The Fall of Harmony
Twilight Sparkle lay in tears. She had just bust into the Royal Wedding Room, hoping to call out the "evil" Princess Mi Amor Cadenza. But that hadn't happened. Instead, along with a major explanation from her brother, she ended up finding out that everything was fine, and she had basically ruined her relationship with her brother. As more tears filled her eyes, she felt a gentle hoof on her head, rubbing her mane. She looked into the face of the Princess of Love.
"I'm sorry!" Twilight cried, "I'm so sorry!"
The Princess looked at Twilight with a gentle gaze. Suddenly, the gaze melted and was replaced with a hard glare.
"You will be."
The last thing Twilight remembered was a circle of green fire surrounding her, and then . . . darkness.
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Twilight groaned as a dull throbbing, pain greeted her. Slowly, she lifted her head, trying to take in her surroundings. She tried to make a move forward but was stopped short by the sound of rattling chains.
Twilight then awoke with a start.
Panic now overcoming her, she tried to magic the chains keeping her in place off, but was greeted with a hard, electric shock.
"I wouldn't do that to many times if it I were you. After all, we need you alive for what we have planned."
Twilight tried to look around in the dark trying to decipher the voice.
"What's wrong Twilight? Having trouble? Let me shed some light on the matter!"
Suddenly, a blazing bright light filled Twilight's vision. Squinting slightly, she looked into the smirking face of Princess Mi Amor Cadenza, standing outside a cell who's current occupant was Twilight.
Anger gripped Twilight like an iron vice. "I knew it was you!", she cried. "Nobody else believed me, but I knew! Why Cadence? What ma-"
"Cadence?" the "princess" said. " Ha! That little foal was so easy to take down. And now that you're out of the way, not even Celestia can stop me!"
Twilight was reeling. "Why are you doing this?! Who are you?!"
"Your worst nightmare."
A bright green fire lit up the small space. Feathers molted of the false princess's body to be replaced with smooth, black skin. The impostors eyes glowed bright green, and looked stared down Twilight. "Bow before royalty, Twilight Sparkle! After all, you are standing in the presence of the Changeling Queen!"
Twilight gasped. "Chrysalis!"
The Queen smirked. "Ah! So, somepony actually knows who I am."
Twilight was seething. "I know who you are! You and your Changelings feed of the love of other ponies and use it as fuel. You won't get away with this!"
Chrysalis laughed heavily. "Oh, my dear little Twilight, I already have! You see, truth be told , I'm not even here! I'm still in my room at Canterlot. I just came here to welcome you to your new home!"
As she was speaking, three bulky looking changelings entered the room Twilight was in. Her eyes widened and filled with tears at Chrysalis's last words:
"Guards, do as you wish. I've got a wedding to attend." She looked at Twilight one last time before saying "Ta ta!"
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"Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor. The strength of their commitment is clear. The power of their love, undeniable. May we have the rings please?"
Princess Celestia looked on as Spike stepped forward to present the ring. A golden aura surrounded the two ring as they were placed on the heads of the groom and "bride".
"I now pronounce you mare and -" a loud BOOM! interrupted the princess midway. Everypony rushed to the nearest window to see what had caused it as another BOOM! shook the palace walls and rattled the windows.
Celestia rushed to the nearest window and gasped. "Changelings!" she cried. Turning to the five Element bearers, she said "Quickly! Find Twilight, and gather the Elements of Harmo-AHHH!" The surrounding ponies stepped back in shock as Princess Mi Amore Cadenza looked down at the broken royal figure.
Recovering from the shock, Rainbow Dash was the first to speak. "What the hay was that?!", she cried.
Suddenly, a flash of green fire blinded the room. When the ponies in the room had clear vision instead of a princess, a different pony stood in the place of the Princess of Love. Dark green hair flowed from her mane, deep, black shinny skin replaced a once beautiful pink coat. Wings like a fly were attached to her back and hole of various sizes covered her horn and body. "That, my dear Rainbow Dash, was what I like to call "A Grand Entrance"! Guards, seize them!"
Ten Changelings swarmed the five ponies. They struggled and fought, but the Changelings were stronger. "Take them to the camps. Makes sure they stay separated. If anyone of them tries to escape. . . do as you please."
The guard grinned maniacally. "Yes, Queen Chrysalis." The five ponies began to struggle but failed to break free, as they were dragged out of the room, leaving the Changeling Queen to herself.
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"You won't get away with this! Let us go and we'll take it easy on you!" Rainbow Dash cried.
One of the bigger Changelings spoke. "And pray tell, what can you do, little filly?"
Dash stared down the Changeling and said with malice, " Why don't you let me go and find out?"
Applejack spoke up. "Don't do it, Dash! It ain't worth it!"
"No!" Dash cried, "I think it's time to show these guy exactly who they're messing with!"
But Applejack wouldn't have it, or the others beside Dash. Rarity was next to speak. " Applejack is right, dear! Just let it go!"
The Changeling laughed and said "Better listen to your friends, Dash. After all, we wouldn't want anything to hap-" before he could finish, he was cut short as Rainbow Dash spit in his face. The girls behind Dash gasped in shock.
"Ha! What're you gonna do 'bout that!"
The Changeling looked at her with a glare that sent a shiver down her spine, and she instantly regreted her remark. "Teach you a little lesson, that's what. Grab her wing!"
Hearing those words, Dash began to struggle and fight but the Changeling grabbed her wing, and violently brought down his hoof.
A sickening CRACK sounded as the bones in her wing shattered. Rainbow Dash tried to hold back a scream, but couldn't keep tears from forming around her eyes. "Spare the other one. She not going to be flying anywhere soon." The Changeling sneered at her, before grinning. "That is, if she manages to somehow survive this. BIND HER!"
The surrounding troops quickly tied her up, binding her limbs tightly together. She tried to bite the ropes off, but in seeing her, the Changelings muzzled her snout shut. "Throw her in the river," the guard commanded. Four of the surrounding guards quickly scooped her and began walking to the edge. She struggled and squirmed, but the bonds were too tight to break free from. Her heart raced and her head pounded. She took a deep breath and prayed to Luna, to Celestia, or any God willing to listen. She could her her friends behind her screaming for the Changeling to stop. But they didn't listen as they neared the edge, waves of mist spraying Dash lightly in the face. The words the guard spoke next sent fear in her heart.
"Throw her in."
As the Changelings reared back and threw, the last thing Dash heard before she hit the water was the laughter of the Changelings, among her friends screams, Applejack's being the loudest.
". . . . .ey."
"Hmmm. . . ."
"He . . . . Alri. . . ."
"Mm. . . ."
A sharp slap woke Dash from her state. Slowly, she opened her eyes and was greeted by a dull throbbing pain. She moaned aloud as she grasped her stomach, feeling as if any second it would expel its contents.
A new voice (the voice sounded female) broke Dash's thoughts. "Are you ok?" it asked.
Dash turned to the direction of the voice, but stopped as another wave of nausea struck her, her stomach finally giving out and expelling all the swallowed seawater that Dash drank while she floated at sea.
Slowly, she turned her head to look for the source of the voice. A small black blob greeted her, but that was all she saw as the darkness took her again.
The light, female voice that Dash had heard earlier spoke up as she regained consciousness. The voice was talking with another figure, this one sounding male. She managed to make out a few words as Dash struggled to wake herself up.
"I don't know Brickwall. Her wing was bending the wrong way when we found her. I'm not that medically skilled, so I can't help her very -"
"Wait, a sec. She's waking up!"
Rainbow Dash moaned as she rolled over on her side. "Ugh . . . What happened?" she said, as she tried to rise to her hooves.
Dash heard the clopping of hooves and suddenly, the female voice was right beside her. Gently she placed her hoof on Dash's shoulder, pressing down lightly. "Whoa, now. Take it easy. You were out for quite a while."
Slowly, the figure led Dash to lie back down, but there was something about the speaker that set Dash off. It hit her a second later. The figures hoof felt holey.
Dash bolted awake, and was greeted by a severe, gut wrenching pain coursing through her back and wing. She tried to stifle a scream, but tears streamed down her face as the a wave of pain briefly paralyzed her. Finally, she could no longer hold it in, as she screamed in pain. Birds fled form the trees as Dash lay on the ground writhing in agony. The holey hoof was pressing down on her again, frantically trying to get her to lay back down.
"Calm down! Calm DOWN!" the voice was right next to Dash and suddenly a sharp slap brought Dash to her senses and caused her to stop. "You need to calm. . . down!"
Dash was no longer screaming, but she still sobbed heavily and clutched her cheek where the figure had struck her, as all the memories of the pervious night came flooding back to her. Her friends, the attack on Canterlot, the Changelings tossing her in a river, the broken wing. Tears stung her eyes as her vision went blurry.
The female voice spoke again " Geez. You need to calm down. Your wing suffered a major break and you need to keep off and avoid moving it for quite awhile to avoid permanent damage. I can't get a proper look at it in this light. Brick, stay here with here. I'm going to see if I can find more wood for the fire."
"Ok."
As her vision cleared, she saw the black shape fade from view. Dash looked around as everything swam into focus. A brightly lit fire surrounded a moderately big cave. The smell of mesquite wood filled the air as she swiveled her her head and stared at . . . a Minotaur. And a big one. Icy, blue eyes stared directly into hers. Light grey fur covered his body. Large, bulking muscles made him seem like a giant. Dash's eyes widened in fear as she tried to stand, but a jolt of pain sent her back on the ground, crawling in fear.
Slightly, the Minotaur looked hurt for a brief second, and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Easy. I'm not going to hurt you. And you should be laying down. Like Echo said, your wing is severely broken." Dash looked at the Minotaur and slowly sat back down. "Who are you?" she asked. "Where are my friends?"
"My name is Brickwall. Me and my friend Echo found you near a river. You're lucky that Echo spotted your mane colors, otherwise you might've died. What happened to you? How did you end up in a river?"
Dash pondered the question for a moment. Suddenly, a jolt of pain surged through her head as she grasped her forehead in pain. Groaning, she tried to think but was greeted with another dose of pain. "I remember. . . The wedding! Some kind of creatures invaded Canterlot and attacked the Princess! Uh. . . Changelings! Yeah! They took my friends, broke my wing, tied me up, and threw me in a river! Oh, man! My friends. Do you know where I am?"
Brickwall opened his mouth to answer, but the female voice from before cut him off. "We do. According to the map we have, we're some on the outskirts of Trottingham. You traveled quite a ways. What exactly happened?"
Her question went unanswered, as she saw the pegasus shaking, giving the Stranger a look that could kill. "What?" the Stranger asked, "you never seen a Changeling before?"
Author's Note
Once again, I'd like to thank TheManFromMars and That Gamer/Hellfilly Deluxe for proofreading.
