New ponies began to appear around town. Holding invitations to the wedding, none of them made it unclear why they had traveled there. They were all dressed in finery that matched their element or purpose in life. Some were even wearing armor. As Twilight was being wed, some of her royal guards had been invited. Twilight had insisted that they come to the wedding as their whole selves, not just a faceless set of barding.

Friends from her school were also ready. Many of them were already used to visiting Ponyville, so they faded into the populace without much stir. Others weren't. "Um, hello." Moondancer looked from Twilight to each of her new spouses. "I heard you are being wed."

Twilight nodded. "Yes. You're on the guest list. I'm glad you could make it. Are you planning on coming to the event with somepony?"

"No, I'm not." She laughed quietly at that. "I'm pleased for you, but my studies consume me." She closed and the two met in a hug, either squeezing the other before she fled away.

Bella sat next to Twilight. "She seemed agitated."

"Agitated?" Twilight turned her head to Bella. "About being in a wedding, maybe?"

"Not nervous. Upset." Bella lifted an ear. "There's a difference in movement and even smell. I can tell."

Twilight blinked softly. "Remarkable. I suppose, having had to speak early ponish for most of your life, you've become quite good at reading the words we don't say out loud. Still, I struggle to imagine what she would be upset about."

Brad came in and nuzzled Twilight. "Hey." He spoke up, getting Bella to look at him as well. "I just finished doing some shopping with Rainbow Charm, but she got distracted by something."

"Did not!" She landed beside him. "I just saw a sale and couldn't say no. That's part of shopping."

Twilight smiled at the two. "Glad to see you back. Ponyville is swelling with the ponies eager to be there for the big day." Her eyes went from one to the next as she asked the next question. "How are we going to handle the wedding night? We have to decide soon."

Bella blushed softly, looking away from Twilight.

RC flared her wings and flittered into the air. "We could always take turns. It's how we've handled it to now. Sheesh, Twi, it isn't a race. Get your head out of that gutter."

Brad laughed at that. "You're calling her the perv now? She's not wrong tho, even if it's wedding night, we just handle it like any other night." He put a wing around Twilight. "We already know we can work together."

Twilight nodded slowly. "That is true. It's not like we'd have a proper honeymoon anyway." She blushed softly as she turned back to where Moon had fled. "One of my friends was just by. Bella said they looked upset about something, but I have no idea what they would be by. If you see Moondancer, keep an eye on her."

Brad snorted quietly. "I'm not sure if we need to worry about one of your old friends being upset about something. They probably have a reason." His eyes lifted towards the sound of pegasi moving around in the sky.

Rainbow Dash landed a moment later. "'Sup! Twi, seriously, beating me to getting married? The hay. You couldn't just wait a month or two? Let me try and find myself a nice colt to settle down with? Nah, you just had to rush in, you, Bells, and Rainbow C. She waved a hoof at Twilight. "First of us to get married and you go big! I can respect that." Laughing, she went in for a hug.

Twilight returned the embrace before stepping back. "You're the best, Rainbow. We've been through a lot together." She looked back at her spouses. "Speaking of which. Where are Applejack and the rest?"

Rainbow snickered at that. "You may be the first, but Applejack is aiming for second place. Shoot, me, losing a race? How will I forgive myself." She put a hoof to her forehead, pretending a faint. "I'll get over it."

Brad nudged Twilight's side. "See, it wasn't that weird. We have another one who's getting married." He grinned, then looked at Rainbow. "So when is it?"

"AJ? No idea, but she's getting real romantic with that Mig pony." Dash shrugged, wings unfolding. "Just wanted to stop by, say hi. See you at the actual wedding, okay? And tell me when your little ponies are ready to start flying." She gave them all a grin, then took off.

Bella laughed softly. "That was nice. I think we're all in the right place."

Twilight gave a firm nod. "My friends are on my side, and it means so much." She looked to RC. "You have some of your own that may attend?"

RC looked around. "Yeah. I think I met half of them in flight school, so it's a good bet you'll see them around." She pointed at Bella. "Gonna bet her friends are still back on Earth, being horses and all."

Bella shook her head. "I'm happy here. I will tell them stories when I get back."

Brad put a wing around Bella. "We're all doing well. Let's be ready for this wedding."

The group of them put hooves together just to break apart and get back to getting things ready.

***

"Twilight." Moon had appeared just after a corner, cutting Twilight off. They rubbed over their face. "I hate to do this right now, but you're always busy with other ponies when not alone."

Twilight smiled at Moon lightly. "It's alright, what's on your mind?"

Moon cleared her throat. "Twilight. You are not being fair."

"I'm not?" Twilight took a step back, confused.

"To me! Not that you intended it." They rubbed at their own face again. "You left me behind, Twilight. Do you remember what you did, that day of my party?"

Twilight thought back. "Of course, how could I forget? I thought we worked through that though? I'm terribly sorry I hurt your feelings."

"It's more than that." Moon pressed closer, noses almost touching, but there was precious little affection there. "Twilight, what I felt for you wasn't just a fading friendship. It was love. It was always love. When I looked at you, I wanted to spend the rest of my days making you happy, but you never even saw me that way."

Twilight let out a slow sigh. "I'm so sorry." She rubbed one leg with her other forehoof. "But you're right, we never, um, had that kind of relationship. I didn't even know you were looking at me that way."

"That's because I never brought it up!" Moondancer let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes. "Not once did I manage to bring myself to say what I was truly feeling." She shook herself free. "Until now." She took a slow breath. "Twilight, I love you. I do not want to lose you to a bunch of other ponies who do not even appreciate the magic and reading that are the cornerstone of your life."

Twilight shook her head. "Moony, you've known me, sure." She reached out with a hoof to rub Moondancer's shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't see how you felt."

"It's not too late." Moondancer grabbed Twilight close. "We're here for a wedding, but you can change your mind." Her lips pressed against Twilight's.

Twilight was caught off guard by the kiss. She knew that Moon had feelings, and she respected those feelings, but she couldn't go through with this. Twilight felt a certain level of attraction towards Moondancer, but they didn't erase the powerful feelings she had developed with the others. "Moon, please."

Moon shrank back, legs wobbling as her eyes misted with tears developing. "If you insist... on having a herd, like the old days, than take me." She put a hoof at her chest. "I will be the lowest pony, the omega to your alpha. Just please." Moondancer was on the verge of crying, her voice cracking. "Please! Don't do this! Don't leave me!"

Twilight stepped forward to comfort her, only for Moon to pull away. "I don't need pity." Moon took a shuddering breath. "I need an answer."

A quiet moment stretched between them. Twilight coughed into a hoof. "We are already together. I can't make any decision without consulting them, or I'm already being a terrible part of what we've made."

"I see." Moondancer started to walk away. "I'm going to my hotel room."

Twilight let Moondancer go. The poor pony needed space to process these emotions. Twilight would just have to do what she'd just promised and bring it up with the others.

Cadance shook her head. "Unacceptable."

"W-what?" Twilight sank to her haunches. "I just said I was going to talk to the others."

"Yes, but the invitations were already sent out." Cadance made a shoving motion. "If they arrive and a new pony is standing there, that will be a scandal. Twilight, sister, I'm already working as hard as I can to make this as smooth as possible. You can not even consider changing it this late in the game."

Twilight put a hoof on Cadance's shoulder. "You know me. If I've said I'm not going to do it, then I'm not." She frowned softly. "Though I will admit, I'm somewhat tempted."

"Twilight!" Cadance shook Twilight. "You got one taste of romance and you can't get enough, clearly. Put that thought aside. You are getting married to enough ponies as it is."

"Yeah." Twilight nodded at that. "But I have to admit, there's something about that raw passion that is attractive. I'll admit, I feel something in turn, but it's nothing like what I feel for my herd."

Cadance put a hoof to her face. "They cannot become another wife. They just can't. Whatever else you do, please remember that you are a princess, and we have appearances to keep up for the sake of the ponies around us."

"Appearances." Twilight repeated that word, trying to imagine what she was missing, then gave a nod. "If the common ponies saw me changing my mind so close to the wedding, they'd think less of me."

"Exactly." Cadance relaxed with that understanding. "And you, Twilight, deserve to be seen as the wonderful pony you are, not whispered about behind your back. That's not good for them, or you."

Twilight nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "I'm going to have to reject them, then?" Twilight shivered at the thought.

"That is going to hurt, isn't it?" Cadance leaned against Twilight. "I'm sorry, but they cannot become another wife. The wedding is planned, the cake has so many ponies on it. This is already done, we're just formalizing it."

"I'm." Twilight took a deep breath. "I'll go tell them, personally, that I can't take them into our herd."

"Good luck." Cadance kissed Twilight's forehead in passing.

RC landed beside Twilight as she marched. "Where are you going, looking like that?"

Twilight gestured for RC to walk with her. "I am on my way to tell Moondancer, no, they cannot become a part of our herd. I already have enough on my plate."

RC blinked rapidly. "Who? Um, they a friend of yours? Sheesh, most of us don't even know them!" She fell into step with Twilight. "I'm so sorry, Twi, but that's just not right."

Twilight shook her head a little. "Cadance said it was bad for the ponies around me if I changed my mind so close to the wedding."

RC's wings flared out. "It's not good for us either. A pony that is part of our family has to be alright by everypony in the family."

Twilight nodded slowly at those words. "It wouldn't work. It wouldn't work at all." She shook her head, letting it hang down. "But she's going to be devastated."

RC threw a wing over Twilight. "Do you want me to go with you, or is this a private kinda chat? I'm ready either way."

"I'll do this myself." Twilight stepped up to the hotel room Moondancer was staying in. A light push opened the door. "Moon?"

Moon turned to her, then looked down at a piece of paper on the table before them. "You're a little early." She smiled thinly. "But I am happy to see you. Did you speak to the others?"

Twilight took a deep breath. "Yes, yes I did."

"Well?" Moon waited expectantly. "What is your answer?"

"No. They said no." Twilight rubbed over her own side slowly. "We can't have a new pony this late. Everypony's already prepared for four, which is an odd number to have, but they were told four. If they arrive to find five, I will look bad, and they'll be confused."

"Who is this 'they' you speak of?" Moon looked down at her. "The ponies attending?"

Twilight shook her head. "Everypony." She waved a hoof out towards Ponyville, and onwards to Equestria beyond it. "I am a princess of Equestria, so what I do reflects on all of us. For me to suddenly decide to take in another pony, when the invitations have been sent out and the cakes are being baked, it'd ruin what was to come."

Moondancer closed her eyes and turned from Twilight. "I see."

Author's Note

Moon, you're a bit late. This seems to be a habit.

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