Once the pair had arrived back in Canterlot, they were talking with the girls about how excited they were about to finally get hitched. In the days leading up, Twilight was expecting the girls to be helping with the final touches of the wedding, but they weren't. They all said they had things to do which made the girl a bit sad as she wanted her friends to help make her special day to be perfect. The pair was currently in the living room of the house as Pinkie had taken Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to get some ice cream. Twilight was in one chair as she was reading a book with Isaac doing the same. He took a glance to look at the girl he was but days from marrying. He smiled as a thought ran through his mind.
"What is it, honey?" asked Twilight.
"You know what's crazy when we first got together. It was the day after Cadance's and Shining Armor's wedding. You remember that day?" asked Isaac.
"Yeah."
The pair now had a flashback to that moment.
(Flashback from Chapter 68)
"Well, I was at the library reading some books. When I came across this," Twilight then pulled out a book as she showed it to Isaac.
"Dating Do's and Don'ts... How To Start and Keep a Healthy Relationship!" said Isaac as he read the title out loud. Twilight kissed Isaac on the cheek.
"This is perfect!" she said. "I thought it might be a good book to take a look at... seeing as I've never really been in a relationship like this before... or any for that matter..." Twilight fidgeting her fingers, "Do you want to read it together?"
"Sure," said Isaac as he leaned against the counter.
Twilight was standing across from Isaac as she opened the book and began to read from it. She turned several of the pages. "The first parts are talking about how to start the relationship." She looked up at Isaac with a smile as the two of them laughed simultaneously, she then turned her attention back to the book. "So it says here that the first thing couples do is... kiss." They turned to one another. "I think we already did that part."
"I wouldn't mind a refresher, though," Isaac suggested as he had a sly smile.
Twilight flashed a grin, leaning in close to him. "I think it went something like... this." She leaned in and pressed her mouth against his. Isaac leaned into it, and they lingered for a few seconds. As they separated, Twilight swept her hair away from her face. "Is that right?"
Isaac looked Twilight, enamored by his girl. "Yeah, I think that was it. But I may have to make sure later, okay?"
Twilight giggled. "Whatever you say, lover-boy." She then turned back to the book and took a pen out, placing a checkmark next to the step. "So, next it says... nicknames?"
"Well, everybody just calls me by my name. Not to mention that you can't really come up with a nickname for it." Isaac told Twilight. "But you, well there's a couple of options. Right, Twily?" Isaac gave Twilight a wink.
Twilight just blushed from Isaac calling her by a pet name. "Oooookay. Let's just consider that checked." She placed another mark next to the step. She then turned to face him again. "What about things like behavior? Do we have to change how we interact normally?"
"Well, you being you is what I feel for in the first place," Isaac explained.
"It's not like I expect you to be different from how you've always been."
Twilight let out a blush as she turned back to the book. "I feel the same way about you, too. Now let's see what's next!" She turned the page. "Always communicate and be honest." She turned her gaze. "Got any secrets?"
"Nope. Well, at least nothing I can think of, off the top of my head," responded Isaac.
"Me neither." She checked the box and moved on. "Going on 'dates'... We haven't done that yet."
"It's only been a day since we arrived from Cadance's wedding. So you can't expect us to do everything," said Isaac.
"All right. I'll set up a schedule for it, later." Twilight commented, placing another checkmark. "And... here... Oh." She looked back and forth between the book and Isaac. "I don't think we're quite there yet."
Isaac grabbed the book and looked at the section she was concentrating on. He saw an image of a grand wedding. "Ah..." Isaac turned red and looked at Twilight. "Yeah, I think going into that step is moving a little too fast." The two of them laughed as Isaac handed the book back to her.
(End of Flashback)
"Wow, to think that small conversation we had years ago. Actually, is about to happen, it's kinda nice but also scary." said the boy.
"I didn't expect us to make this far in our relationship, but... you just had to capture my heart time and time again. That's why... I'm glad you're the one I want to marry. The one I want to spend the rest of my life with and to have a family with." smiled Twilight.
The next day arrived. For Twilight, she was giddy like a little schoolgirl as she had received a message from her brother that said he would be arriving in town to attend his little sister's wedding. She was hoping her friends would finally help plan their wedding which was now just days, but once again, they declined to say they had other duties. Twilight knew they had busy lives, but they all stated they wouldn't have any work to do before the wedding, and suddenly they had work to do.
The pair were waiting for the pair in front of the house as soon they saw the married couple as Flurry Heart was in Cadance's arms.
"Cadance! Shining!" said the girl as she rushed towards the married couple and hugged them.
"It's wonderful to see you, Twilight." Cadance then gave Flurry Heart to Shining Armor.
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hands and do a little shake!" said both girls as they did a little dance and let out a giggle.
"How's my LSBFF doing?" asked Shining Armor as he rubbed Twilight's hair creating some ruffles.
"I'm doing alright, BBBFF."
"Twily."
"Flurry, so good to see you. You've grown," said the girl as she saw her niece was now a young toddler.
Isaac was watching the interaction of the Sparkle family as he smiled. To think that once he married Twilight, not only would they be a part of each other's family. But that one of his greatest rivals would technically be, his brother-in-law. Well at least, family dinners won't be awkward. Just as Twilight had finished talking with her siblings, Isaac cleared his throat.
"Well, you seem to have this all in hand. I have some… important business to attend to." said the boy, running up and kissing Twilight on the cheek. "Love you! See you later!" He shot off into the distance, heading into town.
"Him too?!" shouted Twilight.
"What's the matter, Twilight?" asked Cadance.
"I was hoping that my friends would help put the final touches on our wedding. But they've been too busy doing whatever!" yelled the girl in anger. "Now Isaac leaves cause he has things to do. He said we'd be working together. Something fishy is going on… And I'm gonna get to the bottom of it!" she said as she took the luggage from the married couple and was making her way towards the house.
Cadence giggled as she caught up to her husband, pushing the carriage in front of her. "So, do you think she knows?"
"I think she's probably figured it out." He affirmed. "If anything, she at least suspicious."
Twilight, Shining Armor, and Cadence headed into the living room, where a familiar scene awaited them. On the seat where the pair was reading last night, was the dating book sitting at the edge, a letter used as a bookmark.
"Oh, he did not do this again!" The lilac girl fumed, running over to the book and opening it. She felt a wash of relief in not seeing Isaac bend the corner of the page to mark the book and took out the letter. "Answer the message on your duel disk…" she read, "... And mind the page number?" She looked at the number of the page the letter had marked, committing it to memory. She looked at her small device curiously, before touching her screen that had a message icon.
"Surprise!" it started, in Isaac's voice. "If you haven't already guessed, I've had a bit of a plan for today. First of all, I want to tell you the reason Cadence and Shining Armor came over. It wasn't a surprise to me, 'cause I kinda invited them! Shining Armor told me how much you love scavenger hunts, so I decided that would be a good way to do this thing! Rather than pieces of paper for clues, there's gonna be more recorded messages at the locations you go to. But they won't be easy to find! At each location, there will be somebody that needs your help. When you help them, they'll guide you to your next clue. Now, here's the first clue." a deep breath was heard. "When in this place, please keep in mind, the seeds of love grow intertwined. In helping your friend, I do believe, the honest truth you shall receive."
Twilight looked back at her brother and sister-in-law, eyes narrowed. "So everyone was in on this, huh?"
"Yup!" Shining Armor confirmed. "It'll be nice to see what it's like in the receiving end of a scavenger hunt for once!"
"And don't worry about Flurry," Cadence added. "Juniper will be watching her."
Twilight's expression shifted from suspicious to excited, thinking about what lay ahead. "Okay! Let's go!"
"So, where do you think the clue leads?" Cadence asked. "Seeds of love grow intertwined… Where would something like that happen?"
"I think the important part is the bit about the 'honest truth'." Twilight suggested. "He's talking about the most honest person around! So that means we gotta go to Sweet Apple Acres and help her!" said the girl as she left with family following close behind.
At the farm, Twilight and company cantered up to the barn where Applebloom them.
"Oh! Hi, Twilight!" she called. "Whatcha doin' here?"
"Hi, Apple Bloom," she replied, skidding to a halt. "Do you know where Applejack is?"
"Yeah, she's in the barn." the small girl informed her. "She's been fussin' over some rope fer hours."
"Thanks. You have a good day!" Twilight said, turning to the barn.
Shining Armor leaned up to his wife. "Since when does Applejack ever have problems with rope?"
"I don't know…" Cadence answered. "She's always been handy with a lasso."
They entered the barn, where Applejack was looking long and hard at a rope on the ground. There was a parchment on the floor with diagrams on it. "Now how d'ya do this here part?" she asked herself, puzzling over the instructions before her.
"Hey, Applejack. What's going on?" Twilight wondered, looking at the rope and parchment.
"Big Mac told me I couldn't figure out this here knot!" she declared, raising her head to look at her friend. "I wanted to show 'im just how wrong 'e is, but I'll be darned if this ain't the toughest ropin' I ever did see!"
"Can I help?" she offered, lifting the rope into the air.
"If you can make sense o' this thing and tell me how ta do it, I say go right ahead!" The country girl stated pointing to the diagram.
Twilight looked over the paper, seeing the final result as a knot that was so complicated it was almost spherical, woven all over. She brought her hand to her chin, carefully going over the instructions. As she read them, the rope rose into the air between her and Applejack, slowly weaving its way into place at a pace that Applejack could very easily observe. When the studious girl lifted her head from the parchment, the knot was tied, and Applejack took hold of the rope.
"Wow, Twilight... " Applejack began, looking at the rope. "You sure got that quick!"
Twilight puffed out her chest, rubbing her hand against her necklace. "So, can you do it yourself?"
Applejack took another rope, slowly working it into the desired shape before her friend. She hung it from her arm, dangling it in front of Twilight. "Yeah, I think I got it." She took both ropes and put them aside. "And now, I gotta show y'all sumthin'! Follow me!" She walked out of the barn, heading for the orchard with her lilac-colored friend following closely.
Shining Armor turned to Cadence. "I see what they did there…"
Cadence giggled. "Tying a knot, huh? Ironic." The two of them walked together, following the younger girls as they went.
Twilight was led far into the orchard, right to the edge of the farm, where she saw several pear trees growing. She had heard about this area but never got to actually go there before. She admired the view around her.
"All right, we're here!" Applejack proclaimed.
Twilight, Shining Armor, and Cadence looked ahead to see something they had never imagined. Applejack had her hand raised in presentation, showing the group a pair of large trees grown in such a way that they twisted around one another, their branches intertwined. One of the trees was an apple tree, and the other, a pear tree. In the middle, near the top, there was an opening in the shape of a heart. Inside that opening, another pocket of air spun in place, blowing slightly at the leaves around it.
"This is where my parents got married… They planted the seeds of these here trees as a special way of sealin' their vows. We all come here sometimes just to… Well, to think about 'em. Seein' what they grew together. Both the trees and their children."
Twilight looked in awe at the vision before her. Applejack then took out her deck as she walked up to the tree with her friend. The country gal said a few words to the trees and the deck that was left behind by her parents saying that she kept their promise of living up to the deck's full potential. She then pulled out her duel disk as she showed it to Twilight and played the recorded message.
"Congrats on finding this clue! I figured you'd figure it out without much trouble. Now for the next one! A vision of white is what you must seek, and if you help the owner, you'll look tres chic! With the outfits she makes, you'll never look stale, but inside this domain, there is much to unveil!"
"That was a pretty obvious clue…" Twilight affirmed. She turned to face Applejack, giving her a heartfelt hug. "Thank you for bringing me here. It's the most beautiful part of the farm, and that's saying a lot!"
Applejack reciprocated the embrace, putting her hat over her heart as they separated. "You're most welcome, Twilight. I'm happy to help!"
Twilight walked over to the whispering pair that was Shining Armor and Cadence. "And what are you two whispering about?"
"Oh, nothing." Cadence fibbed, earning a nod from her husband. "Just talking about the execution of these clues! It's something only Isaac can pull off!"
"Definitely." the boy repeated. "I can't wait to see what's next!" he turned to walk with Twilight, the trio making their way to Rarity's Boutique.
The bell rang at the boutique, catching Rarity's ear. She turned to the door, seeing Twilight and her siblings entering. "Ah! Twilight! Just the person I wanted to see!" She turned her attention to Cadence, offering the older girl a hug. "And it's been far too long since I've seen you, Cadance! Could I interest you in an outfit while you're here? I'm running a special on white gowns today!"
Cadence smiled warmly at the fashionista, accepting the embrace. "White gowns? Why are you pushing those today?"
Rarity walked over to one of the dresses on sale, coyly looking back. "No particular reason." She put an arm around Twilight. "Now, I was wondering if you could help me to better organize some pieces to a project I'm working on, and then maybe… model it for me?" she requested, fluttering her eyes at her bookworm friend.
"Of course!" Twilight exclaimed, excited at the idea of organization. "What kind of project is it?"
"Only one of the most elaborate gowns I've ever designed!" she told her. "Why, it may very well be my magnum opus of couture!"
"That's a pretty tall order." Shining Armor pointed out, following the girls.
"Yes, well, let a girl dream!" Rarity replied, leading her guests to the inspiration room. Strewn about the room were patterns and fabrics and all of the parts required for an exquisite outfit. On a stand at the edge of the room, a parchment lay with a design for a magnificent dress, featuring a starry pattern and a veil on the head of the person wearing it.
Twilight looked around the room at the pieces, getting an idea of the task at hand. "Wow. This is going to be a big outfit…" She grabbed each piece and held them in front of her, eyeing them all and arranging them according to what she had observed of the dress-making process. Before long, each piece had its own place on a table next to the stand.
Rarity lit up, taking up a position next to her sewing machine. She began her work, becoming what Twilight would describe as a paragon of efficiency. In a matter of minutes, the dress was complete, adorning a mannequin. Despite the scope of the project, it was fairly simple in its execution. The star pattern was a beautiful silver, connected in a way reminiscent of constellations along the skirt, lines of lace along the waist and hem. The front half of the dress had no back but featured an intricate star pattern leading from the base of the neck and spreading all over with knotwork patterns connecting each of them. The legs had stockings that went all the way up to the haunches, ending in silver shoes/heels. At the top of the gown was a silver adornment. Atop the mannequin's head was a bejeweled decoration, a veil protruding out from it and over the face.
"This is… beautiful!" Twilight declared, awestruck at the dress before her. "And you want me to model it?"
Rarity gave a solemn nod. "I need to see how it moves, and where it needs adjustment!" She stood beside the outfit, removing it from the mannequin and looking at Twilight. "Besides, I think it would look simply gorgeous on you!"
Twilight looked longingly at the gown, imagining how it would look on her. "Well, okay. I guess I'll model it, then!" She took a place behind a nearby changing curtain, Rarity joining her.
Cadance leaned into her husband, putting her mouth up to his ear. "That certainly looked like a fitting dress for someone like Twilight, huh?" she whispered.
Shining Armor brought his hand up in front of his mouth, staring intently at the curtain. "Shh… I wanna see this!" he told her, watching with a vested interest as a silver-shoed leg stepped out from behind the curtain. Twilight made her way forward, looking at her companions. Shining Armor's face scrunched up, the water in his eyes welling up ever-so-slightly.
"Twilight… You look…"
"Beautiful…" Cadance finished, walking up to her. "Rarity, you've really outdone yourself!"
Rarity blushed, standing between the girls and gazing upon her current model. "I do believe you're right…" She paused, really taking in the vision that was Twilight. "You truly are beautiful, darling."
Twilight smiled, going in for a hug. "Thank you. I hope the lucky person that gets to own this dress looks even better, though!"
Rarity let out a satisfied sigh. "Well, I've seen everything I need to. Let's get you out of that… beautiful gown… and I'll take you where you need to go."
Twilight stepped back behind the curtain, and in a flash, the outfit was off and in Rarity's grip. She put the dress back on the mannequin, then guided her friend to the main room, where she pointed straight up. There, in the center of the room, was a box. She grabbed her deck and slid it into the hold as the box unlocked and she pulled out her duel disk. She then touched her screen, the message played.
"I know, that last rhyme was way too easy to solve! But, to be fair, the key to the clues isn't the same as what you're used to. Speaking of riddles, though, here's another one! The music from nature meets music that's not. From someone's perspective, that could be quite 'hot'! In this person's case, she isn't so sure. Perhaps some help from a friend is the cure?"
"Music from nature?" Twilight wondered, reflecting on the rhyme. "Fluttershy often does music for gatherings with her songbirds… But what about the 'Music that's not'?"
"Well, who do you know that makes music that doesn't sound… natural?" Cadance lead.
Twilight's eyes widened. "Vinyl Scratch!" She exclaimed, racing out the door.
Fluttershy was pacing in front of a house, trying to convince herself to knock on the door. "You know these people, Fluttershy! You can do this!" She told herself. "It's not like we're… performing together... " she sat down. "... for the first time…" Her pupils shrank. "... for a really big event!" she brought her arms up, clutching her head with her hands as her teeth began chattering.
"Fluttershy? What's going on?" came a voice she both expected to hear and didn't. The animal-loving girl looked up, seeing Cadance standing over her. Twilight stepped forward shortly after, with Shining Armor close behind. "You look scared."
"Oh! Cadance!" She began, getting back up. "It's nothing… I just have a… performance… I need to prepare for, and I have to coordinate it with… well…" she pointed her hand at the door. "... them…"
"But, Fluttershy, you know Vinyl and Octavia!" Twilight pointed out. "You have for years! What's so different about this?"
"This is going to be the first time that my songbird choir is going to perform alongside them, though!" Fluttershy stressed, spreading her arms. "They're such… big-shots… in the music world… I don't know if our styles can even mesh well! I don't want my adorable birdies to get drowned out!"
"Are you forgetting something?" Twilight asked.
Fluttershy tilted her head. "Um… I don't think so…"
"You've been in some tougher duels before. You went toe to toe with Sour Sweet in the Friendship Games. You've competed in high-stakes duels against Isaac no less. And nearly beat him. Not to mention you created your dream of having an animal sanctuary."
Twilight's words rang in Fluttershy's ears for a moment. It was true. "You're right!" She informed her friends, a new level of confidence appearing in her eyes. "I can do this!"
Twilight, Cadence, and Shining Armor let out a cheer as she turned to the door, raising her hand high. She brought her hand forward faster than anyone had ever seen and… gently tapped the door three times, almost inaudibly. She waited for half a second, then turned around and shrugged. "Well, nobody home! I guess I'll try again another ti-"
Twilight stopped her friend in place and rotated her back towards the door. She stepped forward, knocking firmly on it. She waited a few moments, seeing the latch turn and releasing her shy friend from her grip. The door opened, and a white-coated girl with blue hair that alternated from light to dark and a pair of sunglasses and headphones poked her head out, bobbing her head to a beat that only she could hear. She gasped slightly at the sight of Twilight and Fluttershy, opening the door the rest of the way.
"Oh! Hello, there!" Fluttershy nervously greeted, stepping forward. "Is this where you live? It's... " she looked inside, seeing the living room's décor split down the middle according to the tastes of the residents. "... quite lovely! But I see you're busy! I don't want to get in the way of your important business, so I'll just be on my wa-" As she turned to leave again, a hand on her shirt. She looked back to see Vinyl's hand, pulling her into the house. "Ah… So you were expecting me…"
Twilight laughed at the scene, looking back at her companions. "I'll be right out." She entered the abode, where Fluttershy and Octavia had already engaged in conversation. Vinyl stepped up to Twilight and tapped her shoulder, directing her attention to a spot just above her setup, where another box was located and she gave Twilight, Fluttershy's deck. The girl then approached it and unlocked using the deck. In an instant, the other sounds in the room were drowned out, the message playing.
"Didn't expect this result, did you? The person to help was Fluttershy, but the one with the clue? That would be our favorite DJ here! So? Are you ready for your clue?" Twilight nodded. "I'm gonna guess you nodded. So… here it is… To dance in the sky is the easiest feat! But down on the floor? Not doing so sweet. Balance and poise are learned in one place! And you're gonna love the look on her face!"
"So… Rainbow Dash is learning to… dance?" Twilight asked herself. She turned to Vinyl, slightly lifting her headphones. "Thank you." She told her, heading for the exit.
Rainbow Dash was not a happy person right now. She knew she'd have to do something for this thing Isaac had planned, but this was pushing it. Dancing was something she was already okay at, but that was when she did her style! Learning to properly dance, it was like she had four left feet! She grumbled several things to herself as the kids around her mirrored the movements of the instructor at the dance class. Before long, a knock came at the door. The instructor called out to let the students, Rainbow Dash included, rest as she opened the door.
"Oh! Ms. Twilight!" The instructor greeted, her accent as thick as ever. "How lovely to see you. You here for the lessons?"
"I'm actually here to see one of your students!" Twilight corrected, "Is Rainbow Dash here?"
"Twilight!" Rainbow cried out, rushing over to the girl and putting her hands on her shoulders. "You gotta get me outta here! I can't take any more of this namby-pamby dance fluff! I gotta get out and stretch my legs!"
"You will leave when class is over, Dashie." the instructor interjected, putting a hand on her back. "You, of all people, need to work on your skills before big party! Elsewise, you would not have been enrolled, yes?"
Rainbow's face sank, retreating her forelegs from their contact with her friend. "I know… I just don't like how stuffy it feels in here!"
Shining Armor looked around the room, eyeing the kids that occupied it. "That, and you're embarrassed to be taking a class with a bunch of kids!" he stated, soon breaking into laughter.
"Shining!" Twilight yelled, glaring at him. His laughter stopped, and he soon sat up. She turned to look at the cyan girl. "Don't listen to him."
"Why not? He's right!" Rainbow affirmed.
"He is?" Twilight repeated, confused.
"I am?" Shining Armor repeated, also confused.
"Yeah! It's not exactly hard to see." She led them into the room, sitting Twilight down on one side and then taking a position on the other. "Lemme show you…" She turned to a kid working a nearby phonograph. "Hit it!" The boy nodded, turning the crank as the music began to play.
After the first couple of measures, she started taking some tentative steps alongside a kid that stood beside her. For every ten steps, the kid took, Rainbow Dash was only able to take one. Halfway through the song, she attempted to pick up her pace, stumbling around the floor. Her legs started to twist together, and she fell to her side, causing the younger person to run for dear life as the record came to a screeching halt. Rainbow lay on the floor with a sour pout on her face.
"Ya see? This is what happens every time I try to dance on the ground!" She untangled her legs, working her way up into a sitting position. "And then there's the actual students here!" She motioned an arm to a young orange boy with purple hair who was dancing so well and so rapidly that they could hardly see his legs, doing flips off of the wall and various other advanced steps. "How do I compete with that?!"
"I don't think you're supposed to," Shining Armor deadpanned. "It's a class. You're supposed to learn the stuff, not show off!"
"As crude as that was, he has a point," Twilight added. "If you're set on learning it, then you need to stick to it. Why are you having such a hard time learning it, anyway?"
"I don't know! I just… keep tripping over myself!" Rainbow explained.
"Have you tried learning it your way?" the girl suggested.
"What do you mean? This isn't some test I have to study for! And it's not like I can put my own spin on it by wat-" her mouth hung open, thinking about her words. "That's it! I can take everything in and see how they do it! Then imitate that in my style where I won't fall over!" She jumped to the floor, looking around the room.
"There you go!" Twilight exclaimed, joining her friend. "So, is there anything you need to show me?" she got a little closer, quirking her eyebrows.
"Yeah, but after class!" Rainbow Dash confirmed.
Twilight let out a fond sigh and returned to the floor. She sat in a chair next to the door where Shining Armor and Cadence had snuck in, getting comfortable. The students would all go through their routines, performing complex steps that Rainbow would look at and flail her body in an attempt to imitate, but put her own unique style to it. Throughout the class, her movements went from flailing to a more refined step. Soon the class ended.
"So, how was I?" Rainbow inquired, rushing up to Twilight.
"Well, it was certainly an improvement, but…" she started. Rainbow's face showed a hint of a grimace at the last word. "Buuuut I would suggest keeping at it."
Rainbow Dash hung her head, ears lowering. "Okay…" she lifted her head, a new determination in her eyes. "Then I'll keep going!" She made for the exit, beckoning everybody along with her hand. "Come on, everyone! You've got another clue waiting!" She took off, Twilight and her family following suit.
Twilight caught up to her alethic friend, looking at her as they walked. "So, why are you suddenly taking a dance class?"
"Rarity insists that I have to learn 'formal' dancing for the we-" she forced her mouth shut, catching herself on her words. "Hey! Look! We're here!
Twilight's expression brightened as she shot ahead towards the place where Rainbow pointed. Cadance snickered a little, coming up beside Rainbow. "Almost let it slip, huh?"
Rainbow Dash crossed her arms, putting on a cool expression. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Cadance giggled, starting towards Twilight. "I'm sure you don't." She took a position next to her sister-in-law, looking at the box in the park.
Rainbow then unlocked it using her deck as the message began to play.
"I told you you'd love the look on her face!" It began, laughing hysterically. "Anyway, yes. Rainbow Dash is learning to dance. Although I don't know if that class is the one she needs for a 'formal gathering' like Rarity insists. But, I digress! After this, there are only two clues left! Partially because I'm running out of unique things to say... But mostly because you're almost done!" A deep breath was heard. "After all this, you deserve a rest. There's one sweet place I think is best! And while you go to have a break, have yourself a slice of cake!"
Twilight and Cadance looked at each other, smiling. "Sweet Shoppe!"
Cakes. Cakes everywhere. Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake, Pound Cake, Pumpkin Cake, and then there were the baked goods! Chocolate cake, lemon cake, carrot cake, fruitcake, apple cake, pear cake, spice cake, every kind of cake to ever cake on a cake! And sitting in the middle of it all was a lone pie... A Pinkie Pie. All this cake and only one thing was missing... And the entry bell chimed, signaling their arrival.
Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor entered the confectionery shop, looking around at the towers of pure sweetness. Twilight's stomach rumbled as her eyes fell on all of the baked wonders, a small amount of drool dribbling out of her open mouth.
"The Cakes have been working overtime, huh?" Shining Armor commented as he felt a rumbling of his own.
"Oh, you're right about that one!" Mr. Cake told them. "We've been asked to cater for a really big event! But we don't know what kind of cake needs to be our centerpiece, so Pinkie suggested we make samples and have somebody come in for taste testing! You all are just in time, too!"
"Just in time?" Cadance repeated. "I don't understand…"
"Isaac was supposed to be our taste tester, but something came up and he had to help somebody with something involving mashed peas…" Mr. Cake elaborated. "But we just finished all of our baking, and we still need somebody from outside the shop to be our taste tester! Would you all like to help us?"
Twilight smiled, rolling her eyes. "Well, we have been walking around all day… and I am pretty hungry after all of that…"
The three of them sat down at the only empty table in the room, where a bouncy pink girl emerged from the floor wearing a false mustache and bow tie. She bowed curtly to the guests, placing a plate in front of each of them.
"Our first selection is a classic chocolate cake with chocolate icing!" She told them, trying her best to sound as proper as possible as she placed a multi-layered brown cake in the center. She picked up a knife and, with one swift motion, sliced the cake to be split evenly amongst the four of them. "The filling between each layer is made with a raspberry jam, with extra sugar for sweetness!"
Everyone at the table raised a fork, digging into the morsels placed before them. As always, the Cakes made the best cakes in all of Canterlot. The chocolate maintained a hint of its natural bitterness, to not completely overwhelm their pallets with pure sweetness. Twilight could detect a hint of some ground-up ingredient in the icing, providing some of that bitter taste, eventually giving way to the raspberry filling that washed over the bits of cake to fill her mouth with flavor. They all brought a hand up to their faces, overjoyed by the pure confectionery art they were experiencing, and quickly gobbled up their portions. As soon as their plates were empty, Pinkie rose, fetching another cake and setting it in front of them. Each cake was just as delicious as the one before it, all of them beautifully decorated and flawlessly proportioned to never be too much with each slice. When the cakes were finished, the room was empty once more. The guests at the table leaned back, patting their bellies as Pinkie Pie appeared beside Twilight.
"So? Which one was your favorite?" she inquired.
Twilight sat up, looking at Pinkie quizzically. "I have to choose one?" Pinkie nodded rapidly. "But they were all so good! I can't possibly choose just one! When is this big event?"
"Well, that's the big question." Mr. Cake stated.
Twilight's eyes narrowed, looking at the proprietor suspiciously. "And who is organizing it?"
Mr. Cake looked nervously at Pinkie Pie, who reeled back at the sudden gesture. Her eyes darted back and forth between Mr. Cake and Twilight, teeth chattering.
"I can't tell you!" She shouted, retreating into a corner. "Your clue is in the party planning cave! Please don't ask any more questions!"
"You have a party planning cave?" asked Shining Armor and Cadance in unison.
Twilight recoiled from the shout, a part of her not expecting such a response from Pinkie. She relaxed a bit, letting her face go back to normal. "Okay, okay. No more questions. Let's go get that clue!" She slowly got up, straining a bit from having a slightly engorged belly thanks to all the cake.
Pinkie Pie walked over to a cake on the counter, pressing down on the cherry on top. Twilight and company heard a mechanism crank from beneath them as they lost all semblance of footing. They fell through four trap doors onto a set of slides that converged into one, taking them down into a room full of file cabinets, balloons, streamers, and other decorations. One electric blue balloon in the center of the room was twitching erratically as if something inside it was making it behave unusually. Pinkie came down the slide behind the group, a needle in her forelock.
"You're gonna need this…" she said, bringing the needle forward. "It hurts to pop an innocent balloon… but the show must go on!" She raised an arm emphatically in her declaration, her face more serious than ever.
Twilight grabbed the needle from her friend's hair and walked over to the twitchy balloon. She closed her eyes, bringing the needle forward to pierce the outer layer.
"POP!"
A large painting that was splattered with different assortments of paint fell into her hands. The message began alongside the popping noise, pausing for a moment. "Don't ask me how this got inside a balloon. It was all Pinkie. She did her… Pinkie... thing. I've stopped trying to understand it. I hope you enjoyed your cake! It should give you the energy for your next location!"
"Just a painting?" asked Shining Armor.
"Dear, it's easy. Who do we know is a popular painter?"
"Then let's go," stated Twilight.
"Don't we have to get out of here first?" Cadance asked.
"I think so…" Shining Armor agreed, looking at the slide with a confused expression. "But… how do we get out?"
Sunset was in the park as she was on the floor. Her paint supplies were out as a blank canvas was in front of her. She was trying to come up with a good painting that Isaac requested but was having trouble. Twilight had arrived with her family as they saw the girl.
"Hey, Sunset."
"Twilight, so good to see you." said the girl as they hugged each other.
"So what are you doing?" asked Cadance.
"I got a request from a client that's asking me to create a one-of-a-kind drawing."
"What kind of drawing?" asked Shining Armor.
"That's the thing, they just said, whatever comes to mind."
"Isn't that a good thing? It means that they're not expecting much," stated Shining Armor.
"Well, yeah. But in my line of work, I make sure that I have a reason for drawing what I draw. If the person said, 'Hey, can you include X, Y, and Z?' Or even if it was something as small as a painting of a sun, I would have a reason as to why it's there. Telling me to do whatever I want is fine for me, but again, I pride myself on having a reason why things are in the painting." said Sunset.
"I see, you not a popular artist because you make good paintings. But because you have a reason behind your drawings, you tell a story," said Cadance.
"Precisely, it's what I loved learning about in art school." said the bacon-haired girl.
"A blank canvas, and the freedom to create whatever comes to mind. Simple yet difficult," said Twilight as she looked at the art supplies. Soon a lightbulb went off in the girl's head as she addressed her friend.
"Hey, Sunset? Can I ask? Is your client who requested a painting a fan of Duel Monsters?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Do you remember the paintings that you created for the rest of us, during that one time we spent at Isaac's house for Christmas?"
"Of course, Twilight. That was one of my finest works. So much so, that I recreated them and had them on display in my srt studio, not for sale, since I valued them too much. Why?" asked Sunset.
"Well, maybe you could do a painting of them but as Duel Monsters," suggested Twilight.
"Huh... that's... an interesting idea," said Sunset as she was seeing what her friend was saying. "I think I got something, Shining Armor and Cadance, mind helping me?"
"What do you need us to do?" asked Cadance.
"Simply stand there, and put your arm around Cadance," said Sunset as she set up her easel.
"Okay? Anything else?" asked Shining Armor.
"Mind letting me see your deck?" asked Sunset as the boy did that.
She took the deck and began to look through the contents of it. Sunset then stopped on a set of cards as she did some glances between the pair and the cards. She then handed the cards back to Shining Armor as she smiled. With that, she straighten out her leather jacket and cracked her knuckles. She picked up her brush and began to draw. Twilight watched from the side as Sunset was in the zone. After a while, Sunset put her brush down as she then grabbed the painting.
The girl flipped it over to show her work. The painting she had down was of Shining Armor and Cadance with the boy holding his wife. But they were dressed as two monsters from his deck. For Shining Armor, he was in his Kaibaman's outfit while Cadance was painted as Maiden with Eyes of Blue. In the background, there were his Blue-Eyes as it let out a roar.
"What do you think?" asked Sunset.
"It's... beautiful," said Cadance as she took the painting and held it with Shining Armor placing his hands on the girl's shoulder.
"I always knew I looked handsome. And this makes you look even more beautiful," said the boy as he kissed his wife's cheek.
"Nice job, Sunset."
"Thanks, Twilight. I think I now know what to paint."
Sunset wasted no time in setting up another canvas and was already doing the painting. In no time, she finished what she wanted to draw.
"So, can we see it?" asked Twilight.
"Sorry, Twi. But the client said to not let anyone see it. Not even themselves. Besides, it'd be bad business for me, they paid a good amount of money for this." said Sunset with a smirk as she put the drawing away. "But I will give you this."
Sunset then pulled out her duel disk and played the message.
"Congratulations, Twilight! You've found this clue!" heavy breathing was heard for a moment, mumbling coming from the background. "What? Flurry is what?! Oh, not again! Okay, I'll be right there! I just gotta finish this! These messages only last so long, after all! I've had to do these all day while staying ahead! All right, just keep calm and do what I told you! Okay!" the voice cleared his throat, becoming more audible once again. "So, you know how I've been leading you around with poems or rhymes? Well, this last one is something a bit more my speed. Follow the clue in this song, and it'll lead you to where you need to be." Once more, a deep breath sounded, giving what felt like a few beats to the atmosphere.
"~Leaves from the vine….
Falling so slow,
Like fragile, tiny shells
Drifting in the flow….
Little_ soldier boy…
Come marching home!
Bra_ave soldier boy…
Comes marching home…~"
Twilight lingered on the last note. The song was short and simple, but she could feel a deeper meaning behind it from some source she didn't quite understand. She turned to her brother. "Soldier? Is he talking about you?"
"I… think so." Shining Armor affirmed. "Something about… marching home… I think that's where we need to be."
"Well, then, let's go home!" Cadance declared.
They all arrived home back to where they started as the sound of snoring echoed throughout. Twilight recognized it outright, considering who she slept with. But for it to be this loud, he couldn't possibly be comfortable. She attuned her ears to the sound, following it to its source with Cadance and Shining Armor trailing close behind. She didn't have to travel very far, as the sound grew to its peak when she approached the living room.
There on the floor, Isaac lay curled up. Cuddled up next to him and nestled under his arm was a peacefully sleeping little toddler. Cadance and Shining Armor smiled at the sight of their daughter, the mother stepping forward and lifting the toddler into her arms.
Flurry stirred, slowly opening her eyes. "Ma-ma!" She called out, spreading her arms happily.
Twilight walked over to her special someone on the floor, sitting next to him. From behind her, she heard the footsteps of everybody she had visited that day. The Apple Siblings, Crusaders included Rarity, Fluttershy, their musician friends, the entire Cake family, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Sunset, Juniper, and even their respective parents along with their pets. They all gathered around the room, encircling the map. The girl heard them come in but paid them no mind. She leaned in close to Isaac, poking his side with her hand.
"Isaac… Wake up, Isaac!"
Isaac's eyes shot open. He rocketed up from his sleeping position, getting to his feet with his cap falling off.
"What? Yes? I'm awake!" He looked around, seeing the gathering of people. "Oh… Right…" He slowly turned his attention to Twilight. "So, you've completed the scavenger hunt, huh?"
"Why, yes. I would say I have!" She confirmed. She tilted her head to look behind him, seeing nothing but the same book open to the same page. "So… What's the prize?"
"Ah! Yes! Your prize!" He repeated as he picked up his cap and put it back on. "Follow me to the back of the house," said Isaac as he put the book on the table.
Twilight followed the boy to the back as everybody all had smiles on their faces as they watched the two leaving. Hoping that when they came back, it would be even bigger.
Isaac and Twilight were now in the back of the house as it was just the two of them.
"So, you made sure to remember the page that book over there was marked on, right?"
Twilight nodded. "Yes. What does that have to do with the prize?"
"Do you remember what was the contents of the page?" asked Isaac.
Twilight then thought back and used her impressive memory skills to think. She glanced once at the page but already had an image of it in her mind. "Chapter fifty… Tying the… Applejack had me tying a knot at the farm… When you and your special someone have been living together for a very long time, trust each other completely, and are naturally comfortable with each other… it will have become time to take the last big step…" her eyes widened dramatically. She brought a hand up to her chin as she began pondering out loud. "After we saw Applejack… Rarity needed help with… a veiled white dress… Then Fluttershy needed to talk to Vinyl and Octavia about performing for a really big event… Rainbow Dash was learning to dance at a formal gathering… And Pinkie was wanting my opinion on cake! Then at the park… Sunset was tasked with painting a picture…" she returned her attention to the book. "... the last big step... " she turned around, seeing Isaac now grabbing her hand.
"Marriage." he finished. "Twilight, you remember our graduation duel? You remember I asked you a question and you gave me an answer. Now, we're about to get hitched, but there's one thing after all these years that's incomplete. Something to make the proposal official." Isaac then presented a small box as he opened it.
"Isaac... there's... nothing in there," said Twilight.
"That's because I don't have it. You do," smiled the boy.
Twilight then looked at her other hand and to her surprise inside was a handcrafted magenta diamond ring. Twilight gasped as Isaac took it.
"How?"
"Magic," stated the boy. "After all this time, you still don't have it. So better late than never. Twilight, I asked you that question during our duel and you said, 'Yes'. I'm gonna need you to say yes, one more time." Isaac got down on one knee as he took his cap off with his other hand and ran it through his hair while taking a deep breath. He then looked at the girl.
"I love you with all my heart, Twilight Sparkle," said Isaac with full confidence in his voice, "I couldn't think of a better girl to spend the rest of my life with. Will you marry me?"
There was a long and dramatic pause. Twilight began to cry through her glasses, but this time they were tears of joy as she lowered her arms and gave Isaac a warm, teary smile.
"I thought you'd never ask," Twilight replied, "Yes... yes! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!"
Isaac smiled as he put his cap back on and happily put the engagement ring on Twilight's finger before embracing and kissing her happily.