//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12 
// Story: Wedding Bells Bug Hunt 
// by Trinary 
//------------------------------//

This wasn’t Rainbow Dash’s first time in the dungeons of Canterlot Castle. She had thoroughly explored them during her fillyhood days. It was a favorite hiding spot of hers, despite the lack of skeletons or anything cool like that. It wasn’t like your stereotypical dungeon: it was well-kept, clean and in relative good order despite its obvious disuse.

However, while the shackles she was wearing may not have been sharp or rusted over, that didn’t change the fact that she was jailed like a criminal. Worse, she was being accused of not being herself. How the feather am I supposed to prove that I’m me when someone—someTHING else can look like me, talk like me, act like me and have my memories?

She leaned back, her head resting against the cool, stone wall. Okay, so … I can do this. I am me. Since I’m me, there’s gotta be evidence to prove it, right? The truth always comes out in the end ... wow, just channeled Applejack there a bit. She shut her eyes. Focus, Rainbow Dash. What can you do to prove you’re you? Sonic Rainboom is out, they’ll never let me out to do it. Wonderbolts trivia? Dang, no, they’ll just say that I’m a changeling who took all of my memories. Lame. Her ear flicked a little.

Looks like I’m gonna have to get creative. She idly tapped her hoof against the floor. What makes me, me? Huh, sounds like one of those boring philosophic stuff Celestia used to make me read. Guess it’s worth a shot … how did those go? Uh, I think therefore I am? Rainbow’s face lit up. If I think I’m me, then I must be me! Yes! Thank you philoso--wait. That makes no sense. If I think I’m a dragon, that doesn’t make me a dragon. Grah! Stupid philosophy!

That was a waste of time, she brooded, idly kicking at the hay and straw lining the cell floor. “This is nuts!” she shouted, her voice echoing off the empty dungeon walls. “There’s nothing deep about any of this! I’m me and that’s all there is to it!” But a nagging thought wormed its way into her head: How can I be me if I can’t prove it? Doesn’t that mean--that I might not be me? She sat down, hard. This is as pretty basic as it gets. If you can’t prove you’re you … doesn’t that mean that you aren’t? If I can’t prove to my friends, my teacher or me that I’m Rainbow Dash, does that mean that they’re right? That I am a changeling?

The pit in her stomach grew even deeper. Just acknowledging the fear somehow made it all the more real. I should be able to prove that I’m me, no sweat, right? I mean, there’s only one Rainbow Dash and she--I mean I!--am a pretty darn unique pony.

Except that I can’t. She leaned against the wall and slid down it. I can’t prove it. Wrapping her wings around her, she hugged her limbs to herself and buried her face. What if I am the changeling?

She shivered. Her chest burned as it felt like no breath she took was getting enough air. The walls and bars of the cell seemed to loom down on her, making her prison seem even smaller. I can’t take it! I have to get out of here! She look around, frantic for some avenue of escape she might have somehow missed before. Rainbow wanted to get away: from the dungeon, from Canterlot … and most of all from the doubts now eating away at her.

The sound of heavy door swinging open made her ears perk up. Somepony’s coming, she figured. Quite a few actually, judging by the sound. Their hoof-falls echoed heavily through the dungeon.

 Soft murmurs grew louder as they approached. “…are you sure about this?” She heard Rarity whisper. “Perhaps we should have waited and brought Princess Celestia down with us...”

“We can’t wait!” Applejack retorted. “Rainbow Dash needs us and we need answers, now.”

Twilight’s voice cut in. “The Princess is going to be busy trying to find and root out any other changeling infiltrators. Applejack is right, we can’t wait.”

Rainbow swallowed, feeling faintly ill. She didn’t know what was worse: being completely alone or having her friends come to accuse her of not being herself. She felt as though there was a pit in her stomach, one that by this point was so big it like she was falling into it from the inside out. Or outside in.

Rainbow sat down in the straw, a prickling feeling making its way up her back as she waited for her friends to come into view. Applejack and Twilight walked in at the head of the group. Once they were sure there was no danger, they nodded for the others to come in.

Dash looked around for any shred of sympathy. What she found was an array of confused, suspicious and hostile glances. None of them seemed to know what to make of her. After an awkward moment, Twilight cleared her throat and stepped forward. She tried to appear firm, but she came off as more unsure of herself. “We want answers.”
 
“Quite,” Rarity nodded. “You owe us that much, at least.”

Rainbow tried to speak, but a lump in her throat made her cough instead. “I—” she rubbed her neck. “…I’d like some too.” Her ears flattened against her skull.

Twilight didn’t seem to know how to respond to that, so she just pressed on. “We want to know where Rainbow Dash is.”

“I’m ... I am Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow felt disgusted with herself for the faint tremor in her voice, as if even she didn’t quite believe it to be true anymore.

Applejack picked up on, snorting derisively. “Sure don' sound like it.”

Pinkie moved past her friends to stand in front of the cells. “Don’t be like--you’re the real, Dashie, right?”

“I … I don’t know anymore.” Rainbow admitted, looking down.

Fluttershy, half-hiding behind Rarity, spoke up. “We're not trying to blame or judge you if you are a pony-eating monster, we just want our friend back.”

That was when Rainbow Dash started banging the back of her head against the wall. It’s just Fluttershy being Fluttershy.

Twilight stepped forward, trying to get things back on track. “Look, if you help us, maybe we can help you? I mean none of us know what your story is.”

“Know my story?” Rainbow made a noise that sounded like a mix of a growl and a strangled laugh. She got up and walked over to the door, slamming her hoof against the bars, making Twilight jump back in shock. “I don’t know my story anymore! I thought I did, but all of a sudden Celestia pops out and tells me, ‘Oh by the way, you're not Rainbow Dash, you're just a giant bug in a disguise!’ And because I can’t figure out how to prove that I’m me and not an exact imitation, I’m left in here to rot!”
 
Twilight leaned away from the cell. “Okay, okay, I understand. This is stressful for you … whoever you are.” She murmured under her breath. “There has to be some way to determine for sure that you’re a changeling. Maybe,” she quickly added, seeing Rainbow glower.
 
“Ah don’t think Princess Celestia would be wrong about somethin’ like this.” Applejack frowned. “She’s known Rainbow Dash longer than any of us, exceptin’ Fluttershy here.” She nodded to the canary yellow pegasus. “‘Sides, she knows more about magic and, shoot, darn near everything than than any pony. If she says this ain’t our Rainbow, then Ah believe her.” She shot the imprisoned pony a harsh glance. “Helps that this ‘un’s been acting battier than than a fruit bat during applebucking season. Should known mahself the way she---she...” Applejack’s breath hitched and she tried to stay calm, but it was clearly an effort. 

Fluttershy moved close to her. “Applejack?” 

“Ah shoulda known right off when ‘Rainbow’ here didn’t back me up ‘gainst those durn-foal fancy chefs in the kitchens,” Applejack went on, a quiver in her voice. “ The real Rainbow’d always have mah back and not be callin’ me a slacker or liar--I should’ve known somethin’ was off a while ago but Ah was too stubborn and mule-headed to notice that mah best friend…” She roughly rubbed a hoof across her face. “S’mah fault.”
 
“It’s not your fault,” Fluttershy offered her a comforting nuzzle. “I should’ve seen something was wrong with just how … how wrong she was acting when she was with me.” A sad, tired look made Fluttershy look haggard. This all was especially hard for her, being such a sensitive pony. “She was pretty unappreciative about how lucky she was and, well, just the way she had with the garden animals…”

Rarity let out a lady-like sigh. “I am far from blameless too, darlings. Why, I should’ve known something was wrong when she brutally rejected a simply delightful dress that I had agonized and slaved over to make perfect for her!” She held a hoof up to her face. While she was all for giving Rainbow (or ‘Rainbow?’) the benefit of the doubt, strange was still strange. Rainbow winced and now felt like a complete heel.

But Twilight gave Rarity an odd look. “Uh, but doesn’t Rainbow Dash normally not like--”

“Yes! Well,” Rarity coughed. “She was also unusually reticent about criticizing some designs I had been commissioned by various ponies to create that, I frankly admit, were not among my best.”

Pinkie nodded. “Yeah, that sounds a bit less like Rainbow Dash. Normally she’d just go on and on about how weird and frou-frou your dresses are!”

“Yes. Thank you, Pinkie.” Rarity bit off. 

Pinkie frowned. “There was the way she was so nasty-wasty at the bachelorette party! She was trying to interrogate Twilight like some big ol’ … interrogating pony!” She frowned, casually ignoring the incredulous look Fluttershy was giving her.

Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink even further. Hearing her friends talk about just how she’d been acting … it made her start to wonder if maybe they weren’t right: that she wasn’t really herself.

Twilight stepped closer to the cell, critically examining its occupant. “I was probably the first pony to meet the imposter. Not long after we arrived I noticed ‘Rainbow’ sporting a bruise.” She frowned. “She told me it was a flying accident and I believed her … I should’ve pressed her on it, but…” She sagged.

“Come on now, Twi,” Applejack draped a foreleg across Twilight’s back. “She fooled everypony.”

However, Twilight continued to look miserable. “But … I’m the one who’s so detail-oriented, who tries to take notes and observe everything. When she slept over at my house, she flinched the first time I moved close to her. How could I not have seen it?” She clapped herself on the forehead. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

Rainbow Dash felt her heart sink even further. Hearing her friends talk about just how she’d been acting … it made her wonder if maybe they weren’t right: that she wasn’t really herself. “Please … don’t,” she asked Twilight. “I mean … if I didn’t know, then how could you? Don’t beat yourself up over it.” 

All that did was remind Applejack of her presence. “You hush up!” She barked at Rainbow. “Stink bug…”

“If what the princess said is true, then she's—it, is not lying. It really believes that it is the real Rainbow Dash.” Rarity countered.
 
Applejack winced and the fight went right out of her voice. “That ain't ... well, that ain't okay, but Ah cain't be mad at it fer that.”
 
Fluttershy stepped to up to the cell door. “I'm sure you're a very nice ... whatever you are. My mother told me that I could be whoever I wanted to be, but I guess that works more for you? So, you can be whoever you want to be … just please don’t be Rainbow Dash anymore. She won’t like having somepo--someth--having you impersonate her. Um, it won’t end well.”
 
Pinkie was quick to agree. “Yeah! It'll get real confusing when we get the real Rainbow back. I mean when Cloud Kicker sees two Rainbow Dashes--or is that Rainbow Dashai--well, Cloud..." she giggled. "Ooh, makes me wish I had another me! Maybe I should go look for that magic pool I read about once...."

Twilight swished her tail in thought as she paced back and forth. “Perhaps there’s some way we can make certain. If we prove it to her that she’s not Rainbow Dash, that might break her programming. Then she might be able to tell us something about where Rainbow is. Hmm, let me see…” She thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “Ah!” Her horn shimmered, and a strand of Rainbow’s hair and a feather from her wing were suddenly plucked out.
 
“Ow! Give a pony some warning, would you?” Rainbow rubbed her head as Twilight examined the items. The hair and feather were surrounded glowed several different colors as Twilight analyzed them with different spells. Dash tapped her foot impatiently. “Yeah, and? What’d you find?”
 
“…The hair and feather seem to be genuine,” Twilight concluded, examining them critically as if searching for something she her spells might have mixed.
 
Rainbow was more excited. “Awesome! That means I’m really me, right? You can let me go?”
 
“Hold your horses there…” Applejack held up a hoof. “Twilight?”
 
Twilight bit her lip as she unhappily looked from Rainbow Dash to the rest of her friends and back. “The fact that my spell determined them to be real could mean that she really is Rainbow Dash … or that a changeling infiltrator doesn’t simply put on a glamour, but physically becomes the pony it’s replacing. That seems more likely, really. If it was as simple as pulling a feather and checking it, finding changelings would be easy. Maybe a blood test? No, that could run into the same issue.”

Everypony groaned. “That … doesn’t really seem to help.” Rarity observed, wincing. “Isn’t there any other way we can be certain?”
 
“Maybe a Sonic Rainboom?” Fluttershy suggested softly. “She did offer to do one earlier—“
 
“No can do,” Applejack shook her head determinedly. “That'd just give her a chance to zip away if she is a spy.”
 
Rarity nodded. “For once, Applejack is right.”
 
“Thank y—” The cowpony frowned. “Hey!”
 
Rainbow Dash groaned and flopped backwards onto the straw-covered floor. “This isn't fair … how am I supposed to prove I'm not an imposter who has all my memories and appearance? It's like a one of those things ... a Toss 42?”
 
“Catch 22.” Twilight corrected.
 
“57! 72! 64 Down! Hut, hut HIKE!” Pinkie shouted.
 
Applejack scratched her head. “One thing Ah don’t get. If this Queen Chrysalis wanted to replace Rainbow so we couldn’t use the Elements of Harmony ‘gainst her, why not just steal the durn things?” 

Twilight shook her head. “Because Princess Celestia put a spell on them, remember?” She concentrated her magic, and soon the six necklaces appeared on the group. “She wanted to make sure nopony would ever steal them and she wanted us to be have them nearby if we needed them. If somepony ever tried stealing or removing the necklaces from us, she’d know.”

“Then, doesn’t that mean that she is Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked. “She has the necklace…”

“Maybe,” Twilight relented. “But maybe that’s why she wanted to have a replacement. If the changeling is so like the real Rainbow that we can’t tell the difference, the Element might not either.” She sighed. “This is so frustrating! All I have is circumstantial evidence that can be used either way.”

Fluttershy looked at Rainbow sadly. “This must be even worse for her … even she can’t be sure of who or what she is.” 

Rarity nodded. “I admit, I would be hard-pressed to prove that I am me and not an exact duplicate with all my memories and personality and...” she trailed off as an uneasy thought settled over them.

Pinkie Pie blinked, poking herself. When nothing happened, she pinched her cheek and then gently smacked herself. The others did their best to ignore it, writing it off as Pinkie being Pinkie. But she raised her hoof and looked to Twilight. “Um.... we do have a way of telling that we’re all us, right?”

Fluttershy ducked down, nervously looking this way and that.

Twilight’s hesitancy spoke volumes. “Well … not exactly. I mean there is probably a spell somewhere that can reveal a changeling.”

“Then cast it!” Rarity and Rainbow Dash exclaimed together.

“I didn’t say that I knew it!” Twilight protested, her voice beginning to sound strained. “I don’t know every spell ever made! There is just no way to tell who is a changeling when you have changelings who don't even know they're changelings.”

Applejack started glancing suspiciously from side to side. “So what do we do now?”

“Um, panic?” Fluttershy offered, crouched down on the floor.

“That's your answer for everything!” Applejack snapped, her patience fraying. “If we cain’t be sure that none of us’re changelings…” she took a step back away from her friends.

Twilight bit her lip. “I'm not even sure I can trust myself. Maybe it’d be best if I just ... I don't know, left town entirely?” She paused. “But if I am a changeling...”

“Or I could be the changeling,” Fluttershy spoke up. “Um, sorry if I am. I don't want to horribly eat and kill all of you, but if I'm a changeling I might not have any choice so I'm really, really sorry.”

Applejack, distractedly stared at her hoof. “Ah forgive yew? I guess…” She leaned forward. “A ha! There’s the scar Ah got when I split my hoof first time I tried applebucking as a filly! I am me!”

Rarity gave her a suspicious glance. “Surely a changeling infiltrator would know to copy that detail … one you conveniently never chosen to mention before.”
 
A loud gasp from Pinkie interrupted them. “What if I was replaced last night when I became one with my inner self at the bachelorette party?”
 
“You mean when you were passed out?” Fluttershy queried.
 
“That too!”
 
Applejack backed away until she came in contact with the wall. “Y’all just keep back!” 
 
“You keep back!” Rarity retorted, brandishing her horn. “I have a horn and I’m not afraid to use it!”

Pinkie scraped her hoof against the floor. “Yeah! Even if it is really short and stubby!”

“It is not!” Rarity shouted.

Fluttershy squeaked, quivering against the floor from all the shouting. “E-everypony stay away! I don’t want to eat any of you!”

Twilight paced back and forth. “How can I not be me?!” She gasped. “If my old school finds out about this, they might take away all my certificates! My degree! Or worse: send me all the way back to magic kindergarten!”

“Secrets and lies … it’s all secrets and lies with you ponies!” Pinkie shouted. “And maybe me!”

“Shut up!” Rainbow slammed her hooves against the bars. “Knock it off!” Once everypony was startled into silence and was listening to her, she went on. “Listen to yourselves! What’s the matter with all of you? With us?” She took a breath, urging them to listen to her. “Look … I spent all week watching you guys, trying to figure out which one of you was the changeling and I don’t think any of you are imposters. But I can’t prove it and I can’t prove that I’m me. Neither can any of you.” She looked at her friends one a time. They looked uncomfortable but none of them offered any argument. Rainbow went on, “But you know what? That’s not what matters right now.”

Applejack looked agog at her. “How can knowing the truth if we’re really us ‘r not isn’t important?!”

“Don’t you get it?” Rainbow Dash pressed. “You don’t know if all of us are bugs, I’m a bug, one of you is a bug or none of us are bugs. It. Doesn’t. Matter anymore!” She stamped her hoof. “Either I'm me and I can't prove it or I'm a bug who looks like me, thinks like me, acts like me and thinks she is me. Whatever. I'm done with this horseapples. I’ll say I’m the changeling if it gets you all to stop. The important thing is that there are changelings sneaking around all over the place and getting ready to attack the Wedding. And if you guys keep running around like a bunch of orthros’ with both their heads cuts off, then there’s no way we’re gonna stop them! So knock it off!” She panted, chest heaving as she waited to see how her friends would react.

“She’s right.” Everypony turned to look at Applejack. “Ah don’t know if she’s Rainbow or not, but she’s right. Them bugs are aiming to take us all down. We cain’t do anything about it if we’re all too busy lookin’ over our shoulders at each other to get the job done.”

 Fluttershy lowered her head, letting her mane hide half her face. “And, um, if one of us is the changeling?” Rarity slowly reached out and placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, eliciting a soft squeak of surprise. But she didn’t pull away.

Rarity nodded in Applejack’s direction. “If one of us is the fraud, then we shall deal with it and not rest until we have our real friend back. But until we know for sure there’s no sense in acting like uncouth cutthroats fighting over the last designer dress during a sale.”

“So, in other words, like you every time there’s a sale?” Pinkie joked, getting a chuckle out of everypony. Even, after a slight harumph, Rarity herself.

“Yes, yes, very amusing…” Rarity quirked her brow. “Now then, the question is, what do we do about her?” She pointed to the imprisoned Rainbow Dash.

Twilight frowned, thinking carefully. “...I think we should let her out.”

Applejack, despite her earlier agreement with the prisoner, looked a touch uncertain. “How’d you figure that?”

“Because you were right. And so was she.” Twilight nodded at Rainbow. “I’ve been thinking about how Rainbow Dash has been acting all week, and yes, there were plenty of odd things that made me doubt her--but there were also plenty of moments where she tried to build us up, where a fake would’ve tried to tear us down. Whenever the five of us started arguing and fighting, Rainbow Dash was the one who tried to bring us back together. Even if she is the changeling but simply doesn’t know it, then keeping her with us so we can keep an eye on her works better than just keeping her imprisoned down here.” She closed her eyes. “And … none of us can prove beyond a doubt that one of us--any of us--could be well-programmed imposter. But when there’s no evidence to prove or disprove an idea … I guess the only thing left to do is go on what feels right.” Twilight smiled at Rainbow. “Right now, I feel like my friend needs me. I’m not leaving without her.”

Applejack was still for a moment, then she nodded. “Yeah, Ah hear ya.” She turned back to the dungeon. “Ready t’be released for good behavior?”

Rainbow managed a smile. “Since when I have I ever not been ready?”

“‘bout when you’ve been on yer best behavior,” Applejack retorted. “Hang on back now…” She readied her hindlegs for a powerful buck. “This here’s a literal jailbreak!” 

“But Applejack--” Fluttershy started, but Applejack didn’t hear her and lashed out at the doors...only to overbalance and fall on her face when her hooves came into contact with nothing. Craning her head back, she saw the cell door had already swung open.

“What’sit? How--” she looked around, her face taking on a sheepish look when she spotted the cell immersed in the same magic aura as Twilight’s horn. “--oh. Right.”

Twilight shrugged and flushed, feeling a bit sheepish herself as she set about taking care of Rainbow’s restraints. Rainbow Dash stood up and shook off her manacles once Twilight was finished. “Oh yeah, that’s better.” She stepped out, walking over Applejack before the cowpony got back to her hooves. “Nice try AJ. Better luck next time.” She held out a hoof to help her up.

Applejack grunted and paused for a moment, eyes locked on Rainbow’s hoof. Then after a fateful pause, she reached out and grabbed it, allowing herself to be pulled up. “Yeah, well next time Ah’ll just let you cool your hooves in jail. The thanks I get...”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. We gotta move!” Rainbow shook her head. “We’ve got to take care of the changeling problem before the wedding and we don’t have a lot of time!” She spread her wings and zipped up the stairwell.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called out after her. “You forgot about the--” There was a sudden swish and clang as two spears suddenly emerged crossed, blocking the way out. “--guards.” Twilight finished.

Dash backed up as two royal guards forced her back down the stairs at spear point, glaring at the assembled group. “What’s going on? Who let the prisoner out?”

“Oooh, we’re busted.” Pinkie groaned.

Rarity took a step forwards, only to nearly end up skewered by one of the spears. “My good sirs, it is urgent that we speak with the Princess immediately…”

“Nopony is leaving!” The guard growled.

Rainbow blinked as she recognized them. “Steel Wing? Iron Hoof?” She shot them her most confident grin. “Come on you guys, it’s me!” All that accomplished was getting them both to train their spears on her.

“Huh, guess they really do know you.” Applejack couldn’t help but comment.

“Don’t move!” Iron Hoof shouted, getting Rainbow’s dander up.

“Listen Tender Hoof, this is important! We’ve got to delay the Wedding Gala before it’s too late!”

The guard snorted derisively. “The Gala has already started.”

That announcement made the six mares all shout. “WHAT?!”

Twilight was the first to recover “B-but, it’s not scheduled for another four hours! I would’ve been told if things were changed!”

“That means we really have to get going.” Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “Look Hoofsie, we gotta get moving. Step aside or do I have to remind you how I came this close to kicking your rump earlier? Remember?”

“I, uh, that was just luck on your part!” There was something about his hesitation that made Rainbow suspicious.

An idea popped into her head. She shook her head pityingly at the guard. “I had you on the ropes and you know it. I almost took your head off with these.” She jabbed her hooves forward in a punching gesture.
 
Iron Hoof sneered. “You hit like a breezie.”
 
And that’s all I needed to hear! She grinned and promptly bucked him in the face.
 
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouted at her. “How is this helping?!”

“HE’S A FAKE!” Rainbow yelled back as she grappled with him. “I never even touched Iron Hoof last time we met. So that means--” she slammed her hooves down into his gut. Hard. He doubled over, eyes wincing shut in pain. When he opened them again, they were solid green.

Applejack punched Steel Wing while his attention was divided, laying him out. “Got me convinced!” She shouted to Rainbow. “Twilight, could you take care of them?”

“Right!” Twilight grabbed the two fake-guards and used her magic to hurl them into the open cell, slamming the door shut once they were in. “Good catch, Rainbow. They must’ve been replaced recently--and quickly--if they didn’t have time to give them their memories.” Her eyes widened in realization. “If they weren’t worried about being discovered, that they must almost be ready to make their move.”

“Then we have to hurry!” Rainbow called as she flew up the stairs and out of the dungeon, her friends following quickly behind her. “We got a wedding to crash!”

The group wasted no time as they ran, full bore to the main hall where the Gala Wedding was to be held. There were a pair of guards outside it, but given what they’d encountered, Rainbow wasn’t taking any chances. She barreled straight into the first and slammed him against the wall while Rarity restrained the other with the carpet. With the potential opposition out of the way, Dash looked to her friends. “Everypony ready?”

They nodded. But Twilight was still fretting as she opened the doors with her magic. “It just doesn’t make sense! Why would they move up the Grand Galloping Gala--and the wedding!--without telling us? And why didn’t Shining Armor or Cadance try to find us?”

Pinkie Pie peered inside. “It looks like they did.” She pointed inside.

The main hall was filled to capacity with ponies representing the width and breadth of Equestria. Earth pony and unicorn guards stood at attention, interspersed with crystal pony guards. Pegasi roosted in alcoves in the ceiling, looking down from above.

Rainbow spotted Fancy Pants and several other prominent members of Canterlot’s high society: Hoity Toity, Photo Finish, Sapphire Shores, Prince Blueblood, Jet Set and Upper Crust. But they weren’t the only high-class attendees, not by a long shot. She saw nobles, mayors and officials from all over Equestria, from Trottingham to Manehattan: unicorns who traced their noble lineages back to the old bloodlines of Unicornia, earth ponies industrialists and farming magnates, top pegasi weather managers and military officials. There were also seaponies and merponies, watching from small but lavish tubs and pools; crystal pony delegates who came to see their Princess wed; wild, semi-nomadic mustangians; the lords of Maretonia … leaders and elites of every kind of pony imaginable were gathered. 

She also spotted Cloud Kicker and Derpy standing near Cadance’s group of flower fillies and lone ring bearer colt. Everypony in the room had their eyes on Princess Cadance and Shining Armor as they stood before Princess Celestia--and when they heard the door open, they all trained their gaze on the six mares who entered the room. 

Shocked murmurs and whispers ran through the crowd as they looked from the doorway, to the altar and back again. When Rainbow Dash and the others followed their gaze, they saw why. Standing by Princess Cadance in her wedding party were...themselves. Rainbow’s eyes went wide. “What?!”

“Oh mah stars...mebe we really are the fakes!” Applejack exclaimed as Fluttershy hid beneath her own mane.

Twilight shook her head, trembling. “N-no…” Rainbow looked over and recognized the expression on Twilight’s face. She couldn’t process seeing herself up there alongside her big brother and former foal sitter; seeing her parents watch from the crowd. Shining Armor looked from the Twilight standing beside him, to the one at the door, and frowned. Then he took a protective step closer to the one near him.

A pained whimper escaped from Twilight, one Rainbow Dash never wanted to hear again. The sight of her loved ones rejecting her...Dash’d been there. Twilight’s breath came in panicked fits and bursts, shutting her eyes as tears began to leak out. “No…” Her horn started crackling with magic energy, growing brighter and brighter. “No. NO. NO!” Her eyes snapped open, revealing them to be pure white orbs, glowing with tremendous energy. Her horn was the same color.

She was having a magical melt-down, Rainbow realized. Just like her entrance exam. “Everypony down!” Rainbow called before heeding her own advice. Her friends quickly followed suit, and not a moment too soon. Twilight screamed as a wave of magical energy practically exploded from her horn, washing over everypony present.

Most ponies, especially those nearest, were knocked over. Every unicorn felt the sheer raw power from Twilight’s outburst, giving most of them a headache. The rest of the audience shielded their eyes from the blinding glare. Even with her eyes closed and with her wing covering her face, Rainbow could feel the brightness against her eyelids. It wasn’t until it began to fade that she risked opening them again.

Around her, her friends stirred too. “Really Twilight,” Pinkie groaned. “Aren’t there pills for that?”

“Yer stepping on Cloud Kicker’s lines,” Applejack muttered as she peeled her face from off the floor.

Rainbow shook her head and looked back to the now thoroughly disrupted Gala Wedding. Attendees slowly got back on their hooves as guards began circling around Rainbow and her friends, shutting the massive door behind them and cutting off any possible escape.
 
She spotted Fancy Pants reaching over to help a pony beside him up … only to be grabbed by a black, wizened leg full of holes. “My word!” He blinked in astonishment as a changeling rose up, its pony disguise almost completely gone, save for the side of its face that was facing away from the blast.

But that wasn’t the only one. Gasps and screams were heard all over as ponies looked around and saw green eyes and patches of black exoskeletons on the beings beside them, beings they had thought were ponies like them.

With a sudden feeling of panic, Rainbow looked over herself. She looked at her legs, her wings and side … nothing. Applejack tentatively patted her own hat as she looked back to make sure she still had her cutie mark on her flank, and not a hard carapace. “Oh mah stars, we really are us!”

“Yay!” Fluttershy cheered, fluttering off the ground once she had checked herself over. Rarity and Pinkie Pie hugged each other, squealing with delight. And Twilight, groaning at the magical exertion she’d just been under, looked over to her family. Shining Armor had his head down and his horn pointing at the ‘Twilight’ beside him, who now stood revealed as a changeling, as were the rest of the group in Cadance’s entourage.

“YES!” Rainbow cheered, flying over to the altar where Princess Celestia still stood. “Princess, it’s me! It’s really me! Now we can--” her voice died on her lips when the Princess looked up at her, her mane falling away and revealing that her left eye was a solid, green orb glowing with a sick inner light. “...no.”

“The princesses send their regards,” Croaked a new, terrible voice from the facade of Princess Celestia. Her appearance shimmered and vanished, replaced by a nightmare from the recess of some poor broken pony’s mind.

 She was tall, towering over everypony present as if she were an alicorn like the Princesses--an idea reinforced by her thin wings made of translucent membrane and her long, jagged, broken-looking horn. Like somepony's nightmare of a fell alicorn. The inexplicable holes in her tail, wings and legs leant her a broken look that made her even somehow more frightening for looking like pathetic, misshapen things. They spoke of an unknown horror, lending her a great power for still being able to move and function with them.

Her chitin was black as the night, almost as if it absorbed all the light from the room. Her hair--if it could be called that--was blue and made of a similar membrane as her wings, also ridden with holes. Her eyes were luminous and green, glowing malevolence. When she smiled--and what a horrid sight it was--they could see her fangs.

She was Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings.

She grinned, sneering. “I now pronounce you all … dinner!”