After a day of preparation and a good night’s rest, Rainbow Dash and her friends found themselves on the train to Canterlot, Rainbow Dash grinning and giggling in excitement.
“This is such an exciting day!” She squeed, turning to her friends. “Don’tcha agree, guys?”
PInkamena glared at her, sitting a good distance away. She just sat there, glaring. Rainbow winced and looked towards Applejack while pointedly avoiding Pinkamena’s hateful gaze.
Applejack grunted, her eyes featuring heavy, dark bags under them as she hold a large box. “Ah might be able to feel any excitement if Ah got some decent sleep...but no, Ah had to stay up just to make sure this dress was absolutely perfect for the Princess. I even used a few very expsensive materials!”
“Oh I’m sure you didn’t have to go all out, I bet she’d love it no matter how simple it looked.” Rainbow said with a relaxed smile, waving her hoof back and forth dismissively.
Applejack’s eyes snapped wider open, her frown deepening further into an angry scowl. “SHE’S A PRINCESS AND WEDDING DRESSES ARE SPECIAL! THERE’S PRINCIPLES TO THIS!”
Twilight hurried over to the fashionista’s side, gently wrapping a towel over her face. “Hey it’s okay, you’re just stressed...just relax till we get there...”
Applejack nodded as she closed her eyes. “Yes...you’re quite write, Twilight. That outburst was undignified...”
Twilight smiled. “We all did a lot of work on short notice, so I’m sure Princess Cadance will appreciate our efforts.”
“Yeah!” Fluttershy cheered. “I bet she’ll be really happy once we help make her wedding extra super special awesome!”
Rarity huffed, folding her hooves as she sat back. “Yeaaah I still think it’ll be boring and lame.”
Rainbow shrugged. “Oh it’ll be great!” She peered through a window, grinning wide. “Oh we’re here, we’re here!”
At that her friends stepped to the windows of the train, looking out at the astounding sight of Canterlot ahead, the train chugging along as it sped towards the station.
Rainbow grinned wide. “Ohhhh this is gonna be amazing! I haven’t seen Cadance in AGES!” She trotted to a seat whereupon Spike had been sleeping. “Wakey, wakey Spike! We’re here!”
Spike shot up, looking around bleary-eyed. “Huh? Whuzzat?”
Rainbow pulled the dragon onto her back and started trotting with off with him as the train started to stop, the other girls getting from their seats and following along, many of them having varying degrees of anxiousness, annoyance and tiredness on their faces.
As the group stepped off the train they were greeted by a member of the Canterlot Royal Guard.
“WELCOME TO CANTERLOT!” Lieutenant Sapphire Shores shouted loudly, saluting. “I SINCERELY HOPE YOU ARE NOT PLOTTING TO ATTACK CANTERLOT IN ANY WAY!”
Rainbow blinked, tilting her head in puzzlement. “Ex...excuse me?”
Another guardsmare who was standing beside her, Sassy Saddles, lightly bonked Sapphire on the head with the blunt side of her spear before turning to the group of mares before her. “Lieutenant Shores here has gotten it into her head that ANY visitors to the city could be potential enemies. And has thus gotten it into her head that she can thwart an attack by simply asking ponies not to.”
“Oh.” Twilight said. “And here I was thinking that something happened or somepony threatened to attack or something.”
“Nothing of the sort has happened. In fact, nothing has happened here in Canterlot since that whole....debacle at the Gala.” Lieutenant Saddles chuckled. “It’s actually gotten a bit boring, especially after all the busts.”
“Busts?” Rarity asked, grinning. “Like, y’know, crime stuff? Like in the novels I totally don’t read when noone’s looking?”
Lieutenant Saddles chuckled. “Well, yeah. A lot of ponies doing bad things because they thought their money and status made them able to get away with anything. Thanks to the efforts of our Captain, we’ve managed to capture and detain a good few of these rotten eggs, and after a while everypony’s been on their best behaviour.” She smirked. “For now, at least.”
“Speaking of your dashing Captain,” Applejack interjected, “I hear he’s the lucky stallion getting married today. That must have been quite a surprise.”
Sassy Saddles nodded. “Yeah, it was actually. A lot of us joined the guard in the hopes of getting his attention, y’know, what with him being the most desired bachelor in Equestria. In fact, I was one those mares who joined just because I wanted his attention.” She coughed into her hoof, blushing deeply as she averted her eyes, before resuming a more serious expression. “And in all my years working in the Guard, the Captain has not accepted the advances of ANYPONY, on or off the force, so it came as a surprise to pretty much ALL of us when out of the blue he announces he’s getting married to Princess Cadance of all ponies, a mare I’m not even sure he’s really talked to all that much.”
“Surely it must be really happy to be getting wed to a great mare like Cadance?” Rainbow grinned, her friends side-eyeing her.
Sassy Saddles looked down in thought. “Actually, it’s really weird. He seems TOO happy and a seems to go out of his way to avoid anyone in the Royal Guard...in fact he’s been avoiding a lot of ponies period. And when we do manage to catch up with him, briefly, he seems...well, he’s been acting...odd.”
“Oh it’s probably wedding jitters, y’know?” Rainbow said flippantly.
“Maybe...Still though, it’s...concerning...”
“I THINK...!” Sapphire Shores started to say before Lieutenant Saddles’ hoof pressed over her mouth.
“Not ONE word about your crazy ‘mind control’ theory.” The guardsmare shook her head before looking back up at Rainbow’s group. “Anyway, it’s nothing for you ladies to worry about. Since you brought it up, I assume you’re here for the wedding?”
“I imagine a lot of ponies are!” Rainbow said excitedly. “We were invited by Princess Cadance!”
Sassy Saddles’ face contorted into an irritated scowl. “Oh. Of course. Her.”
Rainbow blinked, then glared accusingly. “You got a problem with the Princess? Jealous she got to Blueblood and not you?”
The Lieutenant averted her gaze. “No, it’s not like that, she’s just...well, you’ll see...”
Sapphire Shores saluted, pointing her hoof towards the castle. “THE WEDDING IS BEING HELD IN THE CASTLE! PLEASE HEAD TOWARDS THERE IF YOU ARE ATTENDING THE WEDDING! PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO KIDNAP ANY ASSORTED PRINCES OR PRINCESSES, NO STEAL ANY JEWEL ENCRUSTED OR GOLDEN VALUABLES! PLEASE DO NOT....”
Sassy Saddles bonked the mare over the head again. “At the very least, don’t shout, Sapphire.”
“I APOLOGISE!”
The guardsmare sighed and pressed her hoof to her face, gesturing at Rainbow’s group with her other hoof. “Look just...just go. You’ll see what I’m talking about when you get there.”
The mares nodded slowly as they started to trot towards the castle. ON the way there, Fluttershy suddenly gasped and grinned wide, dashing off from the group to join a small crowd that stood nearby. The other mares looked to each other and shrugged and trotted over to stand with their friend, allowing them to see what had gotten the pegasus’ attention.
The crowd of ponies stood around two largely identical Pegasus mares, though one wore a blue outfit and the other a red one, the pair flying through hoops in the air as they masterfully juggled six large clubs each, tossing them towards each other as they flew apart in opposite directions and then tossing them all high into air as they flew back together and landing on the ground, bowing to the audience, the red clad Pegasus stretching her left hoof forward towards the crowd as her twin beside her did the same with her right hoof, easilycatching six clubs each into their hooves as they fell from the air towards the ground in front of them. The pair grinned as the audience applauded.
“And so ends our show for today!” The mare clad in blue exclaimed. “If you want a further performance, we will be providing entertainment at the wedding of Princess Cadance! Do please try and attend! Until then, this is farewell from Flitter!”
“and Cloudchaser!” The red clad mare added.
“Jesters of the Sky!” The pair posed together with a flourish as they exclaimed in unison, tossing confetti around themselves as the crowd cheered.
“Whoo!” Fluttershy cheered, performing loops in the air as she clapped her hooves and smiled. “That was incredible!”
As the crowd gave the twins some bits in return for the performance, the pair trotted over to Rainbow’s group, the two pegasi looking over the assembled mares. “High praise indeed from one of the Elements of Harmony.” The one clad in blue, Flitter, said.
Rainbow blushed, rubbing the back of her neck, still rather embarrassed by all the fame she and her friends seem to get. “So, uh, you’re on your way to the wedding too?”
Flitter and Cloudchaser exchanged a concerned glance before nodding. “Enamoured with our performance, Her Majesty is.” Cloudchaser said, carefully. “Greatly honoured are we.”
Fluttershy grinned widely. “Well since we’re on the way anyway, why not go together?”
The twins flinched imperceptivity but maintained a friendly demeanour. “Oh we could not possibly impose on esteemed ponies such as yourselves!”
“Nonsense! It’s only right that we go on together! And that way you girls won’t get lost!” Fluttershy exclaimed, draping her forelegs over the shoulders of the twins as she walked them onwards, Rainbow shrugging and walking off to lead the group to the castle, upon which the mares trotted inside, the Jesters squirming a little as they looked around nervously.
As the group trotted a white unicorn stallion with long blonde hair walked over to them, sporting a wide smile and wearing a fancy red suit jacket over his torso, adorned with medals along the chest. “Well hello there!”
Rainbow gave the stallion a smirk. “Well if it isn’t the lucky husband to be. How’s it going, Blueblood? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for thee wedding?”
The Captain of the royal guard blinked a few times but maintained a wide smile, pulling Rainbow into a sudden hug. “Oh I know but I’m just so THRILLED to see so many ponies coming by! I’m guessing you’re here going to be attending the wedding too?”
Rainbow squirmed in the stallion’s tight embrace. “Uh yeah, well we WERE invited so...uuhh...y-you’re kinda....friendly today, huh? You’re not usually the type to just uh hug somepony, typically...”
“Oh I do apologise!” He let her go and stepped back a bit. “I’m just...I’m just SO EXCITED and it’s got me out of sorts, my bride to be is just so beautiful and she’s been EVER so good to me!”
“Shiny, please, you’re bothering the guests.” A mare’s voice spoke evenly.
“Oh, sorry honey, I’m just filled with SUCH JUBILIATION!” Blueblood said as he walked over to the mare as she stepped into view. She was beautiful, with a bright pink coat and a long mane coloured with streaks of pink, lilac and white, a pointed horn extending a few inches from her forehead, wearing bright blue robes that signified her as headmistress of the Canterlot Academy of Magic. She was the bride of the hour, Princess Cadance, standing only a couple inches taller than her groom.
“Princess Cadance!” Rainbow beamed and rushed over, hugging the mare before pulling back. “It’s so great to see you!”
Cadance looked around distractedly before shaking her head and looking down at the Pegasus before her with an unreadable expression. “Ah, right, it’s good to see you too. Sorry, I’m just a little...distracted right now.” She chuckled quietly.
“Yeah, I can imagine, pre-wedding jitters and all.” She grinned wide. “I’m so glad I got your letter, I missed you a lot and I’m so eager to catch up!”
Cadance nodded, looking distracted as she looked around. “Yeah, uh, me too, but uh you know guests should be going down the hall there...” She pointed down a hall leading down from the right of them as she spoke insistently.
“Oh but your letter said you wanted my friends to help!” Rainbow continued, oblivious to how Cadance was acting, the Pegasus spreading her right wing as she pointed out each mare. “Applejack made you an amazing dress, Twilight’s got plenty for the catering, Fluttershy is....really good at singing, Pinkamena crafted a WONDERFUL ring for you and...umm...Rarity’s here for...moral support!”
Cadance nodded as she gave each mare a brief glance before turning away. “That’s all well and good, but if you’ll excuse me I am simply swamped with other things to prepare for.” She turned to Blueblood pointedly, giving him a commanding look. “Come along, Blueblood.”
Blueblood looked puzzle for a moment before his eyes widened in realisation and he nodded, following after her as she walked down the opposite hall. “Oh, right, coming dear!”
Applejack frowned. “Isn’t it bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding?”
Cadance, rather than replying, merely hurried along and lead Blueblood out of sight.
Applejack huffed. “How rude!”
Rainbow shrugged. “Hey come on, she’s got a lot on her mind, she’s probably not thinking straight due to all the excitement.”
“But still, it’s WEIRD for a bride and groom to be going around together before they’re officially married!” Applejack insisted.
“Oh Cadance doesn’t care about rumours and superstition, if she wants to hang out with her husband before anything ‘official’, I say she’s welcome to it, she IS a princess after all.” Rainbow said dismissively.
“That Blueblood guy was acting really weird too...” Twilight noted. “I mean not that he wasn’t a friendly guy when we last saw him, but he wasn’t like THAT, either!”
Rainbow frowned. “He’s just excited about the wedding, y’know how it is. Look guys, I just don’t see what your problem is. Cadance and Blueblood were like the two ponies I got along the best with here in Canterlot, and it’s great to see them getting together and being happy and It’s just weird that you guys AREN’T as into this as I am!”
“Well we barely know them!” Rarity said. “Cadance especially, and she was kinda being rather dismissive and rude to us, she barely paid any attention to us, including you!” She pointed around herself with her hooves. “Look at all this! Silk and satin decorations with gold markings and stuff, all being held within CANTERLOT CASTLE where all the royals and hobknobs live! We’re just country bumpkins to them, and we don’t exactly have the best reputations here thanks to what happened at the Gala! We just don’t belong here, so OF COURSE Cadance isn’t really interested in us!”
Rainbow scoffed. “PSHAW! You’re making mountains out of molehills! You’ll see, Cadance is just busy, once she’s gotten to talk to yo guys about what you got ready for the wedding, you’ll see how grateful she is! Don’t worry, she’s NOTHING like those jerk nobles like Sunset and Fancy Pants!”
The other girls nodded, looking sceptical, while Fluttershy grinned and shrugged.
“I think she and Blueblood seemed super nice!” The yellow Pegasus exclaimed. “Right, Flitter, Cloudchaser?” She looked from side to side, blinking in surprise upon noticing the twins had disappeared. “Huh. Guess they ran off to get ready for their wedding show.”
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Flitter and Cloudchaser kept themselves hidden as they stalked through the halls. They had to keep an eye on the Queen, they had to make sure she was safe and that the Plan was not in danger of discovery. If even a single pony knew what was REALLY going on, it would ruin everything.
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Cadance rubbed her head as she lead her ‘husband’ to her room, looking behind herself to ensure she wasn’t being followed, mentally admonishing herself for losing sight of him and letting him almost jeopardise everything. She prayed the plan was going smoothly, that her act was working. If not, everything would be ruined. If the wrong ponies found out what she was up to...she shuddered to think what could happen. She had to play this carefully, and keep a close eye on the ‘groom’ to make sure he didn’t do anything foolish.
Timing was crucial.