"Now, you'll be sure to behave yourself, yes?" Princess Cadance asked, glancing back as she, her husband, Shining Armor, and myself stepped off of the train, onto the main platform of the station.
"Yes, ma'am." I replied, staring at the wooden slats of the station.
"And most importantly-" Shining began.
I tensed, sure he'd go on about how this was 'an important factor in my future' and 'an important event', 'be sure to wipe your hooves before going in'.
"-we want you to have a good time." he finished.
'Don't scare me like that...Cadance knows that I don't need any more lectures...' I thought, wishing I could roll my eyes.
"There's the town hall," Cadance mentioned, pointing directly ahead to a carousel-shaped building, the top coming to a sharp point on top of the cylinder-shaped building "the wedding should take place around-"
"-my wedding planner!" a voice rang out.
'Sounds like things are already going down hill, even without me here...'
Meanwhile, six ponies were fighting a bear/bug combination.
'Not calling it a 'bug-bear',' I decided 'I'm going to name it Marvin.'
"So, anypony else hungry?" I asked, trotting in the opposite direction.
I glanced back, finding Shining and Cadance glancing at me worriedly.
"What?" I asked.
"You'd usually never consider eating solid food." Cadance replied as she and Shining followed me down the street.
True, they usually only passed me a gem filled with energy from the Crystal Heart; it was enough for me, anyway.
"Eh, we're somewhere new," I shrugged "when in Roam..."
"He needs to stop reading so many history books..." I heard Shining whisper.
'And you, need to stop reading so many sci-fi novels, Mister-Crystal-Prince.' I thought venomously, a wicked grin coming to my muzzle.
I walked along the stream, the beautiful glittering water trickling by at a snail's pace. Shining and Cadance had long since left for the town hall, fulfilling their original quest of helping out with the wedding preparations.
I flopped onto my back, the grass itching at my shell. Staring up at the sky, I watched the clouds drift in and out of my vision.
"Why did they even want me to come?" I wondered aloud.
I tended to do that a lot, mostly when others weren't around. I guess, because other foals in the Empire stayed away from me, I had to fill in the silence with something.
"I mean, it's not like I had much to do in the Empire, so...it's not all bad, right?"
...
"Yeah! Exactly!"
...
"Well, no...I don't know why anyone's run screaming yet; I expected to at least be detained by now."
...
"Psh, I don't think it really matters how old I am- to a pony, a changeling is a changeling."
...
"Well...yeah...Cadance and Armor are different..."
...
"Alright, fine- you win! Yeah, if ponies like Cadance and Armor can change, then...yeah- there might be hope for me."
"Talk to yourself often?"
"Ah! What?" I screamed, shooting up.
Oh, just a fuchsia pony...
...an earth pony...
...sitting on a cloud...
...with a beanie...
'Oh dear Cadance...she's been cursed, thrice over...' he thought immediately.
"What the buck?" I asked, staring in confusion.
"Tsk tsk tsk, such foul language for a youngling." she smirked.
"Wh-what...who're you?"
"Oh, I've got lots of names," she replied cheerfully, leaping off of the cloud, and into the air "varmint, oats-for-brains, screw-up, Screwball..."
"Alright, alright," I stated "I get it..."
"But, the universe calls me 'Screwball'."
"Alright, hello Screwball, my name is-"
"Oh, wait, wait! Let me guess!" she pleaded.
"Alright." I said.
Her face screwed up in thought, he waited patiently for her to guess his name.
"Alright," she declared "I've got it!"
"Let's hear it." he said, humoring her.
"Dave."
"No."
"Bill."
"No."
"Whorlygig."
I stared at her, wishing I could just bury myself in the ground. I was mortified, I didn't think she'd actually be able to guess my real name! I hate this place! I want to go home! Did anyone hear?! I hope to Cadance not, or else the royal couple might find themselves short a Changeling in the Empire.
"I...I..."
"Oh! I must've gotten it! Look how red your face is turning! You look like one of those alicorn OC's!" Screwball cheered.
I was embarrassed beyond belief, how did this random pony know? How?!
"I...I need to go, my...parents...are probably looking for me..."
"Oh, okay." she complied, coming to land on the ground.
I stopped, then turned to look at her.
"You sound sad." I pointed out.
"Who? Me? Sad? Pfft, sadness gets sad because it can't make me sad! That's how sad sadness is!"
'Damn you, Cadance, for all those lessons in morality and friendship...' I cursed silently, wishing I really didn't have to do what I was about to do.
"Hey, um, Screwball..." I said, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Yes?" she asked, still happy.
I knew she was faking it though, on the inside, she was just so volatile- I could feel all of it, the good and the bad. In other words, if I gave a match to her, she'd go off like the Haynndinberg.
"Why don't you come with me? To the wedding, I mean? I heard they set up for too many ponies."
"Oh, you...mean it?" she asked, sounding surprised with herself.
"Yeah, why not? It's not like anyone else is going to ask me."
"So...we'd be alone...together?"
I smiled, mostly for her sake.
"Yeah, alone together."
'Finally, the moment has arrived...' I moaned in relief.
Through a...let's say 'strange'...turn of events, everypony was seated, the groom at the front, and the mayor (I supposed) with him.
I sat on the end, near the back, ready for a quick-get-away if need be. Everyone was focused on the wedding, but...in retrospect, I should've at least disguised myself.
'Oh well, if worse comes to worse, Cadance and Shining would defend me, surely.'
Shining suddenly burst into tears, Cadance muttering something about the wedding.
'I hope...'
The music began, and the bride entered, her train carried by two flower-fillies.
I sat, jittering in my seat. I knew the foals to the right of me were staring, I paid them no mind, though I was secretly relieved they at least acknowledged my presence. Where was Screwball? How'd she disappear between here and the river? Damn it, Whorly, this is what you get for-
"Sorry I'm late, how's my mane look?"
I glanced to the right, finding her sitting in the seat just next to mine.
"Oh, no pr-problem," I stammered, then took notice of her attire.
"Er...isn't a tux usually for the groom?"
Screwball glanced down at herself, and then shrugged.
"Eh, I like to break the mold."
That was that, as she turned to pay attention to the mayor's speech.
Shining glanced around the hall, finally finding Whorlygig at the back of the room, his jaw moving up and down as he stared at the empty space next to him.
"You know," he whispered to Cadance "we should find him some friends his own age- at this rate, he won't learn to stop talking to himself."
"He's still a foal, Shining," Cadance whispered back "so what if he's got an imaginary friend?"
"It just...makes me uncomfortable," Shining replied "Twilight used to do it all the time with Smarty Pants, I just...never got over it..."
"Sounds to me, like my big, strong, stallion, is concerned about our charge." Cadance smirked.
Shining just held back a smile, as Mayor Mare finished the ceremony.
"I now pronounce you, jack and jenny!"
With that, the two donkeys kissed, sealing the promise between them.
I sat, staring as everyone began cheering.
What? That was it? We came all this way just to watch them kiss?
"Hey, Whorly." Screwball stated.
I flinched.
"Yeah?"
"You've got something on your muzzle."
I wiped at my face, and discovered wetness on my hoof.
Tears. I realized
Author's Note
Yes, I saw the 100th episode. It inspired me to write this.
Hope you enjoyed it. As always, feedback/criticism is welcome.
Until next time!
