Twilight Gets a Puppy
Season 2
By TDR
A Claw-terlot Wedding,
Part 1, Part 1
[Friendship Express ]
“Are you alright Spike?” Rarity asked looking over at the little dragon and the chirping phoenix chick bouncing along his head spines.
“Ehh mostly. Little worried about Twilight and Rahs. Twilight's been really angry lately and Rahs being sick is really weird. He doesn't get sick, heck I get sick more than him and there's barely anything that affects dragons.”
“Poorly timed too given his job on the list was to prepare the bachelor party.” Rarity frowned.
“Meh, he'd probably just get Poindexter or Gaffer to run it, they supposedly did pretty well with 8-Bit's bachelor party.” Spike shrugged. “Or maybe he'd go all into it full tilt, we'll never know with him this sick.”
“Hmmm perhaps it is better this way.” Rarity summarizes.
“Right, I mean can you imagine the kinda party he'd throw? They'd probably lose Shining on a roof some where, steal a tiger, get a tooth or two knocked out and get involved with a salt cartel somehow.”Pinkie Pie chimed up.
Spike and Rarity looked at Pinkie a moment before wisely dropping the conversation.
[ Canterlot ]
“Alright.... this raises some questions.” Twilight frowned as she and the others exited the train.
Surrounding the train station and stationed everywhere that they could see, were Guards. All of them fully armored, armed to the teeth and looking ready for a fight. Twilight took note tat they were all Solar Guard and Heart Guard, the Night Guard were likely asleep at the moment. Still this looked like the entire Equestrian Guard was here. On the tallest tower Twilight spotted Princess Celestia who was looking through a telescope and speaking with a few pegasi guard who took off to deliver her orders.
Then there was the massive shield surrounding the entire city,Twilight recognized her brothers hoof work immediately. They hadn't seen it from Ponyville as a massive amount of cloud cover had been used to hide the top of the mountain, leaving Canterlot with clear skys but blocking the view of any thing approaching from seeing the massive barrier.
“Relax darling, it's a royal wedding. A grand event like this is sure to bring out the strangest ponies, they are just being extra prepared.” Rarity offered.
Spike blinked and frowned.”This is a bit excessive for just some strange ponies Rarity. It looks more like they're preparing for an invasion. That cloud covers a common pegasi tactic. While Princess Celestia could direct the pegasi to open holes so she could look out, no one could see in and if they attacked would be stopped by the barrier and easily be repelled.”
“Invasion?” Fluttershy meeped.
The small group looked at each other for a moment.
“Who's holding the money?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“I'll do it this time dear. Also I'm putting down ten on a jilted mare friend of Shining's.”Rarity stated.
“I'll match that and put in fer an ex-colt friend of Princess Cadence.” Applejack offered.
“Mare friend o hers.”Big Mac stated getting a glare from Applejack.
“I say it's another one of Princess Celestia's.” Spike offered.
“I'm good for one of Princess Luna's this time.” Fluttershy chimed up.
“You want in Twilight? Rahs?” Pinkie chimed up.”Also put me down for the return of Dark Snooty
Twilight sighed a moment looking for her older brother before spotting him.
“Ten for a Yakistan delegation having declared war again.” Rainbow Dash stated getting an odd look from everyone. “ What? I'm dating an ambassador, I hear things.....”
Rahs simply groaned weakly and followed Twilight towards Shining.
It wasn't hard to get to Shining Armor, he was directing a number of Guards at the base of the tower Princess Celestia was on. A massive Nocturne, Nox-Cal stood nearby, towering over the other Guard, judging by her armor and the markings on her collar, this was Guard Captain Lion Heart the twelveth, Shining's rank equivalent in the Night Guard.
The large pony noted Rahs and Twilight before Shining did and got the other Captains attention. A few of the regular guards looked worried at the approach of an irate looking unicorn and a diamond dog, but with the Captains and several other older guards recognizing them they were not stopped.
“Twiliy, Rahs. Finally. I was starting to get worried, I haven't heard from you since that.... event..... we went to.” Shining trailed off as Lionheart laughed and ushered them off, taking over running things.
Twilight's ears perked a little as her brother sounded a bit nasally, he also looked as if he hadn't slept in some time. Her anger faded a bit as she looked on with concern. “Are you alright?”
“I'm fine … just a bit of a head cold, maybe allergies, runny nose, sinus pressure and the like, nothing that's gonna stop me from walking down the aisle.” Shining smirked and nodded at Rahs. “Look's like I'm not the only one. Guess it's going around.”
Twilight frowned at that.
“Woof.” Rahs managed pointing a claw menacingly at his brother.
“Right, what he said! What's the big idea not telling us the date of the wedding, and then dumping all this work on us at once?”Twilight growled.
“What do you mean all at once, Cady said she asked every one to do this months ago? And I know I sent a letter to each of you. We hadn't heard back in a while so Cady hired some others to take care of the wedding.” Shining blinked. “Granted she also recently moved it up two months, out of summer and into spring because evidently the date has some meaning for her.”
“We never got any letter.” Twilight frowned. “And what sort of meaning would suddenly come up like that that you move a wedding?”
“Beats me, she's been a bit standoffish lately, but I'm pretty sure she's just freaking out over the wedding. I had Celestia send a reminder directly to Spike because I hadn't heard from any of you in a while.”
Twilight flattened her ears, she could definitely see the Princess of Love freaking out over her own wedding. Plus Ponyville had been having a good bit of mail trouble since that Bees guy started at the post office, but she had never heard any complaints of him losing any letters he sorted.
“Wuff?” Rahs finally asked after snorting what was likely the greenest boogers she had ever had the displeasure to see into a handkerchief .
“Eeew. Right, despite that he has a point. What the heck is going on with all this. Shouldn't you be getting ready for the wedding?” Twilight asked.
“You would think that, but......” Shining looked over at his Night Guard counterpart and sighed. “Look I'm only telling you this because you're one of the Element Bearers....” he looked to Rahs “And technically a prince though that's still weird to me, even though I've taken advantage of it.” Shining smirked. “ But a threat has been made against Canterlot.”
“A threat?” Twilight blinked.
“Right we don't know who did it or where it came from, but the Princesses are taking it very seriously. We've got a full force of guards stationed here and we're investigating everything. It's been hectic as all get out here for the last few weeks. Heck I've been so busy I've forgotten I was supposed to be getting married a few times.”
“Who would... who even could, threaten Canterlot?”Twilight considered.
“Beats me, knowing our luck probably one of the Princesses ex's.” Shining sighed.“ Princess Luna has taken a sizable contingent of her Guard and has gone to check Tartarus to see if any thing there has escaped. That might take a while given the size of that place.”
“The girls just started betting on that.” Twilight grumbled.
“Really? Put me down for the Storm King. He's been amassing an army for a few years now, and he's never been a fan of Equestria.” Shining considered.
“Seriously?” Twilight grumbled as Rahs snickered.
“Hmm?” Shining paused looking up at the shield. “Hold on.”
Twilight and Rahs watched as their older brother's horn glowed brightly, a beam of fuchsia colored energy shot from his horn lighting up the area before it strikes the dome, the shield emitting out a loud hum as the new power rejuvenated it.
As the light faded from his horn Shining winced and reached a hoof up to clutch his head.
At the same time Rahs whimpered and sat down doing much the same.
Twilight looked between her brothers with a calculated thought.
“Okay, I think I see a pattern. How long have you been keeping the shield active?” Twilight asked.
“About a week now.” Shining sighed knowing the lecture that was coming, he already heard it from mom. “Yes, I'm the only one empowering it because I'm the most versatile shield caster in the Guard. I've got it set to specific conditions and who and what it allows through. I knew you and your friends were coming as well as the crew and other passengers on the train, thus you got through. Any one I don't allow is bounced off the shield.”
“I get that, I don't like it, but I get that. I can't even match what you can do with one of your shields.” Twilight placated catching onto the 'mom was here first' tone. “Rahs has been ill about that long.....
Rahs and Shining stared at their sister as she started to talk. The magical science explanation making both of them start to tune out. It was a sparkle defense mechanism. The whole family had it, though it was more often brought into play against Twilight, Rahs ranting about theater, or Shining and Spike going on about Ogres and Oubliettes. Nightlight had been known to rant on astronomy occasionally too. It simply allowed to tune out who ever in their family was getting too into their focus
They both snapped back awake as she started drawing graphs and charts on the walls and brick behind her with a bit of chalk.
“.... basically that leads to the computerization....”
“STOP! Now, explain that for those of us who didn't memorize a thesaurus?””
Twilight huffed at her brothers, not noting they tuned out , but noticing she had started drawing on the castle walls.”It means that with all the extra magic you're casting, it's weakening his magic regeneration thus allowing him to catch a cold.”Twilight simplified. “Theoretically.”
“Why didn't you just say that?” Shining asked.
“I did.....” Twilight grumbled.
“Sorry about that bro... I didn't think my headaches would be giving any one else trouble.”Shining sighed. “ Still I have to keep it up for a while longer, are you gonna be okay?”
Rahs' response was a rude Griffonesse gesture he had come to employ a lot as of late.
“I'll take that as a yes.” Shining chuckled.