"Proceed Commander." "There was no way I could have known..I did everything I could!". Like Twilight, Spike and Cadance before me, I find it hard to comprehend how you, along with Shining and the Element Bearers can dismiss the impostor's attitude as mere stress. While the latter would be pleased to see her again, the presence of the girls would equate to a presence entering her home that was never welcome from the day they had first met. We couldn't be more grateful for your help. In unison, the Mane 5 bowed their heads sadly. Twilight tried sharing a hoofshake with her from when they were young, but the Princess didn't recognize it.". We already apologized for our mistakes! She seemed lost in thought, but to be sure she was OK, Spike decided to get her attention. Meanwhile, Canterlot was buzzing with activity. The walls, floor and roof were cast marble, a red carpet stretching from the door to Celestia's bed, equally an impressive sight as the room itself. They did not know that Twilight, too, had something to apologize for. Don't come back until you're ready to be Twilight's friends again.". The lavender unicorn looked at him, having snapped out of her trance. As for the other group of officers, they are to take their men and assist with reconstruction efforts wherever they are needed.". As he did so, the balcony doors shut and the shield disappeared into the thin air. 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. Unbeknownst to them, a Changeling disguised as a tanned yellow pegasus stallion, replete with a brown mane and tail had walked into town, and was quietly observing them. If she hadn't found the real Cadance, they could have both died down there, so in fact, me and the girls straight up betrayed Twilight and left her to die.". Tone asked flatly. I don't know what we were thinking. Luna responded. Added Rainbow. Maintain your cover and I will report back when the time to attack is right. The Cadance which Twilight had just met did not recognize said hoofshake.". The Princess requests a moment alone with the captain.". At the moment, Twilight only trusts me and Spike, so it's better if I talk to her. The part that struck them the hardest was when he scornfully scolded Twilight and cut her off from his life, Twilight's friends leaving her to melt into a puddle of misery and Princess Celestia stabbing the final dagger into her heart by saying what she said. 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. But the past is the past. I don't know a whole lot about what happened, nor do I remember, but Twi went completely insane trying to find a problem to solve so she could write to Princess Celestia about her friendship lesson. "It's Spike. "No ma'am. "The wedding did go ahead, with Shining absolutely under the Changeling Queen's grip. We hope you can forgive us.". For Celestia and the Mane 5, this was very grave news. She tried alerting her friends to the impostor's cold and condescending behaviour, compared to Cadance's warmth and benevolence. I'm sorry if this interrogation caused you any inconvenience. "Princess, it's getting late. Your first order of business is to split up every officer under your command into two groups. Twitter, MLP: Friendship is Magic - 2023 Hasbro Inc. She had come to make sure the lavender unicorn had a good morning, and it looked like she had. Chat! "Guards, let's go. Twilight was ravin' about Cadence being an impostor and repeatedly called her evil, which made her cry. But what she saw instead was a small settlement, complete with an equally small garrison of Royal Guards. The girls were leaving you..what could I have done? screamed Twilight Velvet from the kitchen. With that, Twilight galloped back upstairs, utterly offended. ah' was crying last night because of something terrible that ah' did. Shining sighed deeply. Everyone in the Hive could feel it: nothing was going to stop them now. ", "No Rarity, I haven't forgotten, but let me ask you this. What matters is that we are sorry for what we did, and all we want now is for us to be friends again. "What's going on here!? With that, Shining bowed, before turning on a dime and motioning to his men to leave the sisters alone, returning to their stations as the throne room's ceremonial guards. It did not take much to deduce that the trust a student held in her teacher now lay in tatters. Replied Luna, who walked inside. Replied Velvet. Barked Chrysalis. Follow us Nightshade! ", "Yes ma'am. "At ease." I have come here to undertake important business. Their disguises were as solid as their nerves. "Snake, this is Lieutenant Blade. I told them what happened, and welly'know.". The reason is that in light of my most recent actions, as well as those of Captain Armor and the Element Bearers, Canterlot nearly fell.". ", "You don't exactly look like it darling. To make matters worse, he knew that it wouldn't end there. With no words, he awaited his orders. As Celestia continued questioning Luna on her absence during the battle against the Changelings, Shining (who was standing away from them next to the throne room's massive doors) was getting anxious. On why did she have to be punished like this? Boomed Chrysalis, who fired an ice spell at Aegis, freezing him solid. Twilight is not in the mood to be messed with.". Yelled out the conductor as the train whistled. Chrysalis would have revealed her deception and conquered the city in one swift stroke, and the blood of thousands of innocent ponies would have been on our hooves. I mean, what are the chances they could screw up again? Criminals, thugs, dissidents and individuals who resent the treasured Equestrian values of friendship and harmony. Once the Princess of Love has entered the treehouse, I want you to signal the battalion, which will be following you, to storm both the treehouse and the village, capture the Princess and bring her to the Hive. Meanwhile, Princess Luna had flown out from Canterlot Castle to the home of Twilight Velvet and Night Light. Did you, all of you, forget that Canterlot was under threat of an attack?!". It seemed for a moment she had the upper hand, until Chrysalis turned the tables and defeated her, an event which shocked us all.". 1,069 users online Stay tuned! Shining Armor was sat down on his rump atop the altar/throne, crestfallen and wallowing in self-disgust. 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. Celestia started tossing and turning, her hooves planting themselves against her temples. "That is true, but here's the thing Granny Smith." His partner did the same, before stepping back to allow Shining access. Once the Princess is captured, you are to flee the village and return to the Hive. "I don't know what happened after that because we were ordered out of the hall by the Royal Guard, but I have every faith that Twilight played a part in the victory over the changelings. Hissed Shroud. However, that was the least of her concerns. "The operation should take 8 hours maximum, but it is currently unknown what kind of defensive capabilities the enemy possesses. Asked Granny Smith. Somewhere in the outskirts of Canterlot, Chrysalis regained consciousness after suffering both a heavy defeat and a long fall from Canterlot Castle deep into the province's borderlands. Asked Velvet curiously. "I'm sorry Rarity, but it seems Twilight was right. But we did, so in all honesty, we can chalk that up to being a big fat lie. As she cried, there were three audible, but gentle knocks on the door. While there was no conflict outside, there was conflict deep inside. The first group is to form patrols with the orders to comb the city for any Changelings that may be still in the city. That was all it took for Celestia to collapse into Shining, sobbing in despair. Her throne possessed the ability to channel the love from her prisoners into her body, giving her extra magic power and increased strength, a much needed boost considering the toll Cadance and Shining's spell took on her. They followed behind her, closing the doors as they left. "According to what she told us one evening, Twilight saw this Cadance doing things the real Cadance would never do. "Now, we are aware that at this point, the Canterlot Royal Guard will come out of the castle en masse and attempt to form a defensive perimeter around the castle walls and entrance. It was supposed to be the happiest day of his life since the day he had met Cadance. Twilight, we stand here before you, remorseful and ashamed of what we have done. Twilight whimpered sadly. "We heard the scream" One of the guards panted gruffly. "Oh Cadance" Sobbed Twilight, who embraced the former in a hug. The finest spy in my intelligence corps.". You doing OK this morning? They now recognize that they made a terrible mistake and they wish to make amends however possible.". "Your Majesty, may I present Snake Bite. "Twilight? Luna's remark made the couple raise their brows in surprise. What if she really was just going through a hard time? Every second of her absence is killing me. 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. It all started after we had arrived at Canterlot. With that, Rarity had lost anything and everything she was going to say. Rarity had awoken from her sleep, groggy but quite well-rested. There was no doubting the alicorn's mind that yesterday's fiasco had taken a toll on Twilight's already haggard mind, therefore she felt the best course of action was to ensure she was looking after herself that morning. Twilight faced him, neither smiling nor frowning. I have to go and find Twilight. This time, she would show no mercy. Asked Twilight from inside. But if there's anything wrong darling, just talk to me, alright?". It was a difficult task to remember what Night Light had told him. Not the sort of difficult where Shining could not recall Night's exact words, but the sort of difficult where emotions and mentality were concerned. It was almost unfathomable, how far he had fallen from grace. Spike frowned. It changes depending on how they are feeling at any given time. After everything we've done together, all the good times we shared and the challenges we encountered together as friends, they betrayed me and left me to die! ", "No Fluttershy,I haven't. I cannot explain how I believed that impostor to be my niece. Recognizing the voice of her foalsitter, she unlocked the door, allowing Cadance to open it. He even refused to recall what he did to her, considering the price his actions carried placed a heavy weight of shame on himself. ", "Luna, I need to ask you some questions. How could you do such a thing?! If Spike could tell she was still conflicted with the events of the wedding, then there was no hope of hiding it. Amidst the cries and pleas of the terrified prisoners, Chrysalis sat atop her throne once more, the wounds from her landing fresh, but unbled. "Girls, remember what you learned. "They were shocked and angered by what I told them. This has refined my ability to also sense ponies' aura.". 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. This was starting to sound strange. There was no doubting it; his actions had inflicted severe damage on their relationship, damage that had clear knock-on effects as demonstrated by Cadance and Spike. Beside him at the war room table was Commander Alkaios of the pegasi, and Commander Maugrim of the unicorns. Asked Granny Smith. The train had now reached the midway point on its journey and yet, Twilight still did not feel at peace. Spike could only smile at that. What awaited himself and Twilight now was a long ride home. "The next part is much worse, and it is dreadful to even contemplate. She was glad there was still somepony loyal to her. Had the circumstances been any different, I would've happily stayed with you, but..you know. Suddenly, Fluttershy walked over to Twilight. Fortunately enough for the elite Changeling spy, he did not have to wait long as around the same time Twilight and company had embraced each other in a hug, Blade soon reported back via telepathy. The pain in her heart had become too great. "Ok girls, I trust you are all aware Twilight will not be pleased to see you?". Replied the alabaster unicorn. Rarity had a point; Twilight did upset the bride, even though she was an impostor. With an instant feeling of urgency coursing through her body, Luna was quick to acquiesce to Shining's orders. He was desperate to let her know how sorry he was for what he did. Additionally, because you said she had a lot to think about, after taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she has resigned from her post as the bearer of the Element of Magic. Unable to compose herself any longer, the cowpony started sobbing. With that, Luna walked out the household door, before spreading her wings and taking off into the darkness, the moon (which she had lifted prior to flying to the Sparkle family home) lighting the way ahead. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about? Lesson Zero was the first thing that came into their minds, a testament to the weight of their collective failure. "I see somepony is eager!" After Twilight is abandoned by everypony she trusts, Maleficent makes the poor, depressed mare complete her curse. But be careful. "Changelings! "But Princess, we can't just sit here and do nothing!" "Which is something I intend to fix immediately, because I'm planning a super special We're-Sorry-For-Betraying-You party just for you! Prowler! According to testimony from her friends, she told them that she saw the impostor embarrass and humiliate them without them even realizing it, something that my niece would never, ever do. With that, Shining left the war room. Staff They were nothing more than relics to her now, relics that celebrated a friendship she thoroughly enjoyed. As she walked away, she heard the familiar sound of a shield spell being cast. "What do you mean your Majesty?" "But.Spike.we became Twilight's friends for a reason. Oftentimes, an artist would find a scene worthy of a new painting, and it would fall to him to transfer that scene from real life to canvas, thereby creating a transcendent work of art. "Let me see my sister captain." "How typical of your lot, Chrysalis" Chortled the lead Guard, Defiant Aegis. "My Changelings, the time is ripe. If you know of any of their movements, let me know immediately! Said source was Spike, who was facing the wall with his head bowed not in reverence, but in sadness. 60,737 hits today, 1,481,371 yesterday, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction Just make sure you knock before entering.". Once the locomotive had reached a complete stop, the duo disembarked, bypassing the station building before heading towards the Golden Oaks Library. Helping the unicorn to dry her eyes, Spike stood back as Twilight returned to her hooves. Behind him, the doors flung open to reveal Celestia's Royal Guards, with Luna following closely behind. "Well, if you're lookin' at apologizing a third time, it better be pretty darn good! This actually isn't like her. "Hi Cadance. At present, Luna could sense that the Sparkle parents were distressed and angry. "Surrender? What if Cadance wasn't an impostor? It was obvious to the cowpony that Big Mac had been busy. Replied Skoula, having taken some time to analyse the proposal. "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. She just wanted to cry, if it meant getting all of that stress out of her system. With that, Celestia was beaten. First it was Twilight giving them a tongue-lashing, but now it was Spike. "What is the matter dear sister? Once our specialist crack team in Ponyville captures the Princess of Love, we will proceed with the attack by coming out of disguise and making our way toward the castle while dispatching any resistance.". Trust me girls, I've known Twilight for a long, long time. Unfortunately, in this scenario, there was no "would've". Unfortunately, in his haste to leave, he wasn't prepared for what came next. Did you become Twilight's friends because you liked her and wanted to be best friends forever? We will never-". Good day to you all!". 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. I'm begging you!". We both know Cadance is capable of taking on any responsibility with the same good grace and warmth she is so blessed with. Chrysalis's threat was met with laughter from the Guards, angering her greatly. And all this came from me feeling alone and abandoned, just like Twilight was.". "Come on girls, you did well the first time. "Hi girls." Night and Velvet gently descended to the ground, their bodies embraced by Luna's inoculation spell. Furthermore, she did also upset the bride, my niece. After all, one cannot be mad at a child for simply going with the flow. Spike took it to mean Twilight rejected his request, until he heard the door unlock. Just then, Spike stepped down the stairs. It then fell to Commander Barbarousis to conclude the briefing. I want the new army to be deadlier than before. How could you walk out on your best friend like that?! Coupled with it was the occasional flash of lightning and clap of thunder, giving the charcoal-black landscape an ominous appearance. ", "But that's not true Granny Smith! "Yes Luna. "Last night, Big Mac heard y'all crying harder than a timberwolf who had both legs cut off.". "What is it you want?" "So Sugarcube, will y'have us as friends again?". "Shining Armor, how could you be so unspeakably cruel to your own sister?! "Ok men, engage your disguises. ", "We also failed our Elements." ", "You were thinking about what had happened, weren't you?". ", "You too Cady, thanks for coming. Twilight dashed through the halls of the castle, passing by several Royal Guards, servants or guests. Shining proceeded to tell his parents of the events of the rehearsal, doing his utmost to retain his composure. 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. It all started after we had arrived at Canterlot. "I don't know Luna. That is what Shining told us when he came here, and it is the reason Velvet and I are so furious. Turning to the girls, she decided to test them, in order to prepare them for what they were about to face. Now, I want the prisoners, all the prisoners, to be rehabilitated. Honestly Luna, I can't explain it. "Now, the spell should protect you from any attempt at intrusion by the Nightmare Forces. "No Mom, I don't wanna go to flight school." Rainbow groaned groggily. Tears began to flow from their eyes and everything, but most importantly, the last word had fallen to Twilight. Luna responded. ", "As much as I respect and admire your loyalty to your family Captain, I'm afraid your duties lie elsewhere. The Mane 5 backed off to give her some breathing space. The reason he left lay largely with popular choice, and that was to just leave Twilight to think about what she had done. Such actions would be unworthy of his rank, as if he had not done enough to stain its honor already. 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. The battalion will be waiting in the Everfree within moments of your arrival. With that, Fang departed the throne room, but not before bowing to Chrysalis, who prepared to issue the day's final orders. Inside their carriage, the mood was quite grim. Night Light immediately hurried to the front door, before bowing to greet the princess. With a reciprocating nod and salute (respectively), the two ponies proceeded through the halls of the castle up to Celestia's private bedchambers, two rows of guards watching over the hall leading to both Celestia and Luna's rooms.