Chapter 110: The Wedding Pt. 1
"Sparky, hurry up!"
"Don't rush me!"
The princess was currently in a dressing room trying several outfits. Standing outside, annoyed and with his arms crossed, was Storm. For the past 2 hours, they had been in Manehattan as the girl was trying to decide on an outfit for her brother's wedding.
Twilight had been trying to figure out what she should wear. Given her massive wardrobe, none of the outfits seemed to catch her eye. So she and Storm took an express ride to Manehattan to shop for a new dress. While shopping for new clothes, the girl managed to try out some new outfits all while displaying them for the boy. In Twilight's mind, she was kinda hoping she could find out what Storm's interests were and if any of the outfits she tried on made her more attractive.
"Sparky!" shouted Storm as he was getting impatient and starting to get bored.
"Just one more!" stated the girl.
Twilight looked herself in the mirror as she put on the final one. After a matter of seconds, the curtain was pulled back and out stepped the princess.
"I swear, if you…"
Storm was about to go off on his partner when he saw her. His brain shut off as he took in what was in front of him.
Twilight was wearing a cyan blue dress with blue sunflowers along the bottom of the skirt and a giant yellow-orange bow on the back as well as a blue sunflower beaded necklace around her neck.
"Well, what do you think?" Twilight asked as she twirled.
"Wow, you look like an angel." said Storm as he just let his mind speak. The boy's comment caused both him and Twilight to blush as they turned their heads a bit.
"Thanks," said the princess as she quickly close the curtain.
The girl was leaning against the wall as she had her hand over her heart. Hearing what Storm made her heart beat faster than it had been when she exercised. The heat and redness in her cheeks was visible that anyone would have noticed. She slumped to her bottom and clutched her heart.
You have to tell him!
"Why is it so hard to tell him?" asked Twilight.
The day was here. It was finally here. The entire city of Canterlot was in a buzz. The announcement of a wedding was enough to make anyone excited and nervous. However, it was no ordinary wedding, it was a royal wedding. And you couldn't get anymore royal than having the son of the King and Queen of Equis being wedded to someone who was about to inherit a royal kingdom of her own. Safe to say, this was the biggest event that Equis had seen since Night Light ascending the throne during a war.
Everyone was all doing their parts to make sure that this wedding went off without a hitch. As for a certain group of teens, they were all on the train heading to Canterlot to meet up with Twilight's brother. The princess and her little brother had received the call from their parents that they wanted them to assist in the wedding preparations. It wasn't long before they rounded the gang up and were off.
Storm was currently in one of the seats of the train as a few seats ahead were the girls and Spike as they were talking about each of the roles they had been tasked by Night Light and Velvet. The boy was with them because he was Twilight's personal guard, but even if he weren't, he'd still be on this train, given his assignment.
At the same time Twilight's parents sent their kids a message, the Jedi received his own private message as it was from the King.
Let's get one thing straight, Jedi. I respect, but I don't like you. Nevertheless, this isn't about that. As you know my son is fulfilling his duty and wedding Cadance, this she inherits her kingdom left behind by her late uncle. And my son takes his place as ruling beside her. However, our scouts have received a message from an anonymous source. It states that an attack will be launched on Canterlot and the date of this attack falls on the wedding itself.
I can assume you think the same thing, this is no coincidence. Someone deliberately knew when the wedding was happening and has prepared to strike. Unfortunately, me and my wife are busy looking into this that we won't arrive until the wedding day itself. As such, I have placed my son in charge of my most elite members of the royal army. However, it pains me to say this, but I believe this might not be enough. So, as King and ruler of Equis, I am giving you the task of helping to uncover the truth behind this mystery.
Your skills as a Jedi will prove vital and as such, I have informed my son of your arrival. However, I must caution this: Do not tell anyone of this. Unless my son trusts someone that he tells, you are not to say a word of your true objective. My daughter and her friends will be busy with their on tasks which should keep them occupied, but just in case, tell no one! And one more thing, keep your distance from my daughter. My son has full permission to do whatever he wants to you should you do something unforgettable. He has full permission to execute you on the spot.
I stress the importance of this mission. Do not fail, Jedi. As your kind says, May the Force be with you.
"Storm!"
The boy looked up from his letter to see the princess approaching him.
"Yeah, Sparky," said the boy as he put the piece of paper away.
"We're about to come up on Canterlot," said Twilight.
"Oh, thanks for the heads up," said the Jedi Knight.
"Can you say "best wedding ever"?" said Rainbow as she and Aj stuck their heads out of the window.
Pinkie then stuck her head out the window and gasped.
"Best wedding ever!" Pinkie echoed as the train entered a tunnel and reappeared from another tunnel opening higher up the mountain.
"That's new!" said Spike as he pointed out the window.
The train continued its way to Canterlot, which was apparently surrounded by a huge bubble barrier. As the train arrived at the edge of the force field, it slowed down as the royal mages standing by created a way for the train to pass through the field. All the kids flinched as the barrier passed through them.
"Woah!" said Storm as he felt the barrier pass through him, "Well, that was weird…."
"We're here! We're here!" announced Pinkie as the train arrived at the station, which was surrounded by a large number of guards and members of the royal military as the train came to a stop.
"Woah, what's with all the guards?" asked Rainbow as she, Applejack, and Rarity peeked out of their train car from the train car door.
"I'm sure they're just taking the necessary precautions," stated Rarity, "Royal weddings bring out the strangest people."
"If only they knew," muttered Storm to himself.
"Tell no one!" echoed the words of Night Light in the boy's head.
"Aaaaaaaaaaa-choo!"
Pinkie sneezed as her sneeze sounded like a trumpet as she, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Storm hopped off the train.
"Hello there," said a male assassin in uniform approaching the prince and teens, "The prince, Shining Armor has asked me to escort you all personally to your staying quarters you can get started for the wedding preparations."
"Well, let's get going," said Rarity, "We've got work to do!"
" And you've got a big brother to congratulate," stated Aj to Twilight.
"Yeah," said Twilight as she began to walk as two knights lifted their spears to let her pass. "Come on, Storm!"
"I'll see you guys, later," said the Jedi to his friends as he left to catch up with the princess.
Up in a tower, several scouts and snipers were on a balcony as they used binoculars to scan the area around Canterlot as Twilight her way to the castle with Storm following behind her. For the moment, Shining Armor, in his custom armor, was gesturing with his arms to give direct orders to the local guards on where they needed to go or patrol.
"I've got something to say to you, mister!" Twilight said so sternly and bold.
Several guards pointed their spears at them, with the snipers pulling back on their bows and aiming at the pair, as the mages made their hands glow with magic, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
Storm immediately reached for his lightsaber as he turned it on, ready to fight. However, a voice got the royal military to cease.
"Twily!" said Shining Armor excitedly as he raced down the stairs to meet his little sister. "Ah, I've missed you. How was the train ride?"
"Pleasant until we saw the royal army," said the girl.
"Dad has requested a major increase in security."
"Why? All this for a wedding?" stated Twilight.
"This has nothing to do with the wedding. A threat has been made against Canterlot. We don't know who's responsible for it, but Mom and Dad asked that I help provide additional protection."
"A threat?" said Twilight as hearing the news shocked her.
"Mom and Dad are looking into it. That's why they're not here. They won't be able to make it till before the wedding begins, they're working with the royal army and seeing if any other places have gotten the same message to see if this is a full-scale invasion. So far, only Canterlot has been targeted, but they aren't taking any chances."
"Why didn't they tell me this?" said Twilight as she felt so overwhelmed with this much information.
"They didn't want you to worry. They wanted you and the girls to focus on the wedding preparations," said Storm as he spoke up.
"You knew?" said Twilight as her partner revealed the piece of paper her father sent him.
The princess took it and quickly skimmed it over.
"Why? Why didn't they inform me?" said the girl. "And why didn't you tell me?"
"I… was ordered not to," said Storm.
"Who do you serve, my father or me?!" shouted Twilight.
"You?" said Shining Armor as he glared at the boy.
"Storm is… my personal guard," explained Twilight with a sigh.
"I see," said Shining Armor as his glare intensified knowing what that meant.
Storm could see that the prince was now in a fighting mood and it looked like he was going to be target practice if things went south.
"Let me show you two something," said the elder Sparkle sibling as he took a step back.
The Jedi Knights saw some mages approach behind the prince as their hands flowed and a magical symbol circled the young man. Shining Armor closed his eyes as he concentrated his mind. His arms began to move in a full circle as he chanted some words; he immediately thrust them upward as the magic from the mages was being used to amplify the magic of the prince as a beacon shot out. The beam struck the barrier above them, making it shine and reenergizing it. Shining Armor then relaxed, but gasped as he fell to a knee and panted while clutching his head. The mages near him then cast some white magic to restore his vitality as he stood up and wobbled a bit.
"Ouch, all that magic output must be doing a number on your head," said Storm.
"I'm fine," said Shining Armor, trying to not appear weak in front of the Jedi Knight. He then began to climb the stairs with the duo following him. "The burden of keeping Canterlot safe falls squarely on my shoulders. Staying focused on the task at hand has been my top priority."
"Okay, okay, I get it," said Twilight as they made their way across a bridge, "You've got a really important job protecting all of Canterlot with a force field that only you can conjure up. "
"So has there been any developments as of late?" asked Storm, hoping to see if any progress had been made.
"As of right now, Jedi, none. But still, we're keeping our wits about. I'm not gonna let whoever is trying to attack ruin me and my soon to be wife's special day."
"I still can't believe it's finally happening. You're marrying Cadance! You're marrying Cadance!" Twilight song-sang as she bounced around Shining Armor like she was a little kid. Storm merely smiled at how happy Twilight was, knowing that someone she loved was going to marry her older brother and become a part of her family.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything!" said a voice.
Twilight stopped dancing as she and Storm turned their heads to see the very person they had mentioned. Standing there was Cadance as she saw the three individuals.
"Cadance!" said Twilight excitedly as she stood before her.
"Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hands and give a little shake!" Twilight danced for her as Cadance merely gave her a funny look.
"Uh, what are you doing?" she asked.
"Cadance, it's me, Twilight."
"Oh, right, forgive me, Twilight," said the young woman to the princess as she rubbed her eyes. "Sorry for not recognizing you, its just this wedding is taking a lot more out of me then expected. Constantly having to check in with the florists, the cooks, the receptionist. All of it is…"
"Stressful!" said Storm as he finished Cadence's sentence.
"Yes, stressful. Thanks for that, Storm," said Cadance as she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Twilight."
"It's okay. I can see my father was right in sending me and the girls to help you out. Leave everything to us, Cadance." assured the princess to her former babysitter.
"Thank you," said Cadance as she approached her soon to be husband, who wrapped an arm around her.
"I gotta get back to my station, but Cadance will be checking in with all of you to see how things are going," said Shining Armor. "I think I can speak for the both of us when I say we couldn't be more excited to have you here. Right, dear?"
"Absolutely," said Cadance with a smile.
"Well, I'll let you get to it," said Shining Armor as the couple walked off the bridge.
"Let's hope all goes well," said Storm.
"Jedi! Come with me, we have much to discuss!" shouted Shining Armor.
"Good luck," said Twilight.
"I have a feeling I might need it," stated Storm as he left to catch up with the princess' brother to avoid upsetting him.
Storm and Shining Armor we're walking to the makeshift barracks were as many soldiers were present. And not just soldiers, but mages and other classes of combat. The Jedi wa amazed by what he saw.
"You know when you said you upped security, I didn't think your father would send the entire army," said Storm.
"Please, this isn't even half of the royal army," stated Shining Armor.
The two males walked by several other members as he got a good look at the royal army. It was a sea of mix and match between individuals who used weapons and those skilled with magic. Male and female, though the mages were predominantly female.
"So, how many different types of guards are there?" asked the Jedi.
"Lots. Let me explain: There are three Guards. The Royal Guard, is the largest of them. The Royal Guard is sent out all over Equis to deal with smaller threats and domestic situations, and you'll find most First and Second Ranked guards there, but I know a few Third Ranks. The Advanced Guards are the next step up, each one run by one of my parents. They're usually stationed back home to protect the castle, but they sometimes get sent out to provide back-up to the Royal Guard if necessary, and are mostly dominated by Third, Fourth, and the occasional Fifth Ranks," he explained, then sighed, "And the last one is the Elite Guards. They are stationed directly under the King and Queen respectively and they contain the best of the best. They do whatever my parents or royal family tells them to, really. They're mostly filled with Fifth Ranks, but you'll find plenty of Sixth Ranks as well."
"Ranks? But I thought the Guard used Titles?" said Storm.
"Well, yeah. We use Titles. The term Rank, just refers to the general level of a Title."
"What do you mean?" asked the Jedi.
"Well, there are three Classes that a Guard falls into, and each Class has five Titles, which are equal to each other based on the level, and called Ranks. Like, the first Title in each Class is equal to the other two, and so is the second, and third, and so on," stated the prince.
"What are they?" said Storm.
"Alright. It goes like this. The first Class is the Knight Class. From lowest to highest Rank, it goes: Soldier, Fighter, Warrior, Veteran, Knight. The next Class is the Sorcerer Class, going: Apprentice, Mage, Wizard, Conjurer, Sorcerer. After that, it's the Assassin Class with: Shade, Specter, Shadow, Spy, Assassin. Each Class has its own fields that Guards specialize in, like, anypony in the Knight Class specializes in weaponry and strength, Sorcerer Class Guards lean towards magic combat, both for and against, and Assassins tend to specialize in stealth and speed."
"What about the Sixth Ranks?" asked Storm as the prince only went up to the Fifth Ranks.
"Well... the Sixth Rank is kinda strange, really. There are only three of them, and they're sort of a combo of each one. First one is the Hunter Class, which is like a mix of the Knight and Assassin Classes. There's the Battlemaster Class, which is a mix of Knight and Sorcerer, and lastly is the Ghost Class, which is obviously Assassin and Sorcerer." said Shining Armor.
The two enter the building as they stepped through the door. Once it shut, Shining Armor immediately grabbed Storm and pinned him against the wall as he lifted him.
"What have you been doing to my little sister?!" shouted Shining Armor.
"Nothing," answered the Jedi honestly.
"Then why are you her personal guard!" demanded the prince.
"It was her choice. She made the decision," answered Storm.
The prince glared at the boy as he felt like punching him.
"Let's get one thing straight, I could have you executed on full authority of my father and nobody here would bat an eye if you disappeared. But with this mysterious threat, my attention is turned elsewhere. So I'm warning you, Jedi, you do anything to piss me off. And you'll be dead before you can blink. Am I clear!" yelled Shining Armor.
"Yeah," started the boy as he managed to stay calm during Shining's interrogation.
Soon several figures appeared as they stood behind the prince. Storm noticed them as he got a good look at them. Based on their outfits and the weapons they had, the Jedi was able to deduce that each of the figures behind Shining Armor was one of the classes the prince mentioned. The figures all stated at the Jedi as if he was an outsider.
"Time to put your ass through the gauntlet, Jedi!" stated the prince.
While Shining Armor wasn't going to execute Storm right away, that didn't mean he couldn't beat him up for his own amusement.
Twilight was in the kitchen checking in on the food. As they were walking, the florist approached Cadance and needed her answer for a design; she told Twilight to go as she would wrap this up quickly and meet her.
Applejack was rushing frantically about the kitchen as some country music was heard. Twilight has a notepad and pencil as Aj was ironing out the frosting for the top layer of the wedding cake.
"Cake, check," said the farm girl as Twilight marked her checklist as Applejack ran past her each time she went show her a completed item, "Ice sculpture, check. Best darn bite-size apple fritter you've ever tasted." Aj pulled the said pastries from the oven and shoved one into Twilight's mouth.
"Mmm. Check," said the princess with a mouthful.
She then noticed Spike was playing with the two cake toppers as if they were his action figures.
"I do. Do you?" said Spike, trying to mimic Shining Armor and then made his voice sound like Cadance, "I do!"
He then made kissing noises with the two figurines as Twilight arrived and glared at him before grabbing them in her Force grip and putting them on the table. Spike chuckled sheepishly at his sister as she kept glaring at her little brother.
"Hiya, Princess!" said Applejack as Cadance entered the kitchen in a regal fashion.
"Please, call me Cadance," she replied.
"Hiya, Cadance," Applejack repeated as she bowed, "You come to check out what's on the menu for your big day?"
"I have," said Cadance in a cheerful tone.
Applejack offered her one of the apple fritters, which Cadance ate rather quickly as she shoved the whole thing in her mouth.
"Delicious," replied Cadance, "I love-love-love them."
"Aw, shucks," said Aj, "Why don't you take a few to go?" Applejack then handed Cadance a brown goodie bag and gave a little squee. "I know how you brides can be. So busy, you forget to get a little some thin' in yer belly."
"You have no idea," stated Cadance as she grabbed the bag and turned to walk. "I got another stop to make, but I'll meet with Rarity."
"Of course," smiled Twilight as Cadance began to leave.
The girl was about to turn back to Aj when she saw something. Cadance was about to exit when she stopped and noticed a nearby trash van. The woman then threw the bag of goodies into it as she left. Twilight gasped upon on she saw.
"Did… you see that…" Twilight stuttered as Applejack paid no attention. The princess just growled and stomped off.
Back outside, the spies were still patrolling the city from the top tower. Some guards were standing outside the tower Rarity was hard at work, wearing her red glasses, as she designed and assembled the dresses for the bride and her bridesmaids.
Oh, you should have seen how she acted back there!" Twilight vented as she paced about the floor. "I don't know when she changed, but she changed!"
Soon Cadance appeared as standing behind her was Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Lyra behind her.
"Your highness!" said Rarity as she bowed twice before Cadance, "Let me just start by saying what an honor it is to play a role in such a momentous occasion." Rarity laughed nervously.
"Uh-huh. Is my dress ready?" asked Cadance before heading over to the dresses.
"Yes, of course," Rarity stammered as she presented the dresses, which featured a blue sapphire broach on the front, lacy trimming on the top with a multi-layered white skirt with gold swirl trimming on the bottom layer. There was also a floral headset for the wedding veil.
Twilight just glared and kept her eye on Cadance in the background. Rarity didn't notice her glare and watched as Cadance looked at her dress with a skeptical look on her face.
"It's nice. But… I was hoping for something with more beading and a longer trim," Cadance said after a pause.
"Oh, yes, of course," said Rarity.
"And those should be a different color," said Cadance as she pointed at the three bridesmaid dresses.
"I think they're lovely," said Twinkleshine.
"Me too!" Minuette added.
"I love them," stated Lyra.
Cadance heard them as she looked at the three and gave a look, seemed to insight some fear in the girls.
"Make them a different color, please!" Cadance said sternly.
Cadance and her bridesmaids then left as Twilight had watched what went down with a keen eye.
"Gee, maybe her name should be "Princess Demandy-pants"," Twilight remarked.
Rarity was too busy with the dresses hat she didn't pay any attention to what had happened. Twilight looked puzzled and just stormed off.
Meanwhile, in the royal ballroom, Pinkie had just finished setting up the decorations for the wedding reception. Cadance was also there as well.
"Okay let me see," said Pinkie as she popped out from behind Cadance, "We've been over the games…" Pinkie then squatted down and rolled the dice on the board game set up on the floor, which was next to a poster of pin the tail on the pony and a floral shaped piñata behind her.
"… the dances…" Pinkie continued as she headed over to the music player and started doing the chicken dance to the song. Cadance just had a look on her face as she saw the zany girl.
"I think this reception is going to be perfect!" said Pinkie with a gasp as she hopped about, "Don't you?" Pinkie gave Cadance a sheepish smile. Cadance was taken aback a bit before she recomposed herself.
"Perfect!" said Cadance before adding sarcastically as she walked away, "If we were celebrating a six-year-old's birthday party."
"Thank you!" said Pinkie as she gasped excitedly.
Neither of them noticed that Twilight had been watching them from behind one of the columns, with a glare on her face.
"Pinkie you are such an idiot," muttered the princess at how oblivious the pink girl was to Cadance's sudden attitude adjustment.
*CLANG* *SHIING*
The shrill echoing of blade against blade rang through the clearing.
*SWISH* *CRACK*
A battle between titans unfolded before the wide-eyed gazes of the many spectators.
*CRASH* *BOOM*
Blurring yellow and vanishing red clashed against each other, each one vying for another strike against their opponent.
Storm ducked under a swipe from one of his opponent's daggers, spinning around to deliver a violent kick to his open chest. The assassin, however, avoided the strike by a hair's breadth, and lashed out with his second blade, scoring a thin, shallow cut along Storm's back leg.
Undeterred by the superficial wound, Storm brought his lightsaber back, jabbing the butt of the plasma sword into his opponent's jaw, staggering him for an instant.
The instant proved more than enough for Storm to right himself, and bring his fist to bear, smashing it against the same spot he'd just struck, knocking the guard backward.
His opponent had only a moment to react as his lightsaber was swung, the long weapon easily reaching him despite the distance now between them, forcing him to counter by swinging both his daggers upward, sparks flying as the blades made contact.
He growled as he was forced back by the strike, but even so, Storm could see an almost feral grin lighting his opponent's face. The Jedi blocked the downward swing of the assassin's daggers, the sharp steel biting into his lightsaber's shaft, with similar ease. The guard's movement restricted for a moment, allowed Storm to twirl his lightsaber, sending the assassin's dagger spinning from his grip. Momentarily off balance by the unexpected move, the soldier was left with little ability to block the heavy kick Storm delivered straight to his chest, the added momentum from rapidly spinning around fueling the strength behind it.
The assassin grunted as he collided with the stiff ground, but rolled back to his feet in an instant. He had no time to breathe, having to bring up his lone dagger to deflect the one Storm had saw fit to return to him, its blade causing sparks to fly for a brief moment. This instant of distraction was more than enough to allow the Jedi Knight to charge forward, lightsaber at the ready.
He thrust it forward, before it came to a near instant stop, inches away from the assassin's eye, its tip glinting in the morning light.
They stayed like that for a moment, before the quiet thud of the assassin's lost knife hitting the ground broke the silence. Storm smirked as he used his Force powers to make the other knife appear in his hand. The boy presented the weapon to the assassin as he grabbed it before twirling both of them and sheathed them.
"He's good," said a Shadow guard.
Shining Armor and the other classes had been watching the boy run through a series of fights. The prince wanted to see if Storm had what it took to be his sister's personal guard. He was also doing this to put the Jedi through some torture, but to his and berry's surprise, Storm had managed to pull through. The boy had managed to beat each of the special classes of guards, he even managed to overcome the Mages and their magic.
"So this is the power of a Jedi," stated the guard of the Ghost Class.
"He's also apparently an Element Bearer," said the guard of the Veteran Class.
"What do you think, your Highness?" asked the Conjuror.
"He's mine!" stated Shining Armor.
The prince quickly pulled his arm back and thrust it out as some magic shot forward. Storm's senses went off as he turned and was smacked in the chest by the magic as he tumbled on the floor. The assassin was shocked as he turned to see the prince coming toward them as his hands flowed and his armor appeared.
"Stand aside," spoke Shining Armor as his sword appeared.
"Of course, your Highness," said the assassin as he bowed and walked away, knowing not to get in the way of the Prince's playtime.
"Oh fu-"
Storm didn't get to finish his statement as Shining Armor shot another magic blast that hit him. The Jedi Knight had already been through several non stop fights that he was at his limit when Shining Armor decided to take matters into his own hands.
The prince then used a spell as he was now moving forward in a blur. Storm turned his lightsaber on as the blur made contact with him as a cloud veil appeared. It soon disbursed as there was Shining Armor with his sword against Storm's lightsaber. The prince towered over the Jedi who was on a knee and trying to hold back against the prince's weapon.
Shining Armor managed to overcome Storm's defense and went for a swing as the boy ducked and rolled through. The Jedi quickly got up and turned as Shining Armor quickly rushed toward him. The two were now swinging their blades with such force that sparks flew, however, Shining Armor had more power behind his attacks that he was pushing the teen back.
The other guard classes were watching the fight between the two males as they seemed to be liking how Shining Armor was toying with the Jedi. The prince delivered a kick to Storm's chest as the boy fell to the ground but quickly got to a knee as Shining Armor brought his sword downward.
Storm thrust his hand out to push Shining Armor back in an attempt to get some breathing room. The prince was flung back, however, he stopped short than expected as Shining Armor had activated some advancements in his armor that repelled against the Jedi's Force push.
Storm was stunned to see that, before Shining Armor rushed at him once more. The Jedi had no choice but to jump as he barely hopped over the prince as they moved in slow motion. Storm landed and began to swing and twirl his lightsaber; Shining Armor was matching the Jedi's movements as both were standing in place, swinging their weapons as hard as they could.
Shining Armor spun and went for a grab as he got a hold of Storm and raced forward. The prince slammed the Jedi into the wall as he held him. Before Storm could react, a punch came colliding in his stomach as the boy's eyes widen. At that moment, some fluids spat out of the Jedi as Shining Armor hit him in the same spot as before when he accused him of defacing Cadance's portrait.
The Jedi Knight fell to his knees as he clutched his stomach in immense pain. Shining Armor stood over him with a sly smile as he too great pleasure in dropping the Jedi with his patent punch. Storm was coughing but Shining Armor didn't allow a moment's rest as he grabbed the back of the boy's head to address him.
"You think you can get close to my sister?!" shouted Shining Armor as he threw the boy forward.
Storm tumbling with his lightsaber in hand. He got to his knees as Shining Armor was now close combating him as all he could do was defend.
"Nobody lays a hand on my sister without my permission!" yelled Shining Armor as he broke through the teen's defense and was now punching him left and right.
Storm was taking a huge amount of punishment as he was at the mercy of the royal prince who could kill him right now if he wanted. Shining Armor took a step back as he let out a yell before running in and delivering a knee to Storm as it collided under his jaw. In slow motion, the impact of the attack cause Storm to turn his head as he fell to the ground.
Storm laid there for a few seconds before he started to stir. Shining Armor took a few steps forward as he brought his sword down. Storm put his lightsaber horizontally as he was holding back his opponent's weapon as sparks were flying from the two weapons touching and how hard Shining Armor was pressing his blade against the boy.
"You will never be good enough for my sister! Nor wil you ever be a part of this family!" yelled Shining Armor in Storm's face.
"AHHH!" yelled the boy.
Storm got to his feet and pushed back Shining's sword as he spun and went for a lunge. The prince twirled to the side to avoid the lunge by Storm as when he came back, he grabbed the boy's hand. Shining Armor the knees the boy before throwing him; Storm rolled through and got to a knee as his hands were empty. He looked up and saw Shining now only holding his sword but his own lightsaber. The prince did a quick dual-wielding stance as he taunted the Jedi. Shining Armor then lunged as he was swing both weapons effortlessly and fluidly as Storm could only backstep and dodged the swings to avoid serious injuries.
Storm leaped back a few meters and stuck his hand out to retrieve his weapon. The lightsaber flew from Shining Armor's hand as it was starting to travel through the air, Shining Armor had a chain shout out from his armor that covered his hand as it wrapped around the hilt of the weapon and pulled it back.
The boy was shocked as the prince had a counter to his power; he didn't have time to think as Shining Armor ran forward with the lightsaber falling back into his hand. Storm saw a shield on the floor as he kicked it up and then toss it. Shining Armor merely knocked the object away as he kept on charging. Storm dove for a training sword on the ground as he brought it up; Shining Armor merely sliced it in half using Storm's lightsaber and went for a swing as the boy leaned back all the way, resulting in him doing a back stand to get to his feet.
He managed to then quickly do a backflip into the air as he landed low and spun to grab a weapon from the nearby rack as when he came back front, Shining Armor was in the air. The prince came down as Storm positioned his weapon horizontally and the prince hammered at it with both swords. Storm could feel the power behind the attacks as Shining Armor was relentless; soon the attacks did have an effect as Storm felt the weight of his legs buckle as he fell to a knee.
The prince flung the weapon Storm was holding away as it skidded along the ground. The Jedi quickly ran for it with his hand out as he was about to grab it. Shining Armor appeared beside him and managed to cut him off as he placed his own sword at the ground to keep the weapon in place while pointing Storm's lightsaber at the boy who managed to come to a halt.
The boy was cornered as the prince had his own weapon pointed and used against him. Storm looked at the weapon on the floor that Shining Armor had trapped as he grunted and put his hand out as it was open. The weapon pinned by Shining Armor's sword flashed and disappeared.
"What the?!" said the prince as he was stunned to see the weapon gone.
It reappeared in Storm's hand in a flash of magic sparkles as he let out a cry and brought it down as a slash was shown across the screen. Storm was a few meters away from the prince as their backs were turned. Shining Armor was shown dropping his sword but still held on to the Jedi's lightsaber. The pair turned around as they looked at each other.
A few seconds later, Storm grunted as he fell to a knee and panted heavy. The prince stared at the Jedi as he looked down at his chest plate. The young man then appeared before the Jedi as he dropped his lightsaber in front of him. The look on his face told the whole story as he began to walk.
"Heal him up," said the prince to the female mage as she nodded and approached the kneeling boy to use some white magic on him.
The other members of the classes all left as well. With the test complete, the royal family now had the data they needed on a Jedi and were ready to implent it in their studies to defend and if possible, kill a Jedi. Storm clutched his lightsaber as he felt the pain starting to fade from the mage's magic. Shining Armor was out of the building as he looked down at his chest plate again. There was a slash that was made by the boy during his last attack as despite being metal, it made a dent in it that would require fixing less it got more damaged.
It was now nighttime as Storm was walking in the streets of Canterlot. After doing some investigating on the threat and finding no lead, he was going to retreat for the night. He turned the corner when he heard something.
"… you're all just too caught up in your wedding planning to know that maybe there shouldn't even be a wedding!"
Twilight slammed her fist on the table making the drinks spill over, but the anger from the princess resonated as she broke the wooden structure in half as her anger was on full display due to her Force powers. The girls and Spike were shocked to see Twilight destroy the table as the princess stomped away. Storm just watched his partner walk away before he made his way to the group.
"Hey, y'all. What's going on?" asked the Jedi Knight.
"Storm, glad you're here. You should've see. How Twilight was acting. She thinks that Cadance is a bridezilla." said Rarity.
"Why would she say that?" said the boy.
"Cause all day, she claims that Cadance is the worst bride-to-be," said Rainbow.
"Huh?" said the Jedi as the girls filled him in on what Twilight said.
After a few minutes, Storm now had the full story as he was thinking about what Twilight witnessed throughout the whole day.
"Well, I don't blame Cadance for being demanding. It is her special day and she would like it to be perfect, but…"
"See, that's exactly what we said!" shouted Rainbow as she cut the boy from finishing his sentence.
"But… that still seems a bit much for Cadance herself. Now I don't know her as well as Twilight does, but what I do know of her is that she's always championed being honest and sincere with people. So if Twilight says she's acting a bit off then there must be a reason."
"Yeah, like nerves. People change all the time, they have a secret side that nobody knows. All stuff that Twilight has nothing to worry about." said Dash.
"I don't think it's as simple as that," answered Storm.
"Well, you and Twilight are Jedi, aren't you? Can't you use the Force to determine if anything is off about Cadance?" asked the chromatic-haired teen.
"That's not how it works! That's not how any of this works!" shouted Storm, "I don't have an on and off switch that's connected to the Force that allows me to determine if someone is acting weird. It just… happens!"
"Then it's probably Twilight being a little possessive of her older brother," stated Applejack.
"Maybe you can talk to her. You've been with her the longest and would probably know how to reason with her," said Fluttershy.
"I don't know what good that'll do. But if Twilight says that Cadance is behaving weird, then I trust her," stated the boy as he left to find his partner.
Storm stopped by the girl's quarters, holy she would be inside but to her surprise, she wasn't. Thinking she might have gone off to confront Cadance, the Jedi made his way to where Shining Armor was staying as he knocked on the door. To his surprise, the door opened as the person that answered it was none other than the bride in question.
"Oh, Storm. Fancy seeing you here so late. Can I help you with anything?" asked Cadance.
"Is Twilight here?" asked the boy.
"No. I haven't seen her since I left my meeting with Rarity. Is something wrong?"
"Mind if we talk?"
The woman nodded as she allowed the Jedi into the home and shut the door behind him.
Shining Armor was in the living room trying on his wedding attire. Apart from the traditional tux, the prince was wearing a red militant's outfit and had just finished adding a special sash that had the mark of his royal crest on the front. He was admiring the special sash when he heard a knock on the front door.
"Twily!" said Shining Armor excitedly as he opened the door to see the purple girl standing outside and let her come in, "Your big brother's pretty good, don't you think?" Shining Armor then took notice that his sister was upset.
"Huh, everything okay?"
"We need to talk," said Twilight, "I think you're making a big mi-"
"AHEM!" said a voice as the brother and sister turned to see Cadance standing at the top of a small flight of stairs.
"Oh, uh, hi sweetie," said Shining Armor as the pink woman made her way downstairs.
"She sure has a way of sneaking up on people," muttered Twilight.
"Oh, by the way, Twilight. Storm stopped by earlier, said he was looking for you," said Cadance.
Storm was here.
"What did he want!?" stated Shining Armor in a loud tone.
"Now I regret saying that," sighed Cadance as she knew mentioning the boy would trigger her husband into going full on overprotective big brother mode. "Look, he just wanted to know where Twilight was. Simple as that. No need to put him through more punishment than he suffered already."
"Wait, what?" shouted Twilight as she looked at her brother who tried to hold a defiant look. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," said Shining Armor as he tried to save face.
If you've done anything to my Storm I'm gonna…
"Pardon me, Twilight, but I need to speak with your brother for a moment," said Cadance.
"Right," said Shining Armor, glad that he didn't have to suffer Twilight pounding him into a pulp after finding out what he did to her partner.
The prince followed the soon to be princess into another room, but the door wasn't completely shut so Twilight could hear muffled voices while she was just waiting quietly in the main room.
"Look we need to talk," said Cadance.
"I'm here to talk," said Shining Armor calmly.
"It's about your sister, okay?" said Cadance.
"I-look, look, she's okay-" said Shining Armor in his sister's defense.
"Just… listen to me, alright?" Cadance retorted, cutting him off , and then saw his sash, "No, no-"
"I'm listening, I'm listening," said Shining Armor.
By now, Twilight was worried as she slowly sneaked up to the door to see what was happening.
"I thought I made it perfectly clear I didn't want you to wear that," said Cadance firmly.
"This was my favorite uncle's," said Shining Armor proudly.
"And?" Cadance retorted.
"And I think I should wear it," replied the prince.
"Are you disagreeing with me?" Cadance retorted, clearly offended.
"I guess I am– Ah!" replied Shining Armor in a firm tone before he got a tweak in his head as he rubbed his aching skull.
"Oh, dear," said Cadance with concern, "Are you getting another one of your headaches?"
Before Shining Armor could reply, he stumbled to the floor from the pain. Cadance wasted no time in casting a beam of magic at his head, making his eyes go wide and swirly.
"Gyah!" Shining Armor grunted as Twilight gasped.
"Feeling better?" Cadance asked sweetly as Shining Armor rose to his feet.
"Mm-hmm," he grunted sheepishly. Twilight had seen enough.
"She isn't just unpleasant and rude. She's downright evil!" said Twilight as she ran out the house just as her brother and Cadance exited the room.
"Twilight!" Shining Armor called out.
"Let her go," said Cadance as she smiled and nuzzled his neck.
"Huh. It seemed like she had something else she wanted to tell me," said Shining Armor with concern.
As for Twilight, she had made a direct beeline for the castle.
"Shining Armor's in real trouble!" said Twilight as she burst through the door to the room Rarity was working in, "You have to help–" Twilight was frozen when she saw the rest of the girls all dressed up and talking excitedly.
"Dresses? What are you–?" Twilight asked, puzzled as Fluttershy approached her.
"Can you believe it?" said Fluttershy as she showed off her new dress, "We're gonna be Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's new bridesmaids!"
"New bridesmaids? What happened to her old bridesmaids?" said Twilight.
"She didn't say," said Applejack in a rather dismissive tone as Rarity and Rainbow smiled, "But she did tell us that she would love-love-love it if we'd fill in for them."
"Seeing as we've been working so hard and everything," Rarity added.
"And you had your doubts about her," said Applejack as Twilight looked at all of them in disbelief and shock.
"Told you she was an absolute gem!" said Rarity as Twilight began biting her lip seeing that nobody seemed to care about her feelings at this point.
"You sure this is what I should wear?" asked Rainbow as she bucked one of her legs against the skirt, "Doesn't seem all that aerodynamic."
"Hmm. I'll see what I can do," said Rarity as Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy just chatted excitedly with each other. Twilight just walked out of the room feeling dejected.
"Looks like I really am on my own," Twilight sadly said to herself.
Later that night as the girls were fast asleep in their sleeping quarters, Twilight was trying to get some sleep herself. As if her worries over her brother wasn't trouble enough, her dreams were now tormenting her about something else…
Dream Sequence
Twilight was rushing over to the edge of a vast platform made of clouds.
"Twilight!" called a voice, "Twi-light!" The purple princess looked down to see Storm, hanging on the edge of the cloud for dear life and failing to climb back up.
"Help me!" Storm cried out.
"Storm!" Twilight shouted. It was then some maniacal laughter was heard as she looked behind to see a familiar shadowed figure slowly approaching her. Twilight tried to move toward Storm, but her legs would move. She was forced to crouch down and extend a hand to him.
"No… Storm…" said Twilight desperately as she tried to grab his hand, "Just… just a little bit more…" Their fingers were just inches from each other when…
"GOTCHA!" said the evil voice.
"AH!" Twilight yelped as someone dragged her back and she looked to see Cadance smiling deviously at her.
"You're mine now!" she sneered.
"Twiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!" Storm cried out in desperation as he lost his grip and tumbled into the bottomless void below.
"Nooooooooo!" Twilight cried out as tears pricked her eyes before she sternly turned to face the evil woman.
"Cadance!" Twilight shouted as the woman laughed maniacally at her… when Cadance turned into… Rainbow Dash?! Twilight gasped.
"Rainbow?!" said Twilight in shock as she was finally able to stand up and move around, unaware she was one step away from the edge of the cloud. Her shock grew as she saw Rarity and Pinkie standing beside the blue girl. All of them had devious smiles on their faces.
"You should have told him when you had the chance," Rarity said darkly.
"But now you've too late," Pinkie added in the same tone.
"You don't deserve him!" Rainbow retorted sternly before she lifted her arms and shoved the princess right off the cloud, making her fall into the void.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
End Dream Sequence
Twilight woke up with a start, sweating heavily from her brow and panting as she tried to calm herself down. She looked around the room before getting out of bed. Once she left the room, she quietly headed toward the castle library. After falling and trying to find a book to read, she just sat at the desk with her arms crossed at the nearby reading table.
"Tomorrow, once I'm done stopping Shining Armor," said Twilight to herself quietly, "I'm gonna tell Storm how I feel. I have to… I need… to…" Exhausted finally caught up with the princess as she soon drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning, the practice ceremony was taking place with church organ music being heard in the background. The minister was standing at the location where he would be wed the bride and groom. Shining Armor was standing to the right of the minister as the five girls were practicing walking down the aisle side by side of each other with formal smiles on their faces.
"Perfect, girls," said the minister as Rarity and Rainbow bit their lips to avoid giggling, "No need to rush. Then of course, Cadance will enter."
It was then the two guards opened the double doors as Cadance stood regularly in the entrance way. The classic "Bridal Chorus" began to play as she made her way down the aisle. Shining Armor smiled as Cadance made her way up to the young man.
"I'll say a few words, and then we'll begin with the vows," said the minister as Cadance and Shining Armor continued to gaze into each other's eyes, "Shining Armor, you'll get the ring from your best man."
Shining Armor turned around to see that Spike was still playing with the cake toppers.
"Do you?" said Spike, mimicking his older brother and then Cadance's voice, "I do!"
The one of the toppers came flying out of his hand and he noticed everyone was looking at him.
"Hey... has anybody seen Twilight?" asked Shining Armor.
"I'm here!" said a voice as the two double doors burst open to reveal the purple princess herself, "I'm not gonna stand next to her! And neither should you!" Shining Armor cringed as Cadance gave a death glare.
"I'm sorry, I... I don't know why she's acting like this," said Shining Armor.
"Maybe we should just ignore her," said Cadance.
"You have to listen to me!" Twilight demanded with her head down and gritting her teeth to attack anyone that stood in her way.
"Oh, goodness! Are you okay?" asked Fluttershy as she approached her friend.
"I'm fine," Twilight answered definitively.
"Ya sure about that?" Applejack asked as she stood beside her. Twilight used her Force powers to grab her stenson hat and shove it over the farm girl's face before sending her tumbling to the floor.
"I've got something to say!" said Twilight boldly as she pointed a finger at Cadance, "She's evil!"
Cadance was left shocked, Shining Armor stood protectively in front of her, and the rest of the group chatted amongst each other with concern, including the nearby guards.
"She's been horrible to my friends, she's obviously done something to her bridesmaids," said Twilight as she appeared before Cadance and backed her into a wall, "and if that wasn't enough, I saw her put a spell on my brother that made his eyes go all…" Twilight then imitated the eyes rolling about in opposite directions with bells jingling in the background. Everyone watched with interest as Twilight confidently stared Cadance down. Cadance did the only thing she could do.
She began to cry.
"Why are you doing this to me, Twilight?!" Cadance sobbed as she ran out of the room.
"Because you're evil!" Twilight shouted back as Cadance disappeared in tears, "Evil! And if I don't stop you, you're gonna ruin my brother's life!" Twilight watched Cadance leave as she had a smug smile on her face.
Rainbow and Rarity were staring with their jaws hanging from their mouths. Twilight then happily walked away until she smacked into Shining Armor. Twilight looked up to see her brother giving her a stern look. Twilight couldn't resist smiling sheepishly since Shining Armor only gave her a look that meant she was in big trouble.
"You want to know why my eyes went all…" Shining Armor then made his eyes look swirly as the jingling bells were heard again his head tweaked again and he continued to speak, "Nuh! Because ever since I started having to perform my protection spell, I've been getting terrible migraines. Cadance hasn't been casting spells on me. She's been using her magic to heal me!"
Twilight just inhaled deeply as he walked around her and then got in her face. Twilight tried to speak, but Shining Armor cut her off.
"And she decided to replace her bridesmaids because she found out the only reason they wanted to be in the wedding was so that they could meet Canterlot royalty!" Shining Armor continued sternly as the rest of the girls and Spike watched the scene unfold with worry. "And if she hasn't been on her best behavior with your friends," Shining Armor stomped his foot before continuing, "it's because with me being so busy, she's had to make all the decisions about the wedding!"
"I was just trying to–" Twilight tried to explain.
"She's been completely stressed out because it's really important to her that our big day be perfect! Something that obviously wasn't important to you!" Shining Armor gave Twilight a fierce glare that it made his head tweak again, making the prince gasp and rubbing his head again. Twilight tried to reach out to him, but he rejected the gesture.
"Now if you'll excuse me," said Shining Armor as he walked past Twilight and kept his back turned away from her, "I have to go and comfort my bride. And you can forget about showing up to the wedding at all. If this is how you'll be when you're ruler of Equis, then our legacy will die when you take the throne!"
Twilight gasped at hearing what her brother said as her heart began to crack. She tried to reach out to him again, but Shining Armor had already left.
"C'mon, y'all," said Applejack a couple of seconds later, "Let's go check on the princess."
The five girls all then made their exit, walking around Twilight and refusing to speak to her.
"I was–" Twilight tried to speak.
The guards slammed the doors shut, leaving the princess all alone.
"What have I done?" sniffed Twilight as she get her whole world crumbling around her.
The girl fell to her knees and kept her head down as she did her best to hold back the sniffles that were trying to get out. A shadow was shown looming over as it panned out to reveal Storm. The Jedi Knight had been secretly watching what unfolded as he kept quiet. He saw how sad the girl was and bent down.
"Twilight," called out the boy as she lifted her head to see her partner.
"Storm…"
Before the Jedi could speak, the doors open once more as a guard came in.
"Beg your pardon, princess. But an urgent call for you. It's from your parents."
Twilight gasped as she dreaded what they were going to say once they found out what occurred.
"Why must I be told by your brother of what happened?!" shouted Velvet to her daughter via hologram.
"I can ex-"
"SILENCE!" yelled Night Light as his voice echoed through the transmission.
Twilight was taken aback as that was the first time she ever heard her father raise his voice at her.
"We have enough on our plate to deal with at the moment. We do not need you and your foolishness!" shouted Night Light.
"Dad," sniffed Twilight as she looked like she was about to break down in tears for bringing shame on her parents.
"We're really disappointed in you, Twilight!" stated Velvet.
"Do you understand the task for which you are birth had destined you?! The ancient traditions! When I step down and hand the throne off to you, you will be the morning and evening star!" said Night Light.
"But one wrong doesn't destroy centuries of tradition," pleaded Twilight.
"But one weak link can break the chain of a mighty dynasty!" echoed the King as he called out what Twilight was. That she was the weak link that would kill off their legacy.
At that point, Twilight let loose all the tears she'd been holding back. The girl's heart was on the verge of being broken. Storm, who had been standing next to the girl, had kept silent at she saw and listened to what went down.
"You have a lot to think about, Twilight!" stated Velvet as the anger expressions on them was shown bevy the transmission ended.
The call ended as Twilight fell to her hands and knees and cried.
"Leave us," said Storm to the guard as he nodded and closed the door.
The Jedi looked down at his partner as she was crying her heart out. He picked her up and the two sat on the steps of the altar; Storm was looking to put his arm around her when the girl buried her head into his chest. He could feel the girl's tears falling on his shirt as he put his arm around the girl and held her.
"Twilight…"
"I screwed up, big time," said the girl through her tears, "Maybe I was being overprotective. I could've gained a sister. But instead... I just lost a brother."
Twilight then lifted her head as she began to sing to herself.
He was my big brother, best friend
Forever...
And now, we'll never do anything
Together…
As she sang, two cutout figures were shown representing Shining Armor and Twilight. They we're jumping around together happily, but then Shining Armor faded away, leaving the Twilight cutout all alone.
Storm just sat there and let the girl express herself as he did his best to comfort her. Her tears had dried up as the boy wiped her eyes.
"It's gonna be okay. We'll get through this," said the boy, trying to lift the girl's spirit.
"Storm…" Twilight saw her partner as she recalled last night and how she was gonna confess. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Storm, I have to tell you something. I, I love-"
At that moment, a pair of footsteps was heard. The teens turned as they saw Cadance standing on top of the altar as they got up from the steps and looked at her. Twilight had a sad expression as she took a step toward her.
"I'm sorry!" Twilight croaked as Cadance gave her a soft smile and rubbed her head. A faint green glow flashed across her eyes.
"You will be," said Cadance deviously, making Twilight's eyes shrink.
Just then, the girl was turned around as Storm was shown reeling his fist back and brought it forward as it collided with Twilight. The girl felt it and gasped. The shock of this sudden turn caught the girl completely off guard as Storm revealed his face as it had an evil smile.
"Et tu, Storm," said the Jedi Knight as her heart was completely broken. Both physically and emotionally.
A ring of green flames surrounded them, which crackled as Twilight was then transported underneath the floor and disappeared. Cadance and Storm watched Twilight sink under the floor with evil smirks before walking away, feeling very proud of themselves.
(To be continued…)
Author's Notes: Well, things have certaintytaken a turn for the worst. Bet you all didn't see that little twist at the end. And it seems tat Twilight is inching ever closer to ward telling about her feelings. Not to metnion, Storm having to face every single member of all the classes that makes up the royal army that Twilight and her family commands. As always leave a review expressing your thoughts and comments.