The next day, in the skies near Canterlot, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked at the shielded city.
“So when do you think DIamond Dust and her adviser’ll be back?” Apple Bloom said.
“I dunno,” Sweetie Belle said. “They said they would be back in a few minutes.”
“Try a few hours,” Scootaloo said.
Meanwhile, Diamond Dust and her adviser were in Ponyville. Diamond Dust was careful not to be seen by the pegasi there. She went inside the library.
There she saw a telescope on the second floor.
“I still don’t get why we need a telescope to invade Canterlot,” Diamond Dust said.
Her adviser said, “Think of it as a gift for your servants. A peek at how evil the ponies are.”
Diamond Dust rolled her eyes. She said, “And we are supposed to carry this back how?”
“Lift the telescope, my liege,” the adviser said, “and I’ll do the rest.”
Diamond Dust lifted the telescope. A sphere of ice and wind encompassed them. The sphere lifted up and phased through the ceiling of the tree.
A pegasus outside noticed a sphere emerging from the treetop at speeds they could only dream of. His mouth was agape. He flew to tell the other pegasi about this, leaving the library’s roof frozen over.
In Canterlot, Princess Cadence walked the streets of the city. She looked out her husband-to-be’s barrier and saw a storm coming. She took a closer look and realized what was lurking within.
‘Thanks for helping with my cover,’ Cadence thought. She saw Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie trotting on a different path and looked back to the storm. ‘Here’s a gift from me to you.’
She galloped to the mares, forcing tears down her cheeks along the way.
She said, “There you are,” through her tears.
“Princess?” Applejack said. “What are you doing here?”
“I came here looking for you,” Cadence said. “It’s my bridesmaids. I had to... fire them.” She cried into Fluttershy’s shoulders.
“Aw, there, there,” Fluttershy said. “It’s alright.”
“No it’s not,” Cadence blubbered, “I thought I could trust them. But they just wanted to meet royalty. They just used me and the wedding.”
“Well, that’s not very nice!” Pinkie said.
“What if we became your bridesmaids?” Rainbow Dash said.
“You’d do that, for me?” Cadence said.
“Of course,” Fluttershy said.
“You can’t have a wedding without bridesmaids, darling,” Rarity said.
“Thank you,” Cadence wiped away a tear. She closed her eyes and her horn glowed a sickly green light.
The other mares looked at the light as their eyes glowed the same color for a few seconds.
The spell was finished. The other ponies shook their heads.
“What was that spell for?” Applejack said.
“Oh, that spell was a gift,” Cadence said. “As thanks for offering to be my bridesmaids. Now I have to tell Celestia the news.”
The smaller mares thanked Cadence and they went their separate ways.
Gale Force, Thunderlane, Flitter, Cloudchaser, and Star Song were patrolling the skies within the barrier.
Another pegasus approached Gale. She said, “Sir, the ice in Ponyville is almost gone. The town should be back to normal in a few days.”
“I see,” Gale said. “Thanks.”
The messenger left.
“So Ponyville will be back to normal in a few days?” Thunderlane said. “Awesome.”
A few feet away, Flitter and Star Song were talking about their jobs.
“So, why did you join the weather team?” Star Song said.
“My sister talked me into it,” Flitter said. “She wanted us to build some character. What about you?”
“I just joined because I wanted to know the types of weather,” Star Song said. “I wanted to use that knowledge to make sure everypony’s safe during my concerts.”
“But why?” Flitter said.
“There aren’t enough pegasi to handle all the weather in Los Pegasus,” Star Song said. “Ironic, isn’t it?”
The weather team finished their patrols and descended to the streets to relax.
At night, Twilight just exited a restaurant with a menu. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Spike were sitting on a nearby table. Spike was playing with the cake topper again.
Twilight trotted to her friends’ table. She said, “Bet I can guess what you’re all thinking. Cadence is the worst bride-to-be ever and should not marry Shining Armor, right?”
The other mares were a little baffled.
“Who, me?” Spike said in a falsetto voice. He moved the Cadence cake topper as he spoke.
“Spike!” Applejack said. “That goes on the cake."
Spike let go of the cake topper and it fell to the center of the table.
“Twilight,” Rarity said. “Whatever are you talking about? Cadence is absolutely the nicest pony ever.”
“You even said it yourself,” Pinkie said. “Remember?”
“But, Rarity,” Twilight said. “She was so demanding.”
“Well, of course she is, darling,” Rarity said. “Why shouldn’t she expect the best on her wedding day?”
Twilight facehoofed.
“Applejack,” She said. Did you know that after she told you how much she loved, loved, loved your hors d'oeuvres, she threw the in the trash?”
“Aw, she was trying to spare my feelings,” Applejack said. “One of the chefs saw that I accidentally used some bad apples to bake the batch.”
“No,” Twilight said. “She was being fake and totally insincere!”
“What happened to that batch?” Rainbow Dash said.
“I threw them away, made sure I used good apples and bake a new batch,” Applejack said. She continued her drink.
“You’re not listening to me!” Twilight slammed the table with her hoof.
“She did raise her voice at one of my birds during rehearsal,” Fluttershy said.
Twilight remembered that moment. She said, “See? Rude.” And folded her hooves in vindication.
“But,” Fluttershy said. “He was singing really off-key.” She lifted a red bird up to the table.
The bird let out a caw that was worse than the amethyst cockatrice’s. The ponies cringed at the sound of that.
“Sound like that bird needs a throat lozenge,” Applejack said.
Twilight looked towards Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie Pie, you had to have noticed how Cadence was treating--”
But Pinkie Pie and Spike were too busy playing with the cake toppers to notice.
“Pinkie Pie! Spike!” Applejack said. “Put the toppers down now!”
Pinkie and Spike did as told.
“Sorry,” Pinkie said. She looked towards Twilight. “You were saying?”
At that point Twilight remembered that Pinkie Pie took Cadence’s rudeness as a compliment.
“Nevermind,” she said. She stood up. “Rainbow dash, you’re with me, right?”
“Sorry, Twi.” Rainbow Dash said. “Been too busy prepping for my Sonic Rainboom to notice the bride’s bad attitude.”
Twilight finished her drink.
“Oh, I just can’t wait for this reception!” Pinkie bellowed. “It’s just too exciting to wait.”
“And when I pull off the best Sonic Rainboom ever,” Rainbow Dash said. “The Wonderbolts will have to let me in.”
“And just think of the money the farm will get when word gets out that I catered the party.” Applejack said.
“And I’ll finally achieve my dream of being the best fashion designer in all Equestria,” Rarity said.
Twilight groaned in frustration.
Rarity went to Twilight, “The Princess is about to get married. I’m sure that whatever negative behavior she might be displaying is simply the result of nerves.”
Twilight slammed the table again. “And I’m sure that it’s the result of her being an awful pony who doesn't deserve to even know Shining Armor, let alone marry him!”
Applejack stood up. “Think maybe you’re being a tiny bit possessive of your brother?”
“Give her a break, guys,” Rarity said. “It’s the first time in years since she met her brother.”
Twilight fumed. “I am not being possessive, and I am not taking it out on Cadence! You’re just too caught up in your wedding planning to realize that there shouldn't be a wedding!” She slammed the table so hard that the drinks spilled over and then she trotted away.
The other ponies looked at each other in confusion.
“Oh,” Pinkie said. “We forgot to tell her that Cadence asked us to be her bridesmaids!”
“I think that news can wait, Pinkie,” Applejack said. ”The wedding rehearsal is tomorrow guys.”
“I’ll get the dresses ready,” Rarity said.
The mares and Spike paid for their drinks and left.
Twilight trotted down a lonely road. She felt betrayed. She wondered how she could stop the wedding.
‘That’s it.’ Twilight was inspired. She went to find Shining Armor.
Inside one of Canterlot's towers. Celestia was preparing to go to bed, confident that her sister and Shining Armor’s barrier would keep Canterlot safe in the night.
She heard a knock on the door. She said, “Come in.”
It was Cadence. She said, “I wanted to tell you that I decided to make Twilight’s friends my new bridesmaids.”
“That’s wonderful,” Celestia said. “I’m sure that they’ll make excellent bridesmaids.”
“I can trust them,” Cadence said. “But I’m not sure if I can trust Twilight.”
“Huh?” Celestia said.
“I’m sure you’re aware that the windigoes are preparing to strike soon?” Cadence said.
“Of course,” Celestia said. “I've even hired an elementalist to reinforce Shining Armor’s shield a few days ago.”
“Well,” Cadence said. “I think Twilight’s working with them.”
“But why?” Celestia said.
“You know that my domain is love. Just as much as yours is the sun, and Luna, the moon,” Cadence said. “The windigos feed on hate. If this wedding were to be stopped, I don’t think I can imagine what would happen. Just promise me that if Twilight tries to stop the wedding, that you’ll stop her by whatever means necessary.”
Celestia was surprised by this request. “I... I don’t know.”
Cadence moved closer to Celestia. She said. “I can show you,” Cadence's horn glowed green again.
Celestia saw visions of Twilight and Cadence. She saw Twilight criticizing everything about the wedding, the food, the dresses, and the reception. She saw Cadence crying and pleading for Twilight to stop her unreasonable demands.
Celestia’s eyes glowed green for a moment. She said, “Very well.”
“Thank you,” Cadence said. She left the tower.