The Fifth Princess

by Omegathyst

Rating: everyone
Tags: Romance, She-Ra, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: The Movie, Princess Celestia, Slice of Life, Crossover, Alternate Universe, Main 6, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 2176

MLP AU, Retelling of the MLP Movie. When the Horde takes over Canterlot, the Mane 6 defeat them with allies from outside of Equestria. Adora joins them, ending and beginning new friendships along the way. Two-part story.

MLP AU, Retelling of the MLP Movie. When the Horde takes over Canterlot, the Mane 6 defeat them with allies from outside of Equestria. After Shadow Weaver betrays her, Adora befriends Twilight and cuts ties with the defeated Horde. Will Equestria accept her? And what friendships will end and begin because of it?

Short two-part story for Glimmadora week, may or may not write a longer sequel expanding this AU.

Published 2018-12-22 06:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-05-02 18:59:46 UTC

Backstory: After the Movie

Instead of the Storm King's army, it was the Horde that took over Canterlot with Adora doing the Shadow Weaver's dirty work.

Adora remembered when she was growing up as a young earth filly with a dull yellow coat and sky-blue eyes, she had a clumsy walk and a best friend to help her with the world: A bipedal and heterochromic light brown cat named Catra. As a kitten, Catra stood at the same height as Adora. But as the two friends grew up, Adora grew up to have a body that was even sleeker and taller than most earth ponies. It was clear to both of them that Adora had a special destiny.

Their suspicions were confirmed when Shadow Weaver had brought back a glowing sword and gave it to Adora, causing a transformation that nopony expected.

She had turned into an even taller alicorn with bright blue eyes and a ever-flowing blonde mane in the wind, wings that were longer than Celestia's, and adorned with golden battle armor on her body and head. Shadow Weaver was overjoyed, declaring that Adora would be the Force Captain to lead the army to take over Canterlot.

Adora was proud, remembering what Shadow Weaver had said about how ponies used magic for trivial things, such as parties and friendships. And when the Horde takes over Equestria, magic will be used for knowledge and power. It'll be used for the Horde to conquer even more dimensions and territories across the universe, the possibilities were endless! Adora even dreamed of ruling different parts of Equestria with her new lover, Catra.

Or at least, so it seemed. After months of strict training, Adora appeared more than ready to wield her weapons and take down the Equestrian capitol. But even though that was successful, there was one princess that had slipped from their grasp: Princess Twilight Sparkle. The purple alicorn had taken her five friends on a journey to find new allies to take back Canterlot.

It had succeeded. Even though Adora had managed to capture Twilight, her friends came back to Canterlot with a group of parrots, a hippogriff, and another bipedal cat that looked way too similar to Catra. When Shadow Weaver managed to absorb all the magic from the four princesses with Adora's sword, she had ripped the sword out of Adora's hooves and cackled over her latest victory.

Adora felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest, she no longer meant anything to the shadow-like being that had raised her like a mother. With her remaining earth pony strength, she fought Shadow Weaver until she tossed Adora over the balcony. Twilight saved her in the name of friendship, and in return, Adora saved her and her friends by destroying Shadow Weaver's black garnet. Twilight then used the sword to bring magic back to Equestria.

The festival commenced, with the pop star Songbird Serenade singing a beautiful song for everyone in the crowd. But Adora could hardly focus, let alone celebrate with everyone else. The ponies of Equestria faced off against the creatures of the Horde, and Adora had chosen her side when she turned against Shadow Weaver.

And Catra, her dear Catra! Where was she after all this? She couldn't have been killed, for the Equestrian ponies were too merciful. She saw stray Horde soldiers retreat from Canterlot, but Catra wouldn't have left without her right?

Her answer would quickly be answered when she saw Catra discreetly moving past the crowd to reach her, wearing none of the Horde armor that she always wore. She gently placed her paw on Adora's shoulder.

"I'm here now, let's go." Catra whispered. She immediately turned back towards the crowd to walk away when Adora placed her hoof on Catra's tail.

"Catra!" Adora whispered. "We...we need to talk."

"We can't talk when we're back with the Horde?" Catra's ears flattened.

"No, cause I won't be going back to the Horde." Adora confessed. "I fought and defeated Shadow Weaver with Twilight's help, she saved me and called me her friend."

"Ugh!" Catra spat, her nose raised in disgust. "You sound like the mushy pastel ponies that Shadow Weaver tried to keep you from becoming!"

"And how did she do that? Did she kill my family? Kidnap me?" Adora snapped. "I didn't even realize how evil the Horde was until Shadow Weaver took the princesses' magic and yanked my sword away from me."

"Adora, these ponies don't even know you like the Horde does. Like I do." Catra turned to face her, leaning her face close to Adora's muzzle. "We could've ruled part of Equestria together, and you took that away from us cause you suddenly weren't Shadow Weaver's precious daughter anymore! As if youever were!"

Songbird's song fell on deaf ears as everything stopped in Adora's eyes. Ponies around the two started to look and inch away from them. Twilight and her friends, who were only a few feet away, galloped to Adora's side.

"You do not talk to our friend like that." Applejack stared Catra down. "Shadow Weaver has clearly hurt a lot of ponies, especially Adora."

"Adora needs to surround herself with friends that have her best interests at heart; that care about her opinions." Rarity added.

"You could be a part of this too!" Twilight offered. "Every creature under the sun and moon deserves friendship and love. Equestria could really benefit from more creatures being a part of that."

Catra glared at Twilight one moment, and looked Adora the next.

"Please Catra..." Adora whispered. "Even if this relationship doesn't work out, I want you to be my friend here. I-"

"Save it, I don't even know if you ever cared about our relationship." Catra growled. "You threw everything away when you opposed Shadow Weaver. Even when she abused me, I never turned on her. You don't know true loyalty, you don't know how to love someone no matter what. Cause if you did, this wouldn't be happening right now."

"Catra, I-" Adora stopped when Catra turned around and ran away, giving her no chance to respond. Fluttershy and Pinkie surrounded each side of her, gently nuzzling her.

"Shadow Weaver can't hurt you anymore." Fluttershy promised, rubbing her hoof against Adora's leg.

"Yeah, don't let those two meanies ruin this party for you!" Pinkie grinned.

"Thank you six for being so kind to Adora. Even though we've confiscated her sword, she needs to come with us."

The Mane 6 and Adora looked from behind and saw Princesses Celestia and Luna standing side by side. Adora gulped, stepping forward.

The two sisters teleported back to their castle, and Twilight rested her wing on Adora's back before teleporting herself and Adora back to the castle as well.

Adora's Future in Equestria

Adora was in the Canterlot castle again, where she stood before Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight. Off to the side was some white unicorn stallion with a blue mane, holding a light pink alicorn foal.

I never saw that unicorn and foal during the attack, where were they this whole time?

"Adora, former Force Captain of the Horde." Celestia spoke. "You invaded Canterlot and stole magic from all of the princesses, and captured one of the ponies dearest to me."

Twilight blushed, but didn't say anything.

"You have a power that none of us have witnessed before: an earth pony that can transform into an alicorn with a sword." Celestia explained. "We don't know where this sword came from, but you will never have it ever again."

"I think that alone is fair punishment." Luna added.

Adora restrained herself from crying. She was beautiful and powerful with that sword! And now she would always be the earth pony that committed crime against Equestria, nothing more or nothing less.

"Adora, you don't need that sword to be the best version of yourself." Twilight told her. "You should come to Ponyville, where everyone loves you as you are."

"I don't know about that, Twi." Celestia whispered. "Maybe one day she can be there, but tensions are too high right now. She-"

"Mom?"

Adora froze when she saw the owner of that voice, a lavender alicorn mare with a long curly light pink mane and tail that sparkled. She wore a long blue cape that had a blue diamond at the neck part over her chest, and she had bright purple eyes.

"Princess Glimmer, what did I tell you about walking in during important meetings like this!" Celestia scolded her daughter.

"My other Mom said it was okay if I listened, it'll be important for when I attend to princess duties one day!" Glimmer insisted.

Adora tilted her head. Other Mom?

"I may have said that, but you shouldn't interrupt, Glim." Twilight left her spot next to Celestia and wrapped her wing around her daughter.

Adora felt her mind spinning; in her plan to capture all the Princesses, she never heard of a fifth princess. And this one was the daughter of Princesses Celestia and Twilight! How was that possible?

"Excuse my manners, this is Princess Glimmer, my daughter with Princess Twilight." Celestia explained to Adora. "We used a potion so we could reproduce, and Twilight carried my baby to full term."

"Looks like your wife's factual explanations have rubbed off on you." Luna snickered.

Wife?

But like her parents, Princess Glimmer had soft pastel colors that made her beautiful, and a light in her eyes that Adora never saw in any creature at the Horde.

A few moments passed before Glimmer stopped looking at her mother and looked at Adora, running towards her till their muzzles were close. Adora blushed, stepping back.

"Who's this, Mom?" Glimmer asked.

"This is one of the ponies you had to hide from." Celestia admitted. "She's no longer part of the Horde, but we don't know if she is to be trusted. She froze me and went after your other mother."

Twilight glanced at Celestia, and Glimmer took one step back, still looking at Adora. Adora's heart was beating, no one was talking.

Words, don't fail me now!

"H-Hi." Adora grinned. "I'm, uh, sorry that I did all of that. Very rude of me. My name's Adora."

Top-notch introduction, Adora.

"Can we keep her?" Glimmer asked. "After all, if you don't trust her in Ponyville, where else is she supposed to go? She should stay in the castle with me and Bow!"

"I suppose there's no problem with that." Celestia decided.

"Yeah!" Glimmer stretched out her right wing, pulling Adora in for a clumsy embrace. "You're going to love it here! Mom makes the best pancakes every morning, and Auntie Luna always makes sure I have great dreams! And..."

Glimmer stopped tapping the ground with her hooves, looking at Twilight.

"...You'll still be going back to Ponyville, huh."

"I'm sorry, Glim." Twilight stepped forward and pressed her muzzle to her daughter's. "My castle and my best friends are there, but you can come there next week! And, I could talk to your mother about bringing Adora to Ponyville."

Glimmer grinned, pulling away from Twilight to rest her head on her other mother's mane. Adora felt the warm fuzziness reach to her, leaving her with a longing for what was missing from her life for so long...

Love.

Twilight eventually separated from her daughter and left the castle, where Glimmer would gallop down the hallways leading to her room. Adora followed at the same speed, embracing the wind flowing through her hair.

Glimmer opened a door with her magic, leading to a very big room that had beds high enough for a winged-creature to reach. In the corner of the room, there was a bulky and brown earth stallion with a black mane sleeping in a pile of pillows. Glimmer used her magic to lift one of the pillows and hit the stallion in the face.

"Plfh!" The stallion grunted, eyes still closed. "Glimmer, I was trying to take a nap!"

"Sorry!" Glimmer grinned. "I wanted to introduce you to our new roommate, Adora! Adora, this is my best friend and personal bodyguard, Bow."

Bow's eyes flickered wide open.

"Oh, where did she come from?" Bow asked.

"She was being manipulated by the Horde." Glimmer explained. "Mom was so brave to get her out of that situation, she's safe here now."

Bow blinked.

"I hope we could be good friends." Adora gave a lop-sided smile, her mind on another plane.

Bow slowly stood up.

"I don't think we could be good friends."

"Oh, I-"

Before Adora could apologize, Bow leaped out of the pillows and nearly tackled Adora, wrapping his hooves around her in a hug.

"I think we're going to be great friends!"

Glimmer giggled as she wrapped both Adora and Bow in a hug with her wings. The warm fuzziness Adora felt earlier paled in comparison to now, that warmth was a fire to protect these ponies fiercely, to never leave their side.

Adora looked into Glimmer's eyes, and knew that a much better future was here with her.