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Chapter 11,526 words
The End of All2,583 words

Chapter 1

Finally, the moment had arrived. She had successfully trapped Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, and taken her place. She even removed Twilight Sparkle from the wedding. Everything was going according to plan, and she had to try very hard to keep her face as an innocent smile before Princess Celestia as she carried on the wedding ceremony. “...It is my great pleasure to announce you-”

“Stop!” A voice yelled out. The sound of doors slamming open rang in the wedding hall, turning every pony’s heads to see Twilight Sparkle. Nearly the whole crowd gasped.

Chrysalis couldn't help but stomp in frustration. “Ugh, why does she have to be so possessive of her brother?!” She turned to Shining Armor, noticing that Celestia had quite a surprised look from hearing that comment. Quickly remembering where she was, the false Cadance brought a hoof to her face and began to fake cry. “Why does she have to ruin my special day?”

“Because, It's not YOUR special day, It's mine!” The real Cadance, ruffled and dirty, stood in the wedding hall now, angry and ready to take down her imposter. The crowd gasped even more at this change of events, and Chrysalis was rather surprised, but didn't say anything.

To the side, Applejack spoke up. “I don't understand. How can there be two of 'em?”

“She's a Changeling.” Cadance said confidently. “They take the form of some pony you love and gains power by feeding off of your love for them!” She and Twilight shared a look between them, knowing they had the imposter cornered.

Chrysalis nearly seemed with rage of how her plan was ruined. But, then again, it was still in her favor. No pony trusted Twilight Sparkle anymore, and she could easily persuade the others that the real Cadance was actually the fake. “That's impossible!” She shouted at Cadance. “I've been with Shining Armor for years! Maybe you're the imposter! Maybe Twilight made you so that she could ruin our wedding!” She kept her face like stone as the crowd nodded and agreed with her.

Twilight jumped ahead of Cadance, turning her head to both sides of the crowd. “No! That fake sent me to the Canterlot Crystal Caves, so I wouldn't interfere with the wedding! That's where I found the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!”

The crowd now seemed to be behind Twilight. Before the disguised Princess could say anything, a loud voice silenced all others. “Enough!” All heads turned to Princess Celestia, who now stood rigid and tall with a serious look upon her face. “Arguing will not get any of us the answer. We must prove who is the real Mi Amore Cadenza.”

The whole time, Shining Armor had stayed quiet, as Chrysalis had wanted, but now, she wanted him to speak, hopefully to back her. “I'll ask them questions. Only my Cadance would know me in and out. Both of you, stand up here.” He pointed to the top of the stairs. Both Princesses put on a face of hurt, as if their love didn't trust them. Chrysalis was only doing this as a guise, however.

Twilight stood beside her brother, staring intently at the pony in the wedding dress, waiting for any sign of weakness. Shining Armor looked at both of the Princesses. “Where did we first meet?” The first question.

Chrysalis quickly raised a hoof. “At the entrance to the Canterlot Garden Maze. You were on guard duty.” She quickly turned a mean look to the real Cadance, who's face was in shock.

“Right.” Shining Armor also gave a strange look to Cadance, earning more confusion from her, and making her heart beat faster. “Now, what is my favorite afternoon snack-?”

Princess Cadance quickly spoke out. “An eggplant sandwich!”

Chrysalis almost spat at how quickly she got that right, but with just a bit of her influence...

Shining Armor just shifted hiss eyes. “-On Thursdays.”

“A Dragon fruit smoothie.” The imposter said matter-of-factly

“Right again.” The stallion turned to the real Princess. “That's 2 down. The real Cadance would be more careful.”

The words stabbed Cadance's heart. She couldn't believe she just heard her groom say those words. Chrysalis, however, nearly giggled at how easily she got Shining Armor to say that.

“Last question. Only the real Cadance could ever know this. What is the nickname my sister Twilight calls me by?”

Twilight smirked. Cadance was her foal sitter, and any good foal sitter would remember the nickname the foal they were sitting always used when talking about their brother all the time.

But Princess Cadance drew a blank. That was from years ago, before she personally met Shining Armor. But Chrysalis had overheard Twilight use it just yesterday. It paid off to snoop around. “You are her Big Brother Best Friend Forever, honey.” She said, leaving Cadance's jaw wide open. The “real” Cadance stood by her husband, wrapping a leg over his shoulder.

Celestia nodded. “If Shining Armor feels this is the correct choice, then I ask you to leave immediately.” She stated to Cadance, who was on the verge of tears.

“That, that witch! She bewitched my Shining Armor!” Cadance charged a huge blast of energy in her horn, and directed it at the imposter, only to be blocked by a bright gold barrier of magic. She turned to see an angry Celestia forming the barrier.

“Princess Celestia! This is the real Cadance! You have to believe me!” Twilight shouted at her teacher.

Celestia just shook her head, “Your brother has determined who the real one is. I don't know what's gotten into you, Twilight, but I am having you confined until the ceremony is over.” She pointed her horn at Twilight, blasting a beam of magic that warped around Twilight, trapping her in a sphere of magic. Celestia then teleported the sphere out of the wedding hall, into her personal study. Twilight would be there until after the wedding was over.

Cadance tried a more direct approach this time, charging at Chrysalis. But she was quickly restrained by a powerful magical energy, Celestia's, suspending her in mid-air. Trying as she might, Cadance could not summon any magic to fight the magic surrounding her body. 4 Unicorn guards ran up to her, enveloping her in their own magical fields, and carried her out of the wedding hall as she tried to fight out. The last thing she saw was her beloved's eyes flash green before the doors shut. When they closed, her body went limp in the Unicorn's magical grip, and she began to sob.

A few moments passed before Celestia let out a small sigh. “Where were we, you two?” she asked the bride and groom.

The whole crowd was whispering between each other, shocked and wondering at what just happened. The bride's maids just shared a look of concern and worry for Twilight.

Chrysalis allowed herself to take a deep breath as well. That was way too close, but worked out even better than she had hoped. It was a good thing she could manipulate Shining Armor that easily, or that wouldn't have gone so well. The two turned to face the Princess, who was back on her small podium.

Everypony settled down again as the wedding resumed where it was. “I now pronounce you...”

“Ah yes, wasn't that just a perfect wedding? I couldn't have hoped for a better one. You managed to remove the only two ponies that could have ruined it. I really must thank you, Celestia.” Chrysalis giggled as she turned to face the Sun Princess, encased in a cocoon of thick gel. She rubbed one of her black, hole-ridden legs across the gelatinous cage. “Oh, don't feel too bad. I will remember to give you credit when I tell the story to my subjects.”

Celestia could only glare through the green goop. Her magic was unable to penetrate the substance, and it held her too tightly for her to move. She told herself that she should have listened to Twilight, because she was right all along.“Don't take it personally, Celestia.” Queen Chrysalis said. “I'm just taking care of my subject, just as you do yours. Without this love between the pony folk, my poor people would starve.” She tried to sound sad and pitiful, but couldn't resist laughing. Celestia had trapped Twilight Sparkle in a field of magic that only Celestia or herself was strong enough to break, and that poor Cadance was locked away before the invasion began, so there had been no resistance as her subjects took over the entire city in mere hours.

The Changeling Queen walked over to the other side of the room, her wings making a rather squishing noise as she unfolded them. A smile was brought to her face watching the feast from a window.

“This day has been just perfect.
The kind of day of which I've dreamed since I was small.
Everypony I'll soon control,
Every Stallion, Mare, and foal!
Who says a girl can't really have it all!?”

She flew into the air just outside the window, spreading her limbs out and laughing maniacally as her Changelings rampaged over the city of Canterlot.

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