//------------------------------//
// Chapter Three Revealations and Rescues 
// Story: Twilight Sparkle the Sleeping Beauty 
// by SamSwordsman123 
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Shining Armor, Celestia, and the others all made their way to courtyard where Flash Sentry was known for staying late even when training sessions were officially over. But on the way, they ran into somepony they didn’t expect. 

“Cadence!” Shining Armor exclaimed. 

He looked at her face, and saw a rather wicked smile. That didn’t seem right, she didn’t seem upset at all. He’d thought she would have still been in her room or some place being sad after what Twilight had said to her. 

Cadence laughed an evil laugh. 

“Fooling all of you into abandoning Twilight was too easy!” she said. “Really, you were all so focused on your wedding planning you didn’t notice how I treated all of you!” 

Everypony’s mouth fell open upon hearing this. Twilight had been right all along! Cadence was evil! Or so they thought until she spoke her next line. 

“Posing as Princess Cadence went exactly according to Maleficent’ s plan. Now she is asleep, and without Flash Sentry you have no chance of waking her!” 

A flash of green light emitted from Cadence. The light was so bright everypony had to look away. When it faded, they saw not Cadence but a black buglike creature that resembled an Alicorn as tall as Celestia.

Celestia narrowed her eyes, recognizing the race of ponysized bugs that Maleficent used as part of her army. This one, the largest of them all, was Maleficent’s personal stead. 

“Queen Chrysalis!” she said. “I should have known!” 

“Yes, you should have.” Chrysalis said. 

“Where is the real Cadence and Flash Sentry?” Shining Armor asked. 

"They’re both trapped in the abandoned Canterlot mines. Below the castle." Chrysalis replied with a sneer. "You'll never find them."

"Oh yes, we will!" Rarity snapped.

"After I make you pay for turning me against my little sister and causing her curse to be fulfilled!" Shining Armor roared. 

He fired a beam of magic at Chrysalis, who laughed and flew skyward. She then fired a spell of her own at him, knocking him off his hooves. She laughed as he fell. "Without the element of magic, you shall not be able to stand against my army! Canterlot will belong to Maleficent, and all the love will belong to me!" 

They watched the giant bug fly away. 

"Come back here!" Rainbow Dash tried to go after her. 

"Whoa nelly!" Applejack said, grabbing the Pegasus's tail in her mouth like she did in the past when Rainbow attempted to do the same thing with Nightmare Moon. "You can't take her on your own! Besides we have bigger things to worry about!"

"Yes, we must find Flash Sentry and Cadence!" Celestia said. "It's our only chance of waking up Twilight before Maleficent attacks. Quickly, I know an entrance to the caverns beneath Canterlot."

They made their way to the said entrance, and into the caves. It was a long and desperate search, they prayed everything was alright up top as they followed endless tunnels until finally they found them. Cadence and Flash appeared around a corner with Cadence lightning her horn.  

“Cadence!” Shining Armor asked. 

“Shining Armor!” Cadence cried out in relief. “I was afraid I’d never see you again. A changeling abducted me and threw me into the caves a couple nights ago!” 

He pulled her into a comforting embrace, noticing her coat and mane were dirty and mangled.  She also looked slightly thinner.

“Everything’s going to be okay… I hope.” Shining Armor said. “Come on, we need to get to the surface quickly! Maleficent and her army could attack any moment. Even my shield isn’t going to stop her!” 

Flash looked around at the bearers of the elements of harmony, and noticed somepony was missing. 

“Where’s Twilight?” he asked. 

Shining Armor turned to him. “She’s under a sleeping curse, and I think only you can wake her up!” 

“Me?” Flash questioned. “But how? I don’t know anything about lifting spells?” 

“The curse can only be broken with true loves kiss,” Celestia said. 

“True love?” Flash said. “I- I don’t know. I mean, I like Twilight but I’m not… not sure its love yet.” 

“Please, we have to try! There’s no time to lose!” Shining Armor yelled. 

They galloped back the way the came. As they finally got to the surface, they saw a dreadful sight fill the sky. The shield surrounding Canterlot was hit with green magic from a nearby hill overlooking the city. Maleficent’s magic shattered Shining Armor’s shield like glass. Then hords of Changelings with humanoid pigs on their backs rained down, and at their head was Maleficent herself riding on Chrysalis.