Twilight's morning was not going well, and it had started so nice, too. After all, she was going to see her brother, whom she had not seen in almost two years. Her mother and father would be there, too. Twilight had not seen them in a while, either. Moreover, it was a wedding! Who didn’t love a good wedding, especially if she was the one to help organize it?

Then the first strike came. Applejack had pointed out the force field around Canterlot. ‘Why is there a force field,’ Twilight had thought. Without an answer, Twilight sought out her brother.

“I've got something to say to you, mister,” Twilight practically growled out at her brother. Some of the guards nearby readied themselves at the mare’s hostility, but calmed themselves at their captain’s reaction.

“Twily! Ah, I've missed, you, kid. How was the train ride? I–” Shining Armor said, reaching out for Twilight. He was cut off by his infuriated little sister as she backed away.

“How dare you not tell me in person that you were getting married! I'm your sister, for pony's sake!” Twilight exclaimed.

Shining Armor, now on the defensive, paced around his sister. “It's not my fault! Princess Celestia has requested a major increase in security. Didn't you see all the guards at the train station?”

Twilight glared daggers at her brother, her head sinking low and lips pulled back in a grimace. “Yes, I did see them. How could I not? I have already passed about a tenth of the Royal Guard on my way here! Are they party guests? Then I’m assuming that your force-field is a party decoration?” Twilight paused for a breath, then roared, “WHY WASN’T I TOLD THAT MY HOME CITY WAS UNSAFE!” Shining Armor took a step back out of shock. It is not every day that your little sister can out yell Princess Luna. “And even if whatever danger wasn’t enough to warrant the Elements of Harmony,” she continued, “One would think you would delay your wedding until at least after you averted whatever crisis is at hand. At a minimum, you should have written to let me know!”

“Twilight, please...” Shining Armor pleaded, but his words fell on deaf ears.

“And what about our parents, hmmm? I’m sure they know everything about what’s going on. Why-”

“TWILIGHT! PLEASE! Calm down,” her brother yelled, exasperated. “I have everything under control. We received a vague threat against the city. Princess Celestia decided to increase security as a preventative measure, but there is no danger, yet. In addition, until one shows up, the princesses have decreed that the city will run as usual. Besides, Cadance has everything under control for the wedding.”

“Oh... but still...” Twilight trailed off as she pondered her elder sibling's words. “Cadance? What does my foalsitter have to do with your wedding? I thought you were marrying Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.”

Shining Armor gave a confused look at his younger sibling. “Twilight, you do know that that is her full name, right?” At her confusion, Shining Armor elaborated, “Mi Amore Cadenza is Cadance.” Shining Armor gestured behind Twilight towards an approaching figure. Twilight turned around to find the object of her conversation.

“CADANCE!” Twilight cheered, running towards the face she remembered from her foalhood. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake,” the unicorn recited, going through the motions as she did. To Twilight’s disappointment, however, Cadance did not return the gesture. Instead, the alicorn was fixated on Twilight, her focused eyes seemingly boring a hole through the unicorn. A second later, her eyes unfocused and she gazed off into the distance. Twilight did not miss that.

“Oh, hello, Twilight,” Cadance said, shaking her head as if coming out of a daze. “Sorry, I was distracted. You know how stressful planning a wedding is, right? It’s good to see you,” she said before snuggling up next to her fiancé.

Twilight’s eyes subconsciously narrowed, her mind noticing the difference between someone who was truly distracted and someone who was feigning distraction, like Cadance. However, her subconscious mind decided that the distinction was unimportant, and buried the thought.

And so the day progressed. Twilight, whose mind contained a seed of mistrust, unknowingly started paying closer attention to her soon-to-be sister-in-law. Moreover, as Twilight watched, she saw strange things, little details that were out of place. A detail here, a detail there. And it drove her nuts.

“Ugh... girls...” Twilight sighed. Her head rested on the café table, hoof gently stirring the straw in her drink. “I don’t get it...”

“Heh, there’s a first,” Rainbow Dash joked, “Our resident egg-head doesn’t know something. Now spill it, what don’t you get?”

“It’s Cadance. I just do not know what is going on with her. I just can’t put my hoof on it, but something is wrong.” Twilight looked into her drink while her mind contemplated her problem. At her friends’ insistence, Twilight attempted to put her worries into words. “Well... there is not just one big problem. It’s a bunch of little things, you know? Cadance nearly gagged on AJ’s fritters, then threw the rest away. I have seen her with the strangest of expressions. I feel like she has been watching me all day. Her magic is green, when it was blue before; yes, unicorns can change their magic color. But why? That’s something that takes loads of effort and harms your control.”

“You’re right, darling,” Rarity agreed. “I tried changing my magic to gold once, to compliment a dress I had made. Oh, I just had the most dreadful headache that day. Why, my magic control was so poor that I could barely lift a needle only half an hour after I made the change.”

“Yet she was doing mind spells on my brother.” The ponies around Twilight gave her a strange look. “You can see it in the subject eyes, when they are under the effects of a mind spell. Though I’ve never seen one of her love spells cause the subject’s eyes to roll.” Twilight frowned, thinking ‘Why would Cadance need to cast a love spell on Shining, anyway?’

“Twi, Ah’m not seeing where you’re goin’ with this,” Apple Jack commented.

“That’s the thing, I don’t know where I’m going with this, either...” Twilight admitted. “Hey, Spike, do you remember when I told you about the uncanny valley?”

“Yeah,” Spike replied, “where the more something looks like a pony, the more you like it. However, when something gets too close, you suddenly find it really creepy? Why do you ask?”

“Because compared to my memory of her, Princess Cadance is right in the middle of the uncanny valley.” The lavender unicorn took a sip of her drink. “It feels like she isn’t really Cadance, just pretending she is.”

“-lk Twilight Sparkle.’"

Twilight perked up, raising her head off the table. "Did somepony say my name?" she asked, looking towards the street. A grey pegasus stallion and a grey unicorn filly stood together, looking at Twilight and her friends. Both had brown manes and blue eyes. On the flank of the stallion was a strange object that Twilight could not identify.

The filly let off a small chuckle. “Hehehe, speak of the devil and he shall appear. Or she...”

The stallion asked, “Twilight Sparkle, Element of magic?”

Twilight wondered for a moment who this stallion was. “Yes, that’s me. Can I help you?” she asked. The stallion smiled.

“Hey! That is so cool! You’re a hero!” Nick said with glee, although not for the reasons Twilight suspected. “My name’s Cheat Code, and this is my niece, White Lie. We’re kind of fans of yours,” Nick lied with a smile. He reached out and shook Twilight’s hoof.

“Hey, what about us!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, jumping up from her seat at the table. “We’re the Elements of Harmony. I’m R-”

“RAINBOW DASH! ELEMENT OF LOYALTY!” Klika screamed, interrupting the rainbow-maned pegasus. “You’re all here! Generosity! Kindness! Laughter!” Klika cheered, and then less enthusiastically added, “Honesty.” It did not surprise Nick that Klika would be less energetic about the natural antagonist to the changeling way of life. “Hey, Ms. Sparkle, could you teach me some super awesome spell? Or how to make my magic last longer? Please?”

Twilight, still a little shaken by the sudden and enthusiastic introduction of the two new ponies, had to deny the younger of the two’s request. “I’m sorry, I would love to help, but I don’t have the time to teach you anything. I’m busy trying to help my brother prepare his wedding,.”

“Your brother is Shining Armor, captain of the Royal Guard, right? My brother, Rex, is good friends with Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. And while he could not attend their wedding for personal reasons, he gave his invitation to us so that we may go in his place.” Nick explained, using the story that they had prepared after crossing over into this world.

Klika jumped in, saying, “So we’re gonna see you around the castle! Cool, right?” She gave out a little laugh. “Hey, maybe we’ll even become friends!”

Author's Notes:

*Ding* Have a chapter!

Look! I have a free afternoon! I spent it writing for you!

Hey, who can guess The Plan?

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This chapter takes place at the same time as the last chapter.

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I fear that after the wedding arc, things might just get a little weird. Maybe even violent. Bordering on a Mature rating (gore, not sex). I'll try to keep it teen, but no promises.

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I'm now on twitter! Follow me for information on when I will update @wille179

(edited 12/22/2013)