Saving Equestria

by Damaged


A Wedding to Remember - Part 5

"Your side?" Celestia glared at the changeling, her body still trembling from the magic duel. "You are a monster! What do you know of promises and ponies? I have ruled Equestria for longer than you have existed and it has been safe!"

Chrysalis shook a little, she had a plan for this accusation but having "Princess Celestia" call her a monster still hurt more than the changeling cared to admit.

Cadance's snout was pressed to Shining's, but the accusation against her friend didn't sit right. "Princess Celestia." She strode over to Celestia, looking down on her. "Chryssi is my best friend, she even came to you to help, she worked hard at school and is a good pony. Say what you want about all this," Cadance waved her hoof at the charade the wedding had become, "but don't you dare call my friend a monster."

Shining moved in with Cadance, taking the opposite side of Chrysalis.

It left Celestia with a shocked look. "Chryssi?" She blinked and looked at the queen changeling standing over her. "I… I didn't want you digging… Luna and I have so many… so many secrets. We are not proud of all of them." She felt herself breaking a little, memories of some of their less valiant times returning right on cue. We did it for Equestria, all of it…

"You are going to tell me all of them, now." Chrysalis reached a hoof down to touch Celestia's cheek. "Tell me all of them because you know now what I am willing to do to protect Equestria."

Celestia shook her head. "You did all this to 'protect' ponies?" She looked around and was a little shocked that the attendees were mostly calm about things, then she realized that some ponies were missing. "Where are Twilight's friends?"

A sinking feeling filled Chrysalis. Okay, it's okay. I didn't plan for those five to leave yet, but... A shoulder pressed against Chrysalis's left side, then one on her right. Her breathing was speeding up and it was like a runaway train.

"Slow down Chryssi, you are just having one of your attacks." Cadance spoke low, hoping her friend would be okay. "Make a new plan, don't panic." She felt as the changeling's breathing started to slow.

Chrysalis' world came back into focus, she took one last slow breath and sighed. "So, Celestia, will you administrate Equestria still?"

"You really are serious about this? You are going to defend Equestria?" Celestia looked up at Chrysalis, unsure still if she could trust the changeling.

"I will. My children and I." Chrysalis grinned, showing a little fang. "If anypony wants to help they will be most welcome. You can refuse if you wish." She turned and spared a look at Twilight. "Your second in command would have your spot."

"Second in command?" Twilight looked shocked. "What do you mean? I am just a unicorn and-"

"You are not just a unicorn." Celestia, Cadance, and Chrysalis all spoke at once, then all stared at each other. A nervous chuckle came from each of them.

"You will be queen?" Celestia asked, getting a nod from Chrysalis. "Then Twilight and myself will both be princesses. You will have my word that I will not interrupt your… defense, until you put Equestria at risk; do that and see how fast I will come for you."

Green magic wrapped around Celestia, lifting her up and setting her on her hooves, shaky as they were. She was at eye-level with the changeling.

"So you are both organized?" Cadance smiled. "I had to admit, I was a little worried you would turn her down." She lifted her gaze over the changeling's back, toward her coltfriend. "Shining, come on, we have something to do."

"What?" Shining blinked, but turned to follow Cadance. "Cady, what are you doing? Wasn't this all meant to be a joke?" He stood opposite her on the dais.

"Chryssi, your first duty as queen is right here." Cadance wore the biggest, cheesiest grin ever. "Shining Armor, will you marry me?" She watched shock, surprise, confusion, and then something that really made her smile.

"Mi Amore Cadenza-" Shining had to halt his saying of Cadance's full name by lifting a hoof to press to the Princess of Love's snout. "Cadance. I would want nothing more." The cheer of everypony in the room covered the buzzing of Chrysalis' wings as she flew up beside her friends.

"What am I supposed to do? Everypony is watching…" Chrysalis knew that her whole "invasion" wasn't riding on this, but it was still further from her comfort zone than she liked.

"My Queen," Celestia tasted the way it sounded and found something amazing about it, "I think I can help you. You heard the nuptials I spoke last time?" It is a yoke, a heavy yoke. I am not carrying it anymore. Celestia almost trembled at the thought. I hope she is strong enough for it. The thought surprised the princess so much she froze a moment. Gathering her wits, she continued, "Introduce everypony to them, explain how you have known them, then ask them both if they wish to be wed."

It wasn't one of her normal structured plans with alternate sequences and backup ploys, but Chrysalis was nervous enough that she grabbed at it. "Everypony." She looked up, seeing dozens of intrigued faces staring back at her. Then things clicked, the plan started, "We were here today, to see Shining Armor," Chrysalis lifted a hoof to Shining, "and Princess Cadance, wed." The wave of love she got from both her friends almost was enough to feed the swarm. "I first met these two, together of course, as the best of friends. Being what I am I could see something growing within them even then. I headed off one of the school teachers from catching them when they had their first kiss."

Celestia's eyes were wide; suddenly she realized just how right Cadance was in calling Chrysalis a pony.

"Since then I have watched them grow closer and closer. After Cadance got her cutie mark, and her horn, it wasn't long before a brave little stallion defended one of his friends from a bully. So, it is an honor that the first thing I do as your queen, is to bind them together as Mare and Colt." Chrysalis quickly looked around. Where are the… there! Her green magic found the pillow Twilight's little dragon had carried the rings in on. Levitating it over in her green magic, she offered it to Cadance first. "Will you take this stallion, until the end of your days, to be yours?"

"I do." Cadance was practically bouncing in place, she plucked a ring from the pillow and reached it up, settling it on Shining's horn.

"And do you take this mare, until the end of your days, to be yours?" Chrysalis offered the pillow over to Shining Armor. They aren't even noticing me; they are so cute.

"I do." Shining lifted the second ring free of the pillow and set it over Cadance's horn.

"Then let it be known," Chrysalis lifted her voice, "that you are now married. Shining, Cadance; please show these ponies how much you mean to each other."

The whole hive fed. Not a single changeling missed the pulse of love. Eggs suddenly filled with love and were ready to hatch, every drone in the city stopped and gazed to the castle. Chrysalis was at ground zero.

Night fell, not slowly, not calmly. The moment the two broke for air from their kiss darkness filled the sky.

~~~~~+++++~~~~~

"C'mon fillies, we's leavin'." Applejack didn't like where things had gone and with her little sister present she really didn't want anything bad to happen. Sharing a conspicuous glance with her friends, she began slinking around behind "the action" so that soon all five mares, the three fillies, and little Bright Smile all slipped from the main hall.

"What's going on?" Scootaloo looked between the mares, unsure of things. Her heart was pounding from the things that had happened. Did my big sister really just beat Princess Celestia and then make friends with her? She shook her head. "Please tell me what is going on!"

Rainbow Dash looked at the stopped filly and her little sister. "We don't know, but when all that madness starts happening, cool as it would be to fight, we have to get you to safety first." It ate every instinct Dash had not to charge in, but she liked Scootaloo too much to leave her in danger. And with that monster beating down Princess Celestia there is no telling how much danger there is. "Applejack, are you sure I can't go back in to help?"

A new voice, deeper and sounding ominous, replied, "No, Rainbow Dash." It was Princess Luna. "We…" I really need to use more common speech. "I felt my sister fall. What happened?"

"We were at the wedding and then Shining and the not-Cadance were about to kiss but then the real Cadance came in with Twilight and the not-Cadance said she was taking over and then Princess Celestia attacked her and then Shining Armor and Cadance kissed and the not-Cadance seemed to get stronger and…" Pinkie took a deep breath. "What?" Everypony was looking at her. "I'm done. That is when we left."

"The creature got stronger when Shining Armor and Princess Cadance kissed?" Luna wracked her memories and had a name. "Changeling. We have to leave, that monster will not be-" turning, Luna saw the hallway was lined with black creatures, their blue eyes focused on the ponies before them. The unnerving thing was the green venom dripping from their fangs. "Run!"

As the ponies around Luna began to move into various poses to fight, the alicorn lowered her horn and let off a bolt of darkness that filled the hall ahead. Scootaloo blinked, recognizing her other siblings. "What are we doing?"

"Princess says run, we run darling." Rarity pointed a hoof down the opposite hallway. "Come on fillies, full speed now; but do mind the dresses." She was already charging ahead, trusting her friends to keep her little sister and the other fillies on the move.

Without another option, Scootaloo broke into a gallop with her friends, chasing after the impeccably dressed fashionista, who somehow managed to make the mad dash not only look graceful, but did it in her full dress.

"What do these changelings do?" Applejack was running now, with Luna at her side.

"They devour love, they stuff ponies in pods in huge underground caves and treat them as grain." Luna focused on the running for a bit. "They will lie and scheme until they have everypony so caught up in confusion and then they strike. Those you saw, their venom can do many things." Turning the next corner she and AJ almost ran right into the other mares and the fillies. "More of them, it is time we leave."

A slight trembling of the floor nearly knocked all the ponies and changelings over, as Luna reached out and grasped her namesake. Heaving with all her might, Luna upended the day and plunged Equestria into an early night. As the blackness settled on the land, the Princess of the Night grew in power and reached with all her magic; gathering up the ponies and then taking them elsewhere.

Scootaloo's eyes widened as she recognized the inside of Twilight's library. Turning her head she saw her sister still in place on her back and leaned around to nuzzle her. They had gone from having the best feast of their lives to very little love in moments. "What's going on? Where is... Twilight?" She had almost said "Chrysalis" but saved her words at the last moment.

"Twilight Sparkle is a brave unicorn and is smart enough, I hope, to make her own way out." Luna looked around at the few she had rescued. "We must make ready to…" She trailed off, blinking and dropping to the floor. "Please be alright, Tia."

~~~~~+++++~~~~~

Twilight had been dumbfounded during the whole encounter, but when darkness fell over Equestria she snapped from her daze. "What happened?" She dashed to the windows to look out. The pink dome protecting Canterlot was gone, as too was the sun from the sky. "The moon is out!"

"How were you going to persuade my sister to your side?" Celestia looked at Chrysalis, her eyes trying to get a read on the changeling. Her memories dredged up reminders now, of her kind.

"I was willing to let her work beside you, or even go free if she wished. I guess this is for the best." Chrysalis was teetering on the edge of worry. "I will admit that this was not part of my plans."

"You are the strangest changeling I have ever met." Celestia had finally narrowed down where she had met Chrysalis' kind before. That one had been just as ruthless, but had none of the morals. I think I like this Chryssi more.

All of Chrysalis' attention fell on the Princess of the Sun. "You know of changelings? Where? When?" She had to fight her instinct to grab the alicorn.

Celestia probed at her memory. "When I was much younger, when Luna and I shared the defense of Equestria," that alone let both Twilight and Chrysalis know that it was over a thousand years ago, "all I remember was being captured, Luna saved me. Apparently I have a blind side."

Hearing her former teacher admit to such a grand fault startled Twilight; she trotted up to Celestia's side. "But that is for Chrysalis to worry about now, right?" She looked between Celestia and Chrysalis. "I mean, Queen Chrysalis."

"Princess Twilight." Chrysalis smiled at the unicorn. "Do not fret with titles so much. What Celestia was trying to point out was that I had captured her just as surely as what were likely my ancestors did."

"What about the other ponies? How many losses did your plan account for?" Celestia hated herself for asking, but she needed to know. She looked at the mare who now held the keys to Equestria with a little trepidation. How many will I rationalize? Five percent? Ten?

"Zero. The drones I sent out were told to protect the castle only, and even then with only words first, paralysis venom second. Their orders were to surrender if overwhelmed, two friends insisted on it." Chrysalis turned her head to Shining and Cadance. They taught me how to be a pony.

The Queen smiled widely until she realized someling was missing. "Scootaloo?"