Ch. 11; Uninvited Guests
“So, how is the sonic rainboom practice going, Rainbow?”
Rainbow Dash, who had just been getting comfy for a nice after-lunch nap in the suite she shared with her friends, sighed to herself and glanced up as Twilight stood over her, checklist in hand and one ear twitching, “Practice is going just great, Twi’.”
“Shouldn’t you still be at it?” the unicorn asked, her smile taking on a creepy cast and her eye starting to twitch in time with her ear, “The wedding is only a few days away, and everything needs to be perfect! The clock is ticking, Rainbow. Clock. Is. Ticking!”
“Whoa, relax there, Twi’, things will get done, you just got to have a little faith,” the athlete reassured her friend, “We’re your friends, and we won’t leave you or Princess Cadance hanging, because we are awesome,” she added with a cocky grin.
“Thank you, Rainbow,” Twilight said, giggling at the weatherpony’s ego, “I know that I might be going a little overboard with the organization and trying to make sure everypony was on schedule, but this is Shiny and Cadey’s wedding, and I just want everything to be ….”
“Perfect,” the pegasus said, “I know, you’ve said it a few times, but you need to relax some, you getting all worked up, and frankly, a little bit creepy, isn’t helping anypony else stay focused,” Rainbow gave the academic’s shoulder a friendly squeeze, “Hey, maybe you could focus on the bachelorette party for now? Maybe ask Pinkie to help? I hear that she’s been having a few problems making her ideas of a good party mesh with what all the ‘elites’ are expecting.”
“Pinkie has been kinda down,” Twilight agreed, “I think I will ask her to help with the party.”
A knock at the door interrupted whatever response Rainbow had been about to make, with a small, annoyed sigh, the athlete flew over to the door, “Yes?”
The servant waiting outside bowed, “Captain Armor has urgently requested Baroness Sparkle’s presence.”
The academic’s eyes widened, “Shiny? Why? Is something wrong?”
“I’m afraid that I am not privy to the Captain’s concerns, Baroness, all I know is that I have been instructed to escort you to him.”
“Alright,” Twilight hurried for the door, “I’ll see you later, Rainbow.”
Applejack wiped her muzzle and let the napkin drop onto her plate, “Well, Ah need ta get back ta work preparin’ everythin’ for tha weddin’, especially with that Chef Sea feller sticking his foul-mouthed muzzle inta everythin’ for tha last few days.”
“Yes, I really should return to the finishing touches on Cadance’s dress, and then there are all of the other commissions I’ve been offered that need to be done as well,” Rarity sighed as she rose from her chair and escorted the farmpony to the door of her workroom, “Still, it was very kind of you to take the time to join me for lunch, darling,” she said, before leaning in, “I hope we can do … more as our schedules allow,” she whispered in the farmer’s ear.
“A-Ah think that would be right nice, Rares,” stammered the blushing farmer, “B-but Ah really need ta get back ta work,” opening the door, Applejack almost ran straight into the leader of a quartet of Solar Guards that had been about to knock.
“Lady Rarity,” he greeted the seamstress, “Lady Applejack,” the stallion added, his eyes narrowing slightly, “There has been an … incident. Please come with us.”
“Thank you, Mr. Jay, that was lovely,” Fluttershy beamed down at the little bird perched on her finger, around her spread the Royal Gardens, a great swath of hedges, statues, winding footpaths, and greenery from every corner of Equestria, all carefully tended by the Royal Gardeners. Turning back to the assorted songbirds perched around her, Fluttershy continued, “Now, let’s take it again, from the top, and a one, and a two, and ….”
The little glade was filled with the sound of birdsong for several minutes, before the arrival of four Guards sent the startled birds into the trees, “Lady Fluttershy? Princess Celestia wishes a word with you.”
“Good afternoon, Rarity,” Cadance said as she gave the fashionista and the group of palace staff that accompanied her, all of them weighed down with bolts of cloth, hat boxes, and similar paraphernalia, a bewildered look, “What can I do for you?”
“The question, Princess, is what I can do for you,” Rarity replied, “And I have had the most. Wonderful. Idea!” ushering the gaggle of servants into the suite, the dressmaker turned back to the bemused alicorn, “Now come, darling, inspiration has struck, and we must work quickly to make the most of it!”
“Well, alright,” Cadance shrugged, closing the door as she headed back into her sitting room.
Pinkie Pie, Premier Party Planner of Ponyville, sighed as she slumped in her chair in the little corner room she had claimed as her “party office”, ‘No games, reserved music, only formal dancing, it’s like these fancy ponies don’t want to have fun at a party!’ the hyperactive mare shook her head in despair, before giving a small giggle, her hair regaining a measure of its usual poofiness, ‘Well, except for that Mister Fancy Pants, at least he seemed to appreciate what I was trying to do … though I wonder why his wife got all blushy when he speculated if he still had his old knack for pin the tail on the pony?’
A knock at the door diverted the baker as she was grumbling at the lists of “suggestions” she had been given by various “leaders of society”, grateful for the distraction, Pinkie bounced over and yanked the door open, “Hello!”
“Um, hello, Lady Pie,” replied the startled maid, “Baroness Sparkle has found an old supply of fireworks that she wishes you to take a look at.”
“Fireworks?! Ohmygosh I love fireworks!” the party pony bounced happily before rushing down the hall and disappearing from sight.
“But I didn’t tell you where she is …,” the maid said, staring after the vanished mare in confusion.
“What does a mare have to do to get a nap around here?” Rainbow groaned as she pulled herself from the couch and listlessly flapped over to the door, “What?!” she snapped at the quartet of Guards that had been pounding on the door.
“Rainbow Miriam Dash, by order of Princess Celestia, you are under arrest,” the stallion pointed at the stunned weatherpony, “Seize her!”
“Hello, Cadance,” the solar alicorn smiled at her niece as she waved the younger mare into her chambers, “I was just having a bit of tea before Day Court resumes, would you care for a cup?”
“Yes, thank you, Auntie.”
Celestia settled back into her chair and handed her niece a cup, “So, what can I do for you, Cadance?”
“Oh, you’ve already done it.”
The Princess of the Sun’s head snapped up at the change in the other mare’s tone, her horn flaring with her golden aura, but it was already too late, Cadance flicked something at her aunt, and in the blink of an eye the solar alicorn was encased in black crystal, a lattice of yellow and black energy wandering over its surface.
Cadance’s eyes and horn flared green as she cast a privacy spell over the chamber, “I know you can hear me, ‘Auntie’,” she smiled unpleasantly at the other alicorn, “Unconsciousness and sleep are different things, but I’m not willing to risk you contacting your damnable sister. Besides, this way I can indulge in a proper gloat.”
Settling back into her chair, the mare let green fire wash over her, burning away the visage of Mi Amore Cadenza and revealing the reality that lurked beneath: a green maned alicorn with a black, chitinous hide, insectile wings, and strange, bloodless holes in her limbs and horn, “You would not believe the amount of work it took to find one of Sombra’s old crystal traps,” she remarked, sipping her tea, “And then all the effort to find a fragment of Grogar’s power to bind into it so the trap would actually be able to contain one of the divines indefinitely … but it will so be worth it when all of Canterlot’s upper society are mine, not to mention the senior officers for both the Solar Guard and the Canterlot garrison, the Elements of Harmony, and, of course, all three alicorns,” the insectoid alicorn glanced at Celestia as if the other mare had made a comment, “Oh? I’ll never capture Luna?” there was another flare of green flame and Celestia sat in the chair, “Why would she ever refuse a request for a private talk with her dear sister?” the false Celestia’s mocking laughter rang through the room.
“This bachelor party is going to be great!”
Shining Armor glanced down at the little drake walking beside him in amusement, “I’m sure it will be,” he chuckled, “So, how is Twilight holding up?”
“Well … when she’s not in checklist heaven she’s on the verge of having a nervous breakdown,” Spike sighed, “She wants everything to be perfect, and, of course, if it isn’t she starts getting all nervous, which can put things even farther off schedule, which makes her more anxious ….”
“Creating a self-reinforcing downward spiral,” the stallion groaned, pinching the bridge of his muzzle, “Well, I hear that Cadance’s bachelorette party is happening soon, and that should give her a chance to relax and unstress a little,” he frowned as a half-squad of Solar Guards approached, “Hello, what’s this, now?”
“Captain,” one of the guardsponies bowed, “I bear a message from her Majesty.”
“What is it, Lieutenant?”
“‘Die!’” the guardsponies lunged forward, swords rasping from their sheathes as green fire washed over them, turning the assassins into black, insectoidal unicorns with dragonfly wings sprouting from their backs.
Yet, even as they struck, a pale rose field sprang up, turning aside the killers’ blows. Inside the field, Shining and Spike faced their attackers, “Colts,” the unicorn said, as he drew his own blade, “Can you tell me what your first mistake was?”
“Saying we had a message from ‘her Majesty’ instead of ‘her Highness’?” one of the false guardsponies said, glaring at his leader, who shrugged apologetically.
“That certainly cost you the element of surprise,” Shining agreed pleasantly, “But your first mistake was sending only five warriors to deal with an abjuration specialist accompanied by his little brother, who just happens to be a dragon.”
Twilight frowned slightly as she followed the hoofstallion through the halls, ‘We’re not going anywhere near the Royal Apartments, the Guard Offices or even the training grounds,’ her ears twitched uneasily, ‘And this hall never had guards posted in it before …,’ “Where are we going?”
“Captain Armor is just up here, Baroness” the stallion replied, nodding to a passing maid.
The librarian opened her mouth to reply, when some sixth sense, likely honed by being on the receiving end of so many of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s pranks, made her teleport to the side just as the maid spun around to drive a knife through where Twilight’s back had been!
The unicorn started to yell for help, only to have her cry die in her throat as the two guardsponies lowered their spears at her! Twilight unleashed a blast of unfocused magic that caught the charging guards and slammed them back into the wall, green flames flared as a pair of insectoidal beings collapsed to the floor.
The servant and maid, both dropping their disguises to stand revealed as yet more pony-insect horrors, spread out as they slowly closed in, the false hoofstallion cast an arcane bolt at the librarian, but the unicorn caught the spell on a hastily conjured shield. Twilight retaliated with a narrow beam of focused flames that sheared off one of his wings and sent him staggering away.
The maid lunged forward, knife raised, and the librarian barely managed to catch her wrist. The two mares stumbled across the hall, both of Twilight’s hands desperately gripping the assassin’s wrist, as their hooves scrambled for purchase on the slick marble floor.
The unicorn’s horn began to glow, but before she could cast her spell, there was a heavy, wet, “thump” and the maid went limp, dropping to the floor with a quarrel between her shoulder blades.
Looking around, Twilight saw Pinkie standing on what the unicorn had always believed to be a purely decorative balcony, crossbow in hand, “How did you even get up there?”
“It wasn’t easy!” the party pony replied, looping a rope around the balustrade and quickly sliding down, “Are you okay Twi-twi? Those meanies didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“No, I’m okay,” Twilight assured her friend, “But we need to warn the others!”
“Did the Princess say what she wanted to see me about?”
“I’m sorry, Lady Fluttershy, but she did not.”
“Oh …,” the pegasus’ ears dropped in worry for a moment, before perking back up, ‘I’m sure it’s nothing bad … and the Gardens are just so pretty, no pony could be depressed in them.’
But as they continued on, the timid mare began to shoot nervous glances at her escorts from within her mane, the little group wasn’t head back towards the Palace, but deeper into the hedge mazes, and, while not nearly as observant as some of her friends, Fluttershy’s years of experience with animals had made her very sensitive to subtle clues and behaviors, something was definitely off with the her escorts.
“Here,” said one of the guardsponies.
Fluttershy blinked in confusion, “Here?”
“Yes, here,” the guard grinned nastily as green fire washed over him and the pegasus recoiled in horror from the four insect-like ponies, “Look at her,” he sneered, “Too scared to even scream.”
As the quartet closed in on the cowering mare, the hedges rustled slightly, then masses of vines shot out of the foliage to wrap around them, Fluttershy, for her part, turned and fled back towards the Palace, leaving her attackers hanging in their green, leafy, shackles.
“My nose itches!” one whined, ignoring the glares from his fellows.
Rainbow flew through the halls of the Palace, her mind a whirl of confusion, ‘What did I do? Why would the Princess want me arrested? Oh my divines, did I just make it worse by running away?’ the pegasus frowned, ‘Wait, I’m Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in Equestria! If Celestia really wanted me arrested, she wouldn’t send just some unicorns to do it! I mean, I got away from those stallions in like no time flat!’ the mare nodded to herself, ‘Yep, somethings wrong, I need to find the other fillies!’
A flap of her wings sent her down another hall, while guardsponies and servants pointed and gaped, only for the weatherpony to gawk herself as two of the ponies suddenly flared with green fire and turned into something out of a horror movie, rising into the air on diaphanous wings as they set out in pursuit of the pegasus.
Shaking off her surprise, Rainbow flapped harder, piling on more and more speed, as she streaked to the end of the hallway and then looped back, the athlete’s hooves crashed into one of the startled bug-ponies, chitin cracking as he slammed into the floor. Snatching up the false guard’s sword, the pegasus shot back into the air, only to find the second insect-pony blocking her path. The bug was brave and trained, Rainbow would give him that, but he was no match for her awesomeness, and the false guard soon dropped to the floor, desperately trying to staunch the blood pouring from his armpit.
As she flew deeper into the Palace, the weather pony spotted Fluttershy running from the gardens, “Hey, Fluttershy! Over here!” weaving through an open archway, Rainbow landed next to her fellow pegasus, “Are you okay, ‘Shy? Do you know what the tartarus is going on?”
“N-no,” the timid mare shook her head, gasping for breath, “But some kind of insect-ponies are disguised as members of the Guard, they tried to attack me in the Gardens,” she added.
“What?!” Rainbow shouted angrily, before clamping down on her temper, “Alright, come on, we need to find the other fillies or the Princesses.”
“So, what’s this here ‘incident’, anyway?” drawled Applejack as she strolled along beside Rarity.
“Lady Rarity’s young sister arrived unexpectedly, and there was an … accident … tree sap was involved,” the guardspony added with a shudder, while the two mares winced in sympathy.
“Excuse me, darling, but just Sweetie Belle was involved?”
“Yes, Lady Rarity,” the guard glanced back at the fashionista, “Why do you ask?”
“Oh, just curiosity,” Rarity replied, exchanging looks with Applejack.
‘There ain’t no way that Sweetie would just “arrive” at tha Palace on her own, especially without Scootaloo an’ Apple Bloom along,’ the farmpony mused, her eyes narrowing as she glanced suspiciously at the four guards “escorting” her and Rarity.
It was due to this wariness, along with years of experience as an adventurer, that the farmer was able to react when the guardspony beside her drew her sword. Catching the mare’s arm, Applejack slammed the guard into the wall, then spun the dazed mare around to use as a shield.
Green flames flared, and four insectoidal ponies stood revealed, even as the farmpony gasped with pain, the emerald fires may have left the false guards’ equipment untouched but they sure as tartarus hurt her, two of the bug-ponies descended on Rarity, while the third closed on Applejack and her impromptu shelter.
For her part, the fashionista plucked a hairpin from her mane and jabbed at her attackers, their sneers dropping away as the unicorn lunged forward, the pin thickening and lengthening in her grip until a full rapier sprouted from her fist, punching through one of the insects’ mail coif and into his throat.
Her hands full of struggling bug-pony, the farmer smashed her captive into the wall again, and then threw the false pony into her cohort, sending him staggering back and buying Applejack time to snatch up the fallen sword, now armed, the earth pony glared defiantly at the two.
Rarity’s aura flared, and the three insectoids all reeled as the unicorn’s magic dazzled their eyes and disrupted their sense of balance. The farmpony lunged forward, her sword crashing down and dropping the stunned bug-mare in a bloody heap.
One of the false guards overcame his disorientation enough to hurl a blast of green magic at the fashionista, but Rarity lithely twisted aside, letting the spell splash harmlessly on the wall behind her, “I am not so easily caught as that, ruffian!” the unicorn declared, flicking her rapier at the bug-pony’s face.
Applejack, meanwhile, outdueled her own opponent, soon leaving him stretched out on the floor, moving to join Rarity, the two mares quickly overwhelmed the final bug-pony. As she looted a shield from the fallen insectoids, Applejack shot a glance at Rarity, “So, that’s why ya always wear a hairpin whenever ya don’t have yer sword with ya.”
“Well, a seamstress must have her Needle, after all,” Rarity replied with a small smirk as she hung her rapier from her belt, prompting an eyeroll from the farmer.
“Do ya conjure there are more of these here varmints about?”
“I don’t know, darling,” the fashionista sighed, “But it seems likely.”
Applejack frowned, “Can ya do that Truth Seein’ thin’ of Twi’s, so they don’t sneak up on us?”
Rarity shook her head, “I’m afraid that spell is beyond my abilities,” she confessed, “We’ll just have to do the best we can until we’re all back together.”
‘Caller wiped the blood from her soulblade as her companions equipped themselves from the fallen squad of insect-ponies that had attacked them, “Anyone know vhat hells these guys are?”
“I’m afraid that I’ve never heard of anything like them,” Fancy Pants admitted, while his wife, Fleur de Lis, shook her head “Non.”
At the demoness’ look, Tavros, the ambassador from the Minosan Isles, only shrugged, “They are unknown to me, as well,” he rumbled.
“They taste like doppelgangers,” Kragor observed with disgust, “All bitter and funky, like overripe lemons.”
“Act like them too,” ‘Caller agreed with a frown, “Ve’d better take some precautions, Telepathic Bond,” instantly the demon’s mind was filled with a babble of alarmed voices, :Quiet!: she bellowed mentally, :Better,: she continued as the noise calmed, :Spell only links our surface thoughts, nothing more. It vill keep any of us from being secretly replaced if ve get separated:
“Whatever they are, these creatures have clearly infiltrated the Guard,” Fancy said, turning to face the demoness and minotaur, he bowed slightly, “Fleur and I must see to the safety of the Princesses and Palace staff, we have no right to ask for your aid, Ambassador, Your Majesty, but we would welcome it most gratefully.”
“Hmph,” the demoness grumbled, wiping one hand across her uniform and drawing surprised stares from the others as the scarlet cloth shimmered and twisted back into her armor, “You two are not nearly as harmless as you try to appear,” she pointed out, “But Kragor and I could use some entertainment. Ve’ll help.”
“As will I,” Tavros said, hefting his looted sword, the blade looking tiny in his massive fist, “Such a blatant attack on envoys must not go unanswered.”
“Lieutenant Tarsus, report.”
“The operation is proceeding apace, Sir, a number of the Palace staff and visitors have been contained and are awaiting replacement, and both alicorns have been captured, although the team sent to seize Cadenza suffered casualties. The Palace should soon be ours.”
“Good news, good news,” the Changeling currently posing as one of the Solar Guard said, rubbing his chin, “And the bad news, Lieutenant?”
“We haven’t heard back from all of the priority target teams yet, Sir, but … some of the Elements of Harmony escaped, and a few of the ambassadors and Prince Blueblood are unaccounted for … and there is growing resistance from the remaining Palace garrison, which is hindering efforts to round up the rest of the staff and visitors quietly.”
General Mandible frowned, “Triple the guards on the gates, I don’t want any pony getting out to spread an alarm, and tell the drones that stealth is now secondary to neutralizing what's left of the Guard and the missing Elements, swarm everypony under if they have too. I'm going to the throne room, have another two platoons meet me there to help protect Queen Chrysalis and her new prizes."
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Swarming an enemy is a super bad Idea in this one game called "Kenshi"
a bit smarter yet still failing
I mean, I get it's a narrative thing, but I've never understood the "dramatic reveal and attack" bit. Drag out the "random maid or servants or whatever going crazy" story as long as possible, helpfully escort failed attempts away and retry.
You had one advantage, and you just wasted it to look scary and gloat.
Quite the serious oversight really
Color me surprised when Pinkie Pie of all ponies was the first to score a kill. This is a far more violent universe than show canon and the girls have adapted.
I hope we find out who caused those vines to help out Fluttershy.
Well shit.
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I know that game, Sseth is best. And while I don’t have a copy (yet) I do know quite a bit about it.
This is a invasion
10576762
Isn't this Fluttershy a druid?
10577268
You know what? I think you're right. I need to go back and review previous chapters.
A rather weak chapter. If Chrissy had time to plan for C and L, than she would have had time to observe and plan for the Elements, as she knows of them and their abilities to some extend.
Also a hero without challenge is boring. You could have at least make the changeling fights hard enough to give the possibily of their defeat, to make it interesting.
While that was indeed a mistake, your greatest mistake was approching from the front, drawing attention to yourselves and then attacking them, instead of either not drawing attention to yourselves and attacking them from behind or approaching from the front and drawing his attention away from the one/ones approaching from behind to attack them
Also that
If I was a competent writer I would write a fic with the changelings not being so fck bad at their joob