Chapter 11

Princess Cadance was sitting in her carriage being pulled by her guards as she was accompanied by her personal guard as she was on her way to Canterlot. She had been flying for three hours from her home to see her soon to be husband. She was giddy with excitement, as she physically hugged herself with her hooves falling back onto her plush pillows. Looking out over the land she was blissfully unaware of her impending fate. Her captain looked to her and smiled.

"How are you your highness? Comfortable?" he asked chuckling as he pulled back just to see if his Princess needed anything.

"I am fine Valiant Oath, Just wish we could be at Canterlot by now." She said laying down chuckling and lifted her head up.

"How are your preperations. Shining Armor has been so busy with protecting Canterlot. I hope my presence will help him worry less." She said almost to herself. Valiant Oath chuckled.

"Shining Armor is a good stallion, known him ever since he was a cadet in the academy. He will be invigorated with you being there to help him plan your wedding. But we will arrive there soon in due time. " Valiant said with a smile, he then nodded to her dismissing himself to fly around the perimeter.

Queen Chrysalis and her changeling guard saw the envoy approach as every nerve in her body begin to prickle at the impending fight. She was to overtake Cadance and become her, no easy task considering Cadance was an alicorn. She looked to her captain and nodded as he smiled maliciously. Hi lifted his hoof and the trap was sprung Queen Chrysalis flew up to the Princess who was in shock as she was now surrounded by battle between Changelings and her guard she began to attack them with lights of energy. Chrysalis yelled as she barreled into Cadance making her fall from the carrage down to the forest below, she was after her and just before Cadance struck the ground she opened her wing as and tumbled onto the ground. Queen Chrysalis landed softly onto the ground and chuckled looking down at her.

"To easy…" she said walking towards Cadance who tried to stand but in the fall it seemed she had sprained her front left ankle.

"Who are you…do you know who I am!" she said putting on a brave face despite her terror.

"I am Queen Chrysalis of the changelings. Yes I do know who you are. " she said smiling as she walked through a shadow of a tree and appeared again in the light as a spitting image of Cadance smiling maliciously.

"What…why would you do this." She demanded an answer. Chrysalis simply chuckled. Cadance glared and her horn glowed blue as she began her attack on Chrysalis, She replied in turn by her Cadance look alike horn glowing green and the two energies collided as they exploded in a shower of sparks and flares . Cadance smiled as she saw her guard began to dive bomb Chrysalis.

"You will lose, my guard will apprehend you and we will take you in front of Princess Celestia." She said defiantly as she pushed her forehead forwards with a burst of energy making Chrysalis take a step back and straining against Cadance's magic. Cadance's guard slowed down and landed by Chrysalis and all their faces had a look of smiles as they began to walk past Chrysalis and towards her laughing. Cadance's eyes opened wide in shock and fear. Valiant Oath was dragging himself by the wing as the battered and beaten Valiant Oath lay there bleeding and broken. The Valiant standing over him changed into a black leathery creature as it put its hoof over him threateningly. Chrysalis smiled at her victory.

"Stop now and I may spare your captain." Chrysalis said stepping forward feeling her opponent had lost her will to fight. Cadance looked down and stopped her attack as the changeling guard surrounded her.

Nightmare pulled at the chains that held him in place. He cursed his frailty and his lack of inability to fight for his body. The creature that had control of his body hadn't given him its name but he did not believe anything it said.

He stood up his body was battered and bruised but it was all in his mind right, how could he be trapped in himself couldn't he fight somehow? He thought back to a time he first met Zecora in the forest.

The trees were laden with moss as he made his way towards smoke that seemed to bellow into the sky. Going to investigate he landed seeing a strange creature of black and white. He investigated the creature for the next couple of days. As interesting as it was it resembled a pony but again it was so different. He kept close to her for weeks without her knowledge until one fateful day she was in perle by running into group of dogs who seemed interested in her for less then natural tastes. He intervened saving her and it was from that day he came to know her little by little learning to speak, read, and rationalize. She told him that she knew of him since the third week she had come to live in the forest, thinking him a bat. He chuckled at the memory and a presence in his mind wiped all happiness away he opened his eyes and was staring up at his evil reflection.

"Taking a trip down memory Lane are we?" He said lifting Nightmares head, in response Nightmare said nothing but stared defiantly into his captors eyes.

"You will lose, the day you think I will give in is far from ever happening." He said spitting out his anger.

"Well, I do say you are more like your mother then I care to admit." He chuckled and struck his face making the world spin.

"Just listen to this young colt, I have the fall of Canterlot in the works and soon I, or we will pay a visit to a dear friend of mine…bak in the day he owned a beautiful piece of property called the Crystal empire. The Stallion had vision I give him that….but he gor to complacent and fell but I know where he is…you can see a lot from the moon living there for a thousand years." He said chuckling.

"But anyway I wonder…how will your pony friends deal with an army of Changelings and the fall of Canterlot." He summarized. Chuckling turning to leave his captive.

"They will stop you… anything you may toss, the mane six will surly make you cross." He said smiling at it defiantly.

"Insolent colt!" it said with a crushing blow rocking his head. When he next awoke his jaw hurt and rubbed it, he felt another presence approach him it felt different. Discors sauntered into the light and looked around.

"You really have not a lot going on up here do you Nightmare Darkness." He said turning his back to him then leaning backward looking at him.

"Why are you upside down?" he asked seriously then smiled chuckling.

"Discord? Are you here of your own accord?" he asked surprised this place was the last place he expected to find the trickster.

"Glad to see me? Well you know it's the great thing about being….me I am Discord." He said smiling as he held up the feather Nightmare had given him when they fought the dragon together.