Complicated Relations

“What’s wrong, dear?” Cadance’s syrupy voice said. The pink alicorn turned away from examining her wedding gown to face her husband-to-be. “Don’t tell me you’re getting nervous.” She smiled as she approached, and nuzzled him comfortingly. “You don’t have to worry. I promise I won’t leave you standing at the altar.”

Certainly, she had no such intention. She had worked too hard to get this far.

Shining Armor didn’t react to her gesture. His eyes were fastidiously examining the floor, while his jaw was working to chew something that wasn’t there. “I... I was just thinking about Twilight.”

Her smile vanished. “Oh.”

That again.

“She’s never acted like that before. She’s a good pony; you know that.” He shook his head. “I don’t think I can go through with this without Twilight there. It’d be wrong.”

The bride-to-be put as much effort as she could into transforming her glower into a look of sympathetic concern. It was getting very tiring. “I told you; If Twilight has the courage to apologise, then I’ll be more than happy to have her at my wedding. So far, though, it seems she refuses to take responsibility for her actions.” She nuzzled him again. “Face it, she doesn’t want to be there. Let’s not let that ruin our special day.”

Again, he shook his head. “This isn’t right.” He flinched as bolts of pain suddenly drilled into his temples.

“Oh, dear!” the alicorn cried, her tone filled with the perfect amount of worry. “Here, let me help.”

Shining Armor’s head whipped back in response to the green aura enveloping it, eyes rolling freely in their sockets.

It took only a moment to wipe the thoughts of his sister from his mind. The pink mare had done it several times already, but, like stubborn weeds, they would regrow almost as quickly as she could pluck them out. It irritated her, though she had to silently admit a certain degree of respect for the stallion’s deep-seated dedication to his family.

“All better?” she sweetly asked when her ministrations were complete.

He smiled at her. “Thank you. You’re the best.” He kissed her.

“I know,” she purred.

There it was. The love. Such an abundance of it that she had long ago lost track of how much she had consumed. She felt strong, fit, alive. And yet, it wasn’t enough.

It was never enough.

She thrust her lips to his, and the flow increased. He was certainly tasty – in more ways than one – and she briefly entertained the thought of devouring him physically as well as emotionally. She laughed silently at herself. There would be plenty of time for indulgences once Canterlot was hers.

At last, she released him.

“Better go put on your uniform. There’s barely an hour left before the ceremony starts. We don’t want to keep everypony waiting.”

“Right,” he replied with a determined smile and a nod.

He moved to leave, slowed down, then stopped altogether. His brows furrowed.

“I’m going to ask if anyone’s seen Twilight. I need to talk to her. I’m sure we can still work things out.”

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

“Shining, come over here,” the winged pony said. It was hard to keep her rage hidden, but she was skilled. Her words almost sounded like a request and not a command. Almost.

“What is it?”

“I know how much stress you’ve been under, and we’re so close to the wedding now. Let me use my healing spell again, just to be sure.” She smiled saccharinely at him. “I wouldn’t want you keeling over during the vows.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “You’ve been helping me so much. I wouldn’t want you to overexert yourself.”

“Don’t worry, I have plenty of energy.” She ran a hoof gently along his face. “Besides, I’d do anything for you. I love you.”

Her horn lit up again, and once more the unicorn’s head was bathed in her manipulative aura.

She hadn’t wanted to do it this way. Altering a mind like this carried its costs. Not only would his behaviour become more uncharacteristic and suspicious, but the dulled consciousness would not produce emotions as efficiently. He would still love her, of course, but it would be just a little bit more diluted, and it would taste just a little bit sour.

Still, it had to be done. She couldn’t have him going off stirring up trouble by looking for that meddling sister of his.

Once thoughts of all mares other than herself had been well and truly purged from him, she allowed him to recover. She planted one more kiss for good measure. “Now, we really are running out of time. Go and get yourself ready.”

Nodding dumbly, the white unicorn turned to leave, and stumbled. She had to catch him to keep him from falling over. Even with her support, it took a few moments for him to find balance. He was acting as if he were drunk – an unfortunate side-effect of the process she had just put him through.

“I’m...” he spoke slowly, and his words slurred. “I’m feeling... dizzy.”

“You’ll be all right,” she assured him. “Just walk slowly. You do remember the way, right?”

“Yes,” he replied, his voice slowly becoming more coherent, “but...”

She gave him a questioning look. “But what?”

“But I still need... I’m going... to go find Twilight...”

The pink mare’s jaw hung limply, threatening to unhinge itself at any moment and drop to the floor at her hooves. Her eyes twitched as she stared incomprehensibly at her husband-to-be.

“How?!” she whispered to herself, her bafflement temporarily drowning out all other conscious thought.

She had just dosed him with more mind-control magic than she had ever applied to any creature. By all rights, he should have been willing to sell his own parents into slavery just to be able to buy her a bowl of ice cream. Yet, somehow, he was still resisting.

Somehow, he was still thinking of Twilight.

She didn’t wait this time.

She didn’t ask.

She didn’t warn.

With a strength utterly unjustified by her supple frame, she slammed the unicorn against the wall, pinning him there like an insect in a collector’s case. Her eyes burned with emerald fury as she hit the struggling pony with an overpowering blast of sickly green magic.

His mouth hung open, a weak wail escaping from somewhere deep in his throat. His face contorted in agony, every muscle pulling the stallion’s once dignified expression into one resembling an anguished foal’s. His struggles soon turned to ineffectual flailing, and finally to an uncontrolled shuddering. Rivulets of tears streamed down both his cheeks.

He was in pain. He was in pain and she was glad. She no longer cared if he ended up a lobotomised husk. He would not defy her again.

She stripped him bare this time, tearing away every bit of consciousness he had, and slathering on layer after layer of her control and influence. His eyes took on a green tint as she became the only thing he was capable of perceiving.

At last, she released him.

She let his body drop to the floor like a sack of potatoes, allowing herself a moment of satisfaction before putting on her practiced countenance of loving care. “Oh, there’s no need to cry, darling,” she cooed as she levitated a cloth to tenderly wipe his face, “I know how emotional this is for you. Your wedding day! The most important day of your life. Don’t worry, it’ll all be over soon. We’ll be married, and you’ll be all mine.”

There was no need for the pretense at this point. She could drop her disguise right there in front of him and he wouldn’t question it – or even notice. But she wanted to get back in the act. She still had a lot of ponies to fool. Luckily, so close to the ceremony, she could use ‘nerves’ as an excuse for any of the stallion’s odd behaviour. They would believe it. These ponies had certainly proven to be very gullible.

All except one – and she wouldn’t be a problem now.

The pink mare smiled, genuinely this time. Despite a few minor complications, everything was still going very well.

This day was going to be perfect.