//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 (rewritten) // Story: Armor for two // by LostUmbrella //------------------------------// Twilight and Spike heard the scream and raced as fast as her legs (since the dragon sat on her back) could bring them to the source of the noise. The unicorn mind raced even faster towards a wide range of possible causes for such a scream, varying from the most obvious 'changeling attack', to the outright insane 'Pinkie Pie, after having pierced the texture of reality, appeared in the library, ponynapped Cadence and Green Cloud and brought them to a party in a parallel dimension where Discord is free'. In that same moment, in another dimension, Pinkie Pie and Discord, who were currently having two glasses of chocolate milk while sitting on an upside down tree(or maybe they were the ones upside down), both sneezed. As she reached the source of the scream, the duo found a very strange scene: 'Green Cloud' and Cadence where dancing happily in mid air, wearing big smiles on their faces. Soon another pony arrived, an armor clad red earth pony stallion. He, the unicorn and the dragon stood there with a confused expression until the dancing couple noticed them. "Oh, ehm... I suppose you heard the scream," said the blushing pegasus while the duo hovered to the ground. "Eeeyup," said the stallion in a way that sounded familiar to the lavender mare and to the dragon. Spike made a mental note to ask Big Macintosh if he had a relative in the crystal guards. "It's nothing, really: we found what we were searching for," said the alicorn waving a dismissive hoof with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry," said the black mare hanging her head. "Well, better like this," said a very relieved Twilight. "Uhm, I'm sorry to intrude, my queen," said the Big Mac lookalike bowing "His majesty the king has requested your presence." "Sure, lead the way," answered Cadence. --- Meanwhile, in another part of the city, a certain mare was currently looking skeptically at a closed door. "Let me get this straight: you're saying there's an army of insect-like love-feeding creatures, which I never heard of before, coming here to conquer the empire? And you know about this thanks to a divination spell?" asked Bright Shine to her closet door. "Precisely," drily replied Sombra from the other side. "You realize that you enslaved us, right? Why should I trust you?" "You don't need to trust me, you just need to open the closet, and I can also give you something as payment," said the king with a calm and alluring tone. It's a little known fact that in his youth, before learning advanced dark magic and ruling the empire, he had a short but dazzling career as door to door seller. And he was extremely good. "And what can you give me? You're trapped in my closet!" protested the mare. The unicorn would have facehoofed if he had physical form, then he said with impossible calm: "How does it sound to you queen Bright Shine? And let's add immortality and magic, because, despite what you think of me, I'm generous and kind." The white mare took a pair of minutes to think about the offer. It sounded too good to be true. "Are you trying to cheat me?" she asked after a long minute. "You're the ONLY pony on Equestria that can release me from this pitiful state! Why in Tarnation should I cheat you?" "Because you are you." "True, but I don't sell smoke: I have a certain moral code, you know?" Again, the silence fell as Bright Shine resumed pondering the alluring offer. After a long minute, she smiled, a cryptic smile that was too hard to read. She neared the door and turned the key. --- A couple of minutes later, the guard and the two queens where walking towards the dungeons. "Isn't the throne room the other way?" asked 'Green Cloud' slightly confused. "We aren't headed towards the throne room, apparently; I'd say we are going in the dungeon. Did you catch one of the changeling?" guessed Cadence. "Eeey-I mean, yes, your majesty," corrected himself the guard. 'Green Cloud' gasped, but neither of the two seemed to notice. "Then, why am I required?" asked the alicorn. "The prisoner claims that he has very important information for the safety of the empire but he won't speak unless in front of both their majesties," explained the stallion. "Then maybe I shouldn't be here," suggested the distressed pegasus. Cadence tried to ask what was the problem, but the guard anticipated her declaring that they had arrived. The dungeons consisted in a long hall of blue crystal with many cavities of the same color and material closed by black steely bars. The purple lamp-gem hanging from the ceiling gave an eerie aspect to the complex. They walked in silence for a minute or two, their hoofsteps echoing in the empty cells, until reaching Shining Armor, who was sitting in front of the chained prisoner. The king swiftly dismissed the Big Mac lookalike after greeting the two mares. "Well, now that the queen is here, what-wait, what are you looking at?" asked the unicorn upon noticing that the scarred changeling was fixing 'Green Cloud', who in return was glaring daggers at him. "What is she doing here?" asked the prisoner in a raspy, accusatory tone. "Who I entertain myself with is none of your concern!" replied harshly Cadence. "If you say so," muttered him "Anyway, for the matter at hoof, you are in great danger: my queen is willing to attack the empire." "We already kicked Chrysalis' flank, we can do it again!" commented proudly the stallion, not noticing that the pegasus was grinding her teeth. "Yes, that's true, but my queen is not Chrysalis anymore," replied the changeling, surprising his audience "The new one maybe is not much stronger than her, or you, but she is much more determined!" "What do you mean?" asked the alicorn fearing the answer. "In Canterlot you were almost subdued by some thousands of changelings, this time she's moving the entire hive," explained the prisoner. "That's all nice and well, but why should I trust you? The changelings are notorious for being deceptive," asked the king raising an eyebrow. "What if I give you a proof of my good intentions?" 'Green Cloud' glared her chained children, her stare saying "Don't you dare!". Unfortunately for her, the changeling pointed his hoof at his former queen and declared: "That pegasus is one of my kind, specifically the one that goes by the name of Chrysalis." "Guards!" shouted the white stallion pointing his horn at the pegasus. "Oh, come on Shiny! That's obviously a lie!" protested his wife. Meanwhile four bulky stallions appeared behind the nearest corner and offered a salute to their majesties. "Seize the pegasus, but don't hurt her. One of you go fetch my sister," ordered Shining Armor. "Stop this non-" started shouting the pink mare, only to be stopped by a black hoof on her shoulder. "Nothing of those is necessary, I surrender," declared 'Green Cloud' in her normal raspy, double-toned voice hanging her head. Green flames engulfed her body, revealing her true aspect. An awkward silence fell on the group. "I think that the words that you're searching for are 'Seize her', Shining dear," murmured Chrysalis. --- While in the dungeon Chrysalis was contemplating the fact that her father had replaced her and that the only being that cared for her was a roaring bonfire of anger three floors above her head, said bonfire was currently keeping her husband out of their room. "Open this door Cadence!" shouted Shining Armor to the white, wooden, and more importantly, locked entrance to his room, where his wife was currently hidden away. "Shiny, I don't think that barking at the door is a good way to solve this problem," said Twilight, who was sitting in the corridor with him, in a concerned tone. As hinted by the librarian, a shimmering light blue wall materialized in front of the door. "So be it!" he muttered before facing his sister and saying: "Twilight, break down that wall" "Do you realize that you're asking me to overpower a defensive shield created by a goddess? I could break one of yours more easily!" she said half shocked and half stupefied. "You... You're right..." he said, abruptly sounding far more tired "I'm sorry Twi, I wasn't thinking straight. Let's go: I'll escort you to your room." "But Cadence-" protested the lavender mare. "There's nothing we can do now: let's give her some time to sort things out quietly" explained the white unicorn as he started walking down the corridor, soon followed by his sister. They strolled slowly down the empty and silent corridors, their hoofsteps muffled by the omnipresent velvet carpet. While Shining was deep in thoughts trying to figure out the reasons behind Cadence's anger, his sister was stricken by sudden realization. "Brother, do you realize that you made me sleep with Chrysalis?" said Twilight with a wry smile. The king stopped both walking and thinking. He turned and looked at the lavender unicorn as if she had just stated her love for Discord. He didn't pale, but only because he was already white. "I'm sorry sis, I never meant to put you in danger: I mean, I suspected her to be a changeling, but at the wedding you and your friends bucked a hundred drones and I sent five guards out of your room, just in case. To think I did this to you... I sorry, very, very sorry," he said embracing her. "Don't worry: nothing bad happened so it's all right. Just, next time something happens, think better on the consequences, all right?" she said in a lecturing-time tone. "You're not angry?" asked a very surprised Shining Armor. "Of course I am! Yet, I think that fighting with you now wouldn’t do any good. Moreover, you're my B.B.B.F.F., I think I can forgive you, but just this time," she said with a wink and a playful smile. "I see, thank you L.S.B.F.F." he said relaxing. They hugged again, then they resumed pacing. In the end, while Chrysalis slept in jail, the king of the empire slept on the couch.