//------------------------------//
// Thora In My Side : Part 3 
// Story: Cadence Unbridled (Sections 1 & 2) 
// by Flikaline 
//------------------------------//

Thora In My Side : Part 3

She was there. Just standing there, looking around a little edgily. What was she doing? He would find out, and more besides. Before Millie could stop him, Shining Armor had burst out of hiding, quickly followed by Joe, and rushed at Thora, who turned her head, gave a yell, and prepared to sprint. She didn’t get very far, however, before Shining Armor had leapt at her and pinned her to a tree. She looked pretty exhausted, and, Shining Armor realized, it wouldn’t take much to get answers out of her.

‘Is Cadence still alive?’ Shining Armor firmly asked the bedraggled looking Thora.

‘Probably,’ Thora breathed, ‘for the moment. I don’t think the Empress has caught up with them yet.’

What do you mean by “them”?’ Millie inquired sternly,’ walking over to them.

‘Those must be the three missing ponies,’ Joe commented, ‘we’d better get going.’

‘Which way do we go?’ Shining Armor inquired, turning back to Thora.

‘It’s that way,’ Thora replied, pointing an unwilling hoof.

‘What should we do with Thora?’ Shining Armor asked the other two.

‘It would be best to tie her to this tree,’ Millie responded, ‘I’ll keep an eye on her until Fleur arrives with the Royal Guard. You two better hurry.’

Shining Armor nodded.

*

‘I can see daylight,’ exclaimed Sky Skimmer quietly.

‘I don’t know how you knew, Princess,’ Snowhoof said breathlessly, ‘but I’m glad you did.’

‘So am I,’ Cadence replied, ‘but I wish I knew how.’

As soon as they had been able to see the entrance, True Star had disappeared. Cadence didn’t really understand what had happened.

‘I’ve heard that sometimes alicorns can sense things that other ponies can’t,’ the pegasus guard told Cadence, ‘perhaps it was something like that.’

Cadence thought he might be right. 

They had no sooner got outside than they found themselves at the mercy of White Flame, who had a mad, angry glint in her eye. Snowhoof gave a loud gulp, and Sky Skimmer tried to hide behind him.

‘I’ll be her first priority,’ Cadence informed the others quietly.

‘We’d better protect you then,’ the pegasus guard replied, before beckoning Snowhoof to his side, while Sky Skimmer and Cadence moved away. 

Sky Skimmer looked like she wanted to say something comforting to Cadence but just couldn’t bring herself to. Cadence glanced into her anxious eyes for a moment. 

The pegasus guard and Snowhoof were out of breath.

‘She’s tougher than she looks,’ the pegasus guard puffed.

Snowhoof nodded in agreement. 

As she had been watching the fighting, Cadence had gradually begun to realize that White Flame must have somehow known that Celestia would be able to get to her. That was why she hadn’t put up much of a fight before. Perhaps it had been something to do with the white crystal. 

The two stallions had been knocked back, and White Flame was beginning to advance towards Cadence. Sky Skimmer placed her shaking body in front of Cadence. It seemed the pegasus guard had been knocked out and Snowhoof was very dazed. Sky Skimmer was very frightened but would not move from her protective position in front of Cadence. 

White Flame tried to strike the earth pony mare. Sky Skimmer let a rather loud yelp escape her, but managed to dodge.

‘Leave her alone!’ Cadence snapped at White Flame, who seemed a bit put out, but also a little amused. 

Snowhoof dived in front of Sky Skimmer, whose yelp seemed to have snapped him out of his daze, and glared at White Flame with a fiery hate in his eyes.

‘Haven’t you learnt your lesson!’ White Flame spat at Snowhoof.

‘I don’t take orders from you!’ Snowhoof trembled, ‘You’d better leave Sky Skimmer alone! And that goes for the princess too!’

‘I’ve had just about enough of you!’ White Flame snarled, foaming at the mouth slightly.

The next thing Cadence heard was the sound of breaking glass.

‘How low can you sink!’ Sky Skimmer shouted at White Flame furiously, her anger giving her courage, ‘You’ve virtually blinded him!’

‘Sky Skimmer,’ Snowhoof mumbled feebly, ‘I haven’t got any contact lenses with me . . .’

Despite the fact he could only make out the blurry colors of his surroundings, it seemed Snowhoof was prepared to attack.

‘No, Snowhoof!’ Sky Skimmer pleaded, ‘You can’t fight her without being able to see. Please don’t!’

‘But somepony has to protect you!’ Snowhoof protested.

‘You’re the one who needs protecting now, Snowhoof,’ Sky Skimmer responded, placing her forelegs around his neck protectively.

‘We’ll have to make a run for it,’ Cadence whispered.

White Flame’s slight bemusement at Sky Skimmer’s change in behavior meant she hadn’t taken any further actions yet. This was their chance. Cadence gave Sky Skimmer a meaningful look.

‘I’ll guide you,’ Sky Skimmer told Snowhoof quietly, ‘keep an eye on my yellow coat.’

The three of them ran. As Cadence turned her head back, she realized the other two were a lot further behind due to Snowhoof’s eye sight. They wouldn’t last five minutes if she didn’t do something. Cadence realized that White Flame must come after her, and her only.

‘We’ll never make it,’ Snowhoof gasped, ‘you should go on without me.

‘I won’t do that,’ Sky Skimmer told him sadly, ‘Snowhoof, I know this is hardly the time but I have a confession to make. When you asked me out I thought you were joking. Some stallions have been teasing me because I’ve never been out with anypony. They’ve been asking me out as a joke. I thought you were in on it. That’s why I said no.’

Cadence raced past them and stopped right in front of White Flame.

‘If you go after them, I’ll probably get away,’ Cadence told White Flame with a small smile.

Cadence dashed away with White Flame in hot pursuit. At least she had got her away from Snowhoof and Sky Skimmer. Cadence wished she had more energy but she had used most of it getting this far. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all. 

Cadence found herself being flung to the ground next to a small pond. This wasn’t good. Cadence knew that White Flame wouldn’t give her any opportunity to get away now. Don’t look in her eyes, Cadence thought desperately, make sure you don’t look in her eyes! Cadence turned her head away, as far as she could, towards the pond. Cadence stared at the reflection. She could only see White Flame’s eyes reflected in the water. Just in time, Cadence realized that she mustn’t look at White Flame’s reflection. She must have some sort of control over it.

White Flame was trying to force Cadence to face her. Cadence closed her eyes and tried her best to resist. White Flame was too strong for her. She was trying to get Cadence to open her eyes. Cadence knew her limits were being pushed. She couldn’t put up a fight for much longer. Even if one of her eyes opened just a tad that would be enough for White Flame to take her soul. 

Mustn’t . . . Open . . . Eyes . . .

Cadence’s eyes were open. She desperately tried to close them again but she couldn’t keep them closed. She was done for. White Flame’s grin of triumph suddenly turned to a look of confusion, and Cadence suddenly realized she was struggling. Some kind of invisible force was blocking her. How could this be happening? What was going? White Flame looked terrified.

*

‘So this is the traitor is it?’ one of the Royal Guards asked Millie, glancing at Thora.

‘Yes, sir,’ Millie replied.

Another guard looked shocked to see that it was a scowling filly that was tied to the tree.

‘Why would she do this?’ the shocked guard asked.

‘I guess her hatred for Cadence became too much,’ Millie responded, ‘she’s had it in for her for some time. I think Joe might know something more about it.’

‘Are Shining Armor and Joe still not back yet?’ Fleur de Lis asked anxiously. 

Millie shook her head, a worried expression on her face.

*

It had only now occurred to Shining Armor and Joe that Cadence might have got out. She was very capable in many ways after all. Even so, she might still be in trouble. She might’ve been followed and that Empress wouldn’t give up that easily.’

It was lucky that Shining Armor had taken up Starburst’s idea of marking the trail when he went somewhere large and unfamiliar. 

They raced back the way they had come. There must be more than one exit or Cadence would have probably passed them. They stopped and listened. There were voices not far off. They headed towards them. They caught sight of two royal guards, which Shining Armor vaguely recognized, and an earth pony mare who Shining Armor was almost certain was Starburst’s older sister, Sky Skimmer. They must be the three ponies who had gone missing. He raced up to them, Joe hurrying after him.

‘Have you seen Cadence?’ Shining Armor blurted out.

The three ponies looked at him fearfully.

‘You’d better hurry,’ Sky Skimmer told him.

Shining Armor hurried in the direction she had indicated, Joe just behind him.

‘Cadence!’ Shining Armor cried, ‘Cadence!’

He suddenly heard a groan from not too far away. A few moments later, he caught sight of Cadence struggling to her hooves. Shining Armor was by her side in an instant. Cadence was rather disappointed. For a brief instant, she had thought Shining Armor was going to kiss her.

‘Are you okay?’ Joe asked her. 

She did look rather pale.

‘I’ll be okay,’ Cadence replied weakly.

‘Don’t worry about the Empress,’ Shining Armor told her, ‘the Royal Guard is here. They’ll sort her out.’

‘It’s a bit too late for that,’ Cadence responded, ‘she’s gone. Something prevented her from taking my soul. Whatever it was terrified her. I think she may have given up.’

‘Just like that?’ Shining Armor asked, feeling rather bemused.

‘I think she knew a lot more about what was preventing her taking my soul than I do,’ Cadence said, ‘I kept my eyes shut as much as I could anyway. I didn’t want to take any chances. I had my eyes shut when she suddenly let go of me and ran for it. Something may have chased her off for all I know. I only saw her running from a distance.’

*

Justice didn’t seem to agree with Thora. She was scowling and snarling like some wild dog. Cadence couldn’t help but wonder if this was Thora’s way of showing fear. Celestia’s eyes were clouded with sympathy for Knight Shade and Trixiebelle, Thora’s parents. Cadence couldn’t help but notice that Trixie wasn’t present.

‘I intended to punish you more harshly,’ Celestia told Thora stiffly, ‘however, Cadence persuaded me otherwise.’

Thora glared over at Cadence.

‘You are now banished from Canterlot and the surrounding area,’ Celestia continued, ‘you have two days to sort yourself out. If you are not gone after that, or do anything else, you will find yourself in much worse trouble.’

*

‘You think I was stupid, don’t you?’ Cadence asked Fleur de Lis, after telling her everything, ‘I just couldn’t help feeling a bit sorry for her. I guess I wanted to give her a chance to start again.’

‘I don’t think you’re stupid,’ Fleur de Lis replied with a smile, ‘just very, very optimistic.’