The Royal Wedding -- Canterlot Streets

The streets of Canterlot were bustling with activity – ponies wearing fancy designs window shopped outside boutiques, restaurants were filled with guests, mares and colts from far and wide arrived for this one special day – the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Royal Guard Captain Shining Armour. Under the watchful gaze of the most splendid guards Equestria ever bore, the multi-coloured crowd roamed the streets, excitedly waiting for the day after tomorrow, when the ceremony would take place.

The train station was amongst the most crowded – trains arrived one by one, each bearing a load of wedding guests wearing beautiful garments as well as those ponies that wished to witness the ceremony. In their midst were Valiant Shadow and his mare-friend, Satin Veil. The two ponies had to patiently wait in line for the guards to inspect them – it was rumoured that a threat was made against Canterlot itself, and security was extremely tight.

Valiant Shadow’s black mane was thoroughly searched with magic, and since he didn’t wear anything on his azure coat, the guards let him pass quickly. His betrothed, however, had to give up her purse and watch in dismay as its contents were dropped to the ground – a picture of her mother, with a free-flowing red mane and yellow coat, some snacks (which were confiscated in case of poisoning) and several cosmetics. In a hushed but hardy voice Satin Veil expressed her concern of the guard’s manners while he checked each item. Under her harsh stare, the guard’s ears slightly lowered, and he grunted a sorry. “She is very much like her mother”, though Shadow, helping his love gather her things “Both in beauty and character.”

Leaving the bustling and loud station behind, the earth ponies maneuverer through a thick crowd of tourists, wedding guests and Canterlot citizens, eventually arriving at a small but cosy Inn in which they booked a few nights. The owners were a pair of smiling and jovial elderly Unicorns. Their endearing demeanour is what sold Valiant Shadow on the Inn – the couple tended to drift off in conversation about their grandfoals, the weather or the perfect way to harvest crops.

The rented room was quite spartan in design, but nothing was missing – a simple cupboard stood in the corner, a table crouched alongside a two-wing bed and the last rays of the setting sun illuminated the room through a large window. Valiant Shadow and Satin Veil were both tired after the long trip from their home-town, so without bothering to go eat downstairs, they lay down on the bed. As night took guard over Canterlot, the pair was already happily snoring in unison, tucked under a thick blanket within each-other’s hooves.

A gentle knock on the door woke up Satin Veil. The sun was rising steadily over the seemingly living colourful streets of Equestria. The pony’s gaze rested on her lover for a few moments – his grizzled short mane was a horror to look at, and she always insisted he should wear it a bit longer. But Valiant Shadow was always a stubborn colt when it came to looks – he deflected any propositions of change on the account that she fell in love with him for who he was and how he looked, way back when. Another series of knocks managed to penetrate the loud snoring of the sleeping colt – Satin Veil managed to gently close her stallion-friend’s mouth before she carefully left his embrace to open the door.

The Unicorn owner’s wife greeted the mare with a wide smile. “How did ya spend the night? Was the bed comfortable enough for ya?” she exclaimed in a cheerful voice. Satin quickly hushed the mare and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. “He likes to sleep in” she explained “And yes, I had a wonderful rest. The view of the city is so lovely from up here!”. “I know, right?” said the old mare, nodding in agreement “I don’t know why we get so few gests though. The food is fine, the prices aren’t that high, and we got the bestest and freshest homemade chocolate chip cookies in all of Canterlot!”

The two went down for breakfast – the elderly colt was finishing up spicing a deliciously smelling porridge. Not long after the first spoonful was greeted with sounds of delight, heavy hoof steps were heard from above. A not yet fully conscious Valiant Shadow came down the stairs, taking in deep breaths of the aromatic porridge smell. “Good-yaaawn-morning” he spoke in a soft voice “Is there perhaps more of that deliciously smelling… thing?”. “Thing? You mean porridge, sonny?” asked the old mare “Of course there is! Grab yourself a bowl and chow down”.

Their bellies full, the young pair set off into the city. The crowd in the street barely left any space to move in – everypony was talking about the upcoming wedding, looking for trinkets or taking pictures of the guards. “You know, I’ve never been to Canterlot before” yelled Satin Veil, her voice barely hearable in the commotion. “Me too. In fact, I never was in the north before. Look, you can see Cloudsdale from here!” exclaimed Valiant shadow, pointing in the direction of the grand cloud city. The factory chimneys of Cloudsdale sat silently – it was requested that the weather be perfect for the upcoming celebration. As a result, heat on the brink of comfort poured down upon pony heads, multiplied by the activity and sheer excitement of the crowd. “How about we grab some ice-cream?” screamed Valiant Shadow, and yanked his beloved one towards the nearest boutique. Satin Veil was impressed, as always, by her stallion-friend’s resolve. He was a gentle and kind pony, with a giant heart on his hoof – still, he almost always got worked up over challenges. His unyielding spirit and tough personality are the things that kept Satin Veil by his side – sometimes even against her will in times of doubt. He wasn’t perfect, and his bullheadedness sometimes got the best of him, but she loved him all the same – rough around the edges. Edges that could be soothed with a Satin Veil…

The mare snapped out of her contemplations as Shadow almost shoved her face into a giant ice-cream cone. Valiant laughed as Satin had to lick off the treat from her nose and chin. “Yes, you’re very… Funny!” said the mare, pushing the stallion’s head into his own cone as retribution. They both laughed and continued their tour of Canterlot.

The ivory white of the castle itself was hypnotizing. Majestic towers obscured the sun, providing some cover for the guards that had to keep watch day and night over the safety of their city. Periodically, a bolt of purple light flew from the premises of the castle, hitting and renewing the gigantic bubble the city was wrapped in. Velvet and Shadow, both being Earth ponies, didn’t understand how the shield worked, and why it didn’t blot out the sun. They debated the threat made to Canterlot over a sorbet, but couldn’t find any reason (or power) behind such an act. They concluded that it had to be either a really elaborate prank pulled by somepony, or some kind of special surprise for the wedding. Either way, the guards seemed confident in their abilities, and the Captain himself looked like a capable, albeit tired pony.

While window shopping, Valiant Shadow made one grave mistake – he commented that Satin Veil would look great in one of the displayed dresses. Before he could bite his tongue, his love was already on the other side of the glass, showering the sales pony with questions. If there was anything that Satin Veil geeked out about, it was dresses. Her eyes would always sparkle with cheer and delight at the sight of a beautiful gown or hat. Shadow appreciated that she wanted to look nice for him, and it was easy as pie to get her something for her birthdays – but out on the field, Satin was like a Spec Ops pony. She would ask about every single detail the shop keep would offer, stalk through the whole shop and eye each dress, either until Valiant Shadow gathered his courage to stop her or the shop would close. Veil would literally try out every dress, asking him for opinions with a voice and face she knew he could not resist, pretty soon reducing the colt to a nodding automaton. “Still, I love her, and it’s great she has a hobby like that. She has a passion I can admire” Valiant though to himself, entering with a smile the belly of the beast (called Madame Fancyy’s Exquisite Wears).

Carrying a hoofful of bags in his mouth, Shadow followed the rampaging Satin Veil into every other shop. As he predicted, her excitement took the best of her, and now he would have to either run away (although it was not guaranteed she would actually notice he was missing) or colt up and wait until sundown, which hopefully brings about the closure of most shops. He observed his beloved one with a mixture of endearment and minor irritation as she jumped around excitedly in a dress he knew he couldn’t afford. Back in their home-town, Valiant Shadow was a construction worker, and Satin Veil had a small sewing business. He worked because he had to – she worked because she wanted to. The mare’s parents owned a quite sizeable wool farm and there was little they could not afford – still, Shadow refused to take advantage of his lover’s heritage, impressing the mare’s strict parents. Her father in particular found Shadow to his liking – he shared the colt’s honour bound nature, and instinctively knew that the feeling between the two didn’t have any strings attached. Every now and then an awkward situation arose when Satin’s father would present a gift to Shadow, who would cordially refuse. A back and forth would ensue, sometimes lasting hours, both sides refusing to yield with increasing intensity. It was tradition that Veil’s mother, Sunny Beach, would finally step in and settle the dispute with her authority and wits, allowing all parties to retain whatever they took for their dignity and pride.

The shopping spree ended when the shopkeeper of the latest raided boutique pushed the pair outside and slammed the door. Shadow was astonished she managed to do it all with an “Our customer is king” smile. Satin Veil was a bit disappointed, as she was considering buying another sparkly pale-blue dress, which honestly Shadow liked really much. Despite the late hour, however, the life on the streets didn’t die out. Various night time shops opened their doors, embracing a flood of restless ponies. The wedding was less than 24 hours away, and the excitement was so thick one could cut it with a knife. Satin noticed that Shadow was getting tired – piles of bags and boxes covered him like a Christmas tree, and it was obvious to her he was putting on his brave face, doing anything to make her as happy as she can be. Her heart rose when she once again remembered what a wonderful lover fate threw her way. “You look tired darling… How about we grab some drinks and then head back home?” asked Satin Veil. The colt tried to make up some feeble excuses, they were thawed with a warm kiss and a deep look into his eyes. He finally yielded, allowing himself to be lead to a restaurant. They ordered colourful juices with umbrellas on top and slowly sipped them down. They felt like there was nothing and nopony else in the world but them – colourful metaphors would not do justice to the strong, blazing thread that links the two ponies’ hearts. The loud crowd, cheering, ponies constantly bumping into their table – it was all irrelevant in this moment. The night was just theirs.

The next morning, being the early bird, Satin Veil woke up first again. She affectionately ran her hoof down Shadow’s mane. In his sleep, he murmured something and snuggled up to Satin, making her heart flutter – she didn’t feel like going anywhere at the moment. The sun illuminated her red mane, and the warm summer rays made the day feel like truly the best time for something as important and beautiful as a wedding. Today, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor are going to say their “I do’s”. Veil was especially excited, as she hoped she could nudge Valiant Shadow into action as well. While she knew that the colt gave her his whole heart, she wasn’t able to subtly encourage him to propose to her. She tried many things – attending the local Hearts and Hooves day reinterpretation of “Romareo and Juliette”, trying on wedding dresses, even talking about marriage and plans for the future with Shadow’s parents. She was never certain whether or not the colt was waiting for the right moment or just oblivious to the messages sent to him. “Probably a bit of both” summed up Veil in her thoughts, watching the stallion besides her slowly open his eyes. He stretched and hugged her closer to himself, whispering an affectionate “Good morning” into her ear. Sounds of laugher and joy were heard as Shadow commenced to exploit Satin’s weakness – the tickles.

It was high noon when the pair finally left their room – he was wearing a stylish black tuxedo, she was dressed in a sparkly blue dress. A cool breeze came from the south, making the heat more bearable than the day before. The streets were mostly empty now – shops closed down and everypony was most likely at the castle, where the ceremony takes place later that day. It was amazing how different the streets looked like without all the life stomping about the white rocky road. In the distance, balloons flew high and fireworks could be heard and seen, accompanied by cheers and screams. Without much haste, the pair took their time to get to the castle gates.

The palace guards were more discreet with their inspection – they respectfully asked for belonging to be shown and pockets to be emptied. Once in a while a pony was taken aside for further inspection, but nopony was kept there long and it seems that each guest was clean. Shadow and Satin held their breath as they took in their surroundings – the towers and pillars looked even higher and more magnificent, pointing towards the sky and the giant purple bubble protecting Canterlot from the unknown threat. The lawn beneath their hooves was neatly trimmed, and the hedges were formed into magnificent living statues of ponies and animals. High above them was the balcony on which the newly wed pair would greet everypony that came. Everything about this place and time seemed magical and perfect.

Finally, giant trumpets sounded and everypony went silent. A soft song, sung by birds and complimented by various instruments was heard – the wedding has begun. Large gramophone-like instruments, guarded by royal guards, sat beneath the balcony, magically relaying the words of Princess Celestia as she started the ceremony: “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Priness Mi Amore Cadenza, and Shining Armour…”. Suddenly, a sharp sound cut the air like butter – faint voices could be heard coming from the apparatus, and a commotion broke out. The sky darkened, and everypony looked up – the space outside the protective bubble was swarming with little black figures. Screaming begun and ponies started running in random directions. Valiant Shadow quickly shook off the shock and pressed himself against his love, not allowing them to separate, and made his way towards the exit. As they marched amidst the chaos, Satin Veil tried to talk to and calm down the ponies that bumped into them – to no avail. As the pair crossed the gate, an ominous thumping was heard from all directions, as if tiny raindrops drummed against a hollow tree – whatever it was up there, it was shifting and throwing itself against the shield. Valiant Shadow continued to move towards their Inn, steadily and unrelentingly. As they reached the doors, sounds of cracking glass came from above…

“What’s going on?! What’s happening!” yelled the terrified owners, covering behind the counter. “We don’t know. Something is trying to break into Canterlot. Something went wrong during the wedding.” explained Satin while Shadow looked out the window. “Holy Celestia… Look!” he shouted and beckoned the ponies. They poked their heads out just in time to see the protective bubble crack and shatter, purple shards dissolving before they reached the ground. The black mass advanced, and the sound of thousands of insectoid wings was heard. Sparks of green light lit the black mass, and pony-like creatures began landing on the streets and roofs of Canterlot, creating smoking craters where they hit.

“We must get out of here!” yelled Valiant Shadow “This place is not safe. Please come with us!”. “This place is all we have” replied the elder mare, fright plain in her voice, “We can’t leave our home…”. “You must!” urged Valiant Shadow “We don’t know who they are and what are their plans – but they definitely don’t seem friendly. If we don’t hurry, they will…”. A giant crash came from above, followed by two similar noises. Everypony went silent. Faint mischievous cackling came from the upper floor, and hoofsteps slowly went towards the stairs. “Let’s back out, nice and easy. And silently”, Whispered Valiant Shadow to the inn owners and his love. As they were nearing the exit, a loud hiss broke the silence. On the stairs there was a creature, its coat black and sparkly, as if it were wearing armour, its horn twisted and pointy, its wings and hooves riddled with holes. The creatures blue eyes turned to Satin Veil, and the abomination bore its daggerish fangs. Valiant Shadow would not stand for this – “Go! I’ll hold them here!”, he shouted as he charged the beast. Satin was swept up by the old couple, her yelp was thawed by the elder mare’s hoof. Before she lost sight of her loved one, she saw the two more shadows descend the stairs…

Still shocked and dazed, the three ponies ran as fast as they could through the streets. The town was in dismay and overwhelmed by the invaders – guards were wrapped up in green goo and unable to move, ponies were being chased by the vile creatures, the beasts themselves were crawling up and down walls, seeking prey. To her horror, Satin saw one of the invaders cast a green light on a mare from its vile horn. While it didn’t seem to hurt the pony, the victim slumped and curled up into a ball, sobbing and looking miserable. Little groups of citizens here and there tried to fight the beasts with magic rays, hooves and whatever was available – they were quickly overwhelmed however, and each of them subject to the mysterious green energy, causing them to apparently loose hope and give up. Veil’s heart stopped when she realised that that could happen to her beloved one. With all her might she tried to turn back, trample the invaders if she had to, and reunite with her lover – the elder colt’s grip was strong though and she was unable to resist being dragged towards the train station.

As the three crossed the gates of the train station, the shock caused them to loose ground under their hooves. Many ponies lay crying on the ground, apathetic and miserable, and the machine itself was one big pile of scrap and bent metal. The cackling creatures scavenging about noticed the newcomers and lunged in their direction. As their horns began to glow, a figure erected between Satin’s face and the agressors. A pair of mighty legs bucked the first beast, sending it hurtling backwards and crashing through a window. The second creature lunged at the trio’s protector, but was knocked out by a strong blow to the temple. The third beast managed to cling onto the back of the heroic pony – a struggle ensued, but before Satin Veil would snap out of the shock, the newcomer did a backflip and crushed this enemy beneath him. She nearly fainted as relief took over – Valiant Shadow picked himself up and bucked his latest enemy away, ensuring he remains unconscious for some time. “Satin! Satin! Are you alright?!” yelled the colt, shaking his loved one. “Oh, Shadow!” cried out the mare and threw herself at the colt. The warmth of his body, his fast breath and touch of his skin made her heart beat wildly – she didn’t know whether to cry, cheer or yell, so she did all these things at once. She slapped Valiant Shadow for leaving her and risking his flank. She kissed him passionately and latched onto him, sobbing quietly and murmuring inaudible words. “There there, everything is going to be all right… Shh, I’m here, I’m here”, whispered the colt. “How did you manage to get out, boy?” asked the surprised elderly mare, finally finding his voice “No offence or anything, but we was sure you’d be done for back there”. “Well, it was a tough fight”, said Shadow, looking at the remains of his tuxedo – tears and dust intertwined with rusty spots was all that was left of a once classy dress piece. “These creatures are something truly horrible. They suck out the happiness from you, and become stronger by it” he explained, as Satin was sobbing over some of the scratches and wounds Shadow got from the fight “Also, they can take on the form of anypony you know and love... I saw one of them change…” The colt went silent and looked down at his beloved one. His eyes became watery, and the pair hugged even harder. “There is no way out now, the train is destroyed. From the looks of it, the castle is overrun too. I head and saw some serious fighting over there, so there still might be somepony who is resisting the invasion. If we can’t run, we must help.”, said Shadow with a stomp. The old ponies stood there silently. Satin Veil’s sobs became quieter as she calmed down.

The group investigated their nearest surroundings – the ponies around were indeed alive and physically okay, but their will to live was literally sucked out. They were depressed and unable to act at all. Satin and Shadow did the best they could and led the ponies to a safe place – the basement of the station. Shadow found the key on one of the conductor ponies and handed it to the elderly couple – they were to lock themselves in and don’t let anyone in unless they knocked in a special sequence. Valiant tried to convince his loved one to stay as well, but the fire in her voice and eyes left no room for doubt – she would exact revenge on the ones who dared to lift a hoof at her lover. The pair moved as quietly as they could through the panicked town, avoiding groups of the invaders scouting for untouched victims. Along their way, they noticed several ponies being wrapped up in gooish cocoons. The ponies inside were alive, but as apathetic as the ones on the train station. With their hearts heavy, they decided to leave those that can’t be helped and focus on the ones that potentially are still sane and able to act.

One such pony was the owner of the boutique that was the last shop Valiant and Veil went to the other day. This time, instead of a smile, the pony had an authentic war face, with markings made from beauty products. She was defending herself behind the counter with a crazy combination of measuring tape used as a lasso and several pinned cushions, causing the aggressors to think twice before they approached. Several black creatures were howling on the ground, needles sticking out from their bodies, or their hooves wrapped up in tape, snapping at their laughing brethren. Without any warning, Valiant Shadow ruthlessly engaged the beasts, bucking and punching, head butting and smashing adversaries as they came. Satin also didn’t leave her enemies wanting – although she wasn’t a warrior, her hind legs moved like lightning, powerful kicks fuelled by hate and the desire to protect took down enemies one by one. In a matter of minutes the pair drove the enemies away. The scene went silent, save for the panting of the mare and colt and the silent yelps of downed creatures. The shopkeeper gave out a small smile and said “I guess I owe you a discount”.

The ponies moved through the city towards the castle. They picked up momentum with each saved pony – a barber, who turned out to be a great wrestler, a wedding guest who knew Canterlot very well and a filly who was looking for her mom. Alas, for each saved pony, dozens of others lay on the ground, almost lifeless, sad and remorseful. Their situation and misery, however, was the fuel that kept the furnace of rebellion alive – the group’s will was strong, they were determined to drive the enemy away, or at least stick in their throats as hard as they could. With each fight they were more tired, more bruised, and surer of their convictions. Valiant Shadow was a colt that worked physically each day, so he was fit enough for the journey and encounters – he feared however for his Satin Veil. She was a tough pony, and she grew in his eyes more than ever before. The guts she displayed would have even been arousing to him should the situation be different – at the same time he saw that she was at her brink. She wanted to carry her weight so much that she was pushing herself too far. A few hundred meters from the castle, Shadow ordered a stop, and the group hid in a commodity boutique. “You must lay down and rest, Satin”, whispered Shadow in a delicate voice, placing her head on his side. “I’m fine” she said, fighting for breath “We’ll take 5 minutes and then move out”. “No” replied Shadow with a harsh tone, “You are pushing yourself too much. You will rest here, whether you like it or not. You’ll take care of Marina, and you’ll both hide in here. I’ll be fine, I promise I’ll come back. Do you promise you’ll stay here and watch the filly?” Satin’s will to argue was melted down by the gaze of steel Valiant presented. She let her ears fall and nodded. “But please come back…”, she whispered, a tear appearing in her eye. “I will” he said, kissing her softly, “I have a very important question I have to ask you when I come back. I won’t back down against anything to hear the answer.” Before his words managed to sink into Satin’s mind, Shadow picked himself up and ordered the colts to follow him into Canterlot.

The castle was swarming with the black creatures – Valiant Shadow had no doubts that inside lay whatever leader they had. He was almost sure he could see a black, tall pony moving about in one of the windows of the castle. There was no possible way for them to enter secretly into the castle grounds. “What should we do?” asked the stumpy barber, eyeing the creatures zipping by with his gray eyes. “I’m sorry, I have no idea what the castle looks like” explained the wedding guest, shuffling nervously from hoof to hoof. His clothing, as everyone else’s, was in ruins, stained with dust and rusty marks where the cuts and bruises were. “We’re too few to take the castle. And even if we were that many, we are too tired to take on whatever hides behind this attack” whispered Shadow, observing the towers, “We must assume both Princesses are held captive, and by the looks of it, the Captain of the Royal Guard was relieved of his duty as well. Eh… I honestly have no idea what we CAN do”. “Look! They’re dragging some ponies into the castle!” whispered the wedding guest. Indeed, 6 ponies were being dragged by several invaders towards the main gate. One of them was still struggling, a blue Pegasus mare with a rainbow mane. She was the only one being held in place between four other adversaries, each holding one of her hoofs. From the distance, curses and yelling could be heard, a testament to the pony’s valour and fight. “Why didn’t they ‘eat’ them?” asked the barber. “Good question” said Valiant Shadow, rubbing his chin. “If we manage to get to them, maybe we can do something? I mean, those ponies were important enough for those creatures to bring to their leader…”. Hoofsteps from behind had everypony lay low and turn around, ready to fight. In the alley, Veil was running towards the group. Anger rose inside Shadow, but was replaced by fright as he saw his beloved one was crying. “Shadow… They took… They took… I tried…”. “Kleington, find a BETTER place to hide. Barboosa, come with me!” shouted Shadow and ran past his crying love, the barber hot on his tail. The two colts ran back the path they came from, and found their previous hiding place. Inside lay three unconscious creatures and nopony else. Shadow cursed, startling the barber for a second. “Now where could they go… Why did they take her?!”. Recklessly, the colt ran out into the street and howled with all his might “GIVE HER BACK YOU BUCKING BASTARDS!!”. Shadow’s breakdown was quickly thawed by the iron grip of Barboosa. He dragged the struggling and swearing Shadow into another alleyway, and slapped him across the face. Blind with rage, the colt fought back and tackled the barber. Without much ceremony, Barboosa forced Valiant Shadow into submission and waited a few moments more for him to calm down. Then he slapped him again, and gave him a look that said it all – “It’s tough, but you gotta keep your head cool”. Shadow took a few deep breaths and moved his hind leg about – for all his posture, the barber was immensely strong, and nearly ripped Shadow’s leg from its place. The two friends cautiously stepped back into the ruined shop. No beast seems to have arrived, and the coast was clear. Barboosa’s ears shot upwards, and he raised his head. Quickly and silently, he pressed himself near a closed door. Gesticulating, he beaconed Shadow to the other side of the door. On Barboosa’s mark, the door flung open, and the ponies bust inside. Valiant Shadow’s heart skipped a beat as he saw the filly he was looking for, covering in the corner of the small leisure room. The rush of thoughts coming through his head made time slow down – the filly is here, so Satin Veil lied, so she wasn’t…

Time stopped for Valiant Shadow. His heart died… His brain froze. Vision blurred as a deaf pounding in his head began. The world was a slide show – Barboosa dragging him and the filly from the room. A dark alley. Ponies crying everywhere. The taste of metal in his mouth. A scream. Green. The memory of Satin Veil in the field, surrounded by light and a green sea of grass. The grass burns down, fire takes over the scenery. Trees fall, cries of despair sound, Satin Veil so far away. She is screaming. She is burning. Liquid fills Shadow’s mouth – the taste of metallic goo is all he feels. Satin Veil…

No. Not Satin Veil. Her mane burns down to a black crust. Her eyes hollow out, replaced by a bright blue glow. Her sides burst with leathery torn wings. Her hoofs decay into hole riddled sticks. Fangs burst from her face, a malicious cackle rings in his head. The enemy. The beast. The Changeling. The thing that stands between him and his love. His life. They can’t take away his life. No. They WILL NOT take away his life. The fire. It does not consume – it heals. It burns away the illusion. He is the fire. He shall burn them all. To the ground. Till there is. Nothing. Left…

Valiant Shadow’s vision blurred back in a painful kaleidoscope of colours, tastes, sounds and feels. He felt like he was turned inside out, then back again – he was a giant aching tooth, begging to be torn out. The visions he just had snapped back into his mind. The Changeling. His Love. The Fire. Slowly, he felt his veins coming back to life. Blood was a torrent of lava raging through him. Misery, depression, the desire to just lay down and rest – they all burned into nothingness. His body screamed. He lifted himself up. He saw one of them. The Changeling. If those faces could ever express anything, it would probably be surprise and amusement. A green light started flickering at the tip of its horn as Valiant Shadow picked himself up. He was weak. But he was the fire. Like a torrent of pure hate, his lungs spew forth the most primal of howls anypony has ever heard. The enemy faltered and sad down in confusion. Valiant Shadow mercilessly lunged forward, bashing his weight against the creature. His hooves beat down upon the changeling, awful wet sounds following. When he was done, it wasn’t dead; but it wasn’t going anywhere either. With his mind fixed on one thing, and one thing only, he took a step. Then another one. A tear dropped to the ground as the trotted blindly forward, stumbling every other step.

It was way too dark to see anything. It didn’t make much difference to Valiant Shadow – he was dazed and not fully conscious, capable of doing only one thing at a time – and thinking was not one of those things. He passed a lot of ponies, most of them wrapped up in green goo. He paid them no attention. He knew that the most important thing to him is not here. It is ahead, not far away. He saw his path in the dark – like a thin red thread, pulsing with each beat of his heart, the way was shown to him. His body tried to refuse and give up many times, but it was not its decision. He stumbled several times, gaining new bruises that howled in his head. That sound kept him awake – and he was very tired.

After what seemed like an eternity, he saw the end of his thread – the one all his thoughts were consumed by. His reason to live, nay, his life itself. Satin Veil lay on the ground, sobbing quietly, amongst other ponies that were equally miserable. He took the last steps before he fell down beside her. Her gentle breaths were like the air he craved for all along. He felt as if he was emerging from a deep pool, finally breaking the surface of the liquid despair he was sunk in.

She moved. She looked at him. Her eyes began to water. With a surge of unknown strength, she moved towards him. The two touched with their noses. They inhaled each other’s scent. All the memories that were sucked out, all the joy of having another slowly revived. Whatever the Changelings did to them wasn’t enough – the fire of love was too strong for them to exhaust. It was meant to stay strong against the winds, the rains, even the end of the world. And it did, just like that. The couple moved closer, tears running down the other’s neck.

It was at this time that a bright light cut the darkness and enveloped everypony in its warm embrace. The pure essence of love surged through their bodies and hearts, bringing back hope, healing the wounds. This state of pure happiness lasted only for a moment, or maybe for an eternity – nopony was to know. Eventually, the feeling passed, leaving behind warmth and a sense of beauty. The couple slowly stood up, as did other ponies around them. Everyone was dazed and as if they awoke from a deep slumber. Satin Veil and Valiant Shadow were the first ones to recover fully – together they helped all the others stand up and leave the dark place they were it. As it turned out, they were in the sewers beneath the city.

Through a ponyhole, everypony left the darkness and stepped into the light of day. There was no Changeling in sight, and the ponies on the streets were as dazed as the colt and mare were before. The air was clear and warm; a nice breeze of fresh air blew from the south. Hesitantly at first, but quickly gaining in strength, cheering ensued through the streets. The enemies were gone. Apparently, something happened in the castle. Ponies spoke of a ray of light, or a giant heart emanating from within the castle grounds that drove the Changelings away. It was later confirmed that the power of love between the Princess and the Royal Guard Captain was strong enough to create a new spell that effectively repelled the evil creatures.

The wedding ceremony was resumed, without any unwanted surprises this time. The mare kissed the colt, and a fantastic Sonic Rainbow was performed by the rainbow-maned pony Shadow recognized. The newly wed couple looked tired, but they were happy. Everypony was cheering and celebrating into the night, when the couple departed on their honeymoon in a carriage. Satin Veil tried catching the bouquet, but was violently pushed away by a purple-maned unicorn who caught the flowers with a shriek of excitement. This day of emotion and adventure was finally over.

Shadow and Satin didn’t realise they were tired until they reached the Inn they would spend their last night in. The elderly owners greeted them and a teary reunion took place. Not long after, Barboosa and the rest of their group came. Everypony was beat, so they just sat down, talked and shook hooves. There were many tears spilt, and many thanks given, especially from the mother of Marina. The filly refused to let go of her mom, and passed out on her lap. Before midnight, everypony was given a free room in the Inn to rest up.

In their quarters, Valiant Shadow and Satin Veil literally fell over onto their bed. Words couldn’t be spoken, as both had their throats sealed with a mixture of joy and relief. “Some vacation this has been, huh?” said Valiant Shadow in a broken voice, tears in his eyes. Satin Veil only managed to nod. “You know… That question I had…” whispered Shadow, his voice breaking more and more “You… Would… will you…”. And the mare kissed the colt.

1,074 views