//------------------------------// // 2 - The Same... Yet Different // Story: Change // by tom117z //------------------------------// The train journey to Canterlot was pretty standard fare. Twilight's friends talked among themselves; all of them excited about their roles in the upcoming festivities. Twilight herself just ended up sulking for most of the journey. She had not taken well to the fact that her brother had neglected to tell her he was getting married in person, on top of the fact it wasn’t until the week it was happening. She could not even remember him ever telling her he had a marefriend to begin with. She tried to think back to her last year in Canterlot, but it all became a haze of lessons and studying. Attempting to focus at all was becoming harder; her brain becoming filled with the sound of static or buzzing. As they got closer to Canterlot, the strange buzzing got louder, until it was all she could think about. Then, all of a sudden, the noises became coherent. "Voices!?" Twilight jolted up, confused. "What was that sugarcube?" Applejack questioned, only just catching Twilight's muttering. "Oh... uh it’s... it’s nothing. Just feeling a bit dizzy..." "Is it the kind of dizzy you get when you spin around in circles pretending you're a helicopter!" Pinkie jumped up in her usual excitable mannerisms. "A heli-what-now?" Applejack turned to her unusual pink friend. "Yeah Pinkie I have no idea what that is..." Twilight deadpanned. Pinkie rolled her eyes. "You guys are so uncultured." "Helicopters are a recent invention that allows non-Pegasi to fly much easier than with zeppelins, though they haven't got as much space on the inside. I believe Cherry Berry owns one and a few are being tested by the Equestrian military for their usage," Rarity clarified helpfully. "Oh... I thought that was just Pinkie making stuff up as usual..." Applejack said sheepishly. "Not this time, darling," Rarity smirked. "You know what - never mind," Twilight sighed before turning back to the window and staring off into space. The buzzing was there again, but very subdued at the back of her head. Soon enough the city of Canterlot itself came into view, but as they rounded the mountain they could tell something was off. At first glance, it would look like the city was caught in a giant bubble-gum bubble. In reality, a large pink magical shield had surrounded the entire city; a much larger version than most unicorns could cast around themselves. Twilight could feel the power through her horn, but Twilight could not detect the source, or see anything that might require this scale of defences. As the train approached the shield; Twilight half expected them to slam into a solid wall of energy. Instead, they passed through an archway flanked by guards, where the shield inside the archway was attuned to let them pass. They slowly came to a stop at Canterlot station, and all of the passengers that exited the vehicle were greeted by a large contingent of city guards on the platform. All of the passengers had their ID's and luggage checked, but Twilight and her friends were waved straight through, on orders from Captain Shining Armor. The group passed through the guard checkpoint, and they were escorted all the way to the castle. On their arrival, the girls all split up, each being lead to either their rooms, or their work place for the next few days. Twilight said farewell to her friends, as she went off to find her brother; intending to congratulate him and/or throttle him for not telling her he was getting married! Twilight made her way through the castle to where her brother would be carrying out his duties. As Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, he was in charge of all of the guards in the castle, and throughout Equestria (being called ‘Captain’ was a traditional and ceremonial practice; in reality his actual rank was Colonel), and as such his office was close to the royal wing. Twilight steadily drew closer to her destination, all the while the buzzing from before was picking up again. She was still dismissing it as a headache until; "It's her! It's the princess!" "What?" Twilight said out loud, looking around her. "Twily!" a voice from a nearby battlement called out, making her forget about the buzzing. Shining Armor dismissed the guards he was briefing, and then quickly ran down to his waiting sister, who regarded him with a withering glare. "I've got something to say to you mister!" Twilight shouted at her approaching brother. "Twily! Ah, I've missed you kid. How was the train ride?" "How dare you not tell me in person that you were getting married?! I'm your sister for pony's sake!" "It's not my fault! Princess Celestia has requested a major increase in security. Didn't you see all the guards at the train station?" "Yeah, there's a big wedding coming up. Maybe you heard about it?" Twilight fired back, moving around behind him. "It has nothing to do with the wedding. A threat has been made against Canterlot. We don't know who's responsible for it, but Princess Celestia asked that I help provide additional protection.” Twilight’s face fell after hearing this, but Shining put a hoof to her chin, and raised her head to look at him. “This, you need to see." With a flash Shining teleported both his sister and himself up onto one of the castles upper most battlements, affording them a brilliant view of the entire city and the shield around it. "The burden of keeping Canterlot safe and secure rests squarely on my shoulders. Staying focused on the task at hoof has been my top priority. "Okay, okay, I get it. You've got a really important job protecting all of Canterlot with a force field only you can conjure up. But still... how could you not tell me about something as big as your wedding? Am I not that important to you anymore?" "Hey, you're my little sister; of course you're important to me. But I'd understand if you didn't want to be my best mare now." Twilight gasped in both surprise and joy. "You want me to be your best mare?" "Well... yeah." "I'd be honoured!” Twilight suddenly pushed her brother back a full foreleg length, and her tone once again becomes aggressive. “But I'm still pretty ticked you're marrying somepony I don't even know! When did you even meet this 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza'?" "Twily, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza is Cadance, your old foalsitter." "Cadance? As in THE Cadance? As in the greatest foalsitter in all the history of foalsitters?!" "You tell me. She was your foalsitter," Shining Armor chuckled. "Ohmygoshohmygosh! Cadance is only the most amazing pony ever! She's beautiful, she's caring, she's kind... how many ponies can just spread love wherever they go? I only know of one! And you're marrying her! You're marrying Cadance! You're marrying Cadance!" "Am I interrupting something?" a new voice spoke out from an open doorway. The two ponies turned to see a pink alicorn descend a few stairs and walked towards them, her gaze remaining solely on Twilight. "Cadance! Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" Cadance seemed to recoil slightly as Twilight did the little song and dance; Twilight in turn had a wave of both sadness and disappointment role over her. “Don’t you remember our sunshine dance?” "I'm sorry Twilight I... it's just been so long since I've seen you, and that dance must have slipped my mind when you surprised me..." "I... guess it's OK but..." Twilight didn't get to finish her sentence before she was scooped up into a very strong loving embrace. "I've missed you so much Twilight..." "Hey Cadance... I've missed you too but... can't... breathe..." Twilight started to turn a new shade of purple. "Oh!" Cadance blurted, quickly putting Twilight down before giving her an apologetic smile. Behind Twilight, Shining Armor was doing his best not to burst out laughing. "Well... it’s good to see you two still get along so well, I was worried having spent so much time apart would have spoiled your friendship." "Never!" both Cadance and Twilight said resolutely. "So I see. I’m afraid I have to return to my post, try to enjoy all the tedious wedding preparations without me!" "It will be worth it!" Twilight smiled as her brother teleported away. Now only the two mares were left on the battlement, Cadance gave a small sigh before addressing Twilight again. "I really wish we had more time to catch up, but we have a lot of work to do." "It's okay Cadance, I have some things I need to grab from my parents’ house anyway." "You do?” Twilight nodded. “OK then. Meet me by the castle kitchens when you're all done, I can hardly set up a wedding without my trusty organiser now can I? Tell you what, come by the castle dining room tonight and we'll get properly reacquainted then." "I think I... shall," Twilight seemed to sway on the spot for a moment before she shook her head bringing herself back to her senses. "Twilight? Are you OK?" "Yeah it's... there's this weird buzzing in the back of my mind and it's making me feel a little dizzy every now and then..." "Buzzing?" Cadance's face suddenly came over with a look of bemusement, Twilight saw her ear briefly flick as she concentrated for a moment before returning to her original cheery attitude. 'Attention all infiltrators in Canterlot. Immediately cease any attempt to make Head‐based Internal Vocalisation Egregore with Princess Twilight.' She paused for a second, mentally sighed and added almost as an afterthought, 'Or, for the simpletons among you — that means you, Private Pincer! — Don’t. Initiate. H.I.V.E contact!' "Huh... the buzzing's gone... it got really intense for a few seconds, then stopped completely" "It was probably just nerves; you've been given quite the responsibility." "Yeah I guess..." "Are you sure you're okay?" Cadance asked, genuine concern showing on her face. "I'm fine! I promise!" "OK then; I'm just looking out for a little filly I love." Twilight nodded happily, and the two shared one final hug before parting ways, Cadance heading off to check up on the wedding preparations, and Twilight towards her parents’ house. Her parents weren't home, that was good. Twilight slowly made her way through her fillyhood home, and climbed up the large staircase leading up to the second floor. Right at the end of the hallway was her old room. Twilight had always known she had been adopted, and she also knew her biological parents had abandoned her on the doorstep of this very home. Her parents and brother had never hidden the truth from her, but had also made a well-known point that they didn't care. That even though their relation isn't biological; she was their daughter and sister no matter what. But one event four years ago had cast everything she knew about herself into doubt; she had to wonder if there was more to her abandonment than anypony thought. Twilight passed the rooms belonging to her parents and brother, and entered into the room that belonged to her. It was still untouched by her parents, despite Twilight rarely using it anymore since she moved to the castle, and then Ponyville. Twilight looked around to doubly make sure she was alone before slinking further into the room and locking the door behind her. At the far end of the room there sat a full size mirror. Twilight slowly walked up to the mirror and sat in front of it, looking at a lavender unicorn who sat there staring back, an uneasy expression on her face. She sat there for a good minute, just looking at ‘herself’ in that mirror. Then a glow engulfed the room as green flames whipped their way around Twilight, before dying away into nothingness, leaving her to look into the mirror once more. Instead of a lavender unicorn, Twilight now stared at an equine-like creature. It had a pitch black carapace, a teal mane with a green highlight striking through it, a crooked black horn, glistening fangs and insect-like wings fluttering on its back. Twilight now stared at her true self. It felt good to be finally able to stretch her wings after keeping them hidden for so long. She would be looking at a true stranger, were it not for the few things that seemed to carry over; her sparkling lavender eyes and the starburst cutie mark on her flank. These things made her recognisable in this form, her true form. Every now and then Twilight would hide away from the world and look into a mirror, staring at her natural form; both out of sheer curiosity, and because she actually liked how she looked in this form. She had spent months researching in the royal library trying to find references to other things like her, and what she might be, only to find... nothing. She hadn't told anypony about her discovery; she was far too terrified of their reaction. The rational part of her mind knew they would likely accept her as she is, and still love her. But the irrational side, the side driven by fear, would not let her speak, too afraid of losing everything and everypony; to be cast out of Pony society and shunned by the Princess. The pain brought in by this idea alone was enough to stay her hoof, forever concealing her true form. And now there was this buzzing... The buzzing had now died down, but she knew Cadance was wrong. It was not nerves. In her being she knew this buzzing was... natural. It felt natural and Twilight didn't know why, and that scared her. Green flames engulfed Twilight once more as the pitch black figure in the mirror was replaced by the familiar reflection of Twilight Sparkle, unicorn and personal protégé to Princess Celestia; the form which she was most familiar with but knew was little more than a mask... no matter how hard she had tried to deny it at first. "What am I?"