Chapter 1: A Night to Remember
“We’re here! We’re here!”
Twilight Sparkle and her friends stepped off the train and into the breezy Manehattan air, soaking in the late afternoon sunshine. Twilight smiled, happy to have finally arrived in the big city.
“Aw, yeah,” Applejack said as they walked off the platform and into the main station. “No matter how many times ah come here, ah’ll never get tired of it.”
“Likewise!” Rarity exclaimed. “The glamor, the culture, the size and scope! Isn’t it just the most wonderful thing?”
“Manehatten’s a wonderful place,” Twilight agreed, extending her wings and feeling the cool breeze ruffle her feathers. “Now, does anypony see them?”
They looked through the many faces of the crowded station, until…
Pinkie Pie pointed to the information kiosk in the middle of the station. “Ooh, ooh, there they are! I see them!”
Sure enough, there were two familiar-looking ponies who were standing patiently by the kiosk, as if waiting for somepony.
Twilight gasped. “Yes! It’s them!”
They all approached the two ponies, who also gave a gasp of delight when they saw the group.
“Cadance!” Twilight exclaimed. “Shining Armor!”
Everypony gathered together and shared warm greetings and hugs. Shining Armor embraced his sister happily. “It’s so great to see you again, Twily. Cadance and I are so glad you could make it out here.”
“How was the train ride?” Cadance asked.
Twilight shrugged. “Not too bad. Pinkie got her head stuck in the lavatory toilet at one point.”
“Long story,” Rainbow Dash added, shooting an annoyed look at Pinkie Pie. “Don’t ask.”
“I was thirsty!” the pink party pony said indignantly.
“Anyway, besides that little bit of fun, the train ride was fine.” Twilight said, rolling her eyes. “How are things going with the party?”
Cadance smiled. “Wonderfully. When Mayor Maneroe invited us to be the guests of honor at the Mayor’s Ball, I didn’t know what to expect. But everything seems to be going swimmingly. Well, mostly. I promise you won’t be disappointed tonight.”
“I should think so!” Rarity exclaimed happily. “Oh, a ball! How magnificent!”
“Well, we only call it a ball as a formality, but I’m sure you’ll like it nonetheless,” Shining Armor chuckled. “So, you girls ready to head out? Got your bags and everything?”
They all nodded, and Shining Armor beamed. “All right, then. I’ve got a cab waiting outside. Shall we?”
***
“Thank you so much again for inviting us to attend the Mayor’s Ball with you, Prince Armor!”
Shining Armor smiled. “Please, you don’t need to be so formal, Miss Rarity. ‘Shining Armor’ will do just fine. And it was Cadance here who convinced the mayor to add your names to the guest list.”
“It seems the mayor was eager to meet Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Cadance added. “And I told him that unless she could come with whomever she chose, neither she nor I would attend the ball.”
Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Cadance smiled warmly. “Of course. I know what your friends mean to you.”
“Oh my, that’s so sweet of you, Princess Cadance,” Fluttershy said, smiling kindly.
The other ponies professed their thanks as they passed through the streets of Manehattan. The sun was already beginning to set as they passed by street after street, each with something new and refreshing to look at.
“Is it true?” Rarity piped up, her eyes glittering. “Is it true you’ve booked the reception at the Trotsford Hotel?”
Shining Armored nodded. “The penthouse, no less. We’ll get a great view of the whole city tonight.”
“Yes! A party at the top of the city!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “A penthouse pony party! That sounds amazing!”
“Oh, it will be amazing, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said dreamily. “So amazing…”
Shining Armor chuckled again, wrapping his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “Yup. I’m sure it’ll be a night to remember.”
***
Upon arrival at the Trotsford Hotel, all the ponies gazed at the massive skyscraper in utter awe. It had to be at least twenty stories high, with plate glass windows dotted in a grid pattern up and down a facade of marble and stainless steel. At the main doors, twin alicorn statues flanked either side of a set of marble steps that led up to the entry canopy. The evening sun washed the building in fiery orange light, making it look even more beautiful.
The ponies were speechless, but Shining Armor and Cadance just chuckled. Rarity was amazed most of all, frozen stiff in awe at the hotel’s exterior. Breathless, she fainted to the ground from the sheer elegance of the building. Applejack rolled her eyes, then craned her neck to look at the top of the building.
“We’re stayin’ all the way up there?”
“Mhm,” Shining Armor replied, paying his fare to the cab driver. “It cost a hoof and a leg, but I think it’ll be worth it.”
As Twilight turned around to thank her brother once more, she momentarily caught sight of Cadance with an odd look on her face. Her lips were curled and her brow was half-narrowed. Her eyes seemed to dim for a brief moment, as if she were recalling some saddening event. But upon realizing that Twilight was looking at her, Cadance’s odd look vanished, replaced by her familiar smile.
“What do you think, Twilight?” she asked. Twilight noted the slightly hesitant tone in her words, but didn’t think much of it. Perhaps she was merely stressed. Twilight smiled back.
“It’s wonderful. I can’t believe how wonderful it is.”
Shining Armor grinned. “If you think that’s cool, wait till you see the inside.”
***
Sure enough, the interior of the Trotsford was even more elegant than its exterior. In the lobby, crystal-glass chandeliers hung over a floor of painted marble, with ornate stone pillars supporting the upper balconies. A fountain stood in the middle of the lobby, decorated with ten small, bronze statues of cherub ponies that encircled the water. Rarity, who had recovered from her faint, passed out once more upon seeing the beautiful lobby of the Trotsford Hotel.
Twilight gazed in wonder at the lobby and the many ponies around them, but then was suddenly dismayed. All the mares and stallions in the Trotsford were wearing luxurious clothes, everything from gold lamé tuxedos to elegant dresses of silk and ribbon.
“Um, Shining Arm—”
“Fabulous!” Rarity suddenly exclaimed, breaking from her stupor. “Simply fabulous! The decor, the feng shui, the wondrous attire! I simply must get the names of the designers for some of these dresses!”
“Speaking of fancy clothes,” Twilight interrupted, looking at her brother, “we didn’t bring any formal attire, Shining Armor. I’m sorry.”
She thought Shining Armor would give her a look of disappointment or frustration, so she was surprised when he simply smiled. “Not a problem. While Cadance and I will obviously be dressed to impress, I’m sure the mayor and other guests won’t have a problem with you coming as you are. This isn’t the Grand Galloping Gala, after all.”
“Ah sure hope not,” Applejack said. Shining Armor looked over all of them.
“Yeah, I still remember what a disaster that was,” Rainbow Dash agreed.
Shining Armor nodded. “Well then, come on, everypony! The bellhops will bring up your luggage in a bit. But I want you to see the penthouse before the guests begin to arrive. Plus Cadance and I have to change.”
Twilight smiled at Cadance, but suddenly noticed that the odd look from earlier was back. It was as if something that Shining Armor had said made her uncomfortable and annoyed, but Twilight couldn’t see why. Once again, the look vanished the moment Cadance noticed Twilight looking at her. She averted her gaze, instead focusing intently on a potted plant by the reception desk.
“All right, everypony. To the top floor penthouse. Let’s go!”
They all piled into the ornate golden elevator as another bellhop pressed the button to the penthouse suite, and up they went, all of them looking forward to a fun night.
***
Though Twilight and her friends knew the penthouse would probably be just as posh and luxurious as the rest of the hotel, but they were still taken aback once they stepped out of the elevator. The penthouse was huge, big enough to hold a herd of bison with room left over. The walls were decorated with old oil paintings as well as new-age pop art. The wall that ran parallel to the dining hall and reception room was covered in floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a beautiful view of the setting sun over the skyline of Manehattan. The floor was carpet and wood, and the rest of the walls were painted with various colors, each one different depending on the particular room.
“Wow,” they all said together, transfixed. Rainbow Dash stopped Rarity from fainting before she even began to fall.
Shining Armor grinned at their reactions. “Yup. Master and guest bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining hall, a reception room, and a kitchen. Isn’t that view great?”
“It’s amazing,” Rarity beamed.
“Darn tootin’.”
“So when’s the party, huh?” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing excitedly in front of Shining Armor and Cadance. “When’s the party? Will it have cake? Balloons? Huh? Huh? Huh?”
Cadance smiled. “Don’t worry, Pinkie Pie. The party will start soon. The mayor should arrive within the hour, along with the other guests.”
“Oh, but I don’t see any decorations!”
“We may call it a ball, but it’s not a huge affair,” Shining Armor said again. “It’s simply a honorary reception for the mayor. No need for all that pomp and circumstance. There shouldn’t be more than fifty or sixty guests.”
“An’ this house will be enough fer all o’ them?” Applejack asked, sitting down on the couch.
“Yes. Normally the reception would be held at Town Hall, but since Mayor Maneroe invited us, I offered to lend our penthouse for the party.”
Rarity gasped. “Wait, this is your penthouse?”
Shining Armor nodded. “Yup. Well, kind of. Cadance and I spent part of our honeymoon here. We were only there for a few days, but…”
His words trailed off as the look on his face turned from jovial to awkwardly apologetic, and he stared for a moment over Twilight’s shoulder before averting his eyes and clearing his throat. Twilight remembered that Cadance was standing behind her, but did not turn her head around. Everypony else seemed oblivious, entranced by the little things across the suite.
“Er, anyway,” Shining Armor said sheepishly, “yeah, this is the penthouse. Feel free to look around. Cadance and I are going to change for the party. Food and drinks are set up just around the corner. If anypony answers the door, invite them in and entertain them for a bit, okay?”
Without another word, the couple went together to the master bedroom down a short flight of stairs, each shifting uncomfortably as they walked side by side. Twilight cocked her head in confusion.
“Uh, any of you guys notice something kinda odd about those two?”
“Nope,” Applejack said, munching on an apple she’d found in the adjoining kitchen. “Ah thought they seemed just as good as ever.”
“You didn’t see the looks they were giving each other?”
“Now that you mention it, I did feel like they were acting a little strange,” Fluttershy said quietly. “Maybe there’s something going on between them.”
Twilight sighed. “Maybe, but what? Asking them directly would be rude. Maybe it has something to do with the Crystal Empire?”
“But there’s nothing wrong with the Crystal Empire,” Rainbow Dash piped up. “Nothing that I know of, that is.”
“Exactly. Nothing that we know of. I dunno, they’re just acting—weird. Like they’re uncomfortable around each other.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much ’bout it, Twi,” Applejack said, finishing her apple. “They’re a couple. Couple’s don’t always get along.”
“Yeah, but—”
“Oh, come now, you mustn’t worry yourself too much about it, darling,” Rarity mused, gripping her hoof pompously. “There’s a party to be thrown! Don’t let some silly bad feeling get you down!”
“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie agreed. “C’mon, everypony, let’s get ready to par-tay!”
They all laughed and cheered—all except Twilight. She gazed with worry at the staircase. Her friends were wrong. Something was up between Shining Armor and Cadance, and she had to find out what.
“Would you all, um, excuse me for a moment?”
Nopony was listening. They were all busy lounging, bouncing, or walking around, admiring the decorations or chomping on some of the party food. Twilight sighed and quietly tiptoed down the stairs. She opened the door at the bottom and entered a long hallway, with purple walls, a white ceiling, and blue carpet. Twilight crept carefully down the hall, trying to see if she could find where they were. Then, as she neared the last door, she heard muted, frustrated voices. She leaned closer and pressed her ear against the wood of the door, catching snippets of a low but heated argument.
“...don’t want to talk about this now, honey.”
“Then when will we talk about it?”
“Not now!”
“Why do you keep stalling? You know the longer you stall, the worse it gets for both of us!”
“Sweetheart, I love you, but this is not the time to be talking about this.”
“You’ve said the same thing for three months, Shining Armor, ever since I brought it up. What is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me? You’re the one trying to drop this on me now when it’s the last thing either of us should be worrying about!”
“But it shouldn’t be something we should be worried about at all! And yet you make it so much more difficult.”
“We’ve talked about this, Cadance. And we’re going to talk more. I know what it’s like, having to deal with all those—”
“No, Shining Armor. No, you don’t know what it’s like. Constantly being asked the same question day after day, whether directly or unbearably subtle. I’m sick of it. And I’m sick of your stalling!”
“Why now, sweetheart? What prompted this?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. When I said this wasn’t finished back on the train, I meant it.”
“And I believed you. But now is not the damn time.”
Twilight stifled a gasp. Her brother rarely cursed, and to hear him swear at his own wife was even more shocking. Behind the door, Cadance sighed.
“It’s never the time, is it? Well, just wait until half the Crystal Empire is breathing down your neck because they think you’re an incompetent mule!”
“Sweetheart—”
“No, Shining Armor. I—”
“Sweetheart!”
A tense moment of silence followed. Twilight had never heard a more endearing name said in such an angry tone.
Another sigh. “Okay. I promise when we get back to the Empire, we’ll settle this whole thing. I promise.”
“And will you finally grow up and be a stallion?”
“I am a stallion, Cadance. I’m just not—”
“You’re just not what?”
Pause.
“I’m just not ready.”
Silence, then the sound of approaching hooves. Her eyes widened and her body tensed as she frantically searched the room for somewhere to hide. Finally spotting a woven basket of laundry, she dived in among the fresh towels just as the door burst open. There was Cadance, dressed in her finest Crystal Empire dress with her mane tied back. She’d have been absolutely stunning had it not been for the ugly look of frustration and anger on her face. She fumed as she stomped up the stairs. Twilight held her breath as Shining Armor followed soon after, standing in the doorway wearing his finest tuxedo, an exasperated look on his face. He sighed and kneaded his temples with his hooves, as he often did when he was nervous or stressed. Twilight cringed sadly. What was going on between the two of them that made them feel like this? What could it have been?
Shining Armor sighed again and closed the door, walking back into his room. After a minute, Twilight silently removed herself from the laundry basket and snuck up the stairs, where it seemed that the first guests had arrived. She gulped and composed herself, knowing that she too would be getting a lot of attention during this party.
Don’t worry, she thought to herself. It’s all right. Everything will be fine.
Taking a deep breath, she trotted forward to greet the guests with the rest of her friends.
***
“So how are things in the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadance?”
It was a quarter to ten, and the party was in full swing. Guests stood all around the reception and living room, talking and sipping from glasses of apple wine as soft jazz music played from a record player in the corner. Twilight was standing by her brother and Cadance, both of whom were addressing the pudgy mayor of Manehattan. Outside, night had fallen completely and the sky had been lit up by the buildings and skyscrapers of the city. The guests seemed to be entertained by the fine decor and cool jazz. Mayor Maneroe had been positively delighted to meet Princess Twilight Sparkle, though Princess Twilight blushed every time the mayor called her that. However, the hosts were the only two ponies that did not seem to be enjoying themselves, and the mayor’s new question only seemed to make things more awkward.
“Well, um,” Cadance stuttered, trying to keep up a smile, though her eyes betrayed her true feelings. “It’s good. Um, yeah. Good.”
“Good?” the mayor repeated pompously. “Good? Pray tell, how can an empire of ponies simply be good? Surely you must have more to say!”
“Er, what my wife means, Mayor,” Shining Armor interrupted, “is that all is well in the Empire. No international dilemmas, no life-threatening situations. Good.”
Mayor Maneroe seemed satisfied with that answer. “Very well, then! The Crystal Empire is good! Ah, they do say that brevity is the soul of wit.”
"Well, anyhow," Shining Armor said awkwardly, "how have you been, Mayor?"
"Oh, swell, swell! With this ball tonight and yesterday's centennial celebration of the Statue of Freedom, I couldn't be better!"
"The Statue of Freedom?" Twilight asked. "On Freedom Island?"
"Yes indeed, Princess," the mayor replied heartily. "One hundred years, and still she stands! You know her story, of course?"
"Of course. The Griffons of the North gave it as a gift to the original Manehattanites when they won the Griffon War, right?"
"You know your history! Very good!" the mayor said, impressed. "The griffons carved the statue themselves and gave it as a present to the proud fathers of Manehattan. And there she stands in the bay, greeting all newcomers to the largest city in Equestria, one hundred years and counting..."
The mayor trailed off, and there was a moment of awkward silence. He then smiled. "Well, it was such a pleasure talking with you all! I will be sure to chat at least once more this evening! If you will kindly excuse me..." He walked off to greet another guest.
Shining Armor grunted something, and Cadance looked at him indignantly. Neither seemed to have been entertained by the mayor's story. Another pair of guests caught their attention, and they went over together to greet them, both with smiles so forced that their teeth seemed glued together. It pained Twilight to see them like this, to know that something was hurting them but not knowing what. She’d helped her brother countless times before in much more dangerous situations; yet when it came to something as simple as this, she felt helpless. What was causing them so much trouble?
She was broken from her thoughts by Pinkie Pie, who, as always, was the life of the party. Behind her, Shining Armor and Cadance walked away unhappily.
“Woo-hoo!” she exclaimed, bouncing around the room to the delight of some partygoers and chagrin of others. “Isn’t this exciting?! Are you excited, Twilight? Are ya? Are ya?!”
“Pinkie…”
“Oh, don’t be such a grumpy-pants! Have some fun!”
“Pinkie…”
She stopped bouncing for a moment. “Yeah?”
“Could you please tone it down a bit? This isn’t a birthday party, it’s the Mayor’s Ball.”
“Indeed, darling,” Rarity added, swooping into the conversation. “Show some class!”
“Class? Blegh, I hate class! School is so booooooring!”
“Pinkie Pie, that’s not what I meant…”
They continued with their conversation, but Twilight was no longer listening. Instead she wandered off, wondering where Shining Armor and Cadance had gone. Unfortunately, she could hardly go anywhere without being hailed and greeted every five seconds by enthralled partygoers. She politely accepted these greetings and thanked them warmly, but was secretly irked. She needed to find them. She needed to find—
BAM!
A door near the end of the room burst open as though it had been mule-kicked. Out stormed Cadance, a look of bitter anger on her face that, if looks could kill, would have decimated the entire penthouse. Twilight was actually frightened by just how enraged she was, and though she wanted to help, she refrained from speaking up as the princess stomped past her and the rest of the partygoers. Moments later, Shining Armor came out of the door as well, looking exasperated and worrisome.
“Cadance? Cadance, darling, please! Don’t do this, sweetheart! Please!”
But Cadance would not listen as she magicked the penthouse door open and got on the elevator, staring sourly at them all through the doorway as she descended. Deafening silence settled over the guests, only broken by the light sounds of jazz music from the record player. Shining Armor breathed heavily. He gulped as everypony stared at him awkwardly, wondering just what the heck had happened.
“Um,” he stuttered, trying to find the right words. “Don’t worry, everypony. Princess Cadance is fine. She just, uh, needed some air. Yeah. She needed some fresh air. Go on, go back to what you were doing. Everything’s fine. Everything’s just fine.”
Very slowly, the party resumed, although the overall mood was much less jovial. The other girls came up to Twilight as Shining Armor turned around and headed down the stairs.
“What in tarnation was that all about?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Twilight replied indignantly. “There was something going on between them, something even worse than I thought. They’ve been fighting all night.”
“Oh my,” Fluttershy said, frowning. “What could they be fighting about?”
“I don’t know…but I’m going to find out. Stay here, all of you. Okay?”
She bounded down the steps before they could answer.
***
“Shining Armor?”
Twilight slowly opened the door to the bedroom, poking her head in. Her brother was sitting on the bed with his back turned to her, holding his head in his hooves. Concerned, Twilight walked into the room and up to the bed.
“Shining Armor?” she said again, placing a hoof on his shoulder. He sniffed and turned around, his eyes dim with sadness.
“Hey, Twily.”
“What the heck is going on?” she asked, trying not to sound too forceful. “What was that all about?”
Shining Armor sniffed again, trying to compose himself. “Nothing. It’s nothing. Cadance and I are just...just having a little bit of trouble, that’s all.”
“A little bit? A little bit? What’s going on, really?”
Finally, he seemed to get himself under control, blinking away the tears and breathing deeply. “Twilight, I’m sorry, but it’s really none of your business.”
“What?!” she snapped. “None of my business? I think it’s everypony’s business now, seeing as she just stormed out of the penthouse!”
“Twily…”
She could hear the exasperation in her brother’s voice, and felt guilty for adding to his stress by bothering him like this. But still…
“I’m sorry, Shining Armor. I didn’t mean to be so nosy. It’s just that Cadance looked so angry. I was concerned for both of you.”
Shining Armor forced a smile on his forlorn face. “I appreciate the concern. But it’s nothing, really. It’ll blow over. How’s the party?”
Twilight was taken aback by the sudden change of subject. “It’s, er, fine. What about Cadance? Isn’t it dangerous to be out on the streets this late?”
Shining Armor’s eyes widened, as if he had just now realized that his wife was absent. “You’re right. But she couldn’t have gone far. If worse comes to worse, I’ve got a way to contact her.”
“How’s that?”
“Instant communication spell,” he replied, pointing to his horn. “Learned it in the Crystal Empire.”
“Wow, I haven’t read anything about that spell in my books!”
“Well, maybe when I get home I’ll send you a copy of the spellbook that I used.”
Twilight smiled and gave her brother a hug. “Thanks, brother. I’m sorry for prying. But I know you two can overcome anything, especially after everything you’ve been through in the past few years.”
“Yeah, even though most of the stuff I ‘overcame’ involved you saving my rump.”
“Well, maybe I can help you now, if you just tell me what’s going on.”
For a moment, Shining Armor looked incensed that Twilight had brought up the altercation again, but after a few moments he sighed.
“Okay, okay, you win.” He cleared his throat. “You see, Cadance and I—”
Suddenly the room shook violently, and the two ponies were nearly knocked off their hooves. The lights momentarily went out as a strange rumble echoed from outside, followed by a loud boom. As the building finally stopped shaking, they regained their balance and looked around in confusion.
“What the heck was that?”
“I don’t know,” Shining Armor said, looking out the window. “Sounded like some kind of crash or something, but I can’t see anything different.”
“Maybe an earthquake?”
“I don’t think so…”
Then, as the lights continued to flicker, a voice came from outside in the hall.
“Twi? Twi, ya down here?”
Twilight and Shining Armor hurried out the bedroom door and into the hallway where Applejack was waiting, her face pale and her eyes like saucers. Twilight ran to her.
“Applejack? What’s going on? What was that?”
“Is anypony hurt? What happened?”
Applejack waved her hoof forward frantically.
“Y’all gotta come see this.”