To make matters worse, she was the Element of Honesty (or rather, the FORMER Element of Honesty) and therefore she couldn't tell a lie. But what was I supposed to do? There was a brief pause as Spike registered what he had just heard. "Oh Cadance" Sobbed Twilight, who embraced the former in a hug. ", "No Luna. No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, it throbbed away in her mind like the many bruises she sustained from her numerous crash-landings. Around her, some of her Changelings were also coming to, but their numbers had been severely depleted following the massive pulse of magic released unto them by Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. The Mane 5's ears collectively drooped in disappointment. Still, it needed to be done, and the stallion knew he could not forsake priorities for his own wellbeing. Why was Twilight not corrupted by these Nightmare Forces you speak of? Before she could say anything, Celestia continued. Something like this from her sister was unheard of. But what she saw instead was a small settlement, complete with an equally small garrison of Royal Guards. With that, Luna spread her wings, before flying off into the distance. Even Spark was having trouble dancing the ballet of clashed blades with his other, despite his high morale. With that, Celestia was beaten. Behind him, the door closed and locked again, sealing him away from the outside world. Replied Rarity. She glanced at the three commanders, before looking at General Skoula, whom she greeted with a nod. If it comes without heart or feeling, I promise you that she will never forgive neither you nor her friends and the Princess. Without Twilight to lead them, the Elements of Harmony would become useless, and Equestria as a whole would lose its greatest means of defense. Your capability to write off somepony's feelings as mere folly is of no surprise to me, considering it was what happened between us long ago, but in these circumstances I find it particularly hard to believe you could write off your student, the one pony besides me whom I know you care very dearly for and trust implicitly, as a jealous and overpossessive brat. Cadance sighed deeply. "Attention!" Now she knew what was going on, but then came the million-bit question; how would the events of the wedding affect her, and what would come in the future relating to that event that would also affect her? You will also find me your finest spy. He decided to give Blue Hue the directive to watch over war room operations while he was gone. Surely you haven't forgotten, right? "Not at all darling." Chrysalis made no response, physically or otherwise. Another brief pause followed, before Spike made the decision to report to Twilight. The Princess of Love, accompanied by the other five Element Bearers were heading to Ponyville in order to mend relations with the lavender unicorn, leaving Canterlot vulnerable to attack. Before his eyes, it opened to reveal Twilight, who was packing her saddlebags. That lesson was to never ignore the concerns of your friends, no matter how small. ", "You too Cady, thanks for coming. Do you want me to cast this protection spell?". ", "Lady Velvet, Sir Light, the reason I am here is because of your aura.". "What if I was wrong? ", "Very good Commander Barbarousis. The wedding hall remained as it was from the moment Twilight ran out crying; a room with an atmosphere crushed under the heavy weights of regret and sorrow. "We heard the scream" One of the guards panted gruffly. Oh, and by the way Twilight. "It's alright Applejack. It was apparent that the Changelings had taken them prisoner.". To make matters worse, he knew that it wouldn't end there. There was no known reports or rumours of a wedding or any other high-security event this time, according to reports from her spies, thus there wouldn't be a shield to deal with. the Mane 5 could do little more than look at each other, speechless and shaken. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about? The only thing she couldn't imagine happening, however, was a second invasion. Her efforts to try to pick herself up were in vain, as no matter how hard she tried to put it behind her, temporarily or otherwise, her own memories always found a way back to the forefront of her mind. "What do you mean your Majesty?" If that wasn't enough, Princess Celestia, your benevolent sister and the object of Twilight's idolisation and inspiration, did not even look her in the eye when she crushed her spirit. You honour us with your presence.". "According to what she told us one evening, Twilight saw this Cadance doing things the real Cadance would never do. ", "But they shouldn't be here in the first place Cadance! "Without her, we can't be friends anymore!" Night Light and Twilight Velvet were clearly delighted to see him and that made breaking the grave news of Twilight and Spike even harder to bear. "Pleaseplease don't leave me" Whimpered Twilight, still suffering from the intense effects her memories were forcing upon her. For the fourth time in a row, silence fell over the room as the Mane 5, Shining Armor and Celestia looked at Cadance in shock and horror. There was no trusting the girls, considering the magnitude of what they had done to Twilight at the rehearsal, but it remained to be seen if there was any credibility in their desire to apologize, and even if their apology was solid enough to prove their remorse. Passing through the massive double doors that led to the junction connecting both sister's bedchambers, Celestia led Shining through the door on the right. Finally, Luna cast the spell, and it encapsulated both Velvet and Night in two white bubbles filled with interlinking particles of magic. ah' was crying last night because of something terrible that ah' did. Barked Blade, who ran off to prepare the freshly replenished Changeling Army. With a new school, town, and friends, it's an adventure waiting to . This was starting to sound strange. I believe that Twilight's parents should be informed of these events as soon as you are finished.". Chrysalis and the Changelings followed suit. My Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If? Asked Rarity worriedly. Replied Rarity. "Please don't leave me.", "Shh Sugarcube." To support them, specifically assembled and equipped pegasi teams will also dive bomb the castle in an attempt to defeat the two princesses, Celestia and Luna. It was just a slip of the tongue. Twilight is skeptical about her brother's wedding and Ash is worried about the threat on Canterlot. ", "Anytime darling. There was no doubt in her mind that Celestia would retaliate for this particular assault, should it fail, but for whatever she would send to attack the Hive, be it her Guards or the Element Bearers (the latter being the more likely), or even if Canterlot was conquered but a small resistance movement had managed to infiltrate enemy lines in an attempt to assassinate her or even to attack the Hive, it was necessary to ready the home defences. "Yes sir!" Two wrongs never make a right and when I say that, I meant it doesnt matter how out of order Twilight was when she confronted the queen. "Oh little Twilight Sparkle, I cannot imagine how much it must hurt to have been betrayed and left for dead by those you held close to your heart, those you loved. After a long and hard trudge through the Black Widow's Peaks, Chrysalis, along with what remained of her army and the prisoners they took from the Canterlot settlement arrived at the Changeling hive, one of the tallest peaks in the entire mountain range. Please calm down! "Son, if I were you, know this: I'd be thinking about the apology youll say to your sister when the time comes and youve plenty of time to do it. You should be ashamed of yourself!". She was still listening, despite this. To be precise, the only traceable source of conflict to be found in Equestriawas in my heart.". However, despite the fact her mind was still full of memories of what happened in the library with Twilight, she was determined to put it behind her and focus on the task at hoof; reconciling with Twilight using whatever means necessary. You may proceed with the mission.". Fluttershy returned to her cottage and carried on her duties to her animal friends but all the while, she thought about Twilight and how much she had been hurt behind her and the others' backs. Celestia had to personally go down there to restore order, not to mention speaking to Twilight about what happened.". If we are to regain our strength, we must feed. Criminals, thugs, dissidents and individuals who resent the treasured Equestrian values of friendship and harmony. This make the pink alicorn smile warmly. Luna gasped in shock. Things were building to a climax as Celestia's eyes and teeth clenched tighter and tighter with every passing second. We all chose that stupid bug over our best friend, that's how we repaid Twilight for all the fun times we've had together. They were doing so well to get back on Twilight's good side but then Pinkie (unintentionally) opened her big mouth about the Elements of Harmony and now they were back to Square One. It was only now that everypony in the castle had learned of the caves, and ever since, Celestia had sent a scouting party of Royal Guards to investigate them, in order to find out how Chrysalis had managed to imprison both Cadance and Twilight in them, while taking measures to ensure they are never used in such a manner ever again. You have already done enough as it is to destroy our daughter and so did the Princess and her friends, reminded Velvet, still in tears. Beside him at the war room table was Commander Alkaios of the pegasi, and Commander Maugrim of the unicorns. Said Cadance firmly. The Lunar Princess knocked on the door, Twilight Velvet wasting no time in answering. Replied Chrysalis. What is that?" ", "Luna, I need to ask you some questions. She had come to make sure the lavender unicorn had a good morning, and it looked like she had. The fate of all ponykind depended on these talks, and Cadance could only wonder how this fact couldn't be more obvious to anypony in general apart from herself and the girls. The lavender unicorn looked at him, having snapped out of her trance. How much she cared for Twilight was made obvious after she scolded us for betraying her, and we didn't realize it until then just how much everything made sense! How could you do such a thing?! No one said a word until Velvet finally cut in, it was all too much for her to take. Chrysalis, on the other hoof, was not quite finished. Eventually, she reached the gateway to the family's apple orchard, most of the trees lacking the apples which commonly hung from their branches. By the Creator, was Shining right when he guessed this wasn't over. She was the Changeling Queen in disguise, and she was secretly preparing an invasion of Canterlot by her army. screamed Twilight Velvet from the kitchen. How can you even call yourselves her friends anymore?!". Just please, do not chastise me. Luna responded. Celestia has since sent a delegation, made up of the Element Bearers, to Ponyville. "No Mom, I don't wanna go to flight school." Rainbow groaned groggily. By: Black Kyurem. Cadance headed back to the library to help Twilight and Spike cool off, Rainbow went back to her cloud house in Cloudsdale, the mission to repair the broken bond with Twilight stuck firmly in her mind. The group was intimidated, but only a little. Without them, Equestria is defenseless.". If they are sufficient enough to keep us from entering the castle, then the operation may last longer than estimated. Twilight couldn't finish her words. With another sniffle, Celestia recalled what she had sent Shining out to do. "If you think I'm gonna surrender, you're dead wrong Chrysalis. "Aura is the energy which is generated from a pony's emotions. I..". Applejack stopped eating. Celestia snapped in frustration. In the aftermath of the wedding, Twilight has found that her friends have grown. ", "But it can't be too long, right?" Among them was the only General in the entire officer corps, a rank befitting his position as the top commanding officer, and his name was so fearsome and infamous among ponykind that even the toughest of them could not speak his name and remain unafraid. "No problem Rarity!" Four voices hummed in agreement. Surely one like yourself would have learned from their past mistakes. Nevertheless, if Twilight was happy, Rarity was happy. Now, he felt like the world's worst brother. Said Chrysalis, her men following the command. However, Cadance sensed there was something off about the shield. Celestia sighed in annoyance. The army is in need of replenishment. "Spike, please understand! Understood?". We both know Cadance is capable of taking on any responsibility with the same good grace and warmth she is so blessed with. Her Spartan was camped in the Forerunner building to the right of the crashed Pelican, armed with a sniper rifle. After a while, she grinned confidently, settling Barbarousis's nerves. We have gone through much deliberation together, which led to the conclusion that because of the girl's collective incompetence, along with that of my husband-to-be and my aunt, Twilight would have very much gone to her death, followed by the ponies of Equestria. Celestia has requested your presence in the wedding hall immediately.". Added Rainbow. "Nothing sinister darling. Knowing his time was up, Aegis turned to face the victorious Changeling Queen. Meanwhile, Applejack was still trying to comprehend Twilight's revelation that their actions had put her life, as well as the lives of several thousand ponies including their own in danger. Afterwards, I will update her on the situation". Finished Barbarousis. With that, Spike nodded and marched up to the door, Cadance stepping aside. She's even madder now. As quickly as she could, the orange cowpony mounted her Stetson atop her head before flying downstairs. "Do you understand now why Twilight is so upset girls? He was desperate to let her know how sorry he was for what he did. Shining couldn't keep it together anymore and slowly wept. Celestia had to face facts; everything that happened and everything that was going to happen was brought on by herself, Shining Armor and the Mane 5. With that, Shroud left to get the blacksmiths to work. something they needed to rectify, and fast. "I have no time to lose. With that, Rarity had lost anything and everything she was going to say. With an instant feeling of urgency coursing through her body, Luna was quick to acquiesce to Shining's orders. Luna nodded firmly. "I didn't know that she wasn't the real Cadence! Cadance and Rarity exchanged glances. Yet another price had been paid for their mistake, and one that was very, very costly. But in that fateful moment, everything changed. She loved them all very dearly, which explained the great pain she was feeling. If anyone asks, we are from Baltimare.". Spike bowed his head, fearing whatever reaction he'd get from Twilight. Luna's horn lit up as she prepared to cast the spell. I chose to go with the flow rather than get shouted at for believing you before getting left alone as well. The valley through which the convoy walked was dotted with rocks and boulders of all shapes and sizes, with the surrounding mountains acting as a perimeter wall which surrounded the hive. Answered Pinkie, her voice, for once, devoid of any jubilance. His strict side came to the fore once more. You all were.". Rarity quipped cautiously. "Well, if you're lookin' at apologizing a third time, it better be pretty darn good! The Changelings bowed to greet their queen, before casting hard and menacing looks upon the line of prisoners that were marched inside. Good day to you all!". He remembered meeting a pony a few days after he had was cured. Tell me we didn't forsake innocent lives for a wedding". She had finally come to terms with her mistake. How dare you lecture us on how to be Twilight's friends!". ", "And I failed the Element of Honesty because when we wrote that friendship report, we were supposed to have learned an important lesson. Engagement at this time is a no-go. I would do it myself, but I must oversee repairs to the city, as well as the immediate treatment of the injured. Bowing to his queen, Blade departed the hall, leaving Snake Bite alone with Chrysalis. Celestia remarked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. A house, a rock, anything would suffice. Luna was dismayed. ", "You don't exactly look like it darling. Not only was this the most important moment of the Mane 5's lives, but it was quite possibly the most important moment in Equestrian history. "Snake Bite, I have summoned your presence for a task of great importance. It was because of this her mind was made up already. Maugrim added jubilantly. As Twilight and Cadence; the real Cadence; stop the 'wedding', Twilight turns into the new Nightmare Moon. The battalion will be waiting in the Everfree within moments of your arrival. "Instead of waiting outside the city to attack, our forces will infiltrate the city in disguise en masse, and blend in with the locals. You saw much potential in her. Twilight looked up at the door, which she had locked earlier after slamming it shut. Youre all responsible for this and its only fair that a truly heartfelt apology is delivered if you want her and Spike to come around. Said Rainbow. The only question that lingered, however, was how long would that loyalty last? ", Applejack cried silently. Celestia smiled responsively. At first, the baby dragon did nothing, but then, in the corner of her eye Applejack spotted Spike's hands curl into fists, fueled by his disgust, anger and frustration. "Girls, remember what you learned. After thanking the runner, who left the war room immediately, Shining read the letter, which was sent from the village attacked by the Changelings moments earlier. "At ease." Discord "Oh honey! That was uncalled fer!" Please follow us to the living room." There was a pause. Together the unicorn and baby dragon faced the left side of the train, looking out the windows into the station as the train rolled to a stop, steam hissing from it's every orifices. By cutting off your ties with her and brushing off her warnings, you nearly brought upon Equestrias ultimate destruction. "Equestria becomes defenseless." Added Shining, the proverbial dots joining together as he spoke. You see, before I became Nightmare Moon, I shared rule of Equestria with my dear sister. However, that was the least of her concerns. "Yeah. It was supposed to be the happiest day of his life since the day he had met Cadance. Y'all have brought shame to our family something fierce. "In the event the second echelon goes rogue, our Changelings will enclose and crush them, while hunting down any stragglers. Now it was clear to them just how much Twilight valued her friendship with them, as well as her relationship with her brother and with Celestia.