To her credit, Princess Cadance was stunned for only a moment. Stepping forward, she gathered her magic to her in a low, threatening thrum. Her horn shone with soft, coiled light, ready to release.
“What- Who are you? What are you doing here?” she commanded, her voice brooking no contradictions.
“I’m ah...” Aurora started, raising her hands and trying to look as not-a-threat as possible. To Twilight she thought, Come up with an idea to talk to a princess yet?
Twilight Sparkle had jumped to get in front of the princess and started waving her hooves wildly, but Cadance was just as blind to the transparent pony as ever.
Unconcerned about staying quiet, Twilight said aloud, “I was kind of hoping their superior-”
So that’s a no.
Twilight growled, passing through Cadance in an attempt to get her attention. “Not. Really,” she conceded.
“You’re one of the creatures that got through Shining’s shield, aren’t you?” Cadance said. “What are you doing here?”
Aurora sighed. She had no idea if this would pan out, but it was worth a shot.
She took a step toward the Princess and...
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”
Cadance’s jaw dropped as the creature before her recited the little song and dance she’d done with Twilight when she was a filly. It looked odd on her frame as she was doing most of the hopping on her hind legs, but she never lost rhythm and executed it as reflexively as Cadance or Twilight would have.
Suddenly, Cadance saw something familiar in the girl. Not in her features, but in her bearing, in her eyes and she realized belatedly that she sensed a... Familiarity in her heart.
“Twilight?” Cadance said, lowering her magic. Slightly.
“Not... Exactly,” Aurora said, trying to ignore how ridiculous she felt after the little dance. “Remember how she and the other girls were hiding out on another world?”
Cadance nodded.
“Well... That hasn’t been working out. For anybody.”
Cadance regarded Aurora and walked closer. The magic in her horn shifted, going a warmer shade of blue as it moved to the tip. Cadance paused just before the strange creature, and Aurora nodded her consent. Smiling, Cadance then lay her horn’s tip on Aurora’s chest.
The human felt a tremor in the river between her and Twilight. As if someone had skipped a rock across the surface.
Cadance leaned back, her eyes wide.
“I see...” she murmured. “Are you the only one?”
Aurora shook her head. Looking to Twilight, she said, “Check with the other girls. See if they can get to this room. Shave and a hair cut...”
“Two bits,” Twilight said with a wink of understanding. She trotted off toward the door, stopping briefly to look back at Cadance.
Aurora felt something tighten in her chest and a longing in her gut that wasn’t there before. Looked like she and Twilight shared more than just spoken thoughts.
Another heartbeat later, Twilight ran through the door in pursuit of the rest of their group.
Cadance watched the whole exchange with quiet curiosity.
“Were you just... Speaking... With Twilight?”
Aurora nodded, running a hand through her hair and looked back to the Princess of Love.
“It’s a bit complicated, but the short version is that they tried to come back early, didn’t make it into their bodies and brought us. Them not really being all here seems to be part of it.”
Cadance’s eyes sharpened. “Chrysalis... That manipu-”
“Be-fore you start getting too worked up, Princess, ma’am,” Aurora interjected. “Those cocoons were supposed to keep everything out.”
“But not their hearts!” Cadance protested.
“Not till the spell was over, right?” Aurora pressed on.
She hated coming in on Chrysalis’s behalf, especially since she shared Cadance’s suspicions and Twilight’s memories of the Changeling Queen only heightened them. Yet, giving in to those snap emotions weren’t going to help anypony. Anybody. Anyone. Cool heads were needed, especially now. If Chrysalis turned out to be a problem after a little investigation... Then, Aurora would drop the devil’s advocacy and pick up her own pitchfork.
Cadance’s eyes went back and forth as she sorted through her memory to weigh exactly how the cocoons that protected the girls would do as Aurora said. Though she was regally withdrawn in her considerations, Aurora could easily tell Cadance wanted to jump to the Changeling Queen’s neck with a sharpened spell. The heat faded though and whatever reasons she came to held her anger in check.
“Maybe,” Cadance offered sullenly.
Twilight came back into the room. “They’re right behind me.”
Aurora nodded and returned her gaze to Cadance, who was watching her with caution.
“Twilight said they’d be joining us soon,” Aurora offered.
“This- This is a lot to take in,” Cadance said. “I know I just checked your heart, but I’m still...”
Aurora winced. This was bad. Cadance was as sweet as they came and a strong unicorn magic user, yet here she was, already doubting her own love-based spell. The other royals could be in better shape, but Aurora wouldn’t know till she spoke with them.
Undermined critical faculty reasoning became a background noise in her mind as she puzzled out how to assure the frazzled nobility.
“Your wedding was nearly ruined by Chrysalis,” Aurora said. “Which is why you’re extra paranoid around her. You’re married to Shining Armor, who you’ve known since you foalsitted Twilight. Twilight once inadvertently covered for you because you and Shining were-”
Cadance forestalled further potential embarrassment with a raised hoof and a blush. She laughed, bringing more color to her face.
“You definitely shared a mind with Twilight,” she said, chagrined.
A soft series of knocks came from the door. Aurora went over to answer with her own as Twilight stuck her head through the door.
Twilight nodded and Aurora cracked it open without showing herself. Nova and Keiko were first in followed by Ashley then Iris and Diane. The ponies came through various points along the wall.
“I will never look at architecture the same way again,” Rarity said, shuddering.
Cadance was looking around at the gathered humans and a faint smile came unbidden to her lips.
“They really found matches,” she breathed in wonder.
“You should’ve seen us with the hair,” Iris said with a wink.
Shaking off her reverie, Cadance chuckled, assuming a diplomatic bearing. “I can’t call you by my friends’ names. Would you tell me yours please?”
The girls introduced themselves one by one, shaking hand in hoof with Cadance.
Iris put an elbow in Ashley’s rib. The other girl looked at her out the side of her eye and Iris grinned, whispering, “Met royalty. Not bad, eh?”
Ashley kept a stern gaze for a moment, but it didn’t hold. She chuckled, rolling her eyes at Iris’s commentary.
“Do you think you can get us into the cavern where they’re keeping your friends’ bodies?” Aurora asked.
Cadance tapped a hoof in thought. Aurora could see Twilight had plopped nearby her childhood friend. If Zecora was threatening tears, being this close to Cadance without touching her was looking to have Twilight fry at the ends.
Aurora came up next to the two and Cadance glanced up.
“Don’t mind me. Twilight’s not looking too good.”
Taking a knee next to the unicorn, she gave her a sad smile and hugged her. Twilight reciprocated, which caught Cadance’s eye again.
“She’s really there,” Cadance whispered, seeing how Aurora deftly held empty air and saw the empty air press back against her clothes leaving a sort-of, pony shaped impression.
“They all are, princess,” Iris said.
Cadance looked through the group and could see little dents in their clothing where the girls were clearly leaning. Or perched in the case of Iris and Nova.
“Aw, don’t worry, Twilight!” Pinkie said, hopping from Diane to the morose unicorn. “Soon as we get our bodies back, you can give Cadance the biggest, bestest hug ever!”
Twilight shared a look with Pinkie that went longer than Aurora liked, but she took a deep breath and nodded.
“They’re right. I can do this,” Twilight said.
Aurora smiled and rubbed Twilight’s trunk reassuringly. Nice thing about shared memories: she knew which physical gestures Twilight appreciated most.
Cadance nodded at the sight, looking brighter than she had since the group had come into her room.
“Everypony, stay put for a few minutes. I’m going to see if I can’t free Princess Celestia from her cabinet.” Cadance nodded at Aurora and exited the salon.
“Why’s Princess Celestia stuck in a cabinet?” Pinkie asked.
“Getting jam?” Diane offered.
“Ooo! Ooo! Or popcorn!” Pinkie replied.
“Cabinet meeting,” Twilight said with an eyeroll. “She’s in a cabinet meeting, you two.”
“Why’s she meeting just us?” Diane asked. “In a cabinet of all places?”
“Yeah! Wouldn’t she want to meet all of us outside a cabinet?” Pinkie added. “I mean, I know she’s royalty, but a cabinet doesn’t sound big enough for everypony.”
A groan rippled through the group.
~
Cadance returned shortly with Princess Celestia in tow.
Aurora couldn’t help it. When Celestia entered, she rose and went to her.
Aurora remembered being in Celestia’s presence, but that came from Twilight. She second-hand remembered the warmth and delight. She second-hand remembered the love and safety. She second-hand remembered how much respect she had for this pony and even now, with Aurora still going back and forth on her feelings about Twilight’s memories, she had to admit: no memory, second-hand or not, compared to the reality of Princess Celestia.
She was like... Easy perfection. In pony form. Fur white as a full spectrum, light shining from her every hair and just being in front of the princess made Aurora feel like she was relaxed out in a field on a bright, sun-dappled day.
Fortunately, she managed to get ahold of herself just before alarming the royal pony and halted her approach at a respectful enough distance.
Coughing, as if she’d just spoken out of turn, she bowed at the waist. “A-hem. Your majesty,” she said.
The rest of the humans had gone one better, getting on one knee out of automatic reverence. Not that it was hard to go with this feeling.
“Hello to you too... Twilight?” the voice was like light music. Some intangible quality that memory couldn’t retain and you had to be present to experience.
“Sort of ma’am,” Aurora said, straightening. “Twilight’s shepard. I’m Aurora Amaryllis.”
Celestia’s gaze rippled over the group of humans and her horn briefly shone with sun golden magic. She grinned and Aurora realized, the regal mare had been holding herself tighter than usual, only relaxing at what she saw with the spell.
“And you’ve brought my little ponies back to me, I see.”
Aurora straightened at that.
“You can see them?”
“No, but I sense them and I would be remiss if I could not see a bit of my star pupil’s life in your eyes just now.”
Aurora’s hand touched just below her cheek. She should have felt angered at the lack of her own identity, but the way Celestia said it- her eyes felt like an honor to bear the task of Twilight’s life.
While Aurora was grasping with reverie, Twilight had trotted forward to stand as close to Celestia as she could without touching her. Celestia seemed to notice something and bent down, her wings opening to encircle the little unicorn.
“I may not see or hear you, my dear Twilight, but I know you are here,” Celestia said. She ruffled her wings slightly, bringing them around the translucent pony in a display of comfort.
Tears came immediately to Twilight’s eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
“Princess...” she whispered.
“I promised myself... I wouldn’t cry...” Pinkie wibbled, fighting back eyes that filled with water.
Diane sniffed loudly and offered Pinkie a handkerchief. The pink pony took it and dabbed at her eyes.
Cadance stared at the floating hankie.
“This is going to take some getting used to,” the younger princess said.
Celestia glanced just quickly out of the corner of her eye at Cadance and Aurora caught the look. She didn’t see suspicion in the diarch’s eye, but she did see concern. Did the Princess share her thoughts on the Smiling Pony’s presence? Was she aware? Or was she merely in mother-to-all-her-subjects mode and concerned for Cadance’s mental well-being?
Celestia rose from encircling Twilight and gazed upon the assembled humans. Turning to Cadance, she said, “Cadance, I need you to go ahead and alert the guards that I am coming with unexpected guests. If they ask for verification, just respond ‘lollipops are better than tea.’”
Cadance blinked at the odd phrase, but nodded, bowing to her senior princess before leaving.
“Now, Aurora Amaryllis,” Celestia said, once the door had shut. “You look as though you have something you want to say.”
“Yes, majesty,” Aurora replied. She took a moment to consider what to say. She would have to proceed carefully. Word it right.
“You gone axe-crazy?” Iris asked.
Or, let Iris talk. Very diplomatic option.
Ashley wrapped a hand over Iris’s mouth and smiled boldly. “Sorry. We don’t let her out often.”
Celestia’s expression wasn’t quite puzzled, but Aurora could tell she was parsing the blunt way Iris put the subject.
“You see, Highness,” Aurora said quickly, rushing to present to the most important committee of her life. “Something we’ve noticed, since sharing our minds and bodies with these ponies...” She gestured to the assembled, unseen mares. “Is how much has changed in the nature of the ponies of your land. They seem more aggressive and scared. Prepared to go to more dire lengths than they used to.”
Celestia nodded, her face attentive. Aurora pushed on.
“And after speaking with Cadance, I’m certain that this affects princess and pony alike. We’re concerned that you’ve... Been touched by the Smiling Pony in a subtle way, possibly hurting you before even seeing him.”
Celestia nodded again a sad smile growing on her face.
“Aurora Amaryllis, though you are not my student, you should know that you have all of the same insight and cleverness which I applaud. You are correct. The Smiling Pony is more than just a threat to the land and bodies of Equestria. He is a threat to its very soul.”
“You know...?” Twilight and Aurora asked in a unison, hushed whisper.
“I do. I first suspected the Smiling Pony was doing more than draining my ponies’ wills when my sister Luna took such an aggressive approach to him. Though my sister is more practical and hooves-on than I am, she is the soul of discretion. And as I spoke to more of my subjects, it became clear that the Smiling Pony’s mere presence was taking us back to darker days and harsher times indeed.”
Celestia sighed and for a flicker, Aurora saw all her age on display. Millenia just appeared and faded in a flash. Aurora felt a little young and immature for thinking she knew more than this royal pony and tried to quash the sudden irrationality as best she could.
“What this has done to Canterlot and all Equestria is hard, but necessary for now. I approved of the stricter martial elements -within reason- to ease my subjects’ minds and let them know that we act upon this evil.”
Her gaze fell upon the girls then, and a small smile appeared on her beautiful face.
“Which is why I arranged for you six to disappear. It let the Smiling Pony clear from your minds and find love and friendship anew in a land untainted by his presence or any other. And in returning, you’ve brought unexpected reinforcements. The bonds I see here are just as strong as the ones formed by my own little ponies and I can’t think of better resources than to prevent the Smiling Pony from going any further.”
The gathered smiled at the princess, pleased by her words. Aurora’s eyes widened slightly in appreciation.
Aurora had wondered earlier, back when she regarded this whole thing as an absolute mess, about Princess Celestia. She wondered most how somepony so powerful, so clever, and so wise as Celestia could just assume such an arbitrary, weak title of princess. Now, as she absorbed the alicorns’ words, she had the answer.
The pony who stood before her had worked out how a threat was affecting her subjects, picked the most likely group to defend her realm, sent them away so they’d be clear-headed when they met with said threat, somehow banked on back-up coming (“unexpected” Aurora’s butt, the student knew that look, that was a Teacher Knew All Along look) and now she spoke sweet words to ready the next phase of this massive gambit.
Maybe she truly was humble enough to hold the title of princess, but Aurora bet this clever, wise creature before her knew- knew from muzzle to tail that if she called herself a Queen, nopony would ever go near her again. Especially with what Aurora saw now.
“Okay,” Aurora heard Diane not-quite-whisper. “I’m impressed. She always like this?”
Pinkie nodded. “She’s really good at chess. Sometimes she even gets a stalemate from me.”
“So?” Applejack asked, confused at the pair’s discussion.
“Pinkie’s the record holding chess champion in all Equestria, “ Twilight offered. “I only stalemated her once and that was when she was playing four separate games at the time. Celestia has her visit because she wants to make sure she’s still sharp.”
Human and pony all finally caught the drift of what was being said and stared at the pink pony. She had lost interest in the conversation and taken to hanging from Diane’s arm, giggling.
“Talking about chess?” Celestia asked Aurora, stepping close to her.
“Um. Yeah,” Aurora said, trying not to let her personal respect of the princess freak her out.
“Pinkie Pie is more than just a wonderful party thrower,” the princess whispered sotto voce. “Twilight has the strongest raw magical potential and a great mind as well, but I haven’t seen a mind as sharp as Pinkie’s for four hundred years.”
Aurora glanced at the princess, then Pinkie.
Just when I think I have a handle on things, life yanks the rug out from under me.
You said it, Twilight replied.
~
“Won’t the guards be suspicious that we’re under a glamour?” Aurora asked, looking through the slight sparkling wall of light between her and the rest of reality.
“They would be suspicious if I didn’t,” Celestia said with a slight laugh. “The area is guarded primarily by changelings after all.”
“What do we look like?” Keiko asked. “Our friends?”
“No,” Celestia said. “Just... Some old faces.”
Aurora wondered how old the faces were.
They came upon an archway that was gilded in gold and silver, guarded by a pair of intimidating looking white stallions in gold-washed armor; one a unicorn, one an earth pony.
“Corporal,” Celestia said. “I believe I was announced?”
“Yes your majesty,” the earth pony said, moving just his mouth and barely at that. Aurora was impressed; she didn’t think that was physically possible.
“May I pass?”
“No, your majesty.”
“May I have this dance?”
The corporal paused and Aurora thought he wasn’t going to reply.
Eventually, he spoke, strained. “Only if I can see your fine flank first. Your majesty.”
Pinkie, Rainbow, Diane and Iris burst out laughing. The rest of the group managed snorts or demure coughs.
Aurora and Twilight goggled. Aurora’s personal estimation of the princess went up a few points.
“Well have a look,” Celestia said and to everyone’s gathered surprise she cantered in a circle, like she was a giddy, young mare flirting with the corporal at a club.
Twilight had shut down as far as Aurora could tell. The human student felt her own estimation of the princess slamming into Twilight’s ingrained respect and she ended up sputtering giggles.
The corporal was doing a commendable job of not blushing, though the blood was clearly trying to get its way to his embarrassed face.
“Thank you, highness,” he said. A bit more stiff than Aurora imagined he was before.
“Thank you for adhering to protocol, corporal,” Celestia said with a nod.
He nodded, almost imperceptibly, and Aurora felt something shift in the air in the middle of the arches.
Celestia nodded another thanks and the group followed in, the back still chuckling.
“Oh man, Princess!” Rainbow Dash said. “Tell her I thought that was awesome!”
“You kidding- I’m going to dream about how awesome that was,” Iris agreed. “Me and Rainbow Dash think you’re awesome, Princess!”
Celestia smiled back over her shoulder.
Aurora felt the shimmering light sparkle away and they were soon walking down a spiralling staircase lit by regular torches.
“Any of this lookin’ familiar?” Ashley asked in general.
“Nope, not a thing,” Applejack replied.
Pinkie Pie made a face. “I can sooooorta remember it, but more like a story that happened to somepony else.”
“I don’t remember it being so... Ominous,” Twilight replied, her hoofsteps moving softly despite the fact that she made no noise.
“That is the Smiling Pony,” Celestia said. “He infects things that already make a pony nervous first. Dark rooms are darker, strangers are more strange...”
“Friends of perfect trust could become enemies,” Aurora added, looking around and getting more déjà vu than real memory.
The princess nodded, her hair flowing freely in some unseen wind.
“You grasp our situation quickly, Aurora Amaryllis,” Celestia commented.
“Just Aurora,” Aurora said. “Uh, ma’am.” She surveyed the swirling staircase, noting the end coming soon. “And it’s not complicated. In stories, some characters often make things more psychologically intimidating for their foes just by inspiring dread.”
“What?” Iris said.
Aurora thought for a metaphor for the athletic Iris. “It’d be like an opposing team showing up with bones in their mouths and snarling at you. The opponent wants you to think that you’re not just up against a tough foe, but make themselves bigger in your mind, so you’re jumpy.”
“Oh.”
Pinkie and Diane giggled at the notion of a team of runners growling with fake bones in their mouths and making a scene.
At the bottom of the stairs, a door had been corroded over with what appeared to everyone as a clear, green crystal edged in gray-green goo.
“Lovely,” Rarity commented dryly.
“Queen Chrysalis was invited to make herself at home. Whatever security measures she thought necessary, we allowed,” Celestia said. Eyeing the encrusted archway blocking their path, she added, “Within reason.”
Her horn soon was encased in a shining gold light and a crack appeared in the crystal. Like a pair of glassy doors, the bisected sheets flexed inward. Celestia entered, her posture taller and more imposingly royal.
“Remain calm,” she said sotto voce.
“Yeah, that’s top of my list,” Aurora muttered as they entered the dull light of what appeared to be a fully established changeling hive.
The floor was polished white Canterlot marble done in tiles, but the walls and ceiling were solid with a lesser version of the green crystal that acted as the door. Soft olive light reflected from somewhere, casting an eerie, low-mossy glow down the hallway, which was more spooky than helpful. Changelings moved across the cells, buzzing in glistening, dark, chitin hides with multi-faceted eyes unblinkingly focused upon the gathered group as they passed by.
Aurora thought she heard wind moving through the tunnel, but when she checked over her shoulder, she found Fluttershy and Nova holding onto each other for dear life, shaking and breathing intensely. Rarity and Keiko were nearby, whispering encouraging words, but they were only managing to keep the pair at mildly hyperventilating.
Iris walked up alongside Aurora, who’d been out in front near Celestia.
“You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin?” Iris said, her voice low.
Aurora glanced at her.
“Bug hunt,” Iris said, flashing teeth.
“Game over, man,” Aurora muttered through a wry grin.
Iris chuckled.
After what felt like too long, the ponies and people came upon a massive antechamber where, housed upon the far wall, were the ponies’ bodies. They hovered, suspended in the clear cocoons, eyes closed, looking quite relaxed. They also wore the Elements of Harmony, which were glowing softly and when everyone entered, glowed a bit brighter.
Relief and comfort trickled into Aurora’s mind. She looked at Twilight, who shrugged.
“Wasn’t me. I always feel like that near my tiara.”
Celestia looked around the room and cast a wary gaze to the top crystal, which Aurora thought was just a larger version of what they’d seen dotting the walls all the way in.
“Chrysalis, I would have words, if it pleases you,” Celestia said.
“It does not... But we will speak,” buzzed the Changeling Queen’s voice.
The crystal above then unwrapped itself and the Changeling Queen, Chrysalis, floated to the ground. Just as Twilight’s memory recalled, she was of a height with Celestia, looking every inch the regal, enlarged Changeling to the regal, enlarged pony. Different this time, was how worn the queen appeared.
Aurora was no expert on changelings and Twilight’s memories weren’t much better, but she could spot tells of personal neglect. Even on a creature as alien to her as Queen Chrysalis, they showed like warning signs on a new patient.
The sunkenness around her eyes made them look more hollow. Her mane was tattered further with her wings looking rheumy and sagging. Chitinous skin did not shine, but reflected dully. And she was wary. Aurora remembered Chrysalis as proud and standing at all times. She still stood meeting Celestia’s gaze, but her back arched like she was slightly hunched. Like she suspected violence close at hand.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of you and...” Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed at the girls, who were affecting various levels of composure with Nova shaking at the scared end and Ashley keeping her arms folded intimidatingly over her chest. She took no notice of the ponies though. “Your enigmatic company?”
“We’ve come to have you disenchant the cocoons,” Celestia said, gesturing to the encased ponies on the wall. “These girls are the shepherds of the Elements’ souls and have carried them back to us.”
“Oh. How... Interesting,” Chrysalis said, skirting around the princess and the range of her hooves and wings. “You’re a month early you know.”
“I do,” Celestia responded, following Chrysalis with her body, keeping her in direct line of sight. “Circumstances forced these girls here and I believe now is the time to engage with the Shining Pony.”
“Engage, engage,” Chrysalis muttered, still moving until she was between the group and the Elements on the wall. “You mean do battle, eliminate, wipe out.”
“The Elements of Harmony do not work that way, Chrysalis,” Celesia responded. She moved so she was just as between Chrysalis and the girls behind her as Chrysalis was between the girls and... The girls.
“So you say,” Chrysalis said.
Aurora was watching her, trying to establish a baseline, which was hard as Chrysalis appeared to be quite under duress. Be it by their presence or something else on her mind. Still, the queen was obviously twitchy, her eyes flicking about and... Was that a pattern?
Twilight, do you sense any active magic? This could be anything, so look wide, Aurora asked.
Twilight glanced at Aurora, then closed her eyes and a little purple-white light glistened at the tip of her horn.
Well, I don’t... Wait! There’s something. I don’t know... It’s not magic, but some other energy in the air. Invisible and...
“Chrysalis, why’re you calling your hive?” Aurora asked.
Chrysalis froze in her fidget and locked eyes with the human girl.
Aurora felt her blood chill.
She had suspected the queen wasn’t right, but now she had a good look at her eyes. They were distant and hard and panicked. They were gone. Some gear had slipped in the changeling queen’s head and she was now operating on a murderous bent. Just Aurora’s luck that this particular murderous bent was aimed at herself.
“You must carry Twilight,” Chrysalis buzzed. “She was sharp-eyed as well.”
Celestia stepped forward. “Answer her question, Chrysalis.”
“You are a month ahead of schedule. You are scared.” Chrysalis started to fidget and weave back and forth. “The Elements are not ready. I am not scared. I am strong. I will keep the Elements until they are at their strongest and then... Then... I will send them off and they will destroy that miserable pony!”
The last came out hot and with no small amount of spittle. Chrysalis’s eyes were wide and she panted eagerly.
Pinkie stretched her neck over to Applejack and whispered, “Don’t let on you know this, but I think Chrysalis is loco in the coco.”
“Y’think?” Applejack said.
“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed.
Everyone turned, save for Celestia and Chrysalis, who were too busy sizing one another up. Twilight ran over to stand in front of a cocoon where the baby dragon hovered. Not unlike herself. Though unlike Twilight’s body, his did not look even the least bit well-preserved.
“He was... Going to watch over us...” Twilight whispered.
Pain tore through Aurora, hot and powerful and consuming. Twilight’s pain. Unlike Twilight though, Aurora wasn’t lost in sudden anguish and confusion. Having the necessary distance, she flipped her switch to anger.
Snap emotions just made a good argument for a pitchfork.
“What have you done to Spike?” she yelled at the changeling queen.
Chrysalis broke from her panting stare down with Celestia to blink at the girl. Her eyes flicked to Spike and then to Aurora.
“He would speak with the princess. Tell of my plans. He was a snooping snoop. He had to be... Detained.”
Celestia stomped her hoof and the ground shook.
“Chrysalis! This is in clear violation of our treaty!”
“What treaty?” the queen spat. “What point is a treaty if we are all dead?!”
Chrysalis fired.
A sickly green beam of magic tore from her horn, which the shining princess met head on. Shimmering light scattered the attack and Aurora watched in awe as a protective, gold shield spread about the group.
Chrysalis’s eyes swam with rage.
“Destroy you! Kill you! Traitors! Usurpers!”
She loosed another volley and was joined by more of her hive, who cast smaller bursts of magic along with her.
“She is definitely loco in the coco,” Diane gulped.
“Y’think?” Ashley said.
The princess stood resolute against the barrage, her eyes flicking around.
“Aurora, can you use Twilight’s magic right now?”
Aurora shook her head. “Not reliably and not from within a shield you’ve cast, Highness.”
Celestia chuckled. “Even under fire... Amazing.”
“Let us out, Princess,” Iris said. “We’ll kick their tails!”
“Hay yeah we will!” Rainbow Dash confirmed.
Aurora noticed both Iris and Rainbow’s eyes were flashing; literally flashing with flecks of light.
“I don’t think that would be wise,” Celestia responded as more changelings arrived to rain down torrents of hot green magic upon her guard.
“What about you, Princess?” Aurora said. “Can’t you face her?”
“Readily, but... It would be complicated.” Celestia blushed.
Aurora blinked. “You don’t have a middle gear?!” she shouted.
“In over a thousand years of rule, it hasn’t really come up,” the princess said, chagrined.
“What’re you talkin’ about, sugarcube?” Ashley asked.
“The princess raises the sun- Chrysalis isn’t even an issue. Collateral damage is.”
“I don’t get it,” Iris replied.
“Imagine the amount of magical power it would take to move a celestial body,” Twilight said, stepping amongst the group and assuming a hasty lecture mode. “Imagine how much raw force the princess would have to command to get this task done. Now imagine that magical force at play in a confined place like this.”
They all stared at Celestia who was starting to sweat under the strain of maintaining the shield under the attack for so long.
“My word...” Keiko murmured.
“That’s why Chrysalis beat you last time? You didn’t want to risk everypony else?” Iris asked.
“The love she had from Shining Armor was powerful. Powerful enough to overwhelm me before I could access my full power and get us from the castle. If I were to call upon my full station here and now in this enclosed space...”
The silence spoke wonders. Aurora’s imagination treated her to a tableau of charred husks and blown masonry.
“Great. Biggest hitter doesn’t have a second form,” Iris muttered.
“We’ve handled the changelings before,” Rarity said. “We can do so again!”
“Because that worked out so well for us last time,” Applejack retorted.
“We need an edge here. And fast,” Aurora said noticing the princess’s strain.
She looked at Twilight.
“What happened when we merged?”
“Um...”
“I was out of it, c’mon Twi,” Aurora prompted.
“You were trying to hug me...”
“Yeah...”
“And I could feel you and the forgiveness you offered. I wanted to forgive you too, for hurting you so much.” Twilight blushed.
Aurora nodded. “And...?”
“And that’s it. Then everything gets all screwy and I woke up next to you in the library.”
“Unf!”
Aurora and Twilight looked up to see Rainbow leaping at Iris and bumping off.
“I don’t think that’s how that works...” Aurora said.
“Gotta try something,” Rainbow said.
“Our friends are in danger,” Iris replied.
“We gotta help!” they said in unison.
And then Rainbow leaped and fell into Iris.
Light exploded as if from a prism and when the spots cleared from Aurora’s eyes she could see Iris with Rainbow Dash’s hair, eyes and... Wings. Blue, powerful wings stretching out.
“Alright! Now we’re talkin’!” Rainbow Speede said, flexing her fists, voice echoing within itself.
“How...?” Rarity prompted.
“Aw, it’s easy!” Pinkie said. “Just gotta match your minds. Like this!”
She squared off with Diane, who hunched to meet Pinkie’s gaze. Then, they spun to face everyone and whipped their arms and forearms up. Swinging their limbs along, they moved in a slow shuffle, muttering under their breaths.
“Fuuuuuuu...”
“Tell me they’re not...” Aurora said.
“Siooooon...”
“They are,” Keiko confirmed.
“Ha!”
There was a burst of pink light and then Diane’s afro had gone from its rich, springy black to pink and puffy with renewed vigour. Her newly blue eyes twinkled like shining stars.
“Oooo! It worked it worked!” Pinkie Di said in a bouncy squeal.
Aurora and Keiko glanced at one another.
“Toonami when I was studying, you?” Aurora said.
“Cousin on my mother’s side would watch it religiously when he visited.” Keiko shrugged.
“Think I got this,” Ashley said, looking over to Applejack, who nodded.
The human cowgirl got on one knee and offered her hand. Applejack did the same with her hoof and again light and again where there had been a pony and a human, a human with ponied traits stood tall.
AshleyJack cracked her neck.
“I’m ready when y’all are.”
Nova and Fluttershy hugged while Rarity and Keiko kissed each other on the cheek, looked one another in the eye and said firmly, “It. Is. On!”
After those explosions of light cleared and NovaShy and Rarity Jewele were prepared, Twilight and Aurora were looking at each other.
Aurora blushed. “I don’t... That is-”
Twilight shook her head. “You’re my friend. Of course I’ll help.”
Aurora smiled, as did Twilight, who stood next to the girl and a splash of purple light engulfed both of them.
This time, Aurora Sparkle’s head felt clearer. This time, she’d joined with purpose. This time, she was going to help her friends.
“Princess,” Aurora Sparkle said. “Lower the shield when you’re ready.”