What happen when a mare fall in love with her big brother's best friend? Does it brings problems for a fraternal relationship? That's what happens with Twilight. Will she be able to overcome all this problems and get the love?
When Twilight spend a few days with Cadance and Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire with her friends, she meets with somepony from her past: an old love. However, it happens that old love is Shining Armor's best friend and right hoof. But, despite her efforts, she ends up becoming truly in love for him. But everything gets worse when Shining Armor discovers everything. How will it all end? Will the relationship between the two brothers be as it was before? And the relationship between the two old friends?
The morning had come to the Crystal Empire. The sun appeared and its rays focussed on the empire, making it shine even more than it ever shone.
At the train station near the entrance of the empire, a train had just arrived. It stopped, making smoke fill the platform. The doors of the passenger carriages opened and ponies started coming out, while others started entering in them.
However, our attentions are focused on a particular stallion who came out of the train, landing his coatless violet-blue hooves on the platform, carrying a bag in the air with a cobalt blue aura surrounding it. A fedora was placed on his electric ultramarine mane with midnight blue streaks, hiding his horn. The sunbeams were focused on his imperial blue coat, making note of his Cutie Mark: two crossed swords over a shield with two shades of purple. He then observed the Crystal Empire with his glaucous eyes. A smile appeared on his lips and then he started moving, making his bag follow him on his side.
In the throne room of the castle, Cadance was sitting on her throne, levitating in front of her a long parchment and scribbling on it with a quill. She was dealing with affairs of the empire, something she became accustomed to do when she took its leadership along with Shining Armor. Beside her was one of her secretaries. After finishing what she had to do, she rolled up the parchment and asked to the secretary, handing her the parchment and she kept it in a bag:
"Is that all?"
"Yes, Princess" she replied. "This is all for now."
"Very well" Cadance said. "You may go."
The secretary bowed and then walked to the door of the throne room. Once there, it opened, revealing Shining Armor, who was wearing his armor.
"Good morning, Prince Shining Armor."
"Good morning" he replied as the secretary walked past by him and exited.
He then started moving towards Cadance. She noted that he was completely exhausted. He had dark circles under his eyes and his coat was scruffy and when he took off his helmet, she saw that his mane was scruffy as well. It also seemed that he could barely stand upright.
"Wow, honey, you look exhausted" Cadance commented, leaving the throne and going to her husband.
"It's because I am" he replied, as he changed a hug with Cadance. "I've had so much work to do, conciliating the Crystal Empire Royal Guard with the Canterlot Royal Guard, and I've been quite busy to conduct searches for Changelings who were seen nearby. I have not slept for three days."
"Well, I think if you dismissed yourself from your post as Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, you'd have more time for you" Cadance suggested.
"Even if I abdicated the position and Princess Celestia appointed a temporary captain to replace me until Blue Sword’s return, I would only get a few hours to rest" Shining replied.
"Well, so the only solution I see is you find a pony to help you with your tasks. A right hoof."
"Yes, but who could I trust to be my right hoof? It cannot be anypony."
Then they heard the door of the throne room opening again and one of the guards came in and said:
"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but there's someone here to see you, Captain Shining Armor, sir."
"Please, say I don’t want to see anyone" he said. "I'm too tired for visitors."
But the same pony of the train station entered and asked:
"Not even for an old friend."
Shining, hearing that voice, turned to the newcomer pony and said:
"It cannot be. Blue Sword, is it you?"
The pony landed his bag and used his magic to take out the fedora hat, revealing completely Blue Sword’s face, Shining’s old best friend and who was his colleague at the Academy of the Royal Guard, as well his greatest confidant.
"You bet it's me" he replied, as the guard left.
Shining ran up to his old friend and gave him a big hug.
"Man, it’s been so long!" Shining exclaimed.
"You bet" Blue said, as they separated and bumped their hooves. "The last time I saw you, you were a single Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, but now look at you. You're married and you’re a prince! You have also your own kingdom."
"Yes, and a lot of work that I cannot handle" Shining added.
"Well, everything has a price, after all" Blue said.
That made Shining gave a laugh and answered:
"Yes, you are right."
"Blue!" Cadance exclaimed, approaching.
"Cadance, it's so good to see you" Blue said, exchanging a hug with Cadance. "Tell me, how has my friend’s behavior been? Does he still remain a gallant?"
"I’m sorry?" Shining replied with a faint smile. "For what I know, the gallant here is you."
"As if I were the only one" Blue said.
Cadance laughed. She felt quite miss from those friendly discussions between those two inseparable friends.
"Don’t worry, Blue" Cadance replied. "Shining has been a great husband. I was lucky to have been the one that married him."
"We have so much to talk about" Shining said, putting a hoof around his friend’s shoulders. "I want to know all about your travels."
"And I also want to know what I missed while I was gone" Blue said. "I know a lot of things that happened, like the reappearance of the Crystal Empire. Hey, by the way, how's your sister? I heard she became a princess."
"You bet" Shining replied. "She made me the proudest brother of all Equestria."
"This is not new" Blue replied. "You always were a drooling older brother."
"Yeah, you're right."
The two laughed, but then Shining suddenly let out a yawn.
"You don’t look so well" Blue noted, a little worried. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I am..." Shining replied, yawning. "I am fine."
"No, you're not" Cadance corrected. "Sorry, Shining Armor, but you cannot hide the fact you’re exhausted."
"Cadance, I'm fine" Shining said. "I'm just a little tired, but I can handle it."
"I don’t know, my friend" Blue said. "It seems you gonna sleep standing up."
"Shining is quite busy with all the work he has" Cadance answered. "Hey, since you returned, it means you will replace Shining as Captain of Canterlot Royal Guard, right?"
"Well, my plan was to come here for a visit and then return to Canterlot to lead the Royal Guard, yes" Blue replied.
"You see, Shining?" Cadance asked. "You'll finally have a few hours of rest."
"Cadance, I told you before that won’t help me much" Shining replied. "There's too much work to do now and I will have even more in a few days."
Blue thought for a while and then said:
"Hey, I know. What if I gave you a hoof?"
"Really?" Shining asked.
"Hey, we're friends" Blue said. "Friends are for this very reason. Incidentally, I still have some time before having to return to Canterlot."
"Are you sure?" Shining asked. "You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to."
"But of course I want" Blue replied. "Don’t you dare say otherwise."
"But..."
"Shining, you just told me that there was nopony you could trust enough to be your right hoof, but Blue is already your right hoof" Cadance said. "He was it in Canterlot. If he is willing to help you, you should accept it."
Shining mused on that and then said:
"Yeah, you are right, my love."
He turned to Blue Sword and asked:
"When do you want to start?"
"Do you really have to ask?" Blue asked back. "Don’t you know me well enough to know the answer?"
"So, let me guess: now?"
"You bet. I must send a letter to my mother to ask if she can send me magically my armor for start to work soon."
"Great" Shining said. "So we'd better go. You must know the castle, first of all."
He and Blue prepared to leave when the first turned to Cadance and asked:
"Cadance, will you come with us?"
"No, no, you two may go" she replied. "So, you can do some catching up."
"As you wish" Shining said, exiting with Blue.
Now she was alone, Cadance returned to her throne and, using her magic, she took a parchment that was there, a quill and ink and began to write something.
When she saw Blue Sword, Cadance realized she had to do it when she had a chance. Of course she had to do it without Shining or Blue knowing or suspecting. It was her duty as princess of love.
She finished the letter she was writing, rolled it up and sent it magically for its addressee.
"I just hope she accepts it" Cadance said for herself. "I'm sure, if she does, her life will take a new direction, a direction that I already took and that made me immensely happy."
Twilight Sparkle, the latest Princess of Equestria, was currently sleeping sitting behind her desk, with her head fallen on top of it. She'd been up late to address important royal duties.
Spike came down the stairs, stretching, after having a good night's sleep, then going to prepare breakfast for him and Twilight. The little dragon then noticed his alicorn friend sleeping on the desk. He approached her and called her by giving it a slight touch:
"Twilight?"
She then woke up suddenly and asked:
"What?! What's the emergency?!"
"Twilight, calm down" Spike soothed. "It’s just me."
She sighed and then said, wearily:
"Sorry, Spike, but I'm too tired."
"You've been working all night?" Said Spike.
"Well, I would not say all night" Twilight replied, as she used her magic to tidy the desk. "I ended up falling asleep halfway through. This is the less good part of being a princess: have a lot of royal duties."
"I think you should rest" Spike suggested, helping tidying up. "If you keep working this way, you will end up getting sick."
"Yes, you're right, Spike" Twilight agreed. "But I find it very difficult to make time for a vacation with so much to do."
Then Spike burped, releasing his magical fire that turned into a letter. Twilight used her magic to pick up the letter and opened it and began to read it:
Dear Twilight,
I know you must have a lot of work on your hooves right now and, as I know you quite well, you must be giving one hundred and ten percent of you... or more, to do it. However, life cannot be all work.
Why don’t you come spend a few days here at the Crystal Empire. We haven't seen each other for a long time and your brother misses you a lot too. Don’t worry about the work. I'll talk with Celestia and ask her to give you some vacation. If you want, you can also bring your friends.
Answer when you can, please.
With love,
Cadance.
"So what does it say?" Spike asked.
"Cadance is inviting me to spend a few days at the Crystal Empire" Twilight said.
"But that is fantastic. That way, you can relax and, at the same time, be with Cadance and Shining. You kill two birds with one stone."
"Yes, but... I don’t know."
"Twilight, you're not thinking in refusing it, are you?" Spike asked.
"I don’t know, Spike" she said. "Even if Celestia gives me vacation, there is so much to do here in the library."
"Hey, I can handle it" Spike answered. "After all, I'm your number one assistant, remember?”
Twilight laughed and then replied:
"Yes, you're right. I think I deserve a vacation. Are you sure you don’t mind staying here?"
"Of course not" Spike replied. "It's not the first time you leave me alone in the library."
"Yes, you're right" Twilight agreed. "Well, looks like it's decided. But before writing back to Cadance, I have to ask the others if they can also come."
So Twilight went to her friends to see if they could go to the Crystal Empire. First, she flew to Rainbow’s home and made her the invitation, but she told:
"Sorry, Twilight, but we have a rainstorm scheduled in Ponyville in the next few days and I will be busy coordinating everything. I will not be able to go."
"It's okay" replied Twilight. "Maybe next time."
Then Twilight went to Sweet Apple Acres to invite Applejack.
"Ah can’t, Twilight, Ah'm sorry" she replied while bucking apple trees. "Ah have tah get these apples bafor it starts rainin'."
"Yes, I understand" Twilight replied.
Then he went to Fluttershy’s cottage, but she said:
"Oh, Twilight, I'd love to go with you to the Crystal Empire. Unfortunately, my bear friend is sick and I have to take care of him."
"It's okay, Fluttershy. Treating your bear friend has priority to vacation."
Then she came to the Carousel Boutique and made the invitation to Rarity who replied:
"Oh, Twilight, I'd love to go with you."
"But let me guess" Twilight said. "You have things to do."
"What? Of course not. Things have been pretty calm. Going on vacation is always better than staying here dying of boredom. Moreover, I never miss an opportunity to go to the Crystal Empire."
"Oh, thank goodness you can come" Twilight said, relieved. "I would have hated to go alone. Now I just have to ask Pinkie and then..."
When she prepared to depart, Pinkie appeared in front of her and saying:
"Here’s Pinkie!"
That made Twilight flinch.
"Pinkie, how many times I have told you to not do this?" Twilight asked angrily.
"About one hundred and fifty-two times" said Pinkie. "Oh, wait... one hundred fifty-three. But, hey, it's very funny."
"Not for me" Twilight answered, still recovering from the shock. "My heart almost jumped out of my chest."
"Oh, silly, that's impossible" Pinkie said, laughing. "That only happens in cartoons. Hey, what do you want to ask me?"
"Twilight will spend a few days at the Crystal Empire" Rarity said.
"Yes, and I was wondering if you want to come" Twilight invited.
"Oh, of course yes!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "I'm so excited to try those flugelhorns again."
"Well, then it’s decided" Twilight said. "We three will go. It's good you get ready, because we’ll catch the train that leaves in the evening to get there early tomorrow."
And having said this, she walked away.
When she reached the library, she sent a letter to Cadance saying she would arrive the Crystal Empire in the next day morning with Rarity and Pinkie Pie and began to prepare her saddlebags to leave. When the time to go to the train station arrived, Twilight Spike said as he put her saddlebags:
"Don’t forget to clean the dust of all shelves."
"Yes, Twilight."
"And Owlowiscious has to have his feathers brushed at least once a day."
"Yes, Twilight."
"And don’t forget too..."
"Twilight, I know everything I need to know" Spike said as Twilight reached the door. "Don’t worry, everything will be fine."
"I know you know what to do, Spike, but I can’t not help but worry" Twilight insisted.
"You go to the Crystal Empire to relax, so I suggest that you go now to be able to catch the train before it's late" Spike said, opening the door.
Twilight smiled and said:
"Yes, you're right, Spike, it’s better I go."
She hugged the little dragon and said:
"Behave yourself, okay?"
"You can believe so" he replied, doing a salute.
"Well, goodbye then" Twilight say, leaving.
"Bye, Twilight" Spike answered.
Twilight walked to the train station where there were already Pinkie and Rarity.
"I see you’re already here" Twilight noticed.
"I arrived right now, a few seconds before you, dear" Rarity said.
"And I've been here since morning" Pinkie said.
That made Rarity and Twilight exchange a look and Twilight said her:
"Pinkie, I said we would catch the train of the evening. You hadn’t to be here since morning."
"What, are you crazy?" Pinkie Pie asked. "What if I delayed and I missed the train? So I wouldn’t go with you to the Crystal Empire."
"And what did you eat, just out of curiosity?" Rarity asked. "Knowing you as we know, you can’t stay too long without eating some candy."
"That's easy" Pinkie Pie answered. "I have cakes stashed all over Ponyville, in case of cake emergency."
"Wait, but the cakes don’t spoil?" Twilight asked.
Pinkie Pie was going to answer, but before she could do it, Twilight said:
"Please, don’t tell me you have battery-powered refrigerators to preserve the cakes."
"Okay, so I won’t say it" Pinkie Pie said, going after that hopping around.
"How did you guess?" Rarity whispered into Twilight’s ear.
"Please, it's Pinkie Pie we're talking about" she said. "It was to expecting something crazy like refrigerators powered by batteries."
"Yes, you're right" Rarity agreed.
"By the way, I noticed you brought little luggage, this time" Twilight observed, looking at Rarity’s saddlebags.
"Oh, Twilight, I hardly think it necessary bring a lot of luggage behind me for a simple trip to the Crystal Empire" Rarity said.
But then she noticed Twilight’s look and then admitted:
"Besides, my bags were for cleaning. Sweety Belle and her friends had the bright idea to try painting my bags with ink just to get the Cutie Mark of bag decoration."
That made Twilight drop a laugh.
It was then they heard the sound of the train whistle and then it came up and stopped at the station. Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie entered and, when all passengers were to come out and the passengers who were on the platform entered, the train doors closed and the train advanced.
The train coming from Ponyville arrived to the Crystal Empire in the next day morning. Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie came out of the train onto the platform and they began to head to the empire.
"Ah, it feels so good return to the Crystal Empire" Rarity said, as they passed through the entrance. "I love how it is bright and perfectly polished. And the crystal ponies... Well, there are no words!"
"Of course there are words, Rarity" Pinkie Pie said, while she was hopping when walking, as usual, pausing as she spoke. "If it were not so, how could we talk? And if we couldn’t speak, then what would we do? We could not even hear our own voices!"
Rarity and Twilight gave laughter as they passed through her, and Pinkie said, turning to walk:
"Hey, it’s not funny, girls."
"I'm happy to go back to see my brother and Cadance and spend quality time with them, in their spare time" Twilight said.
"I could not agree more with you, darling" Rarity said. "Don't take me wrong, but you always tend to join in times of great stress, like the wedding or King Sombra’s threat or the evaluation of the Equatria Games inspector."
"Yeah, not to mention that time in which you had to go on mission to that strange world to retrieve your crown, going through that magical and glittering mirror" Pinkie Pie continued.
"And when Cadance came to visit you, you two had to put up with Discord all day" Rarity added.
"Yeah, yeah, girls, I get it" Twilight said. "Our reunions don’t usually run as expected. But I'm sure that this time will be fine."
They reached the castle and, at the entrance, Twilight asked one of the guards:
"Sorry, but can you tell me where are my brother Shining Armor and Princess Cadance?"
"Captain Shining Armor is currently inspecting some guards, princess, and Princess Cadance, as I know, is in the throne room, dealing with affairs of the empire" he said.
"Thank you" Twilight thanked, while the guard answered with a slight bow. "Come on, girls."
They entered the castle, starting to head to the throne room with Twilight saying:
"Maybe we should go greet Cadance and then we let her work and we can explore a bit. Knowing my brother, his inspection to the guards might take a while..."
But then she, being distracted talking to her friends, bumped into somepony. From the sound, it seemed she had bumped into an armor, meaning she had just bumped into a Royal Guard.
"I'm so sorry" she said, rubbing her head. "I didn’t see where I was going."
"Never mind" the guard said. "I'm also a bit clumsy."
When she heard that voice, Twilight petrified. She knew that voice from anywhere, but she hoped it was not possible. She began to feel her heart beating fast as she stared at the face of the stallion she had just bumped into and was shocked to see that he was...
"Blue Sword?" she asked.
She was right. Blue Sword was right in front of her, wearing his purple armor, looking at Twilight with his blue eyes and making his gentle smile.
"I can’t believe it" he said. "Twilight? Is that you?"
"Yes I am..." she said hesitantly, blushing slightly.
"Wow! Look at you. You look so grown up since the last time I saw you. And look, now you're an alicorn princess. And you're so different. Of course for the better."
That praise caused Twilight to blush a little more and said, nervously:
"What... Don’t talk nonsense, Blue. I have not changed that much. Except the wings, I remain the same Twilight. You're... still the same too. It seems that you have not changed anything."
"Well, I aged, but it was nothing more" he said.
That made Twilight a laugh. She didn’t know why, but she always laughed at Blue’s jokes, even when they were not deliberate or were not funny. But her reunion with him has thrown up an old feeling that she had been suppressing for so many years, a feeling that began to loose up when Twilight heard Blue’s voice.
She just came back to reality when she heard Rarity doing an intentional hack to get her attention. It was then that Twilight noticed that her two friends were there.
"Oh, I'm so sorry" she said. "Blue, these are two great friends of mine, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. Girls, this is Blue Sword, Shining Armor’s oldest and best friend and also his right hoof."
"Hello" Rarity and Pinkie Pie greeted at the same time.
"Nice to meet you" Blue Sword said, bowing his head to each of them. "If you are friends of Twilight, then you must have as much sympathy as you have beauty."
“Oh, what a gentlecolt!" Rarity exclaimed. "It's really nice of you saying that."
"It’s not sympathy" he replied. "It’s the truth."
By listening Brue praising Rarity and Pinkie Pie in that way, Twilight felt a pang of jealousy. Despite knowing that Blue was like that, the young princess didn’t fail to feel that same feeling, which led her to change the subject as quickly as she could.
"But what are you doing here?" She asked to Blue. " I thought you were traveling. At least, that's what my brother told me."
"And I was, and liked it and now I returned" he replied. "I was to return to Canterlot, after my visit to Shining and Cadance here at Crystal Empire, so I could take my place as Captain of Canterlot Royal Guard, but your brother was mired in work and I decided to use the days that left me to get back to work in the big capital to give him a hoof."
"And Shining accepted that? " Twilight asked, surprised. "I thought he was too proud to accept help."
"He tried, but Cadance managed to convince him to accept" he said.
Upon hearing that, Twilight’s logic soon began to work.
"Really?" she asked.
"You look surprised" Blue noted. "It seems you don’t know the power Cadance has on Shining."
"When did you come back?" Twilight asked.
"Yesterday morning" he replied.
Then it all made sense to Twilight.
"Well, I have things to do" Blue said. "If you don’t mind..."
And having said this, he walked away.
"Well, Blue is quite charming" Rarity commented.
"Yes, and did you see how his name is consistent with him?" Pinkie Pie asked. "His name is Blue, and by his coat, his mane and even his eyes are also blue."
"Yes, Pinkie, we noticed it" Rarity replied, looking after that to Twilight who was looking Blue departing. "And I think there are ponies who noticed it more than others."
Rarity had said this in a more sharply way to make Twilight come out of her trance.
"What?" she asked.
"Twilight, are you okay?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah, I was just... distracted" she said.
"Yes, I noticed it" Rarity said. "Blue is a hunk, isn’t it?"
"Yes, he is ..." Twilight said, in a dreamy way, waking up suddenly. "I mean, he’s not bad. I mean... Let's just go to Cadance."
And she began to walk away.
"Did you see how she was when she met Blue Sword?" Rarity asked to Pinkie Pie.
"Of course!" Pinkie answered. "She looked like a zombie pony, the only thing missing was the drooling, and the lightness she had was like a Breezie the wind."
"I liked the metaphor" Rarity commented.
"Thank you, I've been working on it" Pinkie Pie answered.
"Girls, do you come or not?" Twilight asked, a bit away.
Rarity and Pinkie Pie accompanied her, giggling.
They came to the throne room, where they found Cadance alone scribbling on a long parchment. Seeing Twilight and her friends, she exclaimed:
"Twilight!"
She dropped the quill and parchment and run to Twilight and, when they reached each other, they began making her song-and-dance:
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap you're hooves and do a little shake!"
They finished with a shake of tail and then they laughed. After a hug, Cadance said:
“I’m glad you could come, Twilight. And you too, girls.”
"Yes, I'm also glad I could come" Twilight said, then adopting a more serious tone. "But now I want you tell me your real intention for inviting me."
"What do you mean, Twilight?" Cadance asked with a false innocence look.
"Cadance, I just crossed with Blue" Twilight said.
"Ah, yeah! He arrived yesterday and he is here to help Shining."
"Yes, I know, he told me" said Twilight. "He also said that it was you who managed to convince Shining to accept his help and I bet that’s happened even before you send me the letter."
"What do you mean?" Cadance asked.
Twilight frowned and answered:
"Cadance, I'm not stupid. Admit that you sent that letter to me so I could meet him."
Although Cadance continue to try to do an innocence look, she realized that would not do anything and then she made a smile and said:
"It is impossible to deceive you, isn’t it?"
"Why did you do this?" Twilight asked.
"Isn’t that obvious? For you, silly " Cadance replied.
Twilight took a deep breath before saying:
"Cadance, What I felt for Blue is dead and buried. I was just a little filly who didn’t know what life was!"
"Please, you're not seriously saying you don't feel anything for Blue Sword now, are you?" Cadance asked.
"Of course I don’t feel anything for Blue!" Said Twilight.
"She's lying!" Said Pinkie.
"What?" Said Twilight.
"Please, darling, we both saw how you looked to Blue" Rarity said. "If Pinkie Pie saw that you still have a crush on Blue, it's because it's too obvious."
"Yes!" Said Pinkie, who only then realized what Rarity had said. "Hey!"
"I don’t have a crush for Blue!" Twilight protested.
But, being hit by their stares, she sighed and ended up confessing:
"Okay, maybe I feel a little thing for Blue."
"You see" Cadance said. "I knew it."
"Yeah, but this serves me to what?" Twilight asked. "Blue only sees me as a sister, nothing more."
"Hey, we're your friends, after all" said Rarity. "We can help change that. There is nothing I like more than seduction game."
"Oh, we gonna play a game?" Pinkie Pie asked, starting to jump. "I love games!"
"Twilight, we'll help you" Cadance said, putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "You saved my relationship with Shining twice. It's time for me help you with your love problem."
"Wait, twice?" Rarity repeated. "I know that Twilight helped you release Shining from Chrisalis’ control, which makes one. But what is the other?"
"Look, girls, I know you are trying to help me, and, because of that, thank you" Twilight said, removing Cadance’s hoof from his shoulder and began to head for the door. "But this is my problem and I don’t you involved, okay?"
"But Twilight..." all three mares started simultaneously.
"But nothing," she said, opening the door of the room. "Now, if you don’t mind, I'm going to my room tidy things up and then I go for a walk... alone."
And having said this, she came out and closed the door with her magic.
Twilight started driving up to her room, unable to stop thinking about Blue Sword and her friends’ words. She knew she shouldn’t have accepted Cadance’s invitation. If she had, she wouldn’t be in this situation of indecision.
However, she thought in what she was feeling right now. After all, she was quite happy to see Blue again. And with her flame of passion she felt for him reignited, she felt an energy that she has not felt since she was a filly. But she had to be realistic, their relationship was virtually impossible. Not that he could not love her as she loved him, but it was because of a single variable: a pony whose reaction to her relationship with Blue would serve to moderate everything. Of course she was talking about her brother, Shining Armor.
Twilight had just left the throne room after telling her friends she didn’t want their interference for her love problem, Cadance, Rarity and Pinkie began to speak with each other about Twilight and Blue.
"Well, this could have gone better" Pinkie Pie said.
"Tell me about it, Pinkie" Rarity said. "It's a shame she doesn’t want our help with the issue called Blue."
"Don’t worry about it" Cadance said. "I've known Twilight since she was a filly and I know that sooner or later she will get the courage to declare what she feels to Blue. One of our problems now is Blue Sword."
"Blue Sword?" Pinkie Pie repeated.
"I get it" Rarity said. "We don’t know if he feels the same. And if he doesn’t feel it, Twilight can get hurt with this."
"Yes, and then there's Shining" Cadance said. "He is very overprotected toward his sister. I bet he would not handle well any stallion who approached Twilight. And if Blue becomes that stallion in question, then things will turn sour more than expected. The friendship between the two could end, a friendship that has lasted over twenty years."
"I see this problem has more dead ends than a maze" Rarity commented.
"We need to focus on a problem at a time" Cadance replied. "We have to set a plan. I think it’s best to start with Twilight and Blue Sword. We have to see if their relationship is possible."
"There should be a fantastic and unreal place that made the ponies that are inside of it have a fantastic desire to express their greatest feelings" Pinkie Pie said. "So Twilight could confess her love for the Blue Sword and maybe then we could make him fall in love with her."
"Pinkie, darling, you know that we love your ideas" Rarity said. "Really, we loved them. But you have to learn to separate fantasy from reality."
Upon hearing Pinkie Pie’s idea, Cadance had an idea that could result.
"Maybe Pinkie is not so far from the truth" she said.
"Really?" the two mares asked at the same time.
Cadance nodded and said:
"I think I know a place that matches that description. I don’t know if it exists, but it has been glimpsed by ponies who passed by here in Northern Equestria. It's a magical place that they say it boost the emotions of those who come within its borders."
"Oh, it looks like a great place!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, taking a big leap.
"But how can we know more about that place?" Rarity asked. "If it's so mysterious as you're describing it, then it must be mentioned elsewhere."
"Well, I just know what I read it in a book in the Crystal Empire library" Cadance said. "Let's just say I had a tremendous luck in finding it. The sightings about this place started before King Sombra take the Crystal Empire and he tried to hide the books that he considered to be inappropriate. But now that the Empire returned to its former splendor, the confiscated books returned to the library shelves. Fortunately, I have the book in question. Come, I'll show it to you."
They came out of the throne room and headed for the study room of the castle. There, Cadance used her magic to make a book get out of the shelf where it was and stop in front of her. It was a thick cover book lined with shiny velvet.
"Oh my Celestia!" Rarity exclaimed, with her wide and shining eyes. "Look at this liner! It is the most beautiful velvet I ever saw!"
She passed her hoof above the liner and said, in a dreamy tone:
"And it's so soft! Perhaps even softer than the softest of all silk."
"Uh, uh, uh! Let me try it! Let me try! "Pinkie Pie exclaimed, jumping with a great enthusiasm.
Cadance then approached the book and Pinkie rubbed her face in the liner and then she just fell on the floor, with a dazzled air and giving a long sigh.
"And moreover it can put Pinkie completely speechless" Rarity said. "Cadance, you have to tell me where this fabric came from. It is absolutely fantastic. I can think of lots of things I can do with it."
"It's a special velvet that the Crystal Ponies used to make from a special silk that came from the crystal butterflies cocoons" Cadance replied. "Unfortunately, after Sombra have risen to power, all the crystal butterflies fled. So far, they have not yet returned, so we might not make more of this velvet."
"Oh, that Sombra..." Rarity said, in a tone of contempt. "Depriving ponies from the contact with this marvel is a complete crime. We should look for the crystal butterflies and convince them to return. I think Fluttershy could give a great help..."
"Rarity, we are here for Twilight, remember?" Cadance asked. "Not for the velvet."
"Yes, of course..." Rarity exclaimed, while Pinkie Pie stood up.
"We need to find information about that fantastic place that will make our friend the happiest pony of all Equestria... no, of the entire world!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Yeah, right… you are right" Rarity replied, a little embarrassed.
"Well, let's start" Cadance said, looking at the book's title. "The Most Mysterious Places... Let's see."
She leafed through it and then found what she was looking for.
"Here it is!" She said. "It's called the Oasis of the Heart. They say that it was formed after the fall of a shooting star. It’s like a desert oasis, but here in the arctic. It is a place full of warmth, trees and beauty. They say it contains a spell that prevents the cold and the snow of the arctic to enter and that it can reach the hearts of ponies who enter in its borders, causing them to express their strongest feelings and emotions."
"So we have to make Twilight and Blue go there" Rarity said. "But how will we do that? I mean, we can do something about Twilight. I bet she'd love to explore this place. But what about Blue?"
"Well, we could..." Pinkie began.
"No, Pinkie, we will not kidnap Blue" Rarity said, knowing what she would say.
"Oh, killjoy!" Pinkie said. "I wanted to use my mustache..."
"I think there will be no problem with the Blue" Cadance said. "Recently there have been sightings of changelings here. Shining tightened the security and the guards are now patrolling the arctic."
"Yes, but will it work?" Rarity asked.
"I think so" Cadance replied. "One thing I have not mentioned about the Oasis of the Heart is that it can attract anypony that it deems worthy to enter in it."
"Worthy?" Pinkie and Rarity asked at the same time.
"I also don’t understand what this means, but I think we should take a risk and assume that it will attract Twilight and Blue."
Pinkie and Rarity looked at each other and nodded, accepting the plan.
"Well, you two will deal with Twilight" Cadance said. "I will take care of Blue."
Twilight, after leaving her things in her room, went to stroll around the castle, always watching carefully to see if Blue wasn’t around. She didn’t want to feel like she was fainting.
So she ended up reaching the castle gardens, where Shining was there to inspect some guards. After the inspection, the guards made him a salute and then moved away. Once they departed, Twilight went to his brother.
"Shining!" she called.
Shining turned and smiled, seeing his little sister.
"Twily!"
The two siblings embraced themselves and then Shining took off his helmet, saying:
"It's so good to see you, sis."
"It’s also good to see you, big bro" she said.
"I’m glad you accepted Cadance’s invitation to pass a few days with us" said Shining. "Despite I don’t know the reason for it."
Twilight said nothing about the real reason why Cadance did it, opting to say:
"Well, it just happened right" Twilight said. "I had a lot of work."
"It's you and me. Hey, you know who's here?"
"Yes, I know. I found Blue when I arrived to the castle."
"Yes, he came to visit me and Cadance and he volunteered to help me" Shining said. "But what a great friend."
"Yes..." Twilight said nervously. "He's a great friend."
"Sorry, Twilight, but I have to go" Shining said. "I have many things to deal with. But don’t worry; we’ll see each other at the dinner."
He put the helmet again and said, moving away:
"Bye, Twily."
"Bye" she said, seeing his brother to move away.
Twilight then proceeded to stroll around the Empire. Shining was really happy to have Blue again at his side. She didn’t want her crush on Blue to ruin the friendship between him and her brother. It was for that reason and a few others, she had to save to herself what she felt for him. Even if Blue liked her and asked her to a date, she wouldn’t accept it, not because she didn’t love him, but to keep the friendship of two friends that have lasted long before she herself was even born.
Twilight, after strolling by the Crystal Empire, returned to the castle where there she met Rarity and Pinkie Pie.
"Oh, Twilight, darling, are you returning from you stroll already?" Rarity asked.
"Yes" Twilight answered. "I also went to see my brother. Now, I'm going to my room."
"Hey, Twilight, before you go, can we talk to you?" Rarity asked.
"As long as you two don’t speak about Blue Sword" Twilight replied.
"We promise" Rarity said.
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye” Pinkie said, doing the gestures of her Pinkie promisse.
She then took a glance at Rarity who rolled her eyes and made the gestures, saying:
“I Pinkie promisse.”
"Well, what do you want to talk about with me?" Twilight asked.
"Cadance was talking to us about a mysterious place near here, called Oasis of the Heart" Rarity said.
"Oasis of the Heart?" Twilight repeated. "I never heard about that place."
"That’s because it is in a book that King Sombra banned and hid and whose lining is as soft as a fluffy cloud" Pinkie said, saying the last words in a dreamy tone.
"Apparently, it is a fantastic place created by the fall of a shooting star and which is able to keep away the cold and snow of the Arctic" Rarity said.
"Interesting" Twilight said, thoughtfully. "It really is something unusual. Do you know where it is?"
"A few miles to northeast" Rarity said. "Cadance says the book says that this oasis is marvelous in the moonlight."
"Well then I know where we're going tonight" Twilight said.
"Oh, I’m sorry, Twilight, but I will not be able to go" Rarity said.
"But why?"
"Because I want to have my beauty sleep."
"Rarity, it’s just a round trip" Twilight said. "It's only a couple of hours at most."
"You already know me, darling" said Rarity. "A good night of rest makes wonders to me."
"What about you, Pinkie?" Twilight asked.
"I'm sorry, Twilight, but I also want to have my beauty sleep" she replied.
"Wait, you? Having a beauty sleep?"
"Yes, I decided to try after seeing how Rarity’s coat is so soft after it."
Although surprised by Pinkie Pie’s decision to stay in the castle instead of going on an adventure to a new place and that raised a suspicion about, Twilight said:
"Well, I'll go alone then. But just because I'm curious about this place."
And then she walked away. Seeing her moving away, Rarity and Pinkie smiled at each other and bumped their hooves.
Cadance went to Shining’s office. When she got there, she knocked on the door and heard him say:
"Come in."
The princess came in and found her husband working tirelessly. His desk was covered with papers, parchments, maps, compasses and quills.
"Oh, my dear, I'm sorry" Shining said, seeing Cadance coming in. "I'm covered in work. Don’t worry, we'll still have dinner together."
"Do not worry about it, there is still a good time for dinner" she said.
"Sorry, but all this work is killing my sense of time."
"You don’t have to apologize. I understand perfectly."
She advanced to Shining, standing behind him, and put her forelegs around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then she asked:
"Come on, tell me, what is the reason for so much stress?"
Shining sighed and replied:
"It’s these Changelings sightings. It’s giving me a big headache. They put me in a state of constant alert. It's like they're just watching or waiting for the best moment to attack in full force."
"Have you prepared more searching patrols?" Cadance asked.
"I'm already dealing with the patrols of tonight" Shining replied. "It’s just missing me to see who will cover the area to the northeast."
That made Cadance give a smile. This was the place where the Oasis of the Heart was, according with the book.
"Why don’t you put Blue to watch that area?" Cadance suggested. "You know how he loves being in the middle of the action. Unless you have already assigned him another job."
"I had thought to put the Blue in the patrols, but he doesn’t know the neighborhood, and I don’t feel comfortable asking him more than he volunteered to do."
"Shining, I think you’re doing him a favor. You know that Blue and the inside doesn’t quite match."
Shining thought a bit and said:
"I think you're right. Then I'll put him in the north... "
"No!" Cadance replied suddenly.
That made Shining look at her and ask:
"Why not?"
Cadance then regained her natural look and said, trying to eliminate any shade of nervousness in her voice:
"Because I know you and I know that if you make a change, you end up doing more and so on and you end up rearranging everything again. It’s simpler to assign the empty area to Blue, don’t you think?"
Shining pondered a bit on what Cadance told and finally said:
"Yes, I think you're right. As always. What was I thinking?
"That's why I'm here" Cadance said, gently passing her hoof across his face. "I ensure that you make the right decisions."
They exchanged a kiss and Cadance said, heading for the exit:
"Well, I'll go to do my duties. Try to not exaggerate in the job again."
"Don’t worry" Shining replied, smiling. "I won’t."
And then Cadance left. She started to walk away, smiling for her part be done.
At dinner, which Shining arrived in the nick of time, ran smoothly. Twilight wondered by the fact that Blue was not there to have dinner with them. Then she asked, disguising in simple curiosity her true reasons:
"Where is Blue? He did not come to dinner."
"I asked Blue to patrol tonight" Shining replied. "He is currently preparing to leave."
When dinner was to end, Rarity stretched slightly, causing a fake yawn, and said:
"Well, I'm going to my room. I want to have my long ten hours of sleep."
She then looked to the corner of her eye to Pinkie and saw she was delight herself with her third dessert. Then she gave her a kick under the table which made her complain:
"Ow!"
She then looked at Rarity who made her a warning look she realized.
"Oh, right..."
And then she stretched and said, yawning:
"Yes, I will also sleep. I'm just very tired from all the excitement today. It’s not to subtly escape to an evening stroll to...
But she didn’t finish because Rarity covered her mouth and said, laughing again:
"We're going."
And they rose up and went out.
"That was weird" Shining commented.
"Pinkie Pie is like that" Twilight said. "Although today she has been a little weirder than usual. And Rarity was also strange. I think they need to rest."
The young alicorn finished the rest of her dessert and then said, rising up:
"I'm also going."
"Don’t tell me you'll also go to sleep" Shining said.
"No, I'll go for a walk" she replied. "There's a place I want to see."
"Wait, you're going out?" Shining asked. "Now? It’s not time to go strolling through the Empire."
"Shining, you won’t send me to my room, will you?" Twilight asked. "I'm not a filly. I'm a grown mare and I can very well give an evening stroll."
"I know, but..." Shining began.
"Shining, let Twilight go for a stroll" Cadance said. "She can take care of herself."
There was a pause and then Shining said:
"Okay, but make sure you don’t come late."
"Yes, daddy" Twilight said, half laughing, making Cadance also give a laugh.
Twilight then left, not taking to long to leave the castle. The air in the early evening tasted so well. There was still a bit of sunshine, as darkness dominated the sky and the moon began to rise.
She started heading for the exit of the Crystal Empire and when she left its borders, she began to head toward northeast, where her friends had told her where the Oasis of the Heart was.
Twilight loved exploring mysterious places. Knowing the secrets of a place was something exciting. This love for exploring unknown places may have been created by the fact that she had grown up reading Daring Doo stories her mother wrote. She was eager to find this place that was created by the fall of a shooting star and that kept the snow and the cold of the arctic outside.
The snow began to appear under Twilight’s hooves and the wind was getting colder. It was then that her nostrils caught a sweet aroma. It was a tremendously sweet aroma, like a mixture of smells she loved the most: the smell of roses, the scent of her favorite sandwich, the sweet aroma of the apple pie that her grandmother used to make to her and Shining, the smell of freshly cut grass and... the scent of Blue’s mane.
It seemed that this smell was taking control of her brain and took care of her body. Her hooves moved without her even send them to and headed for an area where the snow lay over and the wind was colder.
Blue was patrolling the northeast area of the surroundings of the Crystal Empire as Shining asked him to do, in search of sighted Changelings.
When his best friend asked him to go on patrol, Blue became immensely happy. He hated having to stay for a long time within doors, patrolling and watching always the same room or hallway. Action was what he loved, the adrenaline rushing through his veins, the pleasure of running. It was this factor that didn’t make him aspire the position of Captain of the Royal Guard, because working in a closed office to deal with bureaucracies was not for him.
While walking through the area, he found several tracks that could be Changeling, but due to their unique ability to transmutation, it was extremely difficult to distinguish them, moreover on snowy ground like that.
It was then that his nose caught a strange scent that distracted him from his duties. It was sweet and attractive. He could distinguish each flavor of his favorite foods, also the smell of the natural dew and the salty scent of the sea. It was a perfect combination. This aroma messed with his brain propelling him to want to follow it and find out where it came from. His hooves began to advance.
Twilight followed the smell that bewitched her without stopping for a second. Then she felt the cold disappearing and their hooves to touch in cool grass. The sweet aroma has ceased its attraction spell and Twilight awoke. She looked around and got no words for what she saw.
If she didn’t know she was alive, she would think she went to the Paradise. Beautiful and ancient trees towered proud, causing a fresh and at the same time warm shade, and their leaves radiated a reddish light, but in a pure shade, contrasting with their green color and flowers whose light was more intense and seemed to be responsible for that alluring aroma. They were fed by channels of pure water that were coursing through the trees smoothly. That could only be the Oasis of the Heart.
Twilight began to explore that utopian place. It was amazing how nature could shape such a wonder. But the best was when she reached the center of the oasis. She arrived at the source of the channels that was a huge lake whose water was even more pure and crystalline that the channels’. In the middle of this lake there was an island where there was a tree.
But this wasn’t any tree. It was the biggest tree of that paradise, besides being the strongest, the oldest and, above all, the most beautiful. None of the trees was comparable to it in terms of beauty. All of it emitted a reddish and splendor light and all of it glowed even more than the Crystal Empire. The leaves emitted a more intense and bright light and the scent of the flowers was so intense that it could be felt in the other side of the lake. Furthermore, some of its flowers already revealed red and round fruits with a delicious appearance.
So much beauty made Twilight start looking at all sides, not knowing where to turn. It was then, while walking backward, she bumped into somepony's back. The two turned and Twilight saw that she just bumped with...
"Blue?" Twilight asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was on patrol, when I felt this aroma that brought me here" he said. "What about you?"
"Well, I..." Twilight said nervously, blushing slightly. "I came… looking for this place."
"So do you know where we are?"
"Yes, this place is called Oasis of the Heart. My friends talked about it. It has a rather mystical origin... and now we see the reason. This place is beautiful!"
"You're right" Blue said, looking around. "It's really a wonderful… place."
Twilight remained silent. She didn’t know what else to say. However, there was something odd. She didn’t used to be so shy in Blue’s presence. Her heart was beating even faster that seemed to come out from her chest. A huge heat and a huge desire to embrace him and feel his touch invaded her. However, she could control this desire.
Blue also felt strange. He didn’t know why, but he was somewhat bothered by Twilight’s presence. It wasn’t a feeling of disgust, but the opposite. He was bothered, but he liked that feeling. Also he didn’t know why, but now Twilight seemed to him more beautiful than he thought before, like a goddess.
They then heard a sound from the lake and the two looked there. Stone platforms appeared floating, making a path to the island of the lake.
"This is strange" Blue commented.
"Well, given that we are in a magical oasis in the Arctic, I think stone platforms emerging from the lake bottom is perfectly normal" Twilight replied.
"Hey, since we have a path to that island, why don’t we go there?" Blue asked.
"Do you think..." Twilight began.
Blue then jumped to one of the platforms and then said, extending his hoof:
"Come on, it'll be fun."
Twilight couldn’t believe that a moment like that was happening. It was like a dream. She smirked and then asked jokingly:
"You are aware that I have wings, aren’t you?"
"Yes, but how do you prefer to cross the lake: the easy way or the fun way?"
With Blue putting things in those terms, Twilight gave him reason. She made a more genuine smile and then gave her hoof to Blue and jumped onto the platform. The two smiled at each other and Twilight felt a blush and even Blue blushed a little.
The two continued to jump from platform to platform until they reach the end. Blue jumped the last platform to the island. Twilight also jumped, but lost his balance and almost fell into the lake. But then Blue grabbed her and pulled her to him, to prevent her from falling. The two met face to face, staring intently into each other's eyes. She saw Blue approaching more. For a moment, she intended to let him move closer, but then her instinct made her move away.
"Thank you, Blue" she said, passing by him.
"You're welcome" he replied, unable to take his eyes off of Twilight.
Twilight then went to the big tree on the island, admiring it. She never saw anything like it. She didn’t know any tree or any other plant that could send a glow like that and that had its own light. She passed her hoof through the trunk, feeling an immense power coming from it, a pure and mighty power.
"This tree is unique..." Twilight said. "Even more unique than all the trees of this place."
"It must be for being the oldest" Blue suppose, also passing his hoof through the tree. "I mean, she must have been the first tree of the oasis and it must have generated the others."
"Yes, you must be right."
They then looked at each other. They couldn’t take their eyes off each other and stop smiling. However, none wanted to take the first step. There were too many inhibitions and setbacks.
A mild earthquake happened that made Twilight and Blue begin to lose balance and then Twilight went against Blue and the two fell to the ground with Twilight above. So they fell, the earthquake ceased. Twilight looked up and then looked at Blue. She never been so close to him. His glaucous eyes bewitched her with a look. Blue also fixed her violet eyes, those bright and fascinating eyes. So, without being able to resist, they approached their muzzles and their lips touched each other.
When she felt the touch of Blue’s lips, Twilight felt as if her greatest dream was accomplished. His kiss was soft and warm. Her heart was beating irregularly and her stomach writhing.
When their finished the kiss, both seemed a bit bewildered, especially Twilight, because it was her first kiss with a stallion, and moreover with the stallion of her dreams. It was then that she realized that this stallion was also the her brother’s best friend and horror been has spread in her.
She hastened to stand up and said, trotting nervously in the same place:
"Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no! This shouldn’t have happened. This shouldn’t have happened!"
"But Twilight..." Blue said, standing up.
"What was I thinking" she said hastily. "I mean, you're my brother’s best friend. You're like a brother to me. What will Shining say when he finds out what happened..."
But she didn’t finish because Blue gave her another kiss that made her stop. He then stopped the kiss and said:
"Twilight, relax. Breathe."
She did so and breathed deeply a few times and then Blue said:
"Twilight, you don’t have to be like that because of this."
"You must be joking" Twilight said.
"No. I... actually enjoyed it."
"Sure, you enjoyed..."
But then Twilight just realized what Blue had said.
"Can you repeat that?" she asked.
"I enjoyed it" Blue repeated. "I don’t know why or how, but somehow something in me that I never felt before awakened. And I really liked it."
He approached her for another kiss, and although Twilight wanted that kiss, she could resist and walked away, saying:
"No, this couldn’t have happened."
And, having said that, she opened her wings and took flight.
"Twilight, wait!" Said Blue.
But she didn’t listen, beginning to move away from the Oasis of the Heart as soon as she could, leaving its exotic heat and passing into the cold arctic.
Note: In this chapter we will see Twilight’s reaction after her first kiss with Blue Sword.
Twilight returned to the Crystal Empire as quickly as she could, almost landing in the entrance and entering suddenly, what surprised the guards who were guarding the entrance. She ran through the palace, in the direction of her room. She didn’t notice that she went through Cadance and Shining.
"Hello, Twilight, I see that you returned from your..." Shining began.
But she ignored him, passing by him.
"What's wrong with her?" Shining asked. "She seemed... upset."
"I don’t know" replied Cadance although suspecting of what had happened. "I honestly don’t know."
"I'd better go talk with her" Shining said, starting to move forward.
But then Cadance stopped him and said:
"Maybe it is better to be me to talk with Twilight."
"Cadance, I'm her brother" Shining said. "It is my duty as such to make sure if it's all okay with her. You know I swore I would take care of Twilight. Besides, Twilight and I always shared everything. Well, almost everything."
"I know, sweetheart, but you have to understand that sometimes there are issues that we would not talk to our older brother" Cadance said.
"What kind of issues, anyway?" Shining asked, frowning a little suspicious.
"You know, issues" Cadance replied.
But seeing Shining’s distrust was still hovering in the air, Cadance said, to escape to that inquisitive look from her husband:
"Ok, I think I better go see what's wrong with Twilight."
And she went away hurriedly.
"Something's going on here. And I'm gonna find out what it is" he said.
Twilight came to the hallway of her quarters, reached her door and entered in her room, slamming the door. That made the door of Rarity’s room open and she and Pinkie Pie put their heads out.
"What was that?" Rarity asked.
"Is not it obvious, silly billy?" Pinkie said. "It was just Twilight entering in her room."
"Yeah, Pinkie, I realized that" Rarity said. "But I want to know is why Twilight entered in her in that way."
It was then Cadance arrived.
"Oh, Princess Cadance, thank Celestia you're here" Rarity said. "Twilight went into her room like a hurricane."
"I know" Cadance replied. "She passed by me and Shining and didn’t even notice us. I just hope that our plan has not gone wrong."
"Oh no!" Pinkie exclaimed, in her dramatic excited tone. "That would be a calamity, a disaster, a scourge, a..."
But she did’t finish just because Rarity magically sealed her lips, saying, while freeing her:
"We know, Pinkie, you don’t have to say that in such a redundant way."
"Sorry, but I have been studying the dictionary and I memorized all the words that there is in it for, you know, have a greater and more eloquent vocabulary... and also to realize what Twilight says when she speaks in that strange way of egghead" Pinkie said. "The problem now is that I have nowhere to use the new words I know, so I take each situation to say as much I can."
"Girls, we must focus on the elephant in the room, remember?" Cadance asked.
"Wait, there's an elephant here?" Pinkie Pie asked, starting to jump and look everywhere. "Where? Where? Where? "
"Pinkie, calm down!" Rarity said, stopping Pinkie with her magic and bringing her to the place where she was. "It was just a way of speaking. Cadance was saying that we should focus on Twilight."
"Oh, it's a shame" Pinkie said, disappointed. "I would love to see the elephant."
Cadance went to the door and knocked.
"Twilight!" She called. "Can we come in?"
But they didn’t hear any answer. Cadance, Rarity and Pinkie exchanged a look and then the first used her magic to open the door. The room was dark and Twilight was lying on her bed, with her back to the door. Cadance, advanced towards her, while Rarity and Pinkie Pie remained in the place where they were. She came to Twilight’s bed, going to the other side and nesting to level her eyes with hers.
"Come on, tell me, what happened?"
"Oh, Cadance, something happened that should not have happened..." Twilight said.
"Come on, tell me. You know I'm here for that."
Twilight hesitated, but she knew that she could count tell to Cadance even her most secret secrets. She made a deep breath and said:
"I went to a place that Rarity and Pinkie told me. It is in the northeast of the Crystal Empire."
"You're talking about the Oasis of the Heart, don’t you?" Cadance asked.
Twilight nodded.
"And did you find it?"
Twilight nodded once more.
"And how is it?"
"Well, I don’t know how to describe it" Twilight replied, standing and sitting. "It's the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Trees whose leaves have a red light and radiate flowers with an immense and delicious smell and, in the center, there is a lake with an island where there was the biggest and oldest tree of all the trees that were there and it was by far the most beautiful I had ever seen. All it glowed and radiated light."
But then the enthusiasm of Twilight was replaced by a certain melancholy and she said:
"Of course that the oasis was not the only thing I found."
And she lay down again.
"I'm all ears" Cadance said.
"As I explored the oasis, I found myself with somepony" Twilight said. "With Blue."
"And something happened, right?" Cadance asked.
"Well, it happens that we..." Twilight began, hesitating to say the last words. "We gave a kiss."
When she said that, it heard little squeaks that were from Pinkie Pie and Rarity. They, seeing Twilight and Cadance looking at them, smiled and blushed while Rarity said:
"Sorry, we got excited."
Cadance then turned his attentions to Twilight and told her:
"But Twilight, that's wonderful. It was your first kiss. Unless... he didn’t like it."
"Actually... he said he liked the kiss" Twilight confessed.
Upon hearing that, Rarity and Pinkie Pie wanted to make another squeak, but Cadance created a soundproof bubble that has prevented them from hear the squeak. When they stopped, the bubble disappeared.
"But that means he likes you" Cadance said. "It means that your feeling is mutual for him."
"I'm not sure, Cadance" Twilight said. "I mean, he is my brother’s best friend. I don’t know if he really liked the kiss we gave."
Cadance sighed and realized she had to tell to Twilight about the true power of the Oasis of the Heart.
"Twilight, look at me."
She did so and Cadance continued:
"You know, the Oasis of the Heart is much more than a shelter from the arctic or a place full of beauty and light. It has a secret power. It can reach the heart of the ponies and boost their emotions and feelings."
"So you're saying that everything I felt when I met Blue there, all my wishes to come to the fore, it was all because of the oasis?"
Cadance waved. Upon hearing that, Twilight began to ration and then realized.
"Wait, you three have planned all this?" She asked to Cadance, Rarity and Pinkie Pie, sitting.
The last two gave nervous smiles, but Cadance said:
"Maybe we could have arranged a way to you both meet each other in the Oasis of the Heart. But it was not our responsibility what happened there."
Although Twilight feels deceived and manipulated, she could not get angry with her friends. After all, they just did what they thought was best for her.
"Twilight, you're not mad, are you?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"If you are, we are so sorry" Rarity said.
"Don’t worry, girls" Twilight answered them with a slight smile. "I'm not angry with you."
"And I don’t know if you realized, but you were not the only one to be under the oasis’ influence" Cadance said. "Twilight, if Blue liked your kiss, it's because he really liked it. It is almost impossible to hide what you feel at that oasis."
Hearing what Cadance said, an immense happiness was born in Twilight. After all, maybe Blue felt for her what she felt for him. However, her insecurity about everything was placed on the plate of the scale that was the opposite of the one that contained all these thoughts, rebalancing everything. Blue might have enjoyed the kiss, but that doesn’t mean he truly felt love for her.
"I don’t know" she confessed. "I still have much to think about. I don’t know if I'm ready for all this."
"Sure" Cadance said. "We will give you all the time you need. Right, girls?"
Rarity and Pinkie Pie waved. Twilight smiled at the three. It was good to have friends like them. After Cadance rose up and headed to the bedroom door, exiting with Pinkie Pie and Rarity.
When they came out, Twilight dropped down again on the bed, fixing the roof. That day had been loaded with a lot of emotions. First, she met Blue Sword again, then the two gave a kiss and after that she discovered that it is possible that Blue had reciprocal feelings towards her. Twilight’s head was a real mess, but she was determined to organize everything and decide what to do.
Note: In this chapter we will see Blue Sword’s reaction after his first kiss with Twilight.
Blue, after Twilight have gone flying from the oasis, ended up also for go out of there, leaving to face the snow, the cold and the wind in the direction the Crystal Empire.
But something weird happened while he was there. Something that had never happened before. It seemed that their emotions came to the fore and had controlled him. He experienced various sensations she had never felt before, especially when it came to Twilight.
He always had a special affection for Twilight because she was the younger sister of his best friend and she was like his little sister too, which was great because he never had a close relationship with his older sister, Dahlia. He and Twilight had shared special moments together, like when they joined themselves to gather Cadance and Shining when they broke up years ago. But only now he looked Twilight as a beautiful and attractive mare and not as small and funny filly he had known years ago.
He had to admit that he had been enchanted when he saw Twilight after so long without seeing each other, but the fact that he saw her as the sister inhibited that hidden desire. Only when he found that unbelievable oasis that he saw her through the eyes of a stallion and when they kissed, it was like if time had stopped. Even he, who has kissed other mares, had never felt what he had felt when he kissed Twilight, and when she ran away, he felt a great heaviness in his heart. But also he couldn’t blame her, because, if he saw her as a sister, she saw him as a brother, besides being her B.B.B.F.F.’s best friend.
Eventually, he reach the Crystal Empire and then the castle, entering with the guards making him a salute. While advancing through the corridors, eventually he met Shining.
"Ah, I see you have returned" he said. "How'd it go?"
"What?" Blue said, distractedly.
"The patrol" Shining replied. "You know, that patrol I asked you to do to see if there were signs of Changelings."
"Oh sure" Blue said. "Well... it was okay. I found none... Changelings. But we must be vigilant. I found some... tracks that can be theirs."
Hearing him talking that way, Shining realized that something was wrong.
"Blue, is everything right?" he asked. "You look weird."
"No, I’m okay" Blue answered. "I'm just... tired."
"Well, the ponies are weird today" Shining commented. "First my sister and now you."
"Your sister?" Blue repeated, becoming interested. "Has she come down with something? Is it something serious?"
"I don’t know" Shining replied. "She just suddenly appeared and went to her room. I wanted to talk with her, but Cadance said it was better that she talk to Twilight. I think it's one of those mare talks. However, I feel that they are hiding something from me, but I'll find out. You can bet on it. Well, I think it’s better go see the report of the others who were patrolling. See you later."
And having said that, he walked away. When Shining were out of sight, Blue began to head to Twilight’s door to talk with her. He had to clarify things with her. It was then he crossed with Cadance, who was coming from the opposite direction.
"Hello, Blue" she greeted.
"Cadance, I know you were talking to Twilight" Blue said. "By changes she..."
"Are you asking if she told me about your kiss?" Cadance asked. "Yes, she did."
Blue sighed and said:
"I have to talk with her. I have to tell her..."
"If I were you, Blue, I would let she be" Cadance advised. "What happened was too much for her to handle at once."
Blue looked down. Despite wanting to really talk with Twilight, even if it was with a door separating them, he realized what she should be feeling and thought she had every right to want to be alone to think. Then he raised his head and said:
"Okay, I'll give her the space she needs."
And having said that, he began to move away, heading in the way he had come, but Cadance called him:
"Blue."
He turned to her she asked, getting to his border:
"Do you know what you felt when you kissed Twilight?"
"Why do you want to know?" Blue asked back.
"I want to understand what you really felt when you kissed her" she replied. "I can assure you that what you going to tell me, will not leave here."
Blue thought about it and then replied:
"It's... hard to explain. I’m not sure what I felt when... the kiss happened. But one thing I am sure: I liked that kiss and I felt things I never felt before for any mare. I felt hot and my heart sped up a lot, and I felt a sensation in my belly."
"Well, it seems obvious to me" Cadance replied with a slight smile. "I think what you felt was a spark of love, something that I'm sure you never truly felt by a mare."
"Wait, are you saying that I'm in love with Twilight?" Blue asked. "Really? That is not just attraction?"
Cadance waved, saying:
“I’m one hundred per cent sure.”
That left Blue wrap up in his thoughts. He never has been in love for no real mare. He always avoided falling in love, because of all the pain that would cause both parties if the relationship didn’t went well. That situation was all new to him.
Blue gave a slight laugh and said:
"I think I also need time for me to process all this."
Cadance smiled and said:
"I’m glad to hear it."
Blue, after a farewell, started to walk away.
Seeing him walking away, Cadance smiled. Having joined Blue Sword and Twilight at the Oasis of the Heart was a great idea. The spark between the two had created a small flame. Now, it was only a matter of time before the two reflected on everything that they needed to and she hoped that they both understand each other and feed that little flame of love.
It had passed days since Twilight and Blue’s kiss. Since their lips touched, the relationship between the two became strange. Although both have decided to think about everything that had happened, they both decided to avoid each other, and, whenever they met unintentionally or when they were forced to be close to each other, the tension between them was such that put them too nervous. However, they were not able to disguise this tension, which began to draw the attention of many ponies, mainly Shining Armor.
Since that day, when he saw his little sister coming from her stroll so upset, he was immensely suspicious and curious. He fulfilled his words and never stopped trying to find out what had happened. He had already approached Twilight, but she just said it was nothing and it was only her subjects. He tried to approach Cadance, but he knew she would never tell anything. She was too determined to keep any secret that somepony entrusted her. He approched Rarity and Pinkie, but they simply dodged the question. Finally, he approached Blue, asking him if he knew anything. He said that he knew nothing, despite his nervousness being notorious and increased Shining Armor’s mistrust. The blue unicorn just hoped that his friend did not discover anything.
After five days since the kiss, Twilight was in her room, because now she spent most of his time as she could to not risk crossing with Blue. It was then that there was a short burst of green flames and a letter dropped in her front. Using her magic, she opened it and read it. It was from Spike and her other friends who were in Ponyville and saw that they had done their chores and were coming on the next train to Ponyville to the Empire Crystal. That news cheered her immensely. She would have the presence of all her friends by her side.
In the next day, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Cadance were waiting at the train station for the arrival of the train from Ponyville. When it arrived, Spike, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash came out.
"I’m so glad you came" Twilight said as she, Rarity and Pinkie Pie would embrace her friends. "I missed you so much. We all did."
"We missed you three a lot as well" Fluttershy said.
"Yeah, that's why I got some help for the farm from around town," Applejack said.
"And I already assigned the pegasi to take care of what they have to do" Rainbow Dash said.
"Those guys would be disoriented without me."
"And my bear friend is already much better" Fluttershy said.
"And you don’t have to worry about the library, Twilight" Spike assured. "I've taken care of everything."
"Thanks, Spike" Twilight thanked. "And thank you for coming. I really needed the company of all my friends. a lot of things have happened."
"Wow, Twilight, to hear you say it like that, it seems that something big happened" Applejack said.
"And you cannot imagine what" Rarity said.
"There was really, really, really a big event!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
Twilight made a cold stare to Rarity and Pinkie Pie that gave nervous smiles.
"But I think it is better to talk about it when we're in the castle" Cadance said. "Come on, girls."
They then headed to the castle, going into it. As they walked down the aisle, they crossed with Shining and Blue, both with their armor, who were talking. An exchange of nervous glances appeared between Twilight and Blue.
"Well, look who decided to show" Shining said, seeing Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. "I'm glad you came."
"Thanks, Shining" Applejack said. "We are very glad to be here."
"Hey, who's your friend?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Wait, I know you" Spike said to Blue. "You're Shining’s best friend and first lieutenant of the Royal Guard of Canterlot, aren't you? You are Blue Sword, right?"
"Yes, I am" said Blue. "It is also good to see you again, Spike. You grew up a lot since the last time I saw you."
"Well, of course I did" Spike answered, in his proud carriage. "After all, I'm a dragon."
"The conversation is great, but I and Blue have to go" Shining said. "Goodbye everypony. Goodbye, my dear."
And he kisses on Cadance’s cheek, starting to walk away. Blue followed him, exchanging a glance with Twilight. When they disappeared, Spike turned to Twilight and said:
"Now I know what this great event is. It is Blue Sword."
"Oh, Spike, how could Blue Sword be the big event?" Twilight asked.
"Well, maybe it is because you have a crush on him for years" Spike replied.
What Spike had said made the three newcomer mares exchange glances.
"How do you know that?" Twilight asked, surprised.
"Twilight, I've know you for years and, although I am a baby dragon, only a blind pony would not see how you act when you're near of Blue" the little dragon replied.
"Wait a second" Applejack said." What's this ‘bout ya havin’ a crush by yer brother’s friend?"
"Yeah, when did that happen?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Twilight hoped not tell their other friends what had happened so soon, but since Spike was kind enough to begin with, she had to end it.
"Let’s say all that happened when I was… six years old" Twilight replied.
And then she told when she met Blue Sword when her brother invited him to come to their house and that when she saw him, she fell in love with him. Later she told how she was when she met him again and how that triggered the feelings she had saved. Finally, she told about their first kiss at the Oasis of the Heart.
"I just don’t understand one thing" Rainbow Dash said. "Why did you never tell about this Blue Sword?"
"Rainbow, I told you I buried what I felt for him for years" Twilight said. "How could I talk with you about it when I don’t want to remember him?"
"She’s right, ya know " Applejack said to Rainbow Dash. "Although, it should be not’d that ya are not very good in buryin’ feelings, because if not ya wouldn’t kiss him."
"Well, I would be able to keep them buried, if some ponies had not sent me and Blue to a place where our deepest feelings and emotions are stimulated" Twilight said, looking to Cadance, Rarity and Pinkie Pie.
"We just did it for your own good, Twilight" Rarity said.
"Yeah, and now we're still waiting you to ask Blue to be your coltfriend "Pinkie said. "Wait, this does not seem right. Shouldn't it be Blue to ask you to be his marefriend?"
"What Pinkie Pie is trying to say, Twilight, is that you must not ignore your feelings" Cadance said, moving toward her sister-in-law and putting a hoof on her shoulder. "And you know it."
"You know, Twilight, I know how this thing about love can be scary" Fluttershy said, in the first time she spoke since they arrived to the castle. "I have been in love and believes it was terrible. I was not able to declare myself and I ended up losing him. I was so disgusted. I do not want that you feel the same."
"Thank you, Fluttershy" Twilight thanked with a smile. "But my love problem is a little more difficult. It’s not only the fear to confess my love. There is another thing."
"What?" Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy asked at the same time.
"Let me guess" Spike said. "Shining Armor."
"Wow, Spike, you hit on the head!" Pinkie. "Could it be you are a…?"
"No, I'm not a psychic" Spike replied. "Don’t you think that if I know Blue Sword, I know he is Shining’s best friend who I know better and know how he is with Twilight?"
"Do ya think yer brother will not react very well?" Applejack asked to Twilight.
Twilight nodded.
"Twilight, I know that Shining can sometimes be a litle... overprotector towards the ponies he loves" Cadance said. "Believe me, I know. But he loves you a lot. I'm sure that when he knows that you are happy with Blue, if you start dating him, he will overcome his overprotective side and will support you.”
"Cadance is absolutely right" Applejack said. "Big Mac would accept any coltfriend I could have."
"Of course he would" Rainbow Dash said. "In view of the sister he has."
That made Applejack made a harsh look to Rainbow Dash and ask her:
"Did you say something, Rainbow?"
"Oh, of course not" Rainbow replied, giving nervous laughter. "I didn’t say anything about anything."
"Girls, seriously, Twilight needs our help" Rarity said, then turning to Twilight. "You'll see it everything will be okay, dear.”
"Of course if this is not going well and you suffer a heartbreak, you can always buy tons of ice cream and so we both can..." Spike started.
But then he saw the mares looking him.
"Too early?" he asked, shrugging.
After hearing her friends, Twilight thought carefully about their words. Should she declare herself to Blue? Should she start a relationship with him? Is it worth it? She feared ruin either his relationship with his brother, as the friendship between him and Blue. And even though Shining accept their relationship, if things between her and Blue did not result would cause a huge divide with Shining, forcing him to choose between her and Blue. But on the other hoof, as Fluttershy had said, if she continued to beat herself up with all these issues, she would eventually lose Blue. There were too many conflicting issues. She didn’t know what to choose.
'But you love him' said the little voice inside of her head. 'Go to him and tell him that you love him and that you want him at your side.'
But Twilight still didn’t know what to do. She knew that she loved Blue, but the fear of everything going wrong haunted her.
'Forget the fear' said the voice. 'Forget the shame. Forget Shining Armor. Forget everything! If Blue is who you want to be the stallion who will spend the rest of your life with you, then you just have to move forward.'
The little voice’s words seemed attractive, but even so, Twilight was still contained.
'Come on, Twilight, reacts. Throw everything you feel out into the open. Moreover, even if Shining get angry, you just have to show him you're happy with Blue. After all, it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.'
Twilight, hearing that voice insisting so much, ended up realizing that she had to take a final decision. And, after measuring the pros and the cons, she made a decision.
"I’m sorry, girls... and Spike, but I have to go to solve this once and for all" Twilight said.
And having said this, she went away running. Seeing her moving away, Rarity asked:
"Do you think she will...?"
"We just have to wait and see" Cadance replied.
Twilight went through the same way that Shining and Blue went. She followed it until she hastily caught them. She could see them walking and talking happily. Then, when they arrived near the hallway leading to Shining’s office, they stopped and bumped their hooves with Shining heading to his office and Blue walking away. The young alicorn waited until Shining was far enough and went to Blue. When she came near him, she called:
"Blue?"
He turned and saw Twilight.
"Twilight?" He asked, somewhat surprised by she have come to talk with him. "What is it?"
"Can I talk to you?" she asked.
When he heard the way how she asked the question, he realized what the subject was. He had been thinking about the same during those five days and realized that it was time to have that conversation with Twilight. He nodded, saying:
"I also want to tell you something."
The two then went to an empty room nearby. When they entered, there was a moment of silence in which neither of them knew what to say. It was a time of great tension and nervousness. It was then that they both said at the same time:
"Well, what I wanted to say is... You first... No, you first...
They both gave nervous laughter.
"Well, I start" Blue said. "Twilight, since I know you that I consider you as if you were my little sister. But since I saw you when you came to the Crystal Empire... I don’t know, something inside me was awakened, something that woke up completely when we were on the Oasis of the Heart. The truth is... Oh, I don’t know how to say this. Shining has always been better at this sort of thing.
Twilight smiled. she loved when Blue was so jumbled. He was so cute like that.
He then took kindly Twilight’s hoof and said:
"The truth is that you messed with me in a way no other mare did. I don’t know if what I feel is what appears to be, but I'm willing to believe it is and I will always follow my feelings. Twilight... I love you and I wonder if... Well, do you wanna date me?"
Twilight froze when he heard that question. It was like a dream. Was she really dreaming or was that really happening?
"I know this is not the most romantic proposal, but it was all so suddenly" Blue continued. "If you don’t want to accept, I understand, after all..."
But he didn’t finish because Twilight kissed him on the lips. When she pulled back, Blue was silent, having a lightweight but warm smile.
"This is my answered" Twilight replied.
"Do you... accept... date me?" Blue asked.
"You know, Blue, since I was a filly that I love you" Twilight said. "I know you would say that a mare that fell in love with his big brother’s best friend is a huge cliché, but what I fell for you is really genuine. And, honestly, I hoped you felt the same for me. Now I know you feel the same and I was able to overcome my inhibitions, I am perfectly able to accept your love and expect you accept mine to."
"Even if Shining does not approve our..." Blue began.
"Although Shining is very important to me, he must accept our relationship" Twilight said. "I received good advice that told me I should not be afraid to move forward with what I feel."
"Let me guess, it was Cadance."
"Also. But that does not matter now."
There was a pause and then Blue asked:
"So do that makes us... coltfriend and marefriend?"
Twilight laughed and then replied:
"I think so."
And then the two approached their muzzles and gave a new kiss. That kiss was different from all the others. They gave that kiss by their will. It was a desired kiss, so, for that reason, it was more appreciated.
Twilight and Blue were kissing, soon after they begin their courtship. The two could not even process the immense happiness that they contained for being together.
Then Twilight broke the kiss with Blue and he asked:
"What is it, Twily?"
"It's just that I think it's best we stop here..." Twilight replied. "We can be caught."
"Ok... what about your room?" Blue asked, making a slight smile. "I bet we'll have more privacy there."
"I do not think our relationship is mature enough for this advancement, Blue."
"But then where? Twilight, we can not be together if we are always vigilant if anypony approaches. We need space."
Twilight had to agree with Blue. They had to find a place just for them, a place where nopony could bother them, a place that was just theirs. Then the perfect place came up in her mind.
"And what about the Oasis of the Heart?" Twilight suggested. "That's where we did our first kiss and is a secluded and hidden place, besides being beautiful and enjoyable."
"That sounds good to me" said Blue. "Look, I'm free tomorrow afternoon. After lunch, we can meet outside the Empire Crystal and quietly move away to the oasis."
"Okay" Twilight said. "But are you sure nopony will notice us? And when I say 'nopony', I am referring to Shining."
"Twily, don’t worry" Blue replied. "If we do things well, nopony will notice anything, not even Shining. Besides, we can always count on Cadance and your friends’ help, right?"
It was true, she knew she could count with her friends for everything. She looked at Blue that was making his loving smile and she could not help but smile too.
"You're quite right," Twilight replied, rubbing her face in his. "I can always count with them. Well, I better get going."
She gave a farewell kiss with Blue and then went to the exit, opening the door and looking everywhere to see if anypony was coming. How she wasn’t see nopony, she left, exchanging a smile with Blue and waving her hoof. He replied with another smile and hoof wave. When the door closed, Blue sighed:
"She's really beautiful."
Outside, Twilight, leaning against the door and sighed:
"He's like a dream."
Composing herself, she began to walk away, putting her most natural air. Shortly after, Blue left the room and also departed.
Twilight did not take long to find her friends who were waiting tirelessly for her return.
"So?" the seven asked at the same time.
"So what?" Twilight asked, with great naturalness.
"Come on, Twilight, don’t let us in suspense" said Rarity. "Tell us what happened there between you and Blue."
"Who told you that I went to Blue?" Twilight asked, earnestly.
"Oh, please, sugarcube, we're not idiots" Applejack said. "We know ya went tah solve this thing with Blue."
"Come on, tell us all the details" Rainbow said, while in the air. "And don't leave anything out."
"Yes, Twilight, tell us, tell us, tell us, tell us!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing in her place. "Please, please, please!"
Twilight knew she could not hide anything from her friends, so she replied:
"Yes, you are right, I went to solve things with Blue."
"And?" the seven asked again.
"The truth is..." Twilight began, starting in a sullen tone, to pass to an immense joy. "Me and Blue started dating!"
When they heard that, they all gave little whinnies of joy, congratulating Twilight. All except Spike who muttered:
"Honestly, you need to scream like that just because she told you something that would eventually happen? You almost broke my eardrums. I don’t want to imagine if she told you that she and Blue were going to marry or if they were going to have a foal."
That made the mares look him again. Seeing seven pairs of eyes staring him, Spike gave a nervous laugh and then said:
"Hurray!"
The mares returned their attention to Twilight again.
"We are so happy for you, sugarcube" Applejack said.
"Finally you got the courage to declare yourself to Blue" Rarity said.
"This is my girl!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, giving Twilight a quick noggie.
"We knew that you were capable of doing it" Fluttershy said in her soft voice.
"Well, it was more he who declare himself, but I accepted the request of dating him with all my heart" Twilight said.
"You see?" Cadance asked. "I told you that you and he would eventually understand yourselves."
"Yes, now the only problem is Shining" Twilight said, now worrying.
"Don’t think about it right now" Cadance said. "Now what you have to do is let your courtship with Blue take root and then we can worry with Shining later."
Twilight nodded. She thought it was the best to do. If she wanted to prove to Shining that she and Blue would be happy together, maybe he would accept their love. But for this, they would have to strengthen their courtship to show Shining how resistant it was, in case the white unicorn didn’t react so well.
During the rest of the day, Twilight waited anxiously the next day to arrive just to be with Blue. When she imagined her in Blue the forelegs in the relaxing shade of those beautiful bright trees, her enthusiasm grew so much that she could barely control herself.
Whenever during the day the two met, they exchanged smiles and glances. If there was nopony around, except maybe one or another Twilight’s friend, the two exchanged a caress or a kiss, but if there was other pony around, mainly Shining, the two endeavored to not approach too much.
The next day arrived, much to Twiloght and Blue’s delight. The morning passed, reaching the lunch. At the end of it, Twilight waited. Through a window, she saw Blue getting out of the castle and going to the outside of the empire, carrying his saddlebags. That appealed to Twilight’s curiosity.
With her friends giving her coverage, she left the castle and headed to the outside of Crystal Empire. However, upon arriving at the meeting place, she didn’t find Blue. Instead, she found a note, secured with a small protective spell. When she touched the barrier, it disappeared. It should be programmed to be disabled with her touch. Using her magic, she took the ticket, opened it and read it.
My love,
Meet me at our special place on the island of the lake. I have a surprise for you.
With eagerness to see you,
Blue
Her curiosity grew even more. What was the surprise he was talking about?
She headed to northeast, facing the snow and cold wind that piled up, capturing, when she was approaching, the sweet and attractive aroma of the oasis. It wasn’t long until her hooves touch the fresh grass and the warmth embraces her with the giant shadows of the trees giving her shelter. She advanced through the oasis to the lake in the middle. When she arrived, she was speechless for what she found.
On the island, just in front of the great tree, was Blue who had prepared a picnic for them. He was waiting for her, sitting with his warm smile on his face. Twilight was still surprised, but she smiled back to Blue.
The stone platforms have emerged, paving the way for the island and Twilight jumped each one until she get there.
"Hello" Blue said, going to greet his marefriend with a kiss.
"But what is all this?" Twilight asked, advancing with Blue to the picnic.
"Do you like?" Blue asked. "I made it myself. I thought we could do something on our first date."
"Wait, you're the one who did all this?" Twilight asked as she saw the picnic, sitting.
There were finger sandwiches that Twilight recognized as being her favorite, red fruit tartlets with chocolate sauce aside, fresh strawberries and even a tasty cookie cake.
"Don’t look so surprised" Blue said. "I learned a few things when I was helping my mother in the restaurant. I just had to follow her recipes. And look it was very complicated, because some steps are quite accurate with the time and with... well, you know, my little memory problem, I had to walk with the recipes from one side to the other."
Twilight gave a slight laugh and then she used his magic to pick up a finger sandwich and took a bite.
"Yum-yum!" she exclaimed. "This is delicious! How did you know these were my favorite sandwiches?"
"I'm observer" Blue replied. "When you went to my family’s restaurant with yours, you used to ask the same sandwich."
Twilight could not believe that Blue remembered that. It just showed how attentive he was.
"You are such a dear" Twilight said, giving a kiss on her coltfriend’s cheek, making him blush slightly.
They continued their picnic, eating, talking, laughing and making out. Everything was perfect.
It was not long until the sun begins to set. Embraced by Blue’s forelegs, Twilight and her coltfriend were watching that.
"It was a perfect moment!" Twilight exclaimed. "I never thought that my first date could be so amazing."
"Well, you know how I am, I always make everything in great" Blue replied.
Twilight laughed and said:
"You're so silly, but in a good way."
They nuzzled and continued to watch the setting sun. It was then that Blue felt a light touch on his shoulder. He looked back and saw one of the great tree’s branches that contained one of its flowers. It seemed that the tree was offering it to him. Blue smiled and then said to Twilight:
"But the moment is about to get better."
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, always looking forward.
Blue took the flower of the tree and then handed it to his marefriend, saying:
"A beautiful flower to the most beautiful of all flowers."
"Oh, Blue..." Twilight said, not knowing what to say, getting the flower and smelling it. "You're so sweet. Although, you have to improve your speech. This thing of "the most beautiful of all flowers" is a bit tacky."
"Well, I can’t think of anything else to say" Blue said, scratching the back of his head. "There aren’t a lot of words that do you justice."
Twilight smiled at him and the two exchanged a kiss.
It was time to return to the Crystal Empire. Using his magic, Blue packed everything in his saddlebags and they returned to the other side of the lake and then they went to the exit of Oasis of the Heart, abandoning its heat. They made their way back together, but as they approached the Crystal Empire, Blue gave a kiss of goodbye to Twilight and she went in the front, so nopony would notice that they had arrived at the same time.
As she walked through the corridors, eventually she found her friends who asked the same:
"How'd it go?"
"Amazing!" Twilight exclaimed. "I never thought a date with a stallion was so good! Look at the flower he gave me."
And she motioned to the flower of the great tree that Twilight took behind her ear.
"Wow, it's really beautiful!" Said Rarity.
"Yes, you bet" Flutterhsy said, seeing carefully the flower. "And it smells tremendously well."
“It makes me remember when Shining gave me our special lilly” Cadance said. “It was so romantic.”
"And the light that radiates from it is also fantastic, isn’t it?" Said Twilight.
"Light?" Rainbow asked. "What light? I don’t see any light.
"To me it seems a normal flower" Spike said. "Unusual, but normal. Do you see something?"
The others shook their head.
"But it can’t be" Twilight said, as she used her magic to pick the flower. "It was radiated light right now."
But then he saw the flower was not freeing the light that made it shine. Now it was beautiful, but perfectly normal.
"How strange" said Twilight, puzzled. "Maybe it just release light when it is in the Oasis of the Heart."
"If this flower is from there, so it’s no wonder" Cadance said. "That place is very mysterious and strange."
"Well, I think I go to my room before I run into Shining and he start asking questions" Twilight said. "Thank you for giving me cover, girls."
"Ya're welcome, Twilight" Applejack said. "It was a pleasure."
"Yeah, we are always willing to help our super-duper special friend" Pinkie Pie said.
Twilight then walked quickly to her room and when she arrived there, she lay down on her bed, placing the flower that Blue had given her carefully on the nightstand. Next, she put her head on the pillow, sighing.
She loved spending the afternoon with Blue, the two alone eating that wonderful picnic in that wonderful oasis. Her first date was even better than she had dreamed or even imagined. She only hoped to repeat it soon.
Some days passed since Twilight and Blue started dating. However, the day of Twilight, Spike and the others’ return to Ponyville approached, which was disappointing because Twilight would stay away from Blue indefinitely.
However, they still would be for a big event that was approaching: Shining and Cadance’s first anniversary. It seemed that was yesterday that Queen Chrysalis and her Changelings had tried to conquer Canterlot, using their marriage.
To celebrate their anniversary, they decided to make a masked ball. The event would have as invited all the couple’s friends and family. Twilight and her friends were excited by the ball. But Twilight was the one who was more excited, because she could be with Blue without raising too much suspicion.
However, when she brought this idea to Blue in one of their dates in the Oasis of the Heart, he told her something she didn’t count.
"Wait, you're not going to the masked ball?" Twilight asked as she and Blue walked through the Oasis of the Heart.
"I'm sorry, Twilight, but Dhalia sent me a message saying she needs me to help her with something" the blue unicorn said. "And then I'll have to return to Canterlot. I cannot go to the ball and Shining already knows that."
But seeing Twilight stopping with her head lowered, turned to her and told her, lifting her chin:
"Hey, listen to me, you don’t have to worry about me not going to the ball. There will be many other opportunities for us to be together."
"Given that we’ll be busy with our duties, I don’t know if we'll have time for each other, Blue" Twilight replied.
"But I can assure you that we will" Blue said. "I will use all my days off to go to Ponyville to see you, even if I have to run all the way from the Canterlot. I love you, Twilight, and do everything for you."
Blue’s words made Twilight feel rather better about herself. He was right. Surely that would be more opportunities for they to be together, they just have to believe so. Twilight smiled, which made Blue also smile, and the two exchanged a kiss. When they pulled apart, Blue said:
"Now what we have to do is enjoy the time we have left until my departure. What do you say?"
Twilight chose not to answer, merely nodding. So she and Blue continued their ride.
When the day of the mask ball, Twilight, along with Shining and Cadance, they went to accompany Blue to the train station. Due to Shining’s presence, Twilight and Blue couldn’t say goodbye to each other as a couple they were, but however they didn’t need to do. They knew they loved each other and that they could embrace each other when they returned to see one another and when they were alone.
"I hope to see you, brother" Blue said, bumping his hoof with Shining’s.
"Me too" Shining replied. "It's a shame that you cannot come to the ball, Blue."
"Yes, I know, but you know how my sister is" Blue said. "If I don’t help her with this, she will never forgive me. And if she never forgives me..."
"She will never stop to pester you" Shining completed. " Yes, I know the whole song."
The two exchanged laughs and then gave a goodbye hug. When they separated, Blue turned to Cadance and told her:
"Take care of him and see if he don’t get himself in trouble."
"That’s my job" Cadance replied, half laughing. "Goodbye, Blue."
"Goodbye, Cadance " Blue said, turning then to Twilight. "Bye, Twilight."
"Bye, Blue" Twilight said.
The two exchanged intense gazes and Blue then used his magic to put his fedora hat and to grab his bag and then he get in the train. After a while, the train began advanced. Seeing it moving away, Twilight just hoped that the time of separation between her and Blue were as short as possible.
Later, Twilight, cadance and the others were choosing their costumes for the masked ball masks, being in a shop in the Crystal Empire. They were having a lot of fun seeing the costumes. Although Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried costumes that were part of their own style, Pinkie Pie and Rarity tried all the costumes they could, albeit in different ways: Pinkie Pie tried all kinds of costumes, exchanging them with a lot of speed, while Rarity experienced ball gowns and masks, contemplating them for a while and then throwing them over the door of the locker room to be caught by Spike. It was not long until the little dragon get buried.
Twilight, however, was the only one who did not have much desire to find a costume for her. She was sitting in a corner, sad. Cadance, seeing her like that, went to her.
"What's up, Twilight?" Cadance asked. "You haven't tried on a disguise since we arrived."
"Oh, Cadance, I don’t know if I want to go to the ball" Twilight confessed.
"What? But why? "
"I think you know the answer."
Realizing that Twilight was like that because of Blue’s departure, Cadance made a gentle smile and said:
"Twilight, Blue went away from the Crystal Empire, but that does not mean that you will not ever see him. Remember that he will then to Canterlot and you will return to Ponyville. It will not be properly far from each other."
"I know that" said Twilight. "But it costs me enjoy myself being away from him, you know?"
"Of course" Cadance replied. "Don’t forget that I lived with my parents outside of Equestria. Shining and I used to be weeks without seeing each other."
"So how did you pass all that time without seeing each other?" Twilight asked. "How could you stand that."
"Well, apart from keeping our head busy for the days pass more quickly, we wrote letters to each other" Cadance said. " It was a special thing what we had."
"How?" Twilight asked. "What made this letters exchange so special?"
"It is simple" Cadance said. "We wrote a letter expressing all that we felt for each other and telling everything we had done. Then we sent them and kept them and when we came back to see each other, we reread them together. Thus, it was as like we had never been apart."
"Well, it is a good way to kill the longing" Twilight said. "But even so, I don’t know if I can take it. After all, you and Shining could be together for months before you get separated. I've only been a few days with the Blue."
"But this distance between you will only last a few days" Cadance guaranteed. "Besides, I will not let my sister-in-law be killed of boredom. You go to the ball and we’ll not talk about this again. And because I want you to share with me and the Shining this special moment. I also want you to be present when I tell him about the surprise I have for him."
"Surprise?" Twilight asked. "What surprise?"
"I'll tell you, but just because you being who you are" Cadance said. "But you have to promise me you will not tell anypony, at least until I tell Shining."
"Of course I promise you that" Twilight said. "You have my word."
Cadance leaned closer and said in a way that only Twilight could hear:
"I'm pregnant."
Upon hearing that, Twilight almost gave a shriek, but managed to control herself in time.
"Pregnant?" she asked.
Cadance nodded.
"But this is... fantastic!" Twilight exclaimed. "It means I will be an aunt. And Shining will be even more excited than me when he knows that he will be a father."
"That's what I'm counting" Cadance said. "It has always been our greatest dream and this will be my gift for him in our anniversary."
"I cannot wait to see my brother’s reaction."
"Of course, for that, you have to go to the ball. What do you say we go find a costume for you?"
Despite being sad to be away from Blue, Cadance’s new cheered her up immediately. She smiled and waved. And then they went try costumes.
When it started to get dark, the guests began to arrive, all wearing different costumes.
Twilight was finishing dressing and making up. She would masquerade herself in the Pony Frankenstein’s bride. She had already her dirty and old bride dress and her mane was built up and painted in black with a white stripe on each side. After she finish putting her face completely pale and accentuate the shadow in her eyes with black make up, she turned to Spike, who was dressed in the dragon costume he used in Nightmare Night, and said:
"I'm ready."
"Finally!" Spike exclaimed. "You take longer more than when you disguised yourself as Star Swirld."
"Oh, Spike, you're so impatient" Twilight replied. "Come on, let’s go."
They went to the ballroom of the castle, which was filled with ponies, talking and eating happily. Her friends were also very animated, all in their costumes: Fluttershy was a Breezie, Applejack was a Timberwolf, Rainbow was a griffin, Pinkie Pie was a chicken (after all the costumes she tried, she ended up choosing that costume) and Rarity was wearing a huge ball dress and had a mask with a handle.
After Shining and Cadance, dressed as pharaoh and queen of Old Coltypt, begin the dance floor, several pairs began to go too. Seeing all those ponies dancing, Twilight soon began missing Blue. She would love a lot being there on the dance floor to dance with him.
The music that was playing finished and while the musicians were preparing to play another, some pairs came and went. Shining and Cadance went out to rest. For his brother’s air, it seemed that Cadance still had not told him the great news.
"May I have this dance, Princess Twilight?" a stallion voice said behind Twilight.
She then turned to him to say:
"I’m sorry, but I don’t..."
But then she noticed the stallion had invited her to dance, extending her a coatless light yellow hoof. She could see the stallion had a very light yellow coat in a slightly darker tone than the hooves and a pure yellow and soft yellow mane. He was disguised as a swordpony with a sleek suit with a white shirt, black pants and a red long tail coat with a matching cape. He also had a big hat of the same color with a red feather and a sheath where he had a sword. But her attention was for the face, containing a black mask on the area around the eyes, which were glaucous.
Observing those eyes, Twilight was sure she knew that stallion and then she saw the glow that radiated from them and then she figured out.
"Blue?" She asked, with increasing enthusiasm. "Is it you?"
The stallion just smiled. It was really him. She didn’t know what to say.
"Does the Princess accept my invitation?" Blue asked again.
Twilight smiled at him and then accepted his hoof and the two went to the dance floor, where they began to dance when the song began. Although Twilight was not a very good dancer, Blue led her, which gave her enough security. Their movements were fluid and elegant. But the high point was when Blue grabbed Twilight by the waist and lifted her into the air, rotating with her, as the two smiled at each other.
In the distance, seeing them dancing, were Shining and Cadance. The white unicorn was seeing her sister and an unknown stallion dancing with an angry stare.
"Who does that guy think he is, dancing with my sister?" he growled.
Cadance, watchinh them dancing, seemed to recognize mysterious stallion’s dancing style and, seeing the happiness Twilight had in her face, she realized who he was, what made her smile. Then she turned to her husband and said:
"Shining, sweetheart, I think it’s better you take it easy. It's just one dance, it's no big deal."
"Just one dance?" Shining repeated. "That guy is obviously trying to seduce my sister."
Then the song ended and Blue finished the dance by dipping Twilight low. The two looked intently and then Blue lifted her, making her a bow after that.
"Okay, that's enough" Shining said. "I'm going up there."
And he started to go in Twilight and Blue’s direction.
"Shining, wait" Cadance asked, but was a late request.
"But how can you be here?" Twilight asked to Blue. "I thought you had gone to help Dhalia."
"Well, let’s say I invented that part" Blue confessed.
"You did?" Twilight asked.
"How else could I be with you without your brother suspect anything?" Said Blue.
"But he can figure out if you helped your sister or not.”
"Don’t worry, I made Dhalia to cover me. Don’t worry, she didn’t know nothing about us. But of course she had no choice. She owes me some favors.
"And your look?" Twilight asked, looking at his hooves, coat and mane. "If it were not for your eyes, I wouldn’t recognize you."
"Color inversion spell" Blue explained. "It has a temporary effect, but enough to be with the mare I love without nopony recognizes me."
"You're crazy" Twilight said laughing.
"But I bet you love that on me" Blue said.
"You can believe so" she replied.
When they were about to kiss, Blue looked over Twilight’s shoulder and he could see Shining making way through the pairs on the dance floor to get to the edge of them.
"Sorry, but I have to go" Blue whispered into Twilight’s ear. "Big brother emergency at six o’clock. We meet in the gardens."
Twilight nodded and Blue hastened to get away from there quietly. When Shining reached Twilight’s edge, she was alone.
"Where is he?" Shining asked, looking in all directions.
"Where is who?" Twilight asked back.
"That guy you were dancing with" Shining replied. "Who was he?"
"Shining, don’t you think you're overreacting?" Twilight asked.
"Overreacting?" Shining repeated. "I mean, I see a stallion that I don’t know trying to seduce my little sister and you think I’m overreacting?"
"To start, he was not seducing me" Twilight said. "We were just dancing. And it was just that."
"Twilight, I..." Shining began.
But he didn’t finish, because Cadance reached his edge and said:
"Shining, enough. I think it is better you let your sister alone."
"But..." he began.
"No buts" Cadance said, grabbing her husband’s hoof. "Come, I have to give you my gift."
"But cannot it wait?" Shining asked.
"No, it can’t" Cadance replied. "Come."
"Ah, okay" he muttered.
Before they walk away, Cadance smiled to Twilight and winked an eye. Twilight realized that Cadance recognized Blue and that she was giving her an opportunity to go to him.
Once Cadance and Shining moved away, Twilight began to push her way through the crowd and when she arrived to the gates of the ballroom, she could not resist taking a look to where Cadance was with Shining. She saw her saying something and Twilight knew it was about the pregnancy. She then saw Shining staying with a gaping air, erupting after into happiness and hugging his wife. Twilight smiled at how his brother was happy for the news that he was going to be a father.
She left the ballroom and headed to the gardens. While walking through them, she tried to find Blue, but she couldn’t.
"Have you been looking for me?" his voice asked near Twilight’s ear.
She turned and saw him, smiling her. She smiled him back and then hugged him and he hugged her too.
“I’m glad you came" Blue said as they finished the hug. "I thought Shining was gonna hold you up to make you tell him everything."
"He tried to do it" Twilight replied. "But fortunately Cadance gave me a hoof. I think she recognized you."
"I think we cannot hide anything from her" Blue said. "But how did she manage to help you with your brother?"
"I'll tell you later" Twilight replied. "Now, what I want is to be with you."
Blue smiled and replied:
"I want to be with you."
The two gave a kiss and then they went take a stroll.
At the end of the masked ball, Twilight and Blue had to say goodbye to each other. At that time, Twilight didn’t feel sad for being away from Blue. The fact that he made her the surprise of appearing at the masked ball restored her confidence.
In the next day, Twilight, Spike and the others, after they say goodbye to Shining and Cadance, who were overjoyed by the big news that within a few months would be a new foal walking around, boarded the train that began to move in direction of Ponyville.
During the way back, Twilight told her friends about the surprise that Blue had done for her. After listening this, Rarity was the first to speak, exclaiming how romantic it had been. The others were not slow to agree. Even Rainbow Dash was thrilled.
In the following days, it seemed that life had returned to normal to Twilight. However, in this normal life, there was a new variable: Blue. Although she missed him, she knew that he should be in Canterlot, thinking in her as she was thinking in him when she was concentrated in her tasks in the library or when she was busy with her duties as princess. They also exchanged letters where there expressed how they miss one another.
A month had passed since Twilight and Blue had begun dating. In that morning, Twilight awoke with a smile, because she had planned to go to Canterlot in that afternoon to go see Blue after when she had finished her tasks. In that afternoon, Twilight prepared to leave, telling to Spike:
"Spike, I'm going to Canterlot. See if you hold down the fort."
"Why do you keep saying that?" Spike said as he carried a stack of books. "I can handle myself here."
It was then that the little dragon stumbled and fell on the ground, doing the books fall on him.
"I'm fine!" Spike exclaimed under the books.
That made Twilight give a laugh. Then her owl, Owlowiscious, landed on her back and Twilight asked him:
"You take care of him, don’t you?"
Owlowiscious hooted in an affirmative way and Twilight made him a caress in his head. The owl took flight and Twilight left the library, closing the door. Once she done that, she took off and started heading to Canterlot.
After some time, she was already landing in front of the castle of Canterlot. She came in, with the guards greeting her with bows, and slipped through the castle, looking for Blue. However, she wasn’t being able to find her. Finding a guard walking through the hall where she was, Twilight went to him and asked him:
"Excuse me, do you know where Captain Blue Sword is?"
"No, I’m sorry, princess, but Captain Blue Sword is not in the castle" the guard replied.
Twilight thought what the guard told her, as she walked the halls of the castle. If Blue was not there, where was he?
Meanwhile, in Ponyville, Spike had just put the books in their respective place, with a little help from Owlowiscious.
"And done" Spike said, putting the last book on the shelf and downing the stairs. "I finished. And Twilight thinking that I needed the help of an owl."
"Who" Owlowiscious hooted.
"You know who" Spike said. "Twilight. You know, your owner."
Owlowiscious then flew to the top of a closet while Spike asked:
"Why owls always say the same thing?"
It was then that Spike heard somepony knocking on the door.
"I'm coming!" he said.
He came to the door and, when he opened it, he became quite surprised.
"You? What are you doing here?"
In Canterlot, Twilight was heading to the exit when he heard somepony saying:
"Look if it is not my most faithful student."
Twilight turned and saw Princess Celestia. Seeing her, a smile appeared on Twilight’s face. She went to the older alicorn and both gave a hug.
"It's so good to see you, Princess Celestia" Twilight said, ending the hug.
"I bet that visiting me was not the reason for you came to Canterlot" Celestia told her, making a slight smile.
"Actually, I..." Twilight began, hesitating whether or not to tell Celestia about her and Blue. "You know, I..."
"You came to see Blue Sword, didn't you?" Celestia asked.
"Well, the truth is..." Twilight began, realizing then in what the princess of the sun had said. "Wait, but how do you know..."
Celestia gave a slight laugh and said:
"Let's say that Luna has noticed that your dreams have become more interesting."
Twilight soon realized that Celestia had known that by Luna who, being her the princess of the moon, could enter into the other ponies’ dreams. She must have seen one of Twilight’s dream with Blue and should have said it to Celestia.
"I’m sorry if I did not say anything about..." Twilight began.
"You don’t have to apologize, Twilight" Celestia said. "I understand why you didn’t want to share things about your private life. Apart from that, I understand your reason for keeping your courtship with Blue in secret."
"By the way, do you know where he is?" Twilight asked. "I've looked for him everywhere in the castle and a guard told me he wasn’t in the castle."
"And he is not" Celestia said.
"So where is he?"
"I gave him the afternoon off. I think he has gone to Ponyville to see you."
"But he didn’t tell me anything" Twilight said.
"Maybe he is preparing a surprise to you" Celestia opined, winking.
Twilight pondered in what Celestia had said. Blue was really given to surprises. If it was so, then it was better she go to Ponyville quickly because he could only have gone to her library.
"It is better I get going" Twilight said, making a slight bow to Celestia. "Excuse me, Princess Celestia."
And then turned away to run. Celestia smiled when she saw her moving away and said:
"Young love..."
When Twilight arrived to Ponyville, when the sun was already setting up. She landed ahead of her library and opened the door, entering as she said:
"Spike, by chance, Blue is...
But she didn’t finished because she became stunned by what she found.
"... here?" she ended.
The library was dark. The only source of light was from a pair of candles which were placed in the center of a table set for two ponies and with two chairs. But her attention was placed on the pony standing next to that table: Blue.
"But what's going on here?" Twilight asked.
"Exactly what it looks like" Blue replied, smiling and approaching.
"Did you do all this?" Twilight asked, impressed.
"You know, it's funny you stay impressed with it when I organized an entire picnic" Blue said, reaching Twilight’s edge.
"But why did you do this?"
"Why, it’s our first month."
"Did you remember that?" Twilight asked.
"But of course" Blue said as he led Twilight to the table and pulled a chair for her to sit. "I know I have a little memory problem, but how could I ever forget this. You're my first serious relationship, you know? And I want to do things correctly.
"But, Blue, you don’t have to feel obliged to do these things" Twilight said as Blue sat. "I like you for what you are."
"I know that, but, you know, I like to do things to the ponies I love" Blue said, scratching the back of his head. "Besides... I'm a romantic. This sort of thing is what I do."
When she heard him say that, Twilight smiled and then said:
"I’m sorry, I just... I'm not very used to being treated like this. I mean, first was the picnic at our first date and then that surprise at the masked ball."
"You're right" Blue said. "I think I have to control my impulsiveness. But, in the meantime, can we appreciate this dinner?"
"Depends" Twilight replied, smiling. "It was you who did it?"
"You can believe so" Blue replied, smiling in the same way.
"Well, so I guess it's best we eat it" Twilight said, jokingly. "We don’t want to waste this wonderful dinner. By the way, where are Spike and Owlowiscious?"
"Oh, I asked Spike for him and Owlowiscious giving us this moment alone. We have all the night to ourselves. I hope you don’t mind."
"Well, it was Spike who decided that and Owlowiscious only followed him because he wanted to. Of course I don’t mind But let's start eating before it gets cold."
They began eating, using their magic to use the silverware. As they ate, they chatted and exchanged stories. Blue told Twilight some stories about him and Shining when they studied in the academy, where some made the young alicorn laugh. She also told him some stories about some of her adventures with her friends which also make Blue laugh.
They had never been in this way. Normally, when they were alone or the two exchanged kisses, or embraced themselves or gave long strolls, often making them in the Oasis of the Hearth. But that was the first date where they were talking and know each other better after being separated for years.
Twilight just tell Blue about her first trip to the Grand Galloping Gala, telling him how that night finished. Upon hearing that, Blue laughed for a few seconds.
"Really?" he asked. "The animals invaded the ballroom persecuted by Fluttershy?"
"I know, it sounds crazy, but you can believe it" Twilight said. "Rarity also threw pieces of apple pie to Blueblood."
That made Blue laugh even more, in a way he almost choked. He said:
"I would love to have seen that scene. It must have been hilarious seeing that snob prince covered in pie."
"I also have not seen the scene, but it must have been hilarious when Rarity lost her temper with him."
"I wish I had been there."
Then there was a pause. The two looked intently and then Blue asked:
"I would love to hear more stories of yours."
"Well, offhoof, I don’t remember one specific" Twilight said. "But I have up there my photo album. When we're finished eating the diner, I'll show you."
When they finished dinner, Twilight led Blue to her bedroom.
"Well, where did I put that album?" Twilight asked, reaching the top of the stairs and entering in her bedroom.
When he entered in Twilight bedroom, Blue observed and commented:
"Wow, your room is really cute. It's so clean and organized. You should see mine. It's a mess."
"Yeah, you always were a bit disorganized" Twilight agreed, while searching for the photo album. "But my brother was also like that before I give him some tips about organization. If you want, I also can give some."
"That would be perfect."
So Twilight found the album and sat on her bed, where she opened it. Blue sat beside her. Twilight was showing him the photos she had on the album, as she told him when they were taken.
Then, while Twilight showed Blue a photo taken during Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy’s visit to Rainbow Dash when she was at the Wonderbolts Academy, their muzzle approached in such a way that the two looked at each other in a way that their attention was diverted from the album and then they started kissing, making Twilight let the album fall to the ground.
The two kissed and caressed the face of one another. They stayed like that for a while, but then the kissing began to be increasingly intense and passionate. When this started happening, Twilight separate her lips from Blue’s and told him:
"I think we'd better stop here."
"What's going on?" Blue asked. "You were not like it?"
"It’s not that" Twilight replied, while using her magic to put the photo album where it was. "It's just... I do not know if I'm ready to take the next step."
"What step?" Blue asked.
"You know..." Twilight said. "That step."
"But what are you..." Blue began, who then realized. "Oh, I get it."
There was an awkward pause of a few seconds and Blue says:
"Twilight, listen me, I don’t want to pressure you and I don’t intend to do so. I love you and we only do it if you want."
"Really?" Twilight asked.
Blue waved.
"But you've been with a lot of mares" Twilight said. "I hate to think that I will not be as good as them."
"Don’t exaggerate" Blue said. "I hadn’t so many marefriends as that. Furthermore, they were just unimportant adventures. You are different. I love you and I know that you will never disappoint me, in anything."
That speech made Twilight's eyes fill with tears and she smiled, saying then:
"What sweet words. You are so sweet."
"I do and say whatever it is needed to see you smile" Blue said.
The two then gave a hug to each other. Twilight felt herself so good, feeling Blue’s hug. He made her feel more relaxed and secure. Only made her be with more certain that he was the stallion who she wanted to stay with forever.
When they finished the hug with Blue holding her hooves gently and do his warm smile, she looked at him and said:
"Blue ... I want to do it."
It took Blue completely by surprise, leaving him gaping.
"Wait, do you want... Are you sure?"
Twilight nodded and said:
"I always dreamed that my first time would be with the stallion of my dreams, and that stallion was always you. And now, you made me be sure that it is you who I want to be with."
Those words were surprising for Blue, but he smiled then answered:
"If this is really what you want and if you are really sure, I will try to meet your expectations."
But before he can touch her lips, Twilight asked:
"Do you promise me it will not hurt?"
"Twilight, I will never hurt you" Blue replied. "How could I?"
Twilight smiled and then the two started kissing. Their kisses became more intense and then Twilight began to let herself fall in the bed with Blue over her and then they both started to get involved in their love.
The next day dawned radiant. The sun's rays illuminated Ponyville, causing it to glow. It didn’t take long until they found the library and start stepping through Twilight’s bedroom window.
She was in her bed, lying down sleeping under the covers with her head resting on Blue’s chest and enveloped by his forelegs. It could see that the two had a slight smile on their face. The rays hit their eyes and woke Twilight, who opened her eyes. It took a while to think about what had just happened. Had it been a dream? Only when she saw that she was lying next to Blue who was embraced her that she realized that what had actually happened. She and Blue had made love.
Twilight could not believe that it had happened. She felt an immense joy that she couldn’t explain. That had been so magical and yet so natural. It was the best moment of her life.
She turned slowly to Blue in a way to not wake him and watched him sleep. He looked so serene. She never thought that someday she would see him like that.
It was then Blue also started waking and Twilight saw him open his eyes and show her their beautiful shade of blue. Seeing Twilight right in front of him smiling, Blue smiled and said:
"It tastes as good wake up and see a goddess as the first thing I see."
Twilight blushed with the complement and said:
"You have to stop saying things like that. If you continue saying complements to me, my coat will become red."
"I’m just telling the truth" Blue said. "You're a goddess. I never had a night like this."
"Well, me neither" Twilight sighed. "Tonight was... There’s not even words."
"So that means you liked your first time?" Blue asked.
Twilight nodded and Blue sighed with relief and said, as he passed his hoof through her mane:
"Good. I didn’t want to disappointed you."
"You would never disappointed me" Twilight replied.
They both smiled and started kissing and embracing themselves. Then Thwilight’s alarm clock started sounding and she broke the kiss, turning to the clock and seeing the time.
"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "Look at the time!"
She stood up and started to head to the bathroom.
"What?" Blue said, rising.
"I have a meeting with the Mayor in forty-five minutes" Twilight replied, as she stepped into the bathtub and began to take a shower. "I have to take a shower and then make breakfast."
"Just the job to separate us" Blue said.
"Well, we have responsibilities," said Twilight, while taking a shower. "We cannot run from them."
"Oh, I wish I could do that" Blue said, lying down again with his hooves behind his head and staring the ceiling.
Five minutes later, Twilight came out from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her mane and said:
“Come on, go take a shower while I finish arrange me to prepare the breakfast."
Blue sighed and then he stood up and began to head to the bathroom, telling Twilight as he passed by her:
"I love that authoritative air of yours."
Twilight smiled, while rolling her eyes, and then she just finished of drying her mane and then brushed it. After being perfectly presentable, she down the stairs, raised the tableware of the dinner of yesterday and prepared the breakfast. When she finished preparing toasts and coffee, Blue down the stairs a bit scruffy because of the shower, but reasonably presentable.
"Wow, toast and coffee" he said. "I love a breakfast like that."
"So it’s better you hurry up before Spike and Owlowiscious arrive" Twilight replied.
"Come on, I cannot unless enjoy the breakfast that my dear marefriend prepared?" Blue asked, jokingly, using his magic to grab a toast to take a bite and drink some coffee.
"It’s not that" Twilight said. "I just don’t want to cause too much embarrassment."
"You're the boss" Blue said, while chewing.
He finished drinking his coffee and then took on some toasts saying:
"I'll take these to the path."
Using his magic, he made his saddlebags levitate to him, put them and then say goodbye to Twilight.
"Goodbye" Blue said, planting a kiss on Twlight’s cheek.
"Goodbye" Twilight replied.
Blue then headed to the exit, opened the door and, after giving a last look at Twilight, left.
After he left, Twilight sat at the table to take the breakfast, not stopping smile at the thought of what had happened last night.
It was then that her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. Spike entered, followed by Owlowiscious that flew to his nest.
"At last" Twilight said. "Where did you slept?"
"In Applejack’s" Spike replied. "Given that Blue wanted to dinner with you with a romantic scenario. By the way, how did it go?"
"Good" Twilight replied. "We had lots of fun."
"Yes, by Blue’s air when I saw him leaving the library, it seems that was a very fun night" Spike said with a certain tone of cynicism.
Twilight nearly choked with his coffee when Spike said that.
"Sorry, but I have to go" Twilight said, standing up and starting to head for the exit. "There’s a few minutes left for the meeting with the Mayor. See you later."
And having said that, she left the library.
"She thinks she can fool me by pretending that nothing happened, but, despite being a baby dragon, I know exactly what happened between her and Blue."
"Who" Owlowiscious hooted.
"Oh, please, we’ll not start that again, will we?" Spike asked.
Twilight went to her meeting with the Mayor. During the meeting, Twilight felt herself light and well-disposed, allowing her to hold the meeting always with a smile on her face. At the end of it, she returned to the library, always cheerful. But when she opened the door, her smile fell.
There, were all her friends, including Spike. They all looked to Twilight as she came in, which left her somewhat uncomfortable.
"Hello" Twilight greeted, entering and closing the door. "But what are you all doing here?"
"Well, we came to visit you, of course" Rarity replied, giving little nervous giggles.
"An’ also tah know how it was last night" Applejack said. "Spike told me that Blue has prepar’d ya a romantic dinner."
"Oh, really?" Twilight asked, turning to Spike.
"Hey, I just said what Blue told me" Spike defended himself.
"Yeah, and he also told us about the scalding night you and Blue had after dinner" said Pinkie Pie.
That made everypony look at her.
"What?" Pinkie Pie asked, turning to all except Twilight. "Isn’t that why we're here?"
"Yes, but you didn’t have to be so direct" Rainbow Dash said to her.
Twilight soon realized what they were talking about. Spike must have gone to tell to her friends about what he inferred to have happened.
"Spike, why don’t you leave?" Twilight asked, opening the door magically.
"Wait, are you ejecting me?" Spike asked. "You do realize that I also sleep here, right?"
"I'm just asking for you to go get some air" Twilight replied. "Besides, the morning is not over. there is still much time to the bedtime. "
"Twilight, I may be a baby dragon, but I know perfectly well what you're gonna say" Spike said.
"We’ll have a mares talk" Twilight said. "And last time I checked, you're not a mare."
Spike looked like he wanted to protest, but he saw that it was a lost cause and so headed to the exit, grumbling, and left, closing the door behind him.
"Well, now that we're alone, it's time for you to tell us everything" said Rarity.
"Tell you what?" Twilight asked, playing dub.
"Oh, Twilight, we're not silly" Rarity said.
"Yeah, it's obvious that happen’d here somethin’ more than jest a dinner" Applejack said.
"It didn’t happened anything" Twilight insisted.
"Oh, yeah?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Well, Pinkie’s Pinkie sense doesn’t agree with you."
"That's right" Pinkie said. "My left hindleg was throbbing, what means that somepony is lying or hiding something."
"Of course if you wan’t to tell us..." Fluttershy began.
"Of course she want to tell us" Rainbow Dash said to Fluttershy. "We're their friends."
"Yes, but she has the right to not tell" Fluttershy said.
"Of course she have the right tah not tell" Applejack said. "But she knows also she can trust us tah talk about it."
"I have to agree with Applejack" Rarity said. "Twilight can trust us for anything."
"Of course she can" said Pinkie Pie. "If it were not like that, we would not be friends, and if we were not friends, we would not be here talking about something that happened to our friend and..."
Already sick of seeing them talking about her as if she were not there, Twilight exclaimed:
"Okay, enough, I tell you! But please, stop talking about me as if I were not here."
"You see, girls, I knew that if we spoke as if Twilight was not here, she would tell us" Pinkie Pie said to the others. "Oh, wait, I'm still talking as if Twilight was not here. I think it’s better I stop."
Seeing her friends silent and attentive to her, Twilight make a deep breath and then said:
"What I will tell you cannot leave from here. Do you promise me you won’t to tell to anypony"
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye" the five swore, making the gestures of the Pinkie Promise.
Since they had made the promise, she knew they would not tell to anypony. Also how could they do that? After all, this was a part of Twilight’s intimacy.
"Well, Blue made me really a romantic dinner" she said. "A dinner that he made. It was delicious."
"And..." her five friends said.
"And we talked, we told stories to each other, we laughed..." Twilight continued.
"And..." her five friends said.
"And then we went to my bedroom to go see my photo album and..."
"And..."
"Would you please stop saying that?" Twilight asked, somewhat gruffly. "It's already hard for me to tell you this."
That made Twilight’s friends become silent. She continued:
"Well, later, we were watching the album, but we were so close... and we ended up… making love."
When she said these last words, her friends gave little squeals, as they looked at each other with great excitement.
"Oh dear Celestia, our friend Twilight had been with a stallion" Rarity said.
"Ah knew somethin’ like that could happen tah ya and Blue" Applejack said.
"Applejack, we've only been dating for a month" Twilight said.
"And who took the initiative?" Rainbow Dash said. "You or him?"
That made the others looked at her who said:
"What? It’s a legitimate question. Normally they are always who take the first step."
"Actually, Rainbow... It was me who wanted to do it" Twilight said.
That made her friends become open mouthed.
"Hold on a second" Pinkie Pie said, making appear from nothing a glass of water, drinking a little and then spitting it.
"I know it seems strange on my part, but..." Twilight began, trying to find the right words to say. "He was so sweet with me. He told me he would only do it if I wanted to and if I was sure. He said he wouldn’t and didn’t want to pressure me."
"Oh, Blue is really a gentlecolt!" Said Rarity, in her dramatic way. "You have a lot of lucky, Twilight. Look there are not many stallions like him. He’s like one in a million"
"I know, Rarity" Twilight replied. "I'm extremely lucky."
"Twilight... did it hurt?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly.
That Fluttershy’s question was somewhat complicated to answer, but made all the mares to be quiet and look at Twilight.
"Well... actually..." Twilight said, trying to describe what she felt. "I didn’t felt no pain. It was all so... natural. Blue was so kind to me that I didn’t feel nervous. It was one of the best feelings I've ever felt. I never had a night like that."
"Wow," the mares exclaimed.
"I'm so excited that my first time arrives" Rarity said. "I bet it will be wonderful."
"Well, I think most of the mares give too much importance to these things" Rainbow Dash said. "I've never been with a stallion and I am perfectly happy."
"That’s you, Rainbow Dash" Rarity said. "But wait until the stallion of your dreams appears."
"I have no rush" Fluttershy said. "I can wait until I find the right pony."
"That's exactly what I think, Fluttershy" Twilight said. "Or I thought. What matters is that my first time was with the stallion that I love and that we did it with all the love we feel for one another."
That was the truth. It was what Twilight had felt. She always feared she wouldn’t find the pony of her dreams, but now she was with Blue, she might feel as a loved and wanted mare.
Blue had just arrived to Canterlot, shortly after arriving at the castle. He entered in his office, putting his saddlebags and going to wear his armor. Then he sat in his chair and rested his back hooves on the desk and put the front ones behind his head.
He gave a long sigh as he thought in the fantastic night he had with Twilight. He never thought the last night could have ended in that way. He was so happy to have spent the night with Twilight. It was a feeling he had never felt towards another mare. Twilight was the one he wanted. The mare he wanted to love.
Then a door knock interrupted his thoughts and Blue took his hoof from the desk, putting in an upright position, and said:
"Come in."
A pegasus guard entered hastily, bringing his saddlebags, and said:
"Captain Blue Sword, I have an urgent message for you from Captain Shining Armor."
"A message?" Blue repeated.
The pegasus took the hoof to one of his saddlebags and pulled out a letter, extending it to Blue. Using his magic, Blue took the letter, opened it, and read it:
Dear Blue,
I urgently need your help. Changelings attacked a few crystal ponies in the exit of the Crystal Empire. Fortunately, I and my guards could get around the situation. Did you could bring some of yours to patrol thoroughly the surrounding area of the empire? Answer as soon as possible.
A hug from your friend,
Shining
By reading the message, he realized that the situation was really urgent. Changelings in the Crystal Empire was something to be completely alert. If Changelings fed from crystal ponies’ love, they could become immensely powerful and try a new attempt to conquer Equestria. Blue knew they were wandering around the Crystal Empire, but he never thought they would have the courage to attack in such careless manner.
He used his magic to grab a piece of parchment, a quill and ink and began to write:
Dear Shining,
I got your message and of course I'll help you. After all, what are the friends for? I'll pick my best guards and we’ll go now to the Crystal Empire.
A hug from your blue friend,
Blue.
After finishing the message, he folded the parchment and handed it to the guard, saying:
"Send this message immediately."
The guard kept the message and replied, saluting:
"Yes, sir."
Blue rose up and walked out of his office. He had to go to Princess Celestia and inform her what was happening. Then he would have to organize a group of guards for then they headed towards the Crystal Empire.
When it was night, Twilight was reading a book, making it levitate in front of her with her magic, when Spike came in the library.
"Wow, Spike, you were gone a while?" Twilight said. "You know when I said that it was still a long time for bedtime, I wasn’t saying for you to come back only then."
"Oh, I found Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo and I have been with them in their search for their Cutie Marks" Spike replied, as he walked over to a closet where he had stored some jewelry to eat.
"Well, what did they try to do this time?" Twilight asked.
"I think it's better you don’t know, but let's say that we need Cherry Blossom’s help to get out of a little squeeze" Spike said, taking the bowl with jewels and starting to eat them.
There was a pause and then Twilight said:
"Spike, by the way, about Blue’s subject. I appreciate you were discreet about what happened here last night."
"Twilight, who do you think I am?" He asked. "It's not like I walk around talking about the private lives of the other ponies."
"Yeah, and it was not by chance what you did when I got home and found you and my friends waiting for me, with all of them seeming to know what had happened... or what they thought happened."
That made Spike blush a bit, giving nervous giggles and then say:
"Yes, right, I was bad there. But now I'm serious. I'll never talk about the private life of nopony about another pony."
"Good" Twilight replied, returning then to his book.
It was then that, when Spike was about to eat a gem, he just burped, throwing his green fire that turned into a letter. He picked it up and said to Twilight:
"You got a letter."
Twilight landed her book, turning to Spike frowning.
"At these hours?"
Spike just shrugged and Twilight used her magic to pick up the letter and opened it. She saw that it was Princess Celestia.
My dear Twilight,
I fear I have not much good news for you. Some crystal ponies were attacked by Changelings at the exit of the Empire Crystal. Although the situation is under control, the Crystal Empire Royal Guard should be alert and patrol the entire surrounding area. For that reason, the Canterlot Royal Guard will help, including Blue.
I know it's asking a lot, but could you go there to help? Your skills can be very useful.
Princess Celestia
"Whoa!" Said Spike. "Changelings in the Crystal Empire? That is really serious."
"It looks like they gave up to watch the Empire Crystal and decided to attack it" Twilight said. "I have to go, now."
"Wait, Twilight" Spike asked, seeing Twilight rising up. "It's evening here and the road to the Crystal Empire is still long. Don’t you think it’s better wait until tomorrow morning?"
Although Twilight wanted to leave right away to help her brother, her sister and her coltfriend with the Changelings problem, she knew that Spike was right.
"Yes, you're right" Twilight said, starting to head into her room. "I'd better go to sleep to wake up early tomorrow."
She started up the stairs and then asked Spike:
"Could you give a way to the library?"
"Of course, yeah" Spike said. "That's why I'm your number one assistant."
"Thank you" Twilight thanked with a smile, continuing to climb the stair.
When it was early morning, Twilight got up from the bed and prepared her saddlebags, leaving a note to Spike. After she came out, she opened her wings and took off, heading north as fast as she could.
When the afternoon was already half, Twilight saw the Crystal Empire appearing in front of her. Already feeling too tired for flying during straight hours, Twilight landed on the ground. When she arrived at the entrance, the guards approached her.
"Sorry, Princess, but we must ensure you are not a Changeling" said one of the guards, who was from the Crystal Empire Royal Guard.
"Don’t get us wrong, but it is only safety measures," said the other, who was a unicorn from the Canterlot Royal Guard.
"Sure" Twilight replied. "Go ahead.”
The unicorn guard began to perform a revealing spell that could expose the true form of a Changeling, a spell that Twilight had used when Changelings and their queen invaded Canterlot. When the spell showed that Twilight was really her, they let her come in, making her a bow and apologizing again.
As she walked through the halls of the castle, heading to the throne room, a familiar voice called her:
"Twilight!"
She turned and saw Cadance heading to her.
"Cadance!" Twilight exclaimed with a smile.
The two were to meet one another and began their song-and-dance:
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake, clap you're hooves and do a little shake!"
"I’m glad you came" Cadance said, as she gave a hug to her sister-in-law.
"How could I not come?" Twilight asked, after they have finished the hug. "When I received the letter from Celestia saying that the Changelings were attacking the empire, I had to come as soon as I could."
"So come with me" Cadance said. "Shining and Blue are discussing the matter."
After using a teleportation spell to send Twilight’s saddlebags to her room, Cadance took Twilight to Shining’s office. When they entered, they found him and Blue, both dressed in their armor but without their helmets, talking.
"Twily!" Exclaimed Shining, overjoyed for seeing his sister and going to her for a hug. "It's so good to see you."
"I also like to see you, Shining" Twilight replied, responding to Shining’s hug, after looking to Blue and exchanging a smile with him.
The two separated themselves and Twilight said to Blue, in a completely natural way:
"Hello, Blue."
"Hello, Twilight."
Twilight then asked seriously, either to Blue as to Shining:
"How are things with the Changelings?"
"Fortunately it seems that they withdrew" Shining replied. "It was until they see me and my guards to escape. When Blue and his guards arrived, we started patrolling the area, but we did not find any of them."
"We found some tracks, but everything indicates that they have returned to the Desolate Zone" Blue said.
"So just like that?" Twilight asked. "It isn’t seems like them."
"We believe that they just wanted food" Shining said. "But it's strange they give attentions to do that."
"Which can only mean two things" Blue said. "Either they became completely stupid or..."
"Or they are plotting something" Twilight concluded.
"That's what we thought" Cadance said. "Fortunately, we have great news."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yes, we caught a Changeling" Blue said.
"We have him in the dungeon of the castle" Shining said. "Me and Blue are on our way to interrogate him now."
"I'm coming with you" Twilight said. "I want to help any way I can."
"Wait, are you sure?" Shining asked. "I mean, if you want, you can go help Cadance trying to calm down the crystal ponies."
Twilight soon realized what his brother was trying to do. He was being the overprotective brother who used to not let his precious sister approached a nefarious creature as a Changeling.
Cadance also noticed that and said:
"Shining, I think I can do it by myself."
"Yes, and I'm grown up enough to help you in an interrogatory" Twilight said.
"But..." Shining said.
But he saw the two mares looking sharply at him. Shining turned to Blue, for support, but he simply shrugged as saying that it was better to give her a chance. Shining then sighed and said to his sister:
"Okay, you can come, but let the questions to me and Blue."
"It works to me" she replied.
So when they left the office, Cadance went to try to calm down the crystal ponies, because they needed their love to recharge the crystal heart to lift up the Crystal Empire protection while Shining, Twilight and Blue headed into the dungeon of the castle. They descended the stairs to the dungeon, where there was a long corridor with several cells with wooden doors with bars on the windows. There was one that was guarded by two guards, one being a crystal pony. As they approached, the guards made a salute to the three and then Shining, Blue and Twilight entered.
The cell was small and made of regular stone. A Changeling was sat, leaning against the back wall of the cell, with the forelegs cuffs to the wall, an iron chain holding his insect wings, one gag holding his muzzle and with the magic of his horn locked so that he could not attack any pony. When he saw Shining, Blue and Twilight, he looked at them in a fierce way.
"So hi" Shining greeted cynically, using his magic to remove the Changeling’s gag. " Are you willing to talk with us?"
"I have nothing to talk to you about anything" he hissed. "Do you really think I'm gonna tell you zzomething?"
"I think you will" Blue said. "Doesn’t matter if you are a Changeling. We can boot you the truth."
"And tarnish your zzo adored honor to make your enemy zzuffer, being him helplezzzz?" Changeling asked. "Pleazze."
"If you don’t talk, I can tear all the information we want from you with a mind reading spell" Twilight said. “You choose: the easy way or the hard way.”
"Wow, the little princess playing brave" the Changeling said. "But what delicious. Come on, do it, I wanna see if you can find anything in this hazy and distorted mind of mine."
"He's right, Twilight" Blue said. "The Changelings’ mind is too confusing, not only due to their cruel nature, but also because of the emotions that they devour.
"Yes, if you do it, your mind cannot recover" Shining said to his sister. "I cannot allow you to."
Then he turned to the Changeling and said:
"It's good you tell me what your queen is planning, or..."
So the Changeling began to laugh and then said:
"The Queen Chrisalizz hazz nothing to do with thizz. This izz all a matter of zzurvival. After all, here'zz so much love to devour. Much more than in any city in Equestria."
"Don’t hold your breath" Shining replied. "You don’t take nothing from here."
"Yezz, you're right," said the Changeling. "Thezze crystal poniezz don’t have half of the love that I’m zzeeing right now."
"I'm flattered, but I think my love for Cadance is not so big that make the love of all crystal ponies seems a pittance" Shining said.
"Who zzaid I wazz talking about you?" the Changeling asked. "Pleazze, I'm not talking about that feeling from lastzz time. No, I'm talking about pure passion. That izz a meal worthy of a king. Izz the fire that burnzz at the beginning of every relationship."
Hearing the Changeling saying that, Twilight shook up. He should be referring to her and Blue. She had already forgotten that the Changelings could detect any kind of feelings and emotions, something that was innate in them and that wasn’t connected to the magic of their horns.
"Sorry, but I think we have not it on the menu" Shining said.
"You must be kidding me" Changeling said. "I'm talking about..."
But before he could say anything else, the gag was again put on his muzzle, preventing him from finishing the sentence.
"Blue, what was that?" Shining asked.
"Please Shining, it’s obvious this Changeling will not tell anything" Blue said. "The best thing we can do is send him to Tartarus where we have the others captured leeches of emotions."
Twilight was in suspense. Blue had been quick to stop the Changeling, but if Shining wanted to continue to interrogate the Changeling, he would end up knowing about her and her best friend.
"Yes, you may be right" Shining agreed. "Maybe it's better."
Twilight gave a sigh of relief. That had been close.
They left the Changeling’s cell and then they came back up. When they were already in the corridors of the castle, Shining said:
"Well, I'll see how Cadance is."
And having said this, he walked away. When he was no longer around, Twilight said shortly:
"Phew, I was seeing that he would discover everything about us."
"Twilight, calm down" Blue said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "What matters is that the situation is resolved."
"Yes, and thank you" Twilight said. "If you had not shut that Changeling, he would have told everything about what we feel about each other to Shining."
There was a pause, and then Blue asked, withdrawing his hoof from Twilight’s shoulder:
"Twilight, don’t you think we should tell to your brother about us?"
Twilight sighed before answering:
"I've been thinking about it, really, but the truth is I don’t know. You know how Shining is. For him, I'm his little sister who cannot be courted by any stallion that has not been previously approved by him."
That made Blue laugh a little and then say:
"Yes, Shining conveys that message. But that's because he loves you. You should had seen when you were born. To him, you were his greatest treasure. For that reason, I think you should tell him before he learns in the hard way. Besides, I'm sick being dating you always secretly. Despite being my style, I am beginning to get tired."
"Yeah, I guess you're right" Twilight said as Blue passed his hoof through her mane. "But in the meantime, it’s nice to be like this with you."
Then the two began exchanging kisses.
What they did not know was that, in the distance, peeking around a corner, was Shining. His face writhed at growing fury, seeing his best friend kissing his sister. Unable to restrain himself longer, he began to approach them, and then said:
"I knew it."
That made Twilight and Blue parted their lips and turning to Shining, getting atonic with his appearance.
"Shining..." Twilight said.
"When I heard that Changeling talking about feeling passion ahead of him and with, Blue, shutting him up before he finished, I realized that something was happening. Now I can confirm my suspicions."
"Shining, I..." began Blue, advancing to Shining.
But then Shining punched Blue which launched him into the ground.
"Blue!" Twilight called, going to him.
Blue rose up. A trickle of blood was coming out from his left nostril.
"Blue, are you okay?" Twilight asked, worried.
"Yes, I am" he replied. "Don’t worry."
"There are three golden rules in a friendship between stallions: being loyal, never dating an ex-girlfriend and never, NEVER, flirting with your friend’s little sister!" Shining exclaimed to Blue.
"Shining, how dare you to say that things to Blue?" Twilight asked, standing up and facing his older brother.
"Stay out of this, Twilight" Shining ordered. "We talk later."
"No, we talk now" Twilight decided. "I cannot allow you do this to Blue. He is your friend!"
"A friend does not hide from the other a think like these!"
"Shining!"
"Never mind, Twilight" Blue said, standing up and putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "I understand what Shining is feeling."
"I honestly doubt about it" he replied. "If you knew that, you would have never done it."
"Shining, I know that Twilight is important to you" Blue said. "But I want you to know is she is also important to me. I love her."
"Blue, I know you perfectly" Shining said. "I know perfectly well that you only have adventures, not courtships. I don’t want my sister to be hurt by you. I won’t let that happen."
"I know that my reputation, when it comes to love, is not the best" Blue admitted. "But you have to believe me when I tell you that I love Twilight. She is... the mare of my dreams. I just want her to be happy. Shining, you're my friend and you know that I..."
"Correction" Shining interrupted coldly. " You were my friend. A friends don’t do what you did. You betrayed me and that's something I cannot forgive easily."
He approached Blue, that was not intimidated by him, and said:
"It's good that you disappear of my sight or I will not be able to control myself."
They stood looking at each other's eyes and then Blue said:
"As you wish."
He began to move away. Twilight wanted to say something but she could not find words to say. Then she turned to her brother and told him angrily:
"You should not have told him that, Shining Armor. You had no right!"
"Of course I had the right" he replied. "You are my little sister and that gives me every right. To start, you'll never go near him again."
"You may be my older brother, but it doesn’t mean you can decide my life."
"You don’t understand. You don’t know Blue. How many serious relationships do you think he had? No one!"
"That's where you're wrong, Shining" Twilight said. "Our relationship is serious. He loves me and I love him!"
"No, you don’t love him" Shining replied. "You were just seduced by him.”
"I was not seduced, Shining!" Twilight said. "I've been in love with him since my foalhood!"
That statement made Shining have no reaction.
"What did you say?" He asked.
"You heard me" Twilight replied. "I’ve been in love with Blue Sword for years. In fact, since that day he came to our house to study with you, when you introduced him to me."
"But you were six."
"That's the reason why I tried to the most to ignore what I felt for him, even when we met again more than a month ago. I thought that had been a foal crush. Something you feel when you know a colt beyond your older brother. But when we get close to each other, when we let things occur naturally between us, we realize the love we felt for each other was true. And I feel sorry that you cannot see beyond your older brother pride."
Those words had affected Shining. He didn’t expect that. Her sister was already in love with Blue when she was a filly. That was the last thing he expected... and also something that made him even more frustrated.
Then, Twilight began moving away.
"Where are you going?" Shining asked.
Twilight paused and replied, looking at him:
"I'm going to meet my coltfriend. Unless you have something to say about it."
It was obvious that Shining had something to say, but he couldn’t say anything, after hearing a sermon like the one his sister had told him.
Twilight then turned away, speeding, leaving Shining Armor alone. She then managed to reach Blue.
"Blue, wait!" She called.
That made Blue turn around, as he wiped the blood that he had on the nostril.
"Twilight, did you come after me?" He asked, while Twilight came and gave him a hug.
"Of course, silly" she replied, as she rubbed her face against his neck.
"But what about your brother?" Blue asked, as they ended the hug.
"Forget Shining. I don’t care if he approves of our courtship or not. I love you and that's all I care about."
"Twilight, though I love you, I don’t want you turn your back to you brother and..."
Twilight put her hoof over his lips to shush him and then said:
"Right now, I'm not worried about Shininh. I’m worried about you. That punch he gave you hurt you well."
"Oh, I already took worst" Blue replied, leading the hoof to the place where Shining had hit him. "I’ll survive."
But Twilight didn’t hear him, charging her horn with magic and healing and cleaning Blue’s muzzle.
"You didn’t have to do it" he said.
"But I wanted to do it" Twilight said. "You didn’t deserve that."
"Your brother has some reason" Blue admitted. "I betrayed his trust by not telling him about us."
"Don’t say that, Blue. You were always a great friend to my brother. He is being a big jerk."
"Even so, I don’t think we will go back to being the friends we were. I think it is best to take my guards and return to Canterlot. Now there is not much we can do here. Everything indicates that the Changelings, except the one we have captive, returned to the Desolate Zone. I am no longer necessary here."
He began to move away, but Twilight grabbed one of his hooves to turn him to her and told him:
"So I'll go with you."
Blue smiled and said:
"I appreciate your gesture, Twily, but... I think it’s better you don’t do it. You can worsen things further with Shining."
"I think you're right" Twilight said, lowering her head sadly.
But then Blue lifted her chin, saying:
"But you know what? Once I get to Canterlot and finish what I have to deal with, I will go to Ponyville and we can spend time together."
"Do you promise?" Twilight asked, more lively.
Blue nodded, which made a smile appear on Twilight’s face. They gave a hug to each other and Twilight told him:
"I'll wait for you."
"And I'm already excited about our meeting" Blue replied.
They ended the hug, exchanging a kiss, and then Blue began to move away.
It had taken some time, but Cadance had managed to calm down the crystal ponies and, with love returned to their hearts, the Crystal Empire’s defenses become active again.
Returning into the castle, she questioned herself if Shining, Blue and Twilight Blue had just interrogated the captured Changeling. So she went to Twilight’s room. Once there, she knocked the door and asked:
"Twilight, are you there?"
But she received no response. Maybe she was not there. Then she began to hear the sound of hooves walking around the room. She knew those steps. She opened the door and peered and when she saw Twilight there, she opened the door and asked her:
"Twilight, did you not hear me... Wait, what are you doing?"
She saw Twilight preparing her saddlebags with everything she had left in that room since the first time she started spending a few days in the Crystal Empire.
"What do you think, Cadance?" Twilight asked, closing her saddlebags. "I'm leaving. I already have nothing to do here."
"But for no reason?" Cadance asked. "We have not even spent time together. What's going on?"
"What’s going on?" Twilight repeated. "What’s going on is that my brother, who is your husband, is a big jerk."
“Shining? But what did he do?
"He did the worst thing he could do at this point."
Cadance did not understand anything. It was very rare to see Twilight angry with Shining. The last time that happened was when Shining did not tell her that he was getting married, and she didn’t see that scene, so this situation was a complete novelty to Cadance.
Twilight then sighed, sitting on the bed, and then said:
"Shining discovered everything, Cadance."
"He discovered what?" Cadance asked.
"Cadance, what is the only secret I keep from Shining and only you and my friends know?" Twilight asked back.
Then the Crystal Empire princess realized soon. The surprise crossed her face.
"He found out about you and Blue" Cadance asked to Twilight, sitting beside her.
"Yes, he did" Twilight nodded. "And in the worst way."
For Twilight’s voice, Cadance could guess that something bad had happened.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Shining... punched Blue and ended their friendship" Twilight replied.
That left Cadance shocked, asking Twilight:
"Are you serious?"
"No, I'm being terribly sarcastic" she mocked. "Do you think I would joke about something like this, Cadance?"
"You're right, you wouldn’t."
"It was terrible, Cadance. You should have heard the horrible things Shining said to Blue. And when I told him I loved Blue since foalhood..."
"Wait, did you tell to your brother that part?" Cadance asked, not wanting to believe what she had heard.
"Yes" Twilight replied. "I know, I shouldn’t have done that, since only would make things worse, but I couldn’t contain myself."
Cadance sighed. The situation had really derailed. She knew that it was up to her to soften the situation the best as she could.
"Twilight, you don0t have to feel bad about yourself" Cadance said, as she stroked her mane to comfort her. "You did what anyone would do with hothead. But, you know, I'm sure if you and Shining talk..."
"No, cadance, don’t ask me to do that" Twilight said, getting to her hooves. "Right now, I don’t want to talk with Shining."
"But, Twilight..."
"Don’t insist, Cadance. In this moment, I need to clear my head and for that, I have to go back to Ponyville. And I think Shining also need time to reflect. I'm doing this for both of us, for our relationship as siblings. Blue will also do the same with him."
Cadance smiled slightly and then rose up, saying to Twilight:
"You've matured so much, Twilight. And I'm very proud of you."
"Thank you, Cadance."
The two gave a hug and, when they finished, Cadance said:
"You can go at will. I'll try to make some sense get in your brother's hard head."
Twilight smiled and replied:
"You're the best."
"I'm just giving back everything you did for me and Shining" Cadance said. "You saved our courtship, our wedding, you helped us to protect the Crystal Empire..."
"Cadance, you also did more than enough for me" Twilight replied. "You helped me with Blue and you hid us. And now, you're gonna help me with Shining."
"You are my sister, as legally as in heart. I do everything for you and I know you'd do the same."
Twilight smiled more sharply and gave another hug to Cadance. Then she put her saddlebags and then said:
"Well, bye, Cadance."
"Bye, Twilight. Good luck."
"You too. You're going to need a lot of luck to make that hardheaded change his mind."
And then Twilight headed to the exit and got out of her room. After she left, Cadance passed the hoof at her belly and told to her foal:
"It seems that mommy will have a very serious talk with daddy. A very serious one."
Cadance then went to Shining’s office, entering without knocking. Shining was behind the desk, being get by surprised when he saw Cadance coming in suddenly and saying:
"Shining, we have to talk."
"Cadance now I have no time" Shining replied, turning his attention back to the papers he had on the desk. "I have a lot of things to deal with right now."
"And I bet one of those things is the fact that you discovered that your sister is dating your best friend" Cadance said.
That made Shining look to Cadance with astonishment.
"Oh, wait, let me rephrase: the fact that you discovered that your sister is dating your ex best friend, who you punched and called everything and anything" Cadance said.
"But how do you know that?" Shining asked, standing up.
"Twilight told me" Cadance said. "You know, at this point, she must be flying back to Ponyville, hurt by what you did."
"What I did?" Shining repeated, approaching Cadance. "I don’t know if you have noticed, but I've been fooled all this time. During all the time that they started... I cannot even finish the sentence."
"So it's good that you get used because it is the reality, Shining" Cadance said. "Your sister is dating Blue, and that's a fact. You just have to accept it."
Seeing how cadance was speaking about the subject, Shining realized.
"You knew, didn't you?" he asked. "You knew all about this."
"Yes, I did" Cadance replied. "So?"
"Then you should had told me" Shining replied. "Do you realize what I felt when I saw my sister and that..."
But he didn’t end the sentence.
"Look, Shining, I just didn’t tell you because it was a thing that only concerned to Twilight" Cadance said.
"I'm her brother" Shining said.
"But that doesn’t give you the right to control her life" Cadance said. "Shining, you have to let her make her own choices. If she wants to stay with Blue, why don’t you let her?"
"I can’t" he replied. "Have you forgotten how Blue is? I don’t want that Twilight suffer if he leaves her."
"You really don't have much consideration for your best friend."
"He is no longer my best friend."
"Because of you" Cadance said. "If you had not been so proud and possessive."
"Possessive?" Shining asked. "I'm not possessive!"
"Yes, you're" Cadance replied. "You're acting just like Twilight when she found out you were going to marry."
Shining didn’t respond to that. Despite denying, he knew that Cadance was right. She approached him, grabbing one of his hooves, and said:
"Shining, I know that Twilight is very important to you, but she has the right to be happy with the great love of her life. And if that love is Blue, why don’t you let her be with him? If you know Blue, as you say you know him, you know he never would hurt, Twilight. He is your friend, your best friend, who was always by your side. He was the one who, along with Twilight, saved our relationship when Fire Punch tried to finish it. It seems you've forgotten it."
"No, I have not forgotten that" Shining replied.
"So why are you acting like this, Shining?"
"Precisely because Blue is my friend that I’m acting like this! I know he would never try to hurt Twilight, but I know how he is. And if keeping him away can save what's left of our friendship, so be it."
"You know what, Shining?" Cadance asked. "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. Do you realize what did you say?"
Shining didn’t answer her, averting her gaze.
"Think about what you're doing" Cadance continued. "You're ruining a friendship of a lifetime because of nonsense. Tell me, Shining, of all stallions, who would you prefer the most to make your sister happy?"
The white unicorn didn’t answer that. He was understanding what Cadance was meaning. Shining knew Blue very well and thought he would be the most suitable coltfriend for Twilight. However, he couldn’t accept that idea, he just couldn’t.
"Just for you know, Blue is currently preparing to return to Canterlot with his guards and the captive Changeling" Cadance said. "I expect you take the right decision before that. Don’t disappoint me, Shining."
And having said that, he left the office.
After she was gone, Shining intuitively began to walk from one side to the other. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Cadance had just said, which made him immensely confused. On the one hoof, he had his overprotective older brother pride which leaves no stallion, with the exception of his family, get closer to Twilight with intentions that was not friendship. But on the other hoof, he had his best friend, the one who always helped him, who always supported him, who has always been faithful to him.
Then he remembered when he met Blue. He was five and felt sorry for herself, until a ball made their paths crossed. Since then, they became best friends, both having the same dreams, the same ambitions, the same principles. They were virtually inseparable. Their friendship had over twenty years, but a moment was enough to end everything. To Blue ruin everything by flirting Twilight.
'No, it wasn’t Blue’s fault' His inner voice said to him. 'It was you who caused this whole situation.'
Shining tried to ignore the feeling of guilt that the voice was inflicting him, but it was hard.
'If you don’t do anything, you'll end up losing your best friend, the pony who else you could trust.'
When he heard the voice saying that, Shining began really to ponder that he might have been too possessive with Twilight. His own selfishness would cost him the best friend he ever had. He could not let that happen. And he would not let that happen.
Then he headed to the door and got out of his office, determined to find Blue.
Cadance left a corner and smiled, seeing her husband moving away, running. It seemed he had made the right decision. She then told to her foal:
"You see, sweetheart, that's how mommy puts daddy in order."
Shining walked through the corridors of the castle, trying to find Blue, but he was not successful. Then he found a crystal guard that made saluted Shining when he came to the border.
"Did you see Captain Blue Sword?" Shining asked.
"Yes, captain. Captain Blue Sword and his guards went to the train station to transfer the Changeling to Tartarus."
Upon hearing that, Shining hastened to head for the exit. When he left the castle, he ran as fast as he could to the exit of the Crystal Empire and then to the station. But it was too late. Upon reaching the station, the train to Canterlot had already left. He could see Blue at a glance with his guards, though it seemed he had not seen him.
But that didn’t discouraged Shining. He was determined to settle things between him and Blue. And it was not only between them. He had also been very hard with Twilight and wouldn’t let a mistake like that ruin the relationship he had with his sister and his best friend.
A Changeling Attack and the Reborn of a Friendship
When Twilight came to Ponyville, it was already dark night. All the ponies were already in their homes, sleeping. She arrived to her library, whose lights were off, which meant Spike was sleeping. She entered, stepping care for to not wake Spike. Then she went upstairs to her room. She found Spike sleeping in his basket, snoring as usual. She smiled at the little dragon sleeping. It was the only one capable of doing her smile at that moment.
She used her magic to put her saddlebags on the floor and then she lay down on her bed. She was so tired because she had gone to the Crystal Empire and then returned to Ponyville flying on the same day and also because of all the emotions experienced there. However, she couldn’t sleep, remembering the terrible argument she had with Shining. She couldn’t take out her mind the angry look of his, all the things he had said, to her and to Blue... and all the things she had told him. Fortunately, her physical fatigue eventually overcome her emotional exhaustion and she fell asleep.
When it was morning, Spike woke up, yawning and stretching. When he got up, he noticed Twilight’s saddlebags and then saw her sleeping in her bed.
"Twilight had already arrived?" Spike asked, surprised. "I thought she was going to spend the night at the Crystal Empire."
Despite being surprised, he knew he couldn’t quench his curiosity at that moment, because Twilight should be very tired. For that reason, he went down to prepare the breakfast.
Twilight, smelling the breakfast smell invading her nostrils, woke up, slowly opening her eyes. When she fully awakened, she sat up on the bed, looking out the window and seeing the day that had awakened. Sighing somewhat sadly, Twilight stood up, then down the stairs.
"Hello, Twilight" Spike greeted, setting the table, seeing Twilight down the stairs. "You came early from the Empire Crystal. What happened?"
"Nothing" Twilight replied wistfully, sitting at the table and starting to take the breakfast.
But that didn’t convince Spike.
"Twilight, I know you since the day I hatched" he said. "I know when you're lying?"
Twilight swallowed a piece of toast he was eating and then became quiet for a bit. She didn’t feel like sharing anything that had happened the day before, but she knew that, if she kept everything that had happened to herself, she would ultimately not stand. So eventually she told Spike what had happened. When she finished, he didn’t want to believe.
"Shining punched Blue and ended their friendship?" Spike asked. "Wow, he must have been really pissed."
"You should have seen him, Spike" Twilight said. "I never saw my brother that way, even when I said those horrible things when I tried to expose the fake Cadance. He had no right, he just hadn’t."
"Twilight, you know Shining..." Spike started.
"Yes, I know he loves me and does everything to protect me" Twilight completed. "But honestly, Spike, tell me, do you think I need to be protected?"
"Well ..."
"He thinks I'm a filly, but I'm already a grown mare and I can pretty much make my own decisions and be with whoever I want."
Then she paused a bit and then put aside the rest of the breakfast and said, starting up the stairs, going back to her room:
"I'm going to my room, Spike. I don’t want to be disturbed."
"What about breakfast?" the little dragon asked.
"I'm not hungry" she replied, going to her room and getting out of Spike’s sight.
Spike saddened. It was hard to him seeing Twilight like that.
When Spike went meet with the others in Sugarcube Corner and told them everything, they became concerned.
"Ah knew Shining would eventually discover everythin’" Applejack said. "Tha truth always appears eventually. But Ah never thought Shining would react in that way."
"Yes, he was a big idiot for having treated Blue like that" Rainbow said. "With friends like that, who needs enemies?"
"Well, we have to understand that Shining loves Twilight and seeing her with a stallion, even more with his best friend who always saw her as a sister, must be complicated" Rarity said.
"Rarity, that doesn’t justify what Shining did" Applejack replied.
"You're not on his side, did you?" Rainbow asked.
"It’s not that" Rarity said. "I'm just seeing things from Shining’s point of view."
"I would love ponies could see things from my point of view," said Pinkie Pie. "But it seems that nopony does it."
"That's because no one understands you, Pinkie" Rainbow Dash said.
"Personally, I think Rarity is right" Fluttershy said. "We have to try to see things from Shining’s point of view. After all, Twilight is very important to him."
"Yes, but that does not justify the fact that he ended a friendship of many years because of Twilight dating his best friend" Rainbow Dash said.
Applejack sighed and said:
"Ah think we'd better stop with this thread. Each of us has a different opinion and we will not be here tah discuss it."
The others seemed to agree. Then Applejack turned to Spike and asked:
"How is Twilight?"
"Well, she barely ate breakfast and then went to her room" said Spike. "She even invoked a door in her bedroom entrance to isolate herself. I think it’s better go sleep out, to let her peaceful."
"Ya do well, Spike" Applejack said. "Ya can stay sleep again in the farm if ya want."
"Thanks, AJ" Spike thanked.
"Now, let's concentrate ourselves on more important matters" Rainbow Dash said. "We must try to cheer Twilight up."
"Uh, uh, we can do a party!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, giving her usual hops.
"Pinkie, no offense, honey, but I think the last thing Twilight needs is a party" Rarity said.
"So why?" Pinkie Pie asked. "A party always cheer anypony up."
"Yes, but this case is different" Rarity said. "Twilight should not be in the mood to a party, even a one that should cheer her up. No, what she needs is company."
"Yes, but Twilight doesn’t open that door to nopony, not even me" Spike said. "I think she really want to stay alone."
There was a silence and then Fluttershy said:
"Maybe we should ask Blue. Maybe he can comfort her."
That made the others look at each other and then Rainbow said:
"Fluttershy, you... are... brilliant!" Rainbow Dash said, getting up in the air.
"Yes, indeed, it is an excellent idea, dear Fluttershy" Rarity said, while others waved. "Just somepony as sensitive as you could think in something like that."
"Oh... thank you," Fluttershy thanked, blushing slightly, because she was not used to something like that.
"Spike, it seems we have tah..." Applejack started.
"Write a letter" he asked, making a quill and a parchment appear from nowhere.
"What the hay..." Applejack said, taken aback. "Where does that come from?"
"When you're an assistant to a pony like Twilight, you become accustomed to having a quill and a parchment at hoof" he replied. “Or at claw in my case.”
Mares looked at each other and shrugged. Then they began to write a letter to Blue, explaining to him how Twilight was. Once it was ready, Spike sent it with his fire magic.
In Canterlot, in the Captain of the Royal Guard office, Blue was sat in his chair with his hindlegs on the table. Their guards were already dealing with the transference of the prisoner Changeling to Tartarus and he had not much to do, preferring to sit there meditating.
He couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened in the Crystal Empire. It cost him a lot hearing Shining telling all that he said, but he knew his friend was right about one thing: Blue had betrayed Shining’s trust on him for hide him he was dating Twilight. Despite that, even if Blue had told Shining before, he probably would react in the same way. However, he still had hope that their friendship could still be saved. After all, time heals all wounds. Shining should be meditating very well about this subject as he was meditating, deciding if a friendship of over two decades of them still have hope.
But his mind was also thinking in Twilight. He wondered how she was after discussing with her brother, the pony she admired the most (after Celestia, of course).
Then there was a burst of green flames and a letter fell on top of his desk. When he saw that message, he took the hooves out of the table, using his magic to pick up the letter and opened it, reading it:
Dear, Blue
We know you must have a lot of work, especially with that Changeling that was just capture in the Crystal Empire, but we just want to tell you that we are aware of what happened in the Crystal Empire between you, Twilight and Shining.
We want you to know that Twilight is very depressed and isolated in her room, not wanting to talk to anypony. We know she needs to be comforted, but we believe that we will not be able to do so. However, we know that you would be able to do it.
Can you please come over and raise Twilight’s morale?
Sincerely,
Twilight’s friends
As he read that letter, Blue rose up and went out of his office.
It was already mid-afternoon and Twilight remained shut in her room, lying on her bed, completely distraught over recent events. Then she heard a knock on the door and Spike’s voice saying:
"Come on, Twilight, you cannot stay closed in there. Come eat something. You barely ate at breakfast and you didn’t lunch."
"Leave me alone, Spike!" Twilight exclaimed. "I don’t want to eat anything!"
And then she heard Spike to move away and, by his steps, he was dispirited. It was hard to her talking to Spike in that way and leave him worried, but it was simply costing her to react. She just wanted to be alone to meditate in the recent events.
There was a knock on the door again and then she said:
"Spike, I already told you I want to be alone!"
But heard nor response or steps turning away. That made her get up and go to the door. She opened it saying:
"Did not you hear what I said..."
But she didn’t finish, because he saw who was at the door it was not Spike, but Blue carrying with his magic what looked to be a container of strawberry and chocolate ice cream with two spoons on the top.
"Do not tell me that I now have scales and spit fire" he joked with a smile.
"Blue!" Twilight exclaimed, overjoyed, hugging his beloved, who returned her hug.
They stood like that for a few seconds, savoring the hug of each other and then they separated from each other and she asked:
"But what are you doing here?"
"Spike and your friends sent me a letter saying that you were depressed and that you were locked in your room and they ask me to come and comfort you. So I asked to Princess Celestia if she could dispense me for a day or two and here I am."
"They did that?"
Blue nodded and Twilight smiled and said:
"It's really typical of them."
"Then can I come in or I will stay here?"
"Sure, come in" Twilight invited.
Blue then came in and said, as he walked to the bed and sat:
"I brought ice cream. It is always a good way to drown the sorrows. We could eat it as we speak, what do you think?"
"It seems to me that is..." Twilight said, also advancing to the bed and sitting next to Blue. "... perfect."
Blue then handed her a spoon and Twilight picked it with the hoof and Blue picked the other. The two started eating the ice cream, while they were talking.
"I understand that my brother had reacted in that way when he found out about us, but he couldn’t have done it” Twilight said.
"And you're here closed because of it?" Blue asked. "We calculated that he couldn’t reacted well, if he found out."
"No, it was not for that reason" Twilight replied. "It was more for what I told him. You don’t know how repentant I became. It was like when in his marriage with Cadance, only with the roles reversed."
"Twilight, if you're so repentant, why don’t you write to Shining to apologize?"
"Blue, no. In spite of my regret of the words that I said, I’m still hurt by Shining."
"Look, I didn’t really like Shining’s attitude" Blue confessed. "But if he's still willing to resume our friendship, so I won’t hesitate to accept. You should do the same."
Twilight then smiled at him and asked, as she laid her head on his shoulder:
"What would I do without you?"
"I don’t know and we will not even try" Blue said, stroking Twilight’s head with his.
Then they spent the rest of the day together, eating ice cream and talking. When night fell, Twilight persuaded Blue to stay with her over that night and it was so.
In the next day, Twilight awoke and saw that Blue was not on her side.
"Blue?" she called, sitting on the bed.
But he was not there. Then the door opened and Blue entered, carrying a tray with magic with the tray containing the breakfast.
"Good morning" he said, approaching.
"Good morning" Twilight replied, while Blue put the tray on the bed. "Did you made the breakfast?"
"Well, I woke up early and when I saw you sleeping so peacefully, I didn’t want to wake you up and I’ll make you a surprise" he said, sitting on the bed. "What do you think?"
"We'll see" Twilight said, using her magic to grab a cup of chocolate milk and a croissant.
She bitted the croissant, savored it and then drank some milk. It was so delicious.
"You have to stop making me such food, or I'll be huge" she told to Blue.
"You'd be beautiful like that anyway" he replied.
That made Twilight blush. She blushed always when Blue made those compliments.
They took the breakfast together and, after that, Twilight went arrange herself while Blue took the tray down. They had agreed to take a walk and, for that reason, Twilight decided that she would have to be at her best.
When she sat down in front of her mirror to brush the mane, Twilight thought for a while and, after landing the brush, she used her magic to get a box that was saved and brought it to her, opening it with the hooves. Inside, there was the flower of the great tree of the Oasis of the Heat that Blue had given her. Grinning, Twilight used magic to put the flower behind her ear.
Blue finished washing the dishes and left the kitchen, preparing to go with Twilight to her room to see if she was ready. Then he had a big surprise when he saw her coming down the stairs. Twilight was splendorous with her mane well combed and flowing with the flower of the great tree of the Oasis of the Heart placed gently behind her ear.
"Wow!" he exclaimed, having nothing more to say.
"Is that all you have to say?" Twilight asked with a smile, wiping down the stairs. "It’s not like you."
"It's just that you're so beautiful" Blue replied. "I even don’t know what to say."
They exchanged a smile and then nuzzled each other. They came out and were strolling, heading to the Everfree Forest in order to have more privacy.
In Ponyville train station, a train from the Crystal Empire arrived. The door of the passengers carriage opened and Shining Armor came out. When he left, the train began to go in the opposite direction.
Shining was there to settle things with his sister. He would deal with her first before dealing with Blue, since she was the one who was more upset with him. After that, he would go to Canterlot and talk with Blue.
He walked through Ponyville and went to the library. When he approached it, he saw Spike heading to there.
"Spike!" Called Shining, getting closer.
Hearing Shining’s voice calling him, Spike stopped and turned.
"Shining" he said, while the white unicorn came to his border. "I didn’t expect to see you here."
"I came to talk to Twilight" replied Shining. "Is she in the library?"
He started heading to the library, but Spike placed in front of him and said:
"Maybe you should come back in another day, Shining. Twilight must be currently studying and you know how she hates being interrupted when she is studying."
"Spike, what I have to talk with Twilight is very important. It is a siblings issue."
"Yes, but you have to understand that..."
But Shining simply limited to use his magic to lift Spike and put him out of his way, turning then to the door. He knocked on the door and waited for it to be opened. But it didn’t happen. He knocked again, but still no answer.
"Well, it seems she is not home" Spike said, somewhat nervously. "I think you'll have to come back later."
For Spike’s voice, Shining realized that something was happening.
"Come on, Spike, tell me what's going on" Shining said.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked. "There’s nothing happening."
"Your nervousness says otherwise" Shining said. "I know something's happening."
Then he studied Spike. He realized that his nervousness had something to do with the fact that Shining wanted to talk with Twilight, but what would be the reason? The most obvious reason would be that Twilight didn’t want to talk to him, but Shining knew it could not be that. But then what could it be? What other reason could there be for Spike being adamantly trying to prevent Shining to meet with Twilight. Then he realized that she should be with somepony and she could only be with one pony, for Spike to be trying to push him away.
"She's with him, right? Twilight is with Blue."
"What?" Spike asked, trying to make a dumb air. "Of course not . But where did you get that idea?"
"Spike, I'm not stupid" Shining said. "Your face says everything."
Spike said nothing, merely trying not to look directly to Shining.
"In fact, until it is smooth" Shining said. "So I can talk to both at the same time and I don’t have to go to Canterlot."
Spike looked at Shining, surprised at what he had said.
In the Everfree Forest, Twilight and Blue walked.
"Well, the Everfree Forest is not quite the most romantic place to stroll, but here we have privacy" Twilight said.
"I even like it" Blue said. "It has that dark tone that I like."
They exchanged giggles as they continued walking.
It was then that Blue heard what sounded like branches to be broken. He stopped, looking around. Twilight, repairing in that, asked him:
"What is it, my love?"
"I heard something" he replied.
"Yeah, we're in the Everfree Forest" Twilight replied. "It is normal that there’re sounds here."
"Yes, but I think we're being followed" Blue said, continuing to look around. "My gut tells me that."
"Are you sure?" Twilight asked.
Blue remained quiet and attentive. He closed his eyes and tried to listen. He could hear hoofsteps. They were more than one, that was certain. However, he could not identify them. Then a sudden wind brought him a nauseating smell. He recognized that smell anywhere. So, without wasting time, he pointed his horn and fired a beam of magic against some bushes, hearing a moan. Then a bunch of Changelings appeared from the bushes.
"Changelings!" Twilight exclaimed, retreating to the edge of Blue.
"I would recognize your foul smell everywhere" Blue said to the Changelings. "A tip: the next time you are watching somepony, you must ensure that you are not against the wind."
He just received some chirps coming from the Changelings that began to surround him and Twilight.
"Food!" one said. "Fresh food. It'zz our lucky day."
"And we have an alicorn princezz on the menu" another said. "The bozz will be zzatisfied."
Twilight and Blue looked to each other and then nodded. Then they began shooting beams of magic against the Changelings, throwing them through the air, but they didn’t delay to stand up to attack again. The two formed a fantastic team, knocking every Changeling approaching.
It was then that Blue, after having overthrown some changelings, saw that one was preparing to attack Twilight from the back. He had already begun to carry the magic of his horn.
"Twilight, look out!" He shouted.
Twilight turned and saw with horror the Changeling about to attack her. However, she wouldn’t have time to protect herself. The Changeling launched his emotion sucking ray and Twilight prepared to be hit and closed his eyes. But there was no impact. She opened her eyes and saw, to her horror, Blue had placed in front of her and was hit. He fell to the ground and Twilight came to him.
"Blue!" she called, nesting and grabbing him. "Are you okay?"
"Twilight... I'm fine" he said weakly. "That blow wasn’t so strong."
But things were to get worse, because the Changelings had tightened the siege and were ready to attack Twilight and Blue. Twilight hugged Blue tightly at the time that the Changelings were thrown to attack.
It was then that flower behind Twilight’s ear began to glow and emit a red light that made the Changelings stop their attack and began to retreat, apparently being painfully affected by the light.
Shining walked through the Everfree Forest, looking for Twilight and Blue. He knew his sister very well and knew she would want to walk around with a pony like Blue in a discreet place and that was the only place like that nearby.
Suddenly, he saw a burst of red light happen at some distance, disappearing after a few seconds. Seeing that, Shining hurriedly running towards the burst of light. When he arrived, he was speechless at what he saw.
The surrounding trees had been felled and there was Changelings lying on the floor, all unconscious, but alive, seeming to have burns in their body, with their insect wings folded and battered. Where it should have been the epicenter of the explosion were Twilight and Blue, hugging each other.
"Twilight!" He called. "Blue!"
He went in their direction and when he reached the edge of them, they broke the hug, being surprised to see Shining.
"Shining?" Twilight asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I think I deserve to have answers first" he replied. "What happened here? Looks like a bomb burst here."
Twilight and Blue also looked and were amazed by what had happened.
"What the hell..." Blue began as he stood up with Twilight.
"What happened here?" Twilight asked.
"That's what I wanted to know" Shining replied. "But whatever happened, I'm glad that happened, considering you two had a little problem with Changelings."
Despite what happened had left Twilight without reaction, she was soon back to the question she had done to her brother, doing it with a somewhat cold tone:
"What are you doing here, Shining?"
"Take it easy, little sis" he asked. "I just came to talk with you two."
"Did you came to talk or to continue saying that we have to stay away from each other?" Twilight asked, sharply.
"Twilight, calm down, let him talk" Blue asked.
Twilight took a deep breath and acceded her coltfriend’s request, nodding with her head, and said to her older brother, calmer now:
"Keep going."
Shining took a deep breath too and then said:
"I know that what I did is unforgivable, but it was something thoughtless, an answer to the shock of seeing you two together. But I've been reflecting and, with some help from Cadance, I realized I was being rather unfair and I could keep you away from each other."
He turned to Blue and said:
"Blue, I'm really sorry. I shouldn’t have punched you and have told all those things. I was hot-headed and you know how I am when I get like this. But the truth is, when I realized that you were dating Twilight, I was afraid that our friendship could end, if your relationship didn’t work. I hope you can forgive me and that you accepted to be again my best friend and right hoof."
As Twilight as Blue had been taken by surprise with that apology coming from Shining. It was something they were not even expecting. Blue then recovered from his stunned state and said, smiling:
"Shining, of course I will return to be your best friend and right hoof. For me, our friendship will never end. Despite everything that happened, with you punching me and calling me everything and anything, I was not mad with you. You're the brother I never had."
"I say the same" Shining said.
Blue then lifted his hoof and asked:
"Hoof bump?"
Shining then smiled and bumped his hoof on Blue’s and then they gave a hug to each other. Twilight smiled a lot, seeing those two making peace.
The two friends ended the hug and Shining then turned to Twilight and said:
"I hope you forgive me, little sister. I shouldn’t mess with your courtship with Blue, but... you know... big brother instinct."
Twilight smiled and said:
"Of course I forgive you, silly. You're my B.B.B.F.F."
Then the two siblings gave a big hug, greater than the one Shining and Blue gave. When they finished it, they looked at each other, smiling, for a while, and then Shining said:
"Well, you think it is better we deal with these changelings before they have time to recover."
Twilight and Blue waved and then they went put the Changelings in a protective bubble created by Shining and then they went to Canterlot in order to arrest them and interrogate them.
What they didn’t know was that, firmly hidden in the bushes observing everything, was a Changeling, who brought saddlebags. This was the only one to not attack because the seriousness of the reason that led him and his partners to that forest near a village full of ponies which was also the home of one of the alicorn princesses. He verified his saddlebags, seeing the wooden box he was protecting was still there. After that, he tried to get away from there as quickly as possible, his destiny: the Desolate Zone.
Months have passed since the start of Twilight and Blue Sword’s courtship. During all that time, a lot if things has happened. Of course the main event was when Shining found out about their relationship. It was a tough time, but was eventually overcome. It took a while, but eventually Shining completely used to the idea that his little sister was dating his best friend. It didn’t take a long time until all Equestria knows that Princess Twilight was dating the latest Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, including the parents of each other. Twilight received a letter from Night Light and Velvet, her parents, congratulating her by her courtship with Blue and Blue’s both parents organized a dinner in their honor at their restaurant.
The love between them was growing and getting stronger at each passing day. Whenever they could, they went together visit Shining and Cadance who, as time passed, was beginning to swell due to the little foal growing inside of her belly. But in those visits, they always gave getaways to the Oasis of the Heart, their refuge.
Then one day in Canterlot (some time after the events in Bloom's New Life), Blue walked from one side to the other so impatient in his office. He seemed to be waiting for something or somepony.
Then somepony knocked on the door and he said:
"Come in."
The door opened and Shining entered.
"I’m glad you came" Blue said, seeing Shining coming in and closing the door. "I need to talk with you."
"It must to be something very important for you have sent me a message to come to you to Canterlot" Shining said. "You couldn’t have said it in the message?"
"This is not something that has to be talked in a letter. Besides, I need the help of your person to help me."
"Go on, tell me, what do you want from me?"
"I need your help."
"I got that part, Blue. But could you develop some more?"
"Well, the truth is..." Blue began, trying to find words to formulate what he want to say. "I need your help because you have experience in these things... and you are more sensitive than me and... well, I don’t have who else to turn. I mean, I could ask my father for help, but honestly it would be a little strange, so..."
"Blue, that’s not developing" Shining said. "That’s rambling. You are moving away from the subject you want to talk with me about."
"Oh, right" Blue said. "Well, the truth is that I need your help... to choose a horn ring."
"A horn ring?" Shining asked. "Why the hell do you want a..."
But then Shining realized what Blue wanted.
"Wait, you're planning on asking Twilight..."
"Please don’t be angry" Blue hastened to ask. "It was enough when you discovered that she and I were dating."
"Who said I'm getting angry?" Shining asked.
Blue stared Shining.
"And are not you?" the blue unicorn asked.
"Blue, if I was getting angry, you would be at this time on the floor due to the punch that I just gave you" Shining replied.
"Yes, you're right" Blue agreed. "But I just want you to know that I wouldn’t give this step if I didn’t love your sister."
"Yes, I know" Shining said. "If it was not like that, you would never abdicate your single stallion freedom. Besides it would be awesome to have you officially in the family. Of course I'll help you buy a horn ring. We go to the same jewelry where my grandfather bought the engagement horn ring he gave to my grandmother. If this ring is for Twily, then you should choose the best."
"Thanks, buddy" Blue thanked. "That's the attitude that I hope my colt of honor had."
That statement left Shining perplexed.
"Wait, do you want me to be your colt of honor?"
"Who else do you expect me to invite?" Blue asked. "You're my best friend. I couldn’t be your colt of honor, but I want to reward you for wanting you to be mine. So, do you accept?"
After Shining put his hoof on Blue’s shoulder and replied:
"Of course I accept. It will be an honor."
And then they both gave each other a hug. When they finished it, Shining said:
"Well, enough mawkishness. Let’s go buy the horn ring."
So they went to the jewelry that Shining talked about and, with his help, Blue chose the best ring that followed Twilight’s tastes.
After two days, Twilight was visiting his brother and sister in Crystal Empire, getting there flying. When she entered the palace, she went to the throne room.
"Hi!" she said as she entered there and found Cadance sitting on the throne with Shining beside her.
"Twily!" Shining exclaimed. "It’s so good to have you visiting us."
"Yes, Twilight, what a big surprise it was when we got your letter" Cadance said that, being in an advanced pregnancy, now remained seated on the throne to avoid great efforts.
"Well, I had nothing to do in Ponyville and I thought in coming to the Empire Crystal visit my dear brother and my dear sister-in-law, and wondering how is my nephew."
"Or niece" Cadance said, passing a hoof by her belly.
"I sincerely hope it’s a colt" Shining said.
"Yeah, but I want a filly" Cadance said. "I always wanted a filly as my first foal."
That scene made Twilight laugh and then say:
"Divergent opinions about the foal’s gender. It's just like our mother and our father. Do you remember what they told us when the mother was pregnant with you, Shining?"
"Oh, it was something very funny" Shining said.
"What?" Cadance asked, curiously.
"Well, when our mother was pregnant with me, her and our father argued about whether I would be a colt or a filly" Shining started.
"Yeah, mom wanted a filly, but dad wanted a colt" Twilight continued.
"So they made a bet" Shining said. "The one who gave the wrong answered had to change my diapers for a month."
That made Cadance drop a laugh and said:
"Your mother didn’t have lucky."
Shining then turned to Twilight and asked her:
"What do you think to do now that you're here?"
"I don’t know, maybe go for a walk" Twilight replied. "There's not much to do beyond that."
"Well, maybe we have something you to do" Cadance said, as she and Shining smiled.
"What?" Twilight asked.
Shining and Cadance exchanged a smile and then the latter replied:
"Blue is also here."
Upon hearing that, a smile drew up in Twilight’s face who asked:
"Blue is here?"
Shining nodded and Twilight became extremely happy, leaping for joy.
"Where?" she asked.
"He said he'd be in your special place" Shining replied. "I think you know where this place is, right?"
It could only be one: the Oasis of the Heart.
Without wanting to waste any more time, Twilight teleported her saddlebags to her room and walked to the exit of the throne room, telling to Shining and Cadance:
"Sorry, but I gotta go. See you later."
And having said that, she get out.
"Well, she could have been more creative with the words" Shining commented.
Cadance looked at her husband with a smile and, when he noticed it, he asked:
"What?"
"I'm glad you agreed well with Twilight and Blue’s courtship" she replied.
"I had to" Shining answered. "I don’t want to lose my little sister and my best friend. In fact, I admit I like to see them together."
"Thankfully, my dear" Cadance said. "That’s good."
They exchanged a kiss and then Shining said:
"And then I think we'll all have a big surprise."
"What surprise?" Cadance asked, curiously.
"Wait and see" Shining replied.
Twilight, as she left the castle, took flight, heading northeast towards the Oasis of the Heart. When she felt the oasis’ sweet and attractive aroma, she landed and continued on hoof. Then the arctic cold was replaced by heat and the snow for fresh grass. The breathtaking view of the Oasis of the Heart appeared in front of her eyes. Despite the times she'd seen that place, its beauty charmed her always.
He advanced towards the island in the center of the oasis and found Blue waiting, sitting and leaning against the great tree. She smiled and wasted no time, starting to run, while the stone platforms emerged. But Twilight didn’t bother to use them, merely fly over the lake and throwing herself to Blue’s forelegs, while the two initiated a hug.
"I missed you so much" Twilight said.
"And I missed you, my darling" replied Blue, as they ended the hug. "But what matters is that we are together now."
Twilight nodded and then said:
"I didn’t know you were here in the Crystal Empire. Why don’t you warned me you were here. I just found out by my brother."
Blue didn’t answer immediately, thinking about the words to say, and then answered:
"The truth is I wanted to surprise you. When you wrote to Shining and Cadance saying that you would came visit them, Shining notified me so I could come before you."
"Wow!" Twilight exclaimed, somewhat impressed. "Did you elaborate this whole plan, achieving my brother’s help to surprise me and to be alone with me in our special place? I must say I was not expecting that."
"You know, Twilight..." Blue said, hesitating what he wants to say. "This was not the surprise that I had prepared for you."
"No?" Twilight asked, already feeling her curiosity increasing. "So what is it?"
Blue was very nervous about the words. He never felt like that in my life, even when he began his relationship with Twilight. It was a moment that would change his life.
"You know, Twilight... Although I only feel for you just a good friendship when we met, when I met you again several months ago, I started looking you as a mare and not as my best friend’s little sister. And I saw fantastic qualities in that mare: brave, fearless, caring, generous... Anyway, I cannot enumerate them all."
Those Blue’s words made Twilight begin to blush. She always did that when she heard so many compliments from her coltfriend.
Discreetly, Blue used his hoof to try to reach the velvet box that he had behind him, saying:
"I began to feel an attraction for you that I quickly trying to suppress. But when we entered in this oasis and we approach so that we ended up giving our first kiss, I realized what I really felt about you: love and affection, a desire to make you the happiest of all mare."
The great tree secretly used one of its branches to bring the velvet box to Blue’s hoof that grabbed it, while continuing to say:
"So, here and now, I want to realize that desire."
And then showed the velvet box to Twilight. Seeing the box, Twilight guessed what would happen and that left her breathless.
"Twilight Sparkle, will you marry me?"
And he opened the box, revealing to Twylight a beautiful horn ring with a beautiful violet diamond, leaving Twilight speechless, putting her hooves in the front of her mouth, opened with amazement. She had expected anything but that. It was something surreal.
"So?" Blue asked, immensely excited. "Do you accept?"
But Twilight was still recovering from that request. She said nothing.
"Please, Twilight, say something!" Blue said, almost unable to control himself. "I can hardly control myself."
Twilight then smiled and then replied:
"Yes, I will."
Blue grinned and then gave a cry of joy. Twilight used her magic to place the ring on her horn, and it was soon hidden by her mane. The two surrendered themselves to long kiss and thereafter they gave a hug to each other. When they ended it, Blue said to Twylight:
"I’m glad you accepted. I was having a heart attack when you didn’t answer me."
"Well, I didn’t expect such a request" she said. "It still had to be processed. And the ring you gave me is beautiful."
"Shining helped me choosing it" Blue said. "And look that was hard to find a ring that could match your beauty. Finally, I chose one with a violet diamond, a rare jewel to another rare jewel."
That made Twilight give a laugh and then say:
"You and your cliches."
"Cliches that always work" he said.
Twilight laughed and then they returned to embrace temselves.
Shining and cadance were talking together in the throne room when the doors opened and Twilight and Blue entered, chatting happily.
"Well, I see you made good use of your time together in that special place of yours" Cadance commented, blinking them the eye.
"It was wonderful!" Twilight exclaimed. "It was the best moment of my life. The we came all the way back talking about the plans for the wedding."
Upon hearing that, Cadance became surprised. Had she heard her right? She turned to Shining who was giving off a smile and asked:
"This was what you were talking about?"
"Exactly" Shining nodded.
"Wait, you didn’t know?" Twilight asked to Cadance.
"No, I didn’t" Cadance replied. "Apparently somepony wanted to leave me out on the plan."
"Sorry, Cadance, but I had asked Shining to not tell you anything, just in case" Blue said.
"It's okay" Cadance said. "What matters is that it happened at last."
"Yes, and Cadance, I wanted to ask you something" Twilight said. "Do you want to be my best mare?"
"Me?" Cadance asked, surprised. "And what about your friends?"
"I cannot choose between them" Twilight replied. "Besides you were one of the most important ponies in my life. Of course I and Blue plan to marry in early summer, when the baby should have been born."
"Well, of course I will" Cadance said. "It would be a honor."
"Thankfully" Twilight said, glad that Cadance accepted.
"Our parents will become very happy to hear that" Shining said to Twilight.
"And when mine know, they will want to give a huge dinner in our honor" Blue said.
That made four laughing at.
And so the step to the beginning of the happiness was made.
The news about Twilight and Blue’s wedding had spread throughout all Equestria in an immense speed. It was not long until all the ponies know about it. When Twilight came to Ponyville and told her friends the news, they became elated and thrilled by Twilight. Also it didn’t take long until Twilight started receiving letters from family members, like her parents, her uncle and her grandmother, congratulating her. Of course, she also received letters from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna who likely received the news from Blue. They even offered their castle to be the place of the wedding, just like Shining and Cadance’s.
So Twilight and Blue began to prepare everything for their wedding. Twilight, thanks to her immense organizational skills, began to prepare everything for what would be the happiest day of her life, starting with distribute the most diverse tasks to their friends, who would also be her bridesmaids. As was obvious, Applejack would provide the catering, with the help of the Cakes when it came the desserts, Fluttershy would provide the music with her birds, Rarity would prepare her wedding dress and the best manestyle for Twilight, Pinkie Pie would organize the reception and Rainbow Dash would make a sonic rainboom. The latter had even said he could do a double rainboom if she had "a little help". Twilight had realized that she was referring to that potion she created to enhance the talents and Rainbow Dash eventually drank, managing to increase her flight speed and make a double rainboom, ending to cause a lot of damage to Ponyville and also ending to travel between dimensions. Of course Twilight refused.
Blue, with the help of Shining and the Crystal Empire Royal Guard, addressed the security. It was very important to ensure that the marriage didn’t end up like Shining and Cadance’s. Security measures such as lifting Shining’s protective barrier in the the wedding date’s imminence, and the use of the revealing spell in the Canterlot’s entry and all the castle’s entries in order to prevent Changelings infiltrations.
With the approach of the beginning of the summer, a great event pre-dated the Twilight and Blue’s wedding: the birth of Shining and Cadance’s foal. To the disappointment of Shining, the foal was a filly, an alicorn filly. She was very beautiful with a white fur like her father, a mane that contained some of the colors of Cadance’s (moderate rose and pale gold) and some of the Shining’s (moderate sapphire blue and dark phthalo blue) and her eyes were exactly like Cadance’s. They gave her the name of Gleaming Shield, Cadance decided the first name and Shining decided the second. Although the two parents were very happy with the arrival of their daughter, Twilight was quite glad to be an aunt.
When it just left three days to the wedding, Twilight and her friends were already preparing to take the train to Canterlot. The only one who hadn’t finished her things was Twilight. Her friends, including Cherry Blossom, whose pregnancy was now beginning to be noted, were waiting for her.
"Come on, Twilight, if you don’t hurry, we’ll miss the train" Rarity said to Twilight, who was still in her room to finish packing her things.
"I'm coming" she said upstairs.
"But who would say?" Applejack asked. "The punctuality and organization in person bein’ late fer somethin’. But who knew?"
"Yeah, she seems not herself" Rainbow Dash said.
"Wait, Twilight is not Twilight?" Pinkie Pie asked, giving then a big gasp. "Maybe she's a Changeling. Maybe she always was a Changeling, so that means we're friends of a Changeling and she has being feeding from our love since she arrived and helped us to defeat Nightmare Moon..."
"Pinkie, calm down" Rarity said. "Twilight is not a Changeling."
"I think she has every right to be like that" Cherry said. "I was also very nervous when it was my wedding."
“Yeah, but believe me, mah brother wuz more nervous than ya, sis” Applejack answered.
Then they heard hooves descending the stairs and Twilight appeared, bringing her saddlebags and carrying Spike in the back.
"I'm ready," she said.
"Finally!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "What were you doing in there?"
"Packing my saddlebags with things I might need" Twilight replied.
"You should see her" Spike said. "Twilight didn’t stop to put in and take things out of the saddlebags."
That made Twilight look sharply at him and Spike said nervously:
"I’ll shut up."
"Twilight, don’t worry" Cherry said. "When they’ll get married to, they will know what it feels like."
That made Twilight made a smile and then thanked:
"Thank you, Cherry."
Then someone knocked on the door. Twilight went to there and opened the door. Then a red carpet arose, unfolding to the bottom of the library, along with the sound of flash bulbs. And then someone came in. It was a creature whose body was asymmetrical, composed by parts of multiple animals: the right leg of a lizard, the left leg of a goat, the left arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle, the right wing of a bat, the left wing of a pegasus, a serpentine body with an equally serpentine tail with a white tuft on the tip, the head of a pony with eyes with disproportionate pupils, a goat beard and a large, protruding upper teeth, with a deer antler on the right and a blue goat horn on the left. It wore a tuxedo and wore a pair of sunglasses and came in parading. He then turned to the flashes, while laughing:
"Oh please, enough. Enough. Then I'll give you an exclusive interview."
He closed the door and snapped his fingers, causing the red carpet and the smoking disappear, saying to the mares and the little dragon, as he took his glasses:
"Well, you don’t know how annoying those paparazzi are. I’m glad you opened the door and let me in… You are seriously very good friends."
"What are you doing here, Discord?" Twilight asked gruffly, while Discord made the sunglasses disappear.
"Well, I’ll come to the wedding of the year, of course" Discord replied. "As a great friend of the bride, of course I have to go. But I didn’t know when it would be, so I decided to come here to ask you."
“Please, everypony knows when the wedding is” Rainbow Dash said.
“Yes, but I’d been occupied with my work to pay attention to the media” Discord answered. “And then I wouldn’t trust in someone else. Well, I could see the data in my invitation, but…”
"I didn’t send you any invitation" Twilight said.
"Really?" Discord asked.
Then a mailbox appeared in his hand and he opened it, peering inside.
"Oh, yeah, you're right" Discord said. "I believe that my invitation has been lost. We cannot even trust in the mailponies nowadays."
"That's Discord?" Cherry Blossom asked to her sister-in-law.
"No, Discord, I didn’t send you an invitation at all" Twilight said to the draconequus.
But Discord ignored her, turning around and noticing Cherry.
"Well, but what do we have here?" he asked.
He disappeared, appearing again in front of Cherry with fairy wings on his back, saying:
"Wow, the little fairy from another dimension. I heard a lot about you. There was no talk of nothing else when you arrived, when you wanted to go but you ended up staying here and when your psycho boyfriend came to Equestria. I feel almost like I've known you already. Tell me, how is having to use these?"
And he showed her a pony tail and a horn that were hers, having been removed.
"Hey, give me back my tail and my horn!" Cherry Blossom demanded.
"Oh, whatever" Discord replied, doing that and then appearing elsewhere in the library, without the fairy wings. "You have no sense of humor. Anyway, as we are already great friends..."
"We?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Great friends? You must be joking."
"Of course not!" Discord exclaimed, making appear a wallet and making a row of photographs dismounting. "After all the happy moments that we experience, we are breast friends."
Those photographs portrayed essentially when Discord released himself and corrupted Twilight and her friends and when he was freed to be reformed and Fluttershy made a dinner to show her friends how Discord had changed with these photographs showing the "accidents" with the gravy boat, the candles and the soup tureen. Discord collected the photographs and said, dreamily and embracing the wallet:
"Ah, wonderful memories!"
"Yeah, Ah bet they were" Applejack said sarcastically.
"Oh, come on, girls" Fluttershy said to her friends, flying and standing next to Discord. "Discord has shown that is changing. He deserves a chance and go to the wedding."
"Finally somepony who gives me a chance" Discord said, while he put his arm of a lion around Fluttershy’s shoulders and pulled her to his border. "You should learn a lot about friendship from my dear friend Flutterpie here."
"Um, it's Fluttershy" Fluttershy corrected.
"Right, whatever" he said, releasing her then. "The truth is that I love royal weddings. It was quite tedious having to hear Shining Armor and Princess Cadance’s wedding far away inside my prison block. Come on, you would not be able to deny my presence at an event so celebrated and so rare that is the marriage of an alicorn princess, would you?"
And then he made a doggy eyes to Twilight.
Twilight thought about it with great care. She didn’t feel good about having Discord in her wedding, but know that according to her principles, she should give a chance to anypony, even to Discord. She sighed and asked:
"Are you going to behave well?"
"Like an angel" Discord said, joining the paw and the claw and making a halo appear above his head, picking it then, stretching it and starting doing hoola hoop with it.
"So... you can go" Twilight replied. "It's in three days in Canterlot. But if I know about the smallest signal about you being messing up, you will take a permanent vacation to your stone prison."
"Sorry, dear Twilight, but I have prepared my vacation already" Discord replied. "I'll spend a beautiful week in Haywaii, maybe two."
When Discord saw everypony looking at him like he was more full, he said:
"Well, so I'll go. I have yet to schedule pedicure and manicure."
He made a datebook appears, consulting it as he walked to a wall where a door appeared, saying:
"Let’s me see here, I think I'll have to postpone the thing in Hayseed Swamps to the next week."
He opened the door and then said:
"See you at the wedding, girls. Don’t be late. Although the bride always is late. Or is the groom? Oh, what matters, one of them is always late, eventually. Well, bye."
He went through the door, closing it and causing it to disappear.
"What a character!" Cherry Blossom exclaimed.
"You get used to him” Rainbow Dash said to her.
They went to the train station, where the other Twilight’s guests were already, and the train to Canterlot arrived. When they arrived to Canterlot, going through the Shining Armor’s protective shield, the night was already falling, and at the exit of the station, the guards used the revealing spell to confirm if they were changelings or not. While all the guests went to a hotel, Twilight and her friends, except Cherry, who stayed with Big Mac, went to the castle. They entered, after being examined with a revealing spell again. As they walk through the halls, they found Princess Celestia and Princess Luna who greeted them and treated to guide them to their rooms. Twilight, however, decided to stay behind to go see Blue.
She found him giving orders to guards. She advanced to him carefully and, after he has given orders to all the guards, she approached and whispered to Blue:
"Guess who's here."
Blue smiled and replied, turning and pulling Twilight to him:
"My dear future wife."
And then the two kissed. When they parted their lips, Blue asked:
"Are you ready for the big day?"
Twilight sighed and replied:
"I'm a little nervous, but excited at the same time. I'm nervicited, as Pinkie Pie would say."
"Yes, I'm also like that" Blue replied. "I never thought this could happen to me. But still I’m glad it happened."
The two exchanged glances and smiles and then Blue said:
"I think it’s better I go. I have to ensure we have a safe wedding."
"If you see Shining, tell him I say hello" Twilight asked him.
"Don’t worry, I’ll say" Blue promised, after giving a kiss on Twilight’s cheek. "Goodbye."
And having said this, he walked away.
Twilight, after tidying up all her things in her room, she went to Cadance’s room to see her, where she was caring for Gleaming. The baby will have a nanny during the weeding, so Cadance was using the time before the event to be with her and care for her.
The next day was a great would run. Twilight walked from one side to the other to check the preparations, tasting Applejack’s food, evaluating Fluttershy’s birds, cheching Pinkie Pie’s plans for the reception (as well ensuring that it was not too exuberant) besides having to try the dress Rarity made to her for she could made a few adjustments and planning some improvements. Cadance sometimes also gave a hoof, although Gleaming didn’t help her to give the help she wanted.
Blue and Shining also walked too busy to ensure that no one would ruin the wedding day.
The night fell and Blue and Shining made their last turn and now they’re heading to their respective bedrooms.
"Well, what a day" Blue said. "I barely stand on my hooves."
"And I say the same thing" Shining said. "Keeping the protective shield active is giving me a huge headache. I am eager to get to my room so Cadance can heal me."
"I cannot wait for the wedding to be over" Blue confessed. "Not only because of the wedding itself, but also to end all this hustle and bustle."
They reached the end of the hall, where it was divided. It was there that they had to go for separated ways.
"Well, it’s better you sleep well" Shining Blue said. "Tomorrow will be your bachelor party."
"I'm really scared about what you are planning for me" Blue confessed.
"Don’t worry about it" Shining said. "You'll see, your last day as single will be memorable."
Blue laughed and then replied:
"I bet it’ll be. Well, ‘til tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Blue began to walk away. Shining prepared to do the same when a voice called:
"Captain Shining Armor!"
Shining turned and saw a pegasus guard coming towards him in the direction he came from.
When he arrived, Shining saw that something was wrong.
"What is it, soldier?" Shining asked.
“A situation occurred" he said. "It’s urgent. We need your help."
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Shining asked. "Show me the way."
The guard did so and led Shining. They left the castle until they came to a dark area of the city. When they reached to an alley that seemed to be the destination, Shining forward, but he saw nothing.
"But here there’s nothing" he said. "Are you sure..."
Then he felt a sharp blow on his head that left him unconscious. It was the guard who had put him unconscious, outlining a sly smile and making his eyes glow with a moderate harlequin glow.
The Revenge of Dark Hole, Part I - The Enemy Gives the Face
Shining began to regain consciousness. A headache haunted him. It cost him to remember what had happened. He remembered the alley and the guard who accompanied him and, after that, nothing. He opened his eyes and looked around. It was night, but as there was moonlight, Shining vision was not obscured. He was in a clearing in a forest Shining knew lie close to Canterlot. He tried to move, but he couldn’t. He looked his hooves and saw they were tied to a tree with lime green goo. Shining perfectly knew that goo.
He heard a very familiar buzzing. He recognized it immediately because the creatures that made that buzzing were his known. A swarm of Changelings quickly surrounded him, watching him with a mischievous look. Shining tried to free himself harder, but that goo was too strong. He turned to the hideous creatures with insect traces which were looking him in a greedy way. It was obvious they wanted to feed from him, but it seemed that something prevented them.
"What are you waiting for?" Shining asked to the Changelings, in an invitingly way. "Go ahead, attack. I'm not afraid of you."
One of Changelings came and said to him:
"We have orders to not feed from you. Consider yourself our guest of honor."
"I don’t know how you managed to get in Canterlot, but you can be sure you will not get away with it."
And it was then that he began to hear a laughter. Upon hearing that, the Changelings distanced themselves from Shining and made way. Shining saw a Changeling approaching him. The Changeling was different from the others. He was greater, roughly the same size as Shining’s, and had similarities with Chrisalis, although he was a male version of her. He wore also a green armor.
"I sincerely doubt about that... Captain Shining Armor” he said. “You know, you're not going anywhere."
"Who are you?" Shining asked, watching the Changeling. "You're not like the other Changelings."
"But what an observer" Changeling commented with a certain irony. "In fact, I’m different from the other members of my specie. My name is Dark Hole and I am the King of Changelings."
That statement confused Shining who asked:
"Sorry, but shouldn't the ruler of the Changelings be a queen? Where is Chrisalis?"
"Let's say she was... dismissed from the service because of her incompetence" Dark Hole replied.
There was a pause and then Shining said:
"If you are thinking to take my shape to invade Canterlot during the wedding, don’t hold your breath. My protective barrier will prevent you from enter in Canterlot and there are guards everywhere with orders to use the revealing spell in everypony. We are prepared for any attack you can do."
But Dark Hole just gave his evil laugh and then asked:
"Please, do think you scare me with that? I prepared my plan carefully to overcome any obstacle that can intrude on my way."
"What do you mean?"
"Your barrier may be powerful, but only if you fed it regularly with your magic, because, if you don’t do that, it will weak, despite nopony cannot notice that."
Shining was stunned. How does Dark Hole knew that weakness of his protection spell?
"It is clear that those ponies just have to believe that you're feeding the barrier without them knowing that you're not actually there" Dark Hole continued.
"And for that, you need to get me away for one of you can take my place" Shining concluded.
"Precisely" Dark Hole replied. "You're so perceptive."
"Well, I have to admit, it’s a pretty smart plan" Shining admitted. "But you're forgetting one thing. The revealing spell will ruin your plans. How will you keep the cover if the unicorn guards do the revealing spell to anypony who approach the castle, even a pony like me?"
Dark Hole sighed:
"Yeah, this is really a problem. Or at least it was until a few months ago."
"What do you mean?"
"You didn’t think a little strange that my reckless Changeling attack to your dear crystal ponies?
Shining remembered what Dark Hole was talking about. It was that attack that settled the conditions necessary for him to find out about Twilight and Blue’s courtship. Shining really had been surprised by that attack, failing to realize the real reason for them having done so. But now Dark Hole mentioned it, the white unicorn could join all the pieces.
"It was a distraction, wasn’t it?"
"I love that reasoning of yours" Dark Hole replied cynically. "You're quite right. It was a distraction, designed to capture your attention and your guards’ and also to lower the crystal ponies’ moral enough to infiltrate in the Crystal Empire to get in the library and steal a book."
"Wait, did you do all that for a book?" Shining asked.
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but it was worth it, given what was in that book" Dark Hole replied.
"And that is..."
"A spell which protects shapeshifters from having their disguise revealed by a revealing spell."
Upon hearing that, Shining’s confident smile down.
"You're kidding, right?"
"You're here, aren’t you?"
Shining could not believe that. If that was true, then the Changelings could walk Canterlot unnoticed. They might even have been there since the beginning of the preparations for the wedding.
"The others will notice" Shining said. "If you or another Changeling occupy my place, you will not be able to interpret me perfectly. You gonna make a mistake."
"Chrisalis took Princess Cadance’s place for days and you didn’t notice" Dark Hole said. "Your sister was the only one who noticed that the little mistake of hers. The rest of you interpreted that as pre-marital stress. Don’t worry. I don’t intend to use your skin more than necessary. Fortunately, it’s only a way to something much bigger, having the wedding of the year as my big target.
Upon hearing that, the anger began to boil Shining a lot and he shouted, as he kicked to get himself free, but he wasn’t successful:
"Don’t you dare to do anything to my sister, your bastard!"
"Relax, I will not harm her" Dark Hole secured to an angry Shining. "But believe me when I say she can do a lot for me. Although I’m already having what I want."
He laughed and turned back to Shining, taking his shape and turning to one of the Changelings with Shining’s voice:
"You, come with me. We cannot strike the eye and the sudden disappearance of a guard will raise suspicions."
"Yezz, Your Majezzty" the Changeling answered, becoming the guard who had brought Shining to the trap.
And then Dark Hole and the Changeling began to walk away with the Shining shouting to the king:
"You're not gonna get away from this easily! You'll regret it bitterly!"
"I doubt it, my dear" Dark Hole replied as he walked away. "I really doubt."
Dark Hole and Changeling headed to Canterlot. When they reached the city entrance, the guards that were keeping it blocked the way and one of them said:
"Sorry, captain, but we have to proceed with the procedures."
"Of course, you are completely at ease" the impostor Shining said.
Then the unicorn guard started doing the revealing spell on Dark Hole and on his Changeling, but they didn’t revert to their original form. After the guards allow them the entrance, saluting to Dark Hole, without knowing who he really was, the King of the Changelings and his companion followed path.
"You know, it tastes so well we don’t have our weaknesses and they don’t turned against us, don’t you think?" Dark Hole asked to the Changeling.
He nodded and they continued.
They went to the castle, entering after being subjected to another failed revealing spell, and Dark Hole told to the Changeling:
"Let's split up. We cannot draw attention. Once we do that, invent an excuse and get out of Canterlot and then returns to keep watch our guest."
The Changeling bowed and walked away. Dark Hole walked through the halls when Cadance appeared, bringing Gleaming upon her torso.
"Oh, you're here" Cadance said, approaching. "You took so long. Is there something wrong?"
"Uh, no, dear" Dark Hole replied. "I'm just making sure everything is fine. I want to ensure that Twilight and Blue’s wedding goes well."
"Well, I know that you will do a good job" Cadance said assertively. "Just let me heal those headaches of yours that you must be feeling right now."
"It’s not necessary. I'm perfectly fine."
"Really? Well, thankfully. So I think I and Gleaming gonna sleep. Do you want to give a kiss to daddy, dear?"
Dark Hole didn’t like foals, much less give them kisses, especially knowing who was the father of the foal in question, but he had to keep his cover. He prepared to kiss Gleaming’s forehead, but then she began to cry, making Dark Hole stop.
"Looks like she's very grumpy" Cadance said, using her magic to get the little filly and starting to lull her. "I think it’s better get going to the bedroom."
She gave a kiss on Dark Hole’s cheek and walked away with Gleaming. Dark Hole hastened to clear Cadance’s kiss, a little disgusted. He hated those corny things. That baby foal could have also ruined his disguise. It seemed really foals could feel the danger. He just hoped that didn’t ruin his plan. Of course, the best he had to do was avoid contact with her, which would not be very difficult, considering that the wedding was to take place in two days.
In the next day, Dark Hole tried to interpret what he knew to be Shining’s personality: a nice and friendly stallion, always ready to help a friend with a smile and somepony who always followed the rules. Of course, the hardest part was doing all this, especially when it was having to deal with Twilight, Blue and Cadance, striving to the most for they don’t discover anything, due they were Shining’s closest ponies. Fortunately for him, the final preparations kept everypony busy.
It was soon dusk and taking into account that Shining was Blue’s colt of honor, it was his duty to prepare the bachelor party. But of course now it was up to Dark Hole. Of course that was part of his plan. Along with some friends from the Royal Guard Academy, Dark Hole led Blue to a bar for his bachelor party.
They told stories, laughed and drank while sitting at a table. It didn’t take long for the stallions started to be drunk due to the alcohol they were consuming. Of course Dark Hole strove to not drink too much. His goal was almost within his reach.
"Dude, I can’t really believe you're going to tie the knot, Blue" Summer Sun said, between hiccups.
"Yes, I always thought you would be still a gallant stallion" Silverweed continued.
"And moreover with the little Twilight" Dark Night said. "Are you sure you want to let your sister marry this conqueror, Shining my friend?"
"I trust Blue and I know he will not hurt Twilight" Dark Hole replied, trying to pretend a more or less drunken air.
"And I'll try not to disappoint you, brother" Blue said to Dark Hole. "You bet I will."
"Oh, I know that" Dark Hole replied, somewhat grimly. "You can be sure about that."
In the castle, in Twilight’s room, she was celebrating his last night as single mare with Cadance and their friends from Ponyville, Cherry included. They were talking animatedly while Spike walked from one side to the other, serving drinks and ensuring that all of them were comfortable, as well ensuring Gleaming was comfortable and sleeping in her crib.
"Well, Twilight, tomorrow will be your magical day" Rarity said. "Do you feel prepared?"
"Of course she is prepared" Rainbow Dash answered. "It’s Twilight we're talking about, and it was she who prepared the wedding."
"I don’t know, Rainbow, I don’t feel very confident" confessed Twilight. "I think I have a lot of nerves."
"Well, that's normal" Cadance said. "I felt the same when my wedding day with Shining approached. Of course the nervousness increased more when the Queen of the Changelings kidnapped me and locked me in the caves beneath Canterlot."
"I also felt quite nervous when it was my wedding" Cherry said. "But when I saw Big Mac waiting for me at the altar, smiling, all my nerves disappeared."
"Yeah, I also felt the same" Cadance said. "That's when we are sure it is with that stallion we want to spend our lives."
"Oh, that’s so romantic!" Rarity exclaimed.
"That was the most beautiful words I've ever heard!" Said Pinkie, crying, pausing and then continuing with a cheerful tone. "Although I also read novels with a more or less similar speech."
"Well, that’s really... soppy" Rainbow Dash said. "I hope I never fall in love in life."
The others laughed about what Rainbow had said and the pegasus with the rainbow mane asked:
"Yes, we all ended up falling in love eventually" Fluttershy said.
"And that's a fact" Rarity said.
"Yeah, like the fact that a parasprite ultimately become a million and devours all the food, making the ponies leave the village where they are and find a new place to make a new village" Pinkie Pie said.
"That's something you cannot predict, Rainbow" Cherry said. "I also didn’t predict I would fall in love with Big Mac."
"Yeah, you can believe completely and totally I’ll never, ever fall in love" Rainbow said. "I already have my passion: my future career as Wonderbolt."
"Never say never" Rarity said.
As they talked, Cadance looked Twilight and noted in her thoughtful air, which didn’t provide good thing.
"What's up, Twilight?" She asked him.
"I just have a bad feeling" Twilight replied. "As if I’m sensing that something will happen tomorrow."
"The only thing that will happen tomorrow is that you're gonna become a very happy mare by going swear eternal love to the stallion you love" Cadance said.
"But what if something happens? So much can happen during the weeding."
"You are suffering in anticipation and that doesn’t make you any good. Nothing will happen. Security is tighter then the one in my marriage with your brother. We have Shining’s barrier, not to mention the revealing spells and a very close watch of the Royal Guard. Nothing will happen."
"I hope you're right, Cadance" Twilight said, still unsure. "I really hope."
At the bar where Dark Hole, Blue and others were, the bachelor party was ending. Everypony said their goodbyes and left in the order to reach home or their hotel rooms to rest for the next day. When Blue and Dark Hole were the only ones left, the first asked to the latter, somewhat clumsy, typical of somepony drunk:
"Hey, how about another drink? A drink between the groom and the colt of honor."
"Are you sure?" Dark Hole asked. "I think we should go back to the castle to stay in conditions for the wedding tomorrow."
"Shining, come on, you know me" Blue replied. "You know I can handle alcohol very well. Better than you, actually."
"Well, if you are so sure" Dark Hole said. "I'll get two drinks for us."
So Dark Hole went to the counter where he asked two drinks to the employee. Once they were ready and have been delivered, Dark Hole looked around to see if anypony was seeing and summoned a small bottle with a blue content that he poured into one of drings. Using his magic to levitate them, he returned to the edge of Blue and handed him the drink where he poured the bottle, which Blue took using his magic.
"To you" Dark Hole said, raising his glass. "Do my sister happy."
"You be, my friend" Blue said, toasting. "That’s precisely what I intend to do."
Then they both drank their drinks with Blue drinking it fast, while Dark Hole gave only small gulps, before putting the glass down. Blue also put his glass down, using his cheerful smile for a moment before his face contorting.
"What?" Dark Hole asked. "What’s up, Blue?"
"I'm not feeling very well..." he said, panting.
"But what are you feeling?" Dark Hole asked.
"I don’t know, I feel like if I’m throwing up my guts" he said.
"Well, so let’s go to the bathroom" Dark Hole said.
He helped Blue go to the bathroom of the bar. But when they got in, Blue moaned in pain and said:
"Shining, I think I will not hold."
And having said that, he fainted. Dark Hole sighed and, with a smile on his face, dropped Blue who fell on the floor. His somniferous had resulted perfectly. So two ponies got out from the cubicles, but they were not ponies.
"Take him, use the back door and be discreet" Dark Hole ordered the two Changelings. "The last thing we want is to call attention to ourselves when we are so close of our goal."
The two Changeling took Blue and began to drag him out of the bathroom. Dark Hole then turned to the mirror, contemplating Shining’s face, and said:
"I'm so close. Tomorrow is a big day, the day where I will have power and quenched my thirst for revenge. It’s time to the third step."
And then he gave an evil laugh, while changing his form to Blue’s.
The Revenge of Dark Hole, Part II - An Unexpected Alliance
Shining was still trying to get rid of the green goo that was bounding him, but nevertheless was quite a laborious task. The worst was that even if he could free himself, he would face a lot of Changelings to get out of there, and might even have to face Dark Hole. He looked at a tree beside him, watching Blue stuck on it. He had been brought by two Changelings and was tied just like him. He tried to call him, but Blue didn’t wake up, appearing to be under the influence of some drug or somniferous.
It was then that Blue began to gain consciousness. Seeing that, Shining started to call him:
"Blue! Hey, Blue! My friend, are you with me?"
Blue’s eyes began to open slowly, moaning in pain, and said:
"Oh, my head! It hurts me so much!"
He then looked around and saw Shining.
"Shining, but what happened? Where are we?"
"Blue, we were caught by Changelings."
"Changelings?" Blue repeated, confused, noticing the Changelings around them. "But how is this possible? It’s impossible. They couldn't have managed to get in Canterlot."
"No, it’s very possivle" Shining replied. "The Shining that interacted with you after we said goodbye last night was a fraud."
"What?" Blue asked.
"He's telling the truth" a voice said.
They turned and saw Dark Hole, in his true form, approaching.
"Who are you?" Blue asked Dark Hole.
"He’s the King of the Changeling, Blue" Shining replied. "He is who is behind that attack in the Crystal Empire and is his planning something with your marriage with Twilight."
"Wait a second" Blue said. "King? I thought the Changelings had a queen."
"Why does everypony have to give so much importance to that incompetent queen?" Dark Hole asked. "Doesn’t matter. What matters is that all the pieces are in their own place."
And having said that, he took Blue’s form and said:
"Let's begin, shall we?"
"Look, all this posing as the groom or the bride thing is already too old" Shining said.
"And that kind of plans doesn’t usually work" Blue added.
Dark Hole laughed and then replied:
"Chrisalis’ plan in the other time had huge flaws. She drew too much attention when she was disguised as Princess Cadance during the wedding preparations and when she stole the love of a certain captain bit by bit little to weaken the shield which was surrounding Canterlot. My plan is quite simple. I don’t intend to control Twilight. I want to devour all her love at once at the time of marriage, when her love is at its peak. So I'll stay with all that power, and adding one more little thing, I will become more powerful than the other alicorn princesses and control all Equestria."
When they heard that cunning plan involving sucking all Twilight’s love, Shining and Blue tried to release themselves with all the strength they had.
"It’s useless" Dark Hole told them. "You won’t be able to get out of there."
The two unicorns stopped and looked full of anger to Dark Hole, which was merely smiling. The King of Changeling then said:
"You know, I'll also have fun with this plan. In this way, I can kill two birds with one stone: I will not only get power, how can I also satisfy my personal vengeance."
"Personal vengeance?" Blue repeated.
"What are you talking about?" Shining asked.
"Oh, come on, I can’t believe you have not recognized me" Dark Hole said. "Don’t you think I'm familiar?"
"To me, you look like a fucking insect that I want to smash" Blue replied.
"Yes, I agree" Shining said.
"Maybe if I change to a certain form, a light turns on in your heads" Dark Hole said.
Then he changed from Blue’s form to form a pegasus with dark red coat. Shining and Blue couldn’t believe it when they saw Dark Hole changing to Fire Punch’s form, a former colleague of them who made their lives miserable in the academy.
"Fire Punch!" Shining asked. "Is that you?"
"But how can you be the King of the Changelings?" Blue asked. "But more importantly, how can you be a Changeling, Fire Punch?"
"It’s a very long story" Dark Hole replied. "But before that, let me remind you that my name is Dark Hole. Fire Punch doesn’t exist anymore since the moment you humiliate me like and I was expelled from the Royal Guard because of you!"
"Sorry, but it was you who drove a nail into your coffin!" Shining exclaimed. "If you hadn’t been a big cheater and if you hadn’t been violent with Cadance, that would never have happened."
"Shut up!" Dark Hole ordered. "Because of you, I had to wander all over Equestria to reach the Desolate Zone and be captured by Changelings!"
But after a deep breath and said in a calmer tone:
"However, if it wasn’t for you, the Lord of Chaos would never have noticed me.”
That made Shining and Blue be atonic again.
"The Lord of Chaos?" Shining asked. "The one who governs all darkness and evil?"
"How could he repair a pony like you?" Blue said. "I honestly don’t know why?"
“Of course not, you are limited beings” Dark Hole answered. “But, if you want to know, I tell you. He said he liked me because of my perfect combination of pride, envy and wrath. He said we were a lot alike and invited me to join him. Of course I accepted. How could I refuse an offer like that, especially when he gave me the power and satisfaction that I desired so much. Then he turned me into a Changeling, crowning me as their king. Supposedly, I should be leading the Changelings along with Chrisalis for greater efficiency, but after that failed plan of Chrisalis... Let's say I realized I had to change my strategy and I just obtained absolute control over the Changelings."
Shining and Blue were still processing everything, but didn’t stop glare Dark Hole. He then said:
"Well, enough chatting. The sun is about to rise and I have to go to a wedding."
And having said this he returned to Blue’s form and then he turned to one of Changelings and ordered:
"You, turn yourself into Shining Armor. After all, he is the colt of honor."
The Changeling did so.
"Come, let’s go to the wedding" Dark Hole said.
"Do not you dare touch Twilight, your disgusting parasite?" Blue bellowed.
"Do it and we kill you!" Shining shouted.
But Dark Hole just ignored them, telling to a few Changelings:
"Stay here to watch over them. You must ensure that they don’t do anything to escape. By the time of the marriage, you can feed from them at ease. But until then, don’t touch them. I want them to feel as worse as possible to know what I suffered."
The Changelings he had appointed nodded, making a bow to Dark Hole. He then turned to the other Changelings and told them:
"You come with me. I need all possible support."
The other Changelings waved and change their shape, becoming in several mares and stallions. And then they walked away, leaving Blue and Shining observe them moving away, feeling themselves frustrated and powerless.
The morning came and the rays of the sun barely lifted by Celestia entered her room and awaken her, Twilight opened her eyes and was faced with Rarity who was just ahead of her front, which made the young princess startle and give a shout. That made Spike also awake, startle and ask:
"What? What's going on? "
"Nothing, Spike" Rarity replied. "It’s just me."
Seeing Rarity, Spike made a frill air and said:
"You are really a beautiful morning view."
"Rarity, what are you doing here?" Twilight asked to Rarity.
"Twilight, there’s only a few hours left to the wedding" she replied. "We have to start preparing you."
"And you had to wait for me to wake up?" Twilight asked.
But Rarity ignored her and turned to Spike, telling him:
"Spike, you better go get breakfast to Twilight. And hurry up, we have no time to lose."
"Okay, okay" Spike said, standing up and heading to the exit.
Rarity then began to prepare Twilight, starting with her dress, while Twilight ate the breakfast brought by Spike. Twilight then put her wedding dress, which was immensely beautiful, one of the best Rarity’s creations, being made of the finest white silk, with crusty purple amethysts in the skirt, wearing a pair of shoes made of polished white crystal. After that, Rarity dealt with Twilight’s mane, combing it as they had planned before, placing the veil and the tiara, going after that dealing with her makeup. When Rarity finished, Spike gaped:
"Wow! Twilight, you look beautiful!"
"Don’t exaggerate, Spike," Twilight said.
"Look it's no exaggeration" Rarity replied. "See for yourself."
She used her magic to bring a mirror and Twilight observed herself in it. She became speechless when she saw herself. She didn’t even recognized herself.
"Wow, I'm really pretty. I can’t believe that’s me."
"But believe it's you, my dear" Rarity said. "You'll be the most beautiful bride ever."
Twilight stared herself, smiling, trying to imagine Blue’s reaction when he see her.
The morning progressed more and, in the place where the Changelings were watching Shining Blue, one said to the others:
"I think the marriage should have already begun. You know what that means don’t you?"
They all turned to the two prisoner unicorns and another Changeling said:
"That we can feed from them at ease."
And then the present Changelings there began to approach Shining and Blue with a hungry air and showing their fangs.
"Well, it was nice knowing you, old friend" Blue said to Shining.
"I also really enjoyed meeting you" Shining said.
Both prepared themselves to face their end, closing their eyes. But then nothing happened. Instead, they began to hear sounds of struggle. Curious, they opened their eyes and were surprised by what they saw.
It seemed more Changelings had appeared and they were struggling with the ones who were watching Shining and Blue. The confusion was immense and then those who seemed to be the Changelings who were watching Shining and Blue were eventually subdued by the newcomers, perhaps because the last ones were more in number.
"Okay, that was weird" Blue commented, while winner Changelings turned to them.
"But what's going on here?" Shining asked to the Changelings.
"It's quite simple, dear Shining Armor" a voice replied. "That was a demonstration of what happens to those who turn their backs on those who they must obey."
Shining trembled when he heard that voice. He would recognize it anywhere.
"Oh no..." he said. "Not you."
"Yes, it’s me" the voice said, as its owner appeared.
It was Chrisalis, the Queen of Changeling, which appeared, smiling to Shining and Blue.
In the Canterlot castle’s gardens, all was ready for the wedding that was to take place. There was a tent where it would perform the wedding itself, where there were already Princess Celestia, who was the one who would preside over the ceremony, as well Princess Luna, Dark Hole, in the form of Blue, which was next to the Changeling with Shining’s form and Spike, both dressed with tuxedos, Cadance, who was on the other side with Twilight’s friends that would be the bridesmaids, except Fluttershy who was preparing her birds which going to sing the wedding march, all dressed with dresses created by Rarity. In the first row of seats of the guests on the bride's side, Velvet and Starlight were both very excited about the event that was to take place, as well as Shooting, his wife, Moon Wave, and their daughter, Blackberry, and in the last row Discord had appeared, dressed in a tuxedo. On the groom's side were Blue’s parents, Dhalia and her husband and their two children. Also Captain White Light, although the Commander Lightning Bolt had stayed in the Royal Guard Academy to address some issues of its.
At the entrance of the castle that led to the gardens, Night Light was waiting for Twilight, along with the flower fillies, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. When Twilight came and he saw her, he said:
"Wow! You are beautiful, my daughter."
"Thanks, dad" Twilight thanked. "You're not too bad either."
"Nothing comparing with you" Night Light said, getting after looking a little sad.
"What's up, dad?" Twilight asked.
"Nothing, I just don’t want to believe that my darling daughter is about to marry, just that" Night Light replied. "It seems like yesterday that you were a little filly who was playing with his brother in the garden and enjoyed a lot of reading."
"Dad, I'm still the same" Twilight said, picking up his father’s hoof. "I can now be a grown mare, but I’m still the same and will never change. You and mom and our entire family, will have a special place in my heart."
Night Light smiled and replied:
"I'm so proud of you, Twily. You became an amazing mare."
He gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her:
"I hope you gonna be very happy with Blue."
"And I'll be, dad" she said. "You bet I will."
Night Light nodded and then he gestured to his daughter to go and then they started walking behind the flower fillies.
Back to where Shining and Blue were arrested, they were still surprised by the appearance of Chrisalis.
"It's so good to see you, Shining Armor" she said, approaching. "I hope you still remember our time together."
"In my nightmares" Shining replied.
Chrisalis smiled, somewhat mischievously.
"So you're the Queen of the Cangeling" the Blue said to Chrisalis. "Why aren’t you with your dear husband attacking my wedding and my fiancée?"
When he ask that question, it seemed that he had touched a sensitive point of Chrisalis as she approached him and said coldly:
"Listen to me very carefully, and make it clear. That piece of shit is not my husband, and don’t dare to say it again!"
"Wow, so sensitive" Blue commented.
"It seems you don’t like him very much" Shining noted.
Chrisalis turned to him, making a slight smile and replied:
"To say I don't like him is an understatement. I hate him with all my being. He held me deep in our nest, along with my loyalist. I spent over a year and half being treated only as a means to reproduce more soldiers to his army."
"Justice is woven, isn’t it?" Shining asked. "Now you know what Cadance feel when you closed her in the caves."
"Yes, I know, it's poetic justice" Chrisalis said. "But now allows me to highlight the fact that we have a common enemy and for that reason I want to help you to get away from this mess you are" Chrisalis said.
"After what you did, do you really think we gonna believe you want to help us?" Blue asked. "Besides the fact what you are?"
"I honestly don’t care if you believe me or not, and less what happens to Princess Twilight after Dark Hole finish her" Chrisalis replied. "I just want him to pay for what he did to me and to my kind, and believe that letting him get a great power capable of conquer Equestria is the last thing I want to happen. We can sit here and talk about our problems, but the time doesn’t stop and every second that passes, the more closely Dark Hole is to absorb all the love of newest alicorn princess."
Blue turned to Shining and said:
"Shining, I know you have reasons to distrust Chrisalis, but it's Twilight’s life we're talking about. If the Queen of the Changeling can help us, it’s better to accept."
Shining didn’t answer immediately. He knew that Blue was right, but it was hard for him to accept the idea of siding with somepony who tried to use his marriage to conquer Canterlot, imprisoned Cadance and made him turn his back to Twilight. However, he knew that the life of his sister and all the ponies of Equestria depended on that choice. Therefore, he swallowed his pride and answered:
"All right, we accept your help."
"Wise choice" Chrisalis replied.
She then charged her horn with magic and freed Shining and Blue that landed standing on their hooves on the floor.
"So, let the final battle begin" Chrisalis said. "Good luck."
"Wait, don’t you help us get to the wedding?" Blue asked.
"I said I would help you to defeat Dark Hole, but that doesn’t mean that will help you with what's in the middle" Chrisalis replied. "Besides, no one in their right mind would believe that you are not Changelings if they see you with me."
"She's right" Shining said. "First, we have to expose Dark Hole and then we can defeat him."
"Well, then I'll get going and let you get to the wedding, while I take these traitor Changelings and try to get them some sense in their heads" Chrisalis said.
And having said that, she took off, followed by her Changelings who were carrying Dark Hole’s defeated Changelings. After she moved away, Shining turned to Blue and said him:
"Let's save the day."
"Yes" he replied. "And I will also punch that douchebag because he is messing up with my fiancée."
The two bumped their hooves and then headed as soon as they could to Canterlot.
The Revenge of Dark Hole, Part III - Love Is Repaid With Love
Shining and Blue arrived at the entrance of Canterlot, but they stopped and hid when they saw the guards.
"As we're supposed to be at the wedding, if those guards see us, they will think we are Changelings and won’t bother to use the revealing spell" Shining said.
"Yes, but we have to enter anyway" Blue said.
Shining looked around and then noticed his own protective barrier and an idea popped into his head.
"Why didn’t I remember this before?" He asked to himself.
"What didn’t you remember?" Blue asked.
"The barrier that protects Canterlot is of my own" Shining replied. "I can control it. which means we can teleport ourselves directly into the city."
"That's fantastic!" Blue exclaimed.
"Yes, but it have to be you to do the teleportation spell because I have to focus my magic to make the barrier to allow our entry" Shining explained.
"It’s okay, I can do that" Blue answered. "It will not be perfect, but it will result."
"Okay, let's do it" Shining said.
He then focused his magic that bound him to the barrier, using it to weaken it enough to let Blue’s magic make them go inside. He nodded to Blue and then the last put a hoof on Shining’s shoulder and began to make the teleportation spell. His horn glowed and that glow became more intense until Blue and Shining disappeared and reappeared within the city, entering without arousing attention. Shining ended the spell that weakened his barrier, making it back to its former strength. He then turned to Blue and saw that he was a bit dizzy.
"Are you okay?" He asked to his best friend.
"Yes, I am..." Blue replied, recovering from the dizziness. "It was just the side effect of the spell. I'm not very used to it."
"Well, then, let's go" Shining said. "We have de arrive before the yes"
And then they started running towards the castle.
At the wedding, Fluttershy, seeing Twilight approaching with her father and with the flower fillies in the front, motioned to her birds and began conducting their singing, while they sang the wedding march. When everypony heard that, they turned and saw the bride coming, starting heading to the altar.
Twilight, seeing who she thought to be Blue, felt her happiness growing and growing increasingly. It wouldn’t late until she be united to the great love her life. Dark Hole, in his turn, seeing Twilight approaching, he could feel her love for Blue growing at an alarming rate that refused to slow down. He smiled, realizing the amount of power he would receive.
After reaching the end, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle went to their seats and Night Light gave his daughter the Dark Hole that took her hoof. They exchanged a look and a smile, with Twilight doing it in a completely genuine way and with Dark Hole doing it in a completely faked way. Celestia began:
"Fillies and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Captain Blue Sword and Princess Twilight Sparkle."
Shining and Blue ran as fast as they could towards the castle to reach the gardens. But it was then that they had to stop, because ponies were blocking their way. But they weren't ponies and the two unicorns had certain about what they were when they began to surround them and closing with an evil air. They were Changelings.
"It seems we are trapped" Blue said.
"No, we're not" Shining contradicted.
"What do you mean..." Blue started.
"Blue, you have to go on, whatever it takes" Shining said. "You're the only pony who can make Twilight see who the real Blue Sword is."
"But..."
"No buts!" Shining exclaimed. "Do you want to save the Twilight or not?"
When Shining made that question, Blue realized he was absolutely right. The most important thing now was save Twilight. He waved and said:
"All right. But what about you? Would you be good with all these Changelings?"
"You know me" Shining answered. "I'm fine. Go stop Dark Hole from harming our Twilight."
"Very well."
Blue then went in front, facing the Changelings, and then he used again the teleportation spell to teleport himself out of the siege. He recovered quickly from is momentary dizziness and continued running towards the castle. Some Changelings tried to go after him, but Shining created a magical barrier, creating a dome to arrest him and the Changelings, making some fought against the barrier, but failing to pass it.
"You aren't going anywhere. Now, you gonna play with me."
And all the Changelings turned to him and started to approach, hissing.
In the wedding, Celestia was already doing the decisive questions.
"Do you, Blue Sword, take Twilight Sparkle to be your lawful wedded wife, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?"
"Yes, I do" Dark Hole replied, without hesitation.
Celestia turned then to Twilight and recited:
"And do you, Twilight, take Blue Sword to be your lawful wedded husband, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?"
Twilight had no doubt about the answer she wanted to do, but before she could say something, a voice cried out:
"Don’t accepted, Twilight!"
Everybody turned and cheers it could hear exclamations when they saw Blue, the true one, arriving, leaving everypony, especially Twilight, astonished.
"Blue?" She asked.
"Wow, this is the kind of things I like in a wedding" Discord said, turning his chair into a armchair with 3D glasses ready and eating a bucket of popcorn.
Blue then teleported to the verge de Twilight said:
"Twilight, it's me, Blue. The true one."
"The hell you are the true Blue" Dark Hole replied, keeping Blue away from Twilight. "How dare you confuse my wife-to-be? You must be a Changeling."
When they hear that, the guests began to whisper among themselves.
"But how could a Changeling pass our defenses meticulously created?" Luna asked.
"Apparently, they must have made some kind of trick to enter" the fake Shining said, advancing. "Knowing these parasites, it’s not impossible."
Blue turned to Twilight, which still had no reaction, and said to her:
"Twilight, I’m the true Blue. You have to believe me."
But Twilight didn't seem to believe, because she pushed herself back, trying to move away from him. Rainbow Dash put forward of Blue, flying, and said:
"Nice try, but you're don’t fool Twilight with those words."
The others Twilight’s friends placed themselves next to Rainbow Dash, nodding in agreement.
Dark Hole smile satisfied. Blue would never be able to convince them and would be arrested, and, at the time they realized he was telling the truth, it would be too late. Blue also knew that, so he realized he had to convince Twilight in his own way.
"Oasis, red light, big tree, lake, earthquake, kiss" Blue said to Twilight.
Upon hearing that, Twilight looked Blue.
"What the hell is he talking about?" asked Applejack.
Twilight knew perfectly well what that list of words meant. Those words were about her first kiss with Blue. It was something that only they knew and nopony else would know.
Then, she advanced, passing through her friends and approaching Blue, despite their calls. She looked directly into his eyes and then recognized the glow in that glaucous color, the reason why she fel in love with him years ago.
"Blue?" she asked, sketching a smile.
He waved, returning her smile. And then, unable to resist, she hugged him and he answered also with a hug, tightening her firmly against him.
Dark Hole couldn't believe. His cover was falling apart in front of his eyes. He had de find a way to turn things in his favor. Then he felt something. It was something immensely strong, something he has never felt in his life. It was the love Twilight felt for Blue. It was reached proportions never seen before. It was just amazing. It was even bigger than Dark Hole expected. He realized he had to attack. It was now or never.
"Enough of this farce!" he exclaimed.
And then he came forward and pushed Blue, throwing him to the ground two meters of distance. Then he turned to Twilight, grabbed her shoulders and began to use his magic to begin sucking Twilight’s love, while she moaning in pain.
Those who watched shouted of horror and Velvet was who gave bigger cries upon seeing her daughter being attacked by Dark Hole, and Night Light was those who was controlling her. Celestia, Luna and Cadance tried to intervene, but it was then that the Changeling with Shining’s form put himself alongside with Dark Hole, revealing his true form and creating a shield-shaped cocoon around him, Dark Hole and Twilight that made all back off, being also caught of surprise to see that Changeling had taken Shining’s place, mainly Cadance.
Before they could bargain, Dark Hole absorbed all Twilight’s love, causing her to fall to the ground, motionless and staring with a blank stare upwards, her eyes filled with a certain green tone, similar to the one Shining had when he was under Chrisalis’ control. However, she seemed to still be alive, but completely immobile and unresponsive.
"TWILIGHT!" Blue screamed, seeing that.
Dark Hole laugh, while the Changeling was undoing the shield. Dark Hole then rose in the air, returning to his true form, saying:
"I can feel it! The power is... huge! All the fullness love of an alicorn princess. Now I have the power to conquer all Equestria on behalf of the great Lord of Chaos!"
"You gonna do that over our dead bodies" said Celestia, while she, Luna and Cadance were preparing to face him.
"That can be arranged" Dark Hole asnwered.
And then he launched a magic ray that created a kind of transparent stone cocoon, trapping them. They tried to get out, but they weren't able to do so.
"Discord, do something!" Celestia exclaimed.
"Now that things were getting interesting?" asked Discord, while eating popcorn.
"Discord!" the three trapped alicorn princesses shouted.
"Uh, killjoy" he said, rising up to confront Dark Hole. "Very well, bandit. It's time to you face the fists of justice. I always wanted to say this."
"That's what you think, freak" Dark Hole said, throwing a magic ray that hit in Discord and made scroll and interlace just like a cord, falling on the ground.
"Hey, I'm the only one who can turn ponies into pretzles!" Discord exclaimed, unable to unfold.
"I think it’s better stay quiet, given that you're not very well positioned among the Lord of Chaos’ most beloved followers" Dark Hole told him.
That made Discord swallowing hard.
"And now, let's go to the grand finale" Dark Hole said.
And having said that, he invoked a wooden box, which he opened and remobed nothing more, nothing less than the alicorn amuleto. Those who recognized it gasped in shock. He placed it and then his bright green aura became vivid red.
"The power is even greater than I expected!" Dark Hole exclaimed. "With Princess Twilight’s love combined with the power of the alicorn amulet, I will be the most powerful creature in all Equestria. Nopony will be able to defeat me."
He then turned to Blue, who had gone to his beloved one, and told him:
"And I have to thank you, dear Blue. If it wasn't for you and your beautiful words, Twilight’s love wouldn’t overflow the limit, giving me more power than I ever dreamed with."
"You gonna pay for this" Blue said. "Did you heard me, Fire Punch? You won't get away with this!"
The mention of the name made Dark Hole's eyes flare with anger, but everyone in the room who remembered the fiery-red pegasus was surprised by the revelation.
"Fire Punch?" Cadance asked, inside her cocoon. "Is it really you?"
"Fire Punch doesn’t exist anymore" Dark Hole say to everypony. "Now there's only Dark Hole! And I hope you get used to that name, because that’s the name of your new sovereign."
"I must say I'm impressed" a voice said.
Everypony turned and then saw Chrisalis approaching flying with her Changelings. Seeing her, the Changeling who was with Dark Hole hissed to her and then more Dark Hole’s Changelings appeared.
"You?" Dark Hole asked, landing. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I came just to congratulate you for a successful plan" Chrisalis answered, approaching.
"It's always good to vary a bit, don't you think?" Dark Hole said to her. "If we still share the leadership of the Changelings, we'd still be doomed to see more your plans to fail. But I have to give you credit for you having managed to escape from the place where I put you. I shouldn't have underestimated you."
"I have my tricks" she replied. "Besides it was easier to escape after having let your guard to come to Canterlot to put your plan in motion.”
"If you are thinking to defy me to regain control over the Changelings, think twice" Dark Hole said. "You don't have the power to beat me when I have the fullness love of an alicorn princess in conjunction with the alicorn amulet."
"Who says I'm here to fight you?" Chrisalis asked, leaving Dark Hole a little confused, especially when she bowed her head. "I'm here to bow down to you."
"You have to be kidding" Dark Hole answered.
"Of course not" Chrisalis said, raising again the head. "I have a proof of loyalty to prove it."
She made signal to Changelings of his army and then two approached, carrying Shining that seemed to be completely defeated.
"Shining!" Cadance called.
Dark Hole passed through Chrisalis to approach Shining, observing him carefully, while the Queen said:
"I just helped them break free just for the reunion between Princess Twilight and Captain Blue Sword could give more love to you to ensure your victory."
"Your witch!" Blue exclaimed. "You betrayed us!"
"Please" Chrisalis replied, turning to him. "You two were idiots for having trusted in creatures as unpredictable as we. We, Changelings, don't have the same principles as you, ponies."
She turned again to Dark Hole and continued:
"As you can see, me and my loyalists submit ourserlves to you, Dark Hole. You are undoubtedly the true King of the Changelings.
Dark Hole then turned to her and approached, telling her while passing a hoof on her face:
"You’ll really give a good soldier. You are strong, powerful and I must say that you're cunning. "
While Dark Hole talked to her, Chrisalis made appear a white crystal discreetly in her hoof, preparing for the attack.
"But you know what are your greatest quality?" asked Dark Hole.
Chrisalis lifted the crystal to stick in Dark Hole, but he caught her, ending:
"You're a good liar and an even better traitor."
He twisted her hoof, causing it to drop the crystal that rolled forward, and then overpowered her.
"A crystal from Harmonia, the Order Kingdom" Dark Hole said. "Looks like somepony had been in business with the biggest enemy of our master. It was the Lord of Order who freed you, wasn't it?"
She didn't answer him. Dark Hole asked her:
"Did you really think you could defeat me?"
It was then that she sketched a smile and replied:
"No. But I could make you be catch off guard."
It was then Shining appeared behind of Dark Hole, holding the white Crystal, and stabbed him in the back with it. That made Dark Hole scream in pain, while he left Chrisalis and the crystal started to bury in him.
"This was for my sister" Shining said.
Dark Hole began to glow with a pure light, while he screamed in pain, but then the light stopped and he let himself fall on the floor.
"It's over, Dark Hole" Shining said. "You lost."
"You have made me lose all the power I gained with your sister" Dark Hole said, beginning to rise up. "But I still have the alicorn amulet!"
And then lifted her head, showing to everypony his vivid red eyes. He released a magic ray that launched Shining against the ground. Dark Hole stood up and said:
"Changelings, attack!"
His Changelings invested against Chrisalis’ Changelings, managing to subdue them completely.
"Enough of this insolence!" Dark Hole exclaimed. "I control everything and everypony will bow to me!"
Blue turned to Twilight, which still had no reaction after Dark Hole’s attack.
"My love, you have to wake up" he said. "We need you so much. Please, my love."
He pressed Twilight against him with a hug.
Then something happened. A pure red light appeared from Blue and began heading to Twilight, who started the shine with the same light. Dark Hole then turned to them and asked:
"But what the hell...?"
Everyone watched flabbergasted what was happening. Then the light ceased and Twilight stopped shining. Her eyes became normal and she seemed back to normal. He look to Blue, asking:
"Blue?"
"Twilight" he said, smiling. "You're right!"
The two hugged with Blue saying:
"I thought I lost you."
"But you didn't lost me and all thanks to your love for me" Twilight answered.
"Please" Dark Hole said, causing them to turn to him. "I'm about to throw up. Just for that, I'm going to eliminate you from existence."
He charged his destructive magic in his horn and then he launched it against Twilight and Blue, causing everypony to stay in suspense. Twilight and Blue hugged to protect each other and then a shield of red light appeared around them and protected them from Dark Hole’s attack.
"WHAT?!" he asked, not wanting to believe. "It’s not possible!"
Twilight and Blue finished the hug, seeing the shield that was surrounding them. Then they looked at each other, sketching a smile, and then they made the tips of their horns touch each other and the light of the shield focused all at that point and a lightning red light was launched against Dark Hole, hitting him. He started screaming in pain again, but, this time, with more intensity. And then there was an explosion de red light that managed to destroy the stoned cocoons that arrested the other alicorn princesses and attacked Dark Hole’s Changelings, burning them in the same way as the Changelings who attacked Twilight and Blue in Everfree Forest. Many ponies had to protect their eyes, such was the intensity of the light.
When it disappeared, all looked around and saw that Dark Hole was lying on the ground. However, he was no longer Dark Hole. He had become Fire Punch, the Pegasus that had formerly been humiliated by Shining and that sold himself to the Lord of Chaos. The alicorn amulet was on the floor, completely destroyed. When he noticed what happened, he couldn't believe.
"No, it can't be..." he said. "NO!"
Then he looked up and saw Chrisalis, looking at him with a superior air. That made him cringe in fear.
"Now, it's me who's on top" she said.
"I must say it was a good plan to get him of surprise" Shining said, approaching Chrisalis. "But it didn't work as we expected."
"I didn't know he had the alicorn amulet" Chrisalis replied. "But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I regain my place as Queen of the Changelings."
"Our debt is welded" Shining said. "We will be enemies again."
"I wouldn’t wish the opposite" Chrisalis replied. "I serve the Lord of Chaos and you served the Lord of Order. While this remains so, we can never be friends."
She took flight, while their Changelings also did the same thing. Chrisalis used her magic to create a bubble where she put inside of it the defeated Changelings. She then made Fire Punch levitate and said:
"I will take this baggage with me. Unless there's a reason to not do it."
Shining looked at Fire Punch, which seemed to look at him as asking him to not to let him be taking by Chrisalis. But the white unicorn couldn't let thinking of all the atrocities that he had made and, given everything that he had done also to Changelings and to avoid a new battle, he answered:
"You can take him. After all, I don't think I could prevent it."
"Thank you" Chrisalis replied, putting Fire Punch in the magical bubble.
And so, Chrisalis and their Changelings started flying out of there.
Cadance went to Shining, hugging him and, when they finished it, she asked him:
"Shining, but what happened here?"
"It was all Chrisalis’ plan" Shining replied. "She wanted to retrieve what Fire Punch had taken from her. But for that, we had to catch him off guard. For that reason, we pretend she had captured me and tried to deal with him first. If she failed, I would have to be the one to do it, while she would serve as a distraction."
"I can't believe you allied with Chrisalis" Cadance said. "After everything she did?"
"It was necessary do it" replied Shining. "And it was worth."
And then he looked at his sister and his best friend who had gone back to a hug. He smiled, because now he could see quite clearly the love the two feel for each other.
"Uh, guys, I wonder if somepony could give me a hoof here?" asked Discord. "I'm not feeling the charity and the compassion."
After two days, the marriage came back to be celebrated, this time with the true Blue and the true Shining. Blue was clearly nervous, but Shining treated to put a hoof on his shoulder to calm him down.
Then it started to hear the wedding march and everybody saw Twilight approaching with Night Light, behind the flower fills. Twilight was even more wonderful. Her bride dress had been further embellished by Rarity, who thought it would give bad luck Twilight wearing the same dress after what had happened, making changes to it.
Blue didn’t fit himself with happiness seeing the mare of his life approaching for they could unite themselves in marriage. Twilight felt the same way and was even happier to know that Blue was true one.
Night Light gave his daughter to Blue and so the marriage began, with Celestia doing a speech about Twilight and Blue’s unbreakable love. And, after each make their vows, it was time for the big moment.
"Do you, Blue Sword, take Twilight Sparkle to be your lawful wedded wife, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?"
"Yes, I do" he replied, without taking his eyes off Twilight.
Celestia turned then to Twilight and recited:
"And do you, Twilight, take Blue Sword to be your lawful wedded husband, in sickness and in health, til death do you part?"
"Yes, I do" she replied, with all her love for Blue.
"Then by the power vested in me, I hereby pronounce you mare and colt" Twilight proclaimed.
Spike then brought a pillow where there were two horn rings. Blue used his magic to put one in Twilight's horn and Twilight used her magic to put the other ring in Blue's horn.
"You may kiss the bride" Celestia proclaimed to Blue.
So the latest married couple looked at each other and then exchanged a kiss, while everypony applauded him.
This was the first day of their lives together as one.
The morning after the wedding day dawned. In the Blue room in the castle of Canterlot, he and Twilight were sleeping in the bed, after having had their wedding night. Twilight sleep embraced to her husband with her head on his chest. Both had a smile on their face, even bigger than the one when they spent their first night together.
The sun rays came into the room and made Blue wake. When he opened his eyes, he looked at Twilight and his smile widened. He was immensely happy to be married to the mare of a life. They were now one and one only. He passed his hoof through her mane and gave her a kiss on her forehead. He just wanted to stay in bed with her.
It was then that somepony started knocking on the bedroom door. What a bummer, Blue thought, wondering who could be interrupting his first morning with his wife. Struggling to not wake up Twilight, Blue stood up and walked to the door, opening it a little. It was one of the guards, who told him, making him a salute:
"Good morning, Captain. I'm terribly sorry for interrupt you and Princess Twilight, but I have an urgent message from Princess Celestia to you, sir."
"A message?" asked Blue, wondering what could be that message. "What message?"
"Princess Celestia needs to see you as soon as possible in the throne room" the guard replied.
"But now?"
"Yes, sir."
Blue sighed. Only something like that to ruin his absolute happiness. But what could be so urgent for the Princess Celestia call him?
"Very well, say to Princess Celestia I'm coming" he told to the guard.
"Very well, sir" the guard said, moving away.
Blue closed the door, taking a deep breath and then went to take a quick shower, arranging his coat and his mane. After leaving the bathroom, now presentable, he approach Twilight and gave her a kiss on the cheek, saying:
"I love you."
And after that, he headed to the door and left. He drove up to the throne room and, upon entering there, found the Princess Celestia and Princess Luna waiting for him.
"You wanted to see me, Princess Celestia?" Blue asked, approaching and making a bow.
"Blue, you don't have to bow" Celestia said. "Now, you're a prince."
"I'm sorry, princess, but my code as Captain contradicts my new status" Blue replied. "I will take some time to get used to it. What do you want to talk with me."
"It turns out that my sister and I discovered something truly important" Luna said. "Something with gigantic proportions."
By the way Luna spoke, it seemed to be something quite important.
"But what I have to do with that?" Blue asked.
"We need to ask you a favor" Celestia said. "I know that's asking a lot, especially now that you just got married. But, as Shining Armor returned to the Crystal Empire with Princess Cadance, and taking into account the importance of this, we have our only choice."
There was a pause and then Celestia said:
"We have a mission for you."
Twilight started to wake up and opened her eyes, expecting to find Blue at her side. However, she found herself alone in the bed. But where would have Blue gone?"
It was then that the bedroom door opened and Blue came in, closing it as soon as he entered.
"But where did you go?" Twilight asked, sitting on the bed. "I woke up and you weren't here."
But Blue didn't answer her, sitting just on the side of the bed. Twilight, realizing something was wrong, advanced in bed to Blue and put her forelegs around his neck, kissed his cheek and then asked:
"Come on, tell me, what's wrong?"
"I haven't very cheerful news, Twilight" Blue replied.
Upon hearing that, Twilight moved to stand beside her husband and asked, somewhat seriously:
"What news?"
"I have a mission, Twilight."
"A mission?" Twilight asked, seriously. "But what mission?"
"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna asked me to maintain confidentiality about this" Blue answered. "I can't tell you."
"But I thought there were no secrets between us, Blue" Twilight protested.
"And there were no secrets” Blue replied. “Why do you think I'm telling you about this. I can't lie to you. But I can assure you that it's pretty important."
"And can't another guard go in your place?"
"Well, Shining could, but he returned to the Crystal Empire and this mission is urgent."
Despite not liking the idea of being away from Blue, shortly after getting married, Twilight understood his duty as Captain of the Royal Guard.
"And when are you leaving?" Twilight asked.
"Tonight" Blue said.
"What?!" Twilight asked. "But today is our first day as a married couple!"
"I know, my dear, but it will be for a short time" Blue reassured. "It's just a reconnaissance mission. I’ll be back before you know it, and as soon as we can, we will go to our honeymoon."
Listening Blue saying those words, Twilight’s frustration calmed down, she smiled and said:
"I will wait for you, but I hope it doesn't take too long."
"It won't be long, I promise" Blue said.
And then the two hugged and nuzzled each other.
They spent together that day, until, when the day began to finish, they had to say goodbye to each other. At the station, the train was ready to go and Blue, with his saddlebags put, embraced Twilight and when they finish the embrace, Blue said:
"I will try to dispatch this mission as fast as I can. It won’t take long until we see each other.”
"I hope so" Twilight said. "I'll miss you."
There was a whistle coming from the train and they saw it was time. They exchanged a kiss and then Blue said:
"Goodbye, my love"
"Goodbye" Twilight said.
Blue headed to the train and, before entering, he looked at Twilight who was smiling and waving and he returned the smile and the wave. He get in the train and, shortly after, it began pulling out, starting to move away.
Seeing the train moving away, Twilight couldn't resist drop a tear. She knew it would be for a short time, but it cost her be separated from Blue, just when they get married. But she recomposed herself, knowing that she would have to face all the time that she would be away from Blue with all the courage and she knew the desire of seeing her great love would give her encouragement for that.
