Errant Finale

by Doug Graves

30 The Doppleganger

Moments before

Princess Cadance hums a little lullaby to herself as she enters the cantina’s bathroom. Designed for visiting dignitaries who might sup with the Princesses, it has facilities for nearly any creature, along with multiple sinks and mirrors. She quickly checks her image in one of the silvered surfaces, smiling at the engraved lunar images around the edges. It looks like rolling around on the floor, and bumping rumps with Twilight Sparkle, has taken its toll. Just a few quick passes with her magic restores her mane to perfection, her coat no longer mussed in places.

The door opens, their white unicorn server swiftly entering. Cadance offers her a warm smile as she flips a wayward strand back into her tail. It is a rare occurrence for her to not immediately recognize somepony, especially somepony who works in the castle.

“Good morning,” Cadance says merrily. “I don’t know if we’ve met before. My official-” she says the word with quite a bit of self-deprecation ”-title is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, but you can call me Cadance! What’s your name?”

“Oh?” the unicorn replies saucily, Cadance raising an eyebrow. “I think Princess will have to do. For now.”

Cadance had been in the middle of a turn towards one of the stalls, but stops herself abruptly as the unicorn’s horn flares a bright green. A dull translucent bubble surrounds the two of them, and the way her horn continues surging suggests a power she has only seen before in Twilight Sparkle (though outclassed by Celestia and possibly Luna). A hasty scan shows a block against vibration and possibly more, but she doesn’t have the time for a detailed analysis. Not when her life is at stake!

Why the Council of Creatures thought sending an assassin was the correct course of action is beyond her. Of course they hadn’t been happy when the second alicorn, herself, appeared in Equestria. Luna’s return, because they didn’t realize she would return, had sent ripples like earthquakes through Equestria’s already tenuous alliances with the surrounding countries. Some countries, their closest allies, could overlook the fact that a single being controlled so much power. But with four of them? And the possibility- no, their declared intention that they would breed more?

Any country that hoped to keep their tenuous-at-best grasp on being an international contender would have to take immediate action or risk being, not destroyed, but outgrown. After all, a tree does not need to poison its competitors to steal all the sunlight, merely grow taller. Or faster, should some disaster befall everypony.

And considering the effects Nightmare Moon had, even briefly, on the day-night cycle? That alone was enough of a reminder that perhaps the alicorns, while immensely powerful, are not as infallible as Celestia might occasionally appear. Granted, she had the power to fly higher than just about any other creature, and focus the Might of the Sun. A day would be all it took before an entire city would become a desiccated husk. Not that she would ever, in a thousand years, do such a thing. But, as her ‘rivals’ are quick to point out, thousand-year storms do occur. And with a being as old as Celestia? They certainly imply she’s well overdue for one.

Other countries, which is to say the majority of the rest, blame Celestia and by extension Equestria for every natural disaster and crop shortage that they can, no matter how insubstantial the connection. Equestria’s coffers found themselves lighter. But not as much as her opponents might have liked, as the concessions demanded for Equestria's ‘aid packages’ often include trade agreements beneficial to her little ponies.

But that is all irrelevant to the immediate situation of a pony who just cut off Cadance’s easiest method of summoning reinforcements. Did the unicorn not think she could have finished Cadance off in a single blow? Perhaps she isn’t giving herself enough credit.

“Silence?” Cadance asks guardedly after the long pause. It’s possible the unicorn is bluffing, but she doesn’t want to take that chance. Not when their ultimate intentions are still unknown, and if she gets away she would like more to go on than a random unicorn hired to make an attempt on a Royal.

And then the unicorn in front of her transforms, and any worries Cadance has of being made an example of disappear, relief washing over her like a cleansing flood. A black, chitinous creature taller than herself, strands of medium blue hair around a long, jagged horn. Wings, the same blue as her hair, cover a bright green plate on her back. And her eyes, a green darker than the harsh green of her aura, bore menacingly into her.

“Yes,” comes Queen Chrysalis’ neutral reply. “Also, a teleportation inhibitor, if you couldn’t tell.”

Cadance ignores the barb, nodding slowly. “I suppose you have decided to start, then.”

"Ah, I suspected somepony was scrying on us, when Celestia came.” Queen Chrysalis purrs as she stalks around Cadance, the alicorn turning to follow her every move. “I'm glad to see you and Celestia kept your word. And it would behoove you to go willingly, Cadance. Maybe if you do I'll leave your precious Shiny's love for you alone; well, after I'm done with him, of course. I would hate for you to call off the wedding and break up with him in some sort of overly dramatic fashion."

Cadance can’t help but glare at the parasite. The changeling queen has absorbed a copious amount of love, and she puts her odds of winning a confrontation at about twenty percent. Well, winning defined as breaking free of the cage Chrysalis has trapped her in and getting word to the others. No, that isn't how she should think about it; Chrysalis hasn’t trapped Cadance in a cage with her. She’s trapped herself in a cage with Cadance!

Cadance thunders, "You know, if I stopped you now, your whole plan would be ruined! And you would lose everything you tried to gain!"

"I am aware." Queen Chrysalis idly inspects one of her hooves, disdain plain on her face. Her horn flares again,her power doubling in strength. “Would you like to try?”

Cadance gulps, her chances of winning plummeting to the low single digits. With Chrysalis allowed to use whatever means necessary to subdue the being she decides to impersonate? And she has no doubt the changeling would revel in prolonging her suffering. As much as putting herself at Chrysalis’ yet-to-be-seen mercy galls her, she sees no other possibility. She submissively lays down, bowing her head. All she needs to do is wait out the week, and she will be united with her Shiny once again! Hopefully not as the Queen's subjects.

“Mm,” Queen Chrysalis moans euphorically as she absorbs that love, leaving Cadance shuddering. “Delicious.” A hoof comes up, lightly tugging on Cadance’s head and getting the alicorn to peer up into those green orbs. “Maybe I should sample a little of ‘Shiny’ now.”

The changeling transforms again, now two alicorns gazing into each other’s eyes. The one standing wriggles her hips seductively. “Do you think he prefers the standard position?”

Cadance can’t help but snort her nostrils in rage at the thought of this herdwrecker coming between herself and Shining Armor! She almost pushes herself up, just to be roughly shoved back into the floor. She sobs, unable to best the hoof holding her down.

“Oh?” Queen Chrysalis demands, watching the alicorn under her hoof quiver. Then the voice changes, something akin to softness, a gentleness she has shown many an injured youngling. “Is something wrong?” The pressure lets up, but only to let the changeling drop her head low enough to stare into Cadance’s tear-filled eyes. “Something I should know?” She slides closer, opening her mouth just enough to reveal long white fangs, and basking in the resulting look of horror. Her eyes bore into Cadance’s, sharper than her fangs. "Maybe if you cooperate I might allow him to mount you first on our wedding night. And if you don't, he might never mount a mare at all."

Cadance hangs her head at the thought of her Shiny maimed so, the two of them never able to fulfill that deep desire of theirs. Even the thought of Chrysalis stealing that most precious of moments is nearly too much; Shining Armor might be vigilant in his duties, but even he could get blinded by his hormones. She can’t feel the heat radiating off of the imposter like she can feel her own, but doubts that the changeling isn’t able to duplicate the effect. After all, changelings are fully capable of carrying foals, should they stay transformed long enough and absorb a sufficient amount of love.

“Just know,” she says meekly, no trick in her voice. Perhaps her fiance would have caught on had Chrysalis tried something, but he might be all too willing to go along with her ‘change of heart’. “I have promised Shining Armor to wait until our wedding night. He will immediately suspect if you attempt anything."

Queen Chrysalis nods thoughtfully, stroking her chin with a pink hoof. "Mm, that will make it a little harder, but there are less carnal ways to control a stallion.” She smiles, looking extraordinarily creepy on her own visage. “I will be back to talk later, but I must do this first."

A green bubble surrounds Cadance, the alicorn shuddering at the proximity. It only gets worse as she begins descending through the rock. Most pegasi are at least a little claustrophobic, and she can feel her insides roiling.

“Wait!” she calls, Chrysalis barely turning her head to regard the alicorn. “Can I go to the bathroom first?”

“Mm,” the imposter says, considering. Then her muzzle curls to a wicked smirk. “No.”

And with that and a burst of green light, Cadance finds herself falling. Her wings flap despite her blindness, keeping herself from dropping any further. Eventually her eyes adjust to the dull gleam of a few blue crystals inset into the walls. She had come dangerously close to smashing into the floor of the crystal cavern. Or, perhaps, her crystal prison.

Her horn flares, but weakly, barely able to coax a light out. Chrysalis draining her love has sapped her reserves, but hopefully only temporarily. She should, with any luck, be able to get enough of a charge back for more than simple light spells, but there is no telling how long she has. She immediately sets out to explore the cavern, if only to locate a suitable place to do her business.

Queen Chrysalis grins to herself as she withdraws a letter. Marked with the guard insignia, it contains the second step in her plan. After she notifies the ponies of an ‘impending threat’ to Canterlot, she’ll merely have to spend a week lounging in luxury. It will be so much fun, watching as those silly ponies scurry about at her beck and call. Meanwhile, she’ll be able to get her army into position, and figure out the best way to incapacitate Luna and Sparkle.

The pink alicorn considers her image in the mirror, mussing her hair just the slightest amount. Have to appear a little disheveled about receiving this message, after all. She returns to the cantina, looking for the sap, only for Sparkle to engage her in some ridiculous song and dance. What is she, a foal?

Fortunately, the pathetic ponies’ suspicions are diverted by her worried tone. Shining Armor comes up to her, every bit the knight she was hoping he would be. She can feel the love radiating off of him, and best of all? It’s all directed right at her, which just makes it even more potent and easy to absorb. She voraciously laps it up, feeling herself grow even more powerful! Not enough to go head to head with Celestia, not yet, but if she continues this?

Well, perhaps she can’t go too hard on the stallion, not yet. He winces slightly, a hoof coming up to his head. But he still has that distraught look on his face, not quite demanding but anxious as to what could have caused his precious fiance to worry so.

Everything is going perfectly to plan, nopony the wiser.

Until a pegasus bursts through the door, ruining everything.

What is the ‘Crystal Empire’, anyway? And why is Celestia looking at her like that?

Comments

[badninja]

Well this just blew up in Chrysalis face hard. I hope they can save the Empire and stop Sombra.

[DarkPhoenixx]

By the Moon! I forgot that Cadance is essential for the protection of the Crystal Empire and defeat of King Sombra. How can they do that now.

Also I get how Discord returning/restoning happened earlier, as well as Twilight's Ascension. Though the Crystal Empire showing up early? How?

[PinkDragonJr]

bwahaha, Chryssi has to go fight Sombra.

[f0st3r21]

Is this implying that Cadenza was a pegasus before her ascension? Is that canon or just for this fim fiction? How would a pegasus ascend?

[Doug Graves]

11353135
One of the official spin-off books, Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell, has Cadance recount the story. She grew up as a Pegasus in an Earth Pony town; later on, she fought off an evil unicorn with the power of love and a magical amulet that amplifies the love (and also evil or jealousy) in the wearer's heart. Afterwards (much like or maybe even identically to Twilight Sparkle) she was magically transported to Celestia's demi-plane, where she was then found by Celestia, transformed, and taken back to Canterlot as a Princess.

My take is slightly different from this and from the show. Twilight (and possibly Cadance) ascended before Celestia found them in the demi-plane. Celestia does not have the power to 'Fulfill your destiny!' and transform a pony into an alicorn.