Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
The breeze tickled her nose. The sun was warm on her face.
She sat with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy on a plush chequered blanket with a picnic basket open and delicious fruit and baked goods laid out before them. Her friends laughed, ate sandwiches and cake, and shared stories. Butterflies flittered through the flower-filled meadow around them. The blue sky held but a few tufts of cloud and the trees slowly wafted in the soft, cooling wind.
What a day.
What a day for a picnic. What a day to be with friends.
She wished Rarity was with them to see it.
Twilight lifted an apple out of the picinic basket and idly rolled it around with a hoof. They had all expected to see less of Rarity after Ponyville’s resident fashionista had become the pony “every pony should know” and started selling bundles and bundles of dresses to the posh ponies of Canterlot. And Twilight had been so excited for Rarity’s success. It made her happy to see her friend achieving her goals.
But it would have been nice to have her there on such a wonderful day.
She closed her eyes again and imagined Rarity there with them. Rarity would probably be wearing a sunhat… yes, a big sunhat, and saying something about how fabulous the day was. No! Gorgeous. How simply gorgeous the day was. Twilight giggled.
She then sighed. Something felt… off. It seemed like Rarity had been missing for an abnormally long time. Then again, it wasn’t like she had a control group for comparison. She had so few friends to begin with and, outside of Spike, she didn’t have any friends at all growing up.
Twilight allowed a small smile and chuckled softly to herself. Oh yeah. There was one pony...
A pattering of feet drew her from her thoughts. Spike came tearing in the group, skidding to a stop in front of Twilight.
Spike was panicked, waving his arms about and trying to talk between breaths. “Twilight! I… it… the… Rar… bro… aahhhhh!”
“Spike. What is it?” Twilight could see tears lacing the edges of his eyes as he gasped for air. She reached a hoof out to him but then recoiled as Spike belched out a scroll before collapsing onto the blanket.
A letter from the Princess? Twilight grabbed it with her magic and unrolled it. “Dear Twilight,” she read out loud to the assembled ponies and heaving dragon, “I am sure you and your friends are as excited as I am about the upcoming wedding in Canterlot.”
She stopped. “Wedding?” She looked to her friends with an eyebrow raised but nopony responded with any more information. She resumed reading. “I will be presiding over the ceremony, but would very much like you and your friends to help with the preparations for this wonderful occasion. Fluttershy, I would like you and your songbird choir to provide the music.”
“Oh my goodness! What an honor!” Fluttershy positively glowed with delight.
“Pinkie Pie, I can think of no one more qualified than you to host the reception.”
“Hip, hip, hooray!” Pinkie Pie cartwheeled through the group, knocking over the teapot and putting a hoofprint into the top of the cake.
Twilight used her magic to straighten the teapot and smooth out the icing on the cake as she continued reading. “Applejack, you will be in charge of the catering for the reception.”
“Well, color me pleased as punch!”
“Rainbow Dash...” Twilight stopped for a second as Rainbow gave an exaggerated yawn.
“...I would very much appreciate it if you could perform a sonic rainboom as the bride and groom complete their ‘I do’s.”
Rainbow ceased her yawn by shoving a hoof into her mouth. She then leaped into the air, pumping her hooves in jubilation. “Yes!”
Twilight could see her own name coming up next, but that was all that was left of the letter. Princess Celestia needed help with a big wedding in Canterlot... and she wasn’t including Rarity.
Twilight shook her head and continued. “And as for you, Twilight, you will be playing the most important role of all: making sure that everything goes as planned. See you all very soon. Yours, Princess Celestia.”
She re-read the letter, seeing if she’d missed anything.
Nope.
She checked the back side of the scroll.
Nothing.
“But... I don't understand. Who's getting married?”
She heard a sniffle and looked down at the little dragon in front of her. He stood silent, ever so slightly shaking, and held out a second scroll.
Twilight delicately removed the scroll from Spike’s outstretched claws and read. “Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the wedding of… Rarity!?… And my brother?!”
A split-second of silence passed before Pinkie Pie came charging over with an excited squeal, tearing the scroll away from Twilight’s magic. “Rarity’s getting married! Rarity’s getting married! This is a-maz-ing!”
Pinkie continued gleefully chatting, but it barely registered in Twilight’s ears. This… this wasn’t possible. Her brother… her friend… both of them… they’d both...
Somepony was shaking her hoof. Applejack. “And to your kin, Twilight! Congratulations! That’s great news.”
Twilight pulled away. “Yeah, great news that I just got from a wedding invitation!” She huffed and paced. “Not from my brother, not from my friend, but from a piece of paper! Thanks a lot, guys. Neither of them could tell me personally?”
She levitated a sandwich and used it as an impromptu puppet as she imitated her brother. “Hey, Twilight, just thought you should know I'm marrying one of your best friends. Oh, never mind, you'll hear about it when you get the invitation.”
Furious, she slammed the sandwich to the ground. “And Rarity! How could she do this without telling any of us?”
Spike was busy hyperventilating into a paper bag. Twilight looked around at the rest of her friends. They didn’t seem to have any answers for her. They all looked concerned and a little bit confused.
All except for one. Fluttershy hid behind her hair, a tiny turquoise iris visible behind a cascade of pink. “Um… Twilight?”
Somepony did know! Looking for answers, brimming with anticipation, Twilight tried to keep her voice as even as possible. “Yes, Fluttershy. Is there something you’d like to say?”
“Um…”
Applejack gently placed a supportive hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “It’s alright, sugarcube. Take your time.”
“Twilight, your brother… his name is Shining Armor, isn’t it?”
Twilight blinked twice. “You knew? You knew Rarity was marrying my brother and you never thought to mention this?”
“I-I… I didn’t know he was your brother. Honest. It’s just Rarity has been so excited about this stallion she’s been seeing in Canterlot named Shining Armor.” Fluttershy looked away toward the city and the large sphere of magic that surrounded it. “I certainly didn’t think things would proceed this quickly.”
“You’ve spoken with Rarity? Recently?”
“Not that recently.” Fluttershy fidgeted and rubbed her forehooves together. “Even though she was in Canterlot often, she’d always be at the spa for our weekly get together. That’s when she started telling me about Shining Armor, about how kind and generous and caring he was and, well, how handsome.” Fluttershy let out a light giggle. When she realized Twilight was not amused, she quickly continued. “Uh, anyway, she confided to me that she was afraid to tell him she was from Ponyville.”
Fluttershy stood on her back legs, put a hoof to her forehead, and spoke in her best Rarity voice. “Even after the Garden Party, the praise of Fancy Pants, and the adulation of the Canterlot elite, still I hesitate. But my dearest Fluttershy you must understand I’ve never met a pony like him. I must not mess this up. I cannot. For he… is… the… ONE!”
Fluttershy fell back to her hooves, coughed slightly, and resumed her demure composure. “Um, sorry. So, I was about to suggest that if he really was as kind as she said, then it wouldn’t matter where she was from. But as I was about to speak, she screamed ‘I’m going to do it!’ and ran out of the spa.”
“She just ran out of the spa? In the middle your talk?”
Fluttershy smiled. “Full gallop.” Her face slowly fell. “I haven’t seen her since then, nor heard from her. It’s like she vanished. But… but if I’d known he was your brother… I’m so, so sorry Twilight.”
Twilight moved forward and offered a hug and Fluttershy gladly accepted. “It’s okay. It's just that Shining Armor and I have always been so close.” Twilight pulled back and addressed the group. “He's my B.B.B.F.F.”
Her friends stared at her.
She rolled her eyes. “Big Brother Best Friend Forever,” she explained, drawing a simultaneous “Ohhh!” from the group.
She looked off toward Canterlot. “Before I came here and learned the importance of friendship, Shining Armor was the only pony I ever really accepted as a friend. He was the only pony I could really talk with about my hopes and dreams. We did everything together. He...” Twilight could feel tears welling. She dropped her head and closed her eyes. “It seems I miss him more that I realized.”
She kept her eyes closed and just breathed. There was so much to take in. She felt a hoof placed softly on her shoulder. She looked back to see Applejack.
“As one of your P.F.F’s...” Applejack began. Everypony gave her the same look they had just given Twilight. “Pony Friends Forever,” Applejack said with a quick scrunch of her nose and a roll of her eyes.
“Ohhh!”
“...I wanna tell you that I think your brother sounds like a real good guy.”
Twilight made her way back over to the picnic. “He is pretty special. They don’t let just anypony be captain of the Royal Guard.”
Rainbow Dash zipped over, her face stopping inches from Twilight’s eyes. “Your brother is captain of the Royal Guard? Like, the captain? Do you think the Wonderbolts will be there?”
“Uh… I guess?”
“Omygoshomygosh! One of our closest friends is marrying the captain of the Royal Guard and I get to do a sonic rainboom at their wedding?! Can you say best… wedding...ever?”
“Best wedding ever!” Pinkie Pie screamed as she cartwheeled back across the picnic setup, this time completely demolishing the cake. She grabbed Applejack’s hooves and started jumping up and down as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew around overhead. They were all laughing and talking about their plans for the wedding.
Twilight just sat on the blanket. She didn’t feel like celebrating.
The countryside slowly descended away as the Friendship Express chugged its way up the mountain. Twilight stared out the window with her chin resting on her hoof.
Canterlot drew closer, but she didn’t feel any closer to understanding why her brother and one of her closest friends forgot about her.
She heard a burst of laughter from the back of the train car. The others were still going on about the wedding. She didn’t bother to join them or even look.
“Why the long face, sugarcube?”
Of course Applejack was worried about her. She cared about everypony’s feelings… unlike Rarity, apparently.
Twilight sighed and continued to stare out the window. “I'm just thinking about Shining Armor and Rarity. Ever since I moved to Ponyville, my brother and I have been seeing each other less and less. And ever since Rarity has been going to Canterlot, we’ve been seeing each other less and less too. And now that they’re starting a new family, we’ll probably never see each other.”
“Come on, now. You’re talking about your brother and your friend. They’ll always make time for you.”
Twilight snorted and turned to face Applejack. “They couldn’t seem to make time to tell me they were getting married.”
Applejack frowned but didn’t say any more. She shook her head and started to return to the group.
Twilight held up a hoof. “Wait…”
She struggled to find the right words for what was bothering her. Applejack waited patiently for Twilight to continue.
Finally, Twilight sighed and looked up at Applejack. “Why did you want to be friends with me?”
A small, pleasant smile formed on Applejack’s face. “Oh, shoot, there’s a million and one reasons to be friends with you. You care so much about each and every one of us and you’re the smartest dang pony that I–”
“No, I mean before you knew all that. You wanted to be friends with me the moment that we met. I was just some pony from Canterlot making inspections and you still wanted to share your food with me and introduce me to your family.” Twilight rubbed her hooves together in concern. “It wasn’t just you. Every pony here wanted to be friends with me without a second thought. And even though you’d just met me, all of you went with me into that dark and terrible forest.” She let her hooves drop. “Why?”
Applejack considered for a moment. “I guess that’s how we do things in Ponyville.”
“But that’s just it! Coming to Ponyville taught me the magic of friendship. What if… what if the reverse is happening to Rarity?!” A magical force field swept through the train car. Applejack looked around in confusion but Twilight kept on. “What if going to Canterlot is changing her into a pony who doesn’t know anything about friendship?”
“Now you know that’s not true.”
“But she didn’t tell me…”
“Come on, Twi, there’s probably a perfectly reasonable explanation. It’ll be fine. You’ll see. Just go congratulate your brother and Rarity.”
Twilight turned back to the window and huffed. “Yeah, congratulate. And then give them a piece of my mind.”
The talk with Applejack had helped, but Twilight was still frustrated. She needed answers and she needed them now.
As soon as the train pulled into the station, Twilight hopped off ahead of her friends. She shoved her way through a line of armored ponies on the train platform and made a beeline for Royal Guard Headquarters.
She got halfway there before noticing there was a little purple dragon trotting along beside her. He was staring at the ground in thought as he walked. After a moment he noticed her looking at him.
“I’m really concerned about you and Shining Armor,” Spike said. “I’m coming with you.”
Twilight stopped. “This is just because he’s marrying Rarity, isn’t it?”
“What? Psshh. No, of course not. Why, if Shining Armor was marrying somepony you’d never even heard of I’d still be right here with you.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and resumed walking. “Let’s just get to Royal Guard Headquarters.”
“Why would he be there?”
“Uhhh… because he’s captain of the Royal Guard?” Twilight raised an eyebrow at Spike.
“But Rarity and him are getting married soon,” Spike said. “He’s much more likely to be at home preparing for the wedding. Plus, don’t you want to talk to them both? Or at least Rarity, if he’s not there?”
“Ugh, fine.”
They made their way across Canterlot to Shining Armor’s house, but nopony was home. Spike then led Twilight around to all of the places in Canterlot he said Shining Armor might be, such as the spa, the fashion boutiques, an art gallery, and several cafes. Their winding trip, which also included a stop at Donut Joe’s, eventually circled back around to the castle.
Spike went off to check the gardens, but Twilight went straight to the bridge that connected the castle to Royal Guard HQ.
She stopped on the bridge and looked down into the plaza. There were plenty of guards heading off to various tasks, but still no Shining Armor.
She finally found him in a large conference room in Royal Guard Headquarters. He was dressed in full armor. There were maps of the city spread out on the table in front of him and he was directing guards about while simultaneously holding a heated discussion with Rarity.
Rarity? What in Equestria was Rarity doing here?
They were arguing in hushed voices as Twilight approached. Rarity was saying something very forcefully to Shining Armor.
They still hadn’t noticed her arrival. Twilight moved closer in order to hear.
“But why do there need to be so many guards at our wedding?” Rarity stomped once with her hoof to emphasize the point. “Can’t we reduce the number?”
“It’s for your safety,” Shining Armor said. He sounded really worried. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Well then send them somewhere else during the ceremony. You’re already performing that massive spell of yours. I think the extra security is entirely unnecessary.”
“And I think… ah!” Shining Armor closed his eyes and put a hoof to his forehead.
“Oh dear, are you getting another one of your–” Rarity began, but Twilight had waited long enough.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything important,” Twilight said as she burst into the room, her voice tinged with frustration. Both Shining Armor and Rarity jumped in surprise at her arrival. “Shining Armor! How dare you not tell me in person that you were getting married! I'm your sister, for pony's sake! And you!” She pointed a hoof at Rarity. “We’re friends! How could not tell me that you’re marrying my brother? I… oof.”
Spike shoved his way past Twilight. “Rarity! We’ve been looking all over for you! We were so worried. We thought maybe you were in danger! I mean, there are guards everywhere and that huge bubble surrounding the city. But never fear, your Spiky-wiky is here!” He raised a victorious claw to the sky.
Rarity gave the dragon a blank stare. “Uh-huh.”
That was all she said to Spike. Uh-huh. She then walked right past him without looking, as if he wasn’t even there.
As she left, Rarity glanced at Twilight. The look on Rarity’s face was… aggressive. There certainly wasn’t anything friendly about it.
And then she was gone, without so much as a Hello! or a How are you, darling? or a I’m so sorry, Twilight. Here is a point by point explanation for why I forgot about my friend and tried to marry her brother without telling her.
As Twilight stood speechless and unsure of how to respond, Spike’s words about the guards and the bubble slowly seeped in. And hadn’t Rarity – before her huffy exit – said something about a massive spell?
Her gaze drifted to Shining Armor, who looked very hesitant and seemed to be considering everything that just happened. The pieces started to fall into place for Twilight. “Spell… What spell? What was Rarity talking about?”
Shining Armor indicated the balcony and led Twilight outside, leaving the stunned Spike with his mouth still open and claw still raised. Shining Armor put a hoof to his head and took a breath.
A beam of energy lept from his horn and connected with the magical bubble surrounding the city.
“A threat has been made against Canterlot,” Shining Armor said. “The burden of keeping Canterlot safe and secure rests squarely on my shoulders. Staying focused on the task at hand has been my top priority.”
The giant force field surrounding all of Canterlot was coming from her brother! Rarity wasn’t kidding when she described the spell as ‘massive.’ The toll it must have been taking on him…
“Okay, okay, I get it,” Twilight said. “You've got a really important job protecting all of Canterlot with a force field only you can conjure up. But still... you’re marrying one of my best friends. How could you not tell me about something as big as that? Am I not that important to you any more?”
“You’re my sister. How could you not be important to me? That’s why I want you up there with us when I get married.”
“Really?”
“Well, yeah.” Shining Armor rubbed the back of his helmet. “But, you see, I don’t know what side you should stand on. I mean, you’re my sister, but Rarity is your friend.”
Twilight smiled a set a hoof on his foreleg to calm him down. “That’s sweet, but you’re my brother. I’d be honored to stand with you.”
Shining Armor looked relieved. “Maybe as… best mare?”
“Of course!” Twilight beamed on the outside. She felt something else inside. It shouldn’t have been like this. She should be jumping around yelling You’re marrying Rarity! You’re marrying Rarity! But the way Rarity acted, a friend that she’d been through so much with. That look she gave. Something was really, really wrong here.
“I am so excited you’re here,” Shining Armor said.
Twilight wished she could say the same.
Twilight’s initial shock at Rarity’s behavior had morphed into dull frustration.
Applejack ran by, climbed a ladder, and finished applying icing to the top of a way bigger wedding cake than Rarity deserved. “Cake,” Applejack announced. “Check.”
Twilight checked ‘cake’ off her list. Shining Armor had a perfectly clear explanation for why he had neglected to inform her about the wedding. But Rarity? Just an ‘uh-huh’ and a mean look.
“Ice sculpture. Check.”
Twilight checked off ‘ice sculpture.’ One thing was for sure. No part of the preparing for this wedding was going to cheer her up...
“Best darn bite-size apple fritter you ever tasted?” Applejack presented the treat and Twilight readily devoured the delicious, scrumptious apple fritter.
Oohhh.
Oh, that sweet, crumbly, Apple Family goodness. “Mmm! Check.” Twilight happily checked ‘hors d’eouvres’ off her list.
From behind, Twilight heard, “I do. Do you? I do!” She found Spike sitting on the counter with his eyes closed, about to kiss a cake-topper that looked like Rarity.
“Hiya, Rarity!” Applejack waved to Rarity as she entered. Spike quickly hid the cake-topper behind his back and blushed with embarrassment. Twilight rolled her eyes and turned to face Rarity, who was no doubt ready to apologize for...
“Please,” Rarity said with a none-too-polite tone. “Address me as Lady Rarity.”
Woah. Did she just say that?
“Hiya, Lady Rarity!” Applejack said, chipper as ever. Twilight was equally stunned that Applejack was able carry on as if Rarity hadn’t just acted like the rudest pony in all of Equestria. “You come to check on the menu for your big day?”
“I have,” Rarity said.
Applejack presented an apple fritter. “I made your favorite. Hope this time you picked a guy who actually likes ‘em,” Applejack said with a wink.
Rarity face twisted into an obviously forced smile. “Of course. My favorite. That’s why I love them ever so much.” She took a small bite. “Delicious!”
“Aw, shucks. Why don't you take a few to go?” Applejack offered a paper bag packed with fritters. “I know how you can be. So busy, you forget to get a little somethin' in your belly.”
Rarity took the bag with her magic and made for exit. Just before crossing the threshold, she casually tossed the bag and all of its delicious contents in the garbage.
The... garbage.
She threw Applejack’s fritters… in the garbage.
“Did... you see what she…” Twilight sputtered.
But Applejack didn’t see. She was back to baking.
Unbelievable. Impossible!
“Oh, you should have seen how she acted back there,” Twilight said. She paced back and forth, her hooves clacking loudly on the tile floors of the castle ballroom.
Pinkie darted across the large space, hastily setting up board games, balloons, pinatas, and all manner of favors for the reception festivities.
Spike’s energy level was on the exact opposite end of the scale. He sat underneath one of the large windows that lined the ballroom. He was quiet and pensive, as if lost in deep thought, completely oblivious the everything else, including the pink blur and her party preparations.
Neither seemed to be paying attention to Twilight, but she pressed on. “I don't know when she changed, but she changed!” Twilight then showed that she could do a Rarity imitation that would give Fluttershy a run for her bits. “Please. Address me as Lady Rarity.”’
“Did I hear somepony say my name?” Rarity entered the room with the same haughty air Twilight had seen in the kitchen.
Pinkie was immediately in Rarity’s face. “You’re here! You’re here!”
Rarity appeared much less enthused about being here, but it didn’t stop Pinkie. She bounced around, displaying the games and dances she had prepared. Twilight ignored the whirling pink dervish and focused on Rarity. The snobbish and obviously indifferent unicorn looked about the room, ignoring Pinkie’s excited explanations, only occasionally offering feigned interest.
Pinkie finished her demonstrations and bounced over to Rarity. “This reception is going to be perfect! It’s exactly the kind of party you love!”
Rarity seemed taken aback by the statement. “Oh. Yes. As you say, normally I’d like all… this.” She waved a dismissive hoof. “But this is a wedding, not a foal’s birthday party.”
Pinkie tilted her head to one side. “What’s the difference?”
“Change it.” Rarity turned neatly on one hoof and walked out.
Pinkie didn’t react immediately. She slowly sat and her brow furrowed. She looked as deep in thought as Spike.
Twilight smirked. “Gee, maybe her name should be Lady Demandy-Pants.”
Twilight didn’t see the bride-to-be for the rest of the day. Rarity didn’t even show up when Lyra, Minuette, and Twinkleshine tried on their bridesmaids dresses, which was not only rude but very odd for Rarity… at least the Rarity that Twilight knew in Ponyville.
Day changed to night, Luna replaced Celestia at watch, and Twilight met her friends at a cafe near the castle for a well deserved drink. No doubt they were all miserable, having been subjected to Rarity’s rudeness, snobbiness, pickiness, and demand-y...ness.
Twilight set her drink down as she arrived at their table. “Bet I can guess what you're all thinking.” She let her voice lilt with a bit of sing-song. “Rarity is the absolute worst bride-to-be ever.”
She closed her eyes and took a nice long pull from her drink. She expected to open her eyes and see exhausted nods of agreement.
She received nothing of the sort. All she got was bemused stares from her friends. The only one acting even remotely serious was Spike. The cake-topper made to look like Rarity sat on the table in front of him. He stared at it, steadily drumming his claws in thought.
“Applejack,” Twilight pointed a hoof at her friend, “did you know that after she told you she loved your hors d'eouvres sooo much, she threw them in the trash?”
“Aw, she was probably just trying to spare my feelins.” Applejack chuckled as if nothing in the world was wrong.
But plenty was wrong; she just didn’t see it. “No, she was just being fake and totally insincere!”
“She did raise her voice at one of my birds during rehearsal,” Fluttershy offered.
“See? Rude!” Twilight leaned back. Finally some vindication.
“But he was singing really off-key,” Fluttershy said. She lifted her foreleg, presenting a bird from under the table – sweet Celestia she actually brought it with her – and it proudly sang the awfulest sound Twilight had ever heard a bird produce.
Twilight was tempted to raise her voice at the bird, but she had more pressing matters to attend to. “Pinkie Pie, you had to have noticed how Rarity treated…” Twilight trailed off. Pinkie Pie was not paying any attention to her at all. Instead, Pinkie was surrounded by stacks and stacks of paper, much of it crumpled and discarded. She rolled a pencil around in her mouth in thought. She crumpled up the notes in front of her, spit out the pencil, and started mumbling to herself. “Maybe if the balloons were bigger…”
“Nevermind. Rainbow Dash, you're with me, right?”
Rainbow flexed her legs and her wings in succession. “Sorry, Twi. Been too busy prepping for my sonic rainboom to pay much attention to the bride's bad attitude.”
Twilight growled in frustration. This was not how this was supposed to go! She looked around the table for help. She spotted the troubled look on the face of her assistant. “Spike! You saw how she brushed you off when we first saw her.”
Spike’s claws stopped drumming. His eyes met Twilight’s. “You’re right, Twilight. The way she’s been acting...”
“Thank you,” Twilight said with a sigh of relief. “Somepony agrees that we’ve got to put a stop to all this.”
“Yeah.” Spike nodded. “She doesn’t seem happy.”
“No!” Twilight threw her hooves into the air. “It’s because she’s an awful pony who doesn't deserve to even know Shining Armor, let alone marry him!”
She let her hooves fall to the table. They landed with an audible clunk thanks to the sudden and complete silence. The whole group stared at her, stunned. Spike grabbed the cake-topper and clutched it tightly to his chest.
Applejack stood. “Think maybe you're bein' just a tiny bit possessive of your brother?” The rest of her friends nodded in agreement.
“I am not being possessive, and I am not taking it out on Rarity! You're all just too caught up in your wedding planning to notice that maybe there shouldn't even be a wedding!” Twilight slammed a hoof on the table, spilling everypony’s drink in the process.
Twilight stormed off before anypony had a chance to be even more wrong about Rarity or any of their stupid wedding plans.
The lights of Canterlot drifted by at the edge of Twilight’s awareness. She wandered through the streets without direction or purpose.
It wasn’t supposed to go like this. They were a team. They were supposed to be right at her back, helping her stop this disaster of a wedding. Instead, her friends had all turned into complete jerks. It was Discord all over again, except no chaos magic was at work this time. It was just a stupid wedding with its dumb dresses and stupid parties and delicious fritters… wow, those fritters were really good.
No! She had to stay focused. She had to stop Shining Armor from making the worst mistake of his life. If her friends weren’t going to help, she was going to save her brother herself.
It was getting late when she knocked on Shining Armor’s door.
She blinked through her tears when the light from inside hit her. Had she been crying? She quickly wiped her eyes as Shining Armor’s silhouette appeared in the doorway.
He stood confident in his in his regal red dress uniform. Twilight must have done a poor job of covering her pain, because his demeanor slowly changed to concern when he saw her.
For a moment the siblings just looked at each other before Shining Armor spoke. “Come in?”
Twilight weakly nodded. Once she joined him in the living room she came right out with it. No sense in delaying any longer. “We need to talk. I think you're making a big…” Twilight stopped and took a deep breath. “...mistake.”
“A mistake?”
“You can’t go through with the wedding. Something is wrong. Rarity and I were such close friends…” Were? Yes, Twilight supposed it really had come to that. “But now she’s just awful. It’s like she’s completely different pony!”
Shining Armor was stunned. No surprise there. Twilight prepared herself for the anger that was no doubt coming her way, since she had just barged into her brother’s home in the middle of the night to declare his fiance an awful pony.
But Shining Armor didn’t get angry. He just looked away and didn’t answer. He was long in thought, conflict playing across his face. Finally, he looked back at Twilight. “You’ve known Rarity a long time, huh?”
“We’ve been through so much together. It’s bizarre to see her like this.”
“If you and Rarity weren’t so close, I’d probably just ignore it. But now that you mention it…” He seemed hesitant to continue.
Twilight moved closer to her brother. “What is it?”
“I’ve been having suspicions lately. One day she started acting different. She suddenly became very, very interested in Canterlot’s defenses and she began asking me a lot of strange questions.”
“Yes! Like when she asked you about the guards.”
“I told myself that she was probably just nervous about the threat against Canterlot and left it at that. But then she started asking me really strange stuff…”
“Strange how?”
“Well, for example, she keeps asking me about the Elements of Harmony,” Shining Armor said.
“The Elements? Why would she ask you? She knows more about them than you do.”
“I thought the same. But again and again and again she’d ask. Where are they kept? How do they work? How powerful are they? Do the Elements work individually or do all six have to be together?”
“But she already knows that all six of us need to be there for the Elements to work.”
“Right. So why is she asking?”
“I… I don’t know. But something’s up.” Twilight rubbed a hoof to her chin. This really had turned into a quite a mystery. The thought brought a smile to her face. She looked up at Shining Armor, a familiar excitement growing within her. “Ready to do some investigating together, big brother?”
Shining Armor smiled back. “Absolutely, and I know where to start. I’ve been told by my guards that she’s spending a lot of time snooping around the castle at night.”
“Wouldn’t the princesses have noticed?”
“No, they’re trading shifts in the watchtower. The castle is deserted most of the night.” He glanced over his shoulder and then leaned down to Twilight to whisper. “Meet me at the Hall of the Elements in half an hour but stay hidden.”
“You got it.” Twilight hurried into the streets. She moved with renewed purpose. It turned out she didn’t need to convince Shining Armor. They were on the same page, ready to work together and unravel Rarity’s schemes.
Twilight lowered her head and picked up speed. She was finally going to get some answers.
Moonlight filtered through stained glass windows in the Hall of the Elements as Twilight crept from shadow to shadow. She moved along the side wall of the long, thin chamber, keeping as quiet as possible.
She didn’t have any black getup to keep her hidden like the time she snuck into the Canterlot Archives, but thankfully she wasn’t being tailed by Pinkie Pie and Spike. Those two seriously needed to learn the definition of the word incognito.
She looked up at the stained glass window above her. It was of her and her friends using the Elements of Harmony. Her friends. All six.
She walked into the light and put a hoof on the glass.
A sound in the dark. It came from both directions, like a skittering of hooves on marble. Twilight quickly slid out of the light and pressed herself up against a pillar. Was somepony there? She carefully peered around the pillar and scanned the darkened chamber.
Nothing. She knew she heard something but the echo made it hard for her to tell if it had come from both ends of the hall or if it was one sound bouncing around. She probed her ears, but all she got back was silence, as if there was no pony in the chamber with her.
She looked back at the stained glass window. No pony at all.
“Rarity!” Twilight jumped as Shining Armor’s commanding voice echoed about the chamber. He stood in the open double doors that led into the chamber. “I know you’re here!”
He began marching down the center of the hall.
Near the doors at the far end of the hall, behind which the Elements of Harmony were locked, Rarity slowly appeared from behind a pillar, materializing from the darkness with a casual sway in her step. She didn’t look surprised, just coy. She began a leisurely, calm walk down the center of the hall in his direction. “You don’t mind me taking a look around, do you?”
Her horn lit with a sickly-green glow.
Shining Armor slowed. His movements became sluggish, as if as an invisible force hindered his progress. The anger in his face melted away, replaced by a blank stare. His eyes began to glow the same green as Rarity’s horn and rolled around in opposite directions. He nodded his head. “Mmm-hmm…”
“That’s a good boy,” Rarity said.
What kind of terrible, awful, despicable magic was that? Whatever it was, Rarity was using on her brother!
Things like yelling at birds and throwing away fritters suddenly seemed way less important to Twilight. Rarity wasn’t just unpleasant and rude. She was downright evil!
Twilight needed help and she needed it right now. She moved as quickly as she could without alerting Rarity to her presence. Once she made it out of the chamber and into the night she ran as fast as her legs could carry her.
She had to get to her friends. She had to let them know.
As she passed under the Canterlot watchtower she heard Princess Luna’s booming voice ask, “Who goes there?”
Luna yelled something else but Twilight ignored it and kept running.
Twilight burst into common area of the suite her friends were sharing. “Shining Armor's in real trouble! You have to help!”
No pony even reacted to her entrance. They were happily chatting about the matching bridesmaid dresses they were all wearing... the exact same ones Lyra, Minuette, and Twinkleshine had tried on earlier that day, plus an extra that came from who knows where and matched the first three. “Dresses… what are you…”
Fluttershy flew over to Twilight. “Can you believe it? We're gonna be Rarity’s new bridesmaids!”
That was unexpected information. “New bridesmaids? What happ… wait a minute, why weren’t you the bridesmaids in the first place?”
“Better late than never,” Applejack said.
“But you’re wearing the old bridesmaids’ dresses! Doesn’t that seem weird? Normally Rarity makes a custom dress for each of us…”
Pinkie Pie started giggling. “Now who’s being Lady Demandy-Pants?”
“Mine’s surprisingly aerodynamic!” Rainbow Dash did a backflip to demonstrate. They all laughed at Rainbow’s display and returned to their revelry.
Twilight didn’t bother trying to explain to her friends what she’d just seen Rarity do. It wouldn’t matter anyway. They didn’t care. All they cared about was the wedding. So she simply walked out into the night. “Looks like I really am on my own.”
Twilight returned to the Hall of the Elements but Rarity and Shining Armor were gone. She rechecked the spell keeping the Elements secure. After the Discord incident Celestia had taught Twilight how to open the chamber, just in case. The Elements were safe, no indications of tampering. Twilight then made her way to the Archives and stayed up all night trying to figure out what kind of dark magic Rarity had used.
She found a number of similar spells – all of them very, very dangerous – but nothing that exactly matched what she had seen. The next day dawned with no clear answer. The only thing that was clear was that Rarity had to be stopped. Twilight was not going to let Rarity take her brother from her.
She left the Archives and made for the site of the wedding. The rehearsal was already underway. Twilight had purposefully skipped the start of the rehearsal, but now she had a reason to be there. It was the perfect place to confront Rarity.
Twilight had the advantage. Sure, Rarity had been sneaking around behind their backs, but she didn’t know that Twilight had witnessed everything.
As she approached the doors to the hall, she heard Rarity’s voice. “Hey… has anypony seen Twilight?”
Perfect timing. Twilight threw open the doors. “I’m here! I’m not gonna stand next to her! And neither should you!”
Rarity lifted a hoof to her chest in surprise. A mixture of bewilderment and pain crossed her face.
Fluttershy flew to Twilight’s side. “Oh, goodness! Are you okay?”
Twilight walked right past her. She would not be deterred. “I’m fine.”
Applejack stepped forward. “Ya sure about that?”
Twilight used her magic to pull down Applejack’s hat and push her out of the way. “I’ve got something to say.” She pointed a hoof at Rarity. “She’s evil!”
Twilight used a quick teleport to appear on the stairs above Rarity. “She's been horrible to my friends, she’s been snooping around the castle at all hours of the night, and if that wasn't enough, I saw her put a spell on my brother that made his eyes go all…” Twilight rolled her eyes around to demonstrate.
That definitely got the Princess’s attention. Good.
Twilight steeled herself for the rebuke. She was ready for Rarity’s counterarguments, lies, and passionate attempts to defend her clearly evil actions.
She was not ready for Rarity to start crying.
“Why… why are you doing this to me?” Rarity fought to speak through pained sobs.
But Twilight wasn’t going to be fooled by Rarity’s act. Not a chance. “Because you’re evil!”
Rarity ran. She galloped down the stairs and out of the room. Twilight teleported to the entryway to yell after the fleeing Rarity. “Evil! And if I don’t stop you you’re gonna ruin my brother’s life!”
Well, that was that. It wasn’t easy, but Twilight was victorious. She had exposed Rarity’s machinations in front of everypony and saved her brother. Confident, she turned back to the group and ran straight into Shining Armor.
She took a step back and smiled up at him, but he did not smile back. He looked mad.
Really, really mad.
“You want to know why my eyes went all…?” Shining Armor started to roll his eyes but then let out a grunt in pain. “Because ever since I started having to perform my protection spell, I’ve been getting terrible migraines. Rarity hasn't been casting spells on me. She’s been using her magic to heal me!”
“But I saw–”
“And if she hasn't been on her best behavior with your friends, it’s because with me being so busy, she's had to make all the decisions about the wedding!”
“I was just trying to–”
“And the reason she’s been ‘snooping around the castle’ has been to help with security. She didn’t want me to know because she knew that I’d worry. After all the stress she’s had trying to make our big day perfect, she’s still trying to give more. Something you clearly don’t appreciate.”
Twilight’s world crumbled around her as her Big Brother Best Friend tore into her heart.
Shining Armor turned to leave and stopped at the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and comfort my bride. And you can forget about being my best mare. In fact, if I were you, I wouldn’t show up to the wedding at all.”
He left without looking back.
Applejack straightened her hat. “C’mon, y’all. Let’s go check on Rarity.”
All of her friends followed after Shining Armor. Twilight Sparkle tried to stop them, tried to explain. “I was–”
The great shadow of Princess Celestia passed over her. “You have a lot to think about,” Celestia said as she departed with wings unfurled. Her guards left with her. The doors to the hall slammed shut behind them.
And Twilight was alone.
Could… could it really have all been a mistake? She hadn’t bothered to look at any healing spells in the Archives. “Maybe I was being overprotective.”
Twilight laid on the stairs where Rarity and Shining Armor were going to get married. She looked at the spot where she was going to stand with him… before she’d ruined everything. “I could’ve gained a sister. But instead... I just lost a brother.”
Alone in the hall, she didn’t bother stopping her tears. Before today, Shining Armor was her big brother best friend forever. But that was all gone now. They’d never do anything together again...
Hoofsteps.
They approached, slowly and steadily. Twilight blinked through her tears and looked over her forelegs to see an immaculate white coat.
A gentle hoof stroked her head. She looked up into soft, forgiving blue eyes.
Twilight sniffled and managed to quietly say, “I’m sorry.”
Shining Armor’s eyes flashed green. “You will be.”