Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Engagement parties were always happy and fun, and they were one of Pinkie’s most favorite kinds of parties to plan. A young couple in love, with eyes only for one another, surrounded by adoring family and friends … what was there not to like? What was there not to celebrate?
Pinkie Pie walked through the midday crowds that filled the Ponyville town square, her saddlebags pulling down on her flank as though each bag weighed a ton. But that was just silly, of course. Saddlebags couldn’t weigh an entire ton, no matter how many streamers a pony crammed into them, and besides, Pinkie hadn’t even had a chance to buy most of the items on her party supply list yet. She’d only gotten through “appetizers”--earlier that day, she’d picked up ingredients to make a lentil bean pâté fancy enough for a king, or queen, or a prince--but she was nowhere near the end of her list, where “xylophone” waited ever so patiently.
She might have to special order the xylophone, though. She stopped dead in her tracks, in the middle of the road, and frowned thoughtfully. The xylophone might be a problem. A few ponies passing by grunted in annoyance as they had to step around the suddenly-still earth pony, but Pinkie Pie barely noticed. Her mind was occupied by much more pressing matters. She’d had such a hard time getting her hooves on musical instruments back when the parasprites had invaded Ponyville, and she just didn’t know if that one store in town would--
“Pinkie? Pinkie Pie!”
Pinkie’s shoulders went rigid and tight, just for a second, before she forced her muscles to relax. Slapping a broad smile on her face, she turned her head towards the voice that had suddenly broken her party-planning musings.
Applejack stood not too far away, stationed behind her trusty apple stand, and was looking at Pinkie with a terrible sadness in those deep, honest eyes. It was horrible, that look in the farmer’s eyes, almost unbearable.
The pink earth pony checked quickly to make sure her smile was still in place before she finally trotted over to the apple stand. “Hiya, AJ! Nice weather, today, isn’t it? How’s the apple-selling going so far? Have you had a lot of customers? How about--”
“Pinkie,” interrupted Applejack in a loud, sharp voice, her frown deepening.
Pinkie went quiet. The talking and laughter of all the other ponies in the town square faded to a low, indistinct buzz, and Pinkie began sweating as the sun beat down mercilessly from above. Though maybe it was all the weight she was carrying that was making her sweat. Her saddlebags really did feel too heavy.
Applejack licked her lips, seeming nervous, before she continued. “You … you got the letter. The letter from the princess. Same as the rest o’ us.” It wasn’t really a question. But when Pinkie didn’t answer immediately, Applejack added, “Didn’t ya, Pink?”
Pinkie took a long, slow breath in through her nose and let it back out through her mouth. Then she laughed--a sudden explosion of sound, a bark of laughter that sounded too loud even to her own ears. “Well, of course I got the letter! Why do you think I’m planning an engagement party, silly filly? I mean, it wouldn’t make very much sense to throw an engagement party if nopony was engaged!”
“You’re … you’re doin’ what, now?”
But Pinkie ignored that question. Instead she reached back into her saddlebags and took out a folded sheet of paper. She carefully laid it out on top of the apple stand and flattened it out with a sweep of her hoof. The letter’s paper was smooth and creamy, off-white in color, and the words upon it had been written in an elegant, flowing script using a golden ink that nearly glowed under the sunlight. It was undeniably the most beautiful letter that Pinkie Pie had ever seen.
After clearing her throat, she began reading aloud, “Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the upcoming wedding of Prince Blueblood and Lady Twilight Sparkle--”
An orange hoof suddenly slammed down over the paper and prevented her from reading any further. Pinkie Pie jerked back with a squeak of surprise.
“You stop that right now,” Applejack hissed, her eyes narrowed and flashing. A few apples tumbled from the cart as the farm pony leaned forward, but Applejack didn’t seem to notice. “Stop pretendin’ you’re all right when you ain’t. Stop pretendin’ any of this is all right, when we both know it ain’t nothin’ of the sort!”
As the last vestiges of her smile crumbled to dust, Pinkie looked down and stared at the apples that had fallen onto the ground. They looked sad and lonely. After stooping to pick up the apples and put them back on the cart, Pinkie quietly replied, “I don’t know what else to do, Applejack. I just … I need her to still be my friend, and ...” She swallowed and tried to ignore the stinging at the back of her eyes. “And I’m Pinkie Pie! I throw parties! That’s who I am, and that’s what I do! I don’t think that … I just can’t …”
She squeezed her eyes shut, as tight as she could, and tried to think of something happy, of something fun. Something that would stave off those nagging, unwelcome tears that were welling up inside of her and making a nuisance of themselves. But all she could think of was Twilight--Twilight pouring hot sauce into a wine goblet, Twilight organizing Winter Wrap-up, Twilight smoking her bubble pipe, Twilight holding her, Twilight kissing her--and it was so wrong, so unspeakably wrong, but all of these memories weren’t making Pinkie happy the way they once had. Far from it. These memories were slowly choking her, strangling her, stealing something that had been precious and rare …
Pinkie Pie smelled the faint scent of earth and apples a moment before she felt a pair of strong forelegs wrap around her, pulling her in tight against a warm, broad chest. Her eyes stayed closed, but she allowed herself to lean her head against her friend’s shoulder. It helped. Just a little, but it helped.
Applejack sighed softly. “All right, then. You tell me what needs doin’ to get this party put together … and I’ll help ya do it.”
“R-really?”
“Really and truly, sugar cube.”
Fluttershy furiously flapped her wings as hard as she could, in a largely unsuccessful attempt to keep up with Rainbow Dash. The blue pegasus was tearing across the skies at breakneck pace, so far ahead that she was almost out of Fluttershy’s visual range. But even if Dash rocketed out of view entirely, Fluttershy knew exactly where to go. Knew exactly where she would find her fellow pegasus.
The Ponyville library.
Even so, Fluttershy kept pumping her wings and hoping against hope that she would somehow catch up to Rainbow Dash.
But it was not to be. By the time she reached the library, the door stood wide open, and she could hear loud shouting coming from inside. Fluttershy landed and took a deep, steadying breath. Then another. And then a third. Finally, after a shout ear-splitting enough that it rattled the windows of the tree, Fluttershy took one last breath and forced herself to step inside the library.
“What in Equestia is wrong with you, Sparkle?” Rainbow’s face was pushed right up against Twilight’s, and the unicorn winced noticeably as she fell back against a bookshelf. “How could you just … I mean, we’re talking about Pinkie Pie, for Celestia’s sake! The pony who’d do anything to make a friend smile! The pony who loves everypony!”
Twilight Sparkle bit her lip. “I … I know.”
“The pony who loves you,” spat Dash, as though she hadn’t even heard Twilight’s response. “Who loves you more than she’s loved anypony, ever. Who loves you more than you deserve!”
At that, Fluttershy gasped aloud. “Rainbow Dash!”
But Twilight was shaking her head now. “You’re right, Rainbow. About everything. All of it. And I’m … I’m sorry.”
“Then why?” Growling, Rainbow slammed a hoof into the bookcase that stood behind the unicorn. The shelves shook violently, and a few books tumbled to the floor. “Why are you doing this to her?”
Instead of answering, Twilight simply bent down and began gathering up the fallen books in her hooves. Rainbow hovered in the air just inches away, still glaring, her lips curling in a snarl and leaving her teeth bared. Fluttershy, meanwhile, frowned at the sight before her. As much as she disliked when Dash got this angry, that wasn’t why she was frowning. Rainbow’s rage was … uncomfortable, but it was familiar.
There was something here that was wrong, though. Something that Fluttershy couldn’t quite figure out--until suddenly, all at once, it finally clicked.
“Rainbow Dash,” she called out, very quietly, in a voice that was as hard as steel. It was a voice she didn’t use very often with the other pegasus, but she felt it was justified here and now. “I need you to leave the library.”
Immediately Dash’s head whipped around. “Oh, no way! Twilight is not gettin’ let off the hook this time, no matter how much you--”
Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, ever so slightly, and Rainbow shut up. Fluttershy’s voice remained perfectly calm and perfectly deadly as she replied, “Nopony is being let off anything. But I really need to speak with Twilight right now. Alone.”
Rainbow glanced over to Twilight, who stood frozen, her forelegs laden down with books, and then back to Fluttershy. Indecision flickered in those deep, pink eyes.
“Please.” When Dash still didn’t budge, Fluttershy decided to pull out the heavy artillery. “Please, Rainbow. Do it for me?”
Sighing heavily, Dash landed on the floor and scuffed a hoof against the wood. Her shoulders slumped, and Fluttershy felt a sharp stab of guilt at the sight of the other pegasus looking so defeated.
“All right,” muttered Dash. “All right. You win.” She shot a poisonous glance in Twilight’s direction. “But don’t you even begin to think that this is over, Sparkle, ‘cause it’s not! I’m not done with you yet, not by a long shot … and that’s a Pinkie promise.”
With an angry flick of her tail, Rainbow Dash turned on her heel and stalked away from the other two ponies. She slammed the door on the way out, and both Fluttershy and Twilight flinched as the entire tree shook from the impact.
Fluttershy turned towards her unicorn friend once the shaking subsided, and Twilight gazed back at her with haunted eyes brimming over with exhaustion and pain and an ineffable sadness. “Well,” began Twilight, sighing, “I suppose that means it’s your turn to yell at me now. Feel free to start whenever you’re ready.”
“Twilight …” The pegasus paused and bit her lip. Wondered if she might be wrong. And yet …
And yet.
It was all in the eyes, really. Fluttershy knew, from her years of experience taking care of animals, how to read body language and unspoken visual cues. To do the work she did, she had to know how to quickly pick up on important information. And right now, as she looked into the violet eyes of her friend, wide and glassy, Fluttershy knew that she’d been absolutely correct in her earlier suspicion.
She knew she was looking at a wounded animal. An animal who was bleeding and hurting and scared half to death.
“Twilight,” Fluttershy began again, careful to keep her voice soft and soothing. Just as she would with any wounded creature. “It’s your magic. Isn’t it? Something’s wrong with your magic. You … you didn’t pick up the books using your magic, as you normally would.”
The other pony blinked at that, and her jaw dropped open in evident shock. Then, with a weak, half-hearted chuckle, she replied, “Actually, it’s gone. My magic is … it’s completely gone. I haven’t been able to so much as levitate a single grain of sand ever since … since …” She closed her eyes and gently shook her head.
Fluttershy nodded sadly. It made sense, now that she thought about it. Twilight was the Element of Magic, after all, and magic needed friendship to survive. It needed all of its fellow Elements. It needed Laughter.
It made sense. Terrible, awful, perfectly logical sense.
“I … I didn’t even know about the stupid engagement until I got back to Ponyville.” Twilight laughed, but it was a laugh that dripped venom and bitterness. “But my parents want me to … and they’re--they’re my parents, Fluttershy … I can’t just tell them … I can’t, I can’t, I can’t …“
Wordlessly the pegasus approached Twilight and, when Twilight didn't speak and didn't stir, she gathered the other mare up into a gentle embrace. She held Twilight and waited for Twilight to let go, to begin crying, to release the tears that Fluttershy knew had to be lurking somewhere inside her, but Twilight never did. Twilight just shivered and shook, all while letting out a low, keening whine.
How could Twilight Sparkle be so stupid?
That had been the buzz around all of Canterlot for practically as long as anyone could remember, the gossip at every high-society gala. How could Twilight Sparkle—famed scholar, protégé of Celestia, bearer of the Element of Magic—possibly be so stupid?
Why, they asked, did she not follow her older brother's lead? Shining Armor had lived up to the proud legacy and lofty expectations associated with the Sparkle family name. He'd been the youngest pony ever to be made captain of the Royal Guard, and he served his nation and his princesses ably. What's more, he had the good sense to marry up, somehow winning the heart and hoof of Mi Amore Cadenza herself.
Indeed, Shining Armor was but the latest generation in an unending line of spectacular Sparkles—generals and chancellors, dukes and duchesses, ministers and magicians. All of Equestria's history books were filled with the lives and exploits of the Sparkle clan. And then … then, there was Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight Sparkle, the librarian.
Of Ponyville.
An earth pony town, of all places.
But even that might have been forgivable. Something that could be overlooked. Twilight was still young, after all, and still had not finished all her schooling. Perhaps, whispered the nobility in Canterlot, perhaps Twilight was merely using the quiet little village of Ponyville to prepare for something greater and grander than anyone suspected. Some said perhaps she'd be named Royal Advisor, while others speculated that the young unicorn would be given a position in Parliament.
Thus, the rumors swirled and spread, but ultimate judgment was withheld.
And then came the day when the wedding announcements were sent out by Princess Celestia, announcing the upcoming nuptials of one Twilight Sparkle, to take place at the royal palace. The upcoming marriage of Twilight, the youngest of the Sparkle line, the one who'd always seemed to hold the most promise--and who was now betrothed to Prince Blueblood himself. The most eligible and desirable bachelor in all the kingdom.
Nopony called Twilight stupid after that.
In fact, at that year’s Grand Galloping Gala, held just a few weeks after the wedding announcement, the talk of the gala was Twilight Sparkle and her admirable intelligence. To be sure, there were a few bitter complaints and jealous barbs thrown, but overall, the nobility in Canterlot breathed a collective sigh of relief. The youngest of the Sparkles, at long last, was coming into her own and taking her rightful place in society.
Before that night, if one had asked Applejack if she’d ever feel annoyed by ponies praising Twilight’s brains, she’d have answered that of course she wouldn’t. But then, the Grand Galloping Gala always was a special circumstance.
The farmer stood behind her trusty apple cart, selling her baked goods as best as she was able, while nearby Rarity regaled a group of minor nobles with mildly fabricated stories of her romance with the Duke of Trottingham. The unicorn had just reached a point in her story where the duke was lavishing her with expensive perfumes when a marquis suddenly cut in, saying with a snort, "Speaking of romance, can you believe the news about Lady Twilight and Prince Blueblood? It is high time, I say! Rumor has it that, before accepting the prince’s proposal, Lady Twilight was actually dallying with some lowly pastry chef out in that backwater hamlet she so loves."
The rest of the little crowd gasped in unison and took a careful step back, while the oblivious marquis smiled a smug little grin.
For her own part, Rarity returned the marquis' smile with one as cold and sharp as ice. Applejack began inching towards the unicorn and wondered if she’d have to bodily restrain her from doing physical harm to the unlucky marquis. It was clear even to Applejack that this was a situation that called for careful diplomacy and tact.
Unfortunately, there was hardly a pony throughout all Equestria less suited to engaging in careful diplomacy and tact than Applejack.
The earth pony thought of explaining to the gathered nobles about how Twilight's eyes lit up whenever Pinkie burst into the library, or how Pinkie surprised the librarian on Hearts and Hooves with a three story tall cake covered in elaborate purple icing, or how it had been only Twilight who had been granted access to the bakery the day that Gummy had had his accident. She thought of telling a hundred different stories, of a hundred different moments.
Ultimately, however, she decided not to say any of that. They wouldn't understand—and, moreover, they didn't deserve to know. Not any of it.
Instead, as she quietly drew up beside, Rarity, Applejack simply retorted, in her very best Manehattanite accent, “Pardon my interruption, my dear sir, but I do believe that is the bearer of the Element of Laughter to whom you refer.” Then she tipped her hat towards Rarity. “Come, good madam, let us away. I seem to recollect that the princesses wish to have an audience with us.”
Blinking and seeming startled, Rarity just stared at the earth pony for several long seconds. Then she seemed to remember herself and, with a delicate cough, replied, “Yes, yes. Of course. We mustn’t keep the princesses waiting.” She flashed another frosty smile to the gathered nobles. “Please excuse us.”
In silence, the two ponies began trotting toward the entryway to the ballroom. Only after they were out of hearing distance from the group of ponies they’d just left did Rarity turn towards Applejack, her eyes wide and sparkling under the moonlight. "Beating nobility at their very own game? My word, Applejack, I never knew you had it in you!”
The farmer grinned despite herself. “That so? Well, Rare, I reckon there’s a whole lot about me ya don’t know.”
“Indeed?” Rarity raised an eyebrow in silent challenge, a slight smirk playing at the edges of her mouth--but then, suddenly she frowned, as her eyes shifted to a point somewhere over Applejack’s left shoulder.
Applejack turned her head and almost immediately spotted the cause of Rarity’s frown. There in the ballroom, at the long and extravagant head table, sat the royalty of Canterlot. Princess Celestia took the center seat and smiled graciously at one and all, but there was an unmistakable sadness in her eyes. Princess Luna looked similarly troubled, while Prince Blueblood only seemed bored. But it was Twilight Sparkle who stood out most of all.
The purple unicorn was smiling, a tiny smile stretched wide and almost to the point of breaking, while her forehooves rested primly atop the tablecloth. She didn’t move, not even to take a sip of drink or bite of food, but simply sat there, wearing that rictus smile. Never before had Applejack seen her friend look so miserable or so … so positively trapped.
“Oh, sugar cube,” she murmured, half to herself. She wasn’t even sure just who she was addressing, exactly. She only knew that she meant it with all her heart.
It was a beautiful dress, even in its half finished state. The dress had ruffles upon ruffles, elaborate and perfectly placed, accented with the loveliest amethysts and diamonds that magic could find. Every stitch had been sewn with the utmost care, and every last detail had been planned with the utmost attention. The cherry on top, of course, was that the fabric that had been chosen was as white and as pure as a fresh fallen snow.
It was a beautiful dress, truly. A radiant dress. Quite possibly even the single most beautiful garment that she had ever created.
Rarity absolutely despised it.
But she carried on dutifully, toiling away night and day on the project. She had promised, after all. Had Pinkie promised that she would create for Twilight Sparkle the most amazing, the most resplendent, and the most perfect wedding gown that ponydom had ever seen. It was to be a wedding present to the blushing bride, and certainly Rarity only gave the very best presents to her nearest and dearest friends.
And Twilight Sparkle liked it. At every fitting of the gown in progress, Twilight had smiled tiredly and declared her love for the dress. Every single time, she marveled over its painstaking detail and over Rarity’s prowess as a designer. And as much as Rarity loved hearing all this, as much as she basked in the praise, she couldn’t help but notice that there was one thing that Twilight never so much as mentioned during all of the fittings: the groom.
She knew why that was so, of course, and she suspected that Twilight herself knew that Rarity knew. But today … today was the last fitting before Rarity finished the train, which in turn would complete the gown, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang in her chest as she watched her friend gaze at her reflection in the boutique’s mirrors.
“It’s lovely,” said Twilight, her voice utterly devoid of the least bit of happiness. “The dress is absolutely perfect.”
Rarity set her jaw.
The purple unicorn glanced over her shoulder and offered up a wan smile. “Thank you so much for making this for me, Rarity.”
“You’re more than welcome, dear. Though, I must say … “ She hesitated. Took a breath. “The dress is hardly perfect.”
“Rarity! How can you say such a thing?” Twilight looked down at the gown she wore then back up, her mouth set in a confused frown. “This is the most beautiful dress you’ve ever made!”
Rarity allowed herself a small nod. “That's quite an accurate observation, yes. But the gown’s true beauty can only shine when the bride herself shines … and what you have been doing over these last few months, Twilight Sparkle, is the precise opposite of shining.”
Twilight’s brows knit together. “Rarity, that isn’t—”
“He’s horrid, Twilight! He is absolutely dreadful, and you cannot tell me that you don’t think so as well!”
“I … he … “ Still frowning, Twilight turned her back to her friend and stared hard into the mirror. “He’s a prince. My parents, they always … Shining Armor married a princess, Rarity! A princess! There are … expectations … “
“But darling! You don’t love him!”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Rarity allowed herself a small pause, a brief but meaningful silence, before she quietly ventured, “She still loves you. I hope you realize that. And unless I’m very much mistaken, you still love her.”
Twilight flinched but still didn’t turn back around. “That … that doesn’t matter, either.”
But it did, of course. Of course it did. Twilight had that tone in her voice, however, the one that indicated that she was determined to be obstinate and completely foolish, and Rarity chose not to argue. She’d gotten into far too many squabbles with Applejack to not recognize a losing battle when she saw one. Instead, she simply made the necessary adjustments to the gown and issued a brusque command to Twilight to return in two days for the finished dress.
That evening, Rarity took out the gown from its special, well-hidden, and absolutely contagion-free storage place. She laid it out on her worktable, next to all of the necessary supplies, and studied it under the light of the moon streaming in through the boutique’s windows. Lovingly she gazed at the satiny shine of the fabric, the dazzle and sparkle of the gemstones, the clean, smooth lines of the stitching. The gown truly was beautiful. The pinnacle of her entire fashion career.
With a soft sigh, she lit a match and set the dress on fire.
She watched in stoic silence as it blazed and burnt, then as it crumbled into a dull, gray ash. It took far less time than she would have imagined—weeks’ worth of work, gone in just minutes. Life was like that, though, wasn’t it? She supposed so, anyway.
Once the flames were completely out, she carefully brushed the dress’ remains into a waste bin and inspected her work table for any damage. She was pleased to see that her magic spell from earlier in the day had worked and that the table betrayed not a single scorch mark or other sign of damage. Pleased enough that she even smiled, just a tiny bit.
And then, still smiling, Rarity set out from her home and headed towards Sugarcube Corner at a brisk trot. Even from a distance she could see that, on the top floor of the bakery, a light remained on. Which was good news, as Pinkie Pie was getting a visit whether the earth pony was awake or not and whether she wanted one or not. Rarity wasn’t just coming over for an idle bit of chit chat, after all, but to discuss vitally important business.
Because she and Pinkie? They had a wedding to sabotage.
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As always Donny, seeing an update from you makes my day. Further comments after reading.
Somepony got featured!
Way to go Rarity!
Arranged marriages suck don't they? Great chapter 
You write Rarity so well.
Perhaps you're just a natural at it, or perhaps Seeking Beauty gave you excellent training, but Rarity completely steals the show the chapter. You never need to resort to anything but the very edges of telling us what she feels, but we know in intimate detail almost every thought that crosses her mind, why she does everything she does.
And her last line is perfect.
I can't say I LIKE the direction the story had headed, but who likes watching character they care about go through hell?
We put characters through hell so they can show us what they are made of.
Show us something.
I HATE YOU I HATE YOU YOU BASTERDDDDDDD
agh it's so good
aaaaaagh
>doesn't matter
Stop breathing, Twilight Sparkle.
Stop it right now.
Preferably with Pinkie Pie right next to you for CPR.
DID YOU HEAR ME, TWILIGHT SPARKLE?
GET MARRIED TO PINKIE OR DIE.
THE SUPREME ORDER OF SHIPPING DEMANDS IT.
It's been a hell of a ride. Now I'm ready to see Blueblood burn.
That was a... rather unexpected turn of events. But like I said from the beginning, I like the premise you have set here. Really looking forward to see how it comes along.
Jesus, talk about a gut punch there. I mean, that caused me physical pain.
And then the end made me smile one HELL of a big smile...
Okay. Serious question. Was it Twilight's parents that set the engagement? And if so, why has Celestia not smote them to ashes? dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Twilight_Sparkle.png Cause they could very well be accused of endangering Equestria by stripping the Element of Magic of her magic, even by accident.
Seriously though. Good chapter. I hated it, cause I hate seeing crappy situations like that, but still, good chapter.
Go Rarity!
Things are about to get Very Interesting.
Sure, saving the world twice, uncovering a third plot so it could be stopped, defeating a ursa minnor, and helpping get a dragon to leave is not noteworthy to any noble. No it has to be eather a well know position in Canterlot or marry into royalty to be worthy in Canterlot. This is why I hate the nobility.
)
(forgive the bad spelling...
That was awesome, but twilight's magic.... I need details!
Whew, I actually felt angry while I was reading this. You totally had this come out of left field, and I was actually shocked when Pinkie read the letter. You did a great job keeping tension high and building angst. One thing I have to wonder is how Twilight could convince herself not only to give up love, but also give up her magic: which is what truly makes her the pony that she is. I know that she tends to crave validation, but this seems extreme, even for her. Here's to hoping you delve into this a bit more, and I can't wait for Pinkie to cause her special type of mayhem and sweep Twilight back off her hooves.
923629
It's not that those don't matter at all, it's that "status" has a short memory and the value of accomplishments fades as they go further into the past. But a permanent position (including, I suppose, 'Princess Blueblood') is always relevant. From their twisted perspective, the fact she accomplished all that would make her lack of anything 'lasting' (as if the continued existence of their entire culture wasn't lasting) more of a shame....Yeah, it's pretty warped.
I
A well written chapter. If this story hadn't already established a firm habit of time-skipping the in media res opening to the engagement revelation would be a lot more awkward. It still feels slightly clunky but not terribly so.
Ah, DB, All I really have to say here is that your Rarity continues to be the best possible thing of all the best possible things. I love her so much.
Go talk some sense into that pink pony, Rarity!
My eyes lit up when I read that last line.
Donny, you are the most genius of fic authors.
Oh buck. That chapter physically hurt to read. Was not expecting this sudden change of events in the slightest.
....never thought id be thanking someone for a kick in the nuts but thanks for this fic
Wouldn't Celestia hear about this? I'd expect Twilight to open up to her.
927504
It's quite clear from the end of the Gala scene that Celestia knows exactly what is happening on the Blueblood end, and if rumors of Twilight's relationship with Pinkie have been floating around Canterlot, you can bet Celestia knows about that too. From a practical standpoint, the easiest time for Celestia to stop this would be before the betrothal became generally known when she could have a polite chat with the parties involved, but she does seem to be the type to let ponies have every available opportunity to solve their own problems. I can't see her actually marrying them, but I can see her doing the wuv, twue wuv schtick after giving significant aid to Rarity and Pinkie's quest to sabotage the wedding.
Personally, I hope that at some point Blueblood says something disparaging about Pinkie causing Twilight to go all the way off on his sorry backside.
Seriously? What the FUCK?! Do Twilight's parents NOT see what they're doing to her?! SHE LOST HER FUCKING MAGIC FOR FUCK SAKE!!! AND IT'S ALL THEIR FAULT!!! And where the fuck is Shining and Cadence in all of this? How could they possibly approve of this shit?
I wish I could jump through this fucking screen and murder her parents. And that piece of shit Blueblood. Yet another reason why I despise the so-called "upper class" and "high society." All they really care about is their own shallow fucking image. They don't give a fuck about anypony else, including their own children.
And what the hell Rainbow? Why couldn't you just sit and listen to your friend instead of just flying off the fucking handle at her like that? Couldn't you see how badly Twilight was hurting?
Wow, this is the first fic I've read where Twilight's parents were more concerned about their social standing than their own child's future...
Simple solution though:
BURN THEM
A party to sabotage WOOT!
929932 No my fav pony can be shallow sometimes and is really bad with emotions.
Hey, cats and kittens! Thanks for the feedback and kinds words, y'all.
Hopefully I'll be able to address all of the questions and concerns in the next chapter, which is proceeding more or less according to schedule.
922361
Thanks so much for saying nice things about my Rarity. I adore her as a character, and I suspect that comes through in my writing. And I'll do my best to show you something good!
924246
Not too terribly out of left field, I hope. The engagement I knew would be a surprise, but I'd tried to hint that Things Were Not Well between Twilight and her parents from the first chapter onward. And thanks very much for mentioning what you did about Twilight giving up on her magic--that wasn't what I'd intended to imply at all (whoops!), so I'm going to add a section to Chapter 5 that goes into all of that a bit more.
Rarity is always awesome. but sometimes she is awesome in different ways.
When I decided I was going to read a Twipie, and then looked through my stash of stories, I was kinda expecting a lighthearted, happy story. What I wasn't expecting was this.
But I can't be mad at you, this is far too good for that.
Damn you for intriguing me with this Donny, damn you.
I despise Twilight's parents for this.
Interesting turn of events here. I am very curious as to where you are going to take this one!
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"Rarity is always awesome. but sometimes she is awesome in different ways." That may be one of the truest things ever said about Rarity. I really do love that unicorn.
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Hopefully the story will be satisfying by the time it's reached its conclusion.
Oh, um, sorry? Heh.
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Twi's parents will be appearing again, and I shall do my best to make sure things continue to be interesting.
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It's okay ...
I just hope it has a happy conclusion.
Thought pinkie and twi were getting married. Then I saw blueblood :( ughhh!!! Stupid parents don't know true love!!!
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That's what I expected too - during the pilot, Celestia didn't tell Twilight "oh go make some friends and save the world and live in ponyville", she sent Twilight off on an errand that would result in that. A good ruler should avoid micro-managing if they can.
Ooh, nice work Rarity. Really, really awesome. I loved the whole setting the dress on fire thing. It's exactly what I was hoping for. Setting the dress on fire. Awesome.
Now, without knowing exactly what comes ahead, I'll be praying my eyes out for the time Celestia says "if somepony has a reason these two should not marry" and all the other element bearers will jump up and speak up about Twilight and Pinkie's relationship, and Twilight will finally send her parents to buck and beyond.
Sooo yeah... through the most of this chapter I felt like going on a killing spree... I realize that she was preessurd into it but damn Twilight dont be such a freaking doormat! Twilight's parents can go die for all I care, and oh yes, Rarity, you are now my current best poni
Next chapter I suppose! I hope to see one dead wedding (more flames couldnt hurt) and no more of this 
This is fucked up beyond all recognition. I cannot believe you went here. You LOSE. Good day, sir.
I know parents can put expectations on their children. They want their children to do and have better than they did. BUT COME ON!!!
Forcing Twilight to marry Blueblood, BLUEBLOOD. What kind of demented parents are they? You could tell even the princesses don't want this too happen (but their hooves are tied probably due to protocol or some BS). I really hope the others are able to sabotage this wedding.
Twilight Blueblood. *shudders*
935475 would have told celestia this
dear princess celestia,
because of this wedding IM NOT THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC ANY MORE, hahhahahahahaha, but yeah so i think that you might want to tell my parents to stuff it if not? then discords coming back or we wont be able to use the elements any more
sincerly, your magicless student twilight sparkle.
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To which Celestia would have replied,
My faithful student, Twilight,
I'm disappointed to say that I am currently unable to relay the message to your parents. Sending a message to a celestial body requires a great deal of concentration, of which I'm afraid I find myself incapable of producing at present. Unfortunately I can't comply with your request. Don't worry about your parents though, it's not like they'll freeze to death. I hear it's very balmy this time of year.
Sincerely,
Princess Celestia
953573 *that moment when im glad im not that pony*
broke my hand in a fit of rage at twilights parents :\ second time too, first time was during "risks of braving a storm".
proud skies vs twilights parents on the douch-a-meter
Ooohhh. That line. It sent shivers down my spine. I think it's the Rarity equivalent of Twilight's eyes glowing pure white and her levitating off the ground.
I've enjoyed this story so far, but I'm having a hard time believing that Twilight would be forced into an arranged marriage. Twi's parents didn't seem so uncaring, and there's no way that Celestia would allow it, especially if it interfered with the Elements and Twilight's magic.
Hmm. Let's see what happens next.
1611904 To be fair we have literally zero in-canon characterization for Twilight's parents. We've got two (2) pictures of them smiling at certain events. That's about it.
I FREAKED THE FUCK OUT
THIS SHIT IS LIKE PRINCESS BRIDE UP IN HERE
SOME BITCHES AROUND THAT NEED DESTROYING
AND SOME SHIT THAT NEEDS FUCKING
YOU SIR ARE BEING DECIDEDLY NOT OKAY AND IT NEEDS TO RESOLVE ITSELF BECAUSE THIS STORY HAS RUSTLED MY JIMMIES DEFINITIVELY
AND THIS IS NOT OKAY
EVEN A LITTLE BIT
THIS IS SO NOT OKAY
THE GRAPH OF HOW NOT OKAY THIS IS
DOES NOT EVEN EXIST
BECAUSE IT'S JUST THAT FUCKING NOT OKAY.
OKAY?
Ah buck it all... you have a real talent for making me shed manly, manly tears.
As always: your writing is excellent, the mood is enchanting, nothing epic, nothing world shattering, just high quality pony vs. pony interaction and i'm loving every bit of it.
Way to go on the wedding bit.... it's been a while since i wanted to flip my desk as badly as when i saw who Twilight is getting married with...
I was enjoying this story a lot. But... you lost me at the point where Celestia is in on this plot to force Twilight to marry Blueblood. It's so far out of character for her to not at least discuss it with TS first that I can't concentrate on what's happening. Sorry.
This is gonna be so awesome.
Who else is betting at this point that pinkie is going to do the whole "I OBJECT" trope?
Btw, twilight's parents are dicks.
7173053 I can't tell if you genuinely find it funny or if this is just a very sarcastic insult LOL!!!