The Seventh Element

by PaisleyPerson

Chapter 23: The Wedding

Chapter 23
The Wedding

It was a lot of extra work, doing both canvases. Of course, I had time between layers, but the second one was extremely detailed, and required much more patience. I was also struggling to keep to Princess Cadenza’s deadline. I soon learned that Twilight knew her on a much more familiar level as Cadence, her old foal sitter. However, the stress of the wedding was weighing on them both, because there seemed to be a great deal of tension between the two. It was evident, because I only saw Twilight for two minutes when she came to get me for a smoothie night. Unfortunately, I was still working on the painting. Princess Cadence would have to settle for a half-finished piece to review as it was.

I waited for her for the greater part of the evening. I was still working, but there was no sign of the alicorn. Her absence was becoming painfully evident. The sky was growing dark, but I still dutifully waited. Perhaps she’d meant after dinner? I waited for such a long time that the gardeners finally had to ask me to leave before they closed for the night. Castle maintenance workers took care of my supplies, so I was left to stumble bleary-eyed out the gates. I was stopped at the hedges by a messenger. He stopped only long enough to give me a small slip of paper. Then, he was gone. Baffled, I looked down and squinted at the small print in the dark.

Meet me in my chambers

-Princess Mi Amore Cadenza

She wanted to see me? Me? This couldn’t be good.

---

I showed the slip to the guards, and was promptly shown to Cadence’s chambers. I found the hallway leading to her room strangely vacant, especially for the bride-to-be. If a threat had been made against Canterlot, I would have thought Cadence would have the best guards at her door. I didn’t question it, but knocked on the heavy double doors instead. They creaked open on their own.

“Come in,” came her voice. I timidly nudged the door the rest of the way open and stepped inside.

“You asked to see me?”

“Yes, I did.” She turned from her place at the window to face me. Her voice suddenly sounded distorted and echo-ey, aside from being much too deep. “So, my dear changeling, what news do you bring?”

“I’m sorry?” I froze. I knew about changelings.

“You can drop the act now, dearest. there is nopony here tonight. I made sure of that. Though, I am quite curious as to how you managed to breach the protection shield at all. Have your fellow changelings been conducting research?”

“Y-yes,” I stammered. It was best to play along and find out her plans.

“Intriguing, but pointless,” she huffed, loosing interest in me and returning to the window. “Soon enough we will have unlimited access to Canterlot. Though, since you have put so much effort into finding a more... subtle way in, I suppose I should hear you out. What have my subjects got to say to me?”

“Uh...”

“They did send you with a message, did they not? Why else would my army take such a risk as to visit me the night before the invasion?”

“Oh, uh, of course, your highness. About that... we think that the invasion should be put off.”

“What?!” her metallic voice screeched. “Have my subjects lost faith in me? Is my army inadequate to conquer the foals here in Canterlot?”

“I’m sorry, your majesty,” I shrank back. “These aren’t my words. I’m only the messenger.”

“Very well, ‘messenger.’ Perhaps you have heard the disloyal murmurings. What do they say? Why is there unrest when we are so close to achieving our goal?”

“I don’t pay much attention to that...” I struggled to find the words.

“Tell me,” she boomed.

“I don’t know,” I whimpered.

“Very well. Then satiate my other inquiry: how is it that you were able to pass through the shields?”

“I... uh...”

“Transform for me, changeling,” she spat.

“Huh?”

“Revert to your natural form,” she ordered.

“Why?”

“Just. Do. It.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea...”

“There is nopony around. Do as your queen commands.” I was trapped. If I didn’t spontaneously transform into a changeling, her suspicions would be confirmed. That wasn’t an option. My only way out was to make a run for it. My eyes turned to slits.

“You’re not my queen.” I tried to whip around for the door, but it slammed shut before I got to it.

“You ponies are more clever than I thought,” she sneered. “How many others know of our plans?”

“By the end of the night, I’ll make sure everypony in Canterlot knows about you and your changeling army.”

“Oh, how delicious. Our plans are still safe; you are disposable.”

“My friends will know I’m gone.”

“Oh, of course they will. As I recall, you have a friend back home who has fallen quite ill. It would be my pleasure to deliver the message. I’m sure they will understand.” My ears flattened as I realized the weight of the situation. But I still knew something she didn’t. She may be a changeling, but I was a thestral.

“I can’t let you do this,” I growled, feeling my hooves grow warm and tingly. Torchwood had been teaching me fire dancing techniques. It was time to put what I’d learned to use.

“But you can’t stop me,” she cackled. Before I could summon my flames, green changeling fire surrounded me. I reared, trying to counter it with my white fire. It was no use. Changeling fire was sticky. My flames didn’t have enough time to devour the goo before I was sinking through the floor in a teleportation bubble.

---

I woke in a dark room practically carved from crystals. Their weak glow was the only light source available, and I look refuge in it. My head was throbbing, but I sat up nevertheless. I felt fuzzy. What just happened? The sickening cackle that ensued reminded me of previous events. The changeling queen. She still appeared as Cadence as her reflection shimmered into place on a smooth, crystalline surface of the wall.

“Where’ve you taken me?” I demanded.

“These are the crystal caves beneath Canterlot. They once housed the greedy unicorns who wanted the gems. Now it’s your prison. Most ponies don’t even remember that they exist.”

“How clever,” I snarled back, beginning to pace. “Hidden in the one place they’ll never think to look: right under their hooves.”

“Exactly,” she boasted.

“You haven’t met Torchwood,” I threatened. “He’ll never stop looking for me, once he finds out I’m gone. My friends won’t, either.”

“By the time they’ll realize you’re gone, it won’t matter. My changeling army would have already overtaken Canterlot, and then all of Equestria!”

“Why is it that they always want to take over the world?” I muttered to myself. “You’ll never get away with it,” I called out.

“Oh, but I already have,” she jeered. “I have the groom under my complete control.”

“What do you need him for? Are you going to marry into the throne? I wouldn’t have thought that your style.”

“How would you know anything about me?”

“I keep secrets older than you, Chrysalis.”

“Uh-huh,” she mumbled, slightly shaken. She left while she still held the upper hoof. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must prepare for my wedding day.” The image on the wall faded, leaving me in the dark. I tried to conjure a flame to provide more than an eerie glow for lighting, and finally succeeded in lighting a spark. I coaxed it over to a pile of dust and dried leaves in the corner, where it set ablaze. After gathering what little kindling there was, I could finally get a clear look at my surroundings.

The room was entirely coated in crystals. I didn’t see any way out. Could they be bashed down? I experimentally tapped on the surface to estimate how thick it was. Pressing my ear to the wall, I thought it was hollow, but it was awfully thick. A thestral’s smashing might be able to put a crack in it, but even that was doubtful. Before I could really try to smash it down, though, my ears twitched. I’d definitely heard something clattering. I jumped into a defensive position, ready to attack the intruder. But then the noise came again. It wasn’t a clatter, or even hoof steps. It was a knock! A response to my own tapping, perhaps? I again shimmied closer to the wall, and rapped the wall. I again received a response. Enough was enough. I snuffed out the flames to keep my identity safe.

“Who’s there?” I called in the most demanding tone I could achieve.

“Is somepony there?” a very faint, soft voice came.

“Yes!” I cried.

“I’m Princess Cadence,” came the voice.

“Cadence,” I gasped. The real Cadence. This was where she was being kept. It all made sense now!

“My name is Acrylic,” I shouted through the barrier. “I’m one of Twilight’s friends.”

“Twilight? Twilight Sparkle! Is she here?”

“No, not here. She’s still up in Canterlot helping to organize your wedding day!”

“It was going to be my wedding day,” she sighed so softly I could barely make out her words.

“It’s still going to be. You have to get back and stop Chrysalis!”

“It’s no use. I’m not strong enough to take the wall down.”

“I might be. Stand back.” I heard the faint shuffling of hooves on her end. Then, I reared back for all I was worth and brought the entirety of my weight down on the wall. It did little more than make a thud. I shrugged off the failure and tried again. This time, a faint crack was all I had to show for my efforts. I pounded and hammered, smashed and thrashed, but the crack barely grew. I was left wheezing from exertion at the base of the wall. “It’s too thick,” I admitted. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You did your best,” she cooed. It did nothing to console me. In fact, it just made me angrier. I felt so useless. I continued ramming my exhausted body against the crystal in a futile attempt to prove myself. “Acrylic, stop! You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Better broken than dead,” I gritted my teeth, colliding again with the surface. I finally stopped when I noticed a fuzzy blue glow from the other side of the crystal. It was barely visible and the crystals slightly warped the image, but I squinted at it nevertheless. I suddenly felt the tingle of magic and an extreme calm wash over me. I sagged to the floor, completely relaxed.

“Better?”

“Yes,” I thrummed, balling up in the floor. The anger had instantly subsided. Twilight had told me that Cadence specialized in love spells. This wasn’t a love spell per say, but close enough. It made me realize how tired I’d become. My eyelids fluttered as I struggled to stay awake with the imprisoned Princess. Even through the barrier between us, she somehow recognized this.

“Sleep,” she soothingly ordered. “We both need our strength.” I didn’t need to be told twice. Though the room was already dark, I let my world fade to complete black.

Comments

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

SO CLOSE.

[Fourpony]

“I’m sorry?” I froze. I knew about changelings.

Has knowledge about something the alicorn sisters really don't. Hmmmmm.

“Why is it that they always want to take over the world?”

Odd sentence for a bit of an OP pony.

“I keep secrets older than you, Chrysalis.”

Somehow knows the changeling queen's name.

I coaxed it over to a pile of dust and dried leaves in the corner

Dried leaves, deep in a cave. Would be more likely to find wooden supports or an old torch.

Thank you for not having her kick down the wall.

[PaulAsaran]

I knew you were going to find some coincidental method of getting Acrylic to help Cadance. This was a pretty good method of doing it. Far better than I anticipated, really.

[Mr Swanky Hat]

5328447

Has knowledge about something the alicorn sisters really don't. Hmmmmm.

Thestrals live in the Everfree forest, where a whole shit ton of monsters and creatures live, where the alicorn sisters haven't been too in over 1000 years. Are you seriously suggesting it's impossible for the thestrals to never have any sort of interaction with the changeling?