Rainbow is Magic S2: Love Hearts and Bug Eyes

Chapters

Chapter 2: Bride and Groom
Chapter 3: Not What She Seems
Chapter 4: Lies
Chapter 5: Forever Hold Your Peace
Chapter 6: Kiss the Bride
Chapter 1: You Are Cordially Invited...

Chapter 2: Bride and Groom

After a day of preparation and a good night’s rest, Rainbow Dash and her friends found themselves on the train to Canterlot, Rainbow Dash grinning and giggling in excitement.

“This is such an exciting day!” She squeed, turning to her friends. “Don’tcha agree, guys?”

PInkamena glared at her, sitting a good distance away. She just sat there, glaring. Rainbow winced and looked towards Applejack while pointedly avoiding Pinkamena’s hateful gaze.

Applejack grunted, her eyes featuring heavy, dark bags under them as she hold a large box. “Ah might be able to feel any excitement if Ah got some decent sleep...but no, Ah had to stay up just to make sure this dress was absolutely perfect for the Princess. I even used a few very expsensive materials!”

“Oh I’m sure you didn’t have to go all out, I bet she’d love it no matter how simple it looked.” Rainbow said with a relaxed smile, waving her hoof back and forth dismissively.

Applejack’s eyes snapped wider open, her frown deepening further into an angry scowl. “SHE’S A PRINCESS AND WEDDING DRESSES ARE SPECIAL! THERE’S PRINCIPLES TO THIS!”

Twilight hurried over to the fashionista’s side, gently wrapping a towel over her face. “Hey it’s okay, you’re just stressed...just relax till we get there...”

Applejack nodded as she closed her eyes. “Yes...you’re quite write, Twilight. That outburst was undignified...”

Twilight smiled. “We all did a lot of work on short notice, so I’m sure Princess Cadance will appreciate our efforts.”

“Yeah!” Fluttershy cheered. “I bet she’ll be really happy once we help make her wedding extra super special awesome!”

Rarity huffed, folding her hooves as she sat back. “Yeaaah I still think it’ll be boring and lame.”

Rainbow shrugged. “Oh it’ll be great!” She peered through a window, grinning wide. “Oh we’re here, we’re here!”

At that her friends stepped to the windows of the train, looking out at the astounding sight of Canterlot ahead, the train chugging along as it sped towards the station.

Rainbow grinned wide. “Ohhhh this is gonna be amazing! I haven’t seen Cadance in AGES!” She trotted to a seat whereupon Spike had been sleeping. “Wakey, wakey Spike! We’re here!”

Spike shot up, looking around bleary-eyed. “Huh? Whuzzat?”

Rainbow pulled the dragon onto her back and started trotting with off with him as the train started to stop, the other girls getting from their seats and following along, many of them having varying degrees of anxiousness, annoyance and tiredness on their faces.

As the group stepped off the train they were greeted by a member of the Canterlot Royal Guard.

“WELCOME TO CANTERLOT!” Lieutenant Sapphire Shores shouted loudly, saluting. “I SINCERELY HOPE YOU ARE NOT PLOTTING TO ATTACK CANTERLOT IN ANY WAY!”

Rainbow blinked, tilting her head in puzzlement. “Ex...excuse me?”

Another guardsmare who was standing beside her, Sassy Saddles, lightly bonked Sapphire on the head with the blunt side of her spear before turning to the group of mares before her. “Lieutenant Shores here has gotten it into her head that ANY visitors to the city could be potential enemies. And has thus gotten it into her head that she can thwart an attack by simply asking ponies not to.”

“Oh.” Twilight said. “And here I was thinking that something happened or somepony threatened to attack or something.”

“Nothing of the sort has happened. In fact, nothing has happened here in Canterlot since that whole....debacle at the Gala.” Lieutenant Saddles chuckled. “It’s actually gotten a bit boring, especially after all the busts.”

“Busts?” Rarity asked, grinning. “Like, y’know, crime stuff? Like in the novels I totally don’t read when noone’s looking?”

Lieutenant Saddles chuckled. “Well, yeah. A lot of ponies doing bad things because they thought their money and status made them able to get away with anything. Thanks to the efforts of our Captain, we’ve managed to capture and detain a good few of these rotten eggs, and after a while everypony’s been on their best behaviour.” She smirked. “For now, at least.”

“Speaking of your dashing Captain,” Applejack interjected, “I hear he’s the lucky stallion getting married today. That must have been quite a surprise.”

Sassy Saddles nodded. “Yeah, it was actually. A lot of us joined the guard in the hopes of getting his attention, y’know, what with him being the most desired bachelor in Equestria. In fact, I was one those mares who joined just because I wanted his attention.” She coughed into her hoof, blushing deeply as she averted her eyes, before resuming a more serious expression. “And in all my years working in the Guard, the Captain has not accepted the advances of ANYPONY, on or off the force, so it came as a surprise to pretty much ALL of us when out of the blue he announces he’s getting married to Princess Cadance of all ponies, a mare I’m not even sure he’s really talked to all that much.”

“Surely it must be really happy to be getting wed to a great mare like Cadance?” Rainbow grinned, her friends side-eyeing her.

Sassy Saddles looked down in thought. “Actually, it’s really weird. He seems TOO happy and a seems to go out of his way to avoid anyone in the Royal Guard...in fact he’s been avoiding a lot of ponies period. And when we do manage to catch up with him, briefly, he seems...well, he’s been acting...odd.”

“Oh it’s probably wedding jitters, y’know?” Rainbow said flippantly.

“Maybe...Still though, it’s...concerning...”

“I THINK...!” Sapphire Shores started to say before Lieutenant Saddles’ hoof pressed over her mouth.

“Not ONE word about your crazy ‘mind control’ theory.” The guardsmare shook her head before looking back up at Rainbow’s group. “Anyway, it’s nothing for you ladies to worry about. Since you brought it up, I assume you’re here for the wedding?”

“I imagine a lot of ponies are!” Rainbow said excitedly. “We were invited by Princess Cadance!”

Sassy Saddles’ face contorted into an irritated scowl. “Oh. Of course. Her.”

Rainbow blinked, then glared accusingly. “You got a problem with the Princess? Jealous she got to Blueblood and not you?”

The Lieutenant averted her gaze. “No, it’s not like that, she’s just...well, you’ll see...”

Sapphire Shores saluted, pointing her hoof towards the castle. “THE WEDDING IS BEING HELD IN THE CASTLE! PLEASE HEAD TOWARDS THERE IF YOU ARE ATTENDING THE WEDDING! PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO KIDNAP ANY ASSORTED PRINCES OR PRINCESSES, NO STEAL ANY JEWEL ENCRUSTED OR GOLDEN VALUABLES! PLEASE DO NOT....”

Sassy Saddles bonked the mare over the head again. “At the very least, don’t shout, Sapphire.”

“I APOLOGISE!”

The guardsmare sighed and pressed her hoof to her face, gesturing at Rainbow’s group with her other hoof. “Look just...just go. You’ll see what I’m talking about when you get there.”

The mares nodded slowly as they started to trot towards the castle. ON the way there, Fluttershy suddenly gasped and grinned wide, dashing off from the group to join a small crowd that stood nearby. The other mares looked to each other and shrugged and trotted over to stand with their friend, allowing them to see what had gotten the pegasus’ attention.

The crowd of ponies stood around two largely identical Pegasus mares, though one wore a blue outfit and the other a red one, the pair flying through hoops in the air as they masterfully juggled six large clubs each, tossing them towards each other as they flew apart in opposite directions and then tossing them all high into air as they flew back together and landing on the ground, bowing to the audience, the red clad Pegasus stretching her left hoof forward towards the crowd as her twin beside her did the same with her right hoof, easilycatching six clubs each into their hooves as they fell from the air towards the ground in front of them. The pair grinned as the audience applauded.

“And so ends our show for today!” The mare clad in blue exclaimed. “If you want a further performance, we will be providing entertainment at the wedding of Princess Cadance! Do please try and attend! Until then, this is farewell from Flitter!”

“and Cloudchaser!” The red clad mare added.

“Jesters of the Sky!” The pair posed together with a flourish as they exclaimed in unison, tossing confetti around themselves as the crowd cheered.

“Whoo!” Fluttershy cheered, performing loops in the air as she clapped her hooves and smiled. “That was incredible!”

As the crowd gave the twins some bits in return for the performance, the pair trotted over to Rainbow’s group, the two pegasi looking over the assembled mares. “High praise indeed from one of the Elements of Harmony.” The one clad in blue, Flitter, said.

Rainbow blushed, rubbing the back of her neck, still rather embarrassed by all the fame she and her friends seem to get. “So, uh, you’re on your way to the wedding too?”

Flitter and Cloudchaser exchanged a concerned glance before nodding. “Enamoured with our performance, Her Majesty is.” Cloudchaser said, carefully. “Greatly honoured are we.”

Fluttershy grinned widely. “Well since we’re on the way anyway, why not go together?”

The twins flinched imperceptivity but maintained a friendly demeanour. “Oh we could not possibly impose on esteemed ponies such as yourselves!”

“Nonsense! It’s only right that we go on together! And that way you girls won’t get lost!” Fluttershy exclaimed, draping her forelegs over the shoulders of the twins as she walked them onwards, Rainbow shrugging and walking off to lead the group to the castle, upon which the mares trotted inside, the Jesters squirming a little as they looked around nervously.

As the group trotted a white unicorn stallion with long blonde hair walked over to them, sporting a wide smile and wearing a fancy red suit jacket over his torso, adorned with medals along the chest. “Well hello there!”

Rainbow gave the stallion a smirk. “Well if it isn’t the lucky husband to be. How’s it going, Blueblood? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for thee wedding?”

The Captain of the royal guard blinked a few times but maintained a wide smile, pulling Rainbow into a sudden hug. “Oh I know but I’m just so THRILLED to see so many ponies coming by! I’m guessing you’re here going to be attending the wedding too?”

Rainbow squirmed in the stallion’s tight embrace. “Uh yeah, well we WERE invited so...uuhh...y-you’re kinda....friendly today, huh? You’re not usually the type to just uh hug somepony, typically...”

“Oh I do apologise!” He let her go and stepped back a bit. “I’m just...I’m just SO EXCITED and it’s got me out of sorts, my bride to be is just so beautiful and she’s been EVER so good to me!”

“Shiny, please, you’re bothering the guests.” A mare’s voice spoke evenly.

“Oh, sorry honey, I’m just filled with SUCH JUBILIATION!” Blueblood said as he walked over to the mare as she stepped into view. She was beautiful, with a bright pink coat and a long mane coloured with streaks of pink, lilac and white, a pointed horn extending a few inches from her forehead, wearing bright blue robes that signified her as headmistress of the Canterlot Academy of Magic. She was the bride of the hour, Princess Cadance, standing only a couple inches taller than her groom.

“Princess Cadance!” Rainbow beamed and rushed over, hugging the mare before pulling back. “It’s so great to see you!”

Cadance looked around distractedly before shaking her head and looking down at the Pegasus before her with an unreadable expression. “Ah, right, it’s good to see you too. Sorry, I’m just a little...distracted right now.” She chuckled quietly.

“Yeah, I can imagine, pre-wedding jitters and all.” She grinned wide. “I’m so glad I got your letter, I missed you a lot and I’m so eager to catch up!”

Cadance nodded, looking distracted as she looked around. “Yeah, uh, me too, but uh you know guests should be going down the hall there...” She pointed down a hall leading down from the right of them as she spoke insistently.

“Oh but your letter said you wanted my friends to help!” Rainbow continued, oblivious to how Cadance was acting, the Pegasus spreading her right wing as she pointed out each mare. “Applejack made you an amazing dress, Twilight’s got plenty for the catering, Fluttershy is....really good at singing, Pinkamena crafted a WONDERFUL ring for you and...umm...Rarity’s here for...moral support!”

Cadance nodded as she gave each mare a brief glance before turning away. “That’s all well and good, but if you’ll excuse me I am simply swamped with other things to prepare for.” She turned to Blueblood pointedly, giving him a commanding look. “Come along, Blueblood.”

Blueblood looked puzzle for a moment before his eyes widened in realisation and he nodded, following after her as she walked down the opposite hall. “Oh, right, coming dear!”

Applejack frowned. “Isn’t it bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding?”

Cadance, rather than replying, merely hurried along and lead Blueblood out of sight.

Applejack huffed. “How rude!”

Rainbow shrugged. “Hey come on, she’s got a lot on her mind, she’s probably not thinking straight due to all the excitement.”

“But still, it’s WEIRD for a bride and groom to be going around together before they’re officially married!” Applejack insisted.

“Oh Cadance doesn’t care about rumours and superstition, if she wants to hang out with her husband before anything ‘official’, I say she’s welcome to it, she IS a princess after all.” Rainbow said dismissively.

“That Blueblood guy was acting really weird too...” Twilight noted. “I mean not that he wasn’t a friendly guy when we last saw him, but he wasn’t like THAT, either!”

Rainbow frowned. “He’s just excited about the wedding, y’know how it is. Look guys, I just don’t see what your problem is. Cadance and Blueblood were like the two ponies I got along the best with here in Canterlot, and it’s great to see them getting together and being happy and It’s just weird that you guys AREN’T as into this as I am!”

“Well we barely know them!” Rarity said. “Cadance especially, and she was kinda being rather dismissive and rude to us, she barely paid any attention to us, including you!” She pointed around herself with her hooves. “Look at all this! Silk and satin decorations with gold markings and stuff, all being held within CANTERLOT CASTLE where all the royals and hobknobs live! We’re just country bumpkins to them, and we don’t exactly have the best reputations here thanks to what happened at the Gala! We just don’t belong here, so OF COURSE Cadance isn’t really interested in us!”

Rainbow scoffed. “PSHAW! You’re making mountains out of molehills! You’ll see, Cadance is just busy, once she’s gotten to talk to yo guys about what you got ready for the wedding, you’ll see how grateful she is! Don’t worry, she’s NOTHING like those jerk nobles like Sunset and Fancy Pants!”

The other girls nodded, looking sceptical, while Fluttershy grinned and shrugged.

“I think she and Blueblood seemed super nice!” The yellow Pegasus exclaimed. “Right, Flitter, Cloudchaser?” She looked from side to side, blinking in surprise upon noticing the twins had disappeared. “Huh. Guess they ran off to get ready for their wedding show.”

Flitter and Cloudchaser kept themselves hidden as they stalked through the halls. They had to keep an eye on the Queen, they had to make sure she was safe and that the Plan was not in danger of discovery. If even a single pony knew what was REALLY going on, it would ruin everything.

Cadance rubbed her head as she lead her ‘husband’ to her room, looking behind herself to ensure she wasn’t being followed, mentally admonishing herself for losing sight of him and letting him almost jeopardise everything. She prayed the plan was going smoothly, that her act was working. If not, everything would be ruined. If the wrong ponies found out what she was up to...she shuddered to think what could happen. She had to play this carefully, and keep a close eye on the ‘groom’ to make sure he didn’t do anything foolish.

Timing was crucial.

Author's Note

Seeds are planted. Things are moving along. Be ready for surprises.

Guys you have NO IDEA how long I’ve been wanting to do this story for! It’s been one of my earliest ideas for YEARS for this setting! I am SO EXCITED to do the next chapter!

Hope you all enjoyed it and please comment! They inspire me and make me want to continue!

Chapter 3: Not What She Seems

There was a knock at Cadance’s door. The Princess trotted to answer it, greeted by the sight of Pinkamena.

“Ah you’re one of....Rainbow’s entourage, correct?” The Princess said after a brief pause.

“I’m PInkamena, a rock farmer.” The dour pink pony replied. “Rainbow asked me to make a ring for you.” She hold up her hoof, holding on its centre, atop a plain handkerchief, a silver band of metal with a sizeable, blue stone atop it. “Take it.”

Cadance eyed the small piece of jewellery with what could be seen as disdain, lifting it up with her magic before tossing it away, out of Pinkamena’s grasp. “I already have a ring, thank you very much. I don’t need such a cheap trinket. I never asked for it, so don’t bother making it.”

Pinkamena glared daggers at the Princess. “Those materials WERE NOT CHEAP, and Rainbow told me you DID want me to make it.”

“Well she was just making a decision for me without my consultation.” The Princess shrugged.

Pinkamena growled. “Let me in there so I can get that ring back then.”

“Please, I have too much to worry about other than your silly ring, and nopony’s allowed in my room, understand? Yes? Good, now stay out.” She slammed the door shut, the locking of the door greeting the earth pony’s ears. She growled angrily and turned away, already plotting thoughts of revenge.

Applejack had set herself up in one of the unusued rooms of the castle being left for use by guests of the wedding, and was using what little time she had to set up a mannequin and oversee the finishing touches on the dress she had made, ensuring it looked amazing enough for the princess to wear on her wedding day.

The dress was immaculate, a traditional white but with the edges embroidered with frills made into patters of stars, hearts and horseshoes, with a veil sequined with hundreds of small gems of various colours to create a rainbow effect. The fashionista smiled in satisfaction, pleased with herself.

She turned her head as she heard footsteps trotting over, seeing Princess Cadance walk over.

Applejack smiled at her. “Ah! Princess! Excellent, you got mah note, I wanted you to have a look at this dress Ah made for you! Isn’t it lovely?”

Cadance gave the outfit a single, dismissive before turning to Applejack. “It’s so...gaudy.”

Applejack blinked, looking at the outfit again. “You...really think so? I mean yes it is admittedly quite...extravagant but...”

‘Besides, I already have a dress.” The pink royal said matter of factly, pointedly looking away from the dress before her as she spoke.

“W-what!?” Applejack sputtered. “You already....WHAT!? DO you know how many hours Ah spent on this dress! The other orders and requests made of me, and the materials Ah had to gather at the last minute just to make it!?”

Cadance merely shrugged. “Is it my fault if it slipped my mind? Besides, I think II made the right decision here, the dress I got is far better than this gaudy mess.” She turned and trotted out, not even giving Applejack a second glance.

Applejack’s eye twitched as the door was shut behind the princess as she left. “Why that...that....SHREW!”

Fluttersy sang happily, gliding along the halls of Canterlot Castle, yelping in surprise as she bumps into somepony, falling to the floor. She looked up to see Princess Cadance gazing down at her. “Oh! Hi princess!”

She blinked her eyes, tilting her head. “You’re...ummm...?”

“I’m Fluttershy!” She chirped, getting to her hooves.

“and you’re another one of Rainbow’s friends, I take it?”

“yep yep! I knew her for a bit when we were kids! And since it where’s such good friends, and because it sounded fun, I came along to see your wedding after she asked me to! I bet you’re so excited! And nervous! AND NERVOUSCITED!”

Cadance’s expression was unreadable as she looked the mare over impassively. “I see. So you weren’t asked to do something for the wedding?”

“That’s right! Though when I saw those Jesters, I realised maybe I should’ve thought about doing some singing for your big day, singing IS one of my special talents after all and I think it’d be great to show my support in a really special way!”

While Fluttershy had been talking, Cadance’s eyes shot wide open,her lips thinning. She suddenly pressed her face close to Fluttershy’s. “A pair of jesters? One in blue, one in red?”

“Oh? Yeah, Flitter and Cloudcahser!” Fluttershy smiled widely. “They said they were going to perform for you and they seemed really fun! I bet they’ll make a KILLER show for you!”

“You stay away from those two!” Cadance snapped.

Fluttershy blinked. “H-huh? Why?”

“None of your business why.” Cadance pulled back, giving the Pegasus an icy gaze. “Don’t involve yourself in the matter. It doesn’t concern you. Stay out of it.”

Fluttershy frowned. “W-wait you mean you don’t wanna hear me sing? I mean I understand I guess but I thought...”

“No. Stay out of it. Stay as far away from those Jesters as much as you can. They are not ponies for you to be concerned with. Just stay out of the way until the wedding is finished.” She turned and trotted away, leaving Fluttershy alone.

“But...I liked them...” Fluttershy said softly at the Princess’s retreating form.

Rarity slumped against the wall of one the many halls of the castle, sighing in boredom. There really wasn’t much to see or do around the castle, since everypony was seemingly obsessed with the wedding. It didn’t interest her one bit, and to make matters worse Rainbow, in her single minded obsessiveness, forbid any of the group from leaving the castle until after the wedding. What was she supposed to do until then, fall asleep!?

Her ears perked up as she heard voices. Awakening her often unexplored love of gossip, she carefully sneaked along the hall, peeking around a corner to see the two Jesters from earlier, Flitter and Cloudchaser, talking to Princess Cadance.

“What are you going to do about the Elements of Harmony?” Flitter asked.

“Spoil everything they will!” Cloudchaser added.

Cadance stared through a window, her back to the two Jesters.”I have everything under control. It’s fine, they won’t get in the way of what we’ve got planned. Once the wedding is over with, we’ll have everything we want. You two just trust me. Remember who the Queen is around here.”

The pair looked to each other and slinked back, stepping out of sight. “Oh we will, our Queen. We will. Just remember...we’re only here to help and to keep an eye on things.”

The Princess bowed her head, staring forward in dtermination. “I know.”

Rarity blinked, trotting over. “What was that about? Sounded kinda...ominous? does that sound weird?”

Cadance yelped and turned to face Rarity, before quickly turning around and running off out of sight.

“Wait!” Rarity called out, reaching a hoof to her as the princess ran. “Don’t run away! That’s only making you look more suspiscious!” She pouted. “Great. Now I got this shady stuff to worry about. Should probably talk to the others about it.” She huffed.

Twilight trotted down the hall down to the banquet hall, carrying a large cart stocked with boxes of food from her farm. As Twilight walked to the dining hall, she discovered that there were already several ponies walking around, setting up the tables. The farmer blinked in surprise, trotting to a pony in a waiter’s garb.

“Halt!”

The mare blinked and turned to see a member of the royal guard trot to her.

“What is the problem, officer?” The purple unicorn asked.

“What is it you intend to do with those boxes?” The pink coated, armour sporting mare asked suspisciously.

“I...I was asked to provide food for the wedding.” Twilight replied, taken aback. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, of Ponyville. I can just leave what brought along so the chefs can prepare something with them.”

The guard frowned at her. “Sorry ma’am, but we can’t allow you to give anyone in the kitchens anything. The head chef has expressly forbidden any provisions that have not been approved by him, and the Princess had agreed.”

“What!?” Twilight gasped. “But! But I already had to gather all this on short notice and you’re telling me I wasted my time! Why didn’t the Princess tell anyone I was bringing something?!”

She shrugged. “What can I tell you? Orders are orders.” She gave a rather nasty sneer. “She probably thought your food wasn’t good enough and changed her mind.” Her expression dropped as she caught the dangerous glare in the unicorn’s eyes.

“Well I think I’ll have to have a word with her!” Twilight huffed, forgetting her cart of food as she trudged off. “Stupid spoiled princess...Can’t see why Rainbow likes her so much...”

As the unicorn trotted out of sight, Princess Cadance stepped out from the kitchens, walking over to the cart. “What’s this?” She asked the guard nearby.

“Oh just some mare trying to sneak in extra food, tried to claim you gave her permission or some nonsense.” She chuckled. “What a pathetic mare. Shall I toss this in the trash for you, your highness?”

Princess Cadance frowned, giving the guardsmare an imperious gaze. “Don’t worry yourself. I’ll deal with this appropriately myself, you just maintain your vigil.”

The mare saluted. “Yes ma’am!”

Cadance’s horn glowed as she lifted the cart and its load high in the air, trotting out of the dining hall as she carried the food with her out of sight.

Later, the six mares had gathered together at one of Canterlot’s cheaper restaurants for lunch, Rainbow grinning wide at her friends, not noticing their crestfallen, disappointed or angry expressions.

“Oh man I’m so excited!” Rainbow gushed. “Cadance’s wedding is gonna be in a few hours and I CAN’T WAIT! Oh man, you guys, she’s THE BEST and I can’t believe she’s getting married!”

“Not to rain on your parade, there, Rainbow,” Rarity began, looking to the side, “But I...don’t think she is that...uh...well, I think you might need to lower your expectations of her, a bit.”

Rainbow blinked, staring at her friend in disbelief. “Huh!? What are you talking about!? Cadance is a wonderful mare!”

“Wonderful?” Applejack huffed, rolling her eyes. “She insulted the dress Ah painstakingly made for her, at HER request mind you, and she has the GALL to say she already had another dress made and didn’t care one bit about the time, effort and materials Ah wasted on her account!”

Pinkamena growled. “Same here. She took the ring I made for her and tossed it away, and even said she had a better ring. The materials I used for that are going to take months to grow again.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “And apparently the chefs won’t take in any new ingredients, and Cadance even gave them approval for this! So, what, now all that food I rbought along has to go to waste?” She slammed her head into the table. “Oh dang it, I just realised I left it all in the dining hall...I hope they didn’t toss it all away before I can go get it all back...”

“Guys, look she’s under a lot of stress...” Rainbow said placatingly. “I mean, a wedding is a big deal and all, it makes a lot of lesser ponies crazy. Trust me, she probably just got swamped with wedding stuff and forgot.”

Fluttershy frowned. “She also told me to stay out of the way, that I was a nuisance, and forbid me from talking to Flitter and Cloudchaser even though they’re really fun and I like them a lot!”

“Probably cause she’s plotting something with them.” Rarity chided in. “I managed to overhear them talking to each other and it sounds like they have...something planned. I think Cadance is up to something! LIKE USING THE WEDDING TO LURE I PONIES FOR HER DASTARDLY PLOT OF TAKING OVER EQUESTRIA!”

“Rarity, that’s crazy!” Rainbow snapped. “Cadance wouldn’t do that!”

“You weren’t there! Okay, I don’t know what they’re up to, but this Cadance mare is NOT a nice pony and is DEFINITELY not on the up and up! I mean heck, Bluebloodis apparently acting weird, and who does he happen to be marrying just as he starts acting differently? Cadance.”

Applejak frowned in thought. “Your ‘take over equestrian theory’ is pretty crazy...but you do have a point. Blueblood was a perfect gentleman and charming last we met, and now he’s acting like a total clueless buffoon, and seems to let Cadance lead him around everywhere, even though tradition states the bride and groom should not see each other before they are wed on their wedding day, and Ah can’t imagine why royalty would break tradition so brazenly without even giving a real excuse.”

“And think about it,” Twilight added, “we’re national heroes. Maybe she’s been pushing us away so that we can’t get in the way of...whatever she is up to. I mean, Rainbow, did she say antyhign weird to you?”

“I can’t believe you’re actually taking what Rarity said SERIOUSLY!!” Rainbow exclaimed in disbelief. “Cadance taught me everything I know, she even allowed me to study magic in the first place, hay she personally TAUGHT me a lot of spells! She’s NOT ‘up to somethng’ and she’s NOT a bad mare!”

Applejack leaned up, her hooves slamming onto the table as she leaned up, glaring at Rainbow. “You’ve barely talked to that mare outside of, like, that one time we met her on Hearth’s Warming Eve? And she doesn’t write to you or keep up with you?”

“She’s a busy mare!” Rainbow argued. “Guys, you’re acting nuts!”

“WE’RE acting NUTS!?” Pinkamena exclaimed. “You’re supposed to be our friend and yet you’re siding with a pony you haven’t spoken to in YEARS rather than accept what we’re saying! You’re outright ignoring what we’ve experienced so you can make excuses and cling to some crazy ideal!”

Applejack nodded. “You should be more willing to accept that, maybe, Princess Cadance is acting like a jerk to us and be more inclined to back us up.”

“Look, I don’t have to listen to this!” Rainbow threw hooves up in the air, getting up from her seat and trotting off. “I’ll let you guys stew in your craziness, but come find me once you’re willing to let go of your prejudice and give my teacher a chance.”

Twilight, Pinkamena and Applejack frowned angrily at Rainbow as she walked off, Fluttershy and Rarity frowning in concern and looking down guiltily.

“Forget her for now.” Twilight said. “If she’s gonna be in denial, let her, we’re just gonna have to prove that Cadance isn’t some perfect golden mare ourselves.”

“Maybe we should...tell the Princesses?” Rarity suggested.

“Oh yes because the Princesses are totally unbiased and would totally listen to us over Cadance.” Pinkamena said. “Heck, Celestia didn’t even do anything about GRAND HEIST even after she ALMOST BLEW UP PONYVILLE, no way is she gonna do anything about her niece who’s acting like a tool and possibly conspiring something shady besides. No, we have to do this ourselves and find proof of Cadance’s....whatever it is.”

“Are you sure you heard them right, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean, that’s a pretty serious accusation, so serious I can’t really make any jokes about it, and Flitter and Cloudchaser seem like nice ponies themselves.”

“I don’t wanna assume the worst either,” Rarity replied defensively, “But they definitely said some words in a sinister and suspiciously vague manner that DEFINITELY sounded like Cadance was doing something beyond being a mean jerk.”

“So, the first order of business,” Applejack said, “is to first find actual proof of any treachery, and assuming we do we’ll come up with some way of exposing her. That’ll teach her whose dress is ‘guady’.”

“And where would we start?” Twilight asked.

PInkamena looked at the other mares in turn before speaking. “Her room. She’s always making sure nopony comes in, she wouldn’t even let me enter just to get the ring I made back from her, and she and Blueblood are coming in and out of there quite frequently. Thus, if they ARE hiding something, it’ll be in there.”

The girls nodded and got up, ready to begin Operation: Sneak Inside Cadance’s Room and Make Her Pay For Being a Jerk.

As Cadance stepped out of her room, the five mares peeked from their hiding space behind a particularly large decorative column, sneaking towards the door.

“So, anypony know how to pick a lock?” Twilight enquired, looking over her should to make sure nopony saw them.

“I can do better.” PInkamena said. “These hinges appear to be made from a fairly common metal, but one with a very glaring flaw. Whoever designed this was a pretty poor craftspony.” Pinkemena surreptisciously pulled a lighter from...somewhere and lit a flame that she pressed against the hinges of the door, the hinges curling and popping from their placements and causing the door to collapse backwards, allowing the mares entry. “Bingo.” Pinkemena tossed her lighter into her mane and stepped in as the other mares followed, greeted by the sight of a large bed, a wardrobe and a pony sized mirror.

“You’re right, that IS a big flaw.” Rarity muttered. “We should probably let whoever is in charge of that sort of thign know so its not so easy for somepony to break in.”

“Okay, everypony, search for clues.” Applejack said in a commanding tone.

“ooh, like that?” Fluttershy said eagerly, pointing her hoof at was clearly some sort of doorframe that was not so subtly hidden behind the mirror.

Twiligth frowned. “A...hidden door?”

“A poorly hidden door.” Pinkamena corrected. “Are you serious? That’s way too easy.”

“Well that might be why they made sure nopony other than the Princess and her groom could go in and out.” Applejack pointed out as she carefully pulled the mirror aside, revealing not so much a proper door but an entryway that revealed a flight of stone steps leading downwards.

“Well...we might as well just get this over with and see what’s down there.” PInkamena suggested. As the others nodded, they started trotting down in a line alone the steps to wherever it led.

As it turned out, the steps lead into a small room, the room largely bare save for a cage within which stood a familiar figure, calmly sipping a mug of coffee.

“Prince...Blueblood?” Applejack asked in confusion.

Blueblood chuckled, smiling at the mares. “Ah, why good evening ladies, did Cadance manage to talk some other ponies into helping her poorly thought out plan, hmm?”

“Actually, we came down here to thwart whatever she had planned.” Twilight admitted. “But umm...why are you in a cage? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your wedding?”

Blueblood chuckled with a shrug. “Oh would that I could, except I’m not the one getting married, thank goodness.”

“Wait...what?” Pinkamena said in confusion.

“Oh, wow, guests! How fortunate!”

The five mares’ eyes widened as they turned, finding Blueblood standing behind them at the foot of the stairway.

“W-what the!?” The group gasped in surprised, looking behind them to see that, indeed, Blueblood was still trapped in a cage while also impossibly standing outside of it clad in royal wedding outfit and holding up several plates of cakes, steamed vegetables and a views ups of water within a telekinetic grasp.

“Th-there’s TWO Bluebloods!?” Applejack cried in confusion, fear and happy excitement.

“Oh! Oh no, no, not at all!” The uncaged Blueblood replied, setting the plates and cups down on the floor carefully. “I’m not Blueblood! Allow me to introduce myself properly!”

Suddenly green flames burst over the stallions form, the vie mares gasping and leaping back so as not to burnt. The flames rapidly died down, revealing the form of a...ponylike creature. It had black carapace instead of fure, holes in its legs as well in its green, translucent, insectoid wings, a twisted, wickedly long black horn, green hair that hung wetly down from its head, large fangs protruding from its mouth and a twisted black crown on its head.

“Hello!” The creature said with a mare’s voice, though tis voice had some otherworldly reverb to it, a wide friendly smile on its face. “I’m Queen Chrysalis, a changeling! I am so sorry about the confusion, and I hope we can get along in the future!”

As the girls stared in disbelief, hoofsteps greeted their ears as Princess Cadance trotted down the stairs, the royal’s eyes widening as she saw the scene before her.

“Well, it's about time somepony finally caught us." The Princess said afer giving a relieved sigh, smiling. "You must be terribly confused. Allow me to explain."

Chapter 4: Lies

Several Years Ago

A young pink unicorn filly trotted through the gardens of Canterlot, alone to her thoughts.

‘Mi Amore Cadenza’. Those words were inscribed in a large mound of crystal Celestia had discovered while exploring to the northern territories of Equestria. When she brought it back to Canterlot, it had shattered open revealing what lay inside: a tiny pink pony, a child.

“My Beloved Cadance’. That was what the words onthe crystal were translated to roughly read as in modern Equestrian, and was used to give the young filly her name as she was formally adopted as a member of Celestia’s royal family.

Princess Cadance. That was the filly’s name now. She had no memory of whether that was close to her real name, or even who her family was before her adoption. She knew nothing of her past, and what little she knew of her current home was told to her via Celestia and various teachers.

Cadance didn’t feel like she belonged. Celestia was nice enough, but rarely had time to spend with her, and felt closer to an aunt rather than a parent anyway. And the teachers didn’t care about her, they only cared about making Celestia happy.

And so Cadance trotted, alone, as she felt she truly was. Noone to really confide in, no one to have fun with, no one to really see her as she was. Not that she herself knew who she was; she hadn’t had enough time to herself to work out her own identity.

As she trotted she heard a noise coming from a rosebush, a noise that sound like an ‘ow’. Tilting her head, the young filly walked to the bush, inspecting it closely. “Hey you okay in there?”

“Noone is in here!” A voice called out from the bush. “I mean...uhhh...”

Cadance giggled a little. “Here, let me help you out of there.”

“No!” The voice responded desperately. “I-I mean....I’m sorry but I’m fine here...”

“You’re in a rose bush, thorns are probably jutting into you and being painful!”

“Well..yes...it is kinda hurty...” The voice admitted. “But still! I promised mother I wouldn’t let myself be seen! Not by a pony!”

Cadance blinked. “Wait...you mean...YOU’RE not a pony?”

“I...uhh...” The bush twitched as the person inside it moved about. “....you’re not supposed to have figured that out.”

“Oh just get out of there!” Cadance said. “Nopony’s around and I promise I won’t hurt you!”

“But...mother says ponies don’t like...us...She said they’ll hurt is if we let them...”

“Your mom’s a dummy! Ponies are nice!” Cadance’s horn glowed as she pulled the figure out of the bush, being careful to make sure they didn’t get hurt by any more thorns. The figure eeped as she was pulled into the sunlight and before Cadance’s sight.

Cadance stared, wide eyed. Before her resembled a pony her age, but clearly wasn’t a pony entirely. She had four hooves, a tail, mane, muzzle and general shape of a pony, but she had shiny black carapace instead of fur, tiny wings that reminded her of an bug’s, holes littered the filly’s mane, tail, wings and hooves and the filly had small but sharp fangs, like a snake.

“You...you’re scared of me, aren’t you...?” The filly asked, looking away.

“No, I think you’re cool!” Cadance responded. “I never met someone like you before! Who...what are you?”

“I’m...I’m Chrysalis, I’m the Changeing Queen!”

“Changeling, huh....?” Cadance frowned in thought. “Aren’t you a little young to be a Queen?”

“It’s...just what mother says I am.” Chrysalis looked down. “Mother says I am supposed to help lead our people for her, but I don’t know how! A-and she said ponies are our enemies and she sent me out to spy on them and learn...something I dunno, all I know is I must keep myself hidden!” She pouted. “I sure failed that one hard...she’s gonna be so mad...” She shivered, looking nervous.

“Hey, I’m not gonna tell her, am I?” Cadance said, smiling reassuringly as she laid a hoof on the changeling’s shoulder, causing Chrysalis to jump back in fright. “hey, come on now, I’m not gonna hurt you, you can trust me.”

“Are....how can I be sure...?” Chrysalis whimpered. “I...I don’t know a lot about ponies other than what mother told me and.....she hasn’t exactly said nice things about ponies.”

“How about you hang out for a while, with me? I’ll keep you hidden and teach you stuff about ponies and you’ll be able to learn more to tell your mom!” Cadance smiled widely, reaching her hoof out. “Trust me, please.”

Chrysalis gazed at the filly wide eyed, her smile growing a little. “I trust you.”

Of course, Chrysalis didn’t know how to respond to a pony’s outstretched hoof, so she batted her snout against Cadance’s hoof, making the Princess giggle.

And that was how Cadance met a changeling for the first time, and how Chrysalis met her first pony.

Present Day

Present Time

Cadance smiled at the mares before her, walking to stand beside Chrysalis, one of the mares, Applejack, pointing an accusing hoof.

“Y-you have Prince Bluelood himself locked in a cage in your room!” The Fashionista exclaimed. “And you’re conspiring against the crown alongside this...this creature!”

“Yeah!” Rarity said. “You’ve been acting like a real jerk to all of us! You’re super evil and trying to take over the throne or something!”

“A-at the very least,” Twilight added, “this is VERY suspect!”

Cadance blinked, dumbfounded by the accusation.

Blueblood chuckled from behind them, causing the mares to blink and turn to him. “While, yes, the pair have been conspiring, it isn’t against Celestia. Oh no, the plan they’ve set up is far more convoluted and ridiculous than that...”

Cadance frowned at him as Chrysalis grinned and leapt forward to speak. “Hello! I’m Chrysalis! I’m just double checking so you know that! So, I’m a Changeling, and my people have long been secluded by your own due to the fact that we feed on love to survive and we look very creepy and gross to most ponies, so my people have learned to use their shapeshifting magic to hide among ponies and feed on love in secret! When I was sent here to spy on you ponies--”

“SPY ON US!?” Twilight exclaimed.

“Oh yes!” Chrysalis replied with a friendly smile. “So when I was sent here I met the most beautiful pony princess, Cadance, and through her I was able to learn something amazing: we don’t have to be enemies! I realised if ponies knew our plight and our need for love they would of course freely help us!”

Applejack frowned warily. “You...FEED on LOVE? How does that even work...?”

“No idea!” Chrysalis admitted happily. “Something to do with magic or something, mother didn’t really explain it and just told us to accept it. ANYWAY! So, since I realised that ponies and changelings didn’t need to be enemies and that hiding only hurt us and our relations with ponies, I CAM EUP WITH A BRILLIANT PLAN!” She pouted and looked down sourly. “Cadance though said it wasn’t good.”

“Your plan was to run into the throne room and blurt outeverything to Celestia.” Cadance said sceptically.

“But she’s such a kind and benevelont ruler!” Chrysalis countered.

“Yes, to other ponies and those she has deemed allies, but she can still be close minded!” Cadance replied. “If you came up to her and said that Changelings were creatures that hid among her ponies in disguise and were eating their love, she wouldn’t accept your explanation that they weren’t in need of help, she would’ve just saw them as an enemy to be defeated. I mean, look at those girls, the moment you said that about changelings they thought the worst of you even though they didn’t even have anything to base that feeling on!”

“Hey don’t speak for us.” PInkamena said.

Twilight frowned. “Okay, so if you decided not to tell Celestia, why...well, what are you even DOING, why is Blueblood in a cage, WHY ARE YOU PRETENDING TO BE HIM!?” She pointed at Chrysalis at that last statement.

Chrysalis sighed, looking aside sadly. “Well...it’s not just Celestia that’s APPARENTLY a problem. You see, I tried to convince my mother that we could simply ask ponies for help and she...she, well....” She bit her lip, flinching a hoof to her shoulder as a painful memory flitted through her mind. “She didn’t like it, and she was getting...testy so I...I told her a little fib...I told her about a plan I cooked up to ‘attack’ Canterlot by ‘replacing’ Cadance, marrying a Canterlot noble and using the event distract everyone in order for our army to come in and to take over Canterlot by force, and mother allowed me to leave and ‘set up’ the plan over here with everyone and she would leave me alone to it, giving me some space to myself...”

“ATTACK CANTERLOT!?” Twilight and Applejack gasped in horror.

“But that’s not very appropriate for a wedding!” Fluttershy added.

“Exactly!” Chrysalis agreed. “It’s not like I REALLY wanted to attack Canterlot, I just said something that would keep mother off my back while I figured things out.” Chrysalis smiled. “But that gave me ANOTHER BRILLIANT IDEA! I would ACTUALLY disguise myself and marry Cadance FOR REAL, and then we’d reveal the truth just as everyone’s in the same room and then EVERYONE CAN TALK AND EVERYTHING WOULD WONDERFUL FOREVER!”

Cadance sighed. “Again, I told her this was a terrible plan, but she’s REALLY hard to convince when she’s got a ‘plan’, so I decided rather than just let her do things on her own, I would help her out, and at least improve her plan somewhat.” She gestured to Blueblood. “First, we decided we could get the Captain of the Royal Guard to help.”

Blueblood nodded. “Imagine my surprise when Cadance trotted into my office with another pony, only for that pony to turn into some sort insectoid monster and tell me Canterlot is full of ponies who weren’t ponies and that these creatures needed help! As a gentleman I heard them out and deemed Chrysalis to not be a threat, partly because she seemed to be genuinely goodhearted, but mostly because she was, well at the risk of being rude let me put it bluntly, a bit stupid.”

“Why thank you!” Chrysalis smiled, wings buzzing happily.

“Chryssi, he insulted you.” Cadance pointed out.

“Oh!” The changeling’s eyes widened in surprise, only to go back to a smile as she shrugged. “Well that’s quite fine!”

Blueblood chuckled as Cadance glared at him in offence. “But, after they told me what they had planned, I decided it was simply TOO ridiculous a plan to allow to transpire, so I told them I would instead tell Celestia and Luna and get them to peacefully negotiate with the changeling people. And thus they locked me in a cage and had Chrysalis impersonate me so they could bring everypony together with a ‘royal wedding’.”

“You don’t know Auntie like I do!” Cadance interjected. “She’s not always willing to see the good in others, and she is LESS likely to do so when she feels like they have hurt her ponies. She’s forgiving to her ponies, yes, but that’s it! Iron Will isn’t one of her enemies and he’s STILL banned from coming here because she hasn’t forgiven him for blowing up the dining hall during the Gala, which was largely your fault might I add!”

“Yes, I accept full responsibility for the debacle.” Blueblood replied, giving Cadance a warning look. “However, your ‘plan’ involves lying to the populace and your own adopted family, hiding the presence of an enemy force that is NOT aware of the charade EITHER and then just thinking everyone will forgive and forget once you reveal the truth at the last minute!”

“It’s very risky and has a lot of holes, yes,” Cadance admitted, “but I worked on plugging some of those up. We can’t do anything about the changelings right now, because while Chrysalis has them pacified they still don’t fully trust ponies and might cause a riot if what they assume about the plan goes awry, not mention some might go against Chryssi’s wishes. At least by having them believe that Chrysalishas replaced me, they’ll bide their time and wait while we let ponies know something’s amiss.”

“Wait, you are?” Twilight asked, tilting her head. “But I thought you didn’t want to tell anypony because reasons?”

Cadance sighed, shaking her head. “We aren’t telling Celestia because she’s prone to being a bit racist, lets admit, and we’re not telling anyone else because...what do you THINK would happen if we told anyone else about Changelings hiding in their midst?”

“At best, nopony would trust anyone and any friendly relations would be strained.” PInkamena said. “At worst, riots and witch hunts, because despite what Celestia thinks not everypony is willing to be friends with each other and are capable of being pretty terrible.”

“Exactly, but if we don’t do SOMETHING than the changelings will attack despite our best wishes, because Chrysalis’s white lie has snowballed into something dangerously real.” She glanced at the changeling who was frowning and looking down guiltily. “So, that’s where MY idea came in: with Blueblood unwilling to help we had to use his identity to create buzz for the wedding, and we would both raise suspiscion by acting strangely, being as obvious as possible that we were both ‘imposters’, so when the time came everypony would be ready fight back whatever ‘nefarious’ plan was being cooked up rather be blindsided, by which point we’d reveal the truth and get everyone talking.”

“Problem,” Pinkamena said, holding up a hoof, “disregarding how generally terrible that is, NOPONY suspects anything!”

“I KNOW RIGHT!?” Cadance cried out in exasperation. “No matter how goofy and forgetful and weird ‘Blueblood’ acts, nor how snide and nasty and irritating I act, they just blow it off as ‘wedding jitters’, including Celestia who doesn’t even NOTICE! IS EVERYONE IN CANTERLOT STUPID!? I’ve been going around insulting ponies left and right AND THEY JUST THINK THAT’S OKAY!?” She collapsed to the floor, burying her head in her hooves. “How. How is this real.”

“Ah think they’re just blinded by how exciting the day is, plus many ponies look up to you.” Applejack pointed out. “And Celestia...I mean, she tried to pass off GRAND HEIST as no big deal and we all know how that went.”

“But surely Luna’d notice something...” Cadance pointed out.

“Notice what, exactly?” Blueblood remarked. “You don’t really talk to her and she hasn’t been around long enough to talk to most ponies, and your job doesn’t help with that either.”

Cadance frowned but didn’t contest the point as she got up. “Fair point...still disheartening though that the only ponies to notice were my backup plan...”

“Backup plan...?” Twilight asked, puzzled.

Cadance smiled softly. “I DID invite you girls here, after all and made you waste so much time, but that’s because I figured you wouldn’t all be willing to come without reason, sadly I didn’t know you too well, so I had to do my best and give you all an excuse to be here, and those I couldn’t I had to trust that either they’d come of their own volition, their friendship with the rest of you would be enough or, worst comes to worst, only the few of you who did come would be enough.”

“Why us specifically?” Fluttershy asked, confused.

PInkamena rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Surely you girls aren’t this dense? We’re the Elements of Harmony, remember? We took down a guy who could alter reality with a literal snap his fingers, for crying out loud.”

Applejack blinked. “Oh yeah, that is true.”

Cadance nodded, smiling excitedly. “Exactly, by having the Elements here, worst comes to worst you would be able to stop the changelings should the plan fail.”

“Ooooooone problem,” Fluttershy said, “we, uh, didn’t actually bring the elements with us.....sorry.” She grinned sheepishly.

Cadance blinked, her lips pursed. “Oh. Well...that’s not ideal.”

“It’s really not.” Pinkamena said, turning to Chrysalis. “You SURE you can’t convince the other changelings to, well, NOT attack anyone?”

Chrysalis’ hoof flew to her shoulder as she winced, looking away. “I...I tried...but my people are...they are very misguided, and they just simply do not know that there is another way beyond hiding and attacking from the shadows. And mother...mother is especially distrustful of ponies.”

“And how exactly was this plan going to get everyone to come to peace if one side is going to attack the other?” Twilight pointed out. “That would just make everyone MORE distrustful...”

“I KNOW, OKAY!” Chrysalis cried out suddenly, tears in her eyes. “But...but what else can we DO!? Flitter and Chaser are keeping watch and if I do anything they find suspiscious they might tell mother and...” She gulped. “M-Mother would get angry...”

Cadance frowned in concern, draping a wing over the changeling, gazing over her in concern before turning to everyone else. “The problem is the changelings, ironically, aren’t going to easily be convinced to change their ways, and we’re basically stuck in a very specific set of steps, the deviation from which could cause things to escalate. At least right now we got things under a modicum of control. THAT’S why we had to act in secret, not jsut for the ponies, but the changelings too. And that’s why I’m glad we have you girls to help. Even without the elements, I’m sure you girls can work together with is and help everything come to a peaceful solution.”

Twilight frowned, looking at the others. Applejack nodded while Fluttershy grinned widely, Rarity winked and gave a ‘hoof up’ gesture and Pinkamena merely frowned in disapproval. Twilight smiled softly and turned to Cadance. “Well...we can certainly try. We’ll help however we can.”

Cadance and Chrysalis both smiled widely. “Thank you!”

“I still think this is a terrible plan, for the record.” Blueblood added, smirking sardonically. “But, it’s far too late now so its bust to deal with what we’ve been dealt. In my case, I suppose I’ll be stuck in here for a while. Can’t have two Bluebloods running around where anyone could see.”

Pinkamena frowned. “So...wait, back up, you said the plan for the changelings was for Chrysalis to pretend to be CADANCE, not Blueblood?”

“Well yes!” Chrysalis said. “Cadance, as a Princess by title if not by species, has a lot of clout and connections and her marrying ANYPONY would draw a lot of attention, especially by Celestia and Luna!”

Cadance chuckled. “Besides, I’m betting they think I’ll be relatively easy to take down compared to my Aunts. Changelings however, can ‘see’ through another changeling’s disguise, so we’ve set it up so Flitter and Chaser will have to leave a letter to get Chrysalis to discuss things with them, allowing Chrysalis to shapeshift into me while I hide down here with Blueblood to avoid them catching me.”

“And, coincidentally, creating another situation that could seem suspsicious.” Twilight added. “For instance, if Rarity overheard you?”

Cadance chuckled. “Why, the possibility IS strong, yes.”

Rarity folded her hooves, a thougth striking her. “Hey, Chrssi, mind if I call you that? Anyway, Chryssi, you keep mentioning your mother? I thought YOU were the Changeling Queen? Or at least, that’s what you said, if I remember right, so what gives?”

Chrsalis looked at the ground. “I...I am a special changeling called a Queen. I’m...not too sure what makes me that different aside from appearance, but apparently mother thinks Queens are very needed for the Hive. Mother is...she is above me, above ALL changelings. She birthed each and every one of us and we are beholden to her will and needs. She is our guiding light. She is the Tyrant Monarch.”

Rarity pursed her lips. “Sounds ominous.”

Chrysalis chuckled, brightening. “Oh don’t worry, mother trusts me to do this by myself, she’s staying far away from here as much as she can!”

Sapphirre Shores and Sassy Saddles stood to attention as several ponies left the train, a plain looking mare approaching at the front.

“I am here with my family to attend the wedding.” The mare said. “I hope I’m not too late.”

“MA’AM ARE YOU CONSPIRING AGAINST THE CROWN!?” Sapphire Shores cried out, getting hit on the head by Sassy Saddles.

“You’re cutting it close, the wedding’s set to start shortly, but you aren’t late yet.” The guardsmare said, actively ignoring her co-worker. “Head on through, enjoy the wedding.”

“Thank you, I will.” The mare smiled, walking past the two Royal Guards as her family followed from behind.

After they were a decent distance from the guards and into the middle of the city, the amre looked at the ponies following after her, her friendly demeanour replaced with an empirical coldness. “Go find the others in their positions. Tell them I am here.”

They nodded obediently and split off from her to trot around town, the mare giving them little thought as she trotted directly towards the castle, Flitter and Chasing suddenly hoping down from above to walk with her.

“How are things progressing?”

“Everything is progressing as planned!” Flitter replied.

“Unaware everypony is, Chrysalis acting well she seems to be!” Chaser added.

The mare smirked to herself. “Really? And here I thought she would prove to be a disappointment, and now thanks to her revenge can finally be mine.”

“Celestia won’t know what’s coming!” The two jesters said cheerfully.

The Tyrant Monarch sneered at the castle as she approached it, her mind awhirl with her hatred towards Princess Celestia, how none of this belonged to that monster.

The Tyrant Monach deserved this all. The Tyrant Monarch was the only one who understood its true worth, or what it truly represented.

And The Tyrant Monarch will have it all, no matter the cost.

Author's Note

And thus, the REAL twist is revealed! And with it our REAL big bad!

Fun fact: The Tyrant Monarch was originally going to be male, but I changed my mind after realising how a good majority of the villains were men, and thus I easily changed her to a woman. Second fun fact: adding to that, I toyed with implying the Monarch to be Starswirls the bearded, transformed into the first changeling, but with the change in gender so did change that idea. The Tyrant Monarch has a SIMILAR origin, but her true identity and why she hates Celestia so much are very different and will be revealed soon.

And yes, Cadance is not marrying, no remotely interested in, Shining Armour, for once, the most shocking twist of all!

Also Chrysalis is a good guy or something, no big deal.

Hope you all enjoyed it, and please comment!

Chapter 5: Forever Hold Your Peace

A few years ago

Location Undisclosed

Chrysalis, the Changeling Queen, trotted through the halls of the dark caves her kind called home. She had spent some time among the ponies gathering intel, and now had returned to share what she had learned.

As she walked she saw her fellow changelings standing to attention in a small rounded room of the caves, the changelings gathered around a single figure who stood over them on a makeshift throne.

For while Chrysalis was Queen, she wasn’t actually the one who ruled her kind. No, that honour belonged to this figure, a being that while the originator of their kind was on the whole very different from your standard Drone or even Queen.

She was their Mother. She was the Tyrant Monarch. And she gazed down imperiously at Chrysalis as the Queen approached.

“You have returned at last, Queen Chrysalis.” The Tyrant Monarch said, her voice without emotion, her expression unapproachable. “And how fares your mission?”

“Oh very well, Tyrant Monarch!” Chrysalis said cheerfully. “I have learned much during my time in Canterlot and I think there is a lot I can tell you that can help us!”

Tyrant Monarch tilted her head, quirking a brow. “Indeed? So tell me...what have you learned that is so helpful?”

“Well I can’t say I know too much about your experience with them, oh wise and venerable one, but I have learned the ponies are much friendlier and open to helping others now!”Chrysalis smiled widely. “Why, I think if we can just ask, we might be able to get their help and friendship! We won’t need to starve and hide! Isn’t that WONDERFUL, mother!?”

Chrysalis yelped in pain and was knocked back to her hoofs as Tyrant Monarch clawed at her, leaving three nasty looking scratches that bled bright green blood from the injury. Chrysalis winced and pressed a hoof to her cheer, staring up at her mother in shock.

“It matters not how the ponies act, nor how they ‘treat others’.” Tyrant Monarch spoke icily, trotting towards Chrysalis. “I sent you out to learn their weaknesses, their strengths, their strategies. You are to prove you are a useful Queen...and merely suggesting what you did is making me doubt.”

“I-I’m sorry mother but, I-I don’t understand!” Chrysalis said desperately, only to choke as her mother’s tail wrapped tightly around her neck.

“You will address me as TYRANT. MONARCH. NOTHING. ELSE.” Tyrant Monarch hissed coldly, gazing daggers into Chrysalis eyes. “Those ponies are our ENEMIES. They took what should have been mine. They are unfit to even CALL themselves ponies. Their Princess is unworthy of her role. They are vile. They are disgusting. They are only worth anything for the love that empowers us. THEY. ARE. TRASH.” She tossed Chrysalis to floor as two changelings that flanked her giggle and chuckled at the Queen. “Go back to Canterlot and remember that no matter their smiles, their pleasantries, what have you, they will destroy us all if given a chance. The Tyrant Monarch knows best. NOT. YOU.”

Chrysalis got up to her hooves, nodding slowly. “Y-Yes...yes, My Monarch. I understand. I shouldn’t have spoken so thoughtlessly. I-I will prove myself to you.”

“And so you shall.” The Tyrant Monarch turned away to step back to her throne. “I have high hopes for you, Queen Chrysalis. Do not disappoint me again.”

Chrysalis nodded and trotted off, looking behind her to see her mother’s two most trusted and loyal subordinates sneer mockingly at the Queen, making rude faces.

Chrysalis tried to ignore the pain that still stung at her face.

Present Day

Canterlot

Chrysalis frowned sadly at the memory, lifting a hoof up to her chin. As she did so Cadance pressed close to the Changeling, the pair holed in their room alone, the ponies who had sneaked inside having now left to work on their own wedding preparations.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Cadance asked, looking concerned.

Chrysalis brightened up as she turned to the unicorn. “Oh nothing to worry about, Cady!”

“Chryssi...” Cadance sighed and gently stroked a hoof through the Changeling Queen’s long, green hair. “You know you can tell me what’s on your mind...”

“it’s nothing, I promise!” Chrysalis smiled wider. “Anyway, it’s sure is nice we got so many ponies willing to help us!”

“Not that they can really do much, but yes having somepony on our side is a boon.” Cadance leaned her head against Chrysalis’ shoulder. “Still, I wish we could’ve been able to enjoy this day as it should be without all this skulduggery...”

“Oh but isn’t it exciting?” Chrysalis replied giddily. “Soon we’ll be married and no one can stop us!”

“Well, TECHNICALLY as far as the law is concerned I’ll be married to Blueblood...”

“Pish posh, we both know that in reality it’ll be me!” Chrysalis grinned wide. “I just wish you could wear that dress that Rarity girl made! It was SO COLOURFUL AND PRETTY!”

Cadance giggled. “Sadly it’s not quite to my taste....I’m more of a simple girl myself, but if you wanted you could wear it one day...”

The Changelign turned to her with bright, sparkling eyes. “REALLY!? CAN I!? OOOOH I would be ever so happy to try it on!”

Cadance smiled and gently nuzzled Crysalis’ cheek. “Still so bright and full of joy, even after all this time...”

“Oh Cadance you know I’ll NEVER stop enjoying life...” Chrysalis smiled warmly, kissing the Princess’ ear. “Not after you shown me how WONDERFUL it can be.”

Cadance chuckled lightly, looking forward to the future, hoping that things went as well as Chrysalis was hoping...

Rainbow had trotted around Canterlot, alone with her thoughts, unable to understand just why her friends had acted as they had. Cadance was a amazing, how could they say she was mean?

Rainbow Dash knew Cadance wasn’t like that because if it wasn’t for her she wouldn’t even have been able to learn magic, Cadance had helped her get in through the front door and thus attend classes. And after Rainbow had performed true, proper magic for the first time to hatch a dragon egg, Cadance took her on as her personal student to directly teach her the practicalities of magic and how to perform various spells, and even allowed Rainbow to keep Spike when in reality Spike would’ve technically legally belonged to the school.

Rainbow had a lot to thank Cadance for, so she knew that the girls were wrong about what they were saying.

She found herself trotting towards Canterlot Castle, her sight greeted by a smiling, waving Fluttershy. Rainbow frowned and trotted past her with a huff.

“Hey Dashie!” Fluttershy called out, running to her side. “You didn’t see me but I was waving at you and everything!”

“I did see you, I was just ignoring you.” Rainbow replied.

“Awww don’t be like that!” Fluttershy smiled widely. “We realised we were way wrong about Cadance and thought we could help her out during the wedding! We just need your help too!”

Rainbow blinked, looking at the yellow Pegasus. “Wait, really? You guys just up and changed your minds, just like that?”

“Oh not that easily!” Fluttershy giggled. “We had a good long talk with the Princess and she apologised for her behaviour and asked us to help her out with her wedding to make up for it! And were hoping you can help us!”

“Of course, I’d do ANYTHING for Cadance!” Rainbow said, then turned her head away huffily. “I’m still mad at you guys, though. You weren’t being fair to Cadance!”

“Well anyway Cadance wants you to talk to you anyway!” Fluttershy rushed over, placing her hooves on Rainbow’s flank and hurriedly pushing her inside. “Come on, come on, time’s a wasting!”

“Ah!? Hey! W-what are you doing!” Rainbow cried out in puzzlement. “S-stop shoving me, Fluttershy!”

“Nope!” The yellow Pegasus denied. “We’re in a hurry!”

Rainbow squirmed as she was pushed inside.

Within a Canterlot bar, a pair of ponies trotted past several others to step the bar counter. Bar owner blinked in surprise as he leaned over the counter, allowing one of the two customers to whisper in his ear.

“The Tyrant Monarch had arrived. Get ready to move at the signal.”

He frowned seriously, nodding obediently as he leaned back up and continued on with his business, serving the pair some mugs of cider as he waited.

The chefs in the Canterlot Castle’s kitchens set to work making various food as well as adding the finishing touches to the grand wedding cake as Flitter jumped down into view.

“The Tyrant Monarch has arrived. I hope you are ready.”

The chefs turned to the jester, smirking evilly together as the head chef nodded. “We are just making some final touches and we’ll be ready. Do not worry, we will not disappoint the Tyrant Monarch.”

“Excellent. She will be very pleased.”

All throughout Canterlot, ponies passed by others, whispering the same phrase among themselves such that others couldn’t hear.

“The Tyrant Monarch has Arrived. Await the signal.”

Changelings waited for the signal, hiding in plain sight all over the city, acting in place of several ponies with their friends, families, co-workers and lovers none the wiser.

The Tyrant Monarch herself briskly walked into the Castle, smiling inwardly to herself.

Luna and Celestia walked down the halls of Canterlot together, Celestia smiling widely.

“Someone is in a good mood.” Luna noted.

“well of course, weddings are wonderful times.” Celestia replied. “I still remember the stories mother told us about when she and father got married.”

Luna chuckled. “And I remember Uncle Puddinghead’s additions to those tales...”

Celestia sighed wistfully. “Cadance has worked hard for our kingdom...it’s only just that she gets some reward for that...though I am surprised she decided to choose Blueblood of all ponies...”

Luna shrugged. “I am not. From what I’ve seen of him, he is a perfect gentleman and a real example for the Royal Guard to follow. He is strong, dedicated, loyal, honest and incredibly well-mannered.”

Celestia laughed aloud at that. “Maybe now, but you didn’t see him before he...he was NOT what anypony would’ve called ‘gentlemanly’.” Celestia shook her head. “But, that’s a story for another time. I have to get ready for my own role in the wedding.”

“Do you REALLY have to officiate the event yourself?” Luna asked. “Didn’t we used to have ponies whose job was to do just that?”

“That was a long time ago, things changed. Now the resident ruler of the town/city/province oversees a wedding personally unless otherwise indisposed, and technically since I rule over the city of Canterlot I must officiate...” She smiled widely. “Now then, let’s not keep everypony waiting. Today is a big day.”

Prince Blueblood shook his head, easily managing to pick the rather weak lock to his cage before stepping out to stretch his legs.

As he rolled his neck his lip thinned. “Now then...The wedding should be starting up shortly. Let’s see if I can at least help in some damage control, assuming everything has gone wrong...as it usually does.” He chuckles sardonically and trots up the stairs, horn glowing as he prepares an impromptu outfit for the occasion, just in case.

Princess Cadance walked side by side with Queen Chrysalis, the latter in her guise of Prince Blueblood. The pair gave each other warm smiles as they trotted, opening the large door before them as they stepped into the main hall for the wedding. Princess Celestia stood at the front of the congregation, ready to greet the couple and officiate the occasion. Sitting in pews flanking the carpeted path the soon-to-be-wed couple were to walk were several ponies sitting in attendance. Among them, on the left side were Rainbow Dash who grinned wide as the couple entered, a giddy looking Fluttershy, a nervous looking Rarity and Princess Luna herself; and on the right side were a bored Pinkamena, Twilight who was looking around in paranoia, a frowning Applejack and Spike who sat beside Pinkamena. Among them all were various ponies who lived in Canterlot or attended the magic school Cadance ran.

“Hey,” Pinkamena whispered to Spike, “Where have YOU been all day?”

“Walking around Canterlot.” Spike shrugged. “I used to live around here, wanted to check out some places like the donut shop and the book store for old times sake. What have YOU guys been up to? Didn’t you and Rainbow have a huge fight?”

“We’re over it now.” Pinkamena said. “We have bigger things to worry about.”

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy. “So, what exactly was I supposed to help with.”

“Oh you’ll see, if we’re unlucky.” Fluttershy beamed. “If we’re LUCKY you shouldn’t need to do anything.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, looking confused. “Whhhhhaaaaaa.....?” She shook her head. “You’re so confusing...”

Cadance smiled as she walked along, ‘Blueblood’ trotting at her side until the pair stepped in front of Celestia who smiled down beatifically down at them.

“We are gathered here today,” The monarch began, “to witness the joining of two ponies who wish to live a life of love and happiness together. To share their lives and their love and to show that love for all to see. Now then, do you, Cadance, take this Stallion to be you lawfully wedded husband till the end of your days?”

Cadance nodded, smiling underneath the determination hidden in her eyes. “I do.”

Celestia turned to the groom. “And do you Blueblood desire to take this mare as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold and to protect with your life and your love till the end of your days?”

The stallion looked towards Cadance, who nodded in confirmation. ‘Blueblood’ nodded and turned to Celestia. “I...I do...But first...there is something...something I must reveal to all, now that we have said our vows. This needs to be said now, you need to be shown the truth.”

Celestia blinked, numerous ponies chatting amongst each other in confusion. The monarch lifted her wing to silence the rabble before speaking. “Whatever do you mean, Blueblood?”

The ‘stallion’ sighed. “The truth is...”

‘He’ suddenly froze, stopping mid sentence. Green flame surrounded the form completely making many ponies gasp and scream in shock and terror, Rainbow Dash rapidly rising from her seat to rush over and help...only for the Pegasus to stop as the flames dissipated and revealed the monstrous form of Chrysalis.

“W-what the!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Wh-who are you!?” Celestia cried. “WHAT are you!?”

Luna got up, her horn glowing. “What did you do to our nephew!? Speak!”

Cadance rushed to stand between Luna and Chrysalis. “Don’t hurt her! We can explain everything!”

“oh my, my. You got her WELL under your control, Chrysalis.” A mare’s voice spoke out over the room. “For once I am impressed.”

Chrysalis froze, turning, along with everyone else, to look at a mare who was walking confidently from the seated attendees, Flitter and Chase leaping down from above to flank the mare’s sides as she trotted down with a commanding smirk.

“No...” Chrysalis quavered, shivering fearfully. “Y-you weren’t supposed to come...not yet...”

“And leave everything to YOU? Someone who was supposed to be my greatest weapon only to disappoint me time and time and TIME again?” The mare’s smirk fell, giving way to a cold frown. “No, I could not take another risk for failure. But now, look at what you’ve done for me. Both Princesses right where we want them....”

Rainbow leapt over the mare to charge at Crysalis. “What did you do to Cadance, you imposter!?” She yelped as Fluttershy fly up to grab her in a tight bear hug. “Hey! Let me go!”

“You have to trust us, Rainbow!” Fluttershy cried out desperately.

The anonymous mare chuckled humourlessly, giving a glance towards Celestia. “Typical. Even your greatest warriors bicker amongst themselves. But what else should I have expected from THAT mare’s children? You lacked the strength and will to lead anyone, unlike HER. SHE wouldn’t be caught at SUCH a disadvantage!”

“W-what are you talking about?” Celestia asked. “Who ARE you? What is your connection to this creature?”

The mare chuckled, her toothy grin growing wider. “Oh? You have absolutely no idea...fine, let me show you, not much point in hiding NOW.” As she spoke green flames burst over her form, engulfing her completely and, before anyone could comment on it, the flames dissipated revealing a black insectoid equine-like creature, similar to Chrysalis but much different. Rather than pure black her chitin had hints of red highlights along the edges of her body, large spikes decorated her shoulders and she had large, bright red monarch butterfly wings. In place of hooves she had a set of four sharp, beastly claws of sharpened chitin and her mouth was filled with large fangs, her eyes bright purple in colour and a ‘crown’ of five large horns sprouted from her head, framing the purple and pink hair that hung limply from the back of her head. She stood a foot taller than Chrysalis as she smirked. “Behold, you foolish creatures, I am Tyrant Monarch, the mother of the Changelings and all that is left of the true vestiges of Ponykind!”

Celestia stared at the creature incomprehensively only for Luna to gasp, eyes wide in recognition. “It can’t be...”

“Sister?” Celestia asked in concern.

“You...you disappeared, many of us thought you died...” Luna continued, trotting closer to Tyrant Monarch. “But..it IS you isn’t...Auntie Clover....?”

Celestia’s eyes widened as she too stared at the intruder. “Clover...Clover the Clever...?”

Tyrant Monarch snarled angrily. “You DARE call me that!? Once I may have been Clover the Clever, but that was a lifetime ago. Now I have a new name, a NEW purpose, one dedicated to your destruction!”

Luna stared in disbelief. “What....? but you were our mother’s student, her most loyal and trusted ally!”

“Indeed I was!” Tyrant Monarch sneered. “She was the most beautiful and regal pony in the world and taught me much. Nopony loved her more than I! But some FILTHY, PEGASUS BARBARIAN stole her away and caused her to give birth to you....DISGUSTING PIECES OF FILTH! And now ponykind has been reduced to halfbreeds intermingling with each other and ruining the purity of the unicorn race! I am the only pure unicorn left, even if I had to change myself heavily to last.” She clenched her eyes shut as tears started to flow. “This was supposed to be for her, immortality and eternal youth but she died before I could perfect, and all I could do was use what I had to for myself so that SOEMTHING of hers would go on and remember her as she truly was...and she died because of you, because of that PEGASUS! If it hadn’t been for HER my Queen would still be alive!”

Celestia could only stare, tears falling at seeing the face of someone she had regarded as a trusted family member made ugly with malice and hatred, while Luna simply steeled herself and glared as she spoke. “You...you are a MONSTER. If mother could see you now she would WEEP and be DISGUSTED.”

“Don’t presume to speak for her behalf, only I knew her best! Only I loved her! Only I was WORTHY of her love!” Tyrant Monarch screeched angrily her tail unfurling from behind herself, revealing it resembled a scorpion’s tail complete with a stinger, which flew faster than the eeye could blink and buried itself into Luna’s neck before pulling back.

Luna paled, staring at where she had been struck, before her eyes rolled back as she collapsed, unconscious.

“Sister!” Celestia cried out fearfully, turning to Tyrant Monarch with anger in her eyes. “You...!”

Tyrant Monarch smirked, licking her lips. “Oh don’t worry, she’s not DEAD...I still have some use for BOTH of you. My full revenge will not be so PAINLESS.” She started trotting forward.

“Girls get off me!” Rainbow cried out. “We need to stop this!”

Fluttershy shook her head. “n-no! We...we need to let them work this out!”

“What are you talking about!?” Rainbow shouted angrily. “Spike, get over here and help!”

“I’m trying Rainbow!” Spike called out, held tightly between Pinkamena’s hooves as he squirmed fruitlessly. “Pinkie’s got me!” He yelped as he was squeezed a little tighter. “She’s..Ah!...m-much stronger than she looks!”

“My. Name. Is. Pink. A. Me. Na.” The mare uttered through clenched teeth. “We promised we would help but we wouldn’t interfere, and that includes making sure you two didn’t either.”

“Promised who!?” Spike and Rainbow called out.

Tyrant Monarch and Celestia ignored the arguement as they trotted towards each other...only for Chrysalis to dive between them, holding her hooves out wards as she faced her mother.

“What...is the meaning of THIS?” Tyrant Monarch growled warning. “Step out of the way, let me handle this.”

“no matter there is another way!” Chrysalis exclaimed. “We don’t have to be at each other’s throats! We can get along! We changelings don’t need to deceive the ponies to feed on their love! We can come to an understanding!”

“That’s right!” Cadance said as she trotted to Chrysalis’ side, pressing her face close to the changeling’s neck. “Love isn’t something you can just take, ponies and changelings can love each other and share that love! You don’t need to go to these lengths to feed your people.”

Tyrant Monarch, Celestia and Rainbow and Spike stared wide eyed at the exchange in disbelief...the silence broken as Tyrant Monarch started to laugh mockingly.

“h-huh...?” Chrysalis said in confusion.

“Are you telling me you’re not only incompetent, not just STUPID, you’re actively plotting TREASON? Against ME!?” Tyrant Monarch snarled, her tail suddenly wrapping tightly around chrysalis’ neck as the changeling queen was pulled closer to her mother.

“Chryssi!” Cadance cried out.

“M-mother...” Chrysalis choked out before her mother pressed close, eyes drilling daggers into Chrysalis’.

“Now listen here, you little troglodyte, and listen well.” Tyrant Monarch said coldly. “This is about FOOD. Changelings don’t feed on love to SURVIVE. It’s not LITERAL nutrition for us.”

“I-it’s not...?” Chrysalis asked, confused, gagging as the tail tightened for a moment around her neck before loosening a bit.

“You will speak when I say you can.” The Mother of All Changelings said venomously. “Now, if we fed exclusively on something intangible, why would we have MOUTHS? To TALK? ONLY? You STUPID little THING! No, Changelings feed on love because it’s how we power our magic, it’s how we gain strength and the ability to fight! When a drone, or Queen in your case, absorbs love, that emotion is converted to magical energy, as all magic is powered by emotional energy. We just happen to be able to take the emotional energy of others to fuel our magic, and every ounce of love a single drone devours is broadcast back to me to increase my power! THAT is what all Changelings exist for, to help ME become powerful, to maintain my life and beauty with my magic and the magic of love! THAT’s ALL YOU ARE GOOD FOR!”

Chrysalis, stared wide eyed, shaking her head. “No..that’s...that can’t be...”

“And you especially were made to be more than a drone. You were to be my weapon to finally stroke down Celestia. But you failed my expectations time an again. And now, when I came here expecting to be disappointed by your stupid, thoughtless plan to defeat Celestia, but now I find it was WORSE than I thought!”

“S-stupid...?”

“Yes. Stupid.” The Tyrant Monarch tossed Chrysalis to the floor, glaring down at her. “Pretending to be the bride at a wedding, using brute force to overwhelm the ponies. With the groom under your control such tactics would be unnecessary, as you could control everything through THEM. And now I find that wasn’t even your plan at all, and instead it was to...what, convince us to NEGOTIATE? What with the ‘power of twue wuuuv’?” She chuckled as she said that last part in a mocking childish tone. “It’s a good thing I decided that enough was enough, and I’d use your plan for a much better one.”

Cadance rushed to check on Chrysalis’ state before gazing up at Tyrant Monarch, horn glowing. “You...she is your own DAUGHTER, how DARE you...!?” Before she could blink something shot out from the Monarch’s tail, the pink Princess soon engulfed by thick viscuous green slime, which was also slowly growing over Luna’s body.

“L-Luna! Cadance!” Celestia called out.

Tyrant Monarch’s claw suddenly grabbed Celestia by the neck while she was distracted, the changeling Mother Grinning toothily. “No, my plan was far more intelligent. Surreptitiously replace numerous ponies in Canterlot with my agents, attend the wedding myself and, knowing the two rulers of Equestria would attend, capture them. Once my changelings managed to clear the area and capture everypony, I would publicly reveal that everything was fine, the wedding went off without a hitch, and I would absorb all the love Equestria held...for one pony.”

Green flames surrounded the Monarch’s body and Celestia’s eyes widened before closing as the Monarch’s stinger filled her body with the powerful sleeping venom, the last thing she saw before unconsciousness overtook her was the sight of her own face smirking cruelly at her.

Tyrant Monarch smirked as she stood in the form of Princess Celestia. “I shall rule as the most beloved pony in Equestria and thus I will begin fixing everything YOU ruined. I shall ensure that my beloved’s kingdom flourished once more.”

She blinked and looked behind her at the six mares, well a Pegasus struggling against two other mares as they held her tight, one mare holding a baby dragon and another pony carefully pulling Chrysalis over her back.

“And what are you going to do?” Tyrant Monarch asked.

Twilight Sparkle frowned as she pulled Chrysalis’ body over her back, the poor changeling having fainted from being choked so badly. “We...we are the Elements of Harmony. We will top you.”

“Oh?” The Tyrant Monarch sneered and chuckled. “With what army? The...five, six, seven of you? Against...several thousands?”

“Wait what?” Twilight’s eyes widened and she and her friends looked back, paling.

Every other pony in the room stood at attention, the wedding guests, the royal chefs, and even some Royal Guard, stood calmly and resolutely, blocking the exits. Each and every one was engulfed by green flames, revealing the forms of an entire arm of Changelings.

“You are alone.” Tyrant Monarch said. “While I? I have my children. And they outnumber you a hundred to one.”

Author's Note

Hey all! Sorry for the wait!

So...yeah. A big part of this was me commenting on how...stupid Chrysalis’ wedding plan was in canon, as well as me wanting to make a more interesting origin for the Changelings, and for why they ffeed on love.

Originally Tyrant Monarch was going to be a stallion, and in fact may have even be implied to be Starswirl the Bearded. I changed him into a mare due to realising I needed more female villains in my setting, and over time developed her into being a transformed Clover the Clever.

Hope you all enjoyed and please comment.

Chapter 6: Kiss the Bride

Rainbow and her friends looked around as the changelings around them converged onto them, Tyrant Monarch smirking.

“Really now, did you think I wouldn’t be thorough? The best way to ensure that Canterlot falls under my control is to ensure most ponies closest to the wedding were dealt with and replaced with my loyal drones. That’s what they’re FOR, anyway.”

Twilight looked around, the changelings growling and snarling as they stepped closer to them, the purple unicorn frowning as a makeshift plan formed in her head.

“Everypony!” She shouted. “Jump out the windows! There’s no changelings in front of them!”

“WHAT!?” The others cried out but Twilight was already running so they followed, Rainbow pulling herself from Fluttershy’s loosened grip to turn to the horde, wings glowing.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m not gonna abandon Cadance! I have to save her!”

She yelped as she was pulled away moments before a changeling leapt at her head, Applejack pulling her along by the hoof her with own tight grip.

“While Ah do appreciate that sentiment, Ah don’t think even you could stand up against an entire ARMY by yourself! We need to get out of here and regroup!”

As Pinkamena held Spike to her chest, Applejack dragged along a struggling Rainbow and Twilight held an uncocnious Chrysalis on her back, the group ran fast and leapt through one of the stained glass windows with a loud smash, falling down towards the city of Canterlot below the castle.

The changelings peered through the broken window, looking surprised to say the least.

Tyrant Monarch growled. “What are you waiting for? Get AFTER them.”

“But...” One changeling quavered. “It’s....It’s such a long way down...”

“You can FLY you imbecile!”The changeling mother snarled. “You have WINGS, USE them!”

“Worry not, Tyrant mine!” the red clad Chaser called out, she and her twin flying through the window. “Lead the charge shall we!”

“We shall find both those ponies AND that traitor!” Flitter added. “We will make sure they are properly punished!”

Tyrant Monarch, still wearing the serene face of Celestia, smiled. “I can always rely on you, Flitter, Chaser. When you find them, make sure you leave Chrysalis alive and bring her to me. I want to punish her directly and teach her the follies of trying to ‘befriend’ the enemy.” She thought this over. “However, if you DO need to dispose of her, I shall not be mad, just keep it in mind.”

“Of course your most beautiful worship!” Flitter said, she and her twin grinning wide as they flew downwards, a retinue of changelings following.

“And the rest of you,” Tyrant Monarch said, making the changelings who were about to leave stop, “stay here. I do need guards and can’t exactly clean this mess by myself. Hang up our...prisoners, it will make it easier to drain their love, and make everything look much neater.” She chuckled, smiling in satisfaction.

Changeling Drone #432 looked upon the patrons of the bar he had taken control of. Unlike most of the other drones he didn’t need to really replace anypony as the bar, a gathering place that would help with both gathering and spreading information, was being closed down by its previous owner until the Drone had bought the deed, using a clever disguise and a portion of Mother’s private treasury to use in situations such as that. He spent a long time standing behind the bar, learning about canterlot, the princesses, how everything worked, about the various patrons and their lives. Even now, as they lay on the floor unconscious from the sleeping drug he had fed them through their food and drink, he recognised every single one, and many considered him close friends.

An unfamiliar pang of guilt struck his heart, though naturally he didn’t know what it was or why he felt it.

His fellow drones trotted around inside the bar, looking around.

“Mother will be pleased, the other drones have already started work in taking down the city so we can begin our search.”

He tilted his head. “Search?”

“The Queen has betrayed mother, and now we must follow Chaser and Flitter and catch her for Mother.”

His eyes widened at hearing this as he nodded. “I’ll join in?”

“Of course. More drones means we’ll catch them more easily, according to Mother.”

He stepped out from behind the bar; sparing another glance at the patrons whose names he just couldn’t help from remembering, before stepping to join in the search, his heart heavy.

Behind a building in the backstreets of Canterlot an odd group of ponies trotted along. After falling from Canterlot, Rainbow Dash had managed to surround everyone in a bubble of magic to protect them from the fall (or rather, those of the group unable to fly) and now they sneaked through the city as they came to grips with the situation.

Chrysalis stirred as she got up from Twilight’s back, looking around as she got back onto her hooves. “Oh goodness...”

Rainbow immediately ran up to the changeling, making her eep in surprise. “You! Its because of you this happened! You brought these...monsters here and because of YOU Cadance got captured and brainwashed and her big dad was ruined!” She looked to the other girls. “Why did you try and stop me!?”

“We didn’t ‘try’ and stop you,” Pinkamena corrected, “we DID stop you.”

“And Cadance wasn’t brainwashed!” Twilight added. “She and Chrysalis were working together to try and set up peace between the Ponies and Changelings!”

“But her ‘mother’ said she did!” Rainbow argued.

“Oh yes and I suppose that creature knew everything about what was going on and knew every detail of what Chrysalis has been doing, like your own parents do, right?” Pinkamena said bluntly.

“Either way we still should’ve done something and saved everyone!” Rainbow argued. “And there’s no way Cadance would work with a monster like this! I mean look at it!”

Rarity trotted over, giving Rainbow an apologetic look. “Sorry about this.” She then slapped Rainbow hard across the face. “Don’t you DARE call Chrysalis ugly! She is a very kind soul who only wanted peace; she didn’t want anyone getting hurt! We didn’t jump in because 1) we wanted to give Chrysalis and Cadance a chance to try a peaceful solution and 2) we didn’t know enough about Chrysalis’ mother or whatever to make a big risk and fight her. And especially not with a group of other creatures to fight besides! SO forgive me if we decided to get out of there to make a better plan than try and fight an army by ourselves!”

“But Cadance...!” Rainbow began.

“Is NOT the only pony in that room, nor is the only friend you have!” Applejack snapped. “All DAY you’ve been going on about Cadance and taking advantage of OUR friendship just because you want...what, impress her? Ah get she’s a nice pony and did a lot for you, but don’t you think you could be a little considerate and not just assume you can boss us around?”

“Hey I wasn’t bossing you guys around...”

“Maybe not in so little words, but not ONCE did you ever consider how we felt about things!” Applejack continued. “You kept on and on about Cadance, and never even asked how we felt or were doing! And THEN you have to gall to not even listen to us when we told you about how Cadance treated us!”

“Well, yeah, but that was par tof her plan so its all good right?” Rarity said.

“Wait, what?” Rainbow wondered aloud, puzzled. “Plan? What?”

“Oh yes a fine plan that would’ve worked out better if everypony actually knew her and actually noticed she was acting strangely!” Applejack continued on her rant. “But nooooo everypony kept making excuses, including Rainbow Dash here who was supposedly her student! If anypony had actually bothered to actually pay attention to Cadance and not get distracted by the wedding then maybe we would’ve been able to deal with this better!”

“What are you guys talking about!?” Rainbow called out, a hoof clamping over his mouth.

“Do you WANT those bad guys to find us!?” Pinkamena hissed. “Who KNOWS where they could be or how good their hearing is!?”

Ignoring the pink pony, Fluttershy hovered over to Rainbow. “Well! Cadance WAS acting really mean but it was part of a plan she and Chrysalis cooked up to get everypony suspicious so they could get ready for a possible attack by the changelings who Chrysalis was pretending to e working for but ACTUALLLY she and Cadance were good friends and wanted to make both ponies and changelings friends and when we found out they asked us to help!”

Rainbow blinked, shoving Pinakemena’s hoof from her mouth to speak. “W-what...? Now, hold on, if that were true Cadance would surely have told me something!”

“Maybe she did and you didn’t notice?” Pinkamena pointed out. “She and Chrysalis were being watched pretty heavily and had to be subtle so they didn’t alert the more dangerous and smart changelings about what they were up to and didn’t want to make the ponies react too violently. It was overall a really dumb plan but even Cadance admitted they got stuck with a pretty raw deal. You probably would’ve noticed something if you had paid the slightest bit of attention, but you didn’t. The truth is you don’t know Cadance nearly as well as you do, or else you wouldn’t insult the pony she chose to marry.”

“Excuse me.” Chrysalis interjected, raising a hoof, every pony (and dragon) turning to look at her. “If I may say something?”

Rainbow frowned at her. “What is it you have to say...?”

“Well...” Chrysalis looked down sadly. “You’re absolutely right...it is my fault...I believed we could just work things out if we just talked, that mother would just trust me and see the good in the ponies...that we didn’t need to steal love to survive...” Tears started to fall from her eyes in thick streams. “But! But mother wouldn’t listen, didn’t trust me, and I didn’t even know how changelings worked at all! I-if we just told Celestia the truth from the beginning none of this would have happened a-and Cadance...Cadance wouldn’t...!” *she started bawling, making a large puddle from her tears.

Rainbow Dash blinked in surprise at the sight, looking to her friends and seeing looks of disapproval on Applejack’s and Twilight’s faces. Spike hopped away from Pinkamena and walked slowly over to the crying changling, laying a claw on her leg.

“Uhhh...there, there?” Spike hazarded warily.

“Oh, thank you, you’re too kind.” Chrysalis smiled softly down at the dragon. “Still...I need to go see mother again, if only so I can save Cadance and the other Princesses! It’s only right I try and fix things!”

“Like you tried before?” PInkamena questioned.

“No!” Chrysalis beamed. “This time I got all of you to back me up, and we’ll focus on saving everypony first and THEN we’ll figure out what to do about mother and my fellow changelings!”

“You...sure recovered fast...” Twilight muttered softly.

“I’m not the type to sit and mope!” Chrysalis answered. “I’ll cry for a bit and then move on! I got a plan! We’ll march back into the palace and pull the Princesses from the cocoons and then they’ll be free!”

Rainbow sputtered. “A-and then what?”

“They’ll be free!” Chrysalis repeated, grinning widely.

Rainbow sighed and facehoofed. “Okay, you guys are right, there’s no way someone this dumb could trick Cadance....” Her eyes widened as she paled. “Which meant Cadance is close friends with someone this dumb.”

“Plus if she WAS a bad guy none of that stuff with her mother wouldn’t have happened.” Pinkamena pointed out. “You know, considering they WON and all.”

“Oh mother hasn’t won yet, ladies!” Chrysalis said hopefully. “Follow me!” She ran off from behind the building and out onto the open street.

“W-wait! Watch we’re you’re going!” Rainbow called out as she and the others ran after her. “You don’t know what could be...out...here...”

She trailed off as she and her friends ran out onto the street with Chrysalis in front of them...and before them was a veritable ARMY of changelings filling the streets with ponies either wrapped in cocoons of slime or running for their lives or unconscious on the ground. And the moment they stepped into the view, Rainbow’s motley group found themselves the focus of intense staring as the changelings looked at them.

“Greetings!” Chrysalis said cheerfully, raising a hoof. “It is I, Changeling Queen Chrysalis! I am here to help you all realise there’s another path we could take that doesn’t involve violence!”

“It’s the Queen!” A changeling shouted. “Capture her! Mother’s orders!”

The changeling horde ran over to the group as Rainbow pulled CHysalis along as she and her friends ran down the street blindly, trying to avoid the sheer number of insectoid equinoid creatures pursuing them...only to immediately change course as yet ANOTHER horde of changelings stomped out from several buildings.

“H-How many of thes thigns are there!?” Rarity exclaimed, before looking to Chrysalis. “Uh, no offence.”

“None taken.” The Changeling Queen replied. “Hmm I’m guessing mother brought in the almost a thousand changelings she’s birthed...”

“Almost a thousand!?”

“Last I checked, though, it’s very possible our numbers have increased over time.”

“Great!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Good to know That we’re outnumbered pretty much EVERYWHERE!”

“You’re welcome!” Chrysalis said cheerfully. “I do enjoy being helpful!”

Rainbow sighed in exasperation as she and her friends ran...only to freeze in place as they were soon surrounded on all sides by changelings everywhere.

“Is...is there not a single pony left in this city...?” Applejack murmured aloud nervously. “You’d think we would’ve seen some sign of somepony fighting back against this...”

“Every pony in this city now sleeps, an will be harvested of their love while we take their places.” Flitter announced as she flew down from above, joined by her red clad sister Chaser. “And by the time anypony from outside investigates it’ll be as if nothing happened. The Monarch’s plans are quite thorough.”

Rainbow growled, wings glowing with magic. “We’ll stop you! We’ll fight every single one of you if we have to!”

“Uhh...Rainbow...” Pinkamena said. “I...think even with your magic, there’s a just a bit too many of these guys...”

Chrysalis strode forth, standing at the forefront of the group. “Let me try...”

“What are you doing!?” Twilight exclaimed. “They’re not gonna listen!”

Chrysalis nodded. “Probably not but still...i must try...I want to at least speak my piece to my people.” She cleared her throat then spoke out so eery changeling could hear. “Fellow changelings! We do not need to follow just the Monarch’s words! I love mother, but she is wrong! We are not just tools for her to use, and we do not need to steal love to survive! I am sure many of you have seen as I have that the ponies would freely give love if we just let them, and they would not begrudge us if we over a hoof in friendship! Mother is blinded by her hatred and cannot see the truth, but we must see the truth for ourselves if we are to survive as a species!”

“You dare insult the Monarch, our mother!?” A changeling called out angrily.

“I do! I dare and then some! Mother told me herself that we do not need to feed on love; it’s merely a power source for mother’s magic nothing more! I do not wish to say this...but...mother does not care about us! Tell me, has the ponies not shown us more love, care and friendship than our own mother who we loyally serve? Why...” Tears fell from her eyes as she tried to choke back the words she was about to speak next. “Why...why should we serve a motheer who does not, cannot love us? We...we do not need the Tyrant Monarch, we can find our own way of living!”

Several changelings glared at her for her treasonous words, many refusing to believe a single word...but a few looked doubtful, unsure.

“you lie!” a changeling shouted. “We need the loe of other ponies! We cannot go hungry!”

“Their love is not food!” Chrysalis maintained. “How have we not starved from not eating love for so long before? How have we managed to make by with skirmishes on small communities and individuals? Surely a single pony’s love couldn’t feed a thousand of us?”

“Why should we listen to the words of a fool who has disappointed mother time and again?”

“Because I can never lie to you.” Chrysalis said. “You know this. If I were a good changeling I’d be able to lie easily...but you know you cannot, you’ve seen it...you know what I speak is the truth.”

Flitter and Chaser rolled their eyes, Chaser calling out. “Now is being time of attack! Silencing her lies shall we! Angry mother will be, if we fail!”

The horde started to move forward...but several more tried to pulled their fellows back or step in front of them.

“Wait, what if...” one of the dissenters spoke. “What if...she’s right? What if we don’t need to do this...?”

“You’ve spent too long among those ponies!” Another shouted. “They’ve poisoned your mind, like hers!”

“But mother never really looked at us like some of the pones do...”

“If they knew the truth they’d turn on you!”

“But it doesn’t feel right anymore!”

“Traitors!”

Soon the crowd began to fight amongst themselves, the arguing falling into open physical attacks, chrysalis gasping in horror.

“Wait, no! You don’t need to fight each other, we can solve this peacefully!” She called out hopelessly, only to be pulled away by Rainbow Dash as she and the others ran off down the street, heading towards the castle.

“Look, there’s no time!” the Pegasus said. “If we’re out here and the whole city is overrun, then we got no choice but just go back in the palace and just...think of something to save the Princesses, we don’t got a lot of time to come up with a better plan! We can worry about these guys later, but right now one thing at a time!”

Chrysalis looked back at the crowd of changelings fighting amongst themselves, her expression sad even as she nodded and allowed herself to be pulled along by the Pegasus.

As the group travelled along they heard...music.

“What.” Pinkamena vocalised. “What is that.”

Chrysalis pulled away from Rainbow with a yelp, dodging a sudden kicked that was flying towards her, the attacker landing on the ground alongside a near identical twin. The two changelings each wore jester outfits, one red and one blue, with the blue clad one sporting red eyes and the red clad one sporting blue eyes, and both gazed at the Changeling Queen and the ponies (and dragon) with disdain.

“Well, well, well.” Flitter said, flashing a grin filled with sharp fangs. “Seems Chrysalis made some ‘friends’. The Monarch had SUCH high hopes for you, but it seems you were destined to be nothing more than a failure.”

Fluttershy blinked. “oh! I recognise that voice! You two are the performers Flitter and Cloudchaser!”

“Just Chaser sufficient it is!” The blue clad Chaser replied. “Defeat you shall we, earn great praise!”

“You know your ‘Monarch’ doesn’t care one bit about you right?” Rainbow said. “She looks down on ALL of you, why work for her and attack somepony who at least cares about you?”

“Not like other drones are we!” Chaser said gleefully. “Tyrant’s favourites, are we!”

“Or...to put it another way...” Flitter began as she and her sister started to hum in sync before they began singing as the pair twirled from each other and spun around the group of ponies, dragon and changeling.
“Twin sisters bound by blood!”
“Jesters back and forth and back and forth” “and forth and back and forth and back”

Rainbow jumped as Flitter appeared behind her and swung an axe down at her, while Chrysalis flinched as Chaser snapped at her with a pair of giant sears, cutting off a large chunk of her mane in the process.

“Red and Blue our signs,” The pair continued as they suddenly spun back together, slowly dragging their hooves over their faces to emphasise their words, “written clearly on our faces! We serve the Queen on high!”

“And our loyalty is unquestioned!”

“Loyalty is unquestioned and!”

Fluttershy yelped as Cloudchaser spun behind her, firing a blast of flame of at her that caught the mare’s tail on fire, Fluttersy desperately rolling around to put it out, while Applejack eeped as a beam of ice magic hit her from Flitter’s horn, freezing her hoof.

“Until that day comes, we’ll simply bide our time!” Once again the pair had spun back together, this time in the middle of the group, causing everyone to scatter in different directions to dodge the magical blasts the changelings blasted as they spun together in a circle. “joined in a spiral cord! “

“Connected eternally and forever!”

“Forever and eternally connected!”

Rainbow Dash gasped as Spike suddenly leapt off her back. “Spike!?”

“I’m not gonna sit back and do nothing!” The dragon shouted back as...he harmlessly ran through the attacks, unharmed and unimpeded as he glared at the attackers.

“Our Fates entwined!” The pair continued to sing, oblivious. “Our juxtaposition! Were we one now two?”

“Twins or two halves or is it the same?”
“The same is it, one of two or not?”

“Memories of old! Echoes of another time!”

“Hey!” Spike shouted at the pair, gaining their attention as he ran to them. “Pay attention!” He fired a gout of bright green flame at the pair, causing them to yelp in fear and fly up into the air.

“uuuuuh oh!” The pair exclaimed together. “This isn’t going well at all! Maaaybe....I think we’re in trouble here!”

Spike blinked, noticing the sudden change in their confidant attitude...then smirked as he started blasting gouts of flame at the pair, dividing them as the jesters hastily and clumsily darted about in the air....continuing their song as they did.

“Torn apart us now two
One two one two
Torn apart us now two!”

“Blinding Helix Gone Astray

A life apart that doesn’t feel right

Join together form as one!”

“Was it always this way!?”

“Torn apart is now two
One two one two
Torn apart is now two”

“A broken shattered Gemini

Always together always apart

This empty feeling always stays”

“This connection doesn’t feel complete somehow!”

Spike continued to spray bursts of flame at the pair until, in their panic, the pair flew off in opposite directions into the sky, out of sight. The others slowly trotted over together to reconvene.

Chrysalis looked at the dragon carefully, grinning widely. “That was incredible! How did you know those two had a fear of dragons?”

Spike blinked. “I, uh, didn’t. I just was tired of just...doing nothing, feeling like a tagalong, and well...they were trying to hurt my friends.” He grinned wide. “Plus, dragons have a natural magic resistance, so not a lot hurts us!”

“Yeah!” Fluttershy grinned wide, doing cartwheels in the air. “Dragons are amazing!”

Rainbow nodded. “Okay so, we got some breathing room so...uhh...I think we need a more solid plan than ‘go back to the place we just got out from and punch the leader of the enemy in the face’.”

“I dunno, I’m down for that plan.” Rarity said.

“As satisfying as that’d be, we do have a to worry about the horde the...Monarch mare had with her that cased out of the throne room in the first place.” Applejack added. “Not to mention we have no idea how powerful SHE is, especially since we ran like headless chickens at the slightest move from those two CLOWNS!”

“M-maybe if I tried to talk to mother again...” Chrysalis offered.

“Really?” PInkamena replied. “And, what, you think she’s gonna NOT wanna murder you this time?”

“Pinkamena!” Twilight chastised. “Show some tact!”

“It’s the truth.” PInkamena shrugged. “She needs to realise simply wanting a peaceful solution isn’t gonna work. Her mom’s crazy. And apparently a mare Twilight pretended to be in that play a while back so that’s kinda awakward.”

Twilight frowned. “That’s not really relevant.”

“Yeah but still it’s WEIRD. It’s such a RANDOM connection.”

Spike held up his hands, clearing his throat. “Look, we’re getting sidetracked! So, Rainbow, any ideas?”

Rainbow frowned. “If we had the Elements it’d be a no brainer but...well...that plans out the window and I doubt the Changelings would leave the trains running, not to mention abandoning Canterlot altogether seems...bad.”

“New policy: no matter what, bring the Elements along everywhere just in case.” Pinkamena said. “No Exceptions.”

“Noted.” Rainbow nodded and frowned in thought. “So...what do we do?”

“Perhaps another perspective can help?” a new voice called out, causing everyone to turn and see who it was...and Applejack immediately swooned at the sight.

“Prince Blueblood!” Rainbow called out, grinning wide. “Where the hay’ve you been?”

“Not important.” The Stallion said as he stepped into view, flanked by two gaurdsmares. “Dodging enemy patrols on my way out, trying to find you, overheard enemy chatter and so came out here, encountered these two among the only ones not yet rendered unconscious by...whatever it is the enemy does, some form of unique magic I suspect. So...what’s this I hear of a plan of attack?”

“Well we...kinda need to go back in and take down the Changeling Queen.” Rainbow said.

“That’s me!” Chrysalis called out eagerly.

“OBVIOUSLY not you!” Rainbow snapped in annoyance. “I meant you mother, Tyrant Monarch or whatever. ANYWAY problem is she has an army and is likely super strong and we don’t have the Elements and we’re not exactly trained warriors here so we’re not ready to really deal with that really.”

Blueblood chuckled. “Fortunately, you have the Captain of the Royal Guard on your side, with a pair of mares who are well trained AND all three of whom know the ins and outs of Castle, including secret passages that could lead us to where Tyrant Monarch is keeping the Princesses.”

“Convenient.” Pinkamena said dourly.

“isn’t it just?” Blueblood chuckled and winked. “However, better convenience than standing around outside arguing over nothing, right?”

“Good point.” Rainbow smiled. “Lead the way, Captain.”

The ever growing party had been led by Blueblood to a nondescript wall on the farthest left side of the castle, far from the remaining Changeling patrols and guards. Blueblood tapped on a small, lightly pink brick in the wall, causing the portion of wall to slide open and reveal a tunnel that ran deep through the castle, the group slowly trotting through the tunnel together.

“So why does the castle have a random secret passage in it?” Rainbow Dash wondered aloud. “And how did you know about it?”

“Well before Celestia repurposed this place as her Castle and centre of the Equestrian Capital, this belonged to a paranoid Baron who had the architect outfit this place with numerous hidden passages and secrets that we’re still finding to this day.” Blueblood explained. “I stumbled upon this in my younger, more innocent days, though I rarely use it.”

“Uh huh...” PInkamena said, nodding her head, glancing between the two gaurdsmares flanking Blueblood, the pink mare’s eyes narrowing in suspicion. “So how’d these two get through all this mayhem? I doubt the evil shapeshifters would completely forget the ponies whose job is to protect the castle against invaders.”

Blueblood smiled as the two guardsmares looked at each other worriedly. “Do not fret, you have my word these two are completely trustworthy and worthy allies. They’ve been in the Guard for years under my watch, and I trained them myself personally.”

PInkamena nodded, still frowning to herself as she glanced at the two armoured mares, Blueblood continuing to lead the group onwards. After what felt like horus of walking the tunnel lead up to what appeared to be a dead end, Blueblood confidently striding forward as he pressed a hidden switch causing another hidden door to open, the stallion stepping aside and gesturing towards the opening.

“Ladies first.” He smiled winningly, the guardsmares trotting forward, followed by Rainbow and each of her friends one by one, Chrysalis following after with Blueblood taking the rear as they all stepped into an empty hallway within the castle’s walls.

“Okay so...assuming the Monrch and the Princesses are still where we left them and haven’t moved for some reason,” Rainbow said, a wing held to her chin in though, “we still got to worry about the rest of her army guarding her, even with three members of the Royal Guard the enemy still has us beat in sheer number, AND we’ll have to worry about protecting Chrysalis since well I doubt she’d be up for hurting her own kind, and that’s not even mentioning how most of us aren’t exactly fighters and haven’t exactly dealt with anything on this scale by ourselves....”

Blueblood chuckled, his horn glowing as he summoned two golden blades via his magic, holding them to his sides as the two unnamed mares flanked him. “Don’t worry, we can deal with this. Ladies, if you may.”

The pair nodded and started to trot down the empty hallway, Blueblood calmly following along as the rest of the group shrugged and followed along...only for Blueblood to then pull everyone behind a wall as the guardsmares continued to walk towards the large doorway that led into the wedding room, which was currently guarded by three Changelings in silver armour.

“What are they doing!?” Rainbow hissed.

“Well they are the Royal Guard, darling,” Applejack replied, “Ah wouldn’t exactly underestimate them.”

“They’re walking blindly right towards the enemy!” Rainbow insisted. “Even if they take down those three we don’t know how many are waiting behind that door.”

“Trust me, this is going according to plan.” Blueblood said, smirking. “They didn’t see us so the jig isn’t up.”

“But those two...!”

“Just watch.” Blueblood smirked, his horn glowing as a shimmering barrier surrounded everyone. “Just keep quiet and keep still, this barrier will hide us but only for so long. Now...watch.”

The two mares saluted the changelings, flames flowing over their bodies to reveal that they too were changelings in disguise, Rianbow’s eyes widening in horror at how easily they had been tricked...and then widened further at what happened next.

“We need all hooves in the city!” one of the formerly disguised changelings said. “Some ponies managed to break free and are now fighting back! We need EVERYONE to come in and help before they siege the castle!”

“Everyone?” One of the armoured changelings asked. “But the Monarch....”

“If we don’t deal with this, mother’s plans are ruined, and would you live with yourself if somepony managed to break through and hurt our Monarch? Would you be able to continue with the SHAME of failing her? As long as we keep everyone outside no one should be able to even touch her until we got the city under control!”

The three looked to each other, horns glowing with green magic in unison. “Very well, we have informed everyone, lead the way.”

The pair nodded and ran forward, wining at the hidden group of ponies as a horde of changelings ran after them in an orderly line. Soon, the moment the horde was out of sight, Blueblood dropped the barrier and chuckled.

“And just like that, the factor of numbers has ceased being an immediate concern.” The stallion said smugly.

“You knew they were changelings.” Pinkamena said, growling. “One, you could’ve told us, and two, why did you trust them?”

Blueblood gave her a handsome smile as he replied. “Like I said, they’ve been in the guard for years, but I only saw them for what they truly were today. I DID run into them as I made my escape through the chaos, but they were kind enough to hide me from the rest of the group and informed me of what happened during the wedding, as well as to you, thus I decided to leave the castle and find you lot. I would be suspicious of them, but they didn’t try to attack me, continued to call me Captain and show me respect and, most important of all, helped us out even though the enemy was winning and thus didn’t need to pull off anything underhanded.”

Fluttershy blinked, having had not much to say throughout this adventure, her eyes spinning. “Words...”

Pinkamena rolled her eyes while Rainbow nodded thoughtfully. “Well...good. Now we only have the Tyrant Monarch to worry about.”

Chrysalis bit her lip, looking uncertain. “Mother...”

Blueblood glanced towards to the changeling, frowning to himself. “Come along everypony, behind me, you’re all civilians after all...” He once more summoned his blades as he trotted past the large double doors, everpony following along behind him in turn.

Inside the room the group saw what was left of the wedding reception area, chairs broken or laying on their sides, banners torn or discarded to the floor and three large green cocoons hanging from the ceiling above...and each held one of the three Equestrian Princesses. Below the cocoons, what appeared to be Celestia was standing, her back turned to the group as her horn glowed softly with green magic as she absorbed...something from the Princesses, some sort of pinkish magical energy.

Blueblood frowned grimly, stepping forward a few inches before freezing, stupefied as he heard the Tyrant Monarch begin to hum softly before she began to sing.

“What would a mother not do for her child?
What lengths would a mother not go?
There’s a bond that exists between mother and child
With no end to how strong it can grow
It’s a promise for life between Mother and Child!
It begins from the moment of birth
And you’re shaken to your soul
With an ache you’ve never known
And you look into their eyes
And find you’re looking into your own.”

An image flashed in the monarch’s mind of a tiny, newborn Chrysalis gazing up at her with wide, innocent eyes, the monarch’s own face reflected in them.

She bit her lip at the image as she turned to face the intruders, her magically casually flaring up as Blueblood swung a blade at her, the Monarch easily pushing him aside into a wall with a massive burst of magical power, paying the stallion no more mind as she trotted forward, eyes focused intently on her daughter.

“There is a pain you can’t imagine
A special kind of torture you can feel
A cut that bleeds from somewhere deep inside you
A past regret you cannot heal!”

An image of Queen Platinum flashed in her mind, giving her a warm smile. The Tyrant tilted her head aside to dodge a blast of magic fired upon her by Rainbow Dash.

“And no one guesses that all the while you’re praying
That screaming little stranger in your hooves
Might just grow up and save you after all!
Might just grow up and save you after all.”

Blueblood leapt at her again, quickly recovering from the attack, swinging both of his blades, by the Tyrant just leapt over him and slammed him to the floor, pressing her hoof down hard onto his head. She continued to gaze upon Chrysalis, trotting off of Blueblood and trotting towards the group once, Applejack snarling angrily and running over, rising a hoof to punch the changeling mother.

“What would a mother not do for her child?
What heights would a mother not climb?
There’s a bond that exists between mother and child
And it only grows deeper with time
It’s a promise for life between mother and child
And to break it is no greater pain
And you’re shaken to your soul
With an ache you can’t erase
Like the tears you never cried but that you keep scrubbing from your face!”

The image of a yellow, pink haired Pegasus kissing Queen Platinum’s lips flashed across her mind, causing Tyrant Monarch to snarl in anger as she swing down a mass of magic onto the charging earth pony, creating a crater and cracks in the floor as Applejack was forced downwards, the Tyrant stepping over her without a second glance.

“There’s a pain you can’t imagine!
A little talk that keeps you wide awake!
That somehow turns to bold determination
That you will never make the same mistake!
So you vow to feed your little future
Assuring that her talent, poise and charm
Might just grow up and save you after all!
Might just grow up and save you after all!”

Rarity and Twilight ran towards her, the Moanrch responding by raising both of her hooves high and slamming them down hard on the duo’s noggins, knocking them out quickly. Rainbow cried out in alarm and FLuttershy gasped, PInkamena frowning grimly.

“Some dreams die upon the vine!” The Tyrant sang out,gliding gracefully like a ballerina as she stepped in time with her song, moving from the left and right.
“Some they never have a chance!
Sweeter than the sweetest wine
That I become the Queen
Of
These laaaaands!”

Pinkemena dug her hooves into the floor, grunting as she tried to use her strength to pull a large chunk upwards while Rainbow charged, wings glowing with magic as she shot several blasts in an attempt to avenge her friends, but the Tyrant’s horn glowed, absorbing the magic directly into it as she moved ever closer and closer, a satisfied smirk on her features

“And there’s relief you can’t imagine
That’s filling every sinew, bone and nerve!
To know that you can get out of this hellhole!
And finally live the life that you deserve!
And suddenly the past you knew would haunt you
And all of the regret you didn’t show
Might just grow up and save you after all!
Might just grow up and save you!”

She remembered the tears she shed on that day. The hard work she made on that potion. The moment she poisoned Pansy’s meal that she shared with the Queen. When the hated Pegasus died in battle. When the Queen followed not long after, giving her that same beautiful smile. When she used her potion to give ehr live everlasting, and the transformation she gave her. And most of all, the look on the eyes of the wide eyed innocent who should’ve been her greatest weapon, who should’ve been something wonderful, and all the Monarch could feel was bitter disdain at the hideous creature reflected in those DAMN eyes.

And that was when The Tyrant unleashed a wave of powerful magic that pushed the ponies down but HELD them there, to the floor, so none of them could stand in her way any longer.

“After alllllll!” The Tyrant Monarch sang out, smiling to herself as she held herself at her full height and composure, a weight lifted form her shoulders. “What would a mother not do for her child? What lengths would a mother not go? There’s a bond that exists between mother and child...Ah, but then again,” She opened her eyes as she gazed downwards, standing directly over the petrified Chrysalis, the Monarch’s satisfied smiled falling into a disdainful, hateful sneer, “how would YOU know?”

Chrysalis shivered, licking her lips as she struggled for a voice. “M-mother...we...”

“Yesss?” Tyrant Monarch tilted her head, gazing intently upon her daughter. “What, are you going to try and convince me why Changelings should live peacefully with ponies? Why I should just SURRENDER to these disgusting, filthy blooded, impure EXCUSES for ponies? Why i should just LET these weak royals FREE, after the pure love they feel for each other, their subjects and not to mention YOU, has given SUCH a boost in power?” She grinned coldly. “Now, imagine what I can do with the love all of Equestria has towards Celestia? So, in the face of all that...what are you going to say? Hmm?”

Chrysalis gulped, face pale, looking at the unconscious form of Cadance trapped in the cocoon before turning her full attention towards her mother. “I...I know I can’t convince you...you...you are our mother but you hold no love for us, f-for anyone! You...you don’t know what love IS!”

Chrysalis yelped in pain as the Monarch dropped her disguise enough to slash a claw harshly across the changeling queen’s face, leaving a DEEP trio of scars.

“I know what love is, more than any changeling! The only pony I loved most in the world left me centuries ago! And Icertainly know what forms love takes beyond the romantic, and how I can that for myself!”

“But love isn’t about you!” Chrysalis stood firm, ignoring the pain in her face. “Love is about someone else, how they make you feel, how you would do anything for THEM, not because it gets YOU something, but because seeing them happy makes YOU happy! We changelings aren’t creatures of love, but we CAN be!”

“Changelings are NOTHING!” Tyrant Monarch snarled. “Nothing but TOOLS for ME! You think your...CRUSH on some pink pony princess makes you special!?”

Chrysalis shook her head. “No. Being able to love doesn’t make me special, and I don’t care even if it did. I just want to be happy, I just want EVERYONE to be happy! So why can’t you just let that be?”

The Tyrant Monarch rolled her eyes, swinging her tail to strike at Chrysalis, only to gasp as Spike leapt out of nowhere to grab onto it and cling to it.

“Wha!? How!?”

Spike glared at the Monarch. “I am a DRAGON! What part of ‘resists magic’ don’t you understand, so-called ‘Starswirl’s apprentice’?” He turned to look at Chrysalis. “Go! You changelings get like a power boost from love right? Go rescue your wife and use that love to help!”

“B-but...” Chrysalis stammered.

“Do you really think you can talk her out of this?” He turned to the Tyrant Monarch and blew a gout of lame at her as she tried to swipe at him, making her yelp and jump back from the flame. “We gottado something NOW!”

Chrysalis frowned but nodded, running past her mother to stand under the princesses Flying up to try and smash the cocoons with her hooves...and failing. The material was too strong, too magically reinforced. Her eyes fell upon Cadance’s sleeping face as Chrysalis pressed her head against the cocoon.

Tyrant Monarch snarled and violently swung her tail widly until Spike was thrown off with a yell. The Monarch turned and glared at the defeated form of her daughter, horn glowing as she used her magic to speak to her army. “All of you, back here! I want you ALL to come back to the castle stand by me! The traitor is trying to free the Princesses and I will not take ANY chances!”

Chrysalis paid no heed to her mother, focusing only on her love. “Cadance...I’m sorry...I wish so badly you could hear me...you were always so smart, so kind...you always listened to me when no one else would...” She smiled softly. “R-remember our song? Y-You know how it goes? ‘OH what will the signal be’...?”

A weak glow emanated from within the cocoon and Cadance’s mouth started to move. “....for your eyes to see me...?” The response was very weak, very small, very quiet...but there.

Chrysalis blinked, eyes widening as she stared before pressing her face closer, a pink glow faintly forming on her horn as she sang. “Oh what will the signal be...”

“For your eyes to see....” Cadance replied, her voice growing stronger as the glow fromm her own horn brightened.

Tyrant Monarch stared in disbelief. “What...? No...no that’s not possible...no voice should reach her in that state! The cocoon should keep completely inert and unreachable! How are you....!?” She growled. “Troops, HERE! NOW! I don’t care if some of you are DEAD, just get HERE, NOW!”

Chrysalis no longer heard her mother, no longer remembered she was even there, she just continued to sing. “So I still will set the stage, send my thoughts to you...” A smile broke out on her features, cracks forming in the cocoon.

And then...

“We’re receiving every wave!” The cocoon shattered as Cadance and Chrysalis embaraced, gazing in each other’s eyes, horns glowing brightly as their magic lopped between them both, guided by their love. “This song sends love through!”

Tyrant Monarch stared in utter disbelief. “How...? Chrysalis! What are you doing!? You’re SHARING Your power with HER!? A PRETENDER!? She’s just a filthy degenerate, not a true pony! She doesn’t DESERVE your love!”

The two lovers turned their gaze to the Monarch,gazes growing more determined as they held each other in a tight embrace, changelings starting to crawl into the room through the windows and the large door, many gazing in confusion at the unusual sight of a changeling and a pony together, somehow sharing each other’s magic through the same method a changeling absorbed love and gave it to their Monarch.

“What are you worthless morons doing!?” Tyrant Monarch shouted. “Attack them! KILL them! Make them STOP!”

Cadance stroked her lover’s mane, pulling her to gaze into her eyes. “Now as one we’re gonna show, this our one desire.”

Chrysalis nodded. “From this day we’ll always know, how our love grows higher.”

The pair turned their gaze towards the slowly, cautiously approaching horde of changelings, many looking unsure, nervous, while the lovers started to sing together as one.

“Now as one we’ll set the stage
Focus love on you
Now we’re sending every wave
THIS SONG SENDS LOVE THROUGH!”

A wave of pink magical energy cascaded from them, filling the room and leaving most unharmed, but pushing many changelings back to the wall or down to ground, The Tyrant Monarch staring as her army is surely being curbstomped.

“What are you DOING!? You useless pieces of trash! That’s love same as what we feed on! Just absorb it! Like this!” She attempted to absorbed the wave of magic as it struck her...only to scream as her horn shattered to pieces and the carapace over her face cracked.”AH! WHAT!? How...!? Is this because there’s changeling in this love!? No...that can’t be it...but...how!? I...I DON’T UNDERSTAND!” She desperately looked around as she realised that not only was she badly wounded, she was starting to be pushed back. “Wait! Help me! One of you cretins, help me!”

But of course, no changeling was able to resist the wave of magic that was overpowering all of them, and at this rate it would expand beyond the room itself. All the while, Chrysalis and Cadance continued to sing.

“Now for all you’d ever know
That you’d never see me
And one day you’ll ever show
What your one desire means
Now it’s time to set the stage
Send my thoughts to you
I’m receiving every wave
THIS SONG SENDS LOVE THROUGH!”

With that the pair kissed each other deeply and the magical wave surged forwards, pushing the Tyrant Monarch out, along with several changelings still fully loyal to her outwards, the wave surging through the whole city before pushing every enemy out of the city and far into the distance, Tyrant Monarch staring blankly at the city as she sailed away, unable to comprehend how she had been defeated.

The magic slowly faded as many ponies got to their hooves, healed of whatever the changelings did to put them to sleep, and in Canterlot Celestia and Luna got up from the floor, the cocoons imprisoning them shattered by the wave of love, and soon Rainbow, Spike and their friends collected themselves as well, while Chrysalis and Cadance broke their kiss, giving everyone sheepish smiles.

“So...I guess we have some explaining to do...” Cadance chuckled.

Blueblood nodded as he dusted himself off. “I’ll say...”

Celestiaand Luna looked around, turning their sights to the changeling queen, who waved a hoof and smiled brightly.

“Greetings!” Chrysalis said exuberantly. “I am Chrysalis, and I would ask your blessing to marry your niece here!”

Celestia blinked, taken aback. “What...?” She growled. “You...you INVADE my city and DARE to make such a horrible joke!?”

Cadance shook her head. “Auntie...no. Chrysalis is a good pony, she and I were trying to avoid this and help make peace between her people and ours. Her mother was the mastermind behind this attack, not her.”

Luna frowned in thought. “But how can we trust her? ANY of them? We’ve seen what they can do...”

“Most changelings are merely confused and were mislead by someone we greatly loved and respected.” Chrysalis said. “Is it not fair to at least give us a chance to prove that we can be allies, before you judge all of us outright? Please, I don’t want any more fighting, only peace.” She held out a hoof.

Celestia and Luna gazed at the changeling warily.

“if you do not try I will be very cross.” Cadance said resolutely. “I love Chrysalis more than anything and if you hurt her I WILL do...something about it.”

“Oh you don’t have to.” Chrysalis smiled and kissed the pink princess on the ear. “I’m sure the princesses will give us a chance like hey have so many others.”

Celestia looked doubtful while Luna sighed and shook her head. “Sister, we may as well hear their side of the story first, and they do have a point. Besides, they wouldn’t exactly be standing here if they were on the side of the invaders who, might I add, were WINNING. Not to mention their shapeshifting abilities are intriguing and could prove useful, let alone how fascinating the scholars will find them to be...”

“Incidentally, a couple of changelings are in the Guard and helped us out immensely during the invasion.” Blueblood interjected. “Or are you saying I have to kick them out simply because they’re changelings?”

Celestia looked around and lowered her head. “Okay, I don’t really understand everything thats been going on so you’ll have to explain EVERYTHING, like why that...why CRYSALIS was pretending to be my nephew, or what happened to save our kingdom but...very well, I will give them a chance.”

Chrysalis beamed wide, wrapping Celestia into a tight hug. “oh thank you Auntie Celestia! You won’t regret this! I can call you Auntie right? I AM marrying your niece so I figured since she calls you Auntie then it’d be fine if...”

PInkamena sighed as she looked away from the sight of Celestia frozen in place while being hugged by a spooky bug-horse, the pink earth pony looking over the fallen changelings. “So...what about these guys? Aren’t they all like enemies or something?”

“Oh no!” Chrysalis pulled off of Celestia as she shook her head. “They might be confused and need further convincing, but these are changelings that doubt Mother’s words and can be integrated into pony society! It will take a lot of hard work but I’m sure we can get through it! Oh and we’ll need to ask the ponies for help in helping them wean off the idea they need to scavenge and deceive to get Love, and of course I will act as ambassador to help the relations between our races!”

“Riiiighht...” PInkamena nodded slowly, looking disinterested.

“Soooo....” Fluttershy spoke up. “How about that wedding? Chryssie and Cadie never got to be OFFICIALLY married, didn’t they?”

Chrysalis gasped. “You’re RIGHT! We sure did get interrupted before the end there didn’t we? Well! We must rectify this at once!”

Rainbow grimaced. “Umm...are you sure its really a good time to just...restart the wedding ceremony?”

“It’s a PERFECT time!” Chrysalis insisted. “It will help relations in the face of the attack and show that the Princesses support us! Also I REALLY REALLY REALLY want it to be official between me and my wife!”

Celestia sighed and shook her head. “Very well then...in the name of diplomacy and pleasing my niece...we shall fix everything up, ensure the populace of the city is safe and sound...and THEN we will begin the wedding ceremony anew, THIS TIME without any lies or disguise, understood?”

“Yes ma’am!” Chrysalis saluted with a wide grin.

A looked at the newspaper in their hooves, which on the front page had the headline ‘Canterlot Wedding Chaos!’ with a big picture underneath of Princess Cadance kissing a creature identified as ‘Queen Chrysalis’ while Celestia stood over them, the pair having rings around their horns to signify their marriage.

“Equestria just gets weirder and weirder these days...” The pony shook her head ruefully, blinking as she heard a knock on the door. “Now who could that be?” She got up on her hooves and walked to the door, opening it wide.

“Greetings!” Queen Chrysalis said cheerfully as she stood there, holding several flyers under her left foreleg. “I am Queen Chrysalis and I am here to talk to you about the plight of the changelings! Now if you would just give me a moment of your time...”

The door slammed shut on her face.

“Okay!” Chrysalis said, still smiling wide. “I see you are busy! I will go to the next house then to discuss the plight of the changeling peoples then!”

She hummed happily to herself as she trotted off, happy to be finally making a difference and paving the way for a bright future for her people.

Author's Note

Sorry about the wait!

So not a WHOLE lot I can really say here other than for once the ending of the story is not too different from my original plans, in fact very little has changed from what I planned from what I can remember. At one point Spike was going to have more of a role in beating back Tyrant Monarch but I repurposed tha instead for Flitter and Cloudchaser.

I hope you all enjoyed it and please comment!

Chapter 1: You Are Cordially Invited...

In a dark musky cave, a figure trotted along, looking several dark green eggs. The figure trotted to one in particular. They looked it over impassively as it hatched, revealing a small, pony-like creature with a dark green carapace instead of fur, its wide, innocent eyes staring up at curiously.

The figure gazed down at the newborn, their own gaze impassively, grazing what appeared to be a hoof in the darkness across the child’s head.

“Sleep my little hatchling Let your dreams take wing One day when you’re big and strong You will be a Queen.”

The figure lifted the foal up in a field of magic that resembled green flames, carrying it to a large pot-like structure, large green cocoons flooding the pot with a pinkish energy that flowed into the newborn’s horn, the odler figure continuing to sing.

“I was exiled, persecuted
Left alone without defence
When I think of what that BRUTE did
I get a little TENSE!”

They struck a stalactite nearbyin anger, leaving behind three deep claw marks.

“But I dream a dream so pretty
That I don’t feel so depressed
Cause it soothes my inner feelings
and helps me get some rest
THE SOUND OF CELESTIA’S DYING GASP!
HER SISTER SQUELING IN MY GRASP!
THEIR LOYAL SUBJECTS MOURNFUL CRY!
THAT’S MY LULLABY!”

They chuckled to themself, trotting around the newborn as it fed on the energy being funnelled to it, two more much smaller figures trotting in to stand at the larger figure’s side

“Now the past I’ve tried forgetting,
And my foes I could forgive
But the trouble is, I know it’s petty
BUT I HATE TO LET THEM LIVE.”

One of the smaller figures moved in, adding to the so.

“So you found yourself somebody
Who’ll chase away their glee!”

The larger figure smirked and chuckled.

“Oh the battle may be bloody
but that kind of works for me
THE MELODY OF ANGRY GROWLS!
A COUNTERPOINT OF PAINFUL HOWLS!
A SYMPHONY OF DEATH GONE BY!
THAT’S MY LULLABY!”

They trotted behind the newborn, lightly stroking its head.

“She is gone, but Monarch’s still around
To love this little lamb
till she learns to be a KILLER
With a lust for doing HARM!”

The two other figures stood in front of the newborn, the pair addressing it together.

“Sleep you little termite!” One of them said.

“Precious little thing!” The other said.

“One day when you’re big and strong!” They added together. “You will be a Queen!”

The larger figure smirked, taking back the reigns over the song.

“The pounding of the drums of war!
The thrill of our army’s mighty roar!
THE JOY OF VENGAENCE!”

“TESTIFY!”

“I can hear them cheering!
Payback time is nearing!
AND THEN OUR FLAG WILL FLY!
AGAINST A BLOOD RED SKY!
THAT’S OUR LULLABY!”

The newborn looked up at its family, unknowing of the destiny its parent had for it.

Years Later

Early morning in Ponyville, Spike the dragon opened the door to the library he and Rainbow lived in, greeted by a familiar grey pregasus with derpy eyes.

“Hey!” Derpy said. “Letter for Rainbow Dash!” She quickly handed the letter to the dragon before flying off.

Spike nodded, still only half awake as he gripped the letter in his clawed hand, closing the door as he stumbled to the kitchen where Rainbow was cooking some pancakes.

“Hey Spike!” Rainbow cheered, much more of a morning person than Spike. “Whatcha got?”

“Letter.” Spike groaned monotonously, setting the letter on the kitchen tabe slumping on a chair as Rainbow piled pancakes on a plate and set them down on the table in front of him, the dragon starting to slowly eat up while the Pegasus picked up the letter and opened it to read its contents, mumbling to herself as she read.

“Rainbow Dash...mumble....for your years of friendship and service...mutter mutter...and...mhm...you are cordially invited to....”Her eyes widened as she cried out in surprise and glee.”OH MY GOOOOOOOSH!!!”

Spike’s eyes widen and he started coughing and choking on his pancake, hurriedly downing a glass of water before speaking. “What are you yelling about, Rainbow!?”

The Pegasus tossed the letter to the dragon. “No time, gotta tell everypony! Gotta fly!” She dashed off, leaving the perplexed spike to read the letter.

“Dear Rainbow Dash...years of service...you’re cordially invited to...the wedding of Prince Blueblood and Princess Cadance...?” His eyes widened.” Whaaaaat.”

Applejack groaned as she was awoken by a loud knocking. She carefully put on a stylish purple dressing gown and trotting downstairs and opening the front door of her home/boutique, greeted by the presence of her friend Rainbow Dash.

“Rainbow, darling, what do you want with me so early...?” The mare delicately stifled a yawn.

Rainbow grinned. “Remember Princess Cadance?”

“Well...I know OF her largely. I know along with Blueblood she’s one of the more famous of Celestia’s adoptive family, and that she’s headmaster of canterlot’s school for magic. We did meet her briefly way back on Hearthswarming Eve, but beyond that I can’t say I’m that familiar with her as a pony...why do you mention her, and why did you have to do it so early...?”

Rainbow grinned. “I got a letter! She invited me, the five of you guys and anyone else of my choosing to her wedding, which is taking place tomorrow!”

Applejack blinked. “A...wedding? Between...whom?”

“Blueblood and Cadance.”

“Isn’t that...well, Ah don’t mean to be crass but...isn’t that rather gross?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, gesturing her hoof dismissively. “They aren’t related by blood, firstly, and secondly the ‘royal family’ doesn’t even work that way. Anyway, that’s all I know but AJ CADANCE IS GETTING MARRIED!”

Applejack nodded. “Yes, and now that you have clarified, it sounds like a pretty monumental event but why do you care? You don’t seem the type to really care about politics or royalty or the like...”

“OH I’m not really it’s just that it’s CADANCE!” Rainbow grinned widely, spreading her forelegs and hooves widely. “Back when I studied at Canterlot’s School for Magic,after I passed a special test, long story, Cadance took me in as her personal student and taught me so much! She was a teacher, a big sister, an aunt and a friend all rolled into one! She’s like, one of the two people in the world who taught me about magic, though she taught me more of the practical stuff...ANYWAY! Point is she’s awesome and she invited me to her wedding and I MISSED HER AND GOTTA CATCH UP AND SEE HOW HAPPY SHE IS!”

Applejack blinked. “Ah’m...darling, Ah’m pleased as punch you’re inviting me to join you but Ah really can’t just go on such short notice, AH got a LOT of orders to see to and Ah can’t just leave Strongheart and Apple Bloom unsupervised...”

“Oh it’s not just a simple invitation, though that’d be cause enough to be ecstatic!” Rainbow shook in excitement. “You’ve been requested to make a dress for her big day!”

“A...A DRESS!?” Applejack paled, eyes wide. “A-ARE YOU SERIOUS!? Oh goodness you ARE! Darling, Ah like a wedding as much as anypony but YOU EXPECT ME TO MAKE A DRESS FOR A WEDDING ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE, WITHOUT GETTING TO KNOW THE PERSON WHO WILL WEAR IT BEFOREHAND!? DO YOU THINK I’M MADEOF MONEY AND MATERIALS!?”

“Oh come ooooon AJ this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I thought you’d be ecstactic!”

“MAYBE if I was given more time, maybe some advance warning so I could figure out what to do, but this is so sudden! Ah won’t have much time to get a good stocktake, allocate resources, figure out costs, actually MAKE the dress, as well as try to push it in between EVERYTHING ELSE...! Darling this just...”

She froze upon seeing Rainbow gazing at her sadly. “You..mean you won’t do this real special super favour for a friend...?”

“Ah...” Applejack groaned and rolled her eyes. “FINE. But just this once, only for you, and MAYBE also because a Princess ordering dress from me will GREATLY help my shop. And you better make sure Ah’m paid for it, Ah can’t just make a wedding dress pro bono!”

Rainbow nodded. “Oh, that’s fine, I have faith in your abilities! Anyway, I gotta fly off and tell everyone else!” With that Dash ran off, leaving Applejack frowning in irritation.

Twilight, being an early riser, set to work spraying insect repellent on the crops. She probably didn’t need to, but it was best to be sure, no one wanted to bite into a carrot only to find some bug had borrowed into it. Her attention, however, was drawn to the blue Pegasus gliding over to her.

“Oh, morning Rainbow, what’s up?”

“SOMETHING AMAZING!” The pegasus beamed. “Princess Cadance is getting married!”

“Oh yeah, she gave us the tickets for the Grand Galloping Gala, right?” She winced at the memory of the mess that night had become, along with her own bad experience. “My parents knew her and I THINK she babysat me once but I was too young so I don’t remember...anyway, so why are you so excited?”

“BECAUSE she’s like one of the ponies I was closest to before I met you guys! Anyway she sent me an invite along with the rest of you guys AND she wants you to provide catering!”

Twilight blinked. “Ex...excuse me?”

“Yeah, Applejack’s making the dress, and you’re gonna provide the food! Isn’t that GREAT!”

Twilight frowned, looking downwards shamefully. “You know I’m willing to share and help out but...I have no idea how many people would be attending, so I have no idea how much I need to prepare and being a wedding and all, I can’t really make something quick and simple, you know...and I’d need to set up a way to transport it all unless the Princess set up something but I’d know about it by know if she did and I DON’T. THis is just too short notice, Rainbow...” She looked up, just in time to see Rainbow already gliding off. “....and you ignored me. Great. Well...I suppose I can at least try...I don’t wanna upset a Princess and Rainbow would be disappointed too...Just gotta ask Flim and Flam and maybe even Mom and Dad for help...

Rarity groaned, opening her eyes after another failed flight attempt. “Okay, gotta work on a new approach, this method just ain’t workin’...” She blinked upon seeing a smiling face gazing down at her. “Oh hey Rainbow Dash! ‘Sup?”

“You busy tomorrow?”

“Nah, why?”

“Well Princess Cadance is having a wedding tomorrow and I think you could...help out? Look I just want everypony there!”

Rarity frowned. “A wedding? Rainbow, do I look like the sort who’d go to a wedding? And sure, Princess wedding, I get it, but that ain’t my scene, girl.”

“But it’d be really nicee to have you there too!” Rainbow argued.

Rarity frowned and sighed, rolling her eyes. “Okay fine....but I am NOT gonna wear a dress! I draw the line there!”

“Great!” Rainbow grinned and hopped off, leaving Rarity to lie there.

Fluttershy heard a knock on her door, the cheerful Pegasus grinning as she opened the door and saw Rainbow Dash smiling back at her widely.

“Hello Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy cheered. “What has you in such high spirits?”

“Princess Cadance is getting married tomorrow!” Rainbow said with a wide grin. “Wanna come with?”

“Oh sure!”

“Great!” Rainbow chuckled. “You don’t have any arguements to give me?”

“Hmmm nope! Do you want me to?”

“Not really....”

Fluttershy giggled. “Okie dokie lokie!”

Rainbow smiled and flew off, leaving Fluttershy there to giggle.

“Such a silly mare!”

Pinkamena opened the door, glaring as she saw Rainbow Dash standing there wearing just the stupidest smile she’d ever seen (well...second to Fluttershy’s).

“...You know, I COULD set up the traps again.” PInkamena said, annoyed.

“Hey Pinkamena!” Rainbow blurted, outright ignoring what the pink mare said. “Princess Cadance is getting married and we’re invited!”

“No.”

Rainbow froze. “No?”

“No.”

“But...but you could make the ring! Come one, surely you can appreciate doing a job for a high paying Princess!”

“Public get-togethers make me yarf. You know this. You have seen me yarf.”

“Yes, I remember the yarffing incident, but this is DIFFERENT!” Rainbow squeed. “It’s PRINCESS CADAAAAANCE!”

“And you’re asking me to provide a wedding ring, which are usually highly expensive materials such as gold, silver or even mithril, let alone the actual gemstone being diamond, ultra-diamond or one of the even RARER varieties, and those don’t come cheap and making a ring from scratch isn’t easy.”

“But think about it, the Princess will pay you a lot of money!”

“It’s not Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, it’s the one who’s not even an immortal being with both wings and horn, she’s just a unicorn.”

“She’s still a Priiiiinceeeees....and she’s marrying Blueblood so that’s like DOUBLE the payment right there!”

PInkamena frowned in thought then nodded.”Very well, I will make an...attempt at making something passable. BUT KNOW THIS! Make such short notice requests of me again and I will crush you under a boulder.”

“Love ya too, Pinkamena.” Rainbow chuckled and trotted off, cheerfully.

Pinkamena growled. “Pain in the flank...”

Far off in Canterlot, two mares, twin pegasi with purple coats and very light blue manes, flew through the city, the pair clad in jester costumes, one in blue with a round, red fake nose, red circles around her eyes and frills around her neck, one in red with her nose uncovered and with blue stripes over her eyes.

“Oh this is terrible!” The one in blue, Flitter, cried out.

“Terrible, oh this is!” The one in red, Cloudchaser, echoed.

“We must tell her at once!” they both cried out together.

Flitter turned down towards an alley, while Cloudchaser watched with an irritated frown.

“Correct way to going, that is not!” She snapped matter-of-factly.

Flitter blinked, turning to her twin in emberassment. “I-I knew it was not the right way!”

“Really?” Cloudchaser questioned, tilting her head to the side and narrowing her eyes in suspiscion. “Wondering, sometimes I am....”

“N-now is not the time to be wondering!” Flitter cried.

“Her majesty is in danger!” They both shouted together.

The pair dashed past several ponies who gazed at the pair in confusion, annoyance or mild curiosity, while Cloudchaser flew down a stairway leading downwards, Flitter folding her hooves and frowning.

“That is not the right way!” Flitter snapped.

Cloudchaser blinked and turned to her, looking sheepish. “It N-not right way, I was knowing!”

Flitter frowned doubtfully. “Really? You know, I wonder....”

“T-time to be wondering, Now it is not!” Cloudchaser cried out.

“We must find the Queen!” They both cried out, flying up high above the city, and flying towards Canterlot Castle until they were out of sight.

Author's Note

Yep we’re doin this people. Where making this happen. We’re finally gonna do the Wedding.

Word of warning, this one is gonna have a lot more songs than usual so uh, if you’re annoyed by that sorry.

Flitter and Cloudchaser here are a reference to Zorn and Thorn, a pair of minor characters in the game Final Fantasy 9, the scene directly mirroring their debut scene in the game (well, at least to the best of my memory).

Hope you all enjoyed it and please comment!