An Alternate Ending to A Canterlot Wedding

by MeadowRosePony

Late Night Musings

"Shining?"

Shining Armor grunted, his mind elsewhere as he looked through a pile of Royal Guard field guides and strategy books. Not finding what he was looking for in that stack, he moved them over and pulled another row of books off the shelves. Levitating them over to his table, he started flipping through them. As he reached the end of a book, he put it to the side.

"Shining Armor?"

As the towers of books and scrolls leaned to the side and threatened to fall over, he would prop them up with another stack until the area around him resembled that of a fortress.

*sigh* "Shining Armor..."

He had started out with the standard books assigned to every recruit as they entered the academy. Then he looked through every book in the 'History of the Royal Guard' section of the library. Once he had exhausted that selection he had moved on to steadily older and less reputable manuscripts in the hope of finding one that would have a plan for locating and neutralizing a draconaquus. He was currently skimming several old scrolls of dubious origin, looking for any mention of...

"CAPTAIN SHINING ARMOR!"

"SIR, Captain of the Royal Guards Shining Armor, Reporting SIR!" Shining Armor shot to attention and had the official response out before he realized where he was... and that he had just yelled into his fiance's ear. Not to mention called her, 'sir'.

'Yeah...I'm probably gonna pay for that one...' Shining Armor thought as he lowered his salute. He smiled sheepishly at Cadance, luckily her reaction seemed to be more of the amused category than of the annoyed one.

"Shhh!" An old librarian mare poked her head around a shelf and shushed them.

"Sorry, ma'am." Shining Armor whispered, ducking his head.

Cadance waited until they were alone again before placing a wing around Shining Armor. "It's late. You missed supper."

Shining Armor nodded, "I got caught up doing some research."

"I can see that. Now I know where Twilight gets it from." Cadance laughed, motioning towards the book fort.

Shining Armor looked surprised as he saw the fortress he had inadvertently made. "Huh. I haven't made one of those in ages. Not since I was Twily's age." He gave a small chuckle before falling silent again.

"I'm sorry, Shining. Is there anything I can do to help?" Cadance asked.

"I'm not sure there is. I've looked through almost every book in this library trying to find anything with even a mention of a draconaquus and how to defeat or even find one." Shining pushed the scrolls he had been reading to the side in frustration. "And there certainly isn't one on how to find your little sister, who's so powerful a teleportation range spell won't work on her, and prevent her from becoming an evil super villainess bent on taking over the world!"

"Shhh!" The librarian mare glared at them.

"Sorry, ma'am." Shining Armor apologized.

The old mare stared at them as she disappeared back amongst the shelves.

"Well maybe you need to come up with something that's not in the books." Princes Cadence suggested. "Focus on Twilight. Not what some old manuscript or dusty outdated scroll has to say. You said it yourself; Twilight's so powerful that most of these spells won't work on her, and no military book that's been written in the last couple hundred years is going to tell you how to fight a draconaquus that's been trapped in stone for the past thousand."

Shining Armor sighed, "You're right, Cadance. But I've barely seen Twilight since I joined the guard and she became Princess Celestia's student. And I saw her even less since I got promoted and she moved to Ponyville. I'm not sure I even know her well enough to predict what she'll do anymore. I obviously haven't been thinking about her as much as I should. I even forgot to invite her to our wedding, For Celestia's Sake!"

He flung his hoof out in exasperation, knocking over a stack of books. Thinking fast, Cadance used her magic to levitate them in place before they could crash to the floor.

Shining Armor groaned in frustration. He quickly helped Cadance replace the books into neat piles. "This isn't working! I can't expect to find a field guide for draconaguuseses. There's only one! And he's been in stone for centuries! Fizzy's right, I do need to get my head out of my pl..."

Princess Cadance raised an eyebrow.

"Planning?" Shining Armor finished weakly, not sure how to save this sentence.

Cadance giggled, "I'll accept that."

Shining sighed, "I'm just so worried about Twilight. I should have been there for her. I never should have let us grow so apart."

Cadance smiled sweetly at her fiancee. "Don't worry, if know my Shining Armor, I know you'll make this right."

"I love you, Cadance."

"I love you too, Shining "

"Shhhhh! Quiet!"

"Sorry." Captain Shining Armor and Princess Cadance chorused meekly. (Old librarian mares are scary.)

---

Princess Celestia sighed. Her head was bowed and her wings hung at her side. Even her flowing mane was lower than usual. She was exhausted, spent from long hours of spell researching and casting. Hours of flying and teleporting. All for nothing.

For try as she might, all around her were reminders of her failures. She had tried everything she could think of. She recited every incantation, cast every spell she came across. She had searched every secluded area, all of the old hiding spots, even looking in her old retreats, places long changed by time and chance.

She had to be careful, disguising herself wherever she went. But the strain of suppressing her magic so her flowing mane and tail (not to mention her size) wouldn't give her away was taking it's toll. She couldn't be out for long either. Just a few hours here and there when ponies thought she was asleep or in a meeting.

She sighed again, tired of the webs of lies she had created decades ago. Tired of the deceit she had practiced, identities she made up and closed meetings with subjects so menial and boring nopony would wish to take part. Vague excuses and confidential details so that she could have necessary time when circumstances demanded it.

For all that effort, she had come to nothing. There was no trace of her young...No, mustn't dwell on it. Mustn't show too much attachment to one filly. It was too dangerous. There were too many evil beings in the world that would take advantage of any weakness, any chance to harm her...Even through a mere child. Can't take the risk, can't allow anymore failure. There are other ponies working hard. Giving their all to save the filly.

Of course, she's not a filly. But having lived for so long, everypony seems so young. So fragile and helpless. She looked up and winced. And so easy to hurt. How does one fail so bad? How does one fix what has been so terribly wronged?

Princess Celestia let out another sigh. Mustn't get so attached. Not to mortal ponies. Ponies who will die and be gone. Nor even to immortals. For even immortals can make such large mistakes that drastic measures must be taken. Then alone. Surrounded by subjects, ponies she must always protect and care for, but always alone. It's safer that way.

She glanced again at the screens playing. Discord's magic has kept them going, for all of her efforts to stop them. To keep them from infecting her ponies with sorrow and hopelessness. And discord.

No. She will keep the harmony, keep her ponies' spirits high. She straightened her spine and lifted her head, stretching her wings wide. She must show strength. Show that nothing can phase her. For this shall pass. It always does.

With that Princess Celestia walked out of the vault where the Elements of Harmony had been stored. She nodded to the guards she had positioned outside the door to keep any curious ponies out of the vault.

The hour was late. It was nearing time to raise the sun. She found strength in that. For no matter what passes, there will always be the sun. Always be need for sunshine. For that is what makes things grow, ponies prosper. That and friendship. Harmony. She will keep the harmony. She always has. She always will. For she is a princess.

Comments

[buboniczarz]

Wow celestia's needs a vacation badly when you start to think like that Its never going to end well.

[The Real McCoy]

HAHA! The story lives again!

[MeadowRosePony]

6756477 It has been a while, hasn't it?
For a while, I couldn't get the chapters to sound quite right. I'm pretty sure I've moved past that now, so look forward for more chapters!
Thanks for sticking with me!

[MeadowRosePony]

6756233 She really does. I wonder if she'll consider letting Luna rule for a few hundred years and take a vacation. Maybe that's why Luna was really banished! Maybe it was so she could change her shape and live as a normal pony for a while! Now that has potential...

[The Real McCoy]

6757367
You're extremely welcome! Honestly, I'm surprised that the people who actually put up with my story do so, as I constantly update it, realize that it's wrong, and go back and change it, and post a blog about how I did that. Which reminds me... But seriously...

P.S.: That, obvoiusly, was the Pony Music Vdeo for Rick Astley's Song, Never Gonna Give You Up.

[Emperor]

Looks like Luna's going to have to start pulling her weight again.

[MeadowRosePony]

6758808 Awwww Thank you! Have an Applejack!-

[The Real McCoy]

6759256
No, thank you for updating the story again! Have a Scootaloo!

[MeadowRosePony]

6761714 That would be AWESOME! Let me know if you find one...Or even just decide to make one yourself. I would love to hear it!

[Dragonwaz]

6762586
6761714

You guys mean like the Massive Smile Project?

[Isumo1489]

You know, Celestia's stance is the funniest thing. She sees herself a keeper of Harmony, but in reality, she's just a manipulator of Order. I mean, really, she say it herself. Lies, deceit, she's not even close to living up to half the Elements. No Honesty unless it Suits her. Her Kindness only goes a far as protocol or her own aims allow. I'll grant Loyalty to her Duty and Generosity to her subjects in many respects, but her Laughter seems to be suppressed in this one, at best. And then the kicker...Magic, or should I say Friendship. Honestly, the way she goes on about Mortals, and even Immortals, frankly it's no wonder 2 of her students in this one went AWOL. Even now, keeping her distance from them emotionally, not getting attached...I wonder if that was the REAL beginning of Luna's first fall, how long have those things been her policy? Moreover, it is THIS attitude that indirectly aided in Discord's plan. Ultimately, friendship can be painful, it can hurt, but the good has to be worth the risk, otherwise there would be no Harmony in the first place. Celestia has forgotten or ignored that...and that is why she will fail.

[Stainless Steel Fox]

7242215 If you check out the scene in Twilight's Kingdom where she flashbacks to them defeating Discord, you see Luna had Laughter, Honesty and Loyalty. Celestia got Generosity, Kindness and Magic.