There was scilence as Twilight and her allies proccessed what Cadence just said. "Is anypony else surprised at how easy this was?" the lavender alicorn said. The others just nodded in agreement.

"Why is that surprising," Cadence said. "She hid my meirtage from me, sent help that might not have worked with the Empire, didn't even try to humor Twilight during the wedding, which was kind f stupid, as Twilight was one of the only ponies there who knew how I behaved, especially under stress, and, to top it off, instead of putting all alicorn magic in ordinary gemstones, decided to put all of it in Twilight, and we all know how that ended, right?"

"She does bring up good points, along with what you brought up, Twilight," Galaxy said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Twilight said. "In that case, Cadence," she said, holding out a hoof to shake, "welcome to the Eclpise."

Cadence took Twilight's hoof in her own, and they shook, the pink alicorn saying, "So, what's next?"

It was Chrysalis who spoke up. "We wait until midday, then go to Twilight's house to bring more nobles into our empire. We actually already have her parents in."

Cadence raised an eyebrow. "Really. When was this, and, more importantly, how? I thought they would have been loyal to Celestia."

Twilight's eyes narrowed a little, but not by a noticeable amount. "It was just after the summit ended earlier. As for how," she said, her horn lighting. "Well, you're a little curious, aren't you, not even trying to be subtle this early in your time for the questioning. Nt eve Rarity tok this quickly, and it took even me a while to decide to, and you always pegged me as a pony who would fight for Celestia, not against her. Really makes me think you're still loyal to the bitch," she said calmly, as if it was a normal conversation. "So, you really want to know how I brought them to our side?"

"Y-Yes," Cadence said nervously, fear on her face.

Twilight smiled. "Good," she said. She then fired the loyalty spell at Cadence, and it hit it's mark, though Twilight's allies were shocked at the fact she fired on Cadence.

Cadence, after recovering from the shot, looked around the room, knelt, and said, "Hail, Empress Twilight and the Eclipse."

"Good," Twilight said. "Now, what were you planning on doing with the information I gave you, as well as the knowledge you have of us?"

"I would have taken it to Celestia, my Empress, and would have told her that you had to be imprisoned, your allies hunted, and for those affected by your magic to be imprisoned as well, to ensure what I once thought was the safety of the country."

"And now?"

"Nothing, but keep it a secret," Cadence said, still kneeling. "I would still wish to be one of those at yor side during the conquest, if you and my other Empresses will allow it."

Twilight smiled again, and looked at each of her allies, who gave a nod. "You may," Twilight said as she faced Cadence again. "From this point on, you will be a member of the Eclipse leadership. As such, you are no longer required to call any of us 'Empress,' nor are you required to kneel for any of us. In fact, you are to treat us as equals, as we will you. That also means you'll be allowed at our war meetings. Is that clear, Cadence?"

Cadence rose, and gave a smile. "Yes it is, Twilight."

Solar Spire

Celestia was giving Rainbow the last part of her tour, which included all of the castle, as those in in Solar Knights were allowed just about everywhere in the castle. Actually, anywhere, so long as they had the Princess' seal on them somewhere, usually on an otherwise blank piece of paper.

The solar alicorn and her Knight made their way to a yellow door at the top of the spire they were at. Celestia opened it, and showed Rainbow inside. This is where you'll be staying, Knight Dash, during your training here in Canterlot."

"Wow," was all Rainbow could say. The room, on the inside, was almot exactly like her room back at her cloud house, only larger. And it had multiple signed pictures of the Wonderbolts. "Your Highness, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I like the room, I really do, but what if Twilight guts suspicious about the reason I'm here. She'd jut need to check newspapers to see if the wonderbolts are here, and last I checked, they aren't here."

Celestia brought a hoof to her mouth to surpress a giggle. "Maybe you should look at more then just newspapers, then, Rainbow," she said as two pairs of hoofsteps could be heard.

As the two ponies came closer, Rainbow could see the slihouette of two taller than normal unicorns, but with the body build of a pegasus. Celestia stepped aside as they came into Rainbows visual range, and her jaw dropped.

Standing there, with horns and wings, were Spitfre and Soarin from the Wonderbolts.(1)

"You asked for us, Ma'am," Spitfire said as she and Soarin saluted Celestia.

"Indeed I did. I wished for you two to be here to help with the new recruits cover from her friends," Celestia said as she gestured to Rainbow.

The two followed the white hoof, and Spitfire raised her eyebrow. "So, the one who broke so many academy records is the new recruit, eh. Can't say I'm surprised. She always did have that spark a Knight has."

"Precisely," Celestia said. "And I want the two of you to assist in her flight combat training as well."

"Of course, Your Highness," Spitfire and Soarin said, saluting.

"Good. That will begin tomorrow. Until then, I simply wish for the three of you to socialize."

The three former pegasai saluted and said, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Then I shall see you all tomorrow at noon," Celestia said before walking away, going to her personal quarters.

Once she was gone, Rainbow initiated conversation by saying, "So, um, when did you two become, well, Knights?"

"A few weeks ago after we helped the royal guard at Manehattan with a few problematic griffons that were holding a restaurant hostage for some reason," Spitfire said.

"What about you, Rainbow," Soarin said. "How'd you become a Knight?"

"I kinda brought a conspiracy to the Princess regarding Twilight being controlled by dark magic and planning to overthrow her," Rainbow said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head with a small, embaressed smile on her face.

"Well, let's hope that the princess and the rest of the Knights, as well as us, can defeat that, because if not, then we can kiss peaceful rule goodbye," Spitfire said with a confident smirk.

"I hear that," Soarin said cheerfully, which earned an eye roll from the yellow alicorn.

"Soarin, how many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't act like that when we're talking about dark magic?"

"What? I'm just saying. We have Princess Luna and Princess Cadence on our side as well. I don't think even Princess Twilight would be able to defeat them and the best of the Solar Knights."

"Actually," Rainbow said, "I saw Princess Luna enter Twilight's room just before I went to the Princess, so it might be harder than what you think, Soarin."

"Of course it wouldn't be that easy," Soarin grumbled. "Why would it ever be that easy?"

"Oh, stop complaining, Soarin. You know that shit's never easy for the good guys in Equestria. Remember Tirek," Spitfire said in a taunting tone.

"Yeah, yeah, I see your point," Soarin said, "but we deserve an easy villain, given how often we're attacked."

"He does have a good point," Rainbow said. "With how often we're attacked, we deserve an easy-to-defeat villain for once, even if the one after may very well destroy Equis, even though we stop them at the last minute with some kind of Deus Ex Machina. Did I just say that, by which, did I just use egghead words?"

"Yes you did, Dash," Spitfire said. "Looks like your ascension resulted in you getting a higher IQ and better vocabulary."

"Great," Rainbow said sarcastically. "I'm turning into a full fledged egghead."

"Actually, Dash, you'd need to do a ton of studying to become a full Knight, so you're going to be an egghead at the end of this," Soarin said.

"In other words," Spitfire added, "stop complaining, Knight, and suck it up. Every Knight has to go through the same thing. Me and Soarin are still working on becoming full Knights, having only gone through the flight portion of the learning portion, and that's only because we were pegasai before."

"Right," Rainbow said, still a little apprehensive about becoming what she considered an egghead, even if she was wrong about stuff like reading before.

The next day-House hold of the Sparkle family; Near noon

The house hold that Twilight had been raised in now saw the most amount of visitors since Twilight's coronation. Included in the visitor count was Fancy Pants, his wife, Fleur De Lis, Deep Pockets, an old family friend, and Steel Sword, one of the higher ranking members of the guard, and a friend of Night Light's.

"So," Steel said to Pocket, "why do you think they asked for us?"

"No idea, but it must be important, seeing as how Fancy and his wife are here," Pocket responded.

"True," Steel said. "Personally, I think it has to do with their daughter. Celestia, and all of the guard, know she doesn't have a special somepony, and some don't even know her orientation."

"Really?"

"Yeah. In all fairness, though, she isn't exactly the most social pony out there, even if she is the princess of friendship. I mean, she blew off the party for one of her friends, Moondancer, my sister, due to a theory, which could have waited an hour or two, in my opinion, as Nightmare's return wasn't until the next morning, and the party was in the morning. I should know; I helped plan it."

"Then let's be glad Nightmare Moon had only two comings," Pocket said, only to be proven wrong by the universe a few minutes later.

Night Light and Twilight Velvet walked to the front of the crowd and got it's attention with, of all things, an air horn. This also distracted the crowd as a faint shimmer like sound came from the doors and windows with a light blue aura.

Once the air horn stopped, Night Light said, "Thank you for coming, everypony. Me and my wife knew it was on short notice."

"Now," Velvet continued, "I imagine you're all wondering why we asked for you." A few nods from the small crowd. "Well, that isn't for us to say." This got a few surprised faces from the crowd.

"What do you mean, Velvet," Fancy Pants asked.

"What she means," a female voice none in the crowd recognized said just before a light blue flash appeared in front of the two owners of the house. When it faded, six mares stood in front of the crowd, four of which were recognized instantly.

"IT'S CHRYSALIS/NIGHTMARE MOON!" was the main yell, though quite a few, including Fancy, Fleur, Steel, and Pocket had their eyes drawn by the two princesses.

"SILENCE!!" Galaxy yelled, lighting her horn and casting a silence spell on the crowd, though it was modified to affect only those that were yelling. "YOU WILL LISTEN TO YOUR NEW RULERS!!"

This got literal silent protests from many, but it was Fancy, who could still speak, who voiced them. "Why would we willingly folow two ponies, or, rather, one pony and one changeling, to be technical, who tried to overthrow Princess Celestia, as well as one pony we don't know. Princess Twilight is a ruler already, and I would follow her, but how can we be certain you aren't controlling her?"

A few of the silent ponies were surprised at the last part of the sentence, but couldn't protest. Those who could speak just stood there, surprise on their faces as well.

Twilight spoke up. "Because, Fancy Pants, it was I who brought Nightmare back, and the one who proposed every thing we're doing. If anypony has reason to want to overthrow Celestia, it's me. She sent me on increasingly dangerous adventures, forcefully made me a princess, not even asking if I wished to be one, and it was I who was forced to carry Galaxy Star in my mind." She gestured to Galaxy. "Celestia didn't even tell Princess Luna, or Princess Nightmare, as it is now, that Galaxy, her daughter, was alive. As another thing a good ruler should have done, but Celestia didn't, was tell me, Twilight Sparkle, that I was her daughter!" She summoned Celestia's journal from her room, and passed it to Fancy. "If you require proof, read the final page."

Fancy did so, and his eyes widened. "What is it, my love," Fleur asked in a prench accent.(2) Fancy passed the journal to her and the others in silence.

"I knew she was adopted," Pockets said as he finished reading the page, "but even I'm surpirsed at this."

"So," Cadence said, "are you with us?"

For the most part, the ponies that couldn't speak nodded, though it was mostly out of fear, as those that didn't were shot through the head with a precise, directed magic beam from one of the alicorns, killing them.

"Well, before I make my decision," Pockets said, earning glares from the Eclipse leaders and looks of fear from those silent, "what do you plan on doing to Shining Armor, Twilight? He's still your brother by law, if not by spirit."

"He'll survive," Twilight said. "He is Cadence's husband, after all. If he fights back, then he will be severly injured, but not killed."

"I suppose that's what I'll gave to accept, Pockets said as he bowed, "my Empress."

Twilight smiled at this, though it was a small smile. "What of you, Steel? You're a royal guard, but I have heard you say quite a few times when we were kids that you wished a new ruler would take Celestia's place, if only temporarily."

"As long as you don't harm my family," he said, "you have my loyalty, but you'll need to earn enough of my respect for a bow."

"No need for that, Steel," Twilight said. "You'll be one of my personal guards," she said, lightning her horn. "All you need is for an armor spell to be cast on you."

Twilight then fired the loyalty spell, which hit Steel in the head, and jumped from him to a few other nobles, which didn't include Deep Pockets, causing them all to bow, and those that could speak say, "What is your command, my Empress?"

"Nothing, at the moment," Twilight said. "Just stay where you are, and ensure none leave this room with out permission from me or my allies."

"Yes, Empress," was the reply.

"No need to fear, Fancy, Fleur. That just affected those that were lying about being loyal. It looks at brainwaves, and goes after those that are similar to the original targets at the time of impact," Twilight said, turning to the last two nobles. "Are with us, or not? I won't kill you if you decide not to, I'll just cast a memory spell on you that will erase your memories of what happened here."

"Well, were you telling the truth, about what you'd do with Shining Armor and Steel's family?"

"Yes. I wouldn't lie to somepony's face about family, unless I was sparing them pain, and Shining, though he's Night Light's son, is the son that Pockets never had, and I wouldn't lie to him about that."

"In that case," Fancy said, an eyebrow raised, "what do you plan on doing to your mother?"

Canterlot Castle Gardens- Meanwhile

"Achoo," Celestia sneezed as she oversaw Rainbow's combat flight training. Hm. Must be pollen, she thought to herself.

Spitfire and Soarin were teaching Rainbow basic combat manuevers, which she got under her wings quickly. The one they were teaching her now alos included a bit of unicorn magic, using it to be able to turn at ninety dgree angles with out any ill effects. Makes for good evaison techniques.

"Come on, Rainbow!" Spitfire shouted. "Faster, faster. Ponies using dark magic won't wait for you to turn. If you stand still, they will mess up your shit before you can know it!"

Rainbow didn't retort verbally, much as she wanted, and only tried harder to perfect the technique. The initiation into the Knights had changed her demanor some what, which led to her not being a wise plot, even if she wouldn't be when talking to her idols and the Princess.

Just as Rainbow tried it again, Celestia remembered what had happened last night. She had gone to her chambers and entered her personal library, only to find out that her journal was missing. Given what Rainbow had said, she had an idea of who took it, but didn't want to believe that it was Twilight who took it.

What if she finds out about Cadence, or that I'm her mother, she thought to herself, looking down at the ground. The most I can hope for, I guess, is that the knowlege deters her from the path Rainbow Dash and I believe she is on. After a second, she added, Which, hopefully, she is not.

Sparkle residence

Twilight honestly had no answer. Fancy had just asked what she was going to do to Celestia, and she had no answer. "Honestly," she said, "I don't know. Before I found out, I was thinking of killing her, but she is my mother, and I can se eher reasons, so I'm not so certain right now. Is that enough of an answer?"

"For me, yes, but I want to see what my wife, Fleur will decide before I make my descision," Fancy said, looking to his wife.

"Well, I suppose there are worse and less qualified ponies ot take the throne, and with less reason," Fleur said, "so I'm with her, but only if she doesn't kill anymore unless it's neccesary." She glared at Twilight and the others with the last part, and, even though most of them were alicorns, they still backed away a little at her gaze.

"We won't. Pinkie promise," Twilight said. "It's an unbreakable promise, unless you want to get chased by a pink pony who breaks the laws of physics," Twilight added at Fleur's look.

"I guess that's as good as I'm going to get," Fleur said. She then bowed. "What is your command, My Empresses?"

"Yes," Fancy said, also bowing. "What is your command, My Empresses?"

"Right now," Galaxy said, "you are to simply wait for us to send word via changeling to begin riots against my aunt. All of you! Is that clear?"

All of the nobles, including Night Light and Twilight Velvet, bowed and said, "Yes, Empress Galaxy."

"Good," Galaxy said wiht a smirk as she lit her horn and removed the selective silence spell. "Now, return to what you were doing before you came here, unless you have something scheduled to do."

The nobles bowed again, and those that didn't live in the house left. As they did so, Twilight whispered to Chrysalis, "Have the changelings here in Canterlot follow those the loyalty spell wasn't cast on. I don't want to risk anything."

"Already sent the order out," the changeling queen replied. "In fact, a few of said nobles are changelings, including Fancy and his wife."

"Useful and noted," Twilight said before turning to her adoptive parents. "I want you two to provide housing for Galaxy. I don't want to run the risk of the guards not with us to find her." She turned to her cousin. "If you're okay with it, that is, Galaxy."

"I am," the other alicorn said. "After all, I'd probably do the same, if I were in your position."

"In that case," Twilight said, turning back to the two unicorns, "you two are to do whatever Galaxy Star says without hesitation, unless you wish to be punished. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Empress," Night Light and Twilight Velvet said, bowing, with Velvet adding, "We would be honored to provide housing to one of our rulers."

"Good," Galaxy said. "I'll be moving in at once." She then turned to Twilight. "What's our next conquest, Twilight?"

"Yes, I must admit, I'm curious as to that myself," Rarity added.

"As are the rest of us," Nightmare said, "and that does include Luna as well, who is with us now, by the way."

After a small laugh, Twilight answered by saying, "Easy. We're going after the Crystal Empire next. And Nightmare, how can you tell Luna's with us."

Nightmare responded by pointing to her head.

"Right," the lavender alicorn responded, and lit her horn with the seperation spell. "Get ready, this is going to sting." She fired the seperation spell at Nightmare.

When it hit, Nightmare instantly recoiled, but her head went back to it's original position. Once that had happened, a mist the color of navy blue began to come out of her ears. After about ten seconds, the mist stopped coming out of the lunar alicorns ears and began to form a pony slightly smaller than Celestia, but taller than Twilight, with a navy blue coat and a similar etheric mane and tail, with highlights of a lighter blue at the edges.

"Welcome back to the world of the physical, Luna," Nightmare said after Luna's body had been fully formed.

"It is good to be back," Luna said, stretching out her muscles. Once she was done, she straightend out, and said, "What will you all do with me?"

"Nothing," Chrysalis said, "if you remain with us, that is."

"You have nothing to worry about from me, as long as you do nothing to me," Luna said.

"We won't, mother," Galaxy said.

Luna teared up upon seeing Galaxy, as both she and Nightmare thought of themselves as her mother. "Hello, my sweet Galaxy," she said, pulling her daughter into a hug, leaving Nightmare out.

"You're in this family too, Nightmare," Luna said, surprising the alicorn. "You are her aunt, after all." Nightmare only looked at Luna with a dumbfounded expression.

"What?"

"I consider you more my sister than Celestia," Luna said, "considering what has come to light.Now, do we have to force you in this hug, or not?"

This got some laughs from the others. Nightmare began ot cry with tears of happiness, and joined in the hug. "Thank you," she whispered to the other two alicorns in the hug.

"Of course," Luna said. "Sister," she said, using a term of affection that was orginally meant only for Celestia.

"Is it okay if I stay here with you, Galaxy?" Nightmare asked.

"Of course it is, auntie."

The three alicorns pulled out of the hug, and Luna said, "I imagine I'll take Nightmare's place at the castle, Twilight?"

"Just until we usurp Celestia," Twilight said. "Forunately, we took steps to cover our tracks, so she shouldn't be suspicious."

Canterlot Gardens

"Nice work, Dash," Spitfire said to Rainbow as she finished a complicated maneuver that involved doing a corkscrew while doing a loop going up once, then down once, something even Spitfire and Soarin had trouble with, but Rainbow got on her second try.

"Thanks, Spits," Rainbow replied as she landed. "What's next?"

"Up next," Celestia said as she walked up, "is magic training. More accurately, a spell to protect you from mind control. The only one who can overcome this spell is Discord himself, and that has been tested.

"Now, imagine what ever you wish, as long as it is something personal to the point your entire being is based around it. The closer it is to your core self, the stronger the spell will be."

Rainbow did so, thinking of the one thing that made her who she was. It was, ironically, not loyalty to her friends, even if it was a part of it, nor was it her desire to be the best flier, or even the fastest. Instead, it was her darkest secret, the one thing she had never said, even on the occasions she'd been drunk, and something that pained her just to think about under the circumstances.

She had a crush on Twilight.

It took her a while to know this. With her best guess, it had started just after Twilight had gotten her hooked on Daring Do. At the time, she thought she was straight, as she had been interested in a few stallions, both before and even after she met Twilight, as well as after the book incident. Really, she had only known ever since the vine issue, when she had felt worried fro Twilight more than she thought she would, even as a friend, when she was attacked by the vines. Ever since then, she had kept it a secret, not for herself, but because she didn't want Twilight's image ruined by the more stupid ponies who thought a princess shouldn't have a same gender relationship, and that number was high, ironically, due to the amount of same-sex couples, female ones especially.

She focused this feeling, and she instantly felt some kind of wall around her mind, and it felt like a steel wall reinforced by titanium.

A second after this, she felt something press against it, but the wall did not break, even after a few minutes of the pressure.

"Impressive, Rainbow," she heard Celestia say as Rainbow opened her eyes. "I haven't encountered a mental wall like that since Starswirl, and he wanted to remain a unicorn. Quite impressive, seeing as how you started out with magic just yesterday. If I may ask, what did you focus on?"

"Well, uh, it's kinda personal, Princess, and I don't fell comfortable talking about it," Rainbow said with a small blush of embaressment.

"Of course," Celetia said, though it was with sad tone, which Spitfire picked up.

"What's wrong, Princess?"

Signing, Celestia said, "I suppose it's time you all know." She took a deep breath, and told the three former pegasai her secret. "Twilight Sparkle, the one that got Rainbow's attention, and princess of friendship, is my daughter."

"WHAT?!" Rainbow yelled. "THAT MEANS I'VE BEEN IN LOVE WITH A PRINCESS THIS ENTIRE TIME?!" This last one got looks from Spitfire and Soarin, and a surprised one from Celestia. "Heh, heh, right. Guess I should spill now, huh?"

"Yep," the two Wonderbolts responded.

"Right. Well, I guess I should start from the begining," Rainbow said. She looked to Celestia. "I'm guessing she told you of the whole book thing?" Celestia nodded. "Well, I first felt something after that, but I thought it was just gratitude towards her for getting me hooked on the series. I didn't really know until the vine thing, when you and Princess Luna were missing. Twilight was being attacked by a some vines breathing something that made her twist in pain. It was then I knew that I had a crush on her, but I didn't say anything, because I didn't want to risk the nobles and other crazy ponies getting inot an outrage and demanding Twilight step down because they thought no princess should fall in love with a mare."

"Ah, I should have known ponies like that still existed," Celestia said. "Well, then, Rainbow, let's hope, not just for Twilight's sake, but ours, that you're wrong about her using dark magic."

"You and me both, Princess," Rainbow said as she looked at the noon-day sky. "You and me both."

Author's Notes:

(1): I said the main 6, not background or side ponies.
And otherwise, Plot twists! I bet none of you saw the TwiDash angle, did you?