//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 // Story: Oddball // by The Infinity Doctor //------------------------------// Things have been pretty slow since Jane and her kids had opted to go back home. I had obliged, opening the portal back to New York, and in turn, letting them resume their normal lives- though we had promised each other we'd keep in touch. It's been weeks since that happened; hence why I was sitting cross-legged on the floor of the throne room of the hive, in the throne room to be specific. Elaine has been fascinated seeing Equestria for the first time, thanks to a diguising spell- it also gave Elaine the chance to know Alicia better. That was fun...we all had gone to a local carnival, Mirror especially having a time with the ring-toss. She eventually won, winning a stuffed Ursa Minor from the vender. She carries that bear almost everywhere, the only time she reluctantly parts with it is to let me wash it. Anyway, speed up to the present- Mirror, Alicia, and I all stepped off of the train at the station in Canterlot. The scroll with Princess Luna's summons written on it tucked under my wing. We received frightened looks from ponies in the surrounding area, Alicia being the recipient. I held down my anger as she looked to the ground, downcast. I wrapped my wing around her as we continued our walk to the gates of the castle. Once there, I presented the scroll to the guards, they uncrossed their spears and let us pass. Alicia and Mirror both shrank as we passed the sentries, shortly returning to their normal selves as we walked further from the guards. We walked into the castle (passing more guards) as we made our way through the winding halls, finally reaching a door with the picture of a crescent moon imprinted on it. 'Ah...this must be her room' I oh-so-brilliantly deduced. I knocked, and the door opened, Luna waiting on her bed. "HUZZAH! THOU- *ahem* Thou hast arrived!" "Hi Luna" I said, walking into the room. She had set out several pillows in a circle on the floor, Mirror took the opporitunity to dive head-first into them. She resurfaced, a pillow resting atop her head. Luna looked on with an amused smile- she then beckoned to Alicia with her wing. She floated toward Luna shyly, her wings surprisingly immobile as her feet left the ground. The two embraced, both of them hesitant at the contact. "So...tell Us about yourself" Luna said, releasing Alicia. X X X X X X X I listened intently as Alicia talked to Luna about her...situation...at home, what her life on Earth was like, etc. (She had left out the parts concerning Mirror and myself in our changeling forms...but then again, Luna already knew...so...) "Sorry, what?" I asked, looking to Luna. "We asked thee if thee would show thy true selves" "Oh...I suppose we...could..." I dropped my diguise, the flames wiping away my disguise from my form. "Well?" I asked. "...We did not expect thee to be so tall..." 'Why does everyone say that?' "So I've been told" "You have revealed yourself to others?" "Only to a select few, Twilight and her friends don't know" Luna sighed in relief as she looked out the window, her eyes widened as I looked to what she was staring at. "Why is the sky pink?" Mirror asked. "No...nonononono!" Luna said, turning. "Luna, what's the matter? What's wrong?" "The wedding! I have forgotten!" "What wedding?" I asked. "The marriage of Princess Cadenza and Shining Armor! You must wait here, I have matters I must attend to" she said, leaving the room hurriedly. "Well...what do we do now?" Alicia asked. X X X X X X X I looked at the decorated halls of the castle, ponies went about preparing for this supposed wedding. 'Something seems off here...' I thought, walking past a table full of food. I looked over my shoulder, and saw two royal guards walking towards us. "Can I help you?" I asked. "Do you have clearance to be in this area?" the pegasus guard asked, his spear at the ready. "Er..." "Yes, he does, he's a guest of mine" 'Who?' All five of us turned and saw a pink alicorn trotting towards us. "Of course, your highness" the unicorn guard said, both him and the pegasus guard bowing. The two guards left, and I stared at the alicorn. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" I asked, confused at why she would cover for us. "Oh, we've met" she replied mysteriously. "We have? When?" "Come" she said, beckoning me to follow her. The three of us followed her into a secluded part of the castle, which was a surprise, given how many ponies were running around. "Okay, who are you?" I asked. She didn't reply, and her horn lit up, a green circle of small flames flaring up around us. "Hey! What's going on?!" I cried. Her eyes flashed, turning draconic as we sank through the floor, her eyes returned to normal as she stared blankly at us. That was the last thing I saw, before feeling the sensation of falling. 'Chrysalis...' X X X X X X X "Dad, where are we?" Alicia asked, staring up at the ceiling of the cavern. "Somewhere below Canterlot" I replied. 'Nice and spacious, could be ideal for part of the hive...' I mentally slapped myself, and focused on the situation at hand. "Girls, come on" I said, taking both of them by the hand "we need to get out of here-" "Why dad?" "I don't think the princess is who she appears to be..." We continued walking, the maze of caverns making it difficult to navigate our way out. We turned the corner, incidentally coming face-to-face with Twilight and the pink alicorn, her mane a disheveled mess, her coat soiled from the caves. I performed a subtle spell on the alicorn, the scan showed she was, in fact, a real pony. "S-silent? How did you get down here?" Twilight asked, surprised. "Same as you-" I replied, somewhat half-heartedly "that fake Cadence trapped me down here" "How did you know?" Twilight asked. "The eyes" "..." "Well...come on, we need to get out of here, don't we?" I said. Twilight and Cadence led the way as we followed, I hung behind and waited until they were out of earshot. "Mirror...Alicia...I love both of you..." I said. "Um...dad?" A portal popped into existence. "Both of you get home, find Ditzy or Punch if you really need to, but stay away" "But dad!" "No buts" I said "It could get dangerous here very fast, I want both of you safe" "But-" "No" I said firmly. I hugged the both of them before they headed through, their heads hung low. 'Be safe...'