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Pony POV Series Wedding Arc 15 Whole Moon
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Scoots. I won't make promises I can't keep, so you can bet I promise I'll save AJ, Sweetie, Spike, and Twilight! And if I don't! You can be sure that I trust you, or one of us here will! Twilight saved Applejack and the rest of us from Discord's spell, so now it's our turn to save her!
AJ, you can see the truth, so I know the choice I made wasn't something I didn't consciously do, I saved Scoots, nothing else to it. Mom, dad, is that what you felt like with me? There never was a choice, you protected me, nothing else to it. It's funny, Rarity isn't razing me for not saving Sweetie or Spike while Scoots was . . . that's cause she feels that she should have been the one to save either of them when Twilight can't help Spike. I'm no rocket scientist but even I can see that! Or maybe Rarity just generously knows I can't be in two places at once.
Rarity and Applebloom are doing wonders for each other right, Celestia knows they need it. I think we all would have gone insane if we'd been doing this alone.
Princess Celestia, you said we were the two Elements who'd have to make the hard choice, and well Princess, it didn't work out the way I thought it would. AJ, I screwed up after Discord broke me with his sick game, never again, Scoots doesn't want to run away again, and neither do I.
Spike, your friends are coming for you, hang in there. I have faith in them.
Dang it. We're a regular sized herd in here there are so many of us. Plus the creepy bug pony who turns out to be completely and honestly NICE. There's the fillies and Mr. Silver, Cadence and her maidens, and Lyra's family. Not to mention a bunch of Canterlot unicorn mares we've never met before. As Pinkie Pie would say 'we're supposed to be the main characters here.'
Pinkie Pie's doing okay, then again, she does great in large groups. And for the Flutters, they're keeping the bug pony, I mean Moth in the right direction. I don't exactly trust Cobweb since we're dealing with evil shape shifting love-vampires. But apart from her coming out of freakin' nowhere . . . she's still suspicious. But no, I'm not going to assume she's a bad guy, that's not what I mean. The bu-Moth is apparently a good guy, if Cobweb IS another Changeling, she might be one of the good ones too. But that doesn't mean I'm going to assume she CAN'T be one of the bad ones. I'll just keep an eye on her. How would Twilight put? Oh yeah, 'trust but verify!'
I've got to say . . . the difference between the real Cadence and the fake? . . . When she defended Moth, I finally saw what Twilight DIDN'T see in the fake. She doesn't pass judgment like that, she doesn't rub it in, she doesn't ENJOY rubbing a pony's nose in it, she gives the benefit of the doubt instead of assuming a pony can't change. She wouldn't assume the worst about somepony. This is the real Cadence.
What zombie-AJ showed me with her truth-eyes? . . . Look I never meant to be MEAN to Derpy! . . . I'm just sick of always being on the receiving end of her screw-ups and having to clean up her messes. I . . . never meant to hurt her. . . I know that doesn't change the fact I never apologized for spreading that rumor about her cheating on a test she aced and I flunked. I . . . guess what I meant is I didn't know I hurt her that bad. Okay I knew but I didn't THINK about it. Just add it to the pile of stupid things I did as a filly. And through everything I've said to her, she's never once tried to slack when her turn for weather duty comes up, even with those wacky eyes of hers . . . Scootaloo is taking extra effort to learn to fly . . . Derpy is a part of my weather team whenever her yearly requirement is due . . . I should take the extra effort to teach her. Maybe I will, after we beat that nag's buggy butt and get back to having the wedding!
--Rainbow Dash
About time we got to having some first person narratives! That's what this story is called after all! I really really wished we had just got some character driven story about forgiveness and jumping to conclusions, like Clover had when HER sister got married! Twilight why couldn't you just relive one of your past selves' adventures?!
Why do they have to add epicness to everything? I know lots of readers love it. But . . . aren't those times when we grow and learn as ponies entertaining too? Not everything has to be about fighting or beating the bad guys. It seems this story has gone so far off track of what it was meant to be, what we were meant to be. Well, we'll just have to make the most of it!
Gonna have ta throw Moth a 'coming out of the cocoon' party when we get back to Ponyville. And another 'saved the world again' party, or is this just a 'saved Equestria again' party? I don't think Queen Meanie said anything about taking over the world. Oh well, they're both fun!
Dashie's looking a little down, hmmm, let me check. Well that's good news! Dashie's as focused and determined as ever, and is even going to stop being so mean to Derpy! Well, she wasn't super nasty or anything like that. And Derpy didn't really seem to notice that much, I think. I hope the real Cadence likes the party I set up for her.
Rarity isn't throwing me stinky looks anymore for . . . for saving her from getting hurt from trying to rescue Sweetie. I don't know if she'd have saved Sweetie or not with what we know now, but hey, we've had enough 'could have should haves' for one myth arc!
I don't like what the others did to Moth . . . she didn't MEAN anything bad. Yeah she was acting like a silly filly, I mean, Celestia HURTING somepony for being different? What bad fanfic has she been reading?! We all make mistakes after all.
Let's do this! Some rapid fire funny faces, and TA-DA, she smiled! I know Bon-Bon and Fluttershy did most of the work, but every little bit helps!
That witch is so unoriginal! I mean, brainwashing ponies and turning us against each other? Doesn't she know Discord did that already? And Nightmare Whisper did brainwashing too! Seriously, we get brainwashed so often I'm beginning to think the author has a fetish or something! Though the evil invading army and devouring love and making all ponies into cattle IS a new spin on things. So points for that.
I make a point of introducing myself to Moon Dancer and Lemon Hearts and Twinkle Shine and Minuette and Cobweb and the real Princess Cadence . . . new friends! Better start memorizing birthdays and favorite colors!
Come on Moon Dancer smile! The witch isn't here anymore! And you have friends and all new friends all around you! Nopony is gonna hurt you that way again! Pinkie Promise! We're gonna beat her! Super GENTLE hug! Ultra POWERFUL lullaby! There there Moondancer, this is one ghostie we'll giggle away all together. Just smile. Alright, you can use me for a pillow for a little while.
--Pinkamena Diane Pie
Mother, father . . . why couldn't you have been in Ponyville? Then I could have dropped off Sweetie, oh right: she and her friends pulled that little scheme to get her to come along. Yes, I know I couldn't have seen this coming, but the reality remains I choose to let her come along, and she had this done to her because I agreed to have her come along. That is reality. I should have had her at least wear the dream catcher, maybe it would have warded off whatever attracted that monster to my baby sister.
Mother, father, I'm sorry I failed to protect Sweetie Belle, forgive me. Sweetie Belle, I'm sorry for failing you, I hope you'll be able to forgive me later. I'm your big sister, I'm the one trusted to always look after you, and now that witch has you. After what you endured what Discord did to you, you don't deserve this too.
I'd say I'd make that witch pay, but I just want you back safe and sound, and that witch unable to hurt anypony's little sister ever again . . . I don't care if she takes up basket weaving or is turned into a statue, I don't want her to hurt anypony ever again. She doesn't matter, what matters is Sweetie is safe again.
Thank you for the hug Applebloom, I think I need this too. It's a good reminder. Applejack, your real self has always mattered so much to you, I won't let that witch take it from you. Spike, I won't promise I'll save you, because it doesn't matter who does, only that you're safe again. Twilight, I imagine the others feel the same way, but you saved my soul from Discord, so now we'll do my best to help save yours if I can. There are so many of us here. Together we'll do it. Then I can start asking Princess Cadence what she thinks of her wedding dress. I now wonder if that witch even LIKED that dress I made for her.
Ugh. Did I have to imagine Sweetie assuring the queen I'd make her a new one after I was turned into her slave? . . . Well that is not happening. What that witch needs most right now is a harsh reminder she doesn't get to hurt whomever she pleases, and a good spanking! Perhaps a thousand years in stone or on the surface of the sun courtesy of the Elements will give her a wake up call.
Good work on Moon Dancer, Pinkie Pie. Good job on Moth, Fluttershy. No, I haven't forgiven her yet for her choices being why we're in this mess. I know that's not quite generous. I'm a flesh and blood pony. Sweetie Belle, I'll work towards it. And I also won't fixate on what she's done, not when she's now trying to help us as a true friend should.
And sadly we had proof that our enemy are just misguided creatures and not unholy monsters that I don't need to feel guilt about snuffing the life out of. This isn't some guiltless conflict where I can get blood on my hooves without conscience.
Oh my. If Cadence never actually fired her old bridesmaids, does that mean WE aren't really bridesmaids? I'll have to completely redesign their dresses after what happened to them! And Miss Lemon Heart and Moon Dancer, I'll simply HAVE TO do one for her to help her after what she's been through, I know it doesn't fix things, but it'll help her remember there are ponies who care.
As for Cobweb . . . after hearing so many bug themed names I'd be blind not to see the connection, but I won't jump to conclusions, her magic wasn't green, but still, maybe best not to turn my back on her.
Silver Tongue, I'm sorry your filly has been dragged into this. Scootaloo, don't worry, Sweetie will be saved. I know it.
--Rarity Belle
Everything is a whirlwind. I hope my birds are okay. I had them fly out the window and perch with Philomena, I know she'll keep them safe. Chrysalis, she's as bad as Discord . . . on second thought she's worse than Discord. Discord at least was the spirit of disharmony, he couldn't help being what he was. I know we had to stop him or Ponies would suffer under him like they did before, but I wish there was just some way for him to get to see . . . After all, if Nightmare Moon and Trixie could be saved, why not Discord?
Does that mean I think Chrysalis can be saved too? . . . Yes I do. Absolutely. Moth proved Changelings don't need to be monsters. But that doesn't mean I'm about to let her and her subjects hurt innocent ponies because she can't see the difference between a pony and a hayburger. If...if we have to send her to the sun or turn her into a statue, then we will. I know I'm not Nightmare Whisper anymore, I don't WANT to be ever again, but part of me wishes I could just sing a song and turn her into a happy little filly and let her spend a day playing with the Crusaders to teach her ponies are people. Maybe the Elements could do that if we tell them to...
I AM angry at Chrysalis, I accepted Flutterrage back into me. But this anger feels different than it did when I was 'New Fluttershy'...this anger feels like when Flutterrage got out when Twilight pointed out Discord would win if I didn't catch Rainbow. It feels like the RIGHT kind of anger. The anger that helps motivate instead of hurt.
I HATED leaving Spike, Applejack, Twilight, Sweetie Belle, and Shining Armor, all there with the queen. I hated we had to split up from Prince Blueblood and his friend, from Shining Armor's friends, and Twilight's parents. I know we had to, but I don't like it. I hope it was the right choice.
Moth. I'm proud of you for growing up now, the past is the past. Only take the good things with you from it. If one good thing came out of this, it's that Moth had to show herself to Bon Bon...and Bon Bon still loved her like a sister. Maybe when all is said and done ALL the Changelings can see the light. I was NOT telling a kind lie when I said Moth might be what a Changeling should be. I might not be a Goddess right now, but I know biology and nature. If an animal tries to feed in a way it isn't built to feed, they don't do as well as one who IS. A symbiotic animal feeding like a parasitic one isn't going to do as well as one feeding like a symbiot. And even if that isn't the case...SAPIENT beings can choose to CHANGE their nature from how they were made. The Griffins did it. Fluttercruel did it. Spike is. Why can't they?
Poor poor POOR Moondancer . . . here Pinkie Pie, let me help you with her, there's a good pony, just relaxing, just read, sleep for real, have peaceful and happy dreams right now. I think the only reason she didn't scream when she laid eyes on Moth changing is because she was too scared to. Don't worry little pony, I'll help you too.
--Fluttershy
Look can we just skip me? Seriously? I can't take this crud. A part of me was expected to just relax and let mom take care of things throughout this trip. Instead it's time to strap on the horseshoes again and beat up the baddies. Well, less talking and more smacking. But right now mom's touch is needed more than mine. I already gave Moth the 'cruel to be kind' treatment, I'm not needed right now. I like Lemon Hearts and Twinkle Shine's attitudes though. Maybe we can be friends.
--Fluttercruel
Silver Spoon, what kind of world have you been forced into? Your mother would have a panic attack if she knew the danger you were in. I know you like to think you know the world of adults inside and out, but there are realities you're thankfully still too young to realize or know, and I don't want you to see them until you've seen the good in the world to balance it out.
Why do you fillies have to think you can take on the world? You and over half the ponies here should just find a safe place to hide while I take the risks along with the others here whose duty it is to risk their lives for everypony else.
Princess Cadence. You've grown into a beautiful mare. I feel so old now. You'd never guess how old I really was just by looking at me. I sometimes wonder if I have your birth to thank for that. Or by how young my little filly is, so incredibly young.
Too bad, unlike the fantasies, putting on a few years doesn't excuse you from doing something when there aren't others around to help. Silver Platter, if anything happens, PLEASE look after our foal, make sure she grows in a proper mare: intelligent, beautiful, rational, who had a happy foalhood.
I'm happy you've made more friends Silver Spoon, I've never regretted you making friends with Diamond Tiara, in spite of everything, you made each other happy. And yes, I am very angry that the two you've managed to connect with the most since then have now been taken from you again. I won't let history repeat itself. Not today. You will have your friends back.
Sadly, this isn't a squad, this is a guerrilla group. Most of the protocol rules are out the window already. I might be retired, but that isn't an excuse right now, I am yours to command Princess. The oath I took is still as true now as ever.
I hereby do solemnly and sincerely and truly declare and affirm to the Citizens of Equestria that I will faithfully discharge the duties of a Guardspony. I choose to place myself in harm's way so that those who cannot defend themselves are defended. Though service is a heavy cost, For Equestria, I pay it gladly.
--Silver Tongue
Applejack . . .
Ah . . . Ah told 'em. Ah told em we were gonna help. Even without Spike and Sweetie. We were gonna do it. We always mess things up. That's what ya are always sayin'. Well, we're gonna mess up that witch's schemes three ways from Sunday! This time we're countin' on us messin' up fancy plans!
Just ya watch! We ain't helpless! We aren't babies! We're . . .we're gonna do it. Ah . . . Ah already have mah monsters ta keep me up at night. Ah ain't gonna get more of 'em. Ah ain't runnin', Scootaloo, Silver Spoon, we'll get 'em back! All of 'em!
C-Cutie Mark Crusaders Rescuers. . . . yay.
Scoots, don't be angry. Silver, be brave.
Thank ya kindly for the hug Miss Rarity, Ah . . . it feels nice. Thank ya. Ah . . . Ah guess we can fill in fer each other, just fer a little while.
Ah'm not that freaked out there are good bug ponies, Mitta was a good zombie pony, this is nothin', Moth bein' one is crazy enough.
Why do big sisters . . . always know how ta hug just . . . right . . .
--Applebloom
I have nothing to say. Yes I'm angry. I wish Diamond Tiara was here. Spike. Sweetie Belle. Both stolen right in front of my eyes. And now I find out all it would have taken is a little love to save them? I wish dad would let me kick that stupid bug money MORE. And keep kicking her. Until she knows how painful it is to lose her closest friends too. What does she know about that? All she knows how to be is to be afraid. Disgusting.
Diamond Tiara. Spike. Sweetie. Does the world just like to give me wonderful things and then take them away for a laugh? WELL NOT THIS TIME! I'M GETTING THEM BACK! YOU HEAR ME YOU STUPID WORLD! I'm getting them back! And there's nothing you can do about it! Nay-nay!
I hope that big bug pony suffers and suffers BADLY for this. I hope all of her little minions who went along with her scheme get what's coming to them. It's nothing less than what they've earned for themselves. Maybe Miss Rarity and her friends will seal them ALL in the sun forever!
No, I haven't forgotten about Scootaloo and Applebloom, but Spike and Sweetie are who I connected the most with. I don't care about the rest of these adults. I memorize their name and faces, as a proper little lady should, but that's it. Whatever scheme Applebloom cooks up (I don't trust the adult to do more than talk for fifty or so hours) I'll be behind her all the way.
I'm sorry father. I'm not scared of you. I love you. I promise. (A real promise, not an adult 'promise'). But I couldn't do anything when Diamond Tiara vanished. I won't let Spike and Sweetie vanish too. I told Diamond in that freaky nightmare I had I'd go to the ends of the earth to save her and now I'm swearing to do the same for Spike and Sweetie!
--Silver Spoon
It's kinda surreal to be honest…I'm gonna help Dash save the world. This should've been my dream, except it's more like a bad dream. I for the first time I can remember, I was angry at Dash. I'm losing those dear to me again. Seeing Sweetie Belle run away from us, being carried away from her and Spike . . .
I . . . I kinda said everything I was gonna say to Dash already. It's all I could really think about. I guess everypony was thinking the same thing.
Gotta help how we gotta. Gonna get back our friends no matter what. Kick bug pony butt. Applebloom sayin' how we're gonna do the crusading of our life! I don't care about my cutie mark right now, I want my friends back, and we're gonna take'em back. And Dash . . . I forgive you. I won't lose you too. Thank you . . . for not leaving me alone.
--Scootaloo
Twinkle Shine. Minuette. I'm happy you're alright. Shining Armor, my love, I should never have let Chrysalis intimidate me. But she did, being alone trapped in that cave with no way out, her sick taunts my only company for so long. Her constant bullying was Tartarus, it didn't matter it was all words, she is noMakarov, she knows how to use words as weapons. Only me and a sociopath with no bonds for me to draw strength from to escape. It was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from . . . I never expected my hero to be -Blueblood- of all ponies.
She's taken you from me, Twilight from me, my parents, I hope whatever she did to them that it's not like she's done to Moondancer, poor mare. I hope she gets a front row seat for her trial when we have the queen in chains before Auntie in judgment.
Mother, father, I don't know what Chrysalis has done to you, you should have been at the wedding. I want to go home and check on you, but Chrysalis I think knows me well enough for me to know it'll just be a trap. I have to save Equestria, and I have to save Canterlot for that to happen, and for that to happen I have to save Auntie, and for THAT, I need to save Shining Armor and Twilight.
Thunderchild, Gag, Garnet, Ellis, Audience...I hope you're okay...I know from the timeline that never was just how much you five can survive. Please let you and all those other ponies be okay.
Lyra, I wish I could have made your acquaintance in better circumstances. That goes double for all of you, Twilight's friends. She said so much about you. I'm sorry your first impressions had to be that mockery of me.
Applebloom, Scootaloo, I do know I'd have picked you and your friend as my flower fillies anyway. More than one flower filly? Why not. Since when have I been fixated on traditionalism? You two are so strong willed and loyal to your friends, and for that I respect you.
Silver Spoon, that look in her eyes, I don't blame her for it in the least. Still, it just feels wrong to see a filly hate.
Moth? I said what I was going to say about her. End of discussion. She's another friend now. Nothing more. Nothing less. Moving on.
Strange but happy Pinkie Pie. Relentless and unbreakable Rainbow Dash. Graceful and sophisticated Rarity. Kind and gentle Fluttershy, with another side of her that is harsh yet considerate. Yes, I can sense it. I'm an Alicorn, I'm Bonds, I can sense there being a Bond WITHIN one body. But I'll let her explain when she wants to.
As for Lemon Hearts, her Angry Mother Lemon might have given us the time we needed to get away. I'm sorry another random mare like her and Cobweb have to be dragged into this. Then again, Cobweb almost seemed to JUMP into this, like she was WAITING to help us. . .
Auntie Celestia, stay strong. You're the smartest, strongest mare I know. If anyone can put up with being that maniac's captive it's you.
Auntie Luna...I hope you're okay. I know how tough Alicorns are. But I can't wait for your to recover and lead the cavalry back here...but I can hope to have the front door wide open for you when you return.
Shining Armor. I'll save you. You shouldn't even be in this mess. And we will have our wedding day. And it'll be as beautiful as it should be! And we will have our happy ending at last! I promise Shining. Chrysalis made me feel alone, but I don't anymore, that walking lie can't use the same tricks on me again. Send me down into the caves a hundred times Chrysalis, I swear I'll gallop my way out a hundred times more! You said it yourself, our love is the strongest you've seen. And I swear on BOTH my Aunties' names that it'll be stronger than you can handle.
Shining Armor, I know you're in there, don't give into despair, I'll be there for you.
--Cadence
Moth is one of those monsters. Everything I remember about her before Ponyville is a lie. She did the same thing to Bon Bon and Tootsie. She knew how to save the Elements and fix everything, but chickened out.
I don't feel sorry for her now that the fillies, Rainbow Dash, and Bon Bon have all had their licks in. I want to slap her in the face until her carapace comes loose. She's earned it.
But . . . BUT . . . sigh. If Bon Bon forgives her, if Bon Bon accepts her as part of our family, if Bon Bon still calls her sister: then that's what Bon Bon wants. If I hurt Moth, then I'm hurting Bon Bon.
For Bon Bon's sake, I won't hold a grudge, and I'll defend her like any part of the herd, but like her? Forgiving her? That's going to have to come later. It's kinda freaky to see her magic color turn to match mine and her say that means she's sworn loyalty to me and Bon Bon. But that doesn't change how I feel. I . . . I wish it did. That color, what she said, she, she does love us.
I never thought I'd be on an adventure with the Elements of Harmony, that's for sure. Looking at the fillies, I'm now HAPPY Tootsie isn't here to see this, and . . . I'm happy she didn't have to learn this about Moth. Okay, learn it THIS way...some day she'll have to know, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. From the look on Silver Tongue's face, I know he wishes he had kept his daughter safe at home.
So now I'm officially one of Princess Cadence's bridesmaids, well, once we defeat the evil queen and save Princess Celestia, her student, her captain of the guard, the other Elements, and all of Equestria.
Well, Minuette and Twinkle Shine, you were right, working for Princess Cadence IS an interesting time. Moon Dancer, I'm happy we were there to help you, I'm sorry we didn't come sooner . . . didn't come . . . oh right.
The bug queen was going to brainwash me Twinkle Shine and Minuette! But then suddenly decided without even meeting me that we were 'useless' and wanted to brainwash some of the Elements and an innocent filly instead. If we had come sooner we'd be in her zombie collection instead of Applejack and the others . . . No I'm not going to say that's a 'good thing' we ponies don't believe in 'more important ponies.'
Rarity...I feel bad for her. Her little sister is being used like a living battery. Why WOULDN'T I feel bad for the poor girl? If it were Tootsie...All I know is if I were in her horseshoes, I'd be biting at the bit to get my hooves around that witch's throat. I want to say something to her but I don't know what I COULD say.
Cobweb? She helped me before the chaos at the wedding started, but I don't like how she just told me, but didn't seem to tell anyone else. She might have helped us a little. But she could have helped a lot more if she knew something was up. She said she's undercover, but why? Is she a Changeling trying to trick us? Somepony like Moth? Some secret government agent like in the X-Folders? I wonder how long she's going to keep up this farce until she tell us who she really is.
Lemon Hearts, she shouldn't be involved in this AT ALL! She's friends with Minuette, Twinkle Shine, and Moon Dancer, she knew Twilight Sparkle in magic school, she was part of the 'try to get the anti-social OCD bibliophile to interact with ponies' cabal. Got to admit, her Angry Mommy Lemon is something else. Now I know why Twinkle Shine said most of the Guards are afraid of her. But she is involved. And if we aren't going to stop some fillies from helping, then asking a student of Celestia's school for gifted unicorns not to help is kinda dumb.
As for me, well, I'm Cadence's maiden now, where she leads, I'll follow.
--Lyra Heart Strings
What I've said about Moth, I've already said. Lyra? I can tell she's not happy for what Moth did to me and to Tootsie. I don't blame her. I just hope I can turn her around.
I certainly wasn't planning on being involved in something like this!!! I'm not an Element! I'm not a chosen one! My bloodline is directly descendant from Paradise Estate? Well, maybe. Twilight DID give me that journal saying as much... But I just do candies! I'm not anything special! I'm nopony! Lyra is the weird one with the human fixation! At least Twilight Sparkle's friends were all hired by Mayor Mare to get everything ready for the Summer Sun Celebration!
Nightmare Moon, Princess Gaia, D-d-Discord! My family did what we always do, endure. It's always somepony else who does the adventuring, faces the evil overlords. What am I even doing here? We should have just found a place to hide along with Blueblood and Twilight Sparkle's family. We're all idiots for sticking around. We're not guards, we're not heroes!
Why did my family have to be dragged into this? I think I understand why you didn't want us involved Moth. Why you wanted us to get out of dodge when we had the chance. You saw the coming storm, you knew what monster were lurking in Canterlot. But if we weren't here, who knows how things would have turned out. And if you weren't here, the heroes wouldn't have the keys to their friends' chains.
Hey! I'm no coward! You'd run into your house and lock the door if a filly with a ancient plague was in the street!
Lyra's volunteered for Princess Cadence, and I'll be there for her, and Moth.
I just hope our role here is just about over and we can look forward to telling Tootsie all about this adventure once it's over. There is one good thing that's come of this. I've now gotten to know my sister for real.
--Bon-Bon
I've said all there is to say about my actions, what I am, and what I'll do. This is my swarm, my family. 'Live for the swarm', and I'll protect them to the end as a changeling should.
Princess Cadence, Princess Fluttershy, your royal subject is yours to command.
--Moth
What the buck am I even doing in this bucking mess? I thought from the way those two guards were talking that they were trying to leech more of my lemon treats off me so they could fake being sick to their superior again like a lot of ponies have done before. I snapped and sic my Angry Mother Lemon on them. That's how I found out what they were and why I chased them clear out of the castle (I normally only chase them out of the kitchen. The higher ups don't mind because it teaches the rookies a lesson not to slack off). THAT is what happens when you throw the lemons back, AND THAT is what happens you try to burn life's house down with them.
Then I find out we're in the middle of a massive invasion for the first time I can remember Equestria EVER HAVING ONE! The city is full of brainwashed ponies, bugs pretending to be ponies, oh and Bon Bon's twin sister is one but she's nice! The captain of the guard is brainwashed! Two of the Elements are! Luna's guard got booted out of Canterlot. A lot of Canterlot's guards and security are all bug ponies in disguise! The real princess apparently was underground and was rescued by FREAKIN' Prince 'I'm better than you' Blueblood!
All because I threw a giant angry lemon at some freakin' Guards! I want to go home, and go to bed and forget this is even happening! But that isn't happening. Not today. Not until this is bucking over! Moonsend it.
This isn't the first time. I took the entrance examine to Celestia's school for gifted unicorns because I was expected to. I didn't expect to pass, and that was fine by me. I wasn't interested in being locked up in some fancy smancy school. All eyes were on my sister, everypony knew she'd pass. Except I did pass, and she didn't. To the shock of everypony.
I was at the most prestigious bordering school at the time, but I heard my sister got to know Princess Cadence, yes, this Princess Cadence in the room with me, when she attended a normal school as part of her being 'the people's princess', no I'm not saying anything, there's enough drama around here.
I really did consider just being a lazy mare, getting lousy grades and being thrown out and get back to my life. But it felt like cheating. My grades were never the best, but they were never awful either. Of course I had classmates and even some teachers who were SURE me being at Celestia's School HAD TO BE a filing error. I wasn't a true mage unicorn, my magic was focused on lemons. A fruit. And not even a particularly sweet or well liked one.
So yeah, no pony was asking 'what the buck am I doing here' more than me. But apparently, the way I USED my magic and my special talent was clever enough and so outside the box that the teachers thought I made a good oddity. I think nopony was too impressed by my 'turn other fruit into lemons' spell.
I actually enchanted my lemons to COME BACK to me if they ever got stolen once . . . this is one of the reasons I'm a firm believer in the Sass Squash, he ended up chasing my lemons when they came back to me. And he'd steal them back. Finally he offered a giant squash in exchange for a lemon pie, and we left each other alone.
Now there's the rumor going around the Gifted Schools were all breeding grounds to try and find an Element of Magic for Princess Celestia to purify Nightmare Moon with.
Can you imagine? Me? Element of Magic? Bigger jokes have happened. Poor Angry Mother Lemon, I'll have to create a new one, I lost the one I had to that big changeling guard. Yes, I care about them! That's the FIRST thing they teach in Familiar and Creation Classes: if you make a living thing, you CARE for it. It's not JUST an attack dog...it's a living thing that gave its life for me.
I got extra lessons when the teachers finally took notice of my talent at making Familiars. It's not a type of magic to be taken lightly.
Moon Dancer, Twinkle Shine, Minuette, we might have gotten 'passed over' for not being 'worthy' of being Princess Celestia's precious 'Element of Magic' but sure as Tartarus, there is no way, guard or no, mage unicorn or no, am I EVER going to be considered 'no good' in a time like this.
--Lemon Hearts
Not again. By Celestia. Not again. We weren't able to do a thing about pegasus Sunset. We didn't know it had happened until we were TOLD about it! I still remember how that made me feel!
The horrible things Princess Cadence said to us . . . in the end I'm just happy that wasn't really her. Considering that witch had the wool over everypony's eyes, including Princess Celestia, there's plenty of blame to go around. Pointing hooves now isn't going to change a thing. Moth's blot is just one of the bigger ones. We didn't realize our Princess would never say those things to us. The Princess we served for two years. That witch mixed in just enough of how Cadence would really act just to rub it in. None of us saw it. We were too hurt TO see it.
Minuette, thanks for giving it your all back there. We needed all we could get. Princess, sorry we didn't get there sooner.
Nice to meet the Elements of Harmony at last. Well, four of them, we already knew Twilight Sparkle, and Ellis of course had to talk about his relatives including Applejack whenever he got the chance.
Moon Dancer is going to take a while to pull herself together, but she'll manage, I believe in her. She was chosen to be one of Princess Celestia's gifted unicorns, and Princess Celestia doesn't make mistakes. Heck, if there wasn't that lie the Changelings passed around, I'd suggest we run over to the school and recruit our fellow students.
I gotta say, meeting Lyra's family is a lot more complicated than I thought it was gonna be. Hopefully Tootsie won't have a best friend whose secretly a fairy princess who wants to keep her all to herself in a magic land inside her toy box that we'll have to go in after her.
Lemon Hearts, thanks girl. I know this can't be easy for you. I know how much it had to hurt for that big Changeling to kill your Familiar. Lemon Hearts took the 'treat your Familiars as living things' lessons to heart and threats all her Familiars like her kids. Good thing too, considering how skilled she is at it. Princess . . . you can bet that when we win this, I am adding in some sparkles to this wedding!
Why is that pink pony looking at me funny? Oh right, Pinkie Pie, Element of Laughter right? I still don't know how she managed to pull that trick back at the hall of doors, but can't say I'm not glad she did. I'll admit, I didn't know what I was expecting with the Elements, but how they are still manages to take me a little by surprise. I don't want to think how Fluttershy would react if she and Thunderchild actually met! Well, that other personality she seems to have might be too much for him! ...I just hope that he's okay. I know he was in Canterlot, but if anyone could catch themselves after being thrown out like that it's him and Gag. They're tough...
As for the fastest pegasus alive, what I don't get is why she isn't a Wonderbolt already and is still a weather team captain. I wonder if Miss Belle likes sparkles in her dress. I'm gonna ask for more in mine if she gets around to making our dresses after we win this.
Pink pony still looking at me.
"It's wonderful to see you again Sparkle Works, I'm happy some part of you made it into this world after all. Sunny Daze is in Ponyville if you ever want to meet her."
"Uh? Sparkle Works? Sunny Daze? Sorry. I think you have the wrong pony. My name is Twinkle Shine."
"Oh. Right. Sorry. You are somepony else. Sorry. You just really really remind me of a friend I used to know, she once painted my home town in sparkles for her birthday present to herself."
"Sounds like one crazy pony."
"Yes. But we were all a little crazy, and she was fun to have around."
“Sounds like somepony who'd be the life of the party.”
"Yes, she was. And I'm sure you're a great pony too. So can you tell me a little about yourself?"
Weird pink pony. But . . . that peaceful smile on her face, she doesn't seem nuts, more like, just happy to see me. Well. No point in not being nice. "Alright."
--Twinkle Shine
So here we are again. I'm just happy I fed my previous-self to the Reaper when I had the chance. Otherwise, I know I would have opened the watch by now. It's funny, I don't feel less for it, if anything, I feel free.
Everything he was is gone. Never was. Which is fine by me. It just means he's not around to bring misery to another universe after bringing so much to the last universe he was in. Everything he had belongs to me now.
I've been half-expecting the Doctor to turn any second now to clean up and fix up all of this with a cup of hot tea and some forks. None of His incarnations however were as good at thinking outside the box as the Doctor is. I think I'm probably the best at it out of any of them. And yes, I'm quite proud of that.
I hate that look in Silver Spoon's eyes. Hopefully once this war is over it won't have a chance to grow into something more. Sadly, war is what this is, and that feeling she's having right now is what the gears for a war turn on.
A war in Equestria, Equestria in a war, it's the most absolutely most wrong thing in the history of wrong. Equestria is a nation of peace, Celestia's kept us at peace by the thousands of years of experience she wields, not by the strength of any army. We didn't make enemies, we made friends.
He was the born warrior, I never was. Like I told him back when he tempted me, I'm a dentist. I'm a healer. I'm not a warrior. We're going to end this war before it has a chance to spread. No more wars, no moreMakarovs.
But I AM a planner. I did take THAT from him. I'm a thinker. My sense of timing is first rate. And with Twilight Sparkle under that witch's spell, we NEED a planner. Bad. That I can do.
Twinkle Shine, don't worry, I'm not letting what happened to pegasus Sunset happen to either of us. I'll look after you, if you look after me.
I don't know if the look in Applebloom's eyes is worse somehow, she's already seen things a foal isn't meant to. I suppose a lot of ponies who know how to spot it would say the same thing. It shouldn't be weakened by repetition, but ponies, like humans, can adapt to anything.
Moon Dancer . . . I hate what that witch for what she did to you. What she did to Miss Rarity's sister. To Spike. To Twilight Sparkle. To Miss Applejack. What she ALMOST DID to ME, to Twinkle Shine, to Lyra. I KNOW what kind of heart and mind you need to DO this sort of thing to a pony, to do what she made you and them do to your friends and feel not one ounce of remorse . . . and that makes me all the more disgusted with her. Princess, this isn't an enemy you can negotiate or reason with, you have to put her down.
And pray that the rest of the changelings wake up to reality like Moth finally has. Maybe she can lead her kind of the darkness. After all, all it takes is the right pony at the right time, that's how history works.
Audience...I'm glad you weren't here. At least that means I know you're okay...and that there's no chance you'll need to put that Black Thistle training to the test. I don't hate you for it, I love you, I just know you don't want to kill and I don't want you in that position.
Lemon Hearts, sorry you got pulled into this, I'll do my best to make sure you live to tell your grandkids about it. And Silver Tongue, no heroic self sacrifices please. As for 'Cobweb' . . . I know alias', I wonder what she's hiding behind it. Well, if I had to hazard a guess . . .
--Minuette
None of them suspected a thing. Well, Pinkie Pie suspects something. But everything is going according to plan. Moth made a wonderful distraction to keep them from asking ME questions. When all is said and done I must thank her for her unknowingly help. Should I make my move now? No. Timing is key. A trap door spider lies in wait until her prey is in sight. And my prey is still a long way off...
--Cobweb
. . . Oh sorry. It's my turn? I'm sorry. Ever since Minuette and Twinkle Shine saved me from Her Majesty's magic . . . it gets hard to focus sometimes. I'm getting better, but . . . but after seeing Lyra's friend turn into one of them I think I might have trouble focusing again. I'm lucky the flames were clear and not green, or else I might have had it even worse.
I hate having this green shade to my eyes, disguise or not, but at the same time, there was a part of me that almost likes it. The simplicity of being told what to do, not having to think about it. I'm disgusted at myself for it.
Poor Spike. He's one of Chrysalis' slaves now because of me. He's going through what I went through because of me. She took me, USED me. She was going to use me as a duckblind to my friends after she did the same to them, then as bait if Sparkler's family friend came. And I couldn't stop her! It was for my FRIENDS! I didn't love Spike that way but he was my FRIEND! So are Minuette and Sparkler! Magic is friendship! She was using magic on me! I'm a mage unicorn! It was for the sake of my friends! I should have been able to do more! I should have been able to resist! I should have been able to BEAT HER BACK!!!
But I wasn't strong enough, or good enough! I couldn't be Princess Celestia's Element of Magic to save her sister like she hoped I could be! Now I know why! I couldn't protect my friends!!! I couldn't protect anypony! Not them! Not myself! N-n-n-no-not g-goo-good e-en-enough . . .
"Moon Dancer? Moon Dancer!"
The group all gathered around the unicorn as she descended into seizures or a panic attack.
"What's going on?!" Lyra asked. All eyes turned to the closest thing they had to an expert on the situation.
"...This isn't Changeling magic, there's definitely some residue from the Queen's control, but not enough to cause this," Moth explained carefully, looking it over. "But there might have been some psychological trauma..."
"You THINK?!" Lemon Hearts hissed at her.
Lyra helped Moon Dancer up. "Moon Dancer, please calm down. What's wrong?"
"I...I failed my friends...I failed my Princess...I failed everypony...I was too weak...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."
She repeated the mantra, tears started down her face.
I considered pointing out to her that it's simply not possible for a pony to break free on their own. That she was probably resisting as much as she COULD resist given the kind of magic...but with how traumatized she was...I had a feeling being spoken to by a Changeling was the last thing she needed right now.
"Moon Dancer...you've helped us a lot right now...We wouldn't have MADE it to the wedding period without you," Lyra tried to say, but all it seemed to do was make her relax a little...but the tears didn't stop.
"But before that? If I'd been ABLE to do something, then we wouldn't be IN this mess! It's...Spike...she used me to get him! It's my fault...I wasn't strong enough...I was weak...And you've all paid for it..."
It hit close to home...
"I know how you feel sometimes..." I finally said, causing her to perk up a little bit.
"W-What? Lemon Hearts...what..."
"My special talent is LEMONS, how often do you think I've been told I was weak?" I ask.
"I never thought...thought you were weak..."
"That's because you first met me when I made my first Angry Mother Lemon. Teachers, students...they always felt I was weak...and I'll admit...after awhile, I started to feel that way...I started to feel I was a joke or weak."
"But...you're not...you're..."
"But back then, I thought I was. I didn't do much to dissuade them. I didn't try to because I felt they were right...And I was the only one of your friends who was HERE the ENTIRE time, but didn't notice there was something WRONG with you!"
She gasped in surprise at that.
"Yeah, that's right. I didn't notice. I was so busy being caught up with my lemons that I didn't notice you'd been brainwashed by some witch! Tartarus! I didn't notice what happened to Minny and Twinkleshine! If it hadn't been by complete accident I would still be in my kitchen right now! I'm the most oblivious pony ever! If ANYONE here should feel like they've failed their friends it's me!"
"Stop it!" she finally screamed. "You didn't fail me! There's nothing you could have done, Lemon! You were just dedicated to your job! You just love your Familiars like they're your children! That's all!"
"And there's nothing you could have done. No more than any of us could have done when that MONSTER these four helped lock back up turned us all into madponies! You think I WANTED to chase my Angry Lemons through the halls with a giant orange squeezer, not caring who got in my way, shouting how much I hated my own lemons? "
"She's right..." Rarity said. "We COULDN'T break free of that monster's control on our own. We NEEDED help to free ourselves."
Moon Dancer looked down. "But...I just feel like...I feel so helpless..."
"We all felt that way back then, Moon Dancer," Rarity explained. "When his spell was broken I felt so...violated, so helpless. And yes, I did feel like I had failed. Like it was my fault. That's what ponies like Discord and Chrysalis WANT us to feel like, Moon Dancer. They want us to feel like we're the ones to blame for what they did to us. It's the punchline to their sick jokes."
I nodded. "That's how I felt too...Moon Dancer, do you want to prove that you're not weak? Then don't let her win. Prove her wrong and don't let her make you blame yourself for this like she wants you to. Be strong enough NOT to blame yourself like she WANTS you to. Be strong enough to help us in SPITE of what she did to you."
"...I know my word doesn't mean much..." Moth said. "But I know one thing about Queen Chrysalis, and that's that she hates not getting her way...That's probably the best revenge you could hope to get on her."
Moon Dancer looked thoughtfully. "O-Okay... I think I understand...You're right, if I let her control how I think now...if I let Her Majesty control me even AFTER I'm free, then I am weak. If I let her Majesty...her majesty...her maj-THAT BUCKING WITCH stop me from helping my friends then I'm weak!"
I don't know how to describe that look on her face. It was like watching a strong stallion break out of chains when she called the witch what she really was. Moon Dancer panted heavily, but looked free. Finally free.
She then hugged me, Minuette, and Twinkle Shine tightly.
"Thank you..."
I smiled to her. "What are friends for?"
I felt free. I FINALLY felt free! That witch! I can call her a witch! Haha! That feels SO GOOD! She's a dirty rotten wicked witch! Not 'Her Majesty!' She's a witch!
...Sorry... I'm just so bucking sick of calling that monster 'Her Majesty!' So bucking sick of it!
That said...I guess I wasn't QUITE free yet...
I turned and looked to Moth. "Moth...turn into your true form. Now...Please."
She blinked. "What?"
"Please...If I'm going to help with this, I need to know I can see a Changeling in their real form. If I can't bare the sight of a GOOD one, how am I supposed to help fight them?"
She slowly nodded. "Alright."
She burst into flames the same color as Lyra's magic and...come on, Moon Dancer, fight through it!
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. I opened them and looked at her. My breathing picked up a bit but I managed to keep myself together and not panic like I did before.
"...T-Thanks...I needed that."
Moth nodded slowly. "You're welcome...I have a lot to make up for, I needed to start somewhere."
Lemon Hearts hugged me, then Minuette hugged me, then Twinkle hugged me, Lyra hugged me. My friends. Then Princess Cadence hugged me! PRINCESS CADENCE! I felt like I was going to faint for a moment!
"Well done, Moon Dancer. Facing your fears is never an easy thing to do," she said, and gave me a smile.
Then Miss Rarity hugged me. "I know how hard that truly was," She said.
Then Fluttershy hugged me. Then her tone and posture changed. "Good job little pony." She smirked.
Then Pinkie Pie hugged me. She was crying. "I-I, I'm SO PROUD of you Moon Dancer!" She said like we were lifetime friends and . . . it felt right.
Then the FILLES all hugged me.
"Congratulations Moon Dancer," Lemon Hearts said.
"I haven't won anything, all I did was take the first step."
"Trust me," Said Other-Fluttershy, "that's a big one!"
Rainbow Dash didn't hug me, but gave me a pat on the back. "We've had to see a LOT of ponies patch themselves up after what Discord did, so trust us when we say THAT."
I smiled. I'm free. I'm truly free.
AJ, you can see the truth, so I know the choice I made wasn't something I didn't consciously do, I saved Scoots, nothing else to it. Mom, dad, is that what you felt like with me? There never was a choice, you protected me, nothing else to it. It's funny, Rarity isn't razing me for not saving Sweetie or Spike while Scoots was . . . that's cause she feels that she should have been the one to save either of them when Twilight can't help Spike. I'm no rocket scientist but even I can see that! Or maybe Rarity just generously knows I can't be in two places at once.
Rarity and Applebloom are doing wonders for each other right, Celestia knows they need it. I think we all would have gone insane if we'd been doing this alone.
Princess Celestia, you said we were the two Elements who'd have to make the hard choice, and well Princess, it didn't work out the way I thought it would. AJ, I screwed up after Discord broke me with his sick game, never again, Scoots doesn't want to run away again, and neither do I.
Spike, your friends are coming for you, hang in there. I have faith in them.
Dang it. We're a regular sized herd in here there are so many of us. Plus the creepy bug pony who turns out to be completely and honestly NICE. There's the fillies and Mr. Silver, Cadence and her maidens, and Lyra's family. Not to mention a bunch of Canterlot unicorn mares we've never met before. As Pinkie Pie would say 'we're supposed to be the main characters here.'
Pinkie Pie's doing okay, then again, she does great in large groups. And for the Flutters, they're keeping the bug pony, I mean Moth in the right direction. I don't exactly trust Cobweb since we're dealing with evil shape shifting love-vampires. But apart from her coming out of freakin' nowhere . . . she's still suspicious. But no, I'm not going to assume she's a bad guy, that's not what I mean. The bu-Moth is apparently a good guy, if Cobweb IS another Changeling, she might be one of the good ones too. But that doesn't mean I'm going to assume she CAN'T be one of the bad ones. I'll just keep an eye on her. How would Twilight put? Oh yeah, 'trust but verify!'
I've got to say . . . the difference between the real Cadence and the fake? . . . When she defended Moth, I finally saw what Twilight DIDN'T see in the fake. She doesn't pass judgment like that, she doesn't rub it in, she doesn't ENJOY rubbing a pony's nose in it, she gives the benefit of the doubt instead of assuming a pony can't change. She wouldn't assume the worst about somepony. This is the real Cadence.
What zombie-AJ showed me with her truth-eyes? . . . Look I never meant to be MEAN to Derpy! . . . I'm just sick of always being on the receiving end of her screw-ups and having to clean up her messes. I . . . never meant to hurt her. . . I know that doesn't change the fact I never apologized for spreading that rumor about her cheating on a test she aced and I flunked. I . . . guess what I meant is I didn't know I hurt her that bad. Okay I knew but I didn't THINK about it. Just add it to the pile of stupid things I did as a filly. And through everything I've said to her, she's never once tried to slack when her turn for weather duty comes up, even with those wacky eyes of hers . . . Scootaloo is taking extra effort to learn to fly . . . Derpy is a part of my weather team whenever her yearly requirement is due . . . I should take the extra effort to teach her. Maybe I will, after we beat that nag's buggy butt and get back to having the wedding!
--Rainbow Dash
About time we got to having some first person narratives! That's what this story is called after all! I really really wished we had just got some character driven story about forgiveness and jumping to conclusions, like Clover had when HER sister got married! Twilight why couldn't you just relive one of your past selves' adventures?!
Why do they have to add epicness to everything? I know lots of readers love it. But . . . aren't those times when we grow and learn as ponies entertaining too? Not everything has to be about fighting or beating the bad guys. It seems this story has gone so far off track of what it was meant to be, what we were meant to be. Well, we'll just have to make the most of it!
Gonna have ta throw Moth a 'coming out of the cocoon' party when we get back to Ponyville. And another 'saved the world again' party, or is this just a 'saved Equestria again' party? I don't think Queen Meanie said anything about taking over the world. Oh well, they're both fun!
Dashie's looking a little down, hmmm, let me check. Well that's good news! Dashie's as focused and determined as ever, and is even going to stop being so mean to Derpy! Well, she wasn't super nasty or anything like that. And Derpy didn't really seem to notice that much, I think. I hope the real Cadence likes the party I set up for her.
Rarity isn't throwing me stinky looks anymore for . . . for saving her from getting hurt from trying to rescue Sweetie. I don't know if she'd have saved Sweetie or not with what we know now, but hey, we've had enough 'could have should haves' for one myth arc!
I don't like what the others did to Moth . . . she didn't MEAN anything bad. Yeah she was acting like a silly filly, I mean, Celestia HURTING somepony for being different? What bad fanfic has she been reading?! We all make mistakes after all.
Let's do this! Some rapid fire funny faces, and TA-DA, she smiled! I know Bon-Bon and Fluttershy did most of the work, but every little bit helps!
That witch is so unoriginal! I mean, brainwashing ponies and turning us against each other? Doesn't she know Discord did that already? And Nightmare Whisper did brainwashing too! Seriously, we get brainwashed so often I'm beginning to think the author has a fetish or something! Though the evil invading army and devouring love and making all ponies into cattle IS a new spin on things. So points for that.
I make a point of introducing myself to Moon Dancer and Lemon Hearts and Twinkle Shine and Minuette and Cobweb and the real Princess Cadence . . . new friends! Better start memorizing birthdays and favorite colors!
Come on Moon Dancer smile! The witch isn't here anymore! And you have friends and all new friends all around you! Nopony is gonna hurt you that way again! Pinkie Promise! We're gonna beat her! Super GENTLE hug! Ultra POWERFUL lullaby! There there Moondancer, this is one ghostie we'll giggle away all together. Just smile. Alright, you can use me for a pillow for a little while.
--Pinkamena Diane Pie
Mother, father . . . why couldn't you have been in Ponyville? Then I could have dropped off Sweetie, oh right: she and her friends pulled that little scheme to get her to come along. Yes, I know I couldn't have seen this coming, but the reality remains I choose to let her come along, and she had this done to her because I agreed to have her come along. That is reality. I should have had her at least wear the dream catcher, maybe it would have warded off whatever attracted that monster to my baby sister.
Mother, father, I'm sorry I failed to protect Sweetie Belle, forgive me. Sweetie Belle, I'm sorry for failing you, I hope you'll be able to forgive me later. I'm your big sister, I'm the one trusted to always look after you, and now that witch has you. After what you endured what Discord did to you, you don't deserve this too.
I'd say I'd make that witch pay, but I just want you back safe and sound, and that witch unable to hurt anypony's little sister ever again . . . I don't care if she takes up basket weaving or is turned into a statue, I don't want her to hurt anypony ever again. She doesn't matter, what matters is Sweetie is safe again.
Thank you for the hug Applebloom, I think I need this too. It's a good reminder. Applejack, your real self has always mattered so much to you, I won't let that witch take it from you. Spike, I won't promise I'll save you, because it doesn't matter who does, only that you're safe again. Twilight, I imagine the others feel the same way, but you saved my soul from Discord, so now we'll do my best to help save yours if I can. There are so many of us here. Together we'll do it. Then I can start asking Princess Cadence what she thinks of her wedding dress. I now wonder if that witch even LIKED that dress I made for her.
Ugh. Did I have to imagine Sweetie assuring the queen I'd make her a new one after I was turned into her slave? . . . Well that is not happening. What that witch needs most right now is a harsh reminder she doesn't get to hurt whomever she pleases, and a good spanking! Perhaps a thousand years in stone or on the surface of the sun courtesy of the Elements will give her a wake up call.
Good work on Moon Dancer, Pinkie Pie. Good job on Moth, Fluttershy. No, I haven't forgiven her yet for her choices being why we're in this mess. I know that's not quite generous. I'm a flesh and blood pony. Sweetie Belle, I'll work towards it. And I also won't fixate on what she's done, not when she's now trying to help us as a true friend should.
And sadly we had proof that our enemy are just misguided creatures and not unholy monsters that I don't need to feel guilt about snuffing the life out of. This isn't some guiltless conflict where I can get blood on my hooves without conscience.
Oh my. If Cadence never actually fired her old bridesmaids, does that mean WE aren't really bridesmaids? I'll have to completely redesign their dresses after what happened to them! And Miss Lemon Heart and Moon Dancer, I'll simply HAVE TO do one for her to help her after what she's been through, I know it doesn't fix things, but it'll help her remember there are ponies who care.
As for Cobweb . . . after hearing so many bug themed names I'd be blind not to see the connection, but I won't jump to conclusions, her magic wasn't green, but still, maybe best not to turn my back on her.
Silver Tongue, I'm sorry your filly has been dragged into this. Scootaloo, don't worry, Sweetie will be saved. I know it.
--Rarity Belle
Everything is a whirlwind. I hope my birds are okay. I had them fly out the window and perch with Philomena, I know she'll keep them safe. Chrysalis, she's as bad as Discord . . . on second thought she's worse than Discord. Discord at least was the spirit of disharmony, he couldn't help being what he was. I know we had to stop him or Ponies would suffer under him like they did before, but I wish there was just some way for him to get to see . . . After all, if Nightmare Moon and Trixie could be saved, why not Discord?
Does that mean I think Chrysalis can be saved too? . . . Yes I do. Absolutely. Moth proved Changelings don't need to be monsters. But that doesn't mean I'm about to let her and her subjects hurt innocent ponies because she can't see the difference between a pony and a hayburger. If...if we have to send her to the sun or turn her into a statue, then we will. I know I'm not Nightmare Whisper anymore, I don't WANT to be ever again, but part of me wishes I could just sing a song and turn her into a happy little filly and let her spend a day playing with the Crusaders to teach her ponies are people. Maybe the Elements could do that if we tell them to...
I AM angry at Chrysalis, I accepted Flutterrage back into me. But this anger feels different than it did when I was 'New Fluttershy'...this anger feels like when Flutterrage got out when Twilight pointed out Discord would win if I didn't catch Rainbow. It feels like the RIGHT kind of anger. The anger that helps motivate instead of hurt.
I HATED leaving Spike, Applejack, Twilight, Sweetie Belle, and Shining Armor, all there with the queen. I hated we had to split up from Prince Blueblood and his friend, from Shining Armor's friends, and Twilight's parents. I know we had to, but I don't like it. I hope it was the right choice.
Moth. I'm proud of you for growing up now, the past is the past. Only take the good things with you from it. If one good thing came out of this, it's that Moth had to show herself to Bon Bon...and Bon Bon still loved her like a sister. Maybe when all is said and done ALL the Changelings can see the light. I was NOT telling a kind lie when I said Moth might be what a Changeling should be. I might not be a Goddess right now, but I know biology and nature. If an animal tries to feed in a way it isn't built to feed, they don't do as well as one who IS. A symbiotic animal feeding like a parasitic one isn't going to do as well as one feeding like a symbiot. And even if that isn't the case...SAPIENT beings can choose to CHANGE their nature from how they were made. The Griffins did it. Fluttercruel did it. Spike is. Why can't they?
Poor poor POOR Moondancer . . . here Pinkie Pie, let me help you with her, there's a good pony, just relaxing, just read, sleep for real, have peaceful and happy dreams right now. I think the only reason she didn't scream when she laid eyes on Moth changing is because she was too scared to. Don't worry little pony, I'll help you too.
--Fluttershy
Look can we just skip me? Seriously? I can't take this crud. A part of me was expected to just relax and let mom take care of things throughout this trip. Instead it's time to strap on the horseshoes again and beat up the baddies. Well, less talking and more smacking. But right now mom's touch is needed more than mine. I already gave Moth the 'cruel to be kind' treatment, I'm not needed right now. I like Lemon Hearts and Twinkle Shine's attitudes though. Maybe we can be friends.
--Fluttercruel
Silver Spoon, what kind of world have you been forced into? Your mother would have a panic attack if she knew the danger you were in. I know you like to think you know the world of adults inside and out, but there are realities you're thankfully still too young to realize or know, and I don't want you to see them until you've seen the good in the world to balance it out.
Why do you fillies have to think you can take on the world? You and over half the ponies here should just find a safe place to hide while I take the risks along with the others here whose duty it is to risk their lives for everypony else.
Princess Cadence. You've grown into a beautiful mare. I feel so old now. You'd never guess how old I really was just by looking at me. I sometimes wonder if I have your birth to thank for that. Or by how young my little filly is, so incredibly young.
Too bad, unlike the fantasies, putting on a few years doesn't excuse you from doing something when there aren't others around to help. Silver Platter, if anything happens, PLEASE look after our foal, make sure she grows in a proper mare: intelligent, beautiful, rational, who had a happy foalhood.
I'm happy you've made more friends Silver Spoon, I've never regretted you making friends with Diamond Tiara, in spite of everything, you made each other happy. And yes, I am very angry that the two you've managed to connect with the most since then have now been taken from you again. I won't let history repeat itself. Not today. You will have your friends back.
Sadly, this isn't a squad, this is a guerrilla group. Most of the protocol rules are out the window already. I might be retired, but that isn't an excuse right now, I am yours to command Princess. The oath I took is still as true now as ever.
I hereby do solemnly and sincerely and truly declare and affirm to the Citizens of Equestria that I will faithfully discharge the duties of a Guardspony. I choose to place myself in harm's way so that those who cannot defend themselves are defended. Though service is a heavy cost, For Equestria, I pay it gladly.
--Silver Tongue
Applejack . . .
Ah . . . Ah told 'em. Ah told em we were gonna help. Even without Spike and Sweetie. We were gonna do it. We always mess things up. That's what ya are always sayin'. Well, we're gonna mess up that witch's schemes three ways from Sunday! This time we're countin' on us messin' up fancy plans!
Just ya watch! We ain't helpless! We aren't babies! We're . . .we're gonna do it. Ah . . . Ah already have mah monsters ta keep me up at night. Ah ain't gonna get more of 'em. Ah ain't runnin', Scootaloo, Silver Spoon, we'll get 'em back! All of 'em!
C-Cutie Mark Crusaders Rescuers. . . . yay.
Scoots, don't be angry. Silver, be brave.
Thank ya kindly for the hug Miss Rarity, Ah . . . it feels nice. Thank ya. Ah . . . Ah guess we can fill in fer each other, just fer a little while.
Ah'm not that freaked out there are good bug ponies, Mitta was a good zombie pony, this is nothin', Moth bein' one is crazy enough.
Why do big sisters . . . always know how ta hug just . . . right . . .
--Applebloom
I have nothing to say. Yes I'm angry. I wish Diamond Tiara was here. Spike. Sweetie Belle. Both stolen right in front of my eyes. And now I find out all it would have taken is a little love to save them? I wish dad would let me kick that stupid bug money MORE. And keep kicking her. Until she knows how painful it is to lose her closest friends too. What does she know about that? All she knows how to be is to be afraid. Disgusting.
Diamond Tiara. Spike. Sweetie. Does the world just like to give me wonderful things and then take them away for a laugh? WELL NOT THIS TIME! I'M GETTING THEM BACK! YOU HEAR ME YOU STUPID WORLD! I'm getting them back! And there's nothing you can do about it! Nay-nay!
I hope that big bug pony suffers and suffers BADLY for this. I hope all of her little minions who went along with her scheme get what's coming to them. It's nothing less than what they've earned for themselves. Maybe Miss Rarity and her friends will seal them ALL in the sun forever!
No, I haven't forgotten about Scootaloo and Applebloom, but Spike and Sweetie are who I connected the most with. I don't care about the rest of these adults. I memorize their name and faces, as a proper little lady should, but that's it. Whatever scheme Applebloom cooks up (I don't trust the adult to do more than talk for fifty or so hours) I'll be behind her all the way.
I'm sorry father. I'm not scared of you. I love you. I promise. (A real promise, not an adult 'promise'). But I couldn't do anything when Diamond Tiara vanished. I won't let Spike and Sweetie vanish too. I told Diamond in that freaky nightmare I had I'd go to the ends of the earth to save her and now I'm swearing to do the same for Spike and Sweetie!
--Silver Spoon
It's kinda surreal to be honest…I'm gonna help Dash save the world. This should've been my dream, except it's more like a bad dream. I for the first time I can remember, I was angry at Dash. I'm losing those dear to me again. Seeing Sweetie Belle run away from us, being carried away from her and Spike . . .
I . . . I kinda said everything I was gonna say to Dash already. It's all I could really think about. I guess everypony was thinking the same thing.
Gotta help how we gotta. Gonna get back our friends no matter what. Kick bug pony butt. Applebloom sayin' how we're gonna do the crusading of our life! I don't care about my cutie mark right now, I want my friends back, and we're gonna take'em back. And Dash . . . I forgive you. I won't lose you too. Thank you . . . for not leaving me alone.
--Scootaloo
Twinkle Shine. Minuette. I'm happy you're alright. Shining Armor, my love, I should never have let Chrysalis intimidate me. But she did, being alone trapped in that cave with no way out, her sick taunts my only company for so long. Her constant bullying was Tartarus, it didn't matter it was all words, she is no
She's taken you from me, Twilight from me, my parents, I hope whatever she did to them that it's not like she's done to Moondancer, poor mare. I hope she gets a front row seat for her trial when we have the queen in chains before Auntie in judgment.
Mother, father, I don't know what Chrysalis has done to you, you should have been at the wedding. I want to go home and check on you, but Chrysalis I think knows me well enough for me to know it'll just be a trap. I have to save Equestria, and I have to save Canterlot for that to happen, and for that to happen I have to save Auntie, and for THAT, I need to save Shining Armor and Twilight.
Thunderchild, Gag, Garnet, Ellis, Audience...I hope you're okay...I know from the timeline that never was just how much you five can survive. Please let you and all those other ponies be okay.
Lyra, I wish I could have made your acquaintance in better circumstances. That goes double for all of you, Twilight's friends. She said so much about you. I'm sorry your first impressions had to be that mockery of me.
Applebloom, Scootaloo, I do know I'd have picked you and your friend as my flower fillies anyway. More than one flower filly? Why not. Since when have I been fixated on traditionalism? You two are so strong willed and loyal to your friends, and for that I respect you.
Silver Spoon, that look in her eyes, I don't blame her for it in the least. Still, it just feels wrong to see a filly hate.
Moth? I said what I was going to say about her. End of discussion. She's another friend now. Nothing more. Nothing less. Moving on.
Strange but happy Pinkie Pie. Relentless and unbreakable Rainbow Dash. Graceful and sophisticated Rarity. Kind and gentle Fluttershy, with another side of her that is harsh yet considerate. Yes, I can sense it. I'm an Alicorn, I'm Bonds, I can sense there being a Bond WITHIN one body. But I'll let her explain when she wants to.
As for Lemon Hearts, her Angry Mother Lemon might have given us the time we needed to get away. I'm sorry another random mare like her and Cobweb have to be dragged into this. Then again, Cobweb almost seemed to JUMP into this, like she was WAITING to help us. . .
Auntie Celestia, stay strong. You're the smartest, strongest mare I know. If anyone can put up with being that maniac's captive it's you.
Auntie Luna...I hope you're okay. I know how tough Alicorns are. But I can't wait for your to recover and lead the cavalry back here...but I can hope to have the front door wide open for you when you return.
Shining Armor. I'll save you. You shouldn't even be in this mess. And we will have our wedding day. And it'll be as beautiful as it should be! And we will have our happy ending at last! I promise Shining. Chrysalis made me feel alone, but I don't anymore, that walking lie can't use the same tricks on me again. Send me down into the caves a hundred times Chrysalis, I swear I'll gallop my way out a hundred times more! You said it yourself, our love is the strongest you've seen. And I swear on BOTH my Aunties' names that it'll be stronger than you can handle.
Shining Armor, I know you're in there, don't give into despair, I'll be there for you.
--Cadence
Moth is one of those monsters. Everything I remember about her before Ponyville is a lie. She did the same thing to Bon Bon and Tootsie. She knew how to save the Elements and fix everything, but chickened out.
I don't feel sorry for her now that the fillies, Rainbow Dash, and Bon Bon have all had their licks in. I want to slap her in the face until her carapace comes loose. She's earned it.
But . . . BUT . . . sigh. If Bon Bon forgives her, if Bon Bon accepts her as part of our family, if Bon Bon still calls her sister: then that's what Bon Bon wants. If I hurt Moth, then I'm hurting Bon Bon.
For Bon Bon's sake, I won't hold a grudge, and I'll defend her like any part of the herd, but like her? Forgiving her? That's going to have to come later. It's kinda freaky to see her magic color turn to match mine and her say that means she's sworn loyalty to me and Bon Bon. But that doesn't change how I feel. I . . . I wish it did. That color, what she said, she, she does love us.
I never thought I'd be on an adventure with the Elements of Harmony, that's for sure. Looking at the fillies, I'm now HAPPY Tootsie isn't here to see this, and . . . I'm happy she didn't have to learn this about Moth. Okay, learn it THIS way...some day she'll have to know, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. From the look on Silver Tongue's face, I know he wishes he had kept his daughter safe at home.
So now I'm officially one of Princess Cadence's bridesmaids, well, once we defeat the evil queen and save Princess Celestia, her student, her captain of the guard, the other Elements, and all of Equestria.
Well, Minuette and Twinkle Shine, you were right, working for Princess Cadence IS an interesting time. Moon Dancer, I'm happy we were there to help you, I'm sorry we didn't come sooner . . . didn't come . . . oh right.
The bug queen was going to brainwash me Twinkle Shine and Minuette! But then suddenly decided without even meeting me that we were 'useless' and wanted to brainwash some of the Elements and an innocent filly instead. If we had come sooner we'd be in her zombie collection instead of Applejack and the others . . . No I'm not going to say that's a 'good thing' we ponies don't believe in 'more important ponies.'
Rarity...I feel bad for her. Her little sister is being used like a living battery. Why WOULDN'T I feel bad for the poor girl? If it were Tootsie...All I know is if I were in her horseshoes, I'd be biting at the bit to get my hooves around that witch's throat. I want to say something to her but I don't know what I COULD say.
Cobweb? She helped me before the chaos at the wedding started, but I don't like how she just told me, but didn't seem to tell anyone else. She might have helped us a little. But she could have helped a lot more if she knew something was up. She said she's undercover, but why? Is she a Changeling trying to trick us? Somepony like Moth? Some secret government agent like in the X-Folders? I wonder how long she's going to keep up this farce until she tell us who she really is.
Lemon Hearts, she shouldn't be involved in this AT ALL! She's friends with Minuette, Twinkle Shine, and Moon Dancer, she knew Twilight Sparkle in magic school, she was part of the 'try to get the anti-social OCD bibliophile to interact with ponies' cabal. Got to admit, her Angry Mommy Lemon is something else. Now I know why Twinkle Shine said most of the Guards are afraid of her. But she is involved. And if we aren't going to stop some fillies from helping, then asking a student of Celestia's school for gifted unicorns not to help is kinda dumb.
As for me, well, I'm Cadence's maiden now, where she leads, I'll follow.
--Lyra Heart Strings
What I've said about Moth, I've already said. Lyra? I can tell she's not happy for what Moth did to me and to Tootsie. I don't blame her. I just hope I can turn her around.
I certainly wasn't planning on being involved in something like this!!! I'm not an Element! I'm not a chosen one! My bloodline is directly descendant from Paradise Estate? Well, maybe. Twilight DID give me that journal saying as much... But I just do candies! I'm not anything special! I'm nopony! Lyra is the weird one with the human fixation! At least Twilight Sparkle's friends were all hired by Mayor Mare to get everything ready for the Summer Sun Celebration!
Nightmare Moon, Princess Gaia, D-d-Discord! My family did what we always do, endure. It's always somepony else who does the adventuring, faces the evil overlords. What am I even doing here? We should have just found a place to hide along with Blueblood and Twilight Sparkle's family. We're all idiots for sticking around. We're not guards, we're not heroes!
Why did my family have to be dragged into this? I think I understand why you didn't want us involved Moth. Why you wanted us to get out of dodge when we had the chance. You saw the coming storm, you knew what monster were lurking in Canterlot. But if we weren't here, who knows how things would have turned out. And if you weren't here, the heroes wouldn't have the keys to their friends' chains.
Hey! I'm no coward! You'd run into your house and lock the door if a filly with a ancient plague was in the street!
Lyra's volunteered for Princess Cadence, and I'll be there for her, and Moth.
I just hope our role here is just about over and we can look forward to telling Tootsie all about this adventure once it's over. There is one good thing that's come of this. I've now gotten to know my sister for real.
--Bon-Bon
I've said all there is to say about my actions, what I am, and what I'll do. This is my swarm, my family. 'Live for the swarm', and I'll protect them to the end as a changeling should.
Princess Cadence, Princess Fluttershy, your royal subject is yours to command.
--Moth
What the buck am I even doing in this bucking mess? I thought from the way those two guards were talking that they were trying to leech more of my lemon treats off me so they could fake being sick to their superior again like a lot of ponies have done before. I snapped and sic my Angry Mother Lemon on them. That's how I found out what they were and why I chased them clear out of the castle (I normally only chase them out of the kitchen. The higher ups don't mind because it teaches the rookies a lesson not to slack off). THAT is what happens when you throw the lemons back, AND THAT is what happens you try to burn life's house down with them.
Then I find out we're in the middle of a massive invasion for the first time I can remember Equestria EVER HAVING ONE! The city is full of brainwashed ponies, bugs pretending to be ponies, oh and Bon Bon's twin sister is one but she's nice! The captain of the guard is brainwashed! Two of the Elements are! Luna's guard got booted out of Canterlot. A lot of Canterlot's guards and security are all bug ponies in disguise! The real princess apparently was underground and was rescued by FREAKIN' Prince 'I'm better than you' Blueblood!
All because I threw a giant angry lemon at some freakin' Guards! I want to go home, and go to bed and forget this is even happening! But that isn't happening. Not today. Not until this is bucking over! Moonsend it.
This isn't the first time. I took the entrance examine to Celestia's school for gifted unicorns because I was expected to. I didn't expect to pass, and that was fine by me. I wasn't interested in being locked up in some fancy smancy school. All eyes were on my sister, everypony knew she'd pass. Except I did pass, and she didn't. To the shock of everypony.
I was at the most prestigious bordering school at the time, but I heard my sister got to know Princess Cadence, yes, this Princess Cadence in the room with me, when she attended a normal school as part of her being 'the people's princess', no I'm not saying anything, there's enough drama around here.
I really did consider just being a lazy mare, getting lousy grades and being thrown out and get back to my life. But it felt like cheating. My grades were never the best, but they were never awful either. Of course I had classmates and even some teachers who were SURE me being at Celestia's School HAD TO BE a filing error. I wasn't a true mage unicorn, my magic was focused on lemons. A fruit. And not even a particularly sweet or well liked one.
So yeah, no pony was asking 'what the buck am I doing here' more than me. But apparently, the way I USED my magic and my special talent was clever enough and so outside the box that the teachers thought I made a good oddity. I think nopony was too impressed by my 'turn other fruit into lemons' spell.
I actually enchanted my lemons to COME BACK to me if they ever got stolen once . . . this is one of the reasons I'm a firm believer in the Sass Squash, he ended up chasing my lemons when they came back to me. And he'd steal them back. Finally he offered a giant squash in exchange for a lemon pie, and we left each other alone.
Now there's the rumor going around the Gifted Schools were all breeding grounds to try and find an Element of Magic for Princess Celestia to purify Nightmare Moon with.
Can you imagine? Me? Element of Magic? Bigger jokes have happened. Poor Angry Mother Lemon, I'll have to create a new one, I lost the one I had to that big changeling guard. Yes, I care about them! That's the FIRST thing they teach in Familiar and Creation Classes: if you make a living thing, you CARE for it. It's not JUST an attack dog...it's a living thing that gave its life for me.
I got extra lessons when the teachers finally took notice of my talent at making Familiars. It's not a type of magic to be taken lightly.
Moon Dancer, Twinkle Shine, Minuette, we might have gotten 'passed over' for not being 'worthy' of being Princess Celestia's precious 'Element of Magic' but sure as Tartarus, there is no way, guard or no, mage unicorn or no, am I EVER going to be considered 'no good' in a time like this.
--Lemon Hearts
Not again. By Celestia. Not again. We weren't able to do a thing about pegasus Sunset. We didn't know it had happened until we were TOLD about it! I still remember how that made me feel!
The horrible things Princess Cadence said to us . . . in the end I'm just happy that wasn't really her. Considering that witch had the wool over everypony's eyes, including Princess Celestia, there's plenty of blame to go around. Pointing hooves now isn't going to change a thing. Moth's blot is just one of the bigger ones. We didn't realize our Princess would never say those things to us. The Princess we served for two years. That witch mixed in just enough of how Cadence would really act just to rub it in. None of us saw it. We were too hurt TO see it.
Minuette, thanks for giving it your all back there. We needed all we could get. Princess, sorry we didn't get there sooner.
Nice to meet the Elements of Harmony at last. Well, four of them, we already knew Twilight Sparkle, and Ellis of course had to talk about his relatives including Applejack whenever he got the chance.
Moon Dancer is going to take a while to pull herself together, but she'll manage, I believe in her. She was chosen to be one of Princess Celestia's gifted unicorns, and Princess Celestia doesn't make mistakes. Heck, if there wasn't that lie the Changelings passed around, I'd suggest we run over to the school and recruit our fellow students.
I gotta say, meeting Lyra's family is a lot more complicated than I thought it was gonna be. Hopefully Tootsie won't have a best friend whose secretly a fairy princess who wants to keep her all to herself in a magic land inside her toy box that we'll have to go in after her.
Lemon Hearts, thanks girl. I know this can't be easy for you. I know how much it had to hurt for that big Changeling to kill your Familiar. Lemon Hearts took the 'treat your Familiars as living things' lessons to heart and threats all her Familiars like her kids. Good thing too, considering how skilled she is at it. Princess . . . you can bet that when we win this, I am adding in some sparkles to this wedding!
Why is that pink pony looking at me funny? Oh right, Pinkie Pie, Element of Laughter right? I still don't know how she managed to pull that trick back at the hall of doors, but can't say I'm not glad she did. I'll admit, I didn't know what I was expecting with the Elements, but how they are still manages to take me a little by surprise. I don't want to think how Fluttershy would react if she and Thunderchild actually met! Well, that other personality she seems to have might be too much for him! ...I just hope that he's okay. I know he was in Canterlot, but if anyone could catch themselves after being thrown out like that it's him and Gag. They're tough...
As for the fastest pegasus alive, what I don't get is why she isn't a Wonderbolt already and is still a weather team captain. I wonder if Miss Belle likes sparkles in her dress. I'm gonna ask for more in mine if she gets around to making our dresses after we win this.
Pink pony still looking at me.
"It's wonderful to see you again Sparkle Works, I'm happy some part of you made it into this world after all. Sunny Daze is in Ponyville if you ever want to meet her."
"Uh? Sparkle Works? Sunny Daze? Sorry. I think you have the wrong pony. My name is Twinkle Shine."
"Oh. Right. Sorry. You are somepony else. Sorry. You just really really remind me of a friend I used to know, she once painted my home town in sparkles for her birthday present to herself."
"Sounds like one crazy pony."
"Yes. But we were all a little crazy, and she was fun to have around."
“Sounds like somepony who'd be the life of the party.”
"Yes, she was. And I'm sure you're a great pony too. So can you tell me a little about yourself?"
Weird pink pony. But . . . that peaceful smile on her face, she doesn't seem nuts, more like, just happy to see me. Well. No point in not being nice. "Alright."
--Twinkle Shine
So here we are again. I'm just happy I fed my previous-self to the Reaper when I had the chance. Otherwise, I know I would have opened the watch by now. It's funny, I don't feel less for it, if anything, I feel free.
Everything he was is gone. Never was. Which is fine by me. It just means he's not around to bring misery to another universe after bringing so much to the last universe he was in. Everything he had belongs to me now.
I've been half-expecting the Doctor to turn any second now to clean up and fix up all of this with a cup of hot tea and some forks. None of His incarnations however were as good at thinking outside the box as the Doctor is. I think I'm probably the best at it out of any of them. And yes, I'm quite proud of that.
I hate that look in Silver Spoon's eyes. Hopefully once this war is over it won't have a chance to grow into something more. Sadly, war is what this is, and that feeling she's having right now is what the gears for a war turn on.
A war in Equestria, Equestria in a war, it's the most absolutely most wrong thing in the history of wrong. Equestria is a nation of peace, Celestia's kept us at peace by the thousands of years of experience she wields, not by the strength of any army. We didn't make enemies, we made friends.
He was the born warrior, I never was. Like I told him back when he tempted me, I'm a dentist. I'm a healer. I'm not a warrior. We're going to end this war before it has a chance to spread. No more wars, no more
But I AM a planner. I did take THAT from him. I'm a thinker. My sense of timing is first rate. And with Twilight Sparkle under that witch's spell, we NEED a planner. Bad. That I can do.
Twinkle Shine, don't worry, I'm not letting what happened to pegasus Sunset happen to either of us. I'll look after you, if you look after me.
I don't know if the look in Applebloom's eyes is worse somehow, she's already seen things a foal isn't meant to. I suppose a lot of ponies who know how to spot it would say the same thing. It shouldn't be weakened by repetition, but ponies, like humans, can adapt to anything.
Moon Dancer . . . I hate what that witch for what she did to you. What she did to Miss Rarity's sister. To Spike. To Twilight Sparkle. To Miss Applejack. What she ALMOST DID to ME, to Twinkle Shine, to Lyra. I KNOW what kind of heart and mind you need to DO this sort of thing to a pony, to do what she made you and them do to your friends and feel not one ounce of remorse . . . and that makes me all the more disgusted with her. Princess, this isn't an enemy you can negotiate or reason with, you have to put her down.
And pray that the rest of the changelings wake up to reality like Moth finally has. Maybe she can lead her kind of the darkness. After all, all it takes is the right pony at the right time, that's how history works.
Audience...I'm glad you weren't here. At least that means I know you're okay...and that there's no chance you'll need to put that Black Thistle training to the test. I don't hate you for it, I love you, I just know you don't want to kill and I don't want you in that position.
Lemon Hearts, sorry you got pulled into this, I'll do my best to make sure you live to tell your grandkids about it. And Silver Tongue, no heroic self sacrifices please. As for 'Cobweb' . . . I know alias', I wonder what she's hiding behind it. Well, if I had to hazard a guess . . .
--Minuette
None of them suspected a thing. Well, Pinkie Pie suspects something. But everything is going according to plan. Moth made a wonderful distraction to keep them from asking ME questions. When all is said and done I must thank her for her unknowingly help. Should I make my move now? No. Timing is key. A trap door spider lies in wait until her prey is in sight. And my prey is still a long way off...
--Cobweb
. . . Oh sorry. It's my turn? I'm sorry. Ever since Minuette and Twinkle Shine saved me from Her Majesty's magic . . . it gets hard to focus sometimes. I'm getting better, but . . . but after seeing Lyra's friend turn into one of them I think I might have trouble focusing again. I'm lucky the flames were clear and not green, or else I might have had it even worse.
I hate having this green shade to my eyes, disguise or not, but at the same time, there was a part of me that almost likes it. The simplicity of being told what to do, not having to think about it. I'm disgusted at myself for it.
Poor Spike. He's one of Chrysalis' slaves now because of me. He's going through what I went through because of me. She took me, USED me. She was going to use me as a duckblind to my friends after she did the same to them, then as bait if Sparkler's family friend came. And I couldn't stop her! It was for my FRIENDS! I didn't love Spike that way but he was my FRIEND! So are Minuette and Sparkler! Magic is friendship! She was using magic on me! I'm a mage unicorn! It was for the sake of my friends! I should have been able to do more! I should have been able to resist! I should have been able to BEAT HER BACK!!!
But I wasn't strong enough, or good enough! I couldn't be Princess Celestia's Element of Magic to save her sister like she hoped I could be! Now I know why! I couldn't protect my friends!!! I couldn't protect anypony! Not them! Not myself! N-n-n-no-not g-goo-good e-en-enough . . .
"Moon Dancer? Moon Dancer!"
The group all gathered around the unicorn as she descended into seizures or a panic attack.
"What's going on?!" Lyra asked. All eyes turned to the closest thing they had to an expert on the situation.
"...This isn't Changeling magic, there's definitely some residue from the Queen's control, but not enough to cause this," Moth explained carefully, looking it over. "But there might have been some psychological trauma..."
"You THINK?!" Lemon Hearts hissed at her.
Lyra helped Moon Dancer up. "Moon Dancer, please calm down. What's wrong?"
"I...I failed my friends...I failed my Princess...I failed everypony...I was too weak...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."
She repeated the mantra, tears started down her face.
I considered pointing out to her that it's simply not possible for a pony to break free on their own. That she was probably resisting as much as she COULD resist given the kind of magic...but with how traumatized she was...I had a feeling being spoken to by a Changeling was the last thing she needed right now.
"Moon Dancer...you've helped us a lot right now...We wouldn't have MADE it to the wedding period without you," Lyra tried to say, but all it seemed to do was make her relax a little...but the tears didn't stop.
"But before that? If I'd been ABLE to do something, then we wouldn't be IN this mess! It's...Spike...she used me to get him! It's my fault...I wasn't strong enough...I was weak...And you've all paid for it..."
It hit close to home...
"I know how you feel sometimes..." I finally said, causing her to perk up a little bit.
"W-What? Lemon Hearts...what..."
"My special talent is LEMONS, how often do you think I've been told I was weak?" I ask.
"I never thought...thought you were weak..."
"That's because you first met me when I made my first Angry Mother Lemon. Teachers, students...they always felt I was weak...and I'll admit...after awhile, I started to feel that way...I started to feel I was a joke or weak."
"But...you're not...you're..."
"But back then, I thought I was. I didn't do much to dissuade them. I didn't try to because I felt they were right...And I was the only one of your friends who was HERE the ENTIRE time, but didn't notice there was something WRONG with you!"
She gasped in surprise at that.
"Yeah, that's right. I didn't notice. I was so busy being caught up with my lemons that I didn't notice you'd been brainwashed by some witch! Tartarus! I didn't notice what happened to Minny and Twinkleshine! If it hadn't been by complete accident I would still be in my kitchen right now! I'm the most oblivious pony ever! If ANYONE here should feel like they've failed their friends it's me!"
"Stop it!" she finally screamed. "You didn't fail me! There's nothing you could have done, Lemon! You were just dedicated to your job! You just love your Familiars like they're your children! That's all!"
"And there's nothing you could have done. No more than any of us could have done when that MONSTER these four helped lock back up turned us all into madponies! You think I WANTED to chase my Angry Lemons through the halls with a giant orange squeezer, not caring who got in my way, shouting how much I hated my own lemons? "
"She's right..." Rarity said. "We COULDN'T break free of that monster's control on our own. We NEEDED help to free ourselves."
Moon Dancer looked down. "But...I just feel like...I feel so helpless..."
"We all felt that way back then, Moon Dancer," Rarity explained. "When his spell was broken I felt so...violated, so helpless. And yes, I did feel like I had failed. Like it was my fault. That's what ponies like Discord and Chrysalis WANT us to feel like, Moon Dancer. They want us to feel like we're the ones to blame for what they did to us. It's the punchline to their sick jokes."
I nodded. "That's how I felt too...Moon Dancer, do you want to prove that you're not weak? Then don't let her win. Prove her wrong and don't let her make you blame yourself for this like she wants you to. Be strong enough NOT to blame yourself like she WANTS you to. Be strong enough to help us in SPITE of what she did to you."
"...I know my word doesn't mean much..." Moth said. "But I know one thing about Queen Chrysalis, and that's that she hates not getting her way...That's probably the best revenge you could hope to get on her."
Moon Dancer looked thoughtfully. "O-Okay... I think I understand...You're right, if I let her control how I think now...if I let Her Majesty control me even AFTER I'm free, then I am weak. If I let her Majesty...her majesty...her maj-THAT BUCKING WITCH stop me from helping my friends then I'm weak!"
I don't know how to describe that look on her face. It was like watching a strong stallion break out of chains when she called the witch what she really was. Moon Dancer panted heavily, but looked free. Finally free.
She then hugged me, Minuette, and Twinkle Shine tightly.
"Thank you..."
I smiled to her. "What are friends for?"
I felt free. I FINALLY felt free! That witch! I can call her a witch! Haha! That feels SO GOOD! She's a dirty rotten wicked witch! Not 'Her Majesty!' She's a witch!
...Sorry... I'm just so bucking sick of calling that monster 'Her Majesty!' So bucking sick of it!
That said...I guess I wasn't QUITE free yet...
I turned and looked to Moth. "Moth...turn into your true form. Now...Please."
She blinked. "What?"
"Please...If I'm going to help with this, I need to know I can see a Changeling in their real form. If I can't bare the sight of a GOOD one, how am I supposed to help fight them?"
She slowly nodded. "Alright."
She burst into flames the same color as Lyra's magic and...come on, Moon Dancer, fight through it!
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down. I opened them and looked at her. My breathing picked up a bit but I managed to keep myself together and not panic like I did before.
"...T-Thanks...I needed that."
Moth nodded slowly. "You're welcome...I have a lot to make up for, I needed to start somewhere."
Lemon Hearts hugged me, then Minuette hugged me, then Twinkle hugged me, Lyra hugged me. My friends. Then Princess Cadence hugged me! PRINCESS CADENCE! I felt like I was going to faint for a moment!
"Well done, Moon Dancer. Facing your fears is never an easy thing to do," she said, and gave me a smile.
Then Miss Rarity hugged me. "I know how hard that truly was," She said.
Then Fluttershy hugged me. Then her tone and posture changed. "Good job little pony." She smirked.
Then Pinkie Pie hugged me. She was crying. "I-I, I'm SO PROUD of you Moon Dancer!" She said like we were lifetime friends and . . . it felt right.
Then the FILLES all hugged me.
"Congratulations Moon Dancer," Lemon Hearts said.
"I haven't won anything, all I did was take the first step."
"Trust me," Said Other-Fluttershy, "that's a big one!"
Rainbow Dash didn't hug me, but gave me a pat on the back. "We've had to see a LOT of ponies patch themselves up after what Discord did, so trust us when we say THAT."
I smiled. I'm free. I'm truly free.
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My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Pony POV Series
Not The Wedding You Remember
Part 15
Whole Moon
By Alex Warlorn
Chrysalis' scheme, in spite of several hiccups and last minute changes, seems to have worked out hasn't it? Except, Chrysalis forgot, there ARE NO unimportant ponies.
Previous: alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art…
Next Chapter: alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art…
First Chapter: alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art…
Trope page: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php… (always needs more love).
The Pony POV Series is a non-profit hobby.
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic And All Related Character Copyright Of Hasbro
You are free to post your opinion. But please keep it civil.
Art by Rose Laxzi. rose-laxzi.deviantart.com/art/…
Pony POV Series
Not The Wedding You Remember
Part 15
Whole Moon
By Alex Warlorn
Chrysalis' scheme, in spite of several hiccups and last minute changes, seems to have worked out hasn't it? Except, Chrysalis forgot, there ARE NO unimportant ponies.
Previous: alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art…
Next Chapter: alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art…
First Chapter: alexwarlorn.deviantart.com/art…
Trope page: tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php… (always needs more love).
The Pony POV Series is a non-profit hobby.
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic And All Related Character Copyright Of Hasbro
You are free to post your opinion. But please keep it civil.
Art by Rose Laxzi. rose-laxzi.deviantart.com/art/…
© 2014 - 2024 alexwarlorn
Comments93
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Boy, Cobweb's suspicious behavior piles up and up. And he says "nobody suspects a thing" while everyone else mentions they're keeping an eye on him and find him suspicious. At this point, this much heavy-handed foreshadowing feels more like an indicator that his trap will be for someone completely unexpected.