Mother Moon, Cousin Love

by ShadowStar_IMHP

Chapter Seven

Chrysalis smiles as she walks the hall of the Canterlot castle. Slowly and surly her changelings replaced the castle staff. Now it was the end game and she shoved down the nervousness she would deny having as she walks into Celestia’s office. “Aunt Celestia, I was thinking that we could get Twilight Sparkle and her friends to come early. Just in case.”

Celestia looks up from the paper she was writing to Cadence. The moment she looked up her eyes locked onto Cadence’s and for just a moment she thought there was a flash of green.

“It just in case you understand. We can have them help with the wedding prepping so no one will wonder why they are here early. You did have the same ponies do the Summer Sun Celebration after all.”

A part of Celestia wondered why her mind became sluggish but she shrugs it off as worry for Luna. “Good idea, I write it up and send it to Spike.”

“Oh, that reminds me.” She put the wedding invite for Twilight Sparkle on the desk. “Given Shining Armor protecting the city we couldn’t go and invite her personally. So can you send this as well.”

“Sure Cadence. Anything for you.”

“Of course. It is my wedding after all. Everything going to be perfect, nothing could possibly go wrong.” Chrysalis smiles and heads out of the office. Today was starting just right.

In a secured area of the castle, a chuckle is heard from the stone form of Discord.

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“I GO!” Nightshade looked at her nanny staring him down as he blocked the door out of the suite.

“Sorry, Nightshade. My main duty is to protect you. I can’t do that if you are out in a Changeling infested castle. I work on a way to contact Twilight Sparkle but you have to stay here.”

“No. Mine.” Stupid language barrier. Equestria was hers, she has to protect it from those invaders so she can take it for herself.

“You might have the mind of a thousand-year-old, but you are still just a year old filly. There is too much of a chance you make a mistake. Now go play or I put you in time out.” How in Tartarus did he get in charge of an evil foal from legions? Shaking his head “Still no Nightshade.”

With a huff, she turned and headed to her friends Buster and Cream Puff. Both of the real foals were trying to play but anyone watching could tell the playing was half-hearted.

How was she going to fight if she was stuck in here? The room was enchanted to prevent her from using her shadow step or teleport. Her eyes flash white and she could see the magic on every surface. Wait... surface? A smile came to her face that was the answer the spell acted like a net preventing her from slipping out. It had to be laid down. So she had to slip under the spell in some way. Her eyes move around to her Pony size Ursa Teddy bear. A moment of sadness came to her as she thought about what she had to do.

“What you going to do Nightshade?” Cream Puff looked at her friend her stuffed bunny was being choked hold in the hug as the filly tried to pretend she wasn’t afraid.

“What I need to do, going to save your mommy and Buster’s family. Everyone, I’m a Princess of Equestria it is my duty.” She looked to Peppermint Heart he was guarding the door with a jar of strange green goo and other odd potions he brewed last night. She felt the nanny was well prepared to give Tartarus to any changeling that tried to harm the foals in his care.

The problem was she couldn’t hide. She was too proud to hide in fear. Her mind brought up battle plans, combat spells, and even vast accounts of nightmares she remembered from her former life. She was Nightshade, but deep within was the Queen of Nightmares herself. It was time to make the changelings afraid of the dark.

She turns to her Ursa and with a flash of purple magic cut apart the stitching.

“Nightshade what are you doing?” Peppermint moved from the door heading to the royal filly seeing the stuffing of the bear fall out.

“PTHHHPPPPPPP” with a raspberry she jumped into the stuffing of the bear and activated her shadow step. By the time Peppermint got to the bear, she was gone with most of the stuffing inside.

“Luna not going to be happy about this.” The other two foals answered him with raspberries of their own.

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Two ‘Guards’ walk down the hall. “Why we have to continue hiding? The castle is ours and the Queen is handling Celestia.”

“The Queen plan is overwhelming force. We might have a castle but there more ponies in the city. Only the might of the swarm and confusion can prevent them from mobbing us. Do you want to be stampeded by a herd of angry ponies? I don’t.”

“Just annoying is all. I’m not cut out to be an Operative, I was caretaker for the hive, being outside the hive is just... frustrating.”

“Well, soon we will be able to remodel...” The second changeling stopped talking as the lights at the end of the hall went out. Then the next set, and the next. He looked to his fellow guard as the darkness kept coming.

From the shadows came a laugh, one that sent chills down both changelings as a pair of teal eyes open wide with cat slit-like pupils. “Oh how sweet, fresh meat” a mouth under the eyes smiles filled with a sharp predator like teeth.

The two changeling guards look at each other and then turn and started running away. As they approach some stairs going down their hooves met some marbles. Both changelings lost their footing and tumbled down the steps.

At the top, the illusion Nightshade was casting faded and she smiled as she cast her shadow step spell on the two sending the changelings to the dungeon. Sure the chances they stay there are very very low. Just waking up in the dungeon after the fall would freak them out.

She turns and heads into the shadows of the now dark hallway.

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In another part of the castle, a maid was walking by a table when oil poured out from nowhere. She almost fell but caught herself and looked down. “Oil? How this get here?”

Then she heard a laugh, a wicked laugh only a hoof full of ponies alive have heard before. The laugh of Nightmare Moon. The maid turned to look at the source of the laugh seeing what could only be called a full moon glowing in the dark hallway. A hallway that was lit a short time ago. The moon had a clear shadow of a Unicorn mare. Nightmare Moon’s symbol. The shadow’s eye opened reviling a cat slit eye. “Need a light?” A spark of magic was all that was needed to set the oil aflame.

The Changeling screamed more in shock and fear. The fire spread but was easily overwhelmed when she changed to her normal appearance the Changeling magic fire incinerating the oil around her in a flash.

Looking back to the shadows all she could see was a dark hallway, nothing else out of place and no sign of the moon or Nightmare Moon. Just he shadows in the dark hallway.

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Nightshade collapsed under Luna’s bed. Two illusions with sound and then the added spells of shadow step, and the spark. She was out of magic again. It was worth it! The fear of those changelings will spread. She made sure none saw what was causing the trouble. The unknown was so much scarier then what was seen. She could hear it now whispers that Nightmare Moon was on the hunt. Her eyes closed as she drifted off to sleep needing a nap.

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Cadence was nervous as the music started. She looked to her Bride’s maids and her maiden of honor Princess Luna. “I’m glad you got back in time Luna.”

“I’m too Cadence. Turns out it was just some drunken Peguses causing mischief. Nothing more than arresting them and then hurried back. Now let get this wedding done so you can enjoy that Honey Moon.”

One by one the wedding party made their way to the podium where Celestia was waiting. With a deep breath, Cadence took a step and the song she chose for the bride march begin.

Everything was perfect, so why did she feel like something was wrong. Was it the flowers? She tried to shove the doubt down as she walked to Shining Armor her husband to be.

In the real world, a changeling walked along rows of cocooned ponies and stop to look at the one holding the Princess. With a glance around to make sure he wouldn't get caught he opened his mouth to take some of that sweet love, he sensed from her.

In the dream, she stumbles something was very wrong. Her eyes snap around she saw her family. The two earth ponies that adopted her so long ago, and most of her former village.

Wait?.. they couldn’t make it. There was a mudslide that blocked the path wasn’t there? She stopped midway and looked around. There were other things odd, the flowers were all healthy perfect. Instantly her horn lights up and a voice in her mind screamed. It’s all fake!

Outside of the dream Cadence horn lights up and a blast of energy erupts from her horn. The cocoon shatters and she falls to the floor below.

“I DIDN’T DO IT!” The changeling that was feeding on the Princess of Food screamed and double-stepped back as the pink princess stood up.

Cadence eyes widen then narrow. “So it was a dream.” In another universe, Cadence awoke and having no combat skills fled into the abandoned crystal mines of Canterlot. This Cadence was trained to fight.

In a spinning kick that would make Applejack Proud the changeling that feed off her got bucked into the wall of the warehouse.

Cadence smirk and looks around... then the smirk fades as she sees twenty other changelings approach her. “As my Aunt Luna would say. HUZZAH!” Her horn lights and she vanishes. The first lesson Luna taught her was to keep her opponent guessing.

The group of changelings stop and look around. “Where she did she g...” That was all he got to as cadence dropped down from above landing all four of her hooves on his shell. Then she spun flipped off the unfortunate changeling firing a spell as she twirled overhead. Cadence was born a pegasus, her instincts from that time were to use speed and agility. Those instincts added to Luna’s training created a very fast-paced quick dance-like combat stile. Always keep your opponent guessing.

The remaining changelings weren’t hit by any spells as they tried to keep up with the dance fighting combat style of Cadence. That was until they heard the clear sound of thunder as the clouds Cadence summoned fired a lighting bolt into their mass. The weather Cadence summoned continue to build soon the warehouse was filled with fog and lighting. None of the changelings could see far in the mist. An Alicorn born a pegasus used to a life flying among the clouds didn’t have this problem.

One by one either by lighting or by hooves from the mist the numbers of changelings fell. Till there were two cowardly holding each other in the corner. From the mist, a blue glow came closer as Cadence walked out of the fog she looked at the two changelings. “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Either way, you will tell me what is happening.” Her eyes glowing with power and rage.

At that moment the two changelings found out the meaning of the words. Tartarus has no fury like a mare scorned.

Author's Note:

I tried to think of how Cadence will fight. Then I remembered she was born a pegasus. So she used what she was born with, speed, agility, with the help of weather magic. This gave her the advantage of creating conditions where she could overwhelm the superior numbers of the changelings. In the fog, they couldn't see her well enough to gang up on her.

Things are heating up! Nightshade pulling Homealone attacks in the castle, Chrysalis used her mental manipulation magic on Celestia, and Cadence is feed! Unlike Cannon's timeline Cadence here knows how to fight on her own.

I still don't trust my writing. Somewhere there are Spelling and Grammar errors I do apologize for them.

Okay, I had to add Chrystalis say "Nothing could possibly go wrong." Right before things start to go wrong. Thought of that after a second read through.

Comments

[Cyana Flame]

oooooo, yes, goood~

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Night would approve of her cousin.

[Dusk Star Shine]

Okay, I had to add Chrystalis say "Nothing could possibly go wrong." Right before things start to go wrong. Thought of that after a second read through.

Oh yeah, that is just ASKING for Murphy to come along and screw things over.

[Vaguely Demented]

Wonder how long it will take before rumors of Cadence meet rumors of Nightmare Moon and a garbled mess of reports make it to Chrysalis.

[ShadowStar_IMHP]

10018187
That something that won’t happen Cadence is in a warehouse in another part of the city. I got plans for Cadence, she won’t be mobilizing right away.

[Xanderfox]

10017903
At least she didn't claim invincibility, that is just asking to be nuked.

[Melody Song]

10028989
I think it's possible for them to use all six independently too! I have a theory about that, actually. If you'd like to private message me, I can explain further.

[Bronzedragon]

two more trapped and turned in to be eliminated
her Maden of Honor Princess Luna. [ maiden ]
With a glance around to make sure he wouldn't he get caught [he in wrong spot put here ] opened his mouth

[Asolem2]

Cadence smirk and looks around... then the smirk fades as she sees twenty other changelings approach her. “As my Aunt Luna would say. HUZZAH!”

I really liked this part

[Juicer]

The two changeling guards look at each other and then turn and started running away. As they approach some stairs going down their hooves met some marbles. Both changelings lost their footing and tumbled down the steps.

Home Alone much