My Little Dream Becomes Reality

by Tilltheafterlife

Chapter 3: A Thief (edited)

*Anomaly Day (Day before a Canterlot Wedding)*

*Ponyvile*

The village named Ponyville was one of Equestria's most well known places which held a great spectacle of happiness. Everypony walked or trotted by and by with joy inside and out. For example, a common thing which tends to transpire when two commoners of Ponyville both decide a miniature interaction is necessary, they wave hooves or greet by saying a friendly "hello!" or "how's your day going?" before they continue on with their day, now showing a happy smile as a reflection to what's inside.

Outstandingly, Ponyville's population was higher than most cities or towns in Equestria. And merely 2% of Ponyville's ponies had been seen wearing a frown over a rarely bad day; said by a group of surveyors that did a personal, calculating, experimental survey.

On this very day, firsthand thing in the morning, in the midst of the village's peace, a storm appeared out of the bloom. Panic arose when weather ponies from all sides claimed that whether intentionally or not, the storm's vicious wind and heavy rain will flood Ponyville. To make matters worse, pegasi regardless of how trained to control weather, were at a break of defeat. Many of those who attempted to clear the storm were zapped by ferocious lightning.

No pony had a clue where it came from, but sadly, no pony listened to the one pony with a pinkie sense who predicted this horrible outcome. She begged them to evacuate; crazy is what everypony looked at her as.

Rainbow Dash, Ponyville's greatest flyer and sky clearer, was nowhere in sight. Though, many believed that even she couldn't clear this catastrophe.

As hopelessness filled everypony, a ripple of white energy came around which gave everypony a feeling or sense of creativity. Everypony paused their evacuation as if someone had come to their rescue. The magic was simple, but godly. For some reason everypony felt motivated, more alive, and confident.

"This storm is going to go bye bye," Sam claimed only to himself as he imagined the storm's destruction. "I'm doing this for the sake of them; there is no need for a reward or praise after I do what I feel is right!"

Ponyville fell silent in shock when the storm was no more. Fillies beside their personal guardian folks had pictured a super pony flying up there to save the day using their superhero powers, but alas, a destructive spell was what saves Ponyville from destruction and flooding.

*9 hours later*

Within those passing hours: a magical research team had been dispatched in search for the magical phenomenon. Most of Ponyville had moved on and removed their stress about the whole thing. While some lingered indoors, afraid of some pony or creature capable of casting a magic force which could result in the death of hundreds.

Many put their suspicion on a professional spell caster + bookworm that lived in a library inside of a tree. But she then proved her magic didn't match up. She also vowed to search and report the destructive spell caster and to never leave the library for a certain period of time. Her assistant, Spike the dragon, could leave whenever he wanted. Because a poor little bored dragon like him was left with no task for today, he decided to join the research team.

Despite getting a sniff and search for anything strange kind of job, Spike surprised the research team when he first found something connected to the storm destroyer. They ran some tests and found nothing special except for its magical bond. Unfortunately for them, there wasn't any way to track whoever made this... thing.

******

"Spike! Where have you been? The sun is about to go down!" Twilight gave Spike a look of concern as he entered through her front door. She notices the big object Spike is carrying in his hands. It appears to be a bottle containing dark fluid and had something red wrapped around in the middle, having the words coca cola written on it.

"Sorry Twilight. I was busy helping the magic research team search for the cause of a mysterious beam that was shot out of Ponyville hours ago. You should've seen it Twilight! It destroyed an entire storm!" Spike's smile turned into an apologetic one when Twilight kept her strict regarding stare. She was like a mother fussing at her little child for sneaking out and coming home late.

Twilight sighed and asked, "Where did you find that Spike?"

"It was just lying on the ground near one of the apple stands. It was pretty heavy when I picked it up, but it's nothing Spike can't handle," Spike flexed his arms to show all of his strength and glory. That glorious moment didn't last long, as the bottle was encased in a purple magic aura, and immediately floated into the air right next to Twilight. Spike took a quick notice of her curiosity and spoke up about it, "If you're wondering what it is, I have no idea. They say it's somehow connected to what happened hours ago. And from the looks of things, it's some kind of potion. But no pony challenged themselves to take a single sip. They figured it'd be best if you researched it yourself, Twilight. That's why I brought it here," Spike pointed out.

Twilight nodded as a sign of acknowledgement and made her way up the stairs, placing the bottle on a nearby table. Using her magic, she opened its cap hearing a hissing sound come out of the bottle. She jumped in surprise, then stared at it for a moment. She didn't want to drink anything beyond her well aware. It could be a potion of death or something worse made by an evil unicorn capable of casting powerful dark spells.

'Maybe I should ask Princess Celestia about this. She would know what to do. Plus, she also possesses more knowledge than I do for sure.'

Spike really wanted to see how things were going, but before getting a chance to ask, a paper and quill floated in front of him. When he thought there were no tasks left for today, he was wrong.

"Spike, take a note to Princess Celestia."

The little dragon glanced at Twilight, then went into assistant mode, determination resting in his eyes. "Okay!"

Dear Princess Celestia,

I am sorry to tell you that I have not yet learned a lesson about friendship this week. But, I have found something that might be in your interest. A recent existence of overwhelming unidentified magic has manifested here, in Ponyville. Our most talented magic research team failed to find the source. I ask sincerely that you transfer from Canterlot to Ponyville as soon as possible, for I and everypony else cannot bear to accept something so powerful beyond our knowledge. I believe this is a perfect opportunity for me to learn or discover something new in the arts of magic. And you're the only pony I know who I can look up to for help.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.

Slowly, Spike rolled the letter up into a cylinder shape as it had always been done when being delivered. He then took a ribbon from one of the library's storage closets to tie the letter in place. Once Twilight gave the order, Spike nodded and sent it away to Celestia with fire magic straight out of his mouth.

"There we go, another perfect message sent out by your number one assistant," Spike patted his chest with a fist while maintaining a straight posture.

Twilight giggled. "Okay my number one assistant, it's nap time for you and me. This day has been quite interesting, but I think it's time for us to get a little shut eye."

Spike ran to a near window and sighed upon a full lunar circle impulsing its usual light properties into the night sky. "Awwww," he frowned and his posture lowered into a pitiful slouch. "Can't I stay up late and watch over this... Coke thing?"

"No Spike, you need your rest. I'll keep an eye out on... Coke. You just have a good night's sleep for tonight." The two in the library both let out a yawn, ready to go to sleep. "Spike, whatever you do, don't touch it while I'm asleep, please," Twilight placed the cap and closed the bottle with her magic and went off to bed. Spike did the same.

When she fell asleep Twilight suddenly found herself in the Canterlot throne room. Princess Celestia was sitting there, with a face of hatred. A black figure as an inclusion to this random event stood next to Celestia. "I don't know why I chose you to be my faithful student! You will never be forgiven, Twilight Sparkle!" Celestia stood up and walked towards Twilight, horn glowing at the ready. Her royal shoes and stomps struck fear. And the black figure couldn't help itself to laugh at Twilight before disappearing into shadows.

"I don't understand! What did I do wrong?!" Twilight backed away in fear. Something was wrong. Twilight never did anything wrong. She only did exactly what the princess wanted: to make friends. And Celestia would never jump straight into a fight or a war without reasoning. "This isn't you, Celestia! You're better than this!" Twilight claimed, but Celestia's face didn't change for the better. In fact, her face lit up with wrath and envy.

"How dare you say I'm not good enough to rule! I'm stronger, smarter, and better than you, Twilight Sparkle!"

Before Twilight could say another word, Celestia shot a beam towards her own student without hesitating. Twilight closed her eyes and covered her face with a hoof.

She heard Celestia's attack hit, thankfully it wasn't her that was hit. Did Celestia miss on purpose? Twilight uncovered her face just to see Princess Luna standing in front of her with a magical barrier surrounding them both. Luna took a deep breath and stomped her hoof hard on the ground, causing the barrier to explode into a shock wave, knocking Celestia into a wall. Twilight watched as Celestia's body disappeared out of existence.

"I am here, Twilight Sparkle. Do not let your eyes deceive you. This was only a nightmare I fought off," said Luna.

"Oh, thank Celestia. Well, actually what I meant to say was, thank you, Luna," Twilight let out a sigh of relief.

"Tis my duty and pleasure miss Sparkle."

The darkness that was giving Twilight a horrifying illusion, now gone; gave Twilight an excuse to put full attention on Luna. Through the princess of night's presence Twilight felt the world around her reveal what it really is supposed to be. A dream. Pillars, windows, tiles, and all sorts of the castle hall dispersed till only a clear space of stars were left. Luna's essence grew stronger upon realization. A path of light became the surface they now stood on. Twilight took notice of the moon once Luna had her eyes on it.

"I'm afraid our time together will be short. A great darkness has been unleashed onto the dream realm. Nightmares are becoming more and more common because of its doing. Please, take care," Luna flew into the moon as her way of exit. There came an explosion of moonlight which engulfed Twilight's dream after the princess's departure.

"W-Wait! Princess Luna!" Twilight woke up to see the inside of her lovely library she now called home. "Wh-wha!?" she left her laying position in bed and rubbed both eyes one at a time as she took cognizance over what happened. Her tension went away when she felt peace in reality. "Just a dream..."

Then, without warning, another spike of tension hit her mental state. For it seemed only a minute of sleep is what she submitted to, it had actually been an hour. The mysterious bottle left on the table before she went to bed was gone. She became frozen in shock.

The first thought that came to her mind is Spike's curiosity getting the best of him. Who knows what kind of nasty effects the potion had in store for that little dragon? She almost yelled out his name before finding him sleeping in one of the smallest beds in all of Equestria, with no bottle in sight.

"Phew," Twilight took her concern away from Spike.

If Spike wasn't the pony responsible for the bottle's disappearance, then who was? A thief? The potion must've been extremely valuable. Somepony aware of its value might have sneaked into the golden oak library during her sleep, desperately trying to steal a dark potion undetected. The pony in question, either took it to a much safer place or plans to use it for trouble. Princess Luna did mention a great darkness being unleashed upon Equestria.

Twilight ran her mind with many ideas. She wasn't about to let the thief go so easily. She grabbed one of the most advanced books on the shelves and began reading. After glancing through a multitude of spell pages like a reading professional, the distressed unicorn found what she sought. The spell she was about to cast, allows the user to look into the past.

"Aha!" Twilight closed her eyes and put great focus in advance. The spell was definitely more advanced than any other spell. So advanced, that only unicorns at Twilight's level could cast it before passing out. "Come on!" she squinted with her teeth grit over struggle.

Several seconds passed, each second next to the last being more of a pain in the flank to endure. But Twilight refused to give up.

She was determined, and made one last push, casting the spell on herself. Her eyes turned blue, and she could see herself going to bed before the bottle went missing. All she had to do now was wait.

After what seemed to be half an hour of staring at a single bottle. Twilight spotted somepony sneaking in from the window quietly. The pony walked slowly towards the bottle, and a golden aura surrounded it. The thief showed herself to be a pesky unicorn mare who had a mint colored coat and a cyan mane with a white streak. Twilight already figured out what this was about.

"Lyra Heartstrings, how am I not surprised," Twilight made a face of annoyance as she saw Lyra jump out of the window, galloping all the way home.

"I'm starting to get fed up with this human nonsense," Twilight took the spell off, along with her eyes turning back to their original color. Spike was left behind as Twilight didn't even bother to wake him up as she quickly left the Golden Oak library.

---

*Dawn of Day Two (Day before the invasion)*

*Castle of the Two Sisters*

After a short rest Sam lazily stood up on his toes and stretched, surprised he didn't wake up with a soar bone. From his daring past self, he learned from his mistakes. One mistake was sleeping on a cold hard floor as a challenge rather than a warm and fuzzy bed. It didn't turn out well for Sam. Nor did he feel accomplished about it in the end. The last thing he needed was waking up with a fatal injury.

He considered his new passive regeneration ability. Maybe that's the reason why he didn't get a muscle cramp. With a breath of gratefulness, Sam snatched what usefulness he could find inside of the castle. Luckily for him, a usable torch supported by a piece of metal that hung on a decayed pillar caught his view.

"It ain't much. Better than nothing though," Sam said to himself, in an attempt to force a positive mindset while storing the torch in his new traveling bag.

Things have escalated from a boring day of school into absolute desperation to stay alive. Already, for only a night wandering the Everfree Forest and spending the rest of the night behind an old throne, Sam had awoke feeling homesick. He didn't know whether things were going to get worse or better. Optimism became harder to set inside, the more quickly his conditions for survival changed. And it didn't help Sam one bit when there came the fact that for once in his life... he was truly all alone.

Sam took time for several in and out breaths in relief for stress. Time remaining was uncertain, though Sam had a feeling not much of it would persist if the Tree of Harmony's super duper important task of all tasks were delayed by laziness and cowardice.

Before leaving, Sam slumped on a throne and clapped his hands together. The amount of silence made this coming moment perfect. He never did count the days, but he guessed it had been at least a year since his last prayer to... him. Was this all a punishment? Was this a test by him? Sam didn't have a clue.

With closed eyes, Sam prayed for his safety, future, luck, and his life. Not being much of a talker, his session of prayer came to an end within a minute.

"Lets do this," Sam left his comfy sitting position and sprinted out of the castle, across the wooden bridge, and followed the trail of branches he made purposefully to navigate through the Everfree. "I got a tree to save and a demon to kill. Canterlot here I come!"

******

*Canterlot*

'Oh boy. I'm not sure about this.' Sam put a hand across his forehead, shielding his eyes from Celestia's sun. The view of Canterlot up close was EXTREMELY something else entirely. He did catch glimpses of the whole place from afar back when he was maneuvering up the less steep parts of the mountain sides after exiting the forest unscathed to his surprise. The Canterlot that stood tall and strong from Sam's perspective took on a more realistic and intimidating look. And Sam felt something overwhelming that begged him to turn back.

'Ah, crap! What kind of mission impossible sort of scenario did I get into? The whole place looks like a restricted fortress! Better hope there won't be too many guards patrolli- ah for crying out LOUD!!!'

Guards of all sorts, encased in gold suits of armor marched together in groups. Many put their patrolling on the grounds, while very few patrolled the sky and castle walls. Looking at such an excessive amount of pony military, Sam wanted to turn back and hide in the forest like a miserable little pile of secrets. However, he shook his head and stood firm. No matter how stupid or reckless it felt to an insane degree, he needed help. Sam NEEDED the Elements of Harmony. And he doubted the ponies would simply hoof them over.

'Welp, here we go. I don't know how likely success is, but I do know getting through this undetected is very unlikely. These ponies won't be happy if they see me for sure. They'll probably even think I'm the so-called 'threat' that has been made against this fortress! When I'm not,' Sam told himself he wasn't a monster in spite of his hands shifting into the claws of a monster to climb an unimpeachable defense wall for normal bare hands.

After he climbed upwards and sneaked through Canterlot's first line of defenses, it happened. A gigantic magical barrier surrounded Canterlot from its top to bottom parts. The barrier's pink color and sparkles similar to a diamond showed how impressive Shining Armor really was as a unicorn captain. More importantly, it made Sam confirm his theory that today was the beginning of MLP's season 2 finale.

'Great, I need to act fast before the invasion starts. The Tree of Harmony's instructions were clear. Grab the Elements of Harmony and return them. Piece of cake,' Sam put full focus at the task at hand before prowling past multiple guards by using alley ways and certain structures to stay hidden. There were hundreds of ponies all over the place and half of them were guards. One guard spotted him and almost alerted the others, but Sam was quick enough to knock him out cold with his new and improved hardened fist.

The unconscious guard was a problem since his body laid out in pony's view. Sam quickly grabbed the guard by the hoof and dragged the poor stallion into a hidden area with sweat forming passively over guilt and fear of being caught. 'There! Now no pony will notice he's gone. In a few hours, he'll wake up like nothing happened. I hope...'

Sam shook away his feelings, then continued on in stealth. He stopped when he spotted nearly a hundred guards piling the entrance of the castle. Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard, turned out to be a part of that specific group on duty. Immediately, Sam took off to find another way in, refusing to recklessly start a fight against hundreds.

'Ah, here we are!' when Sam found a balcony stretching outwards from high above, he forced his hands into sharp claws, allowing him to climb all the way to the top of the castle. Once he reached the very top he made a soft landing on the balcony and made an entrance through there. Sooner than expected, he found the door containing the elements just down a special corridor.

As he walked to his destination, he realized how long the corridor actually was. Running would make things faster, but that could blow away his stealth. The corridor had so many glass paintings with Celestia, Luna, Discord, and of course, the mane 6. When halfway there, he heard hoof steps of some pony coming his way from behind. Sam readied his fist, prepared to knock out a guard or staff member he assumed was following.

Instead, a tall mare was caught trotting behind Sam with an evil grin on her face. There came hesitation, but the mare didn't receive a face punch. Sam felt confused and unsure of what action to take. He knew this was the very beautiful Princess Cadance, however, another thought came to his head that this was Queen Chrysalis in disguise.

'Why is she following me with that smile?' Sam kept eye contact with her for a short period of time.

Cadance/Chrysalis locked eyes on the human in return. Her smile faded away and she stared at Sam curiously after he broke his acknowledgement of her. The creature had a neutral face as it continued its walk.

Sam didn't want to hurt a Princess and he most certainly didn't want to pick a fight with Queen Chrysalis, in fear that his head will be on a bunch of wanted posters by the changelings/ponies.

When he made it all the way to the sealed door. He changed his right arm into a sledgehammer, capable of destroying many things in its path.

He felt a hoof tap him on the shoulder before he could begin smashing like a destructive hulk. 'Uh oh, she's onto me. I wonder what she wants.' Sam turned around to see a face of anger and annoyance mixed together.

"Ahem! I'm talking to you." Cadance/Chrysalis kept staring at him. Sam didn't know how to respond. He knew this had to be Chrysalis in disguise, due to the amount of negativity swirling around her. "What are you doing here? I don't believe there was an invitation sent for a creature like you to attend my wedding."

"Oh! Um! My name is Sam. It's a pleasure to meet you Queen- uh, Princess!" Sam bowed down to her. As he did, he realized his suspicious acting. The kind of acting that could screw oneself up in an important conversation. "I'm only here for the Elements of Harmony, nothing more, nothing less," Sam kept his neutral face on throughout his response as he spilled the truth. "I know my appearance and intentions seem real concerning. But I just want you to understand that I need the elements for my survival. Please don't alert anypony. I'm not here to cause a ruckus to your wedding."

Her cold stare softened, "Well, that weapon of yours won't completely do the trick. This door isn't just any normal door. It's reinforced with a magical spell by Celestia herself. If you damage it in any way, Celestia will be alerted. However, I am willing to destroy the spell, as long as you don't tell any pony here about my little secret. A few of my children have told me a lot about you, and I'm pretty sure they have informed you about my plans."

Sam took a step closer and returned a stare, "Queen Chrysalis?"

Chrysalis changed into her real form and chuckled, "Ah, so you are aware."

Sam nodded with tightened lips, "Yes, I am aware of your invasion plans."

"Then promise me you won't spill the beans to any pony here. If you do, let's just say you'll suffer a long-term punishment for going against us. And trust me, we changelings don't tolerate those who get in the way of our need for love."

"Fair enough. I don't have any problem with bugs sucking what must be sucked for survival. Plus, I'm good at keeping secrets." said Sam. "So, can you remove the spell?"

"Oh, that's not all I demand from you. A few of my children also said they wandered into a forest, encountered a pack of wooden wolves, and were nearly eaten alive. When all hope was lost, you came along and saved them. I am truly grateful, really. And they say you are very strong. I can even taste your strength and potential just with a slight ounce of magic."

"Yea," Sam replied, ensuring Chrysalis that he was paying full attention.

"Once I remove Celestia's spell, and once you successfully obtain those worthless gemstones, I ask that you serve as my guard in return for my help. Deal?" Chrysalis gave Sam a nasty grin, showing all of her teeth, including her fangs.

"You sure do like to make things difficult for one to decide," Sam didn't have much of a choice. He already had a hard time deciding whether or not he should join the changelings or the ponies. But now, joining the changelings was the only hope for his survival. If Sam wanted to even have a chance against Nightmare, he needed the Tree of Harmony's help. Without the elements, the tree is utterly powerless.

"Alright fine. I'll join," Sam stood there in silence with a frown.

"Good boy. I will be sure to take care of you once we feed on Equestria's LOVE!" Chrysalis laughed and laughed until she was out of breath. She then walked up to the door, pointing her horn at it. Her horn glowed green as she focused on the spell. Sam just stood there thinking of himself as a guard dog or something else entirely. Before he knew it, Chrysalis had let out a barrage of green lightning that covered the entire door in green raging flames.

Sam looked at it all in amazement. 'Yep, Chrysalis is a bit overpowered. Please nerf her a smidge.'

The flames disappeared and the door stood there still. Chrysalis turned around proud, "Well what are you waiting for? The spell is no more!"

"Oh, right," Sam backed away prepared to charge with all his might. He took a deep breath and charged with his sledgehammer ready. The door was then brutally smashed into pieces causing a huge impact noise throughout the entire castle. A container which appeared to be a treasure chest was right in front of Sam. The elements were right there, inside that little fancy box.

"Be quick! I did not expect a loud bang to go with your theft!" Chrysalis complained.

Sam opened the chest and added the Elements of Harmony into his traveling bag. Everything was going according to plan, that was, until the galloping of many ponies could be heard. Sam panicked on the inside while Chrysalis remained calm. "Okay, how about this. I'm going to send you to someplace beneath Canterlot. Find a way out and wait until the invasion is over. We will meet again to discuss things." Chrysalis walked up to a glass painting and smashed it, making it look like some insane creature jumped out of it.

Chrysalis changed back into Cadance and her horn glowed green once again. She was so confident and calm, but Sam can tell she was a little annoyed about the unwanted mindless patrol. Green flames began to surround Sam, and, in a flash, he was gone. Cadance/Chrysalis turned to see multiple guards galloping across the corridor towards her. The fake princess sat down and began to act miserable.

"Princess Cadance! What happened here?!" said one of the guards.

Cadance/Chrysalis kept the act by whining in a similar manner as Rarity during the diamond dog incident. "Oh guards! Please help me! A monster came out of nowhere and stole the elements! It jumped right out of this now ruined glass! You need to do a better job around here!"

The guards nodded their heads in unison. One of them bowed down to her nervously. "A-As you wish your highness." All of the guards trotted out of the corridor while also escorting Candance/Chrysalis out.

---

*Ponyvile*

Lyra barged into her house, carelessly slamming the door as she nervously galloped towards a near desk. Lyra's roommate, Sweetie Drops, awoke from her most comforting rest on the couch; she felt concerned, but a little annoyed over Lyra's presence. "Ugh, seriously Lyra. Can't you see the moon outside? You're supposed to be sleeping, and not jumping up and down like an overstimulated Pinkie Pie who ate 3200 grams of sugar!"

"Quite down Bon Bon! Now is not the time for an argument," Lyra placed a newfound object onto her study table. Countless books and pictures rested in piles, coming close to ridding the table of free space, but Lyra made room. While the object sat in peace, its inside fluid danced like the waves from an ocean. Lyra gazed at what she stole in awe while her roommate stared at her in complete despondency. Almost every book Lyra owned had something to do with her obsession towards humans.

"Lyra, listen to me for once in your life. Those creatures you're obsessed with, aren't real. They are just like the other legendary myths made to scare foals from leaving their parents behind, or sneaking into forbidden places like the Everfree Forest," Sweetie Drops said in a harsh way.

Lyra couldn't bear those words. As much as she wanted to ignore that statement; her desire to prove her roommate wrong took control. And thus, an argument begins between them. "No! Humans are not what you think they are! I have had dreams about them for so many years!"

"So? That doesn't prove anything. Dreams can be anything you want them to be. Reality is where everything is the real deal. I know the truth hurts, Lyra, but the truth is what many need to hear. I hate to see you suffer for believing in a big lie, then setting yourself up for over the top goals that can't even be achieved. And, tell me, what makes these 'humans' you speak of so special in comparison to any other mythical creature?"

"They were the very first species to begin civilization. Humans are the reason why us ponies exist." Lyra began to stand on two hoofs instead of four in front of Sweetie Drops, and shouted, "HUMANS ARE REAL!"

"Okay! Okay! You can stop yelling!" Sweetie Drops covered her ears in pain. She didn't want to hate Lyra over a ridiculous obsession, but she hated backing down from an argument, especially if it were a stubborn mare she objected towards. "What is that thing you brought with you anyway? Is it some sort of potion you shouldn't be messing with? Oh, let me guess. You snuck out during this very night and obtained it from those imaginary creatures you call humans?" Sweetie Drops gave her the look of being fed up, but alas, Lyra didn't care once so ever.

"It's called soda. And no, I didn't exactly get it from humans, but I know that it's originally from them. Once we find a way to make more, we can say goodbye to apple cider." Lyra opened the bottle with her magic causing a hiss to come out.

"Soda?" said Sweetie Drops

"Yes. It's basically water with a bunch of other stuff added. But the ingredients that were used are unknown to pony kind." Lyra stood there, examining the bottle. She wanted to take a sip so bad. But she shook her head and closed the bottle with its cap. As she lifted the bottle with her magic, both of them heard a knock on the door. Lyra's fear rose while her magic decayed from her stolen discovery.

"Okay Lyra, I've had enough of your crazy beliefs. Hand over what you stole from me, or I will tell Princess Celestia that you are messing with dark magic." Twilight continued to knock louder and louder. Lyra's eyes widened as she quickly ran and hid the bottle in a safe spot. How could Twilight possibly know it was her? Lyra was sure Twilight was completely asleep when she found her. So how?

Sweetie Drops's ears perked up and she didn't stop herself from questioning Lyra once more. "Lyra... what's going on?"

Lyra kept her mouth shut. She didn't like this one bit, her mind sending signals of guilt along with great regret as her hooves patted a plank flooring.

Lyra ran up to Sweetie Drops and whispered, "Please back me up here."

Sweetie Drops rolled her eyes. Lyra had already gotten enough attention in Ponyville with all those made-up stories. And now, she was about to get the attention of Princess Celestia herself if found out. And from the sounds of a louder consecutive knocking, which in a way threatened to blast the door into pieces if a test of patience kept on any longer; Sweetie Drops took a stand for her friend and bravely opened the door.

Twilight's smirk upon entry made Lyra want to smack it off hard. That type of smile was by all means the worst of the worst. There wasn't any need for Lyra to act innocent. She knew Twilight long enough to know she's a smart pony who doesn't easily let things slide.

"Well Lyra. Where is it?" Twilight walked in unusually without Spike to accompany her.

"How did you know?!" Lyra stood there in shock.

"Oh, just an easy time spell." Twilight glared at her. "You know, this human obsession of yours is really getting out of hoof. I don't know what you see in those creatures, but all I see in front of me is a deranged mare who can't control oneself."

"Hey!" Sweetie Drops intervened. "No pony talks to my friend like that! Get out of here now before I lose it, Twilight!"

"I will once Lyra returns what's been stolen and repents over her theft. This is only between me and her, so don't butt in unless you want an arrest for defending a burglar like her," Twilight threatened.

"Well, the bottle caught some pony's eye, and they took it from me in exchange for 50 bits." Lyra backed away and sat down on the couch in a weird position while smiling awkwardly.

"Really?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't have it in your possession?"

"Nope."

"And they paid you to break into an innocent library, and you just went with it?"

"Uh correct, yes. I would do many crazy things when in need of bits. I'm a broke pony after all."

"So, this little intrusion of yours wasn't because you wanted to prove a theory about humans? Just wanting to satisfy a deal? Nothing personal or more?" Twilight's eyes narrowed over to the book table, a hoof held under her chin. She had a small feeling in her gut that Lyra wasn't fully giving away the truth. Ponies have lied to her countless of times back in her time in Canterlot. And she developed a sort of trust issue to protect herself from lies. But there, came the problem of her own isolation.

"Nope! Nothing to do with you personally or humans in general. It's just business," Lyra claimed.

Twilight didn't say anything, but her expression showed disappointment. Lyra desperately wanted Celestia's pet out of her house before anything got out of hoof. The deal for 50 bits by a skeptical pony was obviously all made up. Despite Twilight being one of the smartest mares in Ponyville, she still got played by a reasonably friendly face in which a fat lying mare hid behind.

"*sigh* I understand. So long as that... Coke isn't in your hooves. But I'm still ticked off over the unwanted surprise visit! I'm willing to let it slide if you tell me where that dealer of yours went off," Twilight offered.

"A deal for mercy in exchange for given info. I love that," Lyra grinned, then acted as if she were putting in effort for remembrance. Pretending it clicked in her head she answered, "He said he'd be at Canterlot tomorrow morning. For what reason? I don't know."

"Can you describe him to me?"

"My dealer wore a cloak covering almost every part, except for the face. He's quite a big blue stallion."

"Blue stallion. Got it."

'Yea I'm sure you did, NOW LEAVE US BE ALREADY!' Lyra held the last bit of niceness she had outside, thinking the nicer she was, the faster Twilight would leave.

Before the conversation could continue, Sweetie Drops decided another intervening was important. "Twilight, it's been a strange day and night for us all, but don't you have better things to do? I mean, it's the middle of the night. And I believe you need to get some rest for the wedding tomorrow."

Twilight looked at her in confusion. "Wedding? What wedding?"

"You know. The day your brother, Shining Armor, marries Princess Mi Amore Cadenza." Sweetie Drops showed Twilight the invitation on one of the clean tables that weren't full of human research.

Twilight gasped, "How come I wasn't invited?! Unless Spike got the invitation and decided to keep it from me." Twilight ran out the door and onto the streets. She couldn't believe this. Her very own brother forgot about her. The thought made her cry while she galloped. When she got home, Spike was still asleep. Twilight decided not to bother him until he was awake. She also needed to get enough sleep. Whether Shining Armor liked it or not, Twilight was going to the wedding.

---

*Below Canterlot*

When the green flames cleared, Sam was no longer in the castle. His eyes met pure darkness everywhere he looked. Chrysalis wanted him someplace away from the guards, but she didn't mention any dangers, or gave a nice small description of whatever place she sent him to. The craving queen only gave orders to find a way out.

'Find a way out, huh? Easier said than done, Chrysalis. Where the heck am I? Can't even see a dang thing in this place either! I believe this is the fourth time this week my vision gets blindfolded by darkness. Makes me think of another aggravating power outage too.'

In Sam's own thinking, the place couldn't have been Nightmare's domain of utter darkness, since he believed Chrysalis possessed zero connection to dream magic. As he recalled the moments Twilight had back in the season 2 finale, it finally clicked in his head. Chrysalis had done exactly the same to him as she did to Twilight. With an exception of the intention.

'Hold up,' Sam slowly searched the insides of his traveling bag and grabbed a torch along with a box of matches. Laying the torch down, he took a few attempts to ignite one of the matches. He missed a couple strikes, but carried on. When fire came into view after his sixth or seventh attempt, he directed the flaming match downwards and ignited the torch as well. Just like Twilight's spell which made her horn into a personal violet lantern to light her surroundings; the lit torch became a success for Sam.

The constant moving flame gave light to Sam's surroundings. He felt the warmth of fire on his face and arm, and it warmed his heart to see light repel the dark. It gave Sam this sense of hope that things were going to be okay no matter how dark things get.

In his current surrounding area, he saw crystals sharp as knives, a large hole leading somewhere else in the darkened cave, and... a dubious part of the surface wall. His thoughts went back to Twilight's meet up with Cadance. Since Chrysalis had already taken Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's form as a disguise; the princess must already be trapped there. If that were true then she needed help. And Sam was the only one at this very point in time who could help. Nopony knows what's going on. No pony in Canterlot is aware of what's about to take place. Only Sam knows.

'I wonder what she'll think of me if I find her beyond this wall?' Sam reshaped his right hand into a stern hammer. 'I've destroyed many rocks in Building Construction class for fun. Lets see if this wall of rock will be any different.'

******

Cadance's POV

I was freezing cold in this dark abyss. I tried cleansing my constant shift between hunger and sadness by staring off at the very few glow in the dark crystal shards. But those beautiful colors only gave happiness for a minute or so before my thoughts of the tragedy returned. A bug queen of mystery took my appearance and trapped me here. Did anypony know about this? Did anypony see this happen? A part of me wanted to have faith in Canterlot's defenses, but another part of me wanted to accept defeat.

These crystals are formed magic proof, and I have little to no strength in physical terms after being attacked from behind. I was bruised, wounded, and drained to exhaustion. I didn't want to just sit here and do nothing. But... there wasn't any better option. I needed rest, and overthinking in such a rush will only exhaust me further.

When I took a few breaths and sat down, a striking sound entered my hearing. Aside from the common sounds from water drops and howling wind, this sound was unique. I clung to the very part of a wall from which it came. My ears caught it time and time again. Then, it stopped. Even as the silent minutes passed I kept my ears open. Being in a situation like this will make any out of the ordinary worth paying full attention to.

In my desperation for help, I heard hoof steps of somepony drawing near. No. It wasn't a pony. Those weren't the sounds of hoof steps. But... there was definitely something there. I could sense it through my magic. Something conscious, something living, someone with a soul and heart is here.

*BANG*

A great flinch is what came over me as I collapsed onto the crystal floor. I couldn't help myself but to squeal, thinking whatever was suddenly trying to break through had malicious intent. I effortlessly skidded across the floor as the cracks on the wall enlarged with each bang. My breathing became heavy and loud out of fear. The banging stopped for a moment, allowing me to catch more breath.

*BANG*

The sudden transition from silence gave me a startle. I flinched and squealed yet again. Realization at some point hit me that the wall was now broken. Its debris laid miserably on the ground as did I at this very moment. From there on, my eyes caught one of the most peculiar things I have ever seen in my days in Equestria. Questions started a race inside my mind. The question that finished in 1st place would be the one I'd focus on.

As IT came to me at a slow but creepy pace, two questions out of fifty had crossed the finish line. What sort of creature or thing was it?! And what did it want?!

Every part of my mind screamed for me to get away, to defend myself, or attempt to pacify. But, I couldn't. I was in no condition to cast such pacifying magic, nor in any condition to teleport or flee. Like a mindless animal, I clambered myself all the way to the very back wall. The creature didn't stop. IT kept walking and slightly accelerated its movement. I shivered and nearly screamed out of my lungs when it was only two hoof steps away from me.

When it held out its hand and spoke, I couldn't prevent a frozen reaction. IT could speak!

"Hey now, I don't mean no harm. I just wanna get out of here, and I bet you want the same thing I do."

"..." I struggled creating a word for this... creature. Only a face of unease is what I gave him.

"Come on now. I can't stand here all day to see ya hanging here all sad. Don't ya know how to greet a new friend? Grab my hand and I'll support you up."

"Who are you?" I asked quickly, hesitant to take his offer of help.

"I'm Sam," he answered. "What about your name?"

"Cadance," I said, taking a hold of his hand. Anxiety left passively when he gave a warm smile after pulling me upwards. The welcoming warmth I felt in my heart gave me an urge to return a smile.

"Well, what are we waiting for Cadance? Let's get my lazy head and your sorry self out of here. And uh... we'll get revenge on that bug pony that trapped us both down here," he looked at me, waiting for a response.

"Um, sure," I grinned awkwardly. Seriously, who was this Sam? What even was he? How did he know the queen had hidden me behind a wall? He just showed up out of nowhere. Should I fully trust him? I mean, he is the only one knowing what's going on, I think.

"Alright then, lets get out of here!" he gestured to an open path, then took off before I could register.

I shook my head, but followed him through every part of this cave. My trotting became a gallop when he decided to inconsiderately run off with the only light source that gave a clear view of the darkness in his hand. This crystal cave maze felt everlasting, and when Sam finally made his stop, I was relieved when I caught up.

Having your energy diminished on a low note is never a good thing when it could've been avoided. He wasn't the talkative type for sure as I took notice of his personal self being within these first couple of minutes we met. Maybe it was a good thing to be with a silent creature. After all, individuals like him are kind enough to ignore annoyance rather than complain about it. Maybe he isn't bad after all. Still, even if he appears trustworthy, I still must keep an eye out. He is not Equus.

"Not to offend you or anything, but. What exactly are you supposed to be? I have never seen a creature like you before," I went quiet when his expression became confused over my question.

"I'm a human," he started.

"Human?" I carried the subject on.

"Yea. Never heard of them?"

"No, I haven't. I don't think Equestria has ever made contact with your kind before."

"Well, Equestria is going to. Only, if I manage to live long enough to be recognized. Not that I really need any recognition. I just have a feeling it's going to come when I'm found out."

"I see..." I finished.

"Anyways, are you in any condition to fly right now?" Sam glued his eyes on my wings. He also pointed over to where light beams from the surface of Canterlot illuminated from afar. There was the exit.

"I'm afraid not. I can fly a good distance, but I don't think I can make it. We could use that minecart over there to get across!" I trotted towards it and began pushing at it with all my strength to no avail. Then, I felt something grip my belly tight. I was then picked up and placed into the minecart. Sam started removing the rocks blocking the wheels and pushed the minecart with a lot of force.

As the minecart traveled at a high-speed I saw the end of the tracks. Preparing my wings to fly with all of the energy I had left, the minecart leaped into the air and began falling, I began to flap my wings hard until I made it all the way to the exit tunnel. I turned to see Sam right next to me.

"Wait. How did you?" my question was answered after Sam dug his sharp fingers into a nearby wall.

"Just a quick and easy climbing trick I learned to catch up with flyers. Glad you made it here in one piece."

I thanked him. My surroundings darkened after Sam put out the torch and stored it, but the light of day emitting just above one last upper tunnel was enough light. We ran out of the cave to see the beautiful light of day once again.

"You better get back in the castle right away. The queen of the changelings is probably by now messing with Shining's head." Sam turned his hand into the shape of a hoof, asking for a hoof bump.

"Thank you," I ended up clapping his fake hoof instead. "W-wait?! You know my Shining Armor?!"

"Oh, uh. Yea, I do. Not in a close way though. The two of us haven't even met. And if we did then... there'd be a battle to the death."

I looked at him funny. When he stared off in a different direction I noticed an astonished reaction from him. I turned to see what was so shocking; a unicorn mare stood in front of us. This mare wasn't any ordinary old unicorn in my eyes.

Comments

[Tilltheafterlife]

Welp, I finished chapter 3. I will be editing chapter 1 and make huge changes to chapter 2. Please tell me if I did anything wrong.

[AstralFlare42]

If you would like to borrow an OC, let me know via PM.