//------------------------------//
// Truth and Honor 
// Story: Canterlot Wedding 
// by Bookworm217 
//------------------------------//

Cadence waited anxiously in the waiting room of the Canterlot Hospital. Shining barged in four hours ago with a limp Twilight lying on his back, covered in scratches and deep cuts, that had stopped bleeding, but severely infected. Even if the crystals were cutting her, they kept her cuts from becoming infected. Cadence bit the end of her hoof in worry, her mind making up endless theories about how she would lose Twilight. Eventually, they arrived that the promise that she and made to Twilight. 

”Promise me t-two t-things: you’ll m-marry S-Shiny and that you’ll t-tell him, S-Spike, Princess C-Celestia t-that I f-forgive t-them.”  

Cadence’s eyes widen as she realized that she needed to tell them, and something told her at this promise was important. She looked around and saw that everyone that Twilight had asked to tell them she forgave them was hear. She also noticed that Twilight hadn’t asked for her friends to be forgiven. She let out a small gasp that did not unnoticed. Shining’s ears perked up as he turned his head to face Cadence. His eyes seemed unfocused, like he experienced some sort of trauma or new found secret.
It must have been that huge power surge that he conjured up. Cadence mused. Now that I think about it, he has been a little off his game ever since he collapsed with no reason to while I was explaining where the cave was and what happened to Twilight. I'm going to ask him about it.  She was able to walk over to him when she stopped herself. No, Cadence! she scolded herself. You must keep Twilight's request to you! Even if that means get- She never got to finish her thought because Shining Armor had gone up to her, taken her hoof, and asked her in a very tired tone:

" Are you alright?"

Cadence wanted to scream saying no, that she wasn't. Her soon-to-be sister in law and the filly that she loved sitting for had asked her to get married without her. How was she supposed to explain that to him?

"Let's go somewhere private." she said. "This is about the last thing that Twilight said to me."





Spike bit his claws worriedly. Ever since Shining ran in the hospital with Twilight lying on his back like that...it was too much for the baby dragon to take. He ran out of the hospital as fast as his feet would take him. Before he heard and saw what happened to Twilight, he used to think that she was invincible, that nothing could take her down. Nightmare Moon and Discord, she and her friends may have defeated them together, but it was Twilight who lead them. When Nightmare Moon returned, even if she was against making friends at the time, she was the one who brought them together. When Discord turned them into the opposite of what they represented, it was Twilight who cast the spell to reunite them. But when she needed the help from her family, mentor, friends, and number-one assistant, he and the rest of the group didn't even hesitate to leave her out in the rain to deal with the invasion and to bring the real Cadence to them. Only this time, their safety, the safety of all of Equestria and the lands beyond it and of future generations, might have cost a life. A life that touched and will touch so many more lives. She gave Equestria a different and powerful way to defend itself. She gave five different ponies a purpose, a destiny. She gave Cadence a love for children. She gave Shining a bond that cannot be broken.  She gave Princess Celestia a chance a being a mentor. But, she gave Spike something so special, so precious, something that everypony holds very dear and only gets one of. She gave Spike life. 

By now, Spike had arrived at where he and Twilight used to live before moving to Ponyville. With heavy tears rolling down his face, he punched the door, over and over again. Thump. He remembered how excited he was when he heard that he not only be going to the wedding, but would be participating in it. Thump. He remembered playing with the cake toppers, ignoring Twilight's suspicions. Thump He remembered the wedding rehearsal. Her brother disowned her, her friends dismissed her, her mentor shunned her, and when she looked at him. What was his verdict? He ignored her. Then what? She went to the crystal mines. She found the real Cadence. She helped her find a way out of the mines. Not once did Twilight question her own safety to save her brother's wedding. Crack. Spike's claw ached as he felt go through something. Tears rolled down his eyes as he looked at his claw, which broken. Spike, turned around and went in the direction of the hospital, with a broken claw and a heart full of worry.





Shining was quiet for a moment. He though about what Cadence just told him. The first thing that came out of mouth was something that Cadence expected him to say. "I'm not getting married without Twilight." Cadence sighed. Shining knew Cadence. She wanted to honor Twilight's wish, but the plain truth was that she wanted Twilight there on her wedding day. Sometimes choosing between the too was a choice that no pony should go through. "Shining, before we have his discussion, what did Twilight mean by she forgives you?" 

" I'm not sure. The last time I saw her was at the wedding rehearsal..." Shining's eyes grew wide in horror when he remembered the wedding rehearsal. He didn't remember much, but he did remember that last thing he said to Twilight. 


"And you can forget about being my best mare. In fact, if I were you, I wouldn't come to the wedding at all."
 

Those were the last words he said to her. All of those years that they never fought with one another, and their first fight lead one of them to the hospital in a critical condition. "Shining?" Cadence asked after Shining zoned out for a minute or two. "Are you alright?" 

Before he could respond, Spike came in with a broken claw. Fluttershy got up almost instantly and went to go help him. A few minutes later, he came back with a bandaged claw. Before anyone could ask, he sat in the nearest corner, his head in his claws, his back turned against everyone. A few minutes later, the doctor came and asked for the immediate family of Twilight Sparkle. When everyone jumped up at once, he made a shocked face and asked for the blood relatives only. The only blood relative in the room at the moment was Shining Armor. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. The doctor motioned for him to follow. They walked until they arrived at a hallway that was gloomy and dark. The sign above them had three words that shook Shining Armor to bone. 


Emergency Care Unit


It was only then when Shining realized that he didn’t ‘feel’ Twilight ever since he brought her to the hospital. Even if it was unusual to him, (and maybe to her. He didn’t know. The last he spoke to her was at the wedding rehearsal.) it served as reassurance that she was alive. Shining began to panic. Resisting the urge to break down every door on that floor, he swallowed and looked at the doctor with fear in his eyes. “Is she alright?” He asked worrily. 

“Twilight Sparkle was very injured and you brought her to us.” The doctor spoke in a emotionless voice. “ She had many cuts and punctures. Seven of her ribs were severely broken, but her lungs survived miraculously.” Shining looked up hopefully, then remembered the huge power surge he had when he was protecting Twilight. Even if he wasn’t paying attention at the time, he heard her breathe. 

“She is unconscious, you can see her if you’d like.” Shining nodded his head faster than both him and the doctor thought possible. The doctor opened the door to his left and Shining glanced in, afraid of what he would find. What he saw sent his heart aching. Twilight’s torso was covered in bandages and stitches. Her neck also had a long line of stitches starting from the top of her throat all the way to her shoulder. Shining approached her bed. “Twilight?” He asked. Her muzzle had a mask on it, pumping oxygen into her lungs. Something told him that without that mask, she would not survive. 

He sat down and touched her hoof with his. He felt her heartbeat, it was steady and strong. Then something he found indescribable happened. His chest felt...warm. His heart was beating so fast, he was sure that it would burst. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and didn’t fight it. He let the feeling take over him with one thought in mind. 


Twilight, talk to me.