Chapter 1: Diplomatic Madness
Celestia was falling.
Fate and Elegance had raised their magical shield so quickly that Celestia hadn't had enough time to even realize what they were doing, let alone cast the spell to counter the overload of love. The spell would have been ineffective here, anyway.
Love between a Changeling Queen and a pony was a love that should not be possible, so was the most powerful kind in any form.
Celestia just watched helplessly as the ground raced up to meet her. She closed her eyes. I'm sorry, she thought, I failed Equestria, I failed you...
Celestia braced herself for the impact, knowing that it was futile. But the impact, the feeling of every bone and inch of chitin smashing and grinding to mush, it never came.
Celestia opened her eyes to see the ground meer millimeters from the tip of her nose, and she was covered in a lavender magical aura that onl one pony she knew had.
She raised her head to see Twilight Sparkle straining to keep the Changeling Queen above the ground. She had an angry look on her face and in her emotions.
"Where, is, Celestia," Twilight demanded.
The changeling sighed. "I am Celestia."
"LIAR!"
Twilight thew Celestia at the nearest wall, which wasn't too hard, as there were walls everywhere. Celestia cowered as Twilight, her own student, approached her menacingly.
"I'll ask you again, where is Celestia!"
Celestia tried to stand, but it seemed that that throw had broken a forehoof, and she stumbled forward instead. "I'm sorry Celestia..."
"What was that," asked Twilight, who had barely heard the changeling mumble something under her breath, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."
Twilight was about to fire a magic bolt at the changeling when Winter and Luna arrived.
"TWILIGHT, CEASE THIS MADNESS!" boomed Winter in the Royal Solstice Voice, causing dust to rise from the dry earth.
Twilight covered her ears, as did the changeling. Celestia suddenly felt something sifting through her mind, and realized someone was trying to find Celestia. She cut them off, and Winter frowned. Celestia hadn't known he could read others minds!
If he could do that, then there was no point in hiding what she knew to them. She sighed. "I will tell you of Celestia, but not here. In my, her chambers."
Winter nodded and turned to Luna. "Get the others and tell them to meet us in Celestia's chambers." Luna nodded and ran of. "Do you need a hand?"
Celestia accepted, and Winter helped her to her hooves, a which point she promptly reconstructed the Celestia disguise. Winter looked at her curiously.
"I will explain, but when we are in my chambers," said the false Celestia. Twilight looked at her and regarded her with disgust and hate, while Winter looked at her thoughtfully. Celestia opened a portal and the three entered it.
~~~~~~~~~~
They emerged in Celestia's bedroom, where Cadance, Shining Armor, Luna, Blueblood, Fate, Elegance, Chrysalis, Chrysalia and Platinum were waiting. They all regarded her with disgust, but she ignored them in preference to the task at hand, leaving her dusguise up to not dismay Platinum and Chrysalis.
She went to a bookshelf and pulled a large purple book titled 'The Secret Room' down. The wall beside the bookcase slid back and then to the side, revealing an old hallway filled with cobwebs.
"This way," the Celestia impersonator said as she walked into the hall. The others followed, weary of a trap. Well, all except Blueblood, who had admittedly seen his aunt as a changeling when they'd first met, but decided that moment wasn't the best time to bring it up.
They proceeded down the long corridor, and before long they entered a large room, obviously carved out from Mount Canter. The walls made from white marble, and the floor was littered with gold and objects made from gold. On the far side of the room, at the end of a white velvet carpet that spanned the length of the hall, was a polished marble sarcophagus with a familliar image on the cover, inlaid with gold.
It was a perfect depiction of Celestia asleep on her back.
"Welcome to the tomb of Princess Celestia," said the imposter solemly, on the verge of tears.