//------------------------------// // Announcement // Story: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic -- Off The Record // by The King of Hearts //------------------------------// //// Announcement //// A few hours had passed since Alex confronted Alpha for the last time, and everypony had gathered in the castle hall for a large breakfast to discuss the events of the past day. It was the kind of thing that most were feeling rather awkward about, considering Twilight’s current state, after Alpha’s desertion. “So…” Rarity spoke up, wanting nothing more than to break the thick silence that had been lingering around the table for the last ten minutes, “Are there any plans to reschedule the wedding?” “Oh,” Cadence said quickly, scratching her chin at the thought, “Well, we were going to do just do it tonight, but I think there is some kind of meeting going on between Canterlot and Alpha…” Everypony looked to Twilight, who was staring at her plate, spinning a fork in circles, a million miles away from the conversation. “So, we’re going to push it out for another month,” Cadence finished, giving Rarity a thoughtful smile, “I mean, it’s just a piece of paper anyway.” “That’s wonderful to hear,” Rarity returned, looking to Spike next to her, and sighing, “I can’t imagine how it’ll feel when I’m finally a bride. What do you think, Spike?” “How would I know how it feels to be a bride?” Spike chuckled, missing her point completely as he took a big bite of his pancakes. Rarity frowned. “Was anypony really hurt during the invasion?” Alex spoke up, having had that thought in his head. “No.” Celestia shook her head, “A few ponies were thrown around when they refused to comply with the changelings, but none were seriously injured.” “There would have been a lot more bloodshed if Trixie hadn’t stopped that big pillar.” Rainbow Dash began, before catching herself, and looking to the purple mare, along with everypony else. Again, the conversation managed to resume, despite the odd hiccup. “I’d like to thank you for your help,” Celestia said to Trixie, giving the mare an uncharacteristic blush, “You may have saved everypony in Canterlot yesterday.” “Well—“ Trixie began, remembering all she had been taught by Aurora during their time together, “I think everypony deserves credit. I just did what I could.” “A very good answer.” Celestia smiled, happy to see how much different this mare was from the one Twilight described to her so many years ago. “I know that everypony was working together,” Alex spoke up once again, “But what happened to Discord and Princess Luna?” Celestia chuckled, trying to hide the growing smile on her lips. “Well, in an attempt to look as legitimate as possible, Alpha chipped both of them, disabling their ability to use magic,” She began, her chest quivering as she tried to hold back an explosion of laughter, “And then, just before the wedding, he had a soldier tie the two of them up in her bed!” Celestia started to laugh in a way none of them had really heard before. She was absolutely lost to the humor in the situation, that nopony else seemed to pick up on. Sure, it was odd that they were tied up on the same bed, but was it really that funny? “Okay, well—“ Dash began, before Celestia cut her off, between fits of giggles. “There’s more!” She gasped, finally getting a hold of herself, as she leaned over the table, getting closer to all of them, “When I found them tied up in there, I said to them ‘Oh, I’ll give you two some privacy!’” Again, she exploded in to a fit of laughter as everypony else giggled at the juvenile humor Celestia had used, at such an inappropriate time. “Has Discord been rubbing off on you, Princess?” Alex asked, personally loving that she was being so open with herself to all of them. “I think you should be asking if Discord has been rubbing off on Luna…” Dash said, as Celestia only responded to that statement with more giggles. Finally, after a few more minutes of silence, Celestia managed to calm herself down to resume the very serious conversation they were all having. “So, what’d ya’ end up doin’ with the Queen?” Applejack spoke up, figuring that it must have been her turn to speak at this point, “Is she ‘n the dungeon right now?” “Oh, no.” Celestia shook her head, “She may be a prisoner, but she’s still royalty. She’ll be treated as such while she’s in Canterlot.” “So, she’s going to be treated just as you or Luna?” Dash asked. “Of course.” Celestia nodded, “Alpha made it clear that we’ll need her on our side to unite the hive.” Once again, everypony turned to Twilight as she began to shake in her seat. “Quit staring at me!” She shouted, standing up suddenly and slamming a hoof down on the table, “I get it, okay?! Alpha betrayed me, and abandoned me! I guess we’ve addressed the elephant in the room, haven’t we?” Sitting back down, she huffed and crossed her arms and blew a strand of hair out of her face. Again, the table room was filled with a terribly awkward silence, as they all regretted making Twilight so uncomfortable. “So…” Celestia began, clearing her throat, knowing that she was going to have to spend a lot of time with her student to return her back to her usual self, “Does anypony else have news?” Alex opened his mouth, before closing it, and looking to Dash. “Are we allow to say anything?” Alex whispered to her, “I know it’s tacky to announce an engagement at a wedding…” Dash thought for a second, before looking at him and nodding with a degree of confidence, really not sure what other chance they would get. Nodding, Alex thought for another moment, before leaning in to Dash’s ear, and whispering for a few moments. At first, she was nodding along patiently, before her eyes widened, and he pulled back, giving her a hopeful look. “Could we do that?” Alex asked, as Dash instantly nodded. “I’d really like that, actually…” She said, a smile crossing her lips, before her volume rose, “So… do you wanna tell them? Or should I?” “Tell us what?!” Pinkie shouted, standing up and looking toward them with wide eyes. “Looking toward them with wide eyes. “You can.” Alex said, as Dash stood up from her seat. “Well, after Alex helped me face my dark side…” Dash began, looking around the table, trying to hide her excitement, “Me and him had a little talk…” The looks around the table were varied. Fluttershy and Spike both looked mildly interested at whatever she had to say. Applejack was busy fiddling with her hat, and obviously wasn’t paying all that much attention. Pinkie had her usual grin on, telling Dash absolutely nothing. Celestia had a small, knowing smile. She was smart, there was no denying that. Twilight was looking at her with a sad, but interested expression. But, the best expression by far, was the wide eyes, and massive smile coming from Rarity. That girl knew when weddings were afoot. “He asked me to marry him.” She finished. The table exploded in a high pitch of girly sounds, as all the girls, minus Twilight, jumped out of their seats and surrounded Rainbow Dash, all speaking over one another as they congratulated her, hugged her, and told her how lucky she was. Alex, on the other hoof, made his way over to Spike, and sat down next to him. “Nice going!” Spike beamed, patting Alex on the back, “it seems like yesterday that you and I were trying to rescue her from the Wonderbolt Training Facility.” “We’ve had some good times,” Alex laughed, looking over to the girls with a smile he couldn’t hide, “But this is going to be something new… I’m actually kinda scared.” “I know how you feel.” Spike agreed, looking to Rarity as she hopped up and down trying to contain herself from bursting, “Rarity’s been on me to finally pop the question.” “Why haven’t you?” Alex asked, having thought they would be long married by this point, “You don’t want her running off with some other guy that asks first.” “Funny.” Spike said, before looking at the table with a smidge of timidity, “I just don’t know how to actually do it, you know?” “I’ll work something out with you man,” Alex said encouragingly, patting him on the head, “I mean, as my best stallion, we’ll have hours together to put something together between the planning.” “Are you serious?!” Spike asked, his heart skipping a beat, “I mean—Wouldn’t you want…” Spike tried to think of anypony else, but nopony really came to mind, “Uh, nevermind…” “Who’s Dash gonna ask to be her Mare of Honor?” Spike asked, looking around the room, “There might be some competition…” “She’s gonna ask all of them.” He laughed, “She said there was no way she could pick between all of them.” “That makes sense,” Spike nodded, before he scratched his chin, another question popping in to his head, “What about your family back in your world? Are you going to tell them?” “Actually, I just talked to Dash about that a minute ago,” Alex answered, feeling his heart race at the thought of it, “We’re going to go back to my world, and I’m going to tell my uncle about the engagement… and then about Equestria.” “Good luck,” Spike laughed, “Are you just going to teleport the two of you there?” “Well, the Doctor is still around I think,” Alex said, glancing to the windows that allowed him to see out in to the courtyard, where a tall blue box was still sitting, “I’ll see if he wants to take us. I need to catch up with that guy anyway.” “I need to come along one of these times,” Spike said, trying to hide his desire to see Alex’s world, “Rarity and Twilight said your world was so weird.” “Well, I think I need to break my news to my uncle softly… And I don’t think a dragon turned pony turned human would bode too well.” Alex said, trying not to sound like he was shrugging his friend off, “But the time after this next trip, you’re absolutely welcome.” “When are you leaving?” Spike asked. “We’re packing up our luggage that we brought to Canterlot, and going straight there,” Alex answered, looking to his future wife as she was helplessly barraged by her friends, with a bright smile on her face, “And when I get there… I’m going to tell Chet everything.”