Chapter 1: Two Invaders

Margherita Maria, better known as "Margaret," was an immigrant invader to the Carolinas. Whether practicing for first chair flute, whether working on her game for junior varsity tennis, whether studying for College Board examinations, or whether trolling Mexican migrants by speaking Italian, every day of the school year kept the girl too busy to loaf. How she missed her days of primary school, when she could read Correia's novels and join her friends on urban adventures! She also missed bonding with her godfather; no longer could she shoot his fancy Sig Sauers.

During Christmas, the girl had found reprieve in a charming show of friendship starring pastel-colored ponies; she had watched her little ponies and their exploits with a childlike enthusiasm rarely felt elsewhere. In the midst of the grind of academia, however, she could only muse of episodes past. These muses that plagued Margaret's mind were of course of the show known as Friendship Is Magic.

One evening, these muses led to dreams.

FIRST DREAM

It was March of 2016. Margaret found herself in Canterlot Castle for the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. In the chapel, hundreds of patriots who hailed from places far and wide had gathered for the same. Whether Earth pony, Pegasus, or unicorn, all were Equestrians, and all loved Cadenza.

Margaret heard the blaring of horns as the court's royal trumpeters welcomed the bride. She witnessed of the entrance of the bridesmaids, which was followed by the hopping of the flower fillies. Then, she saw Cadenza herself—or rather, the changeling who possessed her form.

The changeling was blithe as she entered, clad in her gown and her wedding mantilla. Smugly, she sang aloud her victory. "Finally, the moment has arrived...for me to be one lucky bride!" She then made her way to Shining Armor as a choir of songbirds chirped the wedding march. It was jarring, since the melodies clashed, but the changeling was quite the gifted singer.

Though the captain stood proudly in his uniform, his eyes were sage, and his face had gone wall-eyed. Once his bride had joined him at the apse, the bride paced about, declaring: "Mine, all mine!" She even followed with a maniac's giggle, although none among the ponies showed concern. They thought that their princess was celebrating, so they smiled and they shed tears of joy.

Up next was the actual rite, and with Celestia, the rite would be quick; the mare had a weakness for sweets, and she had long set her sights on the wedding cake. "Mares and gentlecolts," Celestia began, "we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor. My dearest niece and my most faithful captain, you have come together in this place so that the goddess may seal and strengthen your love in the presence of myself and this community. Faust abundantly blesses this love. Now, she enriches and strengthens you so that you may assume the duties of marriage in mutual and lasting fidelity. In the presence of the city of Canterlot, I ask you to state your intentions.

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"

"We have."

"Will you love and honor each other as mare and colt for the rest of your lives?"

"We will."

"Will you accept fillies lovingly from Faust and teach them the magic of friendship?"

"We will."

"Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hooves, and declare your consent before Faust and her ponies."

The first one to speak was the captain. Shining Armor may have looked worse for wear, but when speaking, his voice was rather healthy. "I, Shining Armor, take you, Mi Amore Cadenza, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, until death do us part."

Afterwards, the bride took the captain. Her commitment, of course, was a lie, and she spoke with an arrogant smile. "I, Mi Amore Cadenza, take you, Shining Armor, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, until death do us part!"

Princess Celestia continued. "You have declared your consent before Canterlot. May the goddess in her goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with her blessings."

"What Faust has joined, ponies must not divide. May the goddess bless these rings that you give to each other as the sign of your love and fidelity."

Spike the Dragon brought forth the rings. Shining Armor placed his ring on the horn of his bride, and he instructed her to take it as a sign of his love—in the name of the great goddess Faust and her fellow co-creators, the gods Renzetti and McCarthy. Then, while presenting a ring of her own, the bride did the same to the captain. So it was that the couple was married.

"Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you mare and colt!"

The couple locked lips to applause and the stomping of hooves, but Margaret stared in shock. The changeling had married Shining Armor; something screamed in Margaret's mind to flee the chapel. Don't just stand there, Stupid. Find the princess. You have to find Princess Cadenza! Yet, Margaret was caught in indecision. Even if she left, where would she look? She should wait for the reception, at least.

Meanwhile, the bride started laughing. Her laughter grew louder and louder, reaching its peak when at last, she broke the kiss.

"What's gotten into her?" someone asked. "Shining Armor isn't that great of a trophy, is he?"

A column of energy arose, engulfing the bride before every pony's eyes. Everybody present gasped in unison, save for Margaret, who knew what was coming. Off popped the pretty pink wings of the bride, and out grew the wings of an insect. The rest of her yielded black chitin, a horn made crooked, and many, many holes. The tiara that sat on her head also blackened and turned into a miniature crown.

"What fools!" the changeling accused. "Every one of you here is a fool! I am Chrysalis, queen of the changelings, and I have come to find food for my subjects! It's a pity that we don't eat stupidity; Equestria has more than any place I've ever encountered! Ah, well...your love will suffice. My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!"

"Fat chance!" shouted one of Margaret's row mates. "Our city has a force field, remember? Your changeling army will starve!" He found himself approached by the changeling, and he instantly regretted speaking out.

Chrysalis gave a modest giggle. "Oh, you sweet little simpleton. Every moment, Shining Armor grows weaker—and so does his spell! Even now, my minions are chipping away at it." She looked at the ceiling and laughed. "Shining Armor is not only my husband; he is under my total control now—and, I'm sorry to say, unable to perform his duties as captain of the Royal Guard! Isn't that right, Dear?"

Zombielike, Shining Armor nodded. "Mmm-hmm," was his only reply.

"Soon, my changeling army will break through. First, we take Canterlot, and then..." Chrysalis became so ecstatic that she jumped and she hovered. "...all of Equestria!"

"No..." responded Celestia. "...you won't. You may have made it impossible for Shining Armor to perform his spell, but now that you have so foolishly revealed your true self, I can protect my subjects..." The princess and the queen rushed each other, and they fenced with their horns. "...from you!"

Margaret leapt from her spot by the aisle and sprinted for the exit while the queen was distracted. She did her best in a full-length formal dress, leaning forward and making ninety-degree angles, and she even almost made it outside. But then, she heard the shrieks of the others, and she was teleported back to the apse. There she hung, upside-down and back in shock as blood came gushing from Celestia's neck.

The princess's head was no more.

"This corpse that was once the great princess is the fruit of the power of Shining Armor's love; it seems even stronger than I thought." Chrysalis giggled once again. "Run from me again, and you will join her." She then released Margaret from suspension, and Margaret landed on the steps with a thud. "So, tell me, Dear. What exactly are you? Some sort of mutant ape without hair?"

Margaret picked herself up from the steps, taking care to show the changeling no fear. "My name is Margherita Maria. I'm a human, and I'm more than just a mutant; I was fashioned in the image and likeness of God."

"Of Faust?" the changeling assumed. "Weren't we all, Dear. Weren't we all. Then again, you do resemble her more than any pony..." It was then that the queen's smile faded. Her face grew intense with resentment, and at one point, she even bared her teeth. "...which is why I ought to kill you where you stand!"

And at that, Margaret's confidence melted.

"You remind me too much of Lady Faust. She abandoned us, you see; she abandoned all of us, yet these ponies still dare to praise her name!"

"You're a liar!" Rainbow Dash screamed. Her face was still in tears over the princess. "Faust loves us! She would never outright abandon us!"

"Faust will come again," asserted Applejack. "And there'll be justice for the princess."

"You ponies are naïve!" snapped Chrysalis. "And you! Your love is probably just as worthless as hers!" The queen zapped Margaret with laser, and with intense, searing pain, the girl awoke.