Chapter 3: The Royal Wedding

Since when am I Faust?
Chapter 3: The Royal Wedding

I clenched my teeth as Cadance pulled another shard from my back. She had been at this for a while now, easily over an hour from what I figured. When I had woken up, Cadance filled me in on some details and gave me some time to adjust to my situation. When I was ready, she started pulling the shards out.

It was not fun. While she was helping me, our only source of light was Cadance's horn. She used that as a surgical light as she worked, pulling them out one by one like thorns from a cactus. I had the job of pouring the water from a stream she found on my wounds. The cold water was surprisingly soothing to the touch, but it did nothing to nullify the pain.

She spat the crystal out of her mouth and looked to see how many were left. "Okay, Lauren, two more, but these are a little larger," Cadance warned.

I nodded and gave a quiet, "Okay…" as I tensed up and waited for her to pull the next one. This one was in my wing. As she bit down on it, I clenched my teeth. I tried to keep my cries to a minimum, but the sudden jolt of her pulling the shard back through my wing was painful enough to make my knees buckle.

"Aarrgghh!" I yelled out, and I collapsed to the ground. My body was shaking, and my heart rate sped up. Gritting my teeth, and I shut my eyes as I prepared for the next one.

Cadance spat the shard out and looked me over, "Alright, last one." She said, inspecting it, tapping her chin as she tried to find the best way to pull it out. Although it was only a moment, for me, her pause felt like an eternity. I waited in anticipation for her to grab the next one.

With my body quaking, I scrunched up my face and pleaded, "Just get it over with already!"

Cadance sighed and grabbed the last one pulling it out with a sudden jolt. The sickening sound as it left my flesh was enough to make my stomach churn. I covered my mouth and screamed as the pain shot through me again. I hammered the ground with my foreleg and waited for it to subside. I was breathing heavily, and my coat was damp with blood, sweat, and tears. It was gross. My heartbeat also rang through my ears. Looking up from the ground, I turned and looked at Cadance with a weak smile.

"Thank you…" I breathed. My voice was quivering, and my whole body was shaking.

I was glad that my torment was over. But as I looked up at the cave system, I knew this was just the beginning of my day. Taking a deep breath, I tried to stand. As I did, my legs began to shake, and they gave out under me. With a yelp, Cadance ran to my side and helped me up. I was thankful for her help. I draped my wing over her back, leaning on her for support,

"Come on, Cadance, let's get out of here,"

We moved slowly across the room, and I was limping because of my rear leg. Making our way towards the hole Cadance had made. There was a soft light in that direction. When we made it over there, I noticed the rubble from the wall that fell. I tried to trek my way up the slope, but I slid and fell, landing on my stomach.

Cadance gave a concerned sigh and pulled me closer as she helped me up the rubble. By the time I had made it to the other side, I was panting.

"You alright, Lauren?"

"Yeah... I'll be… fine." I gasped.

Cadance gave me a look of concern. But she decided to listen to me, and we continued moving. With her help, I limped my way about ten feet from the opening. Then we both heard an odd sound.

The room we came from suddenly became illuminated with an emerald glow. I began to feel nervous because I knew I couldn't protect Cadance, or myself, in my current state. The two of us looked back with tired eyes, awaiting whatever the green glow would reveal. It stayed there a moment longer, and then the light began to die down. When the light was gone, our eyes had to readjust to the low light of the cave. We stared forward, and out of the darkness, we saw a dim purple light appear.

"Hello… is anyone there…" A young female voice called out.

We could tell that she was afraid and unsure where she was, and I felt myself sigh in relief. My heart went out to whoever was trapped with us, but I was glad that Chrysalis had not come back to finish what she had started. As for who was down here with us, I was confident I knew who it was, but I was reluctant to trust that it wasn't a trap to lure us in.

Cadance looked at me, and her face said it all. She was nervous, and her eyes were asking if she should respond. I hesitated, weighing our options. I gave her a weak smile and nodded, holding her tighter with my wing. The two of us turned back to the room. Both of us ready for whatever faced us.

"Over here!" Cadance answered, and we heard our new guest walk across the room. The two of us listened as she climbed over the rubble. Small rocks fell as she rose. Our eyes had been slowly readjusting to the darkness. Then we saw her walk into the light. Cadance tilted her head in confusion as she recognized the mare before her.

"Twilight?"

Twilight's eyes widened, and the purple unicorn instantly leaned down, getting into an attack position. The light from Twilight's horn brightened and was accompanied by a charging sound. My eyes went wide as I realized what was happening. I turned, yelling, "Get down!" As I pushed Cadance to the ground.

We fell, narrowly avoiding the beam of magic Twilight had shot at us. As I hit the ground, I slid on a wet stone and fell into a crevice, my body becoming hidden in the shadows. I grit my teeth as my wounds reminded me of their presence. Weakly I leaned up from the ground and looked at Twilight, only to see her charging up another spell.

"Stop!" I cried out. My voice was weaker than usual. But with the effort that I put into it, I was able to reach Twilight over the sound of charging magic. She turned her head and looked in my direction, noticing me for the first time. The light from her horn just barely illuminated my face.

"The one who sent you down here was an imposter. This is the real Cadance," I explained, pointing at the pink alicorn. Twilight raised an eyebrow at my explanation; she looked over to Cadance.

"Prove it!" She demanded.

Cadance glanced at me and then looked at Twilight. She put a hoof to her chest and took a deep breath, calming herself down before approaching the angry mare. Cadance walked forward, and Twilight backed up slightly. Her horn flared up, ready to fire if Cadance tried anything. The pink pony looked in her eyes and gave a weak smile. Then she started dancing.

"Sunshine, sunshine, Ladybugs awake." She reached out and fist-bumped Twilight, "Clap your hooves…"

"And do a little shake…" Twilight finished, looking at her hoof. She looked back up at Cadance and smiled. She then leaped onto the alicorn in a warm hug. "You remember me!"

Cadance smiled, "Of course! How could I forget the filly I loved to sit for the most." The two enjoyed the hug for a moment longer before laughter could be heard from the cavern ahead. Green flashes were appearing and disappearing away.

The two ponies noticed the flashes of Chrisyilis's retreat. They separated their hug and nodded to each other. "We have to get out of here!" Twilight exclaimed. Cadance ran over to my side and helped me up.

The pain was manageable now, but I was still limping as I walked. Even so, I hobbled as fast as I could. When Twilight saw me walk out of the shadows with Cadance, her eyes shrunk at seeing my injuries.

" Oh, my goodness! What happened!?" She said as she quickly ran over to support my other side.

Glancing down at her, I noticed how the purple unicorn was a little shorter than me. I breathed out and gave a sad smile. "The cave fell in, and my magic was temporarily low."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that…" Twilight said as she glanced down for a moment understanding the consequences of the situation. She also noticed how she was somewhat drained since sinking into that portal.

"Thank you, and I'm glad you are willing to help me out here now. I appreciate it." After I thanked her, I let my other wing drape over her back. This let me shift my weight off of Cadance a little more. My action caused Twilight to glance at my wing. Then she looked up at my horn. Her head then spun around again as she looked back at my wing. She did this several times as her mouth bobbed open like a fish. I chuckled to myself, and from my side, I could see Cadance smiling to herself as well.

"Wha… bu...who... How? ... !?" Twilight stammered as she tried to pull the pieces together. Her eyes were wide open, and she stared at me.

"W-Who are you!?"

I looked at the unicorn and smiled, "My name is Lauren. I'm Celestia and Luna's mom. It's nice to meet you, Twilight." From my other side, I could hear Cadance quietly counting as she looked the other direction. Probably trying to hide her amusement. "And three, two, one..." She whispered.

Suddenly Twilight's head snapped to look at me, and she stopped in her tracks. To be honest, I almost fell over as she did. But I held onto Cadance with my wing, and the two of us continued walking. As we made our way down the path, we heard as Twilight's mind rebooted.

"Y-You're Celestia's MOM!" She exclaimed. She was almost in full freak out mode as she ran back up to my side.

"Twilight, calm down," Cadance said, looking concerned.

The unicorn was running in place. "How can I!? She's Celestia's mother! I have so many questions!" She then hopped in front of us and looked up to me, "Wait! Why have I never heard of you?"

It was at this point that I would have expected Lauren to take over. But, to my surprise, Cadance spoke up in our stead. She leaned forward so she could see Twilight and said, "Do you remember the time we went to the memorial fountain in the middle of Canterlot?"

The unicorn's eyebrow raised at the alicorn's question. "Yes? But what does that... Ohh..." Her eyes widened again as she stared.

Cadance smiled, seeing that the purple unicorn had remembered that day. She continued, "That statue, the one in the center of the fountain, it was made in honor of her. The mare who saved Equis from the darkness and led us to a better generation, Lauren, Faust."

I felt my heart flutter as she said this, and I smiled. It was fascinating to learn, even if it was only a small amount, just what type of person Lauren was before we met. On the other hand, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease Cadance. Her speech was just too polished, like something you would read in a book. I looked at the pink alicorn and raised an eyebrow as a grin plastered itself on my face. "You did your research after my return, didn't you?"

Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, "Well, I was curious..." She said, looking away sheepishly. I hugged her tighter with my wing. Then, I let my head lean over and rest on her, "I'm glad." Cadance smiled and returned the improvised hug.

Meanwhile, Twilight returned to my other side, lost in her thoughts. A moment later, she turned to Cadance, "But, I thought that story was just a legend," She said this as she glanced up at me.

"You would be surprised at how many stories will turn out to be true," I smiled, and I found it all the more amusing as I thought of my own situation.

The unicorn looked down, contemplating this thought, and the three of us continued walking in silence. We came across a ravine at the bottom of the cavern, and Twilight teleported us all across. Afterward, she had to rest for a minute because transporting Cadance and me put a lot of strain on the unicorn. While Twilight recovered from her headache, I took the opportunity to sit down and relax.

Ahead of us, Cadance was looking around for a pathway we could use. Just as my muscles began to relax, she came around the corner and directed us to a minecart. It was filled with rocks, and it was on a track that spiraled down.

At the end of that spiral, the tracks turned upwards, facing an exit blocked off with boulders. The two mares looked at one another as if contemplating whether or not they could make it. They took rocks out of the minecart and looked over at me expectantly.

"Well..." Cadance said, indicating for me to get in. My heart sped up at the very thought, and I desperately called out to my passenger for help.

Lauren, I don’t want to go on the cart!

She didn't respond, but I could feel that she felt the same way. I looked around, hoping to find any other alternative route, but there weren't any. Reluctantly, I lifted my front leg and leaned forward; an unsure expression dawned on my face, and I hesitated. Looking down, I observed how the track had collapsed a long time ago; and I had no desire to be thrown into that pit. I just couldn't bring myself to get into this death trap.

My hesitation worked against me, though, because as Twilight finished removing all the rocks, my still form made it easy for her to place me in the cart. I was shaking my head furiously, and Cadance climbed in front of me. Twilight grabbed the back of the cart and pushed to get it going.

Its rusty wheels slowly broke free from their corrosion, and with a sudden jolt, we were off. Spiraling down the track, the two of us in the cart leaned to the right, trying desperately to keep the cart from derailing. Meanwhile, Twilight had grabbed onto the back of the cart and was trying to keep from being thrown off. As we neared the bottom, the track straightened out, and the cart rocketed down towards the broken part of the bridge.

"Ahhhh!" The three of us cried as we launched into the air. Despite the pain, I unfurled my wings and used them to glide. Cadance and I also grabbed hold of Twilight, and the three of us watched as the cart fell into the abyss.

Twilight sighed in relief, and the three of us landed on the other side. I didn't mean to, but once we were over solid ground, I tried to let the purple unicorn down gently. My arm gave out, and she tumbled into the ground. Meanwhile, I skidded on shaky legs and collapsed, sliding to a halt while lying on my stomach. Cadance was the only one out of the three of us to have a graceful landing.

I stretched, letting my joints pop and slide into place. I was so looking forward to getting out of here. Groaning, I pushed myself up from the ground. From our new vantage point, we could see some light flowing in from the ceiling of the cavern.

Lauren, are we able to take everyone this time? I don't want to put Twilight under too much strain.

(I would, but taking three of us requires a lot of concentration. In our state, we could miss it. I won't risk that.)

"Okay." I nodded. Then looked up, "one more..." I whispered out, looking at the light. Cadance walked up, and I draped my wing over her back. Thankfully, I was no longer bleeding, but my muscles were still aching. Seeing the light of day filled the three of us with hope. I pulled Twilight in, partially for my own support. But I also wanted to include her in the hug I was giving Cadance. The three of us stood on the ledge huddled close together.

Twilight looked at Cadance, "Ready?"

"Ready!" She nodded. Then the unicorn looked at me, "Lauren?" I smiled and gave her a firm nod but said nothing.

"Okay, then." The purple mare looked directly at her target. Twilight's eyes narrowed, and her horn shined bright. There was a sound like charging electricity. And, the light from her horn quickly expanded and enveloped the three of us. With one quick poof, we were gone.

We appeared on the other side, and I clutched the unicorn tightly to keep her from falling over. Twilight brought a hoof up against her head and massaged her temple. The sudden headache was taking its toll on the pony.

Suddenly, the sound of falling pebbles caught our attention. From the cave's exit, we saw three mares emerge. It was the three bridesmaids that followed Chrysalis around. It felt somewhat unsettling watching the faces of Lyra and Minuette staring at us with those wicked smiles. I did not recognize the third pony; she was an off-white cream color, and her mane was deep pink. Twilight stepped back, as did Cadance.

"Why are they here?" The unicorn exclaimed.

I stood up straight and faced our adversaries, "They're Changelings." Cadance walked forward to stand with me. We both stared down the trio approaching us, and I continued, "They are creatures that take the form of someone you love and feed off of your love for them."

I finished my explanation, and the pink mare looked disgusted. A frown made its way onto her muzzle. The trio approached us. Lowering their heads, they said with a hiss, "You're not going anywhere." As they spoke, they bared their teeth. They obviously forgot that they were wearing disguises because it looked more silly than threatening.

Cadance huffed, tossing her mane to the side, "Yeah, right!" She said, and her horn lit up with a bright pink hue.

A nearby boulder suddenly broke free from the ground. It was flat on one side and round on the other. Cadance then threw it at the three, and it swept them all up against the wall. There was a sudden cry of complaints from three as they realized they were trapped.

"Come on, that won't hold them for long!" Cadance said, and the three of us began making a run for the exit. We could hear the sound of wings from behind the boulder as they tried to push it off of themselves. We ran up the pile of small stones and found ourselves to be climbing out of a dried-up well. To our surprise, it was in the castle gardens. Cadance helped pull me out of the well, and the three of us made our way to the castle. I was still slowing them down, but this time I was able to take more of my weight as the two supported me.

When we got close to the castle, the guards at the doors took one look at me and began taking immediate action. They ran over and got two patrol guards to escort us through the castle. Castle staff and nobility were stunned to see the three of us walking through the halls. I was just glad that my coat had dried off by this point. As we walked up to a triple intersection in the hallway, Twilight and Cadance began pushing me to the right. "Girls, the wedding hall is this way!" I said, starting to struggle. They kept pushing. "You're going the wrong way!" I yelped, trying again.

Cadance didn't look at me. She simply stared forward to her destination and said, "We are going to the wedding hall. You, on the other hoof, are going to the hospital."

My head spun around as I looked at her, "But isn't that too far to go and come back to stop the wedding in time?"

It was now Twilight's turn to speak up, "Actually, Celestia had a medical wing installed when she moved to Canterlot. She did this in case a visitor or a castle member got hurt."

"Huh..." I looked down. I was a little disappointed to be shooed out of the action, but I understood their reasoning. Besides, it was as if there was already a silent agreement between the two mares and the guards escorting us, one that I had no say in. They directed me down the hallway towards the medical ward.

When we entered the hospital wing, and when the receptionist saw me, she threw her arms up with a shriek. Slamming her hoof on her intercom, she yelled into a mic, "Code red! Code red! Princess in need of medical attention, all ponies on deck!"

As she said this, we could see doctors running back and forth from behind the receptionist's desk. They panicked, hurrying to get their medical equipment ready. Papers and clipboards flew in the air and littered the back room. A moment later, the whole medical staff suddenly burst through the door. I was amazed they didn't fall.

They were all shocked at my state when they saw me, and I gave them a weak smile. The doctors swarmed me like piranhas and carried me into the back. As they did, I looked back at the two who had helped me get this far and waved. They waved back at me and then turned, running out the door.

It was strange; now that I knew I was being taken care of, a part of my mind had clicked. And I was suddenly able to feel just how bad I was.

"Oww..."

It was nearing the middle of the day when both the bride and groom stood before Celestia. The alicorn gave the couple a warm smile and began the ceremony. "Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor..."

The wedding was going smoothly, and Celestia managed to remember all of what she had to say for the ceremony. Before this, she had been going over her cue cards several dozen times. There were even days where she would bring them to Day-court with her. She would put an invisibility spell on them to spare the feelings of those who would come to visit her, but she still wasn't listening to what they said.

As she spoke, there were some things she found to be off. One thing that stood out to her was that her mother wasn't there. In the past, she had known Lauren to be forgetful at times, but this just wasn't like her. Another thing Celestia found perplexing was as the ceremony continued, Shining Armor seemed to be stiff, almost robotic. His odd behavior was especially evident when the couple's said their I do's. The captain spoke in a monotone voice, and he stared, almost as If he was looking past her.
Before she knew it, Celestia was making the announcement, "Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you…"

"Stop!" A voice rang out through the chapel. With a gasp, everyone turned to face the pony who spoke. There, standing in the back of the hall. The guests present gasped in shock as they turned to see none other than Twilight Sparkle, standing in the doorway. She looked over at Celestia with a serious expression on her face, one that yielded no arguments.

"Ugh! Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother!" 'Cadance' huffed, stomping the ground. As she did this, Celestia turned her head and looked at the pink pony with surprise.

"I-I mean, why does she have to ruin my special day," The changeling stammered, playing the 'poor me' act quite well. She even ended up squeezing out a few tears.

"Because it's not your special day! It's mine!" A similar voice rang through the wedding hall as Cadance, the real Cadance, stepped through the doorway. Once the crowd saw the two identical Princesses on either side of the hall, the ponies looked back and forth in shock.

Even the changeling sputtered at seeing Cadance. "What? But how did you escape?

Twilight stepped forward, "We traveled up,"

"Hmph. Clever. But you're still too late." The changeling declared triumphantly.

"I-I don't understand. How can there be two of 'em?" Applejack asked. The rest of the audience nodded, silently agreeing with the orange pony's confusion.

Keeping her eyes on her double, Cadance explained, "She's a changeling. She takes the form of somepony you love and feeds off of your love for them!"

The 'Cadance' on the stage smirked at the accurate but straightforward evaluation. With an evil grin, she hunched over and was suddenly engulfed in flames. Through the green fire, the audience watched as the silhouette grew larger and larger. Then as quickly as the fire appeared, it wisped away into nothingness. Standing in her place was an unknown creature. It was as tall as Celestia, if not taller, and its body was black with a shell resembling an insect's body. Its legs were long and riddled with holes. She looked the crowd over and began to laugh hysterically.

"Oh, my! You should see your faces!" Chrysalis laughed as she walked across the stage; she continued. "Yes, I am a changeling. And as Queen of the changelings, it is up to me to find food for my subjects. Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered. My fellow changelings will devour so much of it. We will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!"

"They'll never get the chance! Shining Armor's protection spell will keep them from ever even reaching us!" Cadance stated with confidence.

Chrysalis stopped and chuckled a little bit at Cadance's comment. She then looked at the alicorn and smiled with a sly grin. "Oh, I doubt that. Isn't that right, dear?" The changeling turned to look at Shining Armor. He was wearing a very distant expression on his face and a monotone, "Mm-hmm." escaped his lips as he nodded.

Cadance looked at her betrothed with worry and turned back to the Queen with an angry scowl. She ran forward, closing the distance between her and the Queen.

"Ah, ah, ah. Don't want to go back to the caves, now do you?" Chrysalis warned.

Cadance halted her approach and frowned at the changeling in frustration. Satisfied with the alicorn's reluctant obedience, the Queen continued her explanation, returning to the stage to use Shining as a prop of some sort. "Ever since I took your place, I've been feeding off Shining Armor's love for you. Every moment he grows weaker, and so does his spell. Even now, my minions are chipping away at it."

She tilted her head and directed attention to many black dots banging against the shield above Canterlot. Everyone who saw this began as an uneasiness fell upon them.

Smirking, Chrysalis pushed on towards the punchline as she lifted Shining's head with her hoof. "He may not be my husband, but he is under my total control now. And I'm sorry to say, but he is unable to perform his duties as 'Captain of the Royal Guard!"

Excitement began to fill the changeling, and her wings began to buzz, hovering her above the stage. "Soon, my changeling army will break through. First, we take Canterlot. And then, all of Equestria!" The changeling boasted.

"No, you won't."

"W-What!?" The changeling stammered, looking behind her. Standing there stood Celestia and Luna, and both looked prepared for a fight. Chrysalis stepped back; she had somehow forgotten about those two.

Celestia stepped forward, "You may have made it, so Shining Armor isn't able to perform his spell." She lunged at the changeling and the two locked horns, "But that does not mean we are defenseless!"

Celestia pulled away from the Queen and flew high above the stage. Her horn started to glow a brilliant gold, and she fired a beam of magic at the changeling. Chrysalis responded with a beam, and the two trails of magic collided in the middle. The collision's resulting force blew back a few ponies and decorations as they both struggled to overpower one another.

While this was happening, Twilight looked up at Luna with a confused stare, "Princess Luna, I thought you would be sleeping by now." The alicorn just looked down at the unicorn and smiled, "Young Twilight, I would never miss my niece's wedding. No matter how tired I might be..." She finished by wiping her eyes and giving a yawn.

"Aww, that's so sweet..." Cadance cooed.

Back at the battle between Celestia and the changeling, Chrysalis screamed as the golden beam neared her head. "Ah...ah ugh Ahhh!" Then suddenly, she glared up at the Solar Princess with a smirk. "Good acting, right!?"

"What!?"

Chrysalis's beam of green magic suddenly shot forward to the surprise of everyone, easily overpowering Celestia. The alicorn watched in shock as the beam quickly overpowered her own. Right before it struck her, Celestia dove down and dodged the attack; she came around spinning in the air and delivered a flying kick to the changeling while she did.

Chrysalis flew into a nearby pillar. She shook her head and zipped out of the way before the Princess embedded her hoof print into the structure. The audience had moved to either side of the hall, letting the princess battle it out in the middle.

The changeling landed on her hooves, sliding backward as she avoided another attack from Celestia. The white mare flew towards her target and shot multiple blasts at the changeling while. Chrysalis dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the shots, only to be bucked across the room as the Princess passed by.

Furiously beating her wings, the Queen caught herself in the air just before being thrown out the window. She dove to the ground facing upwards, and Celestia passed over her. As the two were over the top of one another, Chrysalis shot a beam at the Princess at point-blank range. There was a resulting boom, and the audience was forced to shield their eyes from the blinding flash.

Once the light died down, the Princess laid on the ground, motionless. Her feathers were burnt, her fur was charred, and a look of pain was on her face. The changeling looked down at Celestia and then glanced at her hooves. She smiled an evil grin. "Haha! I've become even more powerful than…"

"You're not done yet!" Luna interrupted as she shot the changeling out of the air. Chrysalis spun in the air and landed on all fours, glaring at the Princess.

"But I've still won!" She hissed through her teeth. At that moment, the shield over Canterlot shattered, and the attack began. "Time's up anyway, and my work here is done."

Luna snorted and shot rapid beams of magic from her horn. Each bolt was hitting their target with enough force to shake the room. On the other side of the room, Chrysalis was being pushed back, and her shell would crack with each blast of Luna's barrage.

Chrysalis zapped Luna with a bolt of lightning with a grunt, and the alicorn was thrown across the room. As Luna flew through the air, she maneuvered herself to land on the wall; she used it to rebound and shot herself at her target. She came face to face with the changeling and then vanished. A moment later, Luna appeared behind her and blasted the bug across the room with an explosion.

Chrysalis flailed her limbs around as she was blasted away, and she hit the wall above the double doors to the wedding hall. Shaking her head, she wiped her cheek and stood up on the wall with a hiss. From near the ceiling, the changeling then glanced at Shining Armor and over to the Princess. A sly smirk made its way onto her face, and she dropped to the grown feigning defeat, "Damn it." She cursed, and with a flare of her horn, Shining Armor began to sink into the ground. His distant gaze was utterly unaware of his surroundings.

Cadance let out a yelp as she ran up to Shining, and she tried to hold onto him. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep him up, and he disappeared from view. Now that her insurance was guaranteed, the changeling vanished in a cloud of green flames. She vanished a mere moment before Luna blasted a beam of magic that rocketed through the castle. It shook the castle's foundations when it hit the end of the hallway, and the alicorn grunted in frustration.

"She got away…" Luna growled, then she turned and looked at the guests. They were all huddled up against the wall. Cadance was standing with Twilight and her friends, and just outside the windows, Canterlot was under siege.

She walked up to her older sister and looked down at her. "Tia, are you alright?"

"Yes, Luna, I'm just a bit stunned. I wasn't expecting her to be that powerful."

"Will you at least try not to underestimate our enemies next time? You have always had a bad habit of that sister."

Celestia smiled and stuck her tongue out at her sister, and Luna rolled her eyes. "Sister, I will go and search for the Queen. While you recover, stay here, and protect these citizens." Celestia nodded to her sister's words and lifted herself into a position where she was still on her stomach, but she was sitting upright. Luna then turned to Cadance, Twilight, and her friends and said, "The seven of you, go retrieve the elements of harmony to defeat the Queen. Time is of the essence, so everypony move out!" They nodded and ran out the door.

Luna sighed and yawned. She was too damn tired for all this crap. She walked over to the doors and looked back at the citizens still cowering against the walls. "All of you are to stay here. The situation is being dealt with as swiftly as possible." With that, she shut the doors and began her search for the changeling.

As Luna ran down the hall, from the ceiling above the door, the changeling smiled, "She took the bait."

Running through the halls, Lyra, Minuette, and Lillybreeze made their way to the castle's medical wing. They had just received a letter from the castle staff, it didn't specify any details, but they were told to be there as soon as possible. The two mares panicked as they saw what happened to the shield around Canterlot and all the stage creatures pouring in.

There was the sound of a battle outside, and not too long after they received the letter, the castle shook.

Lilly was the one leading the group as they ran. She looked stressed and worried. The other mares had some trouble keeping up with her. While they ran, they came to a three-way junction in the hallway. The three mares slowed down and nervously checked down the aisle, the coast was clear, and no one was headed in their direction. They turned into the hallway and walked about partway before they saw Princess Luna running their direction.

Minuette held out her arm and called out, "Princess Luna!" But, Lilly quickly swatted her arm down and hushed her friend. This was confusing to the two others, but the disguised changeling could feel that something wasn't right. There was a presence in the room, one that she was all too familiar with. The maid looked at the Princess and saw that she was eyeing the three of them with caution. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw a glint, just for a second, but it was enough,

Lillybreeze suddenly ran towards the Princess, and Luna automatically got into a defensive stance. What the alicorn didn't expect, though, was for the maid to jump at her and shout, "Look out!"

Luna loosened her stance just enough for her to be knocked down as the maid collided with her. An incoming beam narrowly grazed them as they fell, and a small crater was on the stone floor where the beam impacted the ground. The two looked up, and from the shadows, the Queen emerged, and the maid stepped back. Lillybreeze had hoped never to see her mother again. She suddenly regretted staying in the castle for as long as she did.

Luna stood up and got into a defensive stance, blocking the castle maid with her wing. "The three of you get out of here; I'll handle this."

Lyra and Minuette were eager to listen, but as they turned to leave, they stopped and looked back at their friend. Lillybreeze hadn't moved; instead, she stood up straight and looked at the Queen.

Chrysalis had also been staring at the maid. She was seething with rage, now it all made sense, how that red-maned runt had called her out, how she had gotten ahold of the special changeling tea. The Queen bared her fangs as she walked forward.

Both Lyra and Minuette were calling their friend, but their words went unheard. Luna used her wing to separate the maid from the changeling, but she was caught off guard when the maid stepped forward. "Hello, mom, it's been a while." She said and let her disguise fall. If her friend made any noise from the shock of seeing her true form, she didn't hear it. Adorilin was wholly focused on the changeling standing directly in front of her, livid as she pieced it all together.

"You!" Chrysalis hissed, "You were the one… The one who got them to put up a protection spell. The one who told that runt about me. The one who threw a wrench in all of my plans! It's all your fault... All of it was YOU!!" She hissed and shot a beam at the smaller changeling. Adorilin hopped to the side, trying to dodge, but the shot still grazed her.

As Adorilin winced from the new injury, she saw a larger bolt coming right for her, and the Proto Queen flinched away, scrunching up her eyes, and waited for the impact. It never came through. She slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see a blue shield in front of her. She looked up in confusion and saw Luna smiling at her. She looked at the alicorn as if to say, 'but why?' And Luna breathed out as she hardened her gaze on the Queen, changeling in front of the two.

"You are saying that this one here has been our ally. Then she is under my protection." The Princess of the Night declared, and a wave of power rolled off the alicorn.

Beside her, the young changeling looked down as if contemplating something, and then she turned to the two cowering mares at the end of the hallway. She could feel the fear that they now had for her, and it made her feel sad, but Adorilin also knew that if they stayed here, they would either get in the way, or get hurt, or both. Sighing, the Proto-Queen got up and stepped towards her friends, "The two of you should go. I'll help Princess Luna here. As for, well, what I am… I will explain later." She said.

Minuette was about to respond, but a glance from Luna told her just to listen. The blue mare then pulled Lyra down the hall and onwards to their original destination. Now it was just the one pony and two changelings in the empty hallway. Luna lowered the shield and got ready for battle.

Chrysalis just looked at her daughter with disappointment, "And are you going to fight me, Adorilin?"

The Proto-Queen looked down the hallway to where her friends had left. Then with a determined expression, she looked back to her mother with a determined smile, "To save my friends, I'll do anything."

Sighing, the Queen shook her head and looked her daughter in the eyes, "Then, as an enemy of the hive. I will have to kill you," Chrysalis said with a sad frown.

"I know," Adorilin said, her gaze unfaltering as her mother planned her demise. Suddenly Chrysalis launched at her daughter and slammed her hoof into the ground where her daughter stood. Adorilin jumped upwards at the last moment and flew above her mother. The two shot at each other, and their attacks met in the middle.

The proto Queen landed on the ground behind Chrysalis, and Luna shot at the changeling Queen. The beams hit Chrysalis and caused small explosions on impact; this made Chrysalis lose her footing. As she stammered in place, Adorilin jumped forward and slammed into her mother, sending Chrysalis into the wall.

The Queen bared her fangs and blasted a barrier around her, throwing Adorilin away. Luna shot a beam at Chrysalis, and she returned with her own. It quickly overpowered the blue alicorn and exploded on impact. The resulting force threw Luna against a pillar, and she struggled to move. Chrysalis was breathing heavily from that last attack, but she was quickly regaining her strength. Standing up straight, the changeling grunted and looked at her daughter. "You've gotten better."

Adorilin grinned, "Well, you did get Pharynx to teach me everything he knew…"

"That I did. If you had decided to join us, we could have easily killed another alicorn or handle the rest of them with ease. It's a shame; I had hoped you wouldn't be like your older sisters." Chrysalis said, and a disappointed smile made its way onto her face.

Luna's head shot up at hearing the phrase 'kill another.' "Wait, what did you say?... Kill another alicorn? You don't mean... no... you didn't!" Luna's pupils shrunk in the realization of who the Queen was referring to, "You couldn't have!" The alicorn pleaded, and the proto-queen beside her was struggling to understand what the two were talking about. She thought back to why she had been summoned to the hospital in the first place. Suddenly everything clicked in her head, and she shared Luna's horror-stricken expression.

"Oh, yes, that runt with the red mane. She was easy enough to deal with." The changeling smirked, enjoying the expressions they had as she confirmed their fears.

"Nooo!!!" Both the Lunar Princess and the Proto-Queen shouted. Adorilin dropped down weak in the knees out of grief. On the other hand, Luna suddenly found herself teleporting directly in front of Chrysalis. Her head pointed down at the changeling. "How dare you... How dare you kill my mother!!!" She growled through her teeth.

Chrysalis tilted her head to the side, "Mother?"

Rapid beams of magic then began to fire from Luna's horn. Each bolt was hitting their target with enough force to shake the room. Her cries echoed through the hall as she wept for the parent she barely knew.

Despondent thoughts raced through her mind, and the tears rolled down her cheeks. She should have been there; she could have changed things; she had only just got her mother back after all this time. All this time that she was alone and that hole in her heart had ached. Now that it had been filled, to have it ripped away from her again, it felt worse than death to Luna.

Flashes appeared in her mind, images of that horrible night. The night that her mom woke, both her and Tia up in the middle of the night. The day that she held the two of them and cried, the day she looked back at them with pained eyes and walked out of the room, only to vanish from her life for centuries.

A pain of grief, and anger, welled up inside the alicorn. And through her tears, she glared at the changeling who had stolen her mother from her. Luna manifested a dozen translucent swords and sent them at the changeling.

"Dammit! That hurts!" Chrysalis yelled as she blew up the ground that Luna stood on. The alicorn was thrown across the room and into the wall. It didn't do very much, though, because seemingly a moment later, she was back in the changeling's face, staring at her with eyes filled with pure hatred. They shifted slightly, and her eyes became slits like a dragon, and she breathed heavily through her fangs. Chrysalis looked at the alicorn with raised eyebrows, "Well, this is interesting…"

A large blue ball of magic began to form above Luna's head. She made sure to locate the insect through her blurry vision of tears; then, she threw it with a mighty roar. Upon impact, dust and debris flew through the room, and a thick black smoke loomed over the blast zone.

Luna dropped down to her knees and wept. Her magic had been exhausted. Her body was at its limit physically, and she was so tired she was struggling to keep her eyes open. Her anger towards the Queen subtly changed into sadness for her mother. Adorilin came up to her side and put a hoof on her shoulder. She could taste the sadness, and it was like breathing in humid air that filled her soul with sorrow.

From the end of the hallway, the thick cloud vanished at a burst of power from Chrysalis. And much to the frustration of the two, Chrysalis's wounds seemed to be disappearing before their very eyes. The changeling smirked at the two with a smug smile. "A good effort, you two, but as long as I'm connected to Shining Armor, I can use the love he supplies to heal my wounds. Though I must say, I didn't expect this much resistance to occur. And you, dear princess Luna, your power seemed to continue to grow with your anger. Well done, you certainly are much more a warrior than your sister. But, for how long can that hatred last... before you fully return to being Nightmare Moon?"

To add emphasis to her point, the changeling levitated a silver platter over to the night Princess. Luna's eyes shrank in shock once she saw her reflection, and the remaining tears in her eyes rolled down her cheeks. She then looked down at her hoof to see that her coat had gone pure black. Her mane had lost its form and flowed around her head like a fine mist.

This was the final nail in the coffin to the alicorn's psyche. Luna's heart suddenly felt like it had turned to ice, and her will to fight quickly withered. She slumped down to the ground to begin sobbing, muttering to herself about failing her subjects, herself, and her mother. She laid on the ground with her hooves over her head. She stared at her tears that fell to the ground. Her grief made her all the more tired.

Chrysalis looked down at the Princesses shivering form with a look of pity. "Such a weak creature... held captive by your emotions."

The Queen then shot a powerful bolt at Luna, but Adorilin quickly jumped in front of the blast and took the blow. The proto-queen winced in pain as she stumbled in place, but she remained firm and guarded the Princess. She stepped forward so that Luna was a little distance behind her.

"Oh? So you want me to kill you first?" Chrysalis sneered as she advanced towards her daughter. The little proto-queen felt compelled to retreat as her mother closed in, and she stepped back, second-guessing herself. The thought of her friends that she had made and her resolve to protect them flashed in her mind, and she breathed out dejectedly.

Stomping on the ground, Chrysalis spoke in an authoritative voice, "You rebelled against me and the hive."

Zap!

Adorilin cringed as her mother struck her with a bolt of lightning. Her knees buckled in pain from the shock.

"You Conspired with our enemies, giving them information to try to thwart my plans!"

Zap!

"Ahhh!" The little changeling cried as another strike hit her. This one threw her back a few feet, and she twitched on the ground.

"You are dead to me." A steady bolt of lightning struck the proto-queen. The sound of electricity echoed through the halls, and Adorilin cried in pain as the electric bolt moved through her body. She was on the ground now, struggling to crawl away from the monster she had once called mom.

"Now, sweetheart, goodnight." Chrysalis grinned, and her horn started to glow with a threatening hue of green. Luna and the Adorilin weakly looked up into the face of the crazed changeling. Above her head, a ball of green light began to grow, and electricity arced around it.

Regaining her wits at the last moment, Luna tried to put up a shield; but she had already used up everything she had in her barrage. With the last bit of her power, she made a shield. It was barely formed, and then it fizzled out into nothing. That last little bit of effort was her limit, and she now has a splitting headache and blurred vision. As she laid there, her coat regained its blue hue, and her features returned to normal.

Adorilin tried as well to put up a barrier, but she couldn't concentrate or think straight as her body convulsed from the lingering electricity moving through her body. She looked up at Chrysalis and saw that the Queen had finished building her ball of death. Chrysalis looked down at the changeling with an evil smile, and it only faltered when she glanced up for a moment.

"Huh?"

BLAST! FFFFFFHHHHHHOOOOOOPPPPPPHHHHHH!

Light was all Adorilin could see, as golden flames had exploded into the hallway, and they hung over her, and Luna, like a warm blanket rushing past. Instinctively the proto-queen covered her head and shut her eyes as the roaring fire shook the room.

After three seconds, the flames suddenly fell apart and vanished. Adorilin slowly opened her eyes and was surprised she was unharmed. The sound of footsteps drew the attention of both Luna and Adorilin. They looked up at who stood beside them and were stunned to see who was standing there. Tears of pain and anguish gradually became tears of joy, and smiles began to form on their faces.

Chrysalis was kneeling on the ground in her charred state, and as she looked up, a gurney slammed into her face, throwing her back. She tumbled, rolling into a ball with the hospital bed, before catching herself on the ground. The bed continued past her a little way, and the changeling looked towards the source of the attack.

Standing behind the Princess stood an off-white Alicorn. She had a crimson mane, and it flowed in an unfeeling wind. Her wings were covered in bandages, and she had a burgundy blanket over her back like a cape. She was staring directly at Chrysalis with a look of determination and rage. The changeling felt her confidence waver ever so slightly. Something was off, and it was telling every sense in her body that danger was approaching.

Ignoring the changeling, the alicorn knelt beside the two on the ground and gave them each a reassuring smile. Lauren lifted Luna's chin and wiped away her tears. "(Shhh, everything's okay now. You did well, Lulu.)" The blue alicorn's lip quivered, and her eyes shined as tears threatened to come out. With a sudden pull, she clamped onto her mother's leg for a hug. Lauren smiled and stroked her mane, Luna was shaking, and she gripped her mother's coat almost pleadingly. As Luna held onto her leg, Lauren smirked and ruffled the proto-queen's mane, reassuring her that everything was fine now. All the stress and anxiety that the young changeling had built up suddenly came crashing down on her, and she broke down into a blubbering mess.

Doctors and nurses ran into the room, and a moment later, Lyra and Minuette followed. They looked up at the holes covering the walls, the bits of ceiling that laid on the ground, and the soot that lined both sides of the hallway. All of them stared in shock and awe at the destruction. Then they saw the two on the ground, several nurses freaked out at the sight of the Princess, and others were more concerned with the two unknown creatures.

"My gurney!" One cried out, and the rest of the doctors raised an eyebrow at him. The one closest to him smacked him in the back of the head. "...I mean, oh my gosh! Are you two, okay!?"

The off-white alicorn was still facing the changeling, but turning her head slightly, she looked back at the doctors out of the corner of her eye. Gesturing to the two below her, she said with an authoritative voice, "All of you, help these two."

A doctor made a move to protest about the teenage changeling, but a fiery glance from the mare caused him to gulp and back down; he nodded and got to work obeying her command. The rest of the doctors hurried into action. They began treating the two on the ground, giving them bandages, magic stimulants, and other basic treatments for their injuries.

Glad that they were taken care of, the alicorn sighed and refocused on Chrysalis. The changeling had just finished healing herself, and she was preparing for a fight, pawing at the ground. The alicorn frowned and vanished in a flash of light. A moment later, she reappeared standing in front of the changeling Queen and stared her down.

"Now, as for you... There's someone who wants a word with you." Her words were calm and collected, but there was an undertone of venom in her voice. Chrysalis growled at the pony, opening her mouth to speak.

"Not here." The alicorn cut her off.

Suddenly a pillar shot out of the wall and blew the changeling through the exterior of the castle. Chrysalis flew through the air and landed in a heap in the central courtyard near the fountain. Several drones fighting royal guards in the area stopped as they recognized their Queen on the ground. Time seemed to freeze for them, and silence hung in the air as they waited for her to get up. Shakily, Chrysalis got off the ground and stood, healing herself from being blown through the wall. The alicorn teleported down, standing in front of her. Chrysalis got into a fighting stance and flared up her horn, ready for a battle.

The off-white mare slowly blinked, and as she opened her eyes again, a wave of power washed over the area. She stared into Chrysalis's eyes, and the changeling flinched. What she saw was no longer a young, inexperienced pony hiding her fear. No, now, she saw something completely different. Her eyes, they were ancient, full of experience, and bursting with confidence. A flame had been lit, and it burned just barely below the surface.

Chrysalis, although armed and ready for battle, found herself stepping back from the mare. There was a change in the pony that just made her feel uneasy. It was as if she had become a different person from a moment ago. Her power, the way she walked, but most of all, those ancient eyes.

Chrysalis caught herself retreating and shook her head to regain her composure. She grit her teeth and stared up at the sky and silently called the nearby drones for assistance. As she received a response from the hive-mind, she looked at the alicorn with a half-lidded stare. She dusted herself off and scoffed at the pony, "Don't think that just because you got a few hits in means that you have the advantage over me."

As she spoke, the nearby drones assembled themselves behind her, ready to engage. They all charged their horns, and on the Queen's command, all the changelings began to fire at Lauren. Chrysalis grinned and charged her attack. She shot a large beam of magic at the mare, and it exploded on impact.

The resulting smoke clouded their vision, and they waited in silence for the dust to clear. A soft breeze carried the smoke away, revealing the alicorn standing with the blanket she had tied around her neck. It had been swung around and held in the air in front of her. It glowed in her telekinetic grasp and showed a few dark spots from where the blasts made contact.

"H-How!? All my troops! And my own power! T-That blast was strong enough to defeat Celestia!" Chrysalis stammered, and the group behind her moved back slightly as they heard the last part of the Queen's rant.

Lauren's nose twitched at the mention of her eldest. She stretched her neck from side to side, chuckling to herself, "(Kids these days… none of you understand magic. You have no imagination, no ingenuity, and no sense of when you should keep your mouth shut.)" As she finished speaking, the venom in her voice made some of the royal guards who had been observing feel uneasy. Lauren's hair began to defy gravity, and a wind of power radiated off the mare.

Chrysalis's eyes widened, and she fired a blast at the pony. Lauren tossed the blanket off herself. It hardened in her telekinetic grasp, becoming like steel, and she deflected the oncoming attack with it. The blast flew into the air and away from Canterlot, dissipating through the air. The changeling shot another, and another, and another. Each one was tossed aside by the mare.

Finally, the changeling shot a large beam at the pony. A moment before it hit, she wrapped herself up in the blanket and let it carry her away. The beam just barely missed her, and it blew up the concrete where she had stood.

Lauren circled around, zipping through the courtyard. She unwrapped herself and dropped down, planting a solid kick onto Chrysalis's side. The changeling shot into the water fountain, blowing it up, and bits of it flew through the air. Lauren landed on the ground, and with a flash of her horn, the water spraying out became ice. It grew and wrapped around Chrysalis, encasing her.

As they saw this, the horde shot at Lauren in an attempt to defend their Queen. The alicorn disappeared from her spot and appeared behind the floating platoon. She narrowed her gaze at the horde, and that flame in her eyes reappeared. "(My turn.)"

The drones felt power rise in the atmosphere around them, and some began to retreat. The alicorn's horn lit up, and three magic circles formed in the air. They looked like vertical red disks, and they were as high off the ground as her snout. She blew into the first disk with a nonchalant expression in the same manner as someone would blow out a candle.

The air reverberated into a strong gust of wind, through the first multiplying several times over through each layer. As it reached the last one, the air displacement caused a shockwave, and it blasted the drones away in gale-force winds.

I watched as the shockwave carried the drones in front of me away. Lifting my hoof, I shaded my eyes and whistled as I watched the last one disappear from view. It was then that I noticed I was back in control.

Hey Lauren, you okay?

(Yes, Alex, I was just careless with my time limit. However, I have an idea of how to win, but I'll need you to buy me some time to figure the spell out. Just be careful, we have a little bit of mana left, and the magic stimulants the doctors gave us won't last much longer.)

"Okay…" I nodded and looked up at the fountain.

The cocoon of ice exploded with a flash of green light. The Queen shot into the air with a scream of anger. While up there, she looked down, searching for me. We made eye contact, and Chrysalis snarled at me. Her horn lit up, and a buzzing sound echoed through the city. Rising from the buildings behind her, I saw thousands of drones leaving their post converging on the central courtyard. Chrysalis took her place in front of them.

She and her whole army bared their fangs at me, and royal guards on the outskirts of the courtyard ran inside to protect themselves from the horde. As they all assembled, Chrysalis snarled at me, "I'm impressed. I had no idea you had such power and tricks up your sleeve. But even you cannot take on all of us." She lifted her arms, gesturing to the whole army.

"Yeah, I'll give you that...," I said sheepishly as I looked at the thousands above me. The changeling smirked, and all of them began charging their attacks.

I tried to hold the same confident smile on my face that Lauren had before, but I was admittedly getting nervous. There were too many to try using fire; it would only affect about one-eighth of the group at best. And that was about the only thing I knew how to do at this point, other than basic levitation. The stress was starting to get to me.

As I sat there wondering how I could get out of this situation, no less how I even got into it, the castle doors burst open. Cadance and Shining Armor ran out with an entourage of royal guards. The pink alicorn looked up at the army of changelings, and she frowned. Looking down, she spotted me in the center of the courtyard. I must have looked to be in rough shape because rather than calling out my name or some other greeting, the pink pony yelled out. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay!?"

Before I could respond, maniacal laughter echoed through the courtyard. Chrysalis slowly collected herself and looked down at the pink pony. An evil grin stretched across her face, and she said, "She won't be."

Cadance narrowed her gaze and stomped her hoof on the ground, "You will not touch her!"

The changeling smirked at the pink pony, "Oh, what are you and your little troops going to do? Frown at me?"

Cadance glared at her, and speaking with a firm voice, she said, "We will defeat you!" Turning her attention back to Shining Armor, she looked him in the eyes and whispered the last part, "Together." Shining nodded, and the two looked into each other's eyes. They crossed their horns, and a spark began to arc between them. A moment later, a visible pink aura surrounded them.

As Chrysalis looked at the couple, she started to shake with both anger and fear. Not wanting to take any chances, she commanded some from the changeling army to split off and attack. They zoomed down in an effort to stop them from whatever they were doing.

My eyes widened, and I felt worry, wash over me. With a flash of my horn, I did the only spell I knew how to cast successfully, and flames erupted through the air.

FFFHHHOOOPPPHHH!

They covered the changelings, and their bodies fell to the ground before the floating couple. Their cries and shouts of agony broke the concentration that the couple had. The aura around them faltered, flickering in and out of existence. Then at the last moment, it flared to life. The protection spell quickly expanded, and it covered the city in an instant. There was a calm after the blast, and the couple floated back down, still looking lovingly in each other's eyes.

"Cadance! What the hell!?" I yelled, and the pink alicorn shook her head, looking over to me. I pointed my arm up, and her eyes followed. Above me, all the changelings were still sitting in place. The previously injured ones and those low on magic were now healed, and their energy fully restored. The others who were fine had found themselves energized.

Her eyes went wide, and she looked over to me with a shocked expression. "I don't understand. The protection spell should have cleared them out!"

I looked at the energized changelings and back to her with an irritated gaze. "Should have!?"

"I-I'm sorry!" She stammered.

"Ya should be!" I yelled back. I would have continued my rant, but the sky suddenly changed to a green hue. Looking up, I saw the armies attack raining down. My eyes went wide. "Eep!"

BLAST!

Residents on the farthest corner of Canterlot looked on as an explosion shook the city, and a mushroom cloud rose from the castle. Fear began to fill their hearts as some asked the question, "Did we just lose?" Others began packing their belongings, ready to flee the city before it's too late.

Cadance and Shining coughed as the area filled with smoke. Troops took their stations to protect the two, and they struggled to breathe. The pink alicorn held her breath, hoping that the white alicorn would suddenly jump from the smoke. But there was silence. A soft breeze began to carry the smoke away from the area. As it did, Cadance gasped as she saw a crater, and her heart sank. "Lauren!" Cadance called out, and she ran towards the courtyard. One of the guards tried to stop her and hold her back, but she shrugged him off, pulling away. He kept trying to pull her back from danger. He kept trying until Shining put his hoof on the guard's shoulder. The guard looked back, and his captain shook his head. With a silent understanding, the guard let her go. There would be no stopping her anyway.

No longer hindered by the guard, Cadance ran into the center of the courtyard and jumped through the rising smoke of the smoldering crater. The entourage watched as she became obscured from view and readied themselves for attack from the army above them.

Cadance stumbled down the crater's slope, over bricks, hot rocks, and other bits of earth. "Lauren!" She called out as she got closer to the center. Her eyes stung from the smoke, and she couldn't see very far in front of her. Through the smoke, she spotted the alicorn face down on the ground. "Lauren!" Her eyes lit up with worry, and she ran over, checking the mare for injuries. She was on a disk of broken bricks and concrete. From the looks of things, she had tried to shield herself at the last moment, but it broke under the brute force of the attack. Her wounds were mainly burns, but her other injuries from earlier had opened back up. She was unconscious, and if she was breathing, the alicorn couldn't tell. Cadance felt responsible for the amount of damage the mare had suffered, and she began to tear up. Her lip quivered, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" she whispered and hugged the mare.

The silence faded as the sound of buzzing got louder. Cadance looked up with pained eyes and saw a silhouette drifting through the smoke. Chrysalis hovered down and landed in front of the two. The changeling looked at Cadance and how she was holding the white mare. She grinned, glad that the alicorn was finally down. Walking forward, she slowly approached the two, and Cadance wrapped the white alicorn in her hooves, pulling her closer.

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at the mare's defiance and smirked. In her opinion, the pink pony was no more a threat than an average unicorn. A green glow encased the white alicorn, and she tried to pull her free from Cadance's grasp. She didn't let go; instead, she held on and tried to sever the grip that the changeling had on her friend. Growing rather annoyed with the pink pony, Chrysalis shot at Cadance.

She flinched as the bolt hit her, and she fell back with Lauren in her arms, losing her grip as she tumbled on the ground. The changeling walked closer, and Cadance reached for the white alicorn again. Chrysalis grabbed the pink pony in her magical grasp and threw her against the side of the crater. Cadance yelped in pain as her back hit some bricks.

"Stay down." The changeling hissed. Then turned to the white alicorn, ready to finish her off. Her horn flared, and her evil smile returned to her face. Right before she fired, a brick hit her in the side of the head, and she turned with an irritated gaze at the pink alicorn.

Cadance shakily stood up, levitating a few more bricks and rocks behind her, "I refuse to let you hurt her any more than you already have." She said as she stared down the larger creature.

Chrysalis growled at the pony and walked over to her, towering over her. She flared up her horn, this time aiming at the pink pony. Cadance looked up, she was unmoving, but the changeling could see the fear she had in her eyes.

"The feeling is mutual, Cadance." A weak voice chuckled, cutting through their conversation. They both looked back, and the white alicorn, she was lying on her back, propping herself up with her arms. Chrysalis growled at the mare and stepped away from Cadance.

The alicorn smirked. "Gotcha." Chrysalis suddenly erupted in a vortex of flames. The blue fire danced across the changeling, and she hissed as she tried to escape them. With a flash of her horn, the changeling disrupted the flames, and they dissipated, vanishing into nothing. Her body was charred and covered in smoke, and her breathing was heavily labored. She grit her teeth as her shell hissed from the heat. She lit her horn, connecting her to the hive-mind. She had some unfinished business they needed to take care of. She snarled, ready to deploy her remaining troops to blast this place off the map.

Suddenly, the white alicorn vanished, appearing an instant later as she teleported directly in front of the changeling. She grabbed Chrysalis's face and pressed her horn against hers. She glared at the changeling, and Chrysalis's eyes went wide. She felt the pony use the direct connection to access the hive-mind. "(Checkmate.)," she said, and the changeling felt her blood run cold. The alicorn's horn began to glow, and a red sphere expanded outward to the city's outskirts. With fear-stricken eyes, the changeling looked at the ancient being in front of her and whispered, "Who are you?"

Lauren's eyes narrowed at the changeling, and with a firm voice, she answered, "(The Queen of Creation.)"

Chrysalis's eyes widened, and she stammered as she reared back, "N-No… not you... B-But, that was just a Legend!" She screamed as she began to lift off the ground. Her screams echoed through the courtyard as she and all her drones were suddenly pulled out of the sphere. They launched into the sky.

BOOM!

Thousands of changelings broke the sound barrier as they flew over the horizon. The citizens of Canterlot had to cover their ears as the air around the city suddenly became a torrent of booms.

Cadance was sitting not too far away and watched as the alicorn dropped to the ground in a heap. With panic quickly rising in her heart, she ran over. "Lauren. Lauren!" There was no response. Turning her head upwards, she began shouting, "Somepony get a doctor! Help! Someone!"

A moment later, Royal guards came sliding down the crater's slope, and Shining ran over to Cadance, embracing her in a warm hug.

As I laid there on the ground, face down in the dirt, the adrenaline wore off, and I could feel all the pain this body was going through. I felt like death. All my wounds had reopened, not to mention the new ones I got while facing Chrysalis's army. My magic was utterly spent. I didn't even have the strength left to blink properly. Cadance's panicked cries faded into nothingness, and all I could hear was a ringing in my ears. As I laid there, my sight slowly got darker, and I couldn't help but wonder one thing.

How did you do that?

(I modified a spell I made to keep Celestia out of the sweets pantry when she was just a filly.)

An image of the pink-haired filly running into a pantry and being pushed out by a force field suddenly flashed through my mind. I smiled in amusement and let myself drift off to sleep.

Author's Note

Well, that took a bit longer than I expected... I hope you all liked it.