My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic: Stallion Edition

by SuperPinkBrony12

Chapter 48: To Canterlot We Go

Shining Armor and Twilight's friends could barely contain their excitement, as they boarded the train, and waited for it depart for Canterlot. Needless to say, they were looking forward to the wedding. Some more than others.

With the familiar shout from the conductor, the doors to the coaches slid shut, the whistle blew, and the train departed from the station.

But while his friends were busy chatting amongst themselves about the wedding preparations, and the important jobs they'd been given, Shining Armor looked out the window towards Canterlot. His eyes reflected a hint of sadness, and concern.

This did not go unnoticed by Shining Armor's first and closest Ponyville friend, Big Macintosh. "Somethin' on your mind, Shining Armor?" he asked.

"You know me too well, Big Mac," Shining Armor sighed, as he turned to face his friend "Maybe it's just prewedding nerves, but I feel like a nervous wreck. I still don't know who or what made that threat against Canterlot. What if it strikes during my wedding? As Captain of The Royal Guard, I'm supposed to ensure Equestria is safe. Even Princess Celestia agrees that most nations would never host such a significant wedding during a time of uncertainty."

"I ain't gonna pretend I know what you're goin' through, 'cause I don't know what kind of burdens come with your job," Big Macintosh said seriously "But Ma and Pa always used to say this 'Fear is fine in small doses, it keeps us alert and helps us stay safe. But when we let our fears get the best of us, they lead to anger, hatred, and ultimately, sufferin'. You can't let your fears hold you back, you've done the best you can given the circumstances. Remember what happened the last time your fears control you?"

"I know, Big Macintosh, but I just can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen." Shining Armor said glumly.

"Have you told Twilight about this?" Big Macintosh asked.

"That's why I made her best mare for the wedding," Shining Armor explained "With her and Spike around, I know I can count on them to keep me under control. That's also partially why I wanted all of you to help with my wedding. If I only had to Cadence to confide in, I don't know if I could keep myself from falling apart. Hopefully, I'm just being paranoid, and whoever made the threat isn't serious."

"Well, if anythin's troublin' you, feel free to come talk to me, the guys, my sister, or our friends. We've known each other long enough to know we can always count on each other to be there when it matters most." Big Macintosh replied, and left to rejoin the rest of his friends. Nothing more was said on the matter.

---

Presently, the train approached the station in Canterlot, and came to a stop. But much to everyone's surprise (except Shining Armor's), the train was greeted by the presence of several armed royal guards.

"Look at all those guards," Fluttershy commented nervously "Why are they here?"

"To provide extra security of course," Fancy Pants explained "Weddings do have a tendency to bring out the most unusual characters." No sooner had he so, when Pinkie Pie sneezed, and a stream of confetti shot out of her nose. Even Braeburn had to admit he'd never seen such a thing before.

The guards marched onto the train without fanfare, and began to carefully search through the cars one by one. When they passed by Twilight, Spike, their friends, and Shining Armor's friends, they cast a spell to examine them. "Standard security protocol," one of the guards explained "It won't hurt you, it'll just make sure you are who you say you are."

When the guards had finished searching the cars and the passengers, they approached Shining Armor and (after making sure he wasn't an imposter) said to him "All clear, Captain. Please step outside and cast your spell."

"As you wish." Shining Armor nodded, and everyone watched as he marched out onto the station platform. His horn sparked to life, and within a minute the pink protective bubble that was his signature spell slowly began to envelop all of Canterlot. Shining Armor groaned, as he struggled to cover the entire city with the bubble. It proved to be a lot harder than he thought, but at last the job was finished.

"So, how exactly are ponies and nonponies alike supposed to get into the city now?" Soarin asked "Shining Armor's bubbles are practically impenetrable. I found that out the hard way."

"It's still possible for anyone who's a friend of Equestria to pass through," Shining Armor explained, as he winced slightly from the onset of another headache "Guards will be posted at each train station, airfield, and carriage stop to check the arrivals. If someone isn't who they say they are, the bubble will detect it and won't let them in. The guards are under orders to make sure all visitors are thoroughly searched."

"Whoa!" Braeburn exclaimed.

"I know. It seems like a lot of security for a royal wedding, but Princess Celestia and I aren't taking any chances," Shining Armor said seriously "Now then, you all have your assignments, and Twilight will be checking up on you from time to time. I'll be spending my time conducting security sweeps and making sure Princess Cadence is alright. I'll be sure to stop by later today to see how you're all doing. I know you won't let me down." And with that, Shining Armor walked away.

Spike was surprised to see Twilight walking away as well. "Where are you going, Twilight?" he asked.

"I'm just going to make sure Shining Armor's okay, I'm worried about him," Twilight admitted "Besides, it's been years since I've seen Princess Cadence, so it's only natural I get to know my sister-in-law to be. Why don't you help the others get everything ready for the big day, and I'll catch up with you later?"

"Alright, just try not to get possessive of your brother." Spike teased.

---

Shining Armor went straight to the barracks, and organized the patrol schedules for each of the royal guard units. "Remember, never go off on your own!" he warned "Always use the buddy system! If one takes a break somewhere, the other must stand guard outside and stay alert! If you spot anything suspicious, contact me A.S.A.P! Contain it if you can, but do NOT try to apprehend the threat without backup! Do you understand?!"

"Sir, yes sir!" the guards replied.

"Good, now move out!" Shining Armor ordered, and the guards did so without hestiation.

"Well, I've done all I can, for now," Shining Armor thought to himself, as he left the barracks and headed for the bridge between the castle towers. From there, he knew he could get a good vantage point of the entire city "Hopefully, these extra security measures will be enough."

But upon arriving at the bridge, Shining Armor was surprised at who was waiting there for him. "What are you doing here, Twily?" he asked "Shouldn't you checking up on the wedding preparations?"

"That can wait for a while," Twilight said with a smile, which quickly faded "There's a reason for this extra security, and it's not because of who you're marrying. There's something else afoot, isn't there?"

Realizing he'd been found out, Shining Armor decided the time had come to share his secret with his little sister. "I was hoping you wouldn't find out, but I guess I should've known better," he said somberly "An unknown threat has been made against Canterlot, it was made just before Hearts and Hooves Day. I wanted to call off the wedding until the threat passed, but Cadence insisted it proceed as planned. And strangely, I found myself agreeing with her, even though a part of me still wanted to say no."

"I'm sure Cadence is more than capable of protecting herself if need be," Twilight reassured Shining Armor "She probably has Equestria's best interests at heart. If Equestria backed down in the wake of a threat, it would seem weak and afraid."

"Maybe, but I think most nations would understand," Shining Armor replied "The good news is, the threat simply specified its plan would be carried out sometime before the wedding. Once the wedding has come and gone, things will hopefully be back to normal."

"Speaking of normal, what exactly will change after you and Princess Cadence get married?" Twilight asked "Will we not see each other as often, because these past two years with you have been some of the best days of my life. I don't want them to end."

"And they won't, I can promise you that much," Shining Armor smiled "For the first couple of months, Cadence and I will probably be adjusting to life together, but after that we'll probably either stay in Canterlot, or move back to Ponyville. Maybe we'll even move into the Golden Oaks Library."

"Oh, that would be fantastic!" Twilight cheered, and began to bounce around happily. But she hadn't been bouncing for very long, when she bumped into a familiar pink coated alicorn. Twilight recognized her at once as Princess Cadence.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything important." Princess Cadence said, in a tone of voice that sounded as if she had been rudely awakened from a long nap.

Author's Note:

Big Macintosh's statement about fear draws inspiration from the famous Yoda quote that is more relevant than ever in today's world: "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate... leads to suffering." It isn't wrong to be cautious and concerned for your safety, so long as it doesn't stop you from enjoying life.

Rest assured that I'm not going to just ignore Cadence's change in behavior. Twilight will not be the only one who suspects something is off about Cadence.

Comments

[Yoshifan30]

"To provide extra security of course," Fancy Pants explained "Weddings do have a tendency to bring out the most unusual characters." No sooner had he so, when Pinkie Pie sneezed, and a stream of confetti shot out of her nose. Even Braeburn had to admit he'd never seen such a thing before.

Lol Exhibit a dang it pinkie 🤣

[Yoshifan30]

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything important ." Princess Cadence said, in a tone of voice that sounded as if she had been rudely awakened from a long nap.

oh no queen chrysalis is here 😱