> Marriage > by GhoulDash97 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > News > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Five months have passed since Spike remained with Celestia. Twilight woke up from her bed really tired and cranky. Starlight saw her when she was walking towards the bathroom half-asleep and jokingly said, "'Morning sleepyhead." "Hrrgh.... 'morning Starlight." Twilight grumbled. "You look like hell. Are you okay?" "I am. Just had a tough night." "'Tough night?'" "It's a long story. Have you gotten breakfast yet?" "Still making it. Though I could say the same thing about you, considering the fact that you look like you got the stuffing beat out of you." "I know... I just haven't heard from Spike since last month." she said with tears in her eyes. "Oh..." "Just what could he be doing with the Princess? I don't know what's going on." "We'll find out once we head to Canterlot. Everything will be fine." Twilight gave a smile of relief hearing those words from her faithful student. Just then, they heard the sizzling coming from the stove. Breakfast was prepared. After getting the eggs, bacon, and waffles from the kitchen, they both sat down at the table, ready to eat. While they were chewing on their food, Twilight said, "I wonder what he could be doing with Princess Celestia?" "Beats me. If anything, they could be making cookies by now." Starlight replied with a chuckle. All of a sudden, they heard a knock on the door. Starlight got out of her seat to see who it was. When she opened it, she saw Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. "Hi girls. What're you doing?" Starlight asked with a smile on her face. "Well... we were intending on telling Twilight something." Applejack said. "Like what?" Starlight asked. "Well..." Pinkie Pie said as she gave Starlight the newspaper. Starlight took the paper out of Pinkie's as she took another drink from her coffee mug. As she was sipping the coffee, she sees the headline on the paper. It said: "Dragon to wed Princess in two day. Also may have been impregnated." At seeing the headline, Starlight spits out her coffee and was coughing from it going down the wrong pipe. "When did this-" "We don't know. We just received the paper this morning." Rainbow Dash said. "Twilight's gonna lose it when she sees this." Starlight said. "Sees what?" There came the voice they didn't want to hear. Twilight came strolling down the hallway as she was drinking her coffee. The girls decided to act casual so that Twilight wouldn't find out. "Well, good morning girls. How are you?" she asked, albeit still grumbling. They knew that Twilight would figure it out eventually, so they decided to come clean. "Uh, Twilight...?" Fluttershy asked, a little scared. "Yeah Fluttershy?" Twilight replied. "There's something we have to tell you..." Applejack said. "Okay. What is it?" Twilight asked. "It's little bigger than you think, darling." Rarity said. "Bigger...?" Twilight asked, confused. "Please promise you won't get pissed." Rainbow Dash said. "Why would I get angry?" Twilight asked, raising a manner. "Good question..." Starlight said as she handed her the paper. As Twilight took the paper, the girls started to back away a little. Just then, Twilight read the paper and there was this shocked look on her face. Both her eyes were wide open along with her jaw dropping." "Uh... Twilight...?" Rainbow Dash asked, still at arm's length. "Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked. "Please say something. You're scaring us, darling." Rarity said. "Maybe she's okay with it." Applejack said with a smile on her face." "Not helping." Starlight said as she elbowed Applejack. Just then, they saw Twilight shaking. They didn't know what she was thinking at this moment. Starlight got a little closer and she saw that Twilight had this pained look on her face. "Are you feeling alright?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Oh she's fine. She's just trying to take the news in." Pinkie Pie speculated. Suddenly, they felt the energy surrounding the castle as Twilight had this grimaced look on her face. "I don't think she's taking it well." Starlight said. Twilight was then beginning to teem with anger as she melted the paper with her magic. "I think we better leave now..." Fluttershy said as she headed towards the door. "Good idea..." Starlight said as rushed towards the door. As they exited the castle, they heard her groan with rage as she started to shout, "SPIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!" The castle jumped in the air as she screamed. As it came down to the ground, she seemed to have calmed down, but she was still angered about the news. "When does the next train leave?" Twilight asked. "In a couple hours...?" Rainbow Dash replied. "Me and Starlight are getting ready. Wait here." The girls were confused by this major turn of events, but did as she told them and waited for her. After she was done getting dressed, she rushed out of the castle with her nerve and they followed suit. "Do you think she's angry...?" Rainbow Dash whispered. "Oh no, she dashing in a flower field with joy. Of course she's angry." Starlight whispered in annoyance. "I know. I know. I'm just curious as to what she's gonna do to Spike." Rainbow Dash said. "It's gonna be ugly." Pinkie Pie said. "Which type of ugly?" Fluttershy asked. "You know the type of ugly when someone's gonna die?" Applejack replied. "Oh..." Fluttershy replied. "Oh hush. There are worse things out there other than having a shotgun wedding." Rarity said. "Like getting married to a princess?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know what I mean." They made over to the train station with their minds intact and gave the conductor their tickets to the Conductor as they boarded the train to Canterlot. > Explanation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As they were riding the train to Canterlot and the girls were talking about the marriage along with different things related to it, Twilight was twitching. She couldn't put her finger what was going on between Spike and Celestia. It was like trying to get out of a maze without a map for her. She had never felt so confused in her whole life. "Are you feeling okay?" Starlight asked. "Huh?" Twilight said, still shocked about the news." "You were twitching." Starlight pointed out. "I was?" Twilight looked down and saw that her hand was moving the entire time as she was thinking. She stopped as soon as she noticed. "You don't know how to take it, do you?" Starlight said with a comforting smile. "It's all such a shock. It's bad enough that I never get to see him as much... but hearing about this through the paper. It's just..." Twilight said feeling disappointed. "I know, but he's finally found love. And it's with a princess. I could never be anymore happy for him. Truth be told, it was such a shock, but it is what it is. And I know what you're feeling right now, but the sooner you confront the truth, the more easier it will be. It's a promise." As she was finished speaking, the train has stopped. They were in front of the Canterlot train station. "Well... it looks like we're here." Starlight said. "Apparently." Twilight said, looking at the sign. "Are you gonna be okay?" Starlight asked, concerned. "I'll be fine. I'm just gonna go to Spike and tell him congratulations. Princess Celestia too. It'll be okay." Twilight replied. "I hope so..." Starlight said, a little unnerved. They got off the train and walked to the castle. As they proceeded, they saw Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart. She let her friends go on ahead so that she could say hello to her relatives, as much as it pained her at this moment in time. "Twilie!" Shining Armor happily shouted as he walked towards her and hugged her. "Hey BBBFF..." Twilight said, albeit a little sad as she hugged him. "What's wrong Twilight?" Cadence asked. After having a brief look at Twilight, Princess Luna said, "You are already aware of the news." Twilight gave her a sad nod as she looked away. "I know the exact pain that you are going through. I was shocked when I first heard the news that my dear sister is going to marry my nephew. I was so beyond fury that I could barely look at her not because of who she was marrying- well, I was peeved at that revelation in all honesty, but also because she was keeping secrets from me. However, when I saw how happy the young drake was, I decided to myself that it was worth nothing getting angry over, and now that I look at it... they were both very happy with each other, and nopony deserves it more than my niece and nephew. I hope you will come to realize that point of view. It will be hard, but you will come through." Luna explained. Twilight just gave her a sigh and replied, "Is it true about what it said in the paper?" "About what Twilight?" Cadence asked. "About the pregnancy?" Luna took a deep breath and said, "Yes. It is so." Twilight was even more flabbergasted at this major turn of events. "When did this happen?" she asked, doing her best to hide her anger and sadness. "Two months ago. On the night that I was finished raising the moon, I decided to go to the kitchen for a quick snack. When I was finished eating my favorite cream puffs, I saw her hold something. It looked like some sort of thermometer. I went to her and asked what it was. She told me that it was nothing. As soon as she turned her back, I swiped it out of her hand and I saw that it was a pregnancy test. When she saw it, she got upset, telling me that she wanted it to be a surprise. I was angry as well, about her keeping secrets from her, about her having Spike as her secret lover, and most of all, lying to me about being attentive to her responsibilities as a princess. So we gave each other our apologies and I promised that I wouldn't tell anyone that the time was right. Unfortunately, one of the chambermaids heard us speaking and we immediately saw her. We told her that if she told Equestria what she heard, she would suffer the consequences. She complied with our warnings and waited until yesterday to bring this to the Canterlot newspaper, to which we both told her to tell the press that my dear sister is getting married to Spike. " Princess Luna explained. "But why didn't you tell me?" Twilight asked. "We did not know how you would take the news." Cadence said. "You knew?" Twilight asked, even more shocked. "No. We were told about this three days ago. And believe me, this is nothing like every topic that I've heard in high school." "How so?" "No popular girl would date the nerd." "Uh... I was the popular girl, Shining Armor. And you were the nerd." "My point is that we were different, but things change. And we just have to learn how to accept it. It's okay to feel angry Twilight, but Spike has found the joy that he wanted and we need to be happy for him. It means that much to us." "He's right. While I was a little steamed at first hearing this, I take a good look at Flurry Heart and I see that it's joy. It's the joy that is keeping him going, and that is what's making him feel complete. And I cannot wait to attend the wedding day." Twilight was still frowning at that aspect, but she loosened up a little after hearing them talk. "Do mom and dad know?" she asked. "They do. They will be here by tomorrow." Shining Armor answered. "Hmm. So where are they?" she asked. "Huh?" Shining Armor asked. "Spike and Celestia. Where are they?" Twilight demanded. "They're in the castle somewhere, but I don't-" Cadence said before Twilight warped herself to the castle. As she finished teleporting herself, she proceeded to look for them. Before she did, she saw her friends. "Hey girls. Do you know where Spike and Celestia are?" she asked, still doing her best to hide her anger. "Oh! I do! I do! They're in-" Pinkie Pie shouted before her mouth was covered by Starlight. "It's no place important." Applejack replied. "Yes. They're somewhere around here, and it's a good idea not to-" Twilight move went forward without even batting an eye. While she kept looking for them, she had deep thoughts about the aspect of Spike and Celestia marrying. While she should be happy that they're getting married, she couldn't keep the fact that they were keeping secrets from her. She was so angry that it was eating away at her like a swarm of parasprites. It was just too much for her to handle. She didn't even know whether to shout or cry. Just then, she heard noises. "What the...?" she thought as she kept moving. She decided to keep walking, and as she did, she started to hear moaning from across the hallway. She kept moving, and it was getting louder and louder. All of a sudden, she heard the source of the noise coming from behind the doors. It was Celestia's room. "Ooh~. You naughty little boy~..." Celestia flirted behind the door, albeit muffled. "What can I-" Spike said being interrupted by a kiss, albeit muffled as well. Hearing it only stirred Twilight's rage even more. "Okay... get ready to be served a freshly-made knuckle sandwich, hot head." she said with anger in her voice. She pushed the doors open and saw that Celestia and Spike were in the middle of having sex. She was on top while he was on the bottom, and they were both naked. Seeing it made Twilight go from angry to embarrassed. They both turned to her out of shock and annoyance. "Oh. Uh sorry. I'll let you two finish up." Twilight said with her face completely red as she shut the door. Twilight stood behind the door and just sighed. She proceeded back to the kitchen, completely lost for words. > Small Talk > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After waiting for two hours, Twilight was beginning to feel bored and annoyed. She was outside the hall with her friends while they were talking. As she was sitting, Applejack came over to her and sat with Twilight. "Something the matter, sugarcube?" she asked. "It's nothing. Just opened up their door uninvited..." Twilight replied. "I know. Those two were going at it like rabbits on a Tuesday." Applejack said with a chuckle. Twilight gave her the look of death when she mentioned that, making Applejack wince a little. "They seem to be happy with each other." Twilight said, a little glum. "They did spend some time while- well... at least in more ways than what you just witnessed. Plus, that also explains why it's been hotter than usual in the summer." Applejack said. "I suppose..." "But enough about that. Wanna get lunch? I'm buyin'." "I'm not really in the mood to eat right now, AJ." "Trust me. It will make you feel better. Plus, you really haven't eaten much since this mornin'." Twilight could hear her stomach growling loud as she was speaking. "I suppose I could have something to eat..." Twilight said, still feeling glum. "Hey... I know that it's a lot to take in, but once you recognize that goodness with what they're havin', you won't regret it. I can promise you that much, sugarcube." Applejack reassured. "I know..." Twilight said, trying to hide her disappointment. After getting out of her seat, she joined Applejack and the girls for some hayburgers. After finishing their lunch, they all went back to the castle, ready to see Spike and Celestia. Twilight was really nervous, not because she intruded on their privacy, but because she has heard nothing about their 'relationship'. Spike never even told about he normally does much with Celestia, and if he did, he would say that they spend time talking to each other. The same thing went for Celestia. If Twilight ever asked what she was doing, she would just say that she was having lunch with Spike. It never really made any sense to her. At least not until she hear the news. By the time they made it, Spike and Celestia were in the hallway. "You've got some explaining to do, young drake. Right now." Twilight said with a stern and angry tone. "Hello to you too. How was your ride to Canterlot?" Spike asked. "It was fine." Twilight said, hiding her anger. "I think we'd better leave now..." Starlight said. "Good thinkin'." Applejack replied. The girls immediately left the room, with only Twilight, Spike, and Celestia remaining inside the castle hallways. "Why didn't you tell me about all this?!" Twilight asked, looking at Celestia. "You were my student, Princess Twilight. It was a secret that we couldn't spill out to the public, no matter what the circumstances." Celestia said. "Oh. You couldn't just send a letter to me?!" "Somepony would have noticed it." "If that was the case, then why couldn't you have told me in my castle?!" "You have visitors come into your castle often. They could've listened in if they had a chance." Spike said. "Now that is the lamest excuse that I've heard in forever! We barely have a chance to speak to each other when I'm in Canterlot now, and when we do have a chance, it's only for ten minutes max!" "Celestia is my fiancee. I couldn't just blow her off." Completely at a loss for words and a few deep breath, Twilight asked, "How did this all happen?" "Remember what happened during the Gala when Rarity dumped me?" Spike asked "Yeah...?" "Well... Celestia came into my room and... well... could you please tell her? I don't wanna mess up what happened." Spike asked, looking at Celestia. "Very well. Twilight... when I saw Spike running, I wanted to know what the matter was with him. After he finished yelling at you and your friends, I decided to go comfort him in your place. It was then that he told me that he had feelings for me. It was really something after that. I can't even remember how many times I tore off my dresses after doing it so many times over the months." she said, giggling to herself. "Is this true?" Twilight asked, looking at Spike while she was disturbed by that thought. "I was trying to be somepony that I wasn't. When I look at her, I feel like I'm looking at somepony from another galaxy. She's beautiful, smart, and we have about almost the same interests. She's everything a dragon could ever ask for." Spike said. "Why him?" Twilight asked, turning towards Celestia. "He's... different. He's charming, affectionate, sensitive, and most of all... he's adorable~." Celestia said as she bent over and gave him multiple kisses on his left cheek. "Celestia... not in front of Twilight." Spike groaned. "Oh, don't be embarrassed. It's only a few kisses~." she said as she continued to smooch him. "Please no..." Twilight said, covering her eyes in embarrassment. After she was finished, they immediately looked at Twilight. "I heard that-" Twilight said before interrupting herself. "Heard what, Twilight?" Celestia asked. "Well..." "It's okay Twilight. Just tell us what you heard. We won't get mad." Spike said. After taking a few deep breaths, she asked, "Is it true?" "True? About what?" Celestia asked. "About your pregnancy?" Spike and Celestia looked at each other, then Spike said, "Yes... she's pregnant, Twilight." Hearing this shocked Twilight to her very core, leaving her in complete and utter shock. "But- but- h-he... he's just a baby. He will ruin-" Twilight said before being interrupted. "We are aware of the consequences, Twilight Sparkle. It would also be a good idea that this doesn't continue to be mentioned." Celestia said in a stern voice. "But-" "Twilight, please... just drop it. I already know what's gonna happen next when she has the baby." "It's not that. What if-" "I will protect my child. No matter what happens. And if anypony DOES harm him-" Spike said with a threatening tone in his voice. "The suspect will answer to us." Celestia said with firmness in her voice "Just make sure that your newborn is-" "I know Twi. He is our child now. He will get more love than anypony would ever have." Spike assured. "Hmm. What have you thought about naming him?" Twlight asked. "Either Jade or Garnet. It's a name-in-progress." Spike replied. "Now that we're finished... me and Spike have some 'duties' to attend to. Right, dear~." Celestia asked in a flirty tone as she eyed Spike. "Yeah..." Spike replied while blushing as they proceeded back to Celestia's room. "Wait. Aren't you-" Twilight asked before being interrupted by Celestia. "Don't worry... it's safe." she said, smiling. After they left, Twilight could no longer put her finger on it. Spike and Celestia were in love. She still wanted to be happy for them, but there was something that was still gnawing away at her. But she would leave it alone for tomorrow, as she went outside the castle to meet up with her friends for dinner. > Dinner > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- One evening later, everypony was at dinner inside the Castle. They were all seated and waiting for their meals to arrive. The girls were seated on the far end of the table while Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, and Twilight were sitting next to Spike and Celestia, who were sitting at the far end of the table. "You know, when Apple Bloom looked at the paper and saw the name of the article, she thought that it was adorable. Like it was a fairy tale or something." Applejack said, trying to start a conversation. "Likewise. Sweetie Belle said it was cute when she read what happened, though she did wonder to herself how it all started." Rarity claimed. Without delay, Celestia asked, "So how was your ride to Canterlot?" "Oh you know... same old, same old. Just another ride." Starlight said. "So princess, how did you and Spike come to form this coming bond of romance?" Rarity asked. Both Spike and Celestia looked at each other, trying to find the right words to describe what happened at the Gala and to not make her feel guilty. It was gnawing into them like a group of beavers chewing into wood as they were trying to find the words. Then Shining Armor say, "What difference does it make? They're in love and their baby is on the way." "I know, but it wouldn't hurt know how it all started." Rarity said. "Truth be told, I am a tad curious on how this kindlin' started between you two." Applejack said. Knowing that they were gonna find out eventually, Spike said, "Five months ago when we were getting the Gala ready, I was practicing on confessing to Rarity." Rarity turned her head away when Spike brought that subject up. "Anyway, while I was still getting warmed up, Celestia came into my room and helped me practice on 'confessing' to her and-" Just then, he was stepped on in the foot by Celestia. He turned towards her and raised his arms in a way that spelled, 'What did I do now?'. Then she said, "I'll continue from here, Spike. Now... after 'that' happened, I was incredibly grief-stricken that he wanted nothing to do with me. So Luna decided to help me with my problem by bringing me to Spike and tell him what I was really feeling. Then we promised each other that we would spend time with each other tomorrow. After that, I returned to my room, feeling giddy with love and happiness that I would get to spend time with my own son. It was really a joyous day after that. We did most of the things that we never got to do in a long time. It was like being reunited with Luna again for so long after you all saved her. I couldn't think of a better way to be more complete than I already am. And now... he's gonna be my husband in two days~." she said as she kissed Spike in front of everypony. Seeing it just disturbed them. The girls were shocked, Princess Luna palmed her face in an embarrassed manner, Cadence covered Flurry Heart's eyes, and Shining Armor just felt indifferent to it. After a minute, she stopped. "Oh Celestia... you know we shouldn't do that in front of everypony else." Spike said in embarrassment. "I know. I'm just too happy to care." Celestia replied. Just then, their meals arrived. After they were finished eating, they continued on with their evening. Twilight returned to her room, still perplexed by what she witnessed again. She was in utter shock at how close they had become. It was like she was watching dogs mate with each other for the first time and completely out of nowhere. The thought of it all just made her break down in hives. "Just why are they feeling this way? Why wouldn't they tell me? How did I even become the odd pony out? What is even going on at this point?" she thought to herself as felt herself beginning to lose her mind. "Twilight?" a voice called. "Huh?" Twilight replied. "Relax. It's only your BBBFF." "Oh..." "Is it okay if I come in?" he asked. "Sure." Twilight replied. Shining Armor slowly opened the door and walked over to Twilight. "How are you holding up?" Cadence asked. "It was a doozy." Twilight replied. "I know. I never even knew that dragons and alicorns were this passionate. It almost reminds me of the time when you got angry at me for not being the first to tell you about the marriage me and Cadence were holding here." Shining said with a slight chuckle. Twilight frowned at the thought of that as she was laying down. "Hey. It's not that bad. When I first heard about this, I was flabbergasted at the news, but every time I look at it, I think of me and Cadence. It's-" "Shining Armor..." Twilight interrupted. "Yeah Twi?" he asked. "Why am I always the last to hear about this type of news?" Hearing it made Shining Armor lose his smile. Then all of a sudden, he had this worried look on his face. "She's afraid for you." "Huh?" "She was worried about how you take this type of news. She thinks that you're so headstrong, stubborn, and a bit naive." "Naive? In what way?" "In a way that would make you feel like it's the end of the world." "Why would she think that?" "It's..." It's what? Shining Armor, I can't figure this out unless you tell me what the problem is." "I don't know how to describe it, but it's like the time when you first heard about me preparing to marry Cadence. It's just too hard to figure out. Are you gonna be okay, Twily?" "Yeah..." Twilight said, feeling bummed out. "Don't worry. It will be over before you even know it." "Hmm. When are mom and dad gonna be here tomorrow?" "Tomorrow noon. We better get some sleep." Twilight nodded in agreement as Shinning Armor opened the door. "Shining Armor?" Twilight called out before Shining Armor exited her room. "It's good to see you again, BBBFF." she said with a genuine smile on her face as she came over to hug him. "So that's where you've been." Shining Armor replied sarcastically as he hugged her as well. After saying good night to each other, Twilight brushed her teeth, wiped her face, and got into her pajamas. She had no idea herself how it all really started, but she would find out for herself tomorrow the day before the wedding. > Morning > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning, Twilight got out of her bed feeling tired. Her eyes completely covered in black circles, her mane was tangled, and she was slouching to a degree. It went for most of her friends as they came out of their rooms. "Hey girls..." Twilight said in a groggy manner. "'Mornin' Twilight." Applejack replied, tired as well. "Did you all hear that last night?" Starlight asked as she yawned. "I know. They were so active last night. Did you all hear it?" Pinkie said excitedly, yet tired as well. "We know Pinkie. We could hear the whole thing!" Rainbow Dash shouted, feeling extremely cranky. "Not too loud darling. I could barely sleep a wink." Rarity said in a whiny manner. "I never knew that dragons and alicorns could keep going like that..." Fluttershy said in a tired, yet passive manner. They all looked at the clock above the window and it read 7:30. "Do you think we could eat first? I'm starving." Rainbow Dash asked. "Yeah..." Twilight said as they walked back to their rooms. After getting dressed and brushing their teeth, they all exited the castle. "I wonder how Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armor are?" Fluttershy asked. "Maybe we'll run into them on our way." Applejack said. "Yeah..." Twilight said as they kept walking. After heading to a pancake house and eating their meal, Twilight went on to go look for Cadence and Shining Armor. She was so tired that she could barely think. All the noise that Spike and Celestia were making when they were having sex barely helped her rest from yesterday. It was such a pain for her as she couldn't sleep, and even as it ended, she still couldn't sleep. It became too hard for her to imagine how long they had kept going. Two hours later, she finally found them. "You too, huh?" Shining Armor asked as he yawned. "Yup..." Twilight said as she looked at them. "They were so proactive last night. We had a hard time getting Flurry Heart to sleep..." Cadence said, nearly falling asleep. As they were trying to wake up, Twilight looked at Luna. "Huh? How come you're not tired?" Twilight asked bewildered. "I've gotten use to it." Luna replied in a flat manner. "Oh please..." "It is the truth. After hearing their grunts... and noises... it..." Luna said as she winced. "I hear that... is their a reason why you came here, Princess Luna?" Twilight asked. "Yes. I came here to tell you that there will be a wedding recital later in two hours. Your presence will be required as the maid of honor." "Me? The maid of honor?" "Yes. I was instructed by my dear sister to tell you personally." "And Spike?" "He is busy with reading his vows for her." "Hmm. So where is she?" "She's busy with reading her own vows as well and I am going over the guest list of who is or isn't invited." "What about Cadence and Shining Armor?" "What about us, Twily?" Shining Armor asked. "What will you be doing?" "I am in charge of getting Spike ready for his wedding day and of the groomsmen." he replied. "You, Cadence?" "I need to help Luna with getting the bridesmaids ready. The Cutie Mark Crusaders will also be attending as the flower maidens and the ring bearers." she answered. "Wow. You're really going all out..." Twilight said, even more flabbergasted. "This is my sister's wedding. This entire event must go without incident." Luna said in a firm way of speaking. "There are some ponies who are angry at this and it cannot be allowed to happen. But there are some who are happy with this event." Shining Armor said. "Like who?" Twilight asked. "The dragons, yaks, bison, griffons, changelings, even Fancypants was overjoyed at this announcement the first time he heard it." Luna said. "Huh. Sounds like they're really happy about this wedding." Twilight said. "It is rare for someone who isn't a pony get lucky enough to marry a princess. But then again..." Shining Armor said. "But it will go without hinges. This will be a wedding nopony will ever forget." Luna declared. Just then, the train arrived and out came Twilight Velvet and Night Light, who were in a crowd of ponies getting off the train. "Mom! Dad!" Twilight shouted. "Twily?!" Twilight Velvet shouted. "We're over here guys!" Shining Armor shouted. They turned around and saw Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor from across the train station. They made their way across the crowd and made it towards them. "How have you been? We haven't heard from you in a while." Night Light said as he hugged Twilight Sparkle. "Oh, you know... busy, busy, busy." she replied. "And how is your time in Canterlot? Did you hear about the news?" Twilight Velvet said as she finished hugging Shining Armor. "Yup..." Twilight said, albeit glumly but not as much. "When will the wedding start?" Night Light asked. "Tomorrow noon from what I was told." Shining Armor claimed. "Shall we get lunch, my friends?" Princess Luna asked. "Oh you bet. I'm famished." Twilight Velvet said. After greeting each other, they left to go find a restaurant to eat. Twilight was happy to see her parents again after so long. It was akin to a puppy being reunited with its mother again for the first time. She was still crossed about not being told in person about the news, but her parents were here, so most of the anger dissipitated a little. She would deal with it when the time would come, but for now, she was happy to see her family again. Ready to be with them for the wedding that would occur tomorrow. > Recital > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After having lunch for about an hour, Twilight and her family went to the castle to get ready for the recital of the wedding. They were in their dresses and were awaiting Spike and Celestia for their preparation. They were in their dresses for preparation and put in order as Spike and Celestia were practicing their vows. The girls were set on the right side while the boys were placed on the left. “I wonder how those two are doing with their vows?” Rarity asked. “Beats me. They’re probably reciting them while having ‘fun’ with each other.” Rainbow Dash said with a chuckle. “You do realize how insensitive that was, right?” Starlight asked as she elbowed Rainbow Dash. “What? I’m just being honest like Applejack.” “Wha-?” Applejack said, looking at the two. “You made some of the jokes while Twilight was with her relatives.” “Yeah, but I-” They all glared at Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they were waiting. All of a sudden, Spike and Celestia came walking through the door. They were all bedazzled by the way they looked and how their appearances complimented one another. It was like watching a dream that came from a fairy tale. They all had no words to describe how lovely they looked in their clothes. As they were walking down the corridor, the CMC came down the halls as flower girls when they were cheerfully walking. After they were finished, Spike and Celestia were in front of the altar with Luna in the center as the minister. “Mares and gentlecolts, we are all gathered here on this glorious day to see the wonderful union between my beautiful sister and this handsome young drake that I would like to call my nephew. We are all aware that he has been adopted by my dear sister and that this isn’t of the regular, but where there is love, those will be the ties that bind. These two have known each other since the day she adopted him and-” Just then, Luna stopped and everypony was confused. Twilight asked, “Princess Luna?” “Sister?” Celestia asked. Luna looked at them and said, “Sorry. I just lost track of what I was gonna say next. I just remembered what I was gonna say next now. Oh wait...” “Are you sure you know how to-” Spike said before being interrupted. “I do.” she said, doing her best to hide her frustration. “You know we could just have Cadence-” “Don’t worry. I know how to recite a wedding speech. It’s nothing that I’ve never tackled before.” “Really? Because Cadence-” Applejack said before being interrupted. “Everypony, just please concentrate. We only have until tomorrow for the wedding.” They all looked at Luna in a concerned manner as she was getting exasperated. “Know what? Everypony take five. I’ll see what we can do next as we continue to practice this event.” Everybody left their positions and spoke with each other. Twilight and her friends were sitting down while the CMC were walking with each other outside. Sweetie Belle said, “This is so sweet. It’s like a fairy tale come to life when Prince Charming finally got his princess.” “Uh... this is a wedding, not storybook.” Applebloom said “We know Applebloom. Jeez, your family is too honest.” Scootaloo said. “But I will say this. Spike is the luckiest dragon anypony has ever met.” Applebloom said. “I know right?! His special somepony is a princess. A frigging princess!” Scootaloo said. “Yeah. I have no idea how he did it, but Spike hit the jackpot! He’s getting married to Princess Celestia, of all ponies! Just how great can his life get?!” Applebloom said. “Um... you do realize that he stopped thinking about Rarity because he wasn’t his type, right?” Sweetie Belle said. “We know, we know...” Scootaloo said, annoyed. “But he was my type...” Sweetie Belle sadly said. “Really? Since when? You rarely ever-” Applebloom said before being interrupted. “I’m shy, okay?! I didn’t know what to tell him.” “But you’ve spoken to him so many times before...” “I dunno. I was just waiting for this special moment in my life when he would just confess to me and say ‘I love you’ and...” “Eh. It is what it was. When they have their child, you can fall all over him whenever you want.” Applebloom said. “It would be very nice to see his kid.” Scootaloo said. “Yes it would...” Sweetie Belle said a little glum, but cheering up a little. When they were still talking, Applejack came outside the door and shouted, “Sis! It’s time for us to get back in for practice.” “Coming Applejack!” Applebloom shouted. The CMC went back inside and everypony was back in their positions. The CMC were back holding their flowers and the girls were back on the right while the boys were back on the left. Luna resumed her speech as minister and said, “Mares and Gentlecolts, we are gathered here to day celebrate the-” Just then, they heard Rainbow Dash sneeze from the back. After sneezing, everypony gave her this annoyed look, making her blush and raise her arms signalling, ‘What was I supposed to do?’ After that, they all resumed to practicing. “Mares and Gen-” They heard another noise and looked around to see who was causing it. They looked to the boys’ side and saw that Shining Armor was fidgeting a little. They all gave him the same annoyed look that gave Shining Armor and he replied, “Sorry.” They went back to practicing again. After so many failed attempts for the next couple hours, Luna finally said in a tired voice, “Mares-” They heard another noise. “Now who interrupted me this time?!” They looked around and saw a clergypony accidentally kick a part of the bench as he was walking. “My apologies your highness. Please continue.” he said as he walked to the door. “You know what? Let’s just reschedule for this coming Friday. Three days. It should give us plenty of time. We will practice tomorrow noon.” Luna said. With that, everybody left the royal church, feeling exhausted. “Some wedding, huh?” Shining Armor asked, talking to Big Mac and Cadence. “Eeyup.” Big Mac replied. “With any luck, we’ll be lucky that Luna will be in any good mood tomorrow.” Cadence said. “Eeyup. If anything, she could probably blow a gasket and still keep going.” “You got that right. Let’s go see what we’re having for dinner tonight.” “Good idea...” Cadence said with her stomach rumbling. “Eeyup...” Big Mac said, completely exhausted from all the standing. After having dinner, everypony went to speaking with each other, then back to their rooms from all the sleepiness they were feeling and turned in, waiting for tomorrow’s practice. “Goodnight!” they all shouted to each other as they finally fell asleep. > Letter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning, everypony was waking up from yesterdays recital. As they were waiting in the dining hall, Spike woke up and saw that Celestia wasn't in the room with him. Just then, he heard the shower and realized that she was just freshening herself up. Having breathed a sigh of relief, Spike got out of bed and immediately started getting dressed. As he did so, he thought about how long it has been since he made his confession to Celestia. When he had made his feelings clear to her, he had never been more happy to learn that she had reciprocated the same feelings towards him, even if they came a little prematurely when he was practicing his confession to Rarity. Regardless of what happened after the night of the Gala, he was happy, but he felt that something bad was going to happen to him if word got out about his 'time' with Princess Celestia. Just then, he heard, "Good morning, cutie~." He turned around and saw Celestia come out of the shower, completely naked. He smirked as he gave a small chuckle and replied, "Good morning to you too, gorgeous." She got out of her bed and walked towards him as he continued getting dressed. "That was some recital, huh?" Spike asked. "It was. Usually Cadence would be the clergy for this event." Celestia said as she bent over and kissed Spike's neck a few times. "Yeah. It's so strange that Luna would wanna take over." he said mesmerized. "Well, she is my sister, and believes it fall to her that this wedding goes without a single mistake." she replied as she started to get dressed. "The same way that other ponies feel when something big is gonna happen to them?" he asked as he put his shoes on. "Yup. Nothing can ever drive them away from their goals, even if it spells failure on their part." she responded as she combed her mane. "I know. She was so tense yesterday. I know that she wants this event to go without any hitches, but the interruptions are putting her on edge. Really hope she doesn't snap." "She won't. But if she does, it would matter little to me because the wedding will continue anyway." she said, giggling. "Too true. Can't say the same for the others though." "Well, everypony has learned about our secret, so no use hiding like foals now." "Hmm. I wonder what they're doing right now?" "No idea. Must be tired from yesterday's rehearsal." "They have to be. They always come out with their dark eyes." "We do tend to go over the top. Needless to say that I really enjoy it." "Yeah. It feels a lot like the first time." Celestia giggled at the thought of it after getting dressed. When Spike was finished, the two exited their room and immediately headed towards the dining hall. "I wonder if we can get through this without any hitches today?" Spike asked. "Who knows? But it wouldn't be the first time that anything has gotten sidetracked." Celestia said. "True, but I can't wait to have some more of those delicious homemade pancakes that you make." "Oh thank you. But if you manage to eat some of Luna's cooking without any wincing or whining, I've got a special surprise for you tonight~." "Oh. Looks like I've got something to look forward to tonight." The two kept talking as they walked towards the dining hall. As they made it, they saw everypony with worried and scared expression on their faces. "Huh? Whatever is the matter?" Celestia asked, feeling concerned. "Yeah. Why are you all looking at us like somepony just died?" Spike asked in a confused manner. Just then, Twilight walked over to Spike and asked, "Are you okay?" "Yeah Twilight. What's the matter?" Spike asked, not knowing what is going on. Twilight turned towards Starlight, telling her to come over. Starlight came over with this letter in her hand and said, "Spike. This letter is for you." "Huh?" Spike asked, now completely clueless. Spike took hold of the letter and looked at it. It read, Dear reptile, "You may not know who I am, but I will make this personally clear. If you marry the princess, if you elope with her, if you even have a child with her, I will personally see to it that I, and every other pony that has rallied behind me, will deliver painful, furious justice upon you. You may know this peace for a brief time, but your agony and death will be the symphony that will satisfy the ponies that want your blood for the travesty that you have wrought upon us all. So let me make this clear as crystal... if you marry the princess, I'll kill you." Spike dropped the letter as he had felt a huge, unnerving chill crawl up his spine. It was like he fell into a trap. A trap that would permanently ensnare and most likely dispose of him. He had no idea what was gonna happen to him next. As he was lost in thought, he was hearing the echoes in his ears. "..." "...Spike..." He felt it all slipping. He was now the target of some angry ponies who now want to kill him because he wanted to marry the princess. The echoes grew louder while he was still deep in thought. "...Spike..." "...Spike..." "SPIKE!!!!!" The shouting suddenly knocked him out of his trance. He was now being stared at by everypony around him in the dining hall. He was now sweaty, not knowing what to do nor how to react. Just then, Celestia looked at him and asked, "Spike... are you okay?" His eyes were darting all over, completely nervous. His eyes now had red veins and were completely narrow, he was slightly twitching, and he jittering from his mouth. "Spike, look at me." Celestia said. He looked at her, albeit nervously. "I won't let anypony hurt us. Not now. Not ever." Celestia said, assuringly. "Are you feeling alright? Do you need to be alone?" Twilight asked. "I... I..." "Everypony, we need to stay inside this castle. If anypony tries to get inside, we will see to it that their crimes towards my husband will not be allowed to go unpunished. Relay it to all the guards." "I will do so immediately dear sister." Luna said as she teleported away. Celestia quickly teleported Spike back to her room. After locking the door and closing all the windows, she went over to Spike and hugged him. "It's okay. Nopony will hurt you... and if they do... they will suffer a fate far worse than death..." Celestia said in her dark, warped, voice with Spike still shellshocked from reading the letter. > Investigation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After making sure that Spike was safe, Shining Armor doubled out patrols everywhere on the castle grounds and the streets of Canterlot. Princess Luna was outside, issuing orders out to every guard within and outside the castle that should any enter the throne room or Celestia's bedroom without authorization, they would be immediately escorted out as well as being executed should they disobey their orders. "Has every guard been put at their post?" Princess Luna asked. "Everypony is in place, Your Majesty. A fly couldn't buzz in here." one of the guards said. "Good. Double-check and make sure that every guard is in his precise position. We are in a volatile situation, so we cannot take any chances." "Yes, Princess." "You may go now." After the guards left, Shining Armor came through the hallway and approached Luna. "I sent out every guard all over the castle grounds and doubled extra security on the streets of Canterlot. We should be safe for right now." "Just what could this maniac have to gain from threatening into giving up my sister? It does not add up in the slightest." "I know that feeling. But what I'm even more concerned about is sent that letter? Somepony needed to have a motive if he were to go this far to threaten Spike." "Indeed. Right now, we need to be vigilant. For all I know, one of the guards could have sent that letter." "I hear you. By the way, I wonder how Spike is taking all this?" "I do not wish to know..." Luna said as she looked up to Celestia's room. Meanwhile, Spike was spending his time with Celestia. He was curled up in a ball while she was waiting for the guards to report for any pre-determined incidents. She went over to him to see how he was doing after reading the letter. Looking at him a little further, he appeared to still be shaken from the letter that he received. The thought of being given a death threat was enough to make his scales chill. Seeing as how he is afraid, she wrapped her arms around him and consoled him. "Whenever you shivered like this, I would often wrap you up like this, even though you begged me not to." Celestia said, trying to raise Spike's spirits. "You know how much I hated that, right?" Spike responded with glumness in his voice. "Come now. You enjoyed it. Especially when you were still a baby drake." "It was embarrassing to do in front of Twilight..." Spike said, putting his head down. "Oh, you big baby. You're so bashful to admit it." Celestia pouted. They both chuckled at each other for a brief moment before they went back to their current demeanors. The little conversation between them only seemed to calm them for a brief moment. Spike was still afraid and confused as to why this stranger sent that letter. Celestia herself was clueless as to why this would happen to them, let alone her soon-to-be drake husband. But it only made her hug Spike a little more. "Don't worry. As soon as he is caught, the wedding will resume. And when that happens, we will have as many babies as we choose." Celestia said, putting her face next to Spike's. "Yeah... babies. That would be nice." Spike said with a nervous yet happy chuckle. Just then, they heard a knock on the door. "Yes?" Celestia answered. "It's me, Your Highness." It was one of the captains from outside the door. "I have to speak with the captain outside. I will be back for you. But don't leave my room." Celestia said as she let him go. "But what if he gets in? What should I do?" Spike asked, feeling scared. "Don't worry. I promise that I will come back to you. I have guards outside the castle and near my room to protect you. You have my word as your wife." Spike was paranoid at this point. He had no idea what to do on how to defend himself, let alone Celestia and his unborn child. He knew that she meant well, but didn't want to take any chances alone. But having known her his whole life, he believed that she would do right by him no matter what. After considering her circumstances and what she is trying to tell him, he said with reluctance, "...okay. But please be quick." "I will, my love. I will." Celestia said with a warm smile. She gave him a quick kiss and went to open the door. After shutting it, she saw the captain standing at attention. "What is the status of the security?" Celestia asked in a commanding voice. "Security has been set around the walls and every doorway within the castle halls. A fly couldn't buzz it's way in." the captain answered. "Hmm. Any word on who the perpetrator is yet? "So far we've interviewed most of Canterlot Society and none of them have a clue who it could be. We are currently searching for clues and trace back the steps of whoever sent this letter. From now on, we are dispatching the guards to sort through any mail linked to the perpetrator for any leads. I hope you have no problem with this, Your Majesty." "I have no objections. Do doing what you can and bring this criminal to justice. Anypony who will object to any commands that I have will answer to me. And if there are any guards doing anything suspicious, see to it that they are arrested and brought for questioning." "As you command, my liege." The captain turned away, leaving Celestia alone by the door. After checking to see if there were any intruders, she went back in to see that Spike was still inside. "Do you see? Back. Just like I promised." Celestia said. "Yeah. You seemed to be pretty quick." Spike replied. "Hmm. So what have you thought about naming the child?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around him. "I was thinking about naming the little guy Garnet." "Oh? What is it about the name that draws your attention?" "I dunno. Since it is our first child born from our love, it just seemed appropiate to name him after one of the gems that I love. Especially after searching for more of them with Rarity." "Hmm. Well, when this child comes into our world, his name will be Garnet. Would you be happy with it." "Would I? I would love it!" Spike said with excitement. The two chuckled again as they comforted one another. After doing so for a few minutes, they heard a knock on the door. "Yes?" Celestia called out. "It's me, dear sister." "Luna? Come in!" Luna entered and when she closed the door, she gave Celestia a serious look that seemed to have had something to say. "What is it, Luna?" Celestia asked. "We may have a lead." Hearing this shocked both Celestia and Spike upon hearing this news. > Interrogation > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- After making their way to the interrogation room, Shining Armor spent his time trying to solve the mystery of who sent the letter to Spike. He had been inside the room in the past two hours, trying to get information from one of the perpetrators. The frustration he was feeling just made him more determined to see that this pony sees justice. "Who sent the letter?" Shining Armor said as calmly as he could. "I don't know who sent it. I was just on my way to the spa with Upper Crust." Jet Set responded with full annoyance. "You had to have known! Your fingerprints were on one of the letters!" Shining Armor shouted as he slammed the table. Jet Set jumped back upon hearing Shining Armor yell. Shining Armor was starting to lose his patience the more and more he pressed Jet Set. "Do you at least have any information on who sent the letter?" Shining Armor asked. "I have no idea, but I might have a clue on one of the conspirators." Jet Set replied. "And who is it?" "Try Zesty Gourmand. She might know something." After a few minutes of pacing around and thinking it over, Shining Armor said in a threatening tone, "Okay, but know this. If anything that you did happens to hurt my own brother-in-law, I will do everything within my power to make your life a living hell. Am I clear?" "As clear as a crystal chalice, commander. Now may I please be on my way?" Jest Set replied in his pompous tone. Shining Armor looked at the reflective mirror on the right and nodded at the guards to let Jet Set. As they entered and they took him out of the room, he said, "Make sure that he doesn't do anything funny. The last thing that we need is another goose chase." "Yessir." the guard said. After leaving the room, Shining Armor went back to the castle and sat down by the dinner table. He had spent all day trying to get information from the Canterlot Society, but he received seldom results. The frustrating factor of it all was that whenever sompony answered him, he would be given a lazy excuse or they would just lackadaisically blow him off, or try to bribe him. At the same time, he had to do whatever he could to keep Spike safe from the perpetrator. Even if it meant forfeiting his life in the process. "Honey?" a voice called out. He turned around and saw Cadence, Flurry Heart, and Twilight. He walked over to speak with them. "How are you, big brother? Did you find any leads?" Twilight asked. "So far, I was given a lead to Zesty Gourmand. I was gonna assign some guards to bring her in for some questions. How are Spike and Celestia doing?" Shining Armor asked. "They're fine. Pretty cooped up in the castle though. She's very protective of him. Even to the point of telling him to stay in her room while she checks to see who the visitor could be." Cadence said as she carried Flurry Heart. "That bad, huh?" "Yup. That, and I rarely get to talk to him now thanks to that stupid letter. He doesn't suspect me or anything, but he's too scared to even speak to me about it." "Guess you're gonna have to what you can to put him at ease when this fiasco is over." "I hope so. I haven't spoken to him much ever since that letter was delivered to him." "I know. But the fact that pony written that letter to Spike, threatening his life just because he is a dragon is just sickening." Just then, they heard Flurry Heart mumble as she started to sleep. Cadence patted her on the back to make sure that she was okay. She turned towards Shining Armor and said, "I need to go and get Flurry Heart to sleep. Good luck. I hope you find the culprit." "Me too." Shining Armor replied. After leaving for her room back at the castle, Twilight stayed behind to talk to Shining Armor. "Care if I join you?" Twilight asked. "Sure Twily. Just try not to go overboard on the questions, okay?" "Trust me. I'm your sister. What could go wrong?" Just then, a guard arrived and called out Shining Armor. He went over to him and hear what he had to say. "Did you find anything?" Shining Armor asked. "We have Zesty Gourmand in our custody. She is currently in the interrogation room." the guard answered. "I see. I will be with you shortly." "Yessir." After the guard left, he turned towards Twilight and said, "If you're gonna help us, I would need you to check for anything suspicious and and report it to me. These are dangerous times now. We can't allow any mistakes." "I'll do what I can." Twilight said. "Great. I'm counting on you, Twily." Twilight nodded at him and Shining Armor left for the interrogation room. She decided to take a walk around Canterlot to see if there was any suspicious activity lurking about. After having done so for about half an hour, she just spent most of her time back at the castle in her room. It didn't wrap up in her mind on why this pony would do this. She didn't even know what this criminal would have to gain for threatening for Spike's life. It didn't add up for her in the least bit. Just then, she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Twilight asked. "Starlight!" the voice called out. She went towards the door and opened it. "Did you find anything?" Twilight asked. "Not really, but Shining Armor is back at the interrogation room if you wanna go." Starlight answered. "I just don't get it. Why would this pony do this? What is his motive? Just what could he have to gain from threatening Spike?" "I dunno. But if I had to guess, it would be power." "Wouldn't be the least bit surprised. Did you speak to Spike?" "Nope. Not since that letter was written. What about you?" "Me neither. It really seemed to have shook him." "Indeed. Wanna talk to him?" "Don't see why not." Twilight and Starlight walked out of the former's room to speak to Spike. She has no clue who sent that letter, but the two of them would see to it that justice would be served to the culprit. It would only be a matter of time until the criminal would show himself. Upon making it to the door, Twilight knocked on the door to see if Spike would answer.