Chapters Chapter 1: Invasions on Two Fronts
Moondancer's House
Moondancer returned home with a large stack of books. She opened the door and set many of the books off to one side while taking one with her.
Hard to believe that Sombra was actually a scholar before he took over the Crystal Empire, she thought to herself. And that he was studying the possibility of other universes.
As she went up to her room, she passed the picture that Twilight left for her. As soon as she reached the steps, she stopped and backed up to look at the picture. She remembered the day it was taken, but felt a little angered that Twilight chose studying over her. She was about to walk away again when she noticed the note right next to it. She adjusted her glasses with her hoof, set down the book, and picked up the note with her magic.
From me and Spike, Twilight's voice played in Moondancer's head. Sorry we didn't attend your party. Accept this picture as my apology for being a bad friend, because I'm leaving Equestria for good and never coming. Well, I may come back one day, but not now. I've decided the Friendship of Magic isn't real and must find a new path. And It breaks my own heart I couldn't give this to you personally. Your friend, Twilight Sparkle.
The stack of books fell over, but Moondancer didn't care. Tears began forming in her eyes as she felt both anger and sadness. Angry at herself for feeling like never forgiving Twilight and sad that Twilight made it very clear that she was never coming back to Equestria. The pressure became too much for her as she locked the door behind her, ran up to her room, locked it, feel on top of her bed, and began bawling her eyes out. She never even noticed that outside her window, a rock rolled to the side to reveal a cave.
A few minutes earlier, Ash, Bao, and Cadence were almost to the entrance of the caverns when Cadence's hand maidens (or whatever the hell they're called) appeared, green eyes and under mind control. Cadence was about to use the bouquet, but Ash held up his hoof.
"Watch and learn, Cadence," he said. He ignited Fire Breather (his blade) on fire, waved it around then slammed the bottom of the handle on the ground. Tiny flames appeared in the ponies' pupils, signifying he had their attention. He waved it around some more and pointed the blade to the left, sending embers in the left direction. The ponies' gaze followed the movements of the blade, clearly aweing them. He then waved it around some more and pointed the blade to the right, sending more embers in the right direction. The ponies' gaze followed the blade's movements as Ash continued waving it around. Ash then simply touched the ground with a light tap, sending small ripples of heat all around them. The ponies' normal eye colors returned, snapped out of the trance.
"What the hay just happened?" Lyra asked. "Princess, is that the real you?"
"Yes, it is," Cadence replied.
"Now let's go kick some Changeling ass!" Bao said, charging for the entrance, holding his axes above his head.
"You do realize Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna aren't gonna e happy you let him use words like that right?" Cadence asked her cousin.
"Yes, yes I do," Ash replied.
They went up to the entrance. Ash pulled a lever, opening the entrance. He then turned to the others.
"Alright, Changelings feed off of the love of your loved ones," he said. "Meaning, Shining Armor's force field won't last long when the other Changelings arrive. So here's the plan. Cadence, you gotta get to that wedding and fast."
Cadence nodded.
"And you girls find cover," he said looking at the other three.
The ponies' saluted him as Cadence ran for the chapel while Ash and Bao ran to prepare for the fight of their lives.
Meanwhile, in the Badlands, Twilight had traveled all day and night to find a new place to call home. She eventually found a place called Klugetown. However, the place was being invaded by armored creatures wearing what Twilight believed to be skulls for helmets and had spears and shields. Twilight, exhausted from her journey fell down in her hiding spot. Before she blacked out, she saw what she believed to be a badger approaching her.
"Hey, Tempetht!" the voice called out. "Thith pony appearth to be alive! I think you thould come check it out!"
Twilight saw a tall dark figure approach her. Finally, from all the exhaustion, Twilight passed out.
A few minutes later, Twilight woke up. She saw she was in a bed, and felt her belly was full for some reason. A doctor walked in as Twilight heard explosions from outside.
"Oh, good, yer awake," he said. Twilight could tell by his appearance and his voice alone that he was old. "My name's Que. Doctor Que. Commander Tempest and her right hand, Grubber, brought you to me. They told me to let them know as soon as you woke up. They have questions for you."
Grubber popped his head in, but Twilight could clearly see a Unicorn in some kind of armor fighting a shark mutant wearing pants.
"Hey, Que, Tempetht wanted me to tell you the heard everything and will be here in a few minuteth, cauthe the dealing with a thark mutant that apparently came from another univerthe, but we already captured hith partner, I think the wath trying to hide her real identity with a mathk, but it didn't look very good, tho Tempetht ith very thure the's jutht wearing it to look fathionable," Grubber said.
"Thank you, Grubber," Que replied. Grubber left and Que turned back to Twilight. "Why don't ya lie down for now. I've heard that shark mutant has hard to penetrate skin and it's even a little more difficult to stun him."
Twilight obeyed without a word. Que left, knowing that after Tempest's fight, she would need some serious healing.
Back in Canterlot, the wedding had commenced. The real Cadence only had a few minutes before the I Do's.
"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Captain Shining Armor and Princess Cadence-" Celestia began.
"You can call me Mi Amora Cadenza," the fake Cadence said coldly.
"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Captain Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amora Cadenza," Celestia said. "Now, if there is anypony who objects to these two being wed, say so now, or forever hold your peace-"
"Stop the wedding!" the real Cadence said, bursting in through the doors.
Everypony had a confused look on their faces. Even the Mane 5 and Spike.
"What?!" the fake Cadence said. "How did you get past my hand maidens?!"
"My cousin burnt the mind control out of them," the real Cadence replied. "Maybe next time, you should make sure nopony lives under the mountain."
"Ah don't understand," Applejack said. "How are there two em?"
"She's a Changeling," the real Cadence replied. "She takes the form of somepony you love and feeds off of their love for you."
The fake Cadence laughed darkly.
"I guess I don't need this disguise anymore," she said.
Suddenly, the fake Cadence turned into the Changeling Queen, Queen Chrysalis. Chrysalis laughed evilly, knowing she had already won.
Back outside, Ash and Bao were standing in Town Square, looking overhead. Above them were at least a hundred or more Changelings. They began trying to break through the force field.
"Get ready, Bao," Ash said.
"Why can't Changelings just give hugs?" Bao asked.
"That's what happens when you've got a queen like Chrysalis," Ash replied.
Back at the wedding.
"Right you are, Princess," Chrysalis said. "And as Queen of the Changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects."
She turned to Celestia, who was circling her.
"I'm sure you understand, Princess," Chrysalis said menacingly. "Considering you have your own kingdom to feed."
Celestia snorted.
"Back on subject, Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered," Chrysalis continued. "My fellow Changelings, my children, will be able to devour so much of it that we will gain more power than we have ever dreamt of."
"They'll never get the chance!" Cadence said. "Shining Armor's protection spell will keep them ever even reaching us! And even if they do, my cousin and his comrade are brave and noble warriors! Ash is the Wielder of the Element of Fire! Why else would he have the Fire Breather Blade?"
Celestia stopped behind Chrysalis in shock that her own niece knew that. Chrysalis had a moment of pause, and a look of fear, before regaining herself. She laughed, remembering she had a surprise of her own.
"Oh, I doubt that," Chrysalis said pompously. "Isn't that right dear?"
"Mm-hmm," Shining Armor said droningly.
"And even if your cousin is the Wielder of the Element of Fire, one of my own sons was blessed by the gods and goddesses above (I doubt Harbinger did though) of being the Wielder of the Element of Energy," Chrysalis continued. "For he too, is a great warrior, and high ranking admiral of my army. And he will be joining the attack."
Seeing that Chrysalis had Shining Armor under his mind control, and the fact she dared insult her cousin, who wielded the most powerful of the Elements of Nature, enraged Cadence. It enraged her even more that she insulted his fighting prowess. Enraged her so much so that she charged at the Queen of the Changelings, only to be stopped dead in her tracks by her.
"Don't wanna go back to the caves, now do you?" Chrysalis asked tauntingly.
Back with Ash and Bao, the duo were watching anxiously as the Changelings continued chipping away at the force field.
"Bao, in case these are our final moments, let's just tell each other the kind of dinosaur we wanna come back as," Ash said.
"Ok, good idea," Bao said. "What do you wanna come back as."
"I wanna come back as a Triceratops," Ash said. "You?"
"I wanna come back as a Brachiosaurus," Bao replied. He looked at the camera. "What? They shouldn't have killed Brachy off that way in Fallen Kingdom."
"Good choice," Ash said.
Suddenly Ash sensed something. As one of the Wielders of the Elements of Nature, he had a heightened psychic sense. But this sense was something he knew only happened whenever another Wielder of the Elements of Nature were nearby, according to the books. He hadn't felt this beforehoof, so that meant the next Wielder of the Elements of Nature was among the Changeling Invasion Force.
The Changelings chipped away at the force field. Among them were Changelings named Thorax, Pharynx, and Engelina. Engelina was a general in Chrysalis' army. She was also the Wielder of the Element of Energy. Her weapon was the energy sword, Energy Saber. As she hacked at the force field, she stopped for a moment as she sensed something. She could sense the next Wielder of the Elements of Nature was just down below. As she hesitated, she wondered if she should even attack them.
Back in the chapel.
"Ever since I took your place, I've been feeding off of Shining Armor's love for you," Chrysalis explained. "Every moment he grows weaker and so does his spell. Even now, My Changelings are chipping away at it."
Outside, the Changelings, excluding Thorax, Engelina, and Pharynx, laughed evilly. Engelina looked over at Thorax and his brother. The trio had been plotting to leave Chrysalis for months now. And since another Wielder of the Elements of Nature was down there, she had no intention of fighting the ponies.
"And that's not the only thing," Chrysalis said. "You no longer have your only line of defense against me anymore."
"We can stop you!" Rainbow said boastfully. "We've done it before with Nightmare Moon and Discord!"
"But can you do it without your leader?" Chrysalis asked. "In all the time since the rehearsal yesterday, did any of you think to look for her?"
"What are you talking about?" Cadence demanded.
Chrysalis had mock surprise on her face. She turned to the Mane 5 and Spike, grinning sinisterly.
"Oh that's right," Chrysalis said. "She doesn't even know yet."
"Know what?!" Cadence demanded.
"I guess I'll just tell you, after the invasion," Chrysalis mocked.
"You'll tell no lies to her," Celestia said from behind her. "There is no truth to your words."
"Lying to your own family, Princess?" Chrysalis mocked. "I can see why you're sister started that rebellion years ago."
"That is classified information!" Celestia shouted.
"Gee, Princess, I wonder how many other secrets and lies you're hiding from your little ponies," Chrysalis mocked. Cadence recognized this tactic. Chrysalis was taunting Celestia into attacking her. And clearly it was working.
"You know nothing of that!" Celestia said angrily.
"I've been here for months, and you're saying I haven't even had time to study, Princess?" Chrysalis taunted some more.
Celestia's horn glowed, Chrysalis pleased to see her taunts were working.
"You see, Celestia, no matter what you do for Equestria, the more secrets and lies you hide from your own subjects, your own family, the more you damage your own nation," Chrysalis said.
This was the pushing factor. Celestia angrily fired a magic beam at her. Chrysalis countered, but Celestia appeared to be winning. Chrysalis pushed back, gaining the upperhoof. Eventually, the beam hit Celestia's horn and knocked her back, injuring her.
Everypony gasped in shock as Celestia's tiara skidded across the ground.
Back outside, as the Changelings almost broke through the force field, Ash looked down as he sensed his mother injured.
Back at the castle, the Mane 5 ran over to Celestia.
"Princess, are ya alright?!" Applejack asked.
"The Elements..." she said weakly. "Get them... The queen must not win..."
With that, Celestia passed out from her injuries. Back outside, the Changelings had finally managed to bust through.
"C'mon, y'all!" Applejack commanded. "Y'all heard the Princess. We gotta save Equestria!"
They began running to the castle, where the Elements were held. As the Changelings burst and began capturing ponies trying to escape while Chrysalis kept Cadence stuck to the ground, laughing.
Back outside, Ash and Bao are fighting against the Changelings. Off to the side, Engelina, Thorax, and Phraynx silently observe. Engelina could tell that just by his movements alone, they had been training for a long time. Engelina and her comrades walked up behind a nearby Changeling.
"Yes?" he asked.
Without warning, Engelina blasted him with a powerful energy blast. Ash turned to her and nodded. Engelina nodded back as the two fought back to back against the Changelings.
Chapter 2: Battle and Questions
Back at Klugetown
Twilight woke up from her bed again. The sounds of explosions and battle had stopped. She got up and walked out of the tent.
She walked to where she saw a pony speaking to the large crowd. Among them was indeed a shark mutant, and he appeared to be the opposing leader.
"Ya expect ta serve y'a?" he shouted. "One a these days, someone's gonna put ya Storm Blokes down!"
"Maybe, but clearly that day isn't today," the pony said. "But if you know what's best for your comrades, you'll surrender now."
The shark mutant growled but stood down. The badger that was standing next to the pony turned around to go get something to eat when he froze as he saw Twilight. He reached his hand out to the pony to tap her.
"Hey, Tempetht," he said.
"Yes, Grubber?" the pony, named Tempest, asked without looking at him.
"Remember that pony that we found?" the badger, named Grubber, asked.
"What about her?" Tempest asked.
Grubber pointed at Twilight. Tempest turned her head, and what Twilight saw was shocking.
Tempest was a Unicorn but her horn appeared to have been broken off. She had a scar on her face.
"Well, at least we won't have to walk very far to question her," Tempest murmured to herself.
Back at Canterlot.
The CMC were running like hell for their lives. Changelings were chasing after them relentlessly.
"Hayouah!" Ash shouted as unleashed a flame burst on the Changelings. "Hayouah!"
The Changelings were burnt alive. Their charred corpses fell to the ground.
"You kids alright?" he asked.
The trio nodded in confirmation.
"Ash, Ash, Ash," Bao said.
"What is it, B?" Ash sighed.
"That's not how the battle cry goes," Bao replied.
"Here we go again," Ash said annoyed.
"It's like this," Bao finished.
He then raised his axes and charged at some nearby Changelings.
"Aloulouloulou!" he shouted, cutting down the Changelings.
Ash rolled his eyes annoyance. The duo had been having this debate for years now.
"Are you two always like this?" Engelina asked.
"Yes," came Ash's reply.
The duo then saw the Mane 5 running out of the chapel, heading for the castle. Ash and Engelina nodded at each other. Their new goal was to make sure the Element Bearers got there.
Meanwhile, back at Klugetown, Twilight was sitting opposite of Tempest. Her partner, Grubber, was apparently the bad cop, which Twilight thought would go to Tempest due to her having a stoic expression on her face.
"Alright, Mth. Pony, if that ith your real name-?" Grubber said.
"Grubber, I thought we agreed you were the good cop, and I was the bad cop," Tempest said, face-hoofing.
"Had my fingerth crothed," Grubber replied. "Bethideth, it'th my turn to be the bad cop."
Tempest rolled her eyes.
"Ms. Pony is not my name," Twilight said. "It's Twilight Sparkle."
"Ok, I got her real name now," Grubber said. "You be the bad cop again."
Tempest banged her head on the table in annoyance while Twilight groaned.
"Is he alright?" Twilight asked. "Do I need to call someone?"
"I ask myself that question everyday," Tempest replied.
Both smiled at each other. Tempest was already beginning to like this one.
"Now that we know your name, what's a pony, who's obviously from Equestria, like yourself doing all the way out here?" Tempest asked.
"Do you want the long version or short version?" Twilight asked.
"Long version," Tempest replied. "For two reasons actually. 1. You're probably going to be here for a while. And 2. I want every detail."
"Then you may wanna get some coffee," Twilight said. "This is gonna take while."
Back in Canterlot.
The Mane 5 continued heading towards the castle. Ash and Bao got in front of them, acting as a shield for them, followed by three Changelings.
"I'm guessing you're all getting some kind of weapon to make this much easier?" Ash asked.
"No, the Princess wants us to get the Elements," Rainbow replied.
"She's in the first stage of grief," Bao said. "She can't accept that her top student has gone missing."
"Really?!" Applejack replied. "Ya don't think we didn't notice?!"
"Without her, the Elements have no power!" Ash reminded. "You have no power!"
"We gotta try!" Rainbow replied.
"Does she even hear herself when she talks?" Engelina asked.
"No, no she doesn't," Ash replied. "From what I've heard, she never uses her brain."
Rainbow stopped and glared at them.
"Your insults aren't helping here!" she said. "Do you wanna contribute, or no?"
"Hey, I'm not the one going after a lost cause," Ash said. "I'm not the one who abandoned Twilight in her hour of need. I'm not the one who chose a wedding over her. That was you five and my mother. And her brother. And her son/brother."
"How do you even know about that?!" Pinkie asked. "Are you psychic?"
"Twilight isn't with you five," Ash replied, listing the clues. "My cousin was in the caverns. The Queen of the Changelings took her place. That's how I know what happened."
The girls were so deep in thought, they failed to notice the Changelings that had surrounded them. Ash, Bao, Engelina, Thorax, and Pharynx prepared to fight, but a Changeling Commander approached.
"Drop your weapons!" he ordered.
Ash, Bao, and Engelina all sheathed their weapons, while Bao and Engelina removed their helmets. The trio puts their hooves/paws in the air, the 5 ponies and other two Changelings following suit.
"Congratulations, Engelina, my love, and Thorax and Pharynx," the commander said. "You three are traitors now."
Engelina glared at him.
Back in Klugetown.
"And that's basically everything that happened," Twilight finished.
"So let me get this straight," Tempest said, massaging her forehead in rage. "The bride-to-be of your older brother happened to also be your old foal sitter, so therefore you knew her very personally, but when you see her, she talks rudely to your friends, but later that night, you see what you suspect might be her putting a spell on your brother, and the next day at the wedding rehearsal, you burst in and announce your accusation, but your brother actually fights with for the first time and bans you from coming to his wedding, abandoning you there alongside your friends, younger brother/son (whatever the hell that's about), and mentor/mother figure? Did I get that right?"
"I suppose you could say that would be the short version," Twilight confirmed.
"And here, Tempetht, I thought your backstory was tragic," Grubber said.
Tempest ignored him and motioned for Grubber to take Twilight outside.
"What is she gonna do?" Twilight asked as Grubber closed the door.
"Tear the room apart," Grubber replied. "Meaning we're gonna need a new interrogathion room. That'th the fifth one we've bought."
As if to confirm this, sounds of destruction were heard behind the door. Twilight flinched while Grubber occasionally checked his watch.
Back in Canterlot, the Mane 5, Ash, Bao, Engelina, Thorax, and Pharynx were escorted back to Chryaalis. Above them, Celestia was in some kind of cocoon, while Cadence was still stuck to the floor.
"Engelina, I expected betrayal to come from Thorax and Pharynx, but you, my daughter?" Chrysalis said. "Never take sides against the family! Did that lesson mean nothing to you?!"
"I am a Wielder of the Element of Energy, mother," Engelina replied. "I was born to protect the world, not conquer it."
"You are just like these ponies," Chrysalis replied. "At the first sign of trouble, you would betray your loved ones, just as they did with Twilight Sparkle."
"What is she talking about?" Cadence demanded, but the Mane 5 remained silent.
"Hmm, might as well release Shining Armor from my spell so he can hear this," Chrysalis decided.
Doing just that, she released Shining Armor from her spell.
"Huh? What?" Shining Armor asked. "Is the wedding over?"
"It is, beloved!" Chrysalis taunted. "Even if my daughter and her fellow traitors defeat me, I'll have the satisfaction of knowing that I still win!"
"What?" Shining Armor asked
"You see Cadence, before you escaped, I turned those you call family against Twilight Sparkle," Chrysalis explained to Cadence. "She was already onto me, and was figuring out something was wrong, and burst through the doors to expose me. It's funny how a few crocodile tears can fool you ponies, because after I ran out of the room, they immediately turned on her. I admit, I was tempted to send her to the caverns with you, but that would've allowed you to escape without your cousin and his comrade. Of course, the last time any pony saw Twilight, she teleported away from Canterlot. Now I am not saying this is possible, but she might or might not be back in Ponyville. Depending on her emotional state."
Cadence stood in silence. Chrysalis inwardly laughed as she saw Cadence's eyes twitch in anger and could she was already winning. She may not have cared much for movies, but she admitted that Heath Bar's portrayal of the Jackal had great advice for schemers - if it's possible you might fail, always have an Ace in the Hole. She had personally attended his funeral, but she never admitted to her husband, who was also there, not even when he died that she had actually cried at his funeral.
Author's Note
So that's that. What did y'all think of that little reference to the Late Great Heath Ledger, and how Chrysalis actually cried at his funeral?
Chapter 3: Break Up and Search
Interrogation Room
Back at the interrogation room, Grubber and Twilight waited for Tempest to finish up. Twilight looked like a mess from flinching while Grubber still casually checked his watch. Eventually the sounds stopped and Grubber casually opened the door.
"You done?" he asked Tempest, whose nostrils were flaring with rage as she calmed herself down.
"Yes," she replied.
Twilight grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and started trying to put out the flames. Grubber casually checked his watch one more time before casually looking up.
"I'll go tell the captain we need another interrogathion room," he said, leaving.
Twilight continued trying to put out the fire. Tempest rolled her eyes.
"Why don't you just use the aqua spell?" Tempest asked nonchalantly.
As if responding to her, the sprinkler system activated, putting out the fire.
"Fuck you too, Karma!" Tempest shouted up at the sprinklers.
Back in Canterlot.
Cadence had just used her own Alicorn strength to break free from her bindings. She trotted over to Spike and the Mane 5.
"Tell me she's lying..." Cadence growled in rage. "Tell me she's lying... Tell me... That you six didn't abandon her..."
"To be fair, Princess, we thought she just trying to ruin the fun for us," Pinkie replied.
"And you, Spike?" Cadence asked the little dragon.
"I thought if I didn't go with them, they'd ban me from coming to the wedding too," Spike confessed.
"Next time, you need to think for yourself, Spike," Cadence said calmly.
She then turned to Shining Armor. Tears and rage in her eyes.
"Tell me it's not true, Shining," she said. "Tell me she's lying. Tell me you didn't do it."
Shining Armor didn't answer. When all she got from him was silence, she backed up in absolute horror. As her rage built up, Ash turned to his comrades.
"We all might wanna back up now," he told them.
They backed up so they were not so close to the full power of the blast. Chrysalis smirked in glee, knowing she had already won. Finally Cadence's rage built up enough energy, she basically became a shockwave bomb. She unleashed her full energy in one big blast that sent the Changelings, minus Engelina, Thorax, and Pharynx, flying. As they were sent flying, Chrysalis laughed in victory.
Elsewhere, on Tempest's airship.
Grubber walked up to Tempest and Twilight. The two were silent at the moment, not saying a word to each other.
"Hey, Tempetht, I told the big guy we were on our way with thomeone he would want to meet," Grubber said. "He called, and told me to tell you he'll be waiting. I wath jutht on my way to the interrothion room to inform you."
"Thank you, Grubber," Tempest replied nonchalantly.
"Anything elthe?" Grubber asked.
"No," Tempest replied, walking back to her quarters.
Back in Canterlot, Lyra walked up to Moon Dancer's door. It had been three days since the wedding ad been put on hold. Cadence had ordered everypony to help try to find Twilight. Lyra knocked on Moon Dancer's door. Moon Dancer hadn't come out in days.
"Coming!" a voice called out.
Lyra heard hoof steps coming down the stairs. When the door opened, what Lyra saw shocked her.
Moon Dancer's mane was an even bigger mess than it used to be. Her glasses were crooked, and she looked like she had been crying her eyes out judging by the redness.
"Oh, it's you, Lyra," Moon Dancer said. "What do you want?"
"By order of Princess Mi Amora Cadenza, every creature in Canterlot is to aid in the search of Twilight Sparkle," Lyra replied.
"Too late," Moon Dancer said glumly. "She's already skipped Equestria."
Moon Dancer let that sink in for a few minutes.
"What?" Lyra asked in disblief.
Moon Dancer gave her the note that came with the picture. As Lyra read, her eyes widened in shock.
"The Princess is not going to like this," Lyra said.
Elsewhere in Canterlot.
Cadence was ordering ponies to look for Twilight, searching even under the mountain. Bao had talked to the Dwarf ghosts, who had confirmed she wasn't there.
"Cadence?" Celestia said.
"Not now, aunt Celestia," Cadence said, clearly trying to avoid her.
The CMC were about to reveal what they knew, but Cadence's angered mood made them too terrified to even speak.
"Cadence, could you please talk to us?" Shining asked.
"Not now, Shining Armor!" Cadence shouted.
"Princess Cadence!" Lyra called out. "Moon Dancer has given me an update on the whereabouts of Twilight."
Cadence nodded at Moon Dancer, wanting to hear what she knew.
"She's not in Equestria," Moon Dancer replied. She then pulled out the note Twilight made and handed it to Cadence. "Here's the proof."
Cadence took the note and read it. As she read, her eyes got wider with rage. Eventually she threw the note to the ground.
"Great, now we have no chance of finding her!" Cadence shouted. She turned to Twilight's loved ones, using her magic to put Spike by Lyra and Moon Dancer. "And it's all your faults!"
Ash and Bao made a break for it, knowing what was coming.
"Because of you, Twilight left Equestria, and now we'll never find her!" Cadence said through angry tears.
"Never say never, Princess," Pinkie said.
Cadence got up in her face, and suddenly Pinkie's happy go-lucky face melted into one of fear as her mane deflated.
"Clearly you haven't done your research then!" Cadence shouted. "Equus is a big place, with remote areas still yet to be explored, Twilight could be anywhere in the world by now!"
"At least she's looking on the positive side of things, Princess!" Rainbow Dash argued. "All you're doing is just yelling at everypony!"
"There is no room to even be positive right now, Rainbow Dash!" Cadence shouted, actually making Rainbow and Applejack flinch.
"She went through the Badlands," Sweetie Belle spoke up.
Cadence turned to the CMC in confusion.
"She what?" Cadence asked.
"Cadence," Shining Armor said.
"This is all your fault!!! If you all had just listened to Twilight last night, none of this would, none of this would've happened in the first place! I hope you're happy with what you've done! And Shining Armor... good luck on finding somepony else. You wanna know why? BECAUSE WE'RE DONE!!!"
With that, she stormed off. Shining Armor slumped to the ground, heartbroken. Celestia stared off after her neice.
"What... Have I done?" she said to herself.
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Chapter 4: New Element of Harmony and the Storm King
Later, Luna landed in Canterlot. To her confusion, all the decorations were being taken down, and everypony had a sad, gloomy look, some ponies were even crying.
Wanting to know more, Luna flew to the castle.
When she got there, she found that the situation was no different. Shining, Spike, the Mane 5, and Celestia were all there. Everypony, except Luna and Twilight.
"Sister," Luna said.
"Hey, Lulu," Celestia said sadly.
"Care to tell me what's going on?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Mom, Shining, Spike (not of his own free will), and Twilight's friends ditched Twilight at the rehearsal," Ash said, sharpening his blade.
Everypony, minus Luna, Engelina (also sharpening her blade), Bao (currently asleep), Thorax, and Pharynx, all glared at him. Noticing this, he looked back at them.
"What?" Ash asked. "It's true."
"But you weren't supposed to tell her!" Rainbow fired back.
"Then what the Tartarus was I supposed to tell her?" Ash asked. "We've been sitting here for hours now, and nopony thought to tell Luna a made up story or something?"
"You did what?!" Luna demanded. "Every time, Tia... Every time I think you are doing the right thing for once!"
"Lulu..." Celestia said, trying to calm her down.
"It was bad enough when you weren't there for me, but the fact that you wouldn't listen to what Twilight Sparkle had to say?!" Luna interrupted. "Have you learned nothing from our fight thousands of years ago?!"
"There are worst ways to protect Canterlot from foes," Celestia argued back.
"And who's idea was it to, despite the fact that a threat was made against Canterlot, not postpone the wedding until the threat blew over?" Luna demanded. "You spend so much time with the nobles, you've started to become just as foolish they are."
That did it. Ash knew his aunt was right, and even he thought so, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. Celestia got on her own feet and glowered at her sister.
"What do you know about ruling?" Celestia demanded.
"Clearly more than you," Luna growled.
"Burn," Ash said nonchalantly.
Celestial glared at him.
"And let me guess something, sister," Luna said. "I bet you didn't even invite your own son and his comrade. Did they even know that Cadence was getting married?"
Celestia hesitated for a second before Ash answered, "If we had been invited, we would've postponed the wedding until the threat passed over."
"Ash, could you please stay out of this for five seconds?" Celestia asked.
"I'm sorry, but no," Ash replied.
Before anything else could be said, an orange glow appeared and an orange stone in the shape of a sun appeared.
"The Element of Wisdom returns," Luna said.
At that moment, there was a bright glow by the thrones, coming from a mirror. Just then, an yellow-orange unicorn pony exited the mirror holding a dress. She had orange and red hair, and appeared to be mumbling something about being late.
"You invited, sis?" Ash asked, easily hiding his excitement to see his baby sister again.
"I wanted to surprise you?" Celestia offered with a sheepish smile.
Before the Unicorn pony could go to find a changing room, the Element of Wisdom flew over to her. It placed itself upon her head, shocking her.
"Sunset, what did you possibly do to deserve this misfortune today?" the unicorn asked herself.
Without warning, Sunset felt a strong force tackle her. She felt something rubbing roughly against her head as something wrapped around her to prevent her escape.
"Come on, sis, say it!" Ash commanded, rubbing his hoof against his sister's head. "This is gonna break you eventually, so spare yourself."
"Never!" Sunset fired back playfully, trying to break free.
"You know I'm not gonna stop," Ash continued, rubbing harder. "Don't make me pull out the feather."
"Uncle! Uncle!" Sunset cried out in defeat at hearing that.
Ash finally released her. The two laughed as they hugged each other.
"Some things never change," Sunset said.
"That's the best part about life?" Ash said.
"Sunny!" Bao said, running up and hugging her tightly.
"Bao... Good to... See you... Too..." Sunset gasped.
"Come on, big guy, let her breath," Ash told his comrade.
Bao finally let her go. Sunset groaned as she stretched.
"On the bright side, I can cancel chiropractor appointment," Sunset said optimistically.
"Chiropractors hurt like Tartarus," Rainbow said.
"Rainbow Dash, there is a child in here!" Ash said.
Sunset rolled her eyes. When was her brother going to accept she was old enough to words in that context.
"And that child is mom," Ash Sid, pointing at Celestia.
Celestia eyed him with annoyance. Ash smirked amusedly.
"Young colt, I am a thousand years older than you, so do not call me a child," Celestia said.
Ash stuck his tongue out at her. Everypony laughed at this. Sunset took the Element off her head and looked at it.
"So does anypony wanna tell me what this thing is about?" Sunset asked.
"Apparently, the Element of Wisdom has chosen you as its Wielder," Luna replied.
"We'll give further details another time," Celestia replied. "For now, let's get you situated."
"You're gonna love your old room, sis," Ash said, guiding his baby sister away. "It's just the way you left it."
"Translation: you touched a few things, didn't you?" Sunset replied.
Meanwhile, back with Twilight.
We see she is sleeping in the room Tempest gave her. Tempest came in, gently rubbed her.
"Hey wake up," she said.
Twilight sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Where are we?" Twilight asked.
"We're at the Storm Kingdom," Tempest replied. "Take a quick shower, he has a sharper sense of smell than any of us do."
Twilight didn't bother asking and did as she was told. After she was done, Tempest and Grubber led her to a palace.
They arrived at the throne room and saw a satyr working on something. Tempest motioned for Twilight to hang back as she approached the satyr.
"Your highness," she said. "We've returned."
The satyr turned around. Grubber bowed while Tempest stood at attention.
"Welcome back Commander," the satyr said. "I trust that Klugetown is ours?"
"With a little resistance," Tempest replied.
"And who's this pony, you brought back with you?" the satyr asked.
"An Equestrian," Tempest replied. "I think it best if the explanation came from her."
"Hmm," the satyr replied, turning to Twilight. "Name's Storm King. Why don't you tell me your story, my little pony?"
Many years later
We see some clouds as three Pegasi flew by. Upbeat music played as well.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!~ Hey! Hey! Hey!~"
The Pegasi dived through the clouds. We see ponies walking up the road towards Canterlot.
"See the ponies trottin down the street~ Equestria is where they wanna meet~ They all know where they wanna go~ And they're trottin in time~ And they're trottin, yeah~"
We see the camera pan over to Canterlot.
"They got the beat~ They got the beat~ Yeah, they got the beat~"
We see many ponies setting up for a festival of some kind.
"Go-go music really makes us dance~ Do the pony, puts us in a trance~ Do the Watusi, just give us a chance~ That's when we fall in line~"
We see Ash, Engelina, Bao, and their new comrade, a Dragon and the Wielder of the Element of Air, Wingblade walking around, guarding the ponies to make sure threats do not appear.
"Cause we got the beat~ We got the beat~ We got the beat~ Yeah, we got it~"
We then see Spike walking around carrying documents and a quill. He jumped off a pile of jello and continued walking.
"Scuse me!" he said to the ponies in his way. "Dragon on the move! Important princess documents comin through!"
He walked past some ponies who were talking about the festival.
"Whoa!" one of the ponies (Unamed Earth Mare #1 from Season 4 Episode 26) exclaimed in surprise. "Everypony from Manehatten to Saddle Arabia is here!"
"I know, filly!" Apple Cobbler replied. "We almost couldn't book a stable!"
We then see two Pegasi fly by, over the rooftops and past the castle.
"Princess Sunset must have her hooves full with this giant festival!" Clear Skies said.
"Are you kidding?!" the other Pegasus asked. "She's smart, well organized, and cool under pressure! There's nothing she can't handle!"
We the cut to inside where Sunset is meditating and is now an Alicorn. She is clearly trying to keep herself calm.
"Ommmmm..." Sunset hummed. "Ommmmm mmmmmah! That gets really annoying after a while! Note to self: kill Ash later for even suggesting that. No doubt he did it on purpose, that jerk..."
She then took a deep breath to calm herself before looking at her stain glass window.
"Focus, Sunset," Sunset told herself. "This is your Festival of Friendship. Everypony is counting on you to not let them down."
Sunset looked at the stained glass window of her. She put her hoof to her forehead and sighed, just as Spike entered.
"Sunset, I have the papers for you," he said.
"Thank you, Spike," Sunset said. "I was beginning to worry how to handle this."
"Wa'choo talkin bout?" Spike asked.
"Spike, by blood I was already a princess," Sunset replied. "But becoming an Alicorn was never really my thing. And it wasn't Ash's either.*sigh* Spike, there's a secret about me and Ash that I need you to keep."
"Your secret is safe with me and the girls," Spike replied.
"No, not even the girls can know this," Sunset told him. "At least, not yet."
"If you say so, Sunset," Spike replied, unsure.
"Spike, ever since I found out that my mom's prized pupil disappeared, and that I was the new Wielder of the Element of Wisdom," Sunset said, "I've felt like this is wrong."
"What is?" Spike asked.
"Everything!" Sunset shouted. "When she disappeared, she wasn't thinking straight. Yes, she was somewhat right in her reasons not to trust Cadence, and sure she was somewhat off with her accusation, but the way the girls, you (no offense), her brother, and mom reacted, it left her in the wrong mind state, and made her think she had been betrayed, and that nopony loved her. What if she comes back to make amends? And then sees that somepony she doesn't even know has taken over as leader of the Mane 6? And has her own Element of Harmony? I'll tell you what'll happen. She'll think you all replaced the moment she left, and it'll fracture her mind state."
The more Sunset spoke, the more Spike understood how right she was. Sunset had lived amongst them for so long, that this thought never crossed any creature's mind.
"We'll explain everything to her," Spike comforted. "It'll be fine."
Sunset gave him a thankful smile. She took a deep breath, and opened the doors as she and Spike went inside the throne room, where her mother, her aunt, and her cousin were.
Elsewhere, in a torture/interrogation chamber in the Storm Kingdom, we see the Head Torturer set down a can on a table, filled it up with water put a rag on a prisoner's face, titled the prisoner's head up as he began to water board him.
Just outside in the hall, the Storm King was approaching the room. As he arrived at the door, the two guards stood at attention, allowing their king to enter. The Storm King stood on the side as he watched Mirah, the Head Torturer, water board the prisoner. While we don't see it on screen, we can see the shadows on the wall. Finally, Storm King decided to step in.
"That's enough!" the Storm King said, getting Mirah's attention. "He's ready to talk."
Mirah stepped aside, removed the rag, and and pushed the prisoner's head forward so he could look at the Storm King. The Storm King approached, laughing evilly. We finally see who the prisoner is. It's Double Diamond from Our Town. He looks pretty bruised, both his hind legs have been broken, and the armor he is wearing has a symbol that looks like the whole world with a crystal right in front of it.
"Run, run, run as fast as you can!" The Storm King taunted. "You can't catch me! I'm greatest snow boarder in the land!"
"You're a monster!" Double Diamond shot back.
"I'm a monster alright!" The Storm King said proudly. "But so are you! You and the rest of those rebels ruining my grand empire! But I have not captured all of you after that previous battle yet, especially the rebel leader who calls herself the Crystal Mistress. Tell me, where are all the others!"
"Bite me!" Double Diamond said defiantly, spitting in his face.
"I've tried being fair to you rebels," the Storm King said, wiping the spit off his face. "But now my patience has REACHED IT'S END! Tell me, or I'll-"
He reached for a cattle prod, which caused Double Diamond's determined expression to melt into one of fear.
"No, not the cattle prod!" Double Diamond begged. "Anything, but the cattle prod!"
"Alright, who's hiding them?!" Storm King demanded, shining the light in his face.
"Ok, I'll tell you," Double Diamond consented, but he was secretly lying. He would never truly betray her. "Do you know the Muffincolt?"
"The Muffincolt?" Storm King asked.
"The Muffincolt," Double Diamond replied.
"Yes, I know the Muffincolt," Storm King confirmed. "Who lives on Drury Lane?"
"Well, she's married to the Muffincolt," Double Diamond replied.
"The Muffincolt?!" Storm King shouted.
"The Muffincolt!" Double Diamond replied.
"She's married to the Muffincolt, how interesting," Storm King said.
Just then, a Storm Warrior burst in. Storm King, Mirah, and Double Diamond turned their attention to him. He spoke in a language, a language Double Diamond didn't understand. Thankfully, the subtitles provided a translation.
"My lord, the Shadow Sisters have reported that the invasion is about to begin," the Storm Warrior said.
"Perfect!" Storm King replied. "Tell them to strike as soon as possible. Mirah! Take the rebel to Volcanic Rock Prison!"
Mirah did as she was told. The Storm King then turned to the Storm Warrior.
"Tell Tempest and Sparkle to attack as soon as they land in Canterlot," he commanded. "That so-called 'goddess of the sun' won't keep me from taking the most pathetic excuse of a kingdom in the world this." As the Storm Warrior left, the Storm King began cackling. He continued cackling as the camera panned out of his castle while lightning flashed and thunder roared. Just then a bell rung in the torture chamber and the camera panned back to the Storm King as he answered the call. "What?! Who is this?! Don't you know I was in the middle of a very cliché villain moment when the panned out?!"
"I was just calling to inform you that your lunch was ready, sir," the chef informed from the other end.
"Nevermind, I'm on way," Storm King replied, running to the dining room.
Chapter 6: We Got This Together
Meanwhile, back in Canterlot, Rainbow Dash was finishing up clearing the skies.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, zooming to a stop. "Sky's cleared and ready for the festival!"
Down on the ground, Pinkie was blowing up a balloon. When she was done, she tied it up, making it look like Discord. However, having not been tied to keep the air in properly, the balloon began to deflate, and started flying all over the place. Pinkie began chasing the balloon, trying to catch it before it hurt some creature.
Fluttershy was working on the music with her birds and Angel Bunny, who was hilariously dressed like a bird. Suddenly, the balloon flew by, with Pinkie charging at her full speed.
"Sorry Fluttershy!" Pinkie called out.
Pinkie sprinted past Fluttershy and her birds, scaring off the birds, while Angel Bunny freaked out a bit.
"Rogue balloon on the loose!" Pinkie called back.
"I don't think it's the balloon that's rogue, Pinkie Pie," Fluttershy said, petting a bird that had returned to her for comfort.
The balloon dashed in front of Applejack just before she arrived where it has just been. Had she not stopped, she would've been ran over by Pinkie.
"Sorry,AJ!" Pinkie shouted at a very fast pace.
"Hey, everypony!" Applejack called out, pulling a cart filled with her family's apple cider. "Does anypony wanna try a sample of my family's cider?"
Up in the air nearby, Rainbow heard Applejack and smirked thirstily. She flew so fast towards the cup, Applejack didn't even see her as she snatched up the cup, nor did she see her friend when the cup reappeared on her hoof, completely empty.
"Thankyou,lovedit!" Rainbow called out.
AJ simply looked at the cup in confusion, having not seen nor heard Rainbow, knowing it was full just a second ago. Elsewhere, the Wielders of the Elements of Nature had split up, covering more ground in their patrol.
Currently, Bao was walking around the square near the stage when the deflated balloon landed in front of him on the ground. Without looking down, Bao picked up the balloon and ate it before walking off like nothing happened. Pinkie came to an abrupt stop, and gasped in absolute horror at what she had just witnessed.
Meanwhile, back at the stage, Rarity was decorating the wall of the stage with ribbons tied in a near bow and gems. Applejack walked over, genuinely impressed with her friend's work.
"Wow, Rarity," Applejack said in an impressed tone. "That's a fine job ye're doin' there. Course, it might not get done till after the concert."
"Applejack, darling, anypony can do 'fine'," Rarity replied, smiling with pride. "Sunset asked me, so clearly, she's going for fabulous, and fabulous takes time."
"Fabulous takes forever!" Rainbow Dash complained. "But "awesome"!"
Rainbow Dash grabbed Rarity's materials, and in a rapid pace, had the stage decorated in mere seconds.
"Whoa!" Fluttershy helped as Rainbow Dashed (haha! I made a pun!) past her.
"...can get it done in four seconds flat!" Rainbow finished. "Faster if I do my Sonic Rainboom!"
"Aah!" Rarity gasped in horror, already horrified by the horrible decorations. "Nono, oh no! Don't you dare, Rainbow Dash! It looks wretched enough already!"
"Oh come on, it's fine!" Rainbow argued.
"If you were raised in a barn!" Rarity shot back, before realizing what she had just said in front of her farm pony friend. "Ahem, no offense, Applejack."
"None taken," Applejack replied, holding out a cup of cider, allowing Rainbow to take it, return it, refill it, and repeated this process as she spoke. "Especially since I wasn't raised in a barn. My family just happens to have a barn. Where I was born. And... spent most of my formative years..."
"Raisedinabarn!" Rainbow shouted quickly as she grabbed another cup of cider.
Just then, Sunset and Spike arrived. Sunset appeared to be going over a check list about the festival, no doubt making sure everything was in order.
"Okay, just two hundred and eighteen things left to do and we're ready," she said to herself.
"Hey, Sunset!" Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie greeted.
"Hello, Spike," Rarity greeted flirtaciously.
"Uh, hi, Rarity," Spike greeted back bashfully. "Heh heh."
"How'd it go with the other Princesses?" Applejack asked. "Are they gonna heed your warnings?"
"I bet they will!" Pinkie Pie added.
"Not exactly," Sunset sighed. "They don't believe Twilight will return to seek vengeance on us all."
"And they are absolutely right, darling," Rarity replied, tryin to reassure her friend. "Twilight made it very clear when she disappeared all those years ago that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with us."
"But what if she does, Rarity?!" Sunset pointed out. "What if she attacks during Songbird Serenade's concert? What if she comes with an army of darkness? And if we don't have the forces necessary to fend them off, then those causalities would be on my hooves!"
"Sunset, look at me!" Pinkie said seriously, cupping Sunset's face with her hooves. "This will be the biggest celebration Equestria has ever seen! And whether Celestia, Luna, and Cadence want to admit it or not, Twilight is bound to return, whether for revenge, or to try to rekindle old friendships that were broken because of us! And as the Princess of Friendship, you've got to help heal her broken heart! And when she returns, the end result will define who you are! The pressure is intense! It's almost too much for any single pony to handle!"
Pinkie let out a dramatic scream, causing everyone to gasp. Pinkie regained her composure, then joined up with the other girls.
"But you have us!" Pinkie finished, smiling. "So stop worrying!"
Applejack set down the cup, Rarity ignited her horn with her magic, a balloon popped next to Pinkie, and Rainbow let out a loud belch from all the cider she had been drinking.
"Ah!" Sunset yelped in surprise, trying to force a smile.
*Que Song: We Got This Together*
Applejack: "It's time to show 'em what you've got~"
Rarity: "It's time to go and get things done~"
Fluttershy: "But you don't have to do it on your own~"
Pinkie Pie: "Cause you've got friends right here to make it fun~"
Mane Five: "We got this, you got this~
We've got this together!~"
Sunset flies into the air as Rainbow Dash, so Rainbow could explain her Element as she cleared the skies.
Rainbow Dash: "Sometimes the pressure gets you down~
And the clouds are dark and gray~
Just kick them off and let the sun shine through~"
As Rainbow sang that, she kicked away a dark cloud, allowing the sun's light to shine.
Rainbow Dash: "And scary as it seems, more help is on the way~"
As if on cue, some of the Wonderbolts appeared.
Rainbow Dash: "Cause friends have friends that wanna help out too~"
The Wonderbolts, most likely responding to the previous line, took out several of the dark clouds and regular clouds.
Rainbow Dash & Wonderbolts: "We got this, you got this~
We got this together~"
Sunset flew down to the ground, passing by all the civilians setting up for the festival.
Crowd: "It's the Festival of Friendship~
And we can get it done~
A festival that they won't forget~
A party to be proud of~
A day of games and fun~
Just you wait and see~
A magic day in perfect harmony~"
Sunset landed next to Fluttershy, who allowed a bird to land on her hoof.
Fluttershy: "You got this~"
Bird: (whistling melodically)
Fluttershy and bird: "We got this together~"
Sunset flew off to check on the food's progress, overseen by Applejack, of course.
Applejack: "With friends and family, you are never alone~
If you need help, we've got ye're back~
You can be honest, let your problems be known~"
Applejack and the Apple Family: "Cause you got us to pick up the slack~
We got this~"
Big McIntosh: "Eeyup~"
Apple Family: "We got this together~"
Sunset then headed over to Rarity, who was finishing up decorating the stage.
Rarity: "Pay attention to the details, everyone even spaced~
Make the colors perfect~"
Spike: "Taking one or two to taste~"
Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes, amused by the little dragon's antics as he took a gem and ate it, making Rarity replace it with another.
Rarity: "Inside and out~
Beautiful throughout~"
As Spike attempted to take another gem, Rarity offered him one instead, which he happily accepted.
Rarity: "Generosity is what we're all about~"
Spike: (mouthful)"You got this~"
Rarity: "You got this~"
Rarity and Spike: "We got this together~"
Sunset flies into the air, overlooking the preparations from there (haha, I rhymed!).
Sunset Shimmer: "Today needs to be perfect, it all comes down to me~
I don't know if I'm ready~
For all the things they need me to be~"
As Sunset flew over the small river in Canterlot, she stared at her reflection.
Sunset: "I am the Princess of Friendship~
But that is more than just a crown~
It's a promise to bring ponies together~
And never let anypony down~"
As Sunset flew away from the water, the camera switched over to Pinkie Pie on a large cake baking machine, using a bicycle (yes, I am surprised that a world of ponies has bikes) to operate the large whisks to whisk the cake batter.
Pinkie Pie: "We've got an awful lot to bake~
Each pony needs a piece of cake~
Oh, wait! There's something better we can do~"
Pinkie got off her bike and rushed over to her friend, Cheese Sandwich, to tell him her plan. Immediately, they both gather many supplies and began building something.
Pinkie Pie: "We're gonna need some more supplies~
To make a really big surprise~
She'll be so shocked - she's sure to love it, too~"
Pinkie then picked up Gummy, her pet alligator, who was still somehow a baby.
Pinkie Pie: "You got this~"
Gummy didn't really seem to know or care about what his owner was talking about.
Pinkie Pie: "We got this together~"
The camera then cut to two large crowds joining together.
All: "It's the Festival of Friendship~
Together we are one~
A day we will never forget~
And now everything is ready~
So when the day is done~"
Rainbow Dash: "The weather~"
Applejack: "The banquet~"
Rarity: "The style~"
Fluttershy: "And music~"
All: "All will be in perfect harmony~"
As the song ended, Pinkie's creation rose up and fired the largest three layered cake ever into the air. Sunset began to run, but was covered by the cake. When she finally emerged, she gasped for air, and coughed a bit.
"Pinkie, seriously?" Sunset asked in absolute annoyance.
"Oopsie," Pinkie said, emerging from the cannon with a smile on her face. "Guess my easy bake confetti cannon needs a little bit more fine tuning."
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Prologue: Twilight leaves Canterlot - Cadence Rescued.
"In fact, I don't think you should come to the wedding at all," Shining Armor said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go comfort my bride."
He said each and every word with a terrifying venom. Twilight watched in sadness as her brother walked off. Twilight knew he meant every word. But the worst part was that her own friends all glared at her as they followed. Spike didn't even look at her as he followed. Celestia walked off, disappointed.
"You have a lot to think about," she said. Twilight was left all alone. Her whole world crumbled before her. She held her head down in sadness, tears streaming down her face. She didn't notice the imposter was behind her.
Chrysalis watched her for a moment. She was contemplating on whether or not to send her down to the caves. But then she thought back to her previous conversation with the Shapeshifter King Adulon. He had insulted her saying that because she is Changeling even she could not infiltrate a grand scale event such as this one. This was Chrysalis' one chance to prove him wrong. Changelings and Shapeshifters had been rivals for centuries, and no one remembered the cause anymore. But they were always one step closer to going to war against each other.
Chrysalis walked off, teleporting back to the bride's room. She didn't care what happened to Twilight. All she knew was that she had gotten her out of the way without slipping up.
Twilight's tears ceased as she looked up in rage, hatred, anger, sadness, and betrayal. Multiple things went through her head at once that caused her to wonder if the Magic of Friendship was even real in the first place at all.
First the "Lesson Zero" Incident where Twilight was worried about getting a tardy and being sent back to Magic Kindergarten, when her friends passed it off as petty, but later promised to do better.
What a load of horseshit, Twilight thought. They promised they would do better, but now they've gone back on their word. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. And shame on me for ever believing they could ever get better. No more chances.
She then thought back to the day she first met her ex-friends. When Celestia sent the letter. When Celestia ultimately said that she had the utter most faith and trust in her. But now, Twilight was starting to think otherwise.
Clearly just words to her, Twilight thought sourly. If she had the utter most faith and trust in me, she would've stayed here. FINE! But I'm not going to be around to tell them "I told you so". Equestria, the Land of Lies and Deceit. Perfect spot for criminals. There are places outside Equestria. The chances of them finding me somewhere in the world are zero to none at all. Not like they'll miss me anyway.
She traveled over to her old ivory tower. She looked around it and saw it had lost its color and was very badly rundown. Twilight stepped on something and looked down. She saw the gift Spike had gotten for Moon Dancer's party. She used her magic to open it and saw it was a picture of her and her old friends from Canterlot, all sitting at a table eating a cupcake. All except for Twilight, who of course had her nose stuck up a book. It broke Twilight's heart knowing she wouldn't even get the chance to say goodbye to Moon Dancer ever. Twilight used her a magic to grab a nearby card, a quill, and some ink and began writing on the card.
Cadence lied down on her stomach, weak, hungry, and thirsty. She had been down there a long time, and she felt nopony would come to rescue her. As she blacked out, the last thing she saw a giant figure walking towards her and picking her up.
At Moondancer's house, Twilight had just left the picture. She took one last look at Moondancer's house, knowing she wasn't going to be seeing it for a very long time. She opened the window and escaped the house, and eventually left Canterlot. She went back to her library, packed up all the essentials, and went in the direction of the Badlands.
Not like I belonged in Ponyville or Canterlot anyways, she thought to herself. There is no such thing as the magic of Friendship. If there was, they would've stayed true to their Elements.
As she reached the border between Equestria and the Badlands, she looked back at her former home.
This is it, Twilight thought. If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest from home that I've ever been. Not like they'll miss me. They'll just find somepony to replace me.
She took a few more steps over the border and began running. As she ran, she never bothered looking back at the rabbit, sea serpent, foals, or the bear that watched her leave. She never bothered looking back at Equestria at all.
"There goes Equestria's last line of defense," the sea serpent said.
"But, what about our studies with her?" Sweetie Belle asked in tears.
"Forget that," Scootaloo replied, comforting her friend. Angel and Harry could tell she was fighting back tears of her own and failing. "Why would Twilight leave Equestria?"
Angel and Harry hugged them both in sadness. Apple Bloom just watched as Twilight disappeared into the sunset. Sadness was clear as day and night in her eyes, but she held her stoic look.
"Ah'll bet y'all anything it had somethin' ta do with our sisters," Apple Bloom suggested. "We all heard how Twilight explained that she knew the princess better than anyone. But she's also Celestia's niece, so how could Celestia not tell somethin was wrong?"
"Let's go ask them," Scootaloo suggested angrily.
"Not without somepony related to Pinkie and Fluttershy," Sweetie Belle said through tears.
"Then let's git goin," Apple Bloom said. "We can do this on our own. We don't even know where their relatives live."
The Crusaders left to go to Canterlot to go find out what had happened.
Back with Cadence, who was waking up. She saw a Unicorn wearing an undershirt, hammering something on what she recognized as an anvil. She saw she had bandages on her wounds and saw a blade weapon right next to the blacksmith. Her eyes went wide when she recognized it. As if sensing she was awake, the Unicorn stopped hammering.
"I was beginning to wonder when you would wake up, cousin," he said.
Cadence's eyes went wide when she recognized the voice of her cousin, Ash Magma. She had heard rumors from Luna that he lived under the mountain, though Celestia wrote it off as rumors as she believed he traveled to Yakyakistan for the best materials.
He walked over to her and sat her up. He then used his magic, which a had a fiery red aura, to lift a liquid in a rock to her mouth.
"Drink this," he said. "It'll make it easier for you to eat."
He helped Cadence lift it up to her lips. Cadence drank the whole thing. When she finished, she made a gagging face, but forced the liquid down her throat and coughed.
"What was that?!" she asked.
"Hot Water from the sauna just a level down, ironically the level you were at," he replied. "It has healing properties that may taste bad, but can jolt your nervous system to hyper alert in an instant. Kind of like when you went hyper as a year when Aunt Luna gave you chocolate even though mom specifically said no."
"I thought we agreed to never speak of that again," Cadence said sourly.
"I had my fingers crossed," Ash replied.
"You're a pony, you don't have any fingers," Cadence said in annoyance.
"You know what I mean," Ash replied. "Bao should be in here in a few seconds, so be ready, he may not look all that smart, but he can make a mean oatmeal with all the good stuff."
"Who's Bao?" Cadence asked.
At that moment, the door swung open. Standing there, holding a bowl of hot oatmeal was a large Panda Bear wearing a chef's hat and an apron that said The French Ponies may think their dinners are never second best, but food from the Pandas say otherwise . Ash rolled his eyes in annoyance at seeing his friend wearing those again, but also knowing he could never stop him from doing it.
"Oh good, the princess is awake," Bao said, walking in and setting the bowl down.
"Bao is actually the one who found you," Ash said. "Going on one of those evening walks he loves so much. But their not really evening walks, he just hosts the club for the spirits of the dead down in the bar."
"What bar?" Cadence asked, using her magic to levitate the bowl to her.
"The ones the dwarves hung out in whenever they had free time," Ash replied. "Do you think you'll be able to answer some questions as you eat?"
"Sure," Cadence replied. She took a bite of the oatmeal and immediately felt relaxed. "Oh my Faust, did you put strawberries in this?"
"And cherries," Bao replied. "And blueberries. And sugar. And butter. And a little bit of oregano."
"You and your oregano," Ash replied.
"I put that **it on everything," Bao said.
"First off," Ash said, ignoring the fact his friend had just cussed, "how did you get down there? I thought you were getting married to mom's personal protege's older brother. And only me and Bao know the entrance to the caverns."
"Changeling Queen," Cadence replied sourly. "When she couldn't find the entrance, she just teleported me down here."
"Chrysalis?" Ash asked in shock. He then looked at his friend. "The bitch queen was lucky we weren't around when she did that." He looked back at his cousin. "How long ago was that?"
"About a month ago," Cadence replied.
"If Chrysalis has been up there for a month, then she's doing better at blending in than last time," Ash said. "Usually Changelings don't last long in infiltration missions. What time does the wedding start?"
"In a few minutes," Cadence replied. "An hour at tops. Why?"
"Because we have a wedding to crash," Ash said, levitating the bladed weapon Cadence saw over to him. He wrapped his hoof around it as Bao put on battle armor and picked up dual wield battle axes.
Cadence got out of bed and picked up a nearby sword with her magic.
"Sting," Ash said. "The blade glows blue when enemies of Equestria are near."
"The Dwarves sure as hell knew how to make the best weapons," Cadence replied.
"Let's ride," Ash said as his mane and tail spontaneously lit on fire.
Author's Note
There you have it folks. I made a few pop culture references. I'll list them down for those who don't understand:
The reference to Lesson Zero - https://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Lesson_Zero
When Twilight was at the border -
Bao the Panda Bear -
4.
"I put that **it on everything," Bao said.
Cadence's sword, Sting.
6.
"Let's ride," Ash said, his mane and tail spontaneously lighting on fire.
