//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Accidental Soul Mates // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Accidental Soul Mates Chapter 1 ___________________________________________________________ Cadance, Alicorn and goddess of love, looked around in desperation at the crystal caverns that had held her captive for so many weeks. She could still not believe she had lowered her guard and been replaced by the Queen of the Changelings. If she’d only paid more attention to how eager her dress maker had been. How was she to know the pony claiming to be the famous Suri Polomare had actually been the Queen in disguise? It had been too fast for her to do anything. She’d been telling her how she wished her dress to look, there’d been a flash of green light, she’d turned to see the black, insect-like creature, another flash of green light and she had awoken in the caverns, alone, trapped and unable to contact her aunt for help. “Cadance?” The Alicorn blinked, shaking her head and turning to Twilight Sparkle as she stood at her side, concern on her face. Twilight put a hoof on her former foal-sitter’s side. “Are you okay? Do you need to rest?” Cadance took a deep breath and shook her head. “No, Twilight. I’m fine. Besides, I can’t worry about rest right now. I need to save Shining Armour from marrying that... that... creature, thinking it’s me.” Twilight nodded. There was no way she was letting her brother be tricked into marrying a Changeling that wanted nothing but to use him for food. Cadance had explained everything. They moved away from where they’d landed after the mine cart had propelled them into the air, Cadance’s wings saving the unicorn from plummeting to the hard ground below and where, a few metres away, the three mind-controled bridesmaids were now fighting over the wedding bouquet. Even under mind control, some instincts couldn't be held back, like a mare's wish to catch a bouquet from a wedding in the hopes it'll mean they'll be the next to get married. Cadance stepped forward and looked at the crystal wall ahead of them, her horn glowing. “Um, what’re you doing?” Twilight asked, rather confused. “I’m using my magic to sense Shining Armour’s love for me,” Cadance said, her brow furrowing a little more. “It’s hard to find, but I think I can just locate it. But, for it to feel this weak, the Changeling must have taken a lot of his love for me by now.” After a few seconds, she stopped, her horn pointed at a specific point. “There!” She lit her horn and fired a huge blast of magic at the crystal wall. The impact was powerful, causing the whole cavern to start shaking violently, like there was a quake happening. To everypony above, that would probably be what they assumed was happening. “Cadance!” Twilight cried, barely keeping herself upright as the ground and walls around her shook. “Be careful! Don’t use too much power! You’ve barely got any left!” “I will not wait, Twilight!” she shouted, her face contorted as the crystal wall in front of her started glowing red from the intense heat of her magic. “I will not allow the stallion I love, my one true soul mate, to fall victim to that beast masquerading as a pony!” There was a huge explosion, the force of which sent the two ponies hurtling into another wall. When the dust cleared they both got up and walked forward. Where there had been crystal mere seconds ago, there was now a gaping hole, leading what Cadance could clearly see was the way out. Shining Armour was only a few gallops away. “Twilight, we did it! Now we can—” Cadance’s froze as she turned around and fear gripped her heart. Time seemed to slow down as she saw what was about to happen. Twilight was walking towards her while, up above, a large crystal stalactite had come away from the ceiling, no doubt due to the explosion her magic had created. If she didn’t react now, it would impale Twilight! There was no way the unicorn would survive it. Cadance, knowing she couldn’t use her magic again until it had recharge enough, leaped forward, shoving Twilight aside. ___________________________________________________________ Twilight’s head slammed into the crystal wall for a second time and, for a second time, she felt a searing pain throughout her skull. “Ow. Cadance,” she said irritably, getting up as she rubbed her head. “What was that for? Why’d you throw me... against...? Cadance!” Horror flooded Twilight’s mind. Cadance was lying on the floor where she’d been mere seconds ago, a large crystal stalactite impaled through her back, blood seeping out and spreading in a circle around the alicorn’s body. Twilight ran over to her former-foalsitter, her eyes wide with panic. “Cadance? Cadance! Cadance, please say something!” The alicorn slowly half opened her eyes, looking up at Twilight with a weak smile. “I saved you. That’s good. I couldn’t bear it if... you... got... hur...” she trailed off, her eyes closing, her body going limp. Oh no! No no no no no no NO! Twilight lit her horn and quickly levitated the crystal impaler from Cadance’s body, her pupils shrinking as she saw the full extent of the damage. “No,” she whispered, her voice suddenly hoarse. “That should’ve hit me! You didn’t have to do that! You can’t die, Cadance! You can’t!” There was no response. Twilight looked around, her mind wild with panic. What’ll I do? What’ll I do! Cadance can't die! She can’t! Suddenly, she remembered a spell she’d learned of a long time ago, back when she was a little filly. She had been combing the Canterlot Archives and had stumbled upon a healing spell. It was said to heal any kind of injury, no matter how severe. She’d started trying to perfect it at once. However, when Celestia found her practicing it on a dying flower, she’d been furious! Twilight still didn’t know why, but the princess had told her it was dangerous and forbid her to go any further with it. I haven’t even thought about that spell in years. But, if ever I was given a chance when I have to use it, now is that time! She lit her horn and focused as much magic into it, her aim the massive bleeding wounds Cadance had suffered. The alicorn started glowing with Twilight’s magic and was lifted up in the air, her wounds slowly starting to heal. The unicorn strained under the force of the spell, but pushed forward. It was just like the other times she’d used this spell. It felt like something was draining out of her that wasn’t just her magic, but she ignored the feeling and pushed on. Saving Cadance’s life was worth a little discomfort. Several agonizing moments went by with only slow healing. Twilight feared she wouldn’t be able to finish the spell in time to save Cadance, when a sudden surge flew through her and she screamed. It felt like something had ripped through her and was pouring into Cadance. She became vaguely aware of something in front of her eyes. They looked like strings of thread. One was blue and the other was pink. They were tied together, intertwining with one another. She had no idea what she was seeing, but as she watched, unable to look away, even if she wanted to, the threads seemed to suddenly rip apart from each other and a new thread, this one purple appeared where the blue had faded away and intertwined itself with the pink. There was an enormous flash of light and Twilight dropped to the ground, panting heavily. She was unsure how long she lay there, more exhausted than when she’d stopped the Ursa Minor in Ponyville, before she felt somepony nuzzling her. She opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Cadance standing over her, healed and alive, smiling down at her. She struggled to get up and a few tears of joy slid from her eyes. ___________________________________________________________ The ground stopped shaking and everypony looked around, worry and confusion on their faces. “What in the hay was tha’ all about?” Applejack asked, frowning as she looked around. “I am not sure,” Celestia said. She too was frowning. Canterlot had not felt a quake in over five hundred years. And she’d felt something familiar in the air about it, for some reason. Something magical. “Let’s not let some quake ruin our perfect day,” Cadance, or the Changeling in disguise that everypony thought was Cadance said, turning to Shining Armour. “This is the day everything changes. Let’s not keep ourselves from it.” Shining Armour nodded, turning to Celestia and she asked the mare standing next to him the usual asked of brides at weddings, to which she replied, “I do.” Celestia then turned to Shining Armour and asked him the same. "I—" he was cut off when a massive surge of pain suddenly ripped through his body. It was as if something was tearing at his very soul. Behind his closed eyes he saw something that made no sense to his pain-addled mind. He could see what looked like two threads. One was blue and the other was pink. They were tied together, intertwining with each other. As he watched, unable to see anything else, the pink one seemed to be ripped away from the blue, to be replaced several seconds later by a green one, that tied itself to the blue, intertwining like the pink one had. He collapsed on the ground and blacked out, the last sound a banging of the doors.