Arrival

Chapter 3
Hope

Hope.

Six months, two days, twelve hours, fourteen minutes, and twenty-eight seconds.

What is it? The belief of salvation? The thought of no matter how hard life kicks your ass, things will work out?

Six months, two days, twelve hours, fourteen minutes, and twenty-nine seconds.

Or something the weak and poor make up in order to feel better?

Six months, two days, twelve hours, fourteen minutes, and thirty seconds.

Hope. It doesn't last forever. It slowly changes, flips one hundred and eighty degrees.

Six months, two days, twelve hours, fourteen minutes, and thirty-one seconds.

Despair. The antithetical of hope. It will will slowly take over. The levels of despair can be as deep as depression, in some cases as deep as suicide.

Six months, two days, twelve hours, fourteen minutes, and thirty-two seconds.

I think I've come to terms that I wont see my friends and family again, on either worlds. Chrysalis would be happy, I think she is too. Even as I lay here on this flimsy little blanket and stare at my watch, I can still hear the laughter that haunts my dreams.

Six months, two days, twelve hours, fourteen minutes, and thirty-three seconds...

***
~Canterlot bound train, fourteen months ago~

"A Sonic Rainboom, at a wedding? Can you say best wedding ever!?" Rainbow dash exclaimed leaning out the window.

"Best wedding ever!" Exclaimed Pinkie Pie, her voice echoing throughout the tunnel the train was passing through.

"So you all get to help out with a big fancy wedding, but I'm the one who gets to host the bachelor party." Spike said "I have just one question, what's a bachelor party?"

We had just gotten the letter this morning at our weekly picnic, although everypony was excited, I could tell twilight was upset that her brother failed to tell her personally. I gotta admit, I'd be kinda angry too.

Twilight had decided to sit away from everypony, on the other side of the train. I sat on the mattress beside her reading the latest Daring Do novel. It wasn't long before Applejack noticed her discomfort and walked over.

"Why the the long face, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked Twilight.

"I'm just thinking about Shining Armor," Twilight replied "Ever since I moved to Ponyville we've been seeing each other less and less. And now that he's starting a new family with this Princess Mi Amore Ca-whats-her-name, we'll probably never see each other."

"Hey don't think like that," I said, putting down my book and cutting in. "You're his sister, he'll make time for you."

"Couldn't seem to make time to tell me he's getting married!" She argued pulling down the drapes.

Applejack and I shared a worried glance, neither of us really had an answer to so we went back to do our own little things. It wasn't long before Pinkie Pie spoke up.

"We're here! We're here!" I glanced up from the brook I brought, with just enough time to see a magical pinkish-purple wall pass right through us.

"What was that?" I asked turning to Twilight, who looked like she was lost in thought. The train soon came to a stop as the door opened and Rainbow stuck her head out.

"Whoa! What's with all the guards" She asked as Rarity, Applejack and I joined her.

"I'm sure there just taking the necessary precautions, royal weddings do bring out the strangest ponies" Rarity remarked as the four of us exited the train. And if to prove Rarity's point Pinkie stepped out of the train and sneezed out confetti, (Confetti!) and walked out of the train followed by the others, "Now let's get going, there's work to do!"

I could overhear Applejack behind me talking to Twilight as the rest of us looked around. "And you've got a big brother to go congratulate."

"Yeah congratulate," Twilight responded trotting passing us and two guards "and then give him a piece of my mind."

The rest of us shared concerned looks, before I spoke up, "Um, perhaps we should get started on the preparations."

***

"Um, h-how was that?" Fluttershy asked.

After Twilight had stormed off earlier the girls went their separate ways to start with the preparations, with me going with Fluttershy. She had decided to prepare her birds for the wedding in Canterlot Gardens, and I was there to help, which was to assure her that she didn't have to worry so much.

"They sound lovely Fluttershy, except-" I was hardly finished my sentence when a feminine voice had interrupted.

"Change the song, something with a little more flair, and pleae do something about that awful blue bird." Just from the voice I could tell that me, and this pony would not get alone. I mean come on nopony talks rudely to Fluttershy. After all I don't want to see 'new' Fluttershy again, that was a nightmare.

Imagine my surprise when I turned around to see Princess Cadence, a mare who I had met a few months earlier in a visit to Canterlot. She looked at me curiously, then turned her head back to receive Fluttershy's response.

"Oh! Um... o-okay h-how about t-this?" the yellow Pegasus turned back to her birds and whispered to them softly.

This time the melody had a little faster pace of the traditional wedding music. The bids had hardly began singing when the Princess cut in.

"Stop! I said change the song, not speed it up." Ok, what the hell happened to the princess of love?

"Eep! s-sorry" Fluttershy had jumped at the interruption, and after addressing the bride-to-be was now talking to her birds. It wasn't long before she got them ready and started up again. And from the slightly less annoyed look on her face, it looked like she 'liked' the melody.

When the birds had finished singing Princess Mi Amore Cadenza (as everyone keeps calling her) said acting sincere (which fooled the shy Pegasus but not me), "Lovely. Now if you'll excuse me, I must go check on the other preparations." And with that she turned around and walked back the way she came, but not before stopping at the bench I was sitting on and whispered in my ear.

"And I'll see you at the after-party." What the hell!? Was she flirting with me? As if knowing the doubt in my mind she licked her lips, and walked away swaying her flank, giving me a wink before she turned the corner.

My mind couldn't have been more muddled about what just happened. S-she just... but I-I'm planning her wedding... t-to Twilight's... aw, hell no.

I've got to talk to Twilight about this, because THAT was not the princess I met.

***
~Present~

Another day, another memory. Another memory, another nightmare. Another nightmare, another...

Six months, two days, twelve hours, forty-four minutes, and Fifty-six seconds.

...Lunch? How long had that been there?

Six months, two days, twelve hours, forty-four minutes, and Fifty-seven seconds.

Surely if she came, she would of...

Six months, two days, twelve hours, forty-four minutes, and Fifty-eight seconds.

I looked up, and there she was. Chrysalis. The queen of the changelings. My captor.

Six months, two days, twelve hours, forty-four minutes, and Fifty-nine seconds.

In a rush the memories of our first encounter came back.

Six months, two days, twelve hours, and forty-five minutes...

***
~The Royal "Viewing" Room, abrupt end of rehearsal ceremony~

"Maybe I was being overprotective, I could of gained a sister but instead I lost a brother." Twilight had found herself crying to herself on the steps on the far side of the room. After lying out her suspicion to Cadenza she had found herself outcast from her brother, her teacher, and all of her friends... well, almost all of them.

"Susssh.. It's alright Twilight" I say, patting her back in an effort to comfort the crying pony.

"N-no it's not okay, I lost his love, I lost my friends, and I lost the Princess. Oh what will I do?" She finished, breaking into a new fit of sobs.

"So what I don't count as a friend?" I mumbled, then said to twilight, "Twilight, I'm sure he still loves you, he just needs some time to himself. Now about the other five and the Princess, your bonds are too strong to be broken by something like this."

Twilight looks up at me a small smile on her lips as I wipe some tears away from her eyes, which have my full attention and I, hers. My brain barely registers that our heads are moving closer. Our eyelids creeping down.

"I doubt it." It takes a couple seconds for my brain to come up to speed and when it's done Twilight's attention is drawn elsewhere.

Dammit! So close! Thank you very much Princess Cadenza... Wait, What? I do a double take as I see the bride-to-be staring at us coyly. Her horn glows green as... wait, green? Wasn't it blue a couple of months ago? I'll have-

A sudden explosion of green interrupts my thoughts and I find myself in the air for a few seconds before a jeering pain in my back informs me I've hit the door on the other side of the room.

A mix of red and green floods my vision as I struggle to stay conscious.

"DARCY!" Twilight's face fills up my vision as small bursts of purple magic wipe the blood away. My hand finds itself on her tearing face as bright green flames surrounds us and cynical laughter fills the air.

I stare at the mare standing over me and yelling my name desperately. As I slowly lose consciousness I say the last thing that comes to my mind "You have a pretty mane..."

***

"Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armour..." Princess Celestia's voice rang out from above my head, beginning the opening announcements for the wedding... wait, wedding? wasn't that tomor...

My thoughts trailed off as the memories of yesterday flew through my mind, and... wait a minute where am I?! Where's twilight?!?! I started to hyperventilate. Last thing I remember was she was standing above me.So where is she? Where is she?! I yelled her name to the pitch blackness that surrounded me over and over again.

Wait a minute. I stood up and felt for the ceiling witch happened to be just an inch above my head. I could still make out the faint drone of Celestia as she droned through the ceremony. She was close to finishing.

I stared banging on the small ceiling of the wooden compartment with all the strength I could muster. I pounded long after blood freely flowed down my arms.

I was what I was guessing to be almost through when I heard Twilight's voice booming from above "WHAT IN TARTARUS DID YOU DO TO DARCY?!?!"

Seconds later I heard an answer, from a voice I never new would come to haunt me. "That vile creature? Why I killed him of course."

I heard numerous gasps as Twilight spoke up "N-no your lying. H-he's not dead, he-he can't be dead." Twilight's voice had lost all strength as she broke into sobs. It was filled with despair. No hope at all.

***
~present~

"Well looks like it's your lucky day." Queen Chrysalis said with a smirk on her face. Her crooked horn flashed green and I found myself inside my house in my living room.

"Welcome home, I have no need for you anymore, your lucky I feel so... full. Now if you excuse me I have an appointment with a... herbalist." She smirked her crooked grin and with a flash of green was gone.

I slowly rose to my feet my hands shaking with disbelief. T-this c-can't be true, I-it can't be. I slowly make my way to the door ignoring the window to my right. A sense of Deja-vue washes over me as I shakily open the front door and peer out into Ponyville.

Despair. It's everywhere.