Cadance shook her head. "This, all of this." She waved at the over the top arrangement of a party Pinkie was working on. "It's like an excited attempt at a six year old foal's party."

Pinkie swelled with brief pride. "Aw, thanks!"

Twilight watched from around a pillar. "That wasn't very nice."

Moon inclined her head. "Agreed."

Cadance laughed and walked off. "I want to see how the other preparations are going." She walked past without a second glance.

Moon snuck after her as Twilight hissed in outrage. "She is rude to everypony." Moon slowed her steps, considering Pinkie. She went in that direction instead. "I find your decorations to be appropriately ecstatic."

Pinkie had her attention taken away from her party arrangement by the compliment. "Oh, hey there! Wow, Twilight has an awesome pony with her today! Haha! That's a surprise!"

Twilight blushed at that. "I have awesome ponies with me quite often." She smirked at Pinkie. "I have you as a friend, don't I?"

"Awww!" Pinkie trotted over and hugged Twilight. "You're too sweet!"

Moon hovered nearby, having learned a little about how to properly do so. "I may be lacking in skill, but I would like to assist you."

Pinkie whirled around towards Moon. "Ooo! You wanna learn how to prepare a party? I'm all over it!" She grabbed Moon, swinging an arm over her withers and guiding her away.

Twilight stood there for a moment, smiling. But then she realized Moon had not planned to take her with them. "Hey! Wait!" She went after them at a light trot, catching up quickly.

Moon and Pinkie were discussing the proper arrangement of balloons, decorations, and little touches that Pinkie loved to add to everything she did. Pinkie even told Moon some secrets. "I always fill the centerpieces with confetti!"

Moon nodded with all the gravity that most ponies would not regard Pinkie's jubliant creations. "I see. Are you attempting to create a balance?"

"Haha, you are smart!" Pinkie leaned against Moon as they stood next to each other. "Well, y'see, if I get to overdoing it with the confetti, then everypony's got too much fun." She fanned herself with a hoof. "Can't have that right at the start. Ponies can only take so much at a time. A good party pony knows how to pace themselves."

Moon snorted. "Very wise words. Is that what you're doing with your party plans? Pacing?" She didn't look entirely convinced, but her smile remained intact.

Pinkie poked at Moon's nose with a hoof. "Exactly! Now, remember, this is a wedding, for the afterparty. The moment they say their I do's, everypony will already be worked up, so you can go a little harder than a normal party."

Moon hummed with thought. "That is sensible." She smiled gently at Pinkie. "You have wisdom in your approach. More ponies should slow down to appreciate it."

"Right?!" Pinkie bounced into the air, laughing. "My pals are super great like that." She trotted around the area, waving at Moon.

Twilight inserted herself. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to bring Moon along for other preparations. You have this in hoof, Pinkie?"

Pinkie pranced away. "I always do!"

Twilight and Moon walked in silence until Twilight said, "That was a very nice thing to say."

Moon inclined her head. "I was only saying the truth." She perked her ears with a fresh thought. "Was Cadance speaking her truth? Perhaps she wasn't being rude."

Twilight frowned, her eyes narrowing. "You think so? Or are you trying to justify her behavior?" She scowled at the idea of such a thing.

"Neither." Moon's tone held firm as they walked on.

Twilight applied a hoof to her face. "Even if you know something is true, if it could hurt a pony to just say it, there are more delicate ways of going about it, and I know Cadance knows better!"

Moon paused in her walk. "What if they don't know better?" She licked her lips, stiff and still. "What if they don't realize?"

Twilight brushed sidelong against Moon. "Then they learn, and admit their mistake. This isn't about you, I promise. In fact, you were quite supportive of Pinkie's antics."

Moon rubbed at her neck gently. "I did not wish to say anything that would hurt her feelings." She chewed on her lip as she began walking again. "The same can be said for Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and others." She shook her head with thoughts. "But I sometimes do that, without meaning to. Am I bad at this?"

Twilight opened the door to one of the more vacant rooms. "You're improving, but we all do slip up from time to time. You'll get better with practice. Now, I think it's time we gathered all the girls. We'll present all the evidence we've found so far."

"Hey!" Spike rushed towards them in a toddling scamper. "Moon! You've got to come with me!" He hopped and danced in place. "I found something!"

Moon touched his shoulder with a hoof. "Care to speak on this matter? What did you find?"

Spike started off with her. "It's Diamond. She's been acting really weird ever since Cadance was around her." He stopped short, considering her. "I mean, uh, that was kinda rude. But the point is, Diamond's been goofy all day."

Moon kept up with Spike, but glanced back at Twilight.

Twilight grabbed both with her magic. "Which is why we should gather the girls. This is getting more serious by the moment. That isn't the Cadance I know."

The girls were summoned, and all gathered in a meeting area outside on a patio, having barely sat down before Twilight leapt to her hooves. "Alright, so this is what's happening." She produced a list from somewhere, clearing her throat as she read it. "'Cadance' has been acting rude to each of you in ways the real Cadance would never do!"

Rarity waved it away. "The Cadance you knew wasn't getting married. That can make any mare act out a little with the jitters."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Not that big a deal. Happens to everypony."

Twilight tapped the parchment again. "Yes, but look at what I've been saying! The pattern is undeniable!"

Moon nodded. "Pre-marriage jitters does not explain—"

Spike thrust up a hand. "Shining Armor's a mess." Eyes turned towards him. "Seriously. Guy can barely stand, but he was sure Cadance could just magic his headache away, somehow."

Applejack chuckled at that. "Ain't that a thing. Gotta love it when you find yer soulmate. That bond'll let you get through anything together." She touched her cheek. "Maybe someday. Nevermind, ain't seein' how that makes Cadance a bad pony."

Twilight reared up with her forelegs up. "Look, my point is, Shining Armor doesn't use magic like that! And there's plenty of other things too! We're not crazy! Cadance is acting out! She's rude to everypony all the time!"

But the mares were not seeing it, insisting that Twilight was overreacting about the whole thing. They left Twilight, Spike, and Moondancer behind, returning to various wedding preparations.

Twilight was sitting in a pout when Spike went to stand beside her. "Cheer up, Twilight. If they're not worried about it, we should still keep our eyes open."

Moon moved next to him. "There are times I've come across as rude." She offered a hoof, but she didn't try to physically touch Twilight. "I know it hurts. Ponies do not like feeling rejected."

Twilight hissed in a low tone. "This isn't about feeling rejected, Moon. Something's wrong!" She curled a hoof to her chin. "Moondancer, we're on our own. You are an eager magic-user, one of the few I'd consider placing above myself." She colored at her words. "Um, not to brag."

Moon snorted. "Then please, do go on." She folded her forelegs and leaned in to listen. "How would you rate me against the average magician?"

Twilight ran a hoof over her mane with a smirk. "Considerably higher than average. Can you find the real Cadance? If there's a fake, the real one has to be around here somewhere!"

Moon raised a hoof. "Perhaps we should start with Spike's observation. We could see what Shining Armor has to say about the whole thing." She blinked as Twilight scooped her up and sped off towards Shining's location.

Twilight skidded to a stop in front of an ajar door. "Shinie?" She leaned in to peek through, Moon just underneath her, and Spike just over her head. All three could see Cadance, casually zapping Shining Armor with some strange green spell that made him go googly eyed.

Cadance leaned in to him with a smirk. "Shining Armor, it's time to speed up the ceremony." She touched his cheek. "Are you ready for that?"

He made some kind of noise, possibly of agreement.

Twilight wrenched herself back, dragging the others with her. "Spike was right! Moon, do you have a Cadance locating spell?"

Moon shook her head, eyes half-closed as she thought. "I'm not sure how that would be accomplished, or if it is possible." She paced, murmuring thoughts to herself. "Do you have something of hers, that she would always have on her person?"

Twilight held up a hoof in sudden thought. "Actually, yes!" She lifted an old yellow baby blanket, slightly worn from years of use. "This is the blankie I had when I was just a foal! Shining and Cadance kept it for me."

Moon studied it curiously. "That is very unique, but you have it, and she does not. Was it a gift from her?"

"Well, not exactly." Twilight stared down at it. "It's more like something they wanted to keep safe." She offered it to Moon. "Here. Take a look at it with magic."

Moon did as she was asked, studying it with closed eyes and glowing horn. "Mmm, actually. I can see, I think, where Cadance's signature changes. The older one, yes. Yes, I might be able to work with this."

Twilight spun around, grinning. "That's great! Now we just need to hide somewhere and get to work on this spell." She trotted off, but paused as Moon did not follow her. "Something wrong?"

Moon flicked her ears left and right. "This will be a precise magical procedure. We'll need a secluded spot. This is dangerous magic." Her voice dropped lower. "We can't allow any interruptions."

Spike walked next to her with his hands out to the sides. "Whoa. Dude. Didn't know you were gonna get that intense about it."

Twilight bumped into Moon from behind. "I believe in you. Find Cadance, the real one. Please!"

They went into a small room. Twilight grabbed some things with her magic, barricading the door behind them. "There we go! You should be able to focus now."

Moon carefully laid the blanket on the ground. "Hold this, and watch the edges. They can fray." She tipped her head as she traced a hoof over it. "Will damage to it upset you?" She looked to Twilight. "I don't want to upset you."

Twilight tapped at her blanket. "If this brings back the real Cadance, it's worth the price. Please, try. I won't be mad at you, promise."

Moon touched her nose to Twilight's. "I will do my best." She took her place opposite Twilight and set the spell into motion. Her horn began to glow with strange powers, pulsing in and out of color. Even the tint of her normal magic shifted as she tuned into that other magic she could dimly feel. She paced, finding herself getting used to it more and more as the seconds went by. The flow of her hooves slowed, her eyes closing to better see with her magic. The universe lay before her, but it was different from usual.

With a sudden pulse of pink magic, Moon sent off what was like a radar pulse in all directions. She could feel it was far, but the direction was clear. Moon rose to her hooves, whipping her head left and right in confusion. "It worked."

Spike gave Moon a grin. "Sweet! Let's go!"

Moon thrust a hoof downards. "She is beneath the castle, somehow."

Author's Note

A better reason to want to get down there than Chryssie literally tossing Twi there, I think.

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