An alternate take on "A Canterlot Wedding" where Twilight's friends stay behind and comfort her instead of walking out.
In "A Canterlot Wedding," Twilight Sparkle was screamed at by her brother and banned from the wedding, and immediately after her friends and mentor walked out on her in disgust, not even looking at her.
But what if they didn't?
What if instead, they saw how miserable she was at how her brother treated her and stayed behind to comfort her and assure her that things would be okay?
"And you can forget about being Best Mare! In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't show up to the wedding at all!"
Twilight Sparkle felt her heart bleed out onto the floor as her brother stormed out. She fell back onto her hind legs and curled her tail around her body. How could things have gone so wrong?
She dared a glance behind her, to look at her friends. They must be so disappointed in me.....
Applejack felt her heart swell with pity, any anger she had diminishing as Twilight looked at her with sad, watery eyes. She couldn't stay mad at her friend, not when she was looking so miserable.
Heaving a deep sigh, she walked over to Twilight and sat down next to her. Twilight flinched and turned her head, as if expecting a beating.
"Hey," Applejack said gently, patting Twilight's back gently. "It'll be okay, sugarcube."
"I messed up big time, didn't I?" Twilight asked miserably.
Applejack sighed, and said plainly, "Yeah, Ah won't lie. Ya kinda went a mite too far back there."
"I could have gained a sister," Twilight moaned, her eyes filling with tears. "But instead.....I lost a brother."
Fat tears rolled down Twilight's cheeks as she sang:
He was my Big Brother Best Friend Forever, But now we'll never Do anything together....
As Twilight began to sob, the others found they couldn't bear to see their friend in such despair, and any anger they felt was gone almost immediately. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy ran up to Twilight and hugged her as tightly as they could without suffocating her.
"Come now, darling," Rarity said softly, magically levitating a handkerchief over to Twilight. "It's not the end of the world. We all know you had only the best of intentions." She waited until after Twilight had finished blowing her nose loudly before continuing. "And deep down, I'm certain Shining Armor knows it, too."
"Yeah." Rainbow agreed as she flew in front of Twilight. "So you messed up. You said it yourself; he's your "Big Brother Best Friend Forever." He's not gonna disown you over a temper tantrum." Dash frowned as she crossed her arms. "And if he does, he's a big dummy."
Twilight wiped her eyes. "I was so mean to Cadence......how could I not see how much stress she was under?...."
"But Twilight," Fluttershy interjected. "Weren't you under stress, too?"
"Yeah. I mean, Shining did kinda spring this on you at the last minute." Rainbow added. "And we all know that you don't really work well under pressure."
Twilight blushed and slowly nodded.
"And Shining has been casting that shield spell for Celestia knows how long." Rarity said, gesturing with her hoof for emphasis.
"Three weeks, at least. With very few breaks in between." Celestia said helpfully behind the group.
"Er...yes. Thank you, Princess." Rarity blushed before turning back to Twilight. "So it's easy to imagine how exhausted he must have been." She sighed and placed her hooves on her hips. "Honestly, weddings seem to bring out the absolute worst in ponies. Compared to others, Princess Cadence was an absolute saint."
"So...that's why you guys didn't complain..." Twilight muttered, even more ashamed than ever.
Rarity smiled sadly. "Yes, darling. Though perhaps we could have made that more clear."
Seeing that they were getting off track, Applejack interjected, "The point is, Cadance is stressed, Shinin's stressed, yer stressed. All that stress just kinda hit a boilin' point an' y'all snapped at each other. It happens to the best of us, sugarcube."
Twilight raised her head and look at the others, who were all nodding in agreement. Though it didn't completely take away the shame and embarrassment, she was feeling a little better.
"Look, just give him some time to cool off." Applejack continued, placing a sympathetic hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "An' then after a little while, we'll all sit down an' have a nice little talk. You'll see. You be Best Mare again, and tomorrow, we'll all throw the best weddin' ever!"
"Yeah!" Pinkie squealed, squeezing Twilight's side. "No party would be complete without you, Twilight! Now turn that frown upside down!"
Pinkie's enthusiasm, as always, was contagious, and Twilight felt the corners of her mouth turns upwards. "Thanks, guys."
"No problem, egghead." Rainbow Dash said, giving Twilight a light punch in the arm. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry. Whaddaya say we go to Joe's?"
"Thanks. But if it's alright with you guys, I'd like to be alone." Twilight said.
Her friends gave her a sympathetic smile, and with one last hug from Spike, they all turned and left. Twilight felt a familiar warmth beside her, and she turned to look at her mentor.
"Take this time to reflect and compose yourself, my student." Celestia said wisely. "Fear not. This too, shall pass."
And with that, she swept regally out of the room, and Twilight found herself alone.
After a long time, Twilight sighed and stood up. She began the long trek back to her room when she found somepony blocking her away.
It was Cadance. She smiled sweetly upon seeing Twilight.
Twilight cringed at the sight of her old foalsitter, shame filling her once more. "Cadence....I'm so sorry...."
Cadence looked to her left. Then to her right. Then she leaned into Twilight's face and snarled, "You will be."
Twilight jumped back as Cadence's eyes flashed green, and before she could run, a green light surrounded her and she felt herself sinking. The last thing she saw before everything went black was the evil grin on Cadance's face.
No answer. The girls and Spike shared a concerned look. Applejack took a step forward and knocked.
"Twilight? You in there, sugarcube?"
She knocked again, and she heard a creak. The door was open. Furrowing her brow in suspicion, she pushed the door open wider.
The room was pitch black and empty. They entered nervously.
"Maybe she went to the bathroom?" Rainbow suggested.
"Then why's all her stuff missin'?" Applejack asked, sweeping her hoof around the room. And she was right; there was not a single trace of any of Twilight's belongings, or evidence that anypony had ever set foot in the room that day.
"Umm, girls? I believe you should see this." Rarity turned to the group, levitating a piece of paper with her magic. "It seems she was more upset than we thought."
Applejack took the paper, and fearing the worst, read out loud,
My dear friends,
By the time you read this, I will be out of Canterlot and on my way back to Ponyville.
I'm sorry for simply leaving like this, but what I did at the rehearsal was inexcusable. And even if you, my brother, Celestia or Cadance forgives me, I don't think I will ever forgive myself.
Shining Armor deserves a better Best Mare than me. If he can't trust me to not act like a foal on the most important day of his life, than I have no business being in the wedding at all.
Please don't come after me. Nothing you say will change my mind. Please just give my brother the wedding he deserves, and be the best bridesmaids you can be.
Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle
The six friends stood there, completely stunned.
"Aw, sugarcube...." Applejack said sadly.
"I don't believe this." Spike cried. "She just....left? Without even telling me?"
"Who's left, my little ponies?" said a voice from behind. They turned to see a concerned Celestia standing in the doorway.
"Princess...Twilight's gone!" Fluttershy cried in distress.
Celestia's eyes widened as Applejack handed her the note. As she read, her brows furrowed and her mouth formed a tight line.
"I see. And....you found this here? In Twilight's room?" Celestia asked.
"Yeah. And all her stuff's gone." Rainbow pointed out. "It doesn't look like anypony's been in here all day."
"What's going on?" The group turned to see Shining Armor approaching them. His eyes seemed...strangely glazed over.
"It's seems that Twilight has left Canterlot." Celestia said, handing Shining the note.
He barely glanced at it before turning back to them. "I see. Is that all?"
"Excuse me?" Applejack asked, narrowing her eyes. She couldn't have heard that right. There was no way the pony that Twilight regarded as her best friend would be so flippant about her disappearance.
"I made it clear that I don't want her here. I see no reason why she would stick around." Shining shrugged, then turned to walk down the hall.
The group just stared, filled with shock and disgust, before Rainbow Dash screamed, "What is wrong with you?!"
Shining paused, but didn't turn around.
"Your little sister is gone! Don't you care?!" Rainbow's voice echoed off the walls. Shining didn't even flinch.
"Twilight's a big girl. I can't go chasing after her every time she decides to throw a mad fit. If she wants to act like a foal, that's her problem." Shining monotoned, and with that, he walked down the hall and left.
Rainbow clenched her teeth in anger, then the pounded the floor with her hoof. Nopony complained when she left a huge crack in the floor.
"What do we do now?" Fluttershy asked somberly.
Celestia regarded the note, and then answered, "If Twilight truly has left of her own accord, then there's not much to be done. And it would be pointless in forcing her to return when she clearly does not want to be here." Celestia sighed, then continued, wearily, "For now, I suggest you retire to your rooms and get some rest. The wedding will commence as planned....with or without Twilight."
This last sentence was said with much regret in the matriarch's voice, and she turned and left, too.
"Hey girls....did you notice something weird about Shining Armor?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"You mean besides the fact that he's being a humongous jerk?" Rainbow grumbled.
"Well yeah. Did you guys notice that his eyes were all..." Pinkie rolled her eyes around and twirled her hooves in a "cuckoo" fashion.
"Now that you mention it, he did seem a bit out of it." Rarity conceded.
"I'm starting to think Twilight was right....that headache spell really did scramble his brain." Rainbow snarked.
Applejack shook her head in disgust. "Don't Ah know it." Then she sighed and said, "That bein' said.....Ah guess we should go rest up fer the weddin' tomorrow."
"Whoa whoa whoa...you can't be serious!" Rainbow objected. "You're not seriously thinking of going through with this while Twilight-"
"Dash." Applejack interrupted, raising her hoof. "Ah get it. Believe me Ah do. But y'all heard what the note said. She don't want us goin' after her. And besides, she feels bad enough as it is. Can y'all imagine how much worse she'd feel if she thought we'd missed out on the weddin' cuz a' her?"
Rainbow tried to argue, but couldn't.
"Then it's settled." Applejack continued. "Tomorrow we'll be the best bridesmaids ever, and throw Twilight's brother the best weddin' ever....." Applejack scowled. "...even if he don't deserve it."
And with that, the girls and Spike all reluctantly parted ways and returned to their rooms, each wondering, hoping, if their friend was okay.
He knew logically it was pointless to worry - after all, Twilight was a full grown mare more than capable of taking care of herself. And yet he couldn't get her out of his head.
Maybe if he had stayed....maybe he could have talked her out of leaving....or at the very least he could have gone with her, so she wouldn't be by herself......
He also couldn't stop thinking about Shining Armor. He could understand him being angry at the rehearsal - Twilight had gone overboard, noble though her intentions were - but when they told him she had left.....it was jarring to see how cold he was.
No, scratch that. He didn't even have a reaction.
Spike had known Shining Armor since he was a hatchling; he went into full on protection mode whenever Twilight got a splinter. Angry or not, Shining would have at least asked about her.....
Something definitely wasn't right here.
Sighing, Spike sat up and climbed off the bed. Maybe a midnight snack would help....
Careful not to wake the other ponies in the castle, Spike slowly opened and closed his bedroom door and tiptoed down the corridors to where he knew the kitchen was.
Along the way he passed a few of the night guards, who merely nodded and let him continue on his way. He noticed that they had the same glazed look that Shining had earlier, but just assumed that they were tired.
As he neared the stairs, he noticed light pouring from underneath the door to his right. Curious, he tiptoed over and opened the door a crack.
Inside was Cadence, and she seemed to be using her magic to pull something out from under the bed. Looking closer, he realized the object was very familiar....
It was Twilight's suitcase.
Before he knew what he was doing, Spike opened the door fully and entered the room.
Cadence turned in shock, and upon seeing who it was, scowled.
"What are you doing in here? Get out before I call the guards!" she snarled.
Spike stayed where he was. "Cadence....why do you have Twilight's suitcase?"
Cadence sniffed. "I fail to see how that's any of your business. And that's Princess Mi Amore Cadenza to you, lizard."
Spike ignored the insult, staring at the suitcase intently. Something clicked in his mind.
"Where's Twilight?" Spike asked softly, his eyes widening in horror and anger.
Cadence rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about? She went back to Ponyville after acting like a-"
"No." Spike interrupted, narrowing his eyes. "Twilight may overreact and act crazy sometimes, but she wouldn't leave without her stuff. Now where is Twilight?"
Cadance stared at the baby dragon for a moment, then smirked as her horn lit up.
Spike heard a click behind him, and turned to see the doorknob encased in a magic forcefield. He was trapped.
Cadence allowed the suitcase to drop to the floor with a crash as she advanced on Spike. "Well, aren't you a bit of a nosy parker?"
Realizing just how serious the situation was, Spike opened his mouth to scream, only to find his air supply cut off.
"Ah ah ah." Cadence purred, her magic surrounding Spike's neck. "We wouldn't want to wake anypony up, would we?"
Spike clawed at his neck as he was lifted into the air. Without even turning around, Cadence fired a spell at the suitcase. It was immediately reduced to ashes.
"It's a shame, but it really couldn't be helped." Cadance said, speaking casually as if she were discussing the weather. "She was poking her nose where she wasn't wanted. I had to get rid of her." Her grin became feral as she tightened the magic around Spike's neck. "Maybe I should make you disappear, too."
Spike's eyes watered as his visioned blurred.
Cadence sighed, then loosened the magic's grip. "Never mind. Two disappearances in one night? Not even your friends are that stupid."
Spike took in large gulps of air as he floated in Cadence's magical grasp. "Gasp! Gasp! Twilight was right! Gasp! You are evil!"
Cadence pretended to look offended. "'Evil' is such a strong word. I prefer to think myself highly ambitious."
Spike kicked his feet as he struggled. "Where's Twilight? What have you done to her?"
"She's alive. For the moment." Her eyes narrowed as she pulled Spike close to her face. "And if you ever want to see her alive again, I suggest you keep your mouth shut about what you saw tonight. And tomorrow, you just carry on with the wedding as planned, along with the rest of your dimwitted friends."
She released her magic, dropping Spike, and moved towards the door. Spike rubbed his neck and turned his head, his face filled with anguish. "Cadence...why?"
Cadence turned to face him, smiling sweetly. "For love of course. I worked very hard to get where I am now. I will marry Shining Armor tomorrow, and nopony is going to get in my way."
She unlocked the door and opened it, revealing two guards, whom Spike realized, to his horror, had bright glowing green eyes. "Take him back to his room. Use force if you have to."
Knowing he didn't stand a chance, he stood up and walked towards the door. He shot a glare at Cadence as he left. "You won't get away with this."
She smiled smugly back at him. "I already have, my little drake. Sweet dreams...."
"We would appreciate if it you stayed in your room for the rest of the night." One guard monotoned.
"Good night, Spike." monotoned the other.
Spike heard the door close softly behind him, and hoof steps slowly walking away from the door.
After a moment of silence, he collapsed to to the ground and sobbed helplessly, biting down hard on a fist so as not to be heard.
At that very same moment, Twilight Sparkle awoke, dazed and confused, in a dark and cold environment......
Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash all stared in the mirrors in front of them. They were all dressed in their bridesmaids' outfits, and today, they would take part in one of the grandest wedding ceremonies in Equestrian history.
And yet every single one of them did not look even the slightest bit enthused.
"Well....today's the day." Rarity spoke in a faux-cheerful tone.
"Yep." Pinkie Pie nodded.
Rainbow Dash glared a her reflection, and then sighed in disgust. "This isn't right. Twilight should be here with us...."
They heard the door open and turned to see Spike in his tuxedo and hat.
"Ah take it ya didn't sleep well last night?" Applejack inquired sympathetically. Indeed, Spike's eyes were bloodshot and dark-rimmed, and he seemed extremely on edge.
"No." Spike shook his head. He then turned to look behind him, and them leaned forward, whispering, "There's something I need to tell you. Twilight, she-"
"Is everypony ready?"
Spike turned pale as he spun around. Princess Cadence stood in the doorway, adorned in her beautiful wedding gown, smiling serenely at the group.
"Yes, princess. We're all ready." Applejack answered, her eyes narrowing slightly. There was something....off about Cadance that she couldn't pinpoint. Something about the way she was smiling. And the way Spike was trying to avoid looking at her.....
"Good." Cadence nodded. "The guests are starting to arrive. Get into your positions. I want everything to be absolutely perfect."
She gave a pointed glance at Spike, then swept regally from the room.
"Well, I suppose it's time." Rarity said, then turned to Spike. "What did you want to say, darling? Something about Twilight?"
Spike stared at the ground for a moment, sighed deeply, then looked back up, smiling sadly. "I just....wish she was here, that's all."
Rarity smiled sympathetically, and placed a hoof on Spike's shoulder. "We all do, dear."
Applejack stared at Spike, and then shook her head. Maybe she was just being paranoid.....
She turned towards the door, and said, "Let's get this over with."
Everything was going exactly as planned. Fluttershy's birds played the Wedding march beautifully, Spike delivered the rings on cue, and all five girls were able to keep smiles on their faces, even though deep down they would've rather been anywhere but here.
The bride and groom said "I do" and exchanged vows. Shining Armor had a rather dazed look on his face, but everypony attributed it to wedding jitters. Now all that was left was for Celestia to declare them husband and wife.
"Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, it is my greatest pleasure to pronounce you-"
The door slammed open, and a voice rang out, "Stop!"
Everypony turned to the source and gasped in surprise.
Twilight Sparkle stood in the aisle, panting heavily, her mane and coat slightly disheveled.
Her friends' eyes widened in shock and confusion. Spike bounded down the aisle leaped onto the unicorn's neck, hugging with all his might.
"Twilight! You're okay!" Spike cried, happy tears pouring down his face. "You were right! Cadence is evil! She said she was gonna-"
"I'm glad to see you, too, Spike." Twilight said, pulling the baby dragon off her and gently placing him on the ground. "But right now, we have to save my brother."
Concerned and confused murmurs spread throughout the hall. Cadence clenched her teeth in frustration.
"Ugh! Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother?!" She then burst into tears. "Why must she try to ruin my special day?"
"Because it's not your special day. It's mine!"
Everypony turned once again to the source of the voice, and once again gasped. There before them, her mane and coat messy and covered in dirt....was Princess Cadence.
The Cadence at the alter widened her eyes in shock and fury. "What? But how did you get pass my bridesmaids?!"
"We had help." The messy Cadence spoke curtly, nodding behind her. Two royal unicorn guards approached, levitating spears with their magic.
"We found them in the old abandoned caverns, Princess." one guard told Celestia. "This is the real Mi Amore Cadenza. The one up there is an imposter."
"We also found three other mares, her old bridesmaids." The other guard added. "They appeared to be brainwashed, but otherwise unharmed."
During all of this, while everypony was murmuring in fear and confusion, Celestia kept an eerily calm expression on her face.Without even turning around, she fired a spell at the imposter Cadence, wrapping her up in magical ropes. Shining Armor just stood there, not even reacting.
"I'm impressed." Celestia said calmly, turning to face the struggling imposter. "You actually managed to fool me, and sneak into my castle undetected. And that note you left in Twilight's room? Only an extremely well trained eye would have been able to notice it was a fake."
Celestia's face turned cold. "But you made two very significant errors. The first being that in your haste to cover up the fact that you kidnapped Twilight," Twilight's friends gasped in horror. "you forgot to mask your magical signature. I had Twilight's room and the note scanned thoroughly, and your presence was all over them.
"And also, Twilight has been my personal student since she was a small filly. Did you really think, after nearly ten years of reading her written assignments, that I wouldn't be able to recognize inconsistencies in her writing?"
The imposter gritted her teeth, realizing the flaws in her plan.
Celestia's magic surrounded the fake Cadence, and she cried out in pain. Cracks began to appear on her skin, and slowly, the pink began to dissolve and peel away to reveal a hideous greenish black. She fell to the floor in a heap.
Twilight's friends backed away in horror and disgust. Screams resounded throughout the hall. Twilight and Cadence looked on in grim triumph. Shining Armor continued to stand there, unmoving, unreacting.
Celestia narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"
The creature said nothing at first. But then it let let out a horrible cackle that gradually rose in volume, and in one movement, it stood up and used its own magic to dissolve the ropes. As she stood, everypony could make out distinct features; long tangled blue green hair, large, transparent insect wings, and huge gaping holes in the front and back hooves.
"Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, at your service." she hissed, her malevolent grin revealing several sharp teeth.
"She's a changeling, auntie!" Cadence, the real Cadence, cried. "She takes on the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them!"
Chrysalis shrugged. "Hey, a girl's gotta eat. And so do my subjects." She descended the stairs of the alter to stand face to face with Cadence. "And what better place to find a smorgasbord, than Equestria, the crown nation of Love and Friendship?"
"Your supper's been cancelled, Chrysalis!" Cadence cried, glaring at the Changeling queen. "Shining Armor's shield covers the entire city! Your army won't even be able to scratch it!"
Chrysalis gave a gasp of mock surprise. "That's right! Why didn't I think of that? Oh wait. I did. Isn't that right, dear?"
Chrysalis turned and flashed her misshapen horn, grinning evilly at Shining Armor. Shining nodded robotically, and everypony could see for the first time, that his eyes were glowing a sickly green.
Cadence gasped in horror, and tried to run to her beloved, only to find the Changeling queen in her face.
"Ah Ah Ah! We wouldn't want to go back to the caves now, would we?" Chrysalis threatened, her horn glowing. "Or perhaps you'd like me to just drain you dry right here?"
Cadence clenched her teeth, and reluctantly stepped back. Chrysalis smirked, then flew backwards, landing right next to Shining.
"It would look way too suspicious if I made him get rid of the shield" she said, draping her hoof across Shining's shoulder. "So I took to draining his love and energy instead. I'm amazed he's even able to stand." She leaned closer to him, stroking his chin. "But I have to admit, his love for Cadence is positively delicious."
Grinning perversely, she slowly licked his cheek.
"Get away from him, you monster!" Twilight snarled.
"Shining, snap out of it!" Cadance pleaded with Shining.
Chrysalis licked her lips. "Scream all you want. He can't hear you. He's completely under my control, and I'm sad to say, unable to perform his duties as Captain of the royal guard!"
Tears filled Cadence's eyes. "Oh, my poor Shining Armor...."
Chrysalis stepped forward, grinning smugly. "You may as well surrender. My army is cracking the shield even as we speak. And once we're done here, we'll make all of Equestria our own personal love buffet!"
"I've heard enough." Celestia stepped forward, intending to end this farce once and for all. "You have threatened the lives of my niece, my captain, and my faithful student. And you have the gall to dare threaten the same fate for my subjects in my presence?"
The air became thick and warm as Celestia's aura surrounded her. While she did not yell, her voice echoed throughout the room, and sent shivers down everypony's spine. "I grant you but one warning, Chrysalis. Release your hold on Shining Armor, withdraw your army, and leave Equestria. If you continue this half-baked scheme of yours, it will not end well for you."
Celestia spread her wings, looking very imposing. Her two unicorn guards came to stand on either side of her, taking up fighting stances.
Chrysalis stared at Celestia, almost bored, then grinned maliciously as her horn glowed.
For what seemed like eternity, the two monarchs faced each other. Celestia's guards narrowed their eyes and crouched slightly, preparing for attack.
Finally, Chrysalis made the first move. She shot out a blast of magic that nearly anypony else would not be able to dodge. Celestia managed to do so with a speed and grace only an alicorn princess could possess. It took the onlookers a moment or two to realize their princess was in the air, her wings flapping majestically.
With the changeling queen's eyes on Celestia, the unicorn guards saw their chance and charged, their spears aimed high. But before they could strike, they were grabbed by tendrils of green magic and flung across the room.
Celestia teleported and gently levitated her guards to the ground.
"I will deal with the Queen. You" Celestia turned to the guard on her left. "find and awaken my sister. You," she turned to the other guard. "gather as many unicorn mages as you can find and strengthen the shield. Hold out as long as you can."
The guards bowed in acknowledgement, and then charged out the doors to fulfill their duties.
With a flicker of magic, Celestia sealed the doors and windows shut and cast several protective bubbles around her subjects, including Cadance and the Element Bearers, ensuring no pony would be hurt in the crossfire.
"Looking to put on a show, Celestia?" Chrysalis asked sarcastically.
Celestia merely raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You've already made a spectacle of yourself."
Scowling, Chrysalis fired a large magic blast. Celestia didn't even bother dodging this time, instead throwing up a shield, which completely dissolved the blast.
Chrysalis' scowl deepened, and she charged forward. Celestia met her halfway and their horns clashed.
"You think this is a game?!" Chrysalis hissed, visibly straining with effort.
"On the contrary," Celestia grunted. "Games are entertaining. This is merely pest control."
With a snarl, Chrysalis pushed away and fired a barrage, all of which Celestia dodged with ease.
And so it went on, both rulers firing and dodging attacks, Chrysalis becoming more visibly unhinged, Celestia not even flinching.
"Shining Armor's love has made you strong." Celestia commented, sending a strong blast. It hit Chrysalis in the chest and she flew backwards, hitting and rolling on the ground.
"But not strong enough." Celestia concluded grimly.
The hall broke in applause at Celestia's apparent victory. Rainbow Dash whooped loudly as her friends stomped the ground in joy. Only Cadence and Twilight didn't cheer, sharing nervous glances. Something didn't feel right.....
Celestia slowly walked over to the fallen queen. Since her back was turned, Celestia didn't see her evil smirk.
"It's over." Celestia spoke with authority.
Chrysalis slowly turned, her smirk widening. "For you, maybe..."
Without warning, a blinding light burst from Chrysalis' horn, hitting Celestia square in the face. Celestia cried out and stumbled back, cursing herself for falling for such a trick. Powerful as she was, she still needed to be able to see.
She didn't notice Chrysalis was upon her until it was too late. The changeling queen pressed her glowing horn to Celestia's, and to everypony's horror, Celestia's eyes began to swirl and glow green.
"No!" Twilight screamed, pounding on the protective bubble she was in.
"So, you really care about your subjects, don't you?" Chrysalis asked as green energy began to emit from Celestia's horn and was absorbed into Chrysalis'. "Let's see just how much you care."
Celestia struggled to break away, but Chrysalis' hold on her was too strong, and she gradually felt herself growing weaker.
Chrysalis sighed in bliss as she fed on the sun princess's love for her subjects. "Oh, yeesssssssss....."
Unable to bear any more, Twilight began blasting and kicking at the bubble, until it finally cracked and then shattered.
"Twilight!" Cadence cried, as the pony she foalsat for charged at the changeling queen.
"Let her GO!" Twilight screamed, firing a particularly powerful blast at Chrysalis.
It made contact, causing Chrysalis to release Celestia, who struggled to steady herself. But it was too late; Chrysalis had absorbed enough energy so that the blast had merely pushed her back. Chrysalis smirked, and Twilight's eyes widened in horrified comprehension.
Chrysalis fired a particularly deadly spell, one that Twilight knew she wouldn't be able to dodge in time. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced for impact...
She opened her eyes upon hearing a grunt of pain. Celestia stood in front of her, her wings spread wide, and her back smoking from Chrysalis' attack. Though she had been weakened, she was still strong enough to withstand a spell that would've killed an ordinary pony.
Twilight's eyes filled with tears. "Princess..."
"The elements..." Celestia choked out. "Find the elements. There our only hope now. Hurry. Hurry."
Celestia's face scrunched up as she unsealed the door and dissolved the bubble protecting the girls. Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded, determined to obey her princess's orders.
She was out the door and into the hall seconds later. The girls were right behind her, their discarded bridesmaid dresses flying into the air.
Celestia turned to face her opponent, who was giggling madly midair.
"That was only a fraction of your love, and I'm already stronger than you!" Chrysalis cried in perverse glee. "I should've done this weeks ago."
Celestia stood her ground. "You will not succeed. Even if you beat me, you stand no chance against the elements! Harmony will prevail!"
Chrysalis shook her head, as if to a child who had said something foolish. "Oh Celestia...don't you see? I've already won."
She shot a beam of bright green magic at the same time Celestia fired a beam of golden magic. The two stayed locked into a stalemate for a minute or two. But ultimately, the weakened and injured Celestia was no match for the changeling queen, and green dwarfed the gold and struck her hard.
She skidded across the floor, defeated and unconcious, her horn and back black and smoking. Her crown hit the floor with a loud clang, having been knocked off her head from the blast.
The onlookers looked on in terror and horror at the defeat of their monarch, not even noticing the protective bubbles dissolving or the magic fading from the windows. Chrysalis floated gracefully to the ground.
"Your time is up, princess. Oh! And speaking of time..." Chrysalis smiled as she turned to gaze out the windows. Everypony followed her gaze in time to see the shield covering Canterlot shatter completely.
Chrysalis' grin was feral. "Babies? It's snack time."
Queen Chrysalis gazed serenely out the window at the chaos in the streets below. Things had gone much better than she had planned. Her children were scarfing down as much love as they could, as if they hadn't been fed in over a year, and she herself felt as if she had just walked out of a spa. Who knew that Celestia's love for her subjects was that strong? Absorbing it had only been an afterthought, but ultimately one that worked out to her benefit.
Oh...and speaking of which....
Chrysalis turned and gazed up at the still unconscious sun-goddess, who was currently wrapped up in one the strongest cocoons her subjects could build. She didn't want to take any chances with that one - she was still, by all accounts, a goddess.
The only other major concern was her sister, Luna, but the hive-mind connection she had to her changelings told her the problem was being dealt with.
"You won't get away with this!"
Chrysalis rolled her eyes. She had forgotten her "guest", who was chained to the floor with the same substance as Celestia's cocoon. She was beginning to wonder why she hadn't put a muzzle on her.
"Twilight and her friends will-"
The door opened and in walked six battered ponies, all guarded by her subjects, one having to be physically restrained. They had obviously failed to retrieve the Elements of Harmony.
Chrysalis smirked and turned her head to Cadence. "You were saying?"
She sauntered up to the Element Bearers with a fake sympathetic look. "Back so soon? I take it your little errand didn't go very well, then?"
The six ponies just glared at her.
Chrysalis turned to her subjects and said, "I'll take it from here. Go now and feed."
The room was filled with loud buzzing as the changelings zoomed out the door, which Chrysalis then magically sealed shut.
She leaned in towards Twilight and placed a hoof under her chin. "It's funny, really. Twilight here was suspicious of my behavior all along."
Twilight slapped her hoof away, her glare intensifying. Chrysalis merely smirked and circled the group like a shark. "Too bad the rest of you were too caught up in your little wedding plans to realize those suspicions were correct."
She paused, and turned to face the group. "I am curious, though. I thought for certain you five were going to walk out after Twilight's little tantrum. Why didn't you?"
"Because we're her friends, you idiot!" Rainbow snarled.
"We stick by each other, through the good times and the bad." Applejack declared, standing firmly.
"Regardless of whether they made a mistake." Fluttershy added, softly but sternly.
"And it will take much more than a simple wedding to tear us apart." Rarity concluded.
"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie cried.
Chrysalis merely cocked and eyebrow. "Touching." She then shrugged and walked back to the window. "No matter. I still won."
Applejack sheepishly placed a hoof on the back of her head as she turned to Twilight. "Guess you were right along, Twi. Sorry we didn't believe ya."
Twilight merely shrugged. "I wouldn't have believed me either. And besides, she fooled me, too. I thought she was just being a rotten pony. I didn't figure out about the Changelings until much later." She turned and glared bitterly at the Changeling Queen. "She fooled us all."
Chrysalis grinned smugly. "I did, didn't I?" She then turned to the window and began to sing softly:
This day has been just perfect The kind of day of which I dreamed since I was small Every pony I'll soon control Every stallion, mare, and foal Who says a girl can't really have it all?
As Chrysalis cackled quietly to herself, Twilight snuck across the room and magically removed Cadence's restraints. Of course, Chrysalis could hear her, but she didn't feel any need to stop her; what could they possibly do to stop her now?
"Quick, go to him while you still have the chance." Twilight whispered, pointing a hoof to Shining Armor, who was still very much brainwashed.
Cadence rushed to her beloved's side, tears filling her eyes at his pathetic state. She embraced him tightly as she struggled to cast her signature spell. After a moment, a single heart floated from Cadence's horn to Shining's. All of Shining's love for Cadence came to the forefront of his mind, and the spell was broken, his eyes turning from sickly green to his original blue.
Shining blinked several times, and shook his head wildly as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. "Wha...? Cadence...?" He stared at his bride in confusion, who was now very dirty and disheveled. "W-what happened? Is the wedding over?"
Chrysalis turned at the sound of Shining voice. "Ah. Shining. I'd completely forgotten about you. To answer your question, yes - it's all over." She grinned maliciously for a moment, then turned back to the window, waving a dismissive hoof. "You can have him back, Cadence. He's served his purpose. I have no further use for him."
"Shining!" Twilight cried. "Now's your chance! Use your Shield Spell!"
Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "What good would that do? My changelings already roam free."
Shining Armor turned his head towards the source of the voice, and his eyes widened. Snapping into action, he concentrated as hard as he could to summon his shield. But all he could manage was a faint glow at the end of his horn.
"No!" Shining Armor grunted in frustration. "It's no use! I don't have the strength to repel them."
Cadence embraced Shining once more. "My love will give you strength!"
"Oh, spare me!" Chrysalis snapped, turning to face them. "Did you forget what happened less than half an hour ago?" She dramatically placed a hoof on her chest. "I have flowing through me over a thousand years worth of Celestia's love and devotion to her subjects. I haven't even absorbed half of it, and I still defeated her!" She pointed her hoof to the cocoon, and then at the couple, sneering. "Shining Armor's love for you was mere hor' douvre in comparison! What could your little puppy love possibly hope to accomplish?" She then smiled, shrugging. "But by all means, go ahead. Feel free to waste everypony's time."
With that, she turned back to the window, giving yet another dismissive hoof wave.
Cadence and Shining stared at each other intently. She had a point; the odds were indeed against them. But still, they had to try.
Closing her eyes, Cadence pressed her horn to Shining's and concentrated. She focused on pouring every once of her love for Shining into her magic, and Shining in turn poured his love for Cadence into his. Soon, a glowing orb began to form from their combined horns, and it progressively glowed larger and brighter, so bright that the Element Bearers had to shield their eyes.
This got Chrysalis's attention, and she smirked. "So, you do have some fight in you. Good. This will make it more interesting."
With that, she fired a magic green beam at the two. A protective shield emitted from the orb, protecting them.
But it wasn't enough. They needed more power. So they gave it their all; they reached deep down and thought of all the ponies they loved. Cadence thought of Twilight, the little sister she always wanted. She thought of Spike, the cute baby dragon. She thought of her Earth pony parents, who took her in and loved her as their own even though she had been a pegasus, and all the other ponies in the village. She thought of Auntie Celestia, of Auntie Luna, of Cousin Blueblood, even if he was a total snob.
Shining in turn thought of his parents, of his baby sister, his LSBFF, of his friends and comrades he had in the royal guard.
They thought of Canterlot, of Equestria, of all the ponies that depended on them, and who would be hurt if they failed to drive this monster away.
Slowly, the orb engulfed them and they slowly ascended into the air.
Chrysalis' eyes widened in rage and horror, and she strengthened her attacks. They all dissolved upon impact. The love that she had stolen from Celestia was no match for the true love of Shining and Cadence.
The room was filled with a white light , and all that could be heard was Chrysalis's enraged screams.
And then, all was silent. The Element Bearers opened their eyes and saw Shining and Cadence collapsed in a heap on the floor. Chrysalis was no where to be found.
The girls looked out the windows to the streets below. Not a changeling in sight.
Twilight ran to her brother's side. Slowly he opened his eyes and gave a weak smile. "Hey, Twily."
Tears of joy filled her eyes as she embraced her brother, Cadence joining in shortly after.
The doors slammed open and in charged Princess Luna, looking very disheveled, followed by two unicorn guards.
"Is everypony alright?" she asked. She then spotted her sister on the floor, the blast freeing her from her cocoon.
"Sister!" Luna cried, running to her Celestia's side. Celestia's eyes fluttered open, and she gazed up at Luna in confusion. "Luna? What happened?"
"The changelings have been purged from the city, Tia!" Luna declared triumphantly. "Once again your student and her companions are victorious!"
"We can't take credit this time, Princess." Twilight said, smiling, pointing to her brother and his bride. "It was all Shining and Cadence's doing."
Celestia staggered to her feet, Luna looking on in concern. "Don't worry about me. Right now, we have a city to repair, and wounded to tend to." She suddenly clutched her head in pain. "Ugh. And maybe get me an ice pack."