The Visitors

Princess Celestia had been having a rather bad week.

First there was the report of strange activity in the Everfree which is never a good sign, but with the threat against Canterlot by an unknown party there were no royal guard or army units available to investigate.

Then there was the accident last night in the hall they were originally going to use for the wedding, so they had to modify another hall, overnight, and then use that instead, which had tested everyones patience (Cadance especially, as she was planing the entire thing).

And, of course, Twilight had to pick this week to go crazy and accuse her former foalsitter of being evil.

But they had been nothing compared to what had just happened.

A strange biped had dove through a very old and expensive window, which depicted the victory of her and her sister over Discord, and tried to kill the bride. Celestia had shielded her niece, who was just starting to ascend to the alter. She then retaliated with the strongest sedation spell she knew, but a shimmering field, vaguely reminiscent of the shield spells used in combat (or now covering the city, although that was slightly different), had intercepted the ball of energy about two hoofs (a hoof is the equivalent of a hand, or four inches) away from his metallic skin, and he had simply stood, there, before shouting at the princesses in perfect Equish.

"Shields are a new trick, right? We took the lessons you taught us to heart. Shields are standard on all Imperial armor, now."

'What is this thing talking about? What lessons? Imperial armor?' She thought, turning to Cadance. They locked eyes, and Celestia mouthed, 'together' in such a way so that the creature couldn't see. She received a nod, and nodded in return as she turned towards the creature.

It began to dive to its right, but was hit in a glancing blow by the green blast and received the golden blast to its torso, allowing Celestia full control of its movements. Celestia raised the creature several hoofs above the ground, while ripping the weapon from its grasp.

She turned to Cadence, who asked, "What do you make of this creature?"

Celestia shrugged as she glanced at it. "I've never before witnessed such a being."

Celestia sighed.

"I guess I should see what it wants." She said, receiving a nod from Cadance.

"Now then, what manner of creature are you?" Asked Celestia, turning towards the creature.

"Ask the Bitch of New Belfast." Said The being angrily, nodding its unrestrained head, which was a pale color, at the young pink Alicorn. It's voice's pitch seemed to indicate it was a male. "She knows me, even if she's gotten I new look. Don't you, you changeling bitch."

Celestia turned to her niece, her mind running through her recent behavior. There was something off about the events of the last few days, but she couldn't quite pin it down.

"What does he mean by-"

She was interrupted by a loud *BOOM* from the other side of the halls main doors.

"What was that noise?" She said to no one in particular, while focusing on the door.

Suddenly, the doors flew open, and five more metallic beings, all larger then the first one, charged though.

Two of them started talking, but the conversation was lost to her as she sent a message to her sister over their telepathic link.

'Luna, there are intruders in the wedding hall, I need help.' She thought, her apprehension and urgency conveyed in a way only possible for a telepathic being.

'What is it sister? Is it-' Luna reply was cut off by one of the new creatures, the one which had been talking, pointing what looked like a larger version of the other ones weapon at her.

'Just hurry!' She shouted over the link, before severing it and focusing on the bipeds.

Ten minutes earlier....

Luna looked up from the letter she was reading as a knock came from her chamber door.

"Yes?" She asked, knowing that it must be something important if her guards were willing to allow it to disturb her watch over the day (she had taken over so her sister could be at their nieces wedding).

The door opened and the commander of her guards, an unicorn by the name of Star Shine, stuck her head in.

"Two of the guard wish to speak to you in the gardens, your highness. They seem to have discovered something and are having trouble identifying it." She said in a deep voice which revealed her Stalliongrad heritage.

Now Luna was curious. The guard rarely found something that they needed help to identify anything, let alone something on the palace grounds.

"Very well. Show me to them, commander." She said rising from her bed and striding to the door. She walked out of her room, closing the door behind her with her magic, and followed Star as the two other guards who were stationed outside her door took up their positions flanking her. They descended the stairs and began walking down the hall, the ponies they passed bowing as they walked by.

"So what is the object they need help with, anyway?" Asked the princess, attempting to start a conversation with Star, who seemed very preoccupied with something.

"Hmm?" She said, looking back at her princess. "Oh, they said it was something to do with a noise they heard, I believe. I don't know anything beyond that."

The group continued walking until they reached the spot where the patrol of guards was waiting. As they approached the two guards turned and bowed. They wore the armor of the Solar guard, and they were both unicorns.

"Rise." Said Luna, walking over and looking at the place the guards had been examining. "What is it you required help with?" She asked, as she looked at the odd print which had been left in the sod in a flower bed.

"We saw something moving in the garden from our post in the palace." Said one, motioning to the large windows overlooking the garden. "We couldn't figure out what it was from inside, so we came out here to investigate. We heard a peculiar wine, but when we arrived there was no one here. We looked around, but couldn't discover anything aside from this print in the mud, and we can't even figure out what made the print."

His voice was noticeably frustrated by the end of his explanation.

"Well," Luna said, leaning closer to the print. "it's not a species I recognize. Not immediately. But it's certainly not a pony, whatever the culprit is."

Luna turned to Star and started to say something, but she was cut off by the sudden touch of Celestia's mind to her own.

'Luna, there are intruders in the wedding hall, I need help.' She heard Celestia think to her, her apprehension and urgency clearly conveyed by the images and emotions which accompanied the message.

'What is it sister? Is it-' Luna was cut off by Celestia's mental shout.

'Just hurry!' She heard, before the link severed. Confused, she tried to initiate the link, but was blocked by the wards which had been erected for the purpose of protecting the wedding. Those who were in the hall could contact those outside of it, but the link was impossible to form for those outside of the hall.

"You!" She said, point to one of the earth pony Lunar guards. "Go to the barracks and sound the alarm. Then bring a platoon to the wedding hall! Go!"

The guard turned and galloped off in the direction of the barrack.

Luna turned to the rest.

"Come with me." She said to the remaining guards, as she galloped to the wedding hall.

Ten minutes earlier (yet again)..............

Twilight looked at Cadance.

"Now what. The wedding should be in this hall, right? And the wedding isn't over yet, is it?" Twilight asked, be gaining to panic.

"No, the weddings not over yet. They must have moved its location. But to where?" Cadence responded, the last part said more to herself then Twilight. "Not the East hall.......not the Audience hall..............."

This went on for a minute before she exclaimed, "The Hall of Light! That's the only place that isn't in use and could still be used for a wedding. Or the place where it would take the least amount of work to allow the wedding to take place."

Twilight looked at her former foalsitter. "Alright, where is this 'Hall of Light'?"

This drew a surprised look from Cadence. "Don't you know every room in the palace. Aren't you the one who used to help me find my way around when I got lost. When you were four."

Twilight sighed. "I've never heard of the Hall of Light before. I guess it never came up. Can we just go?"

"Alright. Follow me." Replied Cadence as they trotted towards the wedding.

"You're sure we're not lost?" Asked Twilight after five minutes of fruitless searching, several wrong turns, and many confused guards.

"It should be right here!" Cadence responded. She was very frustrated by her apparent inability to remember the location of a simple room.

*BOOM*

"What was that?" Both mares shouted in unison, turning to the hallway from which the noise had come.

"Come on!" Shouted Cadence, who started running as Twilight quickly followed, struggling to keep up with her friend.

They ran down several corridors, before skidding to a stop. The sight in front of them was the strangest thing ether had ever seen.

There was a large, smoking hole in the center of the atrium leading into the Hall, and the two Solar guards who had been guarding the doors were laying by the sides, not moving. But neither noticed them enough to wonder if they were ok. Their attention was focused passed the destroyed doors and on the six large metal bipeds who stood passed them, one of whom was floating and one of whom appeared to be threatening princess Celestia.

"Cadence!? What's the problem?" Came the sound of Luna from behind them. They stood aside and allowed the Lunar princess through.

"Oh my.........." Her voice trailed off as she witnessed the destruction, pausing for a moment before entering the Hall.

"Celestia! I'm here!" She shouted as she and the four guards rushed into the Hall. This, unfortunately, caused one of the larger beings to turn and train the oddly sharpened block of metal it was holding towards her,and the others to shift so that they surrounded the one who Celestia was levitating and could watch all the other approaches. That was not, however, what stopped her.

"Cadence? But aren't you in the hall? What is going on here?" Shouted Luna, as she turned back to look at Twilight and Cadence.

The two mares looked at each other, and then charged into the room, their original goal remembered.

"She's a changeling!" Shouted Cadence.

"Finally, someone who agrees with me!" Shouted the biped who had been threatening Celestia. "Now can I shoot her?"