Meanwhile, Twilight and Spike were greeted by both royal guards and citizens alike, with the guards of the Crystal Kingdom keeping the citizens at bay from crowding the two visitors. “Alright, make way for the guest of honor!” the would say aloud, their front hooves up and out to ease the crowd into a line. It seemed a bit much, however, seeing as the citizens of this kingdom were more cooperative and mindful then the ones in Ponyville. To the point where some were even stepping aside for Twilight and Spike to have a clear path.
“Jeeze, a bit much of a welcome isn’t it?” she muttered to Spike, who was already participating with the crowd as they pressed forward. “I mean, it’s just a quick visit…”
“A visit to a town we just saved a couple of months ago.” Spike replied, giving her a nudge and a wink. “Besides, this hero stuff is pretty nice! I heard they were even planning on giving us a statue in the future.” At that moment, he received a bouquet of flowers from one of the guards, who pointed to a mare who waved shyly to the dragon in his eyes. Spike returned the favor by bowing to the mare in the most formal fashion. “I say enjoy it while the moment is there!”
“And I say I rather just cut to the chase.” Twilight said as she quietly waved back to the citizens who greeted her. “Besides, if I knew I was gonna get this much attention, I would have just teleported right to them.” Her head looked straight forward as her eyes blinked in surprise, realizing she still had the option to do so. “Then again…hey, Spike! You think you can entertain the crowd for a while? I think I’ll be more comfortable doing a one-on-one with Cadence when it comes to this.”
“Wait, wha-WOAH!!” Before Spike could get in a decent reply, he suddenly found himself needing to land on his own feet as Twilight suddenly disappeared from under him in a flash, leaving behind a small bit of sparkling drops of magic in her place. The dragon took the time to dust himself off before sighing and picking up the bouquet. “Could have at least warned me first, Twi.” he muttered.
In seconds, Twilight appeared right where she sensed Cadence and her bother would be, greeting them both with a wave and a cheerful smile. “Big Brother! Cadence! How are…you?” Her greeting stopped when she noticed that Cadence was desperately trying to remove her rapier out of her husband’s chest, who remarkably still happen to be alive after such a clean stab. Shining Armor was doing as much as he could to pull it out of him while Cadence was trying to make sure it kept steady…until they both had to stop from the ear-piercing scream Twilight gave.
“BYTHEGODSWHATINTATARUSHAPPENEDTOMYBIGBROTHER!?” Twilight said in a hasty panic. “OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMY-!!”
“Twilight, I know this is a lot to take in…” said Shining as he grunted from pulling the handle out of him. “But I think it would be better off helping me get this out of me! My wife really got some powerful legs on her.”
Cadence rolled her eyes as she was having some success sliding the rapier out of him. “Thank you, but that compliment is not getting you out of this one! Told you that you should have worn armor!” The princess sighed and shook her head as she looked up to Twilight rushing over to help them. “I’m sorry you had to see this, dear. I love your brother dearly, but he can be quite the stubborn mule, sometimes.”
Twilight makes a sudden gasp as she lets go of the rapier, covering her lips with her hooves. “Cadence!” she said in shock. “Language!”
“Oops! Right, sorry…stubborn like a wall of bricks.”
“Much better.”
After a hefty session of reenacting Excalibur with Shining’s chest, a check-up and a bit of magical patching, the couple was able to give Twilight the attention she needed, opting to have a casual meet in a place more suited for Twilight’s environment.
“So much knowledge in this room…” Twilight said with awe as she took in the sights of the Kingdom Archives. “Every single book that has been out of print exists here…I could call this home~”
Cadence couldn’t help but to giggle as she sat with shining on a sofa, having a small treat after such an intense workout between the two of them. “We can arrange that, but then who will watch over the library?” she joked, offering a seat between her and Shining to share. “Besides, I’m sure you came here for more than just a mere visit. Right?”
It was then Twilight’s moment of wonder died off, Cadence reminding her the reasons she was meaning to come here in the first place. She nodded and made her way to the sofa, placing her forehooves into her lap before looking up to Cadence and Shining.
“Guys…how does one find someone to love?”