I was having a stressful day.

“REX!” Twilight called out from my bedroom. I perked up from where I sat at my kitchen table and looked over to the doorway. The mare was not in my line of sight, hidden by the angle. “Why are these here?”

Rolling my eyes, I called back, “Twilight, I don’t have X-ray vision, nor can I read your mind. Why are what here?”

Twilight chose that moment to come into view, horn aglow. Behind her trailed several books, hovering in her magenta aura. I palled considerably when I recognized those books, the only ones that would stand out in my collection. Being manufactured differently than earth books, the ones that I had acquired from Chrysalis where smaller and made from a thicker paper. From what I know about my captive, she lives in a library; it would only make sense that she would pick up books that looked out-of-place. Worse, their existence in my home would contradict my story of not knowing anything about their world. ‘Time to lie again, I guess…’ I thought to myself.

“Those, Twilight… Cadance was not the first… object to come from another world,” I said sheepishly while fingering my currently curly red hair. “Granted, she was the first living thing to cross over that I know of, but definitely not first over all. Nobody knows where Stonehenge or the Great Pyramids came from. In fact, there is a government facility, Area 51, which supposedly collects the stuff that finds its way to us. That is exactly where I don’t want you to go, honestly.”

Though I managed to keep a straight face through my little fabrication, I mentally frowned at my last two sentences. It sounded too much like I wanted to keep my prisoners here, which I do. Then there was the ‘honestly’ I added to the end. People are more likely to say that when they lie; it’s a common tell that I apparently have.

Twilight was obviously not impressed with my tale, if her frown was any indication. “So,” she said, “care to explain what six books, all from my library, are doing together in your library?”

Rolling my eyes, I retorted, “One, are you asking me to explain quantum mechanics and Einstein’s General Relativity on how the books arrived in this world or why I put those books on my shelf?” At this point, I stood up from my seat and walked over to her. I looked down at her face, my head a good two and a half feet above hers. “And two, how do you know that those are your books? I’m sure that your world has more than one library that they could have come from.”

Ignoring my close proximity, Twilight opened all six of the floating books to the back cover. “I am the librarian at Golden Oak Library.” Lo and behold, on the due date card were the clearly printed words ‘Property of Golden Oak Library.’ She snorted, “Humph, these six were all checked out three months ago by Bon Bon. Might I add that she is an earth pony, not a unicorn. She has no reason to be checking out six books on magic.”

“Earth pony?” I asked, feigning ignorance. It would not do to let her mind stay on track.

“An earth pony lacks both a horn and wings. They are incapable of using magic,” Twilight answered. “There’s something fishy going on here, and I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”

Great, Twilight is getting paranoid. I made a mental note to find a moment to excuse myself and milk some of my venom. I may need to subdue one or both of my prisoners at the same time in the near future. ‘Perhaps,’ I pondered, ‘I should preemptively spike their food with a little ‘Changeling’s Kiss.’’

Chrysalis was having a much better day. Her victim was trapped in a parallel world and a key defense of Equestria was also neutralized by the same method. Shining Armor was under her hypnotic suggestion; the queen ordered him to believe everything was fine and then to ‘get lost’ once the first explosion was triggered. Furthermore, all of her infiltrators were in position and the weapons had been placed.

Now all that was left was the actual wedding ceremony that would trigger her invasion. Although Chrysalis had been the primary impersonator for Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, she had passed that role to her child, Envy, so that Chrysalis could hide among the crowd. The queen’s plan called for her to move fast; due to the fact that only changeling royalty holds the power to convert ponies into changelings, she had to reach several separated ponies before they were lost in the confusion.

As Chrysalis walked down the hallways to fetch her counterpart’s children before the ceremony, she started singing softly to herself.

Princess Cadance was not having a good day, not at all. The loneliness and despair radiating off of her left a bitter and unpleasant taste in my mouth. Twilight, paranoid as she was, put aside her suspicions about me in favor of comforting her friend. The pair sat on my couch and looked out my window. Neither of them said anything, but Cadance let out a quiet sob every now and again. Every few minutes, the elder of the equine pair would look at the clock, and then let out another sob. The younger just stroked Cadance’s back.

Meanwhile, I stood in the kitchen brewing another pitcher of sweet tea. Of course, it had to be extra sweet to disguise the flavor of enough venom to incapacitate six two-hundred-pound men. I remember Chrysalis telling me of her exploits, some of which included using this very method to escape.

As I moved to put the pitcher in the refrigerator, the oddest thing occurred. Music. I could hear music playing as clearly as if I was right next to the instruments. I set down the pitcher and reached for my Pear jPhone; it was dead. I looked over, but the TV and Radio were off, too. It was when my prisoners failed to react that I realized that the music was coming from my link to Chrysalis. Furthermore, I could hear her sing to herself.

Then Cadance threw me for a loop. As if rehearsed, she sang the responding verse of the song.

Twilight, for her part, did not react to her elder’s words, as if she hadn’t heard them. When Chrysalis sang again, I realized what was happening. I was listening to both sides of a duet, one that transcended worlds, with each party ignorant of the other side’s reply.

I was thoroughly disturbed right now. I didn’t understand how any of this was possible. ‘How can they be doing this? Is it some sort of link like what I have? Will I be doing that, too?’ I thought to myself.

Finally shaking myself out of the haze that listening to them sing put me in, I gave a slow applause to both singers. Speaking to both, one through the link and the other with my mouth, I said, “Bravo, bravo! That was very good. I’ve never heard half a duet before, at least, it sounded like half a duet. Was that improvisation? Regardless, it was lovely. Tell me, how did you make the instrument noises?”

“Music magic,” Twilight answered, but did not elaborate more. She was too busy consoling her friend. Chrysalis did not answer at all. Shrugging, I turned back to what I was doing before, but not before passing the memory to the rest of my hive.

Klika snickered at the memory she had just received from her father. Beside her, Nick did the same. One of the ponies next to them in the wedding audience shushed them in response. Queen Chrysalis, who was sitting next to them while in the disguise of the unicorn ‘Mrs. Butterfly,’ just rolled her eyes; it was obvious to her what the Earthlings were giggling at. The queen adjusted her large dress hat to lessen the discomfort.

Up on the stage, the changeling Envy stood as Princess Cadance. Across from her stood the soon-to-be-prince Shining Armor. Between the couple stood Princess Celestia, who was presiding over the ceremony.

“Hey, Mrs. Butterfly,” Klika asked, “what’s up with Shining Armor’s eyes? They’re all green and glowy and stuff.”

Chrysalis merely answered, “Hypnosis.”

Princess Celestia continued with her speech to the bride. “…in sickness and in health, ‘til death do you part?”

“I do,” the Cadance impostor replied.

Princess Celestia raised her head and addressed the audience, “Is there any living soul who would object to the union of these two ponies? Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

From under her hat, Chrysalis pulled out an object that Klika recognized immediately. The little false filly donned a malicious grin. “Showtime,” Chrysalis muttered under her breath.

“I now pronounce you Stallion and Wife,” Celestia declared. “You may kiss the bride.”

The moment the imposter’s lips touched the hypnotized stallion’s, Canterlot exploded.

Author's Notes:

*Ding* Have a chapter.

Ahhh... I've been wanting to do this chapter since I started this story! How do you like my version of "This Day Aria"? I wrote it myself!

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Four little notes about the future of this story:

1) Next chapter will be borderline M-rated for violence.

2) Major antagonists are coming... guess who?

3) A poll: Should Alvarium Rex pursue a role in the Mafia or in politics?

4) In the more distant future, I will have a gift for you, in the form of a major writing challenge. I, however, first have to... No, that would be telling. In the mean time, I offer you this: Write a short story (700 words or less) featuring Lyra, Bon Bon, or any earth changeling. Send it to me in a PM. The best one will get his/her story added to this one for everyone to see. Please keep it child friendly.