The ultimate evil

Chapters

The shadows lengthen
Rebirthing-Pt 1
Rebirthing-Pt 2- The Nightmare reawakens
Planning
A new recruit
Alliance
Discovery Pt 2- Lineage
Corrupted Love
Training- Pt 1
Training-Pt2
The date/Defeat
A solar year
Interrogation
War council
Execution
Arrival
Green Mist
New conquest
Beginnings
Discovery in the Capitol

The shadows lengthen

It was the day after Twilight had found the book, and she still hadn't parted with it. After she had woken up, she had suddenly decided to right a wrong that had occurred to her after she woke up.

She would bring Nightmare Moon back in Luna's body.

The only problem with this is that she didn't know any spells that would work, and she was fearful of what would happen should Celestia find out, or even Luna, even though Twilight thought she was helping Luna. She was eating breakfast, the book beside her plate, thinking of how to make it work when she suddenly saw the book vibrate. Curious, Twilight grabbed it and levitated it up, opening it as she did so. She gasped as she saw that a new spell had appeared, its description saying, "This spell will help even the most timid of pony become what they were meant to be."

Twilight was amazed at this. Not only had this book given her the spell she needed, but it also gave instructions. "Have the target be within your sightline. Imagine what you want them to be like, and so it shall be." Like the last spell, it required only a small portion of energy to cast, for her anyway. She wanted to use it right away, but refrained from calling for Spike to send a message to Luna, should it not work. So she decided on the next best course of action.

She would try it on her "friends." The ones who so rightly had this coming. She said a silent thank you to Discord, who she expected to show up at any second, for allowing her to see what the others would be like as their opposites. She grinned at this. She wouldn't keep it permanent, as she knew that would attract the other princesses attention before she wanted it. The only question was who to test it on. They all gave her reasons to test the spell on them, but she didn't want to risk the others knowing. This immediately took Pinkie out of consideration for this, but she was probably going to have to take care of her at some point so she didn't tell anypony else.

She considered Rainbow, but knew that this would lead to her being found out due to Rainbow no longer being loyal. Rarity. Well, she wasn't even considered. No way in tartarus was Twilight going to allow a greedy Rarity in her crystal castle, simply for it being made of crystal. Twilight doubted even Pinkie Pie would be that devoid of logic. That left Applejack and Fluttershy.

Both cases would almost instantly be noticed in the town. Applejack because everypony knew that she was honest, so would say to honest, which is why most ponies went to her for advice. Fluttershy had less risk, but only slightly. She was so nice, Twilight knew that if she won the best award in existence and another pony asked her for it, she would give it to them.

It was this last thought that decided that Fluttershy would be the test subject. If anything, she would at least make it to where Fluttershy was more assertive. Not Iron will assertive- Ponyville didn't need another incident like that, however funny it was now in retrospect- but assertive more so than now. The best part. The excuse made itself, so Twilight knew the others would believe it, should they find out.

Twilight finished eating her breakfast and told Spike that she'd be out doing some errands. Once she was outside, she immediately walked over to Fluttershy's cottage, knowing that the timid Pegasus didn't leave it unless she herself was doing errands, hanging out with the others, or something animal related. Along the way, she ran into Applejack.

"Howdy there, Twi," the orange earth pony said, raising a hoof in greeting.

In order to avoid any suspicion that she knew might eventually reach the Princesses, Twilight walked over to Applejack, pretending to be the same as yesterday, and said, "Hey, Applejack. What're you doing? I figured you'd be at the farm." She was genuinely wondering why Applejack wasn't on the farm this early in the morning, seeing as how apple bucking season was right around the corner.

"Big Mac said that he could handle what was left, so ah figured ah would walk around a little and talk with y'all," Applejack said.

It was then that Twilight came up with another idea. Instead of just Fluttershy, why not Applejack, so long as she wasn't in public while she was affected. "Then maybe you can come with me to Fluttershy's. That saves time, so you can get back to the farm faster."

Applejack paused for a second, thinking about it, then said, "Sure."

The two began walking to Fluttershy's, with an evil, albeit barely noticeable, grin on Twilight's face.

The two talked about inconsequential things on the way to the cottage. Once the two arrived, Applejack knocked on the door. It was a second before they heard Fluttershy say, "Coming."

The door opened, with Fluttershy standing there. "Oh. Hi, girls," she said happily.

"Howdy, sugarcube," Applejack said.

"Hey, Fluttershy," Twilight said. "Can we come in?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Of course you girls can." She moved out of the way, allowing the two to enter. As they were making their way to the couch, Twilight thought, Maybe a loyalty spell to make sure they don't tell anypony, just to be safe. At this the book began to vibrate, drawing the attention of Applejack and Fluttershy.

It was Applejack who asked, "Hey, uh, Twi? Ain't that the journal y'all use to talk with Sunset on the other side of the mirror."

Twilight nearly panicked. She knew she shouldn't have brought the book, but she couldn't help herself. She was able to recompose herself in a second and said, "Yeah. I decided to bring it in case she and the others needed help again." In all fairness, before she left, she had wished for a spell that would allow messages from Sunset Shimmer to appear here and in the other one as well, not to mention changed it's appearance so that it looked like said journal. She opened it up and saw that a new spell had appeared. "Those affected by this spell shall remain ever loyal to the caster, regardless of what they do." All this spell needed was energy and could be cast on a group, and the effect was permanent, much to Twilight's relief.

This would ensure that they wouldn't tell anypony else. She pretended to read the book as if a message from Sunset had arrived. "Huh. Apparently, she just learned he same lesson I did after the ticket incident," she said, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof with a fake blush on her cheeks to show fake embarrassment.

Applejack sat on the couch, with Fluttershy sitting in her chair, while Twilight remained standing. "Uh, sugercube, ain't y'all gonna sit down?" Applejack asked. (At this moment, I am banging my head on the wall saying "Damn you, Hasbro, for going with the hick cliché with AJs speech patterns.)

At this, Twilight said, "No. I think it best if I stand for this." Before either of the others could ask what she meant, Twilight began to cast the loyalty spell on them. It really only took three seconds for it to take effect. There were no obvious changes, physically speaking, but it became obvious the spell worked when both Applejack and Fluttershy got up and bowed to Twilight, saying, "We are yours to command, empress Twilight."

Empress Twilight. Now that has a nice ring to it, Twilight thought. She also noticed that Applejack had abandoned her usual turn of phrase for a more normal one. "Get up, both of you," she ordered them. They stood up, but otherwise did nothing. "First of all," Twilight said, slipping into her new role surprisingly easy, especially for her, "you will not call me 'Empress,' when others are around that do not know. Secondly, you are to follow what ever commands I give you without hesitation. Is that understood?"

"Yes," they both said, a rush of power going through Twilight at this. She knew that this was wrong, but she didn't care.

"Good," she said. She then began to cast the personality change spell on Fluttershy. This looked like any standard spell, and the visual effect lasted only a second. When it was over, Fluttershy noticeably twitched a little, but that was the worst of it. When it was over, Twilight asked, "How're you feeling, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy shook her head to remove what remained of the disorientation, then said, "Braver than I usually am, Empress. Less shy."

"Good. Now, what would you do now if somepony was to cut you in line?"

"I would tell them they did so and ask them to get behind me. If they refused, I would push them behind me."

Twilight smiled at this. This was exactly how she imagined the new Fluttershy, and unless she manually reversed the spell, it would stay, though it could easily be replicated by others. "Good." She refrained from casting the spell on Applejack, to be safe. Regardless, this was good for her plan to bring back Nightmare, though she was still cautious as to if she should cast the loyalty spell on her before hoof to ensure that she didn't run, but that would risk Nightmare being under her control, which she didn't want. "Now, the both of you are to resume your normal routines, with whatever changes I deem necessary. In your case, Fluttershy, that means being more assertive. And Applejack, when ever you're speaking in public, use that country drawl of yours. Ponies might get suspicious otherwise.

"Of course, Empress," the two said as they bowed. With that done, Twilight left the cottage and returned home. When she got back, she discovered that Spike had, not so surprisingly, gone out to help Rarity. She didn't know with what, but she was glad for it all the same, as she was still reluctant to cast the loyalty spell on him, even if it meant she wouldn't have to deal with his sarcasm and complaining. On the other hoof, it was him who had, or, at least, tried to, stop her from going insane over the letter incident two years ago.

She was a little hungry, so she decided to go to the kitchen to fix a sandwich. It didn't take her long to do so. Once she had finished the sandwich, she decided to go into her bedroom to read the book in private. Once she was in her room, she sat down on her bed and began reading.

Who so ever holds this book is the destined bringer of peace and the one to unite the countries of their time in one, allowing all to prosper. Their path is one of hardships and difficulties and betrayals, those who have experienced the worse parts of life, but came out strong for it. They will face hardships in their path, many will try to stop them, even those they call friends, but they will have allies as well. The Shadow Queen, and the Queen of Deceit are those they will come to trust, but the one who is Equis' sun will attempt to stop them, and only the most forbidden magic will determine the winner of this fight.

Twilight was intrigued by this. A fair portion of this confirmed what she had guessed about the book, including that it was very old. But it was the tail end of the second to last and the entire last sentence that perplexed her.Why would my friends try to stop her from bringing peace. Assuming they really are my friends, that is. I could probably guess who "Equis' sun" and the "Queen of Deciet" are, and I'm almost certain that the Shadow Queen is Nightmare. But why would the others try to stop world peace? Twilight thought to herself. She was so enveloped in her thoughts that she didn't notice the inky black tendrils coming off of the shadows in her room, and into her.

Rebirthing-Pt 1

It was the night after Twilight had cast the loyalty spell on Applejack and Fluttershy, and she was still wide awake, the tendrils of shadow that had seeped into her body without her knowing switching her sleep schedule to one more like Lunas. No, not Luna, Twilight thought, All she is, what she always has been, is a prison the true princess of the night has been forced into, and I will not dignify it by giving it a name.

Over the course of the night, her thoughts had become more like they were now. Ordinarily, these thoughts would cause her to worry if she was being controlled, but the book was an embodiment of an intelligence, and, as such, it was able to adapt to circumstances, which is why it had been able to give Twilight the spells it had, as they were essential to the true entities plan, and she was but a pawn to be used to accomplish the goals.

And it knew the time was coming for the moment that would make or break this plan.

It began to vibrate, which got Twilights attention. She walked over to it and opened it. The new spell said, "This is the spell required for the prophecy to come true." (Not very criptic or like the others I know, but Finals are this week, and I' working on two stories. Cut me some slack.)

Twilight smiled and instantly began to cast the spell. This time, black shadows lifted off of the walls and encircled her lifting her up. She was like this for three minutes before the orb vanished. She was still in the air when she opened her eyes, which now had a greenish tint to them, and gasped, taking in the air for the first time in her new identity. She lowered down to the floor and looked upon her room. She then did something that many thought only Sombra could do. She melted into shadows with ease, as if she had this ability for years. With this, she went to Fluttershys and Applejacks homes and whispered to them to come to her castle immediately.

She waited for half an hour before the two arrived, and she was displeased with how long it took them to get there.

"What took you two so long?" she asked menacingly.

"We wanted to get there at the same time, Empress," Fluttershy said, "so I decided to wait for Applejack."

"Well, from now on," Twilight said, "you are to come here as soon as I tell you to, is that understood?"

"Yes, Empress," her two, for lack of a better word, servants said.

Twilight smiled. "Good. Now, the reason I called the both of you here is simple: We are going to overthrow Celestia."

Surprise appeared on their faces when Twilight said this. "Empress," Applejack said, abandoning her country accent and drawl, "I don't mean to say that you can't overthrow Celestia, but what about her sister, the guard, and our friends?"

"I already have a plan to remove Luna from the opposition. As for our friends, I doubt they would want to hurt us. And the guard," she laughed here, "is incompetent. Not once in their history have they been able to take down a threat. I want you two to identify ponies that have skills that will help our cause. Bring them to me, and I will ensure that they don't betray us."

"And what about Spike?" Applejack asked.

Twilight waved a hoof dismissively. "I'll take care of him once you two leave. Our friends are not to know of this at all. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Empress," they said as they bowed.

"Good. Until I order otherwise, the orders I just gave you are paramount. Now, leave me. I have a dragon to take care of."

Still bowing, Applejack and Fluttershy said, "Yes, Empress."

With that, they left Twilight in her castle and returned home. Once they closed the door, Twilight thought to herself, Now to take care of Spike. She then began to walk to Spikes room, which took a minute. When she arrived, she slowly opened the door and wasn't surprised that Spike was enthralled by one of his comic books. "Spike," she called to get his attention.

He jumped when he heard her voice, then said, "Oh. Hey, Twi. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," she said as she was casting the loyalty spell. This one was finished quicker, due to the target being a single baby dragon, as opposed to two fully grown ponies.

Once it was done, Spike kneeled and said, "Empress."

"No need to call me that, Spike," Twilight said. "You can still call me Twilight. After all," she said with a smile, "you are my number one assistant."

"Okay, Twilight."

One week later

Twilight was extremely pleased. For the past week, she had been studying binding spells in the castle of the royal pony sisters that were designed to keep ponies in one place for as long as the caster wanted. (Personal note: Is it wrong that I think Celestia would be stupid enough to leave spells like that in the castle?) She had also cast the loyalty spell on six other ponies, including Vinyl ("Somepony had to throw the party," Applejack had reasoned), the CMC (Personal note: must you ask why, people. Look at their track record as to how well their plans work with out something going wrong to know that), and Big Mac', and the time was fast approaching for the return of the Queen of Shadows.

Twilight was in the largest part of her castle, ensuring that the marks on the floor for the binding spell were well hidden and ready to ensnare Luna once she teleported in the middle of them, as Twilight had cast a spell on the castle a day ago when she had all of the binding spells she was going to use to ensure that anypony who teleported into the castle that didn't have her magical signature, or Nightmares, once she was free, teleported into the center of the binding spells, which would work until she cast a counter spell that she learned from the book or the glyphs were altered.

"Spike," she said, turning to face him, "send a letter to the others. Tell them that the time has come. Once they are all here, send a message to Luna, telling her that I need her help with something."

"Of course, Empress." Though she told him to call her Twilight, Sike still insisted on going formal for this occasion. Twilight allowed it, as this is going to be the day she was waiting for.

Rebirthing-Pt 2- The Nightmare reawakens

The ponies Twilight had cast the loyalty spell on were all in the castle, waiting for Luna to arrive so that Twilight could free Nightmare. "Okay, everypony," she said to the group. "I want you to ensure that nopony else gets into the castle, especially the other elements. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Empress," the assembled ponies said at the same time.

Twilight nodded. "Good. Now, take your positions."

The group said what they always said when she gave the order, then went to their designated positions.

As soon as they had all left, she turned to Spike and said, "Send the letter, Spike."

"You got it, Twi," he said, saluting. He then brought up the letter that would be sent to Luna, and sent it her way.

. . .

Luna was enjoying a few minutes before Lunar court began, though she wouldn't be doing much, as many ponies went to her sister. She was reading a popular fiction novel when a letter appeared in the green flames that Spike had. She initially thought it was meant for Celestia, then remembered that it would work for anypony, so long as it was addressed to them.

She opened the letter, and read it.

Dear Princess Luna,

I've encountered a certain problem, and I was hoping you could help me with it. The reason I ask you for help is that it appears to be related to your kind of magic. If you are able, please come to my castle immediately.

Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle

While Luna was surprised that Twilight had written to her, she was grateful, as it would mean she had something to do instead of just sitting around for hours doing nothing, and she was a little curious as to the magic Twilight had found.

"Guard," she said to the nearest Lunar guard, "how many ponies are scheduled for Lunar court tonight?"

The guard checked the scroll he had, and once he had the numbers, he looked to her and said, "None, your highness."

Luna smiled inwardly, as this meant she would be able to help Twilight with, and, if necessary, push Twilight away from this magic, as it was a dangerous magic that only the most powerful alicorns could wield.

She got up and told the guard, "Inform my sister that I will be in Ponyville for the next few hours. I wish to take care of something there, and I wish to handle it alone."

The guard bowed, saying, "Of course, Your Highness." The guard then got up and left the room, heading for Celestia's private chambers.

Now to see what Twilight Sparkle requires help with, she thought to herself.

She lit up her horn, and disappeared in a flash of dark blue light.

. . .

Luna appeared in Twilights castle with a flash of light, more specifically appearing in the largest library in the castle, when she had tried to teleport to the main hallway. She tried to move, but found she couldn't. She tried to teleport out of the room, but simply reappeared in the exact same location.

"What is going on?" Luna asked nopony in particular, which is why she was surprised when she got a response.

"Simple," Twilight said, walking to where Luna could see. "I'm righting an old wrong," she said, lighting her horn.

"What do you mean, Twilight Sparkle?" Luna asked, worried.

"Don't speak," Twilight said menacingly, "You aren't worthy of that. You never have been. Not since you became the prison of the true Princess of the night."

"What do you men?" Luna asked. "I am the princess of the night," she said in a snarl, "and if my sister finds out about this, she will banish you."

"And what," Twilight said, putting her face in Luna's, "makes you think I'm worried about that miserable excuse for a ruler? I could do much better. If she was actually a good ruler, I would have been more worried about death than banishment."

"What is making you say these things?"

"The truth," is all Twilight said before she cast a spell on Luna.

. . .

Twilight was a little surprised when the spells had worked, but was joyful, nonetheless.

As she and Luna were talking, she began to charge the personality spell. She placed her horn on Luna's forehead, and the resulting flash would have blinded if she hadn't cast a spell to prevent blindness from sudden light. Not that her eyes didn't hurt, though.

When she opens them, she still saw Luna, who also had her eyes closed. At first, Twilight had thought the spell hadn't worked.

Then she opened her eyes.

Instead of the teal blue, normal iris' Luna usually had, she now had the teal blue draconic eyes that only Nightmare Moon had.

She looked around, proving that this was Nightmare, and not Luna, as the spell had been designed to keep Luna, or anypony who thought themselves Luna, from moving.

"What am I doing here?!" Nightmare asked, using Lunas body as a mouth piece, "What is this place?"

Originally, Twilight had placed a second spell on Nightmare as the personality spell was cast that would allow her to remember everything that had happened. From Lunas perspective, that is, but it would take time for it to activate the memories.

"You're in my castle, Princess Nightmare. And you are here because I brought you back," Twilight said.

Nightmare glared at Twilight, saying, "I remember you. Tell me, why would Celestia's prized student bring back her mortal enemy?"

"Because," Twilight said, "you were unjustly imprisoned due to Celestia not paying enough attention to Luna, and thus not seeing her anguish. As such, you are in the right, and she is wrong."

"And what made you come to this conclusion?" Nightmare asked. "It was my understanding that all of the ponies believed that I unjustly attacked Celestia."

"That's because they haven't seen the events of that night. A few months ago, i drank a potion that made me see that night, and It was you who attacked first, yes, but it was Celestia who could have prevented it. She did not care for her sister, who was your prison, and it was because of her negligence to your beauty that ponies had forgotten the truth and believed that you were only a legend, an old mares tale," Twilight said, "and I wish to ensure she can't do it again."

Nightmare, though still wary, calmed down slightly, the memory spell taking affect. "So you bring me to your castle, or, rather, Luna, and keep me here, when your goal is acquired? That shows that you do have some intelligence in that head of yours."

"Actually," Twilight said, "the spell that prevented Luna from moving does not affect you. Though, I have lined the entire room with spells that prevent powerful magic from all but me."

Nightmare, not believing this, attempted to move her right fore hoof, and was surprised when she could. She then tried to teleport, only for her to reappear where she had been a few seconds earlier. She then tried an invisibility spell, which didn't work.

"The only powerful spell you can use," Twilight said, "is the spell Luna used that gave birth to your body." This drew an annoyed glare from Nightmare, but she tried it anyway. It worked, just like Twilight said it would.

"Much better," Nightmare said. "But I am still curious," she said. "Why? You are much more powerful than Celestia. Though I am glad to be in true existence once again, I wonder why you brought me back."

"Because I figured that you would want revenge for what she did to you, and I can help you with that," Twilight said.

"How sow?" Nightmare asked.

"Simple, really," Twilight said. "Over the years, Celestia has gained a few enemies, yourself included, and I'm certain thye would help us if we," she paused here, looking for the most innocent sounding word for torture, "persuade them with the right evidence."

"Oh, I am starting to like you, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said, flashing a grin, revealing her predator like teeth for a second.

"Please," Twilight said, holding up a hoof, "Call me Twilight."

"Of course, Twilight," Nightmare said. "Then you can just call me Nightmare."

"Okay, Nightmare," Twilight said, a small grin on her face. "I'd like to talk about who we could recruit, but that would be best to wait until the sun is up, when you have free time. We don't want you to act like yourself to make Celestia suspicious."

Nightmare chuckled a little, then said, "No, we do not. In that case, I shall return after the sun has risen. Until then, I suppose I shall have to pretend to be Luna, now won't I?

"Unfortunately," Twilight said, "yes. But once the plot to overthrow is in effect, that won't be needed, not in public. While you're here in my castle, you're free to appear as yourself."

"I believe I shall do that, Twilight. Until then," Nightmare said, using an illusion spell to change her appearance back to Luna, eyes and voice included. "Good bye." he made her way to the door, where she encountered those whom Twilight had cast the loyalty spell on. They all bowed as they saw her, Applejack and Fluttershy included. It would seem Twilight has already gotten some of Celestia's most loyal followers, she thought to herself as she stepped outside the castle. She lit her horn, and disappeared in a flash of light.

Planning

It has been two days since the covert, for lack of a better word, revival of Nightmare Moon. Those who had been present under Twilight's control were helping by bringing more ponies to her for a loyalty spell. Already, she had cast the loyalty spell on ten other ponies. Though she was rethinking casting it on Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. The only reason she needed them was so she would have an easy way to get to money, should she need it. Though even under her control, the two didn't stop tormenting the CMC, even though all of them had been brought into the fold.

"Spike," Twilight said, "remind me to order Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to not bully the CMC. I already have enough problems with helping Night,are keep herself secret."

"You got it, Twilight."

Both of them were under the castle, in a new, under construction bunker that would be the main room in which Twilight and Nightmare planned. Twilight was smart enough that she had the foresight to bring the leader of the construction company into the fold. Otherwise, the plan would be discovered much more easily.

The two walked up to the foreman, a muscular, brown earth pony with a black mane and a hammer cutie mark, who was over seeing three other construction ponies. "Steel Hammer, what's the progress of the chamber?" Twilight asked.

"Empress," Steel said as he bowed. "With the current amount of workers, the chamber should be done within a week, should no unforeseen complications arise."

Twilight nodded. "Good. Should you need anything for construction, let Spike, Applejack, or Fluttershy know, and they'll inform me."

Steel bowed again. "Yes, Empress."

"Good. Continue with construction."

Still bowing, Steel said, "Yes, my Empress," and went back to work.

From there, Twilight and Spike made their way back into the actual castle to wait for Nightmare to arrive so she and Twilight could discuss who of Celestia's more powerful enemies they would ally with.

Once they made it back into the castle proper, they found one of the ponies Twilight didn't want to see.

Hey, Twi," Rainbow said as she flew up to them. "What you up to?"

"Oh, nothing, Rainbow," Twilight said behind a fake smile, "just a personal project."

"Sweet, Twi. Mind telling me what it is? I may be able to help."

"No, Rainbow. It's a secret, and I personally doubt you'd understand any of it."

A look of disbelief appeared on Rainbow's face. "Are you calling me stupid, Twilight?"

A cruel smile adorned Twilight's face as she said, "Yes, Rainbow. I am. You know absolutely nothing about the most basic things. You didn't even know the history of the Wonderbolts, even though you said that you wanted to be one. It makes me think you don't care about being a Wonderbolt." She leaned in closer, to the point that her face was only two inches from Rainbow's, "I actually think you don't give a shit if you get into the Wonderbolts, so long as you get the recognition you think you deserve. News flash: They're military, which means you wake up early in the morning."(1)

She leaned an inch closer. "And you know what else? I don't want you here in the castle, which means that you're trespassing. And unless you want to further decrease the chances of you getting recognition, you will get out of my castle before I decide to have you arrested for said crime and have you sent to prison. One where you won't fly at all." Another inch, though Rainbow was too terrified to make a joke, which probably saved her life. "Get. Out."

Whether she was smart enough to do as Twilight said or because her higher mental functions were still processing what happened, Rainbow, shocked look still on her face, left the castle.

Twilight then chuckled. "Oh, I needed that." he looked at Spike and said, "How much longer until," she paused, looking around to make sure Pinkie or Discord weren't around, "Nightmare's here?"

Before Spike could answer, a flash of teal light appeared, heralding the arrival of Nightmare. "Hello, Twilight," she said in Luna's body after the flash was gone.

"Hello, Nightmare," Twilight said as Spike bowed and Nightmare dropped the illusion spell that made her look like Luna, bringing out her true, and, in all honesty for Twilight, regal appearance.

"It is good to be back in my old form. It is a shame I can only look this way here."

"At least we can start planning," Twilight said, "The only thing I'm actually worried about at this stage is if the other Elements find out, If I hadn't made Rainbow go away, we could have easily been discovered."

"Are you certain you do not wish to bring them under your control as well?" Nightmare asked. "That would ensure we are no discovered by luck, or would at least decrease those chances."

Twilight shook her head. "No, that might attract to much attention. It might not, but I'd rather play it safe. And should it come to that, I already have a plan."

"Hmm. Impressive, Twilight." the midnight black alicorn said. "But I still believe we should bring one other into the fold."

"And if we did," Twilight said, both of them now going to the main library in the castle, "who would you suggest?"

Nightmare stopped and brought a hoof up to her chin in thought. "Perhaps the last I possessed. Your friend, Rarity? We will need a loyal pony with high-society contacts who can actually stand them. Plus, we will need somepony to create our flag."

"True," Twilight said. "But Pinkie Pie could help even more with espionage, what with her being able to appear at any place at anytime, and being able to hide in anyhting."

"Though with her. . . abilities, she may be immune to your loyalty spell."

"Maybe, and I would rather not try Rainbow, seeing as how I don't see anything she can contribute to our cause."

"So we can agree that Rarity is next?"

"Yes," Twilight said. "Though, I'm not sure as to when."

"Perhaps after we discuss who the major ones are."

Twilight nodded. "Agreed," she said as the two alicorns arrived at the library. They entered and took a seat at the nearest table, which had been moved as far away from the windows as possible.

"Now", Twilight said, lighting up her horn, "there are only a few ponies, or other sentient race, for that matter, that wish for revenge that are alive. One, though, is all that is in our dimension."

What do you mean?" Nightmare asked.

"Do yo know of the Sirens?" Nightmare nodded. "Well, the three of them were banished to another universe, one I hope we can conquer as well, but going through and bringing them back would attract attention we don't need, which only leaves s one option." Twilight used the magic she had been building up to show a life-sized image of the one being, next to Nightmare, she would not expect to team up with.

Queen Chrysalis.

"So, you wish to ally ourselves with the changelings," Nightmare asked, raising an an eyebrow.

"Yes," Twilight said, dismissing the spell. "They are excellent infiltrators, which is supported by the evens of the wedding two years ago, and the drones are loyal to their queen without reservation. Plus, we could easily have an army at our backs, and Celestia wouldn't know otherwise."

"That is indeed an advantage, but what would happen should they refuse?"

"Simple," Twilight said, pausing for effect. "We kill Chrysalis and take her throne."

A new recruit

Rarity was having a good day. She had gotten a new dress order form Sapphire Shores, Sweetie was out with the cutie mark crusaders, and she had just finished with a personal project for when Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would be coming to Ponyville for the official meeting with the Yak leadership. Which was to say she was working on her own dress.

She was in the middle of getting the last of the fabric cut when she heard a knock on her door. "Just a minute," she said on sing-song, finishing with the cut she was on. Once she was one, she went to the front door and opened it. "Oh, hello, Twilight. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, Rarity," Twilight said, a small smile on her face. "How are you?"

"Oh, just marvelous, darling. I just got an order from Sapphire Shores. She wants me to make a dress for her upcoming performance, and I can't wait to start on it."

"That's good," Twilight said. "Can I come in?"

"But of course, Twilight. Come in," Rarity said, and the lavender alicorn walked in behind the marshmellow unicorn. "So, anyhting interesting going on for you, Twilight," Rarity asked Once she had closed the door.

"Not much, really. I'm working on my own project."

"Oh, what is it?"

"Sorry, Rarity, but it isn't ready to the point I feel confident enough to show it to you. Once it gets there, though, you'll see it."

"And when might that be, Twilight?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Tonight, or that's what I'm hoping for, at least," Twilight said. It's a good thing Nightmare can dreamwalk like Luna, or this plan would be a bust.

"Well, I can't wait to see it, darling. I'm sure it will be magnificent."

"It will be, Rarity. In fact, I'm certain it'll change your life, but in a good way."

"Oh. Really. May I get a hint?"

"Nope. Sorry Rarity, but I don't want to give you any hints as to it. You'd be doing the same to me if you were making me a surprise dress, right?"

"I suppose," the unicorn said as she noticed the alicorns eyes. "Twilight, is something wrong? Your eyes look a little, how do I put this nicely, green."

"That has to do with the surprise, actually," Twilight said, mentally cursing herself for not covering those up.

"Well, it must be interesting, then. I can't wait to see it."

"Oh, believe me, Rarity, it'll be worth the wait," Twilight said. "Well, it was good seeing you. See you later, Rarity," she said as she walked to the door and cast a memory spell on Rarity that would prevent her from remembering these memories until the plan had succeeded. She opened the door and left, closing it behind her. She smiled to her self, and walked to her castle. When she made it back, she was welcomed by the sight of Nightmare Moon and Spike.

"Hello, Twilight," Nightmare said. "I assume you were able to put the spell in Rarity's mind?"

"Yep, along with the memory spell. As soon as you enter her dreams, it'll take effect, slowly, but surely."

"Excellent. It is a good thing Celestia decided I, or, rather, Luna, needed a break tonight, which allows for this," Nightmare said with a smile.

"True," Twilight said, "but I'm certain we would have found a way. Spike?"

"Yeah, Twilight?" Spike asked, saluting.

"Is the letter to Chrysalis ready?"

"Yep. It's a good thing we were able to get into Celestia's memories last night while she was asleep, or this wouldn't work. Want me to send it?"

"No, not yet. I'd rather have all three of us there to meet with her," Twilight said, excluding Spike entirely.

"Got it," he said before he walked off.

"'Tis such a shame that the young drake doesn't realize that Rarity doesn't like him the way he likes her," Nightmare said, "but it is a good way to ensure his loyalty."

"Too true, Nightmare," Twilight said, "too true. But what made you bring that up."

"How excited he looked when we told him we were bringing her into the fold. Did you not see his smile?"

"Fair point," Twilight said. "What should we do once Chrysalis' hive is with us?"

"Simple. Foalnap as many of Celestia's advisers and as many nobles as we can, and replace them with changelings. That way, we not only have good intelligence, but we have sleeper cells, as I believe the term is correct, as they will be waiting on our word."

"That's the correct use of the word, Nightmare, and that would be a good use of her hive."

"So, shall we prepare for my alternates arrival?" Nightmare asked with a small smile.

"Yes. We need everything at it's best, if only so we don't have to hear her complain about the decor."

"Then let us prepare."

. . .

That night- carousal boutique

Rarity was just finishing getting ready for bed, having already put on her mud mask and putting curlers in her mane. "Goodnight, Opal," she said to the pudgy cat that slept next to her bed. Sweetie Belle was with Applebloom for a sleep over, and wouldn't be back until that morning. She got into bed and used her magic to turn off the lights and put on her sleeping mask, ans drifted off, into the realm of dreams.

. . .

Rarity's dreams always had something to do with her job or aspirations, such as becoming one of the major fashion designers of the world, or even finding her Prince Charming (it was originally her Prince Blueblood, but that was completely destroyed after her first Gala.).

Tonight's dreams, however, were different. They were of her time as what her friends called 'Nightmare Rarity', but these showed that she was doing in justification of what had happened to Luna a thousand years before. They also showed her defeating her friends, and that Equestria had a new era of prosperity and fashion under her rule. Then, after all of those, they showed her friends, all but Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy, talking behind her back about how they shouldn't trust her, and how petty she was, which, she had to admit, became obvious with Discord.

"Why are my dreams like this", she asked during a particular one that showed her eventually being imprisoned by Celestia for the destruction, or, rather, 'redesigning' she had done to Ponyville a few weeks ago.

"Perhaps they are trying to tell you something," she heard a voice say from behind as the dream became one of the night sky. She turned around to see who it was that spoke and jumped back immediately when she saw Nightmare Moon.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, slight venom in her voice.

"My duty," the alicorn replied. "Unlike what so many other ponies think, I'm the one who manages Nightmares, for obvious reasons, though I usually appear as Luna, I imagine because I was a part of her conscience, but yours are the first I have appeared as myself, I imagine because of our. . . history together."

"So it was you who helped Sweetie Belle when she had that nightmare?"

"Yes, though, she wished for me not to tell you, I assume because she told you."

"No," Rarity said, relaxing slightly, "All she told me was that she had a nightmare, and you helped her."

"I suppose she wouldn't want to, given what it was about, but if she won't say, then neither will I."

"You still haven't given me a straight answer to my first question," the unicorn said.

"Like I said, they might be trying to tell you something. Often times, ones subconsciousness tries to tell them something of importance in dreams, though it is rare, and only happens with important events. And those must be acted upon immediately, and if I may advise, it would seem they are trying to say that you need to take up the mantle of Nightmare Rarity again for the betterment of Equestria."

"How do I know you aren't the one causing them?"

"Because I could have come up with much worse for this purpose , and even though I am seen as a monster, I wouldn't harm any who fall under my domain, which is to say dreams. Besides," the midnight-black alicorn said, getting closer to Rarity, "did you not think like how the dreams are saying you did originally?"

Rarity tried to recall, and, as much as she didn't want to admit it, Nightmare was right. "Then how do I become. . . that," she nearly spat put.

"That is best left to me," Nightmare said as she lit her horn, activating the spell Twilight had placed earlier. "When you awaken, your body will become that of your nightmare form, and you will have a slightly different conscience, seeing as how you are taking on a second entity, but it will still be you, for the most part, should you still want to go through with this."

"I do."

"Then awaken," Nightmare said as the world vanished in light. Rarity heard the alicorn say, "Come to Twilight's castle," before she awoke.

. . .

When she awoke, Rarity realized that she was slightly longer than her bed in length. She turned on the lights, and nearly hissed at the lights as she squinted, her eyes now being more sensitive to the light. After they adjusted, she opened her eyes and saw that her coat was now the same black it had been with Nightmare Moon. She got up and walked to her mirror and saw that she also had cyan, draconic eyes, and her mane was ethereal, like Nightmare's, with her tail being the same, but darker. Her cutie mark now had three, cyan rhombuses and four smaller white ones scattered among the three larger ones. Her horn was also longer

"It feels good to be back in this body, actually," she said before she remembered what Nightmare had said. She then teleported to Twilight's castle, though she was a little wary of what she would think.

. . .

Twilight's castle

"It is done," Nightmare said as she materialized beside Twilight. "She will be here soon."

"That's a relief," Twilight said. "I assumed that it would take longer."

"Well, I did take some liberties, such as saying I'm the pony who appears in dreams to help those having nightmares, as well as saying I helped her sister."

"Impressive, and you weren't exactly lying, either, seeing as how you were in Luna then."

Before Nightmare could reply, they heard a pop behind them, indicating teleportation, and they turned around to see Nightmare Rarity, as dignified as a princess, though without the regalia, standing there. She looked to Twilight and said, "Hello, Twilight," before she saw Nightmare, and said, "How is she here? I thought she only existed in Luna's mind."

"Before this week," Nightmare said, "that was true, but Twilight here found a way to reverse that, and now she is in mine."

"Really," Rarity said, an eyebrow raised. "Why?"

"To overthrow Celestia for the betterment of Equestria," Twilight said.

"Why," Rarity asked.

"Do you not remember the dreams?" Nightmare asked. "Celestia did those in secret with those who didn't deserve it. And do you not remember the diamond dogs. Celestia knew that they were there, but did not inform Twilight, which resulted in you being captured by them."

"Which means that it was her fault, you being captured, and then there's the fact she didn't let you know how much of a plothole Blueblood was," Twilight said.

"And don't forget the last time you were like this," Nightmare said. "She did nothing to free you from this form other then helping Luna bring the moon closer. Do you really want a ruler like that?"

"Or would you rather be a ruler that helps her subjects," Twilight said, using her magic to grasp two objects form behind her, and presented them to Rarity.

"My old crown and chest piece," she said in amazement, both at this and the fact that Twilight, of all ponies, had brought about a rebellion.

One that she found she had to help, if only to make life better for others.

She took the regalia, asking, "How did you find them, Twilight?"

"I just used a spell to bring them to me from where they were and used a reconstruction spell to remake them, really."

Rarity put on her regalia and said, "When do we meet our subjects?"

Alliance

It has been a day and a half since Twilight and Nightmare Moon had recruited Rarity, and now, the three of them were simply waiting on Chrysalis' arrival.

When Nightmare and Twilight had shown Rarity the ponies that were under their control, she was surprised that they had already gotten that many without any pony noticing, but one thing she was a little angry about was that they had gotten her sister before her, instead of the both of them at the same time. They had been able to avert a catastrophe when they told her it was because she was already there, and they were working on a spell to bring Rarity's nightmare form and powers back. Though it had barely worked.

"Remind me again why we're trying to bring that disgusting changeling into our alliance," Rarity said impatiently.

"Because, Rarity," Twilight said, "she has just as much reason to hate Celestia as the rest of us. If that's not enough, we could always help her take the Crystal Empire once we're done with the bitch. She'd want it, if only for the fact she would get a lot of love from it."

"What did you write to her anyway?" Nightmare asked.

"I simply told her that I wished to speak with her on something important, and that the princess wanted to speak with her as well, obviously meaning Nightmare wanted to. Aside from that, I simply told her to teleport to my castle if she wanted to speak," Twilight said. "As a precaution, I did put a small spell on it that would make her think on it instead of outright rejecting it, though."

"That's more like you, Twilight," Rarity said. "Coming up with back-up plans."

"Thank you, Rarity," the lavender alicorn said as a bright, green light suffused the room, and made all of those present turn their heads away so they wouldn't be blinded. Once the light had gone down somewhat, the three mares looked back to the center to see Queen Chrysalis there.

The changeling looked at the three of them with a curious gaze before she finally said, "When you said 'Princess', Sparkle, I assumed you meant Celestia, and not the Nightmare, or Nightmares, as the case may be. Now, why do you wish to speak with me?"

Twilight looked at her allies, and they at her, before she looked to Chrysalis with an evil grin that made Chrysalis shudder a little. "Revolution."

. . .

An hour later, they were trying, still, to explain all of this to Crhysalis so they could get to the actual terms of the alliance.

"So all of this," the changeling said, gesturing to the three mares in front of her, "started out with a book? A. Book? I know I should be skeptical, but given the fact you kept with that story, not to mention you took the risk of bringing me here, I suppose I could at least hear what you have to say."

"That's good," Twilight said. "Now, the first part of this is what we want from one another. You first, Chrysalis."

"First off," Chrysalis said in annoyance, "you are not my equal, and you will add Queen to my name, is that clear?"

"Yes," Twilight said.

"Good. Second is what I want. Of those, the first is that I want the Crystal Empire, and I want Princess Cadence and her husband, Shining Armor, though I doubt you'd give them up, little Sparkle."

"Actually, you can have them," Twilight said, surprising the changeling. "They're bound to be loyal supporters of Celestia anyway. Anything else?"

"Yes. I also want more land for my hive. The amount of land we have is too small, and we are currently overcrowded. In addiiton, changelings are to be allowed to move through Equestria freely, and can feed off the love of it's citizens with out fear of retaliation or at least persecution, unless they over feed to the point of actual physical harm, which there are obvious physical signs of, by the way. That is all I can think of for now."

"I expected more," Nightmare said. "Like resources."

"More land means more resources, Nightmare," Twilight said. "As fr what we want, we only want the support of you and your hive when we make our move, as well as for you to stay here in Ponyville so we can more easily have a war council when the need arises, disguised, obviously, as a changeling, you especially, would attract royal guard attention we don't need. Is that good?"

"I suppose. I shall have to inform my hive, which won't take long, and I already had some changelings here in Ponyville, actually. It should be easy for me to hide. And I've already invited the changelings that are here in Ponyville, seeing as how they're taking orders from the four of us," the changeling said as Spike came into the room.

"Twilight, there's a few ponies outside. They told me to say something called 'primrose'. I don't know why, though."

"Those would be the changelings already here in Ponyville," Chrysalis said. "Send them in, dragon."

Spike didn't seem freaked out about the fact a changeling was in close proximity to him, but he looked to Twilight, who said, "It's fine Spike. She's a part of the group now, which also means you take orders from her now as well."

"Right," the young drake said before going to the front door and letting in the changelings, who were still disguised as ponies.

They made their way to the war room, where the two alicorns, one unicorn, and changeling were waiting for them.

There were three ponies, all mares. One had a chartreuse coat with a pinkish mane and tail, with three flowers with smiles as her cutie mark. The second was a white-green unicorn with an even whiter mane and tail with a lyre for a cutie mark. The other was, actually, a small filly, with a gray-pink coat with a golden yellow mane. There was another changeling in Ponyville, and she was on her way. She crashed through the window as the other three were going to the war room, actually. She had a gray coat, mismatched eyes, a golden mane and tail, with bubbles as her cutie mark. "Hey, muffin," Derpy said to her daughter, as the small changeling had come with her mother when he was meant to infiltrate Ponyville.

"Hey, Mom," Dinky said, going to her mom and giving her a hug.

"Would you two save it," Lyra said. "The queen wants to speak with the four of us."

"Yeah," Cheerilee said. "You two see each other every day. This is the first time the queen's been here since we arrived, so it must be important, especially since it's in the most recent pony princess castle."

"Then let's go," Derpy said, dropping her disguise in a flash of green flame, as well as Dinky. The other two just rolled their eyes and continued on. They made it to the war room in just a few minutes, with Spike leading them. Needless to sat, both Twilight and Rarity were surprised to see that two of the ponies they knew were changelings. "Hey, guys," Derpy said, further surprising the two mares, along with the fact there was a small changeling with her that they knew to be Dinky, if only because of how much she hugged the other changeling.

"Your majesty," the other two said, bowing to Chrysalis. "We've come as you asked."

"Good," the changeling queen said. "We are now in an alliance with these three," she said, gesturing to the two alicorns and singular unicorn, "and, amazingly, it's to over throw Celestia."

Raising an eyebrow, Cheerilee said, "I'm curious as to how Nightmare Moon is back."

"Top secret," Twilight said.

"Regardless," Chrysalis said, "I wish for the four of you to spread word to the other in Canterlot, and tell them to await my word to attack."

"They can come with me as an entourage, as well as the other Elements. Celestia wants me in Canterlot for a Princess Summit, and I was hoping to bring a few nobles under our rule."

"And both me and Rarity can change into our normal, but also weaker, forms so that there isn't any suspicion, which means, if you can find some way to get into Canterlot, we can still have our war councils, while we're there. As an addition, two of Twilight's friends are already a part of those that follow us, so we also have that to use to our advantage," Nightmare said.

"Then it's settled," Twilight said. "Next stop, Canterlot."

Discovery Pt 2- Lineage

Twilight just sat there. She just sat there. There was literally nothing else she could do as her brain processed the information. Processed that she was adopted.

"WHAT THE BUCK!?

Twenty-six years ago

It was a sunny day in Canerlot, and Twilight Velvet and her husband, Night Light, a light blue unicorn stallion with a teal mane and tail, with two crescent moons, one inside the other, were out on a stroll. Their son, Shining Armor, was at school, and wouldn't be out for a few more hours. "Such a beautiful day," Night Light said.

"Yes it is," Twilight said, nuzzling her husband, though it was only done half-heartedly.

"What's wrong, Twilight," Night Light asked.

"I-well, it's just that Shining looks a little upset most of the time. One time, I caught him trying to draw something, but before I could get a better look at it, he crumpled it up and threw it away."

"Why?"

"I don't know," the mare said. "But I did hear him mumble something about a sibling when sibling day came around last month. Maybe he wants a younger sibling to play with."

"Twilight, as much as I'd like to have another child, especially if it would make you and Shining happy, we can't. We got lucky with Shining, and the doctor said it wouldn't happen again," Night Light said, putting his foreleg around his wife's shoulder.

It had been an unspoken thing on Twilight's side of the family that there was a rare genetic disease, a 1 in 1,000,000 chance of getting it, really, that the a mare wouldn't be able to get pregnant, and, because of this, Night Light and Twilight had been devastated when they heard this. It didn't stop them from trying, and just three years after their marriage, Twilight had given birth to a healthy stallion named Shining Armor. The doctor, the same who had told them about their chances, had said that they were among the very lucky couples, as most mares that did get pregnant either had a miscarriage, or a stillbirth. It's been nine years since then, and they had made peace with this, but Shining, as intelligent as he was, hadn't been told yet.

"We could adopt," Twilight said.

"How? We both know no noble, sane or not, would give up a child. Disown them, yes, but they'd give them to other nobles, and no noble aside from Pockets knows us on a personal level for that," Night Light said.

"We could always try other towns."

"I know, Twilight, I know," Night light said, slight sadness in his voice. "We can talk about this tomorrow, and we will, I swear it. Right now, let's go back home."

"Alright," Twilight said in a resigned tone.

The couple then made their way back home in silence. The only thing they had to look forward to, really, was learning about what Shining did in school that day, so imagine their surprise when the two found an old cardboard box on the steps of their house.

They walked up to it carefully, which was when they heard crying in it. The two looked at each other, Night Light saying, "You don't think?

Twilight only looked at him with a shocked expression on her face, much like he was doing to her. They looked back at the box as they heard more crying from it. What they saw inside was a small unicorn filly with a lavender coat, a darker shade of purple for her mane and tail, both with streaks of pink. In the box beside her was a single note.

Please take care of her.

Along with that was a small, grayish rag doll with black string foe it's mane and tail, as well as mismatched red and blue eyes, which the filly held onto like a life line.

Night Light picked her up in his magic, and brought her out of the box. "I know I said we'd talk about this later," he said, "but I think it's obvious we're meant to take care of her."

"Then what should we call her?" Twilight asked.

"I don't know, Twilight."

Tw-Tw-Twilight," the filly said in an adorable voice.

"I think she likes that name," Twilight said, "but we need to give her another part to her name."

"Well, how about 'Sparkle,' seeing as how her eyes sparkled when I picked her up?"

"I think that'll work," Velvet said, looking at her new daughter. "Welcome to the family, Twilight Sparkle," she said, hugging the filly.

Present day

"And that, Empress, is how me and Night Light found you," Velvet said to her adoptive daughter.

"You had a genetic disorder?" was the first thing that came to Twilight's mind.

"Yes. Neither your Father, nor I, though it important enough to tell either you or our son unless one or both of you wished for younger siblings."

"Who else knows of this?"

"Only Deep Pockets and Princess Celestia can I be certain of. If they told others, I am not certain. As much as I hate to say this, as it sounds like an order I am unworthy of giving, if you wish to know if anypony else knows, you would have to ask them."

Nodding, Twilight told her mother, "Thank you, Velvet."

Bowing again, the unicorn mare said, "It is my honor, Mistress."

"Don't refer to me by that name," Twilight said. "It makes me sound like a domo or something. Only 'Empress', is that understood?"

"Yes, my Empress," Velvet said as the two mares heard the door open.

"Velvet, I'm home!" they heard Night Light say from the main hall.

Velvet looked to Twilight with a blank stare. twilight nodded, and Velvet said, "I'm in the living room, honey, and you'll never guess who's here!"

"Who could it be, Velvet," Night Light said, walking onto the room, "I haven't heard of any-" He saw Twilight looking at him with a glare, which had a hint of anger in it, her horn lit. "Twilight?"

"That's 'Empress to you," Twilight said as she fired off her magic.

Now, it's not a well known fact, but Night Light was once a part of the Royal Guard, and every day since he left Twenty-four years ago, he had trained to keep his kill razor sharp. As such, he was able to dodge Twilight's shot, and fire off some of his own, which Twilight blocked with an absorption shield, which prevented collateral damage, as well as got stronger the more shots hit it. "Twilight, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Simply making sure I'm not lied to again," the alicorn said casually before firing off another shot, this one being a stun spell, which also missed.

"You know?" he said firing off more shots as he took cover in the hall, Twilight following at a walk.

"What?" she asked, as if she didn't really know. "That you and Velvet adopted me." She let out an actual, genuine tear. "Did you not think I could handle that when I was older?"

"We didn't want you to become unsettled," Night Light yelled, knowing it was terrible justification, but the best he could come up with on a dime.

"I think you failed in that regard," Twilight said again in a casual tone, firing off another stun spell at Night Light's cover, a turned over table.

"I'm sorry, and so is your mother!"

"Do you really think a pitiful sorry will save you now," she continued to say in a casual tone. "I'm not Celestia, Night Light. It takes more than a 'sorry' to stop me from getting justice," she said, firing off a shot that hit Night Light's cover, hitting him, causing him to nearly yell in pain. "I know you were once a guard, but that training is useless against an alicorn, especially if said alicorn is the Element of Magic.

Night Light's wound was bleeding, not fatally, but enough to make him a little light headed. Damn it, must have been a bleeding spell that hit me. He heard a small pop from behind him, but didn't dare look. Once five minutes had passed, he looked around the cover, thinking it a wonder he was still conscious. What he saw as he looked around his cover was his wife standing in front of Twilight, her face blank, while Twilight's had a winning smirk on her face.

"Oh, is some pony gwumpy," she said in a babyish voice, even with a lip quiver at the end, seeing Night Light's angered expression.

"Let her go," Night Light growled.

"Why?" he heard a voice whisper in an almost seductive way behind him. He turned, and was met with the face of Twilight, a grin n her face, her horn lit. He backed away from her, but was unable to dodge the beam of magic, nor was he able to teleport out of the way. The spell hit him in the head, just at the base of his horn. It also healed his wound. "Now, bow to your Empress," she said.

"Yes, my Empress," Velvet and Night Light said in a blank tone in unison as they bowed. "We are ready to serve."

"Good. Tomorrow at noon, you are to bring how ever many nobles you can here, including Deep Pocket, Fancy Pants, and Fleur De Lis. Am I clear on that order?"

"Yes, Empress."

"Good. Until I say other wise, you are to do you current objective, acting as normally as possible, understood?"

"Yes, Empress,"

Twilight smiled. "Good. Now rise, and carry out your assignment," she said as he made her way to the door.

Canterlot Castle- a few minutes later

As Twilight approached the gates, she saw Nightmare, in her Luna guise, coming towards her.

"Hello, Twilight. How was the visit with your parents?"

"Well, Nightmare, as it turns out, I'm adopted, and they didn't think to tell me until I put them under the spell."

"Really?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I gave them the assignment of getting as many nobles as possible at their house tomorrow so I can put them under it."

"A smart plan, Twilight," Nightmare said as they passed the gates. "Such terrible security," she commented. "Anypony could walk in with a concealed weapon or vial of poison, and the guards wouldn't know until it's too late."

"Something to address once we take over," Twilight said. "And just how is our next potential ally?"

Right now, she's in the dining room, as is Celestia. Why?"

"I was thinking we do something similar to what we did with Rarity to recruit Cadence."

"That might work," Nightmare said. "Tonight, then?"

"Yep. Now, can you distract Celestia so I can get into her personal library?"

"I can try. It should be somewhere in her room."

"Right. Thanks, Nightmare."

"It is of no problem, Twilight. Any thing that could lead to Celestia's downfall," Nightmare said as they entered the castle proper and she made her way to the dining room, while Twilight made her way to Celestia's room. Before they went their separate ways, though, Twilight cast a spell that allowed for them to communicate mentally.

It took her about ten minutes to make her way to Celestia's room. The sad part, or, rather, parts? There were no guards, and the door was unlocked. (read that last sentence in a deadpan tone if you didn't to start for the tone.) She opened the door and entered her former mentors room, as Nightmare had been in conversation with Celestia and Cadence for the past three minutes, and no warning had been given.

She cast a very high order detection spell, and it revealed to her a secret passage in the bookshelves. Talk about cliched, Twilight thought as she used another spell to open it. The passage was well lit, and led further into the castle. She entered it, and the bookshelf closed behind her. "Well, let's hope I can teleport myself out of here," she said to herself as she followed the passage.

She walked for another ten minutes before she saw a wall of light. "Finally," she said, and ran to the wall. When she met it, she stepped through it, and was met with the sight of the largest library she had ever seen. One thing stood out, though, and that was two leather bound journals, one with Celestia's cutie mark on it, while the other had Luna's.

Don't you dare read that one, Nightmare said. I may not be Luna, but not even I would break her privacy. I can't, as she's still in my mind!

Wait, what?

Oh. I forgot to say that, didn't I?

Yes, yes you did. Twilight sighed. How long?

Two days.

You didn't want to say anything why?

Because it's not an issue.

I'll see what I can do later. Twilight sighed again, and went to the journal with Celestia's cutie mark on it. Amazingly, there were no protection spells on it, so she just grabbed it in her magic, laid down, and began to read.

I fear I have made a grave mistake. Today, I had accidentally allowed a noble access to the entire royal treasury. Fortunately, it was stopped before any thing major could occur. I must be more careful about the nobles, or they'll ruin us. Needless to say, this one was interesting, and only reinforced Twilight to want to remove all of the snooty, non-loyal nobles, and give their wealth to ponies that actually deserved it. She flipped a few pages ahead and read some more.

Today is the five-hundredth anniversary of my sisters defeat, and still, ponies don't know the truth, regardless of the amount of times I've tried to tell them the truth, they don't seem to listen. Skip ahead a few pages. Now that I look back on it, nearly six hundred years later, I can now see why my little ponies see my victory as a victory. I, singlehoofedly, prevented a monster from destroying Equestria, a feat none have done before.

"That answers the question where she started to see it as a victory," Twilight mumbled. She continued to read, not finding anything useful. That is, not until the second to last and last page.

Second to last: Today is a glorious day for Equestria, as it now has a new princess. I can only hope that Cadence is up for it, as she didn't seem interested in it, nor was she good, but that's somepony just starting out. One thing has me worried, and that's her lineage, and what might happen if she discovers the truth. Before her ascension, she was a pegasus with the ability to somewhat control love, much like the changelings. I decided to research her background, both with legal means and gray area magical means, and, to my horror, discovered that she is half changeling, having gained part of a changelings ability to control love, and, if what her caretakers said are true, an appetite for meat. Should she find out, I fear for my subjects. Twilight's jaw dropped, and she could sense Nightmare mentally doing the same, and another presence that must have been Luna do so as well. Well. That's intriguing, Nightmare said. Care to make a comment, Luna?

Is anypony just as surprised as I am? was all Luna, and the fact she still existed in some capacity amazed Twilight, could say. That was nothing compared to the last page.

Last page: As I said earlier, my sisters daughter, Galaxy Star, was one of her most loyal supporters during her uprising. One thing I forgot to write down, though, is that, instead of killing or banishing her, I used my magic to convert her into a magical essence, one not awake, but still has it's powers and memories. In order to contain it, I had to put it inside the body and mind of many a foal and filly over the past near millennium in order to ensure she did not awaken and cause another revolution. If anypony else is reading this, then you're most likely wondering why I write this. Put simply, it's because I have encountered the latest filly I put my niece's essence into, and it is one close to my heart. I knew I shouldn't have, but, at the time, she was the only one who could survive holding Galaxy. This filly was my daughter, who is a secret only I know of. I put her on the doorsteps of a random family, and had hoped I wouldn't see her again, for fear Galaxy would awaken. I have met my daughter again today. It's funny, really. I was taking my daily walk around the castle grounds and the school when I saw a dragon head crash through a ceiling. I went to see what was going on, and what I saw both warmed my heart and froze it with fear. I calmed the filly down, even pointed out her cutie mark, the same as the third symbol on the Tree of Harmony. I asked her what her name was an hour later , after she had become my official, personal Student. Her name was Twilight Sparkle. The power she had then was her tapping into Galaxy's power. I fear what will happen should she awaken. The physical jaw of Twilight, as well as the mental jaws of Nightmare and Luna, all dropped.

Corrupted Love

It's been a few minutes, and Twilight was still trying to process what she was reading. "Uhhhhhh," was the most intelligent thing she could say. I'm not sure what's worse: That I'm Celestia's daughter, Cadence is part changeling, or that Galaxy is my cousin and is quite literally in my head.

I'm going with the last one, Nightmare said over the mental link, though that may be a little biased.

I'm going with the first, Luna said, even if she was sealed in Nightmare's body and was only a second personality at the moment. She could have told you, and me, after you, well, became a princess. I'm beginning to think I should side with you all now, though that's still uncertain.

I'm actually leaning towards the Cadence angle. I can see her wanting to keep it a secret before the wedding, but after, she should ay least know one of her parents was one, Twilight said. On the bright side, we could use this to recruit her.

Possibly, Nightmare said. I would recommend you get out now. I do not know how much longer I can stall Celestia.

Right, Twilight replied as she made a duplicate of the book, an exact one, mind you, and placed it where the original was, and, with the original in her grasp, teleported to her room.

. . .

Twilight appeared in her room in a flash of light. She looked around to see if there was anypony in there for some reason, and was relieved when she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, she hid the journal in her covers, and went to get Rarity and Chrysalis. She exited her room, and bumped into Rainbow. "Oh, hey, Rainbow," she said.

Glaring with suspicion, Rainbow said, "Hey, Twi. What've you been up to?"

"Oh, not much. I visited my parents earlier, then I went to the archives to get some books, and I felt like teleporting to my room so that I could get the books set up."

"Oh. Where're you going?"

"Just to see if Rarity's done with a secret project, and no, Dash, you can't see it until it's done," Twilight said. You'd try to stop it, anyway, she thought.

Grumbling, Rainbow said, "Why would I want to see something Rarity made. I mean, she's a good friend, but she's a little hung up on fashion."

"Not any more," Twilight whispered to herself, though Rainbow could hear, but pretended not to, and it only made her more suspicious. "So, what are you up to?"

"Just going to practice some new tricks I came up with," Rainbow said before thinking, Or at least, I was. Somethings going on. I htink Princess Celestia needs to know. "Well, see ya later, Twi," Rainbow said, turning in the direction to the gardens, which, fortunately, had a route to the throne room as well.

As Rainbow left, Twilight was starting to fear if Rainbow suspected what was going on. Definitely going to be a problem, she thought as she went to knock on Rarity's door.

A few moments after she knocked, the door opened to reveal Rarity. "Oh, hello, Twilight. What can I do for you?"

"There's something I need to show you, but first, do you know where she is. You know, the guard?" she asked in reference to Chrysalis.

"Oh, her?" Rarity said. "Yes. She's in here, actually," the white unicorn said, moving aside to reveal Chrysalis in her guard form.

"Hello, Twilight," she said, coming to the door. "What is it you wish to tell us?"

"Well, um, that's best talked about in my room, as that already has privacy spells active on it."

"Then what are we waiting for," Rarity said, stepping out of her room. "Let's go." Chrysalis followed her, and the three of them went to Twilight's room. Little did they know, Rainbow was watching them from behind a corner. Just before they closed the door, though, she saw Luna/Nightmare teleport and enter the room. Now she knew something was going on, what with how Twilight had been acting before, as well as the fact only that she, Rarity, Luna, and that Guard were in the room. There were other stuff she had noticed, too, though pretended she didn't. The first was that Twilight's eyes seemed to take on a greenish color, though it was faint. A second thing was that Applejack and Fluttershy bowed slightly when ever Twilight entered a room, or when she asked them to do something, which they hadn't done before. Finally was the fact that, whenever Celestia's name was mentioned, Twilight seemed to get angry for some reason.

Gotta let the princess know she thought as she flew off in the direction of the throne room.

Meanwhile, the four Eclipses were in Twilight's room, two of them waiting to find out what she wanted to show them, the other one knowing what their ally wished to share. "So, what do you want to share with us, Twilight?" Rarity asked.

Twilight brought the journal out from under her sheets and gave it to Rarity and Chrysalis. "Second to last and last pages," she said, and waited until they were done reading, and it was obvious when they were done, as their jaws were on the floor.

"I have no words for my surprise aside from, 'wow'" Rarity said. "Just, wow."

"Agreed," Chrysalis said. The changeling queen then faced Twilight. Do you have anyway of separating Galaxy Star from yourself?"

Just before Twilight could respond, the book she had brought with her from her castle began to vibrate. She took it in her magic and opened. "I do now," she said as she put the book down and cast the spell. As the spell did it's work, the three observers saw a light teal cloud seep out of Twilight's ear and come together on her bed. As the last of the cloud reached the bed, it began to take on a shape. It's form became a pony with a teal coat with a horn and wings. In build, it looked like a mix between Nightmare, her mother, and Twilight, her former host. From what they could see, the alicorn was just as tall as Twilight. Nightmare began to tear up.

"Oh, my daughter, I thought I would never see you again," she sobbed, walking over to her daughter, removing her Luna disguise, and placed a gentle, caring hoof on her daughters face. The others saw her cutie mark, which was a spiral galaxy. Galaxy Star was asleep, to be expected, but her removal from Twilight's body would eventually weaken the sleeping spell Celestia had cast, and she would wake.

Fortunately, though, Nightmare knew of a spell to hasten the awakening of her beloved daughter. She closed her eyes and lit her horn, a small glow encompassing both her horn and her daughters body. After a few seconds, the glow faded, and the light teal alicorn opened her eyes, slowly, mostly due to her getting over the sleep she had just awoken from.

She looked around the room, and her eyes froze on Nightmare. M-mom," she said weakly.

"Yes, Galaxy," Nightmare said, "mom's here. I missed you so much." Nightmare then pulled Galaxy into a much needed hug, which the smaller alicorn returned, though weakly.

"It's been a thousand years, hasn't it," Galaxy said, strength returning to her voice. "Has Celestia been overthrown yet?"

"Unfortunately, my bright Galaxy, no, but that is what we are working towards."

"'We,'" she asked.

"Yes," Nightmare responded. "Me, and the others in this room," she said, gesturing to the others, Rarity in her Nightmare form and Chrysalis in her true form, "are working to overthrow Celestia."

Twilight stepped fore ward, saying, "Uh, hi."

"Hello," Galaxy said.

"Uh, wow this is awkward. My name's Twilight Sparkle, and, well, I'm your cousin."

"One of Celestia's children rebelling against her," Galaxy said, her eyebrow raised. "It's about time."

"What do you mean," Rarity asked.

"Simple. Most of the ponies Celestia put me in were her children, as only ponies that were either half alicorn or a very talented, pure-blooded unicorn would be able to contain me with out dying, and the latter is extremely rare, and my cursed aunt was the only alicorn for most of the thousand years my mother was gone." Galaxy shrugged. "Simple deduction, really." She then looked at Rarity.

"From your appearance, I'd guess that you're a unicorn my mother once possessed, and can switch between that form and your original form." Rarity nodded, amazed that she guessed all that, as the new alicorn turned to Chrysalis.

"Hm. A changeling, a queen, no less. Given she's allied with you, mother, I'd say she's done something to get on Celestia's bad side, as well as quite a large part of the populace?"

"I tried to invade and take over Canterlot," Chrysalis said in a deadpan tone.

"Really? Impressive, even if it didn't work."

With a small bow, Chrysalis said, "Thank you."

"You sure analytical, aren't you," Rarity asked with a slight hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yes, and before you say anything, the irony is not lost on me at all that Twilight, my last host, is like that. That's how I was before Celestia sealed me away."

"Well, that saved a lot of time, didn't it?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, it did," Galaxy said. "I think it goes with out saying that I'm a part of this alliance now, so what's our next move?"

"Tonight, we, hopefully, bring Cadence, my old foalsitter, and current princess of love and ruler of the Crystal Empire, into the alliance," Twilight said with a smile.

"Let me guess: Dreamwalk?"

"Yes," Rarity said.

"Then I'd like to offer my assistance. Three dram walkers will be hard for an alicorn to defeat in their dreams, should it come to combat."

"Galaxy, are you sure you're strong enough for that," Nightmare asked, concern obvious in her voice.

"Yes, I'm sure, mother. I may have just woken up, but we both know I've been a Dream walker whose skill is second only to you."

Sighing, as her daughter was right, Nightmare said, "Then tonight, we will bring another pony into our alliance."

Meanwhile-throne room

Celestia was in the middle of paper work when the doors flung open, revealing Rainbow Dash, taking quick breaths, indicating that she had come here at great speed.

"Rainbow Dash, what's wrong?" Celestia asked, waiting for Rainbow to catch her breath.

After a minute to catch her breath, Rainbow said, "Princess, I need to tell you something, preferably in private. It has to do with Twilight."

Celestia's eyes widened. "Guards, leave us," Celestia ordered. Her guards left the room, and she sealed the throne room door behind them. "Mow, Rainbow, what do you think is wrong with Twilight?"

"I don't think something's wrong with her, I think she is the something!"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, not exactly, but she's been acting weird for the past few weeks, maybe a week and a half. She's bene staying up for entire nights, not studying, and I know, because I ask what she's been reading, and she always responds, 'nothing,' which is something Twilight wouldn't do. Stay up late without a reason I mean, and I know she isn't just downplaying anything, because I had her PINKIE promise that she was telling the truth, and that was after this started.

"In addition to that, Applejack and Fluttershy bow to her, slightly, so that ponies wouldn't notice, but I see her grin slightly when that happens, and it always happens when she asks them for something, or when she walks into the same room. I know what you're thinking, Princess, that it isn't concrete, but there's something else. Twilight's eyes, the whites of them, they're tinted the same green as dark magic."

"Rainbow, what are you saying?"

"In all honesty, I'm not certain myself, but I think Twilight's planning something, and it involves dark magic. Plus, she completely went against being what a princess of friendship entails."

"How so?"

"In short? She called me stupid, insulted my life dream, thinks I'm an attention hog. She even said I was trespassing on a castle that has my cutie mark on a throne, and even threatened to send me to prison. Don't believe me, take a look at my memories!" Rainbow was so worked up, she didn't even care if what she said could be considered an order.

Celestia did so, and was surprised at what she found, and that everything Rainbow had said was there. "You're right. This is dire indeed."

"What do we do?"

"There is only one thing we can do," Celestia said, rising to her full height. "Rainbow Dash, kneel." Rainbow did so, a little scared of what was going on, but, at the same time, curious. "Do you, Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, hereby swear to protect Equestria and her allies, her princess, and her citizens, at any cost, even should said cost be your life?"

"I do," Rainbow said, a little giddy.

"Do you hereby swear loyalty to the crown of Equestria, to serve only it and it alone?"

"I do."

Celestia's horn lit. "Do you swear to report ant and all possible hostile activity to the crown?"

"I do."

"Do you swear to fight, and kill, if needed, in order to protect Harmony, and to stand as a beacon for the common pony, one to look up to, should your exploits become public?"

Rainbow hesitated here. She had a good idea of what was happening, as Twilight had told her only once, and in a whispered voice, that there were a group of ponies that answered directly to the princess, ones who went after any who used dark magic. It wasn't that she wouldn't see her friends, she still went on her normal life for the most part if what Twilight said was true, but rather she may have to kill, and, at this point, kill one of her closest friends. She then remembered her Element, and that she was loyal to Twilight, yes.

But she was also loyal to Celestia, and, by extension, Equestria.

"I do," she said as Celestia's magic enveloped her in an orb of yellow light.

When it faded, she felt different, but her thoughts were interrupted as Celestia said, "Then rise, Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, descendant of Commander Hurricane, protector of Equestria. Rise, and take your place among the Solar Knights!"

Rainbow rose from her knees, and, as she rose, she knew what the new feeling was. As she rose, she felt the air brush against her horn, and her wings spread out.

Rainbow was now an alicorn.(1)

"Whoa," was all she said.

"I know this is sudden," Celestia said to the former pegasus, "but it's the only way for you even have a chance against dark magic."

"It's alright, Princess," Rainbow said, bowing. "I understand that it's the only way I would stand a chance against Twilight if she has been taken over by dark magic, though I think I'll need a teacher to help me learn."

"Then you are in luck, as the last Knight before you has just been sent out, and I have an opening for a new student.

"But, princess-"

"No 'buts' Rainbow. You are now my student, and you'll need as much time as possible to learn combat spells, You won't be able to return for Ponyville for some time, but I believe that might be for the best."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Rainbow said.

"And you're fist lesson is a basic illusion spell to hide your horn." Celestia then showed Rainbow how to create the illusion of her pegasus body, which was a simple spell that Rainbow literally mastered to the degree she needed in ten seconds flat. She disguised her horn, and Celestia then said, "You'll be staying in the Knight tower until your training's done, Knight Dash. You are not to tell anypony else about this unless they say the words, "Olly Olly Oxen Free."(2)

"Of course, You're Highness," Rainbow said as she bowed yet again.

That Night- Cadence's mind scape

Caadence was having a lovely dream. She was back in the Crystal Empire with her husband, Shining Armor, and everything was perfect. No nobles had complaints, ponies were happy, and the Empire was protected from any and all threats by the Crystal Heart.

She was bored to death. Just once, she wished that her dreams would be exciting, but they were always like this.

Imagine her surprise when Nightmare Moon, Rarity, in nightmare form, and Galaxy Star, who she didn't know, appeared. To their surprise, she didn't panic.

"Uh, why aren't you panicking?" Rarity asked.

"Oh, hey Rarity. It's because this dream is extremely boring, and just having a talk with you two, and who ever the filly is, would be the most interesting thing for my dreams in weeks," Cadence said in a bored tone.

"You seriously aren't afraid of us? Galaxy said in disbelief.

"Why should I be? You're just figments of my imagination."

"Right," Nightmare said. "Well, we came to tell you to go to Twilight's room."

"Why?" the alicorn of love said.

"How should we know, aside from you really wanting to see her. We are just a part of your subconscious, after all," Galaxy said.

"Fair point," Cadence said. She then woke up. "Better go to Twily's room, then."

She got up, put on her regalia, fixed her hair with magic, and brushed her teeth, then went to Twilight's room, a process that took about ten minutes.

She knocked on the doors, and was surprised when she heard Twilight say, "Coming," as soon as the first knock sounded. "Oh, hey, Cadence. What brings you here?"

"I can't visit my favorite filly when I want," Cadence said. The two then did their traditional greeting.

After that, as well as a laugh, Twilight said, "Uh, Cadence, there's something I need to show you." She then brought out the journal, which was disguised as a normal book. "Last and second to last pages are the ones that have what I want to show you."

Cadence looked a little skeptical, but read said pages anyway, and her jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she read the pages. Twilight, how did you get this book?"

"Do you pinkie promise not to tell anypony?" Twilight asked nervously.

Cadence rolled her eyes. "Yes I pinkie promise," she said, doing the motions. "Now, where and how did you get this book?"

"Oh it isn't a book, it's a journal." She then added in a whisper just loud enough for Cadence to hear, "Celestia's personal journal, from her personal library, which I sneaked into."

"YOU WHAT?! I'M TELLING CELESTIA," Cadence yelled before Pinkie popped out of her mane with a scroll in her hooves.

"Sorry, Cadence, but doing so would be breaking the pinkie promise, and that would mean I have to kidnap you and recondition, for lack of a more pleasant word, you to not do so again, as well as talk to the author to adjust the story to where you didn't break it. Not that it wouldn't make the story exciting, but the little plot twist earlier and in the last chapter already did that, and his other story still has a lot of plot twists, so I doubt he'd want to add any thing else other than what he has planned." The pink pony then disappeared to another story to mess with another author, though the two alicorns didn't know this.

"I think I'll keep it a secret," Cadence eventually said with surprise on her face. "And probably not think on what she meant."

"Me too," Twilight said, the same expression on her face. "There's actually something else I want to show you. It's in my room, actually."

"What is it," Cadence asked, rolling her eyes as she moved to Twilight's bedroom. She walked in, with Twilight closing the door behind them, and felt her jaw nearly hit the floor as she saw Nightmare Moon, Rarity, in Nightmare form, Galaxy Star, and Chrysalis. "I know I should be panicking, but the journal has removed my capability for logical thought right now." She took a deep breath and said, "Can you at tell me what it is that caused all of you to be here, and who she is," she said pointing to Galaxy Star, "though I assume that's my cousin, Galaxy Star."

"You'd be right," Twilight said as she went to stand next to Nightmare. "As for why we're all here, we're here to overthrow Celestia and recruit others, including you."

"Why would I join with you, aside from the fact I'm part changeling?"

"For one," Nightmare said, "did she ever actually help you when you needed it, like the Empire?"

"She sent Twilight."

"Who was a unicorn at the time," Galaxy said. "And we both know an alicorn that was at full power had a better chance of defeating him then any unicorn."

"Plus, she isn't the best ruler," Chrysalis said. "I f it hadn't been for Twilight, nopony would have found you. If it were me, I would have had patrols there already, but she didn't. If so, it could have prevented the entire wedding fiasco."

"And she kept your heritage a secret from you, something you need to know, and should have known," Rarity said.

"Plus, if it hadn't been for her caring more about herself a thousand years ago, Nightmare wouldn't have happened.," Twilight said. "The way I see it, everything bad that's happened in the past thousand years is her fault somehow. Need I point out Tirek."

"And I think she somehow corrupted the Element of Generosity," Rarity said. "Has anypony else noticed how greedy I was before I had some sense knocked into me a few days ago."

"Yes," all of them but Chrysalis and Galaxy answered, and both of them because they didn't know her well enough.

"My point exactly."

"I suppose your right," Cadence said. "All right, I'm in."

Training- Pt 1

There was scilence as Twilight and her allies proccessed what Cadence just said. "Is anypony else surprised at how easy this was?" the lavender alicorn said. The others just nodded in agreement.

"Why is that surprising," Cadence said. "She hid my meirtage from me, sent help that might not have worked with the Empire, didn't even try to humor Twilight during the wedding, which was kind f stupid, as Twilight was one of the only ponies there who knew how I behaved, especially under stress, and, to top it off, instead of putting all alicorn magic in ordinary gemstones, decided to put all of it in Twilight, and we all know how that ended, right?"

"She does bring up good points, along with what you brought up, Twilight," Galaxy said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Twilight said. "In that case, Cadence," she said, holding out a hoof to shake, "welcome to the Eclpise."

Cadence took Twilight's hoof in her own, and they shook, the pink alicorn saying, "So, what's next?"

It was Chrysalis who spoke up. "We wait until midday, then go to Twilight's house to bring more nobles into our empire. We actually already have her parents in."

Cadence raised an eyebrow. "Really. When was this, and, more importantly, how? I thought they would have been loyal to Celestia."

Twilight's eyes narrowed a little, but not by a noticeable amount. "It was just after the summit ended earlier. As for how," she said, her horn lighting. "Well, you're a little curious, aren't you, not even trying to be subtle this early in your time for the questioning. Nt eve Rarity tok this quickly, and it took even me a while to decide to, and you always pegged me as a pony who would fight for Celestia, not against her. Really makes me think you're still loyal to the bitch," she said calmly, as if it was a normal conversation. "So, you really want to know how I brought them to our side?"

"Y-Yes," Cadence said nervously, fear on her face.

Twilight smiled. "Good," she said. She then fired the loyalty spell at Cadence, and it hit it's mark, though Twilight's allies were shocked at the fact she fired on Cadence.

Cadence, after recovering from the shot, looked around the room, knelt, and said, "Hail, Empress Twilight and the Eclipse."

"Good," Twilight said. "Now, what were you planning on doing with the information I gave you, as well as the knowledge you have of us?"

"I would have taken it to Celestia, my Empress, and would have told her that you had to be imprisoned, your allies hunted, and for those affected by your magic to be imprisoned as well, to ensure what I once thought was the safety of the country."

"And now?"

"Nothing, but keep it a secret," Cadence said, still kneeling. "I would still wish to be one of those at yor side during the conquest, if you and my other Empresses will allow it."

Twilight smiled again, and looked at each of her allies, who gave a nod. "You may," Twilight said as she faced Cadence again. "From this point on, you will be a member of the Eclipse leadership. As such, you are no longer required to call any of us 'Empress,' nor are you required to kneel for any of us. In fact, you are to treat us as equals, as we will you. That also means you'll be allowed at our war meetings. Is that clear, Cadence?"

Cadence rose, and gave a smile. "Yes it is, Twilight."

Solar Spire

Celestia was giving Rainbow the last part of her tour, which included all of the castle, as those in in Solar Knights were allowed just about everywhere in the castle. Actually, anywhere, so long as they had the Princess' seal on them somewhere, usually on an otherwise blank piece of paper.

The solar alicorn and her Knight made their way to a yellow door at the top of the spire they were at. Celestia opened it, and showed Rainbow inside. This is where you'll be staying, Knight Dash, during your training here in Canterlot."

"Wow," was all Rainbow could say. The room, on the inside, was almot exactly like her room back at her cloud house, only larger. And it had multiple signed pictures of the Wonderbolts. "Your Highness, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I like the room, I really do, but what if Twilight guts suspicious about the reason I'm here. She'd jut need to check newspapers to see if the wonderbolts are here, and last I checked, they aren't here."

Celestia brought a hoof to her mouth to surpress a giggle. "Maybe you should look at more then just newspapers, then, Rainbow," she said as two pairs of hoofsteps could be heard.

As the two ponies came closer, Rainbow could see the slihouette of two taller than normal unicorns, but with the body build of a pegasus. Celestia stepped aside as they came into Rainbows visual range, and her jaw dropped.

Standing there, with horns and wings, were Spitfre and Soarin from the Wonderbolts.(1)

"You asked for us, Ma'am," Spitfire said as she and Soarin saluted Celestia.

"Indeed I did. I wished for you two to be here to help with the new recruits cover from her friends," Celestia said as she gestured to Rainbow.

The two followed the white hoof, and Spitfire raised her eyebrow. "So, the one who broke so many academy records is the new recruit, eh. Can't say I'm surprised. She always did have that spark a Knight has."

"Precisely," Celestia said. "And I want the two of you to assist in her flight combat training as well."

"Of course, Your Highness," Spitfire and Soarin said, saluting.

"Good. That will begin tomorrow. Until then, I simply wish for the three of you to socialize."

The three former pegasai saluted and said, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Then I shall see you all tomorrow at noon," Celestia said before walking away, going to her personal quarters.

Once she was gone, Rainbow initiated conversation by saying, "So, um, when did you two become, well, Knights?"

"A few weeks ago after we helped the royal guard at Manehattan with a few problematic griffons that were holding a restaurant hostage for some reason," Spitfire said.

"What about you, Rainbow," Soarin said. "How'd you become a Knight?"

"I kinda brought a conspiracy to the Princess regarding Twilight being controlled by dark magic and planning to overthrow her," Rainbow said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head with a small, embaressed smile on her face.

"Well, let's hope that the princess and the rest of the Knights, as well as us, can defeat that, because if not, then we can kiss peaceful rule goodbye," Spitfire said with a confident smirk.

"I hear that," Soarin said cheerfully, which earned an eye roll from the yellow alicorn.

"Soarin, how many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't act like that when we're talking about dark magic?"

"What? I'm just saying. We have Princess Luna and Princess Cadence on our side as well. I don't think even Princess Twilight would be able to defeat them and the best of the Solar Knights."

"Actually," Rainbow said, "I saw Princess Luna enter Twilight's room just before I went to the Princess, so it might be harder than what you think, Soarin."

"Of course it wouldn't be that easy," Soarin grumbled. "Why would it ever be that easy?"

"Oh, stop complaining, Soarin. You know that shit's never easy for the good guys in Equestria. Remember Tirek," Spitfire said in a taunting tone.

"Yeah, yeah, I see your point," Soarin said, "but we deserve an easy villain, given how often we're attacked."

"He does have a good point," Rainbow said. "With how often we're attacked, we deserve an easy-to-defeat villain for once, even if the one after may very well destroy Equis, even though we stop them at the last minute with some kind of Deus Ex Machina. Did I just say that, by which, did I just use egghead words?"

"Yes you did, Dash," Spitfire said. "Looks like your ascension resulted in you getting a higher IQ and better vocabulary."

"Great," Rainbow said sarcastically. "I'm turning into a full fledged egghead."

"Actually, Dash, you'd need to do a ton of studying to become a full Knight, so you're going to be an egghead at the end of this," Soarin said.

"In other words," Spitfire added, "stop complaining, Knight, and suck it up. Every Knight has to go through the same thing. Me and Soarin are still working on becoming full Knights, having only gone through the flight portion of the learning portion, and that's only because we were pegasai before."

"Right," Rainbow said, still a little apprehensive about becoming what she considered an egghead, even if she was wrong about stuff like reading before.

The next day-House hold of the Sparkle family; Near noon

The house hold that Twilight had been raised in now saw the most amount of visitors since Twilight's coronation. Included in the visitor count was Fancy Pants, his wife, Fleur De Lis, Deep Pockets, an old family friend, and Steel Sword, one of the higher ranking members of the guard, and a friend of Night Light's.

"So," Steel said to Pocket, "why do you think they asked for us?"

"No idea, but it must be important, seeing as how Fancy and his wife are here," Pocket responded.

"True," Steel said. "Personally, I think it has to do with their daughter. Celestia, and all of the guard, know she doesn't have a special somepony, and some don't even know her orientation."

"Really?"

"Yeah. In all fairness, though, she isn't exactly the most social pony out there, even if she is the princess of friendship. I mean, she blew off the party for one of her friends, Moondancer, my sister, due to a theory, which could have waited an hour or two, in my opinion, as Nightmare's return wasn't until the next morning, and the party was in the morning. I should know; I helped plan it."

"Then let's be glad Nightmare Moon had only two comings," Pocket said, only to be proven wrong by the universe a few minutes later.

Night Light and Twilight Velvet walked to the front of the crowd and got it's attention with, of all things, an air horn. This also distracted the crowd as a faint shimmer like sound came from the doors and windows with a light blue aura.

Once the air horn stopped, Night Light said, "Thank you for coming, everypony. Me and my wife knew it was on short notice."

"Now," Velvet continued, "I imagine you're all wondering why we asked for you." A few nods from the small crowd. "Well, that isn't for us to say." This got a few surprised faces from the crowd.

"What do you mean, Velvet," Fancy Pants asked.

"What she means," a female voice none in the crowd recognized said just before a light blue flash appeared in front of the two owners of the house. When it faded, six mares stood in front of the crowd, four of which were recognized instantly.

"IT'S CHRYSALIS/NIGHTMARE MOON!" was the main yell, though quite a few, including Fancy, Fleur, Steel, and Pocket had their eyes drawn by the two princesses.

"SILENCE!!" Galaxy yelled, lighting her horn and casting a silence spell on the crowd, though it was modified to affect only those that were yelling. "YOU WILL LISTEN TO YOUR NEW RULERS!!"

This got literal silent protests from many, but it was Fancy, who could still speak, who voiced them. "Why would we willingly folow two ponies, or, rather, one pony and one changeling, to be technical, who tried to overthrow Princess Celestia, as well as one pony we don't know. Princess Twilight is a ruler already, and I would follow her, but how can we be certain you aren't controlling her?"

A few of the silent ponies were surprised at the last part of the sentence, but couldn't protest. Those who could speak just stood there, surprise on their faces as well.

Twilight spoke up. "Because, Fancy Pants, it was I who brought Nightmare back, and the one who proposed every thing we're doing. If anypony has reason to want to overthrow Celestia, it's me. She sent me on increasingly dangerous adventures, forcefully made me a princess, not even asking if I wished to be one, and it was I who was forced to carry Galaxy Star in my mind." She gestured to Galaxy. "Celestia didn't even tell Princess Luna, or Princess Nightmare, as it is now, that Galaxy, her daughter, was alive. As another thing a good ruler should have done, but Celestia didn't, was tell me, Twilight Sparkle, that I was her daughter!" She summoned Celestia's journal from her room, and passed it to Fancy. "If you require proof, read the final page."

Fancy did so, and his eyes widened. "What is it, my love," Fleur asked in a prench accent.(2) Fancy passed the journal to her and the others in silence.

"I knew she was adopted," Pockets said as he finished reading the page, "but even I'm surpirsed at this."

"So," Cadence said, "are you with us?"

For the most part, the ponies that couldn't speak nodded, though it was mostly out of fear, as those that didn't were shot through the head with a precise, directed magic beam from one of the alicorns, killing them.

"Well, before I make my decision," Pockets said, earning glares from the Eclipse leaders and looks of fear from those silent, "what do you plan on doing to Shining Armor, Twilight? He's still your brother by law, if not by spirit."

"He'll survive," Twilight said. "He is Cadence's husband, after all. If he fights back, then he will be severly injured, but not killed."

"I suppose that's what I'll gave to accept, Pockets said as he bowed, "my Empress."

Twilight smiled at this, though it was a small smile. "What of you, Steel? You're a royal guard, but I have heard you say quite a few times when we were kids that you wished a new ruler would take Celestia's place, if only temporarily."

"As long as you don't harm my family," he said, "you have my loyalty, but you'll need to earn enough of my respect for a bow."

"No need for that, Steel," Twilight said. "You'll be one of my personal guards," she said, lightning her horn. "All you need is for an armor spell to be cast on you."

Twilight then fired the loyalty spell, which hit Steel in the head, and jumped from him to a few other nobles, which didn't include Deep Pockets, causing them all to bow, and those that could speak say, "What is your command, my Empress?"

"Nothing, at the moment," Twilight said. "Just stay where you are, and ensure none leave this room with out permission from me or my allies."

"Yes, Empress," was the reply.

"No need to fear, Fancy, Fleur. That just affected those that were lying about being loyal. It looks at brainwaves, and goes after those that are similar to the original targets at the time of impact," Twilight said, turning to the last two nobles. "Are with us, or not? I won't kill you if you decide not to, I'll just cast a memory spell on you that will erase your memories of what happened here."

"Well, were you telling the truth, about what you'd do with Shining Armor and Steel's family?"

"Yes. I wouldn't lie to somepony's face about family, unless I was sparing them pain, and Shining, though he's Night Light's son, is the son that Pockets never had, and I wouldn't lie to him about that."

"In that case," Fancy said, an eyebrow raised, "what do you plan on doing to your mother?"

Canterlot Castle Gardens- Meanwhile

"Achoo," Celestia sneezed as she oversaw Rainbow's combat flight training. Hm. Must be pollen, she thought to herself.

Spitfire and Soarin were teaching Rainbow basic combat manuevers, which she got under her wings quickly. The one they were teaching her now alos included a bit of unicorn magic, using it to be able to turn at ninety dgree angles with out any ill effects. Makes for good evaison techniques.

"Come on, Rainbow!" Spitfire shouted. "Faster, faster. Ponies using dark magic won't wait for you to turn. If you stand still, they will mess up your shit before you can know it!"

Rainbow didn't retort verbally, much as she wanted, and only tried harder to perfect the technique. The initiation into the Knights had changed her demanor some what, which led to her not being a wise plot, even if she wouldn't be when talking to her idols and the Princess.

Just as Rainbow tried it again, Celestia remembered what had happened last night. She had gone to her chambers and entered her personal library, only to find out that her journal was missing. Given what Rainbow had said, she had an idea of who took it, but didn't want to believe that it was Twilight who took it.

What if she finds out about Cadence, or that I'm her mother, she thought to herself, looking down at the ground. The most I can hope for, I guess, is that the knowlege deters her from the path Rainbow Dash and I believe she is on. After a second, she added, Which, hopefully, she is not.

Sparkle residence

Twilight honestly had no answer. Fancy had just asked what she was going to do to Celestia, and she had no answer. "Honestly," she said, "I don't know. Before I found out, I was thinking of killing her, but she is my mother, and I can se eher reasons, so I'm not so certain right now. Is that enough of an answer?"

"For me, yes, but I want to see what my wife, Fleur will decide before I make my descision," Fancy said, looking to his wife.

"Well, I suppose there are worse and less qualified ponies ot take the throne, and with less reason," Fleur said, "so I'm with her, but only if she doesn't kill anymore unless it's neccesary." She glared at Twilight and the others with the last part, and, even though most of them were alicorns, they still backed away a little at her gaze.

"We won't. Pinkie promise," Twilight said. "It's an unbreakable promise, unless you want to get chased by a pink pony who breaks the laws of physics," Twilight added at Fleur's look.

"I guess that's as good as I'm going to get," Fleur said. She then bowed. "What is your command, My Empresses?"

"Yes," Fancy said, also bowing. "What is your command, My Empresses?"

"Right now," Galaxy said, "you are to simply wait for us to send word via changeling to begin riots against my aunt. All of you! Is that clear?"

All of the nobles, including Night Light and Twilight Velvet, bowed and said, "Yes, Empress Galaxy."

"Good," Galaxy said wiht a smirk as she lit her horn and removed the selective silence spell. "Now, return to what you were doing before you came here, unless you have something scheduled to do."

The nobles bowed again, and those that didn't live in the house left. As they did so, Twilight whispered to Chrysalis, "Have the changelings here in Canterlot follow those the loyalty spell wasn't cast on. I don't want to risk anything."

"Already sent the order out," the changeling queen replied. "In fact, a few of said nobles are changelings, including Fancy and his wife."

"Useful and noted," Twilight said before turning to her adoptive parents. "I want you two to provide housing for Galaxy. I don't want to run the risk of the guards not with us to find her." She turned to her cousin. "If you're okay with it, that is, Galaxy."

"I am," the other alicorn said. "After all, I'd probably do the same, if I were in your position."

"In that case," Twilight said, turning back to the two unicorns, "you two are to do whatever Galaxy Star says without hesitation, unless you wish to be punished. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Empress," Night Light and Twilight Velvet said, bowing, with Velvet adding, "We would be honored to provide housing to one of our rulers."

"Good," Galaxy said. "I'll be moving in at once." She then turned to Twilight. "What's our next conquest, Twilight?"

"Yes, I must admit, I'm curious as to that myself," Rarity added.

"As are the rest of us," Nightmare said, "and that does include Luna as well, who is with us now, by the way."

After a small laugh, Twilight answered by saying, "Easy. We're going after the Crystal Empire next. And Nightmare, how can you tell Luna's with us."

Nightmare responded by pointing to her head.

"Right," the lavender alicorn responded, and lit her horn with the seperation spell. "Get ready, this is going to sting." She fired the seperation spell at Nightmare.

When it hit, Nightmare instantly recoiled, but her head went back to it's original position. Once that had happened, a mist the color of navy blue began to come out of her ears. After about ten seconds, the mist stopped coming out of the lunar alicorns ears and began to form a pony slightly smaller than Celestia, but taller than Twilight, with a navy blue coat and a similar etheric mane and tail, with highlights of a lighter blue at the edges.

"Welcome back to the world of the physical, Luna," Nightmare said after Luna's body had been fully formed.

"It is good to be back," Luna said, stretching out her muscles. Once she was done, she straightend out, and said, "What will you all do with me?"

"Nothing," Chrysalis said, "if you remain with us, that is."

"You have nothing to worry about from me, as long as you do nothing to me," Luna said.

"We won't, mother," Galaxy said.

Luna teared up upon seeing Galaxy, as both she and Nightmare thought of themselves as her mother. "Hello, my sweet Galaxy," she said, pulling her daughter into a hug, leaving Nightmare out.

"You're in this family too, Nightmare," Luna said, surprising the alicorn. "You are her aunt, after all." Nightmare only looked at Luna with a dumbfounded expression.

"What?"

"I consider you more my sister than Celestia," Luna said, "considering what has come to light.Now, do we have to force you in this hug, or not?"

This got some laughs from the others. Nightmare began ot cry with tears of happiness, and joined in the hug. "Thank you," she whispered to the other two alicorns in the hug.

"Of course," Luna said. "Sister," she said, using a term of affection that was orginally meant only for Celestia.

"Is it okay if I stay here with you, Galaxy?" Nightmare asked.

"Of course it is, auntie."

The three alicorns pulled out of the hug, and Luna said, "I imagine I'll take Nightmare's place at the castle, Twilight?"

"Just until we usurp Celestia," Twilight said. "Forunately, we took steps to cover our tracks, so she shouldn't be suspicious."

Canterlot Gardens

"Nice work, Dash," Spitfire said to Rainbow as she finished a complicated maneuver that involved doing a corkscrew while doing a loop going up once, then down once, something even Spitfire and Soarin had trouble with, but Rainbow got on her second try.

"Thanks, Spits," Rainbow replied as she landed. "What's next?"

"Up next," Celestia said as she walked up, "is magic training. More accurately, a spell to protect you from mind control. The only one who can overcome this spell is Discord himself, and that has been tested.

"Now, imagine what ever you wish, as long as it is something personal to the point your entire being is based around it. The closer it is to your core self, the stronger the spell will be."

Rainbow did so, thinking of the one thing that made her who she was. It was, ironically, not loyalty to her friends, even if it was a part of it, nor was it her desire to be the best flier, or even the fastest. Instead, it was her darkest secret, the one thing she had never said, even on the occasions she'd been drunk, and something that pained her just to think about under the circumstances.

She had a crush on Twilight.

It took her a while to know this. With her best guess, it had started just after Twilight had gotten her hooked on Daring Do. At the time, she thought she was straight, as she had been interested in a few stallions, both before and even after she met Twilight, as well as after the book incident. Really, she had only known ever since the vine issue, when she had felt worried fro Twilight more than she thought she would, even as a friend, when she was attacked by the vines. Ever since then, she had kept it a secret, not for herself, but because she didn't want Twilight's image ruined by the more stupid ponies who thought a princess shouldn't have a same gender relationship, and that number was high, ironically, due to the amount of same-sex couples, female ones especially.

She focused this feeling, and she instantly felt some kind of wall around her mind, and it felt like a steel wall reinforced by titanium.

A second after this, she felt something press against it, but the wall did not break, even after a few minutes of the pressure.

"Impressive, Rainbow," she heard Celestia say as Rainbow opened her eyes. "I haven't encountered a mental wall like that since Starswirl, and he wanted to remain a unicorn. Quite impressive, seeing as how you started out with magic just yesterday. If I may ask, what did you focus on?"

"Well, uh, it's kinda personal, Princess, and I don't fell comfortable talking about it," Rainbow said with a small blush of embaressment.

"Of course," Celetia said, though it was with sad tone, which Spitfire picked up.

"What's wrong, Princess?"

Signing, Celestia said, "I suppose it's time you all know." She took a deep breath, and told the three former pegasai her secret. "Twilight Sparkle, the one that got Rainbow's attention, and princess of friendship, is my daughter."

"WHAT?!" Rainbow yelled. "THAT MEANS I'VE BEEN IN LOVE WITH A PRINCESS THIS ENTIRE TIME?!" This last one got looks from Spitfire and Soarin, and a surprised one from Celestia. "Heh, heh, right. Guess I should spill now, huh?"

"Yep," the two Wonderbolts responded.

"Right. Well, I guess I should start from the begining," Rainbow said. She looked to Celestia. "I'm guessing she told you of the whole book thing?" Celestia nodded. "Well, I first felt something after that, but I thought it was just gratitude towards her for getting me hooked on the series. I didn't really know until the vine thing, when you and Princess Luna were missing. Twilight was being attacked by a some vines breathing something that made her twist in pain. It was then I knew that I had a crush on her, but I didn't say anything, because I didn't want to risk the nobles and other crazy ponies getting inot an outrage and demanding Twilight step down because they thought no princess should fall in love with a mare."

"Ah, I should have known ponies like that still existed," Celestia said. "Well, then, Rainbow, let's hope, not just for Twilight's sake, but ours, that you're wrong about her using dark magic."

"You and me both, Princess," Rainbow said as she looked at the noon-day sky. "You and me both."

Training-Pt2

It's been one day since Rainbow's Solar Knight training, as well as her confession as to her crush on Twilight, and said cyan alicorn was working on shielding spells, similar to those Shining Armor, who knew of the Knights, but wasn't one, due to his position as Captain of the Guard, had done just before the changeling invasion and the more, ahem, statistically less safe combat spells. as Rainbow still wasn't used to the concept she may very well have to kill someone.

She was currently working on casting both at the same time, which was difficult due to the fact magic shields were created to stop all spells from all directions, including from the inside.

"Come on, Rainbow," Spitfire said. "Even Soarin and I got this in an hour."

"Well I'm not you two, now am I?" Rainbow retorted as she tried to fire a spell out of the shield, which only resulted in said spell dispersing on the magic dome.

"It is quite alright, Rainbow," Celestia said. "Even Luna and I had trouble with certain spell combinations when we first tired them. Even Twilight once had trouble with those types of spells." A small smile came to the solar alicorn's face as she recalled that even, which ended in a burnt cake, cold tea, and a destroyed wall.Her expression then became sorrowful as she remembered the reason Rainbow was now an alicorn. "If only I had told her," she said, referring to the fact she regretted keeping her and Twilight's relation from her.

"Told her what, Princess?" Spitfire said, bringing Celestia out of her thoughts.

"Told Twilight that I'm her mother. Perhaps then, we wouldn't need to worry if Twilight truly has become corrupt, or if it is simply a misunderstanding."

"We could always ask her legal parents if something's up," Rainbow said, her shield still up. "You know, see if she's been acting weirdly. She did go to visit them after that summit, and again a day after that."

"That may very well work, Rainbow," Celestia said. She turned to the two wonderbolts and said, "I want you two to pose as reporters, and go to the light family house, and see what you can discreetly get as to if something is wrong with Twilight."

"Yes, Ma'am," they said, saluting. "We'll do our best," Spitfire said before they walked away to follow through on their orders.

Celestia then looked to Rainbow and said, "That's enough for today, Rainbow. You've been trying it for nearly three hours, and the fact you're still on your hooves is impressive."

Rainbow stopped the spell, panting heavily, and said, "Thank you, Princess."

"Of course, Rainbow," Celestia said, smiling as she did so. "What's been on your mind since yesterday, Rainbow?" she asked, noticing Rainbow's saddened expression.

"Oh, nothing, Princess. Just. . . thinking on some stuff, is all."

"Oh," Celestia said, moving beside her most recent student. "Like what?"

"Honestly? Do you remember me telling you about mt biggest fan, Scootaloo?"

"Yes. May I ask why you ask that?"

"It's just, well," Rainbow paused, not sure how to say what next. "Well, I told you she was an orphan, right?"

"Indeed."

"Well, there's a reason I get along with her so well, and it might have to do with that small fact."

Celestia was about to ask what she meant when the words registered, but she had to ask to make certain. "You'r one too, aren't you?"

Rainbow laid down on the ground. "Yeah. Never knew my parents. A few times in cloudsdale, when I was a filly, I thought I saw a stallion that had my hair, and thought he was my dad. When I last went there, I was able to track him down, and, with a small illusion spell Twilight cast on me, I asked him if he had a daughter, and he said no, that he had never even been married. I guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up, huh?"

"That's for you to answer, but if I may ask, what brought it up?"

"Just that everpony I know has family, and I don't. Scootaloo, at least has an aunt she stays with. Me? Nopony. You have family in Princess Luna and Cadence, even Twilight, and she has a large family. All of my friends have had somepony to care for them." Rainbow began to tear up, but a white wing draped itself over her. She looked and saw Celestia sitting next to her.

"Rainbow, I know my words can't fix the pain you went through as a filly," she said, "but I think I have something that may bring both of us happiness."

"What's that?"

"Well, ever since Twilight became a princess, which she should have been to start off with, I suppose, I've wanted to spend time with her, as a mother should, and you have always wanted a parent, correct?" Rainbow nodded. "Well, I just had a thought, if you're willing. If you are I was hoping to adopt you."

"But Princess, why? If I do, then what about Twilight? Wouldn't it be considered incest or something?"

"I suppose, if you just look at official records, but one thing you must know, Rainbow, is that there have been siblings, one of whom has been adopted by the others family, that have gotten married. It's so commonplace in Equestria, I'm surprised you haven't heard about that until now. The way most ponies, even some nobles, actually, look at it, is that as long as you aren't related by blood, it's not incest, even if others prefer to go by legality."

"I appreciate the offer, Princess," Rainbow said, "but I don't know if I should. I need some time to think on it."

Celestia let a small smile escape. "I understand, Rainbow. "Take all the time you need. I can wait for an answer."

"Thanks," Rainbow said. Celestia began to get up, but stopped when Rainbow said, "I do kinda still want you to sit next to me, princess."

"Of course, Rainbow," Celestia said as she sat back down and draped a wing over Rainbow.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Celestia said, "I do know for a fact that Twilight is one of the former, if it helps you decide."

"A little, but I'm going to see what the others think. As subtle as possible, obviously, but still."

"Of course, Rainbow. Take all the time you need. And you don't need to call me princess, Rainbow. You are still one of my daughters friends, even if she's been corrupted."

"Right, I'll try to remember that," Rainbow said.

"That is all I ask," the solar alicorn replied.

A few more minutes passed by in silence before Rainbow spoke up. "Uh, Pri- I mean, Celestia, is it okay if I ask Twilight out?"

Celestia smiled. "Of course you can, Rainbow," she said. "Who knows, if Twilight is corrupt, then you may be the one to free her."

"I hope so," Rainbow said, though it was with a small smile on her face.

The moment, though, was interrupted as Pinkie came hopping in. "Hey, Dashy," she said, not surprised at all that Rainbow was an alicorn.

Rainbow jumped and turned, saying, "Pinkie, what are you doing here?! This isn't just an area of the castle you can enter when you want!"

"Well, obviously, if you're just a normal pony," Pinkie said with her usual smile. "Only the princesses and Knights can come when they want."

"How do you know about the Knights?" Rainbow asked, lighting her horn and charging a stun spell.

"Stand down, Rainbow," Celestia said as she got up. "She knows of them because she is one."

"What? Then why does she still look like an earth pony when she should look like an alicorn?"

Pinkie laughed. "Because I'm not a pony, silly," she said before she was engulfed in green flames. When they faded, a changeling with pink chitin and blue eyes with yellow wings stood where the party pony once stood. "I'm a changeling. Why else do you think I wanted to be everyponies friend back in Ponyville?"

Rainbow was about to say something before her face took on a look akin to trying to process a lot of information, which, technically, she was. A minute later, she said, "That does explain a lot." She turned to Celestia. "And why wasn't I told. Pinkie's one of my best friends."

"Because I was afraid you would want her to be either killed or imprisoned when you first found out. The fact you aren't now, honestly," Celestia said, "is a little surprising."

"To be fair to her, Princess," Pinkie said, still smiling, "she's gone through a lot in the past two days, and it might have made it to where she didn't act on instinct, or at least not as often or quickly."

"Yes, I suppose," Celestia said., getting up. "Now, what do you have to report?"

"Well, the changelings in Ponyville, the idiots they are, are getting something ready. None of them know that I saw them at a meeting in, get this, Twilight's castle. With Spike being the one recording it. That means either she doesn't know this, unlikely, seeing as how just the slightest pressure from her will make Spike tell, or, and this is the more concerning one, she knows, and let's it happen, which begs the question as to why, and I doubt it's a party."

"That is cause for concern," Celestia said.

"Yep, which is why I sent a message out to the other changeling Knights to let the Knights they work with about what's going on, because if Twilight's been corrupted, then things are going to get sad and depressing."

"Good," Celestia said. "Tell them I want them to conduct investigations as to if there are any other changelings."

Pinkie saluted and said, "You got it," before flying away.

"Still a little weird," Rainbow said, "but at least this explains a lot about how she has her abilities."

"Yes, I imagine it does. Even before I recruited her, a few months after Luna's return, I knew she had unusual abilities for an earth pony, and learning she is a changeling explains most of them. The only one it doesn't is her pinkie sense."

"I can imagine," Rainbow said before spreading her wings. "Well, see ya later, Celestia. Need to plan the date," she said before jumping into the air and flying off.

As she made her way to her room in the Solar Spire, Rainbow began to think over what to do for the first date with Twilight. She figured they'd go somewhere they both liked. Doughnut Joe's, maybe.

"Okay, so definitely going there," she said as she landed, "but what if she doesn't want to go there? Then again, it has been a while since she went there, and she did say it was her favorite restaurant in Canterlot, so that's doubtful. And I'm turning into Twilight." Rainbow walked into her room and laid down on the bed in the back of the room. "Okay, now that that's decided, what should I wear," she said. "Wait, why do I care? We're naked to begin with."

Rainbow was on her bead a few more minutes before getting up and, casting the illusion spell, hid her horn and left her room, and made her way for her friend's rooms so that she could see what they thought on the whole incest/not incest thing. She knew Pinkie wouldn't care so long as those involved were happy. Twilight, according to Celestia, any way, was accepting of ponies like that. The others? Who knew?

As luck would have it, she ran into Applejack on her way to the rooms. "Oh, hey, AJ," she said.

"Hiya, there, Dash. What'cha been up to?"

"Not much," Rainbow replied. "Listen, can I ask you something?"

"'Course ya can," Applejack said. "What is it ya wanted to ask?"

"Well, you see, I have this friend back in Cloudsdale. Her name's Blue Thunder, and she recently got married to a stallion that was her adoptive brother. I asked her family and her other friends on it, and they said that as long as she was happy, they would be, and it got me wondering as to what you and the others think of that. If it could be considered incest or not, I mean."

"And you want ta know what ah think on it?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah," Rainbow said sheepishly.

"Well, I'm not for it mahself, but if that makes other ponies happy, then to each their own, so long as it's not in the apple family," she said. "That help?"

"Yeah, a little," Rainbow said before she started walking towards the rooms. "Thanks, AJ!"

"No problem, RD," Applejack said. Hm, that's a little interesting, the farm pony thought. Might want to keep a eye on her, and maybe ask Empress Twilight to look up records for her friend. Something just didn't seem right with that story. Applejack then made sure to follow Rainbow as she talked to the others, as she asked the others, meaning Rarity and Fluttershy, the same thing. Fluttershy gave a similar answer to Applejack's. Rarity went the legal way of looking at things, but hid it well, saying that it was very unorthodox. Both of them saw Applejack, and followed Rainbow with her to Twilight's room.

She knocked on the door, and Twilight stepped out. From where they were, the three mares couldn't hear what was being said. "What do you think, Empress," Applejack asked Rarity.

"I don't know, Applejack, but I'd guess something similar to what she asked us," Rarity responded. "Now quiet, so I can cast a listening spell." Applejack just bowed her head, and Rarity's horn lit. When the light faded, they could now hear the conversation.

"Rainbow," they heard Twilight say, "why would you ask me that?"

"I just wanted to know what you thought on that. You still haven't answered my question, by the way."

Twilight, though it couldn't be seen from the distance Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy were at, rolled her eyes and said, "Well, if you have to know, I don't really care about that, so long as they aren't related by blood." Here, as far as the three eavesdroppers, it looked like Rainbow began to hop a little.

Before anything could be said, though, she stopped and, somehow, took on a more serious tone. "Well, thanks, Twi," she said before she began to rub the back of her head. "There's actually something else I wanted to ask you. It's totally different from the other thing."

"What is it?"

"Well, you see I was wondering if you, um, well, uh, why can't there be an easy way to say this?"

"Just say it, Rainbow," Twilight said, clearly annoyed.

"Okay, here it comes," Rainbow said before taking a deep breath. "Will you go out on a date with me?"

The date/Defeat

Rainbow was, on the inside, hopping with nervous energy. She had jut asked Twilight out on a date, and Twilight just looked at her with a surprised expression, and she took it as a no.

"Oh, okay," she said before she walked away, her head lowered in disappointment.

"Rainbow, wait," Twilight said, causing Rainbow to look up and back at the lavender alicorn.

"What," Rainbow asked, her voice in between sorrow and happiness.

"Were you being serious, or was it supposed to be a prank?"

"I was being serious, Twilight."

Surprise appeared on Twilight's face again, and she said to her self, "Oh." She then said out loud, "In that case, Rainbow, yes, I'd like to go out with you."

Rainbow's face instantly brightened up. "Really?"

"Yeah. What were you planning?"

"Oh, uh, it's kinda a surprise, Twi."

Twilight actually giggled a bit. "Right. So, when are we going out?"

"Well, I was hoping, maybe, around eight, tonight?" Rainbow said in a sheepish way.

"Sure," Twilight said. "I'll be waiting at the front gates. Don't be late."

"Don't worry, Twi," Rainbow said as she ran to her room. "I'll be there!"

Once she was certain Rainbow was out of earshot, Twilight dropped the smile on her face. "I know you're there, Rarity. You can come out, now."

Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy came out from behind a nearby pillar, the latter two bowing. Twilight sighed. "Why?"

"Well, Twilight," Rarity said, "Applejack here found it a little suspicious that Rainbow asked the four of us as to her friend's marriage status, if such a friend exists, and followed her. Fluttershy and I simply joined her in that regard as Rainbow asked us. I must admit, I my self am curious as to why she asked that before asking you out, Twilight."

"Hm, Yes, I suppose that is weird," Twilight said, putting a hoof to her chin.

"Regardless, you really are considering going out with her, Twilight," Rarity said with a hint pf disgust in her voice.

"Of course. If I could turn her to our side, then that's one less threat to us, and one more to my mother. I do think these things through, Rarity."

"Oh, I know. I simply needed to make sure," Rarity said. "So, should i inform the others as to this?"

"That might be best, but have Applrjack inform Luna, and Fluttershy inform Chrysalis."

"Right," Rarity said. "You two heard her. Now, do as you're ordered."

"Yes, Empress," the farmer and pegasus said as they got up and went to inform Luna and Chrysalis respectively .

"So, what do you plan on doing to bring her to our side, Twilight," Rarity said once the other two were gone.

"A mix of logic and magic. I'll just point out stuff that Celestia has done to wrong her, and I'll use my magic to make her more likely to side with us."

"Well, if I may say so, Twilight, with out the loyalty spell, how can we be certain she won't eventually betray us?"

"Simple. Her love for me will make sure she stays loyal to us. Didn't both Chrysalis and Cadence say that love was a much more effective way of gaining loyalty?"

"I see your point, Twilight," Rarity said before making her way to her own destination. "Now, of you'll excuse me, I'll go inform Nightmare and Galaxy as to this little plan."

"That's alright, Rarity. I'll see you later. I'm going to let Cadence know, so I'll see you later."

"Why, of course you will. I still need to make you a dress for the date, even if it is just a fake one on your part," Rarity said as she disappeared from view as she turned a corner.

Twilight went in the opposite direction as Rarity, towards Cadence's room, which wasn't that far away from the lavender alicorns room. A few minutes later, she arrived at Cadence's room and knocked on the door, which opened a second later.

"Hello, Cadence," Twilight said.

"Twilight," Cadence responded in simple greeting. "I overheard your conversation with Rarity, and I agree that it is a good plan."

"How many ponies have been listening in on me?" Twilight said sarcastically, but Cadence answered her anyway.

"It was just me and the others, as far as I know, Twilight. Me out of making sure you were okay," Cadence said with a small smile. "You want to come in?"

"Sure. It'll be nice just to catch up, Cadence," Twilight said, stepping into her old foalsitters room. The door closed once she stepped inside and she sat down on a small couch to the side of the room's center.

"So, what were you and Shining up to before you came here for the summit, Cadence?" Twilight asked as Cadence took a seat on her bed.

"Oh, not much. Just the usual stuff. Dealing with paperwork and dispelling whatever bogus rumors popped up. In fact, just a month ago, one theory, one completely ungrounded, surfaced that said, get this, I was once Sombra's wife. Ridiculous, am I right?"

Twilight chuckled. "Yeah, it is. How did they even come up with that idea, anyway?"

"I don't know, something to do with a dream, I think."

"Well, in his defense, there have been weirder ones out there, I'm certain, and I know Luna and Nightmare would agree with me there."

"Yeah, I guess. But still, pretty crazy. I'm no where near Sombra's age." Both she and Twilight laughed a little. "Ironically, though, Celestia did ask us to search the castle in the Empire for Sombra's journals, and we did find two of them, each with spells that can be used to trap ponies that can only be undone by dark magic."

"Those may actually come in handy, later, Cadence. Any chance you can make cover duplicates of them and take the actual ones?"

"I guess. I have been known to be able to hide stuff from Shining a lot, so I'm sure I can hide them from him."

"Great," Twilight said, a smile on her face. "I think I have an idea for what to do with those, but I want to run through it first before telling you and the rest of the girls, Cadence."

"I understand, Twilight," Cadence said. "We are planning a revolution, after all, and it's best to go over every plan before deciding."

"Exactly," Twilight said.

The two continued to talk for a few hours until Twilight saw the time on a nearby clock, which read six-thirty. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, Cadence. Rarity wants to make me a dress for the date later, and we both know how she can get."

"Yeah, we do," Cadence said, giggling. "See you later, Twilight," she said as the lavender alicorn made her way to the doors and opened them.

"You too, Cadence," Twilight said before she left the room and closed the doors behind her.

An hour later

"Rarity, don't you think this is a little much?" Twilight asked as she tried on the outfit Rarity had made for her.

"Twilight, you may be the leader of our group. but which of us is a fashion designer?"

"Fine," Twilight grumbled in annoyance. The dress was simple compared to the usual Canterlot special occasion outfit, but still too much for Twilight's preference. The outfit itself had the same color as her Gala outfit for the main color, and a few streaks of accenting silver in the back. It was a little too tight, but Rarity had insisted it be this way so as to increase how attractive she would look to Rainbow. Her mane was made up into a bun.

"Oh, relax, Darling. Even if we can't use magic to turn Rainbow, you can always use your feminine charm."

Twilight just looked at the white unicorn with a deadpan. "Really, Rarity. You say that as if we mares are nothing but tools, even with us numbering more then stallions. And besides, until I'm certain Rainbow's on our side. I won't try anyhting to use her. After, she could be considered cannon fodder for all I care. I don't exactly have eyes for her, or anypony, for that matter."

"But Twilight, how? Why?"

Twilight shrugged. "Guess I'm just asexual." At Rarity's confused look, she added, "It means I'm not interested in stallions or mares, Rarity."

"Oh," Rarity said, momentarily stopping what she was doing. "But Twilight, why would you want to be that way. It means that you aren't interested in stallions, which means you won't have foals."

"Rarity, I could always just have a kid by internationalization."(1)

"Well, I suppose," Rarity said, getting back to work, which was just making sure the dress was on right. When she was done a few minutes later, she said, "Everything's in order, Twilight."

"Thanks, Rarity, but I still have about fifteen minutes until Rainbow comes for the date, so what should I do?"

"I'd suggest getting a move on to the front gate, Twilight. Besides, Rainbow's probably already there in excitement."

"Yeah, I guess," Twilight said as she made her way to the doors of Rarity's room. "Thanks, Rarity."

"Oh, think nothing of it, Twilight. You are my friend, after all."

"I know, but I still think I should thank you," Twilight said as she left the room.

A few minutes later, Twilight was at the front gates of the castle, and, true to Rarity's prediction, Rainbow was already there.

"Hey, Twi," Rainbow said upon seeing Twilight. The pegasus wore a simple outfit. It was a red version of the "suit" Rarity had made Twilight for her first birthday after moving to Ponyville. Her eyes widened as her mind processed what Twilight was wearing. "Whoa, Twilight. You look. . . beautiful."

Twilight giggled. It was fake, but it got the desired blush from her face. "Thanks, Rainbow. Rarity made this for me, just for tonight."

"Well, it definitely works for you, Twilight," Rainbow said. "So, should we go out now, or did you want to do something else first?"

"We can go now, Rainbow," Twilight said. "What are you planning," she asked as the two of them left the castle grounds.

"You'll see," Rainbow said in a cryptic tone.

A few minutes later, the two of them were n front of Doughnut Joe's. Even with it being the most popular store in the city, though, the only pony inside was the owner. "Uh, Rainbow, how?" Twilight asked as she and Rainbow stepped inside.

"I just called in a few favors from the Wonderbolts, who asked Celestia if she could clear it out for a few hours." Not technically a lie, as she was the one who asked Celestia if she could have it empty except for the three in it right now.

"I didn't know you had favors from them."

Well, did get a few last time I was in cloudsdale, not to mention when I saved Soarin, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot during the best young fliers competition."

"Makes sense, I guess," Twilight said as the two of them sat down and Joe came over, holding two menus in his magic. "Hey, Twilight, Rainbow," he said.

"Hey, Joe," Twilight said in genuine happiness, as he was one of the few unicorns she could consider a friend from before she had left for Ponyville. "How are you?"

"Good. If I may ask, why is it the two of you are wearing dresses. I don't think the Gala's for a few months."

"It's not," Rainbow said with a blush. "We're on a date."

"Really. I wouldn't have guessed that you two were ever going to be something," Joe said as he handed them there menus. "So, what do you two want?"

"I'll take my usual, Joe. Two glazed doughnuts with sprinkles," Twilight said, not even looking at the menu.

"Right," Joe said, writing it down. "And what about you, Rainbow?"

"Hm," the pegasus said, looking at her menu. "I'll take a chocolate glazed doughnut, a plain one, and a rainbow glazed one. Not because of my name."

"You got it," Joe said as he picked up their menus and walked towards the kitchen.

"So, uh, Twi," Rainbow said, "what have you been working on?"

"Not much," Twilight lied. "Though I have been doing a lot of research into Equestria's history, and I did actually find out some interesting stuff."

"Like what?"

"Well, one of the books I read was crazy enough to have in it that Luna was just a form Nightmare Moon took when in public. Crazy, right?"

"Yeah, it is," Rainbow said. "It is a little interesting, though." This was true.

"Yeah. Even I have to admit that it might mean the history we know of her is wrong." Twilight discreetly lit her horn, and put some magic into her words.

"What do you mean, Twilight," Rainbow asked, suddenly suspicious, but she hid it well.

"Just that Celestia might have been the real evil, and tried to do so secretly, but was discovered, and that led to the fight I saw with that potion during the vine incident."

"Yeah, I guess," Rainbow said in a dreamlike way.

"And then there's the fact Celestia attacked Chrysalis when all Chrysalis was doing was trying to fee her subjects. Was what she doing really that wrong?"

"No, I guess not," Rainbow said.

"Then there's what she did to you. She knew you wanted to be in the Wonderbolts, even before the Gala, but didn't get you a chance to see them before hoof so she could, what, have amusement at our, your, expense. Would you really want to follow a leader like that, one who would sacrifice their own subjects for amusement and rushes into conflicts, even if it means the death of another kingdom? Or one like me, who actually cares for ponies?"

"You, Twilight," Rainbow said, still in that dream like way.

It was here that Joe, carrting two plates of doughnuts, came out of the kitchen. And he had heard every word.

"Twilight, why are talking about the princess like that!?" he yelled.

"Quiet!" Twilight yelled, turning to him and shooting him with a magic blast, one that wasn't the loyalty spell.

(Those with weak stomachs, I suggest you leave now.)

Joe instantly fell to the floor, and couldn't get back up. What are you doing, Twi?" he asked in a fearful voice.

"Oh, nothing," Twilight said. "Just making sure my secret stays that: a secret." She lit her horn, and Joe screamed in pain as his rear hooves, bone, veins, and all, were crushed, the bone powder coming out of tears in the skin, as well as blood, his hooves flattened.

"What's going on?" he grunted out in pain.

"A simple gravity enhancement spell that I'm able to control with ease that I'm using to literally crush the life out of you," she said as the increased gravity made it's way up Joe's rear legs, causing him to scream in pain even more. Joe began to cry in pain as the gravity reached his nether regions, and the blood from there exploded out, causing the loudest scream he had uttered.

"Please, stop," he begged.

"I don't think so," Twilight said, slowing the advance of the spell.

It reached Joe's intestines, but didn't crush them, but rather caused them, and each organ above them, to move up. When the spell reached his ribs, Joe's lungs began to spill out of his mouth, blood all over them, and they came out slowly. Joe couldn't scream, both because his mouth was full, his lungs were in his mouth and coming out, or because of the pain. Any of them worked for the mad alicorn, who was smiling at this. The gravity continued to push up, and, eventually, Joe's heart, still beating rapidly from the adrenaline, came out. The sound of bones cracking could easily be heard in the otherwise silent restaurant. Joe's front legs were the next victim of the spell, and the end result for them, though it took longer to reach, was the same as his rear legs, and his stomach then began to come out of his mouth, his lungs and heart having already come out, and his jaw dislocated because of the size of the organs.

Joe was crying, Twilight, due to the magic that had corrupted her making her enjoy this, smile, and Rainbow, on the surface, was indifferent, but, on the inside, was throwing up, and she was close to doing so in real life.

The spell reached his throat, not doing anything but crushing it and causing what ever blood was there to spill out, as well as causing the intestines to start flowing out in reverse of how one would eat spaghetti, like the rest of the body. When it reached his skull, a loud snap could be heard, and, mercifully, the stallions heart stopped beating, the spine having been snapped, but Twilight didn't stop. She allowed the spell to crush his skull, gray matter that used to be a brain coming out from the cracks in the skull and tears in the flesh. His eyes exploded, causing blood and fluids to fly. Twilight stopped the spell on the body, and used it to then crush the organs that had come out, effectively creating a bloody mess of the store's owner.(2)

"And that, Rainbow, is how you really take care of those who would threaten your rule," Twilight said, not bothering to clean it up, nor pick up the doughnuts, a smart move, actually, as they too were covered in blood.

"Come on, Rainbow," she said as she made her way to the door. "I want you to go back to the castle. Don't tell the any about this."

"Got it," Rainbow said as she walked to the door in a dead pan expression. Twilight closed the door behind her, saying, "Now I just need to make this look like a random unicorn. Maybe Velvet and Night Light in a drunken rage they usually keep hidden. Oh, maybe those two that messed with Rarity when she first came here. They have it coming to them, and I haven't enthralled them."

Yeah, keep talking, Twilight, Rainbow thought in sadness as she took off with her wings to the castle, holding the contents in her stomach surprisingly well. She really is too far gone. A few minutes later, she landed in the gardens. She made her way t othe nearest bush and vomited right into it.

She had landed in the gardens because she knew this was the most likely place Celestia would be next to her room. Once she had finished vomiting, she wiped her mouth with her hoof, and rubbed that hoof on the ground, and began to walk in search of Celestia.

She found her a few minutes later, talking with Luna. Rainbow hid behind a pillar, the only pony she trusted was Celestia right now, and waited for Luna to leave.

She had to wait for half an hour before the lunar alicorn left, leaving her sister alone. When Rainbow was sure Luna had left, she abandoned her cover and made her way to Celestia.

"Uh, Celestia, something just happened with Twilight," Rainbow said, causing Celestia to turn her head.

"What," Celestia asked, fear in her voice.

"I-I can't describe it, princess," Rainbow said. "Look at my memories to know what."

Celestia, fear on her face, lit her horn, and examined Rainbow memories. When she was done a minute later, it was clear she wished to vomit as well.

"Then it is as we feared," she said. "Twilight truly has been lost. We must make sure she can not do-that to any pony ever again," she said with tears in her eyes. "We'll have to kill her," she said in a whisper only she and Rainbow could hear.

It was, amazingly, Rainbow who said, "It's for the best, Celestia. If she still had some control over her mind, she'd want us to kill her, if only to stop her from harming others." Tears were in the pegasus' eyes, though, as well.

"Agreed, but we have to wait until tomorrow. I am nt at my strongest during the night, and I'm certain I'll need to be at full power to defeat her."

The next day, Celestia sat upon her throne, Rainbow and Pinkie, both with somber expressions on their faces, to her left, Soarin and Spitfire to the right.

"It's almost time," Celestia said, sorrow in her voice. She had sent for Twilight, and Twilight only, an hour ago, and she had asked for Twilight to come to the throne room in an hour from that time, and it would be soon.

"I just wish we didn't have to do this," Rainbow said. "What are going to tell the others."

"That she decided to go on a world wide travel, hoping to learn more about cultures. Eventually, though, we will need to tell them that she died," Celestia said, her eyes tearing up. "Just not the truth as to how."

Two minutes passed, and the doors to the room opened, and Twilight walked in, all features of her corruption hidden. "I' here, Princess," she said. "Why'd you ask for me?"

"Because of what happened last night," Rainbow said.

It was here that Twilight saw the four other ponies in the room, and narrowed her eyes and lit her horn. "What are they doing here," she said in anger.

"To assist me in what must be done," Celestia said, rising from her throne as Rainbow, Spitfire, and Soarin dropped their disguises and revealed their horns, and Pinkie did the same, revealin her true form.

"I knew I should have gone after you when I arrived here, mother," Twilight said, dropping her illusions as well, showing her darkend coat, her green tinted eyes, and, of course, her black magic. Her last word caused Celestia to recoil in shock.

"You know?"

"Yes, I do. Just like I know what happened to my cousin, Galaxy. She's doing fine, by the way. Her and her aunt, Nightmare are out of city. I doubt you care though, seeing as how you practically banished the both of them. Want to know how I brought Nightmare back, mother," she said, using the last word as an insult. "I simply used a revival spell to bring her back. Not that hard hen you're the Element of magic."

"I did what I did for Equestria," Celestia said.

"But not the planet. There's more to the world then ponies, mother. But you don't care, do you. You only care for ponies. Well what about minotaurs, dragons, buffalo, and changelings. I don't see you making any laws to help them."

"That is enough," Celestia yelled at her daughter. "That is because they did not wish to be under my rule. I did not kill an innocent like you, Twilight!"

"I did so because I did not wish to be discovered, but it seems," she said, looking at Rainbow, who tried to hide, "I should have taken care of more then one last night. Regardless, I agree. It's time you died." She shot a beam of magic, her most powerful shot, at Celestia, but it was simply batted away, and fear appeared on Twilight's face. "No, that should have killed you. I knew I should have brought the others with me," she whispered. She then looked at the five in front of her. "What are you going to do? We both know you aren't willing to kill me.'

As the horns of the other four lit, and similar lights appeared around Twilight's hooves, Celestia said, sadness in her voice, "That, sadly, is where you're wrong Twilight." As confusion appeared on the daughter's face, the mother lit her horn, and understanding appeared on Twilight's face, as well as anger. True, uncontained rage.

"NO! YOU WON'T WIN, CELESTIA! I HATE YOU, AND I ALWAYS WILL! YOU HEAR ME!" Twilight yelled, causing a tear to fall down Celestia's face.

As Twilight continued to scream in anger, Celestia whispered, "I'm sorry," and fired a beam of magic at Twilight. When it hit, Twilight, all she was, was vaporized. Those that had been holding her in place releasde the spell, and Rainbow and Pinkie, along with Celestia, began to cry in shared sorrow. There would be no happiness, no celebration, no party, for this victory. Only sorrow and sadness.

They stayed this way for well over an hour. At which time, Rainbow and the other three Knights left the throne room, and Celestia, still drunken with sadness, retired to her chambers, knowing not even sleep could fix the new hole in her heart.

If she had the mental speed, though, she would have noticed a dark flash take Twilight away before her spell had hit.

In the space between universes, where nothing was made or destroyed, only taken to and from, a lavender alicorn lay, her head throbbing from pain. She opened her eyes, and saw only black.

"So, this is what being dead is like," Twilight Sparkle said before a voice she had never heard before spoke up.

"This is not death," a voice said, "but simply a new beginning for you."

"Who are you," Twilight said as she got on her feet, though it could hardly be considered standing, as nothing was below her.

A shape came into view. It had ashen gray skin, red eyes, and a somewhat humanoid appearance mixed with that of a spider, as it had two arms, the bottom two ending in claw like pincers, and the upper two being ordinary hands. He wore dark red armor that covered all but his face ."My name, young Twilight," he said, "is Plasma, and I am the one who gave you the powers you now have."

"A lot of good they did, seeing as how I died," Twilight said.

"You have not died," Plasma said, "as I teleported you here just before Celestia's spell hit you, saving your life. As for the spells I gave you, they failed simply because Celestia had discovered you prematurely. If she hadn't, I would have been able to give you more powerful spells, which I am still willing to give you."

'What's the catch?" Twilight asked.

"Simply that, when you win, you put all research into the mirror portals Starswirl made, and bring them under your rule. It's more then fair for you, if you ask me, seeing as how you're getting even more power," Plasma said, a small grin on his face.

"Nothing else?" Twilight asked.

"Only one other thing: If you should meet a black and red stallion whose name is Lone Shadow, kill him. That is it."

"In that case," Twilight said, "I accept the terms. I only ask that my allies be made aware of this."

"I have already informed them as to your predicament, and told them that it will be a year before you can return, so that you can learn the best ways to use the new spells at your disposal."

"I suppose that is fair."

Plasma smiled. "Good," he said. "Now, prepare."

A year later-crystal empire train station

Cadence, along with Chrysalis, Nightmare, and Galaxy stood alone in the train station, her having ordered the place cleared of any pony else for the next few hours, the official excuse being maintenance.

They had been waiting for thirty minutes, using small talk to pass the time, when an orb of lavender light appeared out of no where in front of them. When it faded, Twilight stood there, but she was slightly different then before.

The bottom of her legs had a red tint to them, and copies of her cutie mark were on them, much like when she used her rainbow form. What had once been the whites of her eyes were now entirley green, the irises now purple, and her corneas, the black part of her eyes, were some what reptilian. Her wings were mostly the same, but the back part of the top half were now black. She also now had a purple and cyan stripe in her hair. On her head was a black, steel crown with a cyan Element of magic in it.

"Hello, girls," she said. "How have you been for the past year?"

A solar year

Canterlot castle- a few weeks after the failed uprising of Twilight

Celestia sat upon her golden throne as she listened to Blueblood give a speech about how the parks should all have statues of him. As if one of you wasn't more then enough already, she thought. "No, Blueblood," she said plainly. "The parks are meant for all. Now, please, leave. You aren't the only pony who wishes to see me today, and I apologize for being blunt, but I'd rather be alive to see them."

Blueblood's eye twitched, though he wisely did not test his aunt's patience. "Of course, auntie," he said with bow, and left the room.

"I'm beginning to wish I had let Twilight win, just so I could get a break from all this," Celestia said with a sigh just as the pony she wished to see the most walked in. "Hello, my daughter," Celestia said with a small smile towards her adoptive daughter, Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, Celestia," Rainbow said. "Sorry I couldn't make it yesterday. The performance got held up." Rainbow, with a word from Spitfire and Soarin, had gotten into the wonderbolts a week after the incident involving Twilight, and had been with them as they did a few big celebrations in cites like Manehattan for various reasons. The public still knew nothing of Twilight's "death", no one knew the truth, but Celestia and Rainbow had decided that they would say she had gone missing, and, after extreme search, was presumed dead. That wasn't due for another month.

"I understand, Rainbow," Celestia said as she got up from her throne and went to Rainbow's side, nuzzling the cyan "pegasus" when she reached her. "It's just good to see you again. I imagine, though, that word reached you of my new relationship?"

Rainbow blushed. "Yeah, and I still can't believe it. I mean, you and Rarity? I don't think anypony could have seen it coming."

"Niether did we, I'm afraid," Celestia said. "It just happened, and we went from there."

"Well, let's hope it turns out well," Rainbow said with a small laugh.

"Yes, that would be good," Celestia said, hiding her own chuckles. "Now come on, Luna's waiting." Rainbow's adoption was a closely held secret. Only she, Celestia, Luna, and Celestia's closest Knights, which included Pinkie, knew of it.

"Right. Wouldn't want to keep her waiting. Who knows how mad she'll get," Rainbow said.

"Yes, we don't need another Nightmare." Oh, Celestia, if only you knew. "Now, come on, Rainbow. It's time for lunch, and I'm certain there's a slice of cake for each of us." Both mares laughed as they exited the throne room and made their way to the kitchen.

"So, Rainbow," Celestia said, "what do you think of Rarity and I, any how?"

"So long as you guys are happy, I'm fine with it."

"Thank you, Rainbow. That means a lot. And you know you don't need your disguise when it's just us and Luna."

"Yeah, I know, but i just like this. Besides," she said with a shrug, "who knows what ponies Twilight brought under her hoof and are still on her cause even with her being, well, you know."

Celestia's smile instantly turned into a saddened frown. "Yes, that may prove to be an issue. Has anything occured with Applejack and Fluttershy since then?"

"Not as far as I can tell, no," Rainbow said. "But then again, the changes I did notice were only with Twilight there, so who knows. Maybe what ever happened just went dormant."

"Let's hope not, and that any other unicorns she enthralled can not cast what ever spell it is she used on the two of them."

A few minutes of silence passed before Rainbow spoke up. "What about Luna? If Twilight really wanted to overthrow you, she would have tried to bring Nightmare back."

"I imagine we discovered and stopped her before she could," Celestia said. "There would be obvious changes in Luna's behavior if that were indeed the case, as there are no recorded spells that can separate essences from their hosts."

"What about her cousin? Didn't she say she did so, and released Nightmare?"

"Galaxy was a special case, as she was her own being, and Nightmare, I imagine she was bluffing on that regard. I hope so, anyway."

Rainbow chuckled. "Yeah, I doubt even Twi could make a spell like that."

"I would not discount that yet, Rainbow. We both know how skilled in magic Twilight was, even before her ascension."

"Yeah, yeah, I guess."

Both of them arrived at the dining room a few minutes later. Celestia opened the door to reveal Luna and Rarity discussing something neither of them could hear. Luna was the first to notice them as they approached, but before they could hear the conversation. "Hello, sister," Luna said. "How did court go?"

"Blueblood," was all Celestia said in a glum tone.

"Ah. I am sorry for that. Rarity here was just telling me as to how you two discovered you feelings for one another," Luna said with a devious grin.

"Rarity," Celestia hissed in embarrassment. "You said we'd never speak of that incident in detail!"

"Oh, Celey, I simply told her in the barest of details how it happened. Nothing specific. A lady doesn't just kiss and tell, as I thought you knew," Rarity said in a playful manner.

"Yes, I do suppose your right," Celestia said. "But then again, we did do more," she said with a grin.

"NOT LISTENING!!" Rainbow and Luna yelled, covering their ears, which got laughs from the other two, and laughs from Rainbow and Luna as well soon after.

Celestia and Rainbow then took their seats next to Luna and Rarity, Celestia seated between the two.

"So, sister, what have you been up to since we last saw each other," Luna asked.

"Oh, just the usual, Luna. Paperwork, dealing with annoying nobles and Blueblood."

"So, nothing of note, then?"

"No. But then again, with what usually goes on in Equestria, that's not really saying a lot."

"No, I suppose not," Luna said. "And what of you, Rainbow," Luna asked, turning towards Rainbow with a small, glare you could only see if you looked for it. Or knew it was there.

"Oh, not much. Just flying with the wonderbolts!"

"Nothing else," Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nope."

"Well, I guess it makes sense. After all, she does need to practice a lot to make sure she can do the new tricks," Luna said. "I, for one, can not wait for their next performance." As well as their final, she added mentally.

"I think that goes for all of us, princess," Rainbow said.

"Indeed, I know I look forward to it," Rarity said just as the food for the four mares arrived. For the most part, the dises were salad with varied dressings, and, for Celestia, a small slice of cake.

When they were all done fifteen minutes later, Celestia got up, saying, "Now, if you all will excuse me, I must return to day court."

"Of course, sister," Luna said. "Don't let us keep you."

"Yeah, and Spitfire wanted to see me, too," Rainbow said, getting up as well.

"I suppose we'll see the both of you later," Rarity said as she nuzzled Celestia. "See you later, my love."

"And I you, Rarity," Celestia said as she returned the nuzzle.

"Well, see ya guys later," Rainbow said as she flew to the doors and flew out, with Celestia following after breaking the nuzzle.

Once the two of them left and the door closed, Rarity said, "Well, it's about time they left. I hate having to act like I'm in love with Celestia. Especially since she adopted Rainbow."

"Rarity, calm down," Luna said. "We can not risk the guards overhearing us."

"Buck the guards, and Celestia, and Rainbow. They deserve to burn in tartarus for Twilight."

"I agree, but you and I both know she is being trained by one of it's rulers, and will return in a year."

"Yes, I know, and I know we have a plan for Celestia that, unfortunately, doesn't involve sending her to tartarus," Rarity said. "On the other hoof, when it succeeds, then I may be interested in her."

"That is still far off, Rarity," Luna said, getting up. "Now come, we must contact our friends in the Empire."

"Of course, Luna," Rarity said, getting up from her seat as well and following the alicorn of the night to her room.

Approximately three months after the "Twilight incident"

Celestia was in her personal quarters, Rarity being out to do shopping for her work, when she heard a knocking on the door. "Come in," she said, and the door opened to reveal Twilight Velvet and Night Light, Twilight's adoptive parents. "Ah, Velvet, Night, how nice to see both of you again."

Both unicorns bowed, Velvet saying, "And it's good to see you again, princess. We just wanted to check on you."

"Thank you, but I am doing fine," Celestia said. "In fact, I am more worried as to how you are taking the news." It had been released that Twilight was presumed dead after an extensive search throughout the entire country after she went missing on the coasts. Velvet and Night Light had taken it hard, and they were, eventually, told by Celestia about Twilight being the alicorn's daughter, after promising not to spread it. Not that they needed to, as Twilight and her allies had already done that.

"We've, well, we could be better," Velvet said. "Even though she isn't our daughter by birth, it's still hard to believe she's dead."

Celestia smiled, and decide to give them some hope, as crazier things then Twilight surviving her magic and reappearing one day free of corruption had happened. "Were it so easy for her to die, something tells me it would have happened before now."

A small smile came to the faces of the two unicorns. "I guess so, princess," Night Light said. "I guess."

Both bowed and left the room. Once they had left, they turned to the left, and headed towards Luna's room. When they arrived three minutes later, they knocked on the door. "Come in," Luna said, and the two unicorns entered and bowed to Luna. "Does she suspect?"

"Not as far as we can tell, Empress," Night Light said. "I do not think so. She believes too much in ponies loyalty to her, a mistake she has done once before."

"Indeed," Luna said. "What do you think, Rarity?"

Rarity, in her Nightmare form, stepped out of the nearby shadows and said, "I doubt it, Luna. How an idiot gave birth to a pony as smart as Twilight is beyond me."

"I imagine it's simply that she is too much of an appeaser, and has let peace cloud her mind," Luna said. "She wasn't like this before my banishment."

"And let's hope it remains that way until it is too late," Rarity said.

"Agreed."

The crystal empire-approximately six months after the "Twilight incident"

Cadence was giving Celestia a tour of what had been unofficially and officially dubbed the "Princess Twilight Sparkle" memorial, which was a rather large building that had a fair portion of Twilight's feats before and after her ascension in there, and even a few well drawn portraits of her as a filly, including her getting her cutie mark.

"And here's the part of it that took the longest," Cadence said as the two reached a rather large hallway. "The part of the museum that has to do with her time as a princess."

"I idn't think it'd take that long," Celestia said.

"Well, most of the workers did break into tears during this part of construction, so that set construction back a bit."

"I suppose it would." Celestia sighed. "I know it's been three months since we announced it, but I still can't get over the fact Twilight might be dead."

"I don't think any of us will be able to, auntie," Cadence said as she hugged Celesia with a wing.

"Yes, I know," Celestia said. "It doesn't make it any easier, though."

"I know, auntie, I know," Cadence said, shedding a tear, but laughing mentally. Too trusting.

Celestia pulled out of the embrace, smiling. "Thank you, Cadence. I needed that."

"Of course, auntie," Cadence said. "Now come on, Shining has something to show us."

"I wonder what it is," the solar alicorn said as she followed Cadence out of the soon to be open memorial building.

Approximately nine months after the "Twilight incident"

Celestia was upon her throne just as day court ended, and the time of day she set aside for her meetings with her top Knights was upon her. Once the last noble left, she immediately used her magic to create a topography table, showing the whole of Equestria, similar to the map that had been in Twilight's castle.

Ten minutes after this, the Knights came in. Among them were Spitfire, Rainbow, and Pinkie, though there were three others as well. They took positions around the table, with Celestia at the end closest to the throne. "What do you have to report," she asked.

"Well, your Highness," Sapphire Spirit, a mare with a, quite obviously, sapphire coat with teal eyes and mane and tail with cyan accents, "we've had reports from the other Knights in Manehattan that some ponies are being infected with dark magic, though the effects, as far as we cn tell, haven't surfaced. They're keeping an eye on those who are infected."

"That's good." Celestia turned to face Spitfire. "Anything from you, Spitfire?"

Said mare shook her head. "Nothing significant, ma'am," she said. "Nothing I noticed, anyway."

"Same here," Rainbow said.

"Oh, I have something," Pinkie said. "The changelings that think they're hidden in Ponyville? They seem to be getting ready to leave, and I'll be going with them to make sure we know why."

"Of course. Be careful when it starts, Pinkie," Celestia said.

"You got it," Pinkie said with a smile and salute.

"Anything else?" Celestia asked,to which their were shakes. "Good. If any of you need something while you are here, you need only ask."

"Of course, Princess," Sapphire said. "Thank you, and see you next month," she said as she and the other Knights excluding Rainbow left.

Rainbow noticed the look on Celestia's face, a small one of fear mixed with happiness, if that was possible. "What is it, Celestia," she asked.

"Nothing, Rainbow. I just. . . have a feeling, I guess you could say that I'll see Twilight just once more before the year is out, and she'll have forgiven me for what I did."

"Well, let's hope so," Rainbow said, moving to nuzzle her adoptive mother, who took it in pleasure.

The night of Twilight's return

Celestia tossed and turned in her bed. She was having visions, not nightmares, of Equestria in flames, ponies everywhere, dead, dying, and injured, a sight not seen for over a thousand years. But, amazingly, none of these got her attention the way the last part did. What it was, as far as she could guess, was a large army, two, large armies, doing battle in the area between Canterlot and the Everfree, a large, black castle in the background, and ten beings of immense power doing battle in the skies. The strange thing? Seven had an aura reminiscent of the Elements. One resembled Twilight's aura, but one was a complete unknown, but even in this dream, or vision, what ever it truly was, she could sense it's power.

The last thing she saw were, in a darkness blacker then space, were six. Red. Eyes, staring at her, as well as two purple iris' surrounded by purple, the corneas being somewhat like Nightmare's. The last thing she heard was, "I'll see you soon."

"Mother."

Interrogation

"So, what have you girls been up to the past year?" Twilight asked Cadence, Nightmare, Chrysalis, and Galaxy.

Cadence waved a hoof, saying, "Oh, not much. For the most part, we've just been making sure Celestia didn't suspect your return and that she didn't once suspect we were with you."

"Plus," Galaxy said with a small smile, "we've been working on a plan to overthrow Celestia."

"Oh, care to let me in?" Twilight said.

"As soon as we get to the palace, Twilight," Chrysalis said as the group began to make their way to said palace. "Cadence, Nightmare, Galaxy, and myself were able to cast enough of a spell on the crystal ponies that they won't notice you or me, and see Nightmare and Galaxy as normal unicorns, but they will still be able to overhear our conversations, and we'd much rather play it safe."

"Right, I understand," Twilight says. "I'm surprised you guys aren't wondering why I look the way I do."

"We figured it's because of your training, and we figured that new Element of yours is simply a negative version of it Plasma, whoever he is, made it."

"You'd be right, there, Nightmare," Twilight said, tapping her new cyan Element. "It's the Element of dark magic, which I got training in over the last year, by the way." She began tapping her chin. "I think he said it was one of four, or something, and that they're more powerful then the Elements of Harmony. I actually think he said I'd meet him sometime this calendar year, actually."

"Well, who ever it must be, they'd better help us, for their sake," Chrysalis growled.

"I am certain they will," Nightmare said. "Oh, and you won't believe which of you is a changeling."

"I already know. Pinkie. She was there, with Celestia and the others, when I was defeated. How did you find out?"

"Pure chance. I happened to walk in on her as she changed into her changeling form a week ago," Cadence said. "She does't know. Obviously, she and the others are visiting."

Twilight smiled. "Then get Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. It's time they met with me. Oh, and Pinkie too. I want to know what she was doing with Celestia and Rainbow that night, as well as how Rainbow's an alicorn," she said, growling that last part.

"Wait, the Element of Loyalty is an alicorn," Nightmare said in surprise.

"I knew I felt ascendancy magic while we were in Canterlot a year ago," Galaxy said. "That explains it!"

"Then we might need another to have a chance, assuming Celestia did the same to other ponies," Twilight said. She then smiled a little. "I have to give Celestia a little credit though. She must have done that so she could have a chance against dark magic the Elements wouldn't be able to handle, even with us being the Elements. Probably one of her more intelligent moves."

"Agreed," Nightmare said. "Though, who did you have in mind for our ascendancy?"

"Dark ascendancy, Nightmare," Twilight said. "It's what first made you, and I was thinking of all of you girls getting that treatment, aside from Nightmare, obviously."

"I'm guessing it makes one even more powerful, even if they were an alicorn to begin with?" Galaxy said.

"If I understand it right, yes," Twilight said. "Now come on, we need to get to the palace. Cadence?"

"Yeah, Twilight?"

"Would you mind getting the others I said earlier?"

"Not at all, Twilight," Cadnece said as the group left the station, Cadence splitting off to get Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie.

Ten minutes later-palace throne room

Twilight sat on the throne in the palace. Fortunately, she had learned from Chrysalis on the way that Shining was away in Canterlot to help train a new batch of guards, and would be for the next week.

"Sitting on a throne fits you well, Twilight," Galaxy said from beside the seat of power.

"Thanks, Galaxy," Twilight said.

"No, problem, Twilight. So, what are you going to do specifically to your old friend?"

"I have a few things planned," was all the lavender alicorn said as Cadence walked in, Rarity close behind. They closed the doors behind them.

"Hello, Twilight," Rarity said. "The others are just outside. I must say I like the new look."

"Thanks, Rarity," Twilight said. "You know, I've been wondering: Haven't you always wanted to be an alicorn?"

"Why, yes, darling," Rarity replied. "Cadence told me of what you wanted to do," she said before she transformed into her nightmare form, "and I would be honored if you did so."

Twilight smiled. "Then hold still." She lit her horn, her magic having a distinct blood red color to it now, and an orb of the same color enveloped Rarity. When it collapsed five seconds later, Rarity was, for the most part, unchanged. The difference was that she now had wings in addition to her horn.

"Thank you, Twilight," Rarity said with a bow of her head.

"No problem, Rarity," Twilight said with a smile before she took on a more serious look. "Send them in."

"Right," Rarity said opening the door, with the three other mares walking in.

"Hello, girls," Twilight said with a smile as she took a hold of the pink mare in her magic. "And to you, especially, Pinkie. Want to play a game?" The look on Pinkie's face said that, for once, no, she did not want to play a game.

Celestia, in her personal room, stopped what she was doing, which was reading her favorite book. She set it down on her nearby desk, and put a hoof to her head. It can't be, she though to herself. I haven't felt something like since-

Her eyes widened in alarm. Not since Nightmare. She bolted out of her room, the guards not even trying to keep up with her at thes speeds. They had tried before, and it was impossible. Celestia rushed to Rainbows room and opened it, revealing Rainbow, her horn visible, sleeping on her bed, back on it. "Rainbow, wake up!" Celestia yelled. "Don't bother with your disguise."

"Wh-what's going on?" Rainbow asked as she jumped to her hooves.

"I will explain on the way to our destination," Celestia said, urgency in her voice. "Come, we have a long walk ahead of us."

"Right," Rainbow said, nodding and getting off her bed, not hiding the fact she was an alicorn.

"Now, Pinkie," Twilight said, she and the others still in the throne room. "Here are the rules: answer a question, and I don't break a limb. Don't answer too many, and I'll crush you. Understand?"

"O-only if you answer one of mine in return, Twilight," Pinkie said in fear.

"I don't see any harm in it, seeing as how we won't let her leave," Rarity said.

"Agreed," Twilight said. "First question: Why was Rainbow an alicorn?"

"Because the Princess made her one to help fight dark magic. My question: When did Rarity become one?"

"Just before I let you in," Twilight replied. "Are there more alicorns other then those in this room, Celestia, Rainbow, and the two that were there a year ago?"

At Pinkie's silence, Twilight applied pressure on Pinkie's front left leg. Pressing inward. There was aloud snap, and Pinkie screamed in pain as her leg bled from the dislocation.

"I'll ask again, Pinkie: Are. There. More. Alicorns?"

"Y-yes," Pinkie said, crying from the pain. "W-why, Twilight?"

"Why did I break your leg? Oh, well, I need to show I was serious. Don't worry, if you live, I'll make it better. Now, how many are there, and are they organized somehow, and are you, somehow, a part of them? Yes, I know, three questions. I'll let you ask three."

"I-I don't know. I really don't," Pinkie said, tears still coming from her eyes. "Y-yeah, they're organized. Yes, I'm a part of them." She looked Twilight in the face, sorrow evident. "Twilight, why are you doing this? After all we've been through? How could you try to over throw your own mother?"

"Why!? Because, she's the reason I nearly lost my life every damn time I did something for Equestria. The only reason I went to Ponyville was to make sure everything was ready for the Summer Sun Celebration! She didn't even try to distract Discord when he was free, and I don't care what she says the reasons were for the Empire, we could have had help from her or Luna! You and the others didn't really want to be my friend. You only wanted to get in with Celestia! NOT ANYMORE!! Now, what do you think of my new look?"

Pinkie only looked in confusion while answering. "Uh, nice, I guess. Why?"

"Thanks, and because I want to actually look good when I take over Equestria. Now, final question: Has the group working for Celestia ever had a traitor?"

"No. Why?"

"This," Twilight said, firing the loyalty spell at Pinkie, who was unable to get a mental barrier up in time before it hit her in the face. Twilight also mended her broken leg as Pinkie looked around the room. She stopped as she looked at Twilight, then removed her disguise and bowed.

"Hail, Empress Twilight," she said.

Celestia and Rainbow walked through the halls of Canterlot castle with a purpose, the ponies, even the nobles seeking an audience, in there way moved aside and bowed. Eventually, the two made there way to a single hall, with a single painting depicting the rising sun over a field of what could be guessed as defeated enemies of the past, numerous alicorns in the sky.

"Here," Celestia said as she lit her horn, the painting disappearing, and a hall way appearing. "Come, Rainbow," Celestia said. Nearly ten paces in, the solar alicorn got a major headache, which faded just as quickly, and she tripled her pace, Rainbow doing the same.

"Princess, what's going on?"

"A grave threat," was all Celestia said as the two reached a door surrounded by rock. "What you are about to see, Rainbow, is a room not used in over twenty thousand years, not since my grandfather was alive," Celestia said. "He had it constructed in the mountain, and it saved the planet during his days, and, Harmony permitting, it will again," she said as she lit her horn with an ancient spell, and the door opened, and the two stepped inside.

War council

"What is this room," Rainbow asked Celestia as the two of them stepped into the room Celestia had revealed.

"This, Rainbow," Celestia said, lighting her horn, "is the war room. My grandfather created it in preparation for what we may very well be facing."

"What's that?"

"An alliance of dark alicorns."

"What. How can dark alicorns exist?"

"Because, Rainbow," Celestia said as a table grew from the ground and projected a view of all of Equestria and the Crystal Empire, the former having a dark fog around it, "there is a darkness to every light, and the two, though they can peacefully coexist, often clash, and never truly get along."

She looked at the table, and her expression took on a somber look. "It is worse then I thought," she said. "The entire Empire has been converted."

"But that's where Pinkie is!" Rainbow yelled.

"Then let us hope she made it out before this." There was a silence between for the two for a minute before Rainbow spoke up.

"Who could do this?"

"Only one with immense power and a truly black heart," Celestia said. "It can only be Sombra." She turned to face they cyan alicorn. "Bring Shining Armor here, Rainbow, as well as Spitfire and Soarin. Whatever you must do, do it. I also want Luna here as well."

Rainbow nodded. "Right," she said before rushing out of the room. She made her way to Shining's room first, ignoring the guards that were there and entered the room, causing the unicorn to fall out of his seat and hard on his flank. "Shining, Celestia needs you now!"

Shining just looked at her for a moment, and said, "Right," as he had been told of the Knights, even if he wasn't one, and had been told of Rainbow joining their ranks. "What's going on?"

"Something's going on in the Empire," Rainbow said. "We don't know if Cadence is alright, but I'm optimistic."

"Let's hope she's alright, then," Shining said.

With that, the two of them made their way to the rooms Soarin and Spitfire were staying in. "Celestia needs us," Rainbow said, and the two followed Shining and Rainbow to Luna's room. When they arrived, they didn't see any guards. Rainbow knocked on the door, and entered. What she saw scared her.

There, on the bed in the very center of the room, was a single, bloody head, a fake one, but very real in appearance. In the guise of Celestia. With it was a note.

If my sister values the life of her mare friend, Rarity Belle, she will meet me at the northern edge of the Crystal Empire. Alone.

-Queen Luna

"Well, shit just escalated," Rainbow said. "Come on, guys, we need to let Celestia know!"

With that, the three alicorns and one unicorn left the room, not noticing the shadow in the corner. "Much to easy," Luna said before she teleported to the Empire, using a special teleportation spell to bring with her those who had been enthralled to the Empire.

Luna appeared in the palace throne room, and the first thing she saw was that Cadence and Galaxy had new looks. Cadence's coat was a darker shade of pink, nearly red, and her mane and tail were slightly darker, but also had an ethereal look to it. Her pupils(1) were now draconic like Nightmare's. Her teeth were now those of a predators, and she was as tall as Celestia now.

Galaxy was still the size she was when Luna had last seen her, but her eyes now resembles Nightmare's, her coat was darker, and her teeth sharper. On the throne was Twilight, looking just as one of the changelings had described her from Chrysalis' description. "Hello, Luna," she said.

"Hello to you too, Twilight," Luna said. "I must admit, I like the new look."

"Thank you, Luna."

"So, has the bait been set?" Cadence asked, her voice noticeably more regal in a threatening way.

"Yes, it has been," Luna said. "All that remains is for Rarity to assume her other form so we can start the plan."

"Then by all means," Rarity said, assuming her normal unicorn form. "Let us begin."

Back in Canterlot, Celestia was waiting for Rainbow and the others to arrive, looking the the table in the center of the room, deeply worried for the Empire and Cadence. She heard hoofsteps approaching, and turned around. She was dismayed to not see Luna. "Where's Luna?" she asked Rainbow, who simply gave her the note from Luna's room.

Celestia read it, and she became somber. "So, it would seem my sister has fallen yet again," Celestia said.

"But why would she," Spitfire said. "And, if I may ask, what exactly is this room?"

"I have no idea, Spitfire," Celestia said. "As for this room, it is an ancient room built by my grandfather millennium ago to defend Equestria from dark alicorns, or something similar to it. Soarin, I want you to contact the other Knight cells and tell them to begin preparing for a march on the Empire. I'll play along with whatever it is that's going on until Rarity is safe, then we will cleanse the Empire of the dark magic."

"Right," Soarin said, then left the room, unaware of an invisible changeling that had followed him and was reporting to Chrysalis the entire time.

Follow, but do not engage, the changeling queen ordered telepathically, and the changeling drone carried out the orders.

Back in the room, Celestia and the others overlooked a zoomed in view of the Empire and it's surrounding area. "Luna and whoever is controlling her wishes for me to show myself at the Empire's northern edge, here," Celestia said, using her magic to highlight the portion of the Empire.

"I think it would be best if the Knights, while you were in the northern section of the Empire, princess," Shining said, "waited with invisibility spells at the western, southern, and eastern for you to get Rarity out of there, then move in."

"No, captain. The only Knights I will bring with me will be Rainbow, Spitfire, and Soarin, and them only to ensure that it is just Luna, Rarity, and myself."

"But princess-"

"That is my final decision, captain," Celestia said sternly just as Soarin came back, carrying in his magic a very interesting prize.

"How'd that thing get in the castle?!" Shining snarled upon seeing the changeling, even if it was out cold.

"I don't know. The thing just appeared in front of me," Soarin said.

"Did it speak?" Spitfire said.

"Yeah. All it said was 'Beware the gem', and it attacked. I don't know what it meant."

"They must mean Canterlot, the gem of Equestria," Shining said. "They must have more changelings in the city."

Celestia turned to face the three Knights and said. "Change of plans. You three are to assist Shining Armor with finding more changelings in the city. And take this one to the dungeon. I want it interrogated when it wakes up."

"Understood, Ma'am," Spitfire said before leaving the room with Soarin and Shining, but Rainbow stayed behind.

"What is it, Rainbow?"

"Well, it's just, what if Chrysalis is trying to make sure you come alone, if she's with whoever's controlling Luna, I mean?"

"I doubt that, Rainbow," Celestia said. "Throughout history, changelings have never shown that level of intelligence. Even when she was posing as Cadence, she made the mistake of alienating Twilight, which led to her discovery."

"Yeah, I guess," Rainbow said. "I'll handle the questioning," she said as she left.

"I was hoping you would," Celestia said in a small whisper before disappearing to her room to prepare.

"He's been discovered," Chrysalis said with a small grin to her allies, "and they took the bait."

"Good," Twilight said, "but Luna, how can you be certain she'll be there in a week?"

"'Tis a common courtesy that any exchanges involving a royal or their beloved takes place a week after the note is delivered. I will not break that tradition now," Luna said.

"I guess we'll have to live with that," Twilight said, getting up from the throne. "Now, to have a little fun with the prisoners," she said.

"I must see this," Chrysalis said, and the others, even Cadence, agreed, and followed Twilight.

When they made it to the prison cells under the palace, Twilight stopped. "So, Cadence, who here do you think deserves my special treatment?"

Cadence put a hoof to her chin. "Hm, I'd say this one," she said, using her magic to open a cell. "He was too inquisitive as to the truth of what happened to you, and I had him arrested for treason before he got too far."

"Alright, then," Twilight said as she walked into the cell. When she saw the one shackled to the wall, a devilish grin appeared on her face. "Hello, Flash," she said.

The orange pegasus' coat and mane were filled with dirt and grime. One of his eyes was swollen shut, and he had dried blood all over him. He looked up. "T-Twilight," he said weakly.

"That's Empress Twilight to you, Flash," Twilight said in an ironically caring voice, stroking a hoof over his chest. "What did you do to deserve this?"

"I was just trying to find out what happened to you," Flash said.

"Oh, well, I'm touched. What did you find out," she said, bringing her face closer to his face.

"Almost nothing," he said.

Twilight closed the distance between her muzzle and his right ear and said, in a small whisper, one a lover would speak in, and said, "Good," before using her magic to add strength to her hoof, and thrust it through the former guard's gut to the wall. "And it'll stay that way," she finished, pulling her hoof out and causing a spurt of blood to come out of the surprised pegasus and used her magic to shield herself from the fountain of blood and to clean her hoof.

The last word to leave Flash's mouth before he died was a weak, "Why?", to which he got no response.(2)

The lavender alicorn left the cell. "Any others who began to ask questions?"

"A few, actually," Nightmare said, opening another cell. "She actually got further then Flash. I think her name is Amethyst Shine."

"Then let's see what she knows, and why she asked," Twilight said as she walked into the cell.

The mare was in noticeably better condition then Flash was. "Hello, Princess," she said.

"That's Empress Twilight."

"Of course, Empress," Amethyst Shine said with a small head bow. She had a bright purple coat and a white mane and tail, with a horn coming from her forehead. "Are you here to kill me?"

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "That all depends on what you know, and why. If I like the answers, I'll let you live. If not, then you should beg for a quick death," she said calmly.

"Of course," the unicorn said. "I began to ask because I had looked up to you as an example of what happens when ponies try their hardest, and I was always a inquisitor." The mare chuckled. "Plus, I always thought you'd be a better ruler then princess Celestia. As for what I learned. Well, I did find a special book in the museum dedicated to you, and I sensed the magic in it, and, the night after, I broke in and took it. When I opened it, I found everything.

"And you have my allegiance, my Empress," she said with another head bow.

"Chrysalis, ask Pinkie if she knows the name Amethyst from that group," Twilight said through the mental link she had made with the others shortly before coming down here.

"She doesn't, and she would know of her if she was," Chrysalis replied. "And I can sense her emotions. She has no fear, but all admiration. She is telling the truth."

"Good," she said over the link before speaking to the unicorn mare. "How do I know you won't betray me?"

"I could have easily gone to Celestia and told her of it, but didn't. I am devoted to you and your allies, Empress. Please, let me serve you to the best of my ability."

Twilight thought on this for a moment, then said, "Okay, but if there is even a small hint at you working for Celestia, I will not hesitate to kill you. Is that clear?" she said, releasing Amethyst from her shackles.

"Yes, Empress," she said with a bow.

Twilight smiled. "Good. You are to stay with me and my allies while we are down here. After that, you are to remain in the Empire."

"Yes, Empress."

"Then follow," Twilight said, exiting the room with Amethyst getting up and following. "Any idea how that book got there?" she asked Cadence in a whisper.

"Plasma sent it to me and said that the first one to read it would help us, so I put it in the museum."

"Where any pony could have gotten it?!" Twilight said in an angry whisper.

"You forget that any who would have would have been on the receiving end of an angry alicorn. Only the brave or the stupid would try."

"Fair enough," Twilight said as another cell door was opened. "Now it's time to see if she's telling the truth," Twilight said. "Who's in this cell?"

"Amethyst's sister, Opal Radiance," Cadence said, smiling at the irony.

"Excellent," Twilight said before entering the cell.

"What do you want, traitor," Opal, a unicorn mare with a white coat and a silver-gray mane and tail, said.

"Nothing," Twilight said coldly. "You're just a part of an initiation."

"For who?"

"Amethyst, come in here."

Opal's eyes widened. "No, she wouldn't join you! She'd rather die then betray Celestia."

As Amethyst walked in, Twilight said, "Are you sure of that? She's right here."

"What is it you require, my Empress," Amethyst said.

"I want you to. . . . . . kill Opal." As Twilight said this, she brought a sharp rock up from the floor and gave it to Amethyst.

Amethyst just stared at the rock before she looked at her sister, indecision in her eyes. She rose the rock up, and made her decision.

The rock came down, and Twilight smiled. "I knew you'd do that, Amethyst," she said as Opal opened her eyes.

"What," Opal said. "You planned for this?"

"Of course. I don't want a killer who kills just because she's ordered to in my alliance. If she had a reason to beyond you simply annoying her all siblings do, I'd actually want her to, but you haven't, and she passed the test." Twilight turned to face Amethyst. "Welcome to the Eclipses, Amethyst."

"Thank you, Empress," Amethyst said. "Truly, thank you."

"Amethyst," Twilight said. "Call me Twilight. You're an Eclipse now, and we are all equals."

"Th-thank you, Twilight."

"Of course. I want you and the others to go back up to the palace. I still have some issues to take care of."

"Right," Amethyst said, excitement barely contained in her voice before she left, leaving Twilight and Opal in the cell.

"So, why is it you are loyal to Celestia," Twilight said, "but Amethyst isn't?"

"I don't know. She never liked Celestia as a filly. Why? What is it to you?"

"Oh, nothing," Twilight said. "I simply wanted to know coming from you before I made you loyal to me. Maybe as my own personal servant," she said, charging the loyalty spell.

"I'll never become your slave, bitch."

"Never say never, slave," Twilight said as she blasted the loyalty spell at Opal.

It hit her, and she shook her head to clear the disorientation. She then said, "Please forgive me, my Empress. I was not in the right mind."

"I know, Opal," Twilight said as she released her new servant. "Come. I'll take you to your new room," she said, and she led Opal out of the room.(3)

A few hours later, Twilight and the others, now including a darkness ascended Amethyst with a darker coat, wings on her barrel, and draconic pupils, her mane and tail ethereal, her teeth that of a predator's, stood around a table that counted as their war table.

"So, what will the plan be, juts to make sure I fully understand it, including what's already happened?"

"Right," Galaxy said. "The first part of the plan, which went off without a hitch, was for Celestia and Rarity, or somepony loyal to our cause, to fall in love."

"Something I did only for the plan," Rarity, in her nightmare form, added.

"Yeah. Anyway, the next part was to make sure that your return went off without being detected, and it wasn't," Galaxy said.

"The third part was to make sure Celestia knew something was going on," Nightmare said. "Just not what."

"Four was to make it to where only Celestia would come due to a potential changeling threat to Canterlot," Chrysalis said. "As well as give her a reason for her to really come alone, instead of with some of those 'Knights' of hers."

"Part five," Luna said. "Well, you came up with that, and we caught Amethyst up on it before this meeting, so we all know that one."

"Good," Twilight said. "Is the field up and ready?"

"It simply waits for you to activate it, Twilight," Nightmare said.

Twilight smiled. "Good. I have a surprise for Celestia. I just need to test it. It's a good thing there are plenty of ponies I can test it out on in the dungeon."

"Do you need help," Twilight," Amethyst asked.

"No. It's a simple spell, really. Ironically, as Celestia made it to make sure unicorns weren't a problem before inhibitor rings were made."

"Then it's settled," Rarity said. "One way or another, this ends next week."

Execution

It's been six days since the note in Luna's chambers told Celestia to come to the northern part of the Crystal Empire, and Rainbow was currently interrogating the changeling they found, and they hadn't gotten anything. "Again: why did you reveal yourself?!" Rainbow asked, a little aggravated.

The changeling just stared at her, saying nothing.

"Uh, why won't you talk!?" An idea came to Rainbow. "Okay, can you tell me what country you're from?"

"What?" The changeling asked, surprised at the question.

"'What' ain't no country I ever heard of. They speak Equish in What?"

"What?" the changeling asked, certain already something was wrong in the head with Rainbow.

"EQISH, MOTHERBUCKER! DO YOU SPEAK IT!?"

"Yes."

"Then you know what I'm saying?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you reveal yourself!"

"What?" the changeling asked, now just for shits and giggles.

"That's it!" Rainbow yelled, charging her horn. "Say 'what' again! SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN! I DARE YOU, I DOUBLE DARE YOU, SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN. SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN ONE MORE CELESTIADAMN TIME!!"

"Whoa, hold on their, Dash," Spitfire said as she grabbed Rainbow and dragged her away. "The princess said not to harm him with magic."

"What else am I supposed to do, ask nicely?"

"Actually, yes."

This got looks of surprise from both Knights. "Huh?" was all Rainbow could say.

"All you need to do is add 'please' to the end, and I might answer."

"Oh," Spitfire said. "In that case, would you please tell us who your ruler is?"

"Queen Chrysalis."

"The one who attacked Canterlot?" Rainbow asked.

"The same," the changeling said. "And by the way, all my friends call me Reflector, or just Flec."

"Okay then, 'Flec', why did you reveal yourself?"

"Because I wanted to. Simple as that."

"In that case," Rainbow said, "would you please tell us why you're here in Canterlot?"

"Of course," Flec said as one of his brothers relayed a message.

Celestia is a quarter way to the Empire. If they want to catch her, they'll have to fly.

"To deliver two messages, one of which I already delivered."

"Then would you please tell us the second," Spitfire said.

"That the most dangerous poison is the one we changelings seek.

"Love."

"Well, thanks for that," Spitfire said as she and Rainbow left the changeling's cell. "What do you think he meant, RD?"

Rainbow didn't answer, but was going over the two messages. Okay, let's see. Beware the Gem, and the most dangerous poison is love.

Gem. Love. Rainbow's eyes widened. Those were meant for Celestia. They must be using Rarity as a trap. Or worse, she's with them.

"Gotta stop her," she said as she ran to the nearest window.

"Stop who?" Spitfire said, but Rainbow didn't hear her.

Rainbow quickly made it to the nearest window, but, for some reason, when she got in the air, she wasn't able to hit rainboom speeds, so she flew at her best speed, just under half mach one, with Celestia at the same speed, but her headstart meant she would still be in the lead.

A day later

Celestia set down gently at the northern edge of the Empire, seeing not a single soul, unaware that Rainbow had followed, and was closing in.

Her coat, by itself, made it to where she blended in well with the snow, but her mane and tail counteracted that. Just as she landed, she felt something dark, but believed it to just be nerves.

After thirty minutes of waiting, having to use a warming spell, there was a flash of light, and the two mares she had been waiting for appeared.

In front was a gagged Rarity, an inhibitor ring around her horn, her white coat and purple mane and tail were disheveled, torn in some places, and her left eye was swollen shut.

Behind her, in battle armor fit for a royal, colored as black as night with accents of sliver, was Luna. "Hello, Celestia," she said coldly.

"Luna, why have you done this?" Celestia asked.

"Simply because you are a terrible ruler," she said. "And a terrible sister," she added after a second.

"Luna, we both know that isn't true."

"Then why did you not try to release me before the prophecy said I would return, or try to have the Elements cleanse me before by bringing me back? Don't bother lying, I would have still felt your summoning magic if you tried."

"I did that because I hoped you would come back as Luna, not Nightmare Moon."

"It seems you were mistaken there," she said as she saw a small, cyan speck approaching. Perfect, she thought with a smile that went unnoticed. She pushed Rarity to her. "Go, take your lover and leave, The Empire is already with us."

"Us who?" Celestia asked, lighting her horn, unaware of the seed doing so planted in her.

"Why, the Eclipse," Luna said before a single voice that wasn't supposed to be there for Celestia, but Luna welcomed, rang out.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!!" Rainbow yelled, firing a shot of magical energy that was aimed for Rarity.

It seemed to travel in slow motion for Celestia as she saw the beam lance to her lover, but she couldn't do anything, as she felt her magic draining out of her.

She saw the beam strike Rarity in the barrel, and a large scorch mark appear. Thw white unicorn fell to the ground, her eyes still.

"No," Celestia whispered. "No, no, no, no, NO!!" she yelled, her volume increasing every time as she looked at Rainbow, and felt one, small surge of energy flow through her. "I told you to stay away," she said. "Now, you will pay." She then fired a beam of dark magic at Rainbow, who saw it, dodged it, and promptly ran away.

As the beam left her horn, Celestia fell to the ground. As her vision dimmed, she thought she saw Twilight, looking much darker. "Hello again, mother," she said as her horn was lit, and Celestia's wings began to shrink, but Celestia didn't notice, until they were gone.

A few hours later

Twilight and the rest of the Eclipses, including Rarity, who had simply sent an illusion in her place, stood in the palace throne room, deciding what their next move should be.

"So, what do we do next with Celestia?" Nightmare asked.

"That's. . . a little complicated," Twilight said. "I was hoping to make her my student in dark magic, but she said no. Shouldn't be surprised, seeing as how I came up with a back up plan for it."

"Oh? What might that be, darling," Rarity asked.

"That spell field I placed? It was designed to place a seed of darkness in her heart," Twilight said. "That's why the spell she fired was dark magic, and why she got so angry so fast. All that's left is to activate it, and you might not like how, Rarity."

"Why's that?"

"Because, well, it and I'm quoting here, 'in order for the seed to be activated, the afflicted must have blood flowing much more actively, and dopamine must be enhanced'. In short, you and Celestia need to have sex."

"What?" Rarity said in disbelief.

"The spell instructions say that the one the seed is in has to make love with the one they love, and as far as Celestia knows, that's you. It's not my fault that the spell needs it. Besides, didn't you say that if we turned Celestia in anyway, you might be interested?"

"'Tis true, she did say that," Luna said, getting a glare from Rarity.

"Plus," Twilight said, "if you did so, the seed would start spreading instantly, and you'd only need to keep going until it's done, which should be indicated by Celestia's eyes going the same shade of green as mine."

"Is it really the only way," Rarity said.

"Yes, it is."

Rarity sighed. "Then wish me luck," she said as she left the room.

"Well, this is going to be interesting," Cadenece said.

"Indeed it will be, my love," Chrysalis said, as the two had started dating in the past week just after the trap had been placed.

"Well, I don't know about you girls," Amethyst said, "but I'm going to do some reading," she said, leaving the room and going to the library.

"And we'll go make sure the crystal heart is ready for the loyalty spell and is able to transmit it, Twilight," Cadence said as she and the changeling queen left side by side.

"And we," Nightmare said, Luna, Galaxy, and herself, "will make sure the sun and moon still follow their cycle."

With that, Twilight was the only one in the throne room visible. She lit her horn, and, close to the throne, Opal appeared.

"Hello, slave," Twilight said.

"Hello, my Mistress," Opal said, bowing. Ordinarily, Twilight wouldn't have any of those she put under the loyalty spell callin her this, but figured it was appropriate because of the, ahem, activities the two had done. "What do you require of me?" Opal said, still bowing.

"Nothing, simply company for now until Rarity returns, hopefully with Celestia."

"Of course, Mistress. What would you like me to do?"

Twilight said nothing, only lit her horn. "Just hold still for now." As she said this, a small stream of magic came from her horn and made contact with Opal's horn. As it faded, Opal blinked rapidly, and looked around, and, when she saw Twilight, glared.

"You," she said, venom in her voice. "Why is it now you decide to let me have my mind back? Why take it at all?"

"Because, I just wanted to talk with somepony who would give me their actual opinion rather then what they think I want to hear."

"So I'm your therapist?" I think it's a little late for that, seeing as how you killed the stallion who had a crush on you, and killed plan on brainwashing the princess." At Twilight's look, she added, "Yeah, bitch, I remember everything I heard when I was your mind slave, as well as everything else."

"Then why don't you try to run, like any pony would.

"A: I'm not an idiot. B:Not much good getting away would do me if it could, what with Celestia imprisoned. C: You could always just blast me with that spell of yours." She paused. "And, I guess, because I liked it."

"Wait, what?"

Opal shrugged. "Yeah. If I had to guess, I'd say the spell makes me like it, or I subconsciously wanted it." She bowed again. "My Mistress."

Twilight sighed. "Opal, you aren't under my control. Just Empress will do now."

Opal got up, and teleported in front of Twilight, who, to her credit, only jumped a little. "How about 'Love'," she said, bringing Twilight into a full-fledged kiss. Twilight's eyes widened to begin with, but she slowly closed them as the pleasure took over.

A few seconds later, Opal pulled out, allowing Twilight to ask, "Why?"

"I don't know," Opal replied. "But, I always did like your figure, and you new color scheme. Guess It just needed time to grow on me." She giggled. "Just how long do you think Rarity will be gone?"

"I'd guess an hour. Why?"

"This," she said, kissing Twilight again and pushing her to the floor, the alicorn offering no resistance. With Twilight on her back and Opal on top, the two stopped kissing again. "You know, if I had known this was going to happen," Opal said. "I would have asked for it in the cell."

"Why are you complaining when your getting it now," Twilight said, kissing her lover again, their tongues wrestling for domination of the other, this time holding the kiss as Twilight's hoof moved down her lovers body until it reached Opal's glistening marehood. Just the act of Twilight making contact with it made Opal moan in pleasure into Twilight's mouth.

This made Twilight begin to slowly rub her lover's pussy, causing even more moans. Not wanting to look unappreciative, Opal's hoof made it's way to her lover's marehood, and reciprocated the action, causing the lavender alicorn to moan in response.

Opal pulled out of the kiss, still rubbing her lover, and began to move downward, sating, "I always did like this part of the activities we did while I didn't have control over my body." She eventually made it to where she had a good view of her lover's sex. "And I definitely liked how you tasted," she said before she dove in, causing Twilight to shriek out in pleasure.

"Ahh, YES, OPAL! YES!" Twilight screamed. "DON'T STOP, PLEASE, DON'T BUCKING STOP!"

Opal didn't speak, only put her tongue into her lover's slit, and began to lick it like it was a one of a kind delicacy that would soon expire.

As she was, Twilight decided to give her lover the same feeling, and put a hoof on Opal's horn, and began to stroke it, causing Opal to moan into Twilight's sex.

As Twilight stroked faster and faster, a charge began to build up in Opal's horn, just as Twilight felt something in her build up. "O-OPAL, I'M ABOUT TO-AHHH!" Twilight cried out in pleasure, unable to finish her sentence.

Not a second later, a stream of marecum rushed out of her wet slit and onto her lovers face, and a jet of magic came out of Opal's horn and washed over the two of them, the magic disappeared shortly after it made contact with Twilight's coat. Opal's muzzle was wet with Twilight's fluids as she pulled out of her lover's slit and crawled back up to Twilight's face, both mares smiling.

"I love you, Opal," Twilight said, panting.

"I love you too, Twilight," Opal said, kissing her lover.

As Rarity was making her way to the cell where Celestia was being held, she decided she would stay in her nightmare from, saying that Twilight could only save her by giving her this body. "I can't believe I'm practically selling my self for this," she muttered as she reached Celestia's cell. The two guards, crystal ponies that had been enthralled by Nightmare with the loyalty spell Twilight had taught them after she returned, moved aside and let her pass, not saying a word, but they did unlock the door.

Rarity opened the door, and let out a genuine gasp at the sight of Celestia's current state.

Her coat was stained with dirt, her once beautiful etheric mane and tail now hanging limp like any normal mane and tail, and they too were stained with dirt. Her eyes were bloodshot, most likely from crying over Rarity's death. Well, her supposed death, anyway. Around the base of her horn was an inhibitor ring that prevented her from doing even the simplest spells. Where she once had wings, she had a plain barrel, a spell Twilight learned from the former alicorn's journal being the cause.

"What, come to torture me, or to kill me?" she said as she looked away from the door, not even looking at who entered.

"Now, why would I do that, Celly," Rarity asked, causing Celestia to spin around in shock.

"Rarity?" she asked in hope before she saw her lover's form. "What did they did to you," she asked, horror in her voice.

"They saved me, Celly," Rarity said.

"What do you mean?" Celestia said.

"When i was hit by that beam of magic, I was barely alive. Twilight appeared, and I suppose Luna told her of what happened. I guess she asked me something, and I responded right, and she gave me this form, saying after that it was the only way they could save me. I deided to go with it, as I knew you wouldn't be able to handle losing me," she said as she walked over to Celestia and nuzzled her, which made the now white unicorn visibly relax.

"But why did the guards let you through?"

"Well, Twilight did give me permission to visit you once per day," Rarity said as she made her face level with Celestia's. "That, and I'm allied with her," she said before pulling Celestia into a kiss, the second mare's eyes widening in surprise, but she quickly pushed Rarity away.

"Get away from me, Rarity!" she yelled.

"But Celestia," Rarity said, "you already lost, and I only allied myself with her so I could see you. If I could, I would try to get the both of us away, but she put an anti-teleportation spell over the Empire."

"But why are you here? You know that Twilight wants me dead."

"No, she doesn't, Celestia," Rarity said. "Yes, she may hate you, and she did tell me the reasons as to why, but she never explicitly said she wanted you dead. If she did, then why bring you here, when she just could have left you where you were, and let you freeze to death."

"She told you I'm her mother?"

"Yes, and, though I do not like the idea of the one I love being the mother to one of my best friends, I can look past it." Rarity giggled. "After all, you are still the most beautiful mare I've ever seen, darling."

"How? Look at me," Celestia said.

Rarity only pulled up to her and gave Celestia a small kiss. "Did I say I meant your physical looks?"

Celestia chuckled. "No, I suppose not. But still, why would you side with her?"

"Well, for one, she is still caring. In fact, there was this one mare who found out the truth, and Twilight let her join us. She is willing to do the same with you, you know?"

"Yes, but I'd have to learn dark magic, something I swore I'd never do."

"Even if it meant we never saw one another," Rarity said, looking at Celestia with sad eyes. Not pleading, just. . . sad.

"Rarity, I never want to be away from you, and if I had to choose between you and being killed or what ever it is Twilight has planned, I'd want to be with you, but I swore to myself when Luna became Nightmare Moon, I would never learn dark magic."

"Who said you had a choice," Rarity said as she tackled Celestia to the floor, partly out of lust, and partly because she just wanted t get it over with, and began to rub Celestia's marehood so fast, Celestia's moans were heard throughout the cell block.

"Rarity, what are you doing," she yelled.

"Isn't it obvious, Celly," Rarity said as she kissed Celestia. "Having fun. Don't you enjoy it?"

Whatever Celestia was about to say, it was interrupted by another moan as Rarity pushed her hoof into Celestia. "AHHH, YES, Rarity, don't stop, please!"

"I knew you wanted it," Rarity said, rubbing faster.

"I don't want it, I need it," Celestia growled, pulling Rarity into a deep kiss, neither noticing the whites of the former alicorn's eyes beginning to turn green.

"I want to eat you out, Rarity," Celestia said as Rarity pulled out of the kiss.

Rarity smiled and got up, and sat down, facing the door, and said, "Then what's stopping you?"

Celestia let a devious smile loose, her whites slowly becoming greener, and laid down behind Rarity, getting an eyeful of her marehood, before diving in, causing Rarity to gasp. "Oh, yes," she said in a sigh. "Yesss, faster, Celestia."

Celestia complied, causing Rarity to moan loudly and in shorter intervals.

After nearly ten minutes of this, Rarity screamed in pleasure, "OH, CELLY, I'M ABOUT TO CUM!!"

"Then let me drink it down like the dirty whorse I am, Rarity," Celestia said, the whites of her eyes now entirely green.

Rarity said nothing, only shriek as she released jets of marecum onto Celestia's face. "AHHHH! AHHHH! Ahh." she said as she came down and Celestia moved next to her.

"I love you, Rarity," Celestia said.

"I love you too, Celly," Rarity said, with genuine love behind it.

After a minute of panting. "You know, I think just being with you is worth taking Twilight up on her offer to teach me dark magic," Celestia said, getting up on wobbly legs.

"Then why keep her waiting," Rarity said, getting up with Celestia, and the two left the cell and made their way to the throne room.

Twilight sat on her throne, Opal sitting next to her, and smiled slightly when she saw Rarity and Celestia walk in, side by side. "So, mother," she said to Celestia, "have you decided to take up my offer?"

"Of course," Celestia said, bowing, "my Empress."

Secondary author's notes

Thus ends the first arc of the story. The second arc will be the hunting of the Knights. And yes, it will be with this story, for those of you who didn't see the incomplete tag.

Arrival

It has been a month since Twilight and the Eclipses had succeeded in overthrowing, and subsequently turning, Celestia, and, all in all, the citizens were happy.

One of the first things Twilight had done was, for one, standardize magic education, and even make programs to help unicorns and pegasai that were having trouble with their respective brands of magic. This had actually helped pegasai like Scootaloo, who had trouble flting, to get to normal levels, and even past that.

Equestria and the Empire, now the Eclipse Empire collectively, even had it's own army now, trained by ponies and changelings alike. As a part of this, a changeling relation program had been started, and it showed what kinds of conditions they lived in, which was pretty terrible. This got the race in general a lot of sympathy, and it was now common for changelings, undisguised, working and living along side ponies.

One new law that had been made was that any and all magic research was to no longer be independent and unmonitored, but handled by unicorns that had been appointed by Twilight and the others, so as to avoid any huge, world ending spell being created by the, to use a technical term, ponies who are coo-coo for coco puffs. This was also a popular decision. One such project was one sanctioned by Twilight into creating duplicates of the mirror portal, but went to other worlds.

As for said already existing portal, Twilight was currently working on fiind a way that would let her keep her powers while retaining her form on that end of the portal, as she would need it when the time came to bring in allies from that side.

Right now, though, she was teaching her student a new technique.

"Now, one well known but hard to pull off dark magic spell is the ability to melt one's self into shadows, but still be able to control their body. The key is to imagine yourself as the wind, but directing it. Is that clear, my student," Twilight asked.

"Yes, Empress," Celestia, now a unicorn with the white's of her eyes entirely green and purple eyeliner on her eyelids, said.

"Good," Twilight said with a small smile. "Now, I do not want you to try this until I say so. Don't want to risk you killing yourself, now do we?"

"No, Empress."

"In that case, class is over with for today," Twilight said as her marefriend, Opal, and Rarity, in her alicorn nightmare form, walked into the throne room.

Hey, sweetie," Twilight said as she walked up to and hugged Opal. "How are you?"

"Good. I just wish you's use some of the time you use to teach Celestia, you'd let me watch, if only so I can be with you."

"It'd be too dangerous, Opal," Twilight said. "I want that too, but I don't want to run the risk of you dying."

"And what about you?"

Twilight tapped her dark magic Element. "I have protection against it, and Celestia would be, physically speaking, unharmed, and I make sure to keep a magical copy of her mind from the start of the lesson. The only way we'd be harmed is if Rainbow or another Knight that's still against us got in the palace."

Upon hearing of Celestia's defeat, as well as seeing that what Twilight and the others had done had helped Equestria more than harmed it, a group of Solar Knights, their numbers at fifty, had revealed themselves and had, to Twilight's surprise, pledged themselves to the Eclipse's service.

"Yeah, I guess so," Opal said. "Still wish I could at least watch."

"I know," Twilight said before kissing Opal.

"Hello, Celly," Rarity said, nuzzling her marefriend. "I must say, I like the eyeliner."

"Thank you, Rarity," Celestia said. "I did do it for you, after all. It is our one year anniversary, after all. And besides, you did change your look, and it is much more attractive than before."

"Oh, thank you, my dear," Rarity said as she kissed Celestia.

Before things could escalate, Sapphire Spirit, one of the turncoats, walked in and bowed, saying, "Empress, our scouts have detected a faint dimensional reading coming from the north."

"Ugh," Twilight groaned. "Do they know what it is, exactly?"

"No, Empress, but the readings had it becoming stronger, indicating something's coming through."

Twilight put a hoof on her chin, thinking on what to do. "When it comes through," she finally said, "bring it here if it doesn't attack. If it does, destroy it."

Sapphire bowed her head. "Yes, Empress," she said before running out of the room.

"Wonder what it is," Rarity said.

"We''l find out soon enough," Twilight said, walking to the door and opening it. "Tell the other rulers that I need them as soon as possible," she said to the changeling-unicorn guard duo outside, both of whom nodded, and she stepped back inside.

"The others will be getting here soon, hopefully," Twilight said to the others.

"Then what do you require of me, Empress?" Celestia said, bowing.

"I want you to stay here and watch what ever will happen, Celestia. You can stay if you want, Opal, but I hope you don't for your safety."

"I'm staying for this, Twilight, whether you want me to or not," Opal said.

Twilight sighed. "Can't say I'm surprised," she said. "In that case, we wait for the others."

Thirty minutes later, all of the Eclipses, as well as Opal and Celestia, were in the palace throne room. Twilight had filled them all in as to the situation, and they were simply waiting, as the changeling guard outside had informed them that something had come through and Sapphire was bringing it to them.

"Any idea what it is?" Csdence asked.

"We'll find out soon enough," Twilight said.

"Well, let's hope they get here soon," Nightmare said.

Two minutes later, the doors opened, and Sapphire walked in. Bowing, she said, "Empresses, we've brought what came through the dimensional rift. In fact, it actually requested to speak with you."

"Well, don't keep us waiting," Galaxy said.

"Yes, Empress Galaxy," Sapphire said. "Bring him in!"

Once the last syllable left her mouth, two Lunar Knights, the term for the turncoat Solar Knights, walked into the room. Between them was a figure that resembled the humans from the other side of the mirror. It had hooves where the feet should be. It's skin was green, and had a hard appearance like chitin. On it's forehead was a jagged, changeling like horn. It's body was dressed with a strange armor thta had a bone like appearance. On his back were two gossamer wings. On his neck was a black collar, with a teal gem shaped like a hornet.

"And just who are you?" Twilight asked.

The figure bowed his head and said, "I am Green Mist, zealot of Plasma, and bearer of the Element of Deceit."

Green Mist

Twilight lit her horn and took the human like changeling's throat in her grasp, and said, "Everyone, out. Now." The rage in her voice made it obvious she didn't want to argue, and the Eclispes, Opal, and Celestia, as well as the Lunar Knights, left, leaving Twilight and Green Mist alone.

"Now," Twilight said, green mist with a lower case "g" and "m" began to come from her eyes. "How do you know Plasma?"

Still getting strangled, Green Mist chocked out, "Be-because he sent me here."

"And just who are you to him? And where are you from?" Twilight growled, lessening her grip.

"I was his top lieutenant, his zealot, until he was killed by one of descendants. His last command to me was to gain allies to strike back, and he gave the ability walk between dimensions. I've been in only one other besides this and my home, and it is where I came from."

Twilight eyes Green Mist. "And how do I know this isn't a trick?"

"You have the Element of Dark Magic, and I the Element of Deceit, Plasma's Elements . We must stick together to defeat Harmony's Elements, especially considering they are more numerous and the one who killed Plasma is the bearer of one of them."

"You said it yourself, Green Mist," Twilight said. "You're the Element of deceit. Other ponies may be trusting to the point of stupidity, but not me. Unless you give me a reason to believe you, I'll crush your throat slowly, more so then I did to an old friend of mine a year ago."

"Well, I know you wish to find a way to your equivalent of the human world with your powers intact," Green Mist said, "and I know of a way for that, as well as to be able to blend in with them."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "And how could you do that?

As much as he could, the changeling chuckled. "Because I learned that spell during my time in the last dimension," he said, lighting his horn, with his name sake surrounding him before dissipating, a changeling with a green carapace where he once stood. "It allows me to change my form at will," Green Mist said.

"Plus, I used it to great effect with my powers still being active," he said. "So? Do you still wish to kill me, or do we have an alliance?"

Twilight thought about it before saying, "Yes, but if I so much as even get a suspicion that you're planning on betraying me or the others, I'll make you wish I had slowly crushed your body, leaving nothing but a bloody mess." She yanked Green Mist to her face. "Do I make my self clear?"

"Crystal," Green Mist said, returning to his hybrid form.

"Good," Twilight said as she got up and left the room. "I'll meet you back here in an hour with the others we'll bring with us." Se then left the room.

Once she had left and he was certain no one was listening, Green Mist let out a cliched villain laugh. "Too easy," he said. "Even more so then those Guardians, and I started from scratch with those idiots. I simply need to ensure Lone Shadow doesn't find out I'm here before I can succeed, even if it would take him a while to get here." He then reached out quickly with his left arm and tightened his hand, causing it to encircle something, even though it looked like he was grabbing thin air. "Hello, Discord."

The air shimmered, and there appeared the god of chaos, Green Mist's hand around his throat, and the spell he had cast during his transformation preventing Discord from teleporting. "I guess we should have figured you'd still be following Plasma, huh? How'd you sense me, anyway," he said in an unusually serious tone.

"You forget, Plasma gave me many of my powers, including being able to tell when some one is spying on me. I'm surprised Twilight hasn't come after you," Green Mist said.

Discord chuckled. "Oh, she did, but I do have a hiding spot not even Celestia knows about. You do realize that, if you kill me, they will know you're here, and I could just tell them you're here? You're going to be discovered."

"Oh, I do," Green Mist said. "This isn't my second stop, after all," he said, opening a portal. "Have fun," he said before pushing Discord through it. A second, whose colors were much darker, came through.

"What do you require of me, Master," it said.

"Keep false reports flowing," Green Mist said. "I don't want to risk Harmony or her allies discovering me before I'm ready."

The duplicate Discord nodded, then disappeared. "Now, then," Green Mist said as he sat upon Twilight's throne, a smug smile on his face. "Who should I brainwash first?"

As he contemplated this, in the shadows was a particular female changeling with a bright pink carapace.

"This is bad," Pinkie said before she disappeared in a flash, which Green mist noticed.

He only scoffed. "You'll need to get here quickly, Lone, to stop me, and my plan to avenge Plasma and his brother," he said, a smug smile on his face as he summoned a sword that seemed to be made of bone, and had an emerald sheen to the edge. "And you'll need everyone.

"Including dear Chrysalis and her daughters," Green Mist said before letting loose a small chuckle.

New conquest

An hour after Twilight had left Green Mist in the throne room, she returned, with Cadence, Chrysalis, Celestia, and Galaxy.

"And what took you so long," Green Mist said, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"I had to get some stuff ready," Twilight said, gesturing to her saddlebags. "Now, how about that transformation spell?"

Green Mist rolled his eyes, or at least as much as he could, given his eyes were the normal changeling eye style. "Fine," he said. "Simply imagine yourself as a certain form, and you'll become it. Given where we're going, it would be best to go what the humans would call 'anthro', which is what I currently am, and it can pass for human at a distance, which means you'll need an illusion spell for close in inspection. And it might be best to create clothes, as nudity is a taboo there."

"He's right," Twilight said as she lit her horn and was enveloped in a dark purple orb, which grew as it was there longer. When it faded, Twilight emerged, this time with a build somewhat similar to Green Mist's body, but it was distinctly more female. She wore a dark purple shirt that hugged her cest, revealing her modest sized chest with a leather jacket that went to just under her ribs, and leather jeans, her cutie mark on the side, as well as boots that had the same dark cutie mark on them as the ones on her hooves when in pony form, her skin the same shade as it was when she went through the mirror. "I thnik I like this better," she said, as stretched her new body to get used to it.

"I see you went with the bad girl look," Green Mist said.

"What can I say, I did like how Sunset Shimmer dressed, and I always wanted to try it." Even with out the influence from the book, which had weakened quite a bit, this was true. Twilight, even when facing off against Sunset, had just found something about that outfit, for lack of a better word, sexy, even if she wasn't attracted to Sunset.

"I know I like it," Cadence said, repeating the spell, and the end result being much the same, but the shirt was more dark pink, and it was tight as well, showing off a chest larger then Twilight's, high heels, and her hair in a pony tail, and I am aware of the irony in that, with dark pink highlights, and a few locks covering her left eye, with dark eye shadow going. "So, Chryssi, how do I look?"

Before she responded, Chrysalis performed the spell, and the result was the exact same as Cadence, but her hair, instead of a pony tail, went just past her shoulders, and it was entirely green, and the pink shirt was instead green, but, aside from that, it was the exact same. She pulled Cadence into a hug and gave her a kiss. "As beautiful as ever, Cady," she said, which made Caence smile.

"Can we please get this over with," Green Mist said. Seriously. If there's one good thing I can say about Lone Shadow is that he didn't get all kissy-feely with his love before a large battle. They shared a kiss, and that was about it.

"Oh, shove it," Galaxy said as she transformed. When it was done, she was as tall as Twilight, about three-quarters as tall as Cadence, which was the also the height of pony Celestia. Twilight's height, not Cadence's. Her shirt, which showed a small chest, was dark green, and she wore simple, mesh shoes. As much as an anthro pony could, anyway.

Celestia was the last, and, as an anthro, was taller then the others, her shirt, which showed a barely above average chest, not much larger then Twilight's, her leather pants tight and showing her moderate ass. The shirt's neck line was low, and it showed the upper part of her clevage. She flipped her hair, which no longer blew in an invisible wind, a hand on her hip, which jutted out a little, like she was the kind of woman who was on the runway. "I can see why you like this form, Empress," she said to her daughter, adding a sultry smile. "It's quite hot."

"Celestia," Twilight said, "you don't need to call me Empress anymore. You are my mom, and you've shown that you're good for becoming an Eclipse." Not making you a dark alicorn, yet, though.

Celestia smiled a little as Green Mist did the changeling equivalent of rolling his eyes. "Thanks, Twilight," she said, speaking Twilight's name for the first time since her corruption.

Green Mist lit his horn, and a small dimensional portal opened. "Can we please get this over with," he said, annoyance in his voice.

"Green Mist, please shut up," Twilight said. "There's something else I'm waiting on, though."

"And what's that, Twilight?" Cadence said.

"Just give it a few moments," Twilight said. Indeed, a few moments later, the doors to the throne room burst open, and, surrounded by Lunar Knights, was Rainbow Dash.

"What's she doing here," Galaxy asked, snarling.

"Surrendering," Rainbow said. "Most Knights already defected, and, in all honesty, most of us don't really see a reason to fight anymore, as you haven't done anything bad since taking the throne, Twilight."

Twilight smiled. "Good," she said. "And I think I have the perfect place for you," she said as Green Mist face palmed, silently praying that he'd just be killed or that Lone Shadow would break this up, even if it meant his death. Twilight strutted over to Rainbow, and stroked the cyan alicorn's cheek with a finger. "Want to know what it is?"

"Not really," Rainbow said.

"Well, here it is anyway." Twilight leaned in close to Rainbow's ear. "A prisoner." She leaned back. "Take her away," she told the guards, who bowed, and left with Rainbow in the middle.

"Now that that's taken care of, we can go now," Twilight said, and they all went through the portal.

Sunset was having a normal, if boring, day at school. She woke up at six a.m., got ready for school, and had been here since seven-forty five. Now, for her, there were two things that made it bearable. The first, and universal one, was that it was only a few minutes until it let out. The second, and exclusive one, was her girlfriend, Adagio.

She and the other two sirens had reconciled a few weeks after the battle of the bands. Some of the students, and even a small few teachers, gave them a hard time, but with Sunset and the others accepting them, most had at least given them a chance. It had been just a week ago that she and Adagio had discovered their feelings for one another, and had their first date just two days ago on saturday night.

They went to the movie theater. They had watched a corny comedy/action film. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. It was funny as hell, and at one point, Sunset thought her lungs were going to implode from how much she was laughing.

A minute from when the bell was supposed to ring, her teacher, Miss Cheerilee, and the other students in the room, including Applejack and Fluttershy, took on a blank look. No emotions, they just stared forward.

Sunset Shimmer, Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, and Aria Blaze, report to the principal's office.

Sunset shrugged, but got up and grabbed her backpack, and left the room the others still having blank expressions on their faces. She found it a little odd that principal Celestia had called for the four of them, but figured it was important.

When she made it to the office door, she saw her girlfriend and the other two ex-sirens there, proably waiting for her. "Hey, Dagi," she said as she smacked her girlfriends ass, causing her to jump. "You look as beautiful as ever."

While Sonata and Aria snickered, Adagio turned around and took Sunset in a hug. "Hey, Sunny," she replied, giving Sunset a small peck on the lips. "We were waiting for you to get here to see what Celestia wants."

"Well, let's not keep her waiting then," Sunset said as she and Adagio let go of one another and she opened the door, only to be surprised at what hit her senses.

The first thing came to her ears. The four of them heard small moaning and gasping. The second hit their eyes, but it took a while for their brains to process it.

What they saw was, I shit you not, Twilight in her anthro form, as well as a second woman who looked about Twilight's age, with green skin, but the odd things were they had horns and wings. That, and they were both naked, playing with themselves, as fully human Celestia ate out her sister, both of them entirely nude as well.

"Uh, Twilight, what's going on," Sunset said, wanting to look away but unable, just like a train wreck.

"Oh, hey, Sunset," Twilight said in between moans. "Glad to see you made it."

Sunset, and the ex-sirens, for that matter, did the one thing that came(any jokes about this in the comments will be nuked) to mind. They blacked out, and fell on the floor.

A few hours later, Sunset woke up on the couch in the main office. "Well, it's about time," she heard an unfamiliar voice say.

She opened her eys, and saw a woman with dark pink skin standing over her, the woman's hair being a dark pink like her skin with highlights of navy blue and dark red. She wore a dark pink shirt tht left little to the imagination, a leather jacket and jeans, and high heels.

"Who are you," Sunset asked.

"Queen Cadence," she said. "I'm a friend of Twilight's. And no, you weren't dreaming what you saw earlier. Twilight's become a lot. . . kinkier in the last year, and she's wanted to see those two eat each other out for the past week."

"Wait, you're Cadence," Sunset said. "Twilight's foalsitter?"

"Yep," Cadence said, helping Sunset up. "I imagine you have a lot of questions?"

"Yeah, like what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the Crystal Empire?"

"We have aides to look over stuff while we're here," Cadence said with a wave of her hand.

"And why are you here?"

"I can answer that one, Sunset," Twilight, fully clothed, said, walking into the main office from the hall entrance. "I'm here to give you an offer I know you can't resist."

"And what's that?" Sunset asked warily, but also curious.

"To give you a place in Equestria's new government," Twilight said, pulling out from behind her, to Sunset's amazement, an amulet with her cutie mark on it, but the colors being darker. "I know that, deep down, you still want power, but you don't want to lose your friends. I can say you won't. Rarity from my side of the portal's with us, and so is Pinkie, Applejack, and Fluttershy."

"What about Rainbow," Sunset asked, feeling a desire, no, a need, to take that amulet, but not wanting to just yet.

"She tried to lead a rebellion," Cadence said. "She's still alive, just imprisoned."

"And what about Adagio and the others?" Sunset asked.

"I gave them the same offer," Twilight said. "Sonata and Aria said they wouldn't unless Adagio accepted, and she said the same with you." Twilight held the amulet out. "So, what do you say?"

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "One more question for now: Why were you and the other one masturbating while watching Principal Celestia eat out Vice Principal Luna?"

"First, her name's Galaxy, and come on, like you weren't slightly tempted to do so when you saw Celestia's ass in the air and Luna's tits hanging free?"

Damn it, she's right, Sunset thought. Hell, she was wet with arousal just thinking about it. Double hell, she was tempted to just spank Celestia's ass and eat Adagio right then and there. "Okay, and what if I say no to the proposal?"

"You, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata would be imprisoned until you either died or accepted the offer," Cadence said. "So, what do you say?"

Both scenarios ran through Sunset's head. On one hand, the one where she took the offer, she and Adagio would still be together, but there was no telling what would happen to her if she put that amulet on. On the other, the one where she said no, she may not see Adagio again, but she would most definitely remain herself.

The choice for her was obvious.

She took the amulet in her hands and placed it around her neck. As soon as the clasp was closed, an orb of blue and black flames enveloped her. Whne it faded, she was the same hieght, but her appearence was that of when she was a she-demon. The odd thing? She didn't feel like a monster. She liked it, and wondered why she hadn't tried to find a way to get back to it sooner.

"So, like the new body, Sunset," Twilight asked.

"I think you mean 'love it', Twilight," Sunset said, her voice a mix between her human and she-demon voices. "And yes, I do. So, can I see Adagio now?"

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, you can. Just follow me. Cadence," she said to her comrade, "head back to the hotel. I 'll take care of this."

Cadence nodded, then left the room by teleportation, as she still had her powers.

Cadence reappeared in the hotel room. When they had first arrived, Twilight had used the loyalty spell on those in the building, and gave them all rooms free, as well as room service. As she made her way to he rroom, the various people she passed bowed and said, "Empress Cadence," in a whisper. Her room was, like the other's, on the top floor. She entered her room, and procceded to strip off and get in the shower. As she got in and got the water flowing, she didn't hear a certain changeling sneak in, their horn lit.

As the hot water flowed down Cadence's body, she decided to turn the teperature down, and the water became icy cold. Her right hand made it's way to her wet, tight slit, and her left made it's way to her left breast, her nipple erect.

She began rubbing herself slowly, her right hand massaging her slit, her left massaging her sensitive nipple. She slowly sped up, her middle finger now going in and out, causing her to moan in pleasure as she pinched her nipple, her eyes closed in pleasure. As she pleasured herself, she heard footsteps enter the bathroom, the sound of clothing coming off, and get in the shower with her, two hands grabbing her tits.

"Ohhhh, Chrysi," she said, only to not here her marefriends voice as something clapmed down on her horn.

"I'm not Chrysalis," Green Mist said, "and soon, you and her will see me as the one you take orders from." He teleported the two of them out of the shower and to the bedroom.

Cadence panicked, and tried to escape, but couldn't. "Ah, ah, a member of the Brotherhood must do whatever their zealot says," Green Mist said as he grabbed Cadence's shoulder, spun her around, and forced her to her knees, giving her a an eyeful of Green Mist's huge, thick cock.

As she opened her mouth to protest, Green Mist rammed his member into her mouth, causing Cadence to gag, but, at the same time, caused pleasure to go through her body. Her mind didn't want it, but her body did. She began to slide her head back and forth, Grene mist's cock so big, she couldn't take his full length, only able to get half of it before it reached the back of her throat.

"See, I knew you were a little slut," Green Mist said. "You like it, don't you?"

"Mmmph hm," Cadence moaned out, causing pleaure to rack Green Mist's body, and she only increased her speed. As she continued to suck, a green gleam seemed to come from her eyes as she looked up at Green Mist, who smiled.

Cadence began playing with her tits and her wet pussy, causing her to moan in pleasure even more. She put her middle finger inside herself, followed by her index and ring, then, finally, her pinkie, while she pinched her nipple, causing small spurts of breast milk to come out of it.

She removed her mouth from Green Mist's cock and placed the hand that had been playing with her tit on it, and began to stroke it. "Is this satisfactory, my zealot?" she asked.

"Indeed it is, Cadenza," Green Mist said. "I think that when I overthrow Twilight for Plasma, I'll keep you as my sex slave."

"Perhaps she should be one as well, my zealot," Cadence said, speeding up her strokes. "She does have a good plot, after all."

"Maybe," Green Mist said. He moaned as Cadence continued to stroke his full length.

Cadence put her mouth over the head, and spit on it, which lubricated it, and sped her stokes up even more.

Eventually, just before Green Mist released his seed, she stopped. "Why are you stopping," Green Mist asked as Cadence made hey way to the bed.

She leaned her upper body on the bed, her breasts hanging. "Because I wish to have your children, my zealot," she said, spreading her legs to reveal her glistening slit. "Please, fill me with your seed, make me the bearer of you children, allow me to serve you and Plasma in the only way a slut like me knows how, and that's getting fucked and bearing the next generation."

Green Mist grinned as he walked behind Cadence, lining himslef up with her. "It's good you know your place, slut," he said as he thrust himself into Cadence.

"AHHHHH, OH YES!" she yelled as she felt herself getting filled by the largest dick she had ever felt. Green Mist started out quickly, causing Cadence's tits to jiggle back and forth and to keep saying, "Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah," as the black member kept being shoved inside her. "Please, my zealot," she said, "fill me, plant me, make me worthy of being in your prescence, make me you cum dumpster."

"I'll do more than that," Green Mist said. "I'll make you enjoy being treated like the slut you and the rest of the Eclipses are, and next up to be alongside you will be Celestia."

Cadence didn't speak, only continually gasp in pleasure as she got fucked. As he neared climax, Green Mist sped up, and evetually, he released his seed in Cadence, who gasped as she got filled by her new master's seed. As they both panted, Cadence said, "Thank you, my zealot. Did I do satisfactory?"

"Indeed you did, my slave," Green Mist said as he turned Cadence upright, the mare smiling as he did so. "Now, make sure my seed doesn't come out of your whore hole, wash up, and bring Celestia here," he said as he pulled out of her and threw her on the bed.

"Yes, my zealot," Cadence said. "Allow me to ensure Celestia has the hoor of bearing your child as well," she said, lighting her horn, and a tingling sensation was felt in Green Mist's balls.

"What did you do," he asked.

"I simply gave you the ability to fuck as many sluts like me, and give them the honor of bearing you children by using a spell to make it to where your glorious cock is always ready to seed a mare," Cadence said, the lighting in the room making her eyes appear like a changeling drone's.

"Good. Now, do as I said," Green mist said, and Cadence nodded as she lit her horn, her magic now a blood red, and a similar light being seen on her hole, which then faded, before getting up and making her way to the bathroom to shower.

Back at Canterlot high, Twilight led Sunset to where the latter's lover was being held.

"You don't need to worry, Sunset. We treated Adagio and the other well, gave them whatever kind of food they asked for," Twilight said, chuckling. "Sonata sure does like tacos, doesn't she?"

Sunset, in her demon form, laughed. "Yeah, she does. Every taco tuesday, she'd get two trays worth of them. I don't know why, I always found them shitty."

"I guess it's just taste," Twilight replied. "So, how've you been, Sunset?"

"Good," Sunset replied. "In fact, maybe you could help us with a little something."

"The friendship games?" Twilight asked. "Principal Celestia told me about it just after I brainwashed her and Luna."

"Yeah," Sunset said. "What could you do?"

"I already have a plan for the human world, Sunset," Twilight said. "The entire thing, and I wanted to see if you and the sirens wanted in before I went forward with it."

"Well, thanks, Twilight," Sunset said as the two of them reached the door to the gym. "Here goes nothing," Sunset said nervously as she opened the doors and saw Adagio, true to Twilight's word, unharmed, sitting on the bleachers eating a sandwich.

Adagio heard the doors open, and tunred to look the those who entered, but her eyes focused on the she-demon. "Sunset," she whispered in disbelief. "Is that you?"

Sunset took flight and flew over to her lover. "Yeah, it is, Dagi. Is something about it wrong?" she asked, fear in her voice.

When Adagio remained silent, Sunset hung her head, and slowly flew over to the doors. "Sunset, wait," Adagio said, which caused her girlfriend to turn her head in hope. Adagio got up and walked to Sunset, with Sunset covering half the distance.

When the two met in the middle of the gym, Sunset landed. "I think you look beautiful," Adagio said, carressing her lover's face before pulling her into a deep kiss, the two of them embracing.

At the door, a tear of happiness came to Twilight's face, as well as a small smile. She closed it, giving the two of them some time together. Eventually, moans could be heard from the otherside, and Twilight lit her horn, creating her own portal, from which, Opal walked through.

"Hey, babe," Twilight said, a smile on her face.

"Twilight, is that you?" Opal asked, as she hadn't been present during the use of the transformation spell.

"Yeah, it's me, Opal," Twilight said, lighting her horn and returning to her pony form. "See?"

"Yeah, I do," Opal said, hugging Twilight. "Mind teaching me that trick?" she asked.

"Not at all," Twilight said, showing Opal how to transform.

After that was done, Opal lit her horn, and used the spell. The end result was, in Twilight's opinion, breath taking.

Opal had beautiful, full, shoulder length hair, her shirt being a modest, black, short sleeved shirt and a gray, knee length skirt with her cutie mark, a single opal, on it. She wore silver high heels that had gems, maybe fake,maybe real, hard to tell with magic, embedded in them.

"Wow, Opal," Twilight said, changing to her anthro form and taking her mare friends hands in hers. "You look breath taking."

"Thanks, Twi,"Opal said, giving Twilight a small kiss. "So, when can I meet your new friends?" she asked as the moaning got slightly louder, and the two smiled as they embraced one another.

Back at the hotel, Green Mist was waiting in Cadence's room, waiting for his new slave, as well as the most recent member to the Brotherhood, to bring the dethroned alicorn. Already, he could taste the irony in having Celestia overthrow the one who overthrowed her, only for Green Mist to then overthrow her, and, he had to admit, it was a convoluted plan, he wasn't that stupid, but, given the fact Twilight would be busy, he could get the plan in motion, hopefully before he was found.

He sat on the bed, slowly stroking himslef in preparation for Celestia. In all honesty, he'd probably rape Celestia anyway, simply because of her outfit. He was still a living being, after all. A sick, disgusting, despicable living being, but a living being nonetheless. An unintended but welcome side effect of this plan was he had a second way to ensure the loyalty of those he brainwashed, as he knew Alicorns rarely got pregnant, he ensured they would with a spell, and would do anyhting to ensure that if they got pregnant, the baby would live. Well, that was true with this version of alicorns, anyway.

He was brought out of his thought as he heard hoofsteps and Cadence's voice approaching. He got up from the bed and cloaked himself, hiding next to the door.

"I still don't see why you wanted to talk to me in your room, Cadence," Celestia said as the two entered the room. "Especially when we could have dismissed the new servants to be in private."

"That would be because of me," Green Mist said, turning visible, lighting his horn, and putting an inhibitor ring on Celestia's horn, then grabbing her mounds. "I know you want this," he whispered in her ear. "You want me to make you my slave, and rut you senseless, don't you?" As he spoke, a familiar, green gleam came to Celestia's eyes, and her look went from horror and shock to joy and pleasure. "Cadence, assist me."

"Yes, my zealot," Cadence said, slowly stripping off her clothes in front of Celestia. She unbuttoned her jeans, then took off her jacket, looking at Celestia with a lust filled gaze. She took off her shirt, with no bra underneath it. She began playing with herself, one hand on her tits, one in her pants.

"Cadence, no playing," Grene mIst said, still groping Celestia's breasts. "Strip off, then play."

"Yes, my zealot," Cadence said, bringing her hand out of her pants and made her way to the bed, where she lay down on her back, and slid off her shoes, then her jeans and panties at the same time. When they were off, she tossed them to the side, and spread her legs, holding them high in the air, and began to finger herself. "Like this, my zealot," she asked, her eyes now entirely like a changeling drone's.

"Perfect, Cadenza," Green Mist said. "Like what you see, Celestia, or should I say 'Slutia'?"

"Yes, Green mist, I do," she said, earning a slap on her face.

"I'm not your equal," Green Mist growled. "I'm your zealot, and you will refer to me as such. Understood?"

"Y-yes, my zealot," she said, showing some amount of resistance.

"What is your name," Green Mist asked.

"My-my name is-is Celestia," she forced out.

Green Mist snarled. "No, it isn't. It's Slutia, just like Cadenza's new name is Whorenza. Now, what is your name?"

"S-Slutia, my zealot," the now named Slutia said.

The changeling smiled and looked at the other mare. "And yours?"

"Whorenza, my zealot," the now named Whorenza replies, a smile on her face as she head her new name.

"Excellent," Green Mist said, moving Slutia's shirt and bra down, allowing her boobs to hang free. "Whorenza, play with Sltia's nipples."

"Yes, my zealot," Whorenza replied, lowering her legs and getting off the bed and walking to her fellow slave and getting down on her knees, as Green Mist had bent her over, and put her mouth arond one of Slutia's nipples, and began suckling on it and played with the other one with her left hand while she fingered herself with her right hand.

As she did this, Green Mist moved to stand beside her head, his cock haning in front of her face. "Suck," he said, and Slutia put her mouth around the head, her head turned to the left to be able to take it, and began to move her head back and forth, slowly at first, but slowly picking up speed.

After a minue of this, he said to both of them, "Stop. Both of you, stand."

Both stopped their actions, and Whorenza stood up, and Slutia straightened. H esaw that Slutia's eyes were now almost entirely like that of a changeling drone's. "Slutia, strip."

"Yes, my zealot," she said, and removed her jacket, then pulled her shirt over her head and unclasped her bra, allowing her breasts to fully come down. She unbuttoned her jeans and took off her shoes, and slid her jeans and panties down, revealing her glistening hole.

"Good," Green Mist said. "Now, Whorenza, lay down on the bed, your back facing up. Slutia, I want you to lean over the bed and eat her out, and I want you to spread your legs as far as possible while still being able to stand."

"Yes, my zealot," the two mares said, and took their positions, with Slutia eating out Whorenza, who gasped as it went on. Green Mist took up position behind his newest slave, and thrust himself into her, causing Slutia to gasp as she felt the cock enter her folds, and just barely fill her to the hilt.

"Ohh, yeeeessss, make me carry your children," Slutia said. "Please, my zealot, give me your seed."

Green Mist smirked. "Oh, I intend to," he said, and began to rapidly pull out and thrust back in, causing Slutia to moan as she ate Whorenza out, which caused the second mare to moan in turn.

As he picked up speed, he said, "So, Slutia, who should be next to feel my gift?"

"I am not worthty to say, my zealot, but I would suggest Rarity upon our return."

"I had hoped so," he said as he thrust once more before he unleashed his seed in Slutia, the spell he cast earlier ensuring she would become pregnant. "Ahh, Whorenza, make sure my seed doesn't leave her cunt," he commanded, to which she obliged.

Once she was done, he said, "Now, I think the both of you deserve a reward. Get on your knees."

"Yes, my zealot," they both said, and did so, Green Mist's member haning just in front of their faces.

"Now, both of you, do you want a reward?" he said.

"Yes, my zealot."

"Then you'll have to work for it," he said. I want you both to kiss, stroke, suck, and even put your tits around my dick until I give you both your reward, am I clear? And you can play with yourselves and each other like the sluts you are."

"Yes, my zealot," they both said, and Whorenza stroked his length while Slutia sucked on his balls.

The two alternated and changed their methods for minutes, Slutia going for the oral side, with Whorenza using her hand and breasts. After ten minutes, he said, "It seems like you two got your reward,' he said, and Slutia removed her mouth and Whorenza began to stroke it as quickly as physically possible. After just ten seconds, a jet of warm, sticky splooge erupted from the cock and coated both mares' faces and chests in his seed.

He delivered four more bursts, and he alternated between the two, which gave each mare three bursts, which included the first one that had been shared between the two.

"Thank you, my zealot," they both said, using their hands to collect Green Mist's seed, then lick i off their fingers, with Slutia's and Whorenza's eyes now being entirely those of a changeling drone's.

"Both of you, take a shower, get dressed, and put an illusion spell over your eyes to make them look as they were before. I do not want Twilight to discover us until it's too late."

"Yes, my zealot," they said as they got up and made their way to the shower.

And that is why I am the Element of Deceit, Green Mist thought as he got dressed in his armor and left the room.

In the hallway of Canterlot High, Opal and Twilight sat on the floor, side by side, simply enjoying one anothers company. "Can't believe they've been going at it for nearly an hour," Opal said.

"Same here," Twiligh tsaid, "but at least they're in good company with each other, so I'm willing to wait."

They didn't have to wait long, as, five minutes later, Sunset and Adagio stepped out of the gym. "Have fun, you two," Twilight asked with a smirk. At heir blush, Twilight laughed. "I'm just messing with you." She put an arm around Opal. "And this is my marefreind, Opal," she said. "Opal, this is Sunset Shimmer and Adagio Dazzle."

"The ones you met the last two times you came here?" Opal asked as she and Twilight stood up.

"Yeah, we are," Sunset said, her hand and Adagio's entwined. "And Dagi has something to say to you, Twilight."

"And what's that," Twilight asked, though she had a good idea as to what it was.

"I've decided I'll take you up on your offer," the ex-siren said.

"Then here," Twilight said, reaching into her left pocket and pulled something out, and flicked it to Adagio, who caught it and was surprised at what she saw.

"Another siren gem," she said in amazmnt before looking at Twilight. "How?"

The lavender anthro alicorn shrugged. "I just used some of my magic to make three more. And they don't need negative emotions to be powered. These use positive emotions like love, which I'm certain you get daily, to work. Now come on, it's time to get Sonata and Aria."

Adagio put on her new amulet. As the clasp was sealed, she was encircled by red ribbons, which shattered a few seconds later to reveal Adagio with her pony ears, pony tail, and siren wings. The four of them left, Twilight holding Opal's hand, and Sunset doing the same with Adagio. They made thier way to the lunch room, where, unsuprisingly, Sonata was eating a shit ton of tacos.

"Okay, I'm just surprised this place hasn't run out of tacos," Twilight said, face palming.

"You and me both," Adagio said.

Sonata heard Adagio, and looked up from her feast, and her mouth dropped open whne she saw the four of them. She got up and tackled Adagio to the floor. "Dagi, you're alright," she said in an excited tone that wouln't have sounded out of character on Pinkie. She looked at her firend, and her look became puzzled. "When did you get your wings?"

"That would be because of Twilight," Adagio said. "I took her up on her offer, and she actually made a duplicate gem for each of us that doesn't need negative emotions, but positive ones, so we don't have to harm anyone else."

"Oh, I want that too," she said with a large smile.

"Then here, Sonata," Twilight said, tossing another amulet to the Pinkie like siren, who caught it, then put it on.

"Yay!" she said after her wings, tail, and ears returned.

"That just leaves Aria," Twilight said. "She should be in one of the classrooms."

"Or right there," Sunset said, pointing behind Twilight, who turned around and saw the purple siren walking toward the group."

"Aria, I thought you said you'd wait in the class room," Twilight said, to which Aria shrugged.

"I got bored, and decided to find you and see how Adagio and Sonata stood on the decision. I can guess they went along with it."

"So what about you, Aria," Sonata asked, a curious look on her face.

"Sure," Aria said, "why not. Nothing better."

"Then here," Twilight said, taking the last amulet and handing it to Aria. "By the way, it uses positive emotions to work."

"Well, that's an improvement," Aria said, putting the amulet on and regaining her siren form. "Thanks."

"No problem," Twilight said. "Now, we should head to the roof so I can cast the spell that will make the planet loyal to us."

With that, the group of six made their way outside. Once there, those that could fly made their way up, with Twilight carrying Opal. Galaxy was already up there.

"About time," she said, her arms crossed. "You ready, Twilight?"

Twilight lit her horn and said, "Yep."

"Then let's get started," Galaxy said, lighting her horn as well.

The two began to hover in the air, orbs of transparent magical energy surrounding the two. Then, ten seconds after they began to hover, the orbs grew and met, formed a singular orb. then exploded outward, quickly enveloping the city, then, just a minute later, the planet.

When it had disappated, those that were out in the streets of the city stopped what they were doing and made their way to the front of the school, nelt, and siad, "Hail the Eclipse."

"I guess the Eclipse is the name of the alliance," Sunset asked.

"Yep," Twilight replied. "And if you four want it, you can have rule over this world. The others and I are content with Equestria, but you can visit whenever you want."

"I think I'll be happy with that," Adagio said. "What about you, Sunny?"

"Long as you're here, Dagi," Sunset replied with a smile.

"Then how about we have a party?" Opal said.

"I think that's a great idea, Opal," Twilight said as she kissed her lover.

Epilouge

A week has passed since the reach of the Eclipses had expanded to the human world, and, with some help from Sunset and the others, the two worlds had begun trading resources, with Equestria getting various advanced technologies, and the human world getting various magics.

When Twilight and the others returned, she and Galaxy had performed the sam spell, this time more to ensure Equestria wasn't attacked then to make sure they weren't overthrown. Unfortunatelt, though, they didn't plan on Green Mist.

The changeling sat in his room, his armor on, with Slutia, Whorenza, and Raunchity, formerly Rarity, kneeling before him, clothed in simplt their underwear.

"Does she suspect?" Green Mist asked.

"No, my zealot," Slutia asked. "My daughter is completely unaware of our plan, and we have removed the memories of those who found out the truth, as killng them would bring unwanted attention down on us."

Green Mist nodded, pleased. "Good. And what of the status of ther other converts?"

"Fluttershy and Applejack have been converted, zealot," Whorenza said, "but the guards have prevented us from getting to Rainbow, and none of us have had an opprotunity to convert Galaxy, Nightmare, or Luna, and we have not converted Chrysalis, on your orders."

"And where is the pink menace?"

"We do not know, my zealot," Raunchity said. "She has been missing since our arrival, and there are no leads."

"Hmph. I suspected as much," Green Mist said. "Even where I came from, she was able to transverse and see into other dimensions, however rarely she used it." He looked at the three mares. "If there is any hint what so ever of her being back, find her, bring her here, and allow me to finish that problem. Now, dress and leave me."

"Yes, zealot," the three of them said, and they dressed and left.

Once they were gone, Green Mist smiled and reached his hand out, and he seemed to grasp an orb. As his hand tightend around it, a simple, white, spherical device appeared, a lense in the middle. He brought the lense ot wher eit faced his head. "If you want to stop me, Harmony, you'd better hurry. I still have my army, and all you have is a team, and my forces continue to grow." With that, he crushed the sphere.

In a location few knew about, and even fewer lived in, a tall, female figure, as tall as human Celestia, with white skin, an ankle length gray dress, and flowing hair that looked like a rainbow, six of the colors being that of the Elements, purple, cyan, pink, orange, magenta, and crimson, with four other strands, one being emerald green, a second being steel gray, a third being dark marron, and the fourth being black. From her forehead was a majestic horn with a blunt tip, and, upon her back, were two, majestic wings.

Standing next to her was a certain pink changeling. "This is getting bad," Pinkie said. "Is it time to get them, Harmony?"

Both of them stood in front of a moniter, the only thing on it being static. "No need, Pinkie," the mare known as Harmony said as a door opened, and a peculier figure walked in.

He had blockish armor, the shoulder plate sbeing metal squares that jutted out from his shoulders. His chest had small, brass like cylinders on it contained in a metal strap, and had a knife sheath, the knife contained in it, screwed on to his upper left chest plate. His helmet, a round object hanging from his side with a sun-visor that blocked sunlight from getting in the eyes. The armor's colors were black, with highlights of red. The stallion's face could be considered attractive and rugged at the same time. He had a scar stretching from just above his right eye, which, like his left, had a teal iris, with the scar running down to his cheek. His right arm, though, was the oddest thing, as it wasn't an organic arm, but a robotic prosthetic. From his forehead, a medium length horn with a pointed end sprouted, and, on his back, were two furled wings that, if they were unfurled, would be half pegasus, half bat. His skin had that appearence of normal skin, but, if one looked close enough and felt his skin, it would feel like a changeling's carapace

"Hello, Lone," Harmony said to Lone Shadow. "I hope that Pinke gave you the briefing?"

Lone nodded. "She did, Harmony," he said. "We're ready to get him and make sure nothing else happens there."

Beginnings

It was a sunny day in Ponyville, and the birds were chirping their spring songs. Everypony was enjoying the day, except for Princess Twilight.

She was in her new castle, still trying to catalog every book that had appeared with it. It had been a week since it first appeared, and she still hadn't gotten all of the books recorded. She was in the library, checking to see if any new books had appeared, because she had learned that new books appeared exactly where she would've put them, had she been the one to bring them. "I still don't understand why the new books just appear out of nowhere," she said to nopony in particular, as no one was with her. She was three hours into this attempt when she heard a small pop behind her. She turned and saw a book lying on the floor.

It was a hard cover with a leathery appearance, and had dark highlights at the corners and a red circle in the center. It didn't appear to be that thick. Twilight walked over to it while thinking, Why did it appear on the floor? The others all appeared on their shelves, so why not this one. Once she had walked over to it, she picked it up in her magic and opened, and was surprised at what she saw.

This is a spell book! Shouldn't it be in the archives back in Canterlot. Just before she closed, she saw that one of the spell descriptions read, "This spell will bring peace to the world of whomever casts it, should they wish for it at any cost." Twilight almost instantly had a huge grin appear on her face. She couldn't believe that who ever wrote this book had a spell for world peace. Then she though, Then again, that might just be for a certain amount of time, the spell itself becoming less effective as the years went on and the caster eventually dying probably stops the spell then and there. She then went to look at what was required for it, and was surprised to see that it only required power, which she could easily generate, seeing as she was an alicorn. It didn't need any sort of incantation, which was a little surprising a the spells' intended result, but this only made Twilight want to cast the spell more.

She charged her horn, and did what the book instructed, which was to think of all of her favorite memories, the ones that had made her the pony she was today. I took a full minute before her magic was at the level needed for the spell. She unleashed the spell, with an orb of lavender light expanding outward from the tip of her horn, invisible to all but her, and grew to envelop her.

She didn't notice this, however, as her eyes were closed so she could more easily concentrate on the spell. The orb began to turn a dark shade of purple, and it began to seep into Twilight's body, this also going unnoticed.

When it was done, the entire orb had been absorbed into Twilight's body. She opened her eyes and saw that the book was still there. She grasped it in her magic again and went to put it on one of the shelves. Just before she placed it on the nearest shelf, she though to herself, This book may hold other spells that could help ponykind. She pulled the book back to her, In which case, I think I'll keep it.

She continued working on cataloging he new books, always making sure that the spell book never left her side.

That night

Twilight was asleep, the book she had found on her nightstand. Her dreams were livid. They had a crowd of ponies bowing down to somepony on a throne, but she couldn't see who they were bowing down to. She saw Equis thriving with unknown technologies, as well as her friends smiling. Then, she felt a pain in her head, and with it, many of her memories were seen in a new light. She saw her and her friends defeating Nightmare Moon, but instead of the happiness she normally felt with this, she now felt sorrow as she saw Nightmare being enveloped by the rainbow. She then remembered what she had read of Nightmare Moon before her return, and she was suddenly angry at her closest friend, Princess Celestia, for not doing anything to stop Luna's transformation.

Little did she know, the spell she had cast had begun to affect her memories, making her see important memories in an entirely different light. Those that were negative, such as Discord turning her friends against one another and Nightmare's return, were now positive, and vice versa. The ones that became extremes of what they already were included memories of arguments with her friends, and of them, Celestia, and her brother completely abandoning her at the wedding two years ago. Where these were ones tha twould normally make her feel ashamed or upset, they now made her angry at all of them.

As this was going on, a being that nopony knew the name of watched from the darkest corners of the multi-verse, smiling. The being was taller than a minotaur by a few good feet. His skin was ashen gray, his eyes, of which there were six, were ruby red ovals. Instead of hands, he had two pincers, with two fingers and a single, grasping claw that was reverse the direction of the others and went between them.

He was surprised that this plan, one of hundreds to take over the multi-verse, had started out this well, unlike the ones that took place in the same dimension as Lone Shadow, but that wasn't important. What was is that this dimension was already under his grasp. And he would make certain nothing would change that, and he then turned his sights to that of Princess Luna.

Discovery in the Capitol

"Is everything ready, Rarity?" Twilight asked.

"Indeed it is, Twilight," Rarity, in her nightmare form, responded. It had been three days since Chrysalis, who had already relocated to Canterlot, had become a part of their alliance, and Twilight and Rarity were finishing up packing. Or, more accurately, finishing watching their subjects, not including Fluttershy and Applejack as they had to pack as well, pack their stuff.

"That's good," Twilight said. "Along with getting some nobles in our pocket, we'll be able to get into the archives too, once we're in Canterlot. Maybe even Celestia's own personal library."

"Now Twilight, you can go crazy over books one we dethrone Celestia. Right now, we need to focus on important stuff."

"I know, Rarity. But it's not the books themselves I'm interested in, but the potential spells in them that could help us defeat her."

"And what of that book you found that started all this? Can't it give you those spells?" Rarity asked.

"Not as far as I can tell," Twilight responded. She brought a single hoof to her chin and said, "Come to think of it, it hasn't done anything since I freed Nightmare. No new spells or anything. Maybe it means I don't need it anymore."

"Maybe," Rarity said. "I think it'd be safe to keep it, should it give you something we need."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right, Rarity," Twilight said. It was then she saw the time on her clock. "Oh no! Come on, Rarity, it's almost time to leave," she said in a near panic.

"Twilight, calm down," the unicorn said. "Remember, we can teleport to the train station, or even Canterlot if we miss the train."

"Yeah, I know," Twilight said, still slightly panicked, "but Nightmare's supposed to be meeting us at the train station in Canterlot, and I don't want her to think we decided to be late because of that."

"We could always just teleport to the train station, you know."

"But then Rainbow and Pinkie, as much as I hate them, would wonder why we decided to go straight there instead of the train."

"Twilight, if you want to avoid all of that," Rarity said, "then we should leave for the station now. We still have time. Everything's packed."

This snapped Twilight out of her panic. She looked at the suitcases and the ponies who were packing them, and indeed saw that the suitcases were packed, the two ponies standing at attention. "You two may leave," she then said, to which the ponies bowed and left.

Rarity took one of the suitcases, colored purple, resembling her mane in her normal form, which she changed into once the suitcase was close. "Ugh, I absolutely despise this appearance. Why must we be going to Canterlot and not trying to raze it to the ground?"

"You want to destroy Canterlot, Rarity," Twilight said, taking the other suitcase in her magic.

"If only because there are other cities that have better fashion tastes and no nobles," the unicorn replied. "That, and Blueblood lives there."

"Well, if you want to destroy Canterlot," Twilight said, going towards the main door to her castle with Rarity in tow, "first, we need to go to this summit so I can sneak in to Celestia's personal library. Maybe even kill Blueblood and make it look like other mares did so. Nightmare knows there's no shortage of mares who want him dead."

"Ooh, how devious," Rarity said as the two reached the castle entrance. "I like it."

"I though you would," Twilight said as she opened the door and the two stepped outside, heading for the train station.

"So, any ideas for nobles you want in with us," Rarity asked.

"Well, Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis, for sure, as well as my parents. Aside from them, there is an old family friend, Deep Pockets. He's actually more like Fancy Pants then the other nobles, so we'll be able to get used to him. If I think of any others, I'll let you know once we're away from the others."

"Alright, then," Rarity said. From that point, so they would avoid suspicion, they began to argue that Rarity was only going because of the fashion show going on in the city, which would be something she'd do before this all started, something the unicorn would now freely admit.

When they arrived, the others were already there, Applejack and Flutter shy in their own conversation while Pinkie just hopped around in excitement, while Rainbow, upon seeing Twilight, had a look of anger on her face, something Twilight couldn't give three shits about.

"Hey, girls," the lavender alicorn said, getting the attention of the other mares. Applejack and Fluttershy stopped their conversation and bowed slightly, though they didn't say anything, as per Twilight's orders to remain silent unless spoken to or already in a conversation. At least, until they returned from Canterlot.

"Heeeeyyyy, Twilight, Rarity," Pinkie said. "How are you guys doing. I hope your doing okay. Wait, would you say so? How would I know you're telling the truth. SO MANY QUESTIONS!!"

Pinkie, calm the hell down.

Rubbing the back of her neck with her hoof, the pink mare said, "Sorry, Lone. Lost control there."

"Uh, Pinkie," Rainbow said, "who are you talking to?"

"The author, silly. Honestly, why is it I'm the only one who knows we're in a fan fiction?"

Just wait until the sequel, Pinkie. And keep acting like you don't know anything so that the story's intact.

Saluting, Pinkie said, "Got it."

"I think," Twilight said, "we shouldn't even ask, if only to keep our sanity in check."

"Definitely," Rainbow said, still glaring a little at the alicorn, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by said pony.

Looks like she might be a problem later on Twilight thought to herself as the train pulled up.

"ALLLLL ABOOOOAAAARRRRD" The conductor yelled. The six mares got on the last car, and they left for the mountain city.

. . .

Two hours later- Canterlot train station

Nightmare, disguised as Luna, was at the train station waiting for Twilight and Rarity. Standing beside her, disguised, of course, was Chrysalis, who appeared as a thestral bat pony, as well as Cheerilee and Lyra.

"How much longer until the two of them arrive," the disguised changeling queen asked, a little annoyed at how long they were waiting, even though it had only been ten minutes.

"Soon," Nightmare responded, careful to not use names. "Any minute, in fact."

In silence, the group of four waited for another minute until they heard the sound of the train approaching. They did not have to wait for more than a minute before it rolled into the station. The four disguised individuals moved to the last car, as Twilight had told Nightmare that she and the other Elements would be in that car. The door opened, and the six mares walked out. All of them bowed, mostly out of common courtesy, which was returned by Chrysalis and Nightmare.

"It's good to see you again, Twilight Sparkle," Nightmare said, getting up from the bow, as well as the disguised changelings.

"Same here, Luna," Twilight said, mentally gagging at saying that name.

"And it is a pleasure to see all of you again, as well," the night alicorn said.

"You too, Princess," Rarity responded.

The others gave their greetings, then Nightmare led them to the castle. About halfway there, she and Chrysalis hung back so they could speak with Twilight and Rarity.

"I was able to get you access to the wing of the archives usually reserved for Celestia and I, Twilight," Nightmare said, "but it will be only for tonight. I also took the liberty of recruiting a few weapon and black smiths for weapons and armor, under the guise that it's for my personal strike team for when it's needed."

"And what of Celestia's personal library?"

"You'll only be able to have access to it when she's away and distracted, as I cast a discreet detection spell, and discovered she has an alarm spell linked to it that will alert her should any but her try to get in," Nightmare replied. "Fortunately, it turns out there are plenty of changelings in the guard. As an additional bonus, the thestrals in my guard are sworn to fight for me, regardless of what it is I'm fighting fr. If that wasn't enough, many of them sensed it was me, and actually pledged their loyalty yo me, seeing as how I was the only one historically who treated them like ponies."

"Why not say sooner," Rarity asked.

"Because it did not seem relevant at any other time. Seeing as how you two are here, I thought it was appropriate to let you two know that, as it went with our readiness status."

"That makes sense, I suppose," Twilight said.

"That leads me to the next point: The weapon smiths want to know what kind of weapons we'll use for when we start. What weapons do you two wish for? I have chosen a scythe, and Chrysalis went for dual Sais," ( Think the weapon used by Raphael in TMNT, for those who have seen it, if that's the correct spelling.) Nightmare said.

"Well," Rarity said, "I always did like Kunai, so that for me. More accurately, a whole belt of them so I can have two for close combat, spares, and some to throw. Preferably, I'd like them all made of diamonds, so they don't break. Or at least magically enhanced so they don't break."

"I'll let them know," Nightmare said. "And what of you, Twilight?"

"I was thinking dual short swords, same enhancement as Rarity's Kunai."

"Right," Nightmare said. "I'll let them know, but you two will need to come by my room so they can get your measurements for armor."

"Of course," Rarity said as they arrived at the castle.

"Uh, are y'all sure it's okay if'n we stay at the castle, Princess?" Applejack asked.

"Of course, Applejack," Nightmare said. "After all, you're all Twilight's friends, and we would be happy to give you lodging during your stay in Canterlot."

"Well, that's mighty kind of ya," the farm pony replied.

"Thank you. Now, if you all will follow my guards, they'll show to to your rooms," Nightmare said, gesturing to Lyra and Cheerilee, both of whom nodded.

"You girls go on ahead. There's a small get together Twilight and Luna are planning, and they want my help on the decor," Rarity said.

"You sure, Rares," Rainbow asked. "I figured you would have wanted to talk to Princess Celestia first, maybe get a personal tour of the latest fashion stores."

"Hmph," Rarity responded. "I'll have you know, Rainbow, that a lady can have many interests. Fashion is but one of mine."

"Uh-huh, right," Rainbow said as she and the others were led to their rooms, suspicion obvious in her voice.

Once they were out of earshot, Rarity said, "It sounds like she knows something, or suspects, at least."

"Agreed," Twilight said, "but we'll have to deal with it later, seeing as how now isn't the best time to bring another Element into our service."

"We could always foalnap her once you get back to Ponyville, then interrogate her to see what she thinks she knows. She isn't the brightest mare in the group, after all," Chrysalis said.

"True," Nightmare said, "but others would notice her absence and question it."

A devious grin came to Twilight's face. "Unless something happened. A changeling attack, perhaps. Maybe nightmares to make her act irrational, even for her, to the point ponies would have no choice but to lock her up in a mental institute. Or maybe an 'accident' that caused her death, and no body was found."

"Oh, I like those suggestions," Rarity said. "If we're going the nightmare angle, I'm certain me and Nightmare can take care of that."

"And should we choose changelings, we could foalnap her and replace her with one of my drones," Chrysalis said.

"I don't know," Nightmare said, "I'm leaning towards the 'accident' plan my self."

"Why not combine the nightmare and 'accident' plan," Twilight said. "Have her become so tired, her having a flight related accident is just a matter of time. We use a changeling to fake the body, while we have the real one in the war room under our castle for questioning. That way, no pony would question her disappearance because she didn't disappear, officially speaking."

"That may very well work," Nightmare said. "It'll remove a thorn in our sides, and allow us to keep an Element for hostage purposes."

"In that case," Chrysalis said, "we can work the details out later, once we get back to Ponyville."

"Agreed," Rarity said. "Now, I think it'd be rude to keep Celestia waiting, don't you three?"

The other three mares nodded, and went into the castle. More specifically, the archives, as the summit wasn't supposed to start until tomorrow.

When they arrived at the archives, Nightmare took the lead. One thing the others all noticed about the guards were that they were all thestrals. Many of them gave respectful nods to the four mares, some whispering, "Lady Nightmare," "Lady Twilight," "Lady Rarity," or , "Lady Chrysalis," as they passed.

My most loyal guards," Nightmare explained. "It took me a while to convince my sister to allow for this, but it worked, and now I have the real control over who can read what from the archives. Hopefully, it leads to her down fall."

It took a few minutes longer for them to reach the wing of the archives only the royal sisters and their most trusted advisers were allowed in, a rule that wasn't technically being broken right now.

They got in without challenge, and went straight to researching for ways to easily take down Celestia. They didn't find anything like that, but Twilight did find one thing that simply made their mission all the more justified. "Uh, girls, you may want to see this," she called out. The three others arrived, and the lavender alicorn showed them what she found.

Though it isn't well documented, many reports from the supposed time of Nightmare Moon have included that Princess Luna, or Nightmare Moon, as it most likely was at that time, was almost always seen with a small alicorn princess. Reports differ as to her color, but many agree that it was a mix of Princess Luna's coat, and that resembling a shade of green, resulting in a dark shade of Blue-green. Many can also say that the filly looked much like what many theorize said princess looked like as a filly of the same age, which this writer believes, given how slow alicorns age compared to other ponies, about fifty or so years old. All believe, though, that this filly is, undoubtedly, the daughter of the ruler of the night. Not much can be found on her after the banishment of her supposed mother, but the filly seemed to completely drop off the metaphorical radar. Many believed her to have been banished for supporting Nightmare Moon, as records do point to a brilliant filly that was a general in Nightmare's army. Others say that, due to her being half-alicorn, as the princesses of night and day were the only known alicorns back then, she died, though that is unlikely due to her blood still giving her a considerable life span. Few, however say, she was executed, the last to be killed by legal killing in Equestria.

Everyone was speechless, their mouths agape, even Chrysalis'. Three pairs of eyes turned to Nightmare, whose eyes were tearing up. "My daughter," she whispered. "Oh, how I wish to see you again, my sweet Galaxy Star." The alicorn began to sob, saying, "My daughter," or, "Galaxy," through out it. Her allies tried to comfort her, but it didn't work.

"Nightmare," Twilight eventually said. "Nightmare? Nightmare!" This last yell got Nightmare to at least look at Twilight. "Nightmare, I know I can't imagine what it's like for you right now, but you have to remember: we're doing this for everyone wronged by Celestia, and that includes your daughter. You aren't in this alone. You have us, after all."

Nightmare looked up at this last line, and saw Twilight with a small smile, as well as concern on her face. It was this way for the other two as well. "You are correct, Twilight. We are doing this for ponies that have been wronged by my sister, and that includes my daughter. I shall make sure Celestia pays for what she did."

"And after that," Rarity said, "we'll find out what happened to your daughter. And on another note, please don't call Celestia your sister. If anything, we're more your sisters then she ever was."

"I suppose your right, Rarity. Besides, moping won't bring my daughter to me, much as I wish it would. We can make it to where no pony has to worry about being banished when thy have children that are still young."

"Well, as much as I'd like to stay here," Twilight said, "I think it'd be best if we got back to the castle."

"Agreed," Chrysalis said. "Don't want the others to become suspicious, or more than they are, in the case of Rainbow Dash, do we?"

"No, we don't," Nightmare said. Her three allies left, and she was close behind, but, before she departed, she took one last look at the book that Twilight had found and said in a voice just above a whisper, "I will find you, my daughter. I swear it." She left the room, and the books went back to their shelves, having been enchanted to do so upon them coming into the archive.

After they left and the books had been put away, the shadows coalesced into a being slightly taller than a minotaur, with ashen gray skin and six ruby red oval eyes. He walked over to where the book Twilight had found was and took it out. He turned to the page regarding Galaxy Star, and chuckled. "So," he said in a deep, soothing baritone, "that's how this is going to go. Not even I could have planned for that." He chuckled again and put the book back, then dissolved back into the shadows.

. . .

Half an hour later, Twilight and the others had returned to the castle, and they went their separate ways. Nightmare went back to her room, Chrysalis went to the room she had been given by Nightmare for being, "One of her best guards, and among her most trusted friends."

Twilight and Rarity went to the hall that contained their rooms, as well as those belonging to the rest of the Elements. "I'll see you later, Rarity," the alicorn said.

"And same to you, Twilight," Rarity said as she entered her room. By the time they had gotten back, it was already night time, and, as much as the two didn't want to, they went to sleep, knowing they'd need to be awake for tomorrow.

The next day

Twilight woke up slowly, wishing that she didn't have to wake up during the day. Once she was fully up, a process that took ten minutes, she used her magic to fix hem mane and tail, and took care of everything else before she left her room, which was when she encountered a Royal Guard, who bowed and said, "Your Highness, Princess Celestia wishes to speak with you in her personal quarters."

"Thank you," the lavender alicorn said, mentally freaking out. Does she know something? Is it possible she knows what's going on.? If so, why not ask for Rarity? OH NO, maybe she did that before she asked for me? Just calm down, Twilight. I'm certain I can handle her thanks to the spells I learned from the book. This last thought, she repeated to herself to calm down as she went to the throne room. Once she arrived, she opened the doors, and was relieved to see Nightmare, in Luna's form, there, standing next to Celestia. She gave a slight nod to Twilight, small enough Celestia couldn't notice, but Twilight was able to due to her increased eyesight from reading, indicating that everything was alright.

"You wanted to see me, Princess?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, Twilight," Celestia said. "Cadence and your brother are due to arrive in two hours, and I though you'd like to be there to welcome them."

Smiling with fake happiness, Twilight said, "Of course, Princess."

Chuckling, Celestia said, "Twilight, how many times must I say you don't need to call me by my title any more? We are equals, after all."

How about after your removed from power, Twilight though to herself before saying, "Sorry, force of habit."

"Of course," Celestia said, nodding.

"Sister," Nightmare asked, "would it be appropriate if I were to accompany Twilight Sparkle to the train station, along with one of my guard?"

"Not at all, Luna," the solar alicorn replied.

"Excellent. I shall inform the guard I wish to bring with us. Come, Twilight Sparkle. I wish for you to have input in who we bring," Luna said, going to the door. As she passed Twilight, the lavender alicorn gave a small bow to Celestia, and followed her ally out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"Chrysalis and I have been talking," Nightmare said, "and, in a surprising twist, she thinks Cadence might be a better ally than food source, though I'm not certain why."

"Maybe because she sees value in having three alicorns on our side, as that would completely outclass Celestia," Twilight said.

"Perhaps, perhaps," Nightmare said, "but Celestia would still have a better following, simply due to her being a much more beloved mare, as well as the one who selected you and the others for the deeds you've done for Equestria. Note how I said Equestria. She doesn't care for other countries."

"Which means more allies for us."

"Indeed, hopefully including the Empire because of that. Chrysalis insists, though, that if we do bring Cadence to our side, we allow her to feast on Shining."

"Hmph," Twilight said in a fashion that, to those that didn't know her well, would sound like anger, but was actually just a normal reaction for her to information she didn't care about, "let her. He'd probably kiss Celestia's flank all day and night long if it meant a promotion." She brought a hoof up to her chin, using her wings to keep her balance. "Now that I think about it, he did rise through ranks quickly. Something to ask about when we imprison him, I think."

"Agreed, if only to see how low Celestia has stooped for guards. Come, we must get Chrysalis and Rarity. They will wish to be at the train station as well."

"Right. I'll get Rarity," Twilight said as the two alicorns went their separate ways.

Canterlot Train station- Two hours later

The four mares were waiting for Cadence's train to arrive. In order to kill time, they were talking about seemingly inconsequential things, such as putting a name to their alliance.

"When we rebel against Celestia, we'll need a name for ourselves, if only so we have it," Twilight said.

"Agreed," Rarity said. "Oh, how about the Night Bringers?"

"No, that sounds more like a weapon," Twilight said. "How about the Four Eclipses, Five if we bring Cadence into it, seeing as how we're trying to reduce how much Celestia shines, like a moon in a solar eclipse, and each of us has a part to play. We could even make it our government name. 'The Eclipse.'"

"Appropriate," Nightmare said.

"Agreed," Chrysalis, in her guard disguise, said.

"It does seem to go well with what we're trying to do," Rarity said as the four heard the crystal train pull in to the station.

Once it had stopped, the door to the royal cabin, which was the one in front of the Eclipses, opened and a royal purple carpet rolled out, as well as two crystal guards, one of whom was rare crystal pegasus, the other being Flash Sentry, who waved to Twilight, who didn't respond as if she didn't see him, which was the exact opposite of the truth, which was simple: she was no longer infatuated with Flash Sentry, where as he was still infatuated with her. He stopped not long after he started, finally seeing the lavender alicorn's icy glare not even directed at him.

Cadence walked out shortly after, and the five mares bowed to one another, after which, Cadence and Twilight did their usual greeting. "Hello, Cadence," Nightmare said once the pink and lavender alicorns had finished with their greeting.

"Hey, auntie Luna. How are you?" Cadence asked.

"Just fine, my niece," Nightmare said, "how are you and Shining Armor?"

"I'm doing great," the alicorn of love said, "but Shiny had to stay behind at the last minute, and I haven't been able to let auntie Celestia know."

"Well," Twilight said, "at least you're here, Cadence, and I certain Shining would be here if he could."

"I suppose," Cadence said, then noticed Rarity and Chrysalis. "What are they doing here?"

"Well," Nightmare said, "my guard is here as my personal escort, and Rarity is here because, well, she wanted to talk to you about the Empire's fashion as soon a s possible, and we couldn't stop her. The others don't yet know of your arrival." For the most part, this was a lie, as Twilight had told Fluttershy and Applejack, and who knew with Pinkie Pie. "Though I'm certain they'll be happy to see you."

"Yeah, they probably will be," Cadence said before turining to Rarity and saying, "And how are you doing Rarity?"

"Oh, I'm doing just fine, Princess. Why, just the other day, I got an order from Sapphire Shores," Rarity said before thinking, One I have no intention of completing, for once.

"Don't you mean another, Rarity," Twilight asked.

"No, not at all. It isn't the same as the last one. Each one requires a certain flare and style, and that makes them unique in my eyes."

Rolling her eyes, Twilight said, "Okay, Rarity. Whatever you say." This got chuckles from the others, and a small, but fake, angry glare from the unicorn.

"Well, I think it's time we returned to the castle," Nightmare said.

"I suppose," Cadence said. With that, the five mares left the station, leaving the crystal guards behind at the station. They walked in silence for the entire time, and it was an awkward silence at that. When they finally arrived, Rarity split off from he others, saying she had to get back to work on the outfit for sapphire shores, but was really going to the weapon and blacksmith for fitting of her armor and knife belt. The four remaining mare made their way to the throne room, where Chrysalis left, saying she needed to make sure the other lunar guards were doing their jobs, but was making sure that the other changelings in the city were ready to move when the order came, while the three alicorns entered the throne room for the first day of the summit.

A few hours later- streets of Canterlot

Twilight was walking along the side walk of the street she had grown up for the first part of her life, before she became Celestia's personal student. She was, more accurately, going to her parents house, both to catch up, and to bring them into the fold.

The walk there had been uneventful, or at least as much as it could be in Canterlot when you're a princess, as multiple ponies bowed to her. Somehow, I think even Celestia would admit that the world needs more nobles like Fancy Pants and Fleur, as they actually mean what they say, as well as say what they think, unlike other nobles who juts say what they think the princesses to hear. She paused, rubbing her chin with her hoof. Note to self, if we do beat Celestia, take all the money away from the snooty nobles, and make other ponies who actually don't care about wealth nobles, like Applejack's family, maybe. Something to discuss later. She walked the rest of the way to her parents house in silence, physically and mentally . Once she reached the house, a two story house that was tame in terms of decorations, especially compared to the rest of Canterlot, she walked up and knocked on the door.

"Coming," she heard her mother from behind the door. The door opened a few seconds later, and the alicorns mother, a unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat, a mane and tail that had equal stripes of white and purple, blue eyes, and had a cutie mark that consisted of three stars, and was named Twilight Velvet, could be seen.

"Twilight," the unicorn asked.

"Hey, Mom," Twilight said, blushing in honest embarrassment, as she hadn't seen her parents since her coronation. "How are you and Dad doing?"

Velvet gave her daughter a hug and said, "We're doing fine, sweetie. Do you want to come in?"

"Yeah," Twilight said as the hug ended. She came into the house as her mother stepped aside to allow her entrance. Her mother closed the door behind her, and the two of them made their way to the living room. "So, where's dad at," Twilight said once they entered the lving room, as her father, Night Light, was no where to be found.

"He's just finishing up at his job, I'm sure. Should be home in the hour," Velvet said. "But how are you, sweetie? I haven't seen you since your coronation."

"Fine. Fine," Twilight said. "I actually learned a few new spells I was hoping to show you and Dad."

"Really?" When Twilight nodded nervously, Velvet said, "Well, can I see one?"

Twilight flinched a little, not a noticeable amount. Should I use the loyalty spell, or the dream walking one Nightmare taught me, or another spell? After a second of consideration, she decided to go with the loyalty spell. "Okay, here it comes," she said, lighting her horn.

Due to the amount of times she had cast the spell, this time, it was cast quickly. There was a small flash around Twilight's horn and her mother's head. When it faded, Velvet blinked a little and looked around, then looked at her daughter. Just as Twilight was getting ready to cast a memory spell, her mother knelt and said, "All hail Empress Twilight."

After getting over the fact she had just used the loyalty spell, successfully, mind you, on her mother, Twilight regained what little composure she lost since she arrived at her parents house and said ,"Mom, you can still call me Twilight. We are family, after all. And no need to go all formal on me when we're in private like we are now."

"But I must, Empress," Velvet said before she dropped a bombshell. "Only blood relatives should have the honor of addressing you as a friend, but I can not, as your father and I adopted you."