Chapter 1: The Mare in the Mirror.

Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 1: The Mare in the Mirror

Warmth, that was the first thing I noticed. The sun was slowly rising, and its golden hue stretched across the sky. The sound of birds began to fill the air, and the constant ticking sound from a clock almost became unnoticed. With my face buried in my pillow, I hid under the warmth of the covers. Despite my best efforts, I felt myself slowly rousing from my sleep. Peeking one eye open, I saw how a ray of light had made its way past the curtains and landed on me.

Taking a deep breath, I peeked an eye open. There was a ray of light that shined in through the curtains, and it landed on me in a warm embrace. It was nice, but I still groaned in complaint as I stirred awake. My vision was hazy, and my mind felt groggy. It was warm, too warm. I made a move to sit up past the stiff sheets I laid in.

For some unknown reason, my room seemed different; it felt odd, like it wasn't mine. I could tell seemingly by the atmosphere and smell of the dusty drapes. Even though my eyes were still hazy and trying to adjust to the harsh light, I began to get an idea of my situation. The air was a lot drier than I remembered my room being, and it smelled stale like it had been just sitting there for ages.

I attempted to rub my eyes, but I found my hands to be unresponsive. I gave a frustrated groan and wiped my eyes with my wrist. Once I did, I was able to see more clearly, and my senses started to return.

Immediately I noticed that everything felt off... The room, my bed, the smells, and my body, everything was wrong. My muscles, for the first time in my life, felt foreign and unnatural. The feeling I had was like wearing a full-body suit of thick clothing. But it also felt like it was me.

My heart was beginning to speed up as panic started to settle in. Despite laying in the bright sunlight, I felt a sinking chill wash over me. Questions stormed my now sobering mind, and worries of being kidnapped or held hostage demanded my attention.

I decided to do a quick check to make sure I was at the very least physically alright, but when I did, the already evident chill in the room dropped to sub-zero. I had no hands, my stumpy arms were covered in an off-white fur, and red hair hung down just at the corner of my vision.

It took a minute or so for my mind to kick in and realize that I was holding my breath in fear. I wanted to run; I wanted to scream. In fact, I was about to scream. But, as soon as I inhaled, I started to choke on the thick dust floating through the air. I ended up wheezing and coughing, thumping my arm against my chest.

Collecting enough saliva to swallow, I managed to wash down the little thing, much to my disgust. I tried calming myself physically, taking slow deep breaths to prevent hyperventilating. But I made sure to take precautions to avoid making the same mistake twice.

By this point, I was fully awake, but I was shaking. The room I was in looked abandoned, almost like it hadn't been used in years. Cloths and drapes covered over the furniture, and if not for the dust, the wooden floor showed no signs of age.

The room itself was rather large, with purple walls and gold accents. I saw sizeable double doors to my right; they lead to what I would guess to be the hallway. To my left was a glass door leading to a balcony. On the wall behind me was a door to a washroom and another to a walk-in closet. While I was looking around, a shimmer of light caught my eye.

On the other side of the room, a drape covering the furniture had fallen slightly. Inspecting it from afar, I noticed what looked like a mirror stood there.

Both fear and curiosity filled my soul. I just had to know. I needed to know just what had been done to me. Because, well, I wasn't even sure if I was human anymore. I had to get over there. It was for better or for worse.

"Okay, let's just do this slowly," I mumbled, slowly shifting my new limbs around with unfamiliar muscles. Each movement brought a different sensation, one alien to me. And each one sent a shiver down my spine. My mind then turned to my voice, I had noticed a feminine tone in my voice when I spoke, and it freaked me the hell out. The whole situation only made me tenser. Waking up in an unfamiliar room with a new voice and a different body. It was enough to make me feel sick.

"Just a little more." I urged myself. I was leaning my head out to see the distance I was from the ground. The torrent of thoughts storming my mind proceeded to demand my attention. However, the logical part of my mind kicked in. It convinced me to focus on my goal rather than my situation, my goal of getting out of here.

I shifted out from under the bedsheets and found my legs to match my arms. I scooted back off the bed, putting one leg on the ground. When I did, I felt my sense of pride return to me, and I opened my mouth in victory. "Ha! No prob...

THUMP

A loud thump echoed through the halls of the Canterlot castle, and Celestia looked up from her throne in confusion. "What was that?"

She looked towards the direction she heard the sound, and with a hopeful gasp, her eyes glazed over. Each possibility was painting its way in front of her eyes as to what it could be.

"Um, your highness..." A mare spoke up.

The voice of a job applicant reminded her of where she was and what she was doing. "Oh right, sorry, do continue Lillybreeze."

"..blem." I finished with a groan. I laid there sprawled out on the ground. I was waiting for the pain of falling on my face to pass. The nose area was incredibly sore, and I think it now stuck out a little further than before. It also seemed to be more sensitive to the scents around me. That is until the fuzzy cloud I kicked up from falling drifted down to my level. The dust just ended up stinging my eyes and causing my nose to itch.

"Ah-Ah-AH-CHOO!" Another cloud...

"Ugh, maybe I spoke too soon." I groaned again as I rubbed my muzzle? My pride and feeling of accomplishment had left as quickly as it had arrived.

Once the pain died down, my quest to get to the other side continued. The mirror itself was too dusty to see my reflection clearly, especially from this distance. However, that could be fixed relatively quickly with a little blow on the well-polished silver.

"Okay, right arm moves back. Left leg moves forward." I coached myself, taking one step at a time until I was able to carry a slight rhythm. I looked like an idiot, but I didn't care. As I made my way around, the unfamiliar sounds of my limbs against the floor reminded me of hooves.

Once I stumbled my way to the mirror, I took in a slow deep breath. I made sure to be careful not to breathe the dust in as quickly as last time. Carefully working my new facial muscles, I did my best to blow away the fuzzy layer. Surprisingly enough, I was able to make a circle with my lips successfully. The dust rolled into fuzz balls and floated off the mirror. Slowly, my reflection began to clear.

Once they were out of the way, I could see the image of a whitish female horse still blowing in the mirror. Her head was covered with crimson red hair making up her mane. Her eyes were blue, intense, and terrified. To my horror, the reflection copied everything I did. That was what made it terrifying. Looking at my reflection kept drilling in the fact that somehow I was now a small horse. I wasn't even an average horse; I was some creature that had cartoonish proportions. Proportions that I knew all too well.

The more I stared, the more I started to wish that I hadn't looked. I was a pony. I had a horn, and I had wings? But I was small. Looking at the proportions, I'd guess that I was the same size as an average pony. How would I know this, you ask?

Well, the reason I knew anything at all was all thanks to my younger sister. One time, while I was up late working on a project for high school, I fell asleep at my computer. My sister took the opportunity and taped me to my desk chair. She then forced me to watch the first season of My Little Pony as a prank. To my surprise, it was actually pretty good. A week later, I started on season 2.

"This can't be happening..." I whispered. A small pang of guilt shot through me as I spoke. I continued to try to think of a plausible explanation for my predicament. Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with an answer that I was willing to accept. Not only was I now a female horse, but I was also a fictional cartoon character. And one that I knew next to nothing about.

I stared at my reflection in shock, unable to move because of my mind's constant refusal to accept the reality I was facing. My thoughts were rampant and uncoordinated. Each question I asked myself was worse than the last. It was all like a constant stream of panic-filled thoughts until I got caught on one. One crucial question with my newfound situation.

"Am I stuck here?" I whispered.

Again a pang of unexplainable guilt shot through me. My eyes had started to water, and I began to cry quietly. Usually, I would have held it in, but I felt that it was okay in this situation. I watched as my tears dampened the floor. My pitiful whimpers were just barely audible. The dust on the ground slowly found itself to be a paste-like substance. And my chest began to ache.

"(For goodness sake! Stop crying already! This attitude doesn't suit you.)" A feminine voice called out.

I stumbled back and almost fell over. I had quickly gone from depression to fear. This voice that spoke up carried an air of age and authority, and for some reason, I could feel the frustration fixated on me.

"Who's there!.... Show yourself!" I demanded.

To this, I could feel her eyes roll. And the response easily conveyed the deadpan expression she must have. "(Really.. You couldn't come up with a line that hasn't been overused to the point of being cliche?)"

Even though my eyes were darting around the room, I couldn't find where the voice came from, o I started to look around the room in hopes of finding this person. Perhaps they knew what was going on, and then I could get home.

"Come out!" I called but only got silent disappointment, almost like a quiet sigh.

"(You don't listen well, do you?)" The voice sounded like whoever was speaking had their arms crossed and their head shaking with minor amusement. At least I hoped it was amusement.

I was near the dresser at the rear end of the room when she last spoke. Peering into it, I found nothing that hinted at anyone being there. There was just an old set of clothes and a small box. It had a picture of a pen and ink well.

Soon, however, I gave up my search, sitting on the ground in defeat.

"Please, I just want to know what's going on. Why am I like this! And where are you!?" I begged. A silence hung in the room for several seconds as if she were pondering what to say.

"(Oh, okay fine… It was fun while it lasted. Look to your left...)"

I did as I was told, having nothing else to go on. As I did, I found myself staring back at the mirror again. The mare that I had now become sat there in the mirror. I Blinked and tilted my head. Then suddenly, the mare in the mirror sat up straight and smiled a big smile. She carried an age to her; it was clear as day in her eyes. They seemed to be focused. A fire burned deep in the back of those eyes. And it terrified me.

"(Hello, my name is Lauren, Lauren Faust, and who might you be?)" My reflection greeted me as she gave a small wave with her hoof.

I would have stumbled back onto my rear, but I found that I no longer seemed to be in control of my body. Out of the corner of my vision, I could see my hoof was moving back and forth. My anxiety rose to an all-time high as I began to get a full sense of my unusual situation. I was somehow stuck in someone else's body, with them still in it? The only reassurance that I've had today is that I wasn't dead; that was always a good thing.

"I-It's A-Alex. W-Why can't I move?" I panicked in place, only able to move my mouth.

"(Hmm, Alexander…)"

"It's just um, Alex..."

"(Oh, okay... That will take some getting used to…)" She said, tapping her chin with her hoof, "(In any case, it's a nice name. I would say It's nice to meet you in any other circumstance, but, well… we are in an unfortunate predicament.)"

She tilted her head down slightly, and her features became sorrowful. I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her as I saw the grief held in her eyes. However, as quickly as it appeared, she covered over them, and her face became stoic and business-like.

"(You see, Alex, you and I seem to be two in one. That is to say, we have both come to inhabit the same body at the same time. As far as I can see, only one can be in full control at a time.)"

"B-but." I stammered.

"(Calm down. I know this is strange, but please bear with me...)"

Gathering myself together, I asked, "Alright, how did this happen?"

The alicorn looked at me with a strained smile and sighed. "(Unfortunately, I feel that I am to blame. You see, several hundred years ago, no wait...)" She looked down as if she were searching for something, and then her focus shot back up to the mirror.

"(Several thousand years ago. I was in a situation that required me to give my life for the sake of my family... I thought that would be the end, but a traveler helped me. At the time, there was a link between our worlds, and those sent through were reconstructed, thus restoring wounds and injuries. The traveler used it, hoping it would heal me, and it did. But, once I was on the other side, the gateway closed, and I was trapped.)"

She took a shaky breath and looked me, or rather, us in the eyes, and said, "(I'm so sorry, Alex. But for years now, I have been looking for a way to get back. When I found one, I was overjoyed, but it was very risky. There was a good chance I would die, but I never expected my actions would pull you or anyone else into this world with me... I'm so sorry...)" She tailed off, and a look of guilt covered her face.

As she finished her story, I could feel the inner turmoil that she was going through, and my heart went out to her. With a somber tone, I spoke up, saying, "Honestly, I don't know whether to feel pain, anger, or sadness about our situation... But for what it's worth... It's nice to meet you."

A shallow smile returned to her, and she looked at me with a grateful expression. "(And you as well. I hope we get along.)"

"We kinda have to, don't we?" I said.

And Lauren gave a lighthearted chuckle, "(Yes, I suppose we do,)" A genuine smile graced her face, and the weight of guilt slowly lifted off her chest.

A few moments later, her eyes began to lose focus. It felt similar to forcing yourself to stay awake despite being severely overtired. With a shake of her head, she caught my attention and said, "(I seem to be straining to be in control. I think soon I will have to go back into this body's subconscious. When I am there, could you please act as my substitute? Answering my name and dealing with my relationships?)"

I wanted to object to her plea, but part of me kind of knew that it would be for the best if I went along. Giving an internal sigh, I yielded and said. "How many relationships are we talkin?"

The mare smiled and said, "(By now, it would just be my daughters, Celestia and Luna. Please be kind to them.)"

My eyebrows raised for a moment, and with a firm gaze, I said, "You have my word."

"(Thank you. On another note, I strongly suggest that you keep our situation to ourselves. It would be unfortunate to come all this way only to end up in a psych ward.)"

With a small grin, I said, "I'll do my best." And the mare gave me back control.

(From now on, whenever you need me, I'll speak to you this way, It is much less strenuous, and it will be sure to keep our secret. Oh, and one last thing, get something to eat. This body hasn't had a good meal in a very, very long time.)

After that, it was silent, and I figured she left to our subconscious. Quickly wiping a tear from my eyes, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

It was about noon when Celestia was making her way through the castle. She was pondering over the mysterious bang throughout the ceiling of the royal court from this morning. It had been a minor portion of her day, but somehow it seemed significant. She just couldn't put her hoof on what it was.

Passing through the halls, she would glance at the workers and give them her patented celestial smile of approval. She had become quite accustomed to doing so throughout those long years without Luna, and it seemed to stick.

Celestia passed by the maid's room where they were cleaning the bedsheets, the kitchen where the chef was making a gourmet three-course meal, the Dining Hall where her mother was stuffing her face, then... Celestia froze, swelling emotions filling her soul; joy, sadness, and, most of all, shock. Tears started to roll freely as she trembled in place.

"M-M-M-Mother." She managed to mumble through her sniffles. Doubt clutched at her heart, but unlike the other times, other objects were in motion.

Like a statue, she stayed in the center of the hallway despite her will to run back. Her heart was beating painfully in her chest as if it wanted to run ahead of her. But still, she was overwhelmed, slowly she managed to unfreeze. Joy began to well up within her, so much so that she began having trouble containing her composure. A goofy grin covered her face.

She turned back to the dining hall, and when she made her way inside, she looked, and it was real. Her mom was sitting right there, looking up at her. Celestia bolted for it, quickening her pace more and more the closer she got to her target.

"Mother!"

I had made my way downstairs, tumbling and swearing all the way down. I was tripping all over my new hooves the entire way. Then, once I was on the main floor, I wandered the halls of this monumental castle until I found a fridge.

I didn't care or know what anything was, so I ate the first thing I saw. It turned out to be nothing other than a classic slice of Apple pie. It was so good that I kept going back for seconds. On my fourth helping, I noticed a white Alicorn open the doors to the dining room I was in. She stared at me for a moment as tears welled up in her eyes. I looked back, shocked at how much bigger Celesta was than myself.

"Mother!" She shouted, and then the next thing I knew, I was being tackled in a bone-crushing hug by none other than Sunbutt herself.

"Mother, I've missed you so much! Both Luna and I have been eagerly awaiting your return."

Celestia... Let go... Can't breathe!" I wheezed as my lungs got crushed.

It took a second for Celestia to register my pleas for air, and even when she understood, she was reluctant to let go as if she was afraid I'd disappear. When she loosened her grip, I checked myself over to make sure she didn't actually break a bone, and thankfully nothing got damaged. Looking up, I saw Celestia staring at me with tears of joy.

"Is it really you, mom?" Her question was filled with so much emotion, and I couldn't help but feel some intense sympathy for this mare.

I may have been in pain because of her, but I couldn't find it in myself to be mad at someone who seems so happy to see me. It just wasn't right. It also pained me at the same time because I wasn't really who that joy was meant for. So hiding my sudden depression, I answered for my passenger.

"Yes, Celestia, it's me," I said, giving a heartfelt smile.

That statement seemed to strike her to the very core. Celestia continued to stare at me as if she wasn't mentally present, processing what I just said. A faint smile made its way into my face, and I tapped Celestia on the nose. That seemed to bring her back to reality, and she wrinkled her nose in irritation.

"Mom, forgive me, but it's hard to believe that this is reality."

To that, I only gave a smile. Then I started to look around and ask a question that could either cause more joy or a lot of pain. Biting the bullet, I asked, "So where's Luna? Asleep, I suppose?"

Tia's eyes lit up at mentioning Luna, and she quickly made her way out of the Dining Hall. My only guess was to wake Luna. I shook my head at her response. It was like watching a child be told there's ice cream in the fridge. Or I guess in this case. It was more like telling Sunbutt that there was cake in the refrigerator.

Once the room was empty, I asked Lauren. "Was that good?"

(It was perfect, thank you.)

I gave a small smile. Then turned back to the doors where running hoof steps could be heard. "Hey Celestia, wait up, I'm coming with you!"

As we quickly made our way to Luna's room, I ran at full speed through the halls. In an attempt to catch up with an eager alicorn. My footing was uncoordinated, and every few moments, I found myself beginning to stumble. But that didn't bother me.

Instead, what I was struggling with was how noticeable I've become to those around me. I was being watched by everypony there. The guards, staff members, and regular citizens roaming the halls; were all looking intently at me with wide eyes. From my viewpoint, shock, wonder, and even a little fear were clearly evident on their faces.

Following Celestia around the corner, I was quickly reminded of my poor motor control over this new body. Because I was still new to this whole quadruped situation, I wasn't quite sure how to stop, and I accidentally ran into one of the maids.

It was so sudden that I didn't even know what happened until I was tumbling on the ground. The noise from the collision caught the attention of several ponies walking through the hall, and they all turned to look at me.

Celestia heard me as well, and she slowed down to see what all the commotion was about; when she spotted me in a heap on the ground, she stopped and gave an amused smile. She held her hoof up to her muzzle, stifling a giggle.

With a grunt, I groaned as I pushed myself off the ground. I rubbed my sore head and muttered, "Ugh, I didn't see that one coming..." As I spoke, another feminine voice groaned behind me, and I turned to see the maid soothing her side. My ears folded back as I realized I had run into her, and embarrassment washed over me. "Oops."

My voice, although quiet, cut through the silence in the hall, and the maid on the ground looked up at me with fearful eyes. She looked relatively young. She had a cream-colored coat with a brown mane, and as she looked up at me, she glanced at my wings, then my horn. Her eyes widened as realization made its way across her face, and she stood up in an instant shouting. "I'm so sorry!!" She bowed her head profusely and kept repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

As for me, her apology was completely unexpected. I found myself tilting my head to the side. "Um, sorry for what? It was completely my fault." I said, lifting my arm to gesture. The maid's head twitched upwards in surprise, and I decided to take this opportunity to ask the question that had been gnawing at me since this morning, "Actually while I have you here do you know why everybo-pony has been staring at me? They've been looking at me funny the whole day."

Everypony seriously? What a stupid form of wordplay.

(For your information, I was the one who came up with that dialect.)

Yeah, okay, but you forgot there are Dragons, Zebras, and Griffins. They are not ponies.

(...Sh-shut up!)

Although I asked her as kind a manner as I could, the maid still tensed up and gave me a nervous smile as I spoke.

A few awkward seconds passed as she thought it over, and she looked up with an uneasy expression and answered, "W-well, your majesty. It's b-because you're an alicorn... And we don't really, know, you..." She squeaked.

I met her gaze with a sheepish expression as I scratched the back of my head, "Ah, okay, I suppose that makes sense. I'm sorry about running into you. I shoulda been paying more attention to where I was going. Are you alright?"

She quickly stood up, readjusting her uniform, and nodded. "Yes, I-I'm okay, Princess! I'm so sorry for getting in your way!" She squeaked out, giving a salute. Her whole body was shaking, and I felt sorry for the mare.

With a sigh, I reached over and put my hoof on her shoulder. She flinched, but I continued, "Please, just call me... Lauren."

"I'm L-Lillybreeze." She said with another awkward eep.

"Mom, are you coming?" Celestia called from down the hall, and I glanced in her direction.

"Yeah, I'll be right there," I said, turning my head in her direction; then I looked back at the wide-eyed maid in front of me. I patted her on the shoulder, saying, "It's nice to meet you, Lilly. See you around." Then I left her with a quick wave of my hoof.

The maid, and castle staff, all stood there watching as the red-maned alicorn ran off. They all had their mouths bobbing open like fish as they tried to process what the Princess had just said.

(So, it looks like you made a friend.)

May as well, it's not like I have any chances of getting home anytime soon. And I'd rather be liked by everyone.

When I got closer, Celestia started running again, and I let out a quiet groan as I struggled to run at her pace and keep my footing. Even so, I managed to follow her down the hall and towards a set of spiral stairs that led to the tower.

Chapter 2: Meeting the Moon.

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Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 2: Meeting the Moon

I followed Celestia towards the tower that led to Luna's bedroom. When we arrived at its base, the Princess unfurled her wings and pushed herself forward. She practically flew up the stairs, soaring up with intense speed. I, however, had to climb.

By the time I reached the top, my legs felt like they were burning, and I was short of breath. Making my way over, I quietly looked through the doorway, and I spotted the Solar-Princess vigorously shaking her younger sister. She was attempting to wake her, but in her eagerness, she looked more like she would throw her sister out of bed.

I moved into the room, and as I walked closer, I saw Luna fighting to stay under her covers. The moment I saw her, I felt my heart flutter as a feeling of joy and relief washed over me. My body went stiff, and my chest raised rapidly as my breathing hastened. Internally I turned to my passenger and asked, Hey, are you, okay?

(I-it's just... I haven't seen her since she was a young filly. I-I missed her whole life growing up.) Lauren's voice was shaky, and her feeling of intense sorrow flowed over me. I was filled with heartache, and yet, at the same time, the tears that escaped my eyes were tears of joy.

Slowly walking further into the room, I watched as the two sisters bickered with one another. It was quite comical to watch. Celestia had the blankets and comforters in her grip, and as she pulled them off, she said, "Come on, Luna! Wake up!" But her sibling resisted the best she could.

Pulling the sheets back in the other direction, Luna grunted, "Leave me alone, sister! Thine actions art most annoying!"

She pulled the blankets out of Celestia's grip and wrapped herself in them again. Seeing this, Tia's face grew mischievous, and her horn lit up with a golden glow. The comforter shined in the same light, and it quickly wrapped itself around Luna. She barely had time to react, but the deed had already been done. On the moon-themed bed now laid a rolled-up alicorn. Her head was the only part of her exposed, and she gave a huff as she blew a tuft of her mane out of her eyes.

Then the blankets started moving, and Luna's eyes shot open. She wiggled around, trying to get free, but before she was able to, she slid off the bed. Landing on the ground with a thump, the blankets released their hold on her. Luna crawled out from under the sheets and gave her elder sister an irritated glare. It was difficult not to laugh at the sight. Her mane was a mess, lacking the usual ethereal look the show often depicted. Her coat was fluffy and unbrushed, and her lip pouted. To say the least, she looked absolutely adorable.

Grumpily she sat up, crossing her forelegs, and said, "This better be good, Tia,"

Celestia's smile widened, turning into a grin, and she spoke with barely contained glee, "Oh, trust me Luna, it is."

"Sister, why art thou so smug?"

"Because Lulu, we have an unexpected guest. Somepony who neither of us have seen in a very long time."

Luna looked up at her sister with a confused glare. "But Tia, nopony has lived long enough to be considered unseen for a 'long' time."

Celestia's grin only grew wider, and I took that as my cue to finally reveal myself. I trotted quietly through the room and stood directly behind the queen of the night.

"Hello, Luna..." My voice quivered as it cut through the silence. I found it difficult to speak, especially when Lauren was in control of our body's emotions. It was taking everything I had just to keep us from breaking down into tears.

Luna's fur immediately stiffened, and her body froze like a stone at the sound of my voice. Her head slowly lowered, and even though I was behind her, I could sense a shadow covering her eyes." I-Is that you, Mother?"

"Um.. Yeah" (Well, she's in here :P)

Luna looked towards my direction with pained eyes, but she never met my gaze." M-Mom, I am so sorry." Tears began to well up at the corners of her eyes, and I felt my heart begin to feel pain.

Figuring I shouldn't know too much, I decided to play dumb and asked, "Sorry for what?" I didn't know if it was best to talk about it, but I figured the sooner we get past it, the better. Celestia's eyes widened, and she flinched forward as if to warn me not to go there, but before she could say anything, Luna started to speak up.

"After you left, I-I became a tyrant, and I tried to overthrow Equestria... out of jealousy of Tia..." She hung her head in guilt, and her voice began to quiver, "I've betrayed you, mother, and mine actions hath caused great fear and hatred of myself among our subjects." As she said those words, she started to cry.

No, no-no. Please, don't cry. It was evident that this emotional confrontation was doing a number on this body's owner, and thus me. Trying to keep from bursting into tears myself, I tried to think of what I should say to fix the situation. But, nothing was coming to my mind. I didn't know her; I didn't know how it felt to be in her position. All I am is an eighteen-year-old guy who got thrown into another world!

Not knowing what else to do, I hugged the mare, trying to reassure her, but I didn't know what to say. There was a silence that hung between us, and I looked into her glistening eyes. Suddenly, I found words that were not mine coming out of my mouth, and Lauren leaned forward, wiping a tear from her daughter's eyes.

"(Luna, do you really think that I care for you so little that even betraying me would make a difference? All I've ever wanted during all this time has been to see your faces again...)" She looked over to Celestia (Both of you...) Then she turned back to the Princess at our side. (Nothing you do, or say, is ever going to change that.)"

Luna looked up at us with strained eyes, and she asked in disbelief, "You forgive me?" Her body was quaking, and she struggled to control her sobbing.

Lauren smiled at her daughter and tightened our embrace. With a gentle nuzzle, she assured her daughter, "Yes, Luna I forgive you."

"But why!? I've tried to overthrow Equestria, I turned against my sister, and I've hurt so many in my selfish ambitions!"

She had an expression of self-hate as tears streamed down her face. Seeing this, Lauren tightened the hug we were giving her and leaned our head against Luna's shoulder.

"(No matter what you've done, you will always be my daughter, and I, will always be your mother... I, will never reject you...)"

Luna's eyes flinched open when Lauren mentioned being rejected, and she leaned back, looking us in the eyes. She didn't say anything, but her eyes told a story, a story of pain and self-loathing. It made Lauren's heart ache, and she stroked Luna's messy mane. The Princess's expression of rage, pain, and most of all, sadness, slowly dissolved, and her tears began to flow freely. She looked up at her mom with a heartfelt smile.

"Thank you, mother."

I smiled and realized that I was back in control. It was nice to see how much Lauren cared for her daughters, and I could feel the love she had for them in the heart we now shared. Once again, I pulled her in for a hug, and we stayed like that until Luna calmed down. Taking a glance to the side, I noticed Celestia was looking at us with a smile, but her eyes showed that she was feeling left out. I turned and extended my arm in her direction and grinned. "You too, Tia, get over here."

Her brow lifted, and she got a happy smile on her face as she walked over. Then we all shared a group hug. I heard Lauren squee with glee. (Finally! After all this time... I finally have my daughter's back.)

We spent the rest of the day talking, and we spoke with each other well into the night. After the moon raised, Tia arranged for a guest room to be prepared for me, and as it passed midnight, I went to bed.

The following day, as I began to wake up, I got the feeling that I was being watched. Even though my eyes were shut, there was some sort of presence in the room that I felt somewhat unsettling. The figure, or rather, figures in my room, waited patiently. I shifted my ears around, and I listened as they moved. Slowly I opened my eyes and saw red hair hanging down in front of my eyes. I sighed and shook my head, another day, still here, I thought. I let a faint smile grace my face as I sat up and yawned.

As my vision cleared, I looked forward towards the three figures standing at the base of my bed. One was the maid I met yesterday, and there were two unicorns with her. Their watchful gaze and silent presence slowly became awkward as time went on. So taking their silence as a hint, I figured I was the one who was supposed to address them. I was royalty now, after all. With a tired grin, I sat up a little more and waved, "Hey, what's up?"

The pony standing in the center of the group stepped forward. Her coat was a light blue, and her mane was a deep navy color with a white two-tone. The unicorn took a slow, steady breath and looked me in the eyes as she said, "Hello, Princess Celestia requested us to attend to you and your personal care. I am Minuette, and this is Lyra. We were both students at her school for gifted unicorns. This here is Lillybreeze, the Princess said something along the lines of you two knowing each other already. We are happy to meet you, Miss..."

"Alex James Smi..." As I realized I was saying my real name, my eyes widened, and my sobering mind finally caught up. I looked over and saw confused expressions covering the faces of the three mares.

Giving my head a shake, I threw my hoof out, waving it in front of me frantically. "Nonono, wait..." I breathed out, putting a hoof against my head. "Sorry, just tired... Call me either Lauren, or Faust, whichever you prefer is fine... The other name was one that I went by in a different dimension, and it's kind of irrelevant now." I finished saying this with a shrug, and a pang of sadness hit my chest as I said that. It was sad how true that statement really was...

The three mares at the base of the bed gave me understanding smiles, and Minuette continued, saying, "Okay, Miss Faust, Princess Celestia is waiting downstairs in the dining hall. She said that she made breakfast and you are invited to join her."

Still a bit groggy, I nodded and tossed my bedsheets off. Turning in the direction of the door, I noticed Minuette give me a curious glance as she looked at me, "Miss Faust, before you leave, do you require any assistance? Perhaps one of us could brush your mane?" She asked this, and Lillybreeze leaned down to grab a comb.

With a soft smile, I waved a hoof and said, "No, thank you Minuette, but I won't be requiring assistance this morning." I then swung my legs over the edge of the bed and hopped off. Landing on the marble floor, a soft tapping sound came from my hooves as they touched the ground. I looked at my attendants and smiled, "Well, I best be off. It was nice meeting you three." I said this and turned to the door.

With surprise on her face, Minuette quickly stepped forward and reached her foreleg out as she desperately asked, "Wait, you're planning on leaving your room like that?"

Following her gaze, I looked up and noticed the disaster that was my mane. The bedhead was real.
With a huff, I blew my bangs out of my face and shook my head. Most of the hair went back to its proper place, but it was still messy. However, it was good enough for me, so I looked over at the unicorn and shrugged, "It's alright..."

Walking to the side of the room, I grabbed the door with my hoof and swung it open, and I left the three stunned mares behind.

Trotting out into the hallway, my ears perked up as my new attendants expressed both their relief and confusion at my actions. Thinking about it, I realized it probably wasn't normal for a noble to leave their quarters without cleaning themselves up, let alone those seen as royalty. I suppose I failed at being royalty already.

Chuckling to myself, I thought of the expressions of surprise that were on their faces, and I looked back towards the bedroom doors. My attendants were still in there, and from the faint voices I could hear, it sounded as if they were struggling to understand how I could be so carefree. It made me laugh. A moment later, I turned my head to look where I was going, and when I did, I felt my hoof fall just a bit further than it should have.

I had forgotten that I was on the second floor, and the stairs weren't far from my room. "Not again! Ahh!" I shouted as I fell, tumbling down the staircase once again. I couldn't see clearly, as I was tumbling head over hooves, but I was fairly sure that I passed a few ponies on the way down. As I reached the bottom, I slid a short distance on the marble floor and laid limp as I wallowed in pain.

I groaned as I stood up. Then I spotted two guard ponies standing a short distance away from the base of the stairs. At first, I felt embarrassed, noting that I didn't have a very gratifying trip down the stairs; but then I realized I fell and got hurt right in front of them, but these jerks didn't even bat an eye at my generally painful situation. Fifty-four stairs are pretty painful when you have stupid wings and a horn!

My ears dropped to the side as I walked forward with a grumpy frown on my face. Still, they didn't move, not even their eyes. My irritation began to be replaced with concern, and in curiosity, I gently pushed the guard's side. To my surprise, he wobbled back and forth and then fell over. A loud banging noise echoed through the hallways as the armor he was wearing fell off. I reared back at the loud noise and quickly looked back and forth to see if anyone saw me. Then I looked down at the guard and noticed the guard had vanished. The armor falling off revealed a mannequin, and I tilted my head to the side in confusion." What the hell is this?"

Leaning forward, I prodded the mannequin. Then I glanced at the armor. With a curious glance, I grabbed the helmet in my hooves and put it on. I didn't feel any different, but as I spotted a nearby window, I looked at my reflection.

Lo and behold, my reflection was that of a female guard, but my face became generic and almost indistinguishable from an average pony. It was weird but neat. Taking it off, I watched the illusion vanish, and I gave a mischievous grin. "I don't know what I'm going to use this for, but I'm keeping this."

After I found a place to hide my new toy, I continued towards the dining hall. Canterlot Castle was a lot larger than I initially imagined; just walking to the dining hall to get breakfast took five minutes. Approaching the doors, I took a deep breath, "Here we go."

Then I pushed the doors open and walked inside. At the far end of the room, Tia sat at the edge of the table and sipped a cup of tea while she read the morning paper. As I opened the door, she glanced up at me and gave me a satisfied smile. "I was beginning to worry it was all another dream."

I shrugged, "Sorry, Tia, you're stuck with me."

"Glad to hear it, Mother. Is there anything I can get you? I made pancakes." As she said this, she lifted her decorative treats, and I heard Lauren call out.

(Tia made pancakes! Yes, please!)

I smiled, holding back a grin at the childish antics of the mare in my head. Finding a place at the table, I sat down and said, "Sure, I'll have some, but I'm not too hungry yet, so I'll only have one."

Celestia nodded and prepared a plate for me. The pancakes came covered in syrup and had a whipping cream smiley face.

I grinned and began eating. Swallowing a bite, I washed the food down with some orange juice. "So, Tia, how does your typical day go?"

The alicorn gave a strained smile, and she let out a quiet groan. "Mother, please don't remind me of my duties. They are hardly enjoyable enough while doing them."

I frowned and reached up to tap my chin, "Alright...Then... Oh! I know! Have you gotten to made any good friends over the past years?"

"Yes, quite a few, and some of them started simply as students at the school for gifted unicorns." Her gentle smile slowly turned sad, and she looked down at the paper she was reading. "However, as much as I cherish them, I have to let go... Our little ponies only live so long after all..."

Looking at her eyes, I felt sympathy for her; I couldn't possibly begin to imagine how she felt, but, at the very least, I could try to comfort her. I reached over and patted her on the shoulder. "Well, Tia, you got me, Luna, and Cadance now, so at least, you're not alone."

She looked at me with a confused expression, "Who told you about Cadance?"

I scrunched my muzzle and looked to the side, "Oh... Um, Luna did after you went to sleep." Oops…

Suddenly green fire came blazing through the window. I immediately ducked for cover; it's not every day you see a flame about the size of a football go dancing around the room. It found its place in front of Celestia, materializing into a letter. The white alicorn glanced in my direction and started to laugh." Oh, mother, don't worry. It's only a piece of paper." Celestia teased, shaking the letter around in her magical grip.

"I-it's not funny! That thing almost hit me!" I grumbled. "Besides, paper cuts are the worst," I said the last part quietly, and mostly to myself, but the corner of Tia's lip curved upward as I said it.

Pouring herself some tea, she said, "Mother, this spell can't hurt ponies even if it comes directly into contact with them."

I gave her an annoyed stare and tried to change the subject. "So.. What does it say?"

"Hmm, Let's see..."

Dear Princess Celestia
Today I learned it's not good to jump to conclusions. You have to find out all the facts before saying somepony did something. If you don't, you could end up blaming somepony for something they never did. This could hurt their feelings. And it could make you feel really foolish. So from now on, I will make sure to always get all the facts.
From Pinkie Pie

Playing ignorant, I took a bite of my pancakes and said, "That's a nice letter. Is that one of the students at the school you were telling me about?"

Celestia smiled and put the piece of paper down. "Oh, no Mother, Pinkie Pie is in her early twenties."

I couldn't help but tilt my head to the side in shock, "Really?" and Celestia was a bit curious at my odd reaction.

Leaning forward, she rested her head on her hooves and said, "If you don't mind me asking mother, why does that seem so surprising to you?"

I shrugged, grabbing another bite of my meal, "It just seemed a bit like common knowledge for some-pony in their adult age,"

Celestia gave me another one of her patented mischief grins. "Mother, just because you have had the years to figure things out doesn't mean everypony else has had as much time to do so."

The hell does that mean?! Was that an attempt at a shot?

(Yeah, it was a shot)

I'm 18!

I rolled my eyes and leaned on the edge of the table, holding my cheek with my hoof; I looked at her with a sly smile. "So... how's that schedule looking for you?"

Tia frowned at my bringing her duties up again. "Well, I have breakfast, court, then lunch, then court once more, that shift will last for three hours. Then, after that, I go and finish the paperwork, recording all the political details throughout the day."

When I heard that, I was surprised. Till now, I had thought Sunbutt just sat on her royal behind all day.
I leaned forward, with shock clearly evident on my face. "Wow, you do that every day?"

She chuckled. "No, I only have this schedule on Sundays. Usually, I try to find a way to attend parties, make public appearances, and travel abroad to get out of that routine."

"I can see why." I nodded.

A little bell rang beside Celestia's teacup, signaling breakfast was over. "I have to get going. Do you want to come along or continue to readjust?" After discovering more details about her job, I must say I wasn't exactly eager to take part in it.

Thinking of an excuse, I said, "I think I'll stay here to practice my magic. It's been years since I've done so; I don't even think I remember how to do it." To my relief, she seemed satisfied with my answer. She got up and began walking to the doors.

"If you find you're having any trouble with magic, just let me know, and I'll teach you how. Or I could get you to learn from Twilight, although I don't know how she would react to the task of teaching you."

"Okay, thanks for the offer. I'll see what I can do first. See you later."

"The same to you, mother." With that, Celestia walked out to go to the royal court.

Later, I made my way up to the room that I first woke up in, there was a strange familiarity that I seemed to enjoy, and the view from the balcony was also quite stunning. Walking across the room, I spotted the mirror and chuckled to myself.

When I first saw my reflection, I thought my life was over and that there would be no good to come to me ever again; but even though it's only been one day, I could confidently say I was wrong. I trotted over to the polished silver with an excited grin. I looked at the mirror and asked aloud, "So, how do I magic?"

(Oh, Alex, are you sure you really want to learn?) Lauren teased, and I eagerly jumped towards the mirror.

"Of course I do!"

(Hehehe, Alright, give me control for a moment.)

I mentally stepped aside, and the alicorn took her place in front of our reflection. "(Alright, Alex, let's start off with something simple.)" Her horn lit up with a fiery glow, and little lights resembling embers formed around it. Her aura seemed to chime in the air, and she smiled at my would-be dumbfounded expression. Turning to the inside of the room. I watched as a drawer glowed in the same light and slid open. Then she lifted an old book out.

How did you know that was there?

She giggled at my question, "(Because it's mine silly, I thought you would have put that together by now...)"

But, aren't you like, really old? Shouldn't this stuff be long gone by now?

Her smile dropped, and she looked back at our reflection with an unamused stare, "(Do you want me to teach you magic or not?)"

Sorry, ma'am!

She nodded, "(Right, so notice how the book is being held in my aura.)"

Yes.

"(I'm doing this by visualizing the result I want and unifying it with my mana. Getting it to work is a matter of balance and skill. You already have a live demonstration so you can feel how the connection is made. With enough practice, the objects you lift will become as natural as moving an arm or a leg.)" The mare spun the book in the air and set it down on the bed across the room to emphasize her point. "(Go ahead, give it a try.)"

She gave me back control, and I looked up at my target. I started to imagine the book floating above the bed and focused our power to the tip of our horn. I felt a slight strain on my mind. It was almost like a weight had been put on it, but I continued anyway. In a daydream-like state, I saw the book rise off the bed and spin around. I was surprised, and a wide smile stretched across my face as I said, "Yes! I did it!"

(Good job, it looks like you can listen after all...)

"Hey, I was freaking out back then, give me a break."

Tehe, Yeah, I know.

Suddenly, I heard someone at the side of the room say, "Knock knock," and the door swung open.

I turned, looking towards the sound, and saw a pink alicorn standing in the doorway. She smiled at me, and I looked at her, hoping she didn't hear me talking to myself. I looked into her eyes and became somewhat curious as to why she was here. Tilting my head upwards I said, "Hello?"

The mare giggled at the expression on my face, "Hello, My name's Cadance, Celestia told me I was likely to find you up here. It's so nice to finally meet you, Lauren, I've heard so much about you."

She said this, walking over to me, and as she got close, I extended my foreleg to shake her hoof. What I didn't expect was to be quickly wrapped in another hug. I hesitated, a bit surprised by the sudden embrace, but a moment later, I loosened up and returned the hug. After a second or so, we pulled apart, and she smiled happily.

Dropping her forelegs back down, the pink alicorn finally seemed to take in her surroundings; she turned her attention from me and glanced around the room with visible curiosity.

With the heavy layers of dust, I started to feel somewhat self-conscious. Perhaps it was Lauren's emotions leaking through again. Being since it was her stuff from who knows when, but even so I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Like my room was being inspected. I started swinging my front leg back and forth as I awkwardly looked down, "Sorry about the dust. I guess I really let this place go."

Cadance chuckled at my sad attempt at a joke, and then looked at me with a questioning stare, "So, what are you doing up here anyway?"

Looking up, I shrugged, "Just some magic practice."

"Really? Like what?"

I felt a blush wash over me as I began to explain, "It's basic levitation... The world I was in didn't have magic, so I gradually forgot over time... I was a bit embarrassed to practice anywhere else..."

"Ah, okay... Have you made any progress?" She asked, tilting her head.

I looked up at her with a brightened smile, "Actually, yeah... In fact, I think I could grab all the dust in this room and put it in one spot!"

The pink mare smirked as she leaned on one side, "Well, you could try, but I doubt it, the strain from holding thousands of individual particles alone would be rediculous..."

I nudged her side. "I bet ya ten bits I can do it."

She raised an eyebrow at my confidence, and a smirk crossed her face, "Oh, you're on."

Celestia had the unfortunate duties of day court. Each Nobel citizen was demanding that their wants be satisfied like a rotten child demands of their parents. Currently, the headache she was dealing with was a noble pony by the name of Currency Driver. He was a banker who wanted the royal funds to go to building a private pool on his property. To say the least, the selfish and ridiculous things ponies would come up with boggled Celestia's mind.

"So you see, your highness, a pool within my residence would be a logical thing to fund because I would be able to uplift the guests who come over."

Rubbing her temples, Celestia began to wonder what other ludicrous things would arise within her court. Every day was torture dealing with these ponies who felt they deserved favors from royalty. At least, she knew nothing could be as ridiculous as that pony who claimed Celestia should seal Luna in the moon again for rejecting his request to tear down an orphanage in favor of a recreation center.

Suddenly the doors to the throne room burst open, and two frantic alicorns ran inside. "Auntie! We need your help! Where can we put this!" Cadance quickly said, pointing to a faint ember glow held in Faust's telekinesis.

"What is it?"

The crimson maned alicorn suddenly spoke up. "It's a dust bomb." She seemed to be under a lot of strain.

"A what?" Celestia turned her head in confusion.

"Auntie, that speck is all the dust from her room collected into one spot. If she lets go, then it will explode!"

Hope fluttered in the co-rulers chest; perhaps this stupid matter could get her out of day court. Turning to the stallion in front of her, Celestia said, "I'm sorry, Currency, but our meeting will have to be postponed."

This got a grumble out of the noble, but he was too cowardly to protest against the Princess directly. "Your Highness, if I may so ask, who is that?" Currency stated, pointing a hoof at the newest alicorn in Equestria.

"That, my little pony would be my mother."

It took a couple of seconds for the stallion to register what that meant, and quickly he turned towards Lauren's direction. His eyes seemed to expand to unreal proportions, and he slammed his face into the red carpet. He bowed so suddenly that his head bounced off the ground, and he became unconscious.

The pitiful sight of the noble who knocked himself out brought Lauren's eyes to tears as she tried not to laugh. Cadance and Celestia quickly ran over in an attempt to calm the mare down before she lost her concentration. The mare's snickering only grew as both princesses desperately tried to calm her down. Then Celestia tripped on Currency.

From outside the castle, the stain glass windows suddenly became black, and no light passed through for days.

Chapter 3: Midnight Revelations.

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Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 3: Midnight Revelations

It had been a few days since my arrival in Equestria, and so far, I had been enjoying my time here a lot more than I thought I would.

I was currently settling myself in for the night, and I had decided to take up residence in Faust’s old room. Some work needed to be done to finish it up, but thankfully for me, the maids were more than willing to help me clean the place. We started sometime after lunch, and we continued cleaning until just before sunset. Finishing up, they gathered their supplies, and I thanked the maids as they turned in for the night.

Closing the door behind them, I turned around and looked at their work. I smiled, impressed with how the bedroom looked brand new. Glancing around, I noticed the light in the room begin to shift, and I looked out the window to see the sun starting to lower over the horizon.

It was still a bit odd getting used to the way day and night worked over here, but I also found it fascinating. Treating it like it was some sort of a show, I quickly made my way over to the window and watched. The sun drifted down and disappeared from view, and the moon appeared moments later. It began to rise into the sky, and it's soft glow was accompanied by the sight of a vibrant starry night.

Watching the sisters tend to their duties filled my heart with a sense of pride. It was a pride that undoubtedly came from Lauren, but it made me feel happy all the same. Letting a soft smile make its way onto my face, I nodded in approval at their work.

When they finished, I turned in for the night. Crawling underneath my covers, I laid my head on my pillow. Not long after I settled in, I began to feel my exhaustion from the day catch up with me, and I closed my eyes as I felt my consciousness begin to fade. I quickly fell asleep. However, much like every other night since my arrival, I didn't dream.

Sometime later, when it was approaching the middle of the night, I found myself to be slowly rousing from sleep. Something was shifting around in my bedsheets, and I started to regain consciousness as I heard the sound of someone breathing. A bit confused and slightly alarmed, I turned my head over and saw Celestia. She was cuddling up against my side, and she had wrapped herself up in a good portion of my blankets. Startled, I jumped back in surprise, and I accidentally knocked Luna off the other half of the bed. The two of us tumbled to the ground, and we hit the floor with a thud.

What the hell!? Why are they in our bed!?

(I don't know... But I'm not complaining.)

I grunted as I sat up from where I laid on the floor, and as I looked around, my sights settled on Luna. She stood a short distance away from me with her horn aglow, and her body readied in a battle stance. When she fell, she had shot herself out of the dream realm and got into a defensive stance out of reflex.

So, she stood there, with her horn ready to attack, but there weren't any immediate threats. Confused, she looked around, and her eyes settled on me. I was just sitting on the floor a short distance away, and I looked back at her with a stupid look on my face as a blanket laid draped over part of my head. I gave an awkward smile, and Luna relaxed as she realized it was just me.

Calming down, the Princess smiled at me softly and stepped over to my side. She breathed a sigh of relief and leaned her head onto my shoulder. I felt my heart flutter as she did this, but I wasn’t sure whether it was my reaction or Lauren's that caused it. Smiling, I returned the gesture and leaned my head against her.

"You two startled me." I whispered, and the Princess fidgeted in place as she bit her lip.

She looked up at me and said, "We thought it would be good to catch up on old times... do you... do you want us to go back to our quarters...?"

Oh, my heart is going to explode! Must... suppress... the HNNGG!

(What?)

Heart attack from cuteness, you know.

(...What?)

Oh, never mind... Inside joke.

Turning away from my thoughts, I smiled as I looked at my daughter and stroked her mane, reassuring her. "No, it's fine, Luna. I was just a bit surprised... There's no need for you to change and go back to your portion of the castle..."

As I said those words, I felt Lauren's happiness brighten, and I grinned as I thought of something the alicorn might appreciate. Looking at the princess at my side, I continued, "Actually Luna... any time you or Tia want to come by, you're more than welcom..."

(THANK YOU!)

Not now.

(But I'm so happy...) :D

It was difficult to hold back a chuckle as the mare in my mind became overcome with joy. The prospect of spending more time with the girls seemed to be too much for her, and I felt her feelings of happiness wash over me.

Although I didn't finish my sentence, Luna smiled, understanding what I was going to say. She leaned against my side just a little bit more, cuddling up beneath my chin as she whispered, "Thank you, mom, I love you..."

Suddenly, the image of a little filly flashed before my eyes. It was Luna, and she was walking up to me with a blue flower held in her mouth. A voice spoke out, asking, "Oh my, Is this for me?" And the little filly giggled, "Yesh momma, I got it because I wuv you..."

As quickly as the image appeared, it vanished, and I found myself back in reality. My heart felt as if it would burst, and I struggled to deal with centuries worth of emotions swirling within me. Glancing to the side, I asked my passenger. You doing okay over there?

...

Lauren?

...Hey, Lauren?

(HNNGGG!!!)

I almost burst out laughing as the mare joined in on the joke. Thankfully I held it in, preserving the moment. Luna and I ended up just sitting there for a while, both of us enjoying each other's company, and I could feel Lauren didn't want this moment to end.

Eventually, though, Luna leaned back and glanced at the time. The clock showed that it was the ninth hour of the night. Following her gaze, I ended up looking over at the big wooden grandfather clock. It sat against the wall and filled the air with a soft, ticking sound. Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I turned to Luna and asked. "So, around what time do you two change shifts anyway?"

The princess looked back at me, and then she glanced at the moon in the sky. She paused as if she was trying to think of what to say. Her lips shifted around slightly as she thought of an answer, and after a couple of seconds, she looked at me, asking, "Would thou... Ugh!... Would you, like it to be day?"

I held in a chuckle at Luna's visible frustration. She had been trying to break her habit of using thou's and other terms that were no longer used, but she had been struggling a bit. According to Celestia, she had been giving it some effort before, but since my arrival, she had decided to step up her efforts. It was a comical process all the same.

Looking her in the eyes, I smiled and brushed her mane to the side, reassuring her, "No, Luna, that's not necessary; the night is quite comfortable. I just wanted to know when the switch was. Every time I wake up, it's already morning."

Her face seemed to lift as I said this, and a spark of joy seemed to return to her eyes. "Oh, in that case, Tia and I each get twelve hours. When we switch, the clock resets."

I tilted my head to the side. It was different than earth's setup, but for here, it certainly made a lot more sense. Glancing at the clock again, I realized that it was still about three hours away from sunrise. I weighed my options, wondering whether or not it would be worth it to try going back to sleep.

Deciding to stay up with Luna, I got her attention with a nudge from my wing. She looked at me with a questioning glance, and I smiled. "Well Lulu, we have some time to ourselves, what do you think about heading downstairs? I kind of feel up to getting a late-night snack."

She tilted her head in thought, and then the princess looked up at her sister. Celestia had just begun to snore, and the annoying sound was already beginning to sound louder with each breath. It was safe to say that neither of us would be getting back to sleep any time soon. So, with a quick turn of her head, Luna looked back at me and gave a nod. We stood up and silently made our way over to the door. I opened the door with my magic and snuck out. As I stood in the hallway, I watched Luna follow me into the hall, but as she got to my side, she took another glance at the mare in the room.

A grin crept onto her face, and the princess lit her horn. The blankets glowed in her aura, and they quickly wrapped themselves around Tia. Moments later, she laid trapped in a roll of blankets, much like Luna had been when I first met her. Both of us snickered at the sight, and we looked on in surprise at how Sunbutt continued to sleep despite all the moving around.

With a final shake of her head, Luna closed the door, and we turned to the hall. Traveling through the hallway, I listened to the sound of our hooves as we walked in silence. There didn't seem to be many ponies around. Actually, if you didn't count the guards, the castle was empty, it felt barren and almost abandoned. It was kind of sad. Thinking to myself, I decided that I'd have to spend more time with Luna during the night.

We walked along for about two minutes, but then I stopped as I found myself face to face with my new worst enemy; the stairs. With a shaky breath, I took a step down, then another, then another. On my fourth step down, I slipped, and I lost my footing. "Son of a... ahhhhhh!"

Once again, I had been bested by my enemy, and I fell. I tumbled down the stairs in a dramatic display, and my limbs flailed around as I rolled down the steps. Getting to the bottom, I landed in a heap with my legs sprawled out and I slid forward a few inches. Coming to a stop, I groaned, and I lifted my head as I said, "Ow... this is already getting old..."

“Mom, are you alright?” Luna called as she came running down the stairs behind me. I put my hoof up to let her know I was alright, and she relaxed as she approached my side. Seeing me sprawled out on the ground with my flank in the air, she started to snicker, and she threw her hoof up as she tried not to laugh. A few chuckles still got through, though...

I groaned as I stood up, and I dusted myself off. Shaking my head to the side, I tossed my disheveled mane back into place, and I blew a lock of hair out of my eyes. A bit grumpy, I slumped forward and started walking.

Luna quickly followed after me, but her giggles persisted. We walked down the hall towards a four-way junction, and when we got there, we turned left. We continued down that path for a minute or so, and I puffed out my cheeks with a frown as Luna would occasionally start giggling again. I didn't enjoy being laughed at.

While we walked down the hall, I spotted a guard standing near one of the pillars. Assuming it was another mannequin, I flared my horn and tossed its helmet onto Luna's head. The blue mare stopped in her tracks, and she looked forward, stunned by the random object. Looking on, I watched as the built-in enchantment activated, and I smirked as a shimmering effect covered over her features.

While I looked on in amusement, the sound of a clearing throat caught my attention, and I flinched as I noticed the fidgeting guard standing behind me. She looked up at me with a confused stare, and I blushed as I realized that she was a real pony. Quickly averting my gaze, I looked back over to Luna, and I watched the blue mare looked at the helmet with a dumbfounded expression. She crossed her eyes as she tried to see the piece resting on her snout, and once she realized what it was, the princess rolled her eyes.

Lighting up her horn, she lifted the helmet off her head and returned it to its owner with an apologetic smile. The guard grasped the helmet in her hooves, and she stared at it with wide eyes. She nodded, acknowledging the princess, and she held the helmet in her forelegs. She was suddenly treating it with an unusual amount of care, and she held it out like it was a gift from the gods.

Luna either didn’t notice or ignored the mare’s actions, and she turned to me as she shook her head. "Honestly, Mother, you're such a foal."

"No, I'm just spirited." I defended.

The princess raised her eyebrow and gave me a smirk. "Spirited, you say? I would go with mischievous. After all, a pony only needs to look as far as the throne room's new paint job to see thy character."

There was a stifled snort from the guard beside us, and the two of us glanced in her direction. We saw her standing with her cheeks puffed out and her eyes strained as she tried her best not to laugh, and I frowned at the sound of squeaks that escaped her muzzle.

With a snort, I threw my foreleg up, and I started walking down the hall. "One time! I make a mistake one time! And everypony's been harping on it! I'd like to see you keep your focus when a stuck up noble knocks himself out in front of you..."

The princess let out a chuckle as she continued to torment me with my past mistake. "Sorry mother, but it is quite humorous. The way Cadance and Tia looked with a black coat, all I could see was their eyes. Haha."

I lowered my head as I grumbled. "Yeah, and I'm still pulling dirt and dust out of my coat..." Then I chuckled. "Well, it could be worse... Cadance had her mouth open..."

"HA!" Luna laughed, and then her eyes went wide as she quickly covered over her mouth. She tried to stifle her giggles, but she wasn't very successful. At the very least, she managed to quiet down some.

Nudging her side, I said, "Come on Luna, let's go get something to eat," and the two of us continued trotting forward towards the kitchen.

A minute or two later, we rounded a corner and entered the main hallway. It was the same one that stretched through the center of the castle. It was empty, and I walked beside Luna as we headed down. I couldn’t get over how different it looked at this time, it felt cold and empty. I was certainly going to need to spend more time with Luna during the nighttime.

Walking along, the feeling of hunger began to well up within me, and I slowly started to speed up my pace. I didn’t even notice it, but Luna did, and she glanced at me curiously as she walked a little faster to match my pace. I looked to the side and realized that she was speeding up to match my speed, and a shallow smile formed on my muzzle.

With a grin, I sped up again, and the princess raised an eyebrow at me. She frowned at my odd behavior and opened her mouth to ask what I was doing. However, before the words could leave her mouth, I extended a wing and nudged her side as I said, "Race ya." then I ran forward as fast as my legs would carry me.

It didn't take me long to get into a full gallop, and Luna watched my running form leave her side with confusion. A moment passed where she looked on with a stunned expression, and then she gave a grumpy pout as she gave chase. "Hey, that is not fair! Thouest started early!"

Despite my head start, I quickly found myself being overtaken by the mare. Her slightly taller height was just giving her an unfair advantage, and she passed me with ease. "Awww... Damn your long legs!" I called, and she gave a hearty laugh at my comment.

Looking back at me with a silly grin, she declared, "Huzzah! I am the victor! See you at the kitchen mother!"

"Wait Luna! Watch out!"

"Hmm?"

(Crash!)

While she was running, the princess trailed off to the side and collided with one of the many tables set up along the side of the hall. Her body hit it like a freight train, and she sent a bowl of lavender flying into the air. The sound of clattering silverware echoed through the empty hallway, and I winced at the noise of Luna hitting the ground. Glancing back and forth, I hoped we hadn't woken up anyone, and then I ran over to check on her.

Thankfully she was okay. The princess seemed to be more surprised than she was hurt, and I smiled in relief, glad that she was alright. I reached out and gave her a hoof. Luna blinked a couple of times as she gathered her thoughts together, and a moment later, she reached out and let me help her up.

Standing up to her full height, the princess looked at the mess in the hallway and sighed. The flowers and silverware laid all over the floor, and without a word, she began putting things back in their proper place.

I decided to leave her to it and trotted over to the kitchen doors. Lifting my foreleg, I pushed the door, and as it swung open, I saw a flicker of green light illuminate the room. The light was accompanied by a familiar sound of flames dancing through the air, and the atmosphere began to smell of ozone.

Now, I had only seen the first season of MLP in its entirety, but I had watched enough clips on my own to know what that green flame could most likely be. With that knowledge, I became reluctant to move. I was frightened of what awaited me if I opened the door.

From the back of my mind, I felt Lauren look on, she seemed a bit confused at my actions, but then after a momentary pause, she mentally nodded and seemed to accept my fears. With a gentle nudge, she helped me push the door the rest of the way open, and I took a deep breath.

Stepping into the kitchen, I spotted Lillybreeze on the other side of the room as she tried to make a hasty retreat. My fears momentarily dissipated, and with a serious tone in my voice, I stomped my hoof as I called out, commanding her to, "Halt."

The maid froze, and I could see her mane rase in fear. Her body began to shake, and she slowly turned her head to look in my direction. When Lillybreeze laid her eyes on me, I watched as a look of dread covered her features and a bead of sweat slid down the side of her face.

"Heh..."

I looked back at the nervous maid, and her ears folded back as my stern expression remained on my face. Then her eyes flinched open slightly as she spotted Luna stepping beside me.

The blue alicorn had finally finished cleaning up her mess, and she peered over my shoulder in curiosity. The princess looked inside the kitchen as she tried to see why I had stopped in the doorway, but when she did, confusion covered her face as she saw nothing other than my maid standing there. She shrugged and tried to trot past me, but I raised my wing to block her path.

"Luna, if you don't mind, could you wait out here for a moment? I need to talk with Lillybreeze about something." My voice was stern and cold, and it unintentionally drew even more fear from the maid.

The princess stared at me with a look of bewilderment in her eyes. Then, slowly, she obeyed and made her way back into the hallway.

Walking inside the kitchen, I closed the door behind me and turned my attention to Lillybreeze. Somehow she sank even more under my gaze. "I'm not mad at you. I just want to talk." I assured her, but my words did little to comfort her shivering form. The maid looked up at me with pleading eyes, then back to the kitchen door.

At seeing her concern aimed in that direction, my frustration spiked, and I kicked the door, earning a muffled cry of pain from Luna on the other side. Letting out a sigh, I shook my head. "Let's continue this elsewhere."

Taking in our surroundings, I looked for the closest place for us to talk privately. So we walked into the connected Dining Hall and closed the doors behind us. When it was just the two of us in there, I walked over and stood in front of Lilly. I reached down to her quivering form and raised her chin to look at me. She whimpered in fear, but I assured her, "Shh, It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you, but Lilly, could you please tell me your real name, and drop your disguise?"

As soon as I said those words, the maid in front of me shrunk back with terror and crouched down, covering her head. "It's Adorilin!" A flash of green flames washed over her, and they revealed a small changeling queen. She was barely the size of myself.

Her hair was a brilliant shade of dark turquoise, and her black carapace glistened in the moonlight. Small fangs peaked out at the front of her snout, and her terror-filled eyes reminded me of a cat. As I looked at her with curiosity and wonder, I began to feel sad for her. She was so scared. Her wide, terrified eyes looked up at me, almost as if she was waiting to be vaporized on the spot.

Doing my best not to frighten her any more than I already have, I gave a kind smile and nodded, "Adorilin, that's a nice name... What brings you to Canterlot?"

Her lip quivered, and her ears folded back. Tears began to form at the corner of her eyes, and she gave way to sobbing. Concern washed over me, and I tried to move closer, hoping to comfort the Ling, but she backed up at my approach.

I paused at this and breathed out as I lightened my expression. With a gentle smile, I tried to share the love I had in my heart. I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right. It felt more like I was just staring at her, hoping she could sense my concern. The changeling was still scared, but when I tried reaching out again, she slowed her retreat just enough for me to put a forearm around her. At first, she froze up and closed her eyes as tears ran down her cheeks.

A moment later, though, she looked up at me with surprise, the shock overpowering her fear for a moment as she looked up at the pony gently stroking her mane, "Shh... It's alright..."

I felt some of the tension in her shoulders lighten, but it was only slightly. She was breathing heavily, and her mouth was quivering. To my surprise, she started to speak, but she still struggled to answer as she choked on her words through her sobbing. Her words came out almost as a whisper, and her voice was trembling, "I-I came t-to warn about m-my mother... She wants t-to attack Canterlot... and I... I said we shouldn't..."

Her expression became downcast, and tears slid down her cheeks. She looked up at me. "For speaking out against the Queen, my mother… I... I was thrown out of the hive!" She began to cry, and my heart started to hurt as I saw the desperate expression in her eyes.

She was so young, but it was plain to see she was already well accustomed to feeling hopelessness. It was painful, and I could feel Lauren began to hold some anger towards the changeling's mother. How dare she so easily cast her daughter aside.

I sighed and extended my wings, I used them to wrap Adorilin in a warm hug, and I pulled her closer as I tried to soothe her pain. She was still shaking, but her breathing was beginning to calm down. I rocked her back and forth as I stroked her mane. She croaked, and her quiet whimpers suddenly went unrestrained. She cried out and grabbed a hold of my forearm. She buried her head into my chest and gave way to sobbing.

It was as if after a great period of time, she was finally able to tell someone all her hidden pain, and she was finally able to be acknowledged. Because of that, her tears went unrestrained, and she wept bitterly.

I looked up, a faint frown forming on my face as I thought of what her life had been. From what I could tell, she wasn’t any older than myself, yet I could hardly imagine what she's been through, having to survive on her own after leaving behind all she's ever known. Even so, she came here, and I cared for her.

Wrapping my other arm around her, I sat there, letting her cry herself out. We ended up sitting like that for a few minutes as she cried, and her tears soaked a little patch of fur on my chest. When she finally started to calm down, the changeling pushed herself out of my embrace, and I looked at her with a soft smile. "Feeling better?"

She nodded, wiping her eyes, and I leaned forward and put a hoof on her shoulder, "Adorilin, thank you for telling me. I know it wasn't easy for you..." I wiped a tear off her cheek, "We’ll talk more later, but for now, I'd suggest that you head back to your room. Otherwise, Luna is going to find some way to get involved in this."

Adorilin gave a quick nod and wiped her eye as she put her disguise on once more. I stood up and helped her up. She looked at me with an appreciative smile and gave a short bow before turning to the door. When she reached the door, Lilly stopped and turned to face me with a bewildered expression on her face. "Wait, does this mean that I'm still your maid?"

I grinned as I gave her a lighthearted chuckle. "Yes, Lilly, for the sake of keeping your disguise believable, I think that's for the best."

A bright smile made its way onto her face, and her eyes shined. "Okay, thank you!" Then she left, walking out the doors to the dining hall.

As I sat there, still processing what Adorilin had said about upcoming events, Lauren quickly took control of our horn and unlocked the kitchen door in the other room. The sound of Luna falling through the doorway reached my ears, and I smiled as I was pulled from my thoughts. I walked over towards the kitchen, and as I walked through the door, I saw Luna staring at me as she waited for an explanation. While she stared, she noticed the damp spot on my coat, and she raised an eyebrow at me.

“What’s that?”

I looked back at her with a puzzled expression and followed her gaze. Breathing out, I shrugged, "She was crying, so I tried to comfort her. She's fine now."

Crossing her forelegs on the kitchen counter, she furrowed her brow as she asked, "So, I was locked out why...?"

I shrugged, “She was feeling really awkward and I wanted her to feel comfortable talking to me. So, I figured it was best as a one on one situation.”

Luna frowned, but she didn’t press any further. I let out a small yawn as I turned my attention back to the kitchen. After all, the reason I came down here in the first place was to get a snack. Making my way over to the cupboards, I looked for something to snack on. I swung a set of double doors open and glanced back at the princess. Looking at Luna, I asked, "So what would you like for breakfast? Or, would it be considered dinner in your case?"

Luna rolled her eyes and sighed, "I already got my food." she said this gesturing to her plate of mixed greens, and I nodded as I turned back to my search for food.

I turned back to the cupboards as I said, "Alright, then it's just me. (Apple pie and cinnamon, second fridge to the left top drawer.) Oh, thanks."

Luna looked at me with a confused face as I hopped down and made my way over to the fridge. She took another bite of her salad and then asked, "How did thou… Arrrgh... How did you know where the food is? Normally its the attendants who get us our meal."

Didn't she just get food?

(Well, I guess she has been here longer than us...)

...Good point.

I set the plate of apple pie on the table and kicked the fridge door closed. "Well, when I first arrived here, I was kinda hungry. So I ended up clearing out the cupboards on the left side of the kitchen over there." I said this as I looked down at the plate, and I felt a mild sense of disappointment because only one slice was left.

Luna gave me a slight grin as she continued eating her meal. Then suddenly, her fork raised, and she attacked, aiming for my pie. I barely saw it coming, and I defended my meal with my arm. She tried again, but as she did, I tossed the slice up and took a quick chomp as I stuffed the pastry into my cheeks. The princess put on a frown, feigning a pout at her defeat, and I stood up on my hind legs, throwing my arms out. I waved them back and forth in victory as I spoke with stuffed cheeks, “Theh pie is min Lwna! Itsh all mine! Muahaha!”

My goofy display was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the kitchen door opening, and with my cheeks ballooned out and pastry crumbs all over my muzzle, I looked over to the door. Standing there was the head chef and the rest of the kitchen staff were with him.

They all had a look of shock and discomfort as they looked at me, and a moment of silence passed as I dropped back down to standing on all fours. The awkwardness in the air became suffocating, and Luna looked back and forth between the kitchen staff and me. Sighing, she put her hoof on her temple and shook her head. "Mother, please swallow your food. You look like an idiot."

"Awww Woona, datz wude!"

Chapter 4: Day With Amore.

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Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 4: A Day With Amore

A few hours after Luna and I went to get a midnight snack, we returned to my bedroom. Tia was still sleeping soundly, and as she laid wrapped in the bedsheets, she had a happy smile on her face. The alicorn let out a quiet purr as she enjoyed the warmth of the covers, and Luna let out a huff in disappointment.

Seeing that her so-called prank was a failure, the Princess of the night stepped into the room with a frown. She yawned, lighting up her horn, and she grabbed a hold of the bedsheets wrapped around Tia.

Seeing this, I looked at the princess with a questioning glance, and she smirked at me and nudged my side. Luna then jolted her head upwards and pulled the bedsheets away from Tia. In an instant, the blankets were tugged away from the solar princess, and the white mare let out a stifled gasp as she woke up, finding herself to be rapidly spinning around.

Luna gave a satisfied smile as her sister clumsily rolled off the edge of the bed, and I looked on with amusement and a hint of concern as I waited for Tia to get up. A moment passed, and the two of us heard a groan from the floor. Sitting up, Celestia set her chin on the edge of the bed, and she grumbled as she puffed out her cheeks. "Aww... Lulu, is it time for morning already?..."

Luna yawned and chuckled at her sister's question. Somehow the mare seemed to be more concerned about having to wake up than she was about being thrown out of the bed. Shaking her head, Luna smiled, and she walked forward and stood on the opposing side of the mattress. "Yes, sister, tis… Argh!... It, Is, time to raise the sun."

Celestia’s face grew a faint smile as she listened to her sister try to speak, and it turned mischievous as she let her head roll to the side. She rested on her cheek, and she began to playfully pout, "Oohhh, why can't anypony else do it for once… Just let me sleep in already..."

"Tia! You know why!"

"Awwwwwww...."

I found myself chuckling at Celestia's childish behavior, and she looked at me as I stifled a giggle. Her pout became a slight smirk, and she grunted as she stood up. Tia let out a tired groan as she stretched her neck from side to side, and she yawned as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. She looked over at Luna with a tired gaze, and she smiled as she shrugged, "Alright, Lulu, you win..."

The princess turned towards the balcony and walked outside. Luna followed her elder sister out of the room, and the two stood side by side as they lit their horns. From inside, I watched with rapt attention as the two began changing it from night to day. It was still fascinating, and I couldn't help but wonder how much magic a pony would need to be able to move the sun and moon.

The whole exchange lasted for only a minute or two, but it was worth it. As the girls finished tending to their duties, I stepped closer to the door as the sisters walked back inside. I smiled as I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything, the doors to my bedroom suddenly burst open. Surprised, I jumped at the sound, and I turned my head to see a group of attendants flooding into the room.

A secretary wearing glasses led them in, and she pushed the spectacles up on her nose. This caused them to shimmer, and she looked directly at Tia. The alicorn groaned and dove for the bed, but the attendants suddenly swarmed her. She didn't reach the mattress, and they practically pulled the white mare out of the room. She wined as they dragged her off to her duties, and I watched the whole thing play out with a stunned and somewhat dumbfounded expression on my face.

Gathering my wits about me, I turned to Luna. She seemed eager to spend more time with her mom, but at the same time, it was obvious that she was in desperate need of some sleep. The princess wobbled back and forth as she tried to stay awake, and with a slight misstep, she almost fell to the ground.

Thankfully though, before she could hit the floor, Lauren caught her with our magic, and a fiery glow wrapped itself around the mare. Faust levitated the sleepy princess onto the bed, and Luna groaned, wanting to stay awake. The princess reached out to her mom, and Lauren smiled at the gesture. She tucked her daughter in, and she stroked her mane. "Have a good sleep, Lulu, I'll see you later."

She kissed her daughter on the forehead and smiled happily as she sat back up. Luna was still trying to push herself to stay awake, hoping to catch up on so many years that should have been spent together. But she couldn't. Her body gave out, and the ancient mare laid back. As soon as her head touched the pillow, the princess could feel the lure of sleep pulling at her.

While Luna began to nod off, I found myself in control again, and I looked up at the room. The curtains were wide open, and the bright sunlight flowed through. Flaring my horn, I grabbed the curtains with my magic and slid them shut.

The room became enveloped in darkness, and I heard Luna whisper a quiet "Thank you" at the gesture. With that, I made my way out of the room and quietly closed the door behind me.

About two hours later, I found myself wandering aimlessly through the castle. I was bored. Tia was busy, Luna was sleeping, and I didn't have anything to do. Lauren suggested that I try doing some artwork or reading a book, but I wasn't exactly keen to stay inside all day again. I wanted to get out and explore this new world, so that's exactly what I went to do.

Cadance was walking in the courtyard that overlooked the Castle grounds, and as she walked, she went over a shopping list, checking things off as she went along. "And... done, looks like everything is pretty much set to go."

She smiled happily to herself and looked up only to spot a guard approaching her. He had an odd expression on his face, and she was about to ask him what was wrong, but then the two heard her name being called from across the courtyard.

"Cadance!"

The pink alicorn looked up from her clipboard and glanced around, wondering who had just called her name. She looked around with a bit of a confused expression, and then she spotted the smaller alicorn running out of the castle to meet her.

As I ran towards Cadance, I noticed a guard standing near her rear back and grit his teeth as he strolled away. However, I quickly brushed it off and turned to the pink mare. She smiled at me, and greeted, "Oh hi, Lauren, how are you?"

"Alright, just a bit bored. I don't have any duties to attend to, so I've just been waiting around. How about you?"

Cadance bumped against my shoulder. "Actually, I just finished up with what I had planned. Would you like to do something together?"

My eyes lit up. "Sure!"

"Okay, what would you like to do?"

That question actually kind of stumped me. I wasn't expecting to get this far. I put my hoof against my chin and looked upwards in thought. "Hmm... Oh, I know, how about cashing in on those ten bits and getting free ice cream!" I exclaimed.

Cadance just looked at me with a stare that said 'really?' And deadpanned. "Lauren, 'you' always get free ice cream. Besides..." Cadance looked to me and then down at herself and breathed out a laugh. "Does it look like I have any bits on me?"

I looked at her, and sure enough, the only thing she had with her was the clipboard. I laughed in defeat. "Alright, alright, but I still want my ten bits."

Cadance shook her head with a slight roll of her eyes. "Noted. Now what?"

I was thinking of going, exploring, or visiting the city, but Lauren suddenly took control before I could voice that opinion. She looked Cadance in the eyes and tapped her hoof on the alicorn’s shoulder. Nodding, she gave a wide grin, and she shouted, "(Tag your it!)" then she started running.

Cadance raised an eyebrow, and she grinned in disbelief. "Seriously, Lauren?"

A short distance away, Lauren stopped and turned to face Cadance as she ran in place. "(One thing that you will learn when you get to be my age, Cadance, is that there's nothing wrong with being childish.)"

Cadance grinned and lowered herself to the ground, playfully waving her tail. "Oh, I have no problem being childish! But you should learn a little more about a pony before challenging them to tag, especially me!"

I was suddenly given full control again. And I was not so sure about playing this game with her anymore. She suddenly launched herself towards me like a missile. I ran.

...So, why tag exactly?

(Simple, it's good practice for your coordination. I figured that if you have enough practice, your dumbass will stop throwing me down the damn staircase!)

"Oops…"

I looked to see if Cadance was still behind me and was startled when I saw her right on my tail. She had a goofy grin on her muzzle and crazy eyes. "Challenging me to tag was a bad idea~" She sang.

My eyes bulged out in surprise, and I ran faster. It didn't work, though. I felt like I was in some sort of horror movie where I could never get away from her no matter how fast I ran.

I decided that if I couldn't outrun her, then I'd evade her. So, running up to one of the park benches, I lept and used it as a springboard to jump over the nearby hedge. I landed and kept running. As I ran, I heard the sound of Cadance landing. She was once again right behind me and closing the distance. In an effort to evade her, I suddenly turned to the left and then shot to the right. Cadance went left and dug her hooves into the ground when she saw me change direction. I rounded the corner of one of the hedges and dove into some nearby bushes.

I held my breath as I looked through the leaves to see if she followed me. I saw a flash of pink run by, but then there was silence. From my vantage point, I couldn't see anything, and I held my breath in wait.

"You're going to have to try harder than that if you want to lose me," Cadance whispered. My ears twitched as I felt her breath brush against them. I felt a chill go down my back and leaped out of the bush, running to get away. "Wahhh!"

Cadance simply stayed in the bush, laughing at how freaked out I was. As I glanced back, I saw her head peeking out from the bush, "I'm going to get youuu~" she said in a sing-song voice.

"Noooo!"

"Here I come~" She was now out of the bush, and her wings were unfurling.

"Stay away!" I cried. But she didn't listen. As I glanced back once again, I only got to see Cadances smiling face before being tackled to the ground.

We fell in a heap, and we tumbled down the face of a small hill. Once we got to the bottom, we laid on the grass, and I found myself lying on my back. Cadance was in a similar position, and we were both out of breath from running. My sides were aching, and my heart was beating loudly in my ears. Cadance was breathing heavily and just staring up at the sky for a moment before she reached up and touched my shoulder, "Tag…" She breathed out.

I laughed, "Alright, you win…"

I couldn't see her because I was facing the sky, but I could somehow sense her smile in recognition. Then she started chuckling to herself.

"I haven't played that game since the first day I met Twilight…"

"Oh yeah?... and how long... did she last?" I asked.

"Didn't… even make… a minute, and I gave her a thirty second head start…"

I just laughed. We stayed like that, looking up at the clouds for a few minutes as we caught our breath.

Tilting my head upward, I looked at where we ended up. Surprisingly we were lying in the grass just in front of Discord's statue. When I saw that, I rolled over, stood up, and walked over to it.

For one thing, he was damn big. I didn't have much to compare him to, but I'd guess he would be close to twelve feet tall. Cadance got up as well and walked over to my side. She draped a wing over my back, and I felt a pang of sadness well up inside of me. Cadance looked at me consolingly and asked, "You knew him?"

At Cadance's question, I felt Lauren take control. Her eyes began to water, and she looked down and nodded. "(Yeah… Yeah I know him.)"

Looking up at the statue, Lauren blinked her tears away and spoke with a quivering voice "(H-Hello Discord, it's been a while… I'd hoped that we would reunite under better circumstances... I just wanted to thank you for protecting Tia and Lulu for me while they were growing up… I know they didn't always see it that way. Thank you... Discord.)"

Lauren lowered her head with a bow and then gave me back control. I stood up straight and looked at the statue; my breathing was shaky, and I simply stared, trying to deal with the sudden bursts of emotion that I would get from my passenger. I looked over to Cadance, and her face was covered in shock. She then collected herself and smiled sheepishly. She moved her wing back and forth on my back, much in the same way that someone would rub someone's shoulder to try to comfort a friend. "You okay?" She asked.

I looked at Cadance and gave a bittersweet smile. "Yeah, I'm okay... Come on, let's go…bystanders are starting to stare."

The two alicorns walked away, not knowing where to go, and unbeknownst to the two of them, a tear appeared on the statue.

Cadance and I walked alongside each other for a few minutes in silence. We simply continued down the pathway with no real destination in mind before we found ourselves looking up at the Canterlot royal library. I glanced at her, "Want to take a look?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "Sure."

I ran up the stairs and trotted up to the door. I tried to pull the doors open, but they didn't budge. Again and again, I tried to pull open the door, but it was to no avail. Cadance walked up and raised an eyebrow, and then walked past me and pushed the door open. Moving her foreleg, she gestured for me to walk inside.

Damn it!

The two of us walked inside only to find the library abandoned. It was the same as it was after twilight left in episode one. Near the shelves on the far side of the room laid a present box skewered through by a dragon's tail. Books were littered along the floor, and papers decorated the desks. It made me feel somewhat sad to see the state of the place. I liked libraries.

"I must say this is a little different than I thought it would be. I'd, at least, expect someone to upkeep the library."

Across the room, Cadance had almost automatically started cleaning up. "Twilight used to keep this place tidy, but then she moved to Ponyville." Cadance then turned to look at me, "Have you met Twilight yet?"

"No, but I've heard a lot about her from Tia." I said with a shrug, and Cadance nodded at me with a smile.

A few minutes later, as the pink alicorn finished clearing one of the desks at the back of the room, she sighed. Looking up at the rest of the library, she frowned at the mess. Throwing her hooves up, she exclaimed, "This is going to take forever!"

Lauren chuckled at the princess’s comment, and she looked over at Cadance with a soft smile. "(No, not really. Back when Celestia was just a filly, I got used to cleaning up both her messes and the loose papers that would often go flying around my office. This is nothing compared to those messes. Here, I'll show you a little trick I cooked up back in those days.)"

Her horn began to glow red, and nearly all the books, papers, pens, and ink wells, lifted and were put away. They all moved to their places simultaneously, and I was personally impressed at how she did it without any strain or lack of order. The amount of concentration that she must have had would need to be astronomical. She just put away at least two hundred and fifty books!

Cadance's mouth was agape at the display that Lauren just performed. "H-how?... T-that was amazing!"

"(Oh, thank you, Cadance.)"

"You said you used to do stuff like that all the time?"

"(In the past…Yes, nowadays I can manage to do it successfully only about half the time.)"

Hey!

By the time the two of us managed to finish cleaning the library, it was nearing dusk. Cadence decided to wipe down all the tables and guard rails. For some reason, she refused to let me do the dusting. So I filed away the loose pieces of paper. We couldn't remember why we started cleaning, but both of us felt satisfied with our work once the job was done.

With nothing to do, both of us found a few books to read. Cadance found herself a romance novel, and I was studying fire magic. Looking at the lounge on the second floor, I saw Cadance sitting on one of the couches in front of the fireplace. I looked at the fireplace and opened the flue. I then tossed a few logs into it and tried one of the fire spells I had just learned. A small flame appeared, but it quickly died out. Thankfully Cadance was too engrossed in her book to notice my failure. It was a bit embarrassing.

Hey, Lauren. Can you give me a little tip on how to do this…

(Try thinking more about how you get fire rather than just the result... Don't burn down the building.)

Nodding, I tried again. My horn lit up, and I tried to think of the process of how I would get the desired result.

Okay, let's see, I need fuel, oh I know I'll use Hydrogen, I'll take that out of the air. Then use the oxygen to sustain the flame, and I just need to add a spark…

(Alex NO!)

Luna was raising the moon and watching as the houses' lights were going out one by one. She looked on as the darkness overtook the world. Suddenly, a burst of fire roared out of the chimney of one of the nearby towers. There was a resounding boom, and it was soon followed by a wind that blew against Luna's coat. Straightening up a little, she looked at the city from her balcony. One by one, the lights across Canterlot started turning back on, and Luna couldn't help but laugh to herself as she rolled her eyes. "Oh, mom..."

I was upside down plastered against the wall, my white coat now black from soot, and some bits of hair curled up from the heat. Cadance didn't even look up from her book. "Oh, thanks, Lauren. I was starting to get cold." She said.

"No problem…" I coughed. A small puff of black smoke escaping my muzzle. My body then fell off the wall, and I landed on my head. I fell behind the couch Cadance was sitting on.

"Oww…"

I laid there on the ground, wallowing in pain for a little bit. I wasn't sure how long I was there, but I soon heard the door to the library open. Looking up, I saw Luna walk through the door. She looked around and then saw me on the floor.

With a half-lidded stare, she walked over to me. "I knew it… The only pony who could wake up the whole city would have to be you."

I groaned as I looked up at her, "What can I say? I try my best." I coughed up another puff of smoke.

Luna just stared at me, and then she looked to the hearth of the fireplace. It was stained black from the blast. She looked back at me and burst out laughing.

The next morning I woke up lying on one of the couches. I looked down at myself, my fur had somehow healed, and someone had tucked me in for the night. I was under a big purple blanket with a starlike pattern. I glanced over at Cadance, who was asleep on the couch beside me. I noticed she must have fallen asleep while reading her book because she was still holding it in her arms. I grabbed her blanket and pulled it up over her head, so just her horn was visible. There was no real reason why; I just found it funny.

I wiped the sleep from my eyes with my front hooves and took a deep breath. A moment later, I heard a bell, and my equine ears began to swivel around instinctively. They rotated around until they managed to catch the sound of a door closing and hooves trotting along the first floor. To be honest, that was one of the things I was having the most difficulty with when it came to adjusting to my new situation. Sure, I could handle a different world, different species, and even a different gender, but those ears... they just seemed to get under my skin more than anything else. Weird...

"Your Highness! Are you here?" A familiar voice called out from the first floor. I looked up from my position on the couch and over the balcony. Looking down, I saw my three attendants, Lyra, Minuette, and Lillybreeze, walking in. They all looked around the place in hopes of finding me while they carried snacks in their magic. They all looked like they had packed up for a picnic. A picnic that I was sure had enough food for more, at least, they'd have to make it that way.

"Up here. The second floor." I called out; my voice was still dry and had the occasional crack at specific points in my speech.

"Alright, be right up!" Lyra yelled.

I began to slide off the couch, and as I dropped to the ground, I grabbed my blanket with my magic and began folding it up. Setting it aside, I looked up to see Lillybreeze reach the top of the staircase. She looked at me and paused for a brief moment.

There was a look of relief in her eyes, and I raised an eyebrow in confusion as she walked over and hugged me. I returned the gesture, awkwardly patting her on the back, but I became more and more confused by her actions. I felt her trembling in my embrace, and I pulled back and looked at her with concern."Lilly, are you alright?"

"You never came back last night, I was afraid… I don't want to loose you too." She whispered out, and I reared back slightly. It may have sounded odd to the others, but knowing the disguised Proto Queen, I clenched my jaw, realizing there was a lot to be unpacked there. I reached out to her, and with my arm, on her shoulder, I smiled softly. "I'm sorry for worrying you Lilly, I merely forgot to inform anyo-pony that I was here... Actually, now that I think about it, how did you find me here?"

"We went and asked Princess Luna for any information on your whereabouts," Minuette said as she put a plate of treats down at a nearby table.

"Yeah, she kinda didn't enjoy Lilly shaking her awake for an interrogation. But at least, we found out where you were and are now able to have breakfast together." Lyra said, walking up.

I nodded my head in response. Then I caught a whiff of the warm cinnamon buns waiting at the table. Instantly my mouth began to water, and the feeling of hunger made itself known to my senses. I let go of Lilly and stared intently at the mouth-watering food. Finally, my stomach let out a loud growl, ordering me to feed it. "So um... is it ready?" I asked briefly, pointing to the food display.

"Mostly, we are just waiting for the coffee to brew at this point," Lyra stated with a nod. I clapped my hooves together in anticipation as I waited for the coffee to arrive. When it did, we made our way over to the small lounging area and grabbed our food. Lilly served the coffee to everyone, and we enjoyed talking with one another. I found myself grinning as I looked at my cinnamon bun and my new friends. "So, what plans do you gu-irls have for today?" I asked as I took a sip of my drink.

Lillybreeze was the first to speak up. "I have no plans. My job is to be your maid, and everything I've been directed to do has already been done. At this point in just waiting for your direction." She said; I nodded to her answer and then turned to my other visitors to hear what they had to say on the subject.

I looked over to Lyra and patiently waited for her to finish chugging a mug of coffee. "Ahhh, that's good stuff." She wiped her mouth. "Oh, right plans… Well, Minuette and I will be helping out with a wedding rehearsal we're supposed to go to. We have to go within a minute or two, but we wanted to make sure we said hi."

I smiled and took another sip. "Well, thank you for passing by," I then took a bite of my cinnamon bun and asked, "Swo, wh wddin ih it?"

(Please swallow your food...)

I gulped and tried again. "Sorry about that... Whose wedding is it?"

All of my attendants turned to stare at me in shock. "You mean nopony told you!"

"Told me what?" I shrugged.

Minuette threw her arms out to the side. "Princess Cadence is getting married in two days!"

The room seemed to freeze as my initial shock overcame me. My coffee cup fell to the ground; my concentration all but disappearing as I heard those words. I felt as if my heart had stopped, my blood quickly went from mildly chill to ice-cold, and the hair on the back of my neck stood tall. A few seconds passed as the tension in the room started to grow. My attendants all began to look at me with worried expressions. Lilly was the next one to speak up.

"Hey, Princess… you alright?" My statue-like state yielded no response for my maid and instead furthered her growing concern.

"I think we broke her," Lyra stated, leaning into my line of sight and waving her hoof to get my attention. She continued doing this until I pulled myself out of my stupor.

I suddenly got up and ran over to the couch. Throwing off her blanket, I yelled at Cadance, "Hey butt face! Why didn't ya tell me ya were getting married in the next few days!"

Cadance groaned as she stirred from sleep. She looked up at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Butt face? Really Lauren?"

(Really Alex?)

"You heard me..."

Cadance shook her head and slowly got up. She seemed surprised that she was still in the library, but she paid it little mind. "Coffee first." She said, and Minuette Poured her a cup. The pink alicorn gladly accepted it, and she took a sip as she sat on the couch, "So what is this all about..." She groaned.

I don't think Cadance is a morning person.

Lyra was the first to get over her initial shock that the pink alicorn was in the room and spoke up, "We were telling Lauren about how we are supposed to be attending your wedding rehearsal in the next ten minutes."

Cadance's ear lifted as Lyra said this, and her eyes shot open. She quickly gulped down her coffee and jumped up onto her hooves.

"Oh, no, nonononono! I'm late! And I'm a mess! I got to go! See you later, Lauren!" She jumped off the balcony, glided to the first floor, and then ran out the door.

Lyra looked over to Minuette. "Do you think we should follow her?" Minuette nodded, and the pair got up and ran after the princess. Both of them waved goodbye as they left the library, and I waved back as they closed the door behind them.

Shrugging, I turned to Lilly and said, "Well, I guess it's just the two of us then..."

Lilly nodded, and I picked up my cup, and took a sip of what remained after I dropped it. I stared down at it, a bit disheartened that there was only about one third of my drink left, and I gave a shallow sigh.

Looking up, I noticed Lilly was staring at me, and my eyes widened as I looked at her curiously. "Something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing... it's just well when you heard about the wedding you looked shocked, but your emotions showed you were more panicked and fearful. I was just wondering why you would be scared of Cadence getting married?"

I gave a half-hearted chuckle to her question. "I'm not scared of Cadence getting married. I'm all for it. But..."

"But what?"

"I'm scared of the day she gets married and how close it is."

She looked at me with confusion, and she raised an eyebrow, "Um... why?"

Looking at her, my gentle smile disappeared. My face became one of complete seriousness, and I looked her in the eyes. "Because that's when your mother strikes."

Chapter 5: Wayward Negotiations.

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Since when am I Faust?
Chapter 5: Wayward Negotiations

As it neared the third hour of the day, some of the citizens of Canterlot got a bit of a shock as they spotted a small alicorn running through the streets. A maid was following her, and the two were heading towards the castle with haste.

I was frustrated. Lilly told me that the changelings were planning to attack Canterlot, but I got distracted and didn't listen. Now for all I knew, Chrysalis was probably already inside the castle. The thought filled me with regret, and I desperately hoped I could make it back in time. The only reassurance that I had was that we weren’t too far behind the others.

Behind me, Lilly cleared her throat to get my attention, and I glanced in her direction as she said, ”So, let me get this straight. You're saying that she's going to attack during the wedding?"

"I'm afraid so."

"But how do you know that?"

The hairs on the back of my neck stiffened as I realized my mistake, and I looked at my maid with a sheepish expression. "It’s, difficult to explain... but I just know..."

My maid looked at me curiously, and she tilted her head to the side as her brows began to furrow. She looked down and became lost in thought. I assumed she was trying to guess how I knew when Chrysalis would attack, but I couldn't say for sure.

All I knew was that she was adorably puffing out her cheeks as she stared into space. Her grumpy expression was somewhat amusing, and it brought a smile to my face. Grinning, I extended a wing and nudged her side to get her attention.

"Hey."

“Hmm?”

“I want you to stay out of this dispute between me and your mother."

The young changeling looked shocked, and she protested, saying, "What!? Why!? I can help!"

I sighed and lowered my head. "Because, Adorilin, I don't know how things are going to turn out."

She flinched when I used her real name, and she looked down. “But I...”

“Please, just listen.”

I wanted to avoid putting her in a situation that would make her fight against her family. However, my words were interpreted a little differently than I intended. Lilly looked down at the ground with a somber expression, and she remained silent for a few moments as she seemed to realize something. Swallowing hard, she lifted her head and looked at me with glistening eyes. "Are you… Are you going to kill my mom?"

Her question startled me, and I nearly stumbled onto my face when I heard it. In all the time I had spent in Equestria, I hadn’t even considered that as a possibility. I wasn’t even sure how to answer her. I had no intention to hurt Chrysalis, but the more I thought about it, the more I reluctantly had to acknowledge that it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.

I took a deep breath and looked at the young changeling. Putting on a confident smile, I told her, "I'll do my best to find a peaceful resolve to the situation. But, if she tries to harm my people, I'll do whatever I need to do to keep them safe."

Lilly looked down with saddened eyes and nodded, "... I understand. Thank you."

I put my wing over her shoulder as I tried to reassure her. Lilly forced a smile as she looked up at me, and I sighed. It was not a comfortable subject to talk about, but I was thankful she brought it up.

Looking ahead, I noticed that the castle grounds were coming into view, and we were close enough to see the guards standing by the doors. Gesturing with my head, I got my maid's attention, and she followed my gaze towards the castle. Her eyes widened as she realized we were almost back, and with a glance, the two of us silently agreed to speed up our pace.

We arrived at the castle soon after, and as we got to the top of the stairs, the two of us had to pause to catch our breath. I was breathing heavily, and Lilly was panting in the background. Once I managed to collect myself, I looked up at the guards, and they greeted me with a nod.

"Princess."

"Yes, hello. Do either of you know where the wedding rehearsal is taking place? I need to get there now!"

The urgency in my voice made the guards feel uneasy, and they momentarily stepped back as I looked at them with a desperate expression. The guard on my right lifted his foreleg, and he pointed inside the castle as he said, "Oh Um, yes your highness. East wing, at the end of the hall."

"Ok-thank-you-gotta-go-bye!" I took off running and unfurled my wings as I ran inside. Throwing them back, I used them to push me forward, and I felt myself briefly lift off the ground as I sped through the halls.

The guards turned their attention to Lillybreeze as I left, and they stared at her as she stood in front of them. After a few moments of silence, she started to get a bit nervous, and the maid slowly walked past them. They continued to stare as she entered the castle, and then she took off running. She was trying to catch up with me, but unfortunately for her, she unwittingly turned in the wrong direction.

Alone again, the two guards looked at each other, and the one on the right spoke up, saying, "So, we got a new maid. She's kinda cute."

Hearing this, the other guard smacked his forehead and grunted, "Oh don't tell me... Is that why you were staring at her?"

"Yeah...Why?"

"Damn it Dusty! I thought you saw her as suspicious or something! Stop doing that to me already!"

"Eh, no promises."

"Argghhh!"

My speeding form tore through the halls like a bullet, and dread gripped at my heart as I got closer to my destination. Rounding another corner, I found myself side-stepping Prince Blueblood as he berated some of the staff. I grazed his side as I slid past him, and while minimal, it was enough to turn the stallion's ire in my direction. Frowning at me, the stallion called out, "I beg your pardon!"

I grinned as I looked back, "Pardon granted! Gotta go, bye!"

“That!... That's not what I meant! Hey! Get back here!”

I ignored the stallion’s complaints and continued running. My fears were pushing me forward, and I soon found myself going a little too fast. Coming into the next corner, I had to jump up and use the wall to change direction.

Hopping back down, I heard some of the maids scream out with surprise. However, the scream quickly became a squee in delight as they realized that I was the rumored alicorn ponies had been talking about. Hearing their excitement, I couldn't help but grin as I ran past them, and I lifted my wing to wave.

I headed down the hallway till I saw the entrance to the wedding hall come into view. When I got close, I planted my hooves and skidded to a stop. I found myself standing in front of the large doors, and I breathed out as I tried to calm my racing heartbeat. One of them was slightly open, and I could hear a pony talking inside. The voice sounded somewhat like Cadance, but there was an angry tone in her words that just didn't belong.

"What do you mean you didn't get them!?"

"My apologies Princess Cadence, but..."

“It is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!”

"Yes of course. I am so sorry princess, but we were unaware of those changed details."

"Then you prove yourself useless. You're fired!"

"What!? You can't be serious!"

"I am! Get out of my sight!"

After hearing all of that, I could tell that the pink pony in there was not Cadance. I looked down at the ground and hit the floor with my hoof. "Damn it. I'm too late."

A wave of guilt washed over me, and I slumped down in defeat. I sat there for a few moments, absorbed in my thoughts. Getting up, I began to step away from the doors, and I started to walk back to my room. My ears perked up, however, and I looked behind me as I heard the sound of approaching hoof steps.

Sitting down again, I watched as the doors swung open, and a pink alicorn, along with an entourage of ponies, walked out. I looked on with curiosity as I saw Cadance’s imposter for the first time. She didn’t take long to spot me, and when she did, I saw a flash of panic pass through her eyes. She quickly covered over it, though. Hardening her gaze, she walked up and asked with a demanding tone, "...What do you want?"

My ears folded back as I looked side to side. I had already made a mistake. In all my zeal to protect Cadence, I forgot to think of what to say if it turned out to be Chrysalis. Now I was at a loss.

Lauren! What do I say!?

(Just leave it to me. I got this.)

I gave the alicorn control, and our heart immediately slowed. Faust put on a childish attitude as she greeted the other alicorn. She had a bubbly smile on her face, and she had a skip in her step as she said, "(Cadance! I came here to invite you to tea.)"

"I'm busy,"

"(Aww.. but you promised!)" Faust pouted.

"I what?"

"(Come on, please...)" Faust gave the imposter the biggest puppy dog eyes this body could muster, and she held onto that expression, quivering her lip until the fake princess gave in.

With an angry scowl, the imposter grumbled, "Okay, fine, but only thirty minutes. Where and when shall we meet?"

"(Well, my room has a balcony with a nice view. We can meet there around noon.)"

“Alright fine,” The two nodded in agreement and then went their separate ways. Lauren walked down the hall a short distance, and then once we were out of sight, she gave me back control.

That was awesome!

(Thanks. I have my moments.)

Thinking about how to proceed, I decided to head back to my room. Along the way, I noticed a flash of pink as I walked by an adjacent hallway. Lifting my head, I looked to my side and spotted Cadance running towards me. She was with Lyra and Minuette, and the three of them looked to be in a hurry.

When the pink alicorn spotted me, she threw her wing up and waved. There was a sense of relief that washed over me as I saw her, and I smiled as I returned the gesture. As she got close, Cadance looked at me and asked, "Did I miss the rehearsal?"

Tilting my head up in thought, I decided to have a little fun and say, "Hmm... How should I say this? Yes, and no?... You were there, but it wasn't you..."

The pink alicorn tilted her head in confusion, and her ears flopped to the side, "Say wha...?"

Simply glad that she was alright, I explained, "Another pony looking like you took your place, but she didn't do a very good job. The disguise was spot on, however she was too much of a bitch to really sell it. Next time you get a stand-in, use one that can at least act as sweet as you."

I playfully stuck my tongue out as I nudged her side, and Cadance's eye twitched at hearing somepony was running around pretending to be her. As I turned to leave, I mentioned to Cadance that I was meeting up with the fake around noon. I suggested she come by to discuss the situation, and the pink alicorn readily agreed. Smiling, I set off to get things ready.

A few hours later, as I was finishing cleaning my room, I heard a knock at the door. Glancing behind me as I made the bed, I sighed in relief as I saw that it was my maid. She looked at me with a bemused smile and walked over to the other side of the bed. Lighting up her horn, she began helping me with the sheets and said, "You know you have cleaners for this, right?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, but I need to practice my magic."

Lilly chuckled as she shook her head, "...Alright, less work for me I guess. I came by because I wanted to tell you that I found a drone disguised as a royal guard. I've dealt with him, but he's likely a scout for my mother."

I nodded as I arranged the pillows. "Oh yeah, I actually met her this morning."

Lilly froze as I said that, and she stared at me with wide eyes. "What!? She's already HERE!"

"Yeah, that's why I'm cleaning up. I asked her to come by around noon. I wanted to discuss a mutual agreement between our races."

The maid shrunk back as she looked to the side, "I don't think that's a good idea. Mom is well... Unagreeable for something like that."

I nodded and looked down, "Probably not, but I need to try. If there's a chance we can get through this without a fight I'm willing to take it."

I turned to face her with a determined expression, and Lilly sighed as she put a hoof against her head. "You really want to try this?."

"...Yes, I do."

"Alright, give me a sec." She turned and left the room as if to get something, and I stared at where she had been with a confused look on my face. Five minutes later, she returned with a small jar of pink jelly, and I noticed it had some sort of sparkle to it. Closing the door behind her, the maid held the object forward and said, "Here."

I looked at her and then looked at the jar. I was confused, and Lilly smiled at the look of bewilderment on my face. Nodding, the proto queen began to explain, "Changelings don't like the foods and drinks ponies do. If you're trying to get on mom's good side... If she has one... You might want to give her a drink that she'll enjoy."

I nodded and took the jar. I inspected it curiously, noting how the substance inside seemed to shimmer and glow as I moved it. Looking up, I nodded, "Okay, I suppose that makes sense, what is this stuff?"

Lilly smiled, "Changelings can store love in a gel. It's like a water pouch."

"Neat! So do I just give her this?"

"No, well, you can, but for something like this, we prefer a more moderate approach." My maid then walked over and grabbed a cup from the table. Pouring some hot water from the kettle, she filled the cup and walked back to me. I watched as she opened the jar and took a teaspoon of the glowing substance. She mixed it into the hot water, and it dissolved, giving the water a pink hue. Holding the cup out, Lilly said, "I present you with aqua-amore, the only type of tea we changelings enjoy."

I looked at the cup with curiosity and grabbed it with my magic. Taking a sip, I was pleasantly surprised. The flavor was mild but sweet. It reminded me of the flavor you get when you mix milk and sugar. It was weaker than that, but the flavor didn't seem watered down. Looking at the cup with surprise, I said, "Wow, I wasn't expecting that. Is that what all changelings taste when they receive love?"

Lilly shrugged, "I can't be sure. Everyday foods are tasteless for us. So we likely taste things differently."

I nodded, "I guess that makes sense." Then I took another swig. It made me feel fuzzy. Looking down, a thought crossed my mind, and I glanced at the changeling in front of me. "Oh, I just remembered. Would you mind checking this over for me?"

I walked over to the table and grabbed the paper I had been working on. It was the treaty between changelings and ponies, and I wanted to get a changelings perspective. I gave it to Lilly, and she read it over. She seemed to grow more and more interested as she read it, and when she finished, the maid looked up at me with wide eyes, saying, "This is actually really good."

"I had help,"

(Damn straight, I did all the work.)

Lilly gave me back the paper and then gave me a few suggestions. While I added those few changes, she prepared the teapot with her special brew. When I finished those changes, I walked out onto the balcony and put the paper into my bookbag, and I took the opportunity to finish setting up the table. Lilly walked out and set the teapot on the table, and then she said her goodbyes. It was getting close to noon, and she didn't want to risk bumping into her mother.

As she opened the door to leave, the proto queen gave a startled gasp at seeing the pink alicorn waiting on the other side. She was just about to knock on the door, and the pony looked at the maid with an irritated glare. It was the same glare her mother would give, and the maid unintentionally took a step back. Scared, and her heart aflutter, the maid quickly bowed her head and muttered out a quiet, "Sorry." And then she ran away.

The imposter was left speechless as she sat there for a moment, looking in the direction the maid went, her brow raised as she noticed something about the girl seemed familiar. She held that thought for a moment and then shrugged it off and walked inside, "Hello. Are you here?"

"Out here, Cadence," I waved as I leaned in front of the window.

Spotting me outside, the fake princess frowned and walked out to meet me. Her sour mood remained present until she walked through the french doors, and when she did, she paused, and her mouth hung open at the view.

I chuckled at her surprise, and she blushed as she glanced in my direction. She had been caught gawking, and it somehow made her feel a bit embarrassed.

Lifting my foreleg, I invited her to sit down, and the changeling hesitantly agreed. She sat in the seat across from me, still captivated by the view, and I lifted the teapot Lilly had prepared. Pouring her a cup, and held it out to her.

I watched with keen interest as the queen took the cup with her magic, and as she pulled it close to take a sip, her brow furrowed. Sniffing the drink, her ears twitched, and her head shot up with wide eyes. With a slightly panicked voice, she asked, "What type of tea is this?"

"Um, I think it's called aqua-somethin... or other... I don't really know." I took a sip of coffee and leaned back in my seat as I watched her reaction.

The Cadance across the table from me became very serious, and she almost seemed angry. "How did you get this?"

I shrugged and put my cup down. "A friend of mine gave it to me, and I figured you would like it. I wanted to make a good impression."

"Good impression? You said we were friends!"

Gesturing with my hoof, I began tracing the rim of my cup with my hoof, "Well, that's true, Cadence and I are friends..." I breathed out as I looked her in the eyes, "But you, are not Cadance."

As if on cue, the pink alicorn suddenly came flying around the side of the castle. She circled down and landed on the balcony. She paused for a moment as she spotted herself across the table. Taking a moment to get over her initial shock, Cadance sat down beside me, and she stared with wide eyes fixed on her double.

Chrysalis's eyes twitched at seeing the pink pony, and she huffed as she looked to the side. "...Trust a drone to do one job!…" Letting out a growl the imposter gave us a cautionary stare, and then she leaned forward. "So, you know I'm not her, and judging by the tea, you know what I am. Why are you keeping me here? Why not turn me into your oh so precious Princesses?"

Cadance raised an eyebrow in confusion and lifted her wings. The changeling merely laughed in response, "You know what I mean, Cadenza! Compared to them, you're no more a threat than a unicorn." Cadance looked down, a little saddened by the truth of that statement, and Chrysalis looked over to me. "And you! I've never even heard of you, but judging by your stature, you have even less magic than her!"

Is that correct? Do we have less magic

(...Yes, but I know how to use it.)

Glancing down, I felt myself become a bit unsure about this idea, but part of me was still confident we could handle her if things turned for the worse. A bit hesitantly, I decided to continue with my proposal, and I leaned forward as I said, "The reason I invited you here, is because I have a proposition for our two races."

"Oh you do, do you?" Chrysalis leaned back and looked to the side, apparently already bored with the conversation.

"Yes, recently it's been brought to my attention changelings have been struggling to acquire food. I would like to help you, but I need to ensure the safety of my citizens."

I lit my horn, and the changeling flared hers in response. Holding my hoof up, I motioned for her to calm down and slowly pulled the treaty out of my bookbag. The changeling relaxed slightly and opted to raise an eyebrow instead as I slid the paper over to her.

She looked up at me, and I explained, “I’ve gone ahead and drafted out an agreement for our two races. The aim is to mutually benefit both sides. Please read it over and let me know if there is anything I left out."

The queen snatched the paper and gave it a quick inspection. She frowned as she turned the page back and forth. Then after several seconds, she looked up at me with a blank stare and set it on fire.

Standing up, I exclaimed, "Dude what the hell! I worked hard on that!”

(You mean I did.)

Not now!

Chrysalis's eyes narrowed, and she sneered. "Do you think that I would stoop so low as to sign a contract with my food? Does a dragon have dealings with swine or a shark with a fish?"

"Well, actually, pilot fish help sharks by..."

"Shut it!..." The changeling barked, and I reared back. She stood up and began chuckling to herself as she shook her head. "You think of us equals, don't you? You ponies... heheheh." Suddenly, she slammed her hooves on the table and yelled, "WELL, WE ARE NOT!" Cadance and I jumped back, a bit shooken by her sudden change in attitude.

Chrysalis stepped back and began walking around the table towards Cadance and I. The two of us found ourselves walking in the opposite direction as she approached. We circled the table as we stared at each other, and the queen looked into my eyes. What she saw was youth, inexperience, and fear, and the same went for Cadance.

Speaking up, I pleaded, "Please, if we can't come to an agreement, then leave my kingdom alone. I'm trying to avoid a war."

"But war is what you will get! I and my fellow changelings will devour all the love in this land until there's nothing left of it!"

"Then you will die stupid."

The changeling grit her teeth and lit her horn. "Someone is definitely stupid, but I don't think it's me..." Suddenly I heard a yelp behind me, and I saw Cadance sinking into the ground. My eyes widened in horror, and I reached out to grab her, but I wasn’t able to bring her back up. She looked at me with tear-filled eyes, and I helplessly watched her disappear.

A moment passed, and I stared at the ground. My breathing began to quicken, and I felt a fire of anger ignite in my soul, and I lifted my head as I asked aloud, "What are you doing?"

"Finishing what my drone couldn't." I heard a loud zap, and then my vision faded to black.

The next thing I knew, I was gasping for air as I woke up on a stone floor. It was dark, damp, and smelled heavily of minerals. It took me a moment for my memory to return, and when it did, I slammed my hoof on the ground in frustration. "Damn it! This is exactly what I was trying to avoid..."

Glowworms hung from the ceiling, the soft light they gave off bounced off the crystal walls, and gradually, I was able to see the dimly lit cave. Standing up, I looked to the side and saw Cadance. She was lying on the floor, and she was unconscious. Worried about her safety, I walked over to check and make sure she was alright.

I looked her over, and thankfully she seemed to be alright, just a little drowsy. Straightening up, I looked at our surroundings, and a flash of green caught my attention. I turned to see a massive wall of crystals light up with the green light, and I took my place in front of the unconscious alicorn. I watched as her double's face appeared on the crystals. Her image showed up all over the room, and it made Chrysalis's true location hard to pinpoint. The imposter took one look at me and laughed. "It's about time you got up."

I tilted my head to the side, "Really? Has it been a while? I've had a bad habit of sleeping in lately, sorry about that… What'd you bring us down here for?"

She looked to the side and inspected her hoof. "It's obvious isn't it? I can’t have the two running around interfering with my plans."

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have to interfere with your plans if they didn't suck.”

The changeling frowned at me as she sputtered, “I-It's a good plan!”

“No it’s not! Changelings feed on love. You’ll rid yourself of your food source by becoming our enemy! Come on, it’s not that difficult! If you just stopped being such a bitch, you’d be set for life!”

Her ears lifted when I said that, and her sly smile turned into an angry scowl. “You dare call me a... I’ll kill you!” She hissed, and she shot a beam of magic at a crystal hanging above me.

I dodged the falling shard and frowned at her. Pointing my hoof, I exclaimed. “See! This is exactly what I’m talking about!”

“Shut up!” The changeling fired another shot at the ceiling, and a small section of rock, dirt, and crystals fell where I had been standing.

"Just stop already. Your plan won't work, if you go through with this you'll lose!"

"We'll see about tha..." A falling stone cut the changeling off, and she looked up at the roof of the cave. I followed her gaze, and my eyes widened as I saw cracks spreading across the roof. The stones in the ceiling were beginning to come loose, and the two of us looked back at one another as we came to the same conclusion.

“Oh shit.”

Chrysalis quickly flared her horn, teleporting away, and I ran to Cadance's side as the roof began to collapse. Throwing my body over the pink alicorn, I called out to my passenger for help. Lauren immediately took control, and she lit our horn to put up a shield.

A moment later, there was a loud snapping sound, and hundreds if not thousands of pounds of rocks fell on top of us, burying us alive. The shield began to crack from the weight. I was scared, panicked even. I regretted thinking I could handle this alone. Sure, I had Cadance by my side, but she was a peaceful pony, not a fighter; I only hoped Lauren could protect us long enough to get us out of this.

Faust strained as she poured our magic into the shield. She was using it to keep a large crystal from crushing us, and she desperately poured our magic into the shield as she tried to repair the damage. It kept on cracking, though, and it was taking all we had to keep it from shattering. I could feel us burning through most of our mana, and the strain was causing us to get a splitting headache.

As our magic began to run out, I could feel Lauren's control start to waver, and with a reluctant nod, the white alicorn shut her eyes as she extended her wings. She used them to cover over Cadance, and she clenched her teeth as she commanded me to, “(Protect her!)”

With the last bit of our magic, she flared our horn and shattered the crystal above us in a blinding flash of light. The majority of the boulder-sized crystal blew away. There was a moment of silence, but then a crystal shard hit the ground beside me. There was another, and another, and then all of a sudden, hundreds rained down on me. They went into my back, and my wings and one large crystal impaled my leg. Lauren and I screamed in pain, and blood began to strain our white coat. I winced as tears started to stream down my face, but I stood my ground. It was at this moment that Cadance woke up.

She looked up in confusion, only to see my tearful eyes and my teeth clenched as I fought off the pain. She looked around at the cavern and all the shards falling around us. Confusion covered her face, and then her mind caught up. Remembering the events that happened just prior to her waking up, she looked at me with horror-stricken eyes. I strained to put on a smile, and I assured her, "Don't worry. You’re safe," A tear made its way down her cheek as she stared at me.

After the debris stopped falling, I let out a pained whimper and fell onto my side. I was breathing heavily, and I smiled at the pink mare as I brushed her mane. "I'm glad you're safe... heh, I'm totally not... inviting her again..." I chuckled to myself, then I passed out.

Cadance leaned up and looked at the other pony. "Lauren, Lauren! Please wake up!" Rolling the mare over, the pink alicorn gasped as she saw the damage. Shards covered her back, her wings, her legs, and she was bleeding badly. Cadance's heart sank as she looked at the damage, and she covered her mouth as she choked back her tears.

A flash of light caught her attention, and the pink pony looked up to see her double. She was standing above the hole that the two alicorns now found herself in, and the changeling whistled as she looked down, "Oh wow, you survived? That’s impressive!" Chrysalis glanced over at the unconscious mare and smirked. "Hmph, sacrificed yourself to protect little Cadenza did you? How noble! But look at you now, on the ground dying in a pool of your own blood. How pathetic."

Cadance clenched her teeth at the changeling's words, and for the first time in her life, the pink pony felt something; it was something unknown to her. It burned in her heart and boiled her blood. Anger. Cadance looked up at her double with hatred, and she called out, saying, "You just made a BIG mistake!"

“Oh really? And what are you going to do? Whine me to death? The only mistake I’ve made is underestimating how strong dear Shiny’s love has made me.”

“Don’t you dare touch him!” The changeling simply smirked and then disappeared in a flash of light. Cadance was left growling at the place where she had been, and she stomped her hooves as she screamed out. "Arrggghhhh!!"

She wasn’t sure how to react. So many emotions were flooding her senses, but the most prominent emotion was anger. That mare stole her fiance, her identity, and she had hurt her friends, she would pay. Those thoughts raced through her mind over and over. But then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the other mare on the ground.

The sight pulled her from her thoughts, and a light returned to Cadance's eyes as her anger began to subside. Turning to look at her friend, she held back her tears as her heart felt crushed. Holding her chest, she took a deep breath and used the trick she taught Twilight to calm herself down. Collecting herself, she walked over and started tending to Lauren's injuries the best she could.

Chapter 6: Through The Cavern.

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Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 6: Through The Cavern

I clenched my teeth as Cadance pulled another shard from my back. The princess had been at this for a while now, and it had been easily over an hour since she started. A small pile of crystals laid beside her, showing her progress, and they shimmered in the dim light of her horn.

Cadance tossed the crystal to the side and leaned closer as she checked to see how many were left. Nodding to herself, the pink mare lifted her head and sighed. "Okay, Lauren, there’s two more, but these ones are a little larger. You might want to prepare yourself."

"Okay…" I whispered, and I tensed up. The shard Cadance was looking at was in my wing, and as she bit down on it, I felt myself clench my teeth in pain. I tried my best to keep my cries to a minimum, but the sudden jolt of her pulling the crystal back through my wing was painful enough to make my knees buckle.

"Aarrgghh!" I yelled, and I collapsed to the ground. My body was shaking, my ears were ringing, and my heart was racing. Gritting my teeth, I shut my eyes and prepared for the next one.

Cadance spat the shard out and looked at me, "Alright, last one." She leaned forward to grab it, but as she got a closer look, the alicorn paused. The princess proceeded to tilt her head to the side as she looked at my leg curiously. She was trying to find the best way to pull it out, and her concern was causing her to hesitate.

It was only a momentary pause, but for me, it felt like an eternity. The anxiety and anticipation of waiting for her to grab the next one was like torture, and I desperately wanted it to be over. Scrunching up my muzzle, I pleaded, "Please! Just get it over with already!"

The pink mare sighed, and she decided to oblige my plea's for mercy. Steadying herself, Cadance grabbed the last shard with her teeth and started counting down. "Alright... Three... Two... One..."

With a sudden jolt, she pulled it out. The sickening sound of it leaving my flesh was enough to make my stomach churn, and I covered my mouth as I screamed. The pain shot through me once again, and I couldn't help but hammer the ground with my foreleg as I waited for it to subside.

When it began to ease up, I found myself to be breathing heavily, and my coat was damp with blood, sweat, and tears. I felt absolutely gross. Looking up from the ground, I turned to look at Cadance with a weak smile and said. "Th-thank you…" My voice was quivering, and my whole body was shaking, but I was glad that my torment was over.

It was a brief moment of relief, but as I looked up at the cave system, I just knew that this was only the beginning of my day. Taking a deep breath, I tried to stand, but my legs quickly gave out, and I fell onto my stomach.

Cadance rushed over to my side in a hurry, and she helped me off the ground. A faint smile made its way onto my face, and I thanked her as I draped a wing over her back. As she helped me up, I looked at the princess and said, "Come on, let's get out of here."

Cadance nodded in agreement, and the two of us began walking, or limping in my case. We weren't sure where we were going, but we decided to head towards a section of the cave that opened up to a large cavern.

Along the way, we came across a pile of rubble blocking the path. There was no way around it, so the two of us had no other choice but to climb over it. Giving it my best shot, I began climbing. Unfortunately, though, my hoof slipped when I was partway up the slope, and my wing slipped off Cadance's back.

Siding down a short ways, I let out a grown as I winced in pain. The princess quickly came over to my side, and she helped me up. Not wanting to fall off again, the two of us locked wings over each other's backs, and we held on tight as we made it up the rubble.

Although we were working together, I was still struggling to climb, and I was panting by the time we made it to the other side. Cadance gave me a concerned glance as she asked me, "Are you alright, Lauren?"

"Yeah... I'll be… fine." I gasped.

Cadance’s look of concern remained, but she decided to listen to me, and the two of us continued moving. With her help, I limped my way about ten feet from the pile of rocks, and then we heard an odd sound.

It was not too far away from where we had just been, and from beyond the rubble, just out of view, we saw the cave become illuminated with an emerald glow.

At seeing the green light, I felt the hairs on my neck stiffen, and I began to feel nervous. I had recovered some magic while I was passed out, but it wasn't enough to protect Cadance or myself. We were practically helpless.

The two of us looked in the direction of the flickering light with tired eyes, and we awaited whatever the green glow would reveal. The light stayed there a moment longer, and then it died down. When it was gone, our sight was enveloped in darkness, and they had to readjust again. We stared forward with wide eyes as we tried to see, but it was just blackness.

Then out of the darkness, a dim purple light appeared, and a young female voice called out, "Hello… is anyone there…"

We could tell that she was afraid and unsure of where she was. I felt myself sigh in relief, and my heart went out to whoever was trapped with us. However, I was glad that Chrysalis had not come back to finish what she started.

As for who was down here with us, I was fairly confident I knew who it was, but I was reluctant to trust that it wasn't a trap to lure us in.

Cadance looked at me, and her face said it all. She was nervous, and her eyes were asking me if she should respond. I hesitated and weighed our options. After thinking about it for a moment, I gave her a weak smile and nodded. I held her tighter as the two of us turned towards the pony, and Cadance called out, "Over here!"

We heard our new guest walk across the stone floor, and we listened as she climbed over the rubble. Our eyes had been slowly readjusting to the darkness, but the dim purple light rising from the other side of the stones helped us see. We saw her walk into the light, and Cadance tilted her head in confusion as she recognized the mare before her.

"Twilight?"

Twilight's eyes widened, and the purple unicorn instantly leaned down and got into an attack position. The light from Twilight's horn brightened, and it was accompanied by a charging sound. My eyes widened as I realized what was going on, and I turned to Cadance in a hurry, "Get down!" I shouted and pushed her to the ground.

The two of us fell, and we narrowly avoided the beam of magic from the purple unicorn. I hit the ground with a thump, and my body slipped on a wet stone and fell into a crevice. I became hidden in the shadows, and I grit my teeth as my wounds reminded me of their presence.

Weakly I leaned up from the ground and looked at Twilight, only to see her charging up another spell.

"Stop!" I cried out.

My voice was weaker than usual. But with the effort that I put into it, I reached Twilight over the sound of charging magic. She turned her head and looked in my direction, and she seemed to notice me for the first time.

Glad that I had her attention, I took the opportunity to quickly explain, "The one who sent you down here was an imposter. This is the real Cadance,"

Twilight raised an eyebrow at my explanation, and she glanced at Cadance with a narrowed gaze. Frowning, she demanded that the pink pony, "Prove it!" And Cadance looked at me with an uncertain expression.

Putting a hoof to her chest, the princess breathed out to calm herself, and she straightened up and stood tall. The pink mare walked forward, and Twilight began to back up as the princess advanced. The unicorn flared her horn, ready to strike if Cadance tried anything, but a weak smile from the pink pony slowed her retreat. A bit skeptical, Twilight tilted her head to the side, and she watched as the mare in front of her suddenly started dancing.

"Sunshine, sunshine, Ladybugs awake." She reached out, "Clap your hooves…"

"And do a little shake…" Twilight finished. She looked down at her hoof, then she looked back up at Cadance and smiled. Leaping forward, she embraced the alicorn with a warm hug. "You remember me!"

Cadance smiled, "Of course! How could I forget the filly I loved to sit for the most." The two enjoyed the hug for a moment longer before they separated and smiled at each other.

My wincing as I leaned forward pulled the two out of their stupor, and Cadance ran over to my side to help me up. Putting my wing over her side, I leaned on the pink mare. The pain was manageable now, but I was still limping as I walked.

Even so, I hobbled as fast as I could. When Twilight saw me walk out of the shadows with Cadance, her eyes shrunk at seeing my injuries.

"Oh, my goodness! What happened!?" She asked, and she quickly ran to support my other side.

Glancing down at her, I noticed how the purple unicorn was a little shorter than me, and with a labored shrug, I said, "I got on the imposter's bad side."

The unicorn’s eyebrows raised, "Oh, wow... I'm sorry to hear that…" Twilight glanced down for a moment, and I gave a shallow smile at her genuine concern. Lifting my wing, I let it drape over her back, and as I did, the unicorn glanced at the appendage. Then her brow furrowed, and she looked up at my horn.

Twilights eyes seemed to light up, and her head spun around again. She looked at my wing, and then back at my horn and she continued to do this several times over as her mouth bobbed open like a fish. "Wha… bu...who... How? ... !?" Twilight stammered as she tried to pull the pieces together. Her eyes were wide open, and she stared at me with shock as she finally managed to say, "W-Who the heck are you!?"

I found her adorkable behavior comical, and I could see out of the corner of my eye that Cadance was smiling to herself as well. I looked at the unicorn and grinned, "Name's Lauren. I'm Celestia and Luna's mother. It's nice to meet you, Twilight."

From my other side, I could hear Cadance quietly counting as she looked in the other direction. "And three, two, one..."

Suddenly, the unicorn stopped in her tracks, and her head shot up to stare at me. To be honest, I almost fell over because of her sudden stop, but I managed to hold onto Cadance with my wing. She saved me from falling, and we continued walking as the unicorn stared off into space.

The two of us got a short distance away before we heard Twilight's mind reboot, and she shouted, "Y-You're Celestia's MOM!" The mare was almost in full freak-out mode as she ran up to my side.

Cadance leaned forward to get a look at the unicorn, "Twilight, you need to calm down."

To which she responded, "How can I!? She's Celestia's mother! I have SO MANY QUESTIONS!" She was running in place, giddy at the idea of asking about Tia as a filly.

She bounced around a little as she squeed, and then she hopped in front of me with a grin was on her face. It stayed for a moment, but then it faltered as a stray thought crossed her mind. Tilting her head to the side, the unicorn raised an eyebrow and asked, "Wait... Why have I never heard of you?"

At this point, I would have expected Lauren to take over and answer her, but, to my surprise, Cadance spoke up in our stead. She leaned forward to see the mare and said, "Do you remember the time we went to the memorial fountain in the middle of Canterlot?"

The unicorn's eyebrow raised at the alicorn's question. "Yes? But what does that... Ohh..." Her eyes widened again as she turned back to me and stared.

Cadance smiled, seeing that the unicorn remembered that day; she continued her explanation, saying, "That statue, the one in the center of the fountain, was made in honor of her. The mare who saved Equis from the darkness and led us to a better generation, Lauren, Faust."

I felt my heart flutter as she said this, and I smiled. It was fascinating to learn, even if it was only a small amount, just what type of person Lauren was before we met. On the other hand, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease Cadance. Her speech was just too polished, like something you would read in a book.

I looked at the pink alicorn and raised an eyebrow as a grin plastered itself on my face. "You did your research after my return, didn't you?"

Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, "Well, I was curious…"

I hugged her tighter with my wing and let my head rest on her, "I'm glad."

Cadance smiled at me, and she returned the improvised hug. Meanwhile, Twilight returned to my other side, lost in her thoughts. A moment later, she turned to Cadance, "But, I thought that story was just a legend," She said this as she glanced up at me in surprise.

I smirked, "You’d be surprised at how many fictional stories are actually real." I said this as I thought of my own situation.

The unicorn looked down, contemplating this thought, and she thought back to the Nightmare Moon incident. Nodding to herself, she began making plans to read over as many folktales and legends as she could when she got back to the library.

After that, the three of us continued to walk in silence for a time. We came across a ravine at the bottom of the cavern, and Twilight teleported us all across. Afterward, she had to rest for a minute because transporting Cadance and me put a lot of strain on the unicorn. While Twilight recovered from her headache, I took the opportunity to sit down and relax.

Ahead of us, Cadance was looking around for a pathway we could use. Just as my muscles began to relax, she came around the corner and directed us to a minecart. It was filled with rocks, and it was on a track that spiraled down.

At the end of that spiral, the tracks turned upwards, facing an exit blocked off with boulders. The two mares looked at one another as if contemplating whether or not they could make it. They took rocks out of the minecart and looked over at me expectantly.

"Well..." Cadance said, indicating for me to get in. My heart sped up at the very thought, and I desperately called out to my passenger for help.

'I don't want to go on the cart!'

She didn't respond, but I could feel that she felt the same way. I looked around, hoping to find any other alternative route, but there weren't any. Reluctantly, I lifted my front leg and leaned forward; an unsure expression dawned on my face, and I hesitated. Looking down, I observed how the track had collapsed a long time ago; and I had no desire to be thrown into that pit. I just couldn't bring myself to get into this death trap.

My hesitation worked against me, though, because as Twilight finished removing all the rocks, my still form made it easy for Cadance to place me in the cart. I was shaking my head furiously, and Cadance climbed in front of me. Twilight grabbed the back of the cart and pushed to get it going.

Its rusty wheels slowly broke free from their corrosion, and with a sudden jolt, we were off. Spiraling down the track, the two of us in the cart leaned to the right, trying desperately to keep the cart from derailing. Meanwhile, Twilight had grabbed onto the back of the cart and was trying to keep from being thrown off. As we neared the bottom, the track straightened out, and the cart rocketed down towards the broken part of the bridge.

"Ahhhh!" The three of us cried as we launched into the air. Despite the pain, I unfurled my wings and used them to glide. Cadance and I also grabbed Twilight, and the three of us watched as the cart fell into the abyss.

Twilight sighed in relief, and the three of us landed on the other side. I didn't mean to, but once we were over solid ground, I tried to let the purple unicorn down gently. My arm gave out, and she tumbled to the ground. Meanwhile, I skidded on shaky legs and collapsed, sliding to a halt while lying on my stomach. Cadance was the only one out of the three of us to have a graceful landing.

I stretched, letting my joints pop and slide into place. I was so looking forward to getting out of here. Groaning, I pushed myself up from the ground. From our new vantage point, we could see some light flowing in from the ceiling of the cavern.

Lauren, are we able to take everyone this time? I don't want to put Twilight under too much strain.

' (I would, but taking three of us requires a lot of concentration. In our state, we could miss it. I won't risk that.)'

"Okay." I nodded. Then I looked up, "One more..." I whispered out, looking at the light. Cadance walked up, and I draped my wing over her back. Thankfully, I was no longer bleeding, but my muscles were still aching. Seeing the light of day filled the three of us with hope. I pulled Twilight in, partially for my own support. But I also wanted to include her in the hug I was giving Cadance. The three of us stood on the ledge huddled close together.

Twilight looked at Cadance, "Ready?"

"Ready!" She nodded. Then the unicorn looked at me, "Lauren?" I smiled and gave her a firm nod but said nothing.

"Okay, then." The purple mare looked directly at her target. Twilight's eyes narrowed, and her horn shined bright. There was a sound like charging electricity. And, the light from her horn quickly expanded and enveloped the three of us. With one quick poof, we were gone.

We appeared on the other side, and I clutched the unicorn tightly to keep her from falling over. Twilight brought a hoof up against her head and massaged her temple. The sudden headache was taking its toll on the pony.

Suddenly, the sound of falling pebbles caught our attention. From the cave's exit, we saw three mares emerge. It was the three bridesmaids that followed Chrysalis around. It felt somewhat unsettling watching the faces of Lyra and Minuette staring at us with those wicked smiles. I did not recognize the third pony; she was an off-white cream color, and her mane was deep pink. Twilight stepped back, as did Cadance.

"Why are they here?" The unicorn exclaimed.

I stood up straight and faced our adversaries, "Changelings." Cadance walked forward to stand with me. We both stared down at the trio approaching us, and I continued, "A race that feeds off of love."

Cadance looked disgusted at the reminder, and a frown made its way onto her muzzle. The trio approached us; lowering their heads, they said with a hiss, "You're not going anywhere."

As they spoke, they bared their teeth; obviously, forgetting that they were wearing pony disguises, they looked more silly showing their teeth than they did threatening.

Cadance huffed, tossing her mane to the side, "Yeah, right!" Her horn lit up with a bright blue hue, and a nearby boulder suddenly broke free from the ground.

It was flat on one side, and it was round on the other. Cadance then threw it at the three, and it swept them all up against the wall. There was a sudden cry of complaints from three as they realized they were trapped.

"Come on, that won't hold them for long!" Cadance said, and the three of us began making a run for the exit. We could hear the sound of wings from behind the boulder as they tried to push it off of themselves.

We ran up the pile of small stones and found ourselves to be climbing out of a dried-up well. To our surprise, it was in the castle gardens, and I looked on in surprise while Cadance helped pull me out of the well.

The three of us then made our way to the castle. I was still slowing them down, but this time, I was able to take more of my own weight as they supported me.

When we got close to the castle, the guards at the doors took one look at me and began taking immediate action. They ran over and got two patrol guards to escort us through the castle.

The staff and nobility were stunned to see the three of us walking through the halls. I was just glad that my coat had dried off by this point.

Walking up to a triple intersection, Twilight and Cadance began pushing me to the right. Confused, I started to struggle, and I pointed down the hall, saying, "Girls, the wedding hall is this way!" They, however, kept pushing. "You're going the wrong way!"

Cadance didn't look at me. She simply stared forward to her destination and said, "We are going to the wedding hall. You, on the other hoof, are going to the hospital."

My head spun around as I looked at her, "But isn't that too far to go and come back to stop the wedding in time?"

It was now Twilight's turn to speak up, "Actually, Celestia had a medical wing installed when she moved to Canterlot. She did this in case a visitor or a castle member got hurt."

"Huh..." I looked down. I was a little disappointed to be shooed out of the action, but I understood their reasoning. Besides, it was as if there was already a silent agreement between the two mares, one that I had no say in. They directed me down the hallway towards the medical ward.

When we entered the hospital wing, the receptionist threw her arms up with a shriek upon seeing me. Slamming her hoof on the intercom, she yelled into a mic, "Code red! Code red! Princess in need of medical attention, all ponies on deck!"

I looked towards the back, and I could see doctors running back and forth behind the receptionist's desk. They were panicked, hurrying to get their medical equipment ready.

Papers and clipboards flew in the air and littered the back room. A moment later, the whole medical staff suddenly burst through the door. I was amazed they didn't fall.

They were all shocked at my state when they saw me, and I gave them a weak smile. The doctors swarmed around me like piranhas, and they carried me into the back. Passing through the doors, I looked back at the two who had helped me get this far and waved. They waved back at me, and then they turned and ran out the door.

It was strange; now that I knew I was being taken care of, it felt as if a part of my mind clicked, and I suddenly was able to feel just how bad I was.

"Oww..."

Chapter 7: A Wedding not gone well.…

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Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 7: A Wedding Not Gone Well...

It was nearing the middle of the day when the groom stood before Celestia. All the guests were making their way to their seats, and the sound of music began to fill the air. The bride strode up the aisle from the back of the hall, and she happily took her place beside Shining Armor.

The solar princess looked down at the two, and she couldn’t help but smile at the happy couple. It wasn't easy for the average pony to see, but Celestia was having a difficult time keeping her composure. She had long waited for this day, and now that it had finally come, she had the privilege of being Cadance's wedding officiant. She could barely contain her glee.

Back when Cadance first approached her, asking if she would preside over her wedding, Celestia’s heart skipped a beat, and it took all her willpower not to jump into the air with a squee of delight. The white alicorn readily accepted, and as soon as the pink princess was out of sight, Celestia jumped up and quickly got to work. She made a set of cue cards for herself, and she practiced her wedding speech at every given opportunity.

There were even days that she brought them to Day-court, practicing during the early part of the day, when the nobility would visit. She did, however, put an invisibility spell on the cards, if only to spare the feelings of those visiting her, but she still wasn't really listening.

Now that she was standing on the stage, Celestia still couldn’t believe how fast the past few weeks had gone. She took one last look at the cue cards, and then she teleported them away. Celestia looked up at the crowd, and she smiled at all the ponies who had come to see her niece's wedding. However, as she stood there, her smile began to falter. Something was missing, or rather, someone was missing.

The princess blinked a couple of times and checked again, but as Celestia searched the audience, she confirmed her fears that her mother was nowhere to be seen. It just wasn’t like her to miss an event like this.

Biting her lip, Celestia's heart fluttered with worry, and she started looking for a way to delay the ceremony. During that time, her eyes kept drifting towards the back of the hall, and she desperately hoped to see the smaller alicorn walk through the doors, but she never came.

Tia held out for as long as she could, but soon the seconds were turning into minutes, and there was still no sign of the pony. Celestia sighed, internally admitting defeat. Lifting her head, the Princess looked at the audience and began the ceremony with a loud voice. "Mares and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor..."

While she was still speaking, the doors to the wedding hall suddenly burst open, and a shout of, "Stop the wedding!" echoed throughout the room.

With a gasp, everyone turned to face the pony who spoke, and there, standing in the back of the hall, was none other than Twilight Sparkle. She was standing in the doorway, and she looked over at Celestia with a serious expression on her face. It was one that yielded no arguments.

At seeing the unicorn, the pink pony on stage huffed, and stomped the ground. "Ugh! Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother!"

Hearing this, Celestia turned and looked at the pink pony with surprise.

"Oh, uh, I-I mean, why does she have to ruin my special day," The changeling quickly stammered, playing the 'poor me' act as she tried to cover up her mistake.

"Because it's not your special day! It's mine!" A similar voice rang through the wedding hall. Cadance, the real Cadance, stepped through the doorway. Once the crowd saw the two identical Princesses on either side of the aisle, the ponies looked back and forth in shock.

Even the changeling sputtered at seeing Cadance. "What? You too, but how did you escape?

"We traveled up,"

"Hmph. Clever, you're still too late though."

Looking back and forth at the two, Rainbow’s brow furrowed with confusion, and she threw her forelegs to the side, “Okay, just what in the flying feathers is going on here!?” The rest of the audience nodded at the pegasus's words, silently asking themselves the same question.

Keeping her eyes on her double, Cadance explained to those present, "She's a changeling. A creature that takes the form of somepony you love, and then feeds off of the love you have for them!"

Chrysalis smirked at Cadance’s accurate yet straightforward explanation, and she chuckled to herself. Figuring her little facade had come to an end, the imposter let an evil grin stretch across her face, and she hunched over as she became engulfed in flames.

The audience let out a shout at seeing the sudden burst of flames, and they watched with horror as the silhouette grew larger and larger. Then, as quickly as the fire appeared, it wisped away into nothingness, revealing an unknown creature. It was as tall as Celestia, if not taller, and its body was covered in a black carapace.

Chrysalis opened her eyes and looked at the crowd. A moment of silence passed, and she began to laugh hysterically. "Oh, my! You should see your faces! The utter shock! The damned confusion! It's hilarious!"

Chrysalis laughed a little more as she walked across the stage, but she quickly collected herself before addressing those in the audience. "Yes, I am a changeling. Queen of the changelings, to be precise; and as their Queen, it is up to me to find food for my subjects. Equestria has more love than any place I've ever encountered. My fellow changelings will be able to devour so much of it, we will gain more power than we have ever dreamed of!"

"No! Shining Armor's spell will protect us!"

Chrysalis stopped walking and chuckled at Cadance's comment. Looking at the alicorn, she smiled with a sly grin. "Oh, I doubt that. Isn't that right, dear?"

The changeling turned to look at Shining Armor. He had a very distant look in his eyes, and a monotone, "Mm-hmm." escaped his lips.

Cadance looked at her betrothed with worry, and she turned her attention to the Queen with an angry scowl. Suddenly charging forward, Cadance tried to close the distance between herself and the Queen.

Seeing this, Chrysalis lit her horn and warned. "Ah, ah, ah. You don't want to go back to the caves, now do you?"

Cadance halted her approach, and she frowned in frustration, knowing she was powerless to do anything against the changeling.

Satisfied with the alicorn's reluctant obedience, the Queen continued her explanation, returning to the stage to use Shining as some sort of prop. "Ever since I took your place, I've been feeding off Shining Armor's love for you. Every moment he grows weaker, and so does his spell. Even now, my minions are chipping away at it."

She tilted her head and directed attention to many black dots banging against the shield above Canterlot. The crowd looked up, and they felt an uneasiness wash over them as they saw the army above.

Smirking at their expressions of fear, Chrysalis pushed on towards the punchline. Lifting Shining's head with her hoof, she said, "He may not be my husband, but he is under my total control now. And I'm sorry to say, but he is unable to perform his duties as Captain of the Royal Guard!"

Excitement began to fill the changeling, and her wings began to buzz. Slowly, she rose above the stage, and she hovered in place as she exclaimed. "Soon, my changeling army will break through. First, we take Canterlot. And then, all of Equestria!"

"That's enough!"

"W-What!?" The changeling stammered, looking behind her. Standing there stood Celestia and Luna, and both looked prepared for a fight. Chrysalis dropped down and stepped back; she had somehow forgotten about those two.

Celestia turned to her sister, “Lulu, you protect the guests, I'll handle this.”

Luna let out a tired yawn and nodded. “As you wish, sister.”

Stepping forward, Celestia looked at the changeling, "You may have made it, so Shining Armor can't perform his spell." She suddenly lunged forward, locking horns with the changeling, "But! That does not mean we are defenseless!"

“Pff, Could’ve fooled me.”

Celestia grit her teeth and pulled away from the Queen. Flying high above the stage, her horn started to glow, and she fired a beam of magic at the changeling. Chrysalis responded with her own attack, and the two trails of magic collided in the middle. The collision's resulting force blew back a few ponies and several decorations.

While this was happening, Twilight looked up at Luna with a confused stare, "Princess Luna, I thought you would be sleeping by now."

The alicorn looked at the little unicorn and smiled, "Young Twilight, I would never miss my niece's wedding. No matter how tired I might be..." As she said this, she wiped her eyes and yawned, but her words were sincere.

"Aww, that's so sweet..." Cadance cooed, and she ran over to hug her aunt. Luna returned the embrace, and they looked up to see how Celestia was fairing.

Back at the battle, Chrysalis was screaming as the golden beam neared her head. "Ah...ah ugh Ahhh!" Then suddenly, she glared up at the Solar Princess with a smirk. "Good acting, right!?"

"What!?"

With a sudden surge of power, Chrysalis's beam of green magic suddenly shot forward. It easily overpowered Celestia’s magic, and the alicorn watched in shock as the beam neared her head. Then, right before it struck her, Celestia dove down and dodged the attack.

She swooped down, delivering a flying kick to the changeling, and Chrysalis flew into a nearby pillar. Cracks spread across the surface as she hit it, and the Queen shook her head in surprise. Looking up from her position, Chrysalis’s eyes widened, and she zipped out of the way with haste. A moment later, the Princess embedded her hoof into the structure.

The changeling dove to the ground, sliding backward on her hooves as Celestia stomped the ground in front of her.

Diving forward, the white mare shot multiple blasts of magic at the changeling. Chrysalis dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the attacks. She successfully avoided them as she moved to the side, but as she turned her focus back to the alicorn before her, she was bucked across the room.

Chrysalis furiously beat her wings, and she just managed to catch herself in the air before being thrown out the window. Baring her fangs, she dove at Celestia. The Princess responded by flying towards her opponent.

The two charged their horns as they prepared to attack, but what Celestia didn't expect was for her enemy to teleport beneath her and shoot her at point-blank range. There was a flash of light and a resounding boom. Then as the light died down, the audience looked horrified to see the Princess laying on the ground, motionless.

Her feathers were burnt, her fur was charred, and a look of pain laid on her face. The changeling looked down at Celestia and then glanced at her hooves in disbelief. Her evil grin returned, and she threw her forelegs up. "Haha! I've become even more powerful than CelestiAHHH!"

Luna shot the changeling out of the air and stepped forward. “You’re not done yet, you fiend.”

Chrysalis spun in the air and landed on all fours. Lifting her head, she glared at the Princess. "Maybe so, but I've still won."

At that moment, the shield above Canterlot shattered, and the changeling attack began. Tilting her head up, the Queen smiled and muttered to herself, "Hmph. Looks like my work here is done."

While she was looking up, Luna snorted at the changeling’s words, and she shot rapid beams of magic at the enemy before her. Chrysalis looked down, realizing she had left herself open, and let out a yelp as the attacks struck her. With each blast of Luna's barrage, the changeling’s shell would spiderweb with cracks, and she cringed in pain.

With an angry roar, Chrysalis zapped Luna with a bolt of lightning. The alicorn was thrown across the room, and as she flew through the air, the princess maneuvered herself to land on a wall. She used it to rebound, and she shot herself at her target.

Chrysalis looked up with wide eyes as Luna came face to face with her. Then right before impact, the alicorn vanished. Luna appeared behind the changeling and blasted the bug across the room with an explosion.

Grabbing her coffee, Luna took a sip. “Those who resort to tricks, shall be tricked themselves. Tis only fair.”

Chrysalis flailed her limbs around as she was blasted away, and she hit the wall above the double doors of the wedding hall. Shaking her head, she wiped her cheek and stood up on the wall with a hiss. She looked at Luna, and her eyes went wide at seeing a multitude of magic spheres appear around the alicorn. "Oh buck this!"

Looking for a way out, the changeling glanced at Shining Armor, and she grit her teeth. Dropping to the ground, Chrysalis looked at the princess with a frown. Quietly muttering to herself, she said, "Damn it I hate to resort to this..." Then she flared her horn.

Luna readied herself for an attack, but she was caught off guard at the sound of Cadance calling out to Shining Armor. The lunar princess looked back, only to see the captain sinking into the ground. He still had a distant gaze, and he was utterly unaware of his surroundings. Cadance ran to his side, and she tried to pull him up, but despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep him above ground.

Seeing that her insurance was guaranteed, Chrysalis smiled to herself and vanished in a burst of green flames. She disappeared a mere moment before Luna blasted a beam of magic at where she had been. It rocketed through the castle, and it shook the castle's foundations when it hit the end of the hallway.

Staring forward, the alicorn grunted in frustration. "She got away…"

Turning to look at the guests, Luna saw them huddled up against the wall, afraid for their lives. Cadance was now standing with Twilight and her friends beside Celestia, and just outside the windows, Canterlot was under siege. Luna walked up to her older sister and looked down at her. "Tia, are you alright?"

"Yes, Luna, I'm just a bit stunned. I wasn't expecting her to do that, or be that powerful..."

Luna sighed, "Tia, will you at least try not to underestimate our enemies next time? You have always had a bad habit of doing that sister."

Celestia smiled at Luna, and she stuck out her tongue. Luna rolled her eyes at her sister’s antics and stood up straight. "Tia, I will go and search for the Queen. I trust that you will stay here and protect the guests?"

Celestia nodded to her sister's words, and she lifted herself into a position where she was still on her stomach but sitting upright. Luna then turned to Cadance, Twilight, and her friends and said, "The seven of you, go retrieve the elements of harmony to defeat the Queen. Time is of the essence, we are at war. Everypony move out!"

They all nodded and ran out the door with haste, leaving the lunar princess to herself. Luna sighed; she was too damn tired to deal with all this crap. The last thing she needed to do was hunt down some shape-shifting bug.

Walking over to the doors, Luna looked back at the citizens before stepping out. They were still cowering against the walls, but they had relaxed to some degree. Looking at them with a stern gaze, Luna commanded, "All of you art to stay here. The situation is being dealt with." With that, she shut the doors and began her search for the changeling.

Chapter 8: Battle of Canterlot

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Since when am I Faust?
Chapter 8: Battle of Canterlot

Running through the halls, Lyra, Minuette, and Lillybreeze made their way to the castle's medical wing. They had just received a message from the ponies over there, and it told them to be there as soon as possible.

On their way, a sound, like shattering glass, caught their attention, and the three mares turned to look out the window. What they saw made their hearts fill with dread, and Lilly let out a faint whisper, "Oh no…."

Outside, the shield around Canterlot was collapsing, and in its wake, thousands of changelings came pouring in. The sound of a battle quickly filled the air, and the group sped up their pace as they headed to the other side of the castle.

While they ran, they came to a three-way junction, and they slowed down as they checked to see if the coast was clear. Seeing that no one was headed in their direction, they turned the corner and managed to get about halfway down the hallway. When they got there, the three of them lifted their heads as they heard the sound of someone running. A moment later, they saw Luna come into view.

Minuette's face brightened at seeing the alicorn, and she held her foreleg up as she called out, "Princess Luna!"

Hearing the mare call out, Lilly suddenly jumped forward and hushed her friend. Her actions were a bit confusing to the others, but the disguised changeling could feel that something wasn't right. There was a presence in the room, and it felt all too familiar...

The maid looked at the Princess and saw that she was eyeing the three of them with caution. Then, while they were looking at each other, Lilly saw a glint out of the corner of her eye. It was only for a second, but it was enough.

With a frightened lunge, Lillybreeze suddenly ran towards the Princess, and Luna automatically shifted into a defensive stance; however, what the alicorn didn't expect, was for the maid to jump at her, shouting, "Get down!"

In a brief moment of bewilderment, the Princess loosened her stance. Lilly tackled her, and the two narrowly dodged an incoming attack. It was a beam of magic, and it made a small crater where the Princess had previously been standing.

The two looked up at where the attack came from, and they saw the Queen emerge from the shadows. With a startled gasp, Lilly took a step back as she saw the one person she had hoped never to see again. Now that she was standing right in front of her, the proto-queen started to regret staying in the castle for as long as she did.

Luna stood up, got into a defensive stance, and used her wing to separate Lilly from the changeling. Keeping her eyes on Chrysalis, Luna told the mares, "The three of you need to get out of here. I'll handle this."

Feeling frightened and overwhelmed, Lyra and Minuette were eager to listen, but as they turned to leave, they stopped to look back at their friend. Lillybreeze hadn't moved; instead, she stood up straight and looked at the Queen.

Chrysalis was staring at her, and she was a little confused as to why the little pony seemed so familiar. Curiously, the changeling began to walk towards the maid.

Both Lyra and Minuette were calling their friend, but their words fell on deaf ears. As Chrysalis approached, Luna tried to push Lilly back, away from the changeling, but the alicorn was caught off guard when the young maid stepped forward and said. "Hello, mom, it's been a while."

In a burst of flames, she revealed her true form as Adorilin, and the room became silent. If her friends made any noise from the shock, she didn't hear it. The young changeling was wholly focused on the Queen standing in front of her.

"You!" Chrysalis hissed, "You were the one… The one who got them to put up a protection spell. The one who told that runt about me. The one who threw a wrench in all of my plans! It's all your fault... All of it was YOU!"

Lighting up her horn, Chrysalis shot a beam at the smaller changeling, and Adorilin jumped to the side as she tried to dodge. However, the shot still grazed her, and while Adorilin winced from the injury, she saw a larger bolt coming right for her. With no time to get out of the way, the proto-queen flinched and scrunched up her eyes as she waited for the impact.

But, it never came. After a few moments of silence, she slowly opened her eyes, and the young changeling saw a blue shield protecting her. Looking up in confusion, she saw Luna smiling, and Adorilin looked at the alicorn as if to say, But why?

The alicorn said nothing, and she merely breathed out as she hardened her gaze at the Queen. "You are saying that this one here has been our ally. Then she is under my protection."

At hearing Luna's words, the young changeling looked down as she contemplated something, and she turned to look at the cowering mares standing at the end of the hallway. She could feel the fear they had for her, and it made her feel sad, but Adorilin also knew that if they stayed here, they would either get in the way, get hurt, or both. Sighing, the Proto-Queen got up and stepped towards her friends. "The two of you should go. I'll help Princess Luna here. As for, well, what I am… I will explain later."

Minuette was about to respond, but a glance from Luna told her just to listen. The blue mare nodded, then she pulled Lyra down the hall with her as they headed to their original destination.

Now that the three of them were alone, Luna lowered the shield and got ready for a fight, whereas Chrysalis simply looked at her daughter with disappointment, "Oh? And are you going to fight me, Adorilin?"

The Proto-Queen looked down the hallway to where her friends had left. Then with a determined expression, she looked back to her mother and said, "To save my friends, I'll do anything."

Sighing, the Queen shook her head and looked her daughter in the eyes, "Then, as an enemy of the hive. I will have to kill you,"

"I know," Adorilin said, her gaze unfaltering as her mother planned her demise.

Suddenly Chrysalis launched at her daughter and slammed her hoof into the ground where Adorilin stood. The younger changeling jumped up at the last moment and flew above her mother. The two shot at each other, and their attacks met in the middle.

Arcing through the air, the proto-queen landed on the ground behind Chrysalis and spun around. She swept the larger changeling off her hooves, and Luna shot at her as Chrysalis stammered in place. Without a moment's rest, Adorilin suddenly rushed forward and slammed her mother into the wall.

The Queen simply bared her fangs and blasted a barrier around her, throwing Adorilin away. Luna took this moment to rush in, and she shot a beam at Chrysalis. The changeling returned with her own attack, and it quickly overpowered the blue alicorn. The attack exploded on impact, and the resulting force threw Luna against a pillar, and she struggled to move.

Chrysalis was breathing heavily from the tag team attacks, but she was quickly regaining her strength. Straightening up, she looked at her daughter and commended her saying, "You've gotten better."

"Well, you did get Pharynx to teach me everything he knew." Adorilin shrugged.

Chrysalis let out a snort, and she nodded to herself, "That I did. If you had decided to join us, we could have killed another alicorn, or at the very least, handle the rest of them. It's quite a shame really; I had so hoped you wouldn't be like the rest of your older sisters. Let's hope that Penny isn't as stupid as the rest of you."

On the other side of the room, Luna's head shot up at hearing the phrase 'kill another,' and her blood ran cold. "Wait, what did you say?... Kill another alicorn? You don't mean... no... you didn't! You couldn't have!"

Chrysalis turned to look at the Princess, and a smirk stretched across her face. "Oh, yes, that runt with the red mane. She was a bit annoying, but easy enough to deal with. I'm quite sure she's bled to death by now."

"Nooo!!!" Both the Lunar Princess and the Proto-Queen shouted. Adorilin dropped to the ground in disbelief, and Luna stood up with tears in her eyes. After all these years, she had just gotten her mother back. All this time that she was alone, and a hole laid in her heart.

Flashes appeared in her mind, images of that horrible night. When her mom abruptly woke both her and tia up, and she held them tightly. She cried as she stroked their manes, and the last image Luna had of her mother was her looking back at them with a pained expression before flying into a storm of destruction.

All the pain of grief, anger, and sadness suddenly welled up inside the alicorn. And through her tears, she glared at the changeling. Teleporting herself in front of Chrysalis, Luna pointed her head down, hiding her tears, and she shouted, "How dare you... How dare you kill my mother!!!"

The changeling tilted her head and raised her eyebrows in confusion, "Mother?"

Rapid bolts of magic suddenly shot out from the Princess's horn, and each bolt hit with enough force to shake the room. All the while, she wept for the parent she barely knew, and her tears rolled down her cheeks as she cried.

"Dammit! That hurts!" Chrysalis yelled, and she zapped Luna with a lightning spell.

The alicorn was thrown across the room, but the alicorn was almost immediately back in the changeling's face. She stared at Chrysalis with eyes full of pure hatred, and they began to shift. Her pupils became slits like a dragon, and she breathed heavily through her fangs. Chrysalis leaned back and looked at the alicorn with raised eyebrows, "Well, this is interesting…."

As she spoke, a large ball of magic began to form above Luna's head, and she threw it at the changeling with a mighty roar. The explosion shook the building, and the room filled with dust and debris. The room became silent as thick smoke loomed in the air.

Luna's anger slowly turned into sadness, and she dropped to the ground as she wept. Her magic had been exhausted, and her body was physically at its limit. The poor alicorn was so tired she could hardly see straight, and she was struggling to keep her eyes open. Adorilin walked over and put a hoof on Luna's shoulder as the alicorn cried. The two stayed like that for a moment longer.

"Are you done?"

Looking up with shock and irritation, the two watched as the Queen emerged from the smoke. She was covered in injuries, but within moments they seemed to be disappearing before their eyes.

Chrysalis smirked at the expressions on their faces, and she flicked her mane to the side. "A good effort, but as long as I'm connected to Shining Armor, I can use the love he supplies to heal my wounds. Though I must say, I didn't expect this much resistance to occur. And you, dear princess Luna, your power seemed to grow with your anger. Well done, you certainly are much more of a warrior than your sister. But, how much hatred can you bear... before you fully return to being Nightmare Moon?"

To add emphasis to her point, the changeling levitated a silver platter over to the Princess. Luna's eyes shrank in shock at seeing her reflection, and the remaining tears in her eyes rolled down her cheeks. Not wanting to believe it, she looked down at her hoof; her coat had gone pure black. This was the final nail in the coffin to the alicorn's psyche, and Luna's heart suddenly felt as if it had turned to ice. Then and there, her will to fight quickly withered, and she slumped down to the ground to begin sobbing.

Chrysalis looked down at the Princesses' shivering form with a look of pity, "Such a weak creature... completely crippled by your emotions."

The Queen then shot a powerful bolt at Luna, but Adorilin jumped in front of the blast and took the blow. The proto-queen winced in pain as she stumbled in place, but she remained firm and guarded the Princess. She stepped forward so that Luna was a little distance behind her.

"Oh? So you want me to kill you first?" Chrysalis sneered. The little proto-queen felt compelled to retreat as her mother came closer. Adorilin took a couple of steps back, second-guessing herself, but the thought of her friends and her resolve to protect them flashed through her mind. Defeated by her own heart, she sighed and stood her ground.

Stomping on the ground, Chrysalis spoke in an authoritative voice, "You rebelled against me and the hive."

Zap!

Adorilin cringed as her mother struck her with a bolt of lightning. Her knees buckled in pain from the shock.

"You Conspired with our enemies, giving them information to try to thwart my plans!"

Zap!

"Ahhh!" The little changeling cried as another strike hit her. This one threw her back a few feet, and she twitched on the ground.

As she laid there, a steady bolt of lightning struck the proto-queen, and the sound of electricity echoed through the halls as Adorilin cried in pain. When it stopped, she struggled to crawl away from the monster she had once called mom.

“This has been fun, dear, but it’s time to end this.” Chrysalis's horn then started to glow with a threatening hue of green, and a wicked smile crossed her face.

Luna tried to put up a shield, but it quickly fizzled out into nothing. Having already used everything she had, using that last little bit of magic, struck the alicorn with a splitting headache. Adorilin couldn’t protect herself either, as her body was still convulsing from the lingering electricity.

All she was able to do was weakly looked up as Chrysalis finished building her death ball. The Queen looked down at the shivering changeling, and with an evil smile, she said, "Now sweetheart, goodnight…”

BLAST! FFFFFFHHHHHHOOOOOOPPPPPPHHHHHH!

Light was all the proto-queen could see as golden flames exploded into the hallway. They hung over her like a warm blanket, and she instinctively covered her head as the roaring fire continued over her. After three seconds, the flames suddenly fell apart and vanished into the air.

Slowly opening her eyes, the proto Queen looked around, and she was surprised to see she was unharmed. A quick glance to the side told her the same went for the Princess, and she sighed in relief. Adorilin's ear's perked up as the sound of hoofsteps could be heard.

The sound drew the attention of the two mares on the ground, and when the owner stopped beside them, they looked up, and tears of pain and anguish gradually became tears of joy, and faint smiles began to form on their faces.

In her charred state, Chrysalis looked up with a scowl, and as she did, a gurney slammed into her face. It threw her back, and she tumbled, rolling into a ball with the hospital bed, before catching herself on the ground. The bed continued past her a little way, and the changeling looked towards the source of the attack.

Standing behind the Princess stood an off-white Alicorn. She had a crimson mane, and it flowed in an unfeeling wind. Her wings were covered in bandages, and she had a burgundy blanket hanging over her back like a cape. She was staring directly at Chrysalis with a look of determination and rage, and the changeling felt her confidence waver ever so slightly. Something was off, and it was telling every sense in her body that danger was approaching.

Ignoring the changeling, the alicorn knelt beside the two on the ground and gave them a reassuring smile. Lauren lifted Luna's chin and wiped away her tears. "(Shhh, everything's okay now. You did well, Lulu.)" The blue alicorn's lip quivered, and her eyes shined as tears threatened to come out.

With a sudden pull, she clamped onto her mother's leg for a hug. Lauren smiled and stroked her mane, Luna was shaking, and she gripped her mother's coat almost pleadingly. As Luna held onto her leg, Lauren smirked and ruffled the proto-queen's mane, reassuring her that everything was fine now. All the stress and anxiety that the young changeling had built up suddenly came crashing down on her, and she broke down into a blubbering mess.

Doctors and nurses came running into the room, and a moment later, Lyra and Minuette caught up with them. They looked around, noting the holes covering the walls and the soot that lined both sides of the hall.

All of them went silent, shocked at the sheer amount of destruction. Then they spotted the two mares on the ground, several nurses freaked out at the sight of the Princess, and others were more concerned with the two unknown creatures in the room.

"My gurney!" One cried out, and the rest of the doctors raised an eyebrow at him. The one closest to him cleared his throat and smacked the doctor on the back of the head. "Oh...I mean, oh my gosh! Are you two, okay!?"

The off-white alicorn was still facing the changeling, but she turned her head slightly and looked back at the doctors. Gesturing to the two below her, she said with an authoritative voice, "All of you, help these two."

A doctor made a move to protest about the teenage changeling, but a fiery glance from the mare caused him to gulp and back down; he nodded and got to work, obeying her command. The rest of the doctors hurried into action, and they began treating the two on the ground, giving them bandages, magic stimulants, and other basic treatments for their injuries.

Glad that they were taken care of, the alicorn sighed and refocused on Chrysalis. The changeling had just finished healing herself from her burns, and she was preparing herself for a fight. The alicorn frowned and vanished in a flash of light. A moment later, she reappeared standing in front of Chrysalis.

"Now, as for you... There's someone who wants a word with you." Her words were calm and collected, but there was an undertone of venom in her voice. Chrysalis growled at the pony and opened her mouth to speak.

"Not here." The alicorn cut her off.

Suddenly a pillar shot out of the wall and blew the changeling through the exterior of the castle. Chrysalis flew through the air and landed in a heap in the central courtyard near the fountain. Several drones fighting royal guards in the area stopped as they recognized their Queen on the ground, and time seemed to freeze for them. A silence hung in the air as they waited for her to get up, Chrysalis shakily got off the ground, and she stood on wobbly legs. As she began healing herself from being blown through the wall, the alicorn teleported down. She stood in front of her, and Chrysalis got into a fighting stance, flaring her horn.

The off-white mare slowly blinked, and as she opened her eyes, a wave of power washed over the area. She stared into Chrysalis's eyes, and the changeling flinched. What she saw was no longer a young, inexperienced pony hiding her fear. No, now, she saw something completely different. Her eyes, they were ancient, full of experience, and bursting with confidence. A flame had been lit, and it burned just barely below the surface.

Chrysalis, although armed and ready for battle, found herself stepping back from the mare. There was a change in the pony that just made her feel uneasy. It was as if she had become a different person from a moment ago. Her power, the way she walked, but most of all, those ancient eyes.

Chrysalis caught herself retreating, and she shook her head as she tried to regain her composure. Gritting her teeth, she stared up at the sky and silently called the nearby drones for assistance. When a response came back from the hive mind, she looked down at the alicorn with a half-lidded stare, then she started dusting herself off. With a scoff, she said to the pony, "Don't think that just because you got a few hits in means that you have the advantage over me."

As she spoke, the nearby drones assembled themselves behind her, ready to engage. They all charged their horns, and on the Queen's command, all the changelings began to fire at Lauren. Chrysalis grinned and charged her attack. She shot a large beam of magic at the mare, and it exploded on impact.

The resulting smoke clouded their vision, and they waited in silence for the dust to clear. A soft breeze carried the smoke away, revealing the alicorn standing with the blanket she had tied around her neck. It had been swung around and held in the air in front of her, glowing in her telekinetic grasp. The blanket showed a few dark spots from the blasts, but other than that, it showed no sign of damage.

"H-How!? All my troops! And my own power! T-That blast was strong enough to defeat Celestia!" Chrysalis stammered, and the group behind her moved back slightly as they heard the last part of the Queen's rant.

Lauren's nose twitched at the mention of her eldest, and she stretched her neck from side to side, chuckling to herself, "(Kids these days… none of you understand magic. You have no imagination, no ingenuity, and no sense of when you should keep your mouth shut.)" As she finished speaking, the venom in her voice made some of the royal guards who had been observing feel uneasy. Lauren's hair began to defy gravity, and a wind of power radiated off the mare.

Chrysalis's eyes widened, and she fired a blast at the pony. Lauren tossed the blanket off herself. It hardened in her telekinetic grasp, becoming like steel, and she deflected the oncoming attack with it. The blast flew into the air and away from Canterlot, dissipating through the air. The changeling shot another, and another, and another. Each one was tossed aside by the mare.

Finally, the changeling shot a large beam at the pony. A moment before it hit, she wrapped herself up in the blanket and let it carry her away. The beam just barely missed her, and it blew up the concrete where she had stood.

Lauren circled around, zipping through the courtyard until she dropped down, and planted a solid kick onto Chrysalis's side. The changeling shot into the water fountain, and bits of it flew through the air as it blew up. With a flash of Lauren’s horn, the water spraying out became ice, and it encased Chrysalis.

As they saw this, the horde shot at Lauren in an attempt to defend their Queen, but he alicorn disappeared from sight. She reappeared a moment later, and narrowed her gaze at the horde. The fire in her eyes reappeared, and she growled. "(My turn.)"

The drones felt power rise in the atmosphere around them, and some began to retreat.

Three magic circles formed as the alicorn's horn lit up, and they hung in the air in front of her. With a nonchalant expression, she blew into the first array; much like someone would blow out a candle. The air quickly reverberated into a strong gust of wind, and it’s strength multiplied several times over through each layer, and as it reached the last one, the air displacement caused a shockwave, and it blasted the drones away in gale-force winds. All this took only a second.

As the shockwave carried the drones away I whistled in awe as I watched the last one disappear from sight. It was then that I noticed I was back in control.

Hey Lauren, you okay?

(Yes, Alex, I was just careless with my time limit… Listen, I have an idea of how to win this battle, but I'll need you to buy me some time to figure the spell out. Just be careful, we only have a little bit of mana left, and the magic stimulants the doctors gave us won't last much longer.)

"Okay…" I nodded and looked up at the fountain.

The cocoon of ice exploded with a flash of green light, and the Queen shot into the air with a scream of anger. While up there, she looked down, searching for me. We made eye contact, and Chrysalis snarled at me. Her horn lit up, and a buzzing sound echoed through the city. Rising from the buildings behind her, I saw thousands of drones leaving their post converging on the central courtyard. Chrysalis took her place in front of them.

She and her whole army bared their fangs at me, and two of the royal guards decided to run inside as they tried to protect themselves from the horde.

When they all assembled, Chrysalis snarled at me and said, "I'm impressed. I had no idea you had such power and tricks up your sleeve. But even you cannot take on all of us." She lifted her forelegs, gesturing to the whole army.

"Yeah, I'll give you that...," I said sheepishly as I looked at the thousands above me. The changeling smirked, and all of them began charging their attacks.

I tried to hold the same confident smile on my face that Lauren had before, but I was admittedly getting nervous. There were too many to try using fire; it would only affect about one-eighth of the group at best. And that was about the only thing I knew how to do at this point, other than basic levitation. The stress was starting to get to me.

As I sat there wondering how I could get out of this situation, no less how I even got into it, the castle doors burst open. Cadance and Shining Armor ran out with an entourage of royal guards, and the pink alicorn looked up at the army of changelings. She frowned, then she spotted me in the center of the courtyard. I must have looked in rough shape because rather than calling out my name or some other greeting, the pink pony yelled out. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay!?"

Before I could respond, maniacal laughter echoed through the courtyard. Chrysalis looked down at the pink pony. "She is at the moment, but we’ll take care of that!."

Cadance narrowed her gaze and stomped her hoof on the ground, "You will not touch her!"

The changeling smirked at the pink pony, "Oh, what are you and your little troops going to do? Frown at me?"

Cadance glared at her, and speaking with a firm voice, she said, "We will defeat you!" Turning her attention back to Shining Armor, she looked him in the eyes and whispered, "Together." Shining nodded, and the two looked into each other's eyes. They crossed their horns, and a spark began to arc between them. A moment later, a visible pink aura surrounded them.

As Chrysalis looked at the couple, she started to shake with both anger and fear. Not wanting to take any chances, she commanded some from the changeling army to split off and attack. They zoomed down to stop them from whatever they were doing.

My eyes widened with worry, and with a flash of my horn, I did the only spell I knew how to cast, and flames erupted through the air.

FFFHHHOOOPPPHHH!

They covered the changelings, and their bodies fell to the ground before the floating couple. Their cries and shouts of agony broke the concentration that the two had, and the aura around them faltered. It flickered in and out of existence, then at the last moment, it flared to life.

The protection spell quickly expanded, and it covered the city in an instant. There was a calm after the blast, and the couple floated back down, still looking lovingly in each other's eyes.

I uncovered my eyes and looked up as I asked aloud, "Did it work!?"

Above me, the changelings were still sitting in place, and those previously injured or low on magic were now healed, and their energy was fully restored. The others who were fine had found themselves energized.

Cadances eyes went wide, and she looked over to me with a shocked expression. "I don't understand. The protection spell should have cleared them out!"

I looked at the changelings and took a nervous step back. "Should have!?" My voice held a tone of concern, and I looked at the pink alicorn as I stomped my hoof in frustration, "Damn it Cadance! You're supposed to be helping me!"

"I'm sorry!"

As I was speaking, the sky suddenly started to turn green. I looked up, and saw the army's attack raining down. My eyes went wide, and my ears folded back. "Eep!"

BLAST!

Residents on the farthest corner of Canterlot looked on as an explosion shook the city, and a mushroom cloud rose from the castle. Fear began to fill their hearts as some asked the question, "Did we just lose?" Others began packing their belongings, ready to flee the city before it was too late.

Cadance and Shining coughed as the area filled with smoke. Troops took their stations to protect the two, and they struggled to breathe. The pink alicorn held her breath, hoping that the white alicorn would suddenly jump from the smoke. But there was silence. A soft breeze began to carry the smoke away from the area, and as it did, Cadance gasped at seeing a crater.

Her heart sank, "Lauren!" Cadance called out, and she ran towards the courtyard. One of the guards tried to stop her and hold her back, but she shrugged him off, pulling away. He kept trying to pull her back from danger. He kept trying until Shining put his hoof on the guard's shoulder. The guard looked back, and his captain shook his head. With a silent understanding, the guard let her go. There would be no stopping her anyway.

No longer hindered by the guard, Cadance ran into the center of the courtyard. She jumped through the rising smoke pouring out of the crater, and the entourage watched as she became obscured from view. They then readied themselves for an attack.

Cadance stumbled down the crater's slope, over bricks, hot rocks, and other bits of earth. "Lauren!" She called out as she got closer to the center. Her eyes stung from the smoke, and she couldn't see very far in front of her. Through the smoke, she spotted the alicorn face down on the ground. "Lauren!"

Her eyes lit up with worry, and she ran over, checking the mare for injuries. She was on a disk of broken bricks and concrete. From the looks of things, she had tried to shield herself at the last moment, but it broke under the brute force of the attack. Her wounds were mainly burns, but her other injuries from earlier had opened back up. She was unconscious, and if she was breathing, the alicorn couldn't tell.

Cadance felt responsible for the amount of damage the mare had suffered, and she began to tear up. Her lip quivered, and a tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" she whispered and hugged the mare.

The silence faded as the sound of buzzing got louder. Cadance looked up with pained eyes and saw a silhouette drifting through the smoke. Chrysalis hovered down and landed in front of the two. The changeling looked at Cadance and how she was holding the white mare. She grinned, glad that the alicorn was finally down. Walking forward, she slowly approached the two, and Cadance wrapped the white alicorn in her hooves, pulling her closer.

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at the mare's defiance and smirked. In her opinion, the pink pony was no more a threat than an average unicorn. A green glow encased the white alicorn, and she tried to pull her free from Cadance's grasp. She didn't let go; instead, she held on and tried to sever the grip that the changeling had on her friend. Growing rather annoyed with the pink pony, Chrysalis shot at Cadance.

She flinched as the bolt hit her, and she fell back with Lauren in her arms, losing her grip as she tumbled on the ground. The changeling walked closer, and Cadance reached for the white alicorn again. Chrysalis grabbed the pink pony in her magical grasp and threw her against the side of the crater. Cadance yelped in pain as her back hit some bricks.

"Stay down." The changeling hissed. Then turned to the white alicorn, ready to finish her off. Her horn flared, and her evil smile returned to her face. Right before she fired, a brick hit her in the side of the head, and she turned with an irritated gaze at the pink alicorn.

Cadance shakily stood up, levitating a few more bricks and rocks behind her, "I refuse to let you hurt her any more than you already have." She said as she stared down the larger creature.

Chrysalis growled at the pony and walked over to her. Towering over Cadance, Chrysalis flared up her horn, this time aiming at the pink pony. Cadance looked up, she was unmoving, but the changeling could see the fear she had in her eyes.

"The feeling is mutual, Cadance." A weak voice chuckled, cutting through their conversation. They both looked back, and the white alicorn lying on her back, she was propping herself up with her arms and held a grin on her face. Chrysalis growled at the mare and stepped away from Cadance.

The alicorn smirked. "Gotcha." and Chrysalis suddenly erupted in a vortex of flames. The blue fire danced across the changeling, and she hissed as she tried to escape them. With a flash of her horn, the changeling disrupted the flames, and they dissipated into nothing.

Her body was charred and covered in smoke, and her breathing was heavily labored. She grit her teeth as her shell hissed from the heat. Lighting her horn, she connected to the hive-mind. There was some unfinished business she needed them to take care of. She snarled, ready to deploy her remaining troops to blast this place off the map.

Suddenly, the white alicorn vanished, and she appeared an instant later, teleporting directly in front of Chrysalis. She grabbed the changeling's face and pressed her horn against hers. She glared at the changeling, and Chrysalis's eyes went wide. The pony was using the direct connection to access the hive-mind, and once she was in, Lauren smirked and said, "(Checkmate.)"

Chrysalis felt her blood run cold, and she watched as a red sphere expanded from the alicorn's horn. It grew to encompass the whole city, and the changeling felt a magical tether wrap around her. With fear-stricken eyes, the changeling looked at the ancient being in front of her and whispered, "Just who are you?"

Lauren's eyes narrowed, and with a firm voice, she answered, "(The Queen of Creation.)"

Chrysalis's eyes widened, and she stammered as she reared back, "N-No… not you... B-But, that was just a Legend!" She screamed as she began to lift off the ground. Her screams echoed through the courtyard as she and all her drones were suddenly pulled out of the sphere.

BANG!

Thousands of changelings broke the sound barrier as they flew over the horizon. The citizens of Canterlot had to cover their ears as the air around the city suddenly became a torrent of thunderous booms.

Cadance was sitting not too far away and watched as the alicorn dropped to the ground in a heap. With panic quickly rising in her heart, she ran over. "Lauren. Lauren!" There was no response. Turning her head upwards, she began shouting, "Somepony get a doctor! Help! Someone!"

A moment later, Royal guards came sliding down the crater's slope, and Shining ran over to Cadance, embracing her in a warm hug.

As I laid there on the ground, face down in the dirt, the adrenaline wore off, and I could feel all the pain my body was going through. I felt like death. All my wounds had reopened, not to mention the new ones I got while facing Chrysalis's army. My magic was utterly spent. I didn't even have the strength left to blink properly. Cadance's panicked cries faded into nothingness, and all I could hear was a ringing in my ears. As I laid there, my sight slowly got darker, and I couldn't help but wonder one thing.

How did you do that?

(I modified a spell I made to keep Celestia out of the sweets pantry when she was just a filly.)

An image of the pink-haired filly running into a pantry and being pushed out by a force field suddenly flashed through my mind. I smiled in amusement and let myself drift off to sleep.

Chapter 9: Recovery Days

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Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 9: Recovery Days

I moved my head slightly as I began to wake up from my slumber. I was lying on my side, and my face was buried in my pillow. I took a slow deep breath, and the smell of lavender filled my nose. As I slowly opened my eyes, blinked a few times to clear my vision. Turning over, I looked around at where I was. I laid in a hospital, but this hospital was one that I did not recognize.

The room was strictly built for functional purposes, rather than the flamboyant designs one would find in Canterlot Castle. The room was a large rectangular room with a small washroom on my left, and to my right, there was a large window overlooking the city. Looking towards the window, I spotted Celestia and Luna sitting on a couch. The two had fallen asleep, and Tia’s wing covered her younger sister in a soft embrace as Luna leaned on her big sister.

A small smile crossed my face at seeing both ‘my’ daughters sleep peacefully. It was comforting to know they were alright, and I sighed as a figurative weight lifted off my chest.

Looking at myself, I was relieved to see that most of my wounds had already healed. There were a few of the larger injuries that were still bandaged. However, from the looks of things, the doctors were now focusing on restoring my mana reserves. I wasn’t very fond of the magic stimulants they gave me. They made my mouth taste funny.

Leaning forward, I checked on my wings, they were still bandaged, and they ached a bit from most likely a few fractures, but they felt like they were getting close to being back to normal.

I breathed out through my nose as I leaned back in the bed. Shaking my head at the absurdity, my life has become over the past few weeks. Rolling over, I looked at the sleeping alicorns. Outside the window they were under, I could see the hustle and bustle of the city’s citizens. Several buildings were undergoing restoration from the attack, and off in the distance, I could see Canterlot Castle. I smiled, and with a soft voice, I whispered to myself, “It all worked out, in the end, didn't it.”

(Yeah, I guess it did.)

As I spoke, my ear lifted, catching the sound of the door creaking open. As I sat upright, the strain on my neck muscles began to take its toll, and the pain that I hadn’t realized I was going through slowly seeped in. My muscles were slow and reluctant to respond, and it felt as if I pulled every muscle in my body. I winced but forced myself to look over to whoever just entered. As I turned my head, I saw Cadance and Shining Armor enter the room. They looked tired as if they had been losing sleep, and they had brought a few drinks and a box of doughnuts with them.

I gave the couple a soft smile and struggled to pull my arm out from under the sheets to wave. Shining put the drinks and the box of sweets on the nightstand beside my bed. He moved a small bouquet of lavender flowers to the side as he did.

So that’s where the smell was coming from.

(It always was one of Luna's favorites.)

Cadance walked up to my bedside, “How are you doing? Are you feeling any better?”

I tried to speak, but on my first attempt at speaking at a normal volume, I found my voice cutting out and had air simply exit my mouth. Clearing my throat, I tried again, and my voice came out in a weak breath as I said. “I’m alright,”

While I spoke with Cadance, Shining Armor found one of the rolling bedside tables, and he took a doughnut, along with a small coffee, and put them on the table. He rolled it over to the left side of my bed, and as he put it in place, I lifted my arms to keep from being trapped under it.

Once it had been settled in place, I nodded at the stallion with a look that said, ‘Thank you,’ and reached for my coffee. I gripped the cup between my front hooves and took a sip. The coffee was sweet, with a fair amount of cream and sugar mixed in. Not my best cup, but I was far from complaining. I felt myself regain my senses ever so slightly as the caffeine enriched drink washed over my tongue. Placing the cup down, I glanced at Cadance and asked, “So how long has it been?”

She breathed out, looking at me with a smile. Her eyes had a melancholy look in them, and Shining had a similar expression. “It’s been about a week.” She turned her head. “ And those two have been here the whole time.”

I felt my heart flutter, and a warm smile stretched across my face. While I spoke with Cadance, our conversation began to stir Celestia from her sleep. As she woke, the white alicorn silently sniffed at the air, and Celestia’s eyes fluttered open. She shifted around as she tried to clear the fogginess from her mind. While she did, Tia heard a groan at her side. Looking down, the white alicorn saw her younger sister leaning against her side with a grumpy pout as she tried to stay asleep. Tia smiled and stroked her sister’s mane as she looked up and glanced at the rest of the room.

Tia glanced around the room, and she stopped as she observed the sight before her. She hadn’t expected Shining Armor and Cadance to be standing there when she woke up, but seeing them talking to her mother was even more unexpected. Tia’s eyes went wide, and they shined with tears. “M-mom…?” She croaked, a mountain of emotion had overwhelmed the mare, and she was struggling to hold it together,

I gave her a warm smile and waved, “Hello, Tia.”

Tears threatened to stream down her cheeks, and as she began to get up, she woke Luna. With a groan, the blue alicorn clenched her eyes shut as she tried to hold onto her slumber. It was useless, however, and with slow, groggy movements, her eyes began to open. She looked up at her sister with a grumpy pout. Celestia smiled at her sister and leaned down, saying, “Lulu, she’s awake.”

Luna’s eyes opened slightly as her head lifted. “She is?”

Wiping her eyes and giving her head a shake, Luna accepted her sister's hoof and stood up. As the two walked over, Cadance moved to the other side of the bed, allowing them some room to stand.

The pink alicorn looked over to her fiance, and with a nod, Shining Armor stepped out of the room. He had a look on his face like he had forgotten something.

Out of the two princesses, Tia was the first to arrive at my bedside. I reached out, and she readily took my hoof. Looking me in the eyes, she asked me, “How are you feeling, mom?”

I glanced away as I thought about it, then I refocused on ‘my’ daughters. I stretched my cheek to the side, giving them a half-smile, and said, “I’m alright, just a bit sore,”

Luna stepped forward, her eyes were filled with relief, but her eyes shined like Tia’s. “We thought we might have lost you again…” Her voice was low, and although it was subtle, I could see her bottom lip quiver as she said those words. Tia also lowered her head as she glanced down.

My heart ached. The pain and worry that I had put them through was tearing me apart, and despite my body’s reluctance, I found myself sitting up and wrapping ‘my’ daughters in a hug. As I did, I felt Lauren momentarily pull them closer, as she whispered, “(I’ll never let you girls go again. I swear it.)”

As she uttered those words, the two Princesses hit their limit, and they could no longer hold back their tears. While our embrace held like that for a mere moment, for those two, it was an embrace that filled their souls with a fire of love and hope. “Love you, mom.” They both said, and Lauren’s emotions welled up inside me, making my heart feel as if it would burst, and I hugged them tighter.

Cadance stood on the other side of the bed, smiling sweetly at the sight she saw. Looking at her fellow princesses, she suddenly really wished she had brought her camera with her.

As we pulled away from the hug, I looked at ‘my’ daughter’s with a shallow smile, and before I could say anything further, I heard the door open. The three of us looked away from each other and over to the door in front of my bed. As we looked over there, we saw Shining Armor, Twilight, and her friends enter the room. I reclined back in my bed as I watched them enter. Celestia and Luna stepped back from the bed, wiping their tears from their faces before all the guests could see them in such a state.

Out of the group entering the room, Rainbow Dash was the first to arrive. She zoomed past the others and hovered in the air above my bed. “Hey, lady! I saw your fight with the changeling army. You were so totally AWESOME!” The pegasus exclaimed, throwing her arms out. A moment later, her eyes suddenly shot open, and she was pulled down to the ground by Applejack.

I looked down and saw the orange mare tilting her hat with an apologetic expression, “Please pardon my friend, er, miss.”

“It’s fine,” I said.

But my words went unheard as Rainbow got up, rubbing her head. She turned to the farmer and said, “Hey! What the heck was that for!?”

“Cuz, you was bein’ rude.”

Before I could watch the argument progress any further, Pinkie’s head lowered into my view. I didn’t even see her move over here. She stood atop my bed and was leaning over me as she grabbed my cheeks.

“Ooh, so you’re the mystery pony? What’s your name? Do you like pastries, because I do. I mean, who doesn’t like pastries? Wha hey!...” Pinkie cried out as she was levitated off of me by Luna. With a half-lidded stare, the alicorn pulled a doughnut out of the box and shoved it into the pink mare’s face. It quickly vacuumed itself into her mouth, and she chewed it down with an ‘mmm’ sound.

Rarity rolled her eyes as she walked up to my bedside and put her hooves on the railing, “Well, yes. You certainly put on quite a show, darling. How did you do what you did with the cloth you had around you?”

As I glanced at the mare, I felt myself move without my intention, letting me know that Lauren was taking control. She sat up and smiled at the unicorn, “(I used the blanket as a base and solidified it with magic, it’s kind of like a reinforced shield spell.)” Lauren said.

Neat.

(Thanks.)

Our head dropped for a moment as I suddenly found myself in control again. Lifting my head, I glanced up and saw Rarity nodding with interest, and Shining Armor leaned closer with a notepad held in his magic. Cadance put a hoof on his shoulder, and he looked to the side with a blush.

Just then, Twilight had finished saying hi to Celestia and began walking over to see me. As she approached, Rarity stepped to the side to make room for her. Once the unicorn got to the side of my bed, her head tilted to the side, and her inner bookworm made her eyes shine with adorkable curiosity.

I waved tiredly and said, “Hey, Twilight.”

“Hi, Lauren,” She waved back, “You feeling any better?”

“I’m alright.”

She gave a satisfied nod, and then her eyes widened as a stray thought caught her attention. She shifted in place, and the expression on her face made her look as if she was contemplating whether or not to say something. Making up her mind, she leaned closer and asked, "If you don’t mind me asking, what was that last spell you used?"

I smiled and chuckled to myself, "Cookie shield."

“Cookie shield?” Twilight repeated, and her face contorted with confusion.

(You know, that’s not what it’s actually called.)

It is now.

Behind her, I saw as Celestia’s eyes went wide, and she started coughing on her second doughnut as it went down the wrong way. Luna ran over and started hitting her sister with a book until she coughed it back up. The two alicorns went unnoticed by the others in the room as they focused on me, but I felt myself hone in on the two as Tia found herself able to breathe again. Once I knew that she was okay, I sighed and spoke up with a chuckle, “Well, well, it appears Tia remembers that one.”

The two unicorns at my bedside looked back at the white alicorn who was still collecting herself. Celestia straightened up and walked closer, so she was standing behind the two at my side. While she did, Luna looked at her older sister with a grumpy glare and then back down to the doughnut’s remains on the floor. Reaching out with her magic, she grabbed it and threw the thing in a nearby biohazard bag.

Celestia stood looking at me and said, “Yes, I do remember, and unfortunately, I still haven't found a way to counter that.” Her stoic expression turned into a sly smile, and she lifted a hoof and looked to the side with her eyes. “But,~ It’s a good thing I have my own pantry now.~” Her words were drawn out and came out like a taunting melody.

(Ohhh, you want to play that game, do you?)

A feeling of mischief washed over me, and I grinned at the alicorn with a sly smile. I crossed my forehooves as I looked at her, “Well then, I'll just put it on this pantry,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

There were no words to describe the sudden dread that filled the eyes of the alicorn before me. As those words left my mouth, her eyes shrunk, her foreleg fell, and her mouth hung open. She leaned back with her body shaking, and I swear I could see her white face pale, “N-No, mom, p-please don’t!” She pleaded.

I put my hoof up to my chin, “I don’t know, Tia, you could stand to lose a few pounds. Maybe it would be worth it.” I taunted as I pointed at her flank. Luna laughed, and Celestia went beat red.

“Mom~!” The alicorn whined.

Cadance cursed herself for forgetting to bring a camera and silently banged her head against the wall. On the other hand, I laughed at the white alicorn and the looks she was getting from the six mares. Wiping a tear from my eye, I said, “Don’t worry, Tia, I’m only kidding...”

The princess slumped down, and her breathing was heavy. Luna smacked her with the bag of doughnut remains and walked away. When I had got the last of my giggles under control, I noticed the room had gone silent. My ears shifted around as I wondered where the noise had gone, and raising a brow, I looked at Twilight's friends. All of them stared at me with wide eyes and open mouths.

Rainbow broke the silence as she flew up and threw her arms out, shouting, “You’re Celestia’s MOM!?”

Nodding, I looked up at the pegasus, “Yep, and I even have some embarrassing stories to prove it.” I glanced at ‘my’ daughters as I said those words, and they both had an expression of worry.

As I reclined in my bed, my expression softened, and I muttered, “But that’s a story best left for another time.”

Both princesses breathed out a sigh of relief, and Cadance put down the notepad she had taken from Shining with a frown on her face.

I glanced over at Twilight with a smirk, “I’m surprised you didn’t tell them earlier.” Reaching forward, I took another sip from my coffee and watched all the attention on Twilight.

She looked around at her friends with a sheepish expression. “I wanted it to be a surprise.” She said as she shrugged her shoulders.

Applejack took her hat off in amazement and muttered, “Well, I’ll be…”

I smiled and tried to imitate the warm tone Lauren would sometimes use at seeing all their shocked faces. Leaning my head forward, I said with a bow, “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. Please call me, Lauren.”

“Oh, oh, oh! I’m Pinkie Pie, that’s Rarity, this is Applejack, and that’s Fluttershy, you already know Twilight! And this is Rainbow Dash.”

Rarity’s magic enveloped her friend as she once again loomed over me. The pink pony was placed down on the ground, and as she floated through the air, Pinkie threw her arms out, “Weee!”

“A million apologies, your majesty. What she means is we are pleased to meet you as well.”

I smiled, “It’s quite alright, Rarity. I’m just glad that despite the events from earlier, you are all okay.”

Twilight nodded and lifted a hoof, “Yes, well, we did find ourselves in a bit of a tight spot at one point. But then, Celestia and the guests from the wedding arrived. They helped us escape from the swarm.” The unicorn looked over at Rarity, and she nodded her head.

“Yes, Darling, and by the time we had returned from the vault, the battle was already taking place outside. It was quite a sight to behold from the upper floors, but once we had gotten down to the courtyard, or what was left of it, the battle was already over.” Rarity finished, and she looked over to her friends.

It was heartwarming to hear the admiration and care they had for Lauren and me without really knowing who I was. I was about to speak, but a knock at the door made me hold my tongue. The door opened, and three mares, along with a small filly, walked in. I stretched myself up to take a look, and as I did, I saw it was Lyra, Minuette, and Lillybreeze. A smile made its way onto my face, and I waved them in.

Twilight looked at Lyra and Minuette, and her eyes widened as she recognized her old friends. They waved to each other, and my three attendants approached the foot of my bed. I was glad to see the three of them together, even after witnessing the revelation that Lillybreeze was actually a changeling. I grinned at them and said, “So, it looks like you three have made up...”

Lyra was the first to speak, and she rubbed the back of her head, “Well, yeah, it was nerve-wracking at first. But now that it's been a few days, I think it’s actually kind of cool knowing she’s one.” she said, and Minuette nodded seconding her friend’s opinion. Then she looked at the others in the room, and realization seemed to dawn on her face.

While Lyra shrunk back, a bit concerned for her friends' safety, I looked from the confused faces of the six element-bearers; to the calm and understanding expressions on the faces of the three Princesses and the Captain.

With a nod, I looked over to Luna, “I’m assuming that you’ve brought the rest of the princesses and the Captain of the guard up to speed on Lilly?”

Luna nodded and stepped forward, “Yes, I discussed it with them on the night you were admitted to the hospital.”

I smiled, “Good, and you, Adorilin, how are you doing? Last time I saw you, you had some fairly bad injuries.”

The maid rubbed her head and looked at the ground, awkwardly, “I’m doing okay now, but during the battle, the doctors were uncertain of my chances. Thankfully, some sort of wave washed through the area, it felt saturated in love, and it healed my wounds.”

I glanced over at Cadance, and Shining and the two let out an audible, “Heh…” As they looked away.

I looked back to the foot of my bed as I felt something bumping against it. At the bottom of the bed where my attendants stood, I saw a tuft of hair jumping up and down. “I wanna see, I wanna see!” A youthful voice called, and Minuette saw the look of curiosity wash over my face. With a grin, she reached down and lifted the small filly. She was a blank flank with violet eyes, a white body, and a light green mane. She looked at me with wide eyes filled with curiosity and wonder.

“Oh, and who might you be?” I said.

“I’m Penny!” She shouted with her arms up, and the rest of the mares in the room giggled at the child’s antics. Minuette set the child down on the end of my mattress, and Lilly gestured to the filly with a smile, “Mrs. Faust, Princesses, I'd like to introduce you to my little sister, Pennilia Alternate. I was able to bring her from one of the camps made in the mountains outside Canterlot.”

I smiled and leaned forward, “Well, it certainly is nice to meet you, Penny.” The child smiled, and I continued, “But will you grant me the honor of seeing your true self?”

The filly’s eyes widened, and she looked at her elder sister with a worried expression. Lilly looked at her younger sister and assured her, “It’s alright; she’s friendly.”

The child was hesitant, and she took some time to glance around, looking at the others. But a reassuring hoof from her sister calmed her down. The filly nodded, “Okay…” she said, and with a brilliant flash of emerald, both changelings in the room dropped their disguises.

Twilight, her friends, stumbled back in shock, and Dash jumped into an attack position. The six mares looked ready to pounce, but before they could do that, I shouted, “Hold it!” Getting their attention, they all looked over to me. I raised my eyebrows and waved my hoof, “It's okay. They’re with me.” The group gave me a confused stare and hesitantly straightened up.

Rainbow hit her forehooves together and pointed at Adorilin, “Alright, fine, but only because the Princesses mom says so. But I've got my eye on you…” Dash warned.

The teenage changeling rolled her eyes and ignored the pegasus. Compared to what her mother had put her through, Rainbow's words were but an empty threat.

She looked over to her sister and smiled, the nymph was trying to catch Lauren's tail as she moved it back and forth.

Rainbow looked at the changeling's disregard for her comment and frowned. With a huff, she shrugged it off and joined the other mares. She landed beside Applejack, who was looking around in confusion. “Hold on, ain’t they a threat?” She said, pointing at the two as she saw everyone else settling down.

I sighed and looked over at the group of friends. Giving a warm smile, I said, “No, Adorilin, here was the one who warned us about the incoming invasion, giving us a chance to prepare. That’s why the shield was up in the first place.”

Luna nodded and looked at the farmer, “Yes, and during the battle, she even risked her life nearly dying in the process to protect my own.”

Both Lyra and Minuette nodded, confirming what the princess had said. But the mares were still on edge. Fluttershy looked like she was about to leap out of her own skin. Shining also seemed to have trust issues, but that was understandable given his situation.

Cadance seemed to understand the situation but still had her guard up behind her smile. Looking at the others in the room and their discomfort, she shook her head and went to grab a second doughnut out of the box beside Tia. She opened it and found it empty. Looking up at the white alicorn, Cadance gave her a half-lidded stare and said, “Auntie, that was a box of twenty-four. It’s been less than ten minutes. I’m beginning to think you have a sweets problem.”

Celestia looked down with a blush, “Sorry…”

Cadance shook her head and glanced over to the six mares, “I’m heading down to Doughnut Joe’s to get some more. Anypony else want to come?”

The six of them eagerly nodded and joined her as she headed for the door. With a glance, she gave me a wink, and I smiled softly as I understood what she was really doing. Shining followed the group out as well, and as he stepped out the door, he looked over to me and gave a nod. Then he stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Those two will make great parents one day.

(Yeah, I bet they will.)

While the group stepped out to a place they found to be more comfortable, the little changeling snuck over to the top of my bed. She stood tall with her arms above her as she declared, “Justice will be swift; justice will be painful; justice will be delicious!” Her little form then jumped on me, and she snuggled the top of my head.

I instinctively shook, and she slid down the front of my head and landed on my chest. I looked down at her, and she looked up at me. She gave me the biggest puppy-dog eyes I had seen since coming to Equestria. I smiled and said, “Oh, that's not fair, that's not fair at all! How am I not supposed to love you when you look at me like that!?” I wrapped the child in my arms and rubbed her mane.

The small changeling giggled at my comment, and then she gained a mischievous grin, “You're going to love me!” she stumbled forward and planted her face against my chest in a hug.

I let her stay like that for a moment before I picked Pennilia up and held her above my head. She threw her arms out like she was an airplane. I smiled and looked at the nymph, “Well, despite the circumstances and all the collateral damages, I’m glad I got to meet you, Penny.” As soon as the words left my mouth, the small changeling gave me a grumpy stare.

“Hey! I didn't damage anything!”

This time, all of the others in the room began laughing, and the only one left to be confused was Penny. I set her down on my lap and proceeded to stroke her mane. She enjoyed the attention for a few moments, but then a thought seemed to come to her, and her big eyes went from happy to inquisitive.

Taking this as something I should pay attention to, I paused and waited for her to say what was obviously on her mind. After a few seconds of looking around, her mouth slowly opened, and she asked the one question that I didn’t even know I had been dreading.

“Why did you send mommy away?”

The room froze, and the nymph stared at me with her big cat-like eyes and proceeded to tilt her head to the side. With a drawn-out sigh, a saddened look came across my face. “Well, first off, I didn't want to send her away. But...” I looked over to my good friend and previous maid for some help. She nodded to my silent plea and trotted over to the side of my bed so she could talk to the nymph face to face.

“She sent mom away because she was protecting me.”

Pennilia turned her head to look at her older sister in confusion. “But why would she need to protect you from mom?”

Adorilin now looked sad, and her head lowered as she continued her explanation, “Because mom didn't agree with changelings and ponies living in peace.”

Immediately the child on my lap got an understanding expression on her face. And her questioning stare vanished, “Oh, so she was going to make an example out of you. Okay.”

Celestia, Luna, and I were in shock. In my lap, the little child spoke about her mother killing to teach as casually as she would talk about the weather. Had she been a little older, I would have pressed onto the matter, but there was always the possibility at this age, she just didn't understand what she said.

The nymph, bored of the conversation, turned to hop off my lap. Approaching the side, she eyed the ground with caution. After all, my bed was easily three times her height, and with her standing on top of it, that would make it four. She continued to stare for a few more seconds before she gave a sad sigh and turned to face me and the others with a sheepish expression.

“Um, help...” she said.

Once again, us older ones gave way to her cuteness and smiled brightly as some giggled at her pouting face. Leaning forward, I lifted her into my hooves and proceeded to hand Penny over to her older sister. While I was doing that, one of the wires attached to me came undone, and one of the monitors started going frantic.

Adorilin quickly took her sister with her magic and placed her on the ground. And I fought with the wires trying to stop the loud noise before the doctors took notice. The room’s door clicked open, and thankfully before it moved any further, an emerald light flashed in the corner of my vision. The light reassured me that Adorilin was back to being Lillybreeze, and I felt a sense of tension leave me.

The door opened, and a stallion with a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck walked in. His head snapped towards the monitor, and he walked toward it. He quickly got all the wires back into their intended places, and then he turned around and looked at the filly in the room. His grumpy glare scared the disguised nymph, and she hid behind her sister's leg. Minuette stepped forward and looked the doctor in the eyes, “Dude, what’s your problem?”

He leaned forward to speak but then looked at the two princesses in the room. He held his tongue and stormed back out the door, muttering to himself about children playing with the equipment and whatnot.

The four of them stayed a little longer, but as they checked the time, they realized that they needed to leave soon, some to return to their duties at the castle, and others to run personal errands. Before they left, I thanked them for passing by along with Tia and Lulu. When Penny realized it was time to go, she looked at her sister with a frown and chirped, “Aww, but I didn't get my revenge yet.” And she leaped for my bed.

Lilly shook her head, rolled her eyes as she caught the kid in the air before she could reach me. “Come on,…” She said, as she lifted her little sister onto her back. The nymph grunted and bumped her forehoof against the proto-queen’s back.

As the group walked over to the door, Penny sat up on her sister's back, and she looked at me shaking her arm, “Mark my words! I will get my snuggles!” She shouted.

I laughed. She was just too damn cute for her own good. Waving as they left the room, I called out and said, “I look forward to it, Penny, bye-bye.”

“Bye.” She waved back and then leaned her body on the back of Lilly’s neck. Then they disappeared from view.

Chapter 10: City Charade

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Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 10: City Charade

It was nearing the end of the twelfth hour of the night, and as it drew to a close, the soft glow of sunlight began to shine just beyond the horizon. One by one, the birds around Canterlot began to wake. Fluttering through the air, they chirped and sang, letting out a musical tune as they greeted the dawn with their song.

It was around this time that the royal guards would switch shifts. While the sun began to rise into the sky, Celestia emerged from the shadows of the dawn. She ran in a hurry towards the castle gate. When she got close, her form came to a stop in front of Luna and Cadance. The two were waiting expectantly for the eldest alicorn, who was a little out of breath. Celestia breathed out, "Okay, that was too close, but I don't think Elayne saw me."

With a firm tone, the Lunar Princess suggested that they head out immediately, and Celestia quickly agreed. With a nod, the three princesses turned towards the gate and began walking. Tia's steps were slow and drawn out, and she struggled to stay awake.

Over the past week, Celestia hadn’t received a moment’s rest. Upon returning to Canterlot castle, the solar princess almost fainted when she saw the amount of paperwork waiting for her. The stack of papers covered her desk and dwarfed the size of Philomena’s cage. Much to her dismay, she spent the last few days working through the paperwork. She had to work both day and night to get through it, and when she did, she celebrated with a victory cheer. Later, during the same day, she learned that there was a three-week-long waiting list for Daycourt, to which she screamed out in frustration.

Luna didn't get a break either. Over the past few weeks, the residents of Canterlot were plagued with nightmares. Almost all of them were of the changeling swarm invading Canterlot. The sheer number of ponies who experienced such nightmares had her running through the dream realm like a mad mare. And as morning came, the lunar princess wanted nothing more than to rest. She was mentally exhausted, and she frequently yawned as she went about her day. With a curious glance, she looked over at the pink pony walking alongside her.

Cadance was trotting along with a skip in her step and a smile on her face, humming a happy tune to herself. She was inspecting her camera, making sure that it was in perfect working order. She polished the lens and then double-checked to make sure that she had brought enough film with her. With all her preparations complete, Cadance looked up towards the two sisters and asked, "So, who's Elayne?"

The Royal sisters, who were struggling to keep their eyes open, straightened up as they visibly shuddered. Just the mere mention of the pony's name was enough to raise the anxiety in their hearts. As the trio passed through the gate, a door could be heard slamming open in the distance. A moment later, the words, "Oh, there you are!" cut through the courtyard.

Celestia and Luna stopped as a chill ran through them, and the fur on the back of their necks stood on end. With strained movements, Tia and Lulu slowly turned to look back at the castle. Their eyes widened in horror as the dreaded secretary pushed up her glasses, causing them to shimmer. Elayne opened her saddlebags and pulled out a quill and a checklist.

Cadance smiled and waved at the pony, but the royal sisters looked at each other with worry. With a silent nod, Tia and Lulu turned to the waving pink pony. Grabbing her by the hoof, Celestia knelt and whispered into Cadance's ear, "Run!"

"What?" That was all the dumbfounded Princess could say before she suddenly found herself being pulled along by Tia. At seeing the trio suddenly run away, the secretary gave chase. She was desperate to hold them to the schedule she had planned out.

Following the three, Elayne ran into the city streets, waving her schedule back and forth as she called out to the Princesses. "Wait! You'll be late for the first appointment!" She shouted, but the Princesses didn't slow down. Instead, they seemingly sped up, and Elayne continued calling after them as her loud shouts echoed through the city streets.

Unfortunately for the secretary, she was not built to run very far, and she soon lost sight of the Princesses. As they disappeared from view, the secretary groaned as she looked down at her schedule. With a huff, she took out her quill and began trying to rearrange the appointments.

A couple of minutes later, from the perspective of a narrow alley, Elayne's form quickly trotted past. Celestia and Luna huddled against the wall, and they held their breath. Luna also covered over Cadance's mouth in an attempt to keep her quiet. The tension they felt began to fade, and as they keenly listened, no sounds hinted to the secretary's return.

Sighing, the two sisters felt a bit of stress lift off their shoulders. Luna let go of Cadance's face, and the pink pony furiously wiped the debris of dirt from Luna's hoof off her face. Grumbling a little bit, she looked at the other Princesses and grumpily asked, "What was that all about?"

Luna lowered her head slightly, "Sorry, Cadance, but for our plans to work, we needed to lose her. Had she caught up to us, she would likely give us work to complete while we were out."

The pink pony rolled her eyes as she held back a smile. "Oh, come on, auntie Luna, it can't be that bad."

"No, it's worse," Celestia said with a jolt, and Cadance looked up at the white mare. Then she noticed that the alicorn had lines under her eyes, and they were bloodshot from a lack of sleep.

Celestia shook her head, embarrassed by her sudden outburst. She stood back up and smiled softly at the pink pony as she gave a little yawn. "Elayne is a sweet pony, and she is good at her job. But she's a little too zealous when it comes to clearing her schedules. I- I just needed a break."

Cadance nodded, "Okay, that makes sense." She said, getting up and dusting herself off. Then she began walking down the alleyway. Looking back at the other Princesses, she laughed as they nodded off slightly. "Come on, let's go!"

The two sisters Lifted their heads and quickly followed after the mare. Walking onto another roadway, the three of them began heading in the direction of the hospital. Some of the residents who had already woken up looked on in awe, and confusion, as they spotted the three Princesses stroll through town.

A nearby clocktower began to ring, and Luna looked up, nudging her sister. With an understanding glance, Celestia nodded and lit up her horn. Beside her, the lunar princess did the same, closing her eyes and feigning deep focus.

The two sisters took the opportunity to rest their eyes. Up in the night sky, the moon was slowly enveloped in Luna’s magic. It turned blue in hue, and it began to drop down below the horizon. As the moon fell in the west, in the east, the light of dawn gradually grew within a minute, and a half Equestria was under the full light of day.

Afterward, they continued on their way, but soon after the sun rose, their ears perked up as somepony yelled, "Look out!" The three princesses lifted their heads and looked around, but there was nothing. Then, the trio suddenly caught a glimpse of a red-maned mare. She shot past and narrowly missed the tower. Tapping it on her way past, the pony threw her forelegs out and shouted. "Wooo!" Then she sped off as she began laughing to herself about something.

Celestia and Luna looked at each other with wide eyes, and with a stunned expression, Tia lifted her hoof and pointed at the sky, asking, "W-was that, mother?..."

Luna breathed out with a grunt and nodded her head with a faint smile. "Yes, sister, I believe it was..."

Looking up into the sky, Cadence scrunched her muzzle and silently pulled out her camera. She waited for a good shot, but then a stray thought caught her mind. She turned her head to look at the sisters and asked. "Didn't the doctors say that she needed to keep from flying so her wings could heal properly?"

The two sisters visibly twitched at hearing her question, and they simultaneously snapped their heads up towards the flying mare. "Mom! Get back here!" They shouted, then they took off running after her.

The regal mask that the ponies had come to know vanished, and they simply became two daughters chasing after their mischievous mother. Several residents getting things ready for the day exited their homes only to be confused at the sight of the two sisters running through the streets shouting at the sky.

If that wasn't enough, a sudden flash of light caught the resident’s attention. They looked over to the source only to find Princess Cadance fiddling with her camera. The pink mare clicked the flash button off and then looked up to see the other Princesses had left her behind.

Down the street, the two sisters unfolded their wings and prepared to take flight. As they took to the skies, Cadance's eyes widened as she stumbled with her luggage as she pulled her wings out from under her saddlebag. Running after the two, she called out, "Hey! Wait for me!"

It was the beginning of the first hour of the day, and I found myself watching Lauren speed through the streets. The restless mare had been struggling with staying inside for the past few days, and I finally agreed to her plea's to get some fresh air. Now that she was out, the alicorn darted in between houses and narrow streets. Stretching her limbs out, she gave a cheerful smile and asked me, "(So, what do you think, Alex?)"

This is both awesome and terrifying! Came my immediate response. If there were some sort of seatbelt or safety bar, I’d be holding onto it for dear life, but a wide grin would undoubtedly be covering my face.

She laughed as she detected the nervousness in my voice and nodded, "(Make sure to take notes, kid, because your flying lessons aren't going to be easy.)"

Really? You're going to teach me how to fly!? My excited voice echoed through our mind.

The alicorn grinned at my enthusiasm. "(Sure thing, but a fair warning, I'm a strict teacher.)"

Pfff, I don't care! I get to learn how to fly! I mentally did a happy dance, and the alicorn rolled her eyes at my childish behavior. As we neared the middle of the city during our morning flight, the alicorn’s eye began to twitch. Her vision became more strained, and a shared sense of alarm flowed between us.

Time limit? I asked.

Lauren gave an irritated grunt, “(Yeah, It would seem so. Sorry Alex, but I have to switch with you again.)”

With a disappointed sigh, I said, So I take it our chances of them not knowing we snuck out, are?...

“(Absolutely zero.)” The alicorn deadpanned.

Yeah, I figured... Ugh, we are so getting a three-hour lecture when we get back, aren’t we?

“(... Probably.)” Lauren shrugged. With a sudden change in our plans, Faust steered us to the right and dropped down between two buildings. Upon landing, the soft clacking of our hooves against the cobblestone echoed through the corridor. Looking around with a cautious glance, Lauren checked to make sure no one was around.

Once we knew that we were alone, she lit her horn. The reddish-orange glow lit up the narrow street, and the brightness grew like a flame. A moment later, there was a soft magical poof, and the glow of our horn went with it.

What was that? I asked.

The alicorn shrugged, “(Just a simple spell to make us look like a pegasus.)" She said this while walking towards a nearby window showing me our reflection. I looked us over, and sure enough, our horn was gone. While looking into the glass, the alicorn’s eyes began to twitch, and she gave a drowsy smile. “(Well, it looks like I’ve reached my limit for a bit, mind taking over?)”

"Sure thing," I said and then shook my head in surprise as I realized she had already given me control. Lauren had been really straining herself to stay with it while we were in the air, but on a side note, she was able to retain control for several minutes longer. So that was a plus. Still surprised at my reflection, I reached up and felt the appendage on my head. I pulled my hoof down and looked at it. “That’s so cool.”

(Thanks.)

I headed out, hoping to get back before our absence was discovered. Reaching the end of the alleyway, I had to stop and shield my eyes from the bright light. My eyes quickly readjusted, and as they did, I let out an inaudible gasp. Canterlot was a wonder in terms of architecture, and the fairytale sights were captivating. Like a tourist, I walked along with a wide-eyed expression and a curious smile. This was my first time visiting the city, and it was every bit what I was hoping to see. Lauren had been complaining to me about being confined to the hospital room this whole time, yet, now that we were out, I was probably enjoying it more than she was. I had been in Equestria for a little over a month, yet, this was my first time truly seeing the world I now found myself in.

Unfortunately for me, it didn't take long for me to get lost as I aimlessly wandered through the streets. Walking along, I passed by a bank, and a little further down the main street, I passed by what looked to be Canterlot's City Library. I gave a quick smile as I passed by as I wondered just how much time sparklebutt had spent her life in that building. Following the roadway, I soon found myself to be walking through a shopping district. Although it was still quite early in the day, it was already bustling with activity.

“Free samples, come get your free samples!” A voice called out, and my ears perked up as I heard that precious word. The promise of free food was always a nice one, but it also brought me a sense of hunger that I hadn't noticed until now.

I glanced around and spotted a food stand not too far away from me. Standing there was a young colt working with an older pony. It was most likely his father, and he had the job of calling out to attract customers. Unfortunately for him, most of the city ponies were in a routine of ignoring the sounds around them, and they continued on their way unaware.

While I stood a little ways off, I gave a curious smile and headed over. They had small skewers displayed on the tray of samples; they had mango slices and strawberries stacked on them. And they all had a light dusting of icing sugar on them.

Standing close by, I caught a whiff of the sweet snack, and my mouth began to water. I longed for something good, something sweet, really anything other than hospital food. Honestly, out of all the things that it could have been, why was bad food at a hospital an undeniable fact of the multiverse?

As I asked myself that question, I suddenly felt the urge to look up, and that's when I noticed that the colt had spotted me eyeing the snacks. He picked a skewer up in his magic and held it out to me, asking, "Would you like to try one, miss?" My ears twitched as I realized I had been caught, and with a sheepish smile, not thinking too much, I grabbed the skewer in my magic and thanked him sincerely. I then walked away without much more to be said, and the colt went back to work.

He called out, looking for others to try the treat, but then, a moment later, he turned around with a confused expression. Looking down the street, he tried to see the red-maned pegasus, but the mare was nowhere to be seen. "How did she do that?"

A little ways away, I walked into a round courtyard and sat down on a nearby park bench. Grabbing the skewer with my hoof, I gave it a try. It was very sweet, and the snack disappeared too fast. With a shrug and a disappointed frown, I tossed the stick in a nearby trash-can.

Reclining on the park bench, I looked at the bustling city around me as it came to life. The majority of ponies were out and about now, and I couldn't help but find the whole sight somewhat entertaining.

Through the street, I spotted a mare leading a group of children through the crowd of ponies. She was a green pegasus and sounded young. The group headed closer to me and stood a little ways away as they looked in my direction. The mare leading the kids then threw her hoof out in front of her and said. "Now, students, this is a very important pony. Does any pony know who it is?"

I suddenly felt quite self-conscious and began looking around in confusion. Curious, I looked to the side, and out of the corner of my eye, I was a little surprised to see a statue of a mare in the center of a water fountain. Turning in my seat to look at the sculpture properly, I noticed it was an alicorn standing on her hind legs. Her head was looking down, and a somber expression was on her face. It stood at nearly twenty feet tall and had a large base. The statue looked familiar, very familiar...

I turned, facing forward again as I asked my passenger. Hey Lauren, is that you?

(I think it is...)

I took another glance at the tall, slender statue and then looked down at myself and my average height. I smirked and whispered."Wow, you got short in your old age."

'(Hey! I didn't get short. I just expelled most of my magic getting here. I was as tall as Tia before I met you.)'

So... You're like a balloon?

(I am not a balloon!)

I began to laugh, You're a magical pony balloon!

(I am not.)

Hey, if you take in too much magic, do you pop?

(Will you stop already.)

Using her admin privileges against me, the alicorn took over and bonked our head with her hoof. A moment later, I sat there holding my aching head as I gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry, ma'am."

In response, she gave an amused grunt, and I shook my head with a faint smile. Glancing back at the class of students, I listened in as they tried to guess who the statue represented. The colts and fillies threw out several guesses, but none quite hit the mark. Rather than a specific name, they would come up with generalities such as hope, harmony, rulership, and so on. The teacher clapped her forehooves together and thanked the students for their guesses. "Yes, all excellent answers. However, this statue is a representation of one particular mare. She is known throughout history as the Fausticorn."

(Faust-i-corn? That's what they're calling me?)

With a shrug of my wings, I glanced to the side, whispering, "Well, I mean, it kind of fits." I didn't get any response, but a wave of embarrassment washed over me.

Listening to the lesson, the teacher continued, "Some say that she’s the mother of the royal sisters, but no pony has been able to confirm it. Others say she was a contemporary of gusty the great. But one thing we do know is, according to the records of Starswirl the Bearded, she was the sole pony responsible for Equestria being what we know today."

As we listened, I found myself intrigued, curious about what must’ve happened in the past. Then my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of laughing coming from the recesses of my mind. What's up?

(Haha! Starswirl finally grew a beard!) Came the giggling pony's response, and I shook my head, rolling my eyes with a smile.

The teacher then reached into her saddlebags and pulled out what looked like a camera. Pulling a tab at the corner, she wound the film roll inside and took to the air as she looked through the viewfinder. "Okay, class, everypony smile at the camera."

The class collected together and looked towards her with smiles stretched across their faces. Seeing that she wasn't going to be in the shot, I got up without really thinking and approached the mare. "Excuse me," I said, and the pony looked up from her camera. “Would you like me to take the picture for you?” I asked.

The teacher glanced at me with a bemused expression, and then a look of gratitude crossed her face as she realized what I was asking. “Oh, thank you,” She said, then gave me her camera. Running over to stand with her class, the pegasus joined the shot, and I quickly looked the device over, being that it was an older style model than what I was used to. Figuring it out, I aimed the shot and instructed the ponies to get closer together.

When I had everyone in the shot, I put my wing up as if to say, okay, stay there, then began counting. “Three... Two... One.”

Click!

The ponies let themselves relax, and the teacher made her way over to me to retrieve her camera. As she approached me, her head tilted slightly, and she said, “You know, you look so familiar to me.”

I raised my eyebrows, "I do, do I?"

"Yes, but I can't put my hoof on it. Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Yeah, I think maybe you do..." I said, giving back the camera. She gave me a confused frown as she continued trying to place me. I smiled, then turned to leave. I spun around, and, taking a step forward, I bumped into an agitated Luna. With a startled gasp, the teacher and her students quickly bowed, as did the rest of the ponies standing around us. Following the crowd's example, I bowed and gave my respects.

As I kept my head low, I felt the princess's gaze burn into me. She let a moment pass, then she stated, “Your disguise is pathetic. You only hid your horn.”

Oh, crap! Standing up, I looked at the princess with a sheepish expression and rubbed my fore-hoof against the other. "Hehe, hi Luna." My sudden casual demeanor caused the ponies around to look on with confused expressions, and they watched in anticipation as the Princess stared down the red-haired 'pegasus.'

“Yes, hello, It's so nice to see that you are getting your rest and are recovering comfortably." Her tone was slow, calm, and collected, and somehow it frightened me.

Straightening up, I looked around nervously, "Yes, rest... You know I heard that fresh air is perfect for one's recovery..."

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so?" She took a step forward, and I took a step back. Glancing to either side, I spotted Celestia and Cadance walking towards us with drinks in their grasp, and they shared startled expressions upon spotting me.

Onlookers became intrigued at the scene playing out before them, and my ears folded back in embarrassment. "Yeah, I-I also heard that running is good for one's health too..."

“Really?” The princess hardened her gaze, and I scrunched up my muzzle.

Then, with a sudden jolt, I turned and began running. As if on cue, Luna launched forward and tried to bite at my tail, but she missed. I managed to make it into the crowd of stunned ponies. My small form swerved quickly in between them. But then, a blue Alicorn parted through the ponies like walking through tall grass, and she said in an irritated tone, "Mom, you get back here right now!"

"No! Don't make me go back to that boring place!" I begged as I swerved through the crowds of ponies. Some protested as I pushed past them, but others merely stared in shock as the Princess chased after a pony. In my attempts to escape my coming doom, I turned a sharp corner and dove into an alleyway. While I ran through the center, Cadance and Celestia walked into view at the other end.

Jumping up, I ran on one wall and then hopped to the other as I vaulted over the two. The Princesses simply watched, drinking their shakes as I went past.

Luna had to skid to a stop to avoid running into the other two, and she glanced at her sister with an irritated frown. "Tia, will you please, stop stuffing your face and help me!"

The solar princess took a sip from her drink and then let out a sigh. "Oh, alright."

She lit up her horn, and a moment later, from down the street, a shout of, "Oh, that's bullshit!" echoed between the buildings. The alicorn in disguise was then forcefully dragged back to the group. "Ow ow ow ow! At least don't drag me by my mane~."

Thankfully she listened to my complaint, and Tia tossed me up into a bubble of her magic. I floated above the Princesses with crossed forehooves and a grumpy frown on my face. Looking down at Celestia, I grumbled. "You cheated,"

To which, Tia looked back at me. She took a sip from her drink, then stuck her tongue out, saying, "You never said there were any rules."

"Aww, man."

They dragged me back to the hospital, and the doctors checked over me for any further injuries. Thankfully there were none, and they had me discharged within the hour. By midday, I stood back in my room. I took in a deep breath, filling my nose with the scent that the room had come to know and love. It was a smell of parchment and expensive woods. I took a moment to acknowledge how comforting that mix had become to be.

Tia and Lulu were with me, walked past, and crawled into my bed. Their exhaustion finally catching up with them. Somehow seeing them like this seemed relatively peaceful, and I couldn't help but wonder what those two were like when they were fillies. The thought made me smile, and somehow I knew my co-pilot was smiling too. I laid down and took an afternoon nap as well.

It only seemed like a few minutes passed, but the sound of a click at the door. It woke me up, and I cracked an eye open, only to see the doors of my room burst open. I watched as thirty or more servants flooded into the room. “Your highnesses, you must get up! you need to be ready!” One servant announced. Their maids practically swarmed the two Princesses; the poor alicorns didn't even get to wake up before they were dragged out of bed. Both of them made a loud thud as they fell onto the floor. Sets of one or two unicorns straightened them up in their magic, and their royal regalia was slapped onto them. I watched, horrified by the swarm. They tossed the two half-asleep Princesses into two oversized chairs they had brought with them and then began their makeup attack.

I was so thankful that I hadn't been singled out yet, and I had no intention of being part of this. So while the maids were distracted, I scampered off the bed and found a spot at the end of the room. Unfortunately for me, all the doors and windows seemed to be blocked by the vast number of makeup artists. So I hid at the corner of the room, hoping that I'd remain unseen. I was confused. What was with this all of a sudden? Why were we getting ready? What was it for? I was so focused on the unanswered questions that laid in my mind that I didn't even notice my three attendants push their way into the room. They had a large suitcase with pictures of hairbrushes and other makeup products with them, and as soon as I saw it, dread-filled my heart.

"Oh, no." I glanced over the group swarming over the solar and lunar Princesses, and my heart skipped a beat in fear. Outwardly I did my best to hide any sense of discomfort, but it still didn't stop the hair on my neck from standing up. Along with a very goofy-looking changeling as she tried to hide her amusement. My expression may have been too easy to read for her to need to taste my emotions. To my relief, when they opened the bag, it was literally just a comb and a blow dryer. That, I could handle. But if there were any chance of me looking like Rarity when she gets all caked up in face products, I'd be running for the hills. So sitting down at the desk that Lauren had introduced herself to me at, I willingly let Minuette do my hair or mane, much to her enjoyment. It seemed that ever since I first met her, she was constantly glancing up at my messy hairdo. Perhaps this would make her happy. Still, though, what was this all for?

After a few minutes of pondering the question, I gave up on trying to figure it out myself and decided to ask Lyra in a hushed voice, “So, what's going on?” Quickly making a mental note, I noticed that I'd need to practice whispering in this body. Because as soon as the question left my mouth, a sense of tension hung in the air. It wasn't so much from my attendants but rather from some of Celestia’s makeup ponies. They turned unanimously towards my direction, and some glared at me harshly. It was as if they thought I was the most insensitive person on the planet.

What did I say?

(I don't know.)

One pony stepped forward, her face failing to hide any trace of disgust. “It's Cadence’s wedding day!” The pony said. Her tone was filled with contempt, and there was a sense of nobility in her voice that I noticed. Because the way she talked reminded me of a stuck-up ass. The room went silent. Those who had seen me, and have heard of me, turned in fright as they waited for some type of judgment to occur. And I waited along with them in anticipation. Because at that moment, I could feel Lauren take control, it seemed almost out of reflex on her part. She turned to the pony and gave a shallow smile.

“(Oh, I was uninformed. Thank you, young one).” She said. Her answer was clear and sweet. But for some reason, the others in the room refused to make eye contact. They vigorously continued to work, doing so as if they were trying to avoid getting noticed. Perhaps it was not so much the words she spoke but what she said with her eyes.

Someone needs a coffee. I teased but got no response. Instead, I found myself suddenly in control again. Turning back, I looked at my reflection. Minuette had just finished doing my hair. I still preferred the other way, but at the same time, I had to admit, she did a damn good job. While looking in the mirror, Lyra brought over a white box with crimson trim and set it on the table. Minuette and Lillybreeze went to open it, but when they did, they gasped in surprise. Both stepped back with grins on their faces, and I soon found myself lured in by my curiosity. Confused about what seemed to shock them, I walked over to see what it was. When I looked in, my nerves spiked, I was dreadfully hoping no one saw me blushing because it was severely embarrassing.

Inside the box, there was golden regalia with Faust's cutie mark. You ever have one of those moments when you're dying inside but can't show it because everyone else doesn't see the whole picture. That's how it was for me at that moment. Looking over at Lillybreeze, I could see a wide smug smirk stretching across her face again.

Fricken changelings, they pick up on every emotion.

(Aww, what's wrong, Alex? Is it too girly for you?)

Shut up, you old lady!

That struck a nerve, and we started to argue. The two of us were spouting nonsense and insults at each other. A vast internal war within our own mind. It must have looked odd from everyone else's perspective because I was fairly sure we had a blank stare into space right now. Unfortunately for me, I kept on forgetting that I was up against an experienced trickster, and I often fell for her traps. In this instance, she used the argument to focus on her and not the outside world. Lifting the objects out of the box and putting them on, she managed to slip everything into place as I continued to insist that we'd never wear it. It took me a second to notice she had once again taken control and was prancing around as if to get back at me.

I was both appalled and severely impressed that she managed to do that. Inside, however, I was struggling with the thought. I wanted to rip off the stupid crown and toss it to the side. On the other hand, part of me knew that would only make things worse. It was clear that a lot of effort was put into making these things, and the more I inspected the new outfit, the more guilt I felt for feeling ready to throw it aside.

I looked over to my three friends and gave them a warm smile, “Thank you all; please let the pony who made this know that I'm thrilled with it.”

(It's a miracle! He's becoming a mature human!)

Don't push it, Faust!

“Will do, Lauren,” Lyra said as she gave a salute before trotting or pushing her way out of the room in search of the artist. Looking at myself now, I was pretty much done other than a few small things. For some reason, it seemed as if for a single moment, everypony stopped making noise. And that's the time my stomach decided to growl in hunger. Honestly, why do things always work out like that? It's as if some idiot with no storytelling skill was in charge of these events. The ponies simultaneously turned to find the source of the sound, and they found me. They took their time staring. All as if they had seen an anomaly for the first time. “What!? I missed dinner last night, okay...” I tried to defend myself from their relentless gaze but to no avail.

Lillybreeze tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I wanted her to bring some food from the kitchens. I smiled and gave a quick nod. Little did I know how much I would have liked her to stay.

Not even two minutes after she left, a filly ran through the doorway. She and then erupted in a burst of green flames, and Pennilia jumped towards me. “Law-wen! You’re back!” She cheerfully said. A moment of silence passed as all the servants paled.

“I-I-It's a Changeling! Run!” One maid shouted. Mass panic among the servants spread quickly, and they all began to run around aimlessly as they screamed at the top of their lungs. The vast mob of chaos was so distracting that I almost didn't notice the nymph had run up to me and bonked me on the nose with a jump.

“Catch me if you can!” She taunted.

Now I know the proper thing to do would have been to calm down the servants and keep order in the castle, but... well, I'm not one to resist a challenge, nor do I ever do the proper thing. “Oh, it's on!” I exclaimed, and I jumped out of my seat and ran out of the room after the little rascal.

As we were running through the halls and acting childish, Pennilia kept on finding odd places to hide. Behind the curtains, on the ceiling, under the couch, and on my head. I don't even know how she managed to pull that one-off, but somehow she made herself almost weightless. Once the chase was on, but this time as we traveled through the halls, the commotion we were causing didn't go unnoticed. Two guards came at us with their spears drawn and a slight look of fright in their eyes. “Stop right there!” They commanded me.

The nymph and I stopped as they said, and I looked at the determination in the guard's eye. Deciding to play dumb, and I leaned against the wall with a nonchalant attitude. “Hey, what's up?”

The guard snarled. “Tell us what you have done, you beast!” He moved the spear forward to try to intimidate me.

I looked around with a dumbfounded expression on my face. Finding no other people or ponies for them to be talking to. I turned back to them. “You mean me?”

“Yes!” The guard answered. His friend closed in with his spear held ready. “Now, Changeling, tell us what you have done with the Princess's mother!”

I couldn't get the look of ‘what the hell’ off my face, and I'm sure neither could my counterpart. “(I'm right here, dipshit.)” She said. But It was safe to say that they didn't believe her. Instead, they tossed their spears against our neck.

“Don't play games with us. Do you think we're blind? I can see you scheming with your associate.” The guard took a glance down at the whimpering nymph, and I couldn't help but feel frustrated with his attitude.

With a mocking tone, I began to dramatically say, “Well, you've caught us. Playing tag with a child is obviously the evilest, most despicable, horrible thing I could do.” I finished off with my hoof over my head, emphasizing my performance.

The guard jabbed his spear forward, "So you admit it then!"

I dropped my arm and gave him a half-lidded stare, "You can't be that stupid..."

“They’re that stupid...” I said to myself, walking into the wedding hall. I had guards on either side of me, and Penilia sat on my back. We were both in shackles, and the guards led us in to present us to the Princesses. I glanced at the guests sitting in their seats and the wide-eyed shock that covered their faces. Twilight and her friends were stunned, speechless, and Luna was withholding her irritation at what she was seeing.

Bound and shackled in chains, the guards pulled me along and up to the stage. I looked off to the side as a blush of embarrassment passed through me. When Celestia caught sight of me, she put a hoof over her mouth as she tried to keep from breaking into hysterics. Holding back caused tears to appear at the corners of her eyes, and I gave a snort.

The two guards stepped forward and knelt in front of Tia's position on the stage. "Your Highnesses, we have found these two changelings in the castle. We have brought them here and are awaiting your command. What are your orders?" Shining Armor, who was standing in his position on stage, was on the verge of hyperventilating as he saw what his guards had done. Twilight was standing beside him, and she reached out, putting a hoof on his shoulder to calm him down.

With a bored expression, I leaned into view and said, “Yo, Shining, you mind helping me out with these morons?” I shrugged and motioned to Penilia on my back, "She's a bit scared right now." The said nymph curled up on my back and whimpered as she tried to hide in my mane. Her shackled hooves prevented her from getting a good grip, though.

The Captain was in the shakes as his frustration spiked, and his eye twitched. Gathering his wits about him, Shining put a hoof on his chest and breathed out, calming himself down like a certain mare had shown his sister. Sighing, he stood up straight and shook his head as he held a hoof against his head.

Looking down at his two troops, he said, "Thank you both for your efforts to try to keep the castle secure. I understand your position, although I am ashamed to say that you are both mistaken." The guards looked up at the Captain with confused expressions, then dread filled their souls as they realized what he was saying. Continuing his explanation, Shining said, "Under the authority of the royal sisters and Queen Faust, this nymph and her elder sister are here as refugees. They are no threat to us, and we are to treat them as everypony else. This was already covered in the meeting last week, so if you will, please release them."

The two guards looked back at me with fearful expressions, to which I smiled and waved my wing. They hurriedly ran over and began undoing the restraints. "We are so sorry!" They both said. I glanced up at Tia, who was obviously having fun with the ridiculous situations I always seemed to find myself in. Once Penny and I were free, the two guards almost ran out of the wedding hall. Their faces were beat red, and they took the shackles with them.

Shaking my head, I walked over and sat down beside Luna, placing the nymph in between us. The little cuddle bug looked up at the Princess and began playing with her mane. Luna smiled as she looked down at the curious child. A moment later, she wrapped the nymph in her wing. Penny let out a little chirp of glee, and then the ceremony began. Twilight looked over at her brother and adjusted his uniform with her magic. Then the birds began singing.

At the cue of the music, the doors to the wedding hall opened, and three crusaders skipped their way down the aisle spreading flowers around the room. Immediately after, everypony’s attention turned to the bride. Cadence walked with the music, almost dance with it. Her face shined a brilliant smile. Her eyes were purely locked onto Shining Armor and as she stepped onto the stage to meet him. Finally, after all the waiting, the two could now be married. Celestia teleported her cue cards away and thus began her part, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. May we have the rings, please?" Spike ran over and gave them the rings, and as they were placed upon their horns, Tia said, "I now pronounce you mare and colt, you may kiss the bride"

Shining and Cadence almost lept for each other as they shared their first kiss as a married couple. Confetti and sprinkles erupted from the ground, and Pinkie Pie was jumping for joy. Rainbow shot out of the window, and a moment later, the sky lit up with a multitude of colors, which was closely followed by a resounding boom.

I hadn't noticed it, but when Luna passed me a tissue, I realized I had been crying. I don't know if it was me or if it was my other half, but the tears and sheer joy I felt was something that made all the troubles from earlier worth it.

After the ceremony, when everyone was leaving for the reception hall, Tia walked out and spotted an out-of-breath pony standing not too far away from the double doors. With a sigh, the pony said, “I’ve been... searching for you... all day...”

Tia smiled at the pony. “Oh, hi Elayne, where have you been?” The secretary simply grunted and then collapsed in a heap.

Chapter 11: Family Reception

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Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 11: Family Reception

There was a buzz in the air. The royal wedding had just ended, and the guests were leaving the hall. Outside they found all the Maids and Butlers present; they lined the halls on either side and pointed, directing the guests through the castle towards the reception hall. Almost all of them had a faint smile on their face; and carried a feeling of happiness that they got to play a part in this special occasion.

Lined up behind them stood the royal guard. Since last time, they decided to double the security and amp up their training. The attack on Canterlot had been an embarrassing display for the royal guard, and the captain hoped to rectify that blunder. So, they remained vigilant, keeping their eyes open for any threats. So far, there hadn't been any cause for alarm, but they stayed attentive all the same.

From inside the wedding hall, I watched as the guests funneled out through the door. I had decided to wait until they all left; I could have run ahead, but the little nymph in my care made the ponies feel uneasy. They played it off as indifference, given the announcement made upon my embarrassing arrival. However, I could see it in their eyes, and so could the nymph. She would pull away from some of the guests as they passed and scrunched her face up as if she was tasting something sour.

Looking back, I wished I could have done things a little differently. Maybe, if I hadn't been so overconfident and asked for more aid, she'd be free from all the animosity the ponies had for changelings. I wanted her to be welcome, to be free from stigma, and to simply enjoy her youth.

I sighed and pulled her closer, and she looked up at me with that cute expression of hers, nuzzling my leg. I smiled and looked down at her, stroking her mane as she took comfort in being at my side. In that moment, I decided that whatever it takes, I'd make the world a better place for her and Lin.

As I gave a slight nod, settling on what I would strive for, I heard Lauren's voice speak up from the midst of my mind; she broke the silence saying, (I'm the same way.)

What? I thought as I looked up into space.

The alicorn in my mind let out a stifled laugh and explained. (I felt it, Alex, your promise. I made that same vow to myself when I first laid eyes on Tia. I promised that whatever it took, I'd rid the world of all the remaining monsters and demons created by that long-horned twit; and that I would make it a world that she could live in peace and happiness.)

A happy chirp at our hooves then brought the two of us back to reality, and I looked down at Penny. The nymph smiled at us. There was understanding in her eyes. It was a sense that she knew that whatever it took, I would always protect her.

That expression of understanding was promptly replaced with confusion as Luna suddenly lifted her little body into the air. She flailed around a bit, asking, "What's the big idea!" But when she realized she was being put on Luna's back, Pennilia became all too happy to get a ride. She took the higher elevation as an opportunity to allow her to see just a little more of the city. She spotted the city through the windows and happily chirped as she saw the buildings. Luna looked at the child with an endearing smile, then she glanced at me, motioning with her head, "Come on mother, it's time."

I nodded and followed her to the doorway. By this point, most of the guests had already left, but they were still visible in the distance. Luna and I were going to follow their lead, but something else caught our attention. Sitting there beside the door was Celestia. She was kneeling down, prodding a pony with a stick. (poke poke) "Elayne... (poke poke) Elayne... (poke poke) Are you alright?..." (poke poke)

The pony on the ground groaned, tired and worn out; she whined, "Ugh… please stop princess... It's getting annoying..." Responded the pony on the floor.

I gave 'my' daughter a questioning glance, and Tia looked up at me, noticing we were there, and she gave a playful smile. "She's a little tired after her walk."

"Walk!? I was looking for YOU!" Elayne cried as she flailed around on the ground.

"But I'm right here silly." (poke poke)

"Stop it!" She said, swatting away the stick. It went flying through the air and hit a window shattering it. Elayne scrunched up her muzzle as she stared wide-eyed at the damage.

Suddenly, the sound of something clattering to the ground reached our ears, and it drew our attention to the broken window. We couldn't see him, but all of us heard the voice of a pony outside. He gasped and yelled out in a thick accent, "Oh, No!!!… I-a just put dat window up dis morning!~"

Elayne's ears flattened, and all four of us tore our attention away from the window. We looked at each other with wide eyes, and a moment of silence hung between us.

On Luna's back, Penny leaned into view. She threw her arms into the air and shouted, "Scatter!"

At her word, we all quickly got into gear and gathered our things. Tia threw Elayne on her back, and we left, scuttling away from the scene in a hurry, hoping that nopony saw us. Well, other than the guards and castle staff still standing at the side of the hall. While we ran past them, they all looked at the unicorn with a grin as they were trying to hold back a laugh. The little pony blushed furiously. She was so going to get in trouble when Silver Pane found out.

A few minutes later, we slowed our pace, figuring we had put enough distance between us and the scene of the crime. We continued at a walking pace as we got further down the hall, and at about halfway to our destination, I noticed an opening in the lineup of ponies on the side of the halls. That opening lead to a set of double doors, and through the glass, I could see the castle courtyard.

Initially, I didn't pay it any mind, and I started to walk past it, thinking that we were all supposed to be at the reception as soon as possible. However, as I walked straight past the door, the sound of running hooves met my ears. I turned my head and saw Celestia running up to catch up to me. She stopped beside me and draped her wing over my back. I gave her a questioning glance, and she explained, "Mother, you're going the wrong way."

"Huh? But the reception hall is that way isn't it?" I said, confused.

Tia smiled, "Yes, it is. But we aren't going there yet."

"We aren't?" I asked, tilting my head.

Celestia chuckled, "No, you ran out earlier before you could be told. Cadance want’s us to meet in the gardens after the wedding ceremony, we are all having our pictures taken."

I nodded, "Oh, alright... But wait, why do they want me there?"

To my question, Celestia rolled her eyes and bumped against my side, "Because Mom, she wants her whole family to be there. Come on, they're waiting for us."

She then left my side and headed outside. I stood there a moment longer as she stepped out, stunned. My heart skipped a beat as I realized something that had been rather obvious. Cadance thought of me as a part of her family, and I had been entirely oblivious to it. Till now, I had just thought of her as a close friend, but I was glad to consider her family. I smiled at the thought, and I headed out the door.

Walking outside, I had to pause for a moment as my eyes needed to readjust to the harsh light. It took a moment, but they adjusted. Looking around, I spotted Celestia landing near the wedding party walking in the distance. They were walking towards the gardens, and at the head of the party, I saw Cadance leaning her head on Shining as they walked along.

I started following them, making my way through the courtyard, hoping to catch up. As I walked along, I noticed that some of the bricks seemed a bit loose. I almost tripped a few times and needed to catch myself from stumbling. With a groan, I looked down and followed the trail of loose bricks with my eyes. What I saw made me wince.

I found myself staring at all the destruction from that day. The area was still undergoing construction, but it was clear enough for me to remember. Near the other side, I spotted the crater. The same one I had been in when we almost lost Cadance to that mad changeling. A sickening chill washed over me as I remembered the pain I was in, and I quickly shook my head, running to catch up to the group before more traumatizing memories resurfaced.

After half a minute of running, I finally caught up with the wedding party as they walked through the gardens. There was a peaceful atmosphere here, and I could hear the sound of birds as they happily flew in and out of the hedges.

We found a spot near the center where there was a fountain. The fountain flowed into a small pond, and there was a large clearing around it, and it was filled to the brim with flowers. It was a perfect location.

Coming along with us was a young colt with a camera. He had an orange coat and a brown mane; he also wore a cap backwards on his head. He wanted to get the royal couple's photos first. So, Shining and Cadance walked over. They stood in front of the fountain and looked into each other's eyes.

The rest of us stood at the sidelines as the colt tried his best to describe how he wanted the couple to pose. The two looked quite awkward, not fully understanding what he was trying to say. It was cute. When they finally understood, we watched them pose as husband and wife, holding each other while staring into each other's eyes.

A shallow smile made its way onto my face as I saw the two. Yet, at the same time, there was a slight pang of sadness in my heart. I didn't understand at first, but a moment later, an image of a tan stallion with longer hair and a beard appeared. He was a pegasus, and he was waiting on what looked to be a wedding altar. Behind him stood a white alicorn. She had a blonde mane and a pair of red glasses. The image flashed before my eyes in an instant, and it disappeared just as fast, another snippet of Faust's memories. It was quick, but the damage was already done. The image brought with it a sense of sadness to our heart.

On the outside, I was smiling happily. However, if one were paying more attention, they would notice the subtle difference in me as my breathing became shaky. Centuries of emotion held firmly in our heart came crashing down on me, and I fought to hold myself together. At the same time, Lauren was doing her best to keep her emotions at bay. However, as much as she could suppress them, they still lingered, and the effects were enough that I found it difficult to hold back from breaking into tears. Although I found it difficult, I somehow managed to hold myself together. I breathed out slowly in an attempt to calm myself. Once our little episode had passed, I tilted my head up and asked my passenger, What was that?

There was a moment of silence that passed as my words hung in the air. Then, I heard the mare at the back of my mind sigh, and she gave a sad chuckle. She took over, and I heard Lauren's voice as she said, (That...) Our gaze, turned to Tia and Luna. (...Was their father... And the mare, was my mentor... They're gone now...)

There was a deep-seated pain in her heart as she said this, and before I knew it, I was back in control. My chest ached, and my breathing was shaky. With a sad smile, I tilted my head up and whispered to myself. "You miss them, don't you..."

(Yes... I miss them so very much...)

I breathed out gave a slight nod recognizing her pain. But I also understood she was happy she made her decision and that she'd do it again if given a choice.

I stood off to the side, absorbed in my thoughts. The click of a camera caught my attention, and I looked over to see two ponies standing with us that I hadn't met yet. One was a white mare with a white and purple mane, and the other one was a blue stallion with a navy-colored mane. They were taking their own photos, but they also quickly noticed my gaze. Turning to look at me, the mare's eyes lit up, and she gave the camera to the stallion beside her and trotted over to me. A wide grin made its way onto her face as she approached me.

"Hello, you wouldn't happen to be Miss Faust, would you?"

"...Yes." I answered hesitantly.

The mare's face beamed with excitement, "I've heard so much about you, I'm Twilight Velvet, Shining's mother, both him and Twilight have been singing your praises over the past couple days. It's so nice to finally meet the mare everypony's talking about!"

My ears flattened against my head, "Wait, everypony's talking about me?"

"Yes of course! It's been the talk of the whole city. The mysterious mare who appeared out of nowhere and single-hoofedly fought off an army."

I reared back slightly, "I didn't realize the whole city already knew about me..."

Not too far away, Celestia put a hoof to her forehead, "Yes, mother, of course they do. I've been trying to keep things quiet as much as I could, but once the news got out, we ended up having to beat the news ponies off the door. It's been a real headache..."

I looked back at her with a surprised expression, "Oh, sorry about that. I didn't realize." I said with a shrug.

Tia shook her head, "It's not your fault, mom. They're just, very... Persistent."

"I guess." I said, then turned back to Velvet and raised an eyebrow, "So, you mentioned Shining and Twilight have been singing my praises. What excatly have they been saying?"

Velvet's smile turned into a grin, realizing what I was doing, and she happily joined into my little game. She raised her voice, making it loud enough for all to hear, and proceeded to say. "Well, Shining has been going on and on about what you did during the wedding. He keeps mentioning about how you revolutionized the guards shielding techni..." That's all she was able to get out before the mare's mouth was promptly covered by both Shining and Twilight. They had a look of worry and embarrassment on their faces. It was priceless.

"Please excuse her." Shining said, and Velvet raised her brow with amusement. An understanding gaze flashed across our faces. Teasing these kids was going to be so much fun.

Before the conversation could progress any further, the photographer asked that they include the wedding party for the next set of photos. Twilight and her friends went up and stood together, and he clicked his camera at a ridiculous speed. Somehow Rarity managed to strike a different pose for each shot.

As he finished those, we then moved onto a large family photo. That's where Tia, Luna, Twilights parents, and myself came in. We all stood there and got a group shot. Once we finished that, we got a silly picture just for the fun of it.

Finishing up, we made our way to the reception. On our way back, the girls switched shifts, and Luna raised the moon, beginning the night.

When we arrived at the reception, everypony already sat at their assigned seating. The banquet had tables set up under a covered overhang, but the rest was open to the night air. I sat down at a long table with the rest of the wedding party. Shining and Cadance were in the center, and the rest of us were on either side of the two.

The dinner itself seemed to be catered towards the nobility than anything else, but that's what one would expect from a royal banquet.

Once everypony had eaten to their fill, excluding Pinkie, the newly married couple stood up from their seats. They entered the center of the room, and everyone's attention turned to them.

We watched with keen interest as the lights in the room suddenly dimmed and the subtle background music came to a halt. The live orchestra lifted a sheet of music as they switched to a different song, then they waited, keeping their eyes on the couple. The two were standing facing each other, then at their signal, the music began. Thus began their first dance as a married couple.

It was rather interesting to me. The two danced what I would guess to be the pony equivalent to a waltz.

Both Tia and Lulu cooed at the sight, and I felt my ear lift at the sound of their voices, and a grin quickly spread across my face. Mentally stepping aside, I watched as Lauren took over. With a sly smile, Faust nudged her daughter's sides with our wings and said, "(Well that's one princess married off, now just two more to go.)"

Both princesses stiffened up at Lauren’s words, and they turned their heads to look at her in protest. However, upon seeing the grin spreading across Faust's face, the princesses quickly realized that their mother was only pulling their leg. Celestia chuckled to herself, and Luna sighed in relief. For Celestia, it had been a while since she had been on the receiving end of such teasing.

I felt myself regain control, and I glanced up at Celestia, and she gave me a playful nudge as she held down a blush. Picking up a glass, Tia took a sip of water, and she began to look around at the crowd with an awkward gaze. She hoped no 'eligible' colts overheard our conversation. To her relief, there didn't seem to be any looking at her. But she stifled a laugh when she spotted a few stallions looking at Luna.

As for everypony else, they had their attention on the two in the center of the dancefloor. The crowd cheered for the couple as their performance came to an end. Cadance and Shining gave each other a small kiss. As they broke the kiss, the two stepped away from each other and smiled.

Suddenly, a steady beat grew in time with the music, and the couple were beginning to dance to the beat. From out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie slid onto the dance floor with a microphone, and she shouted, "Alright! Who's ready to par-tay!"

As she spoke, the pink mare spun around and hit a button that most of the guests had thought to be just another decoration. Confetti and streamers suddenly burst from the ceiling, and the music from the orchestra picked up with a funky beat.

Twilight and her friends quickly ran out to the dance floor, and the rest of the guests soon followed. Fireworks erupted outside. They only added to the atmosphere of celebration.

I got up and walked over to the balcony, enjoying the fresh night air. That's when I noticed it. The whole city was lit up in celebration, and I found myself looking out in disbelief. I knew that Pinkie could throw a party together, but this was on a completely different level than I had ever imagined. All of Canterlot was up in celebration, and from the dim lights in the distance, it looked like other towns and cities were as well. I was astonished, and I suddenly found myself with a newfound respect for the crazy mare.

Glancing back at 'my' daughters. I spotted Tia enjoying her time talking with a group of ponies. Luna, on the other hand, seemed to be content with watching from her seat. I gave a frown, and with a quick flash of my horn, she was enveloped in an ember glow, and she let out a surprised yelp when I lifted her from her seat. Luna floated over to my side, and I set her down.

She looked at me expectantly, and I flashed a grin and stuck my tongue out at her. She did the same back to me, and the two of us chuckled as we looked out at the night sky.

Glancing in her direction, I asked her, "Do you feel like dancing?"

Luna looked down and pursed her lips. With a shallow nod, she answered, "Yes, I would like to, but I am unfamiliar with this music, and I have not danced in a very long time..." She looked up at me with a sheepish expression, and admitted "I think I forgot how..."

Taking her concerns in stride, I walked a little closer and draped a wing over her back. Looking her in the eyes with a smile, I said, "Luna, you don't have to worry about any specific type of dance, just be yourself. Come on, you can't be worse than me. I guarantee it."

(Hey! I'm a great dancer!)

But I ain't, not even as a human.

(In that case, this should be interesting.)

Luna shook her head and looked at me, "But Mother, I'm a princess, I'm supposed to know how to..." She trailed off as he looked down in embarrassment.

Bumping up against her side, I waved a hoof, saying, "Ah, who cares! Come on, Luna." I lead her across the room through the crowd. On our way to find a clear area, we came across where Twilight was dancing. The little unicorn was having a blast, but at the same time, she couldn't dance to save her life. She was just so bad. It looked more like she was being electrocuted than any form of rhythmic movement. Poor Spike got too close and got thrown across the room from one of her flailing legs. Thankfully, AJ reacted quickly enough and caught the drake with the punch bowl she was standing beside. The baby dragon crawled out muttering to himself about 'every single party and went to get the towel he brought with him.

The nobility around her looked on with concern and backed away from the purple unicorn. Spotting the adorkable spaz, I leaned closer to Luna and whispered. "Notice how when it's just one pony looks silly, but if you add two or more, then it's just fun."

The princess was confused. Then when I let go of her side, she looked at me with horror, "Mother you don't mean..."

"Yep!" I said, cutting her off, and I jumped in beside Twilight. My limbs were all over the place, and I think I managed to be even worse than Twilight.

The nobility around us looked on in surprise, and Luna put her hoof to her muzzle as she started chuckling to herself. She watched the pair of us boogie like a couple of fools. The princess gradually started to get a little more comfortable as she watched us, and after a minute, she approached my side and began trying to find her rhythm. She was much better than the two of us, but we now had three dancing goofs in either case. That three quickly became four as Pinkie joined in, and with her came the children. I made sure to put myself in between them and sparklebutt, lest we get any more casualties.

With Pinkie here, our goofy dancing quickly became a game, and we each would make a silly dance while the others tried to follow. Luna did a strut in place while bobbing her head back and forth to the beat, I threw my arms up and swung them back and forth above my head, and Twilight did, well, Twilight. We certainly had our fun. We went on like that for hours, eventually exhausting ourselves to the brink of collapse.

When the party began to wind down, I found myself at the back talking to Cadance and Shining Armor. The two were about to depart, apparently having to catch a flight to their honeymoon destination.

Standing at the door, Shining explained, "Yeah, so we are heading back now so we can get enough sleep to get up in the morning." He looked over to Celestia and bowed, "Thank you for presiding over our wedding, it truly is an honor."

As he said that, Cadance nodded in agreement, and Tia looked at the married couple with a warm smile. "It was my pleasure. Have a wonderful honeymoon you two." The couple bowed their heads in respect and then turned to leave. before walking out of sight Shining and Cadance gave one last glance at the group of us standing at the back of the reception hall, we waved, and the two left.

Watching them walk away, I felt Lauren take over, she leaned to the side, supporting our weight on our hip, and smirked. With a laugh, she said, "(Yeah, he's not getting any sleep tonight…)" Both Tia and Luna nodded in unison, as she said this, and the wedding party quickly gained a blush on their faces.

Shining's parents, who weren’t too far away, also overheard Lauren's comment. Velvet broke out into a fit of giggles, and Night light grinned, and threw his foreleg into the air, shouting, "That's my boy!"

From amongst all the commotion, Twilight was a bit confused, but then suddenly, she caught on and her face became beat red with a puff of smoke. Meanwhile, Spike looked back and forth between everyone, and shrugged, "I don't get it."