Rainbow Point Paradox

by Aether Nexus

Chapter 5 - The second day part 2

Author's Note:

OK, it's been a month and I haven't posted, so here is what I have.

Yes, I wanted to include Fluttershy and Rainbow in this chapter but hey ho it'll be coming next time.

Again, back to my half 4 posting, as you can tell I'm not working at the mo so hopefully more progress on chapters.

I haven't done a good job proofreading this, so I may have an edit or two in the next 24 hours (Please be gentle in the comments).

Aether's writing Zephry into the next chapter, but can't decide if to go cannon or change him up, it's Cherrychanga and ChimmyCherries all over again!"

Applejack awoke on a cold hard floor, with aches and pains pinging across her body. Blinking her eyes into focus, she took in her unfamiliar surroundings, after a few moments, the events of yesterday came back to her.

After the sky exploded into a rainbow of colors, and memories of treasured friends and future family filled her head, she quickly noticed the new pair of wings by her side. AJ grinned to herself as thoughts of joining Rainbow in a tree or on a cloud for naps filled her mind, but why did she suddenly have wings?

Raising a nervous hoof to her forehead, she found the things she dreaded to find, a horn, a Sparkle damned unicorn horn, and if she had a horn and wings … Princess Applejack, the name filled her mind as she ran deep into Sweet Apple Acers and tears filled her eyes. Why was she an Alicorn, was it something Twilight did? Had the Alicorns experiment done this? What would happen now? Was she going to be taken away from her family to be raised in Canterlot?

Was she going to be taken away from her parents … Her parents? Bright Mac and Buttercup were alive … alive, and waiting for their Earth pony daughter to come home. What would they say? How were they alive? What was going on!?

She hadn’t given the shelter she’d found herself a second thought, Applejack had far too many other questions that needed answering, she was safe so the small room wasn’t relevant right now.

“Sugercube, you in there?” A stallion’s voice, her father's voice called from outside the room.

“Yea, hi Pa, yea I’m in here, but err, I'm busy”

“Too busy to see ya old Pa?” chuckled the stallion.

“Err, yea, it’s, err, filly stuff.”

“Ok Sugar, do you want me to ask Granny to come by?”

“NO, I mean, err, no thank ya Pa, I’m fine.” Applejack, for the first time, decided to check where she was. It didn’t take long to realise she was in her sisters' tree house, or more accurately her tree house. Applebloom was far too young to be left alone, so the tree house belonged to her and Big Mac, but why was it so well built before Applebloom met the other Cutie Mark Crusaders? Had her father fixed it up?

“Alright then, just don’t make ya Ma worry too much, she’s still weak so she won’t be able to come ta fetch ya if’n ya fall asleep again.”

Applejack rolled her eyes, “Yes Pa, I’ll be back when I’m ready.” It took her a few moments to realise what she’d just done. Her father, one of the two ponies she wished to spend time with more than any other was on the other side of the door, a family member she had so few memories of, was this before his death? But she had her Cutie Mark, nothing made sense.

Tears came to her eyes once again, if only her Dashie was here, she’d have made them do something stupid, but it was better than this. She curled up into a ball and wept to herself, not knowing what to do.

Then she’d woken up, the aches she had were from sleeping on the wooden floor of a tree house, but at least it was home. A nervous hoof checked her forehead, and to her relief, as Twilight had promised, her horn was indeed gone, just as the wings that last night were at her side. She might still have the innate magic of the three tribes, but for now, she could still be Applejack.

As she made her way back to the farm, she slipped into the door and crept past Granny Smith, Big Mac, and her father, who she could hear working in the kitchen. Making her way up the stairs she made her way to a room that was not used in her memories, but now would be different. Taking a moment to steady herself, she pushed open the door.

“Hey Apple bloom, Hi Ma.”

*****************

Making her way home had been a troubling experience for Twilight, if what she remembered was accurate, the memory Canterlot was much more crowded than the Canterlot she was currently trotting through, despite being fairly certain she had never taken her eyes off a book previously, she was having a hard time avoiding ending up under someponies hoof. One look at any pony’s face however and she could guess the reason, gone were the snooty, but carefree ponies of her memory, every pony here was in a rush, and clearly didn’t care for any pony around, it reminded her much more of Manehatten at its worst.

At least one thing had come from this walk. Passing a new stand Twilight had been able to glimpse the current date … 1146. Whatever had happened, reached so far back that Celestia didn’t change the calendar to line up with her sister's imprisonment, and since her memories of Nightmare Night differed notably, she would have to try to find records dating back over 990 years. And the Canterlot Archives weren’t even available to her!

Rounding the final corner, Twilight noticed that standing outside her family house, were two guards, both of whom were not in Royal Guard armor. She was about to turn around and scry on the area when she noticed the sigil on their armor, the mark of Mi Amore Cadenza, or Cadence to every creature who didn’t have a stick up their rump. As she approached, she managed to get a better look at their armor, it was simple, practical, and lacked the ornate nature a princess's guard usually had, in fact, it seemed more like authentic light battle armor. Probably because it was battle armor, now that she was close enough to speak to the guards, she could tell their armor was made out of mainly leather, with segments of metal reinforcing their spine and flank, along with a metal helm.

As she approached her gate she finally got good luck with the guards. The first was a young white earth pony mare, with brown eyes and mane, she looked like a young Raven Inkwell, but why would she be a guard? The second guard was a pink unicorn mare with a blue mane, Twilight noted that she was younger still than ‘probably’ Raven, were ponies even allowed to be guards at that age?

It was then that something made the hairs on Twilight's haunches rise. She was close to the guards now, closer than she would have normally needed to be to notice that the pink guard was under a glamour, curse stupid foal magic.

Ok, checklist:
What can I gather without lighting my horn;
1. Sloppy work, Twixie was better with Illusions than this.
2. It was unicorn magic, I doubt I’d have been able to detect a changeling with my current magic,
3. Find out if changelings are still alive.

Twilight hadn’t dared show her concern, or slow her step, and was now looking up at two unimpressed guards.

Wait, I recognise this aura

“Good afternoon little filly, would you be Twilight Sparkly?” said Raven.

It's warm, and filled with love, Cadence cast this spell! But why?

“Err, hello, miss?”Raven asked again.

She has light blue eyes, if I just focus, I could check her magic signature.

“It's her Sergeant, but err, I don’t know why she’s looking at me like that,” said the pink mare nervously.

It’s Shinings! But why was he hiding his identity?

“Hold the door private, I’ll take her inside”

Maybe he’s undercover? Or perhaps he actually wanted to be a mare? Or does Cadence prefer mares? Hey why am I being picked up?

Snapping back to reality, in time to realise she was been picked up by the scruff of her neck by the pony she decided was Raven and was been carried into the house, and straight into what appeared to be a one-sided shouting match.

“... She will absolutely not be going anywhere with you, you’re a traitor to all unicorns! We are blessed to live under the guidance of our benevolent Queen, and yet you openly oppose her at every turn.” Twilight heard the voice of an angry mare, it had been a long time since she’d hurt this tone, but it was definitely her mother's voice.

“Please, Lady Velvet, as Her Majesty's letter explained…”
It is Cadence! smiled Twilight, But whats this about Celestia?

“You’re twisting the minds of our young into your rebellious movement, but I won’t allow it, I kept you away from my son, and I won’t let you near my daughter!”

Oh, that's why he’s a mare, I guess Cadence isn’t my babysitter.

“Honey, please, the demands are stamped with Her Majesty's seal, and you read the alternative, surely you wouldn’t want our daughter to live as a...”

That's Dad, at least he isn’t yelling.

“This must be a mistake, first thing in the morning I’ll…”

Whatever her mother was about to say was interrupted as Raven entered the living room, Twilight still dangling from a forehoof.

“Sorry to intrude, but Young Lady Sparkly has returned. If you will excuse me, I will return to my post.” After carefully placing Twilight onto the floor, Raven turned and left before any pony could say a word otherwise.

“Oh hello, my little Sparky, and welcome home, I hope we didn’t scare you, this Pony was just leaving.” Said her mother.

Her mother smiled warmly at her, every bit the image she remembered, but her eyes sent a shiver down her spine. She had the eyes Pinkie got when she had given herself to many parties to handle, the look Fluttershy had at their first Galla, or Harmoney forbid, when Discord and Celestia had managed to make the latest fashion trend plaid. She’d seen crazy, but the mare in front of her seemed to unsettle her even more, Twilight hoped it was just the height difference putting her off.

Cadence stood from her place on the settee. “Indeed, I shall take my leave.”

It's really her! But, I don’t remember her looking like this. Cadence, at least when she was my foal sitter, had a shorter build, but a more rounded figure. Certainly not fat, she was the picture of a young Pegasus beauty, just with a horn. Wait, her physique is closer to that of a Fleur, her horn is much longer than I remember, was she born a unicorn here? And why does she look so tired?

“Greetings Twilight, My name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, due to yesterday's event, there is a chance that you and I will be getting to know one another. I shall leave the details to your parents. Good day, Miss Sparkle.” Said Cadence, and with a bow, she left the house.

Immediately, both her parents left the room, but only her father gave her a look, was it a look of sympathy? Before she could process what had happened, Twilight Sparkle was once again on her own.

Under her breath, she whispered, “What the buck is going on?”

*****************

Chrysalis gave her orders to the last of her drones, a notable number of hives numbers had dispersed now. She’d been careful, only a small group would be sent to an area, maybe even only a single drone if necessary, but her network would cover the majority of Equestria, and it wouldn’t be long before she’d have the entire Pony Queendom in her web.

But, why stop there, with what she knew, the entire plane was a playfield for her scheme. Passing an order for her last royal guardian to fetch their last infiltration team member, she was almost ready to start her own undercover mission in Ponyville, and what better cover story than a young couple raising their little nymph … Foal, curses, pony-isms are annoying.

Almost everything was ready, there was just one little thing that needed taking care of.

Chrysalis pushed her will through the hive mind ” Thorax, your services are required, come to my royal chambers this instant.”

Comments

[Max Stroberger]

Well this is intriguing so many possibilities and questions.

[Velvet-Fresh]

I hope she's not typing up 'loose' ends by killing Thorax... that's going to suck if Chrysalis also remember the previous timeline. Also big oof that Twi's mom is a unicornia supremacist

[Aether Nexus]

11736358
More like Pony supremacist, her issue with Cadence is that she wants to open diplomatic relations with other races.

Equestria has a rather strict closed-borders policy, something that will be explored by the Rarity storyline, Pinkie is also on the wrong side of the border but ... well, do you think something like that will stop Pinkie?

[Mr Lore miser]

Chrysalis pushed her will through the hive mind ” Thorax, your services are required, come to my royal chambers this instant.”

Well looks like we got one dead bug