//------------------------------// // In A World So Cold // Story: Nightmare's Return // by CanterlotGuardian //------------------------------// It had taken Luna longer than she had thought to be able to explain everything to the Elements gathered there, along with their special guests. They had some questions for her, mostly concerning logistical aspects of the ordeal, and she was grateful for Shining Armor’s presence there. This was, after all, mostly in his repertoire of skills. “A question,” Cadance said, after her husband had finished with his responses. “Is there any kind of information as to how you were able to penetrate the Changeling lands unseen? Chrysalis herself had said that there were defensive measures in place around the entirety of her kingdom.” Luna nodded. “I had encountered some of them while on my travels there. The most obvious among them are the constant patrols by the Changeling drones. I do not think there was a single minute I was alert to, that they were not out en masse.” “Was there any sort of detection spell out there?” Twilight asked. “And if so, could it be deflected towards another area or something?” “I do not know exactly what kind of spell it was, or if it even was a spell at all. Maybe it was just my overanxious mind playing tricks on me. At a few points in the journey, though, I could have swore by the moon that I could feel magical energy radiating from some indistinct landmarks I passed. Maybe there is some sort of magical energy in those that would alert the soldiers to any… unwanted guests in the area.” “Then why didn’t they come after you?” Shining asked. “I do not know that either. It may have been because I was using an ancient spell to mask my magical energies- and with that on my mind now, I will need to get with the magic users among you-” she gestured to Shining Armor, Cadance, Twilight, and Rarity- “on the proper usage and application of that spell. If it will be at all a help to you, and I believe it will, seeing as I used it and evaded capture the entire time, you should be able to go in there and extract Rainbow Dash without much of a fight on your hooves.” “Did she seem fine when you contacted her in her dreams?” Applejack asked. Luna had apprised them all of the contact she had made with Rainbow a few nights previous. “Well enough,” Luna replied, “but very weary. I do not know what they are doing to her over there, but I can surmise that it may not be much time before they try more drastic measures on her. That is why we need to get over there as soon as we can, to get her out and get back without arousing alarm.” “Are all of us going in one group?” Twilight asked. “Such a large group would undoubtedly attract attention eventually.” Luna shook her head. “I had thought of that beforehand. You will be split into two groups. Cadance will head up one and Shining will head up the other. Each group will be teleported to a different side of the Changeling lands. After drop-off, each team will head in towards the central castle, where Rainbow Dash is being held. You will all converge there, then perform the extraction.” “How will we keep in contact with each other?” Fluttershy asked. “The unicorns and alicorns in the party can use their magic to communicate with the other group, though I do not know the limitations of this. I hope that distance will not prove too much of a problem in this effort.” “But why Chrysalis?” Applejack asked. “Why would Nightmare Moon use one of our enemies to house her spirit while she brooded up this plan to resurrect herself? Wouldn’t it have gone under less notice if she’d used one of our friends?” “I do not entirely know,” Luna replied, “but I believe that it may have something to do with the fact that she wanted to remain as inconspicuous as possible during her efforts. If she had gone into the body of somepony close to you all, then the behaviors displayed as a result would have alerted you too quickly that something was amiss. As it stood, Chrysalis had been banished, alongside the other Changelings, back to their own lands, where the plans could be brought to fruition without anypony really being any the wiser.” This brought a pall over those gathered there; clearly now, Nightmare Moon had thought about this beforehoof. She had planned out so much, and it had nearly succeeded without a single hitch in sight. “There is still the matter of my sister,” Luna continued. “I do not know where she is, or what she is up to. I can assume nothing good, though. I am sure that with Zecora by my side, we will be fine here until you all can return with Rainbow.” A voice echoed from the back of the room. “Why do you put such little faith in me, sister?” Everypony craned their heads at once, and a chill ran down their collective spines. Celestia strode into the room, somehow managing to look both meek and outraged at the same time. A wave of foreboding crashed over everypony simultaneously, and they all looked around at each other, confirming silently that they had each felt it as well. “Is this because of what I did to you back then?” Celestia continued. “You know that I would have not banished you to the moon, had I thought there was any way else to fix the situation.” “This has nothing to do with that,” Luna growled, turning away. “If you would have been with us from the beginning, you would know that this situation is about us going to rescue Rainbow Dash from Chrysalis’ clutches, and nothing else.” “And I have every faith in the world that you will be able to retrieve her,” Celestia replied with a smile that was almost trying too hard to be kindly. She yawned slightly. “I am tired from my journey, and I must go lay down now. I am trusting in you all to get your friend back. Don’t stop believing in yourselves, whatever you do.” She turned and walked out of the room, using her magic to close the door behind her. As soon as the door shut, Cadance turned to Luna. “Journey? You never mentioned anything about Celestia going anywhere? Is that why she wasn’t here? Maybe you’re just overthinking this whole thing, Luna…” “Yeah, maybe Celestia isn’t a Changeling spy like you told us she was. She’s got a lot of things on her plate right now; maybe it’s just that she’s excessively tired.” “Well hold on a minute now,” Applejack butted in. “Why would Celestia just up and leave to go on some grand, magnificent adventure without telling anypony, much less her own sister? That doesn’t seem like her at all.” Luna nodded. “I have known my sister for longer than anypony else. This is not her. There is some other force at work in her body right now. I cannot surmise if this is Chrysalis’ work, or that of Nightmare Moon. What I do know, is that every moment we sit here and talk, is a moment slipping away towards the ritual. How much longer do we have?” Twilight closed her eyes and her horn lit up. A few moments later, it faded and she opened her eyes again. “We have approximately sixteen hours until the appointed time.” Luna nodded. “Everyone has their tasks. Get to them. We need to be prepared in an hour’s time to leave. I will teleport you in groups to the designated locations, and then it will be up to you.” They agreed and got up; Luna opened the door for them. They all walked out, trying not to let their fear show. Each had a different area of the castle to go to, in order to get their part done. Twilight was walking towards the library, when she heard a familiar voice coming from the Royal Library: “Do you really think this is going to work?” She turned, sighing. “What choice do we have, Discord? We almost literally have our backs up against the wall at this point. We have to trust Luna that we will be able to get there in time to stop the ritual and save Dash, we have to trust you that you’re not going to majorly screw us over in the name of Chaos, we have to-” “Did Cadance ever address the issue of her relationship to Chrysalis?” Twilight stopped. “How did you know about that?” she asked accusingly. Discord smirked. “Oh, my dear, when your Princess Luna was advising me of the situation, she did not leave anything out. And I take it that by your reaction, you have not addressed it with her yet.” “No, I haven’t,” Twilight replied angrily. “I just don’t see how that is possible to begin with. I mean, they don’t really look anything alike, besides having alicorn bodies. How in Equestria did she and the Changelings get to look like they do now, if they did at one point have some kind of blood relation to Cadance? What happened to them?” “Didn’t you read at one point that they had simply adapted to their new surroundings, cast out into a harsh and unforgiving land?” Twilight wondered how Discord knew that, but she brushed it off for the time being. “Yeah, but I’m starting to think that it’s a little bit more than that. How would they have gone through that drastic of a change? And what was the catalyst? I’m pretty sure there’s more to this than just what I’m seeing right now.” “There is,” came the reply from ahead of them. Twilight looked up and froze. “Cadance?” Twilight asked. “Wh-what do you mean, there is?” “There’s more to that story than just what’s written in the history books. Which are right, by the way. Chrysalis and I are related.” “Oh this is just too perfect,” Discord chortled. “The truth is finally revealed…!” “What happened to Chrysalis?” Twilight asked. “Why does she look so different from us now?” “Because of me,” Cadance replied. “She was a being of incredible power, as are all alicorns. However, due to some traumatic event that happened to her when she was still yet a filly, she had harbored intense hatred in her heart, and that rage corrupted her into a monster.” Cadance sighed. “I hated to have to use that spell on her, but I had no choice…” “What spell?” Twilight asked, unsure if she should have even been asking that question to begin with. “It was one that I was taught by my teacher,” she said. “It was one to un-corrupt rage and darkness within a pony’s heart, and I thought that as the Princess of Love, my magic would be especially suited to such a task. Besides, it was family, and I wanted to do this for her. But… Things did not go as I had planned.” “What happened?” “The spell that I used was less effective than I’d thought; the darkness in her heart was complete, and I didn’t realize at the time that a completely blackened heart could not be turned whole again by this spell. What I also didn’t intend, was for the outward change to occur. She became what she is today, her outer self matching the inner. I have regretted what I did every day, but I could not go against my Queen’s wishes-” “Your… Queen? Who are you talking about?” Cadance looked at her oddly. “Chrysalis, of course. That was the final adverse effect of my spell. Some of the darkness within her bounced back to me, and tainted my blood ever so slightly. In the same way that we share familial blood by our parents, we also share Changeling blood.” Twilight was stunned. This was something she could have never seen coming. And this, from her old foalsitter… “Were you like this when you were foalsitting me?” Twilight asked tentatively. Cadance nodded. “This happened long before you and I met. I am truly sorry I’ve never told you about this before now, but… it was just shame on my part. And now I have to-” The entire castle shuddered- once, twice, three times. Twilight was almost nearly knocked off her feet, but Cadance steadied her. Luna’s voice magically echoed throughout the cold, stone hallways: “Everyone to the front parapet now! Mare the battle stations! We are being attacked!” Twilight and Cadance looked at each other and took off towards the ramparts, Discord following not far behind. As they ran, Twilight began to hear a telltale buzzing noise, and her heart dropped as she hurried on. “Changelings!”