Twilight was carrying the stone Spike to the Crystal Empire castle just as the citizens in the Crystal Empire were running around in a panic.
"I know we're most likely too late to save Cadance," said Twilight to her petrified friend, "But we should at least see if she's okay. Though it probably wasn't the best idea to drag you through the Crystal Empire since the citizens now see that 'Spike: The Brave and Glorious' has been turned to stone."
...
Twilight soon ran to the throne room (she left Spike by the door as she could not stand carrying him around anymore). She soon gasps as she comes across Shining Armor encased in stone.
"Big brother!"
She came to his statue and caressed his stone chin in worry. After that, she decides to kick open the doors to the throne room and sees Cadance, fully awake from her nap, cradling a young, scared Flurry Heart. Cadance looked and saw Twilight.
"Twilight!" Cadance said in happiness and Flurry soon babbled in happiness as she saw Twilight.
Cadance set Flurry Down and ran to Twilight and they do their chant.
"Sunshine! Sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"
They laugh before Cadance takes notice of Twilight not having her wings.
"Oh my, you're a unicorn again!"
"And you're a pegasus!" Twilight pointed out.
"Yeah," said Cadance, "I did tell you once that I was an orphaned Pegasus raised by Earth Ponies."
"Were you attacked by some evil unicorn who took your alicornhood and..."
"...gave it to Rainbow Dash?" Cadance finished the question, "Yes. And I happen to know that unicorn."
"Really?"
"Yes, he's my ex-boyfriend." Cadance said, dropping a bomb.
Twilight looked positively dumbfounded.
"Well," Twilight began awkwardly, "That's...surprising."
"It was many years ago, before I even became your foalsitter or met your brother."
...
We flashback to a teenage Cadance as she was trotting around Canterlot happily.
"I was out to mingle with the common ponies. Just because I became royalty doesn't mean I don't want to befriend others."
The young Cadance then noticed a teenage Bitter Taste hypnotizing a young Fleur-De-Lis with his magic in front of a large crowd.
"And that's when I met Bitter Taste. He was an orphaned street urchin who made a living by performing hypnotist shows."
"And now my dear, you are a dog!" commanded Bitter Taste. And just like that, Fleur-De-Lis began barking like a dog. The audience laughed their heads odd Cadance snickered.
"When he called for another volunteer, I decided to get in on the action."
Cadance raised her hoof when Bitter Taste asked for another volunteer. She made her way to him as a crowd made room for her. When she got to the front, the young Bitter Taste looked intrigued.
"Your Majesty," said Bitter Taste, "I mean no disrespect, but why would you want to let yourself be a mindless puppet for entertainment?"
"Well," said Cadance, "I just think this will be fun."
Bitter Taste just shrugged and casted his hypnosis spell on Cadance. Like Rainbow Dash from the first chapter, he shot a beam of magic onto her head and Cadance flinched a little before her eyes became red swirls. She is now completely hypnotized.
"Alright, your highness," said Bitter Taste, "You are now a pig."
Cadance stood in place for a second before squealing like a pig and snorting her nose. She soon saw some mud on some nearby grass and proceeded to jump in it and roll around it. The spectators laugh at this. Bitter Taste came to the hypnotized Cadance before zapping her with his magic again, which caused her to snap out of the trance as her eyes go back to normal, although she looks a little dizzy. She soon fell down on her back to the mud, which made the ponies laugh even harder. Cadance looked pretty humiliated until Bitter Taste offered her his hood and gave a dazzling smile at her. Cadance took the hoof and got up from the mud and looked lovingly at him.
"I don't know how or why," the future Cadance narrated, "But I somehow fell in love with the guy."
...
We see Cadance and Bitter Taste eating at a diner together.
"We both shared a lot of things in common," future Cadance narrated still, "Like us being orphans and wanting to change Equestria."
Once they've been given the bill by their waiter, a Pegasus, Bitter Taste looks in the sack be brought, but nothing. Cadance did the same and nothing.
"But over time, Bitter Taste started to use my royal status as an advantage." Cadance narrated
However, Bitter Taste got an idea and lit up his horn and Cadance becomes hypnotized again as she glared daggers at the waiter.
"As a royal pony," Cadance said mechanically, "I herby order you to not charge me and my significant other for this meal we had."
Looking nervous, the waiter took the bill back and ate it. Bitter Taste smiled as he withdraws his magic, making Cadance snap out of the trance as she shook her head and gave a dizzy look.
Cadance then groaned as she said "What just happened?"
Bitter Taste then fibbed, "Don't worry my dear, you just had an allergic reaction to your food and passed out. Don't worry, it subsided now."
Cadance looked suspicious but decided not to elaborate.
...
"Over time, he began to manipulate me." Future Cadance narrated.
Cadance and Bitter Taste were at a carnival and when they went to the Ferris wheel, they noticed a long line.
"Oh dear," Cadance said in worry.
Bitter Taste smiled smugly and charged up his horn and Cadance was instantly hypnotized.
...
Soon, she and Bitter Taste were instantly on a Ferris Wheel seat.
"Oh, come on," an Earth Pony stallion patron complained, "Just because she's royalty and he's her boyfriend, they should cut in front of all of us?"
"Yes," the Unicorn operator, Bitter Taste and the hypnotized Cadance answered at the same time.
As soon as the ride got going, Cadance was released from her trance again and looked a little dizzy.
...
"He made me do the most terrible of things," Cadance narrated.
Cadance and Bitter Taste were walking along the middle of Canterlot. Bitter Taste was suddenly hit in the arm by a passing Earth Pony.
Bitter Taste groaned and yelled at the passing pony, "Hey!"
"Watch where you're going kid," said the Earth Pony unapologetically.
Bitter Taste seethed with anger before getting an idea. He used his magic and Cadance was hypnotized again.
...
The Earth Pony was standing in front of Bitter Taste with a nervous look while Bitter looked smug and a hypnotized Cadance was flying next to him with a stern look to The Earth Pony.
"I-I-I apologize for bumping into you." The Earth Pony said nervously.
Bitter Taste smiled with pride.
Cadance narrated again, "But things got worse when I decided to introduce him to Celestia.
...
We see a teen Cadance sleeping in a bedroom as Bitter Taste watched her before going out fo the room and closing the door.
"He placed a sleeping spell on me."
...
Later, Cadance then started to wake.
"I woke up hours later."
Cadance woke up and got out of the bed and she soon got a little concerned.
"And at that moment, all the times I've been with Bitter Taste, I had a constant headache and lack of sudden memory."
...
The teen Cadance ran out of her room and went to the throne room and soon opened to door and was shocked to see Celestia hypnotized and Bitter Taste standing on the side of her.
"Oh, Celestia," Bitter Taste said smoothly, "I am glad that you have decided let me control you so that I can control Equestria."
"Yes master," Celestia said in a monotone.
Cadance whispered a gasp as she saw this.
"Ah, that Cadance," Bitter Taste, "So beautiful and yet so naïve. Such a patsy."
Cadance looked utterly offended when she said this.
Cadancer narrated again, "That's when I met your brother."
Suddenly, a hoof touches the younger Cadance's neck causing her to gasp as the quickly turns her horn onto a young Shining Armor, dressed in a golden armor, and backs away slowly.
"Woah. Woah. Easy does it," Shining Armor said.
Cadance made a 'shh' gesture and motioned to the door. Shining looked at the door and looked shock at what he is seeing.
"Wait, wait wait!" Twilight is heard saying and bizarrely, the younger Cadance and Shining Armor hear her and look annoyed.
...
Back in the future, Cadance looks annoyed.
"What?" Cadance asked in frustration.
"You told me you and Shining Armor told me you met in school." Twilight said.
"I was in private school," said Cadance, "We just told you that to make it sound more romantic."
Twilight looked a little upset, "I don't appreciate being lied to."
"Well, I'm sorry; but can I please get back to the story please?" Cadance asked testily.
Twilight rolled her eyes gestured her hoof to her, signaling her that she may resume.
"Thanks," Cadance sighed as she cleared her throat to speak again.
...
"Now, me and Shining Amor saw what Bitter Taste was up to no good."
Back in the flashback, the teen Shining Armor and Cadance saw what has happening.
"And we began to form a plan."
Shining Amor then suddenly got an idea and whispered into Cadance's ear. Cadance listened with intrigue.
...
Bitter Taste was grooming Celestia a little when Cadance walked in.
"Bitter Taste!"
Bitter and Celestia turned to look at the angry Cadance.
"This is low, even for you. I cannot believe you would just use me to turn the ruler of Equestria into your mindless pawn!"
"Well, what can I say?" Bitter Taste said snidely as he walked to her but his slowly became more venomous, "When you live poor on the street with your family and no one, not even Princess Celestia herself does anything to lend a hoof and having to watch poor sweet Mom and Dad die of starvation, you're left with nothing but bitter taste!"
"You think that gives you the right to manipulate me and Celestia?" Cadance asked in exasperation.
"Yes," Bitter Taste said bluntly, "You can say that it's no excuse all you want, but it doesn't preclude the fact that no one bothered to help me out when things got rough."
"Well that doesn't change the fact that you're committing treason!" Cadance shouted.
"Tell that to the judge when I make you attack Celestia," Bitter Taste said as he charged up his horn. As Cadance begins to go into a trance, Bitter Taste's concentration is broken when he is zapped in the head. Cadance snaps out of her trance and sees Shining Armor with his horn glowing and smiles at him.
"Good work Shining Armor," said Cadance before zapping a beam at the hypnotized Celestia's head and soon, Celestia is freed from the trance. Once Cadance with draws her magic, she and Shining Armor run up to the disoriented princess.
"Princess Celestia, are you alright?" Shining Armor asked.
"I...think so," said Celestia as she put a hoof to her head as if she had a headache, "I remember Cadance's new boyfriend coming into my throne room. he acting all charming and the last thing I remember is him charging up his horn and then everything else is a blur."
"He hypnotized you," said Cadance, "Just like he did to me. But he's right..."
She points tot he ground but doesn't see Bitter Taste anywhere.
"Where'd he go?" said Shining Armor.
"He must have jumped from that window." Celestia pointed out a pony-shaped hole in one of the glass windows.
"He escaped!" said Shining Armor.
"I'll round up the guards to find him! That little hypnotist is going to get it and get it good!" Celestia said sternly as she left the throne room, having apparently recovered from her dizziness.
As Celestia left the throne room, Shining Armor and Cadance look at each other.
"He couldn't have gone far." Shining Armor said.
"Hopefully, he'll be caught," said Cadance before she suddenly gets a headache and groans.
"Your highness, what's wrong?" Shining Armor asked in worry.
"I...don't...know." Cadance said weakly before her eyes became spirals again and she began to speak mechanically.
"Cadance," said the hypnotized Cadance, "If you are listening to thin in your head, it means that you found out about my plot to try and brainwash Celestia to take over all of Equestria. However, I came prepared for situations such as this. I found a secret hiding place in a land far beyond Equestria. However, do not think that this will be the last you hear of me. For one day, I will return. I don't know when but rest assured, I will."
After that, Cadance snapped out of the trance but she became so dizzy that she fainted. Shining Armor keeps her from falling down as he cached her in his hands. As Cadance becomes unconscious, the flashback begins to end.
...
"I never saw or heard from Bitter Taste again after that," Cadance said, finishing the story. "That warning he put into my brain has never left. It would appear he is now making good on his threat."
"Okay," said Twilight, "So this guy is a former flame of yours who's absolutely insane?"
"Uh, yes." Cadance said.
"How come you and Shining Armor never told me about this before? I mean, I must've been on a Filly Guide's field trip with Mom and Dad back then."
"Ah yes," Cadance said, "I forgot you were part of the Filly Guides." She then said, "Anyway, we never told you because we didn't think it was something you had to get yourself involved in."
"Uh," said Twilight, "Me and my friends happen to have saved Equestria countless times."
"You and your friends were just fillies at the time," said Cadance, "But should we go check on Celestia and Luna and have this conversation later?"
Twilight sighed in defeat, "Yeah, though Rainbow Dash and Bitter Taste most likely already got to them."
"Let's go see anyway." Cadance said.
"Okay," said Twilight and she ran out the door with Cadance flying out it with Flurry Heart on her back. Twilight took notice of this.
"You're bringing your daughter along?" Twilight asked.
"We don't have time to find a sitter!" Cadance exclaimed, causing Twilight to groan in annoyance as Flurry Heart giggles.
"What concerns me about all this Twilight," said Cadance, "is why he's making Rainbow Dash his pawn. She had nothing to do with what happened in the past."
"Well, when Rainbow confronted me earlier the other day," said Twilight, "She said something about how me and the rest of our friends have done horrible things to her throughout all our adventures."
"Horrible things?" Cadance asked.
"I'll explain when we get to the train."
They make it to the castle door where Spike is still standing. Cadance gasped at this.
"He turned Spike to stone?!" Cadance exclaimed.
"Yes," said Twilight as she opens the door, "We'll have to leave him here. I've been carrying him around since I've regressed back into a unicorn."
Cadance sadly nodded as she flew out the door with Flurry Heart in tow. Twilight turned to her encased friend.
"Don't worry Spike," said Twilight, "I promise you that we will defeat this new menace like all the others."
With that, she shuts the door, leaving the encased dragon standing.
TO BE CONTINUED...