Chapter 1

Accidental Soul Mates

Chapter 1

___________________________________________________________

Cadance, Alicorn and goddess of love, looked around in desperation at the crystal caverns that had held her captive for so many weeks. She could still not believe she had lowered her guard and been replaced by the Queen of the Changelings.

If she’d only paid more attention to how eager her dress maker had been. How was she to know the pony claiming to be the famous Suri Polomare had actually been the Queen in disguise?

It had been too fast for her to do anything. She’d been telling her how she wished her dress to look, there’d been a flash of green light, she’d turned to see the black, insect-like creature, another flash of green light and she had awoken in the caverns, alone, trapped and unable to contact her aunt for help.

“Cadance?”

The Alicorn blinked, shaking her head and turning to Twilight Sparkle as she stood at her side, concern on her face.

Twilight put a hoof on her former foal-sitter’s side. “Are you okay? Do you need to rest?”

Cadance took a deep breath and shook her head. “No, Twilight. I’m fine. Besides, I can’t worry about rest right now. I need to save Shining Armour from marrying that... that... creature, thinking it’s me.”

Twilight nodded. There was no way she was letting her brother be tricked into marrying a Changeling that wanted nothing but to use him for food. Cadance had explained everything.

They moved away from where they’d landed after the mine cart had propelled them into the air, Cadance’s wings saving the unicorn from plummeting to the hard ground below and where, a few metres away, the three mind-controled bridesmaids were now fighting over the wedding bouquet. Even under mind control, some instincts couldn't be held back, like a mare's wish to catch a bouquet from a wedding in the hopes it'll mean they'll be the next to get married.

Cadance stepped forward and looked at the crystal wall ahead of them, her horn glowing.

“Um, what’re you doing?” Twilight asked, rather confused.

“I’m using my magic to sense Shining Armour’s love for me,” Cadance said, her brow furrowing a little more. “It’s hard to find, but I think I can just locate it. But, for it to feel this weak, the Changeling must have taken a lot of his love for me by now.”

After a few seconds, she stopped, her horn pointed at a specific point. “There!” She lit her horn and fired a huge blast of magic at the crystal wall. The impact was powerful, causing the whole cavern to start shaking violently, like there was a quake happening. To everypony above, that would probably be what they assumed was happening.

“Cadance!” Twilight cried, barely keeping herself upright as the ground and walls around her shook. “Be careful! Don’t use too much power! You’ve barely got any left!”

“I will not wait, Twilight!” she shouted, her face contorted as the crystal wall in front of her started glowing red from the intense heat of her magic. “I will not allow the stallion I love, my one true soul mate, to fall victim to that beast masquerading as a pony!”

There was a huge explosion, the force of which sent the two ponies hurtling into another wall. When the dust cleared they both got up and walked forward. Where there had been crystal mere seconds ago, there was now a gaping hole, leading what Cadance could clearly see was the way out. Shining Armour was only a few gallops away.

“Twilight, we did it! Now we can—” Cadance’s froze as she turned around and fear gripped her heart.

Time seemed to slow down as she saw what was about to happen. Twilight was walking towards her while, up above, a large crystal stalactite had come away from the ceiling, no doubt due to the explosion her magic had created. If she didn’t react now, it would impale Twilight! There was no way the unicorn would survive it.

Cadance, knowing she couldn’t use her magic again until it had recharge enough, leaped forward, shoving Twilight aside.

___________________________________________________________

Twilight’s head slammed into the crystal wall for a second time and, for a second time, she felt a searing pain throughout her skull.

“Ow. Cadance,” she said irritably, getting up as she rubbed her head. “What was that for? Why’d you throw me... against...? Cadance!”

Horror flooded Twilight’s mind. Cadance was lying on the floor where she’d been mere seconds ago, a large crystal stalactite impaled through her back, blood seeping out and spreading in a circle around the alicorn’s body.

Twilight ran over to her former-foalsitter, her eyes wide with panic. “Cadance? Cadance! Cadance, please say something!”

The alicorn slowly half opened her eyes, looking up at Twilight with a weak smile. “I saved you. That’s good. I couldn’t bear it if... you... got... hur...” she trailed off, her eyes closing, her body going limp.

Oh no! No no no no no no NO! Twilight lit her horn and quickly levitated the crystal impaler from Cadance’s body, her pupils shrinking as she saw the full extent of the damage.

“No,” she whispered, her voice suddenly hoarse. “That should’ve hit me! You didn’t have to do that! You can’t die, Cadance! You can’t!”

There was no response.

Twilight looked around, her mind wild with panic. What’ll I do? What’ll I do! Cadance can't die! She can’t!

Suddenly, she remembered a spell she’d learned of a long time ago, back when she was a little filly. She had been combing the Canterlot Archives and had stumbled upon a healing spell. It was said to heal any kind of injury, no matter how severe.

She’d started trying to perfect it at once. However, when Celestia found her practicing it on a dying flower, she’d been furious! Twilight still didn’t know why, but the princess had told her it was dangerous and forbid her to go any further with it.

I haven’t even thought about that spell in years. But, if ever I was given a chance when I have to use it, now is that time! She lit her horn and focused as much magic into it, her aim the massive bleeding wounds Cadance had suffered. The alicorn started glowing with Twilight’s magic and was lifted up in the air, her wounds slowly starting to heal.

The unicorn strained under the force of the spell, but pushed forward. It was just like the other times she’d used this spell. It felt like something was draining out of her that wasn’t just her magic, but she ignored the feeling and pushed on. Saving Cadance’s life was worth a little discomfort.

Several agonizing moments went by with only slow healing. Twilight feared she wouldn’t be able to finish the spell in time to save Cadance, when a sudden surge flew through her and she screamed. It felt like something had ripped through her and was pouring into Cadance.

She became vaguely aware of something in front of her eyes. They looked like strings of thread. One was blue and the other was pink. They were tied together, intertwining with one another. She had no idea what she was seeing, but as she watched, unable to look away, even if she wanted to, the threads seemed to suddenly rip apart from each other and a new thread, this one purple appeared where the blue had faded away and intertwined itself with the pink.

There was an enormous flash of light and Twilight dropped to the ground, panting heavily. She was unsure how long she lay there, more exhausted than when she’d stopped the Ursa Minor in Ponyville, before she felt somepony nuzzling her.

She opened her eyes and smiled when she saw Cadance standing over her, healed and alive, smiling down at her. She struggled to get up and a few tears of joy slid from her eyes.

___________________________________________________________

The ground stopped shaking and everypony looked around, worry and confusion on their faces.

“What in the hay was tha’ all about?” Applejack asked, frowning as she looked around.

“I am not sure,” Celestia said. She too was frowning. Canterlot had not felt a quake in over five hundred years. And she’d felt something familiar in the air about it, for some reason. Something magical.

“Let’s not let some quake ruin our perfect day,” Cadance, or the Changeling in disguise that everypony thought was Cadance said, turning to Shining Armour. “This is the day everything changes. Let’s not keep ourselves from it.”

Shining Armour nodded, turning to Celestia and she asked the mare standing next to him the usual asked of brides at weddings, to which she replied, “I do.”

Celestia then turned to Shining Armour and asked him the same. "I—" he was cut off when a massive surge of pain suddenly ripped through his body. It was as if something was tearing at his very soul.

Behind his closed eyes he saw something that made no sense to his pain-addled mind. He could see what looked like two threads. One was blue and the other was pink. They were tied together, intertwining with each other.

As he watched, unable to see anything else, the pink one seemed to be ripped away from the blue, to be replaced several seconds later by a green one, that tied itself to the blue, intertwining like the pink one had.

He collapsed on the ground and blacked out, the last sound a banging of the doors.

Chapter 2

View Online

Chapter 2

___________________________________________________________

“I do,” Chrysalis, in Cadance’s disguise said, a faux sincere smile on her face.

Celestia nodded and turned to Shining Armour and started asking him the questions all stallions were asked when marrying a mare.

Chrysalis did not truly listen, however, her mind only on all the love she and her hive would be feasting upon once this was all over. It had not been easy, getting into the castle.

Her original plan had been to get to Princess Mi Amore Cadenza on her last return visit from one of the foreign lands by disguising herself as one of the female guards and capturing her when the time was right.

This plan, however, had failed when she learned a wedding was being planned and such a plan would have brought too much attention to the invasion before it had even started and she would have failed.

Failure was not an option for her. She had already suffered several setbacks during her reign as Queen during the last two hundred years. Several other hives had declared war (which she’d won, of course), which had left her hive with many injured and their supplies of love energy alarmingly low, due to using so much to give her own hive enough power to win the wars.

Not only that, with the supplies dwindling, uproars had started within the hive over food. It had gotten a point where, several times, she had been forced to eliminate all involved for endangering the hive.

This, however, had not been taken well with the hive council. To kill one’s own was not unheard of in the hives, for queen’s were tasked with keeping peace within their hives, however, the number Chrysalis had had to eliminate within the centuries had been far larger than any other hive queen’s toll had risen to.

With this in mind, she was on very thin ice. The plan to take over Equestria had failed several times when attempted by other hives, those these attempts had been before Chrysalis’ time for the most part, the last two occurring whilst she had been but a nymph. If she failed this invasion, her time as Queen would be over and her sister, Chitin, would be given the title of Queen, while she would be cast out, left to fend for herself and marked an enemy of the hive forever more.

It had taken patience and much reworking of the original plan, but she had found her way into the castle. Through the spies she’d had stationed throughout Canterlot, she’d learned that a fashion designer by the name of Suri Polomare had been hired to design the dress.

It had been a simple matter to impersonate a member of the castle staff and inform Miss Polomare that her services were no longer required. She had enjoyed the taste of the mare’s anger as she stormed off, shouting curses at Chrysalis as she went. Normally, such an action she would have had the mare punished with death, but her amusement at the mare’s displeasure caused her to let her go free.

After that it was nymph’s play to take on Suri Polomare’s identity, arrive in the princesses fitting room and, when her back was turned, knock her out, trap her in the crystal caverns and take her place.

Her plans had hit a slight snag due to the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle. She had not been informed that the Captain of the Guard had had a sister. The reports had told her that he was an only child. The Changeling that had given that information had been punished severely.

She had realized at once that this Twilight Sparkle would prove to be a problem. From what she had been able to gather from small talk with Shining Armour, the princess had been the unicorn’s foal sitter when she’d been a small filly. This proved dangerous, for Twilight Sparkle seemed to find the behaviour of her former foal sitter suspicious. She’d been able to taste the distrust whenever she was around the mare.

The final straw had been when Twilight Sparkle had confronted her during the rehearsal, shouting all the things she’d been doing that, as her, she knew would make any who knew the real Cadenza well enough would have noticed.

She’d had to think fast, forcing herself to cry, not a hard feet, since deception is second-nature to a Changeling right from nymphancy. She had left, asking why Twilight would be so horrible.

However, she had hidden and waited for Celestia, Shining Armour and the other five ponies and baby dragon that had arrived with Twilight Sparkle to go down the hall, no doubt looking for her to comfort her.

Once they were gone, she had returned to the throne room, where she’d found Twilight Sparkle crying at the steps of the throne. It had been too easy to act kind and forgiving, until the last second and sending the unicorn down into the caverns. With any luck, she would easily mistake the real Mi Amore Cadenza for herself and deal with her, harshly.

Other than those little hiccups, the plan was going successfully. Admittedly, that quake had been a surprise, though she could guess it had been the unicorn striking the final blow to Cadenza. To be rid of her without lifting a hoof was a testament to her own skill as a Changeling.

Soon, she and her hive would feast like never before. All she needed now was for Shining Armour to say “I do” and she would be able to take over Equestria and turn all its citizens into the food her kind needed, the food they all were.

Celestia finished and Shining Armour opened his mouth to say the words that would doom his race. “I—” he stopped, kneeling down, his face contorted with pain.

Chrysalis-Cadance frowned. Oh please. Another headache? Now? You have got to be kid—

Her thoughts were cut off as her eyes were blinded by something that made no sense. She saw a green thread, surrounded by millions upon millions of tiny green stars, all just floating in a dark abyss. Suddenly, the millions of tiny green stars were torn away, sent flying off into the abyss, while a blue thread appeared from nowhere, joining the green one. She watched as it intertwined with the green one.

Her vision once again showed her Celestia, who was looking to Shining Armour with worry. Chrysalis-Cadance followed her gaze and, as her eyes fell on Shining Armour, he fell to the ground, unconscious.

At once, she felt several things that confused her to no end. The first, the love for Mi Amore Cadenza seemed to change. It tasted... different from before and was far weaker than it had been mere moments ago. As if it was not the same kind of love.

She would have tried to understand this, if something else was not occupying her mind. The second thing that confused her was she felt... worried... for Shining Armour. That, in itself, wouldn’t be so surprising, she needed him alive so that her plan could truly begin... but that was not why she felt worried.

To her utter confusion, she was worried... because she didn’t want him hurt. This puzzled her to no end. She did not care for this pony. She hated ponies, just like all Changelings were raised to. But, at the same, she could not deny that she felt the worry for him she would one of her newborn nymphs should they seem ill, but at a much stronger level.

This... this made no sense. Why would she be worried about Shining Armour like that? It did not make sense, not in the slightest. He was nothing more than food. A source for her to gain the energy to overthrow Celestia and Luna and turn Equestria into her hive’s own Feeding Grounds, and nothing more than that.

So, why was she so worried for him? And why did it worry her that she was worried?

Suddenly, there was a loud banging sound. Chrysalis-Cadance looked up and her eyes went wide. Standing in the doorway, her mane, coat and feathers ragged, her eyes fierce with anger, was the real Mi Amore Cadenza!

What? How had she escaped? Surely she did not defeat the unicorn, Twilight Sparkle? Cadance was weak, a pathetic excuse for an alicorn when compared to Celestia or Luna, not to mention she was too soft-hearted to attack another pony, so how could she—?

Her eyes widened further. Laying across Cadenza’s back, unconscious, was Twilight Sparkle. She was still alive? But, then how did...?

___________________________________________________________

Cadance thrust the doors open with her magic. Everypony turned, their eyes widening upon seeing her, before glancing to the Cadance standing on the altar, looking beyond confused.

Cadance stepped forward, moving one of her wings to unsure Twilight wouldn’t fall off and glared at her doppelganger.

“What?” the Cadance on the altar gasped. “But how did you escape my bridesmaids?

Cadance smirked. “You forget that mares go crazy for the bride’s bouquet at weddings. All we had to do was toss it and they went after it. Even your mind control couldn’t stop them.”

The other Cadance gave a slightly bored look. “Hmph. Clever. But you're still too late. “

“Ah... Ah don’ get it,” Applejack said, looking from Cadance to the other. “How can there be two of ’em?”

Cadance pointed a hoof at the one on the stage. “She's a Changeling. She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them.

The other Cadance grinned, her horn glowing with green magic. However, a weak moan from next to her made her stop, her eyes showing shock. She slowly turned, worry, true worry crossing her face as she looked at Shining Armour.

However, her hesitation was all Cadance needed. Her horn glowed with its blue aura and anti-magic collar, the kind the guards used on criminal unicorns, way back before Twilight’s time, though even now and a pair of wings restrants, used whenever a Pegasus was needed to be kept grounded.

Before the other Cadance could react, Cadance thrust the collar through the air. It clicked onto the other hers neck and the wing restraints on her wings. At once she was engulfed in green flames. When they faded, a creature around Celestia’s height was in the other Cadance’s place.

However, while her shape was similar to that of a pony, there was a great difference, mainly; she was more like an insect. Her chitin was pure black and glistened in the light, her mane was a bluish-green and stringy, yet silky, her hooves had holes in them, fang was visible, protruding from her top jaw, her eyes were dragonic, like Nightmare Moon’s had been, but green instead of blue, her wings were like those of a bug, filled with holes just like her hooves and her horn was jagged, its tip sharp.

All present gasped in horror and Celestia’s eyes darkened. “Chrysalis.”

Rarity looked to Celestia, her eyes wide. “Princess? Do you mean to say you know these... um, bug?”

Celestia nodded, staring coldly at the Changeling. “She is the Queen of the Changelings. I knew her mother a long time ago. Her kind tried several decades ago to take over Equestria, much like she clearly meant to now.”

Chrysalis glared, sitting down. She knew she could not get away now. Her magic was being blocked. She could probably have even beaten Celestia, with all the love she’d consumed from Shining Armour, but with her magic blocked, she could have consumed over five times that amount and it would be useless. Having power was pointless when you couldn’t even use it.

It was then that Celestia noticed Twilight lying over Cadance’s shoulders. She hurried over, as did Twilight’s friends and Spike.

“Is she okay?” Applejack asked, worry clear in her voice.

Cadance nodded, then looked to Twilight with a small smile. “She’s just exhausted. She used all her magic to save me.”

Celestia frowned. “Save you?”

The pink alicorn shook her head. “Later, Aunt Celestia. Right now, we’ve got bigger problems.” She glared at Chrysalis over Celestia’s shoulder. "I remembered you showing me that collar and restraints when i was a filly, auntie. Soon as I got Twilight out of the caverns after she saved me, I sought them with my magic and waited for the right time to put them on that creature. Youe were right. The wing restraints really do fit to match the wings of the one they're used on."

Chrysalis looked away angrily, then her head turned to looked at Shining Armour. Why couldn’t she keep her eyes away from him? She didn’t look at him in a menacing way. It was almost like a caring way. If Cadance didn’t know any better, she’d think the Changeling actually carried for her soon-to-be husband.

At once, Chyrsalis stood, a sneer on her face as she looked at the ponies. “Fools,” her voice had changed, deeper and also had a strange distortion, like when you hold her mouth to a fan and talk. “My minions are just outside the barrier. With Shining Armour so weak, it will soon fall. They, even now, are chipping away at it.” Her smirk deepened. “And do not think I am alone here. Minions!” she shouted to the audience. “Drop you disguises and come to aid your Queen.”

But nothing happened. Everypony in the crowd looked around, as if expecting to be attacked by the pony next to them.

Chrysalis frowned, scanning the audience, before her eyes widened. “Where...? Where did they go? They were right in the crowd!”

Celestia turned to her, a harsh glare on her face. “It seems your kind's plans have failed once again, Chrysalis. You’re army has abandoned you.”

She glared back at Celestia, then closed her eyes, before opening them wide with horror. “I... I’ve been cut off?”

Rainbow Dash frowned. “Cut off? What in the hay does that mean?”

“Changelings are mentally link,” Celestia said, taking a few steps towards Chrysalis, who shrank back a little, now realizing no aid was coming for her. “All Changelings can hear each other when they tap into a wave-length only they can hear.” Her eyes narrowed. “However, whenever a Changeling is exiled from the hive, they lose that link. It would seem that is what has happened here.”

Applejack frowned. “But, if'n she’s their Queen, why would she lose that link?”

“Simple,” Cadance said, glaring at the Changeling. “Because she's not their Queen, not anymore.”

Chrsyalis dropped to her knees, the faintest sign of tears trying to pool in her eyes. “They’ve... they’ve left me? My own children... abandoned me.”

Suddenly, as Celestia took another step, Chrysalis leaped up, grabbing Shining Armour and holding her horn to his throat. All tensed. She glared at them. “Don’t you dare come any closer. One more step, a wing flap, even a spark from any horn and I’ll... I’ll...”

She hesitated. She... she couldn’t finish. For some reason, the words would not leave her lips, no matter how hard she tried to say it. I’ll slay him where he stands, cut his throat open and let him bleed. That is what she meant to say. But, try as she might, she couldn’t. She... didn’t want to say it.

Slowly, she lowered Shining Armour gently and he slumped to the floor. “Just... end me,” she whispered. “Do it now. It’s not like I can stop you.”

Celestia frowned. “We may have had our differences in the past, Chrysalis,” she said firmly, yet gently, “but it has been a long time since our last encounter. We do not end the lives of others.”

Chrysalis looked shocked, then hung her head. “Fine. Do whatever it is you want with me then. Just...” she glanced at Shining Armour as he lay there where she’d dropped him, still unconscious, and felt that strange feeling of not wanting to see him hurt again. “Just... make sure he’s alright.”

Celestia nodded. She then called several guards, who flew to meet her. “Take her to the dungeons. My sister and I will decide on what to do with her later.”

The guards nodded, and motioned for Chrysalis to get up. She didn’t object, just got up and followed with a look of confusion and defeat clear on her face.

“Now,” Celestia said, turning to Cadance. “Let’s get Twilight and her brother to the infirmary so they can recover.”

Chapter 3

View Online

Chapter 3

___________________________________________________________

Celestia sighed as she stood outside the infirmary door. Three days had passed since the Canterlot Wedding Fiasco, as the papers were calling it, and to say things had been a nightmare would probably be the biggest understatement you could make.

Once Chrysalis had been taken away to the dungeons, Twilight and Shining Armour had been rushed to the infirmary, with the best doctors available.

Luckily, it seemed both of them would be alright. They’d suffered a massive energy loss, but other than that, they’d be fine. A few weeks of rest and they should be as good as new.

But, that good news was followed by very bad news. Several areas of Canterlot had been attacked by the Changelings after they abandoned their queen. The random damage suggested no plan had been involved; it had just been retaliation for making the original plan fail.

But, even after half the Royal Guard had been sent to keep the peace and ensure there were no more Changelings left in Canterlot, Celestia had to deal with ponies (mostly nobles, like Blueblood) demanding that harsher action be taken on Chrysalis for what she tried to do, Blueblood himself even going so far as to tell his aunt to bring back the death penalty, even though it had not been used for five hundred and sixty-two years.

She was now as much protecting the Changeling former-Queen as she was holding her prisoner. No Changelings had yet been discovered hiding in Canterlot, but that did not mean they weren’t there and, if Chrysalis was indeed no longer the Queen, It meant that she was viewed as an enemy of the hive, meaning she was now in as much danger from the Changelings as everypony else was.

Something that had interested her, however, was something Chrysalis had asked of her the last time Celestia visited and asked questions of her. Chrysalis had asked how Shining Armour was doing. When asked why, she said she didn’t know why, but she was worried about him and wanted to know that what she’d done to him hadn’t left him in any way at risk.

Celestia had informed her that, while still unconscious like his sister, Shining Armour was recovering fine. His magic levels were gradually returning to normal and his vitals seemed on the mend.

This had eased the Changeling more than the alicorn had expected. She physically eased with relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, though her confused expression said she didn’t understand why she felt that way anymore than Celestia did.

This, however, only brought unease to Celestia’s mind. After Twilight had been stabilized and was being cared for in the infirmary, she’d asked Cadance to explain exactly what had happened, down in the caverns.

When Cadance told her how she’d been impaled, the long lived mare had felt her heart clench, knowing that one of her few close family members left had come so close to death.

However, that feeling was only eclipsed with worry when Cadance explained the feeling of the spell Twilight had used to save her.

“At first, along with the pain, I felt a happy, yet sad peace as I felt my life's flame going out. Then, when Twilight started using her magic, I felt myself come back from the edge of death, more rejuvenated than I’ve felt in years.

The strange thing is that it felt like Twilight’s very self was pouring into me along with her magic. I could sense her; feel her all around me, within my very soul, I still do, even now. It’s like she’s a part of me.”

Those had been her niece’s exact words, and the worry they brought to Celestia had no end. Did Twilight use that spell? The very spell she’d told her never to use? She didn’t want to think that her most faithful student had used a spell so dangerous or that the side effect for its very banning had come into effect. One that had cost her a dear friend, not too long before losing her own sister.

Celestia took a deep breath, and walked into the infirmary, where she was met by Doctor X-Ray. The mulberry unicorn stallion with his short brown mane and tail and X-Ray machine Cutie Mark looked at Celestia.

“Is Cadance still here?” she asked. She wasn't sure her niece would like to be present as her aunt drilled and scolded the filly she'd loved to foalsit the most. If Twilight was even awake in the first place , that is.

X-Ray nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. She hasn’t left her side since she last spoke with you.”

Celestia smiled. “Good. I am glad she still loves Shining Armour so much that... did you say her side?”

The stallion nodded. “Twilight Sparkle’s. She’s barely left the bed. We’ve had to bring her meals so that she doesn’t starve herself.”

Celestia heart skipped a beat. Cadance hasn’t left Twilight’s side, even though her brother is only a bed down and is the stallion she intends to marry? This did not bode well. Her fears were just a bit more confirmed.

But, with skill learned over centuries of practice, she calmed herself. No. No, she was just worried for Twilight because she watched over her as a filly so much. Yes. Yes, that’s it. And she’s been through a lot. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.

Even in her mind the words sounded hollow. She didn’t believe her own thoughts. She couldn’t shake the fear that Twilight had done something that could have endangered all of Equestria.

Shaking away the thoughts as best she could from her mind, Celestia walked through the infirmary to a bed several rows down. In it slept her faithful student, an IV drip attatched to her right foreleg, a heart rate monitor steadily beeping on her left. Sleeping next to her, her head leaning against her forehooves on the bed, was Cadance, who looked almost as bad as when she’d burst into the throne room.

She clearly wasn’t getting much sleep and if her coat colour was any indication, she’d barely eaten either.

Celestia nuzzled her niece, who slowly stirred, then turned to look at her with sleepy, bleary eyes. “Oh, hi, auntie,” she said, giving a wide yawn.

“Is she doing any better?” Celestia asked, looking to the smaller pony.

Cadance sighed, shaking her head. “She still hasn’t woken up yet. Though she has mumbled a few times, so I think she’s getting better.”

Celestia nodded, then, bracing herself, asked an obvious question, knowing the answer would more or less confirm her theory/worries.

“Cadance, I expected you to be more worried for Shining Armour than Twilight. He is the stallion you want to marry. So why are you falling asleep while waiting for his sister to awaken, whilst he is but a bed away?”

Cadance looked shocked and offended by Celestia’s question for a second, before a puzzled expression came on her face and she looked down at Twilight. “I... I don’t know, auntie. I... I’ve barely given a thought to Shining since Twilight was admitted. I mean, I was thinking about him... but, I was thinking about how worried Twilight would be when she woke up if he isn’t.”

She looked to Celestia, confusion and worry clear on her face.

“If I mean to marry him... why am I not worried about him like a marefriend-soon-to-be-wife should be? I...” She looked to Twilight, her face softening a little as she watched the unicorn breathing. “I’ve felt I should be with Twilight. It feels like she’s where I should be.”

Cadance did not see it, but Celestia’s eyes flickered with fear. That was the response she had been dreading, hoping against all hope that she would not have to hear it.

At that moment, the unicorn resting at the bed stirred. Both princesses turned to see Twilight slowly open her eyes. Tired puzzlmenat appeared on her face as she looked between the two of them.

Then her eyes widened. She tried to sit up, but fell back immediately, looking close to passing out again.

“Take it easy, Twilight,” Cadance said, laughing with relief. “You’re still very tired from what happened in the caverns. Don’t strain yourself too much.”

“But, the wedding,” Twilight said, her voice sounding very tired and hoarse, yet filled with urgency and panic. “What about... Shining? The fake Cadance? What happened to—?”

Celestia held up a hoof. “Do not worry, Twilight. Chrysalis has been apprehended and the invasion she had planned has failed. Everything’s alright.” In a manner of speaking, anyway, she did not say.

Twilight eased, then turned, smiling at Cadance. “It worked,” she croaked out, a few tears in her eyes. “You’re okay.”

Cadance smiled. “All thanks to you, Twilight. You saved my life. I can never repay you enough for that.”

Twilight shock her head slightly, her smile still on her face. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

Celestia sighed and turned to her niece. “Cadance, could you please let me and Twilight speak alone? There’s something very important I must speak with her about.”

Cadance looked like she didn’t want to leave, but nodded and headed out. Celestia noticed she didn’t even glance at Shining Armour as she passed his bed.

Celestia turned to Twilight, her smile fading. “Twilight, please tell me you did not use that spell I told you not to use when you were a filly.”

Twilight blinked; worry trying to make its way onto her tired face. “I’m... I’m sorry, Princess,” she managed to croak. “Cadance was dying. I know you told me never to use that spell again, but I panicked.”

Celestia sighed, giving a small smile. “I know, Twilight, and I’m thankful for you saving my niece’s life.” Her smile faded. “However, the consequences for it may be far worse.”

Twilight’s eyes flickered. “Consequences?”

Celestia nodded. She sat down and looked at her student. “I never told you why that spell was banned.” Twilight shook her head a little. Celestia shook her head. “We’d thought we’d gotten rid of all the books containing that spell. She was very thorough in her placing of them, it seems.”

Twilight’s eyebrows moved a little, indicating an attempted frown. “Her, Princess?”

Celestia nodded. “It was several weeks before our battles with Discord began. The spell had been created by Starlight the Advantageous. She had been a unicorn mage that had been determined to prove herself better than Starswirl the Bearded, claiming him as a fraud and that she was far superior to him in every way.

She did have great potential. Starswirl even offered to make her his apprentice so that she could further her studies."

Celestia sighed.

"However, she had refused and went on her own. She created and used that spell to heal one of my own guards, assuring Luna and myself and even Starswirl that no harm would come from it. However, she could not have been more wrong.”

Twilight gulped and Celestia continued.

“The spell was revealed to have a horrible side effect, one the Luna, myself and Starswirl learned only too late from the guard himself as to the price. After he had been healed, he had returned to his wife and children for some time off that I had insisted upon. The news had not been pleasant. Mere hours after returning home, the guard had noticed neither he nor his wife cared about each other like before. They could not even bring themselves to say “I love you” to each other.

Starswirl insisted on looking into the healing spell, to see if it had had something to do with this. However, while his research yielded the answer, the damage had already been done and, what was worse, Canterlot was in absolute chaos. Through his research, Starswirl learned that while the spell did heal the guard perfectly, better than any other healing magic ever could have, it had come at a horrible price.”

Twilight gave the weakest of shivers. “P-price?”

Celestia nodded. “The way the spell was woven, Starlight had poured her own life energy into the guard when healing him. This in turn, meant pouring her own soul into his body. When it went in, it met resistance. The resistance being the Soulbond between the guard and his wife."

Twilight blinked. “Soulbond?”

Celestia nodded. “Almost all beings, whether they be pony or some other race, are born with a Soulbond, a link to the one they are meant to spend all their lives with. But when the energies clashed, the Souldbond between the guard and his wife were torn apart and his bond had become one with Starlight’s.”

Twilight looked horrified, then frowned, looked down, then back to the princess. “But, what about his wife? What happened to her bond?”

Celestia sighed. “When her bond was broken, she had been at her workplace. As soon as the bond to her husband was severed, it latched itself onto the nearest living creature it could find in order to ensure her continued existence.” Celestia’s face became stern. “Those born with the bond are bound forever. To not have their bond linked would mean death.”

Twilight gulped. “Wh-what did it attach to?”

Celestia shook her head. “It attached itself to a Pegasus mare, a wife with four foals. Both soon found they wanted to be together and so it became what happened.”

Celestia closed her eyes. “As for the Pegasus’ husband, with his Soulbond broken, it latched onto the nearest living creature it could; the wife of a highly paid lawyer, who was married to an Earth mare. Do you see where I am going with this, Twilight?”

The unicorn nodded, her eyes wide with horror.

“Soulbonds were being broken all over Canterlot and even in some distant towns due to some tourists or business deals leading ponies to travel to Canterlot,” Celestia went on. “It grew to a point where barely any pony could be with a Soulmate.

In the end, Starswirl took it upon himself to end it all. He used the spell on himself, thus making himself a focal point for the chaotic magic. It intensified, disfiguring his body, warping him, changing him. Eventually, he absorbed all the chaos, and was able to restore peace to Equestria.”

She lowered her head, her eyes downcast.

“However, it came at a terrible price. He himself became a being of pure chaos, and no matter what happened, he could not change himself back, even though his new powers could warp all reality.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Discord?” A nod was her answer. “Starswirl the Bearded... became Discord?”

A few tears slid from Celestia’s eyes. “That day, I lost one of my most promising students... and a very close friend.”

Twilight looked away. “I’m... I’m sorry, princess.”

Celestia shook her head. “It could not be helped. It was his choice and it was the only way to stop our whole world from being torn apart.” She raised her head, her expression now stern. “And you, Twilight Sparkle, used that same spell on Cadance.”

Twilight’s face lost some colour as her head snapped back to Celestia and her pupils became pinpricks. “You mean I’ve...”

Celestia sighed. “Luckily, so far, it seems only a small group were harmed by your using the spell.”

Twilight gulped. “Wh-who?”

Celestia closed her eyes. “One of the in-training guards, Chrysalis, Shining Armour, Cadance... and yourself.”

Twilight face regained all the colour it lost, lost it again, regained it, than turned red. “You mean... I-I-I...”

Celestia nodded. “You broke the Soulbond Cadance had with Shining Armour and, in turn, created one between her and yourself.”

Twilight’s eyes widened, then she started shaking. “A-and Shining?”

Celestia shook her head. “From what I have observed over the last few days... it would seem your brother now shares a Soulbond... with Chrysalis.”

Twilight stared blankly, then let her head fall to one side. “Good thing I’m not standing. I don’t think I could keep my balance.”

Celestia sighed. “Twilight, I realize this is a lot to take in, but you must realize what you have done. In disobeying me and using that spell you tore apart the bond between four ponies, creating new ones that would never have existed in the first place.”

Twilight frowned. “Four ponies?”

Celestia nodded. “You shattered you own bond. It was one of the new Royal Guard cadets. Fortunately, it seems he is now with another mare, who mustn't have had a Soulbond to anypony else, for nothing further seems to have happened.”

Twilight let her head lean against her pillow again. “I’ve a Soulbond... with Cadance?”

Celestia nodded. “I must ask you not to tell her this. I may be wrong. It might just been all our emotions merely settling and the experience you both went through. Until we can know for sure, I must ask you not to tell her what I have told you, understand?”

Twilight gave a faint nod, her mind still elsewhere as she tried to process what Celestia had just told her.

Celestia smiled. “There are some who have been worried about you and would very much like to see you now.”

Twilight was pulled from her stupor, blinked, then smiled, before nodding. “Let them in.”

Celestia looked down the rows, where Twilight’s couldn’t see thanks to the screen separating hers and her brother’s spaces, and nodded.

The sound of clopping hooves and bouncing was followed soon after by five mares and a baby dragon.

Twilight smiled at them. “Hey.”

They all looked away, uncomfortable expressions on their faces.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

Celestia sighed, looking away herself. “I... I would also like to apologize, Twilight.”

Twilight looked to Celestia in confusion. “Apologize? For what?”

“Same here,” Applejack said, the others murmuring their agreement.

Shame was clear on theirs and the sun goddess’ face as she answered. “For not believing you.”

For a second, Twilight stared at Celestia, not understanding. Then, her mind flashed to the throne room; her brother telling her not to bother coming to the wedding, her friends leaving her to go and comfort the fake Cadance and Celestia, shunning Twilight for what she’d said.

Tears welled in Twilight’s eyes, before they hardened at her mentor and friends. She turned her head so she wasn’t looking at any of them.

“Twilight—” Rarity began uncertainly.

“No.” A single word; that was all she said. But it was said with such coldness, so little emotion, that all seven, Celestia for the first time in a thousand years, flinched.

“But, Twilight—” Celestia tried, standing.

“Do you have any idea how much you hurt me?” her voice was still cold, but Celestia could hear the pain hidden within. “First my brother doesn’t believe me, taking the side of an imposter,” she glared at the five mares and baby dragon, who all flinched, “then my friends go off to comfort her, all giving me the cold shoulder, as if I was worse than Nightmare Moon.”

They all flinched again, their eyes widening, but Twilight wasn’t done yet.

“My heart had already been trampled, twice,” her anger seemed to be giving her some energy, for she started sitting up as she glared daggers at them all. “First by the first and only real friend I had for years before I went to Ponyville, then by the five mares who told me they’d always listen and trust me, even the baby dragon I’ve raised like my own since he hatched—” Spike winced at that, “and then,” Twilight turned her gaze to the princess, who looked very uncomfortable, “then my mentor, the princess of Equestria, the pony who taught me everything I know, who was like a second mother to me, shuns me away.” Her eyes narrowed. “You stomped on my heart and you expect me to forgive you for that as if it was nothing?”

“But, Twi—” Rainbow began, but was silence by a glare from Twilight.

“Let me explain this clearly, so you all realise just how much you’ve hurt me.” She looked to Applejack. “Applejack, you’re the Element of Honesty, yet you were convinced that everything I said wasn’t the truth, nor did you pick up on all the lies the fake Cadance said, straight to your face.”

The farm mare looked away, shame etched on her face.

She turned to Fluttershy, who whimpered under the unicorn’s gaze. “Fluttershy, you’re the Element of Kindness, yet you didn’t bother to listen to what I was saying, really listen and then turned away from me. You didn't even notice the faux kindness the fake Cadance was showing to everypony. You should have able to notice that from a mile away."

Fluttershy hid behind her mane, her head down.

Next was Pinkie Pie, who’s smile faltered. “Pinkie Pie, you’re the Element of Laughter, yet you never even noticed the fake Cadance didn’t like any of the fun things you were preparing for the wedding. You didn’t notice her unhappiness at what you were doing.”

Her cotton candy mane deflated and she couldn’t meet Twilight’s eyes.

Rarity winced as Twilight gaze turned to her. “Rarity, as the Element of Generosity, you should have at least been generous enough to take what I was saying into account. With your keen eye, you could have helped me prove the fake Cadance as a fake.”

Rarity closed her eyes, a few tears of shame sliding down her muzzle.

“And Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow shivered as Twilight’s gaze went to her. “Element of Loyalty, huh? Would never leave any of your friends hanging, huh? I didn't think loyalty meant abandoning one of your friends and leaving her wallowing in a guilt she needn't have felt in the first place."

The shame on Dash’s face was almost as bad as Celestia’s. She couldn’t bring herself to look at any of her friends.

Twilight then turned her gaze to Spike. However, as she looked at him, tears slid down her face. “And you, Spike,” she said, a sob entering her voice. “I’ve raised you since you were a hatchling. I treated you like my own son... and you just left me because.... because Rarity did.”

Spike looked at his feet, unable to bear the sad gaze of the unicorn.

Twilight’s spurt of energy suddenly exhausted itself and she slumped back in her bed and looked away from them all. “Please, all of you, just go.”

Her voice was quiet, but filled with the feeling of hurt and betrayal.

None could find a reason to justify why they had the right to stay and, slowly, they each walked away, heads held low.

Celestia gave one last, apologetic look to her faithful student and left, passing Cadance as she returned.

Just as the doors closed, Celestia heard Twilight break down and cry, sobbing, into the coat of the only one she felt she could trust right now. The only one who hadn't dismissed her. “Wh-why didn’t they trust me, Cadance? Why didn’t they believe me?”

Celestia hung her head in shame, feeling just as awful if not more so as when Luna had transformed into Nightmare Moon.

Twilight had said she saw her like a second mother. Celestia knew this, and to make matters worse, she knew she saw Twilight like her own daughter... and she’d gone and betrayed the trust of said daughter. Even Luna would say it was a far worse thing she’d done compared to ignoring Luna’s plight a thousand years ago.

Tears fell from the alicorn’s eyes.

“Will... Will she ever forgive us?” Spike asked, wiping the tears from his own eyes on his arm.

Celestia glanced back to the door and sighed. “In time... maybe. But the pain we wrought on her was quite severe. She will need time before she will be willing to accept our apologies.”

They all nodded sadly, knowing she was right. Even Pinkie knew a party wouldn’t simply fix this.

Chapter 4

View Online

Chapter 4

___________________________________________________________

Twilight sighed. She couldn’t sleep. It had been almost two weeks since she’d first woken in the infirmary and had lost it with her friends, Spike and Celestia.

While she’d felt bad about it the day after and had apologized to them for it, the reason why she’d blown up was still true and it still hurt.

They’d all apologized too, saying how they’d never ignore her and be sure to listen from now on, but that they also understood why she’d acted the way she did to them and said they felt they all deserved it.

As much as she wanted to disagree with them about that... she didn’t disagree. Despite her conscience telling her she shouldn’t feel that way, she was glad they understood the pain they’d put her through. She didn’t feel she should have held back.

Even after that, she hadn’t been able to really look at them all for a while.

She’d had several other visitors during that time. Minuette, Lyra Heartstrings, and Twinkleshine, ponies Twilight had known a bit at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Lyra and Twinkleshine had even moved to Ponyville shortly after she’d arrived there herself.

All three had apologized for not realizing Chrysalis was pretending to be Cadance and allowed themselves to lower their guard enough that they’d been taken control of, they Twilight and Cadance told them they didn’t have to apologize, since they couldn’t have known and were too excited to be bridesmaids.

It was this same reason why Twilight had felt so guilty after she lashed out at her friends. They’d been no different. They’d been tricked, just like Minuette, Lyra, and Twinkleshine.

Her parents had also visited her, both not pleased when they learned how Shining had abandoned his sister. They learned this from Cadance, who’d listened to Twilight during that time after Celestia and the others had left after Twilight had blown up at them.

What kind of a friend am I? I should have been able to forgive them. They’re my friends, mentor and... Spike’s like my own child. A few tears slid from her closed eyes. But I didn’t. I lashed out at them. I... I...

She sniffled, opened her eyes and sat up in her bed.

She frowned. There was a blue bubble around her bed. She couldn’t hear anything and realized that it was a silence spell. Had somepony cast it? Why?

She glanced to where Cadance had been every time she’d woken up and noticed her seat was empty. Well, that explained the bubble... Wait. Why would Cadance cast a silencing spell over her bed?

A few seconds later it disappeared and Cadance walked around from the curtain she’d learned Shining Armour was behind. She looked... disheartened.

Twilight waited for Cadance to sit down before she asked, “Um, Cadance?”

Cadance looked to her, giving a weak smile. “Yes?”

“What were you doing with Shining Armour?” Twilight asked, tilting her head slightly. “And why did you cast a silencing spell around my bed while you were over there?”

Cadance hesitated, then sighed. “I was having a... talk with your brother.”

“Oh,” Twilight looked down at her forehooves, before glancing back at her. “What...? What about?”

___________________________________________________________

Cadance watched Twilight as she slept. She couldn’t help but be remained of when Twilight was a filly. She looked so peaceful, so sweet, so...

Cadance frowned. Along with thinking back to then she thought Twilight was... cute. And not the cute like a filly kind of cute. It was like...

“That can’t be right,” she whispered. “It’s like... like when I first noticed Shining Armour. But... that can’t be right at all.”

She tried to rationalize the thoughts playing throughout her mind, to figure out if she was just confused, worry for Twilight’s well being being mistaken for something it couldn’t be.

But, it was real, she couldn’t deny that. It was there, even though she had no idea how or when or even why, it was there.

She shook her head. No. No, I can’t possibly be thinking I’m starting to feel something for Twilight. I looked after her as a filly. It’s probably just something like how worried I’ve been.

She sighed. Why did she even have this idea in the first place? It was just so out of the blue that...

A groan came from the other side of the curtain, a groan she’d become familiar with whenever he’d gotten drunk on cider and she’d had to take him home.

Her first thought was to see how he was doing, before she remembered holding Twilight as she cried into her. Twilight and her friends, Celestia and Spike had each told her how hurt Twilight had been after Shining had left her behind.

Cadance got up and walked around the curtains separating the two beds, pausing to cast a silencing spell over Twilight’s bed, not wanting to wake her and walked to the side of the bed and waited for Shining Armour to open his eyes.

A few seconds later, his big blue eyes slowly opened and he looked to her, a weak and goofy smile on his face. “Hey.”

For a second, Cadance was relieved, though she realized it wasn’t as much as she’d expected. It was relief, but not in the way she’d knew she should feel. She didn’t feel relief that her coltfriend-soon-to-be-husband was finally awake... she was relieved that Twilight’s brother was awake, not her husband-to-be.

Shining looked around, as if confused by something. “Why am I here?”

Cadance smiled. “If not for Twilight, you’d be far worse.”

Shining Armour frowned. “What are you talking about? She was accusing you of being evil.”

At once, Cadance felt her compassion for Shining disperse and glared at him.

He gulped. Having been dating as long as they had, he knew that look. It was the “You really messed up this time and I’m pissed” look Cadance wore whenever he did or said something that insulted or embarrassed her beyond simple coltfriend embarrassing marefriend embarrassed.

“The pony she accused of being evil wasn’t me, it was the Changeling Queen disguised as me,” she said flatly.

Shining Armour’s eyes went wide. “Changeling? I learned about those back when I was a colt in school. You mean one of them actually got to us?”

Cadance nodded. “If not for Twilight, I’d probably still be down in the caverns, trapped, while all Equestria became a feeding ground for them.”

Shining Armour paled, not easy to do when you’ve already got an alabaster coat. “I... Wow.” He tried to sit up. “I need to speak with her—”

Cadance put a hoof on his shoulder, holding him down. He tried to push away, but a firm shake of her head made him stop and sink back down.

“No, Shining. For one, you’re still weak from having so much of your energy drained by Chryslais. You could really hurt yourself if you try too much too soon. Also,” she closed her eyes, a sad look on her face, “I don’t Twilight will want to talk with you right now.”

Shining Armour frowned. “And why wouldn’t she want to talk to her own brother, the only pony she was really friends with before she left for Ponyville?”

Cadance sighed, opening her eyes. “For that very reason.”

Shining cocked his head. “Huh?”

Cadance shook her head, that look returning. “Shining, I realize you did it was because you’d been stressed and drained of so much, but you abandoned her. She’s devastated, Shining.”

His ears drooped, his face melting into shame. “She... she is.”

Cadance nodded. “And after you abandoned her, her friends and Spike did and then Celestia. Do you realize how much that hurt her?! Even after she forgave them, she can’t even bear to look at any of them. Imagine how she’ll feel when she sees you. She’s been crying in her sleep every night.”

The shame just grew deeper on the stallion’s face. “Really?”

Cadance nodded. “She felt completely abandoned, Shining. I’m surprised she was able to forgive them so soon, even if it was after she gave them all a verbal lashing I think they all deserved.”

Shining sank deeper into his covers. “And... me?”

Cadance snorted. “While her giving you a lash would be deserved, I don’t think she will. She just won’t be able to look you in the eye for a long time.”

Shining sighed. “I really messed up, didn’t I?”

She sat down, closing her eyes. They stayed silent for a few moments, before Cadance asked something, something that had been bugging her.

“Shining?” he looked to her. “Have you... what would you say if I told you... something’s strange when I look at Twilight?”

Shining raised an eyebrow. “Strange how?”

Cadance frowned, opening her eyes. “I’m not sure. It’s just... she saved my life, down in the caverns—”

“What do you mean?” Shining asked, a nervousness entering his voice.

Cadance explained to him what had happened. Her blasting the crystal wall, the spike falling, her pushing Twilight out the way and becoming impaled herself, Twilight saving her with some special healing spell and the strange feelings she’d been getting whenever she looked or thought about Twilight since then.

When Shining next spoke, his question threw her off-guard. “How’s the Changeling Queen doing?”

Cadance frowned. “I don’t know. She’s been in prison ever since we stopped her from taking over. I’ve been in here the whole time, watching over Twilight.”

Shining frowned. “Just Twilight?”

“Well, yeah, I...” Cadance trailed off, now confusion playing across her face. “I... don’t understand it, Shining. Whenever I worried about you, it wasn’t the way I expected. I’ve only been worried for you for Twilight’s sake. I...” she looked down, shame on her face. “I’m sorry, Shining. I didn’t think about it but... I’ve not been worrying about you like I should.” She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. “Is there something wrong with me?”

Shining shook his head. “Nothing could be wrong with you, Cadance.” He smiled. “We’re probably just confused because of everything that’s happened. I’m sure we’ll feel better and everything will be normal again in no time.”

Cadance sighed. “I hope you’re right, Shining.”

___________________________________________________________

Cadance sighed, slumping in her chair. “It almost feels like... like something’s different between us, you know?” She shook her head. “He was probably right. I’m probably just confused after everything that’s happened.”

Twilight nodded, but looked away so the worry in her eyes wasn’t noticeable. Had Celestia maybe been right? Had she switch Cadance’s Soulbound to her, thus leaving Shining’s? She didn’t want to believe it, but if Cadance felt something was missing between her and Shining, that seemed like a possibility.

I hope I’m wrong, she thought miserably. I don’t want to have broken up Shining and Cadance’s marriage.

___________________________________________________________

Celestia sighed glaring down at all her paperwork. It had been flooding in for the last few days, more than 90% of it being from those wishing her to punish Chrysalis, half of them being from Blueblood.

She rubbed her temples. This had become so complicated and the constant demands to punish Chrysalis when she’d been through a lot already. She’d failed her plans, been abandoned by her own kind, stripped of her title and was now stuck in the dungeons. What more could she really do?

A knock from the door caused her to look up. “Enter.”

The door opened and four guards, two pegasi and two unicorns walked in and bowed.

“Pardon the interruption, Your Majesty,” the unicorn on the right said, straightening up. “However, there are several individuals that wish to speak with you about the Changeling Queen.”

Celestia’s face deadpanned. “Are they here to ask how I plan on punishing her?”

One of the pegasi shook his head. “They are worried for her.”

Celestia blinked. This was unexpected. “Tell them I will be there shortly.”

“At once, princess,” they bowed and left.

Half an hour later, Celestia was sitting on her throne, looking down at a group of thirty ponies. What was interesting was that they looked like ponies she saw on a regular basis whenever she went out into Canterlot. Some were fillies and colts, while others were the parents and the rest just random ponies. Some were pegasi, some Earth Ponies and other unicorns.

She leaned back. “Why is it you wish to know the current condition of the Changeling Queen, my little ponies?” she asked in a very stoic voice.

One of the ponies, an Earth Pony mare with a brown coat, blonde mane and tail, yellow eyes and an apple cart Cutie Mark, who’s Pegasus filly, with a red coat, blue mane and tail, brown eyes and no Cutie Mark hid behind her, looking up at Celestia with worry.

“We... we wish to be with her,” the mare replied.

Celestia blinked, confusion filling her mind. “Um, might I ask why?”

At once, every single pony burst into green flames. When they faded, the thirty ponies had been replaced with thirty Changelings.

The Changeling that had been the mare looked down, closing her eyes. “We do not wish to return to the hive,” she said in a voice that oddly was not distorted like the former Queen's had been “It is why we did not leave with the rest of our kind and remained hidden within your city until we could ascertain what had happened to Chrysalis.”

Celestia held up a hoof and several Royal Guards surrounded the Changelings. “Do you swear on your Queen’s name not to use your magic against us, or to free her?”

The Changelings all scowled, the first speaking. “We will swear on Chrysalis’ name, not the Queen’s.”

Celestia blinked again. That she had not expected. However, she returned to her stoic self and looked to the Changeling she’d been speaking to. “And why do you not wish to return to your hive, if I may ask?”

The scowls vanished, replaced with fear.

The nymph that had been the Pegasus filly clutched who was clearly her mother’s leg as the mother spoke. “Chrysalis is our true Queen. She came to Equestria with the goal of feeding our hive, our children. She has always thought about our survival beyond anything else.”

A shiver ran throughout all the Changelings.

“Her sister, however...” the Changeling gulped. “Chitan is cruel and malicious. If you even step a hoof out of line, she’ll fry you to a cinder.” Her nymph tightened her grip. “She, unlike Chrysalis, would sacrifice anything, even the nymphs, the future of our kind, to gain more power, without a care as to whether any Changelings would be around to enjoy the end results. Chrysalis, however, only cared to feed us and keep our hive alive, so,” she looked up to Celestia and put a hole-pocked hoof to her carapace, “on Chrysalis, our true Queen’s name, we promise not to resist or try to free her.”

Celestia was rather surprised. She had not expected such loyalty to be given to the Chrysalis. It did, however, touch her heart that not all Changelings were so heartless that abandoned one of the their own and leave her to the fate of others.

The Alicorn stood and nodded. “Very well. Guards, escort these Changeling’s to Chrysalis’ cell. Do not harm them or place any restraints on them. I believe we can trust them to keep their word.”

The guards looked hesitant, but nodded and escorted the large group of Changelings out of the throne room and down the hall, several staff pausing, their mouths hanging open in shock as they watched the creatures walking calmly down their halls, though a few maids couldn’t help but smile at the nymphs. Even monster children could still be cute, in their own way.

___________________________________________________________

Chrysalis sighed as she lay on her bed in her cell. She was amazed the ponies were being so kind to her, considering what she’d done and tried to do to them all.

She still wondered why she couldn’t stop thinking about Shining Armour. She’d asked a few of the guards from time to time and a small amount of them had been kind enough to answer her with more than a grunt. Shining Armour was finally awake and he seemed to be fine.

Chrysalis could not explain how much it had eased her to know that he was finally awake and that there didn’t seem to be any lasting damage from what she’d done to him.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt something, something she thought she’d never feel again. The presence of other Changelings.

She sat up, letting her mind reach out to them. It was different from before. Back then, she had been completely attuned to each and every thought her Changelings had, but, this wasn’t the same. She could feel their presence, taste their anticipation in the air, but she could not hear their thoughts, see into their minds.

At first, the anticipation scared her, thoughts of assassins being sent by her sister to eliminate her filling her mind, before she realized it wasn’t that type of anticipation. It was... joyous.

The sound of voices echoed throughout the dungeons until she saw several guards approach her cell door. Behind them she could see at least thirty pairs of eyes from adult and nymph Changelings, all looking at her with joy.

She could taste their happiness on the air. They were glad she was alright, happy to see her alive.

The door was opened and the Changelings all filed into the large cell, which was big enough for twice as many of them. Once the last nymph had scampered inside, the door closed and locked and the guards went away.

The Changelings all bowed.

“Our Queen,” one of them, a female said, smiling up at her, “we are all overjoyed to see you are alright.”

Chrysalis looked away, ashamed. “I’m not the Queen, not anymore.” She didn't bother having the distortion in her voice anymore. Fear tactic she had tried, that was in the end pointless, to make her sound more intimidating when she would take over.

“Not to us, Your Highness,” the Changeling replied, caused Chrysalis to pause. “We remain loyal to you, a Queen who wished only to aid her subjects. We will always be loyal to you.”

Chrysalis blinked and looked to each Changeling and saw no sign of falsehoods in any of them. They had all come here, to her cell, only to serve their Queen.

She smiled and looked to the Changeling who had spoken. “What is your name, my Changeling?”

“Carapace, my Queen,” she replied, then motioned to the nymph at her side. “And this is my daughter, Aphid.”

Chrysalis nodded, then looked to them all. “Have you come to free me?”

Carapace shook her head. “We cannot, Your Highness. For to do so would be to spit on your name.”

Chrysalis cocked the foreskin where an eyebrow would be if Changeling’s had eyebrows. “I... don’t understand.”

“F-fow us to see you, Y-youw Majesty,” young Aphid squeaked, a little scared, Chrysalis could taste it, “we had to s-sweaw on youw name that we would n-not twy to fwee you if awwowed to come widout hindwance.”

Chrysalis smiled and leaned down and nuzzled the small nymph. “No need to be scared, little one. I am humbled that you would all do such a thing.”

The nymph relaxed and smiled. “Y-you’we welcome, Youw Highness.”

“Also,” Carapace said, nodding to the others, “as we wish not to associate ourselves with the new hive, we offer to serve you under a new form.”

Before Chrysalis could ask what she meant, all the Changelings burst into bright blue flames. When they faded, they looked more like ponies than Changelings.

They still had their black carapaces and the colours of their manes and tails hadn’t changed, but so much more had. The holes in their hooves and wings were gone, making them look rather beautiful, if Chrysalis was perfectly honest and their horns were no longer gnarled and looked like normal unicorn horns, if a little sharper and their eyes were now like hers.

They all bowed to her, saying in unison, “We will serve as your new Changelings, Chrysalis, true Queen of the Changelings.”

Chrysalis couldn’t help but smile at the loyalty of these Changelings, the few of her children that had not abandoned her.

The nymph stepped forward, her horn glowing with cyan aura and Chrysalis felt her restraints, the collar and wing ones, fall away.

The old part of her, the part that hadn’t worried about Shining Armour’s safety, told her to blast a hole through the wall and lead her small group of Changeling away, to prepare for revenge.

However, that old part of her was but a whisper these days, as the part of her that did care for Shining Armour’s safety, told her to stay, not just for him, but for those of her children who had remained loyal to her, those who could not return to the hive on bane of death.

There was a flash of blue fire that surrounded the Changeling. When it faded, she looked like her subjects, only with her crown on her head.

“So, Queen Chwysalis,” Aphid asked cautiously, “How come you didn’t fight youw way out?”

Chrysalis thought about why she hadn’t left. She could not fully explain it, but she supposed she could try her best to explain the strange things that had happened since the failed invasion at the wedding.

She sat down, indicating for them all to do so, which they did at once and she began explaining everything that had happened at the wedding since she’d felt strange and seen that strange green thread surrounded by green stars, only for the stars to vanish and be replaced by a blue thread. After all, maybe one of them might know what had happened.

Chapter 5

View Online

Chapter 5

___________________________________________________________

“And now, the vows,” Princess Celestia said, smiling at Cadance and Shining Armour.

It was several weeks after he and Twilight had woken in the Infirmary. Now they were back to good health and the wedding was being tried, yet again.

Twilight stood in her place as best mare and her friends and parents were amongst the audience. Spike stood on the opposite side to her, holding the cushion with the rings.

Twilight, however, couldn’t feel happy as she watched her brother and Cadance about to take their vows. In the pit of her stomach, she felt something she hadn’t thought possible. She felt jealous, of her brother. A part of her brain kept telling her to ignore this, but another part tried to convince her that Cadance shouldn’t be marrying her brother. She should be marrying her.

Twilight wanted to shake these thoughts away, Princess Celestia’s story of Starlight the Advantageous nipping at her mind. Had she really broken the Soulbond between her brother and Cadance and replaced it with one between Cadance and herself?

She kept trying to say no, that it wasn’t the case. But, watching Cadance about to marry Shining Armour and feeling the pit of jealously writhing in her stomach, could she really keep believing that?

“Shining Armour,” Princess Celestia said, looking to the Captain of the Guard, “do you take this mare to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for rich of for poor, till death do you part?”

Shining opened his mouth, but no words came out. For several moments he continued to say the two words he was meant to, but they wouldn’t come.

After several moments of uneasy silence, save the murmurs that had started amongst the crowd, Celestia said, “Let’s start with Cadance then. You must still be a little off from before, Shining Armour.”

Shining’s response was to turn his gaze away so that it was anywhere but meeting Celestia’s or Cadance’s.

Celestia looked to Cadance and cleared her throat. “Princess Mi Amore Cadenza—”

“Just Cadance, please,” Cadance said, though rather quietly.

Celestia nodded and continued. “Cadance, do you take this stallion to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, for rich of for poor, till death do you part?”

Like Shining moments before, Cadance opened her mouth to speak, but no words left her lips. She tried several times, before lowering her head and saying, in a very quiet whisper, “I don’t.”

The whole room gasped and several mare in the audience fainted.

“Nor do I,” Shining murmured, which caused another gasp and several more fainting spells.

“What?” Twilight asked, her voice rising in pitch.

Shining looked to Cadance, his expression apologetic. “I’m... sorry, Cadance. I just... don’t feel the way I used to.”

Cadance nodded, looking down. “I must confess... I feel the same, Shining.”

Applejack seemed the first to recover from this sudden development and turned around, calling out to the audience, “Okay. Ya’ll heard ’em. Weddin’s off. Go on now.”

Slowly everypony began filing out, murmurs of confusion coming from the crowd.

Rarity managed to recover next, though only due to hearing a voice she highly despised after the gala muttering, “Knew that pony was too common. He didn’t deserve her.”

Had it not been for Applejack's suddenly grabbing her tail, Rarity would have gone after that self-centred, completely obnoxious stallion and beaten him to a pulp.

Once the room had cleared out, it was just Twilight, Cadance, Princess Celestia, Shining, Twilight’s friends, Spike and Twilight’s parents left.

Celestia looked between the two no longer soon-to-be wed couple. “Is this true, both of you? Do you no longer feel love for each other?”

Shining glanced at Cadance, who glanced back, before they both looked down.

“Not... exactly,” Shining muttered. “I still care for Cadance... but, not like...”

“More like a friend,” Cadance said quietly. “Just a good friend, nothing more.”

Celestia closed her eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. “Then it is as I feared.”

Before anypony could ask her what she meant, Twilight burst into tears and ran out the room. They all moved to go after her, but Celestia held up a hoof, stopping them.

She looked to several guards and said, “Keep watch over her. Make sure she’s alright.”

The guards saluted and hurried off after the fleeing, wailing unicorn.

Once the doors had closed behind them, Applejack turned to the princess, confusion and slight annoyance clearly in her expression. “Princess, what in the hay is going on here?”

Rarity gave the farm mare a slightly scolding look, but soon turned that towards the princess herself. “My apologies I must agree with Applejack, here, princess. Just what is going on?”

Princess Celestia sighed. This was going to take a fair bit of explaining.

___________________________________________________________

The guards stood outside of Twilight Sparkle’s old room, each of them trying to remain as stoic-faced as their jobs required of them. However, with the sounds of the wailing mare from within floating through the doors, it was becoming harder to keep their composure.

For several long minutes now they’d been standing outside, having found Miss Sparkle running through the castle shortly after the princess had told them to follow her, and having trouble keeping up until she’d reached her old room and gone inside, magically locking in from within.

As one of the guards, a Pegasus was about to lose his composure completely, another guard walked up to them from down the hall.

The guard who’d almost lost his composure recovered it, being able to divert his attention to the new guard as he stood straight again and saluted.

“I’m to bring Miss Sparkle down to the dungeons,” the new guard said.

The guards standing in front of the door understandably broke their stoic expressions, raising an eyebrow at the other.

“What exactly for?” the one of the right asked. “We were given orders by the princess to keep watch over Miss Sparkle to make sure she was alright. Why would she need to go down to the dungeons?”

“One of the prisoners wishing to speak with her,” the new guard replied. “Apparently there’s something only Miss Sparkle has the ability to do.”

The guards glanced at each other, before shaking their heads, the one who’d spoken saying, “Whatever the prisoner wishing to see her for will have to wait. Miss Sparkle is in no state to speak with them right now,” he finished his sentence with a bit of disgust entering his tone.

The guard nodded, something like a scowl almost flashing across his face, before he turned and headed back down the corridor.

The first guard, the one who’d almost lost his composure before, looked to his comrade. “What was that all about?”

The other shrugged. “Beats me. But our orders were clear and I don’t think the princess would appreciate if she found out we let Miss Sparkle speak with those creatures right now.”

With that said, they both resumed their roles standing outside the bedroom, trying not to listening to wails coming from within.

___________________________________________________________

“And that is what happened,” Celestia finished, having spent the last few minutes explaining to all present as to exactly why Twilight had run out crying and why Shining and Cadance had not been able to say “I do” during the wedding.

All, understandably, stared at the princess, some in shock for reasons slightly different than others.

“Ya’ll mean ta tell me Discord used ta be Starswirl the Bearded? Seriously? Discord?” Applejack asked, her expression understandably sceptical.

“And the only reason he became that horrible being his did is because of this mare and her spell?” Rarity asked, quite appalled.

Celestia nodded.

“And... T-T-Twilight used that same sp-sp-spell on Cadance?” Fluttershy stuttered.

The white Alicorn nodded again, then sighed. “Though, as I said, it seems we narrowly escaped a repeat of that disaster.”

Rainbow nudged Applejack in the side, giving a sly grin. “Wonder which of the Royal Guard it was that had their eyes on Twi.”

Applejack shook her head. “Dunno. But, princess, what about that guard? If’n what happened to him is the same as with Shinin’ Armour, who did his Soulbond connect to?”

Celestia sighed. “Fortunately, it seems he was close enough in range to a mare who didn’t have a Soulbond of her own, meaning it ended with them.” Another sighed escaped her. “That, however, is not what we should be focused on, right now.”

She looked to Shining Armour and Cadance.

“So... if Twilight made a Soulbond with Cadance, who’s Shining’s bonded with now?” Spike asked, looking thoroughly confused.

Celestia did not meet any of their eyes. “That is something I shall speak with him in private about, later.”

“It’s not you, is it, Your Highness?” Rarity asked, then gasped at the implications.

Celestia blinked, then chuckled, shaking her head. “No, no, Rarity. I can assure you, he did not make a Soulbond with myself.”

Pinkie looked like she was about to ask something else, when Cadance whirled around and hurried out of the room.

“What’s up with her?” Dash frowned, folding her forelegs as she hovered in place next to Applejack.

“Cadance now shares her Soulbond with Twilight,” Fluttershy murmured. “She’ll probably worried about Twilight and wants to comfort her.”

Applejack nodded. “Even without that Soulbond thing, those two were pretty close when Twi was a youn’n. Wouldn’t be right if she weren’t worried.”

Celestia looked to Shining Armour and indicated for him to follow her. It was time he learned who his Soulbond was now connected to.

___________________________________________________________

A knock came from the bedroom door.

“Go away!” Twilight sobbed, her voice muffled by her pillow.

“Twilight?” the calm voice made Twilight stiffen and her heart skip a beat. “Can I please come in?”

Twilight had every intent to say “no”, to tell the mare on the other side of the door to leave her alone, but, to her surprise, she felt her magic around her horn and heard the sound of the lock unclicking.

The doors slowly opened and Cadance gently walked in, her hoofsteps barely making a sound against the floor.

Twilight couldn’t bring herself to look up. She didn’t want to meet Cadance’s gaze. How could she forgive her? She’d ruined Cadance’s chance of being with Shining Armour. She’d destroyed the Soulbond between them. How could Cadance ever forgive her for that?

It was a few moments before Twilight noticed the weight on her bed that hadn’t been there before, along with the feeling of a wing draped over her back.

However, she kept her face buried in her pillow, not able to meet Cadance’s gaze, which she just knew was fixed on her right now.

“Twilight?” Cadance whispered, a tiny hint of playfulness, like the kind she’d used back when she’d been Twilight’s foalsitter, in her voice. “I’d rather talk to your face than your pillow. Could you please look at me?”

Something in her voice hit a cord in the unicorn’s mind. Reluctantly, Twilight lifted and turned her head. Cadance had gotten onto the bed next to her. She was looking at Twilight, not with a disappointed or betrayed look, as Twilight had expected to see, but a kind, thankful smile on her face.

“How can you even look at me?” Twilight sniffed, her red eyes leaking more tears. “I ripped yours and Shining’s Soulbond apart. Because of me, you two can’t get married anymore.”

Cadance remained silent for a moment, then looked up at the ceiling. “True, because of what you did, Shining and I don’t feel like we used to towards each other. Had you not used that spell on me, our bond would have never changed. If you hadn’t used that spell on me, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

Twilight lowered down, pressing herself deeper into the bedcovers.

Cadance gave a small smile. “However, had you not used that spell, I also wouldn’t be alive right now, Chrysalis would be married to Shining and all of Equestria would have become a feeding ground for the Changelings.”

Twilight glanced up and saw the smile on Cadance’s face clearer, before the pink Alicorn leaned down and rested her head on hers. “You saved my life, Twilight. I could never hate you for that.”

Twilight was stunned into silence. Cadance didn’t hate her? How? How could she not hate her? She took Shining Armour’s love away from her and gave it to that monster that kept Cadance trapped in the crystal caverns. She should hate her guts.

However, while her mind had started off going through all the reasons why Cadance should hate her as opposed to having forgiven her, she realized that she was starting to feel relaxed and her mind started to shelve those other thoughts away for another time.

They spent the next few hours just sitting there on Twilight’s old bed, enjoying the feeling of being with each other.

___________________________________________________________

“Are you sure you wish to see her?” Celestia asked Shining Armour as they moved trhough the dungeon, their destination: the cell in which Chrysalis and her loyal Changelings resided.

Shining Armour nodded, his expression firm. Oh, he needed to be down here, alright. It was that monster’s fault that Twilight had to use that spell, her fault that all of this had happened. He was going to give her a verbal lashing the likes of which would make others tremble.

However, as they neared the hallway leading to the Changelings’ cell, the sound of sobbing could be heard from within.

Both glanced at each other, before breaking into a gallop. When they reached the cell, what they saw shocked them. The Changelings all looked different now. To be honest, they all looked like ponies, only with insect wings and dragon-like eyes.

But, what really caught their attention were two Changeling’s lying on the floor of the cell. They did not look like the others, but as Shining and Celestia remembered they should look.

The other, pony-looking, Changelings were crowded around them, all with their heads down, mournful expressions on their faces. Standing before them all was Chrysalis, who was sobbing uncontrollably, her tears sliding down her now pony face, dripping down onto the two still Changelings in the middle of the group.

Celestia noticed a large hole in the middle of the back wall that was being rebuilt by multiple Royal Guards.

She blinked. Had the Changelings tried to break their Queen out? But they swore on her name that they wouldn’t do that.

Her brow furrowed, Celestia cleared her throat. A few Changelings glanced in her direction for a moment before returning their gaze to the ground.

Chrysalis slowly looked up, her eyes red from her tears.

Celestia’s expression faltered for a moment, before she managed keep it in place and spoke. “What happened?”

“They... they tried to break me out,” Chrysalis whispered, brushing a hoof Celestia noticed had no holes in it across the two still Changelings’ faces. “Your... your guards stopped them, but... but they fought back, even against my orders.”

Celestia’s gaze turned to the Changelings, not sure which of them was the one she’d spoken to in the throne room. “Who among you is Carapace?” She been told the name by one of the guards who’d overheard them talking after the Changelings had all been brought to their queen.

One of the Changelings stepped forward, bowing her head. “I, Your Highness,” she replied quietly.

Celestia scowled at her. “You all told me you gave your word you would not do what your queen has just stated those two did. Would you care to explain?”

The other Changelings did not respond in a way Celestia, nor Shining Armour, had anticipated coming. They all lifted their heads and scowled at the two, Celestia now realized lifeless, ones on the floor.

“They were traitors,” Carapace said, a small Changeling coming up next to her that Celestia identified as her child. “One had pretended to be one of your guards, while the other was hidden among us. They used their abilities with mind magic to fool even us into thinking the one among us wanted what we did.”

“They were, however, sent by Chitin,” another of the Changelings, a male said, his voice cold. “They’re mission was to break our Queen out and take her to their hive for execution... along with the unicorn Twilight Sparkle... or kill them both if they were unable to escape.”

Celestia stiffened at that. A Changeling had meant to take Twilight?

“Th-they attacked us, hurt my leg,” the little Changeling next to Carapace said, Celestia now noticing the limp she had, her right foreleg lifted so her hoof wasn’t touching the floor.

Celestia’s expression changed as she looked to Chrysalis, a question ready for the Changeling Queen that she was sure she already knew the answer to, but felt should be asked, all the same.

“Why do you cry for them, when they meant to have you brought in for execution?”

Chrysalis’ expression hardened as she looked up at Celestia. “They were still my Changelings. I could still feel their suffering and deaths after your guards attacked them.”

Shining Armour frowned. “Didn’t she just say they attacked first?” Shining Armour pointed to Carapace.

The Changeling Queen fell silent at his voice and looked away.

Carapace answered instead. “Yes, those two did attack the guards first. But they still counter attacked.”

Celestia nodded, for both answers, having a similar feeling for her ponies that Chrysalis clearly did for her Changelings. “I will have a doctor brought down to care you the injured among you. What do you wish be done with the bodies?” she asked, this time directly to Chrysalis.

After some more sobbing, she looked up at Celestia. “I would like to give them a burial. Even if they will ill on me, I understand their reasons and, even if they were not my followers anymore, they were still my Changelings.”

Celestia nodded and turned to leave, but paused and glanced back at the queen. "Why have you all taken that form?"

It was Carapace's nymph that answered. "We awe woyal to Chwysawis. We won't wook wike dose mean Changwings anymowe."

"This is our new, permanent form," Carapace continued for her daughter.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "New permanent form?"

Chrysalis answered her this time. "Once in a Changeling's life, that can chose to make another their normal form. It has not been done, however, in centuries, our kind wishing to remain the way we have been since before you and your sister took to raising the sun and moon. They chose this for to serve me, not wishing to hold any connection to my sister's hive. I have taken this form too."

Celestia nodded and turned to leave, only to notice Shining Armour was not doing the same.

“Shining Armour?” she asked.

Shining Armour said nothing for a moment, then looked to the princess. “I’m coming.”

He hesitated for another moment, his eyes on Chrysalis as she nuzzled the lifeless Changelings on the floor, before turning and following the princess out, unable to get the sight of Chrysalis sobbing over those Changelings’ bodies, nor the sound of her mournful cries from his mind.

Author's Notes:

IT LIVES!

Okay, seriously sorry for the long wait for this update. I've spent so much time on Living Nightmare and it's side stories all my fics have been sidelined. The next update will come a lot sooner, you can count on that.

So, now Chrysalis and her Changelings will always look that way. Interesting.

Now what will happen? Will Cadance go with Twilight to Ponyville? What is to become of Chrysalis and her small hive? Will Chitin give up trying to kill her sister? What will Shining Armour do know that his soulmate is a creature that feeds off of love?

You'll have to wait til the next chapter to find out.

Until next time—

Luna: Well, well, well. Finally updated this one, have you, daughter? And why are you out of your crib?

Me: *gulps* Shazbutt. Later everypony *gets hit with sleeping spell and taken back to the crib with my brothers*

Chapter 6

View Online

Chapter 6

___________________________________________________________

Celestia groaned, massaging her temples with her hooves as she looked over all the paperwork she still needed to finish.

After she and Shining Armour had witness Chrysalis crying over the two dead Changelings, she’d retired to her study, hoping the work she’d put off would help her relax. She’d evidently forgotten how much she hated paperwork and was now seriously considering just blasting it all to ash... except her kingdom would most likely fall apart if she didn’t handle this properly.

She groaned again, flopping her head down on the table in a very un-princess-like manner.

A knock on her door made her lift her head a little. “Yes?”

“Princess,” Shining Armour’s voice called from the other side. “I need to speak with you.”

Celestia sighed, sitting up straight; made sure the papers on her desk weren’t disordered and called for him to come in.

Shining Armour entered, a concerned expression on his face.

“Yes, Captain?” she asked, understanding this wasn’t a social visit.

“It’s about Chrysalis,” he said. “We need to protect her.”

Celestia almost rolled her eyes, but stopped herself. “I am aware, Captain Armour. Many ponies still feel she got off too easy with imprison—”

“I’m not talking about the ponies.”

Celestia inclined her head, indicating for him to go on.

“With an assassin already having being sent to kill Chrysalis, it’s clear that her sister, the new Changeling Queen, wants her dead for some reason. If what my men have gotten out of a few of the Changelings willing to talk is true, if a Changeling is exiled from the hive, it means they are all but forgotten and never paid mind again.”

“However, with Chrysalis, that doesn’t seem the case,” Celestia nodded, understanding. “So, she may know something that her sister does not want us to know.”

Shining Armour nodded. “Not only that, but she knows her sister far better than we do, only having learned of Changelings after that failed invasion. And, while Chrysalis may be behind bars now, her sister is still a threat to our kingdom. If we can ensure Chrysalis will not be in danger of being attacked by Changelings from her sister’s hive, she can give us intel on how her sister thinks, what her plans would likely be. We could improve our defences to keep her sister and her Changelings out.”

Celestia felt willing to agree. She remembered the fear in the eyes of the Changelings when they’d spoken of the former queen’s sister. If she scared the Changelings like that, there was good reason to believe she would be a threat to her own subjects in time.

Also, if they could get the Changelings who support Chrysalis to join them, they could have some Changeling defence against the incoming invasion. However, Chrysalis’s life would constantly in danger as long as her sister wanted her dead.

“Due to the hivemind we’ve learned the Changelings use, because they know their assassin and his accomplice are dead, Chrysalis’s sister must think that they failed,” Shining stated, before a glint appeared in his eye. “But, what if they were lead into believing they succeeded?

Celestia frowned, unsure how to answer, before her eyes widened in understanding as she got what Shining Armour was saying.

“Have Chrysalis and her Changelings brought to me at once,” she said, getting up and moving towards the door, which Shining Armour hurried out of so she could pass.

He saluted, then left to give the orders.

___________________________________________________________

Celestia stood on her balcony overlooking Canterlot. Many ponies were gathered down below, all wondering why the princess was making a sudden announcement like this.

Luna stood next to her older sister’s left, while Cadance stood on her right, looking unsure.

Celestia cleared her throat and the crowd below fell silent. “Citizens of Equestria,” she called in a solemn voice that made all below shudder, “late this afternoon, a Changeling snuck into Canterlot Caslter, disguised as a guard. He, along with an accomplice he had hidden within the castle, broke into the cell of the prisoner Chrysalis, former Queen of the Changelings and the one behind what happened at the royal wedding, to either take her back to their hive for execution, or, if need be kill her on the spot. I can confirm that, while not taken away, Chrysalis is dead.”

While there we some gasps from within the crowd, Celestia was disgusted by the amount of cheers that came along with them.

“This is not something to be celebrated,” Princess Luna declared, her voice very nearly slipping into the Royal Canterlot Voice. “All life is precious and, not only has a life been taken within our own home, but it was followed by the two responsible for that first life’s light being extinguished.”

“Let this be known to all of Equestria and beyond,” Celestia continued, her voice calm. “We shall be holding a funeral for the former Changeling Queen, in respect of the fact that she was under our care and we could not keep her safe,” she finished the latter half of her sentence rather loudly when several nobles, Blueblood among them, began to protest to the idea.

Celestia took a deep breath, before her tone became gentler, though the volume she spoke at was still very loud.

“I call out to any and all Changelings hiding amongst our own kind and any others. If you were loyal to Chrysalis when she was alive, we invite you here as guests to attend her funeral. I promise in my own name that you will come to no harm during your stay.”

With her speech done, Celestia and Luna returned inside, leaving all those who had heard to decide on their next actions. If they were lucky, one of Chitan’s spies had been amongst the crowd and would report back to the Queen.

No doubt they would be hesitant to believe her word and would have another Changeling come to the funeral in disguise and report back after.

___________________________________________________________

The funeral wasn’t much of an affair. Aside from Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armour, along with several other guards, Twilight and the other Bearers and the Changelings that were loyal to their former queen (those who’d been with her since the end of the failed invasion donning their original looks), not many had come to the funeral.

Over the last two days at least a hundred Changelings had come forward, wishing to pay their respects to their fallen queen during her funeral.

It was being held late in the afternoon of the second day since the announcement, close to sunset. One of the Changelings who’d been with Chrysalis before had said she’d always enjoyed sunsets. It was the only reason she’d ever gone outside the hive before the invasion.

The funeral didn’t go for too long, the only real speeches being made by the Changelings, many of whom could barely speak through their sobbing as they told of the Queen who'd thought, not of herself, but only of the well-being of her subjects, who'd shown kindness to even the weakest Changeling and encouraged them on.

Chrysalis was laid within a tomb forged of magic from Celestia and Luna themselves. It looked like any ordinary tomb you would find in a cemetery, nothing fancy, while the other two Changelings were placed within graves sitting on either side of the tomb.

Once the funeral was finished, all left, the Changelings going with the princesses to learn just what was to happen to them now that their queen was gone and they couldn't return to their old hive.

Several hours after everypony had gone, a figure snuck into the cemetery. They were not cloaked and strode towards the most recently constructed resting place, not caring to keep eye out for any Royal Guards. It had been learned during the preparations for the failed invasion that guards patrolled the cemeteries every second night and, fortunately, that night there would be no petrol.

After reaching the construction, he walked through the hallway and, using his magic, lifted the lid of the tomb. He went down, his senses reaching out for anything, any emotions at all that did not match anything but the lesser creatures living near the vicinity.

After the announcement had gone out that the former Queen had been killed, the Queen had sent him out to see if it was true, or just a lie the Equestrians were trying to pull over her eyes.

When the Queen had sent two Changelings to infiltrate, the moment they’d come within range of the city, their connections had been compromised. While they’d been able to keep connected, they couldn’t send or receive anything over the link. When the link had dropped completely, it was a sign they’d lost the connection due to the two Changelings’ deaths, which they’d first thought meant they’d failed to at least kill the former queen themselves.

But, as he grew closer and closer to the stone coffin, he sensed nothing, not even the beat of a Changeling’s magic, which was always present aside for in death.

His horn glowed with its green aura, which then wrapped around the lid of the coffin and raised it, before letting it fall the floor with a hard crash.

The reasons for this were varied. One reason, the main one, was that, being no-longer the Queen and not simply by death, he, like his brothers and sisters, cared nothing for showing respect to the exiled Changelings. The second, however, was, if she were somehow hiding every trace of something that could be used to prove she was faking and was, in fact, alive, she would have lost her concentration at the sudden sound and jumped.

However, the body lying in the casket did not move. Holding his breath, the Changeling listened. Save the faint sounds from the outside, there was utter silence and his senses told him no emotions or magic were coming from the body in front of him. Of the two Changelings in that tomb, only one was alive.

Satisfied, he sent the message to his Queen, feeling the hive rejoice with the news and left, leaving the lid off of the coffin, not bothering to return it to its place, only stopping after exiting the tomb to pay small respects to his two brothers that had died in the name of their queen.

___________________________________________________________

Late the next night, from within the tomb, the sound of very faint, slow breathing could be heard.

After a few minutes, Chrysalis slowly opened her eyes, blinking wearily. Her body was slow to react, but, after a while, she managed to force herself out of the coffin, just as her disguise fell.

She landed on the stone floor and wobbled for a bit as she gained proper feeling in her legs again. Once she’d gotten a better balance, she lit her horn and a panel of the floor glowed along with it, moved aside and she levitated something that looked like her old self out of it and placed it in the coffin.

She shivered as she looked at it. It was a clone of herself, the same in every way, aside from being completely lifeless.

Knowing it would cause suspicion to move the lid back on, she left it there and turned to leave.

As she walked up the steps, she was covered by green flames. When they faded, she looked like an old brown coated stallion with no mane and a limp grey tail, with a headstone for a cutie mark, a pony known to many as the grave keeper.

In her disguise, she stepped out of the tomb and looked around.

“Did it work?” a voice asked from behind some trees.

Chrysalis smirked. “Like a charm,” she said with the old pony’s gravelly voice.

Shining Armour stepped out of the shadows, nodding and led the stallion until they were far enough away from the cemetery to be sure they weren’t being watched, especially after Shining used his shield spell around himself and the disguised Changeling to check if any Changelings from Chitan’s hive were nearby by expanding the field for a few miles.

Chrysalis smiled. “Now I can take a more appropriate form,” the voice changing to her own as she was engulfed in green flames and returned to the form she and her loyal Changelings had changed to.

When the flames faded, Shining Armour found himself blushing. While he’d noticed the different form Chrysalis had taken before from within her cell, he’d never gotten a good look at her and, since she’d had to take on her old form for the plan to work, he’d not gotten to see her properly.

Now, however, with the glow of Luna’s moon shining down on them, he got a very good look at the form she and her Changelings had chosen. The way her mane shone in the moonlight and the way that same light reflected off of her carapace... he found himself blushing at just how beautiful she really was.

She must have sensed the odd feelings that were suddenly welling in him at the sight of her, because she blushed, her own cheeks turning a light pink as she looked down at the ground and coughed.

“Ahem. Should we not be returning to the castle, before anypony or anyling spots us out here?”

Her question seemed to snap him from his stupor because he violently shook his head, then nodded and led her back towards the secret path they’d planned to use.

___________________________________________________________

Princess Celestia was sitting in her study, enjoying a nice cup of jasmine tea as she went over several papers. Luna had offered to take some of the stressful work off her hooves, lessening the load Celestia had to deal with. She’d been all to happy to accept Luna’s offer, though she hoped Luna knew what she was getting into.

Just as she’d finished a form telling the Duke of Trottingham why they couldn’t afford to spread funding right now, especially for something as trivial as a statue of herself and Luna, there was a knock on her door.

Her smile grew a little more. “Enter,” she called.

The door glowed with a purple aura and it opened, revealing Shining Armour and Chrysalis as they walked in.
Celestia held back her smirk. “So, our little ruse worked, I take it?”

73 Hours Ago

Chrysalis stood with her Changelings in the throne room, Celestia looking down at them, Luna sitting on the throne next to her.

“Chrysalis of the Changelings,” the white Alicorn said, her face expressionless. “You stand accused of ponynapping and impersonating a member of the royal family and intent to invade and conquer Equestria. These are facts, not chance.”

Chrysalis braced herself for it, feeling her Changelings doing the same.

“However, it has become apparent that your life is forfeit to your old hive,” Celestia continued. “The fact that your own sister sent assasins after you with little care how many ponies were injured is proof of that.”

Chrysalis frowned, now with confusion. What did this have to do with her sentence.

“Under normal circumstances,” Luna continued for her sister, “you would be sentenced to banishment.”

The nymphs cuddled closer to their mothers.

Celestia smiled. “However, we have an ultimatum you may wish to take advantage of instead.”

Chrysalis nodded slowly. “I’m listening.”

Luna smiled and called out, “Bring her in.”

The doors opened and they all turned to see Shining Armour (who Chrysalis noticed was doing everything not to look at her), leading an equine with black and white stripes, wearing golden rings around her neck. A Zebra.

However, something was bothering the Changeling. When she saw that Shining Armour was trying everything to keep from looking at her she felt confusion, two different kinds. One, why he was doing so, coupled with a small twinge of sadness at the fact that he was doing so, and the second, confusion as to why she had that feeling in the first place.

“As you know, the Changelings sent to assassinate you failed in their mission,” Celestia said, her voice calling Chryslais back to reality.

“What you may not know is that, since your failed invasion, we have fortified the majority of Canterlot from Changeling magic. In layman’s terms, aside from the link you share with the Changelings loyal to you, no hivemind link works within the city. This being the case, while they were still linked to your sister’s hive, once within the walls of this city, they could not communicate with the hive.”

“This is supposed to matter to me because...?” Chrysalis asked, starting to become bored with how long this was going. She was starting to wish they’d just finish and banish her and her Changelings already. At least then she wouldn’t have to listen to this drivel.

Luna smirked. “Because they were unable to report whether or not they succeeded in their mission before they passed.”

“If that is your idea of good news, I fail to understand it,” Chrysalis scowled. “With what you described, my sister will still know that her Changelings failed and are now dead.”

Luna shook her head. “All she knows is that they have died. She does not know whether or not they completed their mission before they perished. And we are going to let her know, or rather think, that they did.”

At once Chrysalis’ Changelings hissed, their wings buzzing.

“So, what?” she asked, her voice cold. “You plan on ending my life here instead? You plan on doing the job for her?”

Celestia shook her head. “I said we have an ultimatum. This is it, Chrysalis. Zecora, care to explain?”

The Zebra, who’d made it to the throne during the conversation, nodded, then looked to the Changeling. “There is a potion I can quickly have made, that will make your body’s reactions delayed. Over a few days, your sister will be convinced she has no need for dread, for she will be informed that you are truly, and utterly dead.”

Chrysalis deadpanned. The zebra was rhyming, of course. That was one of the reasons she’d never sent Changelings to infiltrate Zebrica. After her first scooting party had returned, the rhyming speech they’d been stuck using, having gotten so used to it during their cover, had given her the worst headaches.

She looked to the white Alicorn, who chuckled. “She means that we are going to fake your death with a potion that Zecora has made.”

“This potion will put you in a death-like state for seventy-two hours,” Luna continued. “In return, you must relinquish your title as queen and must be guarded all times by Shining Armour and help prepare Equestria for future changeling attacks. After you have proven yourself, and your loyal Changelings swear fealty to Equestria, you will be a free pony, erm, Changeling, as will they be.”

The other Changelings still hissed, their wings buzzing like angry hornets.

“You wish for me to cease ruling over my new hive?” Chrysalis asked, her eyes narrowed.

Celestia shook her head. “No. You may retain the title of duchess or princess, if you wish to keep such a title, but you will no long refer to yourself as a queen, thus undermining ourselves.”

Chrysalis continued to scowl. “And what do we get out of this?” she indicated to her Changelings.

Celestia smiled warmly. “As Luna stated, after you have proven yourself, and your loyal Changelings swear fealty to Equestria, you will all be free. You will even be allowed to live among our subjects and create a new hive that will coexist with Equestria.”

“And just what will you do during these seventy-two hours in which I shall be in this death-like state?” she asked, narrowing her eyes again. There had to be another side to this.

Luna smirked. “We will hold a funeral for you and the two Changelings you wished laid to rest.”

This was met by one Changeling teleporting in front of Chrysalis and leaning forward, as if to attack.

Neither Alicorns paid attention to this, however, as Luna continued.

“The funeral will be announced, letting all know that you are dead. We will also let it be known that any Changelings currently not here that are still loyal to you, but have yet to make it for they do not know what to do, are welcome to come to the funeral and pay their respects, with my word that they will not be harmed whilst they are here.”

“However, there are two alternative reasons for the funeral,” Celestia smiled. “It will be a cover to find those Changelings still loyal to you and to bring them to Equestria’s side.”

“The other, more important reason, is that, knowing your sister, from what we can guess, she will send at least a few Changelings from her hive to check and see if you truly are dead. In that death-like state, they will be able to tell no difference between yourself and the two Changelings that are truly dead.”

When the funeral is over and you awaken, Shining Armour will bring you back to the castle under the cover of night, with your sister none the wiser,” Celestia chuckled.

“And with her Changelings reporting my passing, she will not keep sending Changelings to find me,” the Changeling queen... well, princess now, she supposed, said. She looked back at her Changelings and nodded, looking back to the Alicorns. “Very well. I relinquish my title of Queen and take on the title princess,” she bowed to them. “But keep your word,” she warned, her eyes going dark. “If even one of my Changelings is harmed...”

Celestia nodded, her face becoming expressionless again. “You have our word.”

“Um, if I may speak,” one of the male Changelings stepped forward. “How will this work? We Changelings feed on and sense emotions. Won’t all the Changelings that come sense that none of us,” he indicated to the other Changelings, “are saddened by our que—” he coughed, “our princess’s passing?”

Celestia nodded, her expression becoming grim. “That is where you come in, Chrysalis. You must use a memory spell on your Changelings that, for those seventy-two hours, will make them believe you are dead.”

Chrysalis scowled. “Must I? I do not wish to cause my Changelings the distress believing I am dead will make them go through.”

Celestia nodded solemnly. “Would you rather risk their lives, with yoru sister sending more assassins after you?”

She was about to argue, when what the Alicorn said rang in her mind. It was true. Several of her Changelings had been injured when those first two assassins had come. They would not allow an assassin from Chitan’s hive to take her life, putting their own in danger if necessary.

Chrysalis sighed and nodded.

Celestia gave a small smile. “Very well. Zecora, prepare the potion. Chrysalis, your part comes first.”

Chrysalis nodded and turned around, her face apologetic. “Forgive me, my Changelings,” she said, her horn glowing.

They all gave her sad smiles, before the light had consumed them all. When it faded, they were all lying unconscious on the throne room floor, their forms disguised as what they used to be.

NOW

“It is good to see you again, Princess Crystil,” Celestia said, getting up from her seat.

The Changeling winced a little at the new title she would have to get used to. However, she had more pressing concerns on her mind. “Are my Changelings alright?”

Celestia sighed. “It was not easy for them. Many almost ended their own lives, not sure how to go one without your guidance and leadership.”

The Changeling princess winced again. She wished she hadn’t had to put her subjects through such a horrible experience.

Celestia smiled. “However, those you cast the spell on reacquired their memories a few hours ago. They have been informing the others of the plan and that you are, in fact, well and healthy, as well as getting them all to conform to your new shape.”

The black princess’ mind eased and she sighed. “May I see them now?”

Celestia nodded. “You may. I will have one of the guards show you the floor they are staying on.”

She nodded and, a few minutes later, a Pegasus guard arrived an escorted her out of the study and towards where she could sense her Changelings were waiting for her.

Once she was out of earshot, Celestia whispered to Shining Armour, “Be sure to guard her well, Captain.”

Shining nodded, then left, heading in the same direction the guard and new princess had gone.

Celestia smirked. Shining Armour did not understand what was going on, but she knew why he’d asked to personally guard the Changeling Princess and her hive. Even if it wasn't originally what fate had had in store, it would the reality that now was and she found it rather amusing to see him they way he was now. It was like watching what happened with Cadance all over again. It was quite adorable, really.

With the matter settled for now, she returned to her paperwork. Maybe, for the first time in weeks, she’d be able to get a good night’s sleep.

Chapter 7

View Online

Chapter 7

___________________________________________________________

Cadance walked through the Canterlot Archives, searching for Twilight. Ever since the second wedding had failed, and after she’d spent several hours comforting the unicorn, Twilight hadn’t been seen outside the structure that housed so many ancient tomes.

True, she’d left the archives to attend the fake funeral for Chrysalis, but after that, she gone back inside nopony had seen her leave the archives since then.

Cadance was getting worried. She knew from experience that when Twilight made herself scarce amongst books, it wasn’t a good sign. She was clearly stressed about something, not that the Alicorn could blame her, what with everything that had happened in the last few weeks.

However, locking herself away from everypony wasn’t going to do Twilight any favours. If anything, it was only going to make it worse. Cadance knew she could help Twilight calm down and come to terms with everything, if only the unicorn would let her do so.

Cadance past another shelf of books, noting how, like every other book in the archives, there wasn’t any dust on them, not even the oldest books, signs that Twilight had been reading them.

“ARGH!”

Cadance, along with several others within the libary, stopped what they were doing, their heads shooting up, their ears turned in alert at the shout. That had come from the Starswirl the Bearded wing.

Cadance facehoofed. Of course. Where else would she have gone? Though, what with learning Discord and Starswirl were the same being, I would’ve thought Twilight wouldn’t want to go in there ever again.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Cadance hurried out of archives’ public area and entered the Starswirl wing... only for her jaw to drop.

The place was an absolute mess. Books, scrolls and parchment were scattered everywhere, making it look as though a tornado had been through the place.

“Nothing helps!” a voice shouted, followed by the sound of something thumping against a wall, then of somepony dropping to the floor and sobbing.

Cadance turned and headed towards the voice, to find Twilight lying on the floor behind a clearly recently searched shelf. The unicorn’s mane and tail were ragged, with strands sticking out, giving her a slightly deranged look.

Her eyes had heavy bags under them and her coat looked matted and in need of a good wash. On top of that, tears were streaming down her face as she lay there, her hooves over her muzzle.

“Twilight?” Cadance asked, taking a few tentative steps towards the sobbing mare.

Twilight glanced up at her, and her tears seemed to double in portion.

“I-I— I’m so sorry, Cadance,” she whimpered, curling up on the floor. “I haven’t found anything!”

Cadance raised an eyebrow slightly as she lay down on her stomach to be eve-level with Twilight. “What do you mean? What were you looking for?”

“A way to fix your bond,” came the weak reply.

Cadance blinked for a moment before she understood, her expression saddening a little. “Twilight you can’t change what’s happened—”

“I know!” Twilight wailed, cutting her off as she looked up, her eyes frantic, yet somehow firm. “I’ve check every book, every scroll, every note, every spell within the entire archives and I haven’t found any way of fixing your bond to Shining without endangering everypony else!”

Her sobs began shudders and Cadance quickly got up, walked around and settled down next to the distraught mare, draping a wing over her for comfort.

“I-I’ve studied e-every type of spell I c-can f-find, b-but it all ends with nothing,” Twilight’s trembling was close to vibration. “I-I could fix yours and Shining’s bond, b-but then the Changeling Q-Queen and I will lose our bonds to both of you a-and if we didn’t bond with each other, we could end up bonding with some other ponies. But then, if they have soulbond with others, their bonds to their soul mates would shatter and their soul mates’ bonds would find others, then those bonds would find others and so on and so on, until I make history repeat itself and the only way to fix it would be to—”

Twilight stopped. Cadance had pulled her into a tight embrace. Before, she’d just had a wing over her, but, during Twilight’s ramble, she’d sat up and pulled the lavender mare into a warm embrace, stopping her in her tracks.

“Twilight, stop this, please,” Cadance pleaded as she gently stroked Twilight’s mane. “You don’t have to fix anything. It wasn’t your fault. None of this is or ever will be your fault.”

“B-but—” Twilight tried, but Cadance cut her off.

“Stop tormenting yourself like this!” she begged, holding Twilight closer. “You’ve be forcing yourself to try and find a way to reverse what you did, but, Twilight, in doing so, you could destroy yourself. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. So, please,” her voice dropped to a whisper as tears of her own started to fall, “stop this. I don’t want to lose you.”

Twilight squirmed against Cadance’s hold for a few moments, trying to break free, but, eventually, she stopped, letting herself melt into the Alicorn’s embrace.

They remained that way for a long while. Just how long, Cadance wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want to try and find out and risk ruining the calm that had fallen.

After what felt like a few minutes, Cadance moved her head, intending to ask if Twilight was ready to leave the archives and maybe get something to eat (she was sure the unicorn hadn’t eaten since she first started combing through the archives) but stopped before the words left her mouth, it curled into a small smile.

Twilight had fallen asleep against her, a peaceful expression on her face.

Cadance chuckled and closed her eyes, letting Twilight get some well-needed rest.

___________________________________________________________

“Are you sure about this?” Celestia asked Cadance as they stood in front of the train. It was late in the morning and Twilight and the other Element Bearers and Spike had gotten on the train, ready to head for Ponyville.

Cadance gave a slight nod, glancing over her shoulder. She could see Twilight sitting by one of the windows, looking out at the sky with glazed eyes.

“Twilight’s been through a lot. I think she needs some time away from all this... as do I.”

Celestia gave her a knowing look. “You’re going with them, aren’t you?”

Cadance didn’t answer, there being no need. “I want to be there for her. She needs me there for her. Besides, it’s not like you’ll need us here right now. This way, we can relax a bit, settle down.”

Celestia agreed, glancing at her student with a sad smile. “Look after her, Cadance.”

Cadance smiled and turned to head into the cart Twilight and the others were in. “Good luck, auntie.” I have a feeling you’ll need it.

“Cadance,” Celestia’s voice caused Cadance to pause. “You know we had no choice but to remove it from her memory.”

Cadance sighed, nodding, but did not turn around.

After Twilight had fallen asleep in the archives, Cadance had told Celestia about what Twilight had been trying to do. Understandably, Celestia worried for Twilight and everypony else’s safety, should she try again to find a way to undo what she did, when it could not be undone.

The only way to truly repair the damage that had been done, would be for them to gather all those whose bonds had changed, including the royal guard cadet who’d been bonded to Twilight, as well as the mare he’d bonded to.

But, even then, they’d have needed to find one other pony, one who possessed no Soulbond of their own, whether they be mare or stallion to bond with the mare and the problem with that was there was no spell in existence that could allow one to see in one possessed a Soulbond. Such magic had been banned since the spell that started this whole mess had been first used.

However, Celestia knew Twilight would not stop. As long as she remembered the instructions of the spell from the book she’d read as a filly (which Celestia had made sure afterwards there was no trace of left anywhere in the world), she would try to find a way to reverse it.

The only alternative: Twilight needed to forget how to use the spell, thus, being unable to figure out anything related to said spell that could end in disaster.

With Chrysalis still fake-dead for another eighteen hours, she had asked the Changeling Carapace to help them. Since Carapace currently believed her Queen-now-Princess to be dead due to the spell Chrysalis used upon her and her fellow Changelings before she took the potion, and that Celestia had offered them safety since they no longer had a leader, she agreed to help and erased the spell from Twilight’s memory as she slept.

When Twilight awoke, she had no memory of how to cast the spell and thus, would not endanger herself or anypony else in trying to find its counter.

Cadance sighed, knowing she would have to tell Twilight this soon, glanced at her aunt one more time, then walked inside just as the doors closed and the train whistle blew as the locomotive slowly started to chug out of the station, picking up speed as it went down the track.

Cadance walked into the cart where Twilight and the others were. Aside from Twilight, they all glanced up as she entered, nodded, then went back to whatever they’d been doing, which was really just sitting around, doing nothing.

Cadance walked over to Twilight and sat down next to her. Twilight’s reflection glanced at her, before returning to the sky.

Cadance sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy.

___________________________________________________________

Twilight walked into her library, feeling drained, even though they’d only been riding a train for a few hours. Spike followed, with Cadance right behind.

Cadance looked around the library and smiled. Of course Twilight would live in a library. It was the perfect home.

Suddenly, Twilight stopped, causing both dragon and Alicorn to bump into her.

“I didn’t check here.”

“Huh?” Spike asked, raising an eyebrow, though Cadance felt worry tighten in her gut.

“I have to start searching right away!” Both of them ducked as Twilight used her magic to levitate books of the shelves and started sorting them for reading at a rapid speed.

Cadance was about to speak up, not wanting to Twilight to put herself through what she had back in Canterlot, especially when she'd realize she couldn't without the information of the spell she no longer possessed, but saw Spike shake his head and point to the stairs, then started sliding on his stomach.

Once they were on the stairs and safely out of range of the multiple book projectiles flying around the room he whispered, “Once Twilight gets her mind set on something to do with books, it’s best to just let it run its course.”

Cadance didn’t like that idea, but nodded and headed upstairs, Spike showing her to the spare room, thinking that was where she’d be staying while with them.

Cadance, however, paid only half a mind to the room. She already knew where she wanted to sleep, but knew Twilight wouldn’t be comfortable with it so soon.

Five hours later, Cadance, despite Spike’s warnings, crept downstairs to see if Twilight was done.

What she found saddened her a bit. When they’d entered the library it had been spotless. Every book had a place on the shelves and everything had been ordered into a neat and tidy displace.

The scene before her, however, was the polar opposite. The floor was littered with books, papers and anything Twilight could’ve used for researching.

And, in the middle of it all, at the centre of the chaos, sat Twilight, her shoulders slumped, her ears pinned back, her head lowered.

Cadance slowly picked her way over, then sat down next to the still unicorn. “Couldn’t find anything, huh?” she asked softly.

Twilight shook her head, not looking up. “I... I don’t remember the spell. I had no idea what I was looking for... but I don’t think it’s here. I... can’t fix this.”

Cadance sighed and wrapped Twilight in her wing, holding the lavender mare close. “It’s okay. We’ll get through this. I know we will.”
Twilight only grunted a response, but it was better than nothing.

Cadance then explained to Twilight why she hadn’t been able to remember and the reason why they had removed the memory of the spell.

Dinner was quieter than normal in the Golden Oaks Library. Spike had made a vegetarian lasagne, adding some butternut pumpkin for extra flavor, since they had a guest.

After a while, Cadance decided to ask something that might lighten the mood. “So, Twilight, how have things been since we last saw each other while you were in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?”

Twilight jerked, her words coming out as “bbll-wha?”

Cadance chuckled and repeated the question.

Twilight’s eyes lit up and she began telling Cadance all about her last few years at Celestia’s school before moving to Ponyville and then all the crazy times she’d had since coming.

While Spike ignored this, a bored expression on his face, Cadance listened with full attention as Twilight told her about the time she’d been spending since they’d last spoken.

As Twilight told of all the fun times she’d had with her friends in Ponyville, Cadance felt slightly sad at all the time she’d missed and wished she could’ve been there for the unicorn she cared so much about.

While that title had originally been strictly reserved for Shining Armour in one way, whereas with Twilight it had been another, she cared for Twilight the most in both titles now.

She knew it was their Soulbond that was making her feel this way, just as she used to feel this way about Shining Armour. However, she wouldn’t fight it. She was the Princess of Love. She knew what she felt and would not deny it.

She and Twilight were soul mates now and nothing would change that.

___________________________________________________________

Twilight waited patiently for Cadance to finish having a shower, her towel draped over her backs as she stood outside the bathroom.

If only I could be more accommodating, she thought to herself as she leaned against the wall. We’ve only ever needed the one bathroom, what with it just being Spike and I living here. Of course, Cadance wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t broken hers and Shining’s Soulbond. Her ears drooped.

Despite everypony constantly trying to convince her it wasn’t her fault, she couldn’t stop blaming herself. Maybe, if she hadn’t been able to remember the spell, like she couldn’t now no matter how hard she tried, she might’ve remembered another healing spell, one that would’ve saved Cadance’s life, but without costing her her bond to Shining.

The sound of the door opening pulled her from her thoughts and Twilight looked up, only to find herself blushing.

Cadance’s mane was wet and, unlike Twilight had expected, had been left to hang against her body. It, coupled with the way the wetness of her fur seemed to glimmer in the light, made Twilight think Cadance looked even more beautiful than normal.

“Uh, Twilight?” Cadance’s question caused Twilight to snap out of her thought and realize the Alicorn was looking at her with a coy smile. “Is there something you wanted to say?”

“I... uh... that is... I mean...” Twilight stumbled, her brain and mouth somehow forgetting how to work together, before she noticed there was a large enough gap between Cadance and the door for her to get through. “Sorry, need to get cleaned up. Bye!” she said hastily, before shooting into the bathroom and locking the door behind her.

Cadance only chuckled, taking the hints and left.

Inside the bathroom, Twilight was standing on her hind legs, her back against the door, her eyes wide.

Did... Did I just... think of Cadance like...? She shook her head violently, dropping down to her haunches and slapping herself on the cheeks. No. No, you did not. That was just... stress. Yes! That’s it. You’ve been stressed with everything that’s happened and, despite sleeping yesterday, you’re still tired. You must be.

She walked up to the mirror to look herself in the face. As she did so, another voice, one sounding just like her own, from the logical side of her mind, seemed to speak.

You know what you were thinking and you know why you thought it. Your Soulbond is with Cadance now. That means you’re starting to get feelings for her. Heck, you’ve had feelings for her since the moment you woke up in the infirmary.

Twilight shook her head, try to dissuade these thoughts.

No! Cadance was meant to be with Shining, not me!

“Was” being the operative word. You saw the look in her eyes as you told her about what you’ve done since last time you saw each other when you were younger. She cares for you, now like a loved one than a good friend.

NO! That’s not... true. That’s not true! I’m not the pony she’s meant to be with. Besides, she’s a princess. I’m just a normal pony.

That’s a weak argument and you know it. Shining Armour was just a normal pony, yet, when they had a Soulbond, she was going to marry him. And no, his being Captain of the Royal Guard doesn’t change that. If you wanna go down that road, you’re Princess Celestia personal student, a ranking that even Shining would say outranks him, so don’t bother arguing that.

Twilight put her hooves on her head and shouted at herself inside her head. Shut up! I’m not in love with Cadance and she is not in love with me! We’re not in love! We’re not!

Lying to yourself isn’t going to change anything.

Stop it!

But it didn’t. Even as she got into the shower and turned the water on as hot as she could physically stand, the thoughts still pounded her mind.

She and Cadance were soul mates. True, it was not how things had originally been, but that was something she could not argue. She had used that spell. She had broken Cadance’s Soulbond to Shining and merged it with her own.

By the time her shower was done, Twilight felt no better, despite her hopes. She slowly made her way back to her room, got into bed and blew out the candle, wondering how long she could deny what part of her kept telling her was the truth.

Author's Notes:

And there's chapter seven done.

Ironically, i finished this chapter yesterday but, due to getting ahead of myself, had merged it and what i now am making chapter nine into one, not thinking about what should happen between the two until i was in bed last night and let my mind wander before sleep took me, so, it's up now and i'm moving straight to writting chapter 8 now.

So, it seems Cadance has accepted things as they are now, but twilight hasn't and is even lying to herself about it in a vain attempt to keep some normalancy to her and cadance's previous realationship.

Wonder how long that will last. Also, what about Chrysalis? Now that her sister thinks she's dead, what will happen? And are there any of her changelings stationed in ponyville?

You'll have to wait til the next chapter for answers.

On a side and not at all story related note, thanks to LuckyBass13, i've a new version of my female OC (two if you count the one i edited to show her cutie mark):

Original:

One i edited:

He really is a wonderful artist. Send him some love.

Anyway, that's enough for now. I've got to start chapter 8, where you'll learn a few ponies we've all seen and known were changelings all along.

Til next time, later everpony

Chapter 8

View Online

Chapter 8

___________________________________________________________

Twilight shifted as she left the realm of sleep and entered the waking world again. She sat up in bed, yawning and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

She looked around as her eyes adjusted. She was in her room, in her tree house. The sun was gently splaying through the window and the sounds and smells of breakfast being made downstairs told her Spike was up.

She gave a small smile. It was only a dream. Twilight was glad that had only been a dream, though talk about a wild one. Still, she couldn’t help feeling a little sad at the fact it had only been a dream. She made a mental note to send a letter to Cadance and meet up with her and talk about what had happened since they’d last seen each other.

Twilight walked into the bathroom and went through her usual morning routine; brushing her teeth, combing her mane and tail and brushing her fur. All clean, she decided it was time for something to eat.

As she descended the stairs, Twilight thought she heard Spike talking to somepony. Had one of her friends come to visit her? Considering the hour, it was most likely Pinkie Pie. That mare still baffled Twilight to no end at times...

Twilight past a clock and stopped, her eyes widening at the time. It was 10:32am! She’d slept in!

Frowning, Twilight walked into the kitchen saying, “Spike! Why didn’t... you... wake me...?”

The words died in her mouth as her eyes took in the scene. Spike was sitting at the table, eating pancakes with sapphires cooked into them.

However, the fact that he was sitting at the table wasn’t what drew her attention. It was the pink Alicorn using her magic to flip a fresh non-sapphire pancake, before setting the pan down on the stove to cook.

Twilight gawked, her mouth wide open as realization hit her. It wasn’t a dream. Everything that happened during the wedding really did happen. She really did find Cadance in the crystal caverns beneath Canterlot. Cadance really did save her from being impaled by a falling crystal stalactite. And Twilight really had used a forbidden spell that had switch Cadance and Shining’s Soulbonds to herself and a Changeling.

Cadance turned around and smiled when she saw the gaping unicorn mare. “Good morning, Twilight. I thought I’d make breakfast this morning. Pancakes, just like I’d make you back when you were a filly. Twilight? Twilight!”

Twilight’s world faded as it turned on its side and she dropped to the floor.

___________________________________________________________

When Twilight came to, she was laying on one of the couches in the library’s main room, Cadance and Spike watching her anxiously.

Twilight lifted herself up a bit, but kept her head down and whispered in a hoarse voice, “It wasn’t a dream, was it?” She didn’t know why she asked; maybe to prolong the illusion that it was a dream and maybe Cadance had just come to visit and arrived last night.

Cadance gave a small chuckle. “No. It wasn’t. I have the scars under my wings from when the Changeling attacked me to prove it.”

Twilight kept her head down, not wanting to meet the Alicorn’s gaze.

Suddenly the door the library burst open with an explosion, sending the couch flying, knocking the three onto the floor.

Twilight used her magic to lift the couch off of herself to see Cadance and Spike starting to stand, recovering from the sudden occurrence, when a voice growled, “Mi Amore Cadenza!”

They all turned, their eyes widening. A Changeling was standing in the now open doorway, its head bent, it’s pure-green eyes aimed at Cadance as it slowly made its way towards the still shell-shocked Alicorn. But it wasn’t like the Changelings now in the hive Celestia was looking after until their former Queen, now a princess, came back. This Changeling looked like those Changelings used to look; hole-pocked hooves and wings, a jagged horn and eyes with no pupils, only green.

“Queen Chitan wants your love and you will give it!” the Changeling said. It had not been a threat, Twilight could tell from the way it had spoken. It had said it as if it was cold hard fact.

However, before the Changeling could reach Cadance, there was a cream-coloured blur, before the Changeling was slammed against a wall away from the princess.

Standing where the Changeling had been, panting, was a pony Twilight recognised. Bon Bon. Only, she wasn’t a pony anymore. She looked like the Changeling’s had after joining Chrysalis in prison. However, she also looked different from them too.

While Bon Bon now possessed the eyes, wings and horn of Chrysalis’ new Changelings, her carapace was the same colour as her pony coat had been, as were her mane and tail. On top of that, she still had her Cutie Mark on her flank.

Before Twilight could ask what was going on, Bon Bon shot forward, her horn glowing with a cyan magic that encompassed the other Changeling. When the light faded, the Changeling had passed out and was tied up by rope made of magic itself.

Twilight slowly got up as Bon Bon nodded, then turned to look at the three of them. “Sorry I didn’t get here sooner,” she said in her usual voice.. “Our Qu—princess only just returned to Canterlot a few hours ago. She assigned those of us living in Ponyville to return at once and take on the extra duty of protecting you from any of Chitan’s Changelings.”

“Uh... right,” Twilight said slowly, glancing at the other two, who gave her similar looks. Turning back, Twilight asked the obvious. “So, Bon Bon...” she scuffed the floor, “you’re a Changeling?”

The cream-coloured Changeling gave a sad smile and nodded, lowly her head a bit. “Yeah. I’m one of the love collectors that was sent here to, well, collect love for our hive. Despite her invading Canterlot, I think Ponyville has the most love in Equestria, to be honest.”

“Love collectors?” Spike asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Changelings feed on love and other emotions,” Bon Bon nodded. “Our princess sent many of us across Equestria when we were young, telling us to take on pony forms and blend in. Most of us chose to go into orphanages and get adopted. We’d send the love we gathered back to the hive via the hivemind.”

“You can do that?” Twilight asked, her intuitive nature making intrigued by the idea of learning just how the Changelings managed their tasks so far from the hive.

Bon Bon nodded. “We kept ourselves hidden and fed and sent what we didn’t need for our own nourishment to the hive to keep it alive.”

Spike frowned, folding his arms. “Wait a minute. If you’re one of the Changelings from Chrysalis’ old hive that stayed with her, how come you look more like a Changeling version of your pony form?”

Twilight and Cadance nodded.

“That does puzzle me, Bon Bon,” Twilight said, walking over and circling the Changeling, her eyebrow raised in confusion. “I heard the Changelings in Chrysalis’ new hive chose a new permanent form, but why’d you made yours look so much like your pony disguise?”

“Oh, well...” the pseudo earth mare fiddled with her hooves. “You see, when a love collector chooses a disguise, they have to live it in for a long time, without changing back for any reason. After so long, our disguise ends up permanently marking our bodies. This has been my normal appearance since I was a nymph. Filly,” she added at the confused look on Spike’s face, then grinned. “Well, you know what I mean.”

Twilight nodded, grinning eagerly. This was new information about a species she’d known nothing about until a few weeks ago. Despite the circumstances of how she’d learned of them, she knew barely anything about the Changelings race and her intuitive mind was hungry for details.

The sound of hooves clopping caused all four of them to turn to see several pegasi Royal Guard mares walking in.

Bon Bon looked at them for several moments, before they nodded, moved over to the unconscious Changeling and then left, flying away with the Changeling held between two of them.

All eyes were on Bon Bon, the same question in each pair.

Bon Bon sighed and shrugged. “They were some of Crystil's Changelings. I contacted them the moment I saw the smoke from your house.”

Cadance frowned. "Crystil?"

Bon Bon nodded. "Well, Chitan thinks Princess Chrysalis is dead, so, to keep her non-death a secret, Princess Celestia had Princess Chrysalis' name changed to Crystil and we'll be going under the guise of a smaller hive that separated from Chitan's hive before she became Queen. Which, when you think about it, is the truth."

Twilight slowly nodded. “Just how many ponies do I know here in Ponyville that happen to be Changelings?”

Bon Bon paused, her eyes looking up at something Twilight couldn’t see. “About fifteen right now, counting myself and Rose. Some of us are still in Canterlot. They didn't want to leave the princess once we learned she hadn't really died.”

Twilight was rather surprised. Fifteen Changelings had been leaving around her, within Ponyville, for all this time, and nopony had ever noticed? And Rose was one of them too?

Bon Bon nodded, seeming to know what Twilight was thinking, before she was engulfed in a green flame. Once it was gone, she looked like her pony self again.

“We’ve been friends for a long time, Twilight," she said warmly. "I hope you won’t let the past few weeks change the way you feel towards all of us.”

Twilight hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes and nodded. “We’re still friends. You and the Changelings here weren’t involved in the invasion, were you?”

Bon Bon shook her head. “We had strict orders not to go to Canterlot until things were settled... not that it stopped Derpy.”

“Wait. Derpy’s a Changeling?” Spike asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“And having to deal with Lyra having been a bride’s maid,” Bon Bon facehoofed. “I’m just lucky she’s so nonchalant about it with me. But, seriously, my leader brainwashes her and she’s okay with it?”

Spike was about to speak, but Cadance put a hoof to his mouth, shaking her head. This was a matter between two lovers, not them. To speak up about it would be rude, to say the least.

“Sorry,” Bon Bon said, shaking her head and giving a sheepish smile to the three of them. “Didn’t mean to rant. It’s just sometimes... UGH. I swear, that unicorn will drive me insane one day.”

Twilight chuckled and nodded. “Well, thank you for saving us, Bon Bon.”

The pseudo-Earth mare shook her head. “Not at all, Twilight. Aside from the fact that I was following orders, you’re a good friend. Well, see you later. Knowing Lyra, she’s wondering just what’s taking me so long to get home.”

With that she left through the open doorway, leaving the three of them to think about the last few minutes.

After a while, Cadance broke the silence. “Well, looks like we’ll be shopping for a new door.”

There was a pause, before they all laughed. Once they’d calmed down, they returned to their breakfast and ate.

Later that day, they got a new door, while meeting with several of the ponies who were really Changelings; some really surprising Twilight. Cheerilee was a Changeling, as were Lily, Daisy, Caramel, Aloe and Lotus Blossom, Candy Mane, Nurse Sweetheart and Nurse Tenderheart, Seaswirl, Merry May, Flitter and Cloudchaser were just some of ponies they met that day who turned out to be Changelings.

Twilight was baffled by just how many of her long-time friends had been Changelings all this time without her even noticing it, though each joked that that was a good thing; it showed they’d been doing their job well.

After they’d gotten the new door and put it into place, Pinkie threw Cadance a welcome to Ponyville party.

Whilst Cadance met other ponies, Twilight stayed off to the side, just watching. As she saw several stallions and even a few of the mares fawning over Cadance, Twilight felt the same feeling she had back when she’d thought she’d be watching Cadance and Shining marry each other, before both of them said they didn’t feel the same out each other anymore: jealousy.

No! she shouted at her mind. I’m not jealous! I have no reason to be jealous! Cadance and I are not in love!

“Miss Twilight?”

The unicorn jumped, not having noticed the pony standing next to her, no doubt wondering why she was holding her head in her hooves as she was.

Dinky Doo looked up at Twilight, confusion and concern mixed on her face.

Twilight gave a fake, yet she hoped convincing, smile to the filly unicorn. “Oh. Don’t worry, Dinky. It’s nothing. Say,” she asked, remembering what Bon Bon had said about Derpy being a Changeling, “how do you feel, having a Changeling for a mother, I mean?”

Dinky cocked her head to the side. “Should I feel any diffewent?”

Twilight blinked, confused, but she mentally facehoofed. Dinky had probably been raised by Derpy since foalhood, so she wouldn’t know any different between a Changeling mother to a pony mother.

Though, that brought up an interesting topic. Did the love collector Changelings adopt just for the love they received from their adopted children, or did that foster something more?

Looking at Dinky and Derpy alone, the latter seemed very likely. Despite being raised by a Changeling, Dinky was as happy as any filly or colt raised by a regular pony.

Actually, that brought another thought to mind. How had Dinky come into Derpy’s care? Twilight hadn’t been in Ponyville as long as Derpy, but, from what she knew from talks with the mailmare in the past, she’d never mentioned an orphanage, Dinky’s father, or anything.

“Hello, Twilight.”

Twilight was once again startled out of her thoughts, this time by Dinky’s mother herself.

Derpy smiled down at the filly. “Muffin, why don’t you go and play with the other foals?”

Dinky nuzzled her mother, then hurried off to join the other fillies and colts in the party games.

Derpy sat down next to Twilight, calm concern in his mismatched eyes. “You okay?”

Twilight gave a slightly dark chuckle. “Okay? I ruin five Soulbonds, destroyed a relationship between my brother and my former foal-sitter, make a bond with said sitterm while also bonding my brother to the being who tried to enslave my kind and you ask if I’m okay?” Twilight slumped, her eyes falling to the floor. “No, Derpy. I’m not. What am I supposed to do? Cadance is my soul mate now, but I d... d...”

She tried to say “don’t love her”, but the words wouldn’t leave her lips, no matter how hard she tried.

Derpy gave a small, knowing smile.

“What?” Twilight asked, cocking an eyebrow at the smile.

“We Changelings can sense emotions, Twilight.”

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat and she looked away. “Wh-what’s that got to do with it?”

Derpy giggled, giving a sideways glance away from her. “Oh, nothing.”

“So, how exactly did Dinky become your daughter, Derpy?” Twilight asked, trying to change the subject as quickly as possible.

Derpy giggled again. “Isn’t that obvious? She’s a Changeling too.”

Despite everything, Twilight’s jaw dropped as she stared at the Pegasus, who only giggled at the expression.

“Just kidding, Twilight,” she managed after a while. Her eyes glazed over and her smile became sad then. “Actually, I found her on one of my deliveries.”

Twilight’s expression changed after sensing the mood shift from Derpy. “What... what do you mean?”

Derpy sighed. “I was delivering a package. When I got to the address, the place was closed, with a sign on the door saying the owner had gone on vacation. I decided to leave the package behind the store, where packages go when it’s closed.”

Her eyes misted.

“But, after I’d left the package and turned to leave, I heard something like a small voice. At first, I couldn’t make it out, but it sounded like they were saying “mama”. I pinpointed the sound coming from the nearby dumpster I had just past, so I went back, opened it, and do you know what I found?”

Twilight shook her head slightly, though she was sure she knew.

A tear slid down Derpy’s muzzle. “A little unicorn foal, no more than a for months old at best. She had a little blood dripping from her nose and a blackened and slightly swelled eye.”

Twilight nothing, but knew Derpy would’ve sense the emotional change.

The Pegasus nodded. “But, worst thing was, her ribs were clearly visible against her skin. She couldn’t have eaten in days, at the least. So, I took her home, cleaned her up and fed her and... well...”

She gave a sheepish smile, while Twilight nodded, her smile a knowing one.

“You adopted her.”

Derpy nodded, wiping at the tears dripping down her face. “I loved her from the first moment I held her. I didn’t ever want to let her go. Even after I learned Dinky was really Carrot Top's daughter, who'd gone missing months prior, I still couldn't.” More tears slid down her face. "I was so happy that Carrot Top said that, because I cared so much for Dinky, I was welcome be be part of their herd."

Twilight’s smile warmed. To know that a Changeling had raised a filly and both loved each other so much was a ease to her mind that she hadn’t realized she needed.

“Oh, jeez,” Derpy chuckled, rubbing her eyes more forcefully. “Look at me blubbering when this party’s meant to welcome Cadance.”

Twilight chuckled along with her, then looked to where Cadance was. She was playing a game of Pin The Tail on the Pony, the fillies and colts cheering her on, even though she was aiming for the pony’s hooves, not flank.

As she watched Cadance laugh with the children and older ponies at her failed attempt with the tail, her thoughts returned to the Soulbond she now shared with the Alicorn.

How could they possibly be soul mates? It just didn’t feel right to her, knowing Cadance’s original soul mate was Shining Armour, and yet... yet she also felt it was right.

She mentally shook these thoughts away, getting up and heading for the punch bowl.

She and Cadance were not in love. It wouldn’t happen. They’d been foal and foal-sitter. If anything, Cadance was like a big sister to her. They could never be that way with each other... could they?

Chapter 9

View Online

Chapter 9

___________________________________________________________

Chrysalis, now known as Crystil walked towards where Celestia had said her Changelings were. She knew it would take a few moments for them to notice her in the hive mind, but she was fine with that. As long as they were all safe, she was glad.

As she drew closer, she at once felt the hive mind and every Changeling reaching out to her frantically through it, their anxiety due to having thought her dead for so long almost making her stumble from the pressure. She tried to send as many comforting feelings through the hive mind as she could, to ease their minds.

The guard escorting her opened a door to a large room and she walked in, him remaining outside.

Upon entering, she found a large gathering of changelings, some of whom were not coloured black, but a variety of colours.

One, a cream coloured one with a trio of candy bonbons on her flank, was the first to step forward, before she went into a deep bow, to which all the others joined.

“Rise, my children,” she said calmly, causing them all to do so. She looked around, giving them all warm smiles. “And thank you all for staying so loyal.” She looked down. “I fear I do not deserve it.”

“No, Your Highness,” the cream coloured changeling said, rising and shaking her head. “Whilst we all may not have agreed with your methods, you only did what you did for us, your hive.”

Crystil found herself smiling, lifting her head and nodding to the Changeling.

She looked around at all the smiling faces, feeling the care and love each Changeling in the room had for her. How could she have not noticed it until after failing so horribly?

She moved further into the room, her smile growing as at least twenty nymphs of varying ages hurried over and hugged her front legs.

Princess Crystil couldn’t help but feel so much joy at their smiling faces, especially now that they looked so much more like ponies.

She wasn’t sure why, but she felt something about her Changelings accepting her and whatever had happened to cause her to feel the odd care she did for Shining Armour had something to do with the ability to take on these exact forms.

True, Changelings all had the special ability for a new default form, but those were used when a Royal Changeling left her home hive to start her own, using it to give herself and her hive their own identity, though that in itself was a rarity, so most hives looked the same. Yet, there had always been a constant with each form.

It had never mattered what default form a Changeling chose, it was always riddled with holes, be they in the wings, the legs or, in her previous hive’s case, both.

But, that was not the case with her new hive. When they had taken on their new default form to distance themselves from what was now Chitan’s hive, they had no holes at all.

Even she, taking on a form to match, had been surprised to find herself having not a single hole poked anywhere around her body. She didn’t understand why, now so willing to share her feelings, this could have happened and yet, somewhere, deep in the back of her mind, it felt right, as if this is what should have been from the beginning.

Upon thinking this, she realized she’d never bothered to question a single love collector of their lives in the places she’d sent them. Sure, she asked about how their cover was going, but had never truly bothered to find out how their lives in their homes among the ponies went.

With this new thought in mind, she turned to a pinkish-purple changeling with a two-toned bluish-purple mane and tail and a duo of dolphins on her flank, intent on asking just that.

“I hope Twilight and the princess are alright,” a voice murmured from in the back.

Crystil blinked, her train of thought being cut off, before looking around for the voice. Everyling quickly moved aside, revealing a darkish-yellow Changeling with a brown mane and tail and three blue horse shoes on his flank, who flinched when he realized everyling was staring at him.

Crystil cocked an eyebrow. “Are you referring to Twilight Sparkle?”

The Changeling looked down, nodding. “She and princess Cadance left for Ponyville yesterday.”

The Changeling princess blinked, before nodding to herself. It would make sense, she supposed. Things weren’t going to get any easier, staying here in Canterlot.

“I think we should be more worried about the Changeling Kingdom,” one of the changelings who were black said. It was honestly a little jarring now, so many colourful changelings interspersed among black. “We all know why it’s been kept safe all this time. With the way some of the nobles here in Canterlot are acting, I wouldn’t be surprised if Princess Luna sends ponies to confront the new queen.”

There was silence for several moments as what the two Changelings had said filtered through Crystil’ mind, before her eyes widened in horror.

She looked firmly at all her Changelings, namely the ones with colours. “Any of you who were stationed in Ponyville, return there right now!”

Every Changeling blinked in confusion at her sudden anxiousness.

“My Qu—princess?” a black Changeling asked, stepping forward. “Why are you sending them back to—?”

“Think about it, all of you!” she said, her worry entering her voice, though coupled with anger they all could tell was not directed at them. “Chitan thinks I am dead. As far as she is concerned, that means all bets are off. She will likely target Princess Cadance, not realizing the flaw I myself failed to see in the plan to take Canterlot. This means she and Twilight Sparkle are now in danger!”

Everyling from Ponyville, all of whom were among the coloured ones, flinched, before nodding and hurrying out the door.

The Changeling princess grinned sheepishly at the startled cry of Shining Armour and the guard who’d led her here.

When Shining looked in with a scowl, she held up her hooves, her expression firming.

“If you want your sister and former fiancée safe, I need to send those Changelings back to Ponyville, now!” His eyes widened at the mention of his sister, but she did not give him a chance to reply. “Also, I need to speak with both Celestia and Luna, as well as anypony who would be in a position to lead an attack, at once! I must stop Equestria from making a fatal mistake that could doom us all!”

Shining blinked a few times, before he saw the resolve in her eyes. He nodded, before speaking to his fellow guard.

The other guard grumbled, but saluted his captain and hurried off to deliver the messages.

Crystil felt bad for Celestia. All that paperwork and now she’d be adding more worries to the plate.

___________________________________________________________

“This had better be important,” General Thunder Hooves, a grey-coated Earth Pony with a black mane and tail and an axe for a Cutie Mark said as he and several other generals sat around a circular table.

They were in the war room. Whilst Equestria had not needed to go to battle for many years, the room was still there and it wasn’t like the ponies of today weren’t ready to fight, if need be.

“I have to agree with Thunder,” Commander Spitfire nodded. It was a state secret that the Wonderbolts were actually, unbeknownst to the public, a means of training pegasi for battle, should the need ever arise. “Even for a Wonderbolt, being called into duty at this time of the night, or morning, or whatever, is ridiculous. I've a new training regime I need to start the new Academy cadets on this afternoon.”

The double doors to the room opened, cutting off the small talk and in walked the princesses of day and night. However, they were not alone. With that was the Captain of the Royal Guard and one other. It was this one that caused all their eyes to widen.

She looked very different from the last royal of their kind Equestria had dealt with, but those eyes and wing types made it clear; a Changeling.

Before any of them could react in fear or protest, however, Princess Celestia held up a hoof.

“I am sorry for calling you all in on such short notice,” Princess Celestia said, looking to them all in turn. “However, last night I was informed of some new information that makes any plans intended to attack the Changeling Kingdom a futile endeavor.”

“And just who gave you this information, Your Highness,” a unicorn with a cream coloured coat and light-yellow mane and tail asked, looking at her with narrowed eyes, before glancing to the Changeling.

“Princess Crystil,” the solar Alicorn answered, the Changeling stepping forward.

“You would trust the word of one of those things?” Thunder Hooves asked incredulously.

“Say what you want, pony,” the Changeling replied, giving him an uncaring look, in a voice that did not have the same distortion as the one that had attacked at the wedding. In fact, there was no distortion to her voice at all, which was enough to through them all off. “With Chitan now ruling Chrysalis’ former hive, you would be wise to trust any who wish against her getting anywhere close to this land at your side.”

“Crystil is a Changeling Royal who denied Chitan as her ruler and came to Equestria alongside many of the Changelings who came for Queen Chrysalis’ funeral,” Princess Luna said, her voice firm. “She has agreed to take over the ex-Queen’s hive under the condition she and those of said hive are allowed to remain within our borders, in exchange for information that will aid us should Chitan try what her sister failed to do.”

“And what information could that bug provide us that would aid in anyway?” a green unicorn with a bright pink mane and a Cuite Mark of a golden sword asked, his tone mocking. “I am already preparing an army of my finest unicorn soldiers to be ready should we ever need to go into the Changeling Kingdom.”

“At which point, each and every one of those unicorns would become useless and mere target practice for Chitan’s hive,” Princess Crystil said flatly, but in a tone that said it was pure fact.

The green unicorn snarled. “How dare you? Those unicorns are some of the fastest spell casters I have ever commanded. What in your right mind could possibly make you think they would be useless upon entering the kingdom you’ve clearly been exiled from?”

“Only Changeling magic works in the Changeling Kingdom.”

There was silence for several moments, before Spitfire spoke. “Um, can you repeat that?”

The Changeling Princess looked to her with a firm nod, her expression not holding the same look as when she’d spoken with the unicorn. If anything, it should some fraction of respect. “Within the Changeling hive there is a large throne, carved from an ancient black stone. This stone absorbs all outside magic like we Changelings absorb love, spanning a distance of the entire Changeling Kingdom. Many a foolish rulers in the ancient past have tried to take the kingdom, but, the moment they passed the border, all their magic became worthless.”

“Wh-what about pegasi and Earth Ponies?” Thunder Hooves asked uncertainly.

Princess Crystil gave him a stern look. “Earth Ponies get their strength from their magic, as do pegasi the power of flight and weather control. They too, would become helpless against the Changelings in their own Kingdom, the Earth Ponies no longer possessing their strength and the pegasi would drop from the sky like flies. How do you think our kind survived Discord’s rein without a problem?”

There was silence, before a chill ran throughout the entire room. A race who could even take down the Lord of Chaos himself had he been foolish enough to enter their realm? The idea was too chilling to speak aloud.

“It would also explain why, in areas near where Crystil has revealed the location of the Changelings Kingdom, that many ponies have mysteriously vanished, leaving no trace,” Celestia spoke into the silence. “With magic of any kind save Changeling being rendered useless, they could keep themselves safe and never bother fearing any coming to their realm.”

“And, since attacking their kingdom as a whole is a suicide mission in and of itself,” Luna continued for his sister, “Crystil has agreed to work alongside Equestria and its allies, fortifying our defences, should Queen Chitan ever try and repeat where Chrysalis failed.”

There were murmurs all around the room, before a majority of hooves rose into the air to show agreement. Those who kept their hooves down grumbled amongst themselves, but said nothing.

Celestia looked to the Changeling Princess, who nodded firmly, before the white Alicorn cleared her throat. “Very well then, we shall begin preparations to keep our kingdom safe from the threat of Queen Chitan’s hive right now.”

___________________________________________________________

“I never thought that would end,” Crystil groaned as she walked with both princesses on either side of her, Shining Armour and several more guards trailing behind.

Celestia nodded, looking exhausted herself. “I am sorry you have to pretend you are not yourself and that you died. It is the best way to keep you safe from your sister’s ire and keep your non-death a secret. At the very least, your hive can live freely among our subjects and we have formulated plans to start implementing the Anti-Changeling Defences around the kingdom.”

“Even if several ponies could not remove their heads from their flanks and admit they were wrong,” Luna huffed. She did not envy Celestia today. She herself would be going to bed soon, whilst Celestia had the whole day to still contend with.

Crystil nodded. “The fact that my own subjects will not have to walk around in disguises makes it much easier for us.. though I'm sure some will continue to wear their disguises, having gotten so used to them over the years.”

The sun goddess smiled. “Thank you again, Princess Crystil. You are doing a great thing by helping us against your sister.”

The Changeling snorted. “You gave my hive a chance to flourish again. I’d be a fool to take that for granted and not help out. My sister’s hive is now as much a threat to my own as it is to your kingdom. If you go down, we will follow.”

“I must thank you for sending some of your hive to watch over my niece and student,” Celestia replied, trying to brighten the mood.

Crystil merely sniffed. “After what I did to both of them, it is the least I could offer. Besides, though of my hive, those Changelings have found homes, families in that town. All I did was let them know that they would also have to watch over the town, something they would likely have done regardless, for the safety of their loved ones.”

Sensing the conversation was over, the two sisters took their leave, Crystil returning to her hive’s designated area of the castle. It had been a long night and the days to follow did not bode to be any shorter.

Author's Notes:

Well, this probably could've been more, but I guess having something back is better than nothing right?

Also, because I know everyone is expecting it, IT LIVES!... or at least is out of the coma it was in all this time.

One reason i've honestly not updated this for a long time is, after the fiasco of not giving any chapters of Cadance and Twilight living together before jumping right into the Emprie and them bieng okay with it, i realized i'd backed myself into a corner with this story.

I really had no clue where i could start from the between Cadance and Twilight starting to live together and then the Empire. However, the most recent commenters made me feel like i had been issued a challenge, so, i bite the biscuit and wrote this down.

It helped that, as i was rereading previous chapters on Friday night to try and get the juices flowing, i realized the show itself had given me something to work with. The Throne. that in itself provided me with a go around to get this chapter working.

I know it's not too much, but it allows us to see the parallel between it and the last chapter, as well as allowed me to include some of the new canon we've been given.

And no, before anyone panics, the changelings in the fic won't become the multi-coloured bad OCs the show turned the changelings into. I was however, able to show that changelings didn't really share love as much as chrysalis thought. it wasn't until her bond with Shining Armour that she started to truly understand.

Personally, i'm one of those that likes those new designs, but everyone's allowed their own opinion.

Anyway, can't really give an idea as to when the next chapter will be out, but at least you have this little bit to tied you over for now.

Also, i think i need to ask for a few ideas as to how thigns will play out. i'm giving it three months equestia time before the empire chapter will return, so i need ideas on what can happen relationship wise for both Twidance and Crymour during those months, so both couples can become, well couples.

Anyway, that's all from me this week. Hope you liked this chapter and it lived up to your expectations after all this time and, til next time, later everypony