Celestia and Luna left the next morning for Canterlot to resume their royal duties. Shining Armor and Cadance, meanwhile, spent the time with their sister and sister-in-law respectively, as well as her friends. They spent the next two days in Ponyville going around each of the places Twilight’s friends worked.
Rarity was happy to outfit both royals with new garments. She gave Cadance a lovely blue red, purple, and yellow striped dress and Shining Armor a blue suit.
“This is beautiful Rarity!” Cadance said as she admired herself in the mirror. “You really have potential as a seamstress! I think you’ll make one of the biggest fashion companies in all of Equestria someday!”
“You really think so, Princess?” Rarity asked.
Cadance smiled. “Yes, I do.”
“Oh, thank you!” Rarity almost fainted then and there but Shining Armor held out a hoof to catch her. Rarity blushed at him, slightly wishing he weren’t already married, before turning to Twilight. Spike frowned as he wished he could catch her like that.
“You know, since your brother is married to a princess, you are a minor royal now too!” the white unicorn told the lavender one.
Twilight chuckled. “Uh, I guess.”
“There is no guess darling! Princess Cadance is Princess Celestia’s… oh and Princess Luna’s… niece! That makes you and your brother their niece and nephew in law!”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “Wow! I never thought of it that way but yeah you’re right, Rarity! Gosh that means I’m actually part of Princess Celestia’s family now!”
“You should get an outfit to look the part now!” Rarity said. “I’d be happy to design you something fit for royalty!”
Twilight blushed. “I suppose if she ever wants me to take a part in royal duties like my brother.”
“Oh, she has something planned for you,” Cadance said. “One day, you’ll play a bigger role then you probably ever imagined.”
Twilight looked at her new sister-in-law. “What do you mean? I’m already a bearer of the Element of Magic which is more than I ever thought I’d be.”
“You’ll have to wait and see,” Cadance said.
Twilight allowed Rarity to make her a dress that she could use if Celestia ever needed her to look the part of a royal family member, or royal at all. She had no idea when she might use it. Twilight then had to conjure her bits to pay Rarity for the outfit which was probably the most expensive she’d gotten yet. Good thing she’d gotten a big payout from Celestia for saving the kingdom before leaving Canterlot. Twilight then led Shining Armor and Cadance across town. They’d already seen Sweet Apple Acres of course in the race last night. They also went to Sugarcube Corner and tasted some of its many sweets and desserts, met Fluttershy’s many animals (which Cadance was quick to befriend in many cases). The birds who’d sung for the wedding perched on her happily like they had in the preparations. Shining Armor also had a hoof wrestling contest with Big Macintosh, which he managed to last about five seconds longer in then most stallions. Rainbow Dash of course lived in the sky above Ponyville. Cadance could fly of course but Shining Armor, Spike and Twilight had to take her balloon up to see Cloudsdale. It was a wonderful time together though.
Finally, after two days of spending some much needed time together, Shining and Cadance had to return to Canterlot.
“It was nice to hang out with you and your friends Twilight,” Cadance said. “Next time I hope that we can have some one-on-one time.”
“I’d like that Cadance,” Twilight said. “It’s been so long since its just been the two of us.”
Both of them silently hoped that when that time came, they’d be without any dangerous enemies.
“We’ll see each other again Twilight,” Shining Armor assured her. “I know we haven’t really spent much time together ever since you moved to Ponyville.”
“Cause of the plot not including you!” Pinkie muttered to herself and out the fourth wall.
“But I’ll make sure to write more!” Shining Armor finished.
“I’ll hold you to that BBBFF,” Twilight said. “I look forward to seeing you both again soon!”
Her brother and sister-in-law got on the train and she and her friends waved as it sped off toward Canterlot. Little did they know they’d be seeing each other again sooner than they thought.
…
In the Changeling Kingdom, Chrysalis had returned to her hive where the rest of her swarm retreated after their defeat in Canterlot.
“I apologize for my brother, your highness,” one of the changelings, Pharynx said.
“Never mind that,” Chrysalis dismissed. “He will be back. There’s no way he can survive long without the hive and love. One weak changeling is of no consequence. In the meantime, I need to come up with a brilliant plan to conquer Equestria.”
Pharynx bowed and walked off. She thought for a moment and turned to her other officers in the army.
“I need more intel,” Chrysalis finally said. “Send a drone to Ponyville, as well as one in Canterlot! I want to keep an eye on every important pony that poses a threat! We will learn as much as we can about them! It may take a few years, but striking fast has not served us well in attacking this land. We will be patient and when the time comes, launch an attack that the princesses and the bearers of the elements will be helpless against!”
“Yes, Queen Chrysalis!” one of the others said.
“We will succeed! The love of Equestria will be ours!” Chrysalis said before laughing evilly.
Her hive quickly joined in with the laughter.
…
Little did Chrysalis or anycreature else know though, she was being watched by another, far more wicked and powerful villain. His crystal ball showed her face to him as she laughed. His blue hoof touched the table the ball lay on.
"You have some potential, Chrysalis,” the great and terrible villain said in a deep male voice. “You might even be useful to me when I'm ready to make my move to retake Equestria."
He was a tall blue goat with a gray beard and blood red eyes. Grogar, an ancient villain that had been around for many millennia and once ruled Equestria, glared into the ball. He’d lost much of his power during his battle with the unicorn Gusty the Great who’d taken his Bewitching Bell. But his strength had finally returned. Not as much as it once was but it would suffice for now.
“I will have to keep an eye on other potential minions that could come along,” Grogar promised. “Soon, in another two decades or so. I… Grogar, will reclaim my rightful throne and rule this land with a hoof of darkness!"
The wicked goat sorcerer laughed in a tone far more menacing than Chrysalis and her changelings, his red eyes gleamed. He got up from his chair and began walking out of the lair that resembled his own head. He expected to be gone for a long time. At least long by pony standards, to him it would be the relative blink of an eye. But when he returned, he'd be ready. He’d waited many millennia for the time to strike. It was almost within hoof’s reach. Until then he’d keep an eye on Chrysalis, the monsters of Tartarus and anything else that cropped up. Twilight Sparkle, Celestia, any who stood his way would fall when he was ready to begin.