//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Sadness // Story: A Canterlot Wedding: The Story of the Alternate Path // by FE_A_Lover //------------------------------// Love...that one thing a feeling being cannot have an exciting or fulfilling without no matter who they might be. Those who try to live without it end up feeling nothing but emptiness inside their soul. Those who try to forget the loves they had, only makes the love they feel for them stronger and harder to get rid of. This is a story of the latter. One who tries to forget they love they had, for quite honestly...they were not of this world. Our tale begins with a female unicorn. Her name was Twilight Sparkle. She had a lavender coat, a purple mane and tail with pink strands running through both, and a cutie mark made of stars. A cutie mark is a sort of identifier of a pony's interests, and what they excel at. However, the cutie mark is made to fit the pony of it, not the cutie mark determining who the pony is. Twilight Sparkle was sitting in her bed inside of her library, looking at a book or rather a journal. A poorly made journal at that. The binding stitches were poorly made, and it looked like the pages were put very sloppily together despite the nice red covering. And yet she just stared at it. Thinking...thinking...always thinking. While thinking is normal for Twilight, this kind of behavior made it seem strange. This has been going for at least 3 days now and it's become a slightly creepy routine: she gets up, eats breakfast, stares at the journal, eats lunch, stares at the journal, eats dinner, stares at the journal, go to bed and repeat the process the next day. Her friends were getting worried, and Spike her assistant dragon was the most worried. She wouldn't even READ the journal, just look at it. Her face when she was looking at it was obviously full of depression. Like she was remembering something that others around could simply not fathom, and could not get out of her because she almost never noticed anyone else. When her friends came over they all did their best to get her attention, but were mostly unsuccessful. The only time they did manage to get a rise out of her was when Pinkie Pie, a female earth pony who embodies her very name with a pink coat and mane with balloons for a cutie mark, touched the journal. That set Twilight off and she screamed "DON'T TOUCH THAT!" with her mane and tail catching fire and her coat becoming white, freaking her friends out a lot. Twilight immediately calmed back down and apologized for freaking her friends out like that. However she then asked-no, she then DEMANDED that they never touch the journal again. She can't guarantee that she won't hurt them if they do. This shocked her friends greatly for two reasons. One, while they knew she liked books, she always seemed to prefer the more sophisticated titles and those with good binding. The journal clearly was not sophisticated, and the binding looked awful and poorly made as if someone who had no idea how to make one tried to make one. So...why did she care so much for it? The second shocker was that she said she might hurt the for merely touching it. It's clear that this journal meant a lot to her, but it didn't answer the question of why it was so important to her. Just reinforces the idea that this journal means an awful lot to her. With no luck getting any useful info from Twilight, they decide ask Spike in private about the journal. Applejack, an orange coated female earth pony with a blonde mane and tail style and 3 red apples for a cutie mark, is the one who speaks up about this to Spike. "Spike," she begins saying with her country accent "We all need tah know, why in the hay Twilight is acting this way. Do y'all got any idea as to why Twilight is acting like this?" Spike the dragon simply shrugs, saying "Sorry Applejack, but I'm just as clueless as you guys are! One day, she tried out a new spell, though I didn't know what it was as she put the book in the lock down area after the spell was cast, where I couldn't get it and I didn't get the chance to read it before. After she casted it, she looked around dazed and confused. I think she mumbled something about a dream, I think? Then we both noticed the sloppy journal and that's when it all started." "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" a rainbow maned female pegasus named Rainbow Dash, who had a cyan coat and a cloud with a red, blue, and yellow lightning bolt for a cutie mark, started saying "So...you mean that the journal just popped up out of nowhere?" Spike nods as an answer. "But that just can't be possible darling!" Spoke up a white female Unicorn named Rarity, who had a purple curly mane and tail with 3 diamonds for a cutie mark "Books don't simply appear out of thin air. Not to mention, that journal was simply atrocious! It's like a complete slob put that thing together!" "Umm, girls?" a shy voice speaks up, but is ignored. "Maybe she actually went on a super incredible adventure, full of laughs and joy, and fell in love! And that journal is the only thing reminding her of that love!" Pinkie Pie says ecstatically. "Umm, g-girls?" The shy voice says again, but is once again ignored. "Pinkie Pie, that just don't make no sense. How did Twilight have an adventure, and fall in love with somepony in a few seconds?" Applejack says to the overly excited pink mare. "Girls!" The shy voice finally having enough of being ignored and finally gets the group's attention. The voice came from a yellow pegasus named Fluttershy, with a long pink mane and tail and 3 butterflies for a cutie mark. "If we want to know so badly why Twilight is acting like this, why not invite her to a picnic?" Fluttershy suggested. Everyone in the room started thinking about it. It might work, but it's really a big stretch on "might". But right now, they don't exactly have many other options. "But how are we going to get Twilight to even come down to the picnic?" Rainbow Dash asks, being the most skeptical. "All we can do is send her an invite and hope she'll take it." Applejack says honestly. They all nod and set out to get to work on the picnic. Rarity got together the blanket, plates and baskets and sent one of the baskets to Pinkie and Applejack. Pinkie filled hers full of sweets ranging from candies to cakes, while Applejack filled hers with fruits and veggies. Meanwhile, Rainbow and Fluttershy were looking for a good spot. When they found one, they told Rarity and the others on where to go. With the picnic set up, the ponies then wait for Spike to convince Twilight to come. They were hoping that he could convince her to come. They waited about 30 minutes, Rainbow Dash growing the most impatient. Though it wasn't just her alone. The others were also gaining a look of impatience on their faces. Not as much as Rainbow, but they were starting to think she wasn't coming. "UGH! Where is she?! She should've been 15 minutes ago!" Rainbow Dash exclaims. The others would normally glare at her and tell her to be more patient, but they were in agreement. She wasn't coming...or so it seemed. As they were to start to pack up, Pinkie Pie shouted "LOOK! There she is!" They look to where Pinkie pointed and sure enough, there Twilight was! She was walking towards, with a smile on her face and...wait...someone else was with her. The others of the Mane 6 notice this and rush over to Twilight. Rainbow Dash speaks first when they get there "Twilight, you're here! But...who the heck is that with you?" Twilight smiles and says "Girls, I'd like you to meet my husband!" And the jaws drop at that final word. "YOUR WHAAAAAAT?!" The 5 ponies shout in shock. Two hours earlier... Spike was walking up to Twilight who was still sitting in her bed, staring at the journal. "Uh...Hey Twilight! Feeling hungry?" Spike starts off asking. "...I am..." Twilight mutters, barely audible. "W-Well, how about we go out to eat?" Spike suggests nervously. "...No...I don't wanna go out anymore..." She says depressed. "Never again?!" Spike asks really worried. Twilight nods slowly. "Twilight, you can't be serious! Think of your family, your friends! Don't they mean anything to you?!" Spike says, trying to convince her. She then mutters something that Spike didn't quite make out. After about a whole hour of trying to convince Twilight to come to the picnic area, a knock is heard on the door. "...Could you get that Spike?" Twilight asks. Spike sighs and goes to answer the door. Once Spike opens the door, he is greeted by a male earth pony with a blue mane, grey fur coat and is wearing a strange blue shirt with a plate of armor on it's right shoulder. But what was even more strange was his cutie mark. It appeared to be a strange brand of sorts not easy to explain in detail. Spike, being annoyed that the plan was being derailed, asks in an upset tone "Hey, do you need something?" "Yes, I came here looking for someone named Twilight." The Stallion answers. Twilight hears it, as her eyes widen and life returns to them. Spike doesn't seem to care "Well, you came at a bad time. She's been really depressed lately. So whatever it is you need you'll-" Before he got any further Twilight teleported next to him. "T-Twilight! W-What are you-" Spike tries to stutter out before being ignored. "Is...Is it really you?" She asks the stallion. The stallion smiles and says "You are the wind at my back and the sword at my side..." "...Together my love we shall build a peaceful world..." Twilight continues. Then they both say at the same time "Just you and me." Twilight started tearing up "It...It really is you...Chrom." Back in the present... The pair of Twilight and the stallion named Chrom were sitting next to each other, snuggling in a rather cute manner. The rest of the Mane 6 were looking directly at them, not sure what to say. The shock on their faces was as obvious as the love that these two ponies were sharing. So, Applejack was the first to speak up "Uh, not that I ain't happy for y'all, but do ya mind explaining how the heck you two...ya know." Twilight hears AJ speak and replies "Oh, sorry Applejack. I suppose I got distracted. Anyway, I'd be happy to explain. Just...be prepared. I don't know if you'll like it." The others nod prepared to listen to their story. "Well, it all began when-" "TWILIGHT!" A voice interrupts Twilight's story telling. It's soon seen to be Spike, running up to the group quickly, holding two letters. "Spike, what is it?" Twilight asks him. "I just got these letters!" Twilight takes one with her magic and begins reading it. "Dear Twilight, I am sure you are as excited as I am about the upcoming wedding in Canterlot...Wedding?" She says confused, but continues. "I will be presiding over the ceremony, but would very much like and your friends to help with the preparations for this wonderful occasion. Fluttershy I would like you and your song bird choir to provide the music." "Oh my goodness. What an honor." Fluttershy says happily Twilight continues "Pinkie Pie, I can think of no one more qualified than you to host the reception." "Hip, Hip, Hooray!" She says doing a bit of a cartwheel. "Applejack, you'll be in charge of catering for the reception." Twilight says further on "Well, color me pleased as punch!" AJ says Rainbow yawns at this "Rainbow Dash, I would very much appreciate it if you could a Sonic Rainboom as the bride and groom complete their 'I do's." Twilight says surprised herself Dash is surprised but excited and shouts "YES!" "Rarity, you will be responsible for designing the dresses for her brides and her brides maids." Rarity's mouth is wide open as she says "Princess Celestia wants me to-" Then she starts sort of...short circuiting and can't finish her sentence in a comprehensible manner. "And as for you Twilight, you will be play the most important role of all, making sure that everything goes as planned, see you all very soon, yours truly Princess Celestia." Twilight then inspects the letter for a bit "But...who's going to get married?" She wonders before Spike realizes "Oh, sorry. I was supposed to give you this one first." He hands her the other letter. "Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and-" She then gasps "My brother, Shining Armor?!" Everyone around, minus Spike, was shocked to hear this, Chrom included. Twilight then hugs Chrom "Oh honey, my own brother is getting married too!" She says this happily. Chrom smiles and puts a hoof around her saying "That's great Twilight! But uh...how are you gonna explain...me to him? As a brother myself, I know what it feels like to find out your sister is engaged to someone you never knew before." "Oh...Well, I guess for now...we'll just be boyfriend and girlfriend." She says. "Yeah, you can tell him that, AFTER you tell us all how this whole thing came to be." Rainbow Dash says, not forgetting the story Twilight was about to tell. "You're right Rainbow...I need to tell you girls this. However, I don't want ONE WORD of this to reach my brother. I can't even imagine how he'd react to this story." She says with warning. They all nod and do a Pinkie Promise. "Okay...wow, where do I even begin? Hmm...I suppose the real beginning is an appropriate place to start." She begins. End of Chapter 1.