Portrayed as a woman with angel wings mixing up the water of two cups, one blue, the other red, the Temperance Arcana is a symbol of synthesis, prudence, harmony, and the merging of opposites. - Persona Wiki.
Cadence ran under the cold, gaze of nightfall. As the castle came into view, she slowed down and walked to the door. Tears dripping down her cheeks, she pushed the door open.
Making her way through the castle, Cadence came to a stop when, on her way to her room, she entered a chamber where Celestia was talking to a castle staff employee.
“There's my girl!” Celestia said, turning to greet her. “How was foalsitting?”
Cadence raised her hanging head to look up at her. “It was … fine.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow. She looked to the servant and waved her hoof, dismissing him. He nodded and left the room.
Celestia walked towards Cadence. “Cadence, I can hear in your voice you're upset about something. Tell me what's wrong.”
“Nothing. Nothing's wrong.” Cadence said, attempting to walk past Celestia. As Cadence passed her, Celestia held out a hoof and braced against Cadence's chest, stopping her in her tracks.
“Cadence, that wasn't a request.” Celestia moved to the front of of Cadence and sat on all fours, bringing her to Cadence's eye-level. “A long, long time ago … I once saw pony I loved go down a dark path because I couldn't be bothered to ask her what was troubling her every now and then.” Celestia looked up at the ceiling, though Cadence got the feeling she was looking more at the sky beyond the ceiling.
Celestia turned her gaze back to Cadence. “I won't let the same thing happen to you. Now, tell me what's wrong.”
Cadence sniffed. She wiped a tear from her eye. “I … I was foalsitting Twilight Sparkle and it was raining. Once the rain had stopped, I took Twilight Sparkle out to play in the mud. You know, like most foals do! After we had played in the mud for awhile, Twilight started feeling a little unwell, so I took her home and gave her a bath, but that didn't help. So I tried to make some soup to help her feel better before her parents came home, but then Shining Armor got there, and I tried to distract him but then her parents and showed up and saw that I got her sick and Twilight Velvet fired me and said she'd never let me near Twilight Sparkle again!” Towards the end of her explanation, Cadence had begun to talk incredibly fast, though Celestia still made out most of what she said. The important parts, anyway.
“Oh, Cadence ...” Celestia cooed. Celestia wrapped a hoof around her and pulled Cadence to her chest as Cadence cried. “My poor Cadence ...”
“I ...” Cadence stammered. “I-I just wanted to enrich her life … to show her she didn't have to be scared of the world and other ponies …”
They stood there awhile. Celestia let Cadence cry and cry and cry until she couldn't cry anymore.
“There.” Celestia pulled away. “Feeling better? Got it all out?”
Cadence sniffed, rubbing at her eyes. “I think so ...”
Celestia patted Cadence on the side. “Go to bed, dear. I'll see if I can catch Twilight Velvet, and we can smooth this all out tomorrow …”
Cadence nodded, acknowledging her aunt's words. She headed to her room and hopped onto the bed. Despite what she had told Celestia, she buried her face into the pillow and cried a little more before she was able to turn herself over and worm her way under the covers, still letting out a tearful sniff every few minutes. It was a long while before she fell asleep.
Twilight Sparkle pressed her nose to the glass, wondering why Cadence had gone. In her sickly state while under the covers, she couldn't hear the argument Cadence and Twilight Velvet had before Cadence's abrupt departure.
“Mom? Dad?” Twilight Sparkle asked, moving away from the window and walking up to her parents. “Why did Cadence leave without saying goodbye?”
Night Light grimaced and looked to his wife for how to explain this. Twilight Velvet narrowed her eyes and humphed, turning her head away.
“Cadence … had to leave, dear.” Night Light said, doing his best to be tactful.
“Oh. Okay.” Twilight Sparkle looked at the floor. “When is she coming back?”
Never before did Night Light have the urge to chew his lips until he bit through his own mouth and could eat his vocal chords so he wouldn't have to answer his daughter's innocent questions, but right now, he had the overwhelming urge to do so.
“We-we don't know, dear.” Night Light wrapped a hoof around Twilight Sparkle and pulled him close. “Maybe not ever ...” He said under his breath, too quiet for Twilight Sparkle to hear.
Twilight Sparkle pulled her head away from her father's chest and looked up at him. “But she … she is coming back, isn't she?”
Night Light bit his lip.
“Go to bed, dear.” Twilight Velvet told her, in a harsher tone than she meant to use, her hostility towards Cadence still showing through her voice. “We'll be taking you to the doctor on our way to work, first thing in the morning, so you'd better get some sleep.”
Twilight Sparkle nodded and climbed into bed.
Night Light was the last one out of the room, closing the door behind them. “Honey, what are we going to do? We can't tell her we fired Cadence, but we can't keep hiding the truth from her, either … ”
Twilight Velvet humphed again. “You can't keep hiding the truth from her, I would be perfectly happy to let her know exactly what happened.”
“Really?” Night Light asked. “Then why didn't you tell her yourself?”
“Why don't we go to bed, honey? It's been a long night, and I'm tired ...” Twilight Velvet made no effort to hide the fact she was dodging his question. She walked towards their room, and Night Light sighed before following.
They got to the doctor and were able to get in as a walk-in appointment without having to wait too long. The doctor attending was a tall, bulky, brown-coated unicorn, who greeted the family warmly as they walked in the door.
“Hello! Are you three my surprise patients for the day?”
“Yes, that's us.” Night Light said.
“And who do we have here today?” The doctor asked, looking over his clipboard. “Twilight Sparkle, is it?”
Twilight Sparkle nodded.
The doctor consulted his clipboard. “And this says you have a cold. Is that right?”
Twilight Sparkle nodded again.
“Well, why don't you climb onto this bed here and we'll see if we can get you straightened out ...” The doctor gestured to the bed. Twilight hopped onto the edges, hind hooves flailing as she struggled to get up, but she managed before the doctor could offer his assistance. Night Light was left to hold Twilight Velvet as her nerves got the best of her, causing her to enact unusual behavior such as hoof-biting.
The doctor set out inspecting Twilight Sparkle's body with various tools, sticking a light into her ears. He put his stethoscope onto her chest and listened to her heartbeat, after which he shined a different light into her nostrils, something which Twilight Sparkle didn't care much for, as it kept shining into her eyes.
The doctor pulled out a wooden stick like a popsicle's. “Twilight Sparkle, can you open your mouth for me?”
Twilight Sparkle opened her mouth.
“Good, good ...” The doctor laid the stick on her tongue. “Can you say “ahh” for me?”
“Ahh ...” Twilight Sparkle said, her tongue oscillating as she vocalized.
“Mmm.” The doctor said. He reached over to his shelf and pulled out a different tool, using this one to shine a light down Twilight Sparkle's mouth and throat.
“What is it, doctor?” Twilight Velvet asked, rolling her hooves together. “What's wrong with my daughter?”
“Well, I can tell you one thing for sure; she definitely has more than just a cold.” The doctor said.
“More than just a cold?” Twilight Velvet said. She grabbed her husband, sliding to the floor. “Oh, I knew it! It's something terrible! It's awful!”
“Ma'am, calm down. It's nothing serious. But I would say she has some sort of advanced cold and an infection of some kind, as caused by what we call a 'bug' in medicine.”
“An infection!?” Twilight Velvet screamed. “Oh, I knew it, I knew it!” Night Light was surprised to find himself having to hold up his wife as she fell backwards. “OH, MY POOR BABY! YOU WERE TOO GOOD FOR THIS SINFUL EQUESTRIA!”
“Miss Velvet!” Twilight Velvet found herself being pulled out from Night Light's legs as the doctor grabbed hold of her horn and pulled her upright. “I am not going to tell you to calm down a third time, understand?”
Twilight Velvet nodded to show she understood.
“Good.” The doctor let go of her horn. “It's fine. It's just a small infection. Something got washed up into her body the wrong way. Some bed rest, some hot soup, and some antibiotics which I'm going to prescribe for you, and she'll be fine.”
“Oh! Oh, okay.” Twilight Velvet said. “That's a relief.”
“However ...” The doctor said. “I'm not entirely sure I'm qualified to diagnose this without running some much more extensive tests, but I would say your daughter has an under-developed immune system.”
“An … under-developed … immune system?” Twilight Velvet asked.
“Yes.” The doctor said. “I don't often see infections like this one, but when I do, it's usually the result of a little filly or colt not having a properly developed immune system for her age.”
Night Light put a hoof on Twilight Velvet's shoulder. “Can we … cure it, doctor?”
“I'm afraid there's no 'cure,' as such. But if you want my recommendation, I would say after she starts feeling better, try to get her to play outside a little more. The only way to 'fix' it is by exposing to various bacteria so her immune system can practice and learn to adapt while she's still young and early into her development. You still have a chance to make up for lost time.”
“Okay.” Night Light nodded. “We'll make sure it happens, doctor. Thank you.” Night Light picked up Twilight Sparkle off the bed. “Come on, kiddo. Let's get you back home.”
The family waved goodbye to the doctor, filled out their paperwork, and left the clinic.
Celestia walked around the castle until she found Cadence, hanging around near the front entrance, with her hoof on the doorknob. “Cadence? Where are you going?”
“Oh!” Cadence was surprised to see Celestia there. “Oh, nowhere. I just thought I would go visit some ponies. See if they needed a foalsitter this morning.”
Celestia let out a worried expression. “Don't you want to talk with Twilight Velvet? She should be in for work shortly...”
“Oh.” Cadence smiled, though Celestia could see it was forced. “It's fine. We'll talk later. Bye!” Cadence opened the door and fled through it before Celestia could raise an objection.
Celestia closed her eyes and shook her head. “Oh, Cadence … you think I don't realize you're stalling?”
Cadence closed the door and hung her head. She was stalling, and she knew it. She was far from ready to face Twilight Velvet. She wasn't ready to talk yet, and she was going to delay as long as she could. She felt guilty, feeling as though she had lied to Celestia, even though Celestia saw through it.
Perking her head up and wearing a fake smile, Cadence went on her way, marching out to the streets and hocking her services like any good merchant.
“Foalsitter for hire!” Cadence waved her hoof, attempting to get the attention of passing noble ponies, to no effect. “Foalsitter for hire! For all your foalsitter needs!” After a few minutes where nopony approached her, Cadence was about to give up when a pair of ponies walked up to her.
“A foalsitter, you say?”
Oh no. Cadence recognized them. They were Jet Set's parents.
“Well ...” Jet Set's mother said. “We hadn't been planning on getting a foalsitter – we just put Jet Set in his room with a few games and toys to distract him – but it would be nice to know somepony's watching over him.”
Cadence nodded, despite her faltering smile.
Jet Set's father noticed. He put a hoof to his chin. “Perhaps not, dear … she seems distracted, and I know Jet Set didn't get along with her well last time.”
“That's a good point.” Cadence said. “You know what? I'll just be on my way ...” Eager to get out of foalsitting for Jet Set again, Cadence turned and headed for the castle. But she stopped, remembering if she went to back to the castle, Twilight Velvet would be there, and Celestia would try to get them to talk.
“Actually, no, never mind!” Cadence returned to the surprised couple, caught off guard by her sudden enthusiasm. “I would be perfectly happy to foalsit for Jet Set!”
Jet Set's parents didn't seemed convinced. “I don't know ...”
Cadence put her hooves together. “Please. I'm desperate. I don't want to go home right now, and I need something to occupy my time and distract my mind.”
Jet Set's parents seemed moved enough by her pleas. “Oh, all right. I suppose it would be a surprise for him, and he does like surprises ...”
“Yes!” Cadence pumped a hoof in the air. “Thank you.”
While it seemed to be a brilliant plan to avoid Twilight Velvet in Cadence's mind, it turned out it may not have been her best idea. Once she arrived at the house and explained the situation to Jet Set, without the need to keep up appearances to Celestia or Jet Set's parents (she didn't much care what Jet Set thought of her) Cadence let the depression she was feeling and hiding show through.
She found a spot in the kitchen to sit on her haunches and sat there. Her eyelids dropped, and she had almost no reaction to anything Jet Set did aside from a weak, quiet murmur of disapproval when he started getting rowdy. She couldn't stop thinking about Twilight Sparkle. How much fun they managed to have together, how she was looking forward to getting to know Twilight Sparkle better … and how she would never see her again.
“Hey, are you okay? You've been really quiet.” Jet Set said. Getting an idea, he left the room and came back with a ball. He tossed the ball at Cadence's head. The ball hit her in the head and made her body shift downwards, but like a push doll, she righted herself.
“Hmm.” Jet Set rubbed his chin, wondering and ready to test how much he could get away with it. He climbed up the stove and reached for the cookie jar, pushing it over and spilling its contents. He levitated one cookie up and tossed it at Cadence. Again, it hit her in the head, but she made no motion other than to correct her posture.
Jet Set climbed down from the stove. After getting himself a cookie, of course. He walked up to Cadence, alternating between talking and taking bites out of his cookie. He tapped her on the Cutie Mark. “Come on. Do something!” He jabbed her Cutie Mark several times. “Are you broken or something?”
Jet Set's parents returned. Jet Set went up to them to report his findings and conclusion.
“We need a new foalsitter.” Jet Set said. “This one's broken.”
“Broken?” Jet Set's mother asked. “Dear, whatever do you mean?”
“It's nothing.” Cadence insisted. “I just … I've been a little out of sorts lately. Nothing to worry about!” Cadence tried to give them a smile, but it lasted all of five seconds before it disappeared, along with her perked-up ears flopping downwards.
Jet Set's mother and father exchanged concerned looks. “All right. Here's your payment.” Jet Set's father held out his hooves with bits for Cadence to take.
Cadence held out her hoof with the liveliness of a zombie. Jet Set's father dropped the coins into her hoof and went inside the house with his wife. Cadence, still with a noticeable delay to her every movement, walked outside their house and closed the door.
Cadence continued on, meaning to return to the busy street and wait for the next pony in need of a foalsitter to come around. She raised an eyebrow as she passed Pie Crust on the sidewalk, accompanied by Uppercrust, wrapped around her mother's neck.
“Oh, hi, Pie Crust!” Cadence waved, still unable to keep a smile together for more than a few seconds.
“Hi, Cadence!” Uppercrust waved from her mother's back. “You're the best foalsitter ever!”
Cadence's mind went right back to Twilight Sparkle, and she winced. “O-oh? You think so?”
“Mm-hmm!” Uppercrust nodded. “None of the other foalsitters I had liked playing with me as much as you do!”
“'Like' might be too strong a word ...” Cadence muttered. “So, Pie Crust, you wouldn't happen to need a foalsitter this fine day, would you?”
“No.” Pie Crust said, looking at Cadence with concern.
“Oh, gee. Are you sure?” Cadence scratched the back of her neck. “Really, it's no trouble! I'm more than happy to-”
“Cadence, what's the matter?” Pie Crust asked. She saw through Cadence's cheerful-seeming demeanor.
“W-wrong?” Cadence asked. “N-nothing's wrong. Why would you even ask that?”
“Your eyelids are droopy. You keep looking everywhere except at me. And aside from waving and scratching your neck just now, you've barely moved the entire conversation. Something is on your mind. What's wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?”
Cadence froze and stared at Pie Crust.
“No.” Cadence admitted, closing her eyes and hanging her head. “No, there isn't. I guess I might as well go home.”
“You do that, dear.” Pie Crust watched as Cadence, her head still hanging low, walked towards home at the pace of a snail, her hooves dragging along the ground.
Cadence's mood did not brighten any upon returning home. She found a spare couch to sit on and climbed onto it, crossing her forelegs with apathy painted onto her face. Even the arrival and presence of her friend Fleur-de-lis – invited by Princess Celestia, even - did nothing to cheer her up.
“Come on!” Fleur-de-lis said, nudging Cadence in the shoulder with her hoof. “Give us a smile! Show me how your braces are doing.” Fleur-de-lis encouraged her, smiling and showing her braces. “And then, we can be Brace Buddies! Doesn't that sound fun?”
Cadence said nothing, tilting her head and blinking.
Celestia came 'round the room to check up on Fleur-de-lis' progress. She stood behind the couch and observed Cadence. She looked to Fleur-de-lis. “Nothing?”
Fluer-de-lis shook her head.
“Now, Cadence, I invited Fleur-de-lis in because I believed she would be capable of cheering you up.” Celestia said. “Was my faith misplaced?”
Cadence moved, though it was only to raise an eyebrow. “How did you invite her? You can't even remember her name half the time ...”
Fluer-de-lis grimaced. “Should we tell her?”
Celestia nodded. “We should. Cadence, I have something to confess ...” Celestia put a hoof on Cadence's shoulder. “I can remember Fluer-de-lis's name. I just pretend not to to mess with you. You're a smart and clever mare, Cadence. I know any way I have of messing with you will invite some form of retribution in the future, possibly involving exploding chocolate, so when I first met your friend, I seized upon the chance to have a way to mess with you where I … was shielded, somehow, from your clever mind.”
“I have to admit something, too.” Fleur-de-lis rubbed her hooves together. “She told me. Celestia told me about it. I haven't known long. Just a day or two, at most, but … she did tell me. Just so you know. I hope you're not … mad at me for not telling you. You're not, are you?”
Celestia and Fleur-de-lis leaned in, waiting for Cadence's response to their confession.
Cadence's reply was a dismissive, disinterested whinny, and it wasn't even aimed at them – it was directed more towards the air.
Having let out this heartfelt confession, only to be dismissed with such cruel apathy, convinced Celestia enough was enough.
“All right, that does it.” Celestia stomped her hoof. “You're talking to Twilight Velvet right now, young lady. I won't let you put it off any longer.”
This, at least, generated a reaction from Cadence. “What? No! You can't!” Cadence tried to stop Celestia as Celestia walked out of the room. Cadence chased after her, running down the halls to stop her. How she was going to stop her, Cadence didn't know. Cadence had half a mind to leap and tackle Celestia.
Before she could act on the idea, she followed Celestia to a wide, open room … where Celestia had found and brought Twilight Velvet there.
Cadence ground to a halt.
In an instant, Twilight Velvet became enraged. “What is she doing here?”
“She's here to talk to you.” Celestia said. “About last night.”
Twilight Velvet narrowed her eyes. “Well, that would be all well and good … except I don't want to talk to her.”
“Come now, Twilight Velvet.” Princess Celestia said. “At least give her a chance to explain.”
“I gave her a chance already.” Twilight Velvet turned towards the entrance on the other side of the room.
“Twilight Velvet, please.” Celestia said. “Cadence has a good heart. I believe she is truly remorseful for what's she done. If you would just try to understand … ”
“'Understand'?” Twilight Velvet questioned. “'Understand'?” She turned to Celestia. “Maybe, Princess Celestia, you should leave your child in the hooves of another pony and let them get sick! Maybe then, you would understand why I'm so upset! Maybe you would understand what it's like to be a mother, watching your only daughter cough and hack and spit and knowing there was nothing you could do about it but give her some medicine and hope it works like the doctor says! There may not be much I can do for Twilight Sparkle being sick now, but I can be sure it won't happen as long as I don't let this monster near her!” Twilight Velvet pointed to Cadence.
“I'm not a monster!” Cadence protested.
Princess Celestia looked down at Twilight Velvet. Her angered expression and arched-over neck served to emphasize how much taller she was than the common pony – how much taller she was than Twilight Velvet.
It was there, at this moment, did Twilight Velvet realized she had not only raised her voice at Princess Celestia, but she had insulted both her, and her niece.
“I resent your implication I do not understand the burden of motherhood.” Princess Celestia said. “GUARDS!”
Twilight Velvet winced and bit her lip as two pairs of Guards appeared at either entrance.
“Stand watch and keep Princess Cadence and Twilight Velvet in this room. Do not let either of them leave until they make up.” Celestia walked out of the room, her face stern and her posture controlled to hide her anger at Twilight Velvet.
The Guards let Princess Celestia pass. The minute she was out of sight, they relaxed. “So, hey … she said not to let you two out until you 'made up,' but, uh, do you think you could tell us how we're supposed to tell whether or not you've 'made up'?”
Cadence and Twilight Velvet shared awkward glances.
“I think we just need to wait for one of them to say 'I'm sorry' and hug each other.” The Guard's partner said. “That's all there is to it.”
“I want them to hug ten times and say 'I'm sorry!' no less than fifteen before you let them out!” Celestia shouted from the other room.
One of the Guards made a sharp whistle. “Princess Celestia's pretty upset. What did you two do?”
“Nothing.” Cadence told him. “It was nothing. Just touched a nerve, that's all.” She ran a hoof over her forehead and walked towards Twilight Velvet.
Cadence and Twilight Velvet stood in the center of the room, facing each other. Twilight Velvet grunted and made her displeasure clear while Cadence rubbed and kicked her hooves.
“Well, now what?” Twilight Velvet asked. “We're trapped in here.”
“I … I guess, now we talk.” Cadence said.
“Great. What do you want to talk about?” Twilight Velvet said.
Cadence rubbed her hooves. Twilight Velvet's question gave her a long pause. “I'm … I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get Twilight Sparkle sick. I never wanted her to get sick, and if I could go back and do it all over, I would.”
“You're sorry. You're sorry.” Twilight Velvet said. She turned away, rubbing her head. “Oh, that's just rich. Rich! Rich, I say.” Twilight Velvet covered her face. “Okay, Twilight Velvet, calm down, calm down ...” Twilight Velvet took several deep breaths. “Okay. You know what?”
Twilight Velvet turned to face Cadence again. “You want to know something? I could forgive you for getting Twilight Sparkle sick. Foals get sick all the time. It's perfectly natural. It happens. Hay, when we went to see him, the doctor even told me Twilight Sparkle needed to get out more! But what really has me upset … what I can't overlook is … ” Twilight Velvet shook her head.
“Tell ya what; I'm willing to make a deal with you. A concession, if you will. I will let you see Twilight Sparkle. I will even hire you as a foalsitter again. But you have to be the one to figure out what it is you really did wrong.”
Twilight Velvet marched towards the entrance, only stopped when the Guards moved to intercept her. She had forgotten about them being there.
“It's okay.” Cadence said. “Let her go.”
The Guards looked to each other, unsure if they should obey Cadence's words over Celestia.
“I said let her go!”
The Guards nodded and complied, moving away from the door to let Twilight Velvet through.
“What I really did wrong.” Cadence said to herself, tapping her chin. “What I really did wrong.” Cadence began to pace around the room. “Okay. Okay, Cadence, think ...” Cadence tapped at her head with her hooves. She reviewed the events of last night. “I took Twilight Sparkle out to play in the mud … she got sick. I brought her home and I tried to cure her before her parents got home and I … distracted Shining Armor … I tried to cure her before her parents got home!” Cadence paused.
“OH!” Cadence exclaimed as it became clear to her. “OH, DUH! That's it! That's what I did wrong! I have to tell Twilight Velvet!”
Cadence took off, galloping out of the room after Twilight Velvet. She left the confused Guards behind. The Guards shrugged at each other and returned to their normal patrols.
Twilight Velvet, needing some fresh air after her conversation with Cadence, left the castle and went out for a walk. She didn't mean to go far. A quick walk around the grounds and back to work, but before she knew it, she found herself wandering into the a packed Canterlot street, with ponies sitting and eating on tables.
“Mom?” Shining Armor asked, raising up from his seat. “What are you doing here?”
Twilight Velvet froze as she realized how far away from the castle she had gone in a short amount of time. “Uh … nothing! What are you doing here?”
“I was using my allowance to buy some lunch.” Shining Armor said.
Twilight Velvet glanced at the ground. “Can I join you? I need to be away from the castle for a little while.”
“Yeah, sure.” Shining Armor scooted out a chair for his mother. Twilight Velvet sat down and watched him eat.
“So you bumped into Cadence, too?” Twilight Velvet heard somepony say. She turned her head over to see Pie Crust sitting and talking with Jet Set's parents.
“Yes.” Jet Set's mother nodded. “She seemed distracted about something. Her eyes were always somewhere else …”
“The poor thing.” Pie Crust said, lifting up a mug of coffee. “She used to be so youthful and energetic, but when I saw her this morning, she just seemed … lifeless and … empty. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong.” Pie Crust sipped her coffee. “I'm worried about her.”
“Well, one mustn't meddle too much into the affairs of other ponies, must they?” Jet Set's father said. “Though still … in some way, I suppose I'm worried as well. She needs a friend.”
Twilight Velvet heard all this and rested her elbows on the table. “Maybe I was too hard on her … maybe I did overreact a little bit.” Twilight Velvet's eyes were full of concern, but she shook her head. “No. No. I stand by what I said.”
“Mom?” Shining Armor asked.
“It's nothing.” Twilight Velvet assured her. She looked over her shoulders and her eyes widened as she saw Cadence galloping down the street.
“Twilight Velvet! Twilight Velvet!” Cadence huffed and huffed as she ran up to the table where Twilight Velvet and Shining Armor sat. “I … I realized what I did wrong!”
“Humph! So soon?” Twilight Velvet got up from her chair. “I don't believe it. Come on, Shining Armor. I'll walk you home.”
“No!” Cadence raised out a hoof. “Don't leave! Shining Armor, help! Say something!”
Shining Armor shrugged. “Sorry. I don't offer much help to ponies who get my sister sick and then don't tell my parents about it!”
“I know.” Cadence said. “That's what I wanted to talk about. I shouldn't have hid the fact Twilight Sparkle fell ill under my care from you or your parents. I should have have come clean when you got home and tell you what happened right away. I realize that now. And … in trying to hide the fact she was sick, I ended causing the very exact thing I was afraid to happen. So please, please … help me out?” Cadence said. “I want to see little Twiley again … even if it's just to say goodbye.”
“I thought I told you, only I get to call -” Shining Armor stopped, seeing the desperation in Cadence's eyes.
“Yeah, okay.” Shining Armor nodded. “That was a pretty big thing to admit.” Shining Armor got down a put a hoof against her shoulder. “I'll vouch for you and put a good word in."
“Thank you.” Cadence smiled. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing him to blush. She galloped away while Shining Armor, in a state of shock, put a hoof to the cheek she kissed.
Twilight Velvet and Shining Armor entered their house, Shining Armor demonstrating an unusual level of quietness.
Shining Armor lingered on the door. “Mom? Can I talk to you about something?”
“Of course, dear.” Twilight Velvet said. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”
Shining Armor took his hoof the doorknob and faced his mother. “It's about Cadence.”
Twilight Velvet scowled. “Anything except that.”
“Mom … I know you're upset. I was upset, too. But it can't hurt to just talk about it, can it?”
“There's nothing to talk about.” Twilight Velvet said. She was about to either stomp off to her room or send Shining Armor to his when the door opened.
“Twilight Velvet?” Night Light stepped into the room. “Princess Celestia let me leave so I could find out why you left work early without telling anypony.”
“I was going to come back.” Twilight Velvet said. “But I … had to get away from Cadence.”
“Oh, yes, Cadence.” Night Light scratched his head. “Speaking of which, are you sure we weren't … I mean, maybe we … maybe we were a little too harsh on her. Maybe we overreacted a little?”
Twilight Velvet had the same though earlier, but she was feeling much too prideful to admit this to Night Light. “No. I don't think we were. I think our reaction was appropriate.”
“Twilight Velvet, I think you're being a little unreasonable ...” Night Light said.
“I'm not being unreasonable!”
“Mom, listen.” Shining Armor said. “Cadence and Twiley were getting along pretty well before this happened. Do you really think Cadence would let something like this happen on purpose?”
“Of course not!” Twilight Velvet said. “Why are you all attacking me?”
“We're not attacking you, dear, we're just trying to suggest maybe we should give Cadence a second chance.”
“I stand by my decision.” Twilight Velvet said.
“Hmm. You're very firm on that, aren't you?” Night Light said.
“Yes, I am.” Twilight Velvet said. “And I don't want to hear any more talk about Cadence. Understand?”
The three of them were silenced by a creak coming from the stairs. The family looked to see Twilight Sparkle coming down the stairs, her little hooves causing squeaks as she climbed down.
“Understand what?” Twilight Sparkle asked.
“Twiley!” Shining Armor said. “You look better.”
“Yeah.” Twilight Sparkle rubbed her nose. “Mom gave me a funny pill and I started feeling better. When's Cadence coming back?”
Night Light and Shining Armor grimaced. They could tell it was too much for Twilight Velvet to hear. She looked ready to exploded.
“Cadence, Cadence, CADENCE! I'm SICK of hearing about CADENCE! Why does it seem like suddenly Cadence is the only thing we ever talk about!?” Twilight Velvet marched up to Twilight Sparkle. “You listen here; Cadence is never coming back. Do you understand?”
Twilight Sparkle was shocked. Her eyes grew watery. “Never?”
“Never EVER EVER!” Twilight Velvet screamed.
Twilight Sparkle rested her head on her hoof. She looked down and sank to the floor, struggling to process this. She cried and sniffed.
“Cadence … was the only foalsitter I liked. She was the only who … understood me. She loved books almost as much as I do.” Twilight Sparkle sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye. Twilight Velvet remained indifferent, wanting her daughter to hurry up and cry already so they could move on and forget about Cadence.
In a sudden movement, Twilight Sparkle stood up, and Twilight Velvet was surprised to see her take an aggressive stance. “If Cadence won't be my foalsitter, then Shining Armor doesn't get to go the academy!”
Shining Armor looked to his father to do something.
“Uh, Twilight Sparkle, that's … heh heh … not up for you to decide.” Night Light said with a nervous chuckle.
“No!” Twilight Sparkle said. “He has to stay!”
Twilight Sparkle hopped forward, her horn shining with magic. Her irises and pupils disappeared, her eyes glowing white, and she levitated into the air.
“I'll MAKE him stay! I'll make ALL OF YOU STAY!”
Twilight Sparkle's horn emitted a pillar of purple light which rose up, breaking through the roof. Various objects through the house lifted up and swirled around the air. All of Twilight Sparkle's family found themselves in Twilight Sparkle's magical grip, being lifted up into the air and held in firmly in place.
At the castle, Cadence was still feeling depressed. She found a different couch and laid on it, her hoof propping up her head.
“Oh.” Celestia said, finding Cadence. “What's wrong, Cadence?”
“It's Twilight Velvet.” Cadence answered. “I figured what I did wrong – not the part where I got Twilight Sparkle sick – what I really did wrong, but she still won't hear me. When I tried to talk to her, she wasn't interested in what I had to say.” Cadence noticed a purple glow coming from the window. “What's that?”
“I'm not sure.” Celestia joined Cadence in walking over to the windowsill and seeing what was emitting the light. A huge pillar of purple energy had appeared in the middle of town, reaching for the heavens and shining its light on the land.
“Wait ...” Cadence put her hooves on the glass and looked closer. “I think that might be Twilight Sparkle's house!”
“You'd better get over there, then.” Celestia said.
“Right!” Cadence was so eager to help out and see Twilight Sparkle again, and maybe earn Twilight Velvet's forgiveness and pardon, she didn't think twice about heading out and galloping to the house as fast as she could. She didn't think about what it could be. She just knew she had to get over there.
Cadence also didn't think about why, when confronted with a magical disturbance in her city, Celestia decided to send her, rather than go out and deal with it herself.
Celestia could prove … tricky like that.
Cadence barged into the Sparkle family's home, charging the door open without stopping to knock.
“Twilight Sparkle!” Cadence yelled. She grimaced and became unnerved when she saw what was going on. The rest of Twiley's family hanging in the air, held by invisible chains. Objects floating around the room – lamps, drawers, chairs, silverware, cleaning supplies. Everything one would expect to find in a home.
“Twilight Sparkle!” Cadence shouted. She ran into the foyer and to the base of the stairs, dodging the floating furniture by ducking under and jumping over the various lamps, forks, plates, and chair legs.
“Twilight!” Cadence called out, running underneath Twilight's floating family, who were surprised to see her – none more so than Twilight Velvet.
“Twilight!” Cadence called again, running up to Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle didn't seem to notice her, caught up in her own magical power.
Cadence, taking a risk, reached out her hooves and touched them to Twilight Sparkle's shoulder and haunch. “Twiley ...”
Twilight Sparkle looked up as though something impossible had happened. Searching the room for the voice who called her by Shining Armor's nickname, she was overjoyed to see Cadence looking at her.
“It's okay.” Cadence said. “I'm here now. You don't have to do this … whatever this is.” Cadence took another look at the floating objects.
“Cadence!” Twilight Sparkle exclaimed. In an instant, her magic went away; her horn stopped glowing, her eyes returned to normal, and her family and all their furniture and wares were dropped to the ground.
“You're here!” Twilight Sparkle embraced Cadence in a gleeful hug.
“I know.” Cadence said, returning the hug. “I'm here.”
Shining Armor, Night Light, and Twilight Velvet attempted to regain their bearings.
Shining Armor observed the room, and all the furniture, silverware, and lamps, misplaced and rearranged by Twilight Sparkle's magical outburst.
“Well.” Shining Armor said. “This is gonna take some cleaning up.”
After things calmed down a little, and the rest of the family had the chance to recover from all the excitement, Twilight Velvet took Cadence aside and guided her into the kitchen, where she served some hot chocolate for both of them.
Cadence held her cup and regarded it in silence.
Twilight Velvet pulled out her chair and took a seat. “So …” She sipped the hot chocolate. “I can't deny what you did back there was impressive. However … we still need to talk about a few things.” She set the mug down on the table.
“I know.” Cadence said. “I know what I did wrong, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hid Twilight Sparkle's sickness from you. I should have told you what was wrong the minute you came through the door. I'm sorry. But I promise, I will never do that again. To you or any pony that I foalsit for.”
“Apology accepted. Well done, Cadence. You figured it out.” Twilight Velvet said with a smile. “And … some ponies, myself included, have suggested to me that I might have overreacted a little bit last night. And for that … I'm sorry, too.” Twilight Velvet reached a hoof over the table.
Cadence shook it. “So … does this mean you'll let me foalsit for Twilight Sparkle again?”
“After what happened a few minutes go? I'd be a fool not to.”
“Yay!” Twilight Sparkle rushed into the room with amazing timing. She jumped onto Cadence, tackling her off her chair and to the floor. The two of them laughed and giggled while Twilight Velvet watched, smiling fondly.
Cadence picked Twilight Sparkle up and carried the filly to the room. There, Cadence laid back on the bed, still hugging and holding Twilight Sparkle in her legs.
Twilight Sparkle continued to laugh and giggle, Cadence rolling around on the bed. “Hahahahaha! Hahaha … Cadence? Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why ...” Twilight Sparkle said. “Why were you so eager to foalsit me again? I like you a lot, sure. You're the bestest-best foalsitter ever. But … aren't there other ponies you foalsit from time to time? What makes me special?”
“What makes you special?” Cadence sat upright, holding Twilight Sparkle like a plush doll.
“What makes you special, Twilight Sparkle, is that you're the pony I love to sit for the most.”
Twilight Sparkle giggled. Rolling around in Cadence's grip, she gave Cadence another hug, which Cadence returned.
“Ah … ah … achoo!” Cadence sneezed, raising her leg up just in time to keep it from getting onto Twilight Sparkle. Cadence took her leg away from her face and saw a little bit of green ooze on it.
“Oh noo ...” Cadence groaned, realizing she had caught something when Twilight Sparkle sneezed on her. While it probably wasn't an infection, she had no doubt she was going to be sick for a few days.
You know what? It's worth it. Cadence thought she hugged and nuzzled Twilight Sparkle.