Family harmony

Chapters

Chapter 2: First Day Together
Chapter 3: Shiny's Stormy Morning
Chapter 4: Daytime troubles of Cadance and Chrysalis
Chapter 5: Evening Dinner with Family
Chapter 6: The Nightmare Night Incident
Chapter 7: Two Dashing Mares
Chapter 8: Escape from the Web
Chapter 9: The Hot End
Chapter 1: Wild Wedding

Chapter 2: First Day Together

The five days after the wedding passed like a blur for Shining Armor. They were very turbulent and chaotic. He was slowly recovering from Chrysalis' spell, and at the same time trying to come to terms with the idea that he now had not one but two wives, who, despite the seemingly successful resolution of the conflict (or at least a temporary truce), continued to be angry and dislike each other.

In spite of their mutual dislike, however, for the first time they kept their wits about them and tried not to quarrel too much.

Cadance spent most her free time with Twilight and her friends or doing princess stuff, while Chrysalis and Celestia signed various official papers and treaties, and the next day they made peace between the changelings and the ponies, announcing it at a ceremony in front of a large number of ponies who came from all over the country. Many of them were ecstatic when they heard the news, but there were those who didn't like their new alliance with the dangerous changelings. But Princess Celestia's orders were law and they abided with her desire to reconcile with the changelings.

Because of all this business, Cadance and Chrysalis were terribly busy, and so they didn’t see each other for most of the day, devoting themselves to their duties, while Shining continued to serve his duties and trained the novice guards. Occasionally, though, his wives would come to his work to cheer him up or give pleasure in some way. And since they loved him very much, they tried to show it in every way possible, sometimes with words, and sometimes with naughty flirtations.

For example, a blowjob from Chrysalis, who hid under the rostrum while he was speaking to the recruits. Or rather, no, it wasn't. She wasn't hiding under the rostrum, she turned into it herself and pleasured the stallion as furniture, which was very unusual and pleasant at the same time. Cadance, too, kept up with her and took refuge under his table at lunch that same day, and when he had scarcely moved from the harassment at the rostrum and sat down at the table to take a pie, his "little friend" was once again ensnared by the pink alicorn's moist lips.

Not to say that Shining Armor was uncomfortable with this attention. On the contrary, he was not at all opposed to such advances from the two enchanting mares. However, that all quickly came to an end when they accidentally crossed paths with each other.

It happened on the third day of their marriage when, after a meeting with the junior officers, one of the demonstration armors at Shining Armor's office suddenly hissed and jumped off the pedestal and turned into Chrysalis dressed in a sexy nurse's costume. As it turned out, she had been standing there for half an hour, waiting for him to be alone so she could give him a striptease. But just as she unzipped the first zipper in front of the bewildered stud, there was a loud knock on his door. Chrysalis turned back into armor, and Shining went to open the door. As soon as the handle was turned, Cadance burst into the office in a long cloak, which she quickly unzipped and showed the astonished unicorn her tight-fitting lingerie with mesh stockings. She closed the curtains and climbed onto Shining's desk, playfully stroking her belly and offering to play slutty secretary with him. But Chrysalis wouldn’t allow it, and once again became herself, pouncing on the alicorn. A scuffle ensued, and instead of stripping and playing with each other Shining had to watch as the enraged nurse and secretary pounded and dragged each other by the hair until the guards arrived at the noise, and both mares had to hurriedly jump out the window to escape.

After this incident, the princess and the queen cooled down a bit. They went back to work, visiting the stallion only occasionally to talk peacefully with him, which gave Shining a few relatively quiet days.

But, like all good things, that time quickly came to an end. Once all the affairs of state were over, Princess Celestia announced that the newlyweds could now relax and rest a little with their husband. Or, to put it simply, the stern queen and the jealous princess were to come together indefinitely and live under the same roof with their loving husband, whom they had no intention of sharing. Well, except with a hacksaw, which he had a nightmare about. In it, the two mares tied poor Shining Armor to a table and decided it would be easier to saw him in half to make peace between them. How loudly the guards grumbled that night, when they were awakened by a frightened cry that, contrary to their assumptions, belonged not to one of the snot-nosed recruits, but the captain himself.

On the appointed day, after collecting his army trunk and saying goodbye to all his friends and comrades-in-arms, Shining Armor climbed into the carriage with his wives and set off with them to his new home (a wedding gift from Princess Celestia), which was in an affluent part of Canterlot and was large enough for the three of them to live in.

After passing through some picturesque hedgerows and expensive mansions that belonged to royal ministers, they stopped in front of a large three-story cottage with snow-white walls, and a covered van with their personal belongings parked in front of it. Or rather, only Cadance's and Chrysalis's belongings were there. A lot of them. The wagon was crammed to the edges and six sturdy Earth ponies were taking countless boxes and boxes out of it. And, judging by their weary looks, they'd been at it long enough.

"Well, girls, we have arrived," Shining Armor said, getting out of the carriage first, gallantly bowing his leg to help one of his ladies down. "As they say – Home sweet home."

The unicorn sincerely hoped that arriving at such a beautiful and comfortable place would make his wives forget their differences for a while. However it was not to be.

"Yes, darling, you're right. I didn't think that aunt..." Cadance began cheerfully, ready to take his leg, but Chrysalis was more nimble and did it first.

"Thank you, husband, you are such a gallant gentlecolt," the queen smiled as she prepared to get out of the carriage. To avoid attracting unnecessary attention, she was disguised as a beautiful snow-white unicorn with a lush pink mane, and wearing a colorful summer dress and a simple straw hat.

"Uh, thank you," Shining said embarrassedly.

"Actually, he wanted to help me out. Right, honey?" said Cadance, shoved her to the side. She was also wearing a dress (only one color) and a silk shawl wrapped around her neck.

"Well, I..." the stallion began with uncertainty.

"But I'm sure it was me he wanted to help. And besides, I've been his wife a lot longer than you have," Chrysalis said in turn, shoving her back.

"Only for half an hour, and even then, by your deception!" the princess told her angrily, unwilling to yield, and tried to grab Shining's leg. Instead, she stumbled backward, catching hold of Chrysalis' neck and tumbling to the grass with her.

"Well, look what you've done, you big cow!" Chrysalis was indignant, picking up her badly wrinkled hat, which had fallen off her head.

"I wouldn't have done it if you were not so clumsy and fat!" in turn, said to her Cadance, who had a green trace of grass on her dress. "Oh no! My favorite dress! It's all your fault, you vile mistress of bugs!"

"Greasy princess from a foal cartoon!"

"Worthless parody of griffin cheese!"

They began to argue loudly, choosing not the nicest words.

"Oh, girls," the unicorn sighed sadly as he lowered his trunk to the ground and dragged it to the movers' wagon, before returning to the carriage-drawn earth pony to pay him off.

"Wow, mate, you've got grumpy girlfriends," he said, listening to how Cadance and Chrysalis raised their voices.

"They're not my girlfriends," Shining said, handing him a pair of gold bits, "They're my wives."

"Really? Two at once? You're a lucky stallion," the driver chuckled as he trotted off down the road.

"That depends," the unicorn remarked as he approached his wives.

"All right, girls, stop cursing," he asked as he helped each of them up. "Let's just forget this little incident and get inside."

The two mares got to their hooves, straightened their dresses and looked at each other like two dogs quarreling over a bone.

"Come on, cheer up! This is our first proper day together!" he said excitedly.

"And the day my nightmares will come true," he added mentally as he walked with them into the yard and stopped to admire their shared home, where the pony loaders were at work, hauling numerous boxes and crates to the porch and placing them near the front door.

"Oh, Shiny, it's gorgeous," Cadance said, admiring the beautifully decorated balcony and tall turrets around the edges. "This house is like a real castle."

"It's not a bad place," Chrysalis added, squinting at her, "not as spacious as a hive, but it's livable."

"See, I told you you'd like it here. And now let's go inside," the unicorn smiled and walked with them along a stone-paved path that meandered past a newly mowed lawn, at the corner of which was a spacious pergola, and a little further was a fountain with fish paddling in it.

They arrived at the threshold, which was littered with boxes. Shining Armor pushed some of them aside and cleared the way, then took the keys out of his saddlebag.

"Well, girls, welcome to our new home. And now..." he said as he opened the door and was about to take the first step inside.

"Wait!" said Cadance, suddenly shrill enough to make Shining's heart skip a beat.

"W-What?" the stallion said in a slightly shaky voice.

"Don't you think that you forgot something?" The Princess asked.

"Forgot?" He looked at the keys thinking about what he had missed. "I don't think so. What do you mean?"

"Well, tradition dictates that one spouse must carry the other over the threshold before they enter their new home," said Cadance with a grimace as she hurriedly leapt into his hooves. "I hope you don't mind." She added slyly, glancing at Chrysalis. "This is a pony tradition."

"Not at all, since it’s customary for you," the queen said calmly, before picking them both up and carrying them inside.

"Hey! Stop it! What are you doing?" The Princess of Love said indignantly.

"What do you think? Carrying out your fanciful tradition," replied Chrysalis, before accidentally catching Cadance's horn on the doorway. "Oh, sorry, it was an accident."

"Yeah, sure I believe you," said Cadance sarcastically, rubbing her forehead.

Finally they were inside the house. It was as sumptuous inside as it was outside, with beautiful wood furniture, snow-white statues, and fuzzy carpets.

"There you go. As long as my husband and I are to live in the company of ponies, I am not averse to your rules and customs," the queen said as she dropped Cadance to the floor and gently lowered Shining to his hooves.

"Yes, you're such a charmer, Chrysalis," the princess said sarcastically, rubbing her bruised side grudgingly. "But that's not all of our traditions. To be a truly good wife, it is not enough to carry a stallion in your telekinesis. There are many other equally important duties you need to be able to do."

"Oh, believe me, I know that," the queen grinned. "Do you think I only studied your laws before I went to Equestria? I've read many books on culture and etiquette, and I'm more than willing to be a caring wife to my sweetie pie."

"Sweetie pie?" Shining repeated, blushing.

"Well, yes, because you are so sweet and delicious," said Chrysalis, coming up to him and playfully shoving his croup.

"Huh, so you've read books. This can only surprise Twilight. It takes more than knowledge to be a good wife," said Cadance indignantly, approaching from the other side and hugging the unicorn by the neck, "like kindness, care and love. Things you changelings have never experienced."

She rubbed her nose against his cheek.

"You don't say. Love is one of the things I know best. I've tasted so much of it in my life that I know more about it than anyone in this room," Chrysalis said in turn, turning Shining in her direction and lightly licking the tips of his lips.

"But you only know how to feed it, and I can give it to you. I'm the Princess of Love, by the way, whose pretty face makes any pony lose its head," Cadance said as she twisted the unicorn toward her and kissed it openly on the lips.

"I've had centuries of lovemaking experience," the queen jerked him toward her, biting his ear aggressively.

"And I've known him since high school, and I know exactly what he likes," the princess said, using her telekinesis to grab the stallion between the legs.

"Oh!" the unicorn gasped, feeling her tight mental grasp.

"Hey, don't touch him there! I have a right to please him, too!" Chrysalis protested, and her grip was added to Cadance's.

"Son of a... fuck... left..." said Shining in a higher voice.

"No, he didn't. I've known him longer than you and I'll be the one having fun with him tonight!" said Cadance, pulling the unicorn in her direction.

"No, me!" objected Chrysalis, doing the same, and nearly leaving Shining without a penis.

"Uh... girls... can't you just... oh... slow it down a little?" The stallion pleaded softly as he felt their telekinesis growing stronger.

"Why?" Chrysalis asked. "It's because of her, isn't it? Is she bothering you?"

"Her touch hurts you, doesn't it?" Cadance added.

"Actually, you both do, and you're about to leave me without balls," the stallion thought painfully, and said aloud, "Well, what do you... uh... you're both so thoughtful... it's just... Celestia's mercy... it's not like we're alone here."

He nodded toward the open door.

The queen and princess looked in that direction and saw the movers piled there, watching their advances with curiosity and envy.

"Hey! Stop gawking, you perverts!" Chrysalis shouted angrily at them, and moved briskly toward the door.

"Yes, we do not pay you for peeping! If you don't finish with our things now, there'll be no tips!" Cadance joined her, stomping her hooves in frustration.

The movers hastily scattered, continuing to go about their business.

"At least they agreed on something," the unicorn thought, trying to catch his breath after such harsh displays of affection.

Once the pain between his legs receded a little, Shining Armor limped out into the courtyard to watch the movers at work (and to keep his wives from clawing themselves again). A few minutes later, they finished unloading, and the unicorn, having paid them for their work, headed toward home.

"Hmm, didn't I pay enough?" he asked when he noticed that one of the movers was still standing there, looking at him.

"No, I just wanted to ask you to take care of our mother," he said.

"What?" the unicorn didn't understand.

The earth pony looked back at his colleagues walking toward the exit, and he was suddenly engulfed in green flames.

"Oh, so you're..." Groaned Shining in surprise.

"Shh! Yes," the changeling nodded affirmatively. "Anyway, be nice to her, will you? She's very nice, even if she can be stern sometimes. But that's because she's lonely. But I'm sure you'll help her with that in no time."

And with a wink at the unicorn, he reverted to being an earth pony who ran to the others.

"Wow. How many more changelings live in Canterlot, I wonder?" Shining said thoughtfully as he entered the house. "I guess all my guards are blind, since one in three ponies in this town is actually a changeling."

Fortunately, while he was gone, the queen and the princess didn't have another fight. Instead, they sat in the chairs in front of the fireplace (not trying to kill each other). Chrysalis was reading some glamorous magazine, and Cadance was resting her eyes and relaxed.

But as soon as the unicorn approached them, they perked up, and he noticed the predatory glint in their eyes again. It seemed that Shining was the source of their constant rivalry.

"That's it, Chrysalis, the movers are gone, you can be yourself again," the stallion said.

"Thank you, hubby. I want to cement a peaceful relationship between ponies and changelings. However I'd rather not appear in my natural form in front of them just yet," the queen said, turning back to herself with a green flash.

"Yeah, well, you might scare them with your creepy face and give them nightmares for days," Cadance chuckled.

"Oh, who would say, Princess. I bet you've got a lot of pimples and dimples hiding behind all that makeup," Chrysalis grinned angrily.

"Please, girls, let's not quarrel," Shining Armor tried to stop the conflict that was about to erupt. "You two promised me you'd try to live in peace. At the wedding."

"Of course, hubby," the queen hastily agreed. "I'm willing to put up with her presence for your sake."

"Very well, my dear. I will tolerate this person," after a pause, added Cadance. "And why should we argue? All the same, time will prove that I am a much better hostess than she is. Especially when it's dinner time. I don't think Chrysalis can cook well, if she knows what ponies eat at all."

"Ha, just so you know, we can eat the same things you do. Yes, love is much more important to us because we need it to nourish our magical power, but in its absence we are capable of eating regular food as well. So, in essence, we're no different from you," said Chrysalis. "Besides, I've raised thousands of changelings all by myself, so it's not like I haven't cooked my loved ones something nice before."

"Well, we'll see about that, but first..." said Cadance, turning to the door, "we have to get all our stuff into the house."

She walked to the threshold and magically carried the first big box across it.

"And there's a lot of stuff in there, and it could take hours. So we'd better hurry if we want to do it before dark."

"Before dark? Are you serious?" Chrysalis asked in surprise.

"Oh, I am," said Cadance. "Why? Do you have a better offer?"

"Well, actually, I do," the queen smiled, and immediately she lit her horn. She used her telekinesis to grab all the things in the street and levitated into the house, lining them up.

"Hey, stop that!" exclaimed Cadance indignantly as Chrysalis lifted her up as well to pull her aside as well.

"Relax, princess, I don't want you to get hit by one of those boxes," said Chrysalis, making a thoughtful face. "Or do I?"

"Very funny. Now knock it off and put me down without dropping me," said Cadance.

"As you wish," Chrysalis agreed, setting the Alicorn down on the nearest chair, then looking around the hallway where she carefully arranged the crates and boxes. "Voila. What was it you said about a few hours? I finished moving all our stuff, and it only took me ten seconds," the queen added, blowing a non-existent speck of dust off her hoof. "Well, maybe twelve."

"Heh, great," Cadance snorted grudgingly, turning away from her and leaping out of her chair to go to the crates. "I really hope you didn't damage my things."

She opened one of the boxes and saw a pair of green cocoons there.

"Ugh! What the hell are those?" She asked, quickly stepping away from them. "Did you pack your children in the boxes?"

"What? Oh, no. It's just my stuff," the queen answered, walking over to her and tapping lightly on one of the cocoons. The wall of the cocoon slid open, with several bottles of shampoo and a large box of cosmetics fell out.

"See?" she asked the pony staring at her. "We don't have a lot of materials to make our own furniture or stuff in the wasteland, so we use our own cocoons for that."

"That's disgusting," the princess grimaced.

"Well, excuse me, Your Highness, that I cannot boast to you of more expensive items from…" Chrysalis went to another drawer and pulled out Cadance's purse. "…Donnie and Gambani," she read on her side. "Not all of us, you know, have lived in the luxury of Canterlot Palace before."

"Ok forget it," Cadance said, taking her purse from her. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to go to my bedroom with Shining and put my things in it."

She magically lifted several suitcases and walked toward the stairs to the second floor.

"Hey, wait! I was actually going to do that too. This is my room as well."

"You and I are going to be crowded in there," remarked the princess.

"So you will sleep on the couch. Do you think I'll let you woo my hubby, you sly fox?" The queen said, grabbing several large cocoons and walking up the steps with Cadance.

Finally, the two mares departed, leaving Shining Armor alone.

"Gee," he sighed. "This will be a very difficult marriage."

***

"You don't understand anything!" Cadance exclaimed displeased. "Although what else to expect from the queen of bugs, who has no idea of beauty!"

"Not true! I love pretty things as much as you do. But tell me why do you need so many soft pillows? We already do not have anywhere to lie on the bed because of all these plush toys, and you decided to add so many pillows!" answered her indignant voice Chrysalis.

After sorting out a few boxes of general stuff, Shining Armor decided to take a little break and went upstairs to see what his wives were doing. And they were doing what they usually do – arguing and fighting.

"I need them to give Shining and my bedroom an atmosphere of comfort and coziness. And besides, they are very cute, not like your carved stones," Cadance replied, after which there was a loud sound, as if something heavy was being dragged along the floor. "And in general, they only interfere here. Why don't you put them in the hallway, or better yet, in the attic?"

Opening the bedroom door, the unicorn saw both mares clawing their hooves into a large carved sculpture made of black marble, pulling it in different directions.

"It's called style, I like stylish things that speak of my artistic nature," the queen said. "And then, they're so much prettier than your foal's toys."

She nodded at the soft toys that were arranged at the head of the bed, on the windowsill, and on every shelf in the room.

"These are toys Aunt Celestia gave me when I was born!" said Cadance, disgruntled.

"So, what you mean is that they belong in the room of newborn foals, not for adult ponies!"

"You cheeky little thing!"

"Are you girls fighting again?" Shining Armor asked them, taking a few steps forward.

"Huh? Not at all, hubby," said Chrysalis, hurriedly dismissing the sculpture, "it's just that me and your um... other partner are discussing the decorations for our little nuptial nest and..."

"...trying to decide which of our things best fit him," Cadance finished, innocently shifting from hoof to hoof. "Tell me my stuffed animals and cushions are cute, aren't they?" she added, pointing to the big red hearts on the window and a pair of stuffed bunnies on the bed.

"Yeah, if you're decorating a little filly's room with them," the queen objected. "You need nice, elegant things like my designer furniture and sculptures for grown-up ponies."

She pointed to a slanted table with holes in it, and a couple of low chairs with curved legs.

"Actually, I don't know anything about that, girls. And I don't really care what it is we're going to have. As long as you both like it. Why don't you try to find some compromise?" Shining suggested.

"Compromise? That's impossible!" they said at the same time.

"Her things would turn our bedroom into a gloomy cave," Cadance interjected.

"And hers, in a bluestocking hideout," added Chrysalis.

"You know, let's save decorating our bedroom for later," the unicorn said with a facepalm, as he looked at the distended drop-shaped clock on the wall (also from Chrysalis' collection). "It's getting dark. Why don't we go downstairs and get something to eat?"

"Good idea, darling! I was going to suggest that," said Cadance cheerfully.

"You're right, husband. I'll make you the best meal you've ever had in your life," said Chrysalis, rubbing her hooves in anticipation.

"No! I'll do it!" Cadance said back.

"You? Ha! Don't be ridiculous! I'm the better cook of the two of us," the queen remarked.

"Yeah, but only in your dreams," she snorted, and then left the room with Chrysalis, heading for the stairs.

"Um, okay. So which one of you is going to do the cooking?" The stallion asked, looking out from behind the door.

"Me!" The queen and the princess answered together.

"I see," Shining said sadly, feeling that he would probably have to order pizza today.

***

"Hmm, it's kind of quiet in here," the unicorn said on his way down to the first floor. "Even too much. I don't like it."

Unlike the girls, it didn't take him long to get his trunk into the room and shelve a few shirts, a couple of hats, and a dozen socks. Out of interest, he looked into his spouse's drawers and saw mountains of seductive stockings, panties, and saddles (it looked like they were going to take him seriously). As for his personal belongings, he preferred to leave them in the trunk until Cadance and Chrysalis could decide exactly what their room would look like. However, that was not what interested him now, but the suspicious silence that reigned in their house.

"I hope they didn't kill each other," an anxious thought flashed through his mind, and he took a quick step toward the kitchen, where the light was on under the door.

"Oh, it smells good," he remarked as he came closer. "There's no shouting. Could it be that they..."

He peered through the door as he opened it cautiously to see his wives standing apart, their aprons on, cooking something. Chrysalis was pouring finely chopped mushrooms into a boiling pot, while Cadance was stewing vegetables in a pan, stirring them lightly with a fork. And since the kitchen of their new home was very spacious and had several stoves, it wasn't hard for them to be together and do their own thing. Perhaps that's what kept them from having another argument.

"Wow. They are cooking without yelling at each other. It's amazing. It looks like Cadance and Creasy are finally making up," the stallion said in disbelief.

They were indeed very discreet and didn't seem to have much animosity between them. They occasionally cast a wry glance at each other, but that was no big deal.

"Well, I'll leave them to it," Shining said as he closed the door and made his way to the dining room to light the lights. "Who knows, maybe this was the beginning of their strong friendship? All right, if they're all ready, I'll set the table for us."

***

"Shiny! I hope you're hungry, honey?" He heard Cadance's voice half an hour later. "I've prepared a real feast for you!"

The pink mare galloped out of the kitchen, lightly powdered with flour. In her telekinesis she was carrying a mountain of different dishes, from pumpkin pies and fried pancakes to vegetable stew and fresh buns on which butter was slowly melting.

"Oh, yeah. I've had quite a run today," he smiled, sitting down at the table covered with a white tablecloth and tying a napkin around his neck. "Well, you and Chrysalis have done a good job. So many goodies."

"Thank you, hubby. I'm sure you'll like the treats I made," Chrysalis said, also coming out of the kitchen with a cream-stained face and holding plates laden with food. She was carrying a large bowl of fried rice and vegetables, some fruitcakes, a pot of soup, and a large cake decorated with strawberries.

"Wow!" the stallion gasped. "So you cooked separately?" he added as he looked at Cadance's trays. "And I thought all those dishes belonged to both of you."

"Oh, no, husband, we decided that we would each make our own food so that you could taste it and choose what you liked. The one I made," said the queen.

"Or mine," Cadance added, as she and Chrysalis each placed flavorful dishes and appetizers at their sides and sat down on the sides of the table.

"Well, Shiny, bon appétit!" they said cheerfully.

"Uh, thank you," he said hesitantly as he looked at the mountain of food that could feed a company of soldiers. "Won't you help me?"

"Oh no, I'm sorry, dear," Cadance shook her head. "You do realize that to be charming I have to keep in shape and not eat after 6 PM."

"And the love with which you will gobble up in every bite I cooked is enough for me," added Chrysalis, playfully licking the cream off her nose with a long tongue.

Both mares stared at him with enthusiastic smiles that made Shining feel a little uncomfortable. He swallowed a lump in his throat, then used his telekinesis to pick up his fork and look at the pile of treats that occupied half the table.

"Hmm, all right," he said, taking a bite from each plate. "In that case, let's begin," he said, raising a piece of pie like a glass, taking the first timid bite.

***

"Are you sure you've had enough, dear? Would you like another chocolate chip muffin?" Cadance asked when, an hour later, Shining stepped away from the table and staggered toward the stairs.

"Or my homemade cookies?" Chrysalis said, lifting a tray full of oatmeal cookies with her telekinesis.

"No, thank you... hic... sweethearts. I've had enough," the unicorn said with a faint smile. "Hic! Oops! Looks like that last potato pie was definitely too much," he whispered quietly, trying not to roll over on his side like a fully-loaded ship.

"All right, hubby. In that case, you go and rest, and we'll clean up and join you when we're done," said Chrysalis, waving a leg with the princess.

"Great, hic! I look forward to seeing you," Shining said, barely able to contain a loud burp.

His stomach was unnaturally distended from the food he'd eaten, and his mouth was still filled with the echoes of the mushroom soup he'd eaten an entire bowl of. Never before in his life had he had to eat so much, not even when he came home from cadet school and his mother would throw a gala dinner for the occasion.

"Hic! Oh, I feel so bad. I hope they don't do this every night," Shining Armor said as he struggled up the stairs to the second floor. "At this rate, I won't be able to fit into any shirts."

Opening the bedroom door, he pushed aside Cadance's cushions spread on the bed and collapsed onto the bed exhausted.

"Yes, today was something incredible," he said with difficulty as he drew in a deep breath. "I don't know if I can stand this marriage."

Then he frowned and gave himself a firm slap in the face.

"Now, pull yourself together, soldier." he said to himself. "It's not the first time you've had to face this kind of difficulty. You've fought bears, timber wolves, and barbarian griffins alone, so you can't be intimidated by the advances of two love-crazed wives."

"Though," he added immediately, "all those griffins with spears and wild beasts aren't nearly as frightening as my betrotheds. Especially when they're together. And yet I can handle it. I must. I'll endure their quirks and be a good husband to them, no matter what it costs me. Yeah, I can get through it," he said, closing his eyes. "I just have to wait a little while and sooner or later it's bound to work out."

***

In the middle of the night, Shining Armor was awakened by a loud sound reminiscent of thunder.

When he opened his eyes, he turned his head and saw Chrysalis to his left, lying on her back with her mouth wide open.

"Oh, just what we need! Is she snoring?" he thought as he looked at the changeling queen, but realized his mistake when the snoring sounded from the other side.

The unicorn rolled over on its other side and saw Cadance, who was making these not very melodic sounds.

"I see," Shining could only utter, as he felt Chrysalis hugging the stallion from behind him, a long trickle of saliva pouring from her mouth onto his cheek.

"I'm like a prisoner caught in the hooves of the enemy," he thought, feeling Cadance's hind leg (whose knee rested against his balls) on his bottom. "And it's only the first day. I wonder what else they'll give me?" he added mentally, staring anxiously at the wall. He had no hope of sleeping peacefully.

Author's Note

Wow, it looks like Shining Armor will have a hard time dealing with his two strong wives. I wonder what awaits him the next day and whether Cadence and Chrysalis will be able to make up? ^_^

Chapter 3: Shiny's Stormy Morning

"No, girls. Please, don't do this..." tossing and turning in bed, mumbled the unfortunate Shining Armor, overcome by a half-nightmare, half-erotic dream.

In it, he was a puny knight who went into battle with two huge and predatory dragons. After passing along a winding mountain path, he stopped near an impregnable rock, which was surrounded by dense fog. Suddenly, two gigantic silhouettes emerged In front of him. Shining prepared to defend himself, but as the fog cleared, the unicorn saw that these dragons were his wives. After a short and inglorious battle (during which he broke his spear on the lazily exposed claw of Cadance), they grabbed him and dragged him to their cave as a treasure, where, despite their size, they tried to enter into an intimate relationship with him.

But, fortunately for the stallion, as soon as the dream reached the place where they bent over him and bared their mouths full of teeth preparing to get down to business, he finally woke up, sat on the bed and began to look around in fright.

After a couple of seconds, Shining realized that he was alone in the room, and Cadance and Chrysalis had gone somewhere.

"Wow, glory to Celestia, that was a very strange dream!" he said, calming down and falling back on the bed, wiping his perspiring forehead. Suddenly he felt a desperate "call of nature".

"Oh-oh! Hurry to the toilet!" he panicked and galloped to the bathroom, where he relieved himself thoroughly after yesterday's overeating, and then spent some time in the shower, washing and putting himself in order. And at the conclusion, after brushing his teeth and combing his mane, he finally decided to leave the bedroom.

Walking cautiously to the door, the stallion listened attentively for sounds from the other side. Somewhere (most likely on the first floor), a slightly muffled rhythmic music was playing.

"Interesting. What are they doing?" Shining Armor asked himself, and slowly opening the door, looked out into the corridor. After making sure that everything was quiet outside and that two overly caring mares were not waiting for him, he left the room and headed towards the stairs. As he expected, the music that caught his attention came from the first floor, or rather from the large hall.

Going down the steps, the unicorn entered and saw a gramophone standing on the floor. Next to him was Cadance, dressed in a tight-fitting tracksuit and sports leggings, actively swinging her legs and periodically bouncing on a small gymnastic mat.

"Call me! Call me!" she repeated after the singer, deftly standing on her hind legs and quickly swinging the front.

"Um, good morning, Cadance," the unicorn greeted her.

"Oh, good morning, Shiny! Didn't hear you come in! Well, how did you sleep?" the princess exclaimed cheerfully, quickly running up to him and kissing him on the cheek, after which she returned back to the mat and began to vigorously swing her croup, either practicing or trying to seduce her husband in this way.

"Terrible," he thought, remembering the first half of the night, during which he fought off the tight embrace of the mares and suffered from the stomach and the second, when he began to have disturbing dreams. "It's just great, thanks for asking, dear," he lied.

"That’s good! I also slept soundly last night! Are you hungry? Maybe you want me to feed you?" The pony asked, arching her back like a cat.

"No!!!" He exclaimed loudly, feeling the displeased rumbling of his stomach, which made it clear that he no longer intends to subject himself to terrible torture.

Cadance winced and looked at the unicorn in surprise.

"I mean, I'm not very hungry yet. Maybe later," Shining tried to explain his behavior.

"Oh! Ok, whatever you say," the mare nodded understandingly, standing on its hind legs and squatting a couple of times.

"Um, by the way, do you know where Chrysalis is?" The stallion asked her.

"Our big beetle croup Queen? I don’t know. I saw her about ten minutes ago. I think she said that she wanted to go take a bath," the alicorn pouted in displeasure.

"Bath? Strange. I was already there, but I did not see her."

"And I’m not surprised, because she decided to do it not in the house, but on the street. What a savage. I wouldn't be surprised if she went swimming in some puddle or something. These changelings are not like ponies," the princess snorted.

"Come on, don't be so cruel. Perhaps she, too, decided to work out first and went for a run," suggested Shining, looking towards the window. "Well, okay, I won't bother you, dear, and I'll go and check the mail."

He turned to leave the hall.

"Wait!" Cadance held him back. "Before you leave, will you help me with the stretching?"

"With what?" asked the unicorn, not understanding.

"Well, with exercise. I'm going to spread my hind legs and train my abs, but for that, somepony will have to hold them so that they don't move. So if it's not difficult for you."

"No, I’ll gladly help you, love," Shining agreed and, going up to Cadance, sat down on the floor. The mare rolled onto her back and spread her legs wide.

"Wow!" gasped the stallion, seeing how her pussy and beautiful large udders, which were kept by a brilliant athletic form, stood out.

"What is it, dear? Did you see anything interesting there?" smiled the Princess, noticing his confused look.

"Um... no, I mean, yes... but this is not at all like me... um..." he muttered embarrassedly.

"Oh, come on, everything’s all right," the princess giggled. "In the end, you and I are husband and wife, and there is nothing wrong with the fact that you wanted to look at my beautiful and graceful body."

She playfully stroked her slender sides and perfectly smooth elastic tummy.

"Well, yes, I know," the unicorn said in an agitated voice, feeling his "little friend" stirring.

"No, just not now!" The stallion shouted mentally at him, placing his front feet on the tips of Cadance's hooves and pressing lightly on them.

"And now hold me tight, darling, because I will rise very quickly," said the alicorn and, waiting for her husband's affirmative nod, she removed her front legs behind her head and began to train the press, rising forward and lying on her back again.

"Well, that's an ambush, she did it on purpose so that I began to look at her... um... charming forms?" Thought Shining Armor, slightly nervous, watching how her udders trembled at the same time, and the hollow between her legs moved up and down.

"What?" Cadance asked after a few seconds.

"Huh?" the stallion shuddered, taken by surprise by this question.

"Didn't you expect your wife to be so athletic and fit?" she explained to him, reassuring him a little, because the unicorn was already outright embarrassed, watching his wife move erotically.

"Well, not quite. After all, I've known you for years and I never forgot that you were a cheerleader in high school."

"Tee-hee, right. Yeah, those were the times, so happy and innocent," she said, during her next rise, touching him with her nose.

"Y-yes, i-innocent," slightly blushing, nodded Shining Armor, again glancing at her rear. "You were the best there and jumped so well, cheered the fans and... uh... raised your legs."

"It's true. I remember how you stood in the front row and applauded my chants. And then I caught you in the filly's locker room, where you, hiding in the closet, spied on how I was washing in the shower," she said playfully.

"What? Oh, yes, exactly," the unicorn said embarrassedly. "Once again, forgive me for that. I assure you I didn't do it on purpose."

"Yeah, sure," the alicorn smiled slyly.

"No, seriously. My classmates encouraged me to do this. They said that I didn't have the heart to climb up to the cheerleaders after training, so I did it... on a bet, and then... um... a little carried away."

"Well, yes, for a full half hour," said Cadance.

"Yeah," the stallion bashfully lowered his head.

"Don’t worry about this, I understand everything. You were so young and inquisitive, so you could not resist at the sight of such appetizing legs and croup," she noticed and suddenly stopped.

"But now you are my husband and you don’t have to hide anywhere to see them." She put her front hoof on the edge of her tracksuit and pulled it tighter.

"Y-yes… not needed," Shining Armor said, swallowing a lump in his throat. His "little friend" had already completely crawled out and the stallion was afraid that Cadance would see it. And it looks like she did. The mare's eyes suddenly lit up with a very greedy and predatory gleam.

"Because all my feminine charms are by right yours, and you can do whatever you want with them. Look at them, touch them, and even..." the mare continued and immediately grabbed him by the neck with her hind legs and pressed him to her belly.

"Fuck them!" no longer hiding her intentions, she finished.

"Wow! Cadance, what are you doing?!" he exclaimed, resting his nose on her noticeably moisturized pussy.

"Nothing, I just want to please my beloved husband and give him what he dreamed of for so long," the alicorn sighed voluptuously and began to slowly move her legs, forcing Shining to rub his nose against her enlarged clitoris.

"Ahh, honey, but you don’t think that is too..." he said, being in captivity of her strong legs.

"As a teenager? Yes, I know, but I'm not at all shy about it!" She moaned, starting to stroke one of her papillae with her hoof. "After all, you and I can do whatever we want. Delivering joy to each other, and bestowing with their boundless love!"

She grabbed Shining Armor's hardened penis with telekinesis and began to confidently stroke it, while still moving her legs and squeezing the stallion's neck, which made it very difficult for him to breathe, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not free his head.

"Oh, dear! Like this! Yes! Let’s go faster!" Cadance said enthusiastically, pressing on him and literally using his face as a dildo.

"Darling, please, you... are... strangling me..." he uttered with difficulty between attempts to escape from her embrace, and thus even more tugging at her "lower lips". It was both painful and pleasant at the same time. He was driven crazy by the sweet scent of Cadance's horny pussy, and her telekinesis tugged at his cock faster and more energetically, and he was ready to cum at any second.

"Wow, dear, I can no longer... I... I already..." suddenly said the alicorn, and immediately pushed down the bottom of her fitness suit with her hoof, revealing a wet and excited slit.

"What?" Shining said, staring at her.

"I’M CUMMING!!!" The mare screamed and pressed him to her with force, before a powerful stream of her transparent lubricant flowed from there, pouring over the eyes and nose of the stallion. And almost immediately, a stream of his own semen followed, flooding the floor and tail of Cadance.

"Oh… yes…" she whispered, letting go of the unicorn's head with frequent sighs and relaxingly closing her eyes.

"Thank goodness, I can breathe again," said Shining Armor in a slightly hoarse voice, falling on his stomach and opening his mouth wide, into which the incredibly sweet Cadance juice dripped.

"Wow, how delicious it is," the unicorn thought involuntarily, being in a state bordering between euphoria and fear. "Eh, if she had warned me in advance, then everything could have gone smoother, but... wow! How strong are her legs!"

"Thank you, dear, for helping me with the training," said the mare after a couple of minutes, slowly rising to her feet. "And I think that is enough for me for now."

"Me too," Shining nodded with a faint smile.

"But don't get too relaxed, as soon as it’s time for your day's workout, I’ll need you again," she winked.

"Day's workout?" He asked warily, staring at her.

"Of course, to be so slim and attractive, I need to train a lot, so be ready to help me again," she said, straightening her shape and straightening her tail stuck together from semen. "In the meantime, I'll go to the shower. You kind of wanted to go get the mail, right?"

"Huh? Yes, that's right, for the mail," said the stallion, still a little dumbfounded.

"Then at the same time, please, check if my catalog came from the Mare's Fashion Club. I ordered it a couple of weeks ago, but they still haven't sent it."

"Of course, darling, whatever you say," Shining Armor replied clumsily, getting to his hoof and swaying, following her out into the common corridor and moving towards the exit. With difficulty reaching the door, he casually glanced at himself in the mirror hanging over the nightstand, and noticed that his face was smeared with Cadance's "love juice".

"Yeah, she really moistened me," he said, examining his shiny face, and then grinned: "You can see right away – this is the face of a real stallion. But it's probably not worth walking on the street in this form. We need to get ourselves in order," he added, opening the bedside table under the mirror and taking out a damp cloth for wiping the hooves, with which he quickly cleaned himself of grease (and rubbed his stomach, which was also dirty, but with his own secretions).

"That's it, much better. Now I can calmly go out to the ponies, and none of them will tell me: "I know what you were doing this morning with your wife," he joked once again, looking at himself in the mirror.

Yes, despite all the confusion and savagery of what happened, Shining Armor was not at all opposed to the fact that Cadance had taken advantage of him and, one might say, forced him to satisfy himself with his nose. Whatever one may say, it was not bad at all, albeit very unusual.

"At least now she is completely satisfied and can calm down for a while. Well, at least until lunchtime. My Princess of Love has an ardent character and no matter how good I was with her, I would not want each of our meetings to end with something like that. No, I’m not complaining, I just cannot satisfy her several times a day. After all, I'm not a machine," he thought as he walked out the door. "And most importantly, I have marital obligations to my second no less passionate wife-changeling. I am sure Chrysalis will not want to give in to Cadance and is probably already planning some clever way to get me into bed."

He walked along the stone path towards the gate, which had a small mailbox on one of the doors, and then out of the corner of his eye he noticed something suspicious. And suspicious – that was putting it mildly.

When he passed by the fountain, he noticed that the water in it was covered with... foam?

"Foam? Foam?!! What's this? Did someone pull a prank on us?!" Gasped the unicorn, stopping and turning to him in bewilderment. A picture immediately flashed through his head, in which a naughty neighbor's foal crept into the courtyard early in the morning and poured a whole box of washing powder into the water.

"Oh no! There are fish! I need to save them!" Belatedly realized Shining and rushed to the water, realizing that, most likely, they had all floated belly up a long time ago. But suddenly, when he was halfway to the fountain, Chrysalis emerged from it with a loud splash, dressed in a pink swimsuit and a rubberized hat with flowers. Giggling, she began to disperse the foam, collecting it in the holes in the legs and blowing out soap bubbles.

"Tee-hee, how I love to do this!" she said, sending several large bubbles into the air and again falling into the water with a noise.

"Here is the horrible queen of the changelings that terrifies everyone," thought the unicorn, staring at her in surprise. "She looks stern, but behaves like a little filly."

"Chrysalis," he stepped closer to her.

"Oh, hi, hubby," Chrysalis greeted him, kicking up a small island of foam and tossing it into the air. "I'm so glad to see you."

"Me too, sweetheart, but... what's going on here? What are you doing?" asked Shining, who didn’t understand anything.

"You don’t see? I'm taking a bath," she replied calmly, telekinesis grabbing a bottle of body shampoo and pouring it into the water to create even more lather.

"Yes, but our bath is in the house," Shining said.

"I know, but it’s so small and uncomfortable there. Besides, I like to bathe in the fresh air, and that's why I came here. Oh! Grace!" she sank into the water up to her neck and began to warm it up with her horn. "How nice of Celestia to put us in a house with such a wonderful outdoor bathroom. Of all the places where I have so far washed, this bathtub is the best. And there are no outsiders staring at me."

"Outsiders?" Shining asked.

"Well, yes," Chrysalis nodded. "To be honest, I never understood the love of ponies to build baths in the middle of busy squares and streets. In my opinion, it is a bit wild to wash surrounded by crowds of strangers, although maybe this is how you ponies are try to instill trust in each other."

"But, Chrysalis, these aren't baths…" and then he remembered. "Ah! But what about the fish?!"

"Don't worry, I've taken care of them," she said serenely, and nodded at the many pots and kettles that stood at a distance on the grass. All the fish that had been in the fountain before were splashing in them.

"I don’t know what flayer thought to put them in the bathing place," the queen snorted. "I guess this is another crazy pony tradition that I am not destined to understand, just like those shoes with mini aquariums."

"Oh, Chrissy," Shining Armor said, putting a hoof to his eyes. "You’ve got it all wrong, and in general, you shouldn’t wash on the street. It is not safe."

"No way," the queen waved off. "Our hedge is too high for neighbors to spy on me through, and if someone walks past the gate, I can always change my appearance." She immediately took on the appearance of first Cadance, then Twilight, and in the end Shining Armor himself winked at him mischievously.

"Please don’t turn into me," the unicorn asked, quickly looking around. "You’re wearing a mare’s clothes. And I would not want our neighbors to see me standing in a fountain filled with foam, and in a pink bathing suit," he added.

"No problem, hubby, I’ll sort it out now," Chrysalis promised, and she was again surrounded by emerald flames, unimpeded by the water surrounding the queen.

"Well, okay... Ah! Are you kidding me?!" mentally gasped the stallion when he saw what she turned into.

Directly in front of him, half leaning out of the water, stood a beautiful snow-white mare with a lush dark blue mane (with a light blue strand in the middle) and a seductive croup, on which... his cutie mark was adorned!!!

"Hey! Why did you make a mare out of me?" He asked, blushing.

"Of course. You said yourself that I'm wearing clothes for mares. So, as a mare, you can safely walk in it," the changeling smiled slyly.

"Yes, but I…" he said in confusion.

"Impressed with what you see? Delighted with your feminine counterpart?" She put in, arching her back and wagging her tail playfully.

"Oh no, and she's there too. It seems that both my spouses consider it normal to decide and negotiate everything for me," the stallion thought sadly, watching his more elegant version flaunted in front of him in a wet and tight swimsuit.

"By the way, if you like this form so much, then you can admire it closer," she said, nodding to the fountain next to her. "Come on, hubby, don't be shy. Swim with me."

"Um, no, thanks, I don’t want to," he said politely.

"Come on, the water here is so warm, and I'm so hot, you will definitely like it," the queen persistently suggested, lifting herself higher and pulling up Shining Armor's fluffy tail, under which, instead of stallion dignity, you could see a seductive and large udder.

"I'd love to, dear, but I still need to get busy," he said, stepping back slightly. "Maybe, another time."

"Oh, well, whatever you say," Chrysalis said sadly, turning away from him.

"And then, I have not yet fully recovered from the morning..." the unicorn tried to insert, but then he stepped on the soap lying on the stone path, and flew into the fountain with his nose, clutching the croup of the queen, who was still in his mare's form, with his forelegs.

"Wow! So this is what you are up to!" She exclaimed in admiration, turning quickly to him. "Oh, you prankster, decided to catch me! Well, okay, I love this game too!"

She dived into the frothy water and immediately disappeared from sight.

"Wait, Chrysalis! You got it all wrong!" Shining said hastily, searching the water with his eyes.

"Um, Chrysalis? Honey? Where are you?" He asked warily, seeing nothing but foam and hearing no one sounds. "Chrysalis?"

Suddenly there was a loud splash behind him, and the queen of the changelings jumped onto his neck with a giggle.

"Here I am! Ha-ha! Caught you!" She exclaimed, falling into the water with him.

"Hey! Stop it!" Shining began to resist. "Foam got into my eyes!"

"Don’t be such a sissy, you can always wash it off," she sank to the bottom with him and there began to playfully tickle the hips, which made the stallion hastily float up.

"Tee-hee, that was fun," Chrysalis said, surfacing with him.

"You think so?" said the unicorn, swimming to the edge of the fountain and wrapping his front legs around it.

"Come on, don't be such a grump. You act like you've never had fun before. Or…" She snorted. "Can't you swim?"

"What? Can't I swim?" he was indignant. "You should know that I was the best swimmer even when I was in cadet school and, by the way, I have several awards for swimming in length and holding my breath."

"And how long can you stay under water, if it's not a secret?" The queen asked.

"About five minutes," Shining said proudly.

"Wow, impressive, although a little too short for me," Chrysalis remarked.

"Really? Can you stay underwater longer?" The stallion asked.

"Well, actually, yes."

"And how longer?"

"On average, two to four hours, depending on the temperature and quality of the water," Chrysalis said.

"Wow!" Shining was surprised. "How can changelings breathe underwater for so long?"

"Of course, we are generally very talented, and we are well adapted to the environment. And, in addition, by changing shape, we are able to adopt useful skills from those whom we disguise as. For example, I learned to breathe underwater after spending a couple of months in the guise of a hippogriff. And since we're talking about this, let me show you how deeply I can hold my breath," his female version winked, focusing on the word "deeply" and plunging back into the water.

"What? What are you up to? Chrysalis? Chry…" Shining broke off abruptly as he felt his hind legs gently spread apart.

"Is she going to give me a blowjob? And even in my guise? No, it can't be! She's not going to do this under ... oh!"

Then he felt the soft lips of Chrysalis gently clasped his noticeably grown cock, and her wet tongue began to lick its tip. And she did it just magically! Shining had noticed more than once that the queen's mouth was incredibly hot (even when she was in a different guise), and as soon as she started giving him a blowjob, he literally fell into ecstasy, and it seemed to him that he had thrust his cock into a small stove. Into a very warm and humid stove, where his friend was baked and began to pour out cream.

"Oh, Chrissy, please… Chrissy … we really shouldn't," he whispered shyly, but almost immediately stopped resisting when the queen began to move smoothly back and forth while stroking his belly with her hooves.

"Oh, Goodness, this is incredible, my wife is giving me a blowjob in a fountain with foam, and even turning into a mare like me... and I... I... I love it so much!" he thought, literally burning with shame, mixed with delight, leaning back on the edge of the fountain and with his eyes closed enjoying each of these gentle movements.

"Well, if you think about it, it’s not so bad. First, my beloved Cadance had sex with me, and now Chrysalis gives me fabulous pleasure. Ah, having two wives is wonderful! After all, I can get used to it, and even... ah... addicted to it... ooh!!!"

He felt a convulsion running through his penis and, not holding back with pleasure, finished right in the mouth of the queen, confident that she would only be glad of it.

"Oh yeah! Gracious Celestia! Yes!" forgetting about everything in the world, he shouted to the whole yard, no longer caring that passers-by or neighbors could hear him and relaxed his head on the edge of the fountain.

"Tee-hee, I see you enjoyed yourselves, right, hubby?" asked the queen emerging from the water.

"Well... this is..." he muttered, slightly resisting. "Yes, it was fantastic. You're just lovely, my beloved Chrissy. I didn’t know that it would be so good for me to do this with a mare so similar to me. But…" He saw Chrysalis's narrowed gaze. "One way or another, it was still you – my sweet and passionate queen of changelings."

"Thank you, Shiny. Remember this when you choose which of your wives you should devote your free time to," she said, licking her lips. "Because I can become anyone for you."

She resumed her natural form and grabbed Shining gently by the neck.

"Especially myself. So don't forget how powerful your beautiful queen is."

"I won't forget," the stallion promised, still basking in his recent orgasm.

"Well done, but now a little kiss for dessert," she suddenly said, opening her mouth in which the remnants of his sperm were visible.

"Wait, I'm not one of those who likes the..." said the unicorn in fright, not too eager to taste the taste of his own seed, but it was too late. Chrysalis jerked him close to her and, sticking out her wet, shiny tongue, dug her lips into him.

"Wow! No! It's disgusting! No!" Desperately trying to break free, he thought, trying not to savor the sweet and sour aftertaste that began to envelop his tongue. However, Chrysalis's grip was incredibly strong, and after several futile attempts to break out of it, he resigned himself to what was happening and allowed his changeling wife to finish this wild and at the same time very passionate and tender kiss.

"Well-well, what a fidget you are," Chrysalis said after a couple of minutes, releasing him. "You acted like you didn't like playing with my tongue."

"What do you mean? I really liked your kiss, and the tongue even more. It's just... oh... I didn't expect that I would have to, um... taste my own sperm, but I'm not complaining," Shining finished to his own embarrassment, feeling incredible pleasure at the end of the kiss and noting that Chrysalis's kiss with sperm in his mouth turned out to be just fabulous, which made him feel like a pervert.

"Okay, so why don’t we repeat it?" Let's say after dinner? The queen suggested playfully.

"What?" The stallion asked warily. "Isn't that enough for her?" He added mentally.

"Well, we can retire somewhere, for example, in the bedroom and, having sent your sugar princess somewhere to shop, play transformations again. Oh, that will be great! I know so many wonderful ways to satisfy you with my tongue."

She stuck out her long python tongue and licked one of the unicorn's ears with it.

"Uh-oh!" mentally gasped Shining, involuntarily thinking about his other liquids that could be in his beloved's mouth and which he definitely would not want to try.

"I see, thanks for the offer. I'll think about it, but now could you let me go? Please. I need to go and pick up the mail," he asked aloud.

"Of course, hubby," Chrysalis agreed, releasing him. "If you want to play diving with me again, then you know where to look for me," she added, climbing out of the fountain with him and taking a garden hose with her telekinesis beginning to wash.

And Shining, still wet and head over heels in foam, headed towards the gate, mentally reflecting on the fact that the morning of the second day spent alone with his wives, began with him quite stormy and unusual.

"Just like in my teenage dreams, when I imagined that someday I would live in an expensive mansion with several mares at once, like the famous playcolt Hoof Fechner and make love to them in my free time. Heh, really some higher powers heard what I asked them for at the Night of the Warming Hearth at eleven years old, and decided to reward me like that? Well, pretty nice of them."

He carefully shifted from foot to foot when his not fully fallen member was slightly pulled, and he began to whine.

"However, unlike Fechner, I am not such a skilled philander and I will definitely not stand many rounds with two powerful and indefatigable mares. Uh-oh, what if they decide to take turns having sex with me? By dividing me among themselves for every hour? Celestia dear, they'll squeeze me like a lemon! No, I urgently need to get out of here, at least until the evening, to catch my breath a little and get away from their morning fun."

Going out the gate, he opened a gold mailbox hanging on one of the pillars and took out a couple of letters. The first was from his parents, who invited Shining and their wives to come to them that evening for a family dinner.

"Family dinner? Hmm, this is a good opportunity to curb the ardor of my faithful, who will definitely become more active with the onset of dusk. But I still have to live until dinner, and they were both going to take care of me after lunch. So, what's this?"

The second letter came to him from the palace. When he turned it over, he saw the seal of the royal guard there.

"It's from my adjutant. I wonder what he wanted?" he asked mentally, opening the envelope and fluently reading the first couple of lines, after which he wanted to jump like Pinkie Pie. "Excellent! He asks me to come to my unit and settle some administrative issues! Long paperwork! Thorough checks! Prolonged reports! I found a legitimate reason to run away from home for the whole day! Hooray!"

And even though the cases he had to deal with would normally take him no more than a couple of hours at normal times, this time he was sure that he would have to carry on with them at least until the evening. And then he will immediately go to dinner with his family.

"I'm saved!" he said cheerfully, starting to dance on the spot with joy.

"Hey buddy!" Someone suddenly called out to him.

"Huh?" Shining said uncomprehendingly, turning to the voice.

"What? Have you decided to have a foam party in your yard?" Asked a neighbor standing on the other side of the street – an earthly pony, dressed in a bathrobe, apparently also went out to check the mail and along the way to smoke an expensive cigar, which was now smoking in his mouth.

"Um, no, what are you? I just fell into a basin of water when I was washing um... my guardian uniform, so now I go all in foam," the unicorn came up with a not very convincing explanation.

"Really? It’s very sad," said the neighbor, looking at the white flakes of foam that had not completely melted on his sides. "And I really thought that you are one of those young merry fellows who love to light up in the morning in the pool in the company of young beauties."

He kicked out the cigar and blew smoke from his mouth.

"Well, the very ones who accompanied you yesterday afternoon," he winked and his gaze, as if by chance, fell between Shining’s legs.

"Damn it!" The unicorn caught himself, realizing that his cock was still dangling outside.

"No! Believe me! As I say, it was an accident with a penis... that is, with a pelvis and a shape! Wow, just look at the time!" he glanced at the non-existent watch on his leg. "It's already twelve! I urgently need to run to work. Se ya, neighbor!" said Shining quickly and, backing away, jumped into his yard.

"So it looks like I got caught. My neighbor is so annoying! Now I am sure that I have to leave here for a while and let my head return to normal. I need to go to work. And…"

He swallowed hard in his throat.

"And leave two very strong and hating each other mares for a while alone," he finished, vividly imagining the ruins of the burned down mansion, which will certainly wait for him upon returning home.

***

"So, my beloved, I’m certainly not happy about this myself, but I’ll have to go to the castle and work there until late at night," Shining said, hastily putting on his uniform and casually buttoning his buttons.

"Yes this is bad. What a pity, darling, that you won't be able to spend the day at home," said Cadance.

"Me too, Cadance, but you know this important Canterlot business. They cannot be put off," accidentally tearing off one of the buttons, but even not noticing this, the unicorn said.

"Well, then, until the evening, dear," said the princess.

"Until the evening, hubby," added the queen.

"Yeah, I'll see you again, girls," Shining quickly kissed each of them on the cheek, without looking, picking up his briefcase with papers and opening the door with his back foot. "And as soon as I return, we will go to dinner with my relatives. Mom wrote that she would give us a grand feast and invite all Twilight's friends to the evening."

"Oh, that's so cute," the alicorn smiled.

"Yeah, the whole evening be in the company of ponies who disliked me," the changeling chuckled.

"Well, I went, and you be smart and try not to quarrel much," finally the unicorn told them.

"And don't turn our house into a post-apocalyptic movie set," he added mentally, hurrying towards the gate.

As soon as he closed the door, the queen and princess immediately turned and looked at each other.

Chapter 4: Daytime troubles of Cadance and Chrysalis

"Oh, Crystabella, I knew you were alive and that your terrible cousin deceived me!" said a charming stallion dressed in a lacy white shirt, whose lush chestnut mane fluttered atop his head. The sunset at his back, he looked past the gates to the expensive mansion beyond, seeing his lover emerging onto the porch.

"Yes, Ricando. She wanted to separate us and send me as a servant to Saddle Arabia. But now, we are together and nothing else can interfere with our love!" exclaimed a beautiful unicorn mare, clothed in a shabby dress that classed against her beautiful face and well-done makeup. Smiling, she galloped towards the stallion, about to kiss him.

"My love!" Ricando exclaimed.

"My heart!" Crystabella said.

"Enough!" Chrysalis exclaimed indignantly. "Switch the channel! I can't watch this tearful soap opera anymore!"

Together with Cadence, she sat on the sofa in front of a large TV and desperately trying not to fall asleep, watching the melodrama, which the alicorn was watching with such enthusiasm that at the same time, she was painting her hooves and twisting curlers on her mane.

"If you don't like my show, then why don't you go to the kitchen and watch TV there?" The princess asked, frowning.

"That TV is too small, and I have always wanted to watch The Witch's Cocktail on the big screen!"

She snatched the remote control from the princess and switched to another channel on which the cartoon was running:

"…by the power, hail and healty, оn an earthquake, on a roll, prove this party, part and party, of the one that only scroll, formula of deepest night, if it's you, than show your might, join what once was with a sunder, to the sounds of flames and thunder" sang a fat griffin-woman and a skinny griffon with long beaks, dressed in cloaks of wizards, dancing and doing crazy acrobatic stunts around a seething cauldron.

"Aren't you too old to watch griffin cartoons?" said Cadance, perplexedly looking at the queen while trying to take the remote control from her.

"Not at all. This cartoon is very funny. Not like your dull show for housewives in their thirties. Hey! Don't shove!" Chrysalis said, not yielding.

"Give me back the remote control! I want to know if Crystabella will invite Ricando to the ball!"

"Of course she will, all melodramas end in the same way – the heroes meet each other, then quarrel over nonsense, reconcile in twenty minutes, and in the finale everything ends in a bed to the boring music of twenty years ago. So let's see something interesting."

She pulled the remote toward her.

"And we will! But only what refined and sensual creatures like! Like me!" Cadance exclaimed, starting to pull it towards her.

"No way! You've already watched two episodes of the Stables Passions! Now it's my turn!" The queen did not give up.

Both mares began to pull the remote towards themselves, randomly switching the TV to different channels.

"At home... in mouse’s... slippers... playing... cockroaches on... Discord... clarinet!" mixing in indistinct nonsense, various ponies and cartoon characters uttered until the remote control flew out the window during the strongest dash of Chrysalis.

"Oh, no!" Both mares exclaimed in unison and jumped out into the street like bullets.

The remote was lying on the grass, in the middle of a flower bed.

"It’s mine!" The queen shouted.

"No, mine!" said the princess, and they ran to the remote trying to reach it before their rival, but halfway through they decided to simultaneously to trip each other and fell down, burying their muzzles in the mud.

"Ugh!" Spitting up a lump of earth Cadance, looked at the coveted remote control and stretching out her free leg to it. But then Chrysalis jumped on top of her, and they both started a fight, trying not to let each other near the remote until a well-groomed dog suddenly approached him from nowhere. It had a pink collar and bow, which did not harmonize well with its large dimensions.

"Hey! What are you doing here? Who let you..." said the princess, but then she saw how the dog bent down to the remote and began to sniff at it. "No! Don’t touch it!"

"Get away. You insignificant piece of fur," slowly, trying not to scare the dog, said the queen, carefully standing on her hooves and together with the alicorn (who picked up a stone with telekinesis), slowly began to approach the animal.

Noticing that he was surrounded by two aggressive mares, the dog growled warily and, quickly grabbing the remote with his teeth, rushed towards the gate.

"He's running away! Catch him!" Cadence shouted, frightened.

They galloped after him, striving to grab it with their magic and tear it shreds, but the dexterous animal turned out to be faster, and quickly reached the gate, jumped out through the grate and rushed up the street.

"Stop! Where are you going? You miserable mongrel!" Chrysalis swore, running to the grate and watching him dive around the corner.

"I'll take him!" exclaimed Cadance, soaring rapidly upward. In a few strokes, she found herself on a nearby street and began to scan the ground from the air, every now and then telekinesis pushing aside everything that caught her eye, including carts, mailboxes and even a bench on which a stallion was sitting carelessly. Seeing that he was seized by an enraged princess in curlers, whose eyes blazed with hellfire, he jumped to the ground with a cry and, without looking back, galloped away. The Queen soon joined Cadence. Turning into a unicorn, she began to help her with no fewer obsessions, search everything around and periodically jump on a neighbors' hedge in search of the mischievous dog.

"There he is! I see him!" exclaimed Chrysalis, noticing the furry thief running along the next street, and together with the princess rushed after him.

Noticing the pursuit, the dog sped up. However the next second Cadence dived at him from the sky and grabbed it by the sides with her legs. In fright, the animal screamed loudly and dropped the remote, which fell in the middle of the road.

"Finally," the princess said with satisfaction, letting go of the animal and stretching her leg forward. But before she could grab it a cart drove past her and crushed the remote with a wheel.

"No," Cadence said woefully.

"We've lost it," added Chrysalis, galloping up to her.

"It's your fault!" said the alicorn indignantly, lifting pieces of the remote control with telekinesis and looking at her as like a piece of roadkill.

"MINE?! If you had not taken that stone, the dog would not have been scared!" Chrysalis pounced on her with accusations.

"But who took the remote control from me? You are just a problem!"

"Not less than you – you greedy hypocrite!"

And so, swearing and showering each other with curses, they returned back to the house.

This was not their first quarrel. Or rather, the fourth since Shining Armor left a couple of hours ago. And each of these quarrels was accompanied by high-profile scandals and minor damage to their personal property, though not as large-scale as the unicorn imagined (although it was still only three o'clock in the afternoon, which means that they could well have gone to larger destruction).

Their first quarrel happened almost as soon as the stallion left. They both went to the kitchen for breakfast, but did not share the flour and eggs. And while they were arguing about who and what they would cook, the frying pan with butter, left unattended, suddenly ignited, seriously frightening both mares and forcing them to run for a fire extinguisher. Then, they went to the bedroom, where they returned to yesterday's argument and for a long time could not decide where and which of their things should be. As a result, they fought with Chrysalis' crooked chairs, breaking a couple of decorative cases and a wall clock in the process. And finally, both mares went to rest in the yard and had a skirmish over a retractable sun lounger, which was made in a tropical style and had a pull-out stand for drinks, eventually sending it to the bottom of the pool. And it would seem that their house is big and, if they wanted, they could always disperse to different corners; but no, instead, they went everywhere together, looking for an excuse to find fault with each other.

Entering the kitchen, the queen and princess sat at a large table.

"Oh, this running around has completely exhausted me. I urgently need to freshen up," said Chrysalis, taking out a large bucket of ice cream from the freezer by telekinesis.

"Hey! That is the «Sugar Slide Strawberry Surprise», I saved it for myself!" exclaimed Cadance, her magic grabbing the bottom of the bucket.

"There is another one, take it," the queen insisted, pulling on the ice cream delicacy.

"No, It's coffee flavor!" The princess declared stubbornly.

Once again, they began to quarrel and pull the bucket towards themselves, until its lid suddenly popped out and the ice cream heated by telekinesis doused both of them.

"Ah! Well, you have achieved your goal! Today I cleaned my shell for three hours, and you got it dirty again. Congratulations!" the queen said with displeasure.

"What about my mane? Do you have any idea how long it takes to put it down?" parried the princess, along with Chrysalis heading to the sink to wash, where they both bumped their sides.

"Hey! Stop running after me!" the changeling growled angrily.

"You stop following me!"

"Why? Why are you arguing with me all the time?"

"Don't you guess?" The princess asked sarcastically. "If not for your wedding escapade, I would have married Shining Armor and live with him like a normal pony. But no! I had to go to this double marriage deal and share one bed and a TV remote with the queen of bugs, who brazenly usurped my lovely stallion and now wants to take him away from me."

"You know why I do it. I wanted…"

"I know, I know. You wanted to help your children. I’ve heard it before. But I don’t believe you a bit! I bet you did this on purpose to steal my Shining from me and make me unhappy!"

"Unhappy? If anyone in this family can be called unhappy, it is Shining Armor and you are to blame!"

"I AM? What the hell are you talking about?"

"It’s true. Since I met Shining, I have only seen how painful and lonely he was. Maybe if you were more attentive to him, I would not have dared to brainwash him."

"Are you saying that I don’t pay attention to him? I am the most caring pony in the world! Any stallion or mare would gladly give everything in the world to be with me! I am ideal!"

"Yeah, sure. That's why your husband was so sad when you left him alone. That way a couple of dozen times."

"Nonsense. I've never done that," Cadence said stubbornly.

"Sure? Then how do you explain this?" said the queen and suddenly went up to the princess. Cadence got into a fighting stance, expecting her to fight her again, but Chrysalis simply touched her horn with hers.

At the same moment, a picture of one of the parks on the outskirts of Canterlot appeared before the alicorn's eyes. She looked at them through the eyes of the Chrysalis. The changeling sat in the bushes and watched as Cadence walked along one of the walking paths with Shining Armor.

"Sorry, dear, I know I promised to spend this day with you, but today I have to help Aunt Tia," said the princess.

"But you said that Luna would help her," the unicorn said sadly. "I thought that today we would go to the embankment and have a picnic there," he pointed to a large wicker basket that lay on his back. "I didn't even go to a party with my high school friends for this."

"Yes, I understand, Shiny, but Aunt Tia said that Luna was still too inexperienced and not ready to deal with state affairs. She needs someone more responsible. We can go to a picnic another time," said the alicorn and, giving him a short kiss on the cheek, quickly flapped her wings and flew away towards the palace.

"Yeah, another time," Shining sighed softly, sitting down in despair and taking out a cucumber sandwich from the basket, which he slowly began to chew. "You always have one more another time."

"Well?" said Chrysalis, stepping back from the princess, the vision immediately disappeared.

"Oh, wow. I forgot about that meeting," Cadence said with sadness in her voice.

"Really? The best and most caring pony in the world has forgotten how she pushed her beloved and went to drink tea with Princess Celestia?" The queen chuckled.

"Hey, Aunt Tia was very lonely that day, and I had to console her!" tried to justify Cadance.

"Have you thought about Shining? And then, this is not the first time that you refused him. Every time I watched you, I saw how you were either arguing with him or you were too busy to devote time to him."

"Well, I… actually… hey, why were you following us at all?!" The princess said sharply.

"Because I needed to infiltrate you and reach a peace agreement with the ponies," Chrysalis said impatiently, "So my children chose a candidate worthy for this deal – a stallion with a high status in society and connections at court. And, more..." she stopped for a second and after a little pause, continued, "…The one who had serious disagreements with his soul mate. Shining was the only one who was often seen alone, because someone did not pay attention to him. So I chose him. I watched him in order to make contact. At first, it was just a necessity, but then... I felt sorry for him. Such a beautiful and caring stallion who adored and loved you with all his heart, but you never noticed it."

"But I… I…" Cadence said, confused.

"Don't deny it! You've ignored Shining for months! When I first saw him, I was literally wounded by the emptiness that reigned in his soul. He longed for love, which he was never given, and was unhappy."

"This is not true!" objected the princess.

"Yes? Do you want to know how he feels every time you dump him?"

She touched Cadance again, this time not with the horn, but with the hoof, which she placed on her heart. And then the princess experienced a terrible and vicious feeling, as if she was beginning to be sucked into a dark and deep abyss, from which there is no return, and where the sun could never penetrate.

"Well, how is it? You like it?" Chrysalis asked.

"Oh, dear Celestia… it's… awful," the alicorn said, rounding her eyes with fright.

"Yes it is. You always kept him aside, and he missed you. You were out of reach for him, and Shining was languishing in loneliness. So I couldn't take it anymore. I decided to help him, and when you once again could not go for a walk with him, I assumed your appearance and said that the business in Canterlot had been canceled and invited him to spend the whole evening together. You can't even imagine how happy he was that day."

"So you went on a date with him instead of me? And what did you do there?" The princess asked warily.

"Nothing like what you think. We just rested with him all day. We went to the cinema, to an amusement park, to a cafe. And in the evening they just sat on the bench and talked. He missed it so much. He wanted to be with you, and at that time, he gave me so much sincere love that I have never experienced in my life. He loves you so much, so he wants you to always be there. And you don't appreciate it."

Suddenly, the queen of the changelings burst into tears, catching Cadence by surprise.

"What? What's the matter with you?" asked the princess, not believing in what she sees.

"You wouldn’t not understand this, beauty pony with a perfect face and body – you have never experienced anything so pure and uncomplicated. Especially after years of loneliness."

"Well, to tell you the truth, you don't have such a bad figure either," she said, not believing she was saying that. "And then, you are a changeling and you can always become anyone. You just need to change your appearance and everyone will love you."

"Yes and that's the problem! I am loved when I become someone else, but not when I am me. The real me – everyone is afraid. They consider it disgusting and scary, and as soon as I try to get closer to someone, they run from me. Nobody loves me."

She wiped her tear-stained eyes with her foot and headed out of the kitchen.

"That is why the love of your husband is so important to me," she said, turning, "He was the first who could accept the real me. The first one who fell in love with me as a changeling."

But before she could turn the knob and walk away, her changing’s sense suddenly caught up with something unusual. A feeling that came from Cadence. For the first time in a week of knowing her, Chrysalis felt not hatred or contempt, but sympathy. She was sincerely sorry for the queen, and she was also a little ashamed of her own inattention.

"No, it can’t be!" Chrysalis thought incredulously.

"You know, I don’t think all changelings are that terrible," Cadence said, as if to dispel her doubts.

"Really?" The queen asked, looking at her.

"Yes. Although I didn't think so before. It always seemed to me that you were monsters who think only of yourselves and hunt ponies to drink all their love. But when I met you and your children during the wedding, I realized that this is not so. You selflessly took the risk, ready to sacrifice yourself for the sake of those who are close to you. It was very bold and not at all selfish."

"Thank you," Chrysalis said with a faint smile.

"And although I still don’t like the fact that you appeared in my life, I am ready to accept it and perhaps ..." the princess hesitated for a moment before deciding to continue, "...even make peace with you."

She walked over to the queen and held out her leg.

"Maybe we can try to start all over again? What do you say?" alicorn asked.

"I agree," Chrysalis said, looking at her incredulously, but with no negativity or falsehood came from Cadance, her feelings were sincere, and therefore she shook her leg, and then unexpectedly stepped to meet the alicorn and hugged her tightly.

"Uh, well, well, everything is alright," the princess said embarrassedly, hugging her back. "By the way," she said after a couple of minutes, "you can already let me go."

"I’d be glad, but I can’t. It seems to me, ah, that I am stuck," Chrysalis said, moving a little, her mane matted tightly to Cadance's.

"Yes, me too, it looks like it's because of the ice cream. Ouch! It's so sticky!"

The princess tried to bend over to the sink, but it was too high.

"No, it doesn't work. I guess we'll have to go to the bath... together," Chrysalis said, blushing.

"Yeah, just go to the wrong place where you washed this morning. We have some nice baths in the house, so we go to the one on the first floor one step at a time..."

***

"And here, for the first time I visited Swamp Valley," said Cadance, showing the Queen her album with photographs. "Our charity cortege stopped for a short time by the road, on the way to the village of Ura Valla, when we were attacked by a whole squad of alligator pygmies."

"Wow! I see you really had interesting adventures," said Chrysalis, looking at the picture where Cadence stood on the river bank and held by telekinesis the tails of two aggressive aborigines, whose clothes were made of small bones and branches. "I did not expect that the pampered Princess of Love could have such exotic adventures."

Surprisingly, both mares, despite the very stormy beginning of this day, still managed to get along and while they were washing off ice cream, they found a common language. And now, wrapped in towels, they sat together on the sofa, not trying to kill each other.

"Well, it’s quite common for an alicorn. I, as my aunt and her sister, sometimes have to solve not only peaceful issues, but also matters related to the protection of our subjects," said the princess, turning the page.

"Yes, I know that. As a queen of the swarm, I myself have often been in situations where it was necessary to fight alone with dangerous creatures threatening our hive. By the way, why did you stop traveling?"

"Well, let's just say – before, apart from me and Aunt Tia, there was no one else to maintain security in Equestria, and then Luna and my ward Twilight appeared. Aunt Tia has transferred some of my responsibilities to them, and I no longer need to leave the capital and fight monsters."

"I see. I'm sure Shining Armor was very happy when he found out. After all, now he could spend more time with such a stunning pony like you," said the queen.

"Tee-hee, right. And I myself was pleased with his company. Well, at least when I managed to stay with him, breaking away from public affairs. After all, even without monsters and hostile sorcerers, I had a lot of things to do. Hey, do you want me to show you some pictures of Shining being a little foal?"

"What's the question? Of course! I can't wait to see how cute he was when he was born." Chrysalis nodded eagerly.

The princess took out another album and began to show her various photographs in which young Shining was sitting on a pot, running with a butterfly net or secretly trying on his mother's dress.

"Hee-hee, what a cutie he is!" the queen cooed affectionately, admiring the photograph where Shining dropped a jar of jam on himself.

"Yeah, it took me a lot of effort to persuade his mother to give me this album. Oh, she loves him so much."

"Oh yes. Maternal care is one of the purest and tastiest expressions of love," the queen said, slightly licking her lips, but catching the reproachful glance of the princess, she hastily added: "I mean for mom. I know this because I myself often play with my children."

"It's clear. By the way, I understand that this will sound strange, but can I ask you something?" Cadence turned to her.

"Of course," the queen nodded.

"How does it feel to be… um… mom?" The princess asked after a moment's hesitation.

Chrysalis looked at her with interest.

"I’m asking for a reason," Cadence said. "The fact is that sometimes I think that it's time to get a foal myself, but I'm a little afraid of that. After all, it’s such a responsibility. So I would like to discuss this with someone, but I do not know with whom. Except for Aunt Tia. But what can she advise me? After all, she herself has no foals. And you are so experienced, you have so many wonderful kids, so I wonder how you cope with this?"

"Well, everything is rather complicated on that topic," Chrysalis said, taking a small pillow with her front legs and pressing it to her chest, "On the one hand, being a mother is a real punishment. After all, when you have a whole hive full of naughty changelings, it is very difficult to keep track of them and make sure that they do not be naughty and do not get into trouble. But on the other," she sighed gently. "It's so nice when someone needs you. When there are those who can support you in difficult times, and whom you can support. Besides, when you see newborn babies, you involuntarily feel like someone more than just a mother. You feel like a real goddess."

"Well, actually we are some kind of goddesses," Cadance reminded.

"I am not talking about that. When I see the little faces of my babies, I feel that I can give them all my love. Train them, educate them and help them take their first steps. It is as if I become the universe for them and try to make them always happy. You have no idea how wonderful it is!"

"Oh yeah, that sound so sweet," Cadence smiled fondly.

"Of course, especially when they..."

Suddenly, the queen fell silent as she felt a deliciously warm and loving wave touch her skin.

"Oh, what was that?" She asked mentally, experiencing incredible pleasure from this and slightly aroused.

"Are you okay, Chrysalis?" looking at her, asked the alicorn.

"M-m-m… of course. Why are you ... uh, you ask?" turning away, said the queen, trying to pull herself into her hooves.

"You just blushed a little," said the pony, pointing to the queen's cheeks, which turned bright pink.

"Yes, everything is all right. Probably, here, uh... too hot," she got up from the couch and went to the window to open the shutters.

"Well, as I said, they…" Chrysalis began, but then another warm wave touched her, right from the side of the tail. Her slit was immediately moistened a little, and the queen herself was thrown into a fever.

"Wow, well, well," she whispered, moving away from the window. She had no idea why she felt like this, or what was happening to her. Turning, she looked at Cadance and opened her mouth in surprise. A fiery pink love aura blazed around the princess, so strong and saturated; it was as if she was engulfed in a hot flame.

"Wow! It can't be! What is she? Does she ... l-love me? But how? How is this possible? Her love ... ah! I have never experienced anything like this! Where did she get so much bright and juicy love?" The queen asked herself. Her legs trembled. She struggled to the couch and sat down in her seat while Cadance continued to talk to her about the foals. But Chrysalis listened to her half-heartedly, it was extremely difficult for her to be near the princess, who literally filled this room with her delicious and tasty love.

"And after, I took Shining to a comedy about little foals. I hoped that this way he would take my little hint, but, unfortunately, he turned out to be a real..." meanwhile, said Cadence.

"Tell me, do you really think that I am beautiful in my natural form?" The queen interrupted her, no longer able to control her impulses.

"Well, yes. Why do you ask?" the princess was surprised at this question.

"Nothing… um… forgive me for that," Chrysalis whispered languidly and suddenly pounced on the alicorn and, pressing her back to the sofa, passionately dug her lips into her’s.

"Umph!!! Umph!!! Umm!!!" Cadance murmured indistinctly, trying to free herself from her and putting in a lot of effort, finally did it.

"Chrysalis! What are you doing?!" The alicorn exclaimed, pulling away from her. Her cheeks burned with a bashful blush.

"Sorry, I don’t know what came over me," the queen said, embarrassed. "But such a strong and indomitable love emanates from you. I've never felt anything like it before. One second next to you is enough to feed my entire hive; or even, several hives."

The queen exhaled loudly.

"Ah! Well, another wave! You are so passionate when you love someone! So... passionate and attractive."

Like a predator, she licked her lips.

"Really? Well thanks. I am, of course, very flattered that you think so of me, but I must warn you that I am not one of those who like ma... mmm!!!" She did not have time to finish, as Chrysalis kissed her again, much harder and gently stroking her mane.

And this time the princess did not resist much. Even though she was uncomfortable with the idea of being kissed by another mare, she still allowed herself to relax when she noticed that the queen's kiss was rather tender and hot. And the way she worked with her long tongue, involuntarily made the princess horny.

"Oh no, I did it again," the changeling said in a frightened voice, already pulling away from her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to. I guess I'd better leave before I lose control again."

She got up from the sofa, about to leave the room, but then an alicorn grabbed her by the hoof.

"C-cadence, what are you doing?" She gasped.

"You decided that you can just leave? After you set me on fire?" Squinting, the princess said and jerked the queen back, then gently lay down on top of her and began to kiss slowly and with feeling, periodically stopping to catch her breath and lick Chrysalis's leathery lips.

"Oh, Chrysalis, you're so hot I literally can't stop," the princess said, squeezing her in an embrace.

"You too. You are like a bright sun made of pure love," the queen said with a smile.

"And not surprising. After all, I am the Princess of Love, and it is she who feeds my powers," noticed the alicorn, licking her nose with her tongue. "Hee-hee, you have not yet seen how powerful I become on the Day of Hearts and Hooves. On that day, my power grows so much that I can burn an entire planet."

"A powerful and beautiful princess," Chrysalis muttered softly, kissing her a few more suckingly. "B-but what about Shining? After all, you and I are now cheating on him," she asked, interrupting for a second.

"Not really. Yes, he is our husband, but you and I are not strangers either. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with two hot and passionate mares sometimes releasing the passion that has accumulated in them."

"But do we still love him?"

"Of course, and it seems to me that he will be very pleased when he finds out that you and I were able to find a common language."

She stuck out her tongue and tickled it in Chrysalis's mouth.

"Yeah, our tongues really found each other," she joked.

"Exactly, tee-hee," the princess smiled. "Who knows, maybe we can convince him to join us."

"Well, yes, and we will arrange a threesome," the queen nodded in agreement and they again began to kiss passionately, stroking each other and moaning softly. Then Chrysalis put her hoof down and touched Cadance's wet slit, which sent powerful waves of love from that again, literally bringing the changeling to exhaustion and euphoria.

"Maybe we should go to the bedroom?" suggested Cadence after a couple of minutes. "It'd be much more comfortable up there. And besides, I have a lot of love toys in my chest."

"Oh, you slutty princess," Chrysalis giggled. "Well, let's go."

Then she grabbed the princess in telekinesis and galloped upstairs with her.

Entering the bedroom, Letting go of Cadence as she leapt onto the bed, not stopping to savor every gentle wave coming from the princess.

Meanwhile, Cadence opened one of the painted chests, which was filled to the brim with all kinds of dildos, collars, whips, as well as lingerie and lubricants.

"Wow, you really do have a rich assortment!" The queen whistled, licking her hoof with eager anticipation.

"Well, who should I dress up as?" Asked Cadance, opening her locker and taking out different dresses and outfits. "A modest maid? Compliant secretary? A pretty cow?"

She showed tight-fitting white leggings with black spots, which were accompanied by a set of false horns.

"I don’t know, all these outfits are so sexy," Chrysalis said dreamily, imagining what Cadance would look like with the false horns.

"What do you want? I'm sure the strong and domineering queen of changelings has some special preferences," the princess smiled slyly.

"Well, there is one, but… I don’t even know if I should tell you about this," Chrysalis said, rubbing her neck in embarrassment.

"Oh, are you really being shy? In vain. Over the years of my life, I have seen a lot of wild and depraved fantasies, and you can hardly surprise me with something. Come on, confess; what turns you on? I'm sure it’s something very vulgar and unbridled!" The alicorn perked up, rubbing her hooves in anticipation.

"Um… well, I… I…" the queen began hesitantly.

"Yes?" Cadence said excitedly.

“Well, I like playing the role of a pet," Chrysalis said in one breath, and bashfully lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, repeat again? A pet?" asked Cadence, a little confused, before a lascivious grin shone on her face.

"Y-yes. The fact is that most of the time I have to lead and command everyone. And so, sometimes you want not to bear any responsibility. Feel guided and free from big decisions. Feel the leash and strong leg of the master... or the mistress."

She closed her eyes and sprawled playfully on the bed.

"So if you don’t mind, then I…" she continued, but then she felt something grab her neck and there was a loud click.

She opened her eyes and saw on her neck a spiked collar, from which came the leash that Cadance was holding in telekinesis.

"So you like it? My little and naughty Chrissy, really wanting someone to command her? Well-well, I think I can help her with that. After all, I love to lead and command," the princess said in a tough and imperious voice.

"Oh-oh-oh…" Chrysalis held out, blushing, feeling several large drops fall from her slit.

"And the first thing I'm going to do is teach my bug good manners. First, get out of bed! I hate it when dirty animals lie on the mistress's bed," said Cadance sternly and with a jerk forced the queen down to the floor. "You don’t want me to be upset, do you?"

"N-no, of course not, C-cadence," Chrysalis said, embarrassed.

"No-no! Call me "mistress"! That is my name. You understood?" with pressure said the princess, pushing her foot on her back.

"Y-yes. Sorry, mistress," Chrysalis said obediently.

"Well done. Good bug. But since you dared to call me by name, you will have to earn my forgiveness, do you agree?"

"Yes, mistress," the queen agreed with a languid sigh.

"Then..." Cadance, sat down on the bed and spreading her hind legs, pulled Chrysalis to her, "...I advise you to work with your long and warm tongue, otherwise Shiny did not satisfy me very well today."

"As you command, mistress," Chrysalis said readily, and carefully moved towards Cadance. She then dipped her tongue between her legs, slowly licking the edges of her labia.

Cadence groaned softly and closed her eyes slowly, clenching her teeth in pleasure. Not just waves began to emanate from her, but whole tsunamis of incredibly juicy and tasty love, which covered Chrysalis headlong and surrounded her with pleasant and gentle warmth, which enveloped each of her feelings and literally made her mind float with fabulous pleasure.

"Yes, good girl, go on. Make your mistress cum," the pony said, breathing loudly and now and then, licking her lips, slowly stroking Chrysalis on the head.

Then, Cadance's legs tensed and she grabbed the queen by the neck. She opened her mouth and finished with a loud groan.

Chrysalis's eyes widened as she felt the deliciously sweet love juice of an alicorn drip into her mouth.

"Yes! Don’t be shy! Drink it! You must drink it all! You don't want me to stain the sheets!" Cadence shouted enthusiastically, not stopping to release more and more streams of her lubricant into Chrysalis's mouth, and she eagerly drank them along the way, pulling the princess's foot with her free leg.

"Uh… yeah… okay," Cadence said, relaxing her eyes and patting Chrysalis on the head.

"So, I deserve to be forgiven, mistress?" looking up from her sticky and wet crack, asked the queen.

"M-m-m… yes, you are. Ah... you were a very good girl and worthy of an award."

Cadence’s horn throbbed with magic and she began to look for something in her chest of sex toys.

"Oh, and what is it, mistress?" Licking the rest of the lubricant and playfully stroking the princess's tummy, asked the changeling.

"You’ll see," Cadence said mysteriously, and then, apparently finding what she needed, lifted the queen's tail and looked her straight in the eyes. "Or rather, you will feel it."

Before Chrysalis had time to ask what Cadence meant, a small and elastic object touched the walls of her anus, and then a small butt plug, generously covered with cool lubricant, entered it strongly, but neatly.

"Yes, this is your reward. I'll let you enjoy my favorite Naughty Fungus," the princess said as she continued to deepen it, making Chrysalis moan quietly and lick Cadance’s pussy again with each thrust forward.

"Ah!" the queen sighed when the cork completely entered her.

"Well, my little animal, вo you like your award?" The princess asked.

"Yes, mistress, you are very generous," Chrysalis said, gently wiggling her croup to experience the movement of the cork again.

"Okay, now get ready." She tugged at the collar and pulled Chrysalis to her hoof. "Now you will have to stand still and wait for my next command. You understood?"

"Of course, mistress. I will stand still and await your instructions," the queen dutifully repeated.

"Good girl. Like this. Now I will turn it on," the alicorn said, grinning like a hungry tigress, and immediately behind the queen there was a quiet click, "and you will be very pleased."

"Ah! Mistress! Oh! I... I..." groaned Chrysalis, feeling pleasant vibrations inside herself, which literally made her lose the remnants of her strength and will. And yet, everything happened exactly as she wanted. For the first time in a long time, she was not a mistress, but a pet. A being without a will of its own, ruled by someone more powerful and domineering. And that someone was her recent rival and enemy, Cadance.

From these thoughts, the queen experienced an incredibly strong orgasm and began to moan loudly.

"I see you like my fungus," Cadance smiled. "But mind you, you have no right to move or to cum. You have to save all your juice for me. So stand still and wait for my command."

With that, she gently pressed the plug behind the Chrysalis and it vibrated even faster.

The queen's legs trembled, it became very difficult for her to stand still.

"I… I can't do this anymore! I have no strength to endure! Have mercy, mistress!" Chrysalis begged, a couple of minutes later, literally choking on the princess's love and endless orgasms.

"Never! You must stand and wait, as I ordered you. You must obey me!" Cadence said sternly, giving her a slap on the rump.

"Y-yes, m-mistress!" Muttered the changeling, losing the remnants of her will and trying with all her might to not finish. However, it didn't last long. After a couple of minutes, she realized that she could no longer restrain herself and came with a cry.

"Oh, how naughty you are. You dared to disobey me," Cadence said, noticing this.

"Yes, sorry. Please… ah… forgive me, mistress," the queen whispered, unable to even breathe, falling to the floor with a blissful smile.

"Well-well, you've done wrong again and I’ll have to punish you," Cadence said in a stern and at the same time lustful tone. She grabbed the leash tighter and jerked the queen onto the bed, turning her sideways.

"Oh yes, this time I’ll have to take care of you and show you what happens when you don’t obey me," said the princess, spreading her legs and throwing her tail aside. "And since I can't change your appearance like you, I will have to do it the old fashioned way. In a reliable, proven way."

Here something very hard and resilient rested against Chrysalis's croup. Blushing, she turned to see the princess put on a belt on her stomach, to which was attached a large rubber dildo. A very big one at that!!! So much so that he could easily pierce the queen through.

"M-mistress! I beg you! Have mercy!!! I... I can't..." Chrysalis resisted frightenedly, trying to crawl away from her, but Cadance brought her back to her.

"I will not spare you! You behaved badly and should be punished. In the end, you are my animal, and I am your mistress, and I do it for you so that you never behave badly again," said the alicorn, spreading her legs further apart and preparing to enter. "So you better tell me thank you for taking care of you so much."

"Tha... thank you, MISTRESS!!!" loudly cried Chrysalis, when the princess abruptly entered her and began to fuck hard with strong and quick jerks, while pulling on the leash and slightly squeezing the queen's throat.

Chrysalis bit the pillow with her teeth and closed her eyes in pleasure, while the princess, coupled with a cork-vibrator, confidently tamed her and made her drunk from the ocean of love, which literally overwhelmed her mind and brought her to another fabulous orgasm.

"Yes! Yes! Like this! I can see that you like it! You are just delighted that I use and command you! You are my obedient animal, my sweet toy and I will have fun with you as soon as I want!" the princess laughed, mentally rejoicing and rejoicing. "Anytime and anywhere."

"Yes, mistress, yes! I am your property! Do whatever you want with me!" Looking up from the pillow, the queen cried, before once again sweetly ending and stretching out on the bed.

"Well done, you’re a very good girl," Cadence whispered softly as she pulled the dildo out of the Chrysalis and lay down beside her. "It seems that this marriage was not such a mistake and you and I will have a lot of wonderful entertainment."

"Uh-huh," the changeling mumbled weakly before she was overcome with a wave of exhaustion, and she fell asleep.

***

"Well, here's my street, Lieutenant," said Shining Armor to one of his officers who was accompanying him as they reached his new neighborhood.

"Wow! I see you're in a good spot, Captain. It looks like being married to a princess and queen is pretty lucrative. Listen, do they have any sisters by chance?" He asked, looking at the nearest three-story house, decorated in the form of a castle.

"I don’t think so unless the Chrysalis has any sisters." answered the unicorn. "And even then, you can't even imagine how troublesome it is to have two divine spouses at once."

"Have? You mean..." the lieutenant began slyly.

"No, no, nothing like that! Again you with your vulgar jokes," snorted Shining.

"Oh, come on. Why can't I envy you now? Well, okay, see you soon, captain," the pegasus saluted with his wing.

"Yes, bye," the unicorn waved to him and, turning the corner, he walked unhurriedly towards his own house, whistling a mischievous tune under his breath.

"Oh, what a delightful day!" Finished whistling, said Shining Armor, admiring the delightful sunset, which gilded the evening Canterlot with its rays. "And most importantly, now that I have completely rested, it will not be difficult for me to endure a couple of rounds with my beloved, and then go to dinner with my family. What could be better?"

However, when he reached ten paces from his house, he tensed a little. No matter how strong his feelings for both wives were he nevertheless feared that during the day of abstinence they had time to become seriously inflamed and were now waiting for him at the gate to once again pounce on him and tear him to pieces.

"I wonder if they will give me time to take off my shirt, or will they immediately stun me and drag me to bed, as the cave mares did?" he whispered in fright, looking suspiciously at the bench that had been overturned along the way and the tree turned upside down.

Approaching the gate, he narrowed his eyes in advance, expecting to see the destroyed house ahead, but after a second he sighed with relief. Their cottage was safe and sound.

"Fuh, it looks like the house is in order," he said with satisfaction, carefully entering the courtyard and looking around the gazebo and a flower bed with bushes in search of mares waiting for him, but he saw no one there. "But the gazebo is slightly skewed, and the lounge chair is underwater for some reason. Apparently, they quarreled because of me," he added, going to the pool. "Well, it's not that bad. So, where are they?"

He opened the door and looked into the house, but he did not find anyone there either. The hallway was empty, no one pounced on him.

"Wow, everything is fine in here too. It's hard to believe that Cadence and Chrysalis were able to refrain from destroying our estate. Just some miracles. But where are they? I hope they didn't kill each other while I was gone."

He walked a little further, alternately looking into the kitchen, the large hall and the bathroom, but his wives were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, it’s not good," he said, getting a little nervous, and then he heard indistinct loud voices coming from their shared bedroom.

"I see, they seem to be arguing about something again," he said knowingly and walked up the stairs with quick steps, intending to once again separate another flaring up conflict.

Approaching the door, the unicorn exhaled sharply and, turning the handle, went inside.

"Girls, I'm back! I ask you don’t quarrel, after all, you... you…" he stared in amazement at the two mares that were standing near the window. Cadence had climbed a ladder to the very top and hung a pink-fringed curtain there, while Chrysalis held it to prevent her falling.

"Yes, like that. A little more, great!" The queen said, watching the princess, before then turning to Shining. "Oh, hi, hubby, nice to see you. And we are not quarreling here at all."

"You're not quarreling?" The unicorn repeated in disbelief. "But I heard cries."

"Cries? What are you talking about? We were just talking loudly about the best way to hang this curtain. Isn't it cute?" Chrysalis said in a suspiciously cheerful tone.

"Yes, of course, but ..." the stallion said without understanding anything, "...I thought you didn't like such decorations."

"Well, actually, yes. But since Cadence is your wife, I decided that she, on an equal basis with me, has the right to decorate this bedroom and our house."

"And then, we realized that the quarrels would not lead us to anything and made it up this afternoon," the princess supported her, slowly going down and standing next to Chrysalis.

Both mares hugged each other tightly with their front legs.

"A-are you serious?" Shining Armor asked with a drooping jaw.

"Well yes, we will no longer swear over trifles, and compete over all sorts of little things," said the queen.

"And we will begin to resolve all issues in a peaceful and civilized manner," added the princess. "Like a real strong family."

"Have you been replaced? You seem to be not yourself," the unicorn was taken aback.

"No, nothing like that. We just followed your advice and found a common language" (at these words, Cadence chuckled softly). "Is it so hard to believe?" Chrysalis asked innocently.

"Well, not really, just..." he decided to ask them a question to fill in: "By the way, do you want to, well... um ... spend time with me? I mean, tete-a-tete?"

"Hmm, the offer is, of course, tempting, but I don’t want it now," Chrysalis shook her head negatively.

"Me too," Cadence said.

"Definitely changed," the stallion thought with a mane standing on end.

"And then, we have already managed to relax properly, and now we can quite wait until nightfall," the princess continued.

"Relax? What are you talking about?" Shining narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Soon, you'll find out, dear," Cadence winked at him. "Everything has its time."

"Yeah, as soon as we’re in bed with you, you’ll understand everything right away," Chrysalis grinned predatory.

Shining swallowed in fright, a lump forming in his throat.

"But we won't do it right now, don't worry," the queen reassured him with a giggle.

"After all, we have a dinner party planned for this evening with your parents, and we better start preparing for it. Clean up and buy them something as a gift," said the princess.

"And most importantly – we need to choose the right costume for you. We do not want you to look like a stuffed animal against the background of such charming beauties like us," Chrysalis said, smoothing her mane.

"What's the matter with them?" muttered a completely bewildered stallion.

"I think we should give him something light and loose that will go well with your pink dress, Cady," the queen was saying.

"Well, sure, Chrissy. I'm sure he'd better wear a formal business suit that will perfectly match your elegant evening dress, and also..."

Then they both fell silent, hearing a thud nearby. Looking towards Shining Armor, they saw that he had fainted.

Author's Note

So, Cadance and Chrysalis were left at home alone and were able to reconcile in the end, what now awaits Shining after such a reconciliation, and what role will he play now? You will find all the answers in the next chapter ^_^

Chapter 5: Evening Dinner with Family

"Come on, honey. Don't frown; that suit looks good on you," said Cadence as she saw Shining stop once more and began to adjust the collar of his cerulean suit and white shirt.

"I'm not frowning, it's just... uh... very hard for me to breathe in," the stallion said grumpily, still fiddling with his collar. "And why did we pick it up at the most expensive clothing store, anyway?"

"You talk as if you had to pay for it," the princess remarked.

"Yes, hubby, don't be such a prude. We went to this store because it belongs to one of my children. And it was rather generous of him to give you a full set of clothes," the queen winked at him. "Along with that wonderful bracelet for Cadence."

She nodded at the beautiful platinum and gemstone bracelet that hung around the alicorn's front leg, worth as much as Shining's annual salary.

"Yes, he was very kind, but what's wrong with my old coat?" The unicorn asked, wondering how the changeling had managed to become a famous fashion designer.

"You mean that disgusting moth-eaten rag?" Chrysalis frowned. "Come on, Shiny, you can't show up in front of your family in the clothes you wore to the prom."

"And stained with strawberry jam," added Cadence.

"So yes, it was vital. And since today is a wonderful chance for me to get to know your folks, it's got to be perfect. You have to shine when you're in the company of me and Cady."

She put her leg around his neck.

"I'd look like a worthless wife if I let my hubby walk around in an old jacket," she smiled.

"I agree. Your family could misunderstand us if that happened. And besides, it matches our dresses perfectly," Cadence added as she put her arms around his neck, too. "And it wasn't easy for us to match them with the color."

"Of course," the stallion sadly nodded, remembering the forty minutes they'd spent trying on half the store and driving one of the clerks to a nervous breakdown before they'd been sure they matched Chrysalis' evening gown and Cadence's airy dress. And that's not to mention the long hour at home during which they changed and applied their own makeup. And while in Cadence's case it was understandable, Chrysalis might not have taken that long to get ready. After all, she's a changeling and could just change her appearance. But no, she insisted she had to look natural today. Eh...

"Imagine; in a little while, the three of us in front of your parents," Cadence went on to say. "How happy they'll be when they see you."

"You sound like they've never seen me before," he said sarcastically.

"Definitely not so handsome," the princess declared, snuggling closer to him.

"And in the company of such charming companions as ourselves," Chrysalis interjected, doing the same thing that made the unicorn feel trapped in a vise.

"Besides, we're not going to them empty-hooved," Cadence said, showing off a large box tied with a ribbon. "Once I give them this wonderful crystal set, made by the best craftsmen in Equestria, they will be truly delighted. I hope you haven't forgotten your present."

"No, dear, I hold it to my heart," he answered, lifting his front leg with difficulty and pointing to the package hanging at his side, which contained a box with a prefabricated model of a ship (which his father liked to collect), a silver frame with a family photo (in which both mares, like predators, cradled Shining at their feet, holding a marriage contract), and a bottle of expensive wine.

"By the way, where is your present, Chrysalis?" The princess asked. "We agreed that I would take Mrs. Sparkle, and you would have to buy something for her husband."

"Don't worry, my gift is on its way, and I'll get it soon," the queen replied, glancing at the street sign. "Yeah, this is Violet Street, which means he's not far away. Do you mind if we wait for him?"

"Him? Did you hire a courier?" The unicorn asked.

"Well, almost. You'll see," she said with a smile as she stopped at the post and looked around.

Soon a tall, athletic pegasus in a policestallion's uniform came around the corner and handed her a small box with round holes in the sides.

"Here you go, Mom," he said. "Jizzle gave it to me half an hour ago."

"Thank you, dear," the queen said, taking the box and stroking the pegasus on the head several times. "I hope you didn't wake it up?"

"I don't think so. At least when I checked on, it was lying still, so I don't think my running disturbed it," he smiled as he looked at Shining and Cadence.

"That's good. You and Jizzle are great," Chrysalis praised him.

"Thanks, mom," the pegasus said. "Well, I'm off. It's time to get back to patrolling the streets and protecting innocent ponies from dangerous criminals."

"Goodbye, sweetheart. Take care of yourself. And remember, if you get a tummy ache again, ask Milla to make you some mashed boiled apples or boiled rice."

"Sure, mom. Well, good-bye," he nodded, and spread his wings and flew off toward the center.

"Another changeling! And, on top of that, a policestallion. How many of them even live in the city?" Shining Armor mentally asked himself. His guards didn't seem to be any use at all. Oh, what if some of they were changelings, too?! Well, that would explain a lot. For instance, why there was such a great influx of volunteers during the last draft.

Cadence, meanwhile, was interested in another, equally important question. She looked with interest at Chrysalis's box, where through the holes she could see a curled up leathery lump that was sniffling and snoring quietly.

"Oh, what's that? You decided to give Shining's parents a pet?"

"Yes," the queen smiled beamingly.

"Is it dangerous?" The princess asked.

"Not at all, these creatures are abundant near our hive, and my children adore them," the queen said. "It's harmless, I assure you, and the Shiny’s family will love it."

"I doubt that very much," the unicorn sighed, remembering how angry his mother had been when he'd brought a kitten from the street when he was ten and it had torn apart her favorite couch.

"Don't worry, they'll love it right away," she winked, and, levitating the box to her right side, continued walking with them down the street.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you," Shining Armor asked as they walked, "How many changelings live in Equestria?"

"Well, somewhere around twenty thousand," she answered nonchalantly.

"What?" The stallion opened his mouth in surprise.

"And these are all your children?" The alicorn aghast, no less astonished.

"Of course not. Many of them come from other hives."

"Others? So there are other hives?" Shining asked.

"Of course there are, silly. You don't think I'm capable of producing that many babies," Chrysalis chuckled. "There are several queens in the world and they, like me, take care of their children and help them find love among other peoples by infiltrating their society."

"Wow," the stallion said in amazement.

"But don't worry, hubby. Many of them, like me, want to live in peace with the rest of the species and have no plans to make war on the ponies, except for a couple of outcasts from the western desert. But they live almost at the very edge of it, and are unlikely to dare attack anyone that far from home. And besides, I and the other queens get in their way from time to time, keeping the honorable name of the changelings out of the way."

"But... if changelings live among us, why did you have to pretend to be me and make such a mess of the wedding?" Cadence asked.

"It's simple, Cady," the Queen replied." Now they live among you secretly, and they're afraid to show their faces to ordinary ponies. I want to change that and make it so that you accept them and they don't have to hide all the time. I believe that one day changelings will be able to walk around unmasked and be friends with ponies without the risk of being imprisoned or beaten up.

"Yes, that would be great," the princess nodded approvingly.

"And besides, if I succeed, the other queens may one day decide to make peace with you, so that their children will stop starving. And then, who knows, maybe even Ashaisha and Rohara will stop feuding with everyone and start making friends with other peoples."

"Are these the outcasts you spoke of?" The unicorn asked.

"Yes, and they're scoundrels. But, like me, they love their children very much, so I can't judge them too harshly. I want to be an example of all the changelings, not an enemy."

"Well, I didn't know that. You're very noble, my love," Shining said, involuntarily delighted by her words, rose and kissed Chrysalis on the lips, glancing sideways at Cadence for fear that she might not like it. But she didn't show any displeasure and just smiled at him sincerely.

"Phew, they've really made up and aren't mad at me anymore. It's hard to believe, but it looks like this marriage is slowly starting to come back to normal. And I'll be very comfortable in it," he rejoiced mentally, squaring his shoulders and stepping confidently between his two wonderful spouses.

They continued on their way and soon found themselves on the outskirts of Canterlot, in an area of small cottages and cozy two-story houses.

"Well, we're almost there. Just a few more minutes and we'll reach Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle's house," the princess said with a swift movement of her foot, fixing her mane. "I wonder if Twilight's friends are here yet?"

"Yeah, me too," the queen added in a slightly shaky voice.

"What is it, Chrissy?" Cadence asked, noticing her agitation. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's okay. It's just that I'm not quite sure that your acquaintances are going to be happy with me. After all, I pretended to be you the other day, and I wasn't very polite. I'm afraid they won't like me. Especially Twilight."

"Oh, don't worry so much. I know Twilight well. She's very forgiving and kind and her friends are really sweet. You won't have any trouble with them, I'm sure," the princess whispered, walking up to her. "So don't worry, Chrissy. I'll back you up if you need me."

And she kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Y-yes, thank you," the queen said, chuckling softly.

"Wow, and they have become much closer than I thought," the stallion thought upon noticing their kiss, somehow experiencing a slight thrill from it.

Meantime, they were approaching his parents' house. It was a simple one-story cottage with a small courtyard and a low white fence, much inferior to the place where their son now lived, but quite comfortable and beautiful, like many houses in Canterlot.

Walking along the narrow stone pathway, surrounded by porcelain breezies and ducks, Shining, with his wives at his sides, came to the front door and, gathering his courage and taking several deep breaths, pressed the doorbell.

"Here we go," he said mentally as he heard hurried footsteps on the other side. He was so tense, as if he were preparing for a terrible battle with a superior adversary.

And then the door opened and his mother came out to meet him, dressed in a beautiful homemade dress along with small earrings and a necklace.

"Shiny, darling!" She rejoiced, walking over to the stallion and giving him a big hug and then beginning to kiss him. "How glad I am to see you, my darling! Oh, what a splendid costume you are wearing! You look so handsome in it!"

"We told you," Cadence chuckled.

"Mom! Please, stop it!" said Shining, embarrassedly, trying to free himself from his overprotective mother's embrace. "I'm not the only one here!"

"Oh yes, I know, hello Cadence," she said to the princess. "Oh, what a dress! And the bracelet! I've never seen anything so intricately carved and cut. It cost a fortune, I'd wager."

"Yes, Mrs. Sparkle," the alicorn nodded, bowing cheerfully, "But thanks to a good friend of mine, I was able to get it for free."

"Really? She must be insanely rich to be able to give such expensive gifts. It's Princess Celestia, isn't it?"

"Not exactly, I'm talking about mine – I mean, Shining's and my third half."

"Ma'am," the queen bowed in turn.

"Uh, yes, it's a pleasure to meet you," Mrs. Sparkle looked frightened at the tall queen looking up at her.

"Likewise. I am the Queen of the Hive and Lord of Desert Albion of the Western Valley of the Deathly Hallows, Chrysalis Miridia Erashan," the queen introduced herself with the long title, surprising Shining Armor and Cadence with it.

"What?" the queen asked, seeing their reaction. "You told me yourself that when you meet your husband's family, you must behave as if you were at a reception. And on such occasions, you're supposed to give your full name and titles."

"Yes, something like that," the stallion grinned awkwardly as he looked at his mother.

"Well, I'm Twilight Velvet, or just Mrs. Sparkle, for family and friends," the mare said with a smile after a moment's silence. "Lord and mistress of this house and all that is in it."

"And I'm also the mother of our sweet and humble Shiny," she added, stealthily pulling out a handkerchief and quickly wiping the unicorn's forehead with sweat, causing the unicorn to be embarrassed again.

"Yes, I know. I'm honored," Chrysalis said, and walked over to her, about to give her a family hug.

Mrs. Sparkle looked at her fearfully, and then at Shining, but when she saw him nod good-naturedly, she too stepped toward the queen. But before they could embrace, there was a sudden peal of thunder behind Chrysalis, frightening the beast in her box, and a flash of lightning that illuminated the area and shadowed the queen, making her look unusually ominous and gloomy.

Mrs. Sparkle gave a startled gasp and stepped back, her croup pressed against the wall.

"What's that? Where did the lightning come from?" Shining Armor shuddered as he looked up at the clear evening sky.

"Rainbow!" suddenly exclaimed an orange Earth pony dressed in a plaid tight shirt that popped out of the door and angrily poked her foot behind the guests' backs. They turned around and saw a small cloud hovering low there, with a blue pegasus with an iridescent mane, dressed in a short summer jacket and leather skirt. "You promised you wouldn't do that!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Applejack, sorry. But it was so funny that I couldn't help myself," she replied, laughing as she rolled her back on the cloud.

"Have you forgotten how you once angered Princess Luna with that? And almost cost us Nightmare Night?" Applejack reminded her angrily.

"Oh, come on, it's just a joke. Nothing bad happened," the pegasus said nonchalantly.

"Really?" The earth pony glanced meaningfully at the frightened Mrs. Sparkle, who had one leg over her heart, and Shining Armor, whose mane stood on end.

"Uh, yeah, hee-hee, well, I just..." Rainbow Dash grinned awkwardly, rubbing her neck.

"I apologize for my friend," the Earth pony said as she walked past the assembled guests to the low hovering cloud and jumped up and grabbed the pegasus by the tail, dropping her to the ground. "She just doesn't realize that tonight is not the night for jokes."

"Aw, don't be such a bully. You're acting just like Twi..." The pegasus tried to object, rising to her feet, but the earth pony quickly gagged her with her hoof.

"And that's why she apologizes to you and promises it won't happen again," the earth pony finished for her. "Isn't that right?"

"Uguhum-wum!" Rainbow Dash said indistinctly with the hoof in her mouth.

"That's good. Now, let's get acquainted," the earth pony said, simply fixing her shirt and wiping her hoof on it. "My name is Applejack, I'm an apple farmer from Ponyville and a friend of Shining Armor's sister."

She held out her leg to the queen.

"Yes, I remember you, pony. We already communicated when I was, ahem, in the guise of Cadence," Chrysalis said, shaking her.

"That's right. And I remember you put my muffins in the garbage can then," Applejack remarked.

"Well, yes, I was rather rude to you, and I apologize for that," the changeling lowered her head guiltily.

"Bah, let's forget it," the earth pony said quietly. "I'm not vindictive. Besides, my little sister Apple Bloom pulls a lot of tricks when I make her eat oatmeal. So I'm used to it."

She winked cheerfully.

"And I wouldn't mind a fresh start at all."

"Neither do I," Chrysalis said with relief. "And I really hope that you and I can be friends."

"I don't have any preconceptions about changelings. Although, truth be told, I'd never seen one before that wedding."

"Really? I'm surprised to hear that from the neighbor of one of my daughters who lives near your farm," said the queen.

"Is that so? Do I know her?" Applejack asked with marked interest.

"I think so, at least she spoke positively of you more than once as a kind and generous neighbor who was always willing to share an extra bag of fertilizer or carrot-eating vermin," said Chrysalis.

"Carrot? Wait a minute, its mean the Golden Harvest is..."

"Yes, she is my daughter," the queen smiled.

"Wow! What a piece of news! I swear on my apples, I certainly didn't expect this. And... and her husband?"

"Oh, he's an ordinary earth pony. The same as you."

"And does he know who she is?" Applejack asked with interest.

"As far as I know, yes," confirmed Chrysalis.

"Holy molly! Big Mac will be surprised!" cheerfully stomped her hoof the pony-cowboy. "And their foals? How on earth did they manage to..."

Rainbow let out a low cough.

"But we can talk about that later," Applejack hurriedly said.

"I agree, we'll have plenty of time to chat about everything at the dinner table," the blue pegasus added as she flew up to the queen and shook her leg unceremoniously. "By the way, I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest and coolest pony in Equestria. Hey, nice, outfit. Exactly like the vampire lord from Night of the Blood Moon. Only cleaner and without the cobwebs."

"Rainbow!" Applejack was horrified by this behavior, but Chrysalis only grinned merrily:

"Yes, yes, I know that movie. Very interesting. So you like horror movies?"

"Hell, yes! What could be better than a good horror movie and scary fanged monsters lurking on the other side of the screen? I've been watching them with Scootaloo every night since she moved into my house," the pegasus said cheerfully. "Though she prefers modern movies, to tell you the truth, I prefer the classics. Like Nightmare on Beech Street or Thursday the Fourteenth."

"Really? By the way, I used to play in a horror movie, too. Even though it was a long time ago, seventy years ago," said the queen.

"Seventy years?" mentally marveled Shining Armor. It only now dawned on him that he had no idea how old his long-lived wife was.

"Wow! No way! You played a part in a classic movie?!" The pegasus spoke excitedly.

"Just a minute," the queen burst into a bright flash of flame and appeared as a pale unicorn with stitches in her skin and a tall black mane arranged in a fanciful tower. "I was created by a mad genius to be the bride of a terrible monster!" she uttered with an otherworldly groan, and then added in her former carefree voice: "I was a real star in the days of black and white cinema. It was made by one of my sons, who believed that the future lay in scary movies."

"That's great! Hey, you're pretty cool for a changeling queen. I'm sure Scootaloo will be delighted when I tell her that I met you. If you like, we could hang out sometime or even..."

"All right, Rainbow, that's enough," Applejack stopped her this time. "Don't distract the queen.

"It's okay, I don't mind a little conversation," Chrysalis said, regaining her natural appearance.

"Ha! See, A.J., she's not as boring as you are! All right, ponies, let's get inside. I'm starving, and there's a whole bunch of snacks waiting for us."

"That's right, we're all standing outside. Please, come in," Mrs. Sparkle agreed, heading inside with her guests.

"You see, Chrissy," Cadence whispered softly, "I told you'd be welcome here."

"Well, so far it's going pretty smoothly," the queen nodded as she and the others entered the spacious hallway.

Shining's parents' house was very cozy and furnished, mostly with antique furniture and various figurines and vases on small shelves and dressers. And, of course, there were framed family photos of young Twilight and Shining Armor with their parents hanging everywhere.

"It's very nice here," the queen said as she approached one of the pictures of little Shining bathing in the tub with the duck (thereby making the stallion blush profusely). "You can tell right away that this is home to a loving family."

"Thank you, we are very proud of our children," smiled Miss Sparkle. "I hope I can visit your hive someday and meet yours too. As far as I understand from my Shining's story, I've become a grandmother to a great many grandchildren."

"Yes, it is. And that doesn't embarrass you one bit?" Chrysalis asked.

"Not at all. Children are happiness, and it doesn't matter if they're changelings or ponies."

"Ha, well, well! You're a very progressive mare, Mrs. Sparkle," the queen complimented her.

"Thank you. And a very young grandmother, too," said Twilight Velvet. "But I sincerely hope this is only the beginning. Have you thought about foals yet?"

"Well, actually, we haven't..." The stallion began.

"Of course, Chrysalis and I have discussed it, and she's talked me into having a foal with Shining," Cadence answered in his place.

"You did? But what about..." The unicorn was about to interject when Chrysalis spoke:

"It would be nice for me to have a few babies, too. Otherwise, I haven't cared for little larvae in years."

"But wait! I haven't..." The stallion tried to intervene again.

"And how many little ones are you willing to risk?" Mrs. Sparkle asked them.

"One," Cadence told her. "That's a start. And then, who knows, maybe there'll be two or even three."

"What?" breathed Shining startled. "Three?"

"And I think I'll start at thirty," added Chrysalis.

"Thirty?!" The stallion said dazedly.

"What? You think it's too little? Well, all right, all right, seventy," said the queen, misunderstanding him. "But no more than that. I still have to keep in shape."

"Oh, dear mother," the unicorn muttered in a trembling voice, feeling his legs buckle as he imagined a whole horde of bug-foals biting and shoving and dragging him in all directions.

"Well, son, stay on your hoofs. We all get a little scared at first when our loved ones start telling us about foals," said a dark blue stallion, dressed in a roomy tweed jacket, who entered the hallway at that moment, with a chuckle. "But it's not that bad. A big family is the key to success."

"Oh, yes, Dad. You always know how to comfort me," Shining told him with a rather sour expression.

"Of course! After all, what are parents for?" The older pony winked as he approached his guests.

"I agree with you completely. So you're Shining's dad? Pleased to meet you," Chrysalis told him with a bow.

"Likewise, my dear queen. And yes, my name is Night Light and I'm the father of the brat who charmed both the lovely changeling and the equally beautiful alicorn princess," he grinned, kissing each mare's leg in turn before walking over to his son and ruffling his mane in a familial fashion. "Oh, you clever seducer! You can tell at once – my genes!"

"Dad, please don't do it!" Shining exclaimed grudgingly, trying desperately to free himself.

"Come on, son, take it easy. You're not ashamed of your old daddy, are you?" His father said nonchalantly, winking at the two mares, who giggled merrily as they watched the scene.

"No, but you're treating me like a little foal," the unicorn replied. "And Twilight's friends are right here," he added mentally, seeing Rainbow Dash and Applejack smirking. "So, please stop."

"Well, well, look how serious you've become," Night Light grinned as he released him and Shining, blushing, fixed his bangs.

Soon several other mares entered the hallway, who, as Chrysalis remembered, were also friends of his husband's sister. The first of them was a small pink earth pony, wearing a light, colorful dress decorated with candy-colored buttons. She jumped up to the guests in short jumps and cheerfully greeted everyone and turned to the queen, quickly shaking her leg.

"Oh, hello there, nice to meet you! Though, we already know each other! Well, I mean, not really! We didn't know each other that well the last time we met, because you looked like Cadence, so I thought you were her. Yes, I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Pinkie Pie! I'm Twilight's friend! Remember when I showed you how the festive hall was decorated and what fun I had planned for everyone? Oh, yes, that time you thought they were too childish, and I was very upset at first, but then I was relieved and stopped being sad and sulking at you! Especially now that you're married to my friend Twilight's little brother! Did I mention she and I are friends? Ah, never mind! Now that you and Shining are a real family, we can have a reconciliation party! You like make-up parties? I do! I can bake you the biggest, biggest reconciliation cake! Do you changelings eat cake? If so, what kind of filling? Unfortunately, I don't know how to add love to them, but I do bake with exceptional love! Does that count? Does that sound like true love? Tell me! Does it?" She was gibbering rapidly, not stopping her vigorous tugging of the queen's leg and rejoicing like a little filly.

"Um, well... I am..." mumbled Chrysalis confusedly, not having time to answer any of her questions, and looking embarrassed at those around her, who seemed to be amused by the scene.

"Pinkie, leg," Applejack whispered to her.

"Leg?" Pinkie didn't understand.

"You'll tear the queen's leg off," the farmer pony explained more lucidly.

"Oh, I see!" The mercurial mare said without the slightest embarrassment, releasing Chrysalis, whose limb was still trembling. "Well, what about the party? It's still on, right? What am I talking about? We haven't talked about anything yet! Well, then let's start all over again... ahem... so, I..."

"Wait, Pinkie, why don't we save this conversation for later?" said Applejack, pulling her hastily away from the queen. "I'm sure you'll have a wonderful reconciliation party with her, but some other time. Do you agree?"

"Well, of course I am! You don't have to go any further, Applejack! I understand you perfectly! And you're absolutely right – a party is never redundant," replied Pinkie, not embarrassed in the slightest. "Besides, I don't have to bake a conciliation cake now, because Mrs. Sparkle has lots of goodies on the table, and we'll be tasting them very soon! Oh, I can't wait!"

And after saying that, she stormed out of the hallway.

"Wow! That was something!" Chrysalis could only utter as she stared after her.

Maybe she imagined it, but she was willing to bet that when Pinkie Pie took off, her dusty silhouette hovered in the air for a few seconds, as if the speed at which she'd launched was faster than the speed of light.

"Yeah, Pinkie Pie's a pain in the croup," said Cadence cheerfully. "But she's really nice and sweet and never a dull moment."

"Oh really?" grinned Chrysalis, then looked at the snow-white unicorn who was wearing a beautiful evening gown with silk bows and jewelry. "Hi, are you... um..."

"Rarity, it's a pleasure to meet you, my dear queen" the mare said with a bow, lifting the hem of her dress like a court lady.

"So am I, Rarity," the changeling told her. "I must say you have a very refined taste. Your outfit looks divine."

"Oh, thank you, Your Highness, you're too kind," the unicorn said, crouching respectfully again.

"Please, don't be so formal. I didn't come here as a changeling queen, but as my Shiny's consort. So you can address me simply by my name and without ceremony," Chrysalis told her.

"Of course, Your Highness... I mean Chrysalis" said Rarity, smiling embarrassedly.

"Now, where is your esteemed daughter whom I saw at the wedding?" The queen asked Mr. Sparkle. "And whom I sent to the crystal mines beneath the city," she added mentally, remembering with regret that unpleasant story.

"Yes, Dad, where's Twilight?" Shining didn't see his little sister in the crowd.

"I think she's still in her room. I'm surprised she hasn't come out," said Night Light, glancing around the hallway. "Twilight! Honey! Your brother and his wives are here! Where are you?"

There were hurried hoofsteps in the back of the house, and soon a purple unicorn dressed in a slightly stretchy sweater and dark tights, accompanied by a small purple dragon.

"Yes, Daddy, I'm on my way. Sorry, that I'm late. I had to send a little letter to Princess Celestia," she said as she approached her guests.

"Yeah, just a little one," the dragon added. "The size of a good rug."

"It was a very important letter, Spike. You know it was," Twilight pointed out.

"Of course," he sighed, kneading his tiny paw, which had a large callus on it.

"Hey, Shiny, how are you doing?" She said, throwing herself around her brother's neck.

"All good, little sis. How are you? Studying something again?" He smiled, snuggling up against the unicorn. "More friendship problems, right?"

"Sort of. I'm doing some very important research on which the fate of all of Equestria depends," she glanced around embarrassed. "But I'll tell you about it later. Hi Cadence! It's so good to see you!"

"Me too, Twilight," the alicorn replied, hugging her neck gently.

"Hey, Spike! What's up, little brother?" The stallion, meanwhile, asked the dragon, bumping his hoof on his fist.

"All right, mate. I hope you don't mind me poking around in your computer while Twilight was busy."

"Of course. And what were you doing there? Playing my video games again?" The unicorn chuckled.

"Yeah," Spike smiled. "They're a bit dated, though. But I liked Lost Griffons a lot."

"He-he, I see. When I was a foal, I loved play in it too."

"By the way, if you want, we can go to Shining's room later," Cadence whispered quietly, turning to the queen. "I think you might be interested to know how he lived when he was little."

"That's just what I need!" The stallion said, horrified.

"Well, Twilight Sparkle, a pleasure to meet you," said Chrysalis, looking at the purple unicorn. "Again."

"Um... yeah, hi," Twilight said with a strained smile. "How's it going?"

"Fine, thanks," Chrysalis told her. "I hope you're alright."

"I hope you're okay, too," Twilight said briefly, turning away from her.

It was obvious that she didn't really want to have a conversation with the queen.

"Look, I understand that you must be uncomfortable with my presence, because you're still upset with me about the other day. But I assure you, I only did it out of necessity, and I didn't want to hurt anyone."

"Really? So when you trapped Cadence and me in the mines and left me to die, you didn't mean it?" The unicorn said with tension in her voice. "And when you took control of my brother's mind, too?"

"Twilight, why would you say that?" Cadence said reproachfully.

"No, no, it's all right, Cady," Chrysalis sighed sadly, her head down. "She's right. I deserved it."

Changeling looked the mare straight in the eyes.

"And I'm sorry for what I did. I know words aren't enough, but I sincerely hope that our relationship isn't completely ruined, and that I can earn your forgiveness someday."

"Yeah, me, too," Twilight said stiffly.

There was an awkward pause.

"By the way, I almost forgot, we didn't come to you empty-hoofed," Shining Armor said, deciding to lighten the mood. He removed the bag from his neck, taking out the gifts for his parents and passing them to them, before setting the bottle of wine on a small table.

"Oh, thank you, son. Well, would you look at that! It's a replica of Jack Blackbeard's sailboat! That's a fine ship. She'll fit in nicely with my collection," said Mr. Sparkle, looking at the picture of the ship on the box.

"Always welcome, Dad, Dad," the stallion brushed him off.

"And this is from me," Cadence added as she gave Mrs. Sparkle her gift, "a lovely crystal set that's perfect for formal occasions."

"Thank you, Cadence, that's so sweet," Mrs. Sparkle said as she took the box from her. "In that case, I'll put it on the table tonight."

"Well, let me give you a present too, Mr. Sparkle. My children caught it recently," said the queen, lifting up the box with the holes in it. "I'm sure you'll like it."

"Oh, what is it? Some kind of pet?" Twilight suddenly asked a question.

"Uh, yes. It lives near our hive, and I..." Chrysalis wanted to tell her, but the unicorn interrupted her.

"Oh, my! How cool! I've always loved little animals! You don't mind if I look at it, do you?" She said quickly, and without waiting for the queen to say yes, she grabbed the box with her telekinesis.

"Sure, but be careful, it likes to..." Chrysalis tried to warn her, but Twilight had already ripped the lid off the box and a small scaly beast jumped out, looking like a lizard but with big, curious eyes and long legs.

Twilight cried out in fright and surrounded herself with the magical barrier that the lizard had hit. It wrapped its paws around its walls and licked it a few times with her tongue before slowly slid to the floor.

"What... what is that?!" The unicorn exclaimed.

"Wow, it's an emolizard!" Spike said as he walked over to it. "I haven't seen one of those in a while."

"What kind of lizard?" Cadence asked again.

"Emolizard," replied Chrysalis, as her telekinesis lifted the beast and placed it on a nearby chair. "They called it that because it feeds on other pony's emotions. Well, it's almost like a changeling, and in exchange it gives its feeder a pleasant sensation, so it won't want to leave it."

"Well, isn't that cute!" Mr. Sparkle said as he stroked the lizard on the head several times, and it squinted with pleasure.

"Isn't it dangerous?" Shining asked.

"Not at all," Chrysalis assured him.

Then Mr. Sparkle let out a low chuckle, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face. He slowly sat down on the floor, and the lizard rubbed his neck nonchalantly.

"It's better not to abuse its caresses, though. Especially if you're going to hitch a wagon," the queen said as she picked up the emolizard and put it back in the box.

"All right, little one, you stay here for now. I think Shining's daddy has had enough positive emotions for one day."

"Huh?" Night Light said with a shake of his head. "Uh, that was weird, but it felt pretty good."

"Well, it was. It charms are very specific. After a hard day's work, though, they're a great way to take the edge off," said Chrysalis.

"No doubt it's a very useful pet indeed," Shining Armor nodded. "But it would be better to keep it in the terrarium. At least for the first half of the day. To avoid embarrassing situations."

"Yes, you're right," the queen agreed.

"Well, you two talk while I go check on the potato casserole," said Mrs. Sparkle. "Darling, would you mind escorting our guests into the living room?" She asked her husband, heading toward the large archway behind which the kitchen was visible, the scent of cooking wafting in delightfully.

"Of course, my love," said Shining's father, and with a gallant gesture he invited everyone to follow him.

Sparkle's living room was small but fairly furnished: several cushioned sofas, bookshelves surrounded by a fireplace that crackled merrily, a large television by the far wall, and a pair of plant pots in the corner by the window.

As the queen stepped into the room, she heard someone's startled squeak. Turning toward the sound, she noticed a lurking yellow pegasus behind one of the tubs, in which a small palm tree was growing.

"Um, who's that?" She asked Rainbow Dash, who was walking next to her.

"That? Just another one of our friends. She's so shy," Dash told her, flying over to the tub and pulling out a trembling pegasus dressed in a thick hooded sweatshirt and a long skirt.

"No, Rainbow, please don't," she begged in a low voice, covering her head with her front legs.

"Come on, don't hide!" Rainbow told her, not letting her get away. "We've already told you there's nothing to be afraid of."

"That's what you think," the pegasus objected.

"Sorry. When we told her the changeling queen was coming here, she got a little scared and decided to... ahem... spend the rest of the evening in the corner," Dash added, glaring at Chrysalis and unceremoniously placing her friend next to her.

"And now you can meet her," she solemnly proclaimed, giving her friend a slight nudge at her side.

Chrysalis stared at the yellow pegasus with interest, causing her to cringe and shrink back into the floor.

"Well, it's nice to meet you," the queen extended her leg. "My name is Chrysalis."

"Y-yes, it's the same. And I'm Flat-tershy," the pegasus replied quietly, afraid to raise her head.

"Uh, excuse me? I'm afraid I didn't hear you," the queen interrupted.

"Fluttershy," the filly repeated, still quiet.

"Fluttershy? I see. Come on, don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you or eat your love without asking. I came here as a guest, and I want to get to know everyone," the queen tried to reassure her.

"O-okay," said Fluttershy nervously.

"By the way, I can't help but notice that you look painfully familiar to me. Tell me, have we never met before?" Chrysalis asked.

"Uh, yes... at the wedding," the pegasus replied in a whisper, giving her a startled look and covering her head with her legs again.

"No, that's not what I mean. Somehow I think I've seen you somewhere before we were married," Chrysalis continued to insist.

"I d-don't think that's possible. I-I've never been to Changeling land before," Fluttershy said, stammering.

"Don't think? Wait! I have remembered! Is it really you?!" The queen suddenly said loudly.

"I AM?" Fluttershy squeaked in surprise.

"Are you Angry Video Game Mare?"

"Huh? Fluttershy raised her head in surprise as she stopped shaking." Y-You saw my show ma'am?

"What?" said Rainbow Dash incredulously, staring at them both.

"Please, no need for these "ma'am". And yes, I love your show. And I'm not the only one. My kids love it too; you're a real idol. A lot of them love to watch you critique old games. So that's really you? You look a little different in person."

"That's right. I usually wear glasses and a white shirt in front of the camera to fit the image of the stereotypical geek mare," the pegasus remarked, raising her head without fear and looking directly at the queen. The faint shadow of a smile appeared on her face.

"Fluttershy, have you been that tough, cursing mare all these years? And you didn't tell me about it?" Rainbow Dash asked, her mouth wide open. "No. It can't be. You've got to be kidding me. You just look a lot like her."

At these words, Fluttershy took a small pair of glasses out of her sweatshirt pocket and put them on her nose and folded her mane into a ponytail, saying in a loud voice:

"In the name of the blessed feces of the swamp hydra! Did they really add moth monsters to the level with the lava demon? No one has ever managed to screw up the Mega Pony franchise like these greedy, grit-sucking losers from Manehattan! This game totally sucks! What were they thinking?!"

"Yes, it's definitely you!" said the queen cheerfully. "I never would have believed that one day I would meet you in person."

"Hee-hee, well, thank you," Fluttershy smiled. "I didn't know changelings had ponynet."

"Of course we have. We may not live like the ponies, but that doesn't mean we're savages. We, too, have the benefits of civilization, though not in such abundance as you have," said Chrysalis.

"Well," the blue pegasus lamented. "Fluttershy, I've known you for years, and I never thought you'd be so cool. But where do you shoot all these videos?"

"At home, in my basement," her friend told her.

"Is there a basement in your cottage? And there's a whole bunch of consoles and video games in it?" Rainbow Dash spread her wings in amazement. "And you've been hiding this from me?"

"Well, you never actually asked me that," said Fluttershy.

"That's not fair! If I'd known who you were, I'd have moved in with Scoots a long time ago."

"Hee-hee, that's why I didn't tell you anything," the yellow pegasus grinned as she looked at her friend. "Just kidding. And since you and Scootaloo like video games so much, you're welcome to drop by once in a while."

"Thanks. In that case, meet us tomorrow," Rainbow Dash readily accepted her invitation, and then headed toward the others.

"You're welcome," Fluttershy nodded, and turned to Chrysalis again. "And yes, it's a pleasure to meet you, Chrysalis. And you're not that scary."

"That's what I told you," the queen remarked, holding out her leg again. "Well? Peace?"

"Peace," the pegasus said as she shook it, and walked with Chrysalis to the couches where the other guests were already seated. They talked about various topics, occasionally putting their hoofs and wings and telekinesis into a plate of vegetable snacks or pouring themselves a peach juice from a carafe that stood beside them on the coffee table.

The loudest speaker was Mr. Sparkle, who was curious to hear from his son how he was doing and how he felt now that he was a family pony.

Chrysalis sat beside Shining's left leg (Cadence was on her right) and snuggled up to him to join the conversation, occasionally correcting him or answering questions about changelings that came at her from all sides. Many of those present were eager to learn about her hive, or about changeling customs and traditions, or what them life was like, and the queen tried to answer them as thoroughly as possible.

"I never would have thought your kind would be so interesting," Mr. Sparkle said after a few minutes, as the queen told him the differences between the changelings of the various hives. As it turned out, they were as different as some insects. Some of them had no wings, others had eight legs or long stomps, some lived among trees or on top of mountains, and others didn't look like ponies at all and lived deep underground, only occasionally coming to the surface.

"It's amazing," he added when Chrysalis had finished. "Listening to you, somepony could write a whole doctoral dissertation, couldn't they, daughter?" He asked, turning to Twilight, who was remarkably quiet, especially for a unicorn with such an inquisitive disposition.

"Yes, Daddy," she nodded quietly, watching her brother, who was already talking about how he'd had to break up his wives yesterday when they were fighting over a seat in the carriage.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Sparkle entered the room.

"Honey, I'm all set. You can invite our guests to the table," she said.

"All right. Well, friends, it's feast time," he said cheerfully, rising from the couch and heading with the others to the other end of the house. They entered a spacious dining room, in the middle of which was a long lacquered table covered with a white tablecloth and served with beautiful dishes given by Cadence. There were bowls of salad, fresh buns, and sliced fruit, and soon, as the guests were seated, Mrs. Sparkle appeared, holding a large sheet of vegetable casserole with her telekinesis, which was covered in a cheese crust.

"Oh, dear wife, you've outdone yourself today," Night Light said after seeing her cooking, playfully pinching his wife with his telekinesis. "I didn't expect such splendor."

"Hee-hee, you sycophant! You always say that," she remarked as she cut the casserole with her knife and gave each of the guests a slice.

"Because it's always true," said the master of the house. "And I'm pretty sure you're the best in the kitchen."

He leaned discreetly over to Shining who was sitting next to him and whispered softly while his wives were talking to the guests:

"You see, son, what a table a good family should have? I hope your beauties are feeding you just as well."

"Oh, Dad, you don't know how much," the stallion said, trembling, remembering the night before, when he could hardly move because he'd eaten too much.

As soon as the casserole was distributed to the guests, everyone at the table began to eat, discussing various news and daily affairs at the same time. Fluttershy was telling Rainbow Dash about the song she and Octavia had composed for her show, Pinkie Pie was explaining to Spike the benefits of certain pies, and Rarity was talking to Mrs. Sparkle about a new clothing line she'd recently seen in Manehattan. And, of course, many of the guests turned to Chrysalis time and again. The queen was a true soul of the company and willingly took part in various conversations, whether it was a conversation about the apple harvest that Applejack raised or answers to questions from Rarity, who was interested in whether changelings can change their clothes in addition to their appearance. As soon as the queen answered that it was not at all difficult for them, the white unicorn's eyes immediately lit up with enthusiasm, and she asked Chrysalis to send one of her children to help her design new dresses, if possible.

"And they could work as models for me," said the mare animatedly. "With your ability to change your appearance, you were born to appear on the catwalk."

"Well, Rarity, I'll see what I can do. If memory serves me right, one of my daughters once told me she really wanted to be a model, and so did a couple of my sons. Unless, of course, that doesn't bother you."

"Oh, not at all. It's quite common in show business," the fashion designer winked.

Then, when the main course and appetizers were eaten and dessert was served, the guests started talking about Shining Armor and his family again, bringing up certain related topics.

"By the way, brother," Twilight Sparkle suddenly joined the conversation, "can you tell me more about your family life?"

"Sure, sis. What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Oh, absolutely everything. You're married to two very attractive wives, and I'd like to know how you're getting along with them now."

"Well," the stallion said with a glance at both wives. "I wouldn't say the first week was perfect. Cadence and Chrysalis fought a lot and sometimes even started fights. But now, that's all behind us. Even though I still feel like a mouse being chased by two cats at once (the queen snorted merrily at that), I think our troubles are finally over."

"That's right, dear. I admit I underestimated Chrysalis," she added. "Even though we weren't the best of friends in the beginning, I've forgiven her now, and I'm comfortable with her being part of our family. You could say I've grown to love her."

"Oh, thank you, Cady. So, you don't have to worry, Twilight Sparkle. There are no problems in our family. And I'm glad to be in the caring hooves of your brother and your babysitter. They are very kind and sensitive ponies. And I firmly believe that in time our family will become extraordinarily friendly and strong," ended the changeling’s queen.

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked with a noticeable look of excitement on her face, looking at Shining and Cadence.

"Well, yes. Is something wrong?" A little surprised by her reaction, the stallion replied.

"No, nothing. It's just, you were sort of forced into this marriage," she said in a half whisper.

"Heh, don't look so worried, sister," the stallion grinned. "I assure you, I've come to terms with it. And I'm quite happy to have two charming spouses at once."

And he kissed each of his wives tenderly on the cheek.

"Hee-hee, ah, hubby, that's so sweet," giggled the queen.

"Yes, you're so nice when you take care of us," smiled the princess.

"I see. By the way, Shiny, what would you say if I asked you to leave Canterlot for a while and come back to Ponyville with us?"

"To Ponyville?" the stallion asked, surprised, as he finished his piece of cake and wiped his lips with a napkin. "I don't know. I've got too much to do at work right now. I've got new recruits to train, and there's the annual report of the captain of the guard. And besides, I'm a family stud now and I've got other responsibilities. Well, you know."

He nodded briefly, pointing to his wives, who smiled sweetly at him, while his father gave the unicorn a familial nudge with his foot.

"Yes, of course, it's just that I need to do some research there, and I could really use your help. So I thought you could get away from here for a while. Just for a couple of days."

"Research? Does it have anything to do with your friendship lessons?"

"Almost. I can't give you the details yet, but trust me – it's very important. So, what do you think?" The unicorn asked with pressure.

"Well, you know I'm always glad to help you, little sister, but I'm going to be pretty busy in the near future and can't go anywhere. Besides, it's your weekend and you can take some time off from work."

"Heh, what are you forgetting, Shining? It's Twilight. The best way for her to relax is to spend time doing research or burrowing into books," Spike remarked, making Rainbow Dash giggle softly.

"Of course," the stallion winked merrily, "But the books can wait. Besides, it's not every day you and your friends come to visit us in Canterlot. And you should take advantage of that to have a good time. Hey, why don't you come over to my mansion yourself the other day? We could have a little picnic by the pool. Right, girls?"

"That's not a bad idea," Chrysalis smiled.

"I agree, I love parties like this," Cadence added.

"Wait, so you live in a mansion now?" Asked Rainbow Dash, with her eyes rounded in surprise.

"Well, yes!" The unicorn said boastfully. "In a large and beautiful mansion with a swimming pool, a spacious courtyard and a lot of rooms for recreation, where there is a huge TV, a sauna, a bar with strong drinks, and also a whole room with arcade games machines."

"Wow!" The blue pegasus gasped. "It's amazing! We'll definitely have to come back and have a drink before we head back to Ponyville."

"But..." Twilight tried to argue, and the suggestion made her uneasy.

"I support. I've always wanted to be in an expensive mansion with my best friends," Rarity said. "Say, do you have a butler? You know, a gallant gentlecolt in an expensive tuxedo and a nice bow tie."

"No, I'm not yet rich enough to employ servants," replied Shining jokingly.

"Well, not yet," said Chrysalis.

"But..." said Twilight again.

"Hey, why do we need a picnic? We could have a whole pool party there, with corn dogs and piñatas and water games!" Pinkie Pie put it in enthusiastically.

"But..."

"What kind of games do you have in there?" Fluttershy asked vividly. "I could make some clips there for my upcoming show about classic arcade."

"But..." said Twilight for the fourth time.

"Heh. Visit the expensive house. I don't know," Applejack remarked. "But I'd never turn down a fun time by the water, though. Oh, I wish I'd brought my guitar."

The friends and relatives of Shining began to discuss how and what they could do at his house, until suddenly Twilight stopped them:

"Listen, girls! This is all very tempting, but I'm afraid we won't be able to visit Shining."

"What? You've got to be kidding me. We get a rare chance to hang out in a mansion with a big TV and booze," Rainbow Dash stared at her perplexedly.

"And a sauna. My fur is desperately begging me for good care," Rarity said.

"Yes, yes, that's great, but we don't have time to rest," Twilight insisted. "We've already been here a lot longer than we planned, and we've forgotten all about our responsibilities. Pinkie Pie, you're having a pep party for the sick foals in Ponyville tomorrow."

"Oh, that's right," said the pink mare.

"And Fluttershy has animals waiting for her at home," the unicorn reminded her.

"You're right," the pegasus gasped.

"Applejack needs to go back to the farm because Zap Apple picking season is about to start, and Rarity is having a fashion show in three days and she needs to get ready. And Spike and I have a few things to do, if you think about it."

"What you mean? I thought we already took care of everything when..." The little dragon tried to interject, but Twilight stepped on his foot under the table.

"Oh, yes, those things, of course," he said hastily, wincing slightly.

"Exactly. So, as I said, we would be happy to spend time with you, Shiny, but we must go home. Maybe sometime later," Twilight finished.

"P-sss, Twilight, aren't you forgetting someone?" Rainbow Dash turned to her.

"Oh, yes. Of course I did. I'm sure you have urgent things to do, too, Rainbow Dash," added the unicorn embarrassed. "You know, sleep on a cloud or something else."

"Hey, I'm not lazy!" The pegasus frowned at her.

"All right, in that case, another time," said Shining, a little surprised by his sister's behavior.

The next part of the dinner continued in the same light-hearted manner. The guests ate and discussed news, occasionally returning to the newlyweds and their family life, and when supper was over in half an hour, after a delicious dessert of custard cakes, of which Mrs. Sparkle had made a tray (most of which Pinkie Pie was the sweet tooth), they all began to go home. But before they did so, Cadence and Chrysalis paid a farewell visit to Shining's room, where they looked with interest at his desk with its old computer and some posters on the walls, one of which showed a pretty young mare in a summer swimsuit (oh, how confused the unfortunate stallion was). Finally, they headed for the exit.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Sparkle, it was a pleasure to visit you," said Cadence, walking out the door with her husband and wife.

"So were we, it was a lovely evening," Mrs. Sparkle replied, kissing her daughter-in-law on the cheek, and walking them to the gate with Night Light.

"Yes, that's true, but I still don't understand what happened to Twilight." The stallion remarked as the three of them stepped out onto the road. "She was acting really strange today. I mean, stranger than usual."

"I think it's because of me," Chrysalis said in a sad voice, looking at Cadence. "I did trap the two of you in the Crystal Caves. That's why she hates me."

"Oh, never mind, Chrissy," the princess brushed her off. "Yes, Twilight may not trust you now, but in time, she can forget about it and forgive you. After all, I could."

"Yeah, well, to be honest, you and I made up under slightly different circumstances," the queen giggled, playfully biting the alicorn on the ear.

"Speaking of which. I've wanted to know all night what you two have been whispering about." The stallion asked. "And what happened to you two that you became friends so fast?"

"Shall we tell him, Cady?" Chrysalis asked.

"We will, Chrissy," she nodded.

"Well, I won't beat around the bush and tell him straight out: we slept together," the queen said bluntly.

"What?!!!" Abruptly frozen in place, exclaimed the stallion.

"Slept together, dear," repeated the princess. "We decided that since we were all equal in this family, we shouldn't be ashamed of our feelings, and so we... um..."

"We realized that we could make love not only to you, but to each other from time to time," Chrysalis finished for her.

"I can't believe it!" he mentally gasped.

"But don't think we don't love you anymore," Cadence added. "You're our husband, and we still want to be with you."

"It's just that we realized that in an unusual marriage like ours, there should be more freedom, and that when we make love to each other, we're not cheating on you."

"Really?" the unicorn snorted incredulously.

"Exactly," the princess confirmed. "And now that we're all sorted out, it doesn't make sense for us to hide and do it apart anymore, so we'd like to have a threesome sometime."

Alicorn playfully licked her lips.

"Oh, my!" thought Shining.

"So, what do you think, hubby?" Chrysalis asked.

"Do you agree with us?" Cadence rubbed his shoulder.

"Well, I... um... actually... I don't know what to say. I understand a little, of course, but... it's kind of weird..."

"Seriously? And we thought you were more open to unusual fantasies," Chrysalis snorted. "Especially when we found those adult magazines under your bed."

"Oops!" Mouthed the blushing stallion.

"So, you don't have to worry, love. You'll always come first for us. Right, Chrissy?"

"Right, Cady," the changeling said in tune with her. "And no matter what happens between us, we won't stop loving you. You, me, and Cadence, we'll always be together. And nothing can break our love."

"Y-yes, I guess so," Shining Armor grinned nervously, feeling very confused on the one hand, and excited to think that his two beautiful spouses had recently had passionate mare sex and now wanted to take him on as the third.

"That's wonderful. It looks like we'll have something to do later tonight," Cadence went on to say, fondly stroking her husband's belly. "You have no idea what an interesting fetish Chrissy has."

"And how unbridled Cady can be," the queen finished, hugging him sideways.

"But first, we'll need to stock up on something important," said the princess. "So, let's go shopping!"

"Shopping? But it's nighttime, and all the stores are closed," Shining said.

"No, not all of them," winked Cadence. "The adult stores are open twenty-four hours a day."

"And we'll need to buy something special to make this night unforgettable," she whispered in his ear. "A couple of new sex toys, like anal balls or vibrating rings, and some seductive outfits. Say, something made of latex. And, of course, a pair of lace panties and stockings."

"Don't you have any of those things?" The stallion asked.

"No, no, dear, it's not for us," the alicorn giggled.

"It's for you," the queen said with a lick on his cheek. "And you and I, we're not the same size. So we'll have to try it on."

"N-no," Shining mumbled fearfully.

"Yes," Cadence whispered sweetly. "And we'll test our purchases while we're at it. I wonder if they allow you to check out toys in the store."

The stallion swallowed a lump in his throat.

***

Three days later.

"Well, will you be there soon, Cadence?" Shining Armor said, sitting on the couch in front of the television. Next to him was Chrysalis, her foreleg resting comfortably on the unicorn's neck.

"I'm coming, dear! You know popcorn requires a special approach," said the princess, coming out of the kitchen with a large bowl of caramel popcorn and several glasses of juice, which stood on her tray. As she approached the others, she placed it on the coffee table and sat down beside Chrysalis, placing one of the queen's legs in her lap, thus making the changeling smile playfully.

"Well, everything is ready," said the princess. "What kind of movie are we going to see tonight?"

"Maybe a comedy. It's been a long time since I saw Code Name: The Janitor, you know, the movie about the overweight zebra stallion who thought he was a secret agent. It's a fine movie for a night like this," Shining said.

"Come on, let's have a horror movie, something classic and bone-chilling," said the queen, taking a handful of popcorn with her telekinesis and popping one into her mouth.

"How about something romantic?" Cadence suggested. "Something to get us in the mood for another hot night."

"Oh, no. If you make me watch this, you'll have to entertain yourselves tonight," the queen shook her head. "Because that's the kind of movie I usually fall asleep to."

"You naughty girl!" She poked her on the side playfully and said something to Cadence.

"And why would we want to be in the mood? We have a good time every night without any movies," said Shining to the queen.

"I agree, any night is hot in your company," Changeling interjected. "Oh, I'm having such a good time with you guys."

She lay down on Cadence's lap, and Cadence gently stroked her mane, making the queen purr softly.

"Good girl," Alicorn told her, fixing the collar around Chrysalis' neck that she had left from their morning fun.

"Oh, yeah, the last few days have been great," the stallion said. "I can't believe that only a week ago you girls were willing to fight each other to have sex with me."

"Yeah, it feels like years ago," Cadence nodded, "and in a whole other universe."

"But the important thing is that it's in the past now, and we'll never fight again," Chrysalis said as she sat up straight and kissed each of her spouses on the lips in turn.

"And every day our love will grow stronger and stronger," she finished.

"And we'll have plenty of time to make it happen," Cadence added. "Tonight, dibs on me being the leader of our relationship."

"All right, my love, but first let's take a little rest and enjoy the movie. So, what have you decided? What movie shall we watch?" The stallion asked the question, moving to the center and pulling both mares to him.

While they were sitting in front of the TV and acting like a normal happy family, a small shaky shadow moved faintly in the courtyard by the gazebo. With slow steps it approached the house and peered through the wide window, behind which all three spouses were clearly visible.

"Heh," the unknown person grinned softly, and her lips stretched into a wide smile.

Author's Note

Here comes the new chapter. I'm waiting for your opinions and evaluations. :raritywink:

And I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Centurion Pike-Wall for his help in fixing the mistakes.

Chapter 6: The Nightmare Night Incident

"Ah, Nightmare Night, Nightmare Night, everything around frightens us!" Shining Armor sang softly to himself as he balanced on the top step of the ladder and hung bats and spiders on the gate of the mansion. When he had finished with them, the stallion deftly jumped down and headed for the garage, where he had prepared zombie mannequins, which stood in horrifying poses with their mouths wide open.

"Damn, I guess this one was too close to the furnace," the unicorn said thoughtfully, noticing that one of them had part of his torso and face slightly melted. "Oh, it's better that way. He was a mutant zombie".

He picked up a few of the mannequins with his telekinesis and began arranging them in the courtyard, among the plastic tombstones and toy skeletons.

"Perfect," he said, finally dragging the pretty little filly dressed in a country dress to the wide gate, then thrusting an axe into her back. "There we go. Now all he had to do was add blood, and the image would be complete."

He went back to the house with a small bottle of ketchup, and began pouring it liberally over the axe blade and the poor plastic pony, which he intended to represent the victim of a psychopath in a hockey mask, who was standing nearby.

"It's brilliant," the unicorn said in a satisfied voice, shaking off his fur and examining the results of his labors.

His yard was an intimidating backdrop for a horror movie, with moss-covered grave markers and skeletons everywhere, and a hacksaw and gray-painted boards that he used to make a mausoleum out of a pergola, the black cloak-clad Countess Bloody Hoof looked out from the door, whose razor-sharp fangs dripped bright red blood (or rather, ketchup, but this time chili).

"Yes, Countess, your creepy smile is sure to frighten someone tonight," he said with a grin, turning to the toy mare, and then he went out the gate to admire the evening street, where the little foals, dressed in scary costumes, were already beginning to walk. In small groups, they walked around the houses, begging the adults for candy, which was a long-standing tradition of this wonderful holiday that Shining Armor loved so much.

"Eh, happy little ones. Too bad I can't go with you anymore," he said, remembering his childhood, when he first went out dressed as a black knight and filled his bag with candy in just a few hours.

"That was a good time," Shining sighed, stealthily brushing away a tiny tear with his hoof and remaining silent for a moment. "But that's all right," he said cheerfully after a few minutes. "I'm an adult now. And with my yard decorating skills and the pile of candy Cadence got, I can give these folks the best party of their lives."

Then he noticed a pony he knew approaching their house, dressed in a black witch costume with a pointy hat and green striped stockings.

"Hey, sweetheart, how was your candy shopping trip? Did you get everything we needed?" The stallion smiled.

"Of course, a lot of treats," Cadence said, showing him the bags, packed to the brim with bags of sweets, that dangled from her telekinetic grip. "I also stopped by Aunt Tia's place. She's throwing a big party tonight and is inviting us all to the palace."

"So we'll have something to do after the Creepiest Yard Contest," the unicorn said approvingly.

"A contest? Oh, that's right, I forgot you were entering."

She peered into the yard.

"I must say you've done a marvelous job. Our lawn is beautiful. You did a great job decorating it."

"Oh, thank you. I don't mean to brag, but it's my best work," he said cheerfully, tilting the spider on the gate slightly to the side. "I like to keep the festive traditions of Nightmare Nights alive and happy for the little foals. This is more than can be said for our neighbors. Too many ponies these days don't turn on the lights on their doorstep and pretend they're not home."

He glanced at the neighbor's house which, unlike his backyard, had no decorations around it and all its windows were tightly shuttered with shutters and blinds.

"Ignoramus!" He shouted indignantly to the stallion who had come out on the porch, who then ducked back into his house in panic. "How can you not love a holiday where you're allowed to eat sweets and not think about your blood sugar levels at all?!"

"Hee-hee, yeah. I know how much you love sweets," Alicorn snorted, taking out a candy bar, removing the wrapper and shoving it into her husband's mouth.

"Yes, I do," he smiled, munching on it with pleasure.

Cadence, meanwhile, glanced around his decorative cemetery and looked at the plastic cats sitting at the top of the hedge.

"By the way, I don't mean to pick on you, but I think you went a little wrong," she said. "The old saying says there ought to be thirteen black cats, and you have fourteen."

"Really? It can't be!" He turned his head up in surprise. "I thought I had got exactly thirteen. Well, that's all right, I'll just take one out."

He used his telekinesis to lift the ladder, set it on the fence, and went up to take down the nearest cat. He reached for the cat, but as he did so, the cat suddenly sprang to life and hissed, jumping down as quickly as it could, frightening the unicorn.

"Whoa! You filthy tuna eater!" He exclaimed, struggling to keep his balance.

"What is it? Are you alright, dear?" Cadence asked him.

"I'm fine, it's just one of the figurine almost scratched my nose," he grinned nervously as he hurried down the ladder.

"Oh, I see. She must have hated your decision to separate her from her friends," the princess smiled.

"Yes, maybe you're right," the stallion nodded as he removed the ladder. "Well, I guess we're all set for the Creepiest Yard Contest now," he added as he looked around again. He gathered his tools around the yard and began putting them into a big cart.

"You bet. I'm sure the judges will give you a blue ribbon as soon as they see all those creepy skeletons and blood-covered zombies," Alicorn agreed, giving one of the dummies a gentle nudge with her hoof. "But before that, we have other things to do. We have to get ready to meet the foals: put candy in bowls, light pumpkin lanterns, and you still have to go get dressed. You're not going to greet the foals in a carpenter's outfit, are you?"

She glanced critically at his work apron, which had screwdrivers and paintbrushes sticking out of it.

"No, darling. My costume is ready and waiting for me in my room. I'll go and change right away," said Shining.

"All right, I'll make some holiday marshmallows in the shape of eyeballs," Cadence nodded as she headed toward the house.

"M-m-m, eyeball marshmallows," the unicorn said dreamily, about to follow her, when one of the branches of the hedge rustled.

"Huh?" With a twitch of his ear, Shining Armor said, stepping closer and examining her carefully.

"Are you coming, dear?" Cadence asked.

"Yes, sure," he said, glancing a little at the hedge. "Apparently another cat decided to climb my figurines."

He looked up.

"Oh, I hope it won't throw them down. They're so fragile."

Nervous of his hard work being ruined, he turned away from the hedge and went into the house.

"Hey, hubby, how are you doing? Are the holiday decorations in order?" Chrysalis, who was standing in the hallway looking at herself in the mirror, asked when she saw him.

"Oh, yes, I'm a virtuoso when it comes to decorations on Nightmare Night," the stallion replied, drawing her closer and kissing her on the cheek. "What about your costume?"

"I still can't decide who I should be," the queen replied, stepping back. She stomped her hoof and turned into a moldy mummy in a blaze of flame. "Something classic, perhaps?"

"I don't know," the unicorn said with a shake of his head. "You can't scare anyone with that nowadays. The foals these days are getting too picky."

"I see. What about this one?" She asked, stomping her hoof again as she turned into a chained ghost so realistic that her body was see-through and she began to float above the floor.

"That's better, but no one will see your slender figure like that," Shining replied.

"Yes, you're right. I need something bold and unusual. Something to bring out my creative side, and my natural beauty."

She stomped once again, and once again assumed a new form. She reminded Shining of an abstract art piece, with angular body parts colored in wild, almost garish colors.

"Yikes! That's creepy," Shining remarked, backing away from her. "It scares even me. And I'm not exactly the easily scared sort."

"Yeah, I could give someone a heart attack. But then what should I be?"

She tapped a triangular hoof on the chin.

"Oh! Why not?"

With another flash of greenish flame, Chrysalis's body was covered in long chitinous growths, her tail extended forward, and a sharp sting appeared at the end of it. What was the Queen's biggest change, though, was her head. It had grown much larger, and behind it grew horns that were connected by translucent leathery membranes.

"Whoa! You decided to become an alien from a sci-fi movie?" The stallion whistled, finding her appearance rather exotic.

"Not just an alien, but an alien queen," she hissed with a playful wink. "We have so much in common, after all. She's just as indomitable and powerful and strong."

"And she looks as good in black as you do," Shining added. "And those antlers and chitin underline your sexiness."

"Do they? You like predatory aliens with acid instead of blood?" Chrysalis grinned, wrapping her tail around his body and pulling him closer.

"So, maybe we should make this fantasy come true?" She whispered in his ear with her tiny fang mouth. "You would be the brave spaceman who wants to stop me from destroying the space station, and I would be the wild and unbridled alien queen who wants to be impregnated."

"Actually, it was a little different in the movie," the flushed stallion told her.

"It's just details," the changeling brushed her off. "Well, what do you say, hubby? Shall we go to bed?"

"Well, uh," Shining said uncertainly.

"What is it, big boy? We've been married to you for a few months now, and you don't usually put up much of a fight."

"Yes, that's true, but let's save our caresses for later," he answered embarrassedly, covering the right eye where his wife's saliva had dripped. "I have to go upstairs and get ready for the foals."

"Oh, that's right," she nodded, untying her tail and setting the Shining in place. "I'd forgotten it was the night the ponies were supposed to hand out candy to the little ones. And foals are sacred. In that case, go, hubby. I can't wait to see your nightmare night suit."

"Of course, darling. I'm sure you'll love it," the unicorn told her, giving her a quick kiss, before running swiftly up the stairs.

***

"All right, ladies, get ready! You are about to see the most stylish and charming stallion in the world!" Shining Armor said after a few minutes, as he descended one of the railings to the first floor and landed directly in front of his wives. He wore a pair of worn white pantaloons and pajamas of the same color with suspenders thrown over them. A black bowler on his head completed the look.

"Ta-da!" he added loudly, holding up a curved oak cane he had in his telekinesis. "Well? What do you think?"

"Very original. You look wonderful, darling. But… who are you?" said Cadence thoughtfully, peering into the stallion's right eye, the lashes slightly touched up with mascara.

"I have a guess," Chrysalis smiled. "Nice costume of Alexius Discordius, Shiny. Pretty brave of you to dress up for Nightmare Night as the Clockwork Tangerine character."

"Thank you. I've wanted to pretend to be him for a long time, back when I was in junior high, but my mom wouldn't let me. But I'm an adult now, so no one will stop me from wreaking havoc and confusion in our perfect society anymore," the stallion said mockingly, shifting his bowler slightly sideways."

"Hee-hee, yeah. Just don't start ripping the bracelets off the legs of well-to-do ponies when we go to the palace party," the changeling chuckled.

"Don't worry, baby. Since my motives are selfless, I won't hurt these sissies," Shining smiled slyly. "Unless, of course, the chaos in my soul demands it."

The bell rang.

"Oh, here come the first foals! Sorry, darlings, but it's my time. Time to start handing out candy," he said, and picked up a bowl of candy from the table and headed for the door.

"Nightmare Night! What a fright! Give us something sweet to eat!" Said a small group of foals dressed in costumes of a witch, a sinister clown, a ghost, and a blue hedgehog in red sneakers.

"Greetings, little ones! Look at the scary costumes you're wearing!" Shining said in a loud voice as he stared at the foals. "I am horrified! You'll be handsomely rewarded with these very tasty and very sweet bonbons," he added with a grimace before he placed two bonbons round the necks of each little one.

The foals laughed merrily, thanking the unicorn for the treats and walking toward the next house, discussing the zombies in the yard and poking at them with interest.

"Happy Nightmare Night!" Shining waved to them.

"Oh, how sweet he is," Cadence whispered, watching him.

"He's so thoughtful. Our Shiny is going to be the best dad ever," said Chrysalis.

"By the way, do you think we should talk to him about it? While he's in a good mood?" Princess asked.

"Perhaps. But let's postpone it until after the party. Let him rest and have a little fun first," the queen answered.

"And a few drinks," the alicorn winked.

"Well, that goes without saying. Then we'll go after him, and when he least expects it, we'll put him in a vice and talk of foals. I'm sure he won't be able to refuse us."

"You've read my mind. Well, okay, in that case, we'll wait until the party," Cadence said conspiratorially, tapping her hoof.

***

"And the grand prize goes to..." the unicorn who was the judge in the contest for the creepiest courtyard said in a loud voice. She had already spent an hour walking through the contestants' yards and looking at their decorations, and now, having climbed onto the platform, she turned to the contestants gathered beside her, who were eagerly awaiting her verdict.

"Please, please," Shining said, folding his forelegs crosswise.

"Shining Armor's courtyard, with its zombie cemetery composition!" She finished after a dramatic pause.

"Hooray! I won! I won! Yes! I knew I would win for sure!" shouted the unicorn, hugging his wives with joy, then ran up to the platform and stood next to the judge.

"Big deal. It was just a cemetery. What do you know? My yard is much scarier," grumbled his neighbor, who was standing below and watching the blue ribbon being handed to Shining. "How can some pathetic zombie be compared to my disgusting changelings?"

And, with a contemptuous puff of his chin, he walked away proudly.

"Disgusting changeling? Listen here, unshaven, bald, racist!" Chrysalis hissed in displeasure as she pointed her tongue at him behind her back.

"Ay, never mind, Chrissy. He's just a pompous Canterlot snob," Shining said from the podium, giving her a hug.

"Exactly, forget him," said Cadence. "He's no one to judge a changeling's otherworldly beauty."

And as she said that, she kissed the queen gently on the cheek.

"Oh, my darlings, you always know how to comfort me," chuckled Chrysalis.

"Besides, we have better things to do than sulk at some boor," Shining Armor said, rubbing his hooves. "Now that the contest is over, we can go to the party at the palace."

"Oh yes. Aunt Tia's party must be in full swing by now, and we'd better not be late for it," said the princess as she glanced at the watch on her hoof.

"I agree, my love," the stallion said cheerfully, stepping into the center between Cadence and Chrysalis.

"Well, girls, let's go have some fun. Let's show these high society rich pony how the anarchic-minded draconics and their girlfriends have fun."

"Of course, my dear Lord of Chaos," the queen said, taking him under her leg and the three of them walking down the street toward the royal palace, past the many cottages and mansions whose courtyards were lit with inviting lights and tipsy voices. It was well past midnight and all the little ones had gone to bed, which meant that it was time for the adults to indulge in erotic fantasies with their friends and family without disturbance.

After passing a few blocks, they came to the gate of the castle, which was guarded by guards dressed in holiday costumes of timberwolves and, passing through the yard, came close to the ballroom, where loud music thundered and in the windows you could see dancing ponies.

"Hey! We're here! Open up!" Cadence knocked.

The servants on guard duty at the other end opened the doors and the couple entered a darkened hall. The windows of which were draped with tattered terrycloth curtains, and the refreshment tables resembling cracked sarcophagi and coffins, surrounded by apple and water containers and enchanted pumpkins. They grinned wickedly at their visitors, and whenever anyone passed them, they turned toward them and opened their mouths menacingly, snapping their triangular teeth. But the main attraction was the luminous cocoons, like those of the changelings. Suspended from the ceiling, they spun in a circle like a disco ball and created miniature shadows in the shape of various monsters and skeletons on the floor and walls.

"How original," grimly said Chrysalis, looking at them.

"Yeah! What a party! It's really something to see!" Cadence added cocking her head to the top as she watched two drunken pegasi mares dressed as cockatrices chasing each other with sauces." Wow! I never would have guessed that the finance minister and the agricultural advisor could be so gregarious."

"You should have seen the dancing of Wonderbolts Captain just forty minutes ago," suddenly they heard a familiar voice, and they turned around and saw Princess Luna dressed as Chrysalis at the nearest table.

"Hello, friends. Welcome to my hive of horrors!" With a wicked grin, she said.

"Hey, Luna. You look great," Cadence giggled.

The changeling queen, however, was clearly not pleased.

"Agreed," she said, eyeing her attire with displeasure. "You think I'm ugly enough to be a monster, do you?"

"Not at all. I'm not dressed like that because you're ugly. On the contrary, I've always liked changelings. And that's why I chose this costume. It's brutal and catchy. It also fit my slim figure perfectly. "She wiggled her crotch playfully in her leather pants." Besides, it's Nightmare Nights, and there's nothing wrong with being a boogeymare. By the way, many stallions adore gloomy beauties and find them very sexy," the Princess of the Night remarked, winking at their spouse. "Right, Shining?"

"Heh-heh, yes," he confirmed as he hugged the queen.

"All right, all right, consider me convinced," smiled Chrysalis.

"Speaking of stallions, let me introduce you to my new suitor," Luna said, beckoning a handsome young pegasus who was standing nearby. He wore a black prison jacket with the number 6240 and a striped shirt, and his mane was slicked back and coated in black polish. Despite his athletic and trim figure, he looked kind of disheveled and a little tired.

"Oh, I know that look well," Shining grinned mentally when he saw him. "That's exactly the look a stallion has when he meets a divine mare."

"This is Rush Wind," Luna introduced him as she held him under her wing. "Rush is a famous athlete I met two weeks ago. Rush, let me introduce you to my friends: this is the lovely Princess Cadence, Changeling Queen Chrysalis, and Palace Guard Captain Shining Armor."

"Um, hi. Nice to meet you," the pegasus said, trying to extend his leg to them, but he was hugged tightly again by Luna.

"Oh, he's such a cutie. By the way, Rush's team will be participating in the next Olympics and representing our country in the buckball competition. Right, honey?" Princess of the Night said, playfully tickling his chin.

"Y-yes... I..." the pegasus said again.

"The best host I've ever had," Luna finished for him. "You only saw how well he strikes the ball and how beautifully his muscles tense."

She whispered these last words in Rush's ear before kissing him hard on the lips.

"Why, you sweet little candy," said Luna.

"Yeah... candy..." The pegasus nodded cautiously, smiling faintly.

"Well, friends, I wish you all a good time," said the Princess of the Night, taking Rush by the leg. "Come along, dear."

"Wait, Luna. Where's Aunt Tia?" Cadence asked her.

"There, on the stage. Singing with the musicians," said the alicorn nonchalantly.

She nodded to the far end of the hall, where a group of musicians in skeleton costumes were performing on a large, lantern-lit stage. Princess Celestia, in a tight, cream-colored dress that completely covered her back legs (and highlighted her bouffant shape) and a large brimmed hat, strutted uncertainly between them, singing along and swaying her croup. The Sun Princess had red lipstick on her lips and long fangs in her mouth.

"Yes, Aunt Tia seems to have had a little too much to drink," Cadence said with a chuckle as she watched her drop a few instruments on the floor. "She never could hold her liquor."

"I agree. Well, at least she's happy, and she'll definitely have something to remember tomorrow morning when she wakes up lying in the tub," Luna said. "Or in the garden under a tree in the city park, dressed in a single nightgown, as she did last year."

And with a wink at Shining and his wives, she and Rush headed for the snack table.

"Well, looks like Luna's settling down and finding love, too," Cadence said with a happy smile.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure it's going to last very long," Shining remarked.

"Why not? Do you think he'll break her heart?" Cadence asked.

"Not really, but she'll break his ribs if he keeps this up," the stallion hummed. "She'll have to tone it down if she doesn't want to lose him."

"Please, don't judge her harshly," Cadence brushed her off. "Luna just needs a little time to get used to him. I'm sure she'll get over it."

"Of course he can, we've learned to take care of you," Chrysalis snorted, slapping him on the back with such force that Shining's legs buckled. "All right, darlings, let's go have some fun."

"But let's get something to eat first, because I haven't had anything to eat all day except candies and cookies," the Princess of Love said, nodding toward one of the tables which had all sorts of snacks stylized as creepy things like vegetable snake kebabs or skull sandwiches. And there were drinks, each served in unusual glasses, like dragon heads or werewolf paws holding clear glasses in their claws.

The princess and the queen got themselves a couple of sandwiches, while Shining preferred the chocolate cupcakes baked in the shape of bats, but he wasn't allowed to eat properly. As the stallion swallowed a few muffin wings, the musicians briefly interrupted, and a swaying Princess Celestia approached the microphone.

"And now, ladies and... hic! ...oops... gentleponies, it's time for a dance contest! Everyone who wants to participate, pair up and make your way to the center of the room!"

"Yay, a dance contest!" Cadence exclaimed in anticipation, tossing aside her sandwich and downing her glass of purple punch. "I love to dance! Come on, Shining. We'll beat them all easily!"

"Ha, really?! Don't be ridiculous, Cadence. It's going to be me and my darling Rush," Luna told her mockingly, standing nearby, and then she deftly wrapped her wing around her companion and galloped with him to the dance floor.

"Look how quick she is! No, I won't let her win!" Cadence snorted, picking up Shining (who had a muffin hanging out of his mouth) with her telekinesis and galloping after her.

"Hey, you forgot about me!" The queen exclaimed, rushing toward them.

"Oh my love... kha-kha... perhaps we shouldn't..." said Shining, coughing and trying not to choke, but Cadence had already placed him on the floor beside her. Chrysalis stood behind them, and to their right were Luna and Rush and a few other contestants who were eyeing the princesses and the queen warily.

"So, is everypony ready?! Then let's get started! Now we're going to remember the classics and do the Johnny-Bobby-Jingle Rock dance!" Celestia proclaimed, patting herself on the croup. "May the best pair win! Or should I say... hic... the fastest!"

"Oh, my Goodness," Shining mumbled fearfully, aware of what was to come.

Cadence pulled him sharply to her side and squeezed.

"Ouch," he exhaled, straining.

Although he had managed to get used to some of his wives' peculiarities over the past couple of months, their strength was still a huge problem for him.

In the meantime, the musicians played a cheerful rock'n'roll tune, and all the assembled couples held each other's feet and began to dance dashingly in the center of the ballroom.

Shining tried his best to keep up with Cadence as she waved her legs and crouched to the rhythm of the music, but he quickly began to tire and stumble. Then the princess already openly grasped him by the neck and began to drag him behind her like a rag doll, periodically passing him to Chrysalis. Next to them, Luna danced just as fast and led Rash along with her.

After a few minutes, Shining felt uneasy.

"Ouch! Girls! Girls! Will you take your time?! You might fall!" He barely made it through the hug of Chrysalis, who, like Cadence, was trying to outrun Luna, speeding up and occasionally tossing him over herself.

"Don't be ridiculous, Shiny. We've only just begun," the queen answered him, sending Cadence off in her direction.

"Exactly! And once we warm up, we'll show Luna some real passion," the princess added, picking up the unicorn and throwing him on her back, then grabbing him sharply and dragging him under her, putting him back on his hooves before bringing him back to Chrysalis.

"Passion? Celestia be merciful, I'm finished," he mentally horrified, struggling to catch his breath between the rare breaks when he was not being cradled by one of his consorts.

The dance seemed never to end. The Princess and Queen danced faster and faster. As they began to speed up, Luna took the decisive step of gripping Rush with her forelegs, sweeping him off the floor, bouncing him forward across the room.

"Is that so?" Cadence snorted as she glanced at her, and immediately picked up Shining by the legs and began to untwist him.

"Aaaah!" the startled stallion shouted, his eyes whirling and blurring.

At last Cadence stopped wriggling him, and threw him over to Chrysalis. The queen wrapped her legs around the unicorn, then danced a few steps and tossed it into the air toward the ceiling.

"Hello, birds," he said softly, spotting a nest of chicks on one of the bars before gravity pulled him down and he landed in the folded legs of both wives.

"Well, well, well, I've never seen anything like this before," Celestia said as she approached them, glancing at the struggling stallion. "Looks like we have winners. I'm sorry, Lulu, but Cadence and Chrysalis were the best in the competition. And of course, Shining. Congratulations!"

"Yay! Hooray! We won!" The happy mares exclaimed, releasing the stallion for a hug.

"Yes, hooray," said Shining faintly, falling to the floor.

"All right. You three may have won this time, but Rush and I will get even," Luna snorted, dragging the exhausted Pegasus, who, like Shining, could hardly move.

"Yes, keep dreaming," said the Princess of Love, bumping sides with the queen. "Well, did we show her well?"

"Ha, you bet! Their dances weren't even close to our lively dance. Right, hubby?" Changeling asked the unicorn at her hoof.

"Water," he murmured softly.

"What?" Chrysalis didn't understand.

"I mean, you're quite right, my dear. You were on top of it. I'm just... uh... a little tired... and I... uh... need time to catch my breath, I'll... now," he said, breathing heavily, and, struggling to his feet, he headed to the snack table, where a pitcher of pumpkin was filled with cool fruit punch.

Critically examining the tiny cups nearby, the unicorn grabbed the whole jug and emptied it in a gulp.

"Phew, that's better," he said, pausing briefly.

"Oh yes, mate. I know what you mean," said Rush, who came up to him looking like a squeezed lemon. "It's not easy being a princess' coltfriend."

"Especially me. After all, I have a queen in addition to her," Shining remarked. "So you, my friend, are a very lucky stallion.

"How do you manage to get along with them?" Pegasus asked, taking a big jug from the other one. "I can't manage one, and you have two."

"It's not so bad, really. As long as they don't get another crazy idea in their heads, they're usually nice enough, though sometimes they forget that I'm not immortal and don't have their divine powers. So it just takes some getting used to. And to train my leg and back muscles a bit better."

"What's that for?" Rush wondered.

"Why? Haven't you and Luna had intercourse yet?"

"Not yet," said the Pegasus. "Why are you asking?"

"Oh, it’s all clear with you, buddy. Anyway, I advise you to start training your rhomboids and triceps and pelvic muscles as soon as possible. After all, it takes too much energy to satisfy a horny alicorn. Also, sometimes she can lose control over herself and forcefully pin you down. That's when you need a strong back and legs to keep you safe and slip out of her grasp. If you were a unicorn, I would also advise you to learn a reinforced shield spell to guard against her magic during the orgasm."

"What?" said Rush uneasily.

"You see, sometimes an alicorn can unintentionally blast a force-beam from its horn for pleasure, which can be very unpleasant for you, but," he added, noticing his companion's pallor, "you'd better get a helmet with a reflective surface. Oh, and I'd advise you to train your lungs. You need a phenomenal stamina for hours and hours of caressing."

Hearing all that, Rush swallowed nervously.

"And don't forget that a princess recovers more quickly than you do and may crave sex every two hours," the unicorn added finally.

"I see. T-thanks for the advice," Rush said, turning slightly pale, walking away from Shining and toward Luna, who was calling him.

"You're welcome," the unicorn waved at him, taking a few more long sips. "Poor boy. Well, he's got a long way to go."

He turned and glanced around the hall, where the costumed guests continued to eat and enjoy themselves.

"Yeah, I really hope there aren't any more contests tonight, or I..."

"And now we begin the muffin-eating contest!" At which point Princess Celestia loudly proclaimed.

"No! Not again!" Shining exclaimed with a pang of nausea.

Not wanting to be dragged into another insane contest (in which he would surely end), the stallion walked quickly through the wide-open doors outside into a beautiful ornamental garden, divided into several separate glades with arbors, where peacocks roamed lazily and night birds chirped in the bushes and on the trees. Here he felt relatively safe. There was not a soul around. Even the guards didn't come in, so he could relax for a while.

"That's it, I'll take shelter here," he said, looking back. "I love my wives, of course, but sometimes I have to hide from them for a while to get through another day or two. I hope they don't get too upset when they notice I'm gone."

With that in mind, he made his way through the garden and approached the small moonlit shimmering lake in the middle of it. Seated on the shore, Shining took a few more sips of the punch he'd taken with him.

"Oh, what a beautiful night," he said after sitting there for a few minutes, gazing up at the clear starry sky. "So carefree. And even though I had to endure the spinning in the washing machine, I think today was wonderful. I can't wait for my wives and me to go home, where we can relax and spend some time watching... he-he... some romantic comedy. Yeah, that's exactly what we'll do. I'm sure Cadence and Chrysalis will understand why I'm tired and won't demand sex tonight."

There was a loud rustling in the bushes behind him.

"Hm? Who's there?" He turned and asked. "Cady? Chrissy? Is that you?"

He got up and walked leisurely toward the bushes.

"If you've come to talk me into taking part in the eating contest, I have to disappoint you, because I..."

He made a telekinesis run through the branches to a clearing where a cloaked mare, with her back to him, stood in the shade. Judging by her height, she was an ordinary pony.

"Oh, I beg your pardon. My mistake. I thought you were one of my wives," he said with a grin, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

The mare turned and looked right at him, but said nothing.

"Um... okay," Shining said, a little tense from her silence. "So you're one of the guests, then? Just taking a little walk in the fresh air, huh?"

The unknown pony stepped closer to him and threw back her hood. Suddenly a bright magical spark flashed over her head, covering her face completely. She appeared to be a unicorn, and was now casting a powerful electric spell.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing? It's..." Shining backed away from her, and was about to summon a shield, but the mare was faster, and before he could do anything, she shot a bolt of lightning at him that hit him square in the chest. Shining shrieked and, twitching finely, collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

***

"After we finished going down the falls, I took Rush to an amusement park where we spent the day riding bison slides, bungee jumping, and running in crazy barrels, the kind that go up forty stories in a spinning motion and then plummet down. Ugh! How great it was! I still remember how much fun we had that day!" Luna excitedly told Cadence and Chrysalis about her amusement.

"Oh, wow. Fantastic," Chrysalis snorted in surprise.

"Yeah, it's been a busy couple of days," said Cadence.

"Oh, no way! Next weekend I'm going to climb Horror Peak, the highest mountain in the world without wings. We'll tie our own wings and only use our own feet. Can you imagine how much fun that would be? The freezing air, the lack of oxygen, and just me and my favorite pony who can keep me warm," Luna said with a dreamy sigh. "It's so romantic".

Cadence and Chrysalis looked at each other in surprise.

"What?" the alicorn asked, catching their gazes. "You don't think it's very romantic?"

"Well, not that it isn't romantic, but I'm not sure it would help you and Rush get really close," said Cadence carefully.

"Why not? My Rush is an athlete and he enjoys exercise, so he'd really love an adventure like this," Luna said.

"Yes, he may be an athlete, but he's certainly no alicorn," said Chrysalis. "He’s not likely to survive the lack of oxygen and bone-chilling cold."

"But..." said Luna, trying to argue.

"Look, Luna, you're an immortal princess, and he's a pegasus. He’s not equipped to withstand the ordeal. You must be gentle with him if you want him to succeed," said Cadence in an instructive tone.

"But... if we're not going to do that, what are we going to do?" The Princess of the Night asked.

"Why don't you do something less extreme, but just as much fun?" The queen suggested.

"And what would we do?" Luna asked.

"Go to the movies," said Cadence.

"Or go for a walk by the lake," Chrysalis added.

"Or you could take up a hobby," suggested the Princess of Love.

"Or... oh, yes! Maybe the two of you could play video games together? Cadence said you were really into video games, didn't you?" the queen asked.

"Yes you are right! Why, that's not such a bad idea! Video games. I'm a goddess at them! No one's ever beaten me in Pony Fighter V! But what if he doesn't like it?"

"Yes, he will," said the pink pony. "You bet he will."

"Just don't push him and he'll be glad to spend his free time with you," said Chrysalis. "Whatever it is. After all, for the stallion it's not only entertainment, but the opportunity to have a good time with his marefriend."

"Well, all right. I'll do it," Luna said. "And as soon as Rush gets back, I'll see if I can get him to play with me on my new console. Thanks for the advice, ladies. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to go to the "little filly room". I'll see you later."

And after bowing, she headed toward one of the doors.

"Bye! What do you think about Luna?" Cadence asked her wife.

"Quite interesting, especially for a princess who's been on the moon for a thousand years," replied Chrysalis. "Though she's a total sucker when it comes to relationships. I still can't believe she wore Rush down like that."

"Yeah, it must be hard for Rush to be in a relationship with her."

"I guess our hubby was right about something when he said she should tone it down if she didn't want to break up with Rush."

"Speaking of which, Luna and I talked for forty minutes. Where's Shiny?" Cadence said as she looked at her watch.

"Probably went to rest. Did you notice how tired he looked?"

"I did. You know, I've been thinking, sometimes we like to go a little overboard with him, too."

"Yeah, we do. Especially lately. We've been pushing him too hard," Chrysalis agreed.

"And even though he's too nice to admit it, sometimes I think he has a hard time keeping up with us."

"Maybe we should slow down a little and give him a little break."

"And show him how much he means to us and that we appreciate his concern."

"Yeah. Let's find him and talk about it."

"And let him get a good night's sleep tomorrow. Shiny deserves it."

"Of course he does. And we can satisfy ourselves if we have to," Cadence winked and with Chrysalis walked up the wall of the Hall, past the dancing guests, looking for the white unicorn. After a few minutes of searching without success, they asked one of the servants if he had seen the captain of the guards, and he pointed them to an open door leading outside.

"Shiny, hubby, where are you?" the queen called loudly to him as she stepped out into the garden.

"Darling, you don't have to hide, we won't make you participate in any more crazy contests," Cadence added. "We just want to go home and rest. Are you there?"

They looked carefully through several clearings with gazebos before heading toward the pond.

"It's strange, I feel a faint trace of his love here, but he is nowhere to be seen," said Chrysalis with a frown.

"Are you sure? Maybe he just went home?" The princess suggested incredulously.

"And not warn us?" The changeling snorted.

"Well, he might have been afraid we'd have another dance with him, or..."

"Even if he did, that's not like him. Shiny would never leave without telling us where he was going," Chrysalis interrupted her.

"Yes, you're right," the princess nodded grimly.

"There's his love there, too!" Chrysalis said, shaking her head and waving toward the nearest bushes.

They quickly approached them, and as they pulled them apart, they emerged into a small clearing.

Suddenly Cadence growled warily.

"Hey, look!" She said, pointing down somewhere.

The queen followed her footing and saw a bowler lying on the ground.

"It was his hat!" She ran to it and said. "But where is he?"

"I don't know. I don't like the sound of this. What's this?" She leaned over the hat and noticed some charred grasses next to it.

"A lightning spell," the princess said confidently." And it was made by a professional.

"Why do you think that?" Changeling asked.

"Look at the grass, barely scorched. If someone inexperienced in the craft had cast a spell, they would have set fire to the place."

"But if a lightning spell has been used, and there's a Shining’s hat next to it, then…" Chrysalis gasped, frightened.

"Yes, our husband has been kidnapped! We must get to the palace at once!" Cadence exclaimed, and they galloped into the ballroom.

***

"And then she cornered me and started squeezing me, asking me to play World of Ponycraft with her," said Rush to one of the Pegasus guards on guard duty, who was his brother.

"Wow, you're so lucky, brother," he whistled. "Any stallion would give his soul for that."

"Yeah, right. You have no idea how strong her embrace can be, and also..."

Suddenly Cadence and Chrysalis burst into the corridor and shoved Rush aside.

"I'm sorry," said Cadence to him. "But we've got an urgent thing to do. Who's in charge?" She asked the gatekeeper.

"Shining Armor is our captain, in his absence Lieutenant Varris. And what happened to..." the astonished guard wanted to ask, but was sharply interrupted by Chrysalis:

"No time to explain! Quick, get him in here! Something terrible has happened! Get a move on!" She spoke quickly, picking up the guard with her forelegs and quickly shaking him as if he were a rag doll.

"O-o-o-okay, b-b-b-u-u-t f-f-i-r-r-s-s-s-t p-p-p-u-u-t m-m-m-e o-o-o-n the f-f-f-l-l-o-o-r!" He stuttered and ran into the room as the queen set him on the floor.

He was escorted by several stallions and mares in armor, and the unicorn, of athletic build with a strong back and broad cheekbones, came running out of the room.

"Yes? What happened? Bragman told me..." he began, glancing first at Rush leaning against the wall and then at the two frightened mares.

"Oh, it's you, Weezie! Praise the Hive Mother! We're in trouble! So there's no time for pretense now!" The queen pronounced suddenly, rushing toward him.

"Weezie? Is he your son, too?" Cadence whispered in surprise.

"No he is my daughter, but that's not important right now," answered the queen, turning again to the unicorn.

"Weezie, help! Someone has stolen our husband! Here's his photo!"

She opened her purse and pulled out a folded photo, which she immediately unfolded.

"Um, Mom," the unicorn blushed embarrassedly.

"What?" said Chrysalis, not understanding.

"Don't you have anything less explicit?" He gestured briefly at the few female guards who were staring at her photo with interest.

"Oh!" the queen belatedly hesitated when she looked at it. The photo showed Shining Armor in a frank pose, lying on his side with a sly grin, his cock out in the open.

"Hey, where'd you get it? I don't remember Shining posing for pictures like that," the alicorn said suspiciously.

"Well, I..." mumbled Chrysalis, quickly putting the picture away in her purse.

"Look, ladies, it doesn't matter. Let's just talk business," one of the mares interrupted them, the first to come out of her stupor and shake her head a few times.

"I agree. Also, uh, Mom? I know what the Captain looks like," Varris told her in a whisper. "So you say he was kidnapped?" He said loudly now.

"Yes, we found his hat in the castle courtyard, and a scorched mark on the ground. We think he was stunned by lightning and then smuggled out of the palace," said the queen, holding out the hat Shining was wearing. "Please do something!"

"Don't worry, we'll get right on it," said Varris, putting on his helmet. "Let's get to work! We're going to need search dogs and unicorn trackers!"

***

"Well, thank you for all you've done," Chrysalis said to Princess Celestia on her way out of the throne room when, after a strenuous couple of hours of searching. The guards had lost track of the would-be kidnapper (whose trail ended near a waterfall not far from the city) and returned to the palace with nothing.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry we couldn't find Shining, but I promise we won't give up and we'll keep looking for him tomorrow morning," she said as she walked both mares to the exit. "And if we find out anything, we'll let you know at once."

"Thank you, Aunt Tia," said Cadence with a sigh. "I do hope he's all right."

"Don't worry dear, we'll be sure to save him. Shining will be fine," promised the Princess of the Sun. "I'll send the letter Twilight right away and let her know what happened. If anyone can figure this out, it's her and her friends."

She opened the door for them.

"In the meantime, you'd better go home and get some rest. Good night," Celestia said.

"Good night," Cadence and Chrysalis wished her as they walked down the steps.

Leaving the castle, they walked out onto the main street of Canterlot.

"Who do you think might have kidnapped him?" The queen asked on the way home.

"I don't know. Could it have something to do with his work? After all, Shiny is captain of the guard and he must have enemies," the princess replied.

She went silent for a moment, a thought new line of thought occurring to her.

"So do we," she added.

"What? You mean the kidnappers could have done this to get to us?" Chrysalis flinched.

"Yes. As queen and princess, you and I have plenty of creatures that could have an issue with us. So it might well have something to do with us."

"But if it's true, what do they want? To blackmail us?"

"It's possible. And I sure hope the guards find him before they do. Though our Shiny is strong, I can't bear to see him get hurt."

"Let's not talk about it," Chrysalis asked. "I'm sure our hubby can take care of himself."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, huddled together, shivering in the slight chill of the night. When they reached the mansion, they opened the gate and entered their courtyard. The skeletons and zombies their husband had set up that evening now seemed somehow sinister and brought sad thoughts to their minds.

Without raising their heads, the mares went up to the porch of the house and stopped by the door. Cadence reached into her purse for her keys.

"Hey, what's this?" Chrysalis suddenly said, looking at the zombie standing near the entrance.

It had a small piece of paper clutched in its mouth.

Quickly grabbing the piece of paper with her telekinesis, Chrysalis unfolded it and, shining her horn, read the following:

Queen Chrysalis, as you may have guessed by now, we have kidnapped your husband and are now holding him captive in a very safe place. If you don't want him to have an accident, go to the northern border of Equestria, to the town of Wildsberry, and meet us in two days.

P.S. I hope you realize you have to do this alone? If you tell the guards, or any of the alicorns, Shining will be in a world of hurt. I'll see you at the Humpback Mount Club at 10:00 p.m. And no jokes. We'll be watching you.

"Unsigned. So it's all about me," the queen sighed, sinking onto her croup. "Some of my enemies are out to get back at me, and they've stolen my lover and... Oh, they're scum!"

She stomped her hoof with determination. Flame shot through her body, and she was transformed into a great fanged dragon, the porch creaking beneath her feet.

"All right, if they want me that badly, they'll have me! I will come to this meeting and tear them to shreds!" She roared, letting out a burst of fire that had melted some of the zombies in its path. "And then I'll save my Shiny!"

"You mean our Shiny," the princess interjected. "I hope you don't think I'll let you go alone. We'll go together."

"What? But you saw what the kidnappers wrote, didn't you? If I'm not there alone, they..." muttered the dragoness.

"It doesn't matter! They obviously want to hurt you. And there's no guarantee that you can handle them or that they'll let Shiny go. So I can't take any chances with you. The two of us will go in there and save our husband!"

She clenched her teeth aggressively.

"And whoever kidnapped him will be sorry."

"Thank you, Kady," Chrysalis said, adopting her normal appearance again as she hugged the alicorn tightly.

"Well, it's time for me to remember my former hero years," the princess said after a couple of seconds, getting into an epic pose with the changeling queen.

***

"Oh! My head!" When he regained consciousness, Shining Armor muttered, struggling to open his eyes.

He looked around as he carefully lifted his head and realized that he was lying in a small, half-darkened room without any windows, whose stone walls were covered in copious moisture and a dim bulb was hanging from the ceiling. With a low creak it swayed from side to side, illuminating a small patch of his mysterious dungeon.

"Where am I? How did I get here?" He said with a frown, trying to rise to his hooves, but then he felt that something prevented him.

"What is it?" He looked at his hind leg and saw that it was held by a thick metal chain. "I don't believe it! I was chained like some kind of scooter. But who could have done this?"

His mind immediately ran through dozens of conspiracy and military intrigue scenarios that he had encountered several times during his tour of duty, but they were all forgotten when he heard a voice distorted by static in the silence:

"Ah, I see you're finally awake!" Said the unknown person on a loudspeaker hanging from one of the walls. "That's great!"

"Who are you? Did you kidnap me? What's going on here?" Shining shouted at him.

"What a lot of questions. Looks like your will isn't completely broken yet. That's good. But let's not be too hasty. Let's just say I'm a friend, and you're in a very bad spot, mate. You got mixed up with a changeling queen and she brainwashed you."

"What? What kind of crap is that? Are you crazy? Nobody brainwashed me!" The stallion said angrily.

"That's what you think. Her charms are too strong for you to notice. But don't worry, I can fix it."

Suddenly a huge magical orb flashed from the ceiling, lighting up the room and making Shining squint.

"After all, I know all her methods, and I'll be able to heal you."

The unknown man laughed loudly:

"It's only a matter of time."

Author's Note

Well, after a long break, I'm posting the continuation of the story. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

P.S. Special thanks to Centurion Pike-Wall for his help. :twilightsmile:

Chapter 7: Two Dashing Mares

The bright autumn sun was slowly disappearing over the horizon, casting its last rays on the streets of Wildsberry. Founded when settlers first came to the area, it was made up of several streets lined with wooden buildings, broken up by the occasional stone structure or business. Of course, much has changed since then. Wooden wagons had given way to trucks, oil lamps to electric lights with energy-saving bulbs, and the snack machines and billboards that stood here and there made it clear that the days of the frontier were over, and civilization had come to this place.

But before the sun could disappear, a train whistle sounded somewhere in the distance, and a column of smoke emerged from behind the mountain. Soon a train emerged, heading at full throttle toward the city. As it approached, the tracks near the train station began to shake, and this startled a fly that was sitting nearby. It rose into the air and flew upward in a jagged trajectory toward the nearest telephone pole. However, its flight was not long. Suddenly it was blocked by a sticky, elastic barrier in the form of a spider web, which had been spun along one of the rungs by a large desert spider. Predatorily rubbing its paws, it began to approach its victim, ready to envelope it in its web and eat it. The eyes of the frightened fly stared at the ruthless predator that wanted to end its life. Its fate was sealed.

But then, because of the vibrations of the train, the pole, badly driven into the ground, tilted slightly, and the web snapped down, taking with it the spider and the fly. Swaying gently in the wind, they collapsed on the platform. The fly, feeling that some of its legs were free, tried to fly up. Spreading its wings, it jerked upward, trying desperately to escape. The spider, however, was not ready to give up so easily and, freed from its own web, again began to move toward it, menacingly clacking its deadly jaws.

The fly redoubled its efforts, but the spider was already close and, disregarding the rumble and noise of the stopping train, was approaching it. It took only a few seconds to reach its prey and in anticipation it lifted its legs up to grab the fly, as suddenly the hoof of a dark beige stallion that had emerged from the train car, with light stubble on its face, stepped on top of it. He glanced toward the train station and adjusted the mottled shirt with a pineapple pattern on his chest.

"Well, here we are," he said with satisfaction, and then, adjusting his buckskin cap on his horn and setting down a couple of bags down, he added, "Wildsberry is a beautiful olden town, home to brave adventurers who fight dangerous savages at dawn, and drink a double whiskey with a cube of salt at night. There's definitely something to see here."

"Yes, yes. But we didn't come here to see the view, dear wife," said the tall pink mare who followed him out, dressed in a sleeved jacket, a long skirt, and a wide-brimmed tourist hat.

"Shh! Not so loud. Someone might hear you," said the stallion warily, looking back at the ponies coming out of the other train cars, who were not much different in dress from this couple.

"Don't worry, I said it quietly. And besides, what if it's just a thing, and you really like dressing up as a mare? After all, no one knows what you and I do when we're alone in the bedroom," the mare answered him, putting a couple of handbags and a big suitcase down beside her.

"And that's for the best. They'd be horrified for sure," the unicorn grinned.

"Or burn with envy," his companion snorted. "By the way, I think you stepped on something."

"Did I? Where? Yuck, a spider!" The stallion looked down and stamped his leg mare-like, then walked over to the front desk, grabbing a couple of tourist brochures to wipe his hoof with.

"So, here we are," the pink mare said, glancing at the town ahead, where the first streetlights were already starting to come on. "It's been a long ride."

"Long, but, I hope, not useless," added the stallion, when all the other tourists had left and they were alone on the platform. "After all, this is where I had my appointment."

"Yes, and I really hope that the kidnappers come to see you. If they get suspicious, they might hurt our lovely husband."

"Don't worry, we did it right. So it's unlikely they were following us," the unicorn winked at her.

Yes, those two outwardly unremarkable tourists were in fact the disguised Cadence and Chrysalis, who had come undercover to town to meet with the ponies who'd stolen their Shiny. Or rather, it was only Chrysalis who was supposed to go to that meeting. That's why, in order not to get caught, the mares pulled off a whole diversion. The next morning several of the queen's children arrived at the mansion secretly, and she told them what had happened and ordered her two most nimble sons to assume her and Cadence's guise, then sent them on a walk through the city. While they diverted attention to themselves, the mares managed to disguise themselves and, after waiting several hours, left the house. After reaching the train station, they drove out to Wildsberry. Of course, they weren't sure if their plan would work, but there wasn't much choice. Cadence and Chrysalis didn't want to take the risk of getting Canterlot all up in arms, so they decided to do it themselves without the princesses or Twilight and her friends.

Once down from the platform, the mares headed in the direction of main street.

"Now let's try to be as quiet as possible and not draw unwanted attention," Chrysalis said as she held her and Cadence's things in her telekinesis. "Which won't be easy, considering our ridiculous clothes."

She cast a disapproving glance at her pineapple shirt, which was more appropriate for a walk on the beaches than a trip to the Wild West.

"Eh, we shouldn't have dressed like that after all, honey. Our outfits are too conspicuous," she complained.

"That's the thing, we look like common tourists, and it's the early tourist season in this part of Equestria. So we wouldn't stand out much, especially..." the alicorn said as she and the queen made their way to the main street of Wildsberry, "…among the throngs of other ponies out here."

She swung her leg, pointing forward.

"Whoa!" Chrysalis gasped as she looked in that direction.

Right in front of her was an impressive view of the brightly lit city street, which consisted of many souvenir stores, miniature museums, and cowcolt saloon-style restaurants. Between them walked countless crowds of tourists of all different races, dressed in summer shirts and translucent dresses. Each stranger had a camera around their neck, and relentlessly snapped pictures of everything they saw, whether it was an old building or a cowcolt's watering hole or an ordinary-looking rock that they thought was incredibly beautiful.

"What did I tell you?" Cadence smiled.

"Yes, I didn't expect that," the changeling told her as she glanced at the sign of the nearest bar, which, according to the advertisement, sold the world's strongest cactus cocktails. "This place didn't look much like the old spaghetti western town."

"Well, it may once have been, but with the advent of progress they decided to turn it into a tourist place," said the princess. "So we'll be completely unrecognizable here."

And, playfully nudging Chrysalis with her croup, she took her further down the street past the loudly talking guests and entertainers.

"Hey, friends! Would you like to take part in one of our creepiest excursions through a Haunted Cemetery?" The two of them were approached them by a stallion dressed in tattered cowcolt attire, whose face was smeared with white paint in a skeletal design, and a gallows noose hung around his neck.

"A Haunted Cemetery?" Repeated the alicorn.

"Yes, it's our main attraction; a cemetery that's haunted by actual ghosts. We give tours every few hours after sunset, and with Nightmare Night over, our tickets are at a discount," he explained eagerly.

"Well, thank you for the information. We'll certainly think about it," said Chrysalis.

"Of course. In that case, here's a pamphlet for you," he said, handing the queen a small glossy flyer that depicted stereotypical sheet-like ghosts, from which the foals ran away with cheerful muzzles. "And if you ever want to have an unforgettable adventure, come here. I'd love to sign you up and add you to one of the groups."

"Yeah, bye," the changeling waved at him. "Yes, this place really is a tourist attraction," she turned to Cadence. "I'm surprised the kidnappers would ask me to come here."

"Maybe that's what it's all about. The more ponies there are, the easier it would be for them to get lost in the crowd."

"I guess you're right. Well, let's go find an inn where we can leave our things."

After wandering for a while among the stores and themed eateries, which were swarming with crowds of tourists, they finally found a small wooden inn that looked like an old cavalry fort, where all the staff were dressed like Frontier Guards and local Natives. Once settled there, they left their suitcases in the room and then went for a walk around town.

"Well, now that we're settled, there's nothing stopping us from looking around a bit and finding that club the note said," said Chrysalis, who snapped a few photos to keep up the facade.

"Yeah, but we'll have to find it first. Damn it! This guide to the most interesting places doesn't mention the place," said Cadence, flipping through the program she'd picked up at the inn.

"Maybe it's only for locals. Let's go look for it ourselves. I'm sure it won't take long."

"Yes, it's quite a small town, so we'll find it quickly," the princess agreed.

***

"Another dead end," said Cadence grumpily after an hour, as they rounded the fourth street leading to a brick wall. "You gotta be kidding me."

"Tell me about it. Who would have known this Wildsberry would be so complicated?" Said Chrysalis, wearily, looking at the cluster of garbage cans they'd approached. There was nothing of interest beside them, or anywhere else, except a few stray cats and a couple lounging nearby, kissing surreptitiously in the corner.

"Yeah, we won't find that club in a hundred years," said the princess, leaning against the wall of one of the houses.

"In that case, I suggest we go to plan B," said the queen.

"And what is that plan B?" Alicorn asked.

"We'll go and look for someone local who can tell us the right direction."

"Yes, that's a good plan. Then we need one of the local workers," the princess nodded, and they returned to the main street, where they headed for the nearest summer café, decorated like a Tepee. A bison in traditional costume was standing near it, posing for a picture with the griffin tourists.

"Excuse me, could you..." said Cadence to him.

"Just a moment, ma'am. If you want a picture with me it's that way," he said without turning his head, pointing with his hoof to the long line of ponies to his right.

"No, thank you," snorted the princess, and, with a twist of her head, went on toward the saloon-restaurant, where an apron-clad cowcolt was leaning against a pole, smoking a cigarette in a relaxed manner.

"Excuse me, I'd like to..." she began.

"What?! Can't you see I'm on my break?" He looked at her briefly, and then snorted indignantly: "Oh, it's you again! In the name of Celestia, how much trouble can you get me into? I told you I'm not a cook and I'm not responsible for the quality of the food here," the cowcolt said angrily, obviously mistaking her for someone else. "And if your colt throws up from our cooking, take your complaints to him or to the manager, but not to me. I'm an ordinary waiter, and I'm not responsible for anything here, Discord be damned!" he added, stubbed out his cigarette with his hoof, and went back to the saloon.

"So rude!" The alicorn grumbled grudgingly, and approached another young unicorn stallion across the street, who was standing by the ice cream cart selling it to the colts.

"Hello, can you tell me where the..." she tried again to start a dialogue.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm too busy right now. I've got a whole bunch of little kids who don't have any small coins," said the teenager with a tormented look as he quickly scooped various kinds of ice cream from his refrigerator cart and placed them on the waffle cones. "Ouch, who's biting my leg?! Stop it!"

"But listen, I won't take up much of your time. All I have to do is find the Humpback Mount Club."

"Honey Mouth Cup? I'm sorry, but it's all gone," the salesman answered her indistinctly as he continued to serve the foals.

"It's no use. All these cowponies won't do us much good here," the princess said sadly, turning back to Chrysalis. "Maybe we should come back here tomorrow morning when it's not so noisy."

"No way! Tomorrow I have an appointment with the kidnappers and we won't have time to explore," the changeling shook her head.

"But what are we to do? Nopony listens to me."

"Ah, you're just on the wrong side of this case, that's all. Don't forget, Cady, these ponies are all cowcolts, and they need a special approach. Let me try," Chrysalis said as she handed her the camera, and then went behind the nearest house. A moment later there flashed a green flash, and after a second a cute mare dressed in a short shirt and tight jeans with a cowcolt hat on her head came out to the princess.

"There you go, partner," she said with a slight country accent. "Now I'm a real pussy, and I could easily hunt any stallion."

She pulled down her jeans and headed for the ice-cream vendor, swinging her croup gracefully. As she approached the young stallion, she gently nudged him sideways.

"Hey, kid, I'm not from around here, and I don't know the town at all," she said, pulling him away from the cooler and making innocent eyes. "Can you help me find a club?"

"What? Oh, y-yes, sure. Always happy to oblige, gorgeous beauty. What's it called? I could walk you to it later, if you like," he said, staring at her slender legs and oblivious of the foals, who were screaming and tugging at his apron.

"Humpback Mount Club. Have you ever been there before?"

"Of c-course. I mean, no! No way! I've never been there, but I pass it all the time when I go to work. By the way, I live not far away in a big, beautiful house," he said with a hint.

"Oh, how interesting. I'll keep that in mind. Now tell me, where is this club that's so close to your house?" The queen asked, rubbing her cheek against his cheekbone.

"It's only two blocks away. You have to walk to the end of this street, and then you have to turn right and walk along the cliff to the big stone building. That will be the Humpback Mount Club. You'll easily recognize it."

"Thanks, kid, I knew I could count on you," the queen giggled coquettishly.

"You're welcome. But I don't understand why you wanted this place, don't you? It's not like it's for ordinary mares. Unless..."

He snorted suddenly and backed away squeamishly.

"Oh, dear Celestia, are you one of those?" He asked.

"One of those?" Asking Chrysalis didn’t understand.

"You know, the ones who... ugh!" He grimaced as he stared at her croup. "I'm sorry, but I'm not one of those. You don't look so bad, though. Very realistic, I'd say. I'm sure you'll find a suitable suitor in no time. Well, I'm not interested. Bye."

And he immediately turned away and went to the refrigerator, still cursing quietly.

"Wow, what was that?" Asked the queen, not understanding, turning back to her spouse.

"Maybe he guessed you were a changeling?" Cadence suggested.

"I don't think so, I was pretty convincing. And besides, what's this club got to do with it?"

"Who cares? We know exactly where we're going now," said Cadence.

"Yes, you're right. In that case, let's go," Chrysalis agreed, and they both headed in the direction the stallion had pointed.

"What did the ice cream colt mean when he told me this club wasn't for ordinary mares?" The queen asked as they walked.

"Maybe it's a gathering place for drunken troublemakers, and regular ponies stay away from it? And since you're going there, you're probably from some gang that likes to cause fights yourself."

"You think so?"

"Of course. You've seen action movies, so you must know what it's like at a place like this, where the vacant mares and their leather-jacket-wearing stallions get into fights."

"Yeah, maybe," Chrysalis nodded. "Or maybe he thought I was a crumpet mare."

"I don't know. Anyway, if it really is a club, we might have a problem," the princess added.

"You don't have to worry about that, Cady. If any drunken bastards come at us, I can always turn into something big and kick them in the teeth," the changeling winked at her. "So we'll be alright."

"I don't doubt that, Chrissy," the princess smiled.

They reached the end of the street and turned the corner.

"There is, however, another problem. They might not let us in at all," said Cadence, "If the place has a dress code."

"I don't care if there is, any guard would let us in if he saw our pretty faces."

They walked along some of the houses that stood near the mountain and came to a big, brightly lit neon sign for a club.

"Though I could be wrong," the queen said suddenly, glaring at the club in amazement.

Princess Cadence looked at the building, too, and opened her mouth wide.

The Humpback Mount Club was not at all what they had expected. Instead of street gangs and rugged cowcolts standing by their trucks, to their surprise they saw many glamorous studs there, dressed in tight latex suits and dainty outfits like miniskirts and short tops. As they merrily conversed, they behaved just like mares, giggling and slapping each other on the rump every now and then. On top of that, there were two arrow rings connected together and a rainbow flag flying on the roof of the building near the neon sign with the name.

"In the name of Aunt Celestia, what is this?" Cadence said slowly.

"Stallions in lace underwear, flags, wigs. It's a gay club!" Said Chrysalis.

"Yes, what a surprise," said the princess, squinting. "And this is where you have an appointment? I don't understand."

"Maybe it's because I'm a changeling, and I can easily walk in disguised?" The queen suggested.

"Or maybe because they..."

They both looked at each other, frightened.

"No, it's because you're a changeling!" Cadence cut in hastily.

"Yes, that's it! Not that they're filthy pervs who put all sorts of... oh... in our Shiny."

"Please don't say that! I don't even want to think about what they might do to our beloved!"

"I agree, only you and I are allowed to put solid things in him."

"That's it! Enough of this! I'm going over there right now!" The alicorn said firmly.

"Oh, yeah? How do you plan to do that? I'm the only one of us who can change appearance, and you're far too obviously a mare to resemble any of the typical patrons."

"I agree, that complicates things. But what do we do? How do we get into this club without drawing attention to ourselves?"

"Well, what if we... Yeah, I got an idea!" Chrysalis said cheerfully.

"What?" said Cadence.

"Tell me, did you bring that S&M costume with you, in case you successfully rescued Shiny?"

"Yeah, it's in my suitcase. Why?"

"Quick, let's go get it! I have an idea!" The changeling said, pulling her along.

***

"Hey, baby, nice skirt. Welcome to our club," said a tight-lipped stallion in a mesh tank top and leather pants in a distinctive mannered voice as he stood in front of the entrance to the club and let the customers in. "I hope you like it here."

"Me too, handsome. Well, see you around," the young stud in the wig dressed as a filly winked at him playfully. He gave the guard an airy kiss and strode out the door, causing him to let out a rapturous sigh.

"Oh, what a pretty little thing," he said dreamily. "It's been a long time since we had candy like that. Then again, so are the rest of them. So many new faces, all in one night."

Tonight was indeed a very lively night. Many different guests from all over Equestria had arrived at their club, and it made the guard here very happy to be able to sneak a peek at their crooks, each one of which he was genuinely excited about. And whether they were skinny and dainty or lush and appetizing, they all turned him on and made him mentally undress their owners and lift their tails up.

Suddenly the pegasus' thoughts were interrupted when the visitors standing nearby suddenly began whistling enthusiastically and waving to someone in the road.

He looked in that direction, and his jaw dropped. Right toward him, wiggling his croup playfully, was the most beautiful and graceful stallion he'd ever seen, leading another cutie on a leash, dressed in a closed latex suit. They were both so beautiful they seemed to radiate divine beauty. The one in front was a tall, soft blue unicorn with a beautiful pink mane whose slender figure beckoned him to come closer and fall on his knees in front of him. He was dressed in tight denim shorts, a white T-shirt, and a policeman's cap, his back legs were covered by mesh stockings. As for the second colt, who was also a unicorn, though his face was not visible because of his tight mask, his body was so perfect that he almost resembled a real mare.

As he approached the guard closely, the blue unicorn mare-like arched up and looked at him with a look full of passion and seduction, and said:

"Hey, big boy, I'm told you have the best club for croup shakers here. Is that so?"

He spread his hind legs wide and wagged his tail playfully.

"Yes, baby, and our doors are always open to charmers like you," the pegasus replied, barely able to get out of his stupor, turning his gaze to his companion, who had a very large and seductive bump between his legs under the latex.

"Oh, you're so cute," said the unicorn in the cap, smiling widely at the guard with his sharkish smile. "Then maybe you'd like to let us in?"

"Sure, with pleasure. Um... can I get your name?" Pegasus asked, drooling.

"Cyanide," said the unicorn. "My name is Cyanide."

"Wow, what a spunky name you have!" The guard said enthusiastically.

"You mean it's very poisonous, did you?" Licking the top of his lip, the unicorn winked. "Yes, handsome, I have it that way."

"Tu charmes tout simplement," the pegasus whispered languidly. "And who is your friend?" He looked at the latex clad stallion.

"That? That's just my pet that I take for a walk. I call him Mr. Masochist, and he just loves it when I punish him for something. Right, Mr. Masochist?" The unicorn asked, slapping his companion hard.

"Uphuvum!" He mumbled through the zipper that covered his mouth, but even that couldn't conceal how soft and feminine his voice was.

"I see. Well, come in. Have fun," the guard said as he opened the door for them and ushered them inside.

"Thank you. Well, see you later, tough guy," Cyanide winked, taking Mr. Masochist with him. The pegasus whimpered as they entered the club, and slumped against the wall, leaning back against the croup.

"Real goddesses!" He whispered and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, the unicorn in the cap stepped as far away from the entrance as possible and looked around in the half-darkened corridor:

"It's okay, Cady, we made it through. I told you my plan would work."

"Yeah," Cadence said as she unzipped her mouth. "Ugh, it's so hot in that suit, and you can barely see anything. How does Shiny get around in that?"

"Well, he only wears it during our games and we undress him really fast," chuckled Chrysalis. "Now come on, get into character, dear, and make sure the potato doesn't fall out from between your legs."

She bent down and carefully corrected the large potato that had slid inside the suit, playing the part of Cadence's penis.

"I'll try, though it's not easy for me to play the stallion. And my wings are a little sore," the princess complained, rubbing her sides.

"Don't worry, you're doing a good job," the queen encouraged her, taking the leash back into her hoof. "Come on, Mr. Masochist. It's time to have some fun!"

And after saying that, Chrysalis went further down the corridor, dragging Cadence behind her. When she reached the small velvet curtain, she pushed it aside and they were in a large, shaded hall with rhythmic music and colorful lights.

"Whoa! Now that's what I call a party!" The queen gasped as she looked at him with rapt attention.

Right in front of her, swaying at the poles and dancing on the tables, numerous athletic stallions were shaking their torsos. Many of them were almost naked or frankly in mare-like outfits that concealed almost nothing, including their large hosepipes. The customers sitting at the tables applauded them loudly and threw coins into the special tip jars. Not to mention the other guests dressed in crazy and very ambiguous costumes, from sailors and barbarians, to buckball cheerleaders and vampires, who danced on the wide dance floors around the edges of the room, near the big DJ booth.

"Yeah, there's a lot to see," Cadence agreed. "Wow, I didn't know gay clubs were this much fun."

"Neither did I. And where's that naughty tune?" The queen asked, listening to the music coming from the speakers on the walls. "You know, the one that played in the movie Canterlot Academy?"

"I think it's from the '80s, with the Magic Leap," Cadence joked. "Ah, that was a good show, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. Well, let's go infiltrate this society," Chrysalis whispered, rubbing her hooves together in excitement.

"Come on, don't get too carried away, dear," said the princess, and added grumpily: "Especially in the presence of your wife. Don't forget, these studs aren't at all interested in the likes of us."

"What do you take me for, Cady? I'm an innocent. It's just that since we're here undercover, we should behave accordingly," chuckled Chrysalis, giving the passing dancer a naughty slap, and then went to a large round bar in the center of the club, behind which stood several young studs dressed in rabbit costumes.

"Hey, bartender, pour me and my baby a couple of tasty cocktails!" She said, jumping on a high chair, and, picking up her spouse with her telekinesis, seated her beside herself. "But not too alcoholic. We want to have fun sober tonight."

"Sure, sweetheart. I'll make you two a Breezie’s Kiss in a minute," the nearest stallion nodded to her and, swinging his croup playfully, quickly mixed several drinks and liquors in a shaker, which he then poured into spiral-shaped glasses with lime slices attached to them.

"Here you go," he said, placing them in front of the mares.

"Thank you, sweetheart," the changeling thanked, taking one with her hoof and taking a few sips through the straw.

Glancing around the bar and the club, she said:

"I see you're having a lot of fun tonight."

"It's true. It's been a long time since we've had this many customers in one night," the bartender told her.

"Yeah, you're in luck. So many pretty faces to talk to," said Chrysalis, smiling. "Especially with the stallions who live nearby and are ready for a longer relationship."

"Ha-ha, yes. We have a couple of regulars in the neighborhood who drop by occasionally to show me their incomparable cowcolt charm," the stallion chuckled.

"Is that so? Tell me, is there anyone unusual among them?" The queen asked.

"Unusual?" The barman asked again.

"I mean, someone passionate, wild. Someone who's so brutal that he doesn't look gay at all."

The stallion looked at her in surprise.

"See, the thing is, me and my slave really want to hang out with real rugged stallions who have stubble on their faces and a bold, manly look," the queen explained. "So I'm asking if any of them come in here."

"Heh, I see. Well, in that case, you boys are in luck. We've got a lot of stallions like that around here. And if you wait a little while, you'll meet them," the bartender winked understandingly.

"Oh, that's good. Thanks for your help, kid. Here's your tip," she handed him a couple of large coins.

"Thank you. Well, all right, have a good evening, friends," he said, and went to serve another customer who called him.

"Yeah, that's a bummer," the queen whispered when she and Cadence were alone.

"You don't say. So many ponies come in here, we'd hardly think we'd find the one who'd taken our Shiny," said Cadence, sipping her cocktail. "So, what shall we do?"

"I say we split up and look for them ourselves," said Chrysalis, taking a sip or two as well. "I'm sure they're around here somewhere."

"But it's supposed to be tomorrow. How do you know that?" The princess asked.

"You can call it flair," replied Chrysalis. "I've done a lot of covert infiltrations and diversions over the years. I'm a changeling, and I'm experienced at it. Ahem... especially when it comes to kidnapping," she finished with a loud cough.

"Chrissy!" The alicorn said indignantly.

"What? I haven't always been good. And the people I've kidnapped aren't always nice, either. Like Gardis, the Griffin Emperor who lived 300 years ago. He oppressed his citizens and threatened us with war. So to steal him was a boon, not just for the changelings, but for all of Griffonstone."

Noticing the princess looking at her, she added hastily:

"But nothing untoward happened to him! My children and I frightened him for a few hours and then sent him home in one piece... ahem... after ripping out a few claws and a dozen feathers, but it wasn't fatal. No gryphon was seriously hurt in that kidnapping, believe me or better yet, read about it in a history book."

She drank her cocktail in a gulp.

"Anyway, I've been to meetings like this before, and I know you always have to scout and look around thoroughly before you start."

"What if the kidnappers see us?"

"So what? You and I are disguised and won't talk about kidnapping directly. We just need to take a little walk and listen to what ponies are talking about. And even if we don't find out anything, we still have a whole day ahead of us, and we can come here tomorrow."

"I agree. Well, shall we go see the weirdos then?" Vivaciously, Cadence got to her hoofs. As she stood, the potato shifted position, getting stuck near her tail.

"Ouch!" the pony gasped, quickly putting it back in its place.

"Though, come to think of it, you just sit there, Cady," the queen said after noticing this. "You're too pretty, and your "stuff" keeps running away, and that's very suspicious."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Alicorn agreed, sitting carefully on the chair and shifting her legs so she wouldn't lose the potatoes again. "No flirting, though," she reminded her.

"Of course, darling," Chrysalis promised, smoothing out her shorts.

"Well, I'll just keep watch here. In case the kidnappers decide to drink, too," the princess mentally said to herself and waved to the bartender: "Hey, handsome, make me another Breezie’s Kiss!

Chrysalis slowly made her way to the center of the hall, where there were catwalks with dancers, looking at the guests hanging out there and discreetly listening to their conversations, hoping to hear from them something useful that might be related to tomorrow's meeting or the kidnapping. But she had no luck, and after half an hour of persistent eavesdropping and observation, she was unable to learn anything worthwhile. And everyone she talked to only asked her out or discussed various glamorous matters.

"If the kidnappers are really out there, it won't be easy to find them," Changeling thought. "It looks like talking alone isn't enough here. I have to get their attention and make them like me. But to do that, I'd have to distinguish myself somehow."

She wandered the hall for a few more minutes before stopping at a large, padded ride with a huge mechanical bull in the center of the room, mounted by a sturdy steed in a fireman's suit.

"Perfect! Winning the contest will make me popular in no time," said the queen as she motioned to the crowd of spectators who watched the fireman, who lost his balance a few seconds later and spun out of the saddle in a shriek.

"Oh, what a pity! Another contestant lying on the floor! Looks like El Toro is determined today and won't let anyone ride him!" Said the nearby unicorn dressed in a mareish cowcolt outfit, who was standing with a microphone in his telekinesis.

The fallen stallion was immediately approached by two guards who helped him out of the enclosure.

"So, who's next? Who is ready to challenge our Wild Bull?" Asked the leader, adjusting his skirt.

"I will," Chrysalis said loudly, stepping forward.

"Aha! We have a new contestant who decided to challenge old El Toro! What's your name? The host asked, pointing the microphone in the direction of the queen.

"Cyanide, and now I'm going to show you how to hold yourself in the saddle," said Chrysalis, determined in her voice.

"Alright then! Well, Cyanide, then climb up on El Toro, and we'll see if you can stay on him for longer than one minute!"

Chrysalis deftly jumped into the saddle and slipped her front leg into the special strap.

"So, get ready! And… start!" Shouted the stallion and pressed a button near him.

The bull immediately started bouncing and spinning in different directions, stopping and changing destination every now and then.

"Heh, it's no more trouble than taming my Cady during our morning fun," the queen grinned mentally, steadying herself in the saddle and not letting herself be thrown off.

***

While Chrysalis went exploring, Cadence continued to sit near the bar, quietly listening to the conversations of the guests who were lounging nearby. She really hoped that one of them would discuss Shiny's recent kidnapping sooner or later, but she heard nothing but crazy talk about sex and lace panties. In the end, all she could do was wait for her wife to return and enjoy the delicious fruit cocktails, of which she had drunk as many as five. Every now and then a few tipsy stallions would come up to her and offer her a good time, and Cadence refused them as best she could, speaking in a husky, low voice and trying not to let them touch her. She couldn't avoid a couple of insolent slaps, though, and at one point she gave one of them a savage punch in the jaw, sending him into the nearest ficus pot.

"Yeah, at this rate, I'm going to get burned. Where's Chrissy? I can't sit here alone for too long. And besides... ouch!" She squirmed painfully. "I shouldn't have had so many cocktails! Ugh! I need to go to the bathroom right now!"

She had tried the bathroom a couple of times before, but there was always someone there. Once, she heard a suspiciously loud moaning in one of the stalls and ran out of there like she was being shot at.

She sat on the stool for half an hour, one leg over the other, aching for a pee, until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Screw it! I'm going that way! I'd rather be thrown out of here than continue to endure it!" With a sigh of resignation Cadence got to her feet and quickly strode to the door of the only bathroom in the club.

She opened it and peered inside cautiously. The bathroom was very clean and tidy. Its walls and floor were covered with fine tiled marble decorated with decorative patterns, complemented by small kirin paintings and fluffy hoof mats.

Cadence stepped fully into it and saw that on the table near the sink, in addition to soap and hoof lotion, there was also a vase of... very large condoms.

"What a perverts," the princess snorted at them, remembering those strange moans, and then said loudly: "Hello, is anypony here? Hello?"

No one answered her.

"Phew, thank Aunt Tia, I'm the only one here. Now hurry to the white friend," Cadence said as she quickly unzipped and pulled out the potato.

As she ignored the row of tall urinals, she turned to the several toilet stalls, which had the oddest of small doors; so small that their edges literally reached down to the line of the toilet bowl. Also, the doors themselves had little heart-shaped windows cut into them.

"Damn these gays! Why would they do that?" Cadence grudgingly muttered as she stared at them. If a stranger came in here, they'd know there was a mare inside. But she had no choice, she was already shaky, and so she took her chances.

"All right, I'll make it quick," she said with determination, running into one of the stalls and closing the door behind her.

"Ah! That's it!" She exhaled relaxed as she spread her hind legs. "At last I am emptied! What bliss!"

She closed her eyes rapturously and began to hum a merry little song about a spider and a heavy rain, when suddenly the bathroom door swung open abruptly. Cadence realized this when the music playing in the club briefly became much louder.

Quickly stopping to pee, she jumped up from the toilet and, unable to think of anything better to do, jumped up, resting all four hoofs against the back wall and the stall door.

"Oh, just what I need!" She thought grudgingly, struggling to contain the urine that hadn't fully come out of her.

"Hey, check the toilets," said one of the men who came in, and, judging by the sound of hoofsteps, his buddy took his time strolling around the stalls to see if anyone was sitting in them.

"All right, we're alone in here," he said after a few seconds.

"I hope they didn't come here to get laid. I don't know how much more I can take," the princess thought to herself, squeezing her eyes shut with tension.

Meanwhile, the unknown studs walked over to the regular urinals and began to urinate in them.

"COME ON! HURRY UP!" She mentally bellowed, unable to bear the provocatively loud sound of falling liquid. "Okay, I need an urgent distraction! Think of the desert, Cadence! Think of the desert! Where it's dry and hot and there's no water."

"Oh, I hate coming here," said one of the strangers. "This place annoys the hell out of me. Everywhere you turn there are perverts."

"It can't be helped, brother, it's what we do. You have to be patient," said the other one.

"Ouch! Why? Why did you say that word?" Cadence thought, clenching her teeth hard.

"Yes, but why are we here today? After all, the Queen isn't due until tomorrow," the first stallion continued.

"The Queen? Do they really mean Chrysalis?" Flashed through the princess's mind and she listened carefully.

"We are on a recon mission. Have you forgotten who we're dealing with? She's a powerful demigoddess who can change her appearance."

"Ha, big deal!" His friend snorted.

"Never mind. Anyway, we'll have to take a look around and remember what the staff looks like. You know, just in case."

"Yeah, but so many tourists come here, how are we gonna find her? Besides, I don't think she's gonna want to cooperate with us."

"Don't worry about it. She'll have to play by our rules. Unless, of course, she wants her hubby to have an accident."

"Yes, they're definitely the kidnappers! I need to tell Chrissy about this right away before they… ouch!"

Cadence felt several large drops roll off her tail.

"No! Not now!" She pleaded, realizing what would follow.

Her bladder clenched painfully, and she unwillingly began to pee, dousing the seat of the toilet bowl below.

"Hey, what's that sound?" Said one of the kidnappers.

"Maybe a pipe burst somewhere?" The other suggested.

"No, it's coming from one of the stalls. Maybe there's somepony in there."

"Damn!" Thought alicorn, and then there was a crack. The toilet door, which she was resting against, snapped slightly and began to crunch loudly.

"Mommy!" Cadence screamed, tumbling forward with the door.

"Hey, who the hell are you? Why the fuck are you hiding in here?" Asked one of the stallions, staring at the princess sprawled on the floor.

"I... I..." said Cadence uncertainly, zipping up her shirt in a hurry.

"Another horrible pervert! Spying on us, huh?" The other snickered angrily, lifting her up and jamming her against the sink.

Cadence looked at the ponies who had grabbed her. They were two burly, leather-jacketed, chaps-over-jeans-clad unicorns who appeared to be disguised as local visitors. Except they didn't do a very good job of it; they had adorned their jackets with numerous advertising patches, like the emblem of a Carrot-Soda or Donut Joe's Coffee Shop.

"Actually, I'm not a pervert. Stallions like me are commonly referred to as gay, and I wasn't spying on anyone here," Alicorn tried to extricate herself from the predicament.

"Oh, yeah? What were you doing then? Taking a leak?" One of them remarked mockingly.

"Exactly, and how did you know?" Cadence remarked sarcastically.

"A wit, eh? Let's teach him a lesson, Bert," the other stallion said, rubbing his cracked hoof.

"I wouldn't advise you colts to do that," the princess said warningly. "I'm very tough, though you can't see it, and I could easily knock you out."

"Well, well, well. We'll see who knocks who out," Bert grinned menacingly, and tried to punch Cadence in the face, but she dodged it and the stallion punched the mirror hard, shattering it.

"Aah!" he yelled, yanking his injured hoof free.

"Yeah, bad luck, buddy," Alicorn grinned ironically as she saw the shards scattered everywhere. "You do seem slow."

"You son of a mule!" The other kidnapper swung at her with a curse, but Cadence tripped him, throwing him off balance and sending him crashing to the floor with his jaw slamming into the sink.

"Are we done here?" Cadence asked, looking down at her vanquished foe.

Bert, meanwhile, had stood up to her, about to attack her stealthily, but the alicorn was on her guard, throwing a handful of condoms at him and kicking him into the side of one of the stalls, which he knocked over with his back.

"I told you I would," said Cadence cheerfully, backing away from the unicorns and standing with her back to the door that led to the hall. "And now you two come with me to answer a few..." She paused.

There was a creaking sound behind her, and the music grew briefly louder again. The princess turned around and saw that another stout stud in a leather jacket, who was twice the size of his cronies, had entered the bathroom.

"Oh, hey! You were probably standing like that at the door and thinking: "Hey, what's going on in there?" Well, I assure you that I didn't..." Cadence said with a nervous smile before the big guy grabbed her by the neck and sent her sprawling toward the exit.

***

"Yes! Yes! Say hello to Cyanide – our new champion, who lasted a whole nine minutes on old El Toro! He's a real wild bull tamer!" The cowmare-dressed announcer shouted excitedly as Chrysalis jumped to the floor and waved her leg to loud applause.

Immediately a young stallion in country dress came up to her and, kissing her on the cheek, handed her a small gold cup with a picture of an enraged bull on it.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Thanked Chrysalis, lifting it up and smiling broadly.

"There, now I can probably get the kidnappers' attention," she said mentally, sending a few air kisses.

"And now, in honor of our champion, I invite you…" The host began, but there was a rumble behind him, and the bathroom door swung open abruptly. Cadence flew out, knocking some of the customers off their backs, and landed right in front of the queen.

"Cady?" Chrysalis said in surprise as she looked at her.

The crowd of onlookers cried out in fright and began to scatter in all directions.

"What is this? We're having a drunken brawl! Guards! Guards!!!" The host shouted and, dropping the microphone, raced for help.

"Honey, what happened to you?" Asked the changeling, walking over to the princess and helping her up.

"There he is! Hey, guys, come here! Let's teach this idiot a lesson!" The stallions exclaimed as they came out of the bathroom, heading straight for alicorn. But then Chrysalis got in their way.

"Who are you calling an idiot, shorty?" She said to the unicorn ahead of them.

"Get out of my way! It's none of your business!" He said menacingly, pushing her chest.

"And that's where you're wrong. If you want to hurt my baby, you'll have to deal with me," said the Queen.

"All right, everybody back off!" The announcer, who came running up at that moment, was followed by two Pegasus guards at his heels. "Fighting is forbidden in our club. And I demand that you immediately..."

There were footsteps behind him. He shuddered, and turned to see four more stallions dressed in leather jackets with stripes approaching them. They were all unicorns, with very strong, muscular legs.

"You demand?" One of them chuckled mockingly. "Who are you to make demands of us?"

And with these words he struck the presenter, throwing him a few steps forward.

"Heh, you clown," added the tall unicorn.

The guards tried to intervene, but the rest of the stallions jumped on them and threw them to the floor with a series of hard blows.

"That was great," said the unicorn with the beard, Bert, watching as his friends brought down the guards. He then turned back to Chrysalis. "Now get out of here, you little runt, before I do the same to you!"

"Ha, you'll never get it!" She said defiantly.

"What? You want to get punched in the face, too?" Bert hovered over her.

"No. Because it's going to be you," said Chrysalis, stealthily picking up a bottle of beer on a nearby table with her telekinesis.

"Honey, maybe you shouldn't," said Cadence, trying to stop her.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," the queen brushed her off.

"Yes, but they..."

"They messed with the wrong stallions, didn't they? Yes, I know," said Chrysalis defiantly, pushing the bottle back behind her neck. "Hold on, you stupid bastards, I'll show you! I have seen a lot of action movies and westerns, and I know how to behave in this situation."

Having said that, she hit Bert hard on the forehead with the bottle, intending to break it. Only the bottle remained intact and only made a muffled sound.

"Oops, that didn't work. I'll try again," the queen said cheerfully, and smacked the unicorn over the head again, with the same result.

"Come on! Smash, smash!" Chrysalis whispered, tapping him with the bottle.

"Are you all right, my dear?" The princess asked in a whisper.

"Yes, I'm all right, I just, uh ..." she noticed the fierce hatred in the stallion's eyes and added quietly: "...I'd forgotten that when I change my appearance my powers change, too. A trifle, of course, but enough to be annoying."

"I'll tear you to shreds!" The unicorn suddenly shrieked, grabbed the queen, and threw her into the enclosure with the mechanical bull.

"Bastard!" Cadence shouted, before he kicked her in after the changeling.

"Well, lads, I suggest we stretch our legs a bit," Bert said mockingly, rolling his shoulders and walking leisurely toward the already risen Chrysalis. "Let us teach these wretched..."

He swung at her, but the queen ducked his swing, kicking him in the air with both hooves, knocking him back onto the adjacent table.

"Yes, I may be weak, but I still have some experience," she said with a squint as he looked up.

"Go on, boys! Teach them a lesson!" Bert commanded, and the stallions galloped toward the enclosure.

"Brace yourself, Cady. They're coming," said Chrysalis as she helped her wife up. "You'll have to fight them."

"Yeah, but it's not going to be easy in this costume," the princess said, shrugging a couple of times.

The unicorns all jumped over the soft walls of the ride and attacked the mares.

The first three of them charged toward Cadence, trying to knock her down. However, she leapt over the top of them with practiced grace, grabbing the largest stallion with her telekinesis and launching him into his friends. The unicorns tumbled down like pins, collapsing into a pile.

"Strike!" The princess grinned, waving her leg merrily.

The one who threw Cadence out of the stood back up, and attacked again. He swung to punch her in the nose, but she swung back, effortlessly, and caught his hoof. There was a crunch, and the stallion gave a painful squeal.

"You call that a punch?" She squeezed him even tighter, looked the unicorn square in the eye, and immediately kicked him in the jaw with her other hoof, knocking him out of the enclosure. "Here's a punch."

At that moment the rest of the stallions attacked Chrysalis, grabbing everything in sight from the nearest tables and podiums. One of them, the most aggressive, lunged forward and attacked the queen with a nine-tailed whip that had been left by one of the visitors. He swung it several times and tried to whip the changeling in the face, but she dodged it without much trouble. Grabbing the tips of the whip, she threw the unicorn behind her back and then kicked him out of the attraction.

The other stallion attacked her with a large paddle dotted with rubber spikes. Chrysalis kicked it out with her foot and intercepted it with her telekinesis in midair, hitting the brat in the forehead, sending him back behind the enclosure.

"Fucking flankhole!" Bert cursed, suddenly grabbing her shoulder blade with a cowcolt whip.

Chrysalis stubbornly tried to wrench it away, but the unicorn didn't give up and continued pulling on her.

"What? You want it? Then take it!" After struggling a little more, the changeling said, and suddenly let her go abruptly, sending her straight into Bert's nose.

"Ouch!" He shrieked, tearfully falling to the floor.

While the queen deftly fended off attacks with her sex toys, Cadence struggled with her legs.

The stallions she had beaten tried to attack her several more times, for which they received painful blows and slaps, and one, the most insolent, the princess lured to the mechanical bull standing in the center, and when he tried to jump on him, she grabbed him by the leg and put him in a strap in the saddle, tying him tightly to it.

The unicorn tried to break free, but she kicked him in the teeth, and then she jumped to the controls and pressed a button.

"Hey, what are you doing? Stop it!" He yelled as the bull began to spin rapidly, making him hold on for dear life.

"My love, will you hand me your paddle?" Said the princess, laughing, as she watched the scene.

"Of course," said the queen, who had already put the paddle back and was now chasing her enemies with it.

She slapped one of her captors across the back with a sharp kick and then tossed it to Cadence who paddled the tied down stallion, chanting:

"Bad colt! Bad colt!"

"Are you idiots?! Stop giving in to them! Stop them!" Bert, who had regained consciousness, cried out, starting to grab bottles and mugs from the tables and throwing them at Chrysalis.

"Ah, there you are! You want to play hoofball with me?!" Dodging them, the queen grinned and shouted to the princess: "Hey, I need my paddle!"

"Here!" She gave Cadence one last painful smack at the stallion's red rump and sent it back to her queen.

"Thank you!" Chrysalis thanked her, catching the bottle with her telekinesis and knocking another one back into Bert's forehead. The stallion staggered back, collapsed to his side, looking dumbfounded.

"Bull's-eye!" Changeling chuckled as she and Cadence continued to hold off the charging stallions. They began to falter though, and after more than a dozen good whacks and a few black eyes, they collapsed on the floor unable to fight anymore.

"Well, we've taught them a lesson," said Chrysalis, rubbing her shoulders as the two of them climbed out of the enclosure.

"I haven't had this much fun in a long time," she grinned as she kicked one of the miscreants who had struggled to his hooves.

"What happened back there, anyway? Why did they attack you? The queen asked.

"Because they are kidnappers, Chrissy. I overheard them talking in the bathroom and found out they stole our Shiny," said Cadence.

"Oh, I see," the changeling said understandingly, pulling off her cap and smoothing her sweaty mane. "So my hunch was right, and they came here to investigate."

"And I found them," said the princess boastfully.

"Well done, my love. You would have made a good changeling with your talents at spying," Chrysalis praised her.

"No, thank you. I like being a pony better. Besides, there's only room in our family for one chitinous beauty."

She walked up to the queen and put the cap on her head and kissed her hard on the lips.

"Hee-hee, yeah," Chrysalis smiled.

"By the way, it suits you very well," alicorn added as she looked at the queen's stallion form. "We'll have to use it sometime during our games."

"Of course," the changeling said.

"Well, in the meantime..."

The princess turned and looked at the scoundrels lying on the floor.

"We need to take care of these bastards. Because now we have a whole bunch of witnesses, or should I say criminals, who stole our husband, and I suggest we interrogate one of them to find out where they're keeping him."

"Of course. Though they're all unconscious now, and I don't think they can tell us anything," said Chrysalis, lifting one of them with her hoof and peering into his bruised face.

"Yes, we overdid it a little," the princess nodded, pulling her mask off and smoothing her mane.

"It's all right, we can wait. And when one of them's awake, we can wait..."

"You!" Bert's voice suddenly interrupted her.

The mares turned to see a disturbed unicorn standing nearby, awake.

"You!" He said again, staring at Cadence. "You are the Princess of Love!"

"Oh no!" the pony gasped when she realized she had been found out.

"But if you are the Princess of Love, then he is..." He turned his gaze on the queen, "Chrysalis!"

"Damn!" Swore the changeling.

"You're here! This hasn't gone according to plan! I must warn the others!" The stallion shouted, and then sprang off, galloping toward the exit.

"No! He's getting away! Go get him!" She yelled, catching him with her telekinesis, but he escaped her grasp like a bar of soap, sliding under the tables and out the door.

"After him! We can't lose him!" Chrysalis exclaimed, running after Bert with her wife.

"Excuse me! Sorry!" They kept shoving ponies into the corridor until they came out into the street.

"Where is he? I don't see him!" Cadence said, glancing quickly around.

"There! Follow me, my love!" Chrysalis yelled, spotting a stallion pushing through the crowd in a leather jacket adorned with various patches.

"Out of the way, you perverts! Get out!" Cursed as Bert aggressively shoved the patrons out of his way.

"No, you don't! Stop right there!" The queen battered into the crowd, shoving everyone in her path as if she were a battering ram, along with Cadence, who was right behind her.

But Bert was quicker, and as he broke through the crowd, he began to move away from them, keeping to the darker parts of the street.

"Hurry! We mustn't..." Chrysalis wanted to shout, but then a tiny, balding unicorn, whose telekinesis held a banner with a crossed rainbow flag, appeared in her way.

"Homosexuality is a sin! Princesses do not approve of the likes of you!" He said loudly when he saw what the mares were wearing.

"Oh, that's all we need to see of your kind!" Cadence snorted impatiently, before glancing around quickly and shoving him into the nearest garbage can.

"Here, sit in the trash! Come on, Chrissy!" She shouted vigorously as she continued the chase.

"Whoa! You are cool!" Chrysalis said and ran after her, surprised to see the stallion's hoofs sticking out of the tank.

"Oh no, he's gone! Hurry, turn into yourself and take to the sky!" Said alicorn as they ran out into open ground.

"Okay," the queen nodded, and with a greenish flash she was a changeling again.

She whirled her wings and soared into the air, scanning the ground as Cadence swiftly stripped off her latex Shining suit.

"Bingo! I see him! He's running toward the cemetery!" Chrysalis yelled after a few seconds, landing beside the alicorn and pulling her down with her.

"Hurry! We have to get him before he gets to his cronies!" Said the queen, not letting her pull down her last pant leg.

"I agree. If he tipped them off, they'd get away for sure, and then our darling would be in trouble," said Cadence, finally throwing off her costume and joining the chase uninterrupted.

Deftly maneuvering around lonely cacti and low bushes, the mares made their way quickly to the cemetery before a decrepit wooden archway, beyond which lay old mausoleums and gnarled, dust-covered grave markers.

"Brr! Creepy place," said Cadence, shivering.

"What is it, Cady? Are you frightened?" Chrysalis grinned.

"No, I'm not!" Cady snorted indignantly at the princess. "It's just... uncomfortable."

"Yes it is," the queen said. "But it has several good places one could hide," she added, squinting her eyes as she and the princess entered the cemetery cautiously.

"Careful, that bastard could be anywhere," the changeling said, peering behind the nearest grave marker.

"Yeah. Just promise me there won't be any "let's split up". I hate that horror movie crap. How do you even survive walking around alone?"

"Don't be a scaredy cat, my love," smiled the queen. "I'll be around. And besides, it's just an abandoned cemetery where nothing bad can happen."

"Except a ghost attack," the princess chuckled nervously.

"Don't be silly, Cady. There are no such things as ghosts. They're just fiction, and I assure you we won't encounter any..."

Suddenly there was a low moaning sound not far from them. The mares stopped abruptly.

"W-what was that?" A little stammering came from the alicorn, whose mane stood on end. "And don't tell me it's the wind."

"Well, I won't," said Chrysalis, chuckling slightly, but then bracing herself quickly. "It must be our kidnapper trying to scare us."

She shouted loudly:

"Hey, you, dummy! Stop fooling around! You can't fool us that easily! You'd better show yourself!"

Instead of an answer, there were a few more groans coming from several directions around them.

"You think you can frighten the mighty changeling queen and the mighty pony princess with your pathetic moaning?" Chrysalis grinned, moving forward with Cadence at her side. "That's enough! I promise that if you tell us where you're keeping our husband, we won't do anything..."

But she could not finish. Suddenly a succession of terrifyingly loud moans erupted from beneath the ground, and from there began popping out vague silhouettes that quickly took shape and began to look like luminous ponies.

"Ghosts!" Cadence shrieked in fright as she clutched at her wife's neck and watched her spellbound as the horrible, corpse-like strangers, many of them missing body parts or eyes or bones sticking out of their skin, came toward them.

"Ghosts?" Pale slightly, the queen repeated, stepping back with her. "No, it can't be. There's no such thing as ghosts."

"T-tell them about that," the princess muttered, trembling with fear.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Suddenly the changeling spoke up briskly. "Well, this is the same cemetery, where they have excursions! Ha! I knew it!"

And, no longer shaking, she calmly approached one of the ghosts, which were noticeable protruding ribs.

"Okay, come on, guys, we didn't come here as tourists," she said loudly, addressing the ghosts around her. "We're hunting a dangerous criminal, and we need to find him as quickly as possible. Therefore, I would like you to..."

"Boo!" The ghost beside her howled.

"Yes, yes, I understand you have to stick to your role," said Chrysalis to him. "But we have an emergency. We must find the stallion who stole our..."

At that, the ghost slapped her in the face.

"Ouch! What do you think you're doing? Do you want me to complain to your superior?" The queen said angrily.

"I don't think he's an actor, my dear," said Cadence, trembling like a leaf.

"Oh, come now, who else could it be?" Chrysalis said confidently. "He's just an actor."

The ghost slapped her again.

"An actor who'd be out of a job if he kept punching me in the face!" The queen angrily, turning to him.

"B-but, Chrissy, what if it really is..." muttered the princess.

"A ghost? Don't be ridiculous. He's obviously a pony who's too much into his game," the changeling said with a look at her. "I'll prove it to you."

She turned to the wraith and grabbed his head with her telekinesis, then jerked it violently.

"You see? The usual mask," she said, approaching the princess with her head removed.

"Um... dear..." Cadence said, turning a few tones pale.

"What?"

Alicorn poked her hoof behind the queen's back.

Chrysalis turned around and saw the ghost's decapitated body tapping its hoof impatiently.

Her pupils dilated in fright.

"O-o-o-okay," she stretched out, turning slowly toward the head, which was staring at her balefully with its only eye.

"Boooooo!" The head moaned.

"Y-yes, I-I-I guess I was wrong, and it's..." she turned and gently placed her head back on the owner's neck, "...real ghosts. Ahem... well, then all we have to do is..."

"Run!" Cadence shouted for her as one of the wraiths circled her, trying to grab her with his hoofs.

The queen and the princess cried out in fright and flung themselves from their seats and ran through the cemetery, running from the crowd of spirits chasing them.

"Help! Help! Yuck!" the alicorn whispered, jumping up and down as half-transparent legs appeared, crawling out of the ground and trying to grab her.

"N-no, I don't believe... eek... my eyes... eek... we're being haunted!" Said Chrysalis, also dodging the many spirits whose creepy wails gave her a panic hiccup.

"So am I, but who is it if not them!" Said Cadence, jumping over a large gravestone and turning onto one of the gravel paths that ran the length of the cemetery.

After galloping along it a few dozen paces, the mares found themselves near several large mausoleums, from which more ghosts began to fly out by the dozens, taking them in a ring and preventing them from escaping.

"Ouch, we're trapped!" The queen shrieked.

"Quick, let's get up in the air!" Alicorn said, spreading her wings and ready to fly, but when she looked up she gave a startled hiccup. In the sky above they circled an army of evil spirits, moaning and swarming all around them.

"They are everywhere! What shall we do?" Cadence jumped onto the neck of the queen, who was crouched over the dry-rooted mausoleum, her hump against the stone wall.

"We can't escape," Chrysalis said, gasping for breath. "So we have no choice but to fight!"

"Fight? You must be kidding." The princess asked in bewilderment.

"I wish I were, but unfortunately we have no other choice. We must defeat them as quickly as possible, or the kidnapper will escape, and we'll never find our Shiny."

She put her spouse on shaky legs.

"Come on! Let's do it, for hubby's sake," she said in a frightened voice, and was the first to attack.

Turning, she bent her hind legs and kicked one of the ghosts sharply. Her hooves, however, went impotently through it, showering her with a cold wave. The changeling shuddered in fright and turned back to Cadence.

"Nice try, Chrissy," the pony said, snuggling up to her again. "But I'm afraid you can't kick ghosts."

"S-sounds like it, but they can touch us, and I've done it before when I used my telekinesis to pull the head off one of the..."

She stopped abruptly, and a revelation flashed across her face.

"Of course! Telekinesis!" She said.

"We can use our magic against them!" Cadence smiled slyly, and immediately she aimed her horn at one of the ghosts, unleashing a bright flash of lightning.

The ghost trembled finely and flew away with a shriek, glowing like a Christmas tree on Hearth's Warming Eve. The other ghosts stared at them in surprise, then turned again to the mares, who were already standing there with their horns ablaze.

"So, Cady, shall we rid this place of these evil things?" Chrysalis asked with a short chuckle.

"Of course, my love. And we’ll do it because we..." the princess began, taking a few steps forward.

"…ain't afraid of no ghosts," the queen finished for her. The two of them rushed toward the spirits, shooting colored magic beams at them and catching them with telekinesis to launch them as far away as possible.

The ghosts began to scatter in panic, trying to get away from the rampaging mares or hide from them behind monuments and individual trees that grew in the cemetery. But Cadence and Chrysalis seemed to get a taste for it and found them quickly, giving them no chance to get away unharmed. Soon the once quiet and inconspicuous cemetery in the middle of the desert began to resemble a lively amusement park, where someone had decided to launch a good hundred very bright fireworks into the sky. In the midst of all the endless lights and flashes, frightened ghosts flashed through the air, unable to resist the incantations that flew at them.

"Yes! Take that! And you! And you! Now let's cross our beams!" Alicorn shouted, scooping up the screaming ghosts and launching them upward in one mighty blast of magic with the queen.

"That's it! Go to the Moon!" She added.

Soon all the ghosts were completely scattered, and the princess and the queen walked out the gate, shaking off their fur.

"Whoo! Well, we showed them!" The princess exclaimed.

"And cleansed this cemetery of evil spirits once and for all," added Chrysalis, tapping her hoof along with her. But then her cheerful smile quickly slipped and she added: "Except we've lost our kidnapper and we're not likely to find him now."

"Yes," the princess nodded grimly.

Chrysalis snorted angrily, kicking the nearest stone a hundred paces away.

"I can't believe it! We're screwed! All because of some ghosts! While we were fighting them, the little bugger got away."

"Yeah, like they did it on purpose to distract us," alicorn said.

"Well, I guess we lost," the changeling sighed, closing her eyes.

Cadence wanted to say something to her, but as soon as she looked at the queen, she gave the queen the evil eye, squinted slightly, and walked around to the gate, where she bowed her head.

"What are you looking at?" Chrysalis asked her.

"Tracks," the pony answered her.

"Tracks? Whose? Our kidnapper?"

"Yes. He was here, and he was going north, see?"

The queen came to her and looked at the ground.

"Not really," she admitted. "I only see a few faint hoofprints here, but they could belong to anyone. It's a cemetery, and the locals must come here to mourn their relatives, and you and I have just made a pretty big mess of it."

"Yeah, you're right. These prints are still fresh, but not that fresh. Look, the ground on their rim is pretty soft and loose, but it's already starting to dry, which means they were left here just a few minutes ago. Also, they're all very small, which means that a pony of normal height and build walked through here, and their width suggests that it was a stallion, who in addition…" she leaned over and showed the queen some dried-up red droplets, "…was bleeding from his nose. And you, as I recall, broke Bert's nose."

"Wow, Cady, I'm amazed!" Chrysalis said. "How do you figure all this out?"

"Well, I've traveled a lot, remember? I've been to the wild tribes in the eastern part of the country, and a couple of seasoned hunters taught me the art of tracking."

"Then all is not lost! With your knowledge we shall find our captor in no time, won't we?"

"Yes," the princess nodded, and began to examine the ground beneath her hoof, scanning the ground with her nose, until after a few minutes she grinned. "He had run off toward the highway."

She pointed to a nearby stretch of road, lit by bright streetlights.

"In that case, hurry after him! The sooner we find him, the sooner we can save our hubby!" Said the queen cheerfully, and they both galloped off in that direction.

***

Griffico gas station, 1:54 a.m.

"Oh, what a bore! I'm so sick of being stuck here. It's the same thing every night: I fill the cars, sell the ponies chips, give them the key to the bathroom, and nothing, absolutely nothing happens," said the young unicorn behind the counter, who was idly drumming on soda cups with a souvenir pencil with the portrait of Princess Luna on it with a deep exhale.

He glanced out the window at the deserted lot and yawned widely.

"Yes, a dreary night. I wish a burglar had come to see me; it’d at least be exciting."

Suddenly there was loud cursing and thundering nearby.

"What was that? Were the biker griffins about to blow something up again?" The young pony perked up as the room he was in shook slightly.

He jumped from his chair and quickly ran to the window, where he saw a unicorn stallion in a leather jacket galloping down the road, powerful magical beams flying at him and occasionally coming within a hair's breadth of his head. Finally one struck the pavement before him, and the stallion froze in fright, turning back slightly.

Soon two aggressive mares came running up to him, and they threw the unicorn to the ground and started yelling at him furiously.

"No, they aren’t bikers. What a showdown!" The gas station attendant muttered with interest as he telekinesked the bag of chips and opened it. "Probably some loser's been messing around behind his wife's back again," he added, popping a few chips into his mouth. "Wait a minute, one of them has a horn and wings? And the other one is... a changeling? And a Queen?! Geez! Am I dreaming?"

He pinched his cheek quickly, and grinned grimly:

"No, this is definitely not a dream. Wow, a real Alicorn Princess and a Changeling Queen beating the crap out of some poor guy. And it's all outside my window. I wonder what he did so wrong."

Cadence and Chrysalis, meanwhile, were spouting harsh words and slapping the kidnapper, and he was clumsily trying to defend himself with his hooves.

"Now, we've had enough of your tricks. Where are you keeping our husband?" Cadence said. Her eyes flashing with lightning as she slapped him a few more times.

"I don't know," Bert said pitifully. "I was hired to meet her," he nodded toward the queen. "I'm just a grunt. Please let me go!"

"Liar!" Hissed the alicorn. "You're a liar, for crying out loud!"

"And a very brazen one at that!" The changeling added, cracking her neck menacingly. "It's not healthy."

The unicorn let out a startled sob.

"So, what shall we do with him?" The princess asked her spouse.

"We'll have to get our hoof dirty and beat the truth out of him. We need a lie detector," Chrysalis said.

"Yeah, but where are we going to get one?"

"We'll improvise," said the queen, and looking around, she saw a gas station nearby with a list of services displayed on a sign above the store.

"I have an idea," she said, and grabbed Bert by the scruff of the neck and dragging him along.

"What did you have in mind?" Cadence asked her.

"You'll see," said Chrysalis as she opened the door and stepped inside.

"Hello," the salescolt said, putting the potato chips aside and fixing his cap. "What can I get you?"

"Where is the photocopier?" Replied Chrysalis.

"Um... over there, by the stationery department. Would you like to make a copy of a document? It will cost you one bit for five sheets."

"Here, and don’t disturb us," said the queen, tossing him a fat pouch of coins and dragging the kidnapper to a big old photocopier, she opened the lid and unceremoniously stuck his head in the scanner.

"Now tell me, where are you hiding our husband?" She asked, starting up the photocopier.

"I told you I don't know!" The unicorn gasped.

"We'll see about that now," the queen grinned, pushing the seal button.

The photocopier squeaked and the scanner's hot beam raked across Bert's clamped cheek.

"Aah!" he yelled.

"Hold him, Cady," Chrysalis asked, handing the stallion to the princess and walking to the stationery tray.

"He's lying!" She said, looking at Bert's skewed face, which was imprinted on the sheet, and, putting it aside, she asked again: "Where is he?"

"I don't know!" The stallion exclaimed stubbornly.

Chrysalis pressed the button again, and once more the unicorn was burned by the hot beam.

"He's still lying," she said, taking another sheet.

She repeated the procedure several more times with the same result.

"I don't know, it doesn't seem to be working," said Cadence.

"Yes, you're right, our detector is too slow," the queen said, tapping her foot on her chin. "I think we should speed it up and put it on high speed scan."

She switched modes and the photocopier went very fast, producing a whole bunch of different variations of a croaking Bert, who screamed loudly during each scan.

"No stop! I talk! I'll tell you everything!" After the twentieth copy, Bert groaned, waving his hoof weakly.

"Well? I'm listening to you," Chrysalis said, pulling his flushed and slightly baked face out of the scanner.

"There's an old hangar about three miles from here, near Sweetheaven Mount. We keep him there!" He spoke quickly, glancing warily at the photocopier.

"You're still lying to me!" The changeling startled him.

"No! I swear! He's in there!" The unicorn shook his head.

"Okay, I believe you," Chrysalis said good-naturedly, before slapping him hard in the jaw and knocking him unconscious.

"Good work, my love," Cadence praised her. "Now we know exactly where our husband is."

"Yeah. Hey, kid! Where's Mt. Sweetheaven around here?" The queen asked the stallion who was watching them.

"It's not far," he said, pointing to the mountain outside the window. "There's an abandoned hangar, if I remember it, the one this fellow was talking about."

"Thank you," the changeling smiled. "Well, it all fits."

"Then we'll go there now. And what are we going to do about it? "The princess asked, nodding at the stunned kidnapper."

"Keep him here," said Chrysalis, and, taking a colt's lasso from one of the shelves, tying up Bert with it. "Hey, handsome," she turned to the salescolt, "would you please call the police and tell them to come and get him."

"Well, yes. Of course," he quickly agreed, heading for the telephone.

"Tell them that this pony is a dangerous criminal and that he's been detained on official princess business," Cadence added.

"Okay," the stallion nodded.

"Well, you and I should be on our way," the alicorn said as she and Chrysalis stepped outside and headed toward the nearby mountain.

"Wow! What a night! My friends will never believe me when I tell them!" The unicorn quickly dialed 911 and said enthusiastically. "Princess Cadence and the changeling queen herself were at my gas station, beating a suspect! That's crazy!"

***

"Over here!" Cadence said as she and Chrysalis crawled to the edge of one of the many dunes, studying the dilapidated hanger from a safe distance.

"Yes, that must be it," the changeling said, peering in that direction, hoping to see some movement or light in the window. "An abandoned hangar away from the city. Well, that makes sense. Taking shelter in a place like that is a good idea. Especially when you've kidnapped someone."

"Tell me about it. Ugh! This all reminds me of the plot from Mysterious Things!" Cadence whispered excitedly.

"Mysterious Things? Is that a serial?" Chrysalis asked.

"Oh yes, it's on weekends on Ponflix. I advise you to watch it, it's very interesting. Because there's..."

She was silent for a second when a coyote howled somewhere in the desert, and after waiting for a couple of minutes she continued:

"Anyway, in the show, these are the places where the secret laboratories of government organizations or the base of the evil ponies of Staliongrad are located."

"Yeah, and alien headquarters," Chrysalis grinned. "Except this isn't a serial, Cady."

"Maybe, but I doubt ordinary kidnappers would mess with a changeling queen who's also married to the captain of the Canterlot army and married to the Princess of Love."

"I agree. They must be suicidal or..."

"...or someone very powerful," Cadence finished for her. "So you and I have to be very careful if we're not going to..."

"Quiet!" the changeling interrupted her. "I see somepony!"

"Where?" the alicorn asked.

"There, by the cliff," said Chrysalis in a low whisper, pointing to the far side of the hangar where two sturdy unicorns with rifles on their backs, apparently guarding the place, were strolling leisurely.

"Yes, I see them now," the pony nodded. "Well, now we know there's somepony there, and that doesn't want visitors."

"But that won't do them much good once we're inside," the queen said, clenching her fangs angrily.

"But first we have to knock these two out somehow, so they don't call for help."

"No problem. I've got it all figured out. Play along, my dear. I have a plan."

"What a plan?"

"One of us sneaks up behind them while the other one distracts them. And this was you, because you're the best."

"Well, thank you for explaining," snorted the alicorn. "Distract. They have weapons. How do you expect me to do that?"

"By using your mare charms," Chrysalis winked.

***

"And I was like: Hey, pretty lady, if you want to ride in the wilderness, why not tame a mustang like me first", said one of the stallions strolling along the hangar, turning to his partner with a laugh.

"Huh, really? That's the most ridiculous trick I've ever heard in my life. No wonder you haven't had a mare in a long time," he said with a grin.

"I tell you. It always works!" Declared the first unicorn. "They just... ahem... don't work on the local girls. I need some big-city mare. An innocent lost sweetheart who will need the help of a strong and determined stallion."

"Yeah, well, good luck finding her. The chance of finding a mare like that out here is about one..."

"Hey, boys. I'm a lost big-city mare, can you help me?" A voice said from the side of the hill. Turning quickly, the two stallions saw a pink unicorn, with a stunning figure and graceful legs, heading towards them.

"...in a million," the stallion finished, his mouth open in surprise.

"Ha, what did I tell you?" Said his partner, and, quickly smoothing his mane on his head, gallantly bowed: "Hello, beautiful! Of course we'll help you. Me and my brother, Renny, are masters at this sort of thing. Especially me."

He winked at her playfully, wagging his tail as if to show off his pumped croup.

"Oh, brother," Renny said, squinting in embarrassment.

"So, where would you like to go? Did you come from a town near here?"

"Yes, from a town called Wildsberry. I went there with my sister and accidentally got separated from the group."

"Oh! In that case, let me walk you out. I know how to get there, and we can have a nice chat and get to know each other on the way," the stallion said with a smile.

"Well, that would be very..."

"Wait a minute," Renny interrupted her. "Do you have wings behind you?"

He looked at her back where she had two long wings.

"Um... yes, but they're not real, I bought them at the gift shop, and..." the pony tried to justify herself.

"Wildsberry?" Renny muttered. "Aren't you... Hey! You're a princess!"

They both drew their rifles out from behind their backs.

"That's right! She is the princess! She's come for our prisoner! Hold it right there! You may be a demigoddess, but our guns will take you down in a jiffy!" Renny shouted, taking her in his sights.

"Stop! You've got it all wrong!" The pony bucked, hoisting her front legs.

"Hey, what's going on?" The other stallion snorted in surprise when he saw two long-toed palms instead of her hooves.

"These? А! Well..." she said with a wiggle of her toes. "I have to tell you that I'm not well."

As the two of them watched, a large, colorful tail emerged from behind her, flaring out like a fan.

"Holy shit! What's that?! What the hell are you?!" Renny muttered, startled, his rifle trembling in his telekinesis.

"What do you mean? A common peacock's tail, which these birds use to attract partners and..."

"...distract their enemies," a mocking voice suddenly sounded behind them, and before the stallions could understand, a telekinesis cloud lifted them off the ground and banged their heads together violently.

"Sweet dreams, boys," said the real Cadence, who had emerged into the light, carelessly pushing them off their hooves and turning to her strange copy: "Well done, Chrissy."

"Thanks, we played them well," said the queen, scratching her nose with her finger. "Oh, that feels good! Minotaurs are lucky to have these strange things."

"Don't be silly, dear. Let's get down to business," said the alicorn, walking over to her and kissing her on the cheek.

"Okay," Chrysalis smiled, assuming her normal appearance. "After all, now that these two are out, we can safely go inside."

She walked over to the hangar door and saw that it was locked.

"It's locked! See if one of them has the keys," she said, turning to Cadence.

"One moment," the princess nodded, approaching the stunned enemies and shaking them one by one over the ground. Finally a small ring of keys fell out of Renny's pocket.

"Alright. Looks like you two have some other uses", Chrysalis said, grabbing the keys and taking the stallion's shape. "There," Chrysalis said, groping her new body. "Now it will be easier for us to get through their lair."

"That's good for you, but what about me?" Cadence asked. "But don't have the ability to change into somepony else, if you remember."

"It's all right, just put this jacket on," the queen said, taking Renny's clothes off and handing them to her spouse. "We don't plan on staying there too long. As soon as we find our Shiny, we'll stop hiding and show those wretched kidnappers what kind of trouble they’re in. If anypony shows up, I'll cover for you."

"Okay," said the princess as she put on her jacket with the patches. "Ugh! It smells like sweat!"

She looked at the stallion lying at her hooves.

"Once we save our husband, you'll pay for this," she said, giving him a kick.

"All right, let's go," Chrysalis nodded, opening the door with one of her keys and peering carefully inside.

"It seems quiet," she said, looking around.

"That's good. I was afraid there'd be guards on this side, too," Cadence said as she went inside with her, surveying the room.

Directly in front of them was a narrow, poorly lit corridor with rows of doors on either side.

Chrysalis crept up to one of them and opened it slightly.

"Well? What's inside?" Alicorn asked in a whisper.

"A few crates and a few chairs. It's all dusty," the queen said briefly as she closed it. Then she went to another one. "There's some junk in here, too". She opened a third, "and there. Damn, where do they keep our beloved?"

She moved on, opening all the doors one by one, with the princess following behind her.

"Hey, Renny!" Somepony in front of them said, and another unicorn guard came around the corner.

"Hey!" exclaimed Chrysalis, in tone with him, and immediately pulled herself to her feet and said quietly: "What do you want?"

"Why aren't you outside? And neither is Will," he glanced at Cadence, who was standing in the shadows.

"Oh, no, we just needed to come in real quick," said the queen without thinking.

"Really? And why is that?" the stallion asked suspiciously.

"Well, we really need to visit the toilet. So we thought that since it's pretty quiet outside, it wouldn't be a big deal if we..."

"Serious, guys? Couldn't you do this outside?" The unicorn said angrily, and then said with a sigh: "All right, go ahead, but if anyone gets in, I'll personally break your necks later."

And with a shake of his head he went about his business.

"Okay," nodded Chrysalis. "And don't worry. A fly won't get past us, a lizard won't get past us. Heh, not on our watch, eh… That was close."

"Yeah, he's kind of gullible," Cadence said in relief.

"Good. We don't need smart guards," the queen winked, then headed in the opposite direction with Cadence, continuing to check every room in her path. Soon they came to a large double doors with round windows at the top, beyond which the main room of the hangar began.

The mares cautiously approached them.

"Wow, that's a lot of them," the princess said quietly, peering through one of the windows.

"Too many," added Chrysalis.

On the other side, near the large metal crates and several loaders, there were numerous heavily armed unicorn stallions who were going about their business: loading, dragging, assembling and screwing something. In a word, behaving like typical goons from adventure movies.

"So, are these your Stallions from Staliongrad?" Asked the queen.

"Who knows," Cadence shrugged. "But they do look formidable, and they seem to be getting ready for something big."

"And it has something to do with me," the changeling said.

"So, how do we get around them?" Alicorn asked.

"It's easy. We'll just keep walking up and down the wall, pretending it's nothing..." said Chrysalis, but then she got a meaningful look from her spouse. "Oh, yes. That's right. I forgot you can't transform. Well, then we... um..."

She glanced around the corridor, looking for another solution, and when she looked up she noticed a lattice ventilator shaft in the ceiling.

"Of course! We'll use the old, tried-and-true way that all heroes love," she said with a smile as she pointed to it.

"Yeah, the roach-infested, rusty chimney," she sighed. "Well, since there's no other way... Let's go up there."

She spread her wings and shot upward, stripping the trapdoor with her telekinesis.

"That's the spirit," the queen encouraged her. "You go on up first, I'll follow," she added. She helped Cadence enter the vent before climbing up after her, and both mares crawled carefully into the airy, dusty shaft.

"Yeah, it's dirty in here," Cadence said as she shook off the cobwebs that had fallen into her hair.

"At least now we look like characters from a spy movie," the queen said with a wink.

"Mmm," she mumbled, and then she rolled over on her belly and into the tube.

"But we need headsets and a map tablets to complete the look," said Chrysalis, who was crawling after her.

"Why do we need a map? Just crawling ahead, hoping this mine will be over sooner or later and take us where we belong. And that... ouch!" Then the pipe bent sharply under her belly, and the princess froze in fright. "That it won’t break under our weight."

"Yes," the changeling said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "I'm not exactly sure where we are, but I wouldn't want to fall down."

After a short wait, they continued on their way. Soon the tube ended and began to climb sharply upward. With a disgruntled snort, the princess looked up into the dark depths above her head and began to climb up the walls of the pipe.

"Well, will you be there soon?" Suddenly a thin voice came from Chrysalis. The princess looked down in surprise and saw the queen flying between her legs, who had turned herself into a breezie. After making a few circles over the alicorn's head, she settled on her nose.

"Hey, that's not fair!" said Cadence.

"But it's comfortable," the changeling said. "And I can reconnoiter like this and see what lies ahead."

"Okay, just be careful," the pony said with a deep sigh (either from worry or from holding on to the tube walls).

"Of course, my love," Chrysalis agreed, and soared upward. When she reached the end of the shaft, which went horizontal again, the queen flew forward until she reached another lattice hatch, behind which was something like a dining room. Two stallions sat at a folding table, chatting casually and drinking coffee.

"Well, well. I wonder what they're talking about? I guess I'd better find out," the queen thought as she slid between the bars of the bars and stealthily flew into the cracked chandelier that hung over the table.

"Bert and the others are running late today," said one of them, taking a large glazed doughnut out of the box and taking a bite out of it.

"So? It's happened to him before. He likes to wander around the neighboring towns more than anypony else and get into that cowcolt atmosphere of theirs," his partner answered him, squeezing his front legs in quotation marks a few times.

"Yeah, but he went to a gay club. I don't think you can immerse yourself in anything there," his companion grimaced squeamishly.

"Well, you can, but I wouldn't advise it," the first stallion grinned.

"Neither would anypony else in the building," the other added, and they both laughed loudly.

"By the way, what's your assignment today?" The first unicorn asked, after he had finished laughing.

"It's a responsible one. I have to guard our white guest."

"Oh yes? So why aren't you with him now?"

"Why should I? He's safely locked in the fourth warehouse and to get out he has to unchain himself somehow and then get past our mercenaries. So you don't have to worry. He's not going to get away from us."

"I guess you're right, and I... hey! Where'd my doughnut go?" Exclaimed the kidnapper, staring in surprise at his empty hoof, as Chrysalis swiftly flew back to her spouse, biting the big doughnut she had snatched.

"So, how was the reconnaissance?" The princess asked, who had already climbed up and was now sitting on the edge of the shaft.

"It was quite successful. I found out where our beloved is," the changeling said cheerfully, returning to her natural size and swallowing her doughnut with a smirk.

"Then lead the way. It's time we put an end to this hide-and-seek and show these kidnappers what happens to those who mess with hotties like us."

"Well said, Cady. In that case, follow me."

They crawled forward, and after passing through a series of grates leading to various back rooms, they finally reached a large hatch, under which there was a common hallway. Kicking it out with her hoof, Chrysalis carefully slid down and, looking around, assumed the form of the stallion that was supposed to be guarding their husband.

"The coast is clear, you can come out now," she whispered to Cadence, who followed her down.

"So where are they keeping our Shiny? The princess asked.

"In warehouse four," the changeling told her. "And I sure hope they have those same warehouses numbered."

They approached the first metal door, which had a slightly faded number six painted on it.

"Yeah, you and me are lucky. So the fourth warehouse has to be around here somewhere," Chrysalis smiled as she kept walking forward, checking each door. They went the wrong way at first, which they guessed when they saw the big number eight on the massive double doors, so they turned around and headed in the opposite direction.

"Ah, there's our cherished door," Cadence said when she reached the right warehouse, walking to the rust-covered metal door. She jerked it open and realized the door was locked.

"Dammit! Cover me," she whispered to Chrysalis, and she put her front foot on the lock and pressed it hard.

The door crunched, then with a sharp clang, the lock flew in.

"Done," the alicorn said, quickly stepping into the warehouse with Chrysalis.

They found themselves in a small room that was lit by a dim light bulb. Though it was called a warehouse, there were no crates or boxes, only a couple of crooked shelves along the wall, and in the middle...

"Shiny!" The mares exclaimed as they saw the unicorn chained to the floor.

They rushed to him, stripped him of his chain, and helped him to his hooves.

"Hubby, how are you?" Chrysalis asked, assuming her normal appearance.

Shining raised his head and stared at them incomprehensibly.

"Don't be frightened, it's us," said Cadence tenderly, peering into his face. "We've come to free you."

"Yes, we know that now! But I'm afraid it's not going to work!" They heard a voice behind them; one that sounded painfully familiar.

The queen and the princess turned around to see, in the doorway, surrounded by a throng of mercenaries, the mare they had least expected to be there.

"You?! It can't be!" Cadence shrieked, pulling back. "How could you do this to us?"

"She had her reasons, my dear," Shining said at that moment, standing behind them, and the mouths of both mares were suddenly covered with rags with a pungent medical odor. "And very persuasive ones at that."

"What?" the princess said with difficulty, feeling her mind begin to swim.

"H-hubby?!" Chrysalis tearfully exhaled, trying unsuccessfully to break free.

"Believe me, we're doing this for you. And you'll see that soon enough," said Shining, who was holding the rags, turning to Cadence.

"Oh yes," the mare added as she approached the fainting princess and queen, "we want to keep you out of harm's way and prevent the irreparable from happening.

She leaned down.

"After all, you and I are best friends. You should trust me," said Twilight Sparkle, who met her gaze as Cadence fell into darkness.

Author's Note

Well, thanks to the help of my friends, I finally managed to finish the seventh chapter. There are two more to go, and I hope to translate them into English just as quickly. Enjoy reading everyone!!! ^_^

Chapter 8: Escape from the Web

"Hey there, Friends! Welcome to The Family Trio! The funniest, most interesting and wildest amusement park for those who think that two ponies in a family is not enough to live happily ever after!" Proclaimed a tall stallion clown in a puffy wig and wide boots, who stood at the entrance to the park. Rocking back and forth, he cheerfully greeted the passing guests, including Princess Cadence, who was hugging her husband, Shining Armor, and wife Chrysalis.

"What? How did I get here?" The alicorn asked in surprise as she looked at the wide archway ahead, under which they had stopped to buy a ticket from the clown. "Where are we?"

She turned back and saw vast fields of wheat that stretched far into the horizon, merging with the star-spangled night sky.

"What do you mean? We are at the amusement park. Where else?" Shining Armor said with a chuckle, nuzzling her cheek and nodding toward the large pavilions of treats and wild-looking rides. There were huge Roller Coaster that went high above the clouds, a carousel held by a giant octopus and wrapped in its tentacles, cars and houses made of real waffles and huge fruit, and a crazy ride shaped like the torso of Discord, which picked up spherical booths of visitors from the ground and juggled them right in the air without any fasteners.

"Yeah, they've got safety issues," alicorn thought, imagining one of those booths flying down at breakneck speed. "That's understandable, but I don't remember us coming up here."

"Really, Cady? Did you forget that you were the one who suggested we go to this place?" Said a smiling Chrysalis, giving the mare a gentle nudge with her croup.

"Yes, I guess I forgot," the princess said doubtfully. "I'm not even sure what we did this morning," she added, snuggling up to both spouses. "But it doesn't matter. The important thing is that you and I are together, and that's all I need."

"That's good. Come on, darlings, let's go and have some fun!" The unicorn said cheerfully, taking three tickets with his telekinesis and leading both wives to an amusing carousel, the seats of which resembled cartoon caterpillars with big smiling faces.

"Do you think this place is really only for families with three spouses?" The princess asked in a whisper as they walked through the park.

"Of course. Why are you so surprised?" The stallion asked.

"I've always thought families like ours were the exception to the rule, but..." she glanced again at the large park full of laughing visitors. "There's not even room for one more."

"Hee-hee, don't be such a prude, Cady," the queen told her. "You can't control your heart, and ponies are free to decide how many husbands and wives to live with."

"Well, that's true, but..."

They had already approached the carousel, on which mares and stallions familiar to the princess were riding.

"Is that Mrs. Cake? I thought she wasn't with anyone but her husband," Cadence said when she spotted the turquoise pony.

"Well, that's only in public. In reality, she's got another mare she's very close to," said the unidentified stallion.

"Really? Do I know her?" The princess asked.

"It's quite possible; she's very famous. So she has to hide her polygamous relations from others," the stranger answered.

"Okay. Well then where did you... hey!" Cadence turned around and saw the clown standing next to them, the one who had been at the door earlier.

"What are you doing here?" The mare asked in surprise. "I thought you were selling tickets."

"That's right. I sell them, for the ride," he smiled nonchalantly, handing her a colorful bundle of tickets. "You want to ride our caterpillar carousel, right?"

"Yes, but why are you here? And more importantly, why are you eavesdropping on us?" The princess frowned.

"Who are you talking to, Cady?" Chrysalis asked.

"I'm talking to that creepy..." said Cadence, wanting to point at the clown, but as she turned around, he was mysteriously gone. In his place was a large fairground sign that read, in big letters: «Nothing in this park is what it seems».

"What is all this nonsense?" She asked the alicorn, not understanding and looking around. "Where is he?"

"Who?" Shining turned to her.

"The clown who's supposed to be selling tickets to the attraction," Cadence replied.

"What do you mean, dear? You don't need tickets for this carousel," said the unicorn. "Oh, now it's our turn! Let's go for a ride!"

The three of them got into a large decorative caterpillar, which suddenly came to life when it was touched and giggled merrily.

"What does it all mean?" Cadence wondered as she looked at it. She turned to her husband, but he didn't even seem to notice that their seat had come to life. Chrysalis was quiet, too.

"I don't understand why they..." the pony wondered, but her thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice.

"All right, mares and stallions strap in and hold your stuff tight! You're going to spin!" Said a stallion in a lush wig standing by the control desk.

"Hey, that's him! That's the clown!" The princess noticed him, but the caterpillar had already climbed up and, having turned into a beautiful butterfly, began to fly smoothly in circles.

When their trip was over, the clown was no longer at the console. The couple climbed out of the butterfly that had folded its wings and went for a walk in the park.

"This is weird," Cadence said mentally, turning her head and trying to figure out what was going on here. "A huge live caterpillar, a suspicious clown. I don't like it."

While she reasoned, the couple approached the next attraction, the Yak Boats, which were two large wooden rooks that were attached to a thick crossbar and swung rapidly from side to side. As Cadence and her loved ones climbed into one of them, she met the clown again, who sat down with them on the same bench. But as soon as she turned around to tell Chrysalis about it, he immediately disappeared, and in his place the alicorn saw a large ornamental bush in a pot that was trimmed exactly like that clown's wig.

After the boat ride, they headed for the laughing room. Chrysalis and Shining laughed merrily as they stared at their reflections in the crooked mirrors.

"Come on, honey. Don't frown. Look in the mirror. It's so much fun," Shining offered her with a smile.

Cadence nodded silently and peered into one of them, where she once again saw the hated clown nose.

"Again?! Is he stalking me?" She mentally asked herself as she left the room and looked back time and again.

Next they visited the Cave of Love, which had a bunch of nasty-looking clowns hanging on the walls instead of colts-cupids. Following that they went to the cafeteria to buy cotton candy and drinks. But even there Cadence had no peace, and when she held out a couple of bits to the cashier standing with his back to her, she met her gaze again with her stalker, who handed her order with a smirk.

"Creepy stallion. He's obviously up to something. Also, no one seems to see him here. Nopony but me. We need to get out of here," the princess decided as she rode with Shining and Chrysalis on the Ferris wheel and chewed cotton candy.

Once they were on the ground, Cadence pulled both of them toward the exit.

"Come on, I don't like it here. Let's go home," she asked them.

"Home? But why? We haven't tried half the rides yet," said Shining Armor.

"Never mind. Let's just go," the princess pleaded.

"Very well," said Chrysalis. "But only after we've ridden that."

She nodded toward the massive Roller Coaster in the middle of the park.

"But... but..." the alicorn protested.

"You wouldn't say no to me, would you, Cady?" The queen asked, with puppy dog eyes.

"Oh, all right. But we'll leave right after," the mare agreed, heading with them to the back of the queue for the ride.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long at all, and within five minutes they were in the carriage.

"At least it's not that type," Cadence thought to herself as she looked at the controls, behind which was an ordinary earth pony. After telling them the safety rules, he pulled the lever and the couple slowly rolled down the rails, which soon began to slope and twist in all sorts of ways. Within seconds their buggy had picked up speed and hurtled forward in crazy loops and zigzags.

"Whoo! That's it! Faster! Faster!" Chrysalis shouted cheerfully as they made a loopty-loop and immediately rolled down the slide.

"Hold on, darlings, the main climb is coming!" Shining said to them.

The carriage slowed briefly, and they began to climb the big slope, one that went beyond the clouds, and then ended in a dizzying descent.

"Oh, how I love spending time with you," Chrysalis said, snuggling up to them.

"So do I, my dears," Shining encouraged her. "What about you, Cadence?"

But the princess did not answer them. She was still a little tense, searching everywhere for her pursuer.

"Though," she reassured herself, "he can hardly climb that high. He's not a pegasus. So I should relax a little."

She pressed herself against Shining's chest and smiled as she waited for the wagon to climb to the top, and they rode down screaming.

"Yes, I'm glad we're together, too," alicorn murmured softly.

They were already beyond the clouds, and they could see the end of the slide in front of them.

"Well, we'll be heading down in no time," she said.

"You bet we are. You seem to like it here, don't you?" A familiar and unpleasant voice asked.

"Huh?" She said, whipping her head around in surprise.

"You?!" She hissed indignantly when she saw the clown hovering beside her without wings or magic.

"Yes, it's me" he nodded affirmatively.

"You know, I've had it up to here with you, so let's get this straight. Who are you, and why are you following me?"

The clown grinned merrily.

"Who am I? I thought you might have guessed it," he said in a sudden change of tone, before lifting his forelegs and pulled off his mask.

"Especially when I started noticing the illogical aspects of things," the dark blue alicorn mare said, growing in size and shedding her disguise.

"Luna? What are you doing here?" The Princess of Love opened her mouth in surprise.

"It's obvious. Fulfilling my duties," replied the Mistress of the Night with a chuckle.

"Duties? Wait, we're in the Kingdom of Dreams?" The pink pony gasped.

"Oh, yes, we are. Though I wouldn't call it my kingdom. Dreams derived from Intoxication are always very unstable and quite..." began Luna, but then a tiny stallion clown appeared on her back and began beating her over the head with an inflatable mallet, "Wild".

"Dreams? That's right, now I remember! I've been sedated, and Twilight is behind it all! Luna, you've got to save us! Send someone to help," Cadence said quickly.

"I'd love to, Cady, but I'm afraid that's impossible. I don't know how to find a pony solely from their dream."

"You don't have to. Chrysalis and I have been captured and are probably in an abandoned warehouse somewhere near the Wildsberry. It's in the desert, near a gas station."

"Yeah, that would narrow my search considerably. All right, well, I'll do my best to help you. You just hang in there."

The wagon with Cadence had already reached the top and, bent over, prepared to pull down.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go. Your dream is about to end. It's not very... um..." said Luna, lowering her head guiltily.

"What?" Cadence asked, suspecting something amiss.

"Well, how should I put it, dreams from anesthesia rarely end well, so get ready..."

"Uh-oh," the Princess of Love felt her cart shake and the rails begin to bend.

"For a nightmarish finale," the dark blue mare finished.

Cadence peered forward and saw the bottom of the ride break apart and a huge Twilight Sparkle crawl out.

"Twilight! No!" The alicorn exclaimed fearfully.

"Calm down, Cadence. I know what I'm doing!" The unicorn murmured in a demonic voice. "I've read enough books to know that the best cure for heartbreak is total devouring!"

"What? What kind of nonsense is that?! Please, Twilight, don't do this!" Cadence said as she saw Twilight open her mouth, revealing a maw of sharp fangs. She stood at the end of the descent, a sadistic smile on her face.

"Don't worry; it'll all be over soon! And you and Shining will be with me again!" Licking her lips, the unicorn said, and the cart sped off toward her wide-open mouth. "Forever!"

"Noooooooo!" Shouted the princess, falling into darkness.

***

"No, no, no," wailed Cadence, opening her eyes and seeing only darkness before her. "Oh mother, she's swallowed me!"

"Ouch! Don't scream! Nopony swallowed you. Ugh, my head hurts," she heard Chrysalis' familiar voice to her right.

Alicorn tried to toot her own horn, but nothing worked. Then she tried to stand up, but her legs were tied tightly together with a thin, faintly glowing rope. On top of that there was some kind of ring on her horn, which apparently blocked her magic. Because of this, all she could do was roll over onto her right side and fumble for her wife's holey leg in the darkness.

"Chrissy, honey. Are you all right?" Said the princess cheerfully.

"Well, you might say so," answered Chrysalis languidly. "Though the nightmare I've been having is far inferior to what's been happening in reality."

"That's right, we're in deep trouble," the pony confirmed, blinking to see what lay ahead of her. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness a little, she could see Chrysalis' pretty face and the wall behind her, with the crates and boxes next to it.

"Where are we?" Said Cadence.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it's in one of the warehouses. We were dragged here by your ward's mercenaries."

"Yes, I remember. Oh, Twilight, I can't believe she'd do something like that. Kidnapped her brother, attacked us."

"Don't forget she also brainwashed him," Chrysalis prompted.

"Yes, that's right. Poor Twilly, she's all messed up."

"And that's putting it mildly," the queen snorted, sounding as if she was scurrying around on the floor. "Though I'm not interested in that now, I'm interested in what she wants to do to us."

"Nor am I. But I don't think she'd do anything terrible," said the alicorn. "Twilight may be overly fanatical at times, but she wouldn't hurt us."

"Are you sure?" Said Chrysalis doubtfully. "After all, she did kidnap us, and she's got an army of meatheads around her."

"Yes, you're right. But why would she need them? Twilight's never used mercenaries before."

"I don't know yet, but we'll find out... as soon as we get out of here," said the queen, grunting.

"I agree. I don't intend to lie here and wait for these fools to show up," the princess encouraged her, also trying to free herself from the restraints. But no matter how hard she tried, the thin bonds were too strong, even for an alicorn.

"Ouch, this isn't working. We can't tear these ropes. They seem to be magic," the queen said after a moment or two, helplessly lowering her head.

"You're right. Twilight thought of everything," Cadence agreed, trying to reach for the ring on her horn. "Even blocked our magic. Eh, hopeless, we won't be able to use our powers."

"Not really," Chrysalis said. "Yes, we have no magic, but changing shape has nothing to do with it; It's a natural ability."

And as she said that, she rolled off to the side and began to grow in size, becoming a huge brown bear. The queen hoped that by getting bigger she would be able to break the ropes, but instead they too began to grow and stretch out.

"Damn, they're getting bigger!" She bellowed in a low bass voice.

"Yes, Twilight doesn't do anything halfway," sighed the princess.

"Oh no, I don't give up that easily!" Chrysalis said, returning to her usual form. "Since I can't grow up, I'm going to be very small."

"And so?" Alicorn asked. "The ropes will shrink, too, won't they?"

"Yes, they will. And you won't have much trouble getting them out of your teeth," said the queen.

"Hey, that's right! That's a good one, Chrissy," praised her wife.

Chrysalis once more changed her appearance and became as small as a mouse. She tumbled on her side and rolled toward Cadence.

"There, a little more," the pony whispered, laying her head on the floor, ready to grab the rope with her teeth.

Chrysalis did a few more turns, and then felt an emptiness form in her path.

"Well? Where are you?" Cadence asked.

"I... I am... Uh-oh!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the queen said carefully. "But I think there's a hole in the floor!" She whimpered softly, before she tilted dangerously, plummeting into the abyss.

"Chrissy!" Cadence was frightened.

"Aah!" The queen screamed, falling into the darkness. She slammed several times against the side of the pipe (and gave herself a lot of bumps), and then she plunged into the torrent, which carried her forward until the pipe sloped downward. Chrysalis jumped out of the water and flew down at high speed.

"That's it. I'm finished, I'm finished, I'm..." she mentally whispered, expecting that she was about to collide with a hard surface that would end her life, but then her fall stopped. She landed on something soft and rolled smoothly onto the cool stone floor.

"Ouch, that was hurt," Chrysalis said with a grin, rolling over onto the side that hurt the least. "It felt good, though. Phew, I'm alive. Alive and... ah... relatively unharmed."

She ignited her horn and saw that she was somewhere in a sewer, near a large muffin bag.

"Ugh, kudos to the Mother of the Hive that somepony here eats Cake Family muffins. If it weren't for that package, I would... hey, wait a minute!"

She looked at her glowing horn.

"Ha-ha, I can use magic again! The ring blocking it must have slipped off during my fall! Lucky me. Now it'll be easier for me to get these restraints off."

She gripped the ropes with her telekinesis and tried to untie them.

"Here we go," said Chrysalis happily, as one of the knots began to loosen. "As soon as I get out of here, I'll fly back to Cadence, and then we'll show that filthy..."

The queen was silent. Somewhere in the darkness there was a stirring, and faint steps were heard.

"Huh? What is it? Who's there?" Chrysalis asked in a whisper, peering nervously into the darkness.

The steps, meanwhile, grew closer, and she heard loud breathing, broken occasionally by a faint squeak.

"Oh no, I guess who it is," Chrysalis said with her ears down, glancing quickly at the knot in her hoof and then around her. There was a lot of trash all around her, from dirty papers and broken bottles to rusty cans. She crawled toward one of them, trying to get as far away from her approaching steps as possible. When she reached the edge of the can, she quickly climbed inside, and barely had time to close the bent part of the lid when a large black rat jumped out at her from the darkness.

With a loud squeak it tried to grab the queen by the tail sticking out of the can, but the changeling crawled even deeper and miraculously escaped its sharp teeth.

"Little bastard," Chrysalis said as she used her telekinesis to keep the rat from climbing into the can. "Look, rodent, I know this is your world, not mine. So the sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can keep dumping garbage that you and your kind will live on."

The rat did not react and instead began to gnaw at the edges of the lid, trying to reach the queen with his front paws.

"You won’t get away from me that easily, will you?" Said Chrysalis, looking how the rodent scraping at the can. "Well, well. What sharp teeth you have. So why don't you use them for good and help me..."

She gingerly stretched her bound feet toward the rat, and it bit through the rope in one mighty bite.

"...get free! Yes! Yes! Yes! I did it!" The queen exclaimed, casting aside the ropes that no longer bound her, and resolutely turning to the rat. "Well? Now let's talk in your language!"

She lunged forward, jerked the edge of the can away from her, and flung it at the rat.

"What?! You thought you could just eat me?! Ha! I wiped out entire civilizations before your kind even existed," she yelled, picking up a few rocks from the floor and hurling them at the rodent.

The rat shrieked in pain and retreated.

"I'm not so weak when I'm not tied up, am I?" Changeling grinned, grabbing the can with her telekinesis and dropping it on the rat's head, closing it inside.

"There, you'll know how to attack royalty," Chrysalis said, shaking off her shell, clamping the edge of the lid so the rat couldn't get out. "Wow that was quite a fight!"

She looked around, and then looked at the pipe above her head.

"So I'd taken care of the ropes, and now I had to get to Cady. I hope nothing bad happened to her. After all, those mercenaries might well have..."

She stumbled backwards, stepping on something and almost tripping over it.

"Whoops, I should be more careful, or might trip over and broke my... wow!" She lowered her head and saw that she was standing amidst a pile of bones and skulls that belonged to rats. They were all terribly mutilated and damaged, and in the middle of this graveyard lay a dried pickle, covered in bites and scratches.

"Wow! Looks like someone here was even less fortunate than me. I wonder what they didn't share with the pickle?" The queen grinned. "Never mind. Right now I must concentrate on saving my beloved, so that I can go with her to get our husband."

She spread her wings and tried to fly, but they were stained with the dried vegetable porridge that was apparently inside the can.

"Oh, the usual," she muttered, trying to clear them with her telekinesis, when suddenly there were several loud steps behind her.

"Damn. I forgot rats live in packs," she said, turning around slowly, seeing the multitude of red eyes behind her. She sprang forward at a gallop toward the nearest pipe.

The rats rushed after her.

"Yeah, that's my luck," she said quickly, skipping over the scattered debris in her path and peering down the narrow walls of the pipe. "I can't fight, and I can't get any bigger. I have to find another way."

The pipe, meanwhile, turned to the left and ended in a grate, behind which was another part of the sewer.

"Oh no! It's a dead end!" Chrysalis said after examining the grate, turning to the rats that had caught up with her. "Well, I guess this is it."

The rodents were close at hand, clawing their sharp teeth and leaping at the queen. But she suddenly, grinning merrily and, shrinking even more in size, climbed easily into the small hole. The rats crashed headlong into the grate, making a pile.

"Ha, what a stupid beasts!" She said, when was as big as the rats again. "You really think you can take me, don't you? Don't hold your breath!"

She showed them her tongue.

"Well, I'll be on my way, and you can go on eating feces, or spreading disease, or whatever else rats like to do, right?"

And, turning away from the rodents helplessly reaching for her, she calmly went on her way.

"Now that that's done with, I should find a way to get back up there," she said as she peeled back her wings and peered up at the brick ceiling, where a series of vertical tubes protruded from the floor.

"I'm sure one of them will probably lead me back to the warehouse," Chrysalis said after examining them carefully, and as she soared above the floor, she crawled into the widest of the pipes, where water was coming from above, stubbornly trying to push her down.

"No, it won't work that way, I'll have to change," she decided, and turning herself into a goldfish, she quickly wiggled her fins as she swam against the stream.

"It's not easy, but I can do it," she thought, slowly making her way up the tube until a light flickered ahead. "Bingo! That's the way out! A little more effort!"

She sped up, continuing to swim toward the light, but then some shadow closed in. Something large and massive was coming down on top of her.

"What's going on?" Thought the queen, doubling her speed.

"Oh my, I finally got to it!" Uttered a loud stallion voice. "Discord's casserole with hot peppers! Why did I have to eat two portions, why?!"

The queen froze frightened, someone's tail and a baton-shaped cutie mark appeared above her head.

"Oh no, that's...I must hurry!" She panicked and rocketed upward. A few centimeters to the surface, she jumped out of the water and, changing her appearance as she went, brought down the stallion that had almost sat on the toilet.

"Yes, I did it! And like a real goldfish I swam up the toilet pipe! Only in the opposite direction!" She said enthusiastically, landing on her hoofs.

She threw back her wet mane and looked at the stallion at her.

"Oh... What hit me?" he groaned painfully, rubbing his bruised croup, turning to see the queen before him.

"Oh, no. You're..." he mumbled.

"Yes, I'm the changeling queen, and the one you and your cronies had the audacity to kidnap!"

She lifted him off the floor with a jerk.

"And you nearly fouled the water I was swimming in, and you'll pay dearly for that now!" She hissed.

The pony swallowed with horror.

"But if you'll be sensible enough to tell me where my wife is, I'll take pity on you and not grind you into powder."

"S-s-sure, she's in warehouse two. Go down the hall and turn left. Fourth door on the right," he said quickly, staring at her glowing horn.

"Is that so? Well, thank you very much," the queen grinned wickedly, baring her sharp fangs.

"B-but you promised me..." the stallion stammered.

"Yes, I did," she nodded, and then she slapped him across the face hard. The stallion fell back against the wall, unconscious.

"And I always keep my word," she finished quietly. "See? It's not as if I killed you. And broken teeth can always be fixed."

She moved her shoulder a couple of times.

"Ouch, I guess I'm out of shape today. My leg still hurts," she said, and then she turned to leave.

"Now to Cadence."

She opened the door carefully, glanced down the dimly lit corridor, slipped out, ran silently all the way to the end, and then turned left.

But just as she rounded the corner, she heard voices approaching.

"Damn it," Chrysalis whispered, quickly standing up against the wall and turning into a trashcan.

"So, what are we going to do with our prisoners?" Said one of the mercenaries walking past her, chewing on a banana as he went.

"What do you think? Guard, of course," snorted his partner.

"I know that, but then what? Can't we do a little, you know," said the first one in a whisper.

"Don't you dare! They're out of our league! You remember what Big Momma said, don't you?"

"Yes, I remember. They're just so juicy. Especially the pink one. They say she's a real Princess of Love. This means she can give us enough for all of us."

"Filthy pervert," Chrysalis squeaked the lid softly.

"Did you hear that?" The first stallion looked wary.

"What?"

"I don't know. It sounded like a squeak."

"Oh, never mind. Must be rats," said the second stallion.

"Yeah, probably," his partner agreed, and walked over to Chrysalis and tossed a banana peel at her.

As soon as they were gone, the queen assumed her usual appearance.

"Ugh! Well, you'll answer for that," she said, spitting garbage out of her mouth. "Hmm, “Big Momma”. That's a very strange nickname for Twilight. Though I haven't known her long enough to judge."

After making sure no one was around, she continued on her way.

Soon Chrysalis arrived at the very door where the mercenary assured her that Cadence was locked up. There was another stallion guarding her.

"Well, I need to get him out of here somehow," the queen thought. "And preferably quietly. So no one would know about it. What to do?"

As she pondered, pressed against the wall, a rat leaped past her and drew the mercenary's attention with its squeak. He flinched and turned at the sound.

"Crap!" The queen thought frightened, quickly turning to the first form that popped into her mind.

"Well, finally, Ridge. How long can we wait for you?" He said as he spotted her.

"I... I..." she mumbled in the voice of the stallion she'd just bumped into in the bathroom.

"What? You said you were only going to be gone for five minutes, but you disappeared for twenty. What were you doing?"

"Well, I... I was in the latrine. You know what happens when you have too much spicy casserole," she said more confidently, trying to make her voice sound carefree.

"Yes, I know. That's why I advised you against it," the mercenary sighed. "Ah, well, go on, get on duty. It's your turn to watch the prisoners."

He stepped back from the door and handed her his rifle.

"I'm going to the cafeteria and get something to eat," he said, heading to the far end of the hallway. "Do you want me to get you a doughnut?"

"Uh, no, thanks," the queen said with a wry smile. "I think I've had enough food for one day."

"That's right," the stallion agreed. "Well, if anything happens, call me and... try to stay awake this time."

"Of course. I won't sleep a wink," Chrysalis promised, grinning mentally: "Wow that was easier than I thought it would be."

As soon as the guard left, she was herself again, shrinking quickly and crawling through the crack between the door and the floor.

"Cadence, darling, I'm here. I'm going to untangle you now," she said, returning to her normal size and seeing the princess lying on the floor.

"Chrissy! I'm so glad you're alive! Oh, how I was frightened when you fell down," smiled the alicorn as she turned her head toward her, and then noticed how horrible the queen's mane and armor were. "Dear Celestia! What happened to you?!"

"You don't want to know."

"But..."

"Seriously, Cady, this is not a story worth telling. But in a nutshell, the way to your cell was a nightmare. Not something the Luna herself would have thought of," she said as she used her telekinesis to untie the knots in Cadence's legs. "But it was nothing."

She reached her hoof out and helped her up.

"After all, I did save you, and now we're together," Chrysalis said with a smile, kissing the princess on the lips.

"That's right, my love. And now let's find Shining," she said, softly stroking her spouse on her slightly soiled cheek.

"And let's stop Twilight. Whatever she's up to, it's time to stop this," the queen added, dropping the magic-blocking ring from her horn.

"Then let's go, there's no time to waste," the princess nodded and kicked the door open, but it didn't even budge.

"Ouch, it didn't work!" She rubbed at the bruise, said Cadence, turning and kicking the door with her hind hooves. But that didn't help either.

"I don't understand. A door like that would never stop me," said Alicorn with surprise. "Unless…"

She glanced at the glowing ropes on the ground.

"Well, of course, that's what it was all about. Not only were they holding us back, they sucked all our strength out," said Cadence, trying to cast a few rudimentary spells, but her horn just glowed and let out a few sparks before it went out.

"Yeah, I felt something like that before, when I stunned the mercenary in the toilet," Chrysalis confirmed as she tried to bend the hook protruding from the wall. "Ugh, it's no use. I'm weak, too. I can still turn, of course, but I can't handle a door anymore."

"And, frustratingly, it will take us hours to regain our strength," said Cadence.

"But we can't wait that long. I'm sure Twilight will be back soon," the queen said, pacing in circles. "And then we'll have a trouble. So what can we do? What should we do?"

She paced a couple of times, seeing the ropes scattered across the floor.

"Yes, Twilight has thought of everything. Trapped us like two helpless little dogs," she said as she looked at the ropes. "If she'd put the collars on us, we'd have looked like... like..."

She paused.

"Wait a minute, collars?"

She thought of the way she and Cadence used to play at being obedient and then it hit her.

"Yes, that's it! There it was!" The queen rejoiced.

"What?" said Cadence.

"We're both weak, but I can easily restore my power. But if you... ahem, ahem... give me a little help, of course."

"I'd love to, but how?"

"Well, you know," said Chrysalis, pointing to her raised tail.

"Wait a minute, you don't want to..." the mare said, blushing.

"Yes! We need to have sex right away!" Chrysalis said enthusiastically.

"What? Right here? In a filthy, damp cell with scoundrels at the door?" Said Cadence in a confused tone.

"I agree it's not the best place," the queen said understandingly. "But we have no choice. Either do it here, or wait patiently for Twilight's goons to come after us."

"Oh," sighed the princess.

"And then it would be interesting," the changeling said voluptuously, approaching her spouse. "You and I have tried many different fantasies: playing pets, nurses, using different vibrating toys, but this are very different."

"Yeah, it's not a game anymore, it's real," said Cadence.

"Exactly! Having sex when your life hangs in the balance is exciting," said the queen languidly.

"And crazy," snorted the princess.

"Also, this is an once-in-a-lifetime chance," said Chrysalis, licking her lips. "And I don't want to miss it."

She walked over to the dirty straw in the corner and lay down on it.

"Well, what do you say, my love? Do you want to play? You are the wicked and lustful jailer, and I'll be your helpless prisoner."

She slapped herself on the croup.

"Who has behaved very badly today and must be punished."

"Well," Cadence said with a smile as she approached her. "In that case, I'll show you what happens to the bad bug who disobeys me."

And wrapping her forelegs around the queen's neck, she pounced on her and kissed her passionately.

***

"And where is Ridge?" After a while, the mercenary returned from the cafeteria, noticing the rifle propped against the wall.

He cocked his head, surveying the corridor.

"Hey, Ridge!" He yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you?! We ain't supposed to leave no prisoners unattended! Ridge!"

Then a suspicious sound came to his ears. There was a grunting and muffled moaning coming from the side of the door.

"Huh? What are they doing in there?" Squinting, he said, coming closer and leaning his ear against it.

The sighs were very loud and distinctly unlike the sounds of sobs and cries. They sounded more like...

"Oh," he said with a surprised grin, smirking slyly. "Are they really fucking in there?"

"Hey, Markle, what are you're doing here?" A unicorn was just passing by, patrolling the corridor.

"Don't make any noise! Shush!" shushed Markle, nodding at the door.

The stallion went to it, too, and put his ear to it.

"Whoa, wow! Are they really..." he had saliva on his lips, "Having sex?"

"Looks like it," Markle confirmed.

The sighing and moaning at the door grew louder.

"But they're tied up," the unicorn whispered softly.

"Exactly."

"And they're still doing it?"

"Yes," Markle licked lustfully. "You can feel the heat coming out of there, can't you?"

"Sure," the stallion swallowed loudly. "That Princess of Love is so yummy."

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" The patrol leader, accompanied by five other mercenaries, asked them as they moved along the corridor.

"Shh," hissed Markle. "You'd better come up and see for yourself."

The stallion group pressed against the door.

***

"Yes! Yes! Woo-hoo! Yes!" Exclaimed Chrysalis loudly, as the princess brought on another sweet orgasm with her tongue.

At first, they wanted to do it quietly, but after the first five minutes, their passion became so unrestrained that they forgot everything and began to grunt and moan loudly.

"Wow! That was divine!" The queen whispered, closing her eyes and leaning back on the straw mat.

"You were divine," Cadence agreed, breathing heavily. "I didn't know danger could be so arousing."

"Ha-ha, me neither," she smiled, licking her lubricated nose. "I've never seen you so wild. I think we should have some more adventures."

"Agreed," Alicorn chuckled. "But now it's time to call it a day and move on to saving Shiny."

"Yes, I'm afraid so," the queen said sadly (she loved her wife's embrace that much) as she struggled to her hoofs.

"How's it going? Have you got your strength back?" Cadence asked.

Chrysalis lit her horn, which lit up the chamber like a searchlight.

"Oh yes," she said excitedly, lifting Cadence up like a feather. "And it's all thanks to you. Now I can take down an entire army."

"Come on, then. Let's show Twilight what happens to the pony who steal our husband."

And they headed for the door.

"Go on, take it down," said Cadence.

"Wait a minute," said Chrysalis, her ears perked up.

"What?" The alicorn asked, uncertain.

"Do you hear that?" The queen asked in a whisper.

The princess went to the door and listened. There was faint laughter and lustful sighing in the hallway.

"What is that?" She wondered.

"I think I know," she grinned, and tiptoeing over to the door, she stepped closer.

"What are you doing?" Cadence asked.

"Shh!" the queen hissed. "Just a moment. I've been meaning to say that all my life."

And then she cleared her throat and yelled loudly:

"Hey-hey! You there! We're coming out! So step aside or we'll hurt you!"

There was a burst of mocking laughter in reply.

"You have been warned," the queen smiled, turning and kicking the door, which flew off its hinges with a clang.

"Here we are!" Solemnly said Chrysalis, stepping into the corridor where the stunned mercenaries were lying. "So, honey, you ready to slap them around?"

"Ha, you ask!" Said the alicorn warily. "I may not be fully recovered, but I can take down a few bad stallions easily."

"Then let's do it!" Chrysalis said, grabbing one of the already fully recovered stallions by the scruff of the neck. "Let's give them what they want!"

They continued down the corridor, kicking and punching everypony who crossed their path, and there were quite a few. The noise of a broken door attracted the whole place's guards, who could do little to hinder the mighty queen and powerful princess. And though they only hit with a quarter of their strength, the mercenaries had had enough, and the corridor was quickly filled with frightened shouts and screams:

"Oh no! They have escaped!"

"Warn the others!"

"We need reinforcements now!"

"They're coming this way!"

"Mommy!"

"Run for your lives!"

The mercenaries flew in all directions, knocking doors down with their backs and crashing into each other. Some of them saw what was happening and tried to flee, but they were instantly caught by Chrysalis' telekinesis and placed under the hoofs of her betrothed.

So they went down every corridor in the place and ended up at a big door.

"I'm sure that's where we'll meet Twilight," the queen said.

"So then we should..." Cadence began, but then she broke off and looked down at her right side. "Oh, wait!"

"What is it?" Chrysalis asked.

"We forgot our saddlebags," said the alicorn.

"That's right! And my makeup bag and my phone are in there. But where should we look for them?"

"Well, we'll find out," said the pink pony, picking up the barely-living stallion from the floor. "Where did you put our stuff?"

"Y-yes, they're in the guard room, third corridor, second door," he muttered with difficulty, spitting out a chipped tooth.

"Thank you," Cadence said, tossing him behind her back. "Well, now we know. Let's go," she added, and the mares turned and headed back.

Some of the mercenaries, on their hoofs, stared up at them in horror.

"Oh no! They're coming back! We must run! Help! Help! Mommy!" They shouted, getting another round of kicks and slaps and flying in all directions.

Cadence and Chrysalis reached the guard room and retrieved their saddlebags.

"Done, now to Twilight," the alicorn said cheerfully.

"And our sweet Shiny," the queen added, pulling out a comb to tidy her mane.

They moved back toward the big door.

"No! Not again! Help! Get us out! Ouch! It hurts!" The panic-stricken voices of the mercenaries echoed down the hall, interrupted only by the groans of the wounded.

"Well, they've learned their lesson, I think," the princess said, glancing down the corridor at the battered stallions.

"And now they'll think twice before they kidnap somepony else's husband," Chrysalis confirmed, taking a few deep breaths. "Well, here we are. It's time for Twilight. Let's teach her a lesson."

"Yes, but please be gentle with her," said Cadence.

"Of course, my love," the queen promised. "We'll just have a little talk with her. I'm sure she'll be more cooperative without her army."

And they simultaneously kicked open the door, bursting into a large warehouse littered with crates and boxes.

"Here we are, Twilight, and we..." The changeling began, but was immediately surprised. Dozens of rifles and unicorn horns were pointed at her and the princess. Twilight sat on a large container, surrounded by mercenaries, and listened to the radio beside her, which was playing Countess Coloratura's song: The Spectacle. Behind her stood Shining, still wobbly and lurching from being drugged.

"Yeah, I think she's been expecting us," Cadence remarked.

"Exactly, and I've already developed a defensive strategy," Twilight nodded.

"Yeah, well, that's too bad. We really wanted to surprise you," said Chrysalis.

"And you would have, if your escape hadn't been accompanied by such loud screams," the unicorn hummed as she turned off her radio. "Seriously, I could hear them over the music."

"Yeah, that's where we screwed up," Cadence sighed.

"So you have two choices," said Twilight menacingly. "You surrender and let my boys tie you up again."

"Or?" Alicorn stretched out.

"My mercenaries and I will have to put holes in you," the unicorn said firmly.

"Really? You would dare shoot me, Twilight?" Cadence asked in a slightly shaky voice.

"If I have to. I'm sorry, Cadence, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to save Equestria from that one," said the mare. "You know what I mean, don't you?"

"Twilight, I..." the princess began, but Chrysalis interrupted her:

"Oh, yes, I do, Twilight. You've planned this so carefully, you're not ready to give in to us. Believe me, I know it well. I've been in this situation more than once myself. But, like me, you've missed a few things."

"I did? What did I miss?" The unicorn squinted.

"There is a third way out of this situation."

With that, she ripped the rifles from the mercenaries and smacked them all over the head with her telekinesis.

"We'll beat you all up and save our Shiny," the queen finished, glaring menacingly at the rest of Twilight's aides, who stared at her in horror.

"Oh, come on!" The unicorn was indignant.

"So give up, Twilight, you lose!" Cadence encouraged her.

"No way!" The purple mare jumped to the floor. "My plan is too perfect and I won't let you ruin it!"

And she shot at them with her horn like a mad pony.

"Ouch! Look out!" Shouted the princess, dodging the magic shells that exploded and scattered everything in their path.

"Quick, run for cover!" Chrysalis yanked her toward the warehouse equipment, and they both ducked behind the nearest forklift.

"Well, this isn't going to be very amicable," said the queen.

"Yeah, well, Twilight's really going crazy. We'll have to knock her out," nodded the Cadence, peeking cautiously out of her hiding place.

The unicorn, meanwhile, had finished shooting and turned to her minions:

"Well? What are you standing around for? Get them!"

"But, ma'am..." mumbled one of them, still terrified at how easily the queen had disarmed them.

"Now!" Twilight yelled.

"Yes, ma'am! On our way!" The mercenary said, startled by her angry look.

"You too, Shining!" She turned to her brother. "Help them!"

"Anything you say, Twilight," he said in a slightly lifeless voice and running with the others to the forklift, where Cadence and Chrysalis were sitting.

"We have guests," the princess said. "Five rascals."

"Ha, is that all? We've beaten fifty of them in the hallway alone," the queen grinned.

"Yes, but Shining's with them," said Cadence.

"Well, that complicates things," said Chrysalis. "We mustn't hurt our Shining."

"I agree. Every bruise on his pretty face is an extra day he'll spend in the hospital and not with us. We need a plan now, and a good one at that," said Cadence.

She swung her head quickly around and saw some crates nearby, one of which had "Fishing tackle" written on it.

"Bingo! I've got something! Distract them," alicorn said, giving her wife a shove with her shoulder, and sprinted off toward the crate.

"Distract them? And how would I do that?" Chrysalis called out, but Twilight's mercenaries rushed to her from the corner.

"There she is!" Said one of them.

"Yes, we've got her surrounded!" The other added.

"And where is the other one?" The third asked.

"It doesn't matter, as long as we've caught the queen."

"Yes... we have... and... what shall we do now?" The first one asked in a whisper.

"What do you think we should do now? Seize her, of course," said the tallest of them, the obvious leader.

"And how do we do that? She and that pink one, they've scattered all our guys. What chance have we got?"

"It doesn't matter, we've been ordered to catch her and we have to do it," their leader whispered uncertainly, nervously swallowing his saliva.

"Hmm, and distracting them not so hard," Chrysalis mentally grinned, leaning on the forklift with a smile and listening to their squabble.

"Well, we could all summon our telekinesis together and grab her," one of them suggested in the meantime.

"That's it? Is that enough for you?" The other asked doubtfully. "What if she breaks free?"

"I don't know, but we must decide something urgently, otherwise..." said the leader, looking at the grinning queen, "... we look like idiots."

"Right," the stallion next to him nodded, and he coughed loudly: "So, Queen Chrysalis, we are... ahem... caught you."

"Yeah, I guess so," she said with a chuckle.

"So, surrender nicely, and then... um... no one will get hurt."

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Chrysalis snorted, stepping away from the forklift and heading in their direction. "Wait, I'll be right with you, I can't hear very well."

The stallions shrank back frightened.

"I say please don't resist us, and we promise we won't hurt you and just escort you back to your cell," he continued, speaking more and more quietly as the queen approached.

"You mean Your Majesty?" She said.

"What?" He said frightened.

"You are speaking to the queen, so you must address me as Your Majesty," Chrysalis explained.

"Y-yes, that's right," he whispered. "Please, follow us into the cell Your Majesty, and..."

"And?" The queen repeat, towering over him.

"So that we... um... can tie you and your consort up again and lock you in there," he said as he and the others pressed against each other.

"I see. Well, it's a tempting offer, but I'm afraid I must decline," she said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"But then we... we..." the stallion mumbled.

"We'll have to hang above the floor, trapped in a net," Chrysalis said with a wink.

"Yes. Wait, what?" He asked.

"That," she said, jabbing her hoof somewhere upward.

The mercenaries looked up and saw the net stretched above them, which swooped down over them and draped itself over the floor.

"Well done, Chrissy," said Cadence as she jumped off the forklift whose arrow she had tied the net to, "How cleverly you outsmarted them."

"Thanks, but they did it all by themselves," the queen grinned. "I just watched their merry little talk."

"So much the better. Well, now, let's get our Shiny, so that we can..."

She glanced at the net with the nervously twitching mercenaries.

"Um, honey, where's Shining?"

Chrysalis looked up, too.

"Indeed. I'd been so engrossed I'd forgotten all about him. Where's our hubby?"

"I'm here!" Suddenly a white unicorn leaped out of a dark corner of the room and jumped on top of Chrysalis' back. "I got the queen, Twilight! I got her!"

"Good work, Shiny, now knock her out," said the unicorn slyly, jumping onto the forklift. "She can't hit you, so I'll take care of my old friend."

And she telekinesis ripped the shipping container off the floor and pointed it at Cadence.

"Twilight! Are you insane?!" Alicorn gasped.

The purple mare lifted it up and launched it at her with force.

"Apparently so," the princess said, jumping aside. "Well, I'm afraid I'll have to teach you a lesson."

She ran up to the small box and tried to lift it, but her magic was powerless, and it only flew slightly off the floor before collapsing.

"Ha! Did you forget that I tied you with special ropes?" Twilight grinned. "Alicorn strength doesn't help you, because you don't have any, but..." She plucked another container from her seat, "I'm stronger than ever, and I'll flatten you like a cockroach!"

And with that she threw it at Cadence, causing her to flee to the other side of the room.

"Oh no, you can't get away from me that easily!" Twilight said excitedly, dashing after her.

As they scurried around the warehouse, a small fight broke out between Shining and Chrysalis. The unicorn, being under a spell, became much stronger and, sitting on the queen's back, slapped her on the head and neck, while the queen, not wanting to hurt him, tried to get him off of her as quickly as possible.

"Ouch! Ugh! That's enough, hubby. This has gone too far," she whispered, jumping on the spot. "Stop hitting me!"

"Never! I have to stop you from enslaving all the ponies!" He said in an obsessive voice.

"Oh, come on. You've been brainwashed. You know it in your heart," said Chrysalis, and then she put her telekinesis around his neck to try and take him off, but he was gripping her tightly. "Remember how good we were together. I am not your enemy, Shiny, I am your sweet wife."

"No! You're a villain! You only pretended to be good to deceive me and Cadence! You wicked liar!" He cried out in defiance.

"Yeah, it looks like you've been spelled a lot harder than I thought," she said tensely, and finally pulled the Shining off her neck. "Which means I'll have to bring you to your senses," she added, setting the struggling stallion right in front of her. He immediately spat in her face.

"Ouch! I'm sure it's hard to believe, but I'll be much more hurt than you are now," the queen said sadly and, taking a deep breath, charged him between the legs with her hoof.

"Ugh, my balls," Shining squeaked, his eyes widening painfully.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I know it's unpleasant, but there's no other way to get you out of your trance," said Chrysalis, squinting guiltily. "Forgive me, hubby. As compensation, I promise that for the next week, Cadence and I won't be asking you to have sex."

Shining let out a few unintelligible words, then closed his eyes and fainted.

"Yes, yes, that's it, my love, now get some rest," the queen said carefully, laying him on the floor. "Now, I'm going to spell some ice for you."

While she tended to her injured husband, Cadence struggled to dodge the crates and barrels flying at her. Twilight went on a rampage, smashing everything in her path in an effort to get to her, piling high rubble and debris everywhere.

"Yeah, there's something wrong with Twilight," Alicorn mentally remarked, jumping over a crate as it flew toward her. "If I live through this, I'll take her to a psychiatrist right away."

She turned behind one of the overturned racks and stopped abruptly when she saw a concrete wall in front of her.

"Oh no, it's a dead end!" She said.

"Exactly, and now you have nowhere to run to!" Said the unicorn approaching her.

"Twilight, how can you do this?" Asked the Princess of Love. "I thought we were friends!"

"It's nothing personal, Cadence, but like I said before, I'm willing to make any sacrifice to save our country."

She held up a big container.

"And you could have avoided all this if you'd stayed home and let me take care of the queen," the unicorn said. "But you still have a chance. Reject her, and I'll spare you."

Alicorn looked up at the container hanging in the air, and then a faint smile flashed across her face.

"No, Twilight. I would never betray my beloved," she replied calmly.

"Then I have no choice," the purple filly said stiffly, "but to finish you."

"I'd rather not," Cadence hummed, and then she flicked her horn and jerked it sharply to the side. Twilight followed her gaze and saw a bale suspended above her head on a hook, which Cadence ripped off and pointed straight at her.

The bale made a perfect arc and swept the mare with its weight, pushing her to the nearest post, which she hit her head on.

The unicorn shrieked and tumbled to the floor, the heavy container collapsed beside her.

"That's it, Twilight," the princess sighed loudly. "That's it".

"Cadence, honey, are you ok?" Said Chrysalis, who ran up to her.

"Yes, Chrissy, I'm fine," said Cadence nodding affirmatively.

"And her?" The changeling asked, glancing at the unicorn.

"She's fine. I didn't hurt her much," the pony said, pointing to the bale on the hook, which was full of awnings. "Though she'll have a bump for sure now, she's all right otherwise."

"That's fine. Now let's wait until she's recovered and get some answers out of her," the queen said as she and Cadence approached the mare, sprawled on the floor.

"I still can't believe she would do such a thing. It's unthinkable."

"I know it is. I mean, I knew she don't love me, but not like that," said Chrysalis. "Yeah, it's weird, even for me. I used to do it myself."

They both shuddered. There was a loud crashing noise from inside the container where Twilight had been sitting.

"What was that?" Chrysalis asked.

"I don't know, but it's worth checking," Cadence said, heading in his direction with her.

"Maybe she kidnapped somepony else. Maybe one of her friends?" The queen suggested.

"Perhaps," the alicorn stepped toward the container door. "We'll find out," she added, putting her hoof on the handle and pulling it toward her.

The door was unlocked, and Cadence opened it easily, and then peered inside.

"It's couldn't be!" She staggered back when she saw who it was in the light of the storage lamps. Chrysalis looked in as well, her eyes going wide in shock. Right in front of them, tightly bound and gagged, was Twilight Sparkle.

"Twilight?! But how? If you're here, then who did I..." Cadence turned toward the stricken mare.

"Great Mother of the Hive, I should have known!" Chrysalis spoke in a loud voice, walking toward her captor, who had regained consciousness and was now trying to stand up. "Big Mama, the delicious princess, the fake ghosts who distracted us in the cemetery! It's so obvious!"

"What's obvious?" Alicorn asked, helping Twilight free herself.

"That this liar is not really a pony! She's a changeling!" Replied the queen, lifting False Twilight above the floor. "Come on, impostor; show us your real face. Let me guess; you'll have red eyes or long antennae."

"He-he-he, with pleasure," the fake Twilight grinned wickedly, and pushed herself off of Chrysalis and took a few steps back. Her body began to change: her fur disappeared and became covered in chitin, her torso lengthening and growing. The front part of it remained the same (except for the legs, which had become very elongated and covered with holes), but the back part became large and now looked more like a spider's abdomen, from which six insect legs emerged, while a brown, skull-like pattern appeared upon her abdomen. The last change was to the impostor's head, which was still like a pony's, but it was many times larger and longer. A curved horn protruded from her forehead, and eight blood-red eyes appeared on her face, staring with hatred at the mares in front of her.

"Celestia the merciful!" Cadence gasped.

"Yes, just as I thought," Chrysalis said as she calmly looked at the creepy pony and spider hybrid, which raised itself up, propping up its legs on the scattered debris and meeting Chrysalis's gaze. "Well, hello there, Ashaisha."

"Hello to you, too, dear sister," she hissed. "It's been a long time."

"Sister?" Said the alicorn in surprise.

Ashaisha quickly circled the queen, kicking her spidery legs in a circle.

"Why yes? Didn't she tell you there are other changeling queens? Sister queens who help each other and protect their own kind, keeping their own and other hives from withering and falling apart?"

She paused for a second.

"Oh yes, that was all in the past, now I'm alone," she turned to Chrysalis and began to shout: "Ever since you and the other gentle queens betrayed me and banished me to this vile, sparsely populated wasteland!"

"Yes, we did. But only so you wouldn't harm other species and ruin the reputation of the changelings," Chrysalis replied, staring fearlessly into her eyes.

"Yes, that's right. You've always been the protector of this weak ponies," the spider chuckled. "Always afraid to attack and take love by force. You liked to hide and lurk, pretending to be your victims. Pathetic cowards."

"Oh, Cadence, you're here. How glad I am that you found me," Twilight said meanwhile, hugging her former babysitter and watching warily.

"However, I'm not you and I wasn't going to sit around forever waiting for the other races to like us," growled Ashaisha, who was twice the size of Cadence and Chrysalis. "I've decided to act!"

"And to do that, you kidnapped Twilight, our sweet Shiny, and then lured Chrysalis here?" Alicorn asked. "I don't understand. Why?"

"Really? It's so obvious. To destroy her!" Spiderqueen said.

"And start a war between ponies and changelings," said Chrysalis.

"What?" surprised Cadence.

"If I, the queen who made peace with the ponies, were to be killed by a student of Celestia, the other hives would want to know," said Chrysalis.

"Exactly. They would have wanted revenge, and I wouldn't have had much trouble convincing them to unite against the ponies," Ashaisha said, licking her sharp teeth.

"Except that's impossible now. We've got you figured out," said Chrysalis.

"Right," the spider said ominously. "And you ruined my plans."

She took a few steps back.

"That's not the problem, though. Nothing is lost yet. I can still convince them to support me," she said angrily, turning toward them. "After the four of you are gone."

"Yeah? How do you plan to get rid of us?" Cadence snorted. "We broke you and your helpers. You're on your own."

"Ha-ha, that's where you're wrong. You didn't take care of all my children," she said slyly. "I saved a couple of them in case you should, by some miracle, escape and get here."

She put her legs up.

"Come, my children! Destroy our enemies!"

Immediately six Changeling spiders leapt down from the ceiling. But they weren't ordinary changelings; they were incredibly large and muscular, with long, sharp fangs and claws.

One of them ran up to the net with the mercenaries, who had also had time to change and become themselves (but were vastly inferior in size to their brethren), and, after biting through the ropes, let them free.

"Who the hell are they?" Asked the princess.

"Warriors of the hive," said Chrysalis. "Very strong and hardy."

"And how strong are they?" Cadence asked, pulling back with Twilight.

"Very strong, and easy can beat an alicorn, or..." she gulped, "…the enemy queen".

"I see," she said, watching the changelings advance on them, their muscles twitching menacingly. "So, what do we do now?"

"Same as all heroines when they're outnumbered," the queen said, stealthily lifting the lifeless Shining and laying him behind her. "Let's get out of here before we get our legs blown off!"

And she sprang from her seat and ran for the exit.

"Hey, wait for us!" Shouted the princess as she and Twilight rushed after her.

"No! They're getting away! Stop them! Don't let them escape!" Ashaisha shouted behind them, shooting a couple of magical beams in their direction with such force that they burned through several walls in front of them.

"Whoa! Looks like we really pissed her off," Cadence said, throwing the slow-running Twilight on her back and carrying her through the poorly lit corridors, past the battered changelings crawling away from them. "Do you think we can get away?"

"Well, it's a matter of luck," Chrysalis said. "Ashaisha is very stubborn and won't let us go easily."

"Yeah, well, she sure doesn't like to lose," added the alicorn, glancing back.

The warrior changelings followed close behind, periodically leaping from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. At one turn, one of them suddenly stopped and turned around and began quickly doing something behind him, and a second later a strange white blob flew in their direction.

"Look out!" Cadence yelled, falling to the floor with Chrysalis.

The droplet flew over their heads and, hitting the wall, quickly erupted into a perfectly straight circle of thick rope-like strands that blocked their path.

"What is it? A spider web?" The princess asked.

"Of course it is. They're spiders," said the queen, as she saw the other warriors weave a web.

"Let's go," she helped Cadence to her hoofs, and they dodged more shots and galloped down the right corridor.

"Where's the exit?!" Chrysalis exclaimed a couple of times, almost running into a dead end.

"I don't know, but we won't be able to run from them for long," replied the princess, once again dodging the cobwebs that flew past them.

"I think we should go right," Twilight said.

"Right? Are you sure?" Cadence asked.

"Yes. It's an older layout for a warehouse. The main door is always underneath the observation window," the unicorn nodded at the big window in front. "This means we're not far from the exit."

"Well, that's where we are then!" Chrysalis interrupted, and they turned in the direction suggested by Twilight.

After a little run, they found themselves in front of a large sliding gate. The queen lit her horn and quickly lifted up the gate before she and Cadence jumped out into the street.

"Ah, fresh air at last!" Cadence said, looking up at the clear starry sky above her head. "We're free!"

"Yeah, but we're not out yet," the queen remarked as she heard the approaching clang of spider legs.

"Then let's run to the route," the princess said, shaking her head toward the nearby lights of the highway. "Maybe we can catch a ride there."

"That's a great idea, honey," Chrysalis agreed, and with her and the more or less recovered Twilight (who had already jumped to the ground) galloped toward the lights.

As they raced through the desert at night, Shining Armor, who had been lying on Chrysalis' back the whole time, came to his senses.

"Huh? What's going on?" He moved faintly, before winced painfully: "Ouch! My balls! Why do my balls hurt? What's happening?"

"It's a long story, hubby," said Chrysalis. "And we'll tell it to you as soon as we get out of here."

He shook his head a couple of times and saw the unicorn galloping beside him.

"Wait, Twilight! Is that you?! What are you doing here? You kidnapped me!" He said angrily.

"No, it's more complicated than that, bro," said the purple mare as she shot back.

"Oh, really? You stunned me when I was in the garden on a Nightmare Night and then you dragged me into some filthy cellar."

"It wasn't really her. It was the Spider Queen who pretended to be her," Cadence said.

"A Spider Queen?" Shining repeated.

"I told you it's a long story," Chrysalis interjected. "But in short, you were part of a devious plan by one of my sister queens, and we have to get away from her before she and her sons track us down."

"Oh, why does everyone kidnap me?" Sighed the unicorn.

"Apparently, you're too pretty, Shiny, so they use you as the prince who sat in the castle of the horrible sorceress," the purple mare giggled.

"Not funny, Twilight," the stallion frowned.

They ran out onto the highway.

"So, where do we go now?" The queen asked, glancing around.

"That way!" She nodded when she spotted the bus station nearby. "Well, I guess we're in luck."

They raced to the glowing parking lot, where a half-filled bus was parked just inside the station, waiting to leave. Not far away was the train station with a cashier's window.

"Four tickets, please!" Shouted as Twilight ran up to it.

"Which way?" Asked the slightly surprised mare-cashier at the sight of such an unusual company, consisting of a disheveled princess, a disheveled unicorn, a beaten stallion, and a changeling queen.

"I don't care if it's Yakyakistan, just hurry up!" Said Twilight.

"Hold on. We have to get to the Wildsberry, if that's possible," said Chrysalis.

"Then you're in luck, that's where this bus is going," said the cashier, giving them four tickets. "That'll be twenty bits."

"There you go, and thank you for everything," said Cadence, tossing her four gold coins and heading with the others toward the open doors of the bus.

The driver was a fat, stubble-faced earth pony, who looked at the new arrivals without much interest, and when he made sure they all had their tickets, he turned away from the wheel and continued to chew on the sandwich in his lap.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Twilight said as she looked out the window. The highway was quiet so far, but that didn't mean the spiders chasing them were gone.

"It's still early. We'll be gone in ten minutes," the driver said nonchalantly.

"What? Why?" Shining, who was sitting on the seat, asked. "But all the passengers are already here, and we have to go now."

"So? I'm on a schedule, and I'm not moving until it's time," the earth pony brushed him off.

The changelings, meanwhile, had come running out onto the road. There were a great many of them. Ashaisha had set all her children on the Shining family, who were now looking around. One of them noticed the bus station and waved to his brothers. Chrysalis looked through the window, seeing some of the spiders begin to move towards the station, and cursed.

"Damn! Can we go now?"

"Sorry, I can't. Bus drivers have rules, and it's not my place to break them," the stallion replied, taking a big bite of his sandwich.

"But listen, behind us..." Twilight joined the conversation.

"I don't care what's going on. I'm Barry and I'm a captain on this bus. So we're not doing anything until I finish my dinner and ten minutes have passed."

The spiders had already been joined by their queen and, letting out an angry yell, headed toward the bus.

The passengers, hearing this, quickly leaned against the windows and noticed the spiders coming toward them, too. Everyone but Barry.

"You know, maybe they're right. Maybe we should just go." Said an old pegasus, sitting by Shining.

"No, we're not going anywhere," the driver said stubbornly.

"But there..."

"Once again, I'm Barry – charge here, and I decide when we leave," he said.

"Oh, come on, you lazy sod! I'm Princess of Equestria and I order you..." said Cadence, but Chrysalis interrupted her.

"Wait, I have a better idea," she said, lifting the driver telekinesis and pulling him to the side window. "Come here, come here. Barry, right?"

"Y-yes," he gasped.

"So, Barry, that's my sister," she pointed to the big spider walking toward them, who was already nearby and plucked a lamppost from the ground like a spear and launched it in their direction.

"She's very angry and definitely not going to care if you're with us or not," Chrysalis finished as the pole slammed into the asphalt near the front wheel.

The earth pony's ears perked up in fright.

"So, what do you say, Barry?" The queen asked.

"Barry made a decision, and we're going now!" He said quickly, jumped behind the wheel, and started the engine. The bus turned sharply, and with a screech of wheels, headed for the exit of the parking lot.

The spiders noticed this and sprinted toward it.

The ponies on the bus cried out in fright as they started pummeling the sides of the bus.

"Oh no, we're dead!" Barry exclaimed.

"Not yet, press on the gas!" Twilight said, and pushed the pedal herself, steering the bus through the army of changelings who scattered in all directions.

One of them jumped on the windshield and tried to break it, but the unicorn pressed the washer handle and shot a stream of water into the changeling's eye, making it loosen its grip. He hung on one leg, before Twilight telekinesis tossed him aside like a bug.

"Phew, we made it! Nice driving, buddy!" Shining said cheerfully as the bus pulled onto the highway, heading toward the Wildsberry.

"Thanks," said the trembling driver.

"Yes, we did it," Cadence encouraged. "The worst is over."

"I'm afraid not for long, look," Twilight said, nodding toward the back window.

Everypony turned around and saw Ashaisha and all her children running after them.

"Oh, sweet Celestia! There are monsters everywhere!" One of the passengers gasped.

"They're after us. We're lost," the old woman beside Shining added, frightened.

"Don't worry. They are not interested in you and they will leave you alone as soon as we get into town," said Chrysalis.

"But what shall we do after that?" Cadence asked in a whisper. "We can't bring that entire horde into a crowded tourist town."

"We don't have to. Luckily for you," said the queen, "I have a backup plan."

"A plan? What is it?" Twilight asked her.

"You'll find out soon enough, but I need to call someone first," Chrysalis replied, rummaging through her satchel for a phone. "Damn it! The battery is dead."

She looked around at the passengers on the bus.

"Excuse me," the queen said, approaching a young unicorn filly who was sitting quietly in her seat, chatting with someone, despite the chaos. "Could I borrow your phone for a moment?"

"Um, yeah, sure. Here you go," she said, slightly surprised, handing her pink kitten-embellished phone to Chrysalis.

"Thank you," the queen nodded, quickly dialing a number.

"Hello. Yes, it's me. We're already near the city, and you? Oh, that's great. And where do we go? What? Repeat again. Yeah, yeah, I got it, thanks. We'll try to get as close to you as possible."

She stepped off the phone for a second and turned to the driver.

"Hey, Barry! Where's the Moon Horn Plateau?"

"Uh, just a few miles from Wildsberry," he answered. "We'll take the next bend and be right there."

He pointed to the wide plain ahead of her, surrounded by flat mountains.

"Well, then we're almost there," the queen said into the phone. "Yes, that's good. Wait for us. See you soon, darling."

"There you go," she said contentedly, turning off the phone and handing it to the unicorn. "Thank you very much."

"Who were you talking to, dear?" Shining asked her.

"Just one of my kids," she said, and then she pointed Barry to the curb. "Be a friend and drop us off here."

The pony nodded, and, glancing warily in the rearview mirror, hit the brakes.

"Squad out!" Chrysalis commanded, jumping out with her loved ones.

"Bye, Barry! You're a marvel!" She said goodbye to the driver.

"Yes, yes, thank you for choosing the bus of Captain Barry," he said quickly as he locked the door, clutching his heart.

"So, Chrissy," said Cadence, walking with the others into the desert, "why don't you tell us what you're up to before your demon sister catches up with us?"

"Sure. It's very simple, I thought we might have some trouble, so I've prepared for us..."

"Oh no, look!" Twilight interrupted her, pointing back.

Twilight interrupted her when she pointed backward. She turned to see an army of changeling spiders lunging from the side of the road to surround them.

"Come on, let's get to that house!" Chrysalis shouted, heading toward the abandoned mansion that stood not far from the mountains.

The Shining family followed her, but as soon as they reached the porch of the weedy garden, a spider web, thick as a rope, flew into the building and blocked their path. The queen spider crawled swiftly along it, while her children were advancing on all sides. Not more than a couple of minutes later, the fugitives were encircled.

"That's it. We're done," Shining said with his ears down, staring at the many foes who were rubbing their feet in anticipation.

"You're right, pony," said Ashaisha, who had jumped to the ground. "You're trapped and there's nowhere else to run."

The changeling behind her laughed evilly.

"Well, I'll give you credit for giving me a hard time, but it's all over now. You're on your own with no one to protect you," she grinned, licking her sharp teeth. "Wazzie!"

One of the warriors emerged from the crowd of spiders.

"And so I won't hesitate to finish you off," Ashaisha finished and turned to the big changeling: "Honey, would you be so kind as to please your mommy and tear these upstarts to shreds."

"With pleasure, mother," the changeling grinned like a predator and leaped at Cadence.

"No!" Chrysalis yelled, getting in his way and raising her leg to deflect the blow of his sharp jaws. However, the attack never landed. Instead, it was intercepted by a heavily tattooed zebra, who had leapt down from a broken second-floor window.

"Hey, buddy! What do you think you're doing?" He squinted his eyes, put his hoof forward and grabbed the changeling by the throat.

"Oh, my! That's..." said Cadence, astonished.

"Manny Tucson?" Twilight was ecstatic.

"That's right! The one and only five-time Heavyweight Champion of Equestria!" the zebra confirmed and then turned to the changeling. "My brothers tell me some wretched bastards are hurting my mother," he said angrily, pulling the spider towards him and lifting up off the ground. Especially not to a wretch like you," he finished, and then kicked the helpless warrior in the jaw, sending him into the crowd of foes.

"Oh, thank you, dear. You're just in time," said Chrysalis with a smile.

"It's nothing, mother. I was in as much of a hurry as I could. I even had to cancel my fight in Las Pegasus and fly here in a private blimp, but it was worth it," he said with a chuckle.

"What? Manny Tucson's your son, too?" Cadence gasped.

"Exactly, and he's not the only one," the queen nodded, turning to the distracted spiderqueen. "Well, Ashaisha? Surprised? What was it you said about us being alone and having no one to protect us? Well, I have to disappoint you. We're not alone here at all."

"Yes, mamma, we've been expecting you all evening," an armed unicorn, escorted by twenty or so guards, emerging from the broken windows, doors, and cracked walls of the mansion.

"Lieutenant Varris?" Shining snorted in surprise.

"Aye aye, Captain. We have come to back you up and stop the enemy!" The unicorn saluted quickly, and the warriors behind him struck the ground with their spears.

"Wonderful, my dear. Where are the others?" Chrysalis asked.

"Oh, they're here now, waiting for my signal," said Varris, and raised his horn and emitted a green spark that flew into the air and burst into flames like fireworks.

Ashaisha and her children looked around and saw numerous ponies, bison, and griffins appear on the tops of the mountains. Some of them were dressed in simple casual clothes or work outfits like fast food workers, painters, or doctors, while others wore firemen and police uniforms, and some came in downright crazy outfits. For example, there was a mare in tight black latex and a griffin in a clown outfit.

"You see, sister, I suspected something like this might happen, and I've made a beehive of it near the Wildsberry," said Chrysalis. "So we're on an equal hoofing now."

Ashaisha stepped back, surveying the encircling changeling army.

"And if you don't want to fight us, you'd better surrender," Chrysalis finished.

The spiderqueen's eyes narrowed ominously.

"Never! Come, my children! Defend your queen and crush our enemies!" She shouted loudly and lunged forward.

"Careful!" Said Cadence, pushing her consort away from Ashaisha's sharp legs.

Her children followed her into the fray.

"Squad, close ranks and draw your spears!" Varris and his guards rushed to the front, while the other Chrysalis changelings discarded their cloaks and spread their wings to flank them. A fierce battle ensued between the two groups of changelings.

"Watch out!" Manny Tucson exclaimed as one of the enemy warriors tried to hit Twilight, but the zebra repulsed his attack and turned and kicked the spider in the chest, throwing it back a good twenty paces.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Tucson," the unicorn said with a coquettish shuffle of her hoof. "By the way, I'm a big fan of yours."

"Well, that's very flattering. But this is no time for autographs, young miss," he winked, turning into a large warrior changeling in the green flames. "We must defeat our enemies first."

He glanced at Chrysalis.

"Well, mother, I'm off to have fun!"

"Sure, dear. Just don't bite anyone's ears off," said the queen admonishingly.

"But, mama!"

"No buts," she said sternly. "You are a good boy, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but without that fighting would be very boring. Eh, you're just like the Committee on Sportsmanship," the big changeling sighed sadly, and threw himself into the crowd of spiders and started vigorously pounding away with his hoofs.

"Yeah, he's always had a problem with that," Chrysalis said in a whisper. "When he was a baby, he loved biting his brothers' ears."

"I see," Twilight smiled.

"So, family? Now that we're not alone, why don't we join in the battle?" Cadence said excitedly.

"Let's show those spiders how Family Armor fights!" Said Shining.

"I thought you'd take my last name," the alicorn said, picking up a board without looking and swinging it at one of the Ashaisha's changelings had attacked her.

"Well, I'd already thought about it and decided that Mi Amore didn't really go with my name, so..." the unicorn tried to justify himself, but another spider came at them from the side.

Shining ducked, tripped him, and drove his forehead into the nearest rock.

"I've decided I'd better keep my last name," he finished, shaking off his fur.

"Oh, there's something to that," the princess nodded understandingly, rubbing her chin and kicking another of the enemy's changelings in the process.

"I suggest we discuss this matter later," said Chrysalis, grabbing another two spiders and throwing them on the roof of the house. "In the meantime, let's deal with my aggressive sister."

"Right," Cadence agreed. "Let the family business wait a while. We have more important things to do right now."

She took up a fighting stance and shouted:

"Kick their croups!"

And with her family, she rushed into the throng of foes who were crowding the detachment of royal guards.

Chrysalis was the first to engage. She leaped forward and diverted a dozen or so spiders, then with Cadence, who had regained her strength, began to deal them blows and slaps that sent them sprawling and crashing to the ground.

Shining, meanwhile, teamed up with a squad of guards, and together they attacked Ashaisha's warriors, who were beating the children of Chrysalis. Under the unicorn's command, the guards pinned them all to the mansion and with the help of telekinesis, a couple of ropes (and the help of Manny Tucson), captured them all with only minor bruises and bruises.

As they fought outside the mansion, the fighting around them began to quiet down. Though it was quite extensive, no one on either side was seriously injured. The changelings of Chrysalis had been warned in advance and were careful not to maim anyone. As for the Ashaisha's spiders, they were too few to do any meaningful damage.

Finally, after twenty minutes, the battle was over. The children of Chrysalis were confidently victorious and disarmed all their enemies.

All except Ashaisha herself, who was so strong that no one could handle her. Running from one side of the mansion to the other, she chased off anyone who dared to attack her.

When she saw that her army was defeated, she shouted loudly: "Enough!" and picked up a huge rock with her telekinesis and launched it at Cadence and Chrysalis, nearly crushing them. "You may have overpowered my children, but you can't have me. I'm the strongest changeling queen ever!"

She lunged at Chrysalis, deftly catching her with her telekinesis before launching herself at the royal guards with force, scattering them like pins. Cadence and Shining tried to attack her from the side, but she turned and swept them away like bugs.

"It's no use! There is not a single worthy opponent among you! You've lost!" She laughed and, grinning predatorily, grabbed Twilight in a leap.

"Let me go!" The unicorn exclaimed.

"And now you'll see what happens to anypony who crosses me," said the spider, raising one of her insect legs and pointing it at the mare's neck.

"No! Wait! Don't touch her! I give up!" Exclaimed a frightened Chrysalis who rose to her hoofs and shouted to the others: "My children, retreat, we have lost!"

"Ha-ha, you give up?! Because of her? I see you're still trying to save those wretched ponies," Ashaisha grinned. "Is she so important to you that you're willing to lose?"

"Yes, I am. This mare is my husband's sister and I don't want her to get hurt," the queen said.

"C-chrysalis?" Twilight whispered in surprise.

"Oh, how noble. But I'm afraid you can't pacify me," she laughed and snarled at the unicorn, "It's time to die, little pony!"

"Noooooo!" Screamed Chrysalis as she saw her leg drop sharply.

Twilight closed her eyes, preparing to receive the death blow, but then she was shaken violently and fell to the ground. The mare opened one eye before she landed, and saw a blurry blue line crash into the spider queen's side.

"Hey! Don't touch my friend!" Said the rainbow-haired pegasus, who had landed next to her.

"Rainbow!" Rejoiced Twilight.

"Cheeky pony!" Ashaisha hissed, turning to her. "I'll smash you into a pancake!"

"Hey, Evil Queen, aren't you forgetting something?" Somepony tapped her on the shoulder.

"What?" She growled in annoyance and then turned around to see the pink earth pony sitting on her back.

"Before you make pancakes, you need to add some eggs first," Pinkie said, and immediately dropped a crate of eggs on her head. "Then some milk and flour", she beamed, dumping said substances over her back before leaping off.

"Well, now it's just a matter of time," said the mare, contentedly. "I've got to butter you up and put you on the griddle."

"Why, you vile..." Ashaisha said, trying to brush the flour out of her eyes, and seeing Pinkie before her, she tried to kick her, but an apple flew into the back of her head.

"Hey, don't forget the apples!" Said the farmer who jumped up to them, with baskets full of rotten fruit hanging from her sides. "You know what they say: An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

She pulled out a couple more worm-ridden fruit.

"And I have a lot of them, as you can see," she finished, launching them under the spider's legs, causing her to slip and fall to the ground.

"Applejack! Girls!" Said Twilight who came up to them. "I'm glad to see you! But how did you get here?"

"I brought them, Twilight," said Luna, who had landed beside them. "Hi, Cadence."

"Luna, you found us!" The Princess of Love smiled. "Did my dream help you?"

"Well, not exactly," Luna said with a modest shuffle of her hoofs. "It was the lieutenant of our guard who told me where to find you, when he and some of his squad were going out this morning, without me and my sister knowing."

She turned toward Chrysalis.

"And how surprised I was to find out that he was, in fact, a changeling, and a daughter of our dear Chrysalis."

"Wait, you're a mare?" Shining grunted, turning to the lieutenant.

"Yes, sir," said Varris embarrassedly.

"And you kept quiet about it? Not even when I showered with you?" The unicorn blushed. "And a week ago we were seeing who have a bigger…"

"Ahem, sorry to intrude, captain, but perhaps you could discuss this later." Luna interjected. "So, Varris and I talked it over, and I thought I'd bring you some help," she pointed to the gathering of Twilight's friends and Spike the dragon, who was sitting on Fluttershy's back.

"And I brought something to help you in the battle," he said, jumping down and handing Twilight the crown with the Elements of Harmony on it.

"Thank you, Spike," the unicorn smirked, and she flashed her horn as she looked at the spiderqueen lying on the ground. "So, girls, shall we all strike at once?"

"I'm ready!" Said Rainbow Dash as she landed next to her.

"Me too! Let's teach that pest a lesson!" Pinkie joined her, bouncing back to surround Ashaisha with the others.

The elements glowed brightly, and the mares prepared to use them, but Chrysalis got in their way.

"Stop!" She shouted.

"What?" Twilight didn't understand.

"Please don't shoot her," said the queen. "This is a changeling business. Which means it's up to me to decide her fate."

"Well, that's fair," the unicorn agreed.

Chrysalis strode over to the defeated spiderqueen.

"So, sister, you've won," Ashaisha said. "And now you probably want revenge. Go ahead, I'm ready. Finish me off."

Her children stared at the two queens in horror.

"Finish you off?" Repeated Chrysalis. "Actually, that's not what I meant. I was going to spare you."

She held out her hoof.

"What? Spare? After all I've done?" Ashaisha was surprised.

"Yes, Chrysalis, are you crazy?" Rainbow Dash said. "She kidnapped Shining, attacked you and Cadence..."

"...and wanted to kill me and make war on Equestria," the queen added. "Yes, I know that, Rainbow. And in the old days, I'm sure I would have said her actions deserved punishment."

The Spider Queen turned away from her and lowered her head.

"But having lived among the ponies, I've learned that not everything can be solved by violence. Sometimes it is necessary not to punish, but to pity and forgive."

She took the spider queen's leg and helped her up.

"And to admit the mistakes," she said, looking her in the eye. "And that's what I want to do now. Ashaisha, I am sorry that I and the other queens banished you to the wilderness. By taking away your support and leaving you alone, we pushed you down the wrong path, and I want to apologize for that. I'm very sorry for what we did to you."

"But... but she wanted..." the pegasus tried again to intervene.

"Shh, Rainbow," Twilight hissed.

"Being alone and abandoned by everyone was a terrible feeling that haunted me for years, too," continued Chrysalis. "But then, I met my husband and wife, who helped me and taught me real love. The kind that doesn't have to be taken from anyone or stolen."

She gently took Ashaisha by the shoulders.

"And you can learn it, too, if you stop feuding with other species and start being friends with them."

"Friend? With the ponies? But we'll always be monsters to them. And no matter what we do, they'll never accept us," the spider frowned.

"I used to think so, too. But then I found out not all ponies are like that. Yes, neither you nor I can win their trust in an instant, but if we're patient and open our hearts to them, sooner or later they'll love us."

As she spoke, Shining and Cadence came up behind her and put their arms around her neck.

"It's true. At first I didn't trust Chrysalis, like everypony else, and I thought she was a monster. But then, after a while, I got to know her better, and we became close," the alicorn confirmed. "Though I never imagined I'd ever fallen in love with a changeling before."

"But I'm not Chrysalis. I'm a spider. And unlike her, I don't look like a pony at all," Ashaisha said. "No one would love someone like me."

"That's where you're wrong. There are no limits to love. And I sincerely believe that, in time, you will find someone who accepts you for who you are," Cadence said. "Believe me, I am the Princess of Love, and I know a thing or two about it."

The spiderqueen looked at her incredulously. In her eyes she could see that two conflicting feelings were struggling inside her-her old beliefs and the hope Alicorn had given her.

"So, what do you think, sister?" Chrysalis asked after a couple of minutes. "Will you give me and the other species another chance?"

Ashaisha hesitated for a few seconds. She turned around and looked at her children, who were waiting with the others for her answer.

Finally she made up her mind and said quietly:

"All right, Chrysalis. I'm willing to risk it."

As soon as she said this, the ponies and changelings around her applauded loudly. And this joyful stomping was so sincere and loud that the spider queen involuntarily shed a tear. She stood up straighter, meeting Chrysalis's gaze before leaning forward and embracing her in a tight hug.

"Thank you, sister," she said.

"Hey, no problem. You know how changeling queens are supposed to help each other," Chrysalis smiled as she patted her on the back.

Finally, that happy moment was over, too. Twilight and her friends and Luna went to help the changelings and free the no longer dangerous spiders, leaving Shining and his wives alone.

"Phew, glory to Celestia. I'm glad that's all behind us," he said.

"Yes, it was quite an adventure," Cadence agreed. "We traveled hundreds of miles by train, went to gay clubs, fought ghosts..."

"And I had to climb up the sewer pipes and fight the rats and then swim out of the toilet bowl like a goldfish," added Chrysalis.

"Gay club? A toilet bowl?" Shining snorted in surprise.

"Oh, never mind. We'll tell you when we get home," said the queen.

"But first I propose we celebrate our victory," Cadence said, pulling Shining and Chrysalis close to her.

"Oh yes, we'll have a party!" The queen said to the cheers of Pinkie Pie.

"And I even know where," the princess smiled. "I saw a really great place while Chrissy and I were walking around the Wildsberry where we could hang out."

"Oh yes? Where would that be?" Shining asked cautiously, remembering that they were near a cowboy town, which would mean some kind of saloon or bridal inn.

"Oh, I'm sure you'd like it there," Cadence smirked slyly.

***

"Well, kids. Who wants to hear a song?" The big Robot Pinkie said loudly to the foals gathered around her.

"We do!" They shouted.

"Then get ready, now I'll sing you my most favorite song about smiles!" She said with a slight metallic echo, and the robot friends standing next to her began to play musical instruments, making their little audience jump happily.

"Here you go, your order is ready," said the waitress who came up at that moment, placing a huge, freshly made pizza on the large table where the entire Shining family, Twilight's friends, and Princess Luna were gathered.

"Is this what you call a great place?" Asked the white stallion as he watched his spouses and friends gorge themselves on the food. "A foal’s café with animatronics?"

"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Cadence said, quickly devouring a huge slice of pizza. "It's really fun and cozy and plenty of room for our new friends."

"And the food is good, too. Cadence and I haven't eaten in a long time. Not since you were kidnapped," said Chrysalis, dipping her bite into the gravy and swallowing it whole.

"Actually, to be honest, you did take a bite once," the Princess of Love giggled. "When we were doing something in the warehouse."

"Well, yes, but I'll never turn down fresh pizza," the queen said, taking a new slice and stretching the cheese with her teeth.

"Well, lucky for the owner of this place," said Shining. "I'll bet he's never had so many customers before."

He turned and glanced around the pizzeria. The disguised changelings of Chrysalis and Ashaisha were sitting at its many tables, celebrating the end of the conflict with them.

"It's definitely been a long time since my pizzeria drew such crowds," Pinkie Pie nodded with a smile, not stopping as she ate one slice of pizza after another.

"What?! You own this place?" Rainbow Dash gasped in surprise.

"Of course I do, silly," the earth pony confirmed. "I run a whole network of them, and I've established them all over Equestria, to keep the little foals happy and entertained."

"It's... amazing! I never would have guessed that you ran such a huge business," said Rarity.

"Oh, really? Why do you think I always carry a lot of bits?" Pinkie asked.

"Well, I don't know. I thought you just..." said the unicorn, uncertainly.

"Get them out of your mane? Oh, no, that's impossible," the pink pony said. "I don't know how to get money out of thin air."

"He-he, I know that would be too much..." chuckled Rarity.

"I only keep party decorations and goodies in it," Pinkie Pie finished, retrieving a large jar of sweet and sour sauce from her mane to dab on the pizza.

"…for you," the unicorn finished with her mouth open. "Uh... how did she..."

"Don't ask. It's Pinkie," Rainbow Dash whispered in her ear.

"Yes you're right," Rarity agreed.

While they and the others were discussing their daily business, Twilight quietly sat down with Chrysalis.

"Um, can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked.

"Sure, Twilight, what is it?" Wiping her lips with a napkin, the queen said.

"I just wanted to apologize to you for being so suspicious all this time," the purple mare replied. "Honestly, I was surprised when, during the battle, you were willing to surrender and sacrifice yourself to save me. I... didn't expect that. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Twilight. It's no surprise, though. After all, you're my husband's sister, and I couldn't help it," said Chrysalis. "And besides, we're practically related, so I..."

"No," said the unicorn.

"No?" The queen raised an eyebrow.

"We are related," said Twilight. "I'm glad my brother has such a sensitive, caring wife. And also..."

She paused for a second to exhale. It was obvious that it wasn't easy for her to admit her mistakes, but then she pulled herself together and continued:

"...I'd like us to forget our old differences and start over. Unless, of course, you don't mind."

"Of course, Twilight," said Chrysalis. "I've wanted to for a long time. Back when I was a guest of yours. I'd be happy to have you as my friend."

"Then, peace?" The unicorn asked with a smile.

"Peace," the queen confirmed, and they both hugged each other tightly.

While Twilight and Chrysalis were talking about mending fences, Cadence, still hungry, turned away from the table and watched with interest as the little foals ran around the pizza place and played with the big robots that the enterprising Pinkie Pie had copied from herself and her friends.

"They're great little guys," she said as she watched a group of foals celebrating a mate's birthday at a nearby table.

"Yeah, they are," Shining Armor, who was sitting next to her, confirmed, not sincerely. He, too, had taken a break from eating and was now watching the blond unicorn guard who was dragging the colt with the bandage on his cheek by the ear.

"That's it, mister, you're through playing, you're not getting into our animatronics anymore," she said to the reluctant cub, who kept kicking her in the legs. "They cost money, by the way."

"Yes, the colts are something else," the unicorn said with a frown.

"You don't say. Every time I see a foal, it makes me want to burst into flames," said Cadence, ignoring her husband's sour expression. - "Kids are so..."

"Noisy," said Shining.

"Cute," the princess protested.

"Harmful," the stallion said.

"Funny," the alicorn continued.

"Nasty."

"Oh, Shiny, you don't know what you're talking about," sighed Cadence. "Foals are bliss."

"Yeah, when you look at them from the outside, but they're so much trouble in reality."

"Maybe, but they make you happy, too," said the princess. "I hope we can have children someday."

"Well, yes, perhaps in a few..." the stallion began uncertainly, but Alicorn interrupted him:

"Tell me, Shiny, why are you so afraid to have foals?"

"Afraid?"

"Afraid," Cadence repeated in a hard voice. "Why don't you want us to have children?"

"Well, it's hard to explain. It's just that, uh... just a few months ago I was a free and independent stud, and then our weird wedding happened and everything spun so fast. And then, during dinner with my family, you and Chrysalis started talking about foals, and I got scared...well...that I wouldn't be able to handle them."

"Is that all?" Snorted the alicorn.

"Yes," he nodded. "I'm not sure I can be dad."

"Nonsense, dear, you are a wonderful husband. I'm sure you'll be just as good a dad."

"Do you think so?" He asked. "But I've never took care of somepony."

Alicorn looked at him with a smirk.

"I mean, somepony small," he clarified.

"So? There's a first time for everything, but that's no reason to be afraid of responsibility. Look at Chrysalis. How many children she has, and how sincerely they love her. Do you think it's easy for her to raise such a huge family?"

"Not easy, believe me," said the queen hugging Twilight.

"You see, Cady," the unicorn said.

"But I don't regret it," said Chrysalis. "And as hard as it was for me sometimes, I wouldn't trade the day I spent with them for anything."

"You see, dear," Cadence repeated with a smile. "Anyway, think about it and tell us when you finally decide to be a dad."

She turned away from him and continued eating another pizza he had brought.

"When will I decide?" He repeated mentally, watching the mares and studs running around the pizza parlor. "Oh, it's so hard, having one, two, maybe thirty babies at once. But on the other hoof, I'm not a kid anymore, and I'm well aware that sooner or later that day will come."

He looked hesitantly at both spouses.

"But since it is, why wait with it? Put it off until later? I'm going to say it someday anyway, and we'll have foals, and therefore, it's time to stop being afraid and take the next step. The last and most responsible one of my life."

"Cadence, Chrissy," he said loudly, making all the ponies around the table look at him. "I've made my decision and I'm ready to be a dad."

For a few seconds it seemed as if there was a dead silence in the room. Both wives stared at him in surprise, mixed with delight, without a word, and then suddenly broke away from their seats and jumped into his arms.

"Yes! Hurrah!" Cadence shouted.

"He agreed!" Chrysalis cheered.

"Oh my goodness! So I'm going to be an aunt soon!" Twilight smiled.

"This needs to be celebrated! With the biggest party ever!" Pinkie Pie said, jumping on a chair.

"Oh yes, it is," the unicorn affirmed. "Except this party won't be at some cafe or pizza place, it will be in our bedroom," he added mentally as he hugged his wives, experiencing the most frightening yet best moment of his life.

Author's Note

So this is the penultimate chapter. I'll admit that it was quite difficult to write, but thanks to my own diligence and the help of a few friends, it's finally ready. Thank you all for reading it :raritystarry:

Chapter 9: The Hot End

Fluttershy walked slowly down to her basement as soft relaxing music played over the stereo. She adjusted her shirt and the pack of pens in her left pocket as she walked leisurely toward the shelves of video games and began to look at them, deciding which one she would be playing today. After pulling out a couple of games, the mare shook her head, and after putting them back, she went to another shelf. But as she approached it, she saw the distinctly equine form taken on by Angel Bunny, in the gap between the shelves.

"Eh… What's up, Shy?" He said in a high-pitched voice, sounding a lot like Pinkie Pie, before throwing a video game box in her face and knocked her to the floor.

"Ouch! Wow, it's been a while since I've seen you," she said, rubbing her nose sarcastically as she approached him. "What game did you hit me with?"

She looked at the box tossed to her.

"Oh, Rabbit's Mad Castle," she frowned as she read the name of the game. "I can't wait to play this…"

She stood up on her haunches and tried to kick him, but the rabbit deftly beat off her hoof and immediately smacked her forehead with his paw.

"Ouch! What was that, Angel? I've told you a hundred times it's not polite to hit other ponies. Especially the one that feeds you!" She said and made another attempt to hit the rabbit, but this time she was out of luck too. Angel promptly gave her a lot of slaps and sent her back to the floor before pushing the game box in her direction.

"Play the game, Shy," he said.

"I'm not playing this shit!" She kicked it back with her wing.

"Come on, Shy. Stick it in the Coltendo," the rabbit said, opening the box and tossing her the cartridge.

"Hey, what are you ordering me to do? Which one of us is the pet? I'm going to punish you and stick it down your rabbit hole!" Fluttershy was indignant and tried to beat him again, still with the same result.

"You've been playing Angel's Birthday Blowout, Shy. You've got unfinished business," he said, knocking her to the floor again. "Well, play it for two minutes and then maybe you can punish me."

Fluttershy nodded somberly and finally inserted the cartridge into the console, then took hold of the joystick with her wings.

"Oh, ha-ha! I can't!" Rainbow Dash chuckled, watching the whole thing on her phone.

She and her friends were standing in the square in front of Canterlot Castle, listening to the Equestrian ruler's speech along with the ponies and changelings that had gathered there. Or rather, she should have. What princess Celestia was telling them was too boring and uninteresting, and the pegasus decided to distract herself a little and watched a newly recorded video of the Angry Video Game Mare.

"Do you like it?" Fluttershy asked, standing beside her. "Pinkie and I filmed it all day and didn't even take a break."

She shuffled her foot modestly.

"We did try tea once, though, but then we realized that Mrs. Cake's chocolate balls looked a lot like rabbit shit and decided to use them in a future skit."

"Hee-hee, oh yeah, that's just awesome!" The blue pony giggled as she watched Fluttershy put down the joystick after a couple of minutes, and after saying that she'd rather stick her head up a bear's ass than play that game, she attacked the dressed-up Pinkie Pie again and with superimposed sounds of kicking and punching, she fake-punched and strangled her. But it didn't last long at all. Soon the rabbit got the better of her again, and after throwing a few punches, threw her straight onto the couch.

"Sorry, Shy, you're ain't done yet. Looks like you got another game!" Angel said, handing her a console with a mini-cartridge.

"Rabbit's Mad Castle 2?! There's a sequel?!" She groaned. "How could this be possible?! I'm not playing this!"

"But you wanna play it," Angel said.

"No, I don't want it!" Fluttershy snorted angrily.

"You do wanna!" The rabbit insisted.

"I don't wanna!" She wouldn't give up.

"You do wanna!" He pestered.

"I don't wanna!" The pegasus stammered.

"You don't wanna!" Angel said suddenly.

"I do wanna!" Shy said.

"You don't wanna!" He continued.

"I do wanna!" The mare said loudly.

"You don't wanna!" He stomped his foot.

"I do wanna! And you're gonna stop me!" The pegasus finally declared and took the console for herself. Then, realizing she had been cheated, held up a lollipop that said Sucker.

"Oh, that's hilarious!" Rainbow Dash giggled again. "How could real Angel let you pull that off?"

"Actually, it was his idea," said Fluttershy. "He was a little mad at me for that episode about Angel's Birthday Blowout and said it was the only way I could make it up to him."

"By letting him beat you up? Yeah, he's a real..." The blue pegasus began, but was interrupted by an angry hiss:

"Quiet, girls. Have you forgotten that the princess is making her speech and going to make official peace between ponies and changelings?" Twilight said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Twilight," said Fluttershy guiltily.

"You haven't forgotten how important this ceremony is, have you?" Twilight reminded them.

"Except it's all for show," said Rainbow Dash. "She and the queens had already signed everything when Celestia invited Ashaisha to her castle. So this speech is nothing more than a formality."

"Maybe, but it's very important. So try to keep your voices down, or else..." said Twilight a little louder.

One of the stallions a row ahead of them shushed her:

"Quiet; I can't hear," he said.

"What?! But I just..."

"Twilight, shame on you," Dash giggled. "Princess Celestia's making such an important speech, and you're making all this noise and not listening to her."

"Grr!" The unicorn growled angrily.

While they were debating, princess Celestia had already finished her speech and gave the floor to queen Ashaisha, who was standing on the tower balcony with Chrysalis and her family.

The Spider Queen stepped forward and, glancing at the audience gathered in the square, sincerely thanking everyone for their trust in her; For accepting her and giving her a second chance.

This ceremony took place six months after the events in the desert. The changeling queens met several times to discuss the details of the reconciliation, and afterwards, arranged an audience with the princesses of Equestria, who gladly accepted their offer of peace and began discussing further cooperation between the ponies and changelings.

As Ashaisha gave her speech, Chrysalis stepped discreetly toward the beautifully dressed Cadence and playfully pinched her with her telekinesis.

"Ouch, what are you doing, Chrissy?" She whispered, embarrassed. "We're on public."

"I know, but I can't keep myself. You look so beautiful tonight," said Chrysalis languidly.

"Hee-hee, I know," the princess smiled.

"And you have such a cute tummy," she furtively stroked the mare's slightly enlarged belly as she waited. "I can't wait for the baby to come out."

"Me, too. I wonder who that will be? Maybe a filly?"

"Oh, no. I want the colt," said Shining Armor, sneaking up behind them. "I've already named him Noble Blade. It's the name of a real hero! As soon as he grows up, he can attend Canterlot Academy."

"Now, now, now, dear. He'll have to grow up first. And he needs to be born too," Cadence said. "And then, even with a filly, we can always have another little one."

"Agreed. But the next one will be mine," said Chrysalis.

"Of course, my love, but only one. We do not need eighty foals," warned her unicorn.

"One? Just one?" The queen snorted. "I'll be laughed at by all the queens. They'll say I've lost my fertility. How about forty?"

"I don't think so. No more than two," Shining conceded slightly.

"Well, how about ten?" Chrysalis asked pitifully.

"No, three at most. And that's my final word," the stallion insisted.

"All right, you win," the queen agreed, whispering to herself: "Let's see how you sing when I show up in that cute maid's outfit I bought last Thursday. It will excite you so much that we'll populate a small town in no time."

"And now, I give the floor to queen Chrysalis, who first made peace with us and thereby proved her true nobility and the greatness of her people," said Celestia. Chrysalis, quickly fixing her dress, went to the microphone and addressed the watching ponies and changelings from both hives. They all watched the ceremony with rapt attention, including a group of a few changelings who whispered quietly amongst themselves.

"Ah, it's great that our mother was able to persuade queen Ashaisha to make peace with everyone," said Thorax, one of the changelings.

"And she convinced her that ponies and changelings could live together," said his older brother, Pharynx. "It made all the difference in our lives. Right, princess Ocellus?"

He turned to their mutual friend – the Hive's Crown Princess.

"Yes, she's good. She's got a knack for a double wedding," Ocellus nodded. "If she hadn't, it might easily have gone wrong, and we might never have made peace with the ponies or the warring hive."

"Yeah, and then who knows where it would have gone," Pharynx added. "Surely something terrible could have happened to our mother. We might even have lost her and that would have been the end of the hive."

"Don't exaggerate, losing the queen doesn't mean the end of the hive," Thorax protested.

"Oh, really? And who would take her place?" Ocellus asked.

"I don't know. One of her daughters, for instance, or maybe the ponies could appoint a drone to take her place and run the place."

Ocellus and Pharynx looked at him with smiles, before laughing merrily.

"Pfft, nonsense. You're a dreamer," Pharynx laughed.

"Yeah, that's as silly as they come," said Ocellus. "You'd think we'd all be colored after that, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, we'd all be rainbow colors," said Pharynx chuckling.

"No, I wouldn't do that," said Thorax with a grin.

"I wonder how that drone of yours would carry on our kind?" Pharynx added.

"Like a queer porn film, that's how," said Thorax sarcastically. "Except with a sci-fi twist."

"Ugh! Creepy," snorted Ocellus. "Well, you could always have a queen in charge of changelings, not a droning dodo."

"That's true," Thorax said, sighing softly in his heart.

Meanwhile, the ceremony had come to a close. Everyone in it had made their speech, and princess Celestia stepped forward.

"Well, ponies and changelings, the performance is over, and I am pleased to announce the beginning of a new era in which our two kinds can come to terms and live in peace. And may this day be remembered in our shared history as the day when we overcame our old divisions once and for all and began to walk side by side toward a bright future!" She said loudly to the joyful clatter of hundreds of hooves.

"And now I invite you all to come to my castle, where the greatest chefs of Equestria have already prepared a grand feast, which we will celebrate today," ended the Sun Queen, and all the guests gathered in the square headed to the door to the great hall, where six months ago the party was held to celebrate the Nightmare Night.

***

And so ended that momentous day, after which the lives of the two nations changed fundamentally, playing with new colors. The ponies, albeit not immediately, were able to accept the changelings into their society and lived with them in perfect harmony, giving them their love and helping them to get used to such an unfamiliar environment away from their home hive.

Queen Chrysalis even sent some of the young changelings to pony schools so that they could make new friends there. The colt that went to Ponyville proved to be the best. Not only was he able to fit in with the ponies, but he also showed them that not all changelings are monsters, including one young filly who didn't want to acknowledge him at first. But after a brief incident in which she herself was turned into a changeling, she fell in love with them, and nine years later married at him.*

Ashaisha, having been forgiven, left the desert and built a new hive near Manehattan. The locals were wary of her at first, but it didn't last long. They soon befriended her and became good neighbors, who began to visit her hive from time to time, which quickly made it the main tourist attraction in Manehattan, where ponies from all over Equestria flocked to see the culture and life of the changelings, thereby improving their image and helping to enrich both cities. As for the queen herself, a couple of years later she found her love in a young kirin artist who came to Manehattan looking for inspiration and fell in love at first sight with the wild and unusual spider queen, to whom he dedicated several of his paintings (and painted her naked a couple of times). Eight months later they were married, and Chrysalis attended their wedding with her family and friends.

A month after the ceremony, the ponies and changelings sent their ambassadors to Rohara, the last feuding queen of the werewolves, with an offer of peace. Although she was reluctant for a very long time, they still managed to convince her to visit Canterlot, where Rohara saw ponies and changelings living peacefully in the same city, and because of this she finally agreed to ally with Equestria, thereby ending the feud between the two races forever.

As princess Celestia's most loyal student and history buff, Twilight had some amazing adventures that led to Celestia's decision to reward her for her efforts and make her an alicorn. The newly converted princess of Equestria was over the moon, though she wasn't immediately accustomed to her new wings, which often took her into the treetops or other pony's attics.

Family life for Cadence, Shining and Chrysalis was going great. A few months later, Cadence gave birth to a filly who turned out to be an alicorn, which greatly surprised everyone she knew and relatives, as it was the first time in pony history that such a baby girl had been born.

The newborn pony grew up very lively and energetic, as a true alicorn should, and her parents had great difficulties with her upbringing at first, especially Shining, who was physically unable to manage such a strong filly. However, thanks to Cadence and Chrysalis (whom the little pony took as her own mother), they still managed to take care of her and bring her up decently. They decided to name the filly Flurry Heart for her violent and all-destroying temper.

After the baby had grown a little older, it was Chrysalis' turn to have children, and against Shining's wishes, she gave birth to ten cute changelings, which, like Flurry Heart, came into the world rather unusually. When they hatched, they each had a white shell and dark blue wings similar to Shining's mane. In addition, seven of them were princess mares, and only three were stallions (a very rare occurrence with changelings). But Chrysalis was not at all surprised, saying that this sometimes happens when their father has very strong and high quality genes.

So the stallion began a new phase of his life. He became a father, and at first he was very nervous about it, until he realized that being a dad wasn't so bad, especially having two powerful and caring wives. Soon, Shining stopped being afraid and truly loved his wonderful children.

In the meantime, life in Equestria was going on, and many amazing things were happening around it. A few years later, the Crystal Empire and its evil King Sombra returned, threatening the ponies with war. Luckily, thanks to Twilight and her friends and the entire army of changelings supporting them, they managed to overthrow King Sombra and free the Crystal Empire from his oppression without much trouble. Once the empire was saved, it needed new rulers, which became princess Cadence and queen Chrysalis and their loving husband. It wasn't easy for Chrysalis at first, as she often had to go away to watch over her hive, and one day she took all the newborn changelings that were larvae with her and went away with them for a week, and when she returned, they had all acquired legs. But a year later, she handed over her powers as queen to the rising Princess Ocellus and was able to move completely into the Crystal Palace to join the couple, where they began raising children together and ruling their new kingdom.

The H...

Uh, no, it's not over yet.

Epilogue.

Sixty years after the Royal Wedding.

Queen Ocellus's Hive.

"Hi, Mom! Welcome home! I'm so happy you decided to stop by on your way to the Crystal Empire!" Queen Ocellus said cheerfully as she greeted Chrysalis and Cadence, who held her hooves and carefully stepped out of the expensive carriage, embossed with gold and precious stones.

"Of course, my daughter. Do you think we would have missed such an opportunity if we had not been there?" Chrysalis said with a smile.

"Of course not. So, where is your husband?" Ocellus asked, looking behind their backs.

"What you mean? Isn't he in the back?" Cadence turned around and then added with a sigh: "Oh, it looks like he's asleep."

And she climbed back into the carriage, where she gently wiggled the elderly stallion sitting in the corner.

"Wake up, dear. We're here," she said affectionately.

"Huh? Already?" Said the old unicorn, hardly opening one eye, getting up from the seat and slowly moving to the exit of the carriage.

"May I help you?" Cadence asked.

"No thank you, darling," said Shining, stepping gently down the first step. "I may be old, but I can still move my hooves."

He hesitated a few steps forward, then stopped as his hind legs began to tremble.

"Of course, hubby," said Chrysalis, seeing this, gallantly offering him her leg. "But we're your wives, after all, and we want to take care of you. Nothing to be ashamed of."

The stallion hesitated a little, but then he took her leg and slowly lowered himself to the ground.

"And besides, we love you very much and don't want to neglect you," she added, gently smoothing his graying mane.

"Yeah, that's why you're all so worried about me. Like I'm made of glass," the old stallion grunted, taking a couple of deep breaths.

"Sort of," said Cadence, who followed him out the door.

"So, where's that surprise you were talking about?" Shining asked, squinting slightly.

"You'll see, hubby, in time," said Chrysalis. "But first I would like to discuss something with Ocellus."

And with these words she approached her daughter.

"Tell me, how are you?" Said Chrysalis, looking at her former hive, which had changed greatly in her absence and now looked much more modern. "How are my subjects? Oh, sorry, I meant your subjects? I hope you continue my work of making peace with the other races with dignity?"

"Of course, mother," smiled Ocellus. "My ministers and I have just recently made peace with the griffins of the Misty Mountains, and today we are hosting their ambassadors, who have come to us for diplomatic negotiations."

She showed her to one of the outer courtyards of the hive, where several representative-looking griffins were strolling by a pool, accompanied by changelings. One of them had a white trim torso and dark blue wings.

"My first advisor, Noble Blade, is just giving them the tour, telling them of the advantages of trading with our hive," the queen said pointedly. "By the way, he's the one who suggested the deal and was the first to go to their capital."

"Yes, well done, son. You can see this is my roots," Shining said, coughing faintly, as the white changeling looked on proudly.

"By the way, how are the preparations going?" Chrysalis whispered, peeking furtively at him. "Is it all ready?"

"Of course it is, mama. Twilight's helpers and I prepped the pool and heated it to the right temperature. According to the research she did, everything should go perfectly."

"Twilight? Sis?" Smiled the old stallion. "Is she here too? I haven't seen her in a while. Ever since she started ruling Equestria six months ago."

"No, darling. It's been twenty years since then," Cadence corrected him softly.

"Has it really? How time flies!" The Shining marveled.

"And it's only been three months since you saw Twilight," added Chrysalis. "Remember?"

"I guess, though I'm not sure. Sorry, darlings, my memory's been failing me a lot lately," he shrugged. "So this is your surprise? Will I see my little sister again?"

"Not exactly. I mean, you'll see her again, but not right now," she promised him. "She hasn't left yet, has she?"

"No, mother. She said she couldn't miss such a momentous occasion for the family and is resting in the guest room for the time being," said Ocellus.

"That's wonderful. So you will be seeing her very soon. But first we'll show you our surprise. You don't mind, do you, my dear?" Said Chrysalis turning to her daughter.

"Of course not, mother. I'll assign someone to guide you right away," said Ocellus, turning to summon one of the changelings standing at the entrance.

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. Though I haven't been here in years, I haven't forgotten where the hatchery is," said Chrysalis, saying goodbye to her daughter and walking with Shining and Cadence to the gate.

"The hatchery?" The old stallion repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep," she nodded. "That's where we're going."

"But why?"

"You will find out soon enough, my dear. That will be our surprise," the queen replied vaguely.

Once inside the hive, which, despite its wild appearance, was furnished with beautiful furniture and expensive modern equipment (like a large TV set, which was watched in the reception room by griffins, or panels with holographic signs, telling where and what is located), the couple reached the elevator and went down several floors. After passing through a couple of richly decorated halls, which, thanks to the efforts of Ocellus, had been visibly transformed and now looked very modern (just chrome tables with a circular screen in the center of them), they finally reached the lower level of the hive and came to large double doors, which looked very old and a little neglected. However, they were guarded by two sturdy changeling warriors, who immediately stepped aside at the sight of Chrysalis and, bowing low, unlocked the gate with their telekinesis.

Chrysalis was the first to enter.

"Careful, my love. There are some high steps," she said, carefully supporting her husband and helping him down.

"Thank you, dear Chrissy, but where are we, and what are you going to..." he stopped in surprise when he saw before him a huge stone hall and a pool in the center of it, which was filled with a strange greenish liquid. Around the pool were numerous desks with computers and all sorts of lab equipment, adorned with badges bearing Twilight's cutie mark. "Wow, what is that?"

"This? Our Incubator," said Chrysalis. "The pool contains a special secretion of changelings, in which the queen must dip her larvae so that they grow legs and the next stage of development begins."

Shining looked at her incomprehensibly.

"Yes, it's hard to explain, but that's how we complete the larval stage, after which we acquire our adult appearance," she added.

"But that's far from the only usage of this fluid, isn't it, Chrissy?" The princess said.

"That's right, Cady. As Twilight recently found out by studying an old alchemical book, our secretion can be made into a special compound that the ancient ponies used for a special purpose."

"Oh yes? For what purpose?" The stallion asked.

"For rejuvenation," said Chrysalis.

Shining finally realized why he had been brought here.

"So you want me to..." he began.

"Yes, hubby. All the years we've had with you have been the most wonderful times of our lives. But time passes, Cadence and I don't age, but you..." she sighed sadly, "I'm afraid so. We have been talking it over with Twilight and decided we don't want to lose you."

Both mares walked over to him.

"We want you to be your old self again, young and strong, and so we brought you here," the princess said. "Twilight has spent three whole years researching, experimenting, and calculating to make this solution as described in the book. And now it is finally ready. All you have to do is dip into it once, and you'll be rejuvenated in no time."

She paused for a moment and looked hopefully into his eyes.

"Well? What do you say, my love? Do you agree? Do you want to be like you were when you were young again?"

Shining looked intently first at them and then at the green gurgling liquid.

"Do I want to? To be young again? To return to the days when you and I were together as husband and wives?" He said thoughtfully, remembering his younger years and the last couple of years he'd spent in the Crystal Castle's private room, leaving it only sometimes to stroll about town.

"Well," he said at last. "It's certainly very tempting. To get rid of the pain in my bones. To have smooth skin and sharp eyesight again. To be strong again, to be hardy."

Both mares moved toward him with the same hopeful smiles.

The stallion stared at the pool for a moment before stepping resolutely back from the edge.

"But you know, I think I'll pass. I'm sorry, my dears, but I've lived a happy and adventurous life as it is, and I don't want to change anything. After all, that's nature's way – a pony is born, lives, and when his time comes, he..."

But he wasn't allowed to finish. Suddenly he was shoved by two legs, and Shining stumbled and tumbled straight into the green slop.

"No way! I'm sorry, hubby, but we didn't have to go through all this planning to have you spinning tales of life and death," said Chrysalis, standing up on the edge of the cove.

"Yeah. We'd hoped you'd be more life-like. But since you're not ready to make that important choice..." said Cadence.

"We'll have to do it for you," ended Chrysalis.

Shining breached the surface, slathered in the goo. His face appeared visibly younger, the blue in his mane much brighter.

"Kha-ha! But-but-but," he protested. "This isn't right. It's not natural!"

"Oh, you're wrong, my dear. It's perfectly natural. At least for us. And you... well, you'll see in time how beautiful immortality is," Cadence said.

"Yeah, and we'll take it easy on you, as we promised, and let you rest now and then, as we've done for the past twenty years. And now it's time for you to take your place beside us again," said Chrysalis, looking at him from all sides. "Look, Twilight's lineup is working great. Well? Had enough of him?"

"No. He looks a little over forty years old, and I want to see a cute twenty year old version of him," Cadence declared and put her foot forward and dunked him again.

"Ugh!" The stallion gurgled loudly.

"Just don't overdo it. We don't want him to become a foal," the queen cautioned her, and Cadence, after waiting a few more seconds, magically pulled the Shining out of the pool.

The unicorn was covered in slime, but even so, she could see how much younger it had become.

"Perfect," Chrysalis said with a smile. "Our sweet, sweet stud is back to us again."

She licked her lips a few times.

"A stud that hasn't satisfied us physically for several years now," Cadence backed her up.

"Celestia dear; Not again," The stallion lowered his ears sadly.

"Yes. And now that you're young and full of energy, I suggest we go up to my old bedroom to catch up," said Chrysalis with a giggle.

"No!" said the Shining pleadingly.

"Yes!" said Cadence enthusiastically. "Oh, darling, we've waited so long for this."

"Yeah, many years, in fact," said Chrysalis. "We've been longing for your hard little friend."

"Indeed we have," she winked at the alicorn. "Of course, Chrissy's been filling in for you in your absence. But she needs a stallion, too, which means it's time our sweet Shiny was back in business."

"I was so sure I'd had enough," the unicorn exhaled, frightened.

"No, we're not letting you go that easily," Cadence said, grabbing him by the legs like a cave mare and mounting him on her back. "We're not going to let some miserable old mare with a scythe take you away from us. You will be with us from now on."

"Forever," Chrysalis smirked.

And they both headed for the door, dragging the struggling stallion behind them.

***

"And here we have a recreation area where you can rest and gather your strength before you meet the queen," an adult changeling with white armor and blue wings told the griffins as he escorted them into the spacious courtyard, where there was a flowering garden and a bar with refreshments.

"Thank you, kind sir," one of the ambassadors thanked him with a bow.

"I hope you enjoyed the tour?" Noble Blade asked him.

"Oh yes, it was very interesting. I did not think that I could be so interested in the culture of another race in my old age," the gryphon said, taking a seat in the easy chair beside the table.

"Glad to hear it," the changeling smiled. "Can I offer you anything else? Perhaps you'd like a little snack while you're resting?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind a bit of a grub, if that's possible. Say, don't you have any meat? I've been craving meat since my recent visit to Canterlot."

"Certainly, Mr. Ambassador," Noble said, waving to his brother in the black shroud who had just lit a large roaster and was arranging sausages on the grill.

"Just a couple of minutes and you can enjoy our signature hot dogs," promised the white changeling.

At that moment there was a slight rumble and sounds of struggle from the side of the hive.

The stallion turned around and saw two tall mares, one of whom was his mother, in one of the crystal windows. They were dragging a struggling young unicorn up the steps.

"Oh, mother. I see she did manage to get daddy to take a dip in the pool, or else..." he grinned as he watched him cling to the crossbar, and both mares had to work hard to get him off, "She did it against his will. Yeah, I don't want to be on his shoes."

Soon the stallion's loud sighs and desperate cries began to be heard from the side of the high turret.

"No! No!" He cried.

"Hey, how are your hot dogs coming?" Asked the gryphon. "I am very hungry."

"Not much longer, Mr. Ambassador," the changeling chef answered. "They are almost ready, but I will turn up the heat now so you don't have to wait long."

He twisted the knob of the brazier and made the flames fly through the grate.

He slipped one of the sausages into the hot flames just as Shining let out his loudest and most desperate "No!" which was quickly drowned out by the soundproof barrier of pink and green waves around the tower.

"Have a good night, Papa," Noble wished him one last time, and turned to the ambassador with a smile.

Now it's really The Hot End.

*A reference to a fanfic titled: "A Changing Perspective: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Shell", in which queen Chrysalis turned Diamond Tiara into a changeling. I saw it three years ago, and I liked it a lot, for which it deserves a mention in my story.

Author's Note

Well, that's the end of this story, which I really hope you enjoyed. It wasn't easy to write it in my non-native language, but thanks to my own diligence and the invaluable help of people like Centurion Pike-Wall and nioniosbbbb, I made it, for which I am truly grateful, as well as all of you for your comments and support. Thank you so much, friends, for reading Family harmony and remember – Friendship is Magic!!! :raritywink:

Chapter 1: Wild Wedding

In Equestria's capital, Canterlot, the day was unusual. Special. It was the royal wedding between the captain of the palace guard, Shining Armor, and Princess Celestia’s niece, Cadance, who, like her aunt, was a princess. The Princess of Love.

For many ponies, this wedding was very important, not only for the lovers themselves, but also for their friends and relatives, and therefore they prepared for it accordingly. Many guests were invited, a large ceremonial hall was elegantly decorated in honor of such a significant event, and mountains of treats towered on the tables, from tiny cakes to tower-like cakes, baked by the best court in the Apple family.

Everyone who took part in all these preparations was filled with joy for the future newlyweds and tried to do everything possible to make their wedding a success.

Everyone, except Twilight Sparkle. The unicorn, who was the younger sister of Shining Armor, for some reason didn’t want her brother to marry the princess, and tried to prevent this in every possible way. This was very strange for her friends, because she and Cadance were best friends and had never quarreled before. But now, for some reason, she hated her. She condemned her in every possible way, said nasty things, and in the end even ruined her wedding rehearsal.

But despite all attempts to stop the wedding, it still took place and at the appointed time all the guests and Twilight’s friends came to the ceremony solemnly dressed and happy without her. They thought she could not come to terms with defeat, and preferred to spend the day in her room, and could only guess what made her dislike Cadance so much. Maybe she was envious? Or even jealous?

Meanwhile, the wedding was drawing to a close. Princess Celestia, who herself decided to hold the ceremony, gave a beautiful wedding speech, after which she moved on to its main part:

"Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, it is with great joy that I declare you husband and wife," the alicorn proclaimed.

As soon as she said this, two smartly dressed foals approached the altar and handed the newlyweds rings, which they put on each other on the horn.

"Well, finally, this ceremony has been going on for too long already. I made so much effort to marry this handsome stallion, and it would be very disappointing if someone would interfere with us now." Cadance thought excitedly.

"Now, you may kiss!" finished the ruler of Equestria.

"Yes, dear, come to me," said Cadance with a wide smile, coming closer to the white unicorn and kissing him firmly on the lips, accompanied by loud exclamations and applause from the audience. Some of the guests even laughed softly when they saw how the princess grabbed the stallion's neck and, throwing it over on its side, passionately dug her lips into it. It seemed that she was not just kissing him, but literally feeding on his love.

"Oh, sorry. I got a little carried away. I'm just so happy. Today is the best day of my life," the princess said in embarrassment, finishing with a quick kiss and turning with her husband towards the guests.

Several reporters present at the ceremony immediately approached the altar and began clicking their cameras, trying to capture such a joyful moment.

"Hello, I'm Paper Swift," one of the photographers introduced herself. "May I ask you to stand near one of the arched windows so that my assistant and I take a picture of you against the backdrop of the setting sun of Princess Celestia?"

"Of course, why not?" Cadance agreed with a gleeful laugh. "What do you say, hubby?"

"Yes, darling, I completely agree with you," Shining Armor responded in a slightly sluggish and lifeless (apparently from excitement) voice, obediently following her to the window and standing beside her.

"That's so great, and now, be so kind as to kiss, please, again," Paper asked them, adjusting the camera and preparing to take a picture. But then the doors behind her thundered open and into the hall under the surprised exclamations of the assembled guests came another one princess Cadance, disheveled and filthy, followed by a purple unicorn – Twilight Sparkle.

"Wait, I am protesting!" exclaimed the newly arrived Princess of Love. "This Cadance is a fake!"

She then noticed a gold ring on the horn of her beloved.

"Oh no!" Cadance exclaimed.

"We are too late!" Twilight added, looking at Shining.

"What's the matter? What's going on here?" Princess Celestia asked, going down to the guests and looking in surprise first at one Cadance, then at the other.

"Aunt! Listen to me! It's me – the real Cadance, and she's an impostor!" The battered mare exclaimed. "She's not even a pony! This is the queen of the changelings!"

"Nonsense! She's not telling the truth! I’m the real Cadance, and she's trying to trick you Aunt Tia," said the second Cadance, who was standing next to the white stallion.

"Oh, you impudent liar!" with hatred the princess exclaimed, pouncing on her exact copy. A fight broke out between them, both mares began to angrily bite each other and drag by the hair. Guests immediately rushed to them to try to separate, but as soon as they got close, one of the princesses was suddenly engulfed in an emerald green flame, and in front of everyone's eyes she turned into a changeling.

The ponies stepped back in fright. Several mares screamed in horror and fainted. Queen Chrysalis slowly rose to her feet, straightening her injured wedding dress, which was now out of her size. Throwing back her tangled dark turquoise mane, she looked arrogantly at the guests staring at her.

"See! I told you she was an impostor!" Triumphantly exclaimed Princess Cadance, who stood up after her, spitting out a tuft of hair that had changed along with its owner. Angry lightning flashed in the eyes of the princess. "She imprisoned me and Twilight in the mines near Canterlot, and she, pretending to be me, wanted to marry my husband."

"More precisely, I have already married him," the queen remarked with a malicious laugh. "And now Shining Armor is my husband. My special pony who whispered sweet little things to me last night and playfully bit my ear."

"Oh, how romantic it is," sighed voluptuously Rarity, who was standing nearby.

"Hey, you shouldn't like this!" said Rainbow Dash, staring daggers at her angrily.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry, I don’t know what came over me," said the white unicorn, shaking her head in embarrassment.

"Enough! I demand that you return my fiancé to me immediately!" declared Cadance, rushing to the unicorn, who was still standing in a trance and grabbing his leg.

"Never! I've already married him, and now he's mine!" in turn exclaimed Chrysalis, running up from the opposite side and grabbing the other leg.

They both began to violently pull on the stallion, whose head was limply swinging.

"It's not for long! You made a big mistake when you decided to come here and deceive us!" interrupting their argument, Princess Celestia sternly exclaimed, stepping forward and pointing her horn at the queen of the changelings.

"Well, do not rush to get involved in a fight, princess. Yes, I deceived you," Chrysalis said proudly, turning to her. "But for a reason. I had a good reason."

"Good reason?!" Cadance snapped angrily. "A good reason to steal my beloved from me?!"

"Exactly. I did it to help my children who, because of your cruelty, are dying of hunger," Chrysalis replied.

She let go of Shining Armor's leg and turned to the ponies gathered around her.

"What else do you think I should have done? My children live in a lifeless and dead wilderness, languishing with hunger and loneliness, and as soon as one of them approaches you, you immediately chase them and call them monsters."

She took a few steps forward, keeping one eye on Celestia, who continued to hold her in sight.

"But my children are not monsters. They are unhappy and loveless creatures who sincerely want to live in peace with ponies."

"You're lying! All changelings are vampires!" one of the mare exclaimed angrily.

"Beasts!" a nearby stallion supported her.

"No! They are not monsters!" came an exclamation, and it was not Chrysalis who said this at all, but another mare who had come to the wedding.

Everyone present turned to her in surprise, including the queen herself.

"And I know that, because I’m married to a changeling myself," the pony continued. "We met a couple of years ago, when I was walking in the forest and picking berries. He came out from behind the bushes, holding out a whole heap of ripe raspberries. At first, I was scared of him and decided that he wanted to hurt me, but a bear attacked us and this changeling turned into a dragon to save me. Changelings are not monsters at all!"

She tugged at the leg of a stately stallion standing next to her, and he, embarrassedly looking down, turned into a changeling under the amazed exclamations of the rest of the guests.

"And since then we have started dating, and six months ago he offered me to become his wife, and I gladly agreed," the mare continued. "I love him very much and I can tell you that I have never met a more tender, kind and housewifely stallion in my life."

The changeling next to her blushed slightly.

"So am I," another mare put in. "I thought I was the only one, but I must tell you that my husband is also a changeling."

"And so is mine," added another young pony.

"And my wife is a changeling," one of the stallions in thick glasses finished uncertainly. "to be honest, she’s not exactly a mare, though. That is, when we are with her in public, she is, of course, a mare, but at home, as soon as we are alone, she... well... you know..."

"Quiet dear, you don't need to tell anyone about this," the beautiful earth pony, which he was holding by the leg, stopped him.

"Enough!" Cadance stopped them. "How can you protect changelings?! They're vampires!"

"I'm sure all these ponies are also changelings!" Exclaimed Rainbow Dash. She immediately pounced on the stallion in glasses and started to beat his face.

"Come on! Transform back! Transform back!" loudly shouted the blue pegasus, pushing aside the earth pony that was trying to stop her with her wing.

"Hey! Stop it! Enough! I'm not a changeling!" Shielding himself from her with his hooves.

"Yes, pony, I can assure you that he is definitely not one of my children," the queen confirmed.

"We’ll check it out," Twilight said, and called a spark from her horn, launching it at the stallion.

"Sorry, Rainbow Dash, but he really isn't a changeling," the unicorn said after a couple of seconds, when the spark hit his leg, immediately disappeared.

"Well, maybe," Rainbow Dash said in frustration after giving him a few more slaps. "But remember – I'm watching you," she added at last, lowering him to the floor.

"You see, Celestia? We are not the monsters," the queen said with a smile, watching everything that happened. "As for vampires", she added, turning to Cadance, "when we feed on love, it doesn't hurt at all and doesn't hurt anyone. And it doesn't feel like sucking blood. If someone sincerely loves us, we simply absorb his feelings and give reciprocal love, without taking anything away."

She walked over to Celestia and looked her straight in the eye.

"But you don’t understand this and you just hate us. That is why I decided to cheat. I wanted to save those who are dear to me."

She was silent for a second, and a bright blush flashed on her cheeks.

"Well, and because I really like Shining Armor. He's such a sweetheart."

Cadance snorted angrily.

"Tell me, Celestia, would you not have done the same in my place? Wouldn't you do everything in your power to take care of your loved ones?" She asked the white alicorn.

"Well..." the princess said with embarrassment, having stopped aiming at her with her own horn.

"If you’re telling the truth, then why didn’t you just ask us for help?" Twilight asked the queen.

"Twilight! Don't tell me that you believe her, after everything we went through in the mines?" Cadance exclaimed.

"I’m just trying to figure it out, Cadance, so I’m not wrong again," the unicorn said.

"Well, young pony, I can answer your question," Chrysalis told her. "My children have asked you for help many times, but you have always refused them. And some of the guards even vilely attacked them when they told them that they were changelings. I'm sure it was Celestia's suggestion," the queen added, and some of the guests looked at the princess accusingly.

"This is not true! I never ordered them to attack changelings!" Celestia exclaimed.

"So, they did it themselves, but the essence does not change from this. One way or another, you always chased us away, and I had to look for another way. I could no longer see how my children were suffering and was ready to risk even my own life to feed them."

"I… to be honest, I didn't know you were doing so badly," Celestia said.

"Exactly, you didn’t know or didn’t want to know. So I had to pretend to be your niece to help my children get into pony society and live peacefully with you. And if everything went well, you wouldn’t have even noticed it."

As she spoke, Shining Armor, meanwhile, began to recover. The charm Chrysalis put on him faded, and he began to look around in confusion.

"Huh? Where am I? What's happening?" He asked in a trembling voice.

"Well, maybe you are right, but that didn’t give you the right to put me and Twilight in the mine," Cadance said, ignoring his awakening.

"Yes, I have to admit that I really overdid it and am ready to sincerely apologize to you," the queen said, going up to Cadance and Twilight and kneeling down in front of them.

"I sincerely regret my actions and ask your forgiveness," she said loudly for everyone to hear.

"Apologies are not enough, you must return my husband to me!" the Princess of Love insistently demanded.

"Darling, what's happening?" the stallion tried to ask her, but she only shouted angrily at him:

"Not now!"

"I’m afraid that’s not possible; I’ve already married him," Chrysalis replied. "And I don’t want to lose him. Shining Armor is so cute."

"Oh, you two-faced shrew!" the alicorn gritted her teeth, ready to rush at the queen again.

"However, we don’t have to quarrel over this," Chrysalis interjected suddenly.

"Why is that?"

"Before deciding on this wedding, I carefully studied your Equestrian laws. I know that you cannot break off your marriage earlier than a year later. And also, I know that your stallions are allowed to have several wives in marriage at once," she smiled slyly.

"What?" gasped Cadance.

"What?!" Shining Armor exclaimed, no less dumbfounded.

"Instead of fighting and arguing over the groom, I suggest you become his second wife."

"No!" said the stallion, frightened. "I won't go for it!"

"Really? When I asked you to rub your nose against my tummy last night, you didn't really resist much," the queen laughed.

"Because you had bewitched me!" Shining said.

"Actually, during our hugs, I gave you complete freedom of action, so those naughty hoof games were completely your decision."

Cadance glared at him.

"I… I…" he tried to justify himself.

"Enough! I don’t want to hear anything!" Cadance growled. "Are you crazy?" She turned to Chrysalis. "I will never share my beloved with such a treacherous creature as you!"

The pink alicorn ran up to Celestia.

"Aunt Tia, do something! Break up their marriage!"

"I’m sorry, Cadance, but I'm afraid she's right. According to our laws, I cannot dissolve their marriage earlier than a year later," Celestia said guiltily.

"And besides, such a decision could badly affect my attempts to make peace with the Equestria," added Chrysalis.

She walked over to Cadance.

"Come on, Princess of Love, don’t be obstinate," said the queen. "Let's at least try. That way I can help my children, and you won't lose the Shining."

Cadance bit her lip in displeasure.

"Please, Cadance, don't do this," Shining looked at her pleadingly.

"And if nothing comes of it, then I promise that in a year I will leave you. But for now, I cannot back down. After all, as a mother, I have to take care of my children," added Chrysalis. "You’re not going to let them suffer, right?"

"Well, okay! You win! I agree!" Cadance exclaimed loudly. "I don’t want the changelings to starve. But I swear if you try to trick us again..."

"I promise that there won't be any more tricks," Chrysalis vowed, lifting her front leg up. "I will no longer bewitch Shining or turn into someone else to deceive you. And lastly..." she lightly hugged the princess, "...I won't lie to the future wife of my husband."

"Okay. I urgently need a wedding dress. The best you can find. And a hairdresser," Cadance said busily, pushing her leg away.

"One sec, Princess. I’ll organize everything in a moment," Rarity perked up, running for her work bag.

"And me," Chrysalis added, looking at the hole in her dress. "After all, I too must be irresistible at this wedding."

"Aunt Tia, I want you to give us another ceremony," Cadance said, turning to the ruler of Equestria.

"Mommy," mumbled the unfortunate Shining Armor.

Author's Note

Well, this is the first chapter of my story, I hope you enjoy it )))