//------------------------------// // Chapter Thirteen // Story: The Return of The Terror // by Vanilla Mocha //------------------------------// The room was cold and dark. The air was light, though it seemed to be dead. There was no breeze of any kind. The wooden floor chilled the hooves of the ponies, and the paws of Garfield the cat. Silence filled the cafe, leaving the only noises to be heard to be the slight inhaling and exhaling of the nervous group of friends. Princess Masquerade's red eyes shone from the other side of her mask. Her irises seemed to make her white and black color scheme fade together into one solid gray mass. Her sister, Joy, was shaking. From both the cold and fear, her knees wobbled and her teeth shivered. "I trusted you!" Joy shouted, breaking the silence, as tears began to form in her eyes. She was already lightly crying, but everypony knew it was just the beginning. "I can't believe you didn't see that it was all planned!" The younger Changeling laughed. Joy sniffled. "What do you mean?" "If you had only read between the lines," Masquerade stood up taller and blew her mane from her face, "If you had only not been so naïve to judge by first impressions." "What is she suggesting?" Jinx asked, leaning over to Breeze. She whispered very quietly. Breeze sighed. "I'm not exactly sure." Daffodil leaned in. "Perhaps she means that because she's a Changeling, you should be careful about who you trust." "That seems logical, " Paradise whispered as she joined the conversation, "In fact, that makes a lot more sense now." Breeze nodded at that. "You won't get away with whatever you're planning!" Joy exclaimed, trying to stay strong. At least sound strong. "It's too late!" Masquerade's high pitched voice shouted back. "What do you mean?" Thunderbolt Sentinel huffed from the crowd of ponies. Princess Masquerade smirked wickedly. "All of this was planned; I hope you realize that. Within minutes, my loyal and deserving subjects will accompany me in seeking revenge!", she pounded the hardwood floor with her hoof, "To top it off, my mother, Queen Chrysalis, is on her way as well. I'm not fighting alone, or winning alone either!" Joy's hazel eyes fell to the floor. "No... They aren't." She mumbled before turning around to face her group of friends. "Alright, I know this sounds crazy, but, you can trust me. If you want to win, this is what we need to do." Masquerade stood behind her, rolling her eyes. "A Changeling's weakness is weakness itself. I know that we all want to be friends again, but in order to not let them win, we need to keep arguing. I don't want to tear apart your friendship, but Changelings can't survive in a place without love. Even if it's just acting. Look, she had a heart attack the first time... I don't want to harm her. But she'll harm you worse if we don't take action." The ponies and cat nodded. Shadow grinned. "I still say Mocha's behind all of this." He winked. "It's obvious that two Changelings are right in front of us!" Galaxy argued back. He smiled. "What if Mocha was a Changeling?" Quillton asked. Paradise Oasis giggled. "Then we'd have three in front of us!" "But she's not!" Valerium interjected. His marefriend, Vanilla Mocha, smiled. "I say that Mocha's food and coffee is really gross. Who wants to argue?" Garfield, the orange and black striped cat, said. Leaning towards the unicorn, he whispered, "Not really." Mocha smiled to him too. "I know." "I think her coffee is delicious!" Redrose Heart shouted. "Yeah!" Pony Pint added, "And that Rainbow Dash is the coolest Wonderbolt!" Tacitus decided to join in the argument. "Nope, I'd have to say that Soarin is!" "I kinda prefer all of them." Shy Frost whispered. Pony Pint laughed. "Me too," then, she stopped and narrowed her eyes, "But Dash is best!" "Who cares about that when you have the whole of space and time to travel and study?" Sunset Shimmer interrupted. "Personally, I kinda like staying home." Quillton winked to her. "I guess I'll take the TARDIS for myself, then!" Galaxy sneered. His finance Crystal giggled at that. "Pfft, what's the point of using a TARDIS when you can fly?" Paradise Oasis flew above them and hovered. "I've gone on plenty of adventures with these two things!" "Adventure is my life! I fight enemies like nopony else!" Redsopine interjected. Charming Thunder shrugged. "I prefer to relax, myself." Pony Pint's coltfriend, Thunder Knight, added, "Relaxation is overrated. That's all ponies want now." Vanilla Mocha opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Masquerade interrupted her. "Alas! My faithful army has arrived to help conquer the defeat!" Changelings filled the streets outside of Mocha's cafe. Queen Chrysalis kicked open the door and trotted inside. Her green eyes found Masquerade, and then Joy. "Oh no..." Joy whispered. Everypony became silent. The queen grinned widely. "I am very excited to see so many ponies in such a small place," she began, "I can already feel the love!" "But we're arguing!" Thunderbolt Sentinel growled. "No, you weren't. It wasn't real. Half of you were laughing, anyways." Masquerade mumbled. Even though it was meant to be quiet, everypony could hear her. "I will now finish what my first special daughter was sent out to do," The queen glanced at Joy, "I will find food for my subjects! And with the help of my youngest special daughter, the new princess, I have!" "I found the food..." Masquerade continued to mumble. "We will now feed off of these ponies!" Chrysalis cackled, standing on her back legs. "Wait!" Joy shouted. Breathing heavily, she stepped in front of the group of ponies -- and cat. "I will make you an offer." "Oh?" Chrysalis tilted her head. "Go on." Joy gulped. Her heart skipped a beat, but that only meant her love was being abducted. "I... I will go back to the hive with you, and do whatever you want me to do, if you spare my friends."