//------------------------------//
// Ch. 6: Atjaunošana 
// Story: Oscillation: Back and Forth 
// by TundraStanza 
//------------------------------//

Several ponies were standing outside in the castle gardens, watching the proceedings through magical projection.  Canterlot Castle's ballroom was full of guests.  Princess Celestia stood at the top of the staircase.  Internally, she was getting worried.  Minutes passed, and there was still no sign of the bridesmaids or the ring-bearer.  Yet, she continued to smile, if for no other reason than to maintain a sense of calm in all her little ponies.

Shining Armor had insisted on the wedding going forward anyway.  He said something about them falling and needing to rest for the day.  Still, he reasoned, that was no reason to make every pony else wait.  After a couple more minutes, Celestia turned toward the organ player and nodded.  She promised herself she would check on their well-being personally once the ceremony left the ballroom.

As the trademark song echoed throughout the walls, two unicorn guards opened the doors.  The bride trotted inside, carrying herself with glee.  Maybe it was a little too much, but she picked up her pace.  Her dress picked up several flower petals along the aisle, as well as a few thorns.

Celestia closed her eyes and waited for the organ to wrap-up.  "Today, we are gathered to witness the matrimony between Captain Shining Armor of the Royal Guard and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza-"

There was a flash and a bang in the middle of the aisle.  The ponies closest to the small kaboom blinked and held their ears in pain.  Six ponies, a young dragon, and a signature bug-filly had arrived.  One of the pegasi dramatically pointed a hoof at the stairway.

"Objection!"

Her friends looked at her in bewilderment.  Fluttershy pulled her hoof against her chest.  She blushed.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I've always wanted to say that."

Celestia dropped her calm face for genuine confusion.  Why was there a second, scuffed up Cadance down on the floor?  Meanwhile, 'Cadance' had a more venomous expression toward the extra arrivals.

"Why are you here?!" She pointed her hoof. "There was supposed to be a sorcerer keeping watch on you all day!"

"It seems you lack communication with your own servants," commented Ocellus.

"Hold up." One of the guests scratched his head. "How are there two Princesses Cadance?"

The Cadance with dirt marks and split-ends stepped forward. "That one is a changeling called Chrysalis. They can change their appearance and feed off ponies' loved ones!"

'Cadance' surrounded herself with a pillar of green fire.  The dress was ripped away into ashes.  Her hooves, wings, and horn grew and filled with holes.  Her eyes turned a sickly green with dark blue pupils.  She chuckled deeply with a pair of fangs protruding from her mouth.

"You're right, little princess." Chrysalis slowly trotted down the steps. "And there's so much love in the ponies of Canterlot. It's practically a banquet!  As soon as my army breaks through that pesky barrier, you'll all be the main course. Mm-hmm ha ha ha!" There was a squelching sound as her eye focused on one part of the group of arrivals. "Well, well, well... looks like one of my drones is here early."

Ocellus stood next to Cadance. "I am not your drone!"

Chrysalis pretended to style her weed-like mane. "Now, now. Is that any way to address your mother?"

Several guests gasped.

"That's right! I laid your egg-sac personally. So the life you've lived? All thanks to me!" Chrysalis cackled.

Ocellus cleared her throat. "Mother, noun. A female in relation to her child or children. Definition two: an important figure in the origin and early history of something. Mother, verb. To look after someone kindly and protectively, sometimes excessively so."

Chrysalis paused mid-laughter. "What are you doing?"

Ocellus smelled curiosity and affection.  She turned her head toward a face in the crowd. "There is some pony who matches those meanings far greater than a queen who left their egg in the middle of nowhere." She steeled her gaze at the taller changeling. "You may share blood with me, but you gave up the right to call me your child the instant you abandoned me. You forgot I even existed." She flared her red wings. "Tartarus, one of your own subjects told you exactly who I've become, and you brushed her off!  You're no mother!"

"That's my girl!" hollered Twilight Velvet.

"Tch." Chrysalis scoffed. "Well, it's not like I need you." She turned toward the pulpit. "Sweetheart, could you please lower your shield?"

Flashes of green flickered in the stallion's eyes. "Y...N-No... I... must... protect... every pony..."

Chrysalis fired a spell at his head. "I said, 'Please'."

Shining Armor cried out in pain as the green glaze took over his eyes entirely.  He turned his horn upward and sent out a spark.  The spherical barrier surrounding Canterlot fizzled out.  A swarm of buzzing noises filled the air.  Ponies outside and in the streets screamed as charcoal-covered beasts fell upon them.

Some of the windows of the ballroom crashed open.  An immeasurable number of changelings filled the building.  They hissed and growled, chasing ponies all over the place.  Celestia grit her teeth and flew forward.  Her horn clashed with Chrysalis's like a broadsword.

Following her mentor's example, Ocellus picked out a changeling drone and headbutted it.  Applejack kicked the torso of another changeling.  Rainbow Dash drove her hooves into three more of the invaders.  Rarity magically grabbed a camera, used its flash to blind a changeling, and then did a back-flip kick.  Fluttershy whacked a couple changelings with her tail, apologizing immediately.  Pinkie Pie stuffed a changeling into her Party Cannon, before firing it at five others.

Spike directed some ponies out of the ballroom.  He slashed his claws and breathed fire in the faces of some of the changelings that got too close.  Twilight Velvet and Night Light ran up to their son, trying everything they could to wake him up.  Cadance pulled herself next to her beloved.  She concentrated and focused a magical aura close to the stallion's eyes.

Celestia and Chrysalis had flown toward the ceiling of the ballroom.  The princess fired a bright yellow beam.  The queen countered with a green burning spell.  Chrysalis yelped at the force she was facing.  The colliding magic was slowly getting closer and closer to her.

On the floor, one changeling drone flopped in a stunned daze after the other.  The Elements of Harmony held their position in the center of the madness.

"How many have you guys gotten?" Rainbow Dash whooped. "Never mind! I've got more!"

"Looks like Fluttershy might be pulling ahead!" Pinkie Pie pumped Ocellus's torso before forcing her to expel a spread of magic bullets.

"I'm sorry!" Fluttershy's tail whacked a single-file line of drones like dominoes. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Applejack bucked one, spun around, and bucked another. "Just a few more, and we'll be home free!"

Rarity took a glance at the next wave of drones entering the windows. "Darling, I think you spoke too soon."

The queen's front hooves grabbed a couple of her changelings out of their flight path.  She inhaled sharply.  As she did so, the light in their eyes faded.  They crumpled to ashes, and she smiled.  She launched a couple extra pulses into her current magic beam.  Celestia gasped as the advantage was lost to an equidistant spell struggle.

"How could you do that to your own subjects?" asked Celestia.

"Mind. Your own. Business!" Chrysalis grabbed three more flying changelings, absorbed their magic, and blasted three extra pulses into her spell.

Now, the green spell beam looked larger and was pushing the yellow beam back.  Celestia's wings gained a red glow like embers.  She glanced down in worry.  If she gave into her fire now, she might not have a kingdom left to save.

Just as the end of her golden ray was about two centimeters away from her, something shook.  Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy tackled the head and side of Chrysalis.  Ocellus flew under and magically pulled Celestia down.  The queen's burst of magic rushed by and blast a hole through the front wall.

"Princess, are you okay?" Ocellus held her mentor's left hoof between both of her own.

Celestia exhaled. "Better, now that you're here."

Their moment was cut short.  A green glow yanked Ocellus out of grasp.  Chrysalis stood on the floor, wrecked wings fully spread.  Rainbow and Fluttershy had been fastened to the floor by some green gunk.

"Ocellus!" The rest of her friends called out.

The bug-filly struggled, but the queen's spell held all of her limbs in a frozen state.  She stared defiantly at the one who would dare call herself a mother.

"You're right about one thing. I don't care what you are!" Chrysalis hissed. "If any of you interrupt my meal, I won't hesitate to destroy her here and now!"

She opened her mouth wide, showing off her forked tongue and fangs.  Meanwhile, Ocellus grunted and flinched.  She could feel her strength being leeched away.  She couldn't concentrate on anything that could stop the outward flow.  She sighed, thinking of the most... draconequus idea she ever had.

Through some force of will, she unleashed all of her emotional magic at once.  Her love, her dreams, her sorrows, her hope... all of it went into that release.  Chrysalis screamed, as an enormous wave of light and feelings launched her into a pillar between two windows.  The crown-like piece of her head fell off, passing by her crossed eyes and foaming mouth.

Ocellus spread all of her limbs wide.  Magic surrounded her and took the shape of a green cocoon.  After a few seconds, it cracked open.  Swirling light covered what was inside.  Full, teal hooves touched down onto the floor.  Her horn curved up with a singular spike just above that.  Her tail now wagged about like a dragonfly's wing.  The only thing that remained of the previous Ocellus were her crystal-red wings and her cyan eyes.

Pony, dragon, and changeling alike stared in awe at the finished transformation.

"Ocellus? Is that you?" Spike reached out his claw.

She blinked twice. "Yeah, Spike. Why are you looking at me like that?" She glanced down, then gave herself a once-over. "Oh.  Um... this is new."

Rarity held her cheeks while her eyes danced. "So many possible complementary colors! Ideas overloading!"

Some pony galloped into the ballroom.  Ocellus braced herself.  However, the lavender unicorn's gaze shifted over to the far wall.  The mare trotted over and stood atop the crown-shaped antennae.  She cast a harsh red spell at the queen, cremating her on the spot.

"The queen is dead. Long live the hive."

In a mix of growls, most of the changelings in the room echoed the unicorn's tone.  She fired a spell into the sky.  It exploded as a star-shaped firework.  She lifted her front hooves.  A timid changeling and a fierce changeling grabbed her hooves and lifted her up.

"If you ever seek out the hive, Student of Celestia," the unicorn called out, "Look out for Twilight Sparkle. I want you to show me exactly how far your magic can grow."

Changelings poured up and out of the city of Canterlot.  Guard ponies, that had been fighting by hoof and by spear, cheered.  An enemy's army was retreating.  The invasion of Canterlot had been repelled.

Cadance panted after she finished casting.  Shining Armor blinked slowly and shook his head.

"What...What happened?" He looked around.

"How much time do you have?" Ocellus flew over and chuckled.

"Lus?!" Shining's jaw dropped. "How long was I out? What'd I miss?"

Cadance kissed him. "Welcome back, my Shining Armor."

He sighed and gave into his lover's embrace.  He let the moment hold.

---

The next day, the wedding was completed without issue.  Cheers were had, Rainbow went boom, and an after-party song sent the new couple along in the decorated carriage.  Love was in bloom.

Ocellus trotted into her room for the night.  She levitated her dress onto a plastic pony model.  Spike walked in soon after with a yawn.  He decided to draw a bath before bed.  Meanwhile, Ocellus's face fell into her pillow.  She had been going non-stop since she arrived in Canterlot.

"Please, come back to me."

"Huh?"

Ocellus stood in front of a glowing tree.  Its branches were prismatic and shimmering.  Five diamond-shaped gems were adorned on its branches.  A tugging sensation pulled Ocellus chest-first toward the glowing tree's canopy.  She tried flapping her wings, but she wasn't slowing down.

"Curious, that I would see this here."

She blinked and looked around.  Several vines grew around the tree.  In the next moment, it shattered.  The reformed changeling found herself floating in an expanse of the night sky.  A path underneath her hooves looked like it was made from the very stars.  A face she had not seen in several weeks flew closer.

"Princess Luna?" Ocellus tilted her head. "What is all of this?"

"Many do not remember the dream-scape in its purest form." Luna rolled her hoof. "It is unsurprising that you have forgotten its appearance as well."

"The dream-scape..." Ocellus hummed. "I guess that explains how I was standing up without leaving bed." She did a double-take. "You acted like you saw that tree somewhere else."

"Do you mind if we take a detour, little changeling?" Luna beckoned a door toward herself. "What I need to tell you requires another perspective for the complete picture."

"Uh... sure." Ocellus swam froggy style through the space. "Where to?"

Her head popped through a pile of red leaves.  Luna trotted by across a bridge.  The bridge vanished behind the princess while Ocellus pulled herself out of the leaves.  A white filly with a mane that resembled a sunrise hopped around, pile to pile.  When she saw Luna, the filly blinked twice.

Luna's right wing opened. "Sister, that tree appeared in your apprentice's dream."

The filly pouted, but just as quickly regained her composure.  In a glowing outline, she grew into an alicorn pony taller than Luna.  Ocellus gasped, then tapped herself on the head.  Of course, dreams could have things that didn't meet real-world logic.

"Are you certain?" Celestia asked.

"There was no mistaking it for any other." Luna shook her head.

"I see." Celestia nodded slowly. "Ocellus, how much have you learned about the Elements of Harmony?"

Ocellus exhaled. "That's a loaded question.  The reference guide had legends of the past usages of the Elements when they were still in rock or gem forms.  Most of what my friends and I figured out about them after Nightmare Moon's return were through trial and error.  They can be used to pull off nearly impossible feats in combination, but isolating one for too long can lead to catastrophe."

"Yes, that sounds much like our experience with them," said Luna.

Celestia curled her wings downward. "The first time we went chasing after the Elements, they were nothing more than a vision Starswirl had."

"Starswirl the Bearded was an oracle?" Ocellus's eyes opened wide.

"Can neither confirm nor deny." Luna glanced off into empty dream space.

"What we found was a tree that held the artifacts in brilliant crystals." Celestia chuckled. "Perhaps a little on the nose, Starswirl dubbed our discovery the Tree of Harmony."

"Our first test of faith was using them to protect Equestria's order from Discord," said Luna.

"We tried pulling some of their magic into ourselves to match the next threat." Celestia sighed. "But we were shortsighted."

"We lost an entire city off the map." Luna shook her head. "It was like using a sledgehammer for a bent nail."

"And then... well, you saw what happened to the Elements when one pony tried to be Unity all by herself." Celestia looked over.

Ocellus nodded. "They turned to stone, waiting for some pony else to wield them."

Celestia nodded. "I don't know why you saw the Tree of Harmony in your dream tonight.  But it happened before we told you what it was.  It's probably a sign of things to come."

"Oh..." Ocellus pressed a leaf under her hoof.  It turned into a gust of dandelion seeds. "When will it happen?"

"Difficult to pinpoint exactly," Luna admitted. "Could be a year. Could be another century."

"If you see the threads of destiny calling you to the Tree of Harmony again, please let us know." The dream pulled Celestia away. "We'll guide you to it personally."

"Farewell, Ocellus." Luna slowly sank into a whirlpool.
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