//------------------------------// // Sometimes a Lie is Harder to Take // Story: When Harmony Dies..... // by TheApexSovereign //------------------------------// "What are you saying, Princess Cadence?" Twilight asked, staring doubtfully at her former caretaker. Cadence repeated herself in a more expository tone. "Like I said before, it's just a phrase you shouldn't take to heart, but a lot of friendships don't last forever." The pair hiked up the small paved hill, approaching the castle gates guarded by a pair of cinnamon and marble colored stallions. Cadence exchanged a brief glance with each of them, their eyes briefly flashing a swampy green before stepping aside. The princess continued, "Tastes change, opinions clash, or sometimes they just drift apart, never seeing each other again." The mares made a detour off of the main path and trotted around the castle, into the sculptor garden. "You should never develop the fear of being alone, Twilight Sparkle." Luna's moon cast an eerie glow over the garden, forming dozens of looming shadows originating from the dozens of statues. "For there will always be friends you could relate too." The duo halted, gazing up at a towering statue; one of a strange creature made from various animals and a fanged mouth releasing a silent scream. "Even in the grimiest of places....." Twilight shuddered at the sight of her demonic foe; the same one who almost plunged Equestria into eternal chaos and nearly destroyed her friends. "Wh-What're we doing here, Cadence?" She asked nervously, slowly turning her head though her eyes remained briefly locked on the draconequus. The drab pink alicorn let out a heavy-hearted sigh before looking away from the filly. "Twilight.....I-" She choked on her words, taking a gasping breath. "There's something I want to share with you, but you have to promise me you won't tell anypony." The lilac pony stepped beside her old foalsitter, tenderly rubbing her head against the elder's side. "I promise." "No, you really can't tell anypony, not a soul. If you do, then it's off with my head." The princess sounded as if she was on the brink of tears. Twilight's heart ached to see her compassionate mentor seem so afflicted, making her wonder why anything she's done would warrant an execution. "Cadence, I swear not a single living soul will know." The older mare sniffled, opening her glazed eyes. "Alright Twilight, if I can really trust you...." She steadily inhaled, attempting to maintain her composure. "I'm not what you think I am. In truth, I'm....I'm a Changeling; always have been." The scholar cocked her head to the side, puzzled. "A Changeling? What's that?" Cadence pleasantly sighed, turning to face the confused pony. "You don't know what a Changeling is? Come on, Twi! I thought you'd know, considering how many books you've read." She playfully rubbed a hoof in Twilight's mane, causing it to become disheveled and ruffled. The knowledgeable unicorn giggled lightly, gently pushing away the boisterous princess. "No, no. I haven't heard of a Changeling before. What are they?" Cadence's face fell, rearing her head and looking up at the solidified God of Chaos. "They're a dying breed, I'm afraid. We're shapeshifters living on the far edge of Equestria, in the Forbidden Zone. Our main source of food is, well, another being's love." Twilight mulled over the the alicorn's words for a brief moment before, recoiling in horror. "You-You're just using my brother as a food source! How could you!?" The princess let out a series of urgent hushes, "No! Please! Let me explain!" She pleaded in a loud whisper. "We only feed off of those who we truly, undoubtedly care for. And your brother, oh Celestia, he's probably the kindest, most generous stallion I've ever met." She sighed in bliss, placing a hoof over her heart. The lavender unicorn's smile was wide, beaming. In her entire life of studies, she has never came across a sentient with such cunning abilities and yet they're so kind and endearing. Her expression turned to worry when a new thought burrowed itself into her mind. "Why wouldn't Princess Celestia allow Changelings in Equestria?" Cadence's face darkened, staring at the glistening statue giving off a white lunar glow. "A lot of ponies have secrets, Twilight. The Princess is no exception. She just doesn't like creatures who are a little...." She locked eyes with the voided marble pair of the draconequus. "....different." "That doesn't sound like Princess Celestia." Twilight said, galloping to the other side of the engaged mare. "Well, maybe I made the wrong choice of words." Cadence said, smiling faintly. "The Princess annexed Changelings into the Forbidden Zone for fear of potential spies." Twilight frowned, "That doesn't seem fair." "It's not." The princess muttered, gazing up at the white orb hung in the midnight sky. "So few of us are even residing in Equestria, due to several complications. We'd have to come up with a fake name, a backstory, all lies, just to get some food." Cadence squeezed her eyes shut, trying her best to hold back tears. "Only the most cunning and deceiving of us make it through. And even then, we'd still have to find a suitable partner that nourishes us both mentally and physically. And I, unfortunately, obtained the scumbag title of the hive's finest. Then again, who would expect anything less from the Queen of the Changelings?" Twilight gasped, her eyes brightening in delight, "You're the Queen!?" The doppelganger nodded, chuckling softly at the pony's eager naivety. "Yes, I am. I set out thirty two years ago, clawing my way to the top and becoming a princess. Of course, none of the princes or princesses are related to Celestia or Luna by blood, it's just more of a title ordeal. But I'm hoping that one day, I could let my kind back into Equestria." Twilight felt guilt and confusion. She couldn't possibly believe her old foalsitter is not actually a pony, and that Celestia could do something so cruel to such innocent creatures. "Cadence? What'll happen if the Changelings are brought back?" Cadence, on the other hand, completely changed the subject. "Twilight, I want you to do exactly as I say, this will help you understand what I'm talking about." The unicorn let out a perplexed 'Okay.' The princess placed a hoof on the mare's back. "Okay, now just stand still." She lifted her hoof off of the unicorn's back and placed it on the draconequus' foot. The alicorn then lowered her head with gently shut eyes and crossed her horn with Twilight's. "Cadence? Where are we?" Twilight looked around, noticing that she and the elder were pale, shallow, almost ghost-like versions of themselves. There, they stood in the Canterlot Grand Hall. At the far end of the hall was Celestia and the other six Elements talking, looking rather angry. What they were saying was distorted, muffled, as if an invisible wall obstructed the two groups. Beside her, the alicorn had an expression of great seriousness. "We're in the spirit's memories." Twilight knew the 'spirit' she was referring to was Discord. Just as she made the connection, she realized that this was the event where Discord was set free from his stone imprisonment a mere eight months ago. As if he was on cue, Discord's voice spoke up in an ghastly, echoing demeanor. "But you wouldn't know that, would you? Because I don't turn ponies into stone!" Silence. Twilight shook her head. "Princess, I don't understand." The memory started to fade into black, causing the duo to seemingly be standing in a foreboding darkness. "Listen carefully, and watch." She motioned to the memory starting to form from a murky, shimmering speck into a full scene, like a play. The Spirit of Chaos repeated himself, "Because -I- don't turn ponies into stone!" The unicorn stuttered, feeling the dreaded feeling of realization starting to stab it's way into her heart. "I-I....I don't-" Before her, the memory began to play out. A frightened midnight-blue mare backed up in the corner of a cottage, beside a smoldered fireplace. Tightly pressed against her chest was an orange flag lined with three horizontal diamonds. The mare's bright orange eyes widened with fear, her breathing became rapid. "P-Please! Have mercy!" She cried, her lengthy aquamarine hair draped like curtains around her face. An alabaster hoof encased in a golden slipper stomped on the ground. "Would you order your forces to stand down?" She asked. The pony's expression darkened. Using her flag for support, she stood on her hind legs and huffed her chest out with pride. The crimson cape clung around her shoulders lied on the floor. "I'll never succumb to a tyrant like you! The resistance will prevail, and your days of ruling with an iron hoof are over!" Celestia hung her head, "Then you leave me no choice, my subject." The princess' horn illuminated a golden aura as six colored gems levitated around her. In a single flash, the cottage rumbled from the force of the magic blast. The pony was no longer there. Discord's voice echoed in Twilight's head once more. "Because I don't turn ponies-" There was just a statue, holding a flag with dignity and pride. "-into stone!" "Victory." Celestia whispered to herself with a satisfied smile. And with that, Twilight's eyes sprang open, her brain not even processing the fact that she's back in the real world. The pony's body, sprawled on the ground, convulsed and twitched, her breath shook with every exhale, sweat poured down her forehead. At a complete loss of words, Twilight's words became broken, incomprehensible phrases. "Wh-....why....Celes..." She scrambled to her hooves as Cadence spectated with a worried look, though inside she couldn't stop smiling. Like a broken record, Discord's haunting words played through Twilight's mind over and over again as she gaped at the dozens of statues in elegant placements. There was that one of the three ponies standing on eachother, "-I- don't turn-" The mare and colt holding a scroll, "-Did you miss me, Celestia?" a mare lying down, as if she was surrendering, "You wouldn't know that, would you?" a couple initiated in a frozen embrace, "-I- don't turn ponies into stone!" The unavoidable fact hit Twilight worse than a freight train: These ponies were once flesh and blood. Once. And that's all thanks to Princess Celestia. Tears began to well up in the young pony's eyes. She struggled to her feet, looking up at Cadence while incoherently sputtering, "Ca-Cadence! This can't be true! It just can't!" Sweat poured down her face, mixing with tears. "I-I need to go-" Twilight turned tail and made a dash for the castle's back doors, into the grand hall. Cadence's mellow expression finally broke into a psychotic crack. She knew her 'friend' won't confront Celestia immediately. At least, not without a morale-crushing encounter with her friends. The Princess continued grinning, pleased with how nicely her plan was coming together. That is until an eerie voice echoed in her mind. An eerily distinct one at that. "Ya know, next time you decide to worm into my thoughts, you could at least give a warning, or a hint." The alicorn looked up at the statue to see that it's placement hasn't changed, it's face still expelling a silent scream. "Besides, you forgot to wipe your feet when you left." He added with a mischievous giggle. "What are you talking about?" Cadence snapped, then feeling ridiculous about talking to an inanimate statue. "I give and take, darling. You accessed my thoughts, now I can access your's. And Sparkle's." Cadence looked around, making sure no one was around. "Stay out of this!" She hissed, "This is my job. And I refuse to let months of planning fly out the window because you decided to coax the little brat into blowing my cover!" "Hey! Hey! Relax, sweetheart! Trust me, I'd love to see the downfall of Equestria as much as you do. And I like the execution! Feeding horrible lies about her 'loving and caring' mentor? Brilliant! And please, these 'unfortunate victims' are just as atrocious as I am. The dear should've at least picked up on that." The Changeling Queen was growing impatient. "Enough rambling. What do you want?" "Let's see. Uh, I'm trapped in stone. That's one. I have a score to settle with the Elements. That's two. And, ugh, I have a lifelong grudge towards our dear, loving Princesses." "Get to the point." "I want out, you twit! Get Twilight to hate her friends. No, despise them! I like what you're doing with the lies, very good. Very inspiring. But you need to take a step further." "How? And why would I help you?" The doppelganger asked, intrigued by the spirit's proposal. "I was getting to that." Discord retorted, sounding annoyed. "More lies! The most horrible acts of ponykind you can think of! It's like you told the dear before: Everypony has secrets! Help me with this, and I'll help overthrow the Princesses. And trust me when I say, your armies are utterly powerless against the Princess. Trust me. I've seen pissed Celestia. You'll need help taking her down." Cadence thought for a moment, weighing in the pros and cons. Finally, she replied in a dark tone, "Alright Discord. You've got yourself a deal. But believe me when I say that you don't want to get on my bad side. You may be a god like the Princesses, but you're just as vulnerable as them too. And not as powerful." To prove a point, her horn fired a blast of vibrant green energy at a stone statue of a royal guard, obliterating it to smithereens. "Noted." The draconequus replied casually. A/N: Whoever understands the chapter title gets a cookie. On a side note, I apologize for updating this at a snail's pace. But I have so much shit on my plate! Just, please, be patient. Shit'll get real in the next chapter.