Feather
The train ride back to the Crystal Empire was a long, awkward affair. Cadence spent nearly the entire journey in a corner of the railcar that had been set aside for her, staring out the window with unseeing eyes. Around her, the Crystal Knights, all of them at least somewhat disgruntled after having been left behind yet again by the Princess they were charged to escort, did their best to maintain a healthy distance in the somewhat cramped quarters. Any and all conversation that arose was quickly squashed with a scathing glance from Cinnabar.
Cadence hardly noticed them. She leaned against the window, her eyes unfocused as the green of the countryside passed by in a blur. She wasn’t lost in thought, nor did she daydream. She merely existed, all her strength to think or feel or move stripped from her. Her eyes were only open because they weren’t closed, she sat only because she wasn’t standing. Almost certainly, had Cinnabar not come after her, Cadence would still have been on the hilltop she had landed on after fleeing Ponyville.
Regardless of whether the Crystal Princess took notice or not, time did continue to pass, and eventually Cadence was roused from her stupor by a gentle hoof on her withers. From habit if nothing else, Cadence turned her head and saw it was Sir Cinnabar, concern etched into the hard-worn lines of his face.
“Your Majesty, we’ve arrived,” he whispered, quietly enough for only her ears. She blinked at him, suddenly noticing the burning dryness of her eyes, and she glanced around the car. The other Knights were all watching her, each making an attempt at polite disinterest.
Cadence looked back at Cinnabar mutely. The silence dragged on for an uncomfortably long moment, Cinnabar unwilling to speak before his liege and Cadence completely unable, before Cinnabar retracted his hoof and came to attention. “If you would like to head to the Spire, we would escort you, Princess.”
Despite the dense fog of lethargy encapsulating her, Cadence recognized the support Cinnabar was offering, and dipped her head to confirm his suggestion. She stood, her muscles sore and aching from her long bout of inactivity and the furious exertion that was her rush to Ponyville. The simple act of moving forced her mind into something at least vaguely reminiscent of functionality that served well enough to direct her steps.
The train station was nearly empty, the rest of the train’s passenger having long since disembarked and those returning to Equestria having already boarded. Ponies pressed against windows in the passenger cars to watch as Cadence and her retinue passed them on their way to the city, all of them eager to see a Princess in the flesh, even if separated by a panel of glass.
The steady clip-clip of hooves ate the road to the Capitol quickly, until the empty fields surrounding the city gave way to monolithic crystal buildings. The streets were filled with the midday crowds, the majority of which was made up of Crystal Ponies, with the odd Equestrian or even Griffon here and there. Regardless of species, they all parted to allow the party through.
While it would be a gross fabrication to say that Cadence was even remotely alert, she had walked the streets of her city often enough to recognize anything out of the ordinary regarding her ponies. Normally, when she took a stroll through the Capital, the ponies would be all smiles and pleasant greetings. While they would normally maintain a respectful distance, with the exception of the occasional overly-enthusiastic foal, most ponies would make a point of offering a kind wave at the very least.
But, as the group passed through the emerging corridor of the crowd, nopony smiled. Nopony waved. Conversation, normally free-flowing and enthusiastic, was hushed. The ponies whispered among themselves, too quietly for Cadence to overhear, casting furtive glances her way and quickly looking away if she tried to meet them.
The knights, unsettled by the unusual behavior of the crowd, tightened ranks around her. They were stallions, and more importantly soldiers, of a different time. The word ‘assassination’ hung heavily in their vocabulary, not as a distant concept banished to the annals of history, but as a shadowy presence well within living memory. It was not only a lasting legacy of Sombra, but the inevitable result of ponies a thousand years out of their own time. Even with years to adjust, many were still adapting to the new, more peaceful place the world had become in their long absence.
With the stallions surrounding her on every side, their crystal armor clinking as they moved in step, it made it even more difficult for Cadence to make sense of the ponies’ odd behavior. It was petty happenstance that, at just the most inopportune moment, an errant breeze passed by, carrying with it a potent sampling of their words.
“Whore.”
Cadence stumbled.
Word, it seemed, had beaten her to the Empire. The knights, noticing her distress, stopped and formed a wall between her and the crowd. Without the inherent noise of walking, and knowing now what to listen for, the quiet, faint chattering morphed into sharp, cutting condemnations.
“Whore.”
“Cheater.”
“Liar.”
“Harlot.”
Cadence turned round and round, finally taking notice of the hostility that surrounded her. Gone were the familiar smiles and happy eyes, and in their place were sneers and derision. It was a bitterly unfamiliar feeling, seeing the ponies she always sought to do justice by turning on her so. The great, omnipresent weight she had carried for weeks suddenly pressed down on her with renewed vigor, and she very nearly collapsed in the street.
“Princess, I believe it would be best if we continued on our way,” Sir Cinnabar whispered to her urgently after noticing her distress, not taking his eyes away from the crowd. He was a clever stallion, and it was no mystery to him what had suddenly afflicted her. Cadence offered no resistance when, after a brief moment of her indecision, he began to lightly coax her forward. She nearly tripped on her hooves, but managed to remain upright as the shield of stallions around her escorted her towards the Crystal Spire at a quick but controlled pace.
In her shock and her guards’ haste, Cadence failed to notice that not all the faces were entirely hostile. While there was no approval to be found, the great majority of ponies wore expressions of pity, or sympathy, or even mere sadness. Cadence had seen only the flecks of harsh gold in the stone, the scattered judgmental glowers blending together into a solid, damning mosaic.
The group reached the Spire with merciful swiftness, and Cadence was soon safely ensconced in her glass tower. She sat panting on the floor of the Spire’s foyer, her chest gripped with she could only think of as a panic attack. She performed the breathing exercises Celestia had taught her repeatedly until her body returned to her control, and refused Cinnabar’s pleas for her to allow the Imperial physicians to examine her.
Instead, she dismissed him and the rest of the knights and left to return to her room. On the way, she passed dozens of staff, attendants, and guards, and left hushed gossiping in her wake. She felt as if she were a fugitive fleeing justice as she rushed through the halls of her own home, avoiding eye contact and skulking through lesser-used passageways.
It was a relief when she finally reached the door to her chambers, which was swiftly cut down by the realization that a pair of Crystal Knights still stood vigil on either side.
“Sir Pyrite, Sir Rigid,” she acknowledged with what could not even be charitably called a smile and a nod of her head.
“Majesty,” they intoned together, their voices flat and professional.
Cadence hid a wince: though they had always been quite formal, both knights had near always shown, in their own way, the affection they felt towards her and Twilight. As members of their personal guards, much more often Twilight’s than her own, she realized belatedly, she and Twilight had come to know them as well as any of their guards. They had always maintained their professionalism, but it had been as casual as the relationship between guard and charge could be. Pyrite, the more talkative of the two, was always quick to offer them warm greetings or pleasant conversation whenever he was present. His near-constant companion, Sir Rigid, despite rarely speaking, could also communicate a tome’s worth of meaning in a single glance and often kept she and Twilight in silent stitches when he was present for the more ridiculous petitioners that occasioned their court.
Now, gone was the familiarity she had grown accustomed to, and its place was cold formality. It hurt to lose yet another source of comforting and friendship. Her wife had left her, her aunts were furious with her, one of them having all but banished her from Equestria proper, and her staff was no doubt mocking her the moment she was out of earshot.
She was an iceberg adrift in a hostile ocean, and the knowledge that she had been the one to hack herself free hurt all the more.
Sir Pyrite and Sir Rigid, disciplined soldiers that they were, opened the double doors for her with perfect precision. They kept their eyes forward respectfully as she passed, and she lowered her head in shame to avoid seeing their faces, no doubt locked into the stern, unyielding half-scowl pony soldiers were renowned for the world over.
When the doors closed behind her, she took a moment to look around her bedroom. The cleaning staff had done their duty despite her absence. The bed had been remade, and the curtains, ruined during Twilight’s violent teleportation, had been replaced, as had the sheets and comforter. The condom that had been her ultimate undoing had been discarded, and she wasted no thought on what its fate had been. Near the balcony window, the floor was uneven and warped where the spell’s energy had superheated the crystal into a boiling puddle, evidently beyond what the Imperial crystalsmiths could repair.
Cadence looked away and kicked her hoofboots free haphazardly. She likewise tossed her torque and crown in the general direction of her vanity table, and crawled onto her bed. It truly was her bed now, she realized. There would be no Twilight waiting for her after a long day of performing her royal duties, no reason to leave a spot beside her for her wife to crawl into when she finally managed to pry herself away from her late night reading. As she looked over the huge bedspread, it suddenly seemed desolate rather than spacious.
She drew the canopy closed, determined to sleep and escape her troubles as long as she could, and settled herself beneath the covers. The bed curtain blocked out a fair portion of the light streaming in through the windows, allowing only a dim portion of the sun’s rays through. The thick walls and insulated glass sequestered her from the hustle and bustle of the city’s activity, allowing her bed to act as a quiet oasis of peace.
Cadence tossed and turned at first, unable to find a comfortable position. She was unused to sleeping alone: she and Twilight had hardly spent a night apart since their wedding, and never for more than a single night at a time. She had grown used to cuddling and falling asleep with the scent of lavender and parchment in her nose. The freshly laundered sheets smelled unfamiliar and wrong, the expensive detergent a poor substitute.
Frustrated, Cadence eventually pulled a large, rarely used body pillow from the closet and brought it to her chest. As she wedged it in beside her, a streak of dark purple on the light violet sheets caught her eye and froze her in place.
The maids had not been as thorough as she had thought: a purple feather, apparently trapped between the pillows, had escaped their notice. Cadence picked it up carefully, as though expecting it to dissolve at her touch. When it remained solid, she rolled it between her hooves, watching the delicate patterns in the vane shift in the light. A thought occurred to her, and she sniffed the discarded plumage.
Cadence smiled sadly. Though faint, the smell of Twilight was unmistakable. She used her magic to cut a small slit in the pillowcase and slid the hollow shaft inside securely. Satisfied, she curled into her nest of sheets and clutched the pillow tightly to her chest. If she tried hard enough, she could imagine that it was Twilight against her. She could pretend she hadn’t lost the love of her life, ruined her marriage, and turned her entire nation against her.
For a moment, at least.
With sleep sinking its sharp talons into her for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime, Cadence didn’t notice that she had already soaked the pillow with tears.
Far below, at the base of the Spire, the Crystal Heart hovered in place, suspended midair between the Spire's supporting legs. The Crystal Heart, a conduit for the inherit magic in all the citizens of the Crystal Empire, was absolutely humming with energy. The excitement of a royal scandal, even if all the exact details were not yet known, was a rare thing. Rumors flew, carrying news of varying believability and severity. There was talk of everything from Princess Twilight having renounced her Imperial Crown to Princess Cadence and the entire Imperial Guard having been replaced by Changelings.
As Princess Cadence cried herself to sleep in solitude, and her ponies eagerly gossiped back and forth, the Crystal Heart began a low, nearly inaudible whine. It shivered in place, unnoticed in the midst of the buzzing commotion.
Distracted as they were, nopony noticed when a thin, hairline fracture appeared in the center of the perfectly cut face of the Crystal Heart.
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you give us an ending like that, and then not guarantee a sequel? how dare you!
.
.
.
nah, i'm just fuckin' with ya. but seriously, we need a sequel.
5415732 I agree wholeheartedly. We definitely need a sequel.
...Wait, that was the end?
It's nice to hear a Shining Armor story is coming, but what about what you set up with the Crystal Heart?
Oh, and that was a really good story, well done!
Come on AP don't do this to us. You can't end it like that and not promise a definite sequel. There are too many unanswered questions and unresolved issues.
I am looking forward to hearing Shiny's account, but seeing the aftermath of this story is something I REALLY needed since I saw it on the Cadence prompts story. So much potential!!
Plus...not gunna lie, I want to know if there really IS a legitimate reason for Cadence's whole dalliance thing? Magic related? Biological? Something else? Personality quirk? Changeling Magic? Gotta admit, part of me is very curious. And the whole Celestia/Twilight thing...not a bad pairing, I like it well enough if done right. And let's face it, this Celestia so far has my approval.
Maybe a sequel?!
There's still so much story here, it would be such a shame to not see it continue.
But seriously you wrote a great emotional roller coaster and although I feel Cadence got what she deserved I would hate for her to not recover from it. I would also love to see Twilight find out about Celestia from a third party as that could end up with some juicy confrontations but that's just wishful thinking.
I might be a callous bastard, but I didn't believe her love was genuine enough to cause such effect. I guess that's because I don't understand the mentality of people who need to cheat on their 'significant other'.
I mean it's one thing for one or both partners to grow close to someone else and thus want to bring them into a relationship too, but the way she described it she only went out to go and screw random people until she found and stuck with Shining Armour, all during their relationship where she thinks all is well and good in the world so long as Twilight never finds out.
That's a major disregard for Twilight's feelings on the matter, what did she never tell her how she felt for fear of losing her? Despite the fact that what they 'had' was completely against Twilight's view of their relationship?
I get that we are supposed to sympathize with Cadence here for her loss, but I can't. I cannot understand the need for betrayal, and why a person would take the actions to that course.
Kinda weird seeing so many crystal ponies treat her that way, considering she's their princess and saviour, not Twilight. How many in the crowd have cheated on their significant others, I wonder?
5416547
Yeah, I found that strange too, I mostly found it strange though that ponies from a 1,000 years ago from a very un-peaceful time (and in most recent memory ruled by a tyrant) ...would just openly insult their Queen in the streets. Seriously? That's how ponies get executed under the rule of a tyrant.
Very nice. I could be wrong, but I think I noticed some little improvements in this version of the story compared to the collab version.
Either way, I enjoyed reading this again.
5416357 First off: I do partly agree with you. I'll address that at the bottom of my post. First, I'll try to give reasons for why she felt she needed to "cheat".
Some people simply literally cannot be satisfied with one partner. Alternatively, she could have a psychological condition where she needs that variety. She could truly love both of them, to varying degrees. She could - possibly as a result of being Princess of Love - have a need for multiple sources of love; she could also be addicted to sex as a possible result of her Princessdom/Goddesshood. Hell, she could be a libertine for all we know. The point is, there are a number of legitimate reasons for why she needed that relationship with Shining.
Now. I do actually agree with you. I think we're supposed to sympathize with both Princesses. Cadance has lost the love of her life, yes; but Twilight has also been betrayed. Personally, I think if Cadance wanted to be in a relationship with Shining as well, she should have asked. Obviously Twi would likely not want to be involved with any sexual activities with her brother, but at the least she should have told Twilight sooner.
This definitely needs a sequel. There's WAY too much that's left unanswered for there not to be one.
Need sequel for story now if any!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's it? Dafuq?
I can just say the same like everypony before me.
This needs a sequel, answering open questions and telling more about the future
But, really nice story
5416357 im with you, fuck cheaters.
I would really love to see a sequel to this story. It was beautifully done, and I especially enjoyed that while it's clear Cadence was a sort of pseudo-antagonist in the story, you portrayed her as someone that feels horrible about the wrong she's committed, which makes it that much more difficult to hate her. The sheer realism of the emotions and relationships in the story brought it to life for me, and I hope you continue it. After all, I would love to see the relationship between Celestia and Twilight form, and want to know what will happen to Cadence and the Crystal Empire following the not-so-subtle foreshadowing you added. You have the potential for a great sequel or series available to you, so I'll be crossing my fingers.
All in all though, thank so much for writing this. It was an absolute joy to read, and it sucked me into the world you created in a way that so few stories do. Well done, and I look forward to reading more from you.
5416547 waaaaay late in responding to this. Remember this is AU where Twilight has taken the role Shining Armor filled in saving the Crystal Empire, so she has been their Princess(technically Princess Consort, but here that position actually has real authority that puts them closer to co-rulers) for as long as Cadence. Twilight would have actually gotten her Equestrian crown after her Crystal crown
5410483 which could have easily been resolved had Twilight created herself a futa spell to help with Cadences problem.
Also Communication between both partners could have easily saved the marriage, before things got that far.
Anyway looking forward to that sequel 5407514.
Distracted as they were, nopony noticed when a thin, hairline fracture appeared in the center of the perfectly cut face of the Crystal Heart.
You have met with a terrible fate..haven't you?
But in all seriousness i love this story. The subject is a heavy one. And i wonder if Twilight will ever confront her brother about this. We shall wait and see, hope a sequel are in the workings.
5533105 hey, so at the end of the story you mentioned the possibility (slight as it may be) of a sequel. any word on that?
5407859
You're assuming that Celestia doesn't outlaw those two from ever getting together, cause i sincerely doubt that she would allow those two to have a happy ending with each other after their actions caused the pony those two are so close to so much pain and betrayal. Also, I can see Cadance ending up in a state of delusion and believing she can still get Twilight back by being as pure as she possibly can be, and, as a result, won't even let Shining in the Crystal Empire, let alone anywhere close to her.
5417833 I agree she should have asked. As for the reasons none of them required cheating, all could have been resolved by twi and cadence by adding more lovers to their union together and sharing lovers honestly. Monogamy isn't for everyone some are polyamarous and polygamous.
I need to thank you for giving me a reason to kill off shining armor in my own fic
...What the heck.
That's the end?
Nothing got resolved! Even though the story can't realistically end with Cadence and Twilight getting back together, there's still the matter of the cracked Crystal Heart, and Celestia hovering predator-like over Twilight's shoulder that need to be brought to a close. Really, this felt like you just stopped mid-story.
I'm sorry, I can't say I liked this story, though honestly I should have stopped reading the moment the condom was brought up. You still get an upvote from me, but...
You get an upvote from me on this one. I thought it was well thought out, well written, and well edited. Reading your stuff is always a pleasure.
For the folks who were unhappy with the endings and wishing for more resolution, I think this chapter of the (theoretical) larger story ended on solid footing. We know basically where all the main characters that were involved with this story now stand. I can live with that. But, I am looking forward to a sequel of some sorts, some day. Here's what I'm hoping to come of it:
As Shining Armor (a.k.a. "the rat bastard"
) was never introduced into the story proper, I'm not concerned with what's going on with him right now within the scope of this story. That being said, I would love to find out about his side in all this, especially what happened to him and his position once Celestia and Luna calmed down enough to not incinerate him on the spot, not to mention how the rest of the guards, his friends, and his family took the news. (You can't tell me that 'who' Cadence was with wouldn't get out and become common knowledge - it's just not possible; too much gossip.) Then there's the little matter of having to look his sister in the face at some point....
As for Twilight and Celestia? I'm content to figure that story on my own. I feel that's got plenty of room to go in many different directions. I, personally, don't feel that we, the readers, need to know how that plays out, but should we have the opportunity to find out, well, I know I would like to go along for that ride.
Then there's Cadence.... eh, what ever. I'm sure she'll just get eaten by a rabid crystal sloth or something when her guards quit on her.
Oh, and I would like to offer my condolences for the poor schmuck who eventually becomes the Crystal Empire's ambassador to Equestria and Canterlot. I'll bet that's a job nobody's going to want to have. I can't imagine how uncomfortable that will be having to show up in front of Celestia, Luna, and (most probably) Twilight on behalf of Cadence. Ugh!
thanks again!
Amazing read but the ending... Very unsatisfying. It reads like we have reached the middle of the story and suddenly fade to black.
I guess what makes it feel like that is the lack of seeing Candices consequences for her actions. Yes Twilight left her but the political, emotional, and even every day social aspects are left in the air. All but banned from equestria and pariah from the other alicorns, her personal guard, and a good chunk of her ponies...
As written I can only imagine Cadance killing herself in a few days as grief overwhelms her and leaving a massive hole in the crystal empires government but also Twilights mind.
Aw shiz son..
Dat ending
Nnnooooo... Twilllliiiggghhhtttt....
6230825 Cady and Shiny get THIS....
Honestly, I feel like we deserve a sequel to this one, because I wanna know what's gonna happen next. Will Twilight forgive? Go off with Celestia? Will Cadence commit suicide or something?
So many questions, completely unanswered.
Such a great story and so dang heartbreaking at the same time 😭 I hope you decide to do a sequel
5533105
plz update
5407514
Was this ever written?
I honestly think the ending isn’t horrible at all mostly because I’m satisfied with what became of the story. I just wished I got to see shining got his punishment and not just cadance.
Ya that's not surprising, the crystal heart is powered by the love and positive emotions all around the empire? Ya I'm more surprised it didn't outright shatter into pieces the minute everyone found out about what was going on between Cadance and Twilight.
Well this story was great, I wish Shining Armor was addressed though, and I saw that there was gonna be a side story? Will there be a sequel in the future or no?