//------------------------------// // Friends Like These // Story: We'll Always Have Canterlot // by Tortfeasor //------------------------------// We’ll Always Have Canterlot Disclaimer: ynoP elttiL yM nwo t’nod I. There, I said it backwards. Does that get it through? Chapter Six: Friends Like These Angel bringing the newspaper had become the high point of Twilight Sparkle’s day. Not only did it connect her to the world outside Fluttershy’s cottage, but she could count on her brother and Chrysalis to quiet down for at least a little while while they read it. When they weren’t reading the paper, or otherwise distracted, they were expressing their dislike for each other, at the tops of their lungs. She wondered some days why half of Ponyville hadn’t heard them and come out to see what was going on. Then there was the rare occasion where they were in sync. When that happened it was a bit scary how they dropped the glares and biting remarks to turn into the perfect team. Todays paper had brought about one of those rare moments. “I have to hand it to your silly little princess, this is a smart move.” If Twilight lived to be as old as Celestia she didn’t think she’d get used to the picture of Chrysalis casually reading a paper. “I never thought I’d wish for Cadance to screw something up, but this once I wish she wouldn’t be her normal self.” Shining Armor didn’t even seem to notice, let alone mind, that he was sharing the couch with the Changeling Queen. “It makes you the villain, us victims who still have to be stopped for our own sakes, and it lets her set everyone in Equestria against us.” Chrysalis had been slowly healing for the last week. That whole time they'd been waiting to see how Cadance would react to their springing Chrysalis from the buffalo camp. Her answer seemed to be declaring that the Changelings were back for revenge, and that Twilight and her brother were unwillingly under their thrall. The article decried, at length, how evil Chrysalis was for forcing them to do her bidding, but as Shining Armor had pointed out it said that they still had to be stopped for their sake. “Does this change our plans at all?” Twilight hated to risk breaking up the moment of peace, but if it meant saving Cadance and not having to deal with Chrysalis anymore it was a chance she would take. “I don’t think so.” Her brother absent mindedly replied. “We still want to bring Cadance to us and force Nightmare Moon out of her with the power of my love for her.” “It might become a problem if things go on for awhile.” Chrysalis tapped her chin in thought. “If the police show up they might start helping her instead of standing around wondering what’s going on.” “That might not be such a big problem.” Shining Armor said. “As soon as the police took one look at you they weren’t going to be on our side.” “Silly little prince.” Chrysalis grinned before continuing on in Cadance’s voice. “If all I’d wanted was to marry you and consume your love, you would still think you were bravely fighting a Changeling invasion with your dear wife against that horrible Queen Chrysalis who’d taken her place again. Unless and until I want them to everyone will think I’m a perfectly ordinary pony.” “Please,” Shining Armor bit back, “I think I know my own wife. If you hadn’t put me under that spell when you tried to invade Equestria I would have known something was wrong long before you’d absorbed enough love to fight Celestia and win.” “You really think so?” Chrysalis’ smile was entirely predatory. “I hardly locked myself away in my rooms while I was wearing her face. I was out nearly every day mingling with those delectable morsels in Canterlot. How many other ponies who’d known ‘Cadance’ just as long as you mindlessly smiled at me and went about their days never even suspecting what was right in their midst?” “And how well did that work out in the end?” Shining Armor’s smile was equally snide. “I don’t seem to be in a cocoon being drained of my love to feed your hive. In fact, I seem to recall my little sister pulling you out of a cocoon that was draining your love not so long ago.” Chrysalis deliberately calmed herself. “If you’re expecting an apology for trying to be a good queen and feed my swarm you can keep waiting. I only did what I had to to secure food for my children, and if you think I regret that then you’re even dumber than I think you are.” Twilight groaned. This was exactly what she didn’t want to happen. “Okay you two, that’s enough.” She ripped the paper away from them with her magic. “When this is all done I don’t care if you two want to yell and scream at each other till you turn blue from all the screaming. But until we save Cadance from herself she’s the only one who wins when you two act like this.” They looked appropriately abashed, but Twilight didn’t think for an instant that it would take. They’d been sniping at each other for the last week, and showed no signs of slowing despite Twilight’s best efforts. As long as she could have them both on the right track when the time came she could put up with them for as long as it took. “Now let’s make sure we all know what we’re doing. The worst case scenarios in Manehatten are us are us not working together, and us not knowing what to do when we get there. I’m going to teleport us there and use a spell that Celestia taught me in case I needed to let her know where I was. Cadance should follow that right to us, and then you two start doing your thing.” “We know Twiley. Chrysalis and I work together to stun Cadance long enough for me to get a hold of her and blast Nightmare Moon out of her with my love. Meanwhile you handle whoever Cadance brought with her so we can do our part.” “Are you two sure you can work together?” Twilight fixed the two of them with a suspicious look. “When you’re on the same page you can be fantastic. But if you’re sniping and more ready to fight each other than you are Cadance this could go wrong in a hurry.” “Relax.” Chrysalis waved a dismissive hole filled hoof. “If it means getting out of Equestria and not having to deal with you ponies any more I’ll put up with this dunce a little longer.” “Yeah.” Her brother agreed without agreeing. “If it means I don’t have to put up with her anymore I’ll rip Nightmare Moon out of Cadance with my bare hooves.” “Fine.” Twilight didn’t particularly believe either of them, but she wasn’t willing to push the matter. “Just remember that if we don’t beat Cadance you’re going to be stuck together for a long time. And I swear I will make you two do everything together if that’s what it takes to make a team out of you. I can handle whatever Cadance sends at us short of her bringing an army into Manehatten, but you two have to beat a pony who defeated Celestia and Luna.” “We’re never going to like each other little sis.” Shining Armor pointed at Chrysalis. “But we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.” Twilight sighed. She could put up with these two for a bit longer, she could do it, she could do it, she could do it. Maybe if she said it enough times she’d start believing it herself. “If you say so.” Twilight finally said after gaining control of herself. “Let’s go get Spike so we can get out of here. I don’t know about you two, but I’m ready for this to be over.” “Ready for what to be over?” The dragon in question walked out of Fluttershy’s room still rubbing sleep from his eyes. “This.” Twilight’s wave encompassed their temporary home. “We could have already been on our way if someone hadn’t decided to sleep through the whole day.” “What?” Spike immediately assumed, correctly, that Twilight was talking about him. “I’m a growing dragon. I need my sleep, and plenty of it.” Twilight shook her head in bemusement. Some things would never change. She turned her head to say something to Spike but never got to say it as at that moment Angel burst open the door and hopped into the room gesticulating frantically. Wasting no time, the rabbit began frantically pantomiming his point. The others quickly looked at Twilight as being the only one there with any experience at trying to decipher the meaning behind Angel’s frenzied motions. Twilight watched as Angel hopped in a circle waving his front legs up and down rapidly. “A circle? Something going in a circle? Flapping... flying? Something’s flying here!” Angel stopped immediately and pointed at Twilight with a smile to show she’d guessed right. He then curled up in a tiny ball and looked as pathetic as a small rabbit could. “Something needs our help?” Twilight started towards the door before being yanked back by Angel who then took another approach by turning his back on them and looking very shyly over his shoulder at them. “Something shy? Fluttershy! Fluttershy is coming here!” Twilight was rewarded with several anxious nods. “That’s great! Maybe she knows where the others are.” She was roughly interrupted by her brother picking her up and throwing her over his back. She quickly glanced and saw their belongings floating along encased in green magic while Spike and Angel cleaned the house with the sort of frantic haste only sheer and total panic could bring. “What are you all doing?” She said in as dignified a manner as she could manage while draped over her brother’s back. “This is Fluttershy we’re talking about. You know, one of my best friends.” “One of your best friends who got ponynapped by Cadance.” Her brother started towards the door with her still on his back. “I really hope I’m wrong, but if Cadance is controlling her like she was Sheriff Silverstar then she’s not your friend, not anymore, not until this is all over.” Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but the rude bouncing of her brother galloping to Fluttershy’s chicken coop forced her to shut her mouth. The chickens already living there didn’t appreciate two ponies, a changeling, and a baby dragon all intruding on their home, but somehow they all fit. Soon they were looking out the mesh covered windows as a yellow pegasus set down lightly on the ground in front of the cottage. “Oh Angel,” she said to the rabbit waiting for her at the door as she scooped him into a hug, “I’m so sorry I left you all alone for so long. I’m a terrible pony! Can you ever forgive me?” Angel worked a paw free and began patting her on the head, all the while casting a nervous glance towards the chicken coop. “See?” Twilight said quite smugly to her brother. “Fluttershy is perfectly normal. Now let’s get out of here and go say hello.” Before she’d taken a single step both her brother and Chrysalis had pinned her to the ground and each had shoved a hoof in her mouth to silence her. She glared as fiercely as she could at both of them, which in her situation wasn’t very, but listened on. “Oh I was so worried that you’d all hate me for running out like I did. I didn’t even fluff your tail last week! But I’m helping so many ponies in Canterlot. Cadance is the smartest, nicest pony ever, and she needs my help to make Equestria a better place. That mean old Chrysalis and her Changelings are trying to take over again. And she’s put poor Twilight Sparkle and her brother under her control to make them help her. Oh I hope they’re not being treated too badly.” Shining Armor sent a far more smug look towards Twilight. “I would have been here sooner, but Applejack and Rarity didn’t want to listen to Cadance. They kept saying she was evil, and possessed, and asking where Celestia and Luna were.” Fluttershy frowned before brightening considerably. “But it’s all better now! Cadance finally convinced them that she needed their help to make things better for everypony, and Pinkie Pie threw a great big party for them, and it was so much fun.” Back in the coop Shining Armor and Chrysalis cautiously withdrew their hooves from Twilight’s mouth. She’d heard enough to stay completely silent. If she made any sound in the near future it would be crying at what had happened to her friends. “I promise I’ll come back when I can.” Fluttershy put Angel back down on the ground. “Cadance still needs our help to save Twilight Sparkle and her brother, and I can’t just leave them. But Cadance promised that even if we don’t find them right away I’ll be able to come back to take care of all of you once things settle down a bit. So just stay here and keep all the animals safe and comfy.” Angel nodded with an appropriately serious look on his face. Back in the chicken coop four faces looked on with concern. Fluttershy’s goodbyes went on for some time before Angel finally started tapping a paw in impatience and shooed her back into the sky towards Canterlot. No one at the cottage dared move until Fluttershy disappeared in the distance. Twilight stepped numbly out into the sunshine. “Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Cadance has them all. And you heard Fluttershy, it took her awhile but she’s turned them all into her puppets.” “Hey, it’s going to be okay.” Shining Armor smiled reassuringly at her. “We’re going to blast Nightmare Moon out of Cadance so hard it’ll take her another thousand years to find Equestria again. Once she’s gone your friends will all go back to normal.” “You’re right.” Twilight took a deep breath and shoved her sorrow deep down. “I can’t let this get to me. I just have to remember that I’m doing all this to save them. Let’s get out of here. This place isn’t safe anymore, and I don’t want them to suffer a moment longer than they have to.” Shining Armor stared at Chrysalis, who stared back quite blankly. “You know, part of being a team is helping each other out when a team member is down. Twilight just found out all her friends have had their minds taken over by Cadance. I think she’s feeling pretty down.” Chrysalis sighed and rolled her eyes. “You’ve already done the whole loving sibling thing, but whatever. I’m sure you’ll stumble on some way to fix this, and everyone will think you’re a hero, again.” Shining Armor glared at the Changeling Queen and had his mouth opening to start another fight until Twilight clamped it shut with magic. “It’s okay Shining Armor. It’s the thought that counts more than what she said, I think. And anyways, if I let you two start up again we’ll still be here when Fluttershy comes back. So let’s go get what we need, get out of here, and finish all this.” Shining Armor and Chrysalis kept glaring at each other, but set off towards Fluttershy’s cottage in silence when Twilight sent yet another threatening look their way. Spike set off behind them but found himself brought up short by a hoof stuck in his way. Twilight had known she’d had to do this since they’d arrived, she’d been putting it off for days now, and, as she’d known, that didn’t make it any easier. “Spike, I need you to stay here. I don’t think I can keep you safe out there, and I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.” “What?” Twilight had been expecting Spike to feel betrayed, that didn’t make it any less of a gut punch when it happened. “You’re taking Chrysalis, who tried to take over Equestria not that long ago, but you’re leaving me behind? What does she have that I don’t?” This was going about as badly as Twilight had feared. “Cadance can’t force Chrysalis to love her. At least I don’t think she can. Love is food to her, it would be like me forcing you to do something with the power of a hay sandwich.” Spike sputtered a bit. “Well what about you and Shining Armor? You must have some way to keep you two safe, so why don’t you just do it to me. I’m sick of always being left behind! I didn't listen to you when you told me to stay behind back in the Crystal Empire, and if I had listened you’d probably still be in front of that door.” Maybe she should have just put Spike to sleep with her magic and left. “Shining Armor already loves Cadance, but it’s a pure and true love. Cadance can’t make or alter any feelings to take control of him and turn him into her puppet. And I have the Element of Magic. We know Nightmare Moon is the one behind all this, and the Elements of Harmony neutralized her power completely, so as long as I’m wearing my Element I should be completely safe. I’d say you could use one of the other Elements until this was all over, but we both remember how well that worked against Discord.” “I don’t have to get into any fights.” Twilight hadn’t thought that would convince Spike. “I didn’t have to do any fighting back at the buffalo camp, and it was my idea that got us in there. Twilight, I want to help.” “I know you do.” Putting sadness in her voice didn’t require any acting. “But Spike, this is Nightmare Moon we’re talking about. I don’t know if I can keep myself safe. Especially if she brings the others along with her. And on top of that, I’ve got to keep Chrysalis and my brother from killing each other. Doing either of those things would be more than enough to keep my hooves full. I know you can take care of yourself, but Cadance knows how important you are to me. If she went after you I don’t think I could stop her, and if she had you in her hooves she could make me do anything by threatening you.” “Besides,” Twilight decided that with the way things were going it was time to play her trump card, “there’s something I need you to do here. And it’s something that only you can do.” She had to keep her expression very controlled when she saw on his face that she’d hooked Spike. “Cadance wants to get her hooves on me and my friends because if she does she can kill us and scatter the Elements of Harmony. If that happens then they’ll go to six random ponies who have no idea that they just became the six most important ponies in all Equestria. And if something does happen to me and Shining Armor then you’ll be the only one, the only one in all Equestria who knows the truth about the Elements of Harmony. You’ll have to find those six ponies and make them work together so they can find and use the Elements of Harmony.” She could see the horror on Spike’s face as he realized the implications of what she’d just said. “I’m not planning on dying for a long time. But Celestia sent me those books about The Elements of Harmony and sent me to Ponyville in the first place for a reason. The Elements of Harmony are too important to be forgotten, and you’re the only one who can do this.” Twilight saw thoughts crossing Spike’s face rapidly, but she knew she’d won. They walked back into the cottage to find Shining Armor and Chrysalis had nearly finished packing their meagre belongings. They appeared to have done so in a stony silence that still permeated the atmosphere. But, as Twilight kept telling herself, they’d gotten the job done, and that was what counted. She checked her own saddlebags and then walked over to the ordinary sack Shining Armor was carrying. A golden crown with a six pointed star floated out and gently settled on her head. She felt the incredible power surge through her. And had to fight the urge to righten the course of the stream outside Fluttershy’s cottage, or to order all the trees in the Everfree Forest into a perfect grid, and for that matter the mountains leading to Canterlot didn’t look quite right, she really should do something about that. “Are you okay Twiliey?” Shining Armor interrupted her with a hoof on her shoulder. “I’m fine.” She replied a bit more snappishly than she should have. “I’m just using the most powerful magical artifact known to Ponykind, so give me a few seconds to get used to it.” “I’d wondered what was in that sack.” Chrysalis of all, was ponies the right word, saved her. “You treated it like it was the most precious thing in the world. It seems I was right.” Twilight had to work to keep her goodbyes with Spike from lasting as long as one of Shining Armor and Chrysalis’ fights. Eventually though, Angel prodded her enough that she grabbed her belongings and soon the two ponies and one Changeling had disappeared from Ponyville. “Welcome to Manehatten you two.” The teleportation spell had been almost effortless with the Element of Magic boosting her powers. “Don’t get too comfortable, as soon as we’re ready I’ll lure Cadance here and we’ll make Nightmare Moon wish she’d spent a thousand years hiding rather than come back for a second try.” “Aren’t you the eager one?” Chrysalis seemed to have weathered the teleport with no apparent ill effects. “I suppose this is as good a time as any to go put on my face.” “I don’t think you need makeup.” Shining Armor said. “Besides, you’re already a hopeless case. All the makeup in Manehatten couldn’t help you.” “Not quite what I meant.” Chrysalis smiled a smile full of malice before green flames consumed her to reveal Princess Cadance. “I don’t think this face works either though. You’d probably forget I’m not the real Cadance and run off to marry me.” Chrysalis walked off laughing while Twilight put herself in front of a positively murderous Shining Armor. “Calm down, you know she’s just trying to get under your skin. Hey , at least we gave her quite the shock when she saw the Elements of Harmony. How did you get these things anyways? I thought you were a little busy running away for your life.” Distraction was the key to keeping Chrysalis and her brother civil with each other. As long as they forgot their current fight Twilight could usually count on a few hours of peace. Shining Armor glared at the closed door Chrysalis had disappeared behind, but after awhile he grumbled something Twilight decided not to hear and turned to her. “The day that Celestia and Luna went missing Cadance invited me to dinner, just the two of us. At first, I thought it was her finally getting back to normal. But when I went to make my daily report no one knew where the princesses had gone. I started getting really suspicious about Cadance and begged off. It probably saved my life. That's when I went out and grabbed the Elements. I don't think Cadance realized how suspicious I was, and so she didn't have them guarded. I figured that with Celestia and Luna missing I’d need you and your friends to help, and that you would probably need the Elements. I came back to the castle to get a chariot, and on my way I ran into Cadance, or I guess Nightmare Moon. I knew right away that it wasn’t Cadance, the real Cadance. It was her eyes that gave her away. I thought they looked like Chrysalis’ eyes, but I guess now we know why it didn’t work when I tried to dispel her Changeling disguise. She tried to use some sort of magic on me then, I'm pretty sure it was her trying to make me a puppet, but thankfully it didn’t work. Then she saw I had the Elements of Harmony. Let’s just leave it at I’m really glad I kept up my physical training after becoming a captain. I somehow made it back to my office, found that teleport scroll Celestia left me, and I suppose you know what happened from there.” “Well that sounds like fun... I guess. Anyways, I’m glad you made it out of there in one piece, and it sounds like I was right thinking that Nightmare Moon can’t use Cadance’s power to make you love her so much you’ll do whatever she says.” “What sounds like fun?” Twilight heard the door open and turned to see Chrysalis walk back out in her new guise.