uhh," Chrysalis said worriedly, clearly not trying to let the fact that Cadance had her face buried in her forehooves cause her to panic even further. "What's this about rings?"

"I didn't even think about that," Cadance groaned, with her face still buried in her hooves. "I don't even know what happened to the one that I was going to give myself after I was imprisoned down in the caves."

"I'm sure that there's a fast pegasus present who would be willing to pick up two rings from Canterlot," Celestia said, causing Rainbow Dash to flex expectantly. "I believe Bands and Beds come highly recommended, and they do throw in a pair of feather pillows for free."

"But they'd have to be fitted," Cadance wailed, and stomped a hoof down. "And how are we going to get a ring on that thing!"

Chrysalis gazed up at her jagged horn self-consciously. "Maybe they could make one custom?"

"That could take weeks!" Cadance said petulantly, fully giving into histrionics as only a mare who has found that something has gone wrong at the altar can. "I just want to get married! How can that be so flapping hard!?"

"Ahem."

All eyes turned to Shining Armour, and the two gleaming golden rings he was holding with his magic.

"Thought that I'd look after these after one of my stallions found them after the last go round," he said. "Here you go, princess." He floated over the ring, that had things been different, Cadance would have given to him. "I believe that was the one you were looking for."

"Shining?" Cadance said uncertainly, as she took the ring she'd selected with her own magic.

He didn't answer her, as he turned to Chrysalis, triggering the magic of his enchanted sash as he did so. There were a few gasps from both stallions and mares in the audience who had yet to experience the full Gleaming Shield effect. "Chrysalis, I'm giving this ring to you," she said, sending the ring slowly spinning towards the former queen.

"I..." Chrysalis was entirely lost for words.

"You tried to take me from her, at least that’s from what I understand and remember," Gleaming explained sweetly. "But you never took me from her, but you know what? I can give that to you."

"Thank you," Chrysalis said simply, as she took the ring.

"Now you take care of her," Gleaming said, her tone silken smooth. "Or by the time I'm done with you, well you'll think that Tartaurus is a day spa in comparison. She may have ripped all the love I once held for her out of my head but that really doesn't mean that I won't take it personally anyway."

Chrysalis gulped. "...Understood."

"But it was made for Shining Armour, not you," Cadance said, staring at the wedding band in front of her.

"It will fit," Chrysalis insisted, through gritted teeth.

"Chrysalis, no!" Cadance protested, as she caught the meaning of her lover's words.

"Cadance, there is nothing, absolutely nothing that I wouldn't do for you," she said, and passed her ring to Celestia. "Now, can we get on with this?"

"Of course," Celestia replied regally, as she took the other ring from Cadance. "I now pronounce you mare and changeling, joined eternally one." With that she placed the rings upon their horns. For several seconds as the wedding band was slid down instead of Chrysalis by Cadance there stood Shining Armour in that same pink dress, visibly pained, but holding himself completely still, and even managed a triumphant smile as the ring fit upon his horn perfectly.

Gleaming Shield just watched without any emotion showing on her face, but she didn't complain when Twilight seized her into a fierce sisterly hug. He triggered the sash and Shining Armour hugged his sister back.

Chrysalis let out a shaky breath and released the form of the stallion that she had once ensnared. The golden wedding band was now now locked firmly in place at the base of her horn. "Not doing that again," she whispered, only loud enough for Celestia and Cadance to hear.

"Couldn't you have turned into anypony with a smaller horn if you were going to do that?" Celestia asked conversationally.

"No," Cadance said softly, her eyes shining. "She couldn't."

Celestia went back to using her addressing the crowd voice. "Chrysalis," she announced. "I name you princess-consort of Equestria. You may now kiss the bride."

Cadance raised a forehoof. "Excuse me, but she's the bride."

Princess-consort Chrysalis opened her mouth to protest, and then turned it into a rueful grin. "I really don't mind being the bride," she said meekly, and fluttered her eyelids at Cadance.

Celestia threw her hooves up in the air. "Will you two just kiss already?" she asked, her voice alive with amusement. "Also, Rainbow Dash. That was your cue by the way."

As the massive sonic rainboom shattered the air above Canterlot, the lips of Cadance and Chrysalis met for the first time as wife and wife. It was, rather like friendship, absolutely magical.

~~~

Moondancer had her tongue in a drone's ear and nopony or changeling present seemed to mind. It was turning into that kind of night. The drone did not currently look like Prince Blueblood but apparently that too had ceased to be a problem after the second glass of champagne.

"I still don't get any of this," Rainbow Dash groused. Her mood had been decidedly grumpier since she'd discovered that there wasn't a drop of cider to be found and was now reluctantly getting acquainted with a red wine.

"It's really not all that complicated," Gleaming said confidently. "Mare meets stallion. Mare gets abducted by changeling. Changeling conquers Canterlot with unwitting help of stallion. Mare conquers changeling with love. Meanwhile two mares find other mare to turn as yet to be determined mare into what the stallion would look like if he was a mare. Then mares accidentally turn stallion into a mare in the process. Changeling and mare get married, other three mares get together, and stallion, or mare, depending on which is currently more entertaining, figures that all things considered things could have turned out a lot worse."

Dash looked at her blankly.

"I can get my flip-chart if it would help," Gleaming offered. "Really it'd be no trouble."

"Uh..." Applejack said, who was just as stunned that Gleaming hadn't needed to breathe during all that. "Nah, I think we're good. You have a flip-chart?"

"Of course," Gleaming replied. "Can't be an effective captain without a flip-chart."

"Mare who looks like a stallion, what?" Dash mumbled to herself, and then shook her head. "Anyway, I totally follow everything that happened... Well, kinda," she admitted. "But it's all this soppiness going about," Dash said, and glanced over to the side of the party where Fluttershy and Trixie were sitting together quietly. "Always thought that she was way cooler than that."

"So you're not one for soppiness, Dash?" Gleaming asked, raising an eyebrow of such delicate perfection that three nearby stallions choked on their drinks.

"Nah," Dash said, and brushed some non-existent dust out of her coat. "Never seen the point, and it'd just be a distraction anyway."

"Our Dash here has her eyes set on becoming a Wonderbolt," Applejack explained. "Least that's when she's not nappin' in my orchard anyway."

Gleaming nodded. "You sound just like the old Wonderbolts captain," she said. "Only met Icy Showers the once, but I've never met anypony so dedicated. Heard she almost had an apoplexy when Spitfire got the nod after she retired." She studied Dash, and then downed the champagne glass that she'd been carrying. "I take that you've read her biography then?"

"Of course!" Dash replied, her voice brimming over with her inner fanfilly. "Read it cover to cover seven times. Did you know that she was the first mare to do the castle relay run in under seven minutes?"

"I'm really sure that he doesn't need the lecture, Rainbow," Applejack interjected. "Land-snakes, I swear that some days you can be worse than Twilight when she's got a bee in her bonnet."

"You know." Gleaming said, as she did something with her hips that caused the owner of Bands and Beds behind her—who was already on quite the elated high after the recognition from the Princess herself—to faint clean away from pure happiness at the sight of it. "I bet that I could change your mind."

"That sounds like a challenge," Rainbow said, her lips splitting into a cocky grin. "I love challenges."

"You ready?" Gleaming asked. "I wouldn't want to claim that you weren’t prepared," she said, drawing the last word out into a low purr.

"Bring it," Dash said smugly. "Better ponies and griffons than you have tried."

In response Gleaming shot her a sultry come hither look so intense that Applejack gasped, and she wasn't even the primary target.

"Oh... So that's you do it," Apple noted weakly.

Fleur-de-Lys was standing close enough to take note, and without interrupting her own conversation, raised a glass in salute to a fellow pro.

"I was just thinking," Gleaming said shyly, and then leaned in close to whisper something in Dash's ear.

Rainbow Dash let out an audible helpless moan, flushed absolute scarlet, and took to the air with a frantic flap of her extended wings. "Uh, I need to be somewhere else. Somewhere else that is very much not here," she said, her eyes darting wildly. "You totally win, okay... So, umm bye!" Gleaming Shield and Applejack barely heard the last few words as they had been shouted from a rainbow streak rapidly disappearing into the night sky.

Applejack gawped at the transformed stallion. "Woah, what the nelly did you say to her?" she asked. "I've never seen her cave in that quickly in the face of a challenge."

Gleaming studied the sky with a puzzled expression on her face, and then turned back to Applejack. "All I said was that I'd tickle her hooves," she said, her voice somewhat awed by getting such a rise so swiftly. "I thought I'd start small and then work my way up."

Applejack snorted with barely repressed laughter. "I'm gonna have to remember that one." She grinned. "Could come up in all sortsa situations."

Gleaming frowned. "You don't think I upset her, do you?"

"Nah, she'll be fine," Applejack said. "Dash is a big mare, and she gives as good as she gets. Believe me, I'll be riding her on this one for weeks."

"Oh good," Gleaming said, readjusted the refashioned sash around her neck. "Right, mind holding onto my helmet, Applejack?" I'm going to go and seduce Discord."

Applejack looked at her blankly. "Uh, sugarcube," she said. "Discord's a stone cold statue."

Gleaming grinned. "So?" she said lightly, and sauntered away a few steps before looking back. "Think it will make a difference?"

"Nah, probably not," admitted Applejack, before giving in and cracking up into guffaws of laughter entirely.

Gleaming strutted away, stepped lightly over the stallion who was still out of it with a blissful grin on his face, and past where Dusk and Twilight were making an effort at dancing together. The attempt so far was not exactly successful.

"How are you finding it?" Twilight asked, as she made a real effort not to step on her partner's hooves.

Dusk tripped over her tail and clattered right into another dancing couple. After several profuse apologies to them, he said in halting Equestrian, "It's a lot easier than dancing, I'll say that," Dusk said, shaking his head. "Must still be feeling the after-effects of the cocoon."

"Probably," agreed Twilight, trying not to notice the dirty looks from the two ponies that were still picking themselves up. "Can I ask you something?"

"If it's about anything that I may have dreamt about in the last few days..." Dusk said warily.

"Not that," Twilight said quickly, a touch of colour on her cheeks. "I keep going over and over what Velvet did to me, and I just have to know If you did lie to me."

"Twilight," Dusk said hesitantly. "I know I swore that forming a connection with me would not harm you. I'm sorry." He looked away towards where Velvet was deep in conversation with Twilight's real mother. "I really had no idea such a thing was even possible." He let out a bitter laugh. "And I wasn't exactly in a position to complain at the time."

"I know," Twilight said, a slight smile touching her lips. "Our link might be fading, but I still know that you aren't lying to me."

"I'm almost glad that hive Chrysalis is over with," Dusk admitted. "I don't think I was a very good swarm lord."

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Twilight said, placing a forehoof on the changeling's shoulder. "What will you do now?"

"I'd like to come visit you," Dusk said, as they made an almost passable attempt at moving in time with the music.

"Really?" Twilight blurted out, her eyes darting.

Dusk nodded. "But for now I can't," he said. "I may be able to talk to ponies now from my longer exposure due to carrying so much of Princess Cadance's love, but who knows how long it will take the rest of the changelings, if it ever happens at all."

"But I heard that Cadance could fix that with her magic anyway?"

"Velvet was the last," Dusk said. "Apparently it just takes too much out of her, and that she needs all her energy now for something else," he explained. "She was smirking when she said that. Not entirely sure what that was about."

"I'm sure that I have no idea either," Twilight said, with an entirely straight face. "So you're staying in Canterlot then?"

"Yes," agreed Dusk. "Queen... Sorry, Princess Celestia asked if I would be willing to earlier. Doomie is heading to Ponyville to apprentice in baking, Firebrand now goes whether Princess Cadance goes, and I don't think she entirely trusts Velvet," he explained. "Would it be okay if I wrote to you though?"

Twilight smiled. "Letters from the first changeling liaison of Canterlot?" she said wryly. "Of course that would be fine. I might even write back."

Dusk laughed, and then his expression darkened. "Please be careful when you get back to Ponyville."

Twilight raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"The princesses don't want make it public knowledge for fear of causing panic and destroying the very integration that they're hoping to achieve, but not every changeling was willing to listen when Velvet shared Princess Celestia's proposal with the hive," Dusk said. "Most will flee for the badlands to try and become part of one of the other hives, some though may well strike out on their own, and then they'll begin to feed."

"How many drones are we talking about here?" Twilight asked.

"Not counting the speaker," Dusk said, as he leaned in closer. "Forty seven."

"Oh," Twilight said quietly. "I'll be careful."

'Please do be,' came the thought that wasn't even as loud as a whisper in her head.

Trixie watched as Twilight Sparkle and the changeling tried to dance together as they talked. She didn't think Twilight would be interested in a changeling, even if they did seem to be getting along well. Not that it mattered either way Trixie reminded herself sharply. She'd found something here that she could barely even of imagined as ever happening to her, if not anypony, and here she was considering again what might have been.

"You don't have to stay here," Fluttershy said. "Not if you don't want to." The two of them were sitting well off to the side of the main part of the after wedding party. She'd turned down Trixie's offer to dance a few times on the basis that everypony, or indeed, anypony might look at them. "I'm sure that I'm awfully boring company..."

"Believe me," Trixie said, deliberately looking away from Twilight Sparkle. "There's nowhere I'd rather be right now."

Fluttershy blushed prettily, and retreated somewhat behind her mane. She looked around for a something else to talk about. "I never knew that Lyra was so persistent."

"That would be the mare that Rarity has in a headlock?" Trixie asked, and Fluttershy nodded. She'd been avoiding looking in that direction as seeing that wild grin and the sheer fervour that Rarity had been putting towards winning the bouquet was frankly somewhat unnerving. It was also kind of stirring down low, Trixie had to admit, when Lyra managed to wiggle out of the lock and Rarity had followed up with a right hook that looked like it could have felled a minotaur.

Lyra threw herself backward to avoid the blow, and Rarity leaped on top of her to continue the scuffle over the now very battered bouquet. They rolled around in the heavy rain, their manes slicked down from the downpour, as they wrestled for the prize. It was the only area of the outdoor party that was currently experiencing inclement weather. After setting up in an impromptu betting pool, Princess Luna had ordered Fleetfoot to go find a suitable cloud, and now the Wonderbolt was bouncing up and down upon it with gusto.

"She looks a lot like you" Fluttershy said, noting Fleetfoot's similar coat and mane.

"I suppose she does," Trixie admitted, after studying the Wonderbolt for a few seconds. "Can't imagine we're related though. As far as I know the Lulamoon line, such as it is, is mostly unicorn with the occasional earth pony."

"Oh, but that wasn't what I meant," Fluttershy said quickly. "I was just wondering, maybe if you wouldn't mind, and Rarity was willing to make one..."

Trixie smiled, and placed a hoof around the other mare's neck. "Just ask me; whatever it is."

"Would you mind wearing a Wonderbolt trainee uniform on occasion?" Fluttershy asked, in one unbroken breath. "If you don't want to that's entirely okay," she added a lot more quietly.

Trixie pressed her hooves against her cheeks in mock horror, and took a suitably scandalized tone. "You can't mean the tight fitting ones that leave your flank and rear entirely bare, can you?"

"Yes." It was barely above an inaudible squeak. "Please don't tell Rainbow Dash that I asked you! She'd be ever so put out."

"So not only would Trixie get to wear something that her new marefriend would enjoy seeing her in, and she would also get to wind up Rainbow Dash without her knowing about it," Trixie said, breaking out into a wide grin. "Really not seeing a downside there."

Fluttershy seized her into a fierce hug. "Oh thank you," she whispered in Trixie's ear.

Trixie let herself relax into the hug, as she watched Rarity approach holding what remained of the bouquet aloft in triumph. Really this was never going to work out in the long term, Trixie considered. She found her eyes drifting back to Twilight Sparkle. Then again just because you think something is destined, or right, that doesn't mean that things can't work out anyway, and Trixie knew that whatever happened or could have happened she couldn't find a single fault with it. Sure, Rarity and Fluttershy would probably realise that they truly loved each other, and Trixie would be left out in the cold. It might not work out, but then again however long it lasted, Trixie knew that it couldn't get better than this.

"Eighty seven bits, eighty eight bits, oh hello Cadance." Luna looked up from the not insubstantial pile of gold in front of her. "We have been greatly enjoying supplementing the royal treasury," she said wickedly.

"I see," Cadance said, not showing a great deal of enthusiasm. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, my fellow princess," Luna said, throwing her mane back extravagantly. "Anything that you require of us we will be more than happy to provide!"

Cadance winced. "A little less volume would be nice for a start."

"We can do that," Luna said at a far more reasonable conversational level. "Now, what exactly is bothering you?"

Cadance breathed in deeply, and glanced over where Chrysalis was catching up with Applejack. "I did something unforgivable."

"And so you come to me," Luna said, and her eyes were hard.

"I'm sorry," Cadance said quickly, having caught Luna's expression. "Please, I just need to know how you cope with knowing that you were capable of doing something like that."

Luna examined the other princess for a while. "By living with it," she said simply. "There were reasons for what I did, but I will never accept them as excuses. My actions were my own, and so are any that I take now and in what may come. All I can do is to learn from the past and use that knowledge to do the right thing."

Cadance looked down at her hooves. "But what if I don't want to stop," she said under her breath.

Luna sighed. "Then you have to decide what is more important to you," she said sternly. "Your own desires or those that you love and care for."

"It sounds so simple when you put like that," Cadance said, and stamped her hoof in frustration. She looked down at the errant body part. "Sorry."

"No," Luna said softly. "It is never simple."

"Oh," Cadance said, and absent-mindedly stroked the mark on her cheek. "Thank you, I think."

"Just know that myself and my sister will always be there for you," Luna said, and nodded her head. “Whatever you do.”

"I appreciate that," Cadance said, and looked around. "I really should find out what's happening with our carriage."

"Can't wait to get the honeymoon started?" Luna asked teasingly.

Cadance looked over to where Chrysalis was now somehow managing to carry out a conversation with Celestia right by the DJ's pounding speakers. "You could say that," Cadance replied, with easy understatement. "This may not be the wedding night that I dreamt of when I was small, but now that it's here, I wouldn't rather spend it instead with any pony in all of Equestria."

Chrysalis swayed in place and downed another flute of the delicious bubbly liquid as the bass rolled over her."Do you recognise that mare In the shades playing the music?" she asked. "I am sure that I have seen her before, but I'm not sure where." She had found making small talk profoundly awkward, given that this was the alicorn that only a few days ago she had tried to overthrow, but she was slowly getting the hang of it.

Celestia sipped on her water while imperceptibly nodding her head to the beat. "I believe that she was playing in one of the clubs last night," she said. "I admit I cannot recall exactly which one."

"Right," Chrysalis said, and rubbed at the side of her head. "That would explain it."

"I am sorry by the way," Celestia said. "For missing so much of your hen party. It has been far too long since I have had a chance to enjoy myself in such a fashion."

"Surely I should be apologizing to you," Chrysalis said quickly.

Celestia waved a hoof regally. "As everything seems to have worked themselves out to an acceptably conclusion I don't think that you need to be concerned about that now."

Chrysalis nodded. "Thank you," she said. "I hope last night wasn't too shocking. I had no idea what Pinkie had planned."

"You should have seen the old pegasi empire in their glory days," Celestia said, her tone a little wistful. "My little ponies have a long way to go before they get even half as depraved as that society."

Chrysalis grinned some very pointy teeth. "Speaking of depraved may I ask why ponies keep nudging and winking at me every-time they ask about my honeymoon," she said. "I'm not entirely certain I even know what they are talking about. Do bees and your sister get involved?"

Celestia coughed. "In a manner of speaking," she said, remembering exactly which alicorn had given that empire so much of its reputation towards the end. "It simply refers to the days after the wedding and what the married couple get up to during that time."

"That sounds simple enough," Chrysalis said. "Does it also have something to do with the white lacy things Rarity insisted I wear under my dress?'

Celestia studied the changeling for some sign that Chrysalis was having fun with her, but if she was, she was managing to keep an impressively straight face.

"Excuse me," Firebrand interjected. She'd manage to somewhere lose the abomination against good taste in dress form and was back in her Lyra-guise. "Heartbutt wants you to know that the carriage is ready."

Celestia did not react. Immortal rulers of nations do not snigger. It's just not done.

"Do you mind?" Chrysalis said, as she focused her best glare at Cadance's new aide. "I may not be your queen any-more, but that is my wife."

"But it's such a nice butt," Firebrand protested. "Even with the pony that it's attached too, and It does have a heart on it," she added with impeccable logic. "A crystal one."

Celestia again did not snigger. She did however allow herself a small grin as it was so nice not being the one having to be on the receiving end for once.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Chrysalis asked wearily.

Firebrand checked the non-existent time piece that she wasn't wearing. "Let's see," she said, taking on a calculating tone. "Say no more than two or three years."

Chrysalis rubbed a hoof against her face. "Look," she said, and pointed for emphasis. "Just go tell Cadance that I'll be with her shortly."

Firebrand made a pretty spot on imitation of a whip crack with her lips and sauntered off in the direction of the royal carriage with deliberate slowness.

"She really is flawlessly polite when Cadance is around," Chrysalis said, as she turned back to face Celestia. "It's funny..."

"What is?"

"I don't know how I'll cope without all the responsibility," Chrysalis mused. "I really don't."

"You’re not regretting saying yes are you?" Celestia asked, examining the changeling carefully. "You did change your mind very quickly given the way you initially reacted."

Chrysalis opened her mouth as if she was about to say something and then quickly shut it again. "It's not that," she said, while not quite meeting Celestia's eyes. "I'm certain that you'll be a better queen for the hive than I could ever be."

Celestia pursed her lips. "Princess, please."

Chrysalis shrugged causing the her wings under her carapace to rustle. "You know what I mean," she said. "All I'm saying is that it will be an adjustment is all."

An odd light appeared in Celestia's eyes for just a moment. "How would you feel about an empire?"

"What?" Chrysalis asked, clearly not at all sure she had heard what she thought she had just heard.

Celestia smiled reassuringly. "Just a passing thought," she said lightly. "Go, be with Cadance. There will be plenty of time for talk after your honeymoon."

She watched Chrysalis hurrying away to the rest of her life, and sipped daintily from her water. "This just might work out," she said to herself. "It might even be perfect."

Epilogue: Making Room for Us

"So how much did you know?"

Celestia looked up from her own private reflections in her throne room. The party outside had long since burned out and Canterlot for now was at peace.

She turned to her sister on the balcony who was silhouetted against the night sky. "Not much," she admitted. "I saw something hidden approaching Canterlot, which was why I increased the palace security, and then after that I saw Cadance and Shining Armour at the altar so I knew that it was linked somehow to their impending betrothal."

"Oh," Luna said, as if finally connecting some dots. "I had wondered what was with your expression when Chrysalis transformed."

"I almost dropped the rings," Celestia confessed. "I had begun to think my visions had been wrong for once."

Luna snorted. "I'd have thought you'd have known better than that by now, my sister." Her expression became uncertain. "We did do the right thing, didn't we?"

Celestia stepped down from her throne to approach her sister. "Sometimes I think the price of living so long is getting to see just how all of your mistakes turn out in the long run."

"Sister?" Luna asked, moving to Celestia's side.

"I told Cadance to ask Chrysalis about the changeling's history," she said, and leaned in closer in a gesture of sisterly affection. "Now, I don't know why. After all, how could a changeling now know everything that happened."

"Especially given how few of them escaped my campaign," Luna said, an odd mix of pride and regret in her voice. "I was suitably thorough after what they'd done."

"Yes, yes you were," Celestia agreed sadly. "I never should have sent you."

Luna shook her head. "I know what you regret," she said firmly. "But I would not have taken no for an answer at the time."

"You never would have had to if I hadn't tried to help them once before," Celestia said, her gaze somewhere else, and a very long time a go. "If I hadn't shown pity back then, I..."

Luna hugged her sister close. "You did what you did with the best of intentions, and If you hadn't, what happened today could never have happened. As you say, we have lived a long time, and perhaps that is long enough for a mistake to yet work itself out in the end."

"Hmmm," Celestia murmured. "You might be right."

"It does happen on occasion," Luna, said with a wink.

They fell into a comfortable silence born of familiarity until a thought arose again that she had been putting off "That wasn't the only vision I've had recently," Celestia said, a look of worry crossing her face. "A great evil is returning to our lands and we will need to be prepared. We may even need to release Discord from his prison."

"Sister!" Luna exclaimed, as she jumped to her hooves. "Please tell me that this is some mischief of yours."

"I wish that it was," she said, feeling her sister's tension. A thought crossed her mind again that over the last few weeks that would not leave her alone. The thought that she had finally believed might have been disproved this time before Chrysalis had shown her vision to be true once again.

Please can I be wrong about what is coming, she thought. Just once, please let me be wrong.

~~~

Sunset Shimmer flipped the page that she was reading and settled further back into her chair. There had been some commotion going on in the rest of the palace, but it nothing to do with her and her ambitions, so she had paid it little to no mind. That Trixie mare however had been of some interest. Not like at all the occasional researcher or scholar that she would make a point of ignoring. That would have to be a name to bear in mind for the future.

The leather-bound tome she was reading was old, old enough that the leather might not have been obtained in the proper civilised fashion, but it was full of fanciful nonsense. She had occasionally wondered what a book of foalish tales was doing in this library which contained the greatest treatises on magic to be found in all of Equestria, if not the whole known world.

She had finally given into her curiosity and so far she had been right. Any right thinking graduate of the school for gifted unicorns could tell you that Queen Majesty had never existed having resulted from a simple error of translation by Clover the Not-so-Clever. Yet this book talked about her as if she was an actual historical figure.

Sunset was about to discard the book, and possibly mark it for transfer to a more suitable library, like one for the under fives, when she stopped and studied the margin of the page that she was on intently. She wasn't much of librarian, but she was enough of one that the sight of such vandalism to a book made her tut out loud. Then though Sunset realised what exactly she had discovered. The passage was in regard to the magical mirror from which it was said that Queen Majesty could create ponies from nothing, but what had drawn her attention was what was scrawled next to it. Sunset recognised the style of quill-work in a heart beat. After all she was sitting in a library full of his writings.

She felt her pulse quicken as the possibilities opened up before her eyes. More research would be called for. A lot more research, but this was what she had been looking for so long to find. A way to finally bring down the reign of Princess Celestia, a way that she would never see coming, and it would all be due to just six little words written by Star Swirl the Bearded so very long ago.

'I know how she did it.'

~~~

Queen Thorndust stepped into the throne room of Hive Nychus casting her veil aside as she did so. She had nothing to fear of the lowly drones that would have otherwise barred her path, but frankly she neither had the time or patience for such trifling matters so a veil was far more convenient.

She shook her head. She'd had reason to be here before, but it was just as tiresome as last time. Unlike more civilised changelings the preferred decoration around here was bone with pride of place given to the giant bleached skull of an elder dragon hanging over the throne.

The one that had personally claimed the immense trophy was currently snarling out her name and looking most put out for some reason. Thorndust couldn't imagine why. She suspected that some might find the skull impressive, but really what was the point in such base pursuits of power?

There was one change that had not been here last time. An earth pony with the dotted markings of a winding trail on his flank was observing her with alert eyes. Far too alert for a pony that was being used as food and yet the heavy chain around his neck spoke of his lack of choice in being here. Interesting, most interesting, Thorndust thought as she tucked that oddity away for investigation later.

"Queen Nychus," Thorndust said abruptly in the pony tongue. Partly as she knew that it would annoy Nychus who always needed a good needling, and partly for the benefit of the unexpected guest of her hospitality. "We should talk."

"I have nothing to say to you," Nychus growled, as she stepped menacingly towards the other queen. Unlike most changeling queens that tended to be slim and angular Nychus had always more reminded Thorndust of a rhino from distant Zebrica. The belligerence and smell also probably had something to do with that.

"Oh, but you do," Thorndust pressed. "I bring word of Chrysalis."

Nychus grunted. "She's dead. Killed her myself."

"Her daughter, Nychus," Thorndust said with a heavy sigh. "Her daughter."

"What do I care of that whelp?"

"She attacked Canterlot," Thorndust said.

Nychus let out a low whistle. "That is impressive," she conceded. "Insane, but impressive. So Chrysalis' whelp is no more?"

"Enslaved, from what my little bird tells me," Thorndust said, scuffing some bone dust from her hooves.

"She should count herself fortunate," Nychus said, and shrugged. "Still don't see what this is to do with me."

"'We are now the last true pure-blooded queens left with an unbroken line stretching back to the change," Thorndust said, her eyes gleaming in the darkness of the hive. "There is opportunity there, and power."

Nychus raised an eye ridge at that. "The drones speak of true queens that fled over the sea."

Thorndust chuckled darkly. "They do, don't they."

Nychus grinned back. "I had suspected," she said. "But what about Queen P—"

"She is no longer changeling!" Thorndust snapped, her expression one of pure venomous hate, and her horn blazed with wild magic. "She is unclean!"

"That she is. So I ask again why are you here?" Nychus said, and grinned nastily. "Unless you just want to give up your head and make it just the one."

Thorndust chose her words with deliberate intonation. "Before her defeat Chrysalis somehow managed to consume enough love to strike down the Tyrant."

Nychus leapt out of her throne while the collared pony gasped in disbelief. "The whelp did that?" she yelled. "We have really cowered for so long for nothing?"

"But wait, it gets even better," Thorndust said, and licked her lips with her long purple tongue. "There is a new alicorn that has arisen to stand with the Tyrant and the Bane. She was the one that enslaved Chrysalis with..." She paused to savour the moment.

"Will you get on with it?"

"With the power of love," Thorndust said, and let loose a piercing cackle.

Nychus roared with laughter causing the pony to wince as his eardrums threatened to rupture.

"On top of that she was able to partially remove Majesty's great working on several drones."

"Unbelievable," Nychus said. "But that does sound like an alicorn we should make a point of getting acquainted with."

"Indeed she does," Queen Thorndust said, inwardly rejoicing that Nychus had proven as easy to manipulate as she had expected. Soon the king would return as the visions had told her so, and he was but the least of those from the distant past that she had seen moving to reclaim their power once more. Only considering their names was enough to make her quiver with anticipation. In the impending chaos and distraction a clever changeling could change the fate of nations, and Thorndust knew that she was a very clever changeling indeed.

She favoured the pony with a quick conspiratorial wink and smiled using all of her fangs when he flinched back. Thorndust gathered her magic about herself as she focused on her intended destination elsewhere in the badlands. As the hive faded around her a pleasant thought crossed her mind.

Things are about to get interesting.

Author's Note

Thank you for reading this story and I hope that you've enjoyed it. I made a whole bunch of promises about what I was going for and while everything didn't go like I planned I also hope that I at least somewhat fulfilled them.

I'm going to be putting some notes together on my blog in the next few days as this went through a whole bunch of changes and rethinks along with easily being the most challenging fic I've attempted so far.

I also hope that you'll stick around for the sequel that should be starting next year, tentatively titled To Love a Crystal Heart.

Three years later Edit in November 2017: As you've probably noticed that did not happen. I just don't have the same interest in writing ponyfic as I used to, admittedly not helped by some of the reaction this fic.

Shame, as while on looking back I think Crystal Heart by necessity would have had to have gone dark again, if not even darker to do Sombra justice which would have got me even more grief, I had plans for much, much fluffier follow ups based on the Crystal Games and Equestria Girls that it's a bugger I never got to. The EqG one especially as I had Chrysi's and Cadance's reaction to going through the mirror written and I thought that scene was deeply amusing. I was then going to do a big epic finale involving the other changeling queens, Celestia's vision, and just who that pony prisoner is, but really the show has long moved on and so have I.

Chapter 1: A Bond Undone

"Quick, go to him while you still have a chance," Twilight Sparkle said quietly. She glanced around, but none of the remaining changelings in the room seemed to have noticed her freeing the princess.

Cadance quickly nodded in agreement, and started to stealthily inch her way towards her beloved. Thankfully the changeling queen was too busy laughing at the havoc in the streets below to pay her any attention. Cadance had never thought that she'd be grateful for ponies fleeing in terror, but it was at least giving her the chance to go unnoticed for now. After a few tense moments, she reached Shining Armour at last. He was still completely lost to the magical domination that had robbed him of his wits. When Cadance looked into his eyes, there was nopony there to look back at her.

What good will one last embrace do before the end? she thought bitterly to herself, as tears began to fall freely. He won't even notice that I'm here, and that would just hurt far too much... It had been bad enough when she'd been forced to watch him, and that mule-of-a-changeling Chrysalis, all throughout her confinement in the caves. To do so now, with Shining Armour finally within hoof's reach, and yet him have not even the slightest idea of her presence would just be cruelty incarnate. She stopped and turned back her attention to Chrysalis. Then that, that monster will have won, and there would be nothing anypony could do about it.

Princess Celestia was suspended from the ceiling inside a giant cocoon that was doing Discord-knows-what to her, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony were defeated, the royal guard had been useless, and Princess Luna was nowhere to be found. The shining city of Canterlot would be no more. In its place would be a blasted hive, where ponies were nothing but food to their changeling masters. Like a tumour, the infection would spread, until all of Equestria would be covered in so much muck, ruin and despair.

Then there is still a princess free now, isn't there? Cadance realised. While she had once been a pegasus, she did have now some of an earth pony’s strength thanks to her ascension. Without any kind of training to use that strength effectively though, Cadance couldn’t imagine any scenario where she could actually beat Chrysalis into submission with it. If she could cast combat magic like Twilight Sparkle, then she’d have been able to escape the caves without needing her help, and clearly Twilight’s magic hadn’t been enough anyway in the face of the changeling horde. So what else can I do? she thought desperately.

Her eyes opened wide, as a desperate plan began to form in Cadance's mind. There was just no other option. For Equestria to remain free, sacrifices would have to be made. Shining Armour was a soldier after all. Cadance was sure that he'd understand that. She just wished there could have been another way, or at least obtained his consent for what she was about to do. She fixed the sight of her one true love, along with her hated adversary for that love into her mind, and started to channel magical power through her horn. It was the oldest spell that she knew, but she'd never tried anything like this with it before, and especially not with herself as one of its targets.

"What!" Chrysalis yelled, spinning as she heard the crackling energy build-up forming behind her. "What do you think you are doing?"

Cracks were beginning to spread out across the stone floor under Cadance's hooves as the energy of the spell built up around her. Twilight and her friends hurriedly backed away from the mounting power that was spraying sparks of pure magic all over the place. On the tip of Cadance's horn a point of light grew in intensity that drew the eyes of everypony and changeling in the room.

"Stop, I demand it!" Chrysalis screeched. "I've won, don't you understand that yet?" She began to channel the same spell that she'd used to such effect on Princess Celestia. Several changelings hissed and snarled, then launched themselves viciously at Cadance, seeing her as a possible threat to their queen.

Before Chrysalis could let her stolen magic loose, an incandescent pink light burst forth and outwards from Cadance. The beams found their target in the horns of both Chrysalis and Shining Armour, where they split once more forming a triangle linking the three in an aura of power. The first two changelings that hit the aura crumpled against its immovable force. They fell backwards, completely dazed by the brutal and very unexpected impact.

"Twilight, what the hay is goin' on?" Applejack had to yell to make herself heard over the spell.

“I... I don't know!” Twilight could only stare as her brother's and the changeling queen's eyes opened wider seemingly than what was physically possible. Their pupils had disappeared entirely, replaced by a pink blankness that seemed to writhe and whirl, as she watched.

For several moments Princess Cadance, Shining Armour and Queen Chrysalis were linked in the spell's embrace, and then without warning, the beams dispersed. The energy broke apart and drifted away into a million tiny pink hearts. They were blown out over the city below before fading entirely.

Twilight Sparkle reacted first, running to the side of her brother who had collapsed after the spell had done whatever it was that it had done. Her brow creased, as she started to go through the possibilities in her mind, while she started to help her brother up from where he had fallen. His pupils were back to normal, but she could feel the lingering magic all over him. Whatever it was, she was sure she'd be able to figure it out though.

Chrysalis staggered backwards until she was pressed up right against the balcony. She shook her head to try to shift the thoughts and feelings that were darting through her mind like a multitude of tiny remorseless fireflies. She glanced at Cadance and placed a forehoof against the top of the balcony in an attempt to steady herself.

Cadance smiled back at her, causing the changeling to almost collapse entirely in on herself. Cadance tried to process what exactly what she was feeling for real and what was due to her spell, and then metaphorically shrugged her wings; working all that out could wait till later. For now there were far more important matters to attend to. "Please, Chrysalis," she said, her voice still weak from the toll that her spell had cost her. "End this."

"I..." Chrysalis stammered, seemingly entirely lost for the moment in Cadance's gaze. She shook herself once more, and looked around at the other changelings in the room, who were milling about and unsure of what to do. "You, you and you, go out into the city and tell every changeling to stop what they're doing. You two," she glanced at the pair who had been flanking Shining Armour, "do the same for any in the palace itself. Absolutely nopony is to be harmed or fed upon from this moment on, understand? You will gather the hive and wait for my command in the caves beneath the mountain. Swarm lord," she turned to a bulkier changeling clad in armour that stood taller than the other drones, "you will free Celestia and then find somewhere unobtrusive to wait to attend me."

The changeling lord looked like he wanted to challenge his queen for a moment, and then nodded, fluttered up to the cocoon upon his bug-like wings, and started to rip large chunks of sticky goop away onto the floor below.

"I'm so sorry for what I've put you through," Chrysalis said, glancing out down to the streets below where things were beginning to quiet down. "I don't know what I was thinking, when I went after him instead of you from the start, but now." Chrysalis smiled warmly at Cadance, revealing a whole lot of fangs in the process. "Now we can truly be together." Sickly eldritch energy washed over the queen, removing black chitin and replacing it with white fur. Moments later a new mare stood in the changeling's place.

"Oh my," Fluttershy breathed quietly, at the sight of the decidedly attractive mare shaking her new blue mane out. She was slightly smaller than even Twilight Sparkle, though had a far more toned and athletic figure, while yet remaining unfeasibly cute.

Twilight Sparkle looked up from her still completely insensible brother, to what could have been her brother's twin sister, that she knew full well that they didn't in fact have, and gritted her teeth hard. "Oh you have got to be kidding me..."

"You can call me Gleaming Shield if you like," the new mare whispered huskily, as she advanced on Cadance.

"Darlings, we don't seem to be in danger anymore, so would it be terribly gauche of me to drool?" Rarity asked. With the exception of the changeling lord who had paused in dismantling the cocoon to facehoof, Pinkie Pie who was laughing so hard she might sprain something, and Rainbow Dash who just looked puzzled, everypony else was ignoring her to stare for one reason or another. "I'll just go right ahead then," she added quietly, as nopony was paying her attention anyway.

"Oh my," muttered Applejack under her breath. She'd lived a life of totally unblemished heterosexuality up to this point, but 'Gleaming Shield' was making a great case for some flexibility on that viewpoint. She fanned herself with her hat and tried to think about the sight of Granny Smith on bath-day.

"Now that just isn't right," Spike reckoned out loud, from the statue he'd taken refuge behind. Seeing a mare version of the stallion he'd always looked up to and respected was odd enough, but that she possibly had an even nicer coat than his beloved lady Rarity, now that was just unacceptable. "Changelings really are evil," he said to himself.

"Is there any chance you would come away with me if I asked, even after all I have done?" Gleaming Shield said, after pausing in front of Cadance. "I would make you a queen."

Cadance leaned down and lightly nuzzled the smaller unicorn mare. She was inwardly amazed that she'd done it entirely without hesitation, intellectually at least, given she knew what this mare truly was beneath the pretty guise, and exactly what she had done. No repressed shudders of revulsion, no urge to wince all over, not even the imminent desire to turn tail and flee. It had been... nice in fact. She inadvertently glanced at the real Shining Armour, and refused point-blank to compare the new feelings this changeling was inspiring in her. Still looking at him reminded her exactly how wrong being with this affectation truly was.

She took a reluctant step back, and said, "Not now, my love. Now you must please change back to your true self. For me."

"Did Cadance really just say what I think I just heard her say?" Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie, who nodded in answer and then started to giggle even harder than she had been. Dash shook her head. "As if this day couldn't get any more random." She sighed.

"What do you reckon Twilight would do if I threw her a 'Happy-finding-out-about-your-sister-that-you-also-totally-failed-to-mention-along-with-your-big-brother' party?" Pinkie finally stopped giggling long enough to ask.

"I'd say it was nice knowing you, Pinkie" Dash replied, rolling her eyes.

"I have had a good run anyway," Pinkie Pie mused sagely.

Chrysalis swayed after hearing Cadance's words, almost seemingly several sheets to the wind on hard apple cider for a moment, and then nodded. There was another flash of green magic and Chrysalis stood once more next to Cadance. "Sho what'sss," she slurred, still high as a kite on the effects of the new freely given love pumping through her body. "So what's," she managed to say, after trying again to compose her words and stand a bit more steadily, "going to happen with us now?"

"I toss your rotten hide out of Canterlot," said a shaky voice from behind them. Shining Armour had a hoof propped over his sister's shoulder and was just about standing up. Then he noticed Cadance and slid off soundlessly back into a heap on the floor. "Twily please," he just about managed to croak out, "just what in all of Tartaurus is that pink horror?"

"Brother, that's Princess Cadance," said Twilight quickly. "You're supposed to be marrying her today, remember?"

"Marrying?" He grimaced, as a fresh wave of pain washed over him. "I was marrying Cadance, wasn't I?" His voice was getting stronger. "But Cadance wasn't real, Twily, I know that now. She did something to my mind which meant I couldn't see her for what she was."

"That's right," Twilight said, employing her practised younger-sister-knows-best smile. "I did try to tell you, remember."

"Yeah," Shining ruefully acknowledged. "You did, but that's a monster or something that must have slithered its way out of the Everfree forest. Can't you see it over there, Twily? It's vile... Save yourself, before they get you too!"

"It's Cadance! You must remember her!" Twilight insisted. "She used to foalsit for me, so you've known her for years now."

Shining Armour looked uncertain for a moment, then visibly winced again in horror as he caught sight of his former beloved out of the corner of his eye. "Won't let them touch you," he muttered.

Twilight jumped up, glaring daggers at the princess. "Cadance, just what in Equestria did you do to him?"

Chrysalis stomped forward, getting right between the two ponies, but a gentle touch of a pink wing pulled her back. "What I had to," Cadance replied softly. She looked down at the stone floor, not yet wanting to meet Twilight's accusing eyes.

There was something between the sound of a thump and a splat, as the cocoon finally parted. After a heavy, but somewhat squishy landing, Princess Celestia hauled herself onto her hooves. The changeling lord took one look at the expression on her face and promptly vanished as fast as his shimmering wings could carry him. The alicorn of the sun twitched violently all over, as she shook the foul changeling fluids off that caked her usually pristine body. Her horn flashed orange and she stood renewed once more, though now accompanied by the reeking smell of burnt ashes. Her hooves tapped out a little dance as she composed herself and mentally banished the feeling that she had been drowning, covered in spiders, worms and a thousand other nasty crawling things.

"You will pay for what you have done, changeling," Celestia hissed, as her horn ignited in cleansing fire. Her wings were still twitching, as the sensations of that cocoon were proving tricky to entirely shake off.

Gone was the normally serene, benevolent ruler that the ponies in the room had known. This was the Lightbringer Ascendant who stalked forward, leaving flaming hoofprints that glowed on the stone floor and left cinders where carpet had been.

It was Cadance this time that stepped forward, placing herself between Celestia and Chrysalis. "It is over, Princess."

"I..." Chrysalis drew herself up, gazing at Cadance's behind for the strength to do what she knew she now had to do. "I unconditionally surrender, and will do whatever I can to make things right."

The Lightbringer Ascendant paused, and Princess Celestia raised an eyebrow.

"Princess Celestia, please, you have to kill it!" Shining Armour called out hoarsely. "Burn it to cinders!"

"Brother!" Twilight said, trying to calm the terrified stallion down.

Celestia shook her head, the serene ruler of Equestria returned once more in full. "I don't kill, my Captain, and certainly not one who has surrendered. The changeling will pay for her crimes. Please do not be afraid of that."

"Not the changeling!" he yelled desperately. "That damned thing next to her!" He pointed an unsteady hoof accusingly at Cadance.

"Oh Cadance," Celestia said slowly, "what have you done?"

Author's Note

If you've got this far and love the Shining Armour/Cadance relationship, then I really am so very, very sorry. Blame a poster named anowack on a forum I regularly frequent who was musing about doing a Twilicorn/Cadance shipfic called Addicted to Love, and then deciding with that title it'd work better swapping out Chrysalis for Twi'. So yeah totally his fault for sticking the idea of trying to make this ship work in my head in the first place. Sure there's also the bad end route of course, but I wanted to see if I could pull off having Cadance be the instigator rather than Chrysalis.