Secrets Will Be Revealed, As The Wedding of Fate and Elegance approaches...
After Winter discovers a strange file in the Canterlot Archives, he makes a startling discovery. A discovery that will result in a revelation that could change 1000 years of history...
Direct prequel to The Promise, which wasn't written at the time of this posting. Also, the end is a cliff-hanger as The Promise starts at the moment Celestia is blasted off the chariot
Winter was making his way to the Canterlot Royal Archives, which dated back to even before the Equestrian Unification. He had decided to do a background check on everypony who would be attending Fate and Elegance's wedding.
He nearly walked right into Celestia, as they were both preoccupied in thought. Winter managed to see her and rolled out of the path of the alicorn, who just continued walking, seeming very distant.
She had been this way ever since she'd taken Chryalis to her chambers after the council session a week earlier. Winter could, in fact, look into one's memories and sense their emotions, but he would not dare do so on one of his friends, as that intrusion would be unforgivable.
Winter entered the Royal Archives and set to work at finding the census records of everypony that was to attend the wedding. He had soon finished the noble ponies and move on to the princes and princesses, but he found something amiss.
While he knew there were only three princes, himself included, and four princesses. For some reason, there were two more documents on the table, but these folders was old, and bore the stains of time. I opened the first and was rather shocked.
The first was of a changeling queen, but lacked any information besides the date of death. This date startled him, as it was the very same day that Celestia had banished Nightmare Moon.
Winter, already confused, opened the next folder to be blown away. It was Princess Platinum! There were census sheets that could only be a few months old in the folder. This made no sense. Princess Platinum had died over six thousand years ago of unknown causes...
Winter paused his train of thought for a moment, a realization coming to him. Princess Platinum had died over six thousand years ago of unknown causes since her body was never found.
Winter realized this could only mean one thing, and he didn't think it would be accepted well by Celestia or Luna, so he decided to pusue Princess Platinum first. That meant he didn't have to look very far...
~~~~~~~~~~
Celestia made sure nopony was looking before teleporting to Chrysalis' hive to determine the situation. What she found shocked her to the core.
The hive was filled with empty husks, carapaces of one living changelings littered the halls. Celestia closed her eyes in sorrow, cursing herself for not having helped Chrysalis sooner. She set aside her grief and began searching through the dead hive for her prize, which she found in the throne room.
A young, badly scarred Changeling Queen sat on the throne in the foaltal position, slowly rocking back and forth, death's cold embrace slowly creepin in on her. She had once been beautiful, but fate seemed to not take kindly to that beauty, as she was missing an eye and had long scars down one of her legs.
She heard Celestia's hoofbeats approaching before weakly calling out "Mommy, is that you?"
Celestia lowered herself beside the dying changeling and gave her some of her own love, bringing the little changeling back from the tendrils of death, "No, but I was sent by her, my little changeling."
The changeling looked up into Celestia's magenta eyes, which looked sad. She felt Celestia's emotions. Sadness, regret, pity and sympathy were among the strongest the Princess was feeling.
Celestia used her magic to place the changeling on her back before opening a portal to her private chambers, where Winter was about to make a shocking discovery...
~~~~~~~~~~
Winter reached the door to Platinum's old quarters. Nopony had set hoof within since her mysterious disappearance, and most believed the room was haunted by her restless spirit.
Winter knew better.
He could sense something alive behind the door, the privacy spells doing little to hide the signature of a living being behind the door, be it an ancient being of great power. Winter realized that this power felt somewhat familliar, but he could not place it.
His concentration was unterrupted as the doorhandle began to turn, seemingly of it's own accord, but once again...Winter knew better...
~~~~~~~~~~
Celestia came through the portal, the weak changeling still on her back. She gingerly used her magic to place the young queen on the bed before going to the door.
"Guard," she said. Her two guards snapped to attention. "Find Queen Chrysalis and tell her I have an important message for her, and to come here."
"Yes, your highness," saluted on of the guards before he dashed off.
"Will that be all, maam," the other guard asked.
"Yes, thank you," Celestia replied as she closed the door.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Thou hath done WHAT!?"
Winter stood his ground as Luna, his dear wife, used the Royal Canterlot Voice on him, even though she knew he wouldn't even flinch. Still, it was a good way to release her anger at him.
"Luna, I believe you are missing the point," Winter said, "Princess Platinum is alive and in this castle."
Luna realized she had completely forgotten about that in her anger over the fact that he'd not shown up for the wedding rehearsal. "Did thou see her?"
"No, I did not," Winter said, "I thought I could use a little help, in case she's hostile."
Luna knew Princess Platinum had been a strong Princess in her time, and could rival the best unicorns of today. Luna slowly nodded. "We shall go with thou on thy quest."
"Good," Winter said as began to walk, Luna close behind, "And Luna, you're talking like a Ponissance pony again."
She had sensed the strange being before, and that is lacked the fear that ponies had, but left anyway. Now, accompanying the creature was a pony, no, an alicorn! What was this creature plotting? She and her Changelings had kept Equestria safe from the other hives. What did Celestia do when she and Luna came? Took her power, her throne, her dignity and her drones, burning them all to ashes.
At least Celestia seemed to have mellowed with time.
About one thousand years ago, Celestia had approached Platinum. She had been starving and was close to death, but Celestia did not kill her. Instead, she gave some of her love and took Platinum back here, to her quarters, safe from the prying eyes of Equestria.
But now those eyes seemed to have found her.
Reluctantly, Platinum rose from her once beautiful silk bed, now little more than a tattered pile of rags, and made her way to the door. Her disguise was up, as it had always been in case somepony brave enough entered.
She reached out with her magic and turned the handle, accepting her end was probably only seconds away...
~~~~~~~~~~
The door opened to reveal a unicorn that looked to be no more than an adult, but whose presence gave off the feeling of a pony as old as Equestria itself. She looked tired and beaten, and Winter could feel the grief and hate in this changeling's heart.
"I suppose it's over, then," said Platinum with such finality that it forced Luna to cringe, Winter remained posture perfect, as always. "Get it over with, then."
"I beg you pardon, my dear, but we aren't here to kill you," Winter said, much to Platinum's suprise. "We are here to see if you are hostile, in which case we are here to kill you."
Platinum hung her head. "I'm not strong enough to hurt anypony. I don't even have enough magic or love left to undo my disguise." She chuckled to herself. "I've been a unicorn since you and your sister kicked me off the throne and slaughtered my changelings." The last comment more directed at Luna.
"Thy sister did what!" Luna was definitely not in a good mood, as she only talked in Ponisannceian when she was angry.
"Luna, calm," Winter said, "Things have changed, dear Platinum. In fact, I believe that relations with changelings took a turning point for the better when Fate defended Canterlot from the Changeling who is now an ally, like Fate."
"Who is this changeling," asked Platinum.
"Queen Chrysalis," Winter said, causing Platinum's jaw to drop. "What about her?"
Platinum stared blankly at Winter. There was a long silence before Platinum spoke again. "One of my daughters is alive?"
~~~~~~~~~~
Platinum embraced her daughter. She had not seen Chrysalis since Celestia and her guard raided the hive, and was estatic that one of her heirs had survived.
"It brings me great happiness to see you reunited," Celestia said in a loving tone. Fate, who was also there, nodded in agreement.
Platinum turned to Celestia. As much as she hated this alicorn for what she'd done, just being given back one of her daughters meant the world. "Tell me Chrysalis, what of your sisters, Crystalia and Cyndaria?"
Chrysalis suppressed her tears. "Cyndaria was killed when Celestia attacked." Chrysalis glared at Celestia who, for reasons known only to her, looked pained and upset.
Platinum was distraught. "What of Crystalia!?"
"I..I...I," Chrysalis couldn't holdback her tears any longer, and began crying uncontrollably. "I killed her, mother. I KILLED HER! I didn't mean to! She used herself to shield Celestia, the one who had caused you so much pain!"
Platinum was heartbroken, but wasn't angry. "Shh, I forgive you." Platinum began stroking her daughter's mane as she had when Chrysalis had been but a little one.
This caused a memory of a day long past to run through Celestia's mind.
Please, forgive me. Forgive me for everything I've taken that you held dear. I'm sorry, I'm so, so, so, so sorry.
I forgave you long ago, my sister. Just please, please don't go.
Thank you, s..s..sister. Promise a dying mare one thing, please.
Anything for you C...
Celestia was interrupted from her thoughts as she realized Platinum was speaking to her.
"...for all you've done, but I can forgive you, Princess," finished Platinum
Celestian nodded regally. Off in the distance, bells could be heard from Canterlot Chapel.
"Then by the power vested in me by the alicorn Faust, I pronounce you mare and stallion. You may kiss the bride."
With that, Fate grabbed Elegance completely off-guard and pulled him into a kiss of the purest of love as Celestia had ever seen, the only purer being that of Cadace and Shining Armor's.
The entire chapel went up with a joyous uproar as the newly wed couple made their way down the aisle. Celestia stepped down from the altar and made for the way back into the castle, but was stopped by Luna.
"Where do you think you're goin, dear sister," asked Luna.
"I have something I need to take care of," said Celestia with a smile. "Don'y worry, I'llbe with you all shortly. You know I cannot resist a good cake!"
Luna giggled at that. "True, dear sister. We will see you later, then." Luna cantered of behind all the other ponies, leaving only Celestia and Winter in the chapel.
"I thought you'd have gone with everypony," Celestia said.
"That wasn't Fate," Winter said with a concerned look.
"What?"
"It was a changeling, a queen, to be exact," Winter said.
"Who was it," asked Celestia. "Chrysalis? Platinum? Chrysalia!?"
"Cynderia," Winter said solemly, "We must act quickly if we are to stop her."
"Are you sure," asked Celestia in a serious tone.
"Dead serious," Winter said.
~~~~~~~~~~
Cynderia had never been so thrilled!
Nopony had noticed her swap out with Fate, and she believed nopony would. The Canterlot dungeons were the last place anypony would look, and she knew it.
Thank you Cynderia, a voice in her head said. She turned to Elegance. "Did you say something, dearest?"
"No," Elegance replied casually. "Why?"
"Oh, I must just be imagining things," Cynderia said.
No, you're not, said a different voice, this one obviously female.
Cynderia looked around anxiously to see where the person who was talking to her was, but it was only her and Elegance in the chariot.
Or so she thought.
Suddenly, the real Fate and Princess Celestia appeared out of nowhere on the chariot in front of them.
Cynderia gasped as Elegance wrung her neck with a magical rope. "Thought you had me fooled, did you? Nopony kisses like Fate."
Fate blushed at the comment, but returned her attention to Cynderia. "What was that spell that Cadance and Shining used?"
"I think it went something like this," Elegance said as he and Fat touched horns, sending a blast of pure love outwards.
Two changelings were sent flying off the chariot, and when Fate opened her eyes, only she and Elegance remained on the chariot.
Celestia hadn't had enough time to counter the spell this time around.