Canterlot

May 24, 3492. 10:17 A.M.

It has been a year and a half since Spike began to train with his peers. Throughout his training, his commanding officers, though started like anyone else seeing a Drake with them, were quite surprised to see how he trained much harder than his peers, even doing stuff that would make him look masochistic. As expected from Spike, some of the new recruits left within the first month because it was 'too hard' or 'it wasn't what they expected'. There were times Spike was having a hard time, but thanks to his determination to become the best soldier around and, hopefully, become one of Twilight's guards to keep her alive. Though Spike was now a full on soldier of the Canterlot army, under his seriousness, he still has his child moments that he hides from everyone.

It was a day off for Spike: he had on a plain white undershirt with a pair of blue pants & black boots, doing some weight training when some commanding officers came in and told he was he had some special visitors. Not wanting any trouble, Spike agreed and entered the guest room, where two women that influenced his life the most sat in: Twilight Sparkle and Rarity.

Profiles:

Rarity:One of Twilight's close friends and Spike's childhood crush, Rarity is one of the six bearers of Harmony (Generosity). One of the first generation Mages to be born & raised in Ponyville, Rarity always had a knack for fashion and, in her young adult years, has lived, maintained, and worked in her own dress store called 'The Carousel Boutique'. While the most feminine member in her group of friends, & despite having an uptight attitude, Rarity has excelled in Kung-Fu and, from time to time, is willing to get dirty. About a month right after her sister, Sweetie Belle, finally discovered her talent in singing & becoming a famous Pop Star, Rarity moved her house and store to Canterlot, where she started off with little attention until loyal customers started to spread word on how her dresses are above remarkable. Since then, she's become a famous fashion designer for celebrities everywhere.

Twilight was in a more casual looking clothing: a white, long sleeve shirt with a lavender vest over it, wearing a darker shade of pants that almost matched her hair, and sneakers that were the same color as said vest. Rarity, on the other hand, wore a more elegant white dress that spoke fashion, business, intelligence, and cleanliness all together, with her ever so fashionable indigo hair that always kept it's curl on the top & bottom.

"Spike!" Twilight yelled with glee, standing up and hugging him.

"Spikey Wikey!" Rarity added, also running and giving him a hug.

"Twilight!? Rarity!?" Spike asked in pure confusion. "What are you two doing here!?"

"What's it look like we're doing?" Rarity replied "We, and by 'we', I mean mostly 'I', miss you so much!"

"What's it like here!?" Twilight replied "Did you make any friends here?"

"Well... it's not so bad here." Spike replied. A low growl was heard, and the women awkwardly stared at him He chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head innocently "Sorry about that. Haven't eaten all day."

"Well... do you have the day off?" Twilight asked

"I actually do. Let me get ready first, then we continue this conversation."

"Yes Sir!" They both spoke in unison, saluting to Spike. He rolled his eyes and left to get ready for the public. It was a few minutes, but he returned in his recognizable purple jacket and pants, with the exception of the boots from earlier.

"So where are we going?"

"I'm... not really sure." Twilight responded

"Don't fret over it," Rarity spoke "I know a place where we can eat and I'll pay for it."

"Thank you," Spike replied "if today's my day off, then I might as well have it with the two lovely ladies who helped me the most during my childhood."

"Oh Spike! You're too kind!"

After traveling around Canterlot, they arrived to what was essentially a club. The club had three floors: the top floor where security was at, the main floor which had the dance floor, bar, & booths around with some private ones, and the bottom floor where V.I.P. people went to as a way to dance without the blaring music. Immediately, after seeing Twilight Sparkle, they were given a private booth that, luckily, muffled the blaring music on the dance floor.

"So," Twilight began "Care to tell us what life is like in the military now?"

"Yes," Rarity added, speaking in a more baby voice "How is our little baby growing with the big boys?"

"...Tough." Spike replied with a stern look. "Let's get it our of the way: everyone's not use to seeing my kind on the first day, and I can't really blame them. Everyone basically knows who I am right away, and it doesn't help with the fact that there are racist bastards who wish only for me to leave."

"Spike!" Twilight yelled in shock "I-I'm sorry for that."

"Eh, don't worry, I can't blame them when they loss a lot of things to a Draco that attacked their colony. Of course, thanks to my little adventure with Princess Luna those years ago, some of the people who lived in Fillydelphia know that my kind isn't that bad, and act more as my friends, though I never got to meet them on a personal level like you, Twilight."

"At least that's good news." Rarity spoke

"Yeah, and as for my commanding officers, well... they're mixed with me."

"How so?"

"Let's just say my kind has been able to do better than most people, even with those that are civil like the ones in Dragon Town."

"Oh."

"So they put me in a more... challenging program that pushes me more than what a normal Drake could do."

"And how is that?" Twilight asked

"Challenging." He chuckled a bit. "So how's everything back home?"

"Back home?" Twilight asked "Well... I received some word on what's been happening with the others."

"Lay it on me."    

"Well... remember Applejack?"

"How can I forget her?"

"Well... Granny Smith passed away... and she's been depressed from losing one of her relatives."

"Poor Granny Smith," Rarity commented "Did the residents at least payed homage for her family growing Ponyville?"

"Actually, everyone attended her funeral, making Applejack feel a bit better, though, rumors are going around that she may commit suicide."

"Oh please!" Spike spoke "Applejack committing suicide? I know she's depressed, but she's strong and would never do anything like that!"

"True on that, actually."

"Any words on Rainbow Dash?"

"Other than she's now a commanding officer of the wonderboolts, no, not really."

"I hope she enjoys the dresses I made for her." Rarity spoke

"Can we see what they are?" Spike asked

"oh... um... I would like to show you, but it's more of a top secret thing. They'll probably wear them in their next performance though, I'm pretty sure on that part. Let's say I helped made their dresses look iconic, but changed it enough to enhance their performance, rather than those... horrid dresses I though would pass for the Equestria Games."

"We hope we'll see her in our next visit!" Twilight spoke happily.

"I hope so! I hate to admit it, but she's pretty fun to be with. Speaking of fun, did you know Pinkie is here!?"

"Really!?" Spike and Twilight spoke in unison and in surprise. "Where!?"

"She's helping Celestia out in the next Grand Galloping Gala. With all the awful parties in the past years, Celestia finally hires Pinkie as a means to help with the party, giving her full host! There's some rumors going around that she will bring in Cheese Sandwich to help her out, followed with more rumors that they'll propose to each other!"

"... Is it wrong to say I can imagine that?" Spike asked

"I don't think so." Twilight replied, turning to Rarity "So have you received word of Fluttershy yet?"

"Fluttershy? I haven't, but Pinkie has: Fluttershy and Discord have actually been dating these past years and, as something would expect from a child's story, Discord proposed to Fluttershy!"

"He WHAT!?!?!?" Spike exclaimed

"Yes darling, Discord proposed to Fluttershy! They've been planning for a wedding and you're all invited!" Rarity pulled out two golden tickets for them.

"Gold tickets?" Twilight asked

"He didn't want anybody to show up, but Fluttershy wanted her friends to come. As an agreement, Discord allowed all of us to come, just as long as we have these tickets!"

"Fluttershy and Discord getting married? I kinda figured they'd get along sooner or later. Think Fluttershy will want a bachelorette party?"

"I think that would be lovely... just as long as nothing goes... entirely wild."

"Ha! Just wait until Discord gets his bachelor party!" Spike proclaimed, putting both of his arms behind his head.

"I do not want to imagine that." Twilight commented

"Well, just hold on dearies," Rarity spoke "I'm going to get us some drinks to celebrate!"  She got up but stopped at the door. Rarity then turned her head to Spike "How old are you, Spike?"

"I'm about to become 20 in a few weeks." Spike replied "Don't worry, I'll accept whatever punishment is thrown at me, just as long as I don't get go crazy with my drinking."

"I sure hope not. Just relax everyone, I'll get us some-" Three holes in the table opened up, as three look-a-like drinks came out with straws in them, interrupting Rarity. "...That's strange, they usually take our orders first before serving the drinks."

"Perhaps it's free." Twilight suggested. She took her drink was about to take a sip from the straw.

"STOP!!!" Spike yelled slapping the drink away! Rarity and Twilight gasped, seeing the drink land on the table.

"Spike! How could you-"

"That was acid!!!"

"Acid!?" Rarity exclaimed

"How could you-" Twilight began to talk

"Look at your straw!" Spike yelled. Twilight looked at the straw, seeing the end of the straw had melted. She flicked it away in fear, as everyone saw Twilight's drink Spike threw on the table was beginning to eat away at the furniture they all sat around!

"What the-!? W-who would do this!?"

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." Rarity tried to open the door, but failed as the door was shit tight. She began to bang on the door.

"Let us out!" Rarity yelled "Let us out this instant!!!"

"Hold on. I got this." Spike got up and, with one kick, the door fell down! The patrons inside didn't notice a door falling to the floor and continued to dance. Spike turned around, facing the Immortal & mage "You two get out of here! Twilight: go to the castle! Rarity: head to your store or find a guard! Things may get nasty, and I don't want either of you to watch it."

"No!" Twilight replied "I need to find out who attempted to kill me!"

"And I can't leave you behind!" Rarity added

"You can't stay with me!" Spike growled angrily "I can't afford you two to die!"

"But we have more experience than you!"

"Plus," Twilight added "if you're hurt, who's going to help you?" Spike looked at the two women as his brain began to process the information: they were right.

"Fine!" Spike replied, sounding angry but nervous at the same time "just... stay behind me." They both nodded.

"I think we may need to talk to the owner," Rarity suggested "he's a customer I tailored a few weeks ago."

"I'll talk to him then," Twilight spoke "I'll give him a piece of my mind."

"Follow me then!" The two followed Rarity to the upstairs lobby of the club, ignoring the various dancers in their path. The owner's door was slightly opened, not letting much see, but allowed them to see a bit of the business looking room. "Strange. The door's usually closed and a bouncer stands in front of it."

"Something's up." Spike commented, taking the lead "You both stay here; I'll investigate." Spike carefully walked towards the room, slowly opening the door and peeking inside, only to see nothing. On the desk was a simple pistol: standard issue, nothing too amazing about it with the exception of a few scratches on it. Spike picked up the pistol and investigated: the barrel was a bit hot, meaning someone must've fired with it, and it was only further answered when, looking inside there were only five rounds in it's clip instead of eight. Green slime fell onto the gun, quickly cooling off the pistol even more, followed by some muffling screaming. Spike looked up and saw multiple cocoons above him, each holding what was most likely someone that helped ran the club! Rarity and Twilight walked in, both gasping at the sight!

"Ugh!" Rarity spoke in disgust "What creature could do this?"

"Only one," Twilight answered "and we've seen this before: Doppelgangers!"

Species: Doppelgangers:

An insect like species, Doppelgangers run similar as a mix of Ants, Bees, and Termites, as everyone has a role in their hive, following only the orders of their queen. All Doppelgangers have the same look: they are all male looking (minus the queen) who have the looks of an immortal, but, have translucent wings similar to that of a fly, a hard, black & gray exoskeleton & 'hair', no nose, and pure blue or green eyes (theorized that blue eyes are male and green eyes are female, despite all looking the same sex). Their species as a hive have a hierarchy of authority from weakest to strongest: Drones, Soldiers, Guardians, and the Queen.

-Drones make up for nearly half of a Doppelganger hive, maintaining the hive from damages & take care of the young along with everyone else above them all. Unlike the others, drones aren't allowed to use their disguise technology, as they're suppose to stay around the hive at all costs and only follow their job. They are considered the weakest, most cowardly, and will not attack anyone at all.

-Soldiers make up about 40% of a Doppelganger hive. Their job is to defend the hive at all costs from intruders (which can include other Doppelgangers from different hives) and do everything their queen and her guardians tell them to do. These type of Doppelgangers are the ones that go into colonies & disguise themselves as it's species, and they're the ones that make cocoons to hold their victims in. They're considered the most average of the doppelgangers,  not attacking unless orders to or until they are attacked themselves.

-Guardians are the 9% of the Doppelgangers and their job is to defend the queen at all costs. Unlike the others, Guardians plan ahead in most situations and, when given an order from the queen, they'll do whatever tactic is necessary to complete their mission. They're considered really strong and the brightest, coming up with the plans needed to ensure victory and will gladly be controlled by their Queen.

-The Queen is the ruler of a Doppelganger hive and is the one percent. Queens do whatever is needed to help their hive survive, no matter how many lives are lost, but they will only sacrifice at minimum, surprisingly cherish all their lives in a motherly way. Queen are considered the most powerful, physically & mentally, leading their hive to victory in survival.

Surprisingly, despite having mouth with sharp canines, Doppelgangers feed off pheromones produced by individuals when said individual is 'in love'. Their most famous feature, which gave them their name, is their ability to take the form of anyone that's a bit below, above, or average sized, using hologram suits they wear & manufacture themselves, usually keeping the person they copy alive inside a cocoon to send back to their hive for unknown purposes while they feed on the pheromones of the individual's love.

"Doppelgangers!?" Spike yelled "What the hell are they doing here? Weren't they blown away to another planet?"

"Most likely," Twilight replied "but that doesn't mean they are dead during that blast!"

"How do we know it's them and not some other hive?" Rarity asked

"...Good point there. Spike, do you have-" Twilight stopped, as Spike picked up the pistol and aimed it at another door, this one closed. "Spike! What are you-!?"

"Shush!" Spike interrupted. Some banging was heard on the other side of the door, followed by something opening. He opened the door, only to be greeted with a right hook punch to the face by a Doppelganger! He fell to the floor in pain, as the insect opened a trap door, turning into the club's boss (a slender brunette man) and escaping. Spike got up, feeling a throb in his head. Rarity ran to Spike and helped him get up.

"Spike!" Rarity yelled in fear "Are you alright!?"

"I'm fine! Bastard got me good with his right hook."

"Come on!" Twilight yelled "Let's get that Doppelganger!"

"No! I'm going to get it!"

"What!? Spike! We need to-"

"You need to stay alive! Help these men get out of those cocoons! Rarity, report what's happening to Celestia and/or Luna!"

"But what about your officers?" Rarity asked

"If there's more Doppelgangers around here, they may have infiltrated us already. Go! I'll get that son of a bitch myself!" Twilight and Rarity nodded, as Twilight began to use her psychic abilities & wings to help the club employees get out of their cocoons, while Rarity ran out of the club, being careful not to meet anymore Doppelgangers along the way. Spike found some extra clips around the trap door, reloading the pistol in his claws before heading down to what was a shortcut to the club's bottom. The Doppelganger got a head start from his distraction, and ran past the more expensive people, yelling and ordering the other Doppelgangers to stop Spike at all costs! Spike ran to bottom, exiting a room near the restroom that was cleverly hidden inside the walls. He proceeded to make his way into the club, knowing what has to do.

Begin in the 40 second mark. Also, every guard that dies turns back into a Doppelganger and green blood is spilt.

The Doppelganger kicked the door open, only to be tackled by the real employees of the club they were in! Twilight came out, having her noticeable smirk that, as a side effect, Spike couldn't help but smile as well.

"Good work guys!" Twilight spoke "Find out what the Doppelgangers are planning here and why they wanted me killed!"

"Yes, your Majesty!" one of the employees spoke. All of them dragged the lone Doppelganger in, as it begged and struggled for freedom. Twilight looked around and gasped at the sight of all the dead Doppelgangers around the club!

"Spike! Did you-"

"I had to." Spike replied, grunting to himself as he painfully walked up the stairs.

"You... you killed them!?"

"Like I said. I had to."

"But... Why!? You could've-"

"They would've woke up and attacked us again! I'm sorry to say, but, even though we change, Doppelgangers never will!"

"How can you say that!? You used to value lives!"

"...I still do, Twilight. I value our friends, I value our family, but, most importantly, I value yours over mine."

"...If so... then why kill all of these Doppelgangers?"

"Sometimes... to save a life... you've got to take others. I'm Pretty sure the queen, any of the princesses, and Shinging Armor can explain."

"...I guess you're right. But please, if it's possible, try to find a peaceful way in situations. I know you're a soldier, but you still can find some way to let people live, right?" Spike looked into her eyes. Even from afar, Spike could see that, unless he really needs to, he could find some peaceful way and end a problem with no life taken."

"I'll... try, Twilight."

"Thank you, Spike. I still want you to be the Draco I raised when you were young."  She watched for a few moments, seeing Spike waddled his way to the stairs. Carefully, she levitated Spike and brought him towards her. "It's alright, I got you. After all, you're still my little brother."

"And I won't deny that." Twilight gently placed Spike back on his feet next to her.

"I just have one more question."

"Yeah?"

"Did you kill anyone or anything after you left?"

"...No. This is my first."

"Did... you hesitate?"

"Couldn't."

"Why?"

"Three reasons: The training I had to go through, The Draco's code with me protecting you, and natural instincts all played together."

"Well... I am sorry for that, but... I am forever grateful so... thank you, Spike."

"Don't feel sorry for me, Twilight. I chose it, not you. But, thank you, your highness."

"Need any help?"

"Nah. Just give me a few minutes and I'll be back in action."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive!"

"...If you say so." Some loud thumps were heard inside the room, followed by yelling. Twilight ran inside the room, hearing the glass break! All of the security men freed were down, as a group of Doppelgangers now occupied the room, some carrying the pods the others were still trapped in! They turned to Twilight and hissed at her, some preparing to leap at her! With a single push motion with her arms & a purple glow around her hands, Twilight pushed all of the Doppelgangers out of the room! Various thuds were heard, but the sounding of quick, beating insect wings and hard crashes heard. Looking outside, Twilight saw many Doppelganger pods falling & landing on Canterlot's surface. Doppelgangers began to fly back to the room while others began to climb into the room, crawling along the floor, walls, and ceiling until the rooms looked only black with their blue & green eyes being light. Twilight slammed the door and turned to Spike, holding the door shut with loud banging on it.

"We gotta get outta here!" Spike yelled

"But where do we go!?" Twilight asked

"...We go to the canterlot castle!"

"No! Spike! What if it's already taken over by the Doppelgangers?"

"Celestia & Luna are in there, and it's very unlikely they are already taken over."

"...Are you sure?"

"Do you doubt their power?" A loud crash was heard in the wall, as a lone doppelganger knocked down the wall next to their door!

"Let's go!" Twilight carried Spike on her back, running towards the emergency exit with a swarm of Doppelgangers running towards them! Twilight pushed the door open with her mind, running outside as more Doppelganger pods fell near them! Without hesitation, Twilight opened her wings and took off into the sky! All around Canterlot, chaos erupted, as everyone below panicked for their lives with the unexpected Doppelganger invasion! Above Canterlot's orbit was the Doppelganger's Spaceship: a huge spaceship that was designed to carry all it's soldiers & prisoners, looking like it's side wings were insect wings themselves that glowed green, layered with holes that fired multiple individual Doppelganger pods simultaneously. Below, many civilians fled for their lives, some fought against the Doppelgangers, but many were captured by Doppelgangers and placed inside pods. Soldiers battled against the Doppelgangers, as humans battled on the floor, Angels against the Doppelgangers in the air using their wings, and Mages either aided their fellow allies or tried to save the citizens trapped in the pods. Spike just wanted to go down and fight with his peers, but knew that he had to be smart about it and have a higher chance to live to protect his sister, for these soldiers wore the standard Canterlot Golden colored armor that covered the user's whole body with it's built in magnetic back to holster weapons, scanners to indicate nearby enemies, and, though slowing down walking, having a tank like protection that can stop most attacks unless repeatedly attacked in the same spot, minus the decorative plumes used to have the look of honorable knights.

It took them a while, but they made it to the Castle, where Doppelgangers were thrown out of the windows and gunfire was heard. Twilight flew into the room, seeing the four people that, two were unexpected: Queen Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and Prince Shining Armor!

Profiles:

-Queen Celestia: The first immortal ever made, Celestia leads all of Equestria under her rule when it's daytime, making sure that her three main races (Humans, Mages, and Angels) live in harmony and that other species will get along. When Twilight was young, Celestia saw the potential in her and became Twilight's personal mentor in every subject young Twilight studied. For a long time, she's been called 'Princess Celestia', but after a few years since Twilight became in immortal & a princess, she now calls herself a queen, for being the oldest & having the most power in both literal and metaphorical terms. Though being an immortal, most of her power actually comes from the sun, making her much stronger when under direct sunlight, and, despite being older than anyone imaginable, she's not the wisest of leaders from time to time & has acted like a child when she feels like it.

-Princess Luna: The second immortal and sister to Celestia, Luna leads all of Equestria under her when it's nighttime, following her sister's examples to ensure harmony. Before rejoining her sister, Luna tried to take over the galaxy for herself as her altered form, Nightmare Moon, as a means to defeat her sister and be the most powerful woman in history. Celestia had no choice, but to defeat her sister and banished her to Ponyville's moon. Thankfully, Twilight & her friends helped reform her, and, despite the changes, Luna got used to the changes around her, returning back to her roots as ruler of the night. Unlike Celestia, Luna gets stronger when underneath the glow of the moon and can actually enter people's dream as a way to help them or simply talk. Despite being younger than Celestia, Luna is quite mature and takes nearly everything seriously, even those that aren't suppose to be serious like her new hobby, Videogames.

-Princess Cadence: The Third Immortal, wife to Shining Armor, and originally an Angel many years ago, Cadence leads the Crystal Empire to ensure a near unlimited supply of power from it's special crystals around the kingdom's castle. As mentioned, she was originally an Angel, but wasn't transformed under Celestia's rule and nor does Cadence remember her past with the exception of a few flashbacks to some painful experimentations. Celestia wasn't sure what to with a new immortal, but with Luna banished and Cadence has shown herself to be selfless in all situations. Following the other immortal's ability to control something no one could in their life, Cadence can actually influence people through their body's natural chemicals as she pleads, to which she uses positive feelings such as endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin, & dopamine to promote happiness and various hormones & pheromones to make people fall in love with one another, though it consequently makes her the most attractive woman in the galaxy.

-Shining Armor: The older brother to Princess Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor is the captain of the royal guard and a proud husband to Princess Cadence. While now a prince, Shining Armor tries to stay away from the politicians, not wanting to have extra stress from both leading an entire squadron dedicated to protecting Celestia & Luna, and supporting his wife, Cadence. Despite being battle hardened, Shining is actually caring for his little sister and, though just a few years away from retirement, he's never going to quit on anything he loves doing.

They all stood there as Twilight Sparkle and Spike remembered: Celestia, being nearly 7 feet tall, her darkened skin, though beautiful with her violet eyes & hair of blue, green, & pink that reached to her ankles, contrasted her white wings & matching one piece suit that looked modern, but ancient with it's use of a cape over her left shoulder & arm. Luna, about a foot smaller, was recognizable for her pale skin, a matching dress design to Celestia's but being dark blue with her wings, and her hair looked as if it has an entire galaxy inside it. Princess Cadence had more of the original regal look, wearing a beautiful one piece pink dress that matched her wings with the addition of golden ends on her dress & around her waist, where her hair swung past her hips with it's shades & striped colors of yellow, red-violet, and purple. Shining Armor, though older with what was a full scruff of a beard, wore his royal looking armor instead of what the soldiers had, giving him more flexibility & speed as, with the exception of his different shaded striped head, all his vital organs were protected under the purple armor that fits snugly over his white one piece suit, having his blue gloves & boot hold it in. All were taking deep breaths, having been in combat with Shining Armor's assault rifle sizzling & cooling off out of it's barrel.

"TWILEY!!! SPIKE!!!" Shining Armor yelled, running to his siblings.

"Shining!" The two yelled. Spike got off Twilight's back and the Immortal ran to her older brother, hugging him tightly

"I thought I lost you!"

"I would've been if it weren't for Spike." Twilight replied, looking up to her brother "The Doppelgangers tried to kill me with acid, using a drink as a decoy! Spike saved me before I could take a drink, and he took down a whole club filled with Doppelgangers that were after me!" Shining Armor's eyes & pupils widened, then he looked to the Draco.

"Is she telling the truth?"

"Well... one got away and she took down one," Spike replied, crossing his arms with a smirk on his face "but yeah, I did what she said. For it being my first time in combat, I surprised her and myself."

"That's... AMAZING!!!"

"Shining!" Twilight yelled

"Sorry Twi, but hearing that has got to be something! Were there any civilian casualties?"

"None that I encountered." Spike replied "Some were pushed, but all exited the club in a state of panic."

"But we're not sure about the club's employees," Twilight added "They've been taken away to, what I guess is their spaceship."

"So this is an invasion!" Shining Armor spoke. The door opened and two guards (a female angel and a male mage) entered, both covered in green Doppelganger blood with some minor scratches on their armor.

"Halt!" Luna yelled, going into a fighting position

"Wait!" The angel yelled, holding her arms up in a surrender position "We're not Doppelgangers!"

"Hardly! That's what any Doppelganger will say!"

"Then scan us!" The mage yelled "We will prove we're not Doppelgangers!"

"We will," Cadence spoke "hold still." Cadence used her natural ability and examined the two carefully. After a few moments, Cadence finished. "They're clean."

"Thank you, Cadence." Shining Armor spoke with a bow to his wife. He walked to the two, holstering his rifle onto his back. "Report!"

"The Perimeter is secured," The angel spoke "but we may need to keep our defenses up."

"Agreed." Luna replied, shaking herself off while cracking her hands.

"What's the damage outside?" Celestia asked

"The castle is on the lookout for more Doppelgangers," The mage spoke, reloading his pistol "so we should be fine. As for the rest of Canterlot, it's looking a bit hasty."

"Can we save Canterlot?" Cadence asked

"Of course we can!" Spike yelled "We've saved Equestria multiple times, so this should be relatively easy. All we need is a taskforce to enter the Doppelganger's Spaceship, rescue as much civilians as we can, and blow it up!"

"That's easier said than done." Shining Armor replied "We're going to need more than a taskforce. Their ship is heavily guarded, and I doubt a small group of soldiers can enter there."

"Perhaps," a familiar voice of a famous Tomboy spoke "but what you guys need is a distraction!" Everyone turned and saw the Leader of the Wonderbolts herself, Rainbow Dash!

Profiles:

-Rainbow Dash: One of Twilight's friends and a controller of the elements of harmony, Loyalty, Rainbow Dash is the fastest flying Angel in Equestria and the only one to do a Sonic Boom with no serious injury. In her whole life, Rainbow Dash wanted to join the Wonderbolts, believing that her speed and unnatural talent will help her, which, to her surprise, did in a few years, despite being lazy. She is quite competitive when others go against her titles, proving to be narcissistic in a lot of ways, but can still be selfless in many situations. After becoming a full Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash began to rise the ranks, soon, becoming Spitfire's right hand woman. There, she and Soarin, Spitfire's right hand man, soon developed feelings for each other and, in a few months, feel in love and have been dating ever since.

Rainbow Dash stood, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. Most could identify her already by her light cerulean wings, her  yellow lightning bolt looking chest piece that was her darker blue Wonderbolt suit, and, as everyone could tell, her hair of the six colors in a rainbow, going from red to purple.

"Rainbow Dash!?" Twilight yelled in surprise "What are you doing here!?"

"I was in town to greet the rookies that think they can join the Wonderbolts," Rainbow Dash replied "And suddenly, a Doppelganger invasion!"

"Hold Still!" Cadence yelled "I need to see if you're a Doppelganger or not."

"Don't need to!" Rainbow Dash walked to them, but quickly back kicked one of the guards in their testicles, making the guard fall and reveal he was a doppelganger! The crowd gasped and Rainbow Dash back flipped, kicking the Doppelganger hard in the chin, knocking it out easily.

"How did you-" Shining Armor stuttered

"It's their smell!"

"...Smell?" Celestia asked in interest.

"Yeah. Doppelgangers have an awful smell that smells like-"

"Shit?" Spike interrupted.

"... I was going to say 'poop', but that works as well."

"And how do you know this?" Luna asked

"During Shining Armor and Cadence's wedding. I won't go in detail, but Chrysaliss, in disguise, smelt really bad, and yet, no one noticed, you know why?"

"...Why?" Cadence asked

"She put on a lot of perfume to black the smell, duh! And when the Doppelgangers attacked us, their smell became much more horrible than I thought; caused me to gag a couple of times."

"And you never thought of sharing us this information?" Spike asked, crossing his arms with an irritated look.

"Well... we were battling Doppelgangers and, after they were literally blown away, I thought they'd never come back."

"Well you thought wrong!"

"That's in the past," Shining Armor spoke "Rainbow Dash: you and your Wonderbolts are willing to sacrifice yourselves as distraction while we destroy their ship?"

"The others and I will. Soarin, however-" Right from behind her, a male angel in an identifiable Wonderbolt suit came in. He had pale blue wings and his hair, though flown back, showing how much time he flew in the air, was a dark gray-blue, and in his hands, he held a standards assault rifle with a weird strap on his back.

"I'm going with you guys." Soarin spoke in a serious tone.

"What!?" Shining Armor yelled "You can't! You're not even classified to use weapons!"

"I know that! But what's worse: having help from a 'rookie' in the battlefield, or not having help at all."

"But do you have any idea what we're going to do?" Spike asked in a condescending tone.

"Duh! We're going to blow those bastards up!"

"With what?" Shining asked

"With this!" Soarin turned around, revealing the strapped thing to his back was a canister filled with a green gas. Shining Armor walked to Soarin and looked at the canister.

"What is it?"

"Pesticides!"

...Pesticides?" Spike asked, crossing his arms.

"We believe that, since Doppelgangers are insects, pesticides should kill them."

"Hang on a second!" Twilight yelled, walking to them "You're telling me that, since Doppelgangers are like insects, you believe a single container filled with Pesticides will kill them all?"

"No!" Rainbow Dash replied "We have a whole cruiser filled with Canisters!!!"

"RAINBOW!!!"

"What!? We're trying to help!"

"I understand that, but have you tested it to find out if it'll work or not!?"

"No tests are needed." another woman's voice spoke. They all turned and saw  the only nurse inside, walking to them. Her hair was a hot pink bun and she had on a simple nurse outfit, splattered with blood around the skirt area.

"Care to explain, Nurse?" Celestia asked.

"Please," the nurse replied with a bow "Call me Red Heart."

"What do you mean by 'no tests are needed'?" Twilight asked

"It's easy really: Doppelgangers are related to Bees, Ants, Termites, and Wasps. Pesticides are normally used on insects like grasshoppers to promote growth in food and lower insect populations."

"But how does that infect Doppelgangers?" Luna asked, sounding a bit impatient.

"Glad you asked. Pesticides, though used for grasshoppers, have been known to kill the ground's ants & termites and, though unintentional, Bees & wasps. Because of this, I am sure that these canisters filled pesticides should be able to kill it's Queen."

"It's Queen!?" Cadence asked "You mean this isn't Chrysalis?"

"Very unlikely; trapped on the same planet they made their home, remember Twilight? Anyways, many Doppelganger queens in the galaxy; all combined and populations can be as big as a small colony. Armies, however, can be proved devastating if all team up together; can take over a planet within a few seconds."

"So why don't they team up?" Spike asked

"...Hard to say. I'd like to interview a queen one day to know why!"

"So you think this will kill the queen?" Soarin asked, holding the container

"Possibly. If not, at least weaken enough for her to escape as a warning."  

"Or perhaps she just a bullet to the head." Spike commented, pulling out his pistol and reloading a new clip

"SPIKE!!!" Twilight hissed "What did I say!?"

"... Alright. But if she won't listen, then we'll have to do it."

"As for the rest of the Doppelgangers?"

"We can't." Shining Armor spoke "We're losing too many men down there! The best we can do is use the pesticide and hold back their attacks."

"Agreed," Celestia Spoke "We will stay behind and deal with the rest of the Doppelgangers here while providing support to our soldiers below."

"And we will stop all Doppelgangers heading out and back to their spaceship while being a distraction!" Rainbow Dash spoke with a hint of excitement.

"This is no game," Soarin spoke, placing his right hand on her left shoulder "there's a chance we may not survive." Dash turned around and gently stroked Soarin's cheek with her hand

"With you on the case, I say we're fine!"

"I... hope you didn't jinx it."

"How about this?" She grabbed his head and pulled it in. She locked lips with him, giving him a kiss. Soarin's eyes and pupils widened, but then closed, as he embraced the kiss.

"Are you ready for this, Spike?" Shining Armor asked

"Me!?" Spike replied "You want me to go with you?"

"Well... we're going to need a little... firepower!" Twilight giggled at her older brother's joke. Spike grumbled to himself as the two angels stopped kissing each other.

"That... was awful."

"I'm going along with you three!" Nurse Redeart spoke

"I'm sorry Miss," Shining Armor spoke "But you cant-"

"I know I can't fight, but I'm the only one that knows any form of medicine here and I'll need to make sure the people we're saving are still alive!" Everyone stared at how determined Redheart spoke.

"She has a point." Cadence spoke. Shining took a deep breath.

"Fine," he spoke, throwing a spare pistol at her "but arm yourself!" Red Heart caught the pistol in her hands.

"I already am!" she replied.

"Let's head out!" Soarin gave Rainbow Dash another kiss to the face, worried that this will be their last day together, and Red Heart followed the angel to where the carriers were at. Both Spike and Shining Armor were stopped by Twilight.

"Wait!" she pleaded. They both stopped and turned to their sister. "Before you go... please... protect each other and come back." Shining turned around and gave his sister a hug.

"I'll do my best, little sis." He spoke, fighting back tears.

"Than you, B.B.B.F.F." He released her and followed Soarin. Spike came up to Twilight, hearing her sniff a bit.

"Twilight," Spike spoke "I'm sorry, but I can't make any promises."

"... Is that it?"

"No. If I die, I'll be sure the others make it out, and I will go away, knowing full well that you made it out alive." She sniffed a bit. Spike carefully wiped a lock of hair in front of her face. "Your life is more important than mine."

"...If you do go... I'll be sure they give you a proper burial." Spike chuckled a bit, figuring his corpse would be launched into the sun; A proper Draco burial ceremony, as suns burn fire, the element Drakes have been known to use.

"Thanks Twi." He turned around and headed to their carrier.

Miscellaneous:

-Spaceships: With space and a galactic nation, there had to be ways to deliver resources, labor, and tools needed for the colonies of Equestria to survive. Many new spaceship now run on fuel that the Crystal Empire provides, quickly becoming a more trusted source of energy instead of gasoline and regular electricity. With these crystals (still yet to be named), not only are ships powered, but also convert Carbon Dioxide into Oxygen in a matter of seconds. The three common groups of Spaceships are as followed: Personal, Public, and Military.

-Personal Spaceships are owned by most of the public as their own source of transportation. Each of these are as diverse as regular vehicles and are made by different companies, each having advantages & disadvantages in fuel, handling, repair, speed, navigation, and looks.

-Public Transport ships vary in size, but are used to transport all species around Equestria to different planets and colonies. Most are free to use, but there are privately own Transport stations that help it's customers have space from most larger transport ships, and are faster, allowing them to quickly head to their destination and do whatever they need to do.

-Military ships are known for being giants as a means to show their military's power, and are the only ships that uses weapons. These ships act as transportation and homes to soldiers, as a means to avoid unnecessary housing in colonies that are just beginning and serve as a hub for soldiers to talk with peers or reply to messages from family members. While most are huge, each has it's own cargo area where smaller shops are inside. These ships act as two things: Carriers and Fleet. Carriers are ran by an A.I. that locates any area they can land in at a safe distance to a current mission, transporting a squad of at least 15 soldiers inside at maximum.

The four grabbed what they needed and sat inside the carrier, buckling themselves in. Their carrier was filled with multiple canisters of Pesticides, perhaps enough to kill all the Doppelgangers and their queen. Spike had on what was the human brand of armor, thanks to him not having any wings nor any psychological abilities, but was made uncomfortable due to his tail. Both he and Shining Armor now had their helmets on; a standard looking helmet like any other soldier's with the facemask up as a means of protection and breathing in oxygen, but, with the captain, it's purple like his chest armor. Soarin wore a simple facemask over his mouth & nose (Most likely a filter, as they spend a lot of time in their air), blue like his Wonderbolt suit with some lightning painted to the sing, while Red-Heart wore a simple bubble dome around her mouth, giving a natural look to patients, making them look like they have nothing, but protecting her face from what would be dangerous fumes while giving oxygen to her. Soarin placed his right hand over his ear.

"Dashie?" He asked "Are you and the others ready?"

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash's voice responded through her intercom "The boys and I are waiting for your signal."

"Let's get to it then." Shining Spoke. He pulled out a small device in his hands and began to press on some buttons. In a few seconds, the humming came around their ship, followed by a sense of rising. "Alright everyone, let's keep our intercoms linked to each other. We need to stick together and try not to get ourselves lost in any swarm of Doppelgangers. Soarin: you're in charge of placing these pesticide around. Don't place them in the same spot, got it?"

"Yes sir!"

"Redheart: you don't engage in combat unless it's needed. You stick with us, tell us where we should go, and get us back up our feet when we're injured."

"Of course." the Human nurse replied.

"And Spike-"

"Stick with you and fend off the Doppelgangers?" Spike asked

"...Suppressing fire, but yes, that's you and I have to do."

"Got it."

"Tell Rainbow Dash we're ready, Soarin"

"No need to," Rainbow Dash's voice replied "Already see you up there. Come on boys, let's squish some bugs!!!"

"Be careful, Dash." Soarin spoke.

"YOU be careful, Soarin."

After a few moments of silence, their carrier landed inside what was the Doppelganger hive. The door opened, and, as far as the eye can see, there were many cocoons around in a huge, dark, green lit cave. Immediately, Doppelganger drones were around, but after seeing the 4, they hissed and either crawled or flew away to safety.

"Cowards." Spike simply commented

"It's not their job to fight." Shining Armor replied, picking up some of the canisters and handing it to everyone "Soarin. You set the time and have the trigger?"

"Yes Sir!" Soarin replied, holding up a detonator device

"Good. Let's move out and cover our backs. When the trigger is activated, we only have 10 minutes to escape."

"Why don't we try to communicate with the queen here?" Redheart asked. The three males turned to her with a questionable look.

"And why would we do that?" Soarin asked

"She's leading them, right? We should at least know why she's attacking us."

"There's no question about it," Shining spoke, turning and walking ahead "we kill all the Doppelgangers and that's it."

"Listen! I know this stuff can kill them, but let's not jump to conclusions right away! For all we know, WE may have attacked them!"

"Why would we attack them!?" Soarin asked

"I mean it as an accident thing: we may have attacked a planet that we though was uninhabited, but it may actually host the Doppelgangers on it."

"...I see what you mean on it," Shining spoke "but that's hardly the case. We're going to destroy this ship and all it's Doppelgangers with it!"

If it's possible, try to find a peaceful way in situations. Twilight's voice ran through Spike's head.

"Wait!" Spike yelled "Maybe we can find a peaceful way through this." Shining stopped and turned to the Draco

"Are you serious!?" He asked "What happened to your 'Stop the Doppelgangers' at all cost idea?"

"I do want to stop them! Look, maybe we can find what's wrong with queen in attacking us."

"And what do you think it could be?"

"Forced to do this by another Queen, perhaps a disease that made her violent and wishes to attack anything nearby, or, though very unlikely, is brainwashed."

"... I'm with them now." Soarin spoke

"Ugh! Fine!" Shining yelled angrily "But if all hell breaks loose, we're activating these canisters. Got that!?"

"Yes Sir!" The three spoke together.

They  traveled deeper into the Doppelganger ship, as more and more drones scurried away, hissing at the four. As they noticed, the deeper they got inside, the more there was a low, but loud humming, and the floor & walls became more covered with large globs of Doppelganger webs. Though not speaking a lot, they arrived at some doors, and Shining Armor signaled what they had to do: Soarin takes the right side, Spike the left, and Redheart stays behind cover while Shining Armor uses his natural mage abilities to open the door. With a purple Aura, Shining grunted as he opened the door, which started off slow, but opened fast! When it was open, Shining took out his assault rifle and entered the room, turning on his helmet's flashlight, followed by the other two soldiers and nurse. They entered in what seems to be a private chambers area, seeing a woman as tall as Celestia, looking through a window next to her bed, watching the battle outside her windows. She looked like an ordinary woman, give or take her size, but she had the light green, translucent, sharp wings that were shaped like a moth's, dark green hair that looked more like webs, long enough to cover her thighs, and wore a black, simple looking dress with holes in it, covering her thighs & her breasts. The window was large enough for them all to see what's going on: outside was sprawled with Doppelganger Solders & Guardians, battling against both Wonerbolts in their breathers and some small shuttles arriving, opening to reveal some Canterlot Soldier angels to join the fight. She took a deep sigh and turned around to them.

"Queen Chrysalis?" Shining Armor simply asked

"No." The Queen replied in a sad tone "And I don't wish to reveal my name."

"Explain why you're doing this."

"And why you sound so... sad." Spike added, lowering his weapons down. The queen walked and sat on her bed.

"None of this is what I wanted." she simply stated, lowering her head down "All I wanted to do is to keep my hive safe: stay within our planet's area, send a few of my soldiers out, get enough love to feed us, and return."

"Just like that?" Soarin asked

"Just like that."

"Then... why are you attacking us?" She took a deep breath

"This isn't just me, but it's every other Doppelganger queen around the galaxy! Most of them have already joined his army! I was only some of the few that resisted, but I have to obey him!"

"Who!?" Shining asked "Who's controlling the Doppelgangers now!"

"I... I Can't say! If I do, he'll kill me! He'll-" Spike walked up to the queen, sat next to her, and placed his right hand on the queen's shoulder. She stopped and looked at Spike, looking past his helmet to see, not a human, but a Draco.

"Look," Spike spoke "I know you're afraid. You're doing this as a means to not die. You really hate losing your children as we speak, right?"

"...yes."

"I can't guarantee it, but I'll have word with the queen & the princesses to hopefully grant you amnesty, but I can guarantee that we will use all resources to find who's controlling the other queens. We just need his name. Can you do that?"

"...Yes. She got up and walked to a wall, where a T.V. set and some recording devices came out. She pressed on some buttons, and soon, spoke into the mic. "Attention all Doppelgangers: stop what you're doing and return to the ship! Take your wounded brethren and return to the ship immediately! Leave all pods and return!" The 4 looked outside and watched, seeing the Doppelgangers give a questioned look, but following it.

"Attention all soldiers!" Shining Armor spoke in his helmet "Stop all combat against the Doppelgangers! They are retreating! I repeat: stop attacking the doppelgangers!" Again, the soldiers that were about to use this as an attack, stopped and watched as Doppelgangers, both in space and on Canterlot's surface, flying to the ship, carrying their weapons and at least one Doppelganger carrying two of it's injured comrades in it's hands. Both the queen and Shining looked to each other and smiled.

"Thank you, Shining Armor. I am grateful you stopped your men from attacking."

"It is I who should thank you." He replied. She turned to the other three, but did a sqaut, looking at Spike in the eyes.

"I should really thank you. I hope I'll be doing the right thing. What is your name, Draco?"

"It's Spike." The Draco replied "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Simple... I like it."

"Now, his name?"

"Oh! His name? Well... you're not going to believe it, but it's-" She stopped and stood right up, freezing in her speech. She let out a gasp, and seemed to be choked by something invisible.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?!?!?" Soarin yelled

"I don't know!" Red Heart replied "I think something inside her is preventing her to speak!"

"What do you think you're doing!?" a booming male voice asked "You are under my command! You do as I say, or there will be consequences!!!"

"NEVER!!!" The queen yelled in a raspy voice "I am a queen! You are a Tyrant!"

"A Tyrant to every stupid being's eyes, but when it's all done, I will no longer be a Tyrant, but I will be a king!"

"A King!?" Shining asked

"It can't be!" Spike yelled "SOMBRA!!!" At that mention, the Doppelganger Queen's eyes turned full green, as her pupils became red, and purple smoke came out from the sides.

"Assuming control is necessary!" The Queen spoke in her voice, but with the addition of Sombra's voice as well. They now saw it: the Queen of this hive now became a puppet, under the control of the thought to be dead tyrant himself, Sombra! She released a screech, making the four cover their ears! She stopped and her hands glowed a green aura, as she levitated Shining Armor and threw him into a wall! He felt the impact and was knocked unconscious.

"SHINING!!!" Spike yelled. He turned around and was picked up by the Queen herself, holding Spike by his throat in her right hand.

"My thirst for power will soon be quenched! My vengeance against you will redeem myself from losing to a simple child! I have waited for this day to come!"

"Why... now!? Couldn't... you... kill me... before!?"

"I may be considered a Tyrant, but I do not kill children! You're a young soldier, and you will die as one!" Her hand glowed again and was going to kill Spike, but she fell to the ground with Spike, cancelling her attack. Spike looked up to see Soarin had tackled her.

"GO!!!" He yelled "Get outta here!!!"

"I'm not leaving anyone behind!" Spike replied, getting up and pulling a pistol out.

"Don't play hero! I know what I'm getting into, so I'll stay behind!"

"GET OFF ME, WEAKLING!!!" The controlled Queen yelled, kicking Soarin off! Soarin fell to Spike's feet, not unconscious and, though in pain, didn't look too serious. The queen got up and hissed at Spike. Spike aimed his pistol at the queen's face!

"Don't make me do this!" Spike threatened

"Go on! Kill this queen! I have plenty more to use, so go and do what you want to do on this pathetic queen! I will find you!" She charged at Spike! Spike didn't want to kill this queen: she was innocent and under the influence of someone else. Quickly, he aimed and fired at one of her feet, causing the Doppelganger to fall! She fell with a thud, green blood fell from her foot, but she began to crawl towards Spike, determined to kill him!

"Listen! You're stronger than him! Control yourself! He's nothing compared to the might of your hive!"

"No! Don't listen to him! He's but a child!"

"A child that saved an entire planet from his wrath! A child that, though gullible, saw & experience many things that only a child can dream of! Beat Sombra! Kick him out!" She rolled over to the floor and screamed, going into a ball, changing from her regular voice to a mix of hers & Sombra's voice.

"I can do it, Spike! I can do it... No you can't! You're under my control!... Never!!! You can't control me!!!... I have with the others, and you are no different to them... Help me!!!" She slammed the back of her head on the wall a couple of seconds, leaving some green blood, followed by her grabbing her own arm to prevent herself from punching herself. "Please! Shoot me!"

"No! You can do this! You-" BANG!!! Spike stopped, and so did the queen. the Queen looked down, seeing her abdomen was shot. Spike looked at the Doppelganger, seeing her eyes go back to normal. They both turned and saws Redheart holding a pistol, sweating really had and the pistol smoked a bit. Her hands shook, and she dropped the weapon.

"What have I done!?" Redheart asked herself, tearing up and dropping to her knees.

"You freed me." The queen replied. She took a deep breath, but struggled to breath.

"Hang in there!" Spike spoke, getting down onto one knee and holding the queen's hand in a reassuring way. "Nurse! Help me!"

"I CAN'T!!!!" Red-heart yelled "I KILLED HER!!! I KILLED AN INNOCENT WOMAN!!!"

"No you haven't! Help me out here!!! We can-"

"It's alright." The Queen interrupted. Spike turned to the queen, who had a smile on her face. "I'm afraid she's right. I am going to die."

"No! You're not! Too many people have died today! I am not going to-"

"And they won't... I... thank you, Spike the Draco. I do, but... I must pass on. You have to get out of here! ... My men... they love me... thay'll attack you after seeing me like this... escape through your transport... I will activate our drive core and get away... land on a different planet... hopefully... deserted"

"What about your soldiers? Won't they die?"

"...No. My daughter's in her pod... she'll hatch soon... learn to rule from my old videos... lead hive to survive... hopefully... Sombra won't find her." Spike turned to his crew, seeing Soarin get up, Redheart's still crying, and Shining Armor was still unconscious

"...Give me a second."

"Hurry... don't... have... much time... left." Spike got up and offered a hand to Soarin. The Angel accepted it and got up.

"What happened?" Soarin asked

"The queen is dying. We only have a few minutes for us to escape, as the queen will activate the ship to go into light speed and crash into another planet. Hopefully, it'll be uninhabited. Still have strength in you?"

"To get out of here? Yes, sir!"

"Good. Hold on just a second." Spike walked to Nurse Hedheart, who was crying hard, placing her head in her hands. He gently placed his right hand on her, squatting to see her face-to-face. She looked up to him, sniffling.

"I killed her." she repeated.

"You didn't do it on purpose."

"And that's suppose to make me feel better!?"

"...No. Not entirely. It was sudden, but you did the right thing."

"She looked liked she was going to win!"

"Yeah. LOOKS like she was going to win. I have no idea how Sombra's back from the dead, and I have no idea how many Doppelganger queens are following him, but we do what we need to do to keep our Galaxy safe, got it?" She looked up to him and sniffled a bit,

"So... I'm not a murderer?"

"You are a nurse! You heal people with medicine! The queen is sacrificing herself to save us, and I know that you and I don't want to see anyone else dying today, especially if it's us." He stood up and extended his hand to Redheart's face "Are you with me, or do you want to stay and die?" She looked up to him, gave him a confident stare, then smiled and accepted his hand, standing right back up.

"What do you need us to do?"

"For both of you. Easy as this: Carry Shining Armor together and we make a dash to our carrier. I'll provide suppressing fire as we go. This is our only chance to escape and survive! If we stay, not only are we going to be trapped here with them on a probably uninhabited planet, but her soldiers will think we killed her on purpose. Let's move out!!!"

"SIR!" They both spoke with a salute. Spike turned to the queen, who was now wheezing and turning grey. He went down on one of his knees to see her face to face.

"Is there anything you want to tell us before we go?" She turned to him, then pointed to the controls.

"Hit... the red... button." she simply stated. Spike walked to the controls, seeing a large red button. "Good... luck." With one final breath, the queen passed away. She closed her own eyes, and she went limp. Silence fell over the rest of the soldiers.

"Rest in Peace." Redheart spoke

"We gotta get outta here first." Soarin replied

"Have respect for the dead!"

"Enough!" Spike yelled, silencing the two. He turned and, with a deep breath, pressed the button.

"Heading to Lightspeed in T-Minus 5 Minutes." the electric voice of the hive ship spoke.

"Let's move!" Soarin picked up Shining Armor's arms while Redheart had his legs, and the two began to make a dash to their carrier! Spike exited, pulling out his assault rifle and sprinted next to them! Some loud screeching was right behind them, causing them to fall! Looking up, they saw what was a few soldiers & a guardian looking inside, seeing their queen dead. It was no surprise that a guardian released that screech, followed by other screeching, ordering all the soldiers to attack them. A swarm of Doppelgangers began to sprint, fly, and climb the walls & ceiling towards them! Soarin & Redheart picked up Shining Armor and began to sprint towards the carrier! Spike began to fire at the swarm heading towards them, not aiming as he did before, but seeing many Doppelgangers chase after them, it made him & the others have a rush of adrenaline, running to the carrier in hopes of escaping. The Carrier was withing a few feet from them, and a couple of Doppelgangers were attempting to destroy it with their clawed hands & fanged teeth! Spike had no choice but to shoot them off; if Doppelgangers could talk & think like their queen, then it'd be different. They all entered the carrier, Soarin punching in the codes in the carrier's computer on where they need to go, Redheart pulling out the ship's X-Ray machine to see if anything's wrong with the captain of the royal guard, and Spike fired at the swarm of Doppelgangers heading towards them, as the door remained open for a while! The whirring of the carrier was made, followed by the doors hissing & closing. Poundings & various scratches were heard around their carrier, but it slowly rose up and, in a few moments, began to move out of the Doppelganger ship! The banging ceased, as the windows cleared, showing the Doppelgangers going back to their ship (probably to mourn over the loss of their queen), and, in a white flash, the Doppelganger ship zoomed away, heading towards who knows where. At that moment, Shining Armor opened his eyes and took a deep gasp, followed by a sting of pain!

"Hold still!" Redheart yelled "You have a few broken ribs. Try not to move so much."

"Wha-what happened?" He asked

"Spike gave us orders on what we had to do," Soarin spoke "and we made it out just in time!"

"Just in time from what? Did you activate those pesticides!?"

"...No." Spike replied, walking to his older brother "The queen, in her last words before she died, said that they'll go somewhere else, for this wasn't her plan at all."

"...I remember that. Sombra's back."

"And he's not alone. When will he be back into action, nurse?"

"Give or take a few weeks." Redheart replied

"Looks like I'll be spending some more time Cadence, right?" Shiningg Armor asked, chuckling to himself.

"Probably not in that area."

"You guys here or what?" Rainbow Dash's voice asked through the intercom.

"Dash!" Soarin spoke "You alright!?"

"Of course, Soarin. Told you I'd be fine! What about you?"

"A few scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious."

"Glad that's not serious, otherwise I'd laugh on how you think a cut will end your life!"

"Ha ha! Very funny!"

"How's Spike?"

"I'm doing fine," Spike replied "How's everyone below doing?"

"Those Doppelganger pods are tough to open, but they should be open within the end of the day. Twilight and the others are alright, and they've-"

"I'm proud of you, Spike!" Twilight's voice interrupted. Spike immediately jumped in surprise, both from Twilight's interruption and how giddy she sounded

"Hey! I was going to tell them that!"

"I know, but I want to do it myself! Spike, I have no idea what you did up there, but I am grateful that you chose a peaceful resolution than a violent one. Tell me: why were those Doppelgangers attacking Canterlot!?" Both Spike and Shining Armor looked at each other, then back to the windows.

"You're not going to believe it," Spike replied "but that Doppelganger was under control by though-to-be- dead king himself, Sombra." Silence fell among them.

"King Sombra's alive?" Celestia's voice asked

"I know," Shining added "We all thought he's gone. He must have survived that blast and floating around in space for sometime."

"Perhaps he regrows limbs?" Spike suggested

"What makes you think that!?" Twilight's voice asked "I may have been a mage, but even then, that's a ludicrous idea!"

"I'm not saying that as a true fact. I'm just saying from my experience with Comic books, most noticeably, In Spider-Man Issue 54,327, Spider-Man battles the Lizard's son, the Starfish, who had more aquatic abilities but keeps his father's ability to regrow limbs almost instantly."

"...You're using comic book logic here," Luna's voice stated plainly through the intercom "and I don't think that's going to help us here."

"Well, how else can we explain it?"

"...Fair point."

"We will worry about Sombra later," Celestia's voice spoke "We need to free our people from the Doppelganger's pods and, for the 4 of you, I believe you deserve your own celebration!"

"Celebration!?" The 4 yelled together

"Yes! We will do it tomorrow morning! We will keep an eye out for any trouble, so you all shall rest."

"And you're going to need a doctor, Captain." Cadence's voice spoke, followed by some giggling

"I'm not going to deny it," her husband replied "it hurts like hell!"

"And Spike," Twilight spoke "about what you said-"

"We know." Spike interrupted "I'm going to be more than prepared for the next time we meet! I promise that I will-"

"Not that! I mean your comic thing."

"...That? Well... that's speculation. I was just speaking my mind."

"I know you were, but that was actually last issue's comic. Have you been buying comic books ever since you joined the army?" Everyone inside the carrier looked at Spike. He froze, sweated a little, and looked both ways. He let out a sigh of defeat.

"Yes Twilight... I have." Twilight giggled a bit

"Oh Spike! I knew you still had that inner child under your now tough exterior!"

"Twilight... not in front of the others!"

"Don't worry. This'll be our secret."

"And the Wonderbolts' as well!!!" Rainbow Dash's voice added

"RAINBOW DASH!!!" Everyone yelled. Dash let out a laugh.

Hopefully, Spike thought to himself I won't be made fun of for this.