Equestria's Mark

by MasterZadok

Ch 16: Wedding Gift

Chapter 16
Wedding Gift

We were more thrilled than Michael Jackson in a graveyard, more electrified than Zeus at a dubstep concert, more spirited than the ghost busters at a séance, and more fired up than Yang Xiaolong in July. The train car vibrated more from the excitement flowing within it than the actual rails it was rolling on. It’s not every day you and your friends are called upon to organize the biggest wedding of the century. It’s even more special when it’s ‘A Canterlot Wedding’.

But for all the giggling and jesting and planning that the others were engaging in, Twilight Sparkle and I sat in a quiet little corner of thoughtfulness. She, on her part, confused, affronted, and a little bit annoyed that her only sibling would tie the knot without so much as a notification memo to her, and I, on my part, nervous, scared, and a little bit excited to put my first real scheme into action. On the seat beside me sat the largest steamer trunk I could find, carefully stuffed with objects designed to shift the future of the world.

“Why the long face, sugarcube?” Applejack, her hospitality senses tingling, dutifully interrupted Twilight’s doldrums.

“I’m just thinking about Shining Armor.” The unicorn sighed. “Ever since I moved to Ponyville, we’ve been seeing each other less and less. And now that he’s starting a new family with this ‘Princess Mi Amore Ca-whatshername’, we’ll probably never be able to see each other.”

“Come on, now.” With a warming smile, the country girl reassured, “You’re his sister. He’ll always make time for you.” A flicker of irritation ran over Twilight’s brow as she turned back to the window and muttered,

“Couldn’t seem to make time to tell me he was getting married.”

“Tsk! Saltier than a potato chip.” I clicked my tongue playfully.

“And what about you, hon?” AJ turned to me. “You’re lookin’ more confounded than a honeybee on a fake flower.”

“I’m just glad we finally get to find out what’s been going on in Canterlot.” I pulled my sticky eyes off the window. “Seriously, am I the only one worried by this?”

“I told you,” Twilight explained. “It’s a barrier. Sometimes, the royal guards do drills to keep themselves sharp.”

“A week-long drill?” A critical eyebrow floated up.

It hadn’t quite been a week, but there was no forgetting the rush that swept over me the day we woke up to see the distant spires of Canterlot enveloped in a rosy sphere of light. The city’s magic shield sat on the side of the mountain as if Jupiter had fallen from the heavens and no one in town seemed to know why. Train schedules had altered, sky ships had to wait in long ques to gain port, and we still had no concrete explanation for the sudden shift in security. At least, none of my friends did. So far, nopony had noticed my fingers twitching whenever I glanced back up at Canterlot.

“Never did pin you for much of a packer, Mark,” Applejack tapped thoughtfully on my trunk, “So why are you suddenly takin’ everything plus the kitchen sink?”

“Don’t touch that!” I snapped. Both Twilight and Applejack were taken aback.

“Why? What’s in it?” The unicorn’s eyes flitted between me and the luggage.

“Well… Some potions homework.” I replied weakly. “Projects I couldn’t leave behind…”

“Potions?” Applejack stepped back as if the trunk had suddenly grown teeth. “You sayin’ you brought something volatile on a train?”

“Mark…?” Twilight stretched out the word for maximum scolding.

“No, it’s nothing like that.” A quick glance behind me showed that our conversation was starting to carry to the rest of the train. “It’s just… sensitive.”

“What is it?” The unicorn asked pointedly.

“A surprise, perhaps?” But being elusive wasn’t getting me anywhere.

“I think I’ve had enough surprises for one day.” My purple friend locked her jaw.

“Alright, fine!” I adopted an abashed air as I finally decided on a plausible excuse. “This is so embarrassing…” My fingers unclasped the fasteners and I cautiously opened the chest.

“Well, can’t say you were lying.” Rows upon rows of glass orbs filled Applejack’s vision.

“Is this where all my potion bottles went?” In addition to a couple vials, Twilight’s magic seized a stack of papers, a harness, and a bundle of fresh flowers. “What is all this?”

“Um…” I rubbed the back of my neck, hamming up my role as an awkward confessor. “Remember how I was trying to perfect the Flickerwisp flameless lantern?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, I accidentally added a thousand nips of pot ash to the cauldron when the recipe only called for ten.”

“You used all my pot ash!?”

“I’ll pay you back!” I placated. “I always do.”

“What are you going to do with a hundred flameless lanterns?” Twilight demanded.

“I thought I could donate them to the reception.” My shoulders came up to my ears helplessly. “They’d add a nice tough to a garden party, don’t you think?”

“And the rest of this?” Applejack wondered.

“The flowers are for the bride. Harness is for setting up the lanterns.”

“And these? What is that supposed to be?” Both the girls looked critically at the stack of papers. Each one had a sketch on them followed by a single word. “Does that say ‘exit’? Mark, you really need to work on your pencraft.”

“I was more distracted by the grandma elephant above it.” Applejack added.

“It’s a picture of a hand!” I argued. “A pointing hand. You girls have seen me point before!”

“So, you put a symbol that only we would understand on an exit sign?” Twilight looked up at me through her brow.

“It’s not that hard. Most hand signals are pretty clear-cut. Like this one, what do you think this one means?” I hooked my hands and pressed my fingers together into the shape of a heart.

“Heart?” Applejack ventured.

“It’s love. In point of fact.” My jaw ground my teeth together. “Pay attention, Twilight, there’s going to be a test later.”

“But why make a sign at all?” The purple unicorn still didn’t see any logic in my box.

“It’s a party, right? Parties need safety signs, right? I didn’t know I was going to be invited to a wedding, so I just grabbed the first things that came to mind.” With the last of my nonsense slung, I waited to see how much of it would actually stick.

“You’re bringing lights, exit signs, and a bruised bouquet as your wedding gift?” One last incredulous question from Twilight.

“Well, yeah?” Both the girls rolled their eyes at me.

“Guys.”

“I hear ya, hon.” Applejack and Twilight stuffed the objects back into the trunk and locked it shut. On my part, I was occupied trying to keep my face from betraying my relief. Had the girls dug a little deeper, they might have found a few more suspicious items.

“We’re here! We’re here!” Pinkie Pie announced as the train engine huffed to a crawl. The edge of the city and its supernatural barrier was marked by a pair of guard towers on either side of the tracks. The unicorns within obligingly marked a weak point in the force field through which our train cautiously entered. Even still, as the wall of magic passed through our car, I could feel its resistance pull at my skin like a wave of water.

Eventually, our ride ground to a halt at Canterlot Station beneath the frosty eyes of what looked like half the Equestrian military. Ranks upon ranks of soldiers in glinting gold armor crowded the train platform and lined the surrounding rooftops like rows of tiki masks, their stoic glares scrutinizing our every move.

“Whoa, what’s with all the guards?” Rainbow Dash crept off the train like a mouse in a den of cats.

“I’m sure they’re just taking the necessary precautions.” Rarity looked around uncertainly. “Royal weddings do bring out the strangest ponies.” The white unicorn glanced behind her as Pinkie Pie sneezed a cloud of confetti. “Now, let’s get going! We’ve got work to do!”

“And you’ve got a big brother to go congratulate.” Applejack nodded at Twilight.

“Yeah. Congratulate.” The purple unicorn huffed. “And then give him a piece of my mind.” She marched right through a line of guards without giving them a second glance. Meanwhile, those of us that actually had luggage (and weren’t ponies) fell under the full inquiry of the security officers.

“Lanterns, you say?” A grizzled earth pony, flanked by two steel-eyed pegasi, shuffled through the contents of my trunk.

“The cyan ones, yes.” My eyes casually searched the officer’s face. “The magenta ones are sleep aids and the clear ones are Russian drinks.” Technically, not lying.

“Hmph…” A hoof clasped the luggage shut. “You understand that we have to retain all alchemy products until the commander clears them, right?”

“That’s fine.” I said casually. “But can I at least hold onto my hand cream?”

“What for?”

“Really?” I held up my bald forearms. “Not all of us were born with nice hide like you were, sir. My hands have a tendency to dry out if I don’t take care of them.” The officer still looked hesitant until one of his pegasi whispered over his shoulder.

“If I may, sir, Mark is an ambassador and a personal guest of Princess Celestia.”

“Fine.” The earth pony pushed the trunk back towards me. “But the potions remain here.”

“Understood.” I inclined my head. “I’ll be back for them as soon as they’re cleared. In the meantime, please be gentle with them. They tend to make a mess if damaged.” Understatement. The officer still looked skeptical, but in the next moment, my trunk was the last thing on his mind.

There was a terrific bang and a blizzard of square bits of paper swept over the platform. Every guard jumped, and a few of them leveled their spear at the source of the commotion. A little way down the platform, a very dazed guard was frozen, still staring down the barrel of Pinkie Pie’s party cannon. The earth pony, on her part, was grinning from ear to ear, her hoof still firmly planted on the cannon’s trigger.

“Hard Shod! What in Equestria do you think you’re doing?” The captain bellowed.

“Sir?” The dazed guard turned around slowly, his face plastered with bits of confetti.

“I asked you what in the hoof that contraption is!”

“Sir?” The hapless soldier rubbed his ears tenderly. “Sir, did you say something?”

“Unbelievable…” The earth pony guard grumbled.

“As-as far as I can tell, sir, it’s a cannon that shoots confetti-”

“-and sometimes table cloths!” Pinkie added.

“That shoots… wat?” With a grunt, the officer shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Is it dangerous?”

“The only thing this cannon breaks is the doldrums!” The bouncing pony sounded a party horn victoriously and in a blur, the soldier who had been struck by her cannon had a matching one dangling from his lips. It was only then that Pinkie realized she was the only one smiling. “Uh, you’ve got a little something on your nose…”

“Cough!” A couple pieces of paper escaped the luckless guard’s throat.

“I think you got it.” The pink pony glanced at the rest of the gold-clad soldiers. “Yeesh! Tough crowd…”

“You said it.” I replied under my breath. “Come on. We’ve still got to meet the future bride and groom.” I didn’t have to tell the girls twice. With eager squeals and girlish chittering, they left the train station behind and scurried up towards the palace like a flock of eager chickens.

A glance around Canterlot showed that almost everypony was as swept up in the spectacle of the royal wedding as we were. Blue ribbons were draped over every streetlight, pink flags were flown outside every window and the wreaths and garlands of tickled pink flowers adorned every corner and lined every rooftop. It was almost enough to make one forget the fishbowl-like force field that blotted out the sky.

Once within the palace gates, we were quickly shown into the entrance hall where we found Captain Shining armor, ‘Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’, and Twilight Sparkle waiting for us. The captain of Canterlot’s royal guards was as imposing in person as the artists had tried to draw him on the show. Glacier white with sky-blue eyes, Captain Shining Armor held himself as tall and noble as a pine tree and even had the telltale bulge of muscle at the base of his neck indicative of ponies accustomed to holding their head high. It was an honor to meet him even before he greeted us.

“I just wanted to say welcome.” His voice was remarkably soft for such a chiseled specimen. “And thank you all for agreeing to help with the wedding. I know it was short notice, but believe me when I say we couldn’t be more thrilled to have you here.” The captain gave the mare beside him a quick squeeze and I forced myself to smile politely in lieu of rolling my eyes.

“Oh, we’re positively honored!” Rarity squeaked. “This is sure to be the wedding of the century!” (If not longer.)

“Eee! I’mjustsoexcited!Ican’twaittogetstarted!Canyouwaittogetstarted?Ican’t! Aiee!” Pinkie Pie vibrated over the stone tiles like an industrial floor polisher.

“The pleasure is all ours.” I smiled reassuringly at the groom. “And may I just offer my congratulations to you, captain, and wish you the very best in the years to come?”

“Thank you all.” Shining Armor nodded graciously. “And I’m sorry for all the additional security, but rest assured, they’re been told to avoid getting underhoof. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.” It took me all of a tenth of a second to cash in his offer.

“Well, now that you mention it,” I scratched my nose, “a few pieces of our luggage are being held back at the train station…”

“I’ll get right on it.” Shining Armor assured. “We’ll send them directly to your rooms.”

“In the meantime, just point us towards our stations and we’ll get to work!” Applejack reared up playfully and kicked her front legs. “These hooves were made for bakin’ and so far all we’ve burnt today is daylight!”

“That’s where this lovely mare comes in.” The captain looked fondly at the pony beside him. “Everyone, may I introduce my fiancé, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?” A round of well-wishing and introductions circled the room as each of the girls greeted the bride. For a moment, her gaze alighted on me and I had to devote all my concentration to upholding a relaxed visage.

The princess herself exuded a different type of mien than her fiancé. Cadance’s form was lithe and delicate, but held itself with an unyielding poise, like a birch tree. Her curled mane fell over her balanced wings like a shower of petals and her dawn-purple eyes quietly drank in the world around her. Of course, it was only Cadance’s image and not really Twilight’s beloved foalsitter that stood before me. My first impression of the creature beside Shining Armor was that of a watcher, silently observing everything, remembering everything, betraying nothing. I only hoped that my cheeks weren’t burning as pink as her hide as I introduced myself.

“It’s an honor to finally meet you, your highness.” My bow gave me a brief respite from her stare. “Princess Celestia hasn’t asked me to make any specific contributions to the ceremony, but I assure you that I’ll do everything in my power to make sure this wedding goes off without a hitch.”

“I’m sure you will.” The imposter (for simplicity’s sake, can I just call her ‘Cadenza’?) smiled at the room. “I can’t tell you all how much it means to me that you’re all here for my special day.”

“Think nothing of it, Princess.” Applejack tilted her hat.

“Don’t you worry about a thing, darling.” Rarity assured. “Just relax and leave the rest to us.”

“You’re going to have the most awesomest wedding ever!”

“Rainbow Dash, that’s not a word…” But everypony’s spirits were too high to let something like grammar bring them down.

After excusing themselves, the girls all split into their separate stations. Applejack ran to the kitchens, Rarity vanished into the dressing rooms, Fluttershy left for the palace atrium, Pinkie Pie shot for the ballroom and Rainbow Dash rocketed into the sky. Silent until that point, Twilight Sparkle beckoned for me to join her as she turned to leave.

“If you really want, I’m sure we could find something for you to help with.” She intoned. Far from lifting her mood, meeting her brother and Cadenza had only served to darken Twilight’s demeanor.

“Thanks, but I’ve still got to pick up my stuff, remember?” A thumb jabbed in the general direction of the train station.

“Oh right, your ‘wedding gift’.” Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes, but didn’t press the issue. At last, I also tried to excuse myself, but Shining Armor’s voice stopped me.

“Sir Mark, if you don’t mind?”

“Yes?” I turned around just in time to get slapped in the face with a shameless PDA. Princess Cadenza planted a long, lingering kiss on here fiancé’s nose before following the girls to their wedding preparations. I was just thankful he had enough respect for the uniform to refrain from kissing her back.

“I’ll see you later.” She whispered. Finally, reluctantly, almost apologetically, Shining Armor turned back towards me and tried to restart our conversation.

“Do you have a moment?”

“I am at your disposal, Mr. Mi Amore.” I chuckled.

“Mr… what? No, I’m afraid that’s not how marriage works around here.” The captain explained.

“Oh doesn’t it?” A knowing smile stretched my cheeks.

“Well,… maybe a little…” He glanced back over his shoulder.

“Haha! If only more men adored their wives as much as you do. Keep it up, mate, we’ll make a Rory Williams out of you yet.” I looked down at the noble stallion proudly. “But that's still a pretty high bar. Anyway, was there something you wanted to talk about?”

“Just that I wanted to welcome you to Equestria personally.” He pulled himself up to his full height. I tilted my head as if to catch his words better.

“You mean Canterlot?”

“No, I meant Equestria.” The captain repeated. “Twilight is always talking about her special guest and, honestly, it’s a real pleasure to finally meet you. I’m just sorry it’s not under better circumstances. My little sister and even both the princesses think very highly of you, but, as captain of the royal guard, I’m afraid we can’t ignore the fact that you represent an entire world we know almost nothing about.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess.” I blinked, nonplussed. “Funny how I sometimes forget that.”

“You may have noticed how the city is on high-alert right now.” Shining Armor said slowly. “Unfortunately, not all of it is security detail for the ceremony.”

“Well, when you’re having a royal wedding to rival Kate and William’s, a few extra uniforms are always nice, but yes, I was starting to think the city-sized beach ball was getting excessive.” My eyes swept over the windows and the pink sky beyond. “The girls aren’t letting it bother them, but the way I see it, you’re either expecting a zombie apocalypse, Majora’s moon, or the Rebel fleet.” (Or all three.)

“Right now, we’re not sure what to expect.” The stallion admitted. “We’ve received an anonymous threat to Equestria’s safety and I’m sorry, but I have to ask you if you know anything about that.”

“Me?” I replied hastily.

“You’re not under suspicion or anything like that!” Shining Armor added quickly. “I’m just using all my sources to keep this city safe. We’re already flying blind as it is.”

“I see…” A cautious smile pulled at my lips. “I can understand your wariness, Shining Armor, but honestly, the possibility that you might feel threatened by humans or by Earth hadn’t even crossed my mind until you mentioned it. Rest assured that I have no hidden motives. All I want is to send you off tomorrow in a carriage with noisy horseshoes tied behind it.”

“Thank you.” The white stallion nodded gratefully. “I know this is an awkward first impression, but when it comes to the safety of-”

“You don’t have to explain.” I assured him. “I don’t know if Twilight told you, but I too am a big brother and I know perfectly well how much that means to me. Your megaspell here is ample proof of your own resolution. I have to admit, I’m impressed.”

“Heh. I guess you can call it my special talent.” Shining Armor lifted his chin again, proudly flashing the cutiemark emblem on his brestplate.

“I meant to ask you, actually, what spells did you put into your shield? I mean, how can it allow some ponies in but block others?”

“It’s really not that difficult.” Shining Armor glanced thoughtfully at his horn. “Barrier spells are some of the first ones I ever learned, and I’ve customized this one so that only myself, the princesses and a few of my gatekeepers can open it.”

“I see…” I felt the weight of my ‘hand cream’ sitting in my pocket. If Shining Armor’s filter was really tailored to the princess’s unique magic signature, then perhaps I didn’t need it after all. I changed the subject, “Just out of curiosity, though, what did you mean by ‘anonymous threat’?”

“Threats are nothing new. Especially anonymous ones. It seems every year, someone wants to test Princess Celestia’s patience, but most of them are just hollow threats.”

“What made this one special?”

“How about the fact that our entire intelligence network went dark about the same time? Info has become a scarcity right when we needed it most.” Shining Armor lowered his voice conspiratorially. When he sighed, it sounded like the grunt of a cornered bear, the tone of a pony who wasn’t used to playing on someone else’s terms.

“Do you have any leads?”

“Nothing more than guesses.” The captain scratched the back of his neck. “The gryphons are always trying to reassert their independence, but this would be a drastic move, even for them. There’s also the threat of organized crime, but I didn’t think there were any groups that could do something this big. Every couple thousand years, too, the dragons seem to make a push into Equestria, but somehow I don’t think they’d be able to keep that hidden.”

“Mysterious indeed.” My eyes swept around the room like Jaques Clouseau. “Vhat kind of enemy vould, in zeir right mind, varn zeir victim before zee attack?” The answer was as chilling as a Ghastly’s lick. For whatever reason, our foe wanted the city to be on high alert. Already, Shining Armor was playing into their hands (hooves), but what was his alternative? The captain of the royal guard seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

“If anything shows its face around here, we’re ready for it.” He assured. “Canterlot is now the safest city in Equestria.”

“Just seeing your resolve is enough to inspire me.” I lowered my voice and added a tidbit of wisdom Kakashi once shared with Sasuke. “But remember, the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down.”

“That’s fine.” Shining Armor replied evenly. “As long as that means the rest of Equestria is untouched.”

“Spoken like a true knight.” I straightened up and looked over his head. “Now, I’m sure I’ve taken enough of your time, captain. I still need to see how I can help the girls, but if you ever want a more in-depth interview, I am always happy to oblige.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary.” The stallion assured. “Just promise me that you’ll let my guards know if you see any suspicious behavior.” Ironically, just as he said that, Shining Armor winced and the shield outside flickered ever so slightly. I stared at him for a half second too long before assuring him,

“I’ll do that, thank you.” With a brief nod, I excused myself. Behind me, Twilight’s brother continued to massage his temples irritably.

Instead of finding the girls, however, I guided my feet along a meandering loop out into the city and back towards the palace. Along the way, I picked up a few sandwiches to-go and casually passed the tower where the Elements of Harmony were being kept. Of course, the building was closed and its entrance occupied by a quartet of unblinking unicorn sentinels, but even still, I knew the Elements were more vulnerable than they’d been for a thousand years. After the Discord fiasco, Celestia had decided that her special lock made it too difficult for the girls to retrieve their Elements in case of emergency. Thus, the fate of Equestria was currently relying on good ol’ fashioned Minions-R-Us and an ornate (albeit unlocked) door.

By the time I had wound back around to my guest room, my steamer trunk and its precious cargo was already waiting for me. A quick scan revealed that none of the potions had been tampered with, but the flowers were looking worse for wear. With nothing else to do for the rest of the day, I set an alarm for sunset and tried to force myself to sleep the hours away. Unfortunately, my biological clock wasn’t easily fooled and I ended up sprawled out on my bed for a full fifty minutes before I finally passed into a semi-lucid daze. (How do cats do it?)

When I awoke, the sun was drowning in the dark surface of the horizon, it’s last desperate rays tinted ruby red by the city’s magic wall. I quickly washed my face, scarfed down a small snack, and poked my head out into the palace halls. All was quiet aside from the distant echoes of ponies helping erect the wedding decorations. On the front of my door was a letter written in a silky script so elegant that reading it was like watching a butterfly. It read,

Dear Mark,

I do hope this letter finds you presently. We haven’t seen any sign of you since this afternoon and were beginning to wonder what had become of you.

Should this message reach you in time, just know that the ladies and I have decided to spend the evening sharing drinks at La Rosée. Do find us if you have the chance. We’ll be sure to reserve a seat for you.

Best!

-Rarity

“Thanks, girls.” I felt a warm smolder in my chest as I carefully folded the letter and set it on a desk. “But my workday is just getting started.”

With my trunk safely protected behind a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign, I wound my way through the palace toward the observation tower. The sky had matured into a silver night as Luna raised yet another full moon, the seventh one in as many days. I watched for a few moments as the deep blue alicorn relieved her sister from the day watch and adopted her place behind one of the tower’s telescopes. On any other night, I would feel safe beneath the moon’s radiance and its keeper’s watchful eye, but ours was not an enemy who could be seen in the conventional sense. As any good magician would say, ‘the closer you look, the less you see’.

“Who goes there?” The challenge froze me in my tracks as I tried to cross the courtyard to Princess Luna’s perch. In front of me, a line of earth pony and pegasus guards leveled their spears at my chest like chopsticks at a Korean barbecue.

“Just your friendly neighborhood biped.” I waved at the top of the tower.

“Stay indoors, Mark.” Luna warned.

“Actually, princess, I needed to talk to you.” In front of me, the guards exchanged uncertain glances. After a brief moment, the princess consented.

“Let him pass.” Immediately, the spears returned to their upright position and I was ushered into the observation tower.

Five minutes, and about ten thousand stairs later, I stepped out onto Princess Luna’s balcony. Her sapphire eyes never strayed from her telescope as she quietly scanned the valley and nearby hills for any sign of movement. The night was utterly still, but her nebulous mane curled and flowed around her hooves like mist over a pond. I remained quiet, a feeble attempt to savor the moment for as long as I could. The moment before everything changed.

“When you said you needed to talk, we assumed you had some pressing matter on your mind.” Luna continued peering through her spyglass. “Or did you simply miss our company?” Collecting my courage, I finally stepped forward, ending one chapter of my life and beginning another.

“You’re looking in the wrong direction.” I explained, planting my elbows on the balcony’s railing. Princess Luna’s telescope stopped panning over the hills as she cast a curious glance at me.

“Pardon?” In reply, I only met her gaze with a somber stare. Unfazed, she tilted her head playfully. “Very well, does this suit you?” Her instrument swept towards the north, but I only shook my head. Confused, she tried the northwest, but the results were the same. At last, she swung her telescope all the way to the south and peered through it. I couldn’t see what she saw, probably a magnified view of my pores, but my answer remained unchanged. At long last, the confusion in Luna’s eyes was replaced with trepidation as she realized what I was trying to tell her. “…You know what threatens us.”

“I know what threatens you.” Still leaning against the railing, I grabbed the telescope and dropped its gaze into the glittering city below. With a cautious glance at me, the princess craned her neck to see where I had pointed it.

“The Witch Wich deli?”

“What? No!” I seized the eyepiece and readjusted it. “Sheesh, and I was trying to be all dramatic, too. There! Try that.” Luna humored me once more, but an expression of shock quickly swept over her face.

“That’s-!”

“Cadance and Shining Armor’s place, I know. It’s actually pretty convenient that we can see them from here. You can clearly make out both of them in the window,” I gave a bone-dry chuckle, “but only one of them is home...”

“Explain.” Princess Luna focused all her attention on me like a magnifying glass over a bug. I began,

“At first, I thought this whole ‘anonymous threat’ thing was absurd. What idiot would attack a place by first putting it on high alert? Unless, of course, you just got bored sneaking around in Deus Ex, but that’s off-topic. No, our enemy wanted us on our guard. And why? Simply put, they wanted to see all the cards in our hand and as of now, we’ve obliged by showing them everything. Numbers, strategies, manpower, patrols, contingencies, everything.”

“If you’re implying that Shining Armor is working with-”

“Not Shining, no. He’s a good kid. No, I’m talking about ‘Princess De La Mi Amore Cadenza Mezzo Forte Allegro Alfredo-’ whatever!” I waved my hand exasperatedly. “Or, as I know her, Queen Chrysalis.”

“Of the changelings?” Princess Luna couldn’t have looked more shocked even if she had licked Mjolnir. She immediately pressed her eye back against the telescope.

“Oh, so you know her, then?” That simplified things.

“Not by sight, nay, but we have heard of her.”

“Well, yeah. I mean, ch-ch-ch-ch-changing is kind of her thing.” David Bowie rolled over in his grave.

“What proof do you have of this?” Luna asked pointedly. My tongue danced nervously behind my teeth as I tried to assemble the most credible-sounding way of explaining the incredible.

“Because I saw it.”

“What exactly did you see?” The princess’s eyes were a pair of dark pools, threatening to drown me. When I replied, my voice was as cold as iron.

“I saw the shield above Canterlot shatter like a stained glass window beneath a changeling army. They filled the sky, rallied by their Queen to a banquet of magic. I saw Canterlot’s soldiers overrun and I saw ponies fleeing in the streets.” After a moment of hesitation, I added, “And I saw your sister overthrown.”

The dark oceans flickered, searching my face for any sign of humor or jest, but grew as hard as ice when they found none.

“When… Did you see this?” Luna asked warily.

“When did I see it, or when is it supposed to happen?” I clarified. “I saw it quite a while ago, actually, in a TV show. As for when it transpires, that would be during tomorrow’s ceremony. The ultimate wedding crash.”

“But that’s-”

“Impossible? Think of it this way, Princess,” I scratched my temple thoughtfully, “You’re no stranger to time travel. I mean, you jumped into the future Steve Rogers-style. You knew this land back when the mountains were a little taller and the canyons were a little shallower. Now, picture for a moment what it would be like if someone could go the other way.”

“You imply that these events are history from your perspective.” Her voice was cooler than the flipside of the pillow. “How did you come to possess this knowledge? Surely you have not perfected a time spell, have you?”

“It’s because…” I hesitated, finding no easy way to explain. “Because your world is a fictional story back on Earth.” Despite the evening air, I felt my cheeks flush beneath the princess’s gaze. I had expected an awkward conversation, but imagining a scenario and living it are two completely different animals. For a long moment, the only thing that moved was Luna’s billowing mane.

“A story?” She inclined her head.

“A story.” I confirmed.

“A story...” She pondered.

“… A story.” I admitted.

“And what is this ‘story’ about, pray tell?” Luna continued to study my face, but I avoided eye contact.

“It’s a story about a mythical land called Equestria, a kingdom ruled over by two royal sisters, and the adventures of six friends who discovered the magic of friendship and reforged the Elements of Harmony.”

“Intriguing.” Silver horseshoes shifted their weight thoughtfully. “But you claim that it has shown you events that are yet to transpire?”

“I’ve been using this story to my advantage for a while now. For example, I snuck a bite of the ‘MMMM’ because I knew Pinkie Pie was going to hog it all after the judging.” I expounded. “I directed Twilight towards the bursting dam when the girls were playing superheroes. I collected instruments for Pinkie to ward off the parasprites with and even foresaw the return of Discord. And the only reason I was in the throne room during Nightmare Moon’s return was because I wanted to see the confrontation between her and Twilight Sparkle.”

Luna blinked, but remained silent. None of my arguments carried any real weight, however. It was a simple thing to look into the past and claim that I saw it coming, and looking into the future didn’t hold any credibility until events actually happened. That being said, if I wanted to convince Luna that I wasn’t just spinning tales like Sonic’s fox friend, I needed something that only a brony in Equestria would know. Something I couldn’t possibly know any other way. Suddenly, my line of thought hooked on a perfect example and I quickly reeled it in.

“I remember the first Discord war.” Like a fossil, my mind gently brushed the cobwebs off that one obscure memory. “I remember you standing beside your sister. You looked so determined once you brought the Elements of Harmony with you. That was back when they all looked like rupees, wasn’t it? But Discord didn’t look concerned. He simply sat on his throne, laughing. I think he stole your sister’s tail there for a moment. Was it her tail or her mane? I forget, but I definitely remember him eating from a big bag of seeds. He even flicked them in your face, too.”

Finally, Luna’s critical look fell from her eyes, leaving an expression of bewilderment behind. The princes slowly reached up and touched her cheek as if my words had pelted her as surely as the plunderseeds had.

“What else?” The princess asked patiently.

“What else do you want to know?” My eyes rested on the lantern-flecked city below. “In this chapter, the queen of the changelings impersonates Twilight Sparkle’s brother’s fiancé, feeding off his love while simultaneously weakening his ability to maintain the shield that keeps the city safe. By the time the wedding comes around, he barely has enough strength to stand, let alone fight. Canterlot falls and Chrysalis uses her stolen magic to wound Celestia.”

“And where was I in this escapade?”

“Nobody knows. Most fans think that you were asleep.”

“That hardly sounds in character.” Princess Luna snorted. “Is that how the story ends?”

“Not at all. Before the attack, Chrysalis imprisons Twilight Sparkle beneath Canterlot with the real Cadance. The two escape, however, and Cadance provides Shining Armor with enough power to repel the invasion.”

“That is all?”

“That’s all.”

In the distance, Canterlot’s luminous clock tower measured off the minutes of silence between us. Luna carefully weighed each of my words and I could only wait patiently until she had finished. Suddenly, the princess took me by surprise when she tilted her head and smiled.

“Very well.” A reassuring grin alighted on her face.

“Very well?” I sputtered.

“It appears this shield produces an echo.” The alicorn gazed up into the sky.

“Well, I mean, I expected to be going back-and-forth for at least another hour! You don’t have any questions? You’re not going to tell me I’m wrong? Argue about how real and authentic your world is? Ask me for more proof? Just a ‘very well’!? You know, sometimes you ponies scare me.”

“On the contrary,” Luna assured. “We have many questions, but nigh all of them are irrelevant to the task at hand. You have convinced me, Mark, and if what you are saying is true, then the invasion of our city is already begun and we have not a moment to waste. And if we fall, then the matter of your ‘story’ will be quite moot.” She strode back over to the telescope and peered through it thoughtfully. “It is remarkable, though, to think that our foe was beneath our eyes this whole time.”

“Like I said, I can’t tell if these changeling tactics are brilliant or insane.” I joined the princess. “Not only did she have direct access to the captain of the guard, but if anyone suspected that her behavior was odd, they would merely write it off as stress from the wedding. Heck, if anypony in the city was acting strange they could just blame it on the wedding or the anonymous threat!”

“Then why did you choose to trust me?” Luna looked at me curiously.

“Because I watched you fly through the force field just now.” I explained. “Shining Armor made it clear that only a couple ponies could do that and I trust him. Besides, Celestia knows you too well to have you replaced by an imposter.”

“Odd that my sister doesn’t suspect a change in her niece.”

“Maybe she does, but remember, ‘wedding nerves’.” I plucked my jar of ‘hand cream’ from my pocket and held it up for the princess to see. “This stuff was my ‘plan ‘A’. Zecora says that a changeling can’t transform if it’s applied to the skin, but I haven’t exactly been able to test it.” With a gentle torque, I pulled off the lid and revealed the salve within. It was a milky olive green lotion and when I touched it, the substance clung to my skin like Crisco. With a shrug, I pulled up a pant leg and smeared it on my exposed calf.

“As much as we would like to validate your claims, you do realize that we cannot confront Princess Mi Amore Cadenza with that potion, correct?”

“No, I already thought of that.” I explained. “As of right now, it seems Chrysalis is the most powerful creature in the city and there’s no telling what she would do if she suddenly found herself cornered. She’s got Cadence and Shining as hostages, and we don’t know how many other changelings are in the city with her. There might be none, there might be a thousand, I don’t know.”

“So this matter is kept between us.” Princess Luna released a painful breath. “And my sister?” I shook my head.

“The fewer ponies who know about this, the better, and if anypony is going to be under the scrutiny of the queen, it will be Celestia.” At that moment, Luna and I were the only ones who could operate undetected. The only ones who could work behind the scenes. The only ones who could sabotage the saboteurs. If Chrysalis suspected even a hint of detection, she might spring her trap before we were ready to counter her.

“I assume you have a plan to thwart the queen?” Luna looked at me expectantly.

“I do.” A mischievous smile plucked at my lips. “How well do you know the caves below Canterlot?”

According to the princess, the crystal mines beneath the city had been encroached upon by palace extensions until the only remaining entrance was nothing more than an offshoot of an obscure wine cellar. For years, it had only been used for storing goods, or for cooling the palace during particularly hot summers, but nopony had set hoof in the mines for at least a decade. They were abandoned, forgotten and dangerous and they were the first phase of my little scheme.

As stealthily as an elephant, I trundled my steamer trunk down the palace halls, avoiding as many guards as I could and avoiding my friends at all costs. I had been undetected up until that point, using my limited experience of the castle’s layout to avoid the major traffic zones and bypass the main halls. My goal was to rendezvous with Princess Luna at the entrance to the mines and I was feeling pretty pleased with myself for avoiding any suspicious ponies or uncomfortable questions. Things seemed to be going smoothly, but life just wouldn’t be any fun without a hitch every once in a while, would it?

“What are you doing?” I froze in my tracks, a shiver bouncing up and down my spine like a slinky. My head swiveled around to find the source of the voice. The youthful, flowery, frosty voice.

“Good evening Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.” The pink alicorn figure was standing directly behind me, one half of her face bathed in silvery moonlight and the other shrouded in shadow. I hadn’t even heard her walking behind me until she spoke.

“Evening, Mark, isn’t it?” Cadenza, though shorter than I, looked down on me. “You haven’t answered my question.”

“Well, I could ask you the same thing- with all due respect, of course, your highness.” I bowed humbly as the skin on the back of my hands began to prickle. “There are all kinds of strange things you can run into at night.”

“Like humans?” The princess asked dryly.

“And royalty.” I smiled weakly. Cadenza, however, wasn’t amused.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen you at all since this afternoon. You haven’t been getting into trouble, have you?” The purple eyes rooted me to the floor like shackles. And, like chains, my only hope was to keep them loose.

“Oh, trouble like you wouldn’t believe.” My laugh fell hollow on the walls. “That was a joke, by the way. No, I’ve actually been… out and about. Helping make sure everything is safe for your big day tomorrow. Like Discord, for example. I am pleased to announce that the ol’ draconequus is as stoned as Fred Flintstone on marijuana and as rocky as a Sylvester Stallone boxing movie.”

“Well, that’s very thoughtful of you… I think.” Cadenza glanced back down at the trunk. “And, you’re sneaking through the palace at night because…?”

“Check it out, I think you’re going to like this.” I winked, opening the lid just far enough to retrieve a flameless lantern. “I made them myself. Tell me what you think.” With a quiet snap, I twisted the potion’s cork and cracked the wax seal on it. Slowly, a tiny star of light awoke in the blue liquid until the entire bottle radiated like Frodo’s ‘Light of Earendil’. The moonlit hall seemed to dim in the light of the lantern until all I could see were our two faces floating like masks in the darkness. Cadenza stared thoughtfully at the glow for a lingering moment.

“I’m planning on decorating the gardens with them. With some string and a couple good trees, they might make for a neat constellation effect.”

“It’s lovely. But you do know the wedding is during the day, right?”

“Not if I have anything to say about it.” I assured. “If all goes well, the reception will go long into the night. Pinkie Pie and Vinyl Scratch can keep a party’s momentum going stronger than Mr. Incredible on P90X. Of course, you’ll probably be long gone by then.”

“Gone? Gone where?”

“The honeymoon, of course.”

“Oh, yes. Of course.” The hallway returned to normal as I tucked the lantern away into the trunk and sealed it shut. “Do you only have the one color?”

“Well, I’m just an apprentice alchemist, so that’s all I could make, but by adding powdered metals to the mix you can get a whole rainbow of colors. What did you want, pink? Blue? Green?”

“Why would I want green?” Cadenza blinked.

“Oh, just a random guess. Color of life, forests, growth, new beginnings. It’s a calming color, but I understand if you don’t like it. It doesn’t quite match your coat.”

“Actually, it was a very lucky guess.” The princess smiled reassuringly. “As for matching my coat, you’d be surprised at how well a girl can accessorize.”

“Who says a girl can’t really have it all?” I flashed a light grin, but my stomach kicked me reproachfully. My conversation was riding a dangerously fine line between small talk and self-betrayal. As quick as I could, I steered the dialog onto a new track, “So, your highness, what are you doing back at the palace? I thought you had left for home already.”

“I was looking for Twilight Sparkle, actually.” Cadenza avoided eye contact. “She stopped by my house, but then left all of a sudden. I was hoping I could find out what was bothering her.”

“That so?” I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much, princess. Twilight’s going through a stressful time herself you know?”

“Oh dear. What do you mean?”

“Well, put yourself in her shoes.” (You’re good at that.) “She just doesn’t want to lose her brother. Those two have always watched out for each other and now that he’s moving on, she probably feels abandoned, lonely, betrayed, even. She’s fiercely protective of him and maybe she just hasn’t come to accept you yet.”

“Accept me? But what have I done?”

“Let me rephrase that.” I held out a placating hand. “She hasn’t come to accept the situation, yet. People grow up, they move on with their lives. It’s what they do. You, more than anypony else, symbolize how things change” (Literally) “throughout time. You’re not the pony she remembers from her filly years and she doesn’t want to accept the fact that that she needs to grow up too.”

Though spontaneous, I was quite proud of my little soliloquy. Not only did it continue shifting Cadenza’s attention off me and my mysterious box of tricks, but perhaps I was telling the changeling queen exactly what she wanted to hear, that Twilight Sparkle was an easy target to single out and separate from her brother. Did that mean I was partly to blame for Twilight embarrassing herself at the wedding rehearsal? Possibly. Was I setting her up to save Cadance? Also possibly. I was ok with that.

“I had no idea she saw me like that.” Cadenza held a hoof against her breastbone. “Maybe it was a good thing I missed her. Oh dear, and Shining has asked her to be his best mare. This could get complicated.”

“A problem that can wait until tomorrow, princess.” I comforted. “You don’t need any more stress. In the meantime, you should try and get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll let you go. Goodnight, Mark.” The pink alicorn nodded in a polite farewell, the barest hint of a smile hidden beneath her muzzle.

As she vanished down a flight of stairs, I waved casually and held a polite grin. Only after the last of her hooffalls faded into silence and I had measured out ten long seconds did I start my heart again. With shaking hands, I hefted my trunk once more and redoubled my pace.

“Were you waylaid?” Luna whispered anxiously. She and I stood in a dusty part of the palace’s underbelly, not unlike the crawlspace beneath my house. Cobwebs hung from decrepit wooden beams and the stone walls were warping beneath the weight of countless years.

“Met our favorite bridezilla.” I released a long, heavy breath. “So, that was a thing.”

“Fie! She was here?” Luna hissed. “Did she suspect you of aught?”

“No, I think I conveyed a safely naïve, if obliging, human.”

“Well, it is a role you play well.”

“Thank you! Wait…”

“Come look at what we’ve found.” Luna, her shape no more than a ripple in the darkness, turned and gestured towards the far end of the chamber. Where once had stood a rickety pair of wooden doors now was only a yawning abyss. The ancient timber had been shattered and the gates hung from their hinges like forsworn corpses.

“It is strange.” The princess mused.

“You mean the fact that someone’s already broken into the mines or the fact that they didn’t leave footprints behind?”

“Hm? Oh, yes, those too. Nay, we were reminiscing of a time before these gates were erected. And now look at them. Ancient relics.”

“With all due respect, it’s the present we need to watch out for.” I leered into the mines. “If this is the only remaining path in and out of the crystal caves, then we should assume it’s being watched. In the story, the queen enslaved three bridesmaids to the job.”

“Then we shall proceed with suitable precautions.” Luna’s voice leveled like a sword as she stepped forward. Her horn whispered with a vaporous glow and I felt a light breeze envelop my ankles. When I looked down, I saw the princess’s magic erasing my footprints as they fell and my trunk floated behind us like a ghost. Without a sound, Luna crept into the mines like a panther.

Once inside, I had to fight to keep myself from whistling in awe. The halls of the mountain opened to welcome us as we stepped out of the humble palace and into a realm of riches. The stone walls gave way in every direction until we found ourselves standing on the edge of a vast cavern, its every surface glistening of mirrored purple crystals. It was as if the entire mountain that Canterlot rested upon was a single colossal pocket of agate, or like seeing the dwarven halls of Moria after Elsa had decorated them, or like stepping down the throat of the Cave of Wonders. (Your choice.)

“Now this… This has not changed since we were gone.” A note of gratitude accented Luna’s voice. “My sister and I would play together in these mines when we were but fillies, hiding and chasing one another. So many memories of these halls.”

“Remember what I said about keeping your eyes on the present?” Every surface returned my whisper until I was deafened by my own warning.

“I tell you this for a reason.” The princess cautioned. “Crystal is of great value to unicorns, and not merely for its luster. Indeed, it is because it naturally resists one’s magic. Therein does its worth lie.”

“And this is important because?”

“I cannot detect any presence here other than your own.” Luna indicated her radiant horn. “Yet, that is not to say that we are alone. These mines are to me what a dark room is to you. Where else can two alicorns play hide-and-seek without simply following each other’s magic?”

“So, even the mines were a strategic decision.” I spoke as much to myself as to the princess. “Maybe the bridesmaids aren’t here yet, but even so, we should still move quickly.” With practiced efficiency, I flipped open the lid of the still-flying trunk and armed myself with its contents.

“Now will you further explain your strategy?” Luna asked, watching me cautiously.

“It comes down to this.” I whipped out a piece of paper that looked like a sketch of an ant farm. “The real Cadance is being held hostage somewhere in these mines, beyond our reach, beyond our manpower, and beyond our magic. Twilight is going to break her out of her cell, but that still leaves two ponies lost in a mountain-sized labyrinth. We place these-” I cradled the still-active lantern in my hand like a softball, “-at key intersections in the mine along with one of-” I whipped out an ‘exit’ sign, “-these. If the heroines can find even one marker, it will point them towards the next one and the next one all the way home.”

“It assumes many things, but I can see your logic.” The princess squinted at one of the signs. “But why a picture of a wrinkly elephant?”

“It’s a hand!” My voice bounced around the room like Han Solo’s blaster shot inside a trash compressor. “Look.” I took a lantern and a sign and tucked them behind an outcropping of rock, invisible from the entrance, but a bright beacon to anyone deeper in the mine.

“We see you have also brought flowers. What is their purpose?” Luna lifted the sorry bouquet. My face scrunched as if I had smelled something unpleasant, but I explained.

“Well, when the girls get here, there’s going to be the queen’s thralls making life difficult for them. They just need a distraction to get past.”

“And you chose flowers?” Amusement glinted in Luna’s eyes. “How… appropriate for bridesmaids.” There was a gentle ringing as her horn grew brighter and a healing light enveloped the plants. Their stems perked up and their petals grew silky once more.

“Blame McCarthy if you think it’s sexist.” I grunted. “Personally, I think this will do.” As tenderly as handling a stick of dynamite, I planted a sleep grenade beside the glimmering lantern along with a canteen and a letter. Two days-worth of penmanship had culminated in the longest text I had even penned in Equestrian. It read,

Dear Twilight, (And you too, Cadance,)

Great job, girls, you’re almost out of the frying pan! As for the well-dressed ladies trying to keep you from leaving the mines, not to worry, I’ve donated one of my signature sleep grenades to the cause. (Seriously, though, it’s still a prototype. Let me know how it works for you.) (And if all else fails, I guess you can still use the flowers, but I mean honestly, they’re just a cop-out.)

Better hurry, though. I think ‘This Day Aria’ only lasts two minutes.

Oh, that reminds me, I’ve left some sweet tea behind as a little pick-me-up. Not sure how long you’ve been trapped down here, Princess, but we can’t have you fainting before you crash your own wedding now, can we?

Best wishes! And congrats if this all works out. If not, disregard.

Signed:

(It’s not obvious? Twilight, I can hear you complaining about my calligraphy already.)

-Mark

“That’s that.” I straightened up and glanced at Luna. She peered over my shoulder at the little cache on the ground.

“Your tone is remarkably casual for one who is attempting to alter the threads of fate.” She commended.

“Yeah, well, there will be plenty of time to freak out later. For now, we just need to assure Cadance and Shining get back together.”

“Then let us not linger. The night grows long and we have much to do before tomorrow.” Her horn ignited and a gentle pressure, like a silk cocoon enveloped me and swept me off my feet. With a stifled yelp, I found my body whisked alongside the princess as she spread her midnight-blue wings and dove into the heart of the mountain. Prior to that moment, I realized that I had never been held in a levitation spell before, not even by Twilight. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation, but it was slightly demeaning.

Using a combination of her memories and my directions, the two of us flew down countless bejeweled corridors, the light from Luna’s horn glinting off every surface until I had the passing impression we were falling through a starry night sky. Every few minutes, she would set me down and I would erect a marker before sweeping me off to the map’s next checkpoint. Somewhere through the miles of stone and earthen glass above us, the night was wearing on and the dawn of the wedding was inching ever closer. Between stops, I did my best to relay everything I knew about ‘A Canterlot Wedding’ to my friend while she, in turn, listened silently.

“Even so, we wish there was a way we could avoid putting our sister in jeopardy.” Luna finally said as we wrestled an old mine cart to the top of a spiral rail. (A little boost for the girls.) “I’m sure that, with her help, she and I could still overcome Queen Chrysalis on our own. An invasion need not happen at all.”

“I understand.” I grunted, wedging a rock beneath the cart’s tire to keep it from rolling. “And if it means anything, I’m sorry. I don’t like letting the bad guys win either, but I still think this is the best option in the long run.”

“Why? How can you be sure Shining Armor and Princess Cadance’s magic will be enough to conquer the power Chrysalis stole?” A hand seized a wad of my intestines and tenderly twisted them into a knot.

“I don’t. But if they can, then we should let them try. I know it sounds like cheap storytelling, but if those two kids can pull off their love nuke, then there’s no better time to do so than when all hope seems lost. The moment when Chrysalis is overconfident and exposed and all her minions are within the blast zone. The choices were: we can either stop the queen and thwart the invasion, or we can cripple the entire changeling army in one fell swoop. Maybe it wasn’t really my place, but I made an executive decision.” Luna’s face swam with mixed emotions, worry, consent, apprehension, bravery, doubt, the same feelings of confidence and fear that churned within my own chest.

“If it’s any consolation, I’ve got a couple contingency plans too.” I absently fingered the harness that I wore and the arsenal of potions thereon.

“We meant to ask you what the purpose of your attire was.” Luna tilted her head.

“You like it? I’ve got medicines, tranquilizers, firebombs, this alchemist is combat ready! I tried to copy the nifty vests the Hidden Leaf ninjas wear in Naruto, but I’ve got a debilitating fear I look more like the Love God from Gravity Falls…”

“Compared to you, we feel underdressed for an invasion.” Luna chortled.

“Oh, don’t worry. Next stop is the armory. The ultimate armory…” My teeth gleamed in the darkness.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of wandering through the world’s largest house of mirrors, the princess and I found our way back to the expansive entrance cavern and the palace beyond. The grey light cast from the castle’s old wine cellar was like a dusty star, punching a hole in the world of glass. At once, Luna froze, leering at the exit above us.

“They’re here. Just as you said.” She breathed. Following her gaze, I could see three shadows patrolling the rocky perch, unicorn mares in bridesmaid attire. They stared into the dark recesses of the mountain with unblinking eyes that glowed faintly with a sickly green light. Their statuesque posture and expressionless faces implied that they still hadn’t detected us.

“Do you think Chrissie will notice if we break the spell they’re under?” I whispered.

“’Twould not be wise to risk it.” Luna decided.

“Then how do we get past them?” Already, one of my hands was drifting to my belt of grenades, but Luna merely said,

“Stay close.” Immediately, her mane and tail began to flow out from behind her like a flag in a tempest. The starry field enveloped the two of us and a vertigo, like falling in an elevator, filled my stomach. The next thing I knew, I was hovering beside the princess as she spread her wings and glided up towards the exit. For a moment, I thought for sure that we’d be spotted, but after a moment of panic, I realized that the six eyes staring at us were actually staring through us. Minuette’s dry and bloodshot gaze continued leering at the far side of the cavern even as we drifted within spitting distance of her. From within the princess’s magic field, she and I were no more than shadows in a land of shadows, a camouflage bordering on invisibility.

“I still feel terrible, leaving them like that.” I took a deep breath as Luna set me down on palace stone once more. “They look like they haven’t slept all night.”

“If your plan succeeds, they will have their justice.” The princess added extra emphasis on ‘your’. “But we must hurry, the dawn is already upon us. What else must we do before the ceremony?”

“First, lower the moon like always.” I cast a furtive glance behind me and added, “Then, meet me in front of Canterlot Tower.”

I felt like a small raincloud on a sunny day as I made my way through the city that morning. Like a black dot on a white sheet of paper. Like Eddy Valentine in a movie theatre. The bright sun was raining down through Shining Armor’s pink bubble and everypony was buzzing about the impending wedding. I was the only one on the street not smiling.

The stage was almost set, the placements laid out, the curtains ready to rise on the grand finale, but there was one last thing I wanted to do before the changelings arrived. My gaze lingered on the building where the Elements of Harmony were stored. Nothing was more frightening than the age-old question of ‘what if?’, and more than one FimFiction author had dared to ask one of the most haunting ‘what if’s I’d ever encountered, ‘What if the changelings won?’.

“Is it not suspicious to have us both standing here?” Luna crept up behind me, her silver crest glinting uncharacteristically bright in the sunlight. “Dare I ask why you have called us here?”

“I suspect you already suspect my suspicions.” I jutted my chin out at the white tower before us. “According to the story, the Elements of Harmony don’t save the day like they usually do. Even after a strangely satisfying fight scene, the Main Six (Twilight and her friends) can’t even get to them. My theory: Chrysalis thinks that the artifacts in that tower are the only things that can stop her. Thus, she targeted Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, and separated her from her friends not unlike Discord, but far subtler. As if that weren’t enough, this tower is going to be something of a rallying point for the first wave of changelings. The longer I analyze her methods, the more fearsome of a tactician Chrysalis seems to be.” Luna looked between me and the tower before venturing,

“You want to get to them first.”

“Hey, it’s not like the girls are going to miss them.”

“’Tis not the point. It still feels like theft to take them before an invasion has even begun.”

“No, they’re a national treasure, and the Germans are on the way. This is preemptive protection. You don’t think that’s a good idea?” Luna said nothing, but remained staring at the white tower. I took a deep breath to collect myself and confessed my fears. “Princess, I know I said that I’ve seen the future because I’ve seen its story, but the truth is, this world is far more alive than I care to admit. I’ve been fortunate so far, events have followed the show’s canon pretty accurately, but today of all days, a million things could go wrong. Maybe the love bomb doesn’t work, maybe Celestia squashes Chrissie, maybe the only Cadance Twilight finds in the mines is a corpse, I don’t know. But if anything goes wrong, I’d feel a heckova lot better knowing the Elements are still beyond the changeling’s grasp.”

“Enough. We know what needs to be done.” She tossed her head derisively. “Follow our lead.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Obediently, I fell in step with the princess.

For a shattered second, the guards bristled as we approached, but their expressions quickly dissolved into astonishment when they saw who stood before them.

“P-princess?” A pearl-white unicorn gaped like a codfish.

“And the Earthling emissary.” Luna said evenly. “Per hospitality, we offered the ambassador an opportunity to examine the Elements of Harmony. Will thou kindly let us pass?” To my surprise, the guard’s suspicious scowls returned and I feared they would deny the princess the request, despite her station.

“I’m afraid Shining Armor-” But Luna made it perfectly clear that her question had been rhetorical.

“Answers to me. As do you, if I’m not mistaken.” I had to bite my lip after that. “Though his wedding could always use further interruptions if you would like to consult him about the terms of his employment.”

“That’s not… necessary.” The guard lowered his eyes and his voice.

“Thank you.” Without a second glance at the abashed guard, Luna led the way into the stone building.

Once we were inside and the heavy doors were closed behind us, I glanced sideways at my friend.

“That was weird.”

“At least it cannot be said that they do not take their posts lightly.” The princess inclined her head towards the far end of the hall.

Canterlot Tower was as I had remembered it. Arched, long, and flanked on either side by stained glass representations of heroes past and present. The air felt strangely muted and plain compared to the buzzing city outside. Together, we marched down the long carpet towards the end of the hall and the vault the Elements were kept in, but Luna’s shoes grew heavier with every step she took. With an icy blast of her blue aura, the secure chamber was breached and the chest containing the mysterious artifacts was exposed.

“They’re here… As they should be…” The alicorn princess walked around the chest thoughtfully.

“Something wrong, princess?” I glanced warily back towards the exit.

“A moment, if you will.” She pleaded, tenderly lifting the lid of the chest. Rays of rainbow light rose from the ornate box like a mist as daylight touched the mystical gemstones. Luna gazed down at them with an elusive expression in her eyes. It was at once nostalgic and proud, but distanced and remorseful.

“Is there something on your mind?” Rhetorical question.

“It’s likely not something you can sympathize with.” Luna explained. “For years, my sister and I held these between us, a symbol of our unbreakable bond and the balance we brought to the world. It is amusing, to think that they separated us as well.”

“I don’t think NMM counts.”

“And now look at them.” Luna continued as if she didn’t hear me. “They’re still here, the Elements still exist, but they have adopted new bearers. They will never again look like the ones I shared with my sister, will they? It feels… like something precious was lost forever.”

“No, I understand.” I said softly. “These are a symbol of the old world, an unmoving cornerstone in which you two found identity in. Now that they’ve changed, you feel that you’ve lost those days forever.” A deep sigh filled my chest. “You have to remember, Princess, that these were not your family. Celestia is. And she’s still here for you. Find your identity in that, not in the power or prestige of the Elements.”

“Yes. Yes, you’re right.” Luna blinked as her mind returned to the present. “That is wisest. Thank you. Now, please stand back.” I obliged and the alicorn princess lowered her horn towards the chest. There was a whispering sound, like leaves in an autumn breeze and her magic coiled around the box, sinking into its surface like water into a sponge. When she lifted her head again, it looked as if nothing had changed, but before I could ask what she had done, Luna plucked the box up in her telekinesis. To my amusement, rather than leaving behind an empty pedestal, a gaseous copy of the chest, like a mirage, remained behind.

“There. The spell will not last but for a few hours.”

“That’s a fine piece of work.” I complimented, sweeping my hand through the holographic box. “But don’t worry. If all goes well, we’ll only need a few hours.”

Operative word, ‘if’.

“What are you doing?” The harsh challenge boomed through the quiet hall. Luna and I spun around to come face-to-face with the four tower guards. However, our friends from earlier weren’t at their precious post and their faces plainly showed that their question was rhetorical.

“Where the hay did you guys come from?” I muttered. Sneaking around in a full suit of armor was impressive enough. Even more so was the fact that the door at the far end of the hall was still shut.

“Mark, allow me.” Luna stepped forward confidently and addressed the guards. “Return to your posts. This is a matter of the city’s security.”

“Yes, princess, it is.” The silver unicorn from earlier lowered his eyebrows and his spear. Immediately, his three companions followed suit, pointing their steely weapons at the princess. The unicorn brusquely commanded, “Princess Luna, you will surrender those Elements and come with us.” The guard turned to a nearby pegasus and ordered, “Inform Princess Mi Amore Cadenza that there has been a breach at Canterlot Tower.”

“Belay that order!” I bellowed, stepping forward.

“Mark, what are you-?”

“Don’t worry, princess, I got this.” My feet continued walking towards the fence of spears while I flashed a grin back at Luna.

“Under the authority of the Princess and Captain Shining Armor, you will submit!” The unicorn cried. “You will comply or be forcibly detained!”

“These are not the perps you are looking for.” I casually waved a pair of fingers through the air. “You saw nothing. You will lower your weapons and return to your post.”

“The hay is wrong with you!?” The unicorn leaned forward, bringing the tip of his weapon up to my throat. I glanced back at my friend apologetically.

“Must be toydarian.” I explained. “Mind tricks don’t work on ‘im, only money.” In a flash, I spun back around and smashed a glass potion bottle on the carpet.

“Mark!”

“Seize the-cough-cough!” The unicorn guard’s order crumbled into a fit of hacking and coughing as a grey-pink cloud of smoke erupted within the hall. My vision was filled with the chalky color as if I were staring at a blank piece of construction paper, but I could clearly hear the guards scrambling over one another to escape the rising gas. Finally, their shouts of surprise fell silent as their bodies dropped helplessly to the carpet.

“Mark!” There was the ringing sound of magic and a sudden gust of wind swept through the hall. The cloud of gas was whisked away like a bad dream and my vision was returned to me. I was crouching on the floor with the remains of a shattered bottle in front of me. Throughout the tower, the offending guards littered the floor, bound by the chains of sleep.

“It worked! I’m a genius!”

“Mark! Now you’ve gone too far! How dare you attack these stalions? They were only doing their duty. There was no reason to…” But I wasn’t listening to Luna’s scolding. I crept towards the silver unicorn and withdrew the jar of Zecora’s disillusionment cream. Out of sheer curiosity, I dipped my finger in the oily mixture and smeared it on the guard’s flank.

Princess Luna’s words died on her tongue as the hide I touched ignited with green flame. Like the burning map intro to ‘Bonanza’, the billowing magic fire crept along the guard’s skin, erasing his velvet gray hide and revealing something akin to black leather beneath. The flames only stopped when half his body had transformed into the hairless body of a changeling.

“How did you know?” Luna breathed, stepping up behind me cautiously.

“I didn’t, but I suspected.” I sniffed, screwing the lid back onto my jar. “He was being difficult earlier, and obviously didn’t trust us being alone with the Elements. Finally, he implied that he took orders from Cadenza instead of Celestia or Shining. Turns out I was right.”

“A changeling…” Luna swallowed hard. “Then they had already secured the Elements.” Her eyes swept over the other bodies. “Does this mean that every…”

“Not everypony.” I corrected. “But anypony…”

For a long moment, a brooding silence fell upon the hall, broken only by the muffled sound of bells from outside. Too long did it take us to realize that the bells were not chiming the hour.

“The wedding.” Luna sparked back into action. Her horn shimmered as she swept up the unconscious guards, their weapons, and even the remains of my potion bottle. Her magic stuffed them into the Element’s vault before she whisked herself back towards the door. “We must hurry.”

“Right.” With a silent prayer that my tranquilizer potion would last until the end of the invasion, I followed her.

Luna quickly led me through a winding maze of Canterlot’s back streets and narrow alleys, avoiding as much traffic as possible and ensuring that we weren’t being followed. When she finally stopped, we were on the roof of a flower shop, the distant towers of the palace clearly visible.

“What is our next strategy?” Luna looked at me with a steely expectation, like a soldier on the eve of battle. Her bravery, her willingness to fight, and her devotion to Canterlot only made it harder to say what I needed to.

“You need to escape this city.”

“Pardon? But Mark-”

“I’m going to make my way into the palace, up to the wedding hall. From there, I think I might be able to assure everything else plays out according to the script, but I need you to take those Elements and get out of Dodge until we’re sure this is all over.”

“Mark…” Luna looked pained. “Surely there must be something more we can do to help our cause. But this… you’re asking us to abandon our city, our friends… our sister?” Inwardly, I groaned like a cave troll, but I understood Luna’s apprehension. She had come from an era that Equestria had all but forgotten, a time of war and conflict. Asking her to run from a fight went against the very mettle she was made of, but I had to convince her to see how much was counting on her safety. So focused on my friend was I that I didn’t realize the wedding bells had stopped or the fact that one of the palace spires was glowing green.

“Look. I’m worried, ok? I’m frightened. And why? Because I don’t know how this day will end. Not really, anyways. I may have seen how the story’s supposed to go, but that doesn’t mean I’m an expert on changelings. I don’t know how they’re born, how powerful they can get, how they transform, or even what their plans are after they take over Equestria. They only appear for this episode and the good guys won so I don’t know what Chrysalis plans to do with the city once she takes over. I don’t know why the changelings think scaring a city half to death will let them feast on their ‘love’. Quite frankly, my imagination runs wild and so did Littlecolt’s.”

“Littlecolt?”

“A fan author who wrote a story called ‘The Conquering of Love’. In it, he portrayed a world that made a frightening amount of sense. An idea that the changelings imprison their victims in dream worlds and harvest magic from them not unlike the robots in The Matrix. It might not be canon, but it got me thinking, if all goes wrong, Equestria is going to need a princess to rally them against the changelings. Someone on the outside. That’s where you come in.”

“And this is why you enlisted my help? To run in the face of danger? To abandon my subjects in their time of need?” Luna’s voice rose dangerously, but before I could answer, a second sun blossomed behind me.

“Holy-” I instinctively ducked as a shockwave washed over the rooftops. My eyes turned toward the wedding hall where the windows were ablaze with fiery golden light. Ribbons of sickly green aura wrestled with the golden rays like a serpent with a mongoose, threatening to rip the very roof off the palace. After what seemed like an eternity, the golden light faltered, and then fell dark altogether. Nothing was left but a final burst of emerald flames.

“That was…” Slightly more epic than the episode, but I couldn’t finish my thought.

“Celestia!” Luna screamed, throwing herself forward.

“Luna, no!” I leapt in front of the princess, arms splayed wide.

“Let me go! I can’t leave her like that! I won’t! My sister-”

“Was defeated!” I snapped. “And unless you want to suffer the same fate, you’ll accept her sacrifice and get out of this city!”

“She was not!” The princess’s voice pitched. “If she wished, Celestia could raze this entire mountain!”

“Then why didn’t she?” It was an honest question, but Luna and I both realized we already knew the answer. Celestia didn’t want to. In a way, keeping the city intact and preserving the lives of her citizens was more important to her than defeating Chrysalis. I whispered, “She did it for them.”

Luna’s mouth seemed glued shut and her throat worked desperately to force words out, but all that formed was a lump in her throat. Her watery eyes flickered between me and the distant tower and back again before turning towards the sky. I followed her eyes to see the heavens filled with the armies of Armageddon.

The black cloud of the changeling swarm overshadowed the mountain, blotting out the sun like ash from a forest fire. Their sharp black bodies crashed against the city’s force field like a giant hammer until the feeble pink defense imploded like a Christmas ornament. Without stopping, the black storm poured down upon Canterlot, spreading chittering soldiers like snow and raining streaks of bright green magic like rain. I don’t know if it was due to the absence of the shield or the countless wings beating the air, but a chill breeze swept over me.

“Luna…” I croaked. “If the city falls today, you and that box of rocks will be the only chance the rest of the world will have at resistance. It might be tomorrow, it might be ten years from now, but at least there will still be hope. I know I’m asking you the hardest thing in the world. But I need you to be brave. I need you to be brave enough to run.” My eyes finally locked with hers. “I only pray that someday you may find it in yourself to forgive me.”

“Return unharmed… and perhaps we shall.” The deep pools of Luna’s eyes boiled with icy flames. “Make the black queen pay for what she’s done to my family.”

“I’ll send her your regards.” I promised. Luna straitened her neck, horn blossoming with a magic flare.

“We can get you within the palace walls, but you shall be on your own from there.”

“Thank you... Luna.” I swallowed hard. “You’ll know it’s safe to return when you see the rainboom above Canterlot.” With a final pulse of magic, the world around me vanished.

It felt like being dragged behind the Millennium Falcon by a rope. A terrific pressure threatened to push my eyes out the back of my head as Luna’s teleportation spell shoved me through a tiny keyhole of space. Even though it only lasted an instant, I felt as though I had developed diver’s bends.

When my head finally stopped spinning, I found myself within the carpeted halls of the Canterlot palace. In the distance, the sounds of magic bolts and surprised shouts floated through the halls as the changelings invaded everywhere at once. I double-checked my harness and cautiously made my way towards the wedding chapel.

“It’s times like these I wish I brought my cardboard box.” I muttered to myself, ducking behind a marble pillar. Despite my complaining, the changelings were easy enough to avoid. They already had more important targets such as the barracks and armory that needed their attention and any time they did come whirring down one of my halls, the angry hum of their wings gave them away.

At long last, I found the tall doors of the chapel. They frowned down at me like the last gates before a boss battle and I steeled myself for the inevitable confrontation beyond. Just as I was about to step through the point of no return, a cluster of obliging changelings beat me to it. From the twisting recesses of the castle behind me, there can a sound of scuffling, grunting and arguing, all blanketed by the constant hissing and chittering of dozens of black invaders. I quickly vanished behind a tapestry and watched with no little amusement as Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were escorted into the wedding area. Rainbow Dash, on her part, was being dragged behind them all, both wings glued to her body by a snotty green slime.

“You were saying?” A gurgling voice gloated.

As I stepped out of my hiding spot, I could see the entire scene. Cadance, her mane in knots and her eyes dark from fatigue stood beside her fiancé beneath the wedding arch. The princess and her knight were both were bound tight, she by crystalline goo and he by a hypnotic spell that blanketed his eyes. Twilight and the rest of the girls were corralled to one side of the room, beneath a gently pulsing cocoon which I could only assume was Celestia’s personal prison. In the middle of it all stood ol’ cheese legs herself. Queen Chrysalis surveyed the room with pride beaming from her face like a lighthouse. An hour earlier, she had been a mere spy and undercover agent and now she stood as the ruler of the changelings and as the conqueror of an entire nation.

“You do realize the reception’s been canceled, don’t you?” The queen allowed herself a satisfied smirk at the helpless ponies paraded in front of her. Without hesitation, she looked approvingly at her loyal guards and rewarded their catch. “Go! Feed!”

With that directive, the changelings swept out the room and into the hallway, slamming the doors behind them as they went. At once, however, their buzzing wings changed pitch as they pulled to a surprised stop mid-air. A single figure was standing in their way. A lone human wearing a string of colored bottles across his chest like Christmas lights and a confident smirk across his face.

“’Sup?”

The palace filled with the sounds of shattering glass and the hiss of sleeping gas as I flung my arsenal against the stone walls. The air grew thick with the irate screeches of the changelings as they tried to escape the climbing vapors, but they were already trapped between me and the doors. One after another, I hurled my payload into their midst until the last notes of their humming wings fell silent. With a slow, deliberate air, I marched over their oily black bodies and flung the doors open with a flourish.

“Now, the party don’t start ‘till I walk in!”

Before me, the stunned faces of my friends and foe gawked at me as I waltzed into the chapel singing Kesha, heavy tendrils of pink smoke still curling around my boots. My eyes were smiling with an icy pleasure and when I lowered the potion-resistant bandanna I had been breathing through, a permanent “U” was etched from ear-to-ear. Rainbow Dash recovered first.

“Mark!”

“Yo, Dashie! Nice to see you girls made it. The lovebirds, too, good, good. Sweet! Looks like the gang’s all here.”

“What is this?” Chrysalis demanded, her eyes flickering between me and the trail of limp bodies in my wake.

“And hello to you too, Chrissie! Might I just say congratulations on the hostile takeover?” I clasped my hands together. “Very smooth, and I must say, I love what you’ve done with the place. Check out that new sun light! Pun intended. Hang in there, Celestia! No pun intended.”

“You are the human from before!” The changeling queen growled. “What are you doing here?”

“Threatening you!” I beamed jovially.

“You? Threaten me?”

“Eyeup!”

“I have an army!”

“We have a hulk.” I glanced back at the girls sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. I mean, really, she just walked into that one.”

“Let me rephrase. What do you hope to accomplish by coming here?” Chrysalis didn’t share my humor. Instead, she bristled at me like a bombardier beetle, poised to incinerate me at any moment.

“Ah. Well, I just figured it would be polite to properly introduce myself.” I placed myself between the queen and the girls. “True, we technically met before, but let’s be honest, both of us were wearing masks at the time.” My voice dropped an octave. “I just thought you’d like to know who your real opponent was.” The giant glassy orbs of Chrysalis’s eyes opened in surprise.

“You saw through my disguise!? How did you know?”

“Oh, I know lots of ‘tings. Two-and-two is four. George Washington was the first president. Uh, Carson City is the capital of Nevada…”

“Do not disrespect me!” A wave of green magic seized my shirt collar and pulled me towards the queen’s snarling face.

“Oh, believe me, I don’t.” I assuaged. “In fact, I have nothing but the utmost respect for you. Children’s show, indeed! If you ask me, my dear, you’ve shown enough meticulous planning and intricate scheming to earn yourself a place in Game of Thrones.”

“Mark! We were-”

“Not now, Twilight.” I shushed. “Can’t you see the grandmasters are talking?” The magic hold on my shirt lessened and I fell back onto my own feet.

Though I wore a confident smile in front of the queen and my hands were clasped casually behind me, I could feel my adrenaline rising. The moment I’d been anticipating for months was finally upon me and the rush was incomparable. I both wanted to savor it, and escape it at the same time. Pleasure and panic at once, and it burned beneath my skin like electricity.

Behind my back, I hooked my fingers into the shape of a heart and then pointed towards Cadance. Though it took a couple tries, a certain purple unicorn eventually got the message and crept softly over to where the bride and groom stood.

“Impersonating a princess, now that’s bold.” I complimented the queen. “But once you were in, the only threats to your plan were the magic shield and possibly the Elements of Harmony. Oh, but you took care of those, didn’t you? Took a page out of Discord’s book and split the fellowship. You know, if I’d spent more time getting to know you, I might be able to tell if you were being a jerk to all the girls or if you were just singling out Twilight, but I mean, she was the best target after all. It’s almost poetic, really, the story of a jealous sister trying to thwart a wedding, finally turning hostile towards the tender-hearted bride. It wasn’t a surprise to find nopony sympathized with Twilight. Nor would they miss her if she was… absent.

“I was a little surprised at the mines, though. Why imprison the two girls together? Unless, of course, you wanted Twi to find Cadance. Ooh… perhaps you wanted them to fight it out? Injure each other, even? That’s cold, your highness, even for a succubus.”

“But how? How could you know all this?” Chrysalis hissed, her lips curling away from her fangs.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I shrugged. “I cheated.”

“You…?”

“You played a masterful game, your highness. On a fair playing field, there was no defense against you, so I didn’t play fair. Your moves could only be countered by someone who knew your strategy beforehand, and I? I am that player.” My hands swept out on either side of me as I lowered my head in a graceful bow.

“Counter me? But what have you done? Even now, my subjects pour through your streets!”

“I’m merely here for the show.” I cooed. “Making sure everypony sticks to their script.”

“Script?” The green fishbowl eyes ran up and down my humble attire and then swept over my shoulder. They alighted at the podium where Cadance and Shining Armor were standing, freed from their physical and magical bonds.

“Your spell!” Twilight whispered anxiously. “Perform your spell.”

When she laughed, Chrysalis sounded at once relieved and elated, her former confidence bubbling back to life.

“What good would that do?” She mocked. “My changelings already roam free.”

In defiance, Shining Armor tried to muster his strength into his horn, but his aura was as wispy and fragile as an ember in a rain storm. The unicorn’s feeble light faltered and went out as he sank heavily to his knees.

“I don’t… have the strength to repel them.” The soldier's voice caught in his throat as he gazed up apologetically at his dusty and disheveled angel. In that moment, his entire world was standing in front of him and all he could do was watch helplessly as his strength failed him. His own weakness betraying the fathomless love he had for her. Cadance, in turn, knelt down beside her broken knight with tears flowing down her cheeks.

“My love will be your strength.” Her head fell on his neck and warm tears anointed his quivering shoulders. The two sat together, an apology and a forgiveness all in one. Two candles hiding from the rising waters in each other’s embrace. Chrysalis couldn’t get enough of it,

“What a lovely, but absolutely ridiculous sentiment!” She cackled.

“Perhaps.” I nodded. “But that doesn’t make it any less precious. Beyond space, beyond time, even beyond death, true love is one of those sacred bonds that can never be severed. Two hearts becoming one. That… is why I'm here.”

“Love!” The changeling queen mocked. “No more than a fallacy! A useless waste of energy spent in the foolish hope that it will be requited. The magic flowing through me is proof that there’s no special bond like your ‘true love’. Power is power no matter what the flavor!”

“You wouldn’t say that if you had friends like mine!” My eyes flashed like lightning. “You might be a heartless soul-sucking piece of Swiss cheese, but I’m a hopeless romantic. And I believe your life is nothing more than a waste of breath, a jokeless comedy, if you don’t have anyone to share it with. These ponies behind me gave me a story worth living and I’m standing here today to repay the favor.” I narrowed my eyes. “If you had even the rotten remains of a heart in your chest, you'd understand that. Or perhaps you do, and you’re actually jealous of what Shining and Cadance have.”

“Jealous!?” Chrysalis’s nostrils flared in anger. “I don’t need anyone else to make me complete! I’m stronger than that nonsense!” I chuckled to myself and strode forward.

“Well, well… Big bad bug got a bit of a soft spot, huh?” The changeling queen stepped forward as well. “See, what I can’t understand is why you gotta come down here bringing all this ruckus. Snatching up princesses and everything. My attitude is, don’t start nothing, won’t be nothing’!”

By then my face and Chrysalis’s were so close we were sharing the same air. Her jaws flexed threateningly and a verdant light flickered along her horn, but my own posture was strangely composed.

“You need to ease up outta my face ‘fore something bad happens to you.” A ringing musical note, like glass wind chimes, climbed through the air. I sneered, “Too late.”

Behind me, a shimmering white light was rising in strength, mounting like a tempest and choking the air with magic. I watched the confidence melt from Chrysalis’s face as she witnessed the drained and broken captain of the guard swell with a seemingly limitless reserve of power.

‘Harmonic Resonance’ was the technical term according to Twilight Sparkle, the theory that two magicians can amplify and return their partner’s magic stronger than before, not unlike placing a microphone next to a speaker. The theory was sound, but it was such a delicate balancing act that most of the magic community considered it impractical or even downright impossible. Yet on that day, in that tower, beneath a blackened sky, I watched the impossible happen.

“No!” Chrysalis’s obsidian horn tried to level at the two glowing ponies, but my body instinctively dove to counter her. My right hand seized her beneath her jaw, keeping the dangerous bony protrusion aloft while the left whipped out a Molotov cocktail. With a flick of my thumb, the cap of the potion ignited with a tiny orange flame.

“Don’t even think about it.” My voice smoldered as threateningly as the bomb clutched within my fingers. Chrysalis’s wide eyes swiveled from my face, to the potion, to the ponies and back to me. In that moment, Shining and Cadance’s spell reached a new level of resonance and there was a breath of utter silence before the full force of their magic was released. In that instant, the changeling whispered,

“Monster…”

Then it was all over. The torrent of white light rushed through the palace like a whirlwind, tearing at my skin and catching the black queen up in its fury. The powerful wave marched through the city like a tsunami, washing the streets and skies clear of the black army. Their bodies were cast in all directions and their silhouettes were seen being flung as far as the horizon. Nothing was left but the sound of their cries, until those too faced into oblivion.

A muffled voice finally broke the stillness of the spell’s aftermath, but I didn’t hear what it said. A jumble of sounds all began talking excitedly, but it was static to my ears. It was as if a foggy wall had fallen behind me, cutting my senses off from the rest of the chapel. The only thing that was clear to me was the balcony where Chrysalis had been standing and the horizon where I had last seen her fall. My gaze fell upon my right hand, still held like a claw, still warm from where it had gripped Chrysalis, still pulsing with the touch of her heartbeat.

“Come with me.” A white linen blanket wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me out of my daze. Only after blinking a few times did I realize it was Celestia’s wing, and she was guiding me back into the palace.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight objected.

“Don’t worry about us. We’re fine.” The princess’s voice was as soft as her feathers. “You have a real wedding to put together.” And with that commission, Celestia escorted me from the wide eyes and gaping mouths of my friends.

“Princess-” I tried to speak, but my voice trembled like a leaf.

“That’s enough.” She whispered. “It’s over now.”

And it really was. Without the flow of adrenaline propping me up, I realized just how exhausted I was. My limbs felt like rubber and my muscles like water. To add to it all, something was weighing down my chest, a heaviness that would have crushed me if not for the uplifting ward of the princess’s wing. Something had tainted my mouth, rendering victory bitter. I couldn’t even bring myself to make the obligatory ‘Team Rocket’s blasting off again’ allusion.

“Ok…”

I didn’t see where our path took us or how long it took to get there. I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep until I woke up later that evening.

I was lying in a crater of sheets upon the guest bed, still fully dressed, minus my harness. With a shaky groan, I pulled myself to my feet and wandered out into the palace corridors. The weary sun had just set, igniting the sky in ribbons of orange and purple like celestial theater curtains. Below me, in the royal gardens, faint strains of music and the sounds of a vigorous wedding reception floated into the air. I, however, remained above the noise, eventually finding a cozy little balcony to spy from.

Pinkie Pie and DJ Pon3 had pulled out all the stops, taking advantage of the evening scene to introduce lights and lasers to their music tracks. Food packed every flat surface and drinks flowed like rivers. In the middle of it all, Captain Shining Armor and his new bride Princess Cadance shared their first dance as husband and wife. It was everything I had fought for, but it was a world away from where I stood.

“You made it. Enjoy your rest?” A midnight-blue shape alighted on my perch. Princess Luna beamed at me as she tucked her wings against her side.

“Oh yeah, but now my mental clock’s all out of wack.” I shook my head. “I guess there are worse fates. How are you holding up?”

“Remarkably well, considering what we have just been through.” The princess looked longingly down at the smiling, laughing ponies below. “It is impressive, though, how quickly they seem to recover.”

“I thought the same thing after the Discord scenario. Resiliency doesn’t come as naturally to me.”

“Is this why you are still up here and not celebrating with them?”

“I don’t feel like partying.” I admitted.

“But you had such a hand in bringing it about.” Luna pressed.

“Then let them enjoy it. My wedding gift to the happy couple.” I glanced over at my companion. “What about you? Still shy around crowds?”

“A princess is not shy!” The alicorn tsundere-ed. “We just excused ourselves to raise the moon for a moment.”

“Of course.” A smirk played at the corners of my mouth.

“Is something troubling you? You should be proud at the victory you’ve fostered. I have spoken with my sister about all that has transpired. Of course, she would like to speak with you in person, but there can be no argument that this land owes you a great debt.”

“Yeah, I mean no, I mean…” My nose buried itself in my elbow. “I’m happy to help. Really, it’s nothing more than what my friends would do for me. It’s just… I thought victory would feel different.”

“Is this remorse I detect?” My friend stepped closer.

“I don’t know what this is.” I admitted. “Chrysalis was a spy, a liar, a manipulator, a kidnapper, a slaver, a thief and a conqueror, and in the end, I’m the one that got called a monster…” I looked back down at my right hand. “… And I’m not even sure she was wrong.”

“The queen had declared war. You only responded in kind.”

“Did I?” I whispered. “And if I did, how does that make me any better than her?”

Somewhere beyond the castle walls was an entire army of hungry, scattered, and possibly injured creatures and they were there because of me. Perhaps they had learned a lesson, perhaps they merely returned home, perhaps one day they would seek peace with Equestria,

And perhaps I had just committed genocide.

A polished silver horseshoe alighted comfortingly on my shoulder and tenderly lifted my chin.

“I don’t know what will become of the changelings, but I know that a lot of ponies are smiling right now because of your brave actions.” Luna studied my face with a tender expression in her eyes. “This is the first time you’ve seen war, isn’t it?”

“In person…” I nodded.

“I see…” The alicorn smiled at the rising stars and asked, “Would you think it odd if I told you that we admire one who can find sympathy in their hearts, even for an enemy?”

“I…”

“Would you believe it if I told you that once upon a time, Celestia herself had trouble finding such compassion? A time when she believed that if a problem could not be solved with magic, then one simply was not using enough magic?” Luna looked up at me kindly. “Would you believe it if I told you that there was a time when we were young and foolish and that only through deep wounds has she come to be the benevolent princess she is today?

“Not many history books remember the war in the north. Even fewer remember the name of that outpost. But we remember. It was called the Crystal Bastion and it was the heart of our enemy’s contemptible war machine. She led the assault herself, fearless and feared, not caring what it was, but only how to stop it.”

“And what did she find?”

“Foals.” Luna whispered. “Fillies. Farmers and bakers. Our enemy was using his own citizens to make weapons and by doing so, had painted a target on them. On that day, we believe Celestia asked herself many of the same questions you now face. And if I may say so, she emerged wiser and kinder for the experience. Even today, she sacrificed herself so that the wedding guests could escape rather than destroy the palace to defeat a single changeling.

“As for being a ‘monster’, that is for you to decide. If we may voice our input, however, I consider you a true hero after what you’ve done for us.” My mouth moved, but no words came out. “If you do not wish to speak further on the matter, you have certainly earned a respite. I could convince my sister to belay her interview until you feel-”

“No, that’s fine. I’ll talk to her tonight.” I explained. “I’ve put this off long enough.” I cast a fond glance at the party still churning beneath us and added, “But that’s no reason for you to remain stuck up here. You should go and enjoy the wedding.”

“But what shall we say?” Luna blinked. “Once again, we have appeared absent during this whole fiasco!”

“Oh, just be yourself.” My shoulders bounced. “A little casual, a little epic, a little sugary, a little spicy.” Luna pondered this for a moment before nodding to herself.

“We may have something suitable.” She spread her great wings and alighted from the balcony. I watched her glide up behind the girls and her sister, a small smile on her face. With only a tasteful hint of sarcasm, she greeted them.

“Hello, everypony. Did I miss anything?”

Later that night, after the music had died and the rest of the partygoers were trundling towards the welcoming embrace of their pillows, I found myself sitting in Celestia’s study with a large cup of tea in my hands and a royal dyarchy for an audience. Across from me, the two sisters sat quietly, patiently waiting for me to gather my thoughts and explain exactly what I knew and how it would change my standing in their world. It didn’t take long. After all, I had been waiting for that moment since I first touched Equestrian soil.

“Earth is a land filled with stories.” I began. “Some real and some fictional, but all important in one way or another. I wasn’t lying when I told you that Earth is unaware of Equestria’s existence, but that was only in the literal sense of the word. There is one particular story that I think you’ll be very interested in. It’s called ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’.”

Author's Note:

Another season down.

Comments

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Dat Avengers reference!

[64bitcube]

Great chapter, and congrats on finishing the season!

I'm curious, do you still feel you'll be following canon events as time goes forward? Will Mark try and learn from his feelings regarding Chrysalis and the changlings, and try to use his knowledge to benefit all parties, even those who happen to be labeled villains?

[Thezion1111]

that was absolutely brilliant, in this chapter mark reminded of David Tennant in his first episode of doctor who

[Trevor12300]

Can't wait till he faces off against Tirek!

[Advent Link]

Wow...

This, just this. I was worried that mark would play such a small role like some previous chapters, but this one? This chapter you could feel the suspense, the possibillity of a different outcome and the ramifications of a kind hearted person trying to come to terms with what he has done. This was a very enjoyable chapter. Well done.

Also I look forward to reading about mark explaining himself to twilight.

[The silver knight]

Monster? I wonder...

[Pontiac56]

I'm curious how he would handle somepony like Starlight Glimmer. He is aware she will eventually become Twilight's student, but after the first meeting, the girls will see her as an enemy. He'l need to be careful how that situation gets approached

[SRY]

Epic chapter. This was just glorius, and we get to see Mark explore his place in Equestria and also be a badass. His interaction with Luna is very well done.

[MasterZadok]

7238427
Ohhh... Hmm...
See, the thing is, Mark went to Equestria after the end of Season 4, but before the second EG movie. He hasn't seen the new seasons/movies.
(And this guy thinks Stalin was as bad as Hitler. He probably won't take kindly to 'Cutiemark Karl Marx'.)

[Pontiac56]

7238710 Interesting. I wonder how the situation would go down. He has no cutie mark and therefore isn't limited when the mark is stolen. He could fight Starlight from the get go. heck with how weakened the earth ponies become after losing their marks, it's possible he'd be able to physically fight them off.

[cullexoh]

Did anyone else imagine Chrysalis with mandibles and hissing like a Xenomorph during the MIB reference?

[RuneStone]

I loved this chapters. Can't wait to see what awaits Mark in his future of Equestria now.

[HIEfan]

Exellent! I loved how he waltzed in to the chapel and had this glorious dialog with Chrysalis, i give it 10 out of 10.

[lightning stroke]

This definitely needs to be featured i love this chapter and it had a very satisfying conclusion.

[denneylaw]

7238710 just wondering but do you have any plans for season 5 onward?

[MasterZadok]

7261850
Funny you should ask that. Since people have been so encouraging of this story, I've been watching every new episode like, "Hmm, how would Mark react to this?" And let me tell you, that most recent episode, a full 22 minutes of Applejack and Rarity trying to go to the spa had him bored out of his noggin!
(No, that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the episode. Sometimes we need a slice of life to keep things in perspective.)
But that's neither here or there, you asked a question and I got sidetracked. It depends. It really does. Any story arc for the show mostly revolves around the plot-heavy episodes, the premiers and finales. Does that mean I have a story arc for Starlight Glimmer? Mebbe...
But of course, that all depends on him sticking around until then now, doesn't it?

[Not So Anonymous Pony]

Well I finally reach this point and now I have to wait like everyone else. Good chapter and I can't wait to see the next one where everything is reviled. I wonder how everyone will take the news.

I would also be one of those who would be interested in season 5 in this story but we should probably get to season 4 before thinking that far ahead.

[MasterZadok]

7273460 Thank you for your encouragement and thank you for taking to time to comment on the story. I'll get this next chapter up as soon as I can, but it still needs a lot of love.

[Quilltastic]

Amazing chapter! I loved every bit of it. Keep it up I can't wait for more!

[KingOfDerp]

Pinkie Pie and Vinyl Scratch can keep a party’s momentum going stronger than Mr. Incredible on P90X.

Where do you get these?! XD

[SilverMuffins]

We were more thrilled than Michael Jackson in a graveyard, more electrified than Zeus at a dubstep concert, more spirited than the ghost busters at a séance, and more fired up than Yang Xiaolong in July.

Yang Xiaolong?
Why hello, RWBY.

[Gizmo Gear]

8424937
Yesh.