Ever since her release from her corruption, Princess Luna had held a deep feeling of fear and shame towards her dark alter ego, Nightmare Moon. She constantly had nightmares over the crimes the dark alicorn committed with her body, and how the ponies she so loved had feared her. Even after the events of the last Nightmare Night, where she finally regained acceptance, she was still haunted by the memories.
And now this Changeling, who sought to usurp Equestria from her and her sister, had dared to rub Nightmare Moon's crimes into her face.
"I will DESTROY you!" Luna roared as she charged at Lilith, her horn blasting out silvery lunar blasts wildly. Lilith simply smirked as she flew up, dodging the blasts before tackling her.
"What's wrong, Princess? Afraid to face the truth?!"
"SILENCE! You know NOTHING!!" Luna shouted as she punched Lilith away, who simply laughed.
"Hahaha...I've been waiting for this moment, Princess...the moment where I can FINALLY take vengeance for my family! Your battered corpse will serve as a symbol of your father's failure!" With a mad grin, Lilith blasted out a green blast of energy that collided and clashed with Luna's lunar blast.
*****
Back at the castle, Celestia and Twilight's friends were investigating the coronation hall. There were still several hours before the wedding, so the hall was empty, "So...why are we looking here?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Because this is the last place Twilight was seen." Celestia said as her horn shined, trying to detect anything out of the ordinary, "According to Luna, she never left the hall last night."
"That's...mighty suspicious." Applejack said as Rarity nodded.
"And Spike confirmed that she never returned to her room...just what is going on here?"
"That is what we are here to determine." Celestia said as she continued her scrying. Several minutes passed, and suddenly, "!!" Celestia's eyes widened as she detected faint magical residue in the center of the room, "Pinkie, life up that carpet!"
Pinkie nodded and did so. And sure enough, faint ash marks were seen under the rug where Twilight had been teleported from, "A-Ash...?" Pinkie said with worry.
"Wait..." Celestia said as she inspected them, "Fear not, these ashes are not from a fire. In fact...they seem to be the aftereffect of a teleportation spell."
"Teleportation?" Fluttershy asked, "But...Twilight's teleportation spell never left behind any ash."
"Correct." Celestia said with a frown, "Which means she was teleported away against her will...but where..." Her eyes suddenly widened, "!! Of...Of course!"
"Princess?" Dash asked.
"There is one place in Canterlot that only a select few, myself included, are aware of. A place that would be perfect to stash away somepony you wanted out of the way..." Celestia turned, "Everypony, follow me! Quickly!"
*****
In her chambers, Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing Cadance's face, her body. For centuries, shapeshifting was her forte...but now, seeing herself in another's visage revolted her, "Is this...what I have been reduced to?" She said to herself, "A common criminal who destroys lives and conquers kingdoms?"
Unlike her daughter, Chrysalis took no joy in enacting the plan. In fact, she despised herself for it. She despised that she had stolen away Princess Cadance in the dead of night to replace her. She despised how she imprisoned her, and the posh cell she gave her did little to lift her guilt. She despised how she was forced to put an enchantment on Shining Armor when he began to grow suspicious. She despised how she was forced to make him say such horrible things to Twilight, then imprison Twilight in the same place she imprisoned Cadance.
But most of all, she despised what she had become. She never asked to become a Changeling. She never asked that she, her family, and her people no longer found any life-sustaining nourishment from food and drink. She never asked for her people's only method of survival to be feeding upon the love of other races.
All she ever wanted...was a King's love.
"Eclipse...I am so sorry..." She whispered to herself as she took out her locket, opening it. Inside was a picture of three Changelings. One was Chrysalis in her natural form, the second was a slightly younger Lilith, and the final one was a Changeling infant with azure eyes, "...But this is what I must do...for the sake of my people." Sighing deeply, she put her locket away and went towards her closet. She had a wedding to prepare for.
A wedding that, once completed, would grant her people all the love they would ever need.
*****
"Where are we?" Dash asked as the team approached a long abandoned cave opening.
"This is the entrance to the Canterlot Mines." Celestia explained, "Long ago, the tunnel networks underneath Canterlot were full of majestic crystals, gems and other rare stones. Before the bit become Equestria's national currency, these crystals were used to barter and trade. Once the bit became nationalized, the crystals became little more than collector's items; Beautiful, but monetarily worthless. As a result, my mother had no choice but to order the mine closed down, and the knowledge of its existence slowly faded until only a hooffull of ponies today remember it."
"Wow..." Fluttershy said, "In that case, it really IS the perfect place to hide."
"Exactly." Celestia nodded, "Which is why we are here. My gut instinct tells me that Twilight is somewhere within these mines. We must find her, ensure her safety, and learn the truth of what has happened to my niece."
"We are so sorry, Princess..." A trio of voices suddenly said in perfect unison, "But we cannot allow you to do that."
Out of the shadows of the mine's entrance stepped three unicorn females, each in a bridesmaid dress. The others' eyes widened, the Mane Five recognizing one of them from Ponyville, "L-Lyra?!" Rarity gasped as she looked at the green furred unicorn girl. Lyra and her fellow bridesmaids gave dark smirks as they advanced, their eyes deep green and soulless.
"This mine has been closed off by order of Princess Cadance." The bridesmaids said in a monotone unison, "Please, return to the palace and prepare for the wedding."
Celestia narrowed her eyes, "Girls, Twilight Sparkle is missing, and we believe she is being held in these mines. I must insist that you step aside at once."
"But Princess..." The bridesmaids intoned, "The wedding is in an hour... it cannot commence unless you are there to oversee it...besides, why do you wish to find Twilight Sparkle? After what she has done..."
"Sh-Shut up!" Dash said with a glare, stepping forward, "Yeah, Twilight screwed up, but that doesn't mean we're about to leave her out to dry! She's our friend, and we ARE going to find her! So BACK OFF!!"
Dash growled deeply as the bridesmaids just continued their empty smirks. However, before anypony could come to blows, the bridesmaids suddenly detected something. Looking behind them, they saw a bouquet of flowers being levitated in the air, "The...The wedding bouquet..." Lyra said as she and others gasped.
The bouquet was suddenly thrown at one of the mine's walls, "MINE!!!" All three bridesmaids suddenly shouted, the green in their eyes fading as they each dived at the bouquet, struggling to get it away from the others.
"Wh...What in the world...?" Celestia said before,
"Auntie!"
"C-Cadance?!" Celestia gasped. Sure enough, out of the mine rushed out Princess Cadance, alongside,
"TWILIGHT!!" The Mane Five cried as they all glomped her.
"G-Girls?!" Twilight said in alarm as her friends hugged her.
"Thank the Creators you're alright!" They cried, "We thought something horrible had happened!"
Celestia smiled at the reunion, but then frowned as she turned to her niece, "I...do not understand, Cadance. Weren't you back in your chambers at Canterlot?"
Cadance shook her head gravely, "No, auntie. Something terrible has happened. Canterlot...no, all of Equestria is at risk."
****
It was the hour of the wedding. Chrysalis, in her disguise, stood next to Shining Armor at the podium. The crowd was large, murmuring as they eagerly awaited the arrival of Princess Celestia so that the ceremony could commence. Chrysalis turned to Shining Armor. In order to ensure the plan went smoothly, she was forced to empower her enchantment. Shining Armor now stood completely still, his eyes fully green as he waited. He was completely under her thrall.
The doors suddenly flew open, and Celestia walked in, frowning gravely, "Auntie Celestia!" Chrysalis said with a smile, "I thought you would be late."
Celestia said nothing as she glared darkly, "How...dare you..." She growled as Chrysalis looked shocked as the audience began to murmur in confusion.
"A-Auntie...?" Chrysalis said in worry, but then her worry became shock as Twilight and the REAL Cadance stepped on either side of the Princess, "!!!" Chrysalis stepped back, "H-How did you get past my bridesmaids?!"
Twilight smirked, "Even when brainwashed, a bridesmaid can't resist diving for the wedding bouquet." She said as Cadance stepped forward.
"Chrysalis, this has gone on long enough. I told my aunt about why you did all this. We are willing to help you, but please...you must stop this madness and surrender."
Chrysalis said nothing as she looked down, "Surrender...?" She repeated, "I...cannot surrender. Not now...not when the lives of my people are at stake..." A green glow began to surround her, "I must...do everything I can..." She said as she grit her teeth, "To ensure the survival of my race!" She roared as she became enveloped in green fire.
The crowd gasped in alarm as "Cadance" began to transform. Her form became long and thing, her hair becoming long and dark green. Her fur became deep black, holes on her hooves and legs. Two insectoid wings protruded from her back, and a black/green crown rested on her head, under her jagged horn.
"Its...Its a Changeling!" One of the nobles cried as the crowd began to panic.
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes, "I put you and Twilight in the Mines to PROTECT you, Cadance! Once Equestria was in my hooves, I would have released you both! But now...you have forced my hoof." She frowns, "Princess Celestia, daughter of Soliana and Eclipse...forgive me, but for the survival of the Changeling race, I must take Equestria from you!" She turned to the enchanted Shining Armor, "...Do it." She said simply. Shining Armor mindlessly nodded as his horn shined.
****
KABOOOOM!
An explosion rocked Canterlot's market district as one of the city's abandoned warehouses suddenly went up in smoke. From the smoke, Lilith plummeted out, Luna quickly flying after her as the two began fighting in midair.
"So THIS is where you took me?!" Luna said, "The market quarter?! Were you TRYING to be found?!"
"You damn skank..." Lilith growled as she blasted out before the two tackled eachother, wrestling, punching and kicking as they plummeted to the ground, causing a massive dust cloud when they landed.
Coughing, Luna struggled to her feet as Lilith did the same ahead of her. Before the two could continue their bout, however, they heard screaming. Ponies were pointing at the sky, seeing the shield Shining Armor had erected quickly beginning to fade away. Soon, it was gone completely.
Lilith gave a dark grin, "Heh....hehehehehe....AAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!" She threw her head back, laughing maniacally, "Do you see it, Princess Luna?! Do you SEE?! Look upon it with terror!"
Luna's eyes widened as she say a massive black cloud rapidly descending upon Canterlot. But she quickly realized it was no cloud. It was an army of Changelings, all grinning with malice and hunger.
Lilith gave a dark smile as she continued to laugh, "BEHOLD, Princess of the Night! Equestria's final hour has come!!"
To be continued...