Love is but a lie, lust and ambition disguised as kindness & purity

-Sombra: Crystal Dictator

   Time passes rather quickly, at times without one even noticing.  Its been 10 years since the end of that summer, 10 years time and many things have changed,  Twilight, the young foal Cadence set went on to become one of the Elements of Harmony and is one of Equestria's greatest heroes.  Celestia's younger Sister Luna has been freed from her imprisionment on the moon, and is slowly adjusting to modern life, and    Cadence & Shining Armor of course got back together, and are now engaged to be married, the only things that really hasn't changed, is our dear Cadence, still young, still naive, and ambitious, infact, not once in the past 10 years did she ever think those little letters she's been sending to her pin-pal Chrysalis might come back to bite her.

Canterlot-Nighttime

  "La, la, la,la,la,la,la,la,la"  Sang Cadence as she pranced around her room in the palace.

"Oh, I can't believe it, its only 4 days away!  4 days till I marry the stallion of my dreams!"  She said, looking at the calander in her room, with a big heart  marked on Friday with the words "BEST DAY EVER" written inside.

"Yes, my life contiues to be perfect!  Playing out the events that I have planned since I was young!"  She began to sing.

  Just then there was a knock on her door.

  "Well, I wonder who that could be at this hour!?" She said to herself, looking at the clock, which had only struck 10 afew moments a go.

" Is that you Auntie Luna?"  Cadence asked.  "Your not trying to play another one of your tricks on me are you?"  No reply.  You do know Nightmare Night ended months ago, right?  Its not very nice to try to scare a pony for no reason."  Still no reply.

  More knocking.

  Cadence gulped and reluctantly moved forward.  She put her hoof up to the knob, twisted, opened it up and, there before her... A guard!?

  Cadence just looked and stared at the guard, she knew the pegasus was most likely one of Luna's given her bat-like wings, short hair cut *somewhat reminiscent of Rainbow Dash's now that she thought about it*  and fang sticking out the left side.

"C-Can I help you?"  Cadence asked.

"Yes my dear, I believe you can"  Said the guard with a Hiss.  

"Ah, well I see, then ahh, c-come in"  Cadence replied reluctantly.

  The guard slowly trotted into Cadence's room, sitting right where the moonlight was hitting the floor

"Ahh,  Auntie Luna's moon sure is beautiful tonight, isn't it!?"  Cadence asked the guard nervously.

"Yes, yes it is, but moongazing isn't why i'm here"  said the mysterious guard, still hissing almost every word she spoke.

"O-Oh, then, why are you here, if you don't mind me asking?"  Cadence said with a nervous smile.

"Simple my dear, I came to wish you and shiny pants the best for your wedding." The guard said, her eyes now glowing green, a massive dark aura surrounding her, then a burst of green light.  Cadence had no choice but to close & cover her eyes.  Then when she opened them, there in front of her was!

"CHRYSALIS!?"  Cadence shouted.   Even though it had been 10 years, and the changeling looked even taller & more menacing then before, Cadence could tell it was her.

  " In the flesh, so to speak"  Chrysalis said with a evil chuckle.

"B-but I don't understand, w-what are you doing here?"  Cadence asked with a dumbfounded look on your face.

"Oh don't be so surprised my dear, like I said, i'm here for the wedding."  Chrysalis smiled.

"B-But how did you know about that, I, I never sent you a letter, I haven't sent you one in..."

" In six months" Chrysalis interrupted.

"ahh, yeah something like that" Cadence replied, a nervous look on her face.

"Oh darling I don't need little letters to keep up with whats going on in the world, remember, the hive has eyes & ears EVERYWHERE!"  Chrysalis said a now stern look on her face.

"Oh, I see, so, so I guess your queen now?"  Cadence asked with a gulp

"Yes, yes I am, and I'm here as Queen of the changelings, to do my duly appointed duty"  Chrysalis said, her evil smile now even wider then before.

"Oh and, ahh, what would that be?  I-if you don't mind me asking"

"Why Cadence my dear, of course I don't mind, after all, you'll be helping me greatly in my takeover of Canterlot and overall conquest of Equestria!"  Chrysalis chortled, her evil laugh in full force.

"I-I'll what!?"  Cadence asked.  

  Just then she felt a sting, a bolt of green magic had hit  her from behind, she felt woozy, she couldn't keep her stance, she could only look at the face of the evil queen as she feel to the ground and slowly lost consciousness, the last thing she saw was a smaller changeling in armor flying towards chrysalis from above.

"Good job Commander Coccon, plan Sleeping Beauty seems to have been a success!"

"Yes man, thank you man!  Now what do we do with her..." The Commander said, as Cadence passed out and everything faded to black.

????????

Black, thats all there was, black, darkness, pain, head ached, body ached, still unconscious? No, but black, why still black, so dark, so cold... feels like, smells likely  "C-Crystals"  a weak voice muttered out.  "why, why does it smell like wet crystals"  the voice asked.

  "Ahh, Cadence, good, I see your awake, finally!"  another voice said, with a since of snark & superiority.

"Who's there"  Cadence asked getting up off her side, or at least she thought she was getting up, it was too dark to tell.

"I think you know who."  The voice cackled.

"Chrysalis, what, why, why are you doing this!?"  Cadence asked, slowly regaining her ability to stand.

Suddenly a crystal in the room glowed bright green, in it, was not the face of the changeling queen, but Cadence's own face.

"You like?"  The impostor Cadence asked with a sneer.

"Why, are you doing this,I, I don't understand, what did I ever do to you, where am I, whats going on!?

  Cadence asked in a confused repetition.

"Calm down will you, theres no need to panic, tell you what Cadey, I like you, so i'll tell you my plan, if you promise to sit still, be quite, & DON'T INTERRUPT ME WHILE I'M GLOATING!"  The impostor said in a rather cruel and harsh tone.

"Fine"  Cadence said, as she set her flank in front of the glowing green crystal, lowering her lip in a pout.

  "Well you see Cadence darling, being queen of the changelings its my job to find my people a viable food source, the dessert and badlands are hardly a livable area, so we fly off all across the world, find areas full of good food, supplies, and of course, ample amounts of love energy, we then take those lands, plunder their resources, and suck out all the love of the inhabitants like little living batteries to refuel and reinvigorate us!"  The impostor sneered.

"Thats horrible!  How could you do such things!?"  Cadence yelled at the impostor.

  "Hey, it may not be the nicest thing to do, but its a living"  The impostor chuckled.

"Anyway, thanks to you, you know those little letters you've been sending, for like, 10 years, despite never getting a single reply."

"Not true, I got one reply, on Hearth Warming's eve, rather nice gift, considering it was given by a changeling, infact I think I still have that doll somewhere in my closet."

"Shut up!"  The impostor Cadence huffed, a blush across her face. "T-that one doesn't count!"  she screamed.

"Fine, you were saying."  Cadence replied, with a huff of her own.

"Anywho, yes, With the letters you have so eagerly written me the past 10 years, and the intel from my agents, not to mention all these cheesy diaries & scrapbooks in your room here"  The impostor Cadence said holding up one of Cadence's tackiest scrapbook creations.  "I know everything about you, your entire life, your likes, your dislikes, your little quarks, and dirty secrets as well i'm the perfect copy, I shall be the one to marry Shining Armor, then as soon as the ceremony is over, I shall strike, my forces shall sweep away the fools you call royal guards & Wonderbolts and Equestria shall be mine!!!"  The evil changeling disguised as a Cadence said, in a maniacal laugh.

"NO THE THRONE IS MINE!"  Cadence said, firing a bolt of magic at  the gem, only having it to bounce off back at her

"Oh, temper, temper Cadey, how would your Auntie Celestia react to such a comment"  The imposter Cadence chuckled.

  Cadence blushed, embarrassed at what she had just said.

"I-it doesn't matter, you won't get away with this, some one will see through your disguise, Shining, Celestia, Luna, Twilight, one of them will catch you, and you WILL fall!"  Cadence told the glowing green figure, in a serious voice as her weak form could muster.

"Well, we'll just see about that won't we Cadey-poo, toodles! "  The impostor said, as she and the green light the gem emitted faded back into the darkness.

NO!"  Cadence screamed, tears now filling her eyes.  "no...."

   And the rest my dear reader you already know, Cadence is indeed saved, by none other then her faithful friend & little sister-in-law Twilight Sparkle, and with Twilight & co's help Cadence manages to defeat the evil Queen Chrysalis sending her and her forces flying back to the badlands.... But my friends, did you know of the dialogue between Cadence & Luna during the after party!?

Canterlot Gardens-Royal Wedding After Party

   Cadence took a sip of punch, looked around, and smelled the fresh air, she was so glad it was all over, she was stuck down there for so long, days she had been trapped in the darkness, hoping, praying to Gia and Heaven above that someone would see through Chrysalis's disguise that someone would save her, and they did, Twilight, her dear beloved Twilight, her little sister in heart *and by marriage now too I guess*  had saved her and given her the strength to fight back the Evil Queen Chrysalis.

   "You look well, all things considered"  A voice said.

  Cadence turned around, snapping herself out of her daydreaming *or evening dreaming, whatever*

"Oh, Auntie Luna, how are you, so glad you could make it!"  Cadence said to the dark blue-Alicorn in front of her.

"Of course my dear, I wouldn't miss it for the world, and excellent choice hosting your after party by starlight, much more refreshing then the sun is it not!?"  She said, a smile on her face.

"Ahh, yes, yes it is" Cadence said agreeingly.

  To be honest, Cadence didn't really know what to think of her Aunt Luna, she was supposedly 1000's of years old like Celestia, but she looked so young, not much older then Cadence really, and when she first returned to the palace, she looked even younger, like a child, heck Celestia would even joke & call her "Woona" But as time passed and the mare got her powers & confidence back, she slowly turned back into the form now standing before the newlywed Cadence.

"Well at least she's not still Nightmare Moon"  Thought Cadence to herself.

" I'm sorry for the trouble at your weeding today, it must have been so hard for you, being replaced and trapped in the dark like that, almost having your life's love handed to another, an impostor that used to be a friend no doubt!"  Luna said, a sad look upon her face.

"Oh no, i'm fine Auntie Luna, really, I mean, bad stuff happens right?  Life goes on!"  Cadence said, putting on the best fake smile she could.

"You don't need to put up a tough front for me my dear, I know all to well how damaging holding-back & bottling up ones negative emotions can be"  

"I bet you do"  Cadence said under her breath.

"Well on  the bright side, the day has been saved, the night is calm, and cool, and in the end Chrysalis paid for her arrogance & ambition, just as she and any like her should."  Luna said, smiling coyly at Cadence.

"Hmmph, just what are you suggesting, looking at me like that Auntie Woona!"  Cadence said, smiling Coyly back at her.

"Nothing my dear niece, merely that you should tread more carefully in making your decisions in the future.  Thats all" Luna said to Cadence, softly.

" I'll be sure to keep that in mind Auntie Luna, thank you for the advice"  

Luna mearly bowed her head and slowly walked back towards her sister.

"Oh, one more thing before I forget Cadence"  Luna said, turning her head around, her eyes now glowing as bright as the moon itself.

" As Princess of the night, it is my job to protect over all of my citizens dreams, I have seen your dreams Cadence, I know what lies, deep within your heart, even a princess of love is no pure of greed, ambition, and hatred, be wise in how you deal with these things, if you are not careful, you shall become just as bad as the very monster thought friend you fought today!"

Cadence just stood there shocked at what her aunt had just said to her.

"well,  my dear Cadence, it seems Pinkie & Vinyl are about to start the party, and I am ready to, how do you say, ROCK THE HOUSE!"   Luna screamed in her royal Canterlot voice.  Pointing to the soundstage where the two ponies now resided.

   Just then the music started, shortly after Cadence found herself on the dance floor, in the arms of Shining Armor, all she could think was...

" Luna, that crazy moon mare, whats she talking about, I have nothing to hate, and nothing to fear, here in my mans arms, all I know is love!"  

The two continued to dance as the night rolled on, Cadence letting the music consume her.

   Sometime later, the last night of the Royal Honymoon

"Its just beautiful isn't it!?"  Cadence said with a relaxed sigh, leaning over the balcony of their hotel sweet, looking out at the ocean and tropical landscape below.

"Yeah, this has been a pretty good vay-cay"  Shining Armor agreed.  Walking up next to the mare, wrapping his hoof around her neck.  "Sad it'll be over in the morning:"

"*sigh*  Me too, but nothing we can do, A Royals work is never done, and Celestia will need our help fixing things up, those changelings sure made a mess of the town."  Cadence chuckled.

"Haha, that they did, that they did..." Shining paused.

"What is it honey?"  Cadence asked with a concerned look.

"Listen, I, i'm really sorry, I, I should have known it was a fake, I should have been able to tell the real you from an impostor."  Shining said, taking his hand off the mare, rubbing his shoulder a disgraced look on his face.

"Oh, there there honey"  Cadence said, embracing her husband, shoving his head up to her chest.  "Theres no way you could have known, she had the perfect disguise, even Auntie Celestia & Luna couldn't see past it, plus you had it worse, she put you under some sort of horrible spell!"  Cadence told him.

"Yeah, your right, but still, I feel pretty bad about it"  Shining replied.

"I know, you've only apologized 500 times."  Cadence said with a laugh.

"And i'll say it 500 more, to prove my love to you dear Princess"  Shining said bowing.

"Oh, stop that!  Your making me blush"  Cadence replied.

"well then shall we, to the bed!!?"  Shining said with a smirk.

"Hmm, I guess, but only if you give me a royal foot rub first"  Cadence replied, a sly look on her face.

"*sigh* OK, I guess thats fair"  Shining agreed.

The two headed to the bead.

"You know what" Cadence said as she plopped her flank on the bed.

"What dear?"  Shining asked.

"I think when I'm ruler of Equestria, i'm gonna make it illegal for you to betray your friends & loved ones."  Cadence said, with her snout in the air.

  Shining just rolled his eyes.  Getting Cadence "special lotion" out of their bag.

"I'm surprised you don't just banish all the changelings from the kingdom, thats what i'd do"  He replied.

"Oh no, its not fair to persecute an entire species because of a few bad apples, and lord knows how many married ponies are secretly changelings in disguise, wouldn't want to be some cruel Queen like Chrysalis, now would we."  Cadence sneered.

"Oh using the royal we now are we, miss prissy princess pants"  Shining sneered as he put the lotion on his wives hoofs and slowly worked his way up her leg, to her thigh.

" Oh, you know we are baby!"  Cadence said with a smile, looking forward to the night to come.

Now this of course would usually be the part where I write in detail the glorious love making Cadence & Shining Armor partake in, but as I am rather lazy, I don't think I shall, sufficed to say though, it was rather glorious, and many ponies around Equestria would envy both parties skill in the area, especially Cadence's.  What they say about Princesses in the bed seems to be 120% true!

  But moving on to more important matters  *about time to wrap this chapter up!*

  A week later Celestia's quarters.

   It was late, 10:30 to be exact.   Cadence was waiting in the parlor outside of her Aunt's bedroom, she had been called almost an hour ago, Aunt Celestia's royal guard had come to her & Shining's house and requested her presance, but when she got her, Celestia was nowhere to be found.  So she waited.

  All of a sudden the doors opened, she could see the guards at both sides, she could hear the hoofsteps, she knew Celestia was coming down the hall, but that wasn't the only voice she heard.

"Sister, Please, I beg you, this will not work out as you have planned, please rethink your position!"

"Luna, you have known my plan for many moons now, why is it this night you voice your disdain?"

"Beacause it is too soon, no one is ready for what you have in store for them, and not everyone in the royal family is as loyal to you as I!"

" That may be true, and I'm sure Blue-Blood and many others will pout once the announcement is made public, but we shall deal with that as it comes."

"Yes but...."

"But nothing!  You already agreed to help me did you not?"

"Yes  I did, but are you sure you'll be able to persuade...."

"Of course I will, after all, why wouldn't she?"

"If you say so sister, well, I shall leave you to be, good night, I hope your talk goes well"

  With that little dialogue done Celestia walked into the room, looking as regal as ever.

"Hello Auntie Celestia, how are you this fine star filled night"  Cadence said, bowing.

"Oh no need for all that, and i'm fine Cadence, how about you, I trust your adjusting to married life well?"  

"Oh about as well as one could expect, I guess" Cadence chuckled.

"Glad to hear it"  Celestia replied.  "However, I didn't bring you here to talk about you & Shining's home life"

"Oh, you didn't!?"  Cadence asked with a coy, playing dumb tone & look on her face.

"haha, know, I asked you here because, well, we need to talk about a very important matter, one that concerns you just as it my sister and most everyone else."

"Oh, what could that be Auntie Celestia?"  Cadence asked with a smile.

"As you know, I am not as strong as I once was, I failed to protect my citizens from Chrysalis, because of this I have decided to speed up my plans, I need a concrete successor to my thrown, should anything happen to me.

"YES I KNEW IT! THIS IS IT, THIS IS FINALLY IT!"  Cadence said in her brain.  She couldn't help smile as wide as could be, as her Aunt Celestia continued to talk about the crown, the country and how important it was to protect it all, how the legacy of their clan demand they be prepared for anything.  Or something like that.  But, when the speech ended, there was something odd, she knew she hadn't mis-heard, Celestia had finally revealed to her the name of the pony who would succeed her on the throne, only, something was off, it didn't sound like Cadence's name, it was a name she recognized, but it wasn't her's.

  "Oh no"  Cadence thought, as she felt the world crumble around her  "This, this can't be real, this, this has to be a bad dream!"

   But, deep down she knew this wasn't a dream, this was real, this meeting with her aunt, and all the contents and words it pertained were real, very very real....and Cadence, she just couldn't believe it. Next Chapter: CH 5: The Suns Words Burn The Heart! Hatred Is Born! Estimated time remaining: 16 Minutes