“You. Did. What!?"
Twilight Velvet was furious at Princess Celestia when she told her what happened during the wedding rehearsal.
"How could you, as her mentor, just leave her there when she was just trying to help!?"
"I understand your frustration, Twilight Velvet, but her actions didn't solve anything. We thought she was being overprotective with her brother." Said Celestia.
"She wouldn't act like that if she had a good reason. She loves Shining more than you can possibly imagine!" hissed Twilight Velvet.
"I am fully aware of that. Believe me, I am, but we didn't know that the Cadence we thought we knew was an imposter. Even Twilight was fooled by her being a changeling. But in the end, she was right about something being wrong with her from the beginning."
"Well Cadence's behavior should've been the first indication that she isn't Cadence after all. It's not like her to just act like that towards everypony, she's the princess of love for Celestia's sake!"
"I agree." said Night Light. "We've known Cadence ever since our Twilight was a filly. She was one of the kindest ponies we had ever known. Even she is above behaving like that, and she damn well knows it."
Moments later, two Royal Guards appeared before Celestia and Twilight's parents, as they saluted her.
"Your Highness, we bring word that Princess Luna has returned to Canterlot." said one of the guards.
"Luna? When did she get here?" asked Celestia.
"Just five minutes ago, we told her the news of what happened in Canterlot, she insisted to speak to you."
"Very well, Sergeant. You may return to your post."
The two guards left the room. Celestia turned to Night Light and Twilight Velvet.
"I'm sorry, but I have matters to attend to. Please, make yourself comfortable in your quarters for the day."
Celestia walked out into the halls of the Canterlot castle with Luna. "I was wondering where you were, sister. I'm quite surprised you haven't shown after what had happened." said Celestia.
Luna sighed. "Well, it's complicated. I just learned that I had been drugged by the changeling queen. It was just recently I had woken up with help from the guards. I’m not sure how they went through our defenses.”
“I see.” murmured Celestia. “Well, right before the invasion occured, a bit of an incident occured, and I feel I’m partly to blame.”
“Oh? And what’s that?”
It was now the time for Celestia to open up for the truth. “You see, a while before our attack, we’ve noticed that my niece had been acting strange the past few days. She was constantly demanding things to go her way in an abrasive manner. I understood that this was her and Shining Armor’s wedding, but the way she treated Twilight and her friends unfairly. It just seemed to be that she was going through too much stressed and wanted the wedding to be perfect.”
“Then earlier today, while we were doing the wedding rehearsal, Twilight barged in the hall and was shouting that Cadance was evil. She didn’t even bring any proof, it was all just irrationality. She caused Cadance to run out of the room sobbing. I know Twilight had been a faithful student for me, but I couldn’t bear to see my niece upset by her like that.”.
There was no turning back for what she was about to say next. “Shining Armor then told his sister that she wouldn’t be his best mare and dismissed her from the wedding, and then all her friends walked out on her. I walked out with them, when I could’ve just talked to Twilight and try to understand what happened. Instead, I bitterly told her she had a lot to think about.”
“Sister…” said Luna.
“I know Twilight was better than to just act all stupidly. She has been the kind of mare that wouldn’t do anything horrible without a good reason. I’ve let Equestria down over my biases for my niece.”
Luna was dumbfounded by Celestia’s terrible actions. She couldn’t believe that her sister would endanger all of Equestria over a wedding. “I don’t understand, why didn’t you just bring the wedding to a halt until everything was safe?”
“It wasn’t easy for me, Luna. After seeing Cadance break down like that, I just couldn’t bear it.”
“But you should have at least listened. I understand that she's your niece, but the safety of our nation is more important than some wedding. Twilight was like a daughter to you, you practically raised her. How could you just toss her aside like that?”
“I felt like I didn’t have a choice...”
“But you chose to ignore a potential threat to Equestria. What’s happened to you, sister? Have you forgotten your role as princess? Have you even learned anything after I became Nightmare Moon!?”
Luna’s words hit Celestia like a ton of bricks. The fact that she brought up Nightmare Moon made her really regret what she had done, not only putting Equestria at risk, but also shunning her faithful student. “Luna please…”
“No, sister, you clearly have learned nothing! When will you realize that just waiting will only endanger all of us?”
Ever since Celestia had banished her sister to the moon a thousand years ago, she couldn’t help but feel that her incompetence had come back to her the day of the wedding rehearsal. All it could do was put her reputation on the line not only as a mentor, but as a princess of Equestria. Celestia never intended to let ponykind over a royal wedding, but she never could’ve thought that she would be deceived by a changeling queen.
"That's enough, Luna!" Shouted Celestia. "You have no idea how hard it was for me when I banished you! Every day since I've done it, I kept pondering to myself if I had even done the right thing. You stand here and judge me when you weren't even around for a thousand years, and that I've had to do everything on my own?"
Luna wasn’t through just yet, she knows that other ponies are responsible for the incident that occured. “Well sister, I want you to sit there and think what you've done. Where is Shining Armor? I want to have a word with him.”
“Yes, of course.”
---------
Shining Armor’s mind couldn’t let go of what had been going on the past several hours. He couldn’t forget the rage filled face of his mother when she found out that he disowned her sister. Even when he felt that Twilight was being too irrational during the wedding rehearsal, he knew that he went too far. He had been pondering whether the changeling queen’s mind control really influenced his decision to cast her sister out of the wedding, or that he consciously did it on his own volition. It almost felt like he was remembering somepony else’s memory.
He had been walking along lost in thought. He just then happened to find Spike in his presence, who idley walked by. He struggled to think of what do say, because he knew Spike was just as mad at him as Twilight was. Despite that, he walked out with the rest of the ponies who abandoned her. Difference is that Spike was afraid he would also get cast out if he spoke up to Shining Armor. He felt bad for Spike because he had been her assistant for many years and could tell he was close to her.
Deciding to bite the bullet, Shining Armor approached Spike, hoping that he would forgive him. “Hey, Spike.”
Spike turned around and saw him, giving a scorned look. “What do you want?”
“I just want to talk, that’s all”
“Forget it, you’ve said enough, after how much you’ve hurt Twilight.”
“Well, you chose to still stay for the wedding-”
Spike’s temper started to flare up. “Oh don’t you even THINK about turning this around on me! You know damn well I felt sorry for her! Admit it, you would’ve cast me out if I went to her side.
“Alright now you listen-”
“SHUT UP!!!” Spike roared. “I don’t want to hear anymore of your crap! You may have done it to Twilight, but I won’t let you do it to me! You never even cared enough to visit Twilight ever since she was sent to Ponyville, all you did was stay in this damn castle over here!”
Deep down Shining knew Spike was right. He never went out of his way to visit his sister.
“Spike, you know it wasn’t easy for me. I had way too much on my plate, I’ve had duties I needed to attend to. It’s not easy being captain of the Royal Guard. I’ve missed Twilight while she was gone, I just haven’t had the time in the day.”
Spike scoffed. “Oh please, you know you could’ve just taken a day off, but you didn’t do that, did you? You couldn’t even send her a letter, or anything? Not even tell here you and Cadence were together before the wedding?”
Just when Shining came to the realization that Spike was right, he sighed. “Yes, I should’ve told her about Cadence. I just wanted to surprise her, I didn’t think I would upset her this way. I had so much to do with Cadence that I didn’t have time to think about anything else.”
“Not even your own sister, pathetic.” Spike walked past Shining to get away from him, bitterly eyeballing him. “Just so you are aware, this is all on you.” he said as he left Shining there.
Shining Armor Was left thinking about everything, what he had caused, and how worse it could’ve gotten if the ponies didn’t succeed in saving Canterlot. His actions during the wedding rehearsal had cost him his reputation, not just as the Royal Guard captain, but also as a brother.
Then he heard a voice calling to him.
“Shining Armor!”
It was Luna, who went trotting towards him, filled with potential contempt. Her first intention was to understand what happened, and why things are as they are now. Shining Armor is filled with nervousness as he knows that she has many things she wishes to discuss with him.
“Princess Luna, it’s good to see you again.”
“We have to talk, Shining, right now. I want to know why the Canterlot invasion took place, and how the changelings were able to break through your barrier.”
Shining Armor couldn’t believe he’s being asked these questions. He thinks that if he gave his honest answers, he would be stripped of his rank as captain. At the same time, if he tried to weasel is way out of it and Luna still found out, she would banish him to the moon until he becomes an old stallion. The only way out of this this is for him to go forward and not sideways.
“I-I was under a mind control spell from the changeling queen, there was nothing I could do to stop it. It weakened my city’s defense. I thought it was Cadence all along and that she did it because of my headaches.” Shining Armor explained.
“What happened before the invasion?” asked Luna.
“We were having the wedding rehearsal. Just out of nowhere, my sister barged in yelling about how Cadence is evil without any sort of proof. I felt it was in my best interests to exclude her from the wedding and decided to go forward with it. I just didn’t want her to cause anymore trouble that what she already had done.”
Luna continued to question Shining. “And was your mind controlled during the wedding rehearsal?”
“No.” he said in defeat.
Luna couldn’t believe he had ignored what could’ve potentially been a major threat to not only Canterlot, but all of Equestria. “But Shining, even if she had made such a petty accusation, it’s your job as captain to but Equestria’s safety first. Even something like that should be considered a red flag and should be worth investigating. Because of you, we could’ve lost our kingdom!”
Luna’s words began to strike his nerve. He knows Luna has authority over him, but he feels he still should make a case for himself. “With all due respect, it’s not like you or Celestia questioned my orders, your highness.”
Luna gave Shining Armor a good smack in the face with her hoof.
“You’re lucky you’re not part of my Night Guard, otherwise I would’ve had you charged for derelict of duty!” snarled Luna.
To Luna, Shining was just as incompetent as her sister. A thousand years of peace had made them all complacent, ignorant of the threats gathering at their borders. She knew he can be careless at times, but a mistake like this is almost beyond forgiveness. She may have not known Twilight for long, but still wouldn’t condone him casting her out over a simple misunderstanding.
Luna continued. “As for your sister, the fact that you even shut her out only tells me that family means little to you.”
Shining Armor shot back. “Now you take that back-”
“No I won’t, Shining Armor. Her behaviour was no excuse for that. I understand that you must’ve been through much stress trying to put the wedding together, but you should’ve listened to your sister. Family comes first, you should’ve known that by now. Trust me, I’ve had more than plenty of experience with family. It’s the number one priority in life.”
“That’s easy for you to say, Luna. I’ve been through sleepless nights trying to get everything organized. You think I wanted to cast my sister out? You think I was proud of it? This wedding was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, and the last thing I needed was to see my fiance to get berated by my own sister.”
Luna sighed, trying to process what she was hearing. “I see now. So you thought your sister was being overprotective.”
“Not just that, it was like as if she didn’t even want there to be a wedding. Why should I invite someone who just wants to ruin things?”
“Whatever.” said Luna. “And what about the elements?”
“The elements? You mean Twilight’s friends? They decided to follow along with me, as did Celestia.”
“Well, I would like to have a talk with the elements. Can you summon them for me?”
“Yes, Princess Luna.” said Shining Armor.