Waterwing followed along behind Twilight, watching as the bluish-white flame she had cast drifted in lazy circles around her head.
"It's coming from around this corner." Twilight's voice was just barely audible, even with the ticking being the only other sound piercing the dead silence of the mine. "We'll face it together. Ready?"
Waterwing nodded, her face shining with determination. <Ready!>
Twilight nodded in turn, and the two rounded the corner, ready to square off against...
"What?"
A lone figure lay in the dust ahead of them. His blue mane and tail were frayed and disheveled, and his white coat was covered in tiny flecks of dried blood. Beside him sat an ornate wooden clock Twilight immediately knew to be the source of the ticking, as well as a candle flickering limply in the darkness.
<It's him!> Waterwing poked at Twilight with her hoof. <Isn't it? It has to be!>
"Not necessarily." Twilight shook her head. "Stay here and let me handle this."
At the sound of her voice, the figure stirred and raised his head, peering at them with eyes that took a moment to focus. "Tw... Twily...?"
Twilight stepped forward carefully until she towered over the prone figure. "What was Shining Armor's favorite comic book?"
The figure slowly lifted his head and took a deep breath. "...Smash Fortune. I had... thirty-four issues collected before I enlisted."
Twilight staggered back a step. "Shiny...?"
"Hey, how's my favorite little sister?" The real Shining Armor gave her a tired smile. "Sorry I couldn't meet you at the station. I've been a little... preoccupied for the past few days."
Twilight fell to her knees and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. Her eyes welled with tears once more... but where before those tears had been full of confusion and fear, these shone in the dim light with relief and love.
"I'm your only little sister, dummy."
Shining shook his head, his smile fading. "How'd you manage to get wrapped up in this, anyway?"
Twilight pulled back. "Your doppelganger has a really bad attitude. We went and confronted him about it, and... kind of accidentally made him spill the beans, I think?"
"We?"
Twilight motioned Waterwing over. "It's okay, he's real."
Immediately, Waterwing rushed over and sat beside Shining, carefully examining his injuries.
"This is Waterwing, one of my good friends," explained Twilight. "Don't worry, she has some medical expertise."
Shining nodded. "It's nice to - " He paused to suck in air through his teeth, wincing as Waterwing prodded him gently. "Ow. Nice to meet you."
Waterwing nodded at him briefly before resuming her work. After another moment, she turned to Twilight. <Looks like the worst of it is just a heap of cuts and bruises. These would've healed by now if he was eating and sleeping okay, but our faker friend isn't taking care of him.> She hung her head sadly. <I could've cleaned him up some at least, but I didn't bring my supplies. I'm really sorry...>
"It's not your fault," said Twilight. "And thank you for that."
Shining glanced between them. "What was all that? Is she a medic or something?"
"Something like that, yeah." Twilight gave Shining a curious glance-over herself for a moment. "She says you're not seriously injured, but we need to get you out of here as soon as possible."
"You can put that in a memo and title it 'Stuff I Already Know,'" said Shining as he struggled to climb to his hooves. Waterwing quickly trotted to his side to help, nudging his foreleg over her shoulders and wincing slightly at the sudden addition of weight. "There's an emergency surface access tunnel not far from here. I can lead us to it."
"Wait." Twilight quirked an eyebrow. "You know the way out? Why are you still down here then?"
"Because my imposter caved it in," he explained. "I've been spending all my magic maintaining the barrier over the city, so I don't have enough left to clear it out - but I'm willing to bet you do."
Waterwing gave Twilight a confident smile.
Twilight nodded. "Then his second mistake was trying to imprison us down here with you."
"What was the first?" asked Shining.
Twilight's face darkened into a deep scowl. "Hurting my family."
The big day arrived.
The chapel had not seen such commotion in a long time. Decorations hung from the walls and windows, birds twittered and chirped as they flew from perch to perch, and excited ponies dressed in their absolute finest filled the room to the brim... with the exception of three mysteriously empty seats in the front row.
Scarlet glanced over her shoulder at the door far behind.
"No need to worry, darling. They'll be here," said Rarity, putting a hoof on Scarlet's shoulder. "Twilight is the most punctual pony we know. I'm sure she merely spent too long catching up with her brother last night and needed to sleep in a bit. The others are just helping her get ready."
"Yes, of course."
Scarlet turned back to the altar in front of them. On it stood a thoroughly impatient Shining Armor in a formal dress uniform; behind him was Celestia, sporting her usual regalia and a pleasant smile.
The doors opened. Rarity winced.
A beaming Cadance stood in the doorway. Her alabaster gown shimmered in the light, its long train trailing behind her like a river of silk as she approached the altar. The doors closed once more behind her.
"Fillies and gentlecolts," Celestia began, "We are gathered here today to witness the union of these two, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Captain Shining Armor, in royal matrimony."
Rarity sniffled, immediately tearing up. "Oh, poor Twilight having to miss this..."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. Scarlet quirked an eyebrow.
"Do you, Princess Cadenza, take Shining Armor to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
Cadance's heart swelled. "I do."
"Do you, Captain Armor, take Mi Amore Cadenza to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"
Shining's lip curled into the faintest sneer. "I do."
"If anypony should object to this union," continued Celestia, "speak now, or - "
A loud bang echoed through the chapel as the doors burst open.
"OBJECTION!"
Tank Buster stood in the doorway, one defiant hoof pointed squarely at the altar.
This didn't last long, however, as he suddenly giggled to himself and covered his mouth with his outstretched hoof. "Haha, that is fun! And it looks like I even got the timing right. Go me!"
The chapel immediately filled with confused murmuring. Amid the commotion, Scarlet's horn lit up.
Shining Armor stomped his forehooves, eyes full of rage. "What's the meaning of this? How dare you?!"
"Stand down, Captain," said Celestia.
He immediately stood at attention.
Celestia stepped forward to stand at the edge of the altar. "Tank Buster, I hope you have a good explanation for your interruption."
"Boy, do I ever." Tank took a few steps forward, watching Shining with a smirk. "I found you, faker!"
"Faker?" echoed Shining, his sneer returning. "I think you're the fake pony around here."
Tank flinched. "Tch..."
Cadance's gaze flicked back and forth between the two stallions. "Tank, are you saying...?"
"I brought someone here to see you, Princess," said Tank, turning around expectantly.
Marching slowly into the chapel, supported on either side by Twilight and Waterwing, was none other than Shining Armor.
"You're... comparing yourself to me?" he panted. "You're... not even good enough to be my fake...!"
A collective gasp ran through the crowd.
"I'll make you eat those words!" The Shining Armor on the altar planted his hooves, his horn lighting up in an unnatural sickly green.
Tank idly examined his hoof. "You won't get the chance."
Scarlet's horn flared. An icy blue orb struck the imposter, erupting in a cloud of mist that obscured the figure for several seconds.
Celestia and Cadance backed away warily.
The mist parted to reveal a tall equinoid figure. Everything about it looked wrong, from the hard black chitin in place of fur to the gossamer wings, sharp fangs, and crooked horn. The fury of the imposter's disguise was gone, replaced with an eerily confident calm.
The crowd stood perfectly still, staring.
"My, that certainly is an interesting spell you have there, isn't it?"
The figure spoke in an oddly distorted voice as she turned to glance at Scarlet.
"Queen Chrysalis," Celestia spat as she stomped her hoof. "What is the meaning of this?"
Chrysalis chuckled. "Surely you saw this coming, Celestia? You didn't honestly believe we would be content to lurk in the shadows, wallowing in starvation for eternity, did you?"
Cadance covered her mouth with a hoof, her face turning a faint shade of green.
"It was only natural that I hatch a plan to invade Canterlot." Chrysalis began pacing. "For the predator to live in fear of the prey goes against the laws of nature. I'm simply here to fix a broken system and give both my subjects and yours what they each deserve."
"How can you say that?!" demanded Twilight. "You kidnapped my brother and left him starving in a cave!"
"No less than what we endure every day of our existence!" Chrysalis glared daggers at Twilight, causing her to shrink back. "We will take our rightful place as rulers of this land, or gladly see to our own destruction!"
"If destruction's what you want," snapped Rainbow Dash as she took to the air, "then we'd be all too happy to give it to you!"
"No, my little pony."
Celestia stepped forward calmly, her gaze locked with that of the changeling queen before her. "This foe is beyond any of you. I need you all to evacuate this room and go retrieve the Elements of Harmony. I will keep her busy by giving her the fight she so desires."
Visibly wilting, five mares gave each other nervous looks... but soon nodded and began ushering the increasingly frightened crowd of ponies out the door. Scarlet and Tank stood firm.
Chrysalis tilted her head back and laughed as she watched the crowd rush for the door. "Oh, I highly doubt that'll go as smoothly as you think. I have an army!"
"We have a shield!" declared Twilight over the din of retreating ponies behind her, flashing a smirk at Shining Armor. "Right, big brother?"
Shining winced. "Not - not for much longer..."
"I gave brother dearest a clock when I imprisoned him," said Chrysalis. "That way, I could fake his little spell on time with the real deal and pretend to be maintaining your precious barrier for you; a barrier that should be - "
The distant sound of glass shattering rang through the city as fragments of pink magic gradually fell from the sky and disappeared.
" - a little early, but we'll roll with it."
Twilight blanched. "Shining! Shining, the shield!"
Shining Armor's horn lit up feebly for barely a second before fading. "I, I can't..."
A swarm of black shapes flew in past the crumbling barrier, descending like a plague over the city.
"And now all I need is one last thing, and I'll be unstoppable!"
Grinning her fanged grin, Chrysalis turned to Shining Armor. Her horn glowed, emitting a bolt of green magic; Tank ducked as it passed through the space his head had been occupying a split second earlier, flying straight toward Shining.
"NO!"
Finally freed from her fearful paralysis, Cadance threw off her dress and leaped into the air, wings spread wide, even as she knew she would never reach him in time...
A blue figure leaped in front of Shining Armor.
Waterwing writhed as the bolt struck her, enveloping her in a green glow that quickly turned pink. Peeling itself off, the glow flew back toward Chrysalis, who caught it in her mouth and swallowed. Waterwing fell to the floor in a heap, twitching with every sharp, shallow breath.
"No..." whispered Scarlet.
"You idiot!" yelled Tank. "What did you do that for?!"
"Oooh..." Chrysalis shivered. "That was even better than I expected! And as an added bonus, the Captain of the Guard will be awake to watch his ultimate failure. Now..." She turned back to Celestia. "About that fight you mentioned...?"
A bead of sweat rolled down Celestia's neck. "Everypony, you must flee from here!"
Two sets of hooves skidded across the altar as Scarlet and Tank rushed forward to stand between Celestia and Chrysalis.
"Sure, we'll retreat," said Tank. "Just as soon as we squash this overgrown cockroach, 'cause she just made this personal."
"More the better!" Chrysalis sneered. "I'll hang your corpses from the flag poles!"
"Are you sure...?"
Twilight stared pleadingly at Cadance.
"Yes!" Cadance gently cradled the unconscious Waterwing in her forelegs as Shining leaned on her for support. "I'll keep these two safe as best I can. You need to help your friends reach the Elements - they can stop her, no matter how powerful she gets!"
Twilight bit her lip, glancing between her long lost foalsitter and the fight brewing on the altar... and with a deep breath, she bolted out the door.