//------------------------------// // 5 - Meeting the Cast // Story: An Extended Holiday // by Commander_Pensword //------------------------------// Extended Holiday Chapter 5: Meeting the Cast Taze did his best to stand still as the measuring tape was levitated around him. Unfortunately, this proved exceptionally difficult due to one very simple fact. Standing still was never his strong suit. However, he was doing his best. A fluent Draconic speaker had been enlisted to assist in the translation. “You know, if you have this much trouble sitting around, I’ve got a friend of mine who could be a great help. She has these incredible natural remedies. They really take the edge off after a long day at work,” the apprentice noted as she tacked off another series of numbers on her sheet. “It’s not quite that simple,” Taze said. “I have a few medical conditions of my own to deal with.” “That’s rough.” The Earth Pony shrugged and continued her examination. “So, you’re flat on the ground. That’s going to be interesting to work around,” she mused as she measured the human’s calves. “Most of the races and species we deal with aren’t built like that.” “Honestly impressive how well you guys adjusted to us,” Taze commented. “You’re the Princesses’ personal guests. If they say to treat you well, we do.” She shrugged. “That, and some of us are just easier to scare than others.” “Still seems like you guys adjusted to operating with an entirely new species sort of fast,” Taze noted. “I mean, I’d suppose it’s easier for you with multiple races and all.” “Quite a few,” the mare agreed. “Gryphons, Minotaurs, Zebras. We even have a few Kirin in the city, if you can believe it. Or, at least so I’ve been told.” “Huh,” Taze said. “That's strange.” “Why would a Kirin be strange?” “Not that,” Taze said quickly. “In our world, we have myths regarding most of the races you just named, but as far as we can tell, they never actually existed in our world.” “Good ones, I hope.” “Mostly for Gryphons and Kirin, yes. Minotaurs, … not so much.” She grimaced. “That … makes a certain amount of sense, given how quick they often are to act.” “Dragons, to be fair, don’t have the greatest reputation either,” Taze noted. “Blowhardy, pushy, big bullies who like to throw their weight around?” “Also known for stealing princesses, hoarding gold, and burning down kingdoms,” Taze noted. “That much, at least, yours and ours seem to have in common, though I don’t think any have tried to kidnap our princesses.” She giggled. “I think they’re too scared to try.” “I can only imagine.” Taze chuckled. “Still weird there are so many parallels.” “I only find it strange that we’ve never heard of your kind before.” “Yeah,” Taze agreed, hoping not to be questioned about Earth’s ponies. “So, what else can you tell me about your world?” the mare asked. “Well, we call our planet Earth…” And so Taze started to expound upon the many wonders and dangers that Earth held through its vast regions from the mighty dinosaurs to the tiniest amoeba. And so the two were able to pass the time until the measurements were complete. Shawn gave a brief yawn as he looked outside the window in their room. Based off the clock to his right, it was nearly time for Celestia and Luna to shift things forward. Crescent’s shift was already over, resulting in him just waiting for the morning to wake the others. In a way, the change from night to day was very much like the shifting of a backdrop on a mechanical rendering of a village. The sun twisted and turned onto the horizon, carrying the daylight with it as a curtain of darker blue fled and lightened. The stars burst like bubble wrap and seemed to merge with that blanket of dawn until the golden rays penetrated every crevice of the great city while the once luminous moon dulled to a pale ghost of itself and finally crept below the horizon with the last of the shadows to grant its gentle influence to the other side of the world. “Good enough,” Shawn muttered as he turned to face the others and performed his usual wakeup ceremony. Like before, tapping the base of their beds, this time from the foot of the bed, rather than the side. “All right, you two, it’s time to get up.” Taze groaned as he slowly got up. “Why do you insist on this alarm?” he asked, rubbing his eyes. “Because the princess, or a set of guards for her, are going to show up in thirty minutes, as per usual,” Shawn replied simply. “It’s been a week, and I’m sorry to say, you’re going to have to get used to this for now.” Matthew rose quickly and made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day, humming happily to himself. “Matthew, stop being such a morning person,” Taze groaned. Matthew couldn’t help but chuckle in response as he closed the door. “All right, come on now. We both know the alternatives to this,” Shawn commented. “Let’s at least be ready for them.” “Yeah, yeah.” Taze shrugged and yawned again. With the change of the guard came an accompaniment of clothes specially ordered on the Princesses’ command. The basic designs of the clothing remained relatively unaltered, barring a few more practical applications. Matthew’s new pants came with enhanced padding and leather sewn into the knees and at the elbows for added utility and protection of joints. Taze’s garments carried a new purple sheen with the helpful addition of young drake scales to grant an added layer of protection against heat and other projectile-based attacks. Shawn’s garments remained unaltered, save for the fact that a different number of colors were incorporated into his replacement garments to grant him the choice of variety while still complementing his coat. “And here I was hoping for something more casual,” Shawn remarked with a sigh. “Though the black and red variant of my coat they added feels quite ominous.” “Who would even think red and black goes well together?” Matthew remarked as he looked over his new outfit. Much like the original, it followed a camouflaged theme. “Though I like the padding. It’ll help if I have to crawl to the next defensive line.” “Red and black work together fine. It’s just that in the context of the coat, it’s ominous,” Shawn replied simply. “This purple seems familiar, but it’s not bad,” Taze noted. “At least we’ve got some new clothes.” Shawn gave a small smile. “The spells helped out, but I’d rather change into something different.” “I agree,” Matthew said as he stretched to feel the new fabric caress his skin. There's just something nice about changing into a new set of clothing.” In the dining hall, the humans were treated to a wide variety of dishes from eggs to pancakes and waffles to bacon and more. As usual, Taze ate with gusto. Shawn and Matthew were more reserved with their food, and Celestia was yet to be seen. Their guards, however, made sure to keep a close eye on them, even as some few turned their heads aside at the sight of the meat being eaten. At last, the double doors opened, and Celestia entered the hall carrying three amulets shaped like horseshoes. The metal that formed the prime base of the amulets was etched in a multitude of runes so small that the ridges felt almost like braille to the touch. The alloy seemed to flash between a bronze-like gold and a blueish-black depending on how the light struck. A number of high quality gemstones were embedded into the molding, as if they had been immersed in the frame itself when the mold was cast, and each seemed to flicker with a dull light. “Gentlemen,” Celestia greeted them. “Allow me to present you with these.” The amulets each flew in front of the diners and hovered in front of their faces. Closer inspection revealed each was supported by a fine metal chain that appeared almost invisible to the naked eye. “Once the spell becomes active, the runes will meld with the metal to create a properly smooth surface. Your words will sound like ours and vice versa.” “What about reading and writing?” Taze asked. Celestia nodded. “So long as they’re within range of the amulet, your writing should translate to Equish. The effect will wear off, however, once the writing is out of range. I admit that my understanding of your written language may have somewhat of an impact on how that translation carries through, however, since my knowledge had to act as the primer….” “And what is your knowledge for language?” Matthew asked, confused. “Because the writing is different.” “That’s what I meant, Matthew. As I informed Lord Shawn, I had dalliances with your kind once, a very long time ago, and I’ve no idea if the world I visited is the same as yours. It’s a miracle that I encountered the same species and that your languages are so comparable. However, based on what we’ve seen of your memories, your world is far more advanced than what I experienced in my time there. It’s likely that any spelling that’s translated from Equish will be after the manner of writing that I learned at that time. And language has evolved a great deal here in Equestria since then. I can only assume that the same would hold true for your world and its development.” “True enough.” Shawn nodded. “So, just put it on and it’ll do the rest?” Celestia nodded. “Try it out.” Shawn simply gave a light shrug before placing his around his neck and resting it comfortably around his outfit. The others soon followed suit, and the magic holding them up dissipated. “Now to determine how effective it is,” Shawn said. “I’d call that a success on the speech, at least,” Celestia said. “Thank you, Princess,” Taze said, bowing his head. Celestia nodded. “I do have a favor to ask in return for this service, however, if you’re willing to indulge me.” “I make a point of agreeing to nothing until I know the details,” Taze said. “I agree with my friend here. It’s a foolish man who agrees to what he cannot see,” Matthew said. “It’s not some great task, like hunting after a monster or meeting a foreign dignitary.” Celestia giggled. “Though I suppose the latter has already happened several times over.” She regained her composure as she sat on her own chair and began to partake. “I want to introduce the three of you to my student and her friends. We’re expecting them to arrive in the capital today by train for her brother’s wedding.” “A strange request,” Shawn added with a raised brow. “And a wedding would explain everything going on around here….” “Indeed,” Celestia agreed. “As I’m certain you’re aware, the marriages of high-profile individuals are often rife with attempts ranging anywhere from political assassination to espionage and more. It’s my desire to keep such things to the minimum for Captain Armor’s sake and the sake of his family.” “I can see that logic,” Matthew said. Taze coughed wildly, having only just managed to avoid a spit take. “Are you all right?” Celestia asked the pretend hunter. “Sorry. Just some water went down the wrong pipe,” Taze said in a raspy tone as he struck his chest a few times with his fist. Celestia nodded. “Of course. Please, take the time you need to recover.” And with that said, she turned her attention to Shawn. “So, will you come?” “I suppose I can clear a spot in my busy schedule.” Shawn gave a brief chuckle. “I’d be honored.” Celestia nodded. “Excellent. We’ll meet them in the throne room.” Matthew grinned wide as they all heard the faint sound coming from an open window in the throne room. “Oh! What engine configuration was that one?” he asked Moonshade as he gripped the window sill and stuck his head through the portal. “You have an unhealthy obsession,” Moonshade commented flatly. Celestia chuckled. “Don’t we all have a few of those, Moonshade? Mine happens to be cake. And if I recall correctly, didn’t you—?” Moonshade cleared her throat. “Yes. Your point is well made, Princess,” she said, looking to the side. It was at this point that the double doors flung open to reveal a very familiar set of Ponies. One bright blue mare flitted about with ease as her mane and tail flowed behind her. The purple one seemed preoccupied as they passed into the great room. The creamy white mare with a perfectly coiffed mane flicked it back glamorously and beamed. A simple orange-coated mare with a tail and mane both tied at the ends by elastic bands strode forward with a stetson sitting firmly atop her head at a jaunty angle suitable to the country stereotype that she embodied. A pale yellow mare with a pink mane trotted in softly beside her friends and looked nervously as she smiled at the guards. A bubble-gum pink mare literally sprang across the floor, complete with sound effects from no perceivable location whatsoever. A small purple dragon strode beside the purple mare, smiled, and waved as they entered the throne room. “Hi, Princess Celestia,” the young drake greeted. Then he paused and stared at the three strange creatures, one of which was retracting itself from the window. “Woah. Who’re those guys?” Celestia smiled. “Spike, girls, I’d like to introduce you to our guests, Lord Shawn, Huntsman Taze, and Matthew Conner.” She motioned to each of the men respectively. “They are members of a species Equestria hasn’t encountered before. They call themselves—” “Please don’t say it,” Twilight muttered under her breath. “—Humans.” Twilight groaned and promptly facehoofed. “She said it,” Spike said, thus completing the ritual formula. “Am I missing something here?” Celestia asked curiously. “A friend of ours back in Ponyville’s looked into a lot of mythology,” Applejack commented, rubbing the back of her head. “One in particular is always the center of attention, if ya catch my drift.” “What she’s trying to say, Your Highness, is Lyra Heartstrings is going to be rubbing our visitors’ existence in our faces for … the foreseeable future, to put it diplomatically, once she learns of them,” Rarity explained. “I see,” Celestia said in that placid manner that all teachers seemed to conjure when there was no other reaction available. “Well, I mean, she was right!” Pinkie pie said as she bounced in place. “And I assume you want to greet our guests properly, Pinkie Pie?” Celestia chuckled. “Go on. I’m sure they won’t mind.” A Pony-shaped cloud of dust was what Celestia found herself speaking to as the Pony in question moved between the three humans, greeting them with what must have been words but they were spoken at a pace that was hard for most to understand. “Hi,I’mPinkiePiethepartyPonyofPonyville.I’mfriendswitheveryponyandImeanEVERYPONY!Wannabefriends?” “W-wha—?” Matthew asked in utter confusion. “Just...?” After images of Pinkie Pie seemed to follow him wherever he stared or blinked. “What?” “Yes, definitely,” Taze said happily and seemingly perfectly understanding her speech. He held out a hand and, to the amazement of everyone present, he and Pinkie proceeded to do a perfectly synched secret handshake that lasted a full two minutes. “What?” Matthew asked again at the end of it. “I, ….” He looked to the others. “Wha?” he whined again. “Ex Divinia etiam,” Shawn muttered to himself. “This is going to be interesting….” “Woah.… Where’d you learn that, and how can you teach me?” Rainbow Dash asked excitedly as she zoomed into Taze’s face. “Huh?” Taze looked up. “We just improvised that.” He shrugged. “Yeah, Dashie. That just happened,” Pinkie added. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or scared at how well those two did that,” Twilight said. “Now, now, darling. You know the rules when it comes to Pinkie Pie,” Rarity chided gently. Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. “It’s Pinkie Pie. Don’t question it.” “It’s nice to meet you all,” Taze offered. “Princess Celestia has said nothing but good things about all of you.” Matthew nodded his head along with Taze. “Indeed.” Shawn gave a small smile before nodding. “A pleasure to meet you all.” “They are to be Luna’s and my special guests for the wedding. They have also expressed a desire to be properly prepared for the ceremony. If the six of you are willing and able during your other duties for the wedding, I would like you to enlist their aid.” She looked meaningfully toward the trio. “I’m certain they would be only too happy to assist.” “Yep,” Matthew chirped. “Of course.” Taze nodded. Shawn simply gave a nod in affirmation. Twilight frowned. “About that, Princess Celestia….” Celestia smiled kindly at the mare. “You’ll have our complete support in your duties, Twilight. Don’t you worry. For now, I’m certain that you all must be tired from your journey. Let’s get you to your guestrooms, so you can freshen up.” Rarity beamed. “What an excellent idea! A lady should always look her absolute best when she works on a wedding, especially for one as important as this!” She squealed softly. “I can hardly wait for us to have our pre-wedding makeovers!” “Ah can hardly wait,” Applejack muttered as she rolled her eyes. “Thanks for helping me out with this again,” Twilight said as she looked up at the human. “It must be a little overwhelming after everything you’ve been through to get thrown into all of this.” “It keeps me occupied,” Shawn replied as he looked around. “Better than sitting idle, to be honest, though I anticipated more.” “My friends and I are pretty efficient when we get together on a project. Applejack’s one of the hardest workers I know, and she puts everything into her work.” She chuckled. “I hope you like apples. I can guarantee you won’t be getting away without trying some of her baking.” Then she sighed heavily. “Well, it’s a good thing I like apples. Though, I haven’t tried any from this world, so….” Shawn shrugged. “I guess that means any food you try here really would be out of this world for you, then, wouldn’t it?” Shawn slowly turned toward Twilight with a raised brow. “I mean, since you’re not … in your world anymore?” “I got it. Don’t worry about that,” Shawn replied before turning his attention forward. “Sorry, but I’m not much of a pun person.” “Duly noted,” Twilight said. “Then … what kind of a person are you?” Shawn blinked a few times. “Well, uh, that’s an open question. A little difficult to answer.” “Then why don’t you tell me a little about yourself, instead, and I can tell you a little about me.” “Well, I suppose I could start with my previous occupation? I was a carpenter. Owned my own shop and everything.” “Really? I thought you were a noble, though.” “What, I couldn’t own a shop?” Shawn chuckled. “I’m very hands on when it comes to work.” “Isn’t that usually frowned on where you’re from? Most of the nobles here wouldn’t want to have anything to do with that kind of trade unless it was an investment.” “From what I’ve gathered, the nobility here are … very much looking out for themselves, and nobody else.” He gave a small shrug. “Not all of them, but … you get what I mean.” “And it’s not like that for the nobles on your world?” Shawn opened his mouth to say something before he hummed in thought. “No, you know what, that’s still a close approximation. Let’s just settle with it’s quite different where I come from.” “It must be strange adjusting to living here, then. Was there much of a culture shock?” “The language barrier was quite interesting, since our written languages are almost exact, apart from it being different characters, but our speech is drastically different.” “How did you cope?” “Honestly,” Shawn frowned. “I think I’ve taken it best out of our group. I didn’t get hit by any immense feelings, or at least I haven’t yet. The worst case I’ve felt is almost like someone is constantly watching me. That, and the waking nightmares that I can’t recall anything about.” “Maybe Princess Luna can help you with those. She’s great at fighting nightmares.” She sighed, and her ears drooped. “Maybe she can help fix this one.” Shawn glanced around them briefly. “Feeling like something isn’t right?” “I don’t want to be the angry baby sister, but … Cadance just isn’t being the Cadance I remember. She feels … colder. We used to be so close when I was growing up. Now I find out she’s a princess, and she’s going to marry my big brother, and I literally only just got the letter a day ago! And don’t even get me started on my brother. I still can’t believe he never told me they were dating!” “It certainly sounds like something’s wrong.” Shawn nodded. “Considering how much Celestia praised you and your friends, I’m going to give you a little tip. Try to keep things quiet, all right? She’ll tell you more if she thinks you need to know.” “You mean Princess Celestia? What else would she need to tell me? Are you saying there’s something she hasn’t told me about this wedding yet?” The mare’s breathing began to hitch as her eyes bulged ever so slightly. “Is it me? Did I do something to make it so people can’t trust me? Am I a threat to national security? Am I—?” Shawn placed a hand on Twilight’s back. “Calm down. Deep breaths. You can stress about it later. She just might think it’s not important for you to know. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t trust you. It means she thinks other things are a higher priority for you.” Twilight followed the human’s advice, taking deep breaths in time to the gentle urgings of Shawn’s hands brushing along her back. In due course, she regained control as her heart rate slowed and she emerged into the real world again. She smiled sheepishly. “Sorry about that. I … can get a little crazy sometimes when I worry too much over something. Thanks for pulling me back.” “No problem. Anxiety gets the better of all of us sometimes. How about for now, we just focus on that list of yours, eh?” Twilight nodded. “Keep me from going too far?” she asked. “I’ll try, but you’re the one with magic.” She cocked her head in confusion. “Don’t you have some, too?” “No, but we’ll cover that later. Higher priorities at the moment and all that.” Twilight nodded. “I guess we should get started, then. Do you already know the way to the kitchens? I can guide you, if you need.” “I’ve got a general layout of things. I take it that's first on the list?” Twilight nodded. “Let’s get to work.” The kitchens were a flurry of activity, noise, and smells as the cooks dashed around to go about their various tasks under Applejack’s direction. The warm scent of cinnamon, sugar, spice, pastry, and apples blended together in a heady cloud that was guaranteed to stir the appetite of anyone that smelled it and draw them floating along the air to sample just one bite. A multi-tiered cake sat off to the side, waiting to have the last touches piped on the top portion via stepping ladder. Spike sat atop one of the counters playing with the two figurines that would sit at the top of the cake while Twilight followed the blur that was Applejack, checking off her list as the mare bustled from place to place. Matthew was helping by writing down notes, organizing items, and otherwise acting as a general gopher for the chefs who couldn’t really leave their stations. He smiled and waved his greetings to Shawn and Twilight as they entered the room before rushing to another station as a mare called him by name. Applejack dashed to the top of the cake as Twilight levitated her list. The final touches of frosting were applied, and the mare quickly listed it off, followed by Twilight’s confirmation. Likewise, this carried through for the final pick against an elegant ice sculpture shaped like a heart and the stuffing of two exceptionally tasty homemade bite-sized apple fritters into the human and Unicorn’s mouths. Twilight licked her lips. “Mmm. Check.” “I can confirm that,” Shawn added. Spike deepened his voice as much as possible as he pantomimed the wedding ceremony between the figures of Shining Armor and Cadance, causing the two to kiss before Twilight fixed him with a reproving stare and levitated the figures onto the countertop while the Dragon smiled sheepishly. At that moment, the doors to the kitchens creaked open to admit a bright pink Alicorn with shades of pink, purple, and gold streaming along her mane. Unlike Celestia and Luna, there was no ethereal quality in it, but the crown atop her head and the wings at her side widely proclaimed to all exactly what she was. Her face was a formal mask as Applejack hailed her, to which she replied, “Please, call me Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.” Applejack didn’t even miss a beat as she adopted the requested mode of address with her same chipper attitude. “You come to check out what’s on the menu for your big day?” Cadance bore her teeth in a wide smile that didn’t seem to reach her eyes. “I have.” Her gaze traveled to the two humans. “Though I notice that we have some new helpers here. I assume these are our unexpected guests?” Matthew nodded. “That is correct, Your Majesty.” This time, the Alicorn’s smile seemed more genuine, though the light in her eyes was colder than expected. “You flatter me, but I am no queen.” She giggled. “Except maybe to Shining Armor.” “My apologies. Where I come from, we have no royalty. We elect all our leaders by vote, so I went with what little I recalled.” Cadance frowned. “You really do hail from a strange land, don’t you?” Then she flicked her head and sighed. “Ah, well. It is what it is. And what of the tall silent one?” “Lord Shawn, Miss. A pleasure,” Shawn replied with a small nod. Cadance raised a brow. “Then the leaders that your people elect … become nobility?” “It’s quite a different system from here, I can assure you of that,” he replied with a small grin. Matthew ground his teeth at what Shawn said, but one glance from Shawn signaled him to keep quiet. “Then I suppose we will have to refer to one another by our respective titles, Lord Shawn.” The mare’s teeth almost seemed to clack as she bit off the last of the name’s pronunciation. “I’m sure we can manage this, Princess Cadenza. Would you not agree, Dame Twilight Sparkle?” Shawn replied, turning toward Twilight with a knowing grin. Twilight jumped at the mention of the title, and Applejack’s eyes widened simultaneously as the mare blushed. “Shawn!” “Why, we must be respectful to one another, would you not agree? If titles must be necessary, then I must ensure equal grounds are founded amongst us all. It would be rude otherwise, and I couldn’t allow that.” “And what should I call you?” the princess asked as she turned back to Matthew. “I don’t believe you introduced yourself.” “I did not see a good time to do so, Princess.” He smiled. “You can call me Matthew.” “I see.” She nodded. “Well, then, now that we’ve all been introduced, I suppose it’s only proper to return to the business at hoof. I still have a very busy schedule that needs following to prepare for the wedding, after all. And I’m certain you all still have plenty of work you want to do as well.” “Of course.” Matthew looked to Applejack and Twilight. “If you’d come this way, we have about sixteen different treats prepared for you to taste, and your feedback would be helpful for the kitchen staff.” “R-right.” Applejack turned her attention back to the spread. “If ya’ll’d like to start over here,” she directed to the beginning. The samples included a slice from the test batch of the wedding cake, the apple fritters, apple crullers, bear claws, apple pie, apple dumplings, apple cider, apple souffle, apple cobbler, apple crisp, apple cake, and many many more. In total, the sampling exceeded the initial sixteen that Matthew had mentioned, since Applejack wanted to get the princess’ feedback on which of the dishes she preferred over the others. Matthew smiled as he worked at a small stove before carrying over a fresh tray of apples covered in caramel, chocolate, and a cherry-flavored candy coating. “And if you would allow my humble submission, these are from my father’s dessert recipes. You can eat them on your way to your next destination.” “Delicious,” Cadance said with a semi-smile. “I love, love, love them. I … honestly can’t decide which dish I like better.” She let out a weak chuckle. “Um, perhaps I could take mine to go instead, Matthew?” “Sure. Let me put them in a bag for you.” When the treat was properly secured, along with others that Applejack insisted the mare take, she bid them all a curt farewell and strode out the door with bag in magical grip. As the doors closed behind her in a magical grip, Twilight couldn’t help but notice the sight of a brown blur flying past the window. “Did you see what—?” She trailed off. The business of the kitchens had seemingly pulled away all the attention of the occupants to their tasks, leaving just herself and Shawn. “Yeah, … that was definitely the bag,” Shawn muttered to Twilight. “I can’t believe she’d do that.” Twilight sighed and shook her head. “That definitely isn’t the Cadance I know.” Then she shook her head vigorously and stamped her hoof to clear her mind. “Let’s move on to the dresses. Applejack seems to have everything under control here.” “Indeed.” Shawn frowned as he moved toward the exit. “From everything I’ve heard about her, I would have thought it was someone else.” The sunlight continued to beam through the protective barrier as Celestia gazed on the castle and the remainder of the capital with the use of her telescope. Meanwhile, in the fitting room Rarity had turned into her workshop, the mare was hard at work sewing, trimming, and otherwise preparing the gowns that would be worn by the bride and her bridesmaids. “Oh, you should have seen how she acted back there.” Twilight paced angrily back and forth as she monologued. “I don’t know when she changed, but she changed.” She raised her hooves daintily and cast her eyes up as she put on a posh accent. “Please, call me Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.” The mare was caught short, however, when a familiar voice carried into the room. “Did I hear someone say my name?” Cadance was trailed behind by three mares as she entered the space. She took in Twilight and Rarity with a glance as Rarity zipped in front of the mare as quickly as she could manage. “Your Highness!” Rarity bowed swiftly. “Let me just start by saying what an honor it is to play a role in such a momentous occasion.” She chuckled nervously as she bowed again. Cadance was not impressed. “Uhuh. Is my dress ready?” she asked as she strolled past the genuflecting mare. What followed was what can only be described as a savage takedown of Rarity’s ego, followed by a vicious cowing of the dissenting voices of her bridesmaids before strolling promptly out of the chamber. The three mares fled almost like sheep before a wolf. “Gee. Maybe her name should be Princess Demandypants,” Twilight groused as she strode to a wardrobe and shot a beam of magic from her horn. The image of the wardrobe wavered, then dissipated to reveal Shawn. “Thanks for doing that. I … don’t think you’re ready for a Lyra freakout just yet.” “Fair enough,” Shawn replied, brushing off his coat. “If the two of you don’t mind, I’m afraid I’ve got several hours’ more work on my hooves. I’ll see you later at the cafe, darling,” Rarity promised. “And Lord Shawn, thank you for helping us out like this. It really is quite generous of you. And chivalrous, too.” “The pleasure is mine.” Shawn gave a smile before nodding. After a moment, he turned to Twilight. “If you’ve already checked everything off here, where are we headed next?” “The main hall,” Twilight said as they departed from the room. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to try to avoid being seen this time. I want to see how she acts when I’m not around.” “Sounds like a plan,” Shawn replied simply as he clasped his hands behind him in a gentlemanly manner. “Lead the way.” “So we’ve discussed the games,” Pinkie said excitedly. As she finished her presentation, she hurried over to a corner where a board game lay and rolled the dice. “And the dances!” She instantly moved toward a gramophone and set it to play polka music while dancing on her hind hooves and flapping her forelegs like a chicken. “I think this reception is gonna be perfect! Don’t you?” Cadance looked taken aback at first by the sheer exuberance and energy put forth by the mare. But she quickly recovered her wits and smiled widely, exposing all of her eyes in a pantomime of Pinkie Pie’s own style. “Perfect!” she cried in an upbeat tone which was swiftly quashed by the biting words that followed with her haughty steps. “If we were celebrating a six-year-old’s birthday party.” Taze noticed Pinkie ignore the comment with a sincere and wide-eyed, “Thank you!” and decided not to let that pass. “Well excuuuuuuse me, Princess! You’re right. We should redo this. A six-year-old’s birthday party is way too much.” He fixed her with a deadeye stare. “Since you're acting like a five year old.” The record scratched on the player as Cadance turned around. “Excuse me?” “Very well. You’re excused. Maybe show some grace next time. Respect is earned, not given,” Taze said, turning from her. “Taze, it’s fine! It’s just stress,” Pinkie said. Cadance’s gaze narrowed. “Yes,” she said slowly. “And stress I would rather not have get worse with everything else I’m trying to juggle. It’s bad enough how the mana drain is affecting Shining. I have to perform regular healing spells and mana transfusions to ensure he can keep up the barrier. There’s the rehearsals to plan for, reservations to confirm, floor plans to certify, and that’s only the tiIp of the iceberg….” Taze giggled while performing a slow clap. “So, basically, you decided to have your wedding ceremony in the middle of a threat and, rather than delegating like a leader does, you piled it all on your own plate, then blamed it for your actions. The best part of which being that you're overplaying it.” He shook his head. “Lady, I have five uncles and an aunt on my mother’s side. I’ve been to each of their weddings. I’ve been part of planning three of them. I have seen women who do not handle stress well have to handle the same stress you’re handling with my grandmother breathing down their neck, and the worst of them didn’t act a third as badly as you.” “I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware that your family was several thousand members large!” Cadance snapped. “Lady, I’ve got family in places I haven’t even heard of before. But that's not the point. You have a wedding planner. There is no feasible reason you need to be dogging their every step. You have people to do these jobs for your people. The taste testing, yes. The dress? Yes. Those I can understand. Everything else? You could have handled all of that through Twilight and never had to stress once. Lets not forget the mountains of magical healers in this city. You could have your fiance accompanied by a qualified expert to keep him going at all hours, but you choose to take it on yourself. You don’t get the pity party if you're the one who organizes it. That’s life,” Taze said. “You can tell a lot about someone by the way they treat those who work beneath them. And lady, you’ve given me an anthology. Hell, you’ve given me a whole library.” Cadance growled, and her horn glowed green briefly as her temper flared. A cleared throat yanked the Princess’ glare away from the human. “Princess Cadance, I do have to inform you that, under your Aunt’s orders, we will be forced to take down anyone who shows aggressive behavior toward the visitors,” Moonshade noted as two other Thestrals traced the hafts of their spears. “Even amongst the royal family.” Cadance grit her teeth, then closed her eyes and forced herself to regain, at the very least, a semblance of composure. “Thank you. Given the circumstances, I think it would be best if I were to take my leave.” She glared back at Taze. “Good day, human.” “And to you, Pony,” Taze returned with a half smirk. Cadance stormed out with a scowl that could melt the stained glass off the hall. Pinkie seemed unsure how to feel about what just happened as she stared at Taze. He just shrugged. “Hey, sometimes people need to draw a line.” “With how much that line has been stomped on, it was only a matter of time, really,” Shawn commented as he stepped out of concealment from behind one of the pillars. “Well, I'm nobody's doormat,” Taze noted as he walked over to Shawn and held up an open palm. “You have to admit, I was awesome.” Shawn gave a brief laugh before returning the high five. “It was certainly grand.” Twilight smiled from her place behind a separate pillar as she checked off another mark on the list. “It sure was,” she said quietly to herself. The night stars twinkled in the filmy pink of the magical barrier protecting the castle and the surrounding capital, but rather than the comforting chirp of crickets, the clank of horseshoe and armor reverberated with the sound of guards on patrol. Up in their tower guestroom, the three humans circled their fire, toasting marshmallows on sticks. Moonshade watched them carefully as the trio worked slowly into the massive supply of chocolate, graham crackers, and the fluffy white masses. “So, Cadance. She’s a bit of a…?” Taze looked to the others with a raised eyebrow. “Pushy mare that’s doing her utmost to make everyone’s lives miserable while also trying to stay in everyone’s good graces?” Matthew asked. “She’s a bitch, yeah,” Shawn confirmed. “And drastically different from every account of her that I’ve heard of.” Moon shade seemed momentarily stunned by Shawn’s words, but then shrugged. Matthew frowned. “Do we even want to use that kind of language here, Shawn? I mean, the Diamond Dogs are a thing, aren’t they?” He turned to Moonshade. “Would that be considered racist or speciesist or whatever you call the equivalent here?” “Not like we’re being censored, Matthew.” Taze sighed. “Anyway, anyone else suspicious of her?” “It feels like most of the staff keep making excuses for her. The bridesmaids seemed a little worried, though,” Matthew noted. “They came by the kitchen for some snacks to cheer themselves up. Something about their dresses, I think.” “Well, I mean, she’s pushing a wedding during a crisis,” Taze noted. “Seems like a good way to divert resources.” “It does make me wonder, though,” Shawn muttered. “If she was replaced, I thought Changelings couldn’t exceed their weight? From what we were told, it’d be normal sized pony replacements. And there being only three alicorns would make it more of a special case, wouldn’t it?” “Can multiple Changelings combine their efforts? You know, like how we do with certain costumes back home?” Matthew asked. “I honestly don’t know,” Moonshade responded. “Little is actually known about how Changelings work.” “Seriously? As in not common knowledge now? Or you have nothing about them at all?” Taze asked. “I have heard there is some information about them written in certain books, but nothing that's common knowledge.” “Shouldn't that become somewhat more common, given the fact that they’re the current threat?” Matthew asked. “An ancient philosopher from our world once said it is best to know thine enemy.” He quickly pulled his marshmallow from the fire and blew it out before smashing it between the two crackers to melt against the chocolate, then took a bite and shuddered in delight. “How is it that everything here tastes so much better than back home?” “Theoretically? It’s all naturally grown and made,” Taze said. “Preserved with magic, rather than chemicals.” Shawn sighed as he rubbed the side of his head. “This whole situation is going to be a nightmare to deal with. Doesn’t help that we’re going to be roped into this somehow, as Celestia has seen fit to have us participate in the preparations for said wedding.” “Probably as a gambit,” Matthew guessed as he wiped some remnants of marshmallow off his cheek. “We’re the wild cards, since they don’t know anything about us and can’t replace us. The unknown always makes the villain uneasy.” “Yes, but it also makes them notice us,” Taze noted. “So we’re acting as decoys, too, then?” “We’re a distraction,” Shawn agreed. “We’re being used.” “I’d say the princess wouldn’t do that, but she would.” Moonshade sighed. “It would be a decent plan if we had a decent fighting force.” “From the sounds of it, you don’t,” Shawn replied flatly. “Yet we’re still being put out with a target on our backs.” “How much have you figured out about the current political climate?” Moonshade asked. “I, myself, have been given some information. Not plenty, but enough to figure things out on a basic level.” “Well, for starters, our politics is meant to be a diarchy, ruled by both princesses equally. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case for a very long time,” Moon shade explained, before roughly outlining the events of Nightmare Moon and what led up to it. “These days, Luna is princess in name only to all but the Thestrals and perhaps some few of the nobility. Unfortunately, it was Princess Luna who was the militarily inclined one of the two. Celestia is a great politician, but she has no taste for the martial aspects of running a country. She believes her Royal Guard are competent enough to protect her people, but she is gravely overestimating them.” “Even Captain Shining Armor?” Matthew asked. “It seems like he’s proving to be quite an asset with this shield spell of his.” “And you haven’t wondered about why we’re relying so heavily on a shield spell?” Moonshade asked. “That armor and the spears are shiny, but few if any of those guards know how to wield them.” Matthew frowned. “Speaking of wielding, would it be possible to set up time for me to practice with that crossbow? I’d rather get familiar with it before any potential conflict starts.” “We’ll have to see what can be done about that,” Moonshade said. “For now, you three need to be aware of what's going on.” “You mean more than what Princess Luna already revealed?” “Did she reveal her sister’s own political movements?” Moonshade asked. “No, she didn’t. Has she authorized you to fill us in, then?” “She’s authorized me to do what it takes to keep you alive,” Moonshade noted. “Considering the current situation, and the fact that I’m positive the ‘bride’ definitely has it out for us, we’re going to need it,” Shawn commented. Matthew couldn’t help but give a little smile. “She did kind of have it coming, though. Did you really call her out like that, Taze?” “I’m nobody's doormat,” Taze said, shrugging. “So, what do we do now, then? Just keep our eyes and ears open while trying to figure out what’s up with the princess?” Matthew asked. “If anything becomes apparent, I've been instructed to take you to Princess Luna at any time.” “A sound strategy,” Matthew noted as he completed the next s’more. Then he proffered it to the mare. “Care to share? Or would that be considered a bribe?” he asked with a hint of a smirk.