Something You'd Regret

by Flutterpriest


Part 3: The Talk

As you enter the quiet sitting room, Twilight immediately begins her interrogation.

"So, why don’t you tell me what happened, Anon?" Twilight asks skeptically.

"Twilight, I swear, I really don't know that much. I only know-"

"Did you make love to her, Anon?" she asks you bluntly.

She stares directly at you as she awaits your answer. Her face was filled with anger, pain, but her body language spoke a different story. Twilight's legs trembled as the seconds of silence must have felt like years to her. She was terrified of your answer.

Just what had her brother told her? Was it the truth? Or what he thought was happening? Why was Twilight so wrapped up in this? What answer could you give that struck fear into her?

"No, Twi. I did not make love to Cadance," you answer in a firm, calm tone.

Twilight lets out a sigh and looks to the ground. Her expression relaxes and she seems to regain some slight composure of herself.

"You really mean it, Anon?" she asks again, but this time in a much more relaxed way.

"It's the honest truth. I swear it," you confirm. "But things are really weird right now, Twi. I really could use a friend to help me through this."

Twilight shudders and pauses at your words.

"The problem is, I'm not sure what is going to happen. Wheels have been set in motion that I don't know how to handle. This might have never happened in Equestria before," you continue. "In a sense, your brother is right. Cadance and Shining's relationship is falling apart. At least... that's what it seems like to me."

The Princess looks up to you and pauses, studying the features of your face.

"Tell me what happened. Tell me your side of the story. Tell me as much detail as you can remember," Twilight says.

With a nod, you take a quick inventory of the room you were in. It seemed to be a lounge area, filled with complimentary refreshments for the VIP attendees for the Equestria Games. There were luxurious red matching couches and chairs, while the floors still matched the signature royal marble with exotic rugs.

"It might... be best to sit down for this. This isn't a fun story," you comment.

Twilight nods, but her expression only grows more concerned as she flicks her tail. Limping over to one of the couches, you set your crutches on the floor and sit down to try and rest your leg. Twilight opts to lie down next to you on the couch instead of taking the chair beside you. What can you possibly tell her that doesn't incriminate you?

If you tell the whole truth, then she might just think the truth is some lie. On the other hand, if you try to pass off your love for Cadance as just a friendship, you could get caught with her and eat your words later. It's best to start with the truth and then ease into the emotions.

"Well, I suppose it started when I was sitting in the stands with the rest of the girls. I just got back there after we discovered that they wouldn't let me sit next to you in the royalty balcony. These two guards claimed that Princess Cadance needed to see me. I figured I wouldn’t have been summoned if it wasn't important, so I went with them," you began.

She nods as you pause to ensure comprehension.

"Then, they lead me to her and Shining's private chambers. I instantly knew something wasn't fully right, but I didn't really feel like I had another option. So I went inside and she was completely distraught."

Twilight stares at you as you stop to ponder what to tell her next. Do you share that she wanted you to be her revenge to Shining? Do you mention that Cadance did the compatibility spell on you? Why is it so hard to talk about your new found feelings for the Princess with Twilight? You almost have to ask yourself, what would Cadance want for you to say?

"So, I did what anyone should do. I tried to console her. I listened to her. She wanted someone to hold her as she cried... and well, I did."

The words sat on your tongue like bile. Not a lie, but not necessarily the whole truth. Twilight opens her mouth, but looks away from you, her face becoming more downtrodden. Did she figure it out?

"Is something wrong?" you ask.

"It's nothing. Keep going," Twilight says.

"You're a terrible liar, Twi," you reply, pressing a bit of yourself onto her. "I always know when you are."

She looks back to you and shakes her head.

"I just don't like that you did that," she answers.

You pause and consider her words. What does that mean? She doesn't like that you held Cadance in your arms as she cried? Perhaps that was a large step out of bounds for a married mare, but given what she had just shared with you before you did that... Well, it changes things.

"I suppose you are right. If I didn't do that last part, I might not be in this mess."

Which also is only half true. She likely would have set her beautiful eyes on you at one point or another. It just wouldn't have been while she was married. Twilight remains silent and doesn't react to your words.

"Should I keep going?" you add.

Twilight replies with a short nod.

"Well, then Shining barges in and gets the wrong idea, then beats me half to death. If Cadance didn't stop him... I don't know if I would be out and walking right now. I might not have even woken up..." you speculate.

"Well, can you understand why?" she asks you.

"Of course I can understand," you immediately respond, placing you face in your hands. "Who wouldn't understand? That doesn't make me hate him less for doing it."

Twilight sighs and shakes her head.

"Right."

"So, then I get rushed off to the hospital and Cadance watches over me as I passed out. I woke up. They gave me these crutches and then I walked out. Cadance said we would talk to Celestia about the situation and go from there," you conclude.

Twilight thinks over your story carefully.

"The two of you are going to go talk to Celestia?" she asks.

You pause and try to remember her words. Was it, 'we' she said, or 'I'? On second thought…

"My bad. I think she said she would go talk to Celestia," you answer. "Why? Is there something wrong with that? I trust that she would tell Celestia the truth."

Twilight opens her mouth and then promptly closes it. She ponders her words then shakes her head. "I suppose not. Celesta would be the expert in this situation."

"Yeah. I'm just not sure what I should do. I mean, a part of this feels a little... off," you explain. "I think Shining is hiding something important."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asks.

"I mean, this all seems to be completely out of the blue," you add. "I mean, you are close with Cadance and Shining... did you see any sort of hint or sign to this?" Twilight looks at the ground and ponders to herself.

"I don't think so. Not really," she says, still deep in thought.

"Not really?" you reiterate.

"Well," she continues. "Now that I think about it, Cadance was trying to find ways to get out of the Empire more often and she mentioned Shining had been working longer shifts, but I never seemed to have trouble getting in touch with him."

"Really?" you ask. It sounds like Cadance's story might check out then. If Shining was working longer hours as a cover up to go and see somepony else...

"Yeah, I guess I never really thought about it up until now," Twilight adds. "It's a little bit funny."

That's when the thought occurs to you. Maybe if you can prove Cadance's story, then all of this will become a lot easier to handle for everyone involved. If you can prove Shining is cheating, maybe getting a divorce will be easier for her and that would open the path for you to be with her. Or at least, make your hidden affair more acceptable

"Well, what did Shining say? What did he say happened?" you drill Twilight. She remains silent for a moment and then looks back to you.

"I don't know how much I can really say..." Twilight mutters.

Her brother probably swore her to secrecy. They're siblings, so of course they are going to confide in each other and he fed his lies to her. Maybe you can convince her to tell you what story he's trying to uphold. Maybe you can levy that you two have been best friends for such a long time, that you wouldn't tell a soul. Even Cadance.

You open your mouth, but close it and run a hand through your hair. What in the world were you thinking? You can't just manipulate someone like that. That's disgusting.

The situation was clear to her, but not to you. She was on her brother's side and you were on Cadance's side and the overall story sounds fishy. The mistake you made was telling her what you thought happened, so she could feed it to her brother. But... on the other hand, you saved your friendship with Twilight.

"Well, you told me what happened, so I'll tell you what I know for sure..." Twilight says with a sigh.

You turn to her and place a hand on one of her hooves.

"Before you do, I dunno if it's a good idea for you to tell me. If your brother wanted to keep his story confident... then maybe you shouldn't share it," you explain.

Twilight's hoof feels warm around your hand as she smiles at the simple gesture.

"The problem is, I'm not even sure if it's right. My brother hasn't lied to me before. At least, I don't think he has, but something is missing in all of this and it doesn't make sense. He told me that Cadance told him to stop by the room and then he saw you two. He assumed the worst, got defensive, and then fled when he was threatened by his wife," she explained.

That's hardly a story at all. That's essentially cliff notes of your story.

"I mean, I know it's not much, but it was all that I could seem to get out of him. He told me to stay away from her, but if both stories are the same then why would both sides not want us to know what's really going on?" Twilight says. "I mean, it's speculation, but something just doesn't seem right."

Because Shining is a cheater, Twilight. She has to accept that. The words scream in your mind as you grow more irritated at Twilight's naiveté.

Cadance wouldn't have been crying like she was if she were lying. Unless she was some sort of professionally trained actress, or something. She could easily look the part, but you doubt she had that sort of training.

"I can see what you mean from a logical standpoint, but honestly, I don't think Cadance is the liar here..." you explain.

"Why not?" Twilight explains.

Warmth spreads through your chest as you remember holding Cadance in your arms as you thought of a way to explain the situation to her. The way she panicked when Shining opened the door seemed to also stick out. If she knew Shining would be coming back, why would she panic when he opened the door? There's no way that any of that was planned.

"Simply put, I just think there are some things you just can't fake," you explain. "The way Cadance acted didn't reflect her pulling some sort of terrible scheme. Plus she doesn't even fit that profile. Wouldn't it make more sense that Shining had a moment of weakness and got himself in a situation he couldn't untangle himself from?"

Twilight eyes you carefully, skepticism growing on her face and placing her hoof on top of your hand.

"Well, can we at least agree that something isn't right here?" she asks.

"Definitely. Something isn't right," you agree.

"Then, I think we should try to figure out what's really going on," Twilight states.

A chill runs through your soul. Twilight is one of the most thorough ponies you know. When her mind is set to something, there isn't a single problem she can't solve. This means, it’s only a matter of time until she found out that you and Cadance weren’t really just patient and therapist.

"I suppose it would be good to help clear one of their names... or both of their names," you reply while trying to keep your cool.

"It's more than just that now, Anon," Twilight replies with care. "I don't want the world to think that you are some sort of adulterer that is tearing apart what the Crystal Empire thought was a happy marriage. You wouldn't do that."

Her words cut through your heart like a knife. Maybe you should tell her about your feelings now instead of later. If she just found out now, then maybe there would be fewer repercussions later when she finds out herself. You remain silent as she looks at you expectantly with a determined smile. Twilight will find out if she dug hard enough. It would only be a matter of time.

"Right?" she asks, unfurling her wings in confidence. She wants you to confirm your story of half truths.

"I didn't make love to Cadance-"

"Right! So we need to clear your name, Anon," she says confidently, pressing your hand firmly.

"I do really like her though," you mutter.

She freezes and her grip on your hand loosens.

"And she kissed me," you sigh. "There's no point in not telling you the full truth."

Twilight pulls her hoof away and her mouth opens slightly. Her wings slowly fold back into their resting position.

"Oh," she says, her tone filled with defeat.

You look up at and see how hard she's taken that you didn't tell her the full truth right away.

"I'm sorry. I should have just told you everything from the start... I just thought it might have been a bit much," you add.

She looks back at you with a worried expression.

"Did you kiss her back?" she asks, a glimmer of hope remaining in her voice.

You stop and remember the taste of her lips on yours and an involuntary smile grows on your face. Turning to look back at the ground, you try to remember what happened during that moment. She kissed you and... and... The heavens sang and you felt like you could fly. You felt empowered; strong enough to take on armies just to keep her safe. But did you kiss her back?

If she tried to kiss you again, would you? Definitely. Then that's just as good as kissing her back.

"Yes," you answer softly. "I don't really want to end what her and I have either. Whatever this... thing is. Plus, if it became more official and public... I would like that, but I can't really do any of this if she's married."

Twilight's mouth closes and her tail loses its sense of liveliness as her gaze moves to the floor.

"Oh... I see," she mutters to the ground.

"So, I want to help her get rid of Shining. She made it sound like he destroyed her," you continue.

"I don't believe that for a second," Twilight immediately interjects.

A silence wedges the distance between you two. In this moment, you've never felt less close to your friend in your whole life. You almost wish as if you could reach out, pull her close, and console her; Just so you can tell her that you're sorry that all of this is happening and that you'll end it immediately. Maybe at another time, you would have, but now the situation is different. Thoughts of Cadance swirled through your mind like an addiction.

"But, what I still don't fully understand is, why you?" Twilight asks with a choking voice, anger slowly poisoning her tone.

You pause and purse your lips. Should you tell the truth? She's your best friend, why wouldn't you? Plus, she will probably find out sooner or later.

"Cadance mentioned she knew some sort of compatibility tester spell... or something. When she used it on me, she found out that we were really compatible. Now, here I am," you explain.

Twilight's expression fades and turns to look at you curiously.

"Compatibility spell?" Twilight asks.

"Yeah, that's right. I mean, it makes sense to me. I don't really understand how all this magic stuff works, but-"

"No, Anon. I've read almost every book of magic I could have laid my hooves on," Twilight begins. “And I've never heard of that sort of spell before. I've heard of love potions and love poisons-"

"Cadance would never poison me," you interrupt Twilight. "She wouldn't hurt a soul."

Twilight eyes you carefully, but continues on. "In all of my research as Celestia's student and with access to her private spellbook collection, I've never heard of that spell. Don't you think that's odd?" she asks you with a hint of irritation.

What is she trying to say? She just doesn't trust Cadance. Which, considering the compromising position Cadance put herself in with you, it makes sense, but that doesn't mean she doesn't tell the truth. She just immediately believes her brother with no facts.

"Well, you never know. Maybe you missed one," you retort.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say, Anonymous," Twilight spits at you.

Anonymous? She hasn't called you that since you first met her. Twilight rises from the couch, her wings outstretched and brow furrowed.

"Something is wrong here and you aren't willing to see it," she continues. Twilight's attitude is really beginning to grate on your nerves.

"Well, I think everything is painted pretty clearly, Twilight. You just aren't willing to accept it," you retort. "Shining isn't telling the whole truth."

"Well, I'm tired of you calling my brother a liar!" she yells, turning back to you.

"I'm tired of you calling my marefriend a liar!" you shout.

The words escape your mouth and then hang in the air like a cloud of smoke. Yet, you have no desire to change that. Now it’s out in the open. Twilight just looks at you in lasting silence. You can feel your heart pulse red-hot blood through your veins as you stand in direct opposition of your best friend.

"So, this is the way it is," Twilight says angrily.

"I guess so. I'm going to get proof of Shining's adultery and prove Cadance's story," you growl to her.

"Well, I'm going to clear my brother's name and prove that Cadance is lying to you, then maybe you can snap out of this... Whatever this is," Twilight retorts, turning away from you and stomping out of the lounge. The door loudly slams shut behind her. You growl as you clench your fists. Why can't she just be happy for you!

After all this time that you've been trying to find love in Equestria, it finally falls into your lap and your best friend can't even be happy for you. What's her problem? You slam your fist into the plush pillow and run your hands through your hair. With a sigh, you close your eyes and shake your head.

You shouldn't have done that to Twilight. That was a mistake.

Opening your eyes, you see the carpet on the floor and your two crutches. Well, now the best thing you can do is try to try to prove Cadance's truth. Not to prove Twilight wrong, just in case there is any doubt among the public. If there was one thing Twilight was right about, you don't want to look like the guy that broke up a perfectly happy marriage. So, the solution is simple.

If you can find the truth, then Twilight will have to admit that she's wrong. She would probably be upset at first, but she would likely come around. Maybe.

She couldn't be mad at you for forever.

You hope.

Grabbing your crutches, you place them under your shoulders and carefully ease yourself up. Now then, if you were going to attempt to find incriminating evidence for Shining Armor, where would you look?


How dare he? How DARE he?! Something is clearly wrong here and he is just refusing to see it. Compatibility spells don't exist!

At least, none that Twilight knew of.

The best person to know about love type spells would be... Not an option, but Celestia and Luna might know.

Twilight stomped through the halls to Cadance and Shining Armor's private quarters. She thought that the best place to find any sort of evidence would be at the scene of the crime. Her wings were fully extended and she grated her teeth with each step. The mare felt as if she were punching the very ground on which she stood with every hoofstep. Each one a punch that wanted to land directly in the center of Anon's dumb, handsome face.

How dare he?!

Water slowly welled in her eyes as she tried her hardest not to remember the times the two of them spent together and loving every second of them. Now he's in the clutches of another mare. A married mare, no less. Even worse, her sister-in-law and one of her closest friends.

Twilight's heart felt as if it were leaking from being repeatedly stabbed by a dull dagger of hatred and fire. As much as it hurt, she knew she couldn't give up. Something isn't right here and the only pony willing to get to the bottom of it was her. The full truth hasn't come out yet and everypony involved deserves to know.

At very least, Anon deserves to know.

Her pace slowed as a tear ran down her face. What if this will make Anon happy? Shouldn't she be happy for him? She loved him.

He seemed so happy now. He was happy with her as well. Except, she couldn't tell him the words that choked at the very back of her throat. She hoped, somehow in the back of her mind, that the stars would suddenly align and he would find the love he craved for right in front of him all along.

"For being such a smart mare, you can be so thick-headed sometimes..." she whispered to herself.

She closed her eyes and sniffed. Maybe... if she said something sooner...

She stood alone in the hallway of the Crystal Arena as the crowd cheered outside as if they were cheering for them. Cheering for Twilight's pain. He's gone. She lost her chance to have him for herself. Her breathing quickened and her wings slowly relaxed back into themselves, cradling her in a much needed hug. But, it wasn't just her crush she lost. She might have just lost her best friend.

Why did she have to yell at him?

He's just caught up in his emotions and not seeing reason. This... could probably be said about her too, now that she thought about it. She shook her head and took a deep breath. Now isn't the time to focus on emotions.

The two of them are friends. Anything can be worked through if both sides are willing to try. But, that's not the most important task at the moment. She is going to have to think logically in order to get to the bottom of this mystery. Something is going on between Shining and Cadance and nopony is telling the truth.

Down this path might be the closure she needed to get Anon out of a mistake he might regret for the rest of his life or something that will just hurt her even more. That's the risk she's got to take.

The risk she wants to take.

'I have to figure out Cadance's lie and clear my brother's name,' she thought to herself. 'Not to prove Anon wrong, but just to make sure...'

Then, her subconscious took over. To make sure what? To make sure the feelings between Anon and Cadance were genuine? What are she trying to prove? That she wouldn't be a better lover to Anon than Cadance?

With one last sigh, she trudged forward. No, she had to prove that Anon isn't making a huge mistake. Maybe, if she's lucky, she can pull him out before it's too late.