//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Armor for two // by LostUmbrella //------------------------------// The lower floor of Ponyville library was, as usual, littered by books discharged around randomly during the lavender unicorn's last rampaging research of a way to solve the city most recent calamity, an invasion by a horde of Pinkie Pie. Between the empty shelves and the not-so-small mountains of books, a little purple dragon with emerald green crest and fins could be seen at work, intent in sorting out the chaos around him. "Geez, why can't Twilight stick with one order for the books for more than a week? It would save her the time to find what she needs, as well as avoiding a huge number of panic attacks..." sighed Spike picking up a particularly large tome "For what reason she consulted 'Brief History of the Hat' is a think she only knows!" While he was struggling with the book, which was as heavy as him, carrying it overhead, a loud grumble came from his belly. "Uh-oh" said the dragon, knowing full well what was going to happen. With a burp, Spike let out a green flame which turned into a sealed scroll, while he, having lost his balance, was being squished by the tome. An incomprehensible series of words came from under the book as a clawed hand gripped the wooden floor trying to extract its owner. "Dumb book," he grunted once finally free from his prison. He then took a look at the scroll, noticing that it wasn't sealed with Celestia's or Luna's crest, but with a sparkling pink crystal. "I guess it's better to bring this to Twilight right away" he said running out with the scroll in one hand. A pair of minutes after the door was heard slamming behind the dragon, Pinkie Pie emerged from under a pile of books, grinning slyly. "Now that Spike left I can finally avoid being found out and send back to the pond," she chuckled grinding her front hooves together, before she started searching on herself and around the room for something, until she snorted and said "I cannot find my mustaches, and that's not good: how can I display an evil plan without mustaches?" She then trotted gingerly towards Twilight's closet and entered it, only to came out a second later wearing Spike's top hat and fake mustaches with an evil laugh, even though her coat color, her fluffy mane and her cutie mark really ruined the scene. "And now, off to Sugarcube Corner!" she exclaimed jumping out of a window. Meanwhile, Spike had reached the city hall, where Twilight and her friends had gathered the Pinkies (minus the one in the library of course). The hall was now completely devoid of the herd of ponies it hosted a hooffull of minutes before, being it occupied only by the six mares he was searching for. The lavender unicorn retrieved the letter from her number one assistant and red it: To miss Twilight Sparkle and mister Spike, you are hereby invited to the celebrations in your honor as savior of the empire which will be held next Friday at the palace under the high patronage of their majesties king Shining Armor and Queen Mi Amore Cadenza. P.S.: please, be sure to keep miss Pinkamena Diane Pie from attending: we are still cleaning the leftovers of her last party. --- As the royal couple finished their official speech, Twilight and Spike were summoned on the balcony over the plaza where the entire population of Crystal City was gathered. The lavender unicorn was wearing a refined version of the dress she wore at the Grand Galloping Gala two year before, only in shades of deep purple and gold instead of blue and silver, while the little dragon wore his all-purposes-tuxedo (with a new top hat, of course). The two of them were given a heart shaped pink crystal medal (the second one in Spike's case), then leaned on the balcony to salute the crowd. Twilight couldn't help but noticing that her brother's subjects had greatly increased in number, but she licensed it as an afflux of tourists. Meanwhile the white unicorn had leaned towards his wife and asked pointing a cushion next to her: "Cadence, why are there three medals? And whose crown is that?" Cadence only smirked before addressing the crowd beneath: "Citizen of the Crystal Empire, it is with great pleasure that I present you the one who saved my beloved husband's life: queen Chrysalis of the changeling nation!" At those words a bright green flame engulfed the only guard on the balcony revealing the much more slender figure of the green maned changeling, who, after a courteous bow to the royal couple, received her own medal and leaned to salute the crowd. The ponies in the plaza froze upon seeing Chrysalis, except a group of enthusiasts that immediately started pawing their hooves and cheering for the unusual national hero, soon followed by the rest of the crowd. "I'm surprised: I didn't expect such a warm welcome," commented Chrysalis taking her place next to the lavender unicorn. "I'm pretty sure that except you and Cadence, everypony around here is even more surprised," replied Twilight in a knowing tone. "Now, my dear citizens, this concludes the medal attribution ceremony," announced the pink alicorn addressing the crowd once it had calmed down "Yet, we have another important announcement to make," "Uh? We have?" asked Shining taken aback by his wife statement. "Due to an unexpected turn of event, you'll have from today onward a second queen ruling the empire together with me and my husband," said Cadence. At those words, the crowd focused its thousands of eyes on the shocked king, whose face reddened visibly, while the unicorn siblings looked at the changeling, who neared her pink sister-in-law. Cadence crowned her fellow queen and presented her to the gathered ponies. This time though, nopony cheered for Chrysalis. "My new children, I know what you all are thinking, and I want you to know that I'm very, very sorry for what my kin did to any of you," said the new queen bowing to her subjects "I will work really hard to ensure that ponies and changelings can live together in harmony and that never again war can break between our races." And this time the crowd roared its approval for their somewhat less scary new queen. --- When the extended royal family finally succeeded in leaving the cheering crowd and entered the throne room, Shining Armor stopped his two queens and asked in a serious tone: "Weren't you two working on nullify that marriage?" "Yes, I remember you found a law about polygamy," said Spike before a lavender hoof could shut him. "We did find an old law, but we also found out that it concerned only marriages celebrated in the empire," started explaining the pink mare. "So our case falls under equestrian law," finished the changeling. "And? I'm pretty sure that divorce is possible in Equestria," said the king, not getting the point of the problem. "Only if every part involved is fine with it, brother," explained his sister, having already an idea of what the problem was. Shining turned to look at Chrysalis, but she anticipated him lifting an holed hoof and saying: "Wrong wife, Shiny dear." "Chryssy is telling the truth, she was absolutely fine in letting us live our lives, but I couldn't: I've come to know and love her for who she really is and when she went and put her life on the line for you, I simply couldn't let her go," explained Cadence, then she looked at her husband and said with a sorry tone: "I'm really sorry for not telling you, but that was really important, not only for me but also for the changelings!" "Fine, I just hope you don't have any more surprises form me," said the white king with a sigh, knowing that it was a lost battle that at best could end with him sleeping on the couch. The two queens smiled sheepishly, and blushed a bit. "Well, there is a little thing," started the black one. "A very little thing, nothing important..." added the pink one. "And what is it?" asked the stallion, preparing for another shocking news. "We couldn't leave the changelings without a queen," said Chrysalis. "So we moved the hive," continued Cadence. "In the caves under the city," concluded the first. "Girls, we have to talk about surprises, but later: now I'm going to faint," said Shining Armor before blacking out.