Twilight sat at the map table, staring down upon the scroll.
The map room was silent, empty apart from the Alicorn herself. Her face rested in her hooves, eyes skimming over the words slowly, as if looking for some hidden message to explain the letter.
“‘Twilight. We can’t come this weekend. Sorry. Shining Armor’… No explanation. No hello, not even 'Dear Twilight'… Did I do something wrong?”
The door creaked open, the small Dragon's head peaking inside, looking at the mare who continued to read the letter.
“Ugh… Twilight. The groceries are all packed away. The Cutie Mark Crusaders are wondering if everything’s alright… whadya want me to tell them?”
“... Just Royal business, I don't wanna bother them."
"Alright… are you okay?"
She sighed weakly, still not moving her eyes from the scroll. "Not really…"
"Maybe Cadence just couldn't make the journey."
"Maybe. But if it were that simple, Shining would've told me; right?"
"Ugh… good point…" The dragon mumbled, scratching his head. "Anything I can do to help?"
She glanced up to Spike, finally leaving the confounds of the scroll. "…No, it's fine. Thanks for helping with the groceries."
He smiled, holding a salute to his Princess. "Happy to help. I'll go tell the CMC. You… want me to go tell the others?"
"Please."
A firm nod and a kind smile, the young dragon turned out of the room; once again leaving Twilight to her thoughts, her ideas, and the scroll. Her eyes dropped down to it, once again.
"Shining Armor… what's wrong…"
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Her eyes glazed over the words, over and over again; as if they were taunting her with something she couldn't see. About twenty minutes had passed by since Spike left, the Alicorn still melancholic over the words before her.
Had she said something?
Was her desire to see her Brother and Sister-in-law bothering them?
Did they not want to come?
Had something happened?
The doors creaked open, finally forcing the mare to look up. Spike held the door open as her friends all walked in, all with a look of support to their faces.
"Spike told us the news, dear. Are you alright?"
Twilight's magic covered the note as it slid along the table to the other side. The five mares gathered around the southern end of the table, their eyes reading over the words. A short letter, it didn't take long for them to finish.
"Wait wait… that's it?" Rainbow popped the question, her eyebrow raised as she looked to Twilight.
"That's it." The reply came, the purple alicorn's head rested against one hoof.
Rarity's face frowned as she gestured down at the letter. "I usually start my letters with 'Hello' or 'Dear' or at least 'To'. This is rather abrupt of Shining Armor."
Applejack began to trot her way over to Twilight on the other side of the table. "Ah don' see why Shinin' Armor would jus' up'an' stop. He's yer brother, he loves ya. An' Cadence loves ya too."
"Then why the letter?"
Pinkie stared down into the letter, a sneer in her eyes as she glared into it. "Is this real? Is this a joke?"
"Pinkie Pie! Why ever would you consider this being a joke?"
"Well when they announced the baby, they said they'd be a day late; and they came anyway…"
"That was a misunderstanding, and a time mistake though. And they just said they would be late." Twilight began. "This just says they… aren't coming."
"I'm sure Shining Armor has a reason for this." Fluttershy spoke out with a smile.
"He better have." Grumbled the rainbow-maned pegasus, flapping her wings abruptly. "I spent all morning making sure the sky would be clear on the day!"
Applejack rolled her eyes at the tomcolt, instead turning to Twilight and putting a supportive hoof on her shoulder. "Ah know yer hurtin', but why don'cha try sendin' a letter back? If he were in a rush, maybe now he's got a minute."
The purple princess turned to the Apple Bucker, taking in her words.
If Shining Armor was rushed when he sent the letter, maybe seeing if he was free for an explanation would work.
"I suppose it can't hurt."
"Exactly! Heck, ah bet this'll be a big misun'erstandin'!"
A smile crept onto the alicorn's face for the first time in a few hours. She nodded to the Apple, turning to Spike.
"Spike, take a letter."
He smiled back, quickly running to the side of the room to grab a blank scroll, and a quill.
Dear Shining Armor.
I don't understand your last letter. Has something happened that you need aid with? We are all at your call, if you need us; you need only send the reply asking for it.
I hope nothing is wrong; but if you can explain to me your last letter, it would help.
Your loving Sister.
Twilight Sparkle.
Spike rolled the scroll up, tying the ribbon around its spine. He held it up, blowing his Dragonfire onto its form; the paper burning into a jade mist, and flittering out of the window.
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow as she watched the smoke leave the castle.
"Ugh… don't those letters go to Princess Celestia?"
"They do. But Spike received the message, which means the Princess sent it, so I assume she's nearby-" Twilight stopped herself mid-sentence, the realisation hitting her. "…which means that… either she's at the Crystal Empire…"
"Or Shining Armor is at Canterlot." Rarity finished, raising a hoof to the table excitedly. "The plot thickens, ladies!"
"Ahem…"
She blinked at the cough, looking down at the dragon still holding the quill in his claws; a raised eyebrow looking to her expectantly.
"Oh and obviously the lovely dragon as well."
"Thank you. So ugh… what now?"
Twilight turned to the Dragonling. "There's no reason to go running off if it's nothing. I suppose we just await a reply."
"We're here if you need us, Twilight." Hummed out the fair yellow Pegasus.
"Thank you. All of you."
The rest of the girls all smiled to Twilight, Pinkie's wider than the rest for no reason, other than it was Pinkie.
"Tell us when ya get the letter, Twi. We'll come'a runnin'."
"Thanks girls. I'll come find you once I get a reply. Hopefully this is all one big misunderstanding."
A resounding nod came from the girls as they began to make their way out of the room, each exchanging words before the door shut behind them.
The room remained with the two residents of the castle, a dim quiet between them. The purple mare's eyes drifted to the dragon.
"I hope he's okay."
"Aww come on, Twilight. He's your brother. He's been mind controlled, his kingdom was nearly destroyed, his magic was stolen…"
He stopped as he watched the mare raise a skeptical eyebrow to him, clearly requesting he get to the point. He smiled weakly. "What I'm saying is, he's been through a lot. Whatever it is, I'm sure he can handle it."
"I hope you're right Spike."
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Twilight's anxiety and stress didn't subside one speck as an entire day passed by; with no words from her brother, her sister-in-law, or even Princess Celestia.
Something was clearly going on that Shining Armor and Cadence couldn't speak with her; but for Princess Celestia to also not reply to her message, even to say that it had been received, was beyond something Twilight had experienced.
Her hooves clopped around the grand halls of the castle, pacing back and forth down each corridor, awaiting the calls of Spike as a letter would, undoubtedly, return.
Right?
"Has something happened in Canterlot? Are the princesses alright? No no, of course they are; the Sun and Moon rose normally… But if nothing's wrong, then why haven't I heard anything back?"
She tapped onto the floor, desperately trying to drudge some sense into the situation. Too many questions, and basically zero answers.
"Think, Twilight, Think…"
"Twilight!"
The plopping of little feet running down the corridor shone out like a great beacon of hope behind her, Twilight's head quickly turning to the voice. Spike was jogging towards her, with a scroll in his claws.
"I haven't read it yet, but it came a couple minutes ago."
"Finally! Some answers!"
Taken in her magic, the ribbon on the scroll unfurled as the page floated out in front of the mare, as her Dragon quickly made his way beside her to read it over her shoulder.
My dearest Twilight.
I am afraid that I cannot explain Shining Armor's last letter to you. I have answers, yet they are ones I cannot give openly.
I would suggest coming to Canterlot, as soon as possible.
All I recommend, is come with an open heart, and open hooves.
Princess Celestia.
Twilight stared at Celestia's immaculately scribed words upon the page, still comprehending the text.
Something was clearly not right.
But what did she mean 'An open heart, and open hooves'.
Had something happened to somepony?
"Twilight?"
Blinking, Twilight shook the cobwebs from her head, looking to Spike once more. His eyes showed concern; not just for the words on the page, but for the mare reading them.
"Uh… yeah?"
"You want me to go get the others?"
Attentive as always, was her little dragon. The smallest smile lit on her face as she looked to him.
"Please… and thank you, Spike."
He nodded, turning back to his origin point and jogging off into Ponyville; where five mares awaited his word.
Her eyes fell back to the scroll again; Scrolls seemed to be nothing more than bearers of bad news, the last two days.
"Shining Armor… Cadence… what's going on…"
Running over the words one final time, Twilight coiled it up and galloped back into the map room.