Spike was at Cantalot Castle, cleaning up the occasional spider web in the corner, He was back from his one-week trip to the Dragon lands, and somehow, he had missed A LOT in just those 7 days, which is why most mares are not working and won't be for about 9 months, the number of Mares unable to work was about 95% when just several days ago it was only 20%.
Spike let out a small growl of annoyance, and continued to dust, grumbling to himself as he did "Of course they would all get knocked up the moment I go on a holiday.. Actually.. Who were the ones who didn't get knocked up?" He asked himself.
To the extent of his knowledge, the only mares who weren't laid while he was gone were Rarity, Fluttershy, any mares outside of Ponyvill and Cantalot, and even those who weren't going to have a kid like Twilight were too busy with a certain pony.
"Damn... that means they are all probably gonna be very cranky and very hormonal..." Spike said to himself as he continued to clean. "Well... at least I can hide in Rarity's shop if it gets too bad. That is where the least number of hormones are...."
However, cleaning under one of the couches, he pokes himself on something. Spike suddenly retracted his arm, hissing in pain "Owww... dammit that hurt..." He looked under the couch, wondering what he had touched. It looked like a love arrow. Spike looked confused for a second, before picking the love arrow up and looking at it. "What the hell is a love arrow doing here?"
Suddenly, a slightly high pitch voice called out "Oh hay, I was looking for that"
Spike turned around at the voice, a little confused. "Who's there?"
The whiteish Alicorn Grabs the arrow "Looks like I left one in here by mistake."
Spike looks somewhat relieved, and a little confused at the appearance of this new Alicorn "Oh, I see. Who.. are you? I haven't seen you around here before, that's for sure.."
The alicorn smiled, "I'm Agapi" and put the arrow into a bag on their back.
"Thats a very unique name,” Said Spike, “Agapi. I suppose I should also introduce myself, I'm Spike. I take it you're the one responsible for all the mares getting knocked up around here?."
Agapi nodded. "You got that right!"
Spike huffed to himself, shaking his head in disbelief, "Of course you're the one responsible for the population boom around here. What's your deal anyway? You just go around shooting ponies with love arrows for no reason?"
"Everypony deserves love! I simply used my bow and arrows to ship Ponies with their soulmate!" Agapi Said in his normal excited voice, his tail wagging like a dog.
Spike rolled his eyes at Agapi’s Comment, "Do you even think before you go around shooting ponies with your arrows? Ever occur to you that most of the time the two ponies you are using your arrows on aren't even a good match?"
"Oh, they're always a good match,” -Agapi raised a hoof to his face and started to say a few examples- “Just ask Applejack and Rainbow Dash, Lyra and BonBon, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich, heck even Twilight would Agree!"
Spike was starting to get annoyed, at this point he was sounding a lot like Twilight, "Those are all good matches. But there was still a chance that they wouldn't have been. Your arrows basically made them a great match. There's a lot of couples that are together just because you shot them with an arrow. And now that you've got every mare in the two capital cities in a relationship, Equestria is going to end up in a massive baby boom for the next 9 months. How long do the effects of your arrows last anyway?"
"Depends. do you mean the Love effect or the Lust effect?" Agapi asked Spike in a more monochrome voice than usual.
Spike panicked, there was two of them. "Both.. tell me how long each one lasts.."
Agapi nervously claps his hoofs, "Well the lust last a little bit, form a few seconds to one steam filled night."
Spike paused when he figured out what the Alicorn was implying "So you make them a couple for an entire night, that's the Lust, and then the love takes over and they start trying to make a baby for the next 9 months... how long does the Love part last?"
"Forever!" Agapi excitedly said, slamming his hoofs to the ground.
Spike didn’t believe what he heard. "Are you insane!? There are tons of couples that are together simply because you shot them with your arrows, and now they're forced to spend the rest of their lives together. This, this is beyond selfish, and insane!.. why in the name of Celestia would you do this?!!"
"Before I start, let me give this sheet to the Piano player" Agapi said. pointing to one of the only ponies working, a piano player.
"Huh?" -Spike paused, a bit confused- "Why? What are you giving him?"
Agapi Walks over and gives the pony the paper “A music sheet.”
Spike was even more confused by this. "Why do you need to give the piano player a music sheet??.. and why does it matter right now?.."
"Because I'm going to tell you why I did what I did." Agapi explained excitedly.
Spike pinched the bridge of his snout. "Fine.. go ahead. But I better find your excuse to be a damn good one."
The pianist starts to play the piano.
Agapi starts singing. "Why do I do what I do you may ask, well its simple you see. I just want everypony to be happy, is that too much to ask, for them to be? I want ponies to be in love happy, I want them to be as happy as can be, I don't care if there evil or there not, if they're considered cute or hot, if they have a soulmate then they must fall in love!"
Spike was a little surprised "So you want everypony to be in love. Fine, understandable, even I want that. But the question remains as to whether or not the ponies you are shooting actually want to be in love.. or are they only in love because you shot them with your arrows?"
The music stops as Agapi awkward giggles. "Ok, I did Kinda go a little bit over bord, I used to ask if they needed it, but kinda went a little crazy while I had my bow"
Spike let out a sigh and shook his head. "That's what I thought.. you don't even ask ponies if they want your arrows. There are probably hundreds of couples right now, who are only in love because of you. And probably thousands more that aren't in love, but only lust for each other because of you.. you're insane, you know that right?"
"Well hay, I'm not as insane as what you kept writing about in that diary of yours" Agapi said, turning the conversation around.
Spike froze and his eyes widened in horror. How the hell did this pony find his diary? More importantly, what did he write in that diary that would even make this insane Alicorn think that he's crazy "You.. you saw my diary?.." This was very bad. There were some things written in that diary that he'd rather keep private
"Technically all three of them, but especially your second diary" Agapi Said in a stern voice.
Spike's expression dropped even more. He had more than one diary.. and this Alicorn has seen all of them... this was so, so bad. Then it hit him, the second diary, in that one he had written more than a few questionable things. "Oh.. oh crap.. you saw that one.."
Agapi simply looked at spike and said "Yep"
Spike's face immediately reddened in embarrassment. That diary had so much bad stuff in it. And this pony saw all of it "Please tell me you're not gonna tell anypony about what was in that diary.."
"Oh, I'm going to tell Twilight and Rarity, Especially Rarity considering just how many pages of her there are." Agapi slightly and angerly announced.
Spike immediately panicked. This was a disaster, Rarity and Twilight could not see what was in that diary "NO! No, no, no, please don't tell either of them. I'll do.. anything, just don't tell them what was in that diary!"
Agapi hesitated… but then got an idea… magnificent. Great idea to fix his bow faster. "Sure... if you tell me where the entrance to Star Swirl the Bearded's personal library is and keep quiet"
Spike was desperate enough to agree, and at that point a library wasn't that much of a price to pay "Fine.. I'll tell you where the entrance to Star Swirl's library is, but you can't tell anypony what was in that diary. Can you agree to that?"
“Sure” Agapi said, agreeing to the terms.
Spike sighed, relieved once again "As far as I know, the entrance to Star Swirl's library was underneath Canterlot Castle.. there's a small switch in one of the tunnels that leads to a secret entrance"
"Thank you, here you go" Agapi said, throwing all three of Spike’s diary's at him.
looked over at the Agapi after catching them. ".. you're sure you won't tell anypony about any of the diaries, right? You promise?"
"What diaries?" Agapi winked.
Spike couldn't help but facepalm at the comment. "You are an insane Alicorn... you know that, right?"
"And you're a horny teenage dragon" Agapi said as he starts to prance away.
Spike's face reddened in embarrassment once again "Hey! I'm not THAT bad!"
But soon Agapi was out of sight. Spike let out a sigh of relief once the Alicorn disappeared. It could have ended significantly worse Spike thought to himself. "That was the weirdest, and most embarrassing conversation I've had in a while."
Meanwhile, at Star Swirl's personal library, Agapi rummaged though scrolls. “Come on, it’s gotta be in here somewhere… Just a little… more” Soon he grabbed the correct scroll. “There it is! I’ll have my bow fixed soon enough!” Agapi prances out of Cantalot Castle, and into his grotto.
Setting up a mirror he starts to charge up some magic… and fails “Wait… how do I launch magic again?”
Agapi Sat on his statue frame, he never thought about his lack of magic skill, if anything he could compare his skill to that of a filly. This was a problem, if he wanted his bow fixed he would need to learn how to launch magic out of his horn, he could already manipulate somethings like arrows, but they were already moving. So how would Agapi learn how to launch magic?
An idea pops into his head, to read a book for fillies on simple magic, and while he’s at it learn other spells fillies could use. But were would he find a book like that?
He first checked the liberty in both Cantalot, he did find a book that seamed to be what he was looking for, only problem were that somepony would see him with a filly book and make fun of him. So, to not look suspicious, he borrowed a history book and left.
He then tried the Ponyville Schoolhouse, Similar problem, there were too many foals and a teacher, so he leaves. He looks in multiple places such as book shops, to the Castle of Friendship and even Cantalot castles forbidden library, but all he finds are some useless books about dark magic.
Defeated, he starts to walk home. “Oh, I wish I could find a place that had a book that taught me how to properly use magi-”
Suddenly, a branch falls Infront of Agapi, almost crushing him. “HOLLY STARSWIRL, that was close.”
Then he heard the sound of buzzing, looking up he saw a beehive… and he was dangerously close. As such the bees charged at him, chasing him into a nearby source of water, jumping in, the bees left Agapi alone.
Swimming up to the surface he breaths a sigh of relief, thankful he didn’t have to stay under for too long. “Phew, those bees were quite aggressive.”
Suddenly a voice called out from behind, "I would imagine so. What were you doing in the water in the first place?"
Agapi turned to the purple pony. "Oh, I didn't realize there was anypony around, I was just trying to get away from those bees."
The mare relaxed as she continued to ask questions, "Well, you can rest assured they're gone now. But still, what were you doing near the school?"
Agapi looked up and noticed he was in a lake in front of a large school, “Oh, I wasn’t aware, I just saw some water and jumped in to avoid the bees, I didn’t know this was a school.”
The mare smiled and nodded, "Well, I guess you do now. Can I at least ask who you are? I didn't catch your name yet."
"Oh right," -Agapi Extended a hoof to the mare- "I'm Agapi Apostolea, or just Agapi for short."
The mare happily shook Agapi’s hoof, "Agapi, huh? Pleased to meet you. I'm Starlight Glimmer, Headmare of the School of Friendship."
"Headmare, wow that must be one hard job to deal with." Agapi complemented. To him Headmare was a hard job, but not as hard as he thought his job was.
Starlight chuckled, letting go of Agapi’s hoof to scratch the back of her neck, "You wouldn't be the first to say that. You can probably imagine how much of a hard time I have when a good chunk of my staff has been affected by..." -Starlight paused- "Um, some strange magic incident as of late."
Agapi like a curious little foal asked a question, "Oh really! by what?"
Starlight’s face dropped and her expression shifted to a bit of frustration. "Some sort of... Love spell... it's completely messed with almost everyone in Ponyvill and Cantalot... and a good chunk of the school's students as well..."
“Oh,” Agapi said… then he realized she was unintentionally talking about him, “OH…”
Starlight nodded. "Yeah. It's been like... a week now since this started, and I'm not even one of the ones affected, but this spell has been such a huge headache to deal with since we can't even find out who cast it in the first place!"
Agapi felt kinda awkward and scared, so he decided to try to get away before anything happens. "Well. umm, I think I should go now, good luck looking for whoever casted it" he said as he stared to swim away.
Starlight cocked her head to the side, she noticed how Agapi was suddenly swimming away. It was almost like they were... trying to leave? "Wait... hold on a minute!"
In a panic Agapi Swims Faster.
Starlight's eyes narrowed, "Hey! I said wait a moment!" Taking a few steps back and getting a bit of a running start, she started to gallop across the lake. As she galloped across the surface, her magic spread the water out underneath her to give a more solid surface for her to run on. Soon enough, she was able to catch up to Agapi.
Agapi however still tries to swim faster… but you can’t really beat a pony able to walk or even run on water when you’re not a good swimmer.
"I said stop already!" Starlight yelled as she grabbed Agapi's hindleg and quickly pull them back to the edge of the lake.
"NO, NO, LET GO OF MEEEEEE!!!" Agapi yelled out like a foal being dragged out of the toy store.
Starlight, now furious, continued to pull Agapi closer to the edge. "No way! You're not getting away that easily! We're gonna have a little chat now, whether you want to or not!"
Agapi Grabs the edge of the lake, "You'll NEVER take me alive!!!"
Starlight's eyes widened, before retaining focus, "Oh yes I will!" she jumped up and quickly got a strong grip on one of Agapi’s wings with one of her hooves.
Agapi screamed in pain as for a second he loses his grip.
Starlight wasted no time in pulling them back, once they were on solid ground and immediately began to use her magic to lock his forelegs and wings together behind his back. "I said we're going to have a little chat! No more running, now!"
Agapi gulps to himself.
Starlight looked down at Agapi for a few moments before she began to speak again. "Alright... now that you can't get away anymore... You're going to answer some of my questions," -her eyes narrow- "And if you try to lie, well, you'll just be making the situation a lot worse for yourself..." -she paced herself in front of Agapi- "Now... I already know you're an Alicorn... and given that you are an alicorn and that you were swimming in a lake to avoid a hive of bees.... I think I can safely assume you cast the love spell that messed with all of Ponyvill and Cantalot, didn't you?"
Agapi, in a mix of Fear and Guilt he nods his head.
Starlight's eyes widened a bit, before narrowing once again. "I had a feeling that's what you did... but I didn't expect you to answer that fast... Explain. Why did you do it. And don't give me nonsense like 'just for fun'. There has to be a reason, and it better be a good one."
Agapi smiles, "Simple, EVERYPONY DESERVES LOVE!!!!"
Starlight softened her gaze, "So, you were trying to make everyone all in love with each other? Spread the love and all that?"
Agapi happily nodded, "Thats right, that's what I do after all!"
Starlight sighs, "And do you not realize what you have done? Most of the School of Friendship's staff has been affected by this spell. Including a large majority of the students. Every single one of them has just been running to each other and trying to...” She shutters at the thought of it.
"Sheesh, you're starting to sound like Twilight." Pointed out Agapi.
Starlight frowned at Agapi, "If that's the case, then maybe you should listen to me. Twilight would be furious… So, no more jokes, understand? Now... how long does this love spell last?"
"Depends, the lust can last Anywhere from an hour to a hot steamy night, while the love is forever." Agapi happily explained, if he wasn’t tied up he would be clapping his hoofs.
Starlight’s eyes widened, but deep down she had a feeling this would be the case. "So... you're telling me that the whole point of this was to make everypony in Ponyvill and Cantalot fall in love with each other, for Eternity?"
"Ya, Its great!" Agapi cheerfully said.
Starlight was starting to get a bit upset, "No it is NOT! Do you realize how much of an invasion of privacy this is, not to mention how unfair it is to have everypony being forced into love for the rest of their lives?! Not everypony is going to be compatible with one another! Forcing them into a relationship is just wrong!"
Agapi was getting a bit angry, "Have you seen the ponies happy? have you seen how happy they are!"
Starlight continued to talk with a stern expression, "They're under a love spell! Of course they'd be happy! They're literally falling in love with whoever is closest to them at any given time! Any other time, they'd probably be terrified!"
"Correction," -Agapi said as he would raise a hoof if wasn’t behind his back- “they only fall in love with their soulmate, not some random pony.”
Starlight blinked a couple of times, trying to process that new piece of info. "Wait- so, they only fall in love with their ‘soulmate’... So, you were using this spell to force ponies into a long-term relationship with their soulmates?"
Agapi nods, “That’s correct!”
Starlight's eyes widened once again. She honestly wasn't expecting that. The thought of making ponies fall in love with their soulmates, while a bit unconventional... actually sounded kind of wholesome, but she quickly shook her head. "That still doesn't make it right! Sure, some ponies may be happy, but what about the ponies who aren’t paired with someone? You didn't think about them at all, did you?!"
Agapi explained, "I avoided them, I didn't want any pony to end up with some pony they didn't like."
Starlight's expression changed from disbelief to shock but went back to her stern voice. "No. No, you still shouldn't have done this! You're messing with ponies' emotions! You're forcing them into a relationship! And how do you even know who their soulmates are, anyway?!"
Agapi sighed to himself, "I used to have a bow that showed me someponys soulmate and homes in on them."
Starlight's confusion grew over time. "A... bow that showed you who someone’s soulmates were? What, did it come with a whole list of names of who was compatible with one another or something? Where is it anyway?"
Agapi sighed again, deeper than before. "In my grotto, broken by Twilight and her friends..."
Starlight's expression changed to a mix of surprise, but also a bit of anger.
"About three to five weeks ago, and since then I haven't been able to get ponies to fall in love." He said nonchalantly.
Starlight's eyes widened once again. "You... haven't been able to cast any more love spells since it was broken?"
"I'm afraid not..." Agapi sighed as he silently whimpered to himself.
Starlight sighed. She now knew all this Alicorn really only wanted to spread love, which actually made it harder to be mad at him. but if he couldn't cast any more love spells, then maybe... "So... you can't cast any more spells like this anymore. At least, not without that bow, right?"
"Well, no love spells, that's for sure." Agapi enthusiastically said.
Starlight nodded. "How many ponies exactly did you manage to get with your spell before it was broken?"
Agapi paused, "I didn't actually keep count, I just made as many ponies as I could happy."
Starlight sighed "And... does this spell ever wear off at all? Or do you not know that, either?"
"Forever... or at least I think it last forever, for all I know it's already worn off and there's just no difference." Agapi said, slowly pondering about his bow and arrows.
Starlight felt the urge to just bonk the restrained Alicorn on the head when she heard that... but she resisted the urge for now. "You... didn't even know how long your spell was supposed to last, did you? Didn't you ever try using it on yourself to test it out?"
Agapi sighed once more, but with a bit more sadness in this one. "I tried... years ago I would sit up somewhere high, shoot myself with a love arrow and shoot it up into the air to find a target... it never left... it just fell to the ground like a normal arrow... I didn't have a soulmate"
This caught Starlight completely off guard "Wait... you... never had a soulmate either? No one who was compatible to you...?"
A tear ran down Agapi’s cheek, "No... I was just... alone, helping ponies find something I never would have... a soulmate"
Starlight felt her heart ever so slightly break, "So... you never really did any of this for yourself... you only wanted to help others?"
"Everypony deserves love, whether you agree with me or not, Everypony deserves to feel love." Agapi said trying to get through to Starlight.
Starlight took a deep breath, "You... you were just trying to make others happy, weren't you? You never meant any harm..." -she softened her expression and walked closer- "You really think that everypony deserves love, don't you?"
Agapi simply smile and nods.
Starlight paused, "This whole situation is a big mess, and I do still think that casting a love spell on all those ponies is wrong, no matter the intention... But... I can tell that your heart’s in the right place. I can tell that you really do want ponies to be happy, and you really do want to give them love... You just have good intentions, but you went overboard with it, that's all."
Starlight sighed and backed up for a moment, before placing a hoof on her hip. "But that still doesn't excuse turning all my students and everyone else into a mess of lovestruck ponies! Do you have any idea of how annoying it is trying to maintain the School of Friendship when everyone is falling all over each other and trying to date left and right?"
"Yaaa... I kinda went too far." Agapi said with an awkward giggle.
"Yes, you definitely did. I can't even count how many times I've seen two ponies just collapse onto each other and start making out." Starlight said with a small hint of amusement.
Agapi awkwardly laughed, "I know it might be a bad time to ask this, but can you please let me go now?"
Starlight's went from an amused look changed into a more serious expression for a moment, before sighing to herself. "Well... I suppose so, since you at least seem to feel guilty enough about the whole thing..." she then removed the magic from Agapi.
Agapi rolls over to stand up. "Thanks, my hoofs were starting to hurt"
Starlight rolled her eyes "Yeah, yeah. You're welcome. Just be grateful I'm even letting you off the hook. If I were Pinkie, you'd be covered in cupcake frosting and being pelted with balloons by now."
"Actually, if you were Pinkie Pie right now you would be sick in bed having mood swings and a craving for food." Agapi cheerfully told Starlight.
Starlight took a moment to process what he said and gives him a puzzled look. "Wait, what? Why would I be sick in bed craving food if I were Pinkie...?"
"Because you would have a bun in the oven!" Agapi said jumping side to side.
Starlight's eyes widened. Was Agapi saying what she thought he was saying?! "P-Pardon me? Are you saying... Are you telling me that I’d be... pregnant?!?!"
"Thhhhats right! and with a little cheesy pie." Agapi slightly joked to himself.
Starlight's expression was a mixture of shock, disbelief, and slight panic. "W-Wait, wait, wait! W-Who would even b-be the father?!?!"
"Eh, somepony named Cheese Sandwich" Agapi simply said.
Starlight felt her eye twitching a bit. After the realization of what the Alicorn was saying sank in, she just facepalmed and groaned. "Ugh... that... of course that's Pinkie's future. That makes so much sense... and her kid will probably be some sort of party-obsessed goofball just like her!"
Agapi looked up at the school. Maybe this has the book he needs, or maybe one better? "Unrelated, but dose this school have a library."
Starlight was a little caught off guard by the random question, she nodded. "Uhh... yeah, we have a library. Why do you ask?"
Agapi runs inside the school, straight to the library, Starlight tried to follow him but soon he ran past her again, this time leaving the building. "Thank you!!! I'll return this book later!!!"
Starlight just gaped, only able to studder out a few words “H-Hey! W-Wait-”
But it was too late as Agapi ran, then flew, far away, as Starlight went to the library to see what book he stole, Agapi returned to his grotto with ‘How to use magic. A book for foals’ and sat down on the grass, opening the book as he begins to read.
Once he read it he sat it down and walked a few steps away. “Here goes nothing.” he pointed his horn at the book, and with a deep breath focused his magic. The book shook. Then rose, then fell. “I… I DID SOMETHING!!!” he continued to practise, trying to lift the book over and over again, until finally he was able to keep it above him for two to three minutes.
He soon put the book down and used multiple simple spells, finally sending out magic away from him. He went to write down a copy of the mirror spell, but his ink ran out halfway through. “I could always get more tomorrow.” He looked up at the night sky, man today had been long, but now it was time to sleep. As he tucked himself under a small water fall in his grotto hiding a small room, he layed down in a sleeping bag and fell asleep. If only he knew what was in store for him tomorrow.
Somepony he will hate the most (Cadance)
Author's Note
I was going to finish this story on the 14th, but ended up finishing on the 15th (it's the 15th RN where I live)
Somepony he will hate the most (Cadance)
Agapi wakes up and wiggling out of his sleeping bag like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. He emerges from his cave and out of his grotto to the shops to buy some ink.
Landing in front of the shops he entered, went to where the ink was sold…. And it was sold out. “Wait what? Where all the ink!”
The old stallion at the counter piped up. “There be no ink around here to Canterlot till tomorrow”
“Tomorrow?!” Agapi wined to himself, did he really have to wait till tomorrow?
He sighed to himself and started to walk back to his grotto. But then he got an idea, why not go to the crystal empire, after all he hasn’t heard anything about it since sombra originally took over, and wondered how it changed, and quickly he rushed to the train station, bought a ticket and waited.
Once the train arrived he hoped on, unaware of Twilight entering the train, and sat down on the seat as the train started to move.
While sitting Agapi hummed to himself, when suddenly somepony blurted out, "Agapi?"
Agapi turned his head, it was Twilight, Agapi simply waved at Twilight and continued to hum.
"What are you doing here?" She said not expected to see him so soon after the events a few weeks ago.
"Oh, just going to the crystal empire to buy ink." Agapi explained to Twilight.
Twilight was somewhat sceptical. "Ink, you’re going all the way to the crystal empire just for ink?"
"I know right?," Agapi complained. "I was originally going to get some in Ponyvill, buuuut from there to Canterlot, all the ink was sold out."
Twilight listened to Agapi's explanation, still a bit unconvinced, she tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but she remained cautious. "Hmm, I find it hard to believe that all the ink in both Ponyville and Canterlot would be sold out. Are you sure that's the only reason you're going all the way to the crystal empire for ink?"
"Well, I do also want to see how the Crystal Empire has changed while I've been gone." Agapi admitted.
"I see," -Twilight said, her eyes widening slightly as she tried to keep her voice neutral- "So you're just visiting the crystal empire because you wanted to see how it has changed? Nothing more?"
"Nope, nothing more." Agapi nodded.
"Alright, Agapi," -Twilight said, her voice a bit cautious- "I suppose I'll take your word for it. Just make sure you don't cause any more mischief while you're there."
"Oh look, were reaching the station right now" Agapi went to the window, his wings fluttered.
The moment the train stops, Agapi imminently rushes out of the train to explore the crystal empire.
Meanwhile, Cadance Paces left and right thought her throne room before she froze in her steps as she recalled a very awkward scene.
A few weeks ago, randomly a love arrow had flown around the castle, specifically chasing one of the royal guards, after it had hit him, he ended up going missing for a few minutes, that was until she walked in on them and Twilight.
More thoughts of that day rushed towards her. She remembered her expression, she remembered how her face became red, she remembered Twilight's stammering, The sound of Twilight's stammering echoed in one ear, while the other heard Flash's attempts to explain himself. Cadance tried putting one hoof over her eyes to stop the memories, but they refused to stop. She recalled Twilight's failed attempts to explain, and her own stammering as she stumbled back and slammed the door behind her.
But, at the end of the day, she was the princess of love and did want them to be together, she just wished Twilight would let her know she was here before, well that, and Cadance didn't blame them. what she did blame was that love arrow.
Cadance's eye twitched as she thought about the very arrow that started all this. She wanted to find the pony responsible for making that arrow, she each hoof as she thought of different ways to punish the pony. The worst that came to mind was forcing them to listen to Shining Armor singing for a day straight, she shivered at the thought. She wasn't even sure a pony could survive 24 hours of him singing off key. However, that thought was cut short by the sound of hooves clopping in the hallway.
Twilight opens the door and enters the room.
Cadance straightened up and warmly smiled at Twilight. "Twilight! Thank you for coming by. It's so nice to see you again."
Twilight smiled and warmly replied "It's nice to see you too, Cadance, I admit, I was feeling a bit nervous about coming here, considering the last time we met."
Cadance chuckled, "It's perfectly alright. It's not like it's that big of a deal anymore."
Twilight nodded, but still felt a bit embarrassed about the incident. "Right, it's in the past now, So, what did you call me here for?"
"There's something I'd like to discuss with you. Come, just follow me." Cadance said, motioning for Twilight to following her.
Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Alright, lead the way."
Cadance led Twilight into a small room connected to the throne room. The room itself was very simply designed. There was a small window on the North wall while across from the door there was a small table and 2 chairs. "Please, sit down."
Twilight was puzzled by the sudden change of setting but trusted Cadance's judgment. She took a seat at the small table opposite Cadance.
After some silence, Cadance spoke, "I'm sure I don't have to mention what happened between you and Flash."
Twilight felt a pang of discomfort, she knew it was bound to come up sooner or later, but it still felt awkward to talk about it. "No, you don't have to mention it, What about it?"
"I don't suppose you have an idea as to who shot the love arrow?" Cadance asked, leaning over the table.
Twilight knew exactly who shot the love arrow, but revealing the truth would mean having to explain the whole messy situation. And she really wasn't in the mood to go through all of that again. "No, I don't know who shot the love arrow, why do you ask?"
Cadance looked out the window* "I was thinking about whoever shot that arrow. You see, anyone who meddles in love, especially using something as chaotic and dangerous as that arrow, needs some discipline." she smiled
"I see," Twilight said, still trying to keep her composure. "And what do you plan on doing once you find the pony responsible?"
Cadance turned her gaze back at Twilight, "You should know me by now. I'd have to punish them... somehow. Probably have them listen to Shining Armor sing non-stop for a week."
Twilight couldn't help but let out a small, nervous laugh at Cadance's suggestion. "That sounds like quite a punishment, but don't you think it might be a bit extreme?"
"I don't think so, not at all. They messed around with something as delicate as love. In my opinion they are getting off easy if it's just a day of my husband's awful singing." Cadance said, her voice being one of malice yet calm.
"I suppose you're right," Twilight conceded. "A day of Shining Armor's singing might actually be a suitable punishment for such a transgression. But how do you plan to find out who shot the arrow in the first place?"
Cadance leaned back in her chair "Well, that's the question isn't it? Considering how random its effects are, I might be easier to wait until someone comes forward." But she was still unsure if Twilight told the truth, "Are you sure you have no idea about who shot the arrow?"
Twilight fidgeted in her seat "No, I'm afraid I don't have any idea," Twilight lied, trying to keep her expression neutral. "Like you said, the effects of the love arrow were quite random. It's hard to narrow down the suspect list."
Cadance’s eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't happen to be keeping anything from me, would you Twilight?"
Twilight felt a pang of guilt as she heard Cadance's question. She knew she was hiding the truth, but she felt like she had no choice. She couldn't reveal something that big without causing more trouble than it was worth. "O-of course not, why would I be keeping anything from you?"
Cadance raised an eyebrow. "Twilight, you do realize I'm not naive, right? I would know if you were lying."
Twilight felt her heart sink, she knew that trying to deceive Cadance wasn't a smart choice, but she felt like she didn't have any other options and swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. "You... you know I would never intentionally keep something from you, Cadance, I swear, I don't know who shot the love arrow. I'm just as clueless as you are."
Cadance kept staring at Twilight, analysing every move she made, every shift, every twitch of her eyes. She wanted to believe Twilight, but the way she was acting suggested otherwise. "Twilight, if you really don't know, then you shouldn't be so nervous when I ask you about it, now should you?"
Twilight fumbled over her words, struggling to come up with a believable response. "I...I just... it's a sensitive topic, that's all"
"Why would it being a 'sensitive topic' affect you? Unless..." Cadance stopped her sentence and paused and carefully studied Twilight. She was definitely hiding something, but the question was what. She then chose a different path for questioning. "Twilight, if I may ask, have you ever been hit by a love arrow?"
Twilight's heart sank and she hesitated for a moment, trying to think of a way to evade the question, but she knew it was pointless. Finally, she hung her head and quietly spoke "...Yes."
Cadance's eyes widened and a small smirk appeared on her face. "Really? And you said you didn't know who shot the arrow?"
Twilight felt a stab of guilt She was trapped now, and there was no way to avoid the truth. She took a deep breath and looked up at Cadance. "Yes, I was hit by the love arrow, and I do know who shot it."
Cadance's smirk increased in size. "Oh? And do you mind telling me who it was that hit you with that arrow?"
Twilight felt her heart pound in her chest as she was finally forced to reveal the truth about what happened. She knew that this information would probably lead to further problems and questions, but she had no choice now but to come clean. "It was... It was Agapi."
Cadance's smirk disappeared, replaced with one of confused. "Who... what? I've never heard the name 'Agapi' before. Who is that?"
Twilight took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to explain the whole situation to Cadance. "Agapi... he's an alicorn. A very ancient one. I accidentally released him from his stone prison, and... well, he wasn't exactly the most stable individual. He thought that the world needed more love and that everyone should be paired with their 'soulmates.' And... he shot me with the love arrow."
Cadance immediately caught the hint of something being hidden, "That can't be the whole story. I can tell the way you're talking that you're leaving some details out. There's more to it than just you freeing him and him shooting an arrow at you."
Twilight took a deep breath, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what to say. Part of her wanted to keep the rest to herself, but she knew that would likely just make things worse. "Alright, there's more to it, a lot more, actually..."
Twilight started her long, LONG, rambling, "Agapi... He's an ancient alicorn. He... he lived during Celestia and Luna's apprenticeship under Starswirl. But his... his philosophy was a bit problematic, to say the least. He believed that every pony deserved love. No exceptions. And he thought that it was his duty to spread love to everypony in the world. But after failing... well, they went a bit crazy, to say the least. Agapi's attempt to get the old Sombra the 'perfect' soulmate went wrong. The arrow never struck true. And his desperation caused him to shoot more and more love arrows. It started off small, with some ponies inadvertently falling in love with one another and over time, Agapi grew more and more erratic and careless, until they were shooting arrows left and right without a care for consent or consequences. In the end, Starswirl was forced to turn him to stone and lock him away in his old grotto. A great wall was built in front of the grotto to keep others from finding it, with the intention of keeping Agapi sealed away for eternity."
Cadance was absolutely stunned and couldn't believe what she just heard. She knew everypony had their own unique philosophies when it came to love, but to go so far as to force love on everypony like this... however, there was one detail that stuck out to Cadance as she remembered something Twilight had said earlier, "Wait a moment, did you say you accidentally freed him earlier?"
Twilight felt guilty once more as she spoke, "Yes, I did, I didn't mean for it to happen, it was purely accidental. I found his grotto in Canterlot and... well, I accidentally set him free."
Cadance's expression became sterner than it was before. "You accidentally set an ancient, volatile, and potentially dangerous alicorn free? Why in the world did you stumble on his grotto in the first place?"
Twilight shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of Cadance's questions. "Well, I was... I was exploring Canterlot, and I stumbled upon a strange flower. I was curious about it, and it led me to the grotto."
Cadance sighed and rubbed the temple of her head with her hoof. "You, one of the smartest ponies AND ruler of Equestria, decided to follow a random flower?"
Twilight felt a small surge of irritation, she knew it sounded ridiculous now that she was saying it aloud. "Look, I know it sounds stupid, okay? But I was intrigued by the flower, and I thought it might lead to something interesting. I didn't think it would lead me straight to Agapi's grotto!"
"And how exactly did you accidentally set him free? Did you just trip on your way in and break the statue?" Cadance said with a whole lot of sarcasm.
Twilight glared at Cadance as she spoke with sarcasm. She knew how ridiculous the whole situation sounded now that she was recalling it. "No, I didn't trip and break the statue, I accidentally cast a spell that shattered the statue and freed him. Satisfied?"
Cadance let out an annoyed sigh, "So, let me get this straight. You somehow stumbled upon Agapi's grotto, and the first thing you did was set him free. And by accident! I swear, Twilight, sometimes you make me question how you even got so far in the first place!"
Twilight bristled at Cadance's comment. She knew she had made a mistake, but she didn't need it rubbed in her face like this. "Look, I know I made a mistake, okay? I know it was stupid to follow that flower and accidentally free Agapi! But it happened, and there's nothing I can do to change it now!"
Cadance took a deep breath before responding. "What about Agapi? If you freed him, then where is he now? If he's as unstable as you make him out to be, then he's likely a threat, is he not?"
Twilight let out a sigh, feeling a mix of guilt and frustration. She knew that Agapi's current whereabouts but was not sure how Cadance would react to it. "Agapi... well, he's currently here in the Crystal Empire. And he's... he's actually been somewhat sane-Ish lately. Since I broke his bow, he can't shoot any more love arrows."
Cadance's eye twitched, she was shocked. "I'm sorry, HE'S HERE!? IN MY CRYSTAL EMPIRE!?"
Twilight winced at Cadance's outburst. She knew that this part was going to be the most difficult to explain to her but tried anyways. "Yes, he is. But please, don't panic! He's not a threat anymore now that his bow is gone. And he's been... well, surprisingly cooperative. He's even waiting in line to buy some ink right now as we speak."
Cadance's eye twitched harder than before. "Cooperative? You're saying a potentially dangerous alicorn that's obsessed with love is being cooperative? How stupid do you think I am, Twilight? How do you know he's not plotting something right as we speak!?"
Meanwhile, Agapi was still in line, bopping side to side as he waits for the line to move some more, by now the line had moved to where he was now in the doorway.
Back With Cadance and Twilight, her irritation flared up at Cadance's accusations. She understood her concerns, but she felt that she was just being unfair now. "Look, I understand your concern, Cadance! But Agapi has been cooperating since I broke his bow. And he's not plotting anything! Believe me, I've been keeping an eye on him. He's just... been acting surprisingly normal, all things considered."
Cadance took yet another deep breath before responding in a ‘calmer’ tone. "Twilight, I'm having a hard time believing that Agapi, a pony obsessed with love, an alicorn who shot random ponies with love arrows for practically no reason, and one who was turned to stone for who knows how long, is suddenly being cooperative... and buying INK! That pony you said is cooperating with you and just standing in line to buy INK at the moment sounds like he should be locked up in a padded room!"
Twilight ran a hoof through her mane in frustration and continued. "I know it sounds crazy, okay? I understand where you're coming from. But Agapi has been different since I broke his bow. He hasn't tried a thing. He's even been civil. He's not a threat anymore."
Cadance let out a deep, long sigh. "I have to meet this Agapi. I need to see for myself how this pony is behaving right now."
Twilight let out a sigh, knowing that Cadance wasn't going to take no for an answer and reluctantly nodded. "Very well, I'll bring you to him. Just... please, keep an open mind, okay? He's not what you expect."
Cadance stood up and began walking out with a huff. "Well then, lead the way, Twilight."
Twilight Stood up and took a deep breath to steel herself for what was about to come. She knew that Cadance was being difficult, but she hoped that once she saw Agapi for herself, she would see that he wasn't a threat, at least not at the moment.
Meanwhile, once more, Agapi had finally gotten his hoofs on ink and went to the desk, “How much will this ink be fine sir?”
“50 Bits” The casher simply said in hope to make the line go faster.
Agapi pulled out a sack, opened up the bag and used magic to pull out 50 bits, but as he did, Agapi saw a poster of a pink, alicorn wearing a crown. “Hay, who’s that behind you?”
The casher was confused at first, till Agapi pointed at the poster. “Oh her, That’s just Princess Cadance, the Alicorn of love and the Princess of the crystal empire.”
Agapi stared at the casher with emotionless, dead eyes. “WHERE DOSE SHE LIVE?”
The casher pointed towards the castle and in an instant, Agapi with the ink and 50 less bits, rushed to the castle.
The moment Twilight and Cadance got to the throne room, Agapi slammed the doors open.
"Agapi?" Twilight said, surprised as she raised an eyebrow at the unexpected interruption. She hadn't expected him to show up here, and especially to make such a dramatic entrance.
However, Agapi ignored her, and Twilight watched in shock as Agapi dashed towards Cadance. This situation was fast becoming more and more unnerving. Cadance was also surprised by the sudden intrusion and took a step back as Agapi dashed towards her.
Agapi went up to Cadance’s face and spoke in a fast voice of anger and malice, "NOWLISTENHERE! YOUTHINKYOUCANCOMEINWHILEIMGONE, TAKEMYPLACE, MYJOB, MYLIFE. EVERYTHING! IFYOUTHINKTHATYOUDIRTYLITTLEIMPOSTERTHENYOUGOTANOTHERTHINGCOMING!!!"
Cadance, caught off guard, stumbled backward another step as Agapi continued his rant. "Who do you think you are calling me an 'imposter'?!"
Agapi yells at Cadance more and more, "YOUTAKEMYPLACE, MYJOBANDMYTITTLEWHILEIWASSTONE, THATHASGOTTOBEONEOFIFNOTTHELOWESTTHINGSAPONYCOULDDOYOULITTLE-"
"Woah, woah, woah!" -Twilight Interrupted, stepping between them- "Both of you, calm down!"
Cadance, confused, turned to Twilight. "Twilight, could you possibly explain to me what the heck is going on here?"
Twilight cast a glance at Agapi, who was still fuming, before turning her attention to Cadance. "Well, it's kind of a long story... but basically, Agapi has been going around spreading love to various ponies lately. Apparently, he's unhappy with you being the Princess of Love."
Cadance's eyes widened in surprise and confusion. "Agapi is unhappy with me being the princess of love? Why? He has no idea what my job entails, how can he make a judgment on that?" -Cadance leaned in and whispered to Twilight- "Also, I thought you said Agapi was a HE."
Twilight hesitated for a moment before she whispered back, "Um, about that... It's a... complicated situation. You see, Agapi was born with... some physical abnormalities. He has... well, the snout of a mare, instead of a stallion."
Cadance was shocked for a bit, but quickly composed herself "I see... That does add a bit of complexity to the situation. However, that still doesn't explain why he feels the need to challenge my position as princess of love."
Twilight shook her head, feeling the situation was only getting more complicated by the minute. "I think it's because he feels that he's responsible for spreading love and bringing ponies together. And he believes that it's his duty to do so, and no pony else's. That's probably why he's so upset. He thinks you're just another pony trying to steal his job."
Cadance's annoyance rose again as she stared at Agapi for a few seconds before responding to Twilight. "So, let me get this straight. This alicorn, this strange and obviously unhinged pony, believes it's his DUTY to spread love, despite the fact that he's clearly quite unstable and has caused chaos before by shooting random ponies with love arrows? And he thinks that I'M the one who shouldn't be doing MY job?"
Agapi’s anger grew and grew as he erupted in anger, "Your job? YOU THINK ITS YOUR JOB? I'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE BEFORE YOU GRANDPARENTS WERE EVEN BORN, I GIVE PONIES THEIR SOULMATE, AND WHAT DO YOU DO, JUST SHIP PONIES WILLY NILLY?"
Cadance's annoyance turned into anger as she took a few steps closer to Agapi, her expression stern and her voice firm. "Listen here, you pompous, self-righteous alicorn! You think you're the only one here who knows about love? You think you're the only one who can bring ponies together? Well, let me tell you something, pal. I'm the Princess of Love, and I've been doing a damn good job at it, thank you very much!"
Agapi, in a fit of rage, teased her. "I doubt that I doubt you know who the perfect fit for most ponies are!"
"Oh, REALLY?” -Cadance yelled as she stomped her hoof- “And what gives you the right to say that? You claim to know what's best for every pony out there, do you? You think you're some sort of all-knowing, love expert just because you've been around for a long time? Newsflash, pal, just because you're old doesn't mean you have it all figured out! I, as the Princess of Love, ACTUALLY know what's best for ponies!"
"Well then” -Agapi raised a hoof to the side of his head- “tell me, who is the best partner for Applejack?"
Cadance paused for a moment, taken aback from Agapi's sudden question. However, she quickly recovered and responded with confidence in her voice. "That's an easy question. The best partner for Applejack? It's Rainbow Dash, of course."
Agapi slowly claps his hoofs, "Yes, a simple easy one to answer we both agree on, now to move on, who is Pinkie Pies best match?"
Cadance chuckled, feeling confident as she replied. "Oh, and that once is obvious too. The best match for Pinkie Pie is Cheese Sandwich."
Agapi clapped once more, a little faster, "Correct again, both of them are almost the same pony, now to diverge from some of the ponies you know almost everything about, who is the best partner for Lyra?"
Cadance frowned slightly as she thought about Agapi's next question. "Lyra's ideal match... hmm... that's a tough one. Let me see... I think it's... Bonbon!"
Agapi Nods and claps faster, yet also starts sweating, "Well that one is obvious, just being near them shows that they are already in love with each other. now for a bit of a trick one, now mind you this next one is still a filly so, name one or more ponies Sweetie Belle might be good with..."
Cadance raised a brow and pondered "Well, considering Sweetie Belle is a filly still, it's a bit early to talk about her future partner. But if I had to make an educated guess, I'd say she would have good chemistry with someone like... Apple Bloom, or maybe even Button Mash."
Agapi claps faster as he starts to panic, sweating more. "Y-ya... Those two are two of three ponies that are quite g-g-good with sweetie belle, another one would b-b-be Scootaloo..." Agapi had to think of something quick, if not he might be evenly matched, and in a panic he yelled, "W-Who’s YOUR SOULMATE!" He didn’t think Cadance would be able to answer, to fall into a sad mope like he has… but…
"My soulmate? That's a rather personal question, don't you think? But if you MUST know... My soulmate is Shining Armor, my husband."
Agapi was crushed.. She had a soulmate… she had something he didn’t… he was scared. And with tears in his eyes he ran off.
Cadance watched in shock and confusion. "Twilight, what in the world just happened?!"
Twilight was stunned, but Cadance snaped her back to reality "I... I'm not entirely sure. But it seems like Agapi was taken aback by the idea that you, Cadance, already have a soulmate..."
Cadance pondered this for a moment before letting out a sigh. "So, you're saying that Agapi is unhappy with my position as princess of love because he believes it's his job, and he's bothered by the fact that I have found my soulmate? It seems like this alicorn has some serious issues."
Twilight nodded in agreement, "Yes, exactly. It seems like he's got some major insecurities and a serious case of jealousy. He can't handle the fact that you've found your soulmate and have been doing a good job as the Princess of Love, so he's lashing out and trying to undermine your position."
Cadance scoffed and shook her head. "Unbelievable, this alicorn has issues, and I mean MAJOR issues. He gets upset because I have a soulmate and I'm doing a good job at my job? I can't believe he thinks he can storm in here and act as if he knows better than me."
Twilight agreed with Cadance, "It's not just that he's upset that you have a soulmate and are doing a good job. He's also angry that you have a 'title' that he believes is his, even though he's failed in the past. His jealousy and arrogance have blinded him to the fact that he's overstepping his bounds and disrespecting you and your position."
Cadance gets even more annoyed, "Not only is this alicorn a pain in the flank, but he's also disrespectful and entitled. You said he hasn't been the same since you broke his bow, right? What exactly has he been doing since then?"
Twilight thought for a second, before speaking "Well, ever since I broke his bow, he's been running around town, not knowing what to do with himself, simply waiting and waiting, walking aimlessly"
Cadance raised an eyebrow and replied sarcastically. "So, let me get this straight. Since you broke his bow, he's essentially been doing nothing useful? He's been aimlessly wandering around town, doing who knows what, and moping about the fact that he can't shoot love arrows left and right anymore? What a waste of an alicorn."
Twilight sighed, feeling a mix of frustration, and yet a bit of pity for Agapi. "Yes, that's exactly it. He's been completely lost and unproductive. It's as if he's lost his purpose in life now that he can't fire love arrows anymore."
Cadance rolled her eyes. "Typical. This alicorn is a mess. Completely useless without his bow. I wonder what he's even doing right now, probably just sulking in some corner or wandering around aimlessly again..."
Agapi Sat on the train as it reached its next stop, Ponyville, he stepped off the train and started walking to Canterlot.
Twilight couldn't help but agree with Cadance's assessment. Agapi's behavior was becoming quite predictable. "You're probably right. He's likely just wandering around and feeling sorry for himself. He doesn't seem to know what to do with himself now that he can't shoot love arrows anymore. It's almost pathetic, really."
Agapi went past the Castle to his Grotto and entered.
Cadance huffed, "Pathetic is an understatement. This alicorn is a joke. A complete and utter waste of space. And he thinks he can just march in here and tell me I'm not worthy of being the Princess of Love? The nerve of that pony... Oh, I've had it with him."
Twilight could sense Cadance's frustration and anger rising. And frankly, she couldn't blame her. However, she felt the need to intervene before things escalated further. "I understand how you're feeling, Cadance, but we can't let our emotions get the better of us. Getting angry won't solve anything and might only make matters worse."
Cadance let out a frustrated sigh. "Of course, you're right, Twilight. I need to keep my composure, even though I want nothing more at the moment than to give that arrogant alicorn a piece of my mind. However, there's still the matter of what to do with him. He can't just wander around aimlessly forever, causing trouble and being a nuisance."
Once more, Twilight nodded, "You're right, we do need to figure out what to do with him. But we also need to be careful about how we handle him. He's clearly unstable and unpredictable, and we don't want to make things worse."
"Agreed.” Cadance angerly said. “We can't afford to take any chances with him. We need to keep an eye on him at all times and make sure he doesn't cause any further disruptions. But how exactly do we deal with someone like that? He's not just going to listen to us and do whatever we say. He's stubborn and entitled."
Twilight thought for a moment, considering their options. How were they going to handle him without making things worse? "You're right, he won't listen to us easily, that's clear. We need to find a way to... pacify him, so to speak. Maybe if we give him something else to focus on, something that doesn't involve shooting love arrows, he'll be more manageable."
Cadance thought for a moment to consider Twilight's suggestion. "That's not a bad idea. If you can give him something else to focus on, something productive, he might become less of a nuisance. But the question is, what could you even offer him that would be appealing and meaningful enough to capture his attention and keep him busy?"
Twilight paused, giving him something else to do was easy said than done, but finding something that would keep Agapi occupied and satisfied was a whole other matter. She knew he had a passion for spreading love and ‘matching’ ponies, but that wasn't possible anymore. So what could they offer him that would capture his attention and give him a sense of purpose? She thought for a few moments but came up empty. "I... I'm not entirely sure, I don't know what could keep him occupied and content."
"Exactly, " Cadance huffed, "that's the problem. This pony is unpredictable, and we have no idea what kind of things he would be interested in. It's not like we can just hand him a hobby and expect him to suddenly turn into a model citizen."
"What if I go to his grotto, alone, and talk to him one-on-one? " Twilight asked, "Maybe I can find out what he's passionate about and figure out what would keep him occupied."
Cadance for a moment considered the Idea, "That's not a bad idea, Twilight. Talking to him one-on-one may give you some insight into his thoughts and interests. But be careful, he's unpredictable and emotionally unstable. I don't want you getting hurt."
At this point, Twilight kind of understood that Agapi wasn’t a threat, "I'll be careful, I promise. I know he can be unpredictable and emotionally unstable, but I think I can handle myself. Plus, if he's away from you, there's a better chance that he won't be as hostile or aggressive."
Cadance softened her expression, "I know you're capable, Twilight, but this is a big risk. You're right, though; if he's away from me, he might be less hostile. Just... please be careful, okay? If he does anything, don't hesitate to call for backup."
Twilight nodded reassuringly. She appreciated Cadance's concern, but she knew she had to do this. "I will be careful, don't worry. I'll try to keep a level head and handle things delicately. And I won't hesitate to call for backup if things get out of control." Slowly she stepped out the castle, ready to confront Agapi.
Agapi meanwhile placed his notebook down on his statue base and started to write down the rest of the mirror spell, until finally he was done, closing the book he decided to throw a few things before he cast the spell, he looked to his mirror, his horn glowing a pink color “I’ll prove that I’m helpful, I’ll prove to them I am the alicorn of love.”
But before Agapi could do anything, Twilight walked in, "Agapi?"
Agapi slightly jumped, quickly turning around "Twilight! I didn't expect you to come here."
Agapi, I'm sorry for startling you," Twilight said gently, her voice echoing slightly in the enclosed space. "I came to check on you because I was concerned about what happened earlier with Cadance. You seemed really upset and ran off before we could talk about it properly."
"Oh let me guess, you going to get up me for how I acted" Agapi muttered to himself just loud enough for Twilight to hear.
Twilight took a step closer, "No, Agapi, I'm not here to scold you or get up you for your actions. I know you have a good heart, even if sometimes your methods might be... unorthodox. But come on, did you really have to snap at somepony you've barely even met?"
"Why yes, yes I did, She’s the so called 'princess of love' when I bet, she doesn't know anything about love..." Agapi said, continuing to deny the truth.
Twilight sighed softly, shaking her head. "Agapi, I understand your frustration but accusing somepony so harshly and aggressively isn't the right way to handle this. Cadance is a kind and caring mare, deeply devoted to her role as ruler and protector of the Crystal Empire. She has a deep understanding of love, even if it manifests differently than your own."
"You don't know how I feel, you don't know what I feel like... You don't know how useless I am without my bow..." Agapi says, his voice getting dimmer and dimmer.
Twilight's expression hardened, she was trying to be nice, but Agapi was acting like a child. Twilight stepped closer to Agapi, her eyes narrowing. "Stop that right now, Agapi! I won't tolerate you throwing a pity party and lashing out at others because of your circumstances. You need to do something else besides self-pity every day."
Agapi angerly looked away "Like what?" he said sarcastically.
Twilight's eyes flashed with determination. "Fine, If you won't look for something else to do, I'll make you... umm..." Twilight's eyes darted around, soon landing on the trashcan, mostly just recyclables in it, including a speed dating pan flip ripped into shreds. She marched over, plucked it out, and held it up triumphantly. "Agapi, starting next week you’re going to be going on a speed date every night."
Agapi turned, completely angered by the idea "WHAT? NO!"
Twilight stamped her hoof down firmly. "Yes, Agapi. You heard me correctly. I know you feel like others deserve love before you, but maybe you'll find your special somepony."
"No, you can't make me!" Agapi yelled, acting like a child.
Twilight's eyes flashed with stern authority as she leaned in close to Agapi. "I can and I will, Agapi. I am the ruler of Equestria now, and I won't have anypony, not even you, throwing tantrums and disrupting the harmony. You WILL attend these speed dating events until you find a connection, and maybe then you'll understand the true meaning of love and companionship, and I'll be keeping contact with the staff, if you don't show up even for one night, I will send you to Tartarus and make you go every night."
Agapi froze, shivering.
Twilight's softened slightly, as she turned away. "I don't want to send you to Tartarus, Agapi. I want to help you find your purpose and happiness, like I've helped so many others. But you need to trust me and have faith that love will find you when the time is right." once Twilight was done, she walked away.
Agapi huffed to himself, “It just had to be Friday, why did next week have to be two days away?” he turns to the mirror, feeling drained. “I’ve think I’m mentally too tired to cast this spell today…” Agapi trots under a small water fall in his grotto, into his room and laying down on his sleeping bag, not even having enough energy to tuck himself in and falling asleep for the rest of the day.
