"Why do you bother with all of your science stuff anyway?" I asked Twilight, who was messing around with some weird looking machinery. Apparently Watcher had taken the KGBNRB to Canterlot at some point and left it there, so we were going to take the train instead. It took roughly the same amount of time as the KGBNRB, but it cost money to ride and you had to put up with other Ponies (and anyone else riding) that were somehow more annoying than the girls. To be fair, the girls did try to save the world with me, so they were better than everypony/one else in that way.

At least until they were scared away by trees.

Everypony else was either packing, making a dress or having a dress made for them, so Twilight and I were waiting at the library for everypony to finish. Twilight had started tinkering with some stuff in her room and I decided to watch since I didn't really have anything else to do (Spike was packing our stuff).

"Well, with you often reminding me how far magic can go, I think I should focus more on my skills with science," replied Twilight.

"What?"

"I can't ever really be as good as you with magic, but I can beat you when it comes to science!"

"Wait-wait-wait, back up a second. You're giving up on magic?"

"No, I've just realised that I need to widen my skill circles."

"I'm confused, I though I was the one who specialised in circles?" Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Ha ha, very funny."

"Seriously though, I really don't understand what you mean."

"You and Vesper are both amazing at magic, so much more than I could ever be. But I can still be better with science than you can, so-"

"Now I'm even more confused. I thought you liked magic because you found it interesting or whatever, not because you wanted to be the best at it."

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then why does it matter if Vesper and I are better or worse?"

"It doesn't, but-"

"Then why are you doing science-y stuff instead of magic-y stuff?"

"I like being an expert on magic, okay?!" There was a moment of silence. Twilight sighed. "Sorry, I've been stressed recently. What I meant to say was that I like being the local expert on magic. It makes me feel great to use my abilities to help others and it really helped my self confidence. Then you woke up from your coma and you made the most advanced magic in Equestria look easier than hoofwriting."

"To be fair, hoofwriting is pretty damn hard."

"I just... I want to be an expert on something again. And I have always meant to look into magical technology for some time now."

"Fair enough, but you shouldn't stop doing what you like just because other Ponies are better. You've gotta start somewhere."

"I know, and now I'm starting magical technology research and development." At that moment, Spike ran into the room holding a letter.

"Cloud!" He exclaimed. "The Princess's letter's here!" I took it from him with telekinesis and unfurled it.

Cloud Calculation,

Threats have recently been made against Canterlot. My sister and I believe that the ringleader will be using the wedding ceremony in some way and, because of that, they are already present in Canterlot. Your mission is to investigate everypony that is attending and find out who the intruder is before it is too late. How you find out who they are and take them out is completely up to you, just try to be discrete if possible.

Begin as soon as possible,

Princess Celestia.

Interesting. It's likely she assigned Vesper to something else rather than helping me with this to try and be more careful. The wedding suddenly sounds more exciting!

"What does it say?" Asked Twilight. I probably shouldn't tell anypony other than Vesper about this.

"It's nothing," I replied, teleporting into my suitcase, "just something about putting up some wards on the toilets to stop a guard messing with them."

"Why would she send a separate letter for that?"

"It's a complicated spell focused around anti-sandwich magic." Twilight looked confused.

"What?"

"We should see if the others are ready now." I started walking out of the room. Twilight and Spike followed.

We checked on the others and found that they were all ready to go. Rarity told me that Vesper's dress was finished and packed with the rest of her things. Just before we got onto the train, I realised how much of a dick move it would be to leave Watcher in Ponyville, so I picked him up from the hospital (after healing him, of course) and brought him to the train.

We'd been riding for about half an hour and the others had been talking amongst themselves. Vesper had been sitting next to and glaring at me the entire time. My patience finally gave out and I turned to her.

"What?" I asked.

"You made me get a dress," she hissed in reply, the glare still hard as concrete. I rolled my eyes.

"You're still mad about that?"

"Yeah, I'm still mad about that!"

"Why? It probably looks great."

"I like to be naked! Why can't I just be naked?!"

"It's a fancy occasion. Nudity isn't popular with fancy occasions." Vesper groaned. "C'mon, you don't know for sure that it'll be as bad as we're both expecting. Especially not for me..." The glare broke off.

"What?" I teleported the letter into my hooves and motioned for her to take it. She took it and read it before giving it back to me. I teleported it back to my suitcase. "Hmm... An intruder in Canterlot?"

"Yep. While you're keeping an eye on everypony, watch for weird behavior. They've probably used some sort of shapeshifting magic."

"It would take a powerful Unicorn to have a shapeshifting spell good enough to slip past God-Horse. Well, unless they're a Changeling."

"A what?"

"You don't know...?" Her face lit up in realisation. "Oh! You haven't had that... Experience yet. I can't say much or I'll probably cause another paradox, but if this happens like it did for Sky then you shouldn't look up what a Changeling is."

"Why not?"

"Spoilers. Anyway, it's definitely not a Changeling here, almost nopony in Equestria- Tartartus, even Magi should know that much about them yet. At least, not for a good while. Although..." She looked a little concerned. "We already know that this and the other universe aren't that similar other than basic stuff."

"So it could be a Change-thing, but it might not be and I shouldn't check what they are so we don't cause a paradox? Great."

"Don't worry, there's almost no chance of it being a Changeling."

"There isn't anything you can tell me about them?" Vesper chuckled.

"Trust me, even if there was, you wouldn't wanna know." Well, whatever. I should check the Canterlot archives for shapeshifting spells and see if there's any kind of counter spell.

Author's Notes:

Here's a (maybe or maybe not canon) comic:

I might make these a regular thing.