Twilight looked at the words scrawled on her fetlock with a sigh. A soulmark, as plain to her own eyes as the cutie mark on her flank. The first words her soul mate would speak ever speak to her. Had she squinted just right, she might have been able to make it out in it's most imperceptible form on the day she'd received that very same cutie mark. But, with the fated meeting so far off, well... knowing the words your soulmate wouldn't speak for over a decade wouldn't do you much good, now would it? With how clear it had become over the past few months, Twilight was certain the meeting wouldn't be too far off.
The sound of the Appaloosa Zephyr's train whistle shook her from her thoughts as the train pulled into Ponyville Station.
"Darling, you can't be worrying over that mark today of all days!" Rarity lifted her hoof to her chest, trying to give herself as regal a bearing as she possibly could. "We are going to Canterlot for a royal wedding, are we not? Everypony who is anypony shall be there today. If your mark shows true..."
Rarity simply let the implication of Twilight's soulmate being visiting royalty hang on the air as Spike gleefully began to collect her luggage.
"I know, Rarity. I know. There's no need to remind me for the fifteenth time today. It's my brother's wedding we're going to after all. I just wish I knew who this 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza' was. I was so certain he'd told me that it was my old foalsitter who'd said his First Words."
"Ain't like soulmates always marry, Twi. Jus' lookit me 'n' RD."
"Yeah! Maybe you'll find your soulmate's someone worth of challenging you, too." Rainbow looked back at Applejack for a moment. "Not that I'm saying I can't still run circles around AJ on my worst day or anything."
"Whatever ya say, sugarcube." Applejack just laughed as the group boarded the train.
By royal carriage, the trip between Ponyville and Canterlot was only about an hour or so. More than enough time for Twilight to work herself into a bit of a tizzy, weighing all the different options and opinions of the coming wedding against each other. But Twilight wasn't on a royal carriage today, and the train needed to wind around the edge of the Everfree Forest as well as Canterlot Mountain to safely work its way up to the capital proper. That meant a ride of closer to three hours... more than thrice the amount of time Twilight needed to have a full blown panic attack.
"Twi, look, I'm telling you, it will be fine. You'll see. I'm sure, once you've had a good chat with Shining Armor, everything will work itself out." Spike reached up to pat Twilight's back as she looked out the window.
"I'm not so sure, Spike. I mean, he's about to start a whole new life with this princess I have never met, that he never even bothered to introduce me to! I know he's busy as Captain of the Royal Guard, and that I've been caught up in a lot of stuff in Ponyville these past few months. But if he'd just asked, I would have made the time to come home on a Wednesday day trip or something! Or even when I was in Canterlot for the whole thing with Discord."
Spike opened his mouth to speak, even though he wasn't sure where to even begin in terms of trying to contradict his big sister. But, that did not matter as the gentle squeal of the train's brakes filled the various cars.
"Please pardon the delay," the voice of the conductor called out. "We will be stopping here for a Royal Guard- mandated screening before proceeding under the shield and into the city proper."
"Screening?" The girls all asked in near perfect unison. Even the ride to Canterlot for the Grand Galloping Gala hadn't involved such over-the-top security measures.
"This shouldn't take long. She's here. Passenger manifest says this train is mostly empty anyways." Twilight shook her head as she overheard two guards stepping on to the train talk between themselves. But, there was something else... something she could just barely make out.
"Right, we've got twelve from Appaloosa, Don't let them see her. another six off the transfer from Dodge City, She can't be taken again. and seven VIPs from Ponyville," the second guard said.
"What sort of VIPs would be coming from a backwater town like that?"
Twilight rubbed the base of her horn in slight agony. Something about his words...
"Can anyone else hear that hissing?"
"Not hearing anything but the xen- the friendly guards, silly filly!" Pinkie Pie partially burst into her vision, all while stumbling over her words and chuckling nervously. "Nope. N-nothing at all for you to worry about. Heh..."
The others looked at her for a split second, before simply shrugging. It was just Pinkie being Pinkie, after all. But, even if they wanted to say anything, the door to their car opened to reveal the two guards, one unicorn and one earth pony.
"You may think Ponyville as some backwater town all you want, Sentry. But it is still the chosen home of the Heroes of Equestria." The second guard, the earth pony, looked out to the Element Bearers, slightly bowing his head. "Please forgive my partner, gentle mares and dragon. I fear his time in the big city has fouled his view of small town life."
"That's quite alright, ma'am," Twilight said with a slightly forced smile. "But, why all the security?"
"There's been a credible threat against the Captain of the Guard and his fiance," began the unicorn, Sentry. "We're doing inspections of all incoming trains, including scans of all passengers. Stop him!"
"That won't be necessary for this car, Sentry."
The guard spun his head to look at his partner. "Our orders are clear, Blush! Everyone coming in needs to be scanned. No exceptions."
"Sentry, these are the Heroes of Equestria. The Element Bearers themselves. Not to mention, Twilight Sparkle there is Captain Armor's little sister. Think for a moment. Do you really think it would be possible to anypony to turn a sister against her loving older sibling? These VIPs are no threat to the Captain or his soon-to-be-wife. Let's just get a move on with scanning the others so she can actually see her brother before the wedding. Consider than an order."
Sentry slumped almost imperceptibly. "Very well, ma'am. But I want it on record that I do not approve of this order. If something happens because of this..."
"Right, right... It'll be all on my hooves. I am well aware. Let's get a move on, Sentry." Blush nodded towards the back door of the car and marched through, making sure to bow slightly towards Twilight on the way with a hushed 'By your leave'. For her part, Twilight was too confused to say anything more.
Roughly half an hour later, a hole formed in the shield to allow the train entrance. Starting up again, it crossed the final bridge into the city under the watchful eyes of the Royal Guard. Everywhere the girls looked, pairs of guardponies stood in uniform. Pegasi, including a few Wonderbolts, flew around the city under the shield dome.
"I-Isn't this a bit much?" Fluttershy asked meekly.
"Yeah. If the threat is just against my brother, why would he be burning so much of his energy to keep a shield over the whole city? It would make more sense to only shield himself and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Even for him, keeping up a shield of this size..." She shuddered a bit at the thought.
"Well, it looks like you'll get the chance to ask him in person."
"Huh?" Twilight looked out the window to where Spike was pointing. Standing on the station platform, looking magically drained but still smiling, was Shining Armor along with a small squad of guardponies. Once the train came to a stop, she was rushing out the door to hug her B.B.B.F.F., knocking him over in the process while the guards raised their weapons.
Shining just laughed, waving off his guards with one hoof. "It's good to see you too, Twilie. Glad you and your friend could make it."
"Miss my big brother's wedding?!" Twilight got up, swooning as she had seen Rarity do so often. "Why I never! Even if he tells me nothing of being engaged until the day before his wedding."
"Y-You didn't know?" Shining looks at her, confusion in his eyes.
"The last I knew, you were convinced that Cadance was your soulmate. First Words shared and everything! But here comes some Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and you're off getting married!"
Shining started to chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"I just figured out what the problem is... Cadance's full name and title is..."
Twilight's own eyes started to grow large, understanding dawning upon her. "Princess Mi Amore Cadenze... Cadance is Princess Cadenza?"
Shining nodded.
"You're marrying the best foalsitter in all of Equestria?!"
He just shrugged at that. "Well, you'd know that one better than me. She was your foalsitter, after all. Not mine."
Twilight jumped for joy at the realization that she'd actually known his fiance all this time. She'd been so busy twilighting, she'd completely forgotten the day they were introduced...
"Hello there. I'm Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Celestia's niece. I'll be your foalsitter, but please... Call me Cadance.
Twilight looked around, quickly catching sight of Cadance walking onto the platform. A wide smile crept to her mouth, one that might even put Pinkie to shame. Speaking of Pinkie, was she hissing? No matter, after all this time, she had to chance to greet her old foalsitter! Sadly, however, her beaming smile would only last until the first words she'd heard come out of Cadance's mouth in years reached her ears... and broke her heart.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything important."