Waking Nightmares

by Jonathan "KnightMysterio" Spires

Chapter 17: They Call Her Love Part 1

The disclaimer about copyrights from the last chapter will apply to this and all future chapters. This story starts three days after the events of Chapter 16. Note about my tumblr: If something happens there that looks like a scene instead of a question answered, then unless I say otherwise it's canon to the story.

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Ponyville...

Sweet Apple Acres...

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Rarity calmly trotted up to the farm, idly humming. She frowned when she recognized the song as the one Nightmare Cuddles had been singing. She grumped a little and moved on. At least it was a catchy little tune. She eventually made her way into the grove, the hat box she was carrying alongside her bobbing lightly with each step.

She smiled when she saw Heavy bucking away at trees, the powerful Earth pony using only one leg to rattle the apples down from their branches. She trotted over to him, smiling brightly.

"Good morning, Heavy!" she chirped.

Heavy blinked, and grimaced, forcing a smile. "Hello, little fashion pony," he said, unable to look at her.

"I was out and about and I wanted to say hello!" Rarity said, smiling trying to get him to meet her gaze.

"...Is good to see you, da," Heavy said, frowning.

Rarity sighed. "Heavy... I don't blame you for what you did as a Nightmare. Yes, it was an old wound that was opened, but you weren't responsible for your actions."

Heavy shook his head. "No... The corruption... it made me feel GOOD... To trick, to scheme, to cause pain..." he said, sighing. "I was not credit to team that day. The shame... it burns..."

Rarity gently turned his head towards her. "Listen to me," she said softly. "You are a good pony. You were poisoned by that masked freak and turned into something you are not. You are my friend, Heavy. You are an excellent fighter, and a fine protector."

Heavy chuckled softly, smiling. "Rarity is credit to team," he said. "And is kind as little flutter pony."

Rarity grinned. "Well, I try," she said. "And in any case, to show you there's no hard feelings, I came to give you a gift!" She lowered the hat box she had been levitating down to the curious Heavy and opened it. A dopey grin came over his face as she levitated out the hat.

It was a blue cavalier hat, vaguely similar to a hat Spy owned back in their world, pinned up on the left with a trio of peacock feathers in it. The band was lined with small diamonds and sapphires, the outer surface of the hat seemingly crystalline in appearance, the inner part of the hat made of fine silk. And swirling around the hat was a small hologram of a Rarity's Cutie Mark.

Heavy had to resist the urge to giggle as the hat was lowered onto his head. "It is so shiny!" he cooed.

Rarity nodded proudly. "I ended up using an enchantment I learned up in the Crystal Empire to give it the crystalline look. I needed to do a little research on how to bind the hologram permanently to the hats, but Twilight was able to help me find the right books quickly. I'm sorry this took so long, but as you can understand, we've been a little busy. I call it, the Unusual Dandy Rarity," she finished, gesturing grandly. "And you're the first to get one."

"HA!" Heavy laughed, adjusting the hat on his head. "Is good day! Thank you, little fashion pony!"

Rarity beamed, always glad to have her work appreciated. She turned... and yipped. The rest of BLU team had literally appeared behind her, big smiles on their faces as they stared up at Heavy's new hat. Rarity gaped.

"I saw several of you all the way across town on the way over," she said, stunned.

"We heard mention of Unusual hats," Spy said, staring in awe at Heavy's new headwear.

Rarity had to bite back the urge to giggle. They're like foals in a candy store, she thought, shaking her head. "Well, if you'll all stop by my shop later, I'll be more than happy to give everyone their hats. And maybe a nice candy for being good little foals."

Every member of BLU team blushed, her teasing showing them all how they were acting. They visibly relaxed and grinned at her.

Rarity chuckled. "In all seriousness, stop by when you have the time later. I'll be more than happy to give you your hats," she said.

"Thank you kindly, Miss Rarity," Engineer said, grinning. The others slowly filed away, Heavy chuckling and returning to his work.

Rarity chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, that was interesting," she said, bidding Heavy farewell and wandering off. "I'll think I'll see how Applejack's doing. She's been rather secretive ever since the whole mess occurred."

She found Applejack in another part of the orchard, working vigorously to harvest apples, looking as strong as ever. She did, however, have a soft curve of pudge hanging from her midsection. Applejack blushed when she noticed Rarity.

"Yeah... stuffin' all those apples down mah throat had a bit of a negative affect on my figure," the farmer said, grinning weakly.

Rarity giggled, the sound like melodic bells to Applejack. "Well, better too fat than too thin," Rarity said. "I was honestly quite glad Photo Finish never talked Fluttershy into dropping weight during her brief stint as a model. And besides, you carry it well."

Applejack smiled. "Thanks, Rarity," she said gratefully. "But ah still think ah'm gonna work this off as quickly as possible. So what brings you here today?"

Rarity nodded to Heavy. "I finished the BLUs new hats. I wanted to bring Heavy his hat first and assure him I wasn't mad about what happened," she said.

Applejack nodded. "Mighty nice of ya, Rare," she said, looking over at Heavy's hat... and blinking. "...Can ah ask you something?"

Rarity nodded. "You may," she said.

Applejack grinned weakly, and asked, "Don't take this the wrong way, but did y'all make the hat as silly-looking as possible just to see if they'd actually wear it?"

Rarity quirked an eyebrow, amused. "No, I did not," she said. She looked around to see if there was anyone else around them, and added, "I actually toned down the silly. Spy said that they all tend to like stovepipe hats, and I was originally going to make it one of those. I decided to be a bit merciful, though, and give them something a little dignified looking."

Applejack chuckled, shaking her head. "Sakes, Rarity. With all the stuff you give away, it's a wonder you have money for y'self."

Rarity smirked. "It helps that I have all those connections Trixie mentioned when she put the Flim Flam Brothers in their place. And that said connections are willing to pay exquisitely high prices for my dresses and other finery."

Applejack chuckled. "Sometimes ah wish ah was as good at numbers as you were, Rarity," she said, blushing.

Rarity grinned. "Oh, tish tosh," she said. "You are not without you're own charms, Applejack. You are strong, fast..." she said, "You have such a lovely mane..." Rarity found herself blushing. Was it getting hot all of a sudden?

Applejack blushed. "Not as stylish as yours," she farmpony insisted. "You're always so clean, so well-groomed... so gorgeous..." Boy howdy is she ever... she found herself thinking, much to her surprise.

The two mares stared at each other, remembering the oh so agonizingly brief time they were a couple. How good it felt to be in each other's embrace, their lips locked together, to taste each other...

Without even realizing it they had been moving closer to one another, both blushing, both NEEDING...

"Before you both do anything you may regret later," Derpy said, landing in between the two of them with an embarrassed look on her face, "you might want to get to Twilight's. And quickly."

Applejack and Rarity both blinked, shaking their heads as if freed from a spell. They blushed at each other, smiling, and turned to Derpy.

"Whatever for?" Rarity asked curiously.

"Is anything wrong?" Applejack asked.

Derpy sighed, and held up her Element of Harmony necklace. "I think my Element of Harmony is sending out love surges, and has been ever since it awakened. Last night Pinkie Pie complained that she couldn't sleep because Mr. and Mrs. Cake were..." she blushed, and said, "...'having a good time' the whole night."

Applejack chuckled. Rarity eeped, amused. "Oh dear. What of young Pound and Pumpkin?"

Derpy giggled. "According to Pinkie Pie, those two could apparently sleep through Discord's return," she said. "So no worries there."

"Thank goodness for small favors," Applejack said. "But love surges don't sound so bad."

Derpy shook her head. "What about if people aren't already a couple? Or they were a couple and broke up? Like you two, only they didn't break up on good terms like you did? What if you're RELATED to them? Like your brother or sister?"

Applejack and Rarity traded looks, the implications sinking in. "Ah..." Rarity said.

Derpy nodded. "I've been going around telling the others... I got lucky and got all the BLUs at once..." she said. "A rare turn of good luck for me."

Applejack nodded. "We'll be there, sugarcube, don't worry," she said. Derpy nodded and flew off.

Rarity frowned. "Rather... unusual, don't you agree?"

Applejack shook her head. "If it ain't one thing, it's another..."

Rarity blushed, grinning. "Still, compared to what we've just been through, this won't be so bad..."

Applejack smiled.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The library...

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"Hey, Trixie?" Pyro said, trotting up to the showmare as she repaired some damage to her cart from the last battle.

Trixie turned, and nodded to Pyro. "Yes, what is it?"

"I was wondering about something," she said. "Some of the ponies in town, they look nervous around you! Why is that? You seem nice enough."

Trixie sighed, her head thumping against her cart.

"Yes, well... That's probably residuals from the last time I was here," she said.

"The Ursa Minor mess?" Pyro asked, curious.

Trixie shook her head. "No. I'm talking about the second time I came to Ponyville. This here and now is the third," she said. Sitting down and removing her hat, Trixie said, "After the Ursa Minor incident, I went through a bit of a bad phase. I was humiliated, and couldn't get work anywhere except at the rock farm Pinkie Pie used to live at. I found an artifact called the Alicorn Amulet, which gave me a tremendous boost in power. It... also made me evil and crazy. I came to Ponyville to get revenge on Twilight and bested her in a magical duel, exiling her from town. I then promptly trapped the town in an eternal night and... basically took over. I... don't want to go into the details..." She shifted uncomfortably. "Twilight defeated me, of course, in a rather brilliant fashion that forced me to admit that she was, indeed, the better unicorn. (Not that I'll ever admit that AGAIN, of course. Trixie does have her pride.) I guess some people still aren't comfortable around me," she said, sighing, a sad look on her face.

Pyro blinked, and said, "But you're not evil now, right?"

Trixie shook her head. "It was a hard lesson, but Trixie has taken it to heart."

Pyro nodded. "No plans to take over the town?"

Trixie chuckled. "I've thought about it and decided that conquest is too much trouble. After you take over, that means you have to actually MANAGE things. Keeping my own life in order is enough of a headache."

Pyro grinned. "Well, then I don't see the problem," she said. "You're here to help now, and you're one of the lost Elements of Harmony to boot! The Element of Hope no less!" She nuzzled Trixie, making the showmare blush. "You're gonna be awesome, I know it. Just never stop believing that everything will turn out all right."

Pyro skipped into the library, Trixie staring after her. She then shook her head, chuckling. "Heh... Crazy firebug," she said affectionately, going into the library as well.

The others gathered there, as Twilight quickly shifted through her papers, pulling out her notes. Harbinger and Barricade both stood nearby, looking surprisingly stern.

Pinkie Pie yawned. She looked over at Spy, who was rubbing his head. "You okay?" she asked.

Spy managed to smile. "I'm fine. I've just been having zese odd headaches ever since Heavy was restored," he said. "What about you? Things turn out okay?"

"Yeah," Pinkie Pie said, blushing. "Scout and I are going to talk later... And thankfully neither Zecora, Pyro, or I are pregnant... I mean, I love taking care of the Cake twins, and I'd love to be a Mom someday, but..."

"But you are aware of your own limits," Spy said, smiling. Pinkie Pie blushed, nodding. Spy chuckled. "It is not a shameful thing, to wait for motherhood until you are ready. But I'm surprised zat you were able to confirm zat so fast."

Medic, who was nearby, chimed in at that point. "Zere are apparently magical medical scans zat can tell quite early whezzer or not a mare is pregnant. It was a surprisingly easy procedure."

Spy nodded. "I am glad for zat," he said. "I intend to return home one day, and while I do adore Zecora, it would be against my nature to abandon a child of mine."

Pinkie Pie found herself surprisingly uncomfortable with the idea of the BLUs leaving. She wrote it off as a side-effect of the love magic that was going out of control.

Twilight sighed. "All right, here's the issue," she said. "I've done some research, and found out that the Element of Love is second in power only to my element, the Element of Magic. Because Derpy and Soldier aren't unicorns and have very real affection for each other," Twilight said, Soldier and Derpy blushing, "the love magic is getting out of control. It's increasing feelings of love intensely, which in turn are creating feelings of desire. For ponies who are already couples, like the Cakes or Lyra and Bon Bon, or ponies who broke up on good terms, like Applejack and Rarity, it isn't a problem, but for ponies who are just friends, or family members..."

"It enhances love towards family members into lust?" Fluttershy asked, confused.

"I'm afraid so..." Twilight said.

"I need to hide until zis is over," Medic said, turning to leave, his sudden statement startling everypony. Heavy, concerned, followed him, Twilight teleporting in front of him.

"Medic, what's wrong?" Twilight asked. "Why are you running away?"

Medic sighed wearily. "Ze reason my wife and I are seperated is because... I have a... 'compulsion,' let's say. Vhenever I become aroused, I gain a strong need to cut, to feel blood, to see blood... Ze vun und only time I had sex vith my wife I nearly killed her... Ve have kept in touch, but I am terrified to go near her... If mein feelings vere enhanced to lust..."

"Medic..." Twilight said softly.

Heavy nuzzled Medic affectionately. "For you, Doctor, I would endure any pain..."

"NEVER SAY ZAT!" Medic screamed, looking terrified and desperately sad. He stared at Heavy, shaking his head and running off.

Twilight started after him, but Heavy, frowning sadly, held out a hoof to stop her. "Doctor needs time," he said softly. "I will find him after problem is solved."

"I suppose so," Twilight said. "Anyway, let's get back inside. Thankfully, the solution is a simple one." She teleported back in, Heavy sighing and lumbering back in with the others.

"As I was saying outside," Twilight said, "The problem is a surprisingly simple one. Cadence just needs to teach Derpy and Soldier how to reign in the magic."

"There's still the little problem of Cadence being in the Crystal Empire, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said.

"Princess Cadence is visiting Equestria on a routine diplomatic matter later today. Prince Shining Armor will be attending as well, to help in picking his successor as Captain of the Unicorn Guard," Harbinger said. "Neither matter is an urgent one. So it will not cause any problems to ask her to assist in this."

"Oh! Well..." Rarity said, "Problem solved!"

"Not... entirely..." Twilight said, biting her lip.

Spy frowned. "You're worried about Chrysalis," he said softly.

Twilight nodded. "Changelings feed on love," she said. "And the Element of Love would be a prime target for her."

"If that shapeshifting maggot even TOUCHES Derpy I'll rip her to shreds!" Soldier snarled.

Derpy blushed. It was at once one of the most disturbing and romantic things she'd heard someone say. "I'm more worried about my kids," the wall-eyed pegasus said. "Do you think she might use them to get to me?"

"I don't know," Twilight admitted. "But I'm gonna make sure that whatever happens, we're ready for her."

Derpy smiled, feeling a little better.

Zecora frowned. "So what, if anything can we do? Can I or anyone else assist you?" she asked.

"I may call on you as I need you," Twilight said. "But for now, everyone can go. Hopefully this mess will be resolved quickly."

The group nodded and slowly dispersed, Heavy lumbering off back to the fields with Applejack, Soldier going off with Derpy.

Scout and Pyro, having nothing else to do today, wandered off on their own.

"Helluva situation," Scout said.

"We'll get through it," Pyro said, smiling. "We've beaten Nightmare Grave, Nightmare Doctor, Nightmare Dubstep, Nightmare Harmonic, and Nightmare Juggernaut. We'll beat whatever comes next!"

Scout snickered. "You're just looking forward to your merge with Trixie," he said.

"BURNINATENING!" Pyro giggled. "But yeah, I am. I like Trixie. She is nice and friendly, like Engie."

Scout blinked. "...We thinkin' of the same Trixie?"

"I like her," Pyro said, grinning. "And Mister Balloonicorn likes her as well!"

Scout snickered. "You sure he doesn't like her just because she's got a pretty tush?"

Pyro blinked. "Oh geez... And with the love surges... I gotta go, I gotta stop Mister Balloonicorn from doing something inappropriate..." she said, dashing off.

Scout cackled, shaking his head. "Oh man... alla this... Hell, I'm jealous of the REDs. They're probably relaxin' now, since they got nothin' to do with us gone."

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Human world...

On the road...

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"...the BIRDS have a split soul?" RED Sniper said, glancing in his van's rear view mirror at his teammates as he drove down the road, following RED Demoman's car.

"Ja," RED Medic said, staring at the two doves, one blood-stained, sitting on his arm, staring at each other in confusion. "According to Merasmus, I had brought Archimedes. He vas concerned about me vhen ze ritual started, and ended up getting caught up in it, splitting into two."

RED Scout shook his head. "That's just weird... Is it JUST Archimedes, or are the other pets split-souled as well?"

Merasmus shook his head. "No, just Archimedes," he said. "Where is Soldier taking us, anyway?"

"Someplace new to help us with the robots," RED Pyro said, letting one of her Tyrannus blobs gleefully twirl around her gloved fingers. "Not that I'm complaining, but why are you coming with us?"

The wizard shrugged, idly glancing through the Bombinomicon's pages. "I am involved in this," he said. "I feel I must aid you when I can."

"Translation:" the Bombinomicon chimed in, "He can't do anything without the spell components and is bored out of his skull-wearing skull."

"As good a reason as any, I suppose," RED Spy said, sighing.

They eventually came to an old, abandoned Western town in the middle of the desert. The RED Team got out, RED Soldier practically leaping out of RED Demoman's car to check out each part of the old town, cackling like a madman. The others got out of their vehicles, looking around incredulously at the old town.

It looked like a makeshift Mann Co. facility. Signs randomly had Mann added to them, the barns at the back bearing hastily-made signs that proclaimed them to be a "Research Facility for Anti-Robot Weapons" the Mann Co. Global Shipping Department, the Hale Residence, and the Mann Co. International Headquarters.

"Isn't it great?!" RED Soldier crowed. "After the first debacle at the Mann Co. Totally Not Illegal Weapons Storage Facility, I remembered this place was out here. I also remembered Engie saying that they were programmed to attack anything Mann Co., and bought this place! It's got respawn points, an EXQUISITE choke point, a drop point for the bomb carriers, a shop to buy those weapon upgrades we got at the last facility, and even megaphones so the Administrator can yell at us!"

Everyone just stared at him incredulously. Up to and including the Administrator, watching on the security cameras RED Soldier had set up at the facility.

RED Spy facepalmed. "Dare I ask... why?"

RED Soldier clambered up on top of a building, going into drill sergeant mode (and putting on an appropriate hat).

"Listen up, cake-babies! A robot army is coming to kill us! Lucky for you peach pies, I always knew this day would come – and I have been preparing for it! I have studied robots for years! I once stared at a toaster for three months to get into the minds of these monsters! And there are three things I know for sure: They are smarter than us! They are stronger than us! And they can make toast," RED Soldier declared.

Everyone facepalmed at that, the other REDs finally realizing WHY he had been staring at the toaster every day last year...

RED Soldier continued, undaunted. "But if there is one thing we can do that these machines cannot, it is this: we can lie! We will lie to them on the beaches! We will lie to them in the beach parking lot! We may even lie to them on non-beach-related property! About the quality of our munitions! About the strength of our will! We will even lie about lying! That is how deep this rabbit hole goes! But the most important lie we will tell is this: Where the Mann Co. facilities are!"

"What," RED Spy said, suddenly realizing where this was going.

RED Soldier gestured grandly at the facility. "These rusty bags of cans have been programmed to attack all things Mann Co.! That is why we are here today, in front of this perfectly normal Mann Co. facility! But look closer! It is not an actual Mann Co. facility. I made it myself, using nothing but sweat and deception and lie-paint! We will lure the robots to this house of lies, and we will destroy them with our very real weapons and whatever it is the Scout does!"

"HEY!" RED Scout snapped.

RED Pyro chuckled, visibly impressed. "Nice! You really sweated the details! That bomb drop point looks so real!"

"Self-destruct bomb drop points..." the Administrator muttered over the intercom. "Why did that idiot Hale even add those?"

RED Engineer shrugged. "I'm guessin' that the 'Global Shipping Department' is where our Respawns are?" he asked. RED Soldier nodded, and RED Engineer went to examine them.

RED Spy shook his head, holding his hands in a position as if he wanted to strangle RED Soldier. "Why... Why in ze hell would you ever think zat zis STUPID plan would work?"

"Because it is an ingenious plan that has no chance of failing?" RED Soldier said, grinning.

RED Spy shook his head. "Ze robots... zey are advanced pieces of machinery programmed by a mad genius! Zey wouldn't be fooled by zis... zis GRADE SCHOOL STAGE PRODUCTION!" he snapped.

The others looked off into the distance, their eyes widening. "Um... Spy..." RED Sniper said, tapping his shoulder.

RED Spy ignored him. "Ze fact zat you have wasted your time, your money, and your supplies on creating zis mockery...!"

"Spy, look to your left," RED Sniper insisted.

RED Spy turned, confused. His jaw dropped, his cigarette falling limply from his mouth as he saw the carrier transport that the robots came in pulling up to the facility.

RED Soldier just folded his arms, grinning.

There was a rushing sound, and small nodes fell on the ground in a set path, markers that would show the robots which direction to take.

RED Spy just stood there, staring in utter shock, as RED Engineer hastily set up his equipment, RED Demoman laying down stickybombs in the choke point, RED Pyro pulling on her mask, RED Medic running around giving people overheals, as Merasmus began to hover, his staff glowing. RED Sniper went inside the central building, taking aim out the window, while RED Heavy stood near the Dispenser RED Engineer had set up, his minigun revved.

RED Scout poked RED Spy with his bat. "Dude, get ready."

RED Spy scowled, and turned away, closing his eyes and folding his arms. "No. No. I refuse to admit zis worked."

"Uh..." RED Scout said, pointing towards the carrier tank.

"NOPE!" RED Spy shook his head. "RED Soldier's plan didn't work. Ze robots are not here. If I do not acknowledge zem, zey are not here."

RED Scout looked at the markers, which showed that RED Spy was right in the path of the robots. He shook his head, chuckling as he pulled out a bottle of milk. "Whatever you say, spook," RED Scout said, running back to the front.

RED Spy did his best to tune out the sounds of battle, so adamant was he in not admitting RED Soldier's idea had worked beautifully. So he didn't notice a robot Scout come up behind him, staring at him incredulously.

Giggling, unable to resist the opportunity, the Scoutbot wound up and swung its bat hard, snapping RED Spy's spine and sending him flying away like a home run ball. His corpse landed right in front of RED Sniper's camper van, fifty feet from the battlefield.

The Scoutbot didn't have time to celebrate as RED Medic ran up behind it and decapitated it with a swing of his bonesaw. Its chest casing popped open, the money that was powering it falling out.

"Ooh, money!" RED Medic giggled, pocketing the wad of cash and running back to the front.

RED Spy's dead body dissolved into nothingness as he Respawned in a new one. He sighed, pulling out his revolver. "Merde..." he muttered, running back to the front.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ponyville...

Train Station...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Twilight, with Barricade and Harbinger standing nearby, waited at the station as the train bearing Cadence and Shining Armor arrived from the Crystal Empire. The BLUs stood behind them, wanting to meet the princess.

The two emerged from the carriage, their coats crystalline and glinting in the sunlight. Cadence had gone back to her original hairstyle that Twilight knew, but had it covering one eye now. The BLUs traded surprised looks, Medic and Engineer in particular interested in their crystalline coats. Twilight grinned and ran over to Cadence, Shining Armor holding back the guards as Twilight and Cadence hugged, glad to see each other.

And then, to the incredulity of the mercenaries, the apprentice to the sun goddess and the ruler of the Crystal Empire began an absurdly cute little dance.

"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" the two mares chanted, giggling and hugging each other.

Shining Armor rolled his eyes. "Girls, I know that's your 'thing,'" he said, "but do you have to do it every time you see each other?"

Both of them stuck out their tongue at him. "You're just jealous that you don't have a 'thing,'" said Cadence.

"Well, not one that I'd be willing to share with my sister, anyway," Shining Armor teased, blushing.

Cadence grinned widely, giggling.

Spy rolled his eyes. "And zat, mes amis, is the perfect example of the phrase 'happily married.'"

"Well, we try," Shining Armor said. "I'm guessing you're the Builder's League United mercenaries Twily's wrote me about?"

Engineer nodded. "Prince, Princess, it's an honor t'meet you," he said, introducing himself and his comrades.

Cadence shook her head. "Friends of Twilight's are friends of ours. Cadence and Shining Armor will do," she said.

Shining Armor grinned... and then froze, noticing Barricade and Harbinger there for the first time. He flashed back to something Harbinger had told him when he first became Captain.

It's relatively common for there to be only one Guard Captain in the city. Honestly, Shining Armor, if all three Guard Captains are in the same place, then something is very, very wrong.

Harbinger nodded, as if confirming his worries, and said, "We wished to discuss with you choosing a successor for your position as Captain of the Unicorn Guard."

"Whenever you have time, of course," Barricade added.

"I think I can clear up some time this evening," Shining Armor said, keeping outwardly calm.

"Of course," Harbinger said.

Twilight and Cadence didn't seem to notice his nervousness, the two old friends busily catching up with one another.

"And that's the story," Twilight said, finishing her explanations on the recent Nightmare attacks.

"Wow," Cadence said, chuckling. "Pretty amazing stuff," she said. "Most I've had to deal with is minor magical corruption from clearing out the last of Sombra's artifacts."

Twilight blinked. "Magical corruption?"

Cadence pulled back her hair, revealing that one of her eyes was now green with a glowing red iris.

"Oh no..." Twilight said softly, gently stroking Cadence's chin.

Cadence smiled. "It's much better than it was. It just affected me physically. My horn's no longer curved and has its old ridges back, and I no longer have the urge to cackle evilly every so often. Barring any more incidents, I should be back to normal by the end of the week."

Twilight hugged her. "I wish I could have been there to help," she said.

Cadence grinned. "You have your own life to deal with. And a lot bigger problems than what we have, apparently," she said. "We're here to set up a trade agreement between the Empire and Equestria, but I can make some time for you if you need it. I'm guessing that's why you came to meet us directly."

Twilight nodded. "We're having a little problem with one of the Elements."

"One of the restored Lost Elements, yes?" Cadence guessed.

Twilight nodded. "The Element of Love," she said. "Both the Light Element and the Dark Element. They're... a little out of control."

Cadence giggled. "So that's what I felt. Let me guess: non-unicorns, right?"

"An Earth pony and a pegasus," Twilight said. "And the Earth pony isn't even from this world. Soldier?"

Soldier came forward with a salute, smacking himself in the forehead. "Ow. BLU Soldier reporting for duty, Captain Shining Armor!"

"At ease, at ease," Shining Armor said, chuckling.

"Do you have your Element with you?" Cadence asked.

"Actually it's..." Soldier started. As he spoke, though, the Element of Harmony necklace appeared on him, as if sensing his need for it. "...right here, apparently."

Cadence examined it, gently touching it with her horn. She shivered softly, and grinned. "Okay, this is a simple fix. I just need to teach you and the pegasus how to get in touch with the magic your species have so you can reign in the love surges."

Medic came forward. "I zought zat only unicorns could do magic," he said.

Cadence quirked an eyebrow, amused. "Unicorns have the strongest magic, yes. But pegasi and Earth ponies have their own special magic as well. As an alicorn, I have access to all three."

"But you are not a goddess, like Celestia und Luna," Medic asked, curious.

Cadence laughed. "I'm strong, but I'm not that strong. I'm no goddess," she said.

"Well, if you don't count her as a sex goddess. Which I do, by the way," Shining Armor said, nuzzling her and making her blush.

Scout rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, shall we have lunch? I would like to meet the Light Element as well, see if she's as cuddly as Twilight described her to be," Cadence said. "My treat." The BLUs all seemed pleased with the idea of a free lunch, making various signs of assent.

"I'll have to join you later," Shining Armor said. "I wanna catch up with speedy and the brick wall here."

"STEEL Wall, thank you," Barricade said, smirking.

"Of course you are," Shining Armor teased.

Cadence gave him a slightly worried look. He mouthed the word. 'later,' and she nodded reluctantly, leading the BLUs and Twilight off.

Harbinger sighed. "Come with us," he said. He and Barricade turned, heading out of the station and towards Everfree, Shining Armor following behind them. Once they were far enough away from anypony else, Harbinger began to speak.

"We need to discuss the Luna Contingency," Harbinger said.

Barricade shook her head, cursing. Shining Armor frowned. "Luna Contingency?"

Harbinger nodded. "It was an order given to me by Princess Celestia herself," he said, "shortly after the Elements of Harmony restored Princess Luna to her natural form, freeing her of the Nightmare Corruption."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The past...

Canterlot...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Harbinger, you have always been willing to do... I guess a polite way to put it is that you're willing to do 'the dirty jobs,'" Celestia said.

Harbinger kneeled before her. "Always, my lady. For you, I would become the scorching heat of a solar flare."

Celestia shook her head. "You always were melodramatically poetic," she gently teased. Harbinger just smirked. Celestia continued, saying, "But this is important, Harbinger. Possibly the most important order I've ever given you."

"Name it, my lady," Harbinger said.

"With the return of my sister, an option has been opened that wouldn't have been otherwise," Celestia said. "In the past thousand years, there have times when I was concerned about my own sanity. I worried because there was no suitable replacement for me. However, with Luna's return, the option has opened."

Harbinger looked up, concerned. "Princess?"

Celestia sighed. "I need you to swear that you will obey this order no matter what, that you will obey MY order no matter what, and get the other captains to do the same."

"You need not even ask, my lady," Harbinger said.

"I need to hear it, Harbinger. Please..." Celestia pleaded, Harbinger alarmed by the tone.

"I swear, on everything that I am, that I will obey your orders without question, Princess Celestia," Harbinger said.

Celestia sighed. "Very well... Harbinger. Should I become too mentally unstable to rule, or if I should become a Nightmare myself, I need you to rally the other captains and oust me by whatever means necessary. After which, you are to put Luna in my place."

"W-WHAT?!" Harbinger stammered.

"YOU SWORE!" Celestia thundered.

"I... Yes, I did, but you ask me to betray you, my lady!" Harbinger stammered.

"A sanctioned betrayal," Celestia said solemnly. "For the good of Equestria. You must be prepared to take whatever measures necessary to stop me and put Luna in my place should my mind become unsound."

"I..." Harbinger stammered. "I..." He struggled desperately to find the words to talk her out of this. But the pleading look in her eyes made Harbinger's will crumble. "Yes, my lady..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The present...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The horror on Shining Armor's face was evident. "By all that's holy..."

"Believe me, kiddo," Barricade said, shivering, "I know how you feel."

"I do not like it, Shining Armor. And I know you do not either. We were both affected by Nightmare Harmonic's song," Harbinger said. "So I know the very idea of it pains you. But this is the truth. Celestia would have us dethrone her should she become a threat to her kingdom."

Shining Armor shook his head. He didn't want to believe it. But it was exactly the kind of self-sacrificing thing he knew Celestia would come up with. And then another horrifying thought set in.

"...You think the Princess is becoming unstable," he said softly.

Harbinger sighed wearily, the old stallion looking even older than before. "Ever since Princess Luna's nightmare, she has been growing steadily more unhinged. She has been seeing things that are not there, and become obsessed with a journal written about a creature called Slendermane."

Shining Armor went wide-eyed. "S-Slendermane?" he said.

Harbinger and Barricade traded surprised looks. "You've heard of it?" Barricade asked.

"Several of Sombra's journals we found... They had entries related to a creature called Slendermane... They said he made deals with the creature, became its 'proxy,' in exchange for crystals to increase his dark magic powers."

"Damn..." Harbinger cursed. "So that creature's influence goes back that far..."

"If that thing is affecting Princess Celestia so badly, then that may explain why Sombra had degenerated so badly..." Shining Armor said. "Maybe... maybe if we can kill Slendermane, Princess Celestia will be all right?"

Harbinger sighed wearily. "Perhaps. But we must be prepared to take the appropriate measures should her majesty's condition get any worse," he said.

"Damn it, you can't expect me to just agree to this!" Shining Armor snapped.

Barricade shook her head. "Kiddo, I went through the same thing. But Harbinger's right. It's our responsibility as Captains to protect Equestria from all threats. Including the Princess herself, if need be..."

Shining Armor began pacing around. "This... This is insane..." he said, shaking his head.

"I'm afraid that this is all too reasonable on the Princess's part," Harbinger said sadly. "We three are the strongest of our breed, with the possible exception of your sister. Considering all that's happened to her..."

Shining Armor just smiled, remembering the moment when Twilight 'realized her destiny.'

Harbinger sighed, and continued. "Believe me, I hope it doesn't come to having to get her involved. I hope it doesn't come to the point where we must do our duty and oust the Princess in favor of Luna. But do our duty we must."

Shining Armor shook his head. "Barricade, don't you have anything to say on this?"

"I'm not fond of it, kid," she said, frowning. "But we have to protect Equestria. It's what she'd want."

Shining Armor's head drooped. "I... You're right... But I hate the very idea of it..."

Harbinger closed his eyes. "Then I pray we never have to fulfill our duty," he said softly.

"We should still focus on Slendermane, though," Shining Armor said. "Sombra's journals and Twilight's letters all talked about masked servants that worked for Slendermane. And you actually had one in custody for a while."

Barricade growled. "I'm ripping the wings off of that little bastard if I ever catch it again," she muttered.

Harbinger looked hesitant. Shining Armor frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

"...Princess Celestia's mental issues started most intensely when she began reading the Slendermane journal," he said.

Shining Armor swore angrily, getting the implications immediately. "DAMN IT! So we can't even learn about the creature without..." He paused, a horrified look coming to his face.

Barricade went wide-eyed, understanding his sudden worry. "Sombra's journals..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Elsewhere in town...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You seem... oddly reluctant to be here," Cadence said to Medic as she and the others sat down to enjoy the treats she bought them from Sugarcube Corner.

"I vas... convinced to come back. Against my better judgment," Medic said, frowning. "I have issues vith intimacy."

Cadence smiled. "Well, maybe I can help. My magic is centered around love, after all," she offered.

"Issues involving me becoming bloodthirsty und violent vhenever I become sufficiently aroused," Medic clarified, looking ashamed, the BLU team members who hadn't heard the story becoming alarmed.

"...Ah," Cadence said after a long moment, her smile forced. "...Have you thought about seeing a therapist?"

"Don't get him started," Spy muttered. "He'll rant all day about how useless ze psychiatrist profession is when it comes to understanding ze brain. And zhen go on to tell you a horror story involving brain surgeries he's performed in ze past."

"Is it my fault zat no vun has ze stomach for true science?" Medic snarked.

Cadence's ears drooped. "Are you sure you're the good guys?" she asked before she could stop herself.

"Sometimes we wonder, lassie," Demoman chuckled weakly.

Twilight sighed, facehoofing.

"Anyvay," Medic said, "in vhat is not obviously a desperate attempt to change ze subject... your crystalline coat is fascinating."

Cadence smiled. "The magic that permeates the Crystal Empire is centered around crystals. Which, in hindsight, should be obvious from the name," she chuckled. "The Empire also has some of the strongest ice magic known to ponykind."

"I'd love to learn some of it. Cold and ice magic is so limited for unicorns," Twilight said grinning.

"Und ze crystalline coat is a result of use of ze crystals?" Medic asked.

Cadence nodded. "A harmless side effect. It also provides EXQUISITE insulation against the cold. You lot would all get crystalline coats as well if you visited," she said. "Although since you aren't natives, or aren't living there, the effect would fade shortly after leaving the Empire's borders. Shining Armor and I were born Equestrian, but when we started living there on a regular basis, the effect became permanent for us."

Scout grinned. "Sweeeeet," he crowed.

"Bohze moi," Heavy muttered. "Tiny Scout does not need to become shiny. Tiny Scout already has big enough ego."

Scout cackled.

"Getting back to the out-of-control Elements of Love?" Soldier insisted, tapping his necklace.

Cadence nodded. "Yes. Since you're still new to your body, you're probably not used to tapping into the strong nature magic that Earth ponies have," she said.

"All I knew about magic comes from a vaguely smelly wizard named Merasmus. Who bought chocolate covered 'Kill Me Come Back Stronger' pills that he let expire," Soldier muttered. "Tasty, though..."

"They were covered in chocolate?" Pyro chirped, interested.

Cadence shook her head. "ANWAY, if you'll come over here and stand on this dirt patch?"

Soldier blinked, confused. "You're an Earth pony," Cadence explained. "The earth is the source of your species's magic." Soldier shrugged and complied.

Cadence smiled. "Close your eyes and concentrate," Cadence said. "Focus on the Earth beneath you. Feel the soil, focus on it."

Soldier did as she asked, closing his eyes and focusing. For all his faults, one thing Soldier was great at was focusing on a task. This often left him open to attacks from RED Spy or RED Sniper, so it worked against him at times. But for this, his focus meant that he felt results almost immediately. A soft glow engulfed his hooves, the other BLUs watching with interest.

Soldier shuddered. He could feel every individual life underneath the ground. There was a lot more than he initially expected there to be. He didn't realize it at first, but he was also feeling each individual plant as well.

"Good," Cadence said, her own hooves glowing as she imitated the action. "Now focus on that power. Feel the magic of your Element of Harmony, and draw that power from the land you feel into the Element."

Soldier nodded. He felt a cooling 'something' flowing up through his body, forming a 'grip' around the necklace around his neck. The surging warmth from the necklace began to dissipate, Soldier shivering as he felt his Element stop surging.

"Whoa..." Soldier said. Cadence grinned. "And that's that," she said. "Love is a powerful force. If I remember the old legends about it, the Element of Love was second in power only to the Element of Magic. You just need to learn to reign it in using your own abilities."

"Huh..." Berry Punch said as she watched. The wine seller had come up to flirt with Demoman, having been in town on business. "That's kinda cool. I've never really noticed that before," she said.

"You were born an Earth pony," Cadence said, smiling. "You've probably gotten so used to tapping into your magic that you don't even know you're doing it." She stretched. "Anyway, that should get the love surges partially under control."

Berry Punch quirked an eyebrow. "'Love surges?'"

Twilight explained briefly.

Berry Punch snickered. "And here I thought it was just Demoman's natural charm that brought me over here," she said.

Demoman smirked, stroking her cheek. "I dinnae need any magic t'be appealing te a fine lassie like yuirself," he said. Scout rolled his eyes again, chuckling.

Cadence grinned, always happy to see people in love.

Soldier tapped his Element of Harmony, which vanished again. "Huh..." He shrugged, and said, "Anyway, Derpy usually stops by this way for lunch. So we'll probably be able to get her in pretty quickly."

"Excellent," Cadence said.

Scout blinked, remembering something. "Actually, I can get her here pretty quick," he said, finishing off his food. "Today's my day off normally, but I can just take over the rest of her shift so she can work without worrying."

"That's be great, Scout," Cadence said. "Thank you."

Scout nodded and leaped into the air, flying off. As he did, though, Spy began rubbing his temples, wincing.

Zecora was the first to notice. "Spy, my friend, are you all right? Can I help to relieve your plight?" she asked.

Spy smiled wearily. "It's just a headache. I've been having them ever since the Nightmare Cuddles mess," he said, chuckling and adding, "Who knows? Maybe I'm actually allergic to that plant the Nightmare grew for us."

Heavy frowned, shifting uncomfortably.

Medic snorted. "Don't expect me to give you any painkillers," he said. "You're enough of a headache for me already."

"Your sympathy is most appreciated," Spy snarked.

"...Interesting friendship," Cadence said.

"I know," Twilight said, sighing. "But I've seen them work. They're a well-oiled team, and they can get the job done."

"So it's just a 'guy friendship' sort of thing?" Cadence asked, smirking.

"Yes," Harbinger said in a completely deadpan voice, startling the mares by coming up behind them. "And after this, we'll all go out and get drunk and fight until we knock each other out and collapse in the forelegs of the exotic dancers we hired."

Cadence turned to Shining Armor, who was standing next to a snickering Barricade and groaning. "This true, dear?" she asked, smirking.

"Of course not," Shining Armor said, smirking right back. "I mean, where would we find exotic dancers at this time of day? Especially in a little town like this?"

"Uh huh," Cadence said, unable to resist grinning. "You're lucky you're cute."

Shining Armor just waggled his eyebrows in a way that made Twilight groan.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Later that evening...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"...shortly after zat, Derpy showed up and was taught how to control ze love surges without incident," Spy said, escorting Rarity home. "Beyond zat, ze only zing zat happened was Demoman and ze wine seller flirting shamelessly."

"My my," the fashion design said softly. "That was resolved quickly, wasn't it?"

Spy nodded. "Thankfully," he said. "I'm certain zat zere are many people who would appreciate not having awkward moment after awkward moment happening to zem."

Rarity smirked. "Depends on who you're with," she said.

Spy smirked. "Thinking of renewing your relationship with Applejack?"

Rarity sighed. "It would be nice to have a special somepony again," she said softly. "And I know what kind of pony she is, so there wouldn't be that worry..."

Spy winced a little from his headache, and smiled. "Rarity, ma cher ami, ze heart can lead you in directions you never expect. And sometimes it can lead you right back to where you started."

Rarity smiled. "An interesting thought, thank you," she said as they got to Carousel Boutique. "Are you coming in?"

Spy shook his head. "No, I'm going to walk for a bit, see if I can clear my head. I'm fairly certain zis is just a sinus headache, but just in case, I may head to Zecora's to get some medicine. If I don't come back..." he chuckled, "...well, just assume Zecora and I found another way of getting to sleep."

Rarity giggled, blushing. "Have fun, then. And be careful. Everfree can be very dangerous at night," she said.

Spy smirked. "I assure you, my dear, zat I am ze deadliest thing in any forest," he said, trotting off as Rarity went inside.

He wandered aimlessly, the cool night air washing over him, ruffling his wings. He sighed, glad he left his balaclava off. He was always more comfortable at night, with the soft, gentle caress of the moonlight washing over him. But even the refreshing night air didn't help, his headache pounding.

"Well... off to Zecora's, zen," he said. "If she can find a way to restore Soldier's memories with a potion, zen I'm sure she can whip up a quick headache medication.

My child... whispered a voice in his head.

Spy's headache suddenly surged, a spike of agony through his head, as if someone had stabbed him with his own knife. He collapsed, clutching at his skull and groaning.

It is time...

"What..." Spy gasped. "No..."

The food has been ripened...

Spy suddenly understood what was happening. "NO! I won't, I..."

You will... For you are of my children...

"I can't!" Spy shouted, writhing in agony on the ground as the pain became worse. "I WON'T!"

You will...

I hunger...

Your queen HUNGERS...

Spy screamed, curling up into a fetal position as the pain became worse and worse... and then he stopped. Slowly, he got to his feet and opened his eyes.

They now were a glowing green. "Yes... my queen..." he said softly.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Derpy's house...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed..." Derpy sang softly, tucking in Dinky for the night, the young unicorn laying contentedly in her bed, snoring gently. Derpy sighed, and quietly trotted out of the room, closing the door behind her. She looked in on Sparkler, who had decided to stay the night. The older unicorn smiled and waved to her mother.

"Dinky get to bed okay?" she asked.

"Sleeping like an angel," Derpy said, smiling. "Thanks for staying over."

Sparkler smiled. "I don't forget my family," she said.

Derpy grinned widely. "Anyway. You don't stay up too late, you hear? You've got work in the morning."

Sparkler rolled her eyes. "Mom, c'mon," she said. "I'm a grown mare now. Plus, as you'll recall, I handled myself pretty well against the Cyberponies when the Doctor found them in Stalliongrad."

Derpy chuckled. "Oh yes, you're a grown mare now, and such a brave adventurer," she said, coming in and kissing Sparkler on the forehead. "But no matter what, you'll always be my daughter. My beautiful amethyst star."

Sparkler smiled. "G'night mom," she said. "I love you so much."

"Good night, my amethyst star," Derpy said, kissing her again and trotting downstairs.

Soldier was waiting for her. "'Cyberponies?'" he asked, confused.

"I've led... a bit of an interesting life," Derpy said. "The Doctor, Minuette and I have had a lot of adventures. Never any press, good or bad, but I prefer that, honestly..."

Soldier frowned. "Maybe we should ask him about all these adventures," he said. "You never know when an old foe will come back to bite you in the ass."

Derpy shook her head. "I'm sure if it comes us, the Doctor will tell you everything you need to know. I trust him," she said.

Soldier frowned, but shrugged. "If you say so," he said. "C'mon, let's have some muffins."

Derpy grinned. "If there's muffins, I'm definitely in," she said. "Unless it's those weird biscuit things the Doctor likes. 'English muffins' my tail..."

Soldier chuckled at that.

The two of them went to the kitchen, sitting on the stools near the counter and casually eating some of the muffins on the plate set up there.

"Mmm, these are really good," Soldier said. "Have you ever considered using sour cream to make them?"

Derpy blinked. "Seriously? Sour cream?"

Soldier grinned. "I love sour cream," he said. "I know this great muffin recipe that..."

There was a soft swishing sound coming from the window. Both Soldier and Derpy turned towards the window, frowning.

After a long moment, Derpy said. "...Probably just leaves brushing against the window."

Soldier frowned. "Yeah..."

Derpy sighed. "So. Now that we've got our respective Elements of Love under control, what do we do now?" she asked.

Soldier shrugged. "Best I can figure is find a way to awaken Trixie's Element, and get the other Dark Elements active. We still need Heavy's, Sniper's, Spy's, Pyro's, and Medic's, so we've got a ways to go."

Derpy sighed. "I wish there was a way to get the fusions without a battle situation," she said.

"Or a dumb prank," Soldier muttered, remembering how Scout triggered AppleDemo's last appearance.

Derpy nodded. And then she began to giggle. "The way things are going now, I'm guessing Demoman might not have minded too much if it was Berry Punch."

Soldier snickered. "It seems we're all finding someone we care for here," he said.

"Oh?" Derpy asked, blushing.

Soldier blushed as well, realizing what he said. "I-I... I mean..."

Derpy smiled, gently taking his hoof in hers. Soldier just stared at her, feeling a warmth flowing through him, a sweet, wonderful warmth that he hadn't felt since...

...since the last time he had been with his wife.

The sound of leaves slapping against the window came again, startling them both. They stared at the window for a long moment.

"...Very windy out," Derpy said, frowning.

"Hnh..." Soldier grunted. His ears perked up when he heard a soft whooshing sound coming from the living room.

"Soldier?" Derpy asked, worried.

"It sounded... like Spy decloaking..." Soldier said, frowning deeply.

Derpy shivered. "I'm... I'm gonna check on the kids," she said.

"Right..." Soldier said, slowly heading into the living room, looking around warily. "I'll see what Spy wants..."

Derpy ran past him, heading back upstairs to check on her children. Soldier stalked into the darkened living room, shadows hiding everything. Including Spy's location.

Was that his cloaking or uncloaking sound? Soldier tried to remember. They were so damn similar...

A shriek of terror echoed from upstairs. Soldier, immediately forgetting about Spy, ran up to check on Derpy... only to find her unconscious, the bedroom doors of both Dinky and Sparkler wide open. And at the end of the dimly lit hall, the lights flickering around him, was a tall, slender white pony with no face, clad in a black suit jacket and blood red tie.

"What... What are you?!" Soldier stammered, transfixed by the creature before him.

The creature's head cocked to the side, as if considering Soldier. From its back, black tendrils emerged, waving about ominously, the lights flickering even faster.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ponyville Ritz Hotel...

Penthouse Suite...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"AAAIAAAGH!" Cadence shrieked, clutching at her still corrupted eye as she writhed about in agony. Intense pain emanated from the eye, like acid was pouring out of it and burning away everything it touched.

Shining Armor tried to hold her down as best he could, trying to keep her from hurting himself. "Please... Please, Cadence, my Cadenza... please, calm down! I've called the hospital! They're sending help!"

"It hurts... it HURTS!" Cadence screamed, clutching at her face. "Please, make it stop!"

What's going on!? Shining Armor thought desperately. "Please, Cadence, mi amour, calm down..."

Harbinger burst into the room, Barricade looming just outside. "I heard that all the way down the hall. What's going on?" Harbinger demanded.

Cadence, upon hearing Harbinger, stiffened. She began to chuckle, a darker voice overlaying her own. "Mighty Harbinger... Noble Shining Armor... Indestructible Barricade... How do you expect to save your sun princess..." Cadence lowered her hooves, revealing that both her eyes were corrupted now. "...when you cannot even stop a parasite from stealing a family?"

The voice... It's SOMBRA! Shining Armor thought in horror as he recognized the voice that overlayed Cadence's own.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Canterlot...

Palace...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"WHERE ARE YOU?!" thundered a voice, startling Luna awake. She yawned, looking around in confusion for the source .

"I know you're here," snarled the voice again. It took Luna a moment to recognize it. But when she did, she was stunned.

"...Tia?" Luna said, stepping out into the hall. She found her sister pacing about furiously, a wild look on her face, her hoofsteps leaving fiery prints.

"I know he's here," she said. "I can sense him!"

"Tia... Who's here?" Luna asked, grabbing her sister to try and stop her pacing, holding her in place with her magic.

Celestia looked around frantically. "Can't... can't you sense him?! It's Slendermane! He's here, I know he is!"

Luna reached out with her powerful magical senses, but found nothing. "Tia... Tia's, there's nothing!"

Celestia growled. "I won't let you take my sister! I WON'T! I'll BURN DOWN CANTERLOT before I let her be taken from me again!"

Luna stared at her sister in shock. She wouldn't go that far... would she?

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Derpy's house...

Ponyville...

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Soldier stared at the abomination at the end of the hall in a mix of fear and confusion. He slowly moved forward, wanting to get Derpy out of danger and check on the kids... when he felt something sharp jab into his side.

"Gagh!" Soldier spurted out. He looked, and saw Spy's balisong knife sticking out of his side. He tried to inhale, but only got blood.

"Forgive me, my friend..." said Spy. "But my Queen hungers. And I cannot deny her..."

Soldier looked around, desperately trying to find Spy. As he slowly lost consciousness, the slender pony vanished, a tall, almost insectile alicorn came out of Dinky's room, her legs seemingly rotted and full of holes.

"Don't worry, little food," Queen Chrysalis said. "I won't let you die. Although you'll probably want to by the time I'm done."

TO BE CONTINUED...