Oest, The Will of The Nine, myself, and a bound Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armor were flying over Upper Canterlot, closing in on the castle. Smoke was starting to fill the night sky as plumes emerged from Middle and Lower Canterlot, the fires being put out as fast as possible by now at least half of the invasion force.
As a result, most of the streets of the city were empty.
“A city of ghosts…”
The sudden voice gave me a start, and I looked around. Oest, myself, and many members of Will of The Nine carrying Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armor were all flying in formation behind me, putting the two captives in the center.
‘Princess Procho again? I’m not even at the hive! How am I hearing her?!’
“What?” Oest asked me, having seen my alarmed expression.
“The dead are speaking to me again.”
“Has the Ascension Chamber been… purged?”
“By now? Absolutely.”
“So….”
“So I am clueless on why that’s happening.”
“My Prince? May we know what you’re talking about?”
I craned my neck around, seeing a changeling from the Will giving me a puzzled look. The rest were looking on, too.
“I heard a voice over the Weave. Queen Chrysalis had confirmed that it is Princess Procho, who died almost three centuries ago.”
“Oh, thank you, My Prince. And this Ascension Chamber?”
‘Son of a bitch, Oest just dropped a name that he shouldn’t have.’
“The uh… Recycling pits. It’s a better name for those who meet such a... violent end.”
“Oh, thank you again, My Prince.”
‘He expected me to stonewall him on an answer, like Chrysalis would. At the very least, this changeling isn’t a member of the Lodges at least. If he was, he would have known about both the Chamber and the call phrase.’
The rest of the flight back to Chrysalis was without any more slip ups. We flew through the halls of the Castle, since it was faster and easier to move the two captured ponies. When we finally arrived back at the throne room, I saw that all the windows had been blown out at this point.
Chrysalis got up from the half-throne when we entered, her gaze immediately locking on our captives.
“Well done, Prince Phasma, well done. You have fulfilled each and every single task set before you.”
‘Except one, your death.’
I saluted, and simply said, “I serve the hive.”
As Chrysalis flew down and across the room from the throne, I turned to look at the ponies I had captured. The Princess was looking far from regal. Her pink, yellow, and purple hair were tangled up in knots. Her wide eyes had at first taken in the sights of the room, stared at me, then stared at the approaching Queen, pausing in her fearful scrutiny to look to her side at Shining armor.
‘More love.’
Shining on the other hoof was staring at his Princess, only pausing in his stare to glance at Chrysalis. Like mirror opposites of each other, yet extremely similar on so many levels.
‘And he feels so much love for her.’
“I think I’ll let these two speak for themselves for the discovery I made,” I said while making no move to remove the gel clamping their mouths shut.
Queen Chrysalis set down right next to me, sneering at the ponies.
“Oh yes, I can taste it too. Quite smitten! Tell me, Prince Phasma, was the fight with the Princess legendary? Worthy of a tale?”
“The drones caught her, actually. She must have folded like a house of cards for that to have happened. The fight with the Captain was indeed something to behold, though.”
“Have they revealed where Princess Celestia is?”
I pointed to Shining, “He says she disappeared shortly after midnight, briefly causing a panic. He claims that it was planned, but I do not know if he was told a lie or not. Her whereabouts are still unknown.”
“Hmmm. Then we must continue to bait the trap! You, drones, cocoon these two and hang them up here, right in the throne room. Spread the word to all who will listen, especially when there’s ponies around. We have the Captain and a Princess within our control, right here in the heart of their empire!”
Chamberlain Eucharis flew into the room with the quiet sound of buzzing wings. He paused to stare at the Princess, before addressing his ruling monarch.
“My Queen! Middle and Upper Canterlot are ours. The city is secure, and the Legions are now all dedicated to preventing its destruction at the hooves of the rampant flames.”
“Excellent, this day is going to be perfect!”
Queen Chrysalis chuckled to herself as she walked past us, out the room’s opened doors.
Eucharis and I shared a look of confusion, before following her out. She was quietly humming a song to herself as we walked down the great hall. Once we got to the main foyer, she took a side door, and meandered down more halls.
I was beginning to wonder if she just forgot that we existed and were following her when she threw open a pair of double doors, revealing a large balcony that overlooked Canterlot. The view of the majestic city was marred by the plumes of smoke that rose into the sky, but the beauty that remained stood as testament to Equestria’s lavish designs.
She turned to face us, fangs peeking out of her smile.
“We are so close! So close! The Promised Day here at last. All that’s left is bringing down their precious Princess Celestia, and cleaning up afterwards.”
A changeling brought over a small container from behind us.
“Soon, we will feast for the rest of our days.”
I could taste the muted sense of love from within the pot. After so long of not having any, I had to focus my thoughts.
“A toast, to our imminent victory!”
The changeling opened the jar, letting the delicious taste waft out.
‘No. I have to ignore my hunger. I have to stay focused! If there was ever a moment that she would betray me, it would be now!’
“My Queen… celebrating while the Sun Tyrant is still out there? Surely this can wait, till the day is truly ours? To lose our one and only chance at victory because we became vulnerable after celebrating prematurely…”
Chrysalis studied me for a moment, and Eucharis kept his silence.
“I would advise caution, Queen Chrysalis. We cannot lose this chance. We cannot lose this due to our own hubris.”
‘Wouldn’t even be surprised if that jar is spiked with poison or something. You’re not killing me just yet.’
Chrysalis turned back to the city.
“... One last enemy. One last pony. One last hunt. Then, we feast. You’re right, I’ve been remiss: celebrating before the battle has even been won. So often we’ve seen these ponies snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. We must be vigilant, lest we become yet another notch on their Princess’s blade.”
‘Admitting fault? Agreeing with me rather than pushing to eat the offered food? If I didn’t know her better, I would guess that she was genuinely being… kind? The very thought makes me sick to my stomach!’
“With just a bit more patience, we will finally be safe from any threats against us,” I said, not really talking about the ponies.
“My Queen, My Prince!” Chamberlain Eucharis changed the topic, “We should immortalize this day, so that all changelings of the hive may see it for themselves. I have an idea how to do that!”
Chrysalis and I both looked at him.
‘What is he on about? Can’t he see we’re monologuing over here?’
“What are you on about, Chamberlain Eucharis?” Chrysalis asked.
“These ponies have recently created this wonderful thing. While looting the castle for any magical artifacts, some lings have come across this… thing.”
He produced a wooden box, with a circle extension on the front fitted with a glass lens.
‘A camera?’
“They call it a camera. Interesting little thing, let me show you what it does! We need to stand together for it to work, you see.”
He stood to Chrysalis’s left, while I stood on her right– I already know how to pose for a picture, after all. Then, Eucharis levitated the camera in front of us.
“Look at the circular glass for just a moment.”
A moment later, a flash blinded us three. I rubbed my eyes, blinking out the white dots. As I did so, I pondered about the absurdity of what was happening.
‘On an alien world, in the middle of a captured city, standing next to a psychotic tyrant, taking a god damn picture. Eucharis, you are really throwing me off here. I need to be planning on how to kill Chrysalis, not acting like a goddamn tourist!’
“By channeling magic into the box, it takes a painting of the world in front of it instantly!”
“... Did we not just speak of waiting to celebrate, Chamberlain?”
‘The monster is right! Talk about a failure to read the room!’
“Please My Queen, this is hardly a celebration.”
I stopped rubbing my eyes and gave a glare at Eucharis. Then, a square emerged from the camera, and he took it in his magic.
“Aha, it came out perfect,” he said, before showing Chrysalis and I.
‘Oh. Suddenly, this all makes sense. One of those parallels between our worlds, like the existence of all these mythological and non-mythological animals or the fact that our languages are structurally exactly the same. Yeah, I can totally see the parallel between those two.’
The picture was me on the left, Chrysalis in the center, and Eucharis on the right. Canterlot was behind us, the city lights– and occasional fire– illuminating the backdrop for us. I recognized the composition of the photo, as on Earth it was a very memorable one.
Only, this time, it was Canterlot instead of Paris, night instead of day, a particularly large pillar of smoke instead of the Eiffel Tower, and a black bug-pony emotivore rather than a certain evil dictator leaning against a railing.
“Was this… really necessary? And couldn’t you have picked a better time for this?”
“Please, Prince Phasma, I’ll get copies of this ‘photo’ and then we can show our kind what The Promised Day looked like, even generations from now!”
“Changelings will never forget the glory of this day, Chamberlain, but…” Chrysalis trailed off. “But I see why you would want to immortalize this day forever. It was a clever idea, Eucharis. Make those copies.”
‘Figures, she wants to use them as propaganda to show how awesome and important she is... Since I’m here with her, I might as well weed out some answers from the tyrant.’
“Say, Queen Chrysalis? I heard Princess Procho again…”
“Again? We will have to discover how this is possible after we have finished with the War for The Sun.”
“I was wondering, could you describe what she was like?”
“... She was a royal, as you know. She had a two-notch horn, purple hair and tail, elytra and wings, eyes, and magic. She was strong for a changeling, more so than most royals. Princess Procho wielded a cutlass with extreme precision, favoring the blade’s cutting power over any other possible weapon. Her loss was… devastating to the hive…”
Chrysalis trailed off, her mood turned a bit sour.
‘Purple? There wasn’t a purple princess in the Chamber! Chrysalis was telling the truth that she died?! Then how the hell can I hear her?!’
“W–”
“My Queen! My Prince!”
A changeling interrupted both our trains of thought, panting as she landed before us. She caught her breath, nearly yelling out her message.
“Princess Celestia has been spotted returning to the city!”
A miracle had finally happened.
Princess Celestia had been looking forward to her sister’s return for centuries now. She had prepared so much in the last decade, putting every little thing she could in her favor.
She knew ponies would come rushing to get her aid when Nightmare Moon would appear at the Castle of the Twin Sisters, so she had to remove herself from the equation. That turned out to be the perfect plan, as the Elements of Harmony had chosen new bearers.
She had watched on, standing to the side invisible, as Nightmare Moon appeared in the castle. She waited patiently for her to return, with Twilight and her five potential friends following. Those five she didn’t even have to arrange to be in Ponyville, they all just naturally arrived there over time.
‘Harmony lays plans of its own.’
Celestia cheered silently as the Bearers activated the elements, finally freeing her sister from the curse she helped create. She then flew out the window, dropped the invisibility spell, and greeted her six little ponies and one slightly less little sister.
“Princess Luna… It has been a thousand years since I’ve seen you like this. Time to put our differences behind us, we were meant to rule together little sister.”
“Sister?” The elements echoed.
“Will you accept my friendship?”
Luna rushed over to hug Celestia.
“We are sorry! We missed you so much, sister!’
“I’ve missed you too.”
“But this is not over. We were not alone in this attack on Equestria.”
Celestia looked around, “I see no one else, sister.”
“Canterlot.” Luna whispered. “We cannot ask for forgiveness, not for throwing away what we had over something so foalish. But We can help fix the rest of the mess we made. Canterlot is still in danger, Celestia.”
Celestia, having been inside the castle the entire time, broke from the hug to fly out the window. She rose above the ruins to see Canterlot. Large plumes of smoke were visible in the full moon’s light.
‘Oh no. Have I put the arrival of my sister above the safety of my little ponies? How could this have happened?!’
She flew back down and inside the ruins. The reunion party will have to wait, the battle with the dark forces was not over. First, she addressed her protégé and her five friends.
“Now that my dear little sister is back, I would ask you six to watch over her while I fix this. Canterlot needs my help.”
“Did ya not see Canterlot at all this mornin?”
“I have been patiently waiting inside here, my little pony.”
‘A mistake, one I couldn’t have possibly planned for. That is not a good enough excuse!’
“We will fix this too!” Her sister objected. “We created this disaster, We shall be the one to end it!”
“Luna, you are not responsible for Nightmare Moon’s actions. I am, if anything. Furthermore, you are simply too weak at the moment. You will only put yourself in danger.”
“But Tia, We did! We… We got an ally… He is expecting us! Without our aid...”
‘I see. Nightmare Moon recruited allies, somehow. It matters not, I shall end this threat to my ponies.’
“This villain will fail. Please, Luna, listen to reason. You are not Nightmare Moon, and are not responsible for her actions. I will end this invasion, just as I have defeated so many threats during your absence. We will talk at great lengths once I return. Oh, I am so happy you’re back!”
With that, Princess Celestia spread her wings and launched herself from the shattered window, heading straight for the smoking city on the horizon.
She heard Luna call for her, but she pressed on.
“No! You will…. Sarding ponyfeathers!”
When she heard gasps at her crass language, Princess Luna turned to the Elements of Harmony.
“Celestia shouldn’t forgive us, not when she is still in danger due to our evil machinations. Please, Elements, We must beseech thou for thine help. Princess Celestia will not survive the battle if she fights alone, and neither will… We need thou to save not only her, but somepony like us. Somepony who deserves thy kindness far more than us, and desperately needs it just as much.”
The Elements of Harmony shared a glance before looking back at the small alicorn.
“Ah could never turn down a pony in need!” Honesty said.
“There’s so many ponies in trouble up there, we’ll help save them all,” Generosity added.
“Woohoo! Let’s go beat up another baddie!” Loyalty cheered, punching the air in front of her.
“We’ll throw two parties for saving the day twice!” Laughter squealed.
“Okay,” Kindness meekly whispered.
“Alright, Princess. Who do we need to save?” Magic asked.
“His name is Prince Phasmatodea. Come, we must travel to Canterlot with utmost speed!”
I'm not really satisfied with the quality of this chapter, but if I don't post it, I know it'll just sit untouched in my drafts folder. So, uh, enjoy?
Next couple of chapters should make up for the... low quality of this one.
10648214
I don’t know enough about writing so I think this was good.
I completely forgot that the mane 6 was here. Holy hell that threw a whole loop into this plot now. I can't wait to see how this goes
oh..... we init now boys.
I think you left some outline here.
Interesting chapter none the less. I didn't expect to see Nightmare defeated like in canon, but oh well, a surprise is still much better than some sort of predictable plot.
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media0.giphy.com/media/C87IXdLfJ44Zq/giphy.gif
I am actually dying of suspense right now. And two days until the next update...
Referrral to this photo?
https://images.app.goo.gl/3AiF8pJnFPKPEN8KA
-Begin Comment-
10648214
I have enjoyed this story so far, I won't stop enjoying it now.
-End Comment-
10648214
Still a highly enjoyable read either way, though screw you for that cliffhanger.
10648214
Yes I enjoyed it, after the day I've had... Well at this point I don't care what it was, so long as was something to do.
Anyways, I gotta say, the last bit of the chapter with Princess Celestia was a bit odd, to say the least. Can't really put my hand on what though.
10648256
If you, or anyone else, manages to figure out what's wrong, I will fix this chapter accordingly.
is luna a bit loony from being attacked by a rainbow? she was shown what happend to his siblings and she says he doesnt deserve kindness when he is sticking his neck out for his people knowing the risks. he also trusts her to come through and help him so im hoping she is just a bit confused and comes to her senses before phasmatodea gets killed either by his mum or celestia. also kinda have to point out the changlings took over with no (reported) casualtys on either side and if celestia gets back she will slaghter them likely
10648261
Yeah, that line was bothering me, too.
I have changed it to:
I was not expecting the cannon events to play out!
Well, it seems no one tipped off Celestia. It seems I was wrong. I wonder what became of Thorax, however?
I have a question why the nightmare did not ignore and flew to an ally? why was it like in the canon again? I do not understand. I was a bit disappointed. this nightmare had seen his siblings fate, he had seen their barely living corpses… he had no reason to be interested in anything less. And yet the moron got caught failing again. feels very disappointed
Can’t wait to see Phasma’s reaction to Nightmare getting clapped before she even set hoof in Canterlot.
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It was the need to find and control the Elements of Harmony. They were still in the Castle of the Twin Sisters, which warranted her to stay and protect them while waiting for those loyal to her to come to her aid. Things did not go as planned.
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Why couldn´t she just take the Elements way? And where is her army anyway?
Also, how did Luna and the Elements move from Ponyville to Canterlot? Did Celestia teleported them directly? And if Celestia was in the castle the entire time how could she miss the rumble of the battle outside?
I don't know what you're talking about, I think of this chapter as beautifully written Can't wait to see what happens next, not only do I like the harshness and intrigue of changeling life, I'm also sucker for stories where returned Luna finds somepony Keep up the good work
Nooo! Third Best Princess!
For those of you that are curious.
Best Princess/Queen List.
1. Princess Luna
2. Princess Sunset Shimmer
3. Princess/Queen Nightmare Moon (Nyx included)
4. Princess Twilight
5. Princess Celestia
6. Princess Cadence
7. Queen Chrysalis
8. Princess Flurry Heart
9. "Princess/Empress/Queen" Cozy Glow
10648316
The Elements have a mind of their own, if they don't want to be moved, then they can't be. Who's to say the episode went exactly like canon?
As for her army.... Well, a lot can happen in a milennia, especially with a Princess who knows you're coming back and wants to prevent bloodshed. What reality is, and what Nightmare thought it was, are two different things. She assumed she had a loyal army, but never actually got in contact personally. When she found herself alone... the saying no plan survives contact with the enemy exists for a reason. She had to improvise.
They never got to Canterlot? This is all in the Castle of the Twin Sisters, in Everfree Forest.
Canterlot is visible on the horizon, but sound doesn't travel that far.
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thankyou i was a bit worryed about what the elements did to her for a second. now its a race to see what happens. will celestia arrive and kill both royal changlings and exterminate the changlings before luna gets there. will chrissy and celestia get in a fight long enough for luna to reach her freind(future husdand?) and get him the info to improvise a adaption to the plan. hoping you use the "but sister he is my betroved" thing to knock celestia on her flank if she tryes to attack the young prince (ps im bad at remembering his name to im trying not to look but insted do what i can to work around it i will try refer to him as phas in the future)
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My guess? Halfway to Yakyakistan by now, chasing a fairytale two seasons too soon.
10648316
The Elements are explicitly not just the rocks she destroyed in that scene anyway. Taking them away doesn't even make sense.
WHAT?! I have to catch up to the author NOW?!
i.ytimg.com/vi/9jyMigslNKU/hqdefault.jpg
at least she could have escaped at the end instead of being hit by the death beam. and again a cool character will be considered a monster by ignorant ponies, Celestia and the rest and I doubt they will kill the chrysalis. because there is no killing. it was supposed to be so great
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Fuuuuuccckkk
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And NM didn't bother checking on her loyal followers via dreams , specially after being informed by Phasma of the span of time since her imprisonment?
By the way, what did Celestia with the batponies anyway?
Luna be like: "Oh no, big sis is going to beat up and/or kill my boyfriend!"
well that complicates things for our prince no ally against his mother now, mortals make plans fate intercedes
i wonder if ironically Chrysalis actually had no sinister plans for her perfect son and gonna be caught completely of guard by his hostility to her, i bet from her pov she thinks she been a perfect mother
Luna might wanted to mention your ally has a army
i wonder if the engagement will still be on when the dust settles
You can still get a Waifu, Phas. Quick, touch noses!
Okay, I see it like this.
A. For some reason P. procho is alive. I don't know which ling is her, but I guess it is one of Phasma friends or Eucharis.
B. Chrysalis doesn't know about chambers with her kids, I guess Procho made it or made use of it. Also, all accidents that led to their "deaths" were her work.
C. (Here I go wild) P.procho is reincarnated human like Phasma.
I wonder if I guessed at least one thing XD We will see soon.^
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It was implied that Phasma is the first and only being to able to talk with her during her imprisonment.
OK. Nightmare Moon may have been one thing. She was surprised and the elements of harmony are OP. Sure. But Phasma has a literal ARMY of trained soldiers. I can't see how 6 untrained civilians could ever hope to get anywhere close to him. Hell, Phasma himself has received combat training, right? Sounds like the Mane 6 are going to get their asses kicked. Massively. Besides that, isn't Phasma... you know, competent? He doesn't seem to be your average "baddie" that is felled due to overconfidence.
Like how in canon, Chrysalis decided to capture Twilight - the only one who knew she wasn't Cadance - rather than killing her outright. Or Discord, who decide to toy with the Mane 6 instead of dealing with them permanently. Or Tempest, who just like every other villian, had the Mane 6 captured instead of getting rid of a potentially dangerous superweapon...
This feels like is getting into a finale. I like it.
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to be fair they got the element of surprise on their side since there not famous yet as equestrian heroes , his ally no longer gonna be a ally and he not really familiar with the friendship rainbow of death,
10648384
Nose knows xD
Getting confused now xD did chrysalis half murdered her own children and did that too them in the lab or will it play out she didn't and someone else did. Or she did murder them but didn't do that in the lab but someone else did and didn't know about the lab under the library?
Got a feeling that chrysalis might be more caring these pasted chapters?
but also a idiot for waiting with the invasion till they are on the brink to starvation. XD
And wonder about the truths she holds secret, like how the alternatives turned out? And if Phasma conclusions about her holds up or his assumptions aren't totally right?
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Luna: sister no dont hurt my fiancee
celestia: what fiancee Luna your not even back a day and your getting married
10648384
I have to admit, I saw the NMM thing coming, and Celestia not listening when she needs to is kinda common in these situation among the different fics. That isn’t a bad thing, I’m looking forward to how this plays out. Luna enlisting the help of the main 6 WAS a surprise, so we will see what happens with that.
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Celestia: So you decided to start dating this young little stallion while you were imprisoned? And you proposed right before getting out?
We can hold the party celebrating your return and the wedding at the same time!
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Celestia: Tell me everything you know about him.
Luna: Well, he's a royal, he wants me to help kill his mother... Oh, and he's immortal!
Celestia: Oh, well that's great! Well, the first and third thing, at least. How old is he then if he's immortal?
Luna:... ... Six to seven months old...
Celestia: ... ... Luna, I love you, but... That's going to be a PR, HR, pretty much every R nightmare I can imagine. Forget the wedding, I'm canceling your engagment.
Luna: YOU CAN'T! I love him!
Celestia: HE'S AN INFANT!
Luna: HE'S IMMORTAL!
Celestia: JUST BECAUSE HE'S IMMORTAL DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT ISN'T IMMORAL!
Luna: YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHO I CAN AND CAN'T LOVE! YOU'RE PROBABLY BANGING THAT PURPLE MARE, AREN'T YOU?!
Celestia: AT LEAST SHE'S NOT A YEAR OLD!
Luna: AT LEAST I DIDN'T GROOM MY FIANCE!
Celestia: SHE'LL BE IMMORTAL ANYWAY!
Luna: WELL MINE'S IMMORTAL NOW!
Rainbow Dash: Uh... Should we do something about this?
Applejack: As Big Mac'd probably say, "E'Noooooope." Though, I will be havin' a talk with Apple Bloom about stranger danger when I get home.
Pinkie Pie: Aw man, Where's Chris Hansen when you need him?
Rarity: I'm sorry, but did Celestia just admit to sleeping with---
Twilight: IT WAS ONE TIME! I was drunk, she was drunk, we were both drunk and frisky. We only got to second base and then we passed out.
Fluttershy: Oh my...
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I mean the moon is a lonely place, and time doesn't wait for no mare! Snag up the immortal before another does!
The first half of the chapter felt great, if a bit odd with how Eucharis began acting with the camera (It was a cute moment tho). As for the second half with Celestia and the elements, it felt rushed with Celestia acting like a dense anime harem protagonist who was just told that his harem loves him when she was told about her city being burned down to the ground. Other than that, I love how this story has been going so far and hope you keep up the good work!!!
Crissy: Acting kind and reveals that someone she was accused of killing looks completely different than the bodies Phas saw.
Phas: Hold on just a second
10648477
I mean, Luna is absolutely no good in a fight right now since she is recovering from being hit by the Elements of Harmony. That just leaves the Elements, and while it would be fun to throw six young ponies who just met each other at an enemy that is apparently able to defeat Canterlot's Royal Guard garrison, they are just civilians. And are very young.
Basically, this is one of Celestia's normal duties, and she's not about to put six young mares in the crosshairs to end an invasion.
Because sending them to take care of things like a rampaging dragon is just a horrible, negligent, and stupid thing to do
10648390
It would be quite a cunning trick to fake her own death so she could wait for the right opportunity to strike and take over. Like right now for instance. I can see how it would go, some sort of epic battle with Celestia begins, with Phasma and Chrysalis winning, only for Luna and the Main 6 to stop it. Phasma will take the opportunity to turn on his mother, and with the help of the Elements, they win, only for Procho to show up with her cutlass and stab him in the back, declaring herself Queen. What happens from there is less certain.