New Beginnings

“So when were you going to tell me about your brother?” Emerald asked, hands behind her head as she and Twilight walked through the streets of Canterlot towards the castle.

“I honestly thought I had.” The unicorn replied, frustration in her voice. “I just never expected to hear that he was getting married less than a week before the actual event. And from a invitation no less.” She added before letting out a growl oF anger.

Emerald closed her eyes and sighed. She knew her marefriend’s anger wasn’t directed towards her, but it still pained her to see the normally kind and lighthearted mare in such a state.

“I’m sure he has his reasons. Just need to find out what they are.” Emerald replied as she looked around at the massive pink sphere of energy surrounding the city. “Though there is something going on, not sure what, but it is setting my teeth on edge.”

Lavender eyes met sapphire and emerald.

“Do you think there might be a threat?” Twilight asked worriedly.

“Maybe. But as long as you and the girls stick close to me, I will keep you all safe.” Emerald replied.

“You shouldn’t make a mare a promise if you know you can’t keep it. You can’t be everywhere at once.” Twilight said as she leaned into the pegasus’s side.

Emerald wrapped her arm around Twilight’s shoulder.

“Even if I have to break my cover, I want you to know this: I keep my promises.” She said gently squeezing the unicorn’s shoulder.

“I hope so.” Twilight said before she spotted something that hardened her visage into a glare.

“SHINING ARMOUR! I’D LIKE A WORD WITH YOU!” She yelled as she pulled away from Emerald.

Emerald raised an eyebrow as the guards around the courtyard they had entered pointed spears and bows at Twilight and by extension her.

She spotted a white unicorn stallion who removed his helmet and shouted down with a smile. “Twilight!”

The stallion, Shining Armour she assumed, bounded down the stairs from the reviewing stand he was on.

Looking him over, Emerald figured that he was a decent sort, probably lived up to the name.

‘Probably how he snagged a princess.’ She thought with a smirk.

She maintained some distance from the pair, far enough to give the illusion of privacy, but still close enough to show she was there for Twilight. Of course her enhanced hearing let her hear every word said.

‘Sounds like I was right. Something is going on. But why did they not put off the wedding?’ She wondered as they walked over a bridge, where they were met by Mi Amore Cadenza.

‘By the Maker is she adorable.’ Emerald thought as she watched Twilight suddenly greet the alicorn, calling her Cadance and performing some childish greeting, which was not returned, causing Emerald to frown. Her frown deepened when Cadance didn’t seem to recognize Twilight, who she apparently foalsat when Twilight was younger.

“I don’t understand it. She was my foalsitter for years, how did she not know our greeting?” Twilight asked morosely as the pair headed to their quarters in the castle.

“I have no idea, I never met her. Just Celestia and Luna. But something did seem off about her. I got a sense of malice from her, not what one would expect from an alicorn whose affinity is love. Her reaction to you telling her about us didn’t seem to match either.” Emerald replied.

Twilight nodded as they entered their suite.

“I do have something that can help me observe her unseen. I can follow her and observe her if you would like.” Emerald said.

“What is that?” Twilight asked.

Emerald smirked before she shimmered out of sight.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “What the…? Where did you go?”

“Still here. Just completely out of the visible spectrum. As far as I have been able to tell, only animals like dogs can sense me.” She replied as she shimmered back into the visible spectrum across the room by the bed.

“So what is it?” Twilight asked.

“Thermoptic camouflage. I can get pretty much anywhere unseen. Moisture can cause some issues with it. Still can’t get it worked out.” Emerald said.

“I would appreciate it. I will keep an eye on her as well since I am going to be helping with a lot of the planning. We can compare notes later.” Twilight said.

Emerald nodded. “Good plan.” She replied before looking at the clock. “I’ll go ahead and go have a look see. If you give me the address I can meet you for dinner.”

Twilight smiled and quickly jotted down her parents address. “Remember, five o’clock sharp.”

“Got it.” Emerald replied before giving Twilight a kiss on the cheek and heading to the window, activating her cloak and taking off into the sky.

Emerald flew around the castle searching for Cadance. As she did so, she cast a pair of spells from her earlier years that she could perform wandlessly. Scent masking and silencing charms helped her blend in even more. She also raised her mental barriers up to the max, completely cutting of all sense of her emotionally, on the hunch that if someone or something had replaced the young alicorn it would be something that fed off of emotions.

Finally she spotted Cadance, Twilight and Spike walking down a pathway.

Carefully maneuvering around a pair of pegasus guards, she followed the trio.

Emerald was never one to claim she was a Master Legilimens back when she was involved with the magical community on Earth, but as a kitsune, she did have a knack for it. She was amazed that someone as powerful as Cadance was had practically nothing in the way of mental barriers. Even Spike had mental barriers from both his draconic heritage and sitting in on Twilight’s lessons. Of course his surface thoughts usually revolved around gems, ice cream, and a certain white unicorn, but she wasn’t going to tell.

Cadance’s seemed to almost be made up of a thousand different voices, the cacophony forcing Emerald to break of her scan. Thinking as she cleared her head of the cobwebs, she wondered if that was her defense mechanism.

‘No. Those were too many different voices. Unless someone was mad as a hatter and even then they shouldn’t have a veritable army inside their heads.’ Shaking her head again, she landed outside the bakery that Applejack had commandeered to cook the food for the reception.

She was shocked when she saw Cadance take a bite and then spit it out as soon as AJ’s back was turned.

At every stop she made, Emerald watched Cadance either tear down an idea, a design, or a plan, or make nice then scowl deeply once one of the girl’s backs were turned. She could see this affecting Twilight. Thankfully Spike had been sent off to plan Shining’s bachelor party.

‘Guarantee there won’t be any mares with daddy issues at that party.’ Emerald thought with a smirk.

Soon enough it was time for the rehearsal. Emerald found a perch in the rafters and watched. She saw that Cadance had appointed all of Twilight’s friends as her new bridesmaids because her other ones were just social climbers.

‘So far, other than the weird voices when I peeked into her surface thoughts, everything does point to her being probably the biggest bridezilla out there.’ She thought as she saw Twilight enter, bringing a smile to her face. Right up until she started flinging accusations at Cadance, in front of everyone.

Emerald sighed. She knew Twilight was just trying to figure out what was going on, but she didn’t stick with the plan. She watched as everyone that she cared about, her friends, her brother, her teacher, and even Spike, though the hesitant showed that it was more of peer pressure than really not believing Twilight.

As Twilight broke down crying, she dropped down from her perch landing soundlessly. She was about to drop her cloak and start comforting the mare when Cadance re-entered the hall. Only instead of the tears from earlier, she wore a wicked smirk as she began to monologue and she dropped her disguise, revealing the black chitin of a changeling.

Unable to act overtly at the moment, Emerald stuck close to Twilight so when this Queen Chrysalis cast her spell, she jump forward and wrapped her arms around Twilight, but the spell completed to quickly for her to pull them both out, even with her enhanced reflexes.

‘Well shit.’ Emerald though as the world went green, then black.