After their little chat, Cadance and Twilight got to rousing the others from their slumber.
"Come on, Rainbow, it's time we wake up," said Twilight as she shook her a bit.
"Mmmm… why?"
"Cadance is here now. We should try and be good guests for her. That means we should get up and talk to her. And Shining Armor too, whenever he gets here."
"Uggggghhhhh… fine." Rainbow slowly propped herself up, yawned, stretched, and finally hopped off the sofa.
"That's better. Now for the others."
…
Twilight and a still-sleepy Rainbow walked into the guest room. Appledash and Applebloom were already on their feet, and Cadance was shaking Spike.
"Spiiiiiiike. Time to get uuuuuuup."
"Ugggghhhhh…" Spike cracked open one eye. "Do I have to?"
"I won't make you, but I'd really appreciate it if you did." Cadance did an amazing impression of a pleading foal's eyes. "Pleeeeeeease."
"Awwww… alright." He yawned and hopped up. He glanced around. "Now that everybody's up, what do we do now?"
"Well, that depends. Who here feels like dinner?"
Everybody's hand (or hoof) shot up.
…
Cadance cooked as well as Twilight remembered from her youth, if not better. Everyone started to dig in.
Mid-bite, Applejack's eyes shot wide open with realization. "Uh, beggin' yer pardon Miss Cadance, but shouldn't we have waited fer yer husband to get home before we started eatin'?"
Cadance sighed and looked a little sad. "No. I'm afraid Shining Armor won't be home until much later in the night, and he'll have already eaten by then. All these horrible incidents are running him ragged. And he refuses to stop until someone forces him to. It's times like that when I remember why I fell for him in the first place." Cadance gave a small smile.
…
After dinner, everyone had enjoyed a rousing game of Pin the Tail on the Gryphon. After that, the group had made small talk for a while, until Spike and Applebloom got sleepy again. Cadance had tucked them into bed with a short lullaby, just as she had for Twilight at that age.
After closing the door on them, she turned around to face Rainbow, Applejack, and Twilight again. She had a decidedly more serious look on her face.
"Look, guys," Cadance began, "I love having you around and all, but I'm going to have to tell you something: you're probably going to have to leave soon."
"You're throwing us out?" gaped Twilight, not having expected that nearly so soon.
Candace shook her head rapidly. "No no! Nothing like that! You all are welcome to stay as long as we can accommodate you until this is all over. I'm not throwing you out, Celestia and Luna are demanding you."
"Huh?" said Applejack.
Cadance sighed. "The princesses have ordered that anypony who sees you should report in to them personally. They're very worried, you see. In these times we need the Elements of Harmony more than ever, and the fact that Ponyville was burnt caused them great concern. I heard Luna herself even went to look for you. Now that you're here, they'll almost certainly want you in the army, helping win the war."
Twilight looked down a bit. "It's that bad?"
"Worse. Hundreds of towns and villages have been totally destroyed. Tens of thousands of ponies are dead, by the most conservative estimate. The refugee crisis has only gotten worse since you got here. Over one hundred thousand ponies at the very least are seeking refuge in the one place that has yet to experience an attack or uprising. Canterlot wasn't built for this. We don't have the capacity to feed these ponies for long. And Manehatten and Fillydelphia are in Chaos hands."
Twilight gasped. Those two cities were Equestria's main centers of trade. With so many farming villages burnt, Equestria would have to rely on imports just to feed the survivors. With both of them in enemy hands, the situation was critical. It was obvious that the princesses would have to strike back in both areas as soon as possible or face mass starvation.
Cadance saw Twilight's troubled look. "Yes. The Royal Guard just wasn't designed to cope with this. And they're the only standing army. They're putting together a draft as quickly as they can to at least raise some more troops, but that'll take weeks at the minimum. Weeks we don't have." She sighed heavily. "So, the princesses see no choice but to take in every pony with a mildly useful skill and put them in the army. Since you've got such a record, that includes you guys."
Twilight swallowed nervously.
…
Shining Armor, as Cadance predicted, arrived home late in the night. Twilight had never seen her brother looking so ragged. His eyes had deep, black lines. In some areas, they were bloodshot. Her mouth fell open a bit.
Cadance walked up to him and nuzzled him warmly. He did the same thing right back, before noticing Twilight and co.
"Twili! Oh, thank goodness you're safe! I was so worried!" He looked to Rainbow Dash and Applejack. "And your friends too! I'm so glad…" He took another look, and his face saddened. "Twili… where are your other three friends?"
Twilight shook her head. "I don't know. Fluttershy and Rarity vanished, and Pinkie got kidnapped."
He walked up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."
She shook her head. "Don't be. It's not your fault."
"It's my job to protect Equestria. If I had been more vigilant, more alert…"
"Stop it!" interjected Cadance, "Stop that right now! We've been over this a hundred times since this began: it was not your fault!"
Shining Armor shook his head. "I know, but… It just feels like I failed. Like I could've somehow stopped this."
"Stop that train of thought. I'll tell you what it is: you've run yourself so ragged trying to fix everything that your mind is starting to get affected! You need rest, and you need it now."
"But I-"
"Rest! Now!" said Cadance in a tone that brooked no argument.
Shining Armor gave Twilight a quick grin before heading off to bed.
…
The next morning, everyone was up bright and early. Shining Armor and Cadance seemed to have gotten up first, as they had breakfast ready when they woke everyone else.
"Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twili, you ready?" asked Shining Armor after they had finished their breakfast.
"Yep."
"Yeah."
"Yes."
"Good. Applebloom, Spike, I need you to stay here."
"NO!" squealed Applebloom. "Applejack's all ah got left! I ain't lettin' her outta my sight!"
"Wherever Twilight goes, I'm going too," declared Spike, folding his arms over his chest.
Shining Armor shook his head. "No guys, I'm afraid you're staying here."
"No way!"
"Not a chance."
Applejack spoke up. "Applebloom. Sugarcube. Ah need you ta stay here. You're not the fightin' type, and we're gonna be facing the same ponies that killed Granny Smith and Big Mac."
"Then ah gotta come with ya! Yer all ah got left! I can't lose you now!"
"She's right, Twilight," said Spike. "You're all I have now too. If I lose you, I don't see what the point of living is."
"Don't you dare say that!" yelled Twilight. "Don't you even think it! Life is worth living, even if I'm gone! Promise me right now that you won't hurt yourself if I die in this!"
"But-"
"Promise!"
"Fine. I promise I'll try and keep going without you. I'm still coming with you."
"No, you're not!"
"Yes, I am!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"… You know what? If you're not going to stay on your own, I'll make you stay."
"Wha?"
Spike was suddenly lifted into the air as Twilight's horn glowed. Applebloom found herself in the same situation. Twilight marched out of the kitchen, ignoring their protests. She threw open the guest room door and tossed the two onto the bed. She slammed the door. Exerting herself, she pushed a heavy piece of furniture in front of the door, preventing it from opening again.
Applebloom and Spike pounded on the door.
"Let us outta here!"
"This isn't the end, Twilight! Let us go!"
Twilight walked back into the kitchen, to be greeted by the silent stares of everyone there.
"What?"
…
Eventually, it was reluctantly decided that Twilight's solution was probably the best, for now. Shining Armor and Cadance led the trio towards the royal palace. Ignoring the crowds outside the main gate, they slipped into a side entrance. The guards saluted as they passed.
"At ease, ponies," said Shining Armor as they entered.
Shining Armor and Cadance led them down a twisting path of corridors that seemed almost designed to confuse a pony. At last, they arrived at a plain, simple-looking door.
Twilight looked confused. "This is it? We'll find the princesses in there?"
Shining Armor nodded. "Can't be too careful with all these Chaos ponies about. Young mares, I welcome you to the War Room!"
He opened the door. Inside, Twilight could see the princesses.