"I'm afraid confronting the impersonator as you all hope may prove to be... complicated," Cantata sighed. After the three of us had finished our little love fest, Sunburst explained the plan to the queen. We were to find the Captain of the Guard and... "speak" with him, nothing more. Apparently, at least according to the monarch, that wasn't going to be as simple as we'd initially thought.
"It's because of Cadenza... isn't it?" Sun asked, although it sounded like she already knew the answer. "Did you get a chance to speak with her, Your Highness?"
"I did, Sunset," Cantata sighed. "It... did not go as well as I would have hoped."
...
The three of us made it abundantly clear by our silence that we wanted more information than that. The queen resisted for as long as she was able to, but with a deep, exhausted exhalation of breath, she finally elaborated.
"My daughter seems to be under the impression... that she is related to Chrysalis," she covered her face with a hoof.
"Why would she ever think something like that?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"Chrysalis is the one who told her," Sunset answered for the monarch.
"But... she's a changeling," I looked around at them for further clarification. "That doesn't make sense... does it?"
"They're not that different from ponies, Starlight," Sunburst remarked. He was already working out what Cantata's revelation might mean for the incoming conflict. "At least, not internally."
From the way they'd been described to me, not externally either.
"It doesn't matter," Sun huffed, the subject matter clearly getting on her nerves. "Chrysalis was just lying to try and get under Cadenza's skin. Isn't that right, Your Highness?"
As soon as Queen Cantata looked away I knew it was a bad sign.
"Your... Your Highness?" Sun's voice quavered. She looked at the royal with such vivid panic in her eyes that I immediately wanted to move to give her a hug.
...
"Your Highness?" Sunburst's voice was much firmer than Sun's had been. His stony expression made his question sound more like he was scolding the monarch rather than asking her.
"Chrysalis... may not have lied to Cadenza," Cantata continued to look away, clearly not wanting to face any of us after confessing such an unnerving tidbit of information.
...
The unreasonably long silence let the three of us fully process the ramifications of such a horrendous possibility.
...
"You kept this from me on purpose, Cantata?" Although Sunburst was making a valiant effort to sound calm, there was an easily detectable undercurrent of anger in his voice.
"Of course not, Sunburst," Cantata sighed, rubbing her temples with her hooves. "I could only ever suspect that Marengo..." her face twisted into a look of utter despair. " ...that he and Sanagi were ever intimate with one another."
Marengo? Must be her hubby... but Sanagi?
"He betrayed you!?" Sun blurted out on accident. Her forehooves slapping over her own mouth made it more than obvious that it was an unintentional blunder. Still, the way too blunt question made the queen flinch.
"No, Sunset," Cantata shook her head. "My husband was with the Queen of the Changelings before we ever met."
"For Celestia's sake..." Sunburst stepped away from us, facing the wall and rubbing his face with his hooves.
...Wait a second.
"I thought the changelings were bugs," I spoke up. "How is... your husband?" I shook my head, the mental visualization much too gross. "So does that mean he has a bunch of little bugs running around or...?"
"Changelings can breed in two ways," Sunburst didn't turn around to face us. "Fertilization and then the laying of a mess of eggs... or the more... traditional way."
Sun looked just as disgusted as I was by that fact.
"Uhm, yuck?" I stuck out my tongue.
"Is that why Chrysalis is a princess?" Sun asked. "Because the way she was conceived was... different? I mean the Queen of the Changelings must have laid thousands, if not millions, of eggs, right?"
"That..." Sunburst spun around, a look of contemplation on his face. "that makes sense, actually. Most changelings are hatched to be drones. Chrysalis is clearly... different than the other changelings."
The three of us looked at Cantata before we all dropped our gazes uncomfortably to the floor. She'd had a lifeless look on her face, like she'd just been told Cadenza had passed away.
Finding out your husband had foals with another mare... even if it was before, that has to be tough.
...
"I didn't want to believe it either," the queen broke the silence. "Cadenza was beside herself with anger and grief. We argued about it and she ran back to her fiancé." Sun, Sunburst, and I raised our heads. "Or I suppose, who she believes to be her fiancé. If I had to guess... I'd say she's-"
"Still with Captain Armor," Sunburst laughed bitterly. "Because of COURSE she is."
"Crap..." I groaned.
That puts her right in the line of danger.
"If we make a move... Cadenza might get caught in the middle," Sun pondered out loud what I was thinking. It stood to reason Sunburst had already reached the same conclusion as well.
"What should we do?" I asked, though it wasn't directed at anypony in particular. If the three of us tried to confront the imposter right now, there was no telling what might happen to the princess.
If up to sixty percent of the Empire's population is changelings, that could include some of the guard.
It wasn't so much that I was concerned about the numbers. If Cadenza was part of the equation she could be taken hostage... or worse, killed. We couldn't let that happen.
"If the two of you fought yesterday," Sun looked at the queen who nodded slightly. "Cadenza has probably been with the imposter since then. Which means..."
"Which means, Princess Cadenza may already have been replaced as well," Sunburst walked over to the doors.
"That can't be, Sunburst!" For the first time there was vivid desperation on Queen Cantata's face. "My daughter is-"
"Your Highness... do you believe Queen Sanagi is the one behind all of this?" Sunburst cut her off, a look of frustration on his face. "Is it possible Marengo has passed and the treaty is gone along with him?"
Cantata flinched.
"Sunburst!?" Sun had gone wide-eyed, a look of shock on her face.
It was a particularly cold thing to ask a possible widow right after she'd found out what Cantata had, but he clearly felt it was still necessary to do so.
"Marengo may be gone," Cantata set her jaw. "But, I truly believe Sanagi would still respect his wishes, even in the event of his death."
"But we can't be sure," I sighed.
"Starlight's right," Sunburst agreed with me. "That being the case, we can no longer stand around and wait. I can think of only one path we can take," Sunburst stood at the doors. "I'm going to find the Elements. Sunset, you and Starlight will go speak with Chrysalis."
"And say what!?" Sunset was completely caught off guard by his instructions. "She's completely insane and-"
"I have a bad feeling, Sunset," Sunburst frowned. "We need to-"
"We'll handle it, Sunburst," I smirked, placing a hoof on Sun's shoulder.
"S-Star!?" Sun stared at me in utter disbelief.
"If she's the one who's planned all this, then she's more important than Shining Armor is, Sunny," I explained my reasoning to the golden mare. "So we either bargain with her..." She looked absolutely appalled by the idea. "Or we knock her teeth down her throat and we make her cooperate."
"Alright, Star," she smiled brightly. "We'll do it your way."
"I will also accompany you," Queen Cantata declared. With the tone of voice she'd decided to utilize it was easy to gather it wasn't a request.
"Honestly..." Sunburst lifted a hoof to his chin, considering the queen's choice. "That's probably for the best, Your Highness," he approved. "If you're not with me or the Elements, the next safest place is probably with these two."
"Then let's get going," I smirked. "There's no time to waste."
"Good luck, ladies," Sunburst smiled as his horn began to glow. "Let's reconvene in the main hall as soon as possible."
"Stay safe, Sunburst," Cantata ordered yet again, though there was a kind smile on her face. "I expect to still have my Regis by my side when this is all over."
"Will do, Your Highness," he saluted before flashing out of existence.
"Let's go," Sun was the first to move towards the door. As Cantata and I followed close behind her, I realized I couldn't get the nagging feeling of sickness in the pit of my stomach to go away.
++++++++++++++++++++++
"This doesn't make any sense..." The look of confusion mixed with distress on Sun's face made my nausea even worse. "She was here! She's SUPPOSED to be here!"
...
"No, Sunset. It makes perfect sense," Cantata sighed. The regret on the pegasus' face was staggering. "I should have known."
The three of us stood in front of a large cell. It was completely empty, save a posh bed sitting in one corner. The Princess of the Changelings was nowhere to be found.
"What do you mean, Your Hi-" a look of sudden realization crossed Sun's features. She slapped a hoof against her forehead. "I'm such an idiot."
"What is it, Sunny?" I laid a hoof on her shoulder.
"Captain Armor is the one who was solely responsible for Princess Chrysalis' imprisonment," Cantata answered for the unicorn. "If he'd already been replaced at that time, more likely than not, the changeling just made it appear as if she were secured under lock and key."
"She was acting like she had everything under control! I should've- UGH!" Sun lamented, slamming her forehooves roughly into the bars in front of her out of frustration before falling to her rump. "I guess she really does, doesn't she..." she sighed, her simmering anger cooling several notches.
"This failure is on me and mine, Sunset," Cantata laid a hoof on Sun's other shoulder. "I should have had Sunburst handle Chrysalis."
...
"Come on, girls!" I scoffed, walking away from them. I couldn't just let them wallow in their remorse. "Don't blame yourselves for something that clearly isn't your fault." Both looked at me, but neither was convinced just yet. "No use crying over spilt milk, right?" I grinned. "We just have to stop her now. She's gotta be around here somewhere. It's not like she'd just skip town, especially if she came here of her own volition. That'd make no sense."
...
"You're right, Star," Sun smiled back at me. "We'll put an end to this together," she stood to her hooves and walked over to me before turning to face Cantata. "What about you, Your Highness? Will you help us?"
"I will do everything in my power to aid you," the queen's response was filled with confidence, yet her head still drooped. "But as a monarch, I will have to pay for the oversights I make."
Sun and I looked at each other, our faces mirroring one another's uncomfortable expression.
"Fret not, girls," Cantata drew attention back to herself. She no longer looked distraught, instead possessing a peaceful visage. "Starlight is correct. We shouldn't worry about what has happened. Let's focus on the problems at hoof." She walked up to us, flaring her wings in determination. "Let's go find my little heart and that snake Chrysalis and put an end to her schemes."
++++++++++++++++++++++
N-no way...
Sun, Cantata, and I had moved back to the main hall in the hopes of finding Sunburst and the Elements already there. Instead, we stumbled upon Sparkles and her "brother" having a... heart to heart.
What she'd just said though... it was too much. For me, but even moreso for Sun. In that moment, hearing Twilight say those words, hearing her say she was going to leave Canterlot, that she was going to leave her behind... it broke Sun's heart.
"Twilight... please..." she reached out, devastation racking her body as her tears flowed freely. "You don't really mean that, do you?"
I couldn't handle it, the look on her face. I stared at "Shining Armor", hatred flooding into my heart. It was nothing short of a miracle that I hadn't pounced yet.
"She does," he answered in place of our friend, nearly sending me over the edge. "Now tell me where Sunburst is. I know you've been conspiring with the traitor."
"Stand down, Shining Armor," Queen Cantata's order was lacking any spice. "You will show us where you've hidden my daughter and then turn yourself over to the Crystal guard."
"They're trying to trick you, Your Highness," Sparkles shouted. "They're the traitors, not my brother!"
He did something! He's tricking her! Using her!
I was shaking.
"T-Twilight... why!?" Sun's legs gave out from under her.
"I don't know what you did to her, monster," I was nearly snarling. I hadn't noticed, but the energy in my horn was peaking. "But Sparkles isn't going anywhere!"
I couldn't contain it anymore, my rage boiling over. I teleported above him, falling directly onto him, and pinning him to the ground by his shoulders.
"STARLIGHT!?" the queen called out.
I was surprised. I expected to hit a barrier, but I collided with nothing other than the smug stallion. Despite my clear advantage and the tip of my horn inches from his face, he looked like he was having the time of his life.
Control yourself, Starlight. Don't go off the deep end.
"Listen to me, changeling!" I growled in its face. My horn was singing so loudly I honestly thought it might go off at any moment on its own. "You're going to put an end to whatever magic you're using on Sparkles and then we're going to talk, do you understand me!?"
The stallion simply continued to look at me, the smile on his face unchanging.
"Talking is for the weak," he sneered, whispering to me. His horn began to glow its bright magenta. "I'd rather just make you mine, too."
"You try anything," I bared my clenched teeth. "And they won't be able to scrape what remains of you off the floor," I kept my voice even. Our horns were clashing, his now just as loud as mine.
"Or," his horn immediately powered down. "How about I have some fun?"
"I'm warning y-"
"TWILY HELP!" he shouted a lot more desperately than his expression conveyed.
"You honestly think that'll wo-"
The blast of mana that hit me from behind was so powerful that it sent me sailing forward, crashing withers first into the wall. The loud crack of my spine was only eclipsed by the shattering of the crystal wall, my body sinking several feet into it at the sight of impact.
I was upside down, my vision blurring and my consciousness fading fast.
My... b-barrier... What happened? It... should have...
I realized it when I looked at my violet friend. Her horn was burning magenta, the exact same color as her brother's.
S-Sparkles...!? I coughed, a bit of blood escaping my mouth.
"Don't EVER lay your disgusting hooves on my brother, Starlight Glimmer!" The flurry of ice cold malice that came from her hurt a lot more than the attack she'd blindsided me with.
As my battered body fell to the floor I was unable to stay conscious any longer.
Everything went black.