The night was cool and clear, allowing the moon to shine brightly in the sky. Coltyn was readying himself for bed, laying out everything he’d need for the wedding, when a pounding came on his door. He opened it to see Big Macintosh, who looked very worried. Coltyn immediately beckoned him in and asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Have you seen Twilight?” Big Macintosh asked in reply.

“No, I haven’t seen her all day. Did you ask Applejack? She was at the rehearsal,” Coltyn asked, confused.

“Eeyup.”

“Didn’t she know where Twilight was?”

“Nope, and she didn’t seem to care, either,” Big Macintosh choked, confusion warring with betrayal on his open face.

“That’s strange. Well, let’s see if I can find her,” Coltyn offered, pulling out his crystal ball.

Big Macintosh watched as the crystal filled with smoke. Coltyn looked into the ball for nearly twenty minutes before letting out a deep sigh as the smoke faded.

“I can’t find her. Somepony or something is blocking my spell,” Coltyn said.

Big Macintosh snorted in frustration, stomping his hoof.

“I’m not giving up. Listen, there has been a threat to Canterlot. I’m not supposed to tell you but you need to know. Twilight and I had a feeling that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is connected to this threat but I don’t have any evidence to support that claim, or I would already have gone to Celestia with it.” Coltyn drew a breath, as Big Macintosh calmed his temper and began to listen intently.

“Twilight might have found something and was taken for her knowledge. She could be anywhere with somepony keeping up a non-detection spell. However, I know of only one place in Canterlot that can naturally defuse a scrying spell: the Canterlot Gem Mines,” Coltyn explained. “I’ll help you search Canterlot in the morning. But if we can’t find her by the time we’re supposed to be at the wedding, I want you to go to the Gem Mine and look there while I go to the wedding. If someone has kidnapped Twilight, it was to keep her from interfering in whoever is planning to attack the city, and since the only reason she’s in Canterlot at all is to help with her brother’s wedding, I have a bad feeling that whatever is going to happen will be either using the wedding as a distraction, or taking place at the wedding itself,” Coltyn continued, pulling out an old trunk and digging through it. He pulled out a matching pair of earrings which attached with magnets. “Here, these earrings are enchanted to allow two ponies to communicate telepathically, even if neither of them has the ability to use magic. You will wear one, and I the other. Just think my name and I’ll be able to hear your next thoughts.”

Big Macintosh nodded, attaching the earring to his ear. “Be careful,” the massive draft pony said, before heading back out into the night. Coltyn pulled out a small box and removed several different herbs, to compound a very specific incense recipe. Once finished, he placed five censers containing the mix at the points of a pentacle he had long ago etched into the wooden floor. Lighting them, Coltyn sat in the middle and breathed deep the smoke, falling into a deep trance.

***

Coltyn roused from his trance completely refreshed just as the moon began to set, and began to prepare for the day to come. He very carefully dressed in the jacket Hoity Toity had created for him. While he was looking in the mirror, he saw the open trunk holding his battle armor. Coltyn looked at the armor and levitated a small pin with a crescent moon design out of the chest. ‘I shouldn’t need my armor,’ Coltyn thought, placing the pin back into the chest. ‘Although, I need to be ready for anything,’ he argued, lifting the pin back out of the chest and placing it under his collar. Looking in the mirror, he braided his mane and tail. Satisfied, he set off to look for Twilight as the sun broke the horizon.

Coltyn trotted through the streets, conducting a visual search, as well as maintaining a detection spell in the hope of finding his young friend. He combed a small part of the city by noon when a voice echoed in his mind. ‘Have you found her yet?’ Big Macintosh asked.

‘No. I haven’t found any sign of her or magic that would conceal her location,’ Coltyn responded.

‘Neither have I. I should have come with her,’ Big Macintosh thought.

‘We will find her. You should start heading in the direction of the mines. I’ll head for the castle.’

‘Alright, be careful.’

‘You, too.’

Coltyn continued to systematically search, always moving in the direction of the palace. The clock was ringing two when he finally got to the palace. He was ushered into the Grand Hall and casually looked around. When he noticed Thunder Snow among the guests who had already arrived, he approached her.

“Hello, Thunder Snow,” Coltyn greeted.

“Hello, Coltyn,” Thunder Snow said.

“Have you seen Cadence or Shining Armor?” Coltyn asked, looking around.

“No,” Thunder Snow replied, confused. “We got back only an hour ago. I only had time to get dressed and come here.”

“Please take your seats,” Princess Celestia said, taking her position.

“I’ll talk to you later,” Coltyn said, heading to the back of the hall.

“After the ceremony, I hope?” Thunder Snow said, moving toward her place in the third row.

“As you wish,” Coltyn smiled.

***

Big Macintosh searched the city as he made his way to the entrance of the Gem Mine. He reached the entrance as the clock struck three. He galloped hard knowing that time was short and he had to find Twilight soon. He got to the mine to see it boarded up with a ‘KEEP OUT’ sign posted in front. Not deterred by the sign he turned and kicked the planks that blocked his path.

The pieces of wood splintered apart and fell to the ground as Big Macintosh peered into the dimly lit cave. He could see large gem formations protruding from the walls, ceiling and floor. “TWILIGHT!!!” Big Macintosh bellowed into the cave, but the only sound he heard in response was the echo of his own voice reverberating off the gems. Realizing that it would be useless to call out only to hear the echo of his voice, he began to descend into the mine.

Big Macintosh wandered the labyrinth, searching desperately for Twilight. He noticed that the walls, ceiling, and floor seemed to be made up almost entirely of large crystalline gems. After trotting down several passages which led to dead ends he came to one that had a large gem sitting in the middle of the walkway. Examining the structure he found that it was covering up a hole in the floor. He put his hooves against the structure and pushed but it didn’t yield. He studied the structure of the gem and found where the gem had been broken off and firmly kicked it with his hind hoof. The giant gem cracked but still stood firm. Big Macintosh smirked as he put all his weight on his front hooves before bucking with all his might, causing the gem to crack and shatter and revealing a continuation of the mine.

“I want it!!!” Echoed through the hole as Big Macintosh looked inside.

He looked down to see a pink alicorn with a disheveled mane who was supposed to be getting married in the palace at that very moment, accompanied by the mare he’d been seeking.

“Twilight!” Big Macintosh called, tears forming in his eyes. Cadence looked at Twilight who smiled as she teleported up to where Big Macintosh was waiting. Big Macintosh wrapped his head around the back of Twilight’s neck as she rubbed her head along Big Macintosh’s strong neck and chest. “You’re safe,” Big Macintosh whispered.

Twilight broke the embrace, giving Big Macintosh a distressed look. “But my brother’s not. We need to stop that wedding.”

Big Macintosh nodded as he motioned them to follow him as he galloped back to the entrance.

***

Coltyn was in the back of the congregated ponies, looking back to the main door and waiting nervously to hear from Big Macintosh. Twilight’s friends and Luna were standing on the left side of the hall while Spike and the groomsmen were on the right. Shining Armor had just finished his vows as Big Macintosh’s voice rang through his head.

‘I found them!’

‘Good, you need to get up here now. Cadence is reciting her vows and this will be all over soon,’ Coltyn thought.

‘As soon as we clear the mine entrance Twilight will teleport us. Try to stall the wedding.’

Coltyn looked around and thought to himself, ‘how am I supposed to do that.’ He noticed one of the mares had a lipstick case sitting in her bag and quickly ‘borrowed’ it. ‘Well inflicting mass panic might do it,’ Coltyn thought as he began to scribe a rune to induce fear, making sure to have the rune not affect Twilight, her friends, the princesses, Big Macintosh, Shining Armor, Thunder Snow, and the guards.

“Princess Cadence and Shining Armor,” Princess Celestia announced. “It is my great pleasure to pronounce you…”

“STOP!!!” Twilight yelled, entering the Grand Hall.

The crowd chattered about the inappropriateness of the intrusion while Twilight’s friends looked ashamed and embarrassed by their friend’s actions.

“Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother,” Cadence snarled. Realizing what she said she started crying. “Why does she have to ruin my special day?”

“Because it’s not your special day! It’s mine!” Cadence asserted, entering the room with Big Macintosh right behind her.

The crowd gasped at the sudden appearance of another Cadence while Coltyn put the finishing touches on his rune.

“This isn’t possible!” Cadence insisted.

“I don’t understand. How can there be two of them?” Applejack asked.

“She’s a changeling. They take the form of somepony you love and gain power by feeding off that love,” Cadence explained.

Coltyn looked up to see Cadence’s eyes glow green as a wreath of green flames surrounded her. ‘No time like now.’ Coltyn thought as he watched the crowd shift back as the pony in front of him touched the rune. Everypony in the room except for the ones Coltyn exempted from the rune’s effect screamed in terror as they dispersed. The pegasus ponies took wing and flew out the windows while some of the unicorns teleported away as the earth ponies and unicorn’s that didn’t know how to teleport fled through the entrance leaving only the small group of ponies in the hall.

“Right you are, Princess,” the changeling gloated. “And as queen of the changelings it is up to me to find food for my subjects.” Chrysalis looked around at the emptied hall. “Equestria has more love than anyplace I’ve ever encountered. My fellow changelings will devour so much of it; we will gain more power than we’ve ever dreamed of,” She sneered.

“They won’t get that chance,” Cadence protested. “Shining Armor’s protection spell will keep them out.”

The other ponies took that as a relief until Chrysalis laughed. “I doubt that. He is under my control now. Isn’t that right, dear,” Chrysalis asked, turning to Shining Armor who nodded in agreement. “I’ve been feeding off his love for you and soon his spell will fail and Canterlot and all of Equestria will be ours.”

Thunder Snow having heard enough ordered the guards. “Guards! Seize her!” The six guards approached but encircled Thunder Snow and lowered their spears. “What is the meaning of this?” She asked.

“Oh, I forgot to mention… I dosed the guards’ supper with a powerful sleeping potion,” Chrysalis explained as the guards dropped their disguise revealing their true forms.

“How did you escape from Tartarus?” Coltyn asked, approaching the group.

“Ah, the long lived one. I just had a little help from Equestria’s hidden princess,” Chrysalis said.

Everypony looked at Luna who retorted. “Tis a lie! I would never aid a monster like you!” To which Chrysalis rolls her eyes.

Princess Celestia quickly glanced at Thunder Snow before returning her attention to Chrysalis. “Who told you of my other daughter?” Celestia snarled.

The entire room now looked at Celestia. “Mother?” Cadence asked. Twilight’s friends stood shocked to hear that Celestia was Cadence’s mother.

“It doesn’t matter at the moment,” Celestia insisted.

“Funny, how secrets find a way into the open isn’t it, Celestia?” Chrysalis sneered.

“SILENCE DEMON!!!” Celestia bellowed, charging the changeling.

Coltyn teleported Thunder Snow to his side.

“What’s happening?” Thunder Snow demanded.

“I’ll explain later. Right now we need to deal with them.” Coltyn readied his magic.

Two of the changelings charged at Coltyn and Thunder Snow while the others attacked Twilight and her friends. Spike pushed Cadence to a corner of the room as to not get caught in the crossfire. Coltyn and Thunder Snow showed their talents in combat as they dodged the changeling’s charge and in sync knocked the changelings into each other. The other ponies didn’t seem to have trouble with the normal changelings which put all attention on Celestia.

Celestia charged to gore the changeling queen with her horn but was parried. Rearing up on her back legs Celestia swung her hooves at Chrysalis who also reared up to deflect the blows. Pushing off each other and skidding backwards the two charged again, locking horns and staring into each other’s eyes with determination.

“You will provide much food for my subjects,” Chrysalis taunted.

“You won’t have the chance,” Celestia retorted, using her wings to gain distance.

Celestia’s horn glowed as a beam as bright as the sun shot forth. Chrysalis responded with a beam attack of her own. The sheer amount of energy meeting pushed all the ponies back away from the collision point – the brightness causing everypony to shield their eyes. Coltyn looked on, his magic shielding his eyes; he saw Celestia was succeeding in pushing back the changeling Queen, until Shining Armor’s eyes suddenly glowed green. Then, Chrysalis pushed back against Celestia’s beam until she hit her horn. The scream of pain pierced the ponies’ ears as the blinding light faded. Princess Celestia’s body fell limp on the floor.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight cried, running to her mentor.

“Get the Elements,” Celestia commanded, smoke rising from the scorched crack that had split her horn. “Defeat the queen.”

Twilight nodded to her friends, and the six of them ran out of the Grand Hall for the Temple of the Elements, accompanied by Big Macintosh, who was determined to protect Twilight. Chrysalis laughed maniacally. Coltyn, Luna, and Thunder Snow ran to Celestia’s side.

“Will she be alright?” Thunder Snow asked looking at the scorched and bleeding horn.

“Yes,” Coltyn said, stopping the bleeding. “Stay by her and protect her. I’ll deal with the changeling.” He spat the word out like it tasted bad, scowling at Chrysalis.

“You can run but you can’t hide,” Chrysalis called to the seven fleeing ponies.

“I’m not running and you will pay for your crime,” Coltyn stated, activating his pin. Coltyn’s body was covered in a dark aura as the pin centered on his chest. From the pin a metal chest piece wrapped around his neck as metal plates rolled down his spine extending around wrapping his chest and belly in metal. Reaching his flank the metal burst out into two plates to protect his hind quarters. Bracers and enclosed battle shoes adorned his lower legs as the metal wrapped his face and head. Opening his eyes wisps of black flowed from the corners; his horn glowing ready to cast. “For Equestria!” he shouted, rearing up in preparation to attack.

Luna’s eyes widened. “General?”

“What?” Thunder Snow asked, cringing at the loud cracking sound.

“I remember… my past,” Luna whispered, looking at Coltyn, her eyes reflecting pain.

Chrysalis snickered at the sound of Shining Armor’s shield falling. “My army now moves on the city. Soon, we will take over all of Equestria.”

“Not while I still defend her!” Coltyn screamed, charging.

As Coltyn locked horns with Chrysalis, his ears swiveled back, catching the sound of more changelings approaching. Chrysalis let out a blast of energy knocking Coltyn back. He recovered almost instantly, and faced Chrysalis once again, the Queen now surrounded by her changelings.

“You lose,” Chrysalis sneered. “Get them.”

Coltyn grinned as the hoard charged, his horn glowing. Coltyn let loose with a volley of concussive force bolts, knocking the charging changelings back. However, with each one he knocked back, two more took its place. His magic glowed around his neck then, after taking a deep breath, he let out an ear-piercing shout knocking a fair amount of the changelings out of the way, giving him a clear path to Chrysalis. He charged the queen, even as a few of the changelings tried to intercept him, but with flash teleports landing blows on any changeling that got in his way, he locked horns with the queen again.

“You are just as powerful as I’ve been told,” Chrysalis said.

“Then you know I will win,” Coltyn said coldly, breaking way.

Chrysalis’s horn shone as she drew power from Shining Armor. “Sooner or later you will run out of energy, but I have a constant supply.”

“We shall see,” Coltyn snarled, charging.

Coltyn was lunging at the queen in a straight gore attack, when gravity changed and he found himself falling up. He hit the ceiling hard, but before he could recover gravity returned, sending him plummeting toward the floor. Before he reached the floor, he teleported at the queen, slamming his body into hers and knocking them both to the ground. Chrysalis regained her hooves, shaken from the sudden blow as Coltyn rolled onto his hooves.

“That was an interesting use of teleport, mage,” Chrysalis growled.

“That was a simple change in momentum,” Coltyn replied, looking around. He saw Celestia being encased in a green cocoon while Luna and Thunder Snow were being cornered.

“But if you want to defeat me you’ll have to sacrifice those you held dear,” Chrysalis said.

“What do you know of me?” Coltyn challenged. “Who are you to speak of what I hold dear?”

Coltyn charged firing bolts of energy at the changeling who deflected them, laughing maniacally once more. He locked horns with her once again but his strength was beginning to wane as he broke away. Chrysalis grinned at the sound of the main doors opening. Coltyn saw a chance and charged. Before reaching the queen he was hit by a magic bolt, knocking him off his hooves. Tumbling across the floor he was struck by several more which slammed him into a wall. He felt the sticky slime coat his hooves keeping him in place. Looking over the hall he saw that the changelings had dragged Celestia to the ceiling in a full cocoon while Luna and Thunder Snow were covered in the same slime restraining him. Cadence and Spike had been found and they were restrained by Shining Armor.

“You won’t get away with this! Twilight and her friends will…” Cadence began, before seeing that Twilight had been captured.

Twilight and her friends had been bound in the slime and were dragged in by several changelings.

“You were saying,” A deep, sardonic voice echoed through the chamber.

Coltyn’s head snapped in the direction of the voice as the cloaked figure entered the Hall from the balcony, his eyes widening in recognition. The black unicorn pony stood as tall as Luna. Her mane and tail were distinctive – a white-streaked, deep blue – and cut short. She looked over to Coltyn with a malevolent, twisted grin.

“Hello, Father.”