Chapter One: Captive Lovers

A Sparkling Romance: The Magic of TwoOnce upon a time, in the land of Equestria...

It was just a peaceful morning in Ponyville. The birds were chirping, the skies were blue without a cloud to be seen. The Celestia risen Sun was just beginning to appear on the horizon of the lush green plains. A quite blissful morning for any inhabitant, be it lounging in bed in the summer or frolicking in the flower fields. Sadly though, this was not one of those mornings. It was quite different.

The skies were riddled with dark clouds of black smoke, billowing from the wreckages of simple towns down below, the landscape itself wracked with pony-sized craters. The calm and peaceful land below was replaced with a battle-torn wasteland, devoid of tranquility. The city of Fillydelphia had been the unfortunate victim of an assault by the Changeling army.

It had also been days since the wedding couple of Twilight Sparkle, personal student of said Princess, and Jedi Master Aqua Blue went off as peacekeepers to quell the conflict. Celestia expected them to have returned to Canterlot after a few hours at the most, but an errie silence for days on end worried her. This is when Celestia took matters into her own hooves.

A golden chariot tugged by four guards hovered through the blackened skies of Fillydelphia, the fog blinding the chauffeurs were it not for the solar monarch's golden magic illuminating the sky. Dreadful moments passed before the princess broke the silence.

"Guards, land me there." Celestia said as the chariot began it's descent to the ground. With a gruff neigh from the guards, the chariot slowly touched down on the ground. Celestia rose to her hooves with a huff and walked off the platform. True to the nature of the attack, not much of the city was spared. Smoke sizzled all around as Celestia trotted from the chariot, not taking her eyes off the road ahead as she passed several bodies of Changelings and royal guards. Discarded papers flew in the rough gale, blowing away the hazy smog of battle debris. A fellow royal guard approached the solar alicorn as she made her way to a crossroads in the street.

"Your highness, we've scoped the area of any remaining Changeling forces." the guard spoke in a tired voice.

"And what news have you found?" Celestia asked.

"We seem to have driven the entirety of the army forces before any more significant damage could be done."

"Hmm, and what of Twilight Sparkle and Master Aqua?" Celestia questioned with worry in her voice, "Surely they're alright at the moment, wouldn't you agree?"

"Um, I'm sorry to say this, Princess, but we...we lost communications with them after the fourth day of invasion. It seems they were captured when the 4th wave of Changelings assaulted the city center." the guard admitted with a break in his voice. Celestia said nothing, only quickening her pace. Replacing the commonly seen gentle and patient smile was a grimace of worry plastered on the solar diarch's muzzle. Soon though, her qualms would be resolved.

A small warehouse of sorts laid in dilapidation among the towering skyscrapers and businesses of the modern city. Guarding the doors to the storage building were two armored Changelings wielding spears of stainless steel. Inside the building was what was the turning point of the invasion, what had given the Changelings victory over the city. Two powerful assets to the city's security. Amidst the dimly lit room, surrounded by crates stacked upon crates filled with who knows what to be shipped to who knows where, held two ponies. One mare, one stallion. Twilight Sparkle and Aqua Blue, tied back to back in opposite chairs. Twilight lifted her head groggily as she glanced around her surroundings. A weak gasp escaped her throat as her pupils now darted around in a frantic search for Aqua.

"Nrrgghhh!" Twilight struggled in her seat as she strained to free herself of the bonds holding her in place. The mare attempted to jerk her head, only to find a strap restricting her movement. She made the most possible effort to contort her head to view her husband, in an unconscious mood.

"Aqua?" Twilight asked. No response.

"Aqua," the lavender mare repeated in a firmer tone. Twilight attempted to teleport from her ropes, but found her magic energy too tired and exhausted to comply.

"Aqua, wake up!" Twilight cried, tilting her chair back so the legs of Aqua's chair would slam against the steel floor, jolting the pegasus Jedi to consciousness.

"W-What? What happened?" Aqua asked as, in his rude awakening, tried to jerk his head as well, to no avail.

"We got captured by the Changelings and put in this...where are we, anyway?" Twilight explained before getting confused herself. Aqua glanced around the dim building before closing his eyes for a moment. Minutes passed until Aqua spoke.

"We're in a warehouse...surrounded by Changelings, I believe. We need to find a way out of here, but first to get out of this trap." Aqua said.

"Nrrghh! N-No. It's too...tight." Twilight groaned, struggling to break free. As Aqua's ears drooped in distress, he eyed something far away. In plain sight, on a crate about 10 feet away, was a metallic handle of some sort. The blue stallion's eyes widened as he identified the object in particular.

His lightsaber. Twilight again attempted to utilize her magic, only for a few sparkles to fizzle out of her horn, nothing more. With a frustrated groan, Twilight swished her tail as Aqua focused his gaze on his weapon. The mare even considered gnawing her way through, but her head restraint prevented such. In one last effort, Twilight slammed her head against the back of her chair, the force of it only rocking the chairs to the side a few inches. Her ears drooped as well as she lowered her head as best she could.

"Well, I'm out of ideas. Any suggestions?" Twilight asked.

"Always full of them, dear," Aqua replied, "Now brace yourself." Peering at his lightsaber, Aqua gestured ever so slightly with as much reach as his restrained hoof could allow, and like party supplies from Pinkie Pie's party cannon, Aqua's lightsaber shot right towards the duo. Guided by the stallion's usage of the Force, the lightsaber cleaved right through the ropes tying the chairs together like butter. With a outwards blast of raw Force energy, Aqua released himself and Twilight from their chairs. No longer restrained, Twilight lunged for Aqua, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I love you so much." Twilight gushed, burying her face in Aqua's chest. Aqua reluctantly broke from the embrace gently as a confused chatter rang out from outside.

"We're not done yet, Twilight." Aqua said as he brandished his saber. The two confused Changeling guards raised their spears, only to leap back in surprise as a shining blue blade shot out of the doors, carving away at it until a rectangular hole was sheared through, and before they could blink, the iron slabs were blasted away with blazing speed. Stepping out of the ruined door, Aqua readied his saber as the two guards charged for him. Before anypony could make a move, two shots of golden yellow magic were fired at the insect drones, knocking them unconscious. The dense fog shrouded everypony's view until a pristine, long horn jutted out of the smoke, revealing a crown atop the alicorn greeting them.

"Master Aqua, I see you are unharmed." Princess Celestia remarked with a relieved expression. Aqua bowed in respect as his wife shortly behind followed suit.

"Princess!" Twilight hollered as she ran towards the deity and nuzzled her, "I'm so glad you're here."

"I was beginning to worry. It isn't often a threat to Equestria doesn't get solved in under an hour or so," Celestia quipped with a bit of a smirk, "But I digress, I am glad to see you two safe."

"We'll be safe when we're back in Ponyville," Twilight shrugged as she looked around the forgotten ruins of buildings, "The royal guards already secured the city, no more need to be here."

"Then I wish you the best of luck, but first, do you require a way back to Ponyville? My chariot's back at the city square and ready." Celestia asked.

"No worries, we have our own chariot awaiting." Aqua said as he put the hood of his cloak over his head, clipping his saber to the belt of his tunic.

"Fair enough. Twilight," Celestia turned her head to meet her student, "I will send a letter to you when you return. I trust you'll be ready for your next spell?"

"Of course, Princess. Thank you for making the trip here. We greatly appreciate it." Twilight answered with a smile. A breeze blew several discarded items along the dirt road as Celestia departed from the duo to return to her chariot. The fog had already began dissipating as the unicorn saw her own chariot come into her vision.

"Aqua, does this strike you as a bit suspicious?" Twilight asked.

"Fillydelphia, of all places invaded by the Changeling hive? Yes, it does. From what you told me about the time Queen Chrysalis attacked Canterlot, she struck with the force of her entire legion." Aqua answered.

"Exactly, but why strike so many places, and not Canterlot?" the unicorn retorted with a hoof to her chin.

"Hmph, maybe she learned her mistake from last time. War does harden a soldier, none the less the leader behind it."

"I guess so," Twilight said as she approached the chariot and emptied her saddlebag onto the seat. The guards in front of the chariot frightened her a bit, their usual focused stare replaced with a bit of a...greenish glow.

"Guards, could you take us back to Ponyville?" Twilight asked, to no answer. Only a quiet moan not unlike a zombie.

"Um, hello? If you could take us to Ponyville, we'd love for that to happen." Twilight prompted, only for another silence to ensue. A guard slowly began reaching for something in his saddlebag. Aqua's eyes widened as he nudged Twilight silently.

Changelings.

Celestia's chariot emitted a golden glow not unlike a comet as she stared over the ruins of Fillydelphia. The immortal alicorn turned her head as a content smile raised her muzzle. Flaring her horn, the Sun rose and glared through the last of the fog, illuminating everything in the joy of the light. Keeping the smile on her face, her thoughts changed to that of her personal student Twilight, and to her good friend, Jedi Master Aqua.

"May the Force be with you two, always." Celestia whispered to herself as she watched a castle spire appear in the dawn of the day. In fact, the Force has always been with them.

Two swift slashes were heard preceeding a sharp snap-hiss sound. An agitated hiss of pain rang in the air along with the sound of organic flesh separating it's source. With an ugly flopping noise, the heads of two Changelings dropped to the cold ground, the decapitated origin bodies falling in suit. The blade of his saber illuminated Aqua's face as he grimly deactivated the plasma beam of his hilt, fastening it to his belt and pulling down his hood. The Jedi stallion turned to face Twilight, his face softening to a gentle smile.

"Are you alright, Twilight?" Aqua asked.

"I'm fine," Twilight said with a hint of annoyance, "Just really getting tired of Changelings today."

"Same, same. The more important thing is we have no chauffeur to lead us back to Ponyville." Aqua grimaced as he stared off into the sky. His focused stare eased as an idea finally hit him. Turning his head back to the unicorn, Aqua spread his wings and hunkered down.

"Get on." Aqua said as he made a mind gesture to her. Smirking, Twilight caught the gesture and carefully situated herself on Aqua's back.

"Like we practiced before." Aqua followed as he hovered off the ground, slowly taking on flight. Calling upon the Force, Aqua emitted a blue glow as Twilight glowed magenta. With a complex teleportation spell in sync with Aqua's Force Speed, the two disappeared in what would appear to be an...indigo flash of light.