Queen Chrysalis gazed serenely out the window at the chaos in the streets below. Things had gone much better than she had planned. Her children were scarfing down as much love as they could, as if they hadn't been fed in over a year, and she herself felt as if she had just walked out of a spa. Who knew that Celestia's love for her subjects was that strong? Absorbing it had only been an afterthought, but ultimately one that worked out to her benefit.
Oh...and speaking of which....
Chrysalis turned and gazed up at the still unconscious sun-goddess, who was currently wrapped up in one the strongest cocoons her subjects could build. She didn't want to take any chances with that one - she was still, by all accounts, a goddess.
The only other major concern was her sister, Luna, but the hive-mind connection she had to her changelings told her the problem was being dealt with.
"You won't get away with this!"
Chrysalis rolled her eyes. She had forgotten her "guest", who was chained to the floor with the same substance as Celestia's cocoon. She was beginning to wonder why she hadn't put a muzzle on her.
"Twilight and her friends will-"
The door opened and in walked six battered ponies, all guarded by her subjects, one having to be physically restrained. They had obviously failed to retrieve the Elements of Harmony.
Chrysalis smirked and turned her head to Cadence. "You were saying?"
She sauntered up to the Element Bearers with a fake sympathetic look. "Back so soon? I take it your little errand didn't go very well, then?"
The six ponies just glared at her.
Chrysalis turned to her subjects and said, "I'll take it from here. Go now and feed."
The room was filled with loud buzzing as the changelings zoomed out the door, which Chrysalis then magically sealed shut.
She leaned in towards Twilight and placed a hoof under her chin. "It's funny, really. Twilight here was suspicious of my behavior all along."
Twilight slapped her hoof away, her glare intensifying. Chrysalis merely smirked and circled the group like a shark. "Too bad the rest of you were too caught up in your little wedding plans to realize those suspicions were correct."
She paused, and turned to face the group. "I am curious, though. I thought for certain you five were going to walk out after Twilight's little tantrum. Why didn't you?"
"Because we're her friends, you idiot!" Rainbow snarled.
"We stick by each other, through the good times and the bad." Applejack declared, standing firmly.
"Regardless of whether they made a mistake." Fluttershy added, softly but sternly.
"And it will take much more than a simple wedding to tear us apart." Rarity concluded.
"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie cried.
Chrysalis merely cocked and eyebrow. "Touching." She then shrugged and walked back to the window. "No matter. I still won."
Applejack sheepishly placed a hoof on the back of her head as she turned to Twilight. "Guess you were right along, Twi. Sorry we didn't believe ya."
Twilight merely shrugged. "I wouldn't have believed me either. And besides, she fooled me, too. I thought she was just being a rotten pony. I didn't figure out about the Changelings until much later." She turned and glared bitterly at the Changeling Queen. "She fooled us all."
Chrysalis grinned smugly. "I did, didn't I?" She then turned to the window and began to sing softly:
This day has been just perfect
The kind of day of which I dreamed since I was small
Every pony I'll soon control
Every stallion, mare, and foal
Who says a girl can't really have it all?
As Chrysalis cackled quietly to herself, Twilight snuck across the room and magically removed Cadence's restraints. Of course, Chrysalis could hear her, but she didn't feel any need to stop her; what could they possibly do to stop her now?
"Quick, go to him while you still have the chance." Twilight whispered, pointing a hoof to Shining Armor, who was still very much brainwashed.
Cadence rushed to her beloved's side, tears filling her eyes at his pathetic state. She embraced him tightly as she struggled to cast her signature spell. After a moment, a single heart floated from Cadence's horn to Shining's. All of Shining's love for Cadence came to the forefront of his mind, and the spell was broken, his eyes turning from sickly green to his original blue.
Shining blinked several times, and shook his head wildly as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. "Wha...? Cadence...?" He stared at his bride in confusion, who was now very dirty and disheveled. "W-what happened? Is the wedding over?"
Chrysalis turned at the sound of Shining voice. "Ah. Shining. I'd completely forgotten about you. To answer your question, yes - it's all over." She grinned maliciously for a moment, then turned back to the window, waving a dismissive hoof. "You can have him back, Cadence. He's served his purpose. I have no further use for him."
"Shining!" Twilight cried. "Now's your chance! Use your Shield Spell!"
Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "What good would that do? My changelings already roam free."
Shining Armor turned his head towards the source of the voice, and his eyes widened. Snapping into action, he concentrated as hard as he could to summon his shield. But all he could manage was a faint glow at the end of his horn.
"No!" Shining Armor grunted in frustration. "It's no use! I don't have the strength to repel them."
Cadence embraced Shining once more. "My love will give you strength!"
"Oh, spare me!" Chrysalis snapped, turning to face them. "Did you forget what happened less than half an hour ago?" She dramatically placed a hoof on her chest. "I have flowing through me over a thousand years worth of Celestia's love and devotion to her subjects. I haven't even absorbed half of it, and I still defeated her!" She pointed her hoof to the cocoon, and then at the couple, sneering. "Shining Armor's love for you was mere hor' douvre in comparison! What could your little puppy love possibly hope to accomplish?" She then smiled, shrugging. "But by all means, go ahead. Feel free to waste everypony's time."
With that, she turned back to the window, giving yet another dismissive hoof wave.
Cadence and Shining stared at each other intently. She had a point; the odds were indeed against them. But still, they had to try.
Closing her eyes, Cadence pressed her horn to Shining's and concentrated. She focused on pouring every once of her love for Shining into her magic, and Shining in turn poured his love for Cadence into his. Soon, a glowing orb began to form from their combined horns, and it progressively glowed larger and brighter, so bright that the Element Bearers had to shield their eyes.
This got Chrysalis's attention, and she smirked. "So, you do have some fight in you. Good. This will make it more interesting."
With that, she fired a magic green beam at the two. A protective shield emitted from the orb, protecting them.
But it wasn't enough. They needed more power. So they gave it their all; they reached deep down and thought of all the ponies they loved. Cadence thought of Twilight, the little sister she always wanted. She thought of Spike, the cute baby dragon. She thought of her Earth pony parents, who took her in and loved her as their own even though she had been a pegasus, and all the other ponies in the village. She thought of Auntie Celestia, of Auntie Luna, of Cousin Blueblood, even if he was a total snob.
Shining in turn thought of his parents, of his baby sister, his LSBFF, of his friends and comrades he had in the royal guard.
They thought of Canterlot, of Equestria, of all the ponies that depended on them, and who would be hurt if they failed to drive this monster away.
Slowly, the orb engulfed them and they slowly ascended into the air.
Chrysalis' eyes widened in rage and horror, and she strengthened her attacks. They all dissolved upon impact. The love that she had stolen from Celestia was no match for the true love of Shining and Cadence.
The room was filled with a white light , and all that could be heard was Chrysalis's enraged screams.
And then, all was silent. The Element Bearers opened their eyes and saw Shining and Cadence collapsed in a heap on the floor. Chrysalis was no where to be found.
The girls looked out the windows to the streets below. Not a changeling in sight.
Twilight ran to her brother's side. Slowly he opened his eyes and gave a weak smile. "Hey, Twily."
Tears of joy filled her eyes as she embraced her brother, Cadence joining in shortly after.
The doors slammed open and in charged Princess Luna, looking very disheveled, followed by two unicorn guards.
"Is everypony alright?" she asked. She then spotted her sister on the floor, the blast freeing her from her cocoon.
"Sister!" Luna cried, running to her Celestia's side. Celestia's eyes fluttered open, and she gazed up at Luna in confusion. "Luna? What happened?"
"The changelings have been purged from the city, Tia!" Luna declared triumphantly. "Once again your student and her companions are victorious!"
"We can't take credit this time, Princess." Twilight said, smiling, pointing to her brother and his bride. "It was all Shining and Cadence's doing."
Celestia staggered to her feet, Luna looking on in concern. "Don't worry about me. Right now, we have a city to repair, and wounded to tend to." She suddenly clutched her head in pain. "Ugh. And maybe get me an ice pack."