The Chronicles of Summer Rain, Vol. 5 -- Faded Memories

by shysage

Chapter 9, Saving 'Cady'

With Shysage's help, Shining Armor had two of Equestria's Princesses 'locked up'. Protecting them was Shining Armor's sworn duty.

Shining Armor really wanted his Mare back now too... Well, she was also a Princess, so he had a responsibility to accomplish this.

But he had said nothing to Star Dusk about it.

For the last few days, Star Dusk had been pretty busy with other ponies. This was good though, well, under the circumstances, it was...

Shining Armor helped Shysage get Shysage's battered Mare to the Train Station just yesterday. It took far longer than he expected...

Evidently, Shysage had also found Princess Celestia, and got her through the Portal yesterday, too. She promptly returned, with her memory, found Princess Luna, evidently fixed her memory too, and both of them asked to be 'arrested' late in the afternoon.

Even after spending a lot of time on both of these tasks yesterday, he was not missed at all, and this was very good.

But Shining Armor wanted his Mare back...

It was mid-morning, and a quiet day so far. Shining Armor was sitting next to the big doors of the Audience Hall like he normally did. This was 'his post'.

Star Dusk walked out the door, and sat down close to Shining Armor, but said nothing. She seemed pre-occupied.

This was probably the only chance he would get for a while, so he took the risk.

"I hope my service has been acceptible, Star Dusk, but I would like to make a request whenever you feel comfortable. And if that is never, that is fine as well, for you are Star Dusk, and you are great" Shining Armor said carefully.

"Guard, you are doing well, what is your request?" Star Dusk asked. Still, it was clear to Shining Armor that Star Dusk's mind was elsewhere.

"I would like to go to the Crystal Empire for my Mare" Shining Armor said, as emotionless as possible, which was hard.

Almost without thinking, Star Dusk replied "Take the Air Coach, just hurry back though."

Shining Armor slowly replied "Thank you Star Dusk, for you are great."

Another stallion walked up at this point, and he and Star Dusk disappeared into the Audience Hall.

---

The trip to the Crystal Palace seemed to go pretty quickly. This was because Shining Armor was planning the recovery of his Mare. His military processes were in overdrive, and this seemed incongruous to him, since he was really after his own Mare. Still, he realized this was 'war'...

He knew that his Mare liked the meadows around the Crystal Palace, and he realized he would probably find her in one of them. But this left a lot of ground to cover. And it had been two and a half weeks since he left, but Roderick had kept him apprised. Shining Armor's Mare was still around.

Shining Armor knew he needed to get his Mare to the Portal Room, but he had already worked that part out.

Maybe two minutes away from the Crystal Palace, Shining Armor checked in with his second in command.

"Rod, SA, Princ Update" (Roderick, from Shining Armor, Princess Update)

There was a brief delay.

"Princ Slept, SE Mead, Atkd. m" (Princess Slept in SE Meadow, evidently she had attacked Roderick)

Shining Armor just sighed. Roderick was wearing the same gear Shining Armor wore.

Shining Armor sent back

"Keep Slept, inc--2 min out" (Keep princess slept, am incoming, 2 minutes away)

Shining Armor yelled to the lead stallion to look for Roderick in the SE meadow, and land them there.

Two and a half minutes later, Shining Armor ran up to Roderick next to a slept Princess Cadance.

"Roderick, get in the air coach and get airborn until I clear you to land" Shining Armor barked.

Two minutes later, and Roderick was gone.

Shining Armor was standing right in front of Princess Cadance. She was standing up, asleep. He used his magic to gently remove Princess Cadance's crown, then Shining Armor held it right in front of his head with his magic.

The final piece of information is that Shining Armor's 'pet name' for his Mare is 'Cady'. It is pronounced like 'Katy' but with a 'd' sound instead of the 't'. That's what he calls her when nopony is around, and she loves it. Well, she did up until two weeks ago. He didn't know now.

Ten minutes later Princess Cadance woke up, and immediately said loudly "Hey! Give me back my crown!" Princess Cadance liked her crown.

Shining Armor said softly "Cady, do you want your crown?"

Then he turned and bolted off towards the entrance to the Crystal Palace, then he yelled "Come get it, and I have a surprise for you!"

Of course Princess Cadance bolted off after him, and she was quickly in the air, catching up rapidly. She was a fast flyer, but probably had not flown much recently.

Shining Armor was fast too, and Princess Cadance had to just as quickly land, as Shining Armor headed into the entrance to the Crystal Palace.

Shining Armor knew the way to the Portal room in the dark. Still, he would stop occasionally and repeat "Cady, do you want your crown? Come get it, and I have a surprise for you!" Then he would run some more.

At first, Shining Armor tried to be careful. The run to the Portal room was a lot of work for her Crown.

But evidently, Princess Cadance wanted her crown back very badly, and followed him closely the whole way.

And on the way, he managed to send the following message to Roderick, which surely sounded strange

"Princ in pursuit, clear to land" (Princess in pursuit, it was ok to land now.)

Once at the Portal room, Shining Armor burst through the doors, and ran right up to the Portal. Princess Cadance followed, of course, then stopped near Shining Armor and demanded again "Give me back my crown!"

Shining Armor said quickly "Cady, can you come up here, so I can check you out in this mirror?"

Ladies and mirrors...

Princess Cadance was quickly up next to him looking at herself in the mirror.

She started to say "This isn't a very good mir--"

They were both into the Portal before she could finish.

---

On the other side of the Portal...

The Crown ended up in the grass...

Princess Cadance was laying on top of Shining Armor...

Princess Cadance was painfully beautiful, even here.

Shinning Armor was amazingly handsome here too.

Princess Cadance remembered... everything... and smiled, as Shining Armor picked her crown up and held it.

Princess Cadance said "Where's my surprise, Stallion?"

Shining Armor kissed his Mare...

Shining Armor had watched Shysage kiss his own Mare (Summer) quite a bit as 'people', and it looked pretty enjoyable, from what he could tell.

It was amazing...

Princess Cadance melted, then said "This is an amazing surprise, Stallion..."

Shining Armor would need to thank Shysage for giving him the opportunity to try this out.

They kissed for a few minutes, then Shining Armor frowned, and said "We really need to get back. Equestria is taken over..."

Princess Cadance said "One more, please?"

They kissed again, then got up, and were soon back in Equestria.

---

Once through, they both looked at each other, and said "I love you" at the same time, then rubbed noses a minute.

Still, Princess Cadance quickly picked up her crown and put it back where it belonged. She liked her crown.

"I came here to get you. I will explain what I know once we are in the air" Shining Armor said, as they began walking quickly back to the entrance to the Crystal Palace.

After the ten minute walk to the entrance to the Crystal Palace, they were down to the Air Coach, and Roderick was standing next to it, looking sheepishly helpless.

Once they were over to the Air Coach, Shining Armor made a funny discovery.

Princess Twilight was already sitting in the Air Coach.

"What are you doing?" Shining Armor asked quietly.

Princess Twilight sounded like a little girl... "I think these are fun, can I go for a ride?"

Shining Armor walked over to Princess Cadance and sighed. "Cady, I should really take my sister this time, and lock her up in Canterlot. Can you stay safe until I come back?"

Princess Cadance rubbed his nose, then said softly "Shining Armor, you gave me my first kiss -- I'm waiting for you! I will be in our room, or in the same meadow you found me in before."

They hugged, then Princess Cadance headed into the Palace.

"Roderick, back to the Portal please" Shining Armor said quietly.

Roderick began to try to apologize about Princess Cadance "Sir. I'm sorry about before. I was just trying to check--"

Shining Armor sighed, and said "It's ok Roderick, you did the right thing. I'm just glad I was nearby. Still, if a lot of that is happening..."

---

Shining Armor got in the other side of the Air Coach, and said to his sister (Princess Twilight) as cheerfully as he could "I am going to give you a ride, and I have a surprise for you if you come with me. Is that ok?"

Princess Twilight replied, still like a little girl, "That sounds fun, I like surprises!"

The Air Coach ride back to Canterlot was fairly calm and uneventful. Shining Armor reminded Princess Twilight about the 'surprise' a few more times.

When the Air Coach landed, it was dusk, and Shining Armor quickly helped Princess Twilight out, and led her to the 'dungeon'. Shining Armor just as quickly returned to his post, sitting down next to the Audience Hall doors.

Once Princess Twilight was locked away, Princess Celestia cleared all three spells, and that was her 'surprise', which Princess Twilight appreciated, of course. Then Princess Celestia simply briefed Princess Twilight.

The Princesses realized that, not knowing anything about the powerful opponent they faced, they spoke only when necessary. As a result, Princess Celestia told Princess Twilight what what was going on in the barest of terms, and they were done, waiting until the rest were gathered.

Maybe ten minutes after her 'guard' had returned, Star Dusk walked out with the same stallion, and asked "Guard, did you bring your Mare back?"

Shining Armor had already thought of the most truthful answer he could offer. Shining Armor tried to always respond truthfully, even in 'war', if he could.

He said simply "I couldn't bring her..."

Even though now the 'focal point' of the take-over of Equestria, Star Dusk was clearly no monster.

She used her magic and wrote the magic details for the memory spell on a piece of paper, then handed the paper to Shining Armor. Then she said "Here, take this. Go back tomorrow, cast this backwards, then she will come. But you must not use this spell on anypony else!"

Shining Armor just answered slowly "Thank you Star Dusk, and of course I won't, for you are great."

By noon the next day, Princess Cadance was 'in jail' with the rest of Equestria's Princesses.

And Shining Armor did actually cast the spell, backwards, on her, just as Star Dusk directed him.

---

On the Air Coach ride back with his Mare, Shining Armor quickly explained what was going on. He kept it brief, and they were done after maybe five minutes, and both were silent.

Shining Armor took this opportunity to actually stand back and mentally assess the 'battlefield' that he was facing.

After Star Dusk was 'done' with Shysage's Mare, Shining Armor was very close to... Well, it would not have been pretty.

Star Dusk was at the focus of the take-over of Equestria, and that was very bad.

However, Shining Armor was slowly realizing that Star Dusk was not really bad. She was just hurting. Shining Armor was seeing more desperation, and not evil, behind Star Dusk's actions.

Still, a much more magically powerful being of some sort was helping Star Dusk, or she was helping him in some way. And nopony knew how much of 'what was going on' this powerful being could know or sense. There had been no trace of him up to this point, except for the spells cast on the realm two and a half weeks ago.

And right now, nopony seemed to be 'in charge' of the realm.

Either way, Shining Armor suspected that this whole thing would not end very well for Star Dusk.

The enemies of Equestria, both that Shining Armor had faced in the past, and that he had read about, did not take failure well. And Shining Armor guessed Star Dusk would be first in line if this enemy failed, which Shining Armor felt was highly likely...

Right now, there was just nothing anypony could do except wait...

Still, a spell that would make his Mare attack his second in command was very troubling...