Rise Of the Dragon Queen

by Mystic Sunrise

The Night Before

Twilight sighed as she plumped down at the table her friends were sharing. "Well, that went nowhere."

The girls shared a look. "Princess Celestia didn't buy it?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight shook her head. "No. She said that I'm overthinking it and that Cadance is just stressed out from all the wedding preparation." She rolled her eyes. "I don't think it's that simple."

Rarity took a sip of her drink with a thoughtful nod. "Well, darling. A wedding is a stressful time for any more. More so when you are a princess. And she is being married to your brother no less. The lucky mare."

The girls giggled. They all agreed that Shining was a catch for any mare. A part of them was a little sad that they weren't the lucky mare, and had been sure to tell Twilight that when they had discovered the news.

Twilight chuckled. "Rarity. I've known Cadance all most my entire life. I've seen her stressed before. Hay. I've seen her mad before. This isn't like those times at all."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight's eyes grew distant as she remembered. "It didn't happen very often. But there were times when she was my foalsitter that I did something really dumb, or something she told me not to do. I didn't listen every time."

Pinkie gasped in shock. "The horror!"

The group giggled, no more so than Twilight. "I know right? But we all do dumb things when we're young. The point is, for all that Cadance loved me, she was not above punishing me if she felt it needed to be done. And if I did something really stupid, mad wouldn't do it justice."

"How'd your parents take it?" Applejack asked.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "They applauded it. For all that she got mad, Cadance never once went overboard with a punishment. And when she got stressed, usually with school or just something in her life, I was more than happy to try and help her. Like she did with me."

"How did that go?" Pinkie asked.

Twilight giggled. "It didn't always work. Heck, it rarely ever worked. But Cadance appreciated what I was trying to do anyway." She sighed. "But this? This isn't like any of that. Even at her worst, Cadance never snapped at other ponies, or talked down to them."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "She is getting married. Maybe it's just bringing out her bad side?"

Twilight lifted her head and looked up at the Castle Ballroom. Tomorrow was the rehearsal, and then the wedding itself the day after. "I want to believe that, Rainbow. I really do. But something tells me that it's not that simple. When has it ever been that simple for us?"

The girls shared a look. They really couldn't argue that last part. "Well, darling. Let's not think too much about it tonight. Tomorrow is a big day after all. And then the real fun starts."

Pinkie pointed a hoof at Twilight accusingly. "Yeah. What's next? You're going to bust in, "She's evil!", Cadance cries and runs out, your brother kicks you out of the wedding, we all disown you for our own selfish reasons, and Princess Celestia is going to say "You have a lot to think about?!"

Twilight looked horrified at the very idea. "What? No! Why would I do something like that? I'm not that crazy."

Her friends just gave her a deadpan look, making Twilight chuckled sheepishly. "Okay, fine. I tend to overreact to a lot of things. But I'm trying to be better at it. And whatever else I think, I won't do that to Cadance. Maybe it is just the stress of the wedding."

"And if it is just that?" Applejack asked.

Twilight sat straighter in her chair. "Then you girls can tell me that you told me so as much as you want. I'll even swear reading for one week to prove I got the message. Pinkie Promise," Twilight finished going through the motions as well.

Pinkie gasped in surprise. "Oh wow, you really mean it to. Now I know you're serious. Right girls?"

The girls nodded. Twilight was a mare of her word, whatever else might be up with her. But as they all prepared to say goodnight, Fluttershy looked around with a worried look. "Um. Not to pry or anything. But where are Pearl and the others?"

That stopped Twilight in her tracks as she looked around. She had almost forgotten about them. "I don't know. I haven't seen them all day."

Rainbow rolled her eyes as she hung in the air. "With how much you guys seemed to be glued to each other anymore. Kinda surprised you didn't go with them."

Twilight shot her a look. "I'm not their mom, Rainbow. We don't have to do everything together. I hope they're alright."

Applejack laid a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry too much, sugarcube. They're all big fillies. They can take care of themselves. We'll see them tomorrow probably. Can't leave the city now, can they?"

Twilight chuckled. "I know. Call me a worry wort if you will. I can't help it."

The girls shared a laugh before bidding each other good night and heading for their Guest Rooms in Canterlot Castle. Twilight meanwhile turned her hooves to her childhood home. While she could have used her old room in the castle, it just felt right to stay with her family.

As she made her way along the streets she knew so well, Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Nopony was allowed to be out and about after Princess Celestia had lowered the sun and Princess Luna had raised the moon. Not since the Shield had gone up around Canterlot.

Twilight could do so with impunity of course. Being the Personal Student of one princess had its perks, ones that not even Luna could revoke unless there was an immediate emergency. It wasn't something that Twilight was one to flaunt, however. But she still saw their benefit.

But still, this feeling of being watched and followed would not leave her alone. And as Twilight turned off the Royal Mile and onto Mane Street, she couldn't help but notice the shadows that seemed to be following her. Just her luck.

Fortunately, Twilight could see her home just ahead. A light in the Living Room showed that at least of her parents was still up. If she could just make it, then she would be fine.

"And where do you think you are going, pony?" A voice whispered in Twilight's ears, making her freeze in her tracks. There was a venom in that voice she had never heard before. Not even from Discord or Nightmare Moon. Turning around, her eyes widened at what was behind her.

A pony-sized insect would be the best description Twilight could think of. Its green eyes looked at her with a cold and hateful stare. As she watched, several more of the same appeared, until she was surrounded. None of them looked very friendly.

Twilight tried to smile. But it came out forced. "Um. Hi. I'm Twilight Sparkle. I don't believe we've met before? Whoever and whatever you all are."

One of the insects chuckled. "We know who you are. You have caused our queen much annoyance recently. Who and what we are is none of your concern."

Twilight tapped her chin. "I don't know any queens though. Equestria doesn't have any."

"Not for very much longer," another of the creatures said, as they began to close in on Twilight. "But that is none of your concern. You won't be alive long enough to care. We have orders to eliminate you. With extreme prejudice if necessary. And to make you suffer."

Twilight gulped in fear. She could feel that they meant every word of it as well. Looking around, she couldn't see anypony else that might have seen what was going on. She was on her own.

She growled as she lowered her head, the orb around her neck starting to glow. "Bring it on then, bug paste. This unicorn isn't going down without a fight!"

That seemed to annoy them, for before Twilight could even think to cast some kind of spell, one leaped forward and struck the base of her horn. Aiming right for the most vulnerable spot. Twilight gasped as her magic cut out. It wasn't a permanent thing. But it was enough to deprive her of her best chance to fight these things.

"And what will you do now that you have no magic?" One asked.

Twilight whimpered as they closed in. What did she have? She wasn't strong like Applejack, nor as fast as Rainbow Dash. She had nothing without her magic. Her friends wouldn't get here in time, and her family didn't even know where she was. She was all alone.

"Hey! Horseapples for brains!" A voice boomed out, right before a beam of magic struck several of the creatures, instantly turning them to dust. Twilight and the others turned as Pearl, Pumpkin, River, and Lavender ran up, River's horn still glowing. "Twilight has us!" Lavender growled as she laid into several of the insects, the rest of the girls going for the rest of them.

It was enough for Twilight as she shook away her lethargy. Her magic was still out. But she was still strong enough to take out several more of the creatures that the others hadn't been able to get. For a vicious, vindictive, time, Twilight and the others enjoyed the pain they were dishing out.

A few moments later, all of the creatures lay on the ground, all the worse for wear, while Twilight and the girls fought to catch their breaths, all of their orbs now glowing brightly. "That was way more fun than I thought it'd be," Pearl huffed, a tongue of flame dancing momentarily dancing in her mouth.

Twilight nodded, a drip of acid falling from her mouth. It splattered harmlessly on her hoof, but none of them paid it much attention. "Where have you girls been? We've been looking for you all day."

Pumpkin shook her head, a cold wind ruffling all of their manes. "Trying to figure out what's going on around Canterlot. These aren't the first of these things we've found. I think the city is infested with them."

Lavender looked down at the creatures, lightning seeming to play all along her body. "None of them have told us anything useful. We haven't even been able to tell Princess Celestia or Princess Luna about them."

Twilight was concerned now. "Then we have to tell them. If the city is full of them, the princesses have to know."

One of the creatures chuckled weakly. "It's too late for that, now. Canterlot will fall, and then all of Equestria. This is just the scouting force. Hundreds of thousands more wait outside the shield."

River punched him, a green haze coming from her mouth. "You talk too much, you know that? Princess Celestia and Princess Luna can handle all of that."

He chuckled as he bit down on a pill inside his mouth. "Fools! Those two hags don't even know how close the danger is to them. And they will never believe you."

Before the girls could say more, each and every one of the insects dissolved into a puddle of green goo, ones that quickly evaporated away into nothingness.

Pearl snorted. "Well, that's a bust. They all do that if we beat them up."

Twilight nodded. "Suicide pills, so that they don't talk and reveal anything if they're caught." She sighed. "And they're right. We can't prove any of this to Princess Celestia. Not like this."

Pumpkin looked at the shield around the city. "Do you think they're right? If there is something outside the shield, then we need to do something." She looked at Twilight. "These things are shapeshifters. It's probably how they got inside the city. They can pass for anypony they want to. We've seen them do it."

Twilight's ears fell, as a thought came to her. "If they can, then that means they can be right next to the princesses, and they wouldn't even know it." She sniffed. "I was right. That isn't the real Cadance. The Cadance I know would never act as she has."

The girls all piled into a hug, one that Twilight was happy to return. "But what can we do?" River asked. "We can't fight that many."

Lavender looked down at her orb, as did the others. "Not like this, we can't. Maybe it's time we stopped playing nice."

The girls all shared a look, before nodding. Pulling apart, they instinctively fell into a pattern. Twilight on Pearl's right, with River behind her, while Pumpkin took up the position on Pearl's left, with Lavender behind her.

With one voice, they spoke. "Then it is time I show the world the true power of the Dragon Orbs."

Author's Note:

This is it. Canterlot is getting crashed big time next chapter. And Equestria, nay, the entire world, will never be the same. As the true power of the Dragon Orbs is unleashed.

Chrysalis will never know what hit her.

Comments

[Jest]

Eh its back. Hopefully there will be another before the end of the year.

[Telwyn Freecolt]

Cool can't wait for the next chapter.

[Mystic Sunrise]

10545336
Next chapter won't be too far in the future. This one was really what was holding it up as I had the begining, with Twilight and the girls talking, and then an idea for what finally pushed Twilight and the new girls to fully awaken the power of their orbs. Just had to put it all together

I think most authors have those chapters that never seem to get done, and then they finally are. Or maybe it's just me :p

[Jest]

10545369
Well, I cant speak for everyone, but that doesn't happen to me. A little determination usually does it.

[Mystic Sunrise]

10545404
Might just be me then :/ Either way, the next chapter will be out before the end of the year for sure. Assuming nothing happens to me in real of course.

[Edguy0009]

It's back!

LET 'DA STOMP'N BEGIN!

[Super Saiyan D]

That image of Tiamat big enough to manhandle Torch like that is a terrifying prospect.

[Mystic Sunrise]

10545511
It is isn't it? Luckily, she can shrink down to a decent size. Otherwise Canterlot would crumble under her weight. Which would be really awkard considering Tiamat is supposed to be saving the city next chapter.

[Cobrawolf_Meiji2012]

She of Many Colors and None

[Thing56]

Megazord time!