Chapters Fall in Canterlot was in full swing.
Leaves were turning various shades of reds, oranges and yellows, the temperature was dropping and people were bringing out their cold weather clothes they had stored away.
It was going to be a beautiful October to be sure, which also meant another celebration....
"No."
"Oh come on Twilight! Please ?" Rainbow begged. They were in the halls of Canterlot High just before classes were to begin.
"I told you, I don't know anything about fortune telling!" Twilight said as she gathered her books out of locker. On a nearby wall was a poster for Canterlot High's annual Nightmare Night Carnival. Even though it wasn't on the actual holiday, it was fun and helped raise a lot of money for the school.
"Oh come on! You'll be a natural at it! Didn't Sunset say you were part Gypsy?"
"The correct term is 'Romane', Rainbow. And only through my maternal grandfather." Twilight sighed and turned to her friend. "Besides, not all Romane are fortune tellers, most of them are merchants and traders. Plus, everybody knows fortune telling is fake!"
"Of course everybody knows that! It's part of what makes it so much fun! All you have to do is read their palms or something and tell them their future."
"Nobody can accurately predict the future."
"Well, then just make stuff up! Isn't that what real fortune tellers do?" Twilight was beginning to get sick of her friends begging and tried to walk away, unfortunately Rainbow was trailing right beside her.
"Why do you want my help anyway?"
"Because everyone else is already doing something for the carnival. Plus, you already kind of look like a Gyp-....err, Romane! Please Twilight!"
Twilight just rolled her eyes at this, "You know, you wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't bet Hoops that you could break a black board with a golfball."
"Hey, I won that bet!" Rainbow said proudly before drooping her shoulders again. "...and for my detention it's either help set up the carnival or clean toilets! Toilets Twilight!"
"Are you sure a fortune telling booth is a good idea?"
"I already ran it by Principal Celestia and she said it was fine as long as I could get somebody to do the fortune telling! She even said Vice Principal Luna could give us a hand!"
This didn't surprise Twilight, from her years of tutoring under the woman, she knew that Luna had a heavy interest in the occult....even in the things that were considered 'odd' by magical society!
Twilight thought through this. As much as she was reluctant to do this, she figured there wouldn't be much harm in doing it. After all, nobody could blame her if her fortunes didn't come true. Besides, she had no other plans for Saturday anyway. After glancing at Rainbow's puppy dog eyes, Twilight finally gave in.
"Alright, I'll do it."
"Yes! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Rainbow gave Twilight a hug. "We'll talk to Luna during training to get help setting up!"
Twilight just hoped she wouldn't regret this.
"I'm actually quite pleased you girls chose to do this."
Rainbow and Twilight were in Luna's office. Rainbow had just informed her that Twilight had agreed to participate.
"As much as I detest the flanderization and stereotyping attributed to fortune telling, It's a fun activity, especially with Nightmare Night coming up. In fact..."
Luna got up from her desk and approached one of her bookshelves. "...I should have a few things that will help you out." After a moment of searching, she pulled out a book and handed it to Twilight. "That's a guide to basic palm reading. Might as well have a little accuracy for this. Actually..."
She walked over to another and picked something up with both hands. When she turned around, Twilight and Rainbow saw that it was a crystal ball!
"This might help keep up the appearance as well. You can collect it before the carnival." With that, she put the crystal ball back on it's proper place.
"Sweet! Thanks Vice Principal Luna! Now all we gotta do is get you a costume! I figure'd that Rarity could maybe stitch something together..."
"Actually, I should have something at my house that we could use." Twilight suggested. "We can check it out after school."
Rainbow immediately agreed, before realizing she had never actually been to Twilight's house before.
"Woah, nice place." Rainbow said, wide eyed when she saw where Twilight lived.
It was large, to say the least. With stone pathways and columns along with several stained glass windows, it definitely did not hide the fact that it in a 'nice' part of town.
"Oh...it's nothing." Twilight tried to brush it off as they approached the front door.
"'Nice'? Darling it is simply charming !" Rarity gushed. She had come along so she could appraise and make adjustments to the outfit Twilight picked out.
"Yeah I figured that Crystal Prep kids had money..."
"Look it's not a big deal ok?" Twilight insisted, cutting Rainbow off as she opened the door and entered the house. Despite the intimidating outer appearance, the inside radiated with warmth and comfort, making sure visitors knew it wasn't just a house, it was a home .
"Mom? I'm home!" Twilight called out.
"Coming sweetie!" From the kitchen appeared Twilight Velvet dressed in a t-shirt, sweat pants, hair slightly messy and in the middle of eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "How was your day?"
"Good. Mom, this is Rainbow Dash and Rarity." Twilight introduced her friends and Rarity even managed to hide her disgust at Velvet's slobbiness to act with courtesy.
"My goodness! Your Twilight's mother? I would have thought you were her older sister!"
Velvet grinned while Twilight rolled her eyes. Velvet the, while still holding onto her sandwich, gathered Rainbow and Rarity in a big hug, much to their discomfort.
"Oh! It is so good to finally meet you! Twilight has told me all about you girls! Sorry I'm a bit of mess, but I'm in the middle of writing my next book you know?" She explained excitedly before letting them go, still grinning.
"Mom, the school is having a Nightmare Night carnival this Saturday and I'm helping with the fortune telling booth. Do we have any old clothes that would work?"
"Fortune telling? Oh that sounds like fun! I'm sure there's something in the attic we could use." Velvet led the others up through the house, quickly devouring the rest of her sandwich on the way.
Twilight's attic was what you'd expect from any other attics: dark, stuffy and full of old stuff.
"Sorry about the mess. After my mother passed on a few years back I just never got around to sorting through all her stuff." Velvet explained as she turned on the light and began searching through various boxes. "Ah ha! Here we go!" She pulled out some clothes for the girls to inspect.
There was a beautiful embroidered off the shoulders purple blouse along with a long skirt consisting of various blues, pinks and purples tied with a dark blue sash. "They were your grandmother's. They're a little big, but nothing a little mending won't fix. I think there's a pair of boots that'll fit along with a headscarf and some jewelry."
The girls were impressed. "Oh my. They are simply gorgeous." Rarity appraised the outfit. "I should have the modifications done by Saturday."
"It's going to be perfect for the booth!" Rainbow exclaimed. "This is going to be an awesome carnival!"
"I hope so..." Twilight said, though couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen....
Author's Note
And the final story of the first arc sets sail!
For reference, you can see EQG's Twilight's house here: https://derpibooru.org/1502991?q=monday+blues
You can imagine the characters in their old or redesigned outfits. (Though to be clear, this Twilight still doesn't wear glasses.)
Saturday arrived and everyone was excited for Canterlot High's annual Nightmare Night Carnival.
Twilight was at home getting her costume on. Rarity had finished the last modifications and was helping her with the final touches.
"Oh honey you look beautiful!" Velvet gushed when she saw her daughter. Twilight was wearing the outfit Velvet had found, only modified to fit better. She wore a pair of old but shiny black boots. Her hair beautifully braided and accessorized with a light purple headscarf adorned with stars. She even wore several old bangles and bracelets they had found in an old jewelry box, which jingled when Twilight moved her arms along with a pair of hoop earrings. Rarity had just finished doing Twilight's make up and the results were simply stunning. One would think she was an actual Romane.
Twilight blushed. "You'll have to thank Rarity. She did most of the work."
Rarity merely waved off the compliment. "Oh please darling! An artist is only as good as her canvas! And I was was given quite a lovely one!" Rarity winked, which caused Twilight to blush even harder. "You know...with your dark coloring and cheekbones, you really do look Romane. Now we just need a necklace to finish it off."
"I have one right here." Velvet took off her own necklace and slid it over Twilight's head. A single golden chain adorned with a round crystal. Inside seemed to hold a miniature universe. Indeed the necklace seemed to be the finishing touch the outfit needed and it fit perfectly on Twilight's neck.
"Oh my. Isn't it just lovely!" Rarity admired the necklace.
"Your...your lending me grandma's necklace?" Twilight was surprised and touched. Her grandmother had worn it every day and as far as she knew, had never taken it off. The only time had been when she passed it onto her daughter on her deathbed.
"Why not? It's only for a few hours. Besides, it looks just perfect on you!" Velvet began rubbing her chin as she looked at her daughter. "You know...you really do look like her."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. Then again, people told me the same thing! I guess her genetics are just that strong. You definitely have her eyes though."
Rarity pulled out her phone and checked the time. "Sorry to rush out, but we should get going soon."
Just as she said this, the doorbell rang.
"Now who could that be?" Velvet wondered as the girls followed her to the door and opened it.
"Hey mom! Twilight!" There stood a handsome young man several years older than Twilight. His short, dark blue hair was streaked with shades of lighter blue. Like his mother, he shared her ivory skin and baby blue eyes. Just behind him was his wife who seemed to be anxious to leave already.
"Shiny! Cadance! Well isn't this a surprise?" Velvet exclaimed as she hugged her son. "I'm so sorry your father isn't here but he's stuck on a business trip for the next few days."
"How was your camping trip?" Twilight asked when it was her turn to hug her brother.
"It was so relaxing! Just what we needed, right Cadance?" He turned to his wife.
Cadance was about to answer when her eyes landed on Twilight. Her eyes widened and she seemed frozen in place.
"Cadance? Are you ok?" Shining asked, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder.
Cadance blinked and quickly recomposed herself. "I'm fine...dear. Just tired from the trip back." Shining seemed content with this answer but Twilight could sense something was off. Before she could ask further, Rarity spoke up.
"I hate to interrupt this reunion darling. But we really must get going now."
"Oh, right. Shining, this is Rarity. I hate leaving so soon but we're helping out at the school carnival and it's starting soon."
"It's ok. We should be heading home too. Like Cadance said, it was a long trip. See you tomorrow?" Twilight agreed to the plan and was just about to head out when...
"Hold on!" Velvet said before getting a quick picture of Twilight with her phone. "Your father will love it when I send it to him."
After that both groups hurried out the door to their respective cars. Twilight was about to get in Rarity's when she looked over and saw Cadance looking at her oddly. Before Twilight could ask her about it, Cadance quickly hurried inside her husband's car and they drove off.
"Why my dear even with all your talk of him, I never expected your brother to be so handsome and charming! And Cadance is just as lovely as you described." Rarity said as she hit the road.
"Yeah..." Twilight said distantly, as she thought over their encounter.
"Is something wrong darling?"
"It's just that, Cadance seemed...different somehow."
"Well, like she said, it was a long trip and she was probably just tired. Besides, didn't you also mention that she was pregnant too? It could be that too." Rarity tried to comfort her friend.
"I guess..." Twilight said as she stared out the window for the rest of the ride.
Rarity is right. She tried to reassure herself. It was just a combination of outside factors that contributed to her odd behavior. Nothing to be concerned about.
But something inside of Twilight kept telling her that something was wrong.
By the time they got to school, it was almost time for the carnival to start.
"There you are!" Rainbow said when they got to the courtyard behind the school. "The Carnival opens in five minutes! Come on!" As Rainbow led them through the carnival, Twilight looked around. The night was warm and clear, and there were a wide variety of student run games and stand for people to enjoy.
Applejack was running the apple bobbing booth. Pinkie was in charge of the cotton candy, (if she didn't eat it all first). Fluttershy was running a miniature petting zoo. Even Sunset was running a paint-on tattoo stand. Orange and black streamers were strung around the booths, carved pumpkins and hay-bales decorated the grounds along with several hanging lanterns to light the way. Overall it was a pretty impressive sight.
They finally arrived at the make-shift fortune telling tent. The sheets had been dyed black and dark purple and a rug covered the ground. Inside was a single table with Luna's crystal ball on it with two cushioned chairs at opposite sides. Above the entrance hung a sign which read: Psychic Readings by Madame Sparkle .
"Nice work Rainbow." Twilight complimented.
"Thanks."
"Good to see you girls have finally arrived."
The girls looked over to see Luna walking towards the. Though many of the students and faculty had dressed up in costumes for the occasion, Luna wore a simple gothic black dress with silver crescent moon earrings.
"I was just making one final walk through to make sure everything was prepared before we begin." Luna looked at at Twilight. "I must say, Twilight, that you look simply wonderful. Thank you for finding the time to find some authentic Romane clothes rather than those sexualized ones at the costume stores."
Twilight blushed once again at the compliment. "Thanks. But Rarity handled most of the modifications. They were my grandma's."
"Indeed? Excellent work girls. I must get going, but have good time!" With that, she went to examine the rest of the booths.
Twilight took her place as Rainbow gave her some last minute pointers.
"Alright all you gotta do is read their palm or look into the crystal ball and tell them something about their future. Like their going to meet someone or do something fun."
"I get it Rainbow. I can handle it."
"Ok. I'll be right outside to handle the line." With that Rainbow and Rarity left to give Twilight a moment of peace.
"Alright...let's do this."
Author's Note
Looks like this one's going to be a little bit longer than the others.
For the first hour or so, business was slow. Most people just gave her tent a curious glance before going to check out the other booths.
Finally a woman came in. All Twilight had to do was give her a few readings based on her palm lines. The woman left, satisfied with her reading.
I have to remember to thank Luna for that guide later.
A few minutes later a little girl came in. Twilight pretended to look into the crystal ball and tell her about her 'future' as a glamorous movie star. The girl left excitedly to tell her mother the news.
Gradually more and more people went to get their fortune told, with Twilight shifting between palm readings and looking into the 'future' with the crystal ball. Thankfully Rainbow was quite competent at collecting money and keeping the line in check.
"Wow! Bonnie was right! You really do look like a gypsie!" Twilight recognized her next client as one of her classmates, Lyra Heartstrings.
"Romane." Twilight quickly corrected before getting back into character."I am Madame Sparkle. What do you wish to know?" She asked in a dramatic fortune teller voice.
"Can you tell me how I'm going to do at my harp recital tomorrow?" Lyra asked as she sat down. "I've been practicing for weeks and I want to know how I'm going to do."
"I can only tell you what I see." With that Twilight waved her hands dramatically over the crystal ball and looked into it. After a moment, she was ready to tell Lyra that she was to do great at her recital when something happened.
The crystal ball was no longer clear. A foggy image was making it's way through. Twilight stared intensely at it as more of the image revealed itself. It was slightly fuzzy, but Twilight could make out Lyra in bed, looking even greener than usual, with a wet cloth over her forehead.
"I...I see you home in bed. Sick with something....maybe a stomach bug?"
Lyra immediately became upset at this. "Oh no! That means I'm going to miss my recital!"
Twilight looked up from the ball and tried to comfort her. "Look, it's just a guess ok? Your going to do great." Twilight tried to sound sure, but her voice wobbled. She looked back at the ball and saw that the image was gone.
Lyra nodded uneasily before quickly leaving the tent.
Twilight took a moment to think.
What the heck just happened!?
Meanwhile, Luna was in the Lair to retrieve some papers she had left there earlier when she noticed something unusual.
She looked at the Element case and saw that the Element of Magic was beeping!
"That's odd..."
A few more costumers came by and fortunately Twilight was able to satisfy their needs through simple palm readings. Twilight just wanted to forget about the incident with Lyra and be done with it.
"Hey, carnival is ending soon. How are you holding up?" Rainbow checked up on her right after the next costumer left.
"Fine. Just starting to get a little tired. How many more people?"
"Only two. Then we're both good for the night."
Twilight gave a sigh of relief at this.
Next was a boy Twilight recognized as Micro Chips. She was all set to do a palm reading when...
"Actually, do you mind telling me my "future"?" He used air quotes around the word future. "I just want to see what you can come up with."
Twilight nodded and hoped it would be different this time. But as she looked into the ball, another image waved into existence.
In it, she could see Micro carrying a box of equipment. He couldn't see where he was going and tripped over something. He was then clutching his ankle in pain. The image faded.
Twilight just stared blankly into the ball for a minute, unable to comprehend what she just saw.
"Uh...are you ok?" Micro asked.
Twilight blinked and looked back at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Look, just...be careful where you step ok? Especially if your carrying something."
Micro looked confused but just nodded and left. Twilight called Rainbow in.
"Can we just end this now? I'm feeling tired." Twilight felt so confused right now. All she wanted to do was go home and figure out what was going on!
"But you only have one more costumer! Besides...I think you'll like this one." Rainbow winked and ducked out before Twilight could say anything.
Suddenly in walked a boy with a bomber jacket and blue hair.
"Hey Twilight!" Flash Sentry greeted as he took a seat. "I heard you were doing fortunes tonight, You look great!"
"Thanks." Twilight would normally be happy to see him but the strange events had drained her spirit a little. Flash noticed this.
"Hey...are you ok?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Just a little tired tonight. More fortunes than I expected." She tried to brush it aside, there was no need to worry anyone else about this.
"Are you sure? I don't mind leaving now if that's ok." He started to get up to leave.
"Oh no! It's alright. One more fortune can't hurt, right?" Twilight tried to reassure her self.
"Well...if your up to it." He sat back down and Twilight looked into the crystal ball. After all, third times the charm?
Please let it be nothing. Please let it be nothing.
Unfortunately an image was already making itself known. In it, Flash was rubbing his head in frustration as he stood next to his car. It appeared to have a flat tire.
The image disappeared and Twilight looked up.
"Look, just be careful when driving alright? And always pack an extra tire."
"Uh...ok? Are you alright?" He asked with concern.
Twilight rubbed her temples. "Just a little headache."
"The carnivals almost over anyway. I can help you pack up and drive you home."
Twilight smiled at hime. "Thanks Flash. I'd appreciate that."
"I hate to keep you, but do you mind doing one more fortune for me?"
Twilight looked at the entrance and saw Luna there with a confused Rainbow standing nearby.
"Actually, I was just about the pack up...."
"I understand. But I've been hearing all about this from people and decided to get one myself."
Twilight thought on this for a moment. She was tired and very confused and wanted to go home to figure out what was happening. But she also didn't want to let down her teacher slash Vice Principal.
"It's ok. Have a seat."
"Twilight..." Flash looked like he wanted to stop her.
"It's alright Flash. Just one more and I'll be done for the night." Flash hesitated but nodded and went outside to wait with Rainbow.
Luna took a seat and Twilight reached for her palm.
"No. I want you to look into the ball and tell me my future."
Luna's commanding tone surprised Twilight, and she tried to dissuade her.
"Wouldn't you rather have your palm read?"
"I can read my own palm just fine. I want you to look into the ball and tell me what you see."
Luna's tone was one Twilight was familiar with. It meant she wanted something done, and she wanted it done now .
Twilight sighed. "Alright."
Luna smiled as Twilight looked into the ball. Immediately an image began to appear. It was of Luna, hopping in pain and clutching her foot in what appeared to be her kitchen. That was it and the image faded.
"Uh...."
"Well?" Luna raised an eyebrow.
"It...was nothing. Just....be careful in the kitchen." Twilight's headache was much worse now. What was going on?!
Luna simply nodded at this. "I'll be sure to listen. Are you alright?"
"Just tired. I've got a bit of a headache too."
Luna gave her a sympathetic smile. "The carnival should be over by now. I'll help you clean up."
Sure enough people were leaving and students were packing up their booths. With Luna and Flash's help, Rainbow and Twilight managed to finish earlier than most.
"Luna...do you mind lending me the crystal ball for a while?" Twilight asked nervously. She needed to study it, there had to be something up with it. Where could those images had been coming from?
Fortunately Luna just smiled and asked no questions. "Of course. Keep it as long as you need." With that she left to help the other students pack up their booths.
Flash eventually dropped Twilight off right outside her house. Twilight, still holding the crystal ball, thanked him.
"It was no problem. Are you sure your alright?"
"Like I said: I'm just tired. A good night's sleep should help with that." Twilight put on a nervous grin in an effort to convince him she was alright. He didn't completely buy it but wished her a good night anyway.
Twilight entered the house and went straight to her bedroom. On the way, she could see the light's on and the sound of typing through the door to her mother's study. Twilight decided to check up on her and opened the door.
There at the broad oak desk sat her mother typing furiously at the keyboard, eyes glued to the screen. She must have heard Twilight open the door because she asked: "How was the carnival sweetie?"
"Tiring. I'm just gonna head to bed." Velvet just nodded at this, her eyes never leaving the screen as Twilight left the necklace on the desk and closed the door. Then, after a quick stop at the bathroom to wash her makeup off, she headed to her bedroom.
There, she found Spike already fast asleep in his doggy bead. Twilight put the crystal ball on her desk, got out of her Romane outfit and put on her pajamas.
She could examine the ball tomorrow. Maybe it was made of some kind of magic crystal? Or maybe Luna just put an enchantment on it to play some kind of joke? Surprisingly, the woman was known to these things from time to time.
These thoughts immediately left Twilight's head as she hit the pillow and sleep washed over her.
Cadance was in a dark area, like a cave. She was slightly dirty and messy. She was terrified and kept a protective hand over her belly.
"Hello? Can anyone hear me? Please help me!"
Twilight woke up, heart pounding and eyes wide. After a moment she remembered that she was safely in her room and gave a sigh of relief.
Just a nightmare....
She checked the time. It was surprisingly early, and the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. Realizing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep no matter how hard she tried, Twilight decided to get an early start to her Sunday. She quickly got dressed and had breakfast before taking the crystal ball to her lab out back.
She spent hours examining it's structure composition and going over every geology and spell book she had but couldn't find anything.
"Ugh! What is going on with this thing!?" She eventually threw her arms up in frustration.
"Twilight? Are you ok?"
Twilight looked at the entrance and saw her loyal dog, Spike giving her a worried look. On a nearby branch, she could see Owlowiscious looking at her curiously.
"I'm fine you two. Just trying to figure out what's wrong with this thing." She pointed to the crystal ball.
Spike looked at it, confused. "It looks just like a normal ball. Only see through."
"Spike, last night at the carnival. I could see...images of stuff. Stuff that wasn't going on at the moment."
"I don't see anything."
"Exactly. Now it's just a decoration. But last night..." Twilight just sighed before taking a seat. "Oh who am I kidding? I was getting pretty tired. I was probably staring into that ball for so long, my mind was playing tricks on me."
"Hoo?"
"On me!" Twilight answered before realizing it was just her familiar.
"Well, then maybe you should take a break. I mean you've been in here for hours. Its almost lunchtime."
Twilight was startled when she checked her phone and realized Spike was right. "Ok. I guess a little food will do me some good."
"You bet!....And maybe half a sandwich for me as well?"
"Nice try Spike."
Spike groaned and Twilight rolled her eyes as they made their way back to the house. Just before they got back in however, she noticed her brother's car pull up and park.
"Shiny! What are you doing here?" Twilight walked up to great her brother.
"Like I said. I was coming to see you." Shining Armor reminded her as he got out of the car. "Cady suggested that we should invite you to lunch." He gestured to his wife who was still seated in the passenger's chair.
Cadance gave a strange smile, "I thought it's been a while since we got together. So why not?"
Twilight got a strange feeling again but decided to ignore it for now. "That sounds great! I'll see if mom's up to go." As Twilight left, she didn't see Cadance's smile start to strain at the mention of her mother.
Unfortunately after a night long writing spree, Twilight Velvet had passed out as soon as she hit the bed. Twilight just smiled and tucked her mother in and shut the curtains. She was used to this behavior whenever her mother was busy writing.
"Looks like Mom's still in her 'writing-frenzy'."
"That's ok. That way it'll just be the three of us."
Was something wrong with Twilight or did Cadance sound...relieved at the news?
"Yeah! Now hop on in and we'll get going!" Shining, however, sounded just fine and Twilight entered the car.
"Bring me back a doggy bag!"
"Sure thing Spike!"
Twilight didn't the notice the look of shock on Cadance's face.
They choose a nice 50's themed diner with a jukebox and waitresses with rollerblades!
They had just sat down at a booth when a familiar figure approached them...
"Pinkie Pie?!"
"That's me! Hi Twilight! How did you know that I worked here?"
"I didn't." Twilight was pleasantly surprised to see her friend. "Pinkie this is my brother Shining Armor and my sister-in-law, Cadance!"
Shining greeted her cheerfully but Cadance just gave her a wry smile.
"Please...just Mi Amore Cadenza will do."
Twilight turned her, shocked. Cadance never used her full name and instead preferred her casual nickname.
"Alrighty then, Mrs. Mi Amore Cadenza! Once again my name is Pinkie Pie and I'll be your server on this beautiful day!" Pinkie dropped off some menus and left them to decide while she waited on other customers.
"This Pinkie...she's the Element of Laughter, correct?" Cadance asked, brow raised. Twilight nodded.
"So....I'd bet that you keep the Elements of Harmony nearby, just in case, right?"
"Sorry, that's kind of a secret." Twilight was starting to feel uncomfortable now. Why was she getting such an odd feeling around the woman she's known for most of her life?
"Understandable. Wouldn't want any thieves getting their hands on the most powerful magic in the world, right honey?" Shining nudged his wife.
"Right..." Cadance tried to hide her disappointment.
After Pinkie came back and got their orders, Shining got up.
"I gotta use the restroom, be right back ladies." He said, leaving Twilight alone with Cadance.
"So Twilight, how's being an Element of Harmony been?"
"Uh...exciting, I guess? I have so many new responsibilities now and I have to prepared for any crisis at a moments notice."
"That must be very stressful."
"Yeah, sometimes."
"Well, if there's anything you want to talk about, just come to me." Cadance reached out and grabbed Twilight's hand. Twilight was surprised at how cold it felt.
"After all...we wouldn't want something bad to happen to you."
Twilight looked into Cadance's eyes and for moment they flashed green! Twilight shook her head and when she looked back, they were their usual shade of purple again.
What is going on with me?
The rest of lunch was uncomfortably quiet until Shining dropped Twilight off at home. She could feel Cadance's eyes on her as she entered the house.
"Hi Twilight! How was lunch? Did you get me anything?"
After feeding him, Twilight took Spike on his daily walk, with Owlowiscious flying nearby. She would normally listen to music or read a book along the way but right now she just couldn't get her mind off Cadance.
"Twilight? Are you sure your alright? You've been acting kinda weird since you came home."
"It's nothing. Did you notice something...off about Cadance?"
"Hoo?"
"Cadance!"
"I didn't get the chance to see or smell her. Why?"
"I don't know why but she's been acting so strange since she and Shining Armor got back from their trip. Like she's hiding something!"
"Maybe it has something to do with the baby?"
"Probably. But if so, why didn't she say anything?"
"Maybe she just doesn't want you to worry."
"Maybe. Augh! What is going on with me this weekend. Maybe I'm coming down with something."
"Hoo?"
"Me!"
"You have been kinda stressed lately. Maybe you should try to get some rest."
"That's probably a good idea."
But Twilight just couldn't shake the feeling that something big was going on....
Author's Note
Cold hands, warm heart?
Cadance was still in the dark place. She looked tired and frightened. Her cheeks were stained with tears.
Suddenly she could hear footsteps. She rose to her feet, hopeful for the first time in hours.
"Hello!? Anyone!? I'm right here!"
A chilling laugh echoed throughout the cave and Cadance felt her heart sink. Soon another figure approached her, though her features remained hidden in the dark.
"What's the matter? Not happy to see me?" The figure asked before bursting into her spine chilling laughter.
Twilight again woke up sweating and panicked. It took her a minute to realize she was still in her bedroom.
Another nightmare. What the heck was going on?! The last time she had nightmares like these were
...were just before the fall formal.
Twilight's eyes widened and she knew at once what it meant. The first batch of dreams had been trying to warn her about Sunset Shimmer and the Elements of Harmony.
But what were these trying to tell her?
Twilight realized she would have to ask the one person who knew more about dreams than anyone else.
Twilight got to school nice and early to talk to Luna when suddenly....
"Twilight! There you are!"
Twilight turned to see Lyra and BobBon approach her.
"What's going on?"
"I'll tell you what's going on!" BonBon said angrily. "That fortune you told Lyra came true!"
"WHAT!?" Twilight couldn't believe it.
"She's right." Lyra spoke up. "Yesterday was my recital but I woke up sick as a dog! I threw up pretty much everything I ate. The doctor said it was just a twenty four hour bug, but I still ended missing my recital."
"Well!? What did you do!?" BonBon. "Did you slip her something? Did you cast some kind of spell? Tell me!"
N-nothing! I didn't do anything!"
"Bonnie she's right." Thankfully Lyra came to Twilight's defense. "The doctor said bugs like these are common this time of year. And theres going to be other recitals."
BonBon seemed to think over her friends words for a moment before calming down a little. She left, but not before warning Twilight, "I'm watching you." Lyra followed her, while giving Twilight a look that was of curiosity mixed with fear.
Twilight replayed the scenario over in her head. The vision she had saw came true! But...that didn't make sense. She needed to talk to Luna now !
But on her way there, Twilight caught another interesting sight: Micro Chip using crutches and his ankle in a cast. His friend Sandalwood stood nearby carrying his books.
"What happened?" Twilight asked.
Micro just sighed, "Looks like I should've listened to you about watching my step."
"What do you mean?"
"I was carrying a box of equipment for my science project when I tripped on a toolbox. I sprained by ankle and I'm gonna be in a cast for the next two weeks!"
Twilight was stunned. Another one of her visions had happened. Another one of her predictions had come true.
"Oh my stars. I'm so sorry! Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Nah, it's not your fault. Besides, Sandalwood is assisting me until I get better."
"Anything to help a friend." He said nonchalantly. He and Micro bid their goodbyes to Twilight before heading off to class.
Twilight couldn't believe how her day was going so far. Two of the fortunes she had told at the carnival had actually come true!
But...that's not scientifically possible!
Before Twilight could dwell on this further, the warning bell rang, signaling the quick beginning of school.
Shoot, she would have talk to Luna during training.
Twilight tried to focus in her first few classes, but her thoughts returned to the events of earlier.
Her predictions had actually come true! This shouldn't be possible. Even the other students had heard about it, whispering to each other while pointing at her. Twilight tried to ignore them when she noticed something off.
Flash Sentry wasn't in their second period class when she got there.
After about fifteen minutes he finally walked in and, after handing a note to the teacher, took a seat next to Twilight. Soon the teacher had to leave for a few minutes, allowing the students to chat amongst themselves.
"Twilight, are you ok?" Flash asked when he saw how upset Twilight looked.
"Your not going to believe it, but some of the prediction I made at the carnival actually came true!"
"What!?"
"It's true. Lyra was sick yesterday and Micro hurt is ankle."
"Yeah I heard about them. But what does-"
"It terrible because I saw them happening! In the crystal ball! I don't know how or why but that crystal ball seemed to be showing me images of the future!"
Twilight took a moment to breath and realized that for how crazy she sounded...it had all happened. She quickly turned to Flash.
"Wait! Remember that fortune I gave you? Is that why you were late this morning?"
Flash seemed taken aback by this. "No...I had a dentist appointment."
Twilight gave a sigh of relief. "Well at least you prediction didn't come true. So at least some sense there." Twilight looked around and saw that students were still whispering and looking at her. She leaned forward and covered her face with her hands.
"Everything is just so confusing right now! First Cadance. Then those dreams. Now these predictions! What is going on with me?"
Flash didn't fully understand what Twilight was talking about, but tried to comfort her anyway. "Hey it's not your fault those things happened. They could've happened to anyone at any time."
"Thanks Flash." Twilight gave him a grateful smile. At least he didn't seem too freaked out by what happened.
Before they could say more the teacher came back and the learning resumed until the end of class.
Unfortunately Twilight's plan to talk to Luna hit a snag during training when Celestia announced that Luna had been called away an hour earlier and would most likely gone the rest of the day.
"Oh great." Twilight groaned.
"Cheer up! At least we raised a ton of money at the carnival!" Rainbow said, trying to raise her friend's spirits. "So how'd you make those predictions about Lyra and Micro come true?"
"I didn't! Wait...Principal Celestia! Did something happen to Luna this morning?"
Celestia blinked, surprised. "Why yes...she dropped a pot on her foot while trying to make breakfast. But I don't see what that has to do now."
Twilight could only sit in silence the rest of the lesson as she digested the news.
At lunch Twilight didn't feel like eating with the rest of the group. They looked worried but respected her wished. So as Twilight ate her burger alone, she tried to make sense of what was going on around her.
First Lyra, then Micro, now Luna! So far all of Twilight's 'predictions' only brought misery to the people around her.
"Hey Twilight." Flash said, placing his own tray and sitting opposite of her at the empty table. "Why are you sitting here? Your usually with your friends."
"I just wanted to by myself for a bit. To think."
"Twilight you can't honestly believe your making these things happen. Their accidents. "
"Accidents that I saw happening! This doesn't make any sense."
"Baby steps Twilight. You trying to handle too much at once. Now, what do you usually do when you find something that doesn't make sense?"
"Usually I look it up in the library or online."
"Exactly! How about after we eat we head to the library and see if we can find a book or something about this."
Twilight eagerly agreed and they quickly finished their lunches and headed straight to the library to search for answers. But what would they find?
Author's Note
Might not be able to post anything else until tomorrow. Family stuff.
Anyway, Merry Christmas Eve!
When Twilight and Flash got to the library, they immediately got to work and looked through every book about future seeing, fortune telling, and even hex spells that they could find.
Twilight was going through her tenth book and about to give up when..
"Twilight! I think I've got something!" Flash whispered. They were still in a library after all.
"What?"
Flash shows her the book he found titled: Psionics: a study of the Paranormal and the Metaphysical. Twilight just gave the book a confused look.
"How does that help?"
"Basically, it's a collection about studies about ESP and stuff."
"ESP? Extrasensory Perception? Flash, psychic powers aren't real!"
"Just hear me out. There's a part here..." Flash flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for." Here it is! "Precognition is the ability to predict future events that may happen." Doesn't that sound like what happened to you?"
"Maybe, but that can't be right. Besides, not all of my predictions came true. Yours didn't."
Flash then began rubbing the back of his head nervously while avoiding eye contact, "About that....it did."
"What? When!?"
"This morning, actually. I was running late and I got a flat tire on the way to school. That's the real reason I was late."
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
"You seemed so upset about the other stuff coming true. I just...though I'd ease you mind a bit."
Twilight buried her face in her hands. "What is going on with me?"
"Twilight I know your upset. But I think this book can help you-"
"No. It. Cant. I am not psychic. Psychic powers are neither science nor magic, and thus do not exist."
"But there have been tons of studies on the subject. Both scientific and magical!"
"Are any of those conclusive ?"
"Well....no. But some of the things they've recorded are incredible! Theres a guy who was able to accurately describe a place thousands of miles away! And theres this woman who was able to pick the exact same cards as someone else...and he was in a completely different room!"
"I don't have time for this! I need something real!"
Before they could argue any further, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break.
"Look, let's push that aside for now and come back after school to see if we can find anything useful.
Flash grumbled but complied. They left, but not before Flash checked out his book when Twilight wasn't looking.
Twilight managed to ignore the whisperings of her classmates and make it through the rest of the day.
"Are you sure yer alright sugarcube?" AJ asked as Twilight was putting away her stuff for the day.
"I'm fine. And I won't be able to make practice today. Flash and I are studying in the library."
"Ooh...studying I see?" Rarity gave Twilight a knowing smile.
"It's not like that! He's helping me trying to figure out what's going on with me!"
"And we can't!?" Rainbow asked, annoyed.
"It's not like that! Theres just so much going on right now!"
"What Twilight? We can help." Sunset said, putting a comforting hand on Twilight's shoulder. "This isn't just about those predictions, is it?"
Twilight sighed. "You remember Cadance?"
"Our old babysitter? What about her?"
"Oh! She's the lady that was with you at the cafe, right?" Pinkie asked.
"Yes. She's my sister in law. A few days ago she and my brother, Shining Armor, went on a camping trip to relax for a bit. But when they came back, Cadance just started acting....strange."
"'Strange' how?" Fluttershy asked.
"I don't know! Mostly little things I guess! Not to mention I've been having nightmares about her for the past few days?"
"Nightmares? Like the ones before the Fall Formal?" Rarity asked.
"Exactly! And they show her in trouble. Trapped someplace dark. But that can't be the case! I mean...she's looks perfectly fine!"
"Who looks fine?"
Twilight turnes and found Flash Sentry standing there. She quickly caught him up to speed.
"I see..."
"Twi are you sure yer not just stressin' out?"
"I told you. I. Am. FINE." She grabbed Flash's wrist and began to drag him away. "We have to go. I'll call you girls later."
She managed to drag him down a few halls before letting him go.
"Thanks. Your stronger than you look. What was that about?"
"I...just didn't feel like dealing with them right now. They just don't seem to understand how confusing everything is right now."
Flash was about to reply when...
*ping *
Twilight checked her phone and saw it was a text from her mother. It was the picture she had taken before Twilight had left for the carnival with the message: Twily's helping at the school carnival! Doesn't she look so cute!
"What is it?"
Twilight just rolled her eyes, "A text mom meant to send to my dad. I guess she sent it to me by accident. Let me just..." Twilight was about to reply to correct her mother when she noticed something..
"Flash! Look at this!"
Twilight showed him the picture. Twilight was in her Romane costume, with a surprised look on her face, as she hadn't been expecting the photo. Right behind her was Cadance, who got caught in the photo.
The problem?
Cadence's eyes were glowing green !
"Woah. I'm guessing that's not supposed to happen?"
"No! This doesn't make any sense! I have to talk to her and Shining Armor about this!"
"Hang on Twilight." Flash said, stopping her,"I think I have an idea."
"What?"
"Just trust me on this." He led her out of the school to his car.
"Do you know where Shining and Cadance were camping?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Just show me the way and I'll tell you."
She pulled out her GPS and gave him directions to the woods. Once they found a parking spot, they hiked through the woods until they came upon a clear area.
"Okay. I think this is it." Twilight said, checking her phone. "Now tell me why you wanted to come all the way out here for."
"It's just a hunch, but I have a feeling whatever your going through can explain what's going on with Cadance."
"How ?" She was getting frustrated now. But before either one of them could say anything...
She felt something. A tug ...but not a physical one. She immediately straightened up and looked in a direction.
"What is it?" Flash asked.
Twilight just kept looking, "Follow me." She quickly went off, with Flash following quickly behind her.
She didn't have to think about where she was going, it was as though to knew the way. Passing by trees, boulders and creeks, she eventually came upon a small clearing before stopping.
"I-I don't know why I did that." Twilight looked around. Why did she feel the need to come here?
"It's ok. Let's look around and see if we can find anything."
They looked for a bit, but couldn't see anything other than some rocks, trees, and some fallen leaves. Twilight knew it was worthless searching, but something inside her told her she needed to be here.
"Hey! Over here!"
Twilight looked over and saw Flash moving a particularly big rock.
"It's loose and I think I heard something under it."
Twilight helped Flash by levitating the rock to the side. They were surprised when they found that the rock was covering a hole.
"Woah. Hello? Is anyone down there?" Twilight called down.
After a moment, a distant but familliar voice answered.
"Yes! Can you help me?"
"Cadance ?! Is that you?" Twilight was stunned.
"Twilight? Is that you?"
"Yes! But what is going on!?"
"Something you two have no business digging into."
Twilight and Flash turned around sharply and found Cadance emerging from the trees, hand on her hip, grinning evilly.
Twilight stepped forward, "Who are you? What have you done to Cadance?" she demanded.
'Cadance' only chuckled at this, "Oh you'll find out...because you'll be joining her shortly!"
He hands glowed green as she raised them and suddenly the two teens found themselves surrounded by a circle of green fire. They clung to each other as they were engulfed in a sphere of energy and began to sink into the ground.
'Cadance' walked away as they vanished, grinning all the while.
Author's Note
Merry Christmas!
...I now leave you with this cliffhanger.
Twilight and Flash found themselves in a pitch black cavern.
The pink light of Twilight's magic soon spouted from her hands and filled the area.
"Hello? Flash, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm right here." He then came into view and stood by her side. "Where are we?"
"In one of the mining caverns below the woods."
Twilight directed the light over to where another figure stood. The figure looked just like the one above ground...only more dirty, tired and upset.
"Cadance!" Twilight said excitedly before becoming suspicious."Wait..how do I know your the real Cadance?"
The figure seemed to think for a moment before giving a soft smile and doing a little dance.
"Sunshine, Sunshine
Ladybugs awake.
Clas you hands,
and do a little shake! "
Twilight's eyes widened as she remembered the nursery rhyme from her childhood. The one she and her favorite babysitter did every time they met.
"Cadance! It is you!" Twilight immediately gave a big hug to her sister in law, who swiftly returned it. "How's the baby?"
"Oh Twilight! You have no idea how good it is to see you! We're both doing fine...so far."
"Sorry to interrupt, but what's going on?" Flash asked.
"Oh right. Cadance, this is Flash Sentry, a friend from Canterlot High. Flash this is Cadance, by babysitter turned sister in law." Twilight said when she broke the hug.
"Nice to meet you. As for what's going on, that impostor kidnapped me during our camping trip and put me here!"
"Don't worry! We'll figure something out..." Twilight tried to comfort her when she suddenly felt lightheaded. She stumbled a little.
"Twilight? Are you ok?!" Flash asked, concerned and holding her arm to keep steady.
"I-I..." Twilight tried to say something when suddenly her eyes went white and her vision faded.
Shining Armor and 'Cadance' were in their home, arguing.
"I told you I don't want you going out tonight."
"But I promised the guys we'd get together this month. I don't get it, you usually don't mind me playing Ogres and Oubliettes with the guys."
"Well now I do! Are you arguing with me?"
"I guess I am!" Suddenly Shining winced and grabbed in head, as though in pain.
"Oh dear...are you getting another one of your headaches?" 'Cadance' asked, her voice dripping with fake compassion. "Here, let me help." She reached out her hand and a green beam of magic shot out and hit Shining in the head. His eyes glowed green and he became wall eyed.
"Feeling better?"
Shining could only nod, while 'Cadance' ginned to herself in victory.
Twilight's vision returned as she saw Flash's and Cadence's concerned faces.
"Twilight!? What happened? Are you ok!?" Cadance worried.
"Your eyes just suddenly went...white!" Flash described.
Twilight shook her head to regain her bearings. "I don't know what happened but I saw Shining Armor alone with that impostor. She's using some kind of mind control spell on him!"
"Not my Shining Armor!" Cadance gasped.
"We have to get out of here!" Flash declared.
"How? There's no signal down here. Remember that mineshaft you almost got caught in a while back? Many of these tunnels have been shut down for decades and there are so many we could spend hours just wondering!"
Just then felt the tugging again. She looked towards the mine exit.
"Twilight?" Cadance asked.
"I don't know why....but I think we should try it anyway."
"What? But I just..."
"It's ok." Flash said. "I think she's got this." He nodded to Twilight, showing she had his confidence. Twilight then proceeded to lead them through the series of tunnels.
Twilight did this without consciously picking the directions. The tunnels she chose made no more sense to her than they did to the others. Twilight knew almost nothing about the geography or landscape of the old mines, but something deep inside her was guiding her through the maze, like it was leaving an invisible thread for Twilight to follow.
Finally they came upon was wall of collapsed rocks.
"Where are we?" Cadance asked.
"Hang on." Twilight then used her magic to move the rocks out of the way, revealing an exit. All three of them rushed out and embraced the sunlight of the cool autumn day.
"We're out!" Flash cheered.
"Twilight you did it!" Cadance exclaimed.
"Yeah..." Twilight said, looking around. The area seemed very familiar, "Wait...this is where we helped those miners! Where Applejack got her power!"
"Yeah..." Flash recalled the event.
Twilight pulled out her phone and saw that the GPS was still working, "Ok, we have to hurry! Let's go!"
They quickly made their way through the woods and back to Flash's car.
Now they can only hope they weren't too late.
Author's Note
Merry (still) Christmas!
Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!
At Canterlot High, everyone was in a panic...
"What do you mean they're gone!?" Velvet exclaimed. The girls, Shining and 'Cadance', along with Celestia, Luna and Velvet were now in Vice Principal Luna's office, as it could more comfortably house so many people. Velvet was sitting on the couch, holding and petting a worried Spike, with Rarity and Fluttershy who were trying to console her, while the rest of the girls took the chairs. Celestia was at the desk with Luna standing right beside her, Shining was pacing the room in worry, while 'Cadance' stood off to the side.
"They said they were going to study in the library, but when we checked, they weren't there!" Sunset explained.
"Then we saw that Flash's car was gone!" Rainbow continued.
"And they weren't answering their phones!" Rarity followed.
"The girls came to us right away and explained the situation. So we called Cadance and Shining Armor to see if they knew anything. When they didn't we wondered if they might be at your home." Celestia finished.
"They were probably kidnapped! Obviously someone is after the Elements-"
"Perhaps they've run away together?" Cadance asked casually, interrupting Shining's plans.
"WHAT!? " The rest of the room gapped at 'Cadance', not believing what she was saying.
"Well, from the way you described him...it sure sounded like he's very sweet on her."
Shining looked like he was about to argue with her when, unseen by the others, his eyes flashed green, "Your probably right..." he said in a monotone voice.
"Twilight would never do that!" Rainbow argued.
"And Flash isn't that kind of guy!" Sunset said, recalling her days of dating the boy.
"Cadance, Shining, Velvet, we've know both Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry for years and I think we can assure you that neither of them would do something so spontaneous and reckless, especially when it would cause so much worry for their families." Celestia stated, with Luna nodding.
"Besides, I think Twilight's the only person who doesn't know about Flash's feelings for her at this point." AJ stated, with the other girls agreeing.
"Even if that's the case, if they don't show up soon, we may have to call his family next...and maybe even the authorities." Luna verified.
"I'm sure it won't come to that." Celestia reassured them when she saw their panicked expressions.
"Well, I'm sure you must have notices how stressed Twilight's been lately?" 'Cadance' asked. "How strange she's been acting?"
"Well....yes." Sunset admitted reluctantly.
"Isn't it possible she's finally...snapped ?" The others gasped at this.
"But I'm positive Flash wouldn't do this if she had!" Rarity said, her voice trembling.
"Who said he had no choice? Twilight is a powerful mage after all. A little compulsion spell or something stronger would certainly get the job done..."
"Cadance! How could you say such a thing!?" Velvet exclaimed.
"Because that's not Cadance!"
The group turned to the door to find Twilight and Flash standing there, glaring at the pink woman.
"TWILIGHT!" Velvet and Spike immediately got up went to her.
Velvet hugged her daughter tightly, "Are you ok!? Where were you!? Why weren't you answering you phone!?"
"Wait...what do you mean 'that's not Cadance?'" Spike asked.
"Because I am!"
The real Cadance then proceeded to step into the office, making everyone gasp at the sight.
"I-I don't understand. How can there be two of 'em?" AJ asked, very confused about what was going on.
Cadance pointed at the impostor, "She's a changeling! She takes the form of somebody you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them!"
'Cadance's' eyes glowed bright green and soon she was surrounded by magical green fire. When it cleared, her true form was revealed: human like with black skin with stringy bluish-green hair and vibrant green-blue eyes. What made her stand out from other beings were the transparent, insect-like wings on her back. She wore a silk green dress along with a tri-pointed crown. She gave off a spine-chilling laugh.
"Right you are, princess. And as Queen Chrysalis of the changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects. Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered. Your natural love magic is what attracted me in the first place. Ever since I took your place, I've been feeding off Shining Armor's love for you. It is more powerful than anything I have encountered before! When they get here, my fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!"
The girls gasped and Velvet held her daughter protectively. Spike growled and the Principals looked ready to fight.
"They'll never get the chance! Shining Armor has a protection spell will keep them from ever even reaching us!"
Chrysalis merely chuckled at this, "Oh, I doubt that. Isn't that right, dear ?"
Shining Armor, with a blank look on his face and eyes glowing green, merely nodded. Velvet, Cadance and Twilight gasped in horror at this. Cadance tried to go over to her husband when Chrysalis stepped in her way, "Ah, ah, ah. Don't want to go back to the caves, now do you?" she threatened, summoning her magic until Cadance backed away, still glaring at the queen.
"Good. Originally, I was just scouting for a new food source when I stumbled on you two. But then imagine my surprise when I learned my meal was the brother of one of the Elements of Harmony herself! And to top it all off imagine my shock when I learned she was a descendant of one of my greatest enemies: Aurella!" Chrysalis spit out the name like it was venom.
"Grandma !?"
"Mom !?"
"You think this was my first attempt at invading Equestria? That meddling woman caught me years ago and threw me out! I had hoped the nosy woman had croaked by now but I wouldn't have thought her progeny would be walking the earth! Not to mention the resemblance! When we first met, I actually thought you were her for a second!" she said to Twilight. Twilight recalled 'Cadence's' stunned face when she saw Twilight and realized it made sense now.
Chrysalis continued, "And once I summon my changelings I will conquer this land. First, we take Canterlot. And then, all of Equestria!"
Celestia stepped forward, "No. 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 these people from you!"
Celestia then fired a golden beam of magic at Chrysalis, who panicked and instinctively fired a green one back at it. Chrysalis cowered, preparing to lose.
"No!"
But then the green beam began overpowering the golden one, much to Celestia's shock and before she could do anything was hit and slammed into the wall before falling to the floor.
"Principal Celestia!" Twilight screamed in horror as the worried girls and Luna went over to her.
Chrysalis herself seemed surprised for a moment before grinning, "Ah! Shining Armor's love for you is even stronger than I thought! Consuming it has made me even more powerful than Celestia!"
Twilight broke out of her mother's grasp and tried to go over to Celestia too when she felt herself be picked up in an aura of green magic. She quickly found herself put in a head lock by Chrysalis.
"TWILIGHT!" Her mother, Spike, and Flash cried out in horror.
Twilight struggled against her captor, "Let. Me. Go!".
But Chrysalis was too strong, "Not a chance. When I realized who you were, I knew I would have to dispose of the Elements right away." She addressed the other horrified occupants of the room, "Now, we're going to do this quickly and quietly. One of you will lead me to where the Elements are while everyone else waits here with my puppet. If you try to fight or call for help, let's just say..." Her hand glowed with magic next to Twilight's face, making her flinch from the heat, "...that it will be Twilight who pays the price for it!"
For a moment nobody moved or said anything, too stunned.
Finally Luna stepped forward, "Let Twilight go and I will give you the Elements."
"Lead me to them first, then I'll give her back."
Luna glared at her but resigned. "Very well, let's go."
Just before leaving the office, Twilight could turn her head just enough to see the terrified faces of her friends and family before the door closed.
Author's Note
Getting close to the end! What are they going to do now?
(Don't ask me, I'm making this stuff up as I go.)
Chrysalis, with a captive Twilight, followed Luna down the halls. Thankfully school had ended several hours ago, so nobody was around.
"You know..." Chrysalis began,"You've actually impressed me, Twilight. Very few people have been able to see through my disguises. Your grandmother being one of them, of course. It appears her looks weren't the only thing she passed on."
"I'm flattered..." Twilight grumbled, glaring at her captor.
"Just how did you manage to get out of the mines? It took me a while to get them routed out myself. But for anyone else it would have taken days to figure it out. I even cast a spell to prevent people from teleporting out!"
This made Twilight hesitate. She wasn't even sure herself how she was able to make it out of the mine system without outside help. It was as though part of her did know the way out, but she certainly couldn't tell the changeling queen that!
"Uh....lucky guess?" she gave a weak smile.
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes, not really sure whether to believe it or not. They continued the rest of the way in silence.
I hope the others are ok...
Back in Luna's office, Shining Armor stood guarding the door while the others helped Celestia to her feet.
"Thank you everyone." Celestia said, leaning on Sunset for stability.
"We have to stop her!" Rainbow declared and was about to rush off when AJ grabbed her.
"Woah now sugarcube. Right now ain't the time. Not while she has Twilight."
"Applejack's right." Celestia said reluctantly. "She's too powerful right now. All we can do now is wait and hope for the best."
"Oh, I hate waiting!" Velvet went over to her son, "Come on Shining, it's me, your mother . Don't you remember me?"
Shining didn't move, his eyes still green and empty.
"Please Shining, it's me...Cadance." Cadance walked over to him too, looking desperate. She raised a hand a caressed his cheek, "I know you can hear me in there. I don't care how powerful the queen is. Our love is stronger than any spell Chrysalis can cast." She hugged him tightly.
Unbeknownst to her, small electric tendrils of magic gathered at her fingertips. They formed into a small pink heart which floated up towards Shining. It landed on his nose before disintegrating, spreading it's magic over him.
Shining blinked, and his eyes returned to their natural blue, "W-what happened?" he asked, slightly dazed.
"SHINING!" His wife and mother both shouted and hugged him. Once they let go of him he asked again.
"The changeling queen impersonated me to feed of your love and put you under a spell!" Cadance explained.
Shining Armor became angry and worried, "What!? Are you ok!? Hows the baby!?" he put a hand on Cadance's belly for reassurance. She smiled and put a hand over his, "We're both fine. Twilight and her friend Flash Sentry found us and brought us here. But then Chrysalis attacked Celestia, took Twilight, and is using her to force Luna to give her the elements!"
Shining was furious now, "WHAT!? We have to save her!"
Before anyone could stop him, he raced out of the room and down the hall. The others swiftly followed after him.
Luna was unlocking the door to the sub-basement when a voice called out:
"TWILIGHT!"
The trio turned to see a non-mindcontrolled Shining Armor racing towards them, the others following behind.
"SHINY!" Twilight wanted to run over and hug him, but found Chrysalis tightening her grip, nearly choking her.
"Not another step!"
This stopped Shining and the others in their tracks. Chrysalis looked over at Shining.
"So...it seams you've broken my hold on him. No matter, I may not have your love, but I still have this little one." she gestured to Twilight, who glared right back at her. "And if you want her to live to see another day, I suggest you hand over the Elements of Harmony now!"
As Luna fumbled with the keys, Twilight began to think. There had to be something she could do! She couldn't let Chrysalis get the Elements! But how? The only reason she's even made it this far was pure, dumb luck.
.....but what if it wasn't luck?
At the moment she caught Flash's eye. He, like the others, looked terrified for her safety. She continued looking him the eyes, a serious expression on her face. They kept this eye contact, as though they were having a silent conversation. She gave a slight nod, and he gave one back in understanding. When no one was looking, he slipped away.
Twilight quietly used her magic to knock the keys from Luna's hand and sent it flying a little ways off. This Chrysalis did notice.
"And just what were you trying to accomplish there?" she asked, flaring her magic threateningly.
"Buying time." Twilight said simply.
"For what? I'm getting those Elements one way or another, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"
While everyone was so focused on Chrysalis and Twilight, nobody saw Flash sneak up on her untill
*WHAM! *
"AUGH!"
The knock to the back of the head surprised Chrysalis enough to loosen her grip, allowing Twilight to escape. When Chrysalis turned around, she saw Flash holding a broom threateningly.
"You little brat!" She summoned her magic, ready to strike at him when a blast of blue magic knocked her into the door.
"That," Luna stated simply and seriously, "Was for my sister."
Chrysalis soon found herself surrounded by a group of very angry and very POWERFUL mages.
"It's over Chrysalis." Twilight said, looking her in the eyes.
Chrysalis, never breaking eye contact, slowly rose to her feet. "Yes...for now. But I will return. You've just made yourself a very powerful enemy Twilight Sparkle!"
Chrysalis surrounded herself with green fire and before anyone could stop it, it consumed the Changeling Queen and dispersed, leaving nothing behind but some scorch marks.
"She's gone!" Rainbow cried out in surprise.
"She must have teleported out. She couldn't have gone too far. I'll look around the school, Celestia you call for help." Luna went off to search for the escapee.
Shining rushed over to his sister, grabbing her shoulders. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Twilight gave her brother a smile. "I'm fine BBBFF. I'm just happy your ok!"
The older Twilight quickly swept her younger child in a hug, "Thank goodness for that!"
Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Flash and gave him a small smile, which he gladly returned.
Author's Note
One more chapter to go!
"Well here she is. You'd be surprised how often I get asked about this."
The girls, Flash, Cadance and Velvet were back in Luna's office. Velvet was seated on the couch with Twilight and Sunset of either side while the rest of the teens were crowding around to look at what Velvet was holding.
It was an old photo but still in good shape. In it was a woman who strongly resembled Velvet and Twilight, but with light pink skin and white hair with a single purple streak tied in a loose bun. She wore a brown leather jacket with matching gloves, jeans and black lace up boots. She had a slightly bulky brown over the shoulder bag around her. Her eyes were the same violet as her granddaughter, and sparkled with intelligence, wisdom...and a little bit of mischief.
"Oh my, you two really do look like her!" Rarity gasped.
"What was she?" Rainbow asked.
"She was a detective." Twilight answered.
"Wait..your grandmother was THE Detective Aurella? The greatest supernatural detective and puzzle solver of the past century and possibly of all time!?" Flash asked excitedly.
"Yup!" Twilight smiled and nodded proudly.
"Woah..." AJ said in awe.
It was at the moment Celestia and Luna walked in. Celestia despite being a little bruised and beaten from her earlier confrontation, was quickly recovering. Shining himself had gone to help lead the search.
"Well they have search parties on the lookout now but I wouldn't expect anything. Likely the Changeling Queen shape-shifted again and snuck out of the country." Luna explained.
"Hopefully this will raise awareness and people will be more prepared if anything like this happens again. It seems like Chrysalis will have to bide her time until she can try anything like this again." Celestia finished, giving a hopeful smile.
"Oh thank goodness!" Rarity said.
"Well I'll certainly have an exciting story to tell you father when he comes home!" Velvet added.
"Though only one question remains: How did you two find Cadance?" Luna asked, looking at Twilight and Flash.
"Well...I'm not really sure myself. It was Flash's idea to head to Shining and Cadance's camping spot." Twilight explained. "Though you never mentioned why you wanted to bring me out there."
"You see..." Flash opened his backpack and revealed the book he had shown Twilight earlier. "During my study period I had more time to read through this. One of the studies mentioned bringing a psychic to a particular spot and their powers would lead them to a new discovery or they would have a vision about something significant that happened there."
"Psychic?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
Twilight glared at Flash, "I told you psychic powers were NOT real."
"Actually they are very real Twilight." Luna stepped forward. "I should know."
Everyone (excluding Celestia) turned to her, shocked.
"Wait, your..."Twilight could barely get the words out.
"Psychic? Yes...to a degree." Luna said simply. "Apparently the Moon Goddess thought they could help me with my dream magic. I've also studied parapsychology for several years."
"Wait...did you know?"
"I suspected at the carnival when I saw the Element beeping, but I wasn't sure until I asked you to give me a fortune. When I heard the rumors of your other predictions coming true, I knew your power would be certain psychic abilities."
"But the Crystal ball-"
"Is just a decoration. What you did at the carnival was called scrying . By looking at and focusing on certain reflective surfaces, someone with certain psychic abilities can see visions of certain events. Originally I suspected some form of precognition but it appears you have several other abilities as well, if what Flash said is accurate."
"I-I don't know! In the woods I just had these....feelings like something was guiding me. And in the cave I saw a vision of Chrysalis casting a spell on Shining Armor!"
Luna put a hand to her chin in thought. "Interesting.....you don't typically see someone develop such a wide variety of ESP. But they are common abilities of psychics. Now then, I can help you train and hone your abilities as best as I can. We will meet often, perhaps during training, and work through various exercises to help develop your psychic abilities."
Pinkie gasped excitedly, "I knew it! You are psychic! Isn't this so exciting Twilight!?"
Twilight's eyes widened and she sat very still, as though she were trying to process all of this. Finally, "No.....nonononono!" She ran out of the office and down the hall, all the while still muttering her "no's".
The group soon found Twilight in the Lair. She had taken the beeping Element of Magic out of it's case and yelling at it while holding it in her hands.
"Take it back! Take it back!" She commanded. The Element continued it's rhythmed beeping, as though ignoring her pleadings.
"Twilight, what are you doing?" Sunset asked as they entered.
"I'm trying to get this thing to take back these abilities but it won't listen to me!"
The group exchanged other worried looks.
"Twilight, Ah don't think it's works that way." Aj said.
"Besides, you know the rule! 'No takesies backsies'!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"I don't care! These powers don't make any sense and I don't want them!"
"Twilight..." Luna began before being cut off by her adopted niece.
"Aunt Luna...I think I can handle this." She turned to the others. "Could you give us a moment?" They complied and walked out of the room and shut the door, leaving the two in-laws alone.
Cadance gently took the crown out of Twilight's hands and put it back in the case. "Let's sit down." She and Twilight then sat side-byside on one of the couches.
"Twilight, what's going on? I thought you were excited about getting your power?" Cadance asked gently.
"I was...but psychic abilities ? They're not scientific or magical! Theoretically they shouldn't exist."
"I understand. But I've also lived with Luna most of my life so I know these kind of things do exist, if only rarely."
"It's all just so...illogical! They don't make any sense! They're not like the other's powers! They just seem to come and go at random! I-I don't know the first thing about controlling them!"
"Twilight..." Cadance took the scared girl's hands in hers and gave them a comforting squeeze. "I know how scary this might seem and I cant imagine what your going through. But remember this: those same powers helped you realize what what Chrysalis was doing before it was too late. They helped you find me and got us out of those caves."
"But what about the predictions! At the carnival I saw visions of people getting into trouble and they all ended up coming true!"
"Maybe they wanted you to warn those people about what was going to happen so they'd be prepared when it did. Or maybe even prevent them altogether? The future isn't always consistent you know. Luna knows a lot more about these things than I do. Maybe she can help you figure out what's going on."
"I just don't know...
She looked Twilight right in the eyes, "If there's anyone I know who can figure this out, it's you . Your the smartest person I know! Not to mention one of the most powerful and skilled mages in all of Equestria! If your power helped you get through this, imagine what you could do when you do learn to control it! It'll be harder and take longer than the other girls powers, but I know your up to the challenge."
Twilight smiled, wiped tears from her eyes and hugged Cadance tightly. "Thank you."
Cadance returned the hug. "Anytime."
They called the others back in and Twilight faced Luna.
"Can you really help me learn how to use my powers?"
Luna smiled gently, "Twilight, I've studied parapsychology for many years and helped develop my own abilities along with many others. I would be more than happy to help you develop your own abilities."
Twilight nodded. "Ok then."
In the case, the Element stopped beeping.
Thankfully Sugarcube Corner was still open when the girls decided to get celebratory shakes. The others had gone home, exhausted after such a turbulent day and Velvet was chatting with Mrs. Cake, giving the girls some privacy.
"Well, we've finally got all our powers." Twilight announced.
"Ya know...I was a bit skeptical when ya told us about them. But now that we've got 'em, they're pretty darn cool!" AJ said.
"I wonder what's going to happen next?" Fluttershy wondered.
"More awesome adventures?" Pinkie exclaimed.
"More monster fighting?" Rainbow wondered excitedly.
"New friends to share fashion tips with?" Rarity added.
"Whatever is coming our way next, I know we'll be able to handle them together, as friends!" Twilight exclaimed and Pinkie pulled all of them into a group hug.
There would be more adventures coming there way, but at the moment they felt like their friendship could get them through anything.
Author's Note
And....DONE! The final story for the first Arc is complete!
Who can guess who I based Aurella on?
I want to thank all you readers for giving me the encouragement to keep going with this, with all your views, likes, and comments.
I'll be taking a break for the next few days, but don't worry, I've got plenty of story ideas after this!
Happy New Year!