Lyra
With the setting of the sun, the celebrations launched. A team of unicorns replaced the previous and set off a display of light and color that exploded over Canterlot. All day long, ponies of note and repute filed through the castle gates and populated its halls. Though the troubled times had driven many ponies away, and the citizens of Cloudsdale remained absent, there still came crowds and crowds from all trots of life.
Lyra watched them file in from the orchestral line as she absently followed the melody and harmony of some concerto. Each of the ponies she'd met before in some fashion, whether attending or sharing in some musical foray. The same tidings that had drawn them so violently apart now wove them together on the Canterlot stage. She searched the gray mare, the ratty haired colt, all of the other ponies for some fleeting glance, some sense of kinship, but each of them were so deeply engrossed in their playing that they did not notice.
Such an honor it is, she thought, sighing, to be so far removed from the clubs and inns of Ponyville. And she still felt the lingering burn of the sun, the soothing lull of the moon, always calling her back towards the heavens. But more than anything she felt as if something were amiss.
I'm imagining things, she thought, burying herself into her music. The melancholy of each pluck on her instrument wove around the strokes of the strings, imbuing their performance with a sense of longing. It seemed to permeate the whole chamber, and the ponies dancing with light and practiced step looked into one another. The Gala was not serving as a distraction, but rather as a reminder that they all suffered together. Just as well as they felt joy and prosperity and better times.
When the set finished and the polite rumble of a thousand hooves on the tiled floor dwindled, she gave a wave to her fellow players and hopped into the crowd before any of them could protest. She'd never seen quite so many ponies packed in one place, certainly not in Canterlot, at least. Still she walked through them with ease, finding that they yielded to even the threat of shouldering a common pony with a small huff and a shuffle aside. She glanced at their marks and their regalia, counting the houses... countless family lines that had become little more than clan titles. They had grown complacent during Celestia's rule, and did not seem to know what to do with themselves now that times had grown grim.
Few gave her more than a greeting and even those she resisted mingling with. More than anything she craved a familiar face. She hurried her way across the hall and towards the main chamber, stopping for a moment when she caught a flash of a pink-maned pony bobbing above the crowd.
“Oy, Pinkie!” She called, her voice drowning beneath a hundred empty conversations. She doubled her pace through the walls of well-dressed ponies, ignoring the queer looks that fell upon her back as she entered the audience chamber.
Rarity
Come now, Rarity, enjoy yourself. You're at the Gala, the most important ponies in the land are wearing your dresses... her eyes shifted about her. And you're dancing with a prince! You should be ecstatic.
Prince Blueblood, for all his faults, made for an elegant dancer. He had no trouble leading as they occasionally touched hooves and circled through the lines and loops of ponies that would, to an untrained eye, look an utter mess. The second band moved in and picked up where the first had left off, and while Rarity wanted to chase after her friends, she found herself locked in contest with the white stallion before her.
“You look quite lovely for a rabble rouser.” Blueblood laughed. “Like a flower, really. One of those violet ones from auntie's garden...”
“And you move so gracefully,” mused Rarity, “that I'm surprised you've never laid hoof on a mare before.”
The prince blew a piece of mane from his face, flustered. “I'll have you know that I've st--”
“What do you really want, Blueblood?” said Rarity, looking him in the eyes. They seemed to hold still as the room spun around them and their hooves turned beneath them. And though she did relish in their little verbal spars, she hated when he would string her along for one reason or another.
“The nobles want to pretend everything is okay,” said Prince Blueblood. “And that means showing off the prettier mares. Even if I have to snip your thorns first.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. Normally his backhanded compliments weren't so complimentary. “I don't know about you, but as long as Cadence is in charge, I have no reason to quarrel.”
“The rule is hers by right,” agreed Blueblood, sweeping Rarity downward. “Just as it is my right in her absence. I'm willing to let your little folly slide. For all I know it was that foul serpent that made you do it. He did seem to have a way with getting into ponies' heads...”
Rarity found herself suddenly wanting to be somewhere else, anywhere but balanced in the prince's hooves. She waited for the orchestra to reach its crescendo and then drew a step away. “Speaking of, she may be done with the royal greetings by now,” she said just as the music faded, leaving the room to a hush. “We should go pay our respects as well.”
“As we should,” agreed Prince Blueblood, dusting his tuxedo, as if wiping himself of her hoofprints. “If you'll join me.”
The other dancers parted about them and murmured some speculations of courtship. They headed for the grand open doors on the edge of the wing. Rarity glanced about the perimeter and frowned.
“Aren't there an awful lot of soldiers for an event?” she wondered.
“The captain ordered double stations,” said Blueblood, waving a hoof. “In case something went wrong.”
“Still, I never knew Canterlot had such immense ranks.” Gold-armored stallions dotted every other step of the perimeter, and held on either side of the doors, all watching without a budge as the celebration continued. Almost the entire army had to be in those quarters.
I can't help but wonder if they shouldn't be watching after our homes, like Ponyville...
Pinkie Pie
Pinkie bounced on the balcony overlooking the gala. She'd already danced for hours, learned the name of every pony she could find, even bumping into some of them twice, gorged herself on the variety of free candies and pastries, and visited the kitchens to make sure the Cakes and the other bakers were doing okay. They were filling out small orders as the night went on, as much of the prep work had been done the night before. Pinkie's services were hardly needed.
“I wonder where everypony is?” she wondered, draping herself on the rail. Cadence was still greeting a shrinking line of ponies. Shining Armor was making rounds and inspecting the castle guard, and her friends were somewhere in the sea of faces. She was happy to be there, but at the same time, she wished that all of her other friends were there with her.
Here I am at a party and Twilight is off saving Equestria somewhere... Pinkie Pie shook her mane out. No. Gotta keep everything good and happy for when she gets back! What if she came back now? What would she think if I were all gloomy? There's still plenty of fun to be had! She caught a glimpse of Lyra coming into the room and waved frantically.
“Hey, Lyra!” she called. “Stay right there! I'm coming down!”
She wasn't sure the green mare heard her, but she hurried down the stairs nonetheless. She wound from the right stair just as Rarity and Blueblood descended from the left. And from below, meeting on the center platform where Cadence stood, came Lyra.
And just then another Pinkie Pie bounded up the steps and waved a hoof. “Hey, everypony!” she said. “Having a good time?”
Pinkie Pie stared at her doppelganger. As did everypony else. It only took them one moment to realize that one, if not both of them, was a fake. Silence descended the staircase and the line of guests began to inch away as every guard in the area left their post and closed on the landing.
“She's a changeling!” cried both Pinkie Pies, pointing at one another. A pair of guards grabbed them and held them back, standing on their hind hooves.
Princess Cadence rose to full height and cried out. “Guests of the Grand Galloping Gala! Remain where you are. The royal guard will see to your safety.” She then turned between the two Pinkies and frowned. “We'll have to check them.”
Before the guards could so much as raise a hoof, though, Rarity pushed her way between them. “Wait. I have an easier way to tell.” She glanced between them and smiled. “You have a good memory for silly little details, don't you? What was the color of the hat I wore to your last Winter Wrap Up wrap-up party?”
“Yellow?” chimed one of the Pinkies.
The other snorted. “You never wear a hat to those parties,” she said. “You said they clash with your Spring premiere ensemble.”
Rarity nodded and gestured to the real Pinkie. “That one's real.”
“Because there's no way an imposter could have tracked your obsessive fashion habits,” gruffed Blueblood, scuffing his hoof on the floor. “Just give them both a solid wallop and we'll have this whole thing sorted out.”
Rarity placed herself between Pinkie Pie and Blueblood. “I will not permit you to rough up one of my friends just because you have a grudge.”
“That is not--”
Cadence drew up and spoke in the booming royal voice. “Silence!” she declared, glaring at them both. “This is not the time for arguing. One of them must be a changeling. Check the other one first.”
Before the guards could give the other Pinkie a solid wallop, though, her body contorted and slipped through their hooves. Then with a flash of green she transformed, revealing her nature. The changeling stood before them and laughed.
“You ponies trust too easily. Maybe things would have been different if that Blueballs one was in charge.” The changeling smirked at the prince and trotted before Cadence. The princess didn't move, but she shook a little as she stared down at the smaller creature.
“Detain this thing at once!” she ordered. The soldiers set upon the changeling and dragged it back. It laughed.
“It doesn't matter what happens to me,” it said. “We are already here.”
Then the changeling let out a piercing wail. The waves of its cry echoed out through the castle and the guards that held the creatures dropped it to cover their ears.
Pony after pony began to change. Ponies began to panic as changelings emerged among them, transforming from friends and friendly strangers to nightmarish beasts before their eyes. Soon the halls were littered with changelings. Even the royal guard fell into stunned chaos as a third of their ranks fell before their eyes, leaving the enemy in their place.
Pinkie Pie wasted no time in bounding beside the changeling that had impersonated her and hip-checking it off the platform. It let a pathetic screech as it crashed into the punch bowl below. “We have to do something!” she said.
Princess Cadence shook off her panic and nodded to the guards. “You four. We need to secure this landing.” She turned to the rest of them. “Protect the guests at all costs. Gather them into the west wing, it's the most secure. Detain any changelings that you can, but your biggest priority is protecting our subjects. Go!”
They wasted little time with formality or salutes before exploding into the fray. The halls of Canterlot soon resembled an angry hive as every pony willing to put hoof to shell took up the fight, sending changelings flying before them. Spells flew from the horns of unicorns and the changelings fought back with tooth and nail. They spit thick globs of green slime that grabbed the hooves of ponies and glued them wherever they stood. But the changelings still struggled to overcome the combined strength of the royal guard and the surprising number of folks ready to stand and fight. The chambers once filled with the sweetness of music and idle chatter now raged with battle cries and the sound of hooves and chitin clashing.
Princess Cadence threw off the white train of her dress and led them up the stairs as the guards thrust aside changeling after changeling. “Shining Armor must know we're under attack,” she said. “He'll rally the rest of the guard. We have to hold until he gets here.”
The white stallion emerged from the northern door as they crested the final staircase, as if called by name, scores of royal guards and a line of unicorns holding behind him. He flicked his horn and the door slammed shut. Two unicorns stood at either side of it and channeled a spell, engulfing it in a white aura. The door boomed and banged as changelings crashed into the other side of it, but the wood did not so much as splinter. The unicorns flinched, but held steady.
“Shining!” Cadence practically threw herself at the stallion. “They're overwhelming us. What do we do?”
Shining Armor put one hoof on her side and waved a troop of guards forward. They formed a wall at the stairs just as the changelings surged up to them. A flurry of hooves and spells bounced back and forth and the insects seemed to fall in droves.
“They've already played their advantage,” said Shining Armor. “The changelings may have numbers, but they do not fight well. As long as we stand our ground, we can beat them.”
Cadence nodded. Lyra, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and even Blueblood formed a small circle around her. The chaos continued unchecked but no matter how hard the changelings pushed, they could not put the ponies down. If one would become encased in slime, another would break it away with magic. The changelings knew how to swarm, but they did not care for one another's well-being beyond that.
A dull roar began to build and the halls seemed to grow darker. The windows shattered and more of the changelings swarmed in from every direction, filling the air.
“How many more of them can there be?” cried Cadence.
“Not enough to take this castle.” Shining Armor pushed her back and stood before his guards. “Volleys!”
The line of unicorns behind them lifted their heads and began to cast in tandem. Even Lyra and Rarity joined in the assault. A kaleidoscope of color exploded across the changelings as the unicorns unleashed magics of pure force and brought them down in droves.
Every pony gathered close to one another and made a final push. Dust and grime fogged the air and their ears rang with the sounds of violence and the smell of sweat and war. They unleashed every kick, every spell, every flung object they could upon the masses of changelings.
For a time it seemed unending. But dazed changelings began to pile up and the others grew weary of battering themselves on line after line of standing ponies. Once everypony was clear of the hall except for the changelings, the unicorns released another blaze of magic.
The changelings cried again, and this time they retreated. As quickly as they had come, they took to the sky and flew into the dark of night as quickly as their translucent wings would take them. Several groups of the guards pursued them, chasing them until they vanished beyond the walls of Canterlot.
When it became too quiet, Pinkie Pie fell against the floor and covered her eyes. She quaked a little as she soaked in what had just happened. Canterlot had been attacked. She had been in the middle of it, and survived.
“Are you alright, dear?” asked Rarity, moving one of her hooves.
Pinkie Pie's lower lip quivered. “This was the worst party ever.”
Cadence
It had taken the ponies of Canterlot weeks to restore the castle to a shade of its former glory. It took the changelings a matter of minutes to tear it back down again. Instead of missing stones and silly contortions of reality, though, there was rubble and broken glass everywhere. Unconscious changelings and ponies alike littered the halls. The medical staff tended to the wounded while the guard tried to sort out what to do with the prisoners. Two of the council members followed Cadence and hung on her every word.
“We're going to have to imprison them,” said Cadence, decisively, “at least until this conflict is resolved.”
“It may never be resolved,” said one of the councilors. “And where do you propose we put them in the meanwhile?”
Shining Armor stood tall beside her and leered at the bureaucrat. “Anywhere that has a lock,” he said. “Unless you plan on disposing of them?”
“I... certainly not...” sputtered the councilpony.
“Then there are no other options,” he said. “The wounded are being treated. We are giving refuge to anypony who needs it. The Princess and I have this situation under control.” He tossed his mane. “Why don't you go write that down and sit on it?”
The pair of unicorns stammered again, but could not bring themselves to rage before a captain of the guard. They merely bowed their heads and retreated into the recesses of the castle.
Princess Cadence sighed and nuzzled Shining Armor. “Thank you,” she said. “I don't know how my aunt manages to deal with them every day. Let alone a time like this...”
“Years of practice.” Shining Armor shrugged. “You'll get the hang of it in time.”
The princess nodded. Her wings drooped low. At least we haven't lost anypony, she thought. The others are getting a much needed rest. And I... what should I be doing? What are my words when all the orders have been given and there are no speeches that can comfort them?
Shining Armor led her to the sanctuary of the throne room. Only a couple guards followed them in and barred the door behind them. Cadence stopped in the middle of the room and looked up at the broken glass. Every evil, every force that had come before Equestria had fallen. And their stories met light and stone in those halls. But now they lay shattered and only the moonlight crept across the blackened floors.
“At least we beat them,” she said. “What do you think they will do next?”
Shining Armor sat beside her and looked out the window, towards the darkened expanse of Equestria. “That was not a victory,” he said.
Cadence felt her every muscle tighten. “What? What do you mean?”
The stallion glanced at the guards present and back at her, and whispered. “I did not want to bring down morale,” he said, “but that was merely a feint. They were testing our numbers. Our strength. They know what we are capable of.” He paused and looked at her. “Next time they attack, they will do so with full knowledge of that.”
Princess Cadence sagged towards the floor and her voice cracked. “I can't do this.”
The stallion laughed a little. “Of course you can't.”
His words chilled her and she looked back. “What?”
“You were a product of happier times,” he said. “Only the guard is capable of defending this realm, and even then, the wages of war haven't touched our kind in generations. More than that. It's unfair to ask you to pick up the crown and fight the world on your own.”
Princess Cadence nodded. “That's why I'm glad you're here,” she said. “With you, and Twilight's friends, and everyone... I think we can pull through. If the pegasi--”
“The pegasi have abandoned us,” said Shining Armor. “We are alone.” He nodded towards the window. “The rest of the guard is returning. That is what we have left.”
She stood and walked slowly towards the window, looking down upon the grounds below as a weary and beaten group pushed their way through the gates. Her eyes widened as she spotted a white stallion clad in purple armor slipping inside.
“Shin--”
Her voice croaked out as two spears of pain lanced through her chest and she crumpled to the floor. A bit of green light flickered and she felt the floor beneath her become wet, warm, sticky. Pain and numbness raced to consume her and her eyes felt heavy. She turned to see Shining Armor's eyes flickered green and his horn dripping with blood.
“I'm afraid your beloved was too busy chasing your ghost through Canterlot,” he mused. “But don't worry. He'll return home to find you safe and sound.”
“You'll never...” Cadence started, but sobbed out. She had barely the strength to speak, or conjure, or even move. Whatever wound the changeling had inflicted upon her was both physical and magical in nature.
“Get away with it?” Shining Armor laughed. He flashed and turned into a changeling of immense size. Her shell glistened with a green scarab back, large wings, a cragged horn... a crown-like growth of stamens bobbed over her head. She leaned down and kissed Cadence upon the forehead.
“I already have,” she whispered. “Worry not. Canterlot may have fallen under your rule, but the new Princess Mi Amore Cadenza has years of experience providing for and defending her people.”
The changeling queen transformed again, this time assuming the form of Cadence. The princess groaned and cried and shut her eyes. The pain, the darkness, and her failure drove her into despair.
The imposter princess cocked her head at the guards, who dropped their transformations as well. “Ponies are almost too easy to play,” she mused. “But they're not stupid.” She turned and waved to the guards. “Make sure that no one finds her. Be creative. And don't let anyone see you.” She strolled her way to the throne and stretched her wings. “Now the fun part begins. Enjoy your sleep, princess. You deserve it.”
No... please, no... Cadence's thoughts seemed to be drowning inside her head. Her magic twisted inside of her, fighting against the spell that the changeling queen had cast, racing to at least seal her wounds. Her mind verged on blacking out. She could feel the wounds were not deep enough to kill her, but that did not account for what the changelings would do to her.
Her vision faded and she could only hear the sound of hoofsteps upon stone. She felt the walls closing in around her and a distinct coldness. They dragged her for minutes and soon the sound of rolling water filled her ears.
“This'll do,” muttered one of the changelings.
They made some gesture to each other and then swung her up. Her wings kissed the air for a moment before she crashed into the water. She struggled and flapped and flailed, coughing up water and struggling to keep above it. But she could not fight the channel. The flow pulled her down, away from the laughing changelings, and into darkness.