It had been almost a month since the Queen of the Changelings, Chrysalis, had disguised herself as the niece of the two of other alicorns, Princess Celestia and Luna. The pink alicorn and the Princess of Love, Princess Cadence. So far she hadn't been suspected by anypony to be anypony other than Princess Cadance. Though she found being the princess entertaining, she hated having to pretend to be a sweet and kinding pony in front of other ponies.
"Having a great day so far your highness" Lemon Hearts asked the disguised changeling, in a chipper attitude that disgusted Chrysalis to her core.
"Why of course... Lemon Tarts is it." Chrysalis said to the yellow unicorn, doing her best to fake it as the Princess of Love.
"Close your highness, it's actually Lemon Hearts, but that is good to hear. Well, I better get going. If you need anything from me your highness." Lemon said, about to trot away, only for the disguised changeling to stop, when a plan came to her mind.
"Actually Lemon Hearts I do have something that I think that you can help me with." Chrysalis to the yellow unicorn, instantly catching her attention.
"Yes, what can I do for you, your highness?" Lemon Hearts asked the disguised changeling. Unbeknownst to her, the pink alicorn's pink eyes flashed green for less than a second. Chrysalis' changeling magic transferring into the yellow unicorn. The unicorn's raspberry eyes glazing over and turning olive-green.
"Now you will listen and follow every command I give you, correct." Chrysalis whispered to the hypnotized unicorn, who nodded absent mindedly.
"Good..." Chrysalis said more to herself, as she placed the yellow unicorn under her spell.
Inside of the Canterlot cafe the hypnotized Lemon Hearts was completely the orders given to her by the disguised Chrysalis, find her some bridesmaids.
"Wait why don't you want to be one of the princess' bridesmaids." Twinkleshine asked the yellow unicorn, as she sat at their normal table inside the cafe. The two unicorns were also joined by Moon Dancer, Minuette, and another of Lemon Heart's friends by the name of Lyra Heartstrings.
Lyra was in Canterlot to visit her friends, after she moved to Ponyville about a year earlier. This being the first time since Moon Dancer's birthday party that most of the three other ponies had seen the mint green unicorn.
"I can't be one of them because of my duties as the head party planner for the castle I would be to busy to be able to be one of the princess' bridesmaids, but she said that if I knew anypony that would be willing to be her bridesmaids." Lemon Hearts said, her friend's faces, excluding Moon Dancer's, lighting up as the yellow unicorn continued.
"The princess said that she will need at least three bridesmaids by the end of the week." Lemon Hearts said and the eyes of Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Lyra looked like they were about to plunge out of their sockets.
"I would love to be one of the princess' bridesmaids!" Twinkleshine said a little louder than she had expected, as she almost fall out of her small stool in excitement.
"I would love to join you Twinkle, I still the rest of the week off to spend with you guys, and what better than being the bridesmaids of a princess." Lyra said, agreeing with the ivory colored unicorn.
"Well, you guys can count me in." Minuette said, as she finished her third hay smoothie of the day.
"How about you Moon Dancer, do you want to be a bridesmaid to a princess?" Lemon asked the grayish-yellow unicorn.
"I don't know, I mean the princess is nice and all, but I don't think I can take a break from my studies for that long." Moon Dancer said to her friend rejecting the offer.
"Well in that case, would you three all like to meet her?" Lemon Hearts said, her raspberry eyes, turning olive-green for less than a second.
"Of course!" Twinkleshine yelled, jumping out of her seat in joy.
Over in the Dragon Empire all of the inhabitants were preparing to invade Equestria, the wedding between Princess Cadence and Shining Armor only a few days away. Most of the dragons were just happy that they were able to something our then just collect more gold. Two dragons that however weren't very pleased were the wingless twins, Theta and Sigma.
"Why did you have to agree to this Sig?" Theta asked his twin brother, as the white dragon was shining off a steel battle helmet.
"It's not like I had that much of a choice T! I was backed into a corner, literally, you would have made the exact same decision that I did!" Sigma yelled at his brother, throwing his steel helmet to the dirt ground.
"Ok Sig, I get what you're saying. If I was in a similar situation I would probably would've made the same decision." Theta said to his twin brother, knowing that despite his lack of wings he was the last dragon that you wanted to piss off.
"Now can we just get this over with. The both of us might be very fond of going to war with Equestria, but we both must the orders of our great King Steelclaw." Sigma said his words burning with frustration and sarcasm.
"Hey Sig, are you alright?" Theta asked the grayish-silver dragon, taking a step back from his twin brother.
"Sorry bro, I'm just frustrated that's all." Sigma said to his brother, trying to calm himself down.
"I assume that the preparations are going as planned?" King Steelclaw asked the two dragons, walking into their shared room inside the capital of the Dragon Empire. A city the size of Canterlot that was literally a giant cave carved into a dormant volcano.
"We are actually ahead of the original planned schedule." Theta said to Steelclaw, handing him a clipboard that contained all of them preparations for the invasion of Equestria. An invasion that was in less than week's day time.
"I see, with do the two of you believe that you should have all of the preparations done by?" Steelclaw asked the two dragons, more directing his question toward Theta.
"We should been finished by the sundown tomorrow, your majesty." Theta said to Steelclaw, picking up a large steel sword. The Dragon Empire renowned for their unrivaled metal work, especially when it came to weapons of war.
"Excellent, alert me of any further developments." Steelclaw said to the two dragon, turning to leave the small room, hidden deep within the dormant volcano.
"Of course your majesty." Sigma said, picking a dull short sword ready to be sharpened.
The same question that had been bugging Theta for the last few weeks had been flying through his mind, and he needed for it. "I'll be right back Sig. I need to take a break from all of this war and violence." Theta said half-lying to his twin brother.
"You better get used to Theta, because no dragon, man or women, young or old, is getting out of this invasion." Sigma said to his brother, looking up from his current work. As his brother left the room to ask the king a very important question.
"Follow me girls, I think that you will really like the princess." Lemon Hearts said, still under Chrysalis' spell, as she led that three other unicorns toward the disguised changeling's private quarters.
Wow, I've never been inside the castle before. It's beautiful." Lyra said, taking in the awe of the castle.
"You get used to it, trust me." Lemon Hearts said, as the four unicorn's neared 'Cadence's' room. "This is it." Lemon said, stopping just outside the large room that served as both Cadence and Shining Armor's room.
"Wait here, I'll inform the princess that you have volunteered to be her bridesmaids." Lemon Hearts said as she entered the room, leaving her friends just outside. Each of them barely able to contain their excitement.
Moon Dancer, who had returned to the castle to do some last research about the Alpha, noticed the three unicorns standing outside the pink alicorn's room.
"Oh, there you are Moon Dancer! Have you changed your mind about becoming on of the Princess' bridesmaids?" Minuette asked Moon Dancer, when she noticed the grayish-yellow unicorn.
"No I haven't." Moon Dancer said to the blue unicorn.
"Then what are you doing here?" Lyra asked Moon Dancer, not knowing that she worked at the castle.
"Because I work at the castle." Moon Dancer, said a little more bluntly than she had intended.
"What you mean like what Lemon does?" Lyra asked Moon Dancer, not taking offense to her bluntness.
"Not exactly, while Lemon is the head party planner for the castle. I am the head scientist for Princess Celestia herself." Moon Dancer said to Lyra, the mint colored unicorn's eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.
"What kind of sciency things do you do?" Lyra asked Moon Dancer, doing her best to sound smart.
Moon Dancer chuckled to herself at the mint unicorn's attempt, before she answered. "Unfortunately, I am unable to discuss the manner of my of work, with anypony. Including the rest of the staff of the castle." Moon Dancer said as Lemon Hearts reemerged from the pink alicorn's room.
"She's right, even I don't know what she does. Anyway, are you three ready to meet the princess." Lemon Hearts said, shifting the conservation back to being about Cadence.
"Of course!" Twinkleshine said jumping up and down in joy.
"I guess I'll see you girls all later." Moon Dancer said to her four friends, as she began to trot away.
"Follow me, I think that you will really like Princess Cadence." Lemon Hearts said as she lead her three friends into a fate that none of them would have ever expected.
"Your majesty!" Theta called out to his King, catching the red dragon off guard.
"Yes, what is it, Theta. Has something already come up that could delay the invasion?" Steelclaw asked Theta quickly, his words filled with concern.
"No, nothing like that I just wanted to ask you a question." Theta responded back.
"Oh, of course, walk with me why don't you." Steelclaw said to Theta, and the white dragon caught up to the red dragon's side.
Now what is it that you what to ask me Theta?" Steelclaw asked Theta, in a rather calm voice. A voice that took Theta a little off guard.
"Your majesty I was just wondering. Do you..." Theta began saying, the rest of his words he mumbled underneath his. Not sure on how Steelclaw would react.
"What was that?" Steelclaw said, not hearing the white dragon's words.
"I said, Do you really believe..." Theta began again, only to trail off again.
"I still didn't catch that." Steelclaw said, becoming slightly frustrated at Theta's antics, but was still able to keep his cool.
Theta let out a deep sigh as he repeated himself for the third and final time. "Do you really believe that it is such a good idea to invade Equestria!" Theta said a little louder than he had intended.
Steelclaw's movement instantly came to a stop, and his large body's muscles all tense up from the white dragon's words. "Are you questioning the orders that I have given not just you, but all of the citizens of this Empire?" Steelclaw asked Theta, and it was at that exact moment that Theta realized just how much small he was compared to the red dragon that stood next to him.
"Of course not majesty, but I must ask. Do you really believe that it is necessary for us to go to war with Equestria, or even if we did go to war. Do you really think that we should trust the success of our mission on the access of Queen Chrysalis and her own army of changelings." Theta asked his king, the king's muscles relaxing at the white dragon's words of respect. His words making a fair point to make.
Steelclaw then went into deep thought. "I understand your concerns Theta, believe me I truly do." Steelclaw said to Theta.
"Then why are you so set on invading Equestria, even against your own better judgement?" Theta asked Steelclaw, making his king let out a deep sigh.
"As the King, I have to make very difficult decisions that no other dragon would be willing to do. You understand this, don't you?" Steelclaw asked Theta, getting a nod from Theta in response. As the two dragons began to walk through the many tunnels inside the dormant volcano.
"Well in the past few years, even before I became the King, I noticed that the respectation and respect of the our fellow brethren that were born and lived inside Equestria were increasing getting taken away. I knew it was only a matter of time before the ponies of Equestria saw our species as nothing more than a small group of scales creatures that are compiled by greed and nothing else." Steelclaw said to Theta, the white dragon's respect toward his king growing as he continued to speak to him.
"I see your majesty, but that still doesn't my question as to why you what to assist Queen Chrysalis and her changelings. Even though we have more than enough firepower (literally) to take over Equestria without her assistance." Theta said to Steelclaw, making his King let out another deep sigh.
"You are partly true Theta, we can take over most of Equestria without the help from Chrysalis." Steelclaw said to Theta, making the gears inside the white dragon's head start to turn.
"What do you mean your majesty?" Theta asked Steelclaw, the larger dragon coming to another complete stop.
"You see Theta, our forces may be able to overpower the lightly guarded borders of Equestria with ease. We may be able to take over the entirety of Equestria with relative ease, and with a minimal loss of lives. We may be even able to overpower the great power of Equestria's alicorn princesses. However, whatever invasion that we might have against Equestria would be useless if we don't get rid of the Elements of Harmony." Steelclaw said to Theta, this being the first time Theta had ever heard of the Elements of Harmony. Six objects that would soon come very familiar with.
"If I may ask your majesty, but exactly are the Elements of Harmony?" Theta asked his King, curious about these magical super weapons, that could make the combined powers of the three alicorn princesses look like hatchling play.
"The Elements of Harmony are the six most powerful objects in the world, the Elements of Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, Loyalty, and lastly Magic, powered by the true friendship that is contained in the bearers of each element respectively."
"Then if these so called Elements of Harmony are so powerful, how did you come up with a way to get them of the picture?" Theta asked Steelclaw.
"The one weak leak about the Elements of Harmony is that you need all six of them in order for their magic, so getting rid of one of the bearers, gets rid of all them." Steelclaw said to Theta, him finally realizing why he had made an alliance with Queen Chrysalis.
"So in order to get rid of the Elements of Harmony you enlisted Queen Chrysalis. Who is able to get rid of one of the bearers in a way that no dragon ever could." Theta said to Steelclaw, his King nodding in response.
"Chrysalis promised to me that she would be able to get rid not just one, but all of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, paving the way for both of our invasions. All though I don't trust her completely, and I probably never will. I still must admit that Chrysalis is the creature when it comes to getting other ponies to do her dirty work." Steelclaw said to Theta, as he began to walk off.
Theta decided not to follow. He had already gotten what he had come to ask Steelclaw, and decided to return to the small room that he shared with his twin brother.
The four unicorn ponies entered Cadence's room, the dark room only letting in a small amount of light. "A... Lemon, what is the meaning of this?" Lyra said turning her head hoping to see the yellow unicorn behind her.
Lyra let out a little yelp when Lemon Hearts wasn't behind her, and the shadows of the room seemed to grow in size. The images of the shadows beginning to warp into the silhouettes of ponies.
That was when the three ponies saw the pink alicorn for the first time, her pink coat acting like a flashing beacon in the dark lighting. "Your highness." Twinkleshine said, as she noticed the pink alicorn. The ivory unicorn, along with the rest of her friends, bowing to the alicorn that they thought was the Princess of Love.
"You three must be the three bridesmaids that your friend was talking about." The disguised changeling said as Lemon Hearts appeared out of the shadows, by her side.
"Yes, this Twinkleshine, Minuette, and Lyra Heartstrings." Lemon Hearts said to the pink alicorn, in an emotionless almost robotic-like tone.
"Excellent, I believe that they will quite nicely for my purposes." Chrysalis said dismissing Lemon Hearts, who robotically nodded and left the her three friends in the same room with one of the most dangerous creatures in the world, alone.
Back in the Dragon Empire, Theta had arrived back at the small room that he shared with his brother. He walked in, his brother still busy fixing the last of the weapons for the invasion of Equestria.
"About damn time you decided to comeback."Sigma said to his brother, not looking up from the sword that he was busy sharpening.
"Sorry bro, I got caught up." Theta said to his brother, as he walked over the small pile of weapons that he was required to get ready for battle.
"Don't worry about it Theta, I finished my pile about a half an hour ago. So I went on to working on your pile for you." Sigma said to Theta, placing the sword he had just finished into a steel bucket filled with other sharpened swords.
"Thanks Sig, I didn't realize that I was gone for that long." Theta said to his brother, as he began to sharpen a spear designed to piece through both the armor and scales of a full grown warrior dragon.
"I don't sweat it Theta, I'm sure even with your absence earlier today. I think that we will still be able to finish my sundown today." Sigma said, grabbing a short sword designed for quick stab wounds through armored ponies and dragons alike, and beginning to sharpen it.
The two dragon brother's continued this same routine for the next few hours until the had finished their task. Both of them collapsing to the ground, their bodies exhausted from all their work. The two dragon's then drifted off into sleep. Their room filled with weapons of war, each type in their own respective barrel. Each weapon ready for the invasion of Equestria.
"Um... our friend told us that you were need of three bridesmaids, your highness." Lyra said to the pink alicorn, her getting a slow nod in response.
"That is correct, but there's one more thing that I will require of you." Chrysalis said, the shadows behind the three unicorn's warping into the silhouettes of three Shadow Hive changelings.
"And what is that your majesty?" Minuette asked the pink alicorn. Getting a devilish smile from her in return.
"To be my slaves." Chrysalis said, her pink eyes flashing back to their original olive-green.
"What!?" Lyra yelped, as the three unicorns were forced to the ground by the three changelings. The three changelings crooked horns glowing the same color as their blank green eyes. The small band that wrap around their hoof turning into a small green blade that each them held to each of the unicorn's throats. Preventing them from screaming out.
Chrysalis then transformed out of her disguise, returning to her changeling form. Her giant frame towering over the petrified unicorn's.
"Ch... change... changelings." Twinkleshine manage to mumble out, the changeling pinning her to the ground being his sword closer to her throat.
"Yes you are correct little, now you belong to me." Chrysalis said as he cast her mind control on the three unicorns, all at the same time. The three unicorn's eyes all changing from their original eye color to that of the changelings'.
"Stage Three: Find at least three bridesmaids to run inference." Chrysalis said to herself as the three changeling retreated back into the shadows. Their job finished, for now.
"Now onto Stage Four: Get rid of the Elements of Harmony." Chrysalis said turning back into her pink alicorn disguise, fully aware of which of the six bearers she was going to go after.
The next week passed and in Ponyville the mane six were having their weekly picnic in the park. They're picnic wouldn't last that long with Spike running up to them a message from Princess Celestia held in his claws.
"Twi... light! ...I... have... Lemme just..." Spike said to the purple unicorn, doing his best to catch his breath. As he belched out another letter from Princess Celestia. Twilight took the letter with her magic and began to read it.
"Dear Twilight, I am sure you are as excited as I am about the upcoming wedding in Canterlot." Twilight read the letter, becoming confused, not aware of any wedding in Canterlot before hoof.
"Wedding?" Twilight said to her friends in confusion, as she continued reading.
"I will be presiding over the ceremony, but would very much like you and your friends to help with the preparations for this wonderful occasion. Fluttershy, I would like you and your songbird choir to provide the music." Twilight read, giving Fluttershy her assignment for the wedding.
"Oh my goodness! What an honor!" Fluttershy said in her normally high pitched angelic-like voice.
"Pinkie Pie, I can think of no pony more qualified than you to host the reception." Twilight continued reading, giving Pinkie her assignment.
"Hip, hip, hooray!" Pinkie said her normal chipper attitude, doing a few flips while jumping over a pink cake that they had brought with them for the picnic.
"Applejack, you will be in charge of the catering for the reception." Twilight said to the cowpony.
"Well, color me pleased as punch!" Applejack said, thinking about all of the tasty apple originated treats that she would make for the wedding.
"Rainbow Dash..." Twilight said to the cyan Pegasus, making her yawn in boredom.
"...I would very much appreciate it if you could perform a sonic rainboom as the bride and groom complete their 'I do's'." Twilight said to Rainbow.
"Yes!" Rainbow said excited, that she would get to be able to create another trick that defies the laws of physics. But then again Pinkie does that all the time.
"Rarity, you will be responsible for designing the dresses for the bride and her bridesmaids." Twilight said to the white unicorn, rolling her eyes at Rainbow's reaction.
"Princess Celestia wants me to ...wedding dress? For a Canterlot wedding... I, ah, ooh, oooh!" Rarity said, if you can even call it that, as she flopped to the grassy ground in a small thump.
"And as for you, Twilight, you will be playing the most important role of all: Making sure that everything goes as planned. See you all very soon. Yours, Princess Celestia." Twilight said finishing the letter. "But... I don't understand. Who's getting married?" Twilight said to her dragon assistant, still in a slight state of confusion.
"Oh, wait! Uh, I was probably supposed to give you this one first." Spike said, handing the purple unicorn another letter from her mentor.
Twilight rolled her eyes as took the other letter from Spike with her magic, and began to read it.
"Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and..." Twilight began reading, only to gasp as she reached the bottom.
"My brother?!"