Canterlot quickly repaired and recovered after the invasion. Clean up took only two weeks to remove the last of that nasty goop and cocoons from the changelings. Speaking of, Chrysalis’s statue prison was placed in the Canterlot gardens as the centerpiece of a butterfly habitat. Princess Celestia had a funny sense of humor. Today the day of the wedding and it was going as originally planned. "Are you com’in Twi? Wedding’s starting and the train is gonna take us home after the bride and groom ride off." Applejack asked, calling from the other side of my guest room door.

"Yeah, I'll actually catch tomorrows train to Ponyville. I wanna… spend a little more time in Canterlot." I said as I buried my face back into the book I was reading. I kept trying to find something on that weapon Huxley had, or if there was something on how he opened the vault since only a ‘Celestial being’ could open the vault. Or somebody who knew the trick. I asked Celestia and she didn't know of him or how he opened the vault door. All Cadence could tell was that he found her in the caves and healed her injuries with some strange magic with his weapon.

"My student is something the matter?" Celestia asked, entering my room. I didn’t even hear the door open.

"It’s nothing. I'm just trying to find out what that 'key-sword' was, but I can't find it anywhere. No magical weapons in any of these books have anything close except special skeleton keys, but that’s not even close." I said as I looked over to see Celestia looking at me. Pondering the subject.

"You were never good at lying Twilight." Celestia said as she put her hand on my shoulder. "Especially to me. So what’s really going on?"

"Okay, it’s Chrysalis’s plan, It’s got me thinking..." I said, worried.

"About what Twilight?" Celestia asked.

"Well... could it have worked? Spiting my friends up by playing innocent around them and showing her true nature around me?" I asked as Celestia thought about it for a good minute. That always scares me when she has to think on a question of mine.

"I honestly don't know." She replies. That made me hang my head down. "Did you have proof?"

"What?" I asked, looking back up at her.

"Did you have proof other then your word that she was evil?" Celestia asked.

"N… No.”

"Well her facade was too good. We all were tricked, even me. If it wasn't for Huxley we may have never have found her out till she wanted us to." She said as I stared at her for a good minute, trying to come up with with a response, but I was speechless. "Don't worry about it Twilight now I believe you have a wedding to attend then a train to catch." She said as I got up and ran towards my room to grab my bags.

"Spike!" I shouted as I came into our room. "Spike where are you?" I asked as he came up from behind me.

"I'm down here!" He said, laying on the floor reading a comic book.

"Oh, what are you doing on the floor?"

"Reading." He started, looking up at me for less than a second before returning to his comic.

"Well start packing we are taking the next train to Ponyville after the wedding after all." As I said that he looked rather disappointed.

"I thought we were staying here for another night?" He asked.

"I changed my mind, so come on we gotta start packing." I said as I picked up my luggage. "If we hurry we can catch the whole wedding and then be at the train to Ponyville with the others."

“I thought you were gonna try and research more on that keyblade thing that guy had?”

“Yeah, but- Hold on? Keyblade?”

“Key sword sounded kinda lame. Keyblade sounds really awesome though! Don’t ya think?”

“Well yes, it does sound cool, but nothing I’ve read so far comes close to that weapon Huxley had. I mean, he cast spells using magic I’ve never seen before and then opened that dark portal that reeked of evil, but at the same time seemed harmless! The library back home might have something.”

“If you ask me I say we should at least stick around the extra day. Keep an eye on Cadence and maybe Huxley might reappear to check on her as well, might even catch him at the wedding or something.”

Twilight was skeptical, but Spike had a point. Cadence seemed fine, but she was in that cave for a long time, near death. And even though doctors said she would be fine, I’m still worried about her. “Maybe an extra day wouldn’t be so bad. You’re right Spike.” His only reply was a thumbs up.

--

I got up extra early this morning and packed both mine and Spike’s things. I went over to his bed and shook him up. He’s such a deep sleeper. "Spike wake up" I said as he got up, a sleepy haze in his eyes.

"Uhhhh..." He moaned, rubbing his eye with his claw. "What time is it?"

"It’s six AM. Come on we have to catch the early train." I said, walking back to my bed and started making it. I know the staff do this but I never was one for that.

"Twilight just leave it for the staff, lets get some breakfast." I was already done with the bed when he said that.

After breakfast Spike and I said our goodbyes and walked down to the train station. I thought about the events two weeks ago and If Celestia was right about Chrysalis’s plan to separate us. Would it have worked I wouldn’t be here, but my mind quickly went back to that 'key-sword', or keyblade as Spike calls it. What was it? Was it an rare artifact of some kind? An ancient weapon or something else? I was so lost in thought I almost missed the train station.

"Twilight?" Spike said, snapping me out of my thought as he pulled on my dress.

"Hm, yes?" I replied.

"We almost passed the train station. You alright?" He asked as we walked into the Train station.

“I’m fine Spike, just… thinking.” I walked up to the ticket booth. "Two tickets for Ponyville please." I told the salesmen as he looked and Spike and I.

"Your lizard is going to have to be in a cage mam." She said.

"Hey I'm no lizard!" Spike said as the lady looked at him.

“He is a dragon and a legal Equestrian citizen sir!” I snapped. I forgot how racist most of Canterlot was.

"Fine but if people complain your it’s not my problem." She said, handing me two tickets as we went onto the train.

--

The train ride was boring to say the least. I had nobody to talk to since spike was nose deep in his comic books and I was already reading the book I planed to read on the train ride here. When we got to Ponyville we were greeted by Pinkie, Jumping up and down like her usual self. "Hey Twilight!" She said as we got off the train and walked together back into town.

"Pinkie, what are you doing up so early?" She giggled when I asked that.

"Silly Twilight, I'm always up this early! Got to exercise. You don't think I'm naturally this thin with all the sweets I eat?"

"I guess not." We walked back to my Library. All my friends said me living in a library was fitting. Same could be said about their homes.

As we got back inside Pinkie decided to continue her workout inside with Spike and I. We sat down in the kitchen, I’m not much for coffee and Spike is too young so I make us hot chocolate in the mornings. It’s become a morning routine, plus Pinkie will want a little snack.

"Twilight you can't hide your feelings from me." Pinkie said, once Spike was out of the room.

"What?"

"Celestia talked to us yesterday." She explained as I looked at her and her hair deflated. She was being serious when her hair did that. "She told us that you've been worrying about what Queen Chrysalis's plan meant for us." she said in a sad tone as a tear began to form.

"Pinkie… I..."

"No it’s fine I just wanted to tell you that you don’t need to keep it all to yourself." With that, she left. Leaving me stunned and more than a little shook.

"Where did Pinkie go?" Spike asked, running back down stairs.

"Work." I went to my books trying to see if there were any mentions of the 'key-sword' in any of my books, Pinkies words ringing in my head the whole time. A few hours passed before Rainbow Dash flew into my window "Rainbow use the door." I hate how she just flies in through there.

"I'm just here to tell you that the guy in the black cloak from the wedding is in Ponyville."She deadpanned. I dropped my book and ran to the door "Wait egghead you don't know where he is!" Rainbow shouted.

I stopped in my tracks as Rainbow caught up. "Show me." Rainbow grabbed me around the waist and she flew over me showing me where she had seen him.

"I saw him exit one does weird shadow doors over here."

"How long ago was this?"

"A few minutes ago. I flew directly to your house as soon as I saw it." Rainbow said. We asked around to see if anyone else saw him.

As we walked around the park we asking around if anybody saw a man in a black cloak walk around anywhere and the response where 'No',. 'Sorry', 'Please leave us alone' and so on and so forth until we encountered a man that said he the cloaked figure head into the Everfree forest.

We hurried to the Everfree forest where we started looking for Huxley and we asked Zecora as we ran into her hut. "Hey Zecora have you seen a man in a cloak come by here?" I asked as she thought for a second before she shook her head "What's the matter Zecora?" I asked as she coughed and tried to mouth words. "Oh you have a cold and lost your voice." She nodded her head as we headed out. Maybe he was at the old Castle?

Next Chapter: Chapter 4 Getting ready for the Games Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 6 Minutes